cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plant Analyses and Interpretation

Plant analysis historic beginnings are generally attributed to T. de Saussure (1804) following studies by van Helmont, Joseph Priestly, Henry Cavenish, and Antonine Lavoisier. de Saussure showed that the composition of plant ash varied with the part analyzed, with the age of the plant, and with the soil upon which the plant grew. The ash was chiefly composed of alkalis and phosphates. Erasmus Darwin in his 1800 book, Phytogia: The Philosophy of Agriculture and Gardening (London, J. Johnson) wrote that both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were essential components of plants. In 1833, the Fifth Duke of Richmond showed that the value of bone meal fertilizing was due to its P component rather than calcium (Ca), although Justus von Liebig (1852) is generally considered the father of soil fertility. Readers interested in additional historic information should consult Ulrich (1948), Bear (1948), and Russell (1976).
Reinforcement Learning Neural-Network-Based Controller for Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems With Input Constraints

A novel adaptive-critic-based neural network (NN) controller in discrete time is designed to deliver a desired tracking performance for a class of nonlinear systems in the presence of actuator constraints. The constraints of the actuator are treated in the controller design as the saturation nonlinearity. The adaptive critic NN controller architecture based on state feedback includes two NNs: the critic NN is used to approximate the "strategic" utility function, whereas the action NN is employed to minimize both the strategic utility function and the unknown nonlinear dynamic estimation errors. The critic and action NN weight updates are derived by minimizing certain quadratic performance indexes. Using the Lyapunov approach and with novel weight updates, the uniformly ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop tracking error and weight estimates is shown in the presence of NN approximation errors and bounded unknown disturbances. The proposed NN controller works in the presence of multiple nonlinearities, unlike other schemes that normally approximate one nonlinearity. Moreover, the adaptive critic NN controller does not require an explicit offline training phase, and the NN weights can be initialized at zero or random. Simulation results justify the theoretical analysis
Tidal influence in Cretaceous fluvial strata from Utah, USA: a key to sequence stratigraphic interpretation

Detailed models already exist that outline physical and temporal relationships in marine and marginal marine strata. Such models are still in their infancy in alluvial deposits. Recognition of tidal and estuarine influence in fluvial strata is critical to the development of high resolution sequence stratigraphic correlations between marine and non-marine strata. Strata that have previously been interpreted as low energy meandering river deposits contain sedimentary and biogenic structures that suggest a tidal influence. These structures include sigmoidal bedding, paired mud/silt drapes, wavy and lenticular bedding, shrinkage cracks, multiple reactivation surfaces, inclined heterolithic strata, complex compound cross-beds, bidirectional cross-beds, and trace fossils including Teredolites, Arenicolites and Skolithos. Although none of these structures is unique to tidal processes, the preponderance of data suggests that fluvial systems have been affected by tidal processes well inland of coeval shoreline deposits. These deposits rarely form a significant proportion of a depositional sequence; however, their occurrence allows time significant surfaces to be extended for tens or even hundreds of kilometres inland from coeval shoreline deposits. In Turonian through Campanian strata exposed in the Kaiparowits Plateau of southern Utah, tidally influenced facies are recognized within at least two distinct stratigraphic levels that were deposited during periods of relatively rapid base level rise. These strata form part of an alluvial transgressive systems tract. Landward of each of the marine transgressive maxima, tidal facies are present in fluvial channels that are completely encased in non-marine strata at distances up to 65 km inland from a coeval palaeoshoreline. Our work suggests that such deposits may have gone unrecognized in the past, but they form a significant component of alluvial strata in many depositional sequences. Although these tidally influenced fluvial deposits may be difficult to recognize, they are temporally equivalent to marine maximum flooding surfaces and provide a chronostratigraphic correlation between alluvial and nearshore marine deposits.
Coronary arteriosclerosis in pediatric heart transplant survivors: limitation of long-term survival.

Because coronary atherosclerosis after heart transplantation has been a limiting problem in long-term survival of adults, we reviewed the coronary angiograms, and autopsy data when available, from 21 of 30 children who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation and survived the perioperative period. Six patients had coronary atherosclerosis, and five of these patients died 6 months to 3 years after heart transplantation. The late deaths were sudden and unexpected. Coronary angiography demonstrated several types of lesions, including concentric narrowing, tubular segmental lesions, and abrupt obliteration of major coronary vessels. Risk factors assessed included hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cytomegalovirus infection, type of immunosuppressive regimen, number of rejection episodes, and major histocompatibllity antigen mismatches. Only the frequency and duration of rejection episodes seemed to be more prevalent in the patients in whom coronary atherosclerosis developed. Despite the benefits of heart transplantation in treating children with end-stage heart disease, coronary atherosclerosis may limit long-term survival. We suggest that these children should undergo serial coronary angiography to identify those at risk for subsequent events related to coronary artery disease.
Data-Driven Modeling, Fault Diagnosis and Optimal Sensor Selection for HVAC Chillers

Chillers constitute a significant portion of energy consumption equipment in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The growing complexity of building systems has become a major challenge for field technicians to troubleshoot the problems manually; this calls for automated ldquosmart-service systemsrdquo for performing fault detection and diagnosis (FDD). The focus of this paper is to develop a generic FDD scheme for centrifugal chillers and also to develop a nominal data-driven (ldquoblack-boxrdquo) model of the chiller that can predict the system response under new loading conditions. In this vein, support vector machines, principal component analysis, and partial least squares are the candidate fault classification techniques in our approach. We present a genetic algorithm-based approach to select a sensor suite for maximum diagnosabilty and also evaluated the performance of selected classification procedures with the optimized sensor suite. The responses of these selected sensors are predicted under new loading conditions using the nominal model developed via the black-box modeling approach. We used the benchmark data on a 90-t real centrifugal chiller test equipment, provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, to demonstrate and validate our proposed diagnostic procedure. The database consists of data from sixty four monitored variables of the chiller under 27 different modes of operation during nominal and eight faulty conditions with different severities.
Efficacious modification of the mitsunobu reaction for inversions of sterically hindered secondary alcohols

Abstract A practical modification of the Mitsunobu protocol for effecting stereochemical inversions of alcohols has been discovered in which use of p-nitrobenzoic acid as the nucleophilic partner results in significantly improved yields with relatively hindered substrates.
INVESTIGATION OF LOW VELOCITY STARTING TECHNIQUES FOR THE RAM ACCELERATOR

I. Introduction An investigation of transition from the conventional gun to the ram accelerator, at velocities below 800 m/s, has been carried out at the University of Washington. Attempts to repeat the ram accelerator performance achieved at low entrance velocities in some of the very first experiments, in which a gunpowder ignitor system was utilized, were made with projectiles that carried no pyrotechnics. This investigation used propellants consisting of CH 4/O2/CO2 and C2H6/O2/ CO2 at 25 and 20 atm, respectively. Various projectile geometries were fired at an entrance velocity of 780 m/s to examine the effects of nose cone angle, projectile length, and projectile-to-tube diameter ratio. The potential of using a short "ignitor stage" to facilitate ram accelerator operation in propellants that would not otherwise ignite was also explored. It was found that a small change (-2%) in CO2 dilution would dramatically change the results from a "wave unstart" to "wave falloff' in a distance of ~1 m, regardless of the projectile geometry, when using the CH4-based propellant. This same result was attained with the short ignitor stage, even though the total diluent content had to be increased to observe a wave fall-off. Experiments in the C2H6based propellant showed similar sensitivity to small variation in CO 2 dilution, however, a successful start was achieved with a projectile having a larger "throat" diameter. The results of this investigation confirmed that low velocity ram accelerator operation is feasible without external ignitor systems, even though the process is very sensitive to propellant composition and projectile geometry. The ram accelerator is a hypervelocity launcher in which a projectile, similar in shape to the centerbody of a ramjet, travels supersonically through a tube filled with premixed gaseous fuel and oxidizer.1 A schematic of the idealized flowfield of the thermally choked ram accelerator propulsive mode is presented in Fig. 1. The propellant flowing over the nose of the projectile is ram compressed by a series of reflected shocks, passes the projectile throat (minimum flow area), and expands supersonically relative to the projectile behind the throat. The propellant then encounters a normal shock system followed by a subsonic combustion zone which releases the chemical energy to the flow. The combustion-supported normal shock system generates a high base pressure which accelerates the projectile down the tube. The thermally choked ram accelerator propulsive mode is observed at projectile velocities below the Chapman-Jouguet detonation velocity of the combustible gas mixture.2'3 The investigation described here lies completely within this "subdetonative" velocity regime.
Consistent 2-D phase unwrapping guided by a quality map

The problem of 2D phase unwrapping arises when a spatially varying quantity is measured module some period. One needs to reconstruct a smooth unwrapped phase, consistent with the original data, by adding a multiple of the period to each sample. Smoothness typically cannot be enforced over all of the scene, due to noise and localized jumps. An unwrapping algorithm may form a mask within which phase discontinuities are allowed. In interferometry a quality map is available, indicating the reliability of the measurements. In this case, the mask should be contained as much as possible in areas of low quality. This paper presents an algorithm for phase unwrapping in which the mask design is guided by the quality map. The mask is grown from the residues (as defined by Goldstein et al.) into areas where the quality is below a threshold. A connected component of the mask stops growing when its residue charge becomes balanced. The threshold is raised as necessary to allow growth. This stage terminates when all components are balanced. The mask is then thinned by removing points that are not needed to cover the residues correctly. The unwrapped phase is found by simple 1D unwrapping along paths that avoid the mask. The authors present an example solution found by the algorithm and discuss possible modifications.
Statistics of Defect Related Breakdown

An analysis of dielectric breakdown is presented under the assumption that breakdown events occurring at defect-free regions (intrinsic) and-at defects are independent. The yield as function of time, when the defects are Poisson distributed, is a product of factors reflecting defect-related and intrinsic breakdown. Explicit results are given for various tests commonly used in studies of dielectric reliability. A statistical model of dielectric breakdown is required for precise reliability projections and for assessment of dielectric quality from data obtained in breakdown tests. Such a model was developed by Solomon, Klein and Albert1 for defect free insulators. We2,3 derived a model incorporating the effects of defects and presented results for the case where all defects were the same type, i.e., the probability for breakdown at each defect being the same. Our purpose here is to extend our analysis to the case of multiple defect types and to further elucidate the implications of our model.
Size-Dependent Infiltration and Optical Detection of Nucleic Acids in Nanoscale Pores

Experiments and complimentary simulations are presented to demonstrate the size-dependent infiltration and detection of variable length nucleic acids in porous silicon with controllable pore diameters in the range of 15-60 nm. The pore diameter must be tuned according to target molecule size in order to most effectively balance sensitivity and size-exclusion. A quantitative relationship between pore size (15-60 nm), nucleic acid length (up to ~ 5.3 nm), and sensor response is presented with smaller molecules detected more sensitively in smaller pores as long as the pore diameter is sufficient to enable molecular infiltration and binding in the pores. The density of probe molecules on the pore walls and subsequent hybridization efficiency for target molecule binding are also reported and are shown to depend strongly on the method of infiltration as well as the target molecule size.
Temporal Change Enhancement in Multispectral Images Remotely Sensed from Satellites

The application of principal components analysis (PCA) to multispectral satellite images is a routine way to present the data in false-color composite images. These composite images include a very high percentage of available information and have no correlation between the displayed colors. PCA routines are included in commercial GIS software, and custom algorithms are in wide use.This paper describes an early application of a new, genetic algorithm based, PCA routine. Landsat data for an Idaho farm were evaluated for temporal changes using this new algorithm, and the eigenvalues consistently converged with excellent results.
Exploring the Use of Individualized, Reflective Guidance In an Educational Multi-User Virtual Environment

This study examines the patterns of use and potential impact of individualized, reflective guidance in an educational Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE). A guidance system embedded within a MUVE-based scientific inquiry curriculum was implemented with a sample of middle school students in an exploratory study investigating (a) whether access to the guidance system was associated with improved learning, (b) whether students viewing more guidance messages saw greater improvement on content tests than those viewing less, and (c) whether there were any differences in guidance use among boys and girls. Initial experimental findings showed that basic access to individualized guidance used with a MUVE had no measurable impact on learning. However, post-hoc exploratory analyses indicated that increased use of the system among those with access to it was positively associated with content test score gains. In addition, differences were found in overall learning outcomes by gender and in patterns of guidance use by boys and girls, with girls outperforming boys across a spectrum of guidance system use. Based on these exploratory findings, the paper suggests design guidelines for the development of guidance systems embedded in MUVEs and outlines directions for further research.
Dislocations of the wrist: carpal instability complex

Abstract Dislocations involving the carpus are among the most devastating injuries of the wrist. The more commonly encountered perilunate dislocations occur as the final stage of a mechanism progressing in a radial to ulnar direction. These injuries often are missed initially, potentially leading to serious complications. Patients presenting with high energy injuries about the wrist must be scrutinized carefully using standard wrist radiography and occasionally tomography. All dislocations of the carpus require prompt reduction. Better results from perilunate and lunate dislocations can be expected when dorsal and volar surgical approaches are used and the scapholunate interosseous ligament is repaired. Wrist stiffness, posttraumatic arthritis, and median nerve dysfunction may complicate carpal dislocations, even after early surgical attention.
Quality of life among testis cancer survivors.

Abstract Background As the most common cancer among males in late adolescence and early adulthood and as a disease with a 5-year relative survival rate of 96%, testis cancer has many survivors who live many years during which chronic toxicities may impair their quality of life. Methods In this review, I aimed to summarize the most relevant literature on quality of life among testis cancer survivors identified via PubMed literature search between 1990 and 2015. Results Survivors of testis cancer experience an overall quality of life (QOL) that is not measurably different from that of men of the same age in the general population. Nonetheless, testis cancer and its treatments can result in a variety of long-term conditions that affect QOL. These include peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, tinnitus, fatigue, and Raynaud-like phenomenon. Exercise interventions have been shown to improve fatigue and overall QOL in cancer survivors, and there is evidence that psychosocial and mind-body interventions may also be beneficial. Pharmacological interventions have not been shown to be helpful for cancer-related fatigue, hearing loss, or neuropathy. Conclusions Testis cancer survivors should be asked about symptoms related to the conditions above and referred to specialists as indicated. Survivors complaining of fatigue should be encouraged to adopt a regular program of aerobic exercise.
A comparison of optimal MIMO linear and nonlinear models for brain-machine interfaces.

The field of brain–machine interfaces requires the estimation of a mapping from spike trains collected in motor cortex areas to the hand kinematics of the behaving animal. This paper presents a systematic investigation of several linear (Wiener filter, LMS adaptive filters, gamma filter, subspace Wiener filters) and nonlinear models (time-delay neural network and local linear switching models) applied to datasets from two experiments in monkeys performing motor tasks (reaching for food and target hitting). Ensembles of 100–200 cortical neurons were simultaneously recorded in these experiments, and even larger neuronal samples are anticipated in the future. Due to the large size of the models (thousands of parameters), the major issue studied was the generalization performance. Every parameter of the models (not only the weights) was selected optimally using signal processing and machine learning techniques. The models were also compared statistically with respect to the Wiener filter as the baseline. Each of the optimization procedures produced improvements over that baseline for either one of the two datasets or both.
A Behavioral Demonstration of Overconfidence in Judgment

Overprecision—an excessive confidence that one knows the truth—is both the most durable and the least understood form of overconfidence. This article outlines an approach to the study of overprecision that avoids some of the methodological problems of other approaches and better reflects the way uncertainty affects choices in everyday life. We measured the precision in judgment implied by people’s tendency to adjust their point estimates of an uncertain quantity in response to the costs of overestimating or underestimating the correct answer. The results revealed robust overprecision. People adjusted their estimates less than they should have given their actual knowledge, and this effect was driven by their subjective confidence.
Electronically driven magnetic transition and dimensionality crossover in Li4 clusters

Abstract The existence of a new metastable phase of Li 4 with spin triplet in the shape of a distorted tetrahedron is proposed. It is 0.4 eV above the spin-singlet planar ground state of the tetramer. The transition from the singlet to the triplet configuration does not occur as soon as the cluster assumes a three-dimensional geometry, but waits till the dihedral angle is 110°. Such a dimensionality crossover accompanied by a change in spin multiplicity should be observable.
Erythromycin plus sodium bicarbonate in chronic bacterial prostatitis

Abstract The problem of chronic bacterial prostatitis has remained one of marked difficulty in achieving chemotherapeutic cure due to the lack of an antibacterial agent which would enter prostatic fluid in sufficient quantity and in a form which retained its antibacterial properties. Erythromycin is known to enter the prostatic fluid, and in this study alkalinization has been demonstrated to make the drug effective in achieving bacteriologic cure of chronic bacterial prostatitis due to gram-negative organisms. Twenty-six men were treated with erythromycin and sodium bicarbonate, and bacteriologic cure was achieved in 88 per cent with symptomatic relief obtained in all patients. This regimen is recommended as the treatment of choice for chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Interdomain Routing for Mobile Nodes

In this paper, we investigate the issues related to the use of a BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) backbone to provide connectivity between mobile nodes, with a specific focus on nodes within an airborne network domain. Research efforts have developed multiple MANET (Mobile Ad hoc Network) protocols to provide routing for mobile nodes. In an airborne network environment, however, there may not be a dense enough concentration of nodes within radio range to provide the connectivity needed for effective use of a MANET protocol. In addition, aircraft within radio range of other nodes will experience intermittent and varying quality radio signals due to banking, interference, or Doppler effects. BGP is the de facto standard in use today to provide terrestrial internetworking routing among Autonomous Systems (AS) despite well known problems. BGP configuration can be complex and has convergence issues but the BGP capability to handle large numbers of routes makes it invaluable. In addition to its use in terrestrial internetworking, BGP has been identified as the routing protocol for the Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) Network. Given the BGP networks in a satellite network above and a terrestrial network below an airborne network, it is important to understand the issues of connecting via BGP for airborne nodes. This paper summarizes the results of lab experiments evaluating use of a BGP network for an alternate routing path between aircraft when there is no other connectivity within their airborne routing domain.
A zonal-load estimation method for unbalanced, radial distribution networks

This paper investigates the problem of load estimation in unbalanced, radial power-distribution networks. The problem is formulated as a weighted l/sub /spl infin//-estimation problem with equality and inequality constraints. Properties of the measurement Jacobian are exploited to develop a solution algorithm that decomposes the network into several smaller zones. Detailed tests on a 20-bus, unbalanced, radial distribution network are presented with promising results.
Achievement, Discrimination, and Mexican Americans

Overwhelming evidence from many sources, which covers diverse periods and aspects of life, suggests that the record of status attainment of Mexican Americans is unique among national groups in the United States. The variety of theoretical perspectives which has been used to explain the pattern of progress experienced by various national groups is not helpful in explaining why Mexican Americans depart from this pattern.
A note on the energetics of a double-diffusive system

Adjacent oceanic water masses with the same density but different concentrations of heat and salt generate interleaving accompanied by double-diffusive processes. Laboratory experiments with salt and sugar concentrations are used to study the interleaving process. Most double-diffusive studies have treated vertical configurations in which one of the two components contains a destabilizing feature, salt above fresh water for salt fingers or warm underlying cold for the diffusive case. However, when the fluid lacks any gravitationally unstable feature, i.e. no gravitational potential energy is available in either component, the question arises as to what the source of energy is to drive the system. Such a case is discussed here and it is shown that the ultimate source of the energy is the chemical potential associated with the different property distributions. Diffusion creates a destabilizing property distribution and then enables the resulting potential energy to be released.
Optoelectronic device simulation of Bragg reflectors and their influence on surface-emitting laser characteristics

This paper presents a simulation analysis of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) and their affect on the characteristics of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The SimWindows semiconductor device simulator models the close interaction between electrical, optical, and thermal processes present in VCSELs. This simulator is used to examine the electrical characteristics of some simple DBR designs. Due to the different transport characteristics of electrons and holes, these results will show that n-type DBR designs must be different than p-type designs in order to achieve the best operating characteristics for the overall laser. This analysis will demonstrate the improvement in the characteristics by comparing the simulation results of a standard VCSEL with the results of a VCSEL using improved DBR designs.
Alpha-adrenergic input in the locus coeruleus modulates plasma adrenocorticotropin in cats.

Previous evidence suggested that noradrenergic activity in the vicinity of the ventrorostral locus coeruleus (LC) increased in response to hemorrhage. To investigate the possible role of this response in the control of ACTH release, microinjections (100 nl/min for 2 min) of several agents were made at 59 sites in 35 cats anesthetized with chloralose. Injections were as follows: vehicle (all sites); 150 mM L-glutamate (GLU; 51 sites); an alpha 2-agonist, 1 mM clonidine (19 sites); an alpha 2-antagonist, 1 mM yohimbine (32 sites); an alpha 1-agonist, 1 mM phenylephrine (PE; 42 sites); and an alpha 1-antagonist, 0.05 mM prazosin (20 sites). Plasma ACTH was measured by RIA. Responses were tested statistically by repeated measures analysis of variance. GLU at 12 sites in the region of the ventrorostral LC facilitated plasma ACTH (P less than 0.01), whereas GLU at 6 sites in the caudal LC inhibited ACTH (P less than 0.05). Clonidine at 9 sites in an area that included the ventrorostral LC inhibited ACTH (P less...
Computational techniques for the nonequilibrium quantum field theory simulation of MOSFETs

Non-equilibrium quantum-field theory (NQFT) has been in existence for almost 40 years yet has only recently become a viable technique for the simulation of semiconductor devices. This presentation reports on Motorola's effort at building a NQFT-based device simulator suitable for the predictive 2D quantum-mechanical simulation of MOSFETs beyond the 100 nm L/sub eff/ technology-node.
Lithium/V6O13 cells using silica nanoparticle-based composite electrolyte

The electrochemical behavior of Li/V6O13 cells is investigated at room temperature (22 8C) both in liquid electrolyte consisting of oligomeric poly(ethyleneglycol)dimethylether� /lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonylimide) and composite electrolytes formed by blending the liquid electrolyte with silica nanoparticles (fumed silica). The addition of fumed silica yields a gel-like electrolyte that demonstrates the desirable property of suppressing lithium dendrite growth due to the rigidity and immobility of the electrolyte structure. The lithium/electrolyte interfacial resistance for composite gel electrolytes is less than that for the corresponding baseliquid electrolyte, and the charge � /discharge cycle performance and electrochemical efficiency for the Li/V6O13 cell is significantly improved. The effect of fumed silica surface group on the electrochemical performance is discussed; the native hydrophilic silanol surface group appears better than fumed silica that is modified with a hydrophobic octyl surface moiety. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Breathing modulates fetal heart rate

To assess the modulation of fetal heart rate (FHR) by breathing movements, the authors investigated the relationship between FHR and fetal breathing rate (FBR). FHR was obtained from the R-R interval of the EKG and FBR from the burst-burst interval of the diaphragmatic electromyogram (EMG). The R-R intervals of EKG and burst-burst interval of the diaphragmatic EMG were determined using a template recognition method. These data were then analyzed in both the frequency and time domains. Frequency analysis was carried out using the linear prediction method with the optimum order. It is confirmed that fetal breathing movements modulate fetal heart-rate variability. >
RELATION OF OWNER'S MANUALS TO SAFETY

Safe behavior is predicated on the individual’s capability to perform appropriate acts when required. That capability involves both the requisite psychomotor skills and the knowledge of what acts are appropriate in the situation faced by the individual. Knowledge of the appropriate acts may be obtained in various ways. Among them are signs, verbal commands, instruction, and written materials. The present study examines the influence of one form of written materials associated with safe driving, that is, the owner’s manual. Specifically, two surveys were performed to evaluate what use is made of the safety information in the manual and the awareness of the presence of safety information in the manual. The results suggested that owner’s manuals are infrequently read, except for some specific sorts of information. Of all respondents in Experiment 1, only two indicated looking for safety information in the manual. Results of Experiment 2, suggested that respondents were aware of the possibility that safety information was in the manual, but there was little indication that it was used for that purpose. A possible approach to reaching more of the target population might be to produce a separate safety manual for owners and drivers.
Poster 126: Rickets in a 13-year-old with cerebral palsy.1

Abstract Setting: A tertiary care hospital. Patient: A 13-year-old boy with cerebral palsy (CP). Case Description: The patient presented with a 2-week history of difficulty with standing-pivot-transfers and headache, nausea, and vomiting. His medical history was as follows: preterm birth, intraventricular hemorrhage requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, seizure disorder, and multiple orthopedic procedures. Physical examination showed an obese youngster with triplegic CP. He had clonus and demonstrated unusual muscle stiffness in his minimally involved arm during phlebotomy (tetany?) and a transient hemifacial spasm (spontaneous Chvostek’s sign?). His computed tomography scan was unchanged. Serum calcium was 5.4mg/dL (normal, 9.0–11.5mg/dL); ionized calcium was .69mmol/L (normal, 1.10–1.30mmol/L); and serum phosphorus was 3.3mg/dL (normal, 3.6–5.9mg/dL). An endocrine consultation was obtained. Additional labs included an elevated alkaline phosphatase (774IU/L; normal, 60–400IU/L); amylase (210IU/L; normal, 25–125IU/L); 1–25 dihydroxyvitamin D (10; reference range, 15–75); and intact parathyroid hormone with calcium (524pg/mL; normal, 10–65pg/mL). His calcium normalized over 2 weeks of treatment with intravenous infusions of calcium and oral calcium and vitamin D supplements. Simultaneously he regained lower-extremity strength for assisted transfers. Rickets were attributed to poor dietary habits (minimal milk intake), minimal sun exposure, and use of carbamazepine. Assessment /Results: New onset symptoms of weakness in this patient were due to previously undetected rickets, which resolved with appropriate treatment. Discussion: The clinical manifestations of rickets may not be recognized in older children and adults because symptoms can be subtle. There may be muscular weakness, limb pain, irritability, and listlessness. Conclusion: Rickets can present with weakness due to severe hypocalcemia. Patients may not develop symptoms until laboratory values are quite abnormal. Youngsters with significant mobility limitations may have reduced sun exposure. Youngsters with lactose intolerance, peculiar eating habits, or dark complexions may be at special risk.
Trehalose inhibits solute carrier 2A (SLC2A) proteins to induce autophagy and prevent hepatic steatosis

Trehalose is a naturally occurring disaccharide that has gained attention for its ability to induce cellular autophagy and mitigate diseases related to pathological protein aggregation. Despite decades of ubiquitous use as a nutraceutical, preservative, and humectant, its mechanism of action remains elusive. We showed that trehalose inhibited members of the SLC2A (also known as GLUT) family of glucose transporters. Trehalose-mediated inhibition of glucose transport induced AMPK (adenosine 5′-monophosphate–activated protein kinase)–dependent autophagy and regression of hepatic steatosis in vivo and a reduction in the accumulation of lipid droplets in primary murine hepatocyte cultures. Our data indicated that trehalose triggers beneficial cellular autophagy by inhibiting glucose transport.
Chemical composition of the cell wall of Smittium culisetae (Trichomycetes)

SUMMARY Cell walls of Smittium culisetae were prepared by mechanical means and chemical analyses of the isolated walls were made both quantitatively and qualitatively. The cell walls contained 65% polysaccharide, 15% protein, 13% lipid and 3% ash. The carbohydrate fraction comprised primarily of glucosamine and glucose along with smaller amounts of mannose and galactose. Electron microscopy of wall specimens showed microfibrillar and amorphous regions. Presence of chitin in the cell walls was estiblished by treating the acid and alkali resistant portion of the walls with chitinase and by infrared spectroscopy. Although glucose was present, cellulose was not detected in the walls. The genus Smittium, established by Poisson (1936), is included in the Harpellales of the Trichomycetes. The latter comprises a somewhat heterogeneous group of fungi typically found in various arthropods as commensals in the digestive tract (Lichtwardt, 1960; Manier, 1955). Species of Smittium live within the hindgut of various aquatic diptera larvae. Smittium culisetae Lichtwardt was first isolated by Lichtwardt (1964) from mosquito larvae. It is a branched fungus with a basal hold-fast and reproduces asexually by spores. Although some investigators have made attempts to localize and identify cell wall polymers in several members of this group (see Whisler, 1963), the only other trichomycetous fungus investigated in detail thus far with respect to cell wall composition is Amoebidium parasiticum Cienk. In contrast to the walls of other fungi, Trotter and Whisler (1965) showed that the thalli of Amoebidium are soluble in alkali and do not have chitin or cellulose. Smittium remains the only endozoic genus of the Trichomycetes cultured axenically and no information is available in the literature on cell wall composition of any species of Smittium. This study was undertaken to isolate cell walls of Smittium culisetae
Activity and persistence of the insect juvenile hormone mimic JH-25 in flour.

The highly active juvenile hormone mimic JH-25 (7-ethoxy-1. ( P -ethylphenoxy)-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene) was incorporated into bleached flour at rates of 1 to 5 ppm, and the flour was then aged. No normal adults emerged from samples of the flour exposed periodically to Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) throughout the 400-day test. Chemical analyses of an extract of the flour by liquid chromatography with UV detection and bioassays of the extract against Tenebrio molitor L. showed that ca. ½ the JH-25 remained in the flour spiked with 1 ppm JH-25 after aging 1 year.
Collaborative Interactions between EO-PO Copolymers upon Mixing

Chemical demulsification is the most extensively used method for breaking water-in-diluted bitumen emulsions in oil sands processing. In this paper, the properties and performance of three demulsifier formulations and their individual EO-PO polymer components were studied. The EO-PO polymers and demulsifier formulations were characterized by their relative solubility number (RSN). The results showed that the RSN is an additive property. The dehydration efficiency of the demulsifier formulation was higher than the individual components at the same dosage, signifying that there were collaborative interactions among the polymers on mixing. Correlations between performance of the demulsifiers and interfacial tension (IFT), yield stress of underflow, and bitumen loss to tailings were investigated. The results showed no correlation between the performance of the demulsifiers and equilibrium IFT. Correlations were observed between dehydration efficiency and both yield stress of the underflow and bitumen loss to ...
NEW CALIFORNIA UTO-AZTECAN Chronological and Cultural Coherence in the Evaluation of Evidence for Prehistoric Language Contact

Evidence that resemblances between Proto-Uto-Aztecan and several non-Uto-Aztecan languages of California are due to ancient language contact, presented in a revival of the hypothesis that the Proto-Uto-Aztecan homeland included the Central Valley of California, is evaluated. Criteria for evaluation include resemblance in sound and meaning, reconstructibility, chronological and cultural coherence, conformity to expected cultural patterning, and directionality. This multi-criterial evaluation suggests that we cannot rule out the likelihood that the supposed resemblances are due to chance. It is more likely that Uto-Aztecan languages were not present in Southern California (other than in the Mojave Desert) or in the Central Valley until after the diversification of Northern Uto-Aztecan.
Protective Effects of Ligustrazine on Cisplatin-Induced Oxidative Injury of Kidneys in Rats

Objective To investigate protective effects of ligustrazine(tetramethypyrazine,TMP) on cisplatin-induced oxidative injury of kidneys in rats.Methods TMP was administered at 50,100 mg·kg-1·d-1 body weight intraperitoneally(ip) for five consecutive days,2 days before a single dose of cisplatin(DDP,8 mg·kg-1,ip).The rats were sacrificed four hours after the last injection.Blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and serum creatinine(SCr) were tested,24 hours urine were collected to detect urinary protein.The contents of malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH) content,nitric oxide(NO),activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione-S-transferase(GST),the nitric oxide synthase(NOS) in the renal cortex were measured.Results Compared with DDP,TMP(50 and 100 mg·kg-1·d-1) dose-dependently reduced 24 h urinary protein,BUN and SCr induced by cisplatin,by 41.45%,65.33%;18.12%,57.51%;14.39%,48.89%(P0.05,P0.01),respectively.The 100 mg·kg-1·d-1 TMP significantly decreased levels of MDA,NO,NOS and GSH,SOD,GST induced by cisplatin in kidney by 36.73%,45.39%,22.86%(P0.05),respectively;while,the content of GSH was increased by 1.33-fold,1.66-fold,1.57-fold(P0.05),respectively,compared with that in the DDP group.Conclusion TMP could protect cisplatin-induced oxidative nephrotoxicity.
Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of infectious diarrhea in Heping District of Shenyang City from 2005-2012

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics of infectious diarrhea in Heping District of Shenyang City, and provide accurate basis for developing prevention plan.[Methods]The method of descriptive epidemiology was adopted to analyze the epidemic data of infectious diarrhea in Heping District of Shenyang City. [Results] The average annual incidence rate of infectious diarrheas was 20. 09 /100 000 from 2005 to 2012,with significant difference between years. The incidence rate of July-August accounted for 50. 97% of annual incidence rate. The average incidence rate in male accounted for 22. 93 /100 000,that of female was 17. 26 /100 000,with significant difference( P 0. 01). The ratio of male / female was 1. 33 /1. The incidence rate of children,students,and the unemployed accounted for 24. 47%,15. 20% and 15. 01% respectively. The incidence of the children 3 years accounted for 21. 96%,and that of the children 1 year accounted for 12. 70%.[Conclusion]Most cases of infectious diarrhea are infants in this district. Scattered children,students,and unemployed persons are the top 3 risk groups. Morbidity in male is higher than that in female,with peak incidence in summer. The data suggests the importance of health education,food safety and sanitation of drinking water,environmental health,epidemic report and analysis of early warning,emergent management,as well as the prevention of epidemic spreading.
Clonogenicity of circulating neuroblastoma cells: implications regarding peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) are being used as an alternative to autologous marrow rescue for hematopoietic reconstitution after high- dose chemotherapy in patients with neuroblastoma and other solid malignancies. Use of PBSCs is preferred by some because of the belief that there is less risk of tumor contamination. Because tumor stem cell contamination is thought to be one contributing cause of relapse after myeloablative therapy and autologous reconstitution, we examined the potential risk of reinfusing circulating neuroblastoma cells by in vitro evaluation of their clonogenicity. Immunocytologic and tumor cell clonogenic analyses were performed on 74 blood samples obtained from 56 children with advanced-stage neuroblastoma. Concurrently drawn bone marrow specimens were evaluated in 30 instances. Circulating neoplastic cells were detected in 19 of 74 (26%) for all specimens and by immunologic techniques (26%). Using a clonogenic assay, 13 grew identifiable tumor colonies. Comparing results with the two techniques showed tumor colony growth in 10 of the 19 positive specimens by immunocytology. However, 3 of 53 samples (6%) that were negative by immunocytology were positive by the clonogenic assay. Of the 11 positive blood samples, 9 concurrent marrows contained neuroblastoma cells; of the 19 negative blood specimens, 3 concurrent marrows had metastatic disease. We conclude that circulating neuroblastoma cells are present in peripheral blood and have clonogenic properties in vitro. This supports the view that tumor cell contamination may well be one cause of relapse after autologous reconstitution. Consequently, PBSC collections should also undergo meticulous monitoring for tumor contamination before autologous reinfusion.
Patient-Centered Medical Homes: The Promise and the Research Agenda

To address numerous problems with costly, unsafe, and inefficient fragmented care in the US health-care system, primary care reform has become a major area of interest. Proposed reforms have been centered around goals first articulated in the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM’s) Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), namely reducing medical errors, controlling cost, increasing patient-centered care, improving access, increasing the use of evidence-based care, including preventative services, and overall improving both the quality and the efficiency of the health-care delivery. A new model that is fair to say has gained the most attention by professional organizations, and many health-care stakeholders are the patient-centered medical home (PCMH).
Introduction: National Identity as a Personal and Global Concept

The pandemic of global rage has its roots in the manner in which we construct identity. Although this book concentrates primarily upon national identity, the processes remain more or less the same for all levels of identification. Individual identity is constructed with an eye to the relevant reference groups in a person’s life: “Identity is a phenomenon that emerges from a dialectic between the individual and society.”1 Reference groups change depending upon the relevant contexts in which one participates at any given time. Individuals may be in contact with several reference groups, each providing separate messages about their identities. Thus, “people have levels of identity” so that a resident of Rome is at once “a Roman, an Italian, a Catholic, a European, a Westerner.”2
Marbling and Its Nutritional Impact on Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease

This review addresses the role of fat in beef palatability and healthfulness. Particular emphasis is placed on the content of oleic acid in beef, and how this increases with time when cattle are fed a grain-based diet. Oleic acid decreases the melting point of lipids from beef, increasing the perception of juiciness and improving beef flavor. Clinical trials have demonstrated that ground beef containing elevated oleic acid increases, or at the least has no negative effects on the concentration of HDL cholesterol. The amount of fat in published ground beef intervention trials greatly exceeds the amount of fat in equivalent portions of beef from U.S. domestic or Korean Hanwoo cattle. Thus, we conclude 1) Beef cattle should be raised under production conditions that increase the concentration of oleic acid in their edible tissues (i.e., by grain feeding over extended periods of time); and 2) The amount of fat consumed in a typical portion of beef will not increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease.