cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Backwashing procedure for on-line reuse of a plasma fractionator in cryofiltration.

During membrane plasma fractionation therapy there are reported incidences of membrane plugging requiring the corrective actions of either filter replacement or backwashing (BW) in order to continue the treatment. In this preliminary study, a simple BW procedure to allow for on-line reuse of the filter (Asahi AP06M) during the treatment was evaluated to assess its efficacy and safety in cryofiltration (CF). Evaluations were carried out on two patients treated for rheumatoid arthritis. Seven tests, each using 1 L or 2 L warmed saline as a BW solution were performed to evaluate the decrease of the transmembrane pressure (TMP) between just before and after backwashing and TMP change during cryofiltration procedures between before and after backwashing. Sieving coefficients of total protein, albumin, immunoglobulins (G, M, A), fibrinogen, and rheumatoid factor were also calculated at 1,000 ml plasma volume processed. Results showed statistically significant decreases of TMP from 300 mm Hg to 70 mm Hg between just before and after both backwashing procedures, and that there were no significant changes in the TMP increase during the cryofiltration procedure between pre- and post-BW. The protein sievings were not significantly affected by BW. The use of a second liter for rinsing did not reduce the inlet pressure further suggesting that 1 L BW was adequate. The accumulated solutes did not affect significantly the effective mean pore size. The BW procedure did not affect the overall patient safety during therapy. In conclusion, this simple BW procedure using 1 L of normal saline and accomplished in approximately 11 minutes by a manual procedure proved reliable to rinse the filter and to prolong its clinical use. This procedure obviated the need for filter replacement.
η6-Corannulene Buckybowl Complexes of Iridium, Including Ring-to-Ring Migration

Corannulene (C20H10, 1), a curved-surface fragment of buckminsterfullerene (C60), forms an η6-coordinated complex with Cp*Ir2+. The analogous 1,2,5,6-tetramethylcorannulene (2) complex, Cp*Ir(η6-2)2+, initially forms three isomers, but migration of the Cp*Ir2+ unit from a nonmethylated to a methylated ring gives two isomers in the final product.
Critical Review of Plasma Spectroscopic Diagnostics via MTE

The often used absolute, ratio, and off-axis peaking methods of LTE spectroscopy are examined using the Multithermal Equilibrium (MTE) multifluid model. The partial MTE model distinguishes between the upper level and total excitation temperatures of atom and ion (Texsa or Texsi and Texa or Texi, respectively) as well as different valued electron (Te) and heavy particle (Ta = Ti) temperatures. In complete MTE, all excitation temperatures are equal valued but may differ from kinetic temperature values. In this paper, the particular temperature approximated by common diagnostic methods is identified. The probable errors in the temperature values are presented in a figure as a function of probable errors in data, temperature and level energy difference. The results indicate that the ratio methods (neutral-neutral, ion-neutral, and continuumneutral) yield upper level excitation temperature values; the absolute neutral line and absolute continuum (at low Texa) yield total atom excitation temperatures; and the off-axis peaking method for the neutral line yields the total excitation temperature. Application of the methods are more complex than in LTE spectroscopy. Probable errors are smallest for the absolute and off-axis peaking methods. The electron temperature may be determined from the continuum-neutral ratio at very high excitation temperatures (Texa >> E?/10k). The paper also comments on MTE diagnostic methods.
Proteinase inhibitors in plant leaves: A biochemical model for pest-induced natural plant protection

Severe wounding even of single leaves of a tomato plant releases a wound hormone that spreads rapidly throughout the plant to signal the accumulation of proteinase inhibitors. The system is providing novel insights into the hormonal regulation of protein synthesis and storage in vegetative plant tissues.
Role of cathode identity in liquid chromatography particle beam glow discharge mass spectrometry

Abstract A detailed evaluation of the role of cathode identity on the analytical and spectral characteristics of various organic, organometallic and metal analytes using liquid chromatography–particle beam/glow discharge mass spectrometry (LC–PB/GDMS) has been carried out. A d.c. discharge, operating with argon as the support gas, was used throughout this work. In this study, Cu which has a relatively high sputtering rate, Ni which has moderate sputtering rate and Ta which has very low sputtering rate, are taken as cathode materials to study the ionization, fragmentation, and analytical characteristics of organic (caffeine, epigallocatechin gallate, peptide as representative compounds), organometallic (selenomethionine, triethyl lead chloride as representative compounds) and metal (Fe, La, Cs and Pb) species. A range of discharge gas pressures (26.6–106.4 Pa) and currents (0.2–1.5 mA) were investigated with the test cathodes to determine their influence on the spectral composition and overall analytical response for the various test species. Calibration plots were obtained for all of the species for each of the three cathodes to determine the respective limits of detection. Relative detection limits in the range of 0.02 to 15 ng mL − 1 (0.002–1.5 ng, absolute) for the test species were found to be in the order of Cu > Ni > Ta; which follows the order of the sputtering characteristics of the respective cathodes. These studies rendered information about the respective discharge parameters' role in choosing the most appropriate cathode identity in PB-GDMS for application in the areas of organic, organometallic and inorganic species analysis.
Ia antigens on indeterminate cells of the epidermis: immunoelectronmicroscpic studies of surface antigens

SUMMARY An antiserum against human B-lymphoblastoid cell membrane alloantigens (Ia-like antigens) was used to study the presence of such antigens on dendritic cells in human epidermis. Only Langerhans cells and the majority (85%) of so-called indeterminate cells were positively stained, as shown by ummuno-electron microscopy. Fifteen percent of the indeterminate cells were negative and were considered to be immature melanocytes. A relationship exists between the indeterminate cell and the Langerhans cell. A proposal is made concerning emigration of Langerhans cells in response to haptenic stimulation, and the immigration of indeterminate cells to restore the status quo.
Monitoring Submicron and Micron-Size Membrane Compartments using Quantum Dots Monovalently Conjugated to Tracer Molecules

The current paper describes the application of highly-photostable quantum dot (QD)-conjugated lipids and membrane proteins to explore membrane compartmentalization in model and plasma membranes over a wide range of length and time scales. A rigorous screening protocol is described that assures the bioinertness of QD coatings and the monovalent binding of QDs to tracer molecules. Here, the quality of several bioinert surface coatings is tested by determining their impact on the colloidal stability of CdSe/ZnS QDs in aqueous solution using confocal fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The monovalent binding of QDs to tracer molecules is verified using a sensitive single molecule tracking assay, which is based on QD-conjugated lipids in a solid-supported lipid bilayer. Three different examples are discussed, in which QD-tracking probes are successfully employed to elucidate the membrane organization in model and plasma membranes. Tracking experiments on compartmentalized polymer-tethered lipid bilayers illustrate that, unlike organic fluorescence dyes, photostable QD-based membrane probes are well-suited to detect micron-size compartments with partially permeable diffusion barriers. Results from wide-field single molecule fluorescence microscopy experiments with frame rates of up to 1000 fps on several cell lines show that QD-conjugated tracer molecules are well-suited for fluorescence-based, long-term, high-speed tracking experiments in plasma membranes. Finally, we discuss changes in membrane compartmentalization induced by insulin as shown through tracking results from QD-conjugated transferrin receptors in healthy and insulin-resistant adipocytes and the impact of chromium picolinate on receptor mobility.
A new reactor containment concept by energy absorption

Abstract Primary containment of Nuclear Power Plants, as affected by maximum accident considerations, was provided in the past through structural entities commonly designed to satisfy pressure-volume calculations. This approach, due to the large and fictitious pressures involved in the calculations, did not disclose the presence and magnitude of existing margins of safety. A more realistic approach equating the destructive component of energy in the maximum accident to the strain energy of the material confining the reactor was initiated. Material (high tensile strength steel strands) capable of exhibiting large amounts of elastic and plastic strain was considered and found suitable to absorb the destructive component of energy for most reactors heretofore constructed. Resulting configurations of energy absorbing devices appear entirely feasible. In addition to very substantial reductions in the cost of primary nuclear containment, the concept offers a clear approach to a realistic assessment of a safety margins available in maximum reactor accidents. A modified version of this containment concept is presently applied in an experimental facility design. Practically all structural materials employed are off-the-shelf items. Also a simple erection procedure has been devised.
Knowledge of phosphorus compared with other nutrients in maintenance dialysis patients.

Objective This study's objective was to assess knowledge of phosphorus compared with other nutrients in patients undergoing maintenance dialysis (MD). Design We compared knowledge of phosphorus vs. other nutrients important to the MD diet (potassium, sodium, and protein) in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). We further measured gender, age, education level, and functional health literacy to assess correlations in patient nutrient knowledge. Nutrient knowledge was measured using a 25-item Chronic Kidney Disease Knowledge Assessment Tool for Nutrition (CKDKAT-N), and functional health literacy was measured using the short form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA). Setting and Patients Patients received maintenance outpatient PD or HD at Wisconsin Dialysis, Inc. (Madison, WI). Main Outcome Measure The main outcome measure was knowledge of phosphorus vs. knowledge of potassium, sodium, and protein. Results Forty-seven MD patients participated in the study (29 undergoing HD, 18 undergoing PD, 30 males, 17 females, average age of 58.6 (SD, 13.8) years, and average grade level of 1.4 (SD, 2.6) years of post-secondary education). Thirty-five participants had adequate health literacy, 4 had marginal health literacy, and 8 had inadequate health literacy. The CKDKAT-N scores ranged from 6–21 for 25 items, with a mean score of 13 (SD, 2.91). Knowledge of phosphorus compared with knowledge of other nutrients was poor (0.38 vs. 0.72, P = .003). In a comparison of HD vs. PD patient knowledge, both phosphorus (0.37 vs. 0.42, P = .231) and other nutrients (0.69 vs. 0.80, P = .115) were the same. Conclusion Despite regular dietary instruction, patients undergoing MD have a poor knowledge of dietary phosphorus content, compared with knowledge of other nutrients important in chronic kidney disease. Interestingly, there was no difference in nutrition knowledge when comparing PD and HD patients, despite differences in education level and health literacy between groups.
Filtering for Linear Distributed Parameter Systems

Nonlinear filtering for linear parabolic distributed parameter systems with white noise, considering stochastic boundary value problem
Neal E. Miller and His Research1

Abstract Neal Miller's research contributions mainly concerned reward and learning mechanisms: (a) underlying thought processes and behaviors relevant to problem solving in psychotherapy and everyday life, (b) as mediated by the nervous system, and (c) involved in learning control over voluntary (conscious) skeletal muscle and autonomic (normally unconscious) internal-organ response systems for minimizing stress, treating disease, and promoting health. His career shows psychology's evolution from a theory-driven but data-impoverished discipline in the 1930s to one integrating vast bodies of clinical, social, and physiological knowledge.
Gender differences in neurodevelopment and epigenetics.

The concept that the brain differs in make-up between males and females is not new. For example, it is well established that anatomists in the nineteenth century found sex differences in human brain weight. The importance of sex differences in the organization of the brain cannot be overstated as they may directly affect cognitive functions, such as verbal skills and visuospatial tasks in a sex-dependent fashion. Moreover, the incidence of neurological and psychiatric diseases is also highly dependent on sex. These clinical observations reiterate the importance that gender must be taken into account as a relevant possible contributing factor in order to understand thepathogenesis of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Gender-dependent differentiation of the brain has been detected at every level of organization—morphological, neurochemical, and functional—and has been shown to be primarily controlled by sex differences in gonadal steroid hormone levels during perinatal development. In this review, we discuss howthe gonadal steroid hormone testosterone and its metabolites affect downstream signaling cascades, including gonadal steroid receptor activation, and epigenetic events in order to differentiate the brain in a gender-dependent fashion.
Elites, Bureaucrats, Ostriches, and Pussycats: Managing Research in Policy Settings

Field research conducted by female researchers in policy settings requires special attention to access, entree, reciprocity, and ethics. A researcher must manage information about informal coalitions or networks of influence and power, the posturing and manipulation in policy games, and the special norms and traditions in policy settings. The author proposes ways to manage role, entree and access, data gathering, reciprocity, ethics, and reporting in policy settings, issues that must be managed differently at different stages in the research. The author also raises the issue of male-female dynamics in field research, suggesting appropriate roles for female researchers in policy settings.
A qualitative analysis of nonorthogonal CO/sub 2/ laserbeam delivery

Recent studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of nonorthogonal beam delivery on the geometry of the craters formed by laser beams in biological media. The final results, obtained with samples of the quasi-biological solid methacrylate Vedril C, clearly show that major alterations to the classical cone-shaped crater do occur. The results of these first investigations are presented here together with a qualitative discussion of the possible causes of this phenomenon. It is concluded that curved craters should also be expected in vivo. >
Empirical Studies of Design Thinking: Past, Present, Future

Empirical methods used for studying design thinking have included verbal protocols, case studies, and controlled experiments. Studies have looked at the role of design methods, strategies, tools, environment, experience, and group dynamics. Early empirical studies were casual and exploratory with loosely defined objectives and informal analysis methods. Current studies have become more formal, factor controlled, aiming at hypothesis testing, using statistical DOE and analysis methods such as ANOVA. Popular pursuits include comparison of experts and novices, identifying and overcoming fixation, role of analogies, effectiveness of ideation methods, and other various tools. A variety of data may be collected, related to both the process and the outcome (designs).There are still no standards for designing, collecting and analyzing data, partly due to the lack of cognitive models and theories of design thinking. Data analysis is tedious and the rate of discoveries has been slow. Future studies may need to develop computer based data collection and automated analyses, which may facilitate collection of massive amounts of data with the potential of rapid advancement of the rate of discoveries and development of cognitive models of design thinking.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Effects of polybrominated biphenyls upon rat urinary protein patterns as detected by two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Five-month-old female Sherman rats were dosed by gavage with 0 or 500 mg of Firemaster BP-6 (polybrominated biphenyls, PBBs) per kg body weight as a 5% solution in corn oil and then maintained on normal diet and waterad libitum. Urine pools from test and control groups of five fasting rats were collected once a month, up to 179 days after the test rats were dosed. PBB-dosed animals showed significantly higher (p=0.0003) creatinine-corrected proteinuria. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and silver staining were used to determine differences in urinary protein patterns between test and control rats. Dosed animals excreted new proteins with higher molecular weight and more basic isoelectric points than controls. The appearance of numerous, new proteins excreted by the PBB-dosed rats demonstrates the utility of 2DE for the sensitive detection of possible health effects from toxicant exposure.
Study of plasmon-LO-phonon coupling in Te-doped Ga 1-x Al x As

Plasmon-LO-phonon coupling in $n$-type ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Al}}_{x}\mathrm{As}$ has been investigated by measuring the infrared reflectivity spectra of differently doped $n$-type samples having $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.14$, $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.30$, and $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.46$. Two expressions for the dielectric function, one an additive form and the other a factorized form, have given satisfactory fits to the reflectivity data. The mode frequencies and damping rates in the plasmon-LO-phonon coupled mode systems are calculated and compared with the observed ones for the samples having $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.14$ and $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.46$. The $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$-point conduction-band effective mass for $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.14$ is found to be ${m}_{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}^{*}=(0.13\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01){m}_{e}$ and the resistivity obtained from the infrared spectra is approximately 30% higher than the value from dc measurements. The reflectivity minima are broadened by the large plasma damping in the samples having $x\ensuremath{\simeq}0.46$.
Wind for schools activities in Kansas

The Wind for Schools program, sponsored by the Wind Powering America division of the US Department of Energy and active now in eleven states, has been running in Kansas since 2007. Twelve K-12 schools now have small turbines for use in education; six others are in process. University engineering students assist with siting, permitting and foundation design; electric utilities assist with installation. Schools are encouraged to use one or both of two freely available curricula, from NEED and KidWind, to help them incorporate the wind turbine into their curricula. Strong interest among engineering students is increasing numbers of computer and communications students considering employment in the power area. Future developments include teacher training workshops, work on the curricula to clearly align the concepts taught with state educational standards, and communications research using the turbines' generation data.
Preparation of hot-pressed silicon-germanium ingots: Part I — Chill casting of silicon-germanium alloys☆

Abstract Large chill cast ingots of silicon-germanium produced from melts that were not stirred contained two major alloys, one rich in silicon and one rich in germanium, in addition to a composition continuum. While stirring produced little change in distribution of Si/Ge ratios, inductive stirring did result in ingots that varied in composition but in a more uniform manner. In all cases, dopants were uniformly distributed throughout the cast ingots.
Regulation of ramified electrochemical growth by a diffusive wave.

The role of ion transport during ramified growth in a dilute, binary electrolyte is investigated by obtaining a wave solution to effective equations derived by asymptotic analysis of the Nernst transport equations. The concentration profile exhibits a diffusion layer ahead of the growing tips, in agreement with experiment and theory. The non-Laplacian electric field is stronger in the diffusion layer than in the bulk, and cations are accelerated through the layer toward the tips. The well-known growth speed of the aggregate envelope, roughly equal to the speed of migrating anions in the bulk emerges as the characteristic wave speed of our equations. The ``copper ratio'' is also predicted and is linked to the regulation of growth by the diffusive wave. Finally, an estimate of the induction time for ramified growth is derived, based on the idea that a critical diffusion layer width must be attained.
Universal conductance fluctuations in narrow Si accumulation layers

We have observed the effect of magnetic field orientation on reproducible aperiodic structure in the low-field magnetoconductance ($Hl1.5$ T) of weakly localized, pinched, Si accumulation layers. We demonstrate for the first time that the structure depends on the perpendicular component of applied magnetic field. This implies that the structure arises from interference between electronic wave functions which represent conduction paths enclosing different amounts of flux. The observed magnitude of the structure is in good agreement with theory.
A Predictive Model for Aerosol Transmission through a Shrouded Probe

Shrouded aerosol sampling probes utilize an aerodynamic decelerator (shroud) placed about an inner probe. A model has been developed for predicting the transmission ratio (T) of aerosol from a free stream to the exit plane of the inner probe. This expression, T = FAsApr(1 − WL), is based on use of an existing empirical model to characterize the aspiration ratios of the shroud (As) and inner probe (Apr) and based upon new models to characterize the wall loss ratio in the inner probe (WL) and to relate the concentration in the core region of the shroud to the mean concentration predicted by the existing aspiration model through a correlation function, F. Extensive computational results provide a data base for specification of the correlation function. The need for the correlation function results from the phenomenon that particle enrichment in a subisokinetic shroud is non-uniform, with the concentration higher near the wall than in the center region. However, the concentration in the core region of the shr...
First charge breeding of a rare-isotope beam with the electron-beam ion trap of the ReA post-accelerator at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

An electron-beam ion trap (EBIT) charge breeder is being brought into operation at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. The EBIT is part of the ReA post-accelerator for reacceleration of rare isotopes, which are thermalized in a gas “stopping” cell after being produced at high energy by projectile fragmentation. The ReA EBIT has a distinctive design; it is characterized by a high-current electron gun and a two-field superconducting magnet to optimize the capture and charge-breeding efficiency of continuously injected singly charged ion beams. Following a brief overview of the reaccelerator system and the ReA EBIT, this paper presents the latest commissioning results, particularly, charge breeding and reacceleration of the highly charged rare isotopes, 76Ga24 +, 25 +.
On-line scheduling of hard real-time tasks on variable voltage processor

We consider the problem of scheduling the mixed workload of both sporadic (on-line) and periodic (off-line) tasks on a variable voltage processor to optimize power consumption while ensuring that all periodic tasks meet their deadlines and to accept as many sporadic tasks, which can be guaranteed to meet their deadlines, as possible. The proposed efficient algorithms result in the scheduling solutions, which are very close to the minimum bound achievable with the dynamically variable voltage approach. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is shown on extensive experiments with real-life design examples.
Component Neural Systems for the Creation of Emotional Memories during Free Viewing of a Complex, Real-World Event

To investigate the neural systems that contribute to the formation of complex, self-relevant emotional memories, dedicated fans of rival college basketball teams watched a competitive game while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During a subsequent recognition memory task, participants were shown video clips depicting plays of the game, stemming either from previously-viewed game segments (targets) or from non-viewed portions of the same game (foils). After an old-new judgment, participants provided emotional valence and intensity ratings of the clips. A data driven approach was first used to decompose the fMRI signal acquired during free viewing of the game into spatially independent components. Correlations were then calculated between the identified components and post-scanning emotion ratings for successfully encoded targets. Two components were correlated with intensity ratings, including temporal lobe regions implicated in memory and emotional functions, such as the hippocampus and amygdala, as well as a midline fronto-cingulo-parietal network implicated in social cognition and self-relevant processing. These data were supported by a general linear model analysis, which revealed additional valence effects in fronto-striatal-insular regions when plays were divided into positive and negative events according to the fan’s perspective. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of how emotional factors impact distributed neural systems to successfully encode dynamic, personally-relevant event sequences.
The role of antibiotics in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Our understanding of the pathogenesis and consequences of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased considerably in the past decade. Several new lines of evidence support bacterial causation of about half the exacerbations. Contrary to previous data, recent studies with improved methodology have demonstrated that exacerbations do contribute to the loss of lung function in COPD. Another interesting new observation is that colonization by bacterial pathogens may not be innocuous, and in fact may lead to airway inflammation and contribute to pathogenesis of COPD. Evidence that bacteria cause exacerbations, that exacerbations contribute to loss of lung function, and that chronic colonization by bacteria may be harmful, has emphasized the potential importance of appropriate antibiotics in the treatment of exacerbations. An unfortunate paucity of data does not allow evidence-based recommendations to be made for optimal choice of antibiotics for exacerbations of COPD. Emerging data that antibiotics differ in unconventional measures of efficacy such as time to next exacerbation, improvement in health-related quality of life, and bacteriologic eradication will help us make concrete recommendations in the future.
A Probability Conditioning Method (PCM) for Nonlinear Flow Data Integration into Multipoint Statistical Facies Simulation

We present a probability conditioning method (PCM) for constraining multipoint statistical (MPS) facies simulation to nonlinear flow data. MPS has recently been introduced for flexible grid-based simulation of spatial connectivity in formations containing discrete geologic objects (e.g., fluvial channels) that are not amenable to conventional two-point geostatistical modeling. Using the higher-order statistics in MPS, facies realizations are simulated from a conceptual geologic continuity model known as a training image (TI). As a result, the simulated realizations inherit the complex structural connectivity and multipoint spatial statistics conveyed-by the TI. While conditioning multipoint simulation results on static hard (e.g., core) and soft (e.g., three-dimensional seismic) measurements is relatively straightforward, conditioning the simulated facies on nonlinear flow data is a nontrivial task. On the other hand, inversion methods that directly update post-simulation facies distributions have difficulty in reproducing the spatial connectivity (or higher-order statistics) implied by a TI. Using the PCM approach, we first invert the flow data to obtain a probabilistic spatial description of facies distribution (i.e., a probability map) and use the resulting facies probability map to guide MPS facies simulation from a specified TI. Since the probability map contains important information about the flow measurements, the simulated facies distributions are more likely to reproduce the observed flow data. While the proposed PCM approach can be used with different inversion algorithms, we choose the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to extract facies distribution probabilities from flow data. We make this choice because (i) the ensemble form of the EnKF is less sensitive to discontinuity and nonuniqueness (randomness) introduced in conditioning facies simulation on a probability map, and (ii) the EnKF has been established as an effective subsurface data assimilation approach. The PCM implementation with the EnKF results in an improved performance of the filter updates, namely through the preservation of the facies correlation structure and the introduction of additional ensemble variability (spread) due to the resampling of facies from the TI after each update step. We discuss the important properties of the proposed PCM method and illustrate its effectiveness using several two-dimensional waterflooding problems in reservoirs containing two and three facies types. We conclude that PCM effectively combines the existing information in the flow data and the TI; it does so by using the former to infer probabilistic knowledge about inter-well and near-well spatial connectivity and the latter to ensure consistent facies structure and connectivity, where the flow data are inconclusive (e.g., away from measurement locations).
Predictors of outcome after acetaminophen poisoning in children and adolescents.

Abstract Objective: Shortened courses of N-acetylcysteine may be acceptable in patients with acetaminophen poisoning who are at low risk for toxicity. The goal of this study was to determine which clinical findings best identified patients at lowest risk for acetaminophen-related hepatotoxicity after an acute overdose. Study design: This was a retrospective analysis, throughout 10 years, of hospital admissions for acute acetaminophen poisoning, with inclusion criteria being an acetaminophen concentration above the possible toxicity line by nomogram, arrival within 24 hours, and an initial prothrombin time (PT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) measured within 24 hours of ingestion. Clinical parameters capable of identifying patients most and least likely to have hepatotoxicity were evaluated by using sensitivity and specificity testing. Results: Of 95 patient charts identified, 41 met all inclusion criteria, with 16 patients having hepatotoxicity. PT, AST, and ALT within the first 24 hours postingestion did not identify all patients who had hepatotoxicity. The best predictor of a low risk of toxicity was the presence of normal values for the PT, AST, or ALT within 48 hours of ingestion. Conclusions: These data suggest that all patients with an acute acetaminophen overdose should be observed and treated for at least 48 hours postingestion. (J Pediatr 2002;140:522-6)
An analysis of latency and interresponse time in free recall.

In four experiments, subjects freely recalled previously studied items while a voice key and computer recorded each item’s recall latency relative to the onset of the recall period. The measures of recall probability and mean recall latency were shown to be empirically independent, demonstrating that there exists no a priori relationship between the two. In all four experiments, latency distributions were fit well by the ex-Gaussian, suggesting that retrieval includes a brief normally distributed initiation stage followed by a longer exponentially distributed search stage. Further, the variation in mean latency stemmed from the variation in the duration of the search stage, not the initiation stage. Interresponse times (IRTs), the time elapsed between two successive item recalls, were analyzed as well. The growth of mean IRTs, plotted as a function of output position, was shown to be a simple function of the number of items not yet recalled. Finally, the mathematical nature of both free recall latency and IRT growth are shown to be consistent with a simple theoretical account of retrieval that depicts mean recall latency as a measure of the breadth of search.
Prenatal treatment with a selective D1 receptor agonist (SKF 38393) alters adult [3H]paroxetine binding and dopamine and serotonin behavioral sensitivity

We have previously shown that the development of serotonin neurons can be affected by various pharmacological agents acting on the serotonin system. Receptor stimulation by high doses of 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MT) causes increased outgrowth, through release of an astroglial growth factor, while a low concentration of 5-MT has a direct inhibitory effect on neuronal outgrowth. Since 5-MT is known to be a release-regulating autoreceptor agonist, the present study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that inhibition of serotonin release causes the inhibition of outgrowth. We used the D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393 as an inhibitor of serotonin release. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with SKF 38393 (1 mg/kg; subcutaneously) from gestational day 12 until parturition. Development of serotonin terminal outgrowth was evaluated in the offspring using the selective uptake marker [3H]paroxetine in brainstem and frontal cortex. In saline and SKF 38393 treated animals, the developmental pattern in the frontal cortex showed the highest terminal density at day 60 and a return to normal by day 90, with no statistically significant differences between the groups. Conversely, in the brainstem, [3H]paroxetine binding developed normally until postnatal day 90, when the SKF 38393 pretreated animals showed only 58% of the binding observed in saline animals. In a fixed interval responding task, given at day 90, both dopamine and serotonin receptor systems have significantly decreased sensitively after the SKF 38393 pretreatment. In conclusion, our results show that the inhibitory effects of serotonin on the growth of serotonin neurons, may be through inhibition of neurotransmitter release. Moreover, we propose a means by which serotonin and dopamine systems could be interdependent during development.
The pharmacokinetics of Toll-like receptor agonists and the impact on the immune system

Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligation activates both the innate and adaptive immune systems, and plays an important role in antiviral and anti-tumor immunity. Therefore, a significant amount of effort has been devoted to exploit the therapeutic potential of TLR agonists. Depending on the therapeutic purpose, either as adjuvants to vaccine, chemotherapy or standalone therapy, TLR agonists have been administered via different routes. Both preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that the route of administration has significant effects on pharmacokinetics, and that understanding these effects is critical to the success of TLR agonist drug development. This article will summarize the pharmacokinetics of TLR agonists with different administration routes, with an emphasis on clinical studies of TLR ligands in oncologic applications.
Heroin Abuse and Collective Identity: Correlates and Consequences of Geographical Place

Ethnographic and qualitative research were utilized to examine how the effects of geographic place can be related to heroin abuse and collective identity in non-metropolitan areas (NMAs) in the mid-Hudson region of New York State, U.S. The socio-geographic consequences of this interrelationship are explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with 237 recent admissions to drug treatment at 28 facilities in the seven mid-Hudson region counties. The effects of geographic place and collective identity emerged in interviews through narratives relating to heroin experimentation, subsequent dependence, and the lure of New York City. Heroin experimentation and the New York City lifestyle are collectively constructed by many respondents as “cool.” They are both oriented toward city life and in conflict with what respondents believe to be a lack of community and caring among city dwellers and the dehumanizing effects of the city. The idea that heroin use is cool serves as tacit permission to experiment with heroin.
Linear Accelerator-Based Intensity-Modulated Total Marrow Irradiation Technique for Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies: A Dosimetric Feasibility Study

Purpose To investigate the dosimetric feasibility of linear accelerator-based intensity-modulated total marrow irradiation (IM-TMI) in patients with hematologic malignancies. Methods and Materials Linear accelerator-based IM-TMI treatment planning was performed for 9 patients using the Eclipse treatment planning system. The planning target volume (PTV) consisted of all the bones in the body from the head to the mid-femur, except for the forearms and hands. Organs at risk (OAR) to be spared included the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, brain, eyes, oral cavity, and bowel and were contoured by a physician on the axial computed tomography images. The three-isocenter technique previously developed by our group was used for treatment planning. We developed and used a common dose–volume objective method to reduce the planning time and planner subjectivity in the treatment planning process. Results A 95% PTV coverage with the 99% of the prescribed dose of 12 Gy was achieved for all nine patients. The average dose reduction in OAR ranged from 19% for the lungs to 68% for the lenses. The common dose–volume objective method decreased the planning time by an average of 35% and reduced the inter- and intra- planner subjectivity. Conclusion The results from the present study suggest that the linear accelerator-based IM-TMI technique is clinically feasible. We have demonstrated that linear accelerator-based IM-TMI plans with good PTV coverage and improved OAR sparing can be obtained within a clinically reasonable time using the common dose–volume objective method proposed in the present study.
Eco-nomics: Are the Planet-Unfriendly Features of Capitalism Barriers to Sustainability?

This paper argues that there are essential features of capitalist modes of production, consumption, and waste dispersal in interaction with the environment and its built-in systemic features that contradict long-term sustainable development. These features include: (a) contradictions in the origin and meaning of sustainability; (b) the central role of the productivity ethic in capitalism and its reproduction in emergent green capitalism; (c) the commodification of nature and the continued promotion of expanding consumption; (d) globalism and the contradictions of continued Western-style development; and (e) the emergence of anthropogenic ecocrises and crises interaction. In light of these barriers to capitalist sustainability, an alternative social narrative is needed, one that embraces values, understandings, and relationships that promote ecological stability and justice.
Diabetes: Diabetes, DNA methylation, and in utero environment

Experimental animal studies are excellent for exploring the role of in utero environment. However, sooner or later, experimental findings need to be verified in humans. In a population of Pima Indians, del Rosario and coauthors analyzed whether DNA methylation is associated with diabetes in humans exposed to a diabetic intrauterine environment. This population is unusual in that they only develop type 2 diabetes, regardless of age, and prior work has shown that their risk of diabetes may be mediated by in utero exposure as well as genetics. For this study, the authors selected nondiabetic subjects whose mothers did or did not have diabetes during pregnancy and who were a part of longitudinal community study of diabetes. Subjects were at least 50% American Indian heritage. The authors analyzed DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes and noted a tendency for global DNA hypomethylation in the offspring of diabetic mothers relative to offspring from nondiabetic mothers; 14.4% of gene regions were differentially methylated between the two groups. The researchers identified 13 pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics that were enriched with differentially methylated regions. The majority of these were associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), type 2 diabetes, and Notch signaling. Interestingly, methylation of genes associated with obesity was not statistically different between the groups. The authors acknowledge that analysis of leukocytes may not represent methylation patterns for all types of cells. In addition, further investigations, especially longitudinal ones, are needed to establish the exact role of epigenetic modifications in the development of diabetes in subjects exposed to a diabetic in utero environment. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the importance of in utero exposure and provides a rationale for pursuing additional research in this area. M. C. del Rosario et al ., Potential epigenetic dysregulation of genes associated with Mody and type 2 diabetes in humans exposed to a diabetic intrauterine environment: An analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation. Metabolism , published online 21 January 2014 (10.1016/j.metabol.2014.01.007). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049514000201
A Fractional Approach to Model Reduction

A new method for the model reduction of finite-dimensional, linear, time-invariant (FDLTI) plants is given. The method uses fractional representation theory to extend balance and trancate model reduction to unstable plants without requiring the ad-hoc division of the plant into stable and completely unstable parts. The new method, dubbed fractional balanced reduction or FBR, applies balance and truncate to a special representation of the graph operator of the plant. This operation yields an object readily recognized as the graph operator of a reduced order plant. The method has nice properties including existence of an a priori error bound in the graph metric, and preservation of sector containment which is useful for deciding system stability when nonlinearities are present.
Degradation of ribonucleic acid by immobilized ribonuclease.

An immobilized enzyme (pancreatic ribonuclease bound to porous titania) was investigated for the degradation of purified yeast ribonucleic acid as a substrate. The immobilized enzyme is active and stable in the pH range 4–8. Dependence of enzymatic activity on ionic strength, pH, temperature, fluid flow rate, and substrate concentration were investigated. A cummulative fluid residence time of 6 sec is sufficient for 5% substrate conversion at 25°C and pH 7.0. The critical flow rate (i.e., the fluid flow rate necessary to remove film diffusion resistance) approximately doubles with each 10°C rise in reaction temperature. The critical flow rates obtained in this study are about 40 times greater than those obtained for a similar study on immobilized glucose oxidase. Arrhenius plots gave activation energies of −9.6 and −7.1 kcal/g mol at pH 4.6 and 7.0, respectively. The work reported herein is a bench-scale investigation of an immobilized enzyme with primary emphasis on the mass transfer and kinetic characteristics of the system. The rapid reaction rates obtainable at relatively low temperatures offfer a potential alternative method of purifying yeast single cell protein (SCP) with minimum loss of desired protein. The key questions are how such a system would react in a yeast homogenate, what conditions in such a system must be controlled, and what type of immobilized reactor should be utilized, if such further work continued to show promise.
Design and analysis of a magnetically actuated and compliant capsule endoscopic robot

In this paper, we propose a compliant and tetherless magnetic capsule endoscopic robot. The proposed capsule robot has two key features. First, it has one extra degree of freedom axial contraction capability to perform additional tasks such as a drug releasing, a drug injection, or a biopsy. Also, design features of the magnetically deformed capsule robot are introduced. Its characteristic deformation curve, which was measured using an indentation setup, presents not only the deformation behavior of the magnetic capsule robot but also considerations in the capsule design process. Next, by implementing a magnetically actuated rolling locomotion scheme, the capsule can be controlled externally using a permanent magnet. The proposed magnetic capsule robot is anchored on a tissue wall by the magnetic attraction and rotated by a magnetic torque. This behavior allows a stable locomotion of the magnetic capsule robot and its orientation is controllable during locomotion. To verify the feasibility of proposed locomotion method and the compliant capsule's shape deformation, the magnetic capsule robot was actuated in a synthetic stomach model. The experimental results show that locomotion behavior of the capsule is stable and a successful tracking performance of the proposed magnetic actuation method; average distance gap between the capsule and the external magnet was only 20% of the capsule's body length. Such a soft and tetherless capsule robot can potentially enable minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment applications for stomach diseases.
The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: When Limited Policy Resources Provide Research Opportunities

In 2008 Oregon allocated access to its Medicaid expansion program, Oregon Health Plan Standard, by drawing names from a waiting list by lottery. The lottery was chosen by policy makers and stakeholders as the preferred way to allocate limited resources. At the same time, it also gave rise to the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: an unprecedented opportunity to do a randomized evaluation—the gold standard in medical and scientific research—of the impact of expanding Medicaid. In this article we provide historical context for Oregon's decision to conduct a lottery, discuss the importance of randomized controlled designs for policy evaluation, and describe some of the practical challenges in successfully capitalizing on the research opportunity presented by the Oregon lottery through public-academic partnerships. Since policy makers will always face tough choices about how to distribute scarce resources, we urge thoughtful consideration of the opportunities to incorporate randomization We would like to express appreciation to our study partners at the state of Oregon. Lawrence Brown provided helpful feedback during the early stages of this article. We gratefully acknowledge funding from the assistant secretary for planning and evaluation in the US Department of Health and Human Services, the California HealthCare Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Institute on Aging (P30AG012810, RC2AGO36631 and R01AG0345151), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Sloan Foun- dation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and the US Social Security Administration (through grant 5 RRC 08098400-03-00 to the National Bureau of Economic Research as part of the SSA Retirement Research Consortium), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' matching funds for this evaluation.