cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering, a major technique in regenerative medicine, follows the principles of cell biology, materials science, and engineering to develop biological substitutes that mimic anatomical and functional features of native tissues in order to restore and maintain normal function of injured or diseased tissues [1–4]. Currently, tissue engineering strategies can be divided into two major categories: cell-based and scaffold-based approaches. The classic tissue engineering approach (combined by cells and scaffolds) attempts to create an engineered tissue construct by combining cells with a natural and/or synthetic scaffold material under suitable culture conditions. The scaffold-based tissue engineering approach is more dependent on the body’s natural ability to regenerate for proper orientation and direction of new tissue growth and the use of matrices with cells. These cell-free scaffolds can be prepared by manufacturing artificial scaffolds derived from natural or synthetic materials or by removing cellular components from tissues using mechanical and chemical manipulation to produce collagen-based tissue matrices [5–9]. These natural/synthetic scaffolds slowly degrade following implantation and are subsequently replaced by the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins secreted by the in-growing cells. Additionally, cells can be used for therapy via injection either with carriers, such as hydrogels, or alone [10].
From engineering hydrology to Earth system science: milestones in the transformation of hydrologic science

Abstract. Hydrology has undergone almost transformative changes over the past 50 years. Huge strides have been made in the transition from early empirical approaches to rigorous approaches based on the fluid mechanics of water movement on and below the land surface. However, progress has been hampered by problems posed by the presence of heterogeneity, including subsurface heterogeneity present at all scales. The inability to measure or map the heterogeneity everywhere prevented the development of balance equations and associated closure relations at the scales of interest, and has led to the virtual impasse we are presently in, in terms of development of physically based models needed for hydrologic predictions. An alternative to the mapping of heterogeneity everywhere is a new Earth system science view, which sees the heterogeneity as the end result of co-evolutionary hydrological, geomorphological, ecological, and pedological processes, each operating at a different rate, which help to shape the landscapes that we find in nature, including the heterogeneity that we do not readily see. The expectation is that instead of specifying exact details of the heterogeneity in our models, we can replace it (without loss of information) with the ecosystem function that they perform. Guided by this new Earth system science perspective, development of hydrologic science is now addressing new questions using novel holistic co-evolutionary approaches as opposed to the physical, fluid mechanics based reductionist approaches that we inherited from the recent past. In the emergent Anthropocene, the co-evolutionary view has expanded further to involve interactions and feedbacks with human-social processes as well. In this paper, I present my own perspective of key milestones in the transformation of hydrologic science from engineering hydrology to Earth system science, drawn from the work of several students and colleagues of mine, and discuss their implication for hydrologic observations, theory development, and predictions.
Interindividual Regulation of the Breast Cancer Resistance Protein/ABCG2 Transporter in Term Human Placentas.

The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is a maternally-facing efflux transporter that regulates the placental disposition of chemicals. Transcription factors and gene variants are important regulatory factors that influence transporter expression. In this study, we sought to identify the genetic and transcriptional mechanisms underlying the interindividual expression of BCRP mRNA and protein across 137 term placentas from uncomplicated pregnancies. Placental expression of BCRP and regulatory transcription factor mRNAs was measured using multiplex-branched DNA analysis. BCRP expression and ABCG2 genotypes were determined using Western blot and Fluidigm Biomark genetic analysis, respectively. Placentas were obtained from a racially and ethnically diverse population, including Caucasian (33%), African American (14%), Asian (14%), Hispanic (15%), and mixed (16%) backgrounds, as well as unknown origins (7%). Between placentas, BCRP mRNA and protein varied up to 47-fold and 14-fold, respectively. In particular, BCRP mRNA correlated significantly with known transcription factor mRNAs, including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Somewhat surprisingly, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ABCG2 noncoding regions were not associated with variation in placental BCRP mRNA or protein. Instead, the coding region polymorphism (C421A/Q141K) corresponded with 40%–50% lower BCRP protein in 421C/A and 421A/A placentas compared with wild types (421C/C). Although BCRP protein and mRNA expression weakly correlated (r = 0.25, P = 0.040), this relationship was absent in individuals expressing the C421A variant allele. Study results contribute to our understanding of the interindividual regulation of BCRP expression in term placentas and may help to identify infants at risk for increased fetal exposure to chemicals due to low expression of this efflux protein.
Lymphocyte-Sparing Effect of Proton Therapy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Treated with Definitive Chemoradiation.

Abstract Purpose: To assess whether radiation treatment modality with proton beam therapy (PBT) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is associated with lymphopenia in patients treated wi...
It's ALL in the Family: IKZF1 and Hereditary Leukemia.

IKZF1 plays an essential role in lymphopoiesis, and somatic IKZF1 variants in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are associated with poor prognosis. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Churchman et al. add to the list of leukemia predisposition genes with the identification and characterization of germline IKZF1 variants in childhood ALL.
Development and validation of an MRI-based method for 3D particle concentration measurement

Abstract A novel method, denoted MRP (short for Magnetic Resonance Particle concentration), was developed to obtain 3D volume fraction measurements for a dispersed particulate phase in turbulent water flows using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI images taken near a single stainless steel particle suspended in agarose gel showed good agreement with the analytical solution for the disturbance to a uniform magnetic field induced by an immersed sphere. For a random distribution of particles, a linear relationship between the MRI signal decay rate ( R 2 * ) and particle volume fraction ( ϕ v ) has previously been predicted in the MRI literature. This relationship was investigated for various types of particles suspended in agarose gel vials. Good agreement with theory was observed for particles with a high magnetic susceptibility difference from water. R 2 * was also measured in a square channel flow containing a uniform distribution of titanium particles at two fully turbulent Reynolds numbers. Experimental results again agreed well with theory in the majority of the channel for both Reynolds numbers studied. Data from this flow were used to examine the expected SNR and dynamic range for MRP in future experiments. Some discrepancy was observed near the entry region of the channel, with possible explanations including inflowing fluid and large-scale flow structure effects behind the channel’s mixing pin array. Finally, the new method was used to measure the 3D concentration distribution for a streak of titanium particles injected into a turbulent square channel flow with angled ribs. The transport of the streak was analyzed quantitatively, and a minor asymmetry in the channel geometry was shown to have important implications for the mean transport of the particle streak.
Stem Cell Transplantation

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is associated with profound compromises in host defenses. The patterns of immune compromise change over time. Infections are an important cause of serious morbidity and pose substantial threats to life. Thus, the challenges of infection facing the transplant clinician are both myriad and dynamic. Early after transplant, neutropenic infections are most important. Later herpesvirus and invasive fungal infections predominate. Even late after transplant, patients with chronic graft versus host disease remain susceptible to encapsulated bacterial, varicella zoster virus, and invasive fungal infections. Over time, with robust engraftment and control of GVHD, the risk of serious infections recedes with immune reconstitution.
Kleene Algebra with Equations

We identify sufficient conditions for the construction of free language models for systems of Kleene algebra with additional equations. The construction applies to a broad class of extensions of KA and provides a uniform approach to deductive completeness.
EFFECTS OF STACK HEIGHT AND POSITION ON POLLUTANT DISPERSION IN BUILDING WAKES

Selected smoke visualization and ground level concentration data are presented and discussed for the case of neutrally buoyant plumes influenced by a squat-building wake. The plumes considered were emitted from low stack height sources at various positions atop the building and were studied to ten building heights downstream. The plume smoke visualizations contribute to a method of qualitatively estimating the ground level concentrations with regard to the overall visualized plume behavior. The quantitative ground level concentration data support the qualitative visualization results and show that stack position can affect local ground concentrations by a factor of six and, in addition, the stack height and position parameters, which determine the efflux point of release in the building wake flow, are strongly interrelated in determining the ground level concentrations. In particular, for a building oriented normal to the oncoming flow, roof-top emissions at the trailing building edge produce the highest ground concentrations, whereas for a stack height equal to 1.5 times the building height, the largest ground concentrations occur for the case where the stack is positioned at the leading roof-top edge of the building.
Reasonableness and Rationality in Negligence Tort Theory

More than twenty years ago, George Fletcher showed that the competing ideals of fairness and utility battle over the interpretation and justification of tort doctrine. This article argues that the very concept of negligence (or reasonable care) is itself a front in that struggle. Law and economics scholars such as Robert Cooter, Thomas Ulen, and Richard Posner have extended the utilitarian tradition by developing an interpretation of tort reasonableness as individual economic rationality writ large. Drawing both on tort doctrine and on social contract theory, professor Keating argues that tort doctrine seeks, quite rightly, to specify the terms of reasonable risk imposition; not the terms of rational risk imposition. Social contract theory takes reasonableness to differ from rationality in that the canons of reasonableness apply to a plurality of free and equal persons with diverse aims and aspirations who are concerned to advance those ends on fair terms, whereas the canons of rationality apply to single actors, or to associations whose members owe allegiance to a shared final end. Professor Keating develops a social contract conception of due care, and argues that this conception fits the doctrine and rhetoric of due care law better than those of Cooter, Ulen, and Posner.
Cerebral angiography in systemic hypotension an experimental study in the dog

Serial cerebral angiography was performed in ten dogs during profound systemic hypotension induced by either infusion of Arfonad or hemorrhage. The most striking finding was the prolongation of the arterial phase, which occurred at the mean blood pressure of 30 mm Hg due to infusion of Arfonad and at 50 mm Hg after hemorrhage. Thereafter, the arterial phase was prolonged with decreasing pressure. The duration of the prolonged arterial phase correlated well with the degree of profound hypotension.
Physical, Social and Cultural, and Global Influences

In Chap. 5, we examined the technological environment of the health care policy-making system. Specifically, we examined the classification, evolution, and diffusion of medical technology; the effects of medical technology on medical training and the practice of medicine; effects on medical costs, quality of care, and quality of life; effects on access to care; the ethical concerns raised by medical technology; and the practice of technology assessment. We concluded the chapter by observing that the growth of technology, as well as other human endeavors, affects other important aspects of our lives, most notably, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the generation of radioactive by-products and toxic chemicals, the manufacture of illicit drugs, and the generation of natural and man-made hazards. In other words, in addition to their effects on the health care system, technology and other human activities affect many other aspects of our lives that are associated with health.
In Vivo Remodeling of an Extracellular Matrix Cardiac Patch in an Ovine Model

Lack of an ideal patch material for cardiac repairs continues to challenge congenital heart surgeons. The current materials are unable to grow and result in scarring, contraction, and arrhythmias. An acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) patch derived from porcine small intestinal submucosa has demonstrated remodeling potential when used to repair various tissues. This study investigated the in vivo electrophysiologic, mechanical, and histological properties of an ECM patch used to repair a right-ventricular (RV) wall defect in a growing ovine model. A full-thickness, 2 × 2 cm RV defect was created in 11 juvenile sheep and repaired with an ECM patch. Longitudinal RV three-dimensional-electrical mapping, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and histological analysis were performed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Three-dimensional mapping demonstrated consistent conduction across the patch with little to no difference in voltage, but conduction velocity was consistently less than native myocardium. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed changing strain properties of the patch which by 9-12 months resembled native tissue. Histologic analysis at 3 months demonstrates cardiomyocyte degeneration and partial replacement via proliferation of connective tissue cells that were predominately fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. There was marked neovascularization and an absence of calcification at 12 months. Over time, the ECM patch remained viable with stable muscle at the edges. In growing sheep, an ECM patch becomes a viable tissue and remains so up to at least a year. Although ECM demonstrates some functional aspects of remodeling to native myocardium, histologically it remained immature.
Iris melanin pigment as a masquerade of Gram-positive cocci after penetrating ocular trauma

We describe a case of penetrating eye injury that resulted in a post-injury day 1 hypopyon, leading to concern for endophthalmitis and phacoanaphylaxis. A Gram stain prepared by the clinical microbiology laboratory was interpreted as Gram-positive cocci (GPC). However, when cultures returned negative, further investigation with microbiology and pathology found that what was thought to be GPC was actually iris melanin pigment. Although endophthalmitis following ocular trauma remains an important diagnosis to consider, this microbiologic masquerade of iris melanin pigment as GPC should be considered in cases where Gram stain is positive yet cultures return negative.
Recurrent-Neural-Network-Based Predictive Control of Piezo Actuators for Trajectory Tracking

Precise trajectory tracking of piezo actuators (PEAs) in real time is essential to high-precision systems and applications. However, the real-time tracking accuracy is rather limited as the PEA cannot be accurately modeled over large bandwidth and displacement range due to its nonlinearities. In this article, we propose to use recurrent-neural-network (RNN) to model the PEA system and develop a nonlinear predictive controller for PEA trajectory tracking. Considering the computation efficiency, first, an RNN is trained to model the nonlinear dynamics of the PEA system at high-frequency range. Then, a second-order linear model is proposed to account for the PEA low-frequency dynamics. Therefore, the PEA dynamics is modeled by the nonlinear model consisting of the RNN and the linear model, which is further used for nonlinear predictive control of the displacement. To increase the prediction accuracy, an unscented Kalman filter is designed to estimate the states of the nonlinear model. The nonlinear predictive control problem is solved based on a gradient descent algorithm, in which a method for analytically calculating the gradient of the cost function is developed. The proposed technique was experimentally implemented on a nano piezo stage for demonstration and its performance was compared with that of a PID controller. The accuracy of an iterative learning control approach was used as a benchmark for comparison as well. The results showed that high precision trajectory tracking of PEAs in real time can be achieved using the proposed technique.
Chor, Police and Cattle: The Political Economies of Bovine Value in the India–Bangladesh Borderlands

India’s border with Bangladesh figures in the Indian national imagination as a unifying construct for multiple anxieties from illegal immigration to cattle smuggling, thus garnering public support ...
Policy to Reduce Antipsychotic Use and Hospitalization of Nursing Home Residents With Dementia.

Abstract Objectives Following the 2012 launch of the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes (the National Partnership), the use of antipsychotics has declined. However, little is known about the impact of this effort on quality of care and outcomes for nursing home (NH) residents with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). The objective of this study is to examine changes in hospitalizations for NH long-stay residents with ADRD after the launch of the National Partnership. Design Observational cross-sectional study. Setting/Participants NH residents who were newly admitted into NHs and became long-stay residents between January 2011 and March 2015 (n = 565,885). Methods We estimated linear probability models to explore the relationship between the National Partnership and the likelihood of NH-originated hospitalizations for NH long-stay residents with ADRD, accounting for facility fixed effect, individual covariates, and concurrent changes in hospitalizations among residents without ADRD. We further stratified the analysis by NHs according to their prevalence of antipsychotic use at baseline (ie, prior to the National Partnership). Results We detected a 0.7–percentage point relative increase (P value Conclusions and Implications Although the National Partnership may have reduced exposure to antipsychotics, our findings suggest this was related to an increase in hospitalization risk for residents with ADRD. Further research is needed to elucidate the reasons behind the observed relationship and to examine the impact of the National Partnership on other health outcomes.
Truthmakers or truthmaking supervenience

I argue that counterpart theory is incompatible with truthmaking supervenience, the thesis that truth supervenes on what there is and how things are. I further argue that David Lewis’s “qua” strategy for providing ontologically innocent and Humean-friendly truthmakers for predications faces a number of difficulties. I propose and assess various solutions to those difficulties, each of which comes at the cost of sacrificing one of the two main virtues of the qua strategy.
Nonlinear Analysis of Phononic Comb Generation in High-Q Quartz Resonators

We report on a nonlinear analysis of high-fidelity, high-Q, phononic frequency combs in AT-cut 100-MHz shear-mode quartz resonators. The comb generation was observed on anharmonic modes above the fundamental mode resonance. These modes exhibited the strongest nonlinearities when driven slightly off resonance at power levels of +11 to +22 dBm. Teeth spacings as large as 250 kHz have been observed, which can allow frequency locking to particular teeth. The combs appear to be generated by a multi-wave mixing process between the drive frequency and nearby resonances. A two-mode nonlinear 1D analytical analysis is presented, which matches several of the comb features using measured quartz input parameters and realistic drive conditions.
Assessment of synovial fluid and serum cytokine levels in children with septic arthritis.

Acute septic arthritis (ASA) is a common orthopedic infection of children which may produce devastating sequelae and chronic morbidity. Improved understanding of the intra-articular inflammatory response in ASA may identify cytokine targets with diagnostic or therapeutic potential, though no detailed investigations to this end have been performed. Given this, we used a multiplex cytokine assay for assessment of levels of 40 different cytokines in the synovial fluid and blood of children with ASA. Twelve children (8 controls undergoing orthopedic surgery for non-infectious conditions and 4 with ASA) were prospectively enrolled. Blood and synovial fluid were collected intraoperatively from each subject, and the levels of 40 cytokines were determined using a multiplex assay. Cytokines were organized by function and structure into 12 groups for analysis. The Benjamini-Hochberg method was used to control for type 1 errors, with an a priori false discovery rate of 10%. Subjects with ASA were younger than controls (mean age 8.0 vs 13.1 years, p=0.0400). Significant elevations were seen in interleukins (IL) with chemokine properties, IL-6 and those in the common-γ chain group in the blood and synovial fluid of children with ASA compared with controls, while significant elevations in 5 additional cytokine groups were seen in synovial fluid from children with ASA compared with controls, most notably IL-6 (median 8294.3 vs 10.7 pg/mL, p=0.0066). Our pilot study is the first to describe in detail the cytokine response in children with ASA, and highlights the need for additional study.
Surgery During a Pandemic: Guidelines.

As Covid19 spread throughout Asia and Europe, the United States observed in some countries the deadly results of heath care systems overwhelmed [1]. As a result, the strategy to “flatten the curve” through social distancing was effectuated largely to prevent resource shortages that would catastrophically stress the health care system to its limit, that is, resources such as personal protective equipment, mechanical ventilators, and frontline health care providers. Along with attention to preservation of equipment most hospitals and states declared a pause to “elective” surgeries, although there was latitude allowed for continued performance of “urgent surgeries,” the definition of which was left to hospitals [2]. Hospitals, Departments of Surgery within, and individual doctors were left to decide if certain surgeries, such as esophagectomies, prostatectomies, and pancreatic resections for cancer or organ transplants for heart or kidney failure, were truly “elective” or were more rightly considered life-saving and thus urgent. In the case of almost all hospitals, surgeries that could be delayed without imminent loss of life or limb were postponed [3]. The cost or risk of a poor outcome for those patients already scheduled for surgery but now postponed was thus made subservient to the concern for incoming patients with COVID-19, their caregivers, and the health care system as a whole that was assumed to be soon reaching a crisis situation [4]. Elective surgeries and care were suspended by the state until further notice. What follows are guidelines that speak to returning to elective care as the threat of the pandemic begins to reside.
Cultural determinants of climate change opinion: familism predicts climate beliefs and policy support among US Latinos

Research has identified familism, a cultural value reflecting the centrality and prioritization of the family, as a key psychosocial determinant of health risk-mitigation behavior among Latinos, a large and growing segment of the US public. In a national probability survey in which Latinos were oversampled, we explored whether familism predicts climate beliefs and policy preferences. Whereas political ideology and education predicted Whites’ climate change beliefs and support for mitigation policy, these factors were substantially weaker predictors of Latinos’ climate beliefs and policy support. In contrast, familism emerged as a robust predictor of Latinos’ climate-related beliefs and policy support. These findings generalized across different operationalizations of familism, including the use of family as a referent in decision-making (family-as-referent) and felt obligation to one’s family (familial obligation). We consider implications of relational values central to family for climate communication and advocacy.
Class-Aware Similarity Hashing for Data Classification

This paper introduces “class-aware similarity hashes” or “classprints,” which are an outgrowth of recent work on similarity hashing. The approach builds on the notion of context-based hashing to create a framework for identifying data types based on content and for building characteristic similarity hashes for individual data items that can be used for correlation. The principal benefits are that data classification can be fully automated and that a priori knowledge of the underlying data is not necessary beyond the availability of a suitable training set.
1,4-Bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP) and related compounds as inducers of hepatic monooxygenases: Structure-activity effects

Abstract 1,4-Bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP) resembles phenobarbital (PB) in its mode of induction of the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes in mice. The structural features of this molecule include: a linear tricyclic aromatic ether ring system, an internal 1,4-disubstituted benzene ring and two 3,5-dichloropyridyloxy substituents. Ten analogs of TCPOBOP have been synthesized and their activities as microsomal enzyme inducers evaluated. Dose-response induction of mice hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450, aldrin epoxidase and dimethylaminoantipyrine N -demethylase gave ed 50 values for TCPOBOP and five homologs. The results illustrate that changes in the structure of the pyridyloxy ring markedly affect enzyme induction activity. The order of activity for the substituents was 3,5-dibromopyridyloxy ≈ 3,5-dichloropyridyloxy > 5-bromopyridyloxy ≈ 5-chloropyridyloxy > 3-chloropyridyloxy > pyridyloxy. In addition, the effects of altered substitution pattern of the benzene ring and structural alterations of the internal ring moiety were evaluated by measuring hepatic microsomal coumarin hydroxylase activity. The results confirm the microsomal monooxygenase enzyme induction activity of TCPOBOP, and the observed structure-dependent potencies of several related homologs support a receptor-mediated mechanism of action for the process.
On certain theoretical developments underlying the Hilbert-Huang transform

One of the main traditional tools used in scientific and engineering data spectral analysis is the Fourier integral transform and its high performance digital equivalent - the fast Fourier transform (FFT). Both carry strong a-priori assumptions about the source data, such as being linear and stationary, and of satisfying the Dirichlet conditions. A recent development at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), known as the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), proposes a novel approach to the solution for the nonlinear class of spectral analysis problems. Using a-posteriori data processing based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) sifting process (algorithm), followed by the normalized Hilbert transform of the decomposed data, the HHT allows spectral analysis of nonlinear and nonstationary data. The EMD sifting process results in a non-constrained decomposition of a source numerical data vector into a finite set of intrinsic mode functions (IMF). These functions form a nearly orthogonal, derived from the data basis (adaptive basis). The IMFs can be further analyzed for spectrum content by using the classical Hilbert Transform. A new engineering spectral analysis tool using HHT has been developed at NASA GSFC, the HHT data processing system (HHT-DPS). As the HHT-DPS has been successfully used and commercialized, new applications pose additional questions about the theoretical basis behind the HHT EMD algorithm. Why is the fastest changing component of a composite signal being sifted out first in the EMD sifting process? Why does the EMD sifting process seemingly converge and why does it converge rapidly? Does an IMF have a distinctive structure? Why are the IMFs nearly orthogonal? We address these questions and develop the initial theoretical background for the HHT. This will contribute to the development of new HHT processing options, such as real-time and 2D processing using field programmable gate array (FPGA) computational resources, enhanced HHT synthesis, and will broaden the scope of HHT applications for signal processing.
Geometry and topology from point cloud data

Many applications in science and engineering require modeling and analyzing a geometric shape or a function defined on it for scientific simulations, rapid prototyping, visualizations, and various other purposes. Often the geometry in question is only available through a set of sample points called a point cloud data. These point clouds can either be generated by scanning a physical object, or can be the output of a procedure that implicitly probes a hidden geometry, often a low dimensional manifold embedded in a relatively high dimensional Euclidean space.
'Le concert, c'est moi'

In this paper I elaborate on the common notion of "collaboration" within music. I do so by contrasting what it constituted historically in the context of the piano, to that of some new interfaces of musical expression (NIME) collaborative in particular. By doing so I hope to shine light on the success (or lack there of) of many of these projects -- and ultimately discuss some other realities of academia that might play an determinant role in these musical instruments success "beyond the lab".
Possible evidence for dark matter annihilations from the excess microwave emission around the center of the Galaxy seen by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) experiment has revealed an excess of microwave emission from the region around the center of our Galaxy. It has been suggested that this signal, known as the "WMAP haze," could be synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons and positrons generated in dark matter annihilations. In this article, we revisit this possibility. We find that the angular distribution of the WMAP haze matches the prediction for dark matter annihilations with a cusped density profile, p(r) α r -1.2 in the inner kiloparsecs. Comparing the intensity in different WMAP frequency bands, we find that a wide range of possible weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) annihilation modes are consistent with the spectrum of the haze for a WIMP with a mass in the 100 GeV to multi-TeV range. Most interestingly, we find that to generate the observed intensity of the haze, the dark matter annihilation cross section is required to be approximately equal to the value needed for a thermal relic, συ ∼ 3 X 10 -26 cm 3 /s. No boost factors are required. If dark matter annihilations are in fact responsible for the WMAP haze, and the slope of the halo profile continues into the inner Galaxy, GLAST is expected to detect gamma rays from the dark matter annihilations in the galactic center if the WIMP mass is less than several hundred GeV.
Photoionization and Absorption Cross Sections of H 2 and D 2 in the Vacuum Ultraviolet Region

The photoionization and absorption cross sections of H2 and D2 have been measured in the 1000 to 580 A region with a resolution of 0.5 A. Simultaneous measurements of ion current and absolute photon flux were made in a chamber 40.6 cm long with a parallel-plate ion collector and a platinum photocathode or a sodium-salicylate-coated photomultiplier tube. The absolute yield of the photocathode was measured by calibrating the chamber with the rare-gas atoms A, Kr, and Xe.Weak band absorption with k ≤ 20 cm−1 was observed in the 1000 to 860 A region, followed by an increase of k to 320 cm−1 at 844.8 A. Between 844.8 and 803.7 A, an underlying continuum k about 150 cm−1, and broad predissociated D–X bands were evident. A maximum k value of 680 cm−1 was observed in the (3–0) band of D–X. The underlying ionization continuum reached a broad maximum at about 730 A with k = 300 cm−1. Band structure was superimposed on the continuum down to about 710 A. Coefficients for photoionization were less than those for absorption down to about 700 A, but, from 700 A to shorter wavelengths, the ionization efficiency approached 100%. Strong absorption in the D–X bands was observed to be less efficient in producing ionization than neighboring bands of weaker intensity. Ion current was detected at wavelengths longer than the ionization potential reported by Beutler and Junger at 803.7 A. The current is attributed to an appreciable population at room temperature of the lower rotational levels of the ground state. The absorption and photoionization spectra of D2 were similar to those of H2, except for the expected isotope shift of the bands. The experimental chamber was arranged for the observation of gas fluorescence. Although the fluorescent intensity was very weak, edges were observed at 850, 755, and 720 A.
Regulation of β-cell mass and function by the Akt/protein kinase B signalling pathway

The insulin receptor substrate-2/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a critical role in the regulation of beta-cell mass and function, demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. The serine threonine kinase Akt is one of the promising downstream molecules of this pathway that has been identified as a potential target to regulate function and induce proliferation and survival of beta cells. Here we summarize some of the molecular mechanisms, downstream signalling pathways and critical components involved in the regulation of beta-cell mass and function by Akt.
Some results on the strength of relaxations of multilinear functions

We study approaches for obtaining convex relaxations of global optimization problems containing multilinear functions. Specifically, we compare the concave and convex envelopes of these functions with the relaxations that are obtained with a standard relaxation approach, due to McCormick. The standard approach reformulates the problem to contain only bilinear terms and then relaxes each term independently. We show that for a multilinear function having a single product term, this approach yields the convex and concave envelopes if the bounds on all variables are symmetric around zero. We then review and extend some results on conditions when the concave envelope of a multilinear function can be written as a sum of concave envelopes of its individual terms. Finally, for bilinear functions we prove that the difference between the concave upper bounding and convex lower bounding functions obtained from the McCormick relaxation approach is always within a constant of the difference between the concave and convex envelopes. These results, along with numerical examples we provide, give insight into how to construct strong relaxations of multilinear functions.
Comparison of hemodynamics and ejection fraction during left heart bypass

Temporary mechanical circulatory support during the postcardiotomy period has seen widespread application over the past 5 years. Recovery of sufficient cardiac function to allow removal of such support has usually been assessed by bedside hemodynamic variables during stepwise decrement of assist flows. To assess the efficacy of this approach and obtain prognostic information, 12 patients who required left heart bypass after coronary operations and who showed an indication of ventricular recovery, as evidenced by return of a pulsatile wave on arterial pressure tracing, were studied using blood pool radionuclide angiography during stepwise decrement of assisted flows. Hemodynamic variables (mean arterial pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, cardiac index, and systemic vascular resistance) did not correlate with survival during reduction of assist flows. Pulmonary artery pressure at maximum assisted flows and measured ejection fraction at flows of 60% or less of maximum flows correlated with survival; furthermore, if ejection fraction increased as assist flows were decreased, prognosis appeared excellent. Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction during stepwise decrement of assisted flows in the postcardiotomy setting may provide valuable prognostic information and more clearly identify those patients who may be successfully separated from mechanical circulatory support.
Penta-acid triglycerides of Chamaepeuce afra seed oil.

Abstract 1. 1. Earlier work in our laboratory demonstrated that chemical hydrolysis of Chamaepeuce afra (Jacq.) DC. seed oil yields a fatty acid mixture containing 14% (by weight) of (+)- threo -9, 10, 18-trihydroxyoctadec- cis -12-enoic acid and 9% of its saturated analog. The novelty of these acids prompted further work on the glyceride structure of this seed oil. 2. 2. Two classes of unusual triglycerides (85% of the seed oil) have now been isolated and characterized. Each triglyceride class contains one free hydroxyl group as shown by infrared and thin-layer Chromatographic data. 3. 3. Castor bean ( Ricinus communis ) lipase hydrolysis of the glycervl ester linkages of the triglycerides yields, in addition to ordinary C 16 and C 18 fatty acids, a trihydroxy acid moiety with two of the tliree hydroxyl groups acylated. In one triglyceride class, these acylating groups are C 12 , C 16 and C 18 fatty acids; and in the second, C 16 , C 18 and acetic acids. By chromium trioxide oxidation it was shown that the terminal hydroxyl group is acylated. 4. 4. Pancreatic lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) hydrolysis revealed that these acylated trihydroxy acid residues were attached exclusively to the β-position of glycerol and that ordinary C 16 and C 18 acids occupied the α-positions.
Direct trajectory optimization by a Chebyshev pseudospectral method

We present a Chebyshev pseudospectral method for directly solving a generic Bolza optimal control problem with state and control constraints. This method employs Nth-degree Lagrange polynomial approximations for the stateand control variables with the values of these variables at the Chebyshev-Gauss-Lobatto (CGL) points as the expansion coefficients. This process yields a nonlinear programming problem (NLP) with the state and control values at the CGL points as unknown NLP parameters. Numerical examples demonstrate that this method yields more accurate results than those obtained from the traditional collocation methods.
Midterm pivotal trial results of the Talent Low Profile System for repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm: analysis of complicated versus uncomplicated aortic necks.

Objective This study was undertaken to determine whether a complicated aortic neck is associated with unfavorable outcome after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) endografting. Methods In a prospective pivotal clinical trial, 237 consecutive patients underwent implantation of the bifurcated Talent Low Profile System. Patients were divided into 2 groups, those with complicated aortic necks (short, 28 mm; angulated, >45 degrees; calcified; and thrombus-lined) versus those with uncomplicated neck anatomy. Major outcome parameters included procedure time, operative blood loss, transfusion requirements, volume of contrast medium used during the implant procedure, endoleaks, migration, limb patency, AAA regression, conversion to open repair, morbidity, and mortality. Mean follow-up was 620.5 days. Results Overall, 32% of aortic necks were short, 19% were very short, 20% were dilated, 18% were calcified, 8.5% were thrombus-lined, and 19.9% were angulated. Thirty percent and 70% of patients, respectively, were stratified to the uncomplicated and complicated groups ( P P = .04). Conclusions Complicated aortic neck is not associated with unfavorable outcome at midterm follow-up after AAA endografting. However, statistically more adverse renal events occur in patients with complicated neck anatomy.
Phased-array-antenna control using liquid crystals

A novel optical control system using nematic liquid crystals and acoustooptic devices is introduced that can provide compact, lightweight, low cost, transmit/receive mode, high performance (greater than 8 bits), truly analog, amplitude and phase control for large phased array antennas. The system provides independent amplitude and phase calibration and control capabilities across the array.
Beta-delayed two-proton decay of 26P

Abstract Beta-delayed emission of two protons has been observed in the decay of 26P. A two-proton summed energy group at 4.914 MeV was assigned to the decay to the 24Mg ground state following the superallowed beta-decay of 26P. The mechanism for two-proton emission has, in this case, been shown to be a sequential process.
The pK′1 of the Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate Buffer System in Hemodialyzed Patients

Blood gas analysis is crucial for the proper evaluation of systemic acid-base disorders, but several reports have been critical of the current approach which relies on the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and other possibly erroneous assumptions about the bicarbonate-carbonic acid buffer system of blood. This report studied renal failure patients receiving dialysis and nondialyzed medical patients with respect to variations of the pK'1 of carbonic acid dissociation and discrepancies between measured and calculated bicarbonate. Among dialyzed patients, the mean pK'1 differed significantly from 6.10, and a significant difference was found between calculated and measured total CO2 even though all assays were performed on the same arterial blood. Significant correlations were observed between pK'1 and calculated-measured total CO2 as well as serum phosphate converted to mEq/l in the dialyzed group. These data suggest that there is a need to reevaluate current acid-base analysis, especially as it is applied to very seriously ill individuals.
Preparation of high efficiency visible light activated Pt/CdS photocatalyst for solar hydrogen production

Production of hydrogen by water splitting using solar energy is one of the long sought goals of hydrogen economy. Approximately 33% of solar radiation is emitted as high energy photons while the remaining 67% consists of primarily thermal energy. Utilization of both thermal and photonic energies within the solar spectrum is essential for achieving water splitting at high efficiency. At FSEC, we have developed a solar-thermochemical water splitting cycle for the production of hydrogen. In this cycle, the photonic portion of solar irradiance is diverted and used to drive the hydrogen production step, while solar thermal portion drives the oxygen generation step of the cycle. The photocatalytic hydrogen production step of the cycle employs aqueous ammonium sulfite solution that is oxidized to ammonium sulfate in the presence of nanosized photocatalysts. We have developed a technique for the preparation of polymer encapsulated nanosize photocatalysts that show high activity toward oxidation of ammonium sulfite aqueous solution. The use of nano-scale and defect free photocatalysts hinder the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, thereby increasing solar to hydrogen energy conversion efficiency.
Adenoprotection of the heart involves phospholipase C-induced activation and translocation of PKC-ε to RACK2 in adult rat and mouse

Adenosine protects the heart from adrenergic overstimulation. This adenoprotection includes the direct anti-adrenergic action via adenosine A1 receptors (A1R) on the adrenergic signaling pathway. A...
Toughened poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites by incorporating polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes

Abstract We have investigated the toughenability of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocages at loadings between 0 and 15 wt%. Three distinct POSS species were used: a crystallizable type that did not disperse on a molecular scale within the PMMA matrix (cyclohexyl-POSS), and two types of POSS that formed homogeneous mixtures over the loadings we have investigated (methacryl-POSS and trisilanol-phenyl-POSS). Each of the three types of POSS was able to toughen PMMA in slow-speed tension tests at loadings ≤5 wt%; however, the reproducibility was poor due to the high flaw sensitivity of these binary blends. Ternary blends containing both cyclohexyl-POSS and methacryl-POSS showed the greatest increase in tensile toughness and also excellent reproducibility of toughening. A blend containing 2.5 wt% of both cyclohexyl-POSS and methacryl-POSS maintained the same modulus as the unfilled PMMA while increasing the toughness by a factor of 4. Electron micrographs showed extensive particle–matrix debonding of the PMMA from the cyclohexyl-POSS crystallites and some evidence of plastic deformation on the fracture surface. In high rate (1000 s −1 ) split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests, binary blends of POSS and PMMA were able to improve the impact toughness of PMMA; however, once again the combined addition of both cyclohexyl-POSS and methacryl-POSS led to the greatest reproducibility of toughening. Comparison with previous results suggests that in order to toughen PMMA with rigid fillers, weakly-adhering particles with sizes on the order of 100 nm are required.
Optical emission spectroscopy of electron-cyclotron-resonance-heated helium mirror plasmas

In this experiment emission spectroscopy in tire 3000-5000/~ range has been utilized to determine the electron temperature (15-60 e V) and ion densiO' (2-5 × 10 I r cm -~ ) qf helium plasmas produced by the Michigan mirror machine ~rJ (MIMI). The plasma is generated and heated by whistler-mode electron.cyclotron resonance ( ECR ) wat,es at 7.43 G Hz with 400-900 W power in SO-ms-long pulses. Gas lkwling is provided at tire midplane region by a leak valve with a range in pressure q/" 3 × 10 ~ to 2 × 10 "~ Tort. Emission line intensities are interpreted using a model of tire important eollisional and radiative processes occurring in tire plasma. Tire model examines seconda O" processes such as radiation trapping, excitation tran.~fer between levels qf the same principle quantum number, and excitation l~'om metastable states fnr plasmas in the parameter range of MIMl In~.= l-6x1Otr cm ~). From tire analysis q/" line intensity ratios lor neutral helium, tire electron temperature is measured and its dependence upon tire gas pressure and microwave power is determined. These temperatures agree with those obtained b)' Langmuir probe measurements. An analysis of the line intensity ratio between singly ionized helium and neutral helium yields a measurement qf tire ion densit.v which is in good agreement with electron densit)' measurements made by a microwave interferometer.