cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Rheology of Polymers with Liquid Crystalline Order

Liquid crystals are substances that possess mechanical properties resembling those of fluids yet are structured enough to diffract X-rays and transmit polarized light. The liquid crystalline state is believed to be an intermediate phase between the isotropic fluid state and the crystalline solid state. For this reason these fluids are also referred to as mesophases. Because of the unique optical properties they are also termed anisotropic fluids. Low molecular weight compounds which form liquid crystals have been studied for over a century. However, it has been only in the last thirty years that liquid crystalline order has been found to exist in polymeric systems.
Fracture analysis of monolithic CAD-CAM crowns.

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the integrity of zirconia, lithium disilicate, and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate CAD-CAM crowns after being subjected to cyclic loading and then subjected to static loading until fracture. Material and methods Zirconia (Zirkonzahn), lithium disilicate (LDS, Ivoclar Vivadent AG), and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate glass ceramic (ZLS) (Vita Suprinity, Vita Zahnfabrik) monolithic crowns were milled (n = 6). The crowns were bonded using composite resin cements and subjected to cyclic loading under wet conditions. Three specimens from each group were loaded for 10 000 cycles, and the other three specimens were loaded for 50 000 cycles with 250 N. Specimens were subjected to loading until fracture. Load-to-fracture values were analyzed with 2-way (ANOVA) and Tukey-Kramer post hoc test (α = 0.05). Specimens from each group were examined using an SEM. Results Mean load-to-fracture values among materials were significantly different from each other (P 0.05). Conclusion Load-to-fracture values of zirconia were higher than those of LDS, which were higher than those of ZLS. The number of fatigue loading cycles did not affect the load-to-fracture of the tested crowns for a given material. Clinical significance More research needs to be conducted before considering the routine use of ZLS for molars in patients with high risk of parafunctional habits.
Photothermal Mirror Z-Scan

This work describes a pump-probe photothermal mirrore Z-scan experiment aimed at determination of thermal diffusivity, thermoelastic coefficient, and quantum yield of thermal heating of the surface of transparent and non-transparent solid samples including films. © 2019 The Author(s)
HIV and Aging: Reconsidering the Approach to Management of Comorbidities

Health care for older adults with human immunodeficiency virus can be highly complex, resource intensive, and carry a high administrative burden. Data from aging longitudinal cohorts and feedback from the human immunodeficiency virus community suggest that the current model is not meeting the needs of these older adults. We introduce the 6 Ms approach, which acknowledges the multicomplexity of older adults with human immunodeficiency virus, simplifies geriatric principles for non–geriatrics-trained providers, and minimizes extensive training and specialized screening tests or tools. Implementing novel approaches to care requires support at local/national levels.
Product Market Threats and Tax Avoidance

In this paper, we investigate whether product market threats significantly impact firms’ tax avoidance. By adopting the market fluidity measure introduced in Hoberg, Phillips, and Prahbala (2014) as a proxy for product market threats, we find that product market threats increase the level of tax avoidance activities for the firms which are pursuing such activities more than their target tax avoidance level (thus, actively tax-avoiding firms). However, that relationship is not existent in the firms which have not been engaged in tax avoidance more than their target level. In addition, among these firms with active tax avoidance practice, especially the firms with worse corporate governance structure, lower levels of monitoring, higher information asymmetry, and lower financial flexibility are more likely to experience the positive relationship between product market threats and their tax avoidance. Further evidence suggests that higher levels of tax avoidance driven by product market threats do not come with higher levels of tax uncertainty and positively affect firms' profitability. This result highlights the decoupling relationship between tax avoidance and tax uncertainty as suggested by previous literature.
Impact of salt retention on true batch reverse osmosis energy consumption: experiments and model validation

Abstract In theory, the batch reverse osmosis (RO) process achieves the lowest practical energy consumption by varying pressure over time. However, few batch RO systems have been built and operated. We have designed, built, and operated the first “true” batch RO prototype using a flexible bladder. The flexible bladder serves as the high-pressure variable-volume tank that is inherent to true batch RO designs (as opposed to batch RO with energy recovery devices). We experimentally validated a model of batch RO energy consumption (≤2.7% difference) by measuring the hydraulic work of the high pressure and circulation pumps. We find that batch RO energy consumption will be greater than expected mostly due to salt retention, a problem neglected by most previous studies. However, despite operating at elevated salinity and flux conditions, batch RO can still save energy relative to single-stage and multi-stage continuous systems. For a seawater desalination plant (35 g/kg intake, 50% recovery, 15 L m−2 h−1), our newly-validated model predicts that batch RO would save 11% energy compared to a single-stage continuous RO plant. Our work demonstrates that batch RO is an energy-efficient process with the potential to reduce the cost of water desalination.
Chapter 6 – Calculation of the Refractive Index of Compound Semiconductors Below the Band Gap

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the calculation of the real part of the complex refractive index from the quantum-density-matrix formulation of the complex dielectric constant, and the result is obtained for the refractive index in terms of the measurable material parameters only. These material parameters are the band-gap energy, the effective electron mass, the effective hole masses of the three valence bands, the lattice constant, and the spin-orbit-splitting energy. The interaction of the radiation field with the free carriers and bound electrons in a compound semiconductor can be described in terms of a complex dielectric constant, where the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant are functions of the complex refractive index n. The classical Drude model is used to extract the mobility and the free-carrier density from an analysis of the reflection and the transmission data in the far infrared. The experimental determination of n and k involves measuring the reflectivity of a bulk, opaque sample and the transmittance of a slab from which the values of n and k can be obtained.
Developing a Global Studies Curriculum: The Case of Northern High School:

This fictional case presents the challenges school districts face when developing a new curriculum. After the school board voted to create a global studies program at Northern High School, the soci...
Gender as a Moderator of the Effect of Education and Acculturation on Cognitive Function: A Study of Older Korean Immigrants.

Objectives: This study examined gender variations in the effect of education and acculturation on cognitive function in a group of older immigrants. Methods: Data were from the Study of Older Korea...
Sham Surgery Controls in Parkinson Disease Clinical Trials: Views of Participants

Sham surgery controls are increasingly used in neurosurgical clinical trials in Parkinson's disease (PD) but remain controversial. We interviewed participants of such trials, specifically examining their understanding and attitudes regarding sham surgery. We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with participants of 3 sham surgery-controlled trials for PD, focusing on their understanding of sham design, their reactions to it, its impact on decision making, and their understanding of posttrial availability of the experimental intervention and its impact on decisions to participate. All subjects (n = 90) understood the 2-arm design; most (86%) described the procedural differences between the arms accurately. Ninety-two percent referred to scientific or regulatory reasons as rationales for the sham control, with 62% specifically referring to the placebo effect. Ninety-one percent said posttrial availability of the experimental intervention had a strong (48%) or some (43%) influence on their decision to participate, but only 68% understood the conditions for posttrial availability. Most subjects in sham surgery-controlled PD trials comprehend the sham surgery design and its rationale. Although there is room for improvement, most subjects of sham surgery trials appear to be adequately informed.
Elective Non-Urgent Balloon-Atrial Septostomy in Infants with d-Transposition of the Great Arteries Does Not Eliminate the Need for PGE1 Therapy at the Time of Arterial Switch Operation

Once a mainstay in the treatment of neonates with d-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA), the application of balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) in the d-TGA population has become more selective. Currently, there is no clear evidence for or against a selective BAS strategy. The aims of this single-center retrospective study were to determine the incidence of BAS in the neonatal d-TGA population in the current era, to measure the rate of procedural success, and to compare the outcomes and complication rates of patients who underwent BAS to those who underwent neonatal ASO alone. Between 2012 and 2018, 147 patients with d-TGA underwent initial medical management and ASO, 73 of which underwent BAS. The percentage of patients that underwent BAS decreased from 73 to 33% over the study time period. In patients with d-TGA with intact ventricular septum, 33% of patients remained off of PGE1 at the time of surgery regardless of BAS. In d-TGA with ventricular septal defect, 85.7% of those that underwent BAS and 54.1% of those who did not remained off of PGE1 at the time of surgery, however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. In this single institution retrospective cohort of patients with d-TGA, the performance of a technically successful balloon atrial septostomy did not eliminate the need for PGE1 therapy at the time of definitive ASO. This was true regardless of the presence or absence of a ventricular septal defect.
Obstetrics and Gynecology

The incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is increasing in the heterosexual population.1A significant proportion of this increase is due to injecting drug use. Nwanyanwu et al2stated that of all the cases of AIDS reported to the Center for Communicable Diseases, Atlanta, Ga, up to June 1, 1991, 32% were associated with drug abuse; of this group of cases, 70% were in women and heterosexual men. From 1989 to 1990, the increased incidence of AIDS in drug-abusing women was 15% and in women who were sexual partners of drug-abusing men, 29%. This makes for a large pool of potentially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—infected pregnant women and presents the obstetrician with the challenge of identifying and treating these patients. Identifying HIV-infected pregnant patients is not always easy; the only way to identify all patients is to offer HIV screening to all pregnant patients. The need for universal
Elionor and Her Departed Homeland

The author follows Elionor’s relationship with her weakening family and their realm. With the death of her uncle, Elionor’s two brothers successively took the crown, leading to a civil war between their Iberian and native barons. Kagay follows the queen’s efforts for Sicilian peace which were linked to her wish to rule the island. With the birth of her niece, Maria, this dream faded, but Elionor remained a principal diplomatic force for the Crown of Aragon with all of the central Mediterranean powers, including Genoa, Sardinia, Naples, and the Avignon Papacy.
APPROACHES FOR CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS AND DIVERSE PHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PYRAZOLONE DERIVATIVES: A REVIEW

Pyrazolone is a five-membered lactam ring containing two Nitrogens and one ketonic group in its structure. Numerous pyrazolone derivatives were exhibited with diverse biological, pharmacological, and chemical applications. When pyrazolones were discovered, they were only known as NSAIDs but in recent times they play a versatile role in several complications like cerebral ischemia, cardiovascular diseases, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and several other pharmacological activities. Over the last few decades, pyrazolone derivatives have been used for various biochemical applications. Some of these derivatives such as metamizole, phenazone, aminopyrine, and propyphenazone, are widely used as anti-inflammatory and analgesics. The chemistry of pyrazolone has gained increasing attention due to its diverse pharmacological properties such as anticancer, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, antidiabetic, and several other biological activities. Thus, keeping because of their importance, synthetic strategies for existing as well as novel pyrazolone derivatives have been developed and explored their biochemical utility. This review deals with the various pharmacological properties of different pyrazolone derivatives and puts chemical synthetic schemes.
Cooperative Visual-Inertial Odometry

This paper studies the problem of multi-robot cooperative visual-inertial localization where each robot is equipped with only a single camera and IMU. We develop two cooperative visual-inertial odometry (C-VIO) algorithms within the multi-state constraint Kalman filter (MSCKF) framework, in which each robot utilizes not only its own measurements but constraints of common features co-observed with its neighbors within the current sliding window in order to improve the localization accuracy. The first centralized-equivalent algorithm tracks the robot-to-robot cross correlations and prioritizes the pose accuracy while requiring full capacity communication among all the robots during update. The second distributed algorithm ignores the robot-to-robot cross correlations to obtain a scalable, robust and efficient fully distributed structure where each robot only keeps its own states and communicates with its neighbors, while a covariance intersection (CI)-based update strategy is leveraged to guarantee consistency. The proposed algorithms are validated extensively in both Monte-Carlo simulations and real-world datasets, and shown to be able to achieve better accuracy with competitive efficiency.
Sharing Notes Is Encouraged: Annotating and Cocreating with Hypothes.is and Google Docs.

Effectively analyzing literature can be challenging for those unfamiliar with studies from rapidly evolving research fields. Previous studies have shown that incorporating primary literature promotes scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. We’ve used collaborative note-taking and annotation of peer-reviewed articles to increase student engagement with course content and primary literature. Participants annotate articles using the web-annotation tool Hypothes.is and have access to comments from their peers. Groups are then assigned to summarize the annotations and findings, posting a synthesis for the course’s Hypothes.is group. In parallel, students contribute to common notes. The instructor generates a weekly video discussing the student notes. The goal of these activities is to foster an environment of open annotation and co-creation of knowledge to aid in studying for deeper learning. Compiled notes can be used to create an open educational resource (OER). The OER provides an entry point for future students and the public. Based on the evaluation of annotations, notes, and assessments, we conclude that these activities encourage student engagement and achievement of learning outcomes while raising awareness of the importance of open and collaborative practices.
Surface-Based Spatial Normalization Using Convex Hulls

In this chapter, a new method for spatial normalization, the convex hull method, has been described that uses both affine and nonaffine transformations for normalizing individual brain's sizes and shapes to that of a standard brain. It does so in an automated way and has been shown to exceed or match the ability of other methods to reduce anatomical variability. It has been demonstrated that the convex hull method can successfully spatially normalize magnetic resonance images to the 1988 Talairach atlas in a completely automated manner. The spatial normalization of positron emission tomography images using the convex hull method is also completely automated The convex hull also meets all the original design goals for a spatial normalization method—namely, it matches the surface of the brain being normalized to the Talairach atlas surface, it has no modalities specific steps in the process, it requires no additional images other than those being normalized, and requires no landmark selections. Additionally, it is capable of normalizing partially complete data and it is not specific to spatially normalizing to the 1988 Talairach atlas, allowing it to be used with future atlases. The studies of anatomical variability in the 1988 Talairach atlas space indicate that the sulci are of the order of two to three times more variable than point structures and deep gray matter nuclei. There is also some evidence to suggest that the variability of brain structures may be influenced by the rigidity of its neighborhood.
The involvement of tyrosyl and amino groups in the interaction of trypsin and a soybean trypsin inhibitor.

Abstract Modification of the tyrosyl and amino groups of trypsin and soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) with N-acetylimidazole before and after their combination was used to assess the role of these amino acids in the binding process. Trypsin was inactivated by an excess of the inhibitor and the complex isolated by chromatography on Sephadex G-75, at pH 6.8. Prior to complex formation, trypsin and the inhibitor each possessed 4 reactive tyrosyl residues, but after complex formation only 4 of the expected 8 reacted with N-acetylimidazole. Trypsin and the inhibitor had four and three acetylatable amino groups, respectively, but only two of these were reactive in the complex. These results indicated that four tyrosyl and five amino groups had been prevented from reacting with N-acetylimidazole because of their involvement in the formation of the complex. Modified but fully active trypsin and inhibitor could be recovered from the acetylated complex by chromatography on sulfoethyl Sephadex at pH 2.6. Subsequent analysis of each of these isolated components revealed that 2 of the 4 shielded tryosyl residues of the complex had been derived from trypsin and 2 from the inhibitor. Of the five shielded amino groups in the complex, three were contributed by trypsin and two by the inhibitor.
The Scale of Imprisonment in the United States: Twentieth Century Patterns and Twenty-First Century Prospects

The prison has been far more important to criminal justice practice than to academic theory in the century examined by this Symposium. Imprisonment is the dominant severe criminal sanction worldwide and there is no evidence that its hegemony at the deep end of crime control will change. But the study of imprisonment has not been a major feature of criminal law theory at any time, while some aspects of prisons have commanded attention in the literature of criminology. So imprisonment has played a dominant role in American criminal justice but a minor role in the discourse about criminal law. The Harvard Law Review, for example, listed twenty-seven articles with "prison" or "imprisonment" in the title in one hundred years of publication beginning in 1910. The interdisciplinary character of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and its crime focus made it into the leading forum in law related scholarship covering issues of prison operation and function. No fewer than 155 main articles were published with "prisons" or "imprisonment" in their titles in a century of publications, by far the largest concentration one would find in any scholarly journal closely linked to legal
Subcutaneous versus intravenous erythropoietin for long‐term dialysis patients

Reason for Withdrawal This protocol was withdrawn; the draft review had not been submitted for editorial assessment 12 months after the due date. To view the published versions of this article, please click the 'Other versions' tab.
“The Rise and Demise of PATCO” Reconstructed

Excerpt] In his article "The Rise and Demise of PATCO" (Northrup 1984), Herbert Northrup presents a narrow and misleading explanation of the ill-fated air traffic controllers' strike of 1981. Northrup's thesis is that the goal of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) strike was to establish the right to bargain over wages within a private sector framework. He attributes the failure of the strike to the union's inept leadership and praises the Reagan administration for its firm response to the challenge presented by PATCO. Although most of the facts he reports are accurate, Northrup omits crucial information regarding the management style of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the internal dynamics of PATCO. Based on this additional information, we will argue that PATCO'S primary goal was to address the work-related problems of the rank-and-file specifically by reducing the work week and improving the retirement system; that the primary cause of the strike was rank-andfile frustration with autocratic management; and that the Reagan administration joined forces with career FAA managers to destroy PATCO without giving sufficient consideration to less drastic alternatives.
Resolving Parental Custody Disputes - A Comparative Exploration

These authors provide an overview of the seventeen articles included in this special issue, a Symposium on Comparative Custody Law. The authors note the diversity of countries represented and explore the similarities and differences in substantive norms and procedural mechanisms used to regulate the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities following separation or divorce. The article chronicles similarities in approaches, including the dominance of civil regulation, a clear emphasis on private ordering, a widespread use of conciliation and mediation procedures, and attention to the child's role in the decision-making process. The authors also acknowledges the role of international instruments as well as the customs and qualities that give each society its unique character.
Recent Progress in Late Transition Metal α-Diimine Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization

This chapter reviews recent development of cationic α-diimine nickel(II) and palladium(II) complexes for olefin polymerization. The contributions of ligand structure to the catalytic polymerization properties of late metal complexes are particularly emphasized in this review. Unique among transition metal polymerization systems, these late metal complexes also catalyze the formation of branched polymers. The mechanisms of elemental reaction steps for these catalytic systems are discussed. The Pd(II) system also permits the copolymerization of ethylene and α-olefins with various polar comonomers, especially acrylates. Finally, a discussion of new research in ligand design is provided. A new class of cyclophane-based ligands has exhibited high thermal stability. The mechanism of copolymerizations is significantly altered, leading to elevated incorporations of polar monomers. An axial-donation hemilabile cyclic ligand is also discussed, the Ni(II) and Pd(II) complexes of which afford high molecular weight polyethylene despite their reduced steric bulk.
Relational Control: The Human Structuring of Cooperation and Conflict

In this paper, we introduce a theoretical perspective based on the concept of relational control, the exercise of control over social relationships. The paper focuses on three of the principal ways human agents structure cooperation and conflict among persons and groups: through control of interaction and organizational opportunities, control of differential payoffs or outcomes of interaction, and control over cultural and ideological orientations of actors in relation to one another. We consider divide-and-rule strategies used to structure noncooperative or conflictive social relationships. The role of the state in regulating management/labor relationships in industrialized or industrializing societies is examined to illustrate the structuring of more cooperative relationships. Parallels to the analysis of international relations are suggested.
Manufacturing Scheduling for Energy Cost Reduction in a Smart Grid Scenario

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of reducing electricity cost for a manufacturing factory through scheduling in a smart grid scenario while maintaining production throughput. Different from traditional rate structure, electricity price of smart grid is time varying and dependent on the total demand. The most common strategy for a factory to reduce electricity cost is to shift electricity usage from on-peak hours to off-peak hours. However, changes in manufacturing schedules affect power demand and electricity price. Moreover, a manufacturing process cannot be interrupted after being started. This dynamic coupling brings additional challenges to scheduling problem that is already NP-hard. In this paper, a time-indexed integer programming scheme is developed and implemented in General Algebraic Modeling System to solve the scheduling problem. To demonstrate the approach, a hypothetical region including power distribution/transmission system, residential/commercial buildings and a flow shop operating 8/16 working hours/day is considered. The operation of residential/commercial buildings is subject to time-of-use tariff and described in GridLAB-D. Simulation results show that the factory electricity cost is reduced by 2%–4% without any production loss. The results also suggest that in addition to residential/commercial buildings, it is possible to involve manufacturing facilities in demand-side management.© 2014 ASME
Mechanical and Electronic Approaches to Improve the Sensitivity of Microcantilever Sensors

Advances in the field of micro electro mechanical systems and their uses now offer unique opportunities in the design of ultrasensitive analytical tools. The analytical community continues to search for cost-effective, reliable, and even portable analytical techniques that can give reliable and fast response results for a variety of chemicals and biomolecules. Microcantilevers (MCLs) have emerged as a unique platform for label-free chem-sensor or bioassay. Several electronic designs, including piezoresistive, piezoelectric, and capacitive approaches, have been applied to measure the bending or frequency change of the MCLs upon exposure to chemicals. This review summarizes mechanical, fabrication, and electronics approaches to increase the sensitivity of MCL sensors.
Molecular characteristics of Junin virus

Abstract Results suggest that protein, glycerophospolipid, galactoside, and sialyl glycoside residues are present in Junin virus (JV), are accessible to enzymatic digestion, and play an important role in infection. Four major protein bands with molecular masses ( M r ) 64 ± 2, 56 ± 2, 52 ± 3 (mean ± standard deviation, n = 4) and approximately 12–18 kDa were consistently detected after denaturing gel electrophoresis analysis of purified attenuated JV. The 52 kDa protein showed a diffuse tail in the 52–56 kDa range and was considered to be the JV glycoprotein. By Western blotting, the 64 kDa protein bound a JV neutralizing antibody and was considered to be the viral nucleoprotein. Additional bands corresponding to larger proteins (approximately 200, 96, 86, and 78–80 kDa in size), as well as fainter and broader bands in the 23–44 kDa region were also present in purified JV preparations. The relative resistance of virus infectivity to RNase digestion demonstrates that the genome of JV is protected from enzymatic attack. Analysis of purified JV virions by electrophoresis resolved the viral small (S) RNA and large (L) RNA species, 3636 ± 54 bases and 7667 ± 154 bases long, respectively (average length ± range, in four determinations). The (S) RNA of attenuated JV appeared slightly larger than that reported for a pathogenic strain, ruling out a large sequence deletion as a reason for attenuation.
Positivity notions for coherent sheaves over compact complex spaces

LetX be a reduced compact complex space, Ⓢ→X a coherent sheaf, andV=V(Ⓢ) its associated linear fiber space. LetVR be the reduction ofV, letA be the analytic set inX over which Ⓢ is not locally-free, and letV′ be the closure inVR ofVR|(X−A). Ⓢ is (primary) weakly positive if the zerosection ofV (V′) is exceptional. Ⓢ is (primary) cohomologically positive if, for any coherent sheaf ℸ→X, for all μ≫0,k≧1. Then Ⓢ is (primary) weakly positive if and only if Ⓢ is (primary) cohomologically positive.
Investigation of carbon chemical erosion with increasing plasma flux and density

The possible reduction of the chemical erosion yield of carbon Ychem with increasing hydrogenic ion flux is a critical issue for the use of carbon based plasma facing materials in future high flux confinement devices. The PISCES linear plasma device is used to assess carbon Ychem through nearly an order of magnitude scan in flux (≤ 1023 s-1 m-2) and plasma density, while controlling other exposure parameters that are known to affect Ychem; namely, incident ion energy and surface temperature. Two independent techniques are used to measure Ychem, CD band emission spectroscopy and sample mass loss. Both techniques are carefully benchmarked using a combination of methane injection experiments and modelling. The key results of this study are that the CD molecular band photon efficiency is sensitive to the plasma density at fixed electron temperature and that the redeposition efficiency of hydrocarbons increases with density, thereby decreasing the measured net erosion. After taking these trends into account, no measurable flux dependence of Ychem is found from either of the two measurement techniques, with Ychem ~ 3-5% for an incident deuterium ion energy of 30 eV. Independent scans of incident energy and surface temperature confirm previously measured (by ion beams with relatively low fluxes) Ychem dependences on these parameters. These results together suggest that apparent reductions of Ychem in plasma devices with increasing flux are more likely to be attributed to either increasing redeposition efficiency with density, changing dissociation/excitation/transport properties of the hydrocarbons near the surface, decreasing incident energy or some combination thereof.
Hemodynamic Characteristics of Neonates Following First Stage Palliation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Background It is widely held that the postoperative course of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) after stage 1 palliation is characterized by hemodynamic instability, which in part may be due to excessive pulmonary blood flow. Hence, avoidance of alkalosis and the use of minimally oxygen-enriched inspiratory gas are thought by many to be important, although there is little pertinent published data. This study was undertaken to characterize the postoperative course and to determine whether the Fio2 and blood pH are related to indices of hemodynamic stability in these infants. Methods and Results The postoperative course of 25 consecutive infants undergoing first stage palliation for HLHS were retrospectively reviewed and the following data were obtained: arterial pressure, arterial blood gas measurements, the inotropic agents used, and multiple respiratory parameters. There was one operative death, and 2 patients died within 2 days, but 22 were extubated (mean, 5.2±4.1 days after surgery). Hospital mortality was 24%. Mean pH was ≥7.51 for the first 9 hours after surgery and was ≥7.45 for the entire period. The mean Fio2 was ≥50% for the first 18 hours. The Pao2 was appropriate (37±6 mm Hg at 1 hour after surgery, increasing to 45±5 mm Hg by hour 73). Only modest inotropic support was needed to maintain appropriate blood pressure. Conclusions These data suggest that neither alkalosis nor relatively high inspired oxygen necessarily cause hemodynamic instability in these patients. To what extent these results are generalizable is unclear, but they suggest that there is nothing inherent with HLHS that mandates postoperative hemodynamic instability or unacceptable mortality.
Mobility of lead in mine tailings due to landfill leachate

An old lead mine tailings pile in Southeast Missouri is being used as a sanitary landfill. The tailings were found to consist of 60–70% dolomite, 20–30% mascovite/illite and trace amounts of quartz, galena, and calcite. The pH was 8.1 and the lead concentrations were 810-3200 mg/kg. Several samples at the site were found hazardous using the EPA toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). Since little was known about the mobility of the lead under these conditions, laboratory scale column experiments were conducted to determine if the lead in the tailings might be mobilized with a landfill leachate. Total lead was determined and lead availability was determined using sequential extraction. The lead associated with Fractions 1 (MgC12), 2 (NH4OAc), and 3 (Na4P2O7) of the sequential extraction leached rapidly and immediately produced a leachate after 1 hr of 440 mg/L before decreasing to 40 mg/L after 12 hr. Fraction 4 (EDTA) and Fraction 5 (HNO3), were unaffected by the leachate.
Theoretical studies of protein-folding thermodynamics and kinetics.

Abstract Recently, protein-folding models have advanced to the point where folding simulations of protein-like chains of reasonable length (up to 125 amino acids) are feasible, and the major physical features of folding proteins, such as cooperativity in thermodynamics and nucleation mechanisms in kinetics, can be reproduced. This has allowed deep insight into the physical mechanism of folding, including the solution of the so-called ‘Levinthal paradox’.
Development and evaluation of an accounting model for estimating deer population sizes

Abstract We developed a deterministic population model to simulate dynamics of the white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) herd in the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area, Minnesota. The model was driven by three primary parameters representing reproduction, harvest, and natural mortality. Reproductive rates were age-specific, while harvest and natural mortality rates were age- and sex-specific. Natural mortality rates were estimated using survival data collected from 81 radio-collared female deer during 1996–2000. Minimal variation was observed in annual summer survival rates (range = 96–100%), but annual winter survival rates varied (range = 76–96%) and were related to winter severity indices ( P = 0.02). Deer herd dynamics were simulated from 1990 to 2001 and population estimates derived from aerial surveys conducted in 1997 and 2001 were used to validate simulated model estimates. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify important model parameters and quantify error in model estimates caused by inaccurate input data used during deterministic simulations. Model estimates were most sensitive to biased summer survival, winter survival, and productivity rates of adult females. High variance in model estimates was caused by annual variability in adult female winter survival, adult female productivity, and fawn female summer survival. We recommend collecting data for sensitive model parameters to improve model accuracy. A stochastic model was used to simulate herd sizes that could have occurred in the real population and these population estimates were compared to simulated estimates derived from the deterministic model to assess model performance. This analysis indicated that population estimates produced by the deterministic model would be reasonably accurate for up to 4 years. However, accuracy in modeled estimates declined overtime which suggested that accounting models should not be used exclusively as long-term population monitoring devices for deer management. Additionally, we developed an individual-based population model to examine the effect demographic stochasticity had on error in model estimates for small deer herds. The relative variation in model output decreased in a curvilinear fashion as the number of adult females in the initial population increased. Our findings indicate that while deterministic accounting models are useful to guide research activities and assess potential consequences of proposed management strategies, they are not designed to monitor deer abundance over an extended period of time.
Atomic force microscopy of insulin single crystals: direct visualization of molecules and crystal growth

Atomic force microscopy performed on single crystals of three different polymorphs of bovine insulin revealed molecularly smooth (001) layers separated by steps whose heights reflect the dimensions of a single insulin hexamer. Whereas contact mode imaging caused etching that prevented molecular-scale resolution, tapping mode imaging in solution provided molecular-scale contrast that enabled determination of lattice parameters and polymorph identification while simultaneously enabling real-time examination of growth modes and assessment of crystal quality. Crystallization proceeds layer by layer, a process in which the protein molecules assemble homoepitaxially with nearly perfect orientational and translational commensurism. Tapping mode imaging also revealed insulin aggregates attached to the (001) faces, their incorporation into growing terraces, and their role in defect formation. These observations demonstrate that tapping mode imaging is ideal for real-time in situ investigation of the crystallization of soft protein crystals of relatively small proteins such as insulin, which cannot withstand the lateral shear forces exerted by the scanning probe in conventional imaging modes.
Induction of gene expression by intracellular interferon-gamma: abrogation of the species specificity barrier.

Abstract We reported previously that murine L-929 cells expressing a human interferon (IFN)-γ cDNA lacking a signal peptide sequence synthesize but fail to secrete human IFN-γ and support vital replication at a reduced level. These cells also had elevated levels of IFN-inducible gene products. We show here that a similar response is seen in human cells expressing a mutated murine IFN-γ cDNA. The ability of human IFN-γ to induce gene expression in murine cells is shown to be due to the intracellular IFN-γ rather than to clonal variation, induction of endogenous murine IFN, or alternative mediators of antiviral activity. We have used a murine cell line, Ltk-aprt-, which is resistant to both type I and II IFNs but responsive to combined treatment with both, Ltk-aprt- cells transfected with human IFN-γ cDNA lacking a signal sequence support virus replication at the same level as control cells. However, unlike transfectants containing only the neoR selection gene, clones expressing the mutated human IFN-γ gene show strong protection against viral infection and elevated levels of 2,5 A synthetase mRNA and MHC class I protein after treatment with IFN-β alone. Reverse transcriptase-PCR rules out the induction of endogenous murine IFN expression as a mediator of these effects. Thus, expression of intracellular human IFN-γ mimics treatment with extracellular murine IFN-γ in permitting a synergistic response to IFN-β. Given the inability of human IFN-γ to bind to the murine cell-surface receptor our results show that intracellular IFN-γ can activate certain responses independent of cell-surface binding.
Order and disorder in sodium silicate glasses and melts at 10 GPa

[1] We report experimental evidence, in conjunction with quantum chemical calculation, supporting chemical ordering among network polyhedra (e.g. [5]Si and [6]Si) in sodium silicate glasses quenched from melts at 10 GPa by using 17O 3QMAS (triple quantum magic angle spinning) NMR, which resolves new oxygen sites at high pressure, including [5,6]Si-O-[4]Si and Na-O-[5,6]Si. The distribution of network polyhedra at 10 GPa, a controlling factor for transport and melting processes in the mantle, is not completely random but favors formation of oxygen linking dissimilar Si pairs such as [5,6]Si-O-[4]Si. The presence of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) in highly coordinated units at 10 GPa, Na-O-[5,6]Si, indicates that the formation of highly coordinated Si can also occur at initially depolymerized silicon tetrahedra such as Q3 or Q2. The methods and results given here yield improved prospects for understanding melt structures at high pressure and the atomistic origin of magmatic processes in the Earth's interior.
An acute pain management service with regional anesthesia: How to make it work

Abstract Acute pain management has made the transition from treatment primarily with opioids to an array of regional anesthesia techniques. Epidural analgesia, with a combination of local anesthetics and opioids, has become a standard of care for many painful surgical procedures. Peripheral nerve blocks are being applied more broadly for postoperative pain control (either as primary anesthetics or in combination with general anesthesia) and employing catheter techniques will prolong their action for as long as the analgesia is required. Regional analgesia techniques work best in combination with other analgesics to maximize pain relief while minimizing side effects. Outcome may thus be improved. As such, acute pain management with aggressive regional anesthesia techniques requires an organized service beyond the operating room, with dedicated trained personnel and extensive protocols. A nurse-based approach fulfills these requirements. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Simulation of a distributed query processing algorithm on token ring networks

One network architecture which is being considered for information distribution in a Tactical Battle Data Management setting is the token ring network. In token ring local area networks, an information delivery algorithm is simulated which provides a strategy for answering a request for battle information, and also an estimate of the response time required to answer the request. The algorithm is simple, fast, and produces strategies that are competitive with other known algorithms in terms of actual response time. These facts are established through simulation experimentation. Our algorithm and a well established algorithm are analyzed using a computer to simulate their strategies. The relative performance of two retrieval processing strategies generated by these two algorithms are compared on the basis of actual and estimated response time. In order to be unbiased towards any particular algorithm, four different data distributions are used to produce examples of worse, average and best case data. Data for the simulated algorithms are randomly generated. On each run the same data are used to generate the estimated response times and the actual response times for the two algorithms. The evaluation consists of the following comparisons. The estimated response times of the two algorithms are compared. The actual response times of the two algorithms are compared. The actual response time and the estimated response time for each algorithm is compared. Using our algorithm the estimated response time and the actual response time are shown to be close. The result obtained for the well established algorithm show that the actual response time can be significantly larger than the estimated response time. The need for this type of algorithm arises in the Tactical Battle Data Management environment in which decisions must be based on predicted times at which information arrives. This kind of situation requires an algorithm with guaranteed response times. In C^2 real-time applications, where much time is spent checking for retrieval completion, valuable time can be saved since response times can be assured.
The Promise of Sociocultural Theory in Democratizing Adult Education.

The most dominant perspectives used to understand adult learning and guide the practice of adult education continue to be those that focus on learning as an individual endeavor with little regard for the sociocultural environment. Sociocultural theory therefore holds promise for incorporating multiple worldviews into the study and practice of adult education.
Document layout and color driven image retrieval

This paper presents a contribution to image indexing applied to the document creation task. The presented method ranks a set of photographs based on how well they aesthetically work within a predefined document. Color harmony, document visual balance and image quality are taken into consideration. A user study conducted on people with a range of expertise in document creation helped gather the right visual features to consider by the algorithm. This shows some benefits for the traditional document creation task, as well as for the case of ever-changing web page banner colors and layout.
The Spectrographic Analysis of Lubricating Oils

The spectrographic analysis of lubricating oil directly on the whole oil has been done with four different techniques, and innumerable variations have been described in the literature. One technique employing electrodes prepared by quenching hot graphite rods in the oil sample (1) has been found to have a very limited usefulness (2) and so will not be discussed in this paper. A second technique using porous cups (3) has a more general application but has been shown to give erroneous results on used oils. It is thought that this is due to the filtering action of the cup. This method also will not be discussed. A third technique, employing a rotating disc carbon electrode (3a, 4), has met with wide usage, and a fourth, and more recent, technique employing a rotating platform (5) with preheating is being tried by several laboratories. The purpose of this paper is to describe our work on improving the rotating disc method, and to compare the speed, accuracy, and repeatability with other spectrographic procedures which we have used.
Serine threonine receptor-associated protein (STRAP) plays a role in the maintenance of mesenchymal morphology.

Abstract The stromal tissue, made of extracellular matrix and mesenchymal cells, is vital for the functional design of all complex tissues. Fibroblasts are key components of stromal tissue and play a crucial role during organ development, wound repair, angiogenesis and fibrosis. We have previously reported the identification of a novel WD-domain protein, STRAP 1 that inhibits transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and enhances tumorigenicity via TGF-β-dependent and TGF-β-independent mechanisms. Here, we report, for the first time, that deletion of STRAP from Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs) results in a loss of mesenchymal morphology. These cells lose their spindle shape and exhibit features of an epithelial morphology. Gene expression profiling has confirmed that deletion of STRAP affects expression of sets of genes important for diverse functions including cell–cell adhesion and cell polarization, and upregulates E-cadherin expression leading to the formation of adherens junctions, subsequent localization of β-catenin to the cell membrane and downregulation of the mesenchymal markers like LEF1 (lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1). Upregulation of WT1 (Wilms tumor homolog 1) in STRAP null MEFs plays a role in E-cadherin induction. Finally, stable expression of STRAP in these cells results in a loss of WT1 and E-cadherin expressions, and a reversal from epithelial to the mesenchymal morphology. Thus, these results provide a novel TGF-β-independent function of STRAP and describe a mechanism for the role of STRAP in the maintenance of mesenchymal morphology.