cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Optical Technique for Measuring Transient and Residual Interstory Drift as Seismic Structural Health Monitoring (S2HM) Observables

Building interstory drift (ID), which is a measure of the relative displacement between two successive floors in a vibrating building, is a key response parameter utilized in both seismic design and post-earthquake damage assessments. To this point in time, there has been no accepted methodology or sensor technology for reliable and accurate direct measurements of building drift. Indirect measurement of drift, through signal processing and double integration of accelerometer data, is fraught with challenges, particularly when inelasticity-induced permanent drifts occur. In this paper, recent developments toward a new optically-based technique for measurement of both transient interstory drift (TID(t)) and residual interstory drift (RID) are described. The ability of a newly designed laser-based optical sensor system to directly measure interstory drift is demonstrated through experimental and model-based evaluations. This sensor technology has progressed to the point where practical application is feasible as an enabling S2HM technology.
Democracy, consumption, and growth in sub-Saharan Africa:

This article studies the effect of political regime type on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Democracy promotes growth because it conditions government consumption so that consumption is used...
Arsenic sequestration by iron oxide coated geopolymer microspheres

Abstract A green, low-cost adsorbent based on geopolymer “microspheres” is reported for the first time for arsenic adsorption. A simple two-step process involves synthesizing geopolymer microspheres by inverse suspension polymerization and impregnating them with iron oxide. The low hydraulic conductivity of fine iron oxide powders demands the use of suitable support materials. Iron oxide modified geopolymer microparticles synthesized here, are small, spherical, porous, mechanically, and chemically stable, have high surface area of 270 m2/g and can be easily separated from water after adsorption is complete. A comprehensive adsorption study was conducted by employing environmentally critical arsenic species, viz. As(III), As(V), monomethyl arsenate and dimethyl arsenate. The role of contact time, initial arsenic concentration, temperature, adsorbent dosage, pH and competing ions was evaluated. Highest arsenic adsorption was observed at an iron content of 20 wt%. High percent removal of ∼86%, 100%, 95% and 96% for As(III), As(V), DMA and MMA respectively, were observed at initial arsenic concentration of 0.5 mg/L, an adsorbent dosage of 10 g/L and in just 60 min. Low pH favored adsorption of As(V), monomethyl arsenate and dimethyl arsenate while high pH favored adsorption of As(III). The applicability of the novel adsorbent in column mode, its high regeneration capacity and, facile, green, and cheap production are few of its advantages. Moreover, unmodified geopolymer microspheres, introduced here, can be employed as adsorbents for other toxic heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Hg.
Evidence of Intra-Household Flypaper Effects from a Nutrition Intervention in Rural Guatemala

Programs designed to improve child nutrition are widespread. The ability of such programs to improve the nutrition of individual children depends on how households choose to allocate resources among their members; interventions that target specific individuals in a household may be neutralized by reallocations of the resource away from the child. On the other hand, the transfer may not be reallocated away, a phenomenon called the intra-household 'flypaper effect' because the transfer 'sticks' to the child. This paper contributes to the literature on flypaper effects using data from a nutrition intervention fielded in rural Guatemala. In this study, villages were randomly assigned to receive either, a calorie and protein dense drink called atole or a control beverage, fresco. All village members were eligible to consume these drinks. Using these data, we show that while there is some reallocation of food away from the child at home, total caloric intake rises. About half of the calories children receive from the atole supplement are crowded out at home. By contrast, approximately 80 percent of the protein that they consume from the supplement 'sticks' with them. Even if the quantity of food consumed at home is reduced, the quality of their diet may still improve substantially.
The cGAS-STING pathway connects mitochondrial damage to inflammation in burn-induced acute lung injury in rat

Abstract Objective Damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are pathological mediators linking local tissue damage to systemic inflammation in various diseases. Some DAMPs, such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), can be recognized by the cytoplasmic cGAS protein to trigger the activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-dependent innate immune pathway responsible for infection or sterile inflammation. The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between circulating mtDNA and cGAS-STING pathway activation in mediating inflammation following burn injury. Methods 48 adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into eight groups (Sham, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72 h after burn injury). The animals underwent 40% total body surface area scald injury to produce a full-thickness burn. Plasma samples were collected via cardiac puncture under deep anesthesia. Tissues were harvested and placed in formalin, followed by paraffin embedment. Total plasma DNA was isolated followed by measurement of mtDNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Haemotoxylin-Eosin stain and Western blot was used for lung histology and protein assays, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and student’s t-test and represented as mean ± s.d. Results Plasma mtDNA trended upward at early time-points following burn injury with peak levels at 8 h after burn when compared to the control group (345 ± 83.4 copies/μl vs. 239 ± 43.1 copies/μl, p = 0.07) and followed a bell-shaped distribution. Lung slices from burned rats showed acute injury marked by increased inflammatory infiltrate, with the maximum changes seen at 24 h, accompanied with significant upregulation of neutrophil elastase (p = 0.04). Compared with sham animals, cGAS and STING protein levels in lung tissue were up-regulated at 4 and 8 h after burn (p = 0.03 and p Conclusion Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway by increased plasma mtDNA is an important pathway driving neutrophil infiltration in burn-induced acute lung injury in rats. A further understanding of the STING-mediated immunopathology in lung and other susceptible organs may be important for the development of novel therapies for burn injury.
Dose selection for intracerebroventricular cerliponase alfa in children with CLN2 disease, translation from animal to human in a rare genetic disease

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2 disease) is an ultra-rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1). In the absence of adequate TPP1, lysosomal storage material accumulation occurs in the central nervous system (CNS) accompanied by neurodegeneration and neurological decline that culminates in childhood death. Cerliponase alfa is a recombinant human TPP1 enzyme replacement therapy administered via intracerebroventricular infusion and approved for the treatment of CLN2 disease. Here, we describe two allometric methods, calculated by scaling brain mass across species, that informed the human dose selection and exposure prediction of cerliponase alfa from preclinical studies in monkeys and a dog model of CLN2 disease: (1) scaling of dose using a human-equivalent dose factor; and (2) scaling of compartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) model parameters. Source PK data were obtained from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from dogs and monkeys, and the human exposure predictions were confirmed with CSF data from the first-in-human clinical study. Nonclinical and clinical data were analyzed using noncompartmental analysis and nonlinear mixed-effect modeling approaches. Both allometric methods produced CSF exposure predictions within twofold of the observed exposure parameters maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) and area under the curve (AUC). Furthermore, cross-species qualification produced consistent and reasonable PK profile predictions, which supported the allometric scaling of model parameters. The challenges faced in orphan drug development place an increased importance on, and opportunity for, data translation from research and nonclinical development. Our approach to dose translation and human exposure prediction for cerliponase alfa may be applicable to other CNS administered therapies being developed.
Impact of Synchronous Condensers on Power System Static Voltage Stability Considering Line Contingencies in the Presence of Renewable Generation

Ever-growing electrical loads are having a huge impact on the operation and stability of the power system. Moreover, the integration of renewable generation poses various challenges to the future power system, especially, regarding stability. Thus, this paper presents the impact of synchronous condensers (SCs) on static voltage stability analysis for a test transmission network, considering line contingencies, in the presence of renewable generation. The main purpose of this study was to identify critical buses in the power system when line contingencies occur. Both (N-1) and (N-2) contingencies were considered in this study. The impact of renewable generation is also assessed. To analyze the static voltage stability, the conventional power-voltage (P-V) curve method, using continuation power flow (CPF), is applied on the IEEE 14-bus test system. DIgSILENT PowerFactory software simulations are used to obtain the results. The P-V analysis accurately quantifies the critical buses for both cases, considering (N-1) and (N-2) line contingencies.
Contributing Variables to Post Mastectomy Tissue Expander Infection

Abstract: Tissue expander breast reconstruction is a common post mastectomy breast procedure performed by plastic surgeons. The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of breast reconstruction prosthetic infection, relate patient characteristics with increased rate of infection, and analyze the influence of postoperative complications to expander/implant infection. A retrospective, single-institution chart review of 195 women with post mastectomy tissue expander/implant reconstructions performed from 2006 through 2008 was conducted. Total periprosthetic infection rate was calculated. Patient factors, operative technique, and noninfectious complications were analyzed and related to increased periprosthetic infection rate. A binary logistic regression model was fitted using periprosthetic infection as the dependent variable and 12 patient characteristics as independent variables, followed by a step-wise model for best fit with a limited number of independent variables. The overall periprosthetic infection rate per patient over the 2 year period was 5.1%. The incidence of periprosthetic infection per reconstructed breast was 3.2%. Odds ratio estimates indicated that the presence of cellulitis increased the odds of periprosthetic infection more than 200 times (p = 65, DM, flap necrosis, smoking, dehiscence, AlloDerm, etc) failed to reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Postoperative breast cellulitis and inpatient status appear to be significant risk factors for increased periprosthetic infection. No significant increase in periprosthetic infection rate was noted with other variables in this model.
Wavelet-Based Progressive Transmission and Security Filtering for Medical Image Distribution

With the rapid expansion of computer networks, communication and storage of medical information has entered a new era. Teleclinical practice and computer digital storage are two important medical information technologies that have made the issue of data compression of crucial importance. Efficiently compressing data is the key to making teleclinical practice feasible, since the bandwidth provided by computer media is too limited for the huge amount of medical data that must be transmitted. Because of the high compressibility of the medical images, data compression is also desirable for digital storage despite the availability of inexpensive hardware for mass storage. This chapter addresses the family of progressive image compression algorithms. The progressive property is preferred because it allows users to gradually recover images from low to high quality images and to stop at any desired bit rate, including lossless recovery. A progressive transmission algorithm with automatic security filtering features for on-line medical image distribution using Daubechies’ wavelets has been developed and is discussed in this chapter. The system is practical for real-world applications, processing and coding each 12-bit image of size 512 × 512 within 2 seconds on a Pentium Pro. Besides its exceptional speed, the security filter has demonstrated a remarkable accuracy in detecting sensitive textual information within current or digitized previous medical images.
Guanine nucleotide exchange regulates membrane translocation of Rac/Rho GTP-binding proteins

GTP-binding proteins of the Rho family are maintained as cytosolic complexes with RhoGDI in resting cells, but are released and translocate to the membrane during the course of cell activation. Membrane association of Rac/Rho/CDC42 was specifically induced by GTP analogs and required a heat- and trypsin-labile membrane component. Translocation was associated with the release of Rho family proteins from RhoGDI, but such release did not occur in the absence of membranes, nor was release in the absence of guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) sufficient for membrane association. Membrane binding was correlated with exchange of GTP gamma S for GDP on Rac, and only GTP gamma S-bound Rac became membrane localized. We propose that translocation of Rac and other members of the Rho family is controlled by membrane-associated guanine nucleotide exchange factors, providing a mechanism to regulate the release and activation of individual members of the Rho family during cell stimulation.
Evolving wireless technology & multi mode requirements for client platforms

This talk will focus on new technologies for multi mode client devices, and how these technologies can extend the service providers revenue model. The goal is keeping cost of delivery of services low while providing new applications for the emerging breed of client platforms. Wireless technology is becoming pervasive, with several new standards being added to the handheld cellular paradigm. While single-protocol solutions still dominate, portable, multi-mode wireless is already here. The market is primed for mass introduction of multi-mode wireless. However, to reach this point multi-mode platforms will likely need costs and performance exhibited by single standard solutions. Many ingredients will need to be perfected to achieve these goals and one primary realization will be that CMOS will no longer equate with digital: RF/analog will be just as ubiquitous in CMOS. Another consequence of the need to bring together a large number of disparate technologies is that it may limit the number of players. The technical challenges are increasing barriers to entry, and companies with the largest portfolios of technologies will likely benefit.
A Feminist Perspective on Divorce Therapy for Women

A review of divorce therapy literature suggests that ender is rarely considered when establishing therapeutic goals. This article posits that there are significant gender differences in the role and identity transitions which must take place in the divorce process. Divorce cannot be viewed in the limited context of interpersonal difficulties, but should be viewed as a process which is affected by gender, cultural socialization, and the broader society. Divorce therapy for women should incorporate an awareness of feminist issues and the nature of first and second order changes which are necessary if women are to grow and develop through the divorce process.
Ultrastructural features of host-parasite relationship in oral candidiasis.

Abstract In oral candidiasis, many keratinized epithelial cells and cells of Candida albicans are shed. Scales from patients with oral candidiasis were used for electron microscopic study of the epithelial-fungal relationship. Scales, scraped from the tongue and oral mucosa, were fixed for fungi. Electron microscopic observations showed cells of C. albicans outside, penetrating, or within the epithelial cells. Extracellular fungi possessed a floccular material adherent to the outer surface of the cell wall. Intracellular fungi lacked the floccular material which appeared to detach as fungi invaded the epithelial cells. Large vacuoles, which sometimes contained myelin figures, occupied the cytoplasm of fungal cells. Epithelial cells frequently contained several fungi. Discontinuous plasma membranes marked sites of fungal entry. Cytoplasmic areas devoid of fungi showed many tonofibrils, but the cytoplasm adjacent to fungi often lacked tonofibrils. Micrographs suggested that fungal cells lysed the tonofibrils. Bacteria were abundant in the scrapings, but always occupied an extracellular position.
A nonlinear equation for linear programming

We present a characterization of the ‘normal’ optimal solution of the linear program given in canonical form max{c tx: Ax = b, x ≥ 0}. (P) We show thatx * is the optimal solution of (P), of minimal norm, if and only if there exists anR > 0 such that, for eachr ≥ R, we havex * = (rc − Atλr)+. Thus, we can findx * by solving the following equation forλ r A(rc − Atλr)+ = b. Moreover,(1/r)λ r then ‘converges’ to a solution of the dual program.
Coherent Raman scanning fiber endoscopy

Coherent Raman scattering methods allow for label-free imaging of tissue with chemical contrast and high spatial and temporal resolution. However, their imaging depth in scattering tissue is limited to less than 1 mm, requiring the development of endoscopes to obtain images deep inside the body. Here, we describe a coherent Raman endoscope that provides stimulated Raman scattering images at seven frames per second using a miniaturized fiber scanner, a custom-designed objective lens, and an optimized scheme for collection of scattered light from the tissue. We characterize the system and demonstrate chemical selectivity in mouse tissue images.
Atmospheric mercury and fine particulate matter in coastal New England: implications for mercury and trace element sources in the northeastern United States

Abstract Intensive sampling of ambient atmospheric fine particulate matter was conducted at Woods Hole, Massachusetts over a four-month period from 3 April to 29 July, 2008, in conjunction with year-long deployment of the USGS Mobile Mercury Lab. Results were obtained for trace elements in fine particulate matter concurrently with determination of ambient atmospheric mercury speciation and concentrations of ancillary gasses (SO2, NOx, and O3). For particulate matter, trace element enrichment factors greater than 10 relative to crustal background values were found for As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn, indicating contribution of these elements by anthropogenic sources. For other elements, enrichments are consistent with natural marine (Na, Ca, Mg, Sr) or crustal (Ba, Ce, Co, Cs, Fe, Ga, La, Rb, Sc, Th, Ti, U, Y) sources, respectively. Positive matrix factorization was used together with concentration weighted air-mass back trajectories to better define element sources and their locations. Our analysis, based on events exhibiting the 10% highest PM2.5 contributions for each source category, identifies coal-fired power stations concentrated in the U.S. Ohio Valley, metal smelting in eastern Canada, and marine and crustal sources showing surprisingly similar back trajectories, at times each sampling Atlantic coastal airsheds. This pattern is consistent with contribution of Saharan dust by a summer maximum at the latitude of Florida and northward transport up the Atlantic Coast by clockwise circulation of the summer Bermuda High. Results for mercury speciation show diurnal production of RGM by photochemical oxidation of Hg° in a marine environment, and periodic traverse of the study area by correlated RGM-SO2(NOx) plumes, indicative of coal combustion sources.
Expedient synthesis of α,α-dimethyl-β-hydroxy carbonyl scaffolds via Evans' aldol reaction with a tertiary enolate.

An efficient synthetic methodology for 3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyloctynoic acid (DHOYA) and several variants, which are increasingly common fragments encountered in bioactive marine cyanobacterial metabolites, was developed. These fragments were obtained in three steps via a tertiary aldol reaction utilizing an Evans’ chiral auxiliary to afford the desired stereochemistry at the β-hydroxy carbon. Thus far, this methodology has been successfully applied in determination of the absolute stereochemistry of eight cyanobacterial natural products, including the VGSC activator palymramide A.
Neutron Detection by Corrugated-Plate Spark Counters

Corrugated plates as spark counter electrodes provide well-defined discharge gaps with low operating voltages, analogous to the conditions more usually obtained in multiwire arrays. By inserting boric acid or a hydrogenous material into the grooves, sensitivity to thermal or fast neutrons may be obtained. For a more sensitive counter geometry, plastic strips have been mounted between the grooves of adjoining plates, and coated with boric acid for slow neutron detection. A cylindrical counter consisting of a heavy threaded aluminum rod mounted in a matching threaded aluminum tube has been constructed with a set of plastic boron-coated washers as neutron converters. Good sensitivity has been obtained with this device as a detector of reactor neutrons without appreciable interference from background gamma-rays.
The Cone-specific Visual Cycle

Cone photoreceptors mediate our daytime vision and function under bright and rapidly-changing light conditions. As their visual pigment is destroyed in the process of photoactivation, the continuous function of cones imposes the need for rapid recycling of their chromophore and regeneration of their pigment. The canonical retinoid visual cycle through the retinal pigment epithelium cells recycles chromophore and supplies it to both rods and cones. However, shortcomings of this pathway, including its slow rate and competition with rods for chromophore, have led to the suggestion that cones might use a separate mechanism for recycling of chromophore. In the past four decades biochemical studies have identified enzymatic activities consistent with recycling chromophore in the retinas of cone-dominant animals, such as chicken and ground squirrel. These studies have led to the hypothesis of a cone-specific retina visual cycle. The physiological relevance of these studies was controversial for a long time and evidence for the function of this visual cycle emerged only in very recent studies and will be the focus of this review. The retina visual cycle supplies chromophore and promotes pigment regeneration only in cones but not in rods. This pathway is independent of the pigment epithelium and instead involves the Muller cells in the retina, where chromophore is recycled and supplied selectively to cones. The rapid supply of chromophore through the retina visual cycle is critical for extending the dynamic range of cones to bright light and for their rapid dark adaptation following exposure to light. The importance of the retina visual cycle is emphasized also by its preservation through evolution as its function has now been demonstrated in species ranging from salamander to zebrafish, mouse, primate, and human.
Optimal Routing for Maximizing the Travel Time Reliability

Optimal path problems are important in many science and engineering fields. Performance criteria may vary in coping with uncertainty, such as expectation, reliability, value at risk, etc. In this paper, we will first summarize our recent work on a dynamic programming based optimal path algorithm for maximizing the time reliability. We then study the convergence properties of the algorithm by introducing two special successive approximation sequences. Finally we will show the connection between the maximum reliability problem and the shortest and k-shortest path problems.
Slowly rotating general relativistic superfluid neutron stars with relativistic entrainment

Neutron stars that are cold enough should have two or more superfluids or supercondutors in their inner crusts and cores. The implication of superfluidity or superconductivity for equilibrium and dynamical neutron star states is that each individual particle species that forms a condensate must have its own, independent number density current and equation of motion that determines that current. An important consequence of the quasiparticle nature of each condensate is the so-called entrainment effect; i.e., the momentum of a condensate is a linear combination of its own current and those of the other condensates. We present here the first fully relativistic modeling of slowly rotating superfluid neutron stars with entrainment that is accurate to the second-order in the rotation rates. The stars consist of superfluid neutrons, superconducting protons, and a highly degenerate, relativistic gas of electrons. We use a relativistic $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\omega}$ mean field model for the equation of state of the matter and the entrainment. We determine the effect of a relative rotation between the neutrons and protons on a star's total mass, shape, and Kepler, mass-shedding limit.
Substitution: a formal methods case study using monads and transformations

Abstract The specification and derivation of substitution for the de Bruijn representation of λ-terms is used to illustrate programming with a function-sequence monad. The resulting program is improved by interactive program transformation methods into an efficient implementation that uses primitive machine arithmetic. These transformations illustrate new techniques that assist the discovery of the arithmetic structure of the solution.
Lactic dehydrogenase virus replicates in somatic cell hybrids of mouse peritoneal macrophages and SV40-transformed human fibroblasts

Abstract Hybrid clones obtained from mouse peritoneal macrophages and SV40-transformed human Lesch-Nyhan fibroblasts are permissive for the replication of lactic dehydrogenase virus. Immunofluorescent assays show that all of the cells are infected. These hybrid cells produce interferon in response to LDV infection as had previously been shown for LDV-infected macrophages.
Seismic Performance and Sensitivity of Floor Isolation Systems in Steel Plate Shear Wall Structures

Abstract Seismic floor isolation is a method for protecting nonstructural components, equipment and/or valuable building content in traditional fixed base buildings. Seismic floor isolation is achieved by isolating a secondary floor system from the primary structural floor using horizontally flexible elements called isolators. The nonstructural components, equipment and/or valuable building content is placed atop the secondary, isolated, floor system thereby decoupling the isolated component from the floor motion of the primary structural system. Though there is no codified procedure for designing floor isolation systems, the primary difference from traditional base isolation systems is the seismic input and the weight on the isolation system. In this paper results of a numerical study to investigate the performance and sensitivity of floor isolation systems (FISs) designed for the upper levels of multi-story steel plate shear wall frames are presented. The sensitivity of the performance of the FIS to variations in the steel plate shear wall’s web-plate strength and stiffness is investigated. The results of the study show FISs are able to effectively limit, on average, absolute acceleration demands on equipment in the upper levels of multi-story buildings though isolator displacement demands can be large. Further isolator displacement demands and absolute acceleration demands on the equipment are shown to be insensitive to variations in the steel plate shear wall’s material and geometric properties.
Cytokine‐stimulated inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in astroglia: Role of Erk mitogen‐activated protein kinase and NF‐κB

Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which leads to the production of nitric oxide (NO), is stimulated by proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Here we report on the roles of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases in IL-1beta/TNF-alpha-induced iNOS expression in adult rat astroglia. Cytokine-induced increases in nitrite accumulation (an index of NO production) and iNOS expression were attenuated by inhibition of NF-kappaB with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Similar attenuation of these cytokine-induced responses was produced by inhibition of MAP kinase (MEK), the immediate upstream activator of Erk, using PD098,059. Combined treatment of astroglia with PDTC and PD098,059 completely abolished the cytokine-induced increases in iNOS expression and nitrite accumulation. By contrast, the selective p38 kinase inhibitor SB203,580 amplified the effects of IL-1beta/TNF-alpha on nitrite accumulation. In accordance with these findings, IL-1beta- and TNF-alpha-induced a time-dependent increase in Erk1/Erk2 activation. This cytokine action was completely abolished by PD098,059 but was not altered by PDTC. Finally, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha induced degradation of NF-kappaB's bound inhibitory protein, IkappaB-alpha, leading to translocation of NF-kappaB into the nucleus. IkappaB-alpha expression was not restored to control levels by inhibition of MEK. Furthermore, inhibition of MEK with PD098,059 did not alter IL-1beta- and TNF-alpha-induced expression of active NF-kappaB. The results demonstrate that autonomous Erk and NF-kappaB pathways mediate cytokine-induced increases in iNOS expression in astroglia.
Mutations induced in the NS5B gene of bovine viral diarrhea virus by antiviral treatment convey resistance to the compound

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a widespread bovine pathogen for which there is no specific therapeutic agent. A previous study using 2-(2-benzimidazolyl)-5-[4-(2-imidazolino)phenyl]furan dihydrochloride (DB772) to treat calves persistently infected with BVDV resulted in a decrease in the viral load of infected calves but treatment resulted in the rapid selection of drug-resistant mutant isolates. In this article we describe three mutations found in the mutant isolates associated with in vivo and in vitro resistance to DB772. All three mutations are found in the NS5B which functions as the RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase during viral replication. Growth curves for the mutant isolates were not largely different from those of wild-type isolates when cultured in the absence of DB772. Thus, DB772 appears to act by binding to the specified domain but binding is disrupted or inhibited by the described mutation.
Urine leak in minimally invasive partial nephrectomy: analysis of risk factors and role of intraoperative ureteral catheterization.

Purpose To investigate risk factors for urine leak in patients undergoing minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (MIPN) and to determine the role of intraoperative ureteral catheterization in preventing this postoperative complication. Materials and Methods MIPN procedures done from September 1999 to July 2012 at our Center were reviewed from our IRB-approved database. Patient and tumor characteristics, operative techniques and outcomes were analyzed. Patients with evidence of urine leak were identified. Outcomes were compared between patients with preoperative ureteral catheterization (C-group) and those without (NC-group). Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors predicting postoperative urine leak. Results A total of 1,019 cases were included (452 robotic partial nephrectomy cases and 567 laparoscopic partial nephrectomy cases). Five hundred twenty eight patients (51.8%) were in the C-group, whereas 491 of them (48.2%) in the NC-group. Urine leak occurred in 31(3%) cases, 4.6% in the C-group and 1.4% in the NC-group (p<0.001). Tumors in NC-group had significantly higher RENAL score, shorter operative and warm ischemic times. On multivariable analysis, tumor proximity to collecting system (OR=9.2; p<0.01), surgeon’s early operative experience (OR=7.8; p<0.01) and preoperative moderate to severe CKD (OR=3.1; p<0.01) significantly increased the odds of the occurrence of a postoperative urine leak. Conclusion Clinically significant urine leak after MIPN in a high volume institution setting is uncommon. This event is more likely to occur in cases of renal masses that are close to the collecting system, in patients with preoperative CKD and when operating surgeon is still in the learning curve for the procedure. Our findings suggest that routine intraoperative ureteral catheterization during MIPN does not reduce the probability of postoperative urine leak. In addition, it adds to the overall operative time.
Heat conduction through periodic arrays of spheres

Abstract A boundary integral method for determining the effective conductivity of a periodic array of spheres embedded in a conducting matrix is described. The method is independent of the multipole expansion methods previously applied to this problem. The effective conductivities of simple cubic, body-centered cubic, and face-centered cubic arrays of perfectly conducting spheres are calculated. The results verify those of multipole expansion methods and demonstrate that boundary integral techniques may be successfully applied to problems involving periodic arrays of spheres.
Gastroesophageal reflux among severely retardedchildren

Of 136 institutionalized severely retarded children, 20 (15%) had recurrent vomiting. Of these 20, 15 hadgastroesophageal reflux diagnosed by x-ray examination, acid reflux text, or both. Esophagitis was noted by endoscopy in ten of 14 patients with GER. Four patients were anemic and six had had one or more episodes of aspiration pneumonia in the 12 months prior to study. Reduced basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure was the most common manometric abnormality noted in the patients with GER. Responses of the LES to bethanechol and swallow were normal, as was the basal pressure of the upper esophageal sphincter. Abnormal propagation of esophageal peristalsis was seen in six patients, all of whom had moderate or severe esophagitis. When compared to the nonvomiting retarded patients, the GER patients had significantly lower mental age and higher incidence of scoliosis. Patients with GER who had basal LES pressure less than 10 mm Hg did not improve with medical management. Recurrent vomiting is a common and serious problem in severely retarded children, the orgnaic cause of which can be demonstrated by the application of appropriate investigative techniques.
Social relationships and depression: ten-year follow-up from a nationally representative study.

Background Social network characteristics have long been associated with mental health, but their longitudinal impact on depression is less known. We determined whether quality of social relationships and social isolation predicts the development of depression. Methods The sample consisted of a cohort of 4,642 American adults age 25–75 who completed surveys at baseline in 1995–1996 and at ten-year follow-up. Quality of relationships was assessed with non-overlapping scales of social support and social strain and a summary measure of relationship quality. Social isolation was measured by presence of a partner and reported frequency of social contact. The primary outcome was past year major depressive episode at ten-year follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted, adjusting for the presence of potential confounders. Results Risk of depression was significantly greater among those with baseline social strain (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.47–2.70), lack of social support (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.37–2.35), and poor overall relationship quality (OR 2.60; 95% CI, 1.84–3.69). Those with the lowest overall quality of social relationships had more than double the risk of depression (14.0%; 95% CI, 12.0–16.0; p<.001) than those with the highest quality (6.7%; 95% CI, 5.3–8.1; p<.001). Poor quality of relationship with spouse/partner and family each independently increased risk of depression. Social isolation did not predict future depression, nor did it moderate the effect of relationship quality. Conclusions Quality of social relationships is a major risk factor for major depression. Depression interventions should consider targeting individuals with low quality of social relationships.
Trinuclear Cluster Complexes Containing the Furyne Ligand: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of the Cycloalkyne Complexes (CpCo)n(Cp*Co)3-n(CO)(μ3-η2-C4H4O) (n = 3, 2)

Cyclopentadienyl-based tricobalt clusters containing the cyclic furyne ligand, CH2C⋮CCH2O, have been prepared by the pyrolysis of the butynediol complexes (CpCo)3(CO)(RCCR), 1, and (CpCo)2(Cp*Co)(C...
MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND COMPRESSION RESISTANCE AS INDICES OF SENSORY TEXTURE IN A CRUNCHY SNACK PRODUCT

Identically formulated drum dried and cold formed half-products were puffed in hot air or by frying to determine microstructure-texture relationships. Structural attributes measured were cell size (CS), number of cells per unit area (CN), cell wall thickness (CW) and product specific volume (SV). Sensory attributes of crunchiness, hardness and density were also evaluated. Puffed product microstructure depended more on the half-product preparation process than the method of puffing. Similarly prepared half products had the same microstructural attributes whether fried or hot air puffed. Sensory scores for crunchiness were not significantly different among all samples but scores for hardness and density were significantly different between hot air puffed and fried products even when microstructural attributes were similar. Higher compression force values reflected lower sensory scores for crunchiness and hardness of puffed products. Compression force was significantly correlated with microstructural attributes of CS, CW and SV.
Improved technique for bilateral lung transplantation: Rationale and initial clinical experience

We previously described a technique for en bloc double-lung transplantation that was initially applied to select patients with cystic fibrosis and emphysema. This procedure is quite complex and associated with several limitations, including a substantial incidence of airway ischemia, postoperative myocardial depression, and cardiac denervation. To address these problems we have developed a simpler procedure for replacing both lungs. The operation is done through a transverse thoracosternotomy and involves sequential replacement of the two lungs. Positive features include separate bronchial anastomoses to reduce ischemic airway complications, elimination of the need for total cardiopulmonary bypass and a period of ischemic cardiac arrest, improved exposure to reduce intraoperative and postoperative hemorrhage, and maintenance of cardiac innervation. Additionally, the technique can be more easily mastered and widely applied. Details of the procedure and its initial clinical application in 3 patients having emphysema, cystic fibrosis, and bronchiolitis obliterans following previous double-lung transplantation, respectively, are described. All 3 patients recovered without complication. Postoperative function was excellent in spite of lung ischemic times ranging up to 91/2 hours.
Enhancing waveguided light extraction in organic LEDs using an ultra-low-index grid.

Improved outcoupling of light into substrate modes of an organic LED (OLED) by an ultra-low index of refraction (n=1.15), porous SiO2 grid (UltraLIG) fabricated using glancing-angle deposition is demonstrated. Outcoupling into the substrate for electrophosphorescent tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium [Ir(ppy)3]-based OLEDs grown on substrates with the UltraLIG is increased by 48% over a conventional device at a luminance of 100 cd/m2. With efficient light outcoupling at the substrate-air interface, the UltraLIG devices attain ηEQE=22.5% and ηP=64 lm/W at their peak efficiencies, a nearly threefold increase over an analogous conventional OLED.
Chloroplast haplotypes suggest preglacial differentiation and separate postglacial migration paths for the threatened North American forest tree Juglans cinerea L.

Postglacial migration paths for most of the tree species of Eastern North America remain unknown. The presence of no-analogue forest communities prior to the last glacial advance suggests that individual trees species in Eastern North America may respond differently as climate changes and human impacts increase. In this study, we examined chloroplast haplotypes from natural populations of Juglans cinerea L., a North American forest tree, to infer postglacial migration patterns. Sequences from eight different regions of the chloroplast genome in 197 trees distributed across the range revealed 10 haplotypes. A minimum spanning network, phylogenetic analysis and haplotype distributions revealed that the three most common haplotypes were geographically disjunct and not closely related. Haplotype 6 (73 trees) occurred only in western populations, haplotype 10 (83 trees) occurred only in eastern populations and haplotype 7 (21 trees) occurred only at the southern edge of the native range. The southernmost population contained the most haplotype diversity but included no eastern haplotypes. Haplotype phylogeography suggested geographical differentiation prior to the last glacial advance in eastern populations and separate postglacial migration paths for eastern and western populations. As migration of J. cinerea to Atlantic Canada from southern refugia does not appear possible given known seed dispersal mechanisms, the possibility of northern refugia or dispersal by extinct megafauna merits serious consideration. Differences among species in preglacial history, ecological niche preferences and seed dispersal mechanisms suggest that response to long-term climate change and acute human disturbance may be highly species specific.
IJPDLM's 40th anniversary: an overview and retrospective analysis

– The purpose is threefold: to assess International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management's (IJPDLM's) reputation for quality and impact; to identify leading articles and authors during the journal's 40‐year history; and to report on the international diversity of the journal's author base and the diversity of its subject matter over the last five years., – The paper uses the following: literature review of recent journal articles that assessed the quality of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) journals; IJPDLM article download counts and article counts per author over last 40 years; and assessment of subject matter content and geographical base of authors for articles published in IJPDLM over the last five years., – IJPDLM consistently ranks among the top logistics and supply chain journals on the basis of research quality and usefulness. IJPDLM is quite diverse both with respect to logistics subject matter and to the location of its authors. The most popular topics over the last five years are: purchasing and supply management; inter‐organizational relationships; customer service and demand management; and logistics outsourcing/3PL. A key emerging research area for logistics and SCM is the discipline's contributions to addressing important societal issues., – The findings pertaining to current and emerging research areas will be of interest and value to all logistics and SCM researchers., – The analysis of IJPDLM's reputation and the assessment of the subject matter it covers are both original and of interest to prospective authors.
Flow simulation and high performance computing

Flow simulation is a computational tool for exploring science and technology involving flow applications. It can provide cost-effective alternatives or complements to laboratory experiments, field tests and prototyping. Flow simulation relies heavily on high performance computing (HPC). We view HPC as having two major components. One is advanced algorithms capable of accurately simulating complex, real-world problems. The other is advanced computer hardware and networking with sufficient power, memory and bandwidth to execute those simulations. While HPC enables flow simulation, flow simulation motivates development of novel HPC techniques. This paper focuses on demonstrating that flow simulation has come a long way and is being applied to many complex, real-world problems in different fields of engineering and applied sciences, particularly in aerospace engineering and applied fluid mechanics. Flow simulation has come a long way because HPC has come a long way. This paper also provides a brief review of some of the recently-developed HPC methods and tools that has played a major role in bringing flow simulation where it is today. A number of 3D flow simulations are presented in this paper as examples of the level of computational capability reached with recent HPC methods and hardware. These examples are, flow around a fighter aircraft, flow around two trains passing in a tunnel, large ram-air parachutes, flow over hydraulic structures, contaminant dispersion in a model subway station, airflow past an automobile, multiple spheres falling in a liquid-filled tube, and dynamics of a paratrooper jumping from a cargo aircraft.
Using background knowledge in case-based legal reasoning: a computational model and an intelligent learning environment

Researchers in the field of AI and Law have developed a number of computational models of the arguments that skilled attorneys make based on past cases. However, these models have not accounted for the ways that attorneys use middle-level normative background knowledge (1) to organize multi-case arguments, (2) to reason about the significance of differences between cases, and (3) to assess the relevance of precedent cases to a given problem situation. We present a novel model, that accounts for these argumentation phenomena. An evaluation study showed that arguments about the significance of distinctions based on this model help predict the outcome of cases in the area of trade secrets law, confirming the quality of these arguments. The model forms the basis of an intelligent learning environment called CATO, which was designed to help beginning law students acquire basic argumentation skills. CATO uses the model for a number of purposes, including the dynamic generation of argumentation examples. In a second evaluation study, carried out in the context of an actual legal writing course, we compared instruction with CATO against the best traditional legal writing instruction. The results indicate that CATO's example-based instructional approach is effective in teaching basic argumentation skills. However, a more "integrated" approach appears to be needed if students are to achieve better transfer of these skills to more complex contexts. CATO's argumentation model and instructional environment are a contribution to the research fields of AI and Law, Case-Based Reasoning, and AI and Education.