cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-Crystal X-ray Diffraction Studies of Solvated Crystals of C60 Reveal the Intermolecular Interactions between the Component Molecules.

The solid-state structures of seven solvates of C60 (C60·4tetrachloroethylene, C60·2tetrachloroethylene, C60·3benzene, C60·n-pentane, C60·diethyl ether, C60·chlorobenzene, and C60·benzene·dichloromethane) were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at low temperature. At 90 K, the fullerene and solvate components are generally well-ordered and do not show the orientational disorder that plagues similar structures determined at room temperature. Interactions between the solvate molecules and the fullerene and between adjacent C60 molecules were examined and analyzed. Van der Waals and weak charge-transfer interactions are important to help to organize the individual components in these structures. The weak Lewis acid behavior of C60, such as when it cocrystallizes with diethyl ether or chlorinated solvents, is apparent. In addition, π-stacking interactions are prevalent. The solvates of C60 reported here were frequently obtained from attempts to cocrystallize C60 with another chemical compound. Alt...
Application of subthreshold laser therapy in retinal diseases: a review.

Introduction: Laser photocoagulation has been a valuable tool in the ophthalmologist’s armamentarium for decades. Conventional laser photocoagulation relies on visible retinal burns as a treatment ...
Chapter 10 – Spectral Decompositions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the question of diagonalization of a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space V. A linear operator T on V is diagonalizable, that is, can be represented by a diagonal matrix, only if there exists a basis of V that consists of eigenvectors of T. For a unitary vector space V, those linear operators that can be represented by a diagonal matrix relative to an orthonormal basis of V are the same as the normal linear operators on V. The chapter describes the diagonalizable linear operators in terms that are free of any reference to an inner product. The characterization obtained is in terms of a spectral decomposition. A certain acquaintance with projections is essential to a formulation of the concept of a spectral decomposition.
The synergistic role of Mn and Zr/Ti in producing θ′/L12 co-precipitates in Al-Cu alloys

Abstract Microstructural stability is a critical factor to consider when designing new alloys for high-temperature applications. An Al-Cu alloy with Mn and Zr additions has recently been developed to withstand extended exposures of up to 350 °C. The addition of Mn in combination with Zr and their segregation to precipitate interfaces play a significant role in stabilizing the metastable θ′ precipitates responsible for the alloy's hardness; however, adding Zr and Mn separately only improves the stability to 200 °C and 300 °C, respectively. To this end, the effect of the synergistic additions on interfacial structure and chemistry was studied in detail using atom probe tomography (APT) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for Al-Cu-Mn-Zr/Ti-containing alloys subjected to long-term annealing (up to 2,100 h) in the critical temperature range, 300 °C and 350 °C, to investigate the role of Zr/Ti in increasing the θ′-precipitate stability. The APT and STEM results reveal that Mn additions stabilize θ′ long enough for the slower diffusing Zr atoms to segregate to coherent θ′ interfaces that eventually create a θ′/ L12-Al3(Zrx,Ti1-x) co-precipitate structure. The co-precipitate is highly stable, as shown by density functional theory calculations, and is a key factor that governs microstructural stability beyond 300 °C. This study reveals how solute additions with different stabilization mechanisms can work in concert to stabilize a desired microstructure, and the results provide insights that can be applied to other high-temperature alloy systems.
Total Product Lifecycle for Biomaterial-Based Medical Devices

Abstract Total product lifecycle management refers to the philosophy that a medical device has a natural cycle of concept through obsolescence and therefore the management of the safety and performance of that product depends upon the current phase of the product.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis in COVID-19: Unique Concerns and Considerations.

Context While individuals with diabetes appear to be at similar risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection to those without diabetes, they are more likely to suffer severe consequences, including death. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a common and potentially lethal acute complication of diabetes arising from a relative insulin deficiency, which occurs more often in those with type 1 diabetes and in the setting of moderate to severe illness. Early reports indicate that among patients with pre-existing diabetes, DKA may be a common complication of severe COVID-19 and a poor prognostic sign. Case description This clinical perspective explores the key elements of caring for individuals with DKA during the COVID-19 pandemic through 2 cases. Topics addressed include diagnosis, triage, and the fundamental principles of treatment with a focus on the importance of characterizing DKA severity and medical complexity to determine the best approach. Conclusions As discussed, some tenets of DKA management may require flexibility in the setting of COVID-19 due to important public health goals, such as preventing transmission to highest risk individuals, reducing healthcare worker exposure to infected patients, and preserving personal protective equipment. Evidence for alternative treatment strategies is explored, with special attention placed on treatment options that may be more relevant during the pandemic, including use of subcutaneous insulin therapy. Finally, DKA is often a preventable condition. We include evidence-based strategies and guidance designed to empower clinicians and patients to avoid this serious complication when possible.
A Pilot Study using the Compensatory Reserve Index to evaluate individuals with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome.

Purpose: The diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome traditionally involves orthostatic vitals evaluation. The Compensatory Reserve Index is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared algorithm that analyses photoplethysmogram waveforms in real time to trend subtle waveform features associated with varying degrees of central volume loss, from normovolemia to decompensation. We hypothesised that patients who met physiologic criteria for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome would have greater changes in Compensatory Reserve Index with orthostatic vitals. Methods: Orthostatic vitals and Compensatory Reserve Index values were assessed in individuals previously diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome and healthy controls aged 12–21 years. Adolescents were grouped for comparison based on whether they met heart rate criteria for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome (physiologic Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome). Results: Sixty-one patients were included. Eighteen percent of patients with an existing Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome diagnosis met heart rate criteria, and these patients had significantly greater supine to standing change in Compensatory Reserve Index (0.67 vs. 0.51; p<0.001). The optimal change in Compensatory Reserve Index for physiologic Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome was 0.60. Patients with physiologic Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome were more likely to report previous diagnoses of anxiety or depression (p = 0.054, 0.042). Conclusion: An accurate diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome may be confounded by related comorbidities. Only 18% (8/44) of previously diagnosed Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia syndrome patients met heart rate criteria. Findings support the utility of objective physiologic measures, such as the Compensatory Reserve Index, to more accurately identify patients with true autonomic dysfunction.
Mercury pollution in Colombia: challenges to reduce the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the light of the Minamata Convention

The Minamata Convention on Mercury, which entered into full force in August 2017, was signed by more than 100 countries, including several where artisanal and small-scale gold mining is practised, ...
The Use of Telehealth Technology to Support Health Coaching for Older Adults: Literature Review.

Background: Health coaching is an intervention process for driving behavior change through goal-setting, education, encouragement, and feedback on health-related behaviors. Telehealth systems that include health coaching and remote monitoring are making inroads in managing chronic conditions and may be especially suited for older populations. Objective: This literature review aimed to investigate the current status of health coaching interventions incorporating telehealth technology and the associated effectiveness of this intervention to deliver health care with an emphasis on older adults (aged 65 and older). Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify the research conducted on health coaching combined with remote monitoring for delivering health care to older adults. The Ovid MEDLINE and CINAHL databases were queried using a combination of relevant search terms (including middle aged, aged, older adult, elderly, health coaching, and wellness coaching). The search retrieved 196 papers published from January 2010 to September 2019 in English. Following a systematic review process, the titles and abstracts of the papers retrieved were screened for applicability to health coaching for older adults to define a subset for further review. Papers were excluded if the studied population did not include older adults. The full text of the 42 papers in this subset was then reviewed, and 13 papers related to health coaching combined with remote monitoring for older adults were included in this review. Results: Of the 13 studies reviewed, 10 found coaching supported by telehealth technology to provide effective outcomes. Effectiveness outcomes assessed in the studies included hospital admissions/re-admissions, mortality, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, body weight, blood pressure, physical activity level, fatigue, quality of life, and user acceptance of the coaching program and technology. Conclusions: Telehealth systems that include health coaching have been implemented in older populations as a viable intervention method for managing chronic conditions with mixed results. Health coaching combined with telehealth may be an effective solution for providing health care to older adults. However, health coaching is predominantly performed by human coaches with limited use of technology to augment or replace the human coach. The opportunity exists to expand health coaching to include automated coaching.
AdS 2 × S 6 versus AdS 6 × S 2 in Type IIB supergravity

We obtain the complete local solutions with 16 supersymmetries to Type IIB supergravity on a space-time of the form AdS2 × S6 warped over a Riemann surface Σ in terms of two locally holmorphic functions on Σ. We construct the general Ansatz for the bosonic supergravity fields and supersymmetry generators compatible with the SO(2, 1) ⊕ SO(7) isometry algebra of space-time, which extends to the corresponding real form of the exceptional Lie superalgebra F (4). We reduce the BPS equations to this Ansatz, obtain their general local solutions, and show that these local solutions solve the full Type IIB supergravity field equations and Bianchi identities. We contrast the AdS2 × S6 solution with the closely related AdS6 × S2 case and present our results for both in parallel. Finally, we present a preliminary analysis of positivity and regularity conditions for AdS2 × S6, but postpone the construction of globally regular solutions to a subsequent paper.
Games on Endogenous Networks

We study network games in which players both create spillovers for one another and choose with whom to associate. The endogenous outcomes include both the strategic actions (e.g., effort levels) and the network in which spillovers occur. We introduce a framework and two solution concepts that extend standard approaches -- Nash equilibrium in actions and pairwise (Nash) stability in links. Our main results show that under suitable monotonicity assumptions on incentives, stable networks take simple forms. Our first condition concerns whether links create positive or negative payoff spillovers. Our second condition concerns whether actions and links are strategic complements or substitutes. Together, these conditions allow for a taxonomy of how network structure depends on economic primitives. We apply our model to understand the consequences of competition for status, to microfound matching models that assume clique formation, and to interpret empirical findings that highlight unintended consequences of group design.
QM-Cluster Model Study of the Guaiacol Hydrogen Atom Transfer and Oxygen Rebound with Cytochrome P450 Enzyme GcoA

The key step of the O-demethylation of guaiacol by GcoA of the cytochrome P450-reductase pair was studied with DFT using two 10-residue and three 15-residue QM-cluster models. For each model, two reaction pathways were examined, beginning with a different guaiacol orientation. Based on this study, His354, Phe349, Glu249, and Pro250 residues were found to be important for keeping the heme in a planar geometry throughout the reaction. Val241 and Gly245 residues were needed in the QM-cluster models to provide the hydrophobic pocket for an appropriate guaiacol pose in the reaction. The aromatic triad Phe75, Phe169, and Phe395 may be necessary to facilitate guaiacol migrating into the enzyme active site, but it does not qualitatively affect kinetics and thermodynamics of the proposed mechanism. All QM-cluster models created by RINRUS agree very well with previous experimental work. This study provides details for better understanding enzymatic O-demethylation of lignins to form catechol derivatives by GcoA.
Integrated Science: Ambitions, Practicalities, Misunderstandings

A fully integrated science would be readily achieved if every science were simply a repository of objective factual knowledge. However, each science developed in response to the specific demands posed by its particular subject matter. That meant not only specific methodology, it also led over time to idiosyncratic attitudes toward every aspect of seeking knowledge, for instance, the appropriate interplay of empiricism and theorizing. As a result, the modern sciences now have some of the characteristics of individual human cultures as well as of intellectual disciplines; therefore, integrating the understanding gained by individual sciences is no simple matter. The problem is made yet more intractable by the degree to which science has become intertwined with many other facets of society: vested interests from commerce and government and other sectors of society support science but also want science to serve their wishes. Integrating science will require an understanding of these complications as well as of the nature of scientific activity, about which misunderstandings are rife. Given the difficulties, integration of the sciences is likely to proceed slowly and piecemeal as one or two or even three individual fields successively generate bridging interdisciplinary fields. Open image in new window
Fristoe Burial Mounds From the Prairie Border Region of Southwestern Missouri

Three burial tumuli in southwestern Missouri near the Kansas line, indanger of destruction, were excavated by the University of Missouri. These sites, the Alberti, Amity, and Clemons Mounds, are al...
Mutual coupling in a tomographic imaging system

Mutual coupling is a significant issue with respect to antenna array performance in a tomographic imaging setting. While approaches have been implemented that account for the structures of neighbouring antennas, little has been done with respect to the impedances presented to the antenna via the associated receiver network. We compare the field perturbations due to the presence of other antennas in an array and demonstrate that these changes are clearly dependent on the antenna terminations. This suggests that accounting for mutual coupling in a tomographic imaging configuration cannot be accomplished purely by numerical modelling techniques but must also synergistically incorporate appropriate hardware choices.
Understanding Labor and Employment Law in China

Part I. Understanding China's Regulation of the Workplace: 1. Introduction 2. Labor and employment laws and administration Part II. Employment Relationships: 3. Employment relationships 4. Individual labor contracts formation and content: tightening the relationship 5. Collective labor contracts and collective negotiations Part III. Hiring and Employment Practices: 6. Hiring and employment practices and the law 7. Employment anti-discrimination laws Part IV. Working Conditions, Wages, and Hours: 8. Safety and health protection 9. Injury compensation 10. Wages and hours Part V. Employee Benefits: Leave, Medical, Maternity, Work-Related, Unemployment, and Pension Insurance: 11. Mandated and non-mandated employee benefits Part VI. Discipline and Termination under Employment Agreements: 12. Employer rules: conduct, discipline, and termination 13. Restrictive covenants: employee loyalty and employers' protectable interests 14. Resolving labor disputes by mediation, arbitration, and litigation legal regulation Part VII. Rights, Remedies, and Multiple Forums: 15. Working labor and employment laws: illustrations 16. Illustrative contracts.
Quantitation of transport of sodium across the amniochorion

Abstract Studies were carried out to quantitate transport of labeled sodium across the amniochorion with the use of mathematical models, for both exchange in isoosmolar solutions and transport in response to a concentration gradient. Net transport of 0.0018, 0.0019, and 0.0017 mmole per hour per square centimeter of amniochorion occurs in response to a theoretical 10 mEq. per liter of concentration gradient in chambers of different membrane area and volume. A similar net transport of 0.0018 mmole per hour per square centimeter occurs in studies with the use of a permeability coefficient. Additional calculations with the use of a theoretical concentration gradient of 800:140 mEq. per liter by both methods yield a net transport of approximately 120 mmole of sodium per hour per 1,000 cm. 2 , suggesting that the large quantities of sodium in maternal urine following intra-amniotic hypertonic salt injection may result from passage of sodium from the amniotic fluid to maternal tissue across the amniochorion.
Comparisons of hemi-inattention produced by unilateral lesions of the posterior parietal cortex or medial agranular prefrontal cortex in rats: neglect, extinction, and the role of stimulus distance.

Abstract Neglect in human and non-human primates has been demonstrated following unilateral lesions of both posterior parietal and prefrontal areas. While it has now been well established that a unilateral lesion of the rodent analog of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial agranular cortex (AGm), results in neglect, the effects of unilateral damage restricted to rodent posterior parietal cortex (PPC) have not been examined in detail. The current study assessed rats with unilateral lesions of PPC or AGm on their ability to orient to unilateral and bilateral stimulation. Since it has been proposed in both the primate and rodent literatures that frontal areas may be responsible for the perception of near space space while parietal areas may be responsible for far space, stimuli were presented at two different distances. Lesions of PPC and AGm resulted in severe neglect relative to control operates, with both PPC and AGm operates manifesting severe hemi-inattention and allesthesia relative to control operates. After behavioral recovery from neglect there was no evidence of extinction to bilateral stimultaneous stimulation. While neglect to visual stimuli predominated in unilateral PPC operates, unilateral AGm operates had severe neglect in all modalities. In addition, while both left and right PPC operates showed contralesional neglect, AGm operates demonstrated the lateralized differences in neglect reported in previous studies. All groups demonstrated an approximately equivalent level of neglect to stimuli presented at the two different distances, and thus failed to support the suggestion of a peripersonal-extrapersonal dichotomy between frontal and parietal areas in rodents.
RNAi hushes heterochromatin

Repeated DNA elements and region-specific protein modifications combine within chromosomes to form a transcriptionally silent chromatin structure called heterochromatin. Recent work in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe reveals that RNA is also an integral component of silent heterochromatin, providing a new perspective on how heterochromatin is organized and maintained in eukaryotic cells.
Effect of maximum heart rate on liver uptake in exercise myocardial perfusion imaging

2733 Objectives The relationship between maximum age predicted heart rate (MAPHR) achieved during treadmill exercise myocardial perfusion stress tests and the ratio of liver to heart uptake of Technetium-99m Tetrofosmin will be tested. Increased liver uptake interferes with computer processing of ejection fraction (EF) and evaluation of the adjacent inferior wall, requiring use of manual corrections during technologist processing (Burrell, 2006). It was hypothesized that patients achieving >100% of their MAPHR will demonstrate lower liver uptake than patients achieving 85%-100% of MAPHR. Methods 137 patients who achieved 85% or better MAPHR during myocardial perfusion exercise tests in 2012 were categorized into those who achieved 85% to 100% of MAPHR (105 pts.) and those who exceeded 100% MAPHR (32 pts.). To determine planar liver to heart ratios, the 15th planar image of the 32 projection images was used. Activity within a circular region of interest (ROI) encompassing the left ventricle and activity within the same size region duplicated over the liver were used to calculate the liver to heart ratio. For the tomographic images, the cardiac and liver tissue counts were averaged over ROI’s from 3 axial slices before calculating the liver to heart ratio. One-tailed T-tests were done on the axial and planar region ratios for the two categories. Results The mean axial liver to heart ratio for the >100% MAPHR patient group was 0.73±0.18, and the mean ratio for the 85%-100% group was 0.81±0.34. The one-tailed T-test P-value for the >100% and the 85% to 100% groups of liver to heart axial ratios was 0.037 and the P-value for the planar ratios was 0.146, representing significant group differences (P Conclusions A lower liver to heart ratio for patients who achieved >100% MAPHR is seen based on axial data than for those who achieved between 85% and 100% MAPHR. Only a trend to lower liver to heart ratios is seen based on the planar data. Less potential interference by liver activity is seen in patients achieving a higher MAPHR. Research Support Burrell, Steven. (2006) Artifacts and Pitfalls in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology. Retrieved from http://interactive.snm.org/docs/JNMT-Dec06-MyocardialPerfusionImaging.pdf
Loss of Wave1 gene defines a subtype of lethal prostate cancer

Genetic alterations involving TMPRSS2-ERG alterations and deletion of key tumor suppressor genes are associated with development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). However, less defined are early events that may contribute to the development of high-risk metastatic prostate cancer. Bioinformatic analysis of existing tumor genomic data from PCa patients revealed that WAVE complex gene alterations are associated with a greater likelihood of prostate cancer recurrence. Further analysis of primary vs. castration resistant prostate cancer indicate that disruption of WAVE complex gene expression, and particularly WAVE1 gene (WASF1) loss, is also associated with castration resistance, where WASF1 is frequently co-deleted with PTEN and resists androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Hence, we propose that WASF1 status defines a subtype of ADT-resistant patients. Better understanding of the effects of WAVE pathway disruption will lead to development of better diagnostic and treatment modalities.
Turning Back the Clock

Where was IEEE Pervasive Computing 10 years ago? Here, Maria Ebling turns back the clock to revisit the burning issues from a decade ago and consider where we stand on those issues today.
Maximum Dynamic Strength, Relative Dynamic Endurance, and Their Relationships

(1971). Maximum Dynamic Strength, Relative Dynamic Endurance, and Their Relationships. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 460-465.
d· Ala5 analog of the elastin polypentapeptide. Physical characterization

The d ° Ala5 analog, (l · Val1-l · Pro2-Gly3-l · Val4-d · Ala5)n, of the polypentapeptide (PPP) of elastin is synthesized and characterized by a series of physical methods. Carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies are used to verify purity and, by means of solvent dependence of peptide C -O chemical shift and of temperature dependence of peptide NH chemical shift, to establish by comparison with the PPP of elastin the presence and increased stability of the Type II Pro2-Gly3 β-turn. The temperature dependence of aggregation in water to form a viscoelastic phase called the coacervate is reported for several concentrations. Comparison of carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra obtained under identical conditions for the coacervate states of the PPP of elastin and the d · Ala5 analog shows the effect of replacing the Gly5 residue by a d · Alas residue to be one of greatly restricting mobility of the polypeptide chain. Scanning electron micrographs, of the coacervate alone and of the coacervate cross-linked and compounded to a Dacron fabric before and after stress-strain studies, are reported which show the d · Ala5 PPP matrix to rupture during the stresses of drying and of stretching while wet. Thus, the effect of adding a methyl moiety to the Gly5 residue of the PPP of elastin is to decrease markedly the mobility of the polypeptide chain and to destroy elasticity. The results are presented as a test of the proposed librational entropy mechanism of elasticity of the PPP of elastin.
Postnatal development of GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition in rat hippocampus.

Abstract Developmental alterations in GABAergic synaptic transmission were examined physiologically and biochemically in hippocampus of rats from 3 days of age to adulthood. Neither antidromic nor orthodromic stimulation could elicit identifiable inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in CA1 neurons in slices from rats 5 or 6 days of age. In contrast, at this age these stimuli result in large inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in CA3 pyramidal cells. In the latter cells orthodromic stimulation produced a brief monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potential which was followed by a large prolonged biphasic hyperpolarization. These signals were strikingly similar to those recorded in 1-month-old rats. In addition, large recurrent inhibitory postsynaptic potentials were produced by antidromic stimulation. By postnatal day 9 similar inhibitory postsynaptic potentials could be elicited in a majority of neurons of the CA1 subfield. As in mature pyramidal cells, application of GABA antagonists, such as bicuculline, selectively eliminated the antidromic inhibitory postsynaptic potential and the first component of the biphasic inhibitory postsynaptic potential generated by stimulation of stratum radiatum. In the CA3 subfield, this blockade of GABA receptors resulted in prolonged afterdischarges in slices from immature but not month-old rats. Measurements of the equilibrium potential and the conductance of antidromic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in CA3 neurons were very similar when made during the first postnatal week and at 1 month of age. While on days 10–11 the equilibrium potential was very similar to measurements made at these other ages, the conductance was 3–4 times greater. The activity of glutamate decarboxylase, the synthetic enzyme for GABA, was very low at 3 days in hippocampus, and increased until 30 days of age at which time adult values were obtained. By comparison, hippocampal GABA levels were high early in postnatal life. Glutamate decarboxylase activities in microdissected CA3 and CA1 subfields were similar in immature hippocampus. These results demonstrate dramatic differences in the ontogenesis of functional GABAergic inhibitory synaptic transmission in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of rat hippocampus. The late development of GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition in the CA1 subfield could play a role in the susceptibility of immature hippocampus to seizures. However, the large GABA-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic potentials present in the CA3 subfield at the same age have a critical role in dampening neuronal excitability. Blockade of these inhibitory postsynaptic potentials leads to the onset of prolonged seizure-like discharges. We have found no correlation between changes in levels of glutamate decarboxylase activity with age and functional GABA synaptic inhibition in hippocampus. Thus glutamate decarboxylase activity may be inappropriate as a biochemical marker for the ontogeny of functional GABA synapses.
Environmental chamber test methodology for characterizing organic vapors from solid emission sources

Environmental test chambers are an important tool in the characterization of organic emissions from solid consumer and construction products and in the evaluation of their potential impact on indoor air quality. The results of extensive research concerning formaldehyde (CH2O) emissions from such products strongly support this application of environmental chambers to measure product emissions and provide useful input for the design of environmental chamber studies. The physical design and test methodology for environmental chambers are strongly influenced by several elements in a comprehensive project plan for source characterization, including the selection process for test samples and the mathematical models used to interpret the organic emissions data. The protocol for environmental chamber testing extends broadly from the acquisition, preparation and conditioning of test specimens, to the selection and control of environmental test conditions, and to the calibration and measurement of system parameters and organic emissions. The requirements for environmental control inside the test chamber can be estimated from the sensitivity of the organic emission rates of the test products (e.g. CH2O emissions from pressed-wood products) to variation in environmental parameters. The cost of the numerous, multiple-organic analyses required for environmental chamber testing of solid emitters is seen as a strong limitation to product selection strategies and modeling efforts. The modeling of organic emissions from solid emitters can be both a planning tool for development of chamber test methodology and a means to interpret test chamber results.
Genes in idiopathic calcium oxalate stone disease

An examination of the urinary excretions of 101 normal subjects indicated that the major genetic influence on calcium excretion is a codominant pair of alleles giving rise to three phenotypes, low, intermediate and high (hypercalciuric) excretors. This inference was based on variance, Hardy-Weinberg and segregation analyses. Similar independent gene pairs also appear to influence oxalate and citrate excretion, A 3-locus Hardy-einberg table using estimates of gene frequencies derived from the study of normals suggests that only 3 or 4 leading genes are involved in oxalate stone disease. Strong candidate genes identified from molecular and physiological studies cannot be proposed at present, but it is assumed that they influence the transport of these ions in either the intestine, kidney or both organs. The identification of the genes involved should be facilitated by the reduction of dietary influences on urinary excretions through the use of formula diets.
Partial defoliation and hydraulic integration in Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae): Testing a model for sectored xylem flow using 15 N labeling

 Premise of the study: Xylem sectoriality limits nutrient translocation throughout the plant, which may constrain growth following partial defoliation by herbivores. To date, the implications for nutrient allocation have not been assessed, and sectoriality studies lack a modeling framework for relating intersector transport to the hydraulic properties of the stem.  Methods: We present an Ohm ’ s law model for sectoriality of xylem transport in basil ( Ocimum basilicum ), which we parameterized and tested using hydroponically grown split-root basil, pruned to two branches. To evaluate xylem resistance, we forced KCl solution through excised stems along either direct or indirect pathways. To examine the effect of partial defoliation on nutrient allocation, we applied 15 N-NO 3 to one half of the root system after one of three defoliation treatments: uniform, orthostichous to label, or opposite the label.  Key results: In support of our model, we found a tight correlation between total water uptake and total leaf area and between the actual and predicted proportions of water taken up from the labeled container. Signifi cantly more 15 N accumulated in orthostichous than in opposite sector leaves for the uniform and opposite defoliation treatments, but not for the orthostichous defoliation treatment. Across individuals, 15 N distribution varied as predicted by the model, but there was generally 10% more 15 N crossover than predicted.  Conclusions: These results support our model and suggest high potential integration for O. basilicum . The fact that our model consistently underestimated the rate of crossover suggests that other mechanisms are also in play. Future research should evaluate possible mechanisms for this mixing, including the role of transporters in specialized transfer cells.
Abstract PR09: Cellular heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma cells and its impact on tumor behavior

One of the most challenging aspects of cancer treatment is intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH). However it is been extremely difficult to monitor the extent to which individual clonal populations contribute to and affect tumor behavior because of the inability to culture tumor cells from patients in vitro without clonal selection under standard culture conditions, which lead to a loss in initial heterogeneity. Using a medium developed by Dr. Tan Ince that allows primary tumor cells to undergo continuous population doublings with minimal, if any, selection for or against specific clones, we generated 80 clonal populations from a Clear Cell Carcinoma (CCC) patient sample and monitored the extent of phenotypic and genomic heterogeneity among 12 of the clonal populations. These clones showed striking heterogeneity in copy number alterations as well as morphologic and phenotypic heterogeneity in vitro in assays such as anoikis, growth in soft agar, population doubling time, and growth in 3D reconstituted basement membrane cultures. To examine correlations between in vitro properties and tumor formation in vivo , we tagged the clones with Gaussia-Luciferase (Gluc), a secreted luciferase, which allowed us to monitor tumor burden over time using a blood-based assay. Based on tumor growth at 10 weeks, only two clonal populations were able to grow in the peritoneum when injected alone, one of which (#31) showed a much more rapid growth rate than the other; however #31 was still limited in its tumorigenic capacity, generating only ascitic tumor populations. To address whether functional crosstalk between clones affects tumor progression, we injected mixtures of the clones. Interestingly, mixtures of the 12 clones resulted in the generation of more aggressive in vivo phenotypes, e.g. the formation of solid peritoneal tumors and metastasis to lungs and brain, behaviors not detected with any individual clones. These results suggest that there is cooperativity between the clones to enhance growth and induce metastasis. The study has provided evidence that cell lines generated from individual clones vary significantly in their functional activities in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, by studying the single cell clones, we have found evidence for the existence of interclonal crosstalk during tumor progression and are currently studying the nature and impact of such cross talks on tumor progression and metastasis. This abstract is also presented as Poster A57. Citation Format: Suha Naffar-Abu Amara, Laura M. Selfors, Marit Krohn, Tan A. Ince, Bo R. Rueda, Rosemary Foster, Gordon B. Mills, Joan S. Brugge. Cellular heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma cells and its impact on tumor behavior. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: From Concept to Clinic; Sep 18-21, 2013; Miami, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2013;19(19 Suppl):Abstract nr PR09.
COMPOSITION OF THE MINERAL DEPOSITED DURING IN VITRO CALCIFICATION IN RELATION TO THE FLUID PHASE.

Abstract Despite the fact that in vitro calcification of rachitic epiphyseal cartilage has been extensively employed in studies of the mechanism of calcification, the chemical composition of the solid deposited was not hitherto investigated. The present investigation is a study of the mineral deposited during in vitro calcification of the matrix of hypertrophic rachitic epiphyseal cartilage from calcifying solutions of different compositions. The solids deposited and the solutions used were analysed for calcium, phosphate, and carbonate by methods described herein. The CO3:PO4 and Ca:PO4 ratios of the solid were linearly related to those of the fluid within the range of solution compositions used. The increase in the Ca:PO4 ratio of the solids as the Ca:PO4 and CO3:PO4 ratios of the solution were raised was due to increased deposition of CaCO3. Although the compositions of the solid varied, the residual Ca:PO4 ratio was 1.33 in all cases. The Ca:PO4 ratio of 1.33 corresponds to that of octocalcium phosphate or may represent a defect apatite. The low Ca:PO4 ratios found in in vitro calcification resembles the compositions usually found in young bone, and may represent the composition of newly deposited bone mineral in vivo.
Characterization of a Dual Chambered Two Phase Separator

Fuel cells have been used as a power source in the space shuttle for decades and are expected to be used in future higher power, larger systems. A new, passive gas/liquid phase separator for use in such large fuel cell space applications has been invented. It is a vortex separator designed to accommodate gas driven two phase flows. The work presented here is a first of a kind study of this newly invented separator examining the minimum inlet gas flow rate necessary for a stable vortex inside the separator as a function of separator size. A dimensional scaling analysis was done to predict this minimum inlet gas flow rate. Experiments were performed on the ground and in conjunction with the NASA microgravity simulating aircraft to validate modeling. The results of the experiments and scaling analysis are compared.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Metabolism of Intraduodenally Administered 15α-Hydroxyestrone-3-sulfate-15-N-acetylglucosaminide in Women with Biliary Drainage

ABSTRACT 3H-15α-Hydroxyestrone-3-sulfate-N-acetylglucosaminide (15α-OHE1 SGNAc) was injected via the T-tube into the duodenum of 2 subjects (JG and MC) with biliary drainage, and biliary and urinary metabolites were determined. Within 48 hr 33% (JG) and 20% (MC) of the injected dose was found in the urine, while 36% (JG) and 56% (MC) was excreted in the bile. Separation of metabolites according to conjugate type was effected by chromatography on alumina and Sephadex G-10. Individual conjugates were purified by Celite partition chromatography. Each metabolite was assayed by treatment with appropriate enzymes and subsequent purification of the estrogen by Celite chromatography and isotope dilution techniques. About 30% of the urinary and 75% of the biliary radioactivity was identified. About 65% (JG) and 62% (MC) of the biliary tritium consisted of sulfo-N-acetyl-glucosaminides (SGNAc) of 15α-hydroxyestrone (15α-OHE1) and 15α-hydroxyestradiol (15α-OHE2). An additional 2% (JG) and 12% (MC) consisted of N-ace...
Determination of the probability zone for acoustic emission source location in cylindrical shell structures

This paper presents a probabilistic framework for acoustic emission (AE) source localization in cylindrical structures. Specifically, an approach based on unscented transformation (UT) is proposed to take into account uncertainty in time of flight measurements and wave velocity and eventually estimate AE source locations together with quantitative measures of confidence associated with those estimates. Experiments are carried out on a steel pipe instrumented with an array of six embedded piezoelectric disks. Results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations by the Kullback–Leibler divergence.
Erythrocyte phosphoglucomutase: A family study of a PGM1 deficient allele

We have observed a large Mexican American family segregating for a low activity allele at the phosphoglucomutase-1 locus. The deficient allele is detectable by starch gel electrophoresis and by direct activity determination. The presence of the deficient allele in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition is not associated with any other phenotypic finding.
Extrasynaptic site of action for γ-hydroxybutyrate.

Advances in pharmacology often result from identifying the mechanism of action of drugs found empirically to be biologically active (1). γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as Fantasy, is a centrally active agent that has been used clinically and recreationally for nearly half a century. Because of its history of abuse, its availability is tightly regulated, although it is prescribed for the treatment of alcoholism and narcolepsy. Depending on the dose, GHB displays a myriad of effects on CNS function. Despite decades of research, significant questions remain about its mechanism of action. In PNAS, Absalom et al. (2) identify a distinct population of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors as a target for GHB, providing unique insights into the molecular target for this agent.
The learning curve for laparoscopic pyloromyotomy

Over a 34-month period, 51 open and 33 laparoscopic pyloromyotomies were performed for infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. The patients' weight ranged from 1.2 to 5.3 kg. The mean operating time was 28 minutes for the open group and 41 minutes for the laparoscopic group. The average time to accept normal feeds was 41 hours in the open group and 32 hours in the laparoscopic group. There were three perforations, one inadequate pyloromyotomy, and one wound infection in the open group. In the laparoscopic group one patient underwent conversion to open surgery because of a duodenal perforation and three other patients required subsequent open procedures for duodenal perforation (n = 1), pyloric perforation (n = 1) and inadequate pyloromyotomy (n = 1). Additional complications in the laparoscopic group included two cases of omental extrusion through the umbilical port wound and one suture abscess. On the basis of these results we have modified our technique, and there have been no complications after laparoscopic pyloromyotomy in our last 10 patients. We believe laparoscopic pyloromyotomy requires further evaluation before it is accepted into common practice.
The Galois algebra with Galois group which is the automorphism group

Abstract Let B be a Galois algebra over a commutative ring R with Galois group G. Then it is shown that G = Aut R ( B ) if and only if B is commutative with no idempotents but 0 and 1, or B ≅ R ⊕ R where R contains no idempotents but 0 and 1.
Structure of SO2946 orphan from Shewanella oneidensis shows “jelly-roll” fold with carbohydrate-binding module

The crystal structure of the uncharacterized protein SO2946 from Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was determined with single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) and refined to 2.0 A resolution. The SO2946 protein consists of a short helical N-terminal domain and a large C-terminal domain with the “jelly-roll” topology. The protein assembles into a propeller consisting of three C-terminal blades arranged around a central core formed by the N-terminal domains. The function of SO2946 could not be inferred from the sequence since the protein represents an orphan with no sequence homologs, but the protein’s structure bears a fold similar to that of proteins containing carbohydrate-binding modules. Features such as fold conservation, the presence of a conserved groove and a metal binding region are indicative that SO2946 may be an enzyme and could be involved in binding carbohydrate molecules.
Self-organizing logistics systems

Abstract When a logistics system is “self-organizing” it can function without significant intervention by managers, engineers, or software control. The social insects, such as ants or bees, provide models of self-organizing logistics systems that may be profitably emulated. We illustrate some of these ideas for the problem of balancing assembly lines.
Type I IFNs promote the early IFN‐γ response and the IL‐10 response in Leishmania mexicana infection

The protozoan parasite Leishmania mexicana causes chronic cutaneous disease in humans and most mouse strains. We previously showed that STAT4-deficient mice, but not IL-12p40-deficient mice, have more parasites and progressively growing lesions unlike those of wild-type mice, the lesions and parasite burdens of which plateau by 10-12 weeks post-infection. This demonstrates a STAT4-dependent, IL-12/IL-23-independent pathway of parasite control. Type I IFNs are important in viral and other infections and can activate STAT4. We found that IFN-alpha/betaR-deficient mice have a nonpersistent, early IFN-gamma defect, and a persistent, early IL-10 defect, without changes in serum IL-12 or LN-derived nitric oxide. We found less IL-10 per cell in CD25+CD4+ T cells and possibly fewer IL-10-producing cells in the draining LN of IFN-alpha/betaR-deficient vs. wild-type mice. IFN-alpha/betaR-deficient mice have chronic, nonprogressive disease, like wild-type mice, suggesting that IL-10 and IFN-gamma defects may balance each other. Our data indicate that although type I IFNs help promote early Th1 responses, they are not the missing activators of STAT4 responsible for partial control of L. mexicana. Also, the lack of lesion resolution in IFN-alpha/betaR-deficient mice despite lower IL-10 levels indicates that other pathways independent of T cell IL-10 help prevent an IL-12-driven clearance of parasites.
Preschoolers' Inferred Self-Esteem: The Behavioral Rating Scale of Presented Self-Esteem in Young Children

Teachers of 94 preschoolers (in Head Start and university-based programs) assessed the children's inferred self-esteem using the Behavioral Rating Scale of Presented Self-Esteem in Young Children. The instrument was found to have excellent internal consistency. Factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution: approach confidence and social-emotional expression. There were no significant program differences in inferred self-esteem, but girls scored significantly higher than boys. Implications for learning opportunities in the preschool years are discussed.