cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric heart-lung transplantation: A contemporary analysis of outcomes.

BACKGROUND Pediatric heart-lung transplantation (HLT) is rare, and no report has analyzed patient outcomes since time of listing. We analyzed pediatric HLTs to understand risk factors for waitlist and post-HLT mortality. METHODS All pediatric (<18 year old) HLT candidates were identified within the UNOS database (n = 573) and grouped by age, era, and by diagnosis. Logistical regression and Cox proportional hazard modeling identified risk factors for 6-month WL and overall post-transplant mortality. RESULTS 209/573 (37%) HLT candidates were transplanted, 7% recovered, 42% died waiting, and 15% were removed for another/unknown reason. Diagnoses were primary pulmonary hypertension(n = 130), congenital heart disease(CHD) without Eisenmenger's syndrome (ES) (n = 65), CHD with ES (n = 73), and other (n = 305). Patients with a diagnosis other than CHD with ES (OR: 7.55, P = .001), on IV inotropic support (OR: 2.79, P < .001), and infants (OR: 2.20, P = .004) were associated with waitlist mortality. There has been a 56% reduction in HLTs across eras (Era 1:10.8/yr vs Era 2:4.7/yr). Risk factors for post-transplant mortality were ECMO (HR: 4.1, P = .016), and being infant (HR: 2.2, P = .04) or 1-11 years old (HR: 1.78, P = .015). ECMO patients have an 87% 2-year mortality rate with a median post-transplant survival of 64 days. Overall, post-transplant survival was unchanged (log-rank P = .067) between eras. Excluding ECMO patients, in the recent era 29 non-infant patients with primary pulmonary hypertension had 93% 1-year survival and 67% 5-year survival. CONCLUSIONS Nearly 600 pediatric patients have been listed for HLT in UNOS, although numbers are decreasing in the current era. HLT for a patient on ECMO appears to be an ineffective strategy; however, in well-selected cohorts, HLT can provide considerable post-transplant survival.
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: Current Concepts and Future Prospects

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a highly prevalent precursor condition in the general population, with an approximate 1% annual risk of progression to multiple myeloma (MM) or a related disorder. Our understanding of MGUS and its association with myriad clinical disorders, its progression to MM, and the genomic alterations in the setting of a conducive or permissive microenvironment has deepened considerably. Data from gene expression profiling studies have underscored the heterogeneity in the risk of progression of MGUS to MM. Ongoing efforts are being directed toward precise identification of high-risk factors for progression and addressing the role of screening for MGUS in populations at higher risk of MGUS in order to diagnose this precursor condition early, and target modifiable risk factors. Ongoing clinical trials are assessing the role of therapeutic interventions to prevent MGUS from progressing. MGUS is a heterogeneous precursor condition with a risk for progression to symptomatic disease. Future directions are focusing on identifying high-risk populations of MGUS and smoldering multiple myeloma that may benefit with screening and/or early intervention.
Improving the wide-area PMU-based fault location method using ordinary least squares estimation

Abstract This paper presents an approach which allows system-wide fault location using only a sparse set of synchronized phasor measurements. The proposed algorithm combines post-fault voltage prediction and sparse estimation. The resulting method enables practical application of the sparse estimation formulation by using Prony analysis to predict post-fault steady-state voltages at those buses equipped with phasor measurement units. The prediction requires only a short transient recording which is typically available before the actuation of protective relays. Following the prediction step, the least angle regression based sparse estimation algorithm is employed to identify the fault location. However, for particular conditions usually associated with small fault currents, the sparse estimation algorithm may not be able to correctly identify the fault location. To mitigate this problem, ordinary least squares is used to increase the robustness of the proposed method. A 3-Phase model of the IEEE 118 bus system is developed on the alternative transients program to simulate realistic fault transients and test the performance and accuracy of the proposed fault location method.
Real-Time Federated Cyber-Transmission-Distribution Testbed Architecture for the Resiliency Analysis

With the ongoing automation driven by the push toward the smart electric grid and the advancement in associated cyber infrastructure, the interaction between physical [electric transmission and distribution (T $\&$ D) systems], cyber (communication, automation, and control), and human (grid operators and decision-makers) is increasingly becoming more complex. This creates the requirement of analyzing the effect of the transmission system on the distribution system and vice versa with consideration of the additional complexity of the cyber infrastructure. Such an integrated testbed will also help with resiliency analysis, where resiliency refers to the ability of the system to continue serving energy to the critical loads even with limited extreme contingencies. Interaction of the physical power grid with the cyber layer can be effectively modeled using real-time (RT) simulator for developing and validating various operational and control algorithms. Testbeds using RT simulators with multiple capabilities have been developed at different institutions. Still, no single existing testbed can offer full scalability while simultaneously meeting high fidelity requirements for resiliency experimentation. Co-simulating federated testbed assets can provide a scalable experimentation platform that can be leveraged for verification and validation. In this article, an architecture is developed for federated cyber-physical testbed. A local federation with two real-time simulators is developed: real-time digital simulator (RTDS) and OPAL-RT have been interfaced using VILLAS framework for end-to-end testing. Also, a real-time linear predictor is developed and integrated here to address the communication latency impact on geographically allocated federated RT simulation. Finally, resiliency analysis tools are formulated and utilized for T $\&$ D systems. As an illustrative use case, the resiliency of a T $\&$ D test system is simulated, and the results are analyzed. A 179-bus Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) transmission system is developed using OPAL-RT/ HYPERSIM, and a modified IEEE 13 node feeder system is modeled in RTDS/RSCAD and interfaced for resiliency analysis.
Statewide Interagency Collaboration to Support Evidence-based Practice Scale Up: The California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN).

The California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN) is a statewide interagency collaboration with the goal of scaling up the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for ind...
FDG PET in the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric and Adolescent Sarcomas

Pediatric sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of cancers arising from the bone, cartilage, skeletal and smooth muscle, fat, and fibrous connective tissues. Their treatment is typically multimodal, including systemic chemotherapy coupled with local control using surgery and/or radiation depending on the extent of tumor resection and the tumor type. Functional imaging with FDG PET has become increasingly available and used for both the staging and surveillance for recurrence of pediatric and adolescent sarcomas. Survival outcomes are particularly poor among patients with pediatric sarcomas with metastatic disease highlighting the importance of accurate staging. FDG PET has proven to enhance identification of distant bone, soft tissue, and lymph node metastases among pediatric patients with sarcomas establishing its utility in staging and surveillance. Alternatively, FDG PET has proven inferior for identifying pulmonary lesions, especially smaller nodules, limiting its use as a single modality for pulmonary nodule assessment. The coupling of functional imaging using FDG PET with anatomical imaging such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a particularly powerful tool, enabling the concurrent evaluation of hypermetabolic tissues and anatomical changes. Combined metabolic and anatomic imaging has become increasingly used for assessment of pediatric and adolescent sarcomas. In addition to diagnostic staging and surveillance for recurrence, FDG PET may in the future be used for the assessment of treatment response in therapeutic clinical trials, for predicting disease outcomes, and in guiding risk-adaptive therapy as has become standard with other pediatric cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma. This chapter reviews several common pediatric sarcomas, describes key concepts related to their diagnosis and treatment, and illustrates the application of FDG PET in diagnosis, assessment of treatment response, and surveillance for cancer recurrence.
Mesenchymal stem cell-inspired microgel scaffolds to control macrophage polarization.

There is a desire in regenerative medicine to create biofunctional materials that can control and direct cell function in a precise manner. One particular stem cell of interest, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), can function as regulators of the immunogenic response and aid in tissue regeneration and wound repair. Here, a porous hydrogel scaffold assembled from microgel subunits was used to recapitulate part of this immunomodulatory behavior. The scaffolds were used to culture a macrophage cell line, while cytokines were delivered exogenously to polarize the macrophages to either a pro-inflammatory (M1) or alternatively activated (M2a) phenotypes. Using a cytokine array, interleukin 10 (IL-10) was identified as one key anti-inflammatory factor secreted by hMSCs in pro-inflammatory conditions; it was elevated (125 ± 25 pg/ml) in pro-inflammatory conditions compared to standard medium (6 ± 10 pg/ml). The ability of hMSC laden scaffolds to reverse the M1 phenotype was then examined, even in the presence of exogenous pro-inflammatory cytokines. Co-culture of M1 and M2 macrophages with hMSCs reduced the secretion of TNFα, a pro-inflammatory cytokine even in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimulatory factors. Next, IL-10 was supplemented in the medium or tethered directly to the microgel subunits; both methods limited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines of encapsulated macrophages even in pro-inflammatory conditions. Cumulatively, these results reveal the potential of biofunctional microgel-based scaffolds as acellular therapies to present anti-inflammatory cytokines and control the immunogenic cascade.
Should We Provide the Bear Necessities? Climate Change, Polar Bears and the Ethics of Supplemental Feeding

This paper considers whether we have any moral responsibility to offer supplemental feeding to wild animals who have lost food access due to climate change. It takes as a particular case the situation of some individual polar bears who, over the next decade, are likely to be threatened with abrupt loss of food access due to changes in sea ice, potentially causing starvation. The paper argues that, as is implied by most positions in animal ethics, there are ethical reasons to assist individual polar bears by supplemental feeding. However, there are also good reasons to hesitate, and to consider potential harms both to bears and to other animals, as well the loss of wildness value that may be involved. From some ethical positions, the likely harms involved make euthanasia ethically preferable to supplemental feeding. But on other plausible ethical arguments, these likely harms are not decisive. We need to know more about the possible effects of supplemental feeding of polar bears. So, the paper concludes that when the first bears are threatened by abrupt loss of food access, a trial of supplementary feeding should be considered in consultation with relevant native peoples.
A Theoretical Explanation of Sport Trademark Litigation: Already v. Nike and Forever 21 v. Adidas

Trademark law provides owners of legally protected marks with a set of legal claims against unauthorized users. Law and economics and brand equity theories rationalize the system of trademarks. Mea...
Short Circuit Behavior of Series-Connected 10 kV SiC MOSFETs

Proper voltage sharing among series-connected power MOSFETs is important for reliable operation and particularly crucial under short circuit stress. An uneven voltage sharing may result in an early failure of the more stressed MOSFET. In this paper, for the first time, the short circuit behavior of the series-connected 10 kV SiC MOSFETs is investigated and analyzed using the experimental results. An active clamping circuit is demonstrated at 5.7 kV dc link voltage to improve the voltage sharing during the short circuit. Analytical expressions and the experimental data have been used to estimate the short circuit (SC) robustness of the series-connected 10 kV SiC MOSFETs. The estimated short circuit withstand time of the two series-connected 10 kV SiC MOSFETs is superior to the 15 kV SiC IGBTs.
Environmental Contaminants and Their Relationship to the Epigenome

There is increasing evidence that environmental contaminants have the potential to modify the epigenome, altering gene and protein expression within key cellular signaling pathways. Potential exposures to these toxic contaminants can occur through diet, occupation, and various anthropogenic sources. This chapter details 11 environmental contaminants/factors including air pollution, toxic metals, pharmaceuticals, and cigarette smoke, and highlights studies demonstrating epigenetic alterations associated with their exposures. These environmentally induced epigenetic modifications may occur within gene targets that are currently used clinically for diagnostic or prognostic purposes, and thus may ultimately be useful for applications in the field of personalized epigenetics. Where possible, studies examining the effects of prenatal or early life exposures to these contaminants are emphasized, as identifying the epigenetic alterations associated with these exposures may increase the understanding of biological mechanisms associated with later life health effects. Taken together, there is increasing information that environmental contaminants impact various features of the epigenome and play an instrumental role in disease progression.
Cancer of the colon and rectum.

A review of the incidence, epidemiology, diagnosis, and some of the more important pathologic features of carcinoma of the lower intestinal tract. Five year survival rates reported in various series are discussed with respect to the adjuvants to surgical therapy employed.
Theory of Space Plasma Microinstabilities

1. Introduction 2. Electrostatic waves in uniform plasmas 3. Electrostatic component/component instabilities in uniform plasmas 4. Electrostatic drift instabilities in inhomogeneous plasmas 5. Electromagnetic fluctuations in uniform plasmas 6. Electromagnetic waves in uniform plasmas 7. Electromagnetic temperature anisotropy instabilities in uniform plasmas 8. Electromagnetic component/component instabilities in uniform plasmas.
Metatherian Taxon Phylogeny: Evidence and Interpretation from the Cranioskeletal System

Well-supported ancestral points in time, or nodes of branchings on trees, should be diagnosed by those apomorphies of the group’s ancestor that are retained (synapomorphies), or by inference based on their traces. These apomorphic constraints of the last common ancestor are both often discovered through, or should be tested against, causal research. Paraphyletic groups are as diagnosable phylogenetically (from the time of their origin) as holophyletic ones. Although holophyla can be desirable goals for larger clusters of species that share a common complex organizational pattern (Aves, Mammalia, etc), all organisms cannot be accommodated that way in an inclusive classificatory (practical) hierarchy. In addition, the incomplete understanding of evolutionary causality, or the lack of resolution of primitive groups, often makes paraphyla not only natural, but also useful and justifiable monophyletic groupings. The phylogeny and classification of organisms should be tested against a number of taxonomic properties of the groups, which, in turn, are based on paleontological and biological facts, and interpretation of the available evidence.
Collision free real-time motion planning for omnidirectional vehicles

A computationally effective trajectory generation algorithm of omnidirectional mobile robots is proposed. The algorithm plans a reference path based on Bezier curves for obstacle avoidance. Then the algorithm solves the problem of motion planning for the robot to track the path in a short travel time while satisfying dynamic constraints and robustness to noise. The numerical simulation demonstrates the improvement of path following in terms of travel time, satisfaction of dynamic constraints, and smooth motion control compared to previous research.
Effect of ozone on the agglutination of erythrocytes by concanavalin A II. Study of human subjects receiving supplemental vitamin E

Abstract Studies of the effect of ozone on the response of human erythrocytes to concanavalin A revealed a decrease in agglutinability following in vitro exposure (1 ppm ozone × 30 min) similar to that previously observed in rat erythrocytes. Incubation of human erythrocytes with malonaldehyde, an oxidation product of polyunsaturated fatty acids, also resulted in decreased agglutination by concanavalin A. Red cells obtained from 29 subjects receiving either vitamin E (800 IU) or a placebo daily were examined before and after the subjects were exposed to 0.5 ppm ozone for 2 hr. A tendency toward a decrease in agglutinability by concanavalin A following ozone exposure was present in the red cells of those subjects not receiving supplemental vitamin E. However, the results were not statistically significant.
A first generation BAC-based physical map of the channel catfish genome

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is the leading species in North American aquaculture. Genetic improvement of catfish is performed through selective breeding, and genomic tools will help improve selection efficiency. A physical map is needed to integrate the genetic map with the karyotype and to support fine mapping of phenotypic trait alleles such as Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) and the effective positional cloning of genes. A genome-wide physical map of the channel catfish was constructed by High-Information-Content Fingerprinting (HICF) of 46,548 Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes (BAC) clones using the SNaPshot technique. The clones were assembled into contigs with FPC software. The resulting assembly contained 1,782 contigs and covered an estimated physical length of 0.93 Gb. The validity of the assembly was demonstrated by 1) anchoring 19 of the largest contigs to the microsatellite linkage map 2) comparing the assembly of a multi-gene family to Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) patterns seen in Southern blots, and 3) contig sequencing. This is the first physical map for channel catfish. The HICF technique allowed the project to be finished with a limited amount of human resource in a high throughput manner. This physical map will greatly facilitate the detailed study of many different genomic regions in channel catfish, and the positional cloning of genes controlling economically important production traits.
Sox9 is required for prostate development and prostate cancer initiation

Zhenhua Huang 1,2,3 , Paula J Hurley 1 , Brian W Simons 1,2,3 , Luigi Marchionni 2,3 , David M Berman 1,2,3 , Ashley E Ross 1 and Edward M Schaeffer 1,2,3 1 Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. 2 Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. 3 Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. Received: June 26, 2012; Accepted: June 30, 2012; Published: July 2, 2012; Keywords: Sox9, prostate, development, cancer, initiation Correspondence: Edward M Schaeffer, email: // // Abstract Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies and the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. The molecular mechanisms driving prostate carcinogenesis are complex; with several lines of evidence suggesting that the re-expression of conserved developmental programs plays a key role. In this study, we used conditional gene targeting and organ grafting, to describe conserved roles for the transcription factor Sox9 in the initiation of both prostate organogenesis and prostate carcinogenesis in murine models. Abrogation of Sox9 expression prior to the initiation of androgen signaling blocks the initiation of prostate development. Similarly, Sox9 deletion in two genetic models of prostate cancer (TRAMP and Hi-Myc) prevented cancer initiation. Expression profiling of Sox9-null prostate epithelial cells revealed that the role of Sox9 in the initiation of prostate development may relate to its regulation of multiple cytokeratins and cell adherence/polarity. Due to its essential role in cancer initiation, manipulation of Sox9 targets in at-risk men may prove useful in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Soy Isoflavones—Phytoestrogens and What Else?

The weak estrogen-like properties of isoflavonoids were discovered over 50 y ago. In recent years, the overall effects of the isoflavones in soy on human health have been the subject of lively debate largely based on their presumed estrogenic properties. Missing from our knowledge base is the systematic identification of the cellular and biochemical targets of isoflavones and the mechanisms that they influence. Because of the benign effects of isoflavones on cellular integrity, a concentration of the isoflavones can be reached in cell culture models where almost any process can be modulated. Modern systems biology approaches and high dimensional analysis techniques offer new ways to better understand the function of how cells and integrated biological mechanisms respond to compounds such as isoflavones. Data from experiments using DNA microarray analysis for examining the effects of genistein in the developing rat uterus indicate that genistein alters the expression of 6-8 times as many genes as does a physiological estrogen such as 17 beta-estradiol. Although these new approaches are exciting, their incipient high dimensionality places considerable strain on the quality of experimental design and meaningful statistical interpretation of the resulting data. In another approach using affinity chromatography methods, DING, a novel genistein-binding protein of yet unknown function, was isolated from human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Its function remains to be established.
Functionalization of polymeric organolithium compounds. Oxidation

Oxydation du polystyryl(lithium) avec l'oxygene moleculaire a l'etat solide (avec et sans tetramethylethylenediamine) dans le benzene et dans le melange benzene/THF
Is Comorbidity a Psychological Science

This commentary questions the current rush to reify comorbidity that a medical disease lexicon encourages. The emphasis on comorbidities has proceeded without clear evidence that true diseases are thereby identified. Its consequence is an obscuring of historical, sociopolitical, and environmental considerations that play a significant role in bringing comorbidities about. Comorbidities can in this way become in part a product of policy decisions made by professionals. We encourage psychologists to question these trends.
A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effects of a Veterans' Hospital Domiciliary Program for Homeless Persons:

The Clinical Anxiety Scale, the Generalized Contentment Scale, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Problem-Solving Inventory were administered to nine male veterans in a Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program. All four rapid assessment instruments were administered when the veterans were admitted into the program, and again after 3 months of participation. The program had an intense focus on individual and group counseling. A t test for correlated means was conducted on the pretest-posttest scores of each instrument. All results were statistically significant, suggesting that this program is effective in helping reduce homeless veterans' feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and helping them gain confidence in their problem-solving abilities.
The reaction of the bis(6,6-dimethylcyclohexadienyl)zirconium fragment with PhC2SiMe3 – A 5 + 2 + 2 ring construction

Abstract The reaction of the edge-bridged open zirconocene, Zr(6,6-dmch) 2 (PMe 3 ) 2 (dmch = dimethylcyclohexadienyl) with two equivalents of PhC 2 SiMe 3 leads to a 5 + 2 + 2 ring construction, resulting in a 4.3.1 bicyclodecadienyl skeleton. The resulting complex, with η 3 -allyl, η 4 -diene, and η 5 -dienyl coordination, has a formal 16 electron configuration, and contains close contacts between the metal center and two lengthened C–C bonds, indicative of weak agostic interactions.
Ferroelectric materials by the sol-gel method

The sol-gel method is ideally suitable for the preparation of ferroelectric thin films such as LiNbO3, BaTiO3, KNbO3 and PZT. The preparation and properties of polycrystalline, amorphous and single crystal films of these ferroelectric oxides are summarized. The origin of “amorphous ferroelectricity” is discussed. Single crystal KNbO3 films have been successfully fabricated into planar waveguides and their ability to convert infrared laser into green light demonstrated.
A variable-parameter unsupervised learning clustering neural network approach with application to machine-part group formation

In this paper, we develop a new unsupervised learning clustering neural network method for clustering problems in general and for solving machine-part group formation problems in particular. We show that our new approach solves a very challenging problem in the area of machine-part group formation. A review of machine-part group formation methods and unsupervised learning artificial neural network methods is given. We modify the well-known competitive learning algorithm by using the generalized Euclidean distance, and a momentum term in the weight vector updating equations. The cluster structure can be adjusted by changing the coefficients in the generalized Euclidean distance. The algorithm is flexible and applicable to many practical problems. We also develop a neural network clustering system which can be used to cluster a 0-1 matrix into diagonal blocks. The developed neural network clustering system is independent of the initial matrix and gives clear final clustering results which specify the machin...
Destructive interference of E2 matrix elements in a triaxial rotor model

A triaxial rotor model with independent inertia and electric quadrupole tensors is applied to nuclei that have certain $E2$ matrix elements equal to zero. It is shown that such vanishing $E2$ matrix elements are explained by the model as a destructive interference effect. The example of $^{196}\mathrm{Pt}$ is considered.
ERKs: A family of protein-serine/threonine kinases that are activated and tyrosine phosphorylated in response to insulin and NGF

We recently described the purification and cloning of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), which appears to play a pivotal role in converting tyrosine phosphorylation into the serine/threonine phosphorylations that regulate downstream events. We now describe cloning and characterization of two ERK1-related kinases, ERK2 and ERK3, and provide evidence suggesting that there are additional ERK family members. At least two of the ERKs are activated in response to growth factors; their activations correlate with tyrosine phophorylation, but also depend on additional modifications. Transcripts corresponding to the three cloned ERKs are distinctly regulated both in vivo and in a differentiating cell line. Thus, this family of kinases may serve as intermediates that depend on tyrosine phosphorylation to activate serine/threonine phosphorylation cascades. Individual family members may mediate responses in different developmental stages, in different cell types, or following exposure to different extracellular signals.
Effects of Salivary Fluoride on Enamel Solubility

The fluoride level of human saliva ranges, according to the data of several authors,'-5 between 0.00 and 0.75 ppm. These values seem to have no relationship to the fluoride content of the water supply. McClure2 3 found a mean value of 0.10 ppm fluoride in human saliva obtained from individuals living in fluoride-low drinking-water areas. In areas where the drinking water contained 1.20-1.80 ppm F, no significant increase in salivary fluoride was found. Data from the Evanston dental caries study4 suggested a salivary fluoride level in the range 0.14-0.35 ppm. A salivary fluoride level of 0.75 ppm has been reported from Hungary.5 The authors reported a tendency for higher fluoride levels in the saliva of caries-resistant individuals and assumed that salivary fluoride values greater than 0.25 ppm might be effective for partial protection against dental caries. Although convincing evidence is lacking, it is the opinion of many workers that only microconcentrations of fluorine may be effective in reducing enamel solubility in newly erupted teeth. The purpose of this study was, therefore, twofold: (1) to determine whether the salivary fluoride level in the rat can be modified by feeding fluoride and, concurrently, what effect this salivary fluoride at different fluoride concentrations has on the solubility of the intact enamel surface; and (2) to determine the effectiveness of human salivary fluoride on enamel solubility.
Improvement of Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundation on Geogrid Reinforced Silty Clay and Sand

The present study investigates the improvement in the bearing capacity of silty clay soil with thin sand layer on top and placing geogrids at different depths. Model tests were performed for a rectangular footing resting on top of the soil to establish the load versus settlement curves of unreinforced and reinforced soil system. The test results focus on the improvement in bearing capacity of silty clay and sand on unreinforced and reinforced soil system in non-dimensional form, that is, BCR. The results show that bearing capacity increases significantly with the increased number of geogrid layers. The bearing capacity for the soil increases with an average of 16.67% using one geogrid layer at interface of soils with equal to 0.667 and the bearing capacity increases with an average of 33.33% while using one geogrid in middle of sand layer with equal to 0.33. The improvement in bearing capacity for sand underlain silty clay maintaining and equal to 0.33; for two, three and four number geogrid layer were 44.44%, 61.11%, 72.22%, respectively. The finding of this research work may be useful to improve the bearing capacity of soil for shallow foundation and pavement design for similar type of soil available elsewhere.
Origin of the Energy Barrier to Chemical Reactions of O2 on Al(111): Evidence for Charge Transfer, Not Spin Selection

Dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen on the Al(111) surface exhibits mechanistic complexity that remains surprisingly poorly understood in terms of the underlying physics. Experiments clearly indicate substantial energy barriers and a mysteriously large number of adsorbed single oxygen atoms instead of pairs. Conventional first principles quantum mechanics (density functional theory) predicts no energy barrier at all; instead, spin selection rules have been invoked to explain the barrier. In this Letter, we show that correct barriers arise naturally when embedded correlated electron wave functions are used to capture the physics of the interaction of O2 with the metal surface. The barrier originates from an abrupt charge transfer (from metal to oxygen), which is properly treated within correlated wave function theory but not within conventional density functional theory. Our potential energy surfaces also identify oxygen atom abstraction as the dominant reaction pathway at low incident energies, consistent with measurements, and show that charge transfer occurs in a stepwise fashion.
Construction of physical states in Yang-Mills theory: The time-like gauge

Abstract We construct physical states in pure Yang-Mills theory in the time-like gauge A α 0 = 0. We also construct a complete basis in the physical subspace of Hilbert space. Comparison is made with a recent paper by Eylon.
Behind Closed Doors: Medication Storage and Disposal in the Home

BACKGROUNDMore than half of all medications are inappropriately prescribed, dispensed, or sold and only 50% of patients take their medications correctly. Oftentimes, unwanted or expired medications are saved for later use, stored indefinitely, or disposed via the sink, toilet, or garbage.OBJECTIVETo determine how residents in Cook County, Illinois, use, store, and dispose of their medications to assess the possible impact of these medications on health care and the environment.METHODSResearchers at the University of Illinois conducted a survey of Cook County residents over a 13-week period. Residents were surveyed regarding their use, storage, and disposal of prescription and nonprescription medications.RESULTSFrom 3954 telephone numbers generated through random-digit dialing, 445 telephone interviews were completed. Eighty-one and a half percent of respondents had prescription medications and 92.4% had nonprescription medications in their homes. On average, respondents possessed 4.4 distinct prescription...
Temporal Variation in Adult Affiliation Patterns in Wild Taiwanese Macaques (Macaca cyclopis)

We studied temporal variation in affiliative behavior among adults in 2 multimale groups of wild Taiwanese macaques from 2 different populations: one in Southern Taiwan, and one in Northern Taiwan. Although the study areas differed dramatically in their elevation, average temperatures, and rainfall patterns, both populations displayed marked similarities. Analyses of grooming and proximity showed that only male-female affiliative patterns had significant temporal variation. The males and females of both populations had the highest frequencies of grooming and proximity in a mating context. Outside of the mating season, male-female affiliation rates dropped dramatically. In contrast, female-female and male-male affiliation patterns showed no significant temporal variation.
Family assessment in psychoeducational evaluations: Case studies with the family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales

Abstract The involvement of school psychologists with families has received considerable attention in the recent literature (e.g., Erchul, School Psychology Review, 16, 427–428, 1987), but most articles have been of a theoretical or conceptual nature or have been concerned with intervention. Little has appeared regarding useful procedures for integrating family assessment into school psychology practice. This article suggests an existing self-report measure that may be a useful addition to psychoeducational evaluations. The device, its psychometric properties, and its underlying theoretical model are explained, and four case studies using the technique are presented. The strengths and limitations of the instrument are discussed, and suggestions are made for future studies of the procedure and its underlying model as tools for school psychology practice.
Quadratic reciprocity in a finite group

(2005). Quadratic Reciprocity in a Finite Group. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 112, No. 3, pp. 251-256.
How is motion integrated into a proto-object based visual saliency model?

When computing visual saliency on natural scenes, many current models do not consider temporal information that may exist within the visual stimuli. Most models are designed for predicting salient regions of static images only. However, the world is dynamic and constantly changing. Furthermore, motion is a naturally occurring phenomena that plays an essential role in both human and computer visual processing. Henceforth, the most efficient model of visual saliency should consider motion that may be exhibited within the visual scene. In this paper, we investigate the most advantageous and biologically-plausible manner in which motion should be applied to our current model of proto-object based visual saliency. We investigate the type of motion that should be extracted in such a bottom-up, feed-forward model as well as where the motion should be incorporated into the model. Two final approaches are suggested and compared against how well each can predict human eye saccades on a set of videos from the Itti dataset. They are each validated using the KL Divergence metric. We conclude by selecting the model better at predicting saccades throughout various videos from the dataset. Our results also gives general insight into how motion should be integrated into a visual saliency model.
Kinetics of glucocorticoid-receptor complexes in rat thymus cells.

Abstract Using cortisol and dexamethasone, we have studied the kinetic behavior of glucocorticoid receptors in intact rat thymus cells at 37°C. As reported previously, translocation of the cortisol-receptor complexes from “cytoplasmic” to nuclear-bound form takes about 1 min. At 26°C this time is doubled. Consistent with these observations and with the current view that formation of nuclear-bound complex must be preceded by formation of cytoplasmic complex, on addition of hormone to cells at 37°C the initial time-course of formation of cytoplasmic complex precedes that of nuclear complex by about 30 s. After cells have achieved a steady state with [ 3 H]-dexamethasone, however, a “chase” of unlabelled dexamethasone lowers nuclear levels of [ 3 H]-dexamethasone several minutes before cytoplasmic levels, suggesting formation of nuclear complex by direct reaction of hormone with nuclear-bound receptors. Following depletion of cytoplasmic receptor by incubation with a high concentration of dexamethasone and then sudden lowering of steroid concentration by dilution, the time-course of replenishment of cytoplasmic receptors appears to lag significantly behind the time-course of removal of nuclear-bound steroid. The lag is roughly the same magnitude as the time-constant of dissociation of the glucocorticoid used, and is much shorter with cortisol. The pathway of replenishment thus may be different from simple reversal of the pathway of depletion of cytoplasmic receptor, and may depend on the dissociation rate or affinity constant of the steroid.
Expression and stability of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA splicing variants in the GH3 rat pituitary cell line.

We have employed Northern blot analyses and solution hybridization/RNase protection assays to evaluate the presence and stability of IGF-I mRNA splicing variants in the GH3 rat pituitary cell line. All of the IGF-I mRNA size classes and IGF-I mRNAs with alternately-spliced 5′-untranslated regions and E-peptide coding regions seen in adult rat liver also were present in GH3 cells, although the proportions of the 5′ splicing variants were significantly altered. In actinomycin D-treated cells, all IGF-I mRNA splicing variants were equally stable; thus, changes in the levels of some splicing variants were not due to differential mRNA stability. Additionally, all IGF-I mRNA size classes seen on Northern blots were equally stable; this data suggests that the large IGF-I mRNA species is not a precursor of the smaller species.
What is the genetic relationship between anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression share a long, close history in psychiatric nosology and treatment. The anxiety disorders, individually and as a group, exhibit remarkably high rates of comorbidity with each other and with major depression. Analyses done in large-scale epidemiologic surveys have identified major patterns of phenomenological overlap between these conditions. Researchers have tested hypotheses of shared genetic etiologies as a potential basis of this relationship. In general, available family studies have found mixed evidence for co-aggregation of anxiety and depressive disorders, while twin studies more definitively indicate that shared genetic risk factors largely account for this comorbidity. Some of this appears to be accounted for by genetic variation in personality traits that broadly predispose to anxiety and depression. Molecular genetic studies of these conditions, though too early to draw firm conclusions, thus far provide tentative support for specific genetic loci that may generally influence susceptibility across the anxiety-depressive spectrum.
Enhanced simulated annealing for automatic reconfiguration of multiprocessors in space

This paper describes our recent results in developing enhanced simulated annealing algorithms using a LISP environment. The application is to use simulated annealing for automatic reconfiguration of multiprocessors in space. Our approach to solving this problem involves a combination of object-oriented programming, search strategies, knowledge based reasoning, and an advanced reconfiguration algorithm. The application was developed and is being enhanced on a LISP workstation (Xerox Dandelion) using LOOPS. This environment played an important role in both the initial success of the prototype [9] and the recent development efforts [3] [16] [22].
Circulating autoantibodies to oxidized cardiolipin correlate with isoprostane F2α-VI levels and the extent of atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice: modulation by vitamin E

Lipid peroxidation plays an important role in atherogenesis. Previous studies suggested that autoantibodies against epitopes of oxidized low-density lipoprotein may indicate the extent or rate of progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether autoantibodies to oxidized phospholipids, such as oxidized cardiolipin (OxCL), correlate with levels of isoprostane F(2alpha)-VI, a sensitive marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation, as well as with the extent of atherosclerosis. Two groups of apolipoprotein E-deficient mice were fed chow with or without vitamin E (2000 IU/kg diet) for 16 weeks. In untreated animals, autoantibodies against OxCL and urinary, plasma, and aortic isoprostane F(2alpha)-VI levels increased significantly. Vitamin E treatment significantly reduced antibody titers, isoprostane levels, and atherosclerosis at the end of the study, compared with untreated mice. Autoantibodies to OxCL correlated with aortic isoprostane F(2alpha)-VI levels (r(2) = 0.42, P =.001 for IgG and r(2) = 0.63, P <.001 for IgM). Both aortic isoprostane F(2alpha)-VI levels (r(2) = 0.59, P <.001) and titers of OxCL antibodies (r(2) = 0.70, P <.001 for IgG and r(2) = 0.68, P <.001 for IgM) correlated with the extent of aortic atherosclerosis. The fact that the levels of autoantibodies to OxCL correlated with a sensitive direct measure of lipid peroxidation in vivo and that both autoantibodies and aortic isoprostane F(2alpha)-VI levels correlated with the extent of atherosclerosis suggests that antibodies to OxCL are a sensitive indicator of in vivo lipid peroxidation and atherosclerosis.
A numerical simulation method for dissolution in porous and fractured media

Abstract We describe an algorithm for simulating reactive flows in porous media, in which the pore space is mapped explicitly. Chemical reactions at the solid–fluid boundaries lead to dissolution (or precipitation), which makes it necessary to track the movement of the solid–fluid interface during the course of the simulation. We have developed a robust algorithm for constructing a piecewise continuous ( C 1 ) surface, which enables a rapid remapping of the surface to the grid lines. The key components of the physics are the Navier–Stokes equations for fluid flow in the pore space, the convection–diffusion equation to describe the transport of chemical species, and rate equations to model the chemical kinetics at the solid surfaces. A lattice-Boltzmann model was used to simulate fluid flow in the pore space, with linear interpolation at the solid boundaries. A finite-difference scheme for the concentration field was developed, taking derivatives along the direction of the local fluid velocity. When the flow is not aligned with the grid this leads to much more accurate convective fluxes and surface concentrations than a standard Cartesian template. A robust algorithm for the surface reaction rates has been implemented, avoiding instabilities when the surface is close to a grid point. We report numerical tests of different aspects of the algorithm and assess the overall convergence of the method.
Quality of life and time trade-off utility measures in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background Contemporary clinical trials commonly measure quality of life and medical costs to establish whether therapies are both effective and cost effective. Cost-effectiveness analysis, however, requires a measure of patient utility or preferences for various health states. Because utilities are not often measured directly, we sought to develop a method of translating standard quality-of-life scales into a patient utility measure.Methods Five hundred fifty-three patients enrolled in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation Study of Economics and Quality of Life completed a battery of quality-of-life measures and a time trade-off utility assessment an average of 7.3 years after random assignment.Results The mean time trade-off score was 8.54 (SD = 2.53) out of a maximum of 10; median score was 9.95. The distribution of scores was skewed, with 12% of patients at the highest possible score of 10. Patients with recurrent angina had significantly lower time trade-off scores than patients without angina (mean 7.03 vs 8.70, P < .05). Time trade-off scores were moderately correlated with each quality-of-life measure (Spearman coefficients 0.38-0.52). Time trade-off scores could be predicted by combinations of 4 (r2 = 0.29), 5 (r2 = 0.31), or 6 (r2 = 0.32) variables.Conclusions Time trade-off utility scores can be inferred from commonly used quality-of-life measures. Angina significantly reduces patient utility scores. (Am Heart J 2003;145:36-41.)
Auditory distance perception by translating observers

The authors consider auditory distance perception of a moving observer and its relevance for the perception of stationary and moving sources. They begin with a review of some of the acoustic cues to source distance, focusing on the dynamic cues available under observer translation (motion parallax and acoustic tau). They report an experiment indicating the level of accuracy with which stationary and translating observers are able to localize stationary sources from 2 to 6 m away. Given the significant errors associated with these near distances, it would appear that the perceptual assessment of the 3-D trajectory of a real or virtual source, especially a distant one, is likely to be substantially in error. Even so, motion parallax and acoustic tau are informative about the relative motion between observer and source. >
Excitation Spectra of Bound Excitons and Bound Multiexciton Complexes in n-Type Si

A theoretical calculation is presented of the excitation spectra of bound excitons and bound multiexciton complexes associated with donors in Si. The energy separations between the one-electron excited states and the ground states obtained in this calculation are in good agreement with the experimental data and indicate that the assignment of electrons to the one-electron donor states forms a good basis for these states.