cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sinusoidal Shaped Surface Permanent Magnet Motor Using Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing

With the global trend towards electrification of transport, the interest in various configurations of electric motors is growing. Several applications require low torque pulsations as it can lead to mechanical vibrations and acoustic noise. Optimization of the shape of the rotor permanent magnet (PM) has been the most effective technique for reducing torque pulsations. Unfortunately, the low versatility of the motor magnet fabrication technologies limits the development of new motor geometries. Cold spray additive manufacturing is used for shaping PMs for the direct fabrication of electric motor parts without the need for additional assembly steps. This fabrication technique allows an increase in the design flexibility of electrical machine geometries targeting improved performance. This paper presents rotor PM shaping design for radial flux inner rotor surface permanent magnet synchronous machines (SPMSM). PMs being shaped according to a sinusoid along the axial direction while the thickness of the magnet is kept uniform along the radial direction. The performance of the machine with sinusoidal shaped rotor PM (Model-B) is compared against a conventional rectangular shaped rotor PM (Model-A) design. The effect of sinusoidal shaped rotor PM shape on flux linkage, load torque, cogging torque and back EMF is analyzed and simulated using the 3-D finite-element method for both models. Also, the magnetization current magnitude required to completely magnetize the rotor PM fabricated using cold spray additive manufacturing is calculated.
Transforming Education With Problem-Based Learning: Documenting Missed Opportunities for Multicultural Perspectives

The purpose of this article is to document a study where we problematized the notion of meaningful instruction in the context of problem-based learning for culturally and linguistically diverse stu...
The Presentence Investigation Report

The presentence investigation report (PSI) is the end product of the interviews you have completed with the offender, the victim, arresting police officers, and other interested parties. Probation officers spend a large proportion of their time writing PSI reports; thus, it is very important that those aspiring to a career in community corrections have a thorough grounding in what they are, what they contain, and the uses to which they are put. In this chapter, we first discuss the uses to which the PSI is put. Next, we provide an example of an actual PSI that was conducted by a probation officer in Idaho. We then explain, section by section, the type of information required in each area of the PSI and comment on each content area using information from the example PSI.
Investigating the Rice Energy Efficiency Using Interval Fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis Model (Case Study: Rice Farmers in Golestan Province)

In this study, the rice energy efficiency in Golestan was investigated using interval fuzzy (triangular) data envelopment analysis model at different alpha levels in the year 2016-2017. The data required were collected using interviews and completing questionnaire from 286 rice farmers in Golestan province who were selected using simple random sampling. The results showed that at the level of α= 0.25 could be reduce the amount of input energy to 37.99% in upper bound and 1.83 in lower bound without any effect on the output energy (yield). Also, the results showed that at the level α =1 (certainty conditions) two inputs, irrigation water and chemical fertilizer with 33% and 31.2% respectively, and among the types of input energies, non-renewable energies (energy of machinery, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fossil fuels) with 60% (24117.7 MJ / ha) had the largest share in the production of this product. The use of new technologies in the use of water input such as installing smart meters on various pumps, reducing the consumption of chemical fertilizer by promoting the use of organic fertilizers and proper training in the use of inorganic fertilizers helps a lot to reduce energy consumption in these high-consumption inputs.
Patterns and Influencing Factors of eHealth Tools Adoption Among Medicaid and Non-Medicaid Populations From the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2017-2019: Questionnaire Study.

Background: Evidence suggests that eHealth tools adoption is associated with better health outcomes among various populations. The patterns and factors influencing eHealth adoption among the US Medicaid population remain obscure. Objective: The objective of this study is to explore patterns of eHealth tools adoption among the Medicaid population and examine factors associated with eHealth adoption. Methods: Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey from 2017 to 2019 were used to estimate the patterns of eHealth tools adoption among Medicaid and non-Medicaid populations. The effects of Medicaid insurance status and other influencing factors were assessed with logistic regression models. Results: Compared with the non-Medicaid population, the Medicaid beneficiaries had significantly lower eHealth tools adoption rates for health information management (11.2% to 17.5% less) and mobile health for self-regulation (0.8% to 9.7% less). Conversely, the Medicaid population had significantly higher adoption rates for using social media for health information than their counterpart (8% higher in 2018, P=.01; 10.1% higher in 2019, P=.01). Internet access diversity, education, and cardiovascular diseases were positively associated with health information management and mobile health for self-regulation among the Medicaid population. Internet access diversity is the only factor significantly associated with social media adoption for acquisition of health information (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.26-3.11). Conclusions: Our results suggest digital disparities in eHealth tools adoption between the Medicaid and non-Medicaid populations. Future research should investigate behavioral correlates and develop interventions to improve eHealth adoption and use among underserved communities.
Nondimensional convection numbers modeling thermally stratified storage tanks: Richardson's number and hot-water tanks

Abstract Thermally stratified storage tank studies have spanned over 50 years to increase the thermal storage efficiency and accurate prediction of the outlet temperature particularly for solar applications. The studies have reviewed and modeled the jet and plume flow phenomena inside the tank due to the inlet mixing and stratification level. Kelvin–Helmholtz and Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities are the major drivers of the mixing in these tanks. Momentum jets deflecting off walls at the bottom of the tank also create significant mixing. Reviewing Richardson models shows that the categorization was based on the range of Reynolds numbers at the inlet. Unfortunately, the use of superficial velocity in calculating the Richardson number results in critical values in the literature ranging from below 0.25 to 100. The most used length scale associated with these flows is an inertial scale based on the tank height or diameter although the mixing can occur at a relatively smaller scale. The various inlet devices and a large span of flow rates experienced in thermally stratified storage tanks requisite the use of the Reynolds number in combination with a convection number for accurate one dimensional models that predict performance over the long-term. The evaluation of peak shifting of electric loads leveraging renewable sources for applications, including residential hot-water tanks, commercial water tanks, and large-scale chilled water storage tanks, require these models. This paper is focused on establishing the significance of the convection numbers in conjunction with the Reynolds number for modeling the thermal stratification in storage tanks.
The effect of ketorolac on posterior minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: an interim analysis from a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Postoperative pain control following posterior lumbar fusion continues to be challenging and often requires high doses of opioids for pain relief. The use of ketorolac in spinal fusion is limited due to the risk of pseudarthrosis. However, recent literature suggests it may not affect fusion rates with short-term use and low doses. PURPOSE We sought to demonstrate noninferiority regarding fusion rates in patients who received ketorolac after undergoing minimally invasive (MIS) posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Additionally, we sought to demonstrate ketorolac's opioid-sparing effect on analgesia in the immediate postoperative period. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING This is a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. We are reporting our interim analysis. PATIENT SAMPLE Adults with degenerative spinal conditions eligible to undergo a one to three-level MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). OUTCOME MEASURES Six-month and 1-year radiographic fusion as determined by Suk criteria, postoperative opioid consumption as measured by intravenous milligram morphine equivalent, length of stay, and drug-related complications. Self-reported and functional measures include validated visual analog scale, short-form 12, and Oswestry Disability Index. METHODS A double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled, noninferiority trial of patients undergoing 1- to 3-level MIS TLIF was performed with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). Patients were randomized to receive a 48-hour scheduled treatment of either intravenous ketorolac (15 mg every 6 hours) or saline in addition to a standardized pain regimen. The primary outcome was fusion. Secondary outcomes included 48-hour and total postoperative opioid use demonstrated as milligram morphine equivalence, pain scores, length of stay (LOS), and quality-of-life outcomes. Univariate analyses were performed. The present study provides results from a planned interim analysis. RESULTS Two hundred and forty-six patients were analyzed per protocol. Patient characteristics were comparable between the groups. There was no significant difference in 1-year fusion rates between the two treatments (p=.53). The difference in proportion of solid fusion between the ketorolac and placebo groups did not reach inferiority (p=.072, 95% confidence interval, -.07 to .21). There was a significant reduction in total/48-hour mean opioid consumption (p CONCLUSIONS Short-term use of low-dose ketorolac in patients who have undergone MIS TLIF with BMP demonstrated noninferior fusion rates. Ketorolac safely demonstrated a significant reduction in postoperative opioid use and LOS while maintaining equivalent postoperative pain control.
A direct-reading particle sizer with elemental composition analysis for large inhalable particles

There is a lack of aerosol measurement technology capable of quantifying, in real time, the size, concentration, and composition of large inhalable particles – specifically those with aerodynamic d...
Role of Superantigens in Molecular Mimicry and Autoimmunity

This chapter summarizes various interactive mechanisms by which superantigens may contribute to the development or exacerbation of pathogenic autoimmunity. Superantigens are proteins produced by a number of microbial pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. Cytokines elicited by superantigens are primarily of the Th1 type, some of which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. The ability of superantigens to activate cells that express class II molecules on their surfaces has led to the suggestion that this may lead to polyclonal activation of B cells and the generation of autoantibodies. Some of the inflammatory cytokines elicited by superantigen including interleukin 12 (IL-12) activate natural killer (NK) cells, which can also contribute to the local destructive inflammatory response. Superantigens, through the action of cytokines, have been shown to induce major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II expression on a variety of cells and to activate MHC class II-positive endothelial cells. Expression of MHC class II molecules on these nonprofessional antigen- presenting cells (APCs) can lead to aberrant presentation of sequestered self-antigens and the activation of autoreactive cells. The role of superantigens in autoimmunity can be either direct or indirect. Indirectly, superantigens can activate autoreactive T cells that bear Vβ elements recognized by the superantigen, or they can elicit the production of inflammatory cytokines that can exert an adjuvant-like effect, thereby enhancing the recognition of mimicry epitopes shared between microbial and host proteins. The inflammatory response can also change the homing patterns of lymphocytes and cause tissue damage and/or abnormal presentation of sequestered self-antigens.
Pediatric Obesity: A Pediatrician's Viewpoint

Publisher Summary Obesity is a serious condition, increasing in frequency and severity in children and adolescents. Pediatricians play an important role in initial prevention, treatment, and advocacy efforts. Comprehensive medical assessment of the obese child is important in directing the best overall treatment plan and assessing the urgency of intervention. Current national recommendations highlight a tiered approach to the treatment of overweight and obesity in this vulnerable population, with weight goals or maintenance highlighted when appropriate. Although typically this treatment is best conceptualized as a chronic care model, effective behavior change is possible and can improve overall and future health while reducing the risk of comorbidities.
Significant Figures in the History of Psychiatry: Distribution by National Origin and Gender

Background History of psychiatry can provide us with a map of the evolution of our practice and identify its major figures and their contributions. Aims to identify significant figures in the history of psychiatry Methods a historiometric approach was taken to nine available general histories of psychiatry texts and a historical dictionary of the discipline. Reliability was tested against data from the journal History of Psychiatry. Those cited in at least 60% of the sources are considered significant figures. An index of eminence is calculated for each significant figure. Results The Cronbach’s alpha for the included nine sources was .89. There was significant correlation across the included sources. Seventy-four significant figures were identified. Among these, Sigmund Freud, Philippe Pinel, and Emil Kraepelin have the highest eminence in the field – in this order. Nineteen (25.7%) came from Germany, followed by nine (12.2%) from the US, eight (10.8%) from France, seven (9.5%) from Austria as well as England. Three (4.05%) of the significant figures in the histories of psychiatry are women: Dorothea Dix, Anna Freud, and Melanie Klein. Conclusion The history of psychiatry has evolved into five distinct periods, with the most eminent figures – Pinel, Kraepelin, and Freud – each representing the first three epochs – the asylum era, the first biological psychiatry, and the psychoanalytical period, respectively. The two most recent historical periods are not well represented yet and the contribution of women are underrepresented in the available histories of psychiatry.
Steric quenching of the switchable mirror effect

Scandium was substituted for yttrium to observe the effect of unit cell size on the optical metal-to-insulator (MIT) transition in the Y_(1-z)Sc_(z)H_(x) alloy system. The optical transmittance decreases significantly for z>0.10. Simultaneous electrical resistivity measurements confirm the transition from trihydride to dihydride behavior with increasing z. These observations imply a quenching of the MIT when the unit cell volume falls below a critical level that is consistent with the boundary between trihydride and non-trihydride forming rare-earth elements. A combinatoric model reveals this formation boundary corresponds to two or more Sc per unit cell.
Similarity, typicality, and categorization

Here is a simple and appealing idea about the way people decide whether an object belongs to a category: The object is a member of the category if it is sufficiently similar to known category members. To put this in more cognitive terms, if you want to know whether an object is a category member, start with a representation of the object and a representation of the potential category. Then determine the similarity of the object representation to the category representation. If this similarity value is high enough, then the object belongs to the category; otherwise, it does not. For example, suppose you come across a white three-dimensional object with an elliptical profile; or suppose you read or hear a description like the one I just gave you. You can calculate a measure of the similarity between your mental representation of this object and your prior representation of categories it might fit into. Depending on the outcome of this calculation, you might decide that similarity warrants calling the object an egg, perhaps, or a turnip or a Christmas ornament. This simple picture of categorizing seems intuitively right, especially in the context of pattern recognition. A specific egg – one you have never seen before – looks a lot like other eggs. It certainly looks more like eggs than it looks like members of most other categories. And so it is hard to escape the conclusion that something about this resemblance makes it an egg or, at least, makes us think it's one.
Student-led Pharmacotherapy Based Case (PBC) Discussions; A Unique Approach to Teaching

Objectives. Pharmacotherapy Based Cases (PBCs) are basic patient vignettes designed to highlight the appropriate use, dosing, and monitoring of a particular drug or drug class. We examined the effect of a student-led discussion of PBCs on students’ perceived confidence level regarding their knowledge of the Top 200 drugs in the United States. Methods. Teams of two students received therapeutic drug categories to review from an organized list of the current Top 200 drugs. Faculty members provided sample tables and cases. Students created PBCs from their drug tables to facilitate discussion. PBC quality, summary tables’ content, and facilitation style were graded. Students completed baseline and post-PBC Likert scale surveys with questions about knowledge, usefulness of PBC approach and confidence level. Results. The 2006 post-PBC survey results indicate that 100% find the PBC approach useful in the Top 200 drug review. The familiarity of the Top 200 drugs increased by 12%, 27%, 32% and 16% respectively for the following categories: 1) brand and generic names, 2) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved indications, 3) contraindications and common side effects, and 4) special patient counseling information. Conclusion. The PBC approach was recommended for future cohorts by 100% of students.
Angiotensin and bradykinin metabolism by peptidases identified in cultured human skeletal muscle myocytes and fibroblasts

Abstract Angiotensin (ANG) and kinin metabolizing enzymes, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE; EC 3.4.15.1), neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (NEP-24.11; EC 3.4.24.11), and aminopeptidase M (AmM; EC 3.4.11.2), have recently been identified in a purified skeletal muscle glycoprotein fraction. We have analyzed the cellular localization of these enzymes. In cultured human skeletal muscle adult myoblasts, myotubes, and fibroblasts, kinins and angiotensins were metabolized by NEP-24.11 and AmM but not by ACE. NEP-24.11 degraded ANG II, ANG III, and bradykinin (BK) and converted ANG I to the active metabolite ANG(1–7). ANG III was converted to the novel ANG IV metabolite [des-Arg 1 ]ANG III by AmM. These data suggest that, due to their abundance in the body, skeletal muscle myocytes and fibroblasts may play a major role in modulation of the systemic and local effects of angiotensins and kinins. This role could be particularly important in individuals receiving treatment with ACE inhibitors.
Influence of time-dependent stochastic heterogeneity on the radiation response of a cell population.

Abstract A solid tumor is a cell population with extensive cellular heterogeneity, which severely complicates tumor treatment by therapeutic agents such as ionizing radiation. We model the response to ionizing radiation of a multicellular population whose cells have time-dependent stochastic radiosensitivity. A reaction-diffusion equation, obtained by assuming a random process with the radiation response of a cell partly determined by competition between repair and binary misrepair of DNA double-strand breaks, is used. By a suitable transformation, the equation is reduced to that of an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process so explicit analytic solutions are available. Three consequences of the model's assumptions are that (1) response diversity within a population increases resistance to radiation, that is, the population surviving is greater than that anticipated from considering an average cell; (2) resistant cell subpopulations preferentially spared by the first part of a prolonged radiation protocol are driven biologically into more radiosensitive states as time increases, that is, resensitization occurs; (3) an inverse dose-rate effect, that is, an increase in cell killing as overall irradiation time is increased, occurs in those situations where resensitization dominates effects due to binary misrepair of repairable damage. The results are consistent with the classic results of Elkind and coworkers on extra cell killing attributed to cell-cycle redistribution and are in agreement with some recent results on in vitro and in vivo population radiosensitivity. They also generalize the therapeutic paradigm that low dose rate or fractionated radiation can help overcome hypoxic radioresistance in tumors.
Quantitative Perceptual Estimates: Verbal versus Nonverbal Retrieval Techniques

Examples of the inaccessibility of mental processes by means of verbal recall are described with particular reference to the accuracy of quantitative estimates of size, distance, and duration. Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that nonverbal retrieval techniques are more accurate than quantitative verbal estimates. Implications for the judicial process are considered.
Influence of Long-term Insulin Infusion Pump Treatment of Type I Diabetes on Diabetic Retinopathy

Isolated case reports have suggested short-term beneficial effects of subcutaneous insulin infusion pump treatment on background and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. To evaluate this question further, 30 eyes of 15 Type I diabetic patients were evaluated prospectively before and after 11--23 months (mean 18.1 months) of pump treatment. In each patient plasma glucose and total glycosylated hemoglobin fell to normal or near normal levels. The ten eyes without diabetic retinopathy at entry remained without. Four of 20 eyes with diabetic retinopathy at entry advanced by modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) classification, including one eye that progressed from background to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. No eyes with diabetic retinopathy improved their modified ETDRS classification. One eye progressed to blindness; no other eye lost vision. Six eyes had laser treatment prior to insulin pump treatment; four of these and two more required laser during pump treatment. Two eyes had vitreous hemorrhages prior to pump treatment; one of these and four others hemorrhaged during pump treatment. No eyes with diabetic retinopathy showed regression of microvascular changes. The data suggest prolonged restoration of near normal glucose metabolism with the insulin pump does not reverse established diabetic retinopathy. Whether pump treatment slows the progression, or prevents the development, of diabetic retinopathy remains to be established.
Inferring human mobility patterns from taxicab location traces

Taxicabs equipped with real-time location sensing devices are increasingly becoming popular. Such location traces are a rich source of information and can be used for congestion pricing, taxicab placement, and improved city planning. An important problem to enable these application is to identify human mobility patterns from the taxicab traces, which translates to being able to identify pickup and dropoff points for a particular trip. In this paper, we show that while past approaches are effective in detecting hotspots using location traces, they are largely ineffective in identifying trips (pairs of pickup and dropoff points). We propose the use of a graph theory concept - stretch factor in a novel manner to identify trip(s) made by a taxicab and show that a Hidden Markov Model based algorithm can identify trips (using real datasets from taxicab deployments in Shanghai and partially simulated datasets from Stockholm) with precision and recall of 90-94%, a significant improvement over past approaches that result in a precision and recall of about 50-60%.
Foreign Trade and Economic Growth: Lessons from Britain and France, 1850 to 1913

xpanding exports can stimulate economic growth or retard it. The same is true of increasing imports, and of tariffs which reduce imports. And a decline in the rate of growth of exports can slow down the rate of economic growth, or speed it up. The purpose of this paper is to set out some simple models 2 of the relations between foreign trade and national economic growth, to list the differences in their assumptions, and to illustrate them with reference to the experience of Britain and France prior to World War I. In the course of the exercise, opportunity will be taken to review the work of a number of historians and economists who have explained domestic economic growth in these countries in terms of foreign trade. If expanding exports can either speed or slow down economic growth, depending upon the assumptions of the model, it is of course no explanation of historical experience to state that growth is or is not the result of changes in exports, without specifying the assumptions of the model employed and their relevance to the historical scene.
The First Mid-Infrared Detection of a Source Coincident with Sagittarius A*

We present the first mid-infrared detection of a source coincident with the black hole candidate Sgr A* in a deep image of the inner parsec of the Galaxy. These data were obtained with SpectroCam-10 at the 200 inch (5.08 m) Hale telescope. The source was detected at 8.7 μm on two separate occasions using different observing techniques. The spatial resolution is ~07 and the noise level is 1.6 mJy beam-1 in the combined mosaic near Sgr A*. A source at Sgr A* is weakly apparent in the raw data but is difficult to identify due to strong diffuse dust emission with a mean flux density of 500 mJy arcsec-2. Several deconvolution techniques were applied to achieve the diffraction limit of 044, all of which revealed a peak on a narrow NW-SE ridge of emission. The peak is coincident with Sgr A* within the ±03 uncertainty in locating Sgr A* relative to IRS 7. We estimate the flux density of the Sgr A* source above the ridge to be 25 ± 5 mJy. The extinction-corrected 8.7 μm flux density of ~100 mJy is significantly greater than what is predicted by dustless accretion disk models. The excess emission is best explained by warm dust which may be associated with Sgr A* or heated by local stellar sources.
Three-manifolds and Baumslag–Solitar groups

Abstract We show that the Baumslag–Solitar relation x n =yx m y −1 cannot hold in a nondegenerate way in the fundamental group of an orientable 3 -manifold. This generalizes a result proved by Jaco and Shalen for the case of a Haken manifold. The generalization uses the general version of the Torus Theorem, the proof of which was completed by Casson and Jungreich and Gabai.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALTERNATE PRESSURIZED THERMAL SHOCK RULE (10 CFR 50.61a) IN THE UNITED STATES

In the early 1980s, attention focused on the possibility that pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events could challenge the integrity of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) because operational experience suggested that overcooling events, while not common, did occur, and because the results of in-reactor materials surveillance programs showed that RPV steels and welds, particularly those having high copper content, experience a loss of toughness with time due to neutron irradiation embrittlement. These recognitions motivated analysis of PTS and the development of toughness limits for safe operation. It is now widely recognized that state of knowledge and data limitations from this time necessitated conservative treatment of several key parameters and models used in the probabilistic calculations that provided the technical of the PTS Rule, 10 CFR 50.61. To remove the unnecessary burden imposed by these conservatisms, and to improve the NRC's efficiency in processing exemption and license exemption requests, the NRC undertook the PTS re-evaluation project. This paper provides a synopsis of the results of that project, and the resulting Alternate PTS rule, 10 CFR 50.61a.
Fungus-based nanoparticles: inspiration from nature for cancer therapy.

Nature has long been an important source of inspiration for engineering design. Through evolution, nature produces nearly endless biological diversity. Naturally occurring nanoparticles (NONPs) have drawn increasing interest in nanomedicine owing to their unique biocompatibility, biodegradability and immunogenicity. The majority studies of NONPs have focused on higher organisms. A carnivorous fungus was recently discovered to produce nanoparticles showing promise for cancer immunochemotherapy, which is an interesting case study for bioinspired nanomedicine. Underlying principles of biological systems in nature, especially those at the nanoscale, have been, and will continue to be, an important source of inspiration for nanomedicine, not only in terms of disease understanding, but also disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This article offers the author’s personal perspective on a class of NONPs produced by a carnivorous fungus – Arthrobotrys oligospora. The nanoparticles have demonstrated unique properties for cancer immunochemotherapy. The goal of this discussion is not to provide a final solution for this challenging disease, but rather to offer inspiration from biological systems in nature for cancer nanomedicine. By understanding how these nanoparticles are formed within this natural system and how they function, one may inspire bioinspired nanoparticles for cancer therapy. Biological systems can produce many different types of naturally occurring nanocomponents, including nanoparticles, nanofibers and nanotubes, among others [1–4]. NONPs can be easily found in air, soil, water, mineral composites and many biological systems. Some NONPs are produced by biological systems to carry out specific functions [3]. Many others are simply generated from biological systems as a result of the physical or chemical interactions of biological systems
Melting of polymer mixtures—An analytical study

Melting of a composite which is a mixture of two polymers in a semi-infinite region is considered. Initially the two materials are at a uniform temperature which is lower than the softening (melting) temperatures of both materials. Subsequently, the free surface is maintained at a constant temperature higher than the softening (melting) temperatures of both materials. Analytical solutions are presented both for the case in which the constituents have distinct melting temperatures and for the case in which the constituents exhibit softening ranges. The temperature distributions and phase front positions from both models for mixtures of isotatic polypropylene and high density polyethylene are presented.
Penetrating insights into pore formation.

Two recent crystal structures show channel-forming bacterial toxins as soluble monomers (colicin la) or transmembrane pores (α-haemolysin). Together with other data, these structures imply that toxin activity requires dramatic conformational changes.
Evaluation of Small Arms Range Soils for Metal Contamination and Lead Bioavailability

Although small arms ranges are known to be contaminated with lead, the full extent of metal contamination has not been described, nor has the oral bioavailability of lead in these soils. In this work, soil samples from ranges with diverse geochemical backgrounds were sieved to <250 microm and analyzed for total metal content. Soils had consistently high levels of lead and copper, ranging from 4549 to 24 484 microg/g and 223 to 2936 microg/g, respectively, while arsenic, antimony, nickel, and zinc concentrations were 100-fold lower. For lead bioavailability measurements, two widely accepted methods were used: an in vivo juvenile swine relative bioavailability method measuring lead absorption from ingested soils relative to equivalent lead acetate concentrations and an in vitro bioaccessibility procedure which measured acid-extractable lead as a percent of total lead in the soil. For eight samples, the mean relative bioavailability and bioaccessibility of lead for the eight soils was about 100% (108 +/- 18% and 95 +/- 6%, respectively) showing good agreement between both methods. Risk assessment and/or remediation of small arms ranges should therefore assume high bioavailability of lead.
Changes in serum potassium in premature infants receiving packed red blood cells.

Summary Changes in serum potassium in premature neonates undergoing transfusion from CPDA-1 triple satellite PRBC paediatric packs cannot be predicted solely on the basis of potassium dose and estimated plasma volume. Despite significant potassium loading during PRBC transfusion, the actual serum potassium change is much less than predicted in neonates with good renal status. These findings indicate that special washing procedures to reduce potassium concentrations in PRBC units for transfusion in neonates is not warranted although exclusion of units older than 5 days for transfusion in premature infants seems to be a reasonable policy.
Parametric Study of Mixed Convection in a Porous Medium Between Vertical Concentric Cylinders

A numerical study has been performed to evaluate mixed convection heat transfer in a porous medium between two vertical concentric cylinders for a constant-temperature outer and an insulated inner boundary conditions. In modeling the flow in the bed a finite difference technique was utilized to represent the governing equations with appropriate boundary layer assumptions. The effects of flow inertia, variable porosity and properties, and the Brinkman friction were all taken into account. The model simulated the condition where water was the fluid flowing through the porous material. In all flow simulations the Darcy law condition was obeyed, i.e., the Reynolds number based on the particle diameter was less than unity. Results obtained include radial and axial velocity and temperature profiles in the bed. The dependence of local Nusselt number on the axial distance for several Reynolds numbers was also obtained. Correlations of the average Nusselt number against the Grashof, Peclet, and Darcy numbers were obtained for various radius ratios. Comparisons of the heat transfer predictions to data and calculations of others for special situations showed excellent agreement.
Up-regulation of the Pro-inflammatory Chemokine CXCL16 is a Common Response of Tumor Cells to Ionizing Radiation

We recently showed that mouse and human breast carcinoma cells respond to ionizing radiation therapy by up-regulating the expression and release of the pro-inflammatory chemokine CXCL16, which binds to the CXCR6 receptor expressed by activated T cells. Enhanced recruitment of activated T cells to irradiated mouse 4T1 breast tumors was mediated largely by CXCL16 and was correlated with tumor inhibition in mice treated with the combination of local radiation and immunotherapy. In this study, the expression of CXCL16 and its modulation by radiation were analyzed in mouse melanoma B16/F10, fibrosarcoma MC57, colon carcinoma MCA38, and prostate carcinoma TRAMP-C1 cells. Only TRAMP-C1 cells showed detectable expression of CXCL16, although the level was lower than in 4T1 and 67NR breast carcinoma cells. Ionizing radiation up-regulated CXCL16 expression in all cells except B16/F10, but only TRAMP-C1, 67NR and 4T1 cells released the soluble chemokine in significant quantities. The metalloproteinases ADAM10 and ADAM17, which are responsible for cleaving the chemokine domain from the CXCL16 transmembrane form, were expressed in all cells. Overall, our data indicate that up-regulation of CXCL16 is a common response of tumor cells to radiation, and they have important implications for the use of local radiotherapy in combination with immunotherapy.
SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL PEPTIDE NUCLEIC ACID-PEPTIDE CHIMERA FOR NON-INVASIVE IMAGING OF CANCER

A chelator-peptide-PNA-peptide chimera specific for KRAS has been prepared by continuous solid phase coupling with a C-terminal insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) ligand, d(cys-ser-lys-cys), and N-terminal bis(s-benzoyl thioglycoloyl) diaminopropanoate chelator for radionuclide labeling. The probe was purified by RP-HPLC and characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The probe was labeled with 99 mTc and 64Cu. Both labeled probes accumulated in human pancreatic cancer xenografts in immunocompromised mice. Control experiments with mismatch chimeras and control xenografts will be necessary to determine the specificity of this molecular diagnostic strategy.
Depletions in the cervical and thoracolumbar sympathetic system following removal of neural crest from the embryo of Chelydra serpentina

Neural crest and dorsal neural tube of cervical and thoracolumbar levels were removed from embryos of Chelydra serpentina at stages ranging from 8 to 18 somites. Extirpation extended from the levels of the last four somites posteriorly around the neurenteric canal. Deficiencies in sensory and sympathetic ganglia occurred. Motor roots of the associated spinal nerves differentiated. In the absence of postganglionic neurons, the preganglionic fibers form a neuron-free plexus in the thoracolumbar region. Some observations in the cervical region indicate that the postganglionic neurons depend on preganglionic fibers for their differentiation. The cortex of the adrenal gland formed without related medulla in appropriate experiments. The normal morphology of the sympathetic trunks is illustrated. Superficial and deep cervical sympathetic trunks are described. The latter ascends the neck in a paravertebral position. Along its course are segmental ganglia and rami communicantes; it terminates by joining the medial branch of the superficial sympathetic trunk rostral to the ninth cranial nerve.
Pilot study of sex differences in chemokine/cytokine markers of atherosclerosis in humans

Abstract Background: Atherogenic processes increase in women after menopause, when the risk of cardiovascular adverse events approaches that observed in age-matched men. In experimental animals, ovariectomy increases the platelet content of mitogenic cytokines, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which when released into the blood or site of vascular injury, contribute to atherogenic processes. Objective: Experiments were designed to assess the sex distribution of inflammatorychemokines/cytokines, which may be released from platelets in the serum of middle-aged women and men in whom the extent of atherosclerotic coronary disease was defined by coronary arterial calcification (CAC). Methods: Blood was obtained from healthy white individuals recruited from the Mayo Clinic database. CAC was assessed by 64-slice computed tomography. Plasma cholesterol, lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were analyzed by the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. Serum cytokines were determined using cytokine arrays. Cytokine expression was measured using dot blot analysis. Results: Of the 16 individuals (11 women, 5 men) who agreed to participate in the study, 1 woman was premenopausal, 1 was taking oral contraceptives, and 1 was receiving menopausal hormone therapy. One woman had an active infection and was eliminated from the study. CAC was detected in only 2 of the 11 women (scores of 46 and 56 Agatston units [AU]) but in 3 of the 5 men (scores of 3, 123, and 609 AU). Correcting for all other risk factors, expression of the chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal, T-cell expressed and secreted; CCL5 [CC chemokine ligand 5]) was 100.98% greater in women than in men, and PDGF-BB was 55.30% greater in women than in men. Conclusions: This small pilot study found that the circulating chemokines/cytokines RANTES and PDGF-BB showed sex-disparate distribution between the women and men studied, and did not appear related to the degree of CAC.
Presence, actions, and regulation of myostatin in rat uterus and myometrial cells.

Myostatin, a member of the TGF-β superfamily of proteins, is known to suppress skeletal muscle mass and myocyte proliferation. The muscular component of the uterus is the myometrium, a tissue that regulates its mass in response to different physiological conditions under the influence of sex steroids. Recently, our laboratory reported effects of activin-A, another TGF-β family member, on signalling and proliferation of rat uterine explants and human myometrial cell lines in culture. Here, we explore the expression, actions, and regulation of myostatin in uterine smooth muscle. Myostatin mRNA was demonstrated to be expressed in a myometrial cell line, pregnant human myometrial 1 cell line (PHM1). Functional assays showed that myostatin induced phosphorylation of Smad-2 and reduced proliferation of PHM1 number in a time and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, myostatin activated smad-2 specific signalling pathways in rat uterine explants. To expand on our in vitro findings, we found that myostatin is expressed in rat uterus and determined that myostatin mRNA expression varies as a function of the phase of the estrous cycle. Uterine levels of myostatin peaked during late estrus and were the lowest at proestrus. Ovariectomy increased myostatin expression; estrogen treatment strongly decreased myostatin levels, whereas progesterone weakly decreased myostatin expression. In conclusion, myometrial cells are myostatin sensitive, myostatin mRNA levels are modulated in vivo in rats during the estrous cycle, and in response to steroid deprivation and replacement.
Single strip diffraction: comparison of Kirchhoff theory and geometrical theory with the exact solution in the limit of small glancing angle and width; perpendicular polarization

A comparison is made between approximations using the geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) and Kirchhoff theory and the exact solution using Maxwell’s equations for the case of Fraunhofer diffraction of electromagnetic radiation incident upon a long, thin, perfectly conducting strip with the electric field vector polarized perpendicular to the strip axis. Strip widths from approximately 0.3λ to 3λ are considered. Glancing angles of incidence are taken from 4° to 90°. Irradiances are compared as a function of diffraction angle in the region on the same side of the strip as the incident radiation.
Cognitive recovery correlates with white-matter restitution after head injury

Longitudinal measurements of local cerebral perfusion (LCBF) and local partition coefficients (L lambda) using xenon-enhanced computed tomography were examined in six patients who had suffered from head injury at a mean age of 30 +/- 9.3 years. They were selected from a larger group with head injury because all were observed longitudinally to make excellent cognitive recovery some years after acute cerebral trauma. Results were compared with similar longitudinal measurements made in six age-matched neurologically normal volunteers. In the index group, cognitive test scores were reduced at the time of the first LCBP measurement but significantly improved to normal at the time of the second. The mean interval between measurements was 2.7 +/- 0.7 years. At the time of the first measurement, all six patients exhibited abnormal volumes of white matter with reduced Hounsfield numbers and LCBF and L lambda values. Abnormalities in volume of white matter and LCBF and L lambda values improved to normal at the time of the second measurement. Perfusion values for frontal cortex, putamen, and thalamus were still slightly reduced but also improved toward normal between measurements. Cognitive recovery correlated best with restoration of white matter integrity, suggesting that following head injury, cognitive impairments may be associated with temporary disconnections of corticothalamic projection systems.
Microwave oscillations of current in III–V semiconductors

Abstract The observation is described of a new phenomenon in the electrical conductivity of certain III-V semiconductors. When the applied electric field exceeds a critical value, oscillations of extremely high frequency appear in the specimen current.
Lysophospholipid acyltransferases and eicosanoid biosynthesis in zebrafish myeloid cells.

Abstract Eicosanoids derived from the enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid play important roles in a large number of physiological and pathological processes in humans. Many animal and cellular models have been used to investigate the intricate mechanisms regulating their biosynthesis and actions. Zebrafish is a widely used model to study the embryonic development of vertebrates. It expresses homologs of the key enzymes involved in eicosanoid production, and eicosanoids have been detected in extracts from adult or embryonic fish. In this study we prepared cell suspensions from kidney marrow, the main hematopoietic organ in fish. Upon stimulation with calcium ionophore, these cells produced eicosanoids including PGE 2 , LTB 4 , 5-HETE and, most abundantly, 12-HETE. They also produced small amounts of LTB 5 derived from eicosapentaenoic acid. These eicosanoids were also produced in kidney marrow cells stimulated with ATP, and this production was greatly enhanced by preincubation with thimerosal, an inhibitor of arachidonate reacylation into phospholipids. Microsomes from these cells exhibited acyltransferase activities consistent with expression of MBOAT5/LPCAT3 and MBOAT7/LPIAT1, the main arachidonoyl-CoA:lysophospholipid acyltransferases. In summary, this work introduces a new cellular model to study the regulation of eicosanoid production through a phospholipid deacylation–reacylation cycle from a well-established, versatile vertebrate model species.
Monitoring the effects of component structure and source on formulation stability and adjuvant activity of oil-in-water emulsions

Oil-in-water emulsions have shown promise as safe and effective adjuvant formulations for vaccines. In particular, formulations consisting of metabolizable oils such as shark-derived squalene and detergents such as egg phosphatidylcholine have been used to produce stable vaccine emulsion formulations. However, there is an emphasis in pharmaceutical regulatory bodies on using synthetic or plant-derived components from sustainable sources instead of animal-derived components. This study compares the physicochemical properties and biological efficacy of emulsions consisting of oil and detergent components from animal, plant, and synthetic sources. In particular, effects of component structure and source on emulsion stability and biological activity are examined. It is shown that oil-in-water emulsions using animal-derived components can be substituted with synthetic or plant-derived materials while still exhibiting satisfactory physicochemical and biological properties.