cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Susceptibilities of Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, including serotype 19A, and Moraxella catarrhalis paediatric isolates from 2005 to 2007 to commonly used antibiotics

Results: Among 143 non-typeable H. influenzae, 42% produced b-lactamase. By 2007 breakpoints (PK/ PD:CLSI), percentage susceptibility for non-typeable H. influenzae was: ceftriaxone5cefixime5highdose amoxicillin/clavulanate (all 100%:100%)>standard-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate (91.6%:100%)> cefuroxime axetil (88.1%:99.3%)>cefdinir (83.9%:100%)>trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (73.4%:73.4%)> high-dose amoxicillin (58%:58%)>standard-dose amoxicillin (55.2%:58%)>cefprozil (28.7%:83.2%)> cefaclor (3.5%:83.2%)>azithromycin (0%:87.4%). Of 208 S. pneumoniae (42 serotype 19A), 86 were penicillin-susceptible, 60 were penicillin-intermediate and 62 were penicillin-resistant by 2007 CLSI breakpoints. Percentage susceptibility for all S. pneumoniae/19A by PD breakpoints was: ceftriaxone (95.2%/86.1%)>high-dose amoxicillin (89.4%/58.3%)>clindamycin (85%/58.3%)>standard-dose amoxicillin (73.5%/33.3%)>cefuroxime axetil (69.2%/36.1%), cefprozil (67.3%/33.3%)>cefdinir (59.1%/33.3%)> cefixime (57.7%/33.3%)>azithromycin (56.7%/33.3%)>trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50.5%/25%)> penicillin (41.3%/19.4%)>cefaclor (28.8%/8.3%). Percentage M. catarrhalis (n562) susceptibility by PK/PD breakpoints was: high-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate5cefixime (100%)>azithromycin (98.4%)>ceftriaxone (96.8%)>standard-dose amoxicillin/clavulanate (88.7%)>cefdinir (80.6%)>cefprozil5cefuroxime axetil (37.1%)>high-dose amoxicillin (11.2%)>cefaclor (6.5%)>standard-dose amoxicillin (4.8%). Conclusions: Despite high rates of b-lactamase production among non-typeable H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis, multiple oral treatment options exist for non-typeable H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis. Multidrug-resistant serotype 19A S. pneumoniae (20%) limits treatment options for ambulatory S. pneumoniae respiratory disease.
A high-transparency, micro-patternable chip for X-ray diffraction analysis of microcrystals under native growth conditions

Microcrystals present a significant impediment to the determination of macromolecular structures by X-ray diffraction methods. Although microfocus synchrotron beamlines and X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) can enable the collection of interpretable diffraction data from microcrystals, there is a need for efficient methods of harvesting small volumes (<2 µl) of microcrystals grown under common laboratory formats and delivering them to an X-ray beam source under native growth conditions. One approach that shows promise in overcoming the challenges intrinsic to microcrystal analysis is to pair so-called `fixed-target' sample-delivery devices with microbeam-based X-ray diffraction methods. However, to record weak diffraction patterns it is necessary to fabricate devices from X-ray-transparent materials that minimize background scattering. Presented here is the design of a new micro-diffraction device consisting of three layers fabricated from silicon nitride, photoresist and polyimide film. The chip features low X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption properties, and uses a customizable blend of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface patterns to help localize microcrystals to defined regions. Microcrystals in their native growth conditions can be loaded into the chips with a standard pipette, allowing data collection at room temperature. Diffraction data collected from hen egg-white lysozyme microcrystals (10–15 µm) loaded into the chips yielded a complete, high-resolution (<1.6 A) data set sufficient to determine a high-quality structure by molecular replacement. The features of the chip allow the rapid and user-friendly analysis of microcrystals grown under virtually any laboratory format at microfocus synchrotron beamlines and XFELs.
Predicting Large CO2 Adsorption in Aluminosilicate Zeolites for Postcombustion Carbon Dioxide Capture

Large-scale simulations of aluminosilicate zeolites were conducted to identify structures that possess large CO2 uptake for postcombustion carbon dioxide capture. In this study, we discovered that the aluminosilicate zeolite structures with the highest CO2 uptake values have an idealized silica lattice with a large free volume and a framework topology that maximizes the regions with nearest-neighbor framework atom distances from 3 to 4.5 A. These predictors extend well to different Si:Al ratios and for both Na+ and Ca2+ cations, demonstrating their universal applicability in identifying the best-performing aluminosilicate zeolite structures.
Dynamic Depolarized Light Scattering from Macromolecular Systems

Dynamic depolarized light scattering may be used to study rotational diffusion of rigid macromolecules and both local and long range intramolecular motions of flexible macromolecules. It may also be used to probe the rotational motion of small molecules dispersed in polymeric systems. Both the basic theory of dynamic depolarized light scattering and examples of its applications to macromolecular systems are discussed.
Model-Based Fault Diagnosis Applied to 6-pulse Cycloconverter

The motivation for this work is the need of study and reduction of current problems and faults affecting high- power AC drive systems. Availability and reliability of power electronics systems has a tremendous importance in mining applications, which is the reason why the knowledge on the fault mode behaviour of an AC drive system is extremely important from the idea of improving system design, operation, protection, and fault tolerance control. This work presents a model-based fault diagnosis approach for a 6-pulse cycloconverter drive system based on output voltages surveillance and fault model process. The proposed strategy is mainly focused to detect, isolate and identify faults originated in the semiconductors of the converter. To probe the fault diagnosis strategy and its behaviour, the algorithm was implemented on fixed-point DSP for a 5KVA laboratory prototype of a cycloconverter system.
Physical characterization of starch extrudates as a function of melting transitions and extrusion conditions

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between starch melt transition characteristics, extrusion conditions, and final product properties. Cornstarch was extruded using a corotating twin-screw extruder at varying moisture content, medium/high screw configuration, and 300/400-rpm screw speeds. Extrudates were evaluated for bulk density, expansion ratio, cell structure, bending strength, thermal and pasting properties. Temperature change (ΔT) was defined as the temperature difference between the native starch melting temperature and its melt temperature just behind the die during extrusion at a given moisture content. ΔT was significantly affected by starch moisture content and mechanical shearing, which controlled the melting behavior of the starch in the barrel. Amylose–lipid complex formation during extrusion increased as ΔT increased and leveled off at ΔT of about 20°C. Pasting peak viscosity of the starch extrudates decreased as ΔT increased and leveled off at ΔT of about 15°C. Within the same range of mechanical shearing intensity, extrudate bulk density and bending strength decreased linearly as ΔT increased. Extrudate expansion was negatively correlated to bulk density. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 23: 277–290, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/adv.20017
Relationships among cognitive impairment, sleep, and fatigue in Parkinson's disease using the MDS-UPDRS

Abstract Background Non-motor complications of Parkinson's disease (PD), specifically cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and fatigue, are recognized as important contributors to poor patient outcomes and quality of life. How sleep problems and fatigue interrelate and impact cognitive function, however, has not systematically been investigated across the stages of PD. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships among cognitive impairment, night-time sleep problems, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue across all severities of PD. Methods We examined these non-motor problems using the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) in a study of 1319 PD patients drawn from three large cohort studies: the Parkinson's Progressive Markers Initiative, the Rush University PD Cognitive-Behavioral-Imaging study, and the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Clinimetric testing program study, which spanned the gamut of disease, from early to advanced PD. Generalized linear mixed models with logit linking functions and covariates including study cohort, age, PD duration, and presence/absence of PD medications were used to examine relationships between these three non-motor symptoms and cognitive impairment. Results Of these three frequent, and often inter-twined, non-motor complications, greater daytime sleepiness and fatigue were associated with worse cognitive impairment across the full spectrum of PD (F[16,1158] = 2.40 and F[16,1158] = 3.45 respectively, p's Conclusions Given this association of daytime sleepiness and fatigue with cognitive impairment, clinical monitoring for these problems should be considered across all points in the PD spectrum, from early to more advanced disease.
Adoptive Transfer of Autologous T Cells Improves T-cell Repertoire Diversity and Long-term B-cell Function in Pediatric Patients with Neuroblastoma

Purpose: Children with high-risk neuroblastoma have a poor prognosis with chemotherapy alone, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers improved survival. As a dose-escalation strategy, tandem transplants have been used, but are associated with persistent immunocompromise. This study evaluated the provision of an autologous costimulated, activated T-cell product to support immunologic function. Experimental Design: Nineteen subjects with high-risk neuroblastoma were enrolled in a pilot phase and 23 subjects were entered in to the randomized study. Immunologic reconstitution was defined by flow cytometric and functional assays. Next-generation sequencing was conducted to identify changes to the T-cell repertoire. Twenty-two patients were vaccinated to define effects on antibody responses. Results: Subjects who received their autologous costimulated T-cell product on day 2 had significantly superior T-cell counts and T-cell proliferation compared with those who received T cells on day 90. Early administration of autologous T cells suppressed oligoclonality and enhanced repertoire diversity. The subjects who received the day 2 T-cell product also had better responses to the pneumococcal vaccine. Conclusions: The infusion of activated T cells can improve immunologic function especially when given early after transplant. This study showed the benefit of providing cell therapies during periods of maximum lymphopenia. Clin Cancer Res; 18(24); 6732–41. ©2012 AACR .
Physiological requirement for biosynthesis of multiple 24β-methyl sterols in Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract Studies with Gibberella fujikuroi have been designed to examine the relationship between the biosynthesis and function of fungal sterols. Evidence was obtained through appropriate feeding and trapping experiments for the existence of multiple end products which are produced by separate routes in the later stages of sterol biosynthesis. The three end products, ergosterol (24β-methylcholesta-5,7,22 E -trien-3β-ol), brassicasterol (24β-methylcholesta-5,22 E -dien-3β-ol), and 22(23)-dihydrobrassicasterol (24β-methyl-cholesterol), were found to be non-interconvertible during logarithmic phase growth; thus the metabolic route Δ 5,7,22 -24 β -CH 3 → Δ 5,22 -24 β -CH 3 → Δ 5 -24 β -CH 3 was ruled out. Ergosterol can be further metabolized, viz., to 24β-methylcholesta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3β-ol, but only as the culture enters into the stationary phase. In the presence of growth inhibitory concentrations of 2,3-iminosqualene, a partial reversal of growth cessation was obtained when all three sterols were concurrently supplied to the medium. Since neither ergosterol nor the other two sterols added individually to the medium was able to overcome the inhibitor's deleterious effect, ergosterol cannot play a dual architectural role (bulk and regulatory) in this fungus as it apparently can do in other fungal systems, i.e., yeast. For G. fujikuroi each sterol end product appears to possess a unique physiological role. Mycelial growth requires more than simply ergosterol.
Thickness of Subcutaneous Fat as a Risk Factor for Infection in Cervical Spine Fusion Surgery

Background: Surgical site infections increase the incidence of morbidity and mortality as well as health-care expenses. The cost of care increases threefold to fourfold as a consequence of surgical site infection after spinal surgery. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of subcutaneous fat thickness in the development of surgical site infection following cervical spine fusion surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of a consecutive cohort of 213 adult patients who underwent posterior cervical spine fusion between 2006 and 2008 at Duke University Medical Center. The horizontal distance from the lamina to the skin surface at the C5 level and the thickness of subcutaneous fat were measured, and the ratio of the fat thickness to the total distance at the surgical site was determined. Previously identified risk factors for the development of surgical site infection were also recorded. Results: Twenty-two of the 213 patients developed a postoperative infection. Obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2) was not a significant risk factor for surgical site infection; the body mass index (and 95% confidence interval) was 29.4 ± 1.2 kg/m2 in the patients who developed a surgical site infection compared with 28.9 ± 0.94 kg/m2 in the patients without an infection. However, the thickness of subcutaneous fat and the ratio of the fat thickness to the lamina-to-skin distance were both significant risk factors for infection. The thickness of subcutaneous fat was 27.0 ± 2.5 mm in the patients who developed a surgical site infection group compared with 21.4 ± 0.88 mm in the patients without an infection (p = 0.042). The ratio of fat thickness to total thickness was 0.42 ± 0.019 in the patients who developed a surgical site infection compared with 0.35 ± 0.01 in the patients without an infection (p = 0.020). Multivariate analysis revealed this ratio to be an independent risk factor for developing a postoperative infection (odds ratio, 3.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 9.97). Conclusions: The study demonstrated that the thickness of subcutaneous fat at the surgical site is a factor in the development of surgical site infection following cervical spine fusion and deserves assessment in the preoperative evaluation. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Identification of prolactin-like proteins synthesized by normal murine lymphocytes

Cultured murine lymphoid cells release a PRL-like immunoreactive (IR) protein which may be important in immunity, as anti-PRL antisera inhibit lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. We examined culture supernatants (SNs) and cell lysates from concanavalin A (Con A) activated murine thymocytes to identify these proteins. Western blot analysis of cell lysates revealed three specifically-stained PRL-IRs. A doublet of bands at 35.6 and 33.6 kDa was associated with the particulate fraction of the cell. These PRL-IRs were present in lymphocytes independently of mitogen stimulation. In contrast, a 22 kDa PRL-IR was only produced in mitogen stimulated cells, and was specifically immunoprecipitated with anti-PRL antiserum. In addition, all three PRL-like IRs incorporated 35S-methionine in vitro, indicating that they are synthesized by these cells. Only the 22 kDa PRL-like protein was present in culture medium from stimulated cells, suggesting that this may be the PRL bioactivity previously demonstrated in SNs from murine lymphocytes.
Impact of Constraints on the Complexity and Performance of Channel Assignment in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

In this paper we systematically study several channel assignment problems in multi-hop ad-hoc wireless networks in the presence of several constraints. Both regular grids and random topology models are considered in the analysis. We identify three fairness constraints (unfair, fair, and 1-fair), Signal to Interference Ratio (SINR) constraint (to measure the link quality) and balance constraint (for uniform assignment) and study their impact on the complexity of the channel assignment problems. Note that these constraints have an impact on the network capacity, lifetime and connectivity. Although optimal channel assignment for links in a multi-hop wireless network has been shown to be NP complete, the impact of fairness, link quality and balance constraints on the hardness of channel assignment problems is not well studied. In this paper, we show that a class of unfair SINR constrained channel assignment problems can be solved in polynomial time. We show that when fairness is desired the channel assignment problems are NP Complete. We propose two heuristic algorithms that provide 1-fair and fair channel assignments, comment on their complexity and compare their performance with optimal solutions.
Methane elimination from ionized 1-butene

Abstract The elimination of methane from the 1-butene cation is characterized by B3LYP/6-31G(d) and ab initio theories. This reaction effectively occurs in two steps (1) CC bond cleavage with migration of methyl to the bond between the second carbon and the hydrogen on that carbon, and (2) transfer of that H from allyl to methyl. This pathway differs from previously characterized alkane eliminations by radical cations in that both CH distances in C⋯H⋯C are short around the point where H is half transferred, and the associated angle is substantially bent. Also, the charge is delocalized over both fragments during the course of the reaction, giving the migrating methyl considerable cationic character. The net unpaired spin is almost completely on the allyl carbons, so the methyl has almost negligible radical character. The observed electron distribution is attributed to hybridization due to the similarity in energies of CH 2 CCH 2 + +CH 3 and CH 2 CCH 2 +CH 3 + , the species the H is transferred between. Overlap population analysis reveals substantial bonding not only between the transferring H and the carbons it bridges, but also between the methyl carbon and the middle allyl carbon. In previously studied alkane eliminations from radical cations in the gas phase, H-transfer occurs with the C, H and C involved being close to “in line,” in contrast to the present H-abstraction essentially by attack by methyl on a CH bond.
Abstract #LB-166: Promoter CGI methylation of reprogramming factors in aggressive B-cell lymphomas

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Background: Both cancer and pluripotent stem cell lines share the common biological properties of unlimited capacity for self-renewal and high potency for proliferation in vitro . Several research groups have shown that differentiated somatic cells derived from all three germ layers can be induced into pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by defined transcription factors, namely OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, KLF4, NANOG, and LIN28. Overexpression of a set of 4 genes induces global epigenetic reprogramming that in turn results in eventual transition of somatic cells to phenotypic iPS cells in a few weeks. Among these genes, OCT4 and SOX2 are required for self-renewal, while c-MYC and KLF4 are known to be oncogenic. Furthermore, xenograft of iPS cells in mouse produces a teratoma. It seems that there is not clear distinction between iPS cells and tumor cells. In this study, we demonstrated that the promoter CpG islands (CGIs) of SOX2 and KLF4 are methylated in two aggressive B-cell lymphomas, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (BLBCL) and Burkitt lymphoma (BL). The latter is the most aggressive lymphoma characterized by a t(8;14) translocation resulting in overexpression of the c-MYC protein. Materials and Methods: DLBCL (DB) and BL (Raji and Daudi) cell lines from the American Type Culture Collection were studied. We also examined DLBCL (3) and BL (2) patient samples obtained from Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University Missouri Healthcare, with IRB approval. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to digestion with 4 methylation sensitive restriction enzymes. Each of the PCR target in CGI was carefully selected and hypermethylated region can be differentially amplified. Results: CGI methylation of 10 genes was tested. These genes include SOX2, KLF4, HOXD10, COX2, DLC-1, PCDHGA12A, HIN1, SLC26A, CDH1, and CD44. Dense methylation of the SOX2 gene was observed in all 3 cell lines and 1 DLBCL patient. Only weak methylation bands were seen in all other patients. KLF4 was strongly methylated in all 3 cell lines and all DLBCL patients, but not methylated in BL patients. The HOXD10, COX2, DLC-1, SLC26A, CDH1, CD44 were methylated in both DLBCL cell lines and patient samples as well as in BL cell lines, but not in BL patient samples. No methylation was seen in pooled normal control blood samples. Conclusion: Promoter CGI hypermethylation in combination with other epigenetic alterations is associated with gene silencing. Compared with DLBCL, less CGI methylation of reprogramming factors SOX2 and KLF4 and other tested genes, in conjunction with overexpression of c-MYC in Burkitt lymphoma patients may be associated with high mitotic rate and more aggressive clinical behavior in this tumor. Activity of the reprogramming factors in both tumor cells and iPS cells may shed light on the origin of tumor stem cells. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr LB-166.
The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD). Past, present and future.

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) was created in 1982 as a cooperative state and federal educational outreach program. FARAD's mission has remained unchanged in the last fifteen years: to assist producers, veterinarians, and allied professionals in the production of animal foods free of illegal chemical contaminants. At its core, FARAD is a collection of databases that users can efficiently access with the assistance of program experts. In order to meet emerging challenges related to technical and trade issues in food safety, current FARAD projects include inter-species data extrapolation, novel kinetic modeling, and international information exchange.
Estrogens and antiestrogens: actions and interactions with fluphenazine on food intake and body weight in rats

Treatment of ovariectomized rats for 3 days with 2 micrograms estradiol benzoate (E2B), 6 micrograms ethinyl estradiol, or 1-2 mg of either of the antiestrogens nafoxidine or tamoxifen led to similar decreases in food intake, body weight gain, adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, and hepatic fatty acid synthetase activity, despite their different effects on uterine growth and induction of progestin receptors in pituitary and adipose tissue. Longer-term (2 wk) treatment with tamoxifen resulted in similar transient changes in food intake and body weight gain, as did treatment with E2B. Daily administration of 50 micrograms fluphenazine (FLU) led to significant decreases in body weight, although there was no change in food intake. Concurrent administration of FLU with either E2B or tamoxifen led to additive effects on body weight and food intake change. None of the treatments had any effect on in vitro binding of [3H]tamoxifen to antiestrogen binding sites in pooled hypothalamic-preoptic area samples.
Augmentation by pregnant mares' serum of body weight response of male turkeys to testosterone propionate.

SummaryFollowing preliminary treatment with pregnant mares' serum, body weight responses of immature and mature, but sexually inactive, male turkeys to testosterone propionate were considerably augmented when the androgen was administered concurrently with pregnant mares' serum. The serum alone was without appreciable effect on body weight. Whether the observed augmentation is an effect of gonadotrophin or of some other constituent of the serum is not known.
A phase-field approach to model multi-axial and microstructure dependent fracture in nuclear grade graphite

Abstract The fracture behavior of nuclear grade graphites is strongly influenced by underlying microstructural features such as the character of filler particles, and the distribution of pores and voids. These microstructural features influence the crack nucleation and propagation behavior, resulting in quasi-brittle fracture with a tortuous crack path and significant scatter in measured bulk strength. This study uses a phase-field method to model the microstructural and multi-axial fracture in H-451, a historic variant of nuclear graphite that provides the basis for an idealized study on a legacy grade. The representative volume elements are constructed from randomly located pores with random size obtained from experimentally determined log-normal distribution. The representative volume elements are then subjected to simulated multi-axial loading, and a reasonable agreement of the resulting fracture stress with experiments is obtained. Quasi-brittle stress-strain evolution with a tortuous crack path is also observed from the simulations and is consistent with experimental results.
Results of Serological Detection in Suspected Cases of Measles and Rubella in Qinhuangdao City in 2010

[Objective]To detect the IgM antibody in measles suspected cases in Qinhuangdao City in 2010,analyze the epidemiological characteristics of measles,and provide the scientific basis for measles immunization.[Methods]The serum IgM antibodies of measles and rubella were detected in measles suspected cases during acute period with capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(Capture-ELISA).[Results]In 2010,210 measles suspected cases were detected,and there were 135 measles IgM positive cases and 30 rubella IgM positive cases.Most of measles and rubella cases occurred in May and June,there were 89 cases of measles and 25 cases of rubella,which accounted for 65.93% and 83.33% respectively.The incidence of measles in children under one year of age was the highest(69 cases,51.11%).[Conclusion]Children under 4 years of age are the high-risk population of measles,and the prevalence rate of infants under one year of age is the highest,which indicates the protective effect from maternal antibody is insufficient.There are some rubella cases among measles suspected cases.The detection of IgM antibody is helpful to scientific distinguish rubella from measles,and can provide the basis for effective control of measles outbreaks.
Momentum transfer between He 3 films and ripplons on He 4 surfaces

The problem of momentum transfer between $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ films and ripplons on $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ surfaces is treated both phenomenologically and microscopically. The phenomenology suggests that one should be able to observe surface sound on clean $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ surfaces at low temperatures $T$, for frequencies exceeding \ensuremath{\approx} ${10}^{6}$ Hz. The microscopic calculations yield the $^{3}\mathrm{He}$-ripplon momentum-transfer rate ${t}_{3R}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for both high and low $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ densities, in terms of a microscopic coupling constant $D$. Comparison with the thermal-conductance data of Mantz, Edwards, and Nayak leads to $|D|\ensuremath{\approx}0.1$ K, with ${({t}_{3R}^{\ensuremath{-}1})}_{\mathrm{theory}}\ensuremath{\propto}{T}^{4.5}$, whereas ${({t}_{3R}^{\ensuremath{-}1})}_{\mathrm{expt}}\ensuremath{\propto}{T}^{3.67}$.
Oxygen in Steel Refining as Determined by Solid Electrolyte Techniques

These illustrations are typical of the results which have been obtained by use of the O-Probe in acid open hearth steels. It is obvious that the probe can provide valuable information to the operator while the steel is still liquid.
Can processing demands explain toddlers' performance in false-belief tasks?

Two-and-a-half-year-olds normally fail standard false-belief tasks. In the classic version, children have to say where a protagonist will look for an apple that, unbeknownst to her, was moved to a new location. Children under 4 generally predict that the protagonist will look for her apple in its current location, rather than where she left it. Setoh, Scott, and Baillargeon (1) argue that young children fail standard false-belief tasks because of their high processing demands, not because young children lack the necessary theory of mind. This processing-demands account is challenged by “low-inhibition tasks,” in which the apple is removed from the scene altogether (2): rather … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: prubio{at}mit.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Interconnections, Dissipation, and Computation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses interconnect lines and Rent's rule, partitioning, and average interconnect lengths in the circuits. It also discusses the special requirements for off-chip circuits. The continued miniaturization of individual semiconductor devices leads to reduced dimensions of the devices and closer packing. As a consequence, the transit time between devices is also reduced, which allows a generally higher operating frequency for the circuit. The interconnections between the devices and between individual chips are rapidly becoming a problem. The energy stored in the interconnects leads to different lower limits on logic delay times, depending on whether the chip was device or interconnect limited in its performance. It is necessary within large integrated systems to communicate the results of a computation, no matter how large or small, with other parts of the system. The principle limitations of the interconnections in well-designed ultra large-scale-integration (ULSI) circuits are normally found in considerations of heat removal from the chip. Chips that are dominated by the long interconnections generally are limited to being much slower than their properly designed ULSI counterparts.
Locations of Decision Makers in Membership Organizations: Lessons from Lebanon

Few studies have theorized and empirically tested variation in location of decision making in NGOs and relationship of decision location choices to accountability dimensions. Using a sample of Lebanese NGOs legally registered as membership organizations, we examine if their budget size and level of member dues, along with dependence on donors interested in democratic governance, predict who participates in their decision-making process through involvement in preparing and formally approving the annual budget, financial records, and work plan. Our study reveals the reality of shared leadership in these organizations and suggests the value of considering the location of decision making for NGO leaders and the government regulators and funders who wish to encourage democratic processes within membership organizations.
Enzymes by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life

Not satisfied with nature’s vast enzyme repertoire, we want to create new ones and expand the space of genetically encoded enzyme functions. We use the most powerful biological design process, evol...
Core beliefs/content accommodation policies and teaching practice

ABSTRACTAfter nearly five years of litigation and public debate, the University of Utah now follows a Content Accommodations policy that outlines how students may ask for university curriculum to be altered based on their sincerely held beliefs. This essay is written about experiences teaching at another public university in Utah (Weber State), which has a similar Core Beliefs policy written in the aftermath of the University of Utah lawsuit. Teaching under a core beliefs policy has resulted in at least three notable influences on my own teaching practices: tensions between planning and spontaneity, vagaries surrounding reasonable accommodation, and pre-curation (or self-censorship) strategies.
Maternal Metabolic Biomarkers are Associated with Obesity and Excess Gestational Weight Gain.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the independent contribution of maternal obesity and gestational weight gain (GWG) in excess of the Institute of Medicine's guidelines on levels of maternal serum inflammatory and metabolic measures. Study Design Banked maternal serum samples from 120 subjects with documented prepregnancy or first trimester body mass index (BMI) were utilized for analyte analyses. Validated, BMI-specific formulas were utilized to categorize GWG as either insufficient, at goal or excess based on the Institute of Medicine guidelines with gestational age adjustments. Serum was analyzed for known inflammatory or metabolic pathway intermediates using the Luminex xMap system with the MILLIPLEX Human Metabolic Hormone Magnetic Bead Panel. Measured analytes included interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α and metabolic markers amylin, c-peptide, ghrelin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon, insulin, leptin, pancreatic polypeptide, and peptide YY. Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for each marker. Results C-peptide, insulin, and leptin all varied significantly with both obesity and GWG while glucagon-like peptide-1 varied by BMI but not GWG. These analytes covaried with other metabolic analytes, but not with inflammatory analytes. Conclusion Maternal metabolic biomarkers at delivery vary significantly with both obesity and GWG. Taken together, these findings suggest that GWG (with and without comorbid obesity) is an important mediator of measurable metabolites in pregnancy but is not necessarily accompanied by inflammatory measures in serum. These findings are consistent with GWG being an independent risk factor for metabolic disturbances during pregnancy.
Religion and Aging

Publisher Summary This chapter describes social scientific thinking and research on religion and aging with both an individual and a societal-level approach. Religious faiths and practices are about making behaviors conform to beliefs. As these beliefs by definition concern ultimate things, they inform believers about birth and death and the living and aging that implicitly take place in between. Transitions in the life course from one role or status to another are frequently marked by religious rituals. Normal, on-time transitions such as births or marriages are usually celebratory occasions marked by family gatherings, feasts, and often religious services in which the individuals making the transition are the focus of attention. Other important role transitions may be due to losses—of health or loved ones—and these are precisely the role transitions that mount in old age. Religious coping with these events often involves ritual practices to provide comfort, understanding, and meaning and to relieve the stress of the transition, especially in situations where changes are irrevocable.
Abnormal differentiation and hyperproliferation of alveolar cells in a mouse model of lung-specific deletion of the transcription factor C/EBPα

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 1050 The leucine zipper family transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) has been implicated in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation and was shown to have tumor suppressor activity in different tissues. We have previously shown that C/EBPα promotes growth arrest and induces differentiation in lung cancer cells, suggesting that C/EBPα might be a novel tumor suppressor in lung cancer. The current study was aimed at understanding the role of C/EBPα in regulating differentiation and proliferation in the respiratory epithelium in vivo. For that purpose, we selectively and conditionally deleted C/EBPα in respiratory epithelial cells in the mouse lung utilizing doxycycline-inducible Cre-driven excision. Mice undergoing C/EBPα excision during development died perinatally due to respiratory failure, indicating that C/EBPα is required for the transition to air breathing at birth. Southern Blot analysis showed that excision of the C/EBPα gene was lung-specific and occurred with an efficiency of 60-80%. Real-time PCR analysis confirmed that C/EBPα mRNA expression was reduced by 50%. Immunostaining, on the other hand, showed an almost complete loss of C/EBPα protein. The lungs displayed markedly abnormal pathology, characterized by loss of airspace due to hyperproliferation of alveolar cells. In addition, the alveolar cells showed features of a block in terminal maturation, characterized by absence of fibrolamellar bodies and continued presence of glycogen-rich inclusions, as assessed by electron microscopy and Periodic Acid Schiff staining. Expression profiling is ongoing to understand the molecular events underlying these findings. Experiments with postnatal excision of C/EBPα are also underway to evaluate whether its loss at later stages can predispose mice to lung cancer. However, since the transgenic approach utilized allows for leaky excision of the C/EBPα gene late in development, we analyzed a group of untreated mice at age 2 months. Of 4 mice, one displayed regions of abnormal lung pathology comprising about 5% of the epithelial surface, characterized by nodular areas with increased cell density and loss of airspace. Interestingly these abnormal areas also displayed loss of C/EBPα expression. These results corroborate the hypothesis that C/EBPα is an important regulator of differentiation and proliferation in the airway epithelium and suggests that loss of C/EBPα could be an important event in the multi-step process of lung tumorigenesis.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: A Mindset Intervention for Obese Youth

As growth mindset intervention research continues to develop, more work is needed to understand how to most effectively implement these interventions to encourage healthy cognitions and behaviors. The present study details the initial testing of a single-session, online mindset intervention (Healthy Body, Healthy Mind) for obese children and adolescents enrolled in obesity treatment clinics. Using a pre to post-test design, results indicated that growth mindsets of health and cognitions related to health behavior (nutrition and exercise self-efficacy and perceived control) increased significantly. However, despite efforts to mitigate feelings of culpability, blame also increased from pretest to post-test. Yet, body dissatisfaction decreased significantly. Intrinsic value for health behaviors remained unchanged from pretest to post-test. Analysis of narratives suggests that youth were engaged with the intervention content. Additionally, when youth's narratives incorporated themes related to the changeable nature of the attribute, they also self-reported stronger growth mindsets. In the discussion, we note implications of findings for the development of large-scale health-based growth mindset interventions that are developmentally-appropriate for children and adolescents.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support Simulation for Nurse Anesthetists and Student Nurse Anesthetists

Abstract Background Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and emergency resuscitation is a critical role for anesthesia providers. The application of a clinical ACLS simulation to a patient under anesthesia is important to provide educational review and determine if the knowledge and skill of managing emergency events deteriorates over time. Method A surgical ACLS simulation training session was completed to test ACLS knowledge retention and provider skill. High-fidelity simulation was used with a pre-test and post-test design. Results The data obtained demonstrated several knowledge gaps in ACLS fundamentals. Conclusions The simulation demonstrated that key concepts and skills deteriorate when not utilized regularly. Simulation in nurse anesthesia continuing education can improve clinical skill and adequately prepare providers for emergency resuscitation.
What’s New in Intravenous Anesthetics?

Summary It is obvious that many of the goals desirable in an ideal IV induction agent have not been achieved with the currently available drugs. An ideal drug for induction of anesthesia would provide for a rapid and pleasant loss of consciousness, no cardiorespiratory changes, good operating conditions, and a rapid recovery without side effects. Although they are not ideal induction agents, the newer IV anesthetics possess some unique pharmacologic properties that may offer advantages over thiopental (Table 10). Premedication with sedative-anxiolytic drugs (for example, midazolam, diazepam) can minimize preinduction anxiety and thereby, decrease the induction dosage requirements. In achieving a smooth induction of anesthesia, it is desirable to minimize myocardial oxygen demand and to maximize myocardial oxygen supply. Use of an induction technique that rapidly achieves an adequate level of anesthesia (hypnosis) and analgesia without producing hypotension or tachycardia is important in maintaining the crucial balance between oxygen supply and demand. If an adequate “depth of anesthesia” is not achieved during induction of anesthesia, larynogoscopy, and tracheal intubation will produce reflex sympathetic stimulation (that is, tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias), which may be extremely deleterious to the critically ill patient. Thiopental remains the most widely used IV anesthetic even though it is unstable in solution, produces significant cardiovascular and respiratory depression, lacks analgesic properties, readily crosses the placental barrier, and is associated with a high incidence of postoperative drowsiness and sedation. Unfortunately, the other available IV anesthetic agents are also capable of producing adverse reactions when used for induction of anesthesia. Although the newer IV agents should prove to be extremely useful for both induction and maintenance of anesthesia, thiopental will likely remain the drug of choice for routine induction of general anesthesia. In conclusion, the rational use of two or more rapid and relatively short-acting IV drugs possessing mutually complementary pharmacologic properties (for example, sufentanil-thiopental, alfentanil-propofol, or midazolam-ketamine) will allow the anesthetist to achieve a rapid and smooth induction, cardiovascular stability during the maintenance period, and a rapid recovery without adverse side effects. The availability of more rapid-acting and “controllable” IV anesthetics and analgesics should further enhance our ability to achieve optimal surgical conditions during general anesthesia.
Message sieving to mitigate smart gridlock attacks in V2V

Growing deployment of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications is expected to significantly increase the volume of Basic Safety Messages (BSM) in highways and dense roads. Computational overhead of verifying the integrity of BSMs will therefore be high while current V2V equipment can process only a limited number of BSMs per second. As a result, critical BSMs carrying vital information may fail to be processed on time, creating unsafe outcomes. In this paper, we expose this vulnerability, discuss critical scenarios, develop novel attacks that exploit this vulnerability, and propose a sieving technique to mitigate these verification gridlock attacks. We show on a USRP testbed that our proposed sieving mechanism to counter sophisticated attackers who exploit this vulnerability achieves 80% accuracy at SNR greater than 6 dB, effectively mitigating the attack.
Optimal Dietary Approaches for Those Living with Metabolic Syndrome to Prevent Progression to Diabetes and Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of comorbid derangements that increase the risk for both type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Diabetes may be preventable in many individuals with the MetS through the implementation of lifestyle and behavioral preventive strategies including dietary approaches. Several dietary patterns demonstrate efficacy in those living with the MetS to prevent progression to diabetes and reduce the risk of CVD.
Experimental Verification of Discrete-Element Solutions for Plates

This note presents the results from the test conducted on small-dimensioned plates on simple supports under a variety of load and stiffness conditions for use in verifying discrete-element method solutions for plates.
Historia de un caballo: "Jolstomer" de Tolstói sobre la "naturaleza" y la "verdad"

Este ensayo desarrolla en primer lugar como la comprension de la naturaleza en “Jolstomer” se articula a traves de dos temas rousseaunianos: la separacion humana de la naturaleza y como vivir como seres naturales en la sociedad moderna. A su vez, el texto de Tolstoi tambien lanza una critica poderosa al concepto de verdad como un fenomeno basado en el lenguaje y la racionalidad similar, mutatis mutandis, a la comprension nietzscheana de la verdad en “Sobre verdad y mentira en sentido extra moral”. Finalmente, el articulo examina como estas dos dimensiones de “Jolstomer” — la rousseauniana y la nietzscheana — convergen y divergen en una tension creativa al canalizarse esteticamente en los dos modos literarios que las representan, la satira y la ironia.
Graphene-based nano-antennas for electromagnetic nanocommunications in the terahertz band

Nanotechnology is enabling the development of devices in a scale ranging from one to a few hundred nanometers. Coordination and information sharing among these nano-devices will lead towards the development of future nanonetworks, boosting the range of applications of nanotechnology in the biomedical, environmental and military fields. Despite the major progress in nano-device design and fabrication, it is still not clear how these atomically precise machines will communicate. Recently, the advancements in graphene-based electronics have opened the door to electromagnetic communications in the nano-scale. In this paper, a new quantum mechanical framework is used to analyze the properties of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) as nano-dipole antennas. For this, first the transmission line properties of CNTs are obtained using the tight-binding model as functions of the CNT length, diameter, and edge geometry. Then, relevant antenna parameters such as the fundamental resonant frequency and the input impedance are calculated and compared to those of a nano-patch antenna based on a Graphene Nanoribbon (GNR) with similar dimensions. The results show that for a maximum antenna size in the order of several hundred nanometers (the expected maximum size for a nano-device), both a nano-dipole and a nano-patch antenna will be able to radiate electromagnetic waves in the terahertz band (0.1–10.0 THz).
The Implementation of the U.S. High Performance Computing and Communications Program

This paper gives an overview of the federal High Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) Program. This initiative involves the Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its goal is to advance U.S. science and industrial competitiveness by supporting the development of teraops high performance systems, the software and algorithms required to render those massively parallel systems efficiently usable, and the Gigabit networks to make those machines accessible, as well as to broaden the base of computationally literate scientists. We outline the HPCC effort and the rationale underlying it, and give an overview of some of the “Grand Challenge” work under way at Argonne’s Mathematics and Computer Science Division, as well as the Grand Challenges addressed by NASA’s Computational Aerosciences program.