cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CH4 conversion to value added products: Potential, limitations and extensions of a single step heterogeneous catalysis

Abstract Natural gas is envisioned as a primary source of energy and hydrocarbons in the foreseeable future. Though shale gas has recently become abundant, it has two main concerns: its environmental impact and sustainable utilization. The former is the result of recent reports of natural gas emissions and flares into the environment, where it acts as a powerful greenhouse gas, whereas the latter is dictated by the need for efficient hydrocarbon utilization. Modern natural gas processing units that yield clean fuels and feedstock from methane, CH 4 , require extremely large capital investments and are not economical in remote natural gas extraction sites. Single step (direct), non-syngas based catalytic routes of CH 4 conversion to value added products have not been competitive economically and need to be reevaluated in the light of shale gas availability. This perspective discusses general considerations for the desired hydrocarbon products, the thermodynamic limitations involved in a single step conversion of CH 4 and heterogeneous catalytic routes based on high temperatures and oxide based catalysts. We then discuss other catalysts and methods of CH 4 activation that have recently emerged and are conceptually different from metal oxide catalyst based routes, such as those using sulfur or halogens. Lastly, we discuss a possible route of CH 4 monetization beyond the first reactive product (such as ethylene oligomerization into fuels), as well as currently explored photo(electro)chemical routes of CH 4 activation.
Sustained treatment of sickle cell mice with haptoglobin increases HO-1 and H-ferritin expression and decreases iron deposition in the kidney without improvement in kidney function

Summary There is growing evidence that extracellular haemoglobin and haem mediate inflammatory and oxidative damage in sickle cell disease. Haptoglobin (Hp), the scavenger for free haemoglobin, is depleted in most patients with sickle cell disease due to chronic haemolysis. Although single infusions of Hp can ameliorate vaso-occlusion in mouse models of sickle cell disease, prior studies have not examined the therapeutic benefits of more chronic Hp dosing on sickle cell disease manifestations. In the present study, we explored the effect of Hp treatment over a 3-month period in sickle mice at two dosing regimens: the first at a moderate dose of 200 mg/kg thrice weekly and the second at a higher dose of 400 mg/kg thrice weekly. We found that only the higher dosing regimen resulted in increased haem-oxygenase-1 and heavy chain ferritin (H-ferritin) expression and decreased iron deposition in the kidney. Despite the decreased kidney iron deposition following Hp treatment, there was no significant improvement in kidney function. However, there was a nearly significant trend towards decreased liver infarction.
On the 2-Center Problem Under Convex Polyhedral Distance Function

Metrics or distance functions generalizing the Euclidean metric (and even \(L_p\)-metrics) have been used in Computational Geometry long ago; for example, convex distance functions appeared in the first Symposium on Computational geometry [2]. Very recently Das et al. [5] studied the 1-center problem under a convex polyhedral distance function where the unit ball of the distance function is a convex polytope. In this paper we develop algorithms for the 2-center problem under a convex polyhedral distance function in \(\mathbb {R}^d,d=2,3\). We show that the 2-center can be computed in \(O(n\log m)\) time for the plane and in \(O(nm\log n)\) time for \(d=3\). We show that the problem of for computing the 2-center in \(\mathbb {R}^3\) has an \(\varOmega (n\log n)\) lower bound.
In-vehicle acoustic chamber ARMA modeling and classification

Spoken dialogue interfaced systems are going to be used in vehicles to get information like navigation, near by restaurants, places of interest, etc. For these systems to perform up to the satisfaction of a user in a noisy environment like in vehicle, mainly, the accuracy of speech recognition engines should not degrade. That is, they should be able to adapt to changing environments. The changing environment can be characterized and identified by modeling and classification. This paper is focused on modeling and classifying in-vehicle acoustic chamber under different realistic operating conditions. For modeling, the auto regressive moving average (ARMA) approach is used. For classification, the support vector machine (SVM) technique is used. Real data that was collected in six different vehicles is used for both modeling and classification. The frequency response of ARMA models indicate that they depend more on the operating conditions such as window open, turn signal on, etc. than on the type of vehicle. The average operating conditions classification accuracy of 83 % is obtained after the SVM classifier was trained and tested using some of the cepstral features.
Self-Reported Lifetime Depression and Current Mental Distress Among Veterans Across Service Eras.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Limited research exists comparing the prevalence of lifetime depression and current mental distress between veterans and nonveterans by military service era. We compared the prevalence of self-reported lifetime depression and current mental distress between veterans and nonveterans of the World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf War eras. Methods: Data from the 2012 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed for 243,561 survey participants aged 18 years and older. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were computed for each service era to estimate the association between veteran status and lifetime depression and current mental distress. Results: Lifetime depression was lower among veterans vs. nonveterans who served in the military during World War II era (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43–0.66) and the Korean War era (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.42–0.59) but higher among veterans vs. nonveterans of the Vietnam War era (aOR = 1.3...
Emotionally Rational Consumer's Demand: Empirical Analysis of Fashion Industry

Consumers are not only rational, but also they have emotion. In other word consumers incur mental cost, or emotion, for their forgone decisions, and learning from past mistakes shows itself in consumer's decision in the form of counterfactual thinking. Counterfactual thinking if incorporated into utility function of consumer predicts choice better. This study develops and estimates a two-period model of consumer choice in markets of fashion goods. Fashion goods are distinct from other types of goods in that they have limited lifecycle and availability. In these markets, retailers use skimming strategy by exerting multiple markdowns during the season. In reaction to this retail strategy, emotionally rational consumer faces a trades between purchasing early in the season, taking a risk of high price regret, or delaying it to the second period, when the product may not be available anymore, taking a risk of inaction or unavailability regret. Our structural model not only allows for four main component of consumer's decision on fashion items, two rational and two emotional. The first rational component includes ownership utility, consumption utility, and unobserved utility, or demand shock. The second rational component includes price disutility. The first emotional component in our model includes high price regret, and the second one inaction or stock out regret. We first assume that consumer has rational expectation not only about her regret sensitivity, but also about availability, price and time of markdown. We further extend our model to account for consumer misconception, and counterpart of regret, or rejoice of purchasing under markdown. We first start modeling myopic and forward looking consumer decision separately, but then we build up the model to allow for both type of consumer segments. Our model allows heterogeneity of consumer response to both price and different types of regret. We build up our model to account for multiple categories, to test for different hypothesis on consumer's regret on cold and hot whether, and impact of gender and product type on regret and price sensitivity. Finally, we extend our model for multiple periods. We estimate our model using aggregate sales and inventory data from a specialty apparel retailer. [the results are subject to change] We find out that there is small segment of high price sensitive consumers who are more regretful to high price, but less regretful to stock out. We also find out that if we do not account for heterogeneity in consumer price sensitivity, and consumer regret estimates are biased. Finally, our results show that only accounting for supply side optimization of firm does not substitute heterogeneity in consumer response.
On the minimum limit to thermal conductivity of multi-atom component crystalline solid solutions based on impurity mass scattering

Abstract We investigate the effect of mass disorder on the thermal conductivity of Lennard-Jones based multi-component solid solutions via classical molecular dynamics simulations. In agreement with Klemens' perturbation theory, the thermal conductivity reduction due to mass scattering alone is found to reach a critical point, whereby adding more impurity atoms in the solid solution does not reduce the thermal conductivity. A further decrease in thermal conductivity requires a change in local strain-field, which together with mass defect scattering can lead to ultralow thermal conductivities in solid solutions, surpassing the theoretical minimum limits of the corresponding amorphous phases.
Enhanced automatic neighbor relation function for 5G cellular systems with massive MIMO

The technique of massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in 5G cellular systems could greatly increase the cell coverage size and boost the signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) for cell-edge UE. However, the suitable beam acquisition for the target cell during handover procedure would greatly increase handover latency and cause service interruption. This paper proposes an enhanced automatic neighbor relation (eANR) function to tackle with such issue in a self-optimization network (SON)-type approach. In eANR function, the beam pairing relation of source cell and target cell are real-time created and dynamically updated in the neighbor cell relation (NCR) table. With these information, the target beam could be acquired by simply looking up beam-specific (BS) NCR table with the source beam as index. In this way, the effort of field measurement on target beams and target cells upon handover are alleviated or avoided. Simulation results demonstrate that the performance on correlation coefficient between the acquired target beam by the proposed eANR function and that by field measurement has around 10% gap in 28GHz and 72GHz line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) millimeter wave channels.
Treatment of Infections

The oldest as well as the most elusive problem in the history of the treatment of disease has been that of driving out the cause of disease. Obviously, the first information needed, and until recently lacking, was knowledge of the cause. Long before it was understood what the nature of infectious agents truly was, their infectious character had been recognized. Since it was realized that certain diseases could be transmitted from one human to another this in turn implied that some invisible disease-producing force was causing the infection. Originally the invasion of the human host and the transfer of disease to another was consigned to supernatural forces, and treatment designed accordingly. When natural and tangible forces, such as bacteria and other forms of microscopic life, were identified as the causes of many diseases it became possible to examine their characteristics and means of transmission. The problems of treatment were more clearly delineated when studies demonstrated that disease-producing micro-organisms shared many of the properties of higher forms of life.
Interaction of Antibiotics with Innate Host Defense Factors against Salmonella enterica Serotype Newport

ABSTRACT This study examines the pharmacodynamics of antimicrobials that are used to treat Salmonella with each other and with key components of the innate immune system. Antimicrobial synergy was assessed using time-kill and checkerboard assays. Antimicrobial interactions with innate immunity were studied by employing cathelicidin LL-37, whole-blood, and neutrophil killing assays. Ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin were found to be synergistic in vitro against Salmonella enterica serotype Newport. Ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin each demonstrated synergy with the human cathelicidin defense peptide LL-37 in killing Salmonella. Exposure of Salmonella to sub-MICs of ceftriaxone resulted in enhanced susceptibility to LL-37, whole blood, and neutrophil killing. The activity of antibiotics in vivo against Salmonella may be underestimated in bacteriologic media lacking components of innate immunity. The pharmacodynamic interactions of antibiotics used to treat Salmonella with each other and with components of innate immunity warrant further study in light of recent findings showing in vivo selection of antimicrobial resistance by single agents in this pathogen. IMPORTANCE It is becoming increasingly understood that the current paradigms of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing may have significant shortcomings in predicting activity in vivo. This study evaluated the activity of several antibiotics alone and in combination against clinical isolates of Salmonella enterica serotype Newport (meningitis case) utilizing both conventional and physiological media. In addition, the interactions of these antibiotics with components of the innate immune system were evaluated. Azithromycin, which has performed quite well clinically despite high MICs in conventional media, was shown to be more active in physiological media and to enhance innate immune system killing. Alternatively, chloramphenicol did not show enhanced immune system killing, paralleling its inferior clinical performance to other antibiotics that have been used to treat Salmonella meningitis. These findings are important additions to the building understanding of current in vitro antimicrobial assay limitations that hopefully will amount to future improvements in these assays to better predict clinical efficacy and activity in vivo.
Emphysematous changes in hypersensitivity pneumonitis: A retrospective analysis of 12 patients

Abstract Introduction Emphysema is most commonly associated with smoking but also occurs in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). The aim of this study was to further explore this relationship. Methods A retrospective, computer-assisted search was performed to identify patients with HP seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1997 through February 2014. Demographic, clinical, and imaging features were analyzed. Patients were excluded if they had a smoking history of 10 pack-years or more. Results Twelve patients (9 males) with HP and computed tomographic evidence of emphysema were identified. Ten were never smokers and 2 were ex-smokers. The median age at diagnosis was 47 (range, 29–77) years; median symptom duration was 2.2 (range, 0.2–13.4) years. The most common presenting symptoms were dyspnea (83%) and cough (67%). On pulmonary function testing, 6 patients (50%) had a restrictive defect, 2 (17%) had airflow obstruction, and 4 (33%) had an isolated reduction in diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide. The severity of emphysema ranged from mild to severe to focal bullae. All patients had chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP). Centrilobular emphysema was most commonly seen with coexistent paraseptal emphysema in 5 patients. Emphysema was most frequent in the upper lung but could be seen in any lobe. Conclusion Emphysema can occur in patients with CHP independently of smoking history and exposure to specific types of antigens. Emphysematous changes seem to progress at a slower pace compare to reticulations/fibrosis.
Intrapartum thrombolysis in acute stroke patient (P3.295)

Objective: To report first case of intravenous alteplase in a patient with acute onset focal neurological symptoms during active labor. Background: There are 16 reported cases of intravenous or intraarterial alteplase administration during pregnancy or immediate postpartum period ( Design/Methods: A comprehensive retrospective chart review was done. Results: We present a 30 year old right-handed white female admitted to an outside facility on oxytocin infusion for induction of labor after membrane rupture at 39 weeks 1 day gestation. She developed acute onset left sided numbness, left facial droop and blurry vision 30 mins after placement of epidural catheter. CT head did not show acute abnormality and 0.9 mg/kg of intravenous alteplase was administered within 30 mins from onset of symptoms. She was then transferred to our facility and had complete resolution of her symptoms within 2 hours from onset. Patient was admitted to ICU & initial workup showed no coagulopathy and no reversal agents were hence administered. She vaginally delivered a healthy baby within 6 hours from alteplase administration and had an uneventful immediate postpartum period. Follow-up imaging with CT head and MRI showed no hemorrhagic transformation. Conclusions: The AHA/ASA guidelines recommend alteplase for moderate to severe strokes in pregnancy provided the benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus and mother. Although, we report successful administration of intravenous alteplase during active labor without any complication to mother and baby, more data is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety in this patient population. A retrospective cohort study of 15 cases of alteplase in pregnancy did not demonstrate any increase in adverse events when compared to the non-pregnant females but none of them were in labor. Disclosure: Dr. Kohli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shekhar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sreenivasan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sugg has nothing to disclose.
Merleau-Ponty's Political Thought: Its Nature and Its Challenge

In the preface to Signs, Maurice Merleau-Ponty explicitly directs us to think history according to the model of langage (parlance) or of being. We are, he says, “in the field of history as in the field of parlance or of being.”1 That is, we are born into history as we are born into both parlance and perceptual being. These fields are neither chaotic nor fully determinate. Rather they all both manifest previously established structures and at the same time provide the resources and opportunities required for us to make our own distinctive contributions.
The NLAAS Story: Some Reflections, Some Insights A commentary prepared for the special issue of the Asian American Journal of Psychology.

The General Social Survey (GSS), a national survey that queries U.S. residents about their behaviors and attitudes on social issues, shows that many Americans do not have as much familiarity with Asian Americans as they do with other racial and ethnic groups (Gee, Ro, Shariff-Marco & Chae, 2009). Thirty-four percent of the GSS sample stated that they had less in common with Asian Americans compared to African Americans, Latinos, Whites, and Jews. African Americans received the next highest percentage (17%). When the question was reversed, “Which group do you have the most in common with?”, a small percentage of the GSS respondents cited Asian Americans (7.5%) and African Americans (7.7%). What accounts for this lack of connection with Asian Americans? There are several likely reasons, including past and current stereotypes of Asian Americans, the geographic and residential distribution of racial groups across the country, and the high proportion of immigrants among Asian Americans that make them seemingly dissimilar to U.S.-born residents. It is also likely that there is relatively limited scientific data available about Asian Americans which make it difficult to adequately inform the general public about Asian American experiences on a wide range of dimensions. It is within this context that the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) was conceived, designed, implemented, and analyzed. NLAAS is the first national epidemiological study of Asian Americans that used state-of-the-art sampling and survey design strategies, an interview guide that was translated into multiple languages and dialects, and includes data that can be compared across Black American, Latino and White samples see Pennel). Its findings have been disseminated to a broad range of public and scientific audiences and the data are still being analyzed. NLAAS has received special recognition for its contribution to the scientific enterprise and it became one of the most downloaded datasets when it became publically-available. We are gratified and honored that this special issue of the journal has focused on analyses derived from the NLAAS. This paper serves to provide some of the initial thinking behind NLAAS and discuss some of the themes that we find in the papers included in the two special issues.
Chest Pain, Diaphoresis, and Nausea

A 68-year-old male presents to the emergency room with a 4 hour history of severe chest discomfort, cold sweats, and nausea. The pain is described as heavy pressure over the entire chest and is 9/10 in intensity. He is mildly short of breath and states that the pain is radiating to his neck. He denies any back pain at this time. He has noted reduced exercise tolerance over the past few months, however, only being able to walk for ½ block before having to stop to catch his breath. He is able to lie flat without any shortness of breath. He smokes about one pack of cigarettes per day and was recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and hypertension. He denies a history of cardiac events and stroke. Physical examination reveals a blood pressure of 144/78 mmHg, heart rate of 97/min, and a respiration rate of 28/min. Breath sounds are equal without crackles. Cardiac examination reveals a regular rate without murmurs and an S4. An ECG was obtained which shows sinus rhythm with ST segment elevation in V2, V3, and V4. A stat troponin is ordered and returns above normal range. Chest x-ray is normal.
Organophosphate Insecticides: Neurodevelopmental Effects

Organophosphate (OP) insecticides are used to control pests in agricultural food and ornamental plant production, and in building and home settings. One major adverse effect in mammals from OP exposure is neurotoxicity, including developmental neurotoxicity (DNT), which is toxicity to the developing nervous system of the fetus or child as a consequence of exposure while in the womb or at a young age. The DNT effects have been investigated in laboratory studies using experimental animals, in vitro cell cultures, and nonmammalian systems, as well as in epidemiological studies of human exposure. Chlorpyrifos is an example of an OP with an extensive database of such studies. Screening for potential DNT effects is conducted per governmental guidelines with the results intended for regulatory purposes such as registration of the pesticide for use or continued use. Academic research studies generally focus on characterization of DNT effects, including mode of action (MOA) and comparative toxicity between chemicals. DNT effects are determined by clinical observations; a battery of tests for behavior (functional observational battery, FOB); tests for motor and sensory function, cognition involved in learning and memory, anxiety, depression, and social behavior; and pathological and morphological examination of the brain. While the MOA for acute neurotoxicity of OPs is from the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, there is evidence that some of the DNT effects may be independent of AChE inhibition. This is demonstrated by the finding from laboratory studies of DNT at exposure doses lower than those causing AChE inhibition in the brain. Epidemiological studies have revealed associations between prenatal and postnatal exposures to some OP insecticides and alterations of neurological functions and development later in life.
Protein Phosphorylation and the Regulation of Cellular Processes by the Homologous Two-Component Regulatory Systems of Bacteria

Many different bacterial responses to environmental stimuli are controlled by pairs of proteins that act in concert and, in the aggregate, form two large families of homologous signal transduction proteins. A particular homologous domain is characteristic of each family of signal transducers: the first of these is a domain with protein kinase activity. In some instances this domain also contains a phosphoprotein phosphatase activity. The second type of conserved domain acts as the substrate for these kinase and phosphatase activities. In some cases this domain also contains an autophosphatase activity and/or it may be subject to the activity of an additional phosphatase. Information on the environment is transmitted to the kinase/phosphatase domain, which then catalyzes the phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of its substrate. Cells have evolved to use the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of this second type of domain to regulate responses to the environmental condition by fusion of this domain to proteins, such as transcription factors, whose activity directly affects adaptive responses. Because the systems regulated in this fashion each contain at least one kinase/phosphatase and its substrate, they have been called “two-component” regulatory systems (1,2). In this review, I will refer to the kinase/phosphatase component as the kinase (K), and I will refer to the substrates for these proteins as response regulators (RR).
Abstract LB-115: Preclinical assessment of retinoid X-receptor agonist, UAB110, for potential treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a group of non-Hodgkin diseases characterized by localization of neoplastic T-cells in the skin. The most common forms of CTCLs are mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary syndrome (SS). Bexarotene (Targretin®) is currently the only FDA approved retinoid X receptor (RXR) -selective agonist (rexinoid) for the treatment of CTCLs. Despite its low toxicity compared to retinoids and other chemotherapeutic agents, it induces hypothyroidism and markedly elevates serum triglycerides (TGs). Thus, improved rexinoids for the treatment of this indolent disease is necessary. A potential candidate is the novel rexinoid, UAB110, which does not elevate TGs in animal studies and effectively prevents mammary cancer development. Compared to bexarotene, it has higher binding affinity for RXRα receptor and transcriptional activation activity. The purpose of this study is to assess preclinical efficacy, mechanism of action of UAB110, and compare its action with bexarotene and the rexinoid 9-cisUAB30 (UAB30) using human-derived CTCL cell lines, MyLa and HuT78, which are representative of MF and SS, respectively. Cell proliferation analysis and cell-cycle related markers were determined by hemocytometer and Western blot analysis, respectively. UAB110 is as effective as UAB30 and bexarotene in suppressing cell proliferation. Furthermore, it significantly (p Citation Format: Chu-Fang Chou, Jason Esla, Venkatram Atigadda, Donald Muccio, Clinton Grubbs, Elmets Craig, Pi-Ling Chang. Preclinical assessment of retinoid X-receptor agonist, UAB110, for potential treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-115.
Early undergraduate cybersecurity research

This paper describes and advocates for the experiences of engaging undergraduate students in collaborative faculty mentored scholarly research in cybersecurity. The benefits of engaging these students in discipline related research early in their undergraduate studies include: developing teamwork skills, improving creative problem solving abilities, creating a better understanding of career options within computing, and fostering an enthusiasm for the subject material that should improve retention of computing majors.
Investigation of the Fast Negative Ion in Superfluid Helium-4

In 1970, Doake and Gribbon reported the discovery of a negative ion in superfluid helium that has a mobility about six times higher than the mobility of the normal electron bubble. We report on measurements of the variation of the mobility of this “fast ion” with applied pressure.
High temporal resolution time-resolved C-arm cone-beam CT imaging using a multi-sweep data acquisition scheme

Temporal resolution in time-resolved cone-beam CT (TR-CBCT) imaging is often limited by the time needed to acquire a complete dataset for image reconstruction. With the recent developments of performing nearly limited-view artifact-free reconstruction from data in a limited-view angle range and a prior image, temporal resolution of TR-CBCT imaging can be improved from the initial 0.2 frame per second (fps) to 1 fps which indicated a factor of five improvement in temporal resolution. In this paper, a new technique was introduced to further improve temporal resolution from 1.0 fps to about 7.5 fps which indicates a factor of more than 30 times improvement in temporal resolution for slow C-arm CBCT acquistions. This new technique was developed for multi-sweep data acquistion protocol and it is referred to as enhanced SMART-RECON (eSMART-RECON) in this paper. Numerical phantoms with ground truth and in vivo human subject data were used to validate the proposed eSMART-RECON method.
Family Satisfaction: Differences Between Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities.

This study compared differences in overall family satisfaction, specific satisfaction domains, and correlates of satisfaction between nursing homes (NHs) and residential care facilities (RCFs), usi...
Enhancing Neurofibromatosis Clinical Trial Outcome Measures Through Patient Engagement: Lessons From REiNS.

Objective As part of an evaluation of the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis (REiNS) International Collaboration patient representative program, we surveyed REiNS members to (1) identify facilitators and barriers to involving patient representatives and (2) understand whether and how involving patient representatives affected recommendations for clinical trial outcomes. Methods We administered an anonymous online survey to all REiNS members. Facilitators and barriers to patient representative involvement were solicited using a modified free listing technique; responses were inductively grouped into higher-order categories and ranked based on saliency score (Smith s). Open-ended questions assessed patient representative expectations for engagement, perceived benefits/costs of patient engagement, and patient representative contributions; responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results A total of 63/172 (37%) members responded, including 18/30 (60%) patient representatives. Providing sufficient opportunities to meaningfully engage in research tasks and cultivating a respectful, inclusive atmosphere were key facilitators to patient representatives9 satisfaction and ability to make an impact. Respondents perceived that patient representatives directly (through their input on research tasks) and indirectly (through effects on other stakeholders9 knowledge and communication style) improved the organization9s research, leading to selection of more meaningful, relevant, and feasible clinical trial outcome measures. Ongoing challenges to patient engagement include difficulty scheduling meetings and concerns about the level of scientific knowledge patient representatives needed to effectively engage. Conclusions Involving patient representatives in REiNS improved perceived quality of neurofibromatosis clinical trial outcome measures. Negotiating sufficient opportunities to engage, fostering an inclusive atmosphere, and navigating time pressures are key to effective patient engagement.
Studies toward norzoanthamine: Ireland–Claisen rearrangements of α,β-unsaturated esters in a stereocontrolled synthesis of trans-fused 2-cyclohexen-1-ones

Abstract The enantiocontrolled preparation of the trans-fused ABC ring system of norzoanthamine is described. The synthesis strategy has incorporated studies of Ireland–Claisen rearrangements of esters derived from 3,3-dimethylacrylic acid. Stereocontrol results from competing chair- and boat-like transition states. Introduction of a nitroalkene by application of a modified Henry reaction facilitates an intramolecular Diels–Alder cycloaddition for an effective and simple transformation to the desired conjugated decalone. A fully functionalized AB ring system leads to the cyclization of the trans-fused cyclohexenone to complete the ABC system via ring-closing metathesis.
Modeling cavitation bubble dynamics in an autoinjector and its implications on drug molecules.

Abstract The collapse of cavitation bubbles induced by abrupt acceleration of the syringe in an autoinjector device can lead to protein aggregation. The details of bubble dynamics are investigated using an axisymmetric, three-dimensional simulation with passive tracers to illustrate the transport of protein molecules. When a bubble near the syringe wall collapses, protein molecules are concentrated in the re-entrant jet, pushed towards the syringe wall, and then spread across the wall, potentially leading to protein adsorption on the syringe wall and aggregation. This phenomenon is more prominent for bubbles positioned closer to the bottom wall, growing to a larger maximum radius. The bubble’s maximum radius decreases with the bubble’s distance from the syringe wall and air gap pressure, and increases with an increase in liquid column height and nucleus size. The strain rate induced by the bubble collapse is not large enough to unfold the proteins. When the re-entrant jet impacts the bubble surface or syringe wall, the bubble breaks up, generating smaller bubbles with high surface concentration of protein molecules, potentially inducing aggregation in the bulk. The bubble dynamics are influenced by dimensionless distance of the nucleus from the wall, normalized by maximum bubble radius ( γ ). The re-entrant jet velocity increases with γ , while the maximum liquid pressure, typically 100 ∼ 1000 bar, first decreases and then increases with γ . For a cloud of cavitation bubbles, i.e., closely clustered bubbles, coalescence of bubbles can occur, leading to a higher peak pressure at collapse.
Dissimilatory Reduction of NO2− to NH4+ and N2O by a Soil Citrobacter sp.

Dissimilatory reduction of NO2− to N2O and NH4+ by a soil Citrobacter sp. was studied in an attempt to elucidate the physiological and ecological significance of N2O production by this mechanism. In batch cultures with defined media, NO2− reduction to NH4+ was favored by high glucose and low NO3− concentrations. Nitrous oxide production was greatest at high glucose and intermediate NO3− concentrations. With succinate as the energy source, little or no NO2− was reduced to NH4+ but N2O was produced. Resting cell suspensions reduced NO2− simultaneously to N2O and free extracellular NH4+. Chloramphenicol prevented the induction of N2O-producing activity. The Km for NO2− reduction to N2O was estimated to be 0.9 mM NO2−, yet the apparent Km for overall NO2− reduction was considerably lower, no greater than 0.04 mM NO2−. Activities for N2O and NH4+ production increased markedly after depletion of NO3− from the media. Amendment with NO3− inhibited N2O and NH4+ production by molybdate-grown cells but not by tungstate-grown cells. Sulfite inhibited production of NH4+ but not of N2O. In a related experiment, three Escherichia coli mutants lacking NADH-dependent nitrite reductase produced N2O at rates equal to the wild type. These observations suggest that N2O is produced enzymatically but not by the same enzyme system responsible for dissimilatory reduction of NO2− to NH4+.
How do I Know what you Know? Patent Examiners and the Generation of Patent Citations

Analysis of patent citations is a core methodology in the study of knowledge diffusion, and forward citations are used as a measure of impact of innovations. However, citations made by patent examiners have not been separately reported, adding unknown noise to the data. We leverage a recent change in the reporting of patent data showing citations added by examiners. The magnitude is high: examiners add 40 per cent of all citations and two-thirds of citations on the average patent are inserted by examiners. Furthermore, 40 per cent of all patents have all citations added by examiners. We analyse the distribution of examiner and inventor citations with respect to self-citation, distance, technology overlap, and vintage. Results indicate that inferences about inventor knowledge may suffer from bias or overinflated significance levels. For a cohort of very highly-cited patents, examiners and inventors select different patents for citation, with the majority of the cohort cited by inventors. Over time, inventor and examiner forward citation streams converge, suggestive of a learning process that has not been previously considered in the literature.
Derrida's Le monolinguisme de l'autre: Linguistic Educational Rights

As I was writing this paper last June while in France, the assassination of Lounes Matoub was announced. A champion of the Berbere language and identity, Matoub had become an international hero through his poetry and songs, and a threat to the Algerian fundamentalist movement. He was assassinated in retaliation for his political activism and the Kabyle resistance against the imposed Arabization of Algeria (July 1998), making this one more example of violence associated with the violation of linguistic human rights and attempts at cultural uniformization and assimilation. Already we are all too familiar with the tribute media have paid to strategies of “ethnic cleansing” in Europe and Africa.
Techniques for acquiring and tracking MIL-STD-181B signals

The paper examines the use of spectral estimation and maximum likelihood estimation techniques in acquiring and tracking current MIL-STD-188-181B UHF SATCOM waveforms. Digital signal processing (DSP)-based algorithms are presented that can acquire and track the carrier phase, carrier frequency offset, and symbol timing for the dual-h quaternary continuous phase modulated (CPM) waveforms. The algorithms are derived mathematically first, then using computer simulations. Performance is presented for various modulation rates, channel conditions, and different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) levels. Several methods are then proposed to enhance the performance of these algorithms without requiring additional computational resources. The algorithms are easily configurable for different modulations and data rates, thus making them suitable for implementation in next generation software-defined UHF tactical radios.
Epidemiology (Including Molecular Epidemiology) of HIV, Hepatitis B and C in Georgia: Experience From U.S.—Georgian Collaboration

Since 1996, The Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Center in Tbilisi, Georgia has successfully collaborated with a number of U.S institutions including the National Institutes of Health (NIH: NIAID and the Fogarty International Center); Johns Hopkins University; the State University of New York in Albany, NY; Emory University in Atlanta, GA: the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research; and the Henry Μ. Jackson Foundation. Over this period, several Fogarty-supported training and research programs have been implemented in the fields of HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases. Within these programs, more than 25 Georgian specialists have completed shortand long-term training courses at the leading U.S. research centers. In addition, seven US–Georgian joint research projects have been implemented or are currently underway. Among them, five are supported by U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), one by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Biotechnology Engagement Program (BTEP), one by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH), and one by the World AIDS Foundation (WAF). Joint activities are focused on epidemiology, including molecular epidemiology of HIV, hepatitis B viris (HBV) and HCV, as well as issues related to natural history of recent/acute HCV infection, HIV drug resistance, and host genetic factors associated with HIV and HCV infections’ susceptibility and/or disease progression. These areas are of top priority worldwide as well as in Georgia.
Heat flow analysis of long-wavelength VCSELs with various DBR materials

The paper utilizes finite element analysis to systematically investigate heat flux and thermal resistance of lasers with different combinations of a bottom DBR (InGaAsP/InP, AlAs/GaAs, or SiO/sub 2//Si) and a top DBR. The latter consists of pairs of a low index material (SiO/sub 2/, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, CaF/sub 2/, Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/, MgO, or BeO) and a high index material (Si, TiO/sub 2/, ZnSe, or SiC). 1.55 /spl mu/m VCSELs with polyimide or InP insulating regrowth in top-up or top-down mounting are considered.
Issues in Dental Curriculum Development and Change.

Lessons from other places present several diverse suggestions for the dental curriculum9s continuing improvement. Models from other professional education venues (medical schools), conceptual frameworks for self-reflection (ethos), and the scientific bases for learning and teaching (cognitive psychology) demonstrate that an interplay of factors must be addressed to advance the curriculum.
Visual Outcomes after Proton Beam Irradiation for Choroidal Melanomas Involving the Fovea.

Purpose To report visual outcomes in patients undergoing proton beam irradiation of tumors located within 1 disc diameter of the fovea. Design Retrospective review. Participants Patients with choroidal melanoma involving the fovea treated with proton beam therapy between 1975 and 2009. Methods Three hundred fifty-one patients with choroidal melanomas located 1 disc diameter (DD) or less from the fovea and more than 1 DD away from the optic nerve were included in this study. In a subgroup of 203 of the patients with small and medium choroidal melanomas, the effect of a reduced dose of radiation, 50 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) versus 70 Gy (RBE), on visual outcomes was analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to calculate cumulative rates of vision loss and to assess risk factors for vision loss, respectively. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity and radiation complications, which included radiation maculopathy, papillopathy, retinal detachment, and rubeosis, were assessed. Results Three hundred fifty-one patients were included in this study with a mean follow-up time of 68.7 months. More than one-third of patients (35.5%) retained 20/200 or better vision 5 years after proton beam irradiation. For those patients with a baseline visual acuity of 20/40 or better, 16.2% of patients retained this level of vision 5 years after proton beam irradiation. Tumor height less than 5 mm and baseline visual acuity 20/40 or better were associated significantly with a better visual outcome ( P Conclusions The results of this retrospective analysis demonstrate that despite receiving a full dose of radiation to the fovea, many patients with choroidal melanoma with foveal involvement maintain useful vision. A radiation dose reduction from 70 to 50 Gy (RBE) did not seem to increase the proportion of patients who retain usable vision.
Mitochondrial Dynamics Is a Distinguishing Feature of Skeletal Muscle Fiber Types and Regulates Organellar Compartmentalization

Skeletal muscle fibers differentiate into specific fiber types with distinct metabolic properties determined by their reliance on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Using in vivo approaches, we find that OXPHOS-dependent fibers, compared to glycolytic fibers, contain elongated mitochondrial networks with higher fusion rates that are dependent on the mitofusins Mfn1 and Mfn2. Switching of a glycolytic fiber to an oxidative IIA type is associated with elongation of mitochondria, suggesting that mitochondrial fusion is linked to metabolic state. Furthermore, we reveal that mitochondrial proteins are compartmentalized to discrete domains centered around their nuclei of origin. The domain dimensions are dependent on fiber type and are regulated by the mitochondrial dynamics proteins Mfn1, Mfn2, and Mff. Our results indicate that mitochondrial dynamics is tailored to fiber type physiology and provides a rationale for the segmental defects characteristic of aged and diseased muscle fibers.
Wind shielding of parallel conductors

Experience and previous laboratory investigations have indicated the existence of wind-shielding effects in groups of parallel conductors of distribution lines, in which the leeward conductors are shielded by the windward conductors. This article reports the results of wind-tunnel tests to determine the magnitude of the factors controlling the wind-loading on groups of parallel conductors.
Accumulation of platelets in rat syngeneic lung transplants : A potential factor responsible for preservation-reperfusion injury

Background. Platelets are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of adult respiratory distress syndrome as well as preservation-reperfusion injury of liver allografts. However, the role of platelets in pulmonary preservation-reperfusion injury is unknown. In this study, we examined whether the extent of platelet accumulation in the preserved and subsequently reperfused lungs correlated with the degree of preservation-reperfusion injury in a rat lung isotransplant model. Methods. Heart-lung blocks from donor rats were flushed with and preserved in modified Euro-Collins solution at 4°C for 0 hr (n=5), 6 hr (n=6), and 24 hr (n=6). The left lung was divided from the heart-lung block, transplanted into the recipient rat, and reperfused for 1 hr. Lung injury was evaluated by the left-to-right pulmonary blood flow ratio, the weight gain of the isograft, and the scores for histological categories of lung injury (intra-alveolar edema, intra-alveolar hemorrhage, and capillary congestion). Small portions of the lung isograft were excised and stained with an antibody specific for rat platelets. A scoring system was developed to semiquantitate the intensity of antibody staining in isografts. Results. Lung isografts were injured and platelets accumulated in the capillaries in proportion to the length of preservation endured before transplantation. The extent of platelet accumulation evaluated by our morphological scoring system correlated significantly with the degree of lung injury assessed by the blood flow ratio (P<0.001), the weight gain (P<0.001), and the histological scores for intra-alveolar hemorrhage (P<0.05) and for capillary congestion (P<0.001). Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that platelet accumulation is a potential factor responsible for preservation-reperfusion injury of lung isografts in the rat.
L-Lactic Acid: A Mosquito Attractant Isolated from Humans

L-Lactic acid was the major component in material isolated from humans that was active as an attractant for female yellow fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (L.). The L(+)-isomer was several times as attractive as the D-isomer. Good correlation was found between the attractiveness of an individual to mosquitoes and the quantity of lactic acid present in an acetone washing of his hand.