cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of photocatalyzed film removal on self-cleaning surfaces: Simple configurations and useful models

Abstract We develop simple reaction kinetic models for photocatalyzed removal of carbonaceous and sulfur films, and demonstrate their applicability to a common range of deposited film-catalyst configurations studied in the photocatalyst literature: 1. Non-porous photocatalyst, non-porous transparent organic overlayer (stearic, palmitic acids). 2. Porous photocatalyst: transparent organic (stearic acid) in catalyst void volume. 3. Non-porous photocatalyst, non-transparent porous overlayer (sulfur). 4. Non-porous photocatalyst, adjacent organic layer (soot). In each case, we consider a simple film-catalyst configuration, propose a corresponding one-dimensional physical model for reaction, and compare model results with literature data to evaluate the correspondence between model and experiment. These examples cover both direct and lateral oxidation by photocatalysis. The respective physical and chemical phenomena which determine these rates of film removal include intrinsic catalyst kinetics (1), simultaneous reaction and light attenuation (2), reaction with light absorption by non-transparent organic film (3), and oxidant lateral transport (surface diffusion) (4). In each case, a simple model suffices to represent the key kinetic phenomena. In all cases, the true kinetic order is zero, but the apparent order may be influenced by light absorption (case 2). The apparent rate constant may be influenced by catalyst light absorption (case 2) or overlayer (case 3), or by catalyst–reactant separation (case 4).
QUALITY DIFFERENCES IN SIMULATED KOSHER AND CONVENTIONALLY PROCESSED CHICKEN

Under simulated conditions, the quality of kosher and conventionally processed chickens was compared. Three processing differences occurring with kosher chickens were studied: cold water “scald,” longer mechanical picking time, and “koshering” (salting) following evisceration. A factorial experiment (2×2×2), with two variations of scalding, picking, and salting, was conducted. Kosher chickens absorbed more water during water chilling than did conventionally processed birds. Color values reflected a loss of the yellow epidermal layer of hot-scalded treatments. Shear values for fresh refrigerated birds were approximately the same for kosher and conventionally processed chickens. Lipid oxidation was accelerated on salted skin samples during frozen storage, but not on frozen salted meat samples. Salting decreased the total aerobic plate count; however, kosher and conventional treatments had approximately the same number of coliforms. Skin and meat from carcasses exposed to salt contained significantly more sodium than carcasses not exposed to salt. A taste panel preferred meat from salted birds throughout storage. Higher levels of lipid oxidation were detected by the taste panel on salted skin samples after 8 months frozen storage but not at 2 months' frozen storage.
The persistence of abnormal returns

The time-series behavior of ROI is examined to assess a central element of competitive markets, the lack of persistence of abnormal profits. The analysis first determines the aggregate dynamic process of ROI and then examines how strategic and market factors influence this process. Consistent with abnormal returns resulting from a disequilibrium phenomenon, a mean reverting time-series process approximates the behavior of ROI. While a variety of factors influence the persistence of return, the conditions under which market forces do not drive return back to its competitive rate seem remote, if present at all. Nonetheless, these factors can insulate a firm from competitive forces and so result in longer-term abnormal profits.
Natural frequencies and modes of rings that deviate from perfect axisymmetry

Given the experimental or theoretical natural frequencies and modes of an axisymmetric ring, an analytical method is presented that allows one to obtain the natural frequencies and modes when this ring is non-axisymmetric due to a mass or stiffness non-uniformity of the ring. A ring is the simplest model of an axisymmetric structure and treatment of its non-uniformities paves the way for treatment of more complicated structures such as tires, for example. The receptance method is employed to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a circular ring which is deviating from axisymmetry due to a local mass of stiffness non-uniformity. The receptance of the ring is derived by utilizing the modal expansion method.
Forces involved in the “specific” adsorption of ions on metals from aqueous solution☆

Abstract The model for super-equivalent adsorption of ions has been examined. Evidence is presented that the bond is not covalent, as has been previously suggested. A detailed attempt is made to discuss the energy changes which contribute to the standard free energy; of adsorption. This includes a discussion of metal—ion interaction forces, water—electrode interactions, on—primary water interactions, Born energy contributions and the dielectric constants to use in the above electrostatic energy terms. The expected errors of the free-energy calculations are analysed. It is concluded that facts known from the small range of available phenomenology are consistent with a non-chemibonding model.
Hydrogeology: Principles and Practice

According to the National Science Foundation–funded Cutting Edge Project: Professional Development for Geology Faculty (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/index.html), a 2005 survey of 74 faculty respondents found that a majority, 59 percent, chose Applied Hydrogeology (Fetter, 2001) as their text for general hydrogeology; 19 percent used Fundamentals of Groundwater (Schwartz and Zhang, 2002); and the remaining respondents, 22 percent, assigned a scattering of other texts or a combination of texts. It would seem safe to assume that the above texts also enjoy a wide distribution among practicing professional hydrogeologists, although more experienced geoscientists may still favor previous texts, such as Domenico and Schwartz (1998) and the venerable Groundwater (Freeze and Cherry, 1979). Now entering the fray is a new text, Hydrogeology: Principles and Practice, by Kevin Hiscock (2005). The text is organized in a conventional manner, including introductory chapters on the hydrologic cycle and physical and chemical hydrogeology. The author appears to assume that readers have been exposed—or will be exposed elsewhere—to principles of surface hydrology, …
Evaluation of high-yield criteria for chest radiography in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Study objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the incidence of abnormal chest radiographs and to test the validity of previously developed high-yield criteria. There is disagreement about the need for chest radiography in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, although high-yield criteria have been developed. Design: Retrospective chart review study. Setting: County-owned, university-affiliated, urban emergency department. Participants: ED patients seen between January 1988 and July 1991 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Results: Eight hundred forty-seven ED visits were identified; medical records were available for 742. Radiographs were not taken in 8%, leaving 685 ED visits in the study. One hundred nine patients (16%) had significant abnormalities, including 88 new infiltrates, two new lung masses, one pneumothorax, and 20 episodes of pulmonary edema. A history of congestive heart failure and fever was associated with abnormalities, as were findings of rales, pedal edema, and jugular venous distension. There was no association with WBC count, temperature, coronary artery disease, chest pain, or sputum production. Previously published high-yield criteria had a sensitivity of .76; specificity, .41; positive predictive value, .20; negative predictive value, .90; and accuracy, .47. Conclusion: Radiographic abnormalities are common findings in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We found that almost one fourth of radiographic abnormalities are not predictable on the basis of previously developed high-yield criteria. Routine chest radiography should be considered in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to diagnose treatable, radiographically apparent abnormalities.
Another Indirect Tactic of (Self-) Image Management Boosting

Indirect tactics of image management are self-presentational techniques that manage information not about oneself but about one's associations. Prior work has documented several indirect techniques, such as "basking" in the reflected glory of another's success and "blasting" the accomplishments of one's rival. The present research found evidence for another indirect image management tactic: "boosting," wherein an individual confronted with a personal connection to another, especially a negative other, elevates aspects of the other's character. In the first study, subjects who became aware that they were born on the same day and month as a maligned historical figure (Rasputin, the "Mad Monk of Russia") significantly softened their views of his negativity. This was the case even though they thought that no one else knew of the birth date connection, suggesting that the tactic was performed for reasons of private rather than public regard. A second study replicated these findings regardless of whether subjec...
Evaluation of the performance of inexact GMRES

The inexact GMRES algorithm is a variant of the GMRES algorithm where matrix-vector products are performed inexactly, either out of necessity or deliberately, as part of a trading of accuracy for speed. Recent studies have shown that relaxing matrix-vector products in this way can be justified theoretically and experimentally. Research, so far, has focused on decreasing the workload per iteration without significantly affecting the accuracy. But relaxing the accuracy per iteration is liable to increase the number of iterations, thereby increasing the overall runtime, which could potentially end up being greater than that of the exact GMRES if there were not enough savings in the matrix-vector products. In this paper, we assess the benefit of the inexact approach in terms of actual CPU time derived from realistic problems, and we provide cases that provide instructive insights into results affected by the build-up of the inexactness. Such information is of vital importance to practitioners who need to decide whether switching their workflow to the inexact approach is worth the effort and the risk that might come with it. Our assessment is drawn from extensive numerical experiments that gauge the effectiveness of the inexact scheme and its suitability for use in addressing certain problems, depending on how much inexactness is allowed in the matrix-vector products.
Spectral Doppler imaging of micro-vasculature response to laser irradiation

Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography (DOCT) imaging of in-vivo retinal blood flow was widely studied as efforts of research community to push this technology into clinic. Spectral Doppler imaging of DOCT has been demonstrated as a quantification method of in-vivo pulsatile retinal blood flow in human eye. This technology has the all the advantages inherited from OCT comparing to Doppler ultrasound. Comparing to normal spatial-distributed color Doppler imaging of DOCT, spectral Doppler imaging can reveal more haemodynamics details on the time dimension. Although resistance index (RI) of a micro-vascular can be measured in vivo from human retina, the clinical significance of RI measurements still needs to be investigated. In vitro experiment conduced with ultrasound has demonstrated the higher vascular resistance value is associated with the higher RI measured assuming the constant compliance of vascular tube. In this study, the rodent window-chamber model (RWCM) was used as a platform to investigate the RI change as the micro-vasculature response to laser irradiation. The higher RI was measured after the occlusion of two veins (should it be arterials) that was verified with laser speckle imaging in our preliminary experiment results.
Increased Risk of Multiple Sclerosis among Women with Migraine in the Nurses’ Health Study II

Background: The prospective Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS-II), which enrolled over 116,000 female nurses, provides a unique opportunity to test the hypothesis of whether migraine is associated with ...
Formal thought disorder in childhood onset schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.

Abstract The Kiddie Formal Thought Disorder Rating Scale (K-FTDS) was examined in a sample of 29 schizophrenic, 10 schizotypal, and 54 normal children, aged 5–12.5 yrs. The schizophrenic and schizotypal children had significantly more illogical thinking and loose associations than the normal children. There were no significant differences between the illogical thinking and loose associations ratings of the schizophrenic and schizotypal children. Young schizophrenic, schizotypal, and normal children had more illogical thinking and loose associations than older children in their respective groups. The diagnostic, developmental, and cognitive implications of the study's results are discussed.
Voluntary Steps toward Air Travel Security An Examination of Travelers’ Attitudes and Intentions to Use Biometric Systems

Using a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model, this study examines travelers’ voluntary adoption of registered traveler biometric systems. Such systems have important consequences for general air travel security, while improving the experiences of registered travelers. This study shows that air travelers’ intentions to use registered traveler biometric systems are influenced by their attitudes toward these systems, which in turn are strongly affected by their perceptions of usefulness, privacy, and to a lesser extent, by ease of use. This study also establishes the critical roles of perceived security and innovativeness toward information technology as indirect antecedents of travelers’ intentions to use registered traveler biometric systems.
A Weighted Least Squares Approach to Precoding With Pilots for MIMO-OFDM

Next-generation wireless systems are expected to leverage multiple-antenna, commonly called multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), technology transmitting over broadband channels via orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM). It is now well known that MIMO systems can obtain error rate and capacity improvements by adapting the transmitter to the current channel conditions. Linear spatial precoding is a popular technique for channel adaptation where the transmitted space-time signal for each subcarrier is multiplied by a precoding matrix before transmission. Spatial precoding is complicated, however, in OFDM because channel information is often only known for a small number of pilot tones. In this correspondence, we present a subspace interpolation method for designing spatial precoders for all subcarriers by using the precoders known on pilot tones. The nonpilot precoders are solutions to a weighted least-squares design on the Grassmann manifold. Simulation results show performance benefits over existing MIMO-OFDM techniques
Quantum chemical dissection of the classic terpinyl/pinyl/bornyl/camphyl cation conundrum—the role of pyrophosphate in manipulating pathways to monoterpenes

Based on quantum chemical studies, mechanisms to form bornyl diphosphate from geranyl diphosphate are suggested. While bornyl diphosphate is usually proposed to be generated via combination of the pyrophosphate group with a secondary bornyl cation, quantum chemical computations indicate that the bornyl cation is actually not a minimum. Instead, concerted attack of the pyrophosphate group coupled with an alkyl shift could yield bornyl diphosphate from either the pinyl cation or the camphyl cation. Hints of bifurcating pathways on the energy surfaces for such reactions were also uncovered. Of particular note is the development and validation of a large model of the pyrophosphate counterion treated entirely with quantum chemistry.
How Important is Diaphragm Function as a Determinant of Outcomes for MICU Patients in Respiratory Failure

### Overview of the Problem The number of mechanically ventilated patients in medical intensive care units (MICUs) in the United States has increased dramatically over the past 20 years, with >800,000 patients per year now requiring more than transient mechanical ventilation. Many of these patients
Concurrent crizotinib and whole-brain radiation for brain metastases in ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma

SUMMARY Crizotinib is now used for ALK-positive adenocarcinoma of the lung. To the best of our knowledge it has not been used concurrently with radiation. We report the first case where a patient safely tolerated crizotinib with concurrent whole-brain radiation therapy for brain metastases in ALK-positive adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient had a good response to the combination with improved performance status.
Systems and synergy: decision making in the third millennium

The objective of SYSTEMSAND SYNERGYis to increase the participant's understanding of the dynamics that affect organizational performance to improve his or her decision-making capabilities. Decision making is facilitated and judgment is improved when managers have a systems understanding of the interrelationships of organizational dimensions that affect performance. SYSTEMSAND SYNERGYis designed to enhance that understanding through exposure to Bolman and Deal's four frames of reference for viewing and understanding organizations: structural, human resource, symbolic (cultural), and political.
Gene therapy for primary and metastatic pancreatic cancer with intraperitoneal retroviral vector bearing the wild-type p53 gene

Background: Metastatic pancreatic cancer is uniformly fatal because no effective chemotherapy is available. Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene are found in up to 70% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. We examined the efficacy of a retroviral vector containing the wild-type p53 gene on metastatic pancreatic cancer in a nude mouse model. Methods: Bxpc3 human pancreatic cancer cells were transduced with either a retroviral p53 vector or an LXSN empty vector. Cells were examined for incorporation of tritiated thymidine to determine the effect of p53 retroviral transduction on DNA synthesis, and a TACS2 assay for apoptosis was performed. The functional activity of p53 in transduced cells was assessed by Western blot analysis with an antibody to WAF1/p21. In vivo effects of intraperitoneal injections of the p53 vector were examined in a nude mouse model of peritoneal carcinomatosis. Results: Cells treated with the p53 vector exhibited a 59% to 85.5% reduction in cell number compared with the control cells (P < .05). p53-treated cells demonstrated decreased incorporation of tritiated thymidine (12.7% ± 0.7% vs 17.5% ± 1.4%; P = .002), increased staining for apoptosis, and increased expression of the WAF1/p21 protein. Treatment of nude mice with the retroviral p53 vector resulted in a significant inhibition of growth of the primary pancreatic tumor, as well as the peritoneal tumor deposits, compared with the LXSN control vector. Conclusions: Intraperitoneal delivery of a retroviral p53 vector may provide a novel treatment approach for peritoneal carcinomatosis from pancreatic cancer. (Surgery 1998;124:143-51.)
Can recurrent neural networks learn natural language grammars

Recurrent neural networks are complex parametric dynamic systems that can exhibit a wide range of different behavior. We consider the task of grammatical inference with recurrent neural networks. Specifically, we consider the task of classifying natural language sentences as grammatical or ungrammatical: can a recurrent neural network be made to exhibit the same kind of discriminatory power which is provided by the principles and parameters linguistic framework, or government and binding theory? We attempt to train a network, without the bifurcation into learned vs. innate components assumed by Chomsky, to produce the same judgments as native speakers on sharply grammatical/ungrammatical data. We consider how a recurrent neural network could possess linguistic capability, and investigate the properties of Elman, Narendra and Parthasarathy (N&P) and Williams and Zipser (W&Z) recurrent networks, and Frasconi-Gori-Soda (FGS) locally recurrent networks in this setting. We show that both Elman and W&Z recurrent neural networks are able to learn an appropriate grammar.
On sample sizes to estimate the protective efficacy of a vaccine

To estimate vaccine protective efficacy, defined as VE = 1 - ARV/ARU where ARV is the disease attack rate in the vaccinated group and ARU is the disease attack rate in the controls, investigators have used both cohort and case-control designs. For each design, we present a method for calculation of the sample size required to provide an approximate confidence interval for VE of predetermined width and probability of coverage. The required sample size is a function of the desired width of the confidence interval, the probability of coverage, the assumed VE, and, for cohort designs, the assumed disease attack rate in the controls, and for case-control designs, the assumed vaccine exposure prevalence for the controls.
Strategies for decreasing contamination of homemade nasal saline irrigation solutions.

Background Saline nasal irrigations (SNI) are an important adjunct in the treatment of rhinosinusitis, and many patients prepare and store these solutions in their homes without an awareness of the potential for contamination. The objectives of this study were to determine if such contamination occurs and the effect of preparation methods on contamination. Methods Stock solutions of various tonicities and pHs were prepared using boiled, bottled, and distilled water (n = 57). The solutions were stored at ambient temperature or refrigerated for 1 week. Each day, 50 mL of the solutions were decanted to simulate transferring the stock solution into an irrigation vector. Cultures of the stock solutions were taken on days 1, 3, and 7. Results Overall contamination rate was 35.1%. The boiled water solutions were more likely to demonstrate bacterial growth (p < 0.001), as were those that were hypotonic (p = 0.046). pH had no significant effect (p = 0.127). Growth occurred as early as 24 hours after solution preparation. Pathogenic species isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Moraxella sp, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Acinetobacter junii, Methylobacterium sp, and Brevundimonas diminuta. No bacterial growth occurred in refrigerated solutions (p = 0.008). Conclusion Pathogenic bacterial growth can occur in a short period of time in homemade SNI solutions with routine handling. Solutions should be refrigerated if possible. If solutions are to be stored at ambient temperature, they should be either isotonic or hypertonic and prepared from bottled or distilled water.
Responses to coronary artery occlusion in conscious dogs with selective cardiac denervation

The extent to which cardiac denervation alters responses to myocardial ischemia remains controversial. This study compared responses to 24-h coronary artery occlusion (CAO) on measurements of wall thickness (ultrasonic crystals), regional myocardial blood flow (microspheres), and infarct size (triphenyltetrazolium chloride technique) in three groups of conscious dogs with 1) selective posterior left ventricular (LV) wall denervation, 2) selective ventricular denervation, or in 3) intact dogs. After CAO, hemodynamic changes were not different among the three groups. Wall thickening in the ischemic zone became akinetic or paradoxical early after CAO and did not recover in any group over the 24-h monitoring period. Blood flow in the area at risk fell similarly in all groups. Infarct size, as a percentage of the area at risk, was 45 +/- 7% in intact, 48 +/- 6% in posterior LV wall-denervated, and 48 +/- 8% in ventricular-denervated group. There was, however, a lower (P less than 0.05) frequency of arrhythmic beats per minute after 3 h of CAO in the ventricular-denervated group (3.2 +/- 1.4) compared with the intact (11.3 +/- 4.1) or posterior wall-denervated (12.6 +/- 3.2) group. An additional group of ventricular-denervated dogs was studied to determine the effects of sequential, brief 2-min CAO at 2, 4, and 8 wk after denervation. Responses of regional wall thickening to CAO were not affected significantly even after 8 wk following ventricular denervation. Thus, in conscious dogs, neither selective ventricular denervation nor selective denervation of the posterior LV wall improved collateral blood flow, affected regional function favorably, or reduced infarct size after CAO.
Critical narrative analysis: the interplay of critical discourse and narrative analyses

In this article, I question the micro–macro separation in discourse analysis, the separation of personal and institutional discourses. I apply a mostly macroanalytic perspective (critical discourse analysis [CDA]) to inform a predominantly microanalytic perspective (analysis of conversational narratives) and vice versa. In the combination of these two analytic approaches to data analysis, I explore the connections between macro-level power inequities and micro-level interactional positionings, thereby establishing critical narrative analysis (CNA). I examine the focus of CDA on institutional discourses and problematize the definition of power discourses by looking closely at the intertextual recycling of institutional discourses in everyday narratives and at the adoption of everyday narratives in institutional discourses. Ultimately, I propose that CNA unites CDA and narrative analysis in a mutually beneficial partnership that addresses both theoretical and methodological dilemmas in discourse analysis.
Quantitative effects of antiplatelet therapy on healing of the endarterectomized canine aorta.

Abstract This study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of an antiplatelet agent, ibuprofen, on mural thrombus formation and pseudointimal development in the endarterectomized canine aorta. A 3 cm segment of abdominal aorta was endarterectomized in 18 dogs. Nine dogs served as controls and nine dogs were treated with ibuprofen (12.5 mg/kg) given intravenously 1 hour preoperatively and orally (7.5 mg/kg) three times a day in the postoperative period. Three dogs were killed from each group at 7, 14, and 21 days. Healing of the endarterectomized aortic segment was assessed by means of computerassisted surface morphometry, light microscopy, and both scanning and transmission electron microscopy. One week postoperatively, the thrombus-free surface in the treated dogs was 75 percent, compared with 20 percent in control animals; at 2 weeks 97 percent, compared with 38 percent and at 3 weeks 98 percent, compared with 38 percent (p
Analyses of missing organs in abdominal multi-organ segmentation

Current methods for abdominal multi-organ segmentation (MOS) in CT can fail to handle clinical patient population with missing organs due to surgical removal. In order to enable the state-of-the-art atlas-guided MOS for these clinical cases, we propose 1) statistical organ location models of 10 abdominal organs, 2) organ shift models that capture organ shifts due to specific surgical procedures, and 3) data-driven algorithms to detect missing organs by using a normality test of organ centers and a texture difference in intensity entropy. The proposed methods are validated with 34 contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans, resulting in 80% detection rate at 15% false positive rate for missing organ detection. Additionally, the method allows the detection/segmentation of abdominal organs from difficult diseased cases with missing organs.
Regulatory role of arginase I and II in nitric oxide, polyamine, and proline syntheses in endothelial cells

Endothelial cells (EC) metabolize l-arginine mainly by arginase, which exists as two distinct isoforms, arginase I and II. To understand the roles of arginase isoforms in EC arginine metabolism, bo...
Modelling the effect of atmospheric pressure variations on gravity

Summary. A model is developed to describe the effects of local and global atmospheric pressure fluctuations on local gravity. The calculated admittance of gravity to the pressure tides S1-S4 at Pinon Flat, California is compared to those measured using the superconducting gravimeter. The theoretical and measured admittances are in good agreement for the S3 and S4 tides. The difference between theory and observation at S2 can probably be explained by the ocean tide at that frequency while the discrepancy at S1 remains unexplained. Techniques for the removal of random pressure variations from gravity records are described. Using statistics derived from spherical harmonic decompositions of the Earth's pressure field, it is shown that more than 80 per cent of the pressure induced gravity variations should be removed from a gravity record by employing a single barometer and least-squares procedure. It is further shown that adding a ring of barometers should increase the effectiveness to about 90 per cent. The amount of barometric pressure ‘noise’ which remains after subtracting the simultaneous record of two gravimeters is calculated as a function of their separation and indicates that significantly less noise is present in the difference than in the individual records for separations of up to 17° of arc.
Parallel maximum weight bipartite matching algorithms for scheduling in input-queued switches

Summary form only given. An input-queued switch with virtual output queuing is able to provide a maximum throughput of 100% in the supporting more sophisticated scheduling strategies. Switch scheduling can be cast as a maximum flow problem. We propose a maximum weight bipartite matching (MWBM) scheduling algorithm for input-queued switches. Our goal is to provide 100% throughput while maintaining fairness and stability. Our algorithm provides sublinear parallel run time complexity using a polynomial number of processing elements. We are able to obtain the MWBM for a time slot in sublinear time by using the matching produced in the previous time slot based on the observation that in input-queued cell-based switches, the weight of edges changes very little during successive time slots. To the best of our knowledge, our algorithm outperforms all previously proposed MWBM scheduling algorithms proposed for input-queued switches. We also describe a linear time complexity MWBM algorithm for a general bipartite graph which outperforms the best known sublinear MWBM algorithm for any bipartite graph with less than 10/sup 15/ number of nodes.
Brain trauma leads to enhanced lung inflammation and injury: evidence for role of P4504Fs in resolution

Traumatic brain injury is known to cause several secondary effects, which lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. An acute systemic inflammatory response seems to play an integral role in the development of such complications providing the potential for massive secondary injury. We show that a contusion injury to the rat brain causes large migration of inflammatory cells (especially macrophages and neutrophils) in the major airways and alveolar spaces at 24 h post-injury, which is associated with enhanced pulmonary leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production within the lung. However, by 2 weeks after injury, a temporal switch occurs and the resolution of inflammation is underway. We provide evidence that 5-lipoxygenase and Cytochrome P450 4Fs (CYP4Fs), the respective enzymes responsible for LTB4 synthesis and breakdown, play crucial roles in setting the cellular concentration of LTB4. Activation of LTB4 breakdown via induction of CYP4Fs, predominantly in the lung tissue, serves as an endogenous signal to ameliorate further secondary damage. In addition, we show that CYP4Fs are localized primarily in the airways and pulmonary endothelium. Given the fact that adherence to the microvascular endothelium is an initial step in neutrophil diapedesis, the temporally regulated LTB4 clearance in the endothelium presents a novel focus for treatment of pulmonary inflammation after injury.
Toxoplasma gondii Presentations at the 10th International Workshops on Opportunistic Protists: 100 Years and Counting

Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite of mammals, was first identified over 100 years ago (in 1908) by Nicolle and Manceaux, who isolated tachyzoites from the gundi, a North African rodent (34). Splendore also identified this parasite in the tissue of a rabbit in 1908 (46). The genus Toxoplasma was named for its bow-like shape (from the Greek “toxo,” for bow or arc, and “plasma,” for creature). The presence of a tissue cyst (bradyzoite) life stage was rapidly recognized, but it was not until almost 60 years later that this organism was recognized to be a coccidian and that felines were identified as being the definitive hosts by several groups working independently, including Dubey and Frenkel in 1970 (16). The association of T. gondii with food-borne and waterborne transmission has resulted in its classification as a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) category B priority agent. Due to the extensive repertoire of applicable experimental techniques available for this pathogen, it has become a model organism for the study of intracellular pathogens. Research on T. gondii continues to move rapidly, and this review will address information related to recent advances in our understanding of the biology of T. gondii presented at the IWOP-10 held in Boston, MA, 28 to 31 May 2008, and the symposium entitled “Centenary Celebration of Toxoplasma Discovery” held at that meeting. History, epidemiology, and life cycle. The details of the history of the discovery of T. gondii were reviewed at IWOP-10 by Dubey (15) and were also described in recent reviews (1, 14). T. gondii is estimated to infect about one-third of the world’s human population and is a significant zoonotic and veterinary pathogen. In humans and veterinary hosts, T. gondii is frequently associated with congenital infection and abortion. This parasite can be transmitted by the vertical transmission of the rapidly growing tachyzoite form if an immunologically naive mother acquires a new infection during pregnancy. In addition, T. gondii is an opportunistic pathogen associated with encephalitis or systemic infections in immunocompromised hosts such as individuals with advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection (i.e., AIDS). Tachyzoites divide rapidly within host cells and are thought to be responsible for the clinical manifestations of infection. In humans, T. gondii is most commonly acquired by the oral
Pipelined parallel decision feedback decoders (PDFDs) for high speed Ethernet over copper

One of the powerful, yet simple, algorithms to decode trellis codes as well as to combat intersymbol interference (ISI) is the parallel decision feedback decoding algorithm. However, for high-speed applications, such as gigabit Ethernet over copper, the implementation and design of a parallel decision feedback decoder (PDFD) is challenging due to the long critical path in the decoder structure. Straightforward pipelined designs usually introduce significant hardware overhead. To solve these problems, first, based on an optimized scheduling of the computations in the parallel decision feedback decoding algorithm, a low complexity pipelined PDFD is proposed. Next, we present a retiming and reformulation technique for the decision feedback unit (DFU) in the PDFD which can remove the DFU from the critical path of the PDFD with negligible hardware overhead. Compared with similar designs in the literature, the proposed design can reduce hardware overhead by 60% while achieving similar speedup for gigabit Ethernet systems.
Flip-chip silver joints between Si chips and Cu zubstrates made at low temperature

Direct bonding between large silicon (Si) chips and copper (Cu) substrates using pure silver (Ag) as bonding material has been successfully developed. The Si-Ag-Cu direct bonding process was performed in two assembly structures, die attachment and flip-chip interconnect, at low process temperature of 250°C. It is a typical reflow temperature of lead-free (Pb-free) solders. In die attachment structure, the Si chip, Ag foil, and Cu substrate are stacked together and joined in one bonding step. In flip-chip interconnect, Si chips are first electroplated with Ag bumps, followed by direct bonding over Cu substrates. The resulting joints consists of only pure Ag without any intermetallic compound (IMC) layers because no molten phase is involved in bonding process. Due to lack of molten phase, it is possible to make flip-chip joints with high aspect ratio. Pure Ag joints, functioning as a strain buffer, can plastically deform without breakage to relieve shear stress caused by coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between Si and Cu. Because there is no IMC formation inside joints, any reliability issues associated with IMCs and IMC growth are eliminated. High quality joints are produced in die attachment structure. On one specific cross section of flip-chip interconnect, four out of ten bumps are well bonded without any voids and the other six bumps are partially bonded due to uneven applied load. Compared to conventional Sn-rich solders and silver epoxy, pure Ag joints provide better electrical and thermal performance. Ag also has high melting temperature, i. e., 961°C. This novel bonding process can be applied to a variety of electronic devices that require high thermal performance or high operating temperature.
Toward Explaining Mental Health Disparities

Mental health disparities refer to the disproportionate amount of psychopathology found among persons of disadvantageous social standing, such as persons of low socioeconomic status (SES). Although social and self selection cannot entirely be ruled out as explanations for these differences, the accumulation of evidence supports a social causation interpretation for a large portion of this association for many disorders. The stress process model is applied to understand how social inequities become mental health disparities. Data from the Los Angeles Depression Study, originated by Leo Reeder are used to illustrate the key idea that explicit causal models are essential to the development of programmatic interventions to alleviate mental health disparities, as distinct from interventions to improve mental health in general. In light of recent work on neighborhood stratification and mental health, I advocate the modification of the social contexts of the stress process.
Antibacterial Action of PMN Lysosomal Cationic Proteins Resolved By Density Gradient Electrophoresis.

SummaryThe antibacterial and enzymatic cationic proteins of acid extracts of PMN lysosomes were resolved on a preparative scale by density gradient electrophoresis. The 32P releasing activity was closely associated with antibacterial action. Lysosomal ribonuclease was electrophoretically heterogeneous.
Medication Adherence Patterns in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

While medical treatment of COPD has advanced, the failure to adhere to regimens for medication poses a significant barrier to effective management. Furthermore, no data are available regarding adherence for patients within the United States. Data from this investigation indicate that 78 outpatients from a medical center in the southeastern region of the United States were prescribed an average of 6.26 medications with both various dosing schedules and different modes of administration. Adherence was poor, with 42 patients (54 percent) underutilizing medications, 39 patients (50 percent) overutilizing medications during periods of respiratory distress, and 24 patients (31 percent) employing ineffective inhaler dosing techniques. Prescription patterns and adherence were not associated with demographic variables; however, adherence was related to classes of medication and situational variables.
The expression of NG2 proteoglycan in the developing rat limb

NG2 is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan previously found to be expressed by glial progenitor cells of the O2A lineage. We have examined the expression of NG2 in the developing rat limb by immunohistochemistry and northern blot analysis. Staining of embryonic day 14 (E14) rat limb bud sections with polyclonal and monoclonal anti-NG2 antibodies reveals reactivity in the precartilaginous mesenchymal condensation. The staining intensity increases with the differentiation of chondrocytes until E16. NG2 staining is not detected in the mature hypertrophic chondrocytes of E17 and postnatal day 3 (P3) limbs even after treatment of the sections with hyaluronidase or collagenase. Immuno-precipitations with anti-NG2 antibody using 125I-labeled limb cells in culture showed a 400 to 800 x 10(3) Mr proteoglycan species with a core protein size of 300 x 10(3) Mr, comparable to NG2 from O2A cells and neural cell lines. Northern blot analysis reveals the expression of an 8.9 kb mRNA in E16 limbs and at a lower level in P1 cartilage. The northern blot analyses also show that NG2 is distinct from the large aggregating proteoglycan of the cartilage. Our results indicate that in the developing limb cartilage, as in the differentiating oligodendrocytes, NG2 is present on immature cells in the process of differentiating, but its expression is downregulated as terminal differentiation of chondrocytes takes place.
Mn, Fe, Cu and Cd distributions and residence times in closed basin Lake Vanda (Wright Valley, Antarctica)

Mn, Fe, Cu, and Cd concentrations are reported for Lake Vanda, a closed-basin, meromictic, Antarctic lake and for its single major inflow, the Onyx River. Trace metal distributions in the upper lake and annual metal fluxes from the Onyx River were used to estimate chemical residence times in the mixed zone above the chemocline. Residence times, based on total metal loads, were 9.4 years for Mn; 1.4 years for iron; 174 years for copper; and 82 years for cadmium. Controls on the steady state concentrations of metals in this system are likely to include: particle settling of Fe and Mn; scavenging of minor elements on metal oxide surfaces; sulfide precipitation from the anoxic brine; and possibly uptake of metals on the surface of benthic algal mats. Model calculations show that metal removal by sinking phytoplankton can account for only a small fraction of the annual loss.
Solving degenerate quenching-combustion equations by an adaptive splitting method on evolving grids

Various types of partial differential equations have been playing increasingly important roles in the study of theoretical and numerical combustion. In this paper, we are particularly concerned with the numerical solution of certain premixed model problems in rectangular spatial domains. The two-dimensional reaction-diffusion equations involved are associated with an ignition type nonlinearity involving a mathematical degeneracy at a corner point. A Peaceman-Rachford-Strang splitting based adaptive method is proposed on exponentially evolving grids. Rigorous numerical analysis are given to ensure the satisfactory effectiveness, efficiency, and numerical stability of the algorithm developed. Simulation experiments are provided to illustrate our accomplishments.
Predictors of asthma exacerbation among patients with poorly controlled asthma despite inhaled corticosteroid treatment.

Abstract Background Asthma exacerbations are associated with decreased quality of life and increased health care usage. Identification of characteristics that predict increased risk of future exacerbations in patients with suboptimal control of asthma could guide treatment decisions. Objective To examine patient characteristics associated with risk of asthma exacerbations in patients with uncontrolled persistent asthma. Methods A retrospective analysis of adults and children with inadequately controlled asthma despite asthma controller therapy and enrolled in 2 randomized trials was conducted. Baseline characteristics of subjects who experienced an asthma exacerbation during the treatment period were compared with those of subjects who did not experience an exacerbation. Results Of 718 subjects (402 adults and 295 children), 108 adults (27%) and 110 children (37%) experienced an asthma exacerbation during the study period. Unscheduled health care visits for asthma or use of oral corticosteroids in the previous year were significantly associated with asthma exacerbation during the study period ( P P = .02). Children who experienced an exacerbation had lower baseline pre- and post-bronchodilator ratios of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (77% vs 81%, P P Conclusion Spirometric measurements can help identify adults and children at increased risk for asthma exacerbation. Symptom scores could be helpful in identifying adults who are at high risk for exacerbations but could be less helpful in children.
Case Study: Remission of Type 2 Diabetes After Outpatient Basal Insulin Therapy

Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease with potentially serious sequelae. Treatment for type 2 diabetes often begins with oral agents and eventually requires insulin therapy. As the disease progresses, drug therapies are often intensified and rarely reduced to control glycemia. Conversely, in type 1 diabetes, some patients experience a “honeymoon period” shortly after diagnosis, wherein insulin needs decrease significantly before intensification is needed (1). No comparable honeymoon period has been widely described for type 2 diabetes. However, a few studies have demonstrated that drug-free glycemic control can be achieved in type 2 diabetes for 12 months on average after a 2-week continuous insulin infusion (2–4). Here, we describe an unusual case of a 26-month drug holiday induced with outpatient basal insulin in a patient newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. A 69-year-old white woman (weight 72.7 kg, height 59 inches, BMI 32.3 kg/m2) was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in June 2011. She presented with an A1C of 17.6% (target <7%) and a fasting blood glucose (FBG) of 452 mg/dL (target 70–130 mg/dL). Before diagnosis, the patient had not used any oral or parenteral steroids nor had she experienced any traumatic physical or emotional event or illness that could have abruptly increased her blood glucose. Metformin 500 mg twice daily was initiated at diagnosis, but was discontinued 9 days later to avoid risk of lactic acidosis, as her serum creatinine was 1.5 mg/dL. At that time, her fasting self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) values ranged from 185 to 337 mg/dL. Treatment with 25 units of insulin detemir daily (0.34 units/kg/day) was initiated in place of metformin. The patient was counseled on diet modifications and encouraged to exercise. One month later (July 2011), the patient’s fasting SMBG values had improved to a range of 71–212 mg/dL with a …
Spontaneous variations in pulmonary venous pressure in intact dogs.

SummaryContinuous and simultaneous pressures were recorded from the pulmonary artery, small pulmonary vein (1.5–2.0 mm in diameter), large pulmonary vein and left atrium in 7 intact dogs lightly anesthetized with urethane. Pressures within the pulmonary artery and left atrium remained relatively constant whereas pressure in the small pulmonary vein varied widely. Pressure in the large pulmonary vein fluctuated over a narrower range than did the pressure in the small pulmonary veins. At times the pressure in the large pulmonary vein changed without a corresponding change in left atrial pressure, It is suggested that the pulmonary venous blood reservoir behaves in a manner similar to the systemic venous blood reservoir and that pressure variations reflect spontaneous adjustments in volume of the reservoir. The findings also support the concept of a “throttle valve” action of the pulmonary veins.