cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal short sleep duration is associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers at 3 years postpartum

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of short sleep duration among women in the first year postpartum with inflammation at 3 years postpartum. We studied 479 women in Project Viva, a prospective cohort. At 6 months and 1 year postpartum, women reported the number of hours they slept in a 24-hour period, from which we calculated a weighted average of daily sleep. We used multivariable median regression analyses to predict the independent effects of short sleep duration (≤5 vs >5 h/d) on markers of inflammation, for example, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein at 3 years postpartum. Women's mean (SD) hours of daily sleep in the first year postpartum was 6.7 (0.96) hours. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, excessive gestational weight gain, and gestational age at delivery, we found that postpartum sleep ≤5 h/d was associated with elevated IL-6 (β, 0.25 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.43) compared with >5 h/d. Although postpartum sleep ≤5 h/d appeared to also be associated with elevated C-reactive protein (β 0.15 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval, -0.08 to 0.52), these results did not reach statistical significance. Short sleep duration in the first year postpartum is associated with elevated levels of the proinflammatory marker, IL-6, at 3 years postpartum.
Analysis of notch strengthening of 316L stainless steel with and without irradiation-induced hardening using EBSD and FEM

Notch strengthening analysis of 316L stainless steel was carried out using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and the finite element modeling (FEM) techniques. The influence of exposure to irradiation was examined by employing irradiated tensile properties in the FEM analyses. The major issue of interest is the possibility that low ductility, often found following irradiation exposure, will translate into low notch toughness. It was found that notch depth plays an important role in notch strengthening and mechanical properties degradation. Differences in notch depth and shape result in various sizes of deformation and twinning zones. Experimental results and FEM modeling results correlate well over the range of notch conditions examined here. It is found that notch ductility and plastic deformation can be highly localized for irradiated materials, exacerbating the flow localization problem. Thus irradiation exposure can also lead to flow localization problems with components with notches or stress concentrators, but notch constraints can limit the extent of localized flow.
Semiconductor chip design constraints imposed by package limitations

The semiconductor package must provide electrical contact, mechanical support, and protection as well as providing a path for the dissipated heat to flow. How well the package performs these functions is often an economic compromise. To select the lowest cost packaging approach it must be understood how this choice constrains the semi conductor chip, particularly the chip area. Em phasis is placed on the package/chip trade-offs for power semiconductors. Included are forward drop limitations voltage overshoot, transient and steady state thermal impedance and package fa tigue.
The wildness pleases: The origins of Romanticism

Christopher Thacker eludes the usual categories. He is a Europeanist who gives no allegiance to any European intellectual tradition, an academic who eschews footnotes and adopts a brisk, colloquial style ("dear chevaliers..., how d'you do it? ... the dreary Sartre"), and a garden historian sufficiently versed in literary and intellectual history to attempt a general study oftaste. We approach this account of the eighteenth-century cult of wildness, then, expecting a fresh and original work.
Toxicity of artificial vagina liners for bovine spermatozoa

Abstract Bovine spermatozoa were collected into one-piece combination liner-collection cones in the artificial vagina. Cells collected with liner-collection cones fabricated from polyethylene showed markedly improved liveability during storage at 4°C as compared with spermatozoa collected using rubber liner-collection cones. Results were shown to indicate that determination of either percent motility or percent unstained cells immediately after semen collection did not adequately reflect toxic effects during collection. The effects of toxicity were apparent within 3 h and were essentially at maximum level by 60 h after collection. Polyethylene is proposed as a desirable replacement for rubber in all parts of the artificial vagina system that come into contact with semen.
Process Indicators to Track Effectiveness of High-Performance Green Building Projects

AbstractHigh-performance green buildings, which maximize energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality, require increased collaboration among interdisciplinary professionals during project delivery. Recent theoretical and applied research illuminates the critical role of delivery attributes in performance outcomes. Despite such evidence, rigorous research is still needed to establish links between delivery attributes and performance outcomes in sustainable projects to further motivate owners and project teams to adopt and successfully implement sustainable practices and eventually improve actual energy performance and indoor environmental quality of buildings. This paper used quantitative methods to identify statistically correlated in-process indicators with project performance outcomes such as green level, cost, and schedule in sustainable building project delivery. The sample set used data from two previous studies totaling 51 green-certified building projects. Results yield statistically signific...
Rapid actin-dependent viral motility in live cells.

During the course of an infection, viruses take advantage of a variety of mechanisms to travel in cells, ranging from diffusion within the cytosol to active transport along cytoskeletal filaments. To study viral motility within the intrinsically heterogeneous environment of the cell, we have developed a motility assay that allows for the global and unbiased analysis of tens of thousands of virus trajectories in live cells. Using this assay, we discovered that poliovirus exhibits anomalously rapid intracellular movement that was independent of microtubules, a common track for fast and directed cargo transport. Such rapid motion, with speeds of up to 5 μm/s, allows the virus particles to quickly explore all regions of the cell with the exception of the nucleus. The rapid, microtubule-independent movement of poliovirus was observed in multiple human-derived cell lines, but appeared to be cargo-specific. Other cargo, including a closely related picornavirus, did not exhibit similar motility. Furthermore, the motility is energy-dependent and requires an intact actin cytoskeleton, suggesting an active transport mechanism. The speed of this microtubule-independent but actin-dependent movement is nearly an order of magnitude faster than the fastest speeds reported for actin-dependent transport in animal cells, either by actin polymerization or by myosin motor proteins.
Electrochemical Studies on Silicate and Bicarbonate Ions for Corrosion Inhibitors

Several types of carbon and high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels are being considered for use in the underground reinforcement of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. In this study, potentiodynamic polarization under reducing conditions was used to determine the corrosion rates (CRs) and passivity behavior of AISI 4340 steel using different combinations of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), in both pure water (PW) and simulated seawater (SW, 3.5 pct NaCl). These experiments were carried out to examine the potential inhibiting properties of the silicate or bicarbonate ions on the surface of the steel. The addition of sodium silicate to solution reduced the observed CR at room temperature to 19 μm/y at 0.005 M concentration and 7 μm/y at 0.025 M concentration in PW. The addition of sodium bicarbonate increased the CR from 84 μm/y (C = 0.1 M) to 455 μm/y (C = 1 M). These same behaviors were also observed at higher temperatures.
Free energy and dispersion forces via response functions

In a recent paper [5], Ford, Lewis, and O'Connell proposed a remarkable formula for the change in the free energy in terms of the susceptibility alone. This formula came out of their treatment of a quantum oscillator interacting (via dipole coupling) with a blackbody radiation field at finite temperature T. As a result, they found a modification to the Planck formula due to finite line width and a positive energy shift which is of quantum electrodynamical origin. I shall show in this paper that the above result is a general one, not specific to the problem considered, and whose essence can already be traced to the early works of van Kampen and Liftshitz on the theory of van der Waals forces, Maradudin et al. on point defects in lattices, and Mahanty and others on dispersion forces. The above formula can be deduced directly using the argument theorem in theory of contour integration.
Selective growth and characterization of pure, epitaxial α-Fe2O3(0001) and Fe3O4(001) films by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Pure-phase, single-crystalline epitaxial films of α-Fe 2 O 3 (0001) and Fe 3 O 4 (001) have been grown on Al 2 O 3 (0001) and MgO(001) substrates, respectively, using oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. We discuss the growth conditions required to synthesize these phases, as well as the associated characterization by means of reflection high-energy electron diffraction, low-energy electron diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffraction. The selective growth of these phases depends critically on the choice of substrate, the iron and oxygen fluxes, and the substrate temperature. MgO(001) and Al 2 O 3 (0001) were chosen as substrates for the growth of Fe 3 O 4 (001) and α-Fe 2 O 3 (0001), respectively, because of good lattice and crystal symmetry matching. The growth of α-Fe 2 O 3 is achieved using a low iron-to-oxygen flux ratio compared with that used to grow Fe 3 O 4 . Fe 3 O 4 must be grown at the relatively low substrate temperature of 250°C on MgO(001) to avoid interface reaction and Mg outdiffusion. The α-Fe 2 O 3 film surface is unreconstructed whereas the Fe 3 O 4 surface exhibits a (√2 × √2)R45° reconstruction. Application of a simple electron counting rule to the Fe 3 O 4 (001) surface suggests that the reconstruction is due to an ordered array of tetrahedral Fe vacancies.
The effects of a progesterone-t intrauterine device on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in “normal” women: A three-month study

Abstract A prospective study of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism was done in 43 “normal” women treated for three months with a Progesterone-T intrauterine device (IUD). A three-hour oral glucose tolerance test was done before the IUD insertion and then again three months after IUD use. There was no significant change in the blood glucose levels and the plasma insulin levels were also unchanged except for the post-treatment two-hour value which was slightly elevated. Both the fasting plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations fell during the three-month period but only the former was statistically significant. It would appear that the Progesterone-T IUD does not adversely alter either carbohydrate or lipid metabolism.
A novel ultra‐thin backlight system without optical sheets using a multi‐layered lightguide

— A backlight system using a newly developed multi-layered lightguide (MLL) is described. The MLL can function as a backlight without additional optical sheets such as prism sheets or diffusers. It was developed as a multi-layered sheet featuring different refractive indexes for different layers. A prototype was built, and the principles were confirmed by comparison with theory. With a thickness of 0.414 mm, the prototype is the thinnest backlight in the world, using only a MLL and a reflector.
Steroids in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective assessment of adverse reactions, response to therapy, and survival.

Purpose We evaluated the risk and potential benefit of high-dose corticosteroid therapy in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Subjects and methods We prospectively studied 41 patients with previously untreated, biopsy-proven idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Before treatment, we calculated clinical, radiographic, and physiologic severity-of-illness scores for each patient. We scored high-resolution computerized tomographic (CT) scans for ground glass and interstitial opacity. We determined the extent of cellular infiltration, interstitial fibrosis, desquamation, and granulation in open lung biopsy samples. Patients were monitored monthly for steroid-related side effects, response to therapy at 3 months, and mortality. Results All patients experienced at least one steroid-induced side effect. Eleven (27%) patients were nonresponders, 11 (27%) were responders, and 19 (46%) remained stable. Of the 19 patients who died during a mean (+/- SD) follow-up of 3.3 +/- 2.3 years, 8 (42%) lost weight during the initial 3 months of steroid therapy; only 3 (14%) of the 22 patients still living (P = 0.08) experienced weight loss. In a multivariate analysis, greater fibrosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.4 per unit increase; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0 to 1.9; P = 0.03) and cellularity (RR = 1.9 per unit increase; 95% CI: 1.3 to 2.8; 3, P Conclusion Corticosteroid treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is associated with substantial morbidity. Patients who remain stable or respond to corticosteroid therapy have better survival than those who fail to respond. Whether this difference reflects an effect of treatment or less severe disease can be determined only in a randomized trial.
The Nernst-Einstein equation in high-defect-content solids

Abstract The classical form of the Nernst-Einstein relation is discussed. It is shown that it leads to an obviously non-general relation between the tracer diffusion coefficient and the chemical diffusion coefficient. The Onsager phenomenological equations are used to deduce an exact form of the Nernst-Einstein relation which is in agreement with that given without proof by Kubo. Other exact relations among the mobility, tracer diffusion coefficient and chemical diffusion coefficient are deduced. The origin and meaning of the Haven ratio is discussed in the light of results from recent lattice-gas calculations.
Generating Sum-of-Ratios Test Problems in Global Optimization

A method is presented for the construction of test problems involving the minimization over convex sets of sums of ratios of affine functions. Given a nonempty, compact convex set, the method determines a function that is the sum of linear fractional functions and attains a global minimum over the set at a point that can be found by convex programming and univariate search. Generally, the function will have also local minima over the set that are not global minima.
Barbashin-Krasovskii theorem for stochastic differential equations

A system of stochastic differential equations which has a zero solution is considered. It is assumed that there exists a positive definite function such that the corresponding operator is nonpositive. It is proved that if the set does not include entire semitrajectories of the system almost surely, then the zero solution is asymptotically stable in probability.
The Shielding of Radio-Frequency Ammeters

Radio-frequency current-measuring instruments, when operated at a point in a circuit at high radio-frequency potential with respect to ground or to other near-by low-potential objects, have introduced therein another type of error, that is, one additional to other basic or inherent errors. The error introduced by high-potential operation can be materially reduced by shielding the instrument. A design of shield for an instrument is described herein which has proved highly practicable for use in measuring radio-frequency currents at high-potential points in a circuit with less error than is present in an unshielded instrument.
Unified theory of adsorption chromatography: gas, liquid and supercritical fluid mobile phases

Abstract Utilizing statistical thermodynamics and a mean-field lattice model, and exploiting isomorphic elements of binary-liquid and single-fluid critical behavior, the unified theory of the title is derived and discussed in some detail. The final results confirm that the natural mobile-phase state variables are its reduced temperature and reduced density. As an example of its utility and efficacy, the theory is applied to gas—solid chromatography with a highly adsorbable mobile phase. Potential refinements of the model are noted.
Intracerebroventricular administration of NPY increases sympathetic tone selectively in vascular beds.

Abstract NPY is widely distributed and has broad regulatory actions in the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS) and is especially important in the regulation of cardiovascular responses. CNS administered NPY has been demonstrated to produce both increases and decreases in cardiovascular tone. In this study we evaluated the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administered NPY on cardiovascular tone, regional blood flow dynamics, as well as the mechanism of this action in normal animals. Male rats were instrumented with ICV cannulas and allowed to recover. At the time of the experiment the rats were anesthetized with urethane/chloralose and the femoral artery cannulated for blood pressure determinations. The abdomen was opened and Doppler flow probes were placed around the iliac, renal, and superior mesenteric artery. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), iliac, renal, and superior mesenteric flow, as well as the calculated iliac, renal, and superior mesenteric conductance were determined. ICV administered NPY resulted in an increase in MAP and HR, which was associated with decreased flows in the iliac and superior mesenteric vessels while increasing renal flow. Conductance was decreased in the iliac and superior mesenteric vascular beds but not the renal artery. ICV administration of NPY in the presence of a systemically administered α 1 -adrenergic inhibitor, prazosin, attenuated the NPY-mediated effects on MAP as well as vascular conductance in the iliac and superior mesenteric vessels. Additionally, ICV administration of NPY in the presence of a systemically administered β 1 -adrenergic inhibition, atenolol, also attenuated the NPY-mediated increase in HR and MAP. Blood flow responses and iliac and superior mesenteric vascular conductance were also attenuated by atenolol pretreatment. In these studies we conclude that lateral ventricular administration of NPY acts to increase systemic MAP and HR and the response is mediated by an increase in sympathetic tone to the heart and especially the splanchnic and skeletal muscle vasculature.
On the Formation and Development of Tropical Cyclones

Abstract Research in tropical meteorology has revealed that the average easterly winds found in tropical regions are perturbed by large numbers of synoptic-scale disturbances. The mechanisms responsible for the initiation of such disturbances and the intensification of some of them into hurricanes may be considered as a problem of the instability of the basic easterly current and its perturbations. This study presents results of investigations into this problem for the region of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Initial wave formation and subsequent intensification to the vortex stage are emphasized. Empirical relationships between the vertical (geostrophic) wind shear and wave or vortex intensification are consistent with the predictions of the Bjerknes-Homboe theory modified for easterly flow. The 1000–500-mb shear (thickness) patterns were used as a measure of the depth of the easterlies. A net easterly shear in this layer was found to be favorable for intensification...
Mesoscale Boundary Layer and Heat Flux Variations over Pack Ice–Covered Lake Erie

Abstract The development of extensive pack ice fields on the Great Lakes significantly influences lake-effect storms and local airmass modification, as well as the regional hydrologic cycle and lake water levels. The evolution of the ice fields and their impacts on the atmospheric boundary layer complicates weather forecasters’ ability to accurately predict late-season lake-effect snows. The Great Lakes Ice Cover–Atmospheric Flux (GLICAF) experiment was conducted over Lake Erie during February 2004 to investigate the surface–atmosphere exchanges that occur over midlatitude ice-covered lakes. GLICAF observations taken by the University of Wyoming King Air on 26 February 2004 show a strong mesoscale thermal link between the lake surface and the overlying atmospheric boundary layer. Mesoscale atmospheric variations that developed over the lake in turn influenced heat exchanges with the surface. Boundary layer sensible and latent heat fluxes exhibited different relationships to variations in surface pack ice ...
Multifocal variant of heterotopic ossification

In this case report, we present a 25 year follow-up of a single patient with a previously undescribed multifocal variant of heterotopic ossification. The patient presented with multiple occurrences of lesions similar to myositis ossificans atraumatica as well as some lesions resembling exostoses/osteochondromas. Several images and histological sections show the range of appearances and locations of her somewhat disparate lesions, including an exostosis with intraspinal extension. Until additional similar cases are brought forward, we consider this a unique variant of heterotopic ossification. The precise aetiology of this patient's condition is unknown.
Queueing analysis of DCHF and token-passing protocols with varying turnaround time

Wireless networks are generally characterized by a medium shared among a group of users. This makes an appropriate media access control (MAC) protocol essential for efficient channel utilization. Wireless MAC protocols show significant performance degradation in some challenging networks (e.g., military HF radio) that are characterized by long link-layer turnaround times, and most of the recent research does not address this problem. This paper develops queueing models for two functional categories of wireless MAC protocols; DCHF, a contention-based MAC protocol and token-passing, a contention-free MAC protocol, and explores their statistical performance for varying link-layer turnaround times under varying Poisson loads. Simulation models for these protocols have been developed to substantiate the statistical analysis.
Pecca Fortiter for the Sake of Morality? Making Sense of Wrong in Hegel’s System of Right

The goal of this paper is to clarify the role ‘wrong’ plays in Hegel’s system of right, as both a form of freedom and the transition to morality. Two approaches will be examined to explore wrong in practical philosophical terms: First, one could take the transition to be descriptive in nature. The transition describes wrong as a realized fact of the human condition that one inherits from the outset. Second, one could see it as prescriptive. Actual wrongdoing would be essential for the subject’s progression to becoming moral. Though both are most likely the case, emphasis is given to the latter since it represents the actualization of potential. Furthermore, it will be suggested that wrong plays a similar role as that which alienation does in the Phenomenology of Spirit; both bridge the will as abstract personality with the moral point of view.
Diversity and resistance in a model network with adaptive software

Attacks on computers are increasingly sophisticated, automated and damaging. We take inspiration from the diversity and adaptation of the immune system to design a new kind of computer security system utilizing automated repair techniques. We call the principles of effective immune system design Scalable RADAR: Robust Adaptive Decentralized Search and Automated Response. This paper explores how node diversity is maintained on a network that can generate software variants at individual nodes and make local decisions about sharing variants between nodes. We explore the effects of different network topologies on software diversity and resource trade-offs. We examine how the architecture of the lymphatic network balances trade-offs between local and global search for pathogens in order to improve our design. Experiments are performed on model networks of connected computers able to automatically generate repairs to their own software in response to an attack, bug, or vulnerability. We find that increased connectivity leads to increased overhead, but decreased time to repair, and that small world networks more efficiently distribute repairs. Diversity is diminished by increased connectivity, but has a more complex relationship with network structure, for example, a highly connected network may exhibit low overall diversity but maintain high diversity in a small number of low degree nodes in the periphery of the network.
Review: Psychosocial Well-Being of Parents and Their Children Born After Assisted Reproduction

Objective: To critically review the empirical literature published from 1980 through June 2000 on the psychosocial well-being of parents and their children born after assisted reproduction. Methods: A computer-based literature search of PsycINFO and Medline was conducted. Empirical studies were reviewed to document the psychosocial impact of infertility and its treatment on the families involved in terms of quality of parenting, family functioning, and child development. Results: Several common findings appeared across the studies reviewed. With regard to quality of parenting and family functioning, mothers of children born using assisted reproduction report less parenting stress and more positive mother- and father-child relationships than mothers of naturally conceived children. In most cases, no statistically significant differences in child functioning in terms of emotions, behavior, self-esteem, or perceptions of family relationship have been reported. Conclusions: The summary findings are positive and reassuring for parents and their children born after assisted reproduction. This critique of the published literature provides interpretative and methodological refinements for future research.
The Weak Byzantine Generals Problem

The Byzantine Generals Problem requires processes to reach agreement upon a value even though some of them may fad. It is weakened by allowing them to agree upon an "incorrect" value if a failure occurs. The transaction eormmt problem for a distributed database Js a special case of the weaker problem. It is shown that, like the original Byzantine Generals Problem, the weak version can be solved only ff fewer than one-third of the processes may fad. Unlike the onginal problem, an approximate solution exists that can tolerate arbaranly many failures.
The Determinants of REIT Cash Holdings

The factors influencing the cash holdings of REITs are examined with the view that the REIT industry should yield new information regarding the drivers of corporate cash policy due to their unique operating conditions. The availability of REIT line of credit data also allows us to test the association between cash holdings and line of credit access and use. Data constraints in prior investigations have left this an unresolved empirical question in the cash holdings literature. The baseline results show that REIT cash holdings are inversely related to funds from operations, leverage, and internal advisement and are directly related to the cost of external finance and growth opportunities. Cash holdings are also negatively associated with credit line access and use. The results imply that REIT managers elect to hold little cash to reduce the agency problems of cash flow thereby increasing transparency and reducing the future cost of external capital.
A knowledge-based system for software design

A knowledge-based system to support software design is presented. The knowledge-based system consists of a frame-and-rule oriented requirements language (FRORL), a knowledge base, an inference engine, and a front-end dialogue system. The FRORL is developed to facilitate the documentation and analysis of a software system. The software design heuristic guidelines (e.g. stepwise refinement, functional decomposition) and the domain knowledge are encoded using Prolog and are stored in a knowledge base. An inference mechanism is implemented to interpret the FRORL specification, that uses the design expertise in the knowledge base to perform a program transformation process. The front-end dialogue system is used to obtain the environment information from users to facilitate the transformation process. The knowledge-based system is implemented in Prolog on an IBM 4341 computer. Results indicate that the system can incrementally accumulate design experience and facilitate the software design process. Examples are also given to illustrate this system. >
Early and late manipulation improve flexion after total knee arthroplasty

Abstract Manipulations have been considered effective only in the early postoperative period. From a total joint registry containing 9640 primary total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), 195 patients who underwent manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) were identified. A total of 102 had MUA within 90 days (early), and 93 more than 90 days (late) after TKA. Average pain (10-point scale), satisfaction (10-point scale), flexion (degrees), and extension (degrees) were recorded before and after MUA. Flexion was significantly improved after MUA for both groups: early MUA from 68.4° (±17.2°) to 101.4° (±16.15°), P P = .001. Pain decreased significantly with early MUA from 4.92 (±2.25) to 3.34 (±2.67) and with late MUA from 4.51 (±2.62) to 3.44 (±2.78), P = .048. Extension improved only in the early MUA group from 7.15 (±10.1) to 2.50 (±4.98). Satisfaction scores were not improved. Both early and late manipulation can improve TKA pain and flexion.
Recent Developments and Open Problems in Voronoi Diagrams

This paper deals with some open problems in computational geometry related to Voronoi diagrams. The Voronoi diagram and Dealunay triangulation of n points in Ropfd has complexity Theta (n [d/2]) in the worst case. However, the complexity is not high if points are random. Statistical properties of Voronoi diagrams of random points have been studied for decades. The expected complexity of the Voronoi diagram of n random points in the three-dimensional cube is O(n). If n points are generated uniformly at random in the unit ball in Rd, the Voronoi diagram has expected complexity dO(d)n.
Assessment of Iothalamate Plasma Clearance: Duration of Study Affects Quality of GFR

Background and objectives: Measurement of GFR is important for the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although bolus administration of radiocontrast agents is commonly used to measure GFR, the optimal duration of sampling to assess their plasma clearance is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the duration of plasma sampling influences precision and estimation of GFR. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: GFR was measured by sampling plasma 12 times over 5 h in 56 patients with CKD (mean age 64 yr, 98% men, 79% Caucasian, 34% diabetics, estimated GFR 31.8 ± 14.2 ml/min/1.73 m2). In a subset of 12 patients we measured GFR by sampling plasma 17 times over 10 h. Results: Short sampling intervals considerably overestimated GFR measured using total plasma iothalamate clearance, especially in larger patients. In the higher estimated GFR group (>30 ml/min/1.73m2), the 5-h GFR was 17% higher and 2-h GFR 54% higher compared with the 10-h GFR, which averaged 40.3 ml/min/1.73 m2. In the lower estimated GFR group (<30 ml/min/1.73m2), the 5-h GFR was 36% higher and 2-h GFR 126% higher compared with the 10-h GFR, which averaged 22.2 ml/min/1.73 m2. Short sampling duration also reduced the precision of the estimated GFR from 1.67% for 10-h GFR, to 3.48% for 5-h GFR, and to 7.07% for 2-h GFR. Conclusions: GFR measured over a longer duration with multiple plasma samples spanning the distribution and elimination phases may improve precision and provide a better measure of renal function.
Centrifuge-based fluidic platforms

In this paper, centrifuge-based microfluidic platforms are reviewed and compared with other popular microfluidic propulsion methods. The underlying physical principles of centrifugal pumping in microfluidic systems are presented and the various centrifuge fluidic functions such as valving, decanting, calibration, mixing, metering, heating, sample splitting, and separation are introduced. Those fluidic functions have been combined with analytical measurement techniques such as optical imaging, absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to make the centrifugal platform a powerful solution for medical and clinical diagnostics and high-throughput screening (HTS) in drug discovery. Applications of a compact disk (CD)-based centrifuge platform analyzed in this paper include two-point calibration of an optode-based ion sensor, an automated immunoassay platform, multiple parallel screening assays, and cellular-based assays. The use of modified commercial CD drives for high-resolution optical imaging is discussed as well. From a broader perspective, we compare technical barriers involved in applying microfluidics for sensing and diagnostics as opposed to applying such techniques to HTS. The latter poses fewer challenges and explains why HTS products based on a CD fluidic platform are already commercially available, while we might have to wait longer to see commercial CD-based diagnostics.
Notes on a New Method for the Determination of the Magnetic Flux Density and Permeability

The method described gives a ready means for determining the magnetizing force, the corresponding flux density, and permeability at any wave length whatever. In taking a series of readings for different ampere-turns and at a definite wave length, we may obtain (a) the magnetization curve, (b) the permeability-ampere-turns curve. Since the suggested arrangement applies to any practically available wave length we have a convenient means to compare the B max -values for very long wave lengths with the corresponding values determined at higher frequencies, and thus obtain a clear insight into the skin action of an iron core. In a similar way the permeability-wave length curve may be found for a definite number of ampere turns. The method simultaneously determines either the total losses of the test sample or the losses due to direct current resistance, skin effect of the conductor, hysteresis and eddy currents in the iron core separately, and there can be obtained the (a) watts/unit volume-wave length curve for a certain number of ampere turns, (b) watts/unit volume-flux density curve at a constant wave length, and (c) watts/unit volume-thickness of laminations curve for a constant wave length and a constant number of ampere turns; which enables the investigator to ascertain all the conditions which are necessary for determining the desired properties of any radio frequency apparatus containing a ferro-magnetic medium. Moreover, by means of equations (14) and (15) one is able to experimentally investigate the dependance of the magnetizing force and permeability on the frequency.
Structural changes common to catalysis in the Tpx peroxiredoxin subfamily.

Abstract Thiol peroxidases (Tpxs) are dimeric 2-Cys peroxiredoxins from bacteria that preferentially reduce alkyl hydroperoxides. Catalysis requires two conserved residues, the peroxidatic cysteine and the resolving cysteine, which are located in helix α 2 and helix α 3 , respectively. The partial unraveling of helices α 2 and α 3 during catalysis allows for the formation of an intramolecular disulfide between these two residues. Here, we present three structures of Escherichia coli Tpx representing the fully folded (peroxide binding site intact), locally unfolded (disulfide bond), and partially locally unfolded (transitional state) conformations. We also compare known Tpx crystal structures and analyze the sequence-conservation patterns among nearly 300 Tpx sequences. Twelve fully conserved Tpx-specific residues cluster at the active site and dimer interface, and an additional 37 highly conserved residues are mostly located in a cradle providing the environment for helix α 2 . Using the structures determined here as representative fully folded, transitional, and locally unfolded Tpx conformations, we describe in detail the structural changes associated with catalysis in the Tpx subfamily. Key insights include the description of a conserved hydrophobic collar around the active site, a set of conserved packing interactions between helices α 2 and α 3 that allow the local unfolding of α 2 to trigger the partial unfolding of α 3 , a conserved dimer interface that anchors the ends of helices α 2 and α 3 to stabilize the active site during structural transitions, and a conserved set of residues constituting a cradle that stabilizes the two discrete conformations of helix α 2 involved in catalysis. The involvement of the dimer interface in stabilizing active-site folding and in forming the hydrophobic collar implies that Tpx is an obligate homodimer and explains the high conservation of interface residues.
Pharmacodynamics of propranolol on left ventricular function: assessment by Doppler echocardiography.

The relationship of left ventricular systolic function and heart rate to serum 1-propranolol concentrations was determined in 10 healthy male volunteers during maximal exercise treadmill testing. Peak aortic blood flow acceleration (ACL), measured by Doppler ultrasonography, was used to evaluate left ventricular systolic function. Repeated exercise testing was performed on two separate days after long-term oral administration of 40 mg propranolol or placebo every 6 hours in a randomized, double-blind, crossover fashion. Pharmacodynamic relationships were determined by fitting percent change in ACL and heart rate at maximal exertion with 1-propranolol with the Emax model (maximal effect) and nonlinear regression. Reductions in systolic function and heart rate during exercise were related directly to 1-propranolol. Propranolol was significantly (p < 0.05) more potent in reducing heart rate (EC50, 10.6 ± 9.2 ng/ml) compared with ACL (EC50, 19.2 ± 8.9 ng/ml). However, Emax of propranolol for reducing ACL was significantly greater than that for reducing heart rate (−46.7% ± 6.9% versus −29.5% ± 15.9%; p < 0.05). These data indicate that the concentration-effect relationship for 1-propranolol and its negative inotropic effect differ from its negative chronotropic effect. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 48, 431–438; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.172
SRT1720, SRT2183, SRT1460, and Resveratrol Are Not Direct Activators of SIRT1

Sirtuins catalyze NAD+-dependent protein deacetylation and are critical regulators of transcription, apoptosis, metabolism, and aging. There are seven human sirtuins (SIRT1–7), and SIRT1 has been implicated as a key mediator of the pathways downstream of calorie restriction that have been shown to delay the onset and reduce the incidence of age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Increasing SIRT1 activity, either by transgenic overexpression of the Sirt1 gene in mice or by pharmacological activation by small molecule activators resveratrol and SRT1720, has shown beneficial effects in rodent models of type 2 diabetes, indicating that SIRT1 may represent an attractive therapeutic target. Herein, we have assessed purported SIRT1 activators by employing biochemical assays utilizing native substrates, including a p53-derived peptide substrate lacking a fluorophore as well as the purified native full-length protein substrates p53 and acetyl-CoA synthetase1. SRT1720, its structurally related compounds SRT2183 and SRT1460, and resveratrol do not lead to apparent activation of SIRT1 with native peptide or full-length protein substrates, whereas they do activate SIRT1 with peptide substrate containing a covalently attached fluorophore. Employing NMR, surface plasmon resonance, and isothermal calorimetry techniques, we provide evidence that these compounds directly interact with fluorophore-containing peptide substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SRT1720 neither lowers plasma glucose nor improves mitochondrial capacity in mice fed a high fat diet. SRT1720, SRT2183, SRT1460, and resveratrol exhibit multiple off-target activities against receptors, enzymes, transporters, and ion channels. Taken together, we conclude that SRT1720, SRT2183, SRT1460, and resveratrol are not direct activators of SIRT1.
3-D MOEMS mirror for laser beam pointing and focus control

A biaxial torsion scan mirror with a deformable membrane surface is described. The 700-mm-diameter optical surface can be tilted /spl plusmn/4/spl deg/ about two orthogonal axes and can be deformed to a parabola with greater than 3-mm sag at the membrane center. The surface, therefore, acts as a lens with variable focal length ranging from /spl infin/ to 10 mm. Mirror architecture and applications in three-dimensional beam pointing and scanning are discussed.
The medieval monastery as franchise monopolist

Abstract Medieval Cistercian monasteries were monopoly franchisees of the Roman Catholic Church and were engaged in the sale of the assurance of salvation. A public choice theory of government which defines the spiritual goal as a collective expression of the common good facilitates an analysis within an economic, as opposed to a spiritual framework. The Cistercian's exclusive territories assisted the organizational structure of successive monopoly between the Church and the monasteries which is resolved by vertical integration and supported with vertical contractual restraints.
The detection of cryptic prey by blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) I: the effects of travel time

Abstract The behaviour of blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) hunting for dispersed, cryptic prey was investigated in an operant simulation in which jays were trained to search projected images for noctuid moths. Each image contained either a single moth or no moth. Each trial was structured so as to simulate travelling between patches, searching within patches, and attacking and handling each moth that was detected. In two experiments in which the travel time between patches was manipulated, increases in travel time produced increased persistence within patches. Although this qualitative effect was predicted by the marginal value theorem, quantitative analyses revealed that the blue jays were using a strategy that was more sophisticated and more efficient than the simple time-in-patch rule implied by the marginal value theorem.
Capital Structure And Executive Compensation

The finance literature is not unanimous regarding the relationship between capital structure and executive compensation. As a firm increases its debt ratio (i.e., ratio of total debt to total assets), its risk of potential bankruptcy also increases. Because of that fact, stock price of the firm generally decreases after the announcement of its bond offering in the market place, thereby decreasing the shareholders' return and the value of the firm. As a result, we would expect less executive compensation (either salary bonuses, or total compensations which include stock option) when a firm issues a substantial bond offering and the price of its stock declines. We have found that there was a positive and statistically significant association between the salary and bonus of the CEOs of the 336 largest U.S. corporations, and the debts these firms incurred during the 19891999 time period. This was also true when total compensation (which included realized stock options) of the CEOs was taken as the dependent variable, although the latter was less effective than the former one.
Li JK: Dynamics of the Vascular System

"Dynamics of the Vascular System" is a new book by one of the world's greatest experts on bioengineering aspects of hemodynamics. It provides an excellent elementary introduction to this topic. Following an illustrative historical introduction, the author briefly reviews vascular physiology. This is followed by the basics of fluid mechanics as an introduction to the hemodynamics of large arteries. A dedicated chapter illuminating the dynamic consequences of vascular branching follows this chapter. This is the field to which Professor Li has made his substantial contributions. The following chapters cover the venous system and microcirculation. Finally the book reviews measuring techniques used to study hemodynamic behavior. The author suggests this volume to be "a companion" to his own treatise "The Arterial Circulation" [1]. For those familiar with the latter book I must compare the two. While the new book adds useful information on the venous system and on microcirculation, a topic that has been neglected in classical treatments of hemodynamics, this new volume is substantially less comprehensive in most topics covered in both. Also its index is regretfully, substantially less detailed. Little new has been published in this field since the first book was published in 2000, with the notable exception of Zamir's book "The Physics of Pulsatile Flow" [2]. The reader is advised, therefore, to consider this book as a supplement rather than a companion to the former. In brief, this book, which is more affordable than its predecessor, should be regarded as a good introduction to the topic, to be used primarily by bioengineering students, rather than an updated authorative text by its erudite author.
Utilization and Predictors of Electrical Cardioversion in Patients Hospitalized for Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia in adults associated with thromboembolic complications. External electrical cardioversion (DCCV) is a safe procedure used to convert AF to normal sinus rhythm. We sought to study factors that affect utilization of DCCV in hospitalized patients with AF. The study sample was drawn from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project in the United States. Patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of AF that received DCCV during hospitalization in the years 2000–2010 were included. An estimated 2,810,530 patients with a primary diagnosis of AF were hospitalized between 2001 and 2010, of which 1,19,840 (4.26%) received DCCV. The likelihood of receiving DCCV was higher in patients who were males, whites, privately insured, and aged < 40 years and those with fewer comorbid conditions. Higher CHADS2 score was found to have an inverse association with DCCV use. In-hospital stroke, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and cost for hospitalization were significantly lower for patients undergoing DCCV during AF related hospitalization. Further research is required to study the contribution of other disease and patient related factors affecting the use of this procedure as well as postprocedure outcomes.
Single-Axis Three-Beam Amplitude Monopulse Antenna - Signal Processing Issues

Typically, when three or more antenna beams along a single axis are required, the answer has been multiple antenna phase-centers, essentially a phase-monopulse system. Such systems and their design parameters are well-reported in the literature. Less appreciated is that three or more antenna beams can also be generated in an amplitude-monopulse fashion. Consequently, design guidelines and performance analysis of such antennas is somewhat under-reported in the literature. We provide discussion herein of three beams arrayed in a single axis with an amplitude-monopulse configuration. Acknowledgements The preparation of this report is the result of an unfunded research and development activity. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administ ration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.