cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate Processes in Supercritical Fluid Desorption and Extraction

Supercritical fluids have properties that make them attractive as solvents for a variety of processes. Two processes that differ in fundamental ways are (1) desorption of solutes from porous solids with supercritical carbon dioxide, and (2) reactive extraction (solvolysis) of lignin and cellulose in biomass with supercritical butanol. Mathematical models are analyzed in this discussion to determine the relative importance of kinetic rate and mass transfer processes. The detailed nature of the experimental responses allows the discrimination among the various models for the processes. For instance, the desorption of ethyl acetate from activated carbon can be described by a Langmuir desorption rate expression with external and intraparticle mass transfer contributions included in the model. The solvolysis of lignin requires two parallel reaction rate expressions for two types of lignin. For solvolysis experiments with reactive cellulose, a three-reaction model with competitive production of char is required. This discussion will demonstrate the value of dynamic (time-dependent) experiments in mathematical modeling of systems with chemical kinetics and transport processes.
Dialect Variation of Copula and Auxiliary Verb BE: African American English–Speaking Children With and Without Gullah/Geechee Heritage

Purpose We compared copula and auxiliary verb BE use by African American English–speaking children with and without a creole heritage, using Gullah/Geechee as the creole criterion, to determine if ...
Genes uniquely expressed in human growth plate chondrocytes uncover a distinct regulatory network

Chondrogenesis is the earliest stage of skeletal development and is a highly dynamic process, integrating the activities and functions of transcription factors, cell signaling molecules and extracellular matrix proteins. The molecular mechanisms underlying chondrogenesis have been extensively studied and multiple key regulators of this process have been identified. However, a genome-wide overview of the gene regulatory network in chondrogenesis has not been achieved. In this study, employing RNA sequencing, we identified 332 protein coding genes and 34 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes that are highly selectively expressed in human fetal growth plate chondrocytes. Among the protein coding genes, 32 genes were associated with 62 distinct human skeletal disorders and 153 genes were associated with skeletal defects in knockout mice, confirming their essential roles in skeletal formation. These gene products formed a comprehensive physical interaction network and participated in multiple cellular processes regulating skeletal development. The data also revealed 34 transcription factors and 11,334 distal enhancers that were uniquely active in chondrocytes, functioning as transcriptional regulators for the cartilage-selective genes. Our findings revealed a complex gene regulatory network controlling skeletal development whereby transcription factors, enhancers and lncRNAs participate in chondrogenesis by transcriptional regulation of key genes. Additionally, the cartilage-selective genes represent candidate genes for unsolved human skeletal disorders.
Gabapentin prevents synaptogenesis between sensory and spinal cord neurons induced by thrombospondin-4 acting on pre-synaptic Cavα2δ1 subunits and involving T-type Ca2+ channels

Background and purpose Nerve injury induces concurrent up-regulation of the voltage-gated calcium channel subunit Cav α2 δ1 and the extracellular matrix protein thrombospondin-4 (TSP4) in dorsal root ganglia and dorsal spinal cord, leading to the development of a neuropathic pain state. Interactions of these proteins promote aberrant excitatory synaptogenesis that contributes to neuropathic pain state development through unknown mechanisms. We investigated the contributions of Cav α2 δ1 subunits and TSP4 to synaptogenesis, and the pathways involved in vitro, and whether treatment with gabapentin could block this process and pain development in vivo. Experimental approach A co-culture system of sensory and spinal cord neurons was used to study the contribution from each protein to synaptogenesis and the pathway(s) involved. Anti-synaptogenic actions of gabapentin were studied in TSP4-injected mice. Key results Only presynaptic, but not postsynaptic, Cav α2 δ1 subunits interacted with TSP4 to initiate excitatory synaptogenesis through a pathway modulated by T-type calcium channels. Cav α2 δ1 /TSP4 interactions were not required for maintenance of already formed synapses. In vivo, early, but not delayed, treatment with low-dose gabapentin blocked this pathway and the development of the pain state. Conclusions and implications Cav α2 δ1 /TSP4 interactions were critical for the initiation, but not for the maintenance, of abnormal synapse formation between sensory and spinal cord neurons. This process was blocked by early, but was not reversed by delayed, treatment with gabapentin. Early intervention with gabapentin may prevent the development of injury-induced chronic pain, resulting from Cav α2 δ1 /TSP4-initiated abnormal synapse formation. Linked articles This article is part of a themed section on Recent Advances in Targeting Ion Channels to Treat Chronic Pain. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.12/issuetoc.
A Method to Quantify Bedform Height and Asymmetry from a Low-Mounted Sidescan Sonar

AbstractRotary sidescan sonars are widely used to image the seabed given their high temporal and spatial resolution. This high resolution is necessary to resolve bedform dynamics and evolution; however, sidescan sonars do not directly measure bathymetry, limiting their utility. When sidescan sonars are mounted close to the seabed, bedforms may create acoustical “shadows” that render previous methods that invert the backscatter intensity to estimate bathymetry and are based on the assumption of a fully insonified seabed ineffective. This is especially true in coastal regions, where bedforms are common features whose large height relative to the water depth may significantly influence the surrounding flow. A method is described that utilizes sonar shadows to estimate bedform height and asymmetry. The method accounts for the periodic structure of bedform fields and the projection of the shadows onto adjacent bedforms. It is validated with bathymetric observations of wave-orbital ripples, with wavelengths ran...
To Save the Soul of the Nation: Martin Luther King, Jr., Christian America, and the Religious Left

Martin Luther King, Jr. argued that America was a Christian nation. What happens when we examine his rhetoric from that contested category? The rhetoric found in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” emphasized rights inherent in the created order. He appears to believe the federal government plays a crucial role in God’s divine plan, but King frames the issue in light of the eighth-century prophets, Paul, and Augustine. Their demands required the nation to be attuned to God’s demands. This essay explores how the emphasis on America’s divine calling framed King’s prophetic engagement on issues like segregation, poverty, and the Vietnam War.
The Mediating Role of Student Motivation in the Linking of Perceived School Climate and Achievement in Reading and Mathematics

While the current literature provides valuable insight into how school climate and student motivation impact academic achievement, Research examining the mediating effects of motivation in the linking of school climate perceptions and achievement is limited. The current study employed structural equation modeling to examine a model that illustrates the role of self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation in the linking of student perceptions of school climate to reading and mathematics achievement. Analysis used data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) that were gathered in a survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2004) and are representative of a national sample of 14,639 10th grade students. The results showed that the hypothesized model fit the data well supporting the hypothesis that student self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation play a mediating role in the linking of perceptions of school climate with reading and mathematics achievement. Additionally, students’ perceptions of school climate related significantly with both achievement outcomes, and perceptions of school climate concerning teacher/student relationship related significantly with all motivation variables both self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation.
Random walks on finitely structured transfinite networks

A general theory for random walks on transfinite networks whose ranks are arbitrary natural numbers is established herein. In such networks, nodes of higher ranks connect together transfinite networks of lower ranks. The probabilities for transitions through such nodes are obtained as extensions of the Nash-Williams rule for random walks on ordinary infinite networks. The analysis is based on the theory of transfinite electrical networks, but it requires that the transfinite network have a structure that generalizes local-finiteness for ordinary infinite networks. The shorting together of nodes of different ranks are allowed; this complicates transitions through such nodes but provides a considerably more general theory. It is shown that, with respect to any finite set of nodes of any ranks, a transfinite random walk can be represented by an irreducible reversible Makov chain, whose state space is that set of nodes.
The Use of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory in Diagnosing Asthma

This chapter aims to provide the general clinician with a good understanding of available tests in the pulmonary function laboratory to help characterize asthma. It focuses on how tests are defined and performed, their limitations, their interpretations, and how to use them to follow asthma over time. Bronchoprovocation testing is also discussed, and utilization of arterial blood gas tests to help make acute triage decisions is reviewed. The key elements pertinent to each topic are listed in the “Key Points” at the beginning of this chapter.
Making and Using Psychiatric Diagnoses: Ethical Issues

Publication of the Third Edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) has brought some of the less obvious ethical issues involved in the clinical, administrative, and research use of diagnoses of mental disorders into sharper focus.
Is less more? Assessing the utility of early clinical and radiographic follow-up for operative supracondylar humerus fractures

Abstract Purpose Postoperative protocols following surgical management of supracondylar humerus fractures (SCFs) are often based upon surgeon preference rather than clinical merit. The purpose of t...
Application of Optimization for Daily Scheduling of Renewable Distributed Generations Considering Market Profits in Distribution Networks

In a deregulated electricity market, power system operator should systematically identify the optimal schedule of renewable distributed generation (DG) units to not only optimize the market profits but also improve the network conditions. This paper proposes a parallel computation-based methodology using fuzzy logic designed in the structure of a genetic algorithm (GA). Due to the efficient communication among the processors during the optimization, the proposed fuzzy-based parallel computation GA (FPCGA) addresses the shortcoming of the classic GA in convergence speed and quality of results. The proposed optimization algorithm is utilized in this paper to identify the optimal daily schedule for the system operator including the energy purchased from 1) the power grid, 2) each wind turbine DG, and 3) each photovoltaic DG. The efficiency of the proposed method is verified by its implementation on a 136-bus distribution system and its effectiveness is compared with similar methods.
HYDROBORATION OF TERPENES PART 8, CYCLIC HYDROBORATION OF D‐(+)‐LIMONENE, A STEREOSELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF D(‐)‐(1R,2R,4R)‐LIMONENE‐2,9‐DIOL AND D‐(‐)‐(1R,2R,4R)‐CARVOMENTHOL

Abstract d -(+)-Limonene can be converted into the corresponding bicyclic organoborinate intermediate, B-methoxy-4,8-dimethyl-2-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, by cyclic hydroboration with borane in THF, followed by methanolysis, and distillation of the product. Alternatively, cyclic hydroboration of d -(+)-limonene with thexylborane provides the related bicyclic organoborane intermediate, B-thexyl-4,8-dimethyl-2-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane. Oxidation of the respective intermediates produces d -(−)-(1R, 2R, 4R)-limonene-2,9-diol. Protonation of the bicyclic thexyl intermediate, followed by oxidation, provides d -(−)-(1R, 2R, 4R)-carvomenthol. These results suggest that the cyclic hydroboration of dienes can provide a valuable means for controlling the exact site of hydroboration, leading to a stereoselective synthesis of alcohols.
Death Keeps No Calendar: The Temporal Distribution of Autobiographical Memories Kept in Death

Past research on applying basic principles of memory to the fundamental task of remembering one's personal past shows a clear preference for memories from late adolescence to early adulthood. The temporal boundaries of this reminiscence bump depend on how the memories are elicited. Different cues may evoke different retrieval strategies. When prompted with importance cues, people may use their life-scripts to guide retrieval. Across two studies, the present work examined a heretofore unexplored retrieval cue, one which asked people for a single memory to bring into the afterlife. This death cue elicited a distinctly older bump and fewer life-script events than did importance cues. Not only do the findings underscore that different cueing methods will influence the availability of self-relevant memories, but they also suggest that, with some cues, people may access memories that capture the spirit or emotional character of a valued part or period of one's life.
Adiposity may predict survival in patients with advanced stage cancer treated with immunotherapy in phase 1 clinical trials

BACKGROUND Body mass index (BMI) is used to define obesity, but it is an imperfect measure of body composition. In the current study, the authors explored the association between types of fat and survival in patients treated with immunotherapy. METHODS A retrospective analysis of 90 patients who were treated with immunotherapy on phase 1 clinical trials at the Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, from 2009 through 2017 was performed. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to measure clinical outcomes. Baseline BMI and radiographic images at the middle of the third lumbar vertebrae were obtained. Fat densities were calculated and converted to indices (subcutaneous fat index [SFI], intermuscular fat index [IFI], and visceral fat index [VFI]) after dividing by height in meters squared. Risk groups were created using recursive partitioning and the regression trees method for SFI and IFI, which were selected by stepwise variable selection among all fat-related variables. The Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier method were used for the association with OS and PFS. RESULTS The majority of patients (59%) were male and diagnosed with melanoma (33%) or gastrointestinal cancers (22%). The median BMI was 27.4 kg/m2 , the median SFI was 62.78, the median IFI was 4.06, and the median VFI was 40.53. Low-risk patients (those with an SFI ≥73) had a significantly longer OS (hazard ratio, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.09-0.46 [P < .001]) and PFS (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.20-0.72 [P = .003]) compared with patients at intermediate risk (those with an SFI <73 and IFI <3.4) and poor risk (those with an SFI <73 and IFI ≥3.4). The Uno concordance statistics were found to be higher for fat risk groups than BMI in predicting OS (0.603 vs 0.574; P = .581) and PFS (0.602 vs 0.586; P = .71). CONCLUSIONS Increased BMI, increased SFI, and decreased IFI may be associated with prolonged survival in patients with cancer who are treated with immunotherapy. Further studies are needed to elucidate the effect of adiposity on the host immune response to immunotherapy.
La necesidad en el concepto de causación

I begin this paper by setting forth very briefly a common thesis about causation, i.e., that causes necessitate their effects. I then contrast this view of causation as necessitation with an opposing view of causation recently offered by G.E.M. Anscombe in “Causality and Determination”. The remainder of the paper is divided into five parts, and consists of an extended discussion of Anscombe’s claim that there is a concept of causation in which the notion of necessitation plays no role. First, I examine the principal example of “non-necessitating” causation described by Anscombe in order to see exactly what it is in the alleged causing event that makes one inclined to regard it as a cause. Three attempts to explain this inclination are found unsatisfactory and are dismissed. A fourth attempt is judged successful, but I argue that this final way of explaining why one is inclined to regard the alleged causing event as a cause does not imply that there is a concept of causation in which the notion of necessitation plays no role. Second, I consider two possible objections to Anscombe’s description of her principal example. The first objection is based on an appeal to determinism, while the second is based on an analogy with free action. Against both of these potential objections I offer counterarguments on Anscombe’s behalf. I conclude that her description is adequate. Third, I attempt to construct an example in which the events are causally related only if there is a concept of causation in which the notion of necessitation plays no role. I suggest why the belief that these events are causally related has some initial plausibility. In the final two parts I entertain two arguments which aim to show that the concept of non-necessitating causation required by my example is incoherent. The first argument is based on the apparent impossibility of isolating “causal systems,” while the second is based on the apparent impossibility of perceiving causation. I maintain that the first argument is unsuccessful. I contend, however, that the second argument is conclusive. I claim that it shows very clearly the extreme difficulty inherent in the separation of the ideas of causation and necessitation.[Summary by Vanda B. McMurtry]
Triphosphates of the Two Components in DESCOVY and TRUVADA are Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase

Abstract SARS-CoV-2, a member of the coronavirus family, is responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic. We previously demonstrated that four nucleotide analogues (specifically, the active triphosphate forms of Sofosbuvir, Alovudine, AZT and Tenofovir alafenamide) inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Tenofovir and emtricitabine are the two components in DESCOVY and TRUVADA, the two FDA-approved medications for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection. This is a preventative method in which individuals who are HIV negative (but at high-risk of contracting the virus) take the combination drug daily to reduce the chance of becoming infected with HIV. PrEP can stop HIV from replicating and spreading throughout the body. We report here that the triphosphates of tenofovir and emtricitabine, the two components in DESCOVY and TRUVADA, act as terminators for the SARS-CoV-2 RdRp catalyzed reaction. These results provide a molecular basis to evaluate the potential of DESCOVY and TRUVADA as PrEP for COVID-19.
Training to Enhance Effective Handling of Emotionally Disturbed Person Calls

The major purpose of the research project was to establish that training programs enhance the ability to address emotionally disturbed persons (EDP) calls for road patrol officers (RPO) from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. The null hypothesis consisted of the theory that the current system, which is a combination of academy training and infrequent use of field training, is adequate to properly prepare RPO for dispatch to EDP situations. Therefore, the project was designed to assess current training provided officers in order to perform their duties concerning EDP calls. This information is utilized for recommendations designed for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office to implement training conducive to the highest learning capacity and cost effectiveness. The findings revealed several key points with regard to the data collected from the surveys conducted at the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. Although there are many crisis intervention teams active throughout the country, survey results revealed Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputies are not familiar with the model. Answers from the survey reflect that laws pertaining to liability are not familiar to the test subjects. The deputies responding to the survey do agree that there is an increasing problem stemming from lack of treatment options for people with mental illness. Survey respondents also agree they are first responders to people with emotional disturbances on a regular basis. Several conclusions were drawn from the culmination of the research as follows. “As the role of police officers continues to expand from exclusively crime fighting to encompass other serviceoriented functions, they must be able to recognize the characteristics of individuals in crisis in order to provide an effective and helpful resolution to the situation while preventing liability and risk of injury” (Olivia, Morgan & Compton, 2010, p. 16). The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model has been successfully implemented in several states across the country. There have also been successful CIT programs implemented in other countries. The research concludes that officers trained in crisis intervention regarding vulnerable populations are more effective in handling situations that involve EDPs. Research with respect to legal liability supports training as key to mitigating liability for law enforcement agencies as well as for officers’ personal liability. The survey responses revealed a lack of understanding with regard to special populations and legal liability that potentially can be remedied by implementing a CIT program. The recommendations that the research supported are more research and education on effective ways to enhance officer response to EDP calls, most cost effective delivery of training, and partnerships that can be formed to facilitate implementation of a successful CIT program. With training, the skill base and knowledge can be conveyed to de-escalate crisis situations resulting in better outcomes regarding officer safety, liability to the department and service to the community.
Structural and functional connectomes in people with multiple sclerosis

One of the challenges in multiple sclerosis is that lesion volume does not correlate with symptom severity. Advanced techniques such as diffusion and functional MRI allow imaging of the brain's connectivity networks, which may provide better insight as to brain-behavior relationships in impairment and compensation in multiple sclerosis. We aim to build machine learning models based on structural and functional connectomes to classify a) healthy controls versus people with multiple sclerosis and b) impaired versus not impaired people with multiple sclerosis. We also aim to identify the most important imaging modality for both classification tasks, and, finally, to investigate which brain regions' connectome measures contribute most to the classification. Fifteen healthy controls (age=43.6 {+/-} 8.6, 53% female) and 76 people with multiple sclerosis (age: 45.2 {+/-} 11.4 years, 65% female, disease duration: 12.2 {+/-} 7.2 years) were included. Twenty-three people with multiple sclerosis were considered impaired, with an Expanded Disability Status Scale of 2 or higher. Subjects underwent MRI scans that included anatomical, diffusion and resting-state functional MRI. Random Forest models were constructed using structural and static/dynamic functional connectome measures independently; single modality models were then combined for an ensemble prediction. The accuracy of the models was assessed by the area under the receiver operating curve. Models that included structural connectomes significantly outperformed others when classifying healthy controls and people with multiple sclerosis, having a median accuracy of 0.86 (p-value<0.05, corrected). Models that included dynamic functional connectome metrics significantly outperformed others when distinguishing people with multiple sclerosis by impairment level, having a median accuracy of 0.63 (p-value<0.05, corrected). Structural connectivity between subcortical, somatomotor, and visual networks was most damaged by multiple sclerosis. For the classification of patients with multiple sclerosis into impairment severity groups, the most discriminatory metric was dwell time in a dynamic functional connectome state characterized by strong connectivity between and among somatomotor and visual networks. These results suggest that damage to the structural connectome, particularly in the subcortical, visual, and somatomotor networks, is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis, and, furthermore, that increased functional coordination between these same regions may be related to severity of motor disability in multiple sclerosis. The use of multi-modal connectome imaging has the potential to shed light on mechanisms of disease and compensation in multiple sclerosis, thus enabling more accurate prognoses and possibly the development of novel therapeutics.
Three-dimensional U-Net Convolutional Neural Network for Detection and Segmentation of Intracranial Metastases.

A three-dimensional U-Net convolutional network was developed and evaluated for detection and segmentation of intracranial metastases on brain MRI studies obtained for radiosurgery planning; the ne...
New decomposition and convexification algorithm for nonconvex large-scale primal-dual optimization

A new algorithm for solving nonconvex, equality-constrained optimization problems with separable structures is proposed in the present paper. A new augmented Lagrangian function is derived, and an iterative method is presented. The new proposed Lagrangian function preserves separability when the original problem is separable, and the property of linear convergence of the new algorithm is also presented. Unlike earlier algorithms for nonconvex decomposition, the convergence ratio for this method can be made arbitrarily small. Furthermore, it is feasible to extend this method to algorithms suited for inequality-constrained optimization problems. An example is included to illustrate the method.
Office vaginal examination in pregnancy.

Abstract No undesirable or serious complications were encountered in a series of approximately 6,000 unsterile antepartum vaginal examinations.
Chromosome Repatterning and Adaptation

Publisher Summary Structural changes of the chromosomes affect the system of heredity, variation, and evolution in a variety of ways. The known effects of repatterning include hybrid sterility, the linkage of gene complexes, the perpetuation of heterozygotic and heterotic combinations of such gene complexes, the addition of new loci to the complement, and position effect. The deeper significance of chromosomal repatterning in many groups of organisms may reside in the relationship between the gene arrangement and the manner of functioning of the genotype itself. Chromosomal sterility would, in such cases, be a byproduct of structural rearrangements, the primary object of which was to revise the linkage relations of adaptive gene complexes, establish adaptive heterosis, add new loci or bring about a specific position effect.
The Generation of Diversity in Phosphorylcholine-Binding Antibodies

Publisher Summary Antibody heavy and light chains are encoded by more than one gene, thus anticipating the noncontiguous nature of eukaryotic genes and the DNA rearrangements that are central to the formation of antibody coding regions. Detailed structural analysis revealed that the amino terminal variable regions of both heavy and light chains contain three short segments of hypervariability. These hypervariable regions were shown by X-ray crystallography to comprise the antibody-combining site, whereas the remaining portions of the variable region are relatively invariant in structure and hence are called “framework” regions. The structural analysis of antibody genes was achieved for the most part using murine myeloma tumors, generally induced by intraperitoneal administration of mineral oil, as a source of cells “frozen” at the level of plasma cell differentiation. The murine antibodies directed against phosphorylcholine (PC) discussed in this chapter proved an ideal system for delineating the fundamental mechanisms that generate the immunoglobulin repertoire of higher vertebrates. This family utilizes all of the described mechanisms that contribute to antibody heterogeneity. Structural analysis of the anti-PC antibodies and the genes that encode them illuminates the multiple strategies utilized by higher vertebrates to amplify a limited amount of genetic information to permit the expression of at least 10 million different antibodies. Of the thousands of different germline antibody gene segments, fewer than a dozen are employed in PC-binding antibodies.
Multidimensional optical pulses in non-resonant quadratic materials

The propagation of a light pulse in media with quadratic nonlinearity has attracted significant interest in recent years. In such media the nonlinear response is known to generate DC fields which subsequently play a key role in the evolution of the optical pulse. In a one-dimensional nonresonant quadratic material, the evolution of the slowly-varying envelope of the optical pulse was recently found to be governed by the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (hereafter NLS), as in the more familiar case of Kerr materials. The NLS equation is also a centrally important equation in other areas as well, e.g. fluid dynamics, plasma physics. However, it is well known that (1+1)-dimensional structures propagating in a multidimensional medium may be unstable with respect to transverse modulations. As a consequence, pulse dynamics in a multidimensional medium cannot be reduced to simple one-dimensional systems. When studying the modulation of a wave packet in a multidimensional dispersive medium, generalized NLS systems with coupling to a mean term (hereafter denoted as NLSM) are known to appear in various physical situations. In special cases these systems are known to be integrable. However, even in the non-integrable case these equations exhibit interesting phenomena such as focusing, singularities and a rich structure of solutions.
Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity in erythrocytes of pregnant women.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is the enzyme that converts catechols, e.g., catecholamines and catechol estrogens, to their methyl ethers. COMT activity measured in erythrocytes (RBC's) of healthy men (No. = 47) and healthy nonpregnant women (No. = 53) was 8.2 +4- 0.17 nmoles X ml.-1 (mean and standard error). The COMT activity in RBC's of healthy pregnant women (No. = 100) was 10.7 +/- 0.29 nmoles X ml.-1 RBC X hr.-1, a value which is significantly higher than that found in RBC's of men and nonpregnant women (p less than 0.001).
Nonlinear Processes in Multi-Quantum-Well Plasmonic Metasurfaces:Electromagnetic Response, Saturation Effects, Limits and Potentials

Nonlinear metasurfaces based on coupling a locally enhanced plasmonic response to intersubband transitions of $n$-doped multi-quantum-wells (MQWs) can provide second-order susceptibilities orders of magnitude larger than any other nonlinear flat structure measured so far. Here we present a comprehensive theory to characterize the electromagnetic response of nonlinear processes occurring in ultrathin MQW-based plasmonic metasurfaces, providing a homogeneous model that takes phase matching at the unit-cell level and the influence of saturation and losses into account. In addition, the limits imposed by saturation of the MQW transitions on the nonlinear response of these metasurfaces are analytically derived, revealing useful guidelines to design devices with enhanced performance. Our approach is first validated using experimental data and then applied to theoretically investigate novel designs able to achieve significant second-harmonic generation efficiency in the infrared frequency band.
Preparation of 14C-Labeled Sterigmatocystin in Liquid Media

14C-labeled sterigmatocystin was prepared from surface cultures of Aspergillus versicolor A-18074 maintained in liquid media by multiple additions of [1-14C]acetate to the cultures. The highest yield of 7.75 mg/10 ml was found with a sucrose-asparagine-ammonium medium in which more than 3% of the radioactivity of the added [1-14C]acetate was recovered in the purified [ring-14C] sterigmatocystin. The method offers an easy way to prepare 14C-labeled sterigmatocystin for studies of this mycotoxin.
Acoustic, elastic and poroelastic simulations of CO2 sequestration crosswell monitoring based on spectral‐element and adjoint methods

SUMMARY The key issues in CO2 sequestration involve accurate monitoring, from the injection stage to the prediction and verification of CO2 movement over time, for environmental considerations. ‘4-D seismics’ is a natural non-intrusive monitoring technique which involves 3-D time-lapse seismic surveys. Successful monitoring of CO2 movement requires a proper description of the physical properties of a porous reservoir. We investigate the importance of poroelasticity by contrasting poroelastic simulations with elastic and acoustic simulations. Discrepancies highlight a poroelastic signature that cannot be captured using an elastic or acoustic theory and that may play a role in accurately imaging and quantifying injected CO2. We focus on time-lapse crosswell imaging and model updating based on Frechet derivatives, or finite-frequency sensitivity kernels, which define the sensitivity of an observable to the model parameters. We compare results of time-lapse migration imaging using acoustic, elastic (with and without the use of Gassmann's formulae) and poroelastic models. Our approach highlights the influence of using different physical theories for interpreting seismic data, and, more importantly, for extracting the CO2 signature from seismic waveforms. We further investigate the differences between imaging with the direct compressional wave, as is commonly done, versus using both direct compressional (P) and shear (S) waves. We conclude that, unlike direct P-wave traveltimes, a combination of direct P- and S-wave traveltimes constrains most parameters. Adding P- and S-wave amplitude information does not drastically improve parameter sensitivity, but it does improve spatial resolution of the injected CO2 zone. The main advantage of using a poroelastic theory lies in direct sensitivity to fluid properties. Simulations are performed using a spectral-element method, and finite-frequency sensitivity kernels are calculated using an adjoint method.
Measurement of Bi2 and Bi4 Electron Impact Fragmentation Using Magnetic Polarization

We have measured the fragmentation of Bi2 under electron impact ionization (45 eV) by measuring the relative intensity shift produced by a quadrupole magnet on an electrically neutral beam of atomic bismuth (magnetic moment ~ one Bohr magneton) and Bi2 (magnetic moment zero). The large discrepancy between the theoretically predicted and the observed shifts was ascribed to fragmentation in the ionization process. We obtain a fragmentation as defined by Kohl et al.1 of 2. 02 ±. 35. This is slightly higher than their estimates of 1. 54 ±. 20 and exemplifies the importance of fragmentation processes to cluster mass spectroscopy. The same measurement performed on a beam of Bi3 and Bi4 showed no intensity shift for the bismuth trimer. This result is ambiguous due to the unknown magnetic moment of Bi3. However, assuming a single Bohr magneton moment, to within our statistical accuracy, we could ascribe all of the Bi3 detected (Knudsen source) to fragmentation of Bi4 (the observed peak heights for Bi3 and Bi4 were identical.)
A Novel Device for Measuring Long-Term Oxygen Therapy Adherence: A Preliminary Validation

INTRODUCTION: Current methods for measuring patient adherence to long-term oxygen therapy fail to measure the actual amount of time the patient is inhaling oxygen and the pattern of oxygen use within the day. We have developed a novel oxygen-adherence monitor to address these limitations, and this report introduces the monitor and provides preliminary data validating its use. METHODS: This battery-powered monitor attaches to the oxygen source and detects respiratoryrelated pressure fluctuations transmitted through the nasal cannula. The monitor takes a measurement over a 25-second period, at 4-min intervals. It detects and stores data on 4 different states that describe the patient9s actual use of the oxygen source and nasal cannula: source-off/cannula-off, source-off/cannula-on, source-on/cannula-off, and source-on/cannula-on. We studied the monitor9s performance with 10 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, during a directly-observed sequence of using and not using supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula, while sitting and walking. RESULTS: The monitor correctly detected 122 out of 129 measurements among all participants, yielding a 95% detection accuracy. CONCLUSION: A monitor that objectively measures oxygen inhalation, rather than oxygen expenditure, may help improve the management of patients on long-term oxygen therapy.
Numerical method for solving 3D inverse scattering problems

Abstract Let q ( x ) ∈ L 2 ( D ), D ⊂ R 3 is a bounded domain, q = 0 outside D , q is real-valued. Assume that A (\Gj;\t';,\Gj;, k )≔ A (\Gj;\t';,\Gj), the scattering amplitude, is known for all \Gj;|t',\Gj; ∈ S 2 , S 2 is the unit sphere, an d a fixed k \r>0. These data determine q ( x ) uniquely and a numerical method is given for computing q ( x ).
Development and implementation of a long-term care-based introductory pharmacy practice experience course

Abstract Objective To implement and assess a long-term care-based Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) course entitled Early Pharmacy Practice Experience (EPPE 2) to teach pharmacy students about geriatric care. Design The IPPE course consisted of a didactic and experiential education component. Students were each assigned to a nursing facility resident whom they were expected to visit for a minimum of one hour per week over 24 weeks. During these visits, students undertook a series of assessments and specific long-term care-related assignments. Students met biweekly for group discussion with their team consisting of faculty mentors and other students. Students’ attitudes toward their nursing facility experience and the course were evaluated through a self-administered 26-item attitude survey. Students’ learning outcomes were assessed through content analysis of their reflective essays. Assessment A total of 141 second-year students took the EPPE 2 course in 2010–2012. Students performed well during the EPPE 2 course (e.g., 87.2% obtained A’s in the spring semester). Most students had positive attitudes toward their nursing facility experience and the EPPE 2 course. For example, most students agreed that they learned first-hand about patient care, “real patient care,” building relationships with patients, common disease states and drugs, and many life lessons among other things. Conclusions Through a combination of experiential and didactic learning, EPPE 2 was a useful learning experience about geriatric pharmacy care for the students. The course enhanced students’ knowledge and comfort levels with nursing facility residents most of whom are elderly. Most students rated their nursing facility experience and the course positively.
"Renal dose" dopamine is associated with the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery

Objective:“Renal dose” dopamine (rDA; 1–3 μg/kg per min) is administered to patients after cardiac surgery to preserve or improve renal function. Many of these patients develop new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (pAF) that could be related to rDA administration. The object
Evaluation of a Worksite Wellness Program: Impact on Exercise, Weight, Smoking, and Stress

This study evaluated the effects of a wellness program at the workplace in relation to its impact on exercise, weight, smoking, and stress of the employee participants. A quasi-experimental design was selected in which data were collected at three specific intervals: before and immediately after program completion, and three months after program completion. The sample consisted of experimental and control groups. Persons (n = 59) who did participate in the wellness program made up the experimental group, and those (n = 49) who did not participate in the wellness program served as controls. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. No significant differences were noted between participants and nonparticipants in the areas of exercise, weight, smoking, and stress between the initial evaluation and after completing the wellness program. The areas of stress reduction and increased exercise were emphasized more in the participants than the nonparticipants, however.
Stochastic sensing on a modular chip containing a single-ion channel.

Engineered protein channels have many potential applications in biosensing at the single-molecule level. A future generation of biosensor could be an array of target-specific ion channels, where each protein pore acts as a sensor element. An important step toward this goal is to create a portable, durable, single-protein channel-integrated chip device. Here we report a versatile, modular chip that contains a single-ion channel for single-molecular biosensing. The core of the device is a long-lived lipid membrane that has been sandwiched between two air-insulated agarose layers which gel in situ. A single-protein pore embedded in the membrane serves as the sensor element. The modular device is highly portable, allowing a single-ion channel to continuously function following detachment of the chip from the instrument and independent transportation of the device. The chip also exhibits high durability, which is evidenced from long-duration continuous observation of single-channel dynamics. Once engineered pr...
Escape response in the damselfish Chromis cyanea (Pisces: Pomacentridae): A quantitative study

Abstract Models of different sizes, shapes, and colours evoked, oriented escape responses in schools of Chromis cyanea in their natural coral-reef habitat. Divers filmed these responses; from the films, the distance of the school from the model at the instant of response (reaction distance) was calculated. For a given model, reaction distance was independent of the speed of the model's approach. Darker coloured models were more effective in causing escape (yielded greater reaction distance) than lighter coloured models, suggesting contrast as an important feature of the stimulus. Larger models were more effective than smaller ones. Habituation to repeated stimuli was absent for inter-trial intervals from 0·5 to 4 min. Natural behaviour of Chromis suggests that cues such as sound, vibration, and details of shape, colours, and motion also play a role in triggering escape.
A granular approach to the automation of bioregenerative life support systems that enhances situation awareness

Bioregenerative life support systems introduce novel challenges for the development of model-based approaches to their control given the varying characteristic of the biological processes that constitute them. Switching control paradigms provide an alternative to manage such uncertainty by allowing flexibility into the control path, enabling different control modes depending on the situation of the system. This paper presents a perception-based approach that combines sensor information to define those conditions and act upon them. Combined sensor information creates sensing spaces in which the operational conditions of the system are found. The decomposition of the sensing spaces into perceptual elements or granules allows for situation assessment, system integration strategies, and the implementation of fail-safe and fail-operational mechanisms—all these critical in a wider range of complex socio-technical systems. This paper proposes the use of intelligent agents based on fuzzy associative memories (FAM) to decompose sensing spaces into granular structures composed of n-dimensional non-interactive fuzzy sets. Granular structures resulting from such decomposition allow for the incremental development and automation of the system by associating a control task to each operational condition. Furthermore, the real-time information obtained from the membership value of the granules may provide a resource for situational awareness and for the design of new ecological interfaces to enhance human-system interaction and real-time decision making. The approach presented in this paper is applied to the dynamic model of a reconfigurable aquatic habitat that serves as a small-scale bioregenerative test bed for life support control research. Results show how information generated by the FAM enhances the situation observability of the system.
The Caenorhabditis elegans K10C2.4 gene encodes a member of the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase family: A Caenorhabditis elegans model of type I tyrosinemia

In eukaryotes and many bacteria, tyrosine is degraded to produce energy via a five-step tyrosine degradation pathway. Mutations affecting the tyrosine degradation pathway are also of medical importance as mutations affecting enzymes in the pathway are responsible for type I, type II, and type III tyrosinemia. The most severe of these is type I tyrosinemia, which is caused by mutations affecting the last enzyme in the pathway, fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH). So far, tyrosine degradation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has not been studied; however, genes predicted to encode enzymes in this pathway have been identified in several microarray, proteomic, and RNA interference (RNAi) screens as perhaps being involved in aging and the control of protein folding. We sought to identify and characterize the genes in the worm tyrosine degradation pathway as an initial step in understanding these findings. Here we describe the characterization of the K10C2.4, which encodes a homolog of FAH. RNAi directed against K10C2.4 produces a lethal phenotype consisting of death in young adulthood, extensive damage to the intestine, impaired fertility, and activation of oxidative stress and endoplasmic stress response pathways. This phenotype is due to alterations in tyrosine metabolism as increases in dietary tyrosine enhance it, and inhibition of upstream enzymes in tyrosine degradation with RNAi or genetic mutations reduces the phenotype. We also use our model to identify genes that suppress the damage produced by K10C2.4 RNAi in a pilot genetic screen. Our results establish worms as a model for the study of type I tyrosinemia.
Satisfaction with Postpartum Care: Opportunities for Bonding, Reconstructing the Birth and Instruction

ABSTRACT: The declining length of postpartum stay in hospitals has made it more difficult for staff to provide the kind of care recommended in the nursing literature. This study examines the association between satisfaction with care and three clinical procedures—parent-infant bonding, reconstructing birth events and instruction in care of self and baby. Data taken from an Arizona statewide survey of women who recently gave birth indicated little dissatisfaction with care. However, contingency table analysis revealed that level of satisfaction is associated with the provision of opportunities for parent-infant bonding, review of birthing experience and instruction in care of mother and newborn. Strategies for increasing level of satisfaction are discussed.