cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycemic Control Does Matter in the Cardiac Surgery Patient

Hyperglycemia is a common occurrence in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Evidence suggests it is associated with increased perioperative mortality and complications. Preoperatively, HbA1c and fasting blood glucose are reliable methods for identifying patients at increased risk for both hyperglycemia and perioperative morbidity. Perioperative glycemic control by insulin therapy provides considerable benefit to cardiac surgery patients at a cellular and clinical level. Optimal target for blood glucose concentrations as well as the optimal protocol for its delivery remains controversial due to wide variability of studied populations, methodology, and outcomes. Review of available literature suggests that moderate glycemic control (100–140 mg/dL, or 140–180 mg/dL) is at least equivalent, if not superior to intensive control (80–110 mg/dL) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, however, special populations may benefit from intensive control.
Abstract 150: Early Administration of Ticagrelor in Patients with Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction is Associated with Improved Survival

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus clopidogrel/ticagrelor - DAPT) is a mainstay treatment for NSTEMI. However, studies suggest that early administration of clopidogrel may not conf...
Losing Sense of Self and Surroundings: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Aging and Leukemic Transformation

Aging leads to functional decline of the hematopoietic system, manifested by an increased incidence of hematological disease in the elderly. Deterioration of hematopoietic integrity with age originates in part from the degraded functionality of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Here, we review recent findings identifying changes in metabolic programs and loss of epigenetic identity as major drivers of old HSC dysfunction and their role in promoting leukemia onset in the context of age-related clonal hematopoiesis (ARCH). We discuss how inflammatory and growth signals from the aged bone marrow (BM) microenvironment contribute to cell-intrinsic HSC aging phenotypes and favor leukemia development. Finally, we address how metabolic, epigenetic, and inflammatory pathways could be targeted to enhance old HSC fitness and prevent leukemic transformation.
Mutational analysis using next-generation DNA sequencing in platinum-resistant muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

e16006Background: Platinum-resistant muscle-invasive bladder cancer (prMIBC) is the main cause of bladder cancer mortality. Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) has allowed chara...
Luminescent Trivalent Lanthanides in Studies of Cation Binding Sites

Although the trivalent lanthanides are found at low levels throughout the biosphere and have been found to have some biological activity such as analgesia (Zuxuan et al., 1985) and amino acid cotransport (Birnir et al., 1987; Stevens and Kneer, 1988), there are no known metabolic processes in which they are essential. They are of interest in biochemistry for two general reasons. The lanthanides are a series of hard Lewis acids varying slightly in effective radius and, as such, are useful as steric probes of systems such as ion channels. Second, their paramagnetic and luminescent properties make them versatile spectroscopic probes of cation binding sites.
Development of an Organizational Agility Assessment for Government and Nonprofit Organizations

To keep pace with constant change in the environment, organizations must broaden their sight by finding new ways to carry out their work. Based on literature review, we developed an organizational ...
People of the book, women of the body: ultra-orthodox Jewish women’s reproductive literacy

Jews have often been referred to as ‘People of the book.’ This is because books, specifically those that contain rabbinic legal discourse, are understood to be authoritative guides for Jewish life, and those who have achieved mastery in the content of the books are considered authorities. Although ‘people of the book’ is often used to refer to all Jews, book culture has been almost entirely constructed by men, particularly among ultra-Orthodox Jews. This article offers a different framework, one which sees women’s religious authority growing out of embodied experiences. Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) women challenge the dominant paradigm for religious authority by insisting that their pregnant bodies replace books and rabbis. While a woman’s body might be seen as an impediment to her religious authority, I argue that women become capable of exercising religious authority through their embodied experiences of bearing children. During my two years of ethnographic research with Haredi women in Jerusalem, I found that after giving birth to two or three children, Haredi women felt authorized to make decisions about their pregnancies without consulting a rabbi. After a woman has two or three children, she develops what I refer to as ‘reproductive literacy,’ meaning she knows how to use her embodied reproductive experiences as knowledge, expertise, and thus authority over reproduction. Through a close reading of pregnancy advice books and an analysis of how Haredi women use these books, I show that how Haredi women embody authority to make decisions about the maintenance and continuation of Haredi life.
Producer–scrounger relationships in yellow-bellied marmots

When social animals forage together, they may engage in frequency-dependent strategies either as producers, those who acquire food with their own energy, or as scroungers, those who feed on what the producers discover. An individual's choice of strategy may depend on the frequency of strategies within the group, or it may depend on the individual's own traits. Most of our understanding of producer–scrounger relationships comes from highly social species, but we may gain different insights by studying less social species. We used novel puzzle box experiments to study social foraging relationships and identify the traits associated with strategy choice in facultatively social yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventer. We found that marmots had consistent strategies as either producers or scroungers. Furthermore, several individuals specialized as scroungers, following the producers to the puzzle box before other scroungers. However, their roles were only associated with sex (males were more likely to produce), and not with age, boldness or dominance rank. Marmots' lack of trait-regulated foraging roles may be associated with their relatively abundant and not-entirely defensible food, or may emerge from their lack of obligate social structure. We discuss how multiple factors may explain variation in social foraging behaviour.
Supplementation of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids during the early posthatch period on intestinal morphology and gene expression differentiation in broilers.

Abstract Early posthatch nutrition is important for gut health. Vitamin E (VE) and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids can improve gut health through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. The objective of this study was to identify the effects of VE, n-3 fatty acids, and combination of both during the starter phase (0–10 d) or grower phase (11–24 d) on intestinal morphology and expression of genes associated with gut health. A total of 210 Ross 708 broilers were randomly assigned into 7 treatments with 10 replicates of 3 birds each. The control group was fed a corn–soybean meal–basal diet during the entire study (0–58 d). Supplementation of VE (200 IU/kg), n-3 fatty acids (n-6/n-3 ratio of 3.2:1), and combination of both were fed during the starter phase (0–10 d) or grower phase (11–24 d). All of the broilers were harvested at 58 d of age. Villus height, crypt depth, villus width, distance between villi, and number of intraepithelial lymphocytes were obtained. Expression of 21 genes was measured using NanoString analysis. Expression of solute carrier family 15 member 1 (P = 0.01) associated with peptide transport and mucin 2 (P = 0.03) related with intestinal mucus barrier was increased in the broilers supplemented with n-3 fatty acids in the grower diet compared with the control. Expression of solute carrier family 7 member 1 associated with amino acid transport was decreased in the group supplemented with n-3 fatty acids during the starter phase compared with the group supplemented with n-3 fatty acids (P = 0.01) or VE and n-3 fatty acids during the grower phase (P = 0.03). These data suggest that VE and n-3 fatty acids supplemented during the grower phase have a positive effect on improving nutrient transport with n-3 fatty acids supplementation in the grower diet showing the most beneficial effect. These findings can be used in the development of nutritional management strategies to improve broiler growth performance and meat quality.
Large-scale Identification of Clonal Hematopoiesis and Mutations Recurrent in Blood Cancers

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is characterized by detectable hematopoietic-associated gene mutations in a person without evidence of hematologic malignancy. We sought to identify additional cancer-presenting mutations usable for CHIP detection by performing a data mining analysis of 48 somatic mutation landscape studies reporting mutations at diagnoses of 7,430 adult and pediatric patients with leukemia or other hematologic malignancy. Following extraction of 20,141 protein-altering mutations, we identified 434 significantly recurrent mutation hotspots, 364 of which occurred at loci confidently assessable for CHIP. We then performed an additional large-scale analysis of whole-exome sequencing data from 4,538 persons belonging to three noncancer cohorts for clonal mutations. We found the combined cohort prevalence of CHIP with mutations identical to those reported at blood cancer mutation hotspots to be 1.8%, and that some of these CHIP mutations occurred in children. Our findings may help to improve CHIP detection and precancer surveillance for both children and adults. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies frequently occurring mutations across several blood cancers that may drive hematologic malignancies and signal increased risk for cancer when detected in healthy persons. We find clonal mutations at these hotspots in a substantial number of individuals from noncancer cohorts, including children, showcasing potential for improved precancer surveillance.See related commentary by Spitzer and Levine, p. 192.
Use of Pistacia lentiscus mastic for sustained-release system of chlorocresol and benzoic acid for in vitro prevention of bacterial colonization of silicon urinary catheter.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common types of nosocomial infections. Patients with indwelling urinary catheters are at the highest risk of getting infections. A sustained-release method of chlorocresol and benzoic acid using a varnish of Pistacia lentiscus mastic was developed to prevent catheter colonization by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Coatings of both antiseptics significantly reduced the number of colonizing bacteria on silicon urinary catheters for 72 h. Chlorocresol-coated catheters were significantly (P ≤ 0·05) more effective than benzoic acid. Except for the Pr. mirabilis, chlorocresol completely inhibited the colonization of catheters by the tested bacteria for 48 h. Nonetheless, the colonization of catheters by Pr. mirabilis was significantly reduced after 48 and 72 h by more than 3·5 logs. Although benzoic acid failed to completely inhibit bacterial growth, it significantly reduced the colonization of the catheters by all the tested bacteria by more than two logs for 72 h. The inhibition of colonization of catheters was confirmed by examining the tested catheters by scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results indicate the potential benefits of using mastic as a varnish for sustaining the release of chlorocresol and benzoic acid to prevent and reduce the colonization of urinary catheters by bacteria.
A Behavior-Analytic Perspective on Interprofessional Collaboration

Collaborative service delivery models have gained considerable popularity in health care, education, and clinical settings. Despite the unique opportunity that this new popularity provides for the dissemination of applied behavior analysis, the majority of practicing behavior analysts have received little or no formal professional development on how to participate in teams with nonbehavioral colleagues. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the larger movement toward collaborative service delivery with an emphasis on interprofessionalism. The four core competency domains presented by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Framework are interpreted through a behavior-analytic lens. This article is an initial attempt to operationalize constructs commonly associated with interprofessional educational and collaborative practices including (but not limited to) cultural sensitivity and responsiveness, cultural humility and reciprocity, empathy, and compassion.
Time of Flight compared to standard iterative acquisition and reconstruction for assessment of pulmonary nodules.

1392 Objectives To determine if assessment of pulmonary nodules based on activity compared to mediastinal blood pool differs significantly with time of flight compared to standard iterative reconstructions. Methods Over a 2 year period, 90 18FDG-PET/CT scans were performed using both time of flight (TOF) and standard (ST) iterative acquisition and reconstruction techniques for evaluation of pulmonary nodules in a high risk population with high risk of malignancy for nodules of 80%. From these exams, 57 nodules were assessed that also had pathologic or 2 year CT follow up data available. These nodules were divided based on size criteria. Results Nine of 13 nodules measuring 0-7mm were malignant and activity above the blood pool was present in 44% on TOF and 11% using ST. Benign lesions showed activity above blood pool in 25% (TOF) and 0% (ST). Five nodules showed activity greater than mediastinal blood pool on TOF and 80% were malignant. One nodule had activity greater than blood pool on ST and it was malignant. Thirteen of 27 pulmonary nodules measuring 8-15 mm were malignant. Activity greater than blood pool was 54% TOF and 23% ST for malignant nodules and 50% TOF and 14% ST for benign nodules. Fifteen nodules showed activity greater than blood pool on TOF, 47% of which were malignant. Five nodules had activity over blood pool on ST 23% of which malignant. Five of the 17 nodules larger than 15mm were malignant. Activity greater than the blood pool was seen in 80% (TOF) and 60% (ST) for malignant nodules and 83% (TOF) and 25% (ST) for benign lesions. Fourteen nodules showed activity greater than mediastinal blood pool on TOF and 29% of these were malignant. Six nodules had activity greater than blood pool on ST and 50% were malignant. Conclusions Despite increased activity on time of flight, there is not improvment of differentiation between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules based on nodule to blood pool activity. However, the impact of hight incidence of malignancy in this population may have negatively affected the outcome.
Surgical Management of Chordoma of the Sacrum

The sacrum is the most common location for chordoma to arise, and surgical management remains the default care pathway for most patients. Key aspects in determining and executing the surgical approach for sacral chordomas include the rostral level of resection and degree of soft tissue extension or contamination. Rostral extension will imply the extent of neurologic sacrifice and the potential need for spinopelvic reconstruction. Soft tissue extension will imply the need for flap coverage, pelvic organ involvement, and extra-sacral nerve root involvement. Our current understanding of surgical management of sacral chordomas includes a stubbornly high complication rate as well as a limited role for supplemental radiotherapy. A negative margin resection is currently the most proven modifiable risk factor for disease-specific survival in this patient population.
Synthetic N- and O- Glycosyl Derivatives of L-Asparagine, L-Serine, and L-Threonine

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the synthetic N - and O -glycosyl derivatives of l -asparagine, l -serine, and l -threonine. Glycoproteins' are macromolecules containing one carbohydrate chain covalently linked to a protein backbone. They include proteoglycans, N -glycoproteins, O -glycoproteins, and collagen or basal-membrane proteins. The chapter presents the method of forming an amide bond between the 4-carboxyl group of l -aspartic acid and a glycosylamine in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiirnide. A series of derivatives of l -alanine, l -glutamic acid, glycine, l -serine, and l -valine, required for determining the specificity of amidohydrolase enzymes, as well as for testing the growth-inhibitory activity, was synthesized by coupling amine 8 with protected amino acids. The synthesis of glycopeptides of l -asparagine by the solid-phase procedure required a derivative protected, for example, by the acid-labile N -( tert -butoxycarbonyl) group. The reaction of a glycosyl bromide with the sodium salt of a phenol was the first procedure for the preparation of an O -glycosyl derivative of an amino acid. It is found that the glycoproteins of animal origin have glycoside linkages involving the hydroxyl groups of l -serine and l -threonine, as treatment with alkali releases the sugar component simultaneously with the loss of an equimolecular amount of hydroxyamino acid.
Plasma lactate concentrations and comparison of two point-of-care lactate analyzers to a laboratory analyzer in a population of healthy cats

Objective To establish a reference interval for plasma lactate in a population of healthy adult cats on a laboratory analyzer (Nova Biomedical Critical Care Xpress [CCX]) and 2 commercially available point-of-care (POC) analyzers (Abbott i-STAT [i-STAT] and Nova Biomedical Lactate Plus [LP]), and to compare the level of agreement of lactate measurement between the laboratory analyzer and POC analyzers. Design Prospective observational study. Setting University veterinary teaching hospital. Animals Forty-seven healthy adult cats. Interventions Jugular phlebotomy. Measurements and Main Results In this population, plasma lactate reference interval was 0.67–5.44 mmol/L for the CCX, 0.65–5.16 mmol/L for the i-STAT, and 0.68–4.39 mmol/L for the LP. Comparisons were made between lactate measurements on 2 point-of-care analyzers and the laboratory analyzer using the Bland–Altman method. For the comparison of CCX and i-STAT, the bias was −0.10 mmol/L; for the CCX and LP, the bias was −0.24 mmol/L. Conclusions Measurements of plasma lactate in cats using the i-STAT showed acceptable agreement with the CCX. The LP showed weaker agreement. However, both POC analyzers are suitable for measurement of lactate in cats, provided results from different POC analyzers are not directly compared. This study identified a larger reference interval for plasma lactate concentration in cats than what has been previously reported.
Activation of the Bacillus subtilis global regulator CodY by direct interaction with branched-chain amino acids

CodY, a GTP-activated global transcriptional regulator of early stationary phase genes, is conserved in many Gram-positive bacterial species. Recently, a number of novel targets regulated by CodY have been identified, including three Bacillus subtilis operons involved in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis (Molle, V., et al., 2003, J Bacteriol 185: 1911-1922). The mechanism of involvement of CodY in regulating the ilvB operon was investigated here using in vivo transcriptional fusions, in vitro gel mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting assays. CodY was found to mediate regulation of the ilvB operon by GTP and BCAAs and to bind to the ilvB promoter region. BCAAs increased the affinity of CodY for the ilvB promoter and for all other CodY targets tested. This effect of BCAAs in vitro was additive with the effect of GTP on CodY DNA-binding activity.
Empowering Nurses to help Reduce the Rate of Primary Cesarean Births

Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Cesarean birth has come to the forefront of discussion by The Joint Commission, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists because of its effect on the increased risk of maternal morbidity. Of particular focus is the primary cesarean. A program to facilitate the safe prevention of the primary cesarean will optimize patient outcomes, decrease hospital length of stays, and decrease the rate of repeat cesarean births. Proposed Change To promote positive patient outcomes and reduce the rate of primary cesarean births by incorporating a collaborative effort between leaders, nurses, and health care providers. A change in culture will directly affect outcomes. The change encompasses hard‐stop guidelines for early elective inductions, nursing education for techniques to manage various stages of labor, and the use of innovative equipment to optimize movement for the woman in labor. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The unit implemented hard‐stop guidelines to prevent early elective inductions of labor, the use of wireless fetal monitoring to encourage mobility in labor, the use of labor techniques to optimize vaginal births, and education for staff on the management of the stages of labor. As a collaborative effort with health care providers, we decreased the early elective induction rate to 0% within the first year. Leadership supported the opening of a triage unit to promote a decrease in triage hours, which facilitated prompt discharge for those patients who were not in labor. Program evaluation occurs during a monthly Perinatal Collaborative meeting, which includes leaders, nurses, and health care providers to discuss progress and process improvements. The team is dedicated and focused on optimizing patient outcomes and decreasing the rate of primary cesarean births. Implications for Nursing Practice By empowering and educating nurses on their active involvement in the process, we reduced the rate of primary cesarean birth by 12% from fiscal year 2013 to fiscal year 2014. In August 2014, the unit announced 208 deliveries with a primary cesarean rate of 9%. The implementation of the wireless fetal monitoring system, labor techniques, and the childbirth education conference was directly correlated with a decrease in the rate of primary cesarean birth.
Fundamentals of technology roadmapping

Technology planning is important for many reasons. Globally, companies are facing many competitive problems. Technology roadmapping, a form of technology planning can help deal with this increasingly competitive environment. While it has been used by some companies and industries, the focus has always been on the technology roadmap as a product, not on the process. This report focuses on formalizing the process so that it can be more broadly and easily used. As a DOE national security laboratory with R&D as a major product, Sandia must do effective technology planning to identify and develop the technologies required to meet its national security mission. Once identified, technology enhancements or new technologies may be developed internally or collaboratively with external partners. For either approach, technology roadmapping, as described in this report, is an effective tool for technology planning and coordination, which fits within a broader set of planning activities. This report, the second in a series on technology roadmapping, develops and documents this technology roadmapping process, which can be used by Sandia, other national labs, universities, and industry. The main benefit of technology roadmapping is that it provides information to make better technology investment decisions by identifying critical technologies and technology gaps and identifying ways to leverage R&D investments. It can also be used as a marketing tool. Technology roadmapping is critical when the technology investment decision is not straight forward. This occurs when it is not clear which alternative to pursue, how quickly the technology is needed, or when there is a need to coordinate the development of multiple technologies. The technology roadmapping process consists of three phases - preliminary activity, development of the technology roadmap, and follow-up activity.
Rainbands, Precipitation Cores and Generating Cells in a Cyclonic Storm

Abstract The mesoscale organization and structure of precipitation in a cyclonic storm have been studied using satellite, radar, airborne and ground measurements. The large mesoscale regions, which were mainly in the form of rainbands, contained within them smaller mesoscale regions (preciptation cores) which were characterized by higher rainfall rates. It is shown that the precipitation cores in warm frontal bands originated in generating cells aloft which provided “seed” ice crystals which grew by collection as they fell through lower cloud layers. The generating cells were probably produced by the lifting of shallow layers of potentially unstable air which were situated above warm fronts. There is also some evidence that the precipitation cores within cold frontal bands originated within layers of potentially unstable air.
Adaptivity in a hierarchical fuzzy model

A hierarchical architecture for fuzzy modeling and inference has been developed to allow adaptation based on system performance feedback. A general adaptive algorithm is presented and its performance examined for three types of adaptive behaviour: continued learning, gradual change, and drastic change. In continued learning, the underlying system does not change and the adaptive algorithm utilizes the real time data and associated feedback to improve the accuracy of the existing model. Gradual and drastic change represent fundamental alterations to the system being modeled. In each of the three types of behaviour, the adaptive algorithm has been shown to be able to reconfigure the rule bases to either improve the original approximation or adapt to the new system.
The Notion of Community in United States Computational Science Education Initiatives

The computational science education community in the United States can be perceived at a variety of levels: a community of stakeholders, educators, colleagues, or learners. Each level is illustrated by examples and their roles are discussed.
The five-factor model of personality and self-reported versus biomarker diabetic control.

Five-factor personality was examined as an element of self-report diabetic control accuracy versus biomarker control (HbA1c) for 1474 diabetics in the 2006 and 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Correlations of extraversion and self-reported control (r = −.06, p < .01), and extraversion and HbA1c (r = .03, non-significant), were significantly different (t = 2.87, p < .01). Correlations of openness and self-reported control (r = −.05, p < .05), and openness and HbA1c (r = .01, non-significant), were significantly different (t = 1.91, p < .05). Associations were found between self-reported control and conscientiousness (r = −.05, p < .05), neuroticism (r = .04, p < .05), and openness (r = −.05, p < .05). Neuroticism was associated with self-reports that diabetes was worse (r = .07, p < .01). Other correlations and comparisons were non-significant.
Dynamic performance of a magnetic levitation haptic device

A new haptic interface device has been developed which uses Lorentz force magnetic levitation for actuation. With this device, the user grasps a floating rigid body to interact with the system. The levitated moving part grasped by the user contains curved oval wound coils and LEDs embedded in a hemispherical shell with a handle fixed at its center. The stationary base contains magnet assemblies facing the flotor coils and optical position sensors facing the flotor LEDs. The device is mounted in the top cover of a desk-side cabinet enclosure containing all the amplifiers, control hardware, microprocessing, and power supplies needed for operation. A network connection provides communication with a workstation to allow interaction with simulated 3D environments in real time. Ideally, the haptic interface device should reproduce the dynamics of the modelled or remote environment with such high fidelity that the user cannot distinguish interaction with the device from interaction with a real object in a real environment. In practice, this ideal can only be approached with a fidelity that depends on its dynamic properties such as position and force bandwidths, maximum forces and accelerations, position resolution, and realizable impedance range. The motion range of the moving part is approximately 25 mm and 15 - 20 degrees in all directions. A current of 0.75 A is required in three of the six coils to generate the vertical force to lift the 850 g levitated mass, dissipating only 13.5 W. Peak forces of over 50 N and torques of over 6 Nm are achievable with the present amplifiers without overheating the actuator coils. Other measured performance results include stiffness ranges from 0.005 N/mm to 25.0 N/mm and a position control bandwidth of approximately 75 Hz.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An atomistic assessment of helium behavior in iron

Abstract High helium generation rates in irradiated materials leads to the formation of small He–vacancy clusters that can evolve into larger bubbles and voids. An equation of state that accurately reproduces their pressure–volume relationship is necessary to understand and predict the behaviour of these He–vacancy defects. Previous research has employed equations of state of varying complexity, including the ideal gas, van der Waals, and hard sphere models. We recently used ab initio calculations to determine the energetics of helium-vacancy clusters and applied the results to develop a new three-body interatomic potential that describes the behaviour of helium in iron. This potential was employed in molecular dynamics simulations to determine the conditions for mechanical equilibrium between small helium-stabilized bubbles and an iron matrix, and to systematically map the pressure–volume relationship for the bubbles at a range of temperatures. These atomistic results are compared to an existing equation of state and a modification is proposed for bubbles with high helium densities.
Design, synthesis, and use of cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalysts

Catalyst productivity and selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons are critical design criteria in the choice of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts and reactors. Cobalt-based catalysts appear to provide the best compromise between performance and cost for the synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO/H2 mixtures. Optimum catalysts with high cobalt concentration and site density can be prepared by controlled reduction of nitrate precursors introduced via melt or aqueous impregnation methods. FTS turnover rates are independent of Co dispersion and support identity over the accessible dispersion range (0.01–0.12) at typical FTS conditions. At low reactant pressures or conversions, water increases FTS reaction rates and the selectivity to olefins and to C5+ hydrocarbons. These water effects depend on the identity of the support and lead to support effects on turnover rates at low CO conversions. Turnover rates increase when small amounts of Ru (Ru/Co<0.008 at.) are added to Co catalysts. C5+ selectivity increases with increasing Co site density because diffusion-enhanced readsorption of α-olefins reverses, β-hydrogen abstraction steps and inhibits chain termination. Severe diffusional restrictions, however, can also deplete CO within catalyst pellets and decrease chain growth probabilities. Therefore, optimum C5+ selectivities are obtained on catalysts with moderate diffusional restrictions. Diffusional constraints depend on pellet size and porosity and on the density and radial location of Co sites within catalyst pellets. Slurry bubble column reactors and the use of eggshell catalyst pellets in packed-bed reactors introduce design flexibility by decoupling the characteristic diffusion distance in catalyst pellets from pressure drop and other reactor constraints.
Radioiodinated O6-Benzylguanine derivatives containing an azido function

Abstract Introduction Drug resistance to alkylator chemotherapy has been primarily attributed to the DNA repair protein alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT); thus, personalizing chemotherapy could be facilitated if tumor AGT content could be quantified prior to administering chemotherapy. We have been investigating the use of radiolabeled O 6 -benzylguanine (BG) analogues to label and quantify AGT in vivo. BG derivatives containing an azido function were sought to potentially enhance the targeting of these analogues to AGT, which is primarily present in the cell nucleus, either by conjugating them to nuclear localization sequence (NLS) peptides or by pretargeting via bio-orthogonal approaches. Methods Two O 6 -(3-iodobenzyl)guanine (IBG) derivatives containing an azido moiety— O 6 -(4-azidohexyloxymethyl-3-iodobenzyl)guanine (AHOMIBG) and O 6 -(4-azido-3-iodobenzyl)guanine (AIBG) — and their tin precursors were synthesized in multiple steps and the tin precursors were converted to radioiodinated AHOMIBG and AIBG, respectively. Both unlabeled and radioiodinated AHOMIBG analogues were conjugated to alkyne-derivatized NLS peptide heptynoyl-PK 3 RKV. The ability of these radioiodinated compounds to bind to AGT was determined by a trichloroacetic acid precipitation assay and gel electrophoresis/phosphor imaging. Labeling of an AGT-AIBG conjugate via Staudinger ligation using the 131 I-labeled phosphine ligand, 2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl 4-[ 131 I]iodobenzoate, also was investigated. Results [ 131 I]AHOMIBG was synthesized in two steps from its tin precursor in 52.2±7.5% ( n =5) radiochemical yield and conjugated to the NLS peptide via click reaction in 50.7±4.9% ( n =6) yield. The protected tin precursor of AIBG was radioiodinated in an average radiochemical yield of 69.6±4.5% ( n =7); deprotection of the intermediate gave [ 131 I]AIBG in 17.8±4.2% ( n =9) yield. While both [ 131 I]AHOMIBG and its NLS conjugate bound to AGT pure protein, their potency as a substrate for AGT was substantially lower than that of [ 125 I]IBG. Uptake of [ 131 I]AHOMIBG-NLS conjugate in DAOY medulloblastoma cells was up to eightfold higher than that of [ 125 I]IBG; however, the uptake was not changed when the cellular AGT content was first depleted with BG treatment. [ 131 I]AIBG was almost equipotent as [ 125 I]IBG with respect to binding to pure AGT; however, attempts to radiolabel AGT by treatment with unlabeled AIBG followed by Staudinger ligation using the radiolabeled phosphine ligand, 2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl 4-[ 131 I]iodobenzoate were not successful. Conclusion Although AHOMIBG, and AIBG were synthesized successfully in both unlabeled and radioiodinated forms, the radioiodinated compounds failed to label AGT either after NLS peptide conjugation or via Staundiger ligation. Currently, other bio-orthogonal approaches are being evaluated for labeling AGT by pretargeting.
Leaving the Church Behind: Applying a Deconversion Perspective to Evangelical Exit Narratives

AbstractThe motivating factors and structural processes of religious exits have been important inquiries in the sociology of religion and are increasingly important to the field of non-religious studies. Based on qualitative research with 20 former post-Boomer Evangelical Christians, this article takes a phenomenological–hermeneutical approach to understanding religious exiting by examining narratives of deconversion. The narrative data presented in this article depict Evangelical exits from a deconversion perspective where exiters emphasize breaking away from the constraints of hegemonic Christianity rather than turning to secularity. The findings suggest that framing the intentional rejection of faith as ‘deconversion’ transforms exit narratives into a necessary cultural repertoire that encourages individuals to challenge religious domination and makes finding acceptance and validation easier in an established community of non-believers. By emphasizing the negative impact of religion, even after non-rel...
Common variable immunodeficiency in a six-year-old boy with sarcoidosis

Abstract Introduction Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disorder characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent infections. Sarcoidosis, a multi-system granulomatous disease, could co-exist with CVID as documented in adult case reports. The association is still unclear. Immunologic defect and abnormal host response are possible explanations. Patients with CVID and sarcoidosis present with hypogammaglobulinemia rather than hypergammaglobulinemia as seen in sarcoidosis alone. Review of literature showed a paucity of case reports in children. We describe a six-year-old child who had a diagnosis of sarcoidosis with eventual diagnosis of CVID. Case report A six-year-old boy presented at age five with dyspnea, fever, rash, and inguinal lymphadenopathy. He had splenomegaly, anemia and thrombocytopenia. Mediastinal lymph node biopsy demonstrating noncaseating granuloma and an elevated serum angiotensin converting enzyme level of 181U/L (normal 14-70) led to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. He was treated with systemic corticosteroids. Since infancy, he presented with persistent cough, nasal congestion, recurrent otitis media and sinusitis. At age six, he was hospitalized for pneumonia unresponsive to multiple courses of oral antibiotics. Immune work-up revealed an IgG of 13mg/dl (normal: 504–1465), IgA of Conclusion Although CVID and sarcoidosis are rare childhood diseases, children with sarcoidosis with recurrent infections should be evaluated for CVID. Conversely, patient with CVID should be monitored for sarcoid activity.
Wafer Scale Modeling and Control for Yield Improvement in Wafer Planarization

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a planarization process that produces high quality surfaces both locally and globally. It is one of the key process steps during the fabrication of very large scale integrated (VLSI) chips in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. CMP consists of a chemical process and a mechanical process being performed together to reduce height variation across a wafer. High and reliable wafer yield, which is dependent upon uniformity of the material removal rate across the entire wafer, is of critical importance in the CMP process. In this paper, the variations in material removal rate (MRR) variation across the wafer are analytically modeled assumimg a rigid wafer and a flexible polishing pad. The wafer pad contact is modeled as the indentation of a rigid indenter on an elastic half-space. Load and curvature control strategies are investigated for improving the wafer yield. The notion of curvature control is entirely new and has not been addressed in the literature. The control strategy is based on minimizing a moment function that represents the wafer curvature and the height of the oxide layer left for material removal. Simulation results indicate that curvature control can improve wafer yield significantly, and is more effective than just the load control.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Mammalian endoneurial fluid: collection and protein analysis from normal and crushed nerves.

Abstract An elution procedure was developed for the extraction of endoneurial fluid from desheathed, rat sciatic nerves. The endoneurial fluid elutions (EFE) from normal and crushed nerves were evaluated for extracellular proteins by sodium dodecyl sulphate-pore gradient electrophoresis (SDS-PGE) after silver stain and after immune overlay following electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose using antisera to albumin (ALB), neurons specific enolase (NSE), and the major myelin glycoprotein (P 0 ). Afer removal of the epineurium/ perineurium, the EFE protein accounted for 3.6% (34–37 μg) of the total endoneurial protein which did not change with intra-arterial perfusion. The endoneurium was further fractionated to obtain an aqueous supernatant (S-I), and SDS-solubilized supernatant (S-II), and an SDS-insoluble fraction. SDS-PGE analysis revealed that the EFE has a distinctive protein composition relative to the other endoneurial fractions. A predominant band with M r of 64,000; 4 major bands with M r of 86,200, 61,000, 54,500 and 46,900; and several other minor bands were observed. The predominant band at 64,600 co-migrates with ALB and was demonstrated by immune overlay to be ALB, which was also the major protein in the S-I fraction. The uniqueness of the EFE was established by the absence of NSE, an enzyme marker for the cytoplasmic fraction of axons which was found to be present only in S-I (subunit M r = 49,600), the absence of P 0 , and the distinctive protein profiles as determined by silver stain. Crush injury resulted in a progressive increase in the amount of protein found in the EFE as well as the S-I with a corresponding decrease in S-II protein as a function of time after crush (1, 2, 5, 10, 24, 48, 96, 168 h). Dramatic alterations in the protein profile were demonstrated in the EFE from crushed nerves after SDS-PGE indicating substantial changes in the endoneurium as a result of the axonal degeneration, demyelination, and breakdown of the blood-nerve barrier. Alterations in EFE proteins after crush were also observed by lectin overlay experiments after SDS-PGE. Analysis of EFE collected after crush for NSE and P 0 were negative. It is concluded that the distinctive pattern of EFE proteins identified from normal nerve will permit their further characterization as a separate endoneurial protein compartment. Such an elution procedure for collection of endoneurial fluid can readily be adapted to human sural nerve biopsies from patients with peripheral neuropathy for characterization of the appearance of new proteins which may be used as markers of disease activity.
Factors and processes that impact use of Utah community/state college contract training: A mixed methods study

The shortage of skilled labor and the consequent need for workforce training have become critical issues for American businesses in our fast changing, highly technical, and competitive, global economy. College contract training programs are one potential source for meeting the growing need for training. The purpose of this research was to develop a relationship process model that defined the perceptions, interactions, and conditions that impacted attraction to, and use of, local community/state college contract training services by Utah small to midsized business managers. An exploratory, sequential, mixed methods design was used to gather and analyze data. The research was conducted in two phases: Phase One used a qualitative approach and consisted of in-depth interviews of 22 Utah business-training decision makers and 10 college administrators; Phase Two used a quantitative research approach, a survey of a random sample of 345 Utah business-training decision makers to verify and further define findings ...
Dielectric and microstructural properties of barium titanate hafnate thin films

Abstract Barium titanate hafnate (BaTi 1− x Hf x O 3 , 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) thin films have been deposited by a chemical solution method on copper foil substrates. The films were crystallized at 900 °C and in a reducing atmosphere to prevent substrate oxidation. Perovskite phase formation was identified for each composition, accompanied by an increased pseudocubic lattice parameter. Temperature dependent dielectric measurements revealed a decreasing phase transition temperature and peak permittivity with increasing hafnium level. The decrease in permittivity resulted from grain size reduction with increasing hafnium content. Compositions containing 25 mol% barium hafnate display a deviation from Curie–Weiss behavior indicating the onset of relaxor behavior.
Certain Characterizations of Normal Distribution via Transformations

It is well known that i.i.d. (independent and identically distributed) normal random variables are transformed into i.i.d. normal random variables by any orthogonal transformation. Less well known are nonlinear transformations with the above-mentioned property. In this work we present nonlinear transformations preserving normality, which are more general than the existing ones in the literature.
Simulation of Solidification Defects for Prediction of Dross Formation in Aluminum 5182 Remelt Secondary Ingot

In aluminum recycling about 4% on average is lost on oxidation and dross. However, large percent of remelt secondary ingots (RSI) produce much more dross after remelting. It is rather surprising that no dross can be detected in the RSI, but after remelting some parts of apparently ‘healthy’ aluminum can give up to 80% of dross. This raises question how dross gets formed. Recent research proposes that the formation of dross after remelting of the RSI is closely related to the solidification process in the ingot, specifically the formation of shrinkage porosity, hydrogen porosity, and hot tearing. Under these circumstances, dross comes from oxidized surfaces of those defects. In this paper, simulations of the RSI cooling down show susceptibility of ingots towards shrinkage porosity and hot tearing, which are in accordance with experimental findings. Simulations also show that dross is more likely to form with increased temperature of the mold and increased thickness of the ingot. The only efficient solution for the problem of dross formation, however, seems to be a change in geometry of the mold.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Lipid-Lowering Therapy in Patients 75 Years and Older: Clinical Priority or Superfluous Therapy?

The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular (CV)-related morbidity and mortality significantly increase with age. In the elderly, hypercholesterolemia with elevated total and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol is a significant predictor of incident and recurrent CV disease. Multiple lines of evidence have established the benefit of statin therapy to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of CV events as well as prevent progression of subclinical atherosclerotic disease. Elderly patients, particularly those older than 75 years, have not been well represented in randomized clinical trials evaluating lipid lowering therapy. The limited available data from clinical trials do support the benefit of statin therapy in the elderly population. Based upon these data, cholesterol treatment guidelines endorse statin therapy as the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia in elderly patients, though caution is recommended given the greater number of co-morbid conditions and concern for poly-pharmacy common in the elderly. Additional research is needed to better establish the benefit of statin therapy in the elderly within the context of reducing CV risk, minimizing side effects, and improving overall quality of life.
Limited Choroidal Hemorrhage Mistaken for a Choroidal Melanoma

Considerable progress has been made during the last few years in evaluating patients with suspected choroidal melanomas but difficulties continue to persist. In this report, the authors describe three cases with an unusual localized posterior choroidal hemorrhage, which were thought to be choroidal melanomas and referred for proton beam irradiation. These limited hemorrhagic choroidal detachments presented as a dark brown mass of considerable elevation, but were discrete, well localized, and located posterior to the equator. Fluorescein angiography and ultrasonography may be of some value in differentiating these lesions from choroidal melanomas. Serial observations over time will establish the correct diagnosis.