cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physikalische Grundlagen des Lärms und der Lärmbekämpfung

Larm ist eine unliebsame Form von Schall; zu seiner Beurteilung sind zunachst die den Schall kennzeichnenden Grosen wichtig: die Lautstarke, die Tonhohe und die Klangfarbe. Auserdem sind aber noch psychologische Faktoren masgebend. Die Larmbekampfung kann an der Quelle, bei der Ausbreitung oder am Empfanger erfolgen. Am wirksamsten ist die aktive Abwehr an der Quelle (Vermeiden der primaren Ursachen, Behinderung der Schwingungen — vor allem durch dynamische Dampfung). Bei der Ausbreitung wirken Zwischenschichten aus geeigneten Materialien dammend; fur Luftschall mussen es schwere Medien sein (massive Mauern!), wahrend die Ubertragung von Korperschall durch leichte, weiche Materialien behindert werden kann.
My Mirror- A Tool to Support Self-awareness

Studying different aspects of self such as self-awareness and self-reflection in the area of HCI is still growing. In this study we focus on the mirror as one of the main sources of self-information. We present a process of design research that we conducted to redesign the mirror and develop a low fidelity prototype of My Mirror, a tool to support self-awareness by triggering individuals’ inner-speech.
The Impact of Fossils from the Northern Dominican Republic on Origination Estimates for Miocene and Pliocene Caribbean Reef Corals

Documenting the pattern of biodiversity change on global, regional, or local scales is an important use of paleontological data. Long-term trends of taxonomic richness and the rate of first and last occurrences of taxa can be used to study effects of environmental change on ecosystems and is of significant relevance during this time of increased concern over the effects of anthropogenic environmental change. Compilations of taxon occurrences provide the basic data used to describe the
The Role of Endovascular Therapy in Peripheral Arterial Disease

Many vascular specialists have embraced endovascular therapy as the first-line treatment for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and lifestyle-limiting claudication or critical limb ischemia. Compared to surgical bypass, infrainguinal endovascular interventions are associated with reduced durability. These minimally invasive procedures, however, are associated with an improved safety profile and lower morbidity compared to open surgical bypass, even in the setting of significant medical comorbidities. Given the widespread application of endovascular therapy to the treatment of PAD, it is imperative that practitioners involved in the management of patients with PAD and diabetes understand the strengths and weaknesses of endovascular techniques and devices, peri-procedural management, expected results, and outcome measures. This chapter reviews fundamental principles of infrainguinal endovascular therapy for PAD, with specific attention to treatment guidelines and the impact of diabetes and other comorbidities and lesion characteristics on long-term outcome after endovascular therapy.
Phantasmal Belfast, Ancient Languages, Modern Aura in Ciaran Carson’s The Star Factory

Ciaran Carson’s writings about his native city of Belfast focus on its unreality. This project began with the poetry collection Belfast Confetti (1990) and reached its apotheosis in his prose memoir The Star Factory (1997) and, most recently, continues with the philosophical novel Exchange Place (2012). Carson’s introspective fascination with Belfast’s inscrutability links him to mid-nineteenth-century writers about cities, such as Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Baudelaire, and to theories about the city in the era of rapidly expanding capitalism. In grappling with post-industrial and sectarian Belfast, Carson adopts a two-tiered rhetorical strategy. Firstly, his writings borrow from archaic knowledge, especially problems within the linguistic and taxonomic components uncertainly encoded into city maps, place-names, competing idioms (Irish, English), religious iconography (Catholic, Protestant), and ancient oral Irish narratives, many of them recorded by Carson’s father and transposed into his own memoir. Secondly, Carson interweaves this archaic knowledge with a late modernist view of Belfast as phantasmagoria and aura, concepts that German critic Walter Benjamin developed from the cultural phenomenon of the panoramas and magic lantern theatres that arose in European cities in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and from interpretations of commodities. Following Benjamin’s investigative model, Carson’s The Star Factory surveys the merchandises, found objects, and cinematic representations of mid-twentieth-century Belfast to recover his idiosyncratic memories and time-defying experiences. By scrutinising and interpreting such languages, genealogies, etymologies, and infrastructures, Carson’s autobiographical texts about Belfast replace static and misleading historical narratives with intimate, open-ended reflexive approaches.
Synthesis of Operable Process Intensification Systems—Steady-State Design with Safety and Operability Considerations

In this work, we present an integrated approach to synthesize process intensification systems with guaranteed flexibility and safety performances. The synthesis of intensified equipment/flowsheets is addressed through the Generalized Modular Representation Framework (GMF), which utilizes an aggregation of multifunctional mass/heat exchange modules to represent chemical processes. Thus, the optimal design options are investigated as mass- and heat-transfer opportunities using superstructure-based optimization techniques without a prepostulation of plausible configurations. To ensure that the designs can be operated under a specified range of uncertain parameters, a multiperiod GMF representation is developed based on the critical operating conditions identified by flexibility test. Risk assessment, accounting for equipment failure frequency and consequence severity, is incorporated as a constraint into this synthesis model to derive inherently safer designs. The resulting safely operable intensified system...
Extracts and Flavors

Today, flavor is attracting more attention from food chemists than ever before. The growth in popularity of ready-to-eat or convenience foods has accelerated this trend, and it has been further enhanced by greatly improved analytical techniques that have enabled chemists not only to isolate predominant flavor constituents, but to reconstitute a flavor profile that simulates to a remarkable degree the natural product.
Abstract 63: Breast and colon cancer cells express L-selectin ligands that interact with L-selectin on white blood cells under flow conditions

Evidence suggests circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can interact with white blood cells (WBCs) and promote metastasis under certain circumstances. However, the interaction between the L-selectin ligands expressed on CTCs and the L-selectin expressed on WBCs is less understood. We hypothesize that the L-selectin of WBCs will bind to the L-selectin ligands of cancer cells under hemodynamic flow conditions. BT-20, Hs-578T, MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells, and LS174T colon cancer cells were tested for expression of L-selectin ligands using L-selectin hFc (RD 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 63.
Single reagent treatment and degradation of switchgrass using iron(III)chloride: The effects on hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin

Abstract The possibility of using abundant metal chlorides as a single reagent for pretreatment and degradation of switchgrass biomass was studied. Three metal chlorides: MgCl2, CaCl2 and FeCl3 were tested in the initial phase and FeCl3 at 2% w/w loading was found as the most effective reagent for treatment and hydrolysis of switchgrass in hot compressed water. Therefore, FeCl3 was selected for the detailed study and the heat treatment at 140–160 °C or microwaving for 6–10 min was required to activate the FeCl3 after impregnation of switchgrass. These samples could be hydrolyzed in water at 160 °C, without additional catalyst or reagent to produce reducing sugars. In the hydrolysis experiments, FeCl3 impregnated and micro waved switchgrass produced slightly higher total reducing sugar (TRS) yields of 31.5%; whereas the samples heated at 140 °C after FeCl3 impregnation produced 28.6% TRS yield. In a thermogravimetric analysis study, the decomposition temperature of lignin fraction showed the highest shift (ΔTdecomp ~ - 42 °C) after adding 2% w/w FeCl3 and microwaving for 10 min, indicating that strong interactions between FeCl3 and lignin is likely the primary cause of enhancement in polysaccharide degradation.
Epigenomic Diversity of Cortical Projection Neurons in the Mouse Brain

Neuronal cell types are classically defined by their molecular properties, anatomy, and functions. While recent advances in single-cell genomics have led to high-resolution molecular characterization of cell type diversity in the brain, neuronal cell types are often studied out of the context of their anatomical properties. To better understand the relationship between molecular and anatomical features defining cortical neurons, we combined retrograde labeling with single-nucleus DNA methylation sequencing to link epigenomic properties of cell types to neuronal projections. We examined 11,827 single neocortical neurons from 63 cortico-cortical (CC) and cortico-subcortical long-distance projections. Our results revealed unique epigenetic signatures of projection neurons that correspond to their laminar and regional location and projection patterns. Based on their epigenomes, intra-telencephalic (IT) cells projecting to different cortical targets could be further distinguished, and some layer 5 neurons projecting to extra-telencephalic targets (L5-ET) formed separate subclusters that aligned with their axonal projections. Such separation varied between cortical areas, suggesting area-specific differences in L5-ET subtypes, which were further validated by anatomical studies. Interestingly, a population of CC projection neurons clustered with L5-ET rather than IT neurons, suggesting a population of L5-ET cortical neurons projecting to both targets (L5-ET+CC). We verified the existence of these neurons by labeling the axon terminals of CC projection neurons and observed clear labeling in ET targets including thalamus, superior colliculus, and pons. These findings highlight the power of single-cell epigenomic approaches to connect the molecular properties of neurons with their anatomical and projection properties.
Attracting the news: Algorithms, platforms, and reframing incidental exposure:

This article argues for new approaches to the study of incidental exposure that better account for the role of algorithms, platforms, and processes of datafication in shaping the likelihood of news...
Applying the Rasch Model to Evaluate the Self-Directed Online Learning Scale (SDOLS) for Graduate Students

With the rapid growth of online learning and the increased attention paid to student attrition in online programs, much research has been aimed at studying the effectiveness of online education to improve students’ online learning experience and student retention. Utilizing the online learning literature as a multi-faceted theoretical framework, the study developed and employed a new survey instrument. The Self-Directed Online Learning Scale (SDOLS) was used to examine graduate student perceptions of effectiveness of online learning environments as demonstrated by their ability to take charge of their own learning, and to identify key factors in instructional design for effective improvements. The study applied the Rasch rating scale model to evaluate and validate SDOLS through a psychometric lens to establish the reliability and validity of SDOLS. Results from Rasch analysis addressed two research questions. First, evidence was found to generally support the new instrument as being psychometrically sound but three problematic items were also identified as grounds for future improvement of SDOLS. Second, the study assessed the importance of various factors as measured by the SDOLS items in contributing to students’ ability to self-manage their own online learning. Finally, the new instrument is expected to contribute to the work of various stakeholders in online education and can serve to improve students’ online learning experience and effectiveness, increase online retention rates, and reduce online dropouts.
Nutrition Education on the Wards: A Self-Study Module for Improving Medical Student Knowledge of Nutrition Assessment and Interventions.

Introduction Nutrition plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of disease. Hospitalized patients are often malnourished, which is a major contributor to medical complications, decreased qu...
Factors Affecting the Interlayer Shear Strength of Laboratory and Field Samples

Asphalt emulsion is the most widely used tack coat material in the U.S. The objective of this study is to investigate factors that may affect the interlayer bond shear strength of asphalt emulsion ...
Public expenditure policy and the environment: A review and synthesis

Abstract Commonly cited environmental instruments in the legal, regulatory, and fiscal domains are intended primarily to address market failures to ensure that environmental degradation and resource use is contained to appropriate levels. In many instances, however, environmental degradation is rooted not in market failure, but rather in policy failure. This paper identifies areas of public expenditure policy that interact with the environment. It argues that a reform of certain types of subsidies, increased operations and maintenance expenditures, and a thorough environmental assessment of capital projects will benefit the environment, thereby moving an economy toward “sustainable” development.
Precarious work, job stress, and health-related quality of life.

Objectives Recent technological and work organization changes have resulted in an increased prevalence of nonstandard work arrangement types. One of the consequences has been an increased prevalence of precarious work. Our objective was to generate a scale to measure work precariousness in the United States and examine the associations between this study precariousness scale with job stress, unhealthy days, and days with activity limitations among US workers from 2002 to 2014, to determine if precarious work adversely affects worker health. Methods Our scale was inspired by the Employment Precariousness Scale that measures work precariousness reported by salaried workers and developed for the US workforce. We used pooled cross-sectional data from 22 representative items from the General Social Survey, Quality of Work Life survey for the years 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. These data included 4534 observations for analysis. We used regression models to examine associations between work precariousness and job stress, unhealthy days, and days with activity limitations. Results Statistically significant positive association existed between job stress and work precariousness. Workers reporting work precariousness were more likely to experience more days in poor physical and mental health and more days with activity limitations due to health problems. Conclusions The results of our study provide support for our precariousness scale and its suitability for assessing the health-related quality of life of workers in different work arrangements.
3D Mechanical Analysis of a Compact ${\text{Nb}}_{\text{3}}{\text{Sn}}$ IR Quadrupole for EIC

The Electron Ion Collider (EIC) will require large aperture quadrupole magnets for the Hadron beam in the insertion region. Key requirements include high field, compact size, and tight control of the fringe fields. A 120 mm aperture, 308.4 mm outer diameter actively shielded ${\rm {Nb}}_{3}{\rm {Sn}}$ quadrupole model is under development to support these goals. This work is being carried out by a collaboration of BNL, JLAB and LBNL. A compact shell-based structure preloaded with a bladder and key system was developed for this project. In this paper, the effect of the compact structure on the mechanical behavior was investigated. In particular, the impact of the assembly tolerances and coil size variations on the actual coil stresses and bladder pressures was computed and compared with results from larger bladder and key structures developed for the LHC IR. The longitudinal preload is provided by stainless steel rods. Differently from other bladder and key magnets, the rods are first preloaded axially before coil axial load is applied. This new design aims to increase the overall stiffness of the system and reduce the longitudinal coil displacement during powering. Based on the results of a 3D mechanical analysis, the preliminary pre-load targets for the EIC quadrupole assembly will be reviewed and discussed.
LiDAR-Inertial Based Navigation and Mapping for Precision Landing

Future lander missions will travel to ambitious, scientifically interesting locations near rough and dangerous terrain. They will need to operate with limited prior information about the terrain, and under varying lighting conditions. Landing safely and precisely in the face of these challenges is difficult for existing vision-based landing systems, which require detailed orbital reconnaissance, a priori hazard maps, and impose time-of-day restrictions on landing to ensure similar lighting conditions in orbital and descent imagery. Advanced 3D imaging LiDAR systems currently under development, and originally intended for single-scan hazard detection, have the potential to be operated continuously from altitudes of up to 5 km. Used together with existing inertial measurement units (IMUs), these sensors open a path-to-flight for a full navigation and mapping system, which could replace or augment a traditional landing sensor suite. A landing system based around these sensors can perform accurate altimetry, map-relative localization (MRL), LiDAR-inertial odometry, and map refinement in an illumination-insensitive manner, over unknown or partially known terrain. This paper outlines preliminary work on a LiDAR-inertial landing system that: estimates the spacecraft trajectory during entry, descent, and landing (EDL); and maps the topography of the terrain below, for future use in hazard detection and avoidance. An incremental, factor graph based, smoothing approach is used to solve for the maximum a posteriori trajectory of spacecraft states. Integrated IMU measurements and features tracked in adjacent range and intensity images are used to estimate motion (LiDAR-inertial odometry). LiDAR scans are binned into motion-corrected digital elevation models (DEMs), which are matched to an existing orbital topographic map to provide absolute position information (MRL). The estimated trajectory is then used to project the LiDAR scans into the map frame, creating a variable-resolution quadtree topographic map suitable for hazard detection and avoidance. Existing topographic maps from throughout the solar system (i.e., Earth, the Moon, Mars, Ceres, Vesta, Europa, Enceladus, and Eros) are upsampled for use in EDL simulations. The Mars 2020 Lander Vision System Simulator (LVSS) is extended to simulate LiDAR-inertial data for realistic EDL trajectories. Results of the algorithm operating on the simulated data are presented. Estimated spacecraft trajectory and refined map are compared to ground truth to assess estimation accuracy.
To Study the Relationship between Neck Pain and Anxiety, Depression in Computer Workers – A Correlation Study

Background: Neck pain has become a common health problem all over the world, with a high rate of disability, present a negative impact on quality of life in people. Depression and anxiety disorders are the most common illness in the community and play an important role in exacerbation of pain perception resulting in work impairment and decreased quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between neck pain and anxiety, depression in computer workers. Methodology: A “Neck Pain And Disability (NPAD) scale” and “Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)” were filled by the 154 computer workers (Age of 20 to 60 years) and submitted scales through Google forms and interview method. Result: Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Spearman’s test of correlation was applied between the outcome measures. There were a strong positive correlation found between neck pain and anxiety (r = 0.707) and between neck pain and depression (r = 0.565). Conclusion: This study demonstrated strong positive correlation between neck pain and anxiety and between neck pain and depression.
Novel application of electrochemical bipolar exfoliated graphene for highly sensitive disposable label-free cancer biomarker aptasensors

Label-free aptasensors can be a promising point-of-care biosensor for detecting various cancer diseases due to their selectivity, sensitivity, and lower cost of production and operation. In this study, a highly sensitive aptasensor based on gold-covered polyethylene terephthalate electrodes (PET/Au) decorated with bipolar exfoliated graphene is proposed as a possible contender for disposable label-free aptasensor applications. Bipolar electrochemical exfoliation enables simultaneous exfoliation, reduction, and deposition of graphene nanosheets on prospective electrodes. Our comparative study confirms that the bipolar exfoliated graphene deposited on the negative feeding electrode (i.e., reduced graphene oxide) possesses better electrochemical properties for aptasensing. The optimized aptasensor based on bipolar exfoliated graphene deposited on PET/Au electrodes exhibits a highly sensitive response of 4.07 μA log c−1 (unit of c, pM) which is linear in the range of 0.0007–20 nM, and has a low limit of detection of 0.65 pM (S/N = 3). The aptasensor establishes highly selective performance with a stability of 91.2% after 6 days. This study demonstrates that bipolar electrochemistry is a simple yet efficient technique that could provide high-quality graphene for biosensing applications. Considering its simplicity and efficiency, the BPE technique promises the development of feasible and affordable lab-on-chip and point-of-care cancer diagnosis technologies.
Towards efficient and inherently safer continuous reactor alternatives to batch-wise processing of fine chemicals: CSTR nonlinear dynamics analysis of alkylpyridines N-oxidation

Abstract This paper demonstrates the integration of process safety concepts (e.g., reactive chemicals, inherently safer design) with classical reaction engineering/system fundamentals (e.g., first-principles reactor modeling, system dynamics and stability) for identifying economically viable and safe continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) designs for scale-up of batch-wise fine chemical and pharmaceutical syntheses. As an illustrative and industrially relevant example, the homogeneous catalytic exothermic N-oxidation of alkylpyridines is investigated using a jacketed CSTR model. Reactor steady-state multiplicity and oscillation phenomena, which may bring about serious incidents, are analyzed based upon system equations. Reactor design and operation conditions as well as start-up strategies and worst-case scenarios are systematically investigated to address process safety concerns and balance reactor efficiency.
Online learning algorithms for sequence prediction, importance weighted classification, and active learning

This thesis studies three problems in online learning. For all the problems the proposed solutions are simple yet non-trivial adaptations of existing online machine learning algorithms. For the task of sequential prediction, a modified multiplicative update algorithm that produces small and accurate models is proposed. This algorithm makes no assumption about the complexity of the source that produces the given sequence. For the task of online learning when examples have varying importances, the proposed algorithm is a version of gradient descent in continuous time. Finally, for the task of efficient online active learning, the implementation we provide makes use of many shortcuts. These include replacing a batch learning algorithm with an online one, as well as a creative use of the aforementioned continuous time gradient descent to compute the desirability of asking for the label of a given example. As this thesis shows, online machine learning algorithms can be easily adapted to many new problems.
Encouraging Classroom Discussion

Classroom discussion has the potential to enhance the learning environment and encourages students to become active participants in the educational process. Student participation in classroom discussion has been shown to significantly improve the student learning experience. Research suggests that classroom discussion is an effective method for encouraging student classroom participation and for motivating student learning beyond the classroom. Participation in classroom discussion encourages students to become active collaborators in the learning process, while at the same time providing instructors with a practical method of assessing student learning. Classroom discussion is an effective tool for developing higher-level cognitive skills like critical thinking. Despite the potential discussion holds for student learning, many in academia lament the lack of participation in the classroom. The lack of student participation in classroom discussion is not a recent problem; it is one that has frustrated instructors for decades. Instructors report that some of the more current methods for encouraging classroom discussion can be exasperating and at times non-productive. This two-year study of 510 college and university students provides insight into the reasons why some students do not participate in classroom discussion. This study, which also elicited input from sixteen college and university professors and two high school teachers, offers some suggestions for creating and encouraging an environment conducive to student participation in the classroom.
Design of a quasi optical transmission line for Cloud and precipitation radar system of ACE mission

We outline the design and test of a new quasi-optical transmission line (QOTL) for feeding the reflector system in an optional instrument for deployment on the Aerosol/Cloud/Ecosystems (ACE) mission. The QOTL used to connect the transmitter and receiver to the antenna is designed for operation at W-band (94 GHz) frequency. A test-bed has been developed for the various critical components of the radar system. The challenge in using quasi-optics for ACERAD is that it must accommodate dual-polarized operation. We have developed a way to accomplish this that extends the design implemented in CloudSat radar jointly developed by JPL/NASA, Canadian Space Agency and other agencies. The new design has been prototyped using various components on a laboratory optical bench. Critical components of the QOTL have been fabricated and tested. Some results are presented.
Verifying General Safety and Liveness Propterties with Integer Programming

Analysis of concurrent systems is plagued by the state explosion problem. The constrained expression analysis technique uses necessary conditions, in the form of linear inequalities, to verify certain properties of concurrent systems, thus avoiding the enumeration of the potentially explosive number of reachable states of the system. This technique has been shown to be capable of verifying simple safety properties, like freedom from deadlock, that can be expressed in terms of the number of certain events occurring in a finite execution, and has been successfully used to analyze a variety of concurrent software systems. We extend this technique to the verification of more complex safety properties that involve the order of events and to the verification of liveness properties, which involve infinite executions.
Police work and the police profession

Abstract This exploratory study examined attitudes toward police work and the police profession among Whites, Blacks, English-speaking Hispanics, and Spanish-speaking Hispanics. A sample of 581 residents and 18 city officials in Midland and Odessa, Texas were randomly interviewed by telephone. Among the significant findings are the observations that: (1) compared to English-speaking Hispanics, Spanish-speaking Hispanics and Whites are more likely to cooperate with the police; (2) Spanish-speaking Hispanics are significantly more likely (compared to Whites and English-speaking Hispanics) to agree with the concept of a house visit by a police officer and of a racially and ethnically diverse police department; and (3) Spanish-speaking Hispanics feel more comfortable talking with an officer who has the same ethnic background, express a greater desire to become police officers compared to Whites and Blacks, and more likely believe that excessive use of force by the police exists in their neighborhood compared to Whites. The article also presents a summary of the methodology and the findings regarding the impact of demographic measures on attitudes.
Weight Spaces and Root Spaces of Kac-Moody Algebras

Let g(A) be the Kac-Moody algebra associated to a generalized symmetric Cartan matrix A, and g(A) = n_⊕ h ⊕ n_+ be its triangular decomposition. The purpose of this paper is to give an explicit realization of the weight spaces of an integrable highest weight module of g(A) and the weight spaces of the universal enveloping algebra U(n_) in terms of certain function spaces. We also discuss a similar construction for the root spaces. Our approach is based on a vertex operator construction of Kac-Moody algebras and representations by Borcherds [Bo} and uses the results on matrix coefficient of vertex operators given by Frenkel et al. [FLM). We state here our main results for the rank two Kac-Moody algebras; see Theorems 4.1 and 4.2 for the general case.
Multicenter Evaluation of Vancomycin Dosing: Emphasis on Obesity

Abstract Background There is a paucity of data available regarding the dosing of antimicrobials in obesity. However, data are available demonstrating that vancomycin should be dosed on the basis of actual body weight. Methods This study was conducted at 2 tertiary care medical centers that did not have pharmacy-guided vancomycin dosing programs or other institutional vancomycin dosing policies or protocols. Patients who received vancomycin between July 1, 2003, and June 30, 2006, were stratified by body mass index and randomly selected from the computer-generated queries. Patients ≥18 years of age with a creatinine clearance of at least 60 mL/min who received vancomycin for at least 36 hours were included. Results Data were collected on a random sampling of 421 patients, stratified by body mass index, who met the inclusion criteria. Most patients in each body mass index category received a fixed dose of vancomycin 2 g daily divided into 2 doses (underweight 82%, normal weight 90%, overweight 86%, and obese 91%). Adequate initial dosing (≥10 mg/kg/dose) was achieved for 100% of underweight, 99% of normal weight, 93.9% of overweight, and 27.7% of obese patients (P Conclusion In this multicenter pilot study, obese patients routinely received inadequate empiric vancomycin using a lenient assessment of dosing. Greater efforts should be undertaken to ensure patients receive weight-based dosing because inadequate dosing can lead to subtherapeutic concentrations and potentially worse clinical outcomes.
Optimization and load-following characteristics of 5kw-class tubular solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid systems

Combining solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine (SOFC/GT) system is a promising concept for future clean and efficient power generation. An SOFC/GT system exploits the complementary features of the two power plants, where the GT recuperates the energy in the SOFC exhaust stream and thereby boosting the overall system efficiency. Through model based transient analysis, however, it is shown that the intricate coupling dynamics make the transient load following very challenging. Power shutdown has been observed when the load is changed abruptly. The purpose of this study is to examine the operating characteristics of 5kW-Class SOFC/GT hybrid systems in two different configurations: single-shaft and dual-shaft gas turbine designs. The load following characteristics and advantage/disadvantage for each design are explored through model-based dynamic analysis and simulation studies.
HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer and Trastuzumab: A Surgeon’s Perspective

Although the treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer is provided by a multidisciplinary team, surgeons must ensure they are well informed about all aspects of patient care. For example, understanding the importance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene amplification and/or protein overexpression and the effect on patient prognosis can guide therapeutic decision making. In addition, surgeons should also be knowledgeable about the wide variety of available postsurgical treatments, from traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy to novel agents such as the HER2-targeted monoclonal antibody trastuzumab. Trastuzumab was recently approved for adjuvant treatment of invasive, HER2-positive, node-positive breast cancer. Its approval was based on the combined results of two large-scale trials, which demonstrated that adding trastuzumab to chemotherapy significantly improves disease-free and overall survival. Knowledge about the indications, schedules, and safety profiles of therapies such as trastuzumab will enable surgeons to optimize the timing of surgery in relation to these therapies, and to make informed decisions about the team member to whom a particular patient should ideally be referred for postsurgical care. In the future, results from large-scale trials evaluating the clinical utility of neoadjuvant trastuzumab will become available. Early results from ongoing phase III trials of the addition of trastuzumab to presurgical chemotherapy suggest that high response rates, including pathologic complete responses, are achievable. If trastuzumab is approved for use in neoadjuvant regimens, the need for surgeons to be well informed about the appropriate use of this particular agent will become even more important.
Fermionic expansion in quantum electrodynamics

Within the framework of an Abelian U(1) gauge theory, with $N$ massive fermions, we develop the formalism of the $\frac{1}{N}$ expansion and compute explicitly the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ function of the on-shell renormalization scheme up to first nontrivial order. Borel summability is discussed.
Oxyhemoglobin A and oxyhemoglobin S films at an air-water interface: Absorption spectra studies

Abstract Properties of oxyhemoglobin at an interface are important to further the understanding of tertiary and quaternary changes in hemoglobin. Absorption spectra of oxyhemoglobin films were studied directly at the air-water interface. Both oxy Hb A and oxy Hb S show a bathochromic shift in the Soret band as compared to the solution spectra. No spectral difference is observed between oxy Hb A and oxy Hb S. However, surface isotherms show a greater unfolding of the molecule for oxy Hb S than oxy Hb A. Hemolysates appear to be more stable on the surface than their corresponding chromatographed material. The lack of spectral shift upon compression might be the consequence of the high dielectric constant of the medium. A model for this surface phenomenon with respect to observed mechanical precipitation of oxy Hb S is discussed.
Use of the multipurpose drainage catheter for the provision of acute peritoneal dialysis in infants and children.

Background Prior experience with the Cook (Cook Inc, Bloomington, IN) Teflon rigid catheter (CTC) showed it to be a suboptimal access for acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment in infants and children because of the frequency of catheter-related complications associated with its use. The objective of this study is to report our experience with the bedside-placed flexible Cook Mac-Loc Multipurpose Drainage catheter (CMMDC) for acute PD in critically ill infants, comparing it with the historic Tenckhoff catheter (TC) and CTC use. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants All patients with acute renal failure (ARF) seen in our institution between December 2003 and April 2005 who underwent CMMDC placement for acute PD are included. Predictor CTCs versus CMMDCs versus TCs. Outcomes & Measurements Catheter-related complications and catheter-free survival. Results 21 infants and children with ARF were treated with acute PD using a CMMDC; 16 patients were post–cardiac surgery and 5 had other diagnoses. Mean patient age was 6.9 ± 14.4 (SD) months (range, 4 days to 5.2 years; median, 1.6 months). Of 21 catheters, 3 had complications, and in 2 patients, this precluded continuation of PD therapy. In the remaining 18 patients, catheter use continued until recovery from ARF or nonrenal death. All patients achieved target fluid and solute removal with no catheter-related infectious complications. Mean complication-free survival of CMMDCs was 10.5 ± 7.9 days (range, 2 to 29 days), with the 90% probability of survival at 14 days. Although there was no significant difference between lengths of complication-free survival of CMMDCs and TCs (58 days; P = 0.57), the difference between CMMDCs and CTCs (6 days) was significant ( P P Limitations Small number of patients and comparison with historic experience. Conclusions Use of CMMDCs is associated with the provision of effective dialysis with a satisfactory complication-free survival and should be considered when bedside placement of an acute PD access in infants and children is desired.
Charge pump CMOS circuit based on internal clock voltage boosting for bio-medical applications

The charge pump CMOS circuit designs are presented for bio-medical applications wherein the clock voltage is boosted internally. Four and six-stage charge pumps are implemented in 1.5 μm n-well CMOS process. The charge pump circuits can be operated in 1.2 V - 3 V power supply voltage range. Outputs of 12.5 V and 17.8 V are measured from four and six-stage charge pumps, respectively with a 3 V power supply. The charge pump circuits can also be used to generate clock voltage higher than the input clock voltage. In the present design, the clock voltages, 8 V and 11 V have been generated from four-stage and six-stage charge pumps, respectively which are nearly 2.5 and 4 times the input clock voltage of 3 V. The technique of boosting the clock internally has been applied in implementation of a bio-implantable battery powered electrical stimulation chip.
Coupling of mitosis to the completion of S phase in Xenopus occurs via modulation of the tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates p34cdc2

In cell-free extracts derived from Xenopus eggs which oscillate between S phase and mitosis, incompletely replicated DNA blocks the activation of p34cdc2-cyclin by maintaining p34cdc2 in a tyrosine-phosphorylated form. We used a recombinant cyclin fusion protein to generate a substrate to measure the ability of the tyrosine kinase(s) to phosphorylate and inactivate p34cdc2 in the absence of tyrosine phosphatase activity. p34cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation is highly regulated during the cell cycle, being elevated in S phase and attenuated in mitosis. The elevation in p34cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation rate occurs in response to the presence of incompletely replicated DNA. Moreover, okadaic acid and caffeine, which uncouple the dependence of mitosis on the completion of S phase, increase unphosphorylated p34cdc2 by attenuating tyrosine kinase function. These data indicate that the control system, which monitors the state of DNA replication, modulates the function of the tyrosine kinase by a phosphorylation/dephosphorylation mechanism, ensuring that mitosis occurs only when S phase is complete.
Light-sampling behavior in photoentrainment of a rodent circadian rhythm

Behavioral aspects of photoentrainment of circadian locomotor activity rhythms were recorded for a nocturnal den-dwelling rodent, the flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans. Methods included both telemetric monitoring and infrared observations of animals under constant dark (DD) or light-dark (LD) schedules in either standard wheel cages or in newly developed simulated den cages. By means of the den cages, several aspects of a circadian activity cycle could be simultaneously measured emphasizing the arousal from rest, the light-sampling behavior by which a squirrel assessed the environmental photoregimen, and the phase-shifting by which photoentrainment was achieved. Each animal in a den cage remained for 12 or more hours of its rest period almost exclusively in the darkened nest box, then at an abrupt arousal time moved to the light-sampling porthole. In darkness each animal initiated wheel activity immediately after arousal; light at arousal time, however, induced a return to the nest box for a nap and a delay phase-shift in onset of activity of approximately 40 min. On subsequent days, each animal appeared to be free-running (tau FR less than 24 h) until onset again advanced into the light period. A squirrel usually viewed only a few minutes light per day, and on free-running days occasionally saw none of the 12-h light period. The significance of these data for theories of circadian photoentrainment is discussed.
The incorporation of DDT and related compounds into lecithin bilayers

Abstract The incorporation of DDT and several analogs into the hydrophobic interior of lecithin bilayers has been monitored by observing the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the aromatic ring protons. A fluid bilayer interior was obligatory for the incorporation of the chemicals. The amount of the different compounds which can be taken up into the lipid in aqueous media varies significantly, and this difference is not related to the organic: aqueous partition coefficients of the analogs. The amount of DDT, the most nonpolar of the compounds studied, which could be incorporated into the bilayers was much lower than the levels of other, more water-soluble analogs.
The law of one price and the modelling of disaggregated trade flows

Abstract This paper argues that the application of a differentiated good model to disaggregated commodity trade, and in particular to primary commodity trade, is feasible. Price data for as narrowly defined a commodity as wheat are shown to violate the law of one price. An Armington-type model which allows prices of a commodity to vary by supplier is then applied to world wheat trade. Two issues concerning the Armington model are addressed. First, it is shown that the theoretical implications of the model are plausible in the case of a disaggregated commodity. Second, as an example, 1973–1974 wheat trade flows and prices forecast by an Armington-type model are shown to be consistent with actual trade patterns and prices.
Relation between interannual variations in satellite measures of northern forest greenness and climate between 1982 and 1999

[1] This paper analyzes the relation between satellite-based measures of vegetation greenness and climate by land cover type at a regional scale (2° × 2° grid boxes) between 1982 and 1999. We use the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling Studies (GIMMS) data set to quantify climate-induced changes in terrestrial vegetation. Climatic conditions are represented with monthly data for land surface air temperature and precipitation. The relation between NDVI and the climate variables is represented using a quadratic specification, which is consistent with the notion of a physiological optimum. The effects of spatial heterogeneity and unobserved variables are estimated with specifications and statistical techniques that allow coefficients to vary among grid boxes. Using this methodology, we are able to estimate statistically meaningful relations between NDVI and climate during spring, summer, and autumn for forests between 40°N and 70°N in North America and Eurasia. Of the variables examined, changes in temperature account for the largest fraction of the change in NDVI between the early 1980s and the late 1990s. Changes in stratospheric aerosol optical depth and precipitation have a smaller effect, while artifacts associated with variations in solar zenith angle are negligible. These results indicate that temperature changes between the early 1980s and the late 1990s are responsible for much of the observed increase in satellite measures of northern forest greenness.
Improved management of brittle-psychosocial diabetes by use of a portable insulin infusion pump

hepatic tissue, which may be one reason for an elevated level of CRP, H which is synthesized in liver cells. In addition, any kind of tissue necrosis may induce a rapid increase in C R P ) 2 In summary, a serum C R P concentra t ion >40 m g / L and W B C count >15.0 • 10~/L were frequently recorded in adenovirus infections. In most cases of influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and R SV i nduced illnesses, the C R P level was <40 m g / L and the W B C count was <15.0 • 109/L, as is typical for a viral disease.
Provisional Wavelength Standards in the Vacuum Ultraviolet. II.* Spectra of Cu II and Fe II†

A critical analysis of the wavelengths of 80 Fe I and Fe II lines (1964 A–1559 A) and 158 Cu II lines (1522 A–862 A) for use as wavelength standards has been made. Using only those lines in each spectrum which can be calculated by the combination principle to ±0.001 A or less and which give a smooth dispersion curve, relative measurements of the remaining lines have been carried out, thus placing all of the spectra on a consistent wavelength scale. It is believed that the revised wavelengths are self-consistent to ±0.0013 A but may contain a systematic error of 0.002 A. Comparison of various multiplet intervals confirms the reliability of these data.
Symmetry in interconnection networks based on Cayley graphs of permutation groups: a survey

Abstract This survey provides a comprehensive and unified analysis of symmetry in a wide variety of Cayley graphs of permutation groups. These include the star graph, bubble-sort graph, modified bubble-sort graph, complete-transposition graph, prefix-reversal graph, alternating-group graph, binary and base-b (b ≥ 3) hypercube, cube connected cycles, bisectional graph, folded hypercube and binary orthogonal graph. In addition, we also define a variety of generalizations of the hypercube and orthogonal graphs. The types of symmetry analyzed include vertex and edge transitivity, distance regularity and distance transitivity. Since these notions of symmetry depend on the shortest paths, as a by product we also describe the shortest path routing algorithms for these graphs. We present a number of open problems related to the networks described in this paper.
Central venous catheter thrombosis complicated by paradoxical embolism in a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis and respiratory failure.

Introduction: Paradoxical embolus should be suspected in young patients with cerebrovascular events who do not have any vascular risk factors. There is significant controversy as to how best to treat his phenomenon. Methods: A case observation in a tertiary care center. Results: A 46-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for unresponsiveness secondary to diabetic ketoacidosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. He was intubated, and central access was obtained through the right internal jugular vein. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan of his brain was unremarkable. Four days later, he suddenly became increasingly unresponsive. Repeat CT scan of the brain revealed large bilateral posterior infarcts. Transesophegeal echocardiogram revealed a patent foramen ovale (PFO), and Doppler ultrasound revealed a thrombus in the low right jugular vein. He was anticoagulated for 3 months with no intervention for his PFO. Conclusion: This case emphasizes the potential complications of the use of central lines in ICUs, particularly in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis in whom sluggish blood flow may predispose to a procoagulant state.