cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluación de la respuesta antioxidante en Chiton granosus Frembly, 1928 (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) a contaminantes oxidativos

Oxidative stress is the damage at cellular, tissue or organic level produced by reactive oxygen species, that are produced as a result of the exposition to polluting agents, the ingestion through diet, UV radiation or to the oxygen metabolic processes. Chiton granosus is an intertidal organism abundant in Valparaiso, region of Chile. The objective of studying this species, by its abundance, is oriented to its use as biomarkers of oxidative polluting agents and so to evaluate its possible role as a monitoring species of the presence of these polluting agents. To evaluate, gonads, radular and digestive systems were analyzed from Chiton granosus collected from Torpederas, a highly polluted public sector, and Montemar (control area). Two hundreds and fifty nine individuals of Chiton granosus were collected; 133 from Torpederas and 126 from Montemar. The results indicate that no differences due to the sex exists in enzyme activity: catalase in the gonads, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the radular and digestive systems. No influence of the sampling site was observed, nevertheless the lipoperoxidative damage was concordant with a greater oxidation level in females in the more polluted sector. Total antioxidant capacity exhibited significant differences due to sex and oxidative pollution.
Convolution voltammetry of metal complexes

The application of convolution potential voltammetry to questions of metal complexation is described. Theoretical relations are derived to show that the stability constants may be directly related to the shift in the peak potential of the semiderivative wave, provided the complexes are labile. Equations are also given for inert and quasilabile complexes. Stability constants for the PbClx and CdClx systems are reported, illustrating the use of convolution techniques with linear scan voltammetry and with linear scan anodic stripping voltammetry. Advantages of convolution techniques are discussed.
Normal and Mutant Rhodopsin Activation Measured with the Early Receptor Current in a Unicellular Expression System

The early receptor current (ERC) represents molecular charge movement during rhodopsin conformational dynamics. To determine whether this time-resolved assay can probe various aspects of structure–function relationships in rhodopsin, we first measured properties of expressed normal human rhodopsin with ERC recordings. These studies were conducted in single fused giant cells containing on the order of a picogram of regenerated pigment. The action spectrum of the ERC of normal human opsin regenerated with 11-cis-retinal was fit by the human rhodopsin absorbance spectrum. Successive flashes extinguished ERC signals consistent with bleaching of a rhodopsin photopigment with a normal range of photosensitivity. ERC signals followed the univariance principle since millisecond-order relaxation kinetics were independent of the wavelength of the flash stimulus. After signal extinction, dark adaptation without added 11-cis-retinal resulted in spontaneous pigment regeneration from an intracellular store of chromophore remaining from earlier loading. After the ERC was extinguished, 350-nm flashes overlapping metarhodopsin-II absorption promoted immediate recovery of ERC charge motions identified by subsequent 500-nm flashes. Small inverted R2 signals were seen in response to some 350-nm flashes. These results indicate that the ERC can be photoregenerated from the metarhodopsin-II state. Regeneration with 9-cis-retinal permits recording of ERC signals consistent with flash activation of isorhodopsin. We initiated structure–function studies by measuring ERC signals in cells expressing the D83N and E134Q mutant human rhodopsin pigments. D83N ERCs were simplified in comparison with normal rhodopsin, while E134Q ERCs had only the early phase of charge motion. This study demonstrates that properties of normal rhodopsin can be accurately measured with the ERC assay and that a structure–function investigation of rapid activation processes in analogue and mutant visual pigments is feasible in a live unicellular environment.
Gram Stain Interpretation of Blood Cultures

Bacteremia without an obvious focus of infection occurs relatively frequently in highly febrile children between the ages of six and 24 months. Management depends on the clinical situation and probable identity of the bacteria. A year-long study to determine the accuracy of differentiating gram-positive cocci morphologically on the Gram-stained smear of a blood culture demonstrated that streptococci and staphylococci can be distinguished when Gram staining is the procedure used by the laboratory. From such a preliminary report, the bacteremia can be evaluated in the context of the clinical situation and appropriate action can be taken.
Effects of peritoneovenous shunting: Out of the mouths of babes

The effect of peritoneovenous shunting on body composition has been studied in 7 cirrhotic patients undergoing a successful shunt and 3 patients in whom the shunt was unsuccessful. In the 7 patients with functioning shunts, their weight had decreased by a mean of 9 kg (p < 0.001) by 6 wk after initial diuresis, natriuresis, and kaliuresis, and was associated with a decrease in total body potassium (TBK) but not total body nitrogen (TBN). This resulted in a significant decrease in the TBK/TBN ratio from 2.12 ± 0.74 to 1.66 ± 0.20 (p < 0.01). By a mean of 14 mo, in these 7 patients there was a significant increase in mean TBN (from 1.54 ± 0.10 to 1.84 ± 0.10, p < 0.005) associated with an improvement in the mean nitrogen index (from 0.74 ± 0.04 to 0.88 ± 0.04, p < 0.005). These changes were associated with a significant increase in nonalcoholic calories, a nonsignificant increase in protein consumption, and a positive nitrogen balance. After the initial kaliuresis, mean potassium balance remained constantly positive (+22.7 ± 3.4 mmol/day), serum aldosterone levels normalized, and TBK increased. In contrast, 3 patients with failed peritoneovenous shunting continued to lose weight significantly despite the presence of ascites; TBN and nitrogen index also decreased. In conclusion, body composition studies appear to have confirmed the clinical observation that cirrhotic patients with massive ascites have depleted body protein which is gradually repleted only after successful shunting. In this situation TBK, long used as a measure of lean body mass, is less satisfactory than TBN and nitrogen index. This improvement in body protein appears to be explained by an increased dietary intake associated with improved nitrogen balance, but these changes are not found in patients in whom the shunt failed.
Calculation of Sensitivity Derivatives in an MDAO Framework

During gradient-based optimization of a system, it is necessary to generate the derivatives of each objective and constraint with respect to each design parameter. If the system is multidisciplinary, it may consist of a set of smaller "components" with some arbitrary data interconnection and process work ow. Analytical derivatives in these components can be used to improve the speed and accuracy of the derivative calculation over a purely numerical calculation; however, a multidisciplinary system may include both components for which derivatives are available and components for which they are not. Three methods to calculate the sensitivity of a mixed multidisciplinary system are presented: the finite difference method, where the derivatives are calculated numerically; the chain rule method, where the derivatives are successively cascaded along the system's network graph; and the analytic method, where the derivatives come from the solution of a linear system of equations. Some improvements to these methods, to accommodate mixed multidisciplinary systems, are also presented; in particular, a new method is introduced to allow existing derivatives to be used inside of finite difference. All three methods are implemented and demonstrated in the open-source MDAO framework OpenMDAO. It was found that there are advantages to each of them depending on the system being solved.
The hands and reading What deafblind adult readers tell us

Deafblind readers are heterogeneous in reading skill acquisition. This qualitative study uses in-depth interviews and protocol analyses and queries the three deafblind adult participants in describing their metacomprehension, metacognitive and metalinguistic strategies used when reading different types of text. Using retrospective analysis, the three adults describe and reflect on how they learned language and how they learned to read as children. The participants also describe the technology that assists them in reading print. Data suggest that deafblind adults use a variety of auditory, visual and tactilekinesthetic strategies (i.e. braille, large print, and raised print) in decoding English. Some also use ASL, Signed English and tactile ASL and tactile Signed English.
New approach for target locations in the presence of wall ambiguities

A technique for target location estimation in through-the-wall radar imaging applications is presented. The algorithm corrects for the shifts in target positions due to ambiguities in the wall thickness and dielectric constant. We consider uniform walls and perform imaging using wideband beamforming, with the antennas placed against the wall. Behind-the-wall images are obtained using different structures of transmit and receive arrays. For each array structure, a trajectory of the shifts in the target locations is generated assuming different wall parameters. The target position is estimated as the intersection of the corresponding trajectories. The paper shows that for unknown wall thickness or dielectric constant, the point of intersection is the true target position. In the case when both parameters are unknown, the estimated target location is in close proximity to the target true position. It is demonstrated that the performance of the proposed technique is rather insensitive to the target location behind the wall and to various array structures.
Identifying edge chirality of graphene using polarization resolved μ-Raman spectroscopy

Development of optoelectronic devices based on the bandgap of nanosctructured graphene requires knowledge of edge chirality. We show that polarization resolved Raman spectroscopy can be used to determine the fractional edge composition of graphene.
Some examples related to Kato's conjecture

We show that the Kato conjecture is true for m-accretive operators with highly singular coefficients. For operators of the form A = *F, where formally corresponds to d/dx + zδ on L2 (R), we prove that Dom (A1/2) = Dom() = e-zHH1(R) where H is the Heavysied function. By adapting recent methods of Auscher and Tchamitchian, we characterize Dom (A) in terms of an unconditional wavelet basis for L2(R).
USDA's Nutrient Databank System – A tool for handling data from diverse sources

Abstract Key features of USDA's Nutrient Databank System (NDBS) allow processing of food composition data from diverse sources, including USDA's National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program, the food industry, scientific literature, and food labels. The Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) designed the NDBS as a three-tiered (“Initial”, “Aggregation”, and “Compiled”) data management system to facilitate handling of data. Raw data and documentation (data source, sample description, sample handling, and analytical methods) are migrated into the Initial module. NDL scientists compare new data with old values and decide how to combine the initial data into aggregated data. In the Aggregation module, data can be grouped and weighted by parameters such as study, source, and market share. Depending on the type of data, various statistical algorithms are used to generate statistics, such as mean, standard error, number of data points, and error bounds. In the Compiled module, food names are finalized and common measures selected. Nutrient profiles are developed and missing nutrients/food components are imputed according to standardized scientific principles. A formulation application employing linear programming techniques, estimate, formulations for commercial foods and nutrient profiles based on the nutrient content of ingredients and target values derived from label information. A recipe application calculates nutrient profiles based on ingredients and their known proportions, allowing for the application of food yield and nutrient retention factors. The NDBS automatically documents how each value was derived and incorporates quality control checks at all levels. Prior to release, the completed nutrient profiles are reviewed by NDL scientists and, if approved, disseminated. The NDBS brings together a number of stand-alone modules and applications into one integrated system allowing the management of ∼7500 food items for up to 140 nutrients/food components. Data points and documentation are managed and maintained in one place, providing an “audit trail” for each data point. The NDBS contains algorithms to assign confidence codes using NDL's data quality evaluation system. The NDBS permits the annual release of reliable data for a comprehensive set of nutrients/food components for a wide variety of foods on NDL's Web site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata . Through these releases, NDL provides food composition data for researchers, diet and health professionals, and consumers, including the “What We Eat in America” component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Radical and electron densities in a high plasma density-chemical vapor deposition reactor from a three-dimensional simulation

High plasma density chemical vapor deposition (HPD-CVD) is being developed for producing interlevel dielectrics in microelectronics fabrication. We present images of radical and electron densities in an Ar/SiH/sub 4/ HPD-CVD inductively coupled reactor produced by a three-dimensional equipment model. The silane feedstock and silyl (SiH/sub 3/) radicals are rapidly dissociated, resulting is densities which are maximum near the nozzles. The silylene (SiH/sub 2/) radicals, the most fragmented species included in the simulation, are the most uniformly distributed.
Affective trajectories before and after a quit attempt among smokers with current depressive disorders.

BACKGROUND Smoking cessation for individuals with depressive disorders represents an important clinical issue. It often has been hypothesized that smoking cessation worsens negative affect as part of the withdrawal process in this population. However, studies examining the impact of smoking cessation on changes in affect in smokers with depression are limited and equivocal. METHODS This study examines affective processes in smokers with depression undergoing a 12-week smoking cessation intervention (N = 49). We used the Positive and Negative Affect Scale to measure participants' positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) trajectories over the course of a quit attempt. We examined whether affective treatment response across the trial differed by prolonged smoking abstinence status and whether postquit affect differed by prequit affective treatment response, as well as the interaction of prequit affective response and abstinence status. RESULTS Prolonged abstainers showed significant increases in PA over the course of a quit attempt compared with nonabstainers. Prequit affective trajectories significantly predicted postquit affect for measures of both PA and NA. Lastly, the interaction of prequit affective trajectory and abstinence significantly predicted postquit levels of NA but not PA. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to a burgeoning body of research demonstrating that significant improvements in psychological functioning can be observed among those who successfully quit smoking even in the most severe psychiatric group.
Assisted model selection, evaluation and comparison

The authors take a schema for identifying and structuring the important characteristics of decision models as they relate to problems, and expand it by developing a complete framework documentation to be used within the context of model management systems. They illustrate this framework by using it as a basis for a subsystem that assists the user in classifying his problem, identifying candidate models, and assessing and comparing their value within his context. >
The effects of cathode contacts on the noise factor of transferred electron amplifiers

To a first approximation the noise factor of small-signal negative-resistance transferred-electron amplifiers is evaluated using the impedance-field method of noise calculation. The noise is considered to arise solely from thermal sources and the d.c. carrier velocity (or d.c. electric field intensity) is considered uniform throughout the diode. To these approximations a general expression can be written for the amplifier noise factor. The effects of different a.c. cathode boundary conditions can then be demonstrated.
Capillary Action Around Dental Structures

The capillary action of saliva occurs in the crevices around and between teeth and around dental restorations. Marginal leakage and denture retention caused by a thin film of saliva are aspects of capillary phenomena. Liquids in capillaries isolated from a reservoir showed an increase in surface tension and lower vapor pressure. The strength of thin films of human saliva was independent of ambient pressure.
Restoration of Electrical Activity of Guinea Pig Atria during Hypothermia: EFFECTS OF NOREPINEPHRINE AND ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ON MEMBRANE POTENTIALS

Guinea pig right atria were perfused in vitro at 30°C. When the temperature was lowered to about 20°C, atrial activity ceased and the resting potential of atrial fibers decreased significantly. When activity was restored during hypothermia by electrical stimulation, both the resting and the action potentials were similar to those recorded at 30°C. Blockade of receptors by atropine or propranolol reduced the effects of electrical stimulation on the membrane potentials, and the reduction was greatest when both drugs were present. In particular, propranolol reduced the amplitude of the action potential. Strophanthidin also reduced the increment in resting potential induced by electrical stimulation at low temperature. Norepinephrine restored atrial activity, but the action potential and its rate of rise were small and the resting potential remained low. We concluded that (1) electrical stimulation restored atrial activity by simultaneously depolarizing the membrane to threshold, liberating autonomic mediators, and stimulating the sodium-potassium pump and (2) norepinephrine removed the sinoatrial block induced by low temperature by increasing the slow calcium and sodium currents.
DSDSR: a tool that uses dynamic symbolic execution for data structure repair

We present DSDSR, a generic repair tool for complex data structures. Generic, automatic data structure repair algorithms have applications in many areas. Reducing repair time can may therefore have a significant impact on software robustness. Current state of the art tools try to address the problem exhaustively and their performance depend primarily on the style of the correctness condition. We propose a new approach and implement a prototype that suffers less from style limitations and utilizes recent improvements in automatic theorem proving to reduce the time required in repairing a corrupt data structure. We also present experimental results to demonstrate the promise of our approach for generic repair and discuss our prototype implementation.
Eddies in the Labrador Sea as Observed by Profiling RAFOS Floats and Remote Sensing

Abstract Data from profiling RAFOS floats, TOPEX/Poseidon altimetry, and the alongtrack scanning radiometer (ATSR) aboard ERS-1 have been used to describe the spatial and seasonal patterns of eddy variability in the Labrador Sea. Peaks in sea surface height (SSH) variability appear in two regions: off the west Greenland shelf near 61.5°N, 52°W where the 3000-m isobath separates from the shelf, and in the center of the basin at 58°N, 52°W. Both locations show seasonal ranges in SSH variability of up to 40 mm, with the Greenland site, having largest variability in January–March, leading the central site by 50 days. A sea surface temperature image from the ATSR at the Greenland site shows numerous eddies, both cyclonic and anticyclonic, being formed by injection of West Greenland Current water into the Labrador Sea interior. Data from profiling RAFOS floats launched in 1997 as part of the Labrador Sea Deep Convection Experiment are used to describe three of the West Greenland Current eddies in detail. One of...
A Personal Perspective - Ten Reasons to Reject 'A Systemic Analysis of Affirmative Action in American Law Schools'

In this essay I discuss, from a personal perspective, ten reasons why we should reject the advocacy - reasoning, rationale, and conclusion - of Richard H. Sander's, "A Systemic Analysis of Affirmative Action in American Law Schools," 57 Stan. L. Rev. 367 (2004). Fundamentally the Sander article takes the position that affirmative action in law school admission should be abolished because Black students are overmatched all the way from the very top elite schools down well into the middle tier schools. Being overmatched, as he sees it, Sander claims not only that Blacks are harmed but also he speculates that Blacks would be better off in a number of ways if affirmative action were abolished. I note first an ironic personal perspective, then, second, I try to point out that Sander is dealing with statistics and not people in his analysis and that therefore his analysis is deficient as applied to in individual human beings. Among the reason it is deficient, is that it ignores both inherent limitations of statistics and inherent complications of real life.
Gabapentin Therapy in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

Objective: Gabapentin is commonly used off-label in the treatment of psychiatric disorders with success, failure, and controversy. A systematic review of the literature was performed to elucidate the evidence for clinical benefit of gabapentin in psychiatric disorders.
Electronic effects of ligand substitution on spin crossover in a series of diiminoquinonoid-bridged Fe(II)2 complexes.

A series of four isostructural FeII2 complexes, [(TPyA)2Fe2(XL)]2+ (TPyA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; XL2– = doubly deprotonated form of 3,6-disubstituted-2,5-dianilino-1,4-benzoquinone; X = H, Br, Cl, and F), were synthesized to enable a systematic study of electronic effects on spin crossover behavior. Comparison of X-ray diffraction data for these complexes reveals the sole presence of high-spin FeII at 225 K and mixtures of high-spin and low-spin FeII at 100 K, which is indicative of incomplete spin crossover. In addition, crystal packing diagrams show that these complexes are well-isolated from one another in the solid state, owing primarily to the presence of bulky tetra(aryl)borate counteranions, such that spin crossover is likely not significantly affected by intermolecular interactions. Variable-temperature dc magnetic susceptibility data confirm the structural observations and reveal that 54(1), 56(1), 62(1), and 84(1)% of FeII centers remain high-spin even below 65 K. Moreover, fits to magneti...
Implementation of nursing diagnoses in nursing education.

Abstract Successful implementation of nursing diagnosis in nursing education begins with assessment of the program's philosophy, terminal objectives, faculty, and organizational framework. The outcome of successful implementation is a graduate that uses nursing diagnosis as the pivotal point in nursing practice. If nurses of today and tomorrow are to become competent diagnosticians in nursing, teaching diagnostic reasoning and nursing diagnosis formulation must be an integral part of the nursing educational process.
A Hybrid Differential Evolution Algorithm Based on Dynamic Variable Neighborhood Search for Permutation Flowshop Scheduling Problem

Permutation flowshop scheduling problem (PFSP) is a classical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem, which provides a challenge for evolutionary algorithms.Since it has been shown that simple evolutionary algorithms cannot solve the PFSP efficiently, local search methods are often adopted to improve the exploitation ability of evolutionary algorithms. In this paper, a hybrid differential evolution algorithm is developed to solve this problem. This hybrid algorithm is designed by incorporating a dynamic variable neighborhood search (DVNS) into the differential evolution. In the DVNS, the neighborhood is based on multiple moves and its size can be dynamically changed from small to large so as to obtain a balance between exploitation and exploration. In addition, a population monitoring and adjusting mechanism is also incorporated to enhance the search diversity and avoid being trapped in local optimum.Experimental results on benchmark problems illustrated the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Historical Review and Summary on Measures Against Pollution Flashover Occurred in Power Grids in China

The main pollution flashover faults occurred in power system in China and the harm of large-area pollution flashover are expounded.The measures against pollution flashover adopted by domestic power systems in different historical stages are summarized.It is pointed out that the measures against flashover,including anti-ice flashover of insulators,anti-wet flashover of large-sized bushings and anti-bird pecking of composite insulators,are important contents in this field.Finally,it is also pointed out that to draft the standard to graduate the class of power system accidents caused by natural disasters under the principle of "ensuring sufficient insulation level and reserving margin" and to draw corresponding distribution map of disaster class as well as to enhance the preventing level have great significance for the prevention of pollution flashover.
THE ALTERATIONS OF INSULIN-BINDING AND INTERNALIZATION IN MONOCYTES FROM PATIENTS WITH NIDDM

We studied the total cell-associated A14-125I-insulin radioactivity (TBd, including surface-bound and internalized radioactivity), insulin internalization (In), and the effects of lysosomotropic agent Chloroquine (CQ) on postreceptor processing in peripheral monocytes (Mo) from the patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, n=6) and normal controls (n= 7). The results indicate that 1) insulin is able to bind to and internalize into Mo; 2) the abilities of TBd and In of Mo from the patients with NIDDM are significantly decreased (4.03±0.40 vs 9.40±0.87 and 1.95±0.44 vs 6.06±0.63 pg/107Mo); 3) intracellular insulin degradation is reduced in Mo from the diabetics; and 4) lysosomotropic agent CQ, has no effects on intracellular A14-125I-insulin radioactivity in Mo from both diabetic and normal subjects. These defects may be related to the cellular insulin resistance present in patients with NIDDM.
Safety issues : Anticoagulation and neuraxial blockade

Neuraxial blockade includes techniques of spinal or epidural anesthesia and continuous epidural analgesia. A rare but potentially catastrophic complication of neuraxial blockade is spinal hematoma and subsequent paraplegia. The risk of this complication is increased with patient specific risk factors, and with the concomitant use of antithrombotic drugs. 1 The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine have provided guidelines on the management of patients receiving neuraxial anesthesia and anticoagulation. While the anesthesia staff may be familiar with these guidelines, other practitioners may not be aware of them. In a retrospective review, we found that only eight of 69 (12%) patients with an indwelling epidural catheter over a 12-month period received no concomitant medications that may affect the coagulation system. Two patients received medications, which the guidelines recommend against. Patients receiving neuraxial anesthesia are at high risk to be prescribed medications that may affect coagulation. The pharmacy needs to assume vigilance and responsibility to notify anesthesiology or develop some fail-safe method for these orders to be screened and evaluated. Pharmacy software vendors could assist in this challenge by developing the software to effectively contend with this therapeutic issue.
Embolization of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for embolization for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications, and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
Measurement of heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop during evaporation of R134a in new type facility with one pass flow through microchannel tube

Abstract A new facility has been built for experimental study on microchannel and introduced in this paper. Six heat transfer coefficient and six pressure drop measurements can be conducted simultaneously in one pass from vapor quality of 0 to 1 on the facility. Two water-jacket-design heat exchangers are placed top and bottom on each test section for heating the refrigerant. In each test section, the top and bottom sides are heated and controlled separately to ensure uniform conditions. The environmental heat loss and wall temperature measurements are corrected to increases confidence of results. Port geometry is measured with an optical microscope. Heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of R134a are measured in a 24-port microchannel tube. The single-phase pressure drop follows the rule of round tube and f Re is 64. The single-phase Nusselt number is more sensitive to Reynolds number, compared to large tubes. As vapor quality increases, two-phase pressure drop increases until quality of 0.9, and then stops increasing or even drops; two-phase heat transfer coefficient increases until quality of 0.5 to 0.6 and then drops. Higher mass flux or lower saturation temperature will increase the pressure drop. Heat flux and mass flux have strong impact on heat transfer coefficient, and the effect of saturation temperature is not clear.
“Our War-Songs” (1864): Popular Song and Music Criticism during the American Civil War

AbstractPopular music journalism during the American Civil War faced two primary challenges: how to talk about war songs objectively in the midst of war, and how to overcome an elitist attitude tha...
The New Sexual Issues

What do AIDS, the new reproductive technologies, and the new controversial sexual diagnoses all have in common? A cautionary tale can serve to illustrate the ethical and public policy implications of these new sexual issues.
Low cost 3D Doppler ultrasound: Preliminary in vivo results

Conventional 2D Doppler ultrasound is a valuable screening tool for early detection of cardiovascular disease, including aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AA) and stenosis of the carotid artery (CA). However, vascular ultrasound screening rates remain low and vary widely among physicians, due to the need for a skilled sonographer, equipment costs and scan time. We have recently developed a low-cost method to acquire 3D B-mode images using existing 2D clinical ultrasound systems, and 3D Doppler is a necessary feature for the application of this technology in vascular screening. Volumetric 3D Doppler ultrasound could enable faster scans by untrained users, and while 3D Doppler is available on some high-end systems, these are prohibitively expensive for deployment at the point-of-care. We demonstrate a fast and reliable method to enable comprehensive 3D Doppler acquisition using low-cost, peripheral hardware.
The Adipokine C1q Tnf Related Protein 3 (CTRP3) Is Elevated in the Breast Milk of Obese Mothers

Background C1q TNF related protein 3 (CTRP3) is a relatively novel hormonal factor primarily derived from adipose tissue and has anti-diabetic properties. To determine if CTRP3 could play a role in early childhood development, the purpose of this study was to establish the presence of CTRP3 in breast milk (BM) and to determine whether CTRP3 levels were correlated with pregravid obesity status of the mother. Methods Breast milk was collected from breast-feeding mothers who had a pregravid body mass index (BMI) classification of normal weight (BMI 18-25 kg/m2, n = 23) or obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2, n = 14). Immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblot analysis confirmed the presence of CTRP3 in BM. The concentration of CTRP3 in BM samples was determined by ELISA. Additional bioactive components were also measured by commercially available assays: ghrelin, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and glucose. Bioactive components in normal weight and obese mothers were compared using unpaired t-test (parametric) and Mann-Whitney U-test (non-parametric), as appropriate. Results The primary findings of this study are that the adipokine CTRP3 is present in BM and CTRP3 levels are increased with pregravid obesity. Additionally, this study independently confirmed previous work that BM from obese mothers has a higher concentration of insulin and leptin. Further, no differences were observed in BM between obese and normal weight mothers in ghrelin, adiponectin, IL-6, TNF-α, or glucose levels. Conclusion This study identified a novel factor in BM, CTRP3, and showed that BM CTRP3 levels higher in obese mothers. Because of the purported insulin sensitizing effect of CTRP3, it is possible that the elevated levels of CTRP3 in the BM of obese mothers may offset negative effects of elevated leptin and insulin levels in the BM of obese mothers. Future studies will need to be conducted to determine the relevance of CTRP3 in BM and to examine the presence of other adipose tissue-derived hormonal factors.
Abstract 462: Activation of Akt2 by Apolipoprotein E Protects ATP-binding Cassette A1 From Degradation

We previously reported that lipid-free apolipoprotein E (apoE) is able to increase ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) transcription by activation of a signaling cascade involving very low-density lipoprotein receptor, apoE receptor 2, disabled-1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase Cζ, and specificity protein 1 (Sp1). Here we demonstrated that treatment of RAW 264.7 murine macrophages with human apoE3 enhanced Akt phosphorylation, and upregulated ABCA1 protein and mRNA expression. Inhibition of PI3K weakened apoE3-induced Akt phosphorylation, and reduced ABCA1 protein and mRNA levels. In contrast, inhibition of Akt only diminished apoE-induced ABCA1 protein but not significantly alter ABCA1 mRNA level. Inhibition of protein synthesis did not erase the ability of apoE3 to increase ABCA1 protein level. Further, apoE3 increased the resistance of ABCA1 protein to calpain-mediated degradation without affecting calpain activity. Treatment of 264.7 cells with apoE3 selectively enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt1 and Akt2 but not Akt3. Knockdown of Akt1 enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt2. Vice versa, knockdown of Akt2 enhanced Akt1 phosphorylation. Underexpression of Akt1 or Akt2, respectively, increased and decreased ABCA1 protein level; while overexpression of these Akt isoenzymes caused changes in ABCA1 protein level opposite to those induced by knockdown of the corresponding Akt. These data imply that apoE3 guards against calpain-mediated ABCA1 degradation through Akt2. PI3K might be a step in the signaling pathway for apoE3 to trigger Akt2. [This study was supported by NIH grants SC1HL101431].
A METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF THE LOWER ALKYLAMINES IN THE PRESENCE OF AMMONIA

It is well recognized that the amines, as well as ammonia, are products of protein decomposition. Allen’ quotes several authors who report finding one or .more of the alkylamines in decomposed protein products. Thus Bocklisch2 frequently found methylamine in spoiled fish. He suggests that it is formed in such material by the loss of carbon dioxide from glycine and also from trimethyl- amine. Dimethylamine was found in herring brine by Bocklisch, in putrid gelatin and yeast by Brieger, and in poisonous sausage by Ehrenberg.3 In the bacterial cultures from this sausage Ehrenberg reports finding diethylamine. Allen also states that ethylamine has been obtained from putrid yeast and flour, and that trimethylamine is a common putre- factive product found in herring brine and in extract of ergot. It is known that various forms of amines occur in the tissues of fish. In the preparation of salt-cured fish, amines are extracted or formed from the fish proteins, herring brine, for example, fur- nishing a commercial source for trimethylamine. In the determination of ammonia in biological fluids and in food products by Nesslerizing4 the volatilized base, obtained by aera-
Optimal Resource Rental Management

Application services using cloud computing infrastructure are proliferating over the Internet. In this chapter, we study the problem of how to minimize resource rental cost associated with hosting such cloud-based application services, while meeting the projected service demand. This problem arises when applications incur significant storage and network transfer cost for data. Therefore, an Application Service Provider (ASP) needs to carefully evaluate various resource rental options before finalizing the application deployment. We choose Amazon®; EC2 marketplace as a case of study, and analyze the optimal strategy that exploits the tradeoff of data caching versus computing on demand for resource rental planning in cloud. Given fixed resource pricing, we first develop a deterministic model, using a mixed integer linear program, to facilitate resource rental decision making. Next, we investigate planning solutions to a resource market featuring time-varying pricing. We conduct time-series analysis over the spot price trace and examine its predictability using Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving-Average (ARIMA). We also develop a stochastic planning model based on multistage recourse. By comparing these two approaches, we discover that spot price forecasting does not provide our planning model with a crystal ball due to the weak correlation of past and future price, and the stochastic planning model better hedges against resource pricing uncertainty than resource rental planning using forecast prices.
Differential cross-tolerance to the effects of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor drugs in C57BL/6J mice following chronic varenicline.

Varenicline is a smoking cessation pharmacotherapy with a presumed mechanism of action of partial efficacy at the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR); however, the extent to which daily varenicline use leads to changes in nAChR sensitivity is unclear. This study examined the consequences of daily varenicline treatment on disruptions in operant responding (i.e. rate-decreasing effects) and hypothermia induced by administration of nicotine, epibatidine, cytisine, and cocaine in C57BL/6J mice. Furthermore, mecamylamine was used to assess the involvement of nAChRs in the effects of varenicline. Mice were trained under a fixed ratio 20 of milk reinforcement, and rectal temperatures were measured after 30 min following drug-administration. Varenicline, nicotine, epibatidine, and cytisine produced dose-dependent decreases in response rate and rectal temperature. Chronic varenicline (30 mg/kg) engendered tolerance to varenicline, but more cross-tolerance to nicotine, for both disruptions in operant responding and hypothermia. Cross-tolerance only developed to the hypothermic effects of epibatidine, and no cross-tolerance developed to any effects of cytisine and cocaine. In varenicline-tolerant mice, mecamylamine did not antagonize the effects of varenicline. The varying magnitudes of tolerance and cross-tolerance among effects and drugs are indicative of a nonuniform nAChR pharmacology in vivo.
Gravity estimation and verticality perception

Gravity is a defining force that governs the evolution of mechanical forms, shapes and anchors our perception of the environment, and imposes fundamental constraints on our interactions with the world. Within the animal kingdom, humans are relatively unique in having evolved a vertical, bipedal posture. Although a vertical posture confers numerous benefits, it also renders us less stable than quadrupeds, increasing susceptibility to falls. The ability to accurately and precisely estimate our orientation relative to gravity is therefore of utmost importance. Here we review sensory information and computational processes underlying gravity estimation and verticality perception. Central to gravity estimation and verticality perception is multisensory cue combination, which serves to improve the precision of perception and resolve ambiguities in sensory representations by combining information from across the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems. We additionally review experimental paradigms for evaluating verticality perception, and discuss how particular disorders affect the perception of upright. Together, the work reviewed here highlights the critical role of multisensory cue combination in gravity estimation, verticality perception, and creating stable gravity-centered representations of our environment.
Osteomalacia and Rickets

Osteomalacia is a metabolic bone disease that results in soft bones at risk of fracturing, proximal muscle weakness, and generalized bony pain. It occurs at any age and is caused by impaired mineralization of bone. Osteomalacia results from nutritional deficiencies, abnormal collagen matrix, abnormal alkaline phosphatase activity, or inhibitors of mineralization. The incidence of osteomalacia is increasing despite public health measures in the mid-twentieth century that markedly decreased its prevalence. Diagnosis is generally made clinically. Labs often show elevated alkaline phosphatase, elevated parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D deficiency. Radiographs may show pseudofractures, but osteomalacia is indistinguishable on dual energy absorptiometry (DXA) scan from osteoporosis. When diagnosis is unable to be made clinically, iliac crest biopsy is the gold standard diagnostic test for osteomalacia. Treatment addressing the underlying cause of osteomalacia often results in dramatic reduction of symptoms, improved quality of life, and improved bone mineral density.
A simple, dynamic, hydrological model for mesotidal salt marshes.

Abstract Salt marsh hydrology presents many difficulties from a measurement and modeling standpoint: bi-directional flows of tidal waters, variable water densities due to mixing of fresh and salt water, significant influences from vegetation, and complex stream morphologies. Because of these difficulties, there is still much room for development of a truly mechanistic model of salt marsh groundwater and surface-water hydrology. This in turn creates an obstacle for simulating other marsh processes, such as nutrient cycling, that rely heavily on hydrology as a biogeochemical control and as a mode of nutrient transport. As a solution, we have used water level data collected from a well transect in Winant Slough, a mesotidal salt marsh on the Oregon coast, to create and calibrate a simple, empirical dynamic marsh hydrology model with few parameters. The model predicts the response of a marsh's water table level to tides and precipitation as a function of surface elevation and distance from tidal channel. Validation was conducted using additional well data from a separate transect in Winant Slough (achieving a standard error of 2.5 cm) and from two other mesotidal marshes in Tillamook Bay, Oregon (achieving standard errors of 3.1 cm and 3.6 cm). Inundation frequencies of the top 10 cm of soil were estimated from model outputs to be 18.3% of a 14.8-day tidal cycle for the area closest to the tidal creek and 59.3% for the area furthest from the creek. Model outputs were also used to predict the amount of soil pore space available to receive incoming tide water in Winant Slough, finding the volume available to range from 12.5% to 24.7% of the incoming marsh tidal prism volume, depending on the maximum tide height. Incrementally increasing sea level rise scenarios ranging from 15 cm to 75 cm predicted an exponential decrease in soil pore space available to receive incoming tidal water and an approximately linear increase in inundation frequency of the top 10 cm of soil; this substantial change in hydrology would impact the marsh's ability to process incoming water and could alter the zonation of vegetation. The model is relatively easy to apply to salt marshes and can provide informative hydrology predictions to land managers, ecologists, and biogeochemists who may not have the time or expertise required to apply more complex models.
Afro-American History: State of the Art

During the past thirty years or so, there has been a veritable explosion of the field of Afro-American history. The field expanded, as it had come into being, in connection with efforts to protect the rights and to improve the lives of American blacks. Civil rights advocates in the fifties and sixties enlisted history to support their cause. On the basis of history alone, they argued, black people deserved equal consideration with others in the enjoyment of economic, social, and political justice. Blacks, they said, had fought and died to eradicate racial and religious bigotry in the world, but the beneficiaries, aside from American whites, seemed to be the former adversaries of the United States, such as Germany and Japan. Even the conditions of darker peoples in faraway places had improved as the colonial yoke was lifted and newly independent states joined the family of nations. Schools and colleges, they insisted, must broaden their curriculum offerings to include courses on the black experience to enlighten the whites and inspire the blacks. Even litigants arguing their cases for equal treatment summoned history to prove that it was on the side of blacks. Since history validated their claims, Afro-Americans felt that their history should be studied more intensely, written about more extensively, and taught more vigorously.
Inkjet-printed MoS2-based field-effect transistors with graphene and hexagonal boron nitride inks

Field-effect transistors (FETs) are powerful devices in the semiconducting electronics industry and their manufacturing forms the basis of countless electronic devices. Most contemporary FETs rely on inorganic materials, mainly silicon that uses conventional photolithography, etching, and deposition techniques in sophisticated and expensive clean-room environments. An alternative route to fabricating FETs is via inkjet printing that offers the possibility of mass production and working with additively manufactured, low-cost materials, to form high functionality devices with applications in a wide array of fields. Although the inkjet-printed electrode-based sensor is widely reported, the number of all inkjet-printed FETs is still limited. Here, the authors report the design, fabrication, and characterization of an all inkjet-printed FET. Two-dimensional layered materials, such as electrically conducting graphene, semiconducting molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and dielectric-hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), were used to construct the printed FET on an Si/SiO2 substrate. Here, the authors also present the annealing temperature analysis of the drop-cast hBN ink, which provided a clear outlook toward the printed dielectric layer fabrication of the transistor. To have an idea of the leakage current of the FET, the authors inkjet-printed a simple capacitor device first with graphene and hBN inks, which was characterized by using the small-signal impedance technique, capacitance-frequency (C-F), and capacitance-voltage (C-V), where the change in C was measured from F ∼ 1 kHz up to 5 MHz. At low frequency, ∼1 KHz, the maximum capacitance ∼36 pF was found at 20 V.