cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidation Kinetics of a Pb-30 At. Pct In Alloy

The solid-state oxidation kinetics of a Pb-30 at. pct In alloy were studied from 22 °C to 175 °C using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) combined with argon ion sputtering. At 22 °C, oxidation followed a direct logarithmic relationship. The data were interpreted in terms of a model presented previously. [2] The predicted value of the model parameter using the structural data of In2O3 is within a factor of 2 from the experimentally determined value. At temperatures higher than 100 °C, the oxidation kinetics changed to a different mechanism. Rapid oxidation occurred initially, followed by slower parabolic oxidation. The oxide formed was found to be In2O3 with possible existence of a metastable indium suboxide near the oxide/alloy interface. These data were described quantitatively by the model proposed by Smeltzeret al. [5] The model assumes the existence of short-circuit diffusion in addition to lattice diffusion. The degree of short-circuit diffusion decreases exponentially with time. The activation energy for the parabolic oxidation was found to be 30.8 ± 4 kJ/mol (0.32 eV). The rather low activation energy was rationalized by the fact that the diffusion of oxygen vacancies in In2O3 responsible for the parabolic oxidation occurred in the extrinsic region. This rationalization was made by analyzing the defect structure of In2O3 using oxygen diffusion data and the enthalpy of forming oxygen vacancies in In2O3 reported in the literature. [10,11,12]
Display Repertoire Shifts and "Extramarital" Courtship in Herons

The display repertoires of courting Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets change as the social contexts progress toward pair-formation. These context shifts have been organized into chronological stages: (1) Solo Stage - when the male is alone on the nest and displaying to the colony at large, (2) Bachelor Stage - when the unpaired male is communicating with particular females, (3) Paired Stage - when the male has accepted one female on his nest, and (4) No-mate Stage - when the newly paired male is alone on the nest and resumes courtship. The displays most frequently used in each stage are assumed to serve the individual's primary task, as inferred from the general context. For example, the Stretch display is most common when unpaired males are trying to induce females to approach : thus it seems to have a female-attracting function. Extramarital male courtship during the No-mate Stage begins whenever his new mate leaves to forage and lasts only 1-2 days. The no-mate male's display repertoire is identical to a courtship pattern: his behaviour resembles normal pair-formation in every way. I believe such courtship to be a male strategy for protecting his previous courtship investment from desertion by the female ("divorce insurance"). He courts new females and sometimes partially forms new pairbonds by the time his mate returns. Presumably these bonds develop fully if the initial mate actually does desert him. Two other possible explanations for extramarital courtship - extra copulations and polygyny - were not observed in the field and are considered theoretically unlikely.
The acute effects of cannabinoids on memory in humans: a review

Cannabis is one of the most frequently used substances. Cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids are known to impair several aspects of cognitive function, with the most robust effects on short-term episodic and working memory in humans. A large body of the work in this area occurred in the 1970s before the discovery of cannabinoid receptors. Recent advances in the knowledge of cannabinoid receptors’ function have rekindled interest in examining effects of exogenous cannabinoids on memory and in understanding the mechanism of these effects. The literature about the acute effects of cannabinoids on memory tasks in humans is reviewed. The limitations of the human literature including issues of dose, route of administration, small sample sizes, sample selection, effects of other drug use, tolerance and dependence to cannabinoids, and the timing and sensitivity of psychological tests are discussed. Finally, the human literature is discussed against the backdrop of preclinical findings. Acute administration of Δ-9-THC transiently impairs immediate and delayed free recall of information presented after, but not before, drug administration in a dose- and delay-dependent manner. In particular, cannabinoids increase intrusion errors. These effects are more robust with the inhaled and intravenous route and correspond to peak drug levels. This profile of effects suggests that cannabinoids impair all stages of memory including encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Several mechanisms, including effects on long-term potentiation and long-term depression and the inhibition of neurotransmitter (GABA, glutamate, acetyl choline, dopamine) release, have been implicated in the amnestic effects of cannabinoids. Future research in humans is necessary to characterize the neuroanatomical and neurochemical basis of the memory impairing effects of cannabinoids, to dissect out their effects on the various stages of memory and to bridge the expanding gap between the humans and preclinical literature.
Body image, anthropometric measures, and eating-disorder prevalence in auxiliary unit members.

Abstract Context: Medical professionals have recognized eating disorders and related problems in competitive athletes. Auxiliary members (color guard, dance, majorettes) experience the same appeara...
Search for lightning-induced electron precipitation with rocket-borne photometers

Photometers at 3914 A and 5577 A and an optical imager were part of an experimental package launched on a sounding rocket in the 1987 Wave Induced Particle Precipitation campaign at Wallops Island, Virginia. The objective was to measure lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) by means of its optical signature. This was the first attempt to measure LEP using rocket-borne optical instrumentation. Launch criteria included nearby thunderstorm activity and ground-based observations of Trimpi events. Lightning flashes are clearly discernible in the data. The photometer data was also characterized by large spin and precession modulations in the photon count rate, consistent with elevated steady particle fluxes in the northern portion of the instrument field of view. No evidence of LEP was observed by the photometers or onboard particle detectors (Arnoldy and Kintner, 1989). Analysis of the data has made it possible to place an upper limit of 0.0008 ergs/sq cm per sec on any burst precipitation energy flux that may have occurred during the rocket flight in the regions explored by the photometers.
THE MISUSE OF HYDROLOGIC UNIT MAPS FOR EXTRAPOLATION, REPORTING, AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT1

: The use of watersheds to conduct research on land/water relationships has expanded recently to include both extrapolation and reporting of water resource information and ecosystem management. More often than not, hydrologic units (HUs) are used for these purposes, with the implication that hydrologic units are synonymous with watersheds. Whereas true topographic watersheds are areas within which apparent surface water drains to a particular point, generally only 45 percent of all hydrologic units, regardless of their hierarchical level, meet this definition. Because the area contributing to the downstream point in many hydrologic units extends far beyond the unit boundaries, use of the hydrologic unit framework to show regional and national patterns of water quality and other environmental resources can result in incorrect and misleading illustrations. In this paper, the implications of this misuse are demonstrated using four adjacent HUs in central Texas. A more effective way of showing regional patterns in environmental resources is by using data from true watersheds representative of different ecological regions containing particular mosaics of geographical characteristics affecting differences in ecosystems and water quality.
Identification of Trichomonadid Protozoa from the Bovine Preputial Cavity by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Typing

Accurate identification of the bovine pathogen Tritrichomonas foetus is sometimes complicated by the presence of other trichomonadid protozoa in clinical samples. A highly specific and reproducible approach for differentiating 3 common types of bovine trichomonadid protozoa found in the bovine preputial cavity, T. foetus, Pentatrichomonas hominis, and a Tetratrichomonas species, was developed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Universal trichomonadid protozoa primers, TFR1 and TFR2, were used to amplify the 5.85 rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer regions (ITSRs), and the products were digested with the restriction enzyme HpyCH4IV. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed on 55 trichomonad isolates from bovine preputial washing and scraping samples. The RFLP results correlated 100% with 5.85 rRNA gene and ITSR sequence resultsand PCR results with primers specific for T. foetus. The results of this study demonstrate that PCR and RFLP analysis can be used in lieu of DNA sequencing to identify the specific trichomonadid protozoa isolated from the bovine preputial cavity.
Role of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor in the Immune Response to Acute Bacterial Infection in the Nonneutropenic Host: An Overview

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) regulates the production and potentiates the function of neutrophils. Studies of animals and patients have shown that levels of G-CSF increase in response to certain types of acute bacterial infection; for example, levels of this factor increase in the lungs and in serum during pneumonia. Investigations of several nonneutropenic animal models of severe bacterial infection have indicated that exogenous recombinant G-CSF--either alone or in combination with antibiotics--can significantly enhance host defenses and improve rates of survival. Trials of recombinant G-CSF for the prevention or treatment of serious infection in clinical settings have recently been initiated.
An analytical study of simple hopping robots with vertical and forward motion

Discrete dynamical systems theory is applied to the analysis of simplified hopping robot models which are analogous to M.H. Raibert's (1986) experimental machines. A two-dimensional model is presented which includes both forward and vertical hopping dynamics and a foot placement algorithm. These systems are analyzed using a Poincare return map, and hopping behavior is investigated by constructing the return map bifurcation diagrams with respect to system parameters. The bifurcation diagrams exhibit period doubling which results in unexpected hopping behavior. >
Amniotic fluid prolactin levels and lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios during the third trimester of human gestation

Prolactin levels in amniotic fluid during the third trimester of human pregnancy showed a wide range of values. There was no apparent correlation between amniotic fluid prolactin concentrations (AF PRL) and lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios nor was there a prolactin concentration associated with a mature L/S ratio. There was no correlation between AF PRL concentration and estimated gestational age or neonatal birth weight. In patients with diabetes mellitus (White Classes A to C), AF PRL were higher prior to 37 weeks, or when the L/S ratio was less than 2, than after 37 weeks, or when the L/S ratio was greater than 2.
A surface impedance approach for modeling multilayer conductors in FDTD

Surface impedance boundary conditions (SIBC's) are implemented in the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to analyze the electromagnetic field around multilayer conductors. The conducting region is replaced by an equivalent surface where SIBC's are applied locally. To incorporate the equivalent surface impedance into the FDTD code, at first the surface impedance is determined in the frequency domain by replacing the multilayer conductor by a cascade of transmission lines and calculating the total impedance matrix of the network. Following this, a wide-band polynomial approximation of the SIBC's leads to an efficient and recursive solution of the convolution integrals in the time domain. As a numerical example, the impedance matrix of a symmetric three layer conductor is derived and the scattering parameters are compared to the analytical solutions.
Why hospitals offer health promotion: perspectives for collaborating with health promotion practitioners.

Most hospitals have expanded their services in recent years to become involved with health promotion programs and activities. A hospital might offer health promotion services to promote health and to raise the health status of its community. However, it might provide health promotion for other reasons, such as to improve the hospital’s cost-effectiveness, competitive strategy, organizational legitimacy, or tax exemption. Health promotion practitioners who collaborate with a hospital for health promotion should understand the hospital’s reasons for providing health promotion. Furthermore, they should understand that different reasons may lead to different priority populations, resource commitments, organizational structures, work processes, and health outcomes.
Moderate Intensity, but Not High Intensity, Treadmill Exercise Training Alters Power Output Properties in Myocardium From Aged Rats

Aging is characterized by a progressive decline in cardiac function, but endurance exercise training has been shown to retard a number of deleterious effects of aging. However, underlying mechanisms by which exercise training improves age-related decrements in myocardial contractile function are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise training on power output properties in permeablized (skinned) myocytes of old rats. Thirty-month-old rats were divided into sedentary control (C) and groups undergoing 11 weeks of treadmill exercise training at moderate intensity (MI) and at high intensity (HI). Peak power output normalized to maximal force was significantly increased in MI but not in HI compared to C with significant increases in atrial myosin light chain 1 in ventricle. These results suggest that MI exercise training is beneficial as a significant increase was seen in the ability of the myocardium to do work, but this effect was not seen with HI training.
Simplex free adaptive tree fast sweeping and evolution methods for solving level set equations in arbitrary dimension

We introduce simplex free adaptive tree numerical methods for solving static and time-dependent Hamilton-Jacobi equations arising in level set problems in arbitrary dimension. The data structure upon which our method is built in a generalized n-dimensional binary tree, but it does not require the complicated splitting of cubes into simplices (aka generalized n-dimensional triangles or hypertetrahedrons) that current tree-based methods require. It has enough simplicity that minor variants of standard numerical Hamiltonians developed for uniform grids can be applied, yielding consistent, monotone, convergent schemes. Combined with the fast sweeping strategy, the resulting tree-based methods are highly efficient and accurate. Thus, without changing more than a few lines of code when changing dimension, we have obtained results for calculations in up to n=7 dimensions.
A Model of Operator Interaction with Field Procedures: Insights for Computer-Based Procedures

Paper-based procedures (PBPs) are used to manage human performance in the nuclear power industry both in the field, and in the main control room. Though PBPs are viewed as a necessary tool to guide operators through complex tasks, limitations in paper-based systems may increase operator workload and contribute to errors. Plans to upgrade aging plants with digital equipment and wireless technology may present an opportunity to enhance procedures by migrating them to computer-based systems. These computer-based procedures (CBPs) have the potential to enhance human performance by integrating plant status information and automating many tasks (e.g., place-keeping). CBPs have been explored for more than 30 years for use in the main control room; however their actual deployment in the US nuclear plants is yet to be realized. Currently, the Idaho National Laboratory and participants from the nuclear industry are collaborating on a research effort aimed at identifying requirements for CBPs used by field operators...
Presidents, Prosperity, and Public Opinion

A president skillful enough, or fortunate enough, to preside over a healthy economy is rewarded with public support. This paper examines two conceptions of the individual citizen that might underlie this relationship. A president's popularity might decline when economic times are bad because citizens in effect blame him for their personal hardships-the pocketbook citizen hypothesis-or because they see the president as failing to cope adequately with national economic problems, quite apart from the economic dislocations of private life-the sociotropic citizen hypothesis. Across a variety of tests, results from national surveys covering the Nixon, Ford, and Carter presidencies consistently supported the sociotropic hypothesis. The paper concludes by suggesting several promising explanations for the findings, and by exploring their normative implications. Donald R. Kinder is Associate Professor in the Departments of Political Science and Psychology, Yale University. Data for this paper were provided principally by the Inter-University Consortium for Political Research, University of Michigan. The consortium, of course, bears no responsibility for the interpretations or conclusions here. For their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript the author would like to thank Richard Brody, Morris Fiorina, W. Russell Neuman, Laurie Rhodebeck, Janet A. Weiss, and particularly D. Roderick Kiewiet and an anonymous referee. Public Opimon Quarterly Vol. 45:1-21 ? 1981 by The Trustees of Columbia University Published by Elsevier North-Holland, Inc. 0033-362X/81/0045-1/$1.75 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.30 on Fri, 27 May 2016 04:59:31 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Counterfeit drugs: defining the problem and finding solutions

The problem of counterfeit drugs is increasingly becoming a top priority of drug regulatory agencies, licit pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare professionals, and is of rising concern among consumers. A review of the current literature reveals that counterfeiting is no longer isolated in developing nations, but is a worldwide pandemic. Although international organisations such as the World Health Organization, have devised specific measures to combat the counterfeit trade, the problem still remains quite daunting. Although the practice of drug counterfeiting is unlikely to ever completely disappear, it may be controlled if governments and all relevant parties combine forces to identify and disrupt the counterfeit chain.
The Effect of Exercise Training in Improving Motor Performance and Corticomotor Excitability in People With Early Parkinson's Disease

Abstract Fisher BE, Wu AD, Salem GJ, Song J, Lin C-H, Yip J, Cen S, Gordon J, Jakowec M, Petzinger G. The effect of exercise training in improving motor performance and corticomotor excitability in people with early Parkinson's disease. Objectives To obtain preliminary data on the effects of high-intensity exercise on functional performance in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) relative to exercise at low and no intensity and to determine whether improved performance is accompanied by alterations in corticomotor excitability as measured through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Design Cohort (prospective), randomized controlled trial. Setting University-based clinical and research facilities. Participants Thirty people with PD, within 3 years of diagnosis with Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 or 2. Interventions Subjects were randomized to high-intensity exercise using body weight–supported treadmill training, low-intensity exercise, or a zero-intensity education group. Subjects in the 2 exercise groups completed 24 exercise sessions over 8 weeks. Subjects in the zero-intensity group completed 6 education classes over 8 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scales (UPDRS), biomechanic analysis of self-selected and fast walking and sit-to-stand tasks; corticomotor excitability was assessed with cortical silent period (CSP) durations in response to single-pulse TMS. Results A small improvement in total and motor UPDRS was observed in all groups. High-intensity group subjects showed postexercise increases in gait speed, step and stride length, and hip and ankle joint excursion during self-selected and fast gait and improved weight distribution during sit-to-stand tasks. Improvements in gait and sit-to-stand measures were not consistently observed in low- and zero-intensity groups. The high-intensity group showed lengthening in CSP. Conclusions The findings suggest the dose-dependent benefits of exercise and that high-intensity exercise can normalize corticomotor excitability in early PD.
Differential Effects of Apamin- and Charybdotoxin-Sensitive K+ Conductances on Spontaneous Discharge Patterns of Developing Retinal Ganglion Cells

The spontaneous discharge patterns of developing retinal ganglion cells are thought to play a crucial role in the refinement of early retinofugal projections. To investigate the contributions of intrinsic membrane properties to the spontaneous activity of developing ganglion cells, we assessed the effects of blocking large and small calcium-activated potassium conductances on the temporal pattern of such discharges by means of patch-clamp recordings from the intact retina of developing ferrets. Application of apamin and charybdotoxin (CTX), which selectively block the small and large calcium-activated potassium channels, respectively, resulted in significant changes in spontaneous firings. In cells recorded from the oldest animals [postnatal day 30 (P30)–P45], which manifested relatively sustained discharge patterns, application of either blocker induced bursting activity. With CTX the bursts were highly periodic, short in duration, and of high frequency. In contrast, with apamin the interburst intervals were longer, less regular, and lower in overall spike frequency. These differences between the effects of the two blockers on spontaneous activity were documented by spectral analysis of discharge patterns. Filling cells from which recordings were made with Lucifer yellow revealed that these effects were obtained in all three morphological classes of cells: α, β, and γ. These findings provide the first evidence that apamin- and CTX-sensitive K+ conductances can have differential effects on the spontaneous discharge patterns of retinal ganglion cells. Remarkably, the bursts of activity obtained after apamin application in more mature neurons appeared very similar to the spontaneous bursting patterns observed in developing neurons. These findings suggest that the maturation of calcium-activated potassium channels, particularly the apamin-sensitive conductance, may contribute to the changes in spontaneous firings exhibited by retinal ganglion cells during the course of normal development.
Two-step SSCF to convert AFEX-treated switchgrass to ethanol using commercial enzymes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A(LNH-ST).

It is well known that simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) reduces cellulosic ethanol production cost compared to separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). However, the traditional SSCF process of converting Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) pretreated switchgrass to ethanol using both commercial enzymes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A(LNH-ST) gave reduced ethanol yield due to lower xylose consumption. To overcome this problem we have developed a two-step SSCF process, in which xylan was hydrolyzed and fermented first followed by the hydrolysis and fermentation of glucan. Important parameters, such as temperature, cellulases loading during xylan hydrolysis and fermentation, initial OD600 for inoculation of S. cerevisiae 424A(LNH-ST), and pH, were studied for best performance. Compared with traditional SSCF, the two-step SSCF showed higher xylose consumption and higher ethanol yield. The sugar conversion was also enhanced from 70% by enzymatic hydrolysis to 82% by two-step SSCF. One important finding is that the residue from enzymatic hydrolysis plays a significant role in reducing xylose consumption and ethanol metabolic yield during SSCF.
MR Myelography for Identification of Spinal CSF Leak in Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT myelography has historically been the test of choice for localization of CSF fistula in patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. This study evaluates the additional benefits of intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography in the detection of CSF leak. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension who underwent CT myelography followed by intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography. All patients received intrathecal iodine and off-label gadolinium-based contrast followed by immediate CT myelography and subsequent intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography with multiplanar T1 fat-suppressed sequences. CT myelography and intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography images were reviewed by an experienced neuroradiologist to determine the presence of CSF leak. Patient records were reviewed for demographic data and adverse events following the procedure. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients met both imaging and clinical criteria for spontaneous intracranial hypotension and underwent CT myelography followed by intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography. In 3/24 patients (13%), a CSF leak was demonstrated on both CT myelography and intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography, and in 9/24 patients (38%), a CSF leak was seen on intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography (P = .011). Four of 6 leaks identified independently by intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography related to meningeal diverticula. CT myelography did not identify any leaks independently. There were no reported adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Present data demonstrate a higher rate of leak detection with intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography when investigating CSF leaks in our cohort of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Although intrathecal gadolinium is an FDA off-label use, all patients tolerated the medication without evidence of complications. Our data suggest that intrathecal gadolinium MR myelography is a well-tolerated examination with significant benefit in the evaluation of CSF leak, particularly for patients with leak related to meningeal diverticula.
Transition metals in organic synthesis: highlights for the year 2002

A review with 1717 references to transition metal-catalyzed or mediated reactions and functional group preparations.
Conserved MicroRNA Program as Key to Mammalian Cardiac Regeneration: Insights From Zebrafish

The capacity of the adult mammalian heart to repair itself after injury is limited. In contrast, lower vertebrates such as Zebrafish can completely regenerate the organ after damage. A recent article from Aguirre et al1 in Cell Stem Cell shows that this difference is because of a microRNA program that is active in Zebrafish but silent in mammals. Crucially, reactivation of this dormant microRNA program in the murine heart induces regeneration of the myocardium. The adult mammalian heart possesses a limited capacity to regenerate lost or damaged cardiomyocytes after cardiac insult.2 This is, in part, because of the low proliferative capacity of adult cardiomyocytes. Myocardial injury increases cardiomyocyte proliferation3; however, it is clearly insufficient to completely regenerate the myocardium, and many strategies to enhance the weak regenerative response of the mammalian heart to injury are currently under investigation. The neonatal mammalian heart potentially possesses a higher regenerative capacity compared with the adult organ. In one study, cardiac regeneration was observed in 1-day-old neonatal mice after partial surgical resection.4 Using genetic fate mapping techniques, the researchers showed that the regenerated myocardium originated from preexisting cardiomyocytes proliferating in response to injury.4 This regenerative capacity was lost by day 7.4 Other studies have also pointed to an enhanced natural regenerative capacity in neonatal mice.5,6 In contrast to mammals, lower vertebrates such as Zebrafish retain the ability to regenerate their hearts throughout life. In the case of the Zebrafish, this natural ability is particularly robust as complete cardiac regeneration has been observed even when ≈20% of the ventricular myocardium was removed.7 The proliferation of partially dedifferentiated cardiomyocytes underlies this process.8 Specifically, cardiomyocytes that are adjacent to the site of injury break down their sarcomeres, express the embryonic cardiogenesis gene Gata4, and enter …
Glycerolysis of Acyl Glucuronides as an Artifact of in Vitro Drug Metabolism Incubations

During an investigation of the in vitro glucuronidation of benoxaprofen by human liver S-9 fraction, an unusual drug-related entity possessing a protonated molecular ion that was 74 mass units greater than the parent drug was observed. It was identified as the glycerol ester of benoxaprofen. Formation of this entity required inclusion of uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA) in the incubation, suggesting the formation of benoxaprofen acyl glucuronide followed by transesterification with the glycerol present in the incubation due to its presence as a stabilizer for liver subcellular fractions. Formation occurred during the sample work-up procedure while the samples were subjected to evaporation in vacuo, which does not remove glycerol. Conversion of purified benoxaprofen acyl glucuronide to the glycerol ester was demonstrated in glycerol at 37°C. Other drugs that are converted to acyl glucuronides in vitro (diclofenac, mefenamic acid, tolmetin, and naproxen) were also shown to form corresponding glycerol esters when incubated with human liver S-9 fraction and UDPGA. The potential formation of glycerol esters of carboxylic acid drugs undergoing acyl glucuronidation in vitro represents an experimental artifact to which drug metabolism scientists should be aware.
An online spectral learning algorithm for partially observable nonlinear dynamical systems

Recently, a number of researchers have proposed spectral algorithms for learning models of dynamical systems—for example, Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs), and Transformed Predictive State Representations (TPSRs). These algorithms are attractive since they are statistically consistent and not subject to local optima. However, they are batch methods: they need to store their entire training data set in memory at once and operate on it as a large matrix, and so they cannot scale to extremely large data sets (either many examples or many features per example). In turn, this restriction limits their ability to learn accurate models of complex systems. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new online spectral algorithm, which uses tricks such as incremental Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and random projections to scale to much larger data sets and more complex systems than previous methods. We demonstrate the new method on an inertial measurement prediction task and a high-bandwidth video mapping task and we illustrate desirable behaviors such as "closing the loop," where the latent state representation changes suddenly as the learner recognizes that it has returned to a previously known place.
Label-Free Vibrational Imaging for Medicine

Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy is a label-free and noninvasive imaging technique using vibrational spectroscopy as the contrast. Recent advances have allowed significant improvements in sensitivity, selectivity, robustness, and cost; opening a wide range of biomedical applications.
Radiologic detection of bone metastasis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-center experience

e15644 Background: We investigated current practices and their relative abilities to effectively screen for and detect bone metastases (mets). It is unknown what percentage of HCC bone mets are blastic versus lytic, and what imaging modality best identifies them. Methods: We retrospectively assessed all adults diagnosed with HCC at our center from 1/1997 - 8/2008. Primary outcomes were the percentage of lytic lesions, and the sensitivity and specificity of bone scans in detecting bone mets. Results: 462 patients were included. Mean age at diagnosis was 60 years; 80% were male, and hepatitis C was the most common etiology of HCC (58%). 54% of all patients received bone scans. 67% were considered diagnostic, whereas the remaining scans required a confirmatory test(s) (23% PET, 41% plain X-ray, 54% CT, and 10% MRI). 5% of all patients were diagnosed with bone mets (n=24), of which 42% were diagnosed at presentation, 20% during continued follow-up, and 38% during post-operative surveillance. 96% of all bone l...
Ductility and Fracture Behavior of Single Crystalline Ni3Al with Boron Additions

Low and high temperature tensile tests were performed on single crystals of pure Ni3Al and Ni3Al+B in order to determine the effect of B additions on the ductility and fracture behavior. Tests were carried out in air at a constant strain rate of 1.3 × 10−3 s−1. The orientations tested were [001] for which the yield stress in tension is always greater than in compression, and those for which the tension/compression asymmetry is zero ([T=C]) for each particular composition. At room temperature, the results show a positive effect of B additions on both the fracture stress and on the ductility. The ductility at 800K appears to decrease monotonically with B additions. The largest ductilities are found for [T=C] at room temperature where an improvement of about 26% (resolved strain) for an addition of 0.2 at% B was obtained. However, the most dramatic increase in ductility occurs for the [001] oriented samples at room temperature where a 55% improvement was measured over that of pure Ni3Al. Fracture surfaces show a combination of massive slip, some cleavage, and heavily dimpled areas. These observations show that B additions not only increase the ductility of polycrystalline Ni3Al, as has been previously observed by many investigators, but also that of the already-ductile single crystalline material, indicating that a “bulk effect” should be added to the grain boundary strengthening effect of B when explaining the improvement in ductility of polycrystalline Ni3Al due to B additions.
Effect of Grain Size on Oxidation Behavior of P91 Steel in Water Vapor

Isothermal oxidation test was carried out for two P91 steels with different grain sizes in water vapor by using a self-designed tubular device.The oxidation film was studied by means of SEM,XRD and EDS.The results show that oxidation kinetic curves obeyed the parabolic law.P91 steel with coarse grain exhibited more weight gain than that of with fine grain at 650 ℃ in water vapor for 300 h.A Cr-rich oxide layer formed sooner on fine grain P91 steel at the initial stage(30 h),the outward diffusion of iron ion was retarded by this layer and so the oxidation rate was decreased.
Experimental Fatigue Specimen and Finite Element Analysis for Characterization of Dental Composites

Dental composites are becoming more popular due to their semi white color and appearance. Mechanical damage such as cracks are causing the majority of short-term failures of dental composites. Using self-healing materials most of these failures can be prevented. Fatigue loads are a proper method to characterize the crack initiation and propagation. As healing makes uncertainty about the location of the crack tip, samples of tapered double cantilever beam (TDCB) are frequently used for their crack length independent in the measurements of healing efficiency and fracture toughness of self-healing. Due to the high cost of dental composite materials, tiny, inexpensive TDCB samples, about 30 % of the standard size, were developed and optimized with Rapid Prototyping (Objet 3D printer). FEA is also performed in order to visualize the stress field of the crack tip.
An approach to vasculitis syndromes.

These syndromes are as varied in their manifestations as the structures they affect. Management decisions are based on patterns of organ involvement.
The neurology training in the United States and Japan

The practice of neurology, like many other fields of medicine, currently faces a number of critical problems in the United States mostly by cumbersome restrictions designed to contain rapidly escalating medical costs. Fortunately, however, the residency training has maintained the spirit of the time-tested tradition, which has served the medical community well ever since its inception in 1910. The system has continued with little modifications after a switch of internship to Basic Residency Program (PG1) in the late 1960s. In comparison, the neurology training in Japan suffers from following deficiencies: 1) a paucity of bedside teaching in most medical schools, necessitating the initiation of unprepared residents into patient care; 2) an insufficient number of staff, especially at a governmental school, precluding an adequate coverage of neurological subspecialities such as electrophysiology and neuropathology; 3) absence of a tutorialship from senior to junior residents, and from interns to medical students, mostly for the lack of organization and logistics; and 4) no incentive to specialize without board certification by the governmental agencies or proper recognition by insurance providers. We must address these fundamental issues to promote neurology as an independent discipline for improved care of patients with neurological disorders.
MFT Program Policies on Referral of LGBT Clients

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine program policies that govern whether or not student therapists can refer lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer clients, based on the therapist’s religious beliefs. We conducted a qualitative survey with program directors of Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education—accredited marriage and family therapy programs to ask what policies monitor client referrals that are solely based on the therapist’s beliefs toward sexual orientation and gender identity. Implications revolve around finding congruency between the program’s philosophy, policy, expectations for students, and ethics. We provide recommendations for addressing these issues early on in the recruitment process.
Middle East policy: regional conflicts and threats to national interest

We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus. That would change my equation. – President Barack Obama Since the end of the Cold War a quarter-century ago, efforts to delineate US grand strategy have been a hardy perennial of writing and debate among foreign policy elites and scholars. The post–Cold War decade, the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the impact of the financial crisis and great recession, the rise of China, Putin's Russia, and widening upheaval and conflict in the Middle East have given impetus to such efforts. Yet, with the exception of the containment doctrine during the Cold War, achieving a comprehensive grand strategy is probably an unrealistic and unattainable goal. In the absence of a single, unambiguous and overriding threat, the American policy process remains too vast and complex, the chess board of world politics too elaborate, the issue areas too numerous, and the disparity between overall principles and real-world events too great. For the Obama administration, the president's attempts at setting out a foreign policy concept were initially evident in his Cairo speech and Nobel Peace Prize acceptance address, and subsequently in presidential rhetoric and official statements of national security strategy, though by themselves these served more to describe attitudes, visions, and impulses rather than to create a comprehensive strategy. In practice, however, a transformed approach to foreign policy has emerged, and nowhere more so than in US Middle East policies on a wide range of fronts. These have included Iran and its nuclear program, the Syrian conflict, the quest for an Israeli–Palestinian peace, the Arab awakening, disengagement from Iraq and Afghanistan, and responses to the threats posed by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Rhetoric and policy have often been at odds in these cases, and actions have at times been inconsistent.
Rheumatic Heart Disease in the Twenty-First Century

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic valvular disease resulting after severe or repetitive episodes of acute rheumatic fever (ARF), an autoimmune response to group A Streptococcus infection. RHD has been almost eliminated with improved social and health infrastructure in affluent countries while it remains a neglected disease with major cause of morbidity and mortality in many low- and middle-income countries, and resource-limited regions of high-income countries. Despite our evolving understanding of the pathogenesis of RHD, there have not been any significant advances to prevent or halt progression of disease in recent history. Long-term penicillin-based treatment and surgery remain the backbone of a RHD control program in the absence of an effective vaccine. The advent of echocardiographic screening algorithms has improved the accuracy of diagnosing RHD and has shed light on the enormous burden of disease. Encouragingly, this has led to a rekindled commitment from researchers in the most affected countries to advocate and take bold actions to end this disease of social inequality.
Perceived and Actual Effectiveness of Coping Strategies Used When Forgiving

This study examined coping strategies that young adults use when forgiving and the perceived and actual effectiveness of these strategies in predicting forgiveness behaviors. Results showed that participants used positive reinterpretation/growth and active coping most and perceived these 2 strategies as being effective when forgiving. Although positive reinterpretation/growth did predict forgiveness behaviors, active coping did not, which suggests that young adults may not be aware of the most effective coping strategies for forgiving others. Contributions of the study, including results on the coping strategies that predict forgiveness behaviors, are discussed.
Combined Local Pulmonary and Systemic Delivery of AT2R Gene by Modified TAT Peptide Nanoparticles Attenuates Both Murine and Human Lung Carcinoma Xenografts in Mice.

To evaluate the potential of cell-penetrating peptide-based delivery of apoptosis-inducer gene in cancer therapy, a modified HIV-1 TAT peptide (dimerized TAT peptide, dTAT) was studied. The dTAT and plasmid DNA (pDNA) complexes (dTAT-pDNA) were condensed using calcium chloride (dTAT-pDNA-Ca2+). This simple nonviral formulation approach showed high levels of gene expression in vitro without any cytotoxicity. In mouse studies, a single intratracheal (IT) aerosol spray or 2 intravenous (IV) injections of the dTAT, apoptosis-inducer gene, angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R), and Ca2+ complexes (dTAT-pAT2R-Ca2+) significantly attenuated the acutely growing mouse Lewis lung carcinoma allografts in mouse lungs. Furthermore, single IT (p = 0.054) and the combination of IT and IV (p < 0.05) administrations of dTAT-pAT2R-Ca2+ markedly attenuated slowly growing and relatively large-sized H358 human bronchioloalveolar carcinoma xenografts in mouse lungs. These results indicate that the dTAT-pDNA-Ca2+ effectively delivered the gene to cancer cells by either IT or IV administration although the local pulmonary delivery of the dTAT-pAT2R-Ca2+ showed more effective growth inhibition of orthotopic lung cancer grafts. Thus, the present study offers preclinical proof of concept that a dTAT-based nonviral gene delivery method via IT administration may be an effective lung cancer gene therapy.
Scanning Electron Microscopy and Etiological Studies of Teat Cup Inflations for Mastitis Control

Scanning electron microscopy was utilized in evaluating inner surfaces of rubber and silastic® teat cup inflations. New inflations and inflations subjected to 1000 and 5000 or more milkings were examined. Cracks and depressions appeared in new rubber inflations and increased in width (from 1.0 μm to 15.0 μm) with use. No cracks were visible in the silastic® product. Bacteria appeared to be present in the cracks of the inner surface of used rubber inflations but were not present in silastic ®.
Spektrographische Analyse von biologischen Stoffen

Technische Verbesserungen haben wahrend der letzten Jahre die mit der quantitativen Spektralanalyse verbundenen Unsicherheiten sehr verringert und zu einer vermehrten Anwendung der Emissionsspektrographie zur Untersuchung von Spurenmetallen in biologischen Stoffen gefuhrt (1–4,6, 13, 14, 16, 19–21, 23, 26, 27, 29, 33, 34). Zweck dieses Aufsatzes ist, eine Methode zur gleichzeitigen Bestimmung von Blei, Zinn, Aluminium, Kupfer und Silber in biologischen Stoffen zu beschreiben und auf gewisse Verbesserungen im spektrographischen Verfahren auftnerksam zu machen, die seit den fruheren Veroffentlichungen eines der Verfasser (2–4) eingefuhrt worden sind.
Circumpolar spatio-temporal patterns and contributing climatic factors of wildfire activity in the Arctic tundra from 2001–2015

Recent years have seen an increased frequency of wildfire events in different parts of Arctic tundra ecosystems. Contemporary studies have largely attributed these wildfire events to the Arctic's rapidly changing climate and increased atmospheric disturbances (i.e. thunderstorms). However, existing research has primarily examined the wildfire–climate dynamics of individual large wildfire events. No studies have investigated wildfire activity, including climatic drivers, for the entire tundra biome across multiple years, i.e. at the planetary scale. To address this limitation, this paper provides a planetary/circumpolar scale analyses of space-time patterns of tundra wildfire occurrence and climatic association in the Arctic over a 15 year period (2001–2015). In doing so, we have leveraged and analyzed NASA Terra's MODIS active fire and MERRA climate reanalysis products at multiple temporal scales (decadal, seasonal and monthly). Our exploratory spatial data analysis found that tundra wildfire occurrence was spatially clustered and fire intensity was spatially autocorrelated across the Arctic regions. Most of the wildfire events occurred in the peak summer months (June–August). Our multi-temporal (decadal, seasonal and monthly) scale analyses provide further support to the link between climate variability and wildfire activity. Specifically, we found that warm and dry conditions in the late spring to mid-summer influenced tundra wildfire occurrence, spatio-temporal distribution, and fire intensity. Additionally, reduced average surface precipitation and soil moisture levels in the winter–spring period were associated with increased fire intensity in the following summer. These findings enrich contemporary knowledge on tundra wildfire's spatial and seasonal patterns, and shed new light on tundra wildfire–climate relationships in the circumpolar context. Furthermore, this first pan-Arctic analysis provides a strong incentive and direction for future studies which integrate multiple datasets (i.e. climate, fuels, topography, and ignition sources) to accurately estimate carbon emission from tundra burning and its global climate feedbacks in coming decades.