cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polymer chain-of-rotators equation of state

An equation of state has been developed from the rotational partition function to describe the polymer molecule as a chain of rotators. The equation of state expresses the repulsion of the rotational modes of motion balanced by the attraction of the molecular segments as the molecular processes that determine the thermodynamic behavior of polymer melts. The equation of state accurately describes, generally within 0.1% of the specific volume, the pressure−volume−temperature behavior for polymer melts for which extensive data are available over a substantial temperature range at pressures up to 200 MPa. Four equation of state parameters are required to characterize a polymer, and the parameter values are reported for 26 polymers. Correlations are developed for the parameters with the molecular structure of the repeating segment of the polymer molecule. Using the correlations, the equation of state makes possible the estimation of volumetric and thermodynamic properties of polymers from knowledge of their ch...
Regulation of PTH1 receptor expression by uremic ultrafiltrate in UMR 106–01 osteoblast-like cells

Regulation of PTH1 receptor expression by uremic ultrafiltrate in UMR 106–01 osteoblast-like cells. Background Homologous down-regulation/desensitization of the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH1R)/adenylate cyclase system has been demonstrated in uremia, and may contribute to parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance; however, additional studies have shown that parathyroidectomy fails to normalize the down-regulation of the PTH1R. The present studies were designed to test directly, in vitro, the hypothesis that factors circulating in the uremic environment, other than PTH, decrease the response of osteoblastic cells to PTH. Methods Studies were conducted in confluent cultures of UMR 106–01 osteoblast-like cells. Uremic ultrafiltrate (UUF) was obtained from patients on hemodialysis. Cells were exposed to media containing 50% uremic ultrafiltrate for periods of up to 72hours. Control cultures were exposed to a buffered salt solution containing a comparable ionic composition to that of the UUF. PTH-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) generation was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA), PTH binding and PTH1R mRNA levels were determined by radioligand binding and Northern analysis, respectively. Results PTH-stimulated cAMP generation from cultures treated with uremic ultrafiltrate for 48hours was 1385.8 +/- 183.2 pmol/culture/5 minutes, whereas control cultures generated 2389.5 +/- 271 pmol cAMP/culture/5 minutes ( P Conclusion These findings demonstrate that factors present in UUF decrease PTH-stimulated cAMP generation by a mechanism that involves a decrease in the levels of PTH1R mRNA levels. Thus, the skeletal resistance to PTH in the setting of chronic kidney disease, may be explained, at least in part, by circulating factors other than PTH.
Feeling shame: Insights on intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious health issue; however, many healthcare providers do not routinely ask about IPV or administer screening. Due to the high incidence of this problem, providers must be aware of risk factors, screening methods, and appropriate interventions, and screen all female patients for abuse. Language: en
Expected utility theory and the experiments

The experimental evidence against expected utility theo or unconvincing. When one modifies the experiments to mi tends to support traditional theory.
My Disaster Recovery: a pilot randomized controlled trial of an Internet intervention

This pilot study tested the efficacy of the My Disaster Recovery (MDR) website to decrease negative affect and increase coping self-efficacy. Fifty-six survivors of Hurricane Ike were recruited from a larger study being conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch at the first anniversary of the storm. Restricted randomization was used to assign participants to the MDR website, an information-only website, or a usual care condition. Group×time interactions indicated that MDR reduced participant worry more than the other conditions. A similar trend was also identified for depression. Both websites were accessed a small to moderate amount and participants reported mixed satisfaction for both websites. Although the effect sizes for worry and depression were in the moderate to large range, small sample size and timing of the intervention qualify the findings. These preliminary findings encourage further evaluation of MDR with a larger, demographically diverse sample and indicate that the MDR website might be helpful in reducing worry and depression.
Signal detection on the battlefield: Priming self-protection vs. revenge-mindedness differentially modulates the detection of enemies and allies

Detecting signs that someone is a member of a hostile outgroup can depend on very subtle cues. How do ecology-relevant motivational states affect such detections? This research investigated the detection of briefly-presented enemy (versus friend) insignias after participants were primed to be self-protective or revenge-minded. Despite being told to ignore the objectively nondiagnostic cues of ethnicity (Arab vs. Western/European), gender, and facial expressions of the targets, both priming manipulations enhanced biases to see Arab males as enemies. They also reduced the ability to detect ingroup enemies, even when these faces displayed angry expressions. These motivations had very different effects on accuracy, however, with self-protection enhancing overall accuracy and revenge-mindedness reducing it. These methods demonstrate the importance of considering how signal detection tasks that occur in motivationally-charged environments depart from results obtained in conventionally motivationally-inert laboratory settings.
A decomposition of copulas and its use

ABSTRACT In this article, we create a decomposition that represents and describes the depen-dence structure between two variables. Since copulas provide a deep understanding of the dependence structure by eliminating the effects of the marginals, they play a key role in this study. We define a discretized copula density matrix and decompose it into a set of permutation matrices by using the Birkhoff–von Neumann theorem. This decomposition provides a way to effectively apply the concepts of copulas to solve problems in multivariate statistical data analysis.
Infrared absorption intensities for OCS

Abstract The infrared strengths of the three fundamental absorption bands and seven overtone and combination bands of carbonyl sulfide, OCS, were measured with a Fourier transform spectrometer.
On the brightness variations of Comet Halley at large heliocentric distances

Sporadic variations of its intrinsic brightness of up to 500 percent, with time scales as short as a few hours, has been exhibited by Halley's comet at large heliocentric distances (11-8 AU). It is shown that many of these brightness enhancements are closely correlated to the encounter of high-speed solar wind streams by the comet. It is proposed that during such periods, the night side of the comet gets charged to numerically large negative electrostatic potentials, with consequent electrostatic levitation and blow-off of fine charged dust grains lying on it. This gives rise to the observed brightness variations.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Atypical Melanocytic Lesions with Spitzoid Features

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is routinely used as a staging procedure for melanomas, however may also assist in understanding the biology of atypical and controversial spitzoid melanocytic skin lesions. Five hundred and forty-nine sentinal lymph node excisions were performed over a 5-year period. Fourteen patients with controversial melanocytic lesions were identified and of these ten underwent SLNB. The histology of the primary skin lesion and corresponding sentinal lymph nodes were evaluated and correlated with outcome. Thickness of the primary melanocytic lesion ranged from 1.22 to 4 mm. Fifty percent of patients were less than 17 years of age. Ten patients underwent SLNB and three cases (30%) displayed metastatic disease in the SLNB specimen. All three patients were under 17 years of age and all underwent completion axillary dissection. One completion axillary dissection had an additional node with metastasis on routine H&E and immunohistochemical staining. No capsular invasion was seen. All three cases with metastatic disease received adjuvant systemic therapy and remain disease free at 29, 49 and 57 months follow-up. All patients with a negative SLNB remain disease free at mean follow-up of 28.1 months (range: 13–40 months). Our results confirm that some of these spitzoid lesions metastasize to regional lymph nodes and SLNB is a valuable adjunct tool in staging these lesions. However, molecular studies and a prolonged follow-up are needed to determine whether these lesions, especially those occurring in children are comparable to stage matched overt melanoma in adults.
A multiple domain algorithm for modeling one-dimensional transient contaminant transport flows

Solving numerically the transient one-dimensional advection dispersion equation by using an explicit scheme is limited by the choice of time step size according to the Courant-Friedrich-Levy (CFL) stability condition. For transient simulations over large domains, a small time step would require a very large computational time. To address this issue, we investigate the performance of coupling an explicit solution with a multiple domain methodology for modeling transient phenomena. In this approach, at a constant time period the numerical solution is computed over a series of spatial domains that are characterized by varying grid spacing. This facilitates spreading the effect of the boundary condition across a wider interior domain with reduced computational effort. Emphasis has been equally distributed in testing the effect of this coupling on both the accuracy of the end solution and on the associated computational savings. Two improvements that reflect on the accuracy of the solution are discussed and their performance analyzed. A two-dimensional application is presented in the following paper.
Career Assessment and the Comrey Personality Scales

The Comrey Personality Scales (CPS; Comrey, 1970a, 1970b, 1980, 1994) represent a personality inventory developed by factor analytic methods. The personality taxonomy upon which the CPS is based was constructed using a unique set of procedures designed to yield broad factors at an intermediate level in the hierarchy of factors. These procedures involve factor analyzing a collection of mutually distinct Factored Homogeneous Item Dimension (FHID) scores instead of individual items to locate the main personality factors. A FHID score is a total score over four homogeneous seven- choice items, two positively stated and two negatively stated to control for response sets. The eight CPS factors identified in this way are named: Trust versus Defensiveness (T), Orderliness versus Lack of Compulsion (O), Social Conformity versus Rebelliousness (C), Activity versus Lack of Energy (A), Emotional Stability versus Neuroticism (S), Extraversion versus Introversion (E), Mental Toughness versus Sensitivity (M), and Empath...
Throughflow method for turbomachines using Euler solvers

A new axisymmetric throughflow method for analyzing and designing turbomachines is proposed. This method utilizes body-force terms to represent blade forces and viscous losses. The resulting equations of motion, which include these body-force terms, are casted in terms of conservative variables and are solved using a finitevolume time-stepping scheme. In the inverse mode, the swirl schedule in the bladed regions (i.e. the radius times the tangential velocity rV$) is the primary specified flow quantity, and the corresponding blade shape is sought after. In the analysis mode, the blade geometry is specified and the flow solution is computed. The advantages of this throughflow method compared to the current family of streamline curvature and matrix methods are that the same code can be used for subsonic/transonic/supersonic throughflow velocities, and the proposed method has a shock capturing capability. This method is demonstrated for designing a supersonic throughflow fan stage and a transonic throughflow turbine stage.
Influence of ammonium ions on hepatic de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis.

Abstract Carbamyl phosphate (CP) is synthesized in the liver by two separate enzymes, CPS I and CPS II. CPS I, an intramitochondrial enzyme involved in ureogenesis, has a relative activity of 500- to 1000-fold greater than CPS II, a cytoplasmic enzyme which initiates the sequence of reactions for pyrimidine biosynthesis. The contributions of NH4Cl (substrate for CPS I) and glutamine (substrate for CPS II) as precursors for pyrimidine biosynthesis in isolated hepatocytes were compared by measuring their effect on uracil nucleotide pool size, the incorporation of NaH14CO3 into these pools, and the accumulation of orotic acid. Physiological concentrations of NH4Cl caused a marked stimulation of incorporation of radioactivity into uracil nucleotides (6-fold increase at 0.5 m m NH4Cl), and radioactive orotate appeared in both the cells and the medium. In contrast, glutamine (at concentrations up to 10 m m ) had no effect on the incorporation of radioactivity into uracil nucleotides, and no orotic acid was detected. Uracil nucleotide pools were expanded up to 50% by low levels of NH4Cl, but there was no expansion of this pool in the presence of added glutamine. NH4Cl-driven pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis was insensitive to feedback inhibition by an expanded uracil nucleotide pool, to galactosamine treatment, and to acivicin treatment, indicating that NH4+ stimulated pyrimidine biosynthesis as a result of CP synthesis by mitochondrial CPS I. The consequence of intramitochondrially produced CP being available for pyrimidine biosynthesis is that the controlling step of this pathway (CPS II) is bypassed. The appearance of orotic acid following NH4Cl stimulation indicated that the rate-controlling step of hepatic de novo pyrimidine synthesis under these conditions was orotate phosphoribosyl transferase. These data indicate that, at physiological concentrations of NH4+, the majority of uracil nucleotides synthesized in isolated rat hepatocytes was derived from intramitochondrially generated CP. The effect of NH4Cl on the output of uridine by the isolated perfused rat liver was examined. In the presence of a single addition of 20 m m NH4Cl, the excretion of uridine was increased from 100–200 to 375 nmol h−1 g−1 liver and orotic acid was released into the circulating perfusate reaching a maximum of 2 μ m (in 220 ml of perfusate) after 2 h. With 40 m m NH4Cl, uridine export was increased to 450 nmol h−1 g−1 and a maximum of 5 μ m orotic acid was released into the perfusate after 2 h. Thus, the feasibility of altering uridine excretion by the liver as a consequence of modulation of the urea cycle was demonstrated.
In-kind transfers, cash grants and labor supply

Abstract In-kind and cash transfer programs are compared in their impacts on labor supply. It is demonstrated that labor supply is higher under an in-kind transfer program, if in-kind transfers and leisure are Hicks substitutes, leisure is normal, and in-kind transfers are ‘over-provided’. It is further shown that under these conditions a one dollar increase in in-kind coupled with a one dollar cut in cash transfers increases tax revenues. Finally, the paper proves that weak separability of preferences between leisure and other goods, in addition to normality of leisure and normality and over-provision of in-kind transfers, is also sufficient to ensure a higher level of labor supply under in-kind transfers.
THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SMALL LIGAND BINDING TO THE ESCHERICHIA COLI REPRESSOR OF BIOTIN BIOSYNTHESIS

BirA is the transcriptional repressor of biotin biosynthesis and a biotin holoenzyme synthetase. It catalyzes synthesis of biotinyl-5'-AMP from the substrates biotin and ATP. The adenylate is the activated intermediate in the biotin transfer reaction as well as the positive allosteric effector for site-specific DNA binding. The affinity of BirA for the adenylate is considerably greater than its affinity for biotin, and both binding reactions are coupled to changes in the conformation of the protein. The temperature dependencies of the two binding interactions have been determined using kinetic techniques. Van't Hoff analysis of the equilibrium dissociation constants derived from the kinetic data indicate that while the two binding processes are characterized by large negative enthalpies, the entropic contributions are small for both. Binding enthalpies have also been determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. Consistent with the results of the van't Hoff analyses, the calorimetric enthalpies are large and negative. The greater precision of the calorimetric measurements allowed more accurate estimation of the entropic contributions to the binding processes, which are of opposite sign for the two ligands. In addition, the heat capacity changes associated with the two binding reactions are small. The measured thermodynamic parameters for binding of biotin and bio-5'-AMP to BirA have been utilized to dissect out structural contributions to the binding energetics. Results of these calculations indicate equivalent contributions of burial of polar and apolar surface area to both binding processes. The total loss of solvent accessible surface area is, however, greater for biotin binding. The analysis indicates furthermore that although both binding reactions are coupled to losses in configurational entropy, the magnitude of the conformational change is significantly larger for biotin binding.
The Physiological Basis of Reduced \documentclass{aastex}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{bm}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{pifont}\usepackage{stmaryrd}\usepackage{textcomp}\usepackage{portland,xspace}\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\pagestyle{empty}\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\begin{document}$$\dot{{\rm V}}{\sc o}_2{\rm max}$$\end{document} in Operation Everest II

Abstract Wagner, Peter D. The physiological basis of reduced \documentclass{aastex}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{bm}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{pifont}\usepackage{stmaryrd}\usepackage{textcomp}\usepackage{portland,xspace}\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\pagestyle{empty}\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} $$\dot{{\rm V}}{\sc o}_2{\rm max}$$ \end{document} in Operation Everest II. High Alt. Med. Biol. 11:209–215, 2010.—While it is well-known that maximal \documentclass{aastex}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{bm}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{pifont}\usepackage{stmaryrd}\usepackage{textcomp}\usepackage{portland,xspace}\usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra}\pagestyle{empty}\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} $$\dot{{\rm V}}{\sc o}_2$$ \end{document} falls progressively with increasing altitude, discussion continues on how each step of the O2 transport pathway contributes to this loss in exercise capacity. By anal...
Cardiac Transplantation: Current Indications, Short- and Long-term Results, Economic Implications, and Future Developments

Cardiac transplantation has become the standard modality of treatment for selected patients with endstage heart disease who remain symptomatic in spite of maximal medical therapy and have a poor short-term prognosis. It is now well recognized that in these patients, cardiac transplantation significantly improves survival and quality of life. Unfortunately, while the incidence of heart failure has more than doubled since 1980, thus increasing the demand for this procedure, the number of cardiac donors in the United States has reached a plateau around 2,200/y, making this modality of treatment available only to a minority of patients with end-stage heart failure (1). Due to the huge discrepancy between supply and demand, a stringent selection of the potential candidates is imperative.
Facilitating Document Annotation Using Content and Querying Value

A large number of organizations today generate and share textual descriptions of their products, services, and actions. Such collections of textual data contain significant amount of structured information, which remains buried in the unstructured text. While information extraction algorithms facilitate the extraction of structured relations, they are often expensive and inaccurate, especially when operating on top of text that does not contain any instances of the targeted structured information. We present a novel alternative approach that facilitates the generation of the structured metadata by identifying documents that are likely to contain information of interest and this information is going to be subsequently useful for querying the database. Our approach relies on the idea that humans are more likely to add the necessary metadata during creation time, if prompted by the interface; or that it is much easier for humans (and/or algorithms) to identify the metadata when such information actually exists in the document, instead of naively prompting users to fill in forms with information that is not available in the document. As a major contribution of this paper, we present algorithms that identify structured attributes that are likely to appear within the document, by jointly utilizing the content of the text and the query workload. Our experimental evaluation shows that our approach generates superior results compared to approaches that rely only on the textual content or only on the query workload, to identify attributes of interest.
Depressive symptoms are associated with late life cognitive decline independent of common age-related pathologies

ABSTRACT FROM : Wilson RS, Capuano AW, Boyle PA, et al . Clinical-pathologic study of depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in old age. Neurology 2014;83:702–9. Depressive symptoms have been shown to contribute to cognitive decline.1 However, the mechanism underlying this relationship is not well known. Some studies have shown an association between major depression and increased regional Alzheimer's disease pathology.2 Other studies focusing on depressive symptoms have not found such an association.1 Whether depression or depressive symptoms are manifestations of a neurodegenerative process or independent agents contributing to late life cognitive decline is not well understood. Five hundred and eighty of the 1764 elderly participants of two longitudinal studies, the Religious Order Study and the Rush Aging and Memory Project, who were cognitively intact at entry, were followed on average for 8 years until death and were included in the current study for having autopsy …
How family practice physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants incorporate spiritual care in practice.

Purpose: To investigate how primary care family practice providers incorporate spirituality into their practices in spite of documented barriers. Data Sources: A phenomenological qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three physicians, five nurse practitioners, and two physician assistants. Conclusions: Five major theme clusters emerged: (1) discerning instances for overt spiritual assessment; (2) displaying a genuine and caring attitude; (3) encouraging the use of existing spiritual practices; (4) documenting spiritual care for continuity of care; (5) managing perceived barriers to spiritual care. Implications for Practice: Findings support that patients' spiritual needs can be addressed in spite of documented barriers. Techniques to assist providers in providing spiritual care are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.
Human motion recognition with a convolution kernel

We address the problem of human motion recognition in this paper. The goal of human motion recognition is to recognize the type of motion recorded in a video clip, which consists of a set of temporarily ordered frames. By defining a Mercer kernel between two video clips directly, we propose in this paper a recognition strategy that can incorporate both the information of each individual frame and the temporal ordering between frames. Combining the proposed kernel with the support vector machine, which is one of the most effective classification paradigms, the resulting recognition strategy exhibits excellent performance over real data sets
Novel wet SEM imaging of organically modified montmorillonite clay dispersions

Rheology and a novel application of wet scanning electron microscopy (WSEM) are performed on organically modified montmorillonite clay dispersions differing in free surfactant content. The dispersion without free surfactant exhibits a higher yield stress and strongly hysteretic rheology. WSEM imaging shows the influence of free surfactant on the quiescent distribution of nano- and microscale organoclay domains. Spatially resolved elemental analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy defines regions consisting primarily of clay silicate versus those that are dominantly solvent. The contrasting images suggest that free surfactant screens attractive van der Waals forces between domains, leading to a more homogeneously distributed but structurally weaker mesoscopic network. WSEM is shown to be a valuable complementary technique in characterizing the network morphology of organoclay dispersions. More broadly, WSEM demonstrates great potential for the direct imaging of the microstructure of other classes of suspensions and particulate gels.
Free flap reconstruction experience and outcomes at a low-volume institution over 20 years.

ObjectiveAssess the efficacy of free flap reconstruction performed at a low-volume program and evaluate how volume and outcomes have changed over 20 years.Study DesignCase series with chart review....
Assimilation of SeaWiFS Ocean Chlorophyll Data into a Three-Dimensional Global Ocean Model

Assimilation of satellite ocean color data is a relatively new phenomenon in ocean sciences. However, with routine observations from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), launched in late 1997, and now with new data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradometer (MODIS) Aqua, there is increasing interest in ocean color data assimilation. Here SeaWiFS chlorophyll data were assimilated with an established thre-dimentional global ocean model. The assimilation improved estimates of hlorophyll and primary production relative to a free-run (no assimilation) model. This represents the first attempt at ocean color data assimilation using NASA satellites in a global model. The results suggest the potential of assimilation of satellite ocean chlorophyll data for improving models.
Exploration of geothermal systems using hyperspectral thermal infrared remote sensing

Abstract Visible near infrared (VNIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing has long been used for geothermal exploration. Specific focus on the TIR region (8–12 μm) has resulted in major-rock-forming mineral classes being identified and their areal percentages to be more easily mapped due in part to the linear mixing behavior of TIR emission. To understand the mineral compositional and thermal distribution of active geothermal surfaces systems, hyperspectral TIR data from the Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System (SEBASS) airborne sensor were acquired over the Salton Sea, CA geothermal fields by The Aerospace Corporation on March 26, 2009 and April 6, 2010. SEBASS collects 128 wavelength channels at ~ 1 m spatial resolution. Such high resolution data are rarely available for this type of scientific analysis and enabled the identification of rare mineral assemblages associated with the geothermally-active areas. One surface unit with a unique spectrum, believed to be a magnesium sulfate of unknown hydration state, was identified for the first time in the SEBASS data. The abundance and distribution of this mineral varied between 2009 and 2010 likely due to the precipitation conditions. Data obtained by the SEBASS sensor were also regressed to the 32 channel spectral resolution of the Mineral and Gas Identifier (MAGI) airborne sensor in order to test sensitivity limits. At this lower spectral resolution, all surface minerals were still effectively identified and therefore validated data at MAGI resolution are still very effective for accurate surface compositional mapping. A similar approach used at active geothermal areas in other semi-arid regions around the world has the potential to better characterize transient mineralogy, identify “indicators minerals”, understand the influence of surface and ground water, and ultimately to locate new geothermal targets for future exploration. Furthermore, new Mineral and Gas Identification (MAGI) data serve as an excellent precursor for future spaceborne TIR data such as the system proposed for the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) instrument.
Distortion compensation techniques for large reflector antennas

The high-frequency limit of reflector antennas is usually governed by the magnitude of the surface error. Whereas little can be done for the high-spatial frequency portion of this error, there are various techniques that can be employed to compensate for large-scale surface errors due to gravity induced distortions for ground antennas or thermally induced distortions for spacecraft antennas. This somewhat tutorial paper describes various techniques that can be utilized to compensate for the gain-loss due to these distortions. The techniques described are 1) main reflector compensation 2) subreflector compensation 3) use of a deformable flat plate in the optics path and 4) an array feed compensation system. Examples are given for the use of each technique along with an estimate of the expected performance improvement.
Development and validation of a new technique for estimating a minimum postmortem interval using adult blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) carcass attendance.

Understanding the onset and duration of adult blow fly activity is critical to accurately estimating the period of insect activity or minimum postmortem interval (minPMI). Few, if any, reliable techniques have been developed and consequently validated for using adult fly activity to determine a minPMI. In this study, adult blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Cochliomyia macellaria and Chrysomya rufifacies were collected from swine carcasses in rural central Texas, USA, during summer 2008 and Phormia regina and Calliphora vicina in the winter during 2009 and 2010. Carcass attendance patterns of blow flies were related to species, sex, and oocyte development. Summer-active flies were found to arrive 4–12 h after initial carcass exposure, with both C. macellaria and C. rufifacies arriving within 2 h of one another. Winter-active flies arrived within 48 h of one another. There was significant difference in degree of oocyte development on each of the first 3 days postmortem. These frequency differences allowed a minPMI to be calculated using a binomial analysis. When validated with seven tests using domestic and feral swine and human remains, the technique correctly estimated time of placement in six trials.
Analysis of Amphiphilic Lipids and Hydrophobic Proteins Using Nonresonant Femtosecond Laser Vaporization with Electrospray Post-Ionization

Amphiphilic lipids and hydrophobic proteins are vaporized at atmospheric pressure using nonresonant 70 femtosecond (fs) laser pulses followed by electrospray post-ionization prior to being transferred into a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for mass analysis. Measurements of molecules on metal and transparent dielectric surfaces indicate that vaporization occurs through a nonthermal mechanism. The molecules analyzed include the lipids 1-monooleoyl-rac-glycerol, 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and the hydrophobic proteins gramicidin A, B, and C. Vaporization of lipids from blood and milk are also presented to demonstrate that lipids in complex systems can be transferred intact into the gas phase for mass analysis.
Development of a Transgenic Mouse Model with Immune Tolerance for Human Coagulation Factor VIIa

Human factor VIIa (FVIIa) is commonly used as bypassing therapy to treat bleeding episodes in hemophilia patients with neutralizing antibodies to factors VIII (FVIII) or IX (FIX). There is a need for a suitable animal model to assess the immunogenicity of new FVIIa products during preclinical development. The aim of this study was the design of a novel transgenic mouse model with immune tolerance to human FVIIa. The model was generated by transgenic expression of human F7 cDNA. FVIIa-specific immune responses after treatment with human FVIIa were assessed by analyzing circulating antibodies, antibody producing plasma cells and CD4+ T cells. In contrast to wild-type mice, human FVII transgenic mice did not develop antibodies when treated with human FVIIa. The immune tolerance was specific and could be broken by application of human FVIIa together with a strong stimulus of the innate immune system. Break of tolerance was associated with increased numbers of pro-inflammatory FVIIa-specific CD4+ T cells. The new mouse model is suitable to study the influence of the innate immune system on maintenance and break of immune tolerance against FVIIa and could be used to assess the immunogenicity of new FVIIa products during pre-clinical development.
Emerging materials and processes for thermal barrier systems

Thermal barrier systems have been the subject of vigorous research and development activities over the past few years, driven by the demands for enhanced reliability and substantially higher operating temperatures envisaged for the next generations of gas turbine engines. The menu of candidate materials and architectures has expanded considerably, including numerous concepts based on zirconia as well as radically different materials, multilayers and modulated distributions of porosity and chemical composition. Advances in deposition processes enable increased flexibility for tailoring composition and microstructure to local requirements within the coating system, e.g. for thermal insulation, control of interdiffusion, enhanced resistance against environmental degradation and condition monitoring. Many challenges remain but healthy and growing collaborations between the science and technology communities bode well for future progress in this area.
Pig colostrum and milk composition:comparisons between Chinese Meishan and US breeds

Abstract The composition of colostrum and milk from Chinese Meishan and American Yorkshire gills was characterized at farrowing (d 0), 24 h after farrowing (d 1), and on d 7 and 21 of lactation. Lactose concentrations were lower for Meishan vs. Yorkshire gills on d 0, 1, and 7, but not on d 21. Fat concentrations were higher for Meishan than for Yorkshire gilts at each sampling time, particularly on d 1 and 7. Total protein concentrations were similar on d 0 and 1, but lower for Meishan than for Yorkshire gilts on d 7 and 21. Milk proteins from Meishan gilts, Yorkshire gilts, and crossbred sows (Yorkshire × Hampshire × Landrace) were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Differences in size or relative proportion of caseins and the major whey proteins were not observed. Several high molecular weight whey proteins and a minor casein band were observed to segregate among breeds. These protein differences among breeds may be valuable markers in studies on lactating Mei-shan × Yorkshire crossbred animals. Results of this study suggest that colostrum and milk composition should not be a major limiting factor in survival and growth of piglets born to Meishan × Yorkshire crossbred gilts.
An inner-product lower-bound estimate for dynamic time warping

In this paper, we present a lower-bound estimate for dynamic time warping (DTW) on time series consisting of multi-dimensional posterior probability vectors known as posteriorgrams. We develop a lower-bound estimate based on the inner-product distance that has been found to be an effective metric for computing similarities between posteriorgrams. In addition to deriving the lower-bound estimate, we show how it can be efficiently used in an admissible K nearest neighbor (KNN) search for spotting matching sequences. We quantify the amount of computational savings achieved by performing a set of unsupervised spoken keyword spotting experiments using Gaussian mixture model posteriorgrams. In these experiments the proposed lower-bound estimate eliminates 89% of the DTW previously required calculations without affecting overall keyword detection performance.
Anxiety sensitivity: a potential vulnerability factor for compulsive hoarding.

Compulsive hoarding is defined as the accumulation of and failure to discard a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or limited in value. Severe hoarding can result in illnesses due to unsanitary conditions, social isolation, work disability, and even death. Despite the severity of impairment associated with this clinical syndrome, research examining potential vulnerability factors is limited. Two independent studies have demonstrated that hoarding behaviors are significantly associated with anxiety sensitivity (AS), a well-known risk factor for anxiety pathology. However, the relationship between AS subfactors and hoarding behaviors is somewhat unclear. The primary aim of this investigation was to examine the relationships between hoarding and AS subfactors utilizing the anxiety sensitivity index-3, a measure designed to more accurately assess AS subfactors. Participants consisted of 279 college students, as well as 210 non-selected clinical participants. Consistent with initial predictio...
Modeling TMJD pain in the laboratory mouse: role of TRP ion channels

Trigeminal pain syndromes such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain appear to have a particular potential to affect patients in a devastating manner. Prevalence of trigeminal pain disorders in the US is estimated at 20-30x106, at >50-75x106 including headaches/migraine. Neural circuit malfunction and maladaptive plasticity arise from altered primary sensory afferents. We have focused on a nerve cell that is the eminent gatekeeper of sensory afferent cues in the trigeminal system, trigeminal ganglion (TG) sensory neurons. These neurons, when damaged by physical, inflammatory or chemical injury, set up the ensuing maladaptive reprogramming and circuit malfunction, including pathological pain, in the CNS. In recent years, the importance of TRP ion channels, expressed in nociceptor neurons, has been recognized in pain transduction in response to physical and chemical-irritant cues [1,2]. TRP channels are non-selective cation channels with preference for Ca2+, so that nociceptor neurons can both be activated and reprogrammed [3,4]. One such candidate TRP channel with robust expression in TG sensory neurons is TRPV4 [5-7]. We have recently developed a novel method of bite force measurement in the laboratory mouse as a clinically relevant metric of TMJ that significantly extends current practice for assessing TMJ pain [8]. Taking advantage of this novel technique, our study shows that TRPV4 expression in TG sensory neurons plays a critical role in TMJ pain. Also, the expression of several other pain-related TRP channels and activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) in the TG after TMJ inflammation are regulated by TRPV4. In addition, we have adopted the formalin irritant-pain model to trigeminally innervated territories in laboratory mice and examined the involvement of TRPV4. We found TRPV4 to be critically involved in trigeminal nocifensive behavior evoked by whiskerpad injections of formalin, a finding supported by studies in Trpv4 null mice and with TRPV4-specific antagonists. Our results imply TRPV4 in MEK-ERK activation in TG sensory neurons, paralleling findings in chronic TMJ inflammation. Furthermore, cellular studies in primary TG neurons and in heterologous cellular systems with directed expression of TRPV4 suggest that TRPV4 can be activated directly by formalin to gate Ca++. Taken together, these results imply TRPV4 as a critical signaling molecule in irritation─and TMJ chronic inflammation evoked trigeminal pain. TRPV4-antagonistic therapies can therefore be envisioned as novel analgesics for specific targeting of trigeminal pain disorders, such as migraine, headaches, TMJD, facial and dental pain, and irritation of trigeminally-innervated surface epithelia.
Waves in Gyrotropic Media

In this chapter we analyze the behavior of electromagnetic waves propagating along the planar interface between a linear half-space and a nonlinear half-space when the materials involved are either magnetic materials or electrically conducting materials with an external magnetic field present.
Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors in Benign Vascular Lesions of the Orbit: A Case Series

Purpose Vascular lesions of the orbit, although not malignant, can cause morbidity because of their location near critical structures in the orbit. For the same reason, they can be challenging to remove surgically. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs are increasingly being used to treat diseases with prominent angiogenesis. Our study aimed to determine to what extent VEGF receptors and their subtypes are expressed on selected vascular lesions of the orbit. Design Retrospective case series of all orbital vascular lesions removed by one of the authors (JAG) at the Mayo Clinic. Participants A total of 52 patients who underwent removal of vascular orbital lesions. Methods The pathology specimens from the patients were retrieved, their pathologic diagnosis was confirmed, demographic and clinical information were gathered, and sections from vascular tumors were stained with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 1 (VEGFR1), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 3 (VEGFR3). Main Outcome Measures The existence and pattern of staining with VEGF and its subtypes on these lesions. Results There were 28 specimens of venous malformations, 4 capillary hemangiomas, 7 lymphatic malformations, and 6 lymphaticovenous malformations. All samples stained with VEGF, 55% stained with VEGFR1, 98% stained with VEGFR2, and 96% stained with VEGFR3. Most (94%) of the VEGFR2 staining was diffuse. Conclusions Most orbital vascular lesions express VEGF receptors, which may suggest a future target for nonsurgical treatment.
Radiation induced lung injury in survivors of childhood cancer

20017 Background: The purpose of this study was to examine survivors of childhood cancer, treated with whole lung irradiation (WLI), for signs of pulmonary insufficiency and to correlate pulmonary ...
Investigating molecular interactions and surface morphology of wax-doped asphaltenes.

The nature and origin of bee-like microstructures (bees) in asphalt binders and their impact on asphalt oxidation have been the subject of extensive discussions in recent years. While several studies refer to the bees as solely surface features, some others consider them to be bulk microcrystalline components that are formed due to co-precipitation of wax and asphaltene molecules. In this study, we use a rigorous theoretical and experimental approach to investigate the interplay of asphalt components (mainly asphaltene and wax) and their impact on bee formation. In the theoretical section, quantum-mechanical calculations using density functional theory (DFT) are used to evaluate the strength of interactions between asphaltene unit sheets in the presence and absence of a wax component, as well as the mutual interactions between asphaltene molecules (monomers and dimers) and paraffin wax. The results of this section reveal that paraffin waxes not only do not reinforce the interaction between the asphaltene unit sheets, they destabilize asphaltene assembly and dimerization. AIM (Atom in Molecules) analysis shows the destabilizing effect of wax on asphaltene assembly as a reduction in the number of cage and bond critical points between asphaltenes. This destabilization effect among interacting systems (asphaltene–asphaltene and wax–asphaltene) does not support the hypothesis that interaction between paraffin waxes and non-wax components, such as asphaltene, is responsible for their co-precipitation and bee formation. To further examine the effect of wax component on asphalt microstructure experimentally, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the surface morphology of an asphalt sample doped with 1% to 25% paraffin wax. In agreement with the conclusions drawn from the DFT approach, our experiments indicate that paraffin wax tends to crystallize separately and form lamellar paraffin wax crystal inclusions with 10 nm thickness. Moreover, the addition of 3% wax into asphalt results in a significant increase in surface roughness from 0.5 nm to 4.1 nm and an increase in bee wavelength from 651 nm to 1038 nm.
A prospective phase II trial of fractionated stereotactic intensity modulated radiotherapy with or without surgery in the treatment of patients with 1 to 3 newly diagnosed symptomatic brain metastases.

BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated that omitting the routine use of adjuvant whole-brain radiation therapy for patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases may be a reasonable first-line strategy. Retrospective evidence suggests that fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (fSRT) may have a lower level of toxicity with equivalent efficacy in comparison with radiosurgery. OBJECTIVE To study the phase II efficacy of using a focally directed treatment strategy for symptomatic brain metastases by the use of fSRT with or without surgery and omitting the routine use of adjuvant whole-brain radiation therapy. METHODS We used a Fleming single-stage design of 40 patients. Patients were eligible if they presented with 1 to 3 newly diagnosed symptomatic brain metastases, Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) greater than 60, and histological confirmation of primary disease. Patients underwent fSRT with the use of a dose of 30 Gy in 5 intensity-modulated fractions as primary or adjuvant treatment after surgical resection. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who experienced neurological death. Secondary end points were overall survival, time to KPS <70, and progression-free survival. RESULTS Of 40 patients accrued, 39 were eligible for analysis. The proportion of patients dying of neurological causes was 13% (5 patients), which includes 3 patients with an unknown cause of death. Median overall survival, time to KPS <70, and progression-free survival were 16 (95% confidence interval, 9-23), 14 (95% confidence interval, 7-20), and 11 (95% confidence interval, 4-21) months, respectively. CONCLUSION A focally directed treatment strategy using fSRT with or without surgery appears to be an effective initial strategy. Based on the results of this phase II clinical trial, further study is warranted.
The use of mice in experimental chemotherapy of tuberculosis; the histopathologic assay of chemotherapeutic action.

which frequently involved 50*^ or more of the lung substance. It was shown, during the course of a 28-day experiment, that short survival time and marked weight loss were associated with extensive pulmonary involvement of the necrotic-exudative type in approximately 80*^ of the animals. In approximately 20*^ of the animals, prolonged survival time and little or no weight loss were associated with less extensive.pulmonary involvement of the proliferative type. Depression of bacterial multiplication in mouse tissue should result in slower evolution of the unit lesions in