cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of focal hepatic lesions with spiral CT: comparison of 4- and 8-mm interscan spacing.

The objective of this study was to determine if spiral CT with 4-mm interscan spacing results in increased confidence in or rate of detection of focal hepatic lesions when compared with spiral CT with 8-mm interscan spacing.Spiral CT scans of the liver of 42 consecutive patients with suspected hepatic disease were independently reviewed by three senior radiologists in two sets: one set was reconstructed with 8-mm interscan spacing and one set was reconstructed with 4-mm interscan spacing. The slice thickness was 8 mm for both data sets. The number and sizes of focal hepatic lesions were documented.Thirty-three of the 42 patients had least one focal lesion. The lesion size varied from 2 mm to 21 cm. When 8-mm interscan spacing was used, 297 lesions were detected (212 were considered definite). When 4-mm interscan spacing was used, 318 lesions were detected (258 were considered definite). Therefore, 7% more lesions were detected with 4-mm interscan spacing than with 8-mm interscan spacing (p = .05), and 22%...
Effects of alternative prey on cannibalism in age‐1 bluefish

Age-1 bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix were offered both age-0 bluefish and age-1 Atlantic silversides Menidia menidia in the following proportions: 0:1·0, 0·25:0·75, 0·5:0·5, 0·75:0·25, 1·0:0. Atlantic silversides were consumed in greater proportion than offered throughout all treatments suggesting strong selection for silversides. There was no evidence of prey-switching. The behavioural processes leading to age-1 bluefish selection of Atlantic silversides was investigated. The proportion of attacks on each prey species was distributed randomly, or slightly higher on age-0 bluefish; however, capture success was greater on silversides than on age-0 bluefish prey. Therefore, age-1 bluefish did not actively select for silversides and the observed selection pattern is a result of passive processes. These findings suggest that prey switching between age-0 bluefish and an alternative prey probably does not act as a stabilizing mechanism in the bluefish population and confirm the importance of capture success in determining piscivore selectivity patterns.
Shockley-Ramo theorem measures conformation changes of ion channels and proteins

Theorems are rarely used in biology because they rarely help the descriptive experimentation to which biologists are devoted. A generalization of Kirchoff’s current law—the Shockley-Ramo (SR) theorem [1–6]—seems an exception. SR allows interpretation of macroscopic scale ‘gating’ currents associated with atomic scale charge movements within proteins.
Application and field validation of a continuous nonmethane organic carbon analyzer.

ABSTRACT Nonmethane organic carbon (NMOC) is a measure of total organic carbon except for that from CH4. We recently reported the development of online instrumentation for continuous NMOC monitoring. This instrument, referred to as C-NMOC, uses a microsorbent trap in combination with a gas-sampling valve as the sampling interface. A conventional oxidation/reduction NMOC detector is used for quantitation. In addition to being an online concentrator and an injector, the microtrap serves as a separator that isolates NMOC from H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, and other background gases. Therefore, the C-NMOC is able to handle high concentrations of background gases commonly found in stack emissions and has detection limits in the ppb levels. This paper reports the results of field validation and testing of a C-NMOC analyzer at a coatings facility in the eastern United States. The instrument was able to monitor the process transients in real time, based on which corrective actions could be taken. It demonstrated good accura...
Surface Normal 1-to-27 Optical Fan-out Using Substrate Guided Waves in Conjunction With Two Dimensional Waveguide Hologram Array

Optical interconnect has been widely agreed as a better choice for interconnecting different processors and memories whenever the conventional electrical interconnect can not fulfill the system requirements[1-4]. Among the optical interconnect architectures demonstrated thus far, global interconnects based on two-dimensional waveguide array and surface normal free-space interconnections represent current technology trends. Waveguide-based optical interconnects[5] are suitable for intra-board and module-to-module bus connections, while free-space interconnects[6] are suitable for board-to-board interconnections.
Differential activities of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein isoforms.

Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper protein (GILZ) is expressed in both epithelial and immune tissues and modulates a variety of cellular functions, including proliferation and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity. A number of reports have described various GILZ activities, focusing on a single isoform with molecular mass of ∼17 kDa, now termed GILZ1. In GILZ immunoblots using a newly developed antiserum, we detected multiple species in extracts from cultured kidney cells. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed that one of these represented a previously uncharacterized distinct isoform of GILZ, GILZ2. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends was used to clone cDNAs corresponding to four isoforms, which, in addition to GILZ1 and GILZ2, included new isoforms GILZ3 and GILZ4. Heterologous expression of these four GILZ isoforms in cultured cells revealed striking functional differences. Notably, GILZ1 was the only isoform that significantly stimulated ENaC-mediated Na+ current in a kidney collecting duct cell line, although GILZ2 and GILZ3 also stimulated ENaC surface expression in HEK 293 cells. GILZ1 and GILZ3, and to a lesser extent GILZ2, inhibited ERK phosphorylation. Interestingly, GILZ4, which had no effect on either ENaC or ERK, potently suppressed cellular proliferation, as did GILZ1, but not GILZ2 or GILZ3. Finally, rat and mouse tissues all expressed multiple GILZ species but varied in the relative abundance of each. These data suggest that multiple GILZ isoforms are expressed in most cells and tissues and that these play distinct roles in regulating key cellular functions, including proliferation and ion transport. Furthermore, GILZ inhibition of ERK appears to play an essential role in stimulation of cell surface ENaC but not in inhibition of proliferation.
Jellyfish nervous systems.

What are jellyfish? The term jellyfish generally refers to the umbrella-shaped gelatinous zooplanktons that belong to Scyphozoa (true jellyfish), Staurozoa (stalked jellyfish), Cubozoa (box jellyfish), and Hydrozoa of Phylum Cnidaria. Their sizes, shapes, and habitats are diverse. Sexually mature jellyfish range from millimeters to meters in diameter, and they can be found almost anywhere in the ocean from the arctic to the tropics and from the deep sea to the shoreline (some even live in freshwater).
On the Convexified Sauer-Shelah Theorem

LetAbe a subset of {0, 1}n. Given?>0, we can find a subsetIof {1, ..., n} such that the convex hull in RIof the projection ofAonto {0, 1}Icontains the cube [12??, 12+?]I, and that cardI?n?K(n?+nlog(2n/cardA)), whereK>0 is a universal constant.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants defective in plasmid-chromosome recombination.

We have studied the recombinational repair of a double-strand break (DSB) in a plasmid-borneade2::HO-site by an intactade2 allele following the induction of a galactose-inducibleGAL-HO gene. IfGAL-HO expression is not attenuated by the presence of a low level of glucose in the galactose medium, deleterious effects are observed. Our comparison of the effects of severalrad mutations on the relative efficiencies of DSB repair at both theade2::HO-site and at the chromosomalMAT locus indicate that the two processes share common functions. Not surprisingly, most of the recombination-defective mutants found using our assay are alleles of genes in theRAD52 epistasis group. The recombination and repair deficiencies vary among the different mutant groups and also among mutants within a group. In general, there is a correlation between the extents of the recombination and repair defects. Our screen also turned up a novelrfa1 allele with a pronounced deficiency in DSB repair and recombination and asrs2 mutation which causes only a mild defect.
134 PRE-AND POST-OPERATIVE RIGHT VENTRICULAR VOLUME & FUNCTION CHARACTERISTICS IN TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Right ventricular volume and function characteristics were evaluated in 25 pre-operative and 28 post-operative patients aged 10 days to 24 years. Pre-operative patients were grouped according to the pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) and post-operatively according to magnitude of right ventricular (RV) peak pressure (pr.) and residual pulmonary-to-RV pressure gradients (Δ PA-RV). Pre-operatively: cardiac index (CI) was highest and pulmonary index (PI) was lowest in those with smallest Qp/Qs; RV end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF)were all mildly depressed but not significantly different in various Qp/Qs groups. RV myocardial contractility index (MCI) approached normal for a systemic ventricle. Stroke work (SW) was lowest in patients with palliative left-to-right shunts (LRS). Post-operatively: EDV and ESV were elevated but highest in patients with high residual RV pr. or large Δ PA-RV. SV was normal. EF was depressed in all groups, being lowest in those with highest RV pr. or Δ PA-RV. SW and MCI were normal in low RV pr. RV outflow aneurysms were identified in 3/10 patients in the low RV pr. group and in 12/16 with highest residual pr. The incidence of pulmonary regurgitation (PR) was similar in each group. We conclude that post-operatively in patients with tetralogy of Fallot: (1) significant RV dysfunction persists being worst in those with high residual RV pr. and Δ PA-RV; (2) dysfunction is related to the incidence of RV outflow aneurysm and PR; and (3) elevated ESV results from large aneurysms with small diastolic to systolic volume change.
Measurement of the efficacy of vaccines and antimicrobial therapy against infection with Toxoplasma gondii

To facilitate studies of vaccines and antimicrobial agents effective against Toxoplasma gondii infection, an assay system was developed to semi-quantitate parasitaemia using PCR amplification of T. gondii DNA obtained from the blood of mice infected with the parasite. A competitive internal standard DNA fragment of the B1 gene of T. gondii was generated and used in PCR so that the amplified product could be semi-quantitated and false negative results could be avoided. The PCR assay system was used to analyse the levels of parasitaemia in immunised and antimicrobial agent treated mice at various times after infection with T. gondii. The results of these studies indicate that this highly sensitive detection method is a rapid and reliable procedure that can be employed to assess the abilities of vaccines or antimicrobial agents to provide protection early following T. gondii infection.
Disease-associated alleles in genome-wide association studies are enriched for derived low frequency alleles relative to HapMap and neutral expectations

Background Genome-wide association studies give insight into the genetic basis of common diseases. An open question is whether the allele frequency distributions and ancestral vs. derived states of disease-associated alleles differ from the rest of the genome. Characteristics of disease-associated alleles can be used to increase the yield of future studies.
RCAS-RNAi: A loss-of-function method for the developing chick retina

The embryonic chick provides an excellent model system for studies of development. However, it has lacked an efficient loss-of-function method for studies of gene function. We show that avian retroviruses can deliver hairpins mediating RNA interference to the developing chick eye. These viruses 'knock down' specific genes in infected areas of the retina. The knock down persists as the retina matures and can be detected using in situ hybridization. Furthermore, the amount of retinal tissue affected can be controlled by manipulating the degree of infection. This technique provides a rapid and efficient loss-of-function option for studies in the developing chick retina.
Clinical manifestations of hydrocephalus caused by impingement of the corpus callosum on the falx: an MR study in 40 patients.

The clinical features of patients with hydrocephalus include generalized reductions in coordinated motor and cognitive functions. Although some group similarities have been noted, the outward manifestations of this dysfunction vary in degree and character, with some subjects revealing no overt signs of the underlying hydrocephalus. A retrospective review of subjects with MR criteria of hydrocephalus was undertaken to reevaluate the specific imaging correlates of the signs and symptoms associated with this pathologic process. Forty adults with hydrocephalus on MR evaluation were carefully scrutinized in an effort to elucidate specific clinicoradiologic patterns of abnormality. Spin-echo MR techniques were used with T1 and/or T2 weighting in three orthogonal planes. MR criteria of hydrocephalus encompassed dilated lateral ventricles to include the temporal horns, a pronounced upward elevation of the corpus callosum, and an outward expansion of the cerebral hemispheres at the expense of the subarachnoid space overlying the convexities. The significant related morphologic change on MR that has not been previously described in hydrocephalus was a localized dorsal flattening and thinning of the posterior body of the corpus callosum. Importantly, all but three of the 24 patients with this phenomenon manifested varying combinations of imbalance, gait disturbance, incontinence, short-term memory deficits, and global dementia. In the presence of hydrocephalus, but in the absence of this specific callosal configuration, only one of the remaining 16 subjects revealed symptoms that might suggest the presence of hydrocephalus (i.e., profound dementia). The structure responsible for this focal callosal flattening and thinning in hydrocephalus is the rigid free surface of the falx cerebri as it impinges on the caudal extent of the upwardly expanding corpus callosum and supracallosal hippocampal formation. This mechanical insult hypothetically causes variable axonal dysfunction, ranging from decreased to increased neurophysiologic activity. In summary, it is postulated that callosal impingement represents a dynamic partial hemispheric disconnection and accounts, in part, for the complex clinical state associated with hydrocephalus.
Patient perspectives on communication with the medical team: pilot study using the Communication Assessment Tool-Team (CAT-T).

Abstract Objective Effective communication is an essential aspect of high-quality patient care and a core competency for physicians. To date, assessment of communication skills in team-based settings has not been well established. We sought to tailor a psychometrically validated instrument, the Communication Assessment Tool, for use in Team settings (CAT-T), and test the feasibility of collecting patient perspectives of communication with medical teams in the emergency department (ED). Methods A prospective, cross-sectional study in an academic, tertiary, urban, Level 1 trauma center using the CAT-T, a 15-item instrument. Items were answered via a 5-point scale, with 5 = excellent. All adult ED patients (≥18 y/o) were eligible if the following exclusion criteria did not apply: primary psychiatric issues, critically ill, physiologically unstable, non-English speaking, or under arrest. Results 81 patients were enrolled (mean age: 44, S.D. = 17; 44% male). Highest ratings were for treating the patient with respect (69% excellent), paying attention to the patient (69% excellent), and showing care and concern (69% excellent). Lowest ratings were for greeting the patient appropriately (54%), encouraging the patient to ask questions (54%), showing interest in the patient's ideas about his or her health (53% excellent), and involving the patient in decisions as much as he or she wanted (53% excellent). Conclusion Although this pilot study has several methodological limitations, it demonstrates a signal that patient assessment of communication with the medical team is feasible and offers important feedback. Results indicate the need to improve communication in the ED. Practice implications In the ED, focusing on the medical team rather then individual caregivers may more accurately reflect patients’ experience.
Progressive Shoulder Abduction Loading is a Crucial Element of Arm Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke

Background. Total reaching range of motion (work area) diminishes as a function of shoulder abduction loading in the paretic arm in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke. This occurs when reaching outward against gravity or during transport of an object. Objectives. This study implements 2 closely related impairment-based interventions to identify the effect of a subcomponent of reaching exercise thought to be a crucial element in arm rehabilitation. Methods. A total of 14 individuals with chronic moderate to severe hemiparesis participated in the participant-blinded, randomized controlled study. The experimental group progressively trained for 8 weeks to actively support the weight of the arm, up to and beyond, while reaching to various outward targets. The control group practiced the same reaching tasks with matched frequency and duration with the weight of the arm supported. Work area and isometric strength were measured before and after the intervention. Results. Change scores for work area at 9 loads were calculated for each group. Change scores were significantly larger for the experimental group indicating a larger increase in work area, especially shoulder abduction loads equivalent to those experienced during object transport. Changes in strength were not found within or between groups. Conclusions. Progressive shoulder abduction loading can be utilized to ameliorate reaching range of motion against gravity. Future work should investigate the dosage response of this intervention, as well as test whether shoulder abduction loading can augment other therapeutic techniques such as goal-directed functional task practice and behavioral shaping to enhance real-world arm function.
Identification of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element and other cis-acting elements in the human androgen receptor gene promoter.

Androgen and androgen receptor (AR) play an important role in sexual differentiation and prostate proliferation. To investigate AR gene transcriptional regulation, a 2.3-kilobase AR gene promoter region was isolated, sequenced, and characterized. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay and sequence homology search of AR gene promoter among human, rat, and mouse revealed some potential cis-acting elements, including a GC box, a suppressor region, and a purine-rich element. Deletion analysis and gel retardation assay using a 50-base pair (bp) double-strand purine-rich element showed that this purine-rich element can bind to specific proteins in nuclear extract of LNCaP and HeLa cells and may be essential for AR gene transcription. Furthermore, to investigate the effect of cAMP on AR gene transcription, we treated LNCaP and HeLa cells with 10 mM (Bu)2cAMP after transfection with CAT gene reporter plasmids linked to the AR gene promoter. This treatment induced several folds of CAT activity in LNCaP cell...
Bayesian networks without tears: making Bayesian networks more accessible to the probabilistically unsophisticated

I give an introduction to Bayesian networks for AI researchers with a limited grounding in probability theory. Over the last few years, this method of reasoning using probabilities has become popular within the AI probability and uncertainty community. Indeed, it is probably fair to say that Bayesian networks are to a large segment of the AI-uncertainty community what resolution theorem proving is to the AIlogic community. Nevertheless, despite what seems to be their obvious importance, the ideas and techniques have not spread much beyond the research community responsible for them. This is probably because the ideas and techniques are not that easy to understand. I hope to rectify this situation by making Bayesian networks more accessible to the probabilistically unsophisticated.
COMPUTABLE ABELIAN GROUPS

We provide an introduction to methods and recent results on infinitely generated abelian groups with decidable word problem.
Mobile In-store Personalized Services

The Mobile Shopping Assistant (MSA) is a mobile application platform to deliver real-time, in-store, and personalized services, such as personalized product offerings and in-store customer advisory support, to improve the shopping experiences of in-store customers. The service delivery network that powers the MSA involves retail stores and their business partners such as manufacturers. This paper presents the core technologies that we developed in this cross-organizational service network to support the MSA and its personalized services, with focus on service delivery, customer behavior understanding and information sharing. Our event-based techniques allow customers, stores and manufacturers to deliver and consume the services in a loosely coupled manner, thus solving a critical store-specific real-time engagement problem in a seamless way. Service response tracking enables the stores to construct a comprehensive view of a customer’s in-store shopping behavior. Finally, the cross-organizational authorization-based access control mechanism effectively enforces information sharing between the stores and their partners.
Phagocytosis of fungal agents and yeast via macrophage cell surface scavenger receptors.

Background Macrophages mediate phagocytosis via cell-surface pattern-recognition-receptors (PRRs) known to recognize certain fixed patterns on pathogens. Of these PRRs, scavenger receptors class A I and II (SR-A I and II) are known to mediate the binding and internalization of a large variety of Gram +ve and Gram –ve bacteria. Their role in phagocytic clearance of fungal agents has not been described. Methods Fluorescence microscopy and phagocytosis assays were used on murine macrophage cell lines RAW264.7. Chinese hamster ovarian cell lines (CHO) transfected with SR-A-I or SRA-II and known ligands that block SRA-uptake were used to test the ability of these cells to bind fungal agents. Macrophages from mice genetically deficient in SRA (MSR-knockouts) were used to establish whether absence of these receptors affects fungal uptake. Results We show for the first time that the SR-A I and II on macrophages are involved in both the binding and phagocytosis of S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans. SRA-mediated binding and internalization of these pathogens is specifically inhibited by known ligands of SRA (Fucoidan and Poly G) in a dose-titratable manner. Further, CHO cells transfected with either SR-A-I or SRA-II show an increased ability to bind and internalize S. cerevisiae compared with the non-transfected parental cells. In contrast, the macrophages that are deficient in the scavenger receptor (obtained from MSR–/– mice) do not show a decreased ability to phagocytose fungal agents. Conclusions Scavenger receptors mediate phagocytosis of fungal agents, representing perhaps an alternative, fall back mechanism.
Phase Separation in Binary and Ternary Polymer Composites Studied with Electronic Excitation Transport

Time-resolved fluorescence polarization anisotropy decay measurements are used to observe the process of phase separation of molecularly mixed polymer blends. The binary blends are composed of a low concentration of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-2-vinylnaphthalene) (PMMA2VN) in poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). The small number of 2VN groups on the PMMA2VN chains act as fluorescent chromophores. Electronic excitation transport (EET) among these chromophores contributes to the decay of their fluorescence polarization anisotropy, which is measured with time-correlated single photon counting. Since EET is highly sensitive to the distances between chromophores, it reflects their spatial distribution and can reveal both the isolated-chain structure and the aggregation of polymer chains in the blend on the nanometer distance scale. Blend samples are prepared by annealing a homogeneous blend at an elevated temperature for a given time and then rapidly quenching the phase-separating material below its glass-transition temperature. The newly formed nanoscopic aggregates frozen in the sample are then investigated with EET. The ternary blends are composed of a very small amount of PMMA2VN and a larger quantity of PMMA, both in bulk PVAc. In the phase separation of ternary blends, the PMMA2VN component initially partitions with its chromophore-free counterpart, expanding to its i-condition size before continuing to aggregate and eventually separating from the PMMA.
Graph-based planning using local information for unknown outdoor environments

One of the common applications for outdoor robots is to follow a path in large scale unknown environments. This task is challenging due to the intensive memory requirements to represent the map, uncertainties in the location estimate of the robot and unknown terrain type and obstacles on the way to the goal. We develop a novel graph-based path planner that is based on only local perceptual information to plan a path in such environments. In order to extend the capabilities of the graph representation, we introduce Exploration Bias, which is a node attribute that can implicitly encode obstacle features at immediate surrounding of a node in the graph, the uncertainty of the planner about a node location and also the frequency of visiting a location. Through simulation experiments, we demonstrate that the resulting path cost and distance that the robot traverses to reach the goal location is not significantly different from those of the previous approaches.
Evaluating electromagnetic field implications of a transmission-line moratorium

A moratorium on new electricity transmission lines has been proposed in several states because of the potential health effects of electromagnetic fields. Such a policy would remain in effect until health effects are either found to be insignificant or understood and mitigated. To examine this policy, we develop a simple model to compare either doubling the current on an existing transmission line or adding a second transmission line in a separate corridor to transmit the same amount of electricity between two locations. The results indicate that the two lines will often reduce both the average exposure to electromagnetic fields and the number of exposures to higher level fields, as well as spread the exposure in a potentially more equitable fashion. The implications for more realistic situations are that building new transmission lines may often reduce any potential health effects. Hence, a transmission-line moratorium may be counterproductive.
An Application of Motion Control and Motion Planning

This paper presents how motion control and motion planning can be used to develop an automated robot. The paper begins with an overview of the fundamentals of motion control and motion planning and shows some examples of where motion planning and control can be seen in use. The paper then focuses on demonstrating the use of motion control and planning through the development of an automated disk loading robot.
Hybrid free radical/cationic frontal photopolymerizations

The irradiation of hybrid photopolymer systems consisting of a free radically polymerizable multifunctional acrylate monomer and a cationically polymerizable epoxide or oxetane monomer was conducted under conditions where only the free radical polymerization takes place. This results in the formation of a free-standing polyacrylate network film containing quiescent oxonium ions along with the unreacted cyclic ether monomer. The subsequent application of a point source of heat to the film ignites a cationic ring-opening frontal polymerization that emanates from that site and propagates to all portions of the irradiated sample. This article examines the impact of various molecular structural and experimental parameters on these novel hybrid frontal polymerizations that produce interpenetrating network polymers.
Historical Perspectives: Physiology in microgravity

Studies of physiology in microgravity are remarkably recent, with almost all the data being obtained in the past 40 years. The first human spaceflight did not take place until 1961. Physiological measurements in connection with the early flights were crude, but, in the past 10 years, an enormous amount of new information has been obtained from experiments on Spacelab. The United States and Soviet/Russian programs have pursued different routes. The US has mainly concentrated on relatively short flights but with highly sophisticated equipment such as is available in Spacelab. In contrast, the Soviet/Russian program concentrated on first the Salyut and then the Mir space stations. These had the advantage of providing information about long-term exposure to microgravity, but the degree of sophistication of the measurements in space was less. It is hoped that the International Space Station will combine the best of both approaches. The most important physiological changes caused by microgravity include bone demineralization, skeletal muscle atrophy, vestibular problems causing space motion sickness, cardiovascular problems resulting in postflight orthostatic intolerance, and reductions in plasma volume and red cell mass. Pulmonary function is greatly altered but apparently not seriously impaired. Space exploration is a new frontier with long-term missions to the moon and Mars not far away. Understanding the physiological changes caused by long-duration microgravity remains a daunting challenge.
Finite element modelling of turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer in continuous casting

Abstract A two-dimensional finite element model has been developed to analyze turbulent, steady-state fluid flow and heat transfer within the liquid pool of a continuous steel-slab-casting machine, using the CFD code FIDAP. This high Reynolds number problem is often prone to instability in solving the finite element equations. To help provide guidelines for achieving convergence to a good solution for problems of this type, various solution strategies, relaxation factors, and meshes have been investigated. The effect of various numerical modelling parameters on the flow and temperature solutions are also investigated. These include, in particular, the boundary conditions for K and ϵ inlet conditions and wall laws and the turbulent Prandtl number. Finally, the predicted flow patterns and velocity fields show reasonable agreement with experimental observations and measurements conducted by using a Plexiglas water model, and the predicted heat flux profiles closely match previous measurements.
Prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism among patients with cancer: the American Society of Clinical Oncology Guidelines

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is substantially increased in cancer patients [1–3]. The risk of VTE in cancer patients is also increased in those hospitalized, the elderly, and those with major medical comorbidities including obesity, pulmonary disease, and renal failure [4]. Reported rates of VTE in hospitalized cancer patients have increased substantially in recent years [4]. Most patients with previously unsuspected pulmonary embolism (PE) found at the time of staging computerized tomography scans are actually symptomatic and likely of clinical significance [5]. The risk of VTE in cancer patients is greatest in those with cancers of the pancreas, stomach, brain, lung and ovary, late stage disease and in those undergoing treatment including chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and surgery. Recent studies have also demonstrated a considerable risk of VTE in patients with hematologic malignancies including malignant lymphomas [4,6,7]. A number of new cancer therapies, most notably the antiangiogenesis agents, appear to be associated with an increased risk of both arterial and venous thrombosis [8–13]. The use of the erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, epoetin alpha and darbepoetin alpha, as well as blood transfusions have also been associated with an increased risk of VTE [3,14,15]. Predictive risk models for VTE in ambulatory cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy have recently been developed and validated [16,17].
Discreteness and Nominal Rigidity: Do Supermarket Prices Move Too Much?

We assess the ability of the cross sectional price distribution to react to shocks from the point of view of a Prescott “hotels” type model, using a sample of 435 products in 75 stores over 121 weeks. We argue that the cross sectional distribution is flexible in spite of the price repetition observed in the data. From the point of view of our model the question is why prices move so much. We outline the possibility that prices are used to manage inventories.
Abstract W P296: Establishing a Stroke Protocol Based on the Trauma Model

Background and Purpose: In the summer of 2012, the state of Pennsylvania adopted legislation mandating EMS providers to deliver all patients with clinical signs of stroke to a certified stroke center for evaluation. In response to this change, development of a new stroke program began at a tertiary medical center located in the northeastern region of the state. The facility was a certified trauma center and also held various other disease specific certifications through the Joint Commission. This project sought to examine the needs of a newly developing primary stroke center within the context of a healthcare organization with numerous other specialized medical and surgical programs. Specifically, the investigators hoped to illustrate the similarities between stroke and other specialized services to demonstrate that many of the requirements of these programs are shared. Method: The site stroke clinical coordinator and system stroke program coordinator kept detailed records of all phases of stroke program development. As resource needs were identified, notation was made indicating whether or not those resources were already available in the hospital. By examining these records, the coordinators were able to identify how many of the resources needed to develop an effective stroke program were already present within the system. Results: Information was collected beginning at the inception of program development in 2012 through the time of application for Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center certification in August of 2013. During these 9 months, many of the needed resources were found to already exist in the facility, with most having been created or added as a result of the hospital’s trauma program development several years earlier. Conclusion: The hospital was able to develop a high performing stroke center with comparative ease due to the preexisting resources from the institution’s trauma program. It is the belief of the stroke team that these results could be easily duplicated in other facilities with trauma services that wish to expand into stroke specialization as well.
Innocuous Time-Saver or Counter-Majoritarian Loophole? The Cert Pool and Policy on the U.S. Supreme Court

Since 1972, the certiorari petitions that arrive at the Supreme Court are randomly assigned for review to one of the five to eight justices who are members of the Supreme Court cert pool. Justices who are not members of the pool still review each petition. Thus, some petitions for review are evaluated by as few as two justices (or their clerks), and the rest of the Court relies on the recommendations of these justices. This practice has been criticized for its potentially counter-majoritarian implications. Formalizing the communication between the better-informed justices who review a petition and the rest of the Court as a sender-receiver game, I assess the circumstances under which the Court median's preferred policy outcome is subverted. Then, I analyze the decision to opt out of the cert pool. In some equilibria, the cert pool can move policy away from the median justice; in others (specifically, those in which one justice on each side of the median opts out of the cert pool) it is predicted to have no influence. Empirical patterns of cert pool membership in the last eleven natural courts are consistent with equilibrium predictions.
Positive Pressure Therapy for OSA

Positive airway pressure therapy is the most effective and immediate treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) other than tracheotomy. Over the period of more than 30 years it has been available, there have been continued improvements in design leading to greater comfort and acceptance. Newer forms of therapy including bilevel pressure and automated devices may be advantageous in some circumstances. Finding the best CPAP pressure usually involves in laboratory titration to eliminate inspiratory flow limitation. A “split-night” diagnostic and therapeutic protocol may be successful in many but not all cases. Recent studies have examined the effects of treatment on sleepiness, cognitive impairment, and affect with generally positive results. There is also evidence that treatment with positive airway pressure helps to reduce hypertension, atherosclerosis, risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation, and risk of stroke. Optimal treatment includes careful attention to choice of interface and objective monitoring of compliance.
Study on fault characteristics of Jinsu UHVDC based on the true-type device of UHVDC control and protection

With deep study of UHVDC, pure electromagnetic or electromechanical-electromagnetic hybrid simulation cannot meet the need of analysis of transient characteristics of UHVDC. In this paper, take ±800 kV Jinsu UHVDC project as background, Jiangsu power grid with Jinsu UHVDC accessing was built in RTDS, true-type device of UHVDC control and protection was taken. To ensure that the size of the grid while guaranteeing the DC system transient characteristics of the protection and control. Take an AC fault occurred in history of direct near placement as background, the simulation results of using the true-type simulation systems built and traditionally electromechanical-electromagnetic hybrid system were compared with the real fault recorder. The results shows the true-type device of UHVDC control and protection performance remain highly consistent with actual UHVDC project in protection functions, behavior and trends of steady-state operating conditions.
Long-Term Caloric Restriction Improves Baroreflex Sensitivity in Aging Fischer 344 Rats

The effects of aging and caloric restriction on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and baroreflex sensitivity were determined in young (7-9 months) and old (22-24 months) awake, male Fischer 344 rats which had been either ad libitum fed or calorie restricted (60% of the ad libitum calories). The MAP of young rats was higher than that of old rats. The MAP of old ad libitum fed rats was higher than that of old restricted rats with no effect of diet in young rats. The HR of restricted rats was lower than ad libitum fed rats with no significant age effect. Reflex bradycardia to hypertensive episodes was greater in restricted than in ad libitum fed rats. Reflex tachycardia to hypotensive episodes was greater in young than in old rats and greater in calorie restricted than in ad libitum fed rats. These findings demonstrate that caloric restriction alters the age-associated decline in several hemodynamic parameters.
Fundamental mechanism for electrically actuated mechanical resonances in ZnO nanowhiskers

In this study, we elucidate the fundamental mechanism for electrically actuated mechanical resonances in semiconducting ZnO nanowhiskers (NWs). Based on visual detection and measurement of mechanical resonances in ZnO NWs using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), previous studies have attributed dynamic charge induction as the fundamental mechanism for the observed resonances. We show that the use of an electron beam as a resonance detection tool alters the intrinsic electrical character of the ZnO, and makes it difficult to identify the source of the charge necessary for the electrostatic actuation. A systematic study of the amplitude of electrically actuated as-grown and gold-coated ZnO NWs in the presence (absence) of an electron beam using a SEM (dark-field optical microscope) suggest that our ZnO NWs intrinsically support static charge actuation.
Multiplex design for high-performance microspectrometers

The volume of spectrometers can be drastically reduced through the use of multiplex measurement. Reductions of 3-5 orders of magnitude are possible. This has the potential to drastically effect manufacturing and deployment costs.
Numerical investigation of cooling(heating) load characteristics for shallow buried underground construction located in northern area of China

To improve the accuracy of load calculation,the cooling(heating) load characteristics of shallow buried underground construction located in northern area of China were investigated in the perspective of dynamic load.The 'epw' form TMY data of 4 cities(Harbin,Changchun,Shenyang,and Beijing) were analyzed by statistics to understand the main meteorological features of northern China.A 2-dimensional mathematic model was built to simulate the year-round heat transfer process.The hour-by-hour numeric solutions of the 4 cities' ground temperature in different depths were generated by finite element method software,while the surface temperature as boundary condition was TMY data.The results were applied as the initial condition for the calculation of heat transfer quantities with the enclosure of underground building.In the case located in Shenyang city,the dynamic fresh air load was also calculated.However,for convenience in the discussion,the internal heat gain from light,people and equipments was set to static.The calculation result shows the periodic fluctuation characteristics of the load.
447 DETERMINANTS OF PARTICIPATION IN HIV CLINICAL TRIALS: THE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST.

Objective To investigate the factors that contribute to patient willingness to participate in HIV clinical trials and to determine if a brief intervention that provides information about HIV clinical trials affects willingness to participate in a trial. Method 75 outpatients receiving HIV primary care at the Center for Clinical AIDS Research and Education participated in this prospective study. Each patient completed two questionnaires and met briefly with the principal investigator, who discussed the purpose and availability of clinical trials. Results The characteristics of the 75 HIV-infected patients were 12% women; 87% receiving medication; 41% detectable viral load. Of all the patients, 49% had previously enrolled in a clinical trial; 29% were currently enrolled in a clinical trial; 71% had talked with their doctor about clinical trials; and 92% would consider participating in a clinical trial in the future. Patients who had previously enrolled in HIV clinical trials demonstrated greater knowledge of clinical trials than did patients who had never enrolled in a trial, F(1,73) = 5.57, p = .021. Moreover, increased patient trust in their provider was associated with increased willingness to consider participating in a trail, r(73) = .286, p = .014. After the brief intervention by the principal investigator, 72 participants (96%) indicated that they would be willing to be contacted by their health care provider about a clinical trial for which they may be eligible. Conclusions Patient knowledge of clinical trials and trust in their provider influence willingness to participate in clinical trials. Providing all HIV-infected patients with information about HIV clinical trials at the site where they receive care may increase participation rates in HIV clinical trials.
Therapeutic potential of adipose stem cell-derived conditioned medium against pulmonary hypertension and lung fibrosis.

Background and Purpose Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary fibrosis (PF) are life threatening cardiopulmonary diseases. Existing pharmacological interventions have failed to improve clinical outcomes or reduce disease-associated mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that stem cells offer an effective treatment approach against various pathological conditions. It has been proposed that their beneficial actions may be mediated via secretion of paracrine factors. Herein, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of conditioned media (CM) from adipose stem cells (ASCs) against experimental models of PH and PF. Experimental Approach Monocrotaline (MCT) or bleomycin (Bleo) was injected into male Sprague–Dawley rats to induce PH or PF respectively. A subset of MCT and Bleo animals were treated with ASCs or CM. Echocardiographic and haemodynamic measurements were performed at the end of the study. Lung and heart tissues were harvested for RNA, protein and histological measurements. Key Results CM treatment attenuated MCT-induced PH by improving pulmonary blood flow and inhibiting cardiac remodelling. Further, histological studies revealed that right ventricular fibrosis, pulmonary vessel wall thickness and pericyte distribution were significantly decreased by CM administration. Likewise, CM therapy arrested the progression of PF in the Bleo model by reducing collagen deposition. Elevated expression of markers associated with tissue remodelling and inflammation were significantly reduced in both PF and PH lungs. Similar results were obtained with ASCs administration. Conclusions and Implications Our study indicates that CM treatment is as effective as ASCs in treating PH and PF. These beneficial effects of CM may provide an innovative approach to treat cardiopulmonary disorders.
Assessment of genetically engineered Trabulsiella odontotermitis as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for paratransgenesis in termites

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus is an invasive urban pest in the Southeastern USA. Paratransgenesis using a microbe expressed lytic peptide that targets the termite gut protozoa is currently being developed for the control of Formosan subterranean termites. In this study, we evaluated Trabulsiella odontotermitis, a termite-specific bacterium, for its potential to serve as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for expression of gene products in termite colonies. We engineered two strains of T. odontotermitis, one transformed with a constitutively expressed GFP plasmid and the other engineered at the chromosome with a Kanamycin resistant gene using a non- disruptive Tn7 transposon. Both strains were fed to termites from three different colonies. Fluorescent microscopy confirmed that T. odontotermitis expressed GFP in the gut and formed a biofilm in the termite hindgut. However, GFP producing bacteria could not be isolated from the termite gut after 2 weeks. The feeding experiment with the chromosomally engineered strain demonstrated that T. odontotermitis was maintained in the termite gut for at least 21 days, irrespective of the termite colony. The bacteria persisted in two termite colonies for at least 36 days post feeding. The experiment also confirmed the horizontal transfer of T. odontotermitis amongst nest mates. Overall, we conclude that T. odontotermitis can serve as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for spreading gene products in termite colonies. This study provided proof of concept and laid the foundation for the future development of genetically engineered termite gut bacteria for paratransgenesis based termite control.
Perceptual precision of passive body tilt is consistent with statistically optimal cue integration.

We found that human whole body self-motion direction-recognition thresholds measured during dynamic roll tilts were significantly lower than those predicted by a conventional maximum-likelihood wei...
Optical properties of atomically thin two-dimensional materials

We review our understanding of the distinctive optical properties of monolayer semiconductors in the transition metal dichalcogenide family, including their strong and anomalous excitonic effects, their valley circular dichroism, and their interlayer interactions.