cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear probes and intraoperative gamma cameras.

Gamma probes are now an important, well-established technology in the management of cancer, particularly in the detection of sentinel lymph nodes. Intraoperative sentinel lymph node as well as tumor detection may be improved under some circumstances by the use of beta (negatron or positron), rather than gamma detection, because the very short range (∼1 mm or less) of such particulate radiations eliminates the contribution of confounding counts from activity other than in the immediate vicinity of the detector. This has led to the development of intraoperative beta probes. Gamma camera imaging also benefits from short source-to-detector distances and minimal overlying tissue, and intraoperative small field-of-view gamma cameras have therefore been developed as well. Radiation detectors for intraoperative probes can generally be characterized as either scintillation or ionization detectors. Scintillators used in scintillation-detector probes include thallium-doped sodium iodide, thallium- and sodium-doped cesium iodide, and cerium-doped lutecium orthooxysilicate. Alternatives to inorganic scintillators are plastic scintillators, solutions of organic scintillation compounds dissolved in an organic solvent that is subsequently polymerized to form a solid. Their combined high counting efficiency for beta particles and low counting efficiency for 511-keV annihilation γ-rays make plastic scintillators well-suited as intraoperative beta probes in general and positron probes in particular Semiconductors used in ionization-detector probes include cadmium telluride, cadmium zinc telluride, and mercuric iodide. Clinical studies directly comparing scintillation and semiconductor intraoperative probes have not provided a clear choice between scintillation and ionization detector-based probes. The earliest small field-of-view intraoperative gamma camera systems were hand-held devices having fields of view of only 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter that used conventional thallium-doped sodium iodide or sodium-doped cesium iodide scintillation detectors. Later units used 2-dimensional arrays (mosaics) of scintillation crystals connected to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube and, more recently, semiconductors such as cadmium telluride or cadmium zinc telluride. The main problems with the early units were their very small fields of view and the resulting large number of images required to interrogate the surgical field and the difficulty in holding the device sufficiently still for the duration (up to 1 min) of the image acquisition. More recently, larger field-of-view (up to 5 × 5 cm) devices have developed which are attached to an articulating arm for easy and stable positioning. These systems are nonetheless fully portable and small enough overall to be accommodated in typical surgical suites.
Protection against intense light. II. The role of the gaseous decomposition products

Screening studies have shown that of a series of halogenated vinyl polymers, poly(vinylidine fluoride) gives comparatively good thermal protection when exposed to the intense light energy of the carbon are-image furnace. Results indicate that this protection is undoubtedly provided by polyenes, (CHCF)n, formed during pyrolysis. Decomposition products containing these structures are expelled by the gases formed into the region between the light source and the target where they intercept photons from about 200 to 500 mμ and dissipate the energy to the air as heat and/or reradiate it. Instrumental evidence for polyene formation is given. The concept of polyene formation clarifies the relative thermal protection offered by a series of vinyl polymers.
Behaviour and swimming performance of elvers of the American eel, Anguitta rostrata, in an experimental flume

Migrating elvers of the American eel, Anguilla rosirata, were examined in an experimental flume to determine the effect of water speed and presence of substrate on swimming performance. Use of the substrate as a resting area between movements increased with increasing water speed. The number of elvers moving in the boundary layer above the substrate was significantly greater than those moving in the water column. Swimming speed in the water column and along the substrate increased with water speed. Rate of progress over ground in the water column and boundary layer increased slightly with water speed initially, but subsequently declined in the boundary layer. Overall, swimming speed increased linearly with increasing water speed and net upstream progress remained constant with increasing water speed. Use of the boundary layer probably was restricted by the thickness of the layer as a function of water speed. The boundary layer should be used to maximize distance and minimize energy expense when migrating upstream. Elvers appear to use substrate to avoid free stream velocities and not as a medium for movement. Fifty per cent of all elvers tested in a chamber without substrate, which had no resting places, were unable to swim; thus migrations may be limited by the need to rest. The potential migration rate was estimated to approach 100m per day, based on movements in the substrate chamber.
On the application of load relaxation in characterizing superplastic Al-Li 8090

High strain rate sensitivity is one of the main features of superplastic deformation which accounts for elongation to large strains ({var_epsilon} {ge} 1.5). Strain-rate sensitivity is typically calculated as the slope of the log {sigma} versus log {dot {var_epsilon}} curve where {sigma} is the steady state flow stress and {dot {epsilon}} is the inelastic strain-rate. A variety of mechanical testing methods are used to evaluate strain-rate change test, and load relaxation tests. In this paper, the use of the load relaxation experiment to obtain the stress/strain rate behavior of an Al-Li 8090 superplastic material is investigated and compared to the strain-rate change tests. The strain rate change tests are found to be highly influenced by prior loading conditions and only valid for incrementally increasing tensile loads. Relaxation tests are found to be very effective for all ranges of strain rates. These tests can also be influenced by transient effects which are primarily due to anelasticity. Such transients can be avoided if the specimen is loaded to fully loaded (steady state) region prior to relaxation.
An Integrated Simulation Environment for Parallel and Distributed System Prototying

The process of designing parallel and distributed computer systems requires predicting performance in response to given workloads. The scope and inter action of applications, operating systems, communi cation networks, processors, and other hardware and software lead to substantial system complexity. De velopment of virtual prototypes in lieu of physical prototypes can result in tremendous savings, espe cially when created in concert with a powerful model development tool. When high-fidelity models of par allel architectures are coupled with workloads gener ated from real parallel application code in an execu tion-driven simulation, the result is a potent design and analysis tool for parallel hardware and software alike. This paper introduces the concepts, mechanisms, and results of an Integrated Simulation Environment (ISE) that makes possible the rapid virtual prototyping and profiling of legacy and prototype parallel process ing algorithms, architectures, and systems using a networked cluster of workst...
Unsteady droplet combustion with droplet heating—II: Conduction limit

Abstract The spherically-symmetric, thin-flame combustion of a pure component droplet is analyzed by assuming quasi-steady gas-phase processes and conduction being the only heat transfer mechanism within the droplet. Exact numerical, and an approximate analytical, solutions are presented. Results show that droplet heating is the dominant heat utilization mode for the initial 10–20% of the droplet lifetime, during which rapid changes in all combustion characteristics occur; that although unsteadiness within the droplet can prevail until burnout, the droplet surface regresses almost linearly after about 20% of its lifetime; and that accurate predictions on the droplet size, mass, and lifetime can be obtained regardless of how internal heat transfer is modelled.
Equilibrium transport in double-diffusive convection

A theoretical model for the equilibrium double-diffusive transport is presented which emphasizes the role of secondary instabilities of salt fingers in saturation of their linear growth. Theory assumes that the fully developed equilibrium state is characterized by the comparable growth rates of primary and secondary instabilities. This assumption makes it possible to formulate an efficient algorithm for computing diffusivities of heat and salt as a function of the background property gradients and molecular parameters. The model predicts that the double-diffusive transport of heat and salt rapidly intensifies with decreasing density ratio. Fluxes are less sensitive to molecular characteristics, mildly increasing with Prandtl number and decreasing with diffusivity ratio . Theory is successfully tested by a series of direct numerical simulations which span a wide range of and .
Health and development among Mexican, black and white preschool children: An integrative approach using latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND Building on an emerging scientific consensus that the concept of child health should encompass chronic conditions, functional abilities, and developmental domains, we delineate the multidimensional health statuses of Mexican, non-Hispanic black, and non-Hispanic white preschool children in the United States. This integrative approach provides the foundation for an in-depth analysis of health disparities. OBJECTIVE The research objectives are: (1) to demonstrate a new methodological approach to identifying the major child health statuses; (2) to document differences in the prevalence of those health statuses among children in the largest ethnoracial groups in the U.S.; and (3) to assess whether key sources of disadvantage account for ethnoracial disparities in children's health. METHODS With data from a nationally representative sample, we use latent class analysis to estimate a set of latent health statuses that capture the nature of health at age four. The latent class membership of children is predicted using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS Mexican and non-Hispanic black children are more likely than non-Hispanic white children to fall into health statuses distinguished by low cognitive achievement and multiple developmental problems. Mexican children are the most likely to be classified into these problematic health statuses. This pattern persists in multivariate models that incorporate potential explanatory factors, including health at birth, socio-demographic characteristics, home environment, well-child care and center-based child care. CONCLUSIONS Latent class analysis is a useful method for incorporating measures of physical conditions, functional problems, and development into a single analysis in order to identify key dimensions of childhood health and locate ethnoracial health disparities.
Power invariant secure IC design methodology using reduced complementary dynamic and differential logic

Security of cryptographic devices (secure ICs) like smart cards has come under threat from powerful side channel attacks like Differential Power Analysis (DPA). DPA uses power consumption information leaked from the secure IC in conjunction with statistical correlation techniques to retrieve the secret key stored in the secure IC. The most effective countermeasure to resist DPA attacks is to make the power consumption of the secure IC invariant, hence uncorrelated to the input data (secret key). In hardware implementations, this can be achieved by designing the secure IC using Dynamic and Differential Logic (DDL) style. In this paper, we present a novel methodology to design DPA-resistant power invariant secure ICs using Reduced Complementary Dynamic and Differential Logic (RCDDL). The proposed methodology involves strategies to design: 1) RCDDL gates, and 2) secure circuits using RCDDL gates. Experiments show significant improvements in security strength, average power consumption and area, when compared with a similar secure DDL and non-secure static-CMOS logic design styles.
Factors affecting visitor evaluations of aircraft overflights of wilderness areas

The effect of visitor characteristics (recreation motives, past experience, attitudes, and tolerance toward encountering aircraft overflights) and dose (number, proximity, type, and estimated noise levels of overflights) on visitor evaluations of aircraft overflights in wilderness areas was examined. Using an off‐site mail‐back survey, we sampled 439 visitors to four wilderness areas in Wyoming. Results show that (1) more than one‐third of visitors were “not at all” annoyed by overflights; (2) overflights had a greater effect on visitor solitude and tranquility than on annoyance; (3) visitor evaluations of overflights appear to be multidimensional, consisting of dimensions related to annoyance, solitude, and tranquility; and (4) both visitor characteristics (especially, attitudes and recreation motives) and dose measures (in particular, estimates of audibility) were strongly related to evaluations. Findings suggest future wilderness overflight studies should employ a multidimensional evaluative measure of...
Efficient Generation of Astrocytes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in Defined Conditions

Astrocytes can be generated from various tissue sources including human pluripotent stem cells (PSC). In this manuscript, we describe a chemically defined xeno-free medium culture system for rapidly generating astrocytes from neural stem cells derived from PSC. We show that astrocyte development in vitro, mimics normal development in vivo, and also passes through a CD44(+) astrocyte precursor stage. Astrocytes generated by our method display similar gene expression patterns, morphological characteristics and functional properties to primary astrocytes, and they survive and integrate after xenotransplantation. Whole genome expression profiling of astrocyte differentiation was performed at several time points of differentiation, and the results indicate the importance of known regulators and identify potential novel regulators and stage-specific lineage markers.
Wall Outlet Height Recommendations: Contrasting Ambulatory and Wheelchair Users’ Data:

Design choices made for built environments, such as wall outlet height, should address human factors and ergonomic considerations to provide a comfortable and convenient environment for everyone, regardless of their capabilities. Previous research, focuing on ambulatory individuals (only one participant was a wheel chair user), indicated that the majority of participants benefited from raising the wall outlet height. Similarly, this paper addresses the intersection of ergonomics and the built environment by exploring one aspect of the built environment (wall outlet height) on the user extending the sample user population from ambulatory individuals (n=34) in the previous investigation to include wheelchair users (n=25). This study aims to provide guidance on how to improve the interpretation of existing building codes for the built environment regarding wall outlet height. The results showed that for ambulatory individuals, wall outlet heights located between 91 cm - 101 cm are recommended. For wheelchair...
Automated diagnostic methodology for the IBM 3081 processor complex

The concepts of automated diagnostics that were developed for and that are implemented in the IBM 3081 Processor Complex are presented in this paper. Significant features of the 3081 diagnostics methodology are the capability to isolate intermittent as well as solid hardware failures, and the automatic isolation of a failure to the failing field-replaceable unit (FRU) in a high percentage of the cases. These features, which permit a considerable reduction in the time to repair a failure as compared to previous systems, are achieved by designing a machine which has a very high level of error-detection capability as well as special functions to facilitate fault isolation using Level-Sensitive Scan Design (USD), and which includes a Processor Controller to implement diagnostic microprograms. Intermittent failures are isolated by analyzing data captured at the detection of the error, and the analysis is concurrent with customer operations if the error is recoverable. A further improvement in the degree of isolation is achieved for solid failures by using automatically generated validation tests which detect and isolate stuck faults in the logic. The diagnostic package was designed to meet a specified value of isolation effectiveness, stated as the average number of FRUs replaced per failure. The technique used to estimate the isolation effectiveness of the diagnostic package and to evaluate proposals for improving isolation is described. Testing of the diagnostic package by hardware bugging indicates very good correlation between projected and measured effectiveness.
Addition and multiplication of sets

MSC (2000) 03E10, 03E20 Ordinal addition and multiplication can be extended in a natural way to all sets. I survey the structure of the sets under these operations. In particular, the natural partial ordering associated with addition of sets is shown to be a tree. This allows us to prove that any set has a unique representation as a sum of additively irreducible sets, and that the non-empty elements of any model of set theory can be partitioned into infinitely many submodels, each isomorphic to the original model. Also any model of set theory has an isomorphic extension in which the empty set of the original model is non-empty. Among other results, the relations between the arithmetical operations and the transitive closure and the adductive hierarchy are elucidated.
Comparison of Nebivolol Monotherapy Versus Nebivolol in Combination With Other Antihypertensive Therapies for the Treatment of Hypertension

Nebivolol is a novel, β 1 -adrenergic receptor blocker with vasodilatory properties mediated through the activation of the l -arginine/nitric oxide pathway. Short-term randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that nebivolol has antihypertensive efficacy benefits comparable to other β blockers but with a favorable safety and tolerability profile. The long-term safety and efficacy results of oral nebivolol (5, 10, or 20 mg) 1 time/day, as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive agents, were assessed in a double-blind, multicenter, 9-month extension study of 3 phase III, double-blind, 3-month trials in patients with stage I to II hypertension (mean sitting diastolic blood pressures [BPs] ≥95 and ≤109 mm Hg). Patients were eligible for entry if they had completed 1 of 3 feeder trials of nebivolol monotherapy (1.25 to 40 mg) 1 time/day. Dose titration and use of additional antihypertensive agents were used to achieve a diastolic BP goal of
Cynical Hostility, Depressive Symptoms, and the Expression of Inflammatory Risk Markers for Coronary Heart Disease

Although the prognostic significance of depression and hostility has been established, little is known about how they operate together to influence disease processes. This study explored the independent and interactive relationships between these constructs and the expression of inflammatory markers implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. One hundred adults completed measures of cynical hostility and depressive symptoms, and had blood drawn to assess serum levels of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Depression was directly related to inflammatory markers, but hostility was not. A significant interaction between hostility and depression emerged. Among participants scoring low in depressive symptoms, hostility was positively associated with interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations. Hostility's association with these inflammatory markers was much weaker among participants with moderate depressive symptoms, however, and virtually nil among participants with severe depressive symptoms. Neither depression nor hostility was associated with interleukin-1 beta concentrations. These findings highlight the importance of considering both the independent and interactive relationships among psychosocial characteristics involved in disease.
“WE DIDN'T CROSS THE COLOR LINE, THE COLOR LINE CROSSED US”: Blackness and Immigration in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and the United States

We examine the interlinked migrations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, between the Dominican Republic and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, finally, migrations from these three countries to the United States. The literature tends to draw stark differences between race and racism in the United States and the nonracial societies of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. However, although Blackness is a contextual category, through analyzing how “Black” migrants are racialized using these three contexts, we find that there is a simultaneously global and local derogation of “Blackness” that places Black migrants at the bottom of socioeconomic hierarchies. Further, these migrants remain largely outside of conceptions of the nation, and thus Blackness is constructed as a blend of racial phenotype and national origin, whereby native “Blacks” attempt to opt out of Blackness on account of their national identity. This dynamic is particularly true in the Caribbean where Blanqueamiento, or Whitening, is made possible through a dialectical process in which a person’s Whiteness, or at least his or her non-Blackness, is made possible by contrast to an “Other.” Consequently, we argue that immigration becomes a key site for national processes of racialization, the construction of racial identities, and the maintenance of and contestation over racial boundaries.
Lecture is not a Dirty Word, How to Use Active Lecture to Increase Student Engagement

Lecture is a much maligned classroom method of instruction. Like any other technique employed by educators, there are both effective and ineffective ways to deliver content through a lecture format. Respecting that the college learner has changed, active lecturing strategies maximize student learning of course content, engaging both modern learners and teachers at higher levels. The active lecture strategies presented are grounded in Chickering and Gamson’s seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education and provide a balanced approach to providing content and opportunities to connect to the content that help students not only master the material presented in class, but also the out-of-class material students access in their readings and experiences.
An essential role for c-FLIP in the efficient development of mature T lymphocytes

Apoptosis-related genes play important roles in thymocyte maturation. We show that cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), a procaspase-8–like apoptotic regulator, plays an essential role in the efficient development of mature T lymphocytes. Mice conditionally lacking c-FLIP in T lymphocytes display severe defects in the development of mature T cells, as indicated by a dramatically reduced number of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the spleen and lymph nodes of mutant mice. The impaired T lymphocyte maturation in c-FLIP conditional knockout mice occurs at the single-positive thymocyte stage and may be caused by enhanced apoptosis in vivo. Moreover, although c-FLIP has been implicated in T cell receptor signaling through nuclear factor (NF)- κ B and Erk pathways, activation of NF- κ B and Erk in c-FLIP–deficient thymocytes appears largely intact. Collectively, our data suggest that the primary role of c-FLIP in thymocyte maturation is to protect cells from apoptosis.
Cold temperature tolerance and distribution of the brown recluse spider Loxosceles reclusa (Araneae, Sicariidae) in Illinois

Abstract Although the temperatures at which the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is active have been described, no work has been done on lethal thermal limits that may influence the distribution of this medically important species. We tested the cold tolerance of L. reclusa at temperatures ranging from 3° C to −14° C. First, we tested spiders over brief 4-h exposures to a test temperature. Second, we tested spider tolerance to long-term, 30-da exposures to constant, low temperatures to simulate overwintering conditions. We also recorded temperatures beneath the plant litter layer and compared these to ambient surface air temperatures to estimate the effect of litter insulation. We then used the regression of ambient temperature to litter temperature to predict isotherms of litter retreats in Illinois during January, the month of lowest mean winter temperatures. Using the cold temperature lethal limits we found in the lab, we predicted a theoretical distribution of L. reclusa based solely on tempe...
Regulatory decision-making meets the real world

As patient input in drug development increases and new data sources are tapped, regulators need to organize and ensure the quality of data to inform decision-making.
Forward jet production in deep inelastic ep scattering and low-x parton dynamics at HERA

Abstract Differential inclusive jet cross sections in neutral current deep inelastic ep scattering have been measured with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 38.7 pb −1 . The jets have been identified using the k T cluster algorithm in the longitudinally invariant inclusive mode in the laboratory frame; they have been selected with jet transverse energy, E T jet above 6 GeV and jet pseudorapidity, η jet , between −1 and 3. Measurements of cross sections as functions of E T jet , Bjorken x and the photon virtuality, Q 2 , are presented. Three phase-space regions have been selected in order to study parton dynamics from the most global to the most restrictive region of forward-going (close to the proton-beam direction) jets at low x , where the effects of BFKL evolution might be present. The measurements have been compared to the predictions of leading-logarithm parton-shower Monte Carlo models and fixed-order perturbative QCD calculations. In the forward region, O ( α s 1 ) QCD calculations underestimate the data up to an order of magnitude at low x . An improved description of the data in this region is obtained by including O ( α s 2 ) QCD corrections, which account for the lowest-order t ˆ -channel gluon-exchange diagrams, highlighting the importance of such terms in the parton dynamics at low x .
Femtosecond and Attosecond Giant Optical Responses and Fluctuations in Disordered Clusters, Nanocomposites, and Rough Surfaces

We predict that excitation of the disordered nanostructured systems with ultrashort pulses causes transient concentration of excitation energy in nanometer size spatial regions on the time scale of femtoseconds. Concurrently, giant attosecond fluctuations of local fields occur within the optical period. We discuss manifestations of these effects and possible experiments.
Russian Economy in September 2012: Preliminary Data and Major Trends - The Political Background: Pensions in the Cross-Hairs

The beginning of the autumn was marked by an onset of fundamental conflicts in the ranks of the new Russian government and by some fresh signs of political reaction fomented in the State Duma by United Russia deputies. President Putin publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the federal budget’s draft for its failure to secure the achievement of the targets set by the President’s executive orders, and also with the government’s delay in producing a properly coordinated plan of pension reform.
Twenty-Two Years of Combined GPS Products for Geophysical Applications and a Decade of Seismogeodesy

Continuous GPS monitoring on global and regional scales has become an essential component of geophysical and meteorological infrastructure for studying fundamental Earth processes that drive natural hazards, weather, and climate. The NASA-funded “Solid Earth Science ESDR System (SESES)” project provides long-term Earth Science Data Records (ESDRs), the result of a combined solution of independent GPS analyses by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography using a common source of metadata archived at the Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Center. The project has now produced up to twenty-two years of consistent, calibrated and validated ESDR products for over 3,200 GPS stations in western North America, other plate boundaries, and global networks. We describe the methodology to estimate a single set of time series with 24-h resolution of station displacements in north, east and vertical components. This is followed by a time series analysis for velocities, coseismic offsets, postseismic deformation, seasonal signals and nuisance offsets, primarily due to GPS antenna changes. Realistic one-sigma velocity are on the order of 0.03–0.05 mm/year in horizontal components and 0.1–0.3 mm/year in the vertical based on time series of 10–20 year duration. We present examples of time series that are well modeled by this parameterization and of time series that exhibit residual transient motions exhibiting episodic tremor and slip (ETS) processes. The project also catalogs seismic displacement and velocity waveforms estimated for a set of historical earthquakes in Japan and the U.S. through a seismogeodetic combination of GPS and collocated strong-motion accelerometers.
A Novel Vaccine Approach for Chagas Disease Using Rare Adenovirus Serotype 48 Vectors

Due to the increasing amount of people afflicted worldwide with Chagas disease and an increasing prevalence in the United States, there is a greater need to develop a safe and effective vaccine for this neglected disease. Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) is the most common adenovirus vector used for gene therapy and vaccine approaches, but its efficacy is limited by preexisting vector immunity in humans resulting from natural infections. Therefore, we have employed rare serotype adenovirus 48 (Ad48) as an alternative choice for adenovirus/Chagas vaccine therapy. In this study, we modified Ad5 and Ad48 vectors to contain T. cruzi's amastigote surface protein 2 (ASP-2) in the adenoviral early gene. We also modified Ad5 and Ad48 vectors to utilize the "Antigen Capsid-Incorporation" strategy by adding T. cruzi epitopes to protein IX (pIX). Mice that were immunized with the modified vectors were able to elicit T. cruzi-specific humoral and cellular responses. This study indicates that Ad48-modified vectors function comparable to or even premium to Ad5-modified vectors. This study provides novel data demonstrating that Ad48 can be used as a potential adenovirus vaccine vector against Chagas disease.
Sleep Disturbance, Psychiatric, and Cognitive Functioning in Veterans with Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Sleep Disturbance, Psychiatric, and Cognitive Functioning in Veterans with Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury Objective: For many Veterans, traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in persistent post-concussive symptoms, of which sleep disturbances are among the most common. S disturbances have been shown to increase risk and/or exacerbate psychiatric and physical health problems in many different populations. However, few studies have examined the relationships among sleep, psychiatric, and cognitive functioning in Veterans with TBI. Methods: Retrospective chart reviews of 137 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans with a history of mild to moderate TBI referred for cognitive rehabilitation at the Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. Results: 100% of Veterans reported clinically significant sleep disturbance (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory [PSQI] global scores >5). Veterans also reported clinically relevant impairments in sleep latency (50 minutes), total sleep time (5.5 hours), and sleep efficiency (77%). More severe sleep problems were related to greater endorsement of depressive, post-concussive, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Conversely, sleep disturbance showed limited associations with objective neuropsychological assessment. Overall measures of affective functioning were significantly associated with global measures of sleep quality, though such relationships were not observed for quantitative measures of sleep. Conclusions: Veterans with mild to moderate TBI exhibit very high rates of sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance is associated with higher levels of comorbid psychiatric symptomatology, particularly affective complaints. The high prevalence of sleep problems in Veterans with a history of TBI underscores a need to develop both a better understanding of etiologic mechanisms relating brain injury and sleep and a better clinical appreciation of the ramifications of sleep disturbance on daily functioning and recovery in individuals who experience TBI.
The Influence of Humane Slaughter on the Tenderness of Turkey Meat

Abstract THE enactment of the Humane Slaughter Law of 1958 focused attention on procedures used in meat processing plants to dispatch animals. Five methods for slaughter of livestock have been approved as humane by the U.S.D.A. These methods are electrical stunning, carbon dioxide immobilization, mechanical bolt stunning, gunshot, and ritual slaughtering methods. To date the law does not include poultry. Drewniak et al. (1955) observed that a concentration of 73–77% carbon dioxide was best for quick immobilization of turkeys without killing them. Sex and variety had an effect on the time required for immobilization. Rose (1939) observed that 400 milliamperes did not kill poultry; however, 150 milliamperes for 10 seconds were sufficient to produce unconsciousness. Wise (1960) reported chickens receiving nembutal immobilization required a longer period of time to tenderize than did the controls. The purpose of this research was to ascertain any changes in the development of tenderness of…
The utilization of video-conference shared medical appointments in rural diabetes care

Abstract Aim To explore whether Video-Shared Medical Appointments (video-SMA), where group education and medication titration were provided remotely through video-conferencing technology would improve diabetes outcomes in remote rural settings. Methods We conducted a pilot where a team of a clinical pharmacist and a nurse practitioner from Honolulu VA hospital remotely delivered video-SMA in diabetes to Guam. Patients with diabetes and HbA1c ≥7% were enrolled into the study during 2013–2014. Six groups of 4–6 subjects attended 4 weekly sessions, followed by 2 bi-monthly booster video-SMA sessions for 5 months. Patients with HbA1c ≥7% that had primary care visits during the study period but not referred/recruited for video-SMA were selected as usual-care comparators. We compared changes from baseline in HbA1c, blood-pressure, and lipid levels using mixed-effect modeling between video-SMA and usual care groups. We also analyzed emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Focus groups were conducted to understand patient's perceptions. Results Thirty-one patients received video-SMA and charts of 69 subjects were abstracted as usual-care. After 5 months, there was a significant decline in HbA1c in video-SMA vs. usual-care (9.1±1.9 to 8.3±1.8 vs. 8.6±1.4 to 8.7±1.6, P =0.03). No significant change in blood-pressure or lipid levels was found between the groups. Patients in the video-SMA group had significantly lower rates of ED visits (3.2% vs. 17.4%, P =0.01) than usual-care but similar hospitalization rates. Focus groups suggested patient satisfaction with video-SMA and increase in self-efficacy in diabetes self-care. Conclusion Video-SMA is feasible, well-perceived and has the potential to improve diabetes outcomes in a rural setting.
Cl- secretion by cultured shark rectal gland cells. I. Transepithelial transport.

To facilitate analysis of the regulation of epithelial Cl- transport by hormones, neurotransmitters, and autocrine mediators, we have developed a primary monolayer culture system for shark rectal g...
Is the Motion of a Child Perceivably Different from the Motion of an Adult

Artists and animators have observed that children’s movements are quite different from adults performing the same action. Previous computer graphics research on human motion has primarily focused on adult motion. There are open questions as to how different child motion actually is, and whether the differences will actually impact animation and interaction. We report the first explicit study of the perception of child motion (ages 5 to 9 years old), compared to analogous adult motion. We used markerless motion capture to collect an exploratory corpus of child and adult motion, and conducted a perceptual study with point light displays to discover whether naive viewers could identify a motion as belonging to a child or an adult. We find that people are generally successful at this task. This work has implications for creating more engaging and realistic avatars for games, online social media, and animated videos and movies.
Mechanistic Consideration of pH Effect on the Enrichment of Semiconducting SWCNTs by Conjugated Polymer Extraction

Enrichment schemes providing high-purity semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) will enable their implementation into high end and printed electronics. Conjugated polymer extraction (CPE) has been shown to be a very effective and scalable method to isolate sc-SWCNTs with purities >99.9%. However, this method is often plagued with variability, and the mechanism is not thoroughly understood. Herein, we probe the origins of selectivity in polyfluorene-assisted enrichment using poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorene) (PFDD) and find that the affinity of the wrapping polymer to bind metallic (m-) and semiconducting SWCNTs is similar and may not contribute to the selectivity, but rather that oxygen-driven p-doping of the nanotubes and its dependence on the surface acidity may play a vital role for the selective dispersion of sc-SWCNT. The latter hypothesis is tested by titration experiments in which sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is used to neutralize the SWCNT surface, thus mitigating oxygen p-doping of SWC...
Trends in Personal Belief Exemption Rates Among Alternative Private Schools: Waldorf, Montessori, and Holistic Kindergartens in California, 2000-2014.

Objectives. To evaluate trends in rates of personal belief exemptions (PBEs) to immunization requirements for private kindergartens in California that practice alternative educational methods.Methods. We used California Department of Public Health data on kindergarten PBE rates from 2000 to 2014 to compare annual average increases in PBE rates between schools.Results. Alternative schools had an average PBE rate of 8.7%, compared with 2.1% among public schools. Waldorf schools had the highest average PBE rate of 45.1%, which was 19 times higher than in public schools (incidence rate ratio = 19.1; 95% confidence interval = 16.4, 22.2). Montessori and holistic schools had the highest average annual increases in PBE rates, slightly higher than Waldorf schools (Montessori: 8.8%; holistic: 7.1%; Waldorf: 3.6%).Conclusions. Waldorf schools had exceptionally high average PBE rates, and Montessori and holistic schools had higher annual increases in PBE rates. Children in these schools may be at higher risk for spr...
Comparative Analysis of Intranodal Lymphangiography with Percutaneous Intervention for Postsurgical Chylous Effusions

Abstract Purpose To evaluate clinical success and time to resolution of intranodal lymphangiography (INL) alone or with thoracic duct embolization (TDE) or thoracic duct disruption (TDD) based on initial effusion volume for postsurgical chylothorax. Materials and Methods Retrospective review was performed of 57 patients (mean age 63 y; 65% male) undergoing INL alone or in conjunction with other percutaneous techniques for postsurgical chylous effusions. INL alone was performed when chylothorax output was ≤ 500 mL/d and no leak was identified during fluoroscopy. Results INL was technically successful in all patients. There was 1 major and 2 minor complications. Clinical success rate was 71% (40/56). Clinical success rate meeting algorithmic inclusion criteria was 71.4% (5/7) for INL only, 41.7% (5/12) in INL with TDD, and 90.5% (19/21) in INL with TDE. Hazard ratio (HR) of clinical success of INL with TDE versus INL only was not statistically significant (HR 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70–5.87, P = .19). Median time to resolution was 14 days for INL only (95% CI, 0 days to not reached), 7 days for INL with TDD (95% CI, 4 days to not reached), and 3 days for INL with TDE (95% CI, 2 to 5 days) ( P = .007). No statistically significant difference in median time to resolution existed between INL with TDE and INL only ( P = .04). Conclusion In patients with postsurgical chylothorax, INL alone had similar rates of clinical success and time to resolution compared with INL with TDE when initial effusion volume was ≤ 500 mL/d and no leak was visualized during fluoroscopy.
Synthesis and Characterization of a Water Soluble PPV Derivative

A water soluble poly (p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) precursor polymer was prepared in eight steps from p-methoxyphenol. The precursor polymer was of very high molecular weight (ca. 106 Daltons) and was converted to the conjugated polymer both in solution and in the solid state. The latter method produces a crosslinked material which is insoluble in all common solvents and water. The former method affords a water soluble PPV. Some physical and chemical properties such as in situ spectroscopy and conductivity measurements are presented.
Structure Sensitivity of Acrolein Hydrogenation by Platinum Nanoparticles on BaxSr1-xTiO3 Nanocuboids

The structure sensitivity of Pt nanoparticles (PtN) for gas-phase acrolein (AC) hydrogenation was probed for PtN on BaxSr1-xTiO3 nanocuboid supports with (001) facets in a combined theoretical and experimental study. In situ selectivity for allyl alcohol increased with Sr concentration in the support, corresponding to modifications in the stable Winterbottom shape and lattice strain of the Pt nanoparticles as a result of the interfacial energy between Pt and the BaxSr1-xTiO3 supports. "Local model" nanofacets of Pt surface, edge, and corner morphologies were developed as compact representations of adsorption and reaction sites. Density functional theory (DFT) was used as the primary modeling tool of equilibrium adsorption states. We argue that adsorption on edge sites is critically important for the overall allyl alcohol selectivity of PtN catalysts. A simple model was developed to represent PtN strain effects due to its interaction with the substrate. Bader topological atom, spherical volume averaging charge, and modified bond valence sum (BVS) analyses were used to understand bonding structure. Density of states analysis was performed for structures of PtN, adsorbed AC, and intermediate products to examine adsorbate-particle interactions. The simulated hydrogenation of AC on PtN nanofacets was compared to the in situ hydrogenation of AC by PtN on BaxSr1-xTiO3 to examine the effects of facet, edge and corner sites on the overall selectivity.
Plant defense-related enzymes against pathogens: a review

Plant disease control is mainly based on the use of fungicides, bactericides, and insecticides-chemical compounds toxic to plant invaders, causative agents, or vectors of plant diseases. However, the detrimental effect of these chemicals or their degradation products on the environment and human health strongly imposes the search for novel, harmless means of disease control. Therefore, it is essential to introduce environmentally-friendly alternative measures for management of plant diseases. Induced plant resistance is one of the promising non-chemical strategies for the effective management of diseases. The host plant mediated resistance is governed by defense response genes encoding for production of various pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. This review chiefly explains the biochemical response of plant defense mechanism pertaining to defense-related enzymes which have been identified as PR proteins.
Methane and carbon monoxide emissions associated with aliso canyon ground storage blowout

Satellite sensors are now capable of monitoring various total atmospheric gas concentrations and meteorological parameters at different pressure levels. These sensors provide information at spatial and temporal resolutions, which can be used to alert people about possible exposure to hazardous gases, if the concentrations of these gases are found to exceed normal concentrations. Aliso Canyon is a ground storage facility located in California, where there was blow out of a well and intense gas release in the atmosphere that was first detected on 23 October 2015. In this paper, we have used satellite data to monitor methane (CH 4 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) along with other relevant meteorological parameters. Our results show enhancement of CO and CH4 concentrations around Aliso Canyon associated with the gas leaks with the blow out.
Myxedema Coma: A Form of Decompensated Hypothyroidism

This article describes the major pathophysiologic alterations that occur in patients with long-standing hypothyroidism and how these alterations may predispose them to the development of a decompensated state, commonly referred to as myxedema coma. Early recognition and the employment of appropriate interventions serve as the cornerstone for successful management of this condition. The use and limitations of thyroid hormone therapy for treatment of this condition are emphasized.
Conformational Analysis of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins

The conformational behavior of polymers of 2,3-trans- and 2,3-cis-flavan3-ols [(+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin] depends on the population of dihedral angles at the interflavan bond and the conformation of the heterocyclic rings. The behavior of the heterocyclic rings can be determined by study of the monomers and dimers. The results obtained from x-ray diffraction and MM2 calculations are reviewed here. Conformations at the interflavan bond are studied by MM2 calculations, high resolution 1H-NMR, and time-resolved fluorescence. The implications of these results are that 4β → 8 linked polymers are random coils with dimensions somewhat smaller than those of unperturbed polystyrene chains of the same molecular weight. The dimensions of polymers with 4β → 6 links are not much different.
Discovering domain-specific composite kernels

Kernel-based data mining algorithms, such as Support Vector Machines, project data into high-dimensional feature spaces, wherein linear decision surfaces correspond to non-linear decision surfaces in the original feature space. Choosing a kernel amounts to choosing a high-dimensional feature space, and is thus a crucial step in the data mining process. Despite this fact, and as a result of the difficulty of establishing that a function is a positive definite kernel, only a few standard kernels (e.g. polynomial and Gaussian) are typically used. We propose a method for searching over a space of kernels for composite kernels that are guaranteed to be positive definite, and that are tuned to produce a feature space appropriate for a given dataset. Composite kernel functions are easily interpreted by humans, in contrast to the output of other work on kernel tuning. Empirical results demonstrate that our method often finds composite kernels that yield higher classification accuracy than the standard kernels.