cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How and in What Ways Does Colocation of Services Matter? Empirical Evidence from a Large Healthcare Setting

The choice of location is a key facet of decision-making in operations. One such choice is whether to colocate activities, services, or personnel. Prior research, including in healthcare, has reported that colocation yields benefits. However, these benefits may need to be balanced with higher costs of colocation (e.g., due to operational constraints). Thus, it is critical to understand not only whether colocation makes a difference but also under what circumstances it is most beneficial, and the mechanisms through which those benefits are realized. We consider colocation in the context of healthcare services, and ask: Does colocation of mental and physical health resources improve patient outcomes? This colocation is important, as primary care serves as a gateway to address mental health concerns and referrals to specialists. We next study colocation's relationship with two important operational variables: continuity of care (CoC) with a provider, and patient severity. Finally, we examine the mediating role of patients' no-shows and medication adherence in the colocation-outcomes relationship. As America's largest integrated healthcare system, the Veterans Health Administration offers us an excellent setting to study these questions. We analyze over 300,000 patients – over an eleven-year period – who suffer from diabetes, a chronic condition, and show evidence of mental illness. We use an empirical approach to quantify the relationship between colocation and four key outcomes attributable to mental illness: hospitalizations, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmissions, and suicidal behavior. We find that colocation is associated with improvement in outcomes. For example, a one standard deviation increase in the mean colocation measure is related to a 2.4% decrease in LOS – equivalent to an annual savings of approximately $1.5 million, on average, just for our cohort. In addition, we find that colocation and CoC are substitutes, in that colocation benefits patients whose care is fragmented. Further, we find that colocation offers greater benefits to patients whose mental health conditions are more severe. Finally, our analysis reveals that colocation improves outcomes (partially) through a reduction in the no-show rate and an increase in medication adherence. Our findings are validated by extensive robustness checks and sensitivity analyses. Our study has implications for both the theory and practice of healthcare operations. Theoretically, we advance the location literature, establish its connection with the continuity literature, and highlight key moderators and mediators in the colocation-outcomes relationship. Practically, our work offers insights into how to design an operationally efficient system and, in settings with limited resources, where to target colocation. Our study is particularly timely as it may help address the growing mental health crisis in America and around the world, further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fuel Composition Effects at Constant RON and MON in an HCCI Engine Operated with Negative Valve Overlap

The effects of fuel properties on gasoline HCCI operation have been investigated in a single cylinder, 500 cc, 11.3 CR port fuel injected research engine, operated at lambda=1 and equipped with hydraulic valve actuation. HCCI is promoted by early exhaust valve closing to retain hot exhaust in the cylinder, thereby increasing the cylinder gas temperature. Test fuels were formulated with pure components to have the same RON, MON, and octane sensitivity as an indolene reference fuel, but with a wide range of fuel composition differences. Experiments have been carried out to determine if fuel composition plays a role in HCCI combustion properties, independent of octane numbers. Fuel economy, emissions, and combustion parameters have been measured at several fixed speed/load conditions over a range of exhaust valve closing angles. When the data are compared at constant combustion phasing, fuel effects on emissions and other combustion properties are small. However, when compared at constant exhaust valve closing angle, fuel composition effects are more pronounced, specifically regarding ignition. Operability range differences are also related to fuel composition. An all-paraffinic (normal, iso, and cycloparaffins) fuel exhibited distinctly earlier combustion phasing, increased rate of cylinder pressure rise, and increased rate of maximum heat release comparedmore » to the indolene reference fuel. Conversely, olefin-containing fuels exhibited retarded combustion phasing. The fuels with the most advanced ignition showed a wider operating range in terms of engine speed and load, irrespective of exhaust closing angle. These ignition differences reflect contributions from both fuel and EGR kinetics, the effects of which are discussed. The fuel composition variables are somewhat inter-correlated, which makes the experimental separation their effects imprecise with this small set of fuels, though clear trends are evident. The overall effects of fuel composition on engine performance and emissions are small. However, the results suggest that the effects on combustion phasing and engine operability range may need to be considered in the practical implementation of HCCI for fuels with large compositional variations.« less
Preferred Orientation of Polycrystalline LiCoO2 Films

Polycrystalline films of deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering exhibited a strong preferred orientation or texturing after annealing at 700°C. For films thicker than about 1 μm, more than 90% of the grains were oriented with their (101) and (104) planes parallel to the substrate and less than 10% with their (003) planes parallel to the substrate. As the film thickness decreased below 1 μm, the percentage of (003)‐oriented grains increased until at a thickness of about 0.05 μm, 100% of the grains were (003) oriented. These extremes in texturing were caused by the tendency to minimize volume strain energy for the thicker films or the surface energy for the very thin films. Films were deposited using different process gas mixtures and pressures, deposition rates, substrate temperatures, and substrate bias. Of these variables, only changes in substrate temperature could cause large changes in texturing of thick films from predominately (101)–(104) to (003). Although lithium ion diffusion should be much faster through cathodes with a high percentage of (101)‐ and (104)‐oriented grains than through cathodes with predominately (003)‐oriented grains, it was not possible to verify this expectation because the resistance of most cells was dominated by the electrolyte and electrolyte‐cathode interface. Nonetheless, cells with cathodes thicker than about 2 μm could deliver more than 50% of their maximum energies at discharge rates of or higher. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Restoration of Phosphoribosyl Transferase Activity by Partially Deleting the trpB Gene in the Tryptophan Operon of Salmonella typhimurium

The amber mutant trpA28, which contains a mutation mapping within the so-called “unusual” region of the tryptophan (trp) operon of Salmonella typhimurium (between the genes trpA and trpB), lacks both components of the anthranilate synthetase (AS)-phosphoribosyl transferase (PRT) enzyme complex, the products of the genes trpA and trpB, respectively. Twenty-six revertants of this mutant selected on minimal medium supplemented with anthranilic acid, a substrate of PRT, contain deletions of various segments of the “unusual” region and make a species of PRT different in every respect from the wild-type, dissociated form of this enzyme. The results indicate that the unusual region corresponds to the operator proximal end of the trpB gene. Mutants in the unusual region, however, show unexpectedly low levels of AS activity and in two cases (trpA515 and trpA28) no detectable activity of this enzyme component.
The leukocyte common antigen-related protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor regulates regenerative neurite outgrowth in vivo.

Drosophila and leech models of nervous system development demonstrate that protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) receptors regulate developmental neurite outgrowth. Whether PTP receptors regulate neurite outgrowth in adult systems or in regenerative states remains unknown. The leukocyte common antigen-related (LAR) receptor is known to be present in rodent dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons; therefore, the well established model of postcrush sciatic nerve regeneration was used to test the hypothesis that LAR is required for neurite outgrowth in the adult mammalian nervous system. In uninjured sciatic nerves, no differences in nerve morphology and sensory function were detected between wild-type and LAR-deficient littermate transgenic mice. Sciatic nerve crush resulted in increased LAR protein expression in DRG neurons. In addition, nerve injury led to an increase in the proportion of LAR protein isoforms known to have increased binding affinity to neurite-promoting laminin–nidogen complexes. Two weeks after nerve crush, morphological analysis of distal nerve segments in LAR-deficient transgenic mice demonstrated significantly decreased densities of myelinated fibers, decreased axonal areas, and increased myelin/axon area ratios compared with littermate controls. Electron microscopy analysis revealed a significant twofold reduction in the density of regenerating unmyelinated fibers in LAR−/− nerves distal to the crush site. Sensory testing at the 2 week time point revealed a corresponding 3 mm lag in the proximal-to-distal progression of functioning sensory fibers along the distal nerve segment. These studies introduce PTP receptors as a major new gene family regulating regenerative neurite outgrowth in vivo in the adult mammalian system.
A discontinuous hammerhead ribozyme embedded in a mammalian messenger RNA

Structured RNAs embedded in the untranslated regions (UTRs) of messenger RNAs can regulate gene expression. In bacteria, control of a metabolite gene is mediated by the self-cleaving activity of a ribozyme embedded in its 5' UTR. This discovery has raised the question of whether gene-regulating ribozymes also exist in eukaryotic mRNAs. Here we show that highly active hammerhead ribozymes are present in the 3' UTRs of rodent C-type lectin type II (Clec2) genes. Using a hammerhead RNA motif search with relaxed delimitation of the non-conserved regions, we detected ribozyme sequences in which the invariant regions, in contrast to the previously identified continuous hammerheads, occur as two fragments separated by hundreds of nucleotides. Notably, a fragment pair can assemble to form an active hammerhead ribozyme structure between the translation termination and the polyadenylation signals within the 3' UTR. We demonstrate that this hammerhead structure can self-cleave both in vitro and in vivo, and is able to reduce protein expression in mouse cells. These results indicate that an unrecognized mechanism of post-transcriptional gene regulation involving association of discontinuous ribozyme sequences within an mRNA may be modulating the expression of several CLEC2 proteins that function in bone remodelling and the immune response of several mammals.
Room-temperature initialization, dynamics, and measurement of coherent electron spins in strongly confined quantum dots

Semiconductor quantum dots provide a platform for studying and exploiting individual electron spins as they interact with a complex solid state environment. Colloidal nanocrystal quantum dots are of particular interest for potential applications, because they can achieve sufficient confinement to operate at room temperature with relatively robust electron spin coherence. The strong confinement in these nanostructures leads to significant effects caused by mixing of valence subbands and variation in particle size and shape. These effects influence the processes of carrier spin initialization and detection. We have performed ensemble time-resolved Faraday rotation experiments as well as single-dot photoluminescence excitation measurements to study how the strong quantum confinement affects the spin physics in these systems. Single dot PLE measurements reveal mechanisms of transition broadening that are relevant at room temperature, including thermal broadening and spectral diffusion due to mobile charges in the surrounding environment. We find that the mixing of valence subbands in the confined hole states largely determines the efficiency of optical spin pumping and Faraday-rotation-based spin detection. By studying these effects, we take a step towards controlling and exploiting spin coherence in this flexible room temperature platform.
Predictors of response and relapse in a cohort of adults with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-hemolytic uremic syndrome: a single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP-HUS) is a diagnosis of exclusion when a patient presents with the sine qua non findings of thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia without an identifiable cause. Although most patients respond to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), a significant number of patients relapse. The aim was to determine if clinical, laboratory, and/or treatment features could predict response and/or relapse. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of adults with TTP-HUS treated with TPE at our institution from January 1996 to February 2004. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 90 patients (69% female) with mean age of 45 years and mostly obese (65%). The majority of cases were considered idiopathic. Ten patients died (11%) from the disease before achieving a response, whereas 79 percent were considered responders. Obesity and severe anemia at presentation were predictors of response to TPE (p = 0.0126 and p = 0.0071, respectively). Among the responders, 28 percent relapsed in a median of 14 months. Male sex, severe thrombocytopenia (mean ± SD, 13 × 109 ± 8 × 109/L), and higher lactate dehydrogenase pre-/posttreatment ratio were associated with relapse (p values of 0.0141, 0.0199, and 0.0407, respectively). ADAMTS-13 values were not obtained on enough number of patients to provide important data. CONCLUSION: Although patient and laboratory characteristics associated with response and relapse were identified, there was significant overlap between patient groups. Thus, our findings offer preliminary evidence and do not yet justify short- or long-term changes in the management of patients with TTP-HUS.
Reverse translation of the rodent 5C-CPT reveals that the impaired attention of people with schizophrenia is similar to scopolamine-induced deficits in mice

Attentional dysfunction in schizophrenia (SZ) is a core deficit that contributes to multiple cognitive deficits and the resulting functional disability. However, developing procognitive therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders have been limited by a 'translational gap'--a lack of cognitive paradigms having cross-species translational validity and relevance. The present study was designed to perform an initial validation of the cross-species homology of the 5-choice Continuous Performance Test (5C-CPT) in healthy nonpsychiatric comparison subjects (NCS), SZ patients and mice under pharmacologic challenge. The 5C-CPT performance in SZ patients (n=20) was compared with age-matched NCS (n=23). The effects of the general muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine on mice (n=21) performing the 5C-CPT were also assessed. SZ subjects exhibited significantly impaired attention in the 5C-CPT, driven by reduced target detection over time and nonsignificantly increased impulsive responding. Similarly, scopolamine significantly impaired attention in mice, driven by reduced target detection and nonsignificantly increased impulsive responding. Scopolamine also negatively affected accuracy and speed of responding in mice, although these measures failed to differentiate SZ vs. NCS. Thus, mice treated with scopolamine exhibited similar impairments in vigilance as seen in SZ, although the differences between the behavioral profiles warrant further study. The availability of rodent and human versions of this paradigm provides an opportunity to: (1) investigate the neuroanatomic, neurochemical and genomic architecture of abnormalities in attention observed in clinical populations such as SZ; (2) develop and refine animal models of cognitive impairments; and (3) improve cross-species translational testing for the development of treatments for these impairments.
The effect of gamma radiation and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea on cultured maize callus growth and plant regeneration

Regenerable maize calli of two inbred lines were exposed to 0 to 100 Gy of gamma rays or treated with 0 to 30 mM of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) to determine their effect on growth and plant regeneration capability. Both growth and plant regeneration capacity decreased with increasing levels of either gamma radiation or ENU; however, plant regeneration capacity was more sensitive to either agent than growth. The 50% inhibition dose (I50) for callus growth (fresh-weight gain) was approximately 100 Gy of gamma radiation and 30 mM ENU. The I50 for plant regeneration capacity of treated callus was approximately 25 Gy of gamma radiation and 2.5 mM ENU. The decrease in plant regeneration capacity correlated with a change in tissue composition of the treated callus from a hard, yellow and opaque tissue to a soft, grayish-yellow and translucent tissue. This change was quantified by measuring the reduction of MnO4 - to MnO2 (PR assay) by the callus. These results suggest that the effect of gamma radiation or ENU on plant regeneration capacity must be taken into consideration if these potentially mutagenic agents are to be used on maize callus cultures, for the purpose of producing useful mutations at a whole plant level. The data also suggest that the PR assay may be useful for predicting the actual plant regeneration capacity of maize callus.
The Effects of a Group-Based Social Support Intervention on Cardiovascular Reactivity

This study examined the affect of social support intervention on decreasing psychological and physiological stress. Fifty-seven college students, who scored below the median on functional, structur...
Tribological performance and deformation of sputter-deposited MoS2 solid lubricant films during sliding wear and indentation contact

Abstract Microstructural aspects of the plastic deformation of sputter-deposited MoS2 solid lubricant films on 440C bearing steel are presented. The films were produced in three different laboratories using r.f., d.c. and r.f. magnetron sources. Two types of contact were investigated: (1) sliding wear contact in a thrust-washer apparatus used to evaluate film tribological performance and (2) brale indentation contact used to investigated cross-sectional morphology and adhesion. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the films. The as-deposited morphology was found to influence the initial nature of the wear debris and the load-bearing capabilities of the films. In many cases a highly deformed region confined to the surface of the films was found. Applied stress reoriented crystallites and induced crystallization, the degree of both processes being related to the initial structure and the percentage of wear lifetime of the film.
A web-based interactive intelligent tutoring system for undergraduate engineering dynamics

A Web-based interactive intelligent tutoring system was developed and assessed in an engineering dynamics course. The system consists of two learning modules to help students learn how to apply the Principle of Work and Energy to solve particle and rigid-body dynamics problems. Student learning gains were compared using a quasi-experimental research design that involved pretests and posttests in both a control semester (n = 62) and a treatment semester (n = 44). It is shown that the ITS modules increased student learning gains by 37-43%.
Blueberry-enriched diet ameliorates age-related declines in NMDA receptor-dependent LTP.

NMDA receptor-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus is widely accepted as a cellular substrate for memory formation. Age-related declines in the expression of both NMDAR-dependent LTP and NMDAR subunit proteins in the CA1 region of the hippocampus have been well characterized and likely underlie age-related memory impairment. In the current study, we examined NMDAR-dependent LTP in young Fischer 344 rats (4 months old) and aged rats (24 months old) given either a control diet or a diet supplemented with blueberry extract for 6–8 weeks. NMDAR-dependent LTP was evoked by high-frequency stimulation (HFS) in the presence of nifedipine, to eliminate voltage-gated calcium channel LTP. Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) were increased by 57% 1 h after HFS in young animals, but this potentiation was reduced to 31% in aged animals. Supplementation of the diet with blueberry extract elevated LTP (63%) in aged animals to levels seen in young. The normalization of LTP may be due to the blueberry diet preventing a decline in synaptic strength, as measured by the slope of the fEPSP for a given fiber potential. The blueberry diet did not prevent age-related declines in NMDAR protein expression. However, phosphorylation of a key tyrosine residue on the NR2B subunit, important for increasing NMDAR function, was enhanced by the diet, suggesting that an increase in NMDAR function might overcome the loss in protein. This report provides evidence that dietary alterations later in life may prevent or postpone the cognitive declines associated with aging.
Evaluating image filtering based techniques in media space applications

Media space applications that promote informal awareness in an organization confront an inevitable paradox: the shared video connections between offices and rooms that promote informal awareness also can rob individuals of privacy. An important open problem in this area is how to foster awareness of colleagues while minimizing the accompanying loss of privacy. One proposal put forward is to filter the communicated video streams rather than broadcasting clear video. Such a scheme may facilitate awareness while helping to alleviate some aspects of the privacy loss. In this article, we describe several image filtering techniques that provide awareness in informal group communication applications while blurring the details of an individual’s activities, thus potentially preserving more privacy. We describe studies to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the degrees of awareness and accuracy that these filtering techniques provide.
The impact of dose rate on the neurotoxicity of acrylamide: the interaction of administered dose, target tissue concentrations, tissue damage, and functional effects.

Abstract Health agencies are often required to predict the effects of long-term low-level exposure in humans based on animal data involving short-term high-level exposures. Uncertainties in extrapolation can be, in part, based on potentially different mechanisms associated with different exposure scenarios. This study evaluated the adequacy of short-term exposures to acrylamide for predicting neurotoxicity produced by long-term exposures. The neurotoxic effects of acrylamide (ip) were assessed in rats after acute (0–150 mg/kg), 10-day (0–30 mg/kg), 30-day (0–20 mg/kg), and 90-day (0–10 mg/kg) exposures. Behavioral endpoints included motor activity, grip strength, and the acoustic startle response. Histological examination of sciatic nerve and spinal cord was also performed. Internal and target tissue doses were estimated by measurement of the concentration of acrylamide in serum and sciatic nerve. Functional and pathological results demonstrated that the effects of acrylamide depended on the dose rate and that the neurotoxicity of acrylamide was less than that predicted by a strict dose x time relationship. Behavioral endpoints showed both qualitative and quantitative changes as a function of dose rate. Recovery of behavioral function in these studies was independent of the duration of dosing. Because duration of dosing had no impact on the kinetics of acrylamide, these data indicate that the toxicity of acrylamide is not due to an accumulation of acrylamide in the target tissue. The less than strict cumulative toxicity of acrylamide may result from an interaction between administered dose, tissue damage, and repair processes.
Robotic Cells with Parallel Machines: Throughput Maximization in Constant Travel-Time Cells

We present a general analysis of the problem of sequencing operations in bufferless robotic cell flow shops with parallel machines. Our focus will be cells that produce identical parts. The objective is to find a cyclic sequence of robot moves that maximizes the steady state throughput. Parallel machines are used in the industry to increase throughput, most typically at bottleneck processes having larger processing times. Efficient use of parallel machines requires that several parts be processed in one cycle of robot movements. We analyze such cycles for constant travel-time robotic cells. The number of cycles that produce several parts is very large, so we focus on a subclass called blocked cycles. In this class, we find a dominating subclass called LCM Cycles. The results and the analysis in this paper offer practitioners (i) guidelines to determine whether parallel machines will be cost-effective for a given implementation, (ii) a simple formula for determining how many copies of each machine are required to meet a particular throughput rate, and (iii) an optimal sequence of robot moves for a cell with parallel machines under a certain common condition on the processing times.
The Representation of Atmospheric Motion in Models of Regional-Scale Air Pollution

Abstract A method is developed for generating ensembles of wind fields for use in regional scale (1000 km) models of transport and diffusion. The underlying objective is a methodology for representing atmospheric motion in applied air pollution models that permits explicit treatment of the uncertainty inherent in the specification of atmospheric states. The nature of this uncertainty is illustrated by showing that a set of discrete meteorological observations made at a given moment in time, together with the diagnostic equations of fluid motion, defines a manifold in function space, each point of which is a possible description of the state of the atmosphere at the moment the observations were made. It is argued that hypotheses can be adduced regarding the likelihood that individual points on the manifold describe the atmospheric state at the time of the observations, but that contrary to common practice, adequate information does not exist to allow one to state with certainty that a specific function is ...
Sampled-data control of linear parameter varying time-delay systems using state feedback

A sampled-data system includes the combination of continuous-time and discrete-time signals within the framework of hybrid dynamical systems. In this paper, we address the sampled-data control design problem for linear parameter varying (LPV) systems with state delay. The design objective is to find a discrete-time controller to ensure the closed-loop system stability and a prescribed level of performance, which in this study is defined to be the ℋ∞ norm of the closed-loop system. Presence of the state delay in the system dynamics, as well as the hybrid structure of the closed-loop system due to the augmentation of the continuous-time plant and discrete-time controller calls for a new control strategy. To this aim, we utilize one of the most recently developed and less conservative approaches in designing a gain-scheduled controller for state-delay LPV systems to formulate the design problem in terms of a set of linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions. To this end, we utilize the input delay approach to map the closed-loop hybrid system into a continuous-time one by introducing a new delay term in the original state delay plant. The effectiveness of the proposed method is examined through numerical simulation on a mechanical system.
Catalase transcript accumulation in response to dehydration and osmotic stress in leaves of maize viviparous mutants.

AbstractThe effect of osmotic stress and dehydration on maize catalase transcript accumulation was examined in leaves of abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient and ABA-insensitive mutants. We have found that the response of Cat1 to osmotic stress and dehydration is not via an ABA-mediated pathway in young leaves, suggesting that there are two different mechanisms by which Cat1 responds to osmotic stress in embryos and in leaves. The Cat2 transcript increased in response to osmotic stress, but was repressed by dehydration. On the other hand, the Cat3 transcript is up-regulated by dehydration and osmotic stress only in ABA-deficient mutant leaves, implying that ABA may act as a repressor for Cat3 expression in response to dehydration and high osmoticum. We also found that the VP1 trans-acting factor is not required for the induction of Cat1 by ABA in leaves, but may play a role in stabilizing the Cat1 transcript after an initial induction. The exact nature of the signals triggering Cat responses to osmotic stress an...
Velocity-field characteristics for intrinsic and doped central-valley alloy semiconductor Al0.25In0.75As

Abstract Monte Carlo calculation on steady-state electron transport in intrinsic and doped Al0.25In0.75As at several lattice temperatures is reported. The small Γ valley effective mass and the large Γ to L and Γ to X valley separations result in the excellent low-field mobilities and the peak velocities in comparison to those of GaAs, InP and In0.53Ga0.47As at various doping levels. It is found that alloy scattering has a significant effect on electron drift velocities at high fields. Due to large electron affinity difference and large L-valley effective mass, this scattering causes rather weak temperature dependence of electron velocities at high fields and low saturation velocities. As a result, a strong Gunn effect is predicted at various temperatures as indicated by large values of the peak-to-valley ratios.
Numerical techniques for evaluating electromagnetic field propagators

We review a series of electromagnetic field propagator expressions and their numerical solutions. These include propagators arising from a spectral-frequency domain scalar Helmholtz equation solution evaluated by a Fast Fourier transform numerical method, a full wave vector spectral-spatial domain expression solved by an implicit Fourier transform method, and a full wave time domain tensor field expression solved by an explicit integration technique. It is shown that the tensor field explicit integration method has some computational and accuracy advantages over differential equation finite difference methods.
Effect of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor KDR on the transendothelial migration and local trafficking of human T cells in vitro and in vivo

In these studies, we find that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor KDR is expressed on subsets of mitogen-activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in vitro. We also found that KDR colocalizes with CD3 on mitogen-activated T cells in vitro and on infiltrates within rejecting human allografts in vivo. To evaluate whether VEGF and KDR mediate lymphocyte migration across endothelial cells (ECs), we used an in vitro live-time transmigration model and observed that both anti-VEGF and anti-KDR antibodies inhibit the transmigration of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells across tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα)–activated, but not unactivated ECs. In addition, we found that interactions among CD4+ or CD8+ T cells and TNFα–activated ECs result in the induction of KDR on each T cell subset, and that KDR-expressing lymphocytes preferentially transmigrate across TNFα–activated ECs. Finally, using a humanized severe combined immunodeficient mouse model of lymphocyte trafficking, we found that KDR-expressing lymphocytes migrate into human skin in vivo, and that migration is reduced in mice treated with a blocking anti-VEGF antibody. These observations demonstrate that induced expression of KDR on subsets of T cells, and locally expressed VEGF, facilitate EC-dependent lymphocyte chemotaxis, and thus, the localization of T cells at sites of inflammation.
Trends in public opinion toward environmental issues: 1965–1990

Abstract A comprehensive review of available longitudinal data on public opinion toward environmental issues since 1965 suggests the following conclusions regarding trends in public concern over environmental quality: (a) Environmental concern developed dramatically in the late 1960s and reached a peak with the first Earth Day in 1970; (b) such concern declined considerably in the early 1970s and then more gradually over the rest of the decade, but remained substantial; (c) the 1980s saw a significant and steady increase in both public awareness of the seriousness of environmental problems and in support for environmental protection, with the result that by the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, public concern for environmental quality reached unprecedented levels. This supportive public opinion provides a valuable resource for the environmental movement, and the future of the movement will depend heavily on the degree to which environmentalists can effectively mobilize this support.
Good T cells for bad B cells

In this issue of Blood , Kochenderfer and colleagues update their results of a phase 1 trial describing the infusion of autologous T cells rendered specific for CD19.[1][1] Their data build on the safety, feasibility, and efficacy regarding adoptive transfer of genetically modified T cells
Torsional, see-saw, 'bow-tie' nystagmus in association with brain stem anomalies

The authors report a patient with syringomyelia, syringobulbia, and the Arnold-Chiari malformation who was noted clinically to have torsional nystagmus. Measurement of the nystagmus using the magnetic search coil technique revealed a mixed torsional, see-saw, 'bow-tie' waveform. It is postulated that a disturbance of central vestibular connections was the common pathogenesis for all components of the nystagmus.
Accumulated lead exposure and risk of age-related cataract in men.

Context Low-level lead exposure may increase the risk for a number of chronic agerelated diseases. Several studies have documented the presence of lead in lenses with cataract. The intrusion of lead into the lens may alter lens redox status and cause protein conformational changes that decrease lens transparency. Objective To determine the relationship of cumulative lead exposure with the development of cataract. Design, Setting, and Participants Tibial (cortical) and patellar (trabecular) bone lead levels were measured by K x-ray fluorescence between 1991 and 1999 in a subset of participants in the Normative Aging Study (NAS), a Boston-based longitudinal study of aging in men. Among the first 795 NAS participants to have bone lead levels measured, we reviewed eye examination data (collected routinely every 3-5 years) for the period after the bone lead measurements were taken. We limited the population to men aged 60 years and older who had sufficient eye examination information available (n=642). Blood lead levels were also measured. Main Outcome Measures Cataract assessment was done while masked to the lead level results. A participant was considered to have cataract if there was documentation for either eye of cataract surgery or a cataract graded clinically as 3+ or higher on a 4-point scale. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as estimates of the magnitude and significance of the relationship of lead exposure with cataract, in logistic regression models. Results The mean age of the study participants was 69 years and cataract was identified in 122 men. The age-adjusted OR (95% CI) for cataract for men in the highest vs lowest quintile of tibia lead level was 2.68 (1.31-5.50). Further adjustment for packyears of cigarette smoking, diabetes, blood lead levels, and intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids resulted in an OR of 3.19 (95% CI, 1.48-6.90). For patella lead level, there was an increased risk of cataract in the highest vs lowest quintile (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 0.88-4.02), but the trend was not significant (P=.16). Blood lead levels, more indicative of short-term exposure levels, were not significantly associated with cataract (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.46-1.72; P=.73). Conclusions These epidemiological data suggest that accumulated lead exposure, such as that commonly experienced by adults in the United States, may be an important unrecognized risk factor for cataract. This research suggests that reduction of lead exposure could help decrease the global burden of cataract.
Results from a community-based trial testing a community health worker asthma intervention in Puerto Rican youth in Chicago

AbstractObjective: Puerto Rican children suffer disproportionately from asthma. Project CURA tested the efficacy of a community health worker (CHW) intervention to improve use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and reduce home asthma triggers in Puerto Rican youth in Chicago. Methods: This study employed a behavioral randomized controlled trial design with a community-based participatory research approach. Medications and technique were visually assessed; adherence was determined using dose counters. Home triggers were assessed via self-report, visual inspection and salivary cotinine. All participants received education on core asthma topics and self-management skills. Participants in the CHW arm were offered home education by the CHW in four visits over four months. The attention control arm received four newsletters covering the same topics. Results: While most of the participants had uncontrolled persistent asthma, < 50% had ICS at baseline. In the CHW arms, 67% of participants received the full four-vis...
NUCLEAR QUADRUPOLE AND ELECTRONIC HEAT CAPACITIES OF BISMUTH

The heat capacity of bismuth has been measured from 0.1 to 2.0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and found to be represented by $C=2.8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}+2.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}T+1944{(\frac{T}{\ensuremath{\theta}})}^{3}$ joules/mole deg with $\ensuremath{\theta}=120.4\ensuremath{-}0.6{T}^{2}$. The ${T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ term in the heat capacity is assumed to be associated with the alignment of the nuclear electric quadrupole moment in the electric field gradient of the crystal and is used to obtain the value 25 Mc/sec for the quadrupole coupling constant. The linear term is used, together with known parameters for the electrons in the conduction band, to obtain an average effective mass for the holes in the valence band of 0.9 times the free electron mass.
Collision-narrowing of Raman spectrum for spin-density fluctuations of electrons in n-GaAs

Abstract The inelastic light-scattering spectrum for single-particle excitations in n-GaAs has been found to be considerably narrower than the Gaussian form usually predicted for a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution. In this paper, we compare the contribution to the narrowing for two factors: collisions and the momentum-dependence of resonant enhancement terms. The analysis is restricted to the spin-density fluctuation mechanism, which has been found to be best suited for probing the electron distribution.
Application of domain decomposition techniques in large-scale fluid flow problems

Abstract Many large-scale fluid flow problems possess important localized phenomena whose resolution requires local grid refinement. In this paper, the solution of three-dimensional, multiphase flow problems on static, composite grids is discussed. The composite grid consists of a global, rectangular coarse grid and a set of locally refined patches around active wells or other areas with important local flow properties. Curvilinear (locally orthogonal) refinements can be utilized to approximate radial or near-radial flow around wells if such flow is assumed to be appropriate. More general localized refinement can be utilized otherwise. Special finite difference methods have been developed that connect the local and global grid cells in an accurate and mass-conserving manner. Many methods for composite-grid applications generate matrices that have lost their banded structure and must utilize corresponding solution algorithms that are extremely difficult to vectorize for efficiency purposes. Both stand-alone iterative methods and preconditioned gradient-type iterative techniques are discussed that allow easy implementation of the composite-grid techniques in existing simulators with full vectorization capabilities. Pressure calculations in a single-phase flow problem with a distribution of injection and production wells exhibit excellent agreement between numerical calculations on locally radial grids and analytical solutions. Water and gas coning results for a single well also show very good agreement between computations on a hybrid grid and a circular cylindrical grid. This indicates the potential for incorporating local coning models around any well in a full field-scale application without destroying the efficiency of the original simulator. Multiphase, multiwell problems are also presented. Finally, local time-stepping applications are discussed.
The quiet solar wind

Data from nine spacecraft are combined to study the properties of solar wind protons and the interplanetary magnetic field under unusual conditions that proton speed, density, and temperature variations are small over periods comparable to the solar wind expansion time. From the 14 quiet intervals studied it is determined that (1) the square root of T versus velocity relation is less steep than was calculated from long-term-averaged or 3-hour quiet data; (2) the density varies approximately as the inverse square of the velocity; however, the data scatter is large, and an alternative interpretation is that mass flux is constant for velocities over about 400 km/s, in agreement with earlier studies; (3) the magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field is independent of solar wind speed and density; and (4) the average field direction varies with the solar wind speed as predicted by Parker's spiral model. The intercalibration of solar wind measurements by different spacecraft is discussed in an appendix.
The power of the sign test given uncertainty in the proportion of tied observations.

Abstract Background The sign test is a well-known non-parametric approach for testing whether one of two conditions is preferable to another. In medicine, this method may be used when one is interested in testing in the context of a clinical trial whether either of the two treatments that are provided to study subjects is favored over the other. When neither treatment outperforms the other within a given individual, a “tie” is said to have occurred. When planning such a trial and estimating statistical power and/or sample size, one should consider the probability of a tie occurring (PT). This paper quantifies the degree to which uncertainty in PT affects a study's statistical power. Methods Binomial theory was used to calculate power given varying levels of uncertainty and varying distributional forms (i.e. beta, uniform) for PT. Results Across a range of prior distributions for PT, power was reduced (i.e. Conclusions When designing a clinical trial that will incorporate the sign test to compare 2 conditions, ignoring potential variation in the probability of a tie occurring will tend to result in an underpowered study. These findings have implications to the design of any clinical trial for which assumptions are made in calculating an appropriate sample size.
STUDY OF LENNARD-JONES CLUSTERS: EFFECTS OF ANHARMONICITIES FAR FROM SADDLE POINTS

We study the transition pathways of a Lennard-Jones cluster of seven particles in three dimensions. Low lying saddle points of the LJ cluster, which can be reached directly from a minimum without passing through another minimum, are identified without any presumption of their characteristics, nor of the product states they lead to. The probabilities are computed for paths going from a given minimum to the surrounding saddle points. These probabilities are directly related to prefactors in the rate formula. This determination of the rate prefactors includes all anharmonicities, near or far from saddle points, which are pertinent in the very sophisticated energy landscape of LJ clusters and in many other complex systems.
Advanced Gas Separation Membrane Materials: Rigid Aromatic Polyimides

Permeabilities, solubilities, diffusivities, and selectivities for He/CH4 and CO2/CH4 gas pairs are reported for four aromatic polyimides having systematic variations in intersegrnental packing and...
Glycerol accumulation while recycling thin stillage in corn fermentations to ethanol

By succesive recycling of the thin stillage in mashing and fermenting fresh corn, the glycerol content in each fermentation increased by about 0.4% and accumulated to a high of 2.1% in the beer of the fifth recycle. Glycerol concentration declined after the fifth recycle. The original fermentation contained 0.8% glycerol.
Localized Surface Modification on 1018 Low-Carbon Steel by Electrolytic Plasma Process and its Impact on Corrosion Behavior

Electrolytic plasma process (EPP) was applied on 1018 low-carbon steel sample surfaces and tested in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The treatment details of the EPP were described, and the test results indicate the improvement in corrosion rate, and localized corrosion was due to the unique surface features resulting from the EPP treatment. The corrosion protections show a sustainable consistency for EPP-treated samples in a 48 h immersion test. SEM (with FIB) and XRD were used to characterize the surface features. Potential polarization and cyclic voltammetry were performed for corrosion evaluations.
Propofol Neurotoxicity Is Mediated by p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Activation

Background Propofol exposure to neurons during synaptogenesis results in apoptosis, leading to cognitive dysfunction in adulthood. Previous work from our laboratory showed that isoflurane neurotoxicity occurs through p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) and subsequent cytoskeleton depolymerization. Given that isoflurane and propofol both suppress neuronal activity, we hypothesized that propofol also induces apoptosis in developing neurons through p75(NTR). Methods Days in vitro 5-7 neurons were exposed to propofol (3 μM) for 6 h and apoptosis was assessed by cleaved caspase-3 (Cl-Csp3) immunoblot and immunofluorescence microscopy. Primary neurons from p75(NTR-/-) mice or wild-type neurons were treated with propofol, with or without pretreatment with TAT-Pep5 (10 μM, 15 min), a specific p75(NTR) inhibitor. P75(NTR-/-) neurons were transfected for 72 h with a lentiviral vector containing the synapsin-driven p75(NTR) gene (Syn-p75(NTR)) or control vector (Syn-green fluorescent protein) before propofol. To confirm our in vitro findings, wild-type mice and p75(NTR-/-) mice (PND5) were pretreated with either TAT-Pep5 or TAT-ctrl followed by propofol for 6 h. Results Neurons exposed to propofol showed a significant increase in Cl-Csp3, an effect attenuated by TAT-Pep5 and hydroxyfasudil. Apoptosis was significantly attenuated in p75(NTR-/-) neurons. In p75(NTR-/-) neurons transfected with Syn-p75(NTR), propofol significantly increased Cl-Csp3 in comparison with Syn-green fluorescent protein-transfected p75(NTR-/-) neurons. Wild-type mice exposed to propofol exhibited increased Cl-Csp3 in the hippocampus, an effect attenuated by TAT-Pep5. By contrast, propofol did not induce apoptosis in p75(NTR-/-) mice. Conclusion These results demonstrate that propofol induces apoptosis in developing neurons in vivo and in vitro and implicate a role for p75(NTR) and the downstream effector RhoA kinase.
Structure of 17Ne ground state

Abstract Consideration of Coulomb energy for the lowest state with A=17, T= 3 2 , allows determination of the s2/d2 mixture in this state. The d2 configuration is found to dominate.