cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Structure on the Interaction of Organophosphorus and Carbamate Esters with Acetylcholinesterase

The toxicity of organophosphorus and carbamate esters to insects, mammals, and other organisms is attributable to the ability of these materials to inactivate acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitting agent acetylcholine (ACh) into choline (Ch) and acetic acid. The neurohormone ACh is the synaptic mediator of nerve impulses in the central nervous system of insects as well as the autonomic nervous system in mammals.
Identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 surrogate organisms to evaluate beef carcass intervention treatment efficacy.

We compared the survival of potential pathogen surrogates—meat-hygiene indicators (non–Escherichia coli coliforms), biotype I E. coli, and lactic acid bacteria starter cultures—with survival of an E. coli O157:H7 (ECO157:H7) inoculum in beef carcass intervention trials. Survival of one lactic acid bacteria starter culture (Bactoferm LHP Dry [Pediococcus acidilactici and Pediococcus pentosaceus]), a five-isolate biotype I inoculum, and a five-isolate non–E. coli coliform inoculum, was compared with survival of a 12-isolate ECO157:H7 inoculum in interventions by using beef brisket (adipose and lean), cod fat membrane, or neck tissue. Treatments were grouped by abattoir size: small (6-day dry aging; 22°C acid treatment [2.5% acetic acid, 2% lactic acid, or Fresh Bloom], followed by 1-day dry aging; hot water) and large (warm acid treatment [5% acetic acid or 2% lactic acid] with or without a preceding hot water treatment). Reductions in pathogen and surrogate inocula were determined with excision sampling. A...
Drugs and the liver—I: Effects of glutethimide and phenobarbital on hepatic bilirubin clearance, plasma bilirubin turnover and carbon monoxide production in man

Abstract The effects of glutethimide and phenobarbital on the plasma unconjugated bilirubin concentration, hepatic bilirubin clearance (C BR ) and plasma bilirubin turnover (BRT) were determined in 19 patients with mild chronic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (Gilbert's syndrome) and 11 normal volunteers. C BR and BRT were calculated from plasma radio-bilirubin disappearance curves obtained both before and during drug administration. The response to both drugs was essentially identical. During drug administration, the patients with Gilbert's syndrome attained a new steady state in which the plasma unconjugated bilirubin concentration ( BR ) was 30 ± 2% ( mean ± S.E.M. ) and C BR 314 ± 25% of baseline. In the normal volunteers, BR fell to 65 ± 6%, while C BR increased to 135 ± 9% of baseline during the period of drug administration. Although neither total red cell volume nor the half-life of 51 Cr-labeled erythrocytes was altered by either agent, daily plasma bilirubin turnover fell significantly (P P > 0.1). These studies indicate that both accelerated hepatic bilirubin clearance and reduced plasma bilirubin turnover contribute to the reduction in bilirubin concentration observed during administration of phenobarbital and glutethimide. The methods employed provided no evidence that these agents produce an increase in the rates of heme catabolism, bilirubin production or carbon monoxide formation.
Star Trek and the Marxist Theory of the State

This chapter begins with a treatment of the state and politics within the Federation—where the governing norms are fairness and equality. The overall analysis and conclusion offered in this chapter is consonant with Karl Marx’s view that a repressive modern state apparatus is directly, solely a function of entrenched class hegemony, oppression.
Plasmonic meta-surfaces dispersionless both temporally and spatially

A linear passive plasmonic meta-surface platform is introduced to accomplish simultaneous cancellation of temporal and spatial dispersion to high orders for subwavelength slow light.
Hass Avocado Inclusion in a Weight-Loss Diet Supported Weight Loss and Altered Gut Microbiota: A 12-Week Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Trial

Background Avocados contain fiber, lutein, and vitamin E, and they are a rich source of MUFAs. The effect of including an avocado daily as part of a hypocaloric weight-loss diet on weight loss is not known. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of daily avocado consumption as part of a hypocaloric diet on weight loss, body composition, satiety, biomarkers of inflammation, and intestinal microbiota composition. Methods In this randomized, parallel-controlled, open-label, 2-arm intervention study, 51 healthy overweight/obese women and men were assigned to a hypocaloric diet with 1 Hass avocado daily (AVO; n = 24) or a hypocaloric diet (CTRL; n = 27) without daily avocado for 12 wk. Serum markers and intestinal microbiota were analyzed at baseline and week 12. Results Both groups experienced significant weight loss, decrease in BMI (in kg/m2), total body fat, and visceral adipose tissue, respectively (AVO: -2.3 ± 2 kg, -0.8 ± 0.8, -1.1% ± 2%, and -81.2 ± 118 g; CTRL: -2.6 ± 3.6 kg, -0.9 ± 1, -1.5% ± 2%, and -87.4 ± 216 g). We observed a significant decrease in serum glucose over time in the control group compared with the AVO group. There was no change between the groups in serum triglyceride, but a significant decrease from baseline to 12 wk was observed in the AVO group. Serum hepatic growth factor (HGF) and relative proportion of bacterial phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes), family (Bacteroidaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae), and genus (Bacteroides, Clostridium, Methanosphaera, and Candidatus Soleaferrea) were significantly altered in the AVO group compared with the CTRL group. A trend to decrease in serum inflammatory factors IL-1β (P = 0.07) and C-reactive protein (P = 0.074) was observed in the AVO group compared with CTRL. Conclusions Daily Hass avocado consumption as part of a hypocaloric diet supported weight loss, a decrease in serum HGF, and an increase in the abundance of bacteria involved in plant polysaccharide fermentation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02953158.
A Family of Cross-Conjugated Polyenynes Capped by CoIII(cyclam): Syntheses, Molecular and Electronic Structures

Transition-metal complexes bridged by acyclic cross-conjugated frameworks are uncommon and can possess structurally unique nonlinear topologies and intriguing electron transport properties. Herein,...
Price Transmission and Market Openness: A Comparative Analysis of Asian Stock Markets

This paper studies the degree of impact of stock prices listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange regarding price behavior in Asian stock markets. Our evidence shows that the pattern and magnitude of impact varies. Returns in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia are more sensitive than those in Taiwan, Korea and Thailand. The response patterns in the Asian markets suggest that foreign influence is significantly correlated to the degree of market openness.
Current Epidemiology of Surgical Sepsis: Discordance Between Inpatient Mortality and 1-year Outcomes.

Objective We sought to compare traditional inpatient outcomes to long-term functional outcomes and mortality of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients with sepsis. Summary of background data As inpatient sepsis mortality declines, an increasing number of initial sepsis survivors now progress into a state of chronic critical illness (CCI) and their post-discharge outcomes are unclear. Methods We performed a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of SICU patients with sepsis. Results Among this recent cohort of 301 septic SICU patients, 30-day mortality was 9.6%. Only 13 (4%) patients died within 14 days, primarily of refractory multiple organ failure (62%). The majority (n = 189, 63%) exhibited a rapid recovery (RAP), whereas 99 (33%) developed CCI. CCI patients were older, with greater comorbidities, and more severe and persistent organ dysfunction than RAP patients (all P 0.0001) and mortality was 20.9%. Of note at 12 months, the CCI cohort had persistent severely impaired performance status and a much higher mortality (41.4%) than those with RAP (4.8%) after controlling for age and comorbidity burden (Cox hazard ratio 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.41, P Conclusions There is discordance between low inpatient mortality and poor long-term outcomes after surgical sepsis, especially among older adults, increasing comorbidity burden and patients that develop CCI. This represents important information when discussing expected outcomes of surgical patients who experience a complicated clinical course owing to sepsis.
Measurement and the Study of Motivation and Strategy Use: Determining If and When Self-report Measures are Appropriate

The goal of this special issue is to examine the use of self-report measures in the study of motivation and strategy use. This commentary reviews the articles contained in this special issue to address the primary objective of determining if and when self-report measures contribute to understanding these major constructs involved in self-regulated learning. Guided by three central questions, this review highlights some of the major, emergent themes regarding the use of self-report. The issues addressed include attention to evidence for construct validity, the need to consider broad methodological factors in the collection and interpretation of self-report data, and the innovations made possible by modern tools for administering and analyzing self-report measures. Conclusions forward a set of conditions for the use of self-report measures, which center on the role of theoretically-driven choices in both the selection of self-report measures and analysis of the data these measures generate.
Urothelial carcinoma: the development of FGFR inhibitors in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Introduction: The recent approval of erdafitinib and the emergence of other potent and selective fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors (FGFRi’s) are shifting the treatment paradigm fo...
Statewide Workforce Development Program to Improve Care for Individuals With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a frequently disabling disorder characterized by distressing thoughts and behaviors, often goes undetected, or individuals with this disorder do not receive evi...
Performance with Multiple Terms

A comparison of Figure 8.1 and the smoother and simpler performance graphs found in previous chapters graphically illustrates some of the problems that arise when studying retrieval and filtering performance where more than one term comes into play. Retrieval performance for multivariate techniques that address statistical dependence between document features is poorly understood. Figure 8.1 illustrates the relationship between just a few parameters; the operation of a full system is far more complex. Figure 8.1 shows the performance with two terms and with one thousand documents, with t = .01 for both terms, p = .3 for the least discriminating term, with p varying for the other term. The correlation between the term frequencies is allowed to vary in relevant documents as shown but is treated as very close to 0 for the set of all documents. It appears as though there are no simple means of exploring this problem, motivating the placement of the quote from Dante at the head of this chapter. The capability to model the performance of these multiple term systems is needed; we develop multi-term models below, including models that explicitly assume that terms are statistically dependent, as well as models assuming multi-term statistical independence. Using an analytic model showing the exact expected performance, we can see the complexity inherent in multi-variate system performance and appreciate why it has been difficult to reach any conclusive experimental results.
Hydrolysis of opioid hexapeptides by carboxypeptidase N: Presence of carboxypeptidase in cell membranes

Abstract Carboxypeptidase N, purified to homogeneity from human plasma, rapidly hydrolyzed Lys 6 -or Arg 6 -enkephalins when measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. Comparison of the kinetics of hydrolysis of the enkephalin hexapeptides and bradykinin by carboxypeptidase N revealed the following values for the K m and K cat : Arg 6 -Met 5 -enkephalin, 49 μM, 1024 min −1 ; Arg 6 -Leu 5 -enkephalin, 57 μM, 375 min −1 ; Lys 6 -Met 5 -enkephalin, 216 μM, 6204 min −1 ; bradykinin, 19 μM, 58 min −1 . Thus, while bradykinin had the lowest K m , the specificity constants ( K cat / K m ) for all the enkephlain hexapeptides were higher than that of bradykinin due to their high turnover numbers. Preincubation of the enzyme with 0.1 mM CoCl 2 increased both the K cat and K m of bradykinin and Arg 6 -Met 5 -enkephalin. Similar results were obtained when the above experiments were conducted with the active 48,000 dalton subunit of carboxypeptidase N. Basic carboxypeptidase activity was found in the amniotic fluid, in membrane fractions of various human and bovine tissues, and in cultured cells in the following order of decreasing specific activity: human placental muvilli, human kidney, human amniotic fluid, human lung, bovine lung, bovine pulmonary artery, human foreskin fibroblasts, human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells, and human lung fibroblasts. The membrane-bound carboxypeptidase activity had a neutral pH optimum and behaved similarly to plasma carboxypeptidase N in the presence of various inhibitors and activators. It was different from the carboxypeptidase activity in bovine adrenal chromaffin granules which had an acid pH optimum and was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents. These studies show that human carboxypeptidase N, an enzyme found in high concentration in blood, readily hydrolyzes Arg 6 - or Lys 6 -enkephalins. It could thus control the levels of these peptides if they are released into the circulation from the adrenal gland. In addition, a membrane-bound carboxypeptidase N-like enzyme in various tissues may regulate the local levels of biologically active peptides containing C-terminal basic amino acids such as hexapeptide enkephalins, kinins, anaphylatoxins or fibrinopeptides.
Cigarette smoking and its relationship to mood disorder symptoms and co-occurring alcohol and cannabis use disorders following first hospitalization for bipolar disorder

Objectives Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) and may adversely affect symptoms of the disorder as well as co-occurrence of other substance use disorders. However, anecdotal reports suggesting that smoking cessation caused a worsening of mood in smokers with BD have raised concerns about quitting. In this study, we prospectively evaluated the course of BD, alcohol use disorders, and cannabis use disorders in relation to smoking and examined the relationship between smoking abstinence and changes in mood.
Pass the popcorn: “Obesogenic” behaviors and stigma in children's movies

Objective To determine the prevalence of obesity-related behaviors and attitudes in children's movies. Methods A mixed-methods study of the top-grossing G- and PG-rated movies, 2006-2010 (4 per year) was performed. For each 10-min movie segment, the following were assessed: 1) prevalence of key nutrition and physical activity behaviors corresponding to the American Academy of Pediatrics obesity prevention recommendations for families; 2) prevalence of weight stigma; 3) assessment as healthy, unhealthy, or neutral; 3) free-text interpretations of stigma. Results Agreement between coders was >85% (Cohen's kappa = 0.7), good for binary responses. Segments with food depicted: exaggerated portion size (26%); unhealthy snacks (51%); sugar-sweetened beverages (19%). Screen time was also prevalent (40% of movies showed television; 35% computer; 20% video games). Unhealthy segments outnumbered healthy segments 2:1. Most (70%) of the movies included weight-related stigmatizing content (e.g., “That fat butt! Flabby arms! And this ridiculous belly!”). Conclusions These popular children's movies had significant “obesogenic” content, and most contained weight-based stigma. They present a mixed message to children, promoting unhealthy behaviors while stigmatizing the behaviors' possible effects. Further research is needed to determine the effects of such messages on children.
The fate of human platelets perfused through the pig liver: implications for xenotransplantation.

Burlak C, Paris LL, Chihara RK, Sidner RA, Reyes LM, Downey SM, Tector AJ. The fate of human platelets perfused through the pig liver: implications for xenotransplantation. Xenotransplantation 2010; 17: 350–361. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Pig liver xenotransplantation could offset the shortage of livers available for orthotopic liver transplantation. Studies in pig and baboon liver xenografts revealed the main obstacle to be a lethal thrombocytopenia that occurred within minutes to hours of transplantation. Methods: We have created a model of xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia using ex vivo pig liver perfusion with human platelets. Thrombocytopenia was examined using fluorescently labeled platelets during the ex vivo perfusion and coculture with primary liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC). Results: Ex vivo liver perfusion revealed that 93% of human platelets were removed from circulation after 15 min. Endothelial cells and platelets were not activated based on tissue factor release into the perfusate. Biopsies from the ex vivo perfusion at 15 and 30 min and in vitro analysis indicated that human platelets are phagocytosed by pig LSEC and degraded in phagosomes. Sixty to 120 min after the addition of platelets to the ex vivo perfusion system, we observed platelet fragments and degraded platelets in hepatocytes. Platelet phagocytosis was not mediated by opsonization as Fc blocking had no effect on platelet phagocytosis. In vitro uptake of human platelets by primary LSEC cultures peaked at 15 min followed by a greater than 55% decrease in platelet fluorescence after 3 h. Primary pig LSEC phagosomes containing human platelets were colocalized with lysosomes positive for lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP1), indicating the formation of mature phagosomes within pig LSEC. Conclusions: Our observation of pig LSEC phagocytosis of human platelets describes a novel mechanism of large-particle uptake in the liver. The creation of a model system to study xenotransplantation-induced thrombocytopenia makes possible the investigation into mechanisms that mediate platelet loss.
A Situationally Aware Voice-commandable Robotic Forklift Working Alongside People in Unstructured Outdoor Environments

One long-standing challenge in robotics is the realization of mobile autonomous robots able to operate safely in human workplaces, and be accepted by the human occupants. We describe the development of a multiton robotic forklift intended to operate alongside people and vehicles, handling palletized materials within existing, active outdoor storage facilities. The system has four novel characteristics. The first is a multimodal interface that allows users to efficiently convey task-level commands to the robot using a combination of pen-based gestures and natural language speech. These tasks include the manipulation, transport, and placement of palletized cargo within dynamic, human-occupied warehouses. The second is the robot's ability to learn the visual identity of an object from a single user-provided example and use the learned model to reliably and persistently detect objects despite significant spatial and temporal excursions. The third is a reliance on local sensing that allows the robot to handle variable palletized cargo and navigate within dynamic, minimally prepared environments without a global positioning system. The fourth concerns the robot's operation in close proximity to people, including its human supervisor, pedestrians who may cross or block its path, moving vehicles, and forklift operators who may climb inside the robot and operate it manually. This is made possible by interaction mechanisms that facilitate safe, effective operation around people. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the system's architecture and implementation, indicating how real-world operational requirements motivated key design choices. We offer qualitative and quantitative analyses of the robot operating in real settings and discuss the lessons learned from our effort.
Soil Chemical Response to Experimental Acidification Treatments

One of the conclusions reached during the Congressionally mandated National Acid Precipitation Program (NAPAP) was that, compared to ozone and other stress factors, the direct effects of acidic deposition on forest health and productivity were likely to be relatively minor. However, the report also concluded “the possibility of long-term (several decades) adverse effects on some soils appears realistic” (Barnard et al. 1990). Possible mechanisms for these long-term effects include: (1) accelerated leaching of base cations from soils and foliage, (2) increased mobilization of aluminum (Al) and other metals such as manganese (Mn), (3) inhibition of soil biological processes, including organic matter decomposition, and (4) increased bioavailability of nitrogen (N). Sulfate-induced acidification occurs as the sulfate (SO
Aberrant Sensory Innervation of the Olfactory Bulb in Neuropilin-2 Mutant Mice

The mammalian olfactory system consists of two anatomically segregated structures, the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal system, which each detect distinct types of chemical stimuli in the environment. During development, sensory neurons establish precise axonal connections with their respective targets within the olfactory bulb. The specificity of the odorant or vomeronasal receptor expressed by the sensory neuron is crucial in this process, yet it is less clear which of the more conventional axon guidance molecules are involved. Here, we show that neuropilin-2, a coreceptor for some of the class 3 semaphorins, is expressed in subpopulations of olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons. We generated a knock-out mutation in the neuropilin-2 gene by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Neuropilin-2 mutant mice exhibit profound and distinct effects on target innervation within the olfactory bulb. In the main olfactory system, axons of olfactory sensory neurons penetrate into the deeper layers of the main olfactory bulb. In the vomeronasal system, axonal fasciculation within the vomeronasal nerve is affected; some axons are misrouted and innervate glomeruli in an ectopic domain of the accessory olfactory bulb.
Spatial and temporal variability of the human microbiota

The knowledge that our bodies are home to microbes is not new; van Leeuwenhoek first saw the microbes of the mouth and gut over three centuries ago. However, next generation sequencing technologies are enabling us to characterize our microbial consortia on an unprecedented scale, and are providing new insights into the range of variability of our microbiota and their contributions to our health. The microbiota far outnumber the human component of our selves, with 10 times more cells and at least 100 times more genes. Moreover, while individuals share over 99.9% of their human genome sequence, there are vast differences in the microbiome (the collection of genes of our associated microbes). This raises the question of the extent to which our microbial community determines our human physiological responses and susceptibility to disease. In order to develop technologies that allow us to manipulate the microbiome to improve health we must first understand the factors that influence spatial and temporal variation, stability in response to perturbation, and conditions that induce community-wide changes.
Dermal erythropoiesis in Rh hemolytic disease of the newborn

VISCERAL e x t r a m e du l l a ry hematopoies i s is a wel l -documen t e d man i f e s t a t i on of e ry throblas tos i s fetalis. However , d e r m a l e ry thropoies is has not been repor ted in cases o f ma te rna l f e t a l R h incompat ib i l i ty . W e have recent ly cared for a neona te wi th w idesp read cu taneous "b luebe r ry muf f in" lesions, his tological ly proved to be de rma l e ry thropoi esis and os tens ib ly resul t ing f rom R h hemoly t ic d isease of the newborn .
Fault tolerance in the execution of remote jobs on idling workstations

Many workstation-based distributed systems allow programs to be executed on remote idling machines for effective utilization of system resources. Usually, the control policies in these systems force a remote job be discontinued by the arrival of local jobs to guarantee the autonomy of individual workstations. Therefore, one special concern in the design of such systems is the fault-tolerant aspects for the execution of remote jobs. In the paper we discuss two control policies of workstation-based distributed systems, checkpointing and non-checkpointing policy, which support fault-tolerant execution of remote jobs on idling workstations. An analytical analysis on the reliability and mean turnaround time of the execution of remote jobs are conducted for both control policies. The optimal time interval between checkpoints in the checkpointing policy is formulated based on the given reliability and overhead of the system. In addition, several sample results derived from these analyses are compared with the outcome of corresponding simulation programs. Some observations of fault-tolerant features of each control policy are thereupon presented as guidelines for the future development of such workstation-based distributed systems.
Legal issues in Alzheimer's disease:

Pertinent legal and clinical issues related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) are reviewed in this article. The processes of competency determination and guardianship appointment are examined, particularly in regard to the special needs of patients with AD. The authors suggest an operational definition of AD, and outline the steps of progressive cognitive decline in this illness. This framework is utilized to recommend appropriate and flexible medicolegal guidelines.
On recursive construction for balanced incomplete block designs with nested rows and columns

This paper presents a recursive method for the construction of balanced incomplete block designs with nested rows and columns.
Evaluation of five strategies to limit the impact of fouling in permeable reactive barriers

Ground water flow and geochemical reactive transport models were used to assess the effectiveness of five strategies used to limit fouling and to enhance the long-term hydraulic behavior of continuous-wall permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) employing granular zero valent iron (ZVI). The flow model accounted for geological heterogeneity and the reactive transport model included a geochemical algorithm for simulating iron corrosion and mineral precipitation reactions that have been observed in ZVI PRBs. The five strategies that were evaluated are pea gravel equalization zones, a sacrificial pre-treatment zone, pH adjustment, large ZVI particles, and mechanical treatment. Results of simulations show that installation of pea gravel equalization zones results in flow equalization and a more uniform distribution of residence times within the PRB. Residence times within the PRB are less affected by mineral precipitation when a pre-treatment zone is employed. pH adjustment limits the total amount of hydroxide ions in ground water to reduce porosity reduction and to retain larger residence times. Larger ZVI particles reduce porosity reduction as a result of the smaller iron surface area for iron corrosion, and retain longer residence time. Mechanical treatment redistributes the porosity uniformly throughout the PRB over time, which is effective in maintaining residence time.
Winter Weather Forecasting throughout the Eastern United States. Part IV: Lake Effect Snow

Abstract This article is the final installment of a four-part series that examines the challenge of forecasting winter weather throughout the eastern United States. This paper examines the problems and challenges of forecasting lake effect snows. The climatology of lake-induced snowfall is reviewed, and an overview of the characteristics and evolution of these mesoscale precipitation bands is presented. The atmospheric conditions associated with five different types of lake snow bands are discussed. The abilities of remote sensors to resolve, and dynamical models to simulate, these mesoscale events are also explored. Finally, several techniques designed to improve operational forecasts of lake effect snow are described in detail, along with representative case studies.
Anatomic and Physiologic Considerations in Measurements of Myocardial Blood Flow

Indicators can be used to measure myocardial blood flow if the myocardial circulation can be isolated from other segments of the systemic circulation. Methods of measuring myocardial blood flow can be divided into groups according to the technic employed to provide "isolation" of the myocardium. There is no practical method of proved accuracy whereby coronary blood flow can be measured in man in absolute terms of ml./min. All the so-called clearance methods measure myocardial blood flow in flow/volume units or ml./min./100 Gm. Myocardial blood flow measurements in these flow/volume units have not proved useful in separation of normal individuals from those with ischemic heart disease at rest, but have been useful in the study of acute intervention such as exercise or the administration of drugs.
On generation of efficient partial diallel crosses plans.

Search for obtaining efficient partial diallel crosses has been addressed. The complete diallel crosses have been divided into mutually exclusive basic connected partial diallel crosses. Combining the basic partial diallel crosses, any partial diallel crosses with desired mating-replications has been obtained, and its efficiency factor evaluated. For odd values of number of lines, the search provides an optimal design, and for even p, we think designs with high efficiency would be obtained. Several designs have been listed in terms of basic partial diallel crosses along with their efficiencies.
Research development and transfer of technology approach by the National Research Development Corporation of India

Abstract The organization, strategies and functions, and operations of the NRDC of India are described. Services intended to exploit both government originated and private inventions are outlined. The unique role of the NRDC in assisting other developing nations to acquire, create and utilize technology is discussed.
The Human Simulation Lab—Dissecting Sex in the Simulator Lab: The Clinical Lacuna of Transsexed Embodiment

This article begins with an ethnographically documented incident whereby nursing students dissected a medical human simulator model and rearranged it so that the "male" head and torso was attached to the "female" lower half. They then joked about the embodiment of the model, thus staging a scene of anti-trans ridicule. The students' lack of ability, or purposeful refusal, to recognize morphological biodiversity in medical settings indicates a lacuna in clinical imaginaries. Even as trans-identified and gender nonconforming people increasingly access care in the clinic, the lacuna of transsex-as a proxy term for non-binary embodiment-persists at the heart of clinical practice. This article concludes that we might engage in more ethical clinical practice if we recognize and affirm the trace of multiple forms of human being in the non-human simulator.
Dual-stage growth factor release within 3D protein-engineered hydrogel niches promotes adipogenesis.

Engineered biomimetic microenvironments from hydrogels are an emerging strategy to achieve lineage-specific differentiation in vitro. In addition to recapitulating critical matrix cues found in the native three-dimensional (3D) niche, the hydrogel can also be designed to deliver soluble factors that are present within the native inductive microenvironment. We demonstrate a versatile materials approach for the dual-stage delivery of multiple soluble factors within a 3D hydrogel to induce adipogenesis. We use a mixing-induced two-component hydrogel (MITCH) embedded with alginate microgels to deliver two pro-adipogenic soluble factors, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1) and bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) with two distinct delivery profiles. We show that dual-stage delivery of FGF-1 and BMP-4 to human adipose-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) significantly increases lipid accumulation compared with the simultaneous delivery of both growth factors together. Furthermore, dual-stage growth factor delivery within a 3D hydrogel resulted in substantially more lipid accumulation compared to identical delivery profiles in 2D cultures. Gene expression analysis shows upregulation of key adipogenic markers indicative of brown-like adipocytes. These data suggest that dual-stage release of FGF-1 and BMP-4 within 3D microenvironments can promote the in vitro development of mature adipocytes.
Mass Schooling and Catalan Nationalism

In 1659, the kingdoms of France and Spain signed the Treaty of Pyrenees, a peace treaty by which a piece of the Spanish territory became part of France. Since then, Catalan identity has persisted on both sides of the border. However, while this identity is today politically and socially relevant in Spain, it is not in France. This article argues that this variation can be explained by the characteristics of the historical process of the spread of mass literacy in each of these countries. Catalan national identity is not salient in French Catalonia because the first generation of mass literates became so under French rule. In contrast, the nonexistence of a scholastic revolution in Spain prior to the beginning of the 20th century allowed for the successful sowing of a Catalan national identity during the first decades of that century. The fact that mass literacy took place in Spanish Catalonia during a period of Catalan nationalist upheaval led to the endurance of this identity.
Timecourse of neural signatures of object recognition

How long does it take for the human visual system to recognize objects? This issue is important for understanding visual cortical function as it places constraints on models of the information processing underlying recognition. We designed a series of event-related potential (ERP) experiments to measure the timecourse of electrophysiological correlates of object recognition. We find two distinct types of components in the ERP recorded during categorization of natural images. One is an early presentation-locked signal arising around 135 ms that is present when there are low-level feature differences between images. The other is a later, recognition-related component arising between 150-300 ms. Unlike the early component, the latency of the later component covaries with the subsequent reaction time. In contrast to previous studies suggesting that the early, presentation-locked component of neural activity is correlated to recognition, these results imply that the neural signatures of recognition have a substantially later and variable time of onset.
Skin ulceration from tibial cement extrusion Case report and literature review

Polymethyl methacrylate extrusion through a small tibial defect occurred during revision of a long-stemmed total knee arthroplasty. It caused necrosis and ulceration of the overlying skin. Resection of the protruding cement, debridement of the ulcer, and primary closure effected a cure. This is the first report of cement-induced skin necrosis and first report of tibial cement extrusion during revision of a total knee arthroplasty. Subcutaneous cement extrusion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pretibial ulcers following total knee arthroplasty with cemented stems.
A microwave‐hyperthermia model of febrile convulsions

While convulsions associated with fever represent a serious problem in pediatric medicine, conventional animal models of febrile convulsions suffer numerous technical limitations. A microwave-hyperthermia model that eliminates these problems was tested. Microwave energy was used to increase the core temperature of 13- and 17-day-old rats, resulting in convulsions similar to febrile convulsions in human infants. Rats were irradiated for 10 min in circularly polarized waveguides at 918 MHz, CW (average SAR = 9.4 W/kg at 13 days and 18.0 W/kg at 17 days as determined by twin-well calorimetry). Day 17 irradiated rats were less susceptible to convulsions than were day 13 irradiated rats, indicating an age-dependent decline in susceptibility. Contrary to findings of earlier models using infrared or hot-oven heating, convulsions induced with microwave hyperthermia impaired neither brain growth nor subsequent performance during behavioral testing. Simultaneous measurement of brain and rectal temperatures during microwave irradiation revealed differential heating rates that favor thermal homeostasis in brain tissue.
Historical Rail Accident Analyses Identifying Accident Parameters That Could Impact Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel

As the regulatory authority for transportation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires that SNF transportation packages be designed to endure a fully engulfing fire with an average temperature of 800 °C (1,475 °F) for 30 minutes, as prescribed in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 71. The work described in this paper was performed to support NRC in determining the types of accident parameters that could produce a severe fire with the potential to fully engulf a SNF transportation package. This paper describes the process that was used to characterize the important features of rail accidents that would potentially lead to a spent nuclear fuel transport package being involved in a severe fire. Historical rail accidents involving hazardous material and long duration fires in the United States have been analyzed using data from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Parameters that were evaluated from this data include, but were not limited to, class of track where the accident occurred, class of hazardous material that was being transported, and number of railcars involved in the fire. The data analysis revealed that in the past 34 years of rail transport, roughly 1,800 accidents have led to the release of hazardous materials resulting in a frequency of roughly 1 accident per 10 million freight train miles. In the last 12 years, there have only been 20 accidents involving multiple car hazardous material releases that led to a fire. This results in an accident rate of 0.003 accidents per million freight train miles that involved multiple car releases and a fire. In all the accidents analyzed, only one involved a railcar carrying Class 7 (i.e., radioactive) hazardous material (HAZMAT).Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Lost caps in histological counting methods

Background: In methods with the goal of counting objects in a sectioned tissue volume by examining their profiles or segments in the sections, lost caps, i.e., small object fragments unnoticed or missing at the section surfaces, are an unavoidable issue. Methods and Results: The problem of lost caps is examined as it applies to four methods for counting in histological sections, the method usually referred to as the Abercrombie correction, the empirical method, the optical disector, and the physical disector. Conclusions: Lost caps are an insoluble problem in the Abercrombie method; the lost caps error correction factor should be incorporated into the Abercrombie equation. Lost caps cancel out in the optical disector. The empirical method logically requires, to avoid lost caps error, either a preliminary blind identification of object segments in the serial sections or identification of segments with reference to adjacent sections in the counting sections. Similarly, the physical disector method requires either a preliminary blind identification of object segments in both look-up and sampling sections, or use of three sections rather than two. Anat. Rec. 250:366-372, 1998. r 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Several approaches have been taken toward the goal of counting differentially stained objects within a semi- transparent volume in a situation where the volume is serially sectioned so that the objects can be visually identified, as in histological methods for biological
The ups and downs of memory

Ever since the classic work of Ebbinghaus (1885/1964), the default view in scientific psychology has been that memory declines over time. Less well-known clinical and laboratory traditions suggest, however, that memory can also increase over time. Ballard (1913) demonstrated that, actually, memory simultaneously increases and decreases over time and thus has not 1 but 2 tendencies. When more than 1 recall test is administered, a later test invariably shows loss of some items remembered earlier (oblivescence), but later tests also invariably show that previously unremembered items are recovered in later tests (reminiscence). Depending on a number of factors (e.g., the stimulus used), the overall balance between reminiscence and oblivescence may be positive (hypermnesia) or negative (amnesia). Modern multitrial recall studies have extensively documented hypermnesic memory in single laboratory sessions and, also, although less frequently, over periods of days, weeks, and even months. With hypermnesic memory now established, hypnosis has been shown not to add anything to regular hypermnesia. This article presents an integration of the scattered literatures, which now, after a century of experimental and clinical effort, coheres into a solid empirical picture, with numerous implications (e.g., for the recovered memory controversy, eyewitness testimony, repression, and subliminal perception).
Solving general sparse linear systems using conjugate gradient-type methods

@n with m ≥ n and rank(A) = n) is discussed. It is assumed that A is sparse but has neither a special pattern (as bandedness) nor a special property (as symmetry or positive definiteness). In this paper it is shown that preconditioners obtained by neglecting small elements during the decomposition of A into easily invertible matrices can be used efficiently with conjugate gradient-type methods if an adaptive strategy for deciding when an element is small is implemented. The resulting preconditioned methods are often better than the corresponding direct and pure iterative methods or those based on preconditionings in which elements are neglected when they appear in a predefined set of positions in the matrix, i.e. positional rather than numerical dropping. Numerical results are given to illustrate the performance of the CG-type methods preconditioned via numerical dropping.
CMOS compatible planar integration of compact semiconductor laser diodes with waveguides on silicon

We report planar, coaxial integration of edge-emitting InGaAs/InP laser diodes with silicon oxy-nitride (SiON) waveguides on silicon substrates using a modular recess-integration technique compatible with integration on full CMOS wafers after conventional front- and back-end processing has been completed [1]. The technique results in a small device footprint and can be used to integrate multiple types of devices on a single wafer. We feel it is superior to other optoelectronic integration techniques; more broadly, it is ideally suited to realizing robust, planar, monolithically integrated micro-systems incorporating a variety of materials and devices.
Improved performance MRAC of linear and non‐linear systems

The problem of improved performance adaptive control (IPAC) of a class of linear and non-linear systems is considered. A method for its solution is presented, the main feature of which lies in augmenting the ‘standard’ model reference adaptive controller by a signal properly designed to compensate for the effect of plant parameter uncertainty on the output error. One of the main performance improvement characteristics of the proposed IPAC is that the zero-state output error can be made arbitrarily small under standard model reference adaptive control (MRAC) assumptions in the case of linear systems, while a similar result holds true for a class of linearizable systems as well. the structure of the proposed controller is such that several existing MRAC results, such as exponential convergence of output and parameter errors in the presence of sufficiently rich reference inputs, remain valid. the proposed controller also achieves improved performance in the presence of a class of bounded disturbances and/or unmodelled dynamics as well as in the case of an adaptation switch-off.
Fast Recursive Equalizers for 1D and 2D Linear Equalization

We develop fast recursive equalizers to be used in the one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) linear minimum mean-squared error equalization of a known linear finite-length channel. In particular, these equalization algorithms address the communications scenario in which the channel or the prior information on the transmitted symbols may be time varying. The latter case of time-varying priors is especially pertinent for turbo equalization, on which we focus here. We first consider a 1D sliding-window equalizer based on a Cholesky-factorization update and then generalize this approach to the 2D case. Finally, we develop a 2D equalizer that is based on a recursive matrix-inverse update. We summarize each of these algorithms and describe their computational complexities.
Cardiac Pacemakers in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients: Incidence, Indications, and Associated Factors

This study was undertaken to assess the incidence, indications, and predisposing factors for pacemaker placement in a pediatric heart transplant population. From November 1985 to May 1994, 246 pediatric patients have undergone cardiac transplantation at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Seven (2.8%) have received pacemaker placement with an 8-50 month follow-up period. Median age at transplant was 462 days (0 days to 2.5 years). The median time to pacemaker placement was 190 days (18-1,672 days) after transplantation. Indications were sick sinus syndrome (SSS) in 5 and heart block in 2 patients (1 during acute rejection). Three patients with SSS underwent electrophysiology studies (EPS); 1 was normal and 2 showed sinus node dysfunction. The mode of pacing was VVIR in 6 patients and VVI in 1 patient. All 6 survivors are doing well and 5 patients' pacemakers still provide support. These 7 patients were compared with 185 pediatric patients (0 days to 12-years-old) transplanted during 1985 through 1993 who survived at least 6 months after transplantation. There was no correlation between the receipt of a pacemaker and graft cold ischemic time, rejection history, donor age, or recipient age at transplantation. The 5 patients with SSS had significantly lower average heart rates in the first month after transplantation (108 +/- 16 vs 130 +/- 12; P = 0.0002). The need for permanent pacemakers in this population is uncommon. Pacemakers, however, can be safely performed when necessary with excellent clinical results.
Daytime sleep-wake cycle in the rat.

Abstract The daytime sleep-wake cycle of 20 male, albino rats was observed for a 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. period. EEG, EMG, gross body movement and eyelid position were continuously monitored throughout the 12 hr observation period. Based on percent of total time the results indicate that the rat's sleep-wake activities during the day are: awake, 24% (active, 17%; restings, 7%); SWS, 67% (light SWS, 13%; deep SWS, 54%); PS, 9%; and total sleep, 76%. The rats had a mean of 396 wake-ups from either SWS and PS per day. Visual observations revealed a sleep phenomenon not previously reported for the rat and termed “paradoxical awake”; an animal would generate typical light and deep SWS, EEG waves with either one or both eyes opened. The present results compared to previous findings revealed significant variability in estimates of the rat's sleep-wake activities which may be a function of illumination cycles, sleep observation times or duration of the adaptation periods.