cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High resolution gas chromatographic determination of the atmospheric reactivity of engine-out hydrocarbon emissions from a spark-ignited engine

The reactivities of engine-out exhaust hydrocarbon (HC) emissions in photochemical smog formation have been determined for three fuels (isooctane, an aromatic blend, and a gasoline) in a single-cylinder, spark-ignited engine. High resolution capillary GC was used to determine the mole fractions of the exhaust hydrocarbon species. Temperature programmed chromatography on a single capillary column was sufficient to separate the major exhaust species. A library of approximately 160 hydrocarbon species was used to identify typically 90–95 % of the HC species present. GC-MS was used selectively to verify peak assignments. The effect of engine operating parameters (fuel-to-air ratio, spark timing, and speed) on reactivity was examined. Engine operating parameters affect both total emissions [g/mile] and the specific atmospheric reactivity [g ozone/g HC emissions] of these emissions. Changing the operating parameters to control total emissions may not be as effective as expected in controlling the total reactivity [g ozone/mile] of the emissions because the specific reactivity can also change simultaneously. Effects of changes in operating parameters differ significantly as the type of fuel is varied. The ability to measure exhaust hydrocarbon species emissions accurately and quickly will increase in importance as reactivity-based emissions standards come into widespread use.
What Are the Learning Styles of Community College Accounting Teachers and Students

The first year accounting college course is considered a gatekeeper course. If a student fails this course, it could affect their entire degree program (Duchac & Amoruso, 2012). In addition, it might preclude them from employment opportunities in the accounting profession (Pratt, 2013; Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). One factor that could improve the quality of the course, as mentioned by the Pathways report (The Pathways Commission, 2012), is learning style. Little is known about the learning styles of accounting teachers and students, as research thus far has focused on programs such as physiology (Breckler, Joun, & Ngo, 2009) and engineering (Katsioloudis & Fantz, 2012). The main question for this research was this: What are the learning styles of community college accounting teachers and students? One interesting finding is that almost a third of the students reported to have a Kinesthetic Learning Style. Accounting teachers had a range of learning styles. Opportunities fo...
Validating the revised Test of Spoken English against a criterion of communicative success

A communicative competence orientation was taken to study the validity of test-score inferences derived from the revised Test of Spoken English (TSE). To implement the approach, a sample of undergraduate students, primarily native speakers of English, provided a variety of reactions to, and judgements of, the test responses of a sample of TSE examinees. The TSE scores of these examinees, previously determined by official TSE raters, spanned the full range of TSE score levels. Undergraduate students were selected as ‘evaluators’ because they, more than most other groups, are likely to interact with TSE examinees, many of whom become teaching assistants.Student evaluations were captured by devising and administering a secondary listening test (SLT) to assess students’ understanding of TSE examinees’ speech, as represented by their taped responses to tasks on the TSE. The objective was to determine the degree to which official TSE scores are predictive of listeners’ ability to understand the messages conveye...
The Primate Globus Pallidus and its Feline and Avian Homologues: A Golgi and Electron Microscopic Study

The following description of the monkey globus pallidus is based on Golgi impregnations of the macaque monkey (Macaca mulatto) and on electron micrographs of the squirrel (Saimiri sciureus) and macaque monkeys. It will be seen that the Golgi preparations provide an invaluable guide. Without them interpretation of the electron micrographs would have been difficult, if not impossible.
Anticipatory Guidance and Psychoeducation as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology

The aim of this review was to critically evaluate the literature on anticipatory guidance and psychoeducation for youth with cancer and their caregivers. Twenty-one publications were identified. Overall, psychoeducation efforts and interventions were well-liked and accepted by patients and caregivers, improved patient and family knowledge about childhood cancer, and increased patient's health locus of control. A number of modalities are effective in giving families anticipatory guidance, provided the content and delivery are matched to the needs and preferences of individual patients and caregivers. Evidence supports a strong recommendation for psychoeducation for youth with cancer and their families.
Disastrous Disasters: Restoring Civil Rights Protections for Victims of the State in Natural Disasters

This article traces examples of state, local and federal governmental responses to natural disasters over the past 100 years in American history. From the prejudice and violence perpetuated against Chinese-Americans after the great 1906 Earthquake hit San Francisco, to the disparate treatment of poor, minority victims of Hurricane Katrina, I conclude that the American government has persistently and consistently responded to natural emergencies with racial and socio-economic bias. These responses, I argue, constitute governmental sponsored discrimination. Moreover, they greatly exacerbate the already vast public health disparities that already divide our nation. The thesis of this article is that the American government, at local, state and federal levels, must be held accountable for the direct and primary role played in causing the racially and economically disparate disasters that preceded and followed Hurricane Katrina. The article proposes to use Civil False Claims Act as a tool to address this discriminatory behavior, and thus is distinguishable from my earlier work arguing to limit application of this statute. However, the article notes the nearly fatal blows the United States Supreme Court has delivered to the Civil Rights statutes that might have been useful in addressing the public health disparities that are created after natural disasters, and concludes that this and other factors make the False Claims Act the current weapon of choice to combat public health disparities that arise from discriminatory governmental conduct after natural disasters.
Solution-Phase Parallel Synthesis and SAR of Homopiperazinyl Analogs as Positive Allosteric Modulators of mGlu4

Using a functional high-throughput screening (HTS) and subsequent solution-phase parallel synthesis approach, we have discovered a novel series of positive allosteric modulators for mGlu4, a G-protein coupled receptor. This series is comprised of a homopiperazine central core. The solution-phase parallel synthesis and SAR of analogs derived from this series will be presented. This series of positive allosteric modulators of mGlu4 provide critical research tools to further probe the mGlu4-mediated effects in Parkinson’s disease.
Molecular dynamics simulations of human serum albumin and role of disulfide bonds.

Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of human serum albumin in the presence and absence of disulfide bonds are presented. Simulations of 70 ns duration provide information on the relevance of disulfide bonds in the dynamics and structural conformation of HSA. Significant conformational changes are observed in the absence of disulfide bonds after 35 ns that could impact the functionality and stability of the protein. Changes in the secondary structure, hydrogen bonds, B factors, and cross-correlations reveal which disulfide bonds are important for keeping the secondary and tertiary structure and dynamics of the protein (e.g., Cys168–Cys177, Cys278–Cys289) and which have little effect on the local structure and dynamics (e.g., Cys200–Cys246, Cys461–Cys477). Removing all disulfide bonds in the protein appears to be a practical prescreening tool for identifying disulfide bonds relevant to structure and dynamics. In the absence of disulfide bonds, certain hydrogen bonds and correlated motions vanish, affec...
Shir-i Shian and the Fifth-Millennium Sequence of Northern Iran

For decades, the fifth-millennium cultural sequence of northern Iran has not been well understood due to a dearth of radiocarbon-dated stratigraphic excavations in this region. Recent work by Anglo-Iranian teams in north-central Iran has done much to change this picture, but an in-depth study of the material culture—particu— larly the ceramics—from this research is desperately needed to sort out many of the chronological problems associated with the new radiocarbon sequence. In order to instigate this discussion, this article seeks to draw out the remaining discrepancies in the archaeological sequence of the fifth millennium in northern Iran, and to juxtapose them with a complete publication of the fifth-millennium site of Shir-i Shian in north-eastern Iran, based upon archival records in the University of Pennsylvania Museum. This enigmatic site, excavated in the 1930s by Erich F. Schmidt but never published, displays a material culture known from mid―late fifth-millennium sites in both northern Iran and southern Turkmenistan. As such, it provides a critical link between these two regions, and highlights many of the problems inherent with forming a unified chronological sequence for the fifth millennium BC.
Religion, families, and health: Population-based research in the United States

Religion is a major social institution in the United States. While the scientific community has experienced a resurgence in the idea that there are important linkages between religion and family life and religion and health outcomes, this area of study is still in its early stages of development, scattered across multiple disciplines, and of uneven quality. To date, no book has featured both reviews of the literature and new empirical findings that define this area for the present and set the agenda for the twenty-first century. ""Religion, Families, and Health"" fills this void by bringing together leading social scientists who provide a theoretically rich, methodologically rigorous, and exciting glimpse into a fascinating social institution that continues to be extremely important in the lives of Americans.
Bulk Crystal Growth, and High-Resolution X-ray Diffraction Results of LiZnAs Semiconductor Material

LiZnAs is being explored as a candidate for solid-state neutron detectors. The compact form, solid-state device would have greater efficiency than present day gas-filled 3He and 10BF3 detectors. Devices fabricated from LiZnAs having either natural Li (nominally 7.5% 6Li) or enriched 6Li (usually 95% 6Li) as constituent atoms may provide a material for compact high efficiency neutron detectors. The 6Li(n,t)4He reaction yields a total Q-value of 4.78 MeV, an energy larger than that of the 10B reaction, which can easily be identified above background radiations. LiZnAs material was synthesized by preparing equimolar portions of Li, Zn, and As sealed under vacuum (10−6 Torr) in quartz ampoules lined with boron nitride and subsequently reacted in a compounding furnace (Montag et al. in J Cryst Growth 412:103, 2015). The raw synthesized LiZnAs was purified by a static vacuum sublimation in quartz (Montag et al. in J Cryst Growth 438:99, 2016). Bulk crystalline LiZnAs ingots were grown from the purified material with a high-temperature Bridgman-style growth process described here. One of the largest LiZnAs ingots harvested was 9.6 mm in diameter and 4.2 mm in length. Samples were harvested from the ingot and were characterized for crystallinity using a Bruker AXS Inc. D8 AXS Inc. D2 CRYSO, energy dispersive x-ray diffractometer, and a Bruker AXS Inc. D8 DISCOVER, high-resolution x-ray diffractometer equipped with molybdenum radiation, Gobel mirror, four bounce germanium monochromator and a scintillation detector. The primary beam divergence was determined to be 0.004°, using a single crystal Si standard. The x-ray based characterization revealed that the samples nucleated in the (110) direction and a high-resolution open detector rocking curve recorded on the (220) LiZnAs yielded a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.235°. Sectional pole figures using off-axis reflections of the (211) LiZnAs confirmed in-plane ordering, and also indicated the presence of multiple domains. The LiZnAs bulk crystals exhibited a Primitive Cubic Bravais lattice instead of the commonly reported Face-centered Cubic Bravais lattice. The lattice constant was determined to be 5.5146 ± 0.0003 A.
Omni-directional lens for structure-borne wave focusing and energy harvesting

In this paper, a Luneburg lens is explored for omnidirectional structure-borne wave focusing both numerically and experimentally. The proposed lens is formed by radially distributed blind holes with different diameters based on the gradient index phononic crystal theory. The radial orientation and diameter of the holes are determined according to the refractive index distribution which is guided by finite-element simulations of the lowest asymmetric mode Lamb wave band diagrams. According to this design, the wave travels slower at the center of the lens and converges at the focal spot which is on the circular lens boundary. Wave simulations are performed in COMSOL Multiphysics® under plane wave excitation from a line source and wave focusing is observed at the opposite border of the lens with respect to the incoming wave direction. Experimentally measured wave fields with a scanning laser vibrometer successfully validate simulated wave focusing. Furthermore, omnidirectionality is verified by testing the lens under plane wave excitation from different directions. With piezoelectric energy harvesters located at the boundary of the Luneburg lens substantially larger power output can be obtained as compared to the baseline case of energy harvesting without the lens on the uniform plate counterpart for the same incident plane wave excitation.
The Magnetism of FeOCl Revisited: Observation of Low Field Spin-Flop Behavior for the Polycrystalline Form

Applied field Mossbauer spectroscopy is used in the initial characterization of the low field part of the H versus T phase diagram of FeOCl in its polycrystalline form. These experiments indicate that FeOCl has largely “spin-flopped” for H0∼3 Tesla at 4.2K.
Benefits and Challenges of Lung Cancer Screening in Older Adults

Abstract Purpose Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography has been shown to significantly reduce lung cancer–related mortality in high-risk patients. However, patients diagnosed with lung cancer are typically older and often have multiple age- and smoking-related comorbidities. As a result, cancer screening in older adults remains a complex decision, requiring careful consideration of patients' risk characteristics and life expectancy to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks of screening. In this review, we evaluate the evidence regarding lung cancer screening, with a focus on older patients. Methods PubMed was searched to identify relevant studies evaluating the clinical outcomes of lung cancer screening. The key words used in our search included non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), screening, older, comorbidities, computed tomography, and survival. While we primarily looked for articles specific to older patients, we also focused on subgroup analysis in older patients in larger studies. Finally, we reviewed all relevant guidelines regarding lung cancer screening. Findings Guidelines recommend that lung cancer screening be considered in adults aged 55 to 80 years who are at high risk based on smoking history (ie, 30-pack–year smoking history; having smoked within the past 15 years). Patients who fit these criteria have been shown to have a 20% reduction in lung cancer–related mortality with the use of low-dose computed tomography versus chest radiography. High rates of false-positive results and potential overdiagnoses were also observed. Therefore, screening is generally not recommended in adults with severe comorbidities or short life expectancy, who may experience limited benefit and higher risks with screening. However, several studies have shown a benefit with continued lung cancer screening with appropriate selection of older individuals at the highest risk and with the lowest comorbidities. Implications Older patients experience the highest risk for lung cancer incidence and mortality, and stand to be the most likely to benefit from lung cancer screening. However, careful consideration must be given to higher rates of false-positives and overdiagnosis in this population, as well as tolerability of surgery and competing risks for death from other causes. The appropriate selection of older individuals for lung cancer screening can be greatly optimized by using validated risk-based targeting.
Supersonic Jet Ignition

Motivated by the fact that turbulent jets from straight nozzles could ignite a lean (0.5 < ϕ < 0.9) main chamber reliably as discussed in Chap. 2, we wanted to explore the possibility to reach ultra-lean limit using supersonic jets. The same experimental setup that uses a dual-chamber design (a small pre-chamber resided within the big main chamber) was used except the straight nozzles were replaced by converging or converging-diverging (C-D) nozzles. The primary focus was to reveal the characteristics of supersonic jet ignition, in comparison to subsonic jet ignition. Another intention behind supersonic jets was from ignition delay standpoint; a high-speed jet could well reduce the ignition delay. Simultaneous high-speed schlieren photography and OH* chemiluminescence were applied to visualize the supersonic jet penetration and ignition processes in the main chamber. Infrared imaging was used to characterize the thermal field of the hot jet. Numerical simulations were carried out using the commercial CFD code, Fluent 15.0, to characterize the transient supersonic jet, including spatial and temporal distribution of species, temperature and turbulence parameters, velocity, Mach number, turbulent intensity, and so on. The present work focuses on the effect of supersonic jets on lean flammability limits.
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder After Nonfatal Opioid Overdose and Association With Mortality: A Cohort Study.

Background Opioid overdose survivors have an increased risk for death. Whether use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) after overdose is associated with mortality is not known. Objective To identify MOUD use after opioid overdose and its association with all-cause and opioid-related mortality. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting 7 individually linked data sets from Massachusetts government agencies. Participants 17 568 Massachusetts adults without cancer who survived an opioid overdose between 2012 and 2014. Measurements Three types of MOUD were examined: methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Exposure to MOUD was identified at monthly intervals, and persons were considered exposed through the month after last receipt. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine MOUD as a monthly time-varying exposure variable to predict time to all-cause and opioid-related mortality. Results In the 12 months after a nonfatal overdose, 2040 persons (11%) enrolled in MMT for a median of 5 months (interquartile range, 2 to 9 months), 3022 persons (17%) received buprenorphine for a median of 4 months (interquartile range, 2 to 8 months), and 1099 persons (6%) received naltrexone for a median of 1 month (interquartile range, 1 to 2 months). Among the entire cohort, all-cause mortality was 4.7 deaths (95% CI, 4.4 to 5.0 deaths) per 100 person-years and opioid-related mortality was 2.1 deaths (CI, 1.9 to 2.4 deaths) per 100 person-years. Compared with no MOUD, MMT was associated with decreased all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.47 [CI, 0.32 to 0.71]) and opioid-related mortality (AHR, 0.41 [CI, 0.24 to 0.70]). Buprenorphine was associated with decreased all-cause mortality (AHR, 0.63 [CI, 0.46 to 0.87]) and opioid-related mortality (AHR, 0.62 [CI, 0.41 to 0.92]). No associations between naltrexone and all-cause mortality (AHR, 1.44 [CI, 0.84 to 2.46]) or opioid-related mortality (AHR, 1.42 [CI, 0.73 to 2.79]) were identified. Limitation Few events among naltrexone recipients preclude confident conclusions. Conclusion A minority of opioid overdose survivors received MOUD. Buprenorphine and MMT were associated with reduced all-cause and opioid-related mortality. Primary funding source National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.
FPGA Implementation of Very Large Associative Memories

Associative networks have a number of properties, including a rapid, compute efficient best-match and intrinsic fault tolerance, that make them ideal for many applications. However, large networks can be slow to emulate because of their storage and bandwidth requirements. In this chapter we present a simple but effective model of association and then discuss a performance analysis we have done in implementing this model on a single high-end PC workstation, a PC cluster, and FPGA hardware.
Comparing Interactions of a Three-Coordinate Pd Cation with Common Weakly Coordinating Anions

A series of complexes Pd(IPr)(C(O)C9H6N)X has been prepared where X is a weakly coordinating anion (WCA). [Pd(IPr)(C(O)C9H6N)]+ can be isolated as a 3-coordinate, air- and moisture-stable Pd(II) cation when paired with sterically encumbered WCAs. Using NMR, IR, X-ray diffraction, and computational (DFT, NBO) techniques, the coordination ability of WCAs in both solid and solution state is compared. The IPr methine isopropyl 1H NMR chemical shift and the anion’s percent buried volume (%Vbur) are highly sensitive to the steric encumbrance of the anion, while IR and NBO analysis offer a measure of relative donor strength. On the basis of computed νCO, the coordinating abilities of anions studied are as follows BArF4– ∼ [(BCF)2(imid)]− < SbF6– < PF6– < BF4– < NTf2– < ClO4– < OTf– < Cl–.
Definitive identification of indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in shoots of Coleus blumei by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Mass spectra provide definitive identification of indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in shoots of Coleus blumei, a species used for studying the hormone control of plant development since the early 1930s.
Metrics for Discrete Student Models: Chance Levels, Comparisons, and Use Cases

Metrics including Cohen’s kappa, precision, recall, and F1 are common measures of performance for models of discrete student states, such as a student’s affect or behaviour. This study examined discrete model metrics for previously published student model examples to identify situations where metrics provided differing perspectives on model performance. Simulated models also systematically showed the effects of imbalanced class distributions in both data and predictions, in terms of the values of metrics and the chance levels (values obtained by making random predictions) for those metrics. Random chance level for F1 was also established and evaluated. Results for example student models showed that over-prediction of the class of interest (positive class) was relatively common. Chance-level F1 was inflated by over-prediction; conversely, maximum possible values for F1 and kappa were negatively impacted by over-prediction of the positive class. Additionally, normalization methods for F1 relative to chance are discussed and compared to kappa, demonstrating an equivalence between kappa and normalized F1. Finally, implications of results for choice of metrics are discussed in the context of common student modelling goals, such as avoiding false negatives for student states that are negatively related to learning.
Linking surface chemistry to photovoltage in Sr-substituted LaFeO3 for water oxidation

Perovskite oxides are promising materials for photoabsorbers and electrocatalysts for solar-driven water oxidation. Aliovalent doping can tune the transition metal redox properties as well as the material band gap and conductivity, resulting in a rich phase space of possible water-oxidation photoanodes. We consider the substitution of Sr2+ for La3+ in LaFeO3 epitaxial thin films, where the well-defined nature of the flat surface and path for charge transport enables fundamental studies of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Sr incorporation increases the photovoltage, but at the expense of photocurrent. The use of a fast redox couple to efficiently collect photogenerated holes indicates an even lower onset of oxidative current; the difference between this onset and that of water oxidation arises from the involvement of surface states during water oxidation. Measurements of the surface speciation in a humid environment demonstrate that Sr incorporation also promotes hydroxylation, suggesting that water oxidation proceeds through the oxidation of FeIII–OH states, which is facilitated by Sr incorporation and results in an increased photovoltage.
Adopting additive-hybrid manufacturing: the role of capacity in implementation decision

The integration of additive manufacturing (AM) with traditional manufacturing methods into 'hybrid manufacturing' has increased the potential uses of AM in the manufacturing industry. This paper explores the role of production resources in a traditional manufacturing facility and economic effects on the adoption of AM via hybrid manufacturing. A price competition model is used to analyse the effects of introducing hybrid manufacturing on the market structure of a standard product with regard to prices, quantities, and profits. Numerical results show that for products manufactured in a resource constrained environment, an adoption of hybrid manufacturing into one firm's portfolio, in addition to improving its own profitability, may potentially improve the profitability of its competitor who chooses not to adopt hybrid manufacturing. Firms can use this price competition model to determine whether they wish to be the 'first' in the market to offer hybrid-AM services or to compete with firms already offering such services.
Accuracy of Distinguishing Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia From Ductal Carcinoma In Situ With Convolutional Neural Network–Based Machine Learning Approach Using Mammographic Image Data

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that convolutional neural networks can be used to predict which patients with pure atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) may be safely mo...
Current endovascular strategies for posterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke: report of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery Standards and Guidelines Committee.

Background The aim of this publication is to provide a detailed update on the diagnosis, treatment, and endovascular techniques for posterior circulation emergent large vessel occlusion (pc-ELVO). Methods We performed a review of the literature to specifically evaluate this disease and its treatments. Results Data were analyzed, and recommendations were reported based on the strength of the published evidence and expert consensus. Conclusion While many questions about pc-ELVO remain to be studied, there is evidence to support particular practices in its evaluation and treatment.
An Unusual Case of Deep Venous Thrombosis in a Young Patient: Congenital Absence of the Infrarenal Portion of the Inferior Vena Cava

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a commonly encountered diagnosis in clinical practice with a variety of well-established risk factors. Congenital absence of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is an extremely rare but established risk factor for DVT. Patients who develop DVTs are at high risk of long-term complications, including DVT recurrence and post-thrombotic syndrome. Here we report a rare case of a 27-year-old female who presented with an extensive DVT of the right lower extremity secondary to complete absence of the infrarenal portion of the IVC, confirmed on computed tomography. There is little consensus regarding the appropriate management of this patient population, and a brief review of the current evidence follows.
CTRP3 Regulates Endochondral Ossification and Bone Remodeling During Fracture Healing

C1q/TNF-related protein 3 (CTRP3) is a cytokine known to regulate a variety of metabolic processes. Though previously undescribed in the context of bone regeneration, high throughput gene expression experiments in mice identified CTRP3 as one of the most highly upregulated genes in fracture callus tissue. Hypothesizing a positive regulatory role for CTRP3 in bone regeneration, we phenotyped skeletal development and fracture healing in CTRP3 knockout (KO) and CTRP3 overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice relative to wild-type (WT) control animals. CTRP3 KO mice experienced delayed endochondral fracture healing, resulting in abnormal mineral distribution, the presence of periosteal marrow compartments, and a nonunion-like state. Decreased osteoclast number was also observed in CTRP3 KO mice, whereas CTRP3 TG mice underwent accelerated callus remodeling. Gene expression profiling revealed a broad impact on osteoblast/osteoclast lineage commitment and metabolism, including arrested progression toward mature skeletal lineages in the KO group. A single systemic injection of CTRP3 protein at the time of fracture was insufficient to phenocopy the chronic TG healing response in WT mice. By associating CTRP3 levels with fracture healing progression, these data identify a novel protein family with potential therapeutic and diagnostic value. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:00-19966, 2020.
Good Sediment: Race and Restoration in Coastal Louisiana

Building on a small, yet growing body of scholarship focused on the political ecology of race and critical race studies of science and technology, this article follows the ways sediment, science, a...
Cardioprotective Effect of Marsdenia tenacissima and Sansevieria roxburghiana in Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats in vivo: The Role of Dresgenin and Lupeol

Objectives The major adverse effect of doxorubicin (DOX) in cancer treatment is cardiac toxicity. Murva is a controversial plant used in the Ayurvedic system, which consist of more than 12 medicinal plant roots found in different parts of India. Marsdenia tenacissima (MT) is an acceptable source in Murva, whereas Sansevieria roxburghiana (SR) Schult & Schult.f. (S. zeylanica Roxb.) are also considered as Murva in West Bengal, India. The present study focused on the evaluation of the cardioprotective mechanism as well as the in vivo cardioprotective potential of methanol extracts of MT and SR on rats by using in silico methods. Materials and methods A total of 48 rats were divided into 8 groups with 6 in each group. DOX 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.) was administered to all rats on the 13th day, with the exception of group 1. Group 2 was the disease control, group 3 was the treated with the standard drug propronolol, and groups 4 to 5 were treated with two lower doses of methanol extract of MT (MEMT) and methanol extract of SR (MESR), whereas group 7 received higher dose combinations of both extracts for 14 continuous days. Blood and tissue antioxidant levels as well as cardiac enzymes were measured at the end of the study. Damage to cellular functional units was analyzed by histopathological study. Dresgenin from MT similarly lupeol from SR were taken as ligands for the target peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARα) protein to find out the mechanism of action. High-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting was performed to determine the number of phytoconstituents present in both extracts. Results The combination that showed the most significant (p Conclusion The study results concluded that the combination of MESR and MEMT and that of MESR and MEMT exerted cardioprotective activity via binding of dresgenin and lupeol to PPARα. The order of efficacy was the extract combination > MESR > MEMT.
Activation of Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in Human Endothelial Cells Infected with Pathogenic Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae

Attributed to the tropism for host microvascular endothelium lining the blood vessels, vascular inflammation and dysfunction represent salient features of rickettsial pathogenesis, yet the details of fundamentally important pathogen interactions with host endothelial cells (ECs) as the primary targets of infection remain poorly appreciated. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine protein kinase of the phosphatidylinositol kinase-related kinase family, assembles into two functionally distinct complexes, namely mTORC1 (Raptor) and mTORC2 (Rictor), implicated in the determination of innate immune responses to intracellular pathogens via transcriptional regulation. In the present study, we investigated activation status of mTOR and its potential contributions to host EC responses during Rickettsia rickettsii and R. conorii infection. Protein lysates from infected ECs were analyzed for threonine 421/serine 424 phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase (p70 S6K) and that of serine 2448 on mTOR itself as established markers of mTORC1 activation. For mTORC2, we assessed phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) and protein kinase C (PKC), respectively, on serine 473 and serine 657. The results suggest increased phosphorylation of p70 S6K and mTOR during Rickettsia infection of ECs as early as 3 h and persisting for up to 24 h post-infection. The steady-state levels of phospho-Akt and phospho-PKC were also increased. Infection with pathogenic rickettsiae also resulted in the formation of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3-II) puncta and increased lipidation of LC3-II, a response significantly inhibited by introduction of siRNA targeting mTORC1 into ECs. These findings thus yield first evidence for the activation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 during EC infection in vitro with Rickettsia species and suggest that early induction of autophagy in response to intracellular infection might be regulated by this important pathway known to function as a central integrator of cellular immunity and inflammation.
Abstract 16760: Comparing Major Complications Between Radiofrequency and Cryoballoon Ablation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Catheter ablation has become the cornerstone for the treatment of drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Two main forms of energy are used: cryoablation (CB) and radiofrequen...
ALL FOR ONE :::ONE FOR ALL? A PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF LATIN AMERICAN BRADY BOND DEBT FROM 1994 TO 2000

We use Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to study the Brady Bond Debt of the four primary Latin American sovereign issuers: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. Our dataset covers a period of 5½ years starting in July 1994 and consists of daily sovereign ("stripped") yield levels for the par and discount debt securities of each country. We examine the behavior of the characteristic roots and eigenvectors of the empirical covariance matrices computed sequentially over different periods. We show that, by and large, there exist two statistically significant components, or factors, which explain up to 90% of the realized variance. The eigenvector with largest eigenvalue corresponds to the variance attributable to "regional" ("Latin") risk. The second component strongly suggests the existence of a volatility risk factor associated to Venezuelan debt in relation to the rest of the region. A time-dependent factor analyis reveals that the importance of the variance explained by the factor changes over time and that this variation can be interpreted to some extent in terms of market events. In particular, we investigate the relation between the evolution of the PCA factors with the market dislocations that ocurred during the observation period, including the so-called Tequila effect, Asian flu, Ruble devaluation, and Real devaluation.
The Future of Simulation in Healthcare Safety and System Improvement

This chapter provides a framework for understanding how synergies between well-established human factors science and simulation can benefit healthcare delivery. We review examples of modern and forward-looking applications of simulation and describe where human factors and ergonomics can be leveraged to ensure simulations are effective at minimizing harm and improving patient outcomes, as well as future directions of simulation-based systems improvement that can enrich and improve patient care.
Autism and Hidden Imagination: Raising and Educating Children Who Cannot Express Their Minds

This is a reflection on an article written in 2007, entitled Autism and the Artistic Imagination: The Link between Visual Thinking and Intelligence. The author is a parent of a 6-year-old with autism who is now 19 and is non-verbal who has trouble expressing his thoughts, feelings and desires, and discusses some theories behind autism spectrum communication disorders and seeks to understand why there is so much difficulty with communication with some on the spectrum. The 2007 article employed Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory as a framework to discuss the visual and spatial learning abilities of kids with autism, and this update posits that the nonspeaking population of the autism community do indeed have different ways of understanding the world, theories of mind and awareness enough to be able to communicate if only the proper links and opportunities are provided. The lack of communication is not due to a lack of a sense of self, but of a lack of understanding of the neuro-typical community that people with autism are speaking a second language, and need help with the translation.
TRIPS Agreement: Towards a Better Protection for Geographical Indications?

Geographical Indications (GIs) are intellectual property rights.' Like trademarks or commercial names, GIs are distinctive signs which permit the identification of products on the market. They do not, however, protect products or production methods as such, but, rather, confer to all producers from a given geographical area the exclusive right to use a distinctive sign to identifY their products if they possess a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic attributable to their geographical origins.' Prior to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS or the TRIPS Agreement), source indications with geographical significance comprised two categories: appellations of origin and indications of source. Appella-
Traitor-tracing on binary strings.

Codes with the Identifiable Parent Property (IPP) have been studied in the context of traitor tracing; such codes can be used to enable a data supplier to determine the origin of pirated data. We consider an analogous property for a set of binary strings S: if a new string τ is formed by concatenating substrings of members of S, we should be able to identify at least one original string which must have been used to generate τ . We prove upper and lower bounds for the size of sets which satisfy this property.
The Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific: A Constructive Approach to Multilateralizing Asian Regionalism

This paper examines the prospect of realizing regional economic integration via the mechanism of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). The FTAAP initiative represents a politically ambitious, high potential benefit option for achieving Asian regional integration. Among its desirable attributes, the FTAAP initiative could help revive and promote a successful conclusion of the Doha Round negotiations; constitute a 'Plan B' hedge if Doha fails; short-circuit the further proliferation of bilateral and sub-regional preferential agreements that create substantial new discrimination and discord within the Asia-Pacific region; defuse the renewed risk of 'drawing a line down the middle of the Pacific' as East Asian, and perhaps the Western Hemisphere, initiatives produce disintegration of the Asia-Pacific region rather than the integration of that broader region that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum was created to foster; channel the People’s Republic of China-United States economic conflict into a more constructive and less confrontational context; and revitalize APEC, which is of enhanced importance because of the prospects for Asia-Pacific and especially the PRC-US fissures. An incremental approach to the FTAAP, explicitly embodying enforceable reciprocal commitments, offers the best hope delivering on the concept’s abundant benefits.
Coastal mapping and change detection using high-resolution IKONOS satellite imagery

Shoreline mapping and shoreline change detection are critical in many coastal zone applications. This paper presents results of the semi-automatic mapping of a coastal area of Lake Erie using 4-meter resolution multispectral (XS) and 1-meter resolution panchromatic (Pan) IKONOS Geo stereo images. An overview of the geometric processing of IKONOS imagery is presented. Then, the latest results of our IKONOS geopositioning accuracy improvement efforts are reported. Subsequently, methods and results of automatic generation of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and an orthoimage are outlined. Finally, a novel approach for the automatic extraction of a 3D shoreline from IKONOS images is described. Test results show that the proposed approach is capable of extracting shorelines from IKONOS images with little human interaction. The accuracies of the extracted shorelines from 4m XS and 1 m Pan stereo images are estimated to be 8.5m and 2-3m, respectively.
Resolution Strategies for the Intuitionistic Logic

This paper presents a general scheme of transforming a cutfree Gentzen-type system into a resolution type system, preserving the structure of derivations. This is a direct extension of the method introduced by Maslov for classical predicate logic. Ideas of the author and Zamov are used to avoid skolemization. Completeness of strategies is first established for the Gentzen-type system, and then transferred to resolution. The method is illustrated for the intuitionistic propositional and predicate calculus.
Monte Carlo Calculations of High-Energy Nucleon-Meson Cascades and Comparison with Experiment

A Monte Carlo transport code for calculating high-energy nucleon-meson cascades in thick targets is described. The calculational method uses an intra-nuclear-cascade-extrapolation-evaporation model...
Beyond National Identity: Collective Schemata of the Nation in Thirty Countries

The paper explores a novel approach to the study of popular nationalism by aggregating and comparing the manner in which survey respondents from 30 countries conceive of their nations. By focusing on the correlation structure of attitudinal measures of nationalism from the International Social Survey Program, rather than simply on the content of individual survey responses, the study explicitly examines the heterogeneity of meaning attached to particular measures by individual respondents. This analytic technique is based on the assumption that the same answer to a survey question can mean two different things to two different respondents and that this difference in meaning can be observed by examining how each respondent answered other questions on the survey. Once the individual response profiles are aggregated to the national level, the cross-national attitudinal variation is explained in terms of the countries’ political, economic, and demographic attributes, as well as the historical trajectories of their nation- and state-building processes.
ABERRANT CORNEAL EPITHELIAL CELLS PRODUCED BY RUBY LASER IRRADIATION.

Abstract : Rat corneas were exposed to either 4 joules per sq cm or 8 joules per sq cm and were harvested at varying times following laser exposure. Corneal whole mounts were evaluated for changes in either the differential mitotic cell count or the mitotic index. Ruby laser radiation (6,943 A) produces aberrations in the corneal epithelium of the rat. At 8 joules per sq cm both interphase cells and cells in active mitosis were obviously altered. At 4 joules per sq cm aberrant corneal epithelial cells became apparent immediately after laser irradiation, and some were still present 30 days later. The mechanism by which laser radiation alters the cornea remains obscure. (Author)
Measuring and Modelling Variation in the Risk-Return Trade-off

Are excess stock market returns predictable over time and, if so, at what horizons and with which economic indicators? Can stock return predictability be explained by changes in stock market volatility? How does the mean return per unit risk change over time? This chapter reviews what is known about the time-series evolution of the risk-return tradeoff for stock market investment, and presents some new empirical evidence using a proxy for the log consumption-aggregate wealth ratio as a predictor of both the mean and volatility of excess stock market returns. We characterize the risk-return tradeoff as the conditional expected excess return on a broad stock market index divided by its conditional standard deviation, a quantity commonly known as the Sharpe ratio. Our own investigation suggests that variation in the equity risk-premium is strongly negatively linked to variation in market volatility, at odds with leading asset pricing models. Since the conditional volatility and conditional mean move in opposite directions, the degree of countercyclicality in the Sharpe ratio that we document here is far more dramatic than that produced by existing equilibrium models of financial market behaviour, which completely miss the sheer magnitude of variation in the price of stock market risk.
Tetramethylene Optimized by MRCI and by CASSCF with a Multiply Polarized Basis Set

Six stationary points of tetramethylene were optimized with a 44CAS-MCSCF wave function and a basis set consisting of [4s3p2d1f] on C and [2s1p] on H. Energies were corrected by multireference CI with all single and double excitations (CISD). Three stationary points were also optimized with CISD from a 22CAS reference and a basis set consisting of [3s2p1d] on C and [2s] on H. The current results predict a much flatter potential energy surface than previous calculations. The results suggest that several stationary points previously located at lower levels of theory effectively coalesce into a broad plateau from which both cyclization and fragmentation are accessible along paths of monotonically decreasing energy. The dynamical significance of the plateau region is discussed. On the whole the results support the use of single-point CISD energy corrections at CASSCF optimized geometries of tetramethylene.
Promoter elements and second messenger pathways involved in transcriptional activation of tyrosine hydroxylase by ionomycin

Abstract Membrane depolarization, or agents which increase intracellular calcium, elicit transcriptional activation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). In this study we analyze the factors involved in the regulation of the TH promoter by a calcium ionophore. PC12 cells were transiently transfected with plasmids containing wild type or mutated 5′ flanking sequences of the rat TH gene, fused to bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT). Point mutations introduced into the consensus cAMP-regulatory element (CRE) abolished the induction of CAT by ionomycin indicating that it is essential for mediating the calcium response. An intact and functional AP1 site did not confer calcium inducibility when the CRE/CaRE sequence was mutated. The extent and kinetics of the increase in intracellular calcium as well as the induction of CAT activity under the control of TH promoter by ionomycin were similar in PC12 cells and in the A123.7, protein kinase A (PKA) deficient cell line. In both cell lines addition of ionomycin rapidly increased the phosphorylation of transcription factor CREB at Ser-133. These results suggest that the activation of TH transcription by ionomycin does not require PKA. However, KN62 an inhibitor of Ca2+/calmodulin dependent (CaM) kinases prevented the induction indicating possible involvement of CAM kinases in the calcium response.