cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reported Research Funding in Four Early Childhood Journals

Funding for research in the area of early childhood is an ongoing challenge. The present research objective was to identify the frequency of acknowledgment of federal funding in articles published by four leading early childhood journals from 1999 to 2008. We conducted a content analysis of 1,338 publications found in Early Child Development and Care, Early Childhood Education Journal, Early Childhood Research and Practice, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Approximately 28% of the sample (368 articles in the target journals) reported funding in general. More specifically, 43% of the sample (160 articles of the 368 articles funded) reported federal funding. It is concluded that external funding, particularly federal funding for early childhood research may be the exception rather than the rule.
Why is psychometric research on bias in mental testing so often ignored

Since the late 1960s, a substantial body of content and methodological research on bias has been conducted. Much of this research has been conducted by psychometricians and published in major psychometric journals not often read by those in other psychological specialties. However, much of what has been learned is summarized in book chapters and entire books easily accessible to mainstream psychologists, and some of the empirical and methodological research has appeared in the most widely subscribed journals of the American Psychological Association. Nevertheless, certain myths persist in the writings and actions of many professional psychologists who are either unaware of this research or choose to ignore it. This article explores a few examples of this phenomenon and suggests some rationale for its occurrence.
SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF RENAL NEOPLASIA IN THE DOG

Eight dogs with renal neoplasia were radiographically and sonographically examined. An enlarged, nonopacified kidney was seen on the excretory urogram in four dogs, but differentiation between a solid mass or severe hydronephrosis was not possible. The excretory urogram suggested an avascular lesion in one kidney, but differentiation between solid or cystic disease was not possible. Renal neoplasia was diagnosed in two dogs by excretory urography. Radiographic examination suggested splenic neoplasia in one dog. Solid masses were sonographically diagnosed in all dogs. A metastatic lesion was sonographically diagnosed in the opposite kidney of one dog that was missed on the radiographic examination. Ultrasonography com-plemented radiography as a diagnostic modality in eliciting additional information on renal disease. Sonograms did not allow determination of tumor cell type or whether the tumor was benign or malignant.
Automatic Detection of Learner's Affect From Gross Body Language

We explored the reliability of detecting learners' affect by monitoring their gross body language (body position and arousal) during interactions with an intelligent tutoring system called AutoTutor. Training and validation data on affective states were collected in a learning session with AutoTutor, after which the learners' affective states (i.e., emotions) were rated by the learner, a peer, and two trained judges. An automated body pressure measurement system was used to capture the pressure exerted by the learner on the seat and back of a chair during the tutoring session. We extracted two sets of features from the pressure maps. The first set focused on the average pressure exerted, along with the magnitude and direction of changes in the pressure during emotional experiences. The second set of features monitored the spatial and temporal properties of naturally occurring pockets of pressure. We constructed five data sets that temporally integrated the affective judgments with the two sets of pressure features. The first four datasets corresponded to judgments of the learner, a peer, and two trained judges, whereas the final data set integrated judgments of the two trained judges. Machine-learning experiments yielded affect detection accuracies of 73%, 72%, 70%, 83%, and 74%, respectively (chance = 50%) in detecting boredom, confusion, delight, flow, and frustration, from neutral. Accuracies involving discriminations between two, three, four, and five affective states (excluding neutral) were 71%, 55%, 46%, and 40% with chance rates being 50%, 33%, 25%, and 20%, respectively.
Clastic diversion by fold salients and blind thrust ridges in coal-swamp development

Abrupt shifts from single widespread coal swamps to coarse siliciclastic alluvial channel deposits occur in at least five coal beds and zones within the Pennsylvania Allegheny Formation. One of these, the Upper Freeport coal zone, was deposited over and area at least 200 {times} 200 km with a spacing of alluvial channels one-half to possibly one-fifth that of the immediately overlying coarse clastics. All these shifts occured next to the rising Appalachian orogen, far from the eustatic effects of a marine shoreline. Recent models relating coal-swamp formation to isostatic warping of orogenic forelands by tectonic loads surely apply to this environment, but they seem to need an additional, more delicate mechanism to produce such abrupt but widespread switches in grain size and drainage spacing. The authors propose that irregularities in the advancing front folds and blind thrusts caused temporary geomorphic diversions into the recessed areas and allowed a widespread coal swamp to form in the sedimentary shadow of the salients, a shadowing process that is occurring today in the central Zagros Mountains of Iraq and Iran.
A rapid procedure for separation and purification of purine and pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinases

1. 1. The partial purification of pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinase, adenylate kinase and guanylate kinase has been applied directly to cytosol preparations of rat liver, erythrocytes, Novikoff hepatoma, mouse adenocarcinoma and human liver. 2. 2. Solutions of dCTP or CTP (1.0 mM) appear to be the most efficient eluents of pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinase and erythrocyte adenylate kinase from cellulose phosphate column. 3. 3. Liver and hepatoma adenylate kinase require ATP for elution. 4. 4. The erythrocyte adenylate kinase is inhibited by pHMB (Ki 0.0087 mM) and NEM (Ki 0.0611 mM) and has a low affinity for AMP (Km 0.717 mM) in contrast to the liver adenylate kinase which is not inhibited by NEM and pHMB and has a higher affinity for AMP (Km 0.0951 mM).
The impact of Henricia sanguinolenta (O.F. Müller) (Echinodermata:Asteroidea) predation on the finger sponges, Isodictya spp.

Abstract The impact of predation by a sea star, Henricia sanguinolenta (O. F. Muller), on finger sponges, Isodictya palmata (Lamarck) and Isodictya deichmannae (de Laubenfels), was investigated by monitoring populations of Isodietya spp. for 1.5yr at two sites off northern Massachusetts, USA. H. sanguinolenta removed cells surrounding the spicule framework of the sponges, leaving distinct, nonpigmcnted areas easily recognized as lesions. There was a significant correlation between sea star size (arm length and disc diameter) and the area of the resulting lesion. Lesions were most commonly found on the middle and upper third portions of fingers. The null hypothesis of no preference for location along the sponge finger was rejected. The greatest number of lesions occurred in the summer months, when H. sanguinolenta densities were highest. Only 16% of all monitored lesions (n = 227) recovered. There was a net loss of 0.924 g lesion tissue per year due to H. sanguinolenta predation, based on 10 monitored sponges. The location of damage by H. sanguinolenta affected the growth and mortality of Isodictya spp. Lesions on the horizontal portion or base of the sponge affected its spatial distribution, because these lesions caused the sponge to break up into smaller fragments that remained attached to the substratum. In addition, lesions along the sponge finger weakened the tissue and resulted in increased likelihood of breakage. The mean breaking stress of sponge fingers with lesions was two-fold lower than the mean breaking stress of fingers without lesions, indicating that sea star predation can eventually lead to tissue loss in storms or high wave action. Of the 16 sponges followed for 1.5 yr at Shag Rocks, Massachusetts, seven showed positive growth, eight showed negative growth, and one increased then decreased in area. Growth of Isodictya spp. may be seasonal, as biomass values were greatest in the summer months. Many of the monitored sponges developed black necrotic areas which led to death of sponge tissue and weakened Isodictya spp. fingers. Subsequently, high wave action in the fall and winter months contributed to the loss of sponge tissue. There was a net loss of 104.8 g sponge biomass per year, representing 74.1% of the original sponge biomass.
Film casting of a modified Giesekus fluid: Stability analysis

The stability of isothermal film casting of polymeric fluids to infinitesimal and finite-amplitude disturbances was investigated using a modified Giesekus rheological model. The linear stability analysis indicates that extensional-thickening elongational viscosity enhances stability, whereas extensional-thinning elongational viscosity or shear-thinning shear viscosity reduces stability. An upper critical draw ratio is present when a sharp rise exists in the elongational viscosity curve. The stability limits predicted by the linear stability analysis for infinitesimal disturbances were validated by the nonlinear stability analysis for finite-amplitude disturbances. Also, the growth rate and frequency of oscillation predicted by the linear stability analysis were found to agree with those predicted by the nonlinear stability analysis for the initial growth of the disturbances. The results from the nonlinear stability analysis showed that just beyond the critical draw ratio, the sustained disturbance was sinusoidal. However, further beyond the critical draw ratio, the sustained disturbance consisted of narrow, sharp peaks alternating with wide, thin troughs.
Measurements of natural convection in partially porous rectangular enclosures of aspect ratio 5

Abstract This paper presents experimental results for steady-state natural convective heat transfer in partially porous rectangular enclosures of aspect ratio 5. Adiabatic and isothermal boundary conditions were imposed for the horizontal and vertical boundaries, respectively. The enclosure was divided vertically into a fluid-saturated porous region and a fluid-filled region by an impermeable partition. Measurements were conducted for different Rayleigh numbers, porous materials and thicknesses of the porous region. The results agreed with an earlier prediction that heat transfer could be minimized by partially filling the enclosure with a porous material rather than filling it entirely. A correlation has been developed expressing the Nusselt number in terms of the governing parameters.
Functional characterization of ferret CCL20 and CCR6 and identification of chemotactic inhibitors.

CCL20 is currently the only known chemokine ligand for the receptor CCR6, and is a mucosal chemokine involved in normal and pathological immune responses. Although nucleotide sequence data are available for ccl20 and ccr6 sequences from multiple species, the ferret ccl20 and ccr6 sequences have not been determined. To increase our understanding of immune function in ferret models of infection and vaccination, we have used RT-PCR to obtain the ferret ccl20 and ccr6 cDNA sequences and functionally characterize the encoded proteins. The open reading frames of both genes were highly conserved across species and mostly closely related to canine sequences. For functional analyses, single cell clones expressing ferret CCR6 were generated, a ferret CCL20/mouse IgG2a fusion protein (fCCL20-mIgG2a) was produced, and fCCL20 was chemically synthesized. Cell clones expressing ferret CCR6 responded chemotactically to fCCL20-mIgG2a fusion protein and synthetic ferret CCL20. Chemotaxis inhibition studies identified the polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate and the murine γ-herpesvirus 68 M3 protein as inhibitors of fCCL20. Surface plasmon resonance studies revealed that EGCG bound directly to fCCL20. These results provide molecular characterization of previously unreported ferret immune gene sequences and for the first time identify a broad-spectrum small molecule inhibitor of CCL20 and reveal CCL20 as a target for the herpesviral M3 protein.
Modified Extraction Method for Determining 2-Thiobarbituric Acid Values in Meat with Increased Specificity and Simplicity

ABSTRACT: Monitoring the development of warmed-over flavor (WOF) is critical for the quality control of meat products. This study was to modify the acid-extraction method for analyzing thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) as an indicator of WOF in cooked meats. After centrifuging the extract of cooked beef, the supernatant of the extract was reacted with 80 mM TBA solution at 40 °C. The reaction between TBA and malonaldehyde was completed within 90 min, and interfering agents such as sucrose did not form any detectable color interference. The TBARS values in cooked beef samples after storage at 4 °C for zero and 7 d were 2.1 and 10.8 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery rate was between 92 and 102%. This method could be used to measure TBARS in cooked beef.
An operational approach to integrated working capital planning

Abstract Working capital management involves the balancing of activities from three functional areas that are generally considered to be somewhat separable—marketing, production, and finance. Proper integration of the various parts of the working capital process requires simultaneous consideration of both cross-sectional interrelationships among the functional activities and intertemporal dynamics of the linkages between elements of the problem that are either out of phase with each other or have differing short-and long-run ramifications. This suggests that a formal modeling approach can be advantageously employed. Two modeling methodologies, simulation and optimization, are usually offered as mutually exclusive alternatives for this application, but both have serious shortcomings when used in this kind of planning context. In real-world applications, simulation trends to be employed for more often than optimization because model comprehensibility and computational feasibility difficulties have severely restricted the ability of optimization models to address large, complex, but realistic problems. However, many of the shortcomings of optimization approaches are caused by technical problems, while simulation models suffer from several conceptual inadequacies. In this article we describe an optimization modeling procedure that is capable of eliminating many of the technical difficulties and suggest how it can be employed alongside a simulation model in such a way that the two approaches are mutually reinforcing and overcome most of the conceptual problems associated with either technique when used alone.
Comparison of the carbohydrate-binding specificities of cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxins LTh-I, LT-IIa, and LT-IIb.

The heat-labile enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli are related in structure and function. They are oligomers consisting of A and B polypeptide subunits. They bind to gangliosides, and they activate adenylate cyclase. The toxins form two antigenically distinct groups; members of each group cross-react but are not necessarily identical. Serogroup I includes cholera toxin (CT) and type I heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-I) of E. coli. LTh-I and LTp-I are antigenic variants of LT-I produced by strains of E. coli from humans and pigs, respectively. Serogroup II contains the type II heat-labile enterotoxin (LT-II) of E. coli. Two antigenic variants designated LT-IIa and LT-IIb have been described. The binding of CT, LTh-I, LT-IIa, and LT-IIb to gangliosides was analyzed by immunostaining thin-layer chromatograms and by solid-phase radioimmunoassay. The four toxins have different glycolipid-binding specificities. LTh-I and CT bind strongly to ganglioside GM1 and less strongly to ganglioside GD1b. However, LTh-I, unlike CT, also binds weakly to GM2 and asialo GM1. LTh-I, like CT, probably binds to the terminal sugar sequence Gal beta 1-3GalNAc beta 1-4(NeuAc alpha 2-3)Gal . . ., where GalNAc is N-acetylgalactosamine and NeuAc is N-acetylneuraminic acid. LT-IIa probably binds to the same sugar sequence to which CT and LTh-I bind, with the additional contribution to binding of a second NeuAc as in GD1b and GD2. Also, LT-IIa must bind the Gal beta 1-3GalNAc . . . sequence in such a way that its binding is relatively unaffected by attachment of NeuAc to the terminal galactose residue as in GD1a, GT1b, and GQ1b. LT-IIb probably binds to the terminal sugar sequence NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4GalNAc . . ., as it binds to gangliosides GD1a and GT1b but not to GM1. Images
Historical Global Tropical Cyclone Landfalls

AbstractIn recent decades, economic damage from tropical cyclones (TCs) around the world has increased dramatically. Scientific literature published to date finds that the increase in losses can be explained entirely by societal changes (such as increasing wealth, structures, population, etc.) in locations prone to tropical cyclone landfalls, rather than by changes in annual storm frequency or intensity. However, no homogenized dataset of global tropical cyclone landfalls has been created that might serve as a consistency check for such economic normalization studies. Using currently available historical TC best-track records, a global database focused on hurricane-force strength landfalls was constructed. The analysis does not indicate significant long-period global or individual basin trends in the frequency or intensity of landfalling TCs of minor or major hurricane strength. The evidence in this study provides strong support for the conclusion that increasing damage around the world during the past se...
Degradation of a fluoropyridinyl drug in capsule formulation : Degradant identification, proposed degradation mechanism, and formulation optimization

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the degradation chemistry of a fluoropyridinyl drug candidate in capsule formulation and to optimize the formulation based on a proposed degradation mechanism. Small developmental batches of capsules were made by tituration of drug substance and excipients using a mortar and pestle, followed by manual encapsulation. Degradants were identified by LC-MS/MS and LC-photodiode array detector (PDA) and were monitored by LC-ultraviolet detector (UVD) during stability studies. It was found that the drug could undergo a nucleophilic substitution reaction in which hydroxyl groups replace the fluorine substituents on the pyridine rings. The initial degradation rate is independent of the drug concentration but dependent on the temperature, the pH of the microenvironment, and the excipient type. On the basis of these experimental results, a nucleophilic substitution reaction mechanism for the degradation was proposed and a successful capsule formulation was developed.
Genetic relationships within Rhododendron L. section Pentanthera G. Don based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region.

Abstract Genetic relationships among specimens of the 15 currently recognized species in Rhododendron L. section Pentanthera G. Don were derived from sequence comparisons of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Sequences of the entire ITS region including ITS1, ITS2, and the 5.8S subunit were generated by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified fragments. Rhododendron vaseyi A. Gray, Rhododendron section Rhodora (L.) G. Don was used as an outgroup. Aligned sequences of the 16 taxa resulted in 688 characters. The region contained 38 variable sites and eight phylogenetically informative characters. A bootstrap analysis was performed and a dendrogram was constructed with MEGA. Divergence values among the taxa were extremely low ranging from 0.00 to 3.51%, providing support to traditional views of section Pentanthera as a group of very closely related species.
On construction of a bank of robust Hurwitz polynomials

Numerical methods to generate perturbational schemes that change the coefficient(s) of a Hurwitz polynomial, and thus to construct a bank of robust such polynomials, are presented. It is based on a set of sufficient conditions that are used iteratively to determine the coefficients directly. >
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC EFFECTS OF LAUDANOSINE IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF EPILEPSY

We examined the effects of laudanosine, one of the principal metabolites of atracurium. on the electroencephalogram (EEG) in an animal model of induced epilepsy. Fourteen rabbits were anaesthetized with 4% halothane in oxygen, the trachea intubated and the lungs ventilated mechanically with 30% oxygen and 1% halothane in nitrogen. Animals were assigned randomly to receive either an in fusion of laudanosine (laudanosine group, n = 7) at a rate calculated to produce plasma concentrations similar to those found following the clinical use of atracurium, or an equal volume of normal saline (control group, n = 7). To induce an epileptogenic focus, gel-foam sponges soaked in a pH-adjusted 4% cefazolin solution were applied bilaterally to the parietal cortical surface. This resulted in the production of spike and burst EEG activity in all animals. However, scoring the frequency of the spikes and bursts revealed no significant differences between the laudanosine and control groups. We conclude that, in this animal model of epilepsy, no increased incidence of seizure activity was produced by mean plasma laudanosine concentrations as great as 0.8 μg ml−1. These results suggest that the routine use of atracurium is unlikely to provoke seizures, even in the presence of an epileptogenic focus.
A CDS Based Cooperative Information Repair Protocol with Network Coding in Wireless Networks

Cooperative Peer-to-Peer (P2P) information repair has been proposed to mitigate the packet loss among mobile peers during the 3G Cellular Base Station (BS) broadcast. Then network coding based P2P information exchange algorithms have been proposed to further improve the network performance, e.g., PIE algorithm and DNC-CPR algorithm. In this paper, we propose a connected dominating set (CDS) based P2P information repair (PPIR) protocol via random linear network coding, to alleviate the congestion and burden of BS's downlink channels. Our PPIR protocol consists of two phases: intra-cluster information exchange and inter-cluster information exchange. Dividing network into clusters enables our protocol to work on a sparse network environment and deeply reduces the impact of transmission collisions. Therefore, our PPIR protocol reduces the repair latency and improve the network performance. Furthermore, our protocol is capable of identifying the lost packets for the whole network and being aware of the repair process completion. Simulation results validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our PPIR protocol compared with the DNC-CPR algorithm.
Predictors and consequences of prescription drug misuse during middle school

OBJECTIVES: Non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is a growing public health problem among adolescents. This is the first study to examine the correlates of early NMPDU initiation during middle school, and how early initiation is associated with four domains of functioning in high school (mental health, social, academic, and delinquency). METHODS: Students initially in 6th-8th grades from 16 middle schools completed in-school surveys between 2008 and 2011 (Waves 1-5), and a web-based survey in 2013-2014 (Wave 6). We used discrete time survival analysis to assess predictors of initiation from Waves 1 to 5 based on students who provided NMPDU information at any of these waves (n=12,904), and regression analysis to examine high school outcomes associated with initiation based on a sample that was followed into high school, Wave 6 (n=2539). RESULTS: Low resistance self-efficacy, family substance use, low parental respect, and offers of other substances from peers were consistently associated with NMPDU initiation throughout middle school. Further, perceiving that more of one's peers engaged in other substance use was associated with initiation at Wave 1 only. By high school, those students who initiated NMPDU during middle school reported lower social functioning, and more suspensions and fighting, compared to students who did not initiate NMPDU during middle school. CONCLUSION: NMPDU initiation during middle school is associated with poorer social functioning and greater delinquency in high school. It is important for middle school prevention programs to address NMPDU. Such programs should focus on both family and peer influences, as well as strengthening resistance self-efficacy. Language: en
Salt formation during freeze-drying--an approach to enhance indomethacin dissolution.

Purpose (i) Prepare a freeze-dried injectable indomethacin (IMC) dosage form. (ii) Convert IMC to its tris salt during freeze-drying so as to facilitate rapid dissolution (reconstitution). (iii) Modulate salt crystallinity by annealing the frozen solution.
Multi-proxy evidence for tectonic control on the expansion of C4 grasses in northwest Argentina

The timing of the rise of C4 grasses and the climatic conditions driving their expansion are widely debated, with recent studies suggesting that the expansion was more complex than previously thought. Proxy reconstructions from northwestern Argentina record multiple increases and decreases in C4 abundance throughout the late Miocene to early Pliocene, as well as variations in the timing of the spread of C4 grasses into the region. Here we present a multi-proxy paleovegetation reconstruction of the proportions of C3 and C4 vegetation using organic carbon and phytoliths preserved in paleosols at Entre Rios in the Santa Maria Basin of Catamarca, Argentina between 6.2 and 3.3 Ma. Both δCorg13 and phytolith assemblages indicate a C3 dominated ecosystem with no evidence for substantial amounts of C4 vegetation from the late Miocene through mid-Pliocene, despite their rise to dominance elsewhere during this time. These data suggest that by 6.2 Ma the Santa Maria basin floor was at an elevation high enough to create locally cool conditions that allowed C3 vegetation to outcompete C4 grasses. Phytolith assemblages show that later uplift of the Sierra Calchaquies and Sierra Aconquija ranges through the Pliocene increased aridity and drove the expansion of C3 grasses at the expense of palms and other forest indicators. This multi-proxy paleovegetation reconstruction demonstrates that tectonics played an important role in controlling the late Miocene expansion C4 grasses by suppressing their spread into northwest Argentina.
The antinociceptive effect of salvinorin A in mice.

Salvia divinorum is a hallucinogenic plant used by the Mazatec Indians of Mexico for traditional spiritual ceremonies. The active constituent, salvinorin A, induces profound hallucinations, howeverthe biological mechanism for thisactionis not known. Affinity-bindingstudiessuggest that the biologic activity of salvinorin A involves the κ-opioid receptor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of salvinorin A in mice.SalvinorinAandopioidreceptorantagonistswereadministeredintrathecallyandthetail-flicklatencieswereusedasameasureofantinociception. Salvinorin A increased tail-flick latencies in a dose-dependent manner (13.9–23.1 nmol) compared to control trials. Pretreatment with the κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine attenuated the salvinorin A induced increase in tail-flick latency. In contrast, neither the μ-opioid receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine nor δ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole significantly affected the antinociceptive response of salvinorin A administration. These data support previous reports that salvinorin A represents a unique non-alkaloidal agonist for the κ-opioid receptor.
Viewing second opinions in terms of recent developments in patient choice

Patient choice has become an increasingly visible part of publicly funded health care systems. Since the 1990s, many individuals have gained the ability to select their insurer in social health insurance funded systems, while in tax-funded health systems many patients can now select their primary care and hospital providers. Second opinions about clinical procedures are part of this broad movement toward increased patient involvement in care-related decision-making. One interesting policy question will be whether the coming period of financial austerity will strengthen or weaken the role of choice as health systems seek to deal with the inevitable mismatch of demand for and supply of medical resources.
On Maximizing Provider Revenue in Market-Based Compute Grids

Market-based compute grids encompass service providers offering limited resources to potential users with varying demands and willingness to pay. Providers face difficult decisions about which jobs to admit and when to schedule admitted jobs. For this reason, researchers investigate various heuristics for admission control and scheduling that aim to yield high revenue for providers. Such research has no framework within which to understand the revenue bounds associated with various workloads. This paper proposes a tractable analytical model for joint optimization of job admission and scheduling strategies aimed at provider revenue maximization. We show how solving this model yields maximum provider revenue given a linear user utility function. Our model can be used to understand the operating limits of heuristics for admission control and scheduling, and can also be used to investigate the implication of varying job.
Composability and component-based discrete event simulation

This work presents a framework and a graphical user interface, Viskit, for the creation and analysis of component-based discrete event simulation models. Two primary elements of the tool are discussed. In component design mode, a new component is created by drawing the event graph and filling in parameters, so that the simulation modeler need not be a sophisticated programmer. In component construction (assembly) mode, components are hooked together to create a model. In analysis mode, the models are exercised and run according to the desired experimental design.
Evolution of the Inhalation of Vapors and Aerosols in the Care of Asthma and Other Respiratory Diseases

The inhalation of vapors or smoke to treat respiratory ailments dates back to India, 4,000 years ago when those afflicted would smoke the leaves of Atropa Belladona, the source of atropine, for cough. In 1849, the inhalation of aerosolized spa waters was introduced. Thereafter, pneumatic and steam-powered nebulizers aerosolized a variety of substances for bronchospasm and treatment of tuberculosis. Nebulizers with control over particle size evolved in the mid-1900s. The problem with small respirable volumes and waste to the environment with nebulizers led to development of more efficient nebulizers. The pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI, 1956), overcame several disadvantages of predicate nebulizers. The evolution away from chloroflourocarbon (CFC) propellants to hydroflouroalkane propellants eliminates the harmful environmental effects of CFCs. Valved holding chambers improve aerosol penetration and deposition. Dry powder inhalers (DPI), are a mainstay of aerosol therapy as they are convenient and se...
An Investigation of the Influence of Orientation on CMP through Nanoscratch Testing

With the increase in integrated circuit (IC) feature density, the quality of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) becomes more important as the copper interconnects decrease in size. The optimization of the IC manufacturing process will be greatly enhanced if the nanoscale effects on CMP are better understood. CMP-related wear at the sub-micron scale, where a single particle affects the microstructure of individual copper features within the substrate, needs to be investigated to account for wafer-scale variations. Hardness is known to affect the material removal rate, but the grain level mechanism of the removal process is not yet well known. In this work, the orientation-dependence of wear has been investigated by performing nanoscale scratch tests on single crystal copper along different crystallographic planes, indentified using orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). An analysis of the surface forces and post-scratch topography produced during the scratch tests was conducted and the results have been interpreted from a CMP perspective. Ultimately, these results are expected to refine existing material removal rate models which do not consider the sensitivity of microstructure on the CMP process.
A space vector-based rectifier regulator for AC/DC/AC converters

A voltage-sourced rectifier control scheme for use with AC/DC/AC variable speed drives is presented. A control scheme is derived that directly calculates the duration of time spent on the zero state and on each switching state adjacent to the reference vector, over a constant switching interval, in order to drive the line current vector to the reference vector. In addition, under transient conditions, when deadbeat control is not possible, a control scheme is presented that ensures that the line current vector is driven in the direction of the reference current vector. The current reference for the rectifier controller is derived from the bus voltage error and a feedforward term based on the estimated converter output power. The proposed space vector-based rectifier regulator is shown to exhibit improved harmonic and transient performance over existing per-phase duty cycle prediction methods, especially at modulation indices near unity. The deadbeat control of the rectifier input current is accomplished every half-cycle with constant switching frequency while still symmetrically distributing the zero state within the half-cycle period. >
Medical students as teachers at CoSMO, Columbia University's student-run clinic: a pilot study and literature review.

Background: Although medical students are expected to teach as soon as they begin residency, medical schools have just recently begun adding teacher training to their curricula. Student-run clinics (SRCs) may provide opportunities in clinical teaching before residency. Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to examine students’ experiences in clinical teaching at Columbia Student Medical Outreach (CoSMO), Columbia University’s SRC, during the 2009–2010 school year. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used. Data included closed and open-ended surveys (n ¼ 34), combined interviews with preclinical and clinical student pairs (n ¼ 5), individual interviews (n ¼ 10), and focus groups (n ¼ 3). The transcripts were analyzed using the principles of grounded theory. Results: Many students had their first clinical teaching experience while volunteering at CoSMO. Clinical students’ ability to teach affected the quality of the learning experience for their preclinical peers. Preclinical students who asked questions and engaged in patient care challenged their clinical peers to balance teaching with patient care. Clinical students began to see themselves as teachers while volunteering at CoSMO. Conclusion: The practical experiences in clinical teaching that students have at SRCs can supplement classroom-based trainings. Medical schools might revisit their SRCs as places for exposure to clinical teaching.
Consequences of metal-oxide interconversion for C-H bond activation during CH4 reactions on Pd catalysts

Mechanistic assessments based on kinetic and isotopic methods combined with density functional theory are used to probe the diverse pathways by which C–H bonds in CH4 react on bare Pd clusters, Pd cluster surfaces saturated with chemisorbed oxygen (O*), and PdO clusters. C–H activation routes change from oxidative addition to H-abstraction and then to σ-bond metathesis with increasing O-content, as active sites evolve from metal atom pairs (*–*) to oxygen atom (O*–O*) pairs and ultimately to Pd cation-lattice oxygen pairs (Pd2+–O2–) in PdO. The charges in the CH3 and H moieties along the reaction coordinate depend on the accessibility and chemical state of the Pd and O centers involved. Homolytic C–H dissociation prevails on bare (*–*) and O*-covered surfaces (O*–O*), while C–H bonds cleave heterolytically on Pd2+–O2– pairs at PdO surfaces. On bare surfaces, C–H bonds cleave via oxidative addition, involving Pd atom insertion into the C–H bond with electron backdonation from Pd to C–H antibonding states a...
Estimating Immigration’s Impact: Accounting for all Adjustments

This chapter surveys the evidence of the long-run effects of immigration on the destination economy. We specifically discuss the most recent literature on how immigration affects domestic migration by native workers, the demand for domestic production and, hence, domestic labor, the industrial mix, and producers’ choice of technology. Particular attention is paid to evidence regarding the effects of immigration on local product demand. When product demand effects are accounted for, the evidence shows that broader long-term reactions to immigration are likely to be nonnegative. However, evidence on other potential long-run adjustment responses is more complex.
Cardioprotective role of β-blockers and angiotensin antagonists in early-onset anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity in adult patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Anthracyclines are commonly used chemotherapeutic agents with proven efficacy in such malignancies as breast cancer, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. These agents are associated with irreversible accumulative dose-related cardiomyopathy. Many agents have been examined to reduce cardiotoxicity risk. Aims We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of β-blockers and angiotensin antagonists to prevent early-onset anthracyclines-induced left ventricular dysfunction and cardiac events. Methods Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane database of systematic reviews up to July 2015. Eligible studies were limited to randomised controlled trials comparing the efficacy of cardioprotective agents (β-blocker and angiotensin antagonist) with control (either no treatment or placebo) in adult patients (age >18 years) treated with anthracyclines-based regimens. Results Pooled analysis showed an association of β-blockers and/or angiotensin antagonists treatment with higher post-chemotherapy left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 64.03% compared with 57.48% for control treatment. The mean difference estimate (95% CI) was 6.06% (0.54 to 11.58), p=0.03, with significant heterogeneity, I 2 (95% CI)=96% (82.7 to 109.3). Though the point estimate for the relative rate of cardiac events was lower in the experimental arm, the difference was not statistically significant. In an exploratory subgroup analysis, the benefit of experimental agents on LVEF preservation was prominent in patients treated with higher accumulative dose of anthracyclines, but not in the lower dose group. Conclusions β-Blockers and angiotensin antagonists treatments were associated with better LVEF preservation, and the benefit was prominent in patients treated with higher anthracyclines accumulative dose. Unexplained heterogeneity remains, indicating the need for more controlled studies. This analysis provides some support for the routine use of β-blockers or angiotensin antagonists in patients undergoing anthracyclines treatment, especially when higher accumulative dose is expected.
Mitophagy is required for mitochondrial biogenesis and myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts

Myogenesis is a crucial process governing skeletal muscle development and homeostasis. Differentiation of primitive myoblasts into mature myotubes requires a metabolic switch to support the increased energetic demand of contractile muscle. Skeletal myoblasts specifically shift from a highly glycolytic state to relying predominantly on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) upon differentiation. We have found that this phenomenon requires dramatic remodeling of the mitochondrial network involving both mitochondrial clearance and biogenesis. During early myogenic differentiation, autophagy is robustly upregulated and this coincides with DNM1L/DRP1 (dynamin 1-like)-mediated fragmentation and subsequent removal of mitochondria via SQSTM1 (sequestosome 1)-mediated mitophagy. Mitochondria are then repopulated via PPARGC1A/PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha)-mediated biogenesis. Mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1 (optic atrophy 1 [autosomal dominant]) is then briskly upregulated, resulting in the reformation of mitochondrial networks. The final product is a myotube replete with new mitochondria. Respirometry reveals that the constituents of these newly established mitochondrial networks are better primed for OXPHOS and are more tightly coupled than those in myoblasts. Additionally, we have found that suppressing autophagy with various inhibitors during differentiation interferes with myogenic differentiation. Together these data highlight the integral role of autophagy and mitophagy in myogenic differentiation.
Lane Departure Warning and Prevention Systems in the U.S. Vehicle Fleet: Influence of Roadway Characteristics on Potential Safety Benefits

Road departure crashes account for one-tenth of all crashes but nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. Lane departure warning (LDW) and lane departure prevention (LDP) active safety systems could mitigate these crashes by warning the driver of a lane departure or automatically navigating the vehicle back into the lane. The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of certain roadway characteristics on the effectiveness of LDW and LDP systems within the U.S. vehicle fleet. This study used 478 real-world drift-out-of-lane road departure crashes and simulated them as if the vehicles had been equipped with LDW or LDP systems. The simulations were then repeated as if (a) all of the roadways had lane markings, (b) the roadway shoulders were expanded, and (c) lane markings were present and the shoulder widths were expanded. With the existing roadway infrastructure, LDW and LDP were found to potentially prevent 28% to 32% of U.S. road departure crashes and 21% to 28% of cases of serious driver injury....
Mold Control in Insect Rearing Media: Survey of Agricultural Fungicides and Evaluation of the Use of Humectants

Thirty-two agricultural fungicides were screened for their ability to control Aspergillus niger van Tieghem growth in insect rearing media, Seven were selected for testing in the rearing of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.). The most effective and least toxic were ABG-2000R (p-Tolyldiiodomethyl sulfone), Busan 72AR 2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole), and thiram, which permitted only 6–8% loss to mold and allowed pupation rates of 77–82%. Dikar® (blend of manzeb and dinocap), maneb, and manzeb were less effective and more toxic. Bunema inhibited mold contamination but killed all larvae before pupation. All compounds tested prolonged larval development and usually decreased pupal weights. Mold control by lowering the water activity of the rearing medium was evaluated, and propylene glycol was tested in vivo . Concentrations of this humectant sufficient to prevent Aspergillus growth were toxic to larvae.
Emergence Patterns and Dispersal in Chelonus spp. near curvimaculatus and Pristomerus hawaiiensis, Parasitic on Pectinophora gossypiella

Two Chelonus spp. near curvimaculatus Cameron, imported from Ethiopia for biological control of pink boll worm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), appeared to enter diapause with their host, overwintered, and spread their adult emergence with the host into early May. Both the Chelonus spp. and Pristomerus hawaiiensis Ashmead, imported from Hawaii, were highly vagile, dispersing widely in release fields. However, P. hawaiiensis did not diapause and could not overwinter, which helps explain this species'absence in subsequent years. The absence of the Chelonus spp. in succeeding years following releases may result from the lack of suitable host stages in springtime.
Midline Prolapse of an Intervertebral Disc at High-Level Lumbar Vertebra

Recently we experienced a patient with midline prolapse of intervertebral disc between L2 and L3·We found it was rare according to the literature. The patient was a 32-year-old male who had low back pain, bilateral sciatica and gait disturbance. Myelogram revealed a total block at intervertebral disc between L2 and L3. We thought it was due to the cauda compression by midline prolapse of intervertebral disc between L2 and L3 or to a tumor. During surgery, we found the cauda equina was compressed by midline prolapse of intervertebral disc between L2 and L3. It was completely removed and the symptoms disappeared after operation. It is difficult to distinguish between a midline prolapse of an intervertebral disc at high-level lumbar vertebra and a tumor.
Research thoughts on the impurity of chemical drugs

Impurity control is a main part of the chemical drug specification.The general principal is to develop effective analytical methods and reasonable limits for analysis of impurity profile.The analysis of impurity profile is based on synthetic routes and possible degradation routes.The development of analytical methods focuses on the specificity and accuracy;the impurity limit is mainly based on safety and manufacturing feasibility.
Transient liquid phase bonding for wireline core drill rod

A novel welding process of transient liquid phase(TLP) diffusion bonding was used to join wireline core drill rod.Mechanical tests showed that the failure of the tensile sample was in the 45MnMoB and the bending de-gree is 180,° which exceeded the technical criterions of geological drill rod.There was no reinforcement inside and outside the rod.The rod failed while the joint was fine during torsion test,and the torsion strength was higher than that of screw connection.Therefore,the TLP bonding can be successfully applied for joining core drill rod.
Analysis of results in detection of antibody to rabies virus after vaccination in Chizhou City from 2005 to 2009

Objective To evaluate the immune effectiveness of rabies vaccine in ChiZhou City. Methods We gathered 1368 serum samples from 2005 to 2009 in ChiZhou City,and neutralizing antibody against rabies virus was tested with ELLISA.Result In 1368 serum samples.the total positive rate was 97%.The positive rates in males and females were97.02%and 96.67%respectively.The difference did not have satistical meaning between men and women(X~2=0.003,P0.05).There have satistical meanings between every age 0.05).There have satistical meanings between the non-whole immunization procedure and the whole immunization procedure(x~2=29.88,P0.005).Conclusion It is important to dedect the antibody after immunization,boosten dose must be given to the persons with negative result to ensume the producing of antibody.
Establishing Transformation Model for Chinese Enterprises

Chinese enterprises now face big challenge from industrial structure change.The change drivers come from: i) customer requirement structure changed from product-based to service-oriented based;ii) industrial value chain structure changed,and new service-based integrator emerged;iii) enterprise cost structure changed,which drives every enterprise to think about outsourcing model.To tackle the above challenges,a new Enterprise Transformation Model(ETM) is developed,which includes basic 6 modules.The 6 basic modules include transformation strategy,leadership upgrade,enterprise level continuous innovation,enterprise culture transformation,business model build-up,operating model optimization.