cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic procedures for establishing the quality of fluidization of gas-solid systems

Abstract Fluidization experiments were conducted on two dolomite beds of average diameters 1490 and 2010 μm in a 0.153 m square fluidized bed at ambient conditions. In particular, the pressure drops across the distributor plate and the test bed were measured as a function of fluidization velocity. In addition, temperature and pressure histories were recorded at different fluidization velocities. The data are employed to compute minimum fluidization velocity, bed voidage, relative heat transfer coefficient, variances in temperature and pressure fluctuation data, probability density function, skewness, kurtosis, autocorrelation function, and power spectral density function. These parameters and functions were assessed as to their potential to characterize the quality of fluidization and thereby establish a methodology of diagnostic procedures for such a task based on the knowledge of those statistical functions that have proven successful in this endeavor.
Sphingolipids as Receptor Modulators: An Overview

Glycosphingolipids are amphipathic compounds that exist mainly in the plasmalemma with their oligosaccharide portion protruding into the extracellular environment. In this position they are admirably situated for interacting with both ligands and receptors. Binding studies have demonstrated that specific glycolipids function as receptors for some microorganisms and bacterial toxins. Specific oligosaccharides on both glycolipids and glycoproteins bind members of the selection families, and some gangliosides facilitate integrins binding to their ligands. Gangliosides modulate the trophic factor-stimulated dimerization, tyrosine phosphorylation, and subsequent signal transduction events of several tyrosine kinase receptors. GM3 inhibits both the epidermal growth factor receptor and basic fibroblast factor receptor; several gangliosides except GM3 inhibit the platelet-derived growth-factor receptor; GM1 enhances nerve growth-factor-stimulated activation of TrkA; insulin receptor is inhibited to varying degrees by several gangliosides, but 2-->3 sialosylparagloboside is most effective. Activities of the beta(1)-adrenergic and delta-opioid receptors are modulated by GM1. Available information suggests that glycolipids serve as coordinators of multiple receptor functions.
Is Pain and Dissatisfaction After TKA Related to Early-Grade Preoperative Osteoarthritis?

Background There is growing evidence to suggest many patients experience pain and dissatisfaction after TKA. The relationship between preoperative osteoarthritis (OA) severity and postoperative pain and dissatisfaction after TKA has not been established.
THE PROBLEM OF PARTITIONING WITH DUPLICATIONS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

The problem of partitioning the elements of a graph G=(V, E) into two equal size sets A and B that share at most d elements such that the total number of edges (u, v), u∈A−B, v∈B−A is minimized, arises in the areas of Hypermedia Organization, Network Integrity, and VLSI Layout. We formulate the problem in terms of element duplication, where each element c∈A∩B is substituted by two copies c′∈A and c″∈B As a result, edges incident to c′ or c″ need not count in the cost of the partition. We show that this partitioning problem is NP-hard in general, and we present a solution which utilizes an optimal polynomial time algorithm for the special case where G is a series-parallel graph. We also discuss special other cases where the partitioning problem or variations are polynomially solvable.
Performance of a QCD code on the NCUBE hypercube

The performance of a pure gauge QCD code on the NCUBE hypercube is analysed. Both load imbalance and communication contribute to the concurrent overhead, with the load imbalance term becoming dominant for sufficiently large hypercubes. The performance model is compared with timings measured on the NCUBE using both the standard and fast versions of the CrOS III communication systems.
Postnatal toxicity of carbon monoxide after pre- and postnatal exposure

Abstract Rats were exposed prenatally through 21 days postnatally to 230 ppm carbon monoxide (CO). Offspring weights at 1 day and 5 days were depressed, and values for carboxyhemoglobin, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and heart weight: body weight ratio were elevated, compared to controls. At 21 days survival was markedly reduced in CO-exposed rats (36%) compared to controls (94%). These results, in view of other studies involving only prenatal or neonatal exposure at higher CO levels, suggest that neonatal and postnatal toxicity of CO may be enhanced by prenatal exposure.
Fan-shaped microwave plasma for mail decontamination

A microwave torch is designed to produce fan-shaped plasma, which extends about 140 mm laterally. This torch produces an abundance of reactive atomic oxygen in the plasma effluent as evidenced by its emission spectroscopy. The results of the spectral intensity measurements show that the produced atomic oxygen outside the microwave cavity distributes quite uniformly over a width of about 80 mm and reaches out more than 10 mm. An experiment applying this plasma to kill Bacillus cereus contained in an envelope has been performed. The kill rate is presented.
2-chloroprocaine antagonism of epidural morphine analgesia

BACKGROUND 2-Chloroprocaine (2-CP) used for lumbar epidural anesthesia (LEA) reportedly decreases the efficacy of epidural morphine (EM) administered for post-cesarean section (CS) analgesia. The amount of supplemental i.v. morphine self-administered by the patient via the patient-controlled analgesia device (PCA) is used to study the interaction between EM and 2-CP. METHODS Forty-two patients scheduled for elective CS were randomly divided into 3 equal groups, and received 2-CP, 2-CP + epinephrine (Epi, 5 micrograms.ml-1) or 2% lidocaine (Lido) with Epi for LEA. All patients received 5 mg EM and i.v. PCA morphine for postoperative pain. Cumulative amount of i.v. morphine used in the first 24 hours as well as the amount of the drug used during each 2-h period were noted. Nonparametric analysis of variance and Chi-squared analysis were used for statistical comparisons. RESULTS The mean cumulative 24-h i.v. PCA morphine requirement in the 2-CP, 2-CP+Epi and Lido+Epi groups respectively was 20.5 +/- 24, 33.1.5 +/- 27 and 4.07 +/- (mean +/- SD). The Lido + Epi group used significantly less morphine (P = 0.01) compared to either of the 2-CP groups with no significant difference between the 2-CP groups. The maximum i.v. PCA morphine use occurred in the first 4 hours following surgery in all three groups. CONCLUSION Analgesic efficacy of EM is decreased when 2-CP is used for LEA compared to when Lido + Epi is used.
Interaction of neuronal populations with delay: effect of frequency mismatch and feedback gain.

The effect of frequency mismatch, signal transduction delay and inter-population feedback gain on the interaction of neuronal populations, mediated by long-range excitation, is investigated using physiologically realistic system parameters. Self-consistent solutions for the frequency, amplitude, and relative phase of the component signals are derived for limit cycle oscillations. These solutions predict important qualitative features including discontinuous changes in frequency of oscillation and phase reversal between symmetric and anti-symmetric limit cycles. A singularity in the solutions is used to predict parameter regions in which limit cycles do not exist. If limit cycles exist at zero delay, it is shown that limit cycles and quasi-periodic attractors alternate as a function of delay. The implications of these results for estimating physiologically meaningful delays from observed phase shifts in EEG time series are discussed. Spectral peaks for the quasi-periodic attractor occur at mν1±nν2, where the difference ν1−ν2 is approximately equal to the intrinsic population frequency mismatch δν. The cross-correlation function is amplitude modulated with a frequency equal to δν/2, indicating that the two populations slip in and out of phase with a mean correlation duration equal to 1/δν. These findings underpin the dynamical basis of delay induced “desynchronization” of oscillations reported in computer simulations. Bifurcation diagrams indicate that quasi-periodic attractors exist for a wide range of parameters in the presence of delay in long-range excitation and non-zero frequency mismatch. If the frequency mismatch is sufficiently large and the feedback gain is sufficiently small, quasi-periodic attractors exist for all delays. Delays of a few milliseconds, much smaller than the system time scale, can destabilize limit cycle oscillations. The role of synaptic change in inducing bifurcations of limit cycles to quasi-periodic attractors and vice versa is discussed. The implication of these findings for the generation of chaos in distributed neural systems is discussed.
A retrospective data analysis of the impact of the New York triplicate prescription program on benzodiazepine use in medicaid patients with chronic psychiatric and neurologic disorders.

Abstract Background: Benzodiazepines are treatment mainstays for several disorders, but there is often concern about dependency and addiction. In January 1989, New York implemented regulations requiring physicians to order benzodiazepines using state-monitored triplicate prescription forms. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the triplicate prescription program (TPP) on changes in use of benzodiazepines and other psychoactive drugs in clinically vulnerable Medicaid populations. Methods: Using an interrupted time series with comparison series design, psychoactive medication use was examined in the New York (intervention) and New Jersey (control) Medicaid programs before and after implementation of the New York benzodiazepine TPP among community-dwelling Medicaid beneficiaries aged ≥19 years continuously enrolled from January 1988 through December 1990 in New York or New Jersey with diagnoses of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizoid personality disorder, or schizotypal personality disorder; bipolar disorder; epilepsy; and/or panic disorder, agoraphobia without history of panic disorder, social phobia, or specific phobia. Results: A total of 125,837 New York and 139,405 New Jersey Medicaid beneficiaries were continuously enrolled and met the study inclusion criteria. Of these, there were 6054 Medicaid enrollees in New York and 6875 enrollees in New Jersey who were clinically vulnerable patients with ≥1 of the specified diagnoses. New York Medicaid patients with any of these diagnoses experienced a −48.1% relative change (95% CI, −50.0% to −46.2%) in benzodiazepine use at 6 months after TPP implementation, with no decline in use in New Jersey patients. The largest reduction in benzodiazepine use was seen among patients with seizure disorder (−59.9% at 6 months; 95% CI, −63.9% to −55.9%). Although use of substitute drugs increased slightly in New York after the TPP, it did not offset reductions in benzodiazepine use. The effects of TPP were sustained for 7 years of follow-up and had the greatest impact on nonproblematic benzodiazepine use. Conclusions: During the time period studied in this analysis, the New York TPP reduced benzodiazepine use among chronically ill patients for whom these agents represent effective treatment. Our findings suggest that many patients previously receiving benzodiazepines did not receive any pharmacologic intervention.
Committee on Glaciers, 1939–40

The Committee on Glaciers is now composed of the following members: Harry Fielding Reid, Professor Emeritus of Geology, Johns Hopkins University, 608 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Maryland; William H. Hobbs, Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lawrence Martin, Chief of the Division of Maps, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; J. E. Church, Professor of Meteorology, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada; Wm. Osgood Field, Jr., Explorer, 18 West Twelfth Street, New York, N.Y.; Earl A. Trager, Chief of the Naturalist Division, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.; Oliver Kehrlein, Chairman, Committee on Glacier Studies, 1050 Mills Tower, 220 Bush Street, San Francisco, California; Kenneth N. Phillips, Associate Hydraulic Engineer, Water Resources Branch, United States Geological Survey, Chairman, Research Committee of the Mazamas, 606 Post-Office Building, Portland, Oregon; William S. Cooper, Professor of Botany, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Gerald FitzGerald, Senior Topographic Engineer, Alaska Branch, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.; Lawrence M. Gould, Professor of Geology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota; Francois E. Matthes (Chairman), Senior Geologist, Section of Glacial Geology, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C. The international relations of the Committee have changed somewhat during the past year as a result of the consolidation of the International Commission of Glaciers with the International Commission of Snow. That consolidation was effected by the International Association of Scientific Hydrology (to which both commissions belonged) at the triennial meeting in Washington, in September, 1939. Inasmuch as the membership of the new International Commission of Snow and Glaciers comprises the personnel of the two former commissions, our Committee on Glaciers now automatically is represented on the new International Commission by four men—Church, Hobbs, Gould, and Matthes. Moreover, Church is acting President, and it is understood that he will become President as soon as the political situation in Europe permits the holding of a formal election of officers at which all nations interested can exercise their right of voting.
Load and the spine. How does the Goldilocks principle apply

COMMENTARY ON: Sowa GA, Coelho JP, Bell KM, et al. Alterations in gene expression in response to compression of nucleus pulposus cells. Spine J 2011;11:36–43 ( in this issue ).
Self-rated resilience among young migrants in old Fadama, Accra, Ghana

A number of young people from the north of Ghana migrate to live in the slums of the city of Accra, the administrative capital. These slums, characterized by poor quality housing, and inadequate sanitary facilities, make the young migrants vulnerable to the effects of economic, social, political and environmental insecurities and stressors. One of such slums is Old Fadama, which is located in the heart of the city. The main objective of this paper is to explain how resilient a sample of young migrants are to the stressors encountered at the slum through a self-rated level of resilience. Drawing on resilience thinking, the Youth Resilience Framework and Social Resilience perspectives are discussed and variables for analysis are considered from their synthesis. A survey questionnaire instrument is used to collect data from 104 young migrant residents in the slum. The methods of analysis include: analyses of variance, Chi-square test, and ordinal regression. From the multivariate analyses (that is, the ordinal regression analyses), it is suggested that significant predictors of resilience among the sampled young migrants in Old Fadama include type of employment, social capital, number of stressors experienced, and ability to afford medicine. Specific social capital constructs such as having a boy or girlfriend and strong leadership are predictors of resilience among these young migrants in the slum.
On the location of leaky wave poles for a grounded dielectric slab

A simple numerical procedure for finding the loci of TE and TM leaky wave poles as the frequency or the thickness of the slab varies is presented. These loci provide important information when the integration path of the Sommerfeld integral for the grounded dielectric slab problem is deformed into the improper sheet of the Riemann surface. The accuracy of the loci has been checked extensively against contour plots of separate expressions for the electric flux density for the TE and TM cases. >
Illuminating the Opponent Process: Cocaine Effects on Habenulomesencephalic Circuitry

Drugs of abuse have profound effects on neural circuits that control emotional and motivational states. Most abused drugs promote dopaminergic signaling in pathways that originate in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and these effects contribute to drug reward and reinforcement. As the initial
On Quantification of the Earthquake Source

The opinion article by Jones (Seism. Res. Lett. 71 , 395-396, 2000) and follow-up communications in Seismological Research Letters ( 71 , 670-672, 2000) discuss pros and cons of seismic moment vs. magnitude as scaling sizes for the earthquake source and possible related units. While the moment clearly provides a better physical quantification of the earthquake source than magnitude, it has a simple and easily fixable shortcoming that stems from the inclusion of rigidity in the definition of the moment. The basic problem is that linear elastic waves generated by a slip source have no information on material properties at the source region itself. This is because elastic properties at the source produce two opposite effects on (a) the amount of slip generated by a given force (or stress drop) and (b) the propagation of disturbances away from the source. As shown analytically in my 1989 paper (Geophys. J. Int. 98 , 213-222), these two opposite effects cancel out internally in the seismic representation theorem that formalizes the calculations of seismic radiation from a slip source. Heaton and Heaton (Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 79 , 813-841, 1989) give related static results. While the …
Towards estimation of dense disparities from stereo images containing large textureless regions

Stereo algorithms for structure reconstruction demand accurate disparities with low mismatch errors and false positives. Mismatch errors in large textureless regions force most accurate algorithms to be sparse, with disparities known only in textured regions. We propose a novel method which uses characteristics of the multi-valued disparity to segregate image regions into unambiguous, occluded but textured and regions with low color variation. The disparity in the unambiguous region is calculated using stable matching with local disparity filtering. The disparity is interpolated into other regions by diffusion using unstructured triangulation and method of finite elements for rapid convergence. The boundary conditions for each of the region are appropriately modified so that accurate discontinuities in the disparity are preserved. A comparison of our method with some existing methods through experiments reveal that this algorithm indeed performs significantly better in producing dense accurate disparities.
Fluorescence microscopy imaging with a Fresnel zone plate array based optofluidic microscope

We report the implementation of an on-chip microscope system, termed fluorescence optofluidic microscope (FOFM), which is capable of fluorescence microscopy imaging of samples in fluid media. The FOFM employs an array of Fresnel zone plates (FZP) to generate an array of focused light spots within a microfluidic channel. As a sample flows through the channel and across the array of focused light spots, the fluorescence emissions are collected by a filter-coated CMOS sensor, which serves as the channel's floor. The collected data can then be processed to render fluorescence microscopy images at a resolution determined by the focused light spot size (experimentally measured as 0.65 μm FWHM). In our experiments, our established resolution was 1.0 μm due to Nyquist criterion consideration. As a demonstration, we show that such a system can be used to image the cell nuclei stained by Acridine Orange and cytoplasm labeled by Qtracker®.
A transregional model for near-threshold circuits with application to minimum-energy operation

The most energy-efficient operating point for CMOS circuits is near the threshold voltage. Conventional models are difficult to use in this region because they are piecewise and/or discontinuous around threshold. This paper proposes a simple new model for I on that is valid in the near-threshold region. Based on the ON-current, a propagation delay model is derived. The model is applied to determine the minimum energy point for inverter chains. The transregional model matches simulated data within 15 mV, while the conventional exponential subthreshold model underestimates the supply voltage by up to 80 mV.
The Subprime Mortgage Calamity and the African American Woman

Many media and scholarly reports have focused on the subprime mortgage crisis and the resultant global financial meltdown. Most of the literature notes unequivocally that discrimination in the mortgage market has been, and remains, race-based and that it has damaged the African-American population disproportionately. This paper discusses the consequences of the subprime mortgage calamity and its negative impact on the Black community, women in general, and African-American women in particular. After controlling for individual, credit and housing characteristics, research shows that disparities in lending have persisted. Studies indicate that 63% of those given subprime mortgages qualified for prime mortgages. African-American females received the most high-cost loans and were over twice as likely to be given a subprime mortgage compared to White females. Moreover, African-American women were five times more likely to have received a subprime loan than similarly situated White males. Upper-income Black women were more often targeted for high-cost loans than lower-income women of color. As a result, the subprime mortgage crisis has precipitated an enormous loss of home equity and wealth among African-Americans that will affect generations to come.
Demonstrating Patterns in the Views of Stakeholders Regarding Ethically Salient Issues in Clinical Research: A Novel Use of Graphical Models in Empirical Ethics Inquiry

Background: Empirical ethics inquiry works from the notion that stakeholder perspectives are necessary for gauging the ethical acceptability of human studies and assuring that research aligns with societal expectations. Although common, studies involving different populations often entail comparisons of trends that problematize the interpretation of results. Using graphical model selection—a technique aimed at transcending limitations of conventional methods—this report presents data on the ethics of clinical research with two objectives: (1) to display the patterns of views held by ill and healthy individuals in clinical research as a test of the study's original hypothesis and (2) to introduce graphical model selection as a key analytic tool for ethics research. Methods: In this institutional review board (IRB)-approved, National Institutes of Health-funded project, data were collected from 60 mentally ill and 43 physically ill clinical research protocol volunteers, 47 healthy protocol-consented partici...
Fractional yield and moisture of corn stover biomass produced in the Northern US Corn Belt

Corn stover is an ideal biomass feedstock but the harvest and storage of this material present many challenges. Information on the fractional yield and moisture of stover grown and collected in the Upper Midwest during the typical grain harvest period was used to estimate the expected yield and moisture when utilizing various harvesting methods. At grain harvest, the ratio of stover to total crop dry mass averaged 48% and approximately 15%, 8%, 21%, and 56% of the total stover dry mass resided in the cob, husk, leaf, and stalk fractions, respectively. Total stover moisture ranged from 66% to 47% when grain moisture was less than 30%. The stalk moisture ranged from 69% to 56%, 63% to 45%, 52% to 32%, and 36% to 27% for the whole, top-three-quarters, top-half, and top-quarter of the stalk, respectively. The total stover:grain moisture ratio averaged 2.15:1. A single-pass stover and grain harvester that would collect the cob and husk plus the top-half, top-three-quarters or the entire stalk (and similar fraction of the leaves) was estimated to harvest 46%, 72%, and 100% of the available stover at a range of moistures from 49% to 33%, 57% to 38%, and 64% to 48%, respectively. Another single-pass stover and grain harvester that would collect the bottom half of the stalks, 50% of the top half of the stalk and 50% of the leaves was estimated to harvest 60% of the available stover at a range of moistures from 69% to 55%.
Understanding bibliometric parameters and analysis.

An accurate understanding of the meaning and calculation of bibliometric parameters aids in their effective use in evaluating researchers and journals, can reduce the chances of their being misused, and allows them to serve as objective metrics of academic productivity.
Insanity and the realities of history in early modern England

This paper argues that the attack on religious enthusiasm, a campaign against popular religious radicalism, prompted the governing classes in late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England to embrace secular explanations of the nature of insanity and to repudiate treatments which were based on religious and magical beliefs. An objection to the argument is considered, and some of its implications are discussed.
Effects of oxytocin and prolactin on stress-induced bladder hypersensitivity in female rats.

Abstract Anecdotal evidence suggests that chronic bladder pain improves while breastfeeding. The present study sought to identify potential mechanisms for such a phenomenon by investigating the effects of the lactogenic hormones prolactin (PL) and oxytocin (OXY) in a rat model of bladder nociception. Lactating rats were less sensitive to urinary bladder distension (UBD) than controls. In investigating potential antinociceptive and anxiolytic roles for these hormones, we found exposure to a footshock paradigm (STRESS groups) produced bladder hypersensitivity in saline-treated rats, manifested as significantly higher electromyographical (EMG) responses to UBD, compared to rats exposed to a nonfootshock paradigm (SHAM groups). This hypersensitivity was attenuated by the intraperitoneal administration of OXY prior to footshock in the STRESS-OXY group. The administration of PL augmented EMG responses in the SHAM-PL group but had no effect on the responses of the STRESS-PL group. In the absence of behavioral pretreatment, OXY attenuated UBD-evoked responses while PL had no effect. Moreover, OXY-treated rats spent more time in the open arm of an elevated plus maze compared to saline-treated rats suggesting anxiolysis. These studies suggest the potential for systemic OXY, but not PL, as an analgesic and anxiolytic treatment for painful bladder disorders such as interstitial cystitis. Perspective This study presents evidence that systemic oxytocin has both analgesic and anxiolytic properties which may make it a potentially useful agent for patients with stress-exacerbated chronic-pain syndromes such as interstitial cystitis. These studies do not suggest a similar role for prolactin.
Functioning Among Mothers and Fathers of Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Disease: A Longitudinal Study

Examined the adaptation of mothers and fathers of children with juvenile rheumatic disease on two occasions, 1 year apart, using 159 married couples at Time 1, and 111 of these couples at Time 2. A stress and coping model was tested in which parental functioning is determined by ongoing life stressors (patient and spouse dysfunction), family resources, and parents' illness-related coping. Mothers reported more depression than fathers did. However, poorer concurrent functioning among both mothers and fathers was explained partly by patients having more functional disability, pain, and psychosocial problems. In addition, spouse's dysfunction and the parent's use of avoidance coping were related to poorer parental adaptation, both concurrently and 1 year later. The implications of the findings for developing stress and coping models of parental adaptation to having a chronically ill child, and for intervention strategies with parents, patients, and families, are discussed.
Management of cerebral vasospasm

Cerebral vasospasm is delayed narrowing of the large arteries of the circle of Willis occurring 4 to 14 days after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It is but one cause of delayed deterioration after SAH but, in general, is the most important potentially treatable cause of morbidity and mortality after SAH. Development of vasospasm is best predicted by the volume, location, persistence and density of subarachnoid clot early after SAH. Diagnosis is made by catheter angiography or, with less accuracy, by computed tomographic angiography, transcranial Doppler ultrasound or other methods. Treatment remains problematic because it is expensive, time-consuming, associated with substantial risk and largely ineffective. Treatment includes optimization of factors that affect cerebral blood flow and metabolism, systemic administration of nimodipine, hemodynamic therapy and pharmacologic and mechanical angioplasty.
Reduction of parathyroid hormone with vitamin D supplementation in blacks: a randomized controlled trial

Response of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to vitamin D supplementation is determined by the baseline PTH level and change in vitamin D status. Conflicting reports in Blacks exist on the PTH response to vitamin D to supplementation. During 3 winters from 2007 to 2010, 328 healthy Blacks (median age, 51 years) living in Boston, MA were randomized into a 4-arm, double-blind trial for 3 months of placebo, 1000, 2000, or 4000 IU of vitamin D3. PTH was measured in 254 participants at baseline and at the end of vitamin D supplementation period. The differences in PTH between baseline and 3 months were 3.93 pg/mL for those receiving placebo, -3.37 pg/mL for those receiving 1000 IU/d, -6.76 pg/mL for those receiving 2000 IU/d, and -8.99 pg/mL for those receiving 4000 IU/d (-2.98 pg/mL for each additional 1000 IU/d of vitamin D3; p < 0.001). We found a significant decrease in PTH with increasing doses of vitamin D supplementation up to intakes of 4000 IU/d in Blacks. Clinical Trials.gov: NCT00585637
Evolution of serotonin: sunlight to suicide

Abstract Serotonin is involved in many of the behaviors and biological systems that are central to human life, extending from early developmental events related to neurogenesis and maturation, to apoptosis and neurodegeneration that underlie dementia and death. How can a single chemical be so powerful in determining the quality and quantity of human life? In this chapter, the evolution of serotonin and its biosynthetic pathways from tryptophan are examined. The essential components of the serotonin biosynthetic pathway are highly conserved. Tryptophan-based chemicals, including serotonin, melatonin and auxin, have important action in the differentiation, mitosis and survival of single cell organisms. As the complexity of life evolved into multicellular organisms, especially plants, serotonin levels rose dramatically. The importance of tryptophan, serotonin and auxin is evident in photosynthesis and plant growth. When the animal kingdom began, the ability to synthesize tryptophan was lost, and serotonin levels dropped accordingly. Animals had to develop many special mechanisms to secure tryptophan from their diets, and to carefully conserve its integrity during circulation throughout the body. There was the emergence of multiple receptors and reuptake proteins that permit serotonin actions without utilization of serotonin itself. Serotonin receptors appear as early as the blastula and gastrula stages of embryonic development, and continually monitor and regulate ontogenic changes as it serves phylogenic evolution. The most amazing concept to emerge from an analysis of serotonin evolution is its relation to light. Beginning with the light-absorption properties of the indole ring of tryptophan, a direct path can be drawn to the effects of sunlight on photosynthesis and serotonin levels in plants. Progressing further in phylogeny, the effects of sunlight are seen on serotonin levels and on mood, sleep and suicide ideation in humans. The focus on the evolution of serotonin leads from an awareness of the beginning of life to the current human struggle to enjoy our dominant position on earth.
Adiponectin inhibits Wnt co-receptor, Lrp6, phosphorylation and β-catenin signaling

Adiponectin is a pleiotropic adipokine implicated in obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have identified adiponectin as a negative regulator of tissue fibrosis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling has also been implicated in metabolic syndrome and can promote tissue fibrosis, but the extent to which adiponectin cross-regulates Wnt/β-catenin signaling is unknown. Using primary human dermal fibroblasts and recombinant purified proteins, we show that adiponectin can limit β-catenin accumulation and downstream gene activation by inhibiting Lrp6 phosphorylation, a key activation step in canonical Wnt signaling. Inhibition of Wnt3a-mediated Lrp6 phospho-activation is relatively rapid (e.g., by 30 min), and is not dependent on established adiponectin G-protein coupled receptors, AdipoR1 and R2, suggesting a more direct relationship to Lrp6 signaling. In contrast, the ability of adiponectin to limit Wnt-induced and baseline collagen production in fibroblasts requires AdipoR1/R2. These results suggest the possibility that the pleiotropic effects of adiponectin may be mediated through distinct cell surface receptor complexes. Accordingly, we propose that the anti-fibrotic activity of adiponectin may be mediated through AdipoR1/R2 receptors, while the ability of adiponectin to inhibit Lrp6 phospho-activation may be relevant to other recently established roles for Lrp6 signaling in glucose metabolism and metabolic syndrome.
Spontaneous defects between the mastoid and posterior cranial fossa

Conclusions Spontaneous defects between the mastoid and the posterior cranial fossa are exceedingly rare. Patients with these lesions may have a lower BMI compared to those with middle cranial fossa encephaloceles, but are otherwise demographically similar. This study recommends repair via a transtemporal approach to allow for examination of the entire posterior face of the temporal bone. Objective To describe cases of spontaneous posterior cranial fossa defects. Methods This study reviewed all cases of spontaneous posterior fossa defects presenting to a tertiary referral center over the last decade and described clinical presentation, imaging, operative findings, and outcomes. We also compared these lesions to those previously reported in the literature as well as the more common spontaneous encephaloceles of the middle cranial fossa. Results This study identified five cases with a mean age of 61.4 years, female-to-male ratio of 4:1, and a mean BMI of 31. Three cases presented with spontaneous pneumocephalus, one with CSF otorrhea, and one as an incidental imaging finding. Four defects were found medial to the sigmoid sinus and one was in the lateral retrosigmoid air cells.
Prediction of the Turbulent Prandtl Number in Wall Flows with Lagrangian Simulations

The turbulent Prandtl number (Prt) is an important parameter in modeling turbulent transport, and a lot of effort has been placed in studying its behavior in wall turbulence. This work applied the Churchill model for turbulence scaling to determine the Prt. Two different computational approaches involving a direct numerical simulation in conjunction with Lagrangian techniques were utilized. In the first approach, the local fractions of shear stress and heat flux density, as defined using Churchill’s scaling model and determined previously by Le and Papavassiliou [Le, P. M.; Papavassiliou, D. V. On temperature prediction at low Re turbulent flows using the Churchill turbulent heat flux correlation. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer.2006, 49, 3681−3690], were used to calculate the Prt. For Poiseuille channel flow, the Prt, at distances far away from the channel walls, was found to have a value between 0.8 and 0.9 irrespective of the molecular Prandtl number, while for plane Couette flow, it was found to be between...
Paradoxical coronary embolism: report of a case.

The paradoxical embolism of a thrombus that probably originated in a peripheral vein caused the sudden death of a patient who was recuperating from a pelvic fracture. This rare situation was serendipitously discovered during an otherwise routine forensic autopsy. References are given to the surprisingly few reports of paradoxical emboli of all types, as well as to the 74 reported cases of coronary embolism and half dozen paradoxical coronary emboli.
An Analysis of Pitot and Static Pressure Measurements in an Unsteady Supersonic Flow

An unsteady supersonic ejector with subsonic secondary flow was investigated experimentally. To understand the wave physics of the pulsed ejector, dynamic pressure measurements were examined for primary flow Mach numbers of 3.7 and 5, secondary flow Mach number of 0.3, frequencies of 30 to 120 Hz, and a duty cycle (defined as the pulse duration to total cycle duration) of 8%. It was found that the pressure signals were complex, with short wavelength pressure “pulses” superimposed on pulses with longer wavelength. Spectral, wavelet, and Hilbert-Huang transform analyses were performed. The Hilbert-Huang transform analysis proved the most useful, and will be in used in the method being developed to automate the analysis of the pressure measurements.
Persistent potency of a secondary (conditioned) reinforcer following withdrawal of morphine from physically dependent rats

1. On 9 nights (2000-0800) over a 25-day period, an anise-flavored aqueous solution of etonitazene, 5 mcg/ml, was provided as the sole drinking fluid for one group of physically dependent rats (MFETZ) maintained on morphine, 200 mg/kg i.p. once daily at 0800 (hence acutely abstinent each night) and for one group of saline-injected rats (SFETZ), while only anise-flavored water was available to comparable physically dependent (MFH2O) and saline-injected (SFH2O) groups. 2. Beginning 3 days after abrupt and permanent termination of morphine or saline injections, all rats were tested at intervals over a period of 287 days on nocturnal (2000-0800) choice drinking from 2 tubes (positions alternated), one contained anise-flavored water and the other, plain water. 3. Analyses of variance on the mean volumes of each of the two fluids consumed by each rat over blocks of choice-drinking tests revealed that through the VIIth test (137th post-injection day), MFETZ drank more anise-flavored water than any other group while there were no significant differences among the groups as regards consumption of plain water. 4. The evidence indicates that the potency of secondary reinforcers so generated can persist long after morphine withdrawal. Some implications for problems of relapse and treatment of opioid addicts are discussed.
Computational Modeling of Octahedral Iron Oxide Clusters: Hexaaquairon(III) and Its Dimers

Octahedral monomeric and dimeric iron oxide clusters represent the basic units in many iron oxide and oxide-hydroxide minerals. In this paper, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis of the structural and optical properties of the most important of these clusters in a vacuum and in an aqueous environment. An evaluation of various computational methods was performed on the experimentally well-known monomer [Fe(H2O)6]3+, and it is found that all methods provide similar and reliable structures. Most density functional theory (DFT) methods reasonably reproduce the spin-forbidden sextet–quartet d–d transition energy, which also resembles the lowest transition energies in many infinite octahedral iron oxide systems. On the other hand, Hartree–Fock (HF) and MP2 methods significantly overestimate this energy. The ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) energy is highly sensitive to the method employed, with the closest agreement with experiment provided by the BHandHLYP functional. Thermodynamic property calcul...
On-Demand and Location Selective Particle Assembly via Electrophoretic Deposition for Fabricating Structures with Particle-to-Particle Precision

Programmable positioning of 2 μm polystyrene (PS) beads with single particle precision and location selective, “on-demand”, particle deposition was demonstrated by utilizing patterned electrodes and electrophoretic deposition (EPD). An electrode with differently sized hole patterns, from 0.5 to 5 μm, was used to illustrate the discriminatory particle deposition events based on the voltage and particle-to-hole size ratio. With decreasing patterned hole size, a larger electric field was required for a particle deposition event to occur in that hole. For the 5 μm hole, particle deposition began to occur at 10 V/cm where as an electric field of 15 V/cm was required for particles to begin depositing in the 2 μm holes. The likelihood of particle depositions continued to increase for smaller sized holes as the electric field increased. Eventually, a monolayer of particles began to form at approximately 20 V/cm. In essence, a voltage threshold was found for each hole pattern of different sizes, allowing fine adju...
Mundhöhle und Pharynx in der Bildgebung — ein Update

In der Diagnostik tumoroser Veranderungen in Mundhohle und Pharynx haben Ultraschall, MRT und CT einen bedeutenden Stellenwert. Auch Narrow Band Imaging ist in der HNO-Heilkunde mittlerweile auf dem Vormarsch. Neueste Studienergebnisse beleuchten die Moglichkeiten dieser Verfahren.
Ferredoxin Catalyzed Cyclic Photophosphorylation: Reversal of Dibromothymoquinone Inhibition by N ,N ,N′,N′-Tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine

Conditions for washed, spinach thylakoid membranes to catalyze cyclic phosphorylation using ferredoxin as the cofactor for electron transfer have been re-examined. It was found necessary to “redox poise” the system; however, the best method to accomplish the poising seemed to be the use of a reductant (glucose-6-phosphate) and not by optimizing the rate of phosphorylation with 3- (3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU). Under these conditions, ferredoxin catalyzed cyclic phosphorylation was found to be sensitive to the inhibitors antimycin A and dibromothymo- quinone (DBMIB). The inhibition of ferredoxin catalyzed cyclic phosphorylation by DBMIB, but not by antimycin A, was completely reversed by N, N, N′ N′-tetramethyl-p-phcnylenediamine (TMPD). These data are taken as further support for the function of plastoquinone in ferredoxin catalyzed cyclic phosphorylation. The effect of TMPD in reversing the DBMIB inhibition is inter­preted as the formation of a TMPD bypass on the internal side of the thylakoid membrane around the DBMIB site of inhibition.
The Impacts of Coal Property Changes on Power Plant Boiler Operation and Corresponding Countermeasures Taken

The dominating fuel of the station boiler is coal nowadays and every power station has its own design conditions.The economical and safe operation of the station is challenged by the variation of the coal quality.The influence of some coal property changes containing these of thermal value , particle size , moisture content , ash and fugitive constituent on each operating links such as safety , discharge amount and costs will be analyzed.And some corresponding countermeasures will be provided.
Preparation and stability of simulated crude-oil emulsion

AbstrcatA simulated crude-oil is made up by using kerosene and crude oil.Emulsion's stability is (studied,a) simulated emulsion's the size and distribution of droplets were measured by the microscope , which the average droplets diameter of the stable emulsion is about 1μm , then the optimal crude-oil kerosene ratio ,the emulsified velocity ,the emulsified time and oil-water ratios are determined.A comparison of dewatering percentage from the simulated emulsion and crude-oil emulsion for the demulsifier (OX-9354 and ) OX-9351 is performed, the same tendency shows that the simulated emulsion can be used to appraise demulsifier.
Photos of the Day galleries: Representing a more nuanced world:

This content analysis investigated whether Photos of the Day online galleries from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post present the world outside the United States in ...
Rearing strategies alter patterns of size-selective mortality and heritable size variation in steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared under two different regimes: high food ration for 1 year (S1; typical strategy) or low ration for 2 years (S2) were subjected to a seawater challenge during the corresponding spring outmigration period. The S1 smolts were smaller and suffered greater seawater challenge mortality (23.9% compared with 0.7% for the S2 smolts) that was significantly and negatively related to body size. Heritability of body size was similar for the two treatments during the parr stage (fork length: S1 = 0.181, S2 = 0.245; mass: S1 = 0.372; S2 = 0.447), but higher for the S1 treatment during the smolt stage for length (S1 = 0.212, S2 = 0.002) and body mass (S1 = 0.145, S2 = 0.015). Strong family effects for both traits and significant family by environment interactions for parr mass and smolt length indicated significant phenotypic plasticity. A genetic response to size-selective mortality caused by insufficient growth opportunity in the S1 treatment is plausible and may affect fitne...
Comparing datasets for generalizing models of driver intent in dynamic environments

In light of growing attention of intelligent vehicle systems, we have present an assessment of methods for driver models that predict driver behaviors. This work looks at varying datasets to see the affects on intent detection algorithms. The motivation is to understand and assess how data is mapped from datasets to discrete states or modes of intent. Using a model of a human driver's decision making process to estimate intent, we build techniques for analyzing and learning human behaviors to improve understanding. We derive models based off of human perception and interaction with the environment (e.g. other vehicles on the road), that is generalizable and flexible enough to detect intent across different drivers. The resulting detection scheme is able to determine driver intent with high accuracy across multiple drivers, relying on a large dataset consisting of lane changes under varying environmental constraints. By comparing different labeling methods, we assess the effectiveness of learned models under different class variations. This allows us to derive accurate and general models for detecting intent that rely on the subtle variations and behaviors that humans exhibit while driving.
Evaluation of the Acceptance Journeys Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Homophobia.

Objectives. To evaluate the effectiveness of the Acceptance Journeys social marketing campaign to reduce homophobia in the Black community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Methods. We assessed the campaign’s effectiveness using a rolling cross-sectional survey. Data were collected annually online between 2011 and 2015. Each year, a unique sample of Black and White adults, aged 30 years and older, were surveyed in the treatment city (Milwaukee) and in 2 comparison cities that did not have antihomophobia campaigns (St. Louis, MO, and Cleveland, OH; for total sample, n = 3592).Results. Black self-identification and Milwaukee residence were significantly associated with exposure to the campaign, suggesting successful message targeting. The relationship between exposure and acceptance of gay men was significantly mediated through attitudes toward gay men, perceptions of community acceptance, and perceptions of the impact of stigma on gay men, but not through rejection of stereotypes. This model accounted for 39% of var...