cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life and Direct Democracy

The essential logic of direct democracy measures is to offer another avenue for those who want to make their voices heard if they believe their concerns are not being attended to in the normal legislative process. For example, initiatives and referendums that circumvent the legislature constitute a means for individuals to place questions openly to their fellow constituents. Those working to place such measures on ballots are obviously doing so to promote their quality of life.
Discharge Processes and 30-Day Readmission Rates of Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure on General Medicine and Cardiology Services.

Given high rates of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and widespread adoption of the hospitalist model, patients with HF are often cared for on General Medicine (GM) services. Differences in discharge processes and 30-day readmission rates between patients on GM and those on Cardiology during the contemporary hospitalist era are unknown. The present study compared discharge processes and 30-day readmission rates of patients with HF admitted on GM services and those on Cardiology services. We retrospectively studied 926 patients discharged home after HF hospitalization. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause readmission after discharge from index hospitalization. Although 60% of patients with HF were admitted to Cardiology services, 40% were admitted to GM services. Prevalence of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular co-morbidities were similar between patients admitted to GM services and Cardiology services. Discharge summaries for patients on GM services were less likely to have reassessments of ejection fraction, new study results, weights, discharge vital signs, discharge physical examinations, and scheduled follow-up cardiologist appointments. In a multivariable regression analysis, patients on GM services were more likely to experience 30-day readmissions compared with those on Cardiology services (odds ratio 1.43 95% confidence interval [1.05 to 1.96], p = 0.02). In conclusion, outcomes are better among those admitted to Cardiology services, signaling the need for studies and interventions focusing on noncardiology hospital providers that care for patients with HF.
Contributions of Lower-Body Strength Parameters to Critical Power and Anaerobic Work Capacity.

This study examined the contribution of lower-body strength and isokinetic peak torque measures to the prediction of critical power (CP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC). Fourteen recreationally trained males (mean +/- SD age: 22.4 +/- 2.5 years; height: 177.9 +/- 7.7 cm; body mass: 84.2 +/- 12.4 kg) with anaerobic training experience participated in this study. The lower-body strength measures included 1 repetition max bilateral back squat (BSq), isokinetic peak torque at 30[degrees][middle dot]s-1 [PT30], and isokinetic peak torque at 240[degrees][middle dot]s-1 [PT240] of the dominant leg. The CP and AWC were determined from the 3-minute all-out CP cycle ergometer test (CP3MT), with the resistance set at 4.5% of the total body mass. The CP was defined as the mean power output over the final 30 seconds of the test, and the AWC was calculated using the equation, AWC = 150 seconds (P150 - CP), where P150 equals the mean power output for the first 150 seconds. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that only BSq contributed significantly to the prediction of AWC (AWC = 0.0527 [BSq] + 8.094 [standard error of estimate = 2.151 kJ; p = 0.012]), with a correlation of r2 = 0.423. None of the strength parameters significantly predicted CP. These findings indicated that BSq strength accounted for 42% of the variance in AWC, but lower-body strength was not related to CP. The current results indirectly support the unique metabolic characteristics of both CP and AWC in providing separate measures of an individual's aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, respectively.
Islamic Law in Modern Courts (Introduction)

This the first chapter of an entire published casebook on Islamic Law, and specifically the application of Islamic Law in modern courts. We expect that the work will be useful to any instructor or student interested in teaching, or learning, how modern courts in various jurisdictions apply Islamic law, irrespective of prior knowledge of Islamic law, if any. The work focuses primarily, though not exclusively, on court decisions in Iraq and Indonesia, with a lesser focus on Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, and Pakistan. There are decisions from U.S. and U.K. courts as well. The subjects covered include inheritance, marriage and divorce, Islamic finance, the waqf, criminal law, and constitutionalism.
Regulation of Calcium-Dependent Protease Activity in vitro

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses in vitro regulation of Calcium-Dependent Protease (CDPs). Two CDPs with distinct calcium ion concentration requirements are present in most if not all mammalian cells. Each enzyme is a heterodimer with subunits of approximately 80 kDa and 26 kDa. Each enzyme activity has an absolute requirement for calcium ions, approximately 5 μM for the enzyme designated CDP-I and 300 μM for CDP-2. Until recently, the function of the small subunit of the CDPs has been uncertain. Subsequent intermolecular cleavage of the small subunit, producing an 80 kDa/17 kDa heterodimer, correlates with production of a CDP-2 activity with a 20–50 fold increased sensitivity to calcium ions. Cells that contain the CDPs also contain a protein inhibitor capable of specifically and reversibly inhibiting calcium dependent proteolytic activity. The calcium-dependent association of CDPs with particulate fractions and erythrocyte ghosts has also been described. The calcium ion requirements for membrane association appear to be determined by the ion requirement for enzyme activation.
Determining the Most Profitable Target Value for a Production Process

In this paper the question of what is the best setting for the target value of an industrial process is explored. A simple graphical procedure is described which takes into account the regular and reduced selling prices, the give-away cost, and the proc..
Ceramic binder jetting additive manufacturing: Particle coating for increasing powder sinterability and part strength

Abstract The objective of this research is to test a hypothesis that particle coating increases the sinterability of ceramic powder. This method is developed for binder jetting additive manufacturing but tested using a pressing and sintering route for the simplicity. Binder jetting additive manufacturing has demonstrated its considerable capability in manufacturing ceramic parts with a complex shape and/or a customized design. Currently, the density of the ceramic parts made by binder jetting is low and their mechanical properties are inferior. The main reason is the low sinterability of the powder feedstock. A new powder surface modification method, i.e., particle coating, was applied to increase the powder sinterability and the part strength. Specifically, coarse crystalline alumina particles (70 and 10 µm in average) were coated with amorphous alumina, in which the microsized core was designed to provide the high flowability and the amorphous shell to promote sintering due to its high activity. The coated powder was pressed into disk samples and sintered. The samples from the coated powder showed significantly higher shrinkage and compressive strength than those from the raw powder, which proved the feasibility of the particle coating method to increase the powder sinterability and part strength.
Frontier Country: The Politics of War in Early Pennsylvania by Patrick Spero

When researching and writing about history, it is not always enough simply to read the words from the past. One must consider how the meanings of those words have changed over time. In Frontier Country: The Politics of War in Early Pennsylvania , author Patrick Spero uncovers the meaning of the word frontier to residents of early Pennsylvania, demonstrating how the development of frontiers shaped the colony and the new United States.
3D Capsule Networks for Object Classification from 3D Model Data

Many of the existing object classification methods today rely on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which are very successful in extracting features from the data. However, CNNs cannot sufficiently address the spatial relationship between features and require large amounts of data for training. In this paper, a new architecture is proposed for 3D object classification, which is an extension of the Capsule Networks (CapsNets) to 3D data. Our proposed 3D CapsNet architecture preserves the orientation and spatial relationship of the extracted features, and thus requires less data to train the network. We compare our approach with a ShapeNet inspired model, and show that our method provides performance improvement especially when training data size gets smaller. We also compare and evaluate several different versions of the 3D Capsnet architecture.
Anesthetics’ role in postoperative urinary retention after pelvic organ prolapse surgery with concomitant midurethral slings: a randomized clinical trial

Spinal anesthesia can be a potential risk factor for postoperative urinary retention (POUR). Our objective was to compare POUR rates for outpatient vaginal pelvic floor surgeries when using spinal versus general anesthesia. Our hypothesis was that spinal anesthesia would have higher POUR rates compared with general anesthesia. This was a randomized clinical trial on subjects undergoing outpatient pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery with a concomitant midurethral sling (MUS). Subjects were discharged home the same day as surgery. Subjects were excluded if they had a preoperative post-void residual > 150 ml, they were < 40 years of age, surgery was < 1 h, or they had contraindications to spinal or general anesthesia. A standardized voiding trial was performed. The primary aim was to compare POUR rates between anesthesia groups. A power analysis estimated 28 subjects were required per group to detect a 37% difference with 80% power and an alpha of 0.05. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on July 15, 2015. Sixty-one subjects were enrolled between June 22, 2015, and December 31, 2017. Three were excluded, leaving 29 in each group. Groups were similar in demographics. For the primary outcome, there was a 14.3% difference in POUR rates between spinal and general anesthesia, which did not reach statistical significance based on our power calculation (p = 0.2516). Based on this study, there is not an increased rate of POUR with the use of spinal anesthesia for POP surgery with MUS. However, since there was a trend toward higher rates of POUR in the spinal group, it is possible that a larger powered study design would be able to detect a statistically significant difference between the groups. Based on these findings, if surgical patients would benefit from spinal anesthesia, the risk of urinary retention should not be considered a reason to not utilize this form of anesthesia. Does spinal anesthesia for prolapse surgery with concomitant sling lead to an increase in urinary retention compared to general anesthesia? https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02547155?term=laura+martin&rank=3 (NCT02547155)
Global emissions from crude oil: The effect of oil-deposit heterogeneity

Abstract We simulate future global oil production using a model that accounts for oil-deposit heterogeneity, in order to estimate future emissions and global warming associated with oil development. Oil-deposit heterogeneity causes development costs to increase as the stock of oil deposits is depleted. We calibrate our simulations to best estimates of heterogeneous global development costs. The underlying theory implies, and our simulations confirm, that when oil-deposit heterogeneity is large enough, some crude oil may optimally be left in the ground. Our results indicate that increasing degrees of deposit heterogeneity and higher carbon taxes lead to fewer cumulative emissions from oil by 2100, but that the Paris Agreement climate goals will be difficult to meet.
The potential for battery energy storage to provide peaking capacity in the United States

Abstract Providing peaking capacity could be a significant U.S. market for energy storage. Of particular focus are batteries with 4-h duration due to rules in several regions along with these batteries’ potential to achieve life-cycle cost parity with combustion turbines compared to longer-duration batteries. However, whether 4-h energy storage can provide peak capacity depends largely on the shape of electricity demand. Under historical grid conditions, beyond about 28 GW nationally the ability of 4-h batteries to provide peak capacity begins to fall. We find that the addition of renewable generation can significantly increase storage’s potential by changing the shape of net demand patterns; for example, beyond about 10% penetration of solar photovoltaics, the national practical potential for 4-h storage to provide peak capacity doubles. The impact of wind generation is less clear and likely requires more detailed study considering the exchange of wind power across multiple regions.
A Graphical Analysis of Integer Infeasibility in UTVPI Constraints

In this paper, we discuss a theorem of the alternative for integer feasibility in a class of constraints called Unit Two Variable Per Inequality (UTVPI) constraints. In general, a theorem of the alternative gives two systems of constraints such that exactly one system is feasible. Theorems of the alternative for linear feasibility have been discussed extensively in the literature. If a theorem of the alternative provides a “succinct” certificate of infeasibility, it is said to be compact. In general, theorems of the alternative for linear feasibility are compact (see Farkas’ lemma for instance). However, compact theorems of the alternative cannot exist for integer feasibility in linear programs unless NP\(\,=\,\)coNP. A second feature of a theorem of the alternative is its form. Typically, theorems of the alternative connect pairs of linear systems. A graphical theorem of the alternative, on the other hand, connects infeasibility in a linear system to the existence of particular paths in an appropriately constructed constraint network. Graphical theorems of the alternative are known to exist for selected classes of linear programs. In this paper, we detail a compact, graphical theorem of the alternative for integer feasibility in UTVPI constraints.
Optimal Timelines for Network Processes

Structural models for network dynamics typically assume a discrete timeline of network events (node activation or link creation) and a stochastic generative process giving rise to new events based on the event history and the network structure. In order to employ these models for prediction, observational data is often aggregated at a fixed temporal resolution (e.g., minutes or days). However, the underlying network processes may “speed up” or “slow down” at different points in time, rendering observations unlikely and predictions incorrect. The challenge is to optimize the timescale for the analysis of network event data, which in turn is based on structural models of the underlying network processes. We introduce the general problem of inferring the optimal temporal resolution for network event data. The goal is to map observed network events to discrete time steps by aggregation and/or disaggregation of their original timeline such that they are collectively well-explained by structural dynamics models. We unify network growth and information diffusion models and differentiate between short- and long-memory processes. We demonstrate that while optimal temporal aggregation can be performed in polynomial time, disaggregation—and thus, the general timescale inference problem—is NP-hard. We propose scalable heuristics for the problem, some with approximation guarantees, and employ them for missing event recovery and temporal link prediction, demonstrating significant improvements (absolute increase of 10% in F1 measure for event recovery and of 5% in AUC for link prediction) compared to employing the same algorithms on the default timescale of data collection.
A non-uniform cellular automata framework for topology and sizing optimization of truss structures subjected to stress and displacement constraints

Abstract The conventional Cellular Automata (CA) approach has the disadvantage of being particularly suited for design optimization of uniform truss ground structures with identical cells. Moreover, the conventional CA algorithms, which are intrinsically local, have to be modified in order to be able to tackle problems involving displacement constraints. This paper presents a new non-uniform Cellular Automata algorithm, which is based on non-identical cells and a modified FSD/FUD approach. The new algorithm can solve the minimum weight optimization problem of truss structures including both stress and displacement constraints. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methodology are proved on a number of benchmark truss design problems.
Collective excitations in the tetravalent lanthanide honeycomb antiferromagnet Na 2 Pr O 3

Thermomagnetic and inelastic neutron-scattering measurements on ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{Pr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ are reported. This material is an antiferromagnetic honeycomb magnet based on the tetravalent lanthanide ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{4+}$ and has been proposed to host dominant antiferromagnetic Kitaev interactions. These measurements reveal magnetic fluctuations in ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{Pr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ below an energy of 2 meV as well as crystal-field excitations around 230 meV. The latter energy is comparable to the scale of the spin-orbit interaction and explains both the very small effective moment of around $1.0\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ per ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{4+}$ and the difficulty to uncover any static magnetic scattering below the ordering transition at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=$ 4.6 K. By comparing the low-energy magnetic excitations in ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{Pr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ to those of the isostructural spin-only compound, ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{Tb}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, a microscopic model of exchange interactions is developed that implicates dominant and surprisingly large Heisenberg exchange interactions $J\ensuremath{\approx}1.1(1)$ meV. Although antiferromagnetic Kitaev interactions with $\mathit{\text{K}}\ensuremath{\le}0.2J$ cannot be excluded, the inelastic neutron-scattering data of ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}\mathrm{Pr}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is best explained with a $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}=1.22$ easy-axis XXZ exchange anisotropy.
Clustering Characteristics of Li 6 from the Li 6 ( α , α x ) Y Reaction at E α = 50 MeV

The quasielastic scattering of 50-MeV $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles has been used as a tool to study the cluster configurations of the $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ nucleus by means of the $^{6}\mathrm{Li}(\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\alpha}x)Y$ reaction. Data have been obtained in kinematically complete experiments and at exact quasielastic angles for those cases corresponding to $x=p, d, t$, He, and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. Analysis has been carried out in the framework of the plane-wave impulse approximation. Quasielastic cross sections have been measured and experimental momentum distributions extracted. Theoretical fits to these distributions using simple Gaussian and exponential functions have been calculated and used to determine both absolute and relative clustering probabilities with fair success. The more reliable relative probabilities indicate strong $p, d$, and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ clustering in $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ and rather weak $t$ and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ clustering.
Inhibition of Long Noncoding RNA Linc-Pint by Hepatitis C Virus in Infected Hepatocytes Enhances Lipogenesis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS HCV often causes chronic infection in liver, cirrhosis, and, in some instances, HCC. HCV encodes several factors' those impair host genes for establishment of chronic infection. The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) display diverse effects on biological regulations. However, their role in virus replication and underlying diseases is poorly understood. In this study, we have shown that HCV exploits lncRNA long intergenic nonprotein-coding RNA, p53 induced transcript (Linc-Pint) in hepatocytes for enhancement of lipogenesis. APPROACH AND RESULTS We identified a lncRNA, Linc-Pint, which is significantly down-regulated in HCV-replicating hepatocytes and liver specimens from HCV infected patients. Using RNA pull-down proteomics, we identified serine/arginine protein specific kinase 2 (SRPK2) as an interacting partner of Linc-Pint. A subsequent study demonstrated that overexpression of Linc-Pint inhibits the expression of lipogenesis-related genes, such as fatty acid synthase and ATP-citrate lyase. We also observed that Linc-Pint significantly inhibits HCV replication. Furthermore, HCV-mediated enhanced lipogenesis can be controlled by exogenous Linc-Pint expression. Together, our results suggested that HCV-mediated down-regulation of Linc-Pint enhances lipogenesis favoring virus replication and liver disease progression. CONCLUSIONS We have shown that SRPK2 is a direct target of Linc-Pint and that depletion of SRPK2 inhibits lipogenesis. Our study contributes to the mechanistic understanding of the role of Linc-Pint in HCV-associated liver pathogenesis.
On a novel fully-decoupled, linear and second-order accurate numerical scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard–Darcy system of two-phase Hele–Shaw flow

Abstract We construct a novel fully-decoupled and second-order accurate time marching numerical scheme with unconditional energy stability for the Cahn–Hilliard–Darcy phase-field model of the two-phase Hele–Shaw flow, in which, the key idea to realize the full decoupling structure is to use the so-called “zero-energy-contribution ” function and design a special ordinary differential equation to deal with the nonlinear coupling terms between the flow field and the phase-field variable. Compared with the existing decoupling type schemes, the scheme developed here is more effective, efficient and easy to implement. At each time step, one only needs to solve a few fully-decoupled linear equations only with constant coefficients . We also strictly prove the solvability and unconditional energy stability of the scheme, and implement various numerical simulations in 2D and 3D to show the efficiency and stability of the proposed scheme numerically.
Women Empowering Wellness: An Intergenerational Faith-Based Wellness Program Profile

Faith-based organizations offer an opportunity for intergenerational relationships. Two of the major barriers in initiating these relationships include (a) providing a structured environment for in...
The necessity of conditions for graph quantum ergodicity and Cartesian products with an infinite graph.

Anantharaman and Le Masson proved that any family of eigenbases of the adjacency operators of a family of graphs is quantum ergodic (a form of delocalization) assuming the graphs satisfy conditions of expansion and high girth. In this paper, we show that neither of these two conditions is sufficient by itself to necessitate quantum ergodicity. We also show that having conditions of expansion and a specific relaxation of the high girth constraint present in later papers on quantum ergodicity is not sufficient. We do so by proving new properties of the Cartesian product of two graphs where one is infinite.
Behavior Change Techniques Used in Binge Drinking Interventions among College Students: A Systematic Review

The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version one (BCTTv1) was used to identify behavior change techniques (BCTs) to understand the current state of science of binge drinking interventions targeti...
Recurrent implantation failure: Sapere aude

Recurrent implantation failure is a challenging clinical dilemma, without consensus diagnostic criteria. Current evidence provides a starting point for clinical investigation and treatment, while novel therapeutics are being investigated. Ultimately, a consensus diagnosis is needed to inform clinical management and future investigation.
GaN power amplifiers with supply modulation

This paper discusses various supply-modulated power amplifier (SM-PA) architectures for amplifying high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) signals, and implementations of such amplifiers in GaN technology in the X-band frequency range, towards the high-frequency carriers and bandwidths for 5G. Specifically, 10-W MMIC GaN PAs with greater than 60% efficiency at 10GHz with efficient GaN supply modulators for signals with envelope bandwidths of several 100 MHz and PAPR up to 10dB are detailed. Other transmitter approaches for high PAPR broadband signals, such as outphasing transmitters and PAs with output harmonic injection are overviewed in the context of supply modulation, and the main technical challenges are discussed.
Business Organizations and Tribal Self-Detemination: A Critical Reexamination of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

In 1971, Congress enacted the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. This Act required that Native American groups in Alaska form corporations to receive property and money to settle their claims to the land and resources of the state. The Act represents an unprecedented experiment in Native American law. Because the Act required that Alaska Natives organize corporations, it has been the subject of great debate among Native Americans, scholars, and politicians. This Article explores the benefits and harms of the Settlement Act and provides substantive suggestions if the Act is ever amended or if similar legislation is ever proposed.
Incorporating Relevance and Pseudo-relevance Feedback in the Markov Random Field Model.

Abstract : We present a new document retrieval approach combining relevance feedback, pseudo-relevance feedback, and Markov random field modeling of term interaction. Overall effectiveness of our combined model and the relative contribution from each component is evaluated on the GOV2 webpage collection. Given 0-5 feedback documents, we find each component contributes unique value to the overall ensemble, achieving significant improvement individually and in combination. Comparative evaluation in the 2008 TREC Relevance Feedback track further shows our complete system typically performs as well or better than peer systems.
Central nervous system Whipple's disease: Relapse during therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and remission with cefixime

Abstract The central nervous system (CNS) is frequently involved in patients with Whipple's disease and is the most common site of disease relapse. Antibiotics such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) that have reliable CNS penetration, are therefore recommended as first-line therapy. We report a patient with Whipple's disease who was treated with TMP-SMX and presented 14 months after initiation of therapy with visual decline and severe headaches. The patient was also treated concurrently with low-dose weekly methotrexate for severe psoriasis. Evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral posterior white matter abnormalities that pathologically were consistent with Whipple's disease. He was ultimately treated with cefixime, an orally administered third-generation cephalosporin. Visual function improved on this regimen and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed regression of the lesions. This case represents the first report of both CNS relapse during therapy with TMP-SMX and successful treatment with cefixime. We also speculate that methotrexate, which impairs cellmediated immunity, may have contributed to the relapse.
Strategically camouflaged corporate governance in IPOs: : Entrepreneurial masking and impression management

Abstract Entrepreneurs attempt to persuade potential investors that their new ventures are both credible and worthy of funding. A long line of research on entrepreneurial impression management establishes that the ability to present their ventures in a favorable light is a key attribute of successful entrepreneurs. In this study, we examine the opposite side of the issue and test to determine if some entrepreneurs obscure corporate governance information. We create a new metric to measure the level of camouflage used in governance documents for initial public offerings (IPOs). We find that entrepreneurs are less likely to use camouflage during periods of high scrutiny, as measured by industry analyst following, industry concentration levels, and IPO clustering. We also find that greater use of camouflage is associated with raising more capital, due to both greater offer proceeds as well as less underpricing. This effect is most pronounced in corporate charters which are difficult for shareholders to change.
Pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamic effects of tramadol following intravenous administration to the horse.

Summary Reasons for performing study Both the potential analgesic effect and the conflicting reports describing tramadol disposition in the horse warrant further study of the pharmacokinetics of tramadol in this species. Objectives To describe the pharmacokinetics of tramadol and its metabolites, O-desmethyltramadol and N-desmethyltramadol, following i.v. administration of 3 doses to the horse. Methods Nine adult horses received a single i.v. dose of 0.5, 1.5 and 3 mg/kg bwt tramadol. Blood samples were collected prior to and at various times up to 72 h post administration. Plasma samples were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and data analysed using noncompartmental analysis. Chin-to-ground distance, heart rate and rhythm, step count and gastrointestinal activity were also assessed. Results Maximal measured plasma tramadol concentrations were 454 ± 101.6, 1086.7 ± 330.7 and 1697.9 ± 406.1 ng/ml for 0.5, 1.5 and 3 mg/kg bwt, respectively. Depending on the dose administered, the tramadol clearance, volume of distribution and half-life ranged from 24.6 to 25.0 ml/min/kg, 2.66 to 3.33 l/kg and 2.17 to 3.05 h, respectively. Following administration of 0.5, 1.5 and 3 mg/kg bwt tramadol, the maximal measured plasma concentrations of the active metabolite, O-desmethyltramadol, were 3.9 ± 1.9, 9.6 ± 4.8 and 12.9 ± 5.2 ng/ml, respectively. Muscle fasiculations and tremors were seen following administration of the 2 high doses. No significant changes in chin-to-ground distance, heart rate and rhythm, step count and gastrointestinal activity were observed. Conclusions and potential relevance This study confirms and extends previous studies describing the pharmacokinetics of tramadol following i.v. administration to the horse. Plasma tramadol concentrations exceeded those necessary for analgesia in human patients; however, further studies are necessary to determine plasma concentrations of tramadol necessary for analgesic efficacy in the horse. These results support further investigation of the analgesic efficacy of tramadol in the horse.
Plasma flow control simulations of a low-Reynolds number low-aspect-ratio wing

Abstract Large-eddy simulation (LES) is employed to investigate use of plasma-based control in order to improve aerodynamic performance of a flat-plate wing. The wing has a rectangular planform, a thickness to chord ratio of 0.016, and an aspect ratio of 2.0. Computations are carried out at a chord-based Reynolds number of 20,000, such that the configuration and flow conditions are typical of those commonly utilized in micro air vehicle (MAV) applications. Solutions are obtained to the Navier–Stokes equations, that were augmented by source terms used to represent body forces imparted by plasma actuators on the fluid. A simple phenomenological model provided these body forces resulting from the electric field generated by the plasma. The numerical method is based upon a high-fidelity time-implicit scheme and an implicit LES approach, which are applied to obtain solutions on an overset mesh system. The control strategy explores plasma actuators that are distributed in the spanwise direction along the wing leading edge, and actuators extending in the chordwise direction along the wing tip. The investigation considers plasma-induced forces that are imposed in either the co-flowing or counter-flow directions for the former arrangement, and directed inboard or outboard for the latter. Both continuous and pulsed operation of actuators are simulated, and the magnitude of the plasma force is varied in order to establish the most efficient means of control. Computations are carried out at angles of attack that are below (8.0 deg) and above (25.0 deg) the stall value. Control solutions are compared with baseline results without actuation to determine the most beneficial control strategies. It was found that actuation is effective only for sufficiently large values of the plasma force. A favorable comparison is shown with the limited available experimental data.
Gastrointestinal absorption of different compounds of 115mcadmium and the effect of different concentrations in the rat

Abstract The absorption and retention of three different compounds of 115mcadmium and the effects of variations in concentration were studied in female rats. After a single oral dose, the chloride, sulfate, and acetate forms of 115mCd did not significantly influence the absorption, retention, or distribution of the 115mCd in the tissues. The only organs containing significant amounts of 115mCd were the liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. Increases in concentration of cadmium resulted in more cadmium being absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, although the amount absorbed was not proportional to the increase in concentration.
Modes and emergent time scales of embayed beach dynamics

In this study, we use a simple numerical model (the Coastline Evolution Model) to explore alongshore transport-driven shoreline dynamics within generalized embayed beaches (neglecting cross-shore effects). Using principal component analysis (PCA), we identify two primary orthogonal modes of shoreline behavior that describe shoreline variation about its unchanging mean position: the rotation mode, which has been previously identified and describes changes in the mean shoreline orientation, and a newly identified breathing mode, which represents changes in shoreline curvature. Wavelet analysis of the PCA mode time series reveals characteristic time scales of these modes (typically years to decades) that emerge within even a statistically constant white-noise wave climate (without changes in external forcing), suggesting that these time scales can arise from internal system dynamics. The time scales of both modes increase linearly with shoreface depth, suggesting that the embayed beach sediment transport dynamics exhibit a diffusive scaling.
Nitrobenzene hydrogenation: poisoning effect of tin dichloride on a platinum catalyst

Abstract Tin chloride acts as a poison when added at levels of Sn/Pt⩾1. Ammonium chloride, when added prior to stannous chloride, eliminates the poisoning effect, presumably by converting SnCl2 to the SnCl3− anion. Poisoning by SnCl2 decreases exponentially with the Sn/Pt ratio.
Common path swept-source OCT interferometer with artifact removal

We present here the implementation of a fiber-based common-path interferometer for Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT). A common path configuration is often a suitable approach for increasing the stability of the measurements. Optical fibers are sensitive to temperature and some other mechanical perturbations which compromise absolute accuracy measurements. A common-path configuration provides a mean to define a reference at the probe location and, thereby, to compensate for the optical path length perturbations. Additionally, in SS-OCT, we have to deal with autocorrelation noise and the mirror image artifact due to the computation of the Fourier transform. Thus, our common-path implementation also includes acousto-optics modulators to remove the depth degeneracy as it has already been done when using a "traditional" interferometer configuration. The efficiency of our system is validated by comparing images acquired with a "traditional" SS-OCT configuration and with our common path SS-OCT configuration.
Constituents of an organic wood preservative that inhibit the fluoranthene-degrading activity of Sphingomonas paucimobilis strain EPA505

Sphingomonas paucimobilis strain EPA505 is capable of utilizing many components of coal tar creosote as sole sources of carbon and energy for bacterial growth, including fluoranthene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). During several bioremediation studies, however, we observed that the fluoranthene degradative activity of strain EPA505 was inhibited by the presence of undefined creosote constituents. In practice, integration of a pretreatment step prior to inoculation with strain EPA505 was necessary to facilitate the biodegradation of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs. Experiments were thus initiated to determine which compound classes in creosote inhibited fluoranthene metabolism by strain EPA505. Creosote was fractionated by solvent extraction at various pH, and three chemical classes were examined: acid (phenolics), base (N-heterocyclics), and neutral (PAH). The mineralization rate of 14 C-labeled fluoranthene and cell viability were examined in the presence of these creosote fractions at a range of concentrations. These studies confirm that strain EPA505 has differing susceptibility to the effects of the three classes of creosote constituents. The observed order of toxicity/inhibition was basic fraction > acidic fraction > neutral fraction. These studies provide engineering guidelines and define contamination ranges under which strain EPA505 can be used most effectively as a catalyst in bioremediation (Figure 4).
Concentration levels of solutes in porous deposits with chimneys under wick boiling conditions

Abstract Concentration levels of highly-soluble impurities and additives in porous deposits with chimneys, when wick boiling is the major mode of heat transfer, have been investigated by a two-dimensional model. Wick boiling promotes the development of high concentration levels of solutes within porous deposits, especially in the region near the intersection of the heating surface and the chimney wall. The maximum concentration factor increases with decreasing porosity; increasing chimney population density; increasing system pressure in the range of interest to LWRs; and approximately exponentially with heat flux and crud thickness. The two-dimensional solute concentration distribution in porous deposits is consistent with limited experimental observations of higher concentration at the chimney wall.
Comparison of the Behavior of Several Cobalt Porphyrins as Electrocatalysts for the Reduction of O2 at Graphite Electrodes

Four cobalt porphyrins were adsorbed on graphite electrodes and used to catalyze the electroreduction of O2. The two porphyrins without substituent groups in the meso positions of the porphyrin ring operated at the most positive potentials and catalyzed the reduction of O2 to both H2O2 and H2O, but the H2O did not result from significant reduction of H2O2. The porphyrins containing meso substituents catalyzed only the reduction of O2 to H2O2. The catalysts that accomplish the four-electron reduction of O2 are argued to consist of dimeric (or higher oligomeric) forms of the adsorbed porphyrins. The present results and those of two recent related studies1,2 indicate that the presence of only hydrogen or small alkyl groups in the meso positions of porphyrin rings facilitates the spontaneous formation of van der Waals dimers with greater catalytic activity for the reduction of O2 by four electrons. Such cobalt porphyrins were also found to be unusually active catalysts for the electro-oxidation of H2O2.
Toward Understanding Low Level Jet Climatology over West Texas and its Impact on Wind Energy

Low Level Jets (LLJs) are defined as regions of relatively strong winds in the lower part of the atmosphere. They typically occur between 100 and 1500 m above ground level (ABL) and can be found in every continent. In particular, LLJs are a common feature over the Great Plains in the United States. It has been reported that 75% of LLJs in the Great Plains occur at night and with seasonal patterns. Our preliminary results have corroborated some of the LLJ known characteristics, but also shown the lack of a clear three-dimensional picture of how the phenomenon is displaced over West Texas (precise location, timing and lifespan). This paper is focused on the development of a detailed LLJ climatology and its weather correlates for West Texas. Using the 200-m tower data (Reese, Texas), profiler and Mesonet data, and WRF runs, a 4-dim model is introduced which summarizes the main features of the LLJ over the aforementioned region and shows its patterns along the year. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the importance of LLJs for wind energy production. It has been observed that during a LLJ event the level of turbulence intensities and TKE are significantly much lower than those during unstable conditions; as a result, cyclical aerodynamic loads on turbine blades are diminished. The major salient results from this study include: the vertical shears in LLJs are very large, causing higher static loads. Finally, the WRF model has accurately captured the beginning of the LLJ event; however, the local maximum wind speed at the LLJ "nose" has been under-predicted by approximately 15%, which highlights the difficulties WRF still faces in predicting this phenomenon.
Tetrameric stoichiometry of a prokaryotic K+ channel.

Genes with sequences reminiscent of neuronal K+ channels have recently been identified in prokaryotes. These putative K+ channels appear to be integral membrane proteins, with multiple transmembrane sequences identified by hydrophobicity analysis and a sequence strikingly similar to the pore-lining “P-region” motif found in all known eukaryotic K+ channels. This study examines the oligomeric state and stability in detergent micelles of SliK, a K+ channel homologue from Streptomyces lividans. A synthetic gene for SliK was expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli, and the protein was purified. The predominant form of the protein runs in SDS−PAGE gels as an oligomer of the 19-kDa polypeptide, but harsh treatments such as heat or high pH convert this slowly-migrating material into monomeric form. A “mass-tagging” strategy developed to examine subunit stoichiometry shows that SliK is a homotetramer in SDS and dodecyl maltoside micelles. The tetrameric structure can be disrupted by P-region mutations known ...
Phase transition in Liouville theory

We suggest that the vortices arising in a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in Liouville theory correspond to transitions between different genera, producing the "plumber's nightmare" and other phases that have been predicted in fluid membrane theory from energetic considerations. This transition has previously been invoked by Cates to explain the degeneration of numerical simulations of Gaussian random surfaces into branched polymers. The difficulty in quantizing Liouville theory for d>1 is conjectured to be due to our insistence on working at a fixed genus.
Seismic quiescence at Parkfield: an independent indication of an imminent earthquake

THE Parkfield segment of the San Andreas fault midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles has experienced six moderate-sized earthquakes since 1850, with an average recurrence time of about 22 years. Based on this regular behaviour, and the occurrence of the most recent earthquake in 1966, a shock of local magnitude ML=5.7 is expected to occur by 19931,2. Here we suggest that a current lack of small earthquakes on this segment could be a precursory anomaly to the next characteristic Parkfield earthquake. Only four earthquakes of M≥2.5 have occurred on the segment since January 1986, whereas twenty would have been expected, extrapolating from the mean background rate. Comparison with other cases of precursory quiescence suggests that the M = 5.7 earthquake should occur in the next two years, rupturing the same 35-km fault segment that ruptured in 19663.
TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY AFTER AND WITH—BUT NOT AGAINST—AQUINAS?

Gilles Emery, Trinity in Aquinas, O.P. (Ypsilanti, Michigan: Sapientia Press, 2003), ix +361 pp. Matthew Levering, Scripture and Metaphysics: Aquinas and the Renewal of Trinitarian Theology (Malden, Massa-chusetts: Blackwell, 2004), x +254 pp Timothy L. Smith, Thomas Aquinas' Trinitarian Theology: A Study in Theological Method (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2003), xiii +258 pp.
Leukocyte compartments in the mouse lung: distinguishing between marginated, interstitial, and alveolar cells in response to injury.

We developed a flow cytometry-based assay to simultaneously quantify multiple leukocyte populations in the marginated vascular, interstitial, and alveolar compartments of the mouse lung. An intravenous injection of a fluorescently labeled anti-CD45 antibody was used to label circulating and marginated vascular leukocytes. Following vascular flushing to remove non-adherent cells and collection of broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, lungs were digested and a second fluorescent anti-CD45 antibody was added ex vivo to identify cells not located in the vascular space. In the naive mouse lung, we found about 11 million CD45+ leukocytes, of which 87% (9.5 million) were in the vascular marginated compartment, consisting of 17% NK cells, 17% neutrophils, 57% mononuclear myeloid cells (monocytes, macrophage precursors and dendritic cells), and 10% T cells (CD4+, CD8+, and invariant NKT cells). Non-vascular compartments including the interstitial compartment contained 7.7×10(5)cells, consisting of 49% NK cells, 25% dendritic cells, and 16% other mononuclear myeloid cells. The alveolar compartment was overwhelmingly populated by macrophages (5.63×10(5)cells, or 93%). We next studied leukocyte margination and extravasation into the lung following acid injury, a model of gastric aspiration. At 1 h after injury, neutrophils were markedly elevated in the blood while all other circulating leukocytes declined by an average of 79%. At 4 h after injury, there was a peak in the numbers of marginated neutrophils, NK cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a peak in the number of alveolar NK cells. Most interstitial cells consisted of DCs, neutrophils, and CD4+ T cells, and most alveolar compartment cells consisted of macrophages, neutrophils, and NK cells. At 24 h after injury, there was a decline in the number of all marginated and interstitial leukocytes and a peak in alveolar neutrophils. In sum, we have developed a novel assay to study leukocyte margination and trafficking following pulmonary inflammation and show that marginated cells comprise a large fraction of lung leukocytes that increases shortly after lung injury. This assay may be of interest in future studies to determine if leukocytes become activated upon adherence to the endothelium, and have properties that distinguish them from interstitial and circulating cells.
Improved upper and lower bounds on a geometric Ramsey problem

Abstract In Graham and Rothschild (1971), Graham and Rothschild consider a geometric Ramsey problem: finding the least N ∗ such that if all edges of the complete graph on the points { ± 1 } N ∗ are 2 -colored, there exist 4 coplanar points such that the 6 edges between them are monochromatic. They give an explicit upper bound: N ∗ ≤ F ( F ( F ( F ( F ( F ( F ( 12 , 3 ) , 3 ) , 3 ) , 3 ) , 3 ) , 3 ) , 3 ) , where F ( m , n ) = 2 ↑ m n , an extremely fast-growing function. We bound N ∗ between two instances of a variant of the Hales–Jewett problem, obtaining an upper bound which is less than 2 ↑ ↑ ↑ 6 = F ( 3 , 6 ) .