cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomineralization of Polymer Scaffolds

Bioceramics are an important subclass of inorganic, non-metallic biomaterials. Attributing to their bioactivity and the ability to form bonds with native bone, bioceramics are increasingly used in medical implants, especially for bone repair and regeneration. With chemical composition similar to that of native bone, hydroxyapatite (HAp), a type of bioceramics, may impart to biomaterial implants biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, as well as surface properties that are germane to osteointegration at the bone-implant interface. However, porous bioceramics are very brittle and have low fracture toughness and compressive strength, which limits their uses as bulk materials for orthopedic implants. Increasing their mechanical strength by reducing the porosity may prevent tissue infiltration, therefore, bone regeneration. In comparison, polymers may mimic the mechanical properties of native bone, however, may lack the appropriate surface properties to seamlessly integrate with natural bone. There is a critical need to combine the bulk properties of polymers with the surface properties of bioceramics in the design of functional scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. There are several ways to incorporate bioceramics on scaffold surfaces, including plasma spraying, sputter coating, physical adsorption, laser deposition, and biomineralization. Biomineralization, which allows easy fabrication of bioceramics under physiological conditions, provides an effective means to produce bonelike minerals, e.g., HAp, on scaffold surfaces. By following the cascade of biological mineralization in vivo, biomineralization in vitro on polymers may be achieved using several different methods, including immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF), alternative soaking in calcium and phosphate solutions, urea-mediated solution mineralization, enzymatic method, and direct incorporation of HAp nanoparticles into polymers. The uniformity, structure, and composition of the bioceramic coatings can be fine-tuned by governing bimineralization parameters such as composition and concentration of the immersion solution, immersion time, temperature, and agitation. A variety of surface modification techniques can be chosen to functionalize/activate polymer surfaces to facilitate biomineralization. In this review, the mechanism for biomineralization in vivo, different mechanisms and methods for biomineralization in vitro, surface modifications for enhanced biomineralization, polymers for biomineralization, and biomineralization for drug delivery will be discussed in details.
Reduction of cytidine nucleotides to deoxycytidine nucleotides by mammalian enzymes.

Abstract 1. 1. Conditions for the reduction in vitro of cytidine nucleotides to deoxycytidine nucleotides by an extract of the Novikoff ascites rat tumor are described. ATP was required; TPN, Mg 2+ and Fe 3+ stimulated the reaction. The effects of other metal ions and of a number of organic compounds on the reaction are described. 2. 2. The fractionation of the tumor extract into two partially-purified enzymes and a heat-stable factor, all of which were required for the reaction, is described. The heat-stable factor was replaceable by a boiled extract of liver. Two-stage-incubation experiments are described which indicated that an enzyme present in the “pH-5 soluble” fraction of the tumor extract produced a labile intermediate which was required by a second enzyme, present in the “pH-5 precipitate” fraction, for the actual reduction of the cytidine nucleotide to deoxycytidine nucleotides.
A dynamic method for measuring the critical loads of elastic flat plates

A dynamic method is described for determining the linear buckling loads of elastic, perfectly flat, rectangular plates. The proposed method does not require the application of in-plane loads; it requires only vibrational excitation of the plate. The buckling load is determined from the measured normal modes of vibration. The method is applicable to isotropic as well as anisotropic plates with any type of edge support. The accuracy of the dynamic method was evaluated by tests in which buckling loads of aluminum and graphite fiber-reinforced-epoxy composite plates were determined both by the dynamic method and by imposing static in-plane loads on the plates. The results of the dynamic and static tests agree closely.
IMACS, the multiobject spectrograph and imager for Magellan: a status report

The Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS) will soon be one of the three first-generation instruments for the Magellan 6.5m telescopes. This instrument drove the specification and design of the f/11 Gregorian focus on Magellan, which it uses to feed an all-spherical, refracting wide-field collimator with a 30 arcmin field of view. Two Epps cameras are used to re-image the field of view for imaging and spectroscopy. The aspheric, f/2 ("short") camera images a field of 27 x 27 arcmin at 0.2 arcsec/pixel, and produces 0.32 arcsec images averaged over all field positions across the 0.39 -1.05 micron bandpass. The all-spherical f/4 ("long") camera images a field 15 x 15 arcmin at 0.11 arcsec/pixel, and produces 0.16 arcsec images averaged over all field positions across the 0.365 - 1.0 micron bandpass. This paper describes the final specifications for the multiple spectrographic and imaging modes, and provides a status report on the current state of the instrument project.
A heuristic procedure for rounding posynomial geometric programming solutions to discrete values

While geometric programming is a useful computational approach for engineering design problems, it is often the case that some design variables specifying sizes must be rounded to readily available standard sizes, or variables specifying the number of component parts must be rounded to integers. To assist in deciding whether to round these variables up or down to the discrete admissible values, we present a technique to estimate the respective penalties which would be incurred.
Electron-transfer behaviour of oxorhenium(V), nitridorhenium(V) and rhenium(III) diethyldithiocarbamate complexes

Abstract The voltammetric behaviour of ReN(S2CN(Et)2)4, Re(S2CN(Et)2)3, ReOX(S2CN(Et)2)2, where X=Cl or Br, and Re2O3(S2CN(Et)2)4, were examined in five non-aqueous solvents. The nitridorhenium(V) complex underwent a non-reversible one-electron reduction followed by a chemical reaction. The rhenium(III) complex underwent a reversible one-electron oxidation to form the Re(IV) species; a second one-electron oxidation was followed by decomposition. The oxorhenium(V) monomers exhibit an equilibrium in solution between ReOX(S2CN(Et)2)2 and [ReO(S2CN(Et)2)]++X−. Reduction of the latter caused severe electrodeposition which could be observed with the naked eye; the deposited material was non-conducting. The position of the equilibrium depended strongly on the identity of X−. The potentials were strongly solvent dependent, with deposition of ReO(S2CN(Et)2)2 greatly reduced in the presence of electron-donating solvents. The anodic behaviour of Re2O3(S2CN(Et)2)4 consisted of a one-electron process which was followed rapidly by cleavage of the μ-oxo bridge to form [ReO(S2CN(Et)2)2]+ and ReO2(S2CN(Et)2)2.
Burst-Mode Metro and Access Networks

Burst mode transmission has become dominant in optical access networks. The evolution of this technology will lead to significant changes in metro and access networks. This talk summarizes recent research results in this area.
Effects of limited-target availability on schedule-induced attack

Pigeons exposed to a 180-sec fixed-time food schedule could attack a rear-projected conspecific target that was available either (a) continuously throughout the interfood interval, (b) randomly during one 30-sec portion of each interfood interval, or (c) during the final 90 sec of each interval. During continuous-target availability, attack was maximal shortly after food ingestion and progressively decreased thereafter. During random-target availability, five of seven pigeons attacked less per target-access period the later that period occurred within the interfood interval, whereas two subjects exhibited relatively high local attack rates even when access periods occurred within the final third of the interval. When the target was available only during the second half of the interfood interval, attack occurred as soon as the target was presented and progressively decreased throughout the remainder of the target-access period. In general, these results show that schedule-induced attack can be increased by limiting the availability of that target and also indicate that such attack can reliably occur at times other than shortly after food delivery.
Interaction of pyridoxal phosphate with glucocorticoid receptors from HeLa S3 cells.

HeLa S3 cells contain high affinity, saturable receptors which are specific for glucocorticoids. Cytoplasmic dexamethasone receptor complexes from these cells sedimented as a single peak, approximately 8.0 S in 5, to 20% sucrose gradients prepared in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4. Treatment of the dexamethasone receptor complexes with 5 mM pyridoxal phosphate caused a reduction in the size of the 8.0 S peak and the appearance of a second peak sedimenting at 5.7 S. Addition of NaBH4 following pyridoxal phosphate treatment resulted in a single new radioactive peak of the steroid receptor complex which sedimented at 3.5 S. Recentrifugation of the 3.5 S peak did not result in an altered sedimentation profile. However, recentrifugation of either the 8.0 S peak from untreated cytosol or the 5.7 S peak from pyridoxal phosphate treated cytosol resulted in a single peak which sedimented at 8.0 S. These results suggest that 5 mM pyridoxal phosphate causes the reversible conversion of the dexamethasone receptor complex to a smaller receptor form. This conversion is made irreversible by the addition of NaBH4, resulting in a new form of dexamethasone receptor complex sedimenting at 3.5 S. This alteration in receptor sedimentation coefficient was dependent on the time of incubation with pyridoxal phosphate prior to the reduction with NaBH4. In the presence of 5 mM pyridoxal phosphate, the decrease in [3H]-dexamethasone associated with 8.0 S dexamethasone receptor complexes followed a single exponential function with a rate constant of 1.63 × 102 min1. The shift in glucocorticoid receptor sedimentation coefficient was also dependent on the concentration of pyridoxal phosphate with which the receptor was incubated and was apparent at pyridoxal phosphate concentrations as low as 1 mM. In addition, it was highly specific for the physiologically active form of coenzyme. Treatment of cytoplasmic dexamethasone receptor complex with 5 mM pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine or pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate did not result in an alteration in receptor sedimentation coefficient. Unlike the 8.0 S dexamethasone receptor complex observed in untreated cytosols, this small form of receptor produced by treatment with pyridoxal phosphate and NaBH4 sedimented at 3.5 S independently of pH and ionic strength. The 3.5 S receptor may be a subunit or nonaggregated form of receptor derived from the larger 8.0 S complex. This small 3.5 S form of receptor has a calculated molecular weight of 42,000 daltons.
An enzyme-release assay for natural cytotoxicity

A sensitive enzyme-release assay for natural cytotoxicity is described. The kinetic determination of the amount of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released from lysed target cells was determined to provide a sensitive and precise measure of natural cytotoxicity when used in conjunction with appropriate controls and calculational methods. Values for the percentage of cytotoxicity or kinetic parameters determined by this method were identical, within experimental error, to values determined in parallel 51Cr release assays. Moreover, it was found that the spontaneous release of LDH from the target cells tested was considerably lower than the spontaneous release of 51Cr. This enzyme-release cytotoxicity assay is convenient, inexpensive, and precise, and should be applicable to the study of other cytotoxicity reactions, including antibody-dependent and T-cell mediated reactions.
Novel method to make a continuous micro-mesopore membrane with tailored surface chemistry for use in nanofiltration

Abstract Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) cationic and anionic exchange NF membranes were prepared from ultrafiltration (UF) membranes through a convenient way developed recently by us. By the reaction between nitrile groups and NaOH or 3-(dimethylamino)propyl amine, negative or positive functional groups were introduced into the meso-macropores of PAN UF membranes. These meso-macropores were then reduced into the range of micro-mesopores by taking advantage of surface tension forces within the capillary pores during heat treatment in the presence of ZnCl 2 . The effective pore radius of the commercial cationic exchange NF membrane, NTR 7450, was measured from pure water permeability coefficients by a simple method, which utilized univalent alkaline ions as probes.
Marburger concept for computer-aided acquisition, processing and documentation of patient data in the intensive care unit.

The authors report on their experience with the computer-aided acquisition, processing and documentation of patient data in an intensive care unit. The goal of an effective data and information collection system in the intensive care unit is to make therapy, and the patients respond to it, recognizable and understandable through the clear and complete representation of the patients conditions. The focal point of the data documentation is the medical record. In the implementation of a computer-aided data documentation and processing system the application of one central PC is unpractical. Each bed will be equipped with its own PC, and all the individual PCs will be connected to one central PC, which functions as server, and to connected to another PC in the doctors room. The data will be managed in a powerfull database-management-system and be stored on an optical-disk. The development of an effective man/machine interface is especially important. In addition we can promote the user acceptance in other ways, so as to ensure a concret benefit for each user group.
Ginzburg-Landau theory of fluctuation magnetization of two-dimensional superconductors

Large fluctuation-induced magnetization has been observed recently in the quasi-two-dimensional high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ materials. A satisfactory theoretical description of this phenomenon is absent at the moment. We present an extensive study of the fluctuation magnetization ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ of two-dimensional superconductors within the Ginzburg-Landau theory in different regions of the phase diagram. In the normal state one has to distinguish the regions of weak/Gaussian and strong/critical fluctuations. Different kinds of scaling dependencies for ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ are predicted for these regions. An important feature of the field dependence of ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ in the weak-fluctuation regime is saturation of the magnetization at high fields. Taking into account both regular and critical contributions to ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ we obtain an expression that is valid in both regions. In the mixed state at high fields the fluctuation magnetization is completely determined by the thermal elastic fluctuations in the lattice state. Due to suppression of the elastic modulii, ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ increases mainly as 1/(${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}2}$-B) as the field approaches the critical region near the upper critical field ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}2}$. At small fields, B\ensuremath{\ll}${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}2}$, there are two independent contributions to ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ which can be treated separately. One comes from the Gaussian excitations in the vortex cores and the other from the thermal motion of the vortices. We demonstrate that the vortex system in this limit is equivalent to the model of the one-component two-dimensional Coulomb plasma. Using Monte Carlo results for this model, we estimate ${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ in the vortex-lattice as well as in the vortex-liquid state.
Design and performance of a high-T/sub c/ superconductor coplanar waveguide filter

The design of a coplanar waveguide low-pass filter made of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / (YBCO) on an LaAlO/sub 3/ substrate is described. Measurements were incorporated into simple models for microwave CAD analysis to develop a final design. The patterned and packaged coplanar waveguide low-pass filter of YBCO, with dimensions suited for integrated circuits, exhibited measured insertion losses when cooled in liquid nitrogen superior to those of a similarly cooled thin-film copper filter throughout the 0 to 9.5 GHz passband. Coplanar waveguide models for use with thin-film normal metal (with thickness either greater or less than the skin depth) and YBCO are discussed and used to compare the losses of the measured YBCO and copper circuits. >
Structural geometry and evolution of releasing and restraining bends: Insights from laser-scanned experimental models

Experimental modeling is used to study the geometry and evolution of structures and related secondary faults along releasing bends and offsets and restraining bends on strike-slip faults. The controls of the relative positions of adjacent strike-slip faults on the geometry of the structures and the difference in geometries between bends and offsets are investigated. A new method of laser scanning is used to map the geometry and evolution of the structures and related faults. The models show that oblique releasing bends connecting approaching faults result in spindle-shaped basins, whereas transverse bends result in more S-shaped or rhomboidal basins. Offsets result in the distribution of strain over a wider area and a larger number of faults compared with preexisting bends, which result in fewer well-defined basin-bounding faults. Secondary faults include R, R, and Y Riedel shears near the main strike-slip faults and oblique normal faults in the center of the basin. Fault patterns exhibit en echelon geometries with a progressive step down into the deepest parts of the basin. Symmetric, asymmetric, and double basins may form in any of the structural settings, depending on the slip distribution among faults on the basin margins. For restraining bends, oblique (45) bends connecting approaching faults result in spindle-shaped uplifts, whereas transverse or oblique (135) bends connecting overlapping faults result in more rhomboidal or rectangular uplifts. The fold trends are at increasingly higher angles with the strike faults for transverse and oblique (135) bends. Secondary faults include en echelon reverse faults, which typically form along the steep limbs of asymmetric uplifts, normal faults, which are transverse or oblique to the axis of the structure, and R, R, and Y Riedel shears near the main strike-slip faults. The aspect ratios of the basins and uplifts increase with increasing displacement on the strike-slip faults. The results of these models can be used to interpret the structural and fault geometries in surface and subsurface structures formed along strike-slip faults.
The Utility of Infarct Volume Measurement in Pediatric Ischemic Stroke

This study aims to determine if stroke volume as measured on diffusion-weighted imaging is associated with neurologic outcome in children with acute arterial ischemic stroke. A cohort of patients presenting to a tertiary care children's hospital with acute ischemic stroke were studied. The relationship between stroke volume, clinical characteristics, and neurologic outcome utilizing the Glasgow Outcome Scale were analyzed. In children with poor outcome, the median volume of infarction on diffusion-weighted imaging was larger when compared with children who had a good outcome. Children with stroke volume >10% of total brain volume were more likely than patients with stroke volume <5% total brain volume to have a poor outcome. Seizures were associated with a 10.5-fold increase in the risk of a poor outcome. Stroke volume, in conjunction with clinical characteristics, can assist practitioners in identifying a subset of patients with acute ischemic stroke who might benefit from aggressive medical and/or surgical management.
Modafinil: A Candidate for Pharmacotherapy of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

ABSTRACTBackground: Although historically neglected in clinical research, negative symptoms of schizophrenia are now considered distinct targets of pharmacotherapy. While second-generation antipsychotic treatments were heralded as having a greater therapeutic impact on negative symptoms than their conventional antipsychotic counterparts, the size of this effect is modest. Adjunctive medications such as antidepressants offer limited efficacy, while stimulants have a poor risk–benefit profile. More recently, promising results have been demonstrated with pro-glutamatergic agents such as glycine or D-cycloserine, although a larger trial found no advantage with either agent compared with placebo. Modafinil, a novel wakefulness-promoting agent, is an intriguing candidate for adjunctive pharmacotherapy to treat negative symptoms in schizophrenia. We explored this therapeutic potential through a placebo-controlled trial of patients with prominent negative symptoms. Methods: We randomly assigned patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to treatment with either modafinil or placebo for 8 weeks. Double-blind assessments of clinical symptoms and neurocognition were administered at baseline and every 2 weeks thereafter. Results: Twenty subjects were enrolled (N = 10 modafinil, N = 10 placebo). There were no significant differences between modafinil and placebo for changes in negative symptom ratings, the primary study endpoint. However, modafinil treatment was associated with a greater rate and degree of global improvement at study endpoint compared with placebo. No significant worsening of psychopathology was observed and modafinil was well-tolerated. Interpretation: Although no effect on negative symptoms was found, adjunctive therapy with modafinil may result in global improvements in patients with schizophrenia who have prominent negative symptoms. These findings support additional research into a potential role for modafinil in the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
Robust and Reverse-Engineering Resilient PUF Authentication and Key-Exchange by Substring Matching

This paper proposes novel robust and low-overhead physical unclonable function (PUF) authentication and key exchange protocols that are resilient against reverse-engineering attacks. The protocols are executed between a party with access to a physical PUF (prover) and a trusted party who has access to the PUF compact model (verifier). The proposed protocols do not follow the classic paradigm of exposing the full PUF responses or a transformation of them. Instead, random subsets of the PUF response strings are sent to the verifier so the exact position of the subset is obfuscated for the third-party channel observers. Authentication of the responses at the verifier side is done by matching the substring to the available full response string; the index of the matching point is the actual obfuscated secret (or key) and not the response substring itself. We perform a thorough analysis of resiliency of the protocols against various adversarial acts, including machine learning and statistical attacks. The attack analysis guides us in tuning the parameters of the protocol for an efficient and secure implementation. The low overhead and practicality of the protocols are evaluated and confirmed by hardware implementation.
Social Capital and Community Resilience

Despite the ubiquity of disaster and the increasing toll in human lives and financial costs, much research and policy remain focused on physical infrastructure–centered approaches to such events. Governmental organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, United States Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Agency for International Development, and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development continue to spend heavily on hardening levees, raising existing homes, and repairing damaged facilities despite evidence that social, not physical, infrastructure drives resilience. This article highlights the critical role of social capital and networks in disaster survival and recovery and lays out recent literature and evidence on the topic. We look at definitions of social capital, measurement and proxies, types of social capital, and mechanisms and application. The article concludes with concrete policy recommendations for disaster managers, government decision makers, and no...
Binocular matching of dissimilar features in phantom stereopsis.

Abstract Previously we have demonstrated that quantitative depth perception can be elicited from a stereogram that lacks contrast defined binocular corresponding elements (phantom stereopsis). In this report, we use computer simulation to demonstrate that it is biologically plausible for some known binocular cortical cell types to combine non-conventional matching features. Therefore, binocular matching processes based on the responses of these cells could be a conventional one, namely, looking for similar response patterns in the two eyes. While all cell types we simulated gave identical disparity outputs to the conventional stereogram, they responded differently to the phantom stereogram. Processes other than low-level disparity detectors may have to be invoked in order to achieve a unique depth solution. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A method for modifying closed-loop motion plans to satisfy unpredictable dynamic constraints at runtime

The problem of motion planning in environments with both known static obstacles and unpredictable dynamic constraints is considered. A methodology is introduced in which the motion plan for the static environment is modified on-line to accommodate the unpredictable constraints in such a way that the completeness properties of the original motion plan are preserved. At the heart of the approach is the idea that navigation functions are indeed Lyapunov functions; and that the traditional method of forcing the robot to track the negative gradient of field is not the only input which stabilizes the system. This extra freedom in selecting the input is used to accommodate the dynamic constraints. A computational method for selecting the appropriate inputs is given. The method is used to solve two sample problems. The constraints in these cases are used to model collisions with other robots and, in the second example, a team of robots traveling information. Finally, some preliminary work on extending the approach to nonholonomic systems is presented.
Stability and Change in Attachment Security Across Adolescence

This study examined both continuity and familial, intrapsychic, and environmental predictors of change in adolescent attachment security across a 2-year period from middle to late adolescence. Assessments included the Adult Attachment Interview, observed mother-adolescent interactions, test-based data, and adolescent self-reports obtained from an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of moderately at-risk adolescents interviewed at ages 16 and 18. Substantial stability in security was identified. Beyond this stability, however, relative declines in attachment security were predicted by adolescents' enmeshed, overpersonalizing behavior with their mothers; depressive symptoms; and poverty status. Results suggest that although security may trend upward for nonstressed adolescents, stressors that overwhelm the capacity for affect regulation and that are not easily assuaged by parents predict relative declines in security over time.
Cross-class resistance to non-β-lactam antimicrobials in extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

Extended spectrum β-lactamases are modified β-lactamase enzymes that impart resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and make all β-lactam antibiotics and cephalosporins useless for therapy. We compared the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and non-ESBL–producing isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae . The ESBL producers had significantly diminished susceptibility compared with the non-ESBL producers for gentamicin ( P < .001), tobramycin ( P < .001), amikacin ( P < .005), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole ( P < .01), ciprofloxacin ( P < .001), and nitrofurantoin ( P < .001). All isolates were susceptible to imipenem. ESBL-producing K pneumoniae may also be resistant to non–β-lactam antibiotics. Therefore, susceptibility testing of these isolates is critical for guiding therapy.
A catastrophe-theory study of a two-chamber model for a tokamak scrape-off and divertor

The two-chamber model (TCM) of Singer and Langer is employed to study the plasma transport in the scrape-off and divertor regions of a tokamak. Collisiondominated transport along the field lines is considered, with a. geometric-mean flux-limited expression for parallel electron heat conduction. An analytic method for the catastrophe-theory study of the TCM is developed. Maxwell convention for the catastrophes is adopted. Catastrophes occur when the energy flux entering the divertor chamber from the main plasma scrape-off, the recycling coefficient and the ratio of electron temperatures in the scape-off to that in the divertor exceed some threshold values. It is seen that the behaviour of the plasma during these catastrophes is in qualitative agreement with the experimentally observed features of the plasma during the H-mode transition.
The ispPAC family of reconfigurable analog circuits

The Lattice Semiconductor ispPAC series of programmable analog circuits are among the most recent commercially available programmable analog circuits. A brief overview of the existing members of the ispPAC family is presented, as are descriptions of applications for programmable analog integrated circuits. A discussion of some of the ways in which programmable analog integrated circuits can be used is also presented.
Spectrum-optimized Si-based III-V multijunction photovoltaics

A III-V/Si metamorphic epitaxy approach to achieve multi-junction solar cells having nearly ideal optical partitioning of the solar spectrum is described. Following our previously-established methodology for the growth of defect-free GaP on Si(100) substrates and demonstrations of heteroepitaxially integrated III-V-on-Si photovoltaics via GaAs y P 1-y metamorphic buffers, we discuss work undertaken on the further development and refinement of these processes and materials, with the goal of minimization of threading dislocation densities in order to enable high-performance solar cells. A substantial, non-trivial increase in growth temperature and general improvement of growth conditions and designs has been achieved for both the heterovalent GaP/Si epitaxial integration process and the GaAs y P 1-y compositional grading. Improved dislocation glide and significantly more efficient epitaxial relaxation is found for the GaP/Si system, while enhanced dislocation glide dynamics in the metamorphic GaAs y P 1-y buffer system is demonstrated by the evolution of new epitaxial tilt characteristics.
Use of near-infrared light to reduce symptoms associated with restless legs syndrome in a woman: a case report

Introduction: We describe a potential new treatment option for patients suffering from restless legs syndrome. Contemporary treatment for restless legs syndrome consists mostly of dopaminergic drugs that leave some patients feeling nauseated and dizzy. A non-invasive, drug-free option would open new doors for patients suffering from restless legs syndrome. Case presentation: A 69-year-old Caucasian woman met International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group criteria for the diagnosis of restless legs syndrome. She had been afflicted with restless legs syndrome for over 30 years and tried many of the available pharmaceutical remedies without success. For this study she received 30-minute treatment sessions with near-infrared light, three times a week for four weeks. The restless legs syndrome rating scale was used to track symptom changes; at baseline she scored “27” on the 0 to 40 point scale, which is considered to be “severe”. Our patient was almost symptom free at week two, indicated by a score of “2” on the rating scale. By week four she was completely symptom free. The symptoms slowly returned during week three post treatment. Conclusions: The findings suggest that near-infrared light may be a feasible method for treating patients suffering from restless legs syndrome. Undesirable side-effects from medication are non-existent. This study might revive the neglected vascular mechanism theory behind restless legs syndrome and encourage further research into this area.
Evaluation and management of inherited disorders of surfactant metabolism

Objective To review the pathophysiology, evaluation, management, and outcomes of children with inherited disorders of surfactant metabolism due to mutations in the genes encoding surfactant proteins-B or -C (SFTPB, SFTPC), ATP binding cassette member A3 (ABCA3), and thyroid transcription factor (NKX2.1). Data sources Review of the literature, previous work from the author's and collaborators' laboratories, St. Louis Children's Hospital Lung Transplant Database. Study selection Key articles in the field, author's work. Results Inherited disorders of surfactant metabolism present as acute, severe respiratory dysfunction in the neonatal period (SFTPB, ABCA3, NKX2.1) or as chronic respiratory insufficiency in later infancy and childhood which is of variable onset, severity, and course (SFTPC, ABCA3, NKX2.1). Diagnosis is established with sequencing the relevant genes; lung biopsy with electron microscopy is a useful adjunct. For surfactant protein-B and ABCA3 deficiency presenting with acute neonatal disease, treatment options are limited to lung transplantation or compassionate care. For the more chronic presentations of surfactant protein-C, ABCA3, and NKX2.1 associated disease, the natural history is variable and therefore individualized, supportive care is appropriate, Conclusions Inherited disorders of surfactant metabolism are rare, but informative diseases that provide unique opportunities for understanding mechanisms of respiratory disease in newborns and children.
Theoretical studies of the interaction of butadiene with Rh and Rh2

Abstract Butadiene–Rh and –Rh 2 complexes have been studied using the density functional (DFT) and Moller–Plesset (MP2 and MP4) calculations. For the butadiene–Rh complex complete active space multiconfiguration self-consistent field method (CASMCSCF) followed by multireference singles and doubles (MRSDCI) calculations were employed. Two nearly degenerate structures were found as candidates for the ground state of the butadiene–Rh complex with a five-member planar ring structure and a trans non-planar structure. The ground state of the butadiene–Rh 2 complex was found to be a 1 A′ state in a half-boat equilibrium structure.
Optimal Cost-Sharing in General Resource Selection Games

Resource selection games provide a model for a diverse collection of applications where a set of resources is matched to a set of demands. Examples include routing in traffic and in telecommunicati...
C/EBPβ contributes to cAMP-activated transcription of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in LLC-PK1-F+ cells

Phospho enol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is a key regulatory enzyme in renal gluconeogenesis. Activation of various PEPCK−2300Luc reporter constructs in LLC-PK1-F+ cells, a gluconeogenic line of porcine renal proximal tubule-like cells, by protein kinase A (PKA) is mediated, in part, through the cAMP-response element (CRE)-1 of the PEPCK promoter. Incubation of a CRE-1 containing oligonucleotide with nuclear extracts from LLC-PK1-F+ cells produced multiple bands, all of which were blocked by antibodies that are specific for C/EBPβ but not for C/EBPα or C/EBPδ. Treatment of cells with cAMP did not affect the expression of C/EBPβ, but the observed binding activity was increased nearly threefold. Mutation of CRE-1 to a Gal-4 binding site reduced the PKA-dependent activation of PEPCK−2300Luc to 40% of that observed with the wild-type construct. Coexpression of a chimeric protein containing a Gal-4 binding domain and the transactivation domain of C/EBPβ, but not of C/EBPα or CRE binding protein (CREB), restored full activation by PKA. A deletion construct that lacks the activation domain of C/EBPβ functions as a dominant negative inhibitor. Thus the binding of C/EBPβ to the CRE-1 may contribute to the cAMP-dependent activation of the PEPCK promoter in kidney cells.
Just how Lamarckian is CRISPR-Cas immunity: the continuum of evolvability mechanisms

The CRISPR-Cas system of prokaryotic adaptive immunity displays features of a mechanism for directional, Lamarckian evolution. Indeed, this system modifies a specific locus in a bacterial or archaeal genome by inserting a piece of foreign DNA into a CRISPR array which results in acquired, heritable resistance to the cognate selfish element. A key element of the Lamarckian scheme is the specificity and directionality of the mutational process whereby an environmental cue causes only mutations that provide specific adaptations to the original challenge. In the case of adaptive immunity, the specificity of mutations is equivalent to self-nonself discrimination. Recent studies on the CRISPR mechanism have shown that the levels of discrimination can substantially differ such that in some CRISPR-Cas variants incorporation of DNA is random whereas discrimination occurs by selection of cells that carry cognate inserts. In other systems, a higher level of specificity appears to be achieved via specialized mechanisms. These findings emphasize the continuity between random and directed mutations and the critical importance of evolved mechanisms that govern the mutational process. Reviewers: This article has been reviewed by Yitzhak Pilpel, Martijn Huynen, and Bojan Zagrovic.
Leveraging Online Social Relationships for Predicting User Trustworthiness

Online social networks are becoming important platforms where users make social connections and share information. However, they are vulnerable to malevolent activities by malicious users. Hence, it necessitates effective automatic methods to predict user trustworthiness. The existing works mostly predict the trustworthiness of individual users separately from other users, ignoring the fact that users are related to each other through online social relationships. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic model based on Pairwise Markov Random Field (PMRF) that takes into account both user features and social relationships. In addition, we apply the Belief Propagation (BP) algorithm to perform inference efficiently in PMRF. The complexity of the algorithm grows only linear in the number of users. The experiment results on the Twitter datasets show that the proposed PMRF model can effectively exploit the social relationships to significantly improve the prediction performance.
L1-Grassmann manifolds for robust face recognition

Classification on Grassmann manifolds has found application in computer vision problems because it yields improved accuracy and fast computation times. Grassmann manifolds map subspaces to single points, which involves solving for a unit vector representation that is obtained using principal component analysis (PCA). However, PCA may suffer from the presence of outliers due to noise and occlusions often encountered in unconstrained settings. We address this problem by introducing L 1 -Grassmann manifolds where L 1 -PCA is used for subspace generation during the mapping process. We utilize a new approach to L 1 -PCA and demonstrate the effectiveness of L 1 -Grassmann manifolds for robust face recognition. Results using the Yale face database and the ORL database of faces show that L 1 -Grassmann manifolds outperform traditional L 1 -Grassmann manifolds for face recognition and are more robust to noise and occlusions.
Induction motor bearing fault analysis using Root-MUSIC method

This paper describes a new diagnosis approach, the Root-MUSIC (RM) method, for identification of the progressive cracking in the bearing of induction motors. This approach has several advantages compared to the stator current spectral analysis using the conventional Periodogram method. Indeed, the main advantage of this approach is its very good frequency resolution for a very short acquisition time, something impossible to achieve with the conventional method. However, in order to reduce the computation time which is the main drawback of the RM method, this method will be applied to only a specified frequency band; one that carries information about the sought fault. Experimental results show the effectiveness of RM method on the reliability of the incipient bearing fault detection.
Design of a Constant Water Temperature Fuzzy Control System Based on SCM

A constant water temperature fuzzy control system based on SCM is presented,using the temperature sensor 18B20 to realize real collect of water temperature,inputting set values through a 3*3 keyboard,through the comparison between the detection value and the set temperature value,with the temperature deviation and heating time as input signals and the working status of different temperature regulators as output and through a fuzzy control algorithm,the automatic control of constant water temperature is realized.
From library to discharge: a managing care student project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The Patient Care Project (PCP) was a central component of the Undergraduate Medical Education for the 21st Century (UME-21) grant project at the University of Nebraska. With the primary goal of improving students' critical thinking skills, the PCP was directed more toward an understanding of managing care than the business aspects of managed care and emphasized written communication skills, clinical hypothesis testing, and exploring ways to solve medical and ethical questions. METHODS All 239 students graduating in 2000 and 2001 were required to analyze the medical care received by one of their hospitalized patients. Using a criterion-based evaluation tool, students' written critiques were assessed in five specific areas, all of which required critical thinking skills. Students also received an overall grade for the project. The UME-21 Graduation Survey was used to assess changes in attitudes and behavior. Students graduating in 1999, prior to the institution of the PCP graduation requirement, served as a control group. RESULTS The most frequently discussed topic of the PCPs was cardiovascular disease. The mean overall rating by the faculty for the PCPs was 3.7 and 3.8 in academic years 2000 and 2001, respectively (maximum=5). In a qualitative analysis of the PCPs, students demonstrated insight into their patients' overall medical care, including the use of evidence-based medicine (EBM), quality improvement, and cost containment. There were no statistically significant differences, however, between the PCP and control groups on the UME-21 Graduation Survey. Nonetheless, more students who had completed the PCP reported that they had identified the total cost of a patient's stay, designed a quality improvement loop, and obtained clinical evidence from an EBM computer database. On this same survey, all students agreed with the use of clinical practice guidelines and cost containment. CONCLUSIONS The PCP appeared to be relevant to the students' learning needs, and they provided cogent critiques of the medical care they had rendered as well as critical analyses of their patients' discharge summaries and the cost of care including ways to reduce cost. On the other hand, we were unable to demonstrate any substantial differences in the results of the UME-21 Graduation Survey given to both the PCP and control groups. In spite of this lack of effect on students' attitudes, the PCP was perceived by the faculty to be valuable and has been incorporated into the required third-year family medicine clerkship at the University of Nebraska.
Renal function in the fetal lamb: a chronic model to study physiological effects of ureteral ligation and deligation.

AbstractBetween 53 and 98 days of gestation 11 fetal lambs were subjected to unilateral ureteral ligation. In 8 fetuses re-exploration was performed 35 to 41 days after ligation. Chronic catheterization of the obstructed kidney, bladder and fetal vascular system was used for analysis of physiological data. Average creatinine clearance was 1.35 ± 0.067ml. per minute in the control kidney and 0.226 ± 0.057ml. per minute in the obstructed kidney after diversion. Free water clearance, osmolar clearance and fractional sodium excretions were not statistically significantly different in control and obstructed kidneys.
Fouling resistant nanocomposite cation exchange membrane with enhanced power generation for reverse electrodialysis

Abstract Renewable energy can be generated from the mixing of seawater with river water by reverse electrodialysis (RED). As part of the RED system, ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are key factors to the success of future RED energy generation. This research presents the synthesis and characterization of a new kind of nanocomposite cation exchange membrane (CEM) by using oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNTs) blended with sulfonated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (SPPO). The nanocomposite CEM showed simultaneous improvement of membrane anti-fouling performance and energy generation performance in RED systems. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of nanocomposite CEMs were enhanced compared to pristine SPPO CEMs. The results indicated that the optimal inorganic loadings were 0.3–0.5 wt%, which showed the best anti-fouling performance and highest power density in RED. The results show that O-MWCNTs are promising materials to improve properties of IEMs, and nanocomposite IEMs are competitive candidates for application in electrochemical systems like RED.
Ergotismo por uso simultáneo de ergotamínico y terapia antiretroviral.

High activity antiretroviral therapy may exacerbate the activity of ergot alkaloids due to an inhibition of cytochrome P450. We report a 57 years old female with AIDS treated with lamivudine, zidovudine, atazanavir, ritonavir and cotrimoxazole presenting with ischemic signs in the four limbs. There was acrocyanosis and weak radial and ulnar pulses. A family member referred that the patient used ergot alkaloids for headaches. An ergotism due to the simultaneous use of ergot alkaloids and antiretroviral therapy was suspected. The latter was discontinued and intravenous nitroglycerin, nifedipine and pentoxifyline were started with good results.
Suboptimal Clinical Documentation in Young Children with Severe Obesity at Tertiary Care Centers.

Background and Objectives. The prevalence of severe obesity in children has doubled in the past decade. The objective of this study is to identify the clinical documentation of obesity in young children with a BMI ≥ 99th percentile at two large tertiary care pediatric hospitals. Methods. We used a standardized algorithm utilizing data from electronic health records to identify children with severe early onset obesity (BMI ≥ 99th percentile at age ), African American children (27% versus 19% in whites, ), and the obesity focused specialty clinics (70% versus 15% in primary care and 9% in other subspecialty clinics, ). Conclusions. There is significant opportunity for improvement in documentation of obesity in young children, even years after the 2007 AAP guidelines for management of obesity.