cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Challenges in Sedation Management in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: a Brief Review.

To highlight the challenges associated with providing sedation and analgesia to critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and also understand the pathophysiological alterations induced by the disease process as well as the logistical difficulties encountered by providers caring for these patients. We also discuss the rationale and risks associated with the use of common sedative agents specifically within the context of COVID-19 and provide evidence-based management strategies to help manage sedation and analgesia in such patients. A significant proportion of patients with COVID-19 require intensive care and mechanical ventilation, thus requiring sedation and analgesia. These patients tend to require higher doses of sedative medications and often for long periods of time. Most of the commonly used sedative and analgesic agents carry unique risks that should be considered within the context of the unique pathophysiology of COVID-19, the logistical issues the disease poses, and the ongoing drug shortages. With little attention being paid to sedation practices specific to patients with COVID-19 in critical care literature and minimal mention in national guidelines, there is a significant gap in knowledge. We review the existing literature to discuss the unique challenges that providers face while providing sedation and analgesia to critically ill patients with COVID-19 and propose evidence-based management strategies.
Predictors of severe and critical disease in pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread widely in the US and worldwide. Pregnant women are more likely to develop severe or critical illness than their non-pregnant counterparts. Known risk factors for seve...
GLOCALIZAÇÃO RELIGIOSA E MIGRAÇÃO NA ITÁLIA: O CENÁRIO RELIGIOSO ITALIANO ENTRE CONTINUIDADES E MUDANÇAS

Neste artigo desenvolvemos a nocao de glocalizacao religiosa para examinar as religioes de imigrantes. Compreendemos os enraizamentos das comunidades imigrantes no contexto receptor no sentido de hibridizacao. Desenvolvendo quatro principais padroes de glocalizacao religiosa (indigenizacao, vernacularizacao, nacionalizacao e transnacionalizacao) nos as assumimos como conceitos-chave para a analise do estabelecimento das comunidades religiosas. Adotamos esse modelo no caso da Italia, enfatizando recentes trajetorias desse cenario religioso. Em sintese, esse artigo busca sublinhar uma perspectiva religiosa glocal sobre religioes de imigrantes e sugerimos algumas variacoes sobre religiao e migracao na Italia.
Longitudinal validation of an electronic health record delirium prediction model applied at admission in COVID-19 patients

Abstract Objective To validate a previously published machine learning model of delirium risk in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Method Using data from six hospitals across two academic medical networks covering care occurring after initial model development, we calculated the predicted risk of delirium using a previously developed risk model applied to diagnostic, medication, laboratory, and other clinical features available in the electronic health record (EHR) at time of hospital admission. We evaluated the accuracy of these predictions against subsequent delirium diagnoses during that admission. Results Of the 5102 patients in this cohort, 716 (14%) developed delirium. The model's risk predictions produced a c-index of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.73–0.77) with 27.7% of cases occurring in the top decile of predicted risk scores. Model calibration was diminished compared to the initial COVID-19 wave. Conclusion This EHR delirium risk prediction model, developed during the initial surge of COVID-19 patients, produced consistent discrimination over subsequent larger waves; however, with changing cohort composition and delirium occurrence rates, model calibration decreased. These results underscore the importance of calibration, and the challenge of developing risk models for clinical contexts where standard of care and clinical populations may shift.
Religious microaggressions in psychotherapy: A mixed methods examination of client perspectives.

Ethical guidelines state that psychologists should consider clients' religion in their practice. However, some clients have reported negative experiences regarding clinicians' treatment of religion in psychotherapy. These experiences may constitute microaggressions, which have been negatively associated with the working alliance and treatment outcomes among clients with various identities (e.g., those of marginalized racial groups or sexual orientations). The present study used mixed methods to examine religious microaggressions among current and former psychotherapy clients identifying as religious (N = 396). Approximately 39% of participants indicated that at least one religious microaggression occurred during treatment; the most common was minimization or avoidance of religious issues. Religious microaggressions were negatively associated with the working alliance and outcomes. Additionally, the working alliance fully mediated the association between religious microaggressions and poorer outcomes. Thematic analysis of qualitative descriptions of religious microaggressions yielded seven themes: minimization/avoidance of religious issues, assumptions of religious homogeneity, pathologizing religion, unhelpful/inappropriate interventions, pressure to embrace religion, prioritization of therapist's religious beliefs, and lack of expertise. Limitations include a retrospective, cross-sectional design and a majority White, female, and Christian sample. These results provide initial evidence that a substantial minority of religious clients may experience religious microaggressions in psychotherapy, which could impede treatment progress via negative effects on the working alliance. As such, clinicians may be able to enhance client outcomes by increasing awareness of religious microaggressions in their work and addressing microaggression-related alliance ruptures openly when they do occur. Implications for training are also discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Gratitude Intervention in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

There is a burgeoning research literature on gratitude and its effect on mental health and relationship well-being. However, very little research has examined gratitude among children and adolescents and intervention focused research among these groups. The intervention studies among children and adolescents conducted to this point have focused on mental health, academic outcomes, and social integration. We focus on intervention research among children, adolescents, and young adults and provide suggestions and for improving this research through stronger control conditions, less reliance on self-report, and increasing the use of mediators and moderators. We also provide directions for future research in this area including increased examination of what develops gratitude in children and adolescents and how gratitude might improve the parent/child relationship, taking the type of gratitude into account when designing interventions, and examining the potential role of gratitude to God in gratitude interventions.
Foundations of behavioral statistics: An insight-based approach.

Part I Introductory Terms and Concepts. Definitions of Some Basic Terms. Levels of Scale. Some Experimental Design Considerations. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part II Location. Reasonable Expectations for Statistics. Location Concepts. Three Classical Location Descriptive Statistics. Four Criteria for Evaluating Statistics. Two Robust Location Statistics. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part III Dispersion.Quality of Location Descriptive Statistics. Important in Its Own Right. Measures of Score Spread. Variance. Situation-Specific Maximum Dispersion. Robust Dispersion Descriptive Statistics. Standardized Score World. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part IV Shape. Two Shape Descriptive Statistics. Normal Distributions. Two Additional Univariate Graphics. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part V Bivariate Relationships. Pearson's r. Three Features of r. Three Interpretation Contextual Factors. Psychometrics of the Pearson r. Spearman's rho. Two Other r -Equivalent Correlation Coefficients. Bivariate Normality. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part VI Statistical Significance. Sampling Distributions. Hypothesis Testing. Properties of Sampling Distributions. Standard Error/Sampling Error. Test Statistics. Statistical Precision and Power. pCALCULATED. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part VII Practical Significance. Effect Sizes. Confidence Intervals. Confidence Intervals for Effect Sizes. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part VIII Multiple Regression Analysis: Basic GLM Concepts. Purposes of Regression. Simple Linear Prediction. Case #1: Perfectly Uncorrelated Predictors. Case #2: Correlated Predictors, No Suppressor. Effects. Case #3: Correlated Predictors, Suppressor. Effects Present. b Weights versus Structure Coefficients. A Final Comment on Collinearity. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part IX A GLM Interpretation Rubric. Do I Have Anything?Where Does My Something Originate? Stepwise Methods. Invoking Some Alternative Models. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part X One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Experimentwise Type I Error. ANOVA Terminology. The Logic of Analysis of Variance. Practical and Statistical Significance. The "Homogeneity of Variance" Assumption. Post Hoc Tests. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part XI Multiway and Alternative ANOVA Models. Multiway Models. Factorial versus Nonfactorial Analyses. Fixed-, Random-, and Mixed-Effects Models. Brief Comment on ANCOVA. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part XII The General Linear Model (GLM): ANOVA via Regression. Planned Contrasts. Trend/Polynomial Planned Contrasts. Repeated Measures ANOVA via Regression. GLM Lessons. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Part XIII Some Logistic Models: Model Fitting in a Logistic Context. Logistic Regression. Loglinear Analysis. Some Key Concepts. Reflection Problems. Appendix: Scores (n = 100) with Near Normal Distributions.
A spoonful of sugar makes the melanoma go: the role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in melanoma metastasis

Summary Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) have been shown to regulate signaling in many systems and are of increasing interest in cancer. While these are not the only sugars to drive melanoma metastasis, HSPGs play important roles in driving metastatic signaling cascades in melanoma. The ability of these proteins to modulate ligand–receptor interactions in melanoma has been quite understudied. Recent data from several groups indicate the importance of these ligands in modulating key signaling pathways including Wnt and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the structure and function of these proteoglycans and their role in melanoma. Understanding how HSPGs modulate signaling in melanoma could lead to new therapeutic approaches via the dampening or heightening of key signaling pathways.
A Latin American Perspective on Geomorphologic Hazards and Related Disasters

Publisher Summary Floods in South America, affect only a minor proportion of the population because the risky areas are sparsely populated. Nonetheless, these floods generate socioeconomic catastrophes relating to production losses in agriculture and cattle farming. Because of their location in the Andes chain and the Circum-Pacific ring of fire, countries such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina are susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A natural disaster can be defined as the product of an extreme relationship between physical phenomena and a society's structure and organization. The concept of a regional environmental vulnerability implies evaluating the area's susceptibility or resistance to disasters that may be caused by natural phenomena. It is a fact that environmental vulnerability must be taken into account in all future regional, national, and local activities. The vulnerability of Latin American societies to natural disasters is high because of inadequate public policies. In general terms, all the Latin American countries have poorly developed management strategies for handling natural disasters. Public policies and laws seem to be insufficient to guarantee disaster prevention and mitigation because of the political instability in several of the Latin American countries. This factor has also contributed to a poor implementation of long-term and sustained national or regional programs on disasters, and low respect by legal fulfillment.
Long-Term Changes in Biological Characteristics and Fishery of Loligo opalescens

Opalescent squid, Loligo opalescens, captured from central and southern California fisheries were examined for long-term changes in size, sex ratio, and fecundity. Samples were collected in Monterey from 1948 to 2006 and in the Channel Islands and Catalina Island from 1999 to 2007. A significant (P<0.0001) decline in opalescent squid size and fecundity occurred in Monterey. The trend in monthly mean sizes was similar among locations. Monthly mean sizes were negatively correlated with fishing pressure; when fishing pressure was strong, smaller individuals were captured the following fishing season. Body size was also negatively correlated with hatch-month sea surface temperature (SST). Negative correlations between anomalies for monthly mean SST and sizes were found—individuals grew larger if a winter was anomalously cooler. In addition, monthly mean upwelling and body sizes were positively correlated during the juvenile stage. The ratio of males to females captured in the fishery fluctuated in all areas.
Burial and Belonging

This article explores the role that funerary practices and burial decisions play in the construction of national and political identities amongst Muslim immigrants in Germany. Drawing on ethnographic research and interviews with Islamic undertakers, migrant families, and religious leaders in Berlin it argues that the act of burial serves as a powerful means to assert belonging in migratory settings. While local burial laws impact the feasibility of Islamic funerary rites, this article suggests that family ties, ideas about the soil, and feelings of social exclusion play a larger role in shaping burial outcomes than the laws of the dead. By conferring a sense of fixity or permanence to identities that are more fluid or ambivalent in life, determining where a dead body belongs helps demarcate social and communal boundaries.
Negotiating Democracy in Brazil: The Politics of Exclusion

Do societal inequalities limit the effectiveness of democratic regimes? And if so, why? And how? Addressing this question, Bernd Reiter focuses on the role of societal dynamics in undermining democracy in Brazil. Reiter explores the ways in which race, class, and gender in Brazil structure a society that is deeply divided between the included and the excluded - and where much of the population falls into the latter category. Tracing the mechanisms of the profound cultural resistance to genuine democratization that he finds dominant among the elite, his theoretically and empirically rich analysis offers an alternative way of understanding both the nature of Brazilian democracy and the democratization process throughout Latin America.
NEUTRAL PARCEL TRANSPORT IN THE HIGH LATITUDE F-REGION

The NCAR Thermospheric General Circulation model (TGCM) is used together with a ‘post-processor’ diagnostic package to analyze neutral parcel transport in the high latitude F-region. The diagnostic package includes a feature that enables individual parcels of neutral gas to be tracked by interpolation through the TGCM model grid in time and space. Various trajectories have been calculated to illustrate the predicted loci of neutral gas parcels that encounter large ion-drag forces due to the ionospheric mapping of the magnetospheric convection electric field. The forcing histories for such parcels have also been calculated using the diagnostic package to decompose terms in the hydrodynamic (momentum) and thermodynamic (energy) equations along the parcel trajectories. The trajectories, calculated for a “steady state”, diurnally reproducible run of the TGCM, show that the cusp region plays an exceedingly important regulatory or nozzle role for the overall flow pattern and has great influence on the energization of the F-region polar cap. In particular, it is found that the trajectory of a “typical” F-region neutral gas parcel passes through the cusp region at least once and sometimes twice in a 24 hour period due to the convergent geometry of the ion convection pattern.
Truthiness in Punishment: The Far Reach of Truth‐in‐Sentencing Laws in State Courts

Truth-in-sentencing (TIS) laws require that violent felons serve large fractions of their sentences behind bars. In practice, the scope of these laws may be either more or less broad than the legislative intent. Using a large sample of defendants arrested for violent felonies and charged between 1990 and 2004, I do not find evidence that prosecutors or judges manipulate charges or sentences in a way that counteracts the spirit of TIS laws; instead, I find that the passage of TIS laws is associated with approximately 12- to 18-week longer sentences for people who are arrested for TIS-eligible crimes, but plead guilty to TIS-ineligible misdemeanors. This spillover effect of TIS laws into misdemeanor sanctions suggests that instead of being undone in the courtroom, TIS increases punishment for all violent offenders, not just those technically subject to the law.
A Nomogram to Assist in Planning Surveys of Small (N < 2,000) Populations

(1978). A Nomogram to Assist in Planning Surveys of Small (N < 2,000) Populations. Research Quarterly. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 552-557.
Occupation-related squatting, kneeling, and heavy lifting and the knee joint: a magnetic resonance imaging-based study in men.

Objective We examined the relation between occupational exposures to frequent squatting/kneeling and/or heavy lifting with cartilage morphology, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), at the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints in men and determined which compartments are most affected. Methods We evaluated 192 men with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). The more symptomatic knee was imaged using MRI. Cartilage was scored using the Whole Organ MRI Score semiquantitative method at the medial and lateral tibiofemoral joint and patellofemoral joint. Occupational exposures to frequent squatting, kneeling, and/or heavy lifting were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Results Among the 192 men [mean (± standard deviation) age 69 ± 9 yrs, body mass index (BMI) 30.8 ± 4.7 kg/m 2 ], those reporting occupational exposure to squatting/kneeling alone, heavy lifting alone, both squatting/kneeling and heavy lifting, or none of these activities numbered 7, 40, 47, and 98, respectively. Compared with men with no occupational exposure to these activities, and following adjustment for age, BMI, and history of knee injury or surgery, we found that men reporting occupational exposures to both squatting/kneeling and heavy lifting had a modest increased risk for worse cartilage morphology scores at the patellofemoral joint [odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1 to 3.2] and medial tibiofemoral joint (OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.9, 3.0), although the latter did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Men with frequent occupational squatting/kneeling and heavy lifting have a greater likelihood for worse cartilage morphology scores at the patellofemoral joint. These findings add support to the important role of biomechanical loading on the pathogenesis of knee OA, particularly patellofemoral OA.
Sulfur isotopic variations in low-sulfur coals from the Rocky Mountain region

Abstract The isotopic composition of organic sulfur and disseminated and massive pyrite has been determined in vertical sections from eight low-sulfur coals (Paleocene and Cretaceous in age) in four coal fields of Wyoming and Colorado. The δ 34 S values of organic sulfur from five sites in the Anderson-Wyodak coal (Paleocene) of the eastern Powder River Basin, Wyoming, are more negative than expected for low-sulfur coals (−18.7 to +3.9%), suggesting that organic sulfur was derived from a combination of original plant sulfur and secondary, 34 S-depleted sulfur. The 34 S-depleted sulfur was probably produced from bacterial reduction of sulfate which infiltrated from the top and bottom during the peat stage. The δ 34 S of organic sulfur in a Paleocene coal from the Hanna Basin, Wyoming, ranges from +1.6 to +13.1 %. Vertical variation in δ 34 S here suggests bacterial reduction in a partially closed system of sulfate which infiltrated from the top of the seam. A Paleocene and a Cretaceous coal from the Green River Coal region, in Wyoming and Colorado, both yield δ 34 S values of organic sulfur (+2.4 to +8.1 %) consistent with what would be expected for original plant sulfur. δ 34 S values of pyrite at all sites varies widely (-52.6 to +34.6%). The isotope composition of the disseminated pyrite correlates with that of the organic sulfur, implying a similar mode and timing of incorporation. δ 34 S of the massive pyrite shows no such correlation.
FRACTALS IN A FIRST YEAR UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR

The study of basic fractal geometry can help build students' enthusiasm for learning early in their undergraduate careers. To most undergraduate students, fractals are new, visually appealing, useful, and mathematically accessible. As a result, fractals can be an effective vehicle for introducing and reinforcing multiple modes of learning, which at many institutions is one of the main goals of general first-year undergraduate education. This article describes how fractals are used in one institution's "Freshman Seminar" program to help accomplish these goals.
Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 Mutations That Cause Opposite Insulin Secretion Defects with Chemical Chaperone Exposure

The beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel composed of sulfonylurea receptor SUR1 and potassium channel Kir6.2 serves a key role in insulin secretion regulation by linking glucose metabolism to cell excitability. Mutations in SUR1 or Kir6.2 that decrease channel function are typically associated with congenital hyperinsulinism, whereas those that increase channel function are associated with neonatal diabetes. Here we report that two hyperinsulinism-associated SUR1 missense mutations, R74W and E128K, surprisingly reduce channel inhibition by intracellular ATP, a gating defect expected to yield the opposite disease phenotype neonatal diabetes. Under normal conditions, both mutant channels showed poor surface expression due to retention in the endoplasmic reticulum, accounting for the loss of channel function phenotype in the congenital hyperinsulinism patients. This trafficking defect, however, could be corrected by treating cells with the oral hypoglycemic drugs sulfonylureas, which we have shown previously to act as small molecule chemical chaperones for K(ATP) channels. The R74W and E128K mutants thus rescued to the cell surface paradoxically exhibited ATP sensitivity 6- and 12-fold lower than wild-type channels, respectively. Further analyses revealed a nucleotide-independent decrease in mutant channel intrinsic open probability, suggesting the mutations may reduce ATP sensitivity by causing functional uncoupling between SUR1 and Kir6.2. In insulin-secreting cells, rescue of both mutant channels to the cell surface led to hyperpolarized membrane potentials and reduced insulin secretion upon glucose stimulation. Our results show that sulfonylureas, as chemical chaperones, can dictate manifestation of the two opposite insulin secretion defects by altering the expression levels of the disease mutants.
Public policies toward private education: An international comparison

Abstract This chapter surveys the wide range of public policies toward private education that are found in a sample of 35 developed and developing countries. It investigates two major questions: What is the relationship between subsidies and private sector size? Are subsidies accompanied by controls and if so, over what? Empirical evidence shows that private educational sectors in developing countries tend to be less subsidized than those in developed countries; nevertheless, they are often very large. This chapter argues that private sectors can flourish in developing countries without subsidies because of excess demand, while subsidies are a necessary condition for large private sectors in developed countries, where a free public alternative usually exists. Government controls over private schools are found even without subsidies. However, heavy controls invariably accompany subsidies, particularly over teacher salaries and qualifications, price and other entrance criteria. Large excess demand driven private sectors in developing countries have been criticized for their low quality, which is supposed to be raised by government regulations regarding organizational form and minimum input requirements. However, these interventions are often evaded by producers and consumers and, if not evaded, quality may come at the expense of quantity and efficiency.
Pharmacist-Led Group Medical Appointment Model in Type 2 Diabetes

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess whether the VA-MEDIC (Veterans Affairs Multi-disciplinary Education and Diabetes Intervention for Cardiac risk reduction), a pharmacist-led group medical visit program, could improve achievement of target goals in hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and tobacco use in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to usual care.MethodsThis was a randomized controlled trial of VA-MEDIC intervention in addition to usual care versus usual care alone in diabetic patients to reduce cardiac risk factors. VA-MEDIC consisted of a 40- to 60-minute educational component by nurse, nutritionist, physical therapist, or pharmacist followed by pharmacist-led behavioral and pharmacological interventions over 4 weekly sessions.MeasuresThe attainment of target goals in hemoglobin A1C (A1C), blood pressure, fasting lipids, and tobacco use recommended by the American Diabetes Association.ResultsOf 118 participants, 109 completed the study. VA-MEDIC (n = 58) participants were yo...
Multiplet relaxation studies in anisotropic media

Abstract Equations describing the magnetization recovery rate of the three identical spins one-half system are presented. The equations are tailored for nuclear spin relaxation studies performed in anisotropic fluids. The ramifications of these expressions are briefly discussed.
The Validity of the Five-Factor Model Prototypes for Personality Disorders in Two Clinical Samples.

The authors examined the validity of D. R. Lynam and T. A. Widiger's (2001) prototypes for personality disorders (PDs) derived from the facets of the 5-factor model (FFM) of personality in 2 clinical samples. In the 1st sample (N = 94), there was good agreement between the prototypes generated by experts and the profiles reported by patients. These FFM PD similarity scores also demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity with results from a semistructured interview and a self-report measure of Axis II pathology. In the 2nd sample (N = 132), the FFM PD similarity scores demonstrated excellent longitudinal stability and good predictive validity with regard to consensus ratings of PD features. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Redefining Usability Heuristics for Transactional Web Applications

There are multiple methods that permit measuring a software product's degree of usability. Heuristic evaluation is an inspection method widely used, since it allows finding many usability problems. Transactional websites have their own defining features, therefore general heuristics may not be appropriate when evaluating their usability. A set of usability heuristics has been developed for transactional applications. The paper presents its refinement, based on experimental validation.
Intact Globe Inflation Testing of Changes in Scleral Mechanics in Myopia and Recovery

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of myopia-inducing and myopia recovery conditions on the scleral biomechanics of enucleated eyes of young chicks. Enucleated eyes from 5-day old chicks, with fiducial markers attached at 5 locations on the external sclera, were placed in a custom-built chamber filled with phosphate-buffered saline, and subjected to controlled increments in intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP was initially ramped from 15 to 100 mmHg and then maintained at 100 mmHg for one hour, with eyes photographed at a rate of 0.1 Hz over the same period. There were two experimental groups, one in which chicks were monocularly form deprived for four days to induce myopia, and the other in which chicks were allowed two days of recovery from myopia induced by two days of form deprivation. For all chicks, the contralateral (fellow) eyes served as controls. Myopic eyes showed less initial deformation relative to their fellows, while no difference was recorded between recovering eyes and their fellows over the same time frame. With exposure to sustained elevated pressure, eyes in all groups displayed time-dependent changes in creep behavior, which included a linear region of secondary, steady creep. The creep deformation of myopic eyes was significantly higher than that of their fellows, consistent with results of previous studies using uniaxial loading of scleral strips. When allowed only 2 days to recover from induced myopia, previously myopic eyes continued to show increased creep deformation. Compared to results reported in studies involving scleral strips, our whole globe testing yielded higher values for creep rate. Whole globe inflation testing provides a viable, less anatomically disruptive and readily adaptable method for investigating scleral biomechanics than uniaxial tensile strip testing. Furthermore, our results suggest that elastic stretching does not contribute to the increased axial elongation underlying myopia in young chick eyes. They also confirm the very limited involvement of the sclera in the early recovery from myopia, reflecting the well documented lag in scleral versus choroidal recovery responses.
The role of the configurational force balance in the nonequilibrium epitaxy of films

We discuss the epitaxial growth of an elastic film, allowing for stress and diffusion within the film surface as well as nonequilibrium interactions between the film and the vapor. Our approach, which relies on recent ideas concerning configurational forces, is based on: (i) standard (Newtonian) balance laws for forces and moments together with an independent balance law for configurational forces; (ii) atomic balances, one for each species of mobile atoms; (iii) a mechanical version of the second law that accounts for temporal changes in free energy, energy flows due to atomic transport, and power expended by both standard and configurational forces; (iv) thermodynamically consistent constitutive relations for the film surface and for the interaction between the surface and the vapor environment. The normal component of the configurational force balance at the surface represents a generalization, to a dynamical context involving dissipation, of a condition that would arise in equilibrium by considering variations of the total free energy with respect to the configuration of the film surface. Our final results consist of partial differential equations that govern the evolution of the film surface.
Modeling dendrite growth during lithium electrodeposition at sub-ambient temperature

Abstract Increased propensity for dendritic lithium electrodeposition during sub-ambient temperature operation has been widely reported in lithium battery systems, yet is not fully understood. In the present paper, a mathematical model is developed to quantify the dendritic growth rate during lithium electrodeposition at sub-ambient temperature. This model builds on a diffusion–reaction framework presented recently by Akolkar [J. Power Sources 232 (2013) 23–28]. Using a steady-state diffusion model with a concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient, the lithium-ion concentration depletion in the stagnant Nernst diffusion boundary layer near the lithium surface is modeled. A surface electrochemical reaction model is then employed to correlate the lithium concentration depletion to the dendrite growth rate. Temperature effects on the lithium-ion transport and its electrochemical surface reaction are incorporated in the model via an Arrhenius-type temperature-dependence of the diffusion coefficient and the apparent charge transfer coefficient. It is shown that lowering the system temperature has the effect of increasing the lithium-ion diffusion resistance and decreasing the surface film thickness – conditions favorable for the formation of dendrites during lithium electrodeposition.
Is β-carotene an antioxidant?

An hypothesis is presented that is opposed to the conventional viewpoint that β-carotene is an in vivo free-radical scavenger. It is suggested that there are biochemical reasons why β-carotene, other carotenoids, and especially their metabolites may be harmful to mammalian systems. Finally, the hypothesis that the macular pigment carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, are free-radical scavengers is challenged.
Nitrate supply from deep to near-surface waters of the North Pacific subtropical gyre

Seasonal (spring and summer) depletion of dissolved inorganic carbon occurs in the surface mixed layers of most of the unproductive or oligotrophic regions of the world's oceans. The missing dissolved inorganic carbon is thought to be converted to particulate carbon by photosynthesis, yet there are seemingly insufficient dissolved nutrients present to support the required amount of plant growth. A possible nutrient supply mechanism has now been identified in a study in the North Pacific. Short-lived transport events — lasting less than 10 days — connect the nutrient-poor surface waters with deep-water stocks of dissolved nitrates. When the water column from the surface to a depth of 250 metres is considered as a whole, there is near equivalence in nutrient supply and demand. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) decrease in the surface mixed layers during spring and summer in most of the oligotrophic ocean. The missing DIC is thought to be converted to particulate carbon by photosynthesis, but known mechanisms do not seem to supply enough nutrients for the photosynthesis. Here it is shown that short-lived transport events connect deep-water nitrate stocks with nutrient-poor surface waters. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) decrease in the surface mixed layers during spring and summer in most of the oligotrophic ocean. Mass balance calculations require that the missing DIC is converted into particulate carbon by photosynthesis1,2,3. This DIC uptake represents one of the largest components of net community production in the world ocean2,4. However, mixed-layer waters in these regions of the ocean typically contain negligible concentrations of plant nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate3,5. Combined nutrient supply mechanisms including nitrogen fixation, diffusive transport and vertical entrainment are believed to be insufficient to supply the required nutrients for photosynthesis6,7. The basin-scale potential for episodic nutrient transport by eddy events is unresolved8,9. As a result, it is not understood how biologically mediated DIC uptake can be supported in the absence of nutrients. Here we report on high-resolution measurements of nitrate (NO3−) and oxygen (O2) concentration made over 21 months using a profiling float deployed near the Hawaii Ocean Time-series station in the North Pacific subtropical gyre. Our measurements demonstrate that as O2 was produced and DIC was consumed over two annual cycles, a corresponding seasonal deficit in dissolved NO3− appeared in water at depths from 100 to 250 m. The deep-water deficit in NO3− was in near-stoichiometric balance with the fixed nitrogen exported to depth. Thus, when the water column from the surface to 250 m is considered as a whole, there is near equivalence between nutrient supply and demand. Short-lived transport events (<10 days) that connect deep stocks of nitrate to nutrient-poor surface waters were clearly present in 12 of the 127 vertical profiles.
The role of appendectomy for mucinous ovarian neoplasms

Objective To determine how frequently the appendix harbors pathology in women having surgery for mucinous neoplasms of the ovary and assess the associated morbidity. Study design A retrospective chart review of patients operated on at our institution with the diagnosis of a mucinous neoplasm of the ovary or appendix. Results A total of 327 cases were identified. Of the 309 women with mucinous ovarian neoplasms, 197 (64%) were benign, 68 (22%) low malignancy potential, and 44 (14%) were invasive. Of 155 appendectomies performed, only 1 metastatic low grade mucinous appendiceal tumor was found, but this appendix was grossly abnormal. There was no association between wound complications and appendectomy. Conclusion When a grossly normal appendix is removed during surgery for a mucinous ovarian neoplasm without evidence of pseudomyxoma peritonei, no primary or metastatic mucinous appendiceal tumors are found.
Loose abrasive lapping hardness of optical glasses and its interpretation

We present an interpretation of the lapping hardness of commercially available optical glasses in terms of a micromechanics model of material removal by subsurface lateral cracking. We analyze data on loose abrasive microgrinding, or lapping at fixed nominal pressure, for many commercially available optical glasses in terms of this model. The Schott and Hoya data on lapping hardness are correlated with the results of such a model. Lapping hardness is a function of the mechanical properties of the glass: The volume removal rate increases approximately linearly with Young’s modulus, and it decreases with fracture toughness and (approximately) the square of the Knoop hardness. The microroughness induced by lapping depends on the plastic and elastic properties of the glass, depending on abrasive shape. This is in contrast to deterministic microgrinding (fixed infeed rate), where it is determined from the plastic and fracture properties of the glass. We also show that Preston’s coefficient has a similar dependence as lapping hardness on glass mechanical properties, as well as a linear dependence on abrasive size for the case of brittle material removal. These observations lead to the definition of an augmented Preston coefficient during brittle material removal. The augmented Preston coefficient does not depend on glass material properties or abrasive size and thus describes the interaction of the glass surface with the coolant-immersed abrasive grain and the backing plate. Numerical simulations of indentation are used to locate the origin of subsurface cracks and the distribution of residual surface and subsurface stresses, known to cause surface (radial) and subsurface (median, lateral) cracks.
DESIGN OF HEAT-REVERSIBLE SNAP JOINTS FOR SPACE FRAME BODIES

This paper presents the design of new joints, heat-reversible snaps, which allow easy, non-destructive, and clean detaching between internal frames and external panels in automotive bodies. It is expected to dramatically reduce the end-of-life environmental impacts of the aluminum space frame bodies, which currently suffer from poor material recyclability. While the assembly process is analogous to normal locator-snap systems, the heat-reversible snaps can be unlocked non-destructively upon heating the panel at a certain location, via the non-uniform thermal deformation of the panel. The optimum number and locations of the locators on the given panel are found based on the equivalent springs that represent the stiffness of the locator. Then, the locations of snaps and heating that ensure unlocking upon heating of the minimum area on the panel are obtained. Finally, a case study on an automotive fender panel assembly is discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Square-Wave Phase Modulation in Ramsey-Type Molecular Beam Resonance Experiments

Square‐wave phase modulation of the microwave signal which induces transitions allows one to measure velocity‐dependent frequency shifts in Ramsey resonance experiments. The output signal from the molecular beam apparatus is demodulated by a synchronous detector operating in phase with the modulation. This output is proportional to the derivative of the transition probability and provides the usual resonance signal which is used in a servo loop to keep a harmonic of a voltage tunable crystal oscillator on the central peak of the resonance. A quadrature synchronous detector operating 90° out of phase with the modulating signal provides a measure of any velocity‐dependent frequency shifts. Such shifts arise when there is a phase difference between the oscillating fields or when an electric field applied to a magnetic system produces a v×e shift. We have theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that this quadrature signal is proportional to the phase difference between the microwave cavities of a Ramsey apparatus with the in‐phase signal constrained at zero. We have also shown that the sensitivity of the quadrature system depends on the width of the available velocity distribution.
Comparative analysis of chromosome segregation in human, yeasts and trypanosome

Chromosome segregation is a tightly regulated process through which duplicated genetic materials are equally partitioned into daughter cells. During the past decades, tremendous efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanism of chromosome segregation using animals and yeasts as model systems. Recently, new insights into chromosome segregation have gradually emerged using trypanosome, an early branching parasitic protozoan, as a model organism. To uncover the unique aspects of chromosome segregation in trypanosome, which potentially could serve as new drug targets for anti-trypanosome chemotherapy, it is necessary to perform a comparative analysis of the chromosome segregation machinery between trypanosome and its human host. Here, we briefly review the current knowledge about chromosome segregation in human and Trypanosoma brucei, with a focus on the regulation of cohesin and securin degradation triggered by the activation of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). We also include yeasts in our comparative analysis since some of the original discoveries were made using budding and fission yeasts as the model organisms and, therefore, these could provide hints about the evolution of the machinery. We highlight both common and unique features in these model systems and also provide perspectives for future research in trypanosome.
Magnetic-field dependence of Hall resistance in thin films of pure bismuth.

Hall resistance has been measured in thin films of pure bismuth at 4.2 K in magnetic fields up to about 8 T. Fields were applied parallel to the trigonal axis, which is perpendicular to the plane of the film, and the thicknesses ranged from 30 to 300 nm. In thinner films, the Hall resistance remained in the negative region. In films of intermediate thickness, as the field increased the Hall resistance first decreased, reaching a minimum in the negative region, then increased to enter the positive region at higher fields. For thicker films, except in a narrow range of low fields, the Hall resistance was positive and increased in magnitude with the field. Superimposed on the general trend of the Hall resistance versus magnetic field, Shubnikov\char21{}de Haas\char21{}type oscillations have also been observed.
Hydrodynamic accumulation of Karenia off the west coast of Florida

Abstract Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellates, Karenia spp. occur nearly annually in the eastern Gulf of Mexico with cell abundances typically >10 5 cells L −1 . Thermal and ocean color satellite imagery shows sea surface temperature patterns indicative of upwelling events and the concentration of chlorophyll at fronts along the west Florida continental shelf. Daily cell counts of Karenia show greater increases in cell concentrations at fronts than can be explained by Karenia 's maximum specific growth rate. This is observed in satellite images as up to a 10-fold greater increase in chlorophyll biomass over 1–2 d periods than can be explained by in situ growth. In this study, we propose a model that explains why surface blooms of Karenia may develop even when nutrients on the west Florida shelf are low. In the summer, northward winds produce a net flow east and southeast bringing water and nutrients from the Mississippi River plume onto the west Florida shelf at depths of 20–50 m. This water mass supplies utilizable inorganic and organic forms of nitrogen that promote the growth of Karenia to pre-bloom concentrations in sub-surface waters in the mid-shelf region. In the fall, a change to upwelling favorable winds produces onshore transport. This transport, coupled with the swimming behavior of Karenia , leads to physical accumulation at frontal regions near the coast, resulting in fall blooms. Strong thermal fronts during the winter provide a mechanism for re-intensification of the blooms, if Karenia cells are located north of the fronts. This conceptual model leads to testable hypotheses on bloom development throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
701 IN VITRO TESTS FOR CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNITY WITH PROTEIN EXTRACTS OF TISSUE ANTIGENS

Good correlation of leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) by human and animal corneal protein was reported in patients with keratopathies. Human and bovine tissue extracts were compared in 288 experiments for migration inhibitory factor (MIF) production and LMI in patients with various eye diseases. LMI and MIF were correlated with the in vivo skin test in patients suspected of immunodeficiencies and tuberculosis. Similar results were obtained in over 90% of experiments comparing MIF production to LMI using human and bovine ocular tissue antigens. Similar results were also obtained in over 90% of experiments comparing homologous to bovine ocular tissue antigens for MIF production and LMI. The in vitro tests were correlated with the in vivo skin test in patients tested for chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and tuberculosis. The ocular tissue antigen concentration required in the LMI test is generally twice that required for MIF production. The in vivo skin test requires 48 hours for interpretation and remains the yardstick by which the in vitro tests are measured. It can be used with microbial antigens like candida and PPD but cannot be used with tissue protein antigens.
A mathematical evaluation of compressive behavior of steel tubular structures filled with composite materials

Abstract Steel tubular members filled with concrete materials have become increasingly popular in structural applications. Load–strain plots of such tubular structures can be obtained experimentally by performing a number of compressive tests. Sufficient tube tests must be performed to establish the reliability of results. Mathematical analysis can be used as a tool in determining the same curves without the experimental work. This work looks into the experimental results and develops mathematical procedures to gain insight into the behavior of steel tubes filled with concrete material under axial compression. Thirty-two specimens with various combinations of diameter ( D )/length ( L ) and A ′ (ratio of concrete and steel area) were tested. It was found that specimens with ( D )/( L )≥0.5 showed fewer signs of bending and no load drop was experienced. On the other hand, specimens with ( D / L )≤0.33 experienced some drop in load at a strain range of 0.006–0.013. Results also indicate that such filled tubes behave like ordinary steel tubes, but with increased load capacity. The lateral confinement provided by the tube seems to play an important role.