cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Aerosol Coagulation and Deposition Under Multiple Flow Regimes with Arbitrary Computational Precision

In computational aerosol coagulation models, a widely used technique is the sectional treatment of the particle size distribution. This approach is used in many first- and second-generation computer codes, where the section boundaries are selected to obey a geometric constraint. While this technique improves computational efficiency, it introduces a number of limitations, including poor representation of the initial size distribution and loss of resolution in the coagulated or final distribution. A robust and versatile computer model, SEROSA, has been developed, which permits an arbitrary number of sections with arbitrary size boundaries to simulate the temporal evolution of coagulation and deposition under multiple flow-regimes and coagulation types. The code permits a large number of parameter combinations and what-if scenarios under user control. Results are benchmarked against an analytical model as well as three coagulation models using coincident section boundaries and coagulation mechanisms. The co...
Multiple-active anthelmintic formulations: Friend or foe in sustainable parasite control?

Abstract Multiple-active anthelmintic formulations (combinations of anthelmintics with a similar spectrum of activity and different mechanisms of action and resistance) are widely available in several regions of the world for the control of sheep nematodes. There are two main justifications for the use of such combinations: (i) to enable the effective control of nematodes in the presence of single or multiple drug resistance and (ii) to slow development of resistance to the component anthelmintic classes. Computer model simulations of sheep nematode populations indicate that the ability of combinations to slow development of resistance is maximised if certain prerequisite criteria are met, the most important of which appear to concern the opportunity for survival of susceptible nematodes in refugia and the pre-existing levels of resistance to each of the anthelmintics in the combination. The question then becomes whether these criteria are likely to be fulfilled under field conditions. Concerns include the potential to select for resistance to multiple anthelmintic classes concurrently if there are insufficient parasites in refugia, the potential for shared mechanisms of resistance between chemical classes of anthelmintics, the need for further empirical validation of computer simulations, the pre-existing frequency of resistance alleles which may be too high on some farms to warrant introduction of certain combinations and the potential encouragement of farmers to prepare their own mixtures and/or neglect other management principles for sustainable parasite control. In conclusion, multiple-active formulations can play an important role in resistance management. However, they are not a panacea and should always be used in accordance with contemporary principles for sustainable anthelmintic use.
New Insights into the Pathophysiology of Detrusor-Sphincter Dyssynergia

Detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) is a condition in which the urethral outlet actively contracts during a detrusor contraction. This is most often caused by isolated and complete suprasacral spinal cord lesions and can be manifested by external urethral sphincter (EUS) or bladder neck/proximal urethral smooth muscle contraction, or both, reflexly generated against a hyperreflexive detrusor contraction. The resultant generation of high intravesical pressures, if left untreated, can cause damage to the bladder itself and result in ureteral reflux, hydronephrosis, and renal failure. Current therapies solve some problems but do not address the underlying pathology. Thus, understanding the pathophysiology underlying EUS DSD remains a priority in the urologic care of patients with suprasacral transverse spinal myelopathies. This review examines data and concepts from animals and humans to elucidate the pathophysiology of EUS DSD.
Osteoid osteoma of the spinoglenoid notch mimicking cervical radiculopathy.

Osteoid osteomas are benign skeletal neoplasms that are most commonly seen in persons who are in their 20s and 30s [1]. Characteristically, patients report having severe focal pain that worsens at night and with activity and that is relieved by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Osteoid osteomas can occur in any bone. However, they typically involve the cortex of long bones and, in more than 50% of cases, they are localized to the lower limbs. Rarely osteoid osteomas may occur in the scapula, where they have been reported in the glenoid, acromion, and coracoid process [2-5]. The diagnosis is based on clinical and radiologic evaluation. However, plain radiographs and even magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not always diagnostic, which may lead to a delay in diagnosis [6]. We report the case of a young, healthy man in whom progressive and debilitating right shoulder pain developed. The initial clinical impression pointed to subacromial impingement as the most likely pain generator, followed by cervical radiculopathy. Computed tomography (CT) showed the presence of a right spinoglenoid notch osteoid osteoma. The patient had excellent functional results after CT-guided radiofrequency ablation.
An analytical expression for Fermi level versus sheet carrier concentration for HEMT modeling

A simple second-order analytical expression of Fermi-level variation with two-dimensional electron gas density in a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) has been developed. This empirical expression was found to give better results near cutoff and in saturation than the linear approximation currently being used in many models. It can be used in the development of a more accurate charge control model and hence in the development of an improved analytical model for the HEMT. >
Education the Critical Link in Getting Managers to Use Management Systems

A revised version of a talk given at the Management Science Conference in Mexico City, January 1970, sponsored by TIMS and the Department of Commerce.
Type-based confinement

Confinement properties impose a structure on object graphs which can be used to enforce encapsulation properties. From a practical point of view, encapsulation is essential for building secure object-oriented systems as security requires that the interface between trusted and untrusted components of a system be clearly delineated and restricted to the smallest possible set of operations and data structures. This paper investigates the notion of package-level confinement and proposes a type system that enforces this notion for a call-by-value object calculus as well as a generic extension thereof. We give a proof of soundness of this type system, and establish links between this work and related research in language-based security.
Impact of In-Hospital Timing to Appendectomy on Perforation Rates in Children with Appendicitis.

Abstract Background There is controversy regarding whether in-hospital time delay to appendectomy in children with appendicitis affects risk for perforation. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the impact of time delay from emergency department (ED) presentation to operating room (OR) appendectomy on rates of developing appendiceal perforation in children who present with computed tomography (CT)–confirmed, uncomplicated (no radiographic evidence of perforation) appendicitis. Methods We conducted a retrospective case review of 248 consecutive children aged ≤18 years with CT-confirmed uncomplicated appendicitis during a 4-year period. Results There were 149 males and 99 females, all received subsequent appendectomy. Despite all receiving ED parenteral antibiotic therapy, 54 (22%) developed in-hospital appendiceal perforation (surgeon operative observation or pathologist histologic analysis). No patient developed perforation when appendectomy was performed within 9 h after ED presentation; the rate of perforation was approximately sixfold greater in those with in-hospital delay >9 h (25%) vs. ≤9 h (4.6%). The rate of developing perforation increased to 21% during hours 9–24, and 41% after 24 h. Regression analysis showed three factors were significantly associated with developing perforation: longer mean time delay from ED presentation to OR appendectomy, presence of fever, and presence of an appendicolith. The risk for developing perforation increased by 1.10 for each hour of time delay from ED presentation to OR appendectomy; the estimated odds ratios for developing perforation per interval of in-hospital delay were 2.05 at 8 h, 4.22 at 16 h, and 8.67 at 24 h. Conclusions Increasing in-hospital time delay from ED presentation to OR appendectomy is associated with increased risk for developing appendiceal perforation in children who present with CT-documented uncomplicated appendicitis. Risk is approximately sixfold greater in those who experience delay >9 h vs. those whose delay is ≤9 h. Antibiotic therapy does not reliably prevent progression of the disease. Appendectomy should be considered an urgent procedure to maximize outcomes and prevent complications associated with appendix perforation.
Calcium intake by rats: influence of parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D

We examined the contribution of the primary hormones of calcium homeostasis to the control of calcium intake in the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats with 50 mM CaCl2 solution as their only source of c...
Analysis of TCP over optical burst-switched networks with burst retransmission

Due to the bufferless nature of OBS networks, random burst losses may occur, even at low traffic loads. For optical burst-switched (OBS) networks in which TCP is implemented at a higher layer, these random burst losses may be mistakenly interpreted by the TCP layer as congestion in the network, leading to serious degradation of the TCP performance. In this paper, we reduce random burst losses by a burst retransmission scheme in which the bursts lost due to contention in the OBS network are retransmitted at the OBS layer. The OBS retransmission scheme can then reduce the probability that the TCP layer falsely detects congestion, thereby improving the TCP throughput. We analyze the TCP throughput when OBS networks employ the burst retransmission scheme and develop a simulation model to validate the analytical results. Based on our simulation results, we show that an OBS layer with burst retransmission provides an improvement of up to ten times the TCP throughput over an OBS layer without burst retransmission. This significant improvement is primarily because the TCP layer triggers fewer time-out based retransmissions when the OBS retransmission scheme is used
Loss of Dpc4 expression in colonic adenocarcinomas correlates with the presence of metastatic disease

DPC4 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 18q21, a region that shows high frequencies of allelic losses in pancreatic and colorectal adenocarcinomas. Biallelic inactivation of DPC4 has been reported in half of pancreatic cancers, but are relatively infrequent in other tumor types. The role of DPC4 inactivation in colorectal neoplasms has not been fully characterized. An immunohistochemical assay for Dpc4 protein expression has been recently developed and shown to be a sensitive and specific surrogate for alterations in the DPC4 gene. In this study we examined the expression of Dpc4 protein in formalin-fixed archival tissue from 83 colorectal lesions, including 19 adenomas and 64 sporadic adenocarcinomas (11 stage I, 13 stage II, 17 stage III, and 23 stage IV cancers). None of the adenomas or stage I adenocarcinomas showed loss of Dpc4 expression, whereas one of 13 (8%) stage II, one of 17 (6%) stage III, and five of 23 (22%) of stage IV cancers showed loss of Dpc4 expression. There was a borderline significant difference in loss of Dpc4 reactivity in colorectal tumors with distant metastasis at presentation (22%) versus primary tumors without distant metastasis (5%) (Fisher’s exact test, P = 0.05; χ2 = 0.04). Poorly differentiated histology or status of pericolonic lymph nodes did not affect Dpc4 expression. Alterations in DPC4 are involved in the progression of a subset of colorectal carcinomas, especially those that present with advanced disease. In the sequential pathogenesis of colorectal tumors, inactivation of DPC4 is likely to be a late event.
CCAM: a connectivity-clustered access method for aggregate queries on transportation networks: a summary of results

CCAM is an access method for general networks. It uses connectivity clustering. The nodes of the network are assigned to disk pages via the graph partitioning approach to maximize the CRR, i.e., the chances that a pair of connected nodes are allocated to a common page of the file. CCAM supports the operations of insert, delete, create, and find as well as the new operations, get-A-successor and get-successors, which retrieve one or all successors of a node to facilitate aggregate computations on networks. CCAM includes methods for static clustering, as well as dynamic incremental reclustering, to maintain, high CRR, in the face of updates without incurring high overheads. Experimental analysis indicates that CCAM can outperform many other access methods for network operations. >
Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Resistance Bioassays Using a Modified Pinto Bean Diet

A series of substandard diets modified from the regular pinto bean diet of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) were evaluated as bioassay candidates to be used in plant resistance phytochemical investigations. Larvae that were fed different concentrations of centipedegrass mixed in the regular pinto bean diet or the regular pinto bean diet without Torula yeast weighed significantly less than those fed on the same diets with similar concentrations of bermudagrass. Pinto bean diet without yeast plus bermudagrass was the only diet that produced an increase in larval weights with each increase in the amount of plant material added. As little as 2 g of centipedegrass per diet significantly inhibited larval growth. Larvae produced on the corn-soy flour-milk solids-based diet without yeast plus the grasses weighed significantly more than those produced on the pinto bean diet without yeast plus the grasses. The pinto bean diet containing either centipede or bermudagrass but without yeast produced larvae with weight differences large enough to separate the resistant and susceptible plant materials. Based on the evidence described here, two diets would be acceptable: the regular pinto bean diet or the substandard pinto bean diet without the yeast. We chose the substandard pinto bean diet without the Torula yeast as a bioassay vehicle for our future phytochemical investigations.
Validation and quantitation of proteomic biomarkers for severe preeclampsia in cerebrospinal fluid

PREECLAMPSIA IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID ERROL NORWITZ, LAWRENCE TSEN, JOONG-SHIN PARK, PATRICIA FITZPATRICK, DAVID DORFMAN, CATALIN BUHIMSCHI, GEORGE SAADE, CHARLES LOCKWOOD, IRINA BUHIMSCHI, Yale University, Ob./Gyn. & Reprod Sci., New Haven, Connecticut, Harvard University, Obstetric Anesthesia, Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard University, Pathology, Boston, Massachusetts, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Galveston, Texas OBJECTIVE: We previously demonstrated that proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry can accurately distinguish patients with severe preeclampsia (sPE) from both mild preeclampsia (mPE) and normotensive controls (CRL) based on the presence or absence of four discriminatory protein peaks. The current study was designed to validate these biomarkers. STUDY DESIGN: CSF was collected at the time of spinal anesthesia from women with sPE (n = 7), mPE (n = 8), and CRL (n = 7). SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry in-gel tryptic digest, on-chip immunoassays, ELISA, and spectral analysis of CSF were performed on the blinded CSF samples. RESULTS: We identified the discriminatory protein biomarkers as the glycated and non-glycated isoforms of hemoglobin aand b-chains. ELISA confirmed that levels of hemoglobin were significantly higher in the CSF of women with sPE compared with mPE and CRL (mean [95% CI]: 6.0 [3.6-8.4] vs 0.2 [-0.2-0.5] vs 0 [0-0] mg/mL; P ! .001; Figure). These levels indicate a concentration of approximately 100nM free hemoglobin in CSF of women with sPE. Direct spectrophotometry confirmed the presence of free oxyhemoglobin (414 nm max. absorbance) in CSF of women with sPE, but not in mPE or CRL. Comparisons with quantitative standards suggest that a hemoglobin equivalent of 280 lysed RBC/mL enters CSF in women with sPE. These small numbers effectively exclude a bloody tap. The changes in hemoglobin concentration are not associated with changes in CSF total protein concentration among the groups (P = .256). CONCLUSION: sPE (but not mPE) is characterized by micro-hemorrhage into CSF. These observations may have important diagnostic and/or therapeutic implications for diagnosis and management of women with preeclampsia.
Locally Restricted Compositions I. Restricted Adjacent Differences

We study compositions of the integer $n$ in which the first part, successive differences, and the last part are constrained to lie in prescribed sets ${\cal L,D,R}$, respectively. A simple condition on ${\cal D}$ guarantees that the generating function $f(x,{\cal L,D,R})$ has only a simple pole on its circle of convergence and this at $r({\cal D})$, a function independent of ${\cal L}$ and ${\cal R}$. Thus the number of compositions is asymptotic to $Ar({\cal D})^{-n}$ for a suitable constant $A=A({\cal L,D,R})$. We prove a multivariate central and local limit theorem and apply it to various statistics of random locally restricted compositions of $n$, such as number of parts, numbers of parts of given sizes, and number of rises. The first and last parts are shown to have limiting distributions and to be asymptotically independent. If ${\cal D}$ has only finitely many positive elements ${\cal D}^+$, or finitely many negative elements ${\cal D}^-$, then the largest part and number of distinct part sizes are almost surely $\Theta((\log n)^{1/2})$. On the other hand, when both ${\cal D}^+$ and ${\cal D}^-$ have a positive asymptotic lower "local log-density", we prove that the largest part and number of distinct part sizes are almost surely $\Theta(\log n)$, and we give sufficient conditions for the largest part to be almost surely asymptotic to $\log_{1/r({\cal D})}n$.
Antinociceptive, subjective and behavioral effects of smoked marijuana in humans.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether marijuana produced dose-dependent antinociception in humans and, if so, whether endogenous opiates modulate this effect. A total of five male regular marijuana users participated in three test sessions during which they smoked cigarettes containing 0% (placebo) and 3. 55% Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) (active). Each of four controlled smoking bouts per session, spaced at 40-min intervals, consisted of nine puffs from active and placebo cigarettes (three cigarettes, three puffs per cigarette, one puff per min). During successive bouts, participants smoked 0, 3, 6 and 9 (0, 3, 9 and 18 cumulative) puffs from active marijuana cigarettes, with the remainder of puffs from placebo cigarettes. Test sessions were identical, except for naltrexone 0, 50 or 200 mg p.o. (randomized, double-blind) administration 1 h before the first smoking bout on the different days. Before smoking, between smoking bouts and postsmoking, participants completed an assessment battery that included antinociceptive (finger withdrawal from radiant heat stimulation), biological, subjective, observer-rated signs and performance measures. Marijuana produced significant dose-dependent antinociception (increased finger withdrawal latency) and biobehavioral effects. Naltrexone did not significantly influence marijuana dose-effect curves, suggesting no role of endogenous opiates in marijuana-induced antinociception under these conditions.
Surface energy and surface tension in solids and liquids

Rayleigh's theory of surface tension, based on the quadrant theorem, is extended to solids and presented in a simple general form. The quadrant theorem is generalized to embrace the traction of a. half-space upon a wedge in contact with it, and Young's equation for the angle of contact is derived as a condition of equilibrium between the surface tension of the liquid and the tangential traction of the solid half-space upon the liquid wedge. The historical theories of capillarity are correlated with the general theory. 1. THEORY OF SURFACE TENSION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The classical theory of capillarity is concerned with general consequences of attractive and repulsive forces acting between particles very small in comparison with the range of the attractive forces. It is a mathematical theory that does not contain unknown physical factors; it could have been completely developed 150 years ago. In spite of the simplicity of its basis, however, it has been notorious for obscurities and misunderstandings which have persisted ever since the disputes between the schools of Young (I805) and Laplace (i8o6). They are illustrated by Maxwell's famous article on 'Capillary action' in the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (I878). He wrote that Thomas Young's 'methods of demonstration, though always correct, and often extremely elegant, are sometimes rendered obscure by his scrupulous avoidance of mathematical symbols'; as regards Laplace, 'his results are in many respects identical with those of Young, but his methods of arriving at them are very different, being conducted entirely by mathematical calculations. The form into which he has thrown his investigation seems to have deterred many able physicists from inquiry into the ulterior cause of capillary phenomena, and induced them to rest content with deriving them from the fact of surface-tension'. A few pages later Maxwell gave Young's derivation of the equation for the angle of contact between a liquid and a solid from the equilibrium between three surface tensions, in the original form which is still customary in textbooks today, although it is manifestly unsound already because the surface layer of a solid does not slide freely on its interior, and so any condition of equilibrium between the surface tensions would have to contain the shear stresses between the skin and the interior of the solid.t That Young's equation is nevertheless correct shows that it is a relation between surface energies, not surface tensions: these are numeric
Shedding of the Mer Tyrosine Kinase Receptor Is Mediated by ADAM17 Protein through a Pathway Involving Reactive Oxygen Species, Protein Kinase Cδ, and p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MAPK)

Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) is an integral membrane protein that is preferentially expressed by phagocytic cells, where it promotes efferocytosis and inhibits inflammatory signaling. Proteolytic cleavage of MerTK at an unidentified site leads to shedding of its soluble ectodomain (soluble MER; sMER), which can inhibit thrombosis in mice and efferocytosis in vitro. Herein, we show that MerTK is cleaved at proline 485 in murine macrophages. Site-directed deletion of 6 amino acids spanning proline 485 rendered MerTK resistant to proteolysis and suppression of efferocytosis by cleavage-inducing stimuli. LPS is a known inducer of MerTK cleavage, and the intracellular signaling pathways required for this action are unknown. LPS/TLR4-mediated generation of sMER required disintegrin and metalloproteinase ADAM17 and was independent of Myd88, instead requiring TRIF adaptor signaling. LPS-induced cleavage was suppressed by deficiency of NADPH oxidase 2 (Nox2) and PKCδ. The addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine inhibited PKCδ, and silencing of PKCδ inhibited MAPK p38, which was also required. In a mouse model of endotoxemia, we discovered that LPS induced plasma sMER, and this was suppressed by Adam17 deficiency. Thus, a TRIF-mediated pattern recognition receptor signaling cascade requires NADPH oxidase to activate PKCδ and then p38, culminating in ADAM17-mediated proteolysis of MerTK. These findings link innate pattern recognition receptor signaling to proteolytic inactivation of MerTK and generation of sMER and uncover targets to test how MerTK cleavage affects efferocytosis efficiency and inflammation resolution in vivo.
Mentoring: our obligation ... our heritage.

President Bigliani, fellow members of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), Carousel Presidents and spouses, and invited guests: I feel compelled to offer an immediate confession. Never before have I thought so long and so deliberately about anything I was going to say in my entire life. It has been twenty-five years since I first presented a paper to this organization in 1984, and, through that most auspicious association with this group, I am conscious, nearly to the point of complete distraction, of two things as I stand here this morning. I am absolutely humbled by the notion of serving as president of this esteemed organization, and I am acutely aware that you will more likely remember what we have for lunch today than anything of what I say in the next several minutes. Prefacing an address titled as this one is, I am reminded that none of us accomplishes anything in a vacuum. I am no exception and am most fortunate to be able to share this occasion with my family. My parents are in every respect my mentors and inspiration. I know that my humility in this role is rivaled only by their pride in witnessing it. My three daughters, Gina, Carla, and Cristina: you remind me by your simple presence what really matters in life and continue to do so by your daily actions and life decisions as young adults. Lisa, now deceased, who has the best seat in the house for these proceedings, is the mother of those girls who kept me going, and Nancy, a wonderful wife and confidante, is willing and able, almost beyond belief, to understand and accept my complexities. In orthopaedics, I am indebted to three mentors. Leland “Pete” Hall at Dartmouth. A professor of anatomy before becoming chief of orthopaedics, Doc Hall …
Neuropeptidase activity is down-regulated by estradiol in steroid-sensitive regions of the hypothalamus in female mice

Abstract Thimet oligopeptidase (TOP) and prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) are neuropeptidases involved in the hydrolysis of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, a key component of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. GnRH is regulated in part by feedback from steroid hormones such as estradiol. Previously, we demonstrated that TOP levels are down-regulated by estradiol in reproductively-relevant regions of the female rodent brain. The present study supports these findings by showing that TOP enzyme activity, as well as protein levels, in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus of female mice is controlled by estradiol. We further demonstrate that PEP levels in this same brain region are down-regulated by estradiol in parallel with those of TOP. These findings provide evidence that these neuropeptidases are part of the fine control of hormone levels in the HPG axis.
Some Notes on the Play of Basketball in its Circumstantial Detail, and an Introduction to Their Occasion

In the late 1980s, I wrote up some notes on the play of pick-up basketball and sent them to Harold Garfinkel, who incorporated them into an un-published monograph in 1988. They were motivated by an interest in exhibiting the sense of “detail” for ethnomethodological studies. An edited version is presented below. They follow a front piece of recollection and discussion about Garfinkel’s distinctive interests in matters of “detail,” their tie to structure and structure’s circumstantiality, and their place in EM studies.
HYDROLYTIC SELECTIVITY OF PATATIN (LIPID ACYL HYDROLASE) FROM POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) TUBERS TOWARD VARIOUS LIPIDS

The fatty acid and positional hydrolytic selectivity of lipid acyl hydrolase (UH; patatin) isolatedfi.om potato tubers was determined for acylglycerol and phospholipid substrates. LAH was about 3-foM more selective for decanoyl residues over other acyl groups of 8-18 carbons for partial glyceride substrates. For both mono- and diacylglycerols, UHpreferred substrates with primary (sn1 (3)-) ester linkages, indicating a regiobias for these sites over sn-2-linked acyl groups. Similarly, hydrolytic activity on phospholipid substrates was 5- to IOfold faster on sn-1-palmitoyl. sn-2-lysophospholipids than on intact phospholipids, indicating a preference for either lysophospholipids or sn-1-acyl sites, or both. LAH activity on partial glycerides was not activated by CaC12 and had a greater temperature optimwn relative to LAHactivity on phospholipid substrates. These differences are likely based on differences in forces and structural features conferring envme-substrate recognition for these substrates within a common active site.
Foraging Populations and Distances of the Desert Subterranean Termite, Heterotermes aureus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Associated with Structures in Southern Arizona

Mark-release-recapture studies were conducted on foraging populations of Heterotermes aureus (Snyder) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) associated with three structures in Tucson, AZ. Foraging population estimates ranged from 64,913 to 307,284 termites by using the Lincoln Index and from 75,501 to 313,251 termites using the weighted mean model. The maximum distance between monitors ranged from 26 to 65 m, with minimum total foraging distance ranging between 297 and 2,427 m. Characterizations of the cuticular hydrocarbons of foraging groups were qualitatively identical. Quantitative similarities within sites and differences among sites suggested that each site was occupied by a single colony during the sampling period. The colony at each site had a proportion of soldiers (0.135, 0.069, and 0.040) that was significantly different from the colonies at each of the other sites. From this study, we question the assumption of equal mixing of marked H. aureus foragers throughout the occupied collars around structures.
Laboratory performance of the shaped pupil coronagraphic architecture for the WFIRST/AFTA coronagraph

One of the two primary architectures being tested for the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph instrument is the shaped pupil coronagraph, which uses a binary aperture in a pupil plane to create localized regions of high contrast in a subsequent focal plane. The aperture shapes are determined by optimization, and can be designed to work in the presence of secondary obscurations and spiders - an important consideration for coronagraphy with WFIRST-AFTA. We present the current performance of the shaped pupil testbed, including the results of AFTA Milestone 2, in which ≈ 6 × 10-9 contrast was achieved in three independent runs starting from a neutral setting.
Jean Quigley , The grammar of autobiography: A developmental account . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000. Pp. xiv, 232. Hb $49.95.

In The grammar of autobiography , Jean Quigley makes a claim that one often hears nowadays: that the self is constructed in autobiographical narrative discourse. Two dimensions of the work distinguish her analysis of narrative self-construction from many other treatments of the subject. First, she offers a genuinely interdisciplinary account, drawing on functional linguistics, theoretical and developmental psychology, and accounts of language development. Second, she studies a particular category of linguistic forms – modals – as the key to narrative self-construction.
Experimental evolution and gene knockout studies reveal AcrA-mediated isobutanol tolerance in Ralstonia eutropha.

Isobutanol (IBT) has attracted much attention from researchers as a next generation drop-in biofuel. Ralstonia eutropha is a gram-negative bacterium which naturally produces polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), and has been reported to produce IBT after metabolic engineering. Similar to other microbes, R. eutropha experiences toxicity from branched-chain alcohols and is unable to grow in the presence of IBT concentrations higher than 0.5% (v v−1). Such low tolerance greatly limits the ability of R. eutropha to grow and produce IBT. In order to study toxicity to the cells, IBT-tolerant strains were developed by experimental evolution, revealing that two genes, previously described as being related to IBT tolerance in Escherichia coli (acrA and acrA6), also presented mutations in R. eutropha evolved strains. The effect on the physiology of the cells of in-frame deletions of each of these genes was assessed in wild type and engineered IBT-producing strains in an attempt to reproduce a tolerant phenotype. The mutant strains' ability to tolerate, consume, and produce IBT were also analyzed. Although deletions of acrA6 and acrA did not significantly improve R. eutropha growth in the presence of IBT, these deletions improved cell survival in the presence of high concentrations of IBT in the extracellular milieu. Moreover, an in-frame acrA deletion in an engineered IBT-producing R. eutropha enhanced the strain's ability to produce IBT, which could potentially be associated with enhanced survival at high IBT concentrations.
Multiplexed molecular assays using nanoelectronically barcoded beads

Barcoding of microparticles has been widely used for performing multiplex genomic and proteomic assays. The most common methods of barcoding are optical and plasmonic which requires large and bulky instrumentation for performing the readout, which is unsuitable for portable devices requiring small instrumentation footprint. We introduce the concept of electronically barcoded micron-sized beads, which to the best of our knowledge, is the first time an impedance based barcoding technique for beads has been used with the potential of achieving high barcode density. Nanoelectronic barcoding works by fabricating tunable nano-capacitors on the micro-particle surface, effectively modulating the frequency dependent dielectric properties of the particles allowing one bead barcode to be distinguished from another. Multi-frequency lock-in measurements of the real to imaginary impedance ratio allows for bead differentiation.
Immunity in experimental pneumonia

Clinical observations have shown that an attack of pneumonia is not, as a rule, followed by lasting immunity. Rather, the contrary is true. Osier 1 says: "No other acute disease recurs in the same individual with such frequency. Instances are on record of individuals who have had 10 or more attacks. The percentage of recurrences has been placed as high as 50. Netter gives it as 3^ and he has collected the statistics of eleven observers who place the percentage at 26.8%." In the great majority of cases of pneumonia, the etiologic agent is a gram-positive coccus of one species or another. It is well known that members of this group of organisms, irrespective of their mode of entrance or the location of the lesion in the body, do not ordinarily set up a reaction on the part of the cells which results in producing a persistent marked increase in resistance. Indeed, Bunting2 emphasizes that it is only in those diseases that show a definite reaction on the part of the lympoid tissue that we have any marked and lasting immunity. The cocci, on the contrary, quite generally stimulate the bone marrow resulting in the production of a polymorphonuclear leukocytosis. It has been suggested by Cecil and* Blake,3 as a result of their vaccination experiments, that it is possible that the immunity following recovery from a pneumococcus pneumonia is highly specific, and that recurring attacks may be due to one of the other fixed types not found in the initial attack or to some members of the irregular type 4. A considerable group of workers (notably Friedberger4 and his collaborators, and Vaughan and Wheeler 5) hold, on the contrary, quite the opposite opinion. They maintain that the specificity of bacteria has been overemphasized and that the important points in the production of a given clinical picture are not the particular species or strain of organ-
Fault Diagnosis on a Digital-Displacement Pump/Motor

A Digital-Displacement Pump/Motor (DDPM) has recently been proposed as an attractive candidate for hydraulic powertrain applications. A DDPM uses solenoid-controlled valves for each cylinder. This provision offers flexibility of control that can be exploited to boost system efficiency by matching individual cylinder operations with load conditions. However, the added complexity from individual cylinder control necessitates mechanisms for fault diagnosis and control reconfiguration to ensure reliable operation of the DDPM. Furthermore, available measurements are often limited to supply and return line pressures, shaft angle and speed. In this paper, it is shown that, with only these measurements, individual cylinder faults are structurally unobservable and un-isolable by the use of a system model relating the cylinder faults to the shaft dynamics. To overcome this difficulty, the phase angles at which possible individual cylinder faults can begin to affect the shaft dynamics are tabulated for each cylinder, and a fault indicator that is akin to a shaft acceleration fault is modeled and estimated via a fast sliding mode observer. Simultaneous detection and isolation of individual cylinder faults can be achieved using this fault indicator and a table of fault begin angles. Illustrative examples are included from simulations of a 5 cylinder DDPM to demonstrate this diagnosis process.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Acute and semiacute management of cardiac arrest.

Successful management of the survivor of sudden cardiac arrest includes proper performance of cardiopulmonary re-suscitation and appropriate evaluation thereafter. If the event was not associated with acute myocardial infarction, there is a high probability of recurrence. Evaluation consists of cardiac catheterization and electrophysiologic testing, along with ambulatory electrocardiographic recording and exercise testing. Therapeutic options include pharmacologic intervention, surgery, and electronic devices such as the automatic internal cardioverter defibrillator, depending on the result of invasive and noninvasive studies.
Molecular Modeling of the Mechanical Properties of Crosslinked Networks

It is now well accepted that entanglements have a strong effect on the mechanical properties of crosslinked networks. The relationship1 $$ {\rm{G}} = v{\rm{Kt}} $$ (1) in which v denotes the number of starting polymer chains per unit volume has been shown2–3 to greatly underestimate the value of the shear modulus G. Entanglements, which are always present in polymeric systems prior to crosslinking, indeed add a significant contribution to the modulus value given by Eq. 1.
The Flint Water Crisis, KWA and Strategic-Structural Racism

Flint is a complicated story where race plays out on multiple dimensions. It is a difficult story to tell because many facts suggesting the State’s real complicity in the tragedy are still being revealed. That said, three truths about Flint, race and water are beginning to resonate strongly. The first truth is how the entire Emergency Management regime and Governor Snyder’s approach to municipal distress and fiscal austerity serve as a morality play about the dangers of structural racism and how conservative notions of knowledge-&-power can drive decisions leading to the poisoning of an entire City. The second truth is the role strategic racism played in motivating actors at the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA), Treasury, DEQ and various Emergency Managers to disregard the lives of the citizens of Flint in seeking initial approval of the KWA pipeline and how these same players manipulated rules governing bond financing in a way that cemented use of the Flint River as an interim drinking water source as a predicate for financing the distressed City’s participation in KWA. The third truth is how the structural racism embedded in the first serves to enable and reinforce the strategic racism embedded in the second.The hearings of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission are an effort to seek answers about what really happened in Flint and why. The water crisis in Flint needs to be understood from a perspective of strategic and structural racism. These perspectives substantially change how one thinks about the underlying problem of municipal distress, the tool of Emergency Management, initial decisions relating to Flint’s participation in KWA, bond financing for the KWA project, the financially driven decision to use the Flint River as an interim source of drinking water, and the political environment that failed to recognize and respond to the mounting crisis.
Transitioning From Cigarettes to Electronic Cigarettes Increases Alcohol Consumption.

ABSTRACTObjective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are a nicotine delivery device that have recently been linked to alcohol use. Many individuals that smoke cigarettes transition to e-cigs as an alternative to cigarette use, despite potential negative health effects of e-cigs. No research to date has examined how former smokers that have transitioned to e-cigs differ from former smokers that do not use e-cigs, particularly in relation to alcohol use. Further, no research has examined how former smokers that use e-cigs regularly or socially may differ in alcohol consumption. Method: Using an online community dwelling sample (Former smokers N = 198, mean age = 34.70, SD = 11.45, 56.1% female, 78.3% Caucasian, 37.9% e-cig users), the present study assessed smoking status and alcohol use, with the latter assessed using a timeline followback calendar and the alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT). Results: In all former smokers, total drinks (b = 4.01, p = 0.02) and average drinks per drinking day (b ...
Abstract C19: Prospective association between blood leukocyte telomere length and cancer incidence and mortality

Background and Objective: Telomeres play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of chromosomes. Short telomeres may lead to chromosomal instability and increase cancer risk and related death. In this longitudinal study we examined prospective associations between blood leukocyte telomere length (TL) and cancer incidence and mortality. Methods: Our study population included a total of 791 participants in the prospective Normative Aging Study (NAS), a 1963-established study devoted to determining the health effects of aging. Between January 1999 and December 2012, the participants underwent blood drawing during the NAS visits every 3-5 years. We examined leukocyte TL using quantitative real-time PCR on blood samples collected at each NAS visit, including 1-4 examinations before cancer diagnosis. We used mixed models and Cox models to evaluate the association between TL with cancer incidence and mortality individually. Both models were adjusted for age, race, body mass index, education, and smoking status. Results: In 579 participants free of baseline cancers, telomeres were significantly shorter in association with aging (P Conclusion: Shorter TL is associated with higher risk of cancer incidence and cancer mortality independent of age, race, body mass index, education, and smoking. More studies are needed to determine the predictive value of blood leukocyte TL in specific cancers, as well as their underlying mechanisms. Citation Format: Tao Gao, Junjie Chu, Yinan Zheng, Xiao Zhang, Andrea A. Baccarelli, Joel Schwartz, Lifang Hou. Prospective association between blood leukocyte telomere length and cancer incidence and mortality. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr C19.
Analysis and design of direct contact membrane distillation

Abstract Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is an attractive thermal based desalination technique because of its potential to provide high rejection rates, simple construction and low construction cost. Clean water recovery rate and thermal efficiency of DCMD are the two most important metrics governing its design that are strongly influenced by the temperature polarization effects and parasitic heat losses. The objective of the present study is to conduct a systematic numerical analysis focusing on exergy destruction inside the module. Information obtained from the numerical analysis is used to derive design windows on operational and geometric parameters to maximize recovery ratio with constraints on exergetic efficiency. For highest exergetic efficiency, the inlet stream Reynolds number for saline as well as permeate is found to be 300, and the inlet temperature of the saline stream is found to be 363 K while maintaining the permeate temperature at dead state temperature of 298 K.
Feasibility of a Friendship Network-Based Pediatric Obesity Intervention.

Abstract Background: There is growing evidence supporting social network-based interventions for adolescents with obesity. This study's aim was to determine the feasibility of a social network-based intervention by assessing adolescents' friendship networks, willingness to involve friends in treatment, and how these factors influence enjoyment. Methods: Adolescents (N = 42) were recruited from a tertiary care obesity clinic. Participants gave a list of closest friends, friendship characteristics, and which of their friends they would involve in treatment. A subset (N = 14) participated in group treatment, were encouraged to bring friends, and invited to a second interview. Results: Participants nominated a mean of 4.0 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.6) friends and were more likely to nominate closer friends (p = 0.003). Friends who attended group sessions were more likely to have multiple friendships in common with the participant's own network (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Involving friends in treatment is feasi...
Longitudinal analysis of living donor kidney transplant rates in pediatric candidates in the United States

Among adults, living donor kidney transplant rates began declining in the United States after 2004 but whether a similar decline is occurring in the pediatric candidates has not been well studied. Share 35, a change in allocation rules implemented in October of 2005, may also have influenced rates of living donation. We sought to determine whether a decline in rates was occurring in pediatric candidates and whether the Share 35 program was the cause of the decline. All children listed for a kidney transplant or transplanted with a living donor without listing between 1996 and 2011 were identified in the United States (N=14 911) of which 6046 had received a living donor transplant during follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a decline in living donor rates in candidates listed after 2001. Logistic regression analysis for living donor kidney transplantation confirmed the timing of the drop but also showed that changes in candidate demographics and center listing practices were impacting rates. A large drop in parental donation was the main cause for the drop. The rate of living donor transplant among pediatric candidates declined after 2001 predating by 4 years the implementation of Share 35, suggesting that factors other than changes in allocation rules are responsible for the decline.
Constructal Theory Applied to Vascular Countercurrent Networks

Heat transfer within the human skin is a complicated process involving metabolic heat generation, heat conduction and blood perfusion in tissue, convection and perfusion of the arterial-venous blood through the capillary, and interaction with the environment. Modeling of heat-related phenomena such as bioheat transfer is important in the development of biological and biomedical technologies, such as thermotherapy of skin cancer and the design of heating or cooling garments, as well as protecting human life in cases of accidental or natural disasters [1, 2]. In this chapter, the constructal theory of multi-scale tree-shaped heat exchangers is applied to the vascular countercurrent network embedded in a three-dimensional triple layered skin structure. Based on the designed vascular countercurrent network, we present our mathematical models and numerical results for predicting skin burn injury induced by intense radiation heating and for optimizing skin temperature induced by laser or electromagnetic radiations related to hyperthermia cancer treatments.