cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hilbert’s Axioms

Our purpose in this chapter is to present (with minor modifications) a set of axioms for geometry proposed by Hilbert in 1899. These axioms are sufficient by modern standards of rigor to supply the foundation for Euclid's geometry. This will mean also axiomatizing those arguments where he used intuition, or said nothing. In particular, the axioms for betweenness, based on the work of Pasch in the 1880s, are the most striking innovation in this set of axioms.
Ascorbic acid content of human corneal epithelium.

PURPOSE To measure the concentration of ascorbic acid in the human corneal epithelium. METHODS Corneal epithelium was removed from postmortem eyes 4 to 16 hours after death and ascorbate measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS The concentration of ascorbate was 1.33 +/- 0.48 mg/gm wet weight (mean +/- SD), estimated to be 14 times its concentration in the aqueous humor. CONCLUSIONS Ascorbate can protect the basal layer of the epithelium by absorption of incident ultraviolet radiation.
Interactions between displacement cascade and dislocation and their influences on Peierls stress in Fe-20Cr-25Ni alloys

Abstract The interactions between dislocations and displacement cascades are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) are placed at different distances to edge and screw dislocation lines. Specifically, an fcc Fe-20Cr-25Ni system is studied; the alloy is the based alloy for Alloy 709. The number of defects is calculated using Wigner-Seitz analysis in order to illustrate the effect of dislocations on cascades. The displacement cascades in systems containing dislocations tend to generate more total defects compared with bulk systems, but eventually lead to less surviving defects in the materials matrix due to interactions with dislocations. The changes in atomic structures of the dislocations after interacting with cascades are analyzed to understand how the primary damage affects dislocations. The displacement cascade potentially causes dislocation climb in edge dislocations and cross-slip in screw dislocations, which could serve as additional mechanisms contributing to the radiation-induced hardening (RIH) compared with conventional RIH models. To reveal this, Peierls stresses are calculated before and after cascades using molecular static simulations. This study provides critical information of how defect production and dislocations are correlated, especially when total dose is high, which needs to be taken into account in upper scale models, such as mean-field rate theory.
Early- vs late-start levodopa relieved symptoms but did not affect disease progression in Parkinson disease.

Source Citation Verschuur CVM, Suwijn SR, Boel JA, et al; LEAP Study Group. Randomized delayed-start trial of levodopa in Parkinson's disease. N Engl J Med. 2019;380:315-24. 30673543
Theme issue on connected and automated road vehicles

In recent years, Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) have become a major focus of research and development efforts in the automotive industry. CAVs are expected to significantly impact the tran...
Isomerization-induced enhancement of luminescence in Au28(SR)20 nanoclusters

Understanding the origin and structural basis of the photoluminescence (PL) phenomenon in thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters is of paramount importance for both fundamental science and practical applications. It remains a major challenge to correlate the PL properties with the atomic-level structure due to the complex interplay of the metal core (i.e. the inner kernel) and the exterior shell (i.e. surface Au(i)-thiolate staple motifs). Decoupling these two intertwined structural factors is critical in order to understand the PL origin. Herein, we utilize two Au28(SR)20 nanoclusters with different -R groups, which possess the same core but different shell structures and thus provide an ideal system for the PL study. We discover that the Au28(CHT)20 (CHT: cyclohexanethiolate) nanocluster exhibits a more than 15-fold higher PL quantum yield than the Au28(TBBT)20 nanocluster (TBBT: p-tert-butylbenzenethiolate). Such an enhancement is found to originate from the different structural arrangement of the staple motifs in the shell, which modifies the electron relaxation dynamics in the inner core to different extents for the two nanoclusters. The emergence of a long PL lifetime component in the more emissive Au28(CHT)20 nanocluster reveals that its PL is enhanced by suppressing the nonradiative pathway. The presence of long, interlocked staple motifs is further identified as a key structural parameter that favors the luminescence. Overall, this work offers structural insights into the PL origin in Au28(SR)20 nanoclusters and provides some guidelines for designing luminescent metal nanoclusters for sensing and optoelectronic applications.
Increasing Critical Care Nurse Engagement of Palliative Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to escalating infection rates and associated deaths worldwide. Amid this public health emergency, the urgent need for palliative care integration throughout critical care settings has never been more crucial. Objective To promote palliative care engagement in critical care; share palliative care resources to support critical care nurses in alleviating suffering during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic; and make recommendations to strengthen nursing capacity to deliver high-quality, person-centered critical care. Methods Palliative and critical care literature and practice guidelines were reviewed, synthesized, and translated into recommendations for critical care nursing practice. Results Nurses are ideally positioned to drive full integration of palliative care into the critical care delivery for all patients, including those with coronavirus disease 2019, given their relationship-based approach to care, as well as their leadership and advocacy roles. Recommendations include the promotion of healthy work environments and prioritizing nurse self-care in alignment with critical care nursing standards. Conclusions Nurses should focus on a strategic integration of palliative care, critical care, and ethically based care during times of normalcy and of crisis. Primary palliative care should be provided for each patient and family, and specialist services sought, as appropriate. Nurse educators are encouraged to use these recommendations and resources in their curricula and training. Palliative care is critical care. Critical care nurses are the frontline responders capable of translating this holistic, person-centered approach into pragmatic services and relationships throughout the critical care continuum.
Protection of Great Lakes Soils

Key environmental problems in the Great Lakes region are (i) reductions of the water levels from withdrawals and human-caused climate change; (ii) pollution from point-source, nonpoint-source, and atmospheric sources; (iii) the introduction of invasive species; and (iv) degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Smith et al. 2015).
NfoR: Chromate Reductase or Flavin Mononucleotide Reductase?

ABSTRACT Soil bacteria can detoxify Cr(VI) ions by reduction. Within the last 2 decades, numerous reports of chromate reductase enzymes have been published. These reports describe catalytic reduction of chromate ions by specific enzymes. These enzymes each have sequence similarity to known redox-active flavoproteins. We investigated the enzyme NfoR from Staphylococcus aureus, which was reported to be upregulated in chromate-rich soils and to have chromate reductase activity (H. Han, Z. Ling, T. Zhou, R. Xu, et al., Sci Rep 7:15481, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15588-y). We show that NfoR has structural similarity to known flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductases and reduces FMN as a substrate. NfoR binds FMN with a dissociation constant of 0.4 μM. The enzyme then binds NADPH with a dissociation constant of 140 μM and reduces the flavin at a rate of 1,350 s−1. Turnover of the enzyme is apparently limited by the rate of product release that occurs, with a net rate constant of 0.45 s−1. The rate of product release limits the rate of observed chromate reduction, so the net rate of chromate reduction by NfoR is orders of magnitude lower than when this process occurs in solution. We propose that NfoR is an FMN reductase and that the criterion required to define chromate reduction as enzymatic has not been met. That NfoR expression is increased in the presence of chromate suggests that the survival adaption was to increase the net rate of chromate reduction by facile, adventitious redox processes. IMPORTANCE Chromate is a toxic by-product of multiple industrial processes. Chromate reduction is an important biological activity that ameliorates Cr(VI) toxicity. Numerous researchers have identified chromate reductase activity by observing chromate reduction. However, all identified chromate reductase enzymes have flavin as a cofactor or use a flavin as a substrate. We show here that NfoR, an enzyme claimed to be a chromate reductase, is in fact an FMN reductase. In addition, we show that reduction of a flavin is a viable way to transfer electrons to chromate but that it is unlikely to be the native function of enzymes. We propose that upregulation of a redox-active flavoprotein is a viable means to detoxify chromate that relies on adventitious reduction that is not catalyzed.
Scioto Situations and the Steel Group Monument Assemblage

Scholars have offered various approaches to create a synthetic view of the Middle Woodland period that integrates geographically expansive and heterogenous material remains. Situation theory offers...
The Status of the Non-Native Fern Cheilanthes viridis (Pteridaceae) in the United States.

Cheilanthes viridis (Pteridaceae), green cliffbrake, is reported as new to the floras of Texas and Louisiana. This African native has long been cultivated as an ornamental fern and likely escaped to become naturalized in eastern Texas and adjacent Louisiana. The expanding distribution of the taxon in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas is discussed. Classification and taxonomy are also reviewed.
The Persuasive Effects of Direct Mail: A Regression Discontinuity Based Approach

During the contest for Kansas attorney general in 2006, an organization sent out six pieces of mail criticizing the incumbent’s conduct in office. We exploit a discontinuity in the rule used to select which households received the mailings to identify the causal effect of mail on vote choice and voter turnout. We find these mailings had a politically significant effect on the challenger’s vote share, which is statistically significant in most, but not all, of our specifications. Our point estimates suggest that a 10 percentage point increase in the amount of mail sent to a precinct increased the challenger’s vote share by 1.5 to 3.5 percentage points. Furthermore, our results suggest that these mailings had little mobilizing effect, suggesting that the mechanism for this increase was persuasion.
Abstract P311: Outpatient Evaluation of Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor, Non-Disabling Stroke During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: Reductions in hospital visits for stroke have been seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, partly reflecting perceived risks of in-hospital care. We recently implemented an evidence-based protocol for outpatient rapid evaluation of transient and minor, non-disabling stroke symptoms for patients seeking care 24 hours after symptom onset. We present our early experience through the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients evaluated in the RESCUE-TIA (Rapid Evaluation of minor Stroke and CerebrovascUlar Events including TIA) clinic from December 2019- August 2020. The clinic sees patients with TIA symptoms or with fixed, non-disabling deficits seeking care > 24 hours after symptom onset. We introduced telemedicine in March 2020. Magnetic resonance brain and vascular imaging is available within 24 hours of visit. We summarized patient characteristics and quality data with standard descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 21 patients were seen in the RESCUE-TIA clinic, including 15 patients during the height of the pandemic in NY;67% were seen by telemedicine. The median age was 75 years (interquartile range [IQR], 61-82), and 71% were women. The median NIH Stroke Score for patients with minor stroke was 0 (IQR, 0-1), and the median ABCD score for TIA patients was 3 (IQR, 2-3). Median time from symptom onset to evaluation was 3 days (IQR, 2.5-17.5). Median time from evaluation to laboratory diagnostics was 8 hours (IQR, 2-21), and to completion of imaging was 1 day (IQR, 0-5). Outpatient telemetry commenced in a median of 5 days (IQR, 1-9), and echocardiography was completed in a median of 8 days (IQR, 0-10). One patient was referred to the emergency room for a carotid occlusion. Final diagnoses were TIA (n=12), ischemic stroke (n=5), transient global amnesia (n=2), migraine (n=1), and non-aneurysmal, distal subarachnoid hemorrhage (n=1). Secondary prevention was initiated or optimized in 94% of TIA and stroke patients. Recurrent TIA occurred in 1 patient after 67 days, and ischemic stroke occurred in 1 patient 55 days after TIA. Conclusion: Timely outpatient evaluation of patients with recent TIA and minor, non-disabling stroke is feasible and may be useful during the pandemic, especially during emergency room crowding.
Review: Hand Exoskeleton Systems, Clinical Rehabilitation Practices, and Future Prospects

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke are pathologies that often result in the loss of/decrease in hand functionality. Hand function is a critical component of everyday life and therefore, a primary focus of clinical SCI/stroke rehabilitation is hand function recovery/improvement. In recent years, there has been a surge in hand exoskeleton research due to the potential for exoskeletons to improve clinical rehabilitation efficiency through automation. However, there is a disconnect between current clinical practice and exoskeleton research, resulting in a minority of hand exoskeletons being tested on individuals with SCI and/or stroke. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis and review of hand exoskeleton studies based on clinical rehabilitation practices to bridge the knowledge gap between clinical application and laboratory research. The key findings from this paper are: 1) current hand exoskeletons can successfully complete simple ADL tasks but lack the precision for fine motor control, 2) most hand exoskeletons exhibit a low number of degrees-of-freedom compared to the human hand, which may limit movement capability, 3) the majority of hand exoskeletons lack sensing capabilities, restricting viable control methods and user interfaces, and 4) inconsistent evaluation methods across studies do not allow for accurate performance assessment for different exoskeletons. The comparative assessments performed by this survey article show that there remain deficits between clinical hand rehabilitation practices and the current state of hand exoskeletons. By delineating these shortcomings, the information presented in this work can help inform future developments in the field of assistive and rehabilitative hand exoskeletons such that the gap between research and application may be closed.
Morphological and Functional Properties of Transplanted Vasopressin Neurons

Three basic principles in neural transplantation have been demonstrated by studies conducted since 1970. Building on the earlier experiments of Dunn,1 May,2 and Le Gros Clark,3 a number of investigators4–8 have shown that fetal CNS neurons survive and develop anatomically normal features in the host brain. Lund and Hauschka9 provided some of the first evidence that grafted neural tissue becomes structurally integrated with the parenchyma of the host nervous system by demonstrating that fiber projections are established between the host and the donor. An extensive literature now exists to support this concept that grafted neurons readily send efferent fibers into the host brain and in turn receive afferents from host neurons (see Chapter 4). Finally, the ability of transplanted neurons to synthesize and release neurohormones and neurotransmitters in an appropriate manner to effect host behavior has been documented in at least three different model systems.10–14 Thus, the principles of (1) graft viability, (2) structural integration, and (3) appropriate function have been described. At issue now is the precise definition of the limits and important variables of transplant development and function.
Acute Management of Cardiac Sarcoidosis

The initial presentation of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) may be in the acute care setting with heart block, ventricular tachycardia (VT) or acute heart failure (HF). Cardiovascular clinicians should consider sarcoidosis in the differential diagnosis when confronting these relatively common problems, especially where the patient is relatively young and once coronary heart disease has been excluded. Corticosteroids are the principal immunosuppressant used in the acute setting, owing to its relatively rapid effect. Although minimal controlled data are available to guide the use of corticosteroids, they have been most effective in resolving AV block. Accordingly, conventional management of VT and HF should be also be utilized.
Job Satisfaction for Campus Recreation Professionals Within NIRSA Institutions

An international investigation was conducted to determine the overall job satisfaction of college campus recreation employees who are members of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA). Demographic information was gathered to provide statistical analysis based on (a) region; (b) size of school; (c) private versus public; (d) four-year versus two-year schools; (e) rural, suburban, and urban location; (f) years in the profession; and (g) reporting structure. The following work related areas were examined to determine if NIRSA members were satisfied with their job environment: (a) personal/individual satisfaction, (b) staffing and organizational structure, (c) financial support, (d) salary and professional development, (e) department and individual expectations, (f) campus recreation facilities, and (g) campus collaboration and communication. The study found that overall the respondents indicated they were satisfied with their job situation/ environment with greater satisfaction being shown by those with loftier job titles when compared with those with lesser job titles. Differences in job satisfaction were noted in terms of (a) supervisor’s expectations of them, salary, and hours worked (based on amount of experience); (b) salary (based on title held); (c) budget allocation (based on reporting structure); and (d) a desire to leave their present position/ job (in terms of job title held, experience/length of service and reporting structure).
Sonobuoy-Based, 3-D Acoustic Characterization of Shallow-Water Environments

Abstract : The long-term goal of this research is to increase our understanding of shallow water acoustic propagation and its relationship to the three-dimensionally varying seabed and water column environments.
Rough Sets and Approximation Schemes

Approximate reasoning is used in a variety of reasoning tasks in Logic-based Artificial Intelligence. In this abstract we compare a number of such reasoning schemes and show how they relate and differ from the approach of Pawlak's Rough Sets.
Number‐average molecular weight of degraded iota‐carrageenan

The number-average molecular weight (Mn) of clinical degraded iota-carrageenan has been determined by two chemical end-group methods. The radiochemical method involves oxidation of the terminal reducing group to 3.6-anhydrogalactonic acid, followed by methanolysis to convert this acid group into its methyl ester. Reduction with radioactive borotritiide followed by acid hydrolysis gives 3.6-anhydrogalactitol from the methyl ester as the only labelled compound, which is separated by paper chromatography and the activity measured. Carrageenan with an inherent viscosity of 0.41 dl/g (in 0.1 M sodium chloride solution) gave an Mn value of 19,400. In the chemical method, the inactive 3.6-anhydrogalactitol is separated by chromatography, oxidised with periodate, and the released formaldehyde determined colorimetrically with chromotropic acid. A mean Mn value of 15,600 was obtained. The two results compare well when minor deficiences in each method are taken into consideration. Das Zahlenmittel des Molekulargewichts von klinischem, abgebautem Jota-Carrageenan wurde durch zwei chemische Methoden zur Endgruppenbestimmung gemessen. Bei der radiochemischen Methode wurden die reduzierenden Endgruppen zu 3.6-Anhydrogalactonsaure oxydiert und diese durch Methanolyse in ihren Methylester verwandelt. Reduktion mit Bortritiid und saure Hydrolyse ergab 3.6-Anhydrogalactit als einzige markierte Komponente, deren Aktivitat nach papierchromatographischer Abtrennung bestimmt wurde. Carrageenan mit ηinh = 0,41 dl/g (0.1 n Natriumchlorid-Losung) ergab einen Mn-Wert von 19400. Bei der chemischen Methode wurde der inaktive 3.6-Anhydrogalactit chromatographisch abgetrennt, mit Perjodat oxydiert und der entstandene Formaldehyd colorimetrisch mit Chromotropsaure bestimmt. Dabei wurde ein Mn-Wert von 15600 gefunden. Die Resultate sind gut miteinander vergleichbar, wenn kleinere Mangel jeder der beiden Methoden berucksichtigt werden.
D2-like dopamine receptor-mediated modulation of activity-dependent plasticity at GABAergic synapses in the subthalamic nucleus.

Reciprocally connected glutamatergic subthalamic nucleus (STN) and GABAergic external globus pallidus (GP) neurons normally exhibit weakly correlated, irregular activity but following the depletion of dopamine in Parkinson's disease they express more highly correlated, rhythmic bursting activity. Patch clamp recording was used to test the hypothesis that dopaminergic modulation reduces the capability of GABAergic inputs to pattern ‘pathological’ activity in STN neurons. Electrically evoked GABAA receptor-mediated IPSCs exhibited activity-dependent plasticity in STN neurons, i.e. IPSCs evoked at frequencies between 1 and 50 Hz exhibited depression that increased with the frequency of activity. Dopamine, the D2-like dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole and external media containing a low [Ca2+] reduced both the magnitude of IPSCs evoked at 1–50 Hz and synaptic depression at 10–50 Hz. Dopamine/quinpirole also reduced the frequency but not the amplitude of miniature IPSCs recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin. D1-like and D4 agonists were ineffective and D2/3 but not D4 receptor antagonists reversed the effects of dopamine or quinpirole. Together these data suggest that presynaptic D2/3 dopamine receptors modulate the short-term dynamics of GABAergic transmission in the STN by lowering the initial probability of transmitter release. Simulated GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic conductances representative of control or modulated transmission were then generated in STN neurons using the dynamic clamp technique. Dopamine-modulated transmission was less effective at resetting autonomous activity or generating rebound burst firing than control transmission. The data therefore support the conclusion that dopamine acting at presynaptic D2-like receptors reduces the propensity for GABAergic transmission to generate correlated, bursting activity in STN neurons.
A declarative specification of tree-based symbolic arithmetic computations

We use Prolog as a flexible meta-language to provide executable specifications of some interesting mathematical objects and their operations. In the process, isomorphisms are unraveled between natural numbers and rooted ordered trees representing hereditarily finite sequences and rooted ordered binary trees representing Godel's System T types. Our isomorphisms result in an interesting "paradigm shift": we provide recursive definitions that perform the equivalent of arbitrary-length integer computations directly on rooted ordered trees. Besides the theoretically interesting fact of "breaking the arithmetic/symbolic barrier", our arithmetic operations performed with symbolic objects like trees or types turn out to be genuinely efficient --- we derive implementations with asymptotic performance comparable to ordinary bitstring implementations of arbitrary-length integer arithmetic. The Prolog code of the paper, organized as a literate program, is available at http://logic.cse.unt.edu/tarau/research/2012/padl12.pl
Brief report: the length of newly diagnosed Barrett's esophagus may be decreasing.

SUMMARY Few studies have examined the temporal trends of length in newly diagnosed Barrett's esophagus (BE) and arrived at conflicting results. The aim of this study was to identify whether there has been a change over time in the length of BE at the time of diagnosis. This is a retrospective, single-center, observational study from Houston, Texas on newly diagnosed BE between 2008 and 2013. All cases were defined by the presence of endoscopically visible BE and histologic confirmation of intestinalized columnar epithelium with goblet cells. The length of BE was measured using the Prague classification. We examined temporal changes in 1-year intervals in the length of BE at the time of diagnosis. Both the frequency and mean length of BE at diagnosis seemed to decrease over time from February 2008 to July 2013. The proportion of patients diagnosed with BE ≥3 cm per year declined during the study period, while the proportion of patients with BE ≥1 and <3 cm increased, and those with <1 cm remained stable. The mean age and the gender of patients diagnosed with BE ≥3 cm did not differ significantly by BE length or year of diagnosis. The mean length of newly diagnosed BE may be decreasing as a result of a decline in BE ≥3 cm. These observations cannot be explained by changes in age and gender.
Starch Production from Sorghum Grits

Abstract A laboratory study was conducted to determine yield and quality of starch from different sorghum grits using wet milling on 100-g samples. Sorghum grits were produced from four hybrids by two dry milling techniques using roller mills and a decorticator–degerminator. Whole kernels and grits were wet milled, and starch was isolated. Results showed starch recoveries from whole sorghum ranging from 91·6% to 96·5%, protein contents in starch of 0·43–0·64%, and lightness (L*) values of starch of 94·2–95·4 for the four hybrids. Wet milling of +12 grits (over a 1·68 mm opening) which had been produced from the decorticator–degerminator gave the highest yields of starch of 18·1–44·1% based on 100 g of whole kernels on a dry basis. The protein contents in the starch were 0·36–0·87% for that grit fraction of the four hybrids and starch lightness values ranged from 94·7 to 95·6. A higher recovery (61–70%) of starch was obtained from grits generated by the decorticator–degerminator than by roller milling (51–68%). Starch matching a commercial sample of corn starch in terms of quality could be produced from sorghum grits.
Numerical modeling of Schell-model beams with arbitrary far-field patterns

An approach is described for creating random complex screens to be used in computer simulations of arbitrary Schell-model beams with a prescribed far-field intensity distribution. Simulation examples including beam profiles with reflection symmetry and rotational symmetry, flat-top, and pyramidal shapes are presented to verify the proposed approach. A more general scenario with a nonsymmetric far-field beam shape is illustrated to demonstrate the evolution in the free-space propagation from the source plane to the far zone.
Lattice actions for Yang-Mills quantum mechanics with exact supersymmetry

We derive lattice actions for Yang-Mills quantum mechanics for models with Q=4, 8 and 16 supercharges which possess an exact supersymmetry at nonzero lattice spacing. These are obtained by dimensional reduction of twisted versions of the corresponding super Yang-Mills theories in D=2, 3 and 4 dimensions.
Thermal fatigue cycling of Be/Cu joining mock-ups

Abstract To evaluate beryllium-to-copper joining techniques for potential use by US manufacturers in making first wall components for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), we tested two mock-ups with S65C beryllium (Be) tiles Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) bonded to CuCrZr heat sinks. Under the aegis of the US ITER Project Office, Sandia prepared the mock-ups working with industrial vendors and performed high heat flux testing at Sandia's Plasma Material Test Facility (PMTF) to ascertain the robustness of the Be/Cu joints to 1000 thermal fatigue cycles at a heat flux level of 1.5 MW/m 2 . Thermal stress analysis provided insight into choosing the heat flux and flow conditions required for accelerated fatigue testing at 1000 cycles and 1.5 MW/m 2 that is comparable to the 12,000 cycles and 0.875 MW/m 2 required for the ITER First Wall Qualification Mock-ups. Each mock-up had three Be tiles, 35.5 mm square and 10 mm thick, bonded to a CuCrZr heat sink 134.5 mm × 36 mm × 25 mm with a single bored 12.7 mm (dia.) cooling channel. The bonding techniques included various interlayer metallizations and HIPping at 100 MPa pressure and temperature of 580 or 560 °C for 2 h. Each tile had a thermocouple (TC) in the center 1 mm below the Be/Cu interface. The test arrangement allowed for both mock-ups to be tested at the same time with alternate heating and cooling cycles of equal duration of 30 s. A total power of 12.7 kW was absorbed by the heated area of 4000 mm 2 during the on-cycle. The mock-up was cooled by water at 2.3 m/s (0.27 kg/s), 1 MPa and 20 °C inlet temperature. These operating conditions did not permit the mock-ups to cool down to their initial temperature state during the off-cycle. Both mock-ups survived 1000 cycles with no significant changes. The temperature of the top surface on each reached 254 °C; while the center TCs reached 136 and 139 °C, respectively. Despite localized changes observed in the surface emissivity, the corrected temperature distributions on the surfaces varied by only a few degrees and did not change significantly during testing. We characterized the Be/Cu joint by ultrasonic testing before and after testing and sectioned the mock-ups for further evaluation. This article discusses the fabrication techniques, the results of the ultrasonic and thermal testing, and the time-dependent performance insights from computational fluid dynamics.
Roles of Government in Compensating Disaster Victims

First explored are the nature of disasters – societal and individual, natural and manmade – and the place of both tort law and private insurance in providing compensation for disaster victims. Following brief discussions of disaster prevention and the sorts of private and public harms that are caused by disasters, five possible roles of government with respect to individual victim compensation are examined: 1) Facilitating the Receipt of Private Compensation for the Consequences of a Disaster; 2) Assuring Insurance Availability for Disaster Victims When the Market Fails to Do So; 3) Providing Victim Compensation Either When Government Should Have Prevented the Disaster or When It Is the Sort of Disaster We Aspire to Have Government Prevent; 4) Providing Victim Compensation as an Alternative to Tort Recovery; and 5) Providing Victim Assistance to Overwhelmed Communities For Reasons of Altruism and National Solidarity. Finally, brief attention is given to the type and level of victim compensation that government might assure.
Inverse modeling of biomass burning emissions using Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer aerosol index for 1997

[1] We present results from an inverse model study to determine biomass smoke emissions for the year 1997 by comparison of modeled aerosol index (AI) with that measured by the EP TOMS instrument. The IMPACT model with Data Assimilation Office (DAO) meteorology data in 1997 is utilized to obtain aerosol spatial and temporal distributions. Then a radiative transfer model is applied to generate the modeled AI. A Bayesian inverse technique is applied to optimize the difference between the modeled AI and the EP TOMS AI in the same period by regulating monthly a priori biomass smoke emissions in seven predefined regions. The modeled AI with a posteriori emissions is generally in better agreement with the EP TOMS AI. The a posteriori emissions from Indonesia increase by a factor of 8–10 over the a priori emissions due to the Indonesian fires in 1997. The annual total a posteriori source increases by about 13% for the year 1997 (6.31 Tg/yr black carbon and 67.27 Tg/yr smoke) in the base scenario, with a larger adjustment of monthly emissions. The sensitivity of this result to the a priori uncertainties, the height of the smoke layer, the cloud screening criteria, the inclusion of an adjustment of emissions outside the main biomass burning regions, and the inclusion of the covariances between observations in different locations is discussed in a set of sensitivity scenarios. The sensitivity scenarios suggest that the inverse model results are most sensitive to the assumed uncertainty for a priori emissions and the altitude of aerosol layer in the model and are less sensitive to other factors. In the scenario where the uncertainty of a priori emissions is increased to 100% (300% in Indonesia), the total annual black carbon emission is increased to 6.87 Tg/yr, and the smoke emission increases to 73.39 Tg/yr. The a posteriori emissions in Indonesia in the scenario with increased uncertainty are in better agreement with both the TOMS AI and with previous estimates for the Indonesian fires in 1997. In the scenario where biomass smoke from large fires are elevated by 1 km in altitude, the annual total black carbon emissions are 5.68 Tg/yr, and the smoke emissions are 60.44 Tg/yr, almost unchanged from the a priori emissions.
Keeping cool: a hypothesis about the mechanisms and functions of slow-wave sleep

Current evidence supports a hypothesis that slow-wave sleep (SWS) in mammals and birds is controlled by thermoregulatory mechanisms, and provides brain and body cooling as a primary homeostatic feedback process. Recent work has identified a medial preoptic area anterior hypothalamic and basal forebrain neuronal network which integrates thermoregulatory and hypnogenic controls. This network induces EEG and behavioral deactivation, in part, through suppression of the reticular activating system. Studies have shown that SWS, like other heat loss processes, is facilitated when brain temperature exceeds a threshold level. This threshold is hypothesized to be determined by responses of POAH thermosensitive neurons and to be regulated by both circadian and homeostatic processes. Many known chemomodulators of SWS appear to act on this hypnogenic thermoregulatory system. At a functional level, SWS-induced brain and body cooling would provide several adaptations including lower energy utilization, reduced cerebral metabolism, protection of the brain against the sustained high temperatures of wakefulness, facilitation of immune defense processes and regulation of the timing of behavioral activity relative to the circadian light-dark cycle. This concept provides a comprehensive model for analysis of sleep homeostasis.
Hydrogen Generation from Weak Acids: Electrochemical and Computational Studies in the [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2]2 System

(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2H (FpH) is stable to weak acids such as acetic acid. However, reduction of FpH in acetonitrile in the presence of weak acids generates H2 catalytically. Evidence for the catalytic generation of H2 from just water also is observed. Since reduction of Fp2 generates Fp−, which can be protonated with weak acids, Fp2 serves as a convenient procatalyst for the electrocatalytic production of H2. Electrochemical simulations provide values for the key parameters of a catalytic mechanism for production of H2 in this system. Protonation of Fp− is found to be the rate-determining step preceding H2 production. The wealth of structural, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic information available on the key Fp2, Fp−, and FpH species provide a variety of checkpoints for computational modeling of the catalytic mechanism. The computations give good agreement with the crystal structure of Fp2, the IR spectra of Fp2, Fp−, and FpH, and the photoelectron spectra of Fp2 and FpH. The computations also account well for...
Effects of age, light and sympathetic innervation on electrical activity of the rat pineal gland

Abstract The pineal gland of the adult rat exhibits low amplitude high frequency spontaneous activity at about 13–22 c/sec with periodic bursts of 1–3 sec duration at 6–12 c/sec. A following response is seen after photic stimulation with white light at 2.5, 5 or 10 flashes/sec. Yellow, blue, and green light elicited essentially the same responses as white light, but the response to red light was much smaller. Superior cervical ganglionectomy did not abolish the following response but eye enucleation did. Spontaneous activity of the pineal could be seen in 13-day-old rats but the following response was not present until about day 18.
981-46 Impact of a Comprehensive Management Program on the Hospitalization Rate for Patients with Advanced Heart Failure

Patients with advanced heart failure have a course that is often characterized by frequent hospitalizations and progressive deterioration. These patients are commonly referred to specialized centers for consideration of heart transplantation (Tx). To assess the impact of the changes in therapy made in conjunction with heart transplantation evaluation on patient outcomes, we assessed the hospitalization rate and patient's functional status in the 6 months prior to referral compared to the 6 months after referral. Since 1/91, 214 patients were evaluated, accepted for Tx, and discharged having undergone adjustments in medical therapy and a comprehensive patient education program. At time of referral patients had mean LVEF 0.21, NYHA class 3.3, VO 2 max 11.0 ml/kg, and had undergone a total of 429 hospitalizations in the previous 6 months. During evaluation patients had their ACE inhibitor dose increased by a mean 91.5 mg/day of captopril or the equivalent, were diuresed a mean 4.2 liters, were placed on a flexible regimen of loop diuretics, and were counseled on dietary management and home based progressive aerobic exercise. After 6 months of follow-up there were only 63 hospitalizations required (mean hospitalization rate per patient over the 6 months pre-evaluation 2.00 ± 1.45 vs post-evaluation 0.29 ± 0.53 p l 0.00001). Patient's NYHA class improved to 2.4 (p l 0.0001) and VO 2 max increased to 15.2 (p l 0.001). Excluding the 12 elective status Tx, 14 urgent status Tx, and 9 deaths within 6 months yielded similar results (344 pre vs 34 post-evaluation hospitalizations). 64 patients (30%) improved their functional status to the point that transplantation was deferred in favor of sustained medical therapy. Referral to a heart failure specialty program is associated with a dramatic occurred between day 10 ± 1 and 3 month. 4 patients died after hospital discharge (no death directly related to thromboembolic disease). Thus no higher risk of PE can be seen in patients with free floating prox-DVT and anticoagulant therapy should be efficient to prevent recurrent PE in such patients
DNA adducts in human placenta exposed to ambient environment and passive cigarette smoke during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The risk of human diseases and abnormal development under the relatively reduced toxic environmental exposure conditions of passive cigarette smoke and urban pollution is emerging as significant. To assess the genotoxic potential of such exposure, we analyzed the DNA adducts of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a proven marker of genotoxicity, in human placental DNA samples of pregnancies monitored for passive cigarette smoke exposure. METHODS: Maternal exposure to active and passive cigarette smoke was evaluated by verbal disclosure and urinary nicotine and cotinine measurements. PAH-DNA adducts were assayed by ELISA using a polyclonal antibody against benzo[α]pyrene-diol-epoxide-DNA in placental DNA. Birth weights of infants were recorded in these monitored pregnancies. RESULTS: Urinary nicotine and cotinine values were reduced in the passive smoke–exposed group compared to smokers and similar to those in the nonsmoker ambient exposure group. PAH-DNA and nicotine/cotinine values were not correlated with birth weight of the infant. PAH-DNA adducts were present in ∼25% of samples exposed to passive cigarette smoke and ambient environment. CONCLUSIONS: The study has revealed that a subpopulation of humans is predisposed to accumulating PAH adducts independent of high levels of PAH sources (e.g., maternal cigarette smoke exposure). Because DNA adducts promote genomic changes, it is likely that this subpopulation is susceptible to diverse changes in the genome that may influence human development. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tension Measurement in Isolated Rat and Mouse Pulmonary Artery

Arterial vasoconstriction is an important physiological process in regulating blood pressure, and is involved in pathologies. The isolation of arteries from rats and mice, as well as the measurement of vascular tension in an ex vivo preparation, are important methods in studying the physiology of arteries and the pathophysiology associated with arterials. Three major methods to measure vascular tension are organ bath, wire myograph, and pressurized arterial myograph. The major method to measure vascular remodeling is by observing the zero-stress state of an artery.
Novel blood-based microRNA biomarker panel for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

AIM: To develop a panel of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers consisting of circulating microRNAs for the detection of pancreatic cancer at an early stage. METHODS: Blood-based circulating microRNAs were profiled by high throughput screening using microarray analysis, comparing differential expression between early stage pancreatic cancer patients (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 11). A panel of candidate microRNAs was generated based on the microarray signature profiling, including unsupervised clustering and statistical analysis of differential expression levels, and findings from the published literature. The selected candidate microRNAs were then confirmed using TaqMan real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to further narrow down to a three-microRNA diagnostic panel. The three-microRNA diagnostic panel was validated with independent experimental procedures and instrumentation of RT-qPCR at an independent venue with a new cohort of cancer patients (n = 11), healthy controls (n = 11), and a group of high risk controls (n = 11). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic capability of the three-microRNA panel. RESULTS: In the initial high throughput screening, 1220 known human microRNAs were screened for differential expression in pancreatic cancer patients versus controls. A subset of 42 microRNAs was then generated based on this data analysis and current published literature. Eight microRNAs were selected from the list of 42 targets for confirmation study, and three-microRNAs, miR-642b, miR-885-5p, and miR-22, were confirmed to show consistent expression between microarray and RT-qPCR. These three microRNAs were then validated and evaluated as a diagnostic panel with a new cohort of patients and controls and found to yield high sensitivity (91%) and specificity (91%) with an area under the curve of 0.97 (P < 0.001). Compared to the CA19-9 marker at 73%, the three-microRNA panel has higher sensitivity although CA19-9 has higher specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: The identified panel of three microRNA biomarkers can potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for early stage pancreatic cancer.
Acquisition and registration of aerial video imagery of urban traffic

The amount of information available about urban traffic from aerial video imagery is extremely high. Here we discuss the collection of such video imagery from a helicopter platform with a low-cost sensor, and the post-processing used to correct radial distortion in the data and register it. The radial distortion correction is accomplished using a Harris model. The registration is implemented in a two-step process, using a globally applied polyprojective correction model followed by a fine scale local displacement field adjustment. The resulting cleaned-up data is sufficiently well-registered to allow subsequent straight-forward vehicle tracking.
Screening and Design of New Modulators of IAPP Membrane-Binding and Toxicity

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by pancreatic amyloid aggregates composed of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP; also called amylin), a small, intrinsically disordered peptide hormone. Pancreatic β-cell death due to membrane disruption mediated by non-amyloid or pre-amyloid oligomers of IAPP is thought to be central to the progression of T2DM. However, the rational design and screening of small-molecule and peptide ligands targeting these oligomeric states of IAPP is challenging using current pharmacological and biophysical methods. We recently used intermolecular single-pair Forster resonance energy transfer (spFRET) combined with constrained Monte Carlo simulations implemented in Rosetta to probe the heterogeneous, dynamic and transient ensemble of IAPP oligomers and define structural models for a family of membrane-bound IAPP dimers [Nath, Miranker & Rhoades. (2011) Angew. Chemie. Intl. Ed. 50(46):10859]. Here we describe efforts, based on this novel structural insight, to design and identify small molecules and peptides that bind selectively to particular configurations of IAPP dimers, and thereby bias the oligomeric ensemble so as to alter membrane-binding and subsequent toxicity mediated by higher-order states. Small molecules were identified from large commercial libraries (N > 100000) using a virtual screening protocol incorporating computational docking and statistical inference, while short, selective peptides were generated using RosettaDesign. The effects of these compounds on IAPP membrane-binding, conformation and cytotoxicity were then characterized using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), spFRET and cell viability assays. Active modulators could serve as valuable tools in mechanistic studies of membrane disruption mediated by IAPP, and might also function as leads for new therapeutics targeting T2DM. In addition, the strategies developed here could serve as a framework for efforts targeting other clinically-relevant amyloidogenic intrinsically disordered proteins such as α-synuclein, amyloid-β and tau.
Trends in severe brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcome in premature newborn infants: the role of cystic periventricular leukomalacia.

Objectives To determine if the incidence of sonographically detected cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and periventricular hemorrhagic infarction (PVHI) have changed over the past decade and to determine if a decline in cystic PVL was associated with a change in neurodevelopmental outcome. Study design Premature newborn infants admitted to our intensive care nursery from 1992 to 2002 were identified in a comprehensive nursery database. Premature newborn infants had routine neurosonography by means of a standardized protocol. Infants weighing ≤1500 g at birth surviving to nursery discharge were enrolled in a nursery follow-up clinic. Results Adjusting for gestational age, there was a significant decrease in cystic PVL from 1992 to 2002 (P = .003) without a concurrent decrease in PVHI (P = 0.5). Cystic PVL and PVHI accounted for only 9 of the 28 cases of cerebral palsy and 12 of 90 cases of abnormal Developmental Scores in infants weighing <1500 g at birth. The decline in cystic PVL was not associated with improved developmental outcome from 1992 to 2002. Conclusions The incidence of cystic PVL declined significantly from 1992 to 2002 at our center. Cystic PVL was detected by ultrasound in a minority of infants with abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome, indicating that other forms of cerebral injury account for the majority of abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature newborn infants.