cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart-lung interactions in health and disease

Heart-lung interactions is a term applied to the complex interplay between the functions of the heart and respiratory systems. This interdependence of respiratory and cardiac function takes place at several levels. First is a functional linkage between the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Second are reflex and humoral interconnections between the two systems. Third are mechanical interactions between the heart and lungs, which are elastic structures sealed within an expandable thorax. In recent years, most attention has been focused on these mechanical interactions, but it is appropriate to consider also the other ways the heart and lungs interact.
A look inside the National Cancer Institute budget process: implications for 2007 and beyond.

Despite what may be one of the most difficult times in the long and distinguished history of the NIH, the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) commitment to its mission of advancing cancer research cannot falter. Federal deficits resulting from a host of unanticipated fiscal pressures in the years
A SIMULATION STUDY OF ROTARY REACTOR PERFORMANCE

Abstract A model has been developed to describe the performance of rotary reactors by predicting (i) reactant conversion; (ii) axial temperature profiles of gas, granulated solids, and reactor wall; and (iii) location of reactor zones. The model includes detailed description of particle motions in the turnover processes and relates these mechanics to radial and axial heat and mass transfer coefficients. To apply the model to a specific reaction, a kinetics equation was chosen that is commonly used for solid decompositions, and a numerical study was carried out to simulate the steady state system behavior in response to changes in feed conditions, residence times, and chemical rate and thermodynamic parameters. The sensitivity studies showed that gas inlet temperature, solids flow rate, and kinetic parameters are the most significant process determinants, but that the effects of rotation speed, heat of reaction, and heat transfer rate between reacting solids and the reactor wall are relatively small. Furth...
Continuous gradient scaffolds for rapid screening of cell-material interactions and interfacial tissue regeneration.

Abstract In tissue engineering, the physical and chemical properties of the scaffold mediates cell behavior, including regeneration. Thus a strategy that permits rapid screening of cell–scaffold interactions is critical. Herein, we have prepared eight “hybrid” hydrogel scaffolds in the form of continuous gradients such that a single scaffold contains spatially varied properties. These scaffolds are based on combining an inorganic macromer (methacrylated star polydimethylsiloxane, PDMSstar-MA) and organic macromer (poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate, PEG-DA) as well as both aqueous and organic fabrication solvents. Having previously demonstrated its bioactivity and osteoinductivity, PDMSstar-MA is a particularly powerful component to incorporate into instructive gradient scaffolds based on PEG-DA. The following parameters were varied to produce the different gradients or gradual transitions in: (1) the wt.% ratio of PDMSstar-MA to PEG-DA macromers, (2) the total wt.% macromer concentration, (3) the number average molecular weight (Mn) of PEG-DA and (4) the Mn of PDMSstar-MA. Upon dividing each scaffold into four “zones” perpendicular to the gradient, we were able to demonstrate the spatial variation in morphology, bioactivity, swelling and modulus. Among these gradient scaffolds are those in which swelling and modulus are conveniently decoupled. In addition to rapid screening of cell–material interactions, these scaffolds are well suited for regeneration of interfacial tissues (e.g. osteochondral tissues) that transition from one tissue type to another.
Verifiable Metamodels for Nitrate Losses to Drains and Groundwater in the Corn Belt, USA

Nitrate leaching in the unsaturated zone poses a risk to groundwater, whereas nitrate in tile drainage is conveyed directly to streams. We developed metamodels (MMs) consisting of artificial neural networks to simplify and upscale mechanistic fate and transport models for prediction of nitrate losses by drains and leaching in the Corn Belt, USA. The two final MMs predicted nitrate concentration and flux, respectively, in the shallow subsurface. Because each MM considered both tile drainage and leaching, they represent an integrated approach to vulnerability assessment. The MMs used readily available data comprising farm fertilizer nitrogen (N), weather data, and soil properties as inputs; therefore, they were well suited for regional extrapolation. The MMs effectively related the outputs of the underlying mechanistic model (Root Zone Water Quality Model) to the inputs (R(2) = 0.986 for the nitrate concentration MM). Predicted nitrate concentration was compared with measured nitrate in 38 samples of recently recharged groundwater, yielding a Pearson's r of 0.466 (p = 0.003). Predicted nitrate generally was higher than that measured in groundwater, possibly as a result of the time-lag for modern recharge to reach well screens, denitrification in groundwater, or interception of recharge by tile drains. In a qualitative comparison, predicted nitrate concentration also compared favorably with results from a previous regression model that predicted total N in streams.
Operational measures of central tendency

The shifting operator provides new formulas for estimating the center of data obtained by repeated attempts to measure a response. The data are sorted by magnitude and the estimates are based on polynomial- and exponential-type formulas. The estimators are easy to apply. On known examples they can be more accurate than the mean and the median. They permit differentiation of the center point estimate with respect to any datum. A test is described for assigning the parameters S, T, and W in operational, polynomial equations for the nine-point cube.
A Physiological Basis of Taste Sensation

SUMMARY Taste stimuli are adsorbed to the receptors of taste buds. This leads to a change in the receptor membrane permeability and an excitation of the taste nerves. The quantitative relation between the magnitude of taste receptor response and the concentration of the stimulus can be expressed by a hyperbolic equation. Application of this equation to human taste responses is useful for further predictions and generalizations.
An evaluation of the effects of major trading partner growth using a GMM system

While the models used in evaluating the effect of a country's trading partners' growth rate on their own are fairly consistent across studies, the results are not. We propose using a GMM system instead of the standard instrumental variables method.
Hybrid Lattice Particle Modeling of Retrofitting Infrastructure Design under a Blasting Load

This paper presents a numerical method, known as hybrid lattice particle modeling (HLPM), for the study of the reinforcement potential for coating of three-layer functionally designed nonlinear response retrofitting structure on a linear response infrastructure. The three nonlinear materials behave with different strengths as members of the three-layer retrofitting structure. Different arrangements of these three materials are attempted to obtain a good understanding of the intrinsic mechanism to reach an optimal reinforcement performance to the infrastructure. The ultimate application is aimed at the retrofitting of failing infrastructure.
The phosphorylation potentials generated by respiring Ehrlich ascites tumor mitochondria.

Abstract The extra- and intramitochondrial phosphorylation potentials (Δ G p (out) and Δ G p (in), respectively) generated by respiring Ehrlich ascites tumor mitochondria were determined, using succinate, pyruvate + malate, ascorbate + N,N,N′,N′ -tetramethyl- p -phenylenediamine, and ascorbate + ferrocyanide as substrate systems. Values of Δ G p (out) exceeding 15 kcal mol −1 (62.8 kJ mol −1 ) in post-ADP state 4 respiration were found with succinate as substrate, in agreement with data on normal rat liver mitochondria. ΔG p (out) values exceeding 15 kcal mol −1 (62.8 kJ mol −1 ) were also observed with ascorbate + TMPD or ascorbate + ferrocyanide as substrates. Slightly lower values of Δ G p (out) were found with the NAD-linked substrates pyruvate + malate. The intramitochondrial Δ G p (in) developed by respiring Ehrlich ascites tumor mitochondria respiring on succinate approached 12 kcal mol −1 (50.2 kJ mol −1 ), in agreement with reported values on rat liver mitochondria. The prior accumulation of Ca 2+ and phosphate by the Ehrlich cell mitochondria did not lower the extramitochondrial Δ G p (out) developed after a subsequent addition of ADP. Although the rate of oxidative phosphorylation of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells is reduced by intramitochondrial Ca 2+ and phosphate ( Villalobo and Lehninger (1980) J. Biol. Chem. , 255 , 2457–2464 ) they are still capable of generating ATP in the suspending medium against a high thermodynamic gradient, as expressed by the [ATP]/[ADP][ P i ]mass action ratio.
Validation of laboratory-developed molecular assays for infectious diseases

Summary: Molecular technology has changed the way that clinical laboratories diagnose and manage many infectious diseases. Excellent sensitivity, specificity, and speed have made molecular assays an attractive alternative to culture or enzyme immunoassay methods. Many molecular assays are commercially available and FDA approved. Others, especially those that test for less common analytes, are often laboratory developed. Laboratories also often modify FDA-approved assays to include different extraction systems or additional specimen types. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) federal regulatory standards require clinical laboratories to establish and document their own performance specifications for laboratory-developed tests to ensure accurate and precise results prior to implementation of the test. The performance characteristics that must be established include accuracy, precision, reportable range, reference interval, analytical sensitivity, and analytical specificity. Clinical laboratories are challenged to understand the requirements and determine the types of experiments and analyses necessary to meet the requirements. A variety of protocols and guidelines are available in various texts and documents. Many of the guidelines are general and more appropriate for assays in chemistry sections of the laboratory but are applied in principle to molecular assays. This review presents information that laboratories may consider in their efforts to meet regulatory requirements.
Smokeless tobacco products sold in Massachusetts from 2003 to 2012: trends and variations in brand availability, nicotine contents and design features

Background Sales of smokeless tobacco products have increased in the USA. More than one in eight males in the 12th grade are current users of smokeless tobacco. Surveillance data examining nicotine levels of smokeless tobacco subsequent to 2006 have not been reported in the literature. Methods Data on nicotine levels and design features (eg, pH, moisture content, leaf cut and flavour) of smokeless tobacco products sold in Massachusetts were obtained from manufacturers between 2003 and 2012. Design features, levels and temporal trends in unionised (free) nicotine and nicotine content of smokeless tobacco products were analysed overall and by manufacturer and product type. Results The annual total number of moist snuff products increased from 99 in 2003 to 127 in 2012. The annual total number of reported snus products increased from 4 in 2003 to the highest level of 62 in 2011, before decreasing to 26 in 2012. Overall, mean unionised (free) nicotine remained relatively stable (β=0.018 (95% CI −0.014 to 0.050) mg/g dry weight/year) from 2003 to 2012. However, both levels and temporal trends of mean free nicotine varied significantly among manufacturers (p Conclusions The number of smokeless tobacco products increased in the Massachusetts market. Further, mean unionised (free) nicotine levels in smokeless tobacco products of several manufacturers continued to rise despite decreasing levels from other manufacturers. The current success in tobacco control is very likely undermined without government surveillance, regulation and widespread public disclosure of nicotine levels in these products.
FUM9 is required for C-5 hydroxylation of fumonisins and complements the meitotically defined Fum3 locus in Gibberella moniliformis.

Deletion of the Gibberella moniliformis FUM9 gene resulted in mutants that produce only fumonisins that lack a C-5 hydroxyl group. This phenotype is identical to that of previously described mutants with defective alleles at the meiotically defined Fum3 locus. Transformation with a wild-type FUM9 gene into a Fum3defective mutant restored wild-type fumonisin production. These results indicate that the FUM9 protein catalyzes the C-5 hydroxylation of fumonisins and that FUM9 and the Fum3 locus are the same gene. Gibberella moniliformis is one of the fungi most commonly associated with maize worldwide. The fungus can cause severe ear and stalk rots, but also is present in healthy maize tissue (9) and can produce high concentrations of the carcinogenic fumonisin mycotoxins. In naturally infected maize, wild-type strains of the fungus produce fumonisins B1 (FB1), B2 (FB2), B3 (FB3), and B4 (FB4) (13). These toxins are synthesized via polyketide metabolism and consist of a linear 20-carbon backbone with an amine, one to three hydroxy moieties, and two methyl and two tricarboxylate functions at various positions along the backbone. Genetic analysis of naturally occurring variants (10) identi
Reengineering Assembly, Warehouse and Billing Processes, for Electronic Commerce Using “Merge-in-Transit”

This paper investigates merge-in-transit as an approach to reengineering assembly, warehouse and billing processes for electronic commerce. Merge-in-transit is defined and some examples are given to illustrate its use. Processes necessary to accomplish merge-in-transit are developed, while advantages and disadvantages of merge-in-transit are studied. Additional issues arising from merge-in-transit also are studied: Merge-in-transit software is discussed; new measures necessary for merge-in-transit are examined; the effects of merge-in-transit on others in the current supply chain are also examined.
The Nuances and Complexities of Teaching Mathematics for Cultural Relevance and Social Justice

Mathematics is not a race-neutral subject. Access and opportunity in mathematics for students of color in the United States continue to be limited. While a great deal of attention has been given to increasing the number of underrepresented minority students in the mathematics pipeline, there is little consideration of who they are as learners or the context in which their mathematics learning takes place. We argue that culturally relevant instruction coupled with teaching for social justice can motivate marginalized students to learn mathematics. Throughout this conceptual article, we (a) explore the theoretical frameworks underlying culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and social justice pedagogy (SJP), (b) present illustrative cases of mathematics teaching that reveal the possibilities and challenges associated with these pedagogical approaches, and (c) offer to the field of teacher education recommendations related to the successful use of CRP and SJP within today's classrooms.
Development and Use of a Computer Simulation of the Turbocompounded Diesel System for Engine Performance and Component Heat Transfer Studies

Mise au point et utilisation d'une simulation sur ordinateur pour l'etude des performances et des transferts de chaleur d'un moteur diesel turbocompound
Ventricular Dysrhythmias Associated with Poisoning and Drug Overdose: A 10-Year Review of Statewide Poison Control Center Data from California

Background Ventricular dysrhythmias are a serious consequence associated with drug overdose and chemical poisoning. The risk factors for the type of ventricular dysrhythmia and the outcomes by drug class are not well documented.
The Importance of Ownership Arrangements in U.S. Agriculture1

According to a number of observers of the U.S. economy, large publicly traded corporations can be viewed as a social problem primarily because of their association with the concentration of wealth and power. In agriculture, nine states have laws which restrict or proscribe public corporations from engaging in farming. Also, groups and individuals have attempted to preserve non-corporate production enterprises in agriculture through the establishment of direct markets such as farmers' markets. Proponents of such efforts believe public corporations have negative economic impacts; opponents of such efforts, especially efforts to establish and retain anti-corporate farming laws, argue that corporations can provide economic benefits to rural areas. These debates beg the question of whether ownership and direct marketing arrangements have important influences on economic outcomes such as levels of cash returns from farming and increases in the number of farms realizing cash gains. Using multi-year, county-level data from the Census of Agriculture, this study finds that, even when holding a number of important variables constant, ownership arrangements, as well as the (interaction between the percentage of total sales which are direct sales and the percentage of farms selling directly, are important determinants of both net cash returns and the percentage of farms realizing cash gains.
Arginine Requirement and Ammonia Toxicity in Ferrets

Hyperammonemia of varying magnitude was produced in young, male ferrets by either feeding them a purified diet containing low amounts of arginine or by intraperitoneal injections of jackbean urease. The responses were different depending on the method used to produce hyperammonemia. When hyperammonemia was produced by feeding a synthetic diet containing less than 0.2% arginine, ferrets developed encephalopathy soon after eating the diet and recovered after 4 hours. Although intraperitoneal injection of jackbean urease (100 IU/kg) caused severe hyperammonemia, ferrets did not become sick. Ferrets injected with 450 IU/kg of jackbean urease developed hyperammonemia but developed encephalopathy only after 15 hours. Ferrets showed remarkable capacity to tolerate elevated blood ammonia levels.
Organization in free recall with verbal and pictorial modes of input and output

A list of 16 concrete nouns was presented as words or as simple drawings. The Ss either wrote the verbal labels for recalled items or drew simple pictures of them. The results revealed no effects of mode of input or output upon ease of recall. However, more intertrial organization was observed with word-presentation groups, and in later trials, with word recall.
The Technological Blind Spot in Business Ethics

From all directions comes confirmation that technology, information technology above all, is radically transforming today’s business. All observers predict that this technologizing of business will continue in the 21st century with major consequences. This article argues that business ethics cases (the most popular way of approaching business ethics) as well as the broader corporate cultural values (a less popular but equally important focus for business ethics) are inexorably affected by the technological revolution in business. But of 29 business ethics textbooks published in the past 5 years, only 4 show any awareness of the new configuration of hard ethics cases, and only 2 of those 4 go beyond the case approach to examine the changes in corporate cultural values. If this technological blind spot in business ethics is not corrected, the business ethics guild will have radically failed its calling and responsibility. The consequences of technological blindness and naivete in business ethics are potenti...
Control of a flexible robot arm

A flexible robot arm, supported at a prismatic joint so that the length of (the relevant part of) the rod is variable, is modelled. The variation in the length of the arm is taken to be the control action. The principal results are exact controllability for the consideration of purely longitudinal vibrations (wave equation) and the existence of optimal controls in the more practically interesting case of transverse vibrations (Euler-Bernoulli beam equation). In each case, a free boundary problem is considered. >
Invisible on the Frontlines of the Media Revolution

What if you took up arms and joined a revolution, but none of your fellow revolutionaries even noticed you were there? As a member of the international community of media management scholars, I hav...
CMOS kink effect-induced instability in Al/AlOx single electron transistors

We present an examination of single electron transistor instability resulting from the presence of CMOS devices co-located on the same silicon substrate. This instability may impact future attempts to integrate single electron devices with CMOS circuits.
The Relationship Between Thermal Degradation Behavior of Polymer and the Fire Retardancy of Polymer/Clay Nanocomposites

The change in the degradation pathway of a polymer by incorporation of clay has a significant effect on the fire retardancy of polymer/clay nanocomposites. Since the clay layers act as a barrier to mass transport and lead to superheated conditions in the condensed phase, extensive random scission of the products formed by radical recombination is an additional degradation pathway of polymers in the presence of clay. The polymers that show good fire retardancy upon nanocomposite formation exhibit significant intermolecular reactions, such as inter-chain aminolysis/acidolysis, radical recombination and hydrogen abstraction. In the case of the polymers that degrade through a radical pathway, the relative stability of the radical is the most important factor for the prediction of the effect that nanocomposite formation has on the reduction in the peak heat release rate. The more stable is the radical produced by the polymer, the better is the fire retardancy, as measured by the reduction in the peak heat release rate, of the polymer/clay nanocomposite.
Role of ATP-sensitive K+ -channels in hemodynamic effects of peroxynitrite in anesthetized rats.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the hypotensive and vasodilator actions of peroxynitrite in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats involve the activation of ATP-sensitive K + -channels (K + A T P -channels). The effects of the K + A T P -channel agonist, cromakalim (9-36 μg/kg, iv), peroxynitrite (0.5-10 μmol/kg iv), and L-S-nitrosocysteine (12.5-200 nmol/kg, iv) on mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and mesenteric (MR) and hindquarter (HQR) vascular resistances were determined before and after injection of the K + A T P -channel blocker, glibenclamide (40 μmol/kg, iv). Cromakalim, peroxynitrite, and L-S-nitrosocysteine produced dose-dependent reductions in MAP, MR, and HQR. Administration of glibenclamide did not affect resting hemodynamic parameters but markedly attenuated the hemodynamic actions of cromakalim. The maximal falls in MAP and HQR produced by peroxynitrite were attenuated by glibenclamide whereas the maximal falls in MR were not affected. In addition, the duration of the hypotensive and vasodilator effects of peroxynitrite in the mesenteric and hindquarter beds were markedly diminished by glibenclamide. In contrast, glibenclamide did not affect the maximal hypotensive or vasodilator effects of L-S-nitrosocysteine or the duration of these responses. These results suggest that the hypotensive and vasodilator actions of peroxynitrite in anesthetized rats involve the activation of K + A T P -channels whereas the hemodynamic actions of L-S-nitrosocysteine do not.
Quadrature prefilters for the discrete wavelet transform

Discrepancies between the discrete wavelet transform and the coefficients of the wavelet series are known to be reducible by initialization of input data. Prefilters based on Lagrange interpolants are derived here for biorthogonal compact support wavelet systems, providing exact subspace projection in cases of local polynomial smoothness. The resulting divergence acceleration in a nonpolynomial test case is examined. Irregular sampling rates are also accommodated.
Independent roles of Fgfr2 and Frs2α in ureteric epithelium

Mice with conditional deletion of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (Fgfr2) in the ureteric bud using a Hoxb7cre line (Fgfr2(UB-/-)) develop severe ureteric branching defects; however, ureteric deletion of fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2α (Frs2α), a key docking protein that transmits fibroblast growth factor receptor intracellular signaling (Frs2α(UB-/-)) leads to mild ureteric defects. Mice with point mutations in the Frs2α binding site of Fgfr2 (Fgfr2(LR/LR)) have normal kidneys. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Fgfr2 and Frs2α in the ureteric lineage. Mice with ureteric deletion of both Fgfr2 and Frs2α (Fgfr2/Frs2α(UB-/)) were compared with Frs2α(UB-/-) and Fgfr2(UB-/-) mice. To avoid potential rescue of Fgfr1 forming heterodimers with Fgfr2(LR) alleles to recruit Frs2α, compound mutant mice were generated with ureteric deletion of Fgfr1 and with Fgfr2(LR/LR) point mutations (Fgfr1(UB-/-)Fgfr2(LR/LR)). At E13.5, three-dimensional reconstructions and histological assessment showed that, whereas Fgfr2(UB-/-) kidneys had more severe ureteric branching defects than Frs2α(UB-/-), Fgfr2(UB-/-) kidneys were indistinguishable from Fgfr2/Frs2α(UB-/-). At later stages, however, Fgfr2/Frs2α(UB-/-) kidneys were more severely affected than either Fgfr2(UB-/-) or Frs2α(UB-/-) kidneys. Taken together, although Fgfr2 and Frs2α have crucial roles in the ureteric lineage, they appear to act separately and additively.
Perclose Closure Device breakage and embolization during deployment followed by retrieval with snare.

Perclose Closure Device (Abbott-Vascular) was attempted for femoral artery (FA) access site closure by an experienced operator. The device was felt to snap as it was pushed through the previously scarred skin and subcutaneous tissue. Perclose had broken into two pieces with the proximal portion outside the body and the distal portion embolizing to lie in the FA to distal aorta. The left FA was accessed through 8F sheath and 4–8 mm Basket snare passed through a 6F multipurpose guiding catheter. The tip of the broken Perclose was caught with the snare and pulled out. The Perclose has a distal flexible sheath that is overmolded directly onto the proximal rigid guide. This junction of sheath and guide may be a weak point. Accidental pressure applied at this weak point in any Perclose device during deployment can cause breakage. Awareness of this rare complication is important for safety.
Disclosure and its Discontents

Disclosure of information causes trouble under multiple First Amendment paradigms. Although First Amendment doctrine favors purpose inquiries over effects tests, courts nevertheless have scrutinized disclosure regulations for their effects on free association. And although the First Amendment favors categorization over ad hoc balancing, the tension between disclosure of information and respect for free association has always been a matter of balancing. Under two different First Amendment paradigms, then, disclosure turns up on the “wrong” side. This essay challenges these conclusions in two ways. First, a small but important part of First Amendment disclosure law should be understood as a categorical rule against a certain type of government purpose. In particular, the foundational cases in this area — the McCarthy-era disclosure cases and NAACP v. Alabama ex rel. Patterson — involve this type of suspect purpose. Second, although the remainder of First Amendment disclosure law does involve effects- and balancing-tests, the bad reputation of these methods is to some extent undeserved. In fact, disclosure presents a particularly compelling challenge to the disfavored status of effects and balancing. Ultimately, disclosure is properly about both categorization and balancing, both purpose and effects.
Measuring the Chemical Shrinkage of Alkali-Activated Slag Cements Using the Buoyancy Method

Recent incentives to reduce the carbon footprint of Portland cement (PC) concrete have sparked the research and development of eco-friendly products such as alkaliactivated slag (AAS) concrete. AAS is a promising product capable of developing compressive strengths comparable to PC concrete; however, its large drying and autogenous shrinkage (the latter being the focus of this paper) have impeded its marketability and use in the construction industry. The mechanisms and parameters that control the self desiccation of AAS are relatively unknown. Chemical shrinkage, the driving force of autogenous shrinkage, has never been measured for AAS systems; however, it has been theoretically estimated to be much higher than that of PC. The first step in determining why the autogenous shrinkage of AAS is so large is to investigate its chemical shrinkage. This research focuses on proper measurement of the chemical shrinkage of AAS and the parameters that affect the results.
1/Z-expansion study of the 1s/sup 2/2s/sup 2/ /sup 1/S, 1s/sup 2/2s2p /sup 1/P, and 1s/sup 2/2p/sup 2/ /sup 1/S states of the beryllium isoelectronic sequence

A Z-expansion procedure is used to obtain eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for the 1s/sup 2/2s/sup 2/ /sup 1/S, 1s/sup 2/2p/sup 2/ /sup 1/S, and 1s/sup 2/2s2p /sup 1/P states of the beryllium isoelectronic sequence. The degeneracy effects associated with the 1s/sup 2/2s/sup 2/ /sup 1/S and the 1s/sup 2/2p/sup 2/ /sup 1/S states are included to every order in the perturbative procedure. Z expansions of the dipole length and dipole velocity forms of the oscillator strength for the 1s/sup 2/2s/sup 2/ /sup 1/S-1s/sup 2/2s2p /sup 1/P and 1s/sup 2/2s2p /sup 1/P-1s/sup 2/2p/sup 2/ /sup 1/S transitions are compared with the results of calculations using individual values of the nuclear charge Z. (auth)
Evidence for omitting the petroleum ether extraction in plasma corticosterone determination.

SummaryFluorescent levels at 535 μ were measured in samples obtained from intact females, intact or hypophysectomized males, and ovariectomized females. Each sample was divided so that one part received no extraction with petroleum ether and the other portions received at least one extraction. The addition of this step failed to alter significantly the fluorescent levels in samples from male rats or ovariectomized females. In the latter group, occasional pairs of samples showed differences of at least 5 μg% plasma. In contrast, fluorescent values declined following a single extraction with petroleum ether in samples obtained from intact females at all stages of the estrous cycle. A second extraction produced only small changes (<2.5 μg% plasma).These data support the hypothesis that the main interfering fluorogen in the fluorimetric determination of plasma levels of corticosterone is secreted by the ovary. A likely candidate is 20α-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one. The extraction of the plasma with petroleum ether...
A Tripartite Model—Therapeutic Recreation and Self-Esteem in Adult Clients

How important is self-esteem to therapeutic recreation professionals? Many of the clients we serve have serious doubts concerning both their worth as individuals and their ability to successfully carry out their life plans.
Comparative Analysis of Emission Factors Collected from the Real-world and Predicted from MOBILE6 for Heavy-duty Diesel Buses under Different Emission Standards

Real-world emission data of heavy-duty diesel buses under different emission standards were collected by using the portable emission measurement system(PEMS).The differences among emission factors of CO,HC,NOx and PM under different standards(Phase I,II and III) were compared,and the relationship between emission factors and speed were analyzed.Then,emission factors were derived by MOBILE6 emission factor model through adjusting the input parameters according to the tested buses.Finally,the real-world emission factors under different standards were compared with those predicted from MOBILE6 model,and the applicability of MOBILE6 to the emission estimation of heavy-duty diesel buses in China was analyzed.
Investigation of the Hazard of Benzene and Its homologues in the Air of Shoe-Making Workshops of Shenyang

[Objective]To explore the influence of benzene and its homologues on the health of the shoe-making workers.[Methods]Investigation was carried out in the shoe-making workshops of Shenyang, 3 of which were stochastically chosen for the detection of benzene and its homologues. [Results] The time-weighted average concentrations of benzene in the three workshops were 5.37 times, 16.32 times and 6.22 times of that of the occupational exposure limit (6 mg/m3) respectively; the short duration exposure concentrations in the three workshops were 6.28 times, 13.41 times and 3.9 times of that of the permitted concentration (10mg/m3) respectively; the concentration of toluene and dimethylbenzene were both lower than that of the occupational exposure limit. [Conclusion] The organic solvent benzene in the adhesive used in the shoe-making process might be a risk factor for the high rate of perinatal death and the newborn disfigurement.
Saccade Eye Movements as Measure of Frontostriatal Dysfunction in ADHD

Saccade latency and accuracy were tested in 50 normal subjects (6-35 years), 19 ADHD patients (6-11 years), and 4 patients with frontal lesions (13-15 years) in an investigation of reflexive/voluntary control of saccades in ADHD, at University of Yamanashi, Japan.
Cross-layer Design of Control over Wireless Networks

We consider a set of networked controllers where multiple control systems coexist with their control loops closed over a shared wireless network that induces random delays and packet losses. This system requires a joint design of the wireless network and the controllers, where the design objective is to optimize the control performance. This performance is a complex function of the controller design and the network parameters, such as throughput, packet delay and packet loss probability. Random delays and packet losses in the feedback loop impose new challenges on the optimal controller design. We first investigate controller design with randomly dropped packets. We prove the separation of estimation and control under certain assumptions of the network and show that the Kalman filter can be modified to generate the optimal state estimate when part or all of the observation is lost. The wireless network needs to provide a sufficient throughput for each of the sensor measurements in order to guarantee the stability of the Kalman filter. We then focus on the wireless network design for this controller. The goal of optimizing the control performance imposes implicit tradeoffs on the wireless network design as opposed to the explicit tradeoffs typical in wireless data and voice applications. Specifically, the tradeoffs between network throughput, time delay and packet loss probability are intricate and implicit in the control performance index, which complicates network optimization. We show that this optimization requires a cross-layer design framework, and propose such a framework for a broad class of networked control applications. We then illustrate this framework by a cross-layer optimization of the link layer, MAC layer, and sample period selection in a double inverted pendulum system.
Brownian ratchets: from statistical physics to bio and nano-motors, by David Cubero and Ferruccio Renzoni

‘Brownian ratchets’ is the term used to describe machines or devices that rectify microscopic fluctuations associated with thermal excitations. When introduced by Smoluchowski in 1912 and again by ...
Changes in Physician Practice Patterns after Implementation of a Communication-and-Resolution Program.

Objective To test if a 2006 communication-and-resolution program to address unexpected adverse outcomes was associated with changes in cost and use trajectories. Data source Records of patients discharged with a principal diagnosis of chest pain from 44 nonfederal general hospitals in Cook County, Illinois, between January 2002 and December 2009. Study design Propensity-score matched discharges from the intervention and comparison hospitals before computing difference-in-differences estimates of quarterly growth rates. Data collection methods We used discharge records submitted to a central statewide repository. Principal findings Relative to the comparison hospitals and to pre-implementation trends, and consistent with reduced testing at presentation, the intervention hospital recorded an increase in the number of patients with a principal diagnosis of chest pain. Among admitted patients, quarterly growth rates of clinical laboratory and radiology charges at the intervention hospital declined by 3.8 and 6.9 percentage points. Conclusions Among patients with chest pain, the implementation of a comprehensive communication-and-resolution program was associated with substantially reduced growth rates in the use of diagnostic testing and imaging services. Further research is needed to establish to what extent these changes were attributable to the program and clinically appropriate.
Insights into the Cation Selectivity and Cooperativity with Sugar in Salmonella Typhimurium Melibiose Permease

The melibiose permease of Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt), a member of Major Facilitator Superfamily, utilizes the electrochemical gradient of Na+, Li+ or H+ for accumulation of galactosides. Based on crystal structures and functional studies, it has been proposed that MelBSt has a single galactoside-binding site and all three cations compete for a single cation site. Using purified wild-type or mutants MelBSt, direct measurement of Na+ or melibiose binding were performed with isothermal titration calorimetry. The results show that the binding affinity for Na+ or melibiose is mutually increased by about 6-8 fold, exhibiting a positive cooperativity. To reveal the cation selectivity between Na+ and H+, the dissociation constant (Kd) of Na+ binding was measured as a function of pH. The absolute KD value for Na+ of 600µM and for H+of 0.4 µM (i.e. pKa = 6.4) are determined, showing that MelBSt selects for H+ over Na+. With a pKa value slightly lower than the neutral pH, MelB is able to use either H+ or Na+ as the coupling cation. Furthermore, H+ release during Na+ binding was analyzed by measuring the overall heat changes in three reaction buffers with different ionization enthalpies. While Kd for Na+ is similar, the enthalpy changes obtained in the three buffers fit to a linear function with a slope of −0.3 and −0.03 at pH 7.45 or 8.2, respectively. It is likely that about 30% MelBSt proteins engage H+ release during Na+ binding at pH 7.45 and nearly all MelBSt is deprotonated at pH 8.2. The results also support the notion that Na+ and H+ exclusively bind to a single site. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms operated by MelB to utilize either Na+ or H+.
Outcomes Associated With Left Ventricular Assist Devices Among Recipients With and Without End-stage Renal Disease

Importance Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are widely used both as a bridge to heart transplant and as destination therapy in advanced heart failure. Although heart failure is common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), little is known about outcomes after LVAD implantation in this population. Objective To determine the utilization of and outcomes associated with LVADs in nationally representative cohorts of patients with and without ESRD. Design, Setting and Participants We described LVAD utilization and outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries after ESRD onset (defined as having received maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant) from 2003 to 2013 based on Medicare claims linked to data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), a national registry for ESRD. We compared Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD to a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries without ESRD. Exposures ESRD (vs no ESRD) among patients who underwent LVAD placement. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was survival after LVAD placement. Results Among the patients with ESRD, the mean age was 58.4 (12.1) years and 62.0% (96) were male. Among those without ESRD, the mean age was 62.2 (12.6) years and 75.1% (196) were male. From 2003 to 2013, 155 Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD (median and interquartile range [IQR] days from ESRD onset to LVAD placement were 1655 days [453-3050 days]) and 261 beneficiaries without ESRD in the Medicare 5% sample received an LVAD. During a median follow-up of 762 days (IQR, 92-3850 days), 127 patients (81.9%) with and 95 (36.4%) without ESRD died. more than half of patients with ESRD (80 [51.6%]) compared with 11 (4%) of those without ESRD died during the index hospitalization. The median time to death was 16 days (IQR 2-447 days) for patients with ESRD compared with 2125 days (IQR, 565-3850 days) for those without ESRD. With adjustment for demographics, comorbidity and time period, patients with ESRD had a markedly increased adjusted risk of death (hazard ratio, 36.3; 95% CI, 15.6-84.5), especially in the first 60 days after LVAD placement. Conclusions and Relevance Patients with ESRD at the time of LVAD placement had an extremely poor prognosis, with most surviving for less than 3 weeks. This information may be crucial in supporting shared decision-making around treatments for advanced heart failure for patients with ESRD.
Model Selection Using BICePs: A Bayesian Approach for Force Field Validation and Parameterization

The Bayesian Inference of Conformational Populations (BICePs) algorithm reconciles theoretical predictions of conformational state populations with sparse and/or noisy experimental measurements. Among its key advantages is its ability to perform objective model selection through a quantity we call the BICePs score, which reflects the integrated posterior evidence in favor of a given model, computed through free energy estimation methods. Here, we explore how the BICePs score can be used for force field validation and parametrization. Using a 2D lattice protein as a toy model, we demonstrate that BICePs is able to select the correct value of an interaction energy parameter given ensemble-averaged experimental distance measurements. We show that if conformational states are sufficiently fine-grained, the results are robust to experimental noise and measurement sparsity. Using these insights, we apply BICePs to perform force field evaluations for all-atom simulations of designed β-hairpin peptides against experimental NMR chemical shift measurements. These tests suggest that BICePs scores can be used for model selection in the context of all-atom simulations. We expect this approach to be particularly useful for the computational foldamer design as a tool for improving general-purpose force fields given sparse experimental measurements.
New patterns of magnetic resonance images in high-grade glioma patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin®):

Objectives:To identify new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patterns in patients with high-grade glioma treated with bevacizumab (Avastin®).Methods:The retrospective study was approved by the insti...
Cardiopulmonary effects of volume loading of primates in endotoxin shock

Abstract : Myocardial performance was evaluated in rhesus monkeys after endotoxin shock, and the responses to fluid loading with colloid measured in both anesthetized control and experimental groups. Minute work and cardiac output (CO) were decreased in five monkeys after six hours endotoxin to levels significantly below control values. Infusing colloid to a mean left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) of 12-15 mm Hg increased both CO and minute work significantly but they remained one-half that of the control group of four primates after fluid loading. Improved cardiac performance persisted after infusion through a 30-minute recovery stage when LVEDP returned to normal. Simultaneous pulmonary arterial wedge (PAW) pressures showed some correlation with LVEDP reading up to six mm Hg, but above that level the PAW underestimated the LVEDP by 3-6 mm Hg. Microscopic study showed that fluid loading produced comparable pulmonary edema in both groups, but endotoxin produced ultrastructural capillary lesions.
The Analogy with Natural Selection

Skinner’s first published reference to an analogy between natural selection and operant conditioning occurs in Science and Human Behavior (Skinner, 1953a), where he distinguishes between innate behavior which arises at the level of the species, and operant behavior which arises at the level of the individual organism.
Mobile Virtualization Reference Architecture

An agile, lightweight, but secure extensible hybrid application container and deployment mechanism for mobile devices has the potential to provide improved cross platform support, reduced development lifecycle time and a consistent application security model within large organizations. Such an architecture can provide a set of security and mobile device management interfaces to lightweight applications written in a high level markup and scripting language and also how these applications can be provisioned via push or pull mechanisms to an enterprise user's device. The use of such a container for hybrid applications widens the potential support and development resource within an enterprise possessing readily available skill sets, thus permitting mission critical applications to be developed in a much shorter time frame [JaSm01].
The Brain and Zen

This chapter briefly touches on some plausible psychophysiological considerations involved in several large topics. Topics highlighted include the attentive aspects of meditation; meditative retreats and the momentary “quickenings” that can occur during them; the superficial states of absorption; the deeper states of awakening (kensho-satori) and of “Pure Being”; and the rare later advanced stage of ongoing enlightened traits. If we wish to understand how the Zen training process arrives at its transforming potentials, we need to clarify which brain functions are “let go of” during these various steps. The psychophysiology of triggering mechanisms and the dissociations during transitional intervals are useful points at which to begin.
Actin-based Chromosome Movements in Cell Division

Although microtubules are well-studied players moving chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis, recent work in mammalian oocytes has revealed intricate interactions between actin and chromosomes that directly control the positioning and extrusion of chromosomes during asymmetric meiotic cell divisions. New evidence also suggests that actin and actin-based motor proteins play interesting roles in the assembly and orientation of both meiotic and mitotic spindles. In this chapter we review what is known to date in this emerging area of actin-based motility and discuss outstanding questions and key mechanistic issues for future study.