cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Water, the Coast, the Future

The trouble with water on Earth is that it doesn’t stay put. At any one instant a droplet may be in the sky, in the ocean, frozen in a glacier, or in and among the lands. That dynamic system is reviewed in this essay, following droplets and following the accumulation of droplets that pins the totality of the waters, measured as sea level, at times and places throughout Earth’s history, through the lenses of our researchers. The message is that the Earth’s methods and responses follow the laws of science and geology, and we can expect Earth to follow the same methods and responses as the climate warms in coming years. Sea level imprints tell us what happened before, and what happens now will determine the sea level imprints of the future.
Resolution-enhanced optical coherence tomography enabled by coherent-average noise suppression

We demonstrate resolution-enhanced optical coherent tomography (RE-OCT) via coherent averaging and computational spatial bandwidth expansion. RE-OCT leverages coherent average of the complex OCT signal across multiple acquisitions to suppress noise. The enhanced sensitivity accommodates expansion of spatial bandwidth via multiplication with a spatial-frequency mask. We achieved resolution enhancement of 1.5 times with 40 acquisitions, without sacrificing signal-to-background ratio of single-shot image, in silicone phantom. In collagen, RE-OCT revealed collagen fiber structures that were not resolvable in single-shot or coherent-averaged image. RE-OCT demonstrates an added flexibility to existing image improvement techniques in coherent imaging—resolution, in addition to contrast, enhancement.
13124 COVID-19: The Urgency of Engaging during Crisis

ABSTRACT IMPACT: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the UTMB Institute for Translational Sciences has sought to answer our communities’ needs for research, for knowledge of research, and involvement in research, while recognizing that meaningful engagement involves understanding all emergent needs and responding to maximize the health and well-being of those we serve. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: ITS community programs responsive to COVID-19 include: ο Ongoing communication with community and business stakeholders ο Social media and public health campaigns promoting safe practices, research updates, and testing information ο Community initiatives to increase testing among vulnerable populations METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Like sister hubs across the US, the UTMB ITS has brought available resources to bear on addressing COVID-19 through research, medical response, and public health outreach. Community engagement activities have included facilitating communication, particularly by rapidly translating information for multiple audiences and wherever possible and appropriate, providing opportunities for the patient’s voice to inform and guide development of research. We realized the community’s need for trustworthy and reliable information about COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Key partnerships with community members and organizations were critical in enabling us all to be most responsive in meeting these needs. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: ITS community outreach included developing infographics, media notices, and educational materials related to prevention and testing as well as appropriate use of PPE. These efforts resulted in an article in a regional newspaper, which was disseminated widely through social media networks. ITS faculty also engaged doctoral and MPH trainees to support the Health District’s contact tracing effort. We held several events on mental health impacts as well as discussions related to health disparities. Both activities shaped plans for community-based interventions and research. The ITS also hosted a virtual workshop to facilitate discussion around key research questions related to the pandemic. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Throughout the pandemic, the ITS has maintained contact with stakeholders. Our roles have been to communicate, disseminate, translate, provide resources, and build bridges. We also listen, share, and provide opportunities for patients and communities to engage in all phases of the research spectrum.
Reinvention of an academic anaesthesiology department during pandemic times: Lessons learnt and adapting to a “New normal”

Conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted many aspects of medical practice. Responding to this crisis has required health systems to rapidly address a multitude of concerns, including workforce safety, staff redeployment, supply shortages and physical space restructuring. The pace of change created by new information and evolving conditions has proven challenging for traditionally-structured academic departments in medicine. Pandemic medicine requires a nimbleness in decisionmaking, clarity of communication and comprehensiveness of services that may demand a temporary rearrangement of leadership structure and clinical service delivery. Furthermore, the uncertain nature of a pandemic may require reinstitution and dissolution of services as demand sporadically either rises or falls. As the global medical community continues to respond to what may be multiple COVID-19 peaks stretching over months or years, it is important that approaches to preparation and management of the pandemic are shared to enable the identification of best practices and an effective response. With the availability of open access and free communication technologies, these strategies can be easily shared among the global anaesthesia community. The approach outlined here represents one way to organise leadership and streamline communication in order to reinvent an academic department to match the dynamic requirements of crisis conditions. We describe our experience in offering new services such as an airway team, COVID-19 simulation training and personal protective equipment testing, as well as our approach to evaluating the rapid flow of research findings related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. We summarise lessons learnt and our adaptation to what may be a “new normal” in anaesthesiology practice.
Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis : an update

ABSTRACT: Mucormycosis refers to a group of rapidly progressive opportunistic infections caused by fungi belonging to the order Mucorales. Infections most often develop in individuals with immunological or metabolic compromise, although patients without underlying abnormalities are also affected. Specific clinical manifestations are associated with various predisposing factors. Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis is the most common form and most frequently develops in individuals with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. The extent of anatomical involvement and clinical course are unpredictable, depending on the intrinsic factors of the host. Over the past 30 years, the prognosis for patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis, once considered a uniformly fatal disease, has improved. Co-ordinated medical and surgical treatments, including rapid diagnosis, the advent of systemic antifungal agents, aggressive surgical debridement and control of the underlying disease process, have credited with its successful managements. The range of survival rates recorded with the regimen of combined therapies is wide because the number of patients reported is limited and anatomical involvements is diverse. The characteristic clinical, radiographic and pathological features of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis and the importance of early detection and aggressive treatment in the management of this frequently fulminant and fatal disease are reviewed.
Axioms for Translation Length Functions

This paper arose from the paper [3] of Culler and Morgan concerning group actions on ℝ-trees. An ℝ-tree is a nonempty metric space T such that every two points in T are joined by a unique arc (image of an injective continuous function from a closed interval in ℝ to T) and that arc is the image of an isometry from a closed interval in ℝ to T. This generalizes the usual notion of simplicial tree. Roughly speaking, the difference is that in a simplicial tree, the branching occurs at a discrete set of points, namely, the vertices, whereas in an ℝ-tree, there is no restriction on where branching may occur. The notion of ℝ-tree arose indirectly in the work of Lyndon [5]and Chiswell [2]concerning Lyndon length functions. The first definition was given by Tits in [7].
Characterization of porcine TAP genes: alternative splicing of TAP1

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is a heterodimer composed of TAP1 and TAP2 subunits that belong to the ATP-binding cassette family of transporters. TAP translocates small peptides (usually 8- to 12-amino-acid-long) from the cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum for subsequent loading onto the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. The translocated peptides are required for the stable cell surface expression of MHC class I molecules. Virus-encoded proteins, which inhibit TAP activity, include ICP47 from herpes simplex virus and US6 from human cytomegalovirus. We have previously shown that ICP47 downregulated porcine MHC class I [swine leukocyte Ag class I (SLA I)] cell-surface expression in the pig epithelial cell line PK(15). Here we show that SLA I cell-surface expression in the pig epithelial cell line LLC-PK1 is relatively unaffected by expression of ICP47. Anticipating that this might be due to differences in the primary structure of TAP1 or TAP2 expressed by these two cell lines, cDNAs from PK(15) and LLC-PK1 encoding the complete open reading frames of porcine TAP1 and TAP2 were cloned and sequenced. Porcine TAP1 and TAP2 exhibited 80% amino acid identity with their human orthologs. Two splice variants of TAP1 were found. In LLC-PK1 cells, an alternatively spliced TAP1 transcript was detected, which was predicted to encode a protein with nine fewer amino acids. While the deleted amino acids may be in close proximity to the putative peptide/ICP47-binding site, we were unable to demonstrate that this imparted an apparent resistance to the effects of ICP47 on SLA I surface expression.
Residually small varieties ofK-algebras

We focus on those universal algebras which ring theorists call associative algebras overK, whereK is a commutative ring having an identity element. They are calledK-algebras in this paper. For fixedK there are two full varieties to consider namelyK-algebras with, or without, an identity element as a formal constant.
Low-level inotropic stimulation with type III phosphodiesterase inhibitors in patients with advanced symptomatic chronic heart failure receiving β-blocking agents

β-blocking agents are now well established as a cornerstone therapy in mild to moderate heart failure. Patients with more advanced heart failure depend on adrenergic activation to maintain adequate myocardial function. This leads to significant difficulties in using β-blockers in advanced or severe heart failure. In addition, recent data indicate that adrenergic withdrawal might be detrimental in some of these patients. In higher doses, positive inotropic agents have been shown to increase mortality when used alone in subsets with advanced heart failure. Preliminary data suggest that the combination of low-dose phosphodiesterase inhibitors and a β-blocker may be better tolerated and does not appear to be associated with the adverse effects of either therapy used alone. We discuss the theoretic underpinning of this approach and the supportive clinical data.
Rat Pregnane X Receptor: Molecular Cloning, Tissue Distribution, and Xenobiotic Regulation

An orphan nuclear receptor, termed the pregnane X receptor (PXR), has recently been cloned from mouse and human and defines a novel steroid signaling pathway (Cell 92, 73-82, 1998; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 12208-122313, 1998). Transient cotransfection experiments demonstrate that the PXR responds to structurally dissimilar compounds and confers the induction of cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A), a subfamily of enzymes that involve the metabolism of two-thirds of drugs and other xenobiotics. In this report, we describe the molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and xenobiotic regulation of a rat PXR designated rPXR-1. rPXR-1 exhibits a 95% sequence identity with the mouse PXR, but only 79% identity with the human PXR, providing the molecular basis that rats and mice have a similar CYP3A induction profile but differ from humans. rPXR-1 gene was expressed abundantly in liver, intestine, and, to a lesser extent, kidney, lung, and stomach. The tissue distribution and the relative abundance of rPXR-1 mRNA among these tissues resemble those of CYP3A, suggesting that PXR is important not only for induction but also for constitutive expression of these enzymes. Xenobiotics known to induce liver microsomal enzymes showed differential effects on the rPXR-1 expression as determined by Northern blot analysis. Dexamethasone, for example, increased the accumulation of rPXR-1 mRNA, whereas troleandomycin slightly suppressed it. Compounds that increase PXR expression (inducers) and compounds that interact with PXR (ligands) likely have synergistic effects on CYP3A induction, which provides a novel molecular explanation for drug-drug interactions.
Instructional methods for CSCL: review of case studies

The purpose of the present study is to provide instructional methods for collaborative learning in computer-supported learning environments which would be useful information for CSCL researchers, instructional designers, and online instructors. Although several researchers have provided instructional design theories and guidelines for collaborative learning in traditional classroom environments, there are a few instructional design studies developed specifically for collaboration in online learning environments. This study critically reviewed and analyzed ten case studies to identify instructional goals, methods, effectiveness, and conditions of collaborative online learning. Twenty-three methods identified from the synthesis and comparison of cases were grouped into five categories representing commonalities: a) grouping, b) collaborative tasks, c) team-building, d) computer-mediated communication, and e) instructor. It appeared that while some methods are equally important for both face-to-face and computersupported learning environments, instructional methods related to group composition, synchronous interaction, and communication modes are particularly critical for collaborative online learning.
Robust optimal traffic signal timing

The performance of signal timings obtained by using conventional approaches for pre-timed control systems is often unstable under fluctuating traffic conditions. This paper presents three models to determine robust optimal signal timings that are less sensitive to fluctuations of traffic flows or perform better against the worst-case scenario without losing much optimality. Computational experiments are conducted to validate the model formulations and solution algorithms.
Pectin-agar diets in the treatment of bacillary dysentery of infants and children*

Summary A series of 52 cases of bacillary dysentery and 27 cases of infectious gastroenteritis, probably dysentery, in infants and children treated with the pectin-agar dextrimaltose combination is reported. There was a definite and quick response with soft stools within an average of thirty-four hours and a gradual and steady improvement in 73.4 per cent of the cases. The caloric intake averaged from 33 to 52.4 calories per pound per day, and average weight gains were observed in every group. The mode of action of this therapy is probably both physicochemical and mechanical, with the uronic acids playing an important part. The diet is peculiarly suitable for infectious cases, since besides having a definite therapeutic action, it is high in calories, well balanced, and easily assimilated, and it maintains nutrition while the body has a chance to develop the necessary immunity. It is easily prepared, very readily taken, available, standardized, and safe. Our experience continues to confirm our early observations that this pectin-agar diet very definitely more quickly and completely produces formed stools with fewer recurrences than other accepted methods, including the apple diet.
BlogIT: Multimedia Chronicling for Improved Capture, Sharing, and Retrieval of Solutions in Contact Center Applications

Current tools for contact centers provide simple mechanisms for manually logging a technical problem, and recording the route of the problem, from agent to agent, until a solution is identified and then recorded in a "problem ticket." These tools fall far short of accurately capturing the intricacies of technical problems, or providing the details of solution procedures to the right people at the right time. We present a multimedia chronicling system called blogIT that enhances the richness of capture of problem resolution activities, provides the ability to share and socially annotate experiences and solutions, and enables automatic retrieval of relevant solutions in response to a user's desktop activities.
Blowing Up Harry Potter: Leveraging an NLM Exhibition to Your Advantage.

Libraries are constantly challenged to find ways to demonstrate their value to their institutions. Can hosting a National Library of Medicine (NLM) exhibition increase a library's impact? In 2012 the University of Toledo engaged their constituents by hosting and developing programming for the NLM exhibit Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine. The process is synthesized into five stages: choosing, visioning, finding allies, budgeting, and marketing. Recommended practices for each stage are presented. Measures of impact (attendance, views, tweets, feedback) are discussed. Author concludes that hosting NLM exhibitions can be cost effective ways to advance a library's mission, improve visibility and user's perceptions.
Ultrasound enhancement of rabbit femoral artery thrombolysis.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of low-intensity, externally applied ultrasound to accelerate arterial thrombolysis in an animal model and to characterize potential effects of ultrasound exposure on vessel wall morphology. The femoral arteries of 32 rabbits were exposed, a flowprobe was positioned around the vessel, and a stenosis produced with two circumferential silk sutures to reduce flow by 50%. Thrombosis was achieved by injecting thrombin through the cannulated superficial epigastric branch into a 1-cm segment of femoral artery which was isolated for 20 min. Streptokinase was administered intravenously as a 15 000 U/kg bolus followed by an infusion of 15 000 U/kg per h. Ultrasound (1 MHz, 2 W/cm2) was delivered to the thrombosed vessel during streptokinase administration in 17 animals, and 15 control animals received sham ultrasound only. Thrombolysis occurred in nine of 17 (53%) animals receiving both streptokinase and ultrasound, and this was significantly greater than the rate in animals receiving streptokinase alone (, 13%; P = 0.025). Ultrasound caused a mean temperature elevation of 4°C in exposed tissues. Light and electron microscopy demonstrated increased platelet accumulation on thrombi in ultrasound-treated vessels compared with controls. Endothelial cell vacuolation was seen by electron microscopy in ultrasound-exposed vessels. The results indicate that externally applied, low-intensity ultrasound can significantly enhance thrombolysis in a rabbit arterial model. Possible adverse effects are minor and include platelet accumulation, temperature elevation and minor endothelial changes. Externally applied ultrasound has potential value as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy. © 1997 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Quasi-ballistic model of electron mobility in liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract A phenomenological model of electron mobility in liquid hydrocarbons is presented, which incorporates ballistic motion in the quasi-free state, showing that this effect predominates in the low-mobility case. Even for infinite quasi-free mobility finite overall mobility results due to random cycles of trapping and detrapping. Experimental comparison for n -hexane, a typical low-mobility liquid, reveals quasi-free mobility, trap density and binding energy in the trap at room temperature respectively as ≈ 100 cm 2 /V s, 10 19 cm −3 and 0.15 eV.
Effect of the electron-plasmon interaction on the electron mobility in silicon.

The dependence of the electron mobility in n-type and p-type Si on the impurity concentration is studied using a simplified picture that, hopefully, retains the essential physics. The momentum relaxation time is calculated including interactions between electrons and phonons, electrons, and ionized impurities using a phase-shift analysis, short-range intercarrier interactions, and, most importantly, the scattering of electrons by plasmons. It is found that this process has a very strong effect at large impurity concentrations, particularly in p-type Si. Recent experimental results for the minority-electron mobility in the base of p-n-p bipolar transistors can be explained in terms of the proposed model, although only qualitative aspects can be considered, since the scatter of the experimental data is often larger than the differences caused by the various approximations employed.
Hydrogeochemical Exploration for Uranium Ore Deposits: Use of the Computer Model Wateqfc

Abstract Groundwaters in contact with hidden ore deposits may acquire chemical compositions that offer a guide for exploration, if the chemistry of the waters can be properly interpreted. Hydrogeochemical computer models allow significant progress to be made in the interpretation of the chemistry of all types of natural waters. The computer program, WATEQFC, an expansion and restructuring of WATEQF, is directed toward geochemical exploration for uranium and base metals. The expanded program can now solve the simultaneous equilibria involved in the aqueous geochemistry of 47 chemical elements, represented by approximately 540 minerals and solid compounds and 650 aqueous species. Calibration of the model with groundwaters from known deposits of uranium ore suggests that hidden ore bodies may be revealed by the state of saturation of the waters with respect to a suite of potential ore and gangue minerals. The saturation index (SI) is a reliable predictor of the presence of uranium ore from known deposits in Texas, Wyoming, and Czechoslovakia. The use of groundwater for regional reconnaissance strongly suggests that uranium mineralization is present in the subsurface near Colorado City, Colorado, whereas a similar modeling of groundwaters from a large area of Triassic sandstones in England virtually eliminates that area from consideration as a host for hidden uranium ore.
Protonation of the dinitrogen-reduction catalyst [HIPTN3N]Mo(III) investigated by ENDOR spectroscopy.

Dinitrogen is reduced to ammonia by the molybdenum complex of L = [HIPTN3N]3− [Mo; HIPT = 3,5-(2,4,6-iPr3C6H2)2C6H3]. The mechanism by which this occurs involves the stepwise addition of proton/electron pairs, but how the first pair converts MoN2 to MoN═NH remains uncertain. The first proton of reduction might bind either at Nβ of N2 or at one of the three amido nitrogen (Nam) ligands. Treatment of MoCO with [2,4,6-Me3C5H3N]BAr′4 [Ar′ = 2,3-(CF3)2C6H3] in the absence of reductant generates HMoCO+, whose electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum has greatly reduced g anisotropy relative to MoCO. 2H Mims pulsed electron nuclear double-resonance spectroscopy of 2HMoCO+ shows a signal that simulations show to have a hyperfine tensor with an isotropic coupling, aiso(2H) = −0.22 MHz, and a roughly dipolar anisotropic interaction, T(2H) = [−0.48, −0.93, 1.42] MHz. The simulations show that the deuteron is bound to Nam, near the Mo equatorial plane, not along the normal, and at a distance of 2.6 A from Mo, which i...
Single molecule molecular inversion probes for targeted, high-accuracy detection of low-frequency variation.

The detection and quantification of genetic heterogeneity in populations of cells is fundamentally important to diverse fields, ranging from microbial evolution to human cancer genetics. However, despite the cost and throughput advances associated with massively parallel sequencing, it remains challenging to reliably detect mutations that are present at a low relative abundance in a given DNA sample. Here we describe smMIP, an assay that combines single molecule tagging with multiplex targeted capture to enable practical and highly sensitive detection of low-frequency or subclonal variation. To demonstrate the potential of the method, we simultaneously resequenced 33 clinically informative cancer genes in eight cell line and 45 clinical cancer samples. Single molecule tagging facilitated extremely accurate consensus calling, with an estimated per-base error rate of 8.4 × 10−6 in cell lines and 2.6 × 10−5 in clinical specimens. False-positive mutations in the single molecule consensus base-calls exhibited patterns predominantly consistent with DNA damage, including 8-oxo-guanine and spontaneous deamination of cytosine. Based on mixing experiments with cell line samples, sensitivity for mutations above 1% frequency was 83% with no false positives. At clinically informative sites, we identified seven low-frequency point mutations (0.2%–4.7%), including BRAF p.V600E (melanoma, 0.2% alternate allele frequency), KRAS p.G12V (lung, 0.6%), JAK2 p.V617F (melanoma, colon, two lung, 0.3%–1.4%), and NRAS p.Q61R (colon, 4.7%). We anticipate that smMIP will be broadly adoptable as a practical and effective method for accurately detecting low-frequency mutations in both research and clinical settings.
Investigation of path dependence in commercial lithium-ion cells chosen for plug-in hybrid vehicle duty cycle protocols

Abstract There is a growing need to explore path dependence of aging processes in batteries developed for long-term usage, such as lithium-ion cells used in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) applications that may then be “retired” to be utilized in grid applications. To better understand the foremost influences on path dependence in the PHEV context, this work aims to bridge the gap between ideal laboratory test conditions and PHEV field conditions by isolating the predominant aging factors in PHEV service, which would include, for example, the nature and frequency of duty cycles, as well as the frequency and severity of thermal cycles. These factors are studied in controlled and repeatable laboratory conditions to facilitate mechanistic evaluation of aging processes. This work is a collaboration between Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI). Commercial lithium-ion cells of the Sanyo Y type (18650 configuration) are used in this work covering two initial independent studies of path dependence issues. The first study considers how the magnitude of power pulses and charging rates affect the aging rate, while the second seeks to answer whether thermal cycling has an accelerating effect on cell aging. While this work is in early stages of testing, initial data trends show that cell aging is indeed accelerated under conditions of high discharge pulse power, higher charge rates, and thermal cycling. Such information is useful in developing accurate predictive models for estimating end-of-life conditions.
Incubator management in an assisted reproductive technology laboratory.

Objective To study the effect of incubator management on assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. Design Series of retrospective and controlled, randomized studies. Setting Tertiary care infertility practice. Patient(s) Mammalian gametes/embryos. Intervention(s) Evaluation of human and bovine oocytes/embryos cultured in various environmental conditions. Main Outcome Measure(s) Fertilization and embryo development rate as well as clinical pregnancy rate (PR). Conclusion(s) Here we review the general topic of incubator management as it pertains to ART. Discussed within the context of this article will be our experiences as they relate to incubator management. Details as they apply to incubator environment also will include gamete/embryo positions within incubator, air quality, and quality control. Key Words Air quality, ART outcome, assisted reproductive technology, incubator, quality control
Sesquiterpene lactones and a C20 aliphatic lactone from texas bitterweed, Hymenoxys odorata

Abstract The aerial parts of the Texas bitterweed Hymenoxys odorata yielded five guaianolides, four pseudoguaianolides, five modified pseudoguaianolides and one aliphatic lactone. Ten of these compounds, hymenovin B and C, hymenolane B, hymenoratin B—G and the aliphatic lactone, 3β-hydroxyicosan-1, 5β-olide were previously unreported. The known lactones are hymenoxon, hymenolane, hymenoratin, hymenograndin and florilenalin. Structures, including stereochemistries, were elucidated by NMR and NOE experiments. The structure of hymenoratin D was established by X-ray analysis.
Adenocarcinoma, adenomas and polyps of the colon: Histochemical study

Acid and alkaline phosphatases, esterase, ATPase and succinic dehydrogenase were studied in colonic lesions. Inflammatory and retention polyps showed normal enzymatic activities. Adenocarcinoma, villous adenoma, adenomatous and hyperplastic polyps demonstrated loss of acid phosphatase, esterase and ATPase. Succinic dehydrogenase was irregularly distributed and showed diminished activity with focal intense reaction in adenocarcinoma, while demonstrating uniform diminution in villous adenoma and atypical areas in adenomatous polyps and hyperplastic polyps. Adenomatous polyps showed intense succinct dehydrogenase activity. Alkaline phosphatase could not be demonstrated in the tissues examined. The lesions were classified according to histochemical patterns. Inflammatory and retention polyps were grouped together. Adenomatous polyps constituted a separate group. Adenocarcinoma formed another division. Villous adenoma, atypical areas in adenomatous polyps and hyperplastic polyps were classified together. Thus the hyperplastic polyp does not appear to be related to either the adenomatous, inflammatory or retention varieties. The significance of the enzymatic similarities of hyperplastic polyps and the potentially invasive colonic lesions must be investigated further.
Effects of deep-level states on current/voltage characteristics of heteroepitaxial GaAs

The first results pertaining to current/voltage measurements of Au contacts fabricated on molecular beam epitaxial GaAs films grown on (1012) sapphire and silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) substrates are presented. A simple analysis of the corresponding I/V characteristics indicates that the dominant transport mechanism in these films is space-charge-limited current conduction in the presence of deep-level states. The nature of these deep-level states appears to be sensitive to the type of crystallographic defects present in the GaAs heteroepitaxial layers.
Stationary solutions and spreading speeds of nonlocal monostable equations in space periodic habitats

This paper deals with positive stationary solutions and spreading speeds of monostable equations with nonlocal dispersal in spatially periodic habitats. The existence and uniqueness of positive stationary solutions and the existence and characterization of spreading speeds of such equations with symmetric convolution kernels are established in the authors’ earlier work [41] for following cases: the nonlocal dispersal is nearly local; the periodic habitat is nearly globally homogeneous or it is nearly homogeneous in a region where it is most conducive to population growth. The above conditions guarantee the existence of principal eigenvalues of nonlocal dispersal operators associated to linearized equations at the trivial solution. In general, a nonlocal dispersal operator may not have a principal eigenvalue. In this paper, we extend the results in [41] to general spatially periodic nonlocal monostable equations. As a consequence, it is seen that the spatial spreading feature is generic for monostable equations with nonlocal dispersal.
Aharonov-Bohm interference and beating in single-walled carbon-nanotube interferometers.

Relatively low magnetic fields applied parallel to the axis of a chiral single-walled carbon nanotube are found causing large modulations to the $p$ channel or valence band conductance of the nanotube in the Fabry-Perot interference regime. Beating in the Aharonov-Bohm type of interference between two field-induced nondegenerate subbands of spiraling electrons is responsible for the observed modulation with a pseudoperiod much smaller than that needed to reach the flux quantum ${\ensuremath{\Phi}}_{0}=h/e$ through the nanotube cross section. We show that single-walled nanotubes represent the smallest cylinders exhibiting the Aharonov-Bohm effect with rich interference and beating phenomena arising from well-defined molecular orbitals reflective of the nanotube chirality.
Electric and motor activity of innervated and vagally denervated feline esophagus.

Motor and electric activities of the feline esophagus were detected before and after vagotomy by use of intraluminal pressure detectors and chronically implanted platinum electrodes. These were placed in the midesophagus (E1), at the three-quarter point (E2) and in the lower 2 cm (E3). Both inner and outer layers of muscle were skeletal at E1 and smooth at E3, whereas at E2 the outer layer was predominantly skeletal and the inner predominantly smooth. Before vagotomy, contractions of the skeletal muscle fibers of the midesophagus were associated with pressure changes and action potentials of lesser amplitude, briefer duration and faster propagation than those of the smooth muscle fibers of the lower esophagus. The frequency of the skeletal muscle action potentials was greater than 25 cycles per second (cps), and that of the smooth muscle action potentials was less than 25 cps. The first recorded event during peristalsis was orad movement of the electrodes due to contraction of longitudinal fibers. After vagotomy, action potentials occurred with nearly every stimulation, but the incidence of intraluminal pressure increases was reduced. Repetitive responses were common. Action potentials with frequencies faster than 25 cps were eliminated in the lower quarter of the esophagus were orad movement of electrodes was also abolished owing to paralysis of longitudinal muscle fibers. The incidence of peristalsis was reduced during the first month after vagotomy to between 33 and 44% of responses, but thereafter its occurrence improved to 40 to 80% of responses. The predominant electromotor features of the period after vagotomy were persistent weakness, incoordination and repetitive responses in the lower esophagus, which prevented normal emptying of the organ.
SERS sensors for biomedical tubing

Abstract There is strong motivation for the development detection systems that can provide continuous analysis of fluids in medical tubing used to either deliver or remove fluids from a patient's body. Possible applications include systems that increase the safety of intravenous (IV) drug injection and point-of-care health monitoring during urinary catheterization. This talk will describe recent efforts in our group to develop nanostructured surfaces capable of performing Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) with high electromagnetic enhancement factors, while utilizing fabrication processes that enable SERS surfaces to be fabricated inexpensively on flexible plastic substrates over large areas. In particular, Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) has been used to provide densely packed arrays of dielectric-metal “post-cap” structures with 10-20 nm gaps between adjacent metal nanoparticles. We have also developed nanoreplica molding approaches for producing arrays of silver “nanodomes” with
Temporal interference effects in auditory amplitude discrimination

The efficiency, y,η of performance in amplitude discrimination is examined as a function of the temporal separation, Γ, of the two signals to be discriminated. Performance in a monaural amplitude discrimination task is compared with that in a dichotic amplitude discrimination task, in which the first of the two signals was always presented to one ear and the second signal to the other ear. The difference in the shape of the resulting η versus Γ functions for the monaural and dichotic cases is interpreted in terms of peripheral and central interference effects.
Application of a Modified Quality Function Deployment Method for MEMS

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) has long been used as a successful design methodology in the heavy industrial and automotive industries. QFD helps designers utilize the ‘voice of the customer’, or customer requirements, to determine which engineering metrics or product specifications are the most essential [1]. This prioritization helps designers know what part of the product or process is most beneficial to focus on during design, resulting in products that better meet customer requirements and generate increased commercial success. QFD and most other design methodologies have rarely been applied to MEMS products [2]. In the case of QFD, the structure of the most common format of the tool dictates that engineering metrics should be related to parts characteristics in the second step of applying QFD. This causes difficulties in using the tool for MEMS as most MEMS do not have physical ‘parts’ that are assembled into a final device. Rather, MEMS have product specifications and a manufacturing process used to create the product. Generally there is a tight link between product and process in MEMS. This link has been utilized in creating a modified version of QFD that relates engineering metrics to design concepts, including product conceptualization and manufacturing process. The modified QFD utilizes aspects of Pugh Concept Selection, and differs from typical QFD primarily in consideration of product idea and manufacturing process in the early phases of product definition. The modified QFD was applied to a MEMS project whose goal was to develop a handheld device that allows users to control the selection and release of a variety of stored scents. The technique was also applied to a microscale heat exchanger for integrated circuits. The scent dispenser and heat exchanger were designed and prototyped at Stanford University in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The modified version of QFD gave insight early in the product definition phase on which design concept to pursue to prototype. Use of this and other design methodologies in the MEMS field could shorten the time it takes to progress through product development to volume manufacturing, and increase confidence in the marketability of the chosen design and manufacturing process. A case study demonstrating the effects of using modified QFD Phase II to assist in finding a good fit between technical capabilities and market application was performed by the author on an acoustic sensor technology [3].Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Improved outcomes associated with a revised quality measure for continuing perioperative β-blockade.

Importance The Surgical Care Improvement Project perioperative β-blocker (BB) (SCIP-BB) continuation measure was revised in 2012 to incorporate inpatient BB continuation after discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. Objective To determine whether adherence to the original or revised SCIP-BB measure is associated with decreased adverse events. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study using national Veterans Affairs patient-level data on adherence to the original SCIP-BB measure and inpatient BB continuation for operations between July 2006 and August 2009. Methods Data for SCIP-BB measure adherence, inpatient BB continuation, and patient and procedure risk variables were used to estimate the associations between adherence to the original and revised SCIP-BB measures and outcomes of major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) and their components of cardiovascular events, cerebrovascular events, and 30-day mortality. In addition to unadjusted estimates, propensity score matching and bootstrapping were used to estimate the associations and generate 95% CIs. Main Outcomes and Measures Major adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events. Results Of 14 420 nonemergent operations with at least 2 postoperative inpatient days, 13 170 (91.3%) adhered to the original SCIP-BB measure, and 480 (3.3%) experienced a MACCE. Propensity score–matched analyses showed that adherence to the original SCIP-BB measure was not associated with MACCEs (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% CI, 0.66-1.54) but was associated with increased cerebrovascular events (OR, 3.01; 95% CI, 1.00-10.07). Adherence to the revised SCIP-BB measure occurred in 11 597 (80.4%), and in matched analysis adherence was associated with decreased MACCEs (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.57-0.95), cardiovascular events (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.46-0.93), and 30-day mortality (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.53-0.98). Adherence to the revised SCIP-BB measure was not associated with increased cerebrovascular events (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.62-2.38). Conclusions and Relevance Adherence to the original SCIP-BB measure was associated with increased cerebrovascular events but not improved cardiovascular event outcomes. β-Blocker continuation consistent with the revised SCIP-BB measure is associated with reduced MACCEs, cardiovascular events, and 30-day mortality. These data provide a cautionary tale of implementing performance measures before they have been rigorously tested. Although the observed associations between adherence to the revised SCIP-BB measure and outcomes are promising, they should be evaluated in the postimplementation period.
The current environment for medical decision making: Alternative efficiency concepts and decision motivation

Health services delivery is rapidly changing in the U.S. and along with it the incentives and motives for making decisions about the use of services. This paper discusses the economic criteria for making good decisions from both individual and social perspectives. The position is taken that individual criteria for decision-making efficiency in health services is quite different from social efficiency criteria but the two perspectives can be viewed as complementary. These criteria are used to examine current developments in health services, including aggressively competitive managed care. The analysis concludes that current directions may be in conflict with both social and individual efficiency. Alternative public policies are required to alter motives and incentives such that decisions better meet the complementary efficiency criteria.
Widespread coupling between the rate and temperature sensitivity of organic matter decay

Soils comprise the largest terrestrial carbon store on the planet. Soil respiration measurements suggest that the more biogeochemically recalcitrant the soil organic matter, the greater the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration.
Alternative Procedure for Determination of Hot Mix Asphalt Creep Compliance

Creep compliance function is one of the fundamental properties of viscoelastic materials. In asphalt research, creep compliance is used in the prediction of low-temperature cracking, which is a prevalent distress in asphalt pavements in northern parts of the United States and Canada. The thermal cracking prediction model included in the current version of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide requires the creep compliance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) materials as a primary input. The current AASHTO procedure for determining creep compliance of HMA is based on the indirect tension (IDT) test. The IDT test is performed on relatively thick cylindrical specimens, which makes this test unsuitable for field cores from thin layers and construction lifts. In addition, thick specimens do not allow for investigation of the gradual aging that occurs in asphalt layers due to oxidation and volatilization. This paper outlines the procedure that uses the bending beam rheometer (BBR) as an alternative to the IDT test to determine the low-temperature creep compliance of HMA using thin beam specimens. Twenty different HMA mixtures are tested at three temperature levels using both the IDT and the BBR instruments. The analysis of test results is presented in two parts. First, the variability in creep compliance values obtained from the IDT and the BBR tests is discussed. Next, the artificial neural networks (ANNs) are trained to (1) predict IDT results from BBR measurements using design parameters of HMA mixture and testing temperature as the model inputs and (2) backcalculate HMA creep compliance from the binder creep compliance and vice versa. It is concluded that testing HMA beams can be used instead of IDT specimens for the low-temperature characterization of HMA mixtures, and the ANN can be successfully used for the backcalculation of the creep compliance measured by both IDT and BBR devices.
Auroral radiance modeling with SAMM2

This paper presents results that demonstrate the auroral modeling capabilities of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) SAMM2 (SHARC And MODTRAN® Merged 2) radiance code. A scene generation capability is obtained by coupling SAMM2 with a recently developed Clutter Region Atmosphere and Scene Module (CRASMO), which provides an approach for rapid generation of time sequences and images of radiance clutter. Modeled results will be compared to data collected by the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX)1 in the IR and UV-visible spectral regions during an auroral event on November 10, 1996. The paper is organized as follows. We first present a brief history of the AFRL SHARC/SAMM codes, leading up to the current version, SAMM2 v.2. The SAMM2 UV-visible auroral kinetic model will then be described, followed by a comparison of modeled results to the MSX data.
Aspartame degradation kinetics as affected by pH in intermediate and low moisture food systems

Kinetics of aspartame degradation in low to intermediate moisture systems were evaluated by incorporating aspartame into agar/micro-crystalline cellulose model systems. They were prepared at pH 3, 5, and 7, equilibrated after freeze-drying to three water activities (0.34, 0.56, and 0.66), and stored at 25 to 45°C. Aspartame in such systems was most stable at pH 5 and became less stable as pH decreased or increased. As the molar buffer salt concentration increased, the rate of aspartame degradation increased. The activation energy ranged from 23 to 36 kcal/mole.
Stability on storage at various temperatures of live measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccines in new stabilizer

Dried live measles, mumps and rubella virus vaccines prepared in a new stabilizing medium were tested for loss of potency, according to time, at a range of temperatures from −20°C to 54–56°C. All vaccines proved remarkably stable and predictive values for retention of adequate potency for periods of time at a range of temperatures are presented. The quality of the current vaccine should go far toward assuring potency under adverse conditions of handling in developed countries and in handling outside the cold chain in emerging parts of the world.
Application of decolourised hsian-tsao leaf gum to low-fat salad dressing model emulsions: a rheological study

The effects of mixed gums, including decolourised hsian-tsao leaf gum (dHG) mixed with propylene glycol alginate (PGA) or xanthan gum (XG), and egg yolk concentration on the rheological properties of low-fat salad dressing model emulsions were studied. All model emulsions showed pseudoplastic flow behaviour. Model emulsions with PGA addition showed the lowest pseudoplasticity, followed by those with dHG and then XG addition. Increasing the PGA level in the dHG/PGA system reduced the pseudoplasticity. Increasing the XG level in the dHG/XG system did not change the pseudoplasticity significantly but imparted a significant increase in viscosity. Dynamic viscoelasticity measurements indicated that model emulsions with dHG or XG addition could be classified as elastic gels. However, model emulsions with PGA addition essentially belonged to the class of either dilute or concentrated solutions rheologically, depending on the egg yolk concentration. The rheological characteristics of individual gums were found to be confounded in generating the rheological characteristics of model emulsions containing them. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry