cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanopatterned silk fibroin films with high transparency and high haze for optical applications

Simultaneous high transparency and high haze are necessary for high-efficiency optical, photonic, and optoelectronic applications. However, a typical highly transparent film lacks high optical haze or vice versa. Here, we report a silk fibroin-based optical film that exhibits both ultrahigh optical transparency (>93%) and ultrahigh optical transmission haze (>65%). Also, in combination with the soft lithography method, different nanostructured silk fibroin films are presented and their optical properties are characterized as well. To demonstrate its exceptional performance in both high transmission and high optical haze, we combine the silk fibroin with the silicon photodiode and show that the efficiency can be increased by 6.96% with the silk fibroin film without patterns and 14.9% with the nanopatterned silk fibroin film. Silk provides excellent mechanical, optical, and electrical properties, and the reported high-performance silk fibroin can enable the development of next-generation biocompatible eco-friendly flexible electronic and optical devices.
Syndicates Attempt to Sway Public Opinion as a ‘Silent Partner’ of the Country Press, 1900 to 1950

This article is an examination of the partnership between community weekly newspapers in the United States and national newspaper syndication services during the first half of the twentieth century. The syndication services provided editorial content for the community weekly, such as feature and news articles, commentary, illustrations, and advertisements, from a centralized, non-local source. Community weekly subscribers relied on syndication services for national and world reports. However, the question of whether or not readers enjoyed the national and world reports was not always as much of a concern to the publisher as was filling pages. Without syndicate materials, more staff would have to be hired, more supplies ordered, or new press equipment purchased. Thus, newspaper syndicates became the “silent partner” of the country press, writing and influencing the opinion of thousands of rural newspaper readers who were unaware of the source of much of their news.
TEMPORARY TREND AND OUTCOME OF MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT IN ELECTIVE HEMODYNAMICALLY STABLE HIGH RISK PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) might reduce procedural complications and mortality in high risk percutaneous coronary intervention (HRPCI). Although, Impella is the only device with FDA approval for use in HRPCI, there is no published randomized trial available to suggest an improvement in
Pathogenesis of Thrombocytopenia in Chronic HCV Infection: A Review

A large proportion of patients with chronic hepatitis C have associated thrombocytopenia (TCP). Due to bleeding risks, TCP, when severe, can limit diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, treatments, and increases risk of complications, especially excessive bleeding. It is important to understand the mechanisms that cause TCP in order to manage it. In general, TCP can be due to increased destruction or decreased production. Proposed mechanisms of increased destruction include autoantibodies to platelets and hypersplenism with sequestration. Proposed mechanisms of decreased production include virus-induced bone marrow suppression and decreased TPO production. Autoantibodies directed against platelet surface antigens have demonstrated an inverse correlation with platelet counts. Hypersplenism with sequestration involves the interaction of portal hypertension, splenomegaly, and platelet destruction. Decreased production mechanisms involve appropriate and inappropriate levels of TPO secretion. There is limited evidence to support viral-induced bone marrow suppression. In contrast, there is strong evidence to support low levels of TPO in liver failure as a major cause of TCP. TPO-agonists, specifically eltrombopag, have been shown in hepatitis C patients to increase platelet counts without reducing portal hypertension or splenomegaly. We conclude that TCP in hepatitis C virus-induced liver disease is often multifactorial, but an understanding of the mechanisms can lead to judicious use of new drugs for treatment.
Analytical Model for Ring-Wing Propulsor Thrust Augmentation

A simple, accurate, reduced-order model is developed for predicting the maximum available thrust performance of subsonic ring-wing propulsors varying in shroud airfoil length, thickness, camber, an...
DETERMINANTS OF URBAN YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: THE CASE OF GUDER TOWN, WESTERN SHOA ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Despite numerous interventions by government and development partners, youth unemployment has remained an intractable challenge in Ethiopia. It creates many social- economic problems in the economy of the country. This study however aimed to identifying the determinants of urban youth unemployment. The study adopted a cross sectional data of urban youth employment-unemployment. The town was purposively selected from the town of west shoa zones. The primary data was collected from 91 sample respondents through interview questionnaire from Guder town proportionally. A descriptive and econometric analysis was employed to meet the main objective of the study. The descriptive analyses results revealed that about 61.5 % of the youth are unemployed while 38.6 % are employed. Regression results from a binary logit model estimation show that sex, educational level, marital status, skill match and access to credit use of youth are found to be the significant determinants to urban youth unemployment while family prosperity and market information were statistically insignificant to urban youth unemployment in the town. The econometric results suggested the need for the government go aboard on creating jobs through identify employment opportunities and industrialization of agriculture. It also recommended that the government should facilitate formalization of familiar employment which reduces the problem of youth unemployment especially on skilled and educated youth and all secondary schools should have active partnership with employers. As well as government made to increase the availability of initial working capital, the identification of profitable (market gap) business areas and provision of practical training for urban youths to be engaged at their own business.
Exploring Various Leadership Styles to Use Among Nurses Towards Challenges Faced Within the 21st Century: A Systematic Review

The workforce for registered nurses (RNs) are currently facing unprecedented challenges. Current challenges such as the consequences associated with patient falls and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have placed a social and financial burden on the U.S. healthcare system. What’s more, future challenges such as the expected retirement for baby boomers and an expected shortage on the availability of medical physicians has raised many concerns for healthcare organizations on how they will deliver care in the years to come. The conclusion is that these challenges will significantly affect the well-being of the RN workforce. Hence, because of these challenges, the objective of this research was to explore various leadership styles to use among nurses towards challenges faced within the 21 st century. By focusing on these challenges, the researcher provided findings around ethics and its impact on decision-making. Thereafter, the researcher highlighted common leadership styles that are used, and then proposed a new leadership theory, servant leadership, as an option for Chief Nursing Officers to use to help guide its nursing workforce going forward.
Initial Preclinical Evaluation of 18F-fluorosorbitol PET as a Novel Renal Imaging

1138 Objectives Accurate assessment of kidney function plays essential roles for optimal clinical decision-making in variety of diseases. The intrinsic advantages of advanced PET system could offer superior spatial and temporal resolutions for quantitative tomographic renal imaging. 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluorosorbitol (18F-FDS) PET tracer is an analogue of sorbitol, which is reported to be freely filtered at glomerulus without re-absorption in the kidney. Furthermore, it can be synthesized via simple reduction of widely available 18F-FDG. We tested the feasibility of 18F-FDS renal PET imaging in rat experiments. Methods Systemic and kidney distribution of 18F-FDS was determined by dynamic 35min PET imaging (15 frames × 8 sec, 26 frames × 30 sec, 20 frames × 60 sec) using a dedicated small animal PET system and post-mortem tissue counting in healthy rats. Co-injected 99mTc-DTPA distribution was also estimated as a reference. Plasma binding and in-vivo stability of 18F-FDS were determined. Results In-vivo PET imaging visualized rapid excretion of the administrated 18F-FDS from the both kidneys with minimal tracer accumulation in other organs. Initial cortical tracer uptake followed by visualization of collecting system are seen with high contrast tomgraphic images. Generation of split renography curves were allowed in healthy rats (Tmax R = 2.8 ± 1.2 min, Tmax L = 2.9 ± 1.5 min, T1/2max R = 8.8 ± 3.7 min, T1/2max L= 11.1 ± 4.9 min). Post-mortem tissue counting of 18F-FDS confirmed the high kidney extraction (kidney activities at 10, 30 and 60 min after tracer injection (%ID/g): 1.8 ± 0.7, 1.2 ± 0.1 and 0.5 ± 0.2, respectively) in a comparable degree to 99mTc-DTPA (2.5 ± 1.0, 1.5 ± 0.2 and 0.8 ± 0.3). Plasma protein binding of 18F-FDS was very low ( Conclusions In rat experiments, PET tracer 18F-FDS demonstrated high kidney excretion, low plasma protein binding and high metabolic stability as preferable properties for a renal imaging. These preliminary results warranted further confirmatory studies in large animal models and clinical studies as a novel renal imaging with its advantages of PET technology and tracer availability.
A Simple Approach to Jointly Rank Passages and Select Relevant Sentences in the OBQA Context.

In the open question answering (OBQA) task, how to select the relevant information from a large corpus is a crucial problem for reasoning and inference. Some datasets (e.g, HotpotQA) mainly focus on testing the model's reasoning ability at the sentence level. To overcome this challenge, many existing frameworks use a deep learning model to select relevant passages and then answer each question by matching a sentence in the corresponding passage. However, such frameworks require long inference time and fail to take advantage of the relationship between passages and sentences. In this work, we present a simple yet effective framework to address these problems by jointly ranking passages and selecting sentences. We propose consistency and similarity constraints to promote the correlation and interaction between passage ranking and sentence selection. In our experiments, we demonstrate that our framework can achieve competitive results and outperform the baseline by 28\% in terms of exact matching of relevant sentences on the HotpotQA dataset.
Rate of Force Development Is Related to Maximal Force and Sit-to-Stand Performance in Men With Stages 3b and 4 Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction The primary aims of the present study were to assess the relationships of early (0-50 ms) and late (100-200 ms) knee extensor rate of force development (RFD) with maximal voluntary force (MVF) and sit-to-stand (STS) performance in participants with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not requiring dialysis. Methods Thirteen men with CKD (eGFR = 35.17 ±.5 ml/min per 1.73 m2, age = 70.56 ±.4 years) and 12 non-CKD men (REF) (eGFR = 80.31 ± 4.8 ml/min per 1.73 m2, age = 70.22 ±.9 years) performed maximal voluntary isometric contractions to determine MVF and RFD of the knee extensors. RFD was measured at time intervals 0-50 ms (RFD0-50) and 100-200 ms (RFD100-200). STS was measured as the time to complete five repetitions. Measures of rectus femoris grayscale (RF GSL) and muscle thickness (RF MT) were obtained via ultrasonography in the CKD group only. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were used to examine differences between groups. Bivariate relationships were assessed by Pearson's product moment correlation. Results Knee extensor MVF adjusted for body weight (CKD=17.14 ±.1 N·kg0.67, REF=21.55 ±.3 N·kg0.67, SMD = 0.79) and STS time (CKD = 15.93 ±.4 s, REF = 12.23 ±.7 s, SMD = 1.03) were lower in the CKD group than the REF group. Absolute RFD100-200 was significantly directly related to adjusted MVF in CKD (r = 0.56, p = 0.049) and REF (r = 0.70, p = 0.012), respectively. STS time was significantly inversely related to absolute (r = -0.75, p = 0.008) and relative RFD0-50 (r = -0.65, p = 0.030) in CKD but not REF (r = 0.08, p = 0.797; r = 0.004, p = 0.991). Significant inverse relationships between RF GSL adjusted for adipose tissue thickness and absolute RFD100-200 (r =-0.59, p = 0.042) in CKD were observed. Conclusion The results of the current study highlight the declines in strength and physical function that occur in older men with CKD stages 3b and 4 not requiring dialysis. Moreover, early RFD was associated with STS time in CKD while late RFD was associated MVF in both CKD and REF. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03160326 and NCT02277236.
Frequency Estimator Performance for a Software-Based Beacon Receiver

As propagation terminals have evolved, their design has trended more toward a software-based approach that facilitates convenient adjustment and customization of the receiver algorithms. One potential improvement is the implementation of a frequency estimation algorithm, through which the primary frequency component of the received signal can be estimated with a much greater resolution than with a simple peak search of the FFT spectrum. To select an estimator for usage in a QV-band beacon receiver, analysis of six frequency estimators was conducted to characterize their effectiveness as they relate to beacon receiver design.
The Efficacy of a Novel Silver-Containing Bioresorbable Microfilm Matrix in At-Risk Surgical Wounds: A Clinical Case Series.

Introduction For persons with diabetes, surgery is fraught with complications; of primary concern is postoperative infection. A postoperative infection rate of up to 13% has been noted in patients with diabetes undergoing elective surgical procedures compared with less than 3% in nondiabetic populations. Objective The objective of this study was to provide preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of a novel bioresorbable microfilm matrix (20 µm thick) containing very low amounts of silver (0.16 mg/in²) in preventing surgical site infections when placed at the level of subcutaneous tissue and dermis prior to primary closure in the patient with diabetes undergoing elective surgery. Materials and methods Twenty-two patients with diabetes undergoing nonemergent or elective foot or ankle surgery and who met at least 1 of the following 6 criteria were included in the study: neuropathy, infection, open wound, history of recurrent infection, nonhealing wound, or peripheral vascular disease. Patients underwent amputation, removal of exostosis, midfoot bone removal, Achilles tendon repair, bunionectomy, or an elevating osteotomy with primary closure of the wound. After hemostasis was obtained and subcutaneous closure achieved, if applicable, the bioresorbable microfilm matrix was applied just deep to the incision at the level of subcutaneous tissue and dermis, and the incision primarily closed. A nonadherent cover dressing was applied over the suture line, and routine follow-up was scheduled for 3 to 5 days later. Results No patient exhibited signs of infection at initial follow-up, and all adherent patients achieved complete healing during the 3-month follow-up period. Eighteen patients healed at a rate typical for the respective procedure. In 2 patients, time to healing was delayed secondary to weight-bearing dehiscence. Two patients were not included in the results secondary to multiple infractions of nonadherence with the postoperative protocol. Conclusions The application of microfilm matrix in surgical incisions at the level of subcutaneous tissue and dermis prior to primary closure is safe for and has the potential to prevent postoperative surgical site infections in at-risk patients with diabetes..
How Children Learn to be Healthy

1. Mechanisms and consequences of socializing children to be healthy 2. Children's health understanding and behavior 3. Parents' health beliefs 4. Parents' promotion of children's health 5. Parents' promotion of children's sexual health 6. Peers, schools, and children's health 7. How television viewing and other media use affects children's health 8. The social ecology of children's health socialization 9. Summary and conclusions.
The Case of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Consideration of PRC’s participation, or lack of it, in the United Nations and its defiance of the United Nations in Korea must include a brief survey of the particulars of the circumstances within and without China that are collectively responsible for its relations with the United Nations. Hence, the present discussion will include: (1) a brief historical survey of PRC with emphasis on its external policies; (2) a review of PRC’s experience with the United Nations; (3) an evaluation of performance; and (4) an examination of PRC’s defiance.
Optical diagnostics of liquid nitrogen volume pre-breakdown events

An increased need for compact pulsed power systems requiring new switching technologies combined with the benefits of cryogenic properties, such as higher energy density and miniaturization, has lead to increased interest in liquid nitrogen as a switching medium. High hold off voltage, low dielectric constant, and low environmental impact are further advantages of liquid nitrogen. Characterization of breakdown is investigated using high-speed (temporal resolution < 1 ns) optical and electrical diagnostics in a coaxial system with 52 /spl Omega/ impedance. Experiments are done in self-breakdown mode in super-cooled liquid nitrogen with a temperature near 70 K. Discharge current and voltage are determined using transmission line type current sensors and capacitive voltage dividers. Discharge luminosity is measured with photomultiplier tubes (risetime/spl ap/800 ps) that are focused on the negative electrode tips and the center of the channel. Optical investigations of breakdown and pre-breakdown events on a nanosecond time scale will provide a better understanding of the fundamental physics of breakdown formation. Detailed optical and spectroscopic diagnostics combined with high-speed electrical diagnostics are aimed at clarifying the overall breakdown mechanisms, including electronic initiation and bubble formation. The breakdown initiation/development will be discussed.
Large momentum transfer scattering and hadronic Bremsstrahlung

The interchange theory provides a simple picture of large momentum transfer scattering which correlates many features of hadrons and their interactions. It is simple to compute and has considerable predictive power. It unites the electromagnetic structure of hadrons as expressed through their form factors and inelastic structure functions with elastis and inleastic hadron-hadron scattering. The thory joins smoothly onto Regge behavior which controls forward scattering and in fact predicts such behavior. The unified description of large and small momentum transfer scattering provided by the interchange model should allow considerable insight into the interaction of hadrons and their possible composite nature. It already yields a remarkably simple quantitative description which seems valid all the way from large angle elastic scattering at 5 Gev/c to inclusive scattering at the CERN-ISR.
Long-term evaluation and cross-checking of two geometric calibrations of kV and MV imaging systems for Linacs

Geometric or mechanical accuracy of kV and MV imaging systems of two Varian TrueBeam linacs have been monitored by two geomertirc calibration systems, Varian IsoCal geometric calibration system and home-developed gQA system. Results of both systems are cross-checked and the long-term geometric stabilities of linacs are evaluated. Two geometric calibration methodologies have been used to assess kV and MV imaging systems and their coincidence periodically on two TrueBeam linacs for about one year. Both systems analyze kV or MV projection images of special designed phantoms to retrieve geometric parameters of the imaging systems. The isocenters — laser isocenter and centers of rotations of kV imager and EPID — are then calculated, based on results of multiple projections from different angles. Long-term calibration results from both systems are compared for cross-checking. There are 24 sessions of side-by-side calibrations performed by both systems on two TrueBeam linacs. All the disagreements of isocenters between two calibrations systems are less than 1 mm with ± 0.1 mm SD. Most of the large disagreements occurred in vertical direction (AP direction), with an averaged disagreement of 0.45 mm. The average disagreements of isocenters are 0.09 mm in other directions. Additional to long-term calibration monitoring, for the accuracy test, special tests were performed by misaligning QA phantoms on purpose (5 mm away from setup isocenter in AP, SI, and lateral directions) to test the liability performance of both systems with the known deviations. The errors are within 0.5 mm. Both geometric calibration systems, IsoCal and gQA, are capable of detecting geometric deviations of kV and MV imaging systems of linacs. The long-term evaluation also shows that the deviations of geometric parameters and the geometric accuracies of both linacs are small and very consistent during the one-year study period.
Coronary Blood Flow Regulation is Impaired During Exercise in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with an augmented blood pressure response while walking, impaired vascular function, and increased risk of myocardial infarction. We hypothesized tha...
Injury, Fatal, and Property Damage Accident Models for Highway Corridors

The relationship between fatal, injury, and property damage accident frequencies and traffic volume, segment length (SL), and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is explored here. For this purpose, a generalized linear regression modeling framework was applied. Poisson, negative binomial, Gaussian, and log-normal distributions were evaluated in terms of their ability to model accident frequency for an interstate highway corridor in Colorado. Results indicate that, for injury, property damage, and total accidents, the Poisson regression with log-transformed predictors performed significantly better than the Poisson regression with linear predictors. For fatal accidents, the log-normal regression performed better than other regression models examined. However, the Poisson model performed better in terms of estimating accidents for the corridor. Models based on data disaggregated by median SL and annual average daily traffic (AADT) or VMT performed better than aggregated models. In addition, the SL-AADT-based models estimated a smaller difference between observed and expected total number of accidents for the corridor than the VMT-based model. SL and traffic volume were significant for injury and property damage accidents. For fatal accidents, an exposure-based predictor VMT was significant across all segment groups.
The prevalence and impact of misstated incomes on mortgage loan applications

Abstract Misstatement of income on mortgage loan applications (the “liar-loan” problem) is thought to have been a contributor to the boom and bust of mortgage markets. We provide nationwide measurements that reflect the degree to which incomes on mid-2000 home-purchase mortgage loan applications were overstated relative to the actual incomes of mortgage applicants. Our results suggest a substantial degree of income overstatement in 2005 and 2006, one consistent with the average mortgage application overstating income 15–20%. We find the tendency to misstate income was associated with markets with large home-price increases during the boom. There is little support for the proposition that income overstatement played a substantial role in subsequent mortgage defaults.
SU‐FF‐T‐384: A Proto‐Type Design of a Real Tissue Phantom for the Validation of Deformation Algorithm and 4D Dose Calculations

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to design a biologically realistic, real‐tissue phantom for use in validation of non‐compressible deformation algorithms and 4D dose calculations. Method and Materials: A phantom motion‐controller capable of driving both sinusoidal and non‐periodic patient‐based breathing patterns via a piston drive mechanism was applied to porcine livertissue. It was programmed to generate diaphragmatic‐like motion that would result in internal motion/deformation that would be similar to 4D CT recorded motion of implanted liver markers in patients. The similarity of marker motion pattern in the liver phantom compared to implanted markers in real patient was evaluated by 4D CT. The consistency of phantom motion over time was assessed. Results: Reproducibility of markers motion was consistent over a period of 90 minutes. Internal fiducial motion/deformation was seen to be similar to that of patient internal fiducial motion, and was reproducible up to elongations of 3 cm. Conclusion: The phantom motion is biologically realistic, and faithfully simulates real patient liver motion and deformation. The induced livertissue motion is reproducible up to elongations of 3 cm and over time periods of up to 90 minutes.
Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity: Prevention and Treatment

Anesthesia is a sine qua non for most surgeries. Like any medical advance, progress in regional anesthesia has not come without its share of complications, including a spectrum extending from localized nerve injury to systemic cardiovascular toxicity and death. This article discusses the mechanisms and clinical presentation, prevention, treatment, and future trends of local anesthetic systemic toxicity. The adverse effects of lipid emulsion therapy are also included.
Acousto-optic star couplers for routing and broadcasting in local area networks

Acousto-optic deflectors are introduced to be used as star couplers that perform broadcasting and routing in local area networks. Configurations for both single-wavelength and multiwavelength broadcast-and-select networks are proposed. A routing network in which both the input and output ports are wavelength tunable is also shown. Acousto-optic devices provide these networks with the advantage of low insertion loss, simplicity, and compactness, because one device can handle a large number of ports. Analysis for these networks is presented and computed simulation results are shown. The proposed routing network is not limited to the use of acousto-optic deflectors, because conventional blazed diffraction gratings can be used. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Analysis and annotation of the hexaploid oat seed transcriptome

Background Next generation sequencing provides new opportunities to explore transcriptomes. However, challenges remain for accurate differentiation of homoeoalleles and paralogs, particularly in polyploid organisms with no supporting genome sequence. In this study, RNA-Seq was employed to generate and characterize the first gene expression atlas for hexaploid oat.
Aroclor 1254 does not affect the IVF of cumulus-free mouse oocytes.

Following normal fertilization, and the subsequent cortical granule reaction (CR), enzymes released into the perivitelline space alter the zona pellucida (ZP) proteins, ZP3 and ZP2. These proteins are responsible for primary sperm binding and the induction of the acrosome reaction, and secondary sperm binding respectively, and are converted to ZP3, and ZP2, during this reaction. This creates a block to polyspermy. The zona reaction can also occur prematurely, during in vitro maturation in serum-free medium (Schroeder et al. 1988), or as a result of oocyte aging (Gianfortoni and Gulyas 1985). ZP “hardening”, a term used to describe the result of the zona reaction, decreases the fertility of unfertilized oocytes and creates resistance to dissolution of the ZP by proteolytic enzymes such as α -chymotrypsin (DeFelici and Siracusa 1982). PCBs effect various biochemical reactions in different cell types, which, if similar in the oocyte, could decrease fertility. Among these are the stimulation of the production of inositol phosphates in polymorphonuclear neutrophils, activation of protein kinase C, and alteration of calcium homeostasis in the rat cerebellar granule cells (Kodavanti et al. 1994). The objective of the present research was to examine the functional effects of PCBs on mouse oocytes, using both a ZP dissolution assay and IVF. The hypotheses tested were that A-1254 both induces ZP hardening and causes decreased fertilization in cumulus-free mouse
Mesenteric blood flow velocities in the newborn with single-ventricle physiology: modified Blalock-Taussig shunt versus right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit.

Background Neonates with ductal-dependent single-ventricle congenital heart disease palliated with a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (mBTS) commonly have retrograde diastolic flow in the aorta, which may place them at increased risk of mesenteric ischemia. Recently, palliation with a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit, known as the Sano procedure, has been shown to eliminate retrograde diastolic flow, theoretically leading to better systemic perfusion. Objective To compare the changes in superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and celiac artery velocities and flow after a bolus enteral feed in patients with single-ventricle congenital heart disease palliated with an mBTS vs. those palliated with the right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit. Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Cardiothoracic intensive care unit and pediatric ward of a tertiary care children's hospital. Patients A total of 27 patients with single-ventricle congenital heart disease (15 with mBTS, 12 with Sano) after stage-1 palliation. Intervention Doppler ultrasound of the SMA and celiac artery was performed 30 mins before and after a bolus enteral feed. Measurements and main results SMA and celiac artery peak systolic flow velocity, mean flow velocity, and time-velocity integral were measured. After a bolus enteral feed, 8 of 15 infants palliated with an mBTS had retrograde diastolic flow through the SMA yet demonstrated significant increases in all variables of both the SMA and celiac artery flow velocities (SMA peak systolic flow velocity: 0.96 +/- 0.33 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.4 m/sec, p = .01). Those palliated with the Sano procedure did not demonstrate SMA retrograde diastolic flow but also did not have any significant changes in their mesenteric flow variables (SMA peak systolic flow velocity: 0.79 +/- 0.16 vs. 0.89 +/- 0.26 m/sec, p = .2). Conclusion Postprandial retrograde diastolic flow was observed in the majority of patients palliated with an mBTS vs. none of the patients in the Sano group. However, contrary to expectations, postprandial mesenteric blood flow velocities in those palliated with an mBTS are significantly higher than in Sano patients, although the increase is not as high as that historically seen in normal neonates. This may place this population at risk for mesenteric ischemia and feeding intolerance in the postoperative period, and the risk may be even greater for those neonates palliated with a right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit.
Reducing GABA receptors.

A number of important drugs act on GABAA receptors, pentameric GABA-gated chloride channels assembled from among 19 known subunits. In trying to discover the roles in the brain of the subunits and their combinations, with the goal of developing more selective drugs, one tool has been to reduce expression of the subunits and examine the functional consequences. After briefly examining the properties of GABAA receptors, this review surveys the means available for receptor subunit reduction, and some of the observations to which their application has led. The methods discussed include radiation-induced deletion, gene knockout, knock-in mutations, antisense, ribozymes, RNA interference, dominant negative constructs, and transcriptional regulation, e.g., via decoy oligonucleotides.
Simple model for linear and nonlinear mixing at unstable fluid interfaces with variable acceleration

A simple model is described for predicting the time evolution of the half-width $h$ of a mixing layer between two initially separated immiscible fluids of different density subjected to an arbitrary time-dependent variable acceleration history $a(t).$ The model is based on a heuristic expression for the kinetic energy per unit area of the mixing layer. This expression is based on that for the kinetic energy of a linearly perturbed interface, but with a dynamically renormalized wavelength which becomes proportional to $h$ in the nonlinear regime. An equation of motion for $h$ is then derived from Lagrange's equations. This model reproduces the known linear growth rates of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities, as well as the nonlinear RT growth law $h=\ensuremath{\alpha}{\mathrm{Aat}}^{2}$ for constant $a$ (where $A$ is the Atwood number) and the nonlinear RM growth law $h\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{\ensuremath{\theta}}$ for impulsive $a,$ where \ensuremath{\alpha} and \ensuremath{\theta} depend on the rate of kinetic energy dissipation. In the case of zero dissipation, $\ensuremath{\theta}=2/3$ in agreement with elementary scaling arguments. A conservative numerical scheme is proposed to solve the model equations, and is used to perform calculations that agree well with published experimental mixing data for four different acceleration histories.
Evidence for a sharp lateral variation of velocity at the core–mantle boundary from multipathed PKPab

Rapid changes in differential travel times between the various PKP branches have been attributed to strong lateral velocity variations at the base of the mantle. Differential time PKPab–df residuals showing jumps of up to 2 s for paths only 100 km apart have been reported. Such extreme changes in travel times for signals with comparable wavelengths suggest ray bifurcation with multipaths containing slow and fast contributions to PKPab. Here we report on some well-documented normal and multipathed PKPab phases along with rapidly varying differential time residuals observed for Fiji events with paths sampling the northern edge of the mid-Pacific large slow structure beneath Hawaii. Systematic analyses of these data with two-dimensional models suggest the presence of a ridge-shaped structure at the core–mantle boundary containing abrupt reductions of P-wave velocity of up to 10%. This narrow ultralow velocity zone (ULVZ) is located at the boundary between a large scale low velocity and high velocity structure, corroborating recent dynamic models which propose that ULVZs preferentially occur at the boundary between hot and cold mantle domains and could be related to plume activity at Hawaii.
Lateral stability analysis of a railway truck on roller rig

Abstract The development of experimental facilities for rail vehicle testing is being complemented by analytic studies. The purpose of this effort has been to gain insight into the dynamics of rail vehicles in order to guide development of the roller rigs and to establish an analytic framework for the design and interpretation of tests to be conducted on roller rigs. The work described here represents initial efforts towards meeting these objectives. Generic linear models were developed for a freight car (with a characteristic North American three-piece truck) on tangent track. The models were developed using the generalized multi body dynamics software MEDYNA. Predictions were made of the theoretical linear model hunting (lateral stability) characteristics of the freight car, i.e., the critical speeds and frequencies, for five different configurations: (a) freight car on track, (b) the freight car’s front truck on the roller stand and its rear truck on track, (c) freight car on the roller rig, (d) a single truck on track, and (e) single truck on the roller stand. These were compared with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) field test data for an 80-t hopper car equipped with A-3 ride control trucks. Agreement was reached among all the analytical models, with all models indicating a range of hunting speeds of 2% from the highest to lowest. The largest discrepancy, approximately 6%, was indicated between the models and the field test data. Parametric study results using linear model of freight truck on the roller rig show that: (a) increasing roller radius increases critical speed, (b) increasing the wheel initial cone angle will decrease the hunting speed, (c) increasing the roller cant increases hunting speed, (d) decrowning of the wheelset on the rollers will not effect the hunting speed but induces longitudinal destabilizing horizontal forces at the contact, and (e) lozenging of wheelset on the rollers induces a yaw moment and the hunting speed decreases with increasing wheelset yaw angle.
DNA Segregation in Escherichia coli: Observations by Means of Tritiated Thymidine Decay

Escherichia coli, strain 15T-L-, inactivation by H3-thymidine decay was used in a study of DNA segregation. Two characteristics of the inactivation curves due to H3-thymidine decay, the initial slope and stable fraction, enable the mode of segregation to be defined. The results suggest that the segregation pattern is consistent with a semiconservative model of DNA replication. The data on the stable fraction indicate that the DNA of strain 15T-L-, under our experimental conditions, may be organized into one duplex structure. Since colony-forming ability was used as the means of assay, it is possible to compare these experiments with those in which DNA segregation is examined on a structural basis.
Pterygium among Latino migrant farmworkers in North Carolina

The authors describe the prevalence and severity of pterygium among Latino migrant farmworkers in North Carolina and delineate its risk factors. They selected a sample of 304 farmworkers working in eastern North Carolina in 2005. Digital photographs were taken of each farmworker, including a facial view showing the eyes. Two physicians independently rated each farmworker for the presence and severity of pterygia, with an initial intercoder agreement of 91%. Sixty-eight (23.3%) participants had a pterygium in at least 1 eye; 28 (9.5%) had bilateral pterygia. Age was significantly associated with pterygia (odds ratio = 1.07; 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.11). Research on the causes of pterygium among farmworkers is needed. In the interim, improvements in farmworkers' preventive behaviors, such as wearing ultraviolet protective lenses and brimmed hats, are reasonable and inexpensive measures.
Adenosine receptors and cardiovascular function

Adenosine exerts pronounced cardiac and vascular effects. Distinct receptors, present on the endothelium and vascular and cardiac myocytes, mediate the various cardiovascular effects of adenosine. The A(1) and the A(2) subtypes of adenosine receptor are coupled to different G proteins, second messengers, and physiologic responses. Recent cloning of the two subtypes of adenosine receptor should enhance our understanding of the structure, function, and regulation of these receptors and should facilitate discovery of new subtypes that may be expressed in a tissue-specific manner. These molecular advances should also provide insights into the mechanism of the cardiovascular action of adenosine, which is gaining greater clinical usefulness.
Application of the DeLury Method in Determining the Angler Harvest of Stocked Catchable-Sized Trout

Abstract Creel-census data from three heavily fished California lakes are used to illustrate a method of determining the proportion of stocked catchable-sized rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, taken by anglers. This technique requires the planting of experimental lots of fish marked by the removal of designated fins. A creel checker gathers data used to estimate catch rate and fishing pressure for several days following the experimental plant. These estimates are used to determine a regression line similar to that proposed by D. B. DeLury for fish-population estimates. The regression line is used to make an estimate of the number of fish taken after the census has been terminated.
The "angina-producing" myocardial segment: An approach to the interpretation of results of coronary bypass surgery.

Abstract The first 153 cases of saphenous vein aortocoronary bypass surgery performed at The Johns Hopkins Hospital were reviewed. Eighty-eight percent of the 140 late survivors reported significant symptomatic improvement. Seventy-one unselected patients consented to complete reevaluation at a mean interval of 6.1 months postoperatively. Vein bypass patency in this group was 66 percent. Eighty-two percent of these 71 patients had improved performance on electrocardiographic stress testing. There were no significant differences between hemodynamic status on pre- and postoperative studies regardless of the status of vein bypass patency. Repeat coronary angiography revealed a 30 percent incidence of new total occlusions of the intrinsic coronary circulation. Segmental wall motion on ventriculography was improved in 12 percent, unchanged in 50 percent and decreased in 38 percent of the segments analyzed. Localized electrocardiographic changes compatible with myocardial damage developed in the immediate postoperative period in 45 of these patients (63 percent); in 38 of the 45, these changes corresponded to new angiographic abnormalities. Physiologic mechanisms underlying symptomatic improvement were sought by identification of an “angina-producing” myocardial segment. In most instances, alleviation of angina could be related to either: (1) a patent bypass graft into an unchanged intrinsic coronary artery with presumed increased blood flow to the distal coronary segment, or (2) occlusion of the bypass graft and the corresponding coronary artery with probable infarction of previously ischemic myocardium. Current criteria for the selection of patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery are reviewed in the light of these findings. It is concluded that relief of disabling angina is the major indication for surgery. Prevention of myocardial infarction and improvement in left ventricular function are at present less reliable objectives.
Field Evaluation of a TSI Model 3034 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer in New York City: Winter 2004 Intensive Campaign

A new “single box” Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (TSI SMPS Model 3034) was deployed and operated during a period of four weeks as a part of the PMTACS-NY Winter 2004 intensive study in Queens College, New York City. The SMPS 3034 is an alternative to a conventional multi-component TSI SMPS and houses a Differential Mobility Analyzer and butanol-based Condensation Particle Counter in one cabinet. The SMPS 3034 operates at a fixed 1 l/min sample flow rate (4 l/min sheath flow rate) and measures size distributions within a 10–487 nm size range. One size scan is produced every 3 minutes. Four other measurement systems (a conventional TSI SMPS with a Nano Differential Mobility Analyzer, an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer, a stand-alone Condensation Particle Counter, and an R&P Inc. Filter Dynamic Measurement System (FDMS) TEOM mass monitor) were operated side-by-side with the SMPS 3034. It is shown that total particle number concentrations measured by the SMPS 3034 are highly correlated with those from the conve...
Dynamics and Control of a Disordered System in Space

In this paper, we present some ideas regarding the modeling, dynamics and control aspects of granular spacecraft. Granular spacecraft are complex multibody systems composed of a spatially disordered distribution of a large number of elements, for instance a cloud of grains in orbit. An example of application is a spaceborne observatory for exoplanet imaging, where the primary aperture is a cloud instead of a monolithic aperture. A model is proposed of the multi-scale dynamics of the grains and cloud in orbit, as well as a control approach for cloud shape maintenance and alignment, and preliminary simulation studies are carried out for the representative imaging system.
Characterization of Gelatinases Linked to Extracellular Matrix Invasion in Ovarian Adenocarcinoma: Purification of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2

Substantial evidence indicates that proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix is necessary for invasion and metastasis by cancer cells. Our previous work has demonstrated elevated secretion by cultured ovarian adenocarcinoma cells of two gelatinolytic metalloproteinases, a 72-kDa enzyme resembling matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and a 92-kDa enzyme resembling MMP-9 (Moser et al, Int. J. Cancer 56, 552-559, 1994). To assess the potential in vivo relevance of these enzymes, we have examined ovarian carcinoma ascites using gelatin substrate zymography. MMP species identical to those secreted from several well-characterized ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines were found in the majority of ascites: MMP-2-like gelatinase (23 of 23 cases) and MMP-9-like gelatinase (18 of 23 cases), suggesting a prevalence of these species in the ovarian carcinoma microenvironment and their availability for tumor-associated proteolysis. The contribution of these proteinases to ovarian cancer invasion was further demonstrated by experiments measuring tumor cell-mediated proteolysis of native endothelial cell extracellular matrix (ECM) and tumor cell invasion of reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel). These data showed that secretion of type IV collagenase activity by a series of independently isolated ovarian adenocarcinoma cell lines correlated well with the ability of these cells to proteolyze the ECM and invade the basement membrane. Furthermore, we have identified and characterized an ovarian carcinoma-associated gelatinase, the 72-kDa MMP found in conditioned media of the DOV 13 cell line, as MMP-2. This enzyme was identical to the previously described MMP-2 from other sources by Western blot, amino terminal sequence, and substrate specificity. Additionally, a large portion of the MMP-2 activity found in DOV 13 conditioned media is active without organomercurial treatment, suggesting that ovarian cancer cells have an endogenous activator of the zymogen. Together, these data suggest that ECM proteolysis mediated by tumor-associated proteinases plays an important role in the invasion and/or metastasis of ovarian carcinoma.
Cleavage Processing of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme by a Membrane-Associated Metalloprotease

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is synthesized as a type 1 ectoprotein. It is released from the cell surface by a proteolytic cleavage-secretion process which is enhanced by treatment of the cells with phorbol esters. Here, we report the development of an in vitro cell-free assay system for the cleavage-secretion, its characterization, and the identification of a potent inhibitor of this process. Membranes prepared from ACE89 cells secreted the testicular isozyme of ACE (ACET) in a temperature- and time-dependent fashion. As expected, the in vitro secreted ACET lacked the membrane-anchoring carboxy-terminal tail of the cell-associated ACET. The in vitro secretase activity was resistant to high salt extraction and to inhibitors of serine, chymotrypsin, trypsin, cysteine, aspartate, and elastase type proteases. However, the activity was sensitive to metal ion chelators and to a synthetic hydroxamic acid derivative, compound 3, a known inhibitor of certain metalloproteases. Compound 3 very efficiently blocked both basal and phorbol ester-stimulated ACET secretion by ACE89 cells. The inhibition was rapid, dose-dependent, and reversible, and ACET synthesis, glycosylation, and transport were not affected. Cleavage-secretion of ACET in transiently transfected HeLa cells was also inhibited by compound 3. Finally, in vitro cleavage-secretion of the other isozyme of ACE, ACEP, by membranes isolated from rabbit lungs was strongly inhibited by compound 3. These results indicate that the cleavage-secretion of both isozymes of ACE is carried out by an integral membrane metalloprotease which is specifically inhibited by compound 3.