cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro enzymatic biodegradation of adhesive resin in the hybrid layer.

Penetration of adhesives into the demineralized dentin surface and their subsequent conversion are critically important to longevity of the adhesive resin-dentin bond. The durability of the resin-dentin bond is investigated by monitoring the change of adhesive concentration within the hybrid layer of aged specimens using Raman spectroscopy. Absolute molar concentrations of Bis-GMA and HEMA were measured across the hybrid layer of resin-dentin specimens 24 h after photopolymerization and after 24-wk storage in one of three media: artificial saliva (SAL), SAL containing cholesterol esterase to attack resin (EST), and SAL containing bacterial collagenase to attack collagen (COL). No significant difference among these groups for both Bis-GMA and HEMA molar concentrations at 24-h storage was found; however, concentrations decreased from the adhesive resin to the middle of the hybrid layer. Concentrations remained unchanged at any resin-dentin position after aging in SAL. In the hybrid layer, concentrations significantly decreased with aging in COL and tended to decrease in EST. While showing potential enzymatic biodegradative effects of endogenous matrix metalloproteinases and salivary esterases, this methodology may also prove to be a valuable assessment of new chemistries and future approaches to improve resin-dentin bond performance.
Incidence and Natural History of Chemically Defined Varicella-zoster Virus Hepatitis in Children and Adolescents

The acylureidopenicillins which have been in man are azlocillin, mezlocillin, piperacillin, and furazlocillin (Bay k 4999). They exhibit dose dependent pharmacokinetics and accordingly upon increasing the doses have serum levels which are higher than the multiple of the dose, longer serum half-life (t1/2), and lower clearances (total serum clearance, renal clearance, and non-renal clearance). With doses of 1-2 g, t1/2 very between 0.7-1.1 h, and with 5.0 g 1.2-1.8 g. The elimination phase distribution volume corresponds to 10-30% of the body weight. The agents are excreted mainly through the kidneys. Referenced to the antibacterial activity of unchanged drugs, 50-80% of intravenous doses are eliminated in the urine. Only 25-35% of the dose of furazlocillin is excreted unchanged in the urine. The t1/2 is increased in reduced renal function, but mezlocillin is relatively little influenced by renal failure. With identical dose sizes, azlocillin appears to be subject to dose dependent pharmacokinetics to a higher degree than mezlocillin and piperacillin. Higher serum levels are also reached by azlocillin and the t1/2 of this agent is increased more in reduced renal failure than is the case for mezlocillin. The biliary levels of the acylureidopenicillins are high. A considerable biliary excretion occurs in reduced hepatic parenchymal function. The serum protein binding of these compounds decreases with higher concentrations varying between some 30% for 200 micrograms/ml and 50% for 2 micrograms/ml of azlocillin and mezlocillin, a mean of 16% for piperacillin in concentrations ranging from 20-300 micrograms/ml, and an average of 60% for furazlocillin. The acylureidopenicillins penetrate into tissues, cerebrospinal fluid and foetuses to produce therapeutic levels. The levels are rather low in bone tissue.
Oral manifestations of HIV in a southeast USA population.

OBJECTIVES: Examine variations in oral manifestations of HIV by gender, race, risk behaviors, substance use and immune status in a previously unstudied population in the southeast region of the USA. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analytic study. SETTING: Academic medical center, North Carolina, USA. SUBJECTS: First 238 HIV-infected adults (76% male; 59% Black) enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study. METHODS: Oral examination, medical chart review, sociodemographic and behavioral interview. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses. OUTCOMES: Presence of oral manifestations of HIV. RESULTS: 50% had recent CD4 counts <200 cells pM, 48% had one or more oral lesion. Specific lesion prevalence: hairy leukoplakia (OHL) 26.5%; candidiasis (OC) 20%; HIV-associated periodontal diseases (HIV-PD) 8.8%; aphthae 4.2%; papillomas 2.5%; herpes simplex 2.1%; HIV salivary gland disease 2.1%; Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) 1.7%; other 1.3%. In bivariate analyses, OHL was associated with being male, White, having a CD4 <200, and men who have sex with men (MSM); OC was associated with CD4 <200 and current smoking; HIV-PD was associated with consumption of more than seven alcohol-containing drinks per week; KS was associated with being male and MSM. Significant variables in multivariable analysis for presence of any oral lesion were White, CD4 <200, and more than seven drinks/week; for OHL were male and CD4 <200; and for OC were White, CD4 <200, current smoking, and not MSM. CONCLUSIONS: MSM were at increased risk for KS and OHL, not OC, while smokers were at increased risk of OC. OC, OHL, and any oral lesion were associated with immune suppression. OHL was more likely in males independent of CD4 count.
Robust feature detection for 3D object recognition and matching

Salient surface features play a central role in tasks related to 3-D object recognition and matching. There is a large body of psychophysical evidence demonstrating the perceptual significance of surface features such as local minima of principal curvatures in the decomposition of objects into a hierarchy of parts. Many recognition strategies employed in machine vision also directly use features derived from surface properties for matching. Hence, it is important to develop techniques that detect surface features reliably. Our proposed scheme consists of (1) a preprocessing stage, (2) a feature detection stage, and (3) a feature integration stage. The preprocessing step selectively smoothes out noise in the depth data without degrading salient surface details and permits reliable local estimation of the surface features. The feature detection stage detects both edge-based and region-based features, of which many are derived from curvature estimates. The third stage is responsible for integrating the information provided by the individual feature detectors. This stage also completes the partial boundaries provided by the individual feature detectors, using proximity and continuity principles of Gestalt. All our algorithms use local support and, therefore, are inherently parallelizable. We demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of our approach by applying it to two diverse domains of applications: (1) segmentation of objects into volumetric primitives and (2) detection of salient contours on free-form surfaces. We have tested our algorithms on a number of real range images with varying degrees of noise and missing data due to self-occlusion. The preliminary results are very encouraging.
Variation aware performance analysis of gain cell embedded DRAMs

Gain cell embedded DRAMs are twice as dense as 6T SRAMs, are logic compatible, have decoupled read and write paths providing good low voltage margin, and can drive long bitlines with gain. In this work, we present a variation study of gain cell eDRAM performance using an industrial 1.2V, 65nm low power CMOS process. Two methods are proposed to analyze eDRAM performance which can be used for designing variation tolerant eDRAM circuits, developing redundancy techniques, and guiding the device optimization procedure.
Evaluation of Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension for Pulmonary Endarterectomy

Pulmonary hypertension as a result of chronic thromboembolic disease (CTEPH) is potentially curable with pulmonary endarterectomy surgery. Consequently, correctly diagnosing patients with this type of pulmonary hypertension and evaluating these patients with the goal of establishing their candidacy for surgical intervention is of utmost importance. And as advancements in surgical techniques have allowed successful resection of segmental-level chronic thromboembolic disease, the number of CTEPH patients that are deemed suitable surgical candidates has expanded, making it even more important that the evaluation be conducted with greater precision. This article will review a diagnostic approach to patients with suspected chronic thromboembolic disease with an emphasis on the criteria considered in selecting patients for pulmonary endarterectomy surgery.
Perception of synthetic speech generated by rule

As the use of voice response systems employing synthetic speech becomes more widespread in consumer products, industrial and military applications, and aids for the handicapped, it will be necessary to develop reliable methods of comparing different synthesis systems and of assessing how human observers perceive and respond to the speech generated by these systems. The selection of a specific voice response system for a particular application depends on a wide variety of factors only one of which is the inherent intelligibility of the speech generated by the synthesis routines. In this paper, we describe the results of several studies that applied measures of phoneme intelligibility, word recognition, and comprehension to assess the perception of synthetic speech. Several techniques were used to compare performance of different synthesis systems with natural speech and to learn more about how humans perceive synthetic speech generated by rule. Our findings suggest that the perception of synthetic speech depends on an interaction of several factors including the acoustic-phonetic properties of the speech signal, the requirements of the perceptual task, and the previous experience of the listener. Differences in perception between natural speech and high-quality synthetic speech appear to be related to the redundancy of the acoustic-phonetic information encoded in the speech signal.
Measuring Reflective Cognitive Capacity: A Methodological Recommendation for Accounting Research of Feedback Effects

ABSTRACT: This study investigates whether measures of reflective cognitive capacity can differentiate which participants are more or less likely to benefit from feedback intervention. The results from four separate experiments of feedback effects are reported. In each experimental task, participants had to override a specific cognitive bias in order to improve their performance post feedback. Across all four experiments, the results consistently show that measures of reflective cognitive capacity reasonably partitioned participants into two groups: those that were more likely, versus those that were less likely, to benefit from feedback intervention. Most notably, the fourth experiment replicates a study recently published in Behavioral Research in Accounting (Buchheit, Dalton, Downen, and Pippin 2012) and demonstrates that the study's primary finding was not generalizable to all participants. We recommend that future accounting studies examining learning and feedback effects include measures of reflectiv...
Phase-shift, stimuli-responsive drug carriers for targeted delivery

The intersection of particles and directed energy is a rich source of novel and useful technology that is only recently being realized for medicine. One of the most promising applications is directed drug delivery. This review focuses on phase-shift nanoparticles (that is, particles of submicron size) as well as micron-scale particles whose action depends on an external-energy triggered, first-order phase shift from a liquid to gas state of either the particle itself or of the surrounding medium. These particles have tremendous potential for actively disrupting their environment for altering transport properties and unloading drugs. This review covers in detail ultrasound and laser-activated phase-shift nano- and micro-particles and their use in drug delivery. Phase-shift based drug-delivery mechanisms and competing technologies are discussed.
Physical packaging and organization of the drift chamber electronics system for the Stanford Large Detector

The logical organization, physical packaging, and operation of the drift chamber electronics for the Stanford Large Detector are described. The system processes signals from approximately 7000 drift wires and is unusual in that most electronic functions are packaged on printed circuit boards within the detector. The circuits reside on signal-processing motherboards, controller boards, signal-transition boards, power-distribution boards, and fiber-optics-to-electrical conversion boards. The interaction and interconnection of these boards with respect to signal and control flow are presented. >
Creep of olivine during hot-pressing

Abstract The densification curves for the hot-pressing of pure olivine powders were obtained as a function of grain size (5 μ–2000 μ), temperature (1000–1600°C), and compacting stress (166–298 bars). This range of variables was found to straddle two fields of hot-pressing behavior, one dominated by power-law creep, one by Coble creep. The time required to density a powder to 99% of the single crystal density could be represented by the shorter of the two times: t 1 = 2.2 · 10 3 σ −3.4 exp (85,000/RT) t 2 = 1.3 · 10 4 σ −1.5 (G) +3 exp (85,000/RT) where the compacting stress or pressure, σ, is given in bars and the grain size, G , in centimeters. It was also possible to estimate the parameters appropriate to Coble creep in a solid polycrystalline aggregate from the hot-pressing data; and these were: ϵ Coble = (3 to 10) · 10 −4 (σ 1 − σ 3 ) 1 (G) −3 exp (85,000/RT) The strain rates computed from this formula are close to those predicted by Stocker and Ashby (1973) and those found by Twiss (1976).
Differential effects of halothane and isoflurane on lumbar dorsal horn neuronal windup and excitability

Background. Windup of spinal nociceptive neurones may underlie temporal summation of pain, influencing the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of anaesthetics required to prevent movement to supramaximal stimuli. We hypothesized that halothane and isoflurane would differentially affect windup of dorsal horn neurones. Methods. We recorded 18 nociceptive dorsal horn neurones exhibiting windup to 1 Hz electrical hindpaw stimuli in rats. Effects of 0.8 and 1.2 MAC isoflurane and halothane were recorded in the same neurones (counterbalanced, crossover design). Windup was calculated as the total number of C-fibre (100‐400 ms latency) plus afterdischarge (400‐1000 ms latency) spikes/ 20 stimuli (area under curve, AUC) or absolute windup (C-fibre plus afterdischarge‐20·initial response). Results. Increasing isoflurane from 0.8 to1.2 MAC did not affect AUC, but increased absolute windup from 429 (62) to 618 (84) impulses/20 stimuli (P<0.05) and depressed the initial C-fibre response from 14 (3) to 8 (2) impulses (P<0.05). Increasing halothane from 0.8 to1.2 MAC depressed AUC from 690 (79) to 537 (65) impulses/20 stimuli (P<0.05) and the initial response from 18 (2) to 13 (2) impulses (P<0.05), but absolute windup was not affected. Absolute windup was 117% greater during 1.2 MAC isoflurane compared with 1.2 MAC halothane. Conclusions. Windup was significantly greater under isoflurane than halothane anaesthesia at 1.2 MAC, whereas the initial C-fibre response was suppressed more by isoflurane. These findings suggest that these two anaesthetics have mechanistically distinct effects on neuronal windup and excitability. Br J Anaesth 2005; 94: 617‐25
Solitons and second harmonic radiation in type III bursts

The emission at the second harmonic of the plasma frequency from self-consistent Langmuir solitons is calculated. The theory predicts, in a natural way, the observed transition from the region where the intensity is linearly proportional to the electron flux to the region where the radio intensity is proportional to the square of the electron flux. A detailed comparison of the radiation observed at the second harmonic for the burst of 18:10 UT March 31, 1976, with the one expected on the assumption of radiation from solitons, using the correlated in situ measurements of the electric fields at the second harmonic, and their spatial structure, provides strong evidence that, for the first time, Langmuir solitons have been observed in space.
Biomechanical modeling of the small intestine as required for the design and operation of a robotic endoscope

This paper discusses biomechanical issues that are related to the locomotion of a robotic endoscope in the human small intestine. The robot propels itself by pushing against the intestinal walls, much like a pipe crawler. However, the small intestine is not a rigid pipe; and locomotion in it is further complicated by the fact that the bowel is susceptible to damage. With the goal of engineering a safe and reliable machine, the biomechanical properties of the small bowel are studied and related to the mechanics of robotic endoscope locomotion through the small intestine.
Overview of trends in management and prognosis of stroke

Abstract Prevention is the ideal treatment for stroke, and the major decline in stroke mortality is most likely related to treatment of risk factors. Even when a vascular insult to the brain has occurred, an important treatment effect is the prevention of additional future events. No specific therapy for asymptomatic lesions has yet been proved to be effective. For patients with transient ischemia or mild stroke with functional recovery, the risk of additional strokes and death can be decreased by platelet-antiaggregating agents and carotid endarterectomy, which is effective in patients with greater than 70% stenosis of a symptomatic artery. Once a major stroke has occurred, the goals of therapy include prevention of disease progression, minimization of the permanent damage by the lesion, and prevention of new events. In addition to preventive therapies, several acute intervention therapies may be effective in reducing morbidity and mortality following stroke. While there are many similarities in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease,important differences appear to exist.
Gravity Waves in Titan's Atmosphere

Scintillations (high frequency variations) observed in the radio signal during the occultation of Voyager 1 by Titan (Hinson and Tyler, 1983) provide information concerning neutral atmospheric density fluctuations on scales on hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. Those seen at altitudes higher than 25 km above the surface were interpreted by Hinson and Tyler as being caused by linear, freely propagating (energy-conserving) gravity waves, but this interpretation was found to be inconsistent with the scintillation data below the 25-km altitude level. Here an attempt is made to interpret the entire scintillation profile between the surface and the 90-km altitude level in terms of gravity waves generated at the surface. Numerical calculations of the density fluctuations caused by two-dimensional, nonhydrostatic, finite-amplitude gravity waves propagating vertically through Titan's atmosphere are performed to produce synthetic scintillation profiles for comparison with the observations. The numerical model accurately treats the effects of wave transience, nonlinearity, and breakdown due to convective instability in the overturned part of the wave. The high-altitude scintillation data were accurately recovered with a freely propagating wave solution, confirming the analytic model of Hinson and Tyler. It is found that the low-altitude scintillation data can be fit by a model where a component of the gravity waves becomes convectively unstable and breaks near the 15 km level. The large-scale structure of the observed scintillation profile in the entire altitude range between 5 and 85 km can be simulated by a model where the freely propagating and breaking waves are forced at the surface simultaneously. Further analysis of the Voyager 1 Titan low-altitude scintillation data, using inversion theory appropriate for strong scattering, could potentially remove some of the ambiguities remaining in this analysis and allow a better determination of the strength and source of the waves.
Laser microbeam induction of incomplete doublets of Oxytricha fallax.

Destruction by laser microbeam of oral and ventral cirral primordia for the future opisthe of 1/2 of a pre-fission doublet results in the permanent loss of ability to form oral and ventral cirral primordia on the irradiated half. This observation provides further evidence for the postulated ‘determinative region’ present on each ventral surface of these organisms. The opisthe of the irradiated doublet retains both original rows of marginal cirri, which are located mid-dorsally with respect to the remaining ventral surface. These two rows of marginal cirri are reproduced faithfully in all future opisthes, but are lost in most proter lines. The pattern of loss in proters involves migration of the extra rows of marginal cirri to the cell's right margin followed by aberrant morphogenesis and subsequent resorption. These results show that the reproduction of marginal cirri is at least partially dependent upon the presence of marginal cirri and their inherent structural characteristics as well as upon their position on the cell surface.
Does vitamin D affect risk of developing autoimmune disease?: a systematic review.

Objectives We evaluated the epidemiologic evidence that vitamin D may be related to human autoimmune disease risk. Methods PubMed, limited to English from inception through April 2010, was searched using keywords: "vitamin D," "autoimmune," and autoimmune disease names. We summarized in vitro, animal, and genetic association studies of vitamin D in autoimmune disease pathogenesis. We sorted epidemiologic studies by design and disease and performed a systematic review of (a) cross-sectional data concerning vitamin D level and autoimmune disease; (b) interventional data on vitamin D supplementation in autoimmune diseases; and (c) prospective data linking vitamin D level or intake to autoimmune disease risk. Results Vitamin D has effects on innate and acquired immune systems, and vitamin D receptor polymorphisms have been associated with various autoimmune diseases. In experimental animal models, vitamin D supplementation can prevent or forestall autoimmune disease. Of 1446 studies identified and screened, 76 studies examined vitamin D levels in autoimmune disease patients, particularly with active disease, and compared with controls. Nineteen observational or interventional studies assessed the effect of vitamin D supplementation as therapy for various autoimmune diseases (excluding psoriasis and vitiligo) with a range of study approaches and results. The few prospective human studies performed conflict as to whether vitamin D level or intake is associated with autoimmune disease risk. No interventional trials have investigated whether vitamin D affects human autoimmune disease risk. Conclusions Cross-sectional data point to a potential role of vitamin D in autoimmune disease prevention, but prospective interventional evidence in humans is still lacking.
Enhancement of liquid extraction by an instantaneous, irreversible reaction

A quasi-steady state analysis was applied to the enhancement of liquid extraction by a chemical reaction. Ethylene glycol drops were allowed to fall through a stationary heptane phase containing iodine (component A) in a 2.42 cm I.D. column operated at varying heights. The overall mass transfer coefficient, after elimination of end effects, for iodine from heptane into the glycol drops was determined to be K° = 0.213 mol/(s.m.2). By the addition of sodium thiosulfate (component B, Na2S2O3) to the inlet glycol, an instantaneous and irreversible reaction I2 + 2Na2S2O3 Na2S4O6 + 2NaI took place in the glycol phase, increasing the value of K to a maximum value of 0.5 mol/(s.m2). On a applique l'analyse d'un regime quasi stable ala promotion de l'extraction de liquides par reaction chimique. On a laisse tomber des gouttes de glycol ethylenique, qui traversent de l'heptane en phase stationnaire et contenant de l'iode (composant A), dans une colonne dont le diametre interieur est 2.42 centimetres et qui fonctionne differentes hauteurs. On a trouve que le coefficient de transfert global de masse de l'iode (de l'heptane) dans les gouttes de glycol, apres elimination des effets finaux, etait: K° = 0.213 mole/s.m.2). En ajoutant de l'yhposulfite de sodium (Na2S2O3, composant B) au glycol al'entree, une reaction instantanee et irreversible se fait comme suit dans la phase gazeuse, laquelle produit un acroissement de la valeur de K jusqu a un maximum de 0.5 mole/(sec.m2): I2 + 2Na2S2O3 Na2S4O6 + 2NaI
Solar Disinfection in a Community-Scale Water Treatment System: An Analysis of Design Parameters for Humanitarian Engineering and System Sustainability

SODIS, solar disinfection of water in plastic bottles, is a well-known water treatment method in communities lacking developed infrastructure. While SODIS is commonly employed by individuals and family units needing clean drinking water in many parts of the world, a community-scale solar disinfection system is presented in this paper as sustainable, humanitarian engineering concept. A community-scale system may be accepted by communities that reject the individual-bottle SODIS method. The triple bottom line of sustainability (society, environment, and economy) may be met by community-scale systems. To test the treatment effectiveness of the system, experiments were conducted to quantify the solar inactivation rate of total coliform bacteria from contaminated source water. Solar disinfection configurations in tanks and bottles were analyzed for the effect of ultraviolet (UV) light index, water temperature, tank color, plastic covering, and duration of sun exposure. A black tank, covered with a clear, plastic drop cloth of 2 MIL (0.0508 mm) thickness provided the highest inactivation rate of total coliforms. A contour plot of UV index versus water temperature provides guidelines for minimum required sun exposure times for disinfection.
SIMULAÇÃO MULTIFÁSICA DE ABASTECIMENTO VISANDO AVALIAR O IMPACTO DE DIFERENTES PRESSÕES NA ENTRADA DO TANQUE DE COMBUSTÍVEL DE VEÍCULOS AUTOMOTIVOS

A geometria do duto de abastecimento impacta na velocidade e na qualidade do abastecimento de veiculos. Quando o tanque se encontra totalmente vazio, a pressao interna esta muito alta, e se o projeto do duto de abastecimento nao e adequado, o fluido nao consegue vencer esta pressao, podendo causar o retorno do combustivel em direcao a pistola, gerando ate vazamento, ou tambem, o desligamento prematuro do processo. Os recentes avancos tanto nos codigos CFD quanto no poder computacional permitiram que simulacoes multifasicas fossem realizadas em nivel de producao por industrias mundo afora. Este trabalho leva em conta esses avancos e propoe uma metodologia para uma simulacao de abastecimento de combustivel multifasica utilizando CFD para avaliar dutos de combustivel de forma que a pressao interna do tanque nao venha a causar uma parada prematura no abastecimento nem vazamento de combustivel. O trabalho avalia o escoamento do combustivel, considerando dois valores fixos e uma curva de pressao do tanque de combustivel em funcao do tempo, medida atraves de um teste fisico, com o objetivo de avaliar a perda de carga e o tempo de abastecimento. A metodologia proposta foi capaz de reproduzir a atividade de abastecimento de combustivel de um veiculo, tornando possivel avaliar diferentes configuracoes de dutos de abastecimento, quanto sua performance, antes que um prototipo seja construido.
Abstract T P96: Controlled Brain Glucose Uptake and Metabolism by Ethanol: An Alternative Approach in Improving Stroke Outcome

Introduction: Post-stroke oxygen deficit impairs oxidative phosphorylation of glucose. Surviving brain cells increase anaerobic glycolysis (hyperglycolysis) promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis via lactic acidosis and NADPH oxidase (NOX) activation. Hyperglycemia present in 40% of stroke patients with or without diabetes perpetuates hyperglycolysis. Insulin, the only treatment to attenuate hyperglycemia-induced hyperglycolysis, is linked to increased risk of hypoglycemia and mortality. We showed that EtOH reduced ROS-mediated brain damage. Here, we studied whether hyperglycemia/hyperglycolysis-enhanced brain injury are ameliorated by reducing brain glucose uptake and metabolism rather than affecting blood glucose levels. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a 2 h right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). EtOH (1.5 g/kg) or saline was injected IP upon reperfusion, then sacrificed 3 and 24 h later. Energy stores, hyperglycolysis-associated glucose uptake and metabolism, lactic acidosis, and oxidative stress were assessed via ADP/ATP ratio, NAD+/NADH ratio, Na+/K+ ATPase activity, levels of brain and blood glucose, glucose transporter GLUT 1 and 3, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ROS, phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), NOX, and PFK-1 and NOX activity. Results: Ischemic rats showed significant (p<0.01) increase in ADP/ATP and NAD+/NADH ratios, and decrease in Na+/K+ ATPase activity indicating impaired metabolic and neural activity. Increased blood glucose and decreased brain glucose indicate hyperglycemic condition with hyperglycolysis. High levels of GLUT 1 and 3, lactate, LDH , PFK-1, NOX, and ROS support ROS associated hyperglycolysis. EtOH normalized these metabolic parameters to control levels, but only blood glucose remained higher. In sum, EtOH attenuates hyperglycemia-enhance brain injury by reducing glucose uptake and its hyperglycolytic-mediated metabolism under hyperglycemic condition. Conclusion: EtOH administered upon reperfusion is neuroprotective against ROS-mediated brain damage in acute ischemic stroke. It attenuates hyperglycemia-enhanced hyperglycolysis at the level of glucose uptake, utilization, and metabolism rather than reducing serum glucose levels.
Rapid decrease in hepatitis C viremia by direct acting antivirals improves the natural killer cell response to IFNα

Objective Chronic HCV infection is characterised by innate immune activation with increased interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) expression and by an altered phenotype of interferon-responsive natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we asked whether a rapid reduction in viremia by daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) improves the response to pegylated interferon (PegIFN) in patients who had previously failed a standard course of PegIFN/ribavirin (RBV) therapy. Design Twenty-two HCV-infected non-responders to previous PegIFN/RBV therapy were studied for IFN-responsiveness of NK cells during quadruple (QUAD) therapy with DCV, ASV, PegIFN and RBV. A direct comparison of early NK cell responses in PegIFN/RBV therapy and QUAD therapy was performed for seven patients using paired cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from both treatment courses. As a validation cohort, nine DCV/ASV-treated patients were studied for their NK cell response to in vitro stimulation with IFNα. Results The 24 h virological response to QUAD therapy correlated with an increase in signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), phosphorylated STAT1 (pSTAT1) and tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) expression in NK cells, and the STAT1/pSTAT1/TRAIL induction was greater during QUAD therapy than during previous PegIFN/RBV therapy. Successful QUAD therapy as well as successful IFN-free DCV/ASV regimen resulted in an improved functional NK cell response (degranulation and TRAIL expression) to in vitro stimulation with IFNα. Conclusions IFN-responsiveness can be improved by inhibiting HCV replication and reducing the HCV-induced activation of the innate immune response. This may provide a rationale for clinical trials of a brief period of direct acting antiviral therapy followed by PegIFN/RBV therapy to reduce the overall treatment costs in low-income and middle-income countries. Trial registration numbers NCT01888900 and NCT00718172.
Enteric Distribution of Oral Contrast in Emergency Department Patients Undergoing Abdominal-Pelvic Computed Tomography.

Abstract Purpose The study sought to assess the gastrointestinal (GI) distribution of oral contrast (OC) among emergency department (ED) patients and determine if contrast reaches the terminal ileum or site of pathology to assist in diagnosis. Methods Retrospectively, adults undergoing abdominal-pelvic computed tomography (APCT) in the ED at 2 hospitals were identified over a 3-month period. APCTs were reviewed for location of OC. Presence, site, type of bowel pathology, and prior gastrointestinal surgery were documented. When applicable, the site of bowel pathology was evaluated for the presence or absence of OC. Results There were 1349 exams with mean age 50.5 years (range 18–97 years), 41% male, with 530 (39%) receiving OC. In 271 of 530 (51%), OC reached the terminal ileum (TI). Bowel pathology was present in 31% of cases (165 of 530). When bowel pathology was present, 47% (77 of 165) had OC present at the pathology site. The GI tract was divided into 4 anatomic segments: OC most frequently reached pathology in stomach and duodenum (84%), but was present less frequently at sites of pathology from jejunum to TI (35%), proximal colon (57%), and distal colon (28%). In only 84 of 530 OC cases (16%) did contrast extend from the stomach to distal colon. OC administration contributed to longer mean APCT order to final report of 0.5 hours and longer mean ED length of stay of 0.8 hours compared with all patients who received APCT. Conclusions Optimal OC distribution is not achieved in more than half of ED patients, raising questions about the continued use of OC in the ED.
Structure and Process Parameter Optimization for Sub-10nm Gate Length Fully Depleted N-Type SOI MOSFETs by TCAD Modeling and Simulation

According to most recent 2004 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (2004 ITRS), the high performance (HP) MOSFET physical gate length will be scaled to 9nm (22nm technology node) in 2016. We investigate the manufacturability of this sub-10nm gate length fully depleted SOI MOSFET by TCAD simulation. The commercial device simulator ISE TCAD is used. While it is impractical for experiments currently, this study can be used to project performance goals for aggressively scaled devices. In this paper, we will optimize different structure and process parameters at this gate length, such as body thickness, oxide thickness, spacer width, source/drain doping concentration, source/drain doping abruptness, channel doping concentration etc. The sensitivity of device electrical parameters, such as Ion, Ioff, DIBL, Sub-threshold Swing, threshold voltage, trans-conductance etc, to physical variations will be considered. The main objective of this study is to identify the key design issues for sub-10nm gate length Silicon based fully depleted MOSFET at the end of the ITRS. The paper will present the final optimized device structure and optimized performance will be reported.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Solid and Solubilized Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (DOSS) on Oil Dispersion Using the Baffled Flask Test, for Crude Oil Spill Applications

The accidental release of natural crude oil into our marine waters and its subsequent effect on the environment is one of the major problems that the environmental protection agencies and coast guards of most countries worldwide have to deal with. In this study, the effectiveness on oil dispersions of a composite particle made of paraffin wax and the surfactant dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS) was compared to that of the same DOSS dissolved in a liquid solvent using the U.S. EPA’s baffled flask procedure. Solid dispersant composite particles were prepared by ultrasonically spray freezing paraffin wax and DOSS molten solution while varying the mass ratio. The amount of DOSS in the composite particle was determined by the methylene blue complexation procedure. Liquid delivery of DOSS was accomplished by dissolving the surfactant in propylene glycol (PG). The results from the study showed that the dispersion effectiveness of the DOSS–paraffin wax composite particles were dependent on particle size, the s...
Is beryllium-induced lung cancer caused only by soluble forms and high exposure levels?

Objectives The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed a permissible exposure limit of 0.2 µg/m 3 for beryllium, based partly on extrapolated estimates of lung cancer risk from a pooled occupational cohort. The purpose of the present analysis was to evaluate whether cohort members exposed at lower levels to mainly insoluble forms of beryllium exhibit increased risk of lung cancer. Methods We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression analyses among 75 lung cancer cases in age-based risk sets within two lower exposure plants in the pooled cohort followed from 1940 to 2005. We used categorical and power models to evaluate exposure–response patterns for mean and cumulative beryllium exposures in the two-plant cohort, comparing findings with the full pooled cohort. We also evaluated the distribution of exposure-years in each cohort by solubility class (soluble, insoluble and mixed). Results 98% of workers in the two-plant cohort were hired between 1955 and 1969. The mean beryllium exposure averaged 1.3 µg/m 3 and the predominant form was insoluble. Adjusting for confounders, we observed a monotonic increase in lung cancer mortality across exposure categories in the two-plant cohort. The exposure–response coefficients (per unit ln exposure) were 0.270 (p=0.061) for mean exposure and 0.170 (p=0.033) for cumulative exposure, compared with 0.155 and 0.094 (respectively) in the full cohort. Conclusion The low-exposure levels at these two plants and the predominance of insoluble beryllium suggest that the overall pooled cohort findings on which OSHA’s lung cancer risk assessment is based are relevant for current workers exposed to any form of beryllium.
On Pricing Methods to Address Preference Revelation and Distributed Control in Random Access Networks

In this paper, we examine the use of pricing for distributed, incentive-compatible and socially optimal resource allocation in a QoS-differentiated random-access wireless network. Specifically, we consider the uplink of a single-hop random access MAC where each user contends for channel access according to some user-chosen probability. Each user declares its utility function to the AP. The AP then sets a price for each user which is a function of the user's declared utility function as well as its choice of access probability. We will show that, in fact, a two-part pricing scheme consisting of a penalty-based price (to address distributed implementation) and a mechanism-based price (to address the strategic behavior of users) is insufficient to guarantee social optimality of the access probabilities.
A sequential cycloaddition strategy for the synthesis of Alsmaphorazine B traces a path through a family of Alstonia alkaloids

Driven by a new biogenetic hypothesis, the first total synthesis of alsmaphorazine B and several related indole alkaloids has been achieved. Numerous early approaches proved unsuccessful owing to unproductive side reactivity; nevertheless, they provided important clues that guided the evolution of our strategy. Critical to our success was a major improvement in our Zincke aldehyde cycloaddition strategy, which permitted the efficient gram-scale synthesis of akuammicine. The sequential chemoselective oxidations of akuammicine leading up to the key oxidative rearrangement also yielded several biogenetically related indole alkaloids en route to alsmaphorazine B.
The Dubious Credibility of Scientific Studies

The current process of undertaking, implementing, reviewing, and finally publishing a scientific study is riddled with flaws, as the study results are subjected to many biases and interpretations at every level between instigation and publication. As a result, when these studies finally reach the public, they are often depicted in ways that don’t parallel the genuine results, and are at times utterly incorrect. Industries touting their products, scientists influenced by grants and prestige, reviewers adhering to personal political agendas, and journalists pressed to sell papers, all in turn contribute to the inherently skewed depiction of scientific results to the public. These factors have allowed for a highly unpredictable credibility in scientific reporting, an observation that has been highly overlooked and disregarded. The dissemination and publicity of this incorrect or skewed information, which is believed to be scientifically accurate, can have a detrimental affect on the public in their everyday lives.
Comparative planetary nitrogen atmospheres: Density and thermal structures of Pluto and Triton

Abstract Both atmospheres of Pluto and Neptune's largest satellite Triton have cold surfaces with surface gravitational accelerations and atmospheric surface pressures of comparable magnitude. To study their atmospheres we have updated Zhu et al. (2014) model for Pluto's atmosphere by adopting Voigt line profiles in the radiation module with the latest spectral database and extended the model to Triton's atmosphere by including additional parameterized heating due to the magnetospheric electron transport and energy deposition. The CH 4 mixing ratio profiles play central roles in differentiating the atmospheres of Pluto and Triton. On Pluto the surface CH 4 mole fraction is in the range of 0.3-0.8%, sufficiently high to ensure that it is well mixed in the lower atmosphere and not subject to photochemical destruction. Near the exobase CH 4 attains comparable density to N 2 due to gravitational diffusive separation and escapes at 500 times the N 2 rate (= 1 × 10 23 N 2 s − 1 ). In Triton's atmosphere, the surface CH 4 mole fraction is on the order of 0.015%, sufficiently low to ensure that it is photochemically destroyed irreversibly in the lower atmosphere and that N 2 remains the major species, even at the exobase. With solar EUV power only, Triton's upper thermosphere is too cold and magnetospheric heating, approximately comparable to the solar EUV power, is needed to bring the N 2 tangential column number density in the 500–800 km range up to values derived from the Voyager 2 UVS observations (Broadfoot et al. , 1989). Due to their cold exobase temperatures relative to the gravitational potential energy wells that N 2 resides in, atmospheric escape from Triton and Pluto is not dominated by N 2 Jeans escape but by CH 4 from Pluto and H, C, N and H 2 from Triton. The atmospheric thermal structure near the exobase is sensitive to the atmospheric escape rate only when it is significantly greater than 2 × 10 27 amu s −1 , above which enhanced Jeans escape and larger radial velocity adiabatically cools the atmosphere to a lower temperature. Finally we suggest that Pluto's thermosphere is a cold ∼ 70 K due to ablation of H 2 O molecules from the influx of dust grains detected by New Horizons Student Dust Counter.
Modeling Magnetohydrodynamic Energy Generation and Storage in Planetary Entry System Conceptual Design

For a vehicle to land on a planetary body, it must first shed its kinetic energy, reducing its relative speed from multiple kilometers per second to zero. For planetary bodies with an atmosphere, a...
Pathogens Hijack the Epigenome: A New Twist on Host-Pathogen Interactions

Pathogens have evolved strategies to promote their survival by dramatically modifying the transcriptional profile and protein content of the host cells they infect. Modifications of the host transcriptome and proteome are mediated by pathogen-encoded effector molecules that modulate host cells through a variety of different mechanisms. Recent studies highlight the importance of the host chromatin and other epigenetic regulators as targets of pathogens. Host gene regulatory mechanisms may be targeted through cytoplasmic signaling, directly by pathogen effector proteins, and possibly by pathogen RNA. Although many of these changes are short-lived and persist only during the course of infection, several studies indicate that pathogens are able to induce long-term, heritable changes that are essential to pathogenesis of infectious diseases and persistence of pathogens within their hosts. In this review, we discuss how pathogens modulate the epigenome of host cells, a new and flourishing avenue of host-pathogen interaction studies.
Impact of Testosterone Deficiency and Testosterone Therapy on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men with Metabolic Syndrome

Lower urinary tract function is modulated by neural, vascular and urethral and bladder structural elements. The pathophysiological mechanisms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) encompass prostate enlargement, alterations in urethra histological structure bladder fibrosis and alterations in pelvic neuronal and vascular networks, The complex pathophysiological relationship between testosterone (T) deficiency (TD) and the constellations LUTS, and metabolic dysfunction manifested in the metabolic syndrome (Met S) remains poorly understood. TD has emerged as one the potential targets by which Met S may contribute to the onset and development as well as worsening of LUTS. Because it has been recognized that treatment of men with Met S with T therapy ameliorates Met S components, it is postulated that T therapy may represent a therapeutic target in improving LUTS. Furthermore, the effect of TD on the prostate remains unclear, and often debatable. It is believed that T exclusively promotes prostate growth, however recent evidence has strongly contradicted this belief. The true relationship between benign prostatic hyperplasia, TD, and LUTS remains elusive and further research will be required to clarify the role of T in both benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and LUTS as a whole. Although there is conflicting evidence about the benefits of T therapy in men with BPH and LUTS, the current body of literature supports the safety of using this therapy in men with enlarged prostate. As the population afflicted with obesity epidemic continues to age, the number of men suffering from Met S and LUTS together is expected to increase.
Fire Life Safety

Major tunnel fires have been rare occurrences. However, the potential for entrapment and injury of large numbers of people who routinely use highway tunnels, underground mass transportation facilities, or mainline railroad tunnels warrants special considerations.
Transportation modeling: Lessons from the past and tasks for the future

In spite of the recent progress made in household activity analysis and travel budget studies, urban transportation modeling still remains a “not-too-well developed” research field. There are conflicting theories, analysis units are not uniform, terms are not precisely defined, basic studies of sub-systems involved are not yet completed, and many models lack behavioral background as well as basic attributes such as simplicity, sensitivity, compatibility, transferability and forecasting ability. Gaps in methodology may be partially responsible for this situation. There is an urgent need for simple, yet not primitive, easily applicable urban transportation models which can respond to the technical needs of planners and engineers. Lessons from the past, as well as experiences from other disciplines, suggest that future research should concentrate on: (1) new, “unconventional” approaches based on systematic, basic studies of all sub-systems involved; (2) proper definition and stratification of an analysis unit; (3) revision and unification of definitions, classifications, etc., in order to improve the behavioral background of the models; (4) dynamic rather than static approaches, able to describe feedbacks between transportation and land-use as well as between transportation demand and supply; (5) interrelations between subsequent sub-models, particularly between car availability, trip generation and modal split; (6) developing models which are not only sensitive to transportation policies but also to other local policies (e.g. land use, city development, social, etc.).