cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Property modification of nafion via polymer blending with polyimide (Conference Presentation)

The blended ion exchange membrane between Nafion and Polyimide (PI) was used for fabrication of the ionic polymer–metal composite (IPMC) not only to redeem inherent drawbacks of Nafion such as high cost or environment-unfriendliness but also to enhance mechanical properties of Nafion. PI solution was blended in Nafion solution by a volume ratio and membranes were prepared through solution casting method. The prepared blended Nafion membranes can be fabricated IPMCs with electroless plating of platinum electrode onto its surface. The surface resistance of all prepared IPMCs is measured through 2-point probe. This study investigated the chemical structure and mechanical properties of prepared blended membranes. Moreover, we characterized the cross-section morphology and studied the electromechanical performances (displacement and blocking force) of prepared IPMC actuators. The prepared IPMC actuators with blended Nafion membranes were demonstrated comparable electromechanical performance by significantly reducing the content of Nafion.
Prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory complications following trauma in patients with obesity.

Abstract Background It is generally accepted that obesity puts patients at an increased risk for cardiovascular and respiratory complications after surgical procedures. However, in the setting of trauma, there have been mixed findings in regards to whether obesity increases the risk for additional complications. Objective The aim of this study was to identify whether obese patients suffer an increased risk of cardiac and respiratory complications following traumatic injury. Methods A retrospective analysis of 275,393 patients was conducted using the 2012 National Trauma Data Bank. Hierarchical regression modeling was performed to determine the probability of experiencing a cardiac or respiratory complication. Results Patients with obesity were at a significantly higher risk of cardiac and respiratory complications compared to patients without obesity [OR: 1.81; CI: 1.72–1.91]. Prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory complications for patients with obesity was 12.6% compared to 5.2% for non-obese patients. Conclusions Obesity is predictive of an increased risk for cardiovascular and respiratory complications following trauma.
A Test of the Anthropogenic Sea Level Rise Hypothesis

Detrended correlation analysis of a global sea level reconstruction 1807-2010 does not show that changes in the rate of sea level rise are related to the rate of fossil fuel emissions at any of the nine time scales tried. The result is checked against the measured data from sixteen locations in the Pacific and Atlantic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. No evidence could be found that observed changes in the rate of sea level rise are unnatural phenomena that can be attributed to fossil fuel emissions. These results are inconsistent with the proposition that the rate of sea level rise can be moderated by reducing emissions. It is noted that correlation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a causal relationship between emissions and acceleration of sea level rise.
Integration of Various Health Record Systems

This chapter discusses the integration between the Health Record Systems and Patient Record System. The chapter also highlights the importance of a Patient Centric Health Record system. Such systems can empower patients to participate in improving health care quality.
Utility of cardiac computed tomography scanning in the diagnosis and pre-operative evaluation of patients with infective endocarditis

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard imaging study used in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) has undergone rapid advancement as a cardiac imaging technique and has previously shown promise in small non-randomized studies for evaluation of IE. We hypothesized that cardiac CTA would perform similarly to TEE in the detection of endocarditic lesions and that there would be no difference in clinical outcomes whether the coronary arteries were evaluated by CTA or invasive coronary angiography (ICA). 255 adults who underwent surgery for IE at the Mayo Clinic Rochester between January 1, 2006 and June 1, 2014 were identified retrospectively. 251 patients underwent TEE and 34 patients underwent cardiac CTA. TEE had statistically higher detection of vegetations (95.6 vs. 70.0%, p < 0.0001) and leaflet perforations (81.3 vs. 42.9%, p = 0.02) as compared to cardiac CTA. For detection of abscess/pseudoaneurysm TEE had a similar sensitivity to cardiac CTA (90.5 vs. 78.4%, p = 0.21). There was no significant difference in peri-operative outcomes whether coronary arteries were evaluated by CTA or ICA. The greatest advantage of cardiac CT in the setting of IE is its ability to couple the detection of complex cardiac anatomic abnormalities with coronary artery delineation, serving two important components of the diagnostic evaluation, particularly among patients who will require surgical intervention due to IE complications. Cardiac CTA may be considered as an alternate coronary artery imaging modality in IE patients with low to intermediate risk of disease but meet guideline recommendations for coronary artery imaging.
Synthesis and anti-staphylococcal activity of novel bacterial topoisomerase inhibitors with a 5-amino-1,3-dioxane linker moiety

Novel bacterial type II topoisomerase inhibitors (NBTIs) constitute a promising new class of antibacterial agents. We report a series of NBTIs with potent anti-staphylococcal activity and diminished hERG inhibition. Dioxane-linked compound 9 demonstrated MICs ≤1 μg/mL against both methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), accompanied by reduced hERG inhibition as compared to cyclohexane- or piperidine-linked analogs.
Accelerating forest loss in Southeast Asian Massif in the 21st century: A case study in Nan Province, Thailand.

Farmers are carving a new agricultural frontier from the forests in the Southeast Asian Massif (SAM) in the 21st century, triggering significant environment degradation at the local scale; however, this frontier has been missed by existing global land use and forest loss analyses. In this paper, we chose Thailand's Nan Province, which is located in the geometric center of SAM, as a case study, and combined high resolution forest cover change product with a fine-scale land cover map to investigate land use dynamics with respect to topography in this region. Our results show that total forest loss in Nan Province during 2001-2016 was 66,072 ha (9.1% of the forest cover in 2000), and that the majority of this lost forest (92%) had been converted into crop (mainly corn) fields by 2017. Annual forest loss is significantly correlated with global corn price (p < 0.01), re-confirming agricultural expansion as a key driver of forest loss in Nan Province. Along with the increasing global corn price, forest loss in Nan Province has accelerated at a rate of 2,616 ± 730 ha per decade (p < 0.01). Global corn price peaked in 2012, in which year annual forest loss also reached its peak (7,523 ha); since then, the location of forest loss has moved to steeper land at higher elevations. Spatially, forest loss driven by this smallholder agricultural expansion emerges as many small patches that are not recognizable even at a moderate spatial resolution (e.g. 300 m). It explains how existing global land use/cover change products have missed the widespread and rapid forest loss in SAM. It also highlights the importance of high-resolution observations to evaluate the environmental impacts of agricultural expansion and forest loss in SAM, including, but not limited to, the impacts on the global carbon cycle, regional hydrology, and local environmental degradation.
Closed-Loop Linear Covariance Analysis for Hosted Payloads

The concept of a hosted payload has numerous applications, ranging from remote sensing to turreted weapons and satellite communications. Components common to such systems include a host vehicle, a ...
Outcomes and cost of fenestrated versus standard endovascular repair of intact abdominal aortic aneurysm in the United States

Abstract Background Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) has expanded the indications of this minimally invasive procedure to include patients with pararenal aneurysms. The actual cost of this relatively newer technology compared with standard endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) has not been studied before. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze in-hospital costs and adverse outcomes in patients undergoing FEVAR vs EVAR for intact abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Methods Using the Premier Healthcare Database (2012-2015), we identified all patients who underwent elective EVAR and FEVAR. Univariable (χ2 test, Student t-test, median test) and multivariable (logistic regression and generalized linear modeling) analyses were implemented to examine in-hospital cost and adverse outcomes adjusting for patients' demographics, comorbidities, and regional characteristics. Results A total of 17,689 elective endovascular AAA repairs were performed; 1641 patients underwent FEVAR (9%), and the remaining 16,048 patients underwent standard EVAR (91%). Patients undergoing FEVAR were more likely to be white (86.3% vs 84.3%; P = .03). Both groups had similar comorbidities except for cerebrovascular disease, which was higher among patients undergoing FEVAR (8.4% vs 6.7%; P = .01). The total length of hospital stay was slightly higher in patients undergoing FEVAR compared with EVAR (mean [standard deviation], 2.40 [3.39] days vs 2.23 [3.10] days; P = .03). The rates of any complication (11.3% vs 9.6%), renal injury (5.8% vs 4.3%), and neurologic injury (0.7% vs 0.4%) were significantly higher in the FEVAR group (all P .05). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, FEVAR was associated with 40% increased odds of renal failure (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.76; P = .004) and 91% increased odds of neurologic injury (odds ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.02-3.57; P = .04). The median total cost of the treatment was also significantly higher among patients undergoing FEVAR ($28,227 vs $26,781; P Conclusions In this large cohort of elective endovascular AAA repairs, compared with standard EVAR, FEVAR is associated with significantly increased odds of renal and neurologic injury. In addition, despite adjusting for patients' demographics, comorbidities, and major complications, total cost of FEVAR was significantly higher compared with standard EVAR. This is likely driven by the additional cost of fenestrated endografts and by the increased rate of complications related to FEVAR.
Clinical outcome of pancreatic cancer patients with indeterminate pulmonary nodules.

220Background: Indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) are often found on staging CT scans for pancreatic cancer and pose a treatment conundrum since resection is contraindicated in metastatic setti...
Making measurement-based care for addictions a reality in primary care.

Three factors are important to consider when integrating measurement-based care for opioid use disorders into primary care: integration with other behavioral health and substance use disorders care, the availability of a brief, valid measure that is responsive to change, and implementation in a manner that fosters accurate reporting.
The Ciliary Lumen Accommodates Passive Diffusion and Vesicle Trafficking in Cytoplasmic-Ciliary Transport

Abstract Transport of membrane and cytosolic proteins into the primary cilium is essential for its role in cellular signaling. Using single molecule microscopy, we mapped the movement of membrane and soluble proteins at the base of the primary cilium. In addition to the well-known intraflagellar transport (IFT) route, we identified two new pathways within the lumen of the primary cilium - passive diffusional and vesicle transport routes - that are adopted by proteins for cytoplasmic-cilium transport in live cells. Independent of the IFT path, approximately half of IFT motors (KIF3A) and cargo (α-tubulin) take the passive diffusion route and more than half of membrane-embedded G protein coupled receptors (SSTR3 and HTR6) use RAB8A-regulated vesicles to transport into and inside cilia. Furthermore, ciliary lumen transport is the preferred route for membrane proteins in the early stages of ciliogenesis and inhibition of SSTR3 vesicle transport completely blocks ciliogenesis. Furthermore, clathrin-mediated, signal-dependent internalization of SSTR3 also occurs through the ciliary lumen. These transport routes were also observed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella, suggesting their conserved roles in trafficking of ciliary proteins.
Spectral line-by-line pulse shaping of an on-chip microresonator frequency comb

We report spectral phase characterization and optical arbitrary waveform generation of on-chip microresonator combs. Random relative frequency shifts due to uncorrelated variations of frequency dependent phase are at or below the 100 μHz level.
Functioning pituitary adenomas - Current treatment options and emerging medical therapies

Pituitary adenomas are benign tumours comprising approximately 16% of all primary cranial neoplasms. Functioning pituitary adenomas (prolactinomas, somatotroph, corticotroph, thyrotroph and rarely gonadotroph adenomas) cause complex clinical syndromes and require prompt treatment to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Treatment approaches include transsphenoidal surgery, medical therapy and radiation. Medical therapy is the primary therapy for prolactinomas, and surgery by a skilled neurosurgeon is the first-line approach for other functioning pituitary adenomas. A multimodal treatment is frequently necessary to achieve biochemical and clinical control, especially, when surgery is not curative or when medical therapy fails. Several emerging, novel, medical treatments for acromegaly, Cushing's disease and prolactinomas are in phase II and III clinical trials and may become effective additions to the current drug armamentarium. The availability of various management options will allow an individualised treatment approach based on the unique tumour type, clinical situation and patient preference.
Post-enrichment circulating tumor cell detection and enumeration via deformability impedance cytometry.

Abstract Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood can provide valuable information when detecting, diagnosing, and monitoring cancer. This paper describes a system that consists of a constriction-based microfluidic sensor with embedded electrodes that can detect and enumerate cancer cells in blood. The biosensor measures impedance in terms of magnitude and phase at multiple frequencies as cells transit through the constriction channel. Cancer cells deform as they move through while blood cells remain intact, thus generating differential impedance profiles that can be used for detecting and counting CTCs. Two versions of this device are reported, one where the electrodes are embedded into the disposable microfluidic channel, and the other in which the disposable chip is externally fixed to a reusable substrate housing the electrodes. Both configurations were tested by spiking breast or prostate cancer cells into murine blood, and both detected all tumor cells passing through the narrow channels while being able to differentiate between the two cell lines. The chip in its current format has a throughput of 1 μL/min. While the throughput is scalable by integrating more constriction channels in parallel, the presented assay is intended for post-enrichment label-free enumeration and characterization of CTCs.
Oil Pollution in Waters of Lithuania

The Lithuanian seaside is famous for its sandy beaches as well as for Palanga town and the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO protected site, which are all enjoyed by the locals and holiday guests. Potential contamination of Lithuanian sea water is possible from three oil companies, apart from the discharges of passing tankers and other ships. In Lithuania, the responsibility for works involving the clean-up of marine incidents lies with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Naval Forces.
Diagnosing bias in data-driven algorithms for healthcare

A recent analysis highlighting the potential for algorithms to perpetuate existing racial biases in healthcare underscores the importance of thinking carefully about the labels used during algorithm development.
Radical Prostatectomy Without Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection Is Widely Practiced in High-Risk Patients Despite Poorer Survival.

Abstract Purpose Radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) is the standard of care for unfavorable risk prostate cancer. We investigated dissection practice patterns and their impact on overall survival using a large national database. Patients and Methods Men with prostate adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2013 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base. Disease was classified as either favorable or unfavorable on the basis of National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Minimum follow-up was 4 years. All patients received risk-appropriate surgery: prostatectomy with or without PLND. Prostatectomy alone and prostatectomy with PLND was propensity score matched within each risk cohort. Survival analysis included Kaplan-Meier statistics, Cox proportional hazards model, and multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 66,469 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Median (range) age was 63 (27-90) years. Median (range) follow-up was 59.53 (48-143.54) months. Within the cohort of patients with favorable risk disease, 51% did not undergo nodal dissection. Matched analysis demonstrated no difference in survival (P = .926). Within the cohort of patients with unfavorable risk disease, 39.2% did not receive nodal dissection. Matched analysis demonstrated that nodal dissection had superior survival (log-rank P = .002; hazard ratio = 0.624; 95% confidence interval, 0.466-0.835; P = .002). Greater odds of receiving nodal dissection included an open or robot-assisted approach compared to a laparoscopic approach, academic/research programs, and higher risk groups. Conclusion Although PLND is associated with a significant survival benefit in men with unfavorable risk prostate cancer, nearly 40% of patients with unfavorable risk disease did not receive PLND.
A UNIQUE CASE OF IRON OVERLOAD CARDIOMYOPATHY IN A SICKLE CELL PATIENT

Iron overload is a well-known complication in sickle cell patients who are chronically transfused. We present a unique case of a sickle cell patient who developed cardiomyopathy secondary to iron overload. A 23-year-old female with a medical history of Hb-SS disease presented to the emergency
Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Abstract Background Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common treatment for end-stage osteonecrosis of the hip in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). This patient population presents unique challenges in the perioperative period. This systematic review aims to investigate the existing literature on the outcomes, complications, and survivorship of primary THA in SCD patients. Methods A systematic search using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for clinical studies on THA in SCD patients. Studies on primary THA in SCD patients with a mean follow-up greater than 90 days were included. Results Sixteen studies containing 5193 SCD patients met criteria for inclusion. The Coleman Quality of Evidence score ranged from poor to moderate. SCD patients had a significant increase in Harris Hip Scores and Merle d’Aubigne Scores after undergoing THA. Compared to non-SCD patients, SCD patients had increased hospital length-of-stay, 30-day and 90-day readmission rates, and rates of medical complications, including pain crises, acute chest syndrome, cardiac complications, sepsis, and mortality. SCD patients also had increased rates of surgical complications, including wound complications, infection, periprosthetic fracture, and aseptic loosening. Overall, THA revision rates were higher in SCD patients relative to those with primary osteoarthritis. Conclusion THA remains an effective treatment modality for osteonecrosis of the hip in SCD patients. However, these patients are at increased risk of medical and surgical complications. Surgeons should be aware of the unique challenges in this patient population when counseling and managing these patients in the perioperative period.
Counting Connected Sets of Squares

In [1, p. 38], the authors ask for a direct combinatorial proof of the formula in the following theorem. The argument given here is such a proof. A set of grid squares is connected if there is a pa...
Betting Against Other Betas

Using several multi-factor models, I find strong "betting against beta'' effects - flat relations between betas and expected returns - for most non-market factors in US and international stock markets. "Arbitrage portfolios'' designed to profit from these effects earn average returns similar to those of the factors, with substantially reduced risk. Betas are persistent, indicating that the factor models successfully capture important dimensions of co-variation in returns. Previously-proposed explanations for the betting against market beta effect do not explain these results. These findings raise questions about the economic content of existing empirical factor models and the co-variance-based expected return paradigm.
Moisture-insensitive, self-powered paper-based flexible electronics

Abstract The fabrication of multifunctional electronic devices on ubiquitous paper substrates is gaining considerable attention due to their low cost, environmental friendliness, light weight, and flexibility. Unfortunately, the development of paper-based electronics is subject to significant challenges, such as rapid degradation with moisture, battery dependence, and limited compatibility with existing mass production technologies. This work describes omniphobic, self-powered paper-based electronics (RF-SPEs), completely wireless paper-based electronic devices insensitive to moisture, liquid stains, and dust. RF-SPEs can be rapidly fabricated through the sequential spray-deposition of alkylated organosilanes, conductive nanoparticles, polytetrafluoroethylene (strong electron affinity), and ethyl cellulose (weak electron affinity) over the surface of cellulose paper. RF-SPEs are lightweight, inexpensive to print (
Modeling Issues Concerning Motion of the Saturnian Satellites

A study is performed to find the minimum-order model that can achieve an accuracy of 1 km in the dynamic propagation of the Saturnian satellites over a period of four years. The need for such an investigation has risen out of recent advances in the accuracy of orbit determination techniques that are to be used in the Cassini mission. Effects such as Saturn’s rings, tides on Saturn and the satellites, gravity harmonics on Saturn and the satellites, other solar system bodies, small Saturnian satellites, coupling of the satellite attitudes with translational dynamics, and general relativity are considered. A conservative assessment of the effects that must be modeled is obtained with numerical simulation using a fixed set of initial conditions for the satellites. This simple method is shown to exaggerate the impact of new modeling effects, so a second method is employed where the initial conditions are adjusted in order to minimize the perturbations of new effects. The second method suggests that, in addition to the point mass interactions of the eight major Saturnian satellites, the minimum order model includes zonal harmonics of Saturn up through eighth order, Saturn’s rings, Janus, the asphericities of Mimas and Enceladus, and the point mass effects of the Sun and Jupiter.
Descriptor Scoring for Feature Selection in Real-Time Visual Slam

Many emerging applications of Visual SLAM running on resource constrained hardware platforms impose very aggressive pose accuracy requirements and highly demanding latency constraints. To achieve the required pose accuracy under constrained compute budget, real-time SLAM implementations have to work with few but highly repeatable and invariant features. While many state-of-the-art techniques, proposed for selecting good features to track, do address some of these concerns, they are computationally complex and therefore, not suitable for power, latency and cost sensitive edge devices. On the other hand, simpler feature selection methods based on detector (corner) score, lack in identifying features with required invariance and trackability. We present a notion of feature descriptor score as a measure of invariance under distortions. We further propose feature selection method based on descriptor score requiring very minimal compute and demonstrate its performance with binary descriptors on an EKF based visual inertial odometry (VIO). Compared to detector score based methods, our method provides an improvement up to 10% in ATE (Absolute Trajectory Error) score on EuroC dataset.
Are We Doing Enough? COVID Responses from Urban and Rural Community Colleges

Working through the COVID-19 pandemic, many community colleges were driven to continue operations in a time of extreme uncertainty, all while dealing with enrollment declines, helping those already...
The Influence of USSR/Communism on the Post-WWII Czechoslovak Postal System

The political influence of the Czechoslovakian Communist party and the USSR was applied immediately near the end of WWII, in the Spring of 1945, to the new indigenous Slovakian postal administration. The descent of post-war Czechoslovakia into the sphere of the USSR did not occur mainly or only during the Coup of February 1948. It had already begun powerfully in early 1945, as can be seen on the postage stamps issued by Slovakia and then Czechoslovakia at that time; this influence continued in the years leading up to the Coup. The Communists/USSR manipulated the newly re-emerging postal system in advancing its political agenda.
Payday Lenders, Vehicle Title Loans, and Small-Value Financing: The CFPB's Proposal to Regulate the Fringe Economy

The market for payday lenders, businesses that provide vehicle title loans, and other small-value financing players is rife with controversy. Some see them as predatory lenders that weave a web of never-ending debt designed to capture the weakest and most economically vulnerable of society. However, advocates of these financial institutions argue that for many Americans who are otherwise shut out of the conventional lending market, these players provide the only viable source of credit in times of economic hardship. Whatever the view, these businesses, their borrowers, and the credit markets that they together comprise are often referred to in legal and economic research and literature as the "fringe economy." And interestingly, aside from a patchwork of state law rules, this area of the financial services sector is fairly unregulated.However, on Thursday, March 26, 2015 the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report outlining the agency’s long heralded plans to impose nation-wide regulations on the fringe economy. The first part of this article gives an overview of the fringe economy, the types of services and products it provides, and gives a snapshot of existing, state-based regulations. The second part goes into the nuts and bolts of the proposed rules.
Beam focused slot antenna for microchip implants

Wireless powering of implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators and other devices for post-surgery monitoring and drug delivery enables device miniaturization and obviates risks associated with lead wires and battery replacement. Traditionally, inductively-coupled coils have been considered the primary candidate for power transfer since they operate at frequencies sufficiently low to ignore losses in tissue [1]. Recently, however, it was shown that the optimal frequency for wireless power transfer to a miniature implant is in the low-GHz range despite increased tissue absorption [2]. At low-GHz frequencies, the power transfer efficiency was significantly improved by considering transmitter structures more complex than the coil. In particular, the optimal transmitter was found to exhibit beam focusing, which invokes constructive and destructive interference to maximize the fields at the receiver while minimizing heating in tissue. The optimal transmitter, however, was derived in terms of a surface current distribution and was not physically realized [3], [4].
Anomalous diffusion of distinguished particles in bead-spring networks

We consider the anomalous sub-diffusion of a class of Gaussian processes that can be expressed in terms of sums of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. As a generic class of processes, we introduce a single parameter such that for any $\nu \in (0,1)$ the process can be tuned to produce a mean-squared displacement with $\E{x^2(t)} \sim t^\nu$ for large $t$. The motivation for the specific structure of these sums of OU processes comes from the Rouse chain model from polymer kinetic theory. We generalize the model by studying the general dynamics of individual particles in networks of thermally fluctuating beads connected by Hookean springs. Such a set-up is similar to the study of Kac-Zwanzig heat bath models. Whereas the existing heat bath literature places its assumptions on the spectrum of the Laplacian matrix associated to the spring connection graph, we study explicit graph structures. In this setting we prove a notion of universality for the Rouse chain's well-known $\E{x^2(t)} \sim t^{1/2}$ scaling behavior. Subsequently we demonstrate the existence of other anomalous behavior by changing the dimension of the connection graph or by allowing repulsive forces among the beads.
BRUTE FACTS, THE NECESSITY OF IDENTITY, AND THE IDENTITY OF INDISCERNIBLES

In ‘Two Spheres, Twenty Spheres, and the Identity of Indiscernibles,’ Della Rocca argues that any counterexample to the PII would involve ‘a brute fact of non-identity [. . .] not grounded in any qualitative difference.’ I respond that Adams's so-called Continuity Argument against the PII does not postulate qualitatively inexplicable brute facts of identity or non-identity if understood in the context of Kripkean modality. One upshot is that if the PII is understood to quantify over modal as well as non-modal properties, the qualitative explicability of numerical distinctness requires not the PII but a principle of the identity of necessary indiscernibles.
A Diet Rich in Green and Yellow Vegetables Inhibits Atherosclerosis in Mice

Although dietary patterns characterized by a high intake of fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease, the mechanisms involved are uncertain. We determined the effects of a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables on the development of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary heart disease, in a mouse model of atherosclerosis, the LDL receptor -/-, apolipoprotein B transgenic mouse. The mice were randomized into 2 diet groups: 1) a vegetable-free control diet (n = 53) and 2) the same diet with 30% (w:w) replaced by an equal-parts mixture of freeze-dried peas, green beans, broccoli, corn, and carrots (n = 54). Mice were fed these diets for 16 wk. Aortic atherosclerosis, as estimated by cholesteryl ester content, was reduced 38% (P < 0.001) in mice fed the vegetable-rich diet. Plasma total cholesterol (-12%), VLDL + ILDL cholesterol (-32%), serum amyloid A (-37%), and body weight (-7%) (all P < 0.01) were also lower in these mice at the end of the treatment period. In a regression model, antiatherogenic effects of the vegetable diet remained largely unexplained by the variation in plasma lipoproteins or body weight. Although the pathway(s) involved remain uncertain, the results indicate that a diet rich in green and yellow vegetables inhibits the development of atherosclerosis and may therefore lead to a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.
Current challenges facing the determination of product bioequivalence in veterinary medicine

Despite the pharmacological and statistical advances that have occurred since the early days of bioequivalence assessments, there remain many unresolved issues associated with the bioequivalence evaluation of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals. While many of these issues are common to both human and veterinary medicine, there are also challenges specific to veterinary drug products. Examples of complex problems that remain to be resolved include the assessment of drugs associated with complex kinetics (e.g., sustained release formulations that produce multiple peaks), the evaluation of intramammary formulations, uncertainty associated with conditions under which specific enantiomers of metabolites need to be factored into the bioequivalence evaluation, the study design for products and active pharmaceutical ingredients that exhibit highly variable kinetics, equivalence of biomass products, methods for evaluating topical formulations or formulations with very long duration of release, the evaluation of products where destructive sampling is necessary (e.g., aquaculture products), and the evaluation of bioequivalence for Type A medicated articles. This manuscript highlights many of the unresolved challenges currently impacting the evaluation of product bioequivalence in veterinary medicine, and provides a summary of the associated scientific complexities with each of these issues.
Detection issues in two-dimensional on-line chromatography

The dilution of analytes during their migration through two-dimensional liquid chromatographic systems was investigated. Simplified equations for the calculation of the dilution factors in the first and second dimension columns were derived considering the variance of the injected sample, the flow rates, the split ratio, the volume of the intermediate sample loop and the sampling time of the first-dimension effluent. The net dilution factor is the product of the dilution factors in the two single dimensions. It is between 200 and 300 in typical two-dimensional liquid chromatographic (2D-LC) separations. These values are less pessimistic than those reported previously [1]. It was shown that the fraction of organic modifier or stronger eluent component in the injected sample has a significant effect on the widths and heights of the eluted peaks. Analytes with high retention factors and high molecular weights are less sensitive toward this effect than those having small retention factors. These results suggest that the optimization of the experimental conditions of two dimension separations must be made from the points of view of both the retention factor and the detector response factor. The frequency of sampling of the eluent of the first-dimension separation does not have a significant effect on the detection limit of a 2D system if the split ratio is adjusted in the ratio of the frequency of sample collection.
Social control of self-injurious behavior of organic etiology.

The self-injurious scratching behavior of a normal 10-year-old child was successfully treated using a combination of time out for scratching plus tangible reinforcement for reductions in the number of body sores. The efficacy of this treatment was demonstrated using a reversal design. A 9-month follow-up revealed that the number of body sores was neglifible. Although the scratching was initially elicited by organic factors (contact dermatitis), a detailed analysis suggested that the behavior was currently influenced by social reinforcement. These data support the general principle that many problems which have an organic etiology may acquire operant characteristics and therefore become amenable to behavioral intervention.
Zscan4 transiently reactivates early embryonic genes during the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by the forced expression of defined transcription factors in somatic cells holds great promise for the future of regenerative medicine. However, the initial reprogramming mechanism is still poorly understood. Here we show that Zscan4, expressed transiently in2-cell embryos and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), efficiently produces iPSCs from mouse embryo fibroblasts when coexpressed with Klf4, Oct4, and Sox2. Interestingly, the forced expression of Zscan4 is required onlyfor the first few days of iPSC formation. Microarray analysis revealed transient and early induction of preimplantation-specific genes in a Zscan4-dependent manner. Our work indicates that Zscan4 is a previously unidentified potent natural factor that facilitates the reprogramming process and reactivates early embryonic genes.
The effects of cobalt chloride, SKF-525A, and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide on in vivo hepatic mixed function oxidase activity as determined by single-sample plasma clearances

1. Four drugs—antipyrine, theophylline, quinidine, and ethosuximide—were used as probes of in vivo hepatic mixed function oxidase (MFO) activity. Functional MFO activity was evaluated by estimating probe clearances subsequent to pretreatment of rats with either cobalt chloride, SKF-525A, or N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl) succiminide (NDPS).2. Clearances of each probe were estimated from single plasma concentration measurements. Each pretreatment altered the clearances of this panel of probes in a different way. NDPS pretreatment increased theophylline clearance while slowing quinidine and ethosuximide clearances. SKF-525A slowed all probe clearances except for ethosuximide. Cobalt chloride slowed all probe clearances except for theophylline.3. The use of multiple probes as substrates for the hepatic cytochrome P-450 system can provide some insight into the functional consequences of xenobiotic exposures on that system. Moreover, xenobiotic-induced functional changes on hepatic MFO when assessed in vivo appear to ...
Chaotic Analysis in Psychology and Psychoanalysis

The rise of chaos theory in physics has been accompanied by attempts to use chaos as an explanatory tool in psychology. A review of how chaos theory is used in psychology reveals two relatively distinct efforts: chaos as a mathematical model of psychological phenomena and chaos as a metaphor for psychological phenomena. A discussion of recent articles reveals that most chaotic analysis fails to respect the minimum qualifications for data subjected to such analysis. Further, uses of chaos as an analogy for psychological phenomena are rife with misunderstandings of chaos.
Nuclear actin and myosins: Life without filaments

Actin and myosin are major components of the cell cytoskeleton, with structural and regulatory functions that affect many essential cellular processes. Although they were traditionally thought to function only in the cytoplasm, it is now well accepted that actin and multiple myosins are found in the nucleus. Increasing evidence on their functional roles has highlighted the importance of these proteins in the nuclear compartment.
3-Methylcholanthrene-inducible binding of aromatic hydrocarbons to DNA in purified rat liver nuclei.

Summary Purified rat liver nuclei contain enzymes capable of activating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which can then bind to nuclear DNA. This has been demonstrated by incubating nuclei with [ 14 C] hydrocarbon and purifying the nuclear DNA containing bound hydrocarbon. Intraperitoneal injection of the rats with 3-methylcholanthrene twenty-four hours before livers were removed raised the level of hydrocarbon binding to nuclear DNA four-fold. Omission of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate from incubation mixtures caused a four-fold decrease in the ability of 3-methylcholanthrene induced nuclei to bind hydrocarbon to nuclear DNA. The most potent carcinogens in a series of seven hydrocarbons displayed a relatively higher extent of binding to nuclear DNA. The data suggest that nuclear aryl hydroxylases effect covalent binding of hydrocarbons to DNA and presumably initiate the cancer process.
Second Language Reading: Reading Ability or Language Proficiency?.

Sur un echantillon compose d'etudiants de 3 eme , 1 ere , 3 eme annee du superieur, l'A. etudie l'incidence des competences en langue maternelle sur la comprehension ecrite de sujets d'origine anglaise etudiant l'espagnol et de sujets d'origine hispanique etudiant l'anglais
Missionaries or educators? Parent education for poverty families

An adequately designed parent education program must provide answers to four central issues: (1) specification of the goals to be accomplished, (2) the message to be conveyed to the parents, (3) the most appropriate method to effect the desired change, and (4) some definitive evaluation of change related to parent participation. These four issues are considered with reference to a demonstration program of parent education for mothers of first-grade children in middle- and lower-class, white and Negro families. Implications for programs with poverty families are suggested.
Observations of Seven Atmospheric Density Current Fronts in Dixon, California*

AbstractSeven atmospheric density current fronts are identified in sequences of ground-based, scanning aerosol backscatter lidar images and in situ micrometeorological time series data that were collected simultaneously and nearly continuously between 15 March and 11 June of 2007 in Dixon, California. The fronts, observed on different days, had the following features in common: 1) an increase in aerosol backscatter intensity, 2) a decrease in air temperature, 3) an increase in water vapor mixing ratio, 4) movement toward the north, 5) airflow from the south in the denser air mass, and 6) occurrence within a 3.5-h time span in the afternoon. The observations support the hypothesis that the fronts are the leading edges of shallow marine air masses advancing northward from the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The observations are used to test an empirical relationship between front speed, airmass density difference, depth of the dense air mass, and speed of the opposing flow. Prominent features of the fro...
Color-neutral heavy particle production in nucleus–nucleus collisions in the quasi-classical approximation

Abstract We use a diagrammatic approach to study color-neutral heavy particle production in nucleus–nucleus collisions in a quasi-classical approximation without small- x evolution. In order to treat the two nuclei symmetrically, we use the Coulomb gauge which gives the appropriate light cone gauge for each nucleus. The resulting cross section is factorized into a product of two Weizsacker–Williams gluon distributions of the two nuclei when the transverse momentum of the produced scalar particle is around the saturation momentum. We confirm our results in covariant gauge where the transverse momentum broadening of hard gluons can be described as a diffusion process. The transverse momentum factorization manifests itself in light cone gauge but not so clearly in covariant gauge.
Estradiol-17 β inhibition of androgen uptake, metabolism and binding in epididymis of adult male rats in vivo: A comparison with cyproterone acetate

The effects of estradiol-17 beta on androgen uptake, metabolism and binding were studied in rat epididymis in vivo in comparison with cyproterone acetate. Steroids (250 ug/100 g body weight) were injected 5 min prior to 3H-testosterone in castrate rats. Estradiol-17 beta inhibited 3H-testosterone uptake into epididymal cytosol by 58% as compared to 38% by cyproterone acetate. 3H-Testosterone uptake into epididymal nuclei was inhibited 95% by estradiol-17 beta and 83% by cyproterone acetate. Total bound radioactivity in cytosol fractions was reduced to a greater extent by estradiol-17 beta than cyproterone acetate when either 3H-testosterone or 3H-dihydrotestosterone was injected. Binding of 3H-dihydrotestosterone to nuclear receptors was completely abolished by estradiol-17 beta; whereas approximately 20% binding remained in the nuclear extract after cyproterone acetate treatment. Metabolism of 3H-testosterone in vivo was also altered by estradiol-17 beta, resulting in diminished conversion to 3H-dihydrotestosterone. Cyproterone acetate, on the other hand, did not affect 3H-testosterone metabolism. Estradiol-17 beta and cyproterone acetate inhibited in vitro binding of 3H-dihydrotestosterone to the intracellular cytoplasmic receptor, but not the intraluminal androgen binding protein (ABP). These data suggest that estradiol-17 beta may have a more potent antiandrogenic effect on the epididymis than cyproterone acetate due to inhibition of 5 alpha reduction of testosterone as well as binding to the androgen receptor.
Stability of Dimethyl Mercury in Seawater and Its Conversion to Monomethyl Mercury

Dimethyl mercury (DMHg) is commonly detected in the world’s oceans, but little is known about the mechanisms responsible for DMHg degradation in natural waters or the products of this degradation. Similarly, the potential for the conversion of DMHg to monomethyl mercury (MMHg) under the acidic conditions commonly used to preserve samples for MMHg analysis has not been fully addressed. We provide evidence suggesting that DMHg in natural seawater is not readily photodegraded by sunlight as previously thought. Other experiments demonstrated that DMHg in seawater is, however, readily decomposed under acidic conditions, with MMHg as the predominant product. This facile conversion of DMHg to MMHg at low pH both necessitates an alternative preservation method to acidification for samples to be analyzed for MMHg when DMHg is present, and requires that data from previous studies of MMHg in seawater employing sample acidification be revisited in instances where appreciable DMHg concentrations were possible.
Straw Quality of 10 Wheat Cultivars under Conventional and No-Till Systems

Straw of small-grain cereal is an important source of feed for maintenance of ruminant livestock. Information on the nutritional quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw under conservation tillage system is limited. Grain and straw (leaves and stem) samples were obtained from a previous tillage by cultivar field study conducted on a Bethany silt loam (fine, mixed, thermic Pachic Paleustoll) from 1984 to 1987 near El Reno, OK, to determine the straw quality of 10 hard red winter wheat cultivars grown under conventional (moldboard plow) and no-till systems. Straw was analyzed for neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), acid- detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (LIG), crude protein (CP), and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Fiber (ADF and NDF) and LIG concentrations of straw from the early-maturity cultivars were higher (P ≤ 0.05) than medium and late maturity cultivars
Experimental radioisotope irradiation of renal allografts in dogs

Abstract Rejection of a canine renal allograft is accompanied by infiltration of the graft with lymphocytes and plasmacytes. External beam irradiation of the graft at intervals after transplantation has been employed to lower the population of these invading cells, and, in several laboratories, has been found to prolong host and graft survival. Described herein is a series of experiments in which chronic, low-dose irradiation of canine renal allograft was attempted by causing Mercury-203 to be deposited in graft renal tubular epithelium. Graft and host survivals were prolonged beyond control values for this laboratory in a few animals, but the general technique is not as yet adaptable to the human renal-transplantation problem.
Interactive Sequential Goal Programming

This paper introduces a new solution method based on Goal Programming for Multiple Objective Decision Making (MODM) problems. The method, called Interactive Sequential Goal Programming (ISGP), combines and extends the attractive features of both Goal Programming and interactive solution approaches for MODM problems. ISGP is applicable to both linear and non-linear problems. It uses existing single objective optimization techniques and, hence, available computer codes utilizing these techniques can be adapted for use in ISGP. The non-dominance of the "best-compromise" solution is assured. The information required from the decision maker in each iteration is simple. The proposed method is illustrated by solving a nutrition problem.