cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Microbiome and Tuberculosis: Early Evidence for Cross Talk

Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient infectious disease of humans that has been extensively studied both clinically and experimentally. Although susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is clearly influenced by factors such as nutrition, immune status, and both mycobacterial and host genetics, the variable pathogenesis of TB in infected individuals remains poorly understood. During the past two decades, it has become clear that the microbiota-the trillion organisms that reside at mucosal surfaces within and on the body-can exert a major influence on disease outcome through its effects on host innate and adaptive immune function and metabolism. This new recognition of the potentially pleiotropic participation of the microbiome in immune responses has raised the possibility that the microbiota may influence M. tuberculosis infection and/or disease. Similarly, treatment of TB may alter the healthy steady-state composition and function of the microbiome, possibly affecting treatment outcome in addition to other host physiological parameters. Herein, we review emerging evidence for how the microbiota may influence the transition points in the life cycle of TB infection, including (i) resistance to initial infection, (ii) initial infection to latent tuberculosis (LTBI), (iii) LTBI to reactivated disease, and (iv) treatment to cure. A major goal of this review is to frame questions to guide future scientific and clinical studies in this largely unexplored but increasingly important area of TB research.
Genetic influence on cognitive development between childhood and adulthood.

Successful cognitive development between childhood and adulthood has important consequences for future mental and physical wellbeing, as well as occupational and financial success. Therefore, delineating the genetic influences underlying changes in cognitive abilities during this developmental period will provide important insights into the biological mechanisms that govern both typical and atypical maturation. Using data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC), a large population-based sample of individuals aged 8 to 21 years old (n = 6634), we used an empirical relatedness matrix to establish the heritability of general and specific cognitive functions and determine if genetic factors influence cognitive maturation (i.e., Gene × Age interactions) between childhood and early adulthood. We found that neurocognitive measures across childhood and early adulthood were significantly heritable. Moreover, genetic variance on general cognitive ability, or g, increased significantly between childhood and early adulthood. Finally, we did not find evidence for decay in genetic correlation on neurocognition throughout childhood and adulthood, suggesting that the same genetic factors underlie cognition at different ages throughout this developmental period. Establishing significant Gene × Age interactions in neurocognitive functions across childhood and early adulthood is a necessary first step in identifying genes that influence cognitive development, rather than genes that influence cognition per se. Moreover, since aberrant cognitive development confers risk for several psychiatric disorders, further examination of these Gene × Age interactions may provide important insights into their etiology.
SEAGRASS MONITORING IN SAN ANTONIO BAY, TEXAS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

Abstract As resource managers have become more aware of the ecosystem services provided by seagrasses (providing food, cycling nutrients, stabilizing sediments, etc.), the need to evaluate and moni...
Shunting of Oxygenated Blood to the Venous System in the Avalon® Cannula on Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation with High-frequency Oscillatory Ventilation.

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) may assist in the prevention of volutrauma for high-risk patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO). In combined VV ECMO and HFOV, we noted that increased intrathoracic pressure contributed to shunt formation in the dual-lumen Avalon® cannula (Maquet, Rastatt, Germany). A 51-year-old female with ARDS secondary to aspiration pneumonia was placed on VV ECMO using a single Avalon cannula. By ECMO Day 16, she became unable to ventilate due to elevated peak airway pressures, even with low tidal volume ventilation and an otherwise stable VV ECMO course. HFOV was introduced to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury. Shortly after HFOV started, the patient desaturated, and consequently, the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) was increased to 100%. We noted that a flash of bright red, oxygenated blood was flowing retrograde in the Avalon cannula at the same rate as the beat of the oscillator, while the patient's ECMO flow rate, arterial blood gas, and blood pressure all remained stable. The ECMO flow was increased above 5.5 L/min and the resolution of the retrograde shunt through the Avalon cannula was immediately observed. Concurrent use of HFOV with VV ECMO using an Avalon cannula may result in a shunt that becomes visible with arterial O2 saturations nearing 100%. Due to pressure differences between the venous and arterial lumens of the Avalon cannula, increasing the ECMO flow rate appeared to decrease this shunting effect caused by elevated intrathoracic pressure.
A RARE CASE OF REFRACTORY TORSADES DE POINTES WITH DIPHENHYDRAMINE OVERDOSE

Diphenhydramine is a commonly used over the counter medication. There are many associated side effects from it which has been well documented. We present a rare case of significant QT prolongation, sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and Torsades de Pointes (TdP) from diphenhydramine overdose.
Caregiver Perceptions of the Young Child: Assessment and Treatment Implications

Understanding the caregiver’s view of their child is central to working with very young children. This chapter will describe the tools used to explore the caregiver’s internal working model, their perceptions of the child, and the child’s world. It will also examine how a caregiver may place unconscious projections onto their child, which are influenced by cultural values, the caregiver’s own history of being parented, caregiver traumas, and the caregiver’s ghosts and angels in their nursery. Interviews like the Working Model of the Child Interview, the Adult Attachment Interview, the Angels in the Nursery Interview and the Circle of Security Interview (COSI) which help the clinician understand these complex factors that influence a caregiver’s perception of their child will be discussed.
Effect of patterned inclusions on the fracture behavior of ceramic composites

Abstract Developments in additive manufacturing have enabled the reinforcement of ceramic composites across the scales. Understanding the fracture behavior of such composites is critical for structural design and engineering. However, systematic investigations on the relationship between the patterning characteristics and the effective fracture properties have been scarce. This work proposes a mixed-mode phase field model to investigate the effects of elastic modulus and pattern characteristics of circular inclusions on the fracture behavior of a ceramic composite beam. The modeling results have shown that the stiff and compliant inclusions can either repel or attract the crack. The extent of repelling and attraction can be controlled by altering the pattern characteristics. In addition, utilizing the relationship between the pattern characteristics and resulting fracture path, fracture growth can be controlled with appropriate inclusion properties. The targeted enhancement in fracture toughness can also be predicted using an effective fracture model linked with the underlying fracture path computed by the proposed mixed-mode phase field model.
Testing the Longitudinal Structure and Change in Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Inattentive Behaviors From Early Through Middle Childhood

Previous studies have demonstrated that sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) behaviors are empirically distinct from inattentive (IN) behaviors that are used to define attention-deficit/hyperactivity dis...
Navigation and Localization via Wave Interference Patterns: An approach inspired by Marshallese Stick Charts

Navigation and localization problems are challenging to solve when operating in ocean environments owing to inherent environmental dynamics and severe limitations on communication capabilities. This is compounded in coastal regions, precisely where the majority of the phenomena of interest occur, and the need for accurate navigation estimates is most critical. Existing navigation and localization techniques rely either on high-powered sensors (e.g., Doppler Velocity Loggers) resulting in decreased deployment time, or dead-reckoning (compass and IMU), with motion models resulting in poor navigational accuracy due to unbounded sensor drift combined with large environmental disturbances. Here we examine a low-cost, low-energy approach to navigation and localization in near-shore (<100 km) environments by considering non-metric instantiations of maps. Ocean navigation methods in the Marshall Islands up through the last century relied upon knowledge of charts made of sticks, shells, and engravings to aid seafarers in long sea voyages. These charts hold a wealth of information about the ocean in a seemingly simple representation of what we would call a map. In this paper, we examine the utility of a non-metric map representation that incorporates moving currents, wind directions, swell, and fluid-dynamic properties of refraction and reflection — data regarding the intrinsics of the ocean most germane where a geometric or absolute reference frame becomes less obviously the appropriate representation. We provide simulation results for both navigation and localization problems, and propose a simple control law for a practical navigation problem.
Geometric Attitude Control via Contraction on Manifolds with Automatic Gain Selection

In this paper we propose a new analysis of a simple geometric attitude controller, showing that it is locally exponentially stable and almost globally asymptotically stable; the exponential convergence region is much larger than existing non-hybrid geometric controllers (and covers almost the entire rotation space). The controller’s stability is proved using contraction analysis combined with optimization. The key in this combination is that the contraction metric is a linear matrix inequality with a special structure stemming from the configuration manifold SO(3).As an additional contribution, we propose a general framework to automatically select controller gains by optimizing bounds on the system’s convergence rate; while this principle is quite general, its application is particularly straightforward with our contraction-based analysis.We demonstrate our results through simulations.
Concordance and Discordance in the Geographic Distribution of Childhood Obesity and Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes in New York City.

ABSTRACT Objective: s rates of childhood obesity and pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D) increase, a better understanding is needed of how these two conditions relate, and which subgroups of children are more likely to develop diabetes with and without obesity. Methods: To compare hotspots of childhood obesity and pediatric T2D in New York City, we performed geospatial clustering analyses on obesity estimates obtained from surveys of school-aged children and diabetes estimates obtained from healthcare claims data, from 2009-2013. Analyses were performed at the Census tract level. We then used multivariable regression analysis to identify sociodemographic and environmental factors associated with these hotspots. Results: We identified obesity hotspots in Census tracts with a higher proportion of Black or Hispanic residents, with low median household income, or located in a food swamp. 51.1% of pediatric T2D hotspots overlapped with obesity hotspots. For pediatric T2D, hotspots were identified in Census tracts with a higher proportion of Black residents and a lower proportion of Hispanic residents. Conclusions: Non-Hispanic Black neighborhoods had a higher probability of being hotspots of both childhood obesity and pediatric type 2 diabetes. However, we identified a discordance between hotspots of childhood obesity and pediatric diabetes in Hispanic neighborhoods, suggesting either under-detection or under-diagnosis of diabetes, or that obesity may influence diabetes risk differently in these two populations. These findings warrant further investigation of the relationship between childhood obesity and pediatric diabetes among different racial and ethnic groups, and may help guide pediatric public health interventions to specific neighborhoods.
A Content Analysis of Figure Captions in Academic Journals from Four Disciplines

Background: Captions do important communicative work, but little research has investigated their content quantitatively. Literature review: Captions help facilitate learning and make retrieving information from databases easier. Yet, few studies have explored the rhetorical moves found in figure captions to better understand their communicative function. Research questions: 1. How do captions found in psychology, linguistics, biology, and technical and professional communication (TPC) journals differ in terms of length? 2. What are the rhetorical structures of figure captions in psychology, linguistics, biology, and TPC journals? 3. How do the rhetorical structures of captions in journals from these four disciplines differ? 4. To what extent does visual type interact with caption length and rhetorical structure? Research methodology: Using quantitative content analysis, I compared the frequencies of moves in captions across disciplines, determined whether the moves were conventional or optional, and identified patterns in the progression of moves in the captions that I analyzed. A supplementary analysis of the types of visuals that accompanied the captions offered insights into the findings of the caption-content analysis. Results: Results suggest a high degree of variation in the rhetorical structure of captions in academic journals. Biology captions were, on average, the longest and contained the most moves. TPC captions were the shortest and contained the fewest moves. Psychology and linguistics captions fell between the biology and TPC captions. Conclusions: Understanding variation in caption content can encourage a more rhetorical approach to caption writing. Researchers in disciplines where shorter captions are standard might consider writing elaborated captions.
The Service Sector's Acquisition and Development of Information Technology: Infrastructure and Productivity

The paper explains why the productivity of information technology (IT) in the service sector of the U.S. economy is increased by the provision of infratechnology. The size and growth of the service sector and its investment in IT are discussed, and a key fact and a key inference are developed. The fact: The absorption costs of IT are the vast majority of the IT investment costs to the service sector. The inference: Infratechnology investments are an efficient way to increase both private and social benefits of incurring the cost of implementing IT.
Host tissue response in stem cell therapy

Preclinical and clinical trials of stem cell therapy have been carried out for treating a broad spectrum of diseases using several types of adult stem cells. While encouraging therapeutic results have been obtained, much remains to be investigated regarding the best cell type to use, cell dosage, delivery route, long-term safety, clinical feasibility, and ultimately treatment cost. Logistic aspects of stem cell therapeutics remain an area that requires urgent attention from the medical community. Recent cardiovascular trial studies have demonstrated that growth factors and cytokines derived from the injected stem cells and host tissue appear to contribute largely to the observed therapeutic benefits, indicating that trophic actions rather than the multilineage potential (or stemness) of the administered stem cells may provide the underlying tissue healing power. However, the capacity for trophic factor production can be aberrantly downregulated as seen in human heart disease. Skeletal muscle is a dynamic tissue with an impressive ability to continuously respond to environmental stimuli. Indeed, a relation exists between active skeletal muscle and low cardiovascular risk, highlighting the critical link between the skeletal muscle and cardiovascular systems. Adding to this notion are recent studies showing that stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can rescue the failing rodent heart through activation of the muscle trophic factor network and mobilization of bone marrow multilineage progenitor cells. However, aging and disease can adversely affect the host tissue into which stem cells are injected. A better understanding of the host tissue response in stem cell therapy is necessary to advance the field and bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical findings.
Isolation and characterization of cDNA clones encoding embryonic and adult isoforms of rat cardiac troponin T.

We have previously reported that troponin T (TnT), a regulatory protein in muscle contraction, undergoes a switch from the larger, acidic embryonic form to the smaller, basic adult form during rat heart development (Jin, J.-P., and Lin, J.J.-C. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 7309-7315). To investigate the significance and the molecular mechanism of this isoform switching, cDNA clones encoding rat cardiac TnT were obtained by screening a cDNA library constructed from young rat cardiac poly(A)+ RNAs using the expression vector lambda gt11. Clone RCT10 proved to be a full length clone containing 50 base pairs (bp) of 5'-untranslated sequence, 870 bp of coding sequence, and 196 bp plus poly(A) tail at the 3'-untranslated region. In the other cDNA clone (RCT11), the entire 3'-untranslated sequence and most of the coding sequence were identical with that of RCT10, but an additional 30-bp insert was present in the coding region from residues 18 to 27. This insertion sequence appeared to code for a fragment (EDWSEEEEDE) highly enriched in acidic amino acid residues. Thus, RCT11 might represent a clone encoding the embryonic isoform of rat cardiac TnT. S1 nuclease RNA mapping analysis using end-labeled RCT11 cDNA probes confirmed that this region of the sequence is different in embryonic and adult isoform mRNAs. These results suggest that both embryonic and adult isoforms of rat cardiac TnT are generated from the same primary transcript by developmentally regulated alternative splicing. The amino acid sequence deduced from RCT10 cDNA exhibits 87%, 85%, and 72% homology with bovine, rabbit, and chicken cardiac TnTs, respectively, but less homology (57-59%) with the known skeletal TnTs from human, rat, rabbit, and chicken. Moreover, both the 5'- and the 3'-untranslated sequences of rat cardiac TnT mRNA are completely different from those reported for rat skeletal TnT mRNA, suggesting that rat cardiac TnT is coded from a gene distinct from the rat skeletal TnT gene.
Toxic effects of selenium on growing swine fed corn-soybean meal diets.

A total of 96 crossbred pigs received various levels of sodium selenite to determine the effect of dietary selenium (Se) on growing swine fed corn-soybean meal diets. Levels of supplemental Se were 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 micrograms/g. There were linear decreases (P less than .01) in both gain and feed intake with increasing levels of dietary Se. Feed/gain increased numerically as dietary Se increased. Hair Se increased quadratically (P less than .01) and blood Se increased linearly (P less than .01) with increasing level of dietary Se. Cell volume and hemoglobin were not affected by dietary treatment. Increasing dietary Se significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT). and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT). External signs of selenosis were noted in some pigs fed 12 or 20 micrograms/g of Se. The toxic level of Se in a corn-soybean meal diet for crossbred pigs appears to be between 4 and 8 micrograms/g. Of variables studied, growth rate was the most sensitive indicator of chronic selenosis in swine.
Thermal response characteristics of fire blanket materials

SUMMARY The thermal response characteristics of over 50 relatively thin (0.15–3.7 mm) fire blanket materials from four different fiber groups (aramid, fiberglass, amorphous silica, and pre-oxidized carbon) and their composites have been investigated. A plain or coated fabric sample was subjected to a predominantly convective or radiant heat flux (up to 84 kW/m2) using a Meker burner and a cone heater, respectively. In addition to conventional thermal protective performance ratings for protective clothing, two transient thermal response times (for the fabric back-side temperature to reach 300 °C and for the through-the-fabric heat flux to reach 13 kW/m2) and a steady-state heat-blocking efficiency (HBE) were introduced for both convective and radiant heat sources. For most woven fabrics, the HBE values were approximately 70 ± 10% for both convection and radiation and only mildly increased with the fabric thickness or the incident heat flux. Nonwoven (felt) fabrics with low thermal conductivity exhibited significantly better insulation (up to 87%) against convective heat. Highly reflective aluminized materials exhibited exceptionally high HBE values (up to 98%) for radiation, whereas carbon and charred aramid fabrics showed lower HBEs (down to 50%) because of efficient radiation absorption. A relatively thin fire blanket operating at high temperatures can efficiently block heat from a convective source by radiative emission (enhanced by its T4-dependence and high surface emissivity) coupled with thermal insulation and from a radiant heat source by surface reflection while the aluminum surface layer remains. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of a Model for Multicomponent Aerosol Dynamics

An uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the MAEROS model for multicomponent aerosol dynamics is presented. Analysis techniques based on Latin hypercube sampling and regression analysis are used to study the behavior of a two component aerosol in a nuclear power plant containment for a transient accident with loss of AC power (i.e., a TMLB' accident). Conditional on assumed ranges and distributions for selected independent variables (e.g., initial distributions and mass loadings for each component, temperature, pressure, shape factors), estimates are made for distributions of model predictions and for the independent variables which influence these predictions. The analysis indicated that, for the situation under consideration, variables related to agglomeration (e.g., dynamic shape factor, material density, agglomeration shape factor, and turbulence dissipation rate) tended to dominate the observed variability. For comparison, an analysis based on differential techniques is also given. Further, a study of the effects on MAEROS predictions due to the number of particle size classes and the particle size class boundaries is presented. This analysis was performed as part of a project to develop a new system of computer codes (i.e., the MELCOR code system) for use in risk assessments for nuclear power plants.
Exploring health website users by web mining

With the continuous growth of health information and users of the Internet, how to build an easy-to-use interface for different users is one fundamental desideratum when constructing a health website. The goal of this paper is to explore different information needs by examining the search terms of different Internet user groups. In order to deeply investigate the information, five months' daily access weblog files from one particular health provider's website are collected and the log data is analyzed by Web Mining technique. Based on the mining results, the paper also gives some suggestions of how to redesign the interface to be more intuitive to users.
Progressive Metaplastic and Dysplastic Changes in Mouse Pancreas Induced by Cyclooxygenase-2 Overexpression

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression is an established factor linking chronic inflammation with metaplastic and neoplastic change in various tissues. We generated transgenic mice (BK5.COX-2) in which elevation of COX-2 and its effectors trigger a metaplasia-dysplasia sequence in exocrine pancreas. Histologic evaluation revealed a chronic pancreatitis-like state characterized by acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and a well-vascularized fibroinflammatory stroma that develops by 3 months. By 6 to 8 months, strongly dysplastic features suggestive of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma emerge in the metaplastic ducts. Increased proliferation, cellular atypia, and loss of normal cell/tissue organization are typical features in transgenic pancreata. Alterations in biomarkers associated with human inflammatory and neoplastic pancreatic disease were detected using immunohistochemistry. The abnormal pancreatic phenotype can be completely prevented by maintaining mice on a diet containing celecoxib, a well-characterized COX-2 inhibitor. Despite the high degree of atypia, only limited evidence of invasion to adjacent tissues was observed, with no evidence of distant metastases. However, cell lines derived from spontaneous lesions are aggressively tumorigenic when injected into syngeneic or nude mice. The progressive nature of the metaplastic/dysplastic changes observed in this model make it a valuable tool for examining the transition from chronic inflammation to neoplasia.
Guide to International Environmental Law

Guide to International Environmental Law addresses why and how the international system elaborates environmental obligations and monitors compliance with them.
Krüppel-like Factors in Lymphocyte Biology

The Kruppel-like factor family of transcription factors plays an important role in differentiation, function, and homeostasis of many cell types. While their role in lymphocytes is still being determined, it is clear that these factors influence processes as varied as lymphocyte quiescence, trafficking, differentiation, and function. This review will present an overview of how these factors operate and coordinate with each other in lymphocyte regulation.
Toward a Theory of Micro-kindness: Developing Positive Actions in Multicultural Education (pp. 2-14)

This conceptual article seeks to build on empirical research on microaggressions by introducing a corollary strand of inquiry: micro-kindnesses. A definition and examples of microaggressions are synthesized from a review of psychological and educational research; a particular limitation of this research is then discussed. A definition of micro-kindness is offered and supported by a list of actions to provide multicultural educators examples of micro-kindness in practice, which might inspire inclusion of micro-kindness in course curricula or as a subject of inquiry.
Characterization of a cysteine-containing peptide tether immobilized onto a gold surface

One side of a triangular molecular tile has been successfully synthesized. The synthesized peptide contains two cysteines (Cys), two glutamic acids (Glu), and a p-aminomethylbenzoyl-p-benzoic acid ...
A dual coordinate descent algorithm for SVMs combined with rational kernels

This paper presents a novel application of automata algorithms to machine learning. It introduces the first optimization solution for support vector machines used with sequence kernels that is purely based on weighted automata and transducer algorithms, without requiring any specific solver. The algorithms presented apply to a family of kernels covering all those commonly used in text and speech processing or computational biology. We show that these algorithms have significantly better computational complexity than previous ones and report the results of large-scale experiments demonstrating a dramatic reduction of the training time, typically by several orders of magnitude.
The Death of Musical Analysis? The Concept of Unity Revisited

In 'The Concept of Unity and Musical Analysis', Robert Morgan examines doctrines expressed by five writers on music: Kofi Agawu, Daniel Chua, Joseph Dubiel, Jonathan Kramer and me. We all stand accused of the same heresy, a lapse in analytical orthodoxy that he calls 'anti-unitarianism' (p. 8). Since this 'opposition to unity' is no transient temptation, 'but a major development associated with a distinguished group of scholars' (p. 8), it must be refuted before it leads others into error. Morgan fears that the 'unitydenying disposition' (p. 7) will undermine basic tenets of the analyst's faith, because it originates in 'a comprehensive recent epistemological transformation that has influenced attitudes about truth and knowledge' (p. 22). By embracing a postmodernist notion that 'all language is necessarily metaphorical', antiunitarianism 'eliminates the possibility of an objective account of music' (p. 22) and even destroys our belief that music makes sense: 'analysis is based on the assumption that music "makes sense" without which it makes no sense itself as a discipline' (p. 27). Ultimately this retreat from making sense will cause the analytical enterprise to sink into a kind of mute self-abnegation:
High Peak Power, Flexible Pulse Parameter, Chirally Coupled Core (3C ® ) Fiber Based Picosecond MOPA Systems

We demonstrate flexible performance in a fiber MOPA system based on nLIGHT’s PFL seed laser platform and chirally coupled core (3C®) fiber. The 33μm core, 27μm MFD 3C fiber used in these demonstrations is fabricated in volume at nLIGHT’s Finland facility. A variety of pulse formats are amplified to nonlinearity-limited peak power <300kW, including single pulses in the 50ps to 1ns regime at a variety of repetition rates from 10’s of kHz to MHz. Beam quality in these 3C based MOPAs is exceptional with M2<1.15 and circularity <95% at all power levels. Beam pointing often evident in other LMA fiber technologies due to higher order mode content is minimal in these fiber MOPAs. Burst mode operation of the seed laser system using flexible burst packet repetition rates (10’s of kHz to several MHz) and adjustable pulse-to-pulse spacing within bursts (<10ns to 100ns) is demonstrated and amplified in the same 3C fibers. Bursts of up to ten 50ps pulses amplified to total energies exceeding 160μJ are demonstrated at 200kHz burst repetition rate and 32W average power at high efficiency (74% slope). Bursts of up to five 500ps pulses are also amplified to up to 360μJ total energy. In both cases, the varying degree of pulse saturation win a burst and mitigation paths are reviewed.
An investigation of cystocarp development in Gelidium pteridifolium with a revised description of the Gelidiales (Rhodophyta)

Abstract The Gelidiales possess a unique combination of characters that set them apart from all other orders of red algae. Our observations have revealed features in the development of the female reproductive system that differ from reports of previous workers. We find that in Gelidium pteridifolium nutritive filaments are initiated prior to carpogonial elongation; functional carpogonia are intercalary; a fertilized carpogonium becomes multinucleate as it cuts off gonimoblast initials; nuclei in the cortical filaments borne on the carpogonium divide and enlarge following fertilization and pit plugs break down forming channels between the carpogonium and adjoining cortical filaments; terminal gonimoblast cells first fuse with the terminal cells of nutritive filaments and later unite with the fusion cells themselves; unfused, uninucleate gonimoblast cells cut off the first carposporangia, and multinucleate fusion cells produce a second series of carposporangia later on. The auxiliary cell concept is reviewe...
Design considerations for a CCFL and its surroundings

— A TFT-LCD module includes a backlight unit, which normally uses one or more thin cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). Since a CCFL is driven at high frequency and high voltage, there is a leakage current. In recent years, TFT-LCD modules have been getting thinner, with a wider screen size and a narrower frame; consequently, the leakage current has come to have a significant influence on the design of the LCD module and the dc/ac inverter unit that generates the high-voltage ac to drive the CCFL. It is actually impossible to probe the inside of a working CCFL because of the high voltage, high frequency, and low electric discharge current. This fact adds to the difficulty of the analysis and the design. This paper proposes an electrical model of a CCFL and a simulation method using the model, making it possible to analyze the inside of the CCFL and to provide some important parameters that are required for the basic design of the LCD module and the dc/ac inverter, before the construction and measurement of actual samples.
Long‐term outcome of gastrointestinal complications in renal transplant patients treated with mycophenolate mofetil

This study examined consequences of gastrointestinal (GI) complications and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) discontinuation on long-term outcomes in patients who received MMF at transplantation and had graft function 12 months post-transplantation. Data were obtained from the United States Renal Data System for cadaveric renal transplant recipients between 1995 and 1998. GI complications or MMF discontinuation occurred in 27.4% and 17.5% of patients, respectively. MMF was discontinued in 21.3% of patients with GI complications and 16.0% of patients without (P<0.00001). Four-year graft survival was reduced from 87.1% to 82.3% (P=0.091) with MMF discontinuation, to 83.0% (P=0.001) with GI complications, and to 70.2% (P<0.0001) with GI complications and MMF discontinuation. While the retrospective nature of this work cannot prove causality, which will require future prospective studies, both GI complications and MMF withdrawal are associated with increased risk of graft loss and may warrant further study in the management of transplant recipients.
Unilateral Diaphragmatic Paralysis in a Diabetic Patient: A Case of Trepopnea

Dyspnea is a common presenting complaint. Trepopnea, an under-recognized form of dyspnea, is difficult breathing in only one lateral decubitus position. One cause of trepopnea is unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis, which in itself is an uncommon diagnosis. We report a unique case of a 55-year-old diabetic man who presented with trepopnea and was found to have unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis secondary to isolated diabetic phrenic neuropathy. This case highlights the importance of recognizing trepopnea as an early clinical symptom of diaphragmatic paralysis and discusses diabetic phrenic neuropathy which can occur in the absence of peripheral neuropathy.
Technical considerations for transabdominal loading of the circular stapler in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Abstract Background Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is being undertaken with increasing frequency. We describe a technique for introducing the anvil of the circular stapler using a totally transabdominal approach. Methods One hundred consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. Results The cardiojejunostomy was constructed in all 100 patients using the circular stapler with no complications. No anastomotic leaks were detected postoperatively. Conclusions The totally transabdominal approach for introducing the anvil of the circular stapler into the gastric pouch is safe and feasible.
Modeling the effects of winter environment on dormancy release of Douglas-fir

Most temperate woody plants have a winter chilling requirement to prevent budburst during mid-winter periods of warm weather. The date of spring budburst is dependent on both chilling and forcing; modeling this date is an important part of predicting potential effects of global warming on trees. There is no clear evidence from the literature that the curves of chilling or forcing effectiveness differ by species so we combined our data and published information to develop new curves on the effectiveness of temperature for chilling and forcing. The new curves predict effectiveness over a wide range of temperatures and we suggest both functions may be operating at the same time. We present experimental data from 13 winter environments for 5 genotypes of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) and use them to test various assumptions of starting and stopping dates for accumulating chilling and forcing units and the relationship between budburst and the accumulation of chilling and forcing units. Chilling started too early to be effective in one treatment but the other 12 environments resulted in budburst from many combinations of chilling and forcing. Previous reports have suggested benefits or cancellations of effects from alternating day/night or periodic temperatures. Our simple models do not include these effects but nevertheless were effective in predicting relationships between chilling and forcing for treatments with a wide range of conditions. Overall, the date of budburst changed only slightly (+1 to −11 days) across a wide range of treatments in our colder test environment (Olympia, WA, USA) but was substantially later (+29 days) in the warmest treatment in our warmer environment (Corvallis, OR, USA). An analysis of historical climate data for both environments predicted a wide range in date to budburst could result from the same mean temperature due to the relative weightings of specific temperatures in the chilling and forcing functions. In the absence of improved understanding of the basic physiological mechanisms involved in dormancy induction and release, we suggest that simple, universal functions be considered for modeling the effectiveness of temperature for chilling and forcing. Future research should be designed to determine the exact shape of the curves; data are particularly lacking at the temperature extremes. We discuss the implications of our data and proposed functions for predicting effects of climate change. Both suggest that the trend toward earlier budburst will be reversed if winter temperatures rise substantially.
Twenty Years’ Experience with a Novel Geometry ICPC Evacuated Solar Collector

Abstract A novel geometry ICPC evacuated tube solar collector was developed at the University of Chicago and Colorado State University in 1993. Individual evacuated tubes of this novel geometry ICPC were experimentally fabricated and tested at Colorado State University in 1994-96 and at the University of Chicago in 1996-97. In 1998 two 14 tube modules were tested on Sandia National Laboratory's two-axis tracking (AZTRAK) platform in Albuquerque New Mexico by Sandia National Laboratory and the University of Chicago. A 336 tube 100 m2 array of this collector has been in continuous operation at a demonstration project in Sacramento California since 1998. From 1998 to the present performance of the Sacramento demonstration array and single and double effect cooling systems has been monitored and evaluated by the California State University at Sacramento and Colorado State University. Optical ray tracing modelling, thermal performance modelling and collector reliability studies have been conducted by Colorado State University during the 1998 to 2013 period. Performance approaching the theoretical predictions was achieved for the individual ICPC evacuated tubes experimentally fabricated by Colorado State University and the University of Chicago. While operating in the range of 120 to 160C, daily solar collection efficiencies of nearly 0.50 and instantaneous solar collection efficiencies of about 0.60 were achieved. Daily cooling COPs of 1.1 were achieved while operating the double effect chiller with energy supplied from the ICPC solar collectors. A ray tracing simulation incorporating ray transmittance and translation, the gap between the glass tube and fin, reflectivity of the reflective surface, absorptivity of the fin and blocking and displacement of the rays by adjacent tubes has been developed. Animation of individual rays and associated summary graphics and an optical and thermal performance model of the collector have also been developed. Performance of the novel ICPC solar collector at various specified angles along the transverse and longitudinal evacuated tube directions was experimentally measured on the Sandia National Laboratory's two-axis tracking (AZTRAK) platform. Data from the Sandia tests was used to validate the ray tracing simulation performance. Data from the initial operation of the Sacramento array were used to further validate the ray tracing simulation and thermal modelling. The primacy of the two identified collector reliability failure modes was established. Details of the various testing and research activities and results are presented. Animations of the ray tracing are also included in the oral presentation.
Variation in trajectories of women's marital quality

I examine variation in trajectories of women's marital quality across the life course. The analysis improves upon earlier research in three ways: (1) the analysis uses a sequential cohort design and data from the first 35 years of marriage; (2) I analyze rich data from a national sample; (3) I examine multiple dimensions of marital quality. Latent class growth analyses estimated on data from women in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (N = 2604) suggest multiple trajectories for each of three dimensions of marital quality, including two trajectories of marital happiness, two trajectories of marital communication, and three trajectories of marital conflict. Socioeconomic and demographic covariates are then used to illustrate how factors such as income, cohabitation, and race-ethnicity set individuals at risk of poor marital quality throughout the life course by differentiating between high and low trajectories of marital quality. Women on low marital quality trajectories are, as expected, at much greater risk of divorce. Taken together, these findings show how fundamental socioeconomic and demographic characteristics contribute to subsequent marital outcomes via their influence on trajectories of marital quality as well as providing a better picture of the complexity in contemporary patterns of marital quality.
Highly volatile alkaline earth metal fluoroalkoxides.

The synthetic strategies, structural comparison, and thermal gravimetric analyses for a novel family of alkaline earth metal perfluoro-tert-butoxides (PFTB) are presented. The isolated complexes follow the general formula, [Ae(PFTB)2(d)x]; (1a, Ae = Mg, d = THF, x = 2; 1b, Ae = Ca, d = THF, x = 4; 1c, Ae = Sr, d = THF, x = 4; 1d, Ae = Ba, d = THF, x = 4; 2a, Ae = Mg, d = DME, x = 1; 2b, Ae = Ca, d = DME, x = 2; 2c, Ae = Sr, d = DME, x = 2; 2d, Ae = Ba, d = DME, x = 3; 3a, Ae = Mg, d = diglyme, x = 1; 3b, Ae = Ca, d = diglyme, x = 2; 3c, Ae = Sr, d = diglyme, x = 2; 3d, Ae = Ba, d = diglyme, x = 2; THF = tetrahydrofuran, DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) where the crystallographically characterized compounds display either a cis or trans conformations in octahedral or pseudo-octahedral environments. Alkane elimination (Mg), direct metalation via ammonia activation (Ca, Sr, Ba), and transamination (Ca, Sr, Ba) methods yielded the target compounds in moderate to good yields. Structural studies of select compounds s...
Prolonged CNS hyperexcitability in mice after a single exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Abstract A single exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) resulted in a “rebound” hyperexcitability in the CNS in mice, which was assessed in terms of the susceptibility of the CNS to electrically-induced convulsions. The magnitude of the hyperexcitability was dose-related (25–150 mg kg , i.p.), as measured 24 hr after treatment. The time-course study of the effect indicated a peak-effect at 24 hr after administration of the drug, with a duration of the effect for as long as 196 hr. The time course of the rebound hyperexcitability to THC was compared to that for phenobarbital, which peaked at 48 hr after administration of the drug and returned to the control value by 96 hr. Tolerance developed rapidly to the motor-toxic effect of THC, but after 23 days of daily treatment there was no evidence of tolerance to the rebound hyperexcitability. The functional significance of the hyperexcitable state was assessed in two tests: electrical kindling to minimal convulsions was enhanced, even when the kindling procedure was initiated 120 hr after exposure to the drug; and the anticonvulsant activity of phenytoin was blocked when mice were treated with the anticonvulsant 96 hr after a single exposure to THC. The results suggest that the rebound response from a single exposure to THC represents a functionally significant prolonged increase in excitability of the CNS.
Normalized thermionic-field (T-F) emission in metal-semiconductor (Schottky) barriers

Abstract Thermionic field (T-F) emission in uniformly doped metal-semiconductor (Schottky) barriers is analyzed to yield a normalized solution in closed form for the forward and reverse current (I)-voltage (V) relationship. A quasi one-dimensional approach and Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics are used. The formulation is expressed in terms of the ‘flat-band’ current density Im, the band bending Eb in the semiconductor depletion region, the materials constant E0 0 ( ln [ I I m ] = − E b E 0 0 at 0°K in the WKB approximation), and kT. The kinetic energy in units of Eb at which the maximum injection of carriers occurs in the semiconductor is shown to be cosh -2(kT/E0 0). Current flow in the temperature range between pure thermionic emission (kT/E0 0 ⪢ 1) and pure field emission (kT/E0 0 ⪡ 1) is analyzed and criteria for the transition of T-F emission to thermionic and to field emission are given. Computer solutions for the energy distribution of the injected carriers and for the normalized I-V characteristic are presented in graphical form. The results permit a straightforward calculation of the barrier height and the impurity concentration in the semiconductor from measurements of current density and differential resistance at a single applied bias. Application of these results explains a reported discrepancy between barrier heights deduced from photothreshold, C-V and I-V characteristics of WGaAs and AuGaAs Schottky barriers. A relatively constant excess temperature T0 (i.e., ln I ∝ (T + T0) when V ⪢ kT/q) is predicted in the case of large Eb/E0 0 in the higher kT/E0 0 range where thermionic emission is nearly predominant. I ∝ [exp(qV/kT) − 1] is shown to be a general expectation for all Schottky barriers near zero bias when the I-V characteristic is dominated by either thermionic or thermionic-field emission. The assumption of a Gaussian energy distribution of carriers leads to values for the slope of ln I vs. V in reasonable agreement with the results of the computer analysis, but the prediction of the absolute value of the current density deviates rapidly from the computed value when kT/E0 0 departs appreciably from unity. The Gaussian distribution also does not provide the smooth transition from T-F to thermionic emission characteristic of the computer solution.
Regulation of PLC-mediated signalling in vivo by CDP-diacylglycerol synthase

CDP-diacylglycerol synthase (CDS) is an enzyme required for the regeneration of the signalling molecule phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdlnsP2) from phosphatidic acid. A photo-receptor cell-specific isoform of CDS from Drosophila is a key regulator of phototransduction, a G-protein-coupled signalling cascade mediated by phospholipase C. cds mutants cannot sustain a light-activated current as a result of depletion of PtdlnsP2. Overexpression of CDS increases the amplitude of the light response, demonstrating that availability of PtdlnsP2 is a determinant in the gain of this pathway. cds mutants undergo light-dependent retinal degeneration which can be suppressed by a mutation in phospholipase C. Thus, enzymes involved in PtdlnsP2 metabolism regulate phosphoinositide-mediated signalling cascades in vivo.