cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transitioning Patients to Oral Diuretics 24 Hours before Discharge from Heart Failure Hospitalization Does Not Improve 30 Day Outcomes

Background Patients hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF) are at increased risk for clinical events during the 30-day period following discharge. The 2013 ACC/AHA heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend that such patients should be “transitioned to oral diuretic therapy to verify its effectiveness.” Although evidence that this strategy is effective is limited, many institutions transition patients from intravenous to oral diuretic therapy for at least 24 hours based on the premise that it improves outcomes. We investigated the effectiveness of this strategy on post-discharge outcomes in patients hospitalized for AHF at our institution. Methods In a retrospective chart review study, we evaluated all patients with a primary diagnosis of HF, regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), who were hospitalized from 8/1/2016 - 7/31/2017, discharged on an oral diuretic and followed at our institution. Baseline characteristics of patients who were discharged with at least a 24-hour period on oral diuretics and those who were discharged with less than 24 hours of observation on oral diuretics were compared and the effect of these strategies on a composite of all-cause mortality and all-cause rehospitalization, HF rehospitalization and all-cause rehospitalization were assessed. Results Of the 285 consecutive patients who met study entry criteria, 178 were observed for at least 24 hours on oral diuretics prior to discharge and 104 were not. These groups were similar in baseline characteristics including age, gender, co-morbidities, baseline blood chemistries, hemoglobin, BNPP, HF etiology, LVEF and factors triggering HF exacerbation. The group that was observed for 24 hours or more on oral diuretics had longer hospital stays and experienced greater weight and net volume loss than patients observed on oral diuretics for less than 24 hours. The latter group was more likely to have had changes made in their dose of neurohormonal blocking agents and diuretics within the 24-hour period prior to discharge. In contrast to expectations, all-cause mortality or all-cause hospitalization (27.5% vs 15%; p=0.019), all-cause rehospitalization (27% vs 14%; p=0.009) and AHF rehospitalization (12.9% vs 6.5%; p=0.064) occurred more commonly in patients who were observed for 24 hours on oral diuretics than for patients who were not. Conclusion In a population of patients discharged from an academic medical center after an episode of AHF, the strategy of transitioning patients to oral diuretics for at least 24 hours prior to discharge failed to improve 30-day outcomes. While this study has limitations due to the relatively small patient population followed at a single center, the results do not support the recommendation to observe patients on oral diuretics for at least 24 hours prior to discharge and they raise the question of whether providers should be encouraged to follow this practice without prospective studies demonstrating its effectiveness.
Tumor Location and Treatment Modality are Associated with Overall Survival in Adult Medulloblastoma.

Introduction Medulloblastoma (MB) is an aggressive brain tumor most commonly found in children. Although prognostic factors are well studied in children, factors affecting survival in adults with medulloblastoma are unclear. Methods We queried the 1973-2015 United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry to identify all adult cases of medulloblastoma, and performed multivariate survival analyses to assess the relationships amongst various clinical variables, including age, sex, race, tumor location, treatment modalities, and overall survival. Results A total of 857 patients, 20 years of age and older, with MB were identified in the SEER registry. Adult cases presented most frequently in the cerebellum (91.6%) compared to other less common regions (brain stem 3.2%, brain 2.2%, ventricle 1.8%). The overall median survival for adult MB is 60 months (SD = 94.3) and survival time is related to tumor location and course of treatment (P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models showed that lesions found outside the cerebellum corresponded to worse median survival times (37 months) than those in the cerebellum (63 months) (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.321-2.158, P = 0.001). Patients who were assigned chemotherapy had shorter survival (54 months) than those who were not (67 months) (HR 1.4515, 95% CI 1.26-1.671, P < 0.001), but receiving radiation therapy was associated with better overall survival (66 months) relative to not receiving radiation (25 months) (HR 0.581, 95% CI 0.48-0.70, P < 0.001). Conclusions Tumor location appears to be a significant prognostic factor for survival in adult MB. Recommended treatment regimes, likely reflective of the underlying aggressiveness of the tumor, also seem to impact survival.
The Secret Life of a Text Message

On February 14, 2019, hundreds of thousands of text messages were ensnared in a defective communications server—only to be released months later. By the time these messages reached their recipients, their worlds had changed: Heartfelt valentines arrived from loves now lost; other late-arriving messages seemed to come from ghosts of the recently passed. It could have been worse. Text messages help to enable a wide variety of critical applications, from public safety missives to corporate security protocols. If these sorts of messages had been trapped and later released, the results might have been far more concerning: Evacuation orders might have been lost, or late-arriving public safety warnings might have sparked misplaced panic. And yet there has been surprisingly little regulatory attention to this failure, among others, in the text messaging system. These failures highlight the fragility of our communications infrastructure—both technical and regulatory. Technically, the text messaging system is surprisingly consolidated, creating effective bottlenecks (and isolated points of failure) in our communications network. Regulatorily, the Federal Communications Commission recently reclassified text messaging services, placing them beyond the agency’s regulatory ambit. Together, this network consolidation and weak regulatory oversight give rise to important safety, security, and competition concerns. And so, this Valentine’s Day Server Failure should alert policymakers to the need to ensure that our regulatory infrastructure keeps pace with technological change.
Acute effect of whole-body vibration on acceleration transmission and jumping performance in children.

Abstract Background Whole-body vibration (WBV) has emerged as a potential intervention paradigm for improving motor function and bone growth in children with disabilities. However, most evidence comes from adult studies. It is critical to understand the mechanisms of children with and without disabilities responding to different WBV conditions. This study aimed to systematically investigate the acute biomechanical and neuromuscular response in typically developing children aged 6–11 years to varying WBV frequencies and amplitudes. Methods Seventeen subjects participated in this study (mean age 8.7 years, 10 M/7F). A total of six side-alternating WBV conditions combining three frequencies (20, 25, and 30 Hz) and two amplitudes (1 and 2 mm) were randomly presented for one minute. We estimated transmission of vertical acceleration across body segments during WBV as the average rectified acceleration of motion capture markers, as well as lower-body muscle activation using electromyography. Following WBV, subjects performed countermovement jumps to assess neuromuscular facilitation. Findings Vertical acceleration decreased from the ankle to the head across all conditions, with the greatest damping occurring from the ankle to the knee. Acceleration transmission was lower at the high amplitude than at the low amplitude across body segments, and the knee decreased acceleration transmission with increasing frequency. In addition, muscle activation generally increased with frequency during WBV. There were no changes in jump height or muscle activation following WBV. Interpretation WBV is most likely a safe intervention paradigm for typically developing children. Appropriate WBV intervention design for children with and without disabilities should consider WBV frequency and amplitude.
An Excision-Competent and Exogenous Mosaic Transposon Harbors the tetM Gene in Multiple Mycoplasma hominis Lineages

The presence of the tetracycline resistance determinant tetM has been reported for Mycoplasma hominis (1, 2) and association with Tn 916 genes established (3).…
Transcendental meditation in hypertension. Individual response patterns

Seven selected hypertensive patients were stabilized on drugs at a research clinic. Subjects learned transcendental meditation (T.M.), were seen weekly, and took their own blood pressure several times daily. After 12 weeks of T.M. six subjects showed psychological changes and reduced anxiety scores. Six subjects also showed significant reductions in home and four in clinic blood-pressures. Six months later four subjects continued to derive psychological benefit and two showed significant blood-pressure reductions attributable to T.M. at home and clinic.
Big Data for Policy Analysis: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Big data holds tremendous potential for public policy analysis. At the same time, its use prompts a number of issues related to statistical bias, privacy, equity, and governance, among others. Accordingly, there is a need to formulate, evaluate, and implement policies that not only mitigate the risks, but also maximize the benefits of using big data for policy analysis. This poses a number of challenges, which are highlighted in this essay.
The Role of the Right Hemisphere in Learning & Creativity Implications for Enhancing Problem Solving Ability:

By generating empirically testable physiological models of cognition and affect, the understanding and facilitation of learning and problem solving can be advanced. A review of the representative r...
Estimates of anthropogenic carbon in the Indian Ocean with allowance for mixing and time-varying air-sea CO2 disequilibrium

[1] We apply to the Indian Ocean a novel technique to estimate the distribution, total mass, and net air-sea flux of anthropogenic carbon. Chlorofluorocarbon data are used to constrain distributions of transit times from the surface to the interior that are constructed to accommodate a range of mixing scenarios, from no mixing (pure bulk advection) to strong mixing. The transit time distributions are then used to propagate to the interior the surface water history of anthropogenic carbon estimated in a way that includes temporal variation in CO2 air-sea disequilibrium. By allowing for mixing in transport and for variable air-sea disequilibrium, we remove two sources of positive bias common in other studies. We estimate that the anthropogenic carbon mass in the Indian Ocean was 14.3–20.5 Gt in 2000, and the net air-sea flux was 0.26–0.36 Gt/yr. The upper bound of this range, the no-mixing limit, generally coincides with previous studies, while the lower bound, the strong-mixing limit, is significantly below previous studies.
Lung defenses against viral and bacterial challenges during immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide in mice

Pulmonary virus infections predispose to secondary bacterial pneumonias by suppressing the antibacterial defenses of the lung. Cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment interferes with antiviral defenses and also impairs pulmonary bactericidal activity. To determine whether CY aggravates secondary bacterial pneumonias, mice were infected by aerosol inhalation with para-influenza 1 (Sendai) virus and injected intraperitoneally with either 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 mg of CY on Days 1 and 5 of the infection. On Day 7, the lungs of control (CY-treated but not infected) and virus-infected mice were lavaged and the total and differential number of free pulmonary cells quantitated. At the same time, other groups of mice were challenged aerogenically with Staphylococcus aureus and the number of initially viable bacteria remaining in their lungs quantitated at 4 and 24 h thereafter. The CY treatment induced a dose-dependent neutropenia, which was paralleled by the number of free pulmonary cells recovered from the lungs. Pulmonary bactericidal activity was also suppressed by CY treatment, with the percentage of staphylococci remaining at 24 h in the lungs of control animals being 0.5 +/- 0.2% and 1.5 +/- 0.5%, 4.0 +/- 1.5%, 8.5 +/- 2%, and 36 +/- 5%, respectively, for the increasing doses of CY. In virus-infected animals, CY treatment suppressed the inflammatory response in a dose-dependent manner, with the total number of free lung cells recovered from the highest dose group being only 5% of that recovered from untreated animals. Virus infection depressed the antibacterial defenses of the lung so that in untreated animals, 80 +/- 9% of the staphylococcal remained at 24 h. Treatment with the 2 higher doses of CY caused the bacteria to proliferate extensively in the lungs to 280 +/- 53% and 792 +/- 112%, respectively, for the 2.5 mg and 5.0 mg CY doses. In contrast, treatment with 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg of CY significantly enhanced the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus in virus-infected lungs so that the bactericidal values at 24 h were 28 +/- 3% and 21 +/- 2%, respectively. These data demonstrated that immunosuppression modulates virus-induced suppression of pulmonary antibacterial defenses with high doses of CY aggravating and low doses ameliorating the defect.
From Subcompact to Domain Representable

Abstract We introduce the property generalized subcompactness and prove that subcompactness implies generalized subcompactness and that generalized subcompactness implies domain representability. We develop a simplified characterization of domain representability. We present an extension X of Debs' space and prove that X is generalized subcompact but α does not have a stationary winning strategy in the Banach–Mazur game on X. A fortiori, domain representability does not imply subcompactness. We investigate whether G δ subspaces of subcompact (generalized subcompact, domain representable) spaces are subcompact (generalized subcompact, domain representable). We show that Cech complete generalized ordered spaces are subcompact. We show that the union of two domain representable subspaces is domain representable, and that a locally domain representable space is domain representable.
Potentiometric Measurements of Proteins

The sections in this article are Introduction What Electrochemical Studies Can Tell Us Direct versus Indirect Electrochemistry Materials Mediator Titrant Redox Indicators Apparatus—Glassware Components for Anaerobiosis Argon Line The Cell Parts: Preparation of Auxiliary, Reference, and Working Electrodes Methods—Setting up the Mediated Electron Transfer Experiment The Coulometric Titration The Potentiometric Titration Data Analysis and Sample Systems Coulometric Titration Potentiometric Titration
DEVELOPMENT OF LAMINAR MIXED CONVECTION FLOW IN A HORIZONTAL RECTANGULAR DUCT WITH UNIFORM BOTTOM HEATING

Using a vectorized finite-difference marching technique, the steady-state continuity, momentum, and energy equations are solved numerically to evaluate the effects of buoyancy-induced secondary flow on forced flow in a horizontal rectangular duct with uniform bottom heating. Combined entry region conditions are considered, and the secondary flow is found to consist of longitudinal plumes and vortices that first develop at the vertical sidewalls and subsequently propagate to interior spanwise positions. Sequential stages of the secondary flow development are computed in detail and used to interpret the nonmonotonic longitudinal distribution of the spanwise average Nusselt number. The distribution is characterized by oscillations that, under certain conditions, are damped and yield a fully developed Nusselt number that substantially exceeds the value for pure forced convection.
Designing Oceanographic Surface Moorings to Withstand Fatigue

Abstract A method is presented for predicting the fatigue resistance of a single-point oceanographic mooring. The method determines the fraction of life that the components of a mooring lose during a deployment by combining results of dynamic analysis, data from laboratory fatigue tests of mooring components, and observations of sea-state occurrence. Calculations based on the 1989 and 1991 moorings used in the Marine Light-Mixed Layers experiment confirm the failure of a pear-shaped sling link on the 1989 mooring and the success of the redesigned 1991 mooring. Dynamic analysis shows that the large oscillatory tensions that cause the fatigue in oceanographic moorings are due primarily to the mass and damping of the instruments that are attached to the upper, wire-rope portion of the mooring line. Developing new instruments that are smaller and lighter would greatly increase fatigue resistance of oceanographic moorings and allow for longer deployments.
Avian permeability barrier function reflects mode of sequestration and organization of stratum corneum lipids: Reevaluation utilizing ruthenium tetroxide staining and lipase cytochemistry

Abstract The epidermis of avians and terrestrial mammals has evolved distinct, but related mechanisms to survive in a terrestrial environment. In both phyla, stratum corneum lipids form the basis of the cutaneous permeability barrier, but barrier function is less efficient in avians. Whereas in mammals the epidermal lamellar body (LB) secretes its contents into the intercellular spaces, in the feathered epidermis of avians, its distinctive secretory organelle, the multigranular body (MGB), does not secrete its contents into the stratum corneum intercellular spaces. Yet, neutral lipid-enriched droplets, derived from the cytosolic breakdown of MGB. ultimately are squeezed through membrane pores into the stratum corneum interstices. In this study we determined: a) using ruthenium tetroxide (RuO 4 ) fixation, whether these droplets form membrane structures after deposition in the stratum corneum interstices; and b) the similarities and differences between avian MGB and mammalian LB, using enzyme cytochemistry as a marker for secretion, and optical diffraction computer-aided image analysis and reconstruction to compare the internal structure of MGB vs. LB. MGB were shown to possess a similar lamellar substructure to LB in RuO 4 -fixed specimens, exhibiting comparable dimensions on optical diffraction and computer transform analysts. Moreover, the intercellular lipids of avian stratum corneum lacked membrane-substructure, as was present in parallel samples of mammalian stratum corneum. Thus, both the absence of MGB secretion, and the failure of intercellular lipids to form membrane bilayers may explain the inherent differences in barrier function in these two taxa.
Preparation of fibrin glue: the effects of calcium chloride and sodium chloride

Abstract Concentrated fibrinogen is prepared from whole blood by cryoprecipitation and is then combined with a thrombin solution to make fibrin glue. Fibrin glue has been widely employed in many phases of surgery to control bleeding and to seal tissue defects. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of ionic strength of thrombin solutions on the properties of fibrin glue. Fresh bovine plasma was frozen at −15 °C for 24 h to prepare concentrated fibrinogen. The thrombin solution was prepared by reconstituting topical bovine thrombin with calcium chloride solutions to give a final concentration of 10, 20, 40, or 80 mM calcium chloride, with or without 0.9% w/v sodium chloride solution. The clotting time was measured by using a fibrometer and the bonding strength of fibrin glue was determined by measuring the force required to shear apart two collagen films joined by fibrin glue. The results showed that faster gelation was obtained when 20–40 mM calcium chloride was used. In contrast, the addition of physiologic saline (0.9% w/v sodium chloride), slowed down the gelation of all samples. It is concluded that high bonding strength and rapid formation of fibrin glue can be obtained using 10 units ml −1 thrombin reconstituted with 20 mM calcium chloride solution, in the absence of sodium chloride.
Blind identification of sparse dynamic networks and applications

This paper considers the problem of identifying the topology of a sparsely interconnected network of dynamical systems from experimental noisy data. Specifically, we assume that the observed data was generated by an underlying, unknown graph topology where each node corresponds to a given time-series and each link to an unknown autoregressive model that maps those time series. The goal is to recover the sparsest (in the sense of having the fewest number of links) structure compatible with some a-priori information and capable of explaining the observed data. Contrary to related existing work, our framework allows for (unmeasurable) exogenous inputs, intended to model relatively infrequent events such as environmental or set-point changes in the underlying processes. The main result of the paper shows that both the network topology and the unknown inputs can be identified by solving a convex optimization problem, obtained by combining Group-Lasso type arguments with a re-weighted heuristics. As shown here, this combination leads to substantially sparser topologies than using either group Lasso or orthogonal decomposition based algorithms. These results are illustrated using both academic examples and several non-trivial problems drawn from multiple application domains that include finances, biology and computer vision.
Direct measurement of spectral diffusion rates in localized photoexcited triplet states: optically detected stimulated spin echoes in zero field

Abstract In zero-field optically detected stimulated electron-spin-echo experiments on 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene in a durene host at 2.0 K, a substantial increase is observed in the decay time of the echo intensity versus the long waiting time T τ upon deuteration of the host. Thus spectral diffusion processes due to host nuclear spin flip -flops are rapid. significantly contributing to homogeneous spin dephasing.
Extrinsic contributions to movement variability in human object manipulation

Human movements vary across repetitions and the structure of this variability can shed light on motor control and learning. Previous studies showed that humans adapt their movements to minimize the effect of their intrinsic variability on the task goal. This study shows that in complex object manipulation there are also extrinsic contributions to variability from the deterministic nonlinear object dynamics that add to the resultant variability in human movements. This extrinsic contribution has two distinct components: the sensitivity of the movement to the object's states and the sensitivity to the interaction forces between hand and object. The hypothesis is that humans adapt to this variability, similar as to their intrinsic variability. This hypothesis is tested in a task that mimics the action of carrying a cup of coffee. The cup of coffee is simplified to a ball rolling in a 2D arc and modeled with cart-and-pendulum dynamics. To test the hypothesis, experimental data from 9 subjects were analyzed, who manipulated the complex object in a virtual environment. The two sensitivity measures were parametrically derived from the cart-and-pendulum model and were then evaluated numerically using the experimentally observed states of the system. Results showed that movement variability decreased with practice, mirroring the decrease in one sensitivity measure. This coincidence is consistent with the hypothesis that these extrinsic contributions affect the movement variability. Although causation cannot be shown, it is regarded important to quantify these extrinsic contributors to movement variability in order to understand the control of manipulation of objects with complex dynamics.
High performance liquid chromatography with post-column photolysis of pesticides for generation of fluorophores

Several classes of pesticides have been found to respond to a high performance liquid chromatography post-column reaction detector that employs UV photolysis with an optional reaction with o-phthalicdicarboxaldehyde-2-mercaptoethanol (OPA-MERC) reagent followed by fluorescence detection. Photolysis of most of the N-methylcarbamates, carbamoyl oximes, carbamothioic acids, dithiocarbamates, and phenylureas tested produced primary amines which reacted with OPA-MERC to form the respective derivatives. In some cases, substituted aromatic pesticides such as phenylcarbamates, phenylamides, and phenylureas photolyzed to chemical species which had native fluorescence. This technique was successfully applied to a method for pesticide analyses in groundwater and vegetation. For aldicarb sulfone, a pesticide that did not absorb UV light, use of acetone as a photosensitizer enhanced detection.
Allergic reaction to spinal cord stimulator.

Objective The objective was to report on the possibility of allergic reaction to the components of a spinal cord stimulator. Design We describe a severe allergic reaction after the insertion of a spinal cord stimulator in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome type 1. Setting The patient was being followed in an office-based pain management practice. Patient The patient is a 41-year-old woman with complex regional pain syndrome type 1, posttrauma. Intervention Insertion of a cervical and lumbar spinal cord stimulator. Outcome measures The outcome measures were a numerical scale of pain intensity and the ability to perform the activities of daily living. Results Adequate pain control complicated by allergic reaction. Conclusions There exists a possibility that a patient may experience an allergic reaction to spinal cord stimulator components. Recognition of such contact sensitivity is important for physicians implanting such devices. Patients may be misdiagnosed as having infections, which can delay appropriate management; definitive diagnosis can be confirmed with a patch test. Treatment consists of removal of such devices.
The short-term effects of low-level laser therapy in the management of breast-cancer-related lymphedema

Background Breast-cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic disease, and currently there is no definitive treatment for it. There are some therapeutic interventions targeted to decrease the limb swelling and the associated problems. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used in the treatment of post-mastectomy lymphedema since 2007 in the US. The aim of this study is to review our short-term experience with LLLT in the treatment of BCRL.
Temperature Response of Heat Transport in a Micro Heat Pipe

A detailed mathematical model for predicting the heat transport capability and temperature gradients that contribute to the overall axial temperature drop as a function of heat transfer in a micro heat pipe has been developed. The model utilizes a third-order ordinary differential equation, which governs the fluid flow and heat transfer in the evaporating thin film region; an analytical solution for the two-dimension heat conduction equation, which governs the macro evaporating film region in the triangular corners; the effects of the vapor flow on the liquid flow in the micro heat pipe; the flow and condensation of the thin film caused by the surface tension in the condenser; and the capillary flow along the axial direction of the micro heat pipe. With this model, the temperature distribution along the axial direction of the heat pipe and the effect on the heat transfer can be predicted. In order to verify the model presented here, an experimental investigation was also conducted and a comparison with experimental data made
Incorporating Yoga Into College Counseling

ABSTRACT Yoga has become increasingly popular in the United States, and college counselors should be familiar with this practice due to its popularity among college students. This article provides a brief overview of yoga and research on its benefits for mental health concerns often experienced by college students. Additionally, it addresses methods of incorporating yoga into college counseling and offers a case example. A list of resources for college counselors is also included.
System identification of distributed-parameter marine riser models

Modeling engineering problems of interest often requires some type of discretization model of the physical system and quite naturally leads to a mathematical description involving partial differential equations whose coefficients are dependent on both time and spatial location. In this study a reverse system identification approach is presented that utilizes generalized coordinate and force functions to recover the value of the key system parameters for each mode of vibration. To illustrate the analysis procedures, a single marine riser with general damping-restoring types of non-linearities subject to random wave excitation is considered. Analytical expressions as functions of the modes for bending stiffness and tension are derived and used for comparison with the results obtained using system identification. Numerical simulations including band-limited white noise and random wave excitation are used to explore the adequacy of the methodology and the benefits of using modal analysis in the system identification procedure. Finally, the use of and comparison with experimental data is presented and the frequency variation of parameters obtained resulting from system identification procedures discussed. Collectively, the examples demonstrate that this system identification methodology accurately identifies system parameters over portions of the frequency range of interest.
Enzyme dissolution of the nucleus pulposus.

THOMAS showed the surprising susceptibility of cartilage to the action of papain when he produced collapse of the ears of young rabbits by injecting the enzyme intravenously1,2. All cartilaginous tissue of the body was affected; the epiphyseal cartilages appeared to be particularly sensitive. Larger doses caused softening of tracheal cartilage to such a degree that some animals died from respiratory obstruction. The changes occurring in cartilage after intravenous papain were the result of a widespread breakdown of chondromucoprotein.
Hungary, 1956: The Yugoslav Connection

(1998). Hungary, 1956: The Yugoslav connection. Europe-Asia Studies: Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 493-517.
Autoignition Correlations for Pipeline Natural Gas at Low and Intermediate Temperatures

Advanced combustion devices relying upon premixing of fuel and air to achieve lower emissions are susceptible to issues when presented with fuel variability. A change in the mixture ignition delay time is of particular interest because it will impact the general design requirements for premixing devices. Simple correlations for predicting ignition delay of gaseous fuels are attractive because they can be applied rapidly to design processes. However, the majority of these cannot address gas mixtures as found in practical fuels. As a result, a comprehensive numerical study was performed to determine ignition delay times for natural gas fuels (mixtures of C 1-3 gases) at low to intermediate temperatures using existing detailed chemical kinetics. To develop correlations that can be rapidly applied, statistical models were employed to encompass fuel compositions and operating conditions. The resulting regression expression for ignition delay as a function of composition is compared with existing global expressions for ignition delay found in the literature. Temperatures from 773 to 1573 K and pressures from 1 to 15 atm were evaluated at equivalence ratios from 0.4 to 1.0. The fuels considered include different mixtures of methane (80-100 % volume), ethane (0-20% volume), and propane (0-20% volume). Analyses were performed to evaluate the correlations and the detailed chemical kinetics mechanisms. Recommendations are provided regarding which expression to use under which circumstances.
Isolation of cytochrome P450 from hepatopancreas microsomes of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, and determination of catalytic activity with NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase from vertebrate liver

Abstract One major form of cytochrome P450 has been isolated from the hepatopancreas of untreated spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus. This form, termed here D1, was purified to a specific content of 12.1 ± 1.8 nmol/mg protein. Two minor forms, termed D2 and D3 were partially purified to 4.6 ± 1.6 and 2.3 ± 0.2 nmol P450/mg protein, respectively. No NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase activity was detected in spiny lobster hepatopancreas microsomes and no purification of spiny lobster reductase was achieved in this study. Very low NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was found in hepatopancreas microsomes and also in cytosol. Indirect evidence suggested that proteolysis of spiny lobster P450 reductase during the preparation of hepatopancreas microsomes may in part account for the lack of detectable monooxygenase activity in hepatopancreas microsomes. The catalytic activities of the D1 or D2 forms of spiny lobster P450 were measured by mixing D1 or D2 with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase isolated from pig or rat liver microsomes. D2 was very efficient in demethylating benzphetamine, with a turnover number of 122 per minute, and D1 was an efficient catalyst of progesterone 16 α-hydroxylation, with a turnover number of 43 per minute. Other good substrates for D1 and D2 forms were aminopyrine, testosterone, benzo(a)pyrene, and 7-ethoxycoumarin. Little activity was found with methyl-, ethyl-, pentyl-, or benzyl-phenoxazone ethers as substrates. The profile of metabolites formed by D1 or D2 with benzo(a)pyrene as substrate were more similar to those formed with uninduced rat liver microsomes than to those formed by liver microsomes from uninduced flatfish species.
Distribution of four types of synapse on physiologically identified relay neurons in the ventral posterior thalamic nucleus of the cat

This study was aimed at providing quantitative data on the thalamic circuitry that underlies the central processing of somatosensory information. Four physiologically identified thalamocortical relay neurons in the ventral posterior lateral nucleus (VPL) of the cat thalamus were injected with horseradish peroxidase and subjected to quantitative electron microscopy after pre- or postembedding immunostaining for γ-aminobutyric acid to reveal synaptic terminals of thalamic inhibitory neurons. The four cells all had rapidly adapting responses to light mechanical stimuli applied to their receptive fields, which were situated on hairy or glabrous skin or related to a joint. Their dendritic architecture was typical of cells previously described as type I relay cells in VPL, and they lacked dendritic appendages. Terminals ending in synapses on the injected cells were categorized as RL (ascending afferent), F (inhibitory), PSD (presynaptic dendrite), and RS (mainly corticothalamic) types and were quantified in reconstructions of serial thin sections. RL and F terminals formed the majority of the synapses on proximal dendrites (approximately 50% each). The number of synapses formed by RL terminals declined on intermediate dendrites, but those formed by F terminals remained relatively high, declining to moderate levels (20–30%) on distal dendrites. RS terminals formed moderate numbers of the synapses on intermediate dendrites and the majority (< 60%) of the synapses on distal dendrites. Synapses formed by PSDs were concentrated on intermediate dendrites and were few in number (∼6%). They formed synaptic triads with F terminals and rarely with RL terminals. On somata, only a few synapses were found, all made by F terminals. The total number of synapses per cell was calculated to be 5,584–8,797, with a density of 0.6–0.9 per micrometer of dendritic length. Of the total, RL terminals constituted approximately 15%, F terminals approximately 35%, PSD terminals approximately 5%, and RS terminals approximately 50%. These results provide the first quantitative assessment of the synaptic architecture of thalamic somatic sensory relay neurons and show the basic organizational pattern exhibited by representatives of the physiological type of relay neuron most commonly encountered in the VPL nucleus. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Prostate Specific Antigen in Black and White Men After Hormonal Therapies for Prostate Cancer

AbstractPurpose: Prostate cancer deaths usually result from proliferation of the androgen independent malignant phenotype, and in the United States the survival of black men with metastatic cancer is less favorable than that of white men. We compared prostate specific (PSA) functions after hormonal therapies in men of both races to investigate potential differences in the biology of androgen independent cancer.Materials and Methods: The PSA nadir after gonadal androgen withdrawal was determined in 217 black and 188 white men with localized or metastatic cancer. The time to PSA elevation and PSA doubling time were determined in 62 black and 27 white men with biochemical relapse. Biochemical response to deferred flutamide treatment and flutamide withdrawal was assessed in 87 and 11 black and 30 and 10 white men, respectively.Results: There were no significant racial differences in the PSA nadir when controlled for clinical stage and pretreatment PSA, or in PSA doubling time when controlled for clinical stag...
Novel, bio-based, photoactive arsenic sorbent: TiO2-impregnated chitosan bead.

Abstract A novel sorbent for arsenic, TiO 2 -impregnated chitosan bead (TICB), has been synthesized and successfully tested. Kinetic plots, pH dependence, isotherm data, and bead morphology are reported. Equilibrium is achieved after 185 h in batch experiments with exposure to UV light. The TICB system performs similarly to the mass equivalent of neat TiO 2 nanopowder. The point of zero charge (pzc) for TICB was determined to be 7.25, and as with other TiO 2 -based arsenic removal technologies, the optimal pH range for sorption is below this pH pzc . Without exposure to UV light, TICB removes 2198 μg As(III)/g TICB and 2050 μg As(V)/g TICB. With exposure to UV light, TICB achieves photo-oxidation of As(III) to As(V), the less toxic and more easily sequestered arsenic form. UV irradiation also results in enhanced arsenic removal, reaching sorption capacities of 6400 μg As/g TICB and 4925 μg As/g TICB, where arsenic is initially added as As(III) and As(V), respectively. Because the TICB system obviates filtration post-treatment, TICB is superior to TiO 2 nanopowder from the perspective of implementation for decentralized water treatment.
TYPE STUDIES IN THE LEJEUNEACEAE. II. PTERYGANTHUS, A NEW SUBGENUS OF LOPHOLEJEUNEA

Lopholejeunea subgenusPteryganthus is described as new based upon the Mauritian plantL. sphaerophora (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Steph.Lopholejeunea utriculata Steph. from Madagascar is included as well.Lopholejeunea sinuata (Mitt.) Steph. is reduced to synonymy withL. sphaerophora. The two species of subgenusPteryganthus are compared withL. herzogiana Verd. andL. pullei Verd., two Malaysian species, with superficially similar lobule construction, but not of thePteryanthus type.
The auxilin-like phosphoprotein Swa2p is required for clathrin function in yeast

Abstract Background: In eukaryotic cells, clathrin-coated vesicles transport specific cargo from the plasma membrane and trans -Golgi network to the endosomal system. Removal of the clathrin coat in vitro requires the uncoating ATPase Hsc70 and its DnaJ cofactor auxilin. To date, a requirement for auxilin and Hsc70 in clathrin function in vivo has not been demonstrated. Results: The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SWA2 gene, previously identified in a synthetic lethal screen with arf1 , was cloned and found to encode a protein with a carboxy-terminal DnaJ domain which is homologous to that of auxilin. Like auxilin, Swa2p has a clathrin-binding domain and is able to stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsc70. The swa2-1 allele recovered from the original screen carries a point mutation in its tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain, a motif not found in auxilin but known in other proteins to mediate interaction with heat-shock proteins. Swa2p fractionates in the cytosol and appears to be heavily phosphorylated. Disruption of SWA2 causes slow growth and several phenotypes that are very similar to those exhibited by clathrin mutants. Furthermore, the swa2Δ mutant exhibits a significant increase in membrane- associated or -assembled clathrin relative to a wild-type strain. Conclusions: These results indicate that Swa2p is a clathrin-binding protein required for normal clathrin function in vivo . They suggest that Swa2p is the yeast ortholog of auxilin and has a role in disassembling clathrin, not only in uncoating clathrin-coated vesicles but perhaps in preventing unproductive clathrin assembly in vivo .
Synthes is of o-Aminothiophenois

Abstract o-Aminothiophenols are an important class of starting material for synthesis of a number of heterocycles, e.g., phenothiazines1, benzothiazoles2 and benzothiazines3. However, most of the methods for their preparation either lack generality or are inefficient, giving low yields or hard to purify mixtures of products. Further, preparation and purification of these compounds is complicated by their inherent lack of stability.
Dietary Vitamin K1 Requirement and Comparison of Biopotency of Different Vitamin K Sources for Young Turkeys

In a preliminary experiment, the inclusion of vitamin K1 (K1) at a dietary level of 0.1 mg/kg was as effective as 1 or 2 mg/kg in reducing plasma prothrombin time (PT). To obtain an estimate of the dietary K1 requirement and to compare the biopotency of different vitamin K sources for poults, three additional experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, an incomplete factorial arrangement of treatments was used in which five dietary concentrations of K1 (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 2.0 mg/kg) were tested and two concentrations of neomycin (0 or 75 mg/L) in drinking water were used in conjunction with 0, 0.1, and 0.5 mg of K1/kg of diet. Thus, we used a total of eight treatments. Each treatment was given to two pens of poults, with eight poults per pen. Prothrombin time and prothrombin concentration (PC) in plasma were not influenced by inclusion of neomycin in drinking water. The K1 requirement was estimated, on the basis of PT and PC, to be 0.099 and 0.13 mg/kg, respectively, in Experiment 1. Dietary K1 concentrations tested in Experiment 2 were 0, 0.08, 0.31, or 0.44 mg/kg. A similar protocol to that of Experiment 1 was used in this experiment. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that the dietary K1 requirement was 0.079 mg, based on the influence of dietary K1 on PT. In Experiment 3, dietary treatments consisted of the equivalent of 0.22, 0.55, or 1.11 microM of menadione equivalent/kg from vitamin K1, menadione dimethypyrimidinol bisulfite (MPB) or menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (MNB), respectively, and a control without supplementation of any vitamin K source. The results of Experiment 3 showed that the biopotency of K1 was greater than that of MPB or MNB. The biopotencies of MPB and MNB were similar, although MNB was more potent in reducing plasma PT when supplemented at the level of 0.1 mg of menadione/kg. A nadir of PT and a plateau of PC were evident with a dietary supplementation of MPB or MNB at a level of 0.25 mg of menadione/kg. Results of this research show that the dietary K1 requirement of young turkeys is in the range of 0.079 to 0.13 mg/kg, and ingestion of neomycin did not affect estimates of the requirement. The biopotency of vitamin K1 in reducing plasma PT and increasing plasma PC was greater than that of MPB or MNB. The biopotency of MNB was greater than that of MPB when menadione supplementation was equivalent to 0.10 mg of K1/kg.
Glimpsing independent vector analysis: Separating more sources than sensors using active and inactive states

In this paper, we explore the problem of separating convolutedly mixed signals in the overcomplete (degenerate) case of having more sources than sensors. We exploit a common form of nonstationarity, especially present in speech, wherein the signals have silence periods intermittently, hence varying the set of active sources with time. A novel approach is proposed that takes advantage of different combinations of silence gaps in the source signals at each time period. This enables the algorithm to “glimpse” or listen in the gaps, hence compensating for the global degeneracy by allowing it to learn the mixing matrices at periods where it is locally less degenerate. Experiments using simulated and real room recordings were carried out yielding good separation results.
A quantitative approach to magazine advertisement format selection

Based on the propositions that the attention-getting power of an ad is measured by its readership and that readership is the effect of the ad format, this article uses six advertisement readership ...
Pulsed laser deposition of aluminum nitride and gallium nitride thin films

Abstract Thin films of AlN and GaN were grown by pulsed laser deposition on c-plane sapphire substrates. It is demonstrated that the surface morphology and the structure of layers can actively be controlled by adjusting the nitrogen partial pressure during the growth. The observed trends in the structural quality of the thin films can be attributed to the changes in the surface diffusion of ad-atoms. The surface diffusion of ad-atoms can be influenced by the collisions between the nitrogen gas molecules and the activated atoms, which can reduce the kinetic energy of activated atoms and increase the rate of formation of immobile surface dimers. Through these nitrogen pressure-related effects, thin films with microstructure ranging from crystalline to amorphous can be produced. Our results on the growth of GaN and AlN thin films indicate that this pressure-assisted growth procedure is generally applicable to design the surface morphology of III-nitride thin films. A minimal surface root means square roughness of 0.7 nm for amorphous AlN is obtained, which compares well with the substrate roughness of 0.5 nm.
Thin-section spiral volumetric CT for the assessment of lobar and segmental bronchial stenoses

Thin-section volumetric computed tomography (CT) was used to examine the lobar and segmental bronchi of five patients who had stenoses of these airways diagnosed by previous bronchography and/or bronchoscopy. Four of 23 lobar bronchi and 42 of 72 segmental bronchi were judged to be stenotic by CT. Our findings in this small group suggest that thin-section volumetric CT is a promising non-invasive technique that is likely to prove useful in the assessment of such stenoses in the future.