cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Preoperative Opioid Use and Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Stand-Alone Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Background Opioid use in the management of pain secondary to spinal disorders has grown significantly in the United States. However, preoperative opioid use may complicate recovery in patients undergoing surgical procedures. Objective To test our hypothesis that prolonged preoperative opioid use may lead to poorer patient outcomes following minimally invasive stand-alone lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) for lumbar degenerative disc disease. Methods A consecutive series of patients from a single institution undergoing LLIF between December 2009 and January 2017 was retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized according to the presence or absence of prescribed preoperative opioid use for at least 3 mo. Outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS), and Short Form 36 Physical and Mental Summary Scores (SF-36 PCS, SF-36 MCS). Results Of 107 patients, 57 (53.1%) were prescribed preoperative opioids. There was no significant difference in preoperative ODI, VAS score, SF-36 PCS, or SF-36 MCS between opioid use groups. Mean postoperative ODI was greater in patients with preoperative opioid use at 41.7 ± 16.9 vs 22.2 ± 16.0 (P = .002). Mean postoperative VAS score was greater in patients prescribed preoperative opioids, while magnitude of decrease in VAS score was greater in opioid-naive patients (P = .001). Postoperative SF-36 PCS was 33.1 ± 10.6 in the opioid use group compared to 43.7 ± 13.1 in the nonuse group (P = .001). Conclusion Following LLIF, patients prescribed preoperative opioids had increased postoperative lumbar pain, disability, and subjective pain.
AWAC: Accelerating Online Reinforcement Learning with Offline Datasets

Reinforcement learning provides an appealing formalism for learning control policies from experience. However, the classic active formulation of reinforcement learning necessitates a lengthy active exploration process for each behavior, making it difficult to apply in real-world settings. If we can instead allow reinforcement learning to effectively use previously collected data to aid the online learning process, where the data could be expert demonstrations or more generally any prior experience, we could make reinforcement learning a substantially more practical tool. While a number of recent methods have sought to learn offline from previously collected data, it remains exceptionally difficult to train a policy with offline data and improve it further with online reinforcement learning. In this paper we systematically analyze why this problem is so challenging, and propose an algorithm that combines sample-efficient dynamic programming with maximum likelihood policy updates, providing a simple and effective framework that is able to leverage large amounts of offline data and then quickly perform online fine-tuning of reinforcement learning policies. We show that our method enables rapid learning of skills with a combination of prior demonstration data and online experience across a suite of difficult dexterous manipulation and benchmark tasks.
“I will look for you, I will find you, and I will [harvest] you”: Persistent hyperstability in Wisconsin’s recreational fishery

Abstract Shifting temporal or non-linear relationships between angler behavior and fish population characteristics can mask population declines or produce unexpected regulation outcomes. We tested for hyperstability in seasonal and interannual trends in angler effort, catch, and harvest rates in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) across hundreds of Wisconsin, USA, lakes from 1990 to 2019. Higher centrarchid angling rates in summer than fall or winter and increases in winter effort suggest some policies, like seasonal restrictions, may be more effective in limiting exploitation. Hyperstability was substantial across all species and metrics and did not vary seasonally, but bluegill and yellow perch harvest rates became slightly less hyperstable over time. Our findings suggest anglers may not self-regulate or respond to management unless changes in populations or policies are conspicuous. These patterns demonstrate how angler experiences respond to policy or fish population change, and caution against reliance on fisheries-dependent data to set management goals.
Person-centered communication about weight and weight management: Focus group discussions in a diverse sample of women with nonmetastatic breast cancer and obesity.

Background Women with obesity are at higher risk for high-grade and/or advanced-stage breast cancer in comparison with women without obesity. Many women with a high body mass index (BMI) at breast cancer diagnosis experience further weight gain during and after treatment. This study investigated Black and White patient perspectives on conversations with their oncologists about weight and weight management. Methods Focus groups using a virtual platform (Zoom) were conducted with women after primary treatment for stage I to III breast cancer who were 21 years or older and had a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 : 2 with Black women (n = 12) and 2 with White women (n = 14). Results Participants asked that their oncologists be "transparent" about weight gain as a potential side effect of their cancer treatment and how excess weight might affect their prognosis and survival. They asked to be "seen as an individual" to facilitate both person-centered and culturally appropriate conversations about behavioral changes needed for weight management. Participants urged clinicians to take the lead in initiating conversations about weight to underscore its importance in cancer care and survivorship. They welcomed actionable recommendations about nutrition and exercise from either the oncology clinician or a specialist. Participants offered specific suggestions on how clinicians could initiate weight-related conversations, beginning with questions eliciting patients' perspectives on their weight and lifestyle. Conclusions Many women with early-stage breast cancer and obesity have concerns about weight and weight gain and urge their oncologists to use an active and personalized approach in recommending and supporting efforts at weight management. Lay summary Focus group discussions with Black and White women with early-stage breast cancer and obesity have elicited patient perspectives on conversations with their oncologists about weight and weight management. Many patients have concerns about weight and weight gain and urge their oncologists to use an active and personalized approach in recommending and supporting efforts at weight management.
TRES: An R Package for Tensor Regression and Envelope Algorithms

Recently, there has been a growing interest in tensor data analysis, where tensor regression is the cornerstone of statistical modeling for tensor data. The R package TRES provides the standard least squares estimators and the more efficient envelope estimators for the tensor response regression (TRR) and the tensor predictor regression (TPR) models. Envelope methodology provides a relatively new class of dimension reduction techniques that jointly models the regression mean and covariance parameters. Three types of widely applicable envelope estimation algorithms are implemented and applied to both TRR and TPR models.
Fascists: Italy: Pristine Fascists

Fascism was made in Italy. Though the prewar intellectuals subsequently labeled as “fascist” came from various countries, as a mass movement Italian fascism was the pristine case. The very word is Italian, from fascio , a tied bundle of sticks, used then to describe any small, tight-knit political group – the sense being that sticks would have more force if bound tightly together, as human groups would if bound by strong comradeship. Note that this indicates organization, not values. Mussolini additionally emphasized its derivation from the Latin fasces , the ancient Roman Republic's symbol of popular authority, an axe bound with rods, which he used as the movement's icon. Though ideas later called “fascist” were aired in prewar Italy, fascism proper emerged only at the end of World War I. After declaring for neutrality in 1914, the Italian government joined the Entente in 1915, lured by promises of territories to be won from the Habsburg Empire. But there was serious conflict over entry into the war. The years 1915 and 1916 saw mass demonstrations, rioting, and street-fighting between pro- and antiwar movements. This had followed hard on two further disruptions: a large extension of the male suffrage suddenly introduced (for tactical reasons) by prime minister Giolitti in 1912 and a period of industrial unrest that had increased the power of the left “maximalist” wing of the Socialist Party. Many conservatives and liberals feared that liberal parliamentarism was being threatened from the streets.
Cell Voltage Noise Reduction Based on Wavelet in Aluminum Reduction Cell

For line current fluctuation, cell voltage signals collected in the aluminum electrolysis process have high noise, which has a significant impact on the aluminum reduction cell voltage and precision of the amount of alumina feeding. Based on wavelet de-noising theory this paper analyses and compares different wavelet bases for signal de-noising effect by application of MATLAB modeling simulation and field research. Simulation and processing results of field data show that 5-order Haar Wavelet is a good choice for filtering cell voltage signal, with better prospects.
Regulating Discourtesy on the Bench: A Study in the Evolution of Judicial Independence

In this paper, we argue that the myth of the detached, rational judge, free from emotion runs the risk of undermining the quality of judging, obscuring the transparency of judicial decisions, and deterring the development of diverse judicial styles. We explore the history of the myth of the detached judge and how it made its way into rules of judicial conduct. By contextualizing this image of the judiciary, the article concludes that the rules of judicial conduct have come to embody an antiquated understanding of judicial independence and ought to be revised to reflect a more modern concept of the role of judges the American democratic system.
The Effects of Aging, Malingering, and Traumatic Brain Injury on Computerized Trail-Making Test Performance

The trail making test (TMT) is widely used to assess speed of processing and executive function. However, normative data sets gathered at different sites show significant inconsistencies. Here, we describe a computerized version of the TMT (C-TMT) that increases the precision and replicability of the TMT by permitting a segment-by-segment analysis of performance and separate analyses of dwell-time, move-time, and error time. Experiment 1 examined 165 subjects of various ages and found that completion times on both the C-TMT-A (where subjects connect successively numbered circles) and the C-TMT-B (where subjects connect circles containing alternating letters and numbers) were strongly influenced by age. Experiment 2 examined 50 subjects who underwent three test sessions. The results of the first test session were well fit by the normative data gathered in Experiment 1. Sessions 2 and 3 demonstrated significant learning effects, particularly on the C-TMT-B, and showed good test-retest reliability. Experiment 3 examined performance in subjects instructed to feign symptoms of traumatic brain injury: 44% of subjects produced abnormal completion times on the C-TMT-A, and 18% on the C-TMT-B. Malingering subjects could be distinguished from abnormally slow controls based on (1) disproportionate increases in dwell-time on the C-TMT-A, and (2) greater deficits on the C-TMT-A than on the C-TMT-B. Experiment 4 examined the performance of 28 patients with traumatic brain injury: C-TMT-B completion times were slowed, and TBI patients showed reduced movement velocities on both tests. The C-TMT improves the reliability and sensitivity of the trail making test of processing speed and executive function.
Molecular analysis of lipoteichoic acid from Streptococcus agalactiae.

A method for the analysis of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is described. Purified LTA from Streptococcus agalactiae tended to smear in the upper two-thirds of a 30 to 40% linear polyacrylamide gel, while the chemically deacylated form (cdLTA) migrated as a ladder of discrete bands, reminiscent of lipopolysaccharides. The deacylated polymer appeared to separate in this system on the basis of size, as evident from results obtained from PAGE analysis of cdLTA subjected to limited acid hydrolysis and LTA that had been fractionated by gel filtration. A survey of cdLTA from other streptococci revealed similarities in molecular weight ranges. The polymer from Enterococcus hirae was of a higher molecular weight. This procedure was used to examine the effect of penicillin and chloramphenicol on the synthesis, turnover, and heterogeneity of LTA in S. agalactiae. Penicillin appeared to enhance LTA synthesis while causing the release of this polymer into the supernatant fluid. In contrast, chloramphenicol inhibited the synthesis of this molecule and resulted in its depletion from the cell surface. Penicillin did not alter the heterogeneity of this polymer, but chloramphenicol caused an apparent shift to a lower-molecular-weight from of the LTA, as determined by PAGE. This shift in the heterogeneity of LTA did not appear to be due to increased carbohydrate substitution, since chloramphenicol did not alter the electrophoretic migration profile of LTA from E. hirae. From a pulse-chase study, it was determined that LTA was released as a consequence of deacylation. Images
Fermi liquid identities for the infinite- U multichannel Anderson model

We show how the electron-gas methods of Luttinger, Ward, and Nozi\`eres can be applied to an $\mathrm{SU}(N)$, multichannel generalization of the infinite-$U$ Anderson impurity model within a Schwinger boson treatment. Working to all orders in a $1∕N$ expansion, we show how the Friedel-Langreth relationship and the Yamada-Yosida-Yoshimori and the Shiba-Korringa relations can be derived under the assumption that the spinon and holon fields are gapped. One of the remarkable features of this treatment is that the Landau amplitudes depend on the exchange of low-energy virtual spinons and holons. We end the paper with a discussion on the extension of our approach to the lattice, where the spinon-holon gap is expected to close at a quantum critical point.
Improved oral bioavailability of valsartan using proliposomes: design, characterization and in vivo pharmacokinetics.

The objective of our investigational work was to develop a proliposomal formulation to improve the oral bioavailability of valsartan. Proliposomes were formulated by thin film hydration technique u...
SU-E-T-70: A Radiobiological Model of Reoxygenation and Fractionation Effects

Purpose: To develop a simple reoxygenation model that fulfills the following goals:1-Quantify the reoxygenation effect in biologically effective dose (BED) and compare it to the repopulation effect.2-Model the hypoxic fraction in tumors as a function of the number of fractions.3-Develop a simple analytical expression for a reoxygenation term in BED calculations. Methods: The model considers tumor cells in two compartments: one normoxic population of cells and one hypoxic compartment including cells under a range of reduced oxygen concentrations. The surviving fraction is predicted using the linear-quadratic (LQ) model. A hypoxia reduction factor (HRF) is used to quantify reductions in radiosensitivity parameters α_A and β_A as cellular oxygen concentration decreases. The HRF is defined as the ratio of the dose at a specific level of hypoxia to the dose under fully aerobic conditions to achieve equal cell killing. The model assumes that a fraction of the hypoxic cells ( ) moves from the hypoxic to the aerobic compartment after each daily fraction. As an example, we consider standard fractionation for NSCLC (d=2Gy,n=33) versus a SBRT (n=5, d=10Gy) fractionation and compare the loss in reoxygenation biological effect with the gain in repopulation biological effect. Results: An analytic expression for the surviving fraction after n daily treatments is derived and the reoxygenation term in the biological effect is calculated. Reoxygenation and repopulation effects are the same order of magnitude for potential doubling time Td values of 2 to 5 days. The hypoxic fraction increases or decreases with n depending on the reoxygenation rate Δ. For certain combinations of parameters, the biological effect of reoxygenation goes as -(n-1)*ln(1-Δ) providing a simple expression that can be introduced in BED calculations. Conclusion: A novel radiobiological model was developed that can be used to evaluate the effect of reoxygenation in fractionated radiotherapy.
Activity of vasoactive intestinal peptide and serotonin in the paraventricular nucleus reflects the periodicity of the endogenous stimulatory rhythm regulating prolactin secretion

PRL secretion in the female rat is regulated by an endogenous stimulatory rhythm (ESR) of prolactin-releasing factors of hypothalamic origin which has a bimodal periodicity with distinct nocturnal (N) and diurnal (D) phases. The N phase reaches peak magnitude by 0300 h and the D phase reaches peak magnitude by 1700 h. This rhythm was first unmasked in ovariectomized rats by correctly timed injection of a dopamine antagonist. OT, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and serotonin (5-HT) are differentially involved in generating the ESR. Pharmacological studies suggest that OT is the neurohormone and VIP and 5-HT are neuromodulators which act to stimulate OT release. Recently, we reported that activity of OTergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and OT concentrations in the anterior pituitary mirror the periodicity of the ESR. The present experiments were conducted to determine if VIP and 5-HT activity in the hypothalamus also mirrors the periodicity of the ESR. Push-pull cannulae were surgicall...
Sound attenuation of a finite length dissipative flow duct silencer with internal mean flow in the absorbent

Abstract Internal mean flow within the pores of a bulk-reacting porous acoustic absorbent, driven by mean static pressure gradients, is shown here to be an important feature of the acoustics of dissipative silencers in flow ducts, particularly in the case of internal combustion engine exhaust silencers. Theoretical treatments are presented here, both to describe the effect of internal flow on the bulk acoustic perties of the porous medium and to find the effect of the absorbent in situ, in the form of the sound transmission loss of the silencer. The measured transmission loss of an experimental silencer is compared to predicted data and good agreement between the two is obtained. The effects of mean fluid flow in the central passage and internal flow in the absorbent are separately demonstrated.
Real-time informed path sampling for motion planning search

Mobile robot motions often originate from an uninformed path-sampling process such as random or low-dispersion sampling. We demonstrate an alternative approach to path sampling that closes the loop on the expensive collision-testing process. Although all necessary information for collision testing a path is known to the planner, that information is typically stored in a relatively unavailable form in a costmap or obstacle map. By summarizing the most salient data in a more accessible form, our process delivers a denser sampling of the free path space per unit time than open-loop sampling techniques. We obtain this result by probabilistically modeling-in real time and with minimal information-the locations of obstacles and free space, based on collision-test results. We present CALM, the combined adaptive locality model, along with an algorithm to bias path sampling based on the model's predictions. We provide experimental results in simulation for motion planning on mobile robots, demonstrating up to a 330% increase in paths surviving collision test.
Soliton-antisoliton configurations and the linear and nonlinear optical response of degenerate-ground-state conjugated polymers.

The contributions of soliton-antisoliton (SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}) configurations to the linear and third-order nonlinear optical response are investigated for conjugated polymers having a degenerate ground state. We treat the direct photoproduction of charged solitons as a nonlinear Franck-Condon problem and obtain analytical expressions for the linear optical susceptibility ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(1)}$(\ensuremath{\omega}). With the help of the oscillator strength sum rule, we decompose the \ensuremath{\pi}-${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ oscillator strength into two parts; a contribution where the final states are charged SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} pairs and a contribution where the final states are free electron-hole pairs (as in the noninteracting rigid lattice). The linear optical coefficients calculated from ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(1)}$(\ensuremath{\omega}) are in general agreement with optical data obtained from trans-polyacetylene. The results imply that approxiamtely 25% of the integrated oscillator strength of trans-polyacetylene arises from the direct photoproduction of solitons.A parallel treatment of the generalized third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(3)}$(${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}$) is presented, demonstrating that, for any third-order process, contributions arising from neutral SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} pair configurations as intermediate states are one to two orders of magnitude larger than the corresponding rigid-lattice contribution. This mechanism for ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(3)}$ is enabled by nonlinear zero-point motion which provides a finite Franck-Condon overlap between the ground and SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} excited state lattice wave functions. The large contribution to ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(3)}$ from the SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} intermediate states results from the large transition dipole moment between the free electron-hole pair excited states of ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathit{u}}$ symmetry and the ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{g}}$ symmetric neutral SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} excited state. This enhanced transition dipole moment is a consequence of the large virtual shifts of oscillator strength associated with the localized SS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} electron-lattice configuration. The third-harmonic conversion efficiency ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}^{(3)}$(3\ensuremath{\omega}) is further enhanced by a condition unique to degenerate-ground-state systems, simultaneous two- and three-photon resonance.
Effective Parent Connectedness Components in Sexuality Education Interventions for African American Youth: A Review of the Literature.

African American youth are at risk for negative sexual behaviors such as early initiation and unplanned pregnancy. The purpose of the article is to identify the effective parent connectedness components in sexuality education interventions solely targeting African American youth. A total of 12 articles were found describing six intervention programs that met inclusion criteria. A summary of each was developed, and commonly used parent connectedness components were identified. In this manner, effective strategies and lessons learned from the research regarding parental connectedness and African American sexual risk reduction could be more clearly discussed. Recommendations for future programming are offered.
Bonding information in tungsten(VI) compounds from directly bonded fluorine and fluorophenoxy subtituents

Abstract The series of compounds (FC6H4O)nWF6-n, where n = 1-6 and F is meta or para to oxygen, has been prepared and all fluorine nmr chemical shifts determined. The W- F , para- F , and meta- F resonances all shift upfield as a function of n with approximate relative sensitivities of 1, 1/20, and 1/30, respectively. All chemical shifts are also found to be sensitive to molecular stereochemistry, with subtituents trans to oxygen shifted to higher field than those trans to fluorine. 19F data is also reported for the complete series (C6H5O)nWF6-n
Measurement-based performance analysis of wind energy systems

Wind measurements for identifying and characterizing wind resources require instrumentation and analysis techniques for defining signal processing features for gusts, turbulence, and inflow winds. This paper describes the importance of those features for determining responses of wind turbines. In addition, when the system is deployed, the instrumentation that must be coordinated to manage the utility connection requirements, such as assessing reactive power supply, fault ride-through, and power quality monitoring, is also discussed. The control schemes for wind energy generation systems are discussed and associated with the system signal processing required to control active power generation.
Location tracking and data visualization technology to advance construction ironworkers' education and training in safety and productivity

Abstract Most construction worker education and training environments apply traditional teaching methods to educate workers about hazards and productivity in the workplace. Many rely on using conventional teacher–student classroom settings, but there are few effective interactive methods applied which can objectively engage trainer and trainees and assess their performance during and after training sessions. Presented is a novel approach towards integrating real-time location tracking and three-dimensional immersive data visualization technologies in existing construction worker education and training environments. The scope is limited to steel-erection tasks performed by union ironworkers in an indoor training center. Results to analysis and visualization of the gathered data from training session are shown. The potential for assessing and improving the trainers' and apprentices' safety and productivity performance is explained. Since such technologies have hardly been used as part of existing construction education and training techniques, the opportunities including return on investment and user feedback were studied. The results show that unsafe practices in worker training environments can be detected and visualized and furthermore their training effectiveness can be indirectly measured.
The polarization and differential cross section of fast neutrons scattered from 6Li and an R-function analysis of the interaction below 4 MeV☆

Abstract The analyzing power of 6 Li for the elastic scattering of polarized neutrons with energies between 2 and 4 MeV, has been measured at six angles ranging from 25° to 150°. The polarized neutrons were generated from the reactions Pb(γ, n) and 12 C(n, n ), and their polarization was measured using the double-scattering method. The neutron energies were determined with a nanosecond timeof-flight spectrometer. In addition, the differential cross section was measured at three angles in the same energy range; the cross section was determined relative to the well-known n- 12 C cross section. The present results have been combined with existing data for the neutron total, (n, α), and differential elastic cross sections, in a reduced R -function analysis. Clear evidence of a p-wave triplet of shellmodel states emerges from the analysis.
Fate of stored secretion following ligation of the seminal vesicle-coagulating gland in the rat

Unilateral ligation of the seminal vesicle-coagulating gland complex in castrated and testes intact sexually mature rats resulted in a significant asymmetry in weight after 14 days, with ligated glands heavier in both groups. Differences in weight between glands resulted from ligation, and the primary route by which stored secretion is eliminated from these glands is by spontaneous ejaculation rather than resorption via the glandular epithelia.
Prestige and reproductive success in man: A commentary

This is a critique of a paper by J. Hill concerning the relationship between reproductive success and prestige in human societies. A response by Hill (pp. 119-20) is included. (ANNOTATION)
Computing the Climate and More

Edwards explores the use of computer simulations and models in climate research, and Winsberg offers a philosophical perspective on the roles of computer simulation in contemporary science.
A Numerical Investigation of a Mesoscale Convective System

Abstract On 25 April 1975, as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Atmospheric Variability Experiment IV, frequent upper-air soundings were taken at eastern United States synoptic sounding sites. An intense, long-lived mesoscale convective weather system developed late in the AVE IV period and moved eastward during the remainder of the experiment. With the use of dry and moist numerical simulations, performed with Drexel University's Limited Area and Mesoscale Prediction System (LAMPS), interaction between the widespread, long-lived convective complex and its large-scale environment are examined. Dissecting the differences between moist and dry simulations reveals that, within the moist numerical simulation, significant up-scale feedbacks occur between the convective system and its large-scale meteorological setting. Pronounced differences in temperature, divergence, vorticity, and height develop between the two simulations. Physical reasons for these differences are discussed. Comp...
A geobotanical investigation based on linear discriminant and profile analyses of airborne Thematic Mapper Simulator data

This paper discusses the application of linear discriminant and profile analyses to detailed investigation of an airborne Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) image collected over a geobotanical test site. The test site was located on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and remote sensing data collection coincided with the onset of leaf senescence in the regional deciduous flora. Linear discriminant analysis revealed that sites overlying soil geochemical anomalies were distinguishable from background sites by the reflectance and thermal emittance of the tree canopy imaged in the airborne TMS data. The correlation of individual bands with the linear discriminant function suggested that the TMS thermal Channel 7 (10.32-12.33 microns) contributed most, while TMS Bands 2 (0.53-0.60 microns), 3 (0.63-0.69 microns), and 5 (1.53-1.73 microns) contributed somewhat more modestly to the separation of anomalous and background sites imaged by the TMS. The observed changes in canopy reflectance and thermal emittance of the deciduous flora overlying geochemically anomalous areas are consistent with the biophysical changes which are known or presumed to occur as a result of injury induced in metal-stressed vegetation.
QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL SILICICLASTIC TOP‐SEAL POTENTIAL: A NEW APPLICATION OF PROVEN TECHNOLOGY IN THE PELOTAS BASIN, OFFSHORE BRAZIL

Using the offshore Pelotas Basin, Brazil, as an example, we present a methodology by which petrophysically-derivedVclay and capillary displacement pressure data, in conjunction with interval isochore maps, can be used quantitatively to evaluate regional, siliciclastic present-day and palaeo-top-seal effectiveness and relative risk. This method has broad application to frontier and maturing exploration areas where data limitations preclude more sophisticated seismically-derived velocity-based evaluations. As much of the Pelotas Basin is deemed to be gas prone, top-seal effectiveness for normal density (0.1 to 0.2 g/cc) dry gas was assessed quantitatively by establishing relationships between density-log -derived hydrocarbon column height and overburden thickness using a most likely Vclay content. With constant Vclay, column height increases with increasing overburden due to a compaction-driven decrease in mudrock porosity, accompanied by a decrease in permeability and pore-throat diameter. Using these relationships, interval isochore maps (overburden thickness maps) can be transformed into hydrocarbon column-height maps to define spatial variation in top-seal effectiveness, expressed in metres of contained gas column. Laboratory and previously-published model data show that clay content and porosity (ultimately pore throat diameter) are the dominant controls on siliciclastic mudrock permeability, hence top-seal potential. Mudrock porosity is driven dominantly by burial-induced compaction; clay content is dependent on both depositional and diagenetic processes. Overburden can be determined with a reasonable degree of certainty from seismic and well data, whereas regional variations in clay content can, at best, only be estimated from depositional models. Therefore, for a given overburden, it is uncertainty in clay content that comprises the greatest risk in regional siliciclastic top-seal analysis. For this reason, we relate siliciclastic top-seal risk to clay content, when overburden/ mudrock-porosity relationships, fluid densities and requisite column heights are known.
Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic study of the Glen Mountains layered complex: Initiation of rifting within the southern Oklahoma aulacogen

Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic data for rocks and minerals of the Glen Mountains layered complex (GMLC), a midcontinent mafic layered intrusion in the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma, constrain the time of initiation of rifting within the southern Oklahoma aulacogen and provide information on the chemistry of the early Paleozoic mantle. Four whole-rock samples define a Rb-Sr isochron corresponding to a maximum crystallization age of 577 ±165 Ma and an initial Sr isotopic composition of 0.70359 ±2. These whole-rock analyses do not define a Sm-Nd isochron; rather, they display a significant range in initial Nd isotopic composition (eNd = 3.63-5.35). A three-point Sm-Nd mineral-whole-rock (internal) isochron for an anorthositic gabbro provides a crystallization age of 528 ±29 Ma. These data suggest that the GMLC was emplaced into the southern Oklahoma aulacogen during the initial phase of rifting along the southern margin of the North American craton in the early Paleozoic. This Sm-Nd internal isochron age is within analytical uncertainty of U-Pb zircon ages for granites and rhyolites from the Wichita Mountains; therefore, mafic and felsic magmatism may have been contemporaneous within the rift during the early stages of development. Hybrid rocks and composite dikes in the Wichita Mountains provide field evidence for contemporaneous mafic and felsic magmas. Initial Sr and Nd isotopic data suggest that magmas parental to the GMLC were derived from a depleted mantle source. However, Nd isotopic data for the GMLC plot distinctly below data for the depleted mantle source cited by DePaolo and thus suggest that the parental magmas of the GMLC were either contaminated by Proterozoic crust of the southern midcontinent or were derived from a heterogeneous mantle source region that had variable initial Nd isotopic compositions.
Prostaglandins E2 and F2α Enhance Differentiation of Cementoblastic Cells.

Background: The prostaglandins (PG) E2 and PGF2α are important cytokines in periodontal physiology and pathology. PGE2 and PGF2α alter cell function by binding and activating the plasmamembrane G-protein-coupled PG receptors. In this study, we examined the PGE2 and PGF2α effects on the immortalized cementoblastic OCCM cells. Methods: Confluent OCCM cells were treated with PGE2, PGF2α, specific activators/inhibitors of the EP prostanoid receptors, a specific activator of the FP prostanoid receptor, and direct activators/inhibitors of the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway. Mineral nodule formation was assessed by the von Kossa stain. Results: PGE2 and PGF2α significantly increased mineralization of OCCM cells. The EP1 and EP3 PG receptor activators 16,16-dimethyl-prostaglandin E2 and sulprostone, also increased mineralization. In contrast, specific activators of the EP2 or the EP2/EP3/EP4 receptors did not have any effect. Fluprostenol, a specific activator of the FP receptor, significantly increased...
Autoradiographic study to detect metabolically active phytoplankton and bacteria in the Rhode river estuary

The rate of utilization of inorganic carbon (C) and phosphate (P) by phytoplankton and bacteria in the Rhode River estuary has been estimated using liquid-emulsion autoradiography during four times of the year. Metabolic activity of phytoplankton was estimated by calculating silver grains above individual species. From these counts, the relative C and P uptake rates of individual species per unit of biomass and per volume of water were estimated. Examination of the autoradiograms showed that the metabolically most active, algae were smaller than 10 μm. Both C and P were paken up by these smaller species at a higher rate than their proportion of the total biomass per volume of water would indicate. Uptake of C and P per unit of cell volume varied within a species and among the various phytoplankton at the different seasons of the year. Metabolic activity of planktonic bacteria in safranin-stained autoradiograms was also estimated by counting bacteria with associated grains and cells without grains. The ratio of 33p-labeled to unlabeled bacteria was highest in November. This high metabolic activity of bacteria in November corresponded with high P uptake rates of the phytoplankton at that time. Throughout this study, only 28 to 42% of the total phytoplankton biomass was metabolically active and, 63 to 85% of the bacteria.
Uniqueness of VV + AA gauge models

Abstract Of all possible gauge models within a given framework whose neutral-current interaction is of the form VV + AA, only one is not excluded by present neutrino data.
Multicenter consensus development of a checklist for lung injury prevention

Acute lung injury (ALI) is linked to almost 75,000 US deaths annually. The syndrome is defined clinically by criteria that identify only patients with established ALI, at which point treatment options are limited and largely supportive. After 40 years and more than 25 NIH-funded trials of ALI interventions, only supportive therapy with lung protective ventilation has been associated with a mortality benefit. The US Critical Illness and Injuries Trials Group lung injury prevention subgroup seeks to standardize best practices for patients at risk of ALI. The recently validated lung injury prediction score (LIPS) identifies patients at risk of ALI, and can prompt the early use of preventative interventions. This may attenuate the progression to ALI. This study seeks expert consensus about best practices in patients at risk of ALI, as determined by their LIPS. These practices will be incorporated into a checklist for lung injury prevention. Standardization of care may protect patients against ALI development and provide a uniform background for enrollment in other ALI trials.
Attaining High Levels of Bearing Performance with a Nanocomposite Diamond-Like Carbon Coating

Mechanical systems that operate in agricultural, construction, and mining and mineral processing applications typically operate in debris-containing and thin-film lubrication environments. Consequently, the lives of rolling element bearings in these applications are often limited by surface fatigue arising from thin-film lubrication, damage from the debris, false brinelling, and scuffing. Traditional approaches utilizing specialized heat treatments and lubricant additives can sometimes delay the onset of early raceway fatigue, but even in these cases the actual bearing life is still usually less than that for which the bearing was designed. Bearings with a highly durable W-aC:H coating applied to the rolling elements are shown to have significantly longer fatigue lives in debris-containing and thin-film lubrication environments and are highly resistant to wear from false brinelling and scuffing.
Modeling of electro-osmosis of dilute electrolyte solutions in silica microporous media

[1] Physicochemical transport due to electro-osmosis of dilute electrolyte solutions (<1 × 10−3 mol/L) through microporous media with granular random microstructures has been modeled in this work by our three-step numerical framework. First, the three-dimensional microstructures of porous media are reproduced by a random generation growth method. Second, the effects of chemical adsorption and electrical dissociation at the solid-liquid interfaces are modeled to determine the electrical boundary conditions, which vary with the ionic concentration, pH, and temperature. Finally, the nonlinear governing equations for electrokinetic transport are solved using a highly efficient lattice Poisson-Boltzmann algorithm. The simulation results indicate that the electro-osmotic permeability through the granular microporous media increases monotonically with the porosity, ionic concentration, pH, and temperature. When the surface electric potential is higher than about −50 mV, the electro-osmotic permeability exponentially increases with the electric potential. The electro-osmotic permeability increases with the bulk ionic concentration even though the surface zeta potential decreases correspondingly, which deviates from the conclusions based on the thin layer model. The electro-osmotic permeability increases exponentially with pH and linearly with temperature. The present modeling results improve our understanding of hydrodynamic and electrokinetic transport in geophysical systems and help guide the design of porous electrodes in microenergy systems.
A hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase from rat liver.

Abstract The major hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase found in the livers of female rats has been purified to homogeneity and found to catalyze the transfer of sulfate to any of several hydroxysteroids including dehydroepiandrosterone, estradiol, testosterone, and androstenediol thus forming the corresponding sulfate esters. 3′-Phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate is the sulfate donor. The reaction is competitively inhibited by both reaction products, i.e., dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate or adenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate, and also by high concentrations of inorganic phosphate. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 290,000; sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis reveals an apparently single species of 32,000. With standard assay conditions, no activity was observed with the purified enzyme when a phenol, a bile acid, or a hydroxamic acid was used as acceptor for sulfate.
Foreign Body Giant Cell Formation Is Preceded by Lamellipodia Formation and Can Be Attenuated by Inhibition of Rac1 Activation

Macrophages that are recruited to the site of implanted biomaterials undergo fusion to form surface-damaging foreign body giant cells. Exposure of peripheral blood monocytes to interleukin-4 can recapitulate the fusion process in vitro. In this study, we used interleukin-4 to induce multinucleation of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages and observed changes in cell shape, including elongation and lamellipodia formation, before fusion. Because cytoskeletal rearrangements are regulated by small GTPases, we examined the effects of inhibitors of Rho kinase (Y-32885) and Rac activation (NSC23766) on fusion. Y-32885 did not prevent cytoskeletal changes or fusion but limited the extent of multinucleation. NSC23766, on the other hand, inhibited lamellipodia formation and fusion in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we found that in control cells, these changes were preceded by Rac1 activation. However, NSC23766 did not block the uptake of polystyrene microspheres. Likewise, short interfering RNA knockdown of Rac1 limited fusion without limiting phagocytosis. Thus, phagocytosis and fusion can be partially decoupled based on their susceptibility to NSC23766. Furthermore, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) scaffolds containing NSC23766 attenuated foreign body giant cell formation in vivo. These observations suggest that targeting Rac1 activation could protect biomaterials without compromising the ability of macrophages to perform beneficial phagocytic functions at implantation sites.
Electroconvulsive shock during taste-illness interval: evidence for induced disassociation.

Abstract The interpolation of ECS during the interval between a taste (CS) and an induced illness (US) has been shown to impede the learning of a taste aversion. The results of experiments conducted to test two possible hypotheses of ECS action—retrograde amnesia (RA) for the CS or proactive interference (PI) with the US—were negative: water deprived rats exhibited an initial neophobic reaction (suspicion) toward novel solutions of saccharin or HCl. They rapidly habituated (increased consumption) over repeated exposures, however, despite immediate posttrial ECS. Since habituation to novelty assumes memory for previous experience the CS-RA hypothesis was not supported. Other rats made sick (LiCl injection) four hours after drinking saccharin, received ECS at various times during the long interstimulus interval. The resulting attenuation of a normally strong taste aversion was not related to ECS-US recency. A PI interpretation would have predicted interference to be an increasing function of a decreasing ECS-US interval.
Non-ionic surfactant assembly of ordered, very large pore molecular sieve silicas from water soluble silicates

Very large pore hexagonal and cellular foam-like molecular sieve silicas with well cross-linked framework walls (denoted MSU-H and MSU-F, respectively), have been prepared from soluble silicate precursors under neutral pH conditions.
A Numerical Method for the Simulation of Free Surface Flows with Surface Tension

Abstract A numerical model for the simulation of three-dimensional liquid–gas flows with free surfaces and surface tension is presented. The incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are assumed to hold in the liquid domain, while the gas pressure is assumed to be constant in each connected component of the gas domain and to follow the ideal gas law. The surface tension effects are imposed as a normal force on the interface. An implicit splitting scheme is used to decouple the physical phenomena. Given the curvature of the liquid–gas interface, the method described in [Caboussat A, Picasso M, Rappaz J. Numerical simulation of free surface incompressible liquid flows surrounded by compressible gas. J Comput Phys 2005;203(2):626–49] is used to track the liquid domain and compute the velocity and pressure in the liquid and the pressure in the gas domain. Then the surface tension effects are added. A variational method for the computation of the curvature is presented by smoothing the characteristic function of the liquid domain and using a finite element unstructured mesh. The model is validated and numerical results in two and three space dimensions are presented for bubbles and/or droplets flows.