cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement error in mobile source air pollution exposure estimates due to residential mobility during pregnancy.

Prenatal air pollution exposure is frequently estimated using maternal residential location at the time of delivery as a proxy for residence during pregnancy. We describe residential mobility during pregnancy among 19,951 children from the Kaiser Air Pollution and Pediatric Asthma Study, quantify measurement error in spatially resolved estimates of prenatal exposure to mobile source fine particulate matter (PM2.5) due to ignoring this mobility, and simulate the impact of this error on estimates of epidemiologic associations. Two exposure estimates were compared, one calculated using complete residential histories during pregnancy (weighted average based on time spent at each address) and the second calculated using only residence at birth. Estimates were computed using annual averages of primary PM2.5 from traffic emissions modeled using a Research LINE-source dispersion model for near-surface releases (RLINE) at 250 m resolution. In this cohort, 18.6% of children were born to mothers who moved at least once during pregnancy. Mobile source PM2.5 exposure estimates calculated using complete residential histories during pregnancy and only residence at birth were highly correlated (rS>0.9). Simulations indicated that ignoring residential mobility resulted in modest bias of epidemiologic associations toward the null, but varied by maternal characteristics and prenatal exposure windows of interest (ranging from −2% to −10% bias).
Estimating the scale of adverse animal welfare consequences of movement restriction and mitigation strategies in a classical swine fever outbreak

The study aim was to quantify the impact of movement restriction on the well-being of pigs and the associated mitigation responses during a classical swine fever (CSF) outbreak. We developed a stochastic risk assessment model and incorporated Indiana swine industry statistics to estimate the timing and number of swine premises that would encounter overcrowding or feed interruption resulting from movement restriction. Our model also quantified the amount of on-farm euthanasia and movement of pigs to slaughter plants required to alleviate those conditions. We simulated various single-site (i.e., an outbreak initiated from one location) and multiple-site (i.e., an outbreak initiated from more than one location) outbreak scenarios in Indiana to estimate outputs. The study estimated that 14% of the swine premises in Indiana would encounter overcrowding or feed interruption due to movement restriction implemented during a CSF outbreak. The number of premises that would experience animal welfare conditions was about 2.5 fold of the number of infected premises. On-farm euthanasia needed to be performed on 33% of those swine premises to alleviate adverse animal welfare conditions, and more than 90% of on-farm euthanasia had to be carried out within 2 weeks after the implementation of movement restriction. Conversely, movement of pigs to slaughter plants could alleviate 67% of adverse animal welfare conditions due to movement restriction, and only less than 1% of movement of pigs to slaughter plants had to be initiated in the first 2 weeks of movement restrictions. The risk of secondary outbreaks due to movement of pigs from movement restriction areas to slaughter plants was low and only seven pigs from each shipment needed to be tested for CSF infection to prevent a secondary outbreak. We found that the scale of adverse animal welfare consequences of movement restriction during a CSF outbreak in Indiana was substantial, and controlled movement of pigs to slaughter plants was an efficient and low-risk alternative mitigation response to on-farm euthanasia. The output estimates generated from this study provide empirical evidence for decision makers to properly incorporate required resources for mitigating adverse animal welfare conditions in CSF outbreak management strategic planning.
Effectiveness on Early Childhood Caries of an Oral Health Promotion Program for Medical Providers.

Objectives. To assess an oral health promotion (OHP) intervention for medical providers’ impact on early childhood caries (ECC).Methods. We implemented a quasiexperimental OHP intervention in 8 federally qualified health centers that trained medical providers on ECC risk assessment, oral examination and instruction, dental referral, and fluoride varnish applications (FVAs). We measured OHP delivery by FVA count at medical visits. We measured the intervention’s impact on ECC in 3 unique cohorts of children aged 3 to 4 years in 2009 (preintervention; n = 202), 2011 (midintervention; n = 420), and 2015 (≥ 4 FVAs; n = 153). We compared numbers of decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces using adjusted zero-inflated negative binomial models.Results. Across 3 unique cohorts, the FVA mean (range) count was 0.0 (0), 1.1 (0–7), and 4.5 (4–7) in 2009, 2011, and 2015, respectively. In adjusted zero-inflated negative binomial models analyses, children in the 2015 cohort had significantly fewer decayed, missing, an...
Review of progress in understanding the electron transport properties of amorphous chalcogenide phase change semiconductors (Invited paper)

The amorphous chalcogenide phase change semiconductors exhibit a series of peculiar yet technologically important electron transport properties, which have attracted intensive research attention in recent years. Despite their promising application scenario, these electron transport properties' fundamental governing physics remains an unsolved scientific puzzle which is still under debate. This paper reviews these measured peculiar electron transport properties, their technological significance, and their existing theoretical explanations. The open questions are summarized, in order to invoke further research attention.
Validation and Clinical Utility of the hERG IC50:Cmax Ratio to Determine the Risk of Drug-Induced Torsades de Pointes: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND Use of the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) to predict torsades de pointes (TdP) risk from culprit drugs is neither sensitive nor specific. The ratio of the half-maximum inhibitory concentration of the hERG channel (hERG IC50) to the peak serum concentration of unbound drug (Cmax ) is used during drug development to screen out chemical entities likely to cause TdP. PURPOSE To validate the use of the hERG IC50:Cmax ratio to predict TdP risk from a culprit drug by its correlation with TdP incidence. DATA SOURCES Medline (between 1966 and March 2017) was accessed for hERG IC50 and Cmax values from the antihistamine, fluoroquinolone, and antipsychotic classes to identify cases of drug-induced TdP. Exposure to a culprit drug was estimated from annual revenues reported by the manufacturer. STUDY SELECTION Inclusion criteria for TdP cases were provision of an ECG tracing that demonstrated QTc prolongation with TdP and normal serum values of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Cases reported in patients with a prior rhythm disturbance and those involving a drug interaction were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS The Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used for epidemiological data extraction by two authors. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Negligible risk drugs were defined by an hERG IC50:Cmax ratio that correlated with less than a 5% chance of one TdP event for every 100 million exposures (relative risk [RR] 1.0). RESULTS The hERG IC50:Cmax ratio correlated with TdP risk (0.312; 95% confidence interval 0.205-0.476, p<0.0001), a ratio of 80 (RR 1.0). The RR from olanzapine is on par with loratadine; ziprasidone is comparable with ciprofloxacin. Drugs with an RR greater than 50 include astemizole, risperidone, haloperidol, and thioridazine. CONCLUSIONS The hERG IC50:Cmax ratio was correlated with TdP incidence for culprit drugs. This validation provides support for the potential use of the hERG IC50:Cmax ratio for clinical decision making in instances of drug selection where TdP risk is a concern.
Comparative Usability Study of a Newly Created Patient-Centered Tool and Medicare.gov Plan Finder to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Choose Prescription Drug Plans.

Introduction:In response to reported difficulties in selecting a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, we designed a patient-centered online Part D plan selection tool (CHOICE1.0) to simplify the...
Langevin Equations with Multiplicative Noise: Theory and Applications to Physical Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a certain type of stochastic differential equation (SDE) that is quite useful for heuristic modeling of physical processes. In much of the literature, particularly in the physical sciences, such equations are usually referred to as Langevin equations, after P. Langevin, who was the first to use such equations to model the dynamics of physical systems. To model the dynamics of a physical process by a SDE, the origin and properties of the fluctuations must be identified. To discuss the origin of the fluctuations, it is often convenient to introduce the idealization of a closed physical system to distinguish between internal and external fluctuations. The microscopic dynamics of the closed system are determined by a Hamiltonian so that the knowledge of all the degrees of freedom at one instant of time is sufficient to determine the evolution of the system forward in time.
Abstract 282: Race and Gender-Based Perceptions of Older Adults

Background: Racial and gender bias affects decision-making in cardiovascular disease, with bias strongest particularly in older patients. Culture shifts often initiate in younger generations. With ...
Boeing-Bombardier Trade Dispute: An Indication of the Growing Importance of Regional Agreements?

“………in the long run, the lack of commitment to multilateral trade that sank the Doha round this week, will also start to corrode the trading system as a whole……. America, the animating spirit behind earlier trade rounds, declared that a bad deal was worse than no deal at all – and meant it…. The underlying rationale of unilateral trade liberalization had been buried and forgotten long ago.” (The Economist, 2006a). The Uruguay and Doha trade rounds of agreements, do not only accentuate the difficulties of multilateral trade agreements, but also highlight the growing importance of regional agreements. In a phase where new territory is being experienced – particularly with the need for the United States to address its current account deficit, will it be willing to compromise in any deals involving America’s interest – in favor of diplomatic relations or will it stick to the widely held principle in Washington that “no deal at all is better than a bad deal”? Or will the United Kingdom’s involvement in the present trade dispute involving Bombardier and Boeing bring about an unprecedented and unexpected turn in events?
Organic contaminant sorption parameters should only be compared across a consistent system of linear functions.

Abstract Modeling contaminant sorption data using a linear model is very common; however, the rationale for whether the y-intercept should be constrained or not remains a subject of debate. This article justifies constraining the y-intercept in the linear model to zero. By doing so, one imposes consistency on the system of linear equations, allowing for direct comparison of the sorption coefficients.
Mixed Methods Research in Designing an Instrument for Consumer-Oriented Evaluation

Background: The educational product market has been gradually shifting from primarily print to primarily digital content. Educators must make quick decisions when selecting materials that will assist students in their learning. Purpose: Purposes of this study were to describe the application of a two-stage sequential mixed-method, mixed-model design in designing an instrument for consumer-oriented evaluation and to describe implications of using mixed methods research in developing a rubric to evaluate prekindergarten through Grade 12 digital content. Setting: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. Intervention: N/A. Research design: A two-stage sequential mixed-method, mixed-model design. Data collection & analysis: In Stage 1, a modified electronic Delphi survey technique was implemented with US geographically dispersed subject matter experts. In Stage 2, cross-sectional focus group interviews were conducted with local teachers, administrators, and textbook publishers. Findings: Inclusion of multiple perspectives and viewpoints from teachers, administrators, textbook publishers, and experts on importance, clarity, and appropriateness of criteria to evaluate digital content resulted in a final version of the rubric that can be used by teachers and administrators to evaluate digital content that supports students’ learning in prekindergarten through Grade 12.
SARS-CoV-2 infection, neuropathogenesis and transmission among deer mice: Implications for reverse zoonosis to New World rodents

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) emerged in November, 2019 in China and rapidly became pandemic. As with other coronaviruses, a preponderance of evidence suggests the virus originated in horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) and likely underwent a recombination event in an intermediate host prior to entry into human populations. A significant concern is that SARS-CoV-2 could become established in secondary reservoir hosts outside of Asia. To assess this potential, we challenged deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with SARS-CoV-2 and found robust virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, lungs and intestines, with detectable viral RNA for up to 21 days in oral swabs and 14 days in lungs. Virus entry into the brain also occurred, likely via gustatory-olfactory-trigeminal pathway with eventual compromise to the blood brain barrier. Despite this, no conspicuous signs of disease were observed and no deer mice succumbed to infection. Expression of several innate immune response genes were elevated in the lungs, notably IFNα, Cxcl10, Oas2, Tbk1 and Pycard. Elevated CD4 and CD8β expression in the lungs was concomitant with Tbx21, IFNγ and IL-21 expression, suggesting a type I inflammatory immune response. Contact transmission occurred from infected to naive deer mice through two passages, showing sustained natural transmission. In the second deer mouse passage, an insertion of 4 amino acids occurred to fixation in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that is predicted to form a solvent-accessible loop. Subsequent examination of the source virus from BEI Resources indicated the mutation was present at very low levels, demonstrating potent purifying selection for the insert during in vivo passage. Collectively, this work has determined that deer mice are a suitable animal model for the study of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, and that they have the potential to serve as secondary reservoir hosts that could lead to periodic outbreaks of COVID-19 in North America.
Theranostic cancer applications utilized by nanoparticles offering multimodal systems and future insights

Recent studies showed that imaging-guided cancer therapeutics have higher success rates so instead of using a single modality, the combination of diagnosis and therapy (theranostic) modalities have simultaneously been employed more often for the cancer treatments. Also, instead of employing single modality, combination of more than one modality for each cancer diagnosis and therapy becomes to be the route for the scientists study in the field of theranostics and applied nanotechnology due to the improved theranostic efficiency. Purpose-oriented fabricated nanoparticles are usually chosen as carriers and contrast agents for those multimodal theranostic systems owing to their unique optoelectronic (optical-electronic) and physical properties. This is a mini review as a general synopsis of the recent applications of nanoparticles as one of the most efficient cancer theranostic agents and future insights for theranostics.
Detection of Meniscal Tear Effects on Tibial Vibration Using Passive Knee Sound Measurements

Objective: To evaluate whether non-invasive knee sound measurements can provide information related to the underlying structural changes in the knee following meniscal tear. These changes are explained using an equivalent vibrational model of the knee-tibia structure. Methods: First, we formed an analytical model by modeling the tibia as a cantilever beam with the fixed end being the knee. The knee end was supported by three lumped components with features corresponding with tibial stiffnesses, and meniscal damping effect. Second, we recorded knee sounds from 46 healthy legs and 9 legs with acute meniscal tears (n = 34 subjects). We developed an acoustic event (“click”) detection algorithm to find patterns in the recordings, and used the instrumental variable continuous-time transfer function estimation algorithm to model them. Results: The knee sound measurements yielded consistently lower fundamental mode decay rate in legs with meniscal tears ( $16 \pm 13\ {s^{ - 1}}$ ) compared to healthy legs ( $182 \pm 128\ {s^{ - 1}}$ ), p ${f_{n1}} = \ 115 \pm 44\ \text{Hz},\ \ {\xi _1} = \ 0.098 \pm 0.022,\ $ injured: ${f_{n1}} = \ 67 \pm 10\ \text{Hz},\ \ \ {\xi _1} = \ 0.036 \pm 0.029$ ) for the first three vibration modes (p Significance: This combined analytical and experimental method improves our understanding of how vibrations can describe the underlying structural changes in the knee following meniscal tear, and supports their use as a tool for future efforts in non-invasively diagnosing meniscal tear injuries.
Association of balanced abdominal organ transplant center volumes with patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND The volume-outcome relationship for organ-specific transplantation is well-described; it is unknown if the relative balance of kidney compared with liver volumes within an institution relates to organ-specific outcomes. We assessed the association between relative balance within a transplant center and outcomes. METHODS National retrospective analysis of isolated kidney and liver transplants in United States 2005-2014 followed through 2019. Latent class analysis defined transplant center phenotypes. Multivariate Cox models estimated death-censored graft loss and mortality. RESULTS Latent class analysis identified four phenotypes: kidney only (n = 117), kidney dominant (n = 36), mixed/balanced (n = 90), and liver dominant (n = 13). Compared to mixed centers, the risk of kidney graft loss was higher at kidney-dominant (HR 1.07, p < .001) and liver-dominant (HR 1.10, p < .001) centers, while kidney-only (HR 1.06, p = .01) centers had higher mortality. Liver graft loss was not associated with phenotype, but risk of patient death was lower (HR 0.93, p = .02) at liver dominant and higher (HR 1.06, p = .02) at kidney-dominant centers. CONCLUSIONS A mixed phenotype was associated with improved kidney transplant outcomes, whereas liver transplant outcomes were best at liver-dominant centers. While these findings need to be verified with center-level resources, optimization of shared resources could improve patient and organ outcomes.
The Origin of a Chemically Enriched Lyα Absorption System at Z = 0.167

We present the first detailed analysis of the chemical abundances, ionization state, and origin of a partial Lyman limit system [N(H ) ≈ 1016 cm-2] at low redshift (z = 0.167 toward PKS 0405-1219). Two galaxies at an ≈70 h-1 kpc projected distance to the QSO have been identified at the absorber redshift. We analyze an echelle spectrum of the QSO obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and find that this absorption system exhibits associated lines produced by C+, N+, O0, Si+, Si++, Si+3, Fe+, and Fe++ and, most interestingly, O+5 and N+4. The results of our analysis show that the partial Lyman limit system traced by various ions is likely to be embedded in a collisionally ionized O VI gas of larger spatial extent. Furthermore, the partial Lyman limit system appears to have a metallicity of at least 1/10 solar and is most likely solar or supersolar despite the fact that no luminous galaxies are seen within a projected distance ρ = 60 h-1 kpc to the QSO. Finally, adopting the temperature estimated for the hot gas (T ≈ 2.5 × 105 K) and assuming a simple isothermal halo, we estimate that the galaxy or galaxy group that supports the extended gas may have a total mass ≈1.5 × 1012 M☉ and a gas number density 3 × 10-5 cm-3.
Integrating renewable energy into mining operations: Opportunities, challenges, and enabling approaches

Abstract Mining is one of the most energy-intensive industries worldwide. It also provides a critical source of raw materials for the manufacturing, transportation, construction, and energy sectors. Demand for raw materials is projected to increase as the world population grows and many low-income economies become middle-income countries. This growth in mineral demand, coupled with falling mineral ore grade, will likely increase the mining industry’s energy demand, used for activities across exploration, extraction, beneficiation and processing, and refining. At the time of this writing, mine operations are – due to their remoteness – dependent on fossil fuels such as diesel, heavy oils, and coal. In principle, mining could use energy recovery, renewable energy, and carbon capture to supplement, replace, or mitigate the impacts of fossil fuel use. However, a combination of renewable-energy technologies would be required. We explore challenges, opportunities, and enabling approaches to integrate renewable energy technologies into mining operations by examining the literature, including academic work, technical reports, and data produced by international agencies. We find that despite numerous opportunities, technical issues still need to be considered, but solutions can tailor renewables to the mining industry. Further research should focus on identifying specific opportunities, technologies, and implementation strategies across the value chain of a variety of minerals with similar operational procedures.
Nanoparticles as Cell Tracking Agents in Human Ocular Cell Transplantation Therapy

Here we explore the use of nanoparticles (NPs) as cell tracking agents in ocular cell therapy. Cell transplantation is a promising strategy for treating degenerative eye disorders for which no curative therapies exist, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. While past and ongoing clinical trials of ocular cell transplantation have demonstrated encouraging findings, our insight into their successes and failures is limited, in large part due to the difficulty of following the fate of the transplanted cells in the human eye. In this regard, NPs warrant consideration as novel cell tracking agents in vivo, with potential advantages over other labeling methods such as fluorescent reporters and DNA barcoding. Two classes of NP—gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs)—may be particularly well-suited for longitudinal cell tracking in the eye, owing to their safety profile and compatibility with clinical imaging modalities. GNPs and SPIONs have demonstrated potential for tracking human ocular cell therapy. Further research should be aimed at elucidating their eye-specific imaging characteristics, safety, and clearance. Our ability to accurately assess the critical processes in ocular cell transplantation—delivery, distribution, immune acceptance, retention, and integration—will help accelerate the progress of regenerative medicine in the eye.
Dopant Binding with Vacancies and Helium in Metal Hydrides

Abstract Metal hydrides are crucial for the long-term storage of tritium but suffer degradation due to the buildup and release of helium decay products. Therefore, it is of interest to explore how dopants in these metal hydrides may impact helium bubble nucleation and distributions, as well as associated fracture and helium retention. Prior studies have focused on helium behavior in pure metal hydrides or with one or two types of impurities. Analytical models have also shown that the concentration of nucleated bubbles can impact the time to fracture of materials. This study utilizes high-throughput density functional theory calculations to identify the impact of transition metal substitutional dopants on helium binding energies in face-centered cubic metal hydrides, such as erbium hydride, holmium hydride, scandium hydride, titanium hydride, yttrium hydride, and zirconium hydride. This study also explores the impact of hydrogen vacancies on the binding energy of helium near the substitutional defects. Finally, this study presents an initial assessment of dopant stability and solubility limits at many temperatures and pressures. Several metals strongly bind to helium in these metal hydrides, making them promising for influencing helium nucleation and subsequent bubble growth. However, many of these potentially beneficial substitutional defects have low solubility limits. The calculations show that some strong binding dopants may be soluble in quantities that affect the bubble concentration and impact material performance.
SU-E-T-465: Implementation of An Automated Collision Detection Program Using Open Source Software for the Pinnacle Treatment Planning System

Purpose: Potential collisions between the gantry head and the patient or table assembly are difficult to detect in most treatment planning systems. We have developed and implemented a novel software package for the representation of potential gantry collisions with the couch assembly at the time of treatment planning. Methods: Physical dimensions of the Varian Edge linear accelerator treatment head were measured and reproduced using the Visual Python display package. A script was developed for the Pinnacle treatment planning system to generate a file with the relevant couch, gantry, and isocenter positions for each beam in a planning trial. A python program was developed to parse the information from the TPS and produce a representative model of the couch/gantry system. Using the model and the Visual Python libraries, a rendering window is generated for each beam that allows the planner to evaluate the possibility of a collision. Results: Comparison against heuristic methods and direct verification on the machine validated the collision model generated by the software. Encounters of <1 cm between the gantry treatment head and table were visualized as collisions in our virtual model. Visual windows were created depicting the angle of collision for each beam, including the anticipated table coordinates. Visual rendering of a 6 arc trial with multiple couch positions was completed in under 1 minute, with network bandwidth being the primary bottleneck. Conclusion: The developed software allows for quick examination of possible collisions during the treatment planning process and helps to prevent major collisions prior to plan approval. The software can easily be implemented on future planning systems due to the versatility and platform independence of the Python programming language. Further integration of the software with the treatment planning system will allow the possibility of patient-gantry collision detection for a range of treatment machines.
Robustness of discontinuous feedback in control under disturbance

It is well known that various control tasks ( optimization of cost functionals, stabilization and etc.) cannot be performed by using continuous feedbacks. But an application of discontinuous feedback immediately poses a question of its robustness with respect to external disturbances, actuator and measurement errors. We discuss a concept of discontinuous feedback for control systems under persistent disturbances which is robust with respect to all above mentioned disturbances and errors. These discontinuous feedbacks are robust not only with respect to errors and disturbances of small amplitude and infinite impulse but also with respect to actuator errors and external disturbances of infinite amplitude and small impulse.
Regional differences in neurotrophin availability regulate selective expression of VGF in the developing limbic cortex.

Gene and protein expression patterns in the cerebral cortex are complex and often change spatially and temporally through development. The signals that regulate these patterns are primarily unknown. In the present study, we focus on the regulation of VGF expression, which is limited to limbic cortical areas early in development but later expands into sensory and motor areas. We isolated neurons from embryonic day 17 rat cortex and demonstrate that the profile of VGF expression in perirhinal (expressing) and occipital (nonexpressing) populations in vitro is similar to that in the perinatal cortex in vivo. The addition of neutralizing neurotrophin antibodies indicates that endogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is necessary for the normal complement of VGF-expressing neurons in the perirhinal cortex, although endogenous neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) regulates the expression of VGF in a subpopulation of cells. ELISA analysis demonstrates that there is significantly more BDNF present in the perirhinal cortex compared with the occipital cortex in the perinatal period. However, the total amount of NT-3 is similar between the two regions and, moreover, there is considerably more NT-3 than BDNF in both areas, a finding seemingly in conflict with regional VGF expression. Quantification of the extracellular levels of neurotrophins in perirhinal and occipital cultures using ELISA in situ analysis indicates that perirhinal neurons release significantly more BDNF than the occipital population. Furthermore, the amount of NT-3 released by the perirhinal neurons is significantly less than the amount of BDNF. Local injection of BDNF in vivo into a normally negative VGF region results in robust ectopic expression of VGF. These data suggest that the local availability of specific neurotrophins for receptor occupation, rather than the total amount of neurotrophin, is a critical parameter in determining the selective expression ofVGF in the developing limbic cortex.
Temporal Reasoning for Automated Workflow in Health Care Enterprises

We have demonstrated through example clinical scenarios, and results with our temporal reasoner Tachyon that temporal reasoning can be a valuable tool for managing and improving the workflow of business processes, particularly in healthcare. We have also identified areas where Tachyon can be extended to provide even more support for automated workflow.
Thermophysical Properties of Fluids

This chapter on the thermophysical properties of fluids presents several of tables and figures. The information presented is in the System International des Unit's, called in English as the International System of Units and abbreviated as SI. Various tables of conversion factors from other unit systems into the SI system and vice versa are also available. Some tables presented in the chapter include tables on conversion factors, phase transition data for elements, phase transition data for compounds, thermodynamic properties of liquid and saturated vapor air ideal gas, thermophysical properties of air, and thermophysical properties U.S. standard atmosphere. The chapter also presents figures that are graphs. These include illustrations of the enthalpy-log pressure diagram for carbon dioxide, the enthalpy-log pressure diagram for mercury, and compressibility factor of refrigerant 134a, among others. Keywords: enthalpy-log pressure; international system of units; phase transition data; thermophysical properties
Vehicle Gap Analysis Program

The Future Combat System Operational Requirements Document requires that manned and unmanned ground vehicles be capable of negotiating gaps 1.5- to 4.0-meters wide. Gaps include both natural and manmade obstacles. Overcoming battlespace gaps requires the ability to effectively conduct four tasks: prediction, definition, avoidance, and defeat. The inability to overcome gaps within the theater of operations will significantly impair the Future Force's responsiveness, agility, and sustainability. Researchers at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), working in the field of vehicle mobility have developed methods to predict the physical interactions of vehicles with terrain mechanics. This physics-based simulation method uses research conducted at the ERDC to combine historical empirical laboratory and field evaluations with lumped parameter and numerical analysis to develop a simulated environment of the terrain. The terrain mechanics modeling is combined with a 2-dimensional vehicle dynamics model that predicts the traction required to maneuver through deformable terrains or gaps. The vehicle dynamics model is also designed to detect contact between the vehicle chassis and the terrain for vehicle and gap geometry analysis. The contact element is designed to provide both normal resistances during contact and act as a drag component representing the drag resistance between the vehicle chassis and the terrain. The combined terrain mechanics and vehicle dynamics models are called the Vehicle Gap Analysis Program (VGAP). This paper presents the application of the terrain mechanics research conducted in development of the VGAP and a verification of the VGAP.
The Over-Regulated City: A Perspective on Regulatory Procedures in the City of New York

This article summarizes the pilot studies of local regulation in the City of New York of a team of City University of New York students and faculty. It deals with three categories of regulation: permits and licenses, qualitative restrictions on buildings and land use, and price controls. Direct effects on revenue and revenue potential seem small, but the burdens of compliance and enforcement appear to be significant. While no striking evidence that regulation is responsible for the economic fortunes of New York is unearthed, it seems clear, in many cases, that regulation serves no significant purpose, and has stifled incentive and inhibited market-clearing at â€œcorrectâ€ prices. Further study, directed in particular to why private interests seem more successful in promoting their demands for regulation in New York than elsewhere, seems warranted.
Approximating the Effects of Installed Traffic Lights: A Behaviorist Approach Based on Travel Tracks

Decades of research have been directed towards improving the timing of existing traffic lights. In many parts of the world where this research has been conducted, detailed maps of the streets and the precise locations of the traffic lights are publicly available. Continued timing research has recently been further spurred by the increasing ubiquity of personal cell-phone based GPS systems. Through their use, an enormous amount of travel tracks have been amassed -- thus providing an easy source of real traffic data. Nonetheless, one fundamental piece of information remains absent that limits the quantification of the benefits of new approaches: the existing traffic light schedules and traffic light response behaviors. Unfortunately, deployed traffic light schedules are often not known. Rarely are they kept in a central database, and even when they are, they are often not easily obtainable. The alternative, manual inspection of a system of multiple traffic lights may be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for many experimenters. Without the existing light schedules, it is difficult to ascertain the real-improvements that new traffic light algorithms and approaches will have -- especially on traffic patterns that have not yet been encountered in the collected data. To alleviate this problem, we present an approach to estimating existing traffic light schedules based on collected GPS-travel tracks. We present numerous ways to test the results and comprehensively demonstrate them on both synthetic and real data. One of the many uses, beyond studying the effects of existing lights in previously unencountered traffic flow environments, is to serve as a realistic baseline for light timing and schedule optimization studies.
Age-Associated Decline in Effective Immune Synapse Formation of CD4+ T Cells Is Reversed by Vitamin E Supplementation

Aging is associated with reduced IL-2 production and T cell proliferation. Vitamin E supplementation, in aged animals and humans, increases cell division and IL-2 production by naive T cells. The immune synapse forms at the site of contact between a T cell and an APC and participates in T cell activation. We evaluated whether vitamin E affects the redistribution of signaling proteins to the immune synapse. Purified CD4(+) T cells, from the spleens of young and old mice, were treated with vitamin E before stimulation with a surrogate APC expressing anti-CD3. Using confocal fluorescent microscopy, we observed that CD4(+) T cells from old mice were significantly less likely to recruit signaling proteins to the immune synapse than cells from young mice. Vitamin E increased the percentage of old CD4(+) T cells capable of forming an effective immune synapse. Similar results were found following in vivo supplementation with vitamin E. When compared with memory cells, naive T cells from aged mice were more defective in immune synapse formation and were more responsive to vitamin E supplementation. These data show, for the first time, that vitamin E significantly improves age-related early T cell signaling events in naive CD4(+) T cells.
Dextrorotatory opioids induce stereotyped behavior in Sprague-Dawley and Dark Agouti rats

Dextromethorphan and dextrorphan elicited a stereotyped behavioral syndrome in rats indistinguishable from that produced by PCP and other non-competitive NMDA antagonists. The rank order of potency for the induction of stereotyped behavior in male Sprague-Dawley rats was: MK-801>PCP>(±)cyclazocine>dex-trorphan>(±)ketamine>dextromethorphan. These behavioral potencies were significantly correlated (0.91; P<0.05) with their respective affinities for high affinity [3H]dextrorphan-labelled NMDA receptors in rat forebrain membranes. To address the propensity of dextromethorphan to induce stereotyped behavior, dextrorotatory-opioid induced stereotypies were investigated in female Dark Agouti and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The female Dark Agouti lacks CYP2D1, the cytochrome P450 enzyme which catalyses the oxidative O-demethylation of dextromethorphan to dextrorphan. No differences were observed in either potency or time to peak effect for dextromethorphan to induce stereotyped behavior in the rat strains, suggesting that the affinity of dextromethorphan for NMDA receptors adequately accounts for its ability to induce stereotyped behavior. Female Dark Agouti rats were, however, more sensitive to the effects of dextrorphan, which may reflect differences in the ability of this strain to metabolize dextrorphan. We find no evidence to suggest that dextromethorphan produces a behavioral syndrome in rats that is distinct from that induced by dextrorphan. The commonality between the pharmacologic profiles of these compounds suggests that the abuse potential of dextromethorphan containing antitussive preparations is related to the non-competitive NMDA antagonist activity of dextromethorphan and its metabolites.
Absorbed doses from spiral CT and conventional spiral tomography: a phantom vs. cadaver study

For several radiological examinations, a clinician can select between conventional and spiral computed tomography. Using both techniques, this study aimed at evaluating the difference in absorbed doses when examining a single lateral jaw segment in a human cadaver head and Rando phantom. The present study involved the placement of thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips (GR-200) in the thyroid gland, and bilaterally, in the parotid and submandibular glands and the lenses of the eyes in both a human cadaver and a Rando phantom at corresponding locations. Consecutive conventional spiral tomographic examinations were carried out in both the left upper and lower premolar area, using a Cranex TOME multifunctional unit. Each examination consisted of 4 slices with a 2 mm slice thickness and exposure parameters of 57 kV, 56 seconds and 1.6-2.0 mA. Regarding spiral computed tomography (CT), a Somatom Plus S scanner (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany), with a slice thickness of 1 mm with settings at 120 kV and 165 mA, was used on both phantoms and separately in the upper and lower jaw. With conventional tomography, the findings of the present study showed that the parotid and submandibular glands on the side near the X-ray tube received the highest dose, both for the cadaver head (doses ranging from 0.5 to 1.3 mGy) and the phantom (doses ranging from 0.6 to 2.6 mGy). For CT of the upper jaw, the highest doses were delivered to the parotid glands with an average absorbed dose of 9.2 and 10.6 mGy for the cadaver head and phantom, respectively. The submandibular glands received the highest doses during CT examination of the lower jaw with an average of 7.8 and 12.9 mGy for the cadaver head and phantom, respectively. It appears from the present investigation that if small edentulous regions are examined, radiation doses during conventional tomography remain much lower than during CT imaging. However, when multiple tomographic cuts are required, a spiral CT examination can replace a series of conventional examinations, especially in cases such as the rehabilitation of an edentulous upper jaw or a more complex surgery.
Medical management after managed care

Health insurers are under conflicting pressures to improve the quality and moderate the costs of health care yet to refrain from interfering with decision making by physicians and patients. This paper examines the contemporary evolution of medical man- agement, drawing on examples from UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint Health Networks, and Active Health Management. It highlights the role of claims data, predictive modeling, notifi- cation requirements, and online enrollee self-assessments; the choice between focusing on behavior change among patients or among physicians; and the manner in which medi- cal management is packaged and priced to accommodate the diversity in willingness to pay for quality initiatives in health care.
Diet and gene expression in the intestine

Gene expression is central to the pathogenesis of many disorders. An ability to alter the expression of genes would, if their relationship to disease processes were fully understood, constitute a new modality of treatment. This review examines the evidence that nutritional factors can regulate genes in the gastrointestinal epithelium and it discusses the physiological relevance of such alterations in gene expression. Dietary regulation of the genes expressed by the epithelium confers three fundamental advantages for mammals. It enables the epithelium to adapt to the luminal environment to digest and absorb food better; it provides the means whereby mother's milk can influence the development of the gastrointestinal tract; when the proteins expressed by the epithelium act on the immune system, it constitutes a signalling mechanism from the intestinal lumen to the body's defences. Each of these mechanisms is amenable to manipulation for therapeutic purposes.
The nature of inviscid vortex breakdown

We show that vortex breakdown appears as a jump bifurcation due to structural instability of swirling flows when their solution locally fails to exist and the flow transits to another stable or metastable state. The flow pattern inside the steady separation zone and, consequently, the vortex breakdown features depend on the flow history. Therefore, we take into account the flow pattern inside the separation zone. The stagnation zone model (without velocity jump) excels the traditional analytic continuation method (leading to a recirculation zone) in that solutions always exist, and, for large enough inflow swirl, exhibit nonuniqueness and folds due to smooth variations of flow parameters, thus predicting the experimentally observed hysteretic jump transitions.
Nonstoichiometry as a source of magnetism in otherwise nonmagnetic oxides : magnetically interacting cation vacancies and their percolation

We discuss the physical conditions required for the creation of collective ferromagnetism in nonmagnetic oxides by intrinsic point defects such as vacancies. We use ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ as a case study because of recent pertinent calculations and observations. It was previously noted theoretically that charge-neutral Hf vacancies in ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ have partially occupied electronic levels within the band gap, and thus the vacancies carry a nonvanishing local magnetic moment. Such density functional supercell calculations have further shown that two such vacancies interact ferromagnetically if they are separated by up to third-neighbor distance. This suggested to the authors that Hf vacancies could explain the observed collective ferromagnetism in thin ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ films. Here we use our previously developed more complete methodology [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 107203 (2006)] to inquire if such vacancies can lead to collective ferromagnetism. Applying this methodology to ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$, we find the following: (i) Hf vacancies appear in a few possible charge states but not all of these have a local magnetic moment. (ii) We calculate the energy required to form such vacancies in ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ as a function of the chemical potential and Fermi energy, and from this we compute, as a function of growth temperature and oxygen pressure, the equilibrium concentration of those vacancies that have a nonvanishing local magnetic moment. We find that under the most favorable equilibrium growth conditions the concentration of Hf vacancies with magnetic moment at room temperature does not exceed $6.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{15}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ (fractional composition of ${x}_{\mathrm{eq}}=2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}%$). (iii) Independently, we calculate the minimum Hf vacancy concentration needed to achieve wall-to-wall percolation in the ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ lattice, given the range of the magnetic ${V}_{\mathrm{Hf}}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{V}_{\mathrm{Hf}}$ interaction (five neighbors) obtained from our supercell calculations. It turns out that the minimum percolation concentration ${x}_{\mathrm{perc}}=13.5%$ needed for collective ferromagnetism is eight orders of magnitude higher than the equilibrium vacancy concentration ${x}_{\mathrm{eq}}$ in ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ under the most favorable growth conditions. We conclude that equilibrium growth cannot lead to ferromagnetism and that ferromagnetism can be established only if one beats the equilibrium Hf vacancy concentration during growth by as much as eight orders of magnitude. This paper presents also an Appendix that gives the Monte Carlo--calculated percolation thresholds of various lattices as a function of the percolation radius of the interaction.
Absence of complete finite-Larmor-radius stabilization in extended MHD.

The dominant finite-Larmour-radius (FLR) stabilization effects on interchange instability can be retained by taking into account the ion gyroviscosity or the generalized Ohm's law in an extended MHD model. However, recent simulations and theoretical calculations indicate that complete FLR stabilization of the interchange mode may not be attainable by ion gyroviscosity or the two-fluid effect alone in the framework of extended MHD. For a class of plasma equilibria in certain finite-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ or nonisentropic regimes, the critical wave number for complete FLR stabilization tends toward infinity.