cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A mathematical deconvolution formulation for superficial dose distribution measurement by Cerenkov light dosimetry.

Purpose Cerenkov photons are created by high-energy radiation beams used for radiation therapy. In this study, we developed a Cerenkov light dosimetry technique to obtain a two-dimensional dose distribution in a superficial region of medium from the images of Cerenkov photons by using a deconvolution method. Methods An integral equation was derived to represent the Cerenkov photon image acquired by a camera for a given incident high-energy photon beam by using convolution kernels. Subsequently, an equation relating the planar dose at a depth to a Cerenkov photon image using the well-known relationship between the incident beam fluence and the dose distribution in a medium was obtained. The final equation contained a convolution kernel called the Cerenkov dose scatter function (CDSF). The CDSF function was obtained by deconvolving the Cerenkov scatter function (CSF) with the dose scatter function (DSF). The GAMOS (Geant4-based Architecture for Medicine-Oriented Simulations) Monte Carlo particle simulation software was used to obtain the CSF and DSF. The dose distribution was calculated from the Cerenkov photon intensity data using an iterative deconvolution method with the CDSF. The theoretical formulation was experimentally evaluated by using an optical phantom irradiated by high-energy photon beams. Results The intensity of the deconvolved Cerenkov photon image showed linear dependence on the dose rate and the photon beam energy. The relative intensity showed a field size dependence similar to the beam output factor. Deconvolved Cerenkov images showed improvement in dose profiles compared with the raw image data. In particular, the deconvolution significantly improved the agreement in the high dose gradient region, such as in the penumbra. Deconvolution with a single iteration was found to provide the most accurate solution of the dose. Two-dimensional dose distributions of the deconvolved Cerenkov images agreed well with the reference distributions for both square fields and a multileaf collimator (MLC) defined, irregularly shaped field. Conclusions The proposed technique improved the accuracy of the Cerenkov photon dosimetry in the penumbra region. The results of this study showed initial validation of the deconvolution method for beam profile measurements in a homogeneous media. The new formulation accounted for the physical processes of Cerenkov photon transport in the medium more accurately than previously published methods.
The Production of Dianthrones and Phloroglucinol Derivatives in St. John’s Wort

The effectiveness of the phytochemical arsenal of St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) may be due to the plant’s use of interacting phytochemicals to accomplish many complementary tasks. H. perforatum produces several types of biologically active compounds, including the hypericins, a family of dianthrones, and the hyperforins, a family of prenylated acylphloroglucinols. These compounds are known for their multitarget activities. While the pharmaceutical benefits of these compounds are obvious, the physiological functions of these compounds in the plant itself have yet to be elucidated. In this chapter, we address several important topics relevant to the production of dianthrones and phloroglucinol derivatives in St. John’s wort. We discuss up-to-date information concerning the biosynthesis of hypericin and hyperforin in the mature plant, and highlight biotechnology-driven initiatives concerned with the production of hypericin and hyperforin. This treatise concludes with a perspective on new directions for hypericin and hyperforin production in St. John’s wort. The primary conclusion that arises from this treatise is that although we still do not understand fully how hypericins and hyperforin are synthesized in St. John’s wort, the biotechnological aspects involved in regulating the production of these compounds in intact plants and in vitro cultures have been elucidated over the past several years.
THE ROLE OF PARTY ACTIVISTS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE ABORTION ISSUE

This article examines the role of party activists in the partisan evolution of the abortion issue. Previous research indicates that party elites—specifically members of Congress—and partisans in the mass public have become more differentiated in their abortion attitudes during the last several decades with Democrats becoming more pro-choice and Republicans becoming increasingly pro-life. The missing piece of the picture is the behavior of party activists. Accordingly, this research examines the changes in the abortion attitudes of two groups of party activists during the last three decades: campaign activists and national convention delegates. From 1972 to 1980 there were no significant differences in the abortion attitudes of Republican and Democratic campaign activists, and the mean positions of the two parties' national convention delegates did not differ greatly. However, since 1984 there has been a growing differentiation in the abortion positions of both groups of party activists. Now Democratic activists are consistently pro-choice while Republican activists are equally pro-life. This evidence indicates that the differentiation on the abortion issue that has only recently emerged among partisans in the mass public was predated by an earlier and much more dramatic polarization that had already developed among party activists and elites, thus supporting a model of issue evolution introduced by Carmines and Stimson in their study of racial issues. We also find that citizens' abortion attitudes have become increasingly correlated with party voting not just in presidential elections but also in House, Senate, and gubernatorial contests during this period as well as being more closely related to political ideology. All of this evidence points to the growing extent to which abortion has become a partisan issue in American politics and the key role that party activists have played in this process.
Tumor-Related Immune Modulation of the Regional Lymph Nodes

Development of nodal or visceral metastases in patients with cutaneous melanoma correlates with the thickness and depth of the primary tumor. Locoregional metastases first affect the sentinel node (SN), the first lymph node(s) on the direct lymphatic drainage pathway from a primary melanoma. Downregulation of SN function may due to bioactive molecules released by tumor cells.
Preparing for Your First Day on the Job

Preparing well in advance for your first days as an attending is important. Making good first impressions and knowing when and how to ask for help will all be important parts of your first days as a new attending.
Disparities of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk patients in eastern North Carolina.

e15130 Background: HCC is the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Incidence rates are increasing in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Morb...
Naturaleza versus Educación: Análisis de las experiencias educativas que tuvieron en la naturaleza su principal escenario (siglos XIX y XX)

El presente articulo profundiza en la intima relacion existente entre el proceso educativo escolar y la naturaleza como su escenario de accion. Asi mismo, se centra en el analisis de las principales experiencias educativas, durante los siglos XIX y XX, que utilizaron la naturaleza como una de sus herramientas principales. Parte de la importancia de identificar el valor educativo que surge de esta intima relacion si queremos dar cumplida respuesta a los retos que emergen en el panorama educativo actual, muchos de ellos vinculados a los habitos y modos de vida de los ninos y jovenes, tan alejados de lo natural. Conocer a fondo las experiencias historicas que pusieron, con tan buenos resultados, en relacion intima la naturaleza con la educacion escolar es una magnifica palanca para atisbar la posibilidad de pensar en nuevas experiencias educativas capaces de acercarnos a las claves educativas de los ciudadanos del siglo XXI.
Dual-Input Single-Stage Inverter for Photovoltaic-Battery Applications

Dual-input (PV-Battery) single stage inverter for grid-tied application is proposed in this paper. The integration of the battery with the flyback inverter is used to store the surplus energy generated from the PV panel and as a backup power source in case the PV panel is out of the permissible tolerance range or is not available. In this paper, the modes of operation, theoretical analysis and the design procedure are presented. Also, the simulation results of the proposed scheme are given to verify the validity of theoretical analysis.
Increased reproduction under disturbance is responsible for high population growth rate of invasive Centaurea stoebe

To further our understanding of biological invasions, it is important to evaluate hypothesized causal factors facilitating invasions using manipulative field experiments. Disturbance and density are frequently invoked as major factors operating during the process of plant invasions. Soil disturbance by mowing can increase nutrient and light availability while intraspecific competition can reduce potential invader success. Disturbance can therefore reduce the negative effects of density, however the interaction between these effects on invaders have rarely been tested. We studied the combined effect of intraspecific density and soil disturbance on the population dynamics of Centaurea stoebe, an invader in North America. We used an experimental field study of spotted knapweed established in Stony Brook, NY, to parameterize matrix models for four combined disturbance and density treatments. We conducted elasticity analysis to investigate the potential influence of demographic variables on population growth rate. We also used retrospective analysis to identify the actual influence of these variables on the population growth rate of plants in our experimental study. We found higher differences in λ between disturbance treatments compared to between density treatments. LTRE analysis showed that the increased λ of spotted knapweed in response to disturbance was due to substantial increases in survival of vegetative plants and reproduction. Prospective elasticity analysis revealed that λ was most sensitive to small changes in the transition of vegetative plants to reproductive plants, and the production of vegetative plants from reproductive plants. Our results show that the increased growth rate response of spotted knapweed populations to disturbance occurs irrespective of density, and emphasizes the importance of reducing reproduction in the management of spotted knapweed.
“Whole-body imaging of neural and muscle activity during behavior in Hydra vulgaris: effect of osmolarity on contraction bursts”

The neural code relates the activity of the nervous system to the activity of the muscles to the generation of behavior. To decipher it, it would be ideal to comprehensively measure the activity of the entire nervous system and musculature in a behaving animal. As a step in this direction, we used the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris to explore how physiological and environmental conditions alter simple contractile behavior and its accompanying neural and muscle activity. We used whole-body calcium imaging of neurons and muscle cells and studied the effect of temperature, media osmolarity, nutritional state, and body size on contractile behavior. In mounted Hydra preparations, changes in temperature, nutrition state, or body size did not have a major effect on neural or muscle activity, or on contractile behavior. But changes in media osmolarity systematically altered contractile behavior and foot detachments, increasing their frequency in hypo-osmolar media solutions and decreasing it in hyperosmolar media. Similar effects were seen in ectodermal, but not in endodermal muscle. Osmolarity also bidirectionally changed the activity of contraction burst (CB) neurons, but did not affect the network of rhythmic potential (RP) neurons in the ectoderm. These findings show osmolarity-dependent changes in the activity of CB neurons and ectodermal muscle, consistent with the hypothesis that CB neurons respond to media hypo-osmolarity, activating ectodermal muscle to generate CBs. This dedicated reflex could serve as an excretory system to prevent osmotic injury. This work demonstrates the feasibility of studying an entire neuronal and muscle activity in a behaving animal.
Polyacrylamide in glycerol solutions from an atomistic perspective of the energetics, structure, and dynamics

All-atom molecular dynamics is used to investigate the structural, energetic, and dynamical properties of polyacrylamide (PAM) oligomers of different lengths solvated in pure glycerol, a 90:10 glycerol–water mixture, and pure water. We predict that the oligomers’ globular structure is obtained only when the modeling strategy considers the solvent as a continuous background. Meanwhile, for all-atom modeled solvents, the glycerol solutions display a strong tendency of trapping the oligomers in instantaneous elongated random coiled structures that remain locked-in over tens of nanoseconds. In pure water, the oligomers acquire considerably shorter random coiled structures of increased flexibility. The all-atom force field, generalized amber force field, is modified by including restrained electrostatic potential atomic charges for both glycerol and PAM. Three PAM oligomer lengths containing 10, 20, and 30 monomers are considered in detail by monitoring the radius of gyration, end-to-end distance, intra-potential energy, and solvent–oligomer interaction energies for decades of nanoseconds. The density and radial distribution function of glycerol solutions are calculated when modeled with the modified atomic charges, showing a very good agreement with the experimental results at temperatures around 300 K. Glycerol has multiple applications, including its use in gel formation for PAM gel electrophoresis. Our findings are relevant for the design of sensors based on microfluidics and tailored pharmaceutical buffer solutions.
Fully-Reconfigurable Non-Reciprocal Bandpass Filters

This paper reports on the RF design of quasi-elliptic non-reciprocal bandpass filters (BPFs) with fully-reconfigurable transfer function. It is demonstrated that by modulating the resonant frequency of its constituent resonators, the RF signal propagation is only enabled in one direction-e.g., from port 1-to-2-whereas it is sufficiently suppressed in the reverse one. Furthermore, by varying the resonant frequency of the BPF's resonators, the transfer function in the forward direction can be tuned in terms of frequency and bandwidth (BW) and can be intrinsically switched-off. For practical demonstration purposes, a lumped-element prototype centered at 300 MHz was designed manufactured and measured. It demonstrated a 1.15:1 center frequency tuning and a 2.77:1 BW tuning range while maintaining a non-reciprocal behavior. For all tuning states, the minimum inband insertion loss in the forward direction was measured between 1.7 and 4.3 dB, whereas the isolation in the reverse direction was measured up to 30.9 dB.
Integrated imaging and molecular analysis to decipher tumor microenvironment in the era of immunotherapy

Radiological imaging is an integral component of cancer care, including diagnosis, staging, and treatment response monitoring. It contains rich information about tumor phenotypes that are governed not only by cancer cellintrinsic biological processes but also by the tumor microenvironment, such as the composition and function of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. By analyzing the radiological scans using a quantitative radiomics approach, robust relations between specific imaging and molecular phenotypes can be established. Indeed, a number of studies have demonstrated the feasibility of radiogenomics for predicting intrinsic molecular subtypes and gene expression signatures in breast cancer based on MRI. In parallel, promising results have been shown for inferring the amount of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, a key factor for the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, from standard-of-care radiological images. Compared with the biopsy-based approach, radiogenomics offers a unique avenue to profile the molecular makeup of the tumor and immune microenvironment as well as its evolution in a noninvasive and holistic manner through longitudinal imaging scans. Here, we provide a systematic review of the state of the art radiogenomics studies in the era of immunotherapy and discuss emerging paradigms and opportunities in AI and deep learning approaches. These technical advances are expected to transform the radiogenomics field, leading to the discovery of reliable imaging biomarkers. This will pave the way for their clinical translation to guide precision cancer therapy.
DNA Typing: Emerging or Neglected Issues

DNA typing has had a major impact on the criminal justice system. There are hundreds of opinions and thousands of cases dealing with DNA evidence. Yet, at virtually every stage of the process, there are important issues that are just emerging or that have been
Trends in heart failure-related cardiovascular mortality in rural versus urban United States counties, 2011-2018: A cross-sectional study.

Background Adults in rural counties in the United States (US) experience higher rates broadly of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with adults in urban counties. Mortality rates specifically due to heart failure (HF) have increased since 2011, but estimates of heterogeneity at the county-level in HF-related mortality have not been produced. The objectives of this study were 1) to quantify nationwide trends by rural-urban designation and 2) examine county-level factors associated with rural-urban differences in HF-related mortality rates. Methods and findings We queried CDC WONDER to identify HF deaths between 2011-2018 defined as CVD (I00-78) as the underlying cause of death and HF (I50) as a contributing cause of death. First, we calculated national age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) and examined trends stratified by rural-urban status (defined using 2013 NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme), age (35-64 and 65-84 years), and race-sex subgroups per year. Second, we combined all deaths from 2011-2018 and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) in HF-related mortality for rural versus urban counties using multivariable negative binomial regression models with adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, risk factor prevalence, and physician density. Between 2011-2018, 162,314 and 580,305 HF-related deaths occurred in rural and urban counties, respectively. AAMRs were consistently higher for residents in rural compared with urban counties (73.2 [95% CI: 72.2-74.2] vs. 57.2 [56.8-57.6] in 2018, respectively). The highest AAMR was observed in rural Black men (131.1 [123.3-138.9] in 2018) with greatest increases in HF-related mortality in those 35-64 years (+6.1%/year). The rural-urban IRR persisted among both younger (1.10 [1.04-1.16]) and older adults (1.04 [1.02-1.07]) after adjustment for county-level factors. Main limitations included lack of individual-level data and county dropout due to low event rates ( Conclusions Differences in county-level factors may account for a significant amount of the observed variation in HF-related mortality between rural and urban counties. Efforts to reduce the rural-urban disparity in HF-related mortality rates will likely require diverse public health and clinical interventions targeting the underlying causes of this disparity.
Automobile Replacement and Government Subsidy: An Analysis of the CARS Program

Subsidy programs are widely used by governments to stimulate economic activity in durable goods sectors. This paper investigates the impact of government subsidy on consumers' automobile replacement decisions in the context of the U.S. Car Allowance and Rebate System program in 2009. I develop and estimate a random-coefficient discrete-choice model that incorporates a dynamic optimal stopping problem. Counterfactual simulations show that 65% of the households would replace their vehicles even without the subsidy. The subsidy accelerates sales by only 4 months, and the reductions in gasoline consumption and carbon emission are also found to be limited. To highlight the importance of subsidy design, I find that limiting the subsidy to low-income consumers could generate 85% of the sales with half amount of total government spending. These results emphasize the importance of balancing the policy stimulus and government spending, and targeting the consumers more efficiently.
Analysis of a graphite foam–NaCl latent heat storage system for supercritical CO2 power cycles for concentrated solar power ☆

Abstract A latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) system that operates at high temperature was analyzed for applications to supercritical CO2 (s-CO2) power cycles for a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant. Because the operation temperature of the s-CO2 power cycles is high (650–700 °C), sodium chloride (NaCl), with a melting point of 800 °C, was selected as the phase-change material (PCM) for energy storage. Due to the low thermal conductivity of salt materials (usually
Utilizing an Integrative Multilens Model

Numerous studies have examined firm performance primarily in emerging economies such as Central and Eastern Europe and China. These economies had institutional voids characterized by major institut...
Imaging surveillance and survival for surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancer.

Abstract Introduction The importance of imaging surveillance after treatment for lung cancer is not well characterized. We examined the association between initial guideline recommended imaging surveillance and survival among early-stage resected non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods A retrospective study was conducted using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare data (1995–2010). Surgically resected patients, with stage I and II NSCLC, were categorized by imaging received during the initial surveillance period (4–8 mo) after surgery. Primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary treatment interventions were examined as intermediary outcomes. Results Most (88%) patients had at least one outpatient clinic visit, and 24% received an initial computerized tomography (CT) during the first surveillance period. Five-year survival by initial surveillance imaging was 61% for CT, 58% for chest radiography, and 60% for no imaging. After adjustment, initial CT was not associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96–1.14). On subgroup analysis, restricted to patients with demonstrated initial postoperative follow-up, CT was associated with a lower overall risk of death for stage I patients (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74–0.98), but not for stage II (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.71–1.42). There was no significant difference in rates of secondary interventions predicted by type of initial imaging surveillance. Conclusions Initial surveillance CT is not associated with improved overall or lung cancer –specific survival among early-stage NSCLC patients undergoing surgical resection. Stage I patients with early follow-up may represent a subpopulation that benefits from initial surveillance although this may be influenced by healthy patient selection bias.
High rate communications systems for CubeSats

Small Satellites and especially CubeSat have received significant attention recently. The development of secondary launch systems to provide a reasonably priced ride to space has increased the number of small satellites in orbit. Recent subsystem developments have also supported this revolution. One area that has been slow to develop is high rate communications. Early CubeSat systems were built on the amateur satellite service, but the available data rates are low. Efforts are evolving to develop high rate CubeSat transceivers. This paper will provide an overview of current CubeSat communication systems capabilities in addition to details about an effort to develop a high rate CubeSat communication system that is compatible with the NASA Near Earth Network. The system includes a 200kbps S-Band receiver and a 12.5Mbps X-Band transmitter.
Growth and Development in Postnatally Zinc-Deprived Mice

The influence of postnatal zinc deprivation upon the growth and development of outbred mice was investigated by feeding groups of animals, during the suckling period, one of four diets: 100 ppm zinc (control); 9 ppm zinc (marginal deficiency); 5 ppm zinc (moderate deficiency), and 2.5 ppm zinc (severe deficiency). In addition to control for inanition caused by zinc deprivation, a group of mice were fed the control diet but in amounts equal by weight to the measured intake of the moderately deprived animals (5 ppm zinc). A variety of developmental anomalies was observed in the zinc-deprived animals, including alopecia, extensive dermatitis, delayed opening of eyes and incoordination. Furthermore, growth in body weight and length were reduced. Similarly, on the basis of absolute net weight, heart, kidney and liver all demonstrated a significant stunting, and there was a direct relationship between the magnitude of organ growth retardation and the degree of zinc deprivation. However, when examined on a relative basis as a percentage of total body weight, only liver growth was significantly retarded. The heart and, most notably, the kidney represented an even greater proportion of body weight in the zinc-deprived mice than in the controls. We conclude that, in the mouse, the heart and kidney were affected to a lesser extent by zinc deficiency than was the whole animal. This observation is in contrast to the extreme lack of growth, but absolute and relative, of the spleen and especially the thymus, previously described by us in mice deficient in zinc during the suckling period.
Academic Freedom and Political Indoctrination

The boundaries between academic freedom and political indoctrination have eroded in recent years, and influential figures and institutions have resisted efforts to reinforce it. This can be seen in the most recent pronouncements of the American Association of University Professors and in the academic work of influential scholars like Matthew Finkin and Robert Post. The trend is also well illustrated by the decision late last year of the Pennsylvania State University Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs to amend that university’s academic freedom policy to delete language that provided: “It is not the function of a faculty member in a democracy to indoctrinate his/her students with ready-made conclusions on controversial subjects.” The conflation of political indoctrination with academic discourse appears repeatedly in various academic controversies, especially on topics relating to Israel and the Middle East. This development is deeply problematic for several reasons. This conference paper argues that the erosion of the boundaries between academic freedom and political indoctrination entails significant risks for the doctrine and that a firmly circumscribed but vigorous conception of academic freedom can avoid these risks. Specifically, this paper argues that political indoctrination cannot be considered academic because it exhibits five characteristics that are inconsistent with the academic function: non-educativeness, controversy, extraneousness, imbalance and bias. Moreover, recent efforts to redefine these five concepts in narrow terms are inconsistent with the basic values that academic freedom is intended to support. Finally, this paper apply these concepts to the William Robinson case, demonstrating that only a robust conception of these five strands can properly illuminate the issues at stake in that case.
Designing scaleable applications using CORBA

The Object Management Group’s Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is quickly becoming an industry-leading approach to building distributed applications. CORBA was investigated for its use to build applications that must deal with very large numbers (up to millions) of managed objects. This paper presents a set of challenges to scaleability encountered during that investigation and a set of techniques that can be used to address those challenges.
Instructor Time Requirements to Develop and Teach Online Courses

How much time does it take to teach an online course? Does teaching online take more or less time than teaching face-to-face? Instructors, department chairs, deans, and program administrators have long believed that teaching online is more time-consuming than teaching face-to-face. Many research studies and practitioner articles indicate instructor time commitment as a major inhibitor to developing and teaching online courses. However, while they identify the issue and provide possible solutions, they do not empirically measure actual time commitments or instructor perceptions when comparing online to face-toface delivery and when comparing multiple iterations of delivery. The results of this study show distinct differences in developing online courses relative to developing face-to-face courses and distinct differences in teaching online courses relative to teaching face-to-face courses. The data from this study can be used by instructors, administrators, and instructional designers to create higher quality course development processes, training processes, and overall communication.
Role of sympathetic nervous system in cardiovascular effects of centrally administered endothelin-1 in rats

Centrally administered endothelin-1 (ET-1) produces a biphasic response, an initial increase followed by a decrease in blood pressure (BP). The pressor effect is due to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and/or release of vasopressin. The mechanism responsible for the depressor effect after central administration of ET-1 is still not known. Systemic and regional circulatory effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of ET-1 (100 ng) were determined in anesthetized rats, using a radioactive microsphere technique. BP, cardiac output, and stroke volume were significantly decreased 30, 60, and 120 min after central administration of ET-1. Heart rate and total peripheral resistance were not altered. ET-1 produced a reduction in blood flow to the brain (83%), heart (62%), kidneys (53%), gastrointestinal tract (43%), portal system (46%), and musculoskeletal system (55%). To determine the role of the central nervous system in cardiovascular effects of centrally administered ET-1, experiments were performed in cervical-sectioned rats. The changes in systemic and regional blood circulation induced by centrally administered ET-1 in normal rats were not observed in cervical-sectioned rats. Pretreatment with a specific antagonist of ETA receptors, BQ-123 (10 micrograms i.c.v.), antagonized systemic and regional circulatory effects of ET-1. Centrally administered clonidine (1 microgram i.c.v.) produced hypotension and bradycardia, known to be mediated through the sympathetic nervous system. Pretreatment with an ETA receptor antagonist, BMS-182874 (50 micrograms/kg iv), blocked clonidine-induced hypotension and bradycardia. We conclude that centrally administered ET-1 stimulates ETA receptors to produce systemic and regional circulatory changes mediated by the sympathetic nervous system.
Construction and application of autonomous learning based remote downhole tool virtual lab

The traditional downhole tool experimental teaching has problems of poor teaching results, poor learner autonomy, not conducive for oilfield staff to carry out continuing education, etc. Virtual laboratory and remote education were combined to build a new experimental teaching model, which provides an effective solution to above problems, achieving the purposes of autonomous learning of students in school and remote training of oilfield staff. The key technologies in developing remote downhole tool virtual lab were described in detail from the aspects of network structure, experimental contents, interface and interaction design, and realization and release. Practical application showed that the virtual lab played an important role in experimental teaching and achieved good effects.
Chemoprophylaxis for Venous Thromboembolism in Otolaryngology

Importance Venous thromboembolism (VTE) causes significant morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. Despite strong evidence that thromboprophylaxis reduces the incidence VTE, guidelines for prophylaxis in otolaryngology are not well established. Key to the development of VTE prophylaxis recommendations are effective VTE risk stratification and evaluation of the benefits and harms of prophylaxis. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of VTE chemoprophylaxis among a population of otolaryngology patients stratified by risk. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study of 3498 adult patients admitted for otolaryngologic surgery at a single-institution academic tertiary care medical center between September 1, 2003, and June 30, 2010. Interventions Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on whether they received VTE chemoprophylaxis. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence of VTE and bleeding-related complications within 30 days after surgery. Results Of 1482 patients receiving VTE chemoprophylaxis, 18 (1.2%) developed a VTE compared with 27 of 2016 patients (1.3%) who did not receive prophylaxis ( P = .75). Patients with Caprini VTE risk scores greater than 7 were less likely to have a VTE with perioperative chemoprophylaxis (5.3% vs 10.4%; P = .06). Of patients with VTE chemoprophylaxis, 3.5% developed a bleeding complication compared with 1.2% of patients without prophylaxis ( P P = .002) and increased bleeding complications (11.9% vs 4.5%; P = .01). In all other patients, VTE chemoprophylaxis did not significantly influence the likelihood of VTE (1.0% vs 0.6%; P = .12) or bleeding (1.5% vs 0.9%; P = .15). Conclusions and Relevance Effectiveness and safety of VTE chemoprophylaxis differed between patient subgroups, defined by Caprini risk score and by procedure. Effectiveness was most evident in patients with high Caprini risk scores and microvascular free tissue reconstruction. Bleeding complications were associated with VTE chemoprophylaxis administered in close proximity to potent antiplatelet therapy. The Caprini risk assessment model appears to be an effective tool to stratify otolaryngology patients by risk for VTE. Patients undergoing free tissue reconstruction merit further study before developing recommendations for VTE prophylaxis because of their higher risk of both VTE and bleeding.
Measurement of the Repose Angle of aTablet Granulation

In order to study the problem of granulation flow in tableting as it is related to interparticle friction, the response angle of a sulfathiazole granulation was studied as a function of average particle size, presence of lubricants, and admixture of fines.In general, the repose angle increased with decreasing particle size.Talc added to granules in small concentrations decreased the repose angle but tended to increase the angle at higher concentrations.Magnesium stearate had little or no effect on the repose angle of the granulation samples studied.Addition of fines to coarse granules caused a striking increase in repose angle.
Tests for marginal symmetry in contingency tables

in a matched r • r contingency table. The matching essentially consists in the fact that each of the n = E Z nij individuals is grouped simultaneously with respect to the appropriate row and column classifications which are the same. Thus e.g. if the effect of an educational campaign on cigarette smoking amongst high-school students is being reviewed, the same person will be classified according to his admitted smoking habits (Non Smoker, Light, Moderate, Heavy) prior to and subsequent to a series of school lectures plus a film on lung cancer. Let P = [pij] stand for the corresponding r • r matrix of multinominal probabilities with the usual marginal values Pi. = EP~i,P. j = E Pij such that E ]2 Pi~ = 1. j i i j Particular interest then attaches to the hypothesis of marginal symmetry :Pi. =P.~ for i = 1 . . . . . r. STUART [1955] has suggested one test for/-/~, and FINNEY [1959] extended STUART'S method to the case where some monotone scale is associated with the row and column classifications. Earlier BOWKER [1948] proposed a test for the hypothesis of symmetry of the elements of P, or
Inhibition of sterologenesis but not glycolysis in 2,5-hexanedione-induced distal axonopathy in the rat.

If glycolysis is inhibited in distal axonopathy, there should be a concomitant inhibition of lipogenesis from glucose. To investigate this possibility, lipogenesis from [14C]glucose and [3H]acetate was studied in sciatic nerves incubated with iodoacetate, a known inhibitor of glycolysis, in sciatic nerves incubated with 2,5-hexanedione, a putative inhibitor of glycolysis, and in sciatic nerves from rats exhibiting clinical signs of peripheral neuropathy induced by 2,5-hexanedione. Nerves incubated with 1.0 mm iodoacetate, in comparison with untreated nerves, exhibited decreased incorporation of [14C]glucose into sterols + diacylglycerols (33-fold), free fatty acids (14-fold), triacylglycerols (27-fold), and phospholipids (21-fold). In addition, these nerves exhibited decreased incorporation of [3H]acetate into sterols + diacylglycerols (30-fold), free fatty acids (2-fold), triacylglycerols (23-fold), and phospholipids (12-fold). In contrast, the incorporation of [14C]glucose into sterols + diacylglycerols, free fatty acids, and triacylglycerols was not affected by 1.0 mm 2,5-hexanedione. Compared to untreated nerves, nerves incubated with 1.0 mm 2,5-hexanedione exhibited a small decrease (15%) in the incorporation of [14C]glucose into phospholipids. Nerves from rats given 1% 2,5-hexanedione in the drinking water for 6 weeks, in comparison with those from pair-fed control rats, exhibited decreased (45%) incorporation of [14C]glucose and [3H]acetate into digitonin-precipitable sterols. Nerves from 2,5-hexanedione-treated and pair-fed control rats exhibited similar incorporation of [14C]glucose and [3C]acetate into free fatty acids, triacylglycerols, and phospholipids. The data indicate that while sterologenesis is inhibited in distal axonopathy, glycolysis is not.
Compliant alkali silicate sealing glass for solid oxide fuel cell applications: Thermal cycle stability and chemical compatibility

Abstract An alkali silicate glass (SCN-1) is currently being evaluated as a candidate sealing glass for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. The glass containing ∼17 mole% alkalis (K 2 O and Na 2 O) remains vitreous and compliant during SOFC operation, unlike conventional SOFC sealing glasses, which experience substantial devitrification after the sealing process. The non-crystallizing compliant sealing glass has lower glass transition and softening temperatures since the microstructure remains glassy without significant crystallite formation, and hence can relieve or reduce residual stresses and also has the potential for crack healing. Sealing approaches based on compliant glass will also need to satisfy all the mechanical, thermal, chemical, physical, and electrical requirements for SOFC applications, not only in bulk properties but also at sealing interfaces. In this first of a series of papers we will report the thermal cycle stability of the glass when sealed between two SOFC components, i.e., a NiO/YSZ anode supported YSZ bilayer and a coated ferritic stainless steel interconnect material. High temperature leak rates were monitored versus thermal cycles between 700 and 850 °C using back pressures ranging from 1.4 to 6.8 kPa (0.2–1.0 psi). Isothermal stability was also evaluated in a dual environment consisting of flowing dilute H 2 fuel versus ambient air. In addition, chemical compatibility at the alumina and YSZ interfaces was examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results shed new light on the topic of SOFC glass seal development.
Mass Spectrometric Studies Of The Laser Ablation Of Bulk YBa 2 Cu 3 O7-δ

Time-of-flight mass spectra are recorded from the laser-initiated plasmas from solid YBa2Cu307_8 using combined 1064 and 532 nm laser light pulses of 10 ns duration. The effect of changing the laser power density was studied for both low masses and also for cluster ions ranging up to 20,000 amu. The cluster ions grow in intensity with increasing laser power densities until they abruptly vanish at plasma energies (temperatures of ~10 4 K) associated with a white plume visible with the unaided eye reaching ~1-2 cm above the target. Fewer molecules are found below 400 amu with increasing laser power densities, but some molecules still persist at the laser's highest intensity of 4.3 J/cm2.
A propulsion model of types of creative contributions.

This article proposes a propulsion model characterizing 7 different types of creative contributions in any domain. Four of these types of creativity accept current paradigms of work; 3 of the types...
Synthesis of Tris-(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)-Chromium (III)

REDUCTION of Cr(VI) in the presence of chelating ligands offers a promising approach to synthesis of Cr(III) chelates in high yield. This principle was used by Aikens and Reilley1 to devise a rapid chelometric method for determination of chromate. Reduction of chromate with bisulphite in a buffered solution of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) gave quantitative formation of Cr(III)-EDTA. The quantitative yield of Cr(III) EDTA suggested that this might be the basis of a general method for synthesis of Cr(III) complexes. We have now applied this principle to synthesis of Cr(III) chelates of much lower stability as exemplified by tris-(hexafluoroacetyl-acetonato)-Cr(III).
Industry versus ecology: environment in the new Europe

Abstract This paper examines the role of the environment in Central and Eastern European states by pursuing the incompatibility between the economic development needed to maintain the democratic institutions already in place, and the crisis levels of environmental degradation in so many areas of Eastern and Central Europe. It is believed that costs of reversing environmental damages in these areas, and the implementation of sustainable development policies and technologies, are so great that the Eastern European states will be unable to meet them, which may lead to a further decline in the environmental quality in both CEE and the EU. This ability to impact the EU's environment could be the major factor in a decision by the EU to implement environmental taxes against these states. As a result, the possibility is raised that Russia may provide an alternative to the EU in the formation of a economically based bloc, with implications for trade, environment and security issues.
Variable approaches to arterial ductal stenting in infants with complex congenital heart disease

Stenting of the arterial duct to maintain postnatal communication between the pulmonary and systemic arterial circulations in infants with complex congenital heart disease is an acceptable alternative to a surgically created systemic to pulmonary artery shunt. The procedure, however, can be demanding given the variable anatomy of the patent ductus arteriosus. We report a series of cases of ductal stenting via a range of varying approaches in neonates with complex congenital heart disease, and display the variety of situations in which these approaches may be used.
Analysis of double cross-polarization rates in solid proteins

Abstract The double cross-polarization experiment involving the sequential transfer of nuclear polarization among 1H-, 15N-, and 13C-spin systems can be used to detect the occurrence of 13C-15N bonds in solid proteins. However, the complexity of most proteins requires simplifying approximations to make possible the determination of the concentrations of those 13C-15N bonds. This paper demonstrates that a model involving only two 13C-15N cross-polarization rates (determined from model compounds) and simple statistics is adequate to treat data from heavily 13C- and 15N-labeled proteins in soybean leaves. In the course of examining the applicability of model compounds to this problem, we have used a moment analysis of 15N NMR lineshapes to determine 13C-15N dipolar couplings in two doubly labeled amino acids, glycine and asparagine.
Structure-function studies of adenylosuccinate synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Adenylosuccinate synthetase catalyzes the first committed step in the de novo biosynthesis of AMP, thermodynamically coupling the hydrolysis of GTP to the formation of adenylosuccinate from l-aspartate and IMP. The enzyme from Esherichia coli undergoes a ligand-induced dimerization, which leads to the assembly of a complete active site. The binding of IMP causes conformational changes over distances of 30 A, the end result of which is the activation of essential catalytic elements and the organization of the binding pocket for Mg(2+)-GTP. The enzyme promotes first a phosphoryl transfer from GTP to the 6-oxygen atom of IMP, by way of a transition state that has characteristics of both associative and dissociative reaction pathways. Following the formation of 6-phosphoryl-IMP, the enzyme then catalyzes the nucleophilic displacement of the 6-phosphoryl group by the alpha-amino group of l-aspartate in a transition state, which requires two metal cations.
Constraints on the lateral strength of slabs from three-dimensional dynamic flow models

If the viscosity of subducted lithosphere is described purely by temperature and pressure, it should remain considerably more viscous than the surrounding material as it descends through the upper mantle. Many dynamic models of the long wavelength geoid associated with slabs require an increase in viscosity from the upper to the lower mantle but assume the perturbation to the lateral viscosity structure arising from the slabs themselves can be ignored. Previous studies indicate that strong and localized viscosity variations should have a dramatic influence on the geoid. We present 3D finite element models of the regional geoid of the Western Pacific subduction zones. Slab buoyancies and viscosities are defined using the distribution of seismicity. The geoid is very sensitive to the lateral strength of the slab. Very viscous slabs penetrating a low viscosity mantle generate significant (10–50 m) long wavelength geoid lows: opposite to the geoid high which is observed over slabs. To obtain a geoid high comparable to that observed, the lower mantle viscosity must be 60–200 times greater than the upper mantle viscosity and the slab must be in contact with the lower mantle. These strict requirements suggest that slabs have been weakened and cannot act as stress guides from the deep mantle to the surface.
Materials testing in the ICF test facility SIRIUS-M

Abstract The symmetric illumination laser-driven SIRIUS-M test facility provides materials testing in relevant ICF conditions. The test module is placed 2 m away from the target to achieve a goal neutron wall loading of 2 MW/m2. The 2 mm thick graphite liner reduces the peak dpa rate in the module by only 2.4%. Using a lead reflector results in 50% more damage in the test module compared to a stainless steel reflector. Two circular test modules are used in SIRIUS-M. Each module fits between three beam ports. About 1 MW of nuclear heating is removed by the helium coolant from each module. The peak iron dpa rate is 24 dpa/FPY yielding an accumulated damage of 120 dpa after 5 full power years of operation. A total volume-integrated figure of merit of 14200 dpa — l can be achieved. The test matrix and testing schedule are described. It is possible to perform all tests needed for the ICF Demo in the two SIRIUS-M test modules.
Enantioselective Synthesis of L- and D-Carboranylalanine.

The enantioselective synthesis of l- and d-carboranylalanine is reported. Imides 13 and 14 are treated with titanium tetrachloride, DIEA, and NBS to introduce a bromo functionality in 98:2 ratio at...