cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of turbulent reacting gas jets in liquids at different temperatures and pressures

Abstract New equilibrium state relationships have been constructed for the liquid metal combustion simulation reactants: hydrogen chloride gas as oxidant and ammonia aqueous solution as fuel. The state relationships have been employed to predict the structure of sonic, turbulent, reacting HCl gas jets submerged in ammonia aqueous solutions. Fuel temperature and ambient pressure effects have been examined. It is found that either raising fuel temperature or lowering ambient pressure will increase the fuel evaporation, decrease the entrainment rate, delay the completion of reaction and extend greatly the total jet penetration length. Good agreement has been found with reported experimental data of the jet penetration length over a wide range of experimental conditions with varying fuel concentration, temperature and ambient pressure.
Expression of platelet-derived growth factor ligands and receptors by rat aortic endothelium in vivo.

In situ hybridization and immunostaining were used to study the time course of expression for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) ligands and receptors in endothelium of the rat aorta after injury.
GlobalL∞Estimates for a Class of Reaction–Diffusion Systems

Abstract We show that a priori L 1 estimates (dissipativity) imply L ∞ estimates (dissipativity) for a class of reaction–diffusion systems. This generalizes the results obtained in biological models such as unmixed bioreactors, plug-flow models, and Lotka–Volterra systems.
Selling the Market Educational Standards, Discourse and Social Inequality

The call for national and state-level educational standards has swept across the American educational scene in the last 15 years. Using a language of competition, fair play and equal treatment, standards advocates have captured a broad spectrum of both conservative and liberal support. Drawing upon journalistic reports, advocacy documents and interview data, the A. presents an analysis of interconnected aspects of the evolution of educational reform discourse, in particular, advocacy from the leadership of a national teachers' union and classroom teachers' situated responses to ongoing changes. Critically appropriating from Fairclough's analytic schema and commensurable concepts in Silverstein and Urban, he analyzes interactional figures and socio-political themes involved in the elite and non-elite discourse of standards, with particular focus on the neo-liberal trope of a new era of work and associated fears of increasing inequality. He concludes by assessing the differing strengths of the two frameworks as well as the role of discourse analysis more generally in critical social inquiry.
Modeling Sublimation of a Charring Ablator

The Hertz-Knudsen analysis is shown to accurately predict the sublimation rate from a charring ablator. Porosity is shown to have a significant effect on the surface temperature. The predominant carbon species found in the vapor is C3, which agrees well with the results of previous investigations.
Distal hind-limb reflex responses in cats with largely intact spinal reflex circuits.

Abstract Reflex responses to single shocks to peripheral nerves were studied in the small muscles of the hind limb of the decerebrated and subsequently spinalized cat. Monosynaptic and high threshold polysynaptic reflexes of plantar muscles evoked by tibial nerve shocks were significantly more active in preparations that had extensive dissection of nerves and muscles. Monosynaptic reflexes were more active in the plantar flexor portion than in other parts of the interosseus. Compared with proximal limb muscles, this muscle showed features of reflex behavior that were neither consistently flexor nor extensor. In spinal animals the threshold of the tibialis anterior to tibial nerve shocks was often less than the threshold for other muscles, suggesting a function other than nociceptive flexion reflex, probably tactile influence in gait. Extensor digitorum brevis reflexes did not exhibit the flexor reflex pattern typified by those of the tibialis anterior muscle. The data further suggest activation of these reflexes by Ib interosseus muscle afferents and plantar cutaneous afferents and tonic inhibition from Ia receptors.
Scattering of flexural waves on thin plates

Abstract Some general results are presented concerning the scattering of flexural waves from regions of inhomogeneity on flat plates. We derive a flux conservation relation for arbitrary motion, and show that it simplifies for periodic motion. An optical theorem is obtained relating the total scattered flux for a straight-crested incident wave to the scattering amplitude in the forward direction. Scattering by circular inclusions with different plate properties is discussed, and numerical results are presented. The response simplifies for the limiting cases of a hole and a rigid obstacle, but with quite different behavior for each. A rigid obstacle can produce an unbounded scattering cross-section as the frequency tends to zero, whereas the cross-section of a hole vanishes in the same limit.
Earth and Space Science Ph.D. Class of 2003 Report released

AGU and the American Geological Institute (AGI) released on 26 July an employment study of 180 Earth and space science Ph.D. recipients who received degrees from U.S. universities in 2003. The AGU/AGI survey asked graduates about their education and employment, efforts to find their first job after graduation, and experiences in graduate school. Key results from the study include: The vast majority (87%) of 2003 graduates found work in the Earth and space sciences, earning salaries commensurate with or slightly higher than 2001 and 2002 salary averages. Most (64%) graduates were employed within academia (including postdoctoral appointments), with the remainder in government (19%), industry (10%), and other (7%) sectors. Most graduates were positive about their employment situation and found that their work was challenging, relevant, and appropriate for someone with a Ph.D. The percentage of Ph.D. recipients accepting postdoctoral positions (58%) increased slightly from 2002. In contrast, the fields of physics and chemistry showed significant increases in postdoctoral appointments for Ph.D.s during the same time period. As in previous years, recipients of Ph.D.s in the Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences (median age of 32.7 years) are slightly older than Ph.D. recipients in most other natural sciences (except computer sciences), which is attributed to time taken off between undergraduate and graduate studies. Women in the Earth, atmospheric,and ocean sciences earned 33% of Ph.D.s in the class of 2003, surpassing the percentage of Ph.D.s earned by women in chemistry (32%) and well ahead of the percentage in computer sciences (20%), physics (19%), and engineering (17%). Participation of other underrepresented groups in the Earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences remained extremely low.
Gonadotropic hormone; comparison of ultrafiltration and alcohol-precipitation methods of recovery from urine.

TREATMENT of the hypogonadal patient, either male or female, cannot reasonably be instituted until a definitive diagnosis is established. The definitive diagnosis must state whether gonadal failure primarily involves the gonad or is secondary to failure of pituitary gonadotropin secretion. The only sure way to make this differentiation is to determine the amount of gonadotropic hormone in blood or urine. If gonadal failure is secondary to pituitary failure, urinary gonadotropins will be distinctly lower than normal and stimulation by administration of gonadotropins is indicated. If gonadal failure is primary in the gonad, urinary gonadotropins will be distinctly higher than normal and administration of gonadotropins will fail to stimulate the gonad. Therefore substitutional therapy with sex hormones is permissible. As yet methods for recovering and assaying urinary gonadotropins have been too complex, time-consuming and expensive for clinic and hospital laboratories, and as a consequence have been limited...
Distributed Recycling of Post-Consumer Plastic Waste in Rural Areas

Although the environmental benefits of recycling plastics are well established and most geographic locations within the U.S. offer some plastic recycling, recycling rates are often low. Low recycling rates are often observed in conventional centralized recycling plants due to the challenge of collection and transportation for high-volume low-weight polymers. The recycling rates decline further when low population density, rural and relatively isolated communities are investigated because of the distance to recycling centers makes recycling difficult and both economically and energetically inefficient. The recent development of a class of open source hardware tools (e.g. RecycleBots) able to convert post-consumer plastic waste to polymer filament for 3-D printing offer a means to increase recycling rates by enabling distributed recycling. In addition, to reducing the amount of plastic disposed of in landfills, distributed recycling may also provide low-income families a means to supplement their income with domestic production of small plastic goods. This study investigates the environmental impacts of polymer recycling. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) for centralized plastic recycling is compared to the implementation of distributed recycling in rural areas. Environmental impact of both recycling scenarios is quantified in terms of energy use per unit mass of recycled plastic. A sensitivity analysis is used to determine the environmental impacts of both systems as a function of distance to recycling centers. The results of this LCA study indicate that distributed recycling of HDPE for rural regions is energetically favorable to either using virgin resin or conventional recycling processes. This study indicates that the technical progress in solar photovoltaic devices, open-source 3-D printing and polymer filament extrusion have made distributed polymer recycling and upcycling technically viable.
Analytical Optimization of Solid–Round-Wire Windings

In this paper, an analytical optimization of solid-round-wire windings conducting sinusoidal current is performed. New closed-form analytical equations are derived for the normalized solid-round-wire diameter to achieve minimum ac winding losses for sinusoidal current. Approximations of Dowell's equation are used to derive expressions for normalized diameter at the local minimum of winding ac resistance and normalized critical diameter. An equation for the winding ac resistance at the local minimum is derived. Additionally, equations for the normalized diameter at the local maximum of ac resistance and the normalized boundary diameter between low- and medium-frequency ranges are given. The formulas enable inductor and transformer designers to minimize winding loss without utilizing finite-element method analysis. Experimental verification of the presented theory is given.
Student Response Technology: Empirically grounded or just a gimmick?

Student Response Technology (SRT) involves the use of hand‐held remotes by students during classroom lectures to electronically respond to questions. This study surveyed 350 students enrolled in one of 13 lower‐division university science classes taught by five different instructors who used SRT. The survey probed students’ perceptions of SRT in terms of enhancing student learning, and investigated which features of SRT students felt had the greatest/least impact on student learning. The majority of students reported that the SRT increased their content understanding, class participation, alertness, and interactions with fellow students, helped with examination preparation, provided important and immediate instructor feedback, and made class more enjoyable. Students in this study scored more positively than peer groups on survey questions related to student engagement in academic and intellectual experiences, suggesting that SRT helps to promote student engagement. Important instructor actions identified ...
Solidly modeled views of the 21st century from a small, rural university

It is noted that the mechanical arts/mechanical drawing/engineering graphics curriculum has undergone many changes since the beginnings of the American Society for Engineering Education in 1893. It is suggested that the changes which have occurred at the author's small, rural university (Mississippi State University) may perhaps reflect the changes at other engineering institutions. The impact of computing and the personal computer on the engineering graphics curriculum has been profound. The changes in the curriculum of graphic communication are recounted. A view for the future is given with emphasis on educating engineers for the world market, the sources of these new engineering students, and the sources of funds for technology development. In addition, a description of a service curriculum for engineering is presented, and strategies for recruiting and retaining engineering students for the workforce of the 21st century are discussed. >
Probing Substates in Sperm Whale Myoglobin Using High-Pressure Crystallography

Pressures in the 100 MPa range are known to have an enormous number of effects on the action of proteins, but straightforward means for determining the structural basis of these effects have been lacking. Here, crystallography has been used to probe effects of pressure on sperm whale myoglobin structure. A comparison of pressure effects with those seen at low pH suggests that structural changes under pressure are interpretable as a shift in the populations of conformational substates. Furthermore, a novel high-pressure protein crystal-cooling method has been used to show low-temperature metastability, providing an alternative to room temperature, beryllium pressure cell-based techniques. The change in protein structure due to pressure is not purely compressive and involves conformational changes important to protein activity. Correlation with low-pH structures suggests observed structural changes are associated with global conformational substates. Methods developed here open up a direct avenue for exploration of the effects of pressure on proteins.
Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are required for hypoxic HIF alpha stabilization.

Multicellular organisms initiate adaptive responses when oxygen (O2) availability decreases. The underlying mechanisms of O2 sensing remain unclear. Mitochondria have been implicated in many hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) -dependent and -independent hypoxic responses. However, the role of mitochondria in mammalian cellular O2 sensing has remained controversial, particularly regarding the use pharmacologic agents to effect hypoxic HIFα stabilization, which has produced conflicting data in the literature. Using murine embryonic cells lacking cytochrome c, we show that mitochondrial reactive O2 species (ROS) are essential for O2 sensing and subsequent HIFα stabilization at 1.5% O2. In the absence of this signal, HIFα subunits continue to be hydroxylated and degraded via the proteasome. Importantly, exogenous treatment with H2O2 and severe O2 deprivation is sufficient to stabilize HIFα even in the absence of functional mitochondrial. These results demonstrate that mitochondria function as O2 sensors and signal hypoxic HIFα stabilization by releasing ROS to the cytoplasm. The cytochrome c mutant embryonic cells provide a unique reagent to further dissect the role of mitochondria in O2 mediated-intracellular events.
Echoes of echoes? An episodic theory of lexical access.

In this article the author proposes an episodic theory of spoken word representation, perception, and production. By most theories, idiosyncratic aspects of speech (voice details, ambient noise, etc.) are considered noise and are filtered in perception. However, episodic theories suggest that perceptual details are stored in memory and are integral to later perception. In this research the author tested an episodic model (MINERVA 2; D. L. Hintzman, 1986) against speech production data from a word-shadowing task. The model predicted the shadowing-response-time patterns, and it correctly predicted a tendency for shadowers to spontaneously imitate the acoustic patterns of words and nonwords. It also correctly predicted imitation strength as a function of "abstract" stimulus properties, such as word frequency. Taken together, the data and theory suggest that detailed episodes constitute the basic substrate of the mental lexicon. Early in the 20th century, Semon (1909/1923) described a memory theory that anticipated many aspects of contemporary theories (Schacter, Eich, & Tulving, 1978). In modem parlance, this was an episodic (or exemplar) theory, which assumes that every experience, such as perceiving a spoken word, leaves a unique memory trace. On presentation of a new word, all stored traces are activated, each according to its similarity to the stimulus. The most activated traces connect the new word to stored knowledge, the essence of recognition. The multiple-trace assumption allowed Semon's theory to explain the apparent permanence of specific memories; the challenge was also to create
Sparse Soluton for Fluorescent Diffuse Optical Tomography Systems: Phantom Results

We present a method for accurate localization of fluorescent probes using fluorescent diffuse optical tomography (FDOT). Experimental results for a milk phantom demonstrate the capability of this method in accurately localizing small fluorescent objects.
Epidemiology of early cardiovascular disease: Observations from the Bogalusa heart study.

Cardiovascular risk factors associated with underlying coronary artery and hypertensive disease develop during childhood. Race- and sex-specific observations from childhood to young adulthood provide clues to the clinical presentation of cardiovascular disease risk later in life. Of particular interest are observations on distributions of levels, tracking, and determinants of lipoproteins and blood pressure, and the impact of obesity on cardiovascular risk during transition periods of growth and maturation. Mean levels of serum lipids and lipoproteins reach adult levels by 2 years of age. After a slight decline during puberty, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) rises rapidly in young adulthood while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) declines during adolescence to reach adult levels, particularly for White males. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures tend to increase with growth until adult stature is reached with somewhat higher levels seen in Blacks. Significant consistency in ranks over time (tracking) is noted. The single best predictor of young adult levels is the level during childhood. Obesity and lifestyles influence lipoprotein levels early in life with risk factor variables clustering just as in adults. Autopsy studies reveal a significant relation of coronary artery lesions to adverse lipoprotein profiles, blood pressure and obesity, especially in males, underlying the importance of multiple risk factors. These observations emphasize the need for developing preventive approaches to adult cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Use of systolic time intervals in studying hypertension.

Summary Systolic time intervals were measured in 54 hypertensive patients divided into three groups according to severity of hypertension, variability of blood pressure levels and presence or absence of a hyperkinetic heart. The three groups were: borderline hypertension (BLH), fixed essential hypertension (FEU) and hyperkinetic essential hypertension (HEH). Systolic time intervals (STI) provided information indicating an increased cardio-adrenergic drive in BLH and HEH. This was supported by finding that propranolol abolished the increased contractility found at rest in BLH and HEH.
Parallel High Throughput Soft-Output Sphere Decoding Algorithm

Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output communication systems demand fast sphere decoding with high performance. To speed up the computation, we propose a scheme with multiple fixed complexity sphere decoders to construct a parallel soft-output fixed complexity sphere decoder (PFSD). The proposed decoder is highly parallel and has performance comparable to soft-output list fixed complexity sphere decoder (LFSD) and K-best sphere decoder. In addition, we propose a parallel QR decomposition algorithm to lower the preprocessing overhead, and a low complexity LLR algorithm to allow parallel update of LLR values. We demonstrate that the PFSD algorithm can increase the throughput and reduce bit error rate of a soft-output solution in a 4?×?4 16-QAM system, and has superior performance compared to other soft decoders with comparable throughput and computation complexity. The PFSD algorithm has been mapped onto Xilinx XC4VLX160 FPGA. The resulting PFSD decoder can achieve up to 75 Mbps throughput for 4?×?4 64-QAM configuration at 100MHz with low control overhead.
q-DEFORMED Phonons

We make use of a recently identified distribution function for the q-deformed oscillators and apply it to the q-analog of phonons. The thermodynamic properties of such q-phonons and q-photons are derived and compared with the case of ordinary phonons.
Useful plants of dermatology. VIII. The false hellebore (Veratrum californicum)

Plants have and continue to provide medicine with an abundance of pharmacologically interesting and useful chemicals. In recent years, cyclopamine, a steroidal alkaloid isolated from Veratrum californicum, has been instrumental in dissecting the sonic hedgehog pathway. This brief report outlines cyclopamine's discovery with discussion of its potential application to clinical dermatology.
Treatment of antibiotic-associated colitis with vancomycin

Sixty-five patients were treated with oral vancomycin for Clostridium difficile colitis associated with treatment of infection by antibiotics. Colitis was confirmed by endoscopy in patients with diarrhoea and positive tests on diarrhoeal stools for Cl. difficile and/or its cytotoxin or, if endoscopy could not be performed, by the presence of fever and peripheral or faecal leucocytosis. Vancomycin dosage ranged from 125 to 500 mg four times daily for an average of about ten days. The mean duration of diarrhoea after starting therapy was four days; abdominal pain and fever usually resolved in two or three days. Post-treatment carriage of Cl. difficile was common. Eighteen per cent of patients developed a recurrence of colitis after treatment was discontinued, but responded to treatment with oral vancomycin, metronidazole, or bacitracin. After comparison of our results with those reported by others we concluded that vancomycin remains the treatment of choice for patients who are acutely and severely ill with Cl. difficile.
Wives and Daughters: The Differential Role of Day Care Use in the Nursing Home Placement of Cognitively Impaired Family Members

Purpose: To expand knowledge concerning the significance of kin relationships in caregiving, this study assessed predictors of the timing of institutionalization for persons with dementia. The focus was on whether use of adult day care by wives and daughters holds the same implications for placement. Design and Methods: Guided by a caregiving stress process model, primary objective and subjective stressors, secondary stressors, caregiver well-being, and use of day care services were included as predictors. Cox proportional hazards models were tested using a sample of 371 community-dwelling caregivers, including 141 wives and 230 daughters and daughters-in-law. Results: The main effect of kinship was found to be significant before interactions were introduced. Adult day care use at Time 1, role captivity, role overload, and social impact were subsequently found to interact with kinship. Analyses indicated that wives who used adult day care placed their husbands to a nursing home earlier than their counterparts. Among daughters, however, those who used adult day care were more likely to postpone the placement. The influence of role overload was also stronger in wives than in daughters in predicting the timing of placement. A similar pattern was observed in the interaction between social impact and kinship. Implications: The results demonstrate that factors influencing nursing home placement may vary according to the caregiver's familial relationship to the relative. Different approaches may be needed when targeting wife vs. daughter caregivers, especially when designing adult day care programs.
Pretransplant donor-specific transfusion accelerates complement-dependent cardiac allograft dysfunction

Sensitization to major histocompatibility antigens is no longer a contraindication to transplantation. New protocols prevent acute graft loss, but the residual effects of presensitization on graft survival are unknown. We have tested the role of early and late complement cascade in presensitized cardiac allograft recipients. C6-sufficient (C6 ) and -deficient (C6 ) female PVG.1U (RT1.A) rats underwent a blood transfusion from allogeneic PVG.R8 (RT1.A) rats or control isogeneic PVG.1U (RT1.A) rats. All blood recipients received cardiac allografts from PVG.R8 donors 3 weeks after transfusion. Low dose Cyclosporin A (5mg/kg on alternate days) was used for immunosupression after transplantation. Allogeneic but not control isologous blood transfusion elicited strong IgM and IgG alloantibody responses as measured with flow cytometry. A vigorous memory IgG response was elicited by cardiac allografts. Experimental C6 recipients rejected their transplants at an accelerated rate (4 days, n 5), compared with control C6 hosts (7 days, n 5). In contrast, allografts functioned until sacrifice at 90 days in 3 of 4 C6experimental recipients and all C6 control recipients (n 6). Presensitization by blood transfusion caused C6-deficient recipients to produce strong IgG antibodies until rejection or sacrifice. Circulating IgG alloantibodies were correlated with diffuse deposition of C4d on the vascular endothelium of the grafts in immunohistochemical stains. Transplant vasculopathy lesions characterized by smooth muscle proliferation and neointima formation were increased in the presensitized long-term C6-deficient group. In conclusion, presensitization by allogeneic blood transfusions caused accelerated graft rejection in the presence of the complete complement cascade. When the complement cascade is terminated at C6, presensitization resulted in increased deposition of split products of early complement components and more transplant vasculopathy.
Long-term scenarios for aviation: Demand and emissions of CO2 and NOx

This study presents a dynamical systems model for long-term scenarios of demand in the aviation sector and resultant emissions of CO2 and NOx. We analyze the dynamics of demand growth for aviation, particularly in the emerging markets of developing nations. A model for subsonic aviation emissions is presented that reflects the consequences of industry forecasts for improvement in aviation fuel efficiency and emissions indices as well as projections of global economic and population growth over the next century. (Emissions of commercial supersonic aircraft are not modeled here.) The model incorporates a dynamical system of logistic growth towards a time-dependent capacity level. Using the long-term model, we present a set of projections of demand for aviation services, fossil fuel use, and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) through the year 2100; previous forecasts have not extended past 2040. We briefly discuss expectations for the distribution of NOx emissions over altitude and latitude.
Enhanced Activity of the Nucleopolyhedrovirus of the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Bt-Transgenic and Nontransgenic Sweet Corn with a Fluorescent Brightener and a Feeding Stimulant

The effects of a nutrient-based feeding stimulant, Coax, and a stilbene-based optical brightener, Blankophor P167, on the activity of the nucleopolyhedrovirus of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (SfMNPV) on transgenic sweet corn, Zea mays L., expressing a CryIA(b) toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner), were studied in the laboratory. Both Coax and Blankophor P167 increased virus-induced mortality. The effects of both materials did not differ between transgenic and nontransgenic corn. The greatest increase in virus-induced mortality occurred when Coax and Blankophor P167 were combined. Neither material affected the percentage of larvae killed by the CryIA(b) toxin.
A phase II trial of salirasib in patients with stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma enriched for KRAS mutations

8012 Background: KRAS mutations are present in 30% of lung adenocarcinomas and are associated with primary resistance to erlotinib and gefitinib. Salirasib severs RAS proteins from the membrane, decreasing function of all RAS isoforms. Salirasib inhibits KRAS-dependent growth in cell lines and xenograft models. This phase II study was designed to determine the activity of salirasib in patients (pts) with advanced NSCLC enriched for KRAS mutations. Methods: Two cohorts of pts with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC were eligible. Group A: pts with KRAS mutations previously treated with chemotherapy. Group B: previously-untreated pts with ≥15 pack-year smoking history. Salirasib was given orally, for days 1–28 of a 35 day cycle, with response assessment on day 28, day 63, and every 10 weeks (wks) thereafter. The primary endpoint was rate of RECIST non-progression at 10 wks. Secondary endpoints were response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. Results: From August 2007-December 2008, 3...
Four Theories of Things: Aristotle, Marx, Heidegger, and Peirce

AbstractThis essay is about the relation between meaning and materiality. It offers careful and coherent, albeit noncanonical, readings of particular themes in Aristotle, Marx, Heidegger, and Peirce. And it does this in order to draw together some classic understandings of value: use value, in particular, but also exchange value, truth value, and moral value (and much else besides). Originating as a series of lecture notes offered to students interested in theoretical archeology, it culminates in a theory of embedded interpretants (as opposed to enminded, embodied, or entextualized interpretants), with an emphasis on semiotic grounds (as opposed to semiotic processes). It is meant to offer a relatively accessible summary, synthesis, and extension of four seemingly disparate, and often quite difficult, theorists.
Naloxone does not affect the cardiovascular and sympathetic adjustments to static exercise in humans

Previous studies suggested that endogenous opiates may attenuate the cardiovascular and sympathetic adjustments to static exercise. We tested whether this effect originates from exercising skeletal muscle. Eight men performed 2 min of static handgrip (30% maximum) followed by 2 min of posthandgrip muscle ischemia after three interventions: 1) control, 2) intra-arterial injection of naloxone HCl (60 micrograms) or vehicle (saline) in the exercising arm, and 3) systemic infusion of naloxone (4 mg) or vehicle. Naloxone and vehicle trials were performed double blind on separate days. Preexercise baseline muscle sympathetic nerve activity (burst frequency), heart rate, and blood pressure were similar across interventions on either day. During static handgrip, control, intra-arterial, and systemic administration of vehicle and naloxone elicited similar increases in total muscle sympathetic nerve activity (58 +/- 24 vs. 68 +/- 26, 146 +/- 49 vs. 132 +/- 42, 137 +/- 54 vs. 164 +/- 44%, respectively), heart rate (9 +/- 2 vs. 8 +/- 3, 16 +/- 3 vs. 16 +/- 2, 20 +/- 4 vs. 19 +/- 3 beats/min, respectively), and mean arterial pressure (22 +/- 4 vs. 21 +/- 4, 29 +/- 5 vs. 26 +/- 3, 28 +/- 4 vs. 27 +/- 4 mmHg, respectively). Additionally, there were no differences between vehicle and naloxone trials during posthandgrip muscle ischemia. Thus, contrary to previous reports, we conclude that the endogenous opiate peptide system does not modulate cardiovascular and sympathetic responses to brief periods of static exercise or muscle ischemia in humans.
Early-Modern Portuguese Maps: Metaphors of Space and Spaces of Metaphor

This project uses early-modern Portuguese maps as backgrounds of paintings that explore metaphors of expansion, colonialism and race.
Drug eluting antimicrobial vascular catheters: Progress and promise.

Abstract Vascular catheters are critical tools in modern healthcare yet present substantial risks of serious bloodstream infections that exact significant health and economic burdens. Drug-eluting antimicrobial vascular catheters have become important tools in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections and their importance is expected to increase as significant initiatives are expanded to eliminate and make the occurrence of these infections unacceptable. Here we review clinically significant and emerging drug-eluting antimicrobial catheters within the categories of antibiotic, antiseptic, novel bioactive agents and energy-enhanced drug eluting antimicrobial catheters. Important representatives of each category are reviewed from the standpoints of mechanisms of action, physical–chemical properties, safety, in vitro and clinical effectiveness.
Management of Small Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are rare, accounting for only 2 % of pancreatic tumors. Traditional dogma dictates that nonfunctional PNETs are static in size and a correlation between size and malignant potential exists. However, improvements in radiographic technology have pointed to the contrary. Modern imaging is responsible for a rising incidence of PNET diagnoses and for observations that even small tumors may grow. With a steep rise in the diagnosis of small PNETs, the controversial question in modern hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery of appropriate management for small nonfunctional PNETs has never been more important, and this chapter explores the role of surgery.
Case Study 16. Democratizing Homo naledi: A New Model for Fossil Hominin Studies

Analysis of hominin fossils generally requires access to the original material, but that lies scattered among museums around the world. New finds may sit for years inaccessible to scholars before they are formally published. Lee Berger has challenged this convention with his discoveries of two new species, Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi, which he has made available to the field with rapid publication involving teams of both senior and junior scientists. These two species near the transition to genus Homo, join a series of recently recovered hominin skeletons. Each of them might tell us about the origin of humans, but each one seems to tell a different version of the story.
Chemical synthesis of metal nanoparticles and nanoalloys

This chapter describes several chemical methods for the synthesis of nanoalloys with more focus on the Microwave Irradiation (MWI) methods. The important advantage of microwave dielectric heating over convective heating is that the reactants can be added at room temperature (or slightly higher temperatures) without the need for high-temperature injection. The method allows passivation of the nanocrystals by using a mixture of oleylamine and oleic acid as a solvent, a reducing agent, and a capping material. A brief overview of the classical nucleation theory (CNT) is presented since nucleation and growth greatly influence the control of the size and shape of nanoparticles which consequently determine the unique properties that may characterize nanoparticles. Conventional chemical methods for the synthesis of nanalloys using reduction and precipitation of mixed-metal hydroxide solutions and chemical reduction of mixed metal cations are described. The MWI synthesis and characterization of several bimetallic alloys of Au, Pt and Pd with Ru, Rh, Ag, and Cu are presented. Finally, the application of bimetallic nanocrystals for the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide is described and discussed. High activity and thermal stability have been observed for the nanoalloys according to the order: CuPd > CuRh > AuPd > AuRh > PtRh > PdRh > AuPt. The method could be applied for the synthesis of multimetallic nanoalloys with novel properties resulting from the different metallic properties coupled together in a single nanoalloy.
Immigrants in the one percent: The national origin of top wealth owners.

Background Economic inequality in the United States is extreme, but little is known about the national origin of affluent households. Households in the top one percent by total wealth own vastly disproportionate quantities of household assets and have correspondingly high levels of economic, social, and political influence. The overrepresentation of white natives (i.e., those born in the U.S.) among high-wealth households is well-documented, but changing migration dynamics suggest that a growing portion of top households may be immigrants. Methods Because no single survey dataset contains top wealth holders and data about country of origin, this paper uses two publicly-available data sets: the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Multiple imputation is used to impute country of birth from the SIPP into the SCF. Descriptive statistics are used to demonstrate reliability of the method, to estimate the prevalence of immigrants among top wealth holders, and to document patterns of asset ownership among affluent immigrants. Results Significant numbers of top wealth holders who are usually classified as white natives may be immigrants. Many top wealth holders appear to be European and Canadian immigrants, and increasing numbers of top wealth holders are likely from Asia and Latin America as well. Results suggest that of those in the top one percent of wealth holders, approximately 3% are European and Canadian immigrants, .5% are from Mexico or Cuban, and 1.7% are from Asia (especially Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and India). Ownership of key assets varies considerably across affluent immigrant groups. Conclusion Although the percentage of top wealth holders who are immigrants is relatively small, these percentages represent large numbers of households with considerable resources and corresponding social and political influence. Evidence that the propensity to allocate wealth to real and financial assets varies across immigrant groups suggests that wealth ownership is more global than previous research suggests and that immigrant groups are likely to become more prevalent in top wealth positions in the U.S. As the representation of immigrants in top wealth positions grows, their economic, social, and political influence is likely to increase as well.
Migration: Homeland and Diaspora

This chapter presents a short historical overview on the civil war in Sri Lanka (1983–2009), recognizing the ethnic and cultural dimensions of Sri Lankan Tamils, and acknowledges the complexity of conditions which have contributed to an increase in migration over decades, expanding the Tamil diaspora. In the next sections, we identify some of the general issues that have arisen within the broader Sri Lankan Tamil community in Toronto as a result of migration/forced migration and among the Adhiparasakthi community as well. Voices and concerns are presented with regard to issues of healing, heritage preservation and cultural identity.
Multivariate soft repulsive system identification for constructing rule-based classification systems

Rule-based classification systems constructed upon linguistic terms in the antecedent and consequent of the rules lack sufficient generalization capabilities. This paper proposes a new multivariate fuzzy system identification algorithm to design binary rule-based classification structures through making use of the repulsive forces between the cluster prototypes of different class labels. This approach is coupled with the potential discrimination power of each dimension in the feature space to increase the generalization potential. To address this issue, first the multivariate variant of a newly proposed soft clustering algorithm along with its mathematical foundations is proposed. Next, the discriminatory power of each individual feature is computed, using the multivariate membership values in the proposed clustering algorithm to achieve the most accurate firing degree in each rule. The main advantage of this method is to handle unbalanced datasets yielding superior true positive measure while keeping the false positive rate low enough to avoid the natural bias toward class labels containing larger number of training samples. To validate the proposed approaches, a series of numerical experiments on publicly available datasets and a real clinical dataset collected by our team were conducted. Simulation results demonstrated achievement of the primary goals of this research.
VLP-based vaccine induces immune control of Staphylococcus aureus virulence regulation

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and mounting antibiotic resistance requires innovative treatment strategies. S. aureus uses secreted cyclic autoinducing peptides (AIPs) and the accessory gene regulator (agr) operon to coordinate expression of virulence factors required for invasive infection. Of the four agr alleles (agr types I-IV and corresponding AIPs1-4), agr type I isolates are most frequently associated with invasive infection. Cyclization via a thiolactone bond is essential for AIP function; therefore, recognition of the cyclic form of AIP1 may be necessary for antibody-mediated neutralization. However, the small sizes of AIPs and labile thiolactone bond have hindered vaccine development. To overcome this, we used a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine platform (PP7) for conformationally-restricted presentation of a modified AIP1 amino acid sequence (AIP1S). Vaccination with PP7-AIP1S elicited AIP1-specific antibodies and limited agr-activation in vivo. Importantly, in a murine SSTI challenge model with a highly virulent agr type I S. aureus isolate, PP7-AIP1S vaccination reduced pathogenesis and increased bacterial clearance compared to controls, demonstrating vaccine efficacy. Given the contribution of MRSA agr type I isolates to human disease, vaccine targeting of AIP1-regulated virulence could have a major clinical impact in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Longitudinal variation of microbial communities in benthic biofilms and association with hydrological and physicochemical conditions in glacier-fed streams

AbstractGlacier-fed streams are highly dynamic environments that integrate upstream catchment processes and are prominent geomorphological and ecological components of alpine landscapes. In these systems, hydrological and physicochemical factors change significantly with location downstream of the glacier. Variation in microbial communities in benthic biofilms along such gradients are not well studied, nor do we understand how hydrological and physicochemical factors drive those changes. We characterized microbial community structure in 2 glacier-fed streams in the Tianshan Mountains, central Asia, by sequencing 16S ribosomal (r)RNA genes in benthic biofilms and documented abiotic environmental conditions. Alpha diversity indices of microbes in benthic biofilms (number of operational taxonomic units, evenness, phylogenetic diversity) were significantly related to hydrological factors, including distance to glacier (GD), glacier area proportion (GA), and glacier source proportion (GS), and physicochemical ...
THE EVOLUTION OF VOLUNTARY HEALTH AND WELFARE ORGANIZATION ACCOUNTING: 1910 - 1985

This article chronicles and compares the attempts made over the years by Voluntary Health and Welfare Organizations (VHWO), accountants and accounting bodies to determine VHWO accounting principles. Also discussed are the events that led to the recognition of the need for generally accepted accounting principles for VHWOs. The article highlights the need for more attention to VHWO accounting by accountants and accounting researchers and provides a foundation for understanding VHWO accounting in the past.
Self-Management Strategies for Stress and Anxiety Used by Nontreatment Seeking Veteran Primary Care Patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: One of the most common reasons individuals do not seek mental health treatment is a preference to manage emotional concerns on their own. Self-management refers to the strategies that individuals use on their own (i.e., without professional guidance) to manage symptoms. Little research has examined self-management for anxiety despite its potential utility as the first step in a stepped care approach to primary care. The objectives of this study were to describe patients' anxiety self-management strategies, identify which types were perceived to be effective, and explore potential correlates. Materials and Methods: This was an exploratory descriptive study (N = 182) of nontreatment seeking Veterans Health Administration primary care patients (M = 58.3 years of age, SD = 14.9) who reported current anxiety symptoms (≥8 on Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7). The Institutional Review Board approved the study, and all participants provided informed consent. We assessed self-management strate...
Muscle-Bone Interactions in Pediatric Bone Diseases

Here, we review the skeletal effects of pediatric muscle disorders as well as muscle impairment in pediatric bone disorders. When starting in utero, muscle disorders can lead to congenital multiple contractures. Pediatric-onset muscle weakness such as cerebral palsy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, or spina bifida typically are associated with small diameter of long-bone shafts, low density of metaphyseal bone, and increased fracture incidence in the lower extremities, in particular, the distal femur. Primary bone diseases can affect muscles through generic mechanisms, such as decreased physical activity or in disease-specific ways. For example, the collagen defect underlying the bone fragility of osteogenesis imperfecta may also affect muscle force generation or transmission. Transforming growth factor beta released from bone in Camurati Engelman disease may decrease muscle function. Considering muscle-bone interactions does not only contribute to the understanding of musculoskeletal disorders but also can identify new targets for therapeutic interventions.
High power beta electron device - Beyond betavoltaics.

Abstract Developing watt level power sources with beta emitting radioisotopes has been limited by the inability to utilize high energy (> 100 KeV) beta emitters at high radioisotope loadings without damaging the energy conversion materials. A new type of beta electron power source is described that removes those restrictions. The approach contains the radioisotope in a beta transparent titanium tube and confines beta electrons emitted through the tube wall to spiral trajectories around the tube with an axial magnetic field. The confined beta electrons dissipate energy though multiple interactions with surrounding excimer precursor gas atoms to efficiently generate photons. Photovoltaic cells convert the photons to electrical power. Since the beta electrons dissipate energy in the excimer precursor gas, the device can be loaded with more than 1013 Bq of radioisotope to generate 100 milliwatt to watt levels of electrical power without damaging the device materials or degrading its performance. The power source can use a variety of beta radioisotopes and scales by stacking the devices.
South Asian Adults' Performance on Executive Function Tests

Purpose This study compared the performance of South Asian and White adults on the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS; Wilson, Alderman, Burgess, Emslie, & Evans, 1996) and t...
Succession Planning Management

Discussed in this chapter are the implications of succession planning for organizations. Succession management includes recruiting, talent management, employee training, and employee retention. The management of people is considered a strategic resource that requires planning. Management at all levels is integrated into the succession planning process.