cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of gibberellin A3 and 2,4-D on plant and root exudate lipids and susceptibility to Pythium myriotylum

Abstract Gibberellin A 3 or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid were applied to the foliage of peanut plants under axenic culture and in the greenhouse. Leaves, roots and exudates from axenically grown plants were analyzed for total lipids, free sterols, free fatty acids and paraffinic hydrocarbons. The total lipid concentrations of leaves, roots and root exudates were not altered. The free sterol of roots, and the paraffinie hydrocarbon concentrations of both leaves and roots increased, but the free fatty acid of root exudates decreased. Plants treated in the greenhouse were rated for disease severity after soil infestation with Pythium myriotylum . Roots of treated plants exhibited less rot than roots of non-treated plants. We believe there are possibilites of altering disease susceptibility using foliar applications of growth regulators through their effects on root lipids and root-lipid exudation patterns.
Use of Hancock porcine xenografts in children and adolescents

Between January 1,1974 and December 31,1978,47 xenografts (8 aortic, 28 mitral, 4 tricuspid, 3 left atrioventricular valve in I-transposition of the great arteries and 3 aortic-mitral) were implanted in 44 patients, aged 10/12 to 20 5/12 years (median 12 2/12). All eight patients with aortic valve replacement survived and were followed up for 22.5 ± 10.4 months (mean ± standard error of the mean). At postoperative cardiac catheterization in three patients, the peak systolic ejection gradient ranged between 24 and 38 mm Hg and the valve area index between 0.71 and 1.15 cm2/m2. Among 26 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement, 5 died operatively and 2 died 2 months postoperatively, leaving 19 long-term survivors who were followed up for 26.2 ± 15.6 months. In the 11 patients who underwent postoperative cardiac catheterization, the mean diastolic gradient was 6.1 ± 2.7 mm Hg and the mean valve index 1.79 ± 0.76 cm2/m2. Severe subaortic obstruction, due to the prosthetic mitral valve, occurred in three of five patients less than 5 years old. Among four patients who underwent tricuspid valve replacement there were no operative deaths; complete heart block occurred in three. At postoperative catheterization in two patients, the mean diastolic gradient was 3 and 5 mm Hg, and the valve index 1.32 and 1.7 cm2/m2, respectively. Three patients with I-transposition of the great arteries who underwent replacement of the systemic atrioventricular valve were followed up for 12 to 37 months. At postoperative catheterization the mean diastolic gradient was 0 to 4 mm Hg and the valve index ranged from 1.68 to 1.88 cm2/m2. Both aortic and mitral valves were replaced in three children. One died at operation and one 6 months after operation. The survivor has complete heart block but is in New York Heart Association functional class I. Eight xenografts (6 mitral, 1 left atrioventricular valve in I-transposition of the great arteries and 1 aortic) failed, requiring replacement 22 to 68 months after implantation. All were calcified to varying degrees. Valve failure began presenting 22 months after implantation, and of 25 valves implanted for 20 months or longer, 8 have been replaced. These 8 patients were younger (10.3 ± 0.2 years) at initial valve replacement than the other 17 patients (15.0 ± 0.3 years) followed up for 20 months or longer (p <0.05). High levels of γ-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA), a calciumbinding amino acid, were found in all six calcified xenografts analyzed, whereas none was found in a fresh porcine aortic valve or in an unimplanted xenograft. GLA-containing protein, laid down after implantation, may play a role in xenograft calcification.
Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets.

We assessed organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure from diet by biological monitoring among Seattle, Washington, preschool children. Parents kept food diaries for 3 days before urine collection, and they distinguished organic and conventional foods based on label information. Children were then classified as having consumed either organic or conventional diets based on analysis of the diary data. Residential pesticide use was also recorded for each home. We collected 24-hr urine samples from 18 children with organic diets and 21 children with conventional diets and analyzed them for five OP pesticide metabolites. We found significantly higher median concentrations of total dimethyl alkylphosphate metabolites than total diethyl alkylphosphate metabolites (0.06 and 0.02 micro mol/L, respectively; p = 0.0001). The median total dimethyl metabolite concentration was approximately six times higher for children with conventional diets than for children with organic diets (0.17 and 0.03 micro mol/L; p = 0.0003); mean concentrations differed by a factor of nine (0.34 and 0.04 micro mol/L). We calculated dose estimates from urinary dimethyl metabolites and from agricultural pesticide use data, assuming that all exposure came from a single pesticide. The dose estimates suggest that consumption of organic fruits, vegetables, and juice can reduce children's exposure levels from above to below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's current guidelines, thereby shifting exposures from a range of uncertain risk to a range of negligible risk. Consumption of organic produce appears to provide a relatively simple way for parents to reduce their children's exposure to OP pesticides.
Single center experience with modified eversion carotid endarterectomy

Background Transaortic endarterectomy is a well-described technique for surgical revascularization of orificial atherosclerotic renovascular disease. Adopting this technique to carotid endarterectomy (CEA), modified eversion carotid endarterectomy (MECE), uses a traditional longitudinal arteriotomy that is confined to the bulb. This obviates the need for patch closure, simplifies the procedure, and permits easy conversion to traditional patch closure carotid endarterectomy (PCEA) for technical defects. We compared the safety and efficacy of this technique with PCEA. Methods Three vascular surgeons performed 223 CEAs between July 2004 and December 2008 at a tertiary teaching hospital. Outcomes measured included perioperative stroke rate, morbidity rate, mortality rate, and late restenosis. The incidence of moderate (60-79%) and severe (≥80%) restenosis was examined at 12 months. Data were analyzed with Student’s t-test (p < 0.05 = significant). Results CEA was performed for symptomatic disease in 40.4% (90/223) of patients. One surgeon performed MECE in 73.3% (99/135) of his patients during this period; the remaining patients (n = 124) underwent traditional PCEA. Intraoperative completion duplex ultrasound was performed for all patients. In 5.1% (5/99) of the patients, MECE was converted to PCEA for residual flaps. Intraoperative carotid cross-clamping time was significantly shorter in the MECE group (29.2 minutes vs. 52.2 minutes, p < 0.05). For patients in the PCEA group, the overall mortality rate was 1.8% (4/223), and perioperative stroke rate was 1.4% (3/223). Overall morbidity was 7.2%, which was similar between the two groups. Late restenosis rate on duplex scan was 7.1% (1.0% severe stenosis), early occlusion occurred in one patient with PCEA, and the reintervention rate was 1.0% (2/196). The incidence of late restenosis was similar between the MECE and PCEA group (8.4% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.55). Mean follow-up was 26.3 months for the MECE group and 29.4 months for the PCEA group. Conclusions MECE is a safer alternative to conventional endarterectomy with a restenosis rate comparable with PCEA, offers the potential advantage of shorter clamping time, and obviates the need for patch closure.
Habitat fragmentation and altered fire regime create trade-offs for an obligate seeding shrub

Habitat loss is widely considered the greatest threat to biodiversity. However, habitat loss brings with it myriad other threats that exacerbate impacts to biodiversity. For instance, altered fire regime is associated with habitat loss and fragmentation with unknown consequences to biodiversity. Plant functional groups that rely on fire to complete their life cycle may be adversely affected by disruptions to the natural fire regime, particularly when coupled with population declines due to habitat loss. We used a spatially explicit stochastic population model linked with fire hazard functions to investigate the cumulative effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, and altered fire regime on the expected minimum abundance of a long-lived obligate-seeding shrub, Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans. This species is endemic to the California Floristic Province, a biodiversity hotspot, and is representative of a functional group of plants found in many fire-prone ecosystems. We tested the impact of a range of different fire frequencies under three different combinations of fuel accumulation and weather. The best average fire return interval for population abundance was consistently in the range of 30-50 years. However, observed average fire return intervals in highly fragmented areas can be approximately 20 years or less, and model results show this to be detrimental to C. greggii populations. Results also show that if fires are uncorrelated across habitat fragments then the impact of altered fire regime on populations is worse than the impact of habitat fragmentation because of spatial and temporal decoupling of fire events across the landscape. However, the negative impacts of altered fire regime are outweighed by habitat loss as fragmentation increases. Our results show that large unplanned fires, operating under an altered fire regime, are ultimately detrimental to perennial obligate-seeding shrubs in fragmented landscapes.
Development of a Novel Green Lubricant for Sheet Metal Forming Operation

The main purpose of the present investigation is to analyze a novel, green, and petroleum-free lubricant that is produced by mixing two environmentally benign components—canola oil and boric acid powder. To study the influence of boric acid crystal size and volume ratio on the proposed lubricants performance, computerized pin on disk experiments were conducted with spherical copper pins (radius 6.5 mm) and aluminum disks (Ra = 1.35μm). Friction coefficient measurements were taken at more than twenty distinct operating conditions while varying the lubrication condition (unlubricated, boric acid, canola oil, boric acid/canola oil mixture), boric acid volume fraction (3.5%, 7%, 10.5 and 21%), and boric acid crystal size (0–100 microns, 100–150 microns, 150–180 microns, 180–350 microns and 350–710 microns). Based on the experiments, it was determined that a 7% by volume boric acid powder in canola oil with 350–700 micron particles was the optimum green lubricant for minimizing the friction at the conditions tested. In addition, the results indicated that the boric acid/canola oil lubricant demonstrated excellent potential for use in industrial applications such as sheet metal stamping.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Occult herpes family viruses may increase mortality in critically ill surgical patients.

Abstract Background: Effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV) or herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection on surgical intensive care unit (SICU) patients' hospital outcome are unknown. METHODS: Between July 1, 1994, and September 1, 1995, general SICU patients with persistent sepsis and no bacterial or fungal source identifiable had viral cultures obtained. Patients with positive broncho-alveolar lavage, blood, skin, or sputum cultures for CMV or HSV were studied. RESULTS: Twenty eligible patients had positive viral cultures during the study period, and 85% of these patients developed subsequent bacterial and/or fungal infections. Mortality was significantly higher following viral infection than in chronic SICU patients (65% vs 35%, P P CONCLUSIONS: At least 14% of critically ill surgical patients have occult infection or reactivation of herpes family viruses. These viruses have known immunosuppressive effects, which may predispose chronic SICU patients to subsequent bacterial and fungal infection, and subsequent organ system failure and death.
Examining legalism, scrupulosity, family perfectionism, and psychological adjustment among LDS individuals

This study examined the relationships and interactions between legalism, scrupulosity, family perfectionism, guilt, and shame among 421 Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormons). The results showed that scrupulosity fully mediated the links between legalism and guilt, as well as legalism and shame. A moderated-mediation effect was found, in which family discrepancy (maladaptive perfectionism) intensified the scrupulosity–shame association in the mediation model of legalism and shame by scrupulosity. Family discrepancy was not a significant moderator for the mediation model of legalism and guilt by scrupulosity. Additional results are provided and implications of these findings are outlined.
Base of tongue carcinoma: treatment results using concomitant boost radiotherapy

Abstract Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of accelerated fractionated radiotherapy using the concomitant boost schedule for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue. Methods and Materials : Between Septermber 1984 and July 1992, 54 patients with squamous carcinoma of the base of tongue were treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center using the concomitant boost schedule. The distribution of T and N stages was T1–4, T2-27, T3-22, and T4-1; N0-9, N1-11, N2-24, N3-7, and NX-3. American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)stage groupings were II-6, III-14, and IV-34. Before radiation, nodal excision and neck dissection were done in 5 and 10 patients, respectively; 5 patients had neck dissections after radiotherapy. Standard on and off spinal cord fields were irradiated with 1.8 Gy fractions to 54 Gy given over 6 weeks. The boost was given concomitantly during the large field treatment as a second daily (1.5 Gy) fraction, with an interfraction interval of 4–6 h. The median dose to the primary tumor was 72 Gy (range, 66–74 Gy). The median treatment duration was 42 days (range, 39–48 days). Only three patients had treatment interrupted for more than one scheduled treatment day. Results : The 5-year acturial overall survival and disease-specific survival rates were 59 and 65%, respectively, with a median follow-up of 41 months. The 5-year actuarial locoregional control rate was 76%. The actuarial local control rates achieved with radiotherapy at 5 years for T1, T2, and T3 primary tumors were 100%, 96%, and 67%, respectively; including surgical salvage, the local control rate of T3 primary tumors was 70%. Six patients had regional failures, which in three patients occurred in conjunction with primary tumor recurrence. Twenty-six patients with regional adenopathy were treated with radiation alone to full dose and had a complete clinical response in the neck; no planned neck dissections were performed in these patients. Only 2 of these 26 patients had subsequent regional failures. The 5-year actuarial risk of distant metastases in patients whose disease was controlled locoregionally was 21%. Grade 3 or 4 confluent acute mucositis occurred in 94% of patients. However, late complications were limited to two cases of transient mandibular exposure and three cases of self-limited mucosal ulcerations. Conclusion : The concomitant boost fractionation schedule is a very effective regimen for this disease when appropriately selected patients are treated with meticulous technique. The therapeutic ratio is favorable, with a high rate of disease control and no persistent severe late complications. Patients whose neck disease response completely to treatment with this schedule do not appear to need a planned neck dissection.
Sea-floor spreading in the Lau back-arc basin

Abstract We report the first 3-D magnetization inversion of bathymetry and magnetics data for the entire Lau Basin and confirm a history of southward-propagating sea-floor spreading during the past 4 Myr. Magnetic lineations, seafloor fabric and ridge segmentation patterns indicate that lithospheric accretion on discrete spreading centers in this back-arc basin is fundamentally similar to that occurring on mid-ocean ridges. The Brunhes Chron spreading rates (65–100 mm/yr) are
A multisite-directed mutagenesis using T7 DNA polymerase: application for reconstructing a mammalian gene

Abstract A method to introduce multiple mutations and to reconstruct genes, using a single oligodeoxyribonucleotide and DNA polymerase with high processivity, such as modified T7 DNA polymerase [Tabor and Richardson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84 (1987a) 4767–4771], is described. A eukaryotic cDNA, coding for porcine growth hormone (pGH), was reconstructed in this study to delete 75 bp and to introduce a G → A transition. The deletion removes 75 bp and brings an ATG just upstream from the codon for the first amino acid in the mature protein. Moreover, the G → A substitution creates a new PvuII restriction site to facilitate further manipulation of the gene. Maximum mutation frequency with this multisite-directed mutagenesis is reached within 15min with an efficiency approaching 50%, when using the modified T7 DNA polymerase. No multisite-directed mutants were obtained when T4 DNA polymerase or Klenow (large) fragment of DNA polymerase I were used. The described method is also applicable to simple single site-directed mutations as well as to more complex gene reconstruction strategies.
Burkholderia cenocepacia phage BcepMu and a family of Mu-like phages encoding potential pathogenesis factors.

Abstract We have isolated BcepMu, a Mu-like bacteriophage whose host range includes human pathogenic Burkholderia cenocepacia (formally B. cepacia genomovar III) isolates, and determined its complete 36,748 bp genomic sequence. Like enteric bacteriophage Mu, the BcepMu genomic DNA is flanked by variable host sequences, a result of transposon-mediated replication. The BcepMu genome encodes 53 proteins, including capsid assembly components related to those of Mu, and tail sheath and tube proteins related to those of bacteriophage P2. Seventeen of the BcepMu genes were demonstrated to encode homotypic interacting domains by using a cI fusion system. Most BcepMu genes have close homologs to prophage elements present in the two published Salmonella typhi genomes, and in the database sequences of Photorhabdus luminescens , and Chromobacterium violaceum . These prophage elements, designated SalMu, PhotoMu and ChromoMu, respectively, are collinear with BcepMu through nearly their entire lengths and show only limited mosaicism, despite the divergent characters of their hosts. The BcepMu family of Mu-like phages has a number of notable differences from Mu. Most significantly, the critical left end region of BcepMu is inverted with respect to Mu, and the BcepMu family of transposases is clearly of a distinct lineage with different molecular requirements at the transposon ends. Interestingly, a survey of 33 B. cepacia complex strains indicated that the BcepMu prophage is widespread in human pathogenic B. cenocepacia ET12 lineage isolates, but not in isolates from the PHDC or Midwest lineages. Identified members of the BcepMu family all contain a gene possibly involved in bacterial pathogenicity, a homolog of the type-two-secretion component exeA , but only BcepMu also carries a lipopolysaccharide modification acyltransferase which may also contribute a pathogenicity factor.
HIGH PRECISION INTEGER MULTIPLICATION WITH A GPU USING STRASSEN'S ALGORITHM WITH MULTIPLE FFT SIZES

We have improved our prior implementation of Strassens algorithm for high performance multiplication of very large integers on a general purpose graphics processor (GPU). A combination of algorithmic and implementation optimizations result in a factor of up to 13.9 speed improvement over our previous work, running on an NVIDIA 295. We have also reoptimized the implementation for an NVIDIA 480, from which we obtain a factor of up to 19 speedup in comparison with a Core i7 processor core of the same technology generation. To provide a fairer chip to chip comparison, we also determined total GPU throughput on a set of multiplications relative to all of the cores on a multicore chip running in parallel. We find that the GTX 480 provides a factor of six higher throughput than all four cores/eight threads of the Core i7. This paper discusses how we adapted the algorithm to operate within the limitations of the GPU and how we dealt with other issues encountered in the implementation process, including details of the memory layout of our FFTs. Compared with our earlier work, which used Karatsuba's algorithm to guide multiplication of different operand sizes built on top of Strassen's algorithm being applied to fixed-size segments of the operands, we are now able to apply Strassen's algorithm directly to operands ranging in size from 255K bits to 16,320K bits.
Digital video server for ultrasound services

Presents the design and implementation of a digital video server for ultrasound services. It is based on a scalable network delivery of MPEG-1 encoded ultrasound sequences. In contrast with the current video delivery mechanisms used by Mosaic, this service requires a fixed time (2-3 seconds) for the start of viewing of a video sequence, and has no limitations on the length of the video sequence. However, the video-playing frame rates were comparable to that of Mosaic. The video server implemented can support real-time ultrasound and playback of recorded ultrasound sequences. This scalable network delivery mechanism will be extended to other types of dynamic medical sequences such as echocardiogram sequences.
Predicting Home and Work Blood Pressure Measurements from Resting Baselines and Laboratory Reactivity in Black and White Americans

The relationship between blood pressure in the laboratory (both at rest and in response to laboratory tasks) and ambulatory blood pressure at home and at work was evaluated. One hundred nineteen normotensive and unmedicated mild-moderate hypertensive black and white females and males participated in laboratory blood pressure monitoring at rest and during four challenging tasks (structured interview, video game, bicycle exercise, and cold pressor test) as well as ambulatory blood pressure monitoring while at home and at work. Baseline blood pressure taken while subjects were at rest was the strongest predictor of ambulatory systolic blood pressure (r = .64) and diastolic blood pressure (r = .77) at work. Among reactivity tasks the strongest predictors of ambulatory blood pressure in the total population were the structured interview and the video game (both psychological tasks) followed by the cold pressor test. Racial comparisons, however, determined that the cold pressor test predicted diastolic blood pressure significantly better for blacks (r = .73) than for whites (r = .40), suggesting a possible difference in blood pressure regulation.
Profile extrusion of PVC through rectangular dies

The design of profile dies for extrusion has always been by trial and error since the extrudate swells in an unpredictable manner. Most of the studies conducted have involved flow through capillary dies, and indeed only a few investigators report studies on cross sections other than circular. It is the purpose of this study to present a fundamental experimental investigation and theoretical interpretation of the phenomenon of die swell for a rectangular die. In the present study the effects of die entrance geometry, aspect ratio, and die land lengths have been investigated in terms of swelling characteristics of PVC. It is observed that die swell increases for increasing entrance angles up to 60° and then decreases for angles up to 120°. Dependence of die swell on aspect ratio and shear rate has also been reported. Each of the observed phenomenon has been comprehensibly explained and plots have been provided which could aid preliminary die design.
The subgingival microbial flora during pregnancy.

The subgingival bacterial flora from 2 gingival sites was cultured and characterized monthly in twenty periodontitis-free women during pregnancy and again post-partum. Monthly plaque samples were also cultured in eleven age and disease matched non-pregnant women. Plaque was processed anaerobically on selective and nonselective media and the predominant colony types were characterized. A portion of each plaque sample was tested for bacterial uptake of Ci4-estradiol and C^-progesterone. Plasma levels of estrogens and progesterone were measured four times in each subject. The number of gingival bleeding sites, the Gingival Index and the Plaque Index were determined at each sampling period. In the second trimester there was a significant increase in gingivitis, the ratio of anaerobic to aerobic bacteria, and the proportional levels of Bacteroides melaninogenicus ss. intermedius. In the third trimester both gingivitis and the levels of B. melaninogenicus ss. mtermedius decreased. Plaque uptake of Ci4-steroids increased significantly during pregnancy and paralleled the plaque levels of B. melaninogenicus ss. intermedius. In the second trimester, recovery of B. melaninogenicus ss. intermedius was strongly correlated with plasma levels of estrogens and progesterone. No changes were observed in clinical parameters or the subgingival flora of non-pregnant subjects. Pregnancy and specifically steroid hormones appear capable of influencing the normal bacterial flora and inducing alterations in the subgingival ecology.
The stability of variable step-size LMS algorithms

Variable step-site LMS (VSLMS) algorithms are a popular approach to adaptive filtering, which can provide improved performance while maintaining the simplicity and robustness of conventional fixed step-size LMS. Here, we examine the stability of VSLMS with uncorrelated stationary Gaussian data. Most VSLMS described in the literature use a data-dependent step-size, where the step-size either depends on the data before the current time (prior step-size rule) or through the current time (posterior step-size rule). It has often been assumed that VSLMS algorithms are stable (in the sense of mean-square bounded weights), provided that the step-size is constrained to lie within the corresponding stability region for the LMS algorithm. For a single tap fitter, we find exact expressions for the stability region of VSLMS over the classes of prior and posterior step-sizes and show that the stability region for prior step size coincides with that of fixed step-size, but the region for posterior step-size is strictly smaller than for fixed step-size. For the multiple tap case, we obtain bounds on the stability regions with similar properties. The approach taken here is a generalization of the classical method of analyzing, the exponential stability of the weight covariance equation for LMS. Although it is not possible to derive a weight covariance equation for general data-dependent VSLMS, the weight variances can be upper bounded by the solution of a linear time-invariant difference equation, after appropriately dealing with certain nonlinear terms. For prior step-size (like fixed step-size), the state matrix is symmetric, whereas for posterior step-size, the symmetry is lost, requiring a more detailed analysis. The results are verified by computer simulations.
Hemorrhage Risk of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations Before and During the Latency Period After Gamma Knife Radiosurgery

Background and Purpose—To evaluate the hemorrhage rates of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and the risk factors of hemorrhage before and after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS). Methods—The annual hemorrhage rate was calculated as the number of hemorrhages divided by the patient-years at risk. Characteristics of patients and AVM related to hemorrhagic or nonhemorrhagic presentation were evaluated by logistic regression. Risk factors predicting AVM hemorrhage during the period from the diagnosis to GKS of AVM and during the latency period after radiosurgery were evaluated using Cox regression hazards model. Results—The annual hemorrhage rate before GKS was 2.0% assuming patients were at risk for hemorrhage since their birth. The hemorrhage rate calculated between the diagnosis and GKS of AVM was 6.6% and reduced to 2.5% after GKS until obliteration of the AVM. Although small and deep nidi and those with deep and single draining veins tended to present themselves with hemorrhage, only nidi with sing...
Tailgate Warriors: exploring constructions of masculinity, food, and football.

This study provides a textual analysis of the 2009/2010 Food Network series, Tailgate Warriors (TW). The show features teams representing National Football League (NFL) cities in competition to det...
Channel diode, a new fast switching power diode

A new diode, the Channel Diode, utilizes a MOS channel structure for forward conduction. This majority carrier device is capable of fast switching at high voltages where Schottky diodes cannot be used. Also at low voltages, the Channel Diode can be more efficient than a Schottky because of a lower average forward voltage drop. The static I-V characteristics of the Channel Diode are derived and compared with simulated results and measurements on a diode-connected power MOSFET. Switching measurements are also included. Practical design considerations are explored.
Discussion of Heat Flow Meter Apparatus Calibration and Traceability Issues for Thermal Conductivity Measurements

During a period where both North American and International product markets are opening, the issue of calibration traceability has become a sig mficant issue in the calibration of heat flow meters [1,2] used in thermal conductivity measurements on insulation materials. This paper will discuss the approach of the Production Support Services Laboratory of Owens Corning/Fiberglas Canada Inc. in addressing traceability to U.S., Canadian and International standards orgamza tions.As a wide range of insulation products with varying thickness, density and R- values are tested in this laboratory, the calibration requirements may become quite elaborate. Included in this paper will be a techmcal discussion of the calibration stud ies and their findings performed on two different designs of heat flow meter appara tus. The calibration discussion is limited to a narrow temperature range typically used in the evaluation of insulation products to standard specifications.
Systems Biology Profiling of AMD on the Basis of Gene Expression

Genetic pathways underlying the initiation and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have not been yet sufficiently revealed, and the correlations of AMD's genotypes, phenotypes, and disease spectrum are still awaiting resolution. We are tackling both problems with systems biology phylogenetic parsimony analysis. Gene expression data (GSE29801: NCBI, Geo) of macular and extramacular specimens of the retinas and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) choroid complexes representing dry AMD without geographic atrophy (GA), choroidal neovascularization (CNV), GA, as well as pre-AMD and subclinical pre-AMD were polarized against their respective normal specimens and then processed through the parsimony program MIX to produce phylogenetic cladograms. Gene lists from cladograms' nodes were processed in Genomatix GePS to reveal the affected signaling pathway networks. Cladograms exposed a highly heterogeneous transcriptomic profiles within all the conventional phenotypes. Moreover, clades and nodal synapomorphies did not support the classical AMD phenotypes as valid transcriptomal genotypes. Gene lists defined by cladogram nodes showed that the AMD-related deregulations occurring in the neural retina were different from those in RPE-choroidal tissue. Our analysis suggests a more complex transcriptional profile of the phenotypes than expected. Evaluation of the disease in much earlier stages is needed to elucidate the initial events of AMD.
Lean construction and simulation

This paper explores the relationship between simulation and the emerging topics of lean thinking and lean construction. The ideas which have motivated the evolution of lean construction concepts are presented. The use of simulation as a means of evaluating the benefit of using lean construction techniques is discussed. Two examples of lean thinking based re-design of common construction processes are described and evaluated using construction process simulation. The paper is designed to promote consideration of the similarities between simulation based process improvement and process re-design related to the application of the principles of lean construction.
Castration Anxiety and Phobias

Based on Freud's case study of "Little Hans," the authors tested the hypothesis that men with phobias would score higher on castration anxiety than men without phobias. College men with either average or high scores on the Fears Scale of the MMPI-2 (n = 10 men in each group) responded to the Thematic Apperception Test, which was scored for castration anxiety. Men with high scores on the Fears Scale had higher scores on castration anxiety than men with average scores on the Fears Scale. The findings are consistent with Freud's hypothesis about phobias.
Important Factors When Choosing a Career in Public Health

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the factors perceived to be important and not important when students are choosing a career. Factors derived from the literature review and suggestions made through the processes of content validity and reliability testing were included when developing the four-point Likert scale survey instrument. The instrument was reviewed by a panel of experts for content validity. In the survey, respondents were asked to indicate the level of importance of statements identified as being influential in making career decisions. Methods: The survey instrument was distributed to 258 Loma Linda University School of Public Health students following a short
Why Time Flies When You're Having Fun

This paper distinguishes scientific and psychological time, and suggests how cycles of mentality define units of psychological time. This explanation explains the elasticity of psychological time and gives a broad account of the relationship between consciousness (mental activity) and time.
Lower Bound Aspects of Fermion Density Functionals

The density functional formalism for N-fermion ground state energies is reviewed, stressing the role of the grand ensemble and the associated minimum principle. Piecewise minimization is shown to provide a variety of lower bounds; these are preserved under model estimates of the kinetic energy functional. Consistency conditions on this functional are derived, and a WKB expansion carried out. The interaction energy functional for coulomb forces is bounded by a modified mean field approach which picks up the correlation hole, and a more systematic technique is introduced but not evaluated.
For All the Saints: How the Lives of Extraordinary Catholics Can Shed Light on the Ordinary Practice of Law: Foreword

Pope John Paul II once explained that: "Everyone in the Church, precisely because they are members, receives and thereby shares in the common vocation to holiness." Might that "everyone" include lawyers? The essays in this collection open the door to a profound sense of integration in which the path to holiness is found precisely through involvement in temporal affairs. Working with the mystical and meditative traditions of St. Teresa of Avila, Jacqueline Nolan-Haley sees the promise of a "radical alternative to the generic spirituality of many efforts to resolve the legal profession's vocational crisis." In St. Ignatius of Loyola's pilgrimage, Gregory A. Kalscheur, S.J. sees "God laboring in the world in a way that breaks down any walls that separate faith from work." Finally, exploring the "little way" of St. Therese of Lisieux, Michael A. Scaperlanda discovers in her "radical realism, humility and complete abandonment into the loving arms of God" a path open to everyone, including lawyers.Based on this small but perhaps representative sample, we cannot be so sure that these saints should be included as among those who "from their labors rest"-for their lives and texts continue to work, helping us to face the problems and questions of our own times.
Women athletes emerging from the shadow of men in Kenya: evidence from the Commonwealth, Olympic and World Athletics Championships

The academic interest in women’s roles in sports in Kenya reflects the concern to level the playing field in a major social cultural phenomenon such as sport and its overall significance to social ...
Tunable and amplified Raman gold nanoprobes for effective tracking (TARGET): in vivo sensing and imaging

We describe the development of a highly tunable, physiologically stable, and ultra-bright Raman probe, named as TARGET (Tunable and Amplified Raman Gold Nanoprobes for Effective Tracking), for in vitro and in vivo surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications. The TARGET structure consists of a gold core inside a larger gold shell with a tunable interstitial gap similar to a “nanorattle” structure. The combination of galvanic replacement and the seed mediated growth method was employed to load Raman reporter molecules and subsequently close the pores to prevent leaking and degradation of reporters under physiologically extreme conditions. Precise tuning of the core–shell gap width, core size, and shell thickness allows us to modulate the plasmonic effect and achieve a maximum electric-field (E-field) intensity. The interstitial gap of TARGET nanoprobes can be designed to exhibit a plasmon absorption band at 785 nm, which is in resonance with the dye absorption maximum and lies in the “tissue optical window”, resulting in ultra-bright SERS signals for in vivo studies. The results of in vivo measurements of TARGETs in laboratory mice illustrated the usefulness of these nanoprobes for medical sensing and imaging.
Reducing Unplanned Medical Oncology Readmissions by Improving Outpatient Care Transitions: A Process Improvement Project at the Cleveland Clinic

Purpose:Reducing 30-day unplanned hospital readmissions is a national policy priority. We examined the impact of a quality improvement project focused on reducing oncology readmissions among patients with cancer who were admitted to palliative and general medical oncology services at the Cleveland Clinic.Methods:Baseline rates of readmissions were gathered during the period from January 2013 to April 2014. A quality improvement project designed to improve outpatient care transitions was initiated during the period leading to April 1, 2014, including: (1) provider education, (2) postdischarge nursing phone calls within 48 hours, and (3) postdischarge provider follow-up appointments within 5 business days. Nursing callback components included symptom management, education, medication review/compliance, and follow-up appointment reminder.Results:During the baseline period, there were 2,638 admissions and 722 unplanned 30-day readmissions for an overall readmission rate of 27.4%. Callbacks and 5-day follow-up...
Lessons learned from more than two decades of research on emerging contaminants in the environment

In the last twenty years, thousands of research papers covering different aspects of emerging contaminants have been published, ranging from environmental occurrence to treatment and ecological effects. Emerging contaminants are environmental pollutants that have been investigated widely only in the last two decades and include anthropogenic and naturally occurring chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products and their metabolites, illicit drugs, engineered nanomaterials, and antibiotic resistance genes. The advancement in our knowledge on emerging contaminants has been the result of the appearance of highly sensitive and powerful analytical instrumentation that rapidly developed, allowing identification and trace quantification of unknown contaminants in complex environmental matrices. High efficiency chromatographic separations coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometers have become more common in environmental laboratories and are the pillars of environmental research, increasing our awareness and understanding of the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, their transformation and fate, and the complex ecological consequences that they pose on exposed biological systems. This introductory paper for the Virtual Thematic Issue on Emerging Contaminants presents a brief literature overview on key research milestones in the area of emerging contaminants, focusing on pharmaceuticals and personal care products and endocrine disrupting compounds, and highlighting selected research papers previously published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials during the period of January 2012 to December 2015.
A feminist genealogy of posthuman aesthetics in the visual arts

This article aims to reassemble a feminist genealogy of the posthuman in the arts, with a specific focus on the visual works conceived by female artists after the rise of what has been retrospectively defined as first-wave Feminism. Starting with the main avant-garde movements of the first half of the twentieth century—specifically, Futurism, Dadaism and Surrealism—this genealogy analyses the second-wave Feminism of the 1960s and 1970s, with its integral exploration of the body highlighted by performance art. Following this, it takes into account the third-wave Feminism of the 1990s and its radical re-elaboration of the self: from Cyberfeminism and its revisitation of technology, to the artistic insights offered, on the one side, by critical techno-orientalist readings of the futures, and on the other, by the political and social articulations of Afrofuturism and Chicanafuturism. Lastly, this genealogy accesses the ways contemporary female artists are dealing with gender, social media and the notion of embodiment, touching upon elements that will become of key importance in fourth-wave Feminism. This article is published as part of a collection dedicated to multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives on gender studies.
Telemedicine for patient consultation: factors affecting use by rural primary-care physicians in Kansas.

The purpose of our study was to investigate knowledge of, attitudes to, and use of interactive telemedicine for specialist consultation among rural practitioners in Kansas. We interviewed 28 rural primary-care practitioners at seven remote health-care facilities in six locations. Content analyses of the interviews showed universal but superficial knowledge of telemedicine, appreciation of the value of the technology, but relatively low usage of the telemedicine service available (32% of subjects). Physicians did not appear to be afraid of change. Telemedicine usage was not related to the professional characteristics of the physicians. Our findings suggest that further growth in the use of telemedicine will depend on efforts directed towards physicians which are aimed at creating a more user-friendly environment and at accommodating the referral practices of potential users.
The Metaphysics of Mental Illness

One conceptual dilemma which has had practical repercussions beyond the confines of scholarly debate in philosophy and the human sciences is that surrounding the notion of ‘mental illness’. A polarization of views has taken place, which, in this particular field, has been unproductive, confusing and politically consequential. In the ensuing discussion, I shall try to disentangle some of the contending claims and isolate what I argue to be the defensible positions. In so doing, I shall need to examine the notions of ‘illness’, ‘diagnosis’ and ‘definition’. Hopefully, such elucidation should cast some light upon the intelligibility of psychiatric praxis and its grounding in ordinary reasoning, but will leave open the question of how to resolve some of the better-informed disputes about its transformation as a social institution.
Cabozantinib inhibits tumor growth and metastasis of a patient-derived xenograft model of papillary renal cell carcinoma with MET mutation

MET plays an important role in the development and progression of papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC). Evaluation of efficacy of MET inhibitors against pRCC has been hampered by limited preclinical models depicting MET abnormalities. We established a new patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of pRCC carrying an activating mutation of MET and tested the ability of cabozantinib, an inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases including MET, to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Precision-cut, thin tissue slices from a pRCC specimen obtained by nephrectomy were implanted under the renal capsule of RAG2-/-γC-/- mice to establish first generation TSG-RCC-030. Histologic and genetic fidelity and metastatic potential of this model were characterized by immunohistochemistry, direct DNA sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The effect of cabozantinib on tumor growth and metastasis was evaluated. Whether measurements of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) by allele-specific qPCR could be used as a biomarker of tumor growth and response to therapy was determined. Subrenal and subcutaneous tumor grafts showed high take rates and metastasized to the lung. Both primary tumors and metastases expressed typical markers of pRCC and carried the same activating MET mutation as the parental tumor. Cabozantinib treatment caused striking tumor regression and inhibited lung metastasis in TSG-RCC-030. Plasma ctDNA levels correlated with tumor volume in control mice and changed in response to cabozantinib treatment. TSG-RCC-030 provides a realistic preclinical model to better understand the development and progression of pRCC with MET mutation and accelerate the development of new therapies for pRCC.
A meta-analysis of variables affecting SUV on delayed FDG-PET imaging

1694 Objectives: To assess the contribution of factors such as retention index, % SUV change, tumor to normal ration, in improving clinical utility of delayed PET imaging in differentiation benign and malignant lesions. Methods: A medline literature search was performed using the phrase “delayed PET.” This returned 276 articles; only 25 of these were clinical trials in the english literature on delayed FDG-PET imaging of malignancy. Of these, only five met our inclusion criteria (patient n>80). These trials included a combined total of 476 patients. The utility of delayed imaging parameters were tested in 86, 84, and 104 patients for pancreatic cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and cervical cancer respectively. The remaining 212 patients were subjects in two trials to determine the utility of delayed imaging in the setting of one or more pulmonary nodules. Results: The studies used delayed imaging ranging from 2-3 hrs. Most of these studies used retention index (RI) as the measure of comparing delayed with initial imaging [RI = 100*(delayed SUV – initial SUV)/initial SUV]. Four out of five studies showed a strong relationship between malignancy and an SUV that was higher on delayed imaging than on initial imaging (a positive RI). The fifth study on nasopharyngeal carcinoma reported no significant difference as their population had 100% accuarcy at 40 minutes. Combined data revealed malignant lesions to have a statistically significant higher retention index than that of benign lesions (RI = 24.6 vs –3.3; p Conclusions: It is well known that many cancer cells express increased numbers of glucose transporters and decreased ratio of hexokinase to glucose-6-phosphatase. Thus, dual-time imaging and the retention of 18 F-FDG allow more time for the radiotracer substrate to re-distribute according to the ratio of hexokinase to glucose-6-phosphatase. This allows differentiation of areas with high ratios (most FDG is dephosphorylized and leaves the cell) and those with lower ratios (more FDG stays within the cell in the phosphorylated state).
Abstract 208: Racial Disparities Affect In-hospital Mortality Rates Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Among Patients With End-stage Renal Disease

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). ESRD patients are at a higher risk of coronary artery bypass grafting (CA...