cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Update in Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a common cause for hospitalization that carries a substantial burden of disease in the United States and worldwide. Recent reports have encompassed a wide array of topics including new insights into the acinar cell pH microenvironment, signal pathways for acinar cell fate, and the innate immune response. Clinical researchers have reported new methods to assess disease severity, innovative techniques for management of local complications, the importance of early recognition of pancreatic or extrapancreatic infection, and prevention of disease recurrence. Recent data also suggest that specialized centers may be of benefit for the management of severe acute pancreatitis. This review summarizes a number of recent advances in basic and clinical science with an emphasis on findings that are relevant to clinicians who manage patients with acute pancreatitis.
Development and evaluation of a one-month research track in emergency medicine for medical students.

We present our experience with the development and evaluation of a one-month research track in emergency medicine for medical students. The curriculum includes reading and problem-solving in research methods, biostatistics, and design (80 hours); data collection in one or more of the ongoing studies in the department (usually chart review — 40 to 60 hours); one major literature search using Index Medicus and Science Citation Index (20 to 40 hours); and participation in all research-related meetings in the Division, as well as the hospital's Institutional Review Board. Evaluation of the student is done by a pretest and final exam covering the topics of the readings. Pre- and post-testing demonstrated increased understanding of basic research concepts and the use of statistics.
Solution chemistry synthesis, morphology studies, and optical properties of five distinct nanocrystalline Au–Zn intermetallic compounds

Abstract Au–Zn was used as a prototype binary system for exploring intermetallic phase accessibility in nanoparticle systems using low-temperature solution chemistry methods. By reacting Au nanoparticles with diethylzinc (Et 2 Zn) in oleylamine at temperatures of 250–300 °C, nanoparticles of five distinct binary intermetallic compounds were accessible: Au 3 Zn, Au 5 Zn 3 , AuZn, Cu 5 Zn 8 -type γ-(Au,Zn), and Mg-type ɛ-(Au,Zn). A variety of nanoparticle shapes, including spheres, triangles, hexagons, and rods, are accessible in the Au–Zn system via a pseudomorphic reaction of Au nanocrystal shapes with Et 2 Zn. The Au–Zn nanoparticles have optical properties that vary with Zn content, ranging from a surface plasmon resonance peak at ∼495 nm for Au 3 Zn to absorption in the ultraviolet region for the Zn-rich phases.
THE MEDICAL CONSULTANT IN INDUSTRY AND HIS VALUE TO THE STATE

tein eaten during a six weeks' period the animals gained in weight 1.27 grams. Similarly, the ratio obtained for clam protein was 2.05, and 2.15 for shrimp protein. This method of comparing the efficiency of different proteins for growth was first used by Osborne and Mendel.6 Further work is in progress for estimating the nutritive value of these shellfish from a more comprehensive standpoint than merely their capacity to promote growth in young animals. The results of the experiments above described show that, judged from the criterion of growth promotion, the proteins of clams, shrimp, -and oysters compare favorably with the proteins of other articles that are highly regarded for their nutritive value.
Fractionation of heavy metals in pavement runoff

Abstract The transport of anthropogenic constituents by runoff from urban roadways can adversely impact the quality of adjacent receiving waters and soils. Metal elements are the most persistent constituents found in pavement runoff. A section of urban highway pavement in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA with an average daily traffic count of 150 000 vehicles was instrumented to sample lateral sheet flow from the pavement. Field samples from two diverse rainfall runoff events were analyzed to determine metal element partitioning between dissolved and particulate-bound fractions. Results indicate that dissolved metal element washoff response is a function of the degree to which a metal element is in dissolved form. Irrespective of the degree to which a metal element is dissolved, the particulate bound metal element washoff response is mainly a function of rainfall intensity. Results indicate that for both events Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni are mainly in dissolved form while Al and Fe are mainly in particulate-bound form. Cr and Pb partitioning is intermediate to these two cases. These findings can assist in the development of effective control strategies to immobilize dissolved and particulate-bound metal elements in pavement runoff.
Current and future use of surgical skills training laboratories in orthopaedic resident education: a national survey

Background: Acquisition of surgical skills through laboratory-based training and simulation is appealing to surgical training programs. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline information on the current use of surgical skills training laboratories in orthopaedic resident education and to determine the interest in expansion of these facilities and training techniques. Methods: The creation of the survey was a collaborative effort between the authors and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Two online versions of the Surgical Skills Simulation survey were created, one (with twenty-three items) specifically for program directors and one (with fourteen items) for orthopaedic residents. The survey was sent via e-mail to 185 program directors and 4549 residents. Data were retrieved and analyzed by the AAOS Department of Research and Scientific Affairs. Results: Eighty-six (46%) of the 185 surveys distributed to orthopaedic surgery residency directors and 687 (15%) of the 4549 distributed to orthopaedic surgery residents were completed. Seventy-six percent of the program directors reported having a surgical skills laboratory, and 46% of these reported having a structured surgical skills laboratory curriculum. Fifty-eight percent of program directors and 83% of residents believed that surgical skill improvement by orthopaedic residents was not being objectively measured. Both 80% of program directors and 86% of residents agreed that surgical skills simulations should become a required part of training, and 82% and 76% were interested in a standardized surgical skills curriculum. Eighty-seven percent of program directors identified a lack of available funding as the most substantial barrier to development of a formal surgical skills program at their institution. Conclusions: There was strong agreement among both program directors and residents that surgical skills laboratories and simulation technology should be a required component of orthopaedic resident training. At the present time, the most substantial barrier to adoption of surgical skills laboratories and a formalized surgical skills curriculum is the lack of funding.
Focal nodular hyperplasia: Central scar enhancement pattern using gadoxetate disodium

Purpose: To illustrate the unusual enhancement pattern of the focal nodular hyperplasia central scar using Gadoxetate Disodium. Materials and Methods: Over a 10-month period, six patients, with a total of seven focal nodular hyperplasia lesions with typical central scar, had MRI of the liver using Gadoxetate Disodium (Eovist, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., Wayne, NJ). Four of the six patients had a prior Gadobenate Dimeglumine (Multihance, Bracco Diagnostics Inc., Princeton, NJ) -enhanced MRI of the liver performed within the previous year. The dynamic enhancement pattern of the central scar on the 10 liver MRIs was independently analyzed by two abdominal imaging radiologists who were blinded to the contrast agent used. Results: On the Gadoxetate Disodium-enhanced MRIs and during the arterial phase, 1-min, 2-min, and 3-min delay, none of the central scars demonstrated enhancement. However, all four of the lesions that were previously scanned using Gadobenate Dimeglumine demonstrated typical enhancement after a 3-min delay. Conclusion: On Gadoxetate Disodium-enhanced MRIs of the liver, the central scar of focal nodular hyperplasia lesions does not typically demonstrate delayed enhancement. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:341–344. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The lymphatic absorption of fatty acids and output of phospholipids are lowered by estrogen replacement in ovariectomized rats

The lymphatic absorption of fatty acids and output of lipids during intraduadenal lipid infusion were compared in Sprague-Dawley ovariectomized rats with (OXE) and without (OXP) estradiol implants. A time-release estradiol pellet (25 μg/day/rat) was implanted subcutaneously in the OXE rats and a placebo pellet in OXP rats. At 4 weeks, the rats were fitted with lymph cannula and infused at 3.0 ml/hr via a duodenal catheter with a lipid emulsion containing 3.2 μCi 14C-linoleic acid (14C-LA), 171 μmol LA, 488 μmol triolein, 520 μmol sodium taurocholate, and 1.5 μmol α-tocopherol in 24 ml phosphate buffered saline (pH 6.4). Lymph was collected at hourly intervals for 8 hours via a mesenteric lymph cannula. The average rate of lymph flow was reduced in OXE (1.4 ml/hr), compared with that of OXP rats (2.2 ml/hr). The total cumulative absorption of 14C-LA during the 8-hr period, as expressed in % dose, was significantly lower in OXE (26.9 ± 5.2%) than in OXP rats (33.6 ± 4.0%). The lymphatic outputs of fatty acids (16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, and 18:3) also were significantly reduced in OXE rats. The amount of 14C-LA absorbed into the lymph were highly correlated (r = 0.85, P < 0.05) with the amount of phospholipid (PL) released. The results provide the first evidence that the rate of lymphatic absorption of lipids is reduced by estrogen replacement in ovariectomized rats. This may be caused by a limited availability of PL to the enterocyte during chylomicron formation.
Fabrication of PbS quantum dot doped TiO2 nanotubes.

PbS quantum dots (PbS QDs) were prepared on the inside and outside surfaces of TiO2 nanotubes by using thiolactic acid as an organic linker. The sizes of PbS QDs were controlled by employing a dip coating process to anchor the PbS QDs onto the TiO2 nanotubes. The PbS QDs with diameters of 2−10 nm were obtained by adjusting the concentration of thiolactic acid. TiO2 nanotubes with PbS QDs located only inside the nanotubes were prepared by first coating the tubes with the double-chain cationic surfactant DDAB. The PbS QDs supported on TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by TEM, as well as Raman, FT-IR, and UV−vis spectroscopy.
GABA and GAD immunoreactivity of photoreceptor terminals in primate retina.

Within the vertebrate retina, two types of photoreceptor cells—the rods and cones—transduce visual signals and convey this information through synapses with bipolar and horizontal cells. Although the neurotransmitter at these first-order synapses has not been identified, electrophysiological studies1,2,3 suggest that it might be excitatory. In the present study, however, we have found photoreceptor terminals in the rhesus monkey retina which are immunoreactive with antibodies to either γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of GABA). In the perifoveal region of the retina, approximately 25% of presynaptic profiles having ultrastructural characteristics of either rod or cone terminals are immunoreactive with one or the other antibody. This evidence for a putatively inhibitory neurotransmitter in photoreceptor terminals challenges present understanding of retinal synaptic function.
Structural Modeling of a Bacterial RNAP/DNA Complex to Understand Functions of the Prokaryotic Transcription Machinery

Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is responsible for transcribing genes into messenger-RNAs. RNAP is a multi-components protein complex consisting of α, β, β′, Ω-subunits. RNAP, together with one or more initiation factor(s), binds to promoter DNA to yield an RNAP-DNA initiation complex. While many attempts were made to solve structures of various components of the transcription complex, the detailed structure of the RNAP-transcription factor-DNA complex is still not available. We have engaged in an exercise to develop a detailed model structure for an RNAP-σ70-DNA complex. The detailed structure of the complex (as shown in the attached figure) is modeled using a structure and sequence-based approach developed in our laboratory utilizing the low-resolution crystal structure of T. aquaticus RNAP- σ70-DNA (PDB: 1L9Z) as a scaffold and information derived from high-resolution crystal structures of the polymerases (minus the σ-subunit and the promoter DNA duplex) from T. aquaticus (PDB: 1HQM) and T. thermophilus (PDB: 2O5J). The physical constraints for the C-terminal domains of the α-subunits binding to DNA with and/or without other factors (e.g., MarA, CAP) in the presence of the RNAP-σ70-DNA are discussed.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Microthalamotomy effect during deep brain stimulation: Potential involvement of adenosine and glutamate efflux

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus is widely used in humans to treat essential tremor and tremor dominant Parkinson’s disease. After DBS lead implantation, tremor is often reduced even without electrical stimulation. Often called “microthalamotomy” effect, the exact mechanism is unknown, although it is presumed to be due to micro lesioning. Here, we tested whether microthalamotomy effect may, in fact, be mediated via release of neurotransmitters adenosine and glutamate, using fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) and amperometry, respectively. Implantation of microelectrodes into the ventrolateral (VL) thalamus of the rat resulted in transient rise in adenosine and glutamate level from mechanical stimulation. Similarly, high frequency stimulation (100 - 130 Hz) of the VL thalamus also resulted in adenosine and glutamate release. These results suggest that glutamate and adenosine release may be an important and unappreciated mechanism whereby mechanical stimulation via electrode implantation procedure may achieve the microthalamotomy effect.
MO‐D‐BRC‐11: Performance Study of Filtered Back‐Projection (FBP) and Prior Image Constrained Compressed Sensing (PICCS) Based 4D Cone Beam CT: The Effects of Gantry Rotation Time and the Number of Phase Bins on Tumor Motion Delineation

Purpose: To study how the performance of 4D Cone Beam CT varies with gantry rotation time and the number of phase bins when two different reconstruction methods, Filtered Back‐Projection (FBP) and Prior Image Constrained Compressed Sensing (PICCS) are used. Methods: Numerical simulation studies were performed using a hybrid phantom. The phantom consists of in vivo human subject data and simulated lungcancertumors with motion. The data acquisitions were simulated at 1, 2, 3, and 4 minutes. After data were sorted into different number of phase bins (5, 10, and 20), 4D CBCTimages were reconstructed using FBP and PICCS methods. Motion trajectory of the tumor was then extracted using a free‐form deformable registration method. The root mean square error (RMSE) was used to characterize the deviation of motion trajectory from the ground truth. Results: (1) When gantry rotation time becomes longer, FBP‐4DCBCT images show reduced streak artifacts and improved accuracy in extraction of tumor motion profile (RMSE=5.4 mm, 2.5 mm, 1.5 mm, and 0.5 mm for 1, 2, 3, and 4 minutes gantry time respectively, for in‐plane motion); (2) PICCS‐4DCBCT enables streak‐free images starting at 1‐minute gantry rotation while FBP‐4DCBCT requires more than 4 minutes to achieve the comparable accuracy in motion trajectory (RMSE=0.2 mm for PICCS‐ 4DCBCT at 1‐minute gantry rotation and RMSE=0.5 mm for FBP‐4DCBCT at 4‐minute gantry rotation); (3) For in‐plane motion, when the number of phase bins increases, the RMSEs increase for FBP‐4DCBCT, while they are much more stable for PICCS‐4DCBCT. Conclusions: (1) To accurately extract tumor motion profiles, the number of phase bins should be more than 10. (2) PICCS‐4DCBCT enables accurate extraction of tumor motion profile using 1‐minute gantry rotation. In contrast, more than 4 minutes are required for FBP‐4DCBCT to achieve acceptable accuracy for extraction of tumor motion profiles.
Exploration of Renewable Energy Usage in a Cement Kiln Using Downdraft Gasification of Poultry Litter

Waste biomass, most notably poultry litter, is a potential source of energy that is widely available and cheap, especially in the southeast. Using poultry litter as an energy source provides a year-round outlet for this waste product. One major energy user that currently utilizes alternative solid fuels is the cement industry. Poultry litter in its raw state, however, is limited in use because of its high chlorine content and relatively large concentration of other unwanted constituents. Downdraft biomass gasification of pelletized poultry litter is a proposed solution to this problem as a means to produce a clean, consistent product gas for injection into the kiln. In this study, this process has been analyzed through experimentation on a pilot-scale 65 Nm3 /hr syngas production downdraft gasifier to determine its effectiveness and consistency in this application. The low ash fusion temperature and high alkali content of poultry litter prove to be difficult obstacles to overcome as ash clinker formation is an issue. Experiments with temperature depression via flue gas recirculation as well as experiments employing an additive (lime) to prevent fusion and aid in chlorine retention in the ash have been carried out. Flue gas recirculation allowed the reduction of the gasifier secondary air oxygen concentration by 40–45%, yielding an approximately 100°C depression in average temperature. Results have shown that the clinkering is temperature independent, at least within the controllable temperature range. Lime also has only a slight effect on the fusion when used to coat the pellets. However, lime addition does display some promise in regards to chlorine capture, as ash analyses show chlorine concentrations of more than four times greater in the lime infused ash as compared to raw poultry litter. Experiments were also conducted to explore the effectiveness of mixing lime with raw poultry litter, the object being to coat more surface area and have a more even mixture. These resulted in more consistent experiments with no ash clinkering.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Complete genome organization of American hop latent virus and its relationship to carlaviruses.

The complete genomic sequence of American hop latent virus (AHLV; genus Carlavirus) was determined. The genome consists of 8,601 nucleotides plus a 3′-polyadenylate tail. The genome encompasses six potential open reading frames (ORF) in the positive sense, and their organization is typical of other carlaviruses. Analysis of the coat protein coding sequence at both the nucleic acid level and the amino acid level indicates that AHLV is only remotely related to the other carlaviruses known to infect common hop. Polyclonal antibodies were produced against the bacterially expressed coat protein of AHLV. These antibodies differentiated between AHLV and other carlaviruses of hop.
High performance linpack benchmark: a fault tolerant implementation without checkpointing

The probability that a failure will occur before the end of the computation increases as the number of processors used in a high performance computing application increases. For long running applications using a large number of processors, it is essential that fault tolerance be used to prevent a total loss of all finished computations after a failure. While checkpointing has been very useful to tolerate failures for a long time, it often introduces a considerable overhead especially when applications modify a large amount of memory between checkpoints and the number of processors is large. In this paper, we propose an algorithm-based recovery scheme for the High Performance Linpack benchmark (which modifies a large amount of memory in each iteration) to tolerate fail-stop failures without checkpointing. It was proved by Huang and Abraham that a checksum added to a matrix will be maintained after the matrix is factored. We demonstrate that, for the right-looking LU factorization algorithm, the checksum is maintained at each step of the computation. Based on this checksum relationship maintained at each step in the middle of the computation, we demonstrate that fail-stop process failures in High Performance Linpack can be tolerated without checkpointing. Because no periodical checkpoint is necessary during computation and no roll-back is necessary during recovery, the proposed recovery scheme is highly scalable and has a good potential to scale to extreme scale computing and beyond. Experimental results on the supercomputer Jaguar demonstrate that the fault tolerance overhead introduced by the proposed recovery scheme is negligible.
Robust network structure of the Sln1-Ypd1-Ssk1 three-component phospho-relay prevents unintended activation of the HOG MAPK pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae relies on the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway to respond to increases in external osmolarity. The HOG pathway is rapidly activated under conditions of elevated osmolarity and regulates transcriptional and metabolic changes within the cell. Under normal growth conditions, however, a three-component phospho-relay consisting of the histidine kinase Sln1, the transfer protein Ypd1, and the response regulator Ssk1 represses HOG pathway activity by phosphorylation of Ssk1. This inhibition of the HOG pathway is essential for cellular fitness in normal osmolarity. Nevertheless, the extent to and mechanisms by which inhibition is robust to fluctuations in the concentrations of the phospho-relay components has received little attention. We established that the Sln1-Ypd1-Ssk1 phospho-relay is robust—it is able to maintain inhibition of the HOG pathway even after significant changes in the levels of its three components. We then developed a biochemically realistic mathematical model of the phospho-relay, which suggested that robustness is due to buffering by a large excess pool of Ypd1. We confirmed experimentally that depletion of the Ypd1 pool results in inappropriate activation of the HOG pathway. We identified buffering by an intermediate component in excess as a novel mechanism through which a phospho-relay can achieve robustness. This buffering requires multiple components and is therefore unavailable to two-component systems, suggesting one important advantage of multi-component relays.
Portable, MPI-interoperable coarray fortran

The past decade has seen the advent of a number of parallel programming models such as Coarray Fortran (CAF), Unified Parallel C, X10, and Chapel. Despite the productivity gains promised by these models, most parallel scientific applications still rely on MPI as their data movement model. One reason for this trend is that it is hard for users to incrementally adopt these new programming models in existing MPI applications. Because each model use its own runtime system, they duplicate resources and are potentially error-prone. Such independent runtime systems were deemed necessary because MPI was considered insufficient in the past to play this role for these languages.The recently released MPI-3, however, adds several new capabilities that now provide all of the functionality needed to act as a runtime, including a much more comprehensive one-sided communication framework. In this paper, we investigate how MPI-3 can form a runtime system for one example programming model, CAF, with a broader goal of enabling a single application to use both MPI and CAF with the highest level of interoperability.
Dysregulation of synaptogenesis genes antecedes motor neuron pathology in spinal muscular atrophy

The motor neuron (MN) degenerative disease, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by deficiency of SMN (survival motor neuron), a ubiquitous and indispensable protein essential for biogenesis of snRNPs, key components of pre-mRNA processing. However, SMA’s hallmark MN pathology, including neuromuscular junction (NMJ) disruption and sensory-motor circuitry impairment, remains unexplained. Toward this end, we used deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to determine if there are any transcriptome changes in MNs and surrounding spinal cord glial cells (white matter, WM) microdissected from SMN-deficient SMA mouse model at presymptomatic postnatal day 1 (P1), before detectable MN pathology (P4–P5). The RNA-seq results, previously unavailable for SMA at any stage, revealed cell-specific selective mRNA dysregulations (∼300 of 11,000 expressed genes in each, MN and WM), many of which are known to impair neurons. Remarkably, these dysregulations include complete skipping of agrin’s Z exons, critical for NMJ maintenance, strong up-regulation of synapse pruning-promoting complement factor C1q, and down-regulation of Etv1/ER81, a transcription factor required for establishing sensory-motor circuitry. We propose that dysregulation of such specific MN synaptogenesis genes, compounded by many additional transcriptome abnormalities in MNs and WM, link SMN deficiency to SMA’s signature pathology.
Independent Tunneling Reductions Relative to Homogeneous Oxide Dielectrics from I) Nitrided Interfaces and Ii) Physically-Thicker Stacked Oxide/Nitride and Oxide/Oxynitride Gate Dielectrics

Direct tunneling limits aggressive scaling of thermally-grown oxides to about 1.6 nm, a thickness at which the tunneling current. Jg, at one volt is ~1 A/cm2. This paper presents results that demonstrate that stacked gate dielectrics prepared by remote plasma processing that include i) ultra-thin nitrided SIO2 interfacial layers, and ii) either silicon nitride or oxynitride bulk dielectrics can extend the equivalent oxide thickness, EOT, to 1.1-1.0 nm before Jg, > 1 A/cm2.
The effects of acute renal failure on long-term renal function.

The relationship between acute renal failure (ARF) and long-term renal function remains unknown. We therefore undertook a study of patients at the Baltimore VA Hospital to examine the effects of a bout of acute renal injury on long-term renal function. We retrospectively reviewed the relationship between serum creatinine and time of observation for 6058 individuals who had values greater than 1.4 mg/dL in any two consecutive years. Individuals were stratified according to total years of observation with a minimum of two years. Severity of acute renal injury was divided into mild, moderate, and severe with elevations in baseline creatinine of 300% respectively. Sporadic elevations in creatinine were evident in 8-15% of the population. There were a total of 1328 episodes of acute renal failure in 916 patients that were suitable for analysis. Mild ARF on a substrate of normal or mildly abnormal renal function resolved without long-term sequelae. Moderate and severe ARF occurred more frequently on a background of reduced renal function but baseline function was retained in at least 60% of patients. We conclude that ARF is more frequent in patients with chronic kidney disease but it is not invariably associated with an accelerated course to end-stage renal disease or death. Overall, the majority of ARF events resolved without adverse long-term effects suggesting appropriate management in the majority of instances.
A once-molten, coarse-grained, Ca-rich inclusion in Allende

A compact, spheroidal Type B inclusion in Allende contains melilite laths that project radially inward from the inclusion edge which show interference growth textures. The combined textural and chemical features of this object cannot be explained by independent vapor-solid condensation of grains in space, followed by random aggregation of these grains into an inclusion. Instead, it probably formed from a once-molten droplet that crystallized in response to radiative cooling from its outer surface. The crystallization sequence in this and another similar inclusion in which oxygen isotopes have been measured is melilite-spinel-anorthite-fassaite; this sequence shows that oxygen isotopic heterogeneities in coarse-grained inclusions were formed after complete solidification of these objects by partial exchange with a less O-16-rich gas, and not during or before a melting event.
Cardiovascular Safety Profile of Combretastatin A4 Phosphate in a Single-Dose Phase I Study in Patients with Advanced Cancer

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to review and determine the cardiovascular safety profile of combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P) in a Phase I study in 25 patients with advanced solid tumors. Experimental Design: CA4P was administered in a dose-escalating fashion starting at 18 mg/m 2 i.v. every 21 days, and the maximal dosage was 90 mg/m 2 . Continuous evaluation included bedside blood pressure and pulse monitoring, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) at fixed time points for measured QT interval determination, determination of the corrected QT interval (QTc) using Bazett’s formula QTc = QT/(R-R interval) 1/2 , and chart review. Pharmacodynamic correlations of CA4P dose, CA4P/CA4 area under the curve, and C max versus heart rate (HR), blood pressure, QT, and QTc intervals, over the first 4 h postdosing were analyzed. Results: After CA4P administration, there were significant increases in QTc interval at the 3-h and 4-h time points [27.2 ms ( P P P P P = 0.01 and r = 0.49 for HR, P = 0.005 and r = 0.55 for QTc) and to CA4 area under the curve ( P = 0.04 and r = 0.41 for HR, P = 0.02 and r = 0.44 for QTc); blood pressure and uncorrected QTc interval dose-response correlations were not significant. Two patients had ECG changes consistent with an acute coronary syndrome within 24 h of CA4P infusion. Conclusions: CA4P prolongs the QTc interval. There was a temporal relationship with the CA4P infusion and with ECG changes consistent with an acute coronary syndrome in two patients. It is advisable that future trials with CA4P have eligibility guidelines limiting patients with known coronary artery disease or those with multiple coronary artery disease risk factors until more experience is gained regarding potential cardiovascular toxicity with this agent.
Asymptotic properties of computationally efficient alternative estimators for a class of multivariate normal models

Parameters of Gaussian multivariate models are often estimated using the maximum likelihood approach. In spite of its merits, this methodology is not practical when the sample size is very large, as, for example, in the case of massive georeferenced data sets. In this paper, we study the asymptotic properties of the estimators that minimize three alternatives to the likelihood function, designed to increase the computational efficiency. This is achieved by applying the information sandwich technique to expansions of the pseudo-likelihood functions as quadratic forms of independent normal random variables. Theoretical calculations are given for a first-order autoregressive time series and then extended to a two-dimensional autoregressive process on a lattice. We compare the efficiency of the three estimators to that of the maximum likelihood estimator as well as among themselves, using numerical calculations of the theoretical results and simulations.
Antifeedant and sublethal effects of imidacloprid on Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri

BACKGROUND: Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, transmits the causal bacteria of the devastating citrus diseasehuanglongbing(HLB).Becauseofthevariationinspatialandtemporaluptakeandsystemicdistributionofimidacloprid applied to citrus trees and its degradation over time in citrus trees, ACP adults and nymphs are exposed to concentrations that may not cause immediate mortality but rather sublethal effects. The objective of this laboratory study was to determine the effects of sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid on ACP life stages. RESULTS: Feeding by ACP adults and nymphs on plants treated daily with a sublethal concentration (0.1 µ gm L −1 )o f imidacloprid significantly decreased adult longevity (8 days), fecundity (33%) and fertility (6%), as well as nymph survival (12%)anddevelopmentalratecompared withuntreatedcontrols.Themagnitudeofthesenegativeeffectswas directlyrelated to exposure duration and concentration. Furthermore, ACP adults that fed on citrus leaves treated systemically with lethal and sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid excreted significantly less honeydew (7‐94%) compared with controls in a concentration-dependent mannersuggesting antifeedantactivity of imidacloprid. CONCLUSIONS: Sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid negatively affect development, reproduction, survival and longevity ofACP,whichlikelycontributestopopulation reductionsovertime.Also,reducedfeedingbyACPadultsonplantstreatedwith sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid may potentially decrease the capacity of ACP to successfully acquire and transmitthe HLB causal pathogen. c � 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Designing Women: Cultural Hegemony and the Exercise of Power among Women Who Have Undergone Elective Mammoplasty

This article draws on Foucault's concept of the exercise of power and Gramsci's concept of hegemony to examine how women used cosmetic surgery to exercise power over their bodies and lives. The analysis is rooted in two feminist perspectives on cosmetic surgery. The first argues that women who elect to have their bodies surgically altered are victims of false consciousness whose bodies are disciplined by the hegemonic male gaze. The second asserts that women who undergo elective cosmetic surgery exercise free choice in controlling their bodies and lives. By examining sites wherein power is exercised by and over women, the authors argue for a synthesis of these two perspectives. They find that the women achieved greater power and control over their bodies and lives when they embodied hegemonic ideals of feminine beauty. Cosmetic surgery can be empowering for individual women while reinforcing the hegemonic ideals that oppress women as a group.
Damping of sound and vibration by flow nonlinearity in the apertures of a perforated elastic screen

An analysis is made of the influence of flow nonlinearity in the apertures of a perforated elastic plate on the damping of sound and flexural vibrations. Fluid is forced through the perforations by the pressure differential established across the plate by the incident disturbance. The Reynolds number is assumed to be sufficiently large that separation occurs, and the reciprocating aperture flows form 'jets' on alternate sides of the plate. The growth of these jets is modelled by means of a nonlinear equation proposed by Cummings (1986). This equation is solved simultaneously with a generalized bending wave equation derived by the author (Howe, 1995a) which governs motions of a perforated elastic plate whose lengths scales are large compared to the aperture spacing. It is shown that significant attenuations of large amplitude acoustic waves can occur except when the frequency is so small that the plate is acoustically transparent. Bending waves are also damped provided the amplitude of the plate surface velocity is not too large and the frequency is small enough to ensure the formation of substantial jets in the apertures. Numerical results are given for large amplitude sound waves incident on a perforated screen in air, and for bending waves propagating over aluminium and steel screens immersed in either air or water.
Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome and the Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor.

Purpose To analyze the clinical and radiographic manifestations of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) with a particular emphasis on the presence, treatment, and outcomes of keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KOTs) in these patients. Patients and Methods The authors implemented a prospective case series and enrolled a sample of patients with KOTs and NBCCS. The primary study variables were the demographics, treatment, and outcomes of managing KOTs in this sample. Descriptive statistics were computed. Results The sample was composed of 16 patients (10 male and 6 female; mean age, 24 yr). These patients presented with 32 previously untreated KOTs. Fifteen patients with 31 KOTs consented to surgery that consisted of a total of 61 procedures during the study period. These procedures included 19 primary enucleation and curettage surgeries and 12 marsupialization procedures followed by secondary enucleation and curettage surgeries. During the course of clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations, 14 new primary and 5 persistent KOTs (refractory to enucleation and curettage surgeries) were diagnosed, of which 13 new primary KOTs and 5 persistent KOTs were treated. A total of 51 KOTs (32 primary, 14 new lesions that developed during follow-up, and 5 persistent lesions) were diagnosed, and 15 patients consented to operative treatment of 49 KOTs. Forty-eight enucleation and curettage surgeries were performed for 49 KOTs that showed effective treatment without persistence in 43 cases (90%) during a follow-up period from 2 to 20 years (mean, 7 yr). One resection was performed for a persistent KOT. The 5-year disease-free estimate after primary enucleation and curettage was 86% (95% confidence interval, 74.8-97.4). Other clinical and radiographic stigmata of the syndrome were diagnosed, including calcified falx cerebri, frontal bossing, hypertelorism, multiple basal cell carcinomas, and others. Conclusions The results of this study identify the variable expressivity of this syndrome and the favorable outcomes of marsupialization and enucleation and curettage of syndromic KOTs.
Terbutaline stimulates alveolar fluid resorption in hyperoxic lung injury

Lasnier, Joseph M., O. Douglas Wangensteen, Laura S. Schmitz, Cynthia R. Gross, and David H. Ingbar. Terbutaline stimulates alveolar fluid resorption in hyperoxic lung injury.J. Appl. Physiol. 81(4...
ELECTRODEPOSITION OF METALS FROM ORGANIC SOLUTIONS. I. GENERAL SURVEY

General principles, methods, solutes, and solvents used for depositing metals from organic solvents are surveyed.
Thermal Management of RF Mems Relay Switch

Radio frequency (RF) switches are one of many MEMS devices that make it possible to communicate, sense, and measure while using minimal amount of space and very low power. The RF microswitches have either capacitive or resistive configuration. The capacitive switches use a flexible membrane design, in which capacitance between two electrodes is induced via electrical voltage; reaching threshold capacitance activates the switch, which enables transmission of a signal. The resistive switches, on the other hand, make direct metal to metal contact. Such design usually uses a cantilever beam that bends as voltage is applied to the two electrodes.
Gap Analysis of Engineering Course Learning Outcomes, Syllabus and Program Learning Outcomes Using NCEES FE Exam

In this paper a methodology to identify gaps in course learning outcomes using Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) is presented. The methodology is applied to selected courses in General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (international university), and Civil Engineering (US University). It has been concluded that the methodology succeeded to identify gaps in course learning outcomes of these courses and corrective actions to topics covered is consequently proposed. The proposed methodology is adequate for programs already developed and is recommended as a continuous improvement and review method for engineering curriculum.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Fundraising “DREAM” Come True

In times of perpetual budget cuts, project fundraising can be a difficult feat for many mechanical engineering technology departments. This is especially true for smaller departments. In fact, it is a problem that has plagued the department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies (ETIS) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) for many years. Recently, however, the faculty of the ETIS department at MTSU has been able to overcome this difficulty through a series of five carefully prepared and executed steps that MTSU has entitled “DREAM.” The five steps that will be discussed in this paper are as follows: 1. Do well in one prestigious, national competition. 2. Request additional funding after success. 3. Establish relationships with industry. 4. Additional projects. 5. Make the most of the learning experience. This paper was written to document the experiences of the ETIS department at MTSU with the hopes of giving other mechanical engineering technology departments additional insight into fundraising techniques. The beauty of the DREAM plan is that it makes fundraising much easier because industries are usually willing to support successful teams that do well in national competitions. The DREAM plan has greatly enhanced the learning experience of the students at MTSU in several ways. First, it gives them hands-on experience that will benefit them in the real world. Next, it allows them to apply knowledge from classroom lectures and labs to an actual project from the first sketch to the competition. Finally, it gives them valuable contacts with potential future employers. These are opportunities that MTSU’s students might not be able to experience otherwise. With internal funding in such short supply, perhaps other departments could benefit from the DREAM plan as well.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Enzymes of Entamoeba hisolytica I. Gelatinase.

SummarySix strains of E. histolytica were shown to hydrolyze gelatin. The gelatinase was inactivated by heat, copper salts, and freezing. The effects of concentration of enzyme and pH were studied.
Fermi liquid instabilities and superconductivity near quantum critical points in f-electron materials

Recent experiments on single crystals of the compounds CeRh1-xCoxIn5 and PrOs4Sb12 are briefly reviewed. The temperature-composition (T-x) phase diagram of the heavy fermion pseudoternary system CeRh1-xCoxIn5, delineating the regions in which superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, and the coexistence of these two phenomena occur, has been established. Entropy vs x isotherms and residual resistivity vs x plots exhibit peaks near the critical concentration xcr ≈ 0.8 at which the Neel temperature appears to vanish (quantum critical point). The filled skutterudite compound PrOs4Sb12 exhibits unconventional superconductivity below Tc = 1.85 K that involves heavy fermion quasiparticles with an effective mass m* ≈ 50 me, where me is the mass of the free electron. The unconventional superconducting state appears to consist of several distinct superconducting phases and to break time reversal symmetry. A high field ordered phase occurs below ~ 1 K and between ~ 4.5 T and ~ 15 T that appears to be associated with quadrupolar order. The heavy fermion state and superconductivity in PrOs4Sb12 may originate from the interaction between Pr3+ electric quadrupole moments and the charges of the conduction electrons. When Ru is substituted for Os in PrOs4Sb12, a minimum in Tc occurs at Pr(Os0.4Ru0.6)4Sb12, suggesting a competition between two types of superconductivity.
Equistrong heavy beam: Solving the problem of Galileo Galilei

In his main book “Discorsie Dimostrazioni Matematiche, Intorno a Due Nuove Scienze” published in 1638 by Elsevier in Leiden, Galileo Galilei, “the Father” of modern science, put the material science and strength of materials on the first place. He introduced the notions of stress and strength that have been fundamental since then. Moreover, in unison with Plato’s theory of forms he found out the perfect shape of a force-bent beam we call today equistrong. This discovery laid the foundation for search of other perfect elastic bodies as a continuation of Galilei’s work. There are no theorems of existence for equistrong bodies so that the quest for them is like a gold-digging. In what follows, the shapes of the following heavy, equistrong beams were found out: a) beam of constant thickness and of variable width, simply supported at both ends, b) beam clamped at one end and loaded at the other end while having either constant thickness and variable width, or constant width and variable thickness, and c) equistrong shape of the profile of aircraft wings accounting for gravity and lift loads. The shape of equistrong rod at buckling under a compressive force is found in the Euler’s problem. Equistrong structures possess minimum weight for given safety factor or maximum safety factor for given weight.
Real-Time Sub-Count Estimation With State Continuity for Asynchronous and Quantized Sensing

Precision motion control is often challenged by asynchronous sensor update and quantization noise, causing abrupt and untimely state variation to limit the machine precision. To provide smooth and accurate sensor interpretation, this study developed a novel event-triggered sub-count estimation method that addresses continuity on system states. By enforcing such state continuity on important properties such as position and velocity, the proposed method relaxes the requirement for accurate model as in the exiting model-based methods. Also, because it does not rely on long horizon of past measurements as the nonmodel-based methods do, it is able to adapt to abrupt reference changes much more quickly. When applying the proposed sub-count estimation method, a precision motion system can utilize the sensor reading more effectively and improve the tracking performance beyond the sensor resolution given available only quantized and asynchronous measurements.