cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SAR studies on truxillic acid mono esters as a new class of antinociceptive agents targeting fatty acid binding proteins

Abstract Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) serve as critical modulators of endocannabinoid signaling by facilitating the intracellular transport of anandamide and whose inhibition potentiates anandamide signaling. Our previous work has identified a novel small-molecule FABP inhibitor, α-truxillic acid 1-naphthyl monoester (SB-FI-26, 3) that has shown efficacy as an antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory agent in rodent models. In the present work, we have performed an extensive SAR study on a series of 3-analogs as novel FABP inhibitors based on computer-aided inhibitor drug design and docking analysis, chemical synthesis and biological evaluations. The prediction of binding affinity of these analogs to target FABP3, 5 and 7 isoforms was performed using the AutoDock 4.2 program, using the recently determined co-crystal structures of 3 with FABP5 and FABP7. The compounds with high docking scores were synthesized and evaluated for their activities using a fluorescence displacement assay against FABP3, 5 and 7. During lead optimization, compound 3l emerged as a promising compound with the Ki value of 0.21 μM for FABP 5, 4-fold more potent than 3 (Ki, 0.81 μM). Nine compounds exhibit similar or better binding affinity than 3, including compounds 4b (Ki, 0.55 μM) and 4e (Ki, 0.68 μM). Twelve compounds are selective for FABP5 and 7 with >10 μM Ki values for FABP3, indicating a safe profile to avoid potential cardiotoxicity concerns. Compounds 4f, 4j and 4k showed excellent selectivity for FABP5 and would serve as other new lead compounds. Compound 3a possessed high affinity and high selectivity for FABP7. Compounds with moderate to high affinity for FABP5 displayed antinociceptive effects in mice while compounds with low FABP5 affinity lacked in vivo efficacy. In vivo pain model studies in mice revealed that exceeding hydrophobicity significantly affects the efficacy. Thus, among the compounds with high affinity to FABP5 in vitro, the compounds with moderate hydrophobicity were identified as promising new lead compounds for the next round of optimization, including compounds 4b and 4j. For select cases, computational analysis of the observed SAR, especially the selectivity of new inhibitors to particular FABP isoforms, by comparing docking poses, interaction map, and docking energy scores has provided useful insights.
On the Utility of Heteroplasmy in Genotoxicity Studies: An Example from Chornobyl

We examine the utility of mtDNA heteroplasmy in assessing genetic damage due to environ- mental insult. Site heteroplasmy was quantified in a 400 bp portion of the cytochrome b gene in voles from a contaminated area near Chornobyl, Ukraine and from a relative control site by examining pregnant females and their embryos. A four hundred base pair segment was sequenced from approxi- mately ten clones from each mother and embryo. Taq andror cloning mutations were evaluated to estimate technical error. Although the rates of substitutions in clonal variants for experimentals, biological controls and technical controls were 1 in 1,840 bp, 1 in 2,280 bp, and 1 in 3,333 bp, respectively, we could not reject the null hypothesis that the variants were the result of a single, combined, mutation rate. However, multiple substitutions and transversions were restricted to clones from the Chornobyl samples. Bootstrap analyses indicate that these aspects of variation were significantly different from the controls. Examination of the mitochondrial genome by cloning individual molecules for site heteroplasmy to estimate effects of pollution on mutation rate in free-living organisms appears to warrant additional study.
The Gendered Effects of Structural Violence

Violent, armed conflict causes a great deal of suffering and harm in the world. Peace researchers are undeniably justified in their selection of inter- and intra-state war as objects of study. However, evidence has accumulated which shows that structural violence, a concept introduced by Johan Galtung in 1969, may do more harm to a greater number of people than even armed conflict (Galtung and Hoivik 1971). It has been further suggested that structural inequalities are especially harmful for women, because of the intersection of gender with existing conditions such as poor health, inadequate education, and caste (Yardley 2012, Farmer 1997). But in spite of the harm caused by gendered structural violence, studies of direct violence occurring in conflict settings are much more prevalent. This may be due to the relative “invisibility” of structural violence (Galtung 1969), the lack of good data on violence against women (Anderson 2009, Hudson et al 2008, Caprioli et al 2009), or the prevalence of the public/private divide which encourages researchers to focus on public, political violence rather than violence that occurs in the private sphere (Wilding 2011, Felson 2000, Heise 1998). I argue that a gender lens ought to be mainstreamed into studies of structural violence and into the peacebuilding solutions designed to address such violence. If the end-goal for peacebuilders is positive peace in the thick sense of justice (Galtung 1969), then peacebuilders should be as concerned about the violence that happens between husbands and wives as they are about violence between nation-states.I conduct a cross-national, quantitative study using newly available data from the WomanStats project to show that structural inequalities correlate with violence against women. The unequal structures are themselves violent — public inequality fosters norms of dominance and ownership such that inequality in private places becomes “justifiable.” Specifically, I find that democracy has a significant, dampening effect upon violence against women, and that the Gender Inequality Index (comprised of measures of women’s reproductive freedom, labor force participation relative to men, and empowerment) correlates with rising rates of violence against women (Gender Inequality Index). Regions of the Middle East and North Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and South Asia also display higher rates of violence against women as compared to that of OECD countries. These results confirm my hypothesis that structural violence adversely affects women, statistically affirming on an international scale that which has long been shown by anthropological studies (Farmer 1997, Beckerleg and Hundt 2005, Campbell 1992). Peace researchers and peacebuilders must be mindful of the extent to which women are affected by structural inequalities. Furthermore, they must be willing to explore not only public initiatives that mitigate social and economic inequalities, but also private interventions that protect women from domestic violence. In the end, we may find peace among nations to be possible only if private peace is secured (Hudson et al 2008).
A Feasibility Study on Kinematic Feature Extraction from the Human Interventricular Septum toward Hypertension Classification

The current work is intended to present the first steps in examining the feasibility of improving the diagnosis and understanding of cardiovascular diseases, particularly pulmonary hypertension (PH), by analyzing the shape of the right side of the interventricular septum. Although there clearly exists a connection between the septum shape and PH, there is still no quantitative and clear understanding of how this shape change relates to the disease state. Therefore, there exists a great need for techniques that are capable of quantitatively analyzing variations in septum shape and to perform a study that analyzes these shape changes relating to various states of PH. Such advancements could directly improve the diagnostic process for this deadly disease, including early detection overcoming the early nonspecific symptoms of PH and better understanding the progression of the disease by identifying behaviors that relate to either beneficial or deleterious cardiac adaptation. The details of a potential shape analysis approach for the interventricular septum is presented, including a surface parameterization approach and direct application of proper orthogonal decomposition for feature extraction. To show the feasibility of implementing this approach, the decomposition of a single patient’s interventricular septum at several phases in a single cardiac cycle is shown. The results show the capability to obtain distinct features of the septal wall shape in a generally applicable way, and provide a path for future large-scale analyses of groups of patients.
Individualized patient vocal priorities for tailored therapy

Purpose The purposes of this study are to introduce the concept of vocal priorities based on acoustic correlates, to develop an instrument to determine these vocal priorities, and to analyze the pa...
Chaucer’s Decameron and the Origin of the Canterbury Tales

Frederick M. Biggs imagines the outburst of a maidservant in the Decameron as the beginning of the Canterbury Tales. The incident occurs on the Sixth Day, when Filomena’s maidservant Licisca, in a ...
Optimal fluid management in sepsis

Sepsis clinically manifests as life-threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection.1 Optimal fluid resuscitation is relevant for all sepsis patients, and perhaps it is most important for those with septic shock. Septic shock is defined as a subset of sepsis in which particularly profound circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities are associated with a greatest risk of mortality, and septic shock is clinically identified as sepsis patients with serum lactate level >2 mmol/L and who require vasopressor infusion to maintain a mean arterial pressure ≥ 65 mm Hg in the absence of hypovolemia. Sepsis is among the most common conditions in the intensive care unit (ICU), accounting for up to half of all hospital deaths and being the third leading cause of death overall in the United States.2 Sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies for which treatment and resuscitation should begin immediately. The goals of fluid resuscitation for these patients are: a) to rapidly replace intravascular volume and restore tissue perfusion, and b) to minimize organ dysfunction through timely interventions that either halt or reverse the physiologic derangements. If hypoperfusion is present, at least 30 mL/kg of IV crystalloid fluid should be given rapidly, and additional fluids should be guided by frequent reassessment of hemodynamic status, preferably using dynamic indices to indicate the likelihood of a beneficial response to fluid administration. Fluid administration should be targeted to achieve a MAP of at least 65 mm Hg, and to normalize lactate in patients with elevated lactate due to hypoperfusion.3 Balanced crystalloids are the fluid of first choice for sepsis resuscitation based on ready availability and taking medication costs into account. Use of 0.9% saline compared to a balanced crystalloid, such as lactated Ringer's or PlasmaLyte, produces more kidney dysfunction and with a greater risk of dying.4 The individual side effect profiles may best differentiate the natural and synthetic colloids. Albumin may be considered for administration to sepsis patients with refractory shock or who have received substantial amounts of crystalloid fluids, but should not be administered to patients with severe traumatic brain injury.5 Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) products should not be administered to patients with sepsis because of increased risk of acute kidney injury and death. Gelatin solutions are not recommended in sepsis. Norepinephrine is the vasopressor of first choice for patients with septic shock, and should be administered to achieve a mean arterial pressure of at least 65 mm Hg after excluding hypovolemia as a cause for hypotension. The selection of a second line vasopressor, such as vasopressin, dopamine, phenylephrine, epinephrine or angiotensin-2, depends on patient factors such as underlying cardiac dysfunction, presence of arrhythmias, and current response to vasoconstrictor or inotropic agents. Dopamine should not be used for renal perfusion or protection and it should be avoided in patients with tachyarrhythmias.
Die unmöglichen Subjekte des Postfundamentalismus

Der Beitrag attestiert den gegenwartig viel diskutierten Theorien radikaler Demokratie eine erziehungstheoretische Leerstelle. Wie in Auseinandersetzung mit Chantal Mouffe und Jacques Ranciere gezeigt werden soll, grundet diese Nichtthematisierung in erster Linie in der theoriearchitektonischen Zentralstellung einer als absolut postulierten Kontingenzannahme. Infolgedessen sind radikaldemokratische Theorien entweder gezwungen, Fragen der Erziehung unbeachtet bzw. dem Zufall zu (uber)lassen, oder aber eine radikaldemokratische Bildung zu propagieren, die ihrem Anspruch auf Abbildung von Grundlosigkeit nicht gerecht werden kann. Ausgehend von dieser dilemmatischen Konstellation werden abschliesend einige Gedanken skizziert, wie dennoch eine zumindest radikaldemokratisch inspirierte Antwort auf diese Problemstellung aussehen konnte.
Tactical Network Automation with NetZTP and One Shot

Network automation promises to improve network operations by increasing efficiency and consistency but is difficult to achieve in practice due to the large variety of infrastructure devices within the network as well as vendor specific management and control interfaces. This paper explores options for the tactical deployment of network automation to provide maximum return on investment as organizations explore strategic approaches to network automation.
Structural and Magnetic Properties of the New SrLa 2 FeCuSbO 9 Perovskite Phase

We report on the synthesis and structural and magnetic properties of the new SrLa2FeCuSbO9 perovskite. The compound was prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The crystalline structure was studied by X-ray diffraction experiments using the Rietveld refinement analysis. SrLa2FeCuSbO9 crystallizes in a monoclinic system (P21/n space group). Its unit cell parameters are a = 5.6101(2) A, b = 5.6125(2) A, c = 7.9358(3) A, and β = 90.094(2)°. Sr2+ and La3+, in SrLa2FeCuSbO9, are statistically distributed within the A-perovskite sites. The obtained cationic distribution can be illustrated by the [SrLa2]A[(SbCu0.5)2c(FeCu0.5)2d]BO9 crystallographic formula. SrLa2FeCuSbO9 was found to exhibit a paramagnetic–ferrimagnetic transition around TC = 215 K. At high temperature, the magnetic susceptibility was described by the Curie–Weiss law. The experimental effective moments were explained by only spin contribution for Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions. At low temperature, the compound presents a ferrimagnetic state with signs of frustration.
Random Forest Based Scheduling Rules Mining in 3D Printing Network

In a cloud manufacturing environment, decentralized physical resources form a manufacturing service network through interconnection and sharing. As a typical digital device in the current environment, 3D printing plays an important role in the construction of the network. To this end, this paper builds a print resource scheduling model under the network environment. Aiming at the problem of large randomness and discreteness in the generation of orders in the manufacturing network, this paper proposes a random forest based scheduling rule mining algorithm, which is combined with LR (Logistic Regression), CTRA (Decision Tree), KNN (k-Nearest Neighbor), SVM (support vector machines), SVM-CV (Cross validation support vector machines) and other algorithms are compared. The results show that RF has better performance in optimizing the solution results and running speed.
CurbScan: Curb Detection and Tracking Using Multi-Sensor Fusion

Reliable curb detection is critical for safe autonomous driving in urban contexts. Curb detection and tracking are also useful in vehicle localization and path planning. Past work utilized a 3D LiDAR sensor to determine accurate distance information and the geometric attributes of curbs. However, such an approach requires dense point cloud data and is also vulnerable to false positives from obstacles present on both road and off-road areas. In this paper, we propose an approach to detect and track curbs by fusing together data from multiple sensors: sparse LiDAR data, a mono camera and low-cost ultrasonic sensors. The detection algorithm is based on a single 3D LiDAR and a mono camera sensor used to detect candidate curb features and it effectively removes false positives arising from surrounding static and moving obstacles. The detection accuracy of the tracking algorithm is boosted by using Kalman filter-based prediction and fusion with lateral distance information from low-cost ultrasonic sensors. We next propose a line-fitting algorithm that yields robust results for curb locations. Finally, we demonstrate the practical feasibility of our solution by testing in different road environments and evaluating our implementation in a real vehicle1. Our algorithm maintains over 90% accuracy within 4.5-22 meters and 0-14 meters for the KITTI dataset and our dataset respectively, and its average processing time per frame is approximately 10 ms on Intel i7 x86 and 100ms on NVIDIA Xavier board.
Racial Stratification Among Latinos in the Mortgage Market

Studies of the mortgage industry’s impact on racial stratification have long focused on racial disparities found between white and black homeowners. Ample research demonstrates that unequal access and treatment between white and black home seekers has created major differences in the type of loan products they are offered in the marketplace. While numerous studies also document disadvantaged Latino homebuyers, studies have yet to examine racial variation within the Latino population. This paper draws on annual data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) from 2010 to 2017 to assess variation in racial disparities among Latinos in loan outcomes and compares them to Non-Latino whites, blacks, Asians, and Others. I show that loan rejections and high cost originations are highest among black Latinos and lowest among white and Asian Latinos. Other Latinos perform somewhere in the middle. These trends are particularly true when examining mortgage denials. When comparing Latino racial groups to Non-Latinos, the observed lending patterns provide evidence of a tri-racial hierarchy in the mortgage market.
The glass is half full: gender diversity in sleep medicine award recognition

Citation: Zak RS, Lee KA. The glass is half full: gender diversity in sleep medicine award recognition. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(8):1517–1518.
Adding a New Medication Versus Maximizing Dose to Intensify Hypertension Treatment in Older Adults : A Prospective Observational Study

Background There are 2 approaches to intensifying antihypertensive treatment when target blood pressure is not reached, adding a new medication and maximizing dose. Which strategy is better is unknown. Objective To assess the frequency of intensification by adding a new medication versus maximizing dose, as well as the association of each method with intensification sustainability and follow-up systolic blood pressure (SBP). Design Large-scale, population-based, retrospective cohort study. Observational data were used to emulate a target trial with 2 groups, new medication and maximizing dose, who underwent intensification of their drug regimen. Setting Veterans Health Administration (2011 to 2013). Patients Veterans aged 65 years or older with hypertension, an SBP of 130 mm Hg or higher, and at least 1 antihypertensive medication at less than the maximum dose. Measurements The following 2 intensification approaches were emulated: adding a new medication, defined as a total dose increase with new medication, and maximizing dose, defined as a total dose increase without new medication. Inverse probability weighting was used to assess the observational effectiveness of the intensification approach on sustainability of intensified treatment and follow-up SBP at 3 and 12 months. Results Among 178 562 patients, 45 575 (25.5%) had intensification by adding a new medication and 132 987 (74.5%) by maximizing dose. Compared with maximizing dose, adding a new medication was associated with less intensification sustainability (average treatment effect, -15.2% [95% CI, -15.7% to -14.6%] at 3 months and -15.1% [CI, -15.6% to -14.5%] at 12 months) but a slightly larger reduction in mean SBP (-0.8 mm Hg [CI, -1.2 to -0.4 mm Hg] at 3 months and -1.1 mm Hg [CI, -1.6 to -0.6 mm Hg] at 12 months). Limitation Observational data; largely male population. Conclusion Adding a new antihypertensive medication was less frequent and was associated with less intensification sustainability but slightly larger reductions in SBP. Trials would provide the most definitive support for our findings. Primary funding source National Institute on Aging and Veterans Health Administration.
Liability Under CERCLA § 9601 (35)(C ) for Intermediate Landowners Who Discover Contamination, Do Not Disclose, and Sell to Innocent Buyers

Section 9601(35)(C) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) may amend the traditional classes of liable parties, holding responsible intermediate landowners who convey properties without disclosing their knowledge of contamination. To date, however, courts have failed to settle on whether § 9601(35)(C) constitutes a new and independent basis for liability. This Note provides a discussion of the current status of the law on intermediate landowner liability, presents four scenarios in which the lack of consistency in judicial interpretation of § 9601(35)(C) results in mischievous land transfers, and finally, suggests that courts should use the section as an independent basis for intermediate owner liability to achieve the policy goals of CERCLA.
For the People: American Populist Movements from the Revolution to the 1850s – By Ronald P. Formisano

Historians acknowledge this author's Boston Against Busing: Race, Class, and Ethnicity in the 1960s and 1970s[1991] as a path‐breaking profile of a movement combining reformist, egalitarian, and an...
Footlift asymmetry during obstacle avoidance in high-risk elderly.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that vertical footlift asymmetries and low obstacle clearing distance during obstacle avoidance are characteristics of elderly people classified as high risk for falls. Design: Controlled cross-sectional design with two conditions to cue selection of the foot-for-step initiation: sound cue and visual cue. Setting: Senior independent living facilities. Participants: Eighteen community-dwelling elderly with a history of falling or prolonged Timed Up and Go score greater than 13.5 seconds, 16 elderly with no fall history and Timed Up & Go score of 13.5 seconds or less, and 15 younger subjects. Measurements: Video kinematic analysis of bilateral footlift displacement and velocity using reflective markers as subjects stepped over foam obstacles scaled to a maximum tolerated height. Results: High-risk elders contacted the obstacle more frequently and had significantly greater vertical footlift asymmetries adjusted for obstacle/subject height (mean±standard error asymmetry index for sound cue 3.25±0.42 cm, for visual cue 2.51±0.45 cm) than low-risk and younger subjects (P<.001). In low-risk elderly and younger subjects, the asymmetry index approached 0, which indicated symmetrical lower limb movements when stepping over the obstacles. Conclusion: High-risk elderly show a marked asymmetry in foot clearance while stepping over an obstacle, with the lag foot clearing the obstacle at a much lower distance than the lead foot. Possible mechanisms responsible for these findings (limited hip extension and deficits in executive cognitive function) are discussed.
Adiabatic Hamiltonian deformation, linear response theory, and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics

The same methods are now being applied to solid-phase problems. 10 At the relatively high frequencies used in the viscous fluid calculations described here, solids typically behave elastically. Lower frequencies lead to the formation of dislocations and other defects, making it possible to study plastic flow.
New Geometrical Approach to Superstrings

We present a new geometrical approach to superstrings based on the geometrical theory of integration on supermanifolds. This approach provides an effective way to calculate multi-loop superstring amplitudes for arbitrary backgrounds. It makes possible to calculate amplitudes for the physical states defined as BRST cohomology classes using arbitrary representatives. Since the new formalism does not rely on the presence of primary representatives for the physical states it is particularly valuable for analyzing the discrete states for which no primary representatives are available. We show that the discrete states provide information about symmetries of the background including odd symmetries which mix Bose and Fermi states. The dilaton is an example of a non-discrete state which cannot be covariantly represented by a primary vertex. The new formalism allows to prove the dilaton theorem by a direct calculation.
Particulate organic acids and overall water-soluble aerosol composition measurements from the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (GoMACCS)

The Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter participated in the Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (GoMACCS) mission during August–September 2006. A particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) coupled to ion chromatography was used to characterize the water-soluble ion composition of aerosol and cloud droplet residual particles (976 5-min PM_(1.0) samples in total). Sulfate and ammonium dominated the water-soluble mass (NH_4+ + SO_4^(2−) = 84 ± 14%), while organic acids contributed 3.4 ± 3.7%. The average NH_4^+:SO_4^(2−) molar ratio was 1.77 ± 0.85. Particulate concentrations of organic acids increased with decreasing carbon number from C_9 to C_2. Organic acids were most abundant above cloud, presumably as a result of aqueous phase chemistry in cloud droplets, followed by subsequent droplet evaporation above cloud tops; the main product of this chemistry was oxalic acid. The evolution of organic acids with increasing altitude in cloud provides evidence for the multistep nature of oxalic acid production; predictions from a cloud parcel model are consistent with the observed oxalate:glyoxylate ratio as a function of altitude in GoMACCS cumuli. Suppressed organic acid formation was observed in clouds with relatively acidic droplets, as determined by high particulate nitrate concentrations (presumably high HNO_3 levels too) and lower liquid water content, as compared to other cloud fields probed. In the Houston Ship Channel region, an area with significant volatile organic compound emissions, oxalate, acetate, formate, benzoate, and pyruvate, in decreasing order, were the most abundant organic acids. Photo-oxidation of m-xylene in laboratory chamber experiments leads to a particulate organic acid product distribution consistent with the Ship Channel area observations.
Making connections with molecular wires: extending tri-nickel chains with axial cyanide, dicyanamide, and phenylacetylide ligands

New chemistry needed to facilitate the replacement of axial ligands (X) in Ni3(dpa)4X2 complexes (dpa = the anion of dipyridylamine) has been explored and used to replace X = Cl by X = CN, NCNCN, and CCPh. The resulting compounds, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, have been characterized by X-ray crystallography and cyclic voltammetry, inter alia. It is found that both the mean Ni⋯Ni separations (D), and the magnitude of the antiferromagnetic coupling (J) between the terminal, high spin (S = 1) Ni(II) atoms vary in a correlated way, with |J| decreasing with increasing D. The relationship is nearly linear over the available ranges of parameters, suggesting that the coupling may proceed mainly through the central, diamagnetic Ni(II) ion.
Characteristics of the volume- and chloride-dependent K transport in human erythrocytes homozygous for hemoglobin C.

In human red cells homozygous for hemoglobin C (CC), cell swelling and acid pH increase K efflux and net K loss in the presence of ouabain (0.1mm) and bumetanide. We report herein, that K influx is also dependent on cell volume in CC cells: cell swelling induces a marked increase in the maximal rate (from 6 to 18 mmol/liter cell × hr) and in the affinity for external K (from 77±16mm to 28±3mm) of K influx. When the external K concentration is varied from 0 to 140mm, K efflux from CC and normal control cells is unaffected. Thus, K/K exchange is not a major component of this K movement. K transport through the pathway of CC cells is dependent on the presence of chloride or bromide; substitution with nitrate, acetate or thiocyanate inhibits the volume- and pH-dependent K efflux. When CC cells are separated according to density, a sizable volume-dependent component of K efflux can be identified in all the fractions and is the most active in the least dense fraction. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) markedly stimulates K efflux from CC cells in chloride but not in nitrate media, and this effect is present in all the fractions of CC cells separated according to density. The persistence of this transport system in denser CC cells suggests that not only cell age, but also the presence of the positively charged C hemoglobin is an important determinant of the activity of this system. These data also indicate that the K transport pathway of CC cells is not an electrodiffusional process and is coupled to chloride.
Age Differences in Memory for Concrete and Abstract Pictures

There is considerable experimental literature showing that memory for complex pictures is relatively insensitive to age. Previous research has shown that young and old adults do not differ in their ability to recognize complex scenes. Other studies, however, using simple line drawings, do find age differences. This experiment investigated the possibility that the failure to find age differences with memory for complex pictures occurs because of memory support provided at encoding and retrieval by both the degree of visual detail (complex perceptual information) and the degree of propositional content (linguistic meaningfulness) that are represented in complex scenes. Pictures were shown to young and old subjects that differed in visual detail (complex vs simple) and propositional content (concrete vs abstract). The results indicated that age differences in picture memory emerge if the pictures are either deprived of visual detail or reduced in propositional content.
Design parameters for wearable optical imagers

This paper summarizes the design steps that are followed during the development of the portable optical imager for breast cancer screening. The design steps considered the parameters such as total power consumption versus battery weight and size, speed of data acquisition versus cost and complexity of the design (functionality), graphical display versus operating system choice. We have used a single board computer system that uses Windows CE as the real time operating system. This choice was preferred since our graphical display requirements can only be carried out with the CE environment's GUI kernels.
Tidal conversion at a very steep ridge

We obtain an analytic solution for the generation of internal gravity waves by tidal flow past a vertical barrier of height $b$ in a uniformly stratified ocean of depth $h\,{>}\,b$ and buoyancy frequency $N$ . The radiated power (watts per metre of barrier) is $$\textstyle\frac{1}{4} \pi \rho_0 b^2 U^2 N \sqrt{1-(f/\omega)^2}M(b/h),$$ where $\rho_0$ is the mean density of seawater, $U \cos (\omega t)$ the tidal velocity, and $f$ the Coriolis frequency. The function $M(b/h)$ increases monotonically with $M(0)\,{=}\,1$ , $M(0.92)\,{=}\,2$ and $M(1)\,{=}\,\infty$ . As $b/h \,{\to}\, 1$ , $M$ diverges logarithmically and consequently the radiated power grows as $\ln[(h-b)/b]$ . We also calculate the conversion in a realistically stratified ocean with strongly non-uniform buoyancy frequency, $N(z)$ . A rough approximation to the radiated power in this case is $$\textstyle\frac{1}{4} \pi \rho_0 b^2 U^2 N(b) \sqrt{1- (f/\omega)^2} M(B/\pi),$$ where $N(b)$ is the buoyancy frequency at the tip of the ridge and $B$ is the height of the ridge in WKB coordinates. (The WKB coordinate is normalized so that the total depth of the ocean is $\pi$ .) The approximation above is an over-estimate of the actual radiation by as much as 20% when $B/\pi \,{\approx}\, 0.8$ . But the formula correctly indicates the strong dependence of conversion on stratification through the factor $N(b)$ .
Resonant two-electron processes in ion–atom collisions

Abstract A review of some of the recent results in an effort to obtain electron–ion differential scattering cross sections using fast ion–atom collisions is given. In the projectile frame, if we neglect the effects from the target nucleus, the ion–atom collision can be described as an electron–ion scattering process where the energy distribution of the impinging quasi-free electrons is determined by the Compton-profile of the target. In this electron scattering model (ESM), in addition to the direct electron scattering, doubly excited state formation of the projectile ion is also possible. This is a resonant process in which the doubly excited states can subsequently decay by ejecting Auger-electrons. We have studied elastic, inelastic and superelastic electron scattering as a function of incoming electron energy by observing the outgoing electron energy in the ion–atom collision emission spectra.
Ranking Twitter discussion groups

A discussion group is a repeated, synchronized conversation organized around a specific topic. Groups are extremely valuable to the attendees, creating a sense of community among like-minded users. While groups may involve many users, there are many outside the group that would benefit from participation. However, finding the right group is not easy given their quantity and given topic overlap. We study the following problem: given a search query, find a good ranking of discussion groups. We describe a random walk model for how users select groups: starting with a group relevant to the query, a hypothetical user repeatedly selects an authoritative user in the group and then moves to a group according to what the authoritative user prefers. The stationary distribution of this walk yields a group ranking. We analyze this random walk model, demonstrating that it enjoys many natural properties of a desirable ranking algorithm. We study groups on Twitter where conversations can be organized via pre-designated hashtags. These groups are an emerging phenomenon and there are at least tens of thousands in existence today according to our calculations. Via an extensive collection of experiments on one year of tweets, we show that our model effectively ranks groups, outperforming several baseline solutions.
Operative and 5-year outcomes of combined carotid and coronary revascularization: review of a large contemporary experience.

Background. Surgical treatment of concomitant coronary and carotid disease is controversial. Studies comparing staged versus combined coronary artery bypass grafting and carotid endarterectomy (CABG/CEA) report varying and often conflicting operative results. Also, few studies have investigated the long-term outcomes of combined surgery. Methods. We reviewed the operative outcome and 5-year survival results of 189 consecutive patients (69 9 years old, 66 [35%] female patients) who underwent combined CABG/CEA between 1994 and 1999. Survival follow-up was conducted in February 2001 and the incidence of late stroke, carotid surgery, and myocardial infarction was investigated in all surviving patients by mail survey. A phone interview was done by a surgeon of patients with late strokes or repeated CEA. Results. Operative death occurred in 5 of 189 patients (2.65%) 4 of which were in-hospital deaths. A total of 5 (2 permanent, 3 transient [2.65%]) perioperative strokes were documented in these patients, and 1 of the perioperative strokes patients died in the hospital. In all, 156 of 189 patients (82.5%) were alive at the time of the study and completed surveys were collected from 153 of 156 patients (98%). Of these 153 patients, 4 reported a late stroke (2.6%), 5 suffered a myocardial infarction (3.3%), and 16 (10.5%) underwent subsequent CEA (7 ipsilateral to original CEA). Angioplasty (3 of 153, 2.0%) and redo surgery (1 of 153, 0.66%) occurred infrequently. Median survival follow-up was 51 months (range 12 to 84), and the corresponding 5-year Kaplan-Meier survival was 79.4%. This survival was similar to that of age-matched isolated CABG patients (n 532) with documented history of cerebrovascular disease but no surgical carotid lesions. Conclusions. Our results suggest that combined CABG/ CEA is safe and may in fact reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in the intermediate term compared with age and risk-matched patients. We speculate the latter may be attributable to a cerebrovascular protective effect of CABG/CEA pending verification by randomized trials. An economic benefit of CABG/CEA may also be inferred from avoiding separate coronary and carotid operations and reduction in the high costs of perioperative stroke.
Inferior dermal flap in immediate breast reconstruction.

Background The inferior dermal flap can be used in conjunction with implants or tissue expanders to avoid need for acellular dermal matrix in breast reconstruction and on occasion can serve as an alternative to an autologous flap by functioning as a reconstructed breast mound. Candidates for this procedure are women with high BMI or breast ptosis who desire a decrease in breast size at time of mastectomy with reconstruction. This procedure recruits the de-epithelialized excess skin inferiorly and laterally from a skin-sparing mastectomy and uses this to eliminate the need for acellular dermal matrix in a cost-conscious environment.
Resonance rotation of venus.

In "Resonance rotation of Venus" by I. I. Shapiro (28 July, p. 423), the word "included" in the second line of the abstract should be "inclined." The longitude of feature 1 in Table 1, under present determination, is "12.1" whereas the correct value is "128.1."
Ultra-High-Frequency Radiosonde Direction Finding

A simple radio direction finder, operating at 183 megacycles, for observing the flight of meteorological balloons is described. An Adcock antenna and a single-dipole antenna system, including a corner-type reflector as shield against ground-reflected waves, were used for measuring the azimuthal and the elevation angles of an incoming electromagnetic wave. Shielding characteristics of the corner-type reflector for various wire spacings, focal lengths, and wire lengths are given. The direction finder has an accuracy of ¼ degree in the determination of the azimuthal angles. An accuracy of ½ degree is easily obtained in the determination of the elevation angles when a stationary transmitter is used as target on top of Mt. Wilson at a distance of seven miles. Larger errors in the elevation angles were observed when the target transmitter was sent aloft on balloons.
A Molecular Explanation of How the Fog Is Produced when Dry Ice Is Placed in Water

Everyone enjoys seeing the cloudy white fog generated when solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) is placed in water. Have you ever wondered what physical and chemical processes occur to produce this fog? When asked this question, many chemical educators suggest that the fog is produced when atmospheric water vapor condenses on cold carbon dioxide gas that sublimes through the water. But this explanation is incorrect, as shown by Luck and co-workers in an article previously published in J. Chem. Educ. Herein, we extend this previous work by presenting some simple experiments and explanations that provide a model for how the fog forms when dry ice is placed in water. Many of these experiments can be carried out using materials found at the pharmacy, grocery store, or hardware store. The explanations involved draw from many concepts taught in general chemistry such as vapor pressure and Le Châtelier’s principle.
Expression of secreted insulin-like growth factor-1 in Escherichia coli

The synthesis, processing and secretion of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1 or somatomedin-C) fused to LamB and OmpF secretion leader sequences in Escherichia coli have been investigated. Expression and secretion of IGF-1 was achieved. The major portion of this secreted IGF-1 accumulated in the periplasmic space as insoluble aggregates. A small amount of IGF-1 was found folded in its native conformation in the medium. The lamB and ompF signal sequences were fused to the 5' coding sequence of IGF-1. Fusion of the lamB signal sequence directly to IGF-1 (lamB-IGF-1) resulted in accumulation of 16-20 micrograms/A550/ml of correctly processed IGF-1 in the periplasmic space. The processing efficiency of LamB-IGF-1 and OmpF-IGF-1 was enhanced in an E. coli strain bearing a prlA4 mutation. Amino acid sequence analysis of IGF-1 secreted into the periplasm and exported into the medium confirmed the precise removal of the LamB or OmpF signal sequence. IGF-1 synthesized in E. coli was demonstrated to be active in a cell proliferation bioassay.
Benefits and trade-offs of global source optimization in optical lithography

Source optimization in optical lithography has been the subject of increased exploration in recent years [1-4], resulting in the development of multiple techniques including global optimization of process window [4]. The performance advantages of source optimization have been demonstrated through theory, simulation, and experiment. This paper will emphasize global optimization of sources over multiple patterns, e.g. co-optimization of critical SRAM cells and the critical pitches of random logic, and implement global source optimization into current resolution enhancement techniques (RETs). The effect on optimal source due to considering multiple patterns is investigated. We demonstrate that optimal source for limited patterns does work for a large clip of layout. Through theoretical analysis and simulations, we explain that only critical patterns and/or critical combinations of patterns determine the final optimal source; for example those patterns that contain constraints which are active in the solution. Furthermore, we illustrate, through theory and simulation, that pixelated sources have better performance than generic sources and that in general it is impossible for generic sources to construct a truly optimal solution. Sensitivity, tool matching, and lens heating issues for pixelated sources are also discussed in this paper. Finally, we use a RETs example with wafer data to demonstrate the benefits of global source optimization.
Using risk adjustment approaches in child welfare performance measurement: Applications and insights from health and mental health settings.

Abstract Federal policymaking in the last decade has dramatically expanded performance measurement within child welfare systems, and states are currently being fiscally penalized for poor performance on defined outcomes. However, in contrast to performance measurement in health settings, current policy holds child welfare systems solely responsible for meeting outcomes, largely without taking into account the effects of factors at the level of the child, and his or her social ecology, that might undermine the performance of child welfare agencies. Appropriate measurement of performance is predicated upon the ability to disentangle individual, as opposed to organizational, determinants of outcomes, which is the goal of risk adjustment methodologies. This review briefly conceptualizes and examines risk adjustment approaches in health and child welfare, suggests approaches to expanding its use to appropriately measure the performance of child welfare agencies, and highlights research gaps that diminish the appropriate use of risk adjustment approaches — and which consequently suggest the need for caution — in policymaking around performance measurement of child welfare agencies.
Sonographic measurement of lateral ventricular width in early ventricular dilation

Cerebral real-time ultrasound examinations from 35 high-risk premature newborn infants and 25 normal-term infants were reviewed for early signs of ventricular dilation. Measurements of the midbody lateral wall of the lateral ventricle to falx distance and ratio of this distance to the hemispheric width were obtained. Midbody lateral ventricular widths were also measured. Results indicate that displacement of the medial wall of the body of the lateral ventricle toward the midline is an earlier sign of ventricular dilation than is displacement of the lateral wall away from the midline.
Modeling the Dynamic Behavior of Diblock Copolymer/Particle Composites

We develop a coarse-grained model to investigate the influence of nanoscale particles on the phase separation and the morphology of symmetric AB diblock copolymer films. The microphase separation is modeled by the cell dynamical systems (CDS) equations, while the particle dynamics is described by the Langevin equation. We assume that the particles have a selective interaction with the A block, and we vary the interaction strength, the particle number density, and mobility. The mobile particles destroy the bicontinuous structure that is typical for symmetric diblocks. In the limit of weak interactions between the A blocks and particles, the A's form the continuous phase and the B's form isolated domains. In the case of strong particle/A block interactions, the B phase is continuous and the A blocks self-assemble into distinct islands. Thus, the character of the continuous phase can be tailored by varying the strength of the block−particle interaction.
Prehospital triage of trauma patients: a trauma surgeon's perspective.

A number of triage tools have been developed andused to make triage decisions. Studies have demonstrated better outcomes in patients who receive care in trauma centers. The field triage decision scheme from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma involves patient triage based on the presence of physiologic derangement, specific anatomic injuries, mechanism of injury, andcomorbid factors. Issues such as distance to a trauma center (rural areas) andmethods of transport (e.g., air, ground) complicate the prehospital triage of trauma patients. The best system for a given community or region is one that begins with a triage scheme that is evidence based to the greatest extent possible but is then modified based on community or regional resources andgeography. Delivering the severely injured trauma patient to a facility that can provide optimal care, in the shortest amount of the time, remains the overarching principle.
InfoSuggest: A System for Automated Information Gathering: With a Real-World Case Study

Departments of many organizations treat the World Wide Web as an important information source. They have a need to keep themselves up-to-date with current information in their domain. Such information gathering is a time consuming process due to overload of available information and there are dedicated teams in many organizations for this task. In this paper, we present Info Suggest, a system for end-to-end information gathering from the web. Info Suggest improves efficiency of such focused information gathering process with the use of machine learning. We employ a semi-supervised document classification method called Transductive Support Vector Machines (TSVMs) for learning user preferences based on example articles provided by them. We also devise a strategy for unlabeled data selection TSVM-Meta that is applicable for an information gathering setting. In the paper, we discuss the system architecture and also present a case study for information gathering for food safety in an environmental health department of a government agency. We conduct experiments and demonstrate that our system results in improving the efficiency by as much as 35% by making it easier to find relevant content.