cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does a Controversial Topic Affect the Quality of Urologic Information on the Internet

Objective Increasingly, patients seek medical information via the Internet, despite highly variable information quality. We sought to determine whether controversial urological topics are associated with decreased content quality or search characteristics. Methods We systematically searched the Internet for 5 noncontroversial (cryptorchidism, testicular torsion, urethral stricture, testicular cancers, renal cancers) and 5 controversial (disorders of sexual differentiation, circumcision, penile elongation, interstitial cystitis, testosterone therapy) conditions. Number of total hits, sponsored links, page owner and author, accreditation, updates, advertising, readability, and content quality were assessed for each topic. Content quality was determined on a 5-point scale for accuracy and completeness of 3 domains: diagnosis, natural history, and treatment. Results In total, 100 websites were evaluated. Noncontroversial topics had more hits (1,610,000 vs 475,000) and more sponsored links (30% vs 10%) than controversial topics. Noncontroversial web pages were more likely to have government or medical owners (58% vs 30%, P = .009) than controversial web pages. Website quality was significantly different between noncontroversial and controversial topics. In regard to accuracy, noncontroversial topics had higher scores for diagnosis (4.6 vs 3.8, P P P P = .001), natural history (3.7 vs 3.0, P = .003), and treatment (3.6 vs 3.0, P = .006). Conclusion Web pages dedicated to controversial urological topics have lower quality content in regard to diagnosis, natural history, and treatment. Such quality issues may contribute to ongoing public confusion and misinformation regarding these challenging topics.
Ionic conduction in polyether-based lithium arylfluorosulfonimide ionic melt electrolytes

Abstract We report synthesis, characterization and ion transport in polyether-based ionic melt electrolytes consisting of Li salts of low-basicity anions covalently attached to polyether oligomers. Purity of the materials was investigated by HPLC analysis and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The highest ionic conductivity of 7.1 × 10 −6 S/cm at 30 °C was obtained for the sample consisting of a lithium salt of an arylfluorosulfonimide anion attached to a polyether oligomer with an ethyleneoxide (EO) to lithium ratio of 12. The conductivity order of various ionic melts having different polyether chain lengths suggests that at higher EO:Li ratios the conductivity of the electrolytes at room temperature is determined in part by the amount of crystallization of the polyether portion of the ionic melt.
Challenges in deposition of wide band gap copper indium aluminum gallium selenide (CIAGS) thin films for tandem solar cells

Copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) based solar cells have shown efficiencies > 20% on the lab scale and are already in commercial production. Even though the optimal band gap of 1.6 eV to 1.7 eV can be achieved by increasing the Ga content, these solar cells show a maximum efficiency at ∼1.3 eV and any further increase in the Ga concentration and band gap results in lower efficiencies due to bulk and interfacial traps. This also prevents the use of wide band gap CIGS layer as a top cell for harvesting the solar cell spectrum in a tandem cell configuration. This paper reports the manufacturing challenges on the production of wide band gap aluminum doped CIGS layers (CIAGS) and devices fabricated using this material. We have fabricated 11.3% efficient solar cells using the CIAGS absorber layers.
An NMR study of methanol diffusion in polymer electrolyte fuel cell membranes

Abstract Methanol diffusion in two polymer electrolyte membranes, Nafion 117 and BPSH 40 (a 40% disulfonated wholly aromatic polyarylene ether sulfone), was measured using a modified pulsed field gradient NMR method. This method allowed for the diffusion coefficient of methanol within the membrane to be determined while immersed in a methanol solution of known concentration. A second set of gradient pulses suppressed the signal from the solvent in solution, thus allowing the methanol within the membrane to be monitored unambiguously. Over a methanol concentration range of 0.5–8 M, methanol diffusion coefficients in Nafion 117 were found to increase from 2.9 × 10 −6 to 4.0 × 10 −6 cm 2 s −1 . For BPSH 40, the diffusion coefficient dropped significantly over the same concentration range, from 7.7 × 10 −6 to 2.5 × 10 −6 cm 2 s −1 . The difference in diffusion behavior is largely related to the amount of solvent sorbed by the membranes. Increasing the methanol concentration results in an increase in solvent uptake for Nafion 117, while BPSH 40 actually excludes the solvent at higher concentrations. In contrast, diffusion of methanol measured via permeability measurements (assuming a partition coefficient of 1) was lower (1.3 × 10 −6 and 6.4 × 10 −7 cm 2 s −1 for Nafion 117 and BPSH 40 respectively) and showed no concentration dependence. The differences observed between the two techniques are related to the length scale over which diffusion is monitored and the partition coefficient, or solubility, of methanol in the membranes as a function of concentration. For the permeability measurements, this length is equal to the thickness of the membrane (178 and 132 μm for Nafion 117 and BPSH 40 respectively) whereas the NMR method observes diffusion over a length of approximately 4–8 μm. Regardless of the measurement technique, BPSH 40 is a greater barrier to methanol permeability at high methanol concentrations.
An axonal strain injury criterion for traumatic brain injury

Computational models are often used as tools to study traumatic brain injury. The fidelity of such models depends on the incorporation of an appropriate level of structural detail, the accurate representation of the material behavior, and the use of an appropriate measure of injury. In this study, an axonal strain injury criterion is used to estimate the probability of diffuse axonal injury (DAI), which accounts for a large percentage of deaths due to brain trauma and is characterized by damage to neural axons in the deep white matter regions of the brain. We present an analytical and computational model that treats the white matter as an anisotropic, hyperelastic material. Diffusion tensor imaging is used to incorporate the structural orientation of the neural axons into the model. It is shown that the degree of injury that is predicted in a computational model of DAI is highly dependent on the incorporation of the axonal orientation information and the inclusion of anisotropy into the constitutive model for white matter.
The Mechanical Properties of Textiles II. A General Theory of Elasticity with Application to Partially Rubber-Like Substances

This paper is concerned with the deformation of a number of essentially independent molecules or molecular segments distributed statistically with respect to the distance between the ends of the molecules. They are supposed to be free to assume many configurations (as a result of thermal agitation) except at certain points which are stabilized by chemical forces to form the more or less tightly held (and thus well-defined) ends of the molecules.The problem solved here is as follows: Given an equilibrium distribution as a function of certain parameters, and given the expression for bulk properties in terms of molecular coordinates, what is the form of the tension as a function of the elongation and the various parameters?
Hypophysectomy reduces behavioral activation to morphine in the rat

Chronically maintained (2–4 weeks) hypophysectomized or sham-operated adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with vehicle or one of two doses of morphine. Motor activity was remotely recorded for 100 min after injection. Activity was markedly reduced by prior pituitary removal. This finding is consistent with previous studies utilizing other models of pituitary-opiate interactions and may shed light on findings from other paradigms.
LQR tracking of a delay differential equation model for the study of nanoparticle dosing strategies for cancer therapy

Currently, the most commonly used treatments for cancerous tumors (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) have almost no method of monitoring the administration of the treatment for adverse effects in real time. Without any real time feedback or control, treatment becomes a “guess and check” method with no way of predicting the effects of the drugs based on the actual bioavailability to the patient's body. One particular drug may be effective for one patient, yet provide no benefit to another. Doctors and scientists do no routinely attempt to quantifiably explain this discrepancy. In this work, mathematical modeling and analysis techniques are joined together with experimentation to gain further insight into the challenges of nanoparticle delivery to tumor sites. There exists a commonly accepted model of drug clearance in the pharmacokinetics community, and it is demonstrated here that this model provides an accurate reflection of reality, as observed in experiment for delivery of gold-coated nanorods. This model is then utilized in a state space feedback control framework to regulate the nanoparticle concentration in the bloodstream. An equal time delay is also introduced in both the state and control input for the purpose of studying alternate dosing strategies. This study will aid in the prediction of the effects of the drugs in a patient's body, thus leading to better models for drug regimen and administration.
TU‐C‐202‐04: QA/QC for Endorectal Ultrasound Imaging in Prostate Brachytherapy

The AAPM Task Group 128 report provides guidance for quality assurance of ultrasound units used in prostate brachytherapy. Accurate imaging guidance and dosimetry calculation for prostate brachytherapy depend upon the quality and accuracy of the ultrasoundimage. Therefore, a robust quality assurance program for the ultrasound system is essential. Completion of the TG‐128 tests requires use of a specialized ultrasound phantom, a water bath, and other equipment. Some care and creativity is needed to complete these tests. Quality assurance should include each link in the process from ultrasoundimage acquisition to visualization on the treatment planning system. The recommended tests include grayscale visibility, depth of penetration, axial and lateral resolution, distance measurement, area measurement, volume measurement, needle template/electronic grid alignment, and geometric consistency with the treatment planningcomputer. Learning Objectives: 1. To describe the methods of TG‐128: Quality assurance tests for prostate brachytherapyultrasound systems 2. To highlight special techniques which may be used to accomplish the tests described in TG‐128. 3. To assess the relative likelihoods and significance of potential QA findings. 4. To review the materials and time needed to complete the TG‐128 tests.
Efficient Modeling of Transmission Lines With Electromagnetic Wave Coupling by Using the Finite Difference Quadrature Method

This paper proposes an efficient numerical technique, called the finite difference quadrature (FDQ) method, to model the transmission line with radiated electromagnetic (EM) wave noise coupling. A discrete modeling approach, the FDQ method adapts coarse grid points along the transmission line to compute the finite difference between adjacent grid points. A global approximation scheme is formulated in the form of a weighted sum of quantities beyond the local grid points. Unlike the Gaussian quadrature method that computes numerical integrals by using global approximation framework, the FDQ method uses a global quadrature method to construct the approximation schemes for the computation of, however, numerical finite differences. As a global approximation technique, the FDQ method has superior numerical dispersion to the finite difference (FD) method, and, therefore, needs much sparser grid points than the FD method to achieve comparable accuracy. Equivalent voltage and current sources are derived, exciting the transmission line at the grid points. Equivalent circuit models are consequently derived to represent the transmission line subject to radiated electromagnetic wave noise. The FDQ-based equivalent models can be integrated into a simulator like SPICE.
Isoelectric focusing studies of antibody clonotype patterns in outbred rabbits during prolonged immunization

Isoelectric focusing was used to study the antibody clonotype patterns of outbred New Zealand White rabbits during pronlonged immunization with the gram positive bacterium Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Antisera were examined by analytical isoelectric focusing in 1% agarose gels using inexpensive carrier ampholytes which were synthesized in the laboratory. Clonotype patterns of antimicrococcal antibodies were visualized by radioautography using [125I]-labeled micrococcal carbohydrate antigen. Examination of the antibody clonotype patterns in antisera from a number of outbred rabbits revealed that variations in clonotype expression often occurred within an individual during successive rounds of immunization. These studies demonstrate the utility of analytical isoelectric focusing for monitoring antibody clonotype changes within an individual during immunization.
Body Weight and Nutrition Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in Young Adults

Alcohol consumption is described in terms of both quantity and frequency of alcohol use. This article describes present knowledge of alcohol use in young adults, complex factors that influence alcohol use and binge drinking, nutrition and body weight consequences of alcohol use, and interventions that may decrease alcohol use. Young adults have the highest prevalence of infrequent, high-quantity alcohol consumption in any age group, placing them at an increased risk for weight gain, overweight, and obesity. Lifestyle medicine practitioners can have a positive impact by sharing 4 key recommendations about alcohol use: (a) alcohol provides calories but no essential nutrients;(b)if alcohol is consumed, it should be consumed in moderation—up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men;(c) moderate-level alcohol consumption is associated with the lowest risk of obesity (d) moderate-level alcohol consumption, when consumed in a binge-drinking pattern, is not protective against obesity.
The Challenge of Extended, Continuous Collaboration From Stress Management to Coping With Terminal Illness

Most collaborative relationships between psychologists and physicians are of a time-limited, episodic nature because they focus on specific clinical problems. This article describes a longitudinal clinical collaboration that transcended the traditional model because of shifting clinical needs over a continuous, extended period. The collaboration progressed through phases, and because the purpose of treatment changed, it was necessary for the collaborating clinicians to redefine goals, responsibilities, and boundaries. At times, the focus was on medical developments, and at times, treatment was primarily psychological. What began as a routine consultation about stress management developed into a complex collaborative approach that required a biopsychosocial orientation. This article delineates the phases of treatment and identifies factors that facilitated, challenged, and created dilemmas in the collaborative process.
Fluidized-bed nitridation of fine silicon powder

Abstract Two-micrometer average sized fine silicon-powder, mixed with 300-μm average sized alumina particles as an inert fluidization conditioner, was nitrided with 90% N2/10% H2 mixture gas in a fluidized-bed reactor, operated at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1300°C. Both batch and semi-continuous nitridation runs were made by feeding solid mixtures of different silicon powder fractions up to 30% by mass. When the content of silicon powder was lower than 5% in the batch operation, no β-phase was found in the product silicon nitride at any temperature investigated. When mixtures containing 30% or less silicon powder were used for the semi-continuous operation, α-silicon nitride was produced at any temperatures below 1250°C, while feeding mixtures containing 20% silicon powder at 1300°C resulted in the formation of 21% β-silicon nitride. Increasing silicon powder contents in the feed mixture facilitated the formation of β-silicon nitride due to the self-agglomeration of powder, which also led to the failure of fluidization.
Wound integrity and the conjunctiva in prevention of endophthalmitis following sutureless 25-gauge vitrectomy.

Wound integrity and the conjunctiva in prevention of endophthalmitis following sutureless 25-gauge vitrectomy
Protective effects of caffeine on chronic hypoxia-induced perinatal white matter injury

Objective Periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) is the major cause of cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment in prematurely born infants. PWMI is characterized by reductions in cerebral myelination and cerebrocortical volumes and is associated with secondary ventriculomegaly. In neonatal rodents, these features of PWMI can be induced by rearing in chronic hypoxia or by activation of A1 adenosine receptors. We determined: (1) whether altered maturation or development of one or more oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage stages plays a role in the pathogenesis of the myelination disturbances associated with exposure to chronic hypoxia, and (2) whether blockade of A1 adenosine receptor action with the adenosine antagonist caffeine can prevent hypoxia-induced white matter injury. Methods Ventriculomegaly and reduced cerebral myelination were generated in mice reared in hypoxia (10% oxygen) from postnatal days 3 (P3) through 12. Results Hypomyelination was related to abnormal OL lineage progression and a reduction in the OL progenitor pool. Myelination was enhanced and ventriculomegaly reduced in hypoxia-exposed neonatal pups treated with caffeine from P3 to P12. Interpretation These observations support that hypoxia inhibits OL maturation and that caffeine administration during early postnatal development may have utility in the prevention of PWMI. Ann Neurol 2006
Issues in Review: Reading Acting Companies

Scott McMillin : This collection of three papers, selected by Scott McMillin, highlights new scholarly work on the repertory of Strange's Men, Pembroke's Men, and Queen Anne's Men. Lawrence Manley : The repertory of Strange's Men, as it is represented in Henslowe's records of their 134 performances at the Rose Theatre in 1592/3, contains an unusually large number of plays involving pyrotechnics, possibly including the staging of human immolations. Though pyrotechnics were a familar feature of traditional dramaturgy, such effects were used by Strange's Men to represent acts of cruelty and judicial punishment that had an edge of topical relevance to English history and politics. The theatrical daring of pyrotechnics in the Strange's repertory may thus have been part of a 'company style' that readily accommodated the politically daring and dramatically innovative work of Marlowe in The Jew of Malta and The Massacre at Paris and of the young Shakespeare in 1 Henry VI . Roslyn Knutson : Although Pembroke's Men in 1592/3 had talented (if youthful) players and a patron in good standing with the queen, the company reportedly fell on hard times. No one knows why. Here I consider whether the problem might have been the repertory, which I explore in terms of the four plays known to be theirs ( Edward II , 1 Contention , The True Tragedy , and A Shrew ), or their touring schedule. Mark Bayer : In 1616, Queen Anne's Men, under the management of Christopher Beeston, moved theatrical operations from the Red Bull, a large public playhouse in Clerkenwell, to the Cockpit, an indoor hall on the increasingly fashionable Drury Lane. The success of this move was overshadowed by a riot on Shrove Tuesday, 1617, in which apprentices damaged the new theatre, forcing the company to return temporarily to the Red Bull while the Cockpit was under repair. Narratives of this event tend to describe it either as an indiscriminate episode of civil unrest or, more cogently, as demonstrating a specific animosity towards Queen Anne's Men because they were now playing the Red Bull repertory at a prohibitively expensive venue. In an effort to revise these received interpretations, I argue that the reasons for the riot go well beyond the release of aggression and issues of cost. The profit-driven motives of the Queen Anne's Men violated communal principles of fair dealing and their abandonment of the Red Bull and Clerkenwell affected a more intangible sense of loss and indignation, placing pressures on local businesses that relied on the daily theatre traffic, and severely weakening charitable efforts within the parish.
Heat capacity studies of Ce and Rh site substitution in the heavy-fermion antiferromagnet CeRhIn 5 : Short-range magnetic interactions and non-Fermi-liquid behavior

In heavy fermion materials superconductivity tends to appear when long-range magnetic order is suppressed by chemical doping or applying pressure. Here we report heat capacity measurements on diluted alloys of the heavy fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{CeRhIn}}_{5}.$ Heat capacity measurements have been performed on ${\mathrm{CeRh}}_{1\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Ir}}_{y}{\mathrm{In}}_{5}$ $(yl~0.10)$ and ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{La}}_{x}{\mathrm{RhIn}}_{5}$ $(xl~0.50)$ in applied fields up to 90 kOe to study the effect of doping and magnetic field on the magnetic ground state. The magnetic phase diagram of ${\mathrm{CeRh}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Ir}}_{0.1}{\mathrm{In}}_{5}$ is consistent with the magnetic structure of ${\mathrm{CeRhIn}}_{5}$ being unchanged by Ir doping. Doping of Ir in small concentrations is shown to slightly increase the antiferromagnetic transition temperature ${T}_{N}$ ${(T}_{N}=3.8\mathrm{K}$ in the undoped sample). La doping which causes disorder on the Ce sublattice is shown to lower ${T}_{N}$ with no long-range order observed above 0.34 K for ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{La}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{RhIn}}_{5}.$ Measurements on ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{La}}_{0.50}{\mathrm{RhIn}}_{5}$ show a coexistence of short-range magnetic order and non-Fermi-liquid behavior. This dual nature of the Ce $4f$ electrons is very similar to the observed results on ${\mathrm{CeRhIn}}_{5}$ when long-range magnetic order is suppressed at high pressure.
Theoretical Efficiency of the Edmonds-Karp Algorithm for Computing Maximal Flows

EDMONDS AND KARP PROPOSED AN ALGORITHM FOR FINDING THE MAXIMAL FLOW IN A NETWORK. SIMULTANEOUSLY THEY FOUND AN UPPER BOUND ON THE AMOUNT OF WORK REQUIRED TO SOLVE THE MAX FLOW PROBLEM FOR ANY NETWORK AS A FUNCTION OF THE NUMBER OF ARCS AND EDGES. THIS PAPER SUPPLIES A SMALLER UPPER BOUND AND SHOWS EXAMPLES FOR WHICH THE UPPER BOUND IS REACHED.
Cystathioninuria and homocystinuria.

Abstract Three circumstances prompted us to reexamine the relationship between abnormal cystathionine accumulation and possible homocystinuria resulting from this condition: (a) discovery of an infant girl with apparently alternating massive cystathioninuria and homocystinuria; (b) the presence of homocystinuria in some, but not all, previously reported cases of cystathioninuria probably due to γ-cystathionine deficiency; and (c) the recent demonstration that mammalian cystathionine s-synthase can cleave cystathionine to homocysteine. The following conclusions were reached: (a) Homocystine may arise as a result of bacteria, contamination of a urine sample initially containing cystathionine, but not homocystine. (b) After a methionine load, a cystathioninuric patient may excrete readily detected amounts of homocystine. (c) However, homocystinuria is not a necessary concomitant of even massive cystathioninuria. These findings and some of their implications are briefly discussed.
Computer aided analysis of 1-D compressible flow problems in Lagrangian particle description using the method

Abstract The α method is a simple finite difference method for analyzing one-dimensional compressible flow problems in the Lagrangian particle description which is easy to code for a variety of applications in science and engineering. The method employs a weighted average of Euler and Lax time differencing to construct a conservative finite difference algorithm which performs well on a variety of problems with an error which is of order ( Δt , Δa ). The weighed time difference is shown to be equivalent to adding a diffusion term whose coefficient is proportional to the value of ( 1 − α ). Selecting values of α in the range 0 ⩽ α ⩽ 1 noticeably improves the results as compared with Lax differencing while retaining the ease of coding for which the Lax method is known. The α method is shown to be extremely robust by solving a number of problems involving the application of several different boundary conditions.
Thyroid nodules with FNA cytology suspicious for follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: follow-up and management.

Thyroid nodules diagnosed as follicular neoplasm on fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may represent hyperplastic/adenomatous nodules, follicular adenoma or carcinoma, and follicular variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) on histologic follow-up. In our laboratory, we attempted to identify a subset of cases which showed cellular specimens with focal features (nuclear chromatin clearing, membrane thickening, and rare grooves) suspicious for the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. These cases are reported as follicular-derived neoplasms with nuclear features suspicious for FVPTC to distinguish them from those diagnosed as follicular neoplasm. This study documents our experience with 52 cases so diagnosed and followed prospectively with histologic follow-up. A neoplastic nodule was confirmed in 45/52 cases (86%), of which 40 were malignant (77%). FVPTC was identified in 35/52 cases (67%). Four cases were usual papillary carcinoma, 3 were follicular adenoma, 2 were Hurthle-cell adenoma, and 1 was insular carcinoma. In 7 cases, the subsequent histologic findings were nonneoplastic (5 hyperplastic nodules and 2 colloid nodules). Our prospective study shows that in cellular smears from thyroid nodules, a careful search for the nuclear features of papillary carcinoma should be performed, and it is appropriate to diagnose cases as suspicious for FVPTC if the nuclear features of papillary carcinoma are focal. The surgical management of this group may include an intraoperative confirmation of cytologic diagnosis by scrape preparation and/or frozen section in order to avoid a second surgical intervention for completion thyroidectomy.
Changes in plasma amino Acid levels do not predict satiety and weight loss on diets with modified macronutrient composition.

Objective: Serotonin mediates satiety in the central nervous system. Brain serotonin content depends on the plasma ratio of tryptophan (Trp) to large neutral amino acids (LNAA) and may be affected by diet composition. We examined whether high-carbohydrate or high-protein diets induce satiety and weight loss by altering plasma concentrations of these amino acids. Methods: In study 1 (n = 16, BMI = 27.0 ± 2.3), we compared plasma Trp and LNAA concentrations averaged over 24 h after 2 weeks of consuming isocaloric diets containing either 45 or 65% of total energy as carbohydrate. In study 2 (n = 19, BMI = 26.2 ± 2.1), we made the same measurements following diets containing either 15 or 30% of total energy as protein. To assess satiety in both studies, we recorded caloric intake and weight changes during a subsequent 12-week period of ad libitum consumption of the experimental diets. Results: Ad libitum caloric intake fell by 222 ± 81 kcal/day with a 3.7 ± 0.6 kg weight loss at 12 weeks in study 1. Ad libitum caloric intake fell by 441 ± 63 kcal/ day with a 4.9 ± 0.5 kg weight loss at 12 weeks in study 2. The 24-hour averaged plasma concentration of Trp and the Trp:LNAA ratio were unaffected by the isocaloric increase in carbohydrate or protein consumption that preceded the ad libitum administration of the 2 diets. Conclusion: An increase in either carbohydrate or protein intake increases satiety and leads to significant weight loss, however, these effects are not mediated by an increase in plasma concentration of Trp or the Trp:LNAA ratio.
Inhibition of the complement cascade by the major secretory protein of vaccinia virus

The complement system contributes to host defenses against invasion by infectious agents. A 35-kilodalton protein, encoded by vaccinia virus and secreted from infected cells, has sequence similarities to members of a gene family that includes complement control proteins. Biochemical and genetic studies showed that the viral protein binds to derivatives of the fourth component of complement and inhibits the classical complement cascade, suggesting that it serves as a defense molecule to help the virus evade the consequences of complement activation.
Effect of peroxide, sodium, and calcium on brain mitochondrial respiration in vitro: potential role in cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.

: Mitochondrial pyruvate-supported respiration was studied in vitro under conditions known to exist following ischemia, i.e., elevated extramitochondrial Ca2+, Na+, and peroxide. Ca2+ alone (7–10 nmol/mg) decreased state 3 and increased state 4 respiration to 81 and 141% of control values, respectively. Sodium (15 mM) and/or tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH; up to 2,000 nmol/mg protein) alone had no effect on respiration; however, Na+ or tBOOH in combination with Ca2+ dramatically altered respiration. Respiratory inhibition induced by Ca2+ and tBOOH does not involve pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) inhibition since PDH flux increased linearly with tBOOH concentration (R= 0.96). Calcium potentiated tBOOH-induced mitochondrial NAD(P)H oxidation and shifted the redox state of cytochrome b from 67 to 47% reduced. Calcium (5.5 nmol/mg) plus Na+ (15 mM) decreased state 3 and increased state 4 respiratory rates to 55 and 202% of control values, respectively. Sodium- as well as tBOOH-induced state 3 inhibition required mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake because ruthenium red addition before Ca2+ addition negated the effect. The increase in state 4 respiration involved Ca2+ cycling since ruthenium red immediately returned state 4 rates back to control values. The mechanisms for the observed Ca2+-, Na+-, and tBOOH-induced alterations in pyruvate-supported respiration in vitro are discussed and a multifactorial etiology for mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction following cerebral ischemia in vivo is proposed.
Calibration-enabled scalable built-in current sensor compatible with very low cost ATE

Semiconductor testing, aimed at detecting manufacturing defects and marginalities, should be able to screen out fabrication artifacts that affect immediate as well as future mission-mode device performance. While a large amount of resources are dedicated towards catastrophic fault detection, parametric fault detection is an increasingly important research area. Parametric faults marginally affect device performance and may affect functionality in prolonged field use. In this work, Circuit-under-test (CUT) static bias current is monitored in order to identify catastrophic as well as parametric defects. Any active circuit requires a deterministic amount of DC bias current which may vary outside the specifications when faults exist within the circuit. We propose a process-voltage-temperature (PVT) compensated current measurement built-in-self-test (BIST) scheme, which can be used for sub-system level/circuit-level bias current measurements. The BIST scheme provides better accessibility to internal blocks and enables isolated parametric testing. Process independence due to calibration makes it feasible for commercial implementation in Systems on a Chip (SoCs). Our BIST scheme is compatible with very-low-cost automatic test equipment (VLC-ATE), and can be used for detailed parametric testing in the production environment.
Emergency simultaneous transthoracic and epicardial defibrillation for refractory ventricular fibrillation during routine implantable cardioverter-defibrillator testing in the operating room

Abstract Ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced during routine implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement in the operating room almost always responds to the prompt application of direct-current epicardial shocks (≤40 J), and in some cases, high-energy transthoracic shocks or internal paddle defibrillation is needed to terminate VF. In rare cases, VF that is unresponsive to the standard methods occurs. Recently, a method of emergency intracardiac defibrillation was described for treatment of refractory VF during routine electrophysiologic study. 1 This method uses a standard right ventricular pacing catheter and a posterior skin patch. Defibrillation is performed from the distal pole of the right ventricular catheter to the posterior patch. This method has been successful in 9 of 9 patients at our institution in the electrophysiology laboratory. However, no such rescue procedure has been described for refractory VF induced in the operating room. In this report, we describe 2 patients who received emergency simultaneous transthoracic and epicardial defibrillation for the management of refractory VF during implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement and testing.
Surface polaritons in a circularly cylindrical interface: Surface plasmons

A theoretical investigation of surface polaritons in the circularly cylindrical geometry is presented. The complete set of Maxwell's equations (retardation effects are not neglected) is solved with the simple dielectric function, $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\ensuremath{\omega})=1\ensuremath{-}\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}^{2}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}$ is the bulk plasma frequency. The resulting transcendental equation for the eigenfrequencies is solved via numerical methods for three representative values of the cylindricality constant, $\ensuremath{\alpha}=\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}a}{c}$, where $a$ is the cylinder radius and $c$ the velocity of light. In addition to the real nonradiative surface plasmons, various virtual radiative surface plasmons exist with properties depending rather strongly on $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. The results are compared with existing experimental data. Further experiments are proposed in order to reveal the most interesting features of the surface plasma modes.
Underway monitoring of nanomolar nitrate plus nitrite and phosphate in oligotrophic seawater

To study nutrient dynamics and cycling in oligotrophic open ocean environments, continuous measurements of nanomolar nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate are valuable. However, such studies are usually impeded by the detection limits of conventional nutrient-sensors and analyzers. Here, we developed a shipboard deployable underway system for simultaneously monitoring nitrate plus nitrite and phosphate at nanomolar concentrations by the coupling of an optimized flow injection analytical system with two long-path liquid waveguide capillary cells (LWCC). The detection limits are ~2 nM for nitrate plus nitrite and ~1.5 nM for phosphate, respectively. Results from realtime surveys of waters over the west Florida continental shelf and the oligotrophic Sargasso Sea are presented. This system has also been successfully used to analyze more than 1000 discrete seawater samples manually during 2 cruises in the North Atlantic.
Adaptive Threshold Displacement algorithm for removing hidden information from digital images

The growth of the Internet and online social media, especially in recent years, also gave rise to a proliferation of online multimedia content creation and distribution. The use of modern steganography methods - the art of hiding information within multimedia - presents an unprecedented opportunity for malicious uses of these materials. Therefore, developing an effective technique to avoid the distribution of secret data is a significant problem that is addressed in this paper for digital images. We introduce a novel algorithm to remove the steganography information embedded in an image without changing the quality of the image and with no prior knowledge of the utilized steganography technique. Our new algorithm called Adaptive Threshold Displacement (ATD) is applied to images in the spatial domain. ATD divides the whole image into different segments and within a given segment, some pixels are displaced according to their contents as well as their neighboring pixel values. For evaluating the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm, we apply ATD to different images that contain hidden information, embedded using two different widely used steganography techniques. The presented results show that virtually all of the hidden information is destroyed by our proposed ATD algorithm, with a retrieval BER of over 40% in average. However, the quality of the images does not change and the PSNR of the resulting images is above 32 dB.
HdmX overexpression inhibits oncogene induced cellular senescence.

Cellular senescence is an irreversible state of terminal growth arrest that requires functional p53. Acting to block tumor formation, induction of senescence has also been demonstrated to contribute to tumor clearance via the immune system following p53 reactivation.1, 2 The Hdm2-antagonist, Nutlin-3a, has been shown to reactivate p53 and induce a quiescent state in various cancer cell lines,3, 4 similar to the G1 arrest observed upon RNAi targeting of Hdm2 in MCF7 breast cancer.5 In the present study we show that HdmX, a negative regulator of p53, impacts the senescence pathway. Specifically, overexpression of HdmX blocks Ras mediated senescence in primary human fibroblasts. The interaction of HdmX with p53 and the re-localization of HdmX to the nucleus through Hdm2 association appear to be required for this activity. Furthermore, inhibiting HdmX in prostate adenocarcinoma cells expressing wild-type p53, mutant Ras and high levels of HdmX induced cellular senescence as measured by an increase in irre...
Automated MAC protocol generation under dynamic traffic conditions

We formulate the automated MAC protocol generation problem under dynamic traffic conditions for multiple neighborhoods and in the presence of acknowledgments. We show that the problem can be formulated as a functional optimization program in which each design (a.k.a. decision) function of the program is the probability that a node takes an action given its knowledge state, as a function of the effective traffic demand at the current time at that node. In order to achieve a viable computational complexity for the functional optimization program, we discretize the effective traffic demands by virtue of which a look-up table is produced for each design function. Structurally different MAC protocols are subsumed in this framework, and are generated automatically with respect to traffic demand. The symbolic Monte Carlo method is used to generate an approximate expression for the objective function as well as for the non-linear constraints, in a manner that trades off accuracy versus computational complexity. Symbolic simulation results are presented for a fixed network topology under the assumption of Poisson traffic. The objective is to minimize the average power consumption of a node subject to a minimum average throughput constraint that incorporates soft delay guarantees. The results demonstrate that a MAC protocol that incorporates acknowledgments in a multi-hop setting under dynamic traffic can be generated automatically.
Effective Theories of Dense and Very Dense Matter

The exploration of the phase diagram of dense baryonic matter is an area of intense theoretical and experimental activity. Baryonic systems, from dilute neutron matter at low density to superconducting quark matter at high density, exhibit an enormous variety of many-body effects. Despite its simplicity all these phenomena are ultimately described by the lagrangian of QCD.
School Psychologists: Strategic Allies in the Contemporary Practice of Primary Care Pediatrics:

Immense changes in the developmental/behavioral aspects of primary care pediatrics have resulted from revisions in special education laws, introduction of managed care, widened dissemination of information about disabilities to parents, and the changing character of American society. Challenges associated with contemporary pediatric practice can be diminished by routine collaboration with school psychologists. An alliance with school-based psychologists permits pediatricians access to children in their natural environments and potential collaboration for preventing illness and emotional/behavior problems. Further, school psychologists can provide a partner for assessing and treating both common and low-incident disorders without the constraints imposed by managed care.
Effect of applying bacterial inoculants containing different types of bacteria to corn silage on the performance of dairy cattle

This study examined the effect of applying different bacterial inoculants to corn silage at the time of ensiling on the performance of lactating dairy cows. Corn plants were harvested at 35% dry matter (DM), chopped, and ensiled in 2.4-m-wide bags after application of (1) no inoculant (CON); (2) Biotal Plus II (B2) containing Pediococcus pentosaceus and Propionibacteria freudenreichii; (3) Buchneri 40788 (BUC) containing Lactobacillus buchneri; or (4) Buchneri 500 (B500) containing Pediococcus pentosaceus and L. buchneri. All inoculants were supplied by Lallemand Animal Nutrition (Milwaukee, WI). Each of the 4 silages was included in separate total mixed rations consisting of 44% corn silage, 50% concentrate, and 6% alfalfa hay (DM basis). Fifty-two lactating Holstein cows were stratified according to milk production and parity and randomly assigned at 22 d in milk to the 4 dietary treatments. Cows were fed for ad libitum consumption and milked twice daily for 49 d. Dietary treatment did not affect intakes (kg/d) of DM (20.0), crude protein (CP; 3.7), neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 5.7), or acid detergent fiber (ADF; 3.6), or digestibility (%) of DM (73.9) or CP (72.4). However, NDF digestibility was lower in cows fed B2 compared with those fed other diets (45.3 vs. 53.0%). Consequently, cows fed B2 had lower digestible NDF intake (kg/d) than those fed other diets (2.5 vs. 3.0 kg/d). Dietary treatment did not affect milk yield (32.3 kg/d), efficiency of milk production (1.61), concentrations of milk fat (3.18%) and protein (2.79%), or yields of milk fat (1.03 kg/d) and protein (1.26 kg/d). Inoculant application to corn silage did not affect milk yield or feed intake of cows.
Saving tourists: The status of emergency medical services in California's National Parks

Summary Background Providing emergency medical services (EMS) in popular tourist destinations such as National Parks requires an understanding of the availability and demand for EMS. This study examines the EMS workload, EMS transportation methods, EMS funding, and EMS provider status in California's National Park Service units. Methods A retrospective review of data from the 2005 Annual Emergency Medical Services Report for National Park Service (NPS) units in California. Results Sixteen NPS units in California reported EMS activity. EMS program funding and training costs totaled USD $1,071,022. During 2005 there were 84 reported fatalities, 910 trauma incidents, 663 non-cardiac medicals, 129 cardiac incidents, and 447 first aid incidents. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Yosemite National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Death Valley National Park accounted for 83% of the total EMS case workload. Ground transports accounted for 85% of all EMS transports and Emergency Medical Technicians with EMT-basic (EMT-B) training made up 76% of the total 373 EMS providers. Conclusions Providing EMS for tourists can be a challenging task. As tourist endeavors increase globally and move into more remote environments, the level of EMS operations in California's NPS units can serve as a model for developing EMS operations serving tourist populations.
Immune-Related Conditions and Acute Leukemia in Children with Down Syndrome: A Children's Oncology Group Report

Background: Children with Down syndrome have unique immune profiles and increased leukemia susceptibility. Methods: Mothers of 158 children with Down syndrome diagnosed with acute leukemia at 0 to 19 years in 1997 to 2002 and 173 children with Down syndrome but no leukemia were interviewed. Associations were evaluated via multivariable unconditional logistic regression. Results: No associations were detected for asthma, eczema, allergies, or hypothyroidism. Diabetes mellitus associated with leukemia (OR = 9.23; 95% confidence interval 2.33–36.59); however, most instances occurred concurrent with or after the leukemia diagnosis. Conclusions and Impact: Children with Down syndrome who develop leukemia have increased diabetes risk, likely due to treatment and underlying susceptibility factors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(2); 1–5. ©2014 AACR .
Adaptive wave digital fan filters

Adaptive two-dimensional (2-D) fan filters based on least mean square algorithm and 2-D wave digital filter structure are presented. The weight updating equations as well as the equations for computing the gradient components of signals in two-dimensional wave digital filter adaptors are derived and specifically applied to wave digital quadrant and narrowband fan filters. Computer simulations are also conducted to show their potential applications to 2-D system identification and noise cancellation in noisy images. >
Skeletal muscle involvement in progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)

53 patients with typical PSS were examined for evidence of muscle weakness, abnormal serum enzymes, disturbances in urinary creatine and creatinine, and histopathologic alterations in skeletal muscle tissue. The majority was found to have clinical and biochemical features of primary myopathy. Microscopic involvement of muscle fibers or interstitium was present in 14 of 36 cases; the most consistent abnormality was interstitial fibrosis. This muscle involvement is considered an important feature in the course of PSS.
Stratification of Time to First Citation for Articles Published in the Journal of Research in Music Education A Bibliometric Analysis

The author examined the speed of research dissemination by determining the time elapsed from publication to first citation for 617 articles in the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME). Google Scholar was used to create a unique data set of 6,930 references originating from journals in the arts, education, music, and other fields. An original computer script linked the journal citations to individual articles and calculated the elapsed time from publication to first citation in journals dedicated to music and other disciplines. Kaplan-Meier estimators determined the cumulative failure function and probability of a first citation by year. Failure plots revealed citations to the articles originated more quickly from journals in music than from other fields, highlighting the importance of the JRME to music scholars and gradual influence on other fields. Cumulative first-citation proportions from music journals reached 50% in 4 years and 75% in 8 years. Cox proportional-hazards regression revealed mul...