cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AlF.1,4-benzenedicarboxylate: synthesis and absorption properties.

AlF(bdc), bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, a new member of the family of MX(bdc) compounds has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. It is formed without H2bdc in the channels and substantial absorption capacity is observed in its as-synthesized form. AlF(bdc) does not absorb water at ambient temperatures and shows absorption properties similar to VO(bdc).
High blood pressure detection: a new public health measure for the dental profession

The importance of high blood pressure detection in dental offices is being emphasized through the High Blood Pressure Education and Detection Program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dentists can make an important contribution to public health by measuring blood pressure and referring those persons with sustained elevated readings to physicians. The dentist’s role in hypertension detection is being encouraged by the activities of a program at Fairleigh Dickinson University—the only educational institution designated an endorsing organization of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program.
Cardiovascular Differences between Phenylpropanolamine and Its Related Norephedrine Isomers in the Rat

Various studies have confused the norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine isomers with phenylpropanolamine (PPA, d,l-norephedrine). This confusion has led us to investigate the pharmacological activity of the norephedrine (NOR) and norpseudoephedrine (NORP) isomers in the cardiovascular system of the urethane:chloralose anesthetized rat. Following intravenous administration, in a cumulative-dose fashion, I-NOR and PPA were the most potent compounds at increasing arterial blood pressure, while d-NOR, d-NORP, and I-NORP were relatively inactive at the doses tested (0.31–10 mg/kg). Prior reserpinization did not significantly shift the cumulative dose-response curves for I-NOR and PPA. Repetitive injections of PPA and I-NOR (1 mg/kg, 4 doses at 5-min intervals) failed to produce tachyphylaxis to the pressor response. On the other hand, when d-NORP was administered in a similar fashion, tachyphylaxis to the second and subsequent doses was observed. These studies demonstrate that significant mechanistic differences exist between these norephedrine isomers.
An innovative passive DMFC technology

This paper describes recent advances in the passive technology of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) for portable applications made at the University of Connecticut (UConn). The effort on DMFCs at UConn includes work devoted to new planar stack hardware and work on system level design and engineering. The stack is lightweight and available in modules that can easily be assembled to meet the power requirements of specific applications. We specifically developed a DMFC system characterized in passive technology for methanol fuel delivery, water recirculation, air and thermal management. Such system technology lends itself to an attractive choice for portable power applications.
LEARNING AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE FED’S INFLATION TARGET

This paper tries to infer and compare the evolution of the Federal Reserve’s (unobserved) in∞ation target series by estimating a monetary model under the alternative assumptions of rational expectations or subjective expectations and learning. In the estimated model that assumes that economic agents have rational expectations, the implied in∞ation target displays large shifts over time: it starts at 2% in the early 1960s, it rises to 8% in the 1970s, and it falls to 4% and 2% in the 1980s and 1990s. When the assumption of rational expectations is relaxed in favor of learning by the policymaker, the inferred target is, instead, remarkably stable over time. The target assumes values between 2 to 3% over the whole post-war sample. The flndings suggest changing beliefs and learning by the Federal Reserve as major endogenous causes of the perceived variation in the in∞ation target. When the model is allowed to take the central bank’s evolving beliefs into account, the joint evolution of U.S. in∞ation, output, and monetary policy decisions can be explained without requiring large exogenous changes in the in∞ation target.
Causes of Pain in Early and Advanced Stage Osteonecrosis

The natural history, pathophysiology, and etiology of pain in nontraumatic osteonecrosis (ON) are poorly understood. In most clinical scenarios, a patient presents with pain which then leads to imaging examinations that identify the ON. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the frequency of asymptomatic disease. Nonetheless, it is clear that asymptomatic disease occurs as it is often identified incidentally, either in a contralateral site or when imaging is performed for unrelated reasons.
Influence of Specific Soluble Substance on Course of Experimental Pneumococcus Pneumonia

ConclusionsIntravenous administration of 0.1 g or more per kg of SSS produces death in normal dogs. 0.03 g per kg was found to be compatible with life. Injection of this quantity produced marked alteration in the usual course of the disease. Although serum-leukocyte mixtures did not always show complete abolition of blood pneu-mococcidal power, the presence of this substance in the blood and tissues resulted in overwhelming bacteremia, inability of the dog to localize infection and impaired phagocytosis in the pulmonary lesion.
STUDY ON EVOLUTION AND EFFECTS OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE WUHAN URBAN AGGLOMERATION

The Wuhan urban agglomeration is the important region of construction of resource saving and environment friendly oriented society of China,and the significant pivot of the strategic of central China rise abruptly.But in nowadays,there are still some problems in the spatial structure of the Wuhan urban agglomeration,which would do some harmful effects in the development process of the whole urban agglomeration.To explore the spatial structure of the Wuhan urban agglomeration,a series of methods were applied in this study:a mathematical analysis to ascertain the framework of cities in this urban agglomeration,a research on the completed areas expansion and population density based on the grid analysis to ascertain the historic evolution process of this urban agglomeration.It has been identified that a single nucleus model could be the best model to suit the spatial structure.The single nucleus model,which is composed by a large nucleus city and several cluster cities,can be utilized to grow up powerful nucleus,speed up the expansion of nuclear city,but it isn't beneficial to the growth of the cluster cities and the long-term development of whole urban agglomeration.On that base,some preliminary ideas which can optimize the spatial structure of the Wuhan urban agglomeration were introduced,including combining cluster cities into developing centers,enhancing the main functions of some cities,etc.
Electric-field distribution in a glow discharge by quadratic Stark laser spectroscopy

High-intensity electron beams can be produced in high-voltage glow discharges. These electron beams have been recently used for the excitation of ion lasers.1,2 The energy distribution, current density, and efficiency of the electron beam are closely dependent on the electric-field distribution in the cathode sheath.
Mathematics and art: a cultural history

Lynn Gamwell's new book is hefty. At over 560 large-sized pages of high-quality paper, the book weighs over 6.5 pounds (or 3 kg) and may even be a bit too big for a coffee table book, though some r...
Civil Society Organizations in a Post-Aid World: New Trends and Observations from the Andean Region

Summary The objective of this article is to outline approaches taken by civil society organizations (CSOs) in order to advance their work in social development given the changes in the aid architecture. It focuses on the Latin American region, particularly Andean countries, but many of the challenges and opportunities in a “post-aid world” are insights that might prove helpful to other regions as well. The article provides a comprehensive outline of approaches that CSOs are taking given the changes in aid grouped into three categories: aid models, organizational considerations and revenue sources and modes of fundraising. Many of these have been in practice for sometime but might need to be more strategically used as CSOs manage the changing contexts. CSOs in Latin America and the Andes are considering a multitude of options, and while the approaches considered in the article are not an exhaustive list, they provide an overview of viable directions, which might positively influence CSOs' sustainability and continued provision and promotion of a myriad of public goods and services. The article ends with observations about aid shifts and its implications for CSOs and social development more broadly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MR Imaging of the Female Perineum: Clitoris, Labia, and Introitus

The female perineum has a complex anatomy and can be involved by a wide range of pathologies. In this article, we specifically focus on the clitoris, labia, and introitus. We discuss the normal anatomy of these structures, the MR imaging techniques to optimize their evaluation, and several common and uncommon entities that may affect them, including benign and malignant tumors, as well as infectious and inflammatory, vascular, iatrogenic, and developmental entities.
Jamming resiliency and mobility management in cognitive communication networks

Cognitive communication networks, or simply cognitive networks (CNs), are one of the enabling technologies for next generation networks. Through dynamic spectrum access, CNs can make the best out of the underutilized radio spectrum resource. However, security threats can severely affect spectrum utilization in those networks. For instance, jamming can disrupt CN communications if not addressed properly. Addressing jamming while maintaining a desired quality of service (QoS) is not an easy task. In this paper, we propose a time-based countermeasure technique which, unlike its existing frequency-based counterparts, does not assume accessibility to multiple channels. Furthermore, while existing mechanisms assume static users, our proposed approach accounts for mobility of cognitive users (CUs). Our proposed anti-jamming solution exploits and controls the mobility of CUs to improve QoS. Our findings show that our technique is as jamming-resilient as other existing cryptographic techniques, it however achieves better QoS levels.
Assessing the efficacy of endovascular therapy in stroke treatments: updates from the new generation of trials.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: For the past 20 years, intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has been the only proven treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Large arteries such as the internal carotid artery, the middle cerebral artery and the basilar artery supply blood to large volumes of brain tissue. When occluded, these vessels may have low response rates to rt-PA resulting in devastating injury and death.Areas covered: In 2013, three trials evaluating the efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke were neutral, however, lessons learned from these trials resulted in a second generation of five trials in 2015 and a sixth in 2016 which all demonstrated significant benefit for select patients. Here we will review the evidence behind these new trials and. introduce new questions such as models of care, techniques of thrombectomy, the role of rt-PA, modes of anesthesia, the management of late presenting and wake up strokes among other real world challenges facing stroke medicine now th...
Correlation of pressure fluctuations in turbulent wall layers

Profiles of $\ensuremath{\langle}p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}p{\ensuremath{\rangle}}^{+}$ from direct numerical simulation calculations are correlated for various Reynolds numbers. The correlating functions are unusual; a single function in the outer region and a defect function in the inner region. This is exactly opposite of the correlating functions for the mean velocity.
PXR: A New Player in Atopic Dermatitis.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that environmental pollutants contribute to atopic dermatitis, but mechanistic details are currently lacking. Elentner et al. show that PXR, a key transcription factor involved in pollutant metabolism, drives features of subclinical atopic dermatitis. These observations provide new insight into how environmental insults may predispose individuals to atopic dermatitis.
Coffee consumption and risk of myocardial infarction: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies.

// Long Mo 1 , Wei Xie 1 , Xiaoqun Pu 1 and Dongsheng Ouyang 2 1 Department of Cardiology, Xiangya Hospital of Centre South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, PR China 2 Institute of Genetic Pharmacology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Centre South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, PR China Correspondence to: Long Mo, email: molongxyhos@163.com Keywords: coffee consumption; myocardial infarction; risk factor; dose-response; meta-analysis Received: May 30, 2017 Accepted: November 16, 2017 Epub: January 04, 2018 Published: April 20, 2018 ABSTRACT Background: Previous epidemiological studies have provided inconsistent conclusions on the effect of coffee consumption in the development of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of coffee consumption and its potential dose-response patterns on the risk of developing MI. Materials and Methods: Three databases were searched for evidence of eligible studies. A random-effects model was used to pool the fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Dose-response analysis was performed to show the effect of each cup increased in daily coffee drinking on the risk of MI. Results: Seventeen studies involving 233,617 participants were included in our study. The association between coffee consumption and risk of MI did not show statistical significance when pooling the outcome data for the coffee consumption categories of 1~2 vs. 4 cups of coffee were significantly associated with the risk of MI, and the pooled ORs (95% CIs) were 1.40 (1.11–1.77) and 1.48 (1.22–1.79), respectively. The dose–response analysis showed a “J–shaped” curve relationship of the risk of MI with coffee consumption. Conclusions: Daily drinking of more than three cups of coffee was associated with a significantly increased risk of MI. This positive association was only found in men but not in women. The impact of gender on this association should be further evaluated.
A Collaborative Approach to Improve Consistent Use of Procalcitonin in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that can help differentiate bacterial from viral infections and has been extensively studied in patients with sepsis and pneumonia to guide antibiotic...
Knowledge, Power, and New Maternal Health Policies (1918–1945)

The final chapter explores how networks of bio-power expanded in the area of maternal health and became denser from the 1920s up to 1945. The maternal health of the urban poor and rural residents emerged as a national issue in the 1920s, and the bodies of women from less privileged backgrounds were increasingly “colonized” by becoming objects of research and reform. Between 1937 and 1945, the war years, government surveillance of maternal health practices became even more intense with the passage of maternal health-related legislation and the establishment of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Institutions and laws established during this period constituted the foundation for maternal health policies in the second half of the twentieth century.
Antimonide e-SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR barrier infrared detector and focal plane array development

The unipolar barrier photodetector architecture such as the nBn provides an effective means for lowering generationrecombination dark current by suppressing Shockley-Read-Hall processes, and for reducing surface leakage dark current. This has been especially beneficial for III-V semiconductor based infrared photodiodes, which traditionally tend to suffer from excess depletion dark current and the lack of good surface passivation. Advances in bulk and type- II superlattice infrared absorber materials have provided continuously adjustable cutoff wavelength span ranging from 2 to 14 μm and beyond, greatly expanding the limited coverage provided by traditional bulk III-V infrared detectors based on InGaAs and InSb. In this work we discuss recent developments of antimonide-based extended-SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR detectors and focal plane arrays at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Economic Growth and Interdependence Effects of State Park Visitation in Local and State Economies

Local and statewide economic effects of resident and nonresident visits to a state park in Kansas were estimated. Economic effects were estimated by the U.S. Forest Service IMPLAN input-output mode...
Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Early Acute Myocardial Infarction Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Large-scale data on early postdischarge acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are lacking. We queried the National Readmission Database (2015 to 2016) to identify patients who underwent CABG between January 1 and June 31 (i.e., had 6 months of follow-up). The study's end points were the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of early post-CABG AMI. Of the 203,760 included patients, 3,829 (1.8%) were readmitted for AMI. Compared with patients without readmissions for AMI, those with AMI were younger (65 ± 11 vs 66 ± 10 years), had more females (35.5% vs 25.1%), and higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obstructive lung disease, anemia, vascular disease, renal insufficiency, and liver cirrhosis, but less atrial fibrillation (p
Alleviating love’s rage: Hegel on shame and sexual recognition

The paper reconstructs Hegel’s account of shame as a fundamental (‘existential’) affect. Qua spiritual, the human individual strives for self-determination; hence she is ashamed of the fact that, q...
Genomic Cancer Risk Assessment

Rapid technological advances are adding value and catalyzing new approaches to genomic cancer risk assessment, cancer interception and prevention, and precision therapy. In this chapter we review the historical context and foundational science of cancer genetics and genomics and describe current approaches and challenges to the translation of genomic information for the practice of precision medicine and prevention. Known hereditary cancer syndromes and highly penetrant genes are contrasted with recently discovered genomic variants associated with modest increases in cancer risk and related challenges to define clinical utility. In addition, rapidly expanding eligibility for genomic testing has illuminated previously unknown associations and exacerbated the shortage of skilled workforce. Further, there is growing direct-to-consumer and population-based testing, as well as increasing recognition of potential germline genomic information in the context of tumor analyses for precision medicine. The scope of knowledge, tools, and expertise required for practitioner-level competence in genomic counseling is summarized and highlights the need for genetics and genomics professional education and multidisciplinary team training. We also discuss the need for evidence-based information regarding the clinical utility of testing for genomic variants and the need for new clinical models to improve delivery of complex disease-risk information. The multidisciplinary model of genomic cancer risk assessment and management provides a sound foundation and resource to guide integration of genomic information into the value-based practice of precision cancer medicine.
Mirka Mora a Life Making Art: Sabine Cotte 2019, Thames & Hudson, Port Melbourne, 263 pages, $49.99, harback, ISBN 978-1-760-76029-8

November 2019, MelbourneThe late Mirka Mora (1928–2018) is a Melbourne icon and well-known and much-loved artist with an instantly recognisable style. Born in France and as a teenager miraculously ...
Prognostic Factors for Development of Subsequent Metastases in Localized Osteosarcoma: A Systematic Review and Identification of Literature Gaps.

Aim To investigate prognostic factors in pediatric and young adult patients with localized osteosarcoma that could predict the development of subsequent pulmonary metastases and lead to an ability to risk-stratify therapy. We performed a systematic review of the literature published since January 1990 to establish common evidence-based prognostic factors. Methods PubMed and Embase searches (Jan 1990-Aug 2018) were performed. Two reviewers independently selected papers for patients with localized osteosarcoma with subsequent metastatic development and then reviewed for quality of methods and prognostic factors. Results Database searches yielded 216 unique results. After screening, 27 full-text articles were studied in depth, with 9 items fulfilling predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Age, tumor location, tumor size/volume, and histologic response carried independent prognostic value in the majority of the studies. Conclusions Several prognostic factors seemed to be consistent amongst the studies, but the heterogeneity and smaller sizes of the study populations made pooling of results difficult. Standardization of larger patient populations and consistent definitions/cutoffs for prognostic factors are needed to further assess for consistent prognostic factors and potential predictive models to be developed.
New applications of symplectic topology in several complex Variables

This is a survey of complex analytic implications of recent development in symplectic topology.
Standing Up against Gender Bias and Harassment — A Matter of Professional Ethics

Standing Up against Gender Bias and Harassment Health professionals have a moral duty to practice “upstanding” — intervening as bystanders — in response to sexual harassment and gender bias, an obl...
Analysis and Design of Wireless Private Network for Electric Power Company

With the development of the power Internet of things, wireless private network will play an important role in it. This paper first analyzes the communication requirements of existing power control, acquisition and mobile business. Then, a networking architecture of electric power wireless private network is proposed, including the overall structure, bearer network structure, backhaul network structure, core network structure, etc. At last, in order to verify the network performance, two typical electric power businesses are simulated. The results show that, electric power wireless private network can meet the communication requirements of electric power business.
Consequences of Vitamin A Deficiency: Immunoglobulin Dysregulation, Squamous Cell Metaplasia, Infectious Disease, and Death.

Vitamin A is an important regulator of immune protection, but it is often overlooked in studies of infectious disease. Vitamin A binds an array of nuclear receptors (e.g., retinoic acid receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, retinoid X receptor) and influences the barrier and immune cells responsible for pathogen control. Children and adults in developed and developing countries are often vitamin A-deficient or insufficient, characteristics associated with poor health outcomes. To gain a better understanding of the protective mechanisms influenced by vitamin A, we examined immune factors and epithelial barriers in vitamin A deficient (VAD) mice, vitamin D deficient (VDD) mice, double deficient (VAD+VDD) mice, and mice on a vitamin-replete diet (controls). Some mice received insults, including intraperitoneal injections with complete and incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (emulsified with PBS alone or with DNA + Fus-1 peptide) or intranasal inoculations with Sendai virus (SeV). Both before and after insults, the VAD and VAD+VDD mice exhibited abnormal serum immunoglobulin isotypes (e.g., elevated IgG2b levels, particularly in males) and cytokine/chemokine patterns (e.g., elevated eotaxin). Even without insult, when the VAD and VAD+VDD mice reached 3–6 months of age, they frequently exhibited opportunistic ascending bacterial urinary tract infections. There were high frequencies of nephropathy (squamous cell hyperplasia of the renal urothelium, renal scarring, and ascending pyelonephritis) and death in the VAD and VAD+VDD mice. When younger VAD mice were infected with SeV, the predominant lesion was squamous cell metaplasia of respiratory epithelium in lungs and bronchioles. Results highlight a critical role for vitamin A in the maintenance of healthy immune responses, epithelial cell integrity, and pathogen control.
Pomegranates, Peccaries, and Love

As a participant in the Natural History Institute's confluence on Reciprocal Healing, I was impressed by inconsistencies among nature lovers regarding human relationships with our environments. Her...
Improving Deep Reinforcement Learning With Transitional Variational Autoencoders: A Healthcare Application

Reinforcement learning is a powerful tool for developing personalized treatment regimens from healthcare data. Yet training reinforcement learning agents through direct interactions with patients is often impractical for ethical reasons. One solution is to train reinforcement learning agents using an ‘environment model,’ which is learned from retrospective patient data, and can simulate realistic patient trajectories. In this study, we propose transitional variational autoencoders (tVAE), a generative neural network architecture that learns a direct mapping between distributions over clinical measurements at adjacent time points. Unlike other models, the tVAE requires few distributional assumptions, and benefits from identical training, and testing architectures. This model produces more realistic patient trajectories than state-of-the-art sequential decision-making models, and generative neural networks, and can be used to learn effective treatment policies.
Lexical Factorization and Syntactic Behavior

In this paper, we examine the correlation between lexical semantics and the syntactic realization of the different components of a word’s meaning in natural language. More specifically, we will explore the effect that lexical factorization in verb semantics has on the suppression or expression of semantic features within the sentence. Factorization was a common analytic tool employed in early generative linguistic approaches to lexical decomposition, and continues to play a role in contemporary semantics, in various guises and modified forms. Building on the unpublished analysis of verbs of seeing in Joshi (1972), we argue here that the significance of lexical factorization is twofold: first, current models of verb meaning owe much of their insight to factor-based theories of meaning; secondly, the factorization properties of a lexical item appear to influence, both directly and indirectly, the possible syntactic expressibility of arguments and adjuncts in sentence composition. We argue that this information can be used to compute what we call the factor expression likelihood (FEL) associated with a verb in a sentence. This is the likelihood that the overt syntactic expression of a factor will cooccur with the verb. This has consequences for the compositional mechanisms responsible for computing the meaning of the sentence, as well as significance in the creation of computational models attempting to capture linguistic behavior over large corpora.
Gender Matters in Tsai Ing-wen’s First Term: The First Woman President, the Cabinet Appointments, and Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan:

Tsai Ing-wen was elected as the first woman president of Taiwan in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Did the prospect of “the first woman president” shape the expectations of the changes she may bring a...
Factors associated with informal caregiving and its effects on health, work, and social activities of adult informal caregivers in Malaysia: findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019

The increase in the elderly population, chronic and degenerative diseases, as well as accidents at work and on the road in Malaysia would result in an increased demand for informal care. This paper aimed to determine the associated factors of informal caregiving and its effects on health, work and social activities of adult informal caregivers in Malaysia. The data from the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), a nationwide cross-sectional survey with a two-stage stratified random sampling design, was used in this research. The study included respondents who were 18 years and older (n = 11,674). Data were obtained via face-to-face interviews using validated questionnaires. Descriptive and complex sample logistic regression analyses were employed as appropriate. 5.7% of the adult population were informal caregivers. Provision of informal care were significantly associated with the female sex (OR = 1.52, 95% CI [1.21, 1.92]), those aged 36–59 years (OR = 1.61, 95% CI [1.15, 2.25]), and those who reported illness in the past 2 weeks (OR = 1.79, 95% CI [1.38, 2.33]). The risk of having their health affected were associated with female caregivers (OR = 3.63, 95% CI [1.73, 7.61]), those who received training (OR = 2.10, 95% CI [1.10, 4.00]) and those who provided care for 2 years or more (OR = 1.91, 95% CI [1.08, 3.37]). The factors associated with the effects on work were ethnicity, received training and had no assistance to provide the care. In terms of effect on social activities, female caregivers (OR = 1.96, 95% CI [1.04, 3.69]) and caregivers who received training were more likely (OR = 2.19, 95% CI [1.22, 3.93]) to have their social activities affected. Our study revealed that sex, age, and self-reported illness were factors associated with being an informal caregiver in Malaysia. Informal caregivers faced effects on their health, work, and social activities which may be detrimental to their well-being. This understanding is crucial for planning support for caregivers.
Developing a technology base in planetary entry aerothermodynamics

The long-range objectives of the entry technology program are to insure that an adequate technology base for a great variety of mission options exists. Consideration has been given to the entry of vehicles into the atmospheres of all the planets with the exception of Pluto. The experimental facilities for the studies are discussed, giving attention to shock tubes, the planetary entry radiation facility, ballistic ranges, the expansion tube, and arc jet facilities. Flight experiments are considered along with computational analyses and engineering approximations.
Further characterization of the juvenile hormone binding protein from the cytosol of a Drosophila cell line: Use of a photoaffinity label

Abstract Further characterization of the juvenile hormone (JH) binding protein from the cytosol of Drosophila melanogaster Kc cells has been accomplished with the use of a photoaffinity analogue of JH. The analogue, 10,11-epoxy(2E,6E)farnesyl diazoacetate (EFDA), is tritiated in the 10-position. Following photolysis with short-wave ultraviolet light, it can be demonstrated that [3H]EFDA binds specifically to the cytosolic JH binding protein. This binding is inhibited if irradiation occurs in the presence of either unlabelled JH I or JH III. Both JH homologues protect the binding site equally against [3H]EFDA. No protection is observed with either methoprene or farnesyl acetate, a close structural analogue of EFDA that lacks the diazo photoactivatable group. The cytosolic JH binding protein, following covalent labelling with tritiated EFDA, was characterized by gel filtration column chromatography, velocity sedimentation through sucrose gradients, both native and denaturing gels, and binding to DNA cellulose. The binding protein has a molecular weight of approx. 49,200 and may consist of two subunits.
A Methodology for Indirect Determination of Diesel Fuel Laminar Flame Speed

Abstract : A method for indirectly determining the laminar flame speed for diesel fuel was formulated and benchmarked against cylinder pressure data acquired for two direct-injection diesel engines. The approach was focused on fitting a series of experimentally generated heat release and mean cylinder pressure profiles with a zero-dimensional, physics-based combustion model. A correlation for laminar flame speed was generated based on the optimal fit of flame speed to this series of heat release profiles. This technique resulted in a correlation that had a reasonable RMS error and exhibited trends that have been observed with lighter hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline including pressure and air fuel ratio behavior.
The Case | Acute renal failure after antibiotic treatment for bronchitis

A 61-year-old woman presented with fever, fatigue, red urine, and a rash. Two weeks prior to presentation, she had acute bronchitis treated with prednisone and cephalexin. A week after starting antibiotics, she experienced fever, flank pain followed by dyspnea, rash on extremities, and red urine. Physical examination was notable for temperature of 101.7° F and a maculo-papular rash on lower extremities. The rest of her physical examination was normal. Labs revealed hemoglobin of 7.5 g/dl, platelets 212,000/μl, WBC 11,700/μl, blood urea nitrogen 54 mg/dl (19.2 mmol/l), and creatinine 3.78 mg/dl (334 mmol/l). Urine analysis showed presence of blood, bilirubin, protein 100 mg/dl, WBC 0–2/h.p.f., and RBC 2–5/h.p.f.
Interaction with BRCA2 suggests a role for filamin-1 (hsFLNa) in DNA damage response.

The BRCA2 tumor suppressor plays significant roles in DNA damage response. The human actin binding protein filamin-1 (hsFLNa, also known as ABP-280) participates in orthogonal actin network, cellular stress responses, signal transduction, and cell migration. Through a yeast two-hybrid system, an in vitro binding assay, and in vivo co-immunoprecipitations, we identified an interaction between BRCA2 and hsFLNa. The hsFLNa binding domain of BRCA2 was mapped to an internal conserved region, and the BRCA2-interacting domain of hsFLNa was mapped to its C terminus. Although hsFLNa is known for its cytoplasmic functions in cell migration and signal transduction, some hsFLNa resides in the nucleus, raising the possibility that it participates in DNA damage response through a nuclear interaction with BRCA2. Lack of hsFLNa renders a human melanoma cell line (M2) more sensitive to several genotoxic agents including γ irradiation, bleomycin, and ultraviolet-c light. These results suggest that BRCA2/hsFLNa interaction may serve to connect cytoskeletal signal transduction to DNA damage response pathways.
Metabolism of Radiolabeled β-Guaiacyl Ether-Linked Lignin Dimeric Compounds by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Phanerochaete chrysosporium metabolized the radiolabeled lignin model compounds [γ-14C]guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether and [4-methoxy-14C]veratrylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (VI) to 14CO2 in stationary and in shaking cultures. 14CO2 evolution was greater in stationary culture. 14CO2 evolution from [γ-14C]guaiacyl-glycerol-β-guaiacyl ether and [4-methoxy-14C]veratrylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether in stationary cultures was two- to threefold greater when 100% O2 rather than air (21% O2) was the gas phase above the cultures. 14CO2 evolution from the metabolism of the substrates occurred only as the culture entered the stationary phase of growth. The presence of substrate levels of nitrogen in the medium suppressed 14CO2 evolution from both substrates in stationary cultures. [14C]veratryl alcohol and 4-ethoxy-3-methoxybenzyl alcohol were formed as products of the metabolism of VI and 4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether, respectively.
INTERNET FACILITATED OPEN MODELING

Adaptive Management is emerging as an important decision making approach for achieving sustainable environments. To be successful however, it requires the effective integration of ongoing systems modeling and participatory democracy. Information technologies hold great promise for supporting the knowledge access and multiparty communications necessary for effective adaptive management discourse. Open Modeling (OM), an integrated set of Internet-facilitated dialog and analysis tools, is seen as the keystone of this enterprise. There is currently no federal or state policy which addresses OM. A preliminary OM classification scheme, and the major components of a robust OM System are identified. These can provide the framework for future policy analysis.
Pharmacotherapy to Enhance Cognitive and Motor Recovery Following Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of disability among older adults and more than half of stroke survivors have some residual neurological impairment. Traditionally, managing the aftermath of stroke has been by the implementation of several physical and language therapy modalities. The limitations of these rehabilitation efforts have sparked an interest in finding other ways to enhance neurological recovery. Some of these novel approaches have included pharmacological interventions, cell-derived treatments, and cortical magnetic stimulation. Mounting evidence over the last 2 decades suggests that pharmacological manipulations may have the potential to modulate practice-dependent neuroplasticity and potentially improve neurological recovery after stroke. Multiple pharmacological agents with different mechanisms of action have been evaluated, showing conflicting results. Some studies suggest some promise, yet the quality of the available studies is suboptimal overall, with most of the studies being underpowered. So far, the most promising agents include the antidepressants for motor recovery and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for aphasia. However, large, well-designed clinical trials are needed to address the shortcomings of the available data and before any pharmacological agent can be recommended for routine use as part of the standard algorithm of stroke management.
Spectral characteristics of central Nevada microearthquakes

Fourier amplitude spectra were computed for 40 central Nevada microearthquakes, selected to consider, independently, effects of azimuth and distance from known sources. Spectra were averaged for groups of events to eliminate peculiarities of individual records and emphasize group characteristics. Spectral characteristics did not behave systematically as a function of azimuth from the recording site to the source, but peak spectral frequency was found to correlate strongly with event magnitude and to some degree also with focal distance. These preliminary results suggest that recordings of small earthquakes and microearthquakes can be used to provide detailed information on the character of seismic signals related to properties of the source and propagation path.
Selectively regrown ohmic contacts for high frequency and low noise FETs

We investigate highly doped selectively regrown GaInAs ohmic contacts to GaInAs channel FETs to obtain a stable, reliable, and low resistance contact technology. We selectively regrow n/sup +/ GaInAs on various doped-channel FET structures and standard and doped-channel HEMTs. For lower doping concentrations on the regrown GaInAs (n/spl ap/1.5/spl middot/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/), we encounter instabilities at higher temperatures in the contacts when HF is employed in the processing steps. However, we achieve temperature stable contacts with a contact resistance of 0.1 /spl Omega//spl middot/mm regardless of the sample's exposure to HF when higher doping (n/spl ap/7/spl middot/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/) is incorporated in the regrowth process. We believe that we will be able to use this stable and low resistance contact technology to achieve high performance microwave transistors.
Rib stress fractures in elite rowers. A case series and proposed mechanism.

The potential cause of stress fracture of the rib in elite rowers was examined by a retrospective review of 14 fractures in 10 patients. Fractures occurred on the antero- to posterolateral aspects of ribs 5 through 9 and were most often associated with long-distance training and heavy load per stroke. A review of the literature yields striking similarities between these stress fractures and fractures caused by cough. It is suggested that actions of the serratus anterior and external oblique muscles on the rib cause stress fracture because of the repetitive bending forces in both rowing and coughing. A technique involving less use of both muscles through a truncated arm pull-through and a decreased layback position at the end of the stroke, and equipment changes to decrease length of the lever arm, should yield a decreased risk of rib stress fractures in rowing.
The Detection of Arthrokinetic Biomarkers for Osteoarthritis in Partial Medial Meniscectomy Patients

Meniscal injury has been found to leave patients at high risk for the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Partial meniscectomy is often used to treat meniscal tears, and while this procedure adequately addresses pain and the restoration of function, it does not prevent the progression of OA in the injured knee. Often during arthroscopy, surgeons identify areas of “softened” cartilage, which do not always correlate with visible signs of surface damage or cartilage loss. This softening has been related to changes in the cartilage matrix, which could represent early structural damage that can lead to irreversible cartilage damage and OA.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
A non-aqueous electrolyte for the operation of Li/air battery in ambient environment

Abstract In this work we report a non-aqueous electrolyte that supports long-term operation of the Li/air battery in dry ambient environments based on a non-hydrolytic LiSO 3 CF 3 salt and a low volatility propylene carbonate (PC)/tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphate (TFP) solvent blend. By measuring and analyzing the viscosity of PC/TFP solvent blends, the ionic conductivity of electrolytes, and the discharge performance of Li/air cells as a function of the PC/TFP weight ratio, we determined the best composition of the electrolyte is 0.2 m (molality) LiSO 3 CF 3 7:3 wt. PC/TFP for Li/O 2 cells and 0.2 m LiSO 3 CF 3 3:2 wt. PC/TFP for Li/air cells. Discharge results indicate that Li/air cells with the optimized electrolyte are significantly superior in specific capacity and rate capability to those with baseline electrolytes. More interestingly, the improvement in discharge performance becomes more significant as the discharge current increases or the oxygen partial pressure decreases. These results agree neither with the viscosity of the solvent blends nor the ionic conductivity of the electrolytes. We consider that the most likely reason for the performance improvement is due to the increased dissolution kinetics and solubility of oxygen in TFP-containing electrolytes. In addition, the electrolyte has a 5.15 V electrochemical window, which is suitable for use in rechargeable Li/air batteries.
Sesquiterpene lactones of baileya species. Pleniradin and radiatin

Abstract Pleniradin (I) and radiatin (XI), new sesquiterpene lactones from Baileya pleniradiata Harv. and Gray, have structures related to those of the constituents of Gaillardia species. Both genera are members of the tribe Helenieae (fam. Compositae).
Lower-Order Pain-Related Constructs are More Predictive of Cold Pressor Pain Ratings than Higher-Order Personality Traits

Abstract Pain is a debilitating condition affecting millions each year, yet what predisposes certain individuals to be more sensitive to pain remains relatively unknown. Several psychological factors have been associated with pain perception, but the structural relations between multiple higher- and lower-order constructs and pain are not well understood. Thus, we aimed to examine the associations between pain perception using the cold pressor task (CPT), higher-order personality traits (neuroticism, negative affectivity, trait anxiety, extraversion, positive affectivity, psychoticism), and lower-order pain-related psychological constructs (pain catastrophizing [pre- and post-], fear of pain, anxiety sensitivity, somatosensory amplification, hypochondriasis) in 66 pain-free adults. Factor analysis revealed 3 latent psychological variables: pain- or body-sensitivity, negative affect/neuroticism, and positive affect/extraversion. Similarly, pain responses factored into 3 domains: intensity, quality, and tolerance. Regression and correlation analyses demonstrated that: 1) all the lower-order pain constructs (fear, catastrophizing, and hypochondriasis) are related through a single underlying latent factor that is partially related to the higher-order negative-valence personality traits; 2) pain- or body-sensitivity was more strongly predictive of pain quality than higher-order traits; and 3) the form of pain assessment is important—only qualitative pain ratings were significantly predicted by the psychological factors. Perspective Consistent with the biopsychosocial model, these results suggest multiple pain-related psychological measures likely assess a common underlying factor, which is more predictive of qualitative than intensity pain ratings. This information may be useful for the development and advancement of pain assessments and treatments while considering the multidimensional nature of pain.
Using robots to teach programming to K-12 teachers

We present the results of a pilot study in which twenty K-12 teachers were introduced to LEGO NXT-G robot programming through a three-day summer workshop. Our aim was to give teachers the confidence and skills to start after-school robotics programs with their students. We present details on the workshop, including the approach we used to recruit teachers and an overview of the three-day course. We discuss the data gathered from the teachers following the workshop and also give our own recommendations for others who may wish to run a similar program. Participants ranged from elementary school general classroom teachers to high school math, science, and even computer science teachers. Prior to attending our workshop, 89% of the teachers had little or no programming experience and generally were not very confident in their own ability to be able to learn how to program a robot. After completing the workshop, their confidence increased dramatically and they had a strong expectation that they would use the material with their students. A follow-up survey nine months later indicated that hundreds of students and many colleagues were impacted in the first year alone.
High pressure study of m-xylene oxidation

Abstract The oxidation of m-xylene has been studied behind reflected shock waves using the single pulse shock tube at University of Illinois at Chicago. Experiments were performed at nominal high pressures of 25 and 50 atm and for a temperature range of 1024–1632 K, at fuel lean, stoichiometric and fuel rich conditions (Φ = 0.53, 1, 2.35). A variety of stable species ranging from small hydrocarbons, to single ring and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (such as naphthalene, anthracene and acenaphthylene) were sampled from the shock tube and analyzed using standard gas chromatographic techniques. Increased amounts of PAH’s were measured for experiments at fuel rich conditions (Φ = 2.35) when compared to experiments at stoichiometric and fuel lean conditions. A detailed chemical kinetic model was developed to simulate the stable species profiles up to the formation of single ring aromatic hydrocarbons from the current high pressure oxidation experiments. The model provides a good fit for the consumption of the fuel, oxygen and the formation of the major intermediates. The model predicts lower but satisfactory consumption of the minor intermediates. The model provides a satisfactory base for further development, which includes the addition of chemistry leading to multi-ring aromatic hydrocarbons from m-xylene.