cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient excitation of surface plasmon polaritons by the scattering of a volume electromagnetic beam from a circularly symmetric defect of cosinusoidal form and finite size on a planar metal surface

In a previous investigation we have studied the excitation of a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) when a volume electromagnetic wave in the form of a beam illuminates a circularly symmetric protuberance or indentation of Gaussian form on an otherwise planar metal surface in contact with vacuum. The fraction of the incident flux that was scattered into a SPP was rather small, of the order of one percent. In this paper, we propose a different form for a circularly symmetric surface defect and show that it is possible to achieve a much higher efficiency for the excitation of a SPP. The surface profile function we employ is of cosinusoidal form along the radial coordinate up to a radius R0, and vanishes outside this radius. Here R0 is chosen such that the profile function is continuous. By exploiting the circular symmetry of the problem we expand the reduced Rayleigh equation for the p- and s-polarized components of the electromagnetic field above and on a vacuum-metal interface into a set of one-dimensional integral equations that we then solve numerically. The solution of the integral equations in the first Born approximation shows that the scattering amplitude is related to the Bragg vector of the periodic part of the surface. Thus, a specific scattering geometry can be optimized by adjusting the periodicity and consequently the Bragg vector. We report excitation efficiencies that are about 15 times larger than those achieved with a Gaussian profile.
Three year honours degree with an “Integrated one year industrial placement”

The pace of change in technology is constantly accelerating and modern industry now recruits graduates that are multiskilled, with a knowledge of a variety of engineering disciplines. This paper discusses the planning stages and the validation of a scheme to introduce an honours degree, in the School of Technology and Design, at University College Northampton, in which part of the curriculum is delivered by industry, within the normal three years of a conventional honours degree. The development of an honours course in general engineering has been in the School's strategic plan for a considerable time and will give a better balance to the school's portfolio of courses. It will complement the School's existing HND provision and satisfy a need, which has been evident for some time, for a general engineering degree. In designing the course, the course development team took note of the fact, that in recent years, many individuals and organisations have questioned the content of traditional courses. These critics have called for a broader based first degree, followed by specialisation, during a higher degree, for those with the aptitude and motivation to study one of the specialised branches of science, engineering or technology. Additionally, one recommendation of the Deering report (1998), was that students should become familiar with work.
Where have all the parents gone? Do efforts to regulate food advertising to curb childhood obesity pass constitutional muster?

According to the American Obesity Association, about 15.5% of adolescents ages 12 to 19 and 15.3% of adolescents ages 6 to 11 are obese. 1 To understand the obesity problem and the food evils facin...
Eocene-Oligocene sea-level changes on the New Jersey coastal plain linked to the deep-sea record

We use magnetostratigraphy and Sr-isotope stratigraphy to improve stratigraphic control for the Eocene to Oligocene of the New Jersey coastal plain (ACGS4 borehole). Magnetostratigraphy in many cases is complicated in outcrop sections of shallow-water (
Can auditing save us from a quality disaster

Auditing of clinical laboratories is a recognized component of quality assurance practice. National regulatory standards, such as the U.S. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and international voluntary standards, such as those promulgated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), are used in the auditing. Professional organizations have long recognized the benefit of on-site, peer review. However, recent events in the U.S. question the validity of current auditing practices. To be effective, auditing must be part of a continuous quality improvement system and a key component of laboratory leadership.
Complete heart block during potassium therapy in thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.

Abstract Background Although cardiac dysrhythmia is common in patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP), high-degree atrioventricular (AV) block complicated by cardiogenic shock, even under KCl supplementation, is rarely described. Objectives To present a case of TPP in a patient who developed complete AV block with severe consequences due to paradoxical hypokalemia during KCl therapy. In addition, the management of acute hypokalemia in TPP is reviewed. Case Report A 41-year-old Chinese man with TPP presented to the Emergency Department with a 2-day history of paralysis in the extremities. He developed complete AV block with cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure, necessitating ventilatory support when plasma K + level decreased from 1.7 mmol/L to 1.3 mmol/L during KCl replacement of 30 mmol in 2 h. The administration of another 60 mmol KCl over 3 h achieved a plasma K + level of 2.1 mmol/L, resulting in the resolution of AV block and successful weaning. However, rebound hyperkalemia (K + 5.6 mmol/L) upon recovery was evident and uneventfully corrected. Conclusion A paradoxical fall in serum K + concentration with potentially life-threatening complication is still underappreciated in patients with TPP on KCl supplementation. Early recognition and prompt therapy prevent untoward consequences.
Nerve Growth Factor: Relationship to the Cyclic AMP System of Sensory Ganglia

Nerve growth factor and N 6 ,O 2 9 dibutyryl adenosine 39,59-monophosphate both stimulate neurite elongation by explanted ganglia. However, the addition of nerve growth factor does not lead to increased amounts of adenosine 39,59-monophosphate in intact ganglia, nor does it stimulate adenylate cyclase activity in broken ganglia cells.
Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of TiO2 thin films for dielectric applications

Abstract Amorphous TiO2 thin films were formed by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from mixtures of titanium IV isopropoxide (Ti(O-i-C3H7)4) and oxygen. The deposition rate was found to be weakly activated, with an apparent activation energy of 4.5 kJ/mol. The deposition rate increased with equivalence ratio and decreased with plasma power. This dependence on atomic oxygen density was consistent with behavior observed in other metal oxide PECVD systems. Metal-insulator-silicon devices were fabricated, and characterized using capacitance–voltage measurements. The apparent dielectric constant of the TiO2 thin films increased from 15 to 82 with film thickness. The observed variations were consistent with the formation of an interfacial SiO2 layer. Assuming that a TiO2/SiO2 bilayer behaves as two capacitors in series, an intrinsic TiO2 dielectric constant of 82 ± 10 and an interfacial SiO2 layer thickness of 3 ± 1 nm were extracted from electrical measurements.
Body composition and energy metabolism following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery has become an accepted treatment for excessive obesity. We conducted a longitudinal study to assess regional body composition, muscle proteolysis, and energy expenditure before RYGB, and 6 and 12 months after RYGB. Whole-body and regional fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM) were assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and myofibrillar protein degradation was estimated by urinary 3-methylhistidine (3-MeH) in 29 subjects. Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation were also determined using a whole-room, indirect calorimeter in 12 of these subjects. LM loss constituted 27.8 ± 10.2% of total weight loss achieved 12 months postoperatively, with the majority of LM loss (18 ± 6% of initial LM) occurring in the first 6 months following RYGB. During this period, the trunk region contributed 66% of whole-body LM loss. LM loss occurred in the first 6 months after RYGB despite decreased muscle protein breakdown, as indicated by a decrease in 3-MeH concentrations and muscle fractional breakdown rates. Sleep energy expenditure (SEE) decreased from 2,092 ± 342 kcal/d at baseline to 1,495 ± 190 kcal/day at 6 months after RYGB (P < 0.0001). Changes in both LM and FM had an effect on the reduction in SEE (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). These studies suggest that loss of LM after RYGB is significant and strategies to maintain LM after surgery should be explored.
Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator Receptor (uPAR)-mediated Regulation of WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Is Enhanced in Irradiated Medulloblastoma Cells

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is known to promote invasion, migration, and metastasis in cancer cells. In this report, we showed that ionizing radiation (IR)-induced uPAR has a role in WNT-β-catenin signaling and mediates induction of cancer stem cell (CSC)-like properties in medulloblastoma cell lines UW228 and D283. We observed that IR induced the expression of uPAR and CSC markers, such as Musashi-1 and CD44, and activated WNT-7a-β-catenin signaling molecules. Overexpression of uPAR alone or with IR treatment led to increased WNT-7a-β-catenin-TCF/LEF-mediated transactivation, thereby promoting cancer stemness. In contrast, treatment with shRNA specific for uPAR (pU) suppressed WNT-7a-β-catenin-TCF/LEF-mediated transactivation both in vitro and in vivo. Quercetin, a potent WNT/β-catenin inhibitor, suppressed uPAR and uPAR-mediated WNT/β-catenin activation, and furthermore, addition of recombinant human WNT-7a protein induced uPAR, indicating the existence of a mutual regulatory relationship between uPAR and WNT/β-catenin signaling. We showed that uPAR was physically associated with the WNT effector molecule β-catenin on the membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus of IR-treated cells and CSC. Most interestingly, we demonstrated for the first time that localization of uPAR in the nucleus was associated with transcription factors (TF) and their specific response elements. We observed from uPAR-ChIP, TF protein, and protein/DNA array analyses that uPAR associates with activating enhancer-binding protein 2α (AP2a) and mediates β-catenin gene transcription. Moreover, association of uPAR with the β-catenin·TCF/LEF complex and various other TF involved during embryonic development and cancer indicates that uPAR is a potent activator of stemness, and targeting of uPAR in combination with radiation has significant therapeutic implications.
Current issues in cold fusion research: heat, helium, tritium, and energetic particles

Abstract Claims of “excess heat” and helium production are compared with evidence of energetic nuclear particle emissions in deuterided solids. A solid quantitative basis for connecting the two effects is absent. In particular, notions of lattice heating without production if energetic debris are challenged.
A rapid protein digestibility assay for identifying highly digestible sorghum lines

ABSTRACT Protein digestibility in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) lines was determined using two standard procedures (pepsin digestibility and pH-stat) and compared with a newly developed, rapid electrophoresis-based screening assay. The new assay was based on the rate of α-kafirin disappearance after pepsin digestion. α-Kafirin, the major sorghum storage protein, makes up ≈60–70% of the total protein in the grain. In the new assay, samples were first digested with pepsin for 1 hr, and undigested proteins were then analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The intensitizes of the undigested α-kafirin bands were measured. Higher band intensity indicated lower protein digestibility. The new assay was significantly correlated with the standard pepsin digestibility assay (r = −0.96, n = 16) after which it was patterned. The same was true of the pH-stat procedure (r = −0.85, n = 16). This implies that the new assay is comparable to existing procedures and can be used for screening sorghum lines for protein digestibility. Tw...
Systolic triple rhythms.

Abstract 1. 1. The records of sixty-four cases of systolic triple rhythm have been reviewed. The presence or absence of cardiovascular disease and the various characteristics of these sounds were evaluated. 2. 2. Systolic triple rhythms are probably more frequently present than generally suspected and may be heard in a wide variety of cardiac and extracardiac diseases. 3. 3. Early systolic clicks are ejection sounds and are found in patients with congenital and acquired lesions of the semilunar valves and great vessels and are usually associated with a murmur. 4. 4. Mid- or late systolic sounds may or may not be associated with a murmur and are usually not observed in patients with cardiovascular disease. 5. 5. With a thorough understanding of the characteristics of systolic sounds, their significance may be correctly interpreted.
Need for a unified decision-making tool for ultrafiltration therapy in heart failure; call for action

Although ultrafiltration portends several theoretical advantages over the standard therapy for acute decompensated heart failure, it might not be the optimal treatment for all patients presenting with an episode of decompensation. It is not yet clear how to prospectively identify the subset of patients that would benefit from this therapeutic modality. Based on the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying acute decompensated heart failure, early ultrafiltration therapy can be an appropriate initial management strategy for those patients with diuretic resistance whose associated renal dysfunction is related to hemodynamic changes rather than a structural abnormality. In the absence of widely accepted consensus guidelines, ultrafiltration use is currently subject to considerable variations among physicians. A clinical tool (eg, a scoring system) that is based on the individual patient's characteristics is therefore needed to prospectively identify the appropriate candidates for this therapy. Using this system is likely to portend better outcomes while helping to avoid unnecessary exposure to potential risks of extracorporeal therapies.
Some properties of a particular static, axially symmetric space-time

The behavior of the directional singularities of a family of Weyl solutions is examined. By examining the space-time in a different coordinate system, the directional singularities are understood. The singular points are actually extended hypersurfaces which have been collapsed to a point by an improper choice of coordinates. The singular structure is examined in the new coordinate system. The coordinate system shows the space-time to be geodesically incomplete. A completion of the symmetry axis is described.
TACO: timing analysis with coupling

The impact of coupling capacitance on delay is usually estimated by scaling the coupling capacitances (often by a factor of 2) and modeling them as grounded. This simple approach has been shown to be overly pessimistic in some cases, while somewhat optimistic in others. This paper introduces TACO, a timing analysis methodology that produces tight bounds on worst- and best-case timing for circuits with dominant coupling capacitance. The methodology utilizes a coupled Ceff gate model for capturing the provably worst- and best-case delays as a function of the timing-window inputs to the gates.
Haziness of the right hemithorax in a newborn.

We describe a neonate with an accessory diaphragm, a rare congenital anomaly. It almost always occurs in the right hemithorax, which appears diffusely hazy on the anterior chest roentgenogram. The lateral chest roentgenogram is essential in the diagnosis of this condition. (Chest 1988; 94:662-63)
Foreign Investment and the Global Geography of Production: Why the Mexican Consumer Electronics Industry Failed

Abstract Explanations of industrial development in late-developing countries have become narrowly focused on the capability of governments to promote, pressure, or punish nationally-owned firms. Often overlooked is the contribution of firms, both national and multinational, in propelling, coordinating, and determining the path and location of such development. This paper examines the conditions that led to the decline of Mexico's consumer electronics industry and presents new evidence to support a more complex account of the role of both industrial and state actors within this process. In contrast to the traditional market- or state-based theories, we argue that the decline of Mexico's consumer electronics industry largely resulted from its foreign investment regime, particularly the timing of investment and the geographical locations of local and foreign manufacturers, and the subsequent depth and quality of the relationships between these firms. The differences between Mexico's regime and that of Taiwan during the same period provide further evidence of the important role that foreign firms play in inserting local suppliers into the global production chain. We argue that Mexico's foreign investment regime and the resulting weak local-foreign ties, rather than inadequate state policy, sealed the fate of Mexico's once thriving domestic electronics industry.
Standardization and Safety of Alveolar Bone–derived Stem Cell Isolation

Cell therapies utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could overcome limitations of traditional treatments for reconstructing craniofacial tissues. This large-scale study explored a standardized methodology for the isolation and clinical-scale expansion of alveolar bone marrow-derived MSCs (aBMSCs). We harvested 103 alveolar bone marrow samples from 45 patients using 1 of 3 standardized methodologies. Following aBMSC isolation, cells were characterized through cell-surface marker expression and lineage-specific differentiation. Long-term cultures (> 50 population doublings [PDs]) were evaluated for transformational changes through senescence, gene expression, and karyotyping. Finally, aBMSC bone-forming potential was determined in vivo. More than 0.5 cc of bone marrow was needed to predictably isolate aBMSCs, and, regardless of methodology for harvest, cell-surface marker expression of CD73, CD90, CD105, and Stro-1 was similar for aBMSCs, being 89.8%, 98.8%, 93.8%, and 3.2%, respectively; all cells were negative for CD11b, CD19, and CD45. aBMSCs exhibited multipotency, and karyotypes were normal up to 30 PDs, with significant cell senescence beginning following 35 PDs. Additionally, aBMSCs induced ectopic bone formation following subcutaneous transplantation into mice. These findings demonstrate a predictable approach for the isolation and safe clinical-scale expansion of aBMSCs, and thus, their clinical use could be considered for craniofacial regenerative therapies.
Critical angle light scattering from bubbles: an asymptotic series approximation.

The critical scattering angle at 82.8° from an air bubble in water locates the transition from partial to total reflection from elementary geometrical optics. The irradiance scattered into a narrow angular region near the critical scattering is a monotonically increasing function of bubble radius a provided a ≫ λ, and the weak contributions from rays reflected internally from the far side of the bubble are neglected. The asymptotic series for critical angle scattering derived here leads to a simple approximation for the irradiance. It also describes the breakdown of elementary geometrical optics for reflection at the critical angle from a curved surface. The leading correction to the scattering amplitude relative to the perfect reflection amplitude is found to be O(β−1/4), where β = 2πa/λ is the size parameter and λ is the wavelength of light in water. The series is confirmed by comparison (as a function of β) with smoothed Mie computations. The leading correction is significant for β as large as 20,000, and it is larger when the light is polarized with the E field parallel to the scattering plane rather than perpendicular to it. The dependence on β−1/4 is also shown from an average of the reflection coefficient over a Fresnel zone. Applications to optical bubble sizing are noted, and the nature of approximations in previous physical-optics models of critical angle scattering is clarified.
Honeywell FLASH fiber optic motherboard evaluations

The use of fiber optic data transmission media can make significant contributions in achieving increasing performance and reduced life cycle cost requirement placed on commercial and military transport aircraft. For complete end-to-end fiber optic transmission, photonics technologies and techniques need to be understood and applied internally to the aircraft line replaceable units (LRUs) as well as externally on the interconnecting aircraft cable plant. During a portion of the Honeywell contribution to Task 2A on the Fly-by-Light Advanced System Hardware (FLASH) program, evaluations were done on a fiber optic transmission media implementation internal to a Primary Flight Control Computer (PFCC). The PFCC internal fiber optic transmission media implementation included a fiber optic backplane, an optical card-edge connector, and an optical source/detector coupler/installation. The performance of these optical media components was evaluated over typical aircraft environmental stresses of temperature, vibration, and humidity. These optical media components represent key technologies to the complete end-to-end fiber optic transmission capability on commercial and military transport aircraft. The evaluations and technical readiness assessments of these technologies will enable better perspectives on productization of fly-by-light systems requiring their utilizations.
De Novo Bone Formation After the Sinus Lift Procedure

Background: The primary objective of this study is to use histomorphometric techniques to evaluate the concept that the new bone formed in the maxillary sinus lift procedure emanates from the endosteum of the sinus floor. In addition, the effect of the residual crest vertical dimension on the graft outcome and assessment of osteoclast numbers as an indirect measure of a connection between the crest and graft compartment are reported. Methods: After grafting the maxillary sinus with irradiated allogenic bone, 37 intact, vertical bone cores with a 2.7 mm diameter were trephined at right angles to the alveolar crest. Quantitative measures were derived from a histomorphometric analysis of new bone and residual graft particles at contiguous zones along the long axis of the cores. Mean and median data were analyzed for associations with the distance from the sinus floor, dimensions of the residual crest, and other descriptive variables. A parallel series of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase-stained sections were evaluated for osteoclast counts. Results: Mean new bone formation ranged from 24.3% to 30.2%. A statistically significant gradient of graft-particle area combined with this uniform distribution of new bone resulted in a false impression of less consolidation with the distance from the floor. There was no significant relationship between the distance from the sinus floor or dimension of the residual crest and the graft result. Mean osteoclast counts revealed a statistically significant difference (P <0.001) between the residual crest and the graft compartment with increased counts in the graft. Conclusions: Histologically, the process of new bone formation resembled a combination of de novo appositional and intramembraneous ossification. The findings suggested a passive role for the graft material and implicated the ingrowth of vascular and perivascular tissues as the most logical source of osteogenic capacity. J Periodontol 2011;82:1245-1255.
Learning from Experience

Disclosures: Edward L. Trimble: None; Worta McCaskill-Stevens: None; Andrea Denicoff: None; Lucas Minig: None; Lori M. Minasian: None. The content of this article has been reviewed by independent peer reviewers to ensure that it is balanced, objective, and free from commercial bias. No financial relationships relevant to the content of this article have been disclosed by the authors or independent peer reviewers.
Clearing the airways: advocacy and regulation for smoke-free airlines

Objective: To examine the advocacy and regulatory history surrounding bans on smoking in commercial airliners. Methods: Review of historical documents, popular press articles, and other sources to trace the timeline of events leading up to the US ban on smoking in airliners and subsequent efforts by airlines and other nations. Results: In early years, efforts by flight attendants and health advocates to make commercial airliners smoke-free were not productive. Advocacy efforts between 1969 and 1984 resulted in maintenance of the status quo, with modest exceptions (creation of smoking and non-smoking sections of aircraft, and a ban on cigar and pipe smoking). Several breakthrough events in the mid 1980s, however, led to an abrupt turnaround in regulatory efforts. The first watershed event was the publication in 1986 of the National Academy of Science's report on the airliner cabin environment, which recommended banning smoking on all commercial flights. Subsequently, following concerted lobbying efforts by health advocates, Congress passed legislation banning smoking on US domestic flights of less than two hours, which became effective in 1988. The law was made permanent and extended to flights of less than six hours in 1990. This landmark legislation propelled the adoption of similar rules internationally, both by airlines and their industry's governing bodies. Though the tobacco industry succeeded in stalling efforts to create smoke-free airways, it was ultimately unable to muster sufficient grassroots support or scientific evidence to convince the general public or policymakers that smoking should continue to be allowed on airlines. Conclusions: The movement to ban smoking in aircraft represents a case study in effective advocacy for smoke-free workplaces. Health advocates, with crucial assistance from flight attendants, used an incremental advocacy process to push for smoking and non-smoking sections on US commercial flights, then for smoking bans on short domestic flights, and finally for completely smoke-free domestic and international flights. Through the course of the battle, advocates from all quarters of tobacco control presented a unified message, exhibited remarkable focus on an attainable goal, and effectively leveraged their relationships with champions in both government and the private sector.
A Macro Economy as an Emergent Ecology of Plans

Orthodox macro theories reflect a choice-theoretic orientation wherein aggregate variables act directly on one another. Hence, macro phenomena are reduced to the same order of simplicity as micro phenomena. In contrast, this paper explores how macro theory might be pursued when it is recognized that macro phenomena are of a higher order of complexity than micro phenomena. Rather than reducing macro to micro, macro phenomena supervene on micro interaction. Hence, a macro economy is treated as a complex ecology of plans that constitute a non-equilibrium process of spontaneous ordering.
Book Review of 'Secretary or General? The UN Secretary-General in World Politics'

This essay is a review of the collected essays, Secretary or General? The UN Secretary-General in World Politics, edited by New York University Professor Simon Chesterman. The question posed by the title turns out to be rhetorical. As the contributions reveal, a successful UN secretary-general need not be an extraordinary bureaucrat or military genius, but must possess keen political instincts. Like an acrobat performing a high-wire act, the secretary-general must carefully balance a unique political independence - untethered to the interests of one sovereign state - against a required institutional and political interdependence with the Security Council and the UN member states. The book’s central project, reflected as a common theme running through the contributed essays, is this understanding of the secretary-general as a global homo politicus.
Chinese American Contributions to the Educational Development of Toisan 1910–1940

(1983). Chinese American Contributions to the Educational Development of Toisan 1910–1940. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 47-72.
Effect of ThermaCare HeatWraps and Icy Hot Cream/Patches on Skin and Quadriceps Muscle Temperature and Blood Flow

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of over-the-counter treatments—ThermaCare HeatWraps (chemical reaction to produce heat above the skin), Icy Hot Patch, and Icy Hot Cream (topically applied menthol)—on skin and deep tissue temperature. Methods This was a longitudinal crossover study. On each of 3 days, a ThermaCare HeatWrap, Icy Hot Cream, or Icy Hot Patch was applied randomly over the quadriceps muscle in 15 healthy volunteers with normal body mass. Skin and muscle temperature and blood flow were measured by laser flowmetry every 15 minutes for 2 hours. Results After 2 hours, mean temperature decreased by 2.1°C (7.0%; P = .02) in skin and 1.0°C (2.9%; P = .01) in muscle with Icy Hot Cream. Icy Hot Patch decreased skin and muscle temperature by 1.7°C (5.4%; P = .03) and 1.3°C (3.8%; P = .01), respectively. In contrast, ThermaCare raised skin and muscle temperature by 7.8°C (25.8%; P = .001) and 2.7°C (7.7%; P = .002), respectively; both were significantly warmer with ThermaCare vs either Icy Hot product (all P P = .003]; Patch: 19.1 flux [16.7%; P = .045]). Muscle blood flow decreased with the Patch (6.7 flux [7.0%; P = .02]). After a period of fluctuations, Icy Hot Cream produced a net increase vs baseline of 7.0 flux (16.9%; P = .02). ThermaCare more than doubled blood flow in skin (83.3 flux [109.7%; P = .0003]) and muscle (25.1 flux [148.5%; P = .004]). Conclusions In this group of 15 healthy volunteers, ThermaCare HeatWraps provided the greatest degree of tissue warming and increase in tissue blood flow.
Quantitative 3D magnetic resonance elastography: Comparison with dynamic mechanical analysis.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a rapidly growing noninvasive imaging technique for measuring tissue mechanical properties in vivo. Previous studies have compared two-dimensional MRE measurements with material properties from dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) devices that were limited in frequency range. Advanced DMA technology now allows broad frequency range testing, and three-dimensional (3D) MRE is increasingly common. The purpose of this study was to compare 3D MRE stiffness measurements with those of DMA over a wide range of frequencies and shear stiffnesses.3D MRE and DMA were performed on eight different polyvinyl chloride samples over 20-205 Hz with stiffness between 3 and 23 kPa. Driving frequencies were chosen to create 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4, 5.5, and 6.6 effective wavelengths across the diameter of the cylindrical phantoms. Wave images were analyzed using direct inversion and local frequency estimation algorithm with the curl operator and compared with DMA measurements at each corresponding frequency. Samples with sufficient spatial resolution and with an octahedral shear strain signal-to-noise ratio > 3 were compared.Consistency between the two techniques was measured with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and was excellent with an overall ICC of 0.99.3D MRE and DMA showed excellent consistency over a wide range of frequencies and stiffnesses. Magn Reson Med 77:1184-1192, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
A new subgrid-scale representation of hydrometeor fields using a multivariate PDF

Abstract. The subgrid-scale representation of hydrometeor fields is important for calculating microphysical process rates. In order to represent subgrid-scale variability, the Cloud Layers Unified By Binormals (CLUBB) parameterization uses a multivariate probability density function (PDF). In addition to vertical velocity, temperature, and moisture fields, the PDF includes hydrometeor fields. Previously, hydrometeor fields were assumed to follow a multivariate single lognormal distribution. Now, in order to better represent the distribution of hydrometeors, two new multivariate PDFs are formulated and introduced. The new PDFs represent hydrometeors using either a delta-lognormal or a delta-double-lognormal shape. The two new PDF distributions, plus the previous single lognormal shape, are compared to histograms of data taken from large-eddy simulations (LESs) of a precipitating cumulus case, a drizzling stratocumulus case, and a deep convective case. Finally, the warm microphysical process rates produced by the different hydrometeor PDFs are compared to the same process rates produced by the LES.
Carbon Dioxide Capture from the Air Using a Polyamine Based Regenerable Solid Adsorbent

Easy to prepare solid materials based on fumed silica impregnated with polyethylenimine (PEI) were found to be superior adsorbents for the capture of carbon dioxide directly from air. During the initial hours of the experiments, these adsorbents effectively scrubbed all the CO2 from the air despite its very low concentration. The effect of moisture on the adsorption characteristics and capacity was studied at room temperature. Regenerative ability was also determined in a short series of adsorption/desorption cycles.
Clinicians' involvement in capital punishment--constitutional implications.

Botched executions like that of Clayton Lockett demonstrate the dearth of safeguards for ensuring that lethal injection results in humane deaths, consistent with the Eighth Amendment. What role should the medical and scientific communities play in this process?
Reply to “Comment on ‘Berry phase mechanism for optical gyrotropy in stripe-ordered cuprates’ ’’

In response to the Comment of Chakravarty, we explain that interplane incoherence is unlikely to invalidate the Berry phase mechanism of gyrotropy in metals, although it will certainly modify the observed magnitude of the effect.
The Holographic Solar Photon Thruster (SPT) : A Low-Earth Orbit Solar Sail

Atmospheric drag limits most solar sails to altitudes>1000 km. A two-sail variant, the Solar-Photon Thruster (SPT) , could be used in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). An SPT has a fixed-orientation collector sail that focuses light against a smaller, adjustable thruster sail. Maintaining the collector surface parallel to the Earth minimizes SPT drag in LEO. To minimize solar-radiation back pressure towards Earth, the upper collector surface is non-reflective. The reflective lower collector surface directs light reflected and reradiated from the Earth against the thruster. Thruster orientation is adjusted in LEO to increase the orbital energy by the net radiation-pressure. Experiments reveal that holograms are tolerant to solar-wind radiation. SPTs with white-light holographic thrusters are useful in LEO because small thruster rotations produce greatly altered reflectivity. It may be possible to holographically combine SPT collector and thruster.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Zika Virus in the Human Placenta and Developing Brain: Cell Tropism and Drug Inhibition

The rapid spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) and its association with abnormal brain development constitute a global health emergency. Congenital ZIKV infection produces a range of mild to severe pathologies, including placental damage and microcephaly. However, the placenta's role in viral transmission and the mechanisms of microcephaly have not been addressed in primary human tissues. Moreover, there is an urgent need for drugs that can prevent developmental defects following infection. Here, we identify the placental and brain cell populations most susceptible to ZIKV infection, provide evidence for a mechanism of viral entry, and show that a commonly used antibiotic protects cultured brain cells by inhibiting viral proliferation. In the early gestation placenta, the virus readily infected trophoblast subpopulations that are in direct contact with maternal blood and uterine cells, suggesting routes of ZIKV transmission to the embryo and fetus. In the brain, ZIKV preferentially infected neural stem cells, astrocytes, and microglia, whereas neurons were less susceptible to infection. These findings suggest mechanisms for microcephaly and other pathologic features of infants with congenital ZIKV infection that are not explained by neural stem cell infection alone, such as calcifications in the cortical plate and brain abnormalities caused by third trimester infection. Blocking a putative viral entry receptor, AXL, which is highly enriched in the infected placenta and brain cell types, reduced ZIKV infection of astrocytes in vitro. In a glial cell line, the macrolide antibiotic, azithromycin, inhibited viral proliferation and viral-induced cytopathic effects at clinically relevant concentrations. Our characterization of infection in primary human tissues clarifies the pathogenesis of congenital ZIKV infection and provides critical context for interpreting results from model systems. Further work on azithromycin and related compounds may yield additional therapeutic strategies to safely alleviate or prevent the most severe consequences of the epidemic.
Constitutive Model for Cyclic Plasticity with Ratchetting Effects

A robust kinematic hardening rule is proposed which appropriately blends the deviatoric stress rate rule and the Tseng-Lee rule in order to satisfy both the experimental observations made by Phillips et al. [1–3] and the nesting of the yield surface to the limit surface. A more general expression for the plastic modulus is proposed. In order to model a more sophisticated and extended memory of discrete events of unloading-reloading and to model ratchetting properly, an additional surface called the memory surface is introduced. An additional parameter ζ is introduced that reflects the dependence of the plastic modulus on the angle between the deviatoric stress rate tensor and the direction of the limit backstress relative to the yield backstress.
Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Abdominal Adipose Tissue Deposition.

Purpose: We examined whether sedentary lifestyle habits and physical activity level are associated with abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), and liver attenuation, independently of one another and potential confounders. Methods: This study analyzed 3010 African American and Caucasian men and women, 42–59 yr old, from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, who completed multiple-slice abdominal computed tomography in 2010–2011. Participants reported average hours per day sitting (television, computing, paperwork, music, telephone, and car). Physical activity was assessed with the CARDIA physical activity history. VAT, SAT, IMAT, and liver attenuation were estimated from computed tomography. Multivariable general linear regression models regressed means of fat depots on total sedentary time, task-specific sedentary time, and total physical activity. Results: Television viewing was positively, and physical activity inversely, associated with fat depots. For each 1 SD increment in television viewing (1.5 h·d−1), VAT, SAT, and IMAT were greater by 3.5, 3.4, and 3.9 cm3, respectively (P < 0.03 for all). For each 1 SD increment in physical activity (275 exercise units), VAT, SAT, and IMAT were lower by 7.6, 6.7, and 8.1 cm3, respectively, and liver attenuation was greater (indicating more liver fat) by 0.5 Hounsfield units (P < 0.01 for all). Total sedentary time was associated with VAT, IMAT, and liver attenuation in White men only after controlling for physical activity, SAT, and other potential confounders (P ≤ 0.01 for all). No other task-specific sedentary behaviors were associated with fat depots. Conclusions: Sedentary behaviors, particularly television viewing, and physical activity levels have distinct, independent associations with fat deposition.
Modeling Secondary Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere

An accurate, analytic heliospheric neutral test-particle code for helium atoms from the interstellar medium (ISM) is coupled to global heliospheric models dominated by hydrogen and protons from the solar wind and the ISM. This coupling enables the forward-calculation of secondary helium neutrals from first principles. Secondaries are produced predominantly in the outer heliosheath, upwind of the heliopause, by charge exchange of helium ions with neutral atoms. The forward model integrates the secondary production terms along neutral trajectories and calculates the combined neutral helium phase space density in the innermost heliosphere where it can be related to in-situ observations. The phase space density of the secondary component is lower than that of primary neutral helium, but its presence can change the analysis of primaries and the ISM, and can yield valuable insight into the characteristics of the plasma in the outer heliosheath.
Economic crime and China's high-speed railway: a case study of the Wenzhou crash

China’s current structural dynamic of rewarding officials for generating vigorous and unprecedented growth is a double-edged sword: such a strategy assures economic expansion, more jobs, and growing infrastructure, but without adequate controls it can also encourage corruption, especially within a social environment that utilizes guanxi, a widely accepted form of institutionalized bribery, that would be illegal in developed countries. The current paper presents a case study of the development of China’s high-speed railway and the Wenzhou train crash and relates it to the criminological literature on white-collar and corporate crime. It seeks to reveal how corruption played a major role in the disaster and is organized as follows. First, it reviews the literature on guanxi and deconstructs the railway crash in Wenzhou. Second, it provides a criminological analysis of three primary factors that caused the crash, including a lack of transparency, a system of weak oversight and self-management, and social acceptance of guanxi, as well as how these elements create widespread institutional corruption. Third, it examines the unique characteristics of China that encourage institutional corruption. Finally, it offers directions for future research on effective reform and compliance.
Walking with Them: Advocating for Parents with Mental Illnesses in the Child Welfare System

Despite the large number of parents with mental illnesses who are caught up in the child welfare system, these parents and their families remain understudied and underserved. Parents with mental illnesses are doubly stigmatized as mentally ill and as abusive or neglectful. Few comprehensive or appropriate services are available to them through either the child welfare or the mental health systems. This Article evaluates the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA") to the services provided by child welfare agencies to parents with mental illnesses. To date, courts have largely rejected ADA claims raised in the context of termination of parental rights proceedings, finding that applying the ADA to prevent termination of parental rights would be detrimental to the best interest of the children who are the subjects of the proceedings. Despite these setbacks, the ADA's unequivocal rejection of prejudicial stereotypes and inflexible policies could provide an important basis for rethinking child welfare policy toward families in which one or more parents has a mental illness. The ADA may make it possible for advocates for parents to bring to light unfounded assumptions about the capacity of parents with mental illnesses and advocate for services tailored to the needs of their families. Although courts are reluctant to apply the ADA to prevent children from being made available for adoption after they have been in the foster care system for a long time, the ADA has some potential to address the attitudes of child welfare decision makers and encourage child welfare agencies to support rather than undermine parenting by individuals with mental illnesses. At the same time, the potential of the ADA's forceful rejection of discrimination may fail to be realized. Some of the provisions of the ADA have been given quite narrow interpretations, while others remain little explored. This Article evaluates both the opportunities for and the challenges of applying the ADA to improve the workings of the child welfare system towards parents with mental illnesses.
Motor Stereotypies: A Pathophysiological Review.

Motor stereotypies are common, repetitive, rhythmic movements with typical onset in early childhood. While most often described in children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, stereotypies can also present without developmental delay and persist into adulthood. Stereotypies are often disruptive and harmful, both physically and socially, and effective evidence-based treatments are lacking. This can be attributed, in part, to our incomplete knowledge of the underlying biological and environmental risk. Several studies implicate various neurotransmitters, brain circuits, anatomical loci, and pre- and postnatal environmental influences in stereotypy onset and symptom severity. However, there are few points of convergence among a relatively small number of studies, indicating that more research is needed to confirm the underlying bases of risk. Of particular note is the lack of published genetic studies of stereotypies, despite evidence for Mendelian inheritance patterns in some families. Focusing future studies on typically-developing children with primary motor stereotypies may be a useful approach to minimize potential biological, environmental, and genetic heterogeneity that could theoretically hinder consistent findings. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of the underlying biology and risk factors for motor stereotypies will lead us closer to more effective targeted therapies that will alleviate suffering in affected children.
Multiple functionalities of reduced flavin in the non-redox reaction catalyzed by UDP-galactopyranose mutase.

Abstract Flavin cofactors are widely used by enzymes to catalyze a broad range of chemical reactions. Traditionally, flavins in enzymes are regarded as redox centers, which enable enzymes to catalyze the oxidation or reduction of substrates. However, a new class of flavoenzyme has emerged over the past quarter century in which the flavin functions as a catalytic center in a non-redox reaction. Here we introduce the unifying concept of flavin hot spots to understand and categorize the mechanisms and reactivities of both traditional and noncanonical flavoenzymes. The major hot spots of reactivity include the N5, C4a, and C4O atoms of the isoalloxazine, and the 2′ hydroxyl of the ribityl chain. The role of hot spots in traditional flavoenzymes, such as monooxygenases, is briefly reviewed. A more detailed description of flavin hot spots in noncanonical flavoenzymes is provided, with a focus on UDP-galactopyranose mutase, where the N5 functions as a nucleophile that attacks the anomeric carbon atom of the substrate. Recent results from mechanistic enzymology, kinetic crystallography, and computational chemistry provide a complete picture of the chemical mechanism of UDP-galactopyranose mutase.