cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Status of Global WTE

This paper is based on data compiled in the course of developing, for InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), a WTE Guidebook for managers and policymakers in the Latin America and Caribbean region. As part of this work, a list was compiled of nearly all plants in the world that thermally treat nearly 200 million tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) and produce electricity and heat. An estimated 200 WTE facilities were built, during the first decade of the 21st century, mostly in Europe and Asia. The great majority of these plants use the grate combustion of as-received MSW and produce electricity. The dominance of the grate combustion technology is apparently due to simplicity of operation, high plant availability (>90%), and facility for training personnel at existing plants. Novel gasification processes have been implemented mostly in Japan but a compilation of all Japanese WTE facilities showed that 84% of Japan’s MSW is treated in grate combustion plants. Several small-scale WTE plants (<5 tons/hour) are operating in Europe and Japan and are based both on grate combustion and in implementing WTE projects. This paper is based on the sections of the WTE Guidebook that discuss the current use of WTE technology around the world.Since the beginning of history, humans have generated solid wastes and disposed them in makeshift waste dumps or set them on fire. After the industrial revolution, near the end of the 18th century, the amount of goods used and then discarded by people increased so much that it was necessary for cities to provide landfills and incinerators for disposing wastes. The management of urban, or municipal, solid wastes (MSW) became problematic since the middle of the 20th century when the consumption of goods, and the corresponding generation of MSW, increased by an order of magnitude. In response, the most advanced countries developed various means and technologies for dealing with solid wastes. These range from reducing wastes by designing products and packaging, to gasification technologies. Lists of several European plants are presented that co-combust medical wastes (average of 1.8% of the total feedstock) and wastewater plant residue (average of 2% of the feedstock).Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Coronary angiography for follow-up of heart transplant recipients: insights from TIMI frame count and TIMI myocardial perfusion grade.

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame count (TIMI FC) and myocardial perfusion grade (TIMI MPG) in heart transplant recipients and whether these parameters could predict mortality. Methods Sixty-two heart transplant recipients were enrolled in this study. All patients had coronary angiography at baseline and at 1 year, which were evaluated for TIMI FC and TIMI MPG. Also, 50 vessels in 35 patients were analyzed with volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at baseline and at 1 year. Rejection episodes and mortality were recorded during the follow-up period. Results The mean follow-up interval was 51.5 ± 17.2 months (range 12.2 to 78.4 months). TIMI FCs of all three coronary arteries and global TIMI FC (gTIMI FC) significantly increased from baseline during the first year ( p p p = 0.002 for right coronary artery). There was no correlation between changes in TIMI FC and progression of transplant vasculopathy as assessed by IVUS. Episodes of Grade ≥3A rejection were significantly more frequent in the stable gTIMI FC group ( p = 0.03). Mortality rate was significantly higher in the group with increasing gTFC ( p = 0.02). Conclusions gTIMI FCs and TIMI FCs of coronary arteries increase, and TIMI MPG gradually deteriorates during the first year after transplantation. Mortality rate is significantly higher in patients whose gTIMI FC increases from baseline. Change in gTIMI FC is a simple quantitative predictor of long-term mortality in heart transplant recipients.
Timing of reproduction of a cold desert viperid snake from North America, the Great Basin rattlesnake (Crotalus lutosus).

Abstract In this study, we examined the reproductive tracts of preserved specimens of the Great Basin rattlesnake ( Crotalus lutosus ) to investigate the reproductive strategies used by the only species of rattlesnakes widely occurring in a cold desert. The vitellogenic cycle of female rattlesnakes spanned over two consecutive years: females started vitellogenesis in late spring/early summer, and ovulated in the summer of the next year. This contrasts with the female reproductive cycle of other rattlesnake species from warmer regions of North America, which typically initiate vitellogenesis in summer/fall, and ovulate in late spring of the next year. On the other hand, the reproductive cycle of male C. lutosus conformed well to those described for other rattlesnakes; that is, testes were active (i.e., sperm formation) in summer. The sexual segments of the kidneys of males were hypertrophied in summer, suggesting an unimodal summer mating season. Our findings suggests that the relatively short active season (i.e., 4–5 months) experienced by these snakes in the Great Basin of North America has implications for the timing of female reproductive events, such as an early onset of vitellogenesis, a late time of ovulation, and possibly a restricted period for giving birth.
Major Anthocyanin from Tradescantia pallida: Identification by LSI‐MS and Chemical Analyses

The structure of the main anthocyanin from Tradescantia pallida was identified by LSI mass spectrometry and HPLC as cyanidin-3,7,31-triglucoside with three molecules of ferulic acid, one molecule of caffeic acid and one terminal glucose.
Long-term variability of meiobenthos: value, synopsis, hypothesis generation and predictive modelling

Few long-term data sets exist for meiofauna. Such data sets are expensive to collect, sort and identify; continuous meiofauna data for a period of greater than two years are limited to one site in Belgium (7 yrs) and two sites (one mud, one sand) in South Carolina, USA (11 yrs). The Belgian study concentrates on benthic copepod abundances whereas data from South Carolina includes major taxa and benthic copepods as well as 4 years of concurrent macrofauna abundance and 3 years of nematode species abundances.
Gender differences in beliefs about the causes of male and female sexual desire

Little is known about the beliefs men and women have about the causes of sexual desire, despite the interpersonal and individual significance of those beliefs. Participants in this study received a definition of sexual desire and answered a set of free-response questions exploring their beliefs about the causal antecedents of male and female sexual desire. The results indicated that more women than men view female (and male) sexual desire as caused by external factors. In addition, both men and women believe that male and female sexual desire have different causes: intraindividual and erotic environmental factors are believed to cause male sexual desire, but interpersonal and romantic environmental factors are believed to cause female sexual desire. Although both men and women view physical attractiveness and overall personality as sexually desirable male and female characteristics, women, but not men, view femininity as a sexually desirable female characteristic, and men, but not women, view social and financial power or status as a sexually desirable male attribute.
Analysis of the oil extraction process in soybeans: a new continuous procedure.

Soybean oil extraction techniques were studied in which solvent was recirculated or pumped once through a suspension of soybean tissue. Both refractive index and ultraviolet absorbance were used to monitor the extraction continuously. Slices of soybean tissue showed rapid extraction from damaged tissue, followed by slow extraction from intact tissue. When soybean flakes were extracted, a continuously decreasing rate was noted. When solvent was forced through flakes, extraction was more rapid than when solvent was allowed to diffuse in and out of flakes. Reextraction of partially defatted flakes showed that the last soybean oil to be extracted was not inherently resistant to extraction. The adsorption of soybean oil to defatted flakes may account for slow removal of small quantities of oil at the end of the extraction.
Quantifying the eyeball test: sarcopenia, analytic morphomics, and liver transplantation.

The physiological implications of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) are so pervasive that measuring the severity of the disease is challenging and imperfect. Although the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is convenient and reliable, clinicians appreciate the broad range of disease severity among patients with any given MELD score. Within this context, most MELD-based allocation systems allow exception points for patients whose risk of wait-list mortality is poorly reflected by their calculated MELD scores. In the United States, the majority of MELD exceptions are granted for objective diagnoses such as hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatopulmonary syndrome, and patients who are subjectively assessed to be ‘‘sicker than their MELD score’’ likely have increased wait-list mortality. Importantly, allocation policy and treatment algorithms work best with objective clinical assessments (eg, the MELD score), which are well suited for standardization and the rigorous modeling of predicted risk. In all, better objective measures of disease severity in patients with liver disease are needed. One such objective measure of disease severity, sarcopenia, is described by Tandon et al. 1 in this issue of Liver Transplantation. This good work has several key take-home points. First, the authors demonstrate that sarcopenia is a strong and independent predictor of mortality among patients waiting for liver transplanta
Structure-based design of selective agonists for a rickets-associated mutant of the vitamin d receptor

The nuclear and steroid hormone receptors function as ligand-dependent transcriptional regulators of diverse sets of genes associated with development and homeostasis. Mutations to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a member of the nuclear and steroid hormone receptor family, have been linked to human vitamin D-resistant rickets (hVDRR) and result in high serum 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) concentrations and severe bone underdevelopment. Several hVDRR-associated mutants have been localized to the ligand binding domain of VDR and cause a reduction in or loss of ligand binding and ligand-dependent transactivation function. The missense mutation Arg274 --> Leu causes a >1000-fold reduction in 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) responsiveness and is, therefore, no longer regulated by physiological concentrations of the hormone. In this study, computer-aided molecular design was used to generate a focused library of nonsteroidal analogues of the VDR agonist LG190155 that were uniquely designed to complement the Arg274 --> Leu associated with hVDRR. Half of the designed analogues exhibit substantial activity in the hVDRR-associated mutant, whereas none of the structurally similar control compounds exhibited significant activity. The seven most active designed analogues were more than 16 to 526 times more potent than 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in the mutant receptor (EC(50) = 3.3-121 nM). Significantly, the analogues are selective for the nuclear VDR and did not stimulate cellular calcium influx, which is associated with activation of the membrane-associated vitamin D receptor.
Charge transport in two different conductive polymer and semiconducting quantum dot nanocomposite systems

Charge transport mechanisms have been investigated in two different nanocomposite structures made of conductive polymers embedded with II-VI semiconducting quantum dots. Photoluminescence data indicated charge transport in the two systems. Higher photocurrents observed in the poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) polymer-based heterostructure in comparison with the poly(2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) polymer-based heterostructure have been analyzed with hole and electron conduction. For larger concentrations of quantum dots, both electron transport through nanocrystals and hole transport through polymer become relevant. Based on the electron tunneling mechanism, current voltage characteristics are modeled for a double barrier quantum well device formed by semiconducting quantum dots and polymer molecules.
An obvious proof of Fishburn's interval order theorem

Abstract This note gives a brief proof and slight generalization of Fishburn's representation theorem for interval orders.
Periodic mesoporous silica monoliths templated by liquid crystals in complex systems

Periodic mesoporous oxides are usually synthesized from water/surfactant system with low surfactant concentrations and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene has been sued as a swelling agent to increase the spore size under certain conditions. The use of pre-formed liquid crystal phases as template in multicomponent system holds promise for even large pore sizes, large monoliths, and a high level of phase, pore size, and morphology control. Here a generalized method has ben employed to prepare liquid crystal phase that subsequently act as template for the formation of periodic mesoporous silica. Once formed, liquid crystal phases persist throughout the inorganic polymerization and gelation processes and directly template the formation of inorganic mesophases. The method is applicable to a diversity of chemical compositions and offers a simultaneous control over the pore size and morphology. Synthetic variables that can be used to tune the pore size include cosurfactant chain length, cosurfactant/surfactant mass ratios, and the amount of oil. The removal of organic components leads to periodic mesoporous silica with excellent thermal and hydrothermal stability.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Phosphorylation-Dependent Association of the Ras-Related GTP-Binding Protein Rem with 14-3-3 Proteins

Rem belongs to a subfamily of Ras-related GTPases that includes Rad, Gem, and Kir. These proteins are unique among the Ras superfamily since their expression is under transcriptional regulation and they contain distinct amino and carboxyl termini. To gain insight into the cellular function of Rem, we have undertaken an expression screen using a mouse embryo cDNA library to identify Rem-interacting proteins and find that Rem interacts with a series of 14-3-3 isoforms (epsilon, eta, theta, and zeta). Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrate an interaction that is independent of the nucleotide state of Rem. Rem is phosphorylated in vivo, and binding of Rem to 14-3-3zeta is abolished by pretreating Rem with protein phosphatase 1. Thus, the association of Rem and 14-3-3zeta is phosphorylation-dependent. Examination of the interaction between 14-3-3zeta and various Rem deletion mutants mapped a critical binding site to the C-terminus of Rem. Finally, we demonstrate the interaction of Rad but not the newly identified Rem2 protein with 14-3-3 proteins. These results suggest that 14-3-3 may allow the recruitment of distinct proteins that participate in Rem-mediated signal transduction pathways.
SINUSOIDAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE HUMAN VESTIBULAR APPARATUS.

Sinusoidal electrical stimulation with eight frequencies ranging from 0.030 to 4.0 cps was applied between the mastoid processes of five male undergraduate Ss. Only ascending series in the method o...
Investigation of Microphysical Processes Occurring in Isolated Convection during NAME

AbstractA major objective of the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) was to quantify microphysical processes within convection occurring near the steep topography of northwestern Mexico. A previous study compared examples of isolated convection using polarimetric radar data and noted a dependence on mixed-phase processes via drop freezing and subsequent riming growth along the coastal plain and western slopes, with an even greater role of melting ice in rainfall production over the highest terrain. Despite the higher frequency of these isolated cells compared to organized convective systems, the latter were responsible for 75% of rainfall. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the role of mesoscale organization on microphysical processes and describes the evolution of these systems as a function of topography.Similar to isolated convection, both warm-rain and ice-based processes played important roles in producing intense rainfall in organized convection. Although similarities existed between cell ...
Effects of ultraviolet radiation on mammalian cells I. Induction of chromosome aberrations

Abstract A quasidiploid (22 chromosomes) clonal cell line of the Chinese hamster was used for investigations of the effects of UV light. The cells grown in monolayer were less than 3 μ thick, permitting ready penetration of UV light. By means of autoradiography, the average generation time was determined as 24 h, which included 8 h for S (DNA synthesis), 2–3 h for G2 (post-synthesis interphase), and 13–14 h for G1 (pre-synthesis interphase) and M (mitosis). Severe cellular damage was induced by UV, resulting in cell death, sterility, delay in DNA synthesis and mitosis, and chromosome aberrations. Various kinds of damage appear to depend both on wavelength and dose. All types of chromatid and chromosome aberrations were induced in the hamster cells by UV at various wavelengths. They are qualitatively similar to those induced by ionizing radiations and probably have the same mode of production through chromosome breakage and rejoining. They can be induced at all stages of the cell cycle, irrespective of DNA synthesis. Within the dose-range tested, aberration frequency increased with incident UV dose. UV-induced chromosome aberrations are non-photoreactivable. Aberration frequency is wavelength-dependent and reaches a broad maximum between 2400 and 2800 A. Thymidine analog pre-treatment of these cells significantly increases their UV sensitivity as measured by chromosome aberrations. These results suggest that DNA is a site of UV injury which leads to chromosome aberrations, but the possibility cannot be excluded that chromosomal structural proteins also play an important role in the induction of aberrations. Chromosome demolition can be induced most effectively by UV at 2800 A, but post-treatment with a protein inhibitor (puromycin) following irradiation with UV at 2650 A produces the same effect. The phenomenon is interpreted as the result of damage to proteins of the cell.
3D imaging of microbial biofilms: integration of synchrotron imaging and an interactive visualization interface

Understanding the structure of microbial biofilms and other complex microbial communities is now possible through x-ray microtomography imaging. Feature detection and image processing for this type of data focuses on efficiently identifying and segmenting biofilm biomass in the datasets. These datasets are very large and segmentation often requires manual interventions due to low contrast between objects and high noise levels. New software is required for the effectual interpretation and analysis of such data. This work specifies the evolution and ability to analyze and visualize high resolution x-ray microtomography datasets. Major functionalities include read/write with multiple popular file formats, down-sampling large datasets to generate quick-views on low-power computers, image processing, and generating high quality output images and videos. These capabilities have been wrapped into a new interactive software toolkit, BiofilmViewer. A major focus of our work is to facilitate data transfer and to utilize the capabilities of existing powerful visualization and analytical tools including MATLAB, ImageJ, Paraview, Chimera, Vaa3D, Cell Profiler, Icy, BioImageXD, and Drishti.
Computer-aided controller design environment for use with nonlinear systems

Abstract The paper presents a computer-aided design (CAD) environment for synthesis of controllers for use with highly nonlinear systems. The implemented technique of the CAD environment is based on a six step systematic procedure, and the CAD environment is comprised of three command-driven and user-friendly software utilities. The controller design procedure and the associated software allow the user to identify the optimum controller that would form a nonlinear feedback system whose dynamic and static behaviour would mimic that of a user-defined reference linear model with as little sensitivity to the amplitude level of the excitation signal as possible. The CAD environment performs a complete cycle of steps starting from plant description to frequency domain modelling, linear system identification, controller synthesis, and design validation via simulation.
Variation in Sulfide Tolerance of Photosystem II in Phylogenetically Diverse Cyanobacteria from Sulfidic Habitats

Physiological and molecular phylogenetic approaches were used to investigate variation among 12 cyanobacterial strains in their tolerance of sulfide, an inhibitor of oxygenic photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria from sulfidic habitats were found to be phylogenetically diverse and exhibited an approximately 50-fold variation in photosystem II performance in the presence of sulfide. Whereas the degree of tolerance was positively correlated with sulfide levels in the environment, a strain's phenotype could not be predicted from the tolerance of its closest relatives. These observations suggest that sulfide tolerance is a dynamic trait primarily shaped by environmental variation. Despite differences in absolute tolerance, similarities among strains in the effects of sulfide on chlorophyll fluorescence induction indicated a common mode of toxicity. Based on similarities with treatments known to disrupt the oxygen-evolving complex, it was concluded that sulfide toxicity resulted from inhibition of the donor side of photosystem II.
Double-scatter cross sections for two-dimensional random rough surfaces that exhibit backscatter enhancement

Full-wave solutions are given for the single- and double-scatter radar cross sections for two-dimensional random rough surfaces. High-frequency approximations are used for the double-scatter cross sections in order to express them as numerically tractable four-dimensional integrals. The major contributions to the double-scatter cross sections are associated with the quasi-parallel and quasi-antiparallel double-scatter paths. They come from the neighborhoods of specular points. The enhancement of the backscatter cross sections, which is associated with the quasi-antiparallel double-scatter paths, is observed for both the like- and cross-polarized cross sections.
Pharmacogenomics of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity

Cisplatin ototoxicity affects different individuals in a widely variable manner. These variations are likely to be explained by genetic differences among those affected. It would be highly advantageous to identify genetic variants that predispose to cisplatin ototoxicity in order to minimize the risk to susceptible subgroups. Although this area of research is very important, only a few studies have rigorously examined the genetic basis for cisplatin-induced susceptibility to hearing loss. This article addresses recent progress in clarifying the incidence of cisplatin ototoxicity and the risk factors and controversies regarding the identification of genetic variants associated with cisplatin-induced hearing loss.
Early Detection of Preterm Labor: Ambulatory Home Monitoring of Uterine Activity

Most women who experience preterm labor cannot receive longterm tocolysis mainly because of belated diagnosis. To detect excessive uterine contractions, an ambulatory tocodynamometer was developed. Sixty-two women, at high risk for preterm labor, monitored uterine activity between 20 and 36 weeks' gestation daily for a total of 200 minutes per day. Twenty-nine women (47%) had episodes of preterm labor. All the episodes were diagnosed by the device, and tocolysis was begun. The mean gestational age at which diagnosis was made was 28±2 (mean±SD) weeks, and the mean time gained in utero was 7.5±2.6weeks. The data indicate that ambulatory home monitoring may represent a new and effective means for accurate and early diagnosis of preterm labor.
Bulk density as a soil quality indicator during conversion to no-tillage

Producers often identify compaction as an important problem, so bulk density is usually included in minimum data sets used to evaluate tillage and crop management effects on soil quality. The hypothesis for this study was that bulk density and associated water content would be useful soil quality indicators for evaluating the transitional effects associated with changing tillage and crop management practices on deep-loess soils. The study was conducted on three deep-loess, field-scale watersheds located in western Iowa, USA. The soils are classified as Haplic Phaeozems, Cumulic-Haplic Phaeozems, and Calcaric Regosols. Watersheds 1 and 2 were converted in 1996 from conventional tillage to no-tillage, while watershed 3 was maintained using ridge-tillage and continuous corn (Zea mays L.), a practice implemented in 1972. Watershed 1 was converted to a corn—soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) rotation while watershed 2 was converted to a 6-year rotation that included corn, soybean, corn plus 3 years of alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.). Bulk density and water content were measured at three landscape positions (summit, side-slope, and toe-slope), in 20 mm increments to a depth of 300 mm, five times between September 1996 and May 2000. Organic C and total N were also measured to a depth of 160 mm during the initial sampling. Neither bulk density nor water content showed any significant differences between the two watersheds being converted to no-tillage or between them and the ridge-till watershed. There also were no significant differences among landscape positions. Bulk densities and water contents showed some differences when adjacent sampling dates were compared, but there was no overall or consistent trend. Our results show that bulk density is not a useful soil quality indicator for these soils within the bulk density range encountered (0.8–1.6 Mg m 3 ). Our results also confirm that producers do not necessarily have to worry about increased compaction when using ridge-tillage or changing from conventional to no-tillage practices on these or similar deep-loess soils. Published by Elsevier B.V.
United States Health Policies and Late-stage Breast and colorectal cancer diagnosis: Why such disparities by age?

Colorectal and breast cancers are the second most common causes of cancer deaths in the US. Population cancer screening rates are suboptimal and many cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. Younger populations are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and this age disparity is not well understood. We examine the associations between late-stage breast cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses and multilevel factors, focusing on individual state regulations of insurance and health practitioners, and interactions between such policies and age. We expect state-level regulations are significant predictors of the rates of late-stage diagnosis among younger adults. We included adults of all ages, with BC or CRC diagnosed between 2004 –2009, obtained from a newly available cancer population database covering 98 % of all known new cancer cases. We included personal characteristics, linked with a set of county and state-level predictors based on residence. We applied multilevel models to robustly examine differences in risk of late-stage cancer diagnosis across age groups (defined as age 65+ or < 65), focusing specifically on the effects of state regulatory factors and their interactions with age. Late stage BC diagnoses range from 24 %-36 %, while CRC diagnoses range from 54 %-60 % of newly diagnosed BC or CRC cases across states. After controlling statistically for many confounding factors at three levels, age < 65 is the largest person-level predictor for CRC, while black race is the largest predictor for BC. State regulations of health markets exhibit significant interactions with age groups. The state regulatory climate is an important predictor of late-stage BC and CRC diagnoses, especially among people younger than Medicare eligible age (65). State regulations can enhance the climate of access for younger, less well-insured or uninsured persons who fall outside normative screening guidelines.
Time Pressure and Ethical Decision-Making: The Case for Moral Readiness

Time pressure bedevils ethical decision-making. In one very telling experiment (Darley and Batson, 1973), divinity students were told that they had to deliver a lecture from prepared notes in a classroom across campus. Half the students were told they had to hurry to be on time, and the other half were told they had more than ample time. On the way the students came across a person in distress (actually an actor) who sat slumped motionless in a doorway, coughing and groaning with his head down and eyes closed. Shockingly, only 16 of the 40 divinity students stopped to help the needy man, most of them from the half that had ample time. To those in a hurry, the man was a distraction; a threat to their focus of giving a lecture about, ironically enough, "The Good Samaritan."2 Reactions to this study vary. Proponents of the moral intensity model (Jones, 1991) may argue that the failure to give aid is understandable because:
Continuous Failure Diagnosis for Assembly Systems using Rough Set Approach

Increasingly, companies require faster ramp-up in order to cope with shorter production cycles and greater demand for product variety. Since quality and dimensional problems are one of the major reasons for delay during ramp-up, rapid diagnosis of dimensional failures is of critical concern. Given the lack of historical data and incomplete process knowledge in ramp-up, a Rough Set based diagnosis methodology is proposed which focuses on developing: (1) Self-learning ability to detect new faults as a system undergoes adjustments; and (2) A continuous diagnostic for faults rather than a crisp definition of faults. A case study illustrates the proposed approach.
Observations of bubble-vessel interactions in ultrasound fields

Interactions between bubbles and nearby boundaries have been studied for some time; however, the direct interactions between bubbles and tissue boundaries, especially blood vessel walls, have not been studied to a large extent. In this work highspeed microscopy was used to study the dynamical interaction between microbubbles and microvessels of ex vivo rat mesentery subjected to a single pulse of ultrasound. Ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles were injected into the blood vessels of rat mesentery subsequent to having the blood flushed out. India ink was used to increase the contrast between microvessels and surrounding tissues. Tissue samples were aligned at the focus of both an ultrasound transducer with a center frequency of 1 MHz and an inverted microscope coupled to a high speed camera. Fourteen high-speed microphotographic images were acquired for each experiment using 50 ns shutter speeds. Observations of the coupled dynamics between bubbles and vessels ranging from 10 μm to 100 μm diameters under the exposure of ultrasound of peak negative pressure within the range of 1 MPa to 7.8 MPa suggest that the vessel wall dilates during bubble expansion, and invaginates during bubble contraction. A significant finding is that the ratio of invagination to distension is usually >1 and large circumferential strains can be imposed on the vessel wall during vessel invagination. In addition, the surrounding tissue response was also quantified. Based on these studies, we hypothesize that vessel invagination is the dominant mechanism for the initial induction of vascular damage via cavitation.
Analysis of clustered data in multicentre trauma studies

Summary Introduction In order to design multicentre studies an estimate of the correlation of the observations within each centre is necessary. A standard measure of the correlation between observations within each centre is the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Method We used the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). By 2004, 448 trauma centres (including 110 level I and 123 level II trauma centres) from 43 states and US territories contributed over 1.2 million records to the NTDB. Data of patients directly transported from the scene of injury to level I or II trauma centres were used to calculate the ICC of in-hospital trauma fatality and emergency department (ED) shock rate. Results The ICCs of ED shock and in-hospital fatality rate were 0.010 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.003–0.018) and 0.039 (95% CI: 0.028–0.050), respectively. The ICC of shock in the ED was the highest for penetrating injuries (0.017, 95% CI: 0.003–0.032) and the lowest for women (0.008, 95% CI: 0.002–0.013) although the observed difference between men and women was not statistically significant. The ICC of trauma fatality was the highest for penetrating injuries (0.073, 95% CI: 0.047–0.098), and the lowest for blunt injuries (0.029, 95% CI: 0.020–0.037). Discussion Although the calculated ICCs might seem so small as to be ignored, the required sample size in studies with exclusively exposed or non-exposed clusters depends on the ICC and the average number of subjects within clusters. Therefore, investigators should be aware of the influence that these ICCs might have on sample size and power of their studies.
Regulation of HIF-1α activity in adipose tissue by obesity-associated factors: adipogenesis, insulin, and hypoxia

The transcription factor HIF-1α activity is increased in adipose tissue to contribute to chronic inflammation in obesity. However, its upstream and downstream events remain to be characterized in adipose tissue in obesity. We addressed this issue by investigating adipocyte HIF-1α activity in response to obesity-associated factors, such as adipogenesis, insulin, and hypoxia. In adipose tissue, both HIF-1α mRNA and protein were increased by obesity. The underlying mechanism was investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. HIF-1α mRNA and protein were augmented by adipocyte differentiation. In differentiated adipocytes, insulin further enhanced HIF-1α in both levels. Hypoxia enhanced only HIF-1α protein, not mRNA. PI3K and mTOR activities are required for the HIF-1α expression. Function of HIF-1α protein was investigated in the regulation of VEGF gene transcription. ChIP assay shows that HIF-1α binds to the proximal hypoxia response element in the VEGF gene promoter, and its function is inhibited by a corepressor composed of HDAC3 and SMRT. These observations suggest that of the three obesity-associated factors, all of them are able to augment HIF-1α protein levels, but only two (adipogenesis and insulin) are able to enhance HIF-1α mRNA activity. Adipose tissue HIF-1α activity is influenced by multiple signals, including adipogenesis, insulin, and hypoxia in obesity. The transcriptional activity of HIF-1α is inhibited by HDAC3-SMRT corepressor in the VEGF gene promoter.
Selective amplification of classical and atypical prions using modified protein misfolding cyclic amplification.

With the development of protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), the topic of faithful propagation of prion strain-specific structures has been constantly debated. Here we show that by subjecting brain material of a synthetic strain consisting of a mixture of self-replicating states to PMCAb, selective amplification of PrPSc could be achieved, and that PMCAb mimicked the evolutionary trend observed during serial transmission in animals. On the other hand, using modified PMCAb conditions that employ partially deglycosylated PrPC (dgPMCAb), an alternative transmissible state referred to as atypical protease-resistant form of the prion protein (atypical PrPres) was selectively amplified from a mixture. Surprisingly, when hamster-adapted strains (263K and Hyper) were subjected to dgPMCAb, their proteinase K digestion profile underwent a dramatic transformation, suggesting that a mixture of atypical PrPres and PrPSc might be present in brain-derived materials. However, detailed analysis revealed that the proteinase K-resistant profile of PrPSc changed in response to dgPMCAb. Despite these changes, the 263K strain-specific disease phenotype was preserved after passage through dgPMCAb. This study revealed that the change in PrPSc biochemical phenotype does not always represent an irreversible transformation of a strain, but rather demonstrated the existence of a wide range of variation for strain-specific physical features in response to a change in prion replication environment. The current work introduced a new PMCA technique for amplification of atypical PrPres and raised a number of questions about the need for a clever distinction between actual strain mutation and variation of strain-specific features in response to a change in the replication environment.
Behavioral Impulsivity and Risk‐Taking Trajectories Across Early Adolescence in Youths With and Without Family Histories of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders

BACKGROUND: Youths with family histories of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) are at increased susceptibility for developing substance use disorders relative to those without such histories (FH-). This vulnerability may be related to impaired adolescent development of impulse control and elevated risk-taking. However, no previous studies have prospectively examined impulse control and risk-taking in FH+ youth across adolescence. METHODS: A total of 386 pre-adolescents (305 FH+, 81 FH-; aged 10 to 12) with no histories of regular alcohol or other drug use were compared on behavioral measures of impulsivity including delay discounting, response initiation (Immediate Memory Task), response inhibition impulsivity (GoStop Impulsivity Paradigm), and risk-taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task-Youth). Youths completed these laboratory tasks every 6 months, allowing for the examination of 10- to 15-year-olds. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to characterize the development of impulse control and risk-taking as shown in performance of these tasks throughout adolescence. RESULTS: We found that (i) FH+ youths had increased levels of delay discounting and response inhibition impulsivity at study entry; (ii) regardless of FH status, all youths had relatively stable delay discounting across time, improvements in response inhibition and response initiation impulsivity, and increased risk-taking; and (iii) although FH+ youths had increased response inhibition impulsivity at pre-adolescence, these differences were negligible by mid-adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Heightened delay discounting in FH+ pre-adolescents coupled with normal adolescent increases in risk-taking may contribute to their increased susceptibility toward problem substance use in adolescence. Language: en
A programmable signal processing architecture

A processor architecture is described that permits a substantial increase in throughput from that obtained with more conventional designs. The subject processor is structured with parallel FFT and non FFT arithmetic units that can operate simultaneously. The nonFFT portion, driven from a horizontal µ code word, has parallel ALU's that allow a high degree of efficiency for many algorithms. The system is designed to be extremely efficient for array-oriented operations, and can be used with a high-level programming language that is translated by an off-line macroassembler into instructions used by the sequence control portion of the processor. The processor has been built and is currently operating within a radar system.
XIII. Yeast mapping reports. MTF1, encoding the yeast mitochondrial RNA polymerase specificity factor, is located on chromosome XIII

MTF1 is a nuclear gene that encodes the promoter recognition factor of the yeast mitochondrial RNA polymerase. The MTF1 gene was physically mapped to chromosome XIII. Genetic mapping data indicate that the gene is closely linked to RNA1.
Real-time adaptive kinematic model estimation of concentric tube robots

Kinematic models of concentric tube robots have matured from considering only tube bending to considering tube twisting as well as external loading. While these models have been demonstrated to approximate actual behavior, modeling error can be significant for medical applications that often call for positioning accuracy of 1–2mm. As an alternative to moving to more complex models, this paper proposes using sensing to adaptively update model parameters during robot operation. Advantages of this method are that the model is constantly tuning itself to provide high accuracy in the region of the workspace where it is currently operating. It also adapts automatically to changes in robot shape and compliance associated with the insertion and removal of tools through its lumen. As an initial exploration of this approach, a recursive on-line estimator is proposed and evaluated experimentally.
Ultrastructural Examination of Ageing and Radiation-induced Life-span Shortening in Adult Drosophila Melanogaster

SummaryA Canton S strain of wild-type Drosophila melanogaster was exposed to 99 000 R of 60Co gamma-radiation at a very low dose-rate of 25 R/min. The mid-guts of the irradiated and control populations were examined at graded intervals of time to study any ultrastructural alterations that may occur both as a function of age and the radiation insult. The investigation demonstrated that radiation accelerated some of the age-related fine structural alterations, but it was also responsible for changes not present in the control population.A theory of ageing, radiation-induced life-span shortening, and death, based on an amelioration of cellular function, was proposed.
The Effects of Size, Shape, and Orientation of an Impermeable Region on Transient Pressure Testing

L'etude est realisee sur un reservoir constitue de deux regions: l'une a des proprietes continues et homogenes, l'autre se comporte comme une limite interne impermeable vis-a-vis de la premiere. L'influence de la taille, de la forme et de l'orientation de la region impermeable sur la pression d'un puits produisant a debit constant est modelisee
Underconnected, But Not Broken? Dynamic Functional Connectivity MRI Shows Underconnectivity in Autism Is Linked to Increased Intra-Individual Variability Across Time

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by core sociocommunicative impairments. Atypical intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) has been reported in numerous studies of ASD. A majority of findings has indicated long-distance underconnectivity. However, fMRI studies have thus far exclusively examined static iFC across several minutes of scanning. We examined temporal variability of iFC, using sliding window analyses in selected high-quality (low-motion) consortium datasets from 76 ASD and 76 matched typically developing (TD) participants (Study 1) and in-house data from 32 ASD and 32 TD participants. Mean iFC and standard deviation of the sliding window correlation (SD-iFC) were computed for regions of interest (ROIs) from default mode and salience networks, as well as amygdala and thalamus. In both studies, ROI pairings with significant underconnectivity (ASD<TD) were identified. Mediation analyses showed that decreased mean iFC in the ASD groups was significantly affected by increased SD-iFC. Our study is the first to identify temporal variability across time as a significant contributing factor to the common finding of static underconnectivity in ASD. Since peak connectivity across time was not significantly reduced in ASD, static underconnectivity findings may have to be reinterpreted, suggesting that connections are not actually "broken" in ASD, but subject to greater intra-individual variability across time. Our findings indicate the need for dynamic approaches to iFC in clinical functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) investigations.
Multi-Reference Visual Servo Control of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle

A cooperative visual servo regulation controller is developed in this paper with the objective to position an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to a desired position and orientation using the image feedback from a moving airborne monocular camera. Fusing an innovative daisy chaining strategy with the geometric reconstruction method, the Euclidean position of the UGV and reference objects is identified to provide simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) of the UGV. Asymptotic regulation is proved through a Lyapunov-based analysis of the UGV.
Racial Disparities in Creatinine-based Kidney Function Estimates Among HIV-infected Adults.

Objective : The aim of our study was to investigate whether current eGFR equations in clinical use might systematically overestimate the kidney function, and thus misclassify CKD status, of Black Americans with HIV. Specifically, we evaluated the impact of removing the race coefficient from the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations on comparisons between Black and White HIV-infected veterans related to: 1) the prevalence of reduced eGFR; 2) the distribution of eGFR values; and 3) the relationship between eGFR and all-cause mortality. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) HIV Clinical Case Registry (CCR), which actively monitors all HIV-infected persons receiving care in the VA nationally. Patients/Participants: 21,905 treatmentnaive HIV-infected veterans. Main Outcome Measures: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula with and without (MDRD-RCR) the race coefficient and allcause mortality. Results: Persons with eGFR 80 mL/ min/1.73m2 among both Blacks (HR=2.8, 95%CI: 2.4-3.3) and Whites (HR=1.9, 95%CI: 1.4-2.6), but the association appeared to be stronger in Blacks (P=.038, test for interaction). Blacks with eGFR 45- 60 mL/min/1.73m2 also had a higher risk of death (HR=1.7, 95%CI: 1.4-2.1) but Whites did not (HR=0.86, 95%CI: .67- 1.10; test for interaction: P<.0001). Racial differences were substantially attenuated when eGFR was re-calculated without the race coefficient. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinicians may want to consider estimating glomerular filtration rate without the race coefficient in Blacks with HIV. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(2):213-220; doi:10.18865/ ed.26.2.213