cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiac troponins in the elderly: interpretation of elevated levels

Elderly patients with myocardial infarction commonly present with symptoms other than chest pain. The clinician evaluation of the elderly may rely on laboratory methods more so than in younger patients. Fortunately,advances in laboratory science have brought newer biomarkers of cardiac injury to the clinical arena including cardiac troponins I and T(cTnI,cTnT) . These regulatory components of the contractile apparatus are sensitive indicators of myocardial injury. Their central role in the current definition of acute myocardial infarction highlights their utility in the diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemic syndromes. The troponins are also released in some clinical situations where thrombotic complications of coronary artery disease and resultant acute myocardial infarction have not occurred. Examples of these conditions include conditions like myocarditis,pulmonary embolism,sepsis,and acute stroke. Elevated troponins in these conditions are thought to emanate from injured myocardial cells and in most circumstances have been associated with adverse outcomes. Interpretation of elevated troponin in the elderly requires consideration of other possible conditions.
Diffuse Nocardial Spinal Subdural Empyema: Diagnostic Dilemma and Treatment Options

Nocardiosis of the central nervous system and spine, in particular, is a rare infection with significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment is usually with antibiotics and surgical drainage or biopsy. The authors report a case of a 49-year-old man who presented with chronic lower back pain and paraplegia. He was found to have spinal subdural empyema caused by Nocardia farcinica. Laminectomy and sampling of the subdural collection were performed, and the patient was treated with triple intravenous antibiotics (linezolid, amikacin and ciprofloxacin). There was no neurological recovery at follow-up. Spinal nocardiosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients who present with diffuse spinal epidural/subdural or spinal cord abscesses, appropriately unresponsive to antibiotics. Our case provides an insight into the management challenges of this rare disease.
Study the effect of alcoholic extractrawsalvia officnalis on some sex hormonesin female mice white

Thirty female mice white used in the experiment for the purpose of knowing the effect of alcoholic extract raw salvia officnalisleaves on the level of sex hormones which were divided animals into three groups experimental rate of ten mice per group dosage group B and C oral daily dose of the extract amount 500 mg / kg of body weight the first group, respectively,in the1000 mg/ Kg of body weight,respectively,either the first set group A treated the same way time and himself as 0.1 ml / g body weight of physiological solution compared to the mind set lasted 30 days dosing was weight when you stop recording the dosage and then kill her blood was collected through a stab heart for the purpose of studies of hormonal (estrogen,progesterone,luteinizing hormone,follicle stimulating hormone and prolactin)extract reflected the impact of the variables studied and related to fertility in the following results compared with the control group. Low body weight was in the doses and the effect of the dose of 1000 mg / kg of body weight was significantly larger dose of 500 mg / kg of body weight at a level significantly 5% P0≤0.05. Significant increase in the level of hormones (progesterone,estrogen,luteinizing hormone,follicle-stimulating hormone) in the doses and the effect of the dose of1000 mg / kg of body weight was significantly larger dose of 500 mg / kg of body weight at a level significantly 5% P0≤0.05. Significant decrease in the level of the hormone prolactin in the doses and the effect of the dose of 1000 mg / kg of body weight was significantly larger dose of 500 mg / kg of body weight at a level significantly 5% P0≤0.05
Anterior Hip Pain

Anterior hip pain is a common complaint with many possible causes. Apophyseal avulsion and slipped capital femoral epiphysis should not be overlooked in adolescents. Muscle and tendon strains are common in adults. Subsequent to accurate diagnosis, strains should improve with rest and directed conservative treatment. Osteoarthritis, which is diagnosed radiographically, generally occurs in middle-aged and older adults. Arthritis in younger adults should prompt consideration of an inflammatory cause. A possible femoral neck stress fracture should be evaluated urgently to prevent the potentially significant complications associated with displacement. Patients with osteitis pubis should be educated about the natural history of the condition and should undergo physical therapy to correct abnormal pelvic mechanics. "Sports hernias," nerve entrapments and labral pathologic conditions should be considered in athletic adults with characteristic presentations and chronic symptoms. Surgical intervention may allow resumption of pain-free athletic activity.
Metabolic Causes of Equine Exercise Intolerance

Metabolic causes of exercise intolerance can be subtle and difficult to document in horses. Because of increased metabolic rate in exercising muscle, most metabolic causes of exercise intolerance are clinically manifested by muscle abnormalities such as ER. Newer causes of ER are being documented by current research and are summarized in the article on muscular causes of equine exercise intolerance. Endocrine causes of exercise intolerance have been poorly documented, but recent work has shown the detrimental effects of hypothyroidism on exercise tolerance in horses. Many metabolic manifestations of exercise intolerance are cumulative in heat exhaustion; prevention by veterinary monitoring is the best treatment, followed by cold water bathing and oral or intravenous fluid and electrolyte replacement. Several ergogenic aids have been proposed and marketed for use in horses, but each has its own problems and few have been shown clearly to have positive effects on performance.
Peripheral Mechanisms Involved in Pain

The structural and physiological basis of pain sensations has been the most elusive area of sensory research, and the information concerning specific receptors and pathways is mostly recent. The nineteenth century concept of sensory modality, introduced by Helmholtz to designate qualitatively distinctive sensory continua, was widely adopted to fit a schema in which touch, warmth, cold, and pain were accepted as primary qualities or modalities (10, 68, 107) in keeping with the Muller concept of specific energy. Muller’s concept is more easily applied to the organs of special sense than to cutaneous sensation because it is often difficult to excite the skin and evoke a single introspective sensory quality; for example, it is difficult to evoke pain without touch or warmth components. The discovery by Blix (8) of a mosaic of sensory-specific spots ultimately led to acceptance of the idea that there was a distinctive anatomical substrate subserving each specific modality. Von Frey allocated the end organs known in the nineteenth century to each of the established modalities (68, 98, 107).
Den Use Behavior of Allegheny Woodrats Inhabiting Rock Outcrops in Pennsylvania

Since the decline of the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) was first noticed in the late 1970s, most information concerning the ecology of this species has been acquired from studies focusing on its association with rocky habitats (Newcombe 1930, Poole 1940, Hall 1985, Wright and Butchkoski 2005, Castleberry et al. 2006). This habitat specialization has been implicated in microhabitat selection during foraging (Castleberry et al. 2001), home range movements (Castleberry et al. 2002, Hornsby et al. 2005), and persistence of woodrat populations (Balcom and Yahner 1996, Ford et al. 2006). Less attention has been given to understanding how behavioral characteristics of N. magister may render this species vulnerable to decline and present a challenge for conservation and management. The importance of integrating behavioral ecology with conservation biology has received increased attention in recent years (Caro 1998, Morris 2001) and has been applied to conservation questions involving small mammals such as the Stephens’ kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi; Brock and Kelt 2004) and the riparian woodrat (N. fuscipes riparia; Gerber et al. 2003). There are indications that behavioral characteristics are relevant to the conservation ecology of N. magister as well. For example, Castleberry et al. (2001) showed that Allegheny woodrats willingly forage in timber clearcuts adjoining the rock patches they inhabit. While this may have been a benign or even advantageous behavior in former times when occasional fires or blowdowns created temporary clearings, the same tendency may now expose foraging woodrats to increased predation when large expanses of the forest matrix are routinely removed (Castleberry Chapter 4). LoGiudice (2001) demonstrated that N. magister harvest dried, seedloaded scats such as those of raccoons, retrieving them intact to a food cache rather than consuming them when found. While an appropriate behavior in terms of nutrition, this tendency maximizes exposure of woodrats using the cache to the
Clonidine Transdermal Delivery System: Cutaneous Toxicity Studies

In February 1983, European investigators conducting clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of the clonidine transdermal device (Catapres-TTS) reported the first cases of dermatitis severe enough to necessitate discontinuation of therapy (Boekhorst 1983; Groth et al. 1983). The manifestations of this dermatitic reaction were pruritis, erythema and, less frequently, vesiculation of the skin beneath the transdermal patch. Depending on the geographical location of the centre reporting, as well as the size of the population being tested, the incidence of skin reactions varied between five and 30%. Some of the patients with moderate to severe skin signs seemingly demonstrated sensitization to some component of the clonidine device.
Power and Teacher-Administrator Discourse

This review concerns the discourse between teachers and administrators. ‘Teacher’ and ‘administrator’ are used here in an all-inclusive sense -teachers being taken to include practicing teachers and student teachers; and administrators as including supervisors and administrators, unless specifically noted otherwise.
Phil Winsor's MYST: Research and Art

Believing composition to be both research and art, Phil Winsor was invested in the exploration of expanded techniques for algorithmic composition, intermedia art, sonification, and therapeutic uses of computer con-trolled music. A proposed research project involving therapeutic effects of music included the building of an instrument to provide algorithmically generated sonic material for researchers to use in assessing the effects of said material on the brain. Using electroencephalo-grams, researchers could gather data to determine possible beneficial techniques for sonic therapy. The instrument Winsor created was called MYST and this pa-per will examine that instrument and its use in an inter-media work entitled Myst.
Rehabilitation for limb salvage patients: kinesiologic parameters and psychologic assessment

Osteosarcoma is the most frequently occurring primary malignant tumor of bone, especially in adolescence. Treatment involves either limb salvage surgery or amputation with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This review article discusses the current treatment modalities for osteosarcoma and also compares the gait patterns and psychosocial profiles of patients treated with either limb salvage surgery or amputation for osteosarcoma. Contemporary orthopedic literature on therapeutic options for osteosarcoma patients is reviewed. Background information on the basic principles of kinesiology, with emphasis on studies of gait pattern differences among patients treated with limb salvage versus amputation, is presented. Finally, several studies of the psychologic profiles of patients after these two procedures for osteosarcoma are reviewed. Trends in contemporary orthopedic literature suggest that functional outcomes, in terms of kinesiologic parameters, are comparable for patients treated with either limb salvage or amputation. Both sets of patients reported quality-of-life problems, including difficulty retaining health insurance and finding appropriate employment, social isolation, and poor self-esteem. The management of patients with osteosarcoma includes not only an individualized surgical plan for each patient but also includes awareness of the patients' psychologic and social needs after surgery.
Mobile Ad Prefetching and Energy Optimization via Tail Energy Accounting

Accurately determining the network energy consumption of each software principal when multiple ones are active is the key to mobile energy optimization. Tail energy accounting, which attributes tail energy to individual software principals, remains an open problem. Besides, tail energy has also become a major energy drain, especially in mobile ad modules that generate frequent, intermittent network traffics by on-demand ad downloading. In this paper, we propose a systematic framework for mobile ad prefetching and energy optimization, based on a novel tail energy accounting policy using cooperative game theory. In particular, we maximize the sum of deadline- and energy-aware ad utility, by jointly determining apps’ aggressiveness in ad prefetching. The proposed tail energy accounting not only characterizes the energy profile of each app's ad module, a crucial input in energy optimization, but also enables an efficient solution by decoupling decision making of individual apps. The proposed framework is implemented on Android with negligible performance/network overhead. Using real-world apps and usage traces, we demonstrate a significant reduction in mobile network energy consumption by up to 45 percent compared with existing approaches. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first fully implemented ad management system transparent to apps and ad ecosystem.
Partisan Alignment, Performance, and Citizen Approval of Political Actors:

There is substantial evidence that citizen assessments of political actors and associated institutions are shaped by shared partisanship. However, much of this evidence comes from citizen evaluatio...
The Surprising Collapse of Marijuana Prohibition: What Now?

It’s been more than forty-four years since the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (“the Commission”) recommended decriminalization of marijuana. My perspective on the topic is informed not only by my research on the origins of marijuana prohibition, and my role as Associate Director of the Commission, but also by having been a participant-observer in what remains an unresolved and challenging policy problem. After a quick look backward, I will offer my views about what should be done now. The origins and intensification of marijuana prohibition span roughly seventy-five years from the late 19th century until the Commission report in 1972. Marijuana prohibition began to erode after the Commission recommended decriminalization and eleven states liberalized their laws between 1973 and 1978. However, in a sudden shift of political momentum, marijuana prohibition was temporarily reconsolidated over the next two decades (from roughly 1978–1996). After the voters of California passed Proposition 215, support for liberalization revived, initiating a period of ferment as states resumed decriminalization and legalized medical access. Now, in the aftermath of the November 2012 referenda in Colorado and Washington legalizing recreational use, the collapse of marijuana prohibition may be at hand. What should be the goals of contemporary marijuana regulation? Two questions are paramount. First, what is the underlying aim of the regulatory policy? Is our goal to promote responsible use of marijuana by adults, while deterring and minimizing excessive or dangerous use (and its social consequences), as appears to be the aim of our nation’s current alcohol policy? Or is our goal to reduce or contain the prevalence of marijuana use, as appears to be the nation’s current goal for tobacco policy? Or is it something in between? Second, should advertising and promotion of marijuana products be permitted? These two questions are related. If the legislature’s objective in repealing prohibition is to set up a regulatory policy that allows recreational use (or medical use for that matter) while seeking to contain it, then it would be illogical to permit private sellers to promote and encourage consumption. In my opinion, once commercialization is permitted, the public health costs will be difficult to contain. As already indicated, I believe that Washington and Colorado are making a huge mistake by starting with a private commercial model for cultivation and distribution. In my opinion, legislatures legalizing recreational use of marijuana should declare explicitly that the ultimate regulatory objective is to protect the public health, not to facilitate commerce in cannabis products (or to serve the economic interests of suppliers and retailers). Legalization should be designed to accommodate liberty, not to celebrate it. The policy aim should not be to promote or facilitate marijuana use (or even “responsible use”), but rather to manage lawful commerce in marijuana in a way that protects the public health.
Detecting Inherited and Novel Structural Variants in Low-Coverage Parent-Child Sequencing Data

Structural variants (SVs) are a class of genomic variation shared by members of the same species. Though relatively rare, they represent an increasingly important class of variation, as SVs have been associated with diseases and susceptibility to some types of cancer. Common approaches to SV detection require the sequencing and mapping of fragments from a test genome to a high-quality reference genome. Candidate SVs correspond to fragments with discordant mapped configurations. However, because errors in the sequencing and mapping will also create discordant arrangements, many of these predictions will be spurious. When sequencing coverage is low, distinguishing true SVs from errors is even more challenging. In recent work, we have developed SV detection methods that exploit genome information of closely related individuals - parents and children. Our previous approaches were based on the assumption that any SV present in a child's genome must have come from one of their parents. However, using this strict restriction may have resulted in failing to predict any rare but novel variants present only in the child. In this work, we generalize our previous approaches to allow the child to carry novel variants. We consider a constrained optimization approach where variants in the child are of two types either inherited - and therefore must be present in a parent - or novel. For simplicity, we consider only a single parent and single child each of which have a haploid genome. However, even in this restricted case, our approach has the power to improve variant prediction. We present results on both simulated candidate variant regions, parent-child trios from the 1000 Genomes Project, and a subset of the 17 Platinum Genomes.
Carotid Artery Stiffness Accurately Predicts White Matter Hyperintensity Volume 20 Years Later: A Secondary Analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in the Community Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Arterial stiffness is a biomarker of cerebrovascular disease and dementia risk. Studies have shown an association between carotid artery stiffness and increased white matter hyperintensity volume and, as a result, reduced total brain volume on MR imaging, but none have had prolonged follow-up to fully evaluate the slow change seen in white matter hyperintensity volume and total brain volume with time. Our objective was to determine whether common carotid artery stiffness on sonography accurately predicts white matter hyperintensity volume and total brain volume on MR imaging more than 20 years later. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in the Community study to compare 5 measurements of carotid artery stiffness, including strain, distensibility, compliance, Stiffness index, and pressure-strain elastic modulus, with the white matter hyperintensity volume and total brain volume on a follow-up MR imaging using linear regression. RESULTS: We included 1402 patients enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in the Community study. There was a significant relationship between increasing carotid artery stiffness and both higher white matter hyperintensity volume and lower total brain volume on MR imaging, measured at a mean of 21.5 years later. In multivariable linear regression models, the carotid strain, distensibility, Stiffness index, and pressure-strain elastic modulus were associated with white matter hyperintensity volume. Only compliance was associated with total brain volume in the multivariate models. CONCLUSIONS: Sonography measurements of carotid artery stiffness are predictive of white matter hyperintensity volume and total brain volume on MR imaging more than 20 years later. The association is more robust for white matter hyperintensity volume than total brain volume. These findings support the role of arterial stiffness as a method for identifying patients at risk of developing white matter hyperintensity volume and as a potential mechanism leading to small-artery disease of the brain.
The United States Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: Implementation and Effects

The purpose of this essay is to synthesize what has already been established about IRCA’s implementation and effects and to discuss the likely longer-term effects on immigration, legal and illegal, and on U.S. domestic policies and institutions. It draws upon the findings from a number of evaluative studies of the implementation and effects of IRCA conducted by the Program for Research on Immigration Policy (PRIP)1.
Comparison of Clinical Features and Outcome of Pediatric Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in Recipients of Small Bowel Allograft Versus Isolated Liver Transplantation.

Background Higher incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is reported in the pediatric small bowel transplant (SBTx) population, which may be associated with more aggressive disease and poorer outcome as compared to liver transplant (LTx) recipients. We aim to compare the characteristics and outcome of PTLD in pediatric SBTx against LTx patients at a single center. Methods Retrospective review of pediatric SBTx and LTx patients diagnosed with PTLD from 1989 to 2016 was conducted. Diagnosis of PTLD was biopsy-proven based on World Health Organization histologic criteria. Treatment protocol consisted of reduction of immunosuppression (RIS), rituximab (from 2000), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) therapy (available in 1999-2004 and from 2011), and chemotherapy. Results Thirty-seven PTLD patients were included following LTx (n = 23, incidence = 2.8%) and SBTx (n = 14, incidence = 14.9%). Monomorphic PTLD made up 64% of SBTx and 43% of LTx cases. RIS alone resulted in remission in 50% of LTx patients but none of the SBTx patients (P = 0.002). Poorer overall remission (57% versus 96%, P = 0.004), 2-year (46% versus 91%, P = 0.003), and 5-year survival rates (39% versus 90%, P = 0.002) were observed in the SBTx group. Risk factors associated with mortality following PTLD were SBTx (odds ratio [OR], 12.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-61.45; P = 0.003), monomorphic histology (OR, 10.63; 95% CI, 1.88-60.25; P = 0.008), multisite involvement (OR, 6.38; 95% CI, 1.35-30.14; P = 0.019), and tumor involvement of allograft (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.14-24.90; P = 0.033). Introduction of CTL therapy was associated with improved survival. Conclusions Majority of PTLD following pediatric SBTx are of monomorphic subtype and associated with poorer outcome as compared to LTx patients. RIS is inadequate as a single strategy in managing PTLD in SBTx and prompt escalation to rituximab and CTL is recommended.
Experimento E36 en J-PARC

The E36 experiment has been carried out at J-PARC to search for Lepton Universality violation in the kaon two body decays K l2 . A precise value of the decay width ratio RK=Γ(Ke2) =Γ(Kμ2) will be extracted and compared with the standard model (SM) value. Any sizable difference would suggest new physics beyond the SM. Simultaneously, E36 is sensitive to light U(1) gauge bosons which could be associated with dark matter or explain established muon-related anomalies (g-2). The experiment as well as the status of the analysis will be presented.
Spillover Effects in Police Use of Force

We study the link between officer injuries-on-duty and the force-use of their peers using a network of officers who, through a random lottery, began the police academy together. We find that peer injuries-on-duty increase the probability of using force by 7%. The effect is concentrated in a narrow time window near the event and is not associated with significantly lower injury risk to the officer. Complaints of improper searches and failure to provide service also increase after peer injuries, suggesting that the increase in force might be driven by heightened risk aversion.
Remote Estimation of Turbulence Intensity Variation in Open Channels

AbstractThe open channel flow community has a history of using a set of universal exponential expressions to describe the vertical variation of turbulence intensity in open channel flows. All of th...
Listening to Builders

The most superficially apparent feature of the Historically–Informed Performance movement is the use of “historically-appropriate” instruments. Interest in such instruments has grown alongside the ...
Inherited mutations in fallopian tube, ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma: Changes in diagnoses and mutational frequency over 20 years

Abstract Objectives Women with fallopian tube carcinoma (FTC) are reported to have a higher frequency of inherited BRCA mutations than those with ovarian carcinoma (OC) or primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC). We hypothesized that routine serial sectioning of fallopian tubes would increase the proportion of cases designated as FTC and change the frequency of inherited mutations between carcinoma types. Methods Eight hundred and sixty-seven women diagnosed from 1998 to 2018 were enrolled at diagnosis into an institutional tissue bank. Germline DNA, available from 700 women with FTC (N = 124), OC (N = 511) and PPC (N = 65), was assessed using targeted capture and massively parallel sequencing for mutations in ovarian carcinoma susceptibility genes. Cases were divided between those prior to routine serial sectioning (1998–2008) and after (2009–2019), and the frequency of FTC and inherited mutations was assessed. Results The proportion of carcinomas attributed as FTC after 2009 was 28% (128/465), significantly higher than before 2009 [5% (21/402), p Conclusions The prevalence of inherited mutations is similar in FTC compared to OC or PPC when using modern pathological assignment. Complete serial sectioning of fallopian tubes has significantly increased the diagnosis of FTC, and subsequently decreased the frequency of inherited mutations within this group.
Long-term trends indicate that invasive plants are pervasive and increasing in eastern national parks.

While invasive plant distributions are relatively well known in the eastern United States, temporal changes in species distributions and interactions among species have received little attention. Managers are therefore left to make management decisions without knowing which species pose the greatest threats based on their ability to spread, persist and outcompete other invasive species. To fill this gap, we used the U.S. National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring Program data collected from over 1,400 permanent forest plots spanning 12 yr and covering 39 eastern national parks to analyze invasive plant trends. We analyzed trends in abundance at multiple scales, including plot frequency, quadrat frequency, and average quadrat cover. We examined trends overall, by functional group, and by species. We detected considerably more increasing than decreasing trends in invasive plant abundance. In fact, 80% of the parks in our study had at least one significant increasing trend in invasive abundance over time. Where detected, significant negative trends tended to be herbaceous or graminoid species. However, these declines were often countered by roughly equivalent increases in invasive shrubs over the same time period, and we only detected overall declines in invasive abundance in two parks in our study. Present in over 30% of plots and responsible for the steepest and greatest number of significant increases, Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) was the most aggressive invader in our study and is a high management priority. Invasive shrubs, especially Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), and wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius), also increased across multiple parks, and sometimes at the expense of Japanese stiltgrass. Given the added risks to human health from tick-borne diseases, invasive shrubs are a high management priority. While these findings provide critical information to managers for species prioritization, they also demonstrate the incredible management challenge that invasive plants pose in protected areas, particularly since we documented few overall declines in invasive abundance. As parks work to overcome deferred maintenance of infrastructure, our findings suggest that deferred management of natural resources, particularly invasive species, requires similar attention and long-term commitment to reverse these widespread increasing invasive trends.
Sustainable production of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural from glucose for process integration with high fructose corn syrup infrastructure

5-Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) is a platform chemical, which can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass, and used for production of liquid fuels and polymers. We demonstrate a process for production of HMF using sequential enzymatic and catalytic reactions of glucose to synthesize HMF, and simulated-moving-bed (SMB) separation to purify HMF. The adsorption thermodynamic parameters of glucose, fructose, and HMF on a commercial chromatography resin are experimentally determined for modeling the SMB-based HMF production process. The experimental data are used to develop a rigorous process model and then estimate the cost of production. Chromatographic separation of HMF has 16% lower operating costs compared to an extraction-based process and has a minimum selling price of approximately $1478 per ton. We demonstrate that the HMF process can be integrated with the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) process, and we performed analyses considering two systems including construction of a new integrated facility and retrofitting an existing HFCS facility to produce HMF. Our analyses suggest that the latter approach is a promising short-term low-risk strategy to advance the HMF production technology to commercial scale.
The ethical implications of Goethe’s approach to nature and Its potential role in teacher education

The myth of Psyche and Eros is startling in its relevance for the existential and ecological crises facing humanity today. Taking up the images therein, this article explores possible ways that science education can address the epistemological roots of environmental destruction, especially through the practice of Goethean observation. Calling on Levinas’s concept of the face of the other, an ethics of responsibility is shown to be an inherent manifestation of an epistemological shift toward a conscious participation in and with nature that a Goethean approach engenders. If Psyche has become, to use Levinas’s language, a stranger, a widow, and an orphan, via the modern scientific worldview, becoming aware of this worldview is an important part of science education and of teacher education programs. The article closes by identifying the preconditions that are necessary for a new ethical relationship with nature and considers contributions from the field of contemplative inquiry that can support this relationship in teacher education.
Non-Invasive Assessment of Left Focus Ventricular Diastolic Function: On Tissue Doppler Imaging and B-Type Natriuretic Peptide

Tissue Doppler (TD) imaging is a novel echocardiographic technique that directly measures myocardial velocities. Systolic TD measurements assess left and right ventricular (RV) myocardial contractile function. Diastolic TD values reflect myocardial relaxation, and in combination with conventional Doppler measurements, ratios (E/Ea) have been developed to non-invasively estimate left ventricular (LV) filling pressures. These TD-derived ratios have been helpful in diagnosing elevated LV filling pressures, clinical congestive heart failure (CHF), and the prognosis of patients with cardiac disease and CHF. B-type natriuretic peptide reflects myocardial stretch and has been correlated to LV filling pressures and cardiac morphological abnormalities (depressed EF, RV dysfunction). TD echocardiography is being used in an ever-widening group of patients to assess LV diastolic function, and researchers are actively investigating its correlation and comparison with B-type natriuretic peptide.
Effects of supplemental phytomolecules on growth performance, carcass characteristics and liver abnormalities of finishing beef steers

This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance and carcass characteristics of finishing steers fed diets containing different feed additives: control (CTL; no feed additives); monensin...
Institutionalism Prevails: The International Olympic Committee’s Management of the ‘China Question’, 1952–1979

This article examines the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China’s (ROC) battle for China’s sole Olympic membership from the perspective of the International Olympic Committee (...
Morphogenesis of the jaw: development beyond the embryo.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the development beyond the embryo. It describes the methods used to characterize the molecular or genetic signaling events regulating later stages of craniofacial development, including the growth and differentiation of the craniofacial skeleton, and of replacement tooth development. Morphogenesis can be defined as the processes that are responsible for producing the complex shapes of adults from the simple ball of cells that derives from division of the fertilized egg. This chapter illustrates that extensive morphogenetic changes occur after 5 dpf; therefore, the existing challenge for developmental biologists is to extend the current genetic paradigm beyond the embryo. Recently developed tools, including in vivo mineralized tissue stains combined with sensitive GM analyses provide the necessary means to elucidate the molecules and pathways that produce shape in the adult craniofacial skeletal complex. It is likely that the application of these methods for the analyses of later-staged zebrafish development will provide significant insight into the regulation of human craniofacial development.
Linearity in microwave power amplifiers

The present state-of-the-art of low distortion amplifiers in the microwave range will be assessed. Tradeoffs between distortion and efficiency for various devices such as FETs, bipolar transistors and IMPATTs will be investigated, together with advances in external distortion compensating techniques.
Properties of Stone

Stone is a heterogeneous substance characterized by wide ranges of mineral composition, texture, and structure. Consequently, the physical and chemical properties, i. e., the durability, are extremely variable. The suitability of a stone for a given purpose should be based upon various properties that may be readily tested in the laboratory. Some properties are discussed and, where available, the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) testing methods are included. ASTM specifications are given in Appendix B. At the end of this chapter, Table 6 summarizes technical rock properties.
Hepatic metabolic activity related to reproduction.

Abstract Urinary d -glucaric acid reflects hepatic activity in the human female, male, term, and preterm infants. Human males possess about 30 per cent higher hepatic activity than females. Hepatic activity in cycling human females varies predictively during the cycle, being highest during the follicular phase and significantly reduced by midcycle. Hepatic activity during normal pregnancy is higher than that of cycling females. The rate of hepatic activity increases between the twenty-second and twenty-fourth weeks of gestation, then declines as pregnancy advances. Preterm newborn infants possess less hepatic activity than term infants. Hepatic activity of the normal term newborn infant is approximately one thousandth of that of the normal sexually mature human female.
Post‐Soviet and Liberal Transitions: Wherefore, to What Effect, and How?

In Pursuit of Liberalism: International Institutions in Postcommunist Europe. By Rachel A. Epstein. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. 288 pp., $55.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 987-0-801-88977-6). Economic Liberalism and Its Rivals: The Formation of International Institutions among the Post-Soviet States. By Keith A. Darden. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009. 366 pp., $90.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-86653-8). Transnational Actors in Central and East European Transitions. By Mitchell Orenstein, Stephen Bloom, Nicole Lindstrom. Pittsburg, PA: University of Pittsburg Press, 2008. 272 pp., $27.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-822-95994-6). The fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe and the dismemberment of the Soviet Union have arguably been the most important events in the contemporary international relations. They detonated momentous changes in the political, economic, and military landscapes of the formerly communist states thus setting off a natural experiment in broad transformations in the countries that endured decades of central planning and communism. Because of the unique and world-historic quality of these transformations and far-reaching implications of these reforms, they have attracted significant academic following, and have been a subject of growing scholarly concern. The early studies of liberal and post-Soviet transitions deliberated the optimal ways to transform the postcommunist states focusing on the sequence and pace of reforms as well as the country-specific initial conditions (Hardt and Kaufman 1995; Woo, Parker, and Sachs 1997). The recent scholarship expanded conceptual boundaries of transition and integrated the move toward a complex interdependence in Europe besides the democratic and market reform. It shifted accents from internal to transnational forces and began examining the precise role played by various international actors—non-governmental and international organizations, corporations, foundations, Church, just to name a few—in the transitional reforms. The books under review are a notable addition to this recent wave of literature on the transnational dimension of post-Soviet and liberal transitions. Why do states liberalize despite the apparent contradiction of these reforms to their domestic preferences, political autonomy, and national tradition? This is the central puzzle of Rachel A. Epstein's monograph, In Pursuit of Liberalism . She underscores the role played by international institutions in mobilizing domestic support for reforms, and elucidates the conditions for the success of mobilization. Epstein contends that the ability of international institutions to cultivate support for reforms hinges on the degree of uncertainty in the policies in transition, the …
Membrane Related Conferences, Seminars, Symposia and Workshops

This list of conferences, seminars, symposia, and workshops may not be completely exhaustive, but the major conferences, seminars, symposia, and workshops that focus on synthetic membranes and membrane processes are accounted for. Keywords: conferences; seminars; symposia; workshops
Why Y? Reflections on the Baucus Proposal

The international tax reform proposal introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) on November 19, 2013 contains several significant innovations that promise to define the terms of the debate for the foreseeable political future. It is therefore worth examining in detail even if it seems unlikely that progress toward meaningful reform can be achieved very soon.The major component of the proposal is a move toward territoriality coupled with two alternative anti-profit shifting options, option Y and option Z. This article will argue that option Y represents a significant step forward and can be the basis of adopting a territorial regime, while option Z is deeply flawed and risks further profit shifting unconstrained by the current limits on repatriating profits. Other important innovations in the Baucus proposal include a new destination based tax on Controlled Foreign Corporations (CFCs) on their sale of goods and services into the US; a major modification of the PFIC rules and other simplification measures; and a significant rollback of the portfolio interest exemption.This article will analyze each of these elements of the proposal and then offer some suggestions for further improvement. The two major missing elements from the proposal are additional broad limitations on inbound base erosion and preventative measures against corporate expatriations.
Seismic Damage in Reinforced Concrete Frames

Seismic damage in reinforced concrete frames is predicted by analytical methods. Analytical models are developed which can reproduce the behavior of reinforced concrete members under cyclic loads. Accuracy of the analytical models is checked by considering a set of quasi-static cyclic load tests, and the models are found to be sufficiently accurate. Several damage indicators such as ductility, flexural damage ratio, dissipated energy, and cumulative plastic rotation are investigated for each experiment. Based on the test results and physical grounds, flexural damage ratio and dissipated energy are chosen as damage state parameters. The results of the present study are later used to develop a probabilistic model of member failure in reinforced concrete structures.
Ergovaline movement across Caco-2 cells.

SUMMARY Ergovaline’s role in the direct causation of fescue toxicosis first requires establishment of its dietary absorption. Therefore, ergovaline movement across human intestinal cells was assessed using Caco-2 cells derived from human colon carcinoma. A pre-equilibrated mixture of ergovaline/ergovalinine (60:40 ratio of isomers) was added to the apical compartment, and isomer movements were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of extracted media (initial pre-isomerized ergovaline concentrations of 6 and 22 mM, two doses). Mathematical models for ergot alkaloid movement were developed. Rates of movement were not different for the isomers. In the absence of cells, basal accumulation of isomers was essentially linear for 3 h regardless of loading concentration, after which basal accumulation of ergovaline/ergovalinine plateaued. Rates of ergovaline/ergovalinine movement in the presence of cells slowed to about 25% the rate of movement in the absence of cells (22 mM, kt 5 0.0133 no cells, 0.0036 with cells, P , 0.05). Mass transfer rate was 7.5 ng·cm22·min21 and was similar to that reported for ergovaline using a parabiotic chamber with sheep omasum. After 6 h in the presence of cells, ;25 and 40% of the total ergovaline/ergovalinine administered had accumulated in the basal compartment for 6.6 and 22 mM treatments, respectively. Ergovaline and its naturally occurring isomer, ergovalinine, readily crossed intestinal cells intact and at similar rates. Either isomer, or a combination of both, could be involved in the pathogenesis of fescue toxicosis at sites distal to the intestine.
Sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer after 10 years: rethinking basic principles

Summary New techniques and treatments in medicine occasionally take on a life of their own. Sometimes, an idea's use is inherently obvious from the outset, sometimes not, in which case it becomes technology in search of an application. Identification of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer is a combination of these two options: to some extent the technique has been overused and its results overinterpreted. 10 years after the procedure's introduction and general acceptance, a few issues still deserve further discussion despite much published work on this topic. Use of sentinel-lymph-node identification has been extended to other organ systems, yet not all the lessons learned in the breast might apply to other sites. Review of the theory behind the technique and breast cancer experience to date is important. Many of the published controversies about sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer can be resolved by consideration of the basic ideas underlying the procedure, which is the aim of this Essay.
Evaluation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Immediately After Pituitary Adenomectomy: Is Perioperative Steroid Therapy Necessary?*

Patients undergoing pituitary adenomectomy are usually given glucocorticoid therapy, although there are no data to document the need for such therapy. We prospectively studied hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) function in 88 consecutive pituitary adenoma patients before and after selective adenomectomy, excluding those with corticotroph adenomas. Preoperatively, 5 patients had adrenal insufficiency (AI); they were treated with glucocorticoids and excluded from the analysis. The remaining 83 patients had normal HPA function preoperatively and were not given glucocorticoids before, during, or immediately after surgery, but were closely monitored, and their serum cortisol levels were measured in the immediate postoperative period. Two patients were clinically suspected to have AI postoperatively and were treated accordingly. The remaining 81 patients had no clinical manifestations of AI and received no glucocorticoid therapy. Their serum cortisol levels in the immediate postoperative period were appropriately elevated. The mean serum cortisol level was 40.5 +/- 11.1 (+/- SD) micrograms/dL (1117 +/- 306 nmol/L) 6 h after surgery; serum cortisol levels decreased gradually thereafter. Morning serum cortisol levels were within the normal range on the fourth, fifth, and sixth days after surgery: day 4, 15.1 +/- 7.0 micrograms/dL (417 +/- 193 nmol/L); day 5, 16.4 +/- 5.6 micrograms/dL (453 +/- 155 nmol/L); and day 6, 16.3 +/- 5.7 micrograms/dL (450 +/- 157 nmol/L). When tested 3 months after surgery, all 81 patients had normal HPA function. We conclude that HPA function is rarely compromised after selective pituitary adenomectomy. Close observation and serum cortisol measurements in the immediate postoperative period can reliably predict the integrity of the HPA after surgery. Routine glucocorticoid therapy is not needed in patients undergoing selective adenomectomy whose preoperative adrenal function is normal.