cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact-Parameter Representations and the Coordinate-Space Description of a Scattering Amplitude

We show how impact-parameter representations with a dependence on final c.m. momentum k, angle $\ensuremath{\theta}$, and impact parameter $b$ given by ${J}_{0}(kbsin\ensuremath{\theta})$ follow naturally when we describe a scattering process in terms of states localized in the transverse plane in coordinate space, or more generally when we analyze it in terms of a Fourier transform with respect to the transverse momentum. We discuss this for the nonrelativistic as well as the relativistic scattering amplitude. Two classes of impact-parameter representations are considered here: one in which the impact parameter is a position coordinate, canonically conjugate to the transverse momentum; and another---a fixed-energy representation---which is obtained by reinterpreting the Fourier transform with respect to the transverse momentum, in which the impact parameter is not a position coordinate, except in the limit of infinite energy. We show that the first kind of impact-parameter representation follows from the description of a scattering process in terms of transient asymptotic states localized in the transverse coordinate space. We point out the distinctive features of each type of representation, and discuss the conditions under which each is valid.
Optimization of the composition and the properties of the plastic bodies for obtaining silicon carbide products

Based on the simplest concepts regarding the filler-plasticizer system, we derived an expression relating the ratio of the quantities of the filler and the plasticizer to the densities of the filler and the plasticizer under the condition of dense packing; a scheme of optimizing the composition of the plastic bodies was shown. It was shown that the Cpl/CSiC ratio is determined by the mechanism of the evolution of the final structure of the silicon carbide products during the siliconizing firing process. The methods of controlling the apparent density of the filler and the density of the plasticizer were examined. We developed a plastic body requiring a lower forming load; the content of the primary silicon carbode in the original charge of the body could be brought up to 94%; the products obtained using this body possess a combination of high strength and electrophysical properties.
Magnetic dipole effects in high resolution experiments

Abstract Magnetic dipole interactions lead to a shape dependent inhomogeneity in the properties of non-ellipsoidal samples, whose effect can not be eliminated by using a localized probe. The problem is illustrated by high resolution magneto-optical measurements on thin discs of the metamagnet Dy 3 Al 5 O 12 (DAG).
Ionization probability of the 3dsigma molecular orbital in heavy-ion collisions

New data on the impact-parameter dependence of $K$- and $L$-x-ray production in $_{18}\mathrm{Ar}$ + $_{50}\mathrm{Sn}$ collisions reported by Fintz et al. and on $K$-x-ray production in $_{28}\mathrm{Ni}$ + $_{50}\mathrm{Sn}$ and $_{28}\mathrm{Ni}$ + $_{82}\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions by Johnson et al. are compared with molecular model calculations. The latter are based on the united-atom ionization model of Briggs, applied to the $3d\ensuremath{\sigma}$ molecular orbital and corrected for the dependence of the $3d\ensuremath{\sigma}$ binding energy on internuclear distance. Overall, reasonable agreement between theory and experiment is found.
Intramedullary osteosclerosis: An incidental sclerotic lesion in a trauma patient

Intramedullary osteosclerosis, a rare entity, is usually diagnosed after the exclusion of more sinister etiologies. It typically affects the lower extremity and is more common in females. While the lesion may be discovered incidentally during imaging, presenting symptoms may include pain in the affected bone that is exacerbated with physical activity. Laboratory values are normal, and the lesion is not associated with familial skeletal dysplasias. Common imaging findings include a mono-ostotic or polyostotic sclerotic lesion that lacks a periosteal reaction, soft-tissue component, and nidus. We present a case of intramedullary osteosclerosis that was incidentally discovered in a trauma patient.
Adolescence and the cultural landscape: public policy, design decisions, and popular press reporting

Abstract This paper sets forth a broad understanding of the historical and social context within which places are created (or not created) for teens in the United States. The paper addresses three questions: Has there been an increase in reporting on teen issues and if so, what does it mean? How does the design of places reflect the needs and use of places by teenagers? Can landscapes be designed which will help facilitate the development of teens? The study finds that many of the issues relating to teens, such as curfews, drinking, and gangs, have been reported for over forty years while others, such as teen suicide, drugs, and AIDS are unique to contemporary teens. Teenagers' needs and use of places have been manifested in public policy and design through an increase in the restrictions on teen activities. In particular, curfew laws have been reinstated in many communities and skateboarding controls have been added. Lastly, the study shows that certain environments are important to the emotional and social development of teens, yet those needs typically have not been translated into designs.
Compatibility And Multi-homing In Two-sided Networks: The Experiential Evidence From Chinese Payment Network

In two-sided networks, an increasing number of end-users affiliate to competing platforms to get greater network benefits although their products are compatible. This phenomenon has not been interpreted in network effects. We set up a model with indirect network effects in two-sided networks, and analyze the compatibility and multi-homing using hotelling model. And found that because of all compatibility of platforms is incomplete, there are many end-users multi-homing even platforms compatible. Finally we analyzed the case of payment card network in China and acquired some empirical evidence for our consequence.
Solution of a Well-Field Design Problem with Implicit Filtering

Problems involving the management of groundwater resources occur routinely, and management decisions based upon optimization approaches offer the potential to save substantial amounts of money. However, this class of application is notoriously difficult to solve due to non-convex objective functions with multiple local minima and both nonlinear models and nonlinear constraints. We solve a subset of community test problems from this ap- plication field using MODFLOW, a standard groundwater flow model, and IFFCO, an implicit filtering algorithm that was designed to solve problems similar to those of focus in this work. While sampling methods have received only scant attention in the groundwater optimization literature, we show encouraging results that suggest they are deserving of more widespread consideration for this class of problems. In keeping with our objectives for the community problems, we have packaged the approaches used in this work to facilitate additional work on these problems by others and the application of implicit filtering to other problems in this field. We provide the data for our formulation and solution on the web.
The association of hypotestosteronemia with coronary artery disease in men.

Hyperestrogenemia and hypotestosteronemia have been observed in association with myocardial infarction (MI) and its risk factors. To determine whether these abnormalities may be prospective for MI, estradiol and testosterone, as well as risk factors for MI, were measured in 55 men undergoing angiography who had not previously had an MI. Testosterone (r = -.36, P = .008) and free testosterone (r = -.49, P < .001) correlated negatively with the degree of coronary artery disease after controlling for age and body mass index. When the patient group was successively reduced to a final study group of 34 men by excluding the patients with other major disorders, the testosterone and free testosterone correlations persisted (r = -.43, P < .02 and r = -.62, P < .001, respectively). Neither estradiol nor the risk factors, except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, correlated with the degree of coronary artery disease in the final group. Testosterone correlated negatively with the risk factors fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and insulin and positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The correlations found in this study between testosterone and the degree of coronary artery disease and between testosterone and other risk factors for MI raise the possibility that in men hypotestosteronemia may be a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis.
Applications of Usmani Modified Kepner-Tregoe Analysis

In polymer and plastic research, many times a number of materials are evaluated that differ in their performance characteristics. In most cases, some sort of screening analysis is required for selection of the "best" material. This paper describes methodology and applications of such a method based on analysis of all property objectives and a resultant numerical rating.
Carbon-nanotube-based voltage-mode multiple-valued logic design

Multivalued logic has always attracted the attention of digital system and logic designers. However, the high-performance and low-power CMOS process, which has been developed over the last two decades, has traditionally assisted successful circuit implementation of binary logic. Consequently, in spite of its large potential multivalued logic design is seldom a circuit designer's choice. This paper presents a novel method of multiple-valued logic design using carbon-nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs). The geometry-dependent threshold voltage of CNFETs has been effectively used to design a ternary logic family. We have developed a SPICE-compatible model of ballistic CNFETs that can account for varying geometries and operating conditions. SPICE simulations have been performed on the proposed logic gates, and the transfer characteristics as well as transient behavior have been extensively studied. Finally, a comparison in terms of power and performance of the ternary logic family vis-a/spl grave/-vis traditional complementary field-effect transistor binary logic family has been presented.
Optimal sliding mode control for underactuated systems

This paper introduces a novel method based on nonlinear predictive control to design optimal linear surfaces for sliding model control of underactuated nonlinear systems. The time-invariant parameters of the linear first-order surfaces are selected to achieve some optimal performance objective, such as minimum time or minimum energy. The selection of these surface parameters are subject to constraints that arise from the stability conditions imposed by the sliding mode control law and the physical limits on the system such as control input saturation. The procedure is demonstrated using the inverted pendulum on a cart as an illustrative example.
NEW PRODUCT IDEAS FROM FOCUS GROUPS

Focus groups have become popular vehicles for generating new product ideas. Samples of target buyers are brought together at interviewing facilities, and moderators facilitate and lubricate group discussions which trigger insights as well as new product concepts among observers in the viewing rooms.
Design of an ROV for precision sea floor vehicle mobility and entry in the 2009 MATE International ROV competition

The main goal of this project was to engineer a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to compete in the 2009 Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) International ROV competition. The vehicle was designed to operate in a submarine rescue fashion, while maintaining the maneuverability and precision actuations of a normal ROV. The vehicle has been designed for the efficient completion of tasks that a rescue ROV may have to perform. These tasks range from surveying the submarine, opening a hatch and inserting emergency supplies, supplying an airline, and providing a transfer skirt for rescue.
Maternal recalled gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and obesity in the daughter

Maternal-recalled gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and obesity in the daughter
Employee Theft as a Reaction to Underpayment Inequity: The Hidden Cost of Pay Cuts

Employee theft rates were measured in manufacturing plants during a period in which pay was temporarily reduced by 15%. Compared with pre- or postreduction pay periods (or with control groups whose pay was unchanged), groups whose pay was reduced had significantly higher theft rates. When the basis for the pay cuts was thoroughly and sensitively explained to employees, feelings of inequity were lessened, and the theft rate was reduced as well. The data support equity theory's predictions regarding likely responses to underpayment and extend recently accumulated evidence demonstrating the mitigating effects of adequate explanations on feelings of inequity.
Surfactant/Polymer Assemblies. 2. Polyelectrolyte Properties

The polyelectrolyte nature of the aggregates formed between neutral polymer, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is demonstrated via their light scattering behavior. Adding SDS to neutral PVP is similar to electrostatically charging a neutral polymer, thereby increasing electrostatic excluded volume effects and decreasing osmotic compressibility and light scattering. Similarly, once formed, the behavior of these aggregates with respect to ionic strength resembles that of normal linear polyelectrolytes; namely, increasing ionic strength decreases their interactions, as measured by A2, and decreases their Rg. Using combined electrostatic persistence length and excluded volume models, the main features of these phenomena are semiquantitatively described. Because SDS exists in multiple equilibria in the PVP/SDS solutions, the system is more complex than normal linear polyelectrolytes, and so the PVP/SDS aggregates also evidence behavior distinct from traditional polyelectrolytes.
On-Line Educational Shake Table Experiments

Internet technologies are employed to allow real-time video monitoring, control, and execution of bench-top shake table experiments. Structural models of relevance to education in dynamics and earthquake engineering can be tested remotely over the Internet at any time. The underlying elements of experiment tele-observation and tele-operation/control are incorporated in a newly developed Web site. Tools for graphical display and analysis of recorded model response are included. Related education evaluation and assessment materials are prepared and made available on-line. The Web site currently provides an experimental component in courses such as earthquake engineering and structural dynamics. Based on a developed education assessment framework and the compiled student feedback, the Web site is found to be useful and effective. From this feedback, most students rated their experience as equivalent to the usual hands-on laboratory experiment. Similar applications in other areas of science and engineering will bring valuable experimentation content directly into the classroom, with efficient use of time and resources and the convenience of anywhere/anytime access.
Holiness and Impurity in the Torah and the Quran: Differences within a Common Typology

In sharp contrast to the Torah’s hierarchical conception of society, the Quran articulates an egalitarian worldview in which all humanity has equal access to the holiness that comes from being in relationship with God. Quranic egalitarianism serves to undermine Biblically-grounded Jewish and Christian claims to elevated status. The significant differences in Quranic and Biblical discourse about both holiness and the antithetical state of impurity, however, can best be understood as existing within the framework of a common typology. Both the Torah and the Quran distinguish between impurity that results from physiological events and impurity caused by sin. These works, moreover, describe in similar ways the entirely different implications of these two types of impurity for a person’s relationship with God. This essay demonstrates how the juxtaposition of the Torah and the Quran can enrich our understanding of these works and of broader religious phenomena.
Partitioning and Particle Size of Dye Dispersions

Aqueous dye dispersions stabilized with sodium lignosulfonate were extracted with water immiscible solvents in which the dye but not the dispersant is soluble. The amount of dye extracted depends on extraction conditions and the stability of the dispersion. When the extraction conditions and the composition of the dispersion are constant, the nonequilibrium partition ratio of the dye between the aqueous phase and the solvent phase is correlated with the particle size of the dispersion. The partition ratio (water/solvent) increases exponentially with the decreasing particle size and correlates with particle size values obtained by a centrifugation method. The partition method was used to estimate the particle size of sand milled dye dispersions. Within the range of variables studied, the fineness of the dye dispersion increased with the increasing milling time, fineness of sand, sand/dye weight ratio, and dispersant con centration. The efficiency of the milling process decreased with the increasing dilutio...
Products of lipid peroxidation, but not membrane susceptibility to oxidative damage, are conserved in skeletal muscle following temperature acclimation

Changes in oxidative capacities and phospholipid remodeling accompany temperature acclimation in ectothermic animals. Both responses may alter redox status and membrane susceptibility to lipid pero...
Experiences with knowledge-base and large database integration

The authors discuss the integration of several knowledge bases and a large database in the context of a manufacturing simulation. This simulation is referred to as the work load model. The knowledge bases are network data structures providing inheritance and rule-based definition/execution. The simulation represents the production activities at numerous individual facilities and is used to determine if a production schedule can be satisfied. The simulation is supplied with data from a large relational database that includes production facility characteristics as well as component information. The authors also illustrate the problems inherent in the exchange of data among a group of loosely coupled knowledge bases and traditional databases. It is demonstrated that the integration of large databases, knowledge bases, and object-oriented simulations is feasible and provides very attractive benefits such as modularity, flexibility, and execution efficiency. >
Intraparenchymal Stereotaxic Delivery of rAAV and Special Considerations in Vector Handling

Stereotaxic surgery enables precise and consistent microinjections to discrete neural nuclei. Using stereotaxic surgery to deliver viral vectors is a powerful tool that provides the ability to manipulate gene expression in specific regions, or even specific cell types in the brain. Here, we describe the proper handling and stereotaxic delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus to various neuroanatomical structures of the rodent brain.
Hemolytic Anemia as a Result of Piperacillin/Tazobactam Administration: A Case Report and Discussion of Pathophysiology

ABSTRACTWe report a case of a 19-year-old woman with cystic fibrosis who presented with hemolytic anemia during a course of piperacillin/tazobactam. The patient was initially managed with the replacement of blood products; however, she continued to show signs of hemolysis. Laboratories were obtained confirming antibody formation to piperacillin/tazobactam, and she was given a single infusion of intravenous immunoglobulin. Following the infusion, the patient did not require administration of any further blood products and achieved stable red blood cell counts. Early recognition of hemolytic anemia secondary to piperacillin/tazobactam with the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin may shorten the duration of hospitalization and quantity of blood products required for the stabilization of red blood cell counts.
Axillary Staging After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study Combining Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy with Radioactive Seed Localization of Pre-treatment Positive Axillary Lymph Nodes

Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) downstages axillary disease in 55 % of node-positive (N1) breast cancer. The feasibility and accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after NAC for percutaneous biopsy-proven N1 patients who are clinically node negative (cN0) by physical examination after NAC is under investigation. ACOSOG Z1071 reported a false-negative rate of <10 % if ≥3 nodes are removed with dual tracer, including excision of the biopsy-proven positive lymph node (BxLN). We report our experience using radioactive seed localization (RSL) to retrieve the BxLN with SLNB (RSL/SLNB) for cN0 patients after NAC.
Barrier Defense Function of the Small Intestine: Effect of Ethanol and Acute Burn Trauma

Nonspecific barriers to the passage of infectious and/or potentially toxic macromolecules exist in the small intestine. They include the “unstirred water layer,” a zone of retarded diffusion which would slow the movement of macromolecules toward the mucosal epithelium; a layer of intestinal mucus which would interfere with macromolecule penetration; and finally, the glycocalyx, anchored in the plasmalemma of the epithelial cell (1).
Intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling collector-base voltage-mediated electron-hole spontaneous-stimulated recombination transistor laser

Optical absorption in a p-n junction diode for a direct-gap semiconductor can be enhanced by photon-assisted tunneling in the presence of a static or dynamic electrical field. In the transistor laser, the coherent photons generated at the base quantum-well interact with the collector field and “assist” optical cavity electron tunneling from the valence band of the base to the conduction band states of the collector. In the present work, we study the cavity coherent photon intensity effect on intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling (ICPAT) in the transistor laser and realize photon-field enhanced optical absorption. This ICPAT in a transistor laser is the unique property of voltage (field) modulation and the basis for ultrahigh speed direct laser modulation and switching.
Improving Performance in Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells by Tuning Band Alignment through Surface Dipole Moments

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) have received recent attention for low cost, solution processable, high efficiency solid-state photovoltaic devices due to the possibility of tailoring their optoelectronic properties by tuning size, composition, and surface chemistry. However, the device performance is limited by the diffusion length of charge carriers due to recombination. In this work, we show that band engineering of PbS QDs is achievable by changing the dipole moment of the passivating ligand molecules surrounding the QD. The valence band maximum and conduction band minimum of PbS QDs passivated with three different thiophenol ligands (4-nitrothiophenol, 4-fluorothiophenol, and 4-methylthiophenol) are determined by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy in air (PESA), and the experimental results are compared with DFT calculations. These band-engineered QDs have been used to fabricate heterojunction solar cells in both unidirectional and bidirectional configurations. The result...
Leptin increases small intestinal response to cholecystokinin in leptin-deficient obese mice.

Introduction Leptin receptors are present in the jejunum, ileum, and vagal neurons. Leptin increases duodenal secretion of cholecystokinin (CCK) and acts with CCK on vagal mechanoreceptors in the regulation of small intestinal motility. We have demonstrated that leptin-deficient ( Lep ob ) obese mice have increased jejunal and normal ileal responses to CCK. Therefore, we hypothesized that leptin administration alters small intestinal motility observed in leptin-deficient obese mice. Materials and methods Twelve-week-old female leptin-deficient ( Lep ob ) obese mice received either saline ( n = 12) or 5 μg/g leptin ip ( n = 12) injections daily. After 4 weeks, jejunal and ileal segments were harvested, mounted in an organ bath, and reacted with acetylcholine (ACh, 10 −5 M) and CCK (10 −8,−7,−6 M). Data were expressed as N/cm 2 and compared by ANOVA and Student’s t test. Results The average body weights in the leptin-treated group were significantly decreased compared to those of the saline-treated group (34 versus 49 g, P P −7,−6 M CCK in the leptin-treated group were significantly greater than those in the saline-treated group. Ileal responses in the leptin group were similarly increased at all CCK concentrations. Conclusions These data suggest that daily leptin administration for 4 weeks in leptin-deficient ( Lep ob ) obese mice increases jejunal and ileal responses to CCK and does not alter responses to ACh. Therefore, we conclude that regulation of small intestinal motility may be influenced by synergistic action of cholecystokinin and leptin.
Enhancement of calcium phosphate-mediated transfection by inclusion of adenovirus in coprecipitates

Although coprecipitates of plasmid DNA and calcium phosphate (DNA:CaPi coprecipitates) were one of the first methods used for transfection of mammalian cells, they are inefficient for many cell types. Based on the recent finding that incorporating recombinant adenovirus in CaPi coprecipitates enhances expression of virus-encoded transgenes, we tested the hypothesis that including adenovirus in DNA:CaPi coprecipitates would increase the efficiency of transfection. We found that including adenovirus at the time of coprecipitate formation increased transgene expression in several cell types. Only a short incubation with cells was required, and the coprecipitates could be delivered in the presence of serum. Inclusion of adenovirus in coprecipitates did not increase DNA uptake by cells, and inactivated virus was also effective. Neutralizing anti-hexon antibody attenuated the enhancement produced by incorporating virus. These data suggest that the virus enhanced expression at a step after cellular uptake, probably by increasing DNA release from endosomes. The DNA:CaPi:Ad coprecipitates were at least as effective as complexes of DNA with adenovirus and polethylenimine or Lipofectin, but produced less cellular toxicity. The results suggest that DNA:CaPi:Ad coprecipitates have advantages for in vitro gene transfer and provide an attractive vehicle for investigating cellular mechanisms of gene transfer.
Ultrafast S1 to S0 internal conversion dynamics for dimethylnitramine through a conical intersection.

Electronically nonadiabatic processes such as ultrafast internal conversion (IC) from an upper electronic state (S1) to the ground electronic state (S0) though a conical intersection (CI), can play...
ACUTE PROSTHETIC MECHANICAL MITRAL VALVE THROMBOSIS: NEEDLE OR SCALPEL?

Surgery is the treatment of choice for prosthetic mechanical mitral valve thrombosis (PMVT) with heart failure. We present a case where two-dose thrombolysis was successful in PMVT. A 35-year-old woman with history of mechanical mitral valve for rheumatic mitral stenosis presented with dyspnea,
The presence of lymphocytes in long term cultures of newborn mouse thymic epithelium.

SummaryThymic epithelial cells derived from newborn mouse thymic fragments were cultured in vitro for over 22 months. Subcultures were started by transferring minute cell sheets obtained by mechanical scraping of the original culture when it was 14 months old or older. Lymphocytes, many of them with the morphological appearance of plasma cells, were seen in the subcultures. Intact lymphocytes, as well as mitotic figures were seen within cytoplasmatic vacuoles of the epithelial cells. The possible bearing of these observations on the origin of the thymic lymphocytes is briefly discussed.
Validating Whole-Airway CFD Predictions of DPI Aerosol Deposition at Multiple Flow Rates.

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to compare aerosol deposition predictions of a new whole-airway CFD model with available in vivo data for a dry powder inhaler (DPI) considered across multiple inhalation waveforms, which affect both the particle size distribution (PSD) and particle deposition. Methods: The Novolizer DPI with a budesonide formulation was selected based on the availability of 2D gamma scintigraphy data in humans for three different well-defined inhalation waveforms. Initial in vitro cascade impaction experiments were conducted at multiple constant (square-wave) particle sizing flow rates to characterize PSDs. The whole-airway CFD modeling approach implemented the experimentally determined PSDs at the point of aerosol formation in the inhaler. Complete characteristic airway geometries for an adult were evaluated through the lobar bronchi, followed by stochastic individual pathway (SIP) approximations through the tracheobronchial region and new acinar moving wall models of...
Breeding Strategies of High Quality and Wide Regional Adaptability Wheat Variety Zhengmai 9023 and Relevant Thoughts on Wheat High Yield Breeding

The breeding strategies of Zhengmai 9023,including the innovative of parent materials,the selection method of quality,early maturing and integrated resistance,the identification and propagation of high generation lines,the development of supporting cultivation technology,the demonstration and extension,and the population improvement of Zhengmai 9023.Meanwhile,according to the present status and future challenges of wheat breeding,several solutions are proposed in this paper,involving the genetic improvement of important traits such as high photosynthesis efficiency,photoinhibition tolerance,developmental characteristics,transportation and transformation of assimilation,high efficiency utilization of nutrition elements.Finally,the importance of constructing modern molecular breeding platform in main wheat production areas is discussed.
Rapid Determination of N-Methylcarbamoyl Adduct in Hemoglobin of Workers Exposed to N,N-Dimethylformamide by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A rapid analytical method was developed for the determination of N-methylcarbamoyl adduct in Hemoglobin of workers exposed to N,N-dimethylformamide by ultra high performance liquid chromatographymass spectrometry( UPLC /MS /MS). About 0. 1 g of hemoglobin sample,40 μmol /L of 3-methyl-5-isopropylhydantoin( MIH) as the internal standard and 4. 75 mL of HCl-acetic acid( 2∶ 1,V /V) were added in the centrifuge tube,and mixed for 3 min. Then the tube was heated in boiling water bath for 1h. After cooling down,200 μL of the mixture and 600 μL of formic acid-acetonitrile( 1%) were added into 96-well extract plate. The vacuum pump pressure was controlled to make the sample collection elute within 2- 4 min.The purified collection was transferred into the sample vial,and 3-methyl-5-isopropylhydantoin( MVH) as degration product of N-methylcarbamoyl adduct was quantified by UPLC /MS /MS in multiple reaction monitoring( MRM) by internal standard method. A good linear relationship was obtained in the MVH concentration range of 0. 01- 1. 0 μmol /L with the correlation coefficient of 0. 999. The recovery of added MVH in the blank sample was 97. 3% and the relative standard deviation was 1. 7%. The limit of detection( LOD) was 0.01 μmol/g. This method was proved to be fast and efficient.
The effect of chronic renal insufficiency on cyclosporine nephrotoxicity.

Abstract Despite cyclosporine’s efficacy in preventing rejection, its use has been hampered by nephrotoxicity. Questions remain concerning its application in patients with decreased renal function. The purpose of this study was to 1) establish a reliable animal model with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) to study cyclosporine (CyA) nephrotoxicity, and 2) compare the long-term (50 day) severity of CyA nephrotoxicity in CRI versus normal animals. Fischer 344 rats were divided into six groups (15 to 22 each). In three groups, CRI was induced by a 5/6th nephrectomy (three groups were sham operated). After three wks., daily i.p. injections of olive oil, CyA at five mg./kg., or CyA at 30 mg./kg. daily were administered. Serum and urine were collected at 10 day intervals for the determination of biochemical indices of renal function. Animals were sacrificed after 50 days of treatment and renal histology was evaluated by light and electron microscopy. Chronic CyA treatment was well tolerated by both intact and CRI rats, suggesting that this is a reliable model for long-term CyA toxicity studies. CyA decreased renal function at day 50 in both CRI and intact animals. CRI of mild to moderate degree had little effect on the biochemical and histological indices of CyA induced nephrotoxicity. CRI does appear to potentiate the metabolic toxicity that occurs after chronic treatment with high dose CyA.
Suitability of the Arden Syntax for representation of quality indicators.

Background The lack of computable clinical quality indicators in standard format makes use of the measures in electronic health records (EHR) difficult. Objective Assess Arden Syntax as a formalism for quality indicators. Method Thirty-nine measures were encoded as medical logic modules and shortfalls identified. Results All logic components of the measures were expressible. 38% of QIs were limited by lack of data in an EHR. Conclusion Arden Syntax is suitable for representation of quality indicators.
Nightmare prevalence, nightmare distress, and self-reported psychological disturbance

Study Objectives: The relationship between nightmare prevalence, nightmare distress, and self-reported psychological disturbance was assessed prospectively. Design: Differences in self-reported psychological disturbance as a function of nightmare prevalence was investigated by MANCOVA's with non-nightmare dreams as the covariate as well as Pearson correlations. The relative contribution of nightmare prevalence and distress to the prediction of psychological disturbance was investigated through multiple regression analyses. Setting: N/A. Participants: 116 participants (mean age = 20 years) completed self-report indices of depression, anxiety, dissociation, psychosis-proneness, and a psychiatric symptom checklist and kept a nightmare log for 21 consecutive nights. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Frequent nightmares were associated with higher levels of psychological disturbance. Individuals who reported 3 or more nightmares across the 3 weeks reported more dissociation, psychosis-proneness and psychiatric symptoms than participants reporting 2 nightmares or less. However, nightmare prevalence and distress were not significantly correlated and differentially predicted to different types of waking psychological disturbance. Multiple regressions further indicated that nightmare distress accounted for much of the unique explanatory variance in predicting clinical states associated with high negative affect (anxiety and depression). Last, there was no evidence for a specific relationship between nightmares and psychosis-proneness. Conclusions: The findings suggest that it is not the incidence of nightmares which is associated with poorer waking psychological functioning, especially anxiety and depression states, but the reported distress associated with the nightmare experience which is the critical variable in predicting higher psychological disturbance.
Liquid chromatographic determination of abamectin in fruits and vegetables

A simplified extraction and cleanup procedure was developed for determining abamectin in fruits and vegetables. Abamectin is extracted from sample matrices by acetonitrile, and the acetonitrile phase is separated from the aqueous phase by saturating the extract with sodium chloride. Abamectin is then partitioned into hexane from the acetonitrile, and the hexane layer is cleaned up with an aminopropyl solid-phase extraction (SPE) system. The fluorescent abamectin derivative is formed by dehydration with trifluoroacetic anhydride-1-methylimidazole in dimethylformamide for 1 h at 30 degrees C and with methanolic ammonium hydroxide for another 30 min at 30 degrees C. The derivatized residues are separated from the reaction mixture by a silica SPE. The abamectin derivative is determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The method yields recoveries of 85-97% at fortification levels of 10 and 50 micrograms/kg for orange, pears, spinach, and celery.
Food and nutrition policy: Probability and practicality

The nutrition community has, unfortunately, tended to overemphasize the benefits to be derived from consumption of recommended levels of essential nutrients and has tended to ignore or underemphasize--except for obesity--the effects of over-consumption. New guidelines incorporating both concepts must and will be formulated. The nutrition community has the opportunity to provide the leadership required. If it does not meet the challenge, that will be assumed by others.
“Together, We Make Football”: The NFL’s “feminine” discourses

This article presents an analysis of the National Football League’s (NFL’s) contemporary address to female fans through gendered appeals. These are designed to build and strengthen affective bonds between women and the league and mitigate acute public criticism regarding the sport’s current concussion, domestic violence, and other brand crises. The essay uses Stuart Hall’s conceptualization of critical conjuncture with humanistic television studies methods of formal/textual analysis to contextualize advertisements for the NFL’s charitable initiatives, its “NFL for Her” merchandise promotions, and its advertising campaigns with Verizon Wireless. Beyond the NFL, analyzing the league’s appeals to female fans allows consideration of how female athleticism and athletic fandom have increasingly become critical sites to visualize neoliberal logic.
Religion, social signaling, and health: a psychoneuroimmunological approach

Over the past several decades a growing body of epidemiological, sociological, and medical research has demonstrated a largely positive correlation between religion and health (Alcorta, 2010; Koeni...
Agricultural Production and Share Contracts

Sharecropping is a common agricultural practice in sub-Saharan Africa. There are variations of sharecropping contracts but generally the arrangement requires a tenant to produce and share output with a landowner who provides the land and, in some cases, some inputs while the tenant provides labor. Natural risks such as pests, weather, and rainfall and transaction costs associated with bargaining play an important role in designing sharecropping arrangements since both the landowner and tenant seek to maximize returns to their participation. The cases reported show how courts are bringing the customary share contract regime to reflect modern realities. The courts are also recognizing the unequal bargaining power between tenants and landowner and are delivering decisions that seem to correct the unequal bargaining power.
Study of soot production for double injections of n-dodecane in CI engine-like conditions

Abstract Soot production mechanism in multiple injections is complex since it involves its dependence on turbulent interactions of constituting injections and their combustion progress. A concise study was performed in a constant-volume combustion vessel by considering a double injection scheme of 0.3 ms pilot injection, 0.5 ms dwell time and 1.2 ms main injection (nomenclature: 0.3/0.5/1.2 ms) with n-dodecane as fuel and replicating the thermodynamic operating condition of a compression ignition (CI) engine. Experimental ambient temperature variations of 900 K and 800 K were performed at 15% ambient oxygen level. Simultaneous planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of formaldehyde and schlieren imaging techniques were employed to analyze the ignition and flame characteristics experimentally. These studies revealed almost similar heat release rates for a double injection at 900 K and 800 K ambient gas temperatures due to combustion of a longer main injection which is enhanced by pilot combustion event. A lower soot production for 800 K ambient condition over 900 K case was observed, which was concluded to be due to its higher lift-off length which would allow for a leaner combustion of fuel-air mixtures. Numerical simulations were performed using a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach by extensively validating the 900 K double injection condition with respect to non-reacting vapor penetration profiles of both injections, reacting jet heat release rate and spatial as well as temporal (qualitative) soot production. As part of LES work, a dwell time variation of 0.65 ms (0.3/0.65/1.2 ms) was performed to reveal the sensitivity of soot production to variations in dwell time. It was observed numerically that marginally higher quasi-steady lift-off length of the 0.3/0.65/1.2 ms injection causes increased entrainment of surrounding oxygen into the flame region. This leads to combustion of slightly leaner fuel-air mixture and hence relatively less soot when compared to a 0.3/0.5/1.2 ms injection.
Biosphera: A Prototype Design for Learning about Multivariate Systems

This paper presents a prototype learning environment for children to create their own knowledge about multivariate systems. We developed a virtual world linked to a tabletop-sized physical dome in which children experiment with envirojnmental parameters affecting plant growth. A key concern of the design was giving children control of the temporal domain, allowing for the playful exploration of cause-and-effect relationships. We show how this resulted in a tool in which children may create, exhibit and reflect upon their own knowledge by challenging and exploring their conceptions of variable interactions.
Chronic Mesenteric Arterial Disease: Does an Endovascular/Hybrid Approach Improve Morbidity and Mortality as Compared to Open Revascularization?

The evaluation of a patient with chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) can be challenging because symptoms are often unspecific and patients have advanced age and multiple comorbidities. Decision on type of intervene is based on a thorough and careful review of clinical risk, presentation and anatomical features. Advances in diagnostic imaging, medical therapy, surgical and endovascular techniques resulted in improved outcomes. During the last decade, mesenteric angioplasty and stenting gained widespread acceptance and became the most frequently utilized treatment for CMI, relegating open surgery to patients who fail endovascular therapy or have complex lesions unsuitable to it. The aim of this chapter is to review current evidence to determine if endovascular/hybrid approaches improve morbidity and mortality as compared to open revascularization for chronic mesenteric ischemia.
The effects of pioglitazone treatment on pancreatic cancer-related insulin resistance.

329Background: Insulin resistance (IR) in pancreatic cancer (PC) patients is associated with cachexia and poor outcome. Pioglitazone (PIO) improves insulin sensitivity via activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR gamma). Effects of PIO on insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and circulating adipokine levels in PC have not been examined. Methods: Patients with metastatic PC were administered PIO 45mg/day orally for 8 weeks concurrent with chemotherapy. Patients with known DM at enrollment were identified Fasting plasma was collected at baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 of pioglitazone treatment and at 2 weeks-post treatment. The primary objective was to describe changes in indicators of IR, including glucoregulatory hormone levels, glucose tolerance, and inflammatory cytokines. Results: Fourteen patients (age 64y), with a mean BMI of 28 were enrolled. Mean adiponectin increased from baseline to week 8 of treatment (14.2± 3.3 and 46.9±11.4µg/ml, respectively, P ≤ 0.01), and returned to b...
Claudia Jones's Prison Blues

The poetics of the blues is the aesthetic in which I want to locate this discussion of Claudia Jones's creativity in poetry. Angela Davis's Blues Legacies and Black Feminism studied the work of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday with one of its aims being to demonstrate that there are multiple African-American feminist traditions (xix) . . . helping to forge other legacies blues legacies, black working-class legacies of feminism (xx). Davis's work includes a fair selection of blues lyrics as appendix and identifies the recurring theme of imprisonment in both female and male blues. Examples include Jail House Blues, Work House Blues, Sing Sing Prison Blues, Send Me to the Lectric Chair and Chain Gang Blues, which most incisively and realistically addresses this omnipresent fact of life in the black community, given the machinations of the prison industrial complex (102). The convict lease system and the chain gang system, we learn, did not exempt black women by virtue of their gender (103).
Endoscopic ultrasound directed gastroenterostomy

Abstract Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is typically caused by intrinsic or extrinsic obstruction of the pyloric channel or duodenum. Surgical approaches to bypassing the obstruction have been the mainstay of therapy, though recent developments in endoscopy have allowed for a minimally invasive approach to managing GOO. The development of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) represents a major advancement in the management of GOO. EUS-GE involves placement of a covered self-expandable metal stent into either the third or fourth portion of the duodenum to create a gastroduodenostomy or into the jejunum to create a gastrojejunostomy. In this review, we will discuss the different approaches to EUS-GE and the indications for each approach including direct EUS-GE, EUS-guided balloon-occluded GE, assisted EUS-GE, and contrast-enhanced EUS-GE.
Cell surface GRP78 promotes tumor cell histone acetylation through metabolic reprogramming: a mechanism which modulates the Warburg effect

Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is essential for histone acetylation, to promote cell proliferation by regulating gene expression. However, the underlying mechanism(s) governing acetylation remains poorly understood. Activated α2-Macroglobulin (α2M*) signals through tumor Cell Surface GRP78 (CS-GRP78) to regulate tumor cell proliferation through multiple signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate that the α2M*/CS-GRP78 axis regulates acetyl-CoA synthesis and thus functions as an epigenetic modulator by enhancing histone acetylation in cancer cells. α2M*/CS-GRP78 signaling induces and activates glucose-dependent ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) and promotes acetate-dependent Acetyl-CoA Synthetase (ACSS1) expression by regulating AKT pathways to acetylate histones and other proteins. Further, we show that acetate itself regulates ACLY and ACSS1 expression through a feedback loop in an AKT-dependent manner. These studies demonstrate that α2M*/CS-GRP78 signaling is a central mechanism for integrating glucose and acetate-dependent signaling to induce histone acetylation. More importantly, targeting the α2M*/CS-GRP78 axis with C38 Monoclonal antibody (Mab) abrogates acetate-induced acetylation of histones and proteins essential for proliferation and survival under hypoxic stress. Furthermore, C38 Mab significantly reduced glucose uptake and lactate consumption which definitively suggests the role of aerobic glycolysis. Collectively, besides its ability to induce fatty acid synthesis, our study reveals a new mechanism of epigenetic regulation by the α2M*/CS-GRP78 axis to increase histone acetylation and promote cell survival under unfavorable condition. Therefore CS-GRP78 might be effectively employed to target the metabolic vulnerability of a wide spectrum of tumors and C38 Mab represents such a potential therapeutic agent.