cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capnocytophaga canimorsus Meningitis: Diagnosis Using Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus infections are associated with dog bites, especially in asplenic or immunocompromised patients, and typically manifest as sepsis and/or bacteremia. Meningitis has been rarely described, and its diagnosis may be delayed due to poor or slow growth using traditional culture techniques. We provide our experience using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to establish the diagnosis and perform a comprehensive review of C. canimorsus meningitis cases to provide summary data on the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and outcomes of this unusual infection. A systematic review of the peer-reviewed English literature (PubMed, Embase, Ovid Medline) from January 1966 to March 2018 was conducted to identify cases of C. canimorsus meningitis. Data collected included demographics, risk factors, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, PCR results, treatments, and outcomes. Descriptive statistics are presented as numbers (percentages) and medians (ranges). A total of 37 patients were reviewed with a median age of 63 years (12 days to 83 years) with a male predominance (76%). A relatively low proportion had an immunocompromised state (16% splenectomy and 5% steroid use); the most common risk factor was alcoholism (19%). Fifty-nine percent reported a dog bite (all within ≤ 14 days prior to presentation), while 22% reported a non-bite dog exposure, 3% reported cat bite, and 3% reported both dog and cat exposures; 11% reported no animal contact. CSF parameters included a median white count of 1024 cells/mm3, 81% had neutrophilic predominance, median protein of 190 mg/dl, and median glucose CSF/serum ratio 0.23. In 54% of cases, blood cultures were positive for C. canimorsus (median, 4 days) and 70% had positive CSF cultures (median, 5 days). PCR established the diagnosis in eight (22%) cases. Antibiotic therapy was given for a median of 15 days (range, 7 to 42 days). Prognosis was overall favorable with only one (3%) death reported and adverse neurologic and/or physical sequelae in 19% of the survivors. C. canimorsus meningitis is a rare but increasingly important clinical entity occurring in patients of all ages, typically after dog exposure. While classically considered an infection among immunocompromised patients, most cases have occurred in previously healthy, immunocompetent persons. Diagnosis may be rapidly established by PCR, and this test should be considered in culture-negative cases with associated exposures. Outcome was generally favorable after a median antibiotic duration of 15 days.
Modeling Social Influence in Mobile Messaging Apps

Social influence is the behavioral change of a person because of the perceived relationship with other people, organizations and society in general. With the exponential growth of online social network services especially mobile messaging apps, users around the world are logging in to messaging apps to not only chat with friends but also to connect with brands, browse merchandise, and watch content. Mobile chat apps boast a number of distinct characteristics that make their audiences particularly appealing to businesses and marketers, including their size, retention and usage rates, and user demographics. The combined user base of the top four chat apps is larger than the combined user base of the top four social networks. Therefore, it makes great sense to analyze user behavior and social influence in mobile messaging apps. In this paper, we focus on computational aspects of measuring social influence of groups formed in mobile messaging apps. We describe the special features of mobile messaging apps and present challenges. We address the challenges by proposing a temporal weighted data model to measure the group influence in messaging apps by considering their special features, with implementation and evaluation in the end.
Quantitative analysis of social media sensitivity to natural disasters

Abstract As the prevalence of social media real-time communication grows among the public, research has increased regarding its use in various domains of study, including human behavior with respect to natural disasters. Various metrics, whether related to message posting frequency, origination proximity to the disaster, and/or the sentiment of the messages themselves are commonly studied. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to determine the sensitivity of social media to different types or magnitudes of natural disasters under various circumstances. We select four types of natural disasters (tornadoes, winter storms, wildfires, and floods) and for each we examine multiple recent events along with the associated Twitter behavior to evaluate multiple aspects: duration of social media attention, frequency shifts, frequency shifts for different social vulnerability levels, tweet proximity to the disasters, and sentiment. The results demonstrate that Twitter is indeed a social sensor with different sensitivity levels to natural disasters and depending on the event circumstances, a diverse pattern of social media behavior should be expected.
An Sram-Based Accelerator for Solving Partial Differential Equations

Accurate numerical solutions of partial differential equations (PDE) require high-precision fine-grid Jacobi iterations that are demanding in both computation and memory. To reduce the precision and memory, we reformulate the multi-grid Jacobi method in a residual form to enable the mapping of a high-precision PDE solver on SRAMs that perform low-precision parallel multiply-accumulates (MAC) in memory, reducing both energy and area. To improve performance, we employ a DLL to generate well-controlled unit pulses for driving word lines and a dual-ramp single-slope ADC to convert bit line outputs. The design is prototyped in a 1.87mm2 180nm test chip made of four $320 \times 64$ MAC-SRAMs, each supporting $128 \times $ parallel $5\mathrm {b} \times 5\mathrm {b}$ MACs with 32 5b output ADCs and consuming 16.6mW at 200MHz. The test chip is demonstrated to reach an error tolerance of $10 ^{-8}$ in solving PDEs at 56.9GOPS.
Evaluation of chlorine booster station placement for water security

Abstract Drinking water utilities use booster stations to maintain chlorine residuals throughout water distribution systems. Booster stations could also be used as part of an emergency response plan to minimize health risks in the event of an unintentional or malicious contamination incident. The benefit of booster stations for emergency response depends on several factors, including the reaction between chlorine and an unknown contaminant species, the fate and transport of the contaminant in the water distribution system, and the time delay between detection and initiation of boosted levels of chlorine. This paper takes these aspects into account and proposes a mixed-integer linear program formulation for optimizing the placement of booster stations for emergency response. A case study is used to explore the ability of optimally placed booster stations to reduce the impact of contamination in water distribution systems.
Solvent-free synthesis of organometallic halides CH3NH3PbI3 and (CH3NH3)3Bi2I9 and their thermoelectric transport properties

Organometallic halides are great candidates for optoelectronics. As an important family of semiconductors, understanding their thermoelectric transport properties is also important. This has been a challenging task as many of such compounds are highly intrinsic. In this work, we synthesized two halides, CH3NH3PbI3 and (CH3NH3)3Bi2I9, using a solvent-free method. We found an extraordinarily high Seebeck coefficient of +2600 ± 200 μV/K in (CH3NH3)3Bi2I9. For CH3NH3PbI3, our synthesis method led to a negative Seebeck coefficient of −1350 ± 50 μV/K, in contrast to positive values observed in solvent synthesized samples. We also found the thermal conductivity of CH3NH3PbI3 to be 0.38 W/m K, largely independent of temperature from 300 K to 450 K, despite a tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition. (CH3NH3)3Bi2I9 has an even lower thermal conductivity of 0.21 W/m K (also temperature independent) which is due to its soft phonon dispersion and weak bonds.
The effects of loading-direction and strain-rate on the mechanical behaviors of human frontal skull bone.

Abstract Most fatal human skull injuries occur under impact loading conditions, such as car collisions, where the strain rates fall in the range of intermediate (1/s−102/s) and high (102/s−103/s) rates. Therefore, knowledge of the mechanical behaviors of human cranial bone at higher strain rates, i.e., intermediate and high strain rates, may provide insight into the prevention of skull injuries and help the design of efficient head protection systems. In the present study, the compressive mechanical behaviors of human frontal skull bone along and perpendicular to its through-the-thickness direction were experimentally characterized at quasi-static (0.01/s), intermediate (30/s) and high (625/s) strain rates in this study. A total number of 75 specimens prepared from three male donors with ages of 70–74 were separated into three groups: quasi-static (N = 23), intermediate (N = 23), and high (N = 29) strain rates. Experiments at quasi-static and intermediate strain rates were performed using a hydraulically driven materials testing system (MTS), while a Kolsky compression bar was used to load the skull bone specimen at high strain rates. X-ray computed tomography was performed to obtain the structural parameters and visualize the microstructures of the skull bone. The in-situ failure processes of the specimens under high-rate loading were documented by a high-speed camera. The human skull exhibited a loading-direction dependent mechanical behavior, as higher ultimate strength and elastic modulus were found in the direction perpendicular to the thickness when compared with those along the thickness direction, exhibiting an increasing ratio as high as 2 and 3 for strength and modulus, respectively. High-speed images revealed that the specimens loaded along the thickness direction generally failed due to the crushing in diploe (the trabecular bone tissue) whereas separation of the entire architecture was observed as the main failure mode when compressed in the perpendicular direction. The effect of loading rate was also evident: the skull specimens were increasingly brittle as strain rate increased from quasi-static to high rate for both the loading directions. The elastic modulus increased by a factor of 4 in radial direction and it increased by a factor of 2.5 in the tangential direction across the quasi-static, intermediate and high strain rates. Significant differences were also found in ultimate strength and work to failure as loading rate increased from quasi-static to high rates. The results also suggested that the strength in the radial direction was mainly depended on the diploe porosity while the diploe layer ratio played the predominant role in tangential direction.
Performance advantages for grit and optimism.

Abstract Background Unsustainable surgeon burnout rates and moral imperatives for performance improvement suggest an urgent need to understand and apply rationales and methods for cultivating grit and optimism in surgery. Data sources Embase, MEDLINE, and PubMed articles. Conclusions Passivity in response to negative events is the default human response, but the presence of control activates the prefrontal cortex—the brain region controlling executive function—promoting effort toward solutions. Challenges, failures, and traumatic events perceived as inescapable, permanent, pervasive, and irreparable lead to debility and attrition; grit and optimism shift the human response toward growth, strength, and improved performance. Methods for realizing these advantages include maintaining positivity, pursuing major challenges that match personal skills, engaging in deliberate practice to improve skills, persisting in hard work, and pursuing higher meaning and purpose in work and life. Grit and optimism are difficult to teach; selecting gritty, optimistic surgical residency applicants may also be effective.
Double-stranded RNA in exosomes: Potential systemic RNA interference pathway in the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Abstract Despite extensive research during the past decade elucidating the mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi) in insects, it is not clear how ingested or injected double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers RNAi response in the whole body or even its progeny, which is referred to as systemic RNAi. In the present study, we aim to understand how the dsRNA delivered into cells causes systemic RNAi using Colorado potato beetle cells (Lepd-SL1). We first tested if dsRNA treatment induces systemic RNAi in Lepd-SL1 cells. Exposure of a new batch of Lepd-SL1 cells to the conditioned medium where Lepd-SL1 cells treated with dsRNA targeting inhibitor of apoptosis were grown for 6 h induced apoptosis in these new batch of cells. We hypothesized the exosomes in the conditioned medium are responsible for RNAi-inducing effect. To test this hypothesis, we isolated exosomes from the conditioned medium from Lepd-SL1 cells that had been treated with dsGFP (dsRNA targeting gene coding for green fluorescent protein) or dsLuc (dsRNA targeting gene coding for the luciferase) were grown. RNA present in the purified exosomes was analyzed to check if long dsRNA or siRNA is accumulated in them. The results from the electrophoretic mobility shift assay clearly showed that the long dsRNAs are present in the exosomes. By knockdown of candidate genes involved in endosome recycling and generation pathways, we found that Rab4 and Rab35 are involved in exosome production and transport.
Potential Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Effects of Uridine/Choline-Enriched Multinutrient Dietary Intervention for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Narrative Review.

In mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer disease (AD), also known as prodromal AD, there is evidence for a pathologic shortage of uridine, choline, and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), which are key nutrients needed by the brain. Preclinical and clinical evidence shows the importance of nutrient bioavailability to support the development and maintenance of brain structure and function in MCI and AD. Availability of key nutrients is limited in MCI, creating a distinct nutritional need for uridine, choline, and DHA. Evidence suggests that metabolic derangements associated with ageing and disease-related pathology can affect the body’s ability to generate and utilize nutrients. This is reflected in lower levels of nutrients measured in the plasma and brains of individuals with MCI and AD dementia, and progressive loss of cognitive performance. The uridine shortage cannot be corrected by normal diet, making uridine a conditionally essential nutrient in affected individuals. It is also challenging to correct the choline shortfall through diet alone, because brain uptake from the plasma significantly decreases with ageing. There is no strong evidence to support the use of single-agent supplements in the management of MCI due to AD. As uridine and choline work synergistically with DHA to increase phosphatidylcholine formation, there is a compelling rationale to combine these nutrients. A multinutrient enriched with uridine, choline, and DHA developed to support brain function has been evaluated in randomized controlled trials covering a spectrum of dementia from MCI to moderate AD. A randomized controlled trial in subjects with prodromal AD showed that multinutrient intervention slowed brain atrophy and improved some measures of cognition. Based on the available clinical evidence, nutritional intervention should be considered as a part of the approach to the management of individuals with MCI due to AD, including adherence to a healthy, balanced diet, and consideration of evidence-based multinutrient supplements.
Different Responses to COVID-19 in Four US States: Washington, New York, Missouri, and Alabama.

In the United States, public health is largely the responsibility of state governments' implementing authority specified in their constitutions or reserved to states under the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution. The public health-related powers granted to the federal government are substantially less and derive primarily from the Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8) of the US Constitution. In public health emergencies over the past several decades, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has played a major role in providing guidance, resources, and other support to state and local public health departments, for example, in large foodborne disease outbreaks, in response to major natural disasters, and especially in response to large-scale infectious disease threats (e.g., West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and H1N1 influenza).1 (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 28, 2021: e1-e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306111).
Analyzing the Competitiveness of the Textile and Apparel Sector among USMCA Trade Agreement Partners

The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) is an updated version of the nearly 25-year-old, trillion-dollar North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA has facilitated the formation of a regional T&A supply chain among its members. Within this supply chain, the United States typically exports textiles to Mexico, which turns imported yarns and fabrics into apparel and then exports finished apparel back to the United and Canada for consumption. With the revised agreement, USMCA eases the requirements for duty-free treatment for certain textile and apparel products but tightens the requirements for other products. Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, which measures the share of a given product in a country’s total exports relative to the share of that product in total world exports, was used to understand the competitiveness of the textile and apparel Sector among USMCA Trading Partners. The results pointed out that though United States has comparative advantage in textile products, United States has not been able to increase its share in world clothing trade at a faster pace
Retrospective Approximation for Smooth Stochastic Optimization

We consider stochastic optimization problems where a smooth (and potentially nonconvex) objective is to be minimized using a stochastic first-order oracle. These type of problems arise in many settings from simulation optimization to deep learning. We present Retrospective Approximation (RA) as a universal sequential sample-average approximation (SAA) paradigm where during each iteration $k$, a sample-path approximation problem is implicitly generated using an adapted sample size $M_k$, and solved (with prior solutions as "warm start") to an adapted error tolerance $\epsilon_k$, using a "deterministic method" such as the line search quasi-Newton method. The principal advantage of RA is that decouples optimization from stochastic approximation, allowing the direct adoption of existing deterministic algorithms without modification, thus mitigating the need to redesign algorithms for the stochastic context. A second advantage is the obvious manner in which RA lends itself to parallelization. We identify conditions on $\{M_k, k \geq 1\}$ and $\{\epsilon_k, k\geq 1\}$ that ensure almost sure convergence and convergence in $L_1$-norm, along with optimal iteration and work complexity rates. We illustrate the performance of RA with line-search quasi-Newton on an ill-conditioned least squares problem, as well as an image classification problem using a deep convolutional neural net.
Street Crime, Corporate Crime, and Theories of Punishment: A Response to Brown

In this response to Darryl Brown’s important article, Street Crime, Corporate Crime, and the Contingency of Criminal Liability, Professor Huigens argues that Brown has chosen the wrong theory of punishment on which to rest his case for a more regulatory, less punitive, approach to street crime. Brown has chosen the best, most sophisticated consequentialist theory of punishment, as developed principally by Dan Kahan. However, consequentialist punishment theory of any kind has a significant drawback: it has no plausible conception of criminal fault. As a result, Brown is constrained to argue that the language of desert and retribution should be muted in our dealings with street crime. But this makes public, political acceptance of his reform proposals far less likely. Brown is aware of, but neglects, an alternative theory of punishment that would have better served his purposes. A virtue-ethics, or aretaic, theory of punishment would have allowed Brown to speak the language of both deterrence and retribution. This point is illustrated by aretaic analyses of the drug court movement and the battered woman’s defense, with special attention to answering political objections from the right and the left.
Is China exporting media censorship? China’s rise, media freedoms, and democracy:

This study explores the relationship between China’s rise and media censorship around the world, in light of recent suggestions in the Western press and among China experts that Beijing is advancin...
The Heat Shock Proteins and the Stress Response

The heat shock response is a molecular reaction to stressful, but sublethal, temperature, and is characteristic of all organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. When these organisms or cells are subjected to high temperatures, they rapidly redirect gene expression to maximize synthesis of a distinct group of proteins. These heat shock proteins are beneficial to cells, helping them adapt to the inducing temperature or survive exposure to higher, otherwise lethal, temperatures. During the initial stage of the heat shock response, normal activities of transcription and translation are drastically reduced, but may resume after sufficient quantities of the heat shock proteins have been produced and their expression has declined.
Nonmonotonic reasoning in FLORA-2

FLORA-2 is an advanced knowledge representation system that integrates F-logic, HiLog, and Transaction Logic. In this paper we give an overview of the theoretical foundations of the system and of some of the aspects of nonmonotonic reasoning in FLORA-2. These include scoped default negation, behavioral inheritance, and nonmonotonicity that stems from database dynamics.
Development and analysis of integrated C4ISR architectures

The Army continues to struggle with creating doctrinally correct, robust, consistent and all-inclusive operational, system, and technical views based on the Department of Defense Architecture Framework. Having detailed, integrated, and up-to-date architecture views is essential to answering questions involving alternative system designs and operating procedures; conducting gap, overlap, and connectivity analyses among programs of record; and providing traceable data upon which to base near- and far-term acquisition decisions as the armed services undergo transformation. This paper presents an overview of the Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance methodology for developing and utilizing integrated architecture products for the purposes of C4ISR System of Systems Engineering Analyses.
Use of Nystatin to Eliminate Spontaneous Revertants in Yeast

Studies of induction of suppressor mutants may be obscured by revertants already present in the treated population. Such revertants, which appear as a minority of prototrophs among auxotrophs, can be eliminated by pretreatment with nystatin before application of the mutagen. Treatment with nystatin, under the proper conditions, decreased the frequency of prototrophs about 30-fold. This is sufficient for studying induced mutation at frequencies close to the spontaneous frequency.
Computer labs for pre-service teachers

In this paper the use of computer lab activities in a mathematics course for pre-service teachers is discussed. One goal of the activities is to encourage the future teachers to consider how to use computer technology in their classrooms. A second goal is to give the students the skills they need to use and appreciate new and different educational technologies. In particular, logistics for computer lab activities and examples of what works well are given. Samples from student work and surveys are used to illustrate the impact of the activities.
Becoming Monsters in Iraq

Many US soldiers who return home from Iraq have or will develop crippling psychological problems — by one estimate, fully 40 percent of combat veterans. Among the most common diagnoses given them is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an affliction resulting from exposure to traumatic events that, according to the American Psychiatric Association, have “involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.” The cause here, of course, is exposure to combat itself, more universal among the troops in this than any previous US war. Factors that exacerbate PTSD include frustration and anger because of insufficient preparations, equipment, and training; the feeling that there is no end in sight; discomfort and deprivations of life in a war-zone; worries about careers and families back home; racism and sexual harassment within the military; and extended tours of duty.
Turning Over a New Leaf: Cannabinoid and Endocannabinoid Modulation of Immune Function

Cannabis is a complex substance that harbors terpenoid-like compounds referred to as phytocannabinoids. The major psychoactive phytocannabinoid found in cannabis ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produces the majority of its pharmacological effects through two cannabinoid receptors, termed CB1 and CB2. The discovery of these receptors as linked functionally to distinct biological effects of THC, and the subsequent development of synthetic cannabinoids, precipitated discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid (or endocannabinoid) system. This system consists of the endogenous lipid ligands N- arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), their biosynthetic and degradative enzymes, and the CB1 and CB2 receptors that they activate. Endocannabinoids have been identified in immune cells such as monocytes, macrophages, basophils, lymphocytes, and dendritic cells and are believed to be enzymatically produced and released “on demand” in a similar fashion as the eicosanoids. It is now recognized that other phytocannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) can alter the functional activities of the immune system. This special edition of the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (JNIP) presents a collection of cutting edge original research and review articles on the medical implications of phytocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. The goal of this special edition is to provide an unbiased assessment of the state of research related to this topic from leading researchers in the field. The potential untoward effects as well as beneficial uses of marijuana, its phytocannabinoid composition, and synthesized cannabinoid analogs are discussed. In addition, the role of the endocannabinoid system and approaches to its manipulation to treat select human disease processes are addressed.
Using Self-Directed Video Prompting to Teach Students with Intellectual Disabilities

This study examined the effects of self-directed video prompting presented via an iPod Touch on teaching four adolescents with moderate-to-severe intellectual and developmental disabilities two daily living tasks. Students were taught to wash a table using instructor-delivered video prompts. After reaching 80 % correct for at least three consecutive sessions, a system of most-to-least prompts was used to teach them to use the iPod Touch and a video prompting app (inPromptu) independently. In the final phase, students used inPromptu on the iPod Touch to teach themselves to vacuum with self-directed video prompts. Results of the study demonstrate that all four students learned to wash a table with instructor-directed video prompts, they all learned to use inPromptu on the iPod Touch independently, two students used inPromptu on the iPod Touch to teach themselves to vacuum, and a third student was learning to vacuum using inPromptu.
The Enzyme Function Initiative

The Enzyme Function Initiative (EFI) was recently established to address the challenge of assigning reliable functions to enzymes discovered in bacterial genome projects; in this Current Topic, we review the structure and operations of the EFI. The EFI includes the Superfamily/Genome, Protein, Structure, Computation, and Data/Dissemination Cores that provide the infrastructure for reliably predicting the in vitro functions of unknown enzymes. The initial targets for functional assignment are selected from five functionally diverse superfamilies (amidohydrolase, enolase, glutathione transferase, haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase, and isoprenoid synthase), with five superfamily specific Bridging Projects experimentally testing the predicted in vitro enzymatic activities. The EFI also includes the Microbiology Core that evaluates the in vivo context of in vitro enzymatic functions and confirms the functional predictions of the EFI. The deliverables of the EFI to the scientific community include (1) development ...
Nasal reflexes: Reduced sensitivity to CO2 irritation in cigarette smokers

Carbon dioxide inhaled through the nose in concentrations above 10% evokes nasal irritation. As concentration is increased, a non-systemic, reflexive interruption of inhalation eventually occurs in most persons. This study revealed that smokers have a considerably higher threshold for the reflex. The elevation of threshold occurred to a comparable degree in both male and female smokers, although females generally had a lower threshold than males. It therefore appears that smokers have less sensitivity to nasal irritants. This marks the first instance of a substantial chemosensory difference between smokers and nonsmokers.
A language-independent approach to software maintenance using grammar adapters

A long-standing goal of software engineering is to construct software that is easily modified and extended. Recent advances in software design techniques, such as aspect-oriented software development and refactoring, have offered new approaches to address challenges of software evolution. Several tools and language extensions have been developed by others to enable these techniques in a few popular programming languages. However, software exists in a variety of languages. An unfortunate consequence of legacy system adaptation is that new software engineering tools are often developed from scratch without preserving and reusing the knowledge gained from the previous construction of the tool in a different language and platform context. To address this problem, this paper summarizes two core research ideas. First, the concept of extending several software reengineering techniques in disparate programming languages is explored. A core focus of this objective is the abstraction of transformation functions to enable design maintenance in legacy based systems. The second research objective extends the first goal to understand the fundamental science for constructing a generic platform using grammar adapters to enable language-independent software maintenance.
High-dose ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a cholestatic liver disease that results in progressive fibrosis of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. No effective therapy currently exists for this disease. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic bile acid, is the most promising treatment option because of its benign side effect profile and documented benefit in the treatment of other cholestatic liver diseases, including primary biliary cirrhosis. Multiple studies using standard-dosage (8-15 mg/kg/d) and high-dosage (20-30 mg/kg/d) UDCA generally show improvement in liver chemistries in PSC patients, and several show improvement in liver histology. However, the majority of trials using UDCA in PSC are underpowered and fail to show improvements in clinically relevant endpoints, such as delayed progression to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, liver transplantation, development of cholangiocarcinoma, or death.
Production and Characterization of a Swiss Cheese-Like Product from Modified Vegetable Oils

Seven types of Swiss cheese-like products were made by recombining skim milk with various fat sources: higholeic sunflower oil (HOSO), milk fat, randomized milk fat, HOSO with commerical short-chain fatty acids (C4−C10) (SCFA) interesterified at 100 and 120% of the levels in the milk fat, HOSO with interesterified milk fat SCFA, and HOSO with dissolved free SCFA. Sensory, chemical, and physical analyses were conducted to evaluate the flavor and texture of the cheeses. All cheeses made from HOSO with interesterified SCFA were not significantly different from milk fat controls in typical Swiss flavor and volatile flavor. HOSO with interesterified SCFA scored significantly higher in these flavors than unmodified HOSO. Swiss flavor was positively correlated with sweetness (0.805), volatile flavor (0.737), caramelized flavor (0.703), non-fat solids (0.663), and SCFA (0.639), and negatively correlated with fat (−0.645) and salt (−0.482) content. A linear regression model was established for typical Swiss flavor that included fat, salt, titratable acidity, and medium- and long-chain fatty acids as variables (R 2=0.91). Instrumental texture profile analysis indicated no differences among the treatments in texture atributes except cohesiveness. The production of a good-flavored Swiss cheeselike product from HOSO with interesterified SCFA appears to be commercially feasible.
Nonrigid diastereomers: epimerization at chiral metal centers or chiral ligand conformations?

Variable temperature NMR studies of chiral metal complexes can reveal two diastereomers at lower temperatures. A caveat is presented regarding the possibility that chiral ligand conformations may be involved rather than epimeric chiral metal centers.
Thermal neutron detection with cadmium1−x zincx telluride semiconductor detectors

Abstract Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) detectors have been used to detect thermal neutrons. The CdZnTe detectors were placed in a double diffracted thermal neutron beam and the prompt gamma ray emissions from thermal neutron interactions in the Cd have been detected. The devices clearly show the 558.6 and 651.3 keV prompt gamma ray emission peaks from 113 Cd(n, γ) 114 Cd reactions. The intrinsic detection sensitivity is dependent on the gamma ray absorption efficiency, which is measured to be approximately (3.7±1.9)% at 558.6 keV for a 3 mm × 10 mm × 10 mm CdZnTe device.
Feasibility of Piezoelectric Actuation with a Reduced Number of Drivers: A Periodic Control Approach

The problem of controlling several piezoelectric actuators using a smaller number of power drivers is considered. A multiplexed arrangement is examined where power and control are applied cyclically to subsets of actuators, introducing periodicity in the dynamics of the controlled plant. A model for the multiplexed scheme along with a periodic quadratic regulator are presented, as well as an observer-based arrangement. The feasibility of the proposed technique is demonstrated experimentally by using a single power driver to control a cantilever beam fitted with three piezoelectric actuators.
Simulation of the 1991 Revised NIOSH Manual Lifting Equation

Digital computer simulation of the 1991 Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation was performed using SLAM II in order to examine the behavior of this equation under a variety of realistic industrial lifting tasks. The results showed that over all conditions studied (represented by 100,000 randomly generated lifting task scenarios), the recommended weight limit (RWL) values for the 99.5% of all tasks were equal to or lower than 12.5 kg or 27.5 lbs. With respect to lifting time exposure, the RWL values for the 99.5% of cases were equal to or lower than 13 kg (or 28.6 lbs) for up to one hour of lifting, 12.5 kg (or 26.4 lbs) for less than 2 hours of exposure, and 10.5 kg (or 23.1 lbs) for lifting over an 8-hour shift. From a practical point of view, the results of this study define the threshold RWL values (TRWL), that can be used by practitioners for the purpose of immediate risk assessment of manual lifting tasks performed in industry.
TURBULENT NATURAL CONVECTION-NONGRAY GAS RADIATION ANALYSIS IN A SQUARE ENCLOSURE

A numerical study of the turbulent natural convection-radiation interaction and the associated heat transfer in a square enclosure with differentially heated vertical walls and insulated horizontal walls is reported. The enclosure is either filled with a single participating gas (H2O or C02) or a homogeneous mixture of two participating gases along with a diluent (N2). A two-dimensional computational domain was used to simulate the steady state turbulent flow within the enclosure. The surface and gas radiation were treated by the discrete ordinates method. The wavelength dependent radiative properties of the gases were considered by the ‘weighted sum of gray gases’ model. A new correlation relating Nusseli number at the isothermal vertical walls as a function of the Rayleigh number and optical thickness of the medium is proposed. Detailed information about heat transfer variations along the length of the vertical walls is also given. The results are compared with previous numerical data obtained by other ...
Sammon's nonlinear mapping using geodesic distances

Sammon's nonlinear mapping (NLM) is an iterative procedure to project high dimensional data into low dimensional configurations. This paper discusses NLM using geodesic distances and proposes a mapping method GeoNLM. We compare its performance through experiments to the performances of NLM and Isomap. It is found that both GeoNLM and Isomap can unfold data manifolds better than NLM. GeoNLM outperforms Isomap when the short-circuit problem occurs in computing the neighborhood graph of data points. In turn, Isomap outperforms GeoNLM if the neighborhood graph is correctly constructed. These observations are discussed to reveal the features of geodesic distance estimation by graph distances.
HMGB1 is a potent inducer of choroidal angiogenesis through a MyD88-dependent manner

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an endogenous alarm sensor against extracellular damage signals and initiates TLR (toll-like receptor) responses closely linked to angiogenesis through MyD88, its specific adaptor protein. Interest in regulation of HMGB1-TLR as a potential therapeutic approach is increasing but this regulatory effect in pathologic angiogenesis still remains unclear. Through a mouse model of laser coagulation-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) we confirmed that disturbing HMGB1 by its specific antibody and recombinant HMGB1 protein significantly reduces and induces CNV, respectively. To examine whether HMGB1 influences CNV through TLR signal, we then used MyD88 KO mice and the effects of HMGB1 antibody and recombinant protein on CNV completely blocked. Taken together, these data suggest that HMGB1 is a potential endogenous or exogenous regulator of pathophysiologic angiogenesis and MyD88 is an essential mediator for HMGB1-induced angiogenesis.
Studies of the mechanism of enhanced Raman scattering in ultrahigh vacuum

Abstract We show that enhanced Raman scattering observed from CO adsorbed on silver is dependent on surface roughness inherent in the evaporated film. Many of the proposed mechanisms of enhanced Raman scattering are not in accordance with this. We have also studied the wavelength dependence of the enhancement for this system and for CO adsorbed on gold films and show that this dependence is more complex than previously reported.
Evidence for isomerization in myotoxin a from the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis).

Abstract Myotoxin a, from the venom of the prairie rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis viridis, exists as a temperature-dependent equilibrium of two interconverting forms. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) shows that the two forms interconvert slowly enough at 25 °C to be seen as two separate peaks with a molar ratio of c. 1:4. Each peak can be isolated and individually injected to give the same two peaks in the same ratio of areas. The two peaks merge during chromatography at elevated temperatures, indicating an increase in the rate of interconversion. At low temperature, c. 5 °C, the individual peaks can be isolated and maintained for several days without reaching equilibrium. Mass analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry shows that myotoxin a is present in both RP-HPLC peaks, suggesting that the two resolved forms are conformational isomers. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) also shows two resolved, but interconvertible peaks over a range of pH values. Furthermore, RP-HPLC chromatograms of myotoxin a at concentrations from 0.013 mM to 0.41 mM maintain a consistent ratio of peak areas, without evidence of dimerization. Two-dimensional 1H-NMR nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy indicates the presence of a cis-proline peptide bond, consistent with an equilibrium mixture of cis-trans isomers; however, addition of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPI) does not enhance the rate of equilibration of the RP-HPLC peaks isolated at c. 5 °C.
Precipitation Strengthening of Micro-Alloyed Steels Thermo-Mechanically Processed by Ultra Fast Cooling

Thermo-mechanical Controlled Processing (TMCP) is one of the greatest achievements in steel industry in the 20th century, which, however, depends too much upon low temperature rolling for the refinement of austenite grains, causing great loss in terms of productivity. To overcome this disadvantage, a new processing route with ultra fast cooling as the core has been proposed, and pilot rolling and industrial trials were carried out. As compared to conventional accelerated cooling, the ultra fast cooling can achieve cooling rate up to 300°C/s for 3 mm thick strip and highly homogeneous cooling by the pressurized water spraying. In the present work, the metallurgical backgrounds for ultra fast cooling in thermo-mechanical processing were studied and elucidated. By the pilot hot rolling experiments with a lean composition of a typical 600 MPa grade high strength steel, it has been found that the application of ultra fast cooling (UFC) at the exit of hot rolling mills can improve the strength by as much as 100 MPa as compared to the conventional TMCP. The strengthening mechanism lies in that the ultra fast cooling immediately after hot rolling may further improve the strengthening effects by precipitation, grain refinement, and dislocation hardening. The theoretical calculations and experiments indicate that the grain refinement, dislocation hardening, and precipitation in the TMCP with in-front UFC have caused the strength increments of 36, 34 and 54 MPa over the conventional TMCP with ACC, respectively. The microstructure characterization showed that the density of high angle grain boundaries had been increased, and the average size of precipitates had been reduced from about 34 nm to 10 nm with the cooling pattern changing from ACC to the application of UFC. The theoretical estimation indicates that when the cooling profile is changed from the conventional ACC to UFC+ACC, and to UFC, precipitation strengthening accounts for more and more strength increment in the improved strength of hot rolled micro-alloyed steels.
A syndrome due to occlusion of all arteries arising from the aortic arch

Abstract A syndrome due to occlusion of all of the vessels arising from the arch of the aorta has been described, and a case reported. The condition is characterized by complete absence of pulsations in the carotid arteries and in the arteries of both upper extremities. The following may be present: (1) central nervous system symptoms, including headaches, vertigo, syncope, emotional instability, delirium, loss of memory, aphasia, and hemiplegia; (2) ocular manifestations, including photophobia, choroiditis, cataracts, and proliferative retinitis; (3) atrophic rhinitis; and (4) atrophy of the arms and hands. Although syphilis was presumed to be the etiologic agent in the previously reported cases, no evidence of its presence could be found in this case. The exact etiology is unknown, although thrombocytosis and autohemagglutination may have been contributing factors.
Primary and secondary platelet aggregation in uraemia.

ADP-induced aggregation (primary and secondary) of platelet-rich plasma from uraemic subjects did not differ significantly from that of normal individuals. Biphasic aggregation occurred in 13 of 14 uraemic patients and in 11 of 14 normal subjects. The optimal concentration of ADP-required to demonstrate secondary aggregation was 1 μmolar. It is postulated that the normal response to ADP of platelets from uraemic subjects observed in this study resulted from the addition of optimal amounts of calcium to the platelet-rich plasma.
Cross-property rock physics relations for estimating low-frequency seismic impedance trends from electromagnetic resistivity data

Estimating the low-frequency seismic impedance trend is critical for reservoir characterization based on seismic inversions. Conventional seismic reflection data have an information gap between ∼2 and 10 Hz and do not contain information about the background impedance trend. On the other hand, controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data are typically low resolution, and contain information about the Earth's resistivity structure. Thus, cross-property rock physics relations between elastic and electrical properties can extract information from the CSEM data to provide constraints on the low-frequency seismic impedance trend. This concept is tested with well-log data and applied to a resistivity section inverted from CSEM data. Results show that appropriate cross-property rock physics relations can capture the background low-frequency impedance trend and provide useful constraints on models for inversion.
Missing verbal inflections as a representational problem: Evidence from self-paced reading

A continuing concern in second language acquisition (SLA) research is whether problems with inflectional morphology are representational or related somehow to performance. In this study, we examine 25 non-advanced learners of L2 Spanish and compare them with 18 native Spanish speakers on three grammatical structures: subject-verb inversion, adverb placement and person-number inflections on verbs. We use self-paced reading as a measure of underlying sensitivity to grammatical violations. Our results clearly show that the L2 learners pattern like the native speakers on the two syntactic structures; both groups demonstrate sensitivity to grammatical violations while reading sentences for meaning. For person-number on verbs, L2 learners did not show sensitivity to grammatical violations whereas the native speakers did. We argue that these results suggest a representational problem for morphology in our L2 population.