cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breathing above the brain stem: volitional control and attentional modulation in humans

Whereas the link between breathing and brain activity has a long history of application to therapy, its neurophysiology remains unexplored. Using intracranial recordings in humans, we show neuronal...
Radiological cases of the month. Esophageal coins.

A PREVIOUSLY healthy 9-year-old boy presented for removal of a coin believed to be in his airway. He was transferred from an outlying hospital where he presented several hours after swallowing a quarter at church. There was no report of choking or cyanosis at the time the coin was swallowed. He did not complain of difficulty in breathing at any time. On presentation to the emergency department he was cooperative and in no respiratory distress; his lungs were clear with symmetric respiratory sounds. The remainder of his physical examination was also unremarkable. His vital signs included temperature (oral), 37°C; respiratory rate, 20 beats/min; pulse rate, 88/min; and blood pressure, 120/58 mm Hg. Frontal and lateral chest roentgenograms were obtained ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). Denouement and Discussion Esophageal Coins The patient was taken to the radiology department, where the coin (one quarter) was easily extracted from the esophagus with fluoroscopic
Data Science: A Powerful Catalyst for Cross-Sector Collaborations to Transform the Future of Global Health - Developing a New Interactive Relational Mapping Tool

The increasingly complex and rapidly changing global health and socio-economic landscape requires fundamentally new ways of thinking, acting and collaborating to solve growing systems challenges. Cross-sectoral collaborations between governments, businesses, international organizations, private investors, academia and non-profits are essential for lasting success in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and securing a prosperous future for the health and wellbeing of all people. Our aim is to use data science and innovative technologies to map diverse stakeholders and their initiatives around SDGs and specific health targets - with particular focus on SDG 3 (Good Health & Well Being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) - to accelerate cross-sector collaborations. Initially, the mapping tool focuses on Geneva, Switzerland as the world center of global health diplomacy with over 80 key stakeholders and influencers present. As we develop the next level pilot, we aim to build on users' interests, with a potential focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as one of the emerging and most pressing global health issues that requires new collaborative approaches. Building on this pilot, we can later expand beyond only SDG 3 to other SDGs.
Una nuova specie del genere Halbherria Conci & Tamanini, 1951 del massiccio del Monte Baldo e considerazioni sulla “barriera” biogeografica della Valle dell’Adige (Coleoptera Cholevidae Leptodirinae)

Nel presente lavoro viene descritta Halbherria carlini nuova specie del massiccio del Monte Baldo, appartenente ad un genere di Cholevidae leptodirinae finora noto del settore delle Prealpi Venete compreso tra i fiumi Brenta e adige. La scoperta di Halbherria sul M. Baldo riapre la discussione sul ruolo di “barriera” della Valle dell’adige, che potrebbe essere stata superata da parte dei precursori di alcuni taxa alla fine del Pliocene, comunque anteriormente alle glaciazioni pleistoceniche, quando l’assetto idrografico della valle era diverso dall’attuale.
Growth of Fluoride Laser Host Crystals

Fluoride crystals have some general characteristics that are desirable for a laser host. These include a wide transparency range, low refractive index and nonlinear index. They can in general be grown with a better optical quality than most oxide, crystals. LiYF4 is an example of a very successful fluoride host crystal and, even though it does not have quite as good mechanical and thermal properties as YAG. in many applications it performs as well or better than YAG. The principal conditions that must be met if a compound is to be useful are that it is the primary phase crystalizing from the melt, that the yield be practicably large, that the crystal does not undergo a phase-transformation upon being cooled to room temperature and that the melt be sufficiently stable (with regard to evaporation and oxidation state of dopants) over the several days normally required for crystal growth.
A Security Architecture for Networked Internet of Things Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) increasingly demonstrates its role in smart services, such as smart home, smart grid, smart transportation, etc. However, due to lack of standards among different vendors, existing networked IoT devices (NoTs) can hardly provide enough security. Moreover, it is impractical to apply advanced cryptographic solutions to many NoTs due to limited computing capability and power supply. Inspired by recent advances in IoT demand, in this paper, we develop an IoT security architecture that can protect NoTs in different IoT scenarios. Specifically, the security architecture consists of an auditing module and two network-level security controllers. The auditing module is designed to have a stand-alone intrusion detection system for threat detection in a NoT network cluster. The two network-level security controllers are designed to provide security services from either network resource management or cryptographic schemes regardless of the NoT security capability. We also demonstrate the proposed IoT security architecture with a network based one-hop confidentiality scheme and a cryptography-based secure link mechanism.
Motivation for feedback-seeking among pediatric residents: a mixed methods study

For effective self-directed life-long learning physicians need to engage in feedback-seeking, which means fostering such behavior during training. Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that intrinsic motivation is fostered when the environment optimizes the individual’s experience of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Educational settings meeting these psychological needs may foster intrinsic motivation in trainees, enhance their desire for feedback, and promote feedback-seeking. We sought to examine residents’ feedback-seeking behaviors through the lens of SDT and explore the association with intrinsic motivation and career choice. We used a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory sequential design. Residents participated in simulation training, completed an inventory of intrinsic motivation (IMI) and responded to sequential opportunities for performance feedback requiring different levels of effort. We compared IMI scores and career choice between groups with different effort. We interviewed high-effort feedback-seekers and conducted thematic analysis of interview data. Thirty-four of 35 residents completed the survey (97%). Of those completing the study, 12 engaged in low-effort feedback-seeking only, 10 indicated intent for high-effort feedback-seeking and 10 actually engaged in higher effort to get feedback. Groups did not differ in mean IMI scores. Among high-effort feedback-seekers more residents were interested in critical care–related fields compared to the other groups. We identified 5 themes around autonomy, relatedness, and competence clarifying residents’ reasons for feedback-seeking. Our findings suggest that among residents, the relationship between motivation and feedback-seeking is complex and cannot be predicted by IMI score. Career plans and relationships with feedback providers impact feedback-seeking, which can inform educational interventions.
Analysis of transient data in test designs for active fault detection and identification

Abstract Active model-based Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) methods are of increasing importance in modern cyber-physical systems due to their ability to generate detections as residuals between anticipated and observed information, and, thus, isolate and identify causes of faults with greater confidence than conventional passive FDI techniques. This work focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of active FDI tests which use either steady-state or dynamic information. It is shown that transient information from active FDI tests can improve the identifiability of faults compared to steady-state testing. These tests are designed by casting FDI as an optimization problem that maximizes the Fisher Information Matrix of a system sensed outputs with respect to faults. The identifiability of faults is examined at steady-state and transient FDI tests in a plate fin heat exchanger of an aircraft environmental control system (ECS). In this system particulate fouling needs to be detected, which is challenged by multiple sources of system uncertainty. It is shown that the inclusion of transient information during fault diagnosis increases the confidence in fault identification when using optimal test designs.
4 – Developments in cardiovascular valve technology

: This chapter reviews clinical indications for valve replacement, with emphasis on the aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves, as well as the physiology associated with valve replacements. Another section describes valve biomaterial and the effects of these materials on thrombogenicity, resistance or susceptibility to infection. Finally, an introduction to newer biomaterial and valve designs will further pique the reader, with the intent of spawning new approaches in the ongoing refinement of cardiac valves.
Grasping Performance in Saguinus midas and the Evolution of Hand Prehensility in Primates

The Order Primates is characterized by a unique suite of cranial and postcranial features that may have evolved for visual predation on insects or exploitation of fruits in a small-branch milieu [see Cartmill (1992) for recent review]. Compared to more generalized mammals like tree shrews, primates possess a relatively larger brain with a more developed visual area and more reduced olfactory bulbs, orbits that are more approximated and more convergent with one another, and grasping hands and feet that bear nails instead of claws (Cartmill, 1970, 1972, 1974a,b, 1992; Le Gros Clark, 1959, 1963; Martin, 1986; Wood Jones, 1916).
Selections from the Letter-Place Panoply

There is a fairly extensive literature on letter-place algebras, but mostly for the edification of those working in algebraic combinatorics. Letter-place algebras have not had much play yet in commutative and homological algebra, so the author thought he would talk about them here and perhaps arouse a bit of interest in that subject.
From Combinatorial Optimization to Data Mining

My work in data mining started almost immediately after my Ph.D. was completed and was initially unrelated to my Ph.D. thesis, until more recently, when I started working in the field of graph mining. At the time I started working in data mining, the field was still in its infancy. I had graduated in 1996 from MIT in the field of combinatorial optimization and network flows and was mostly interested in problems of a theoretical nature. I had joined IBM Research, which, at the time, contained some of the strongest researchers in the field of data mining, including some of its key founding fathers.
Lymphocyte Apoptosis in HIV Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is the etiologic agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Our understanding of the complexities of pathogenic mechanisms of HIV disease is still evolving; however, the mechanism whereby HIV-1 infection leads to profound depletion of CD4 T cells remains one of the central unsolved problems in AIDS research. In the past several years, there has been a dichotomy between virological and immunological viewpoints in understanding HIV-mediated cytopathicity, the former emphasizing killing of infected CD4 cells by HIV and the latter emphasizing indirect mechanisms wherein HIV or its soluble component(s) alter CD4 T-cell function and induce susceptibility to apoptosis.
Socioeconomic disparities in inflammatory response on cancer mortality using national health and nutrition examination survey.

e13574Background: The role of inflammation in cancer mortality has received considerable attention. Studies have also shown an association socioeconomic inequality and inflammatory response. We pro...
The Structure of Change: A Content Analysis of Engineering Diversity Plans and Mission Statements

The purpose of this work-in-progress research paper is to document the development of a coding process that can be used to critically examine the underlying assumptions and espoused approaches represented in diversity plans developed by administrators that signed the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) diversity pledge. In this paper, we report initial insight from developing a coding process for subsequently conducting a qualitative content analysis. We developed our coding process by reviewing a sample of engineering diversity plans (n=8) from institutions across the nation. Our future work will use this coding process to analyze a larger set of diversity, identify themes that can be used to improve efforts across the nation. This work is directly geared towards deans, department heads, faculty members, and other members of the engineering education community who should be responsible for improving diversity and inclusion in engineering.
La relación entre Vallejo y Kierkegaard repensada desde los poemas póstumos

Este trabajo analiza los puntos de contacto entre Cesar Vallejo y Soren Kierkegaard con especial enfasis en la poesia postuma del vate peruano (1923-1938). Tal enfasis nos permite explorar la relacion entre ambos mas alla del tema de la angustia existencial, discutido ampliamente por la critica. Nuestra propuesta es que la obra postuma de Vallejo presenta un paralelismo formal y de contenido con muchas de las ideas del filosofo danes, que pone de manifiesto una posicion critica ante el contexto sociocultural respectivo de ambos autores. Defendemos que la relacion entre Vallejo y Kierkegaard no se limita al matiz existencial de su obra, sino que esta debe pensarse desde el rol de ambos autores como criticos sociales. Nuestro analisis empieza por la vida de ambos autores, la posibilidad de una lectura directa de Kierkegaard por Vallejo, y las similitudes biograficas; seguidamente, nos detenemos en los poemas postumos del autor, a decir, Poemas humanos y Espana, aparta de mi este caliz; y, por ultimo, ofrecemos nuestras reflexiones finales resultantes del analisis.
Quantum oscillations and the Fermi surface of 2 H -Ta S 2

Quantum oscillations in the magnetoresistance and susceptibility of $2H$-Ta${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ have been used to determine Fermi-surface cross sections. Eleven frequencies in the range from 0.04 to 6.44 MG have been observed corresponding to sections arising from the charge-density-wave transition at 75 K. Comparison to the frequencies observed in $4Hb$-Ta${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ shows that the Fermi-surface cross sections are similar in both the $2H$ and $4Hb$ phases indicating relatively little charge transfer between octahedral and trigonal prismatic layers in $4Hb$-Ta${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$. The angular dependence observed for a number of sections in $2H$-Ta${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ shows a $sec\ensuremath{\theta}$ dependence characteristic of cylinders while others show a more three-dimensional behavior in contrast to $4Hb$-Ta${\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ where all of the lowest frequencies show a $sec\ensuremath{\theta}$ dependence. Comparison to results on $2H$-Ta${\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ and to band-structure calculations and band-folding models will also be made.
Surveying and Mapping Aspects, Storm Tide Protection

A master plan is being developed for coordinated incremental barrier protection against hurricane tides for the Texas coastal area. The initial phase involves development of an analytical solution for determining storm tide and hurricane wind effects on coastal areas. The analytical solution will be monitored by a model study until fully developed. Hydrographic charting for the project was accomplished by Raydist control of survey operations. Topographic mapping was accomplished by 3 1/2-in, focal length photography and a direct viewing plotter. The project was controlled by CPM.
The Importance of "Being There": a Qualitative Study of What Veterans with Depression Want in Social Support.

Social connectedness exerts strong influences on health, including major depression and suicide. A major component of social connectedness is having individual relationships with close supports, romantic partners, and other trusted members of one’s social network. The objective of this study was to understand how individuals’ relationships with close supports might be leveraged to improve outcomes for primary care patients with depression and at risk for suicide. In this qualitative study, we used a semi-structured interview guide to probe patient experiences, views, and preferences related to social support. We conducted interviews with 30 primary care patients at a Veterans Health Administration (VA) medical center who had symptoms of major depression and a close support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview data examined close supports’ impact on patients. We iteratively developed a codebook, used output from codes to sort data into themes, and selected quotations that exemplified themes for inclusion in this manuscript. “Being there” as an important quality of close supports emerged as a key concept. “Being there” was defined in three ways: physical proximity, frequent or responsive contact, or perceived availability. Close supports who were effective at “being there” possessed skills in intuitively sensing the patient’s emotional state and communicating indirectly about depression. Three major barriers to involving close supports in depression care were concerns of overburdening the close support, a perception that awareness of the patient’s depression would make the close support unnecessarily worried, and a desire and preference among patients to handle depression on their own. “Being there” represents a novel, patient-generated way to conceptualize and talk about social support. Suicide prevention initiatives such as population-level communication campaigns might be improved by incorporating language used by patients and addressing attitudinal barriers to allowing help and involvement of close supports.
Chapter 115 – Gypsy Moth

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses gypsy moth or Lymantria dispar, which is one of the world's most damaging defoliators of hardwood forest trees. Gypsy moth occurs throughout much of the northern hemisphere. Its native range stretches from Japan, China, and Siberia across Russia to Western Europe and as far south as the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Gypsy moths are host to a suite of natural enemies and these play a pivotal role in the dynamics of the gypsy moth populations. There are two major diseases: a nuclear polyhedrosis virus and a fungal pathogen. The virus, LdMNPV, causes epizootics that are largely responsible for the collapse of gypsy moth outbreaks. Similar viruses terminate the outbreaks of many defoliating Lepidoptera. High mortality from these viral diseases only occurs in dense populations, because transmission of the virus takes place when larvae feed on leaves contaminated by cadavers of larvae that have previously died from the disease. Management of gypsy moth in North America and elsewhere has evolved over time as different tools became available and as public attitudes toward pesticide use have changed. A bacterial pesticide became a viable alternative to chemical pesticides andthe material of choice in many regions. The advantage of Bt is that it is more selective than most chemical pesticides; it only affects larval Lepidoptera that feed on Bt-contaminated foliage. Bt is one of several biopesticides that have entered the market in recent years.
Pediatric Nail Disorders

Many pediatric nail findings are normal variants and are no cause for alarm. Others represent congenital abnormalities or genetic syndromes for which there is no cure. Still others are inflammatory or infectious entities that require treatment. Pediatric nail disorders are reviewed, along with management.
Designing the UVA Open Data Initiative: Increasing Engagement for Students, Faculty, Staff Members, and Other Stakeholders

Open data, the distribution of universally available datasets, fosters transparency and accountability to serve the stakeholders of a community. Universities act as hubs of innovation and discovery where any individual can collaborate and freely explore new ideas in their endeavors to better the world. At many universities, including the University of Virginia (UVA), the incongruous communication of data between all stakeholders, and most especially its lack of clarity to students, contributes to student disengagement that threatens to compromise the vision of a transparent and effective university. Open data initiatives at colleges remain an underused tool to target campus improvement and to empower the next generation of civic-minded student leaders. This paper seeks to explore the strengths and needed improvements in current open data principles and projects throughout cities and colleges in the United States. Herein the authors will develop a framework for building an open data initiative at the University of Virginia through evaluating the best practices from similar projects. This research will directly lead into a student-led initiative to develop the Open Data Platform at UVA and will form the foundation of the principles and lessons to be applied at UVA and other similar open data projects elsewhere.
Arbitration and Rule Production

Arbitration has been criticized as displacing cases from the public courts and thereby reducing the production of court precedent (the “displacement hypothesis”). Moreover, while arbitral awards might substitute for court precedent, the standard view is that arbitrators have little incentive to issue awards that produce legal rules because such awards mostly benefit parties to future disputes (the “positive externalities hypothesis”). This Article critically examines both the displacement hypothesis and the positive externalities hypothesis. In so doing, it not only fills gaps in the existing legal literature, but also offers new theoretical and empirical insights that provide the groundwork for a comprehensive account of arbitration and rule production. The Article begins by evaluating the underlying factual predicate of the displacement hypothesis: the extent to which arbitration is used to resolve disputes in the relevant contracting market (defined as the type or types of contracts likely to give rise to disputes that raise legal issues in a particular field and in a particular jurisdiction). The Article then provides updated data on the use of arbitration clauses in credit card contracts and franchise agreements, showing that even ten years after the Supreme Court’s decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion many standard form contracts still do not include arbitration clauses, contrary to the predictions of leading scholars. Next, the Article examines rule production in partial-arbitration markets—contracting markets with some but not all disputes resolved in arbitration. The Article extends the analysis in Marc Galanter’s Why the “Haves” Come Out Ahead to explain how businesses might use arbitration clauses (instead of settlements) to avoid the creation of unfavorable court precedent—with the implication that increased use of arbitration might displace settlements rather than reduce the production of court precedent. Finally, the Article considers rule production in arbitration-only markets. It reconsiders the positive externalities hypothesis, as stated by William Landes and Richard Posner, that arbitrators lack the incentive to issue reasoned awards. To the contrary, the interests of parties and the role of arbitration institutions provide good reason to believe that arbitrators will issue reasoned awards and that many of those awards will be publicly available—which, indeed, is common practice today in international arbitration, domestic U.S. consumer and employment arbitration, and, to an increasing degree, in domestic U.S. commercial arbitration.
Effect of route of administration of dinoprost tromethamine on plasma profiles of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2α and progesterone in lactating Holstein cows

Abstract Lutalyse HighCon (dinoprost tromethamine; Zoetis) has been approved for use both intramuscularly and subcutaneously in lactating dairy cows, although the effect of route of administration on circulating 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2α (PGFM), the metabolite of PGF2α, has not been evaluated. Multiparous, lactating Holstein cows were submitted to an Ovsynch protocol in which the last GnRH treatment (G2) was designated as d 0. Cows were fitted with indwelling jugular catheters on d 6 and administered 25 mg of dinoprost tromethamine (2 mL of Lutalyse HighCon) on d 7 either subcutaneously in the neck (SC; n = 6) or intramuscularly in the semitendinosus muscle (IM; n = 6). Blood samples were collected every 15 min after treatment for 1.75 h, then every 2 h for 48 h, and at 60 and 72 h, with the last time point corresponding to when cows would have received timed AI at 72 h within an Ovsynch protocol. Circulating PGFM concentrations were greater for SC than for IM cows from 15 to 90 min after treatment, which resulted in a greater area under the PGFM curve during the first 90 min after treatment (means ± SEM; 1,664 ± 129 pg·h/mL vs. 1,146 ± 177 pg·h/mL for SC vs. IM cows, respectively). This resulted in complete luteolysis in all but one cow in the SC treatment at 56 h, when GnRH would have been administered if dinoprost tromethamine had been administered as part of an Ovsynch protocol for timed AI. For cows that underwent complete luteal regression, circulating P4 did not differ between treatments at any time point. Thus, although SC cows had increased circulating PGFM 15 to 90 min after treatment, there was no difference in circulating P4 during induced luteolysis based on route of dinoprost tromethamine administration.
Intravenous Fosphenytoin in Obese Patients: An Evaluation of Dosing Strategies, Safety and Efficacy (P1.236)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of fosphenytoin in obese patients. BACKGROUND: Two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the antiepileptic drug (AED) fosphenytoin in obesity are unknown. DESIGN/METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients over a 5 year period who received intravenous fosphenytoin loading. Patients were divided by body mass index (BMI): normal (BMI<26), overweight (BMI 26-29.9), and obese (BMI 蠅30). Serum fosphenytoin levels, adverse events related to the loading dose, hospital length of stay and mortality were documented. Administration of a second AED was used as a surrogate for efficacy. A level of 10-20 micrograms/milliliter was considered therapeutic. RESULTS: 410 patients were included in the analysis of whom BMI was Mean (SD) loading dose was 17.7 (3.5) . Obese patients had a level in therapeutic range compared with other patients (75.4[percnt] vs 68.5[percnt] vs 61.6[percnt], p=0.04). Patients with a BMI <30 were more likely to have supra-therapeutic level. This finding did not change after adjusting for dose, time the level was drawn in relation to the drug administration, creatinine clearance or albumin. There was no significant difference in the frequency of hypotension, bradycardia or ataxia. The most frequent adverse effect in all groups was hypotension (39[percnt]). A second AED was administered more frequently in obese patients (38.8[percnt] vs 28.7[percnt] vs 18.6[percnt], p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated there were significant differences in the fosphenytoin levels after a loading dose based on BMI. Obese patients had a lower drug level and were more likely to receive a second AED indicating lack of drug efficacy. The study confirms that the patient’s BMI may affect the post-loading dose fosphenytoin level and alter the drug efficacy. Disclosure: Dr. Clark has nothing to disclose. Dr. Leloux has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hocker has received personal compensation for activities with Continuum Pharma. Dr. Dierkhising has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cascino has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurology. Dr. Cascino9s institution has received license fee payments.
The Case for School Health Educators Becoming Certified Health Education Specialists

Abstract General agreement exists that health promotion and health education at the school, community, and worksite settings are necessary if the nation is to realize the goals of Healthy People 2000: The National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives. If so, those individuals who are responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs must have the requisite skills and knowledge to be successful. Much dialogue has transpired about the adequacy of preparation programs and the generic competencies needed to be considered a health educator. This article details reasons why public school health educators should consider becoming Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES).
Forbidding Wrong in Islam: An Introduction

1. Introduction 2. The elements of the duty of forbidding wrong 3. How is wrong to be forbidden 4. When is one unable to forbid wrong 5. What about privacy? 6. The state as an agent of forbidding wrong 7. The state as an agent of wrongdoing 8. Is anyone against forbidding wrong? 9. What was forbidding wrong like in practice? 10. What has changed for the Sunnis in modern times? 11. What has changed for the Imamis in modern times? 12. Do non-Islamic cultures have similar values? 13. Do we have similar values?
Machine perfusion or cold storage in organ transplantation: indication, mechanisms, and future perspectives

Most organs are currently preserved by cold storage (CS) prior to transplantation. However, as more so called marginal donor organs are utilized, machine perfusion has regained clinical interest. Recent studies have demonstrated advantages of pulsatile perfusion over CS preservation for kidney transplantation. However, it remains unclear whether there is a significant benefit of one preservation method over the other in general, or, whether the utilization of particular preservation approaches needs to be linked to organ characteristics. Proposed protective mechanisms of pulsatile perfusion remain largely obscure. It can be speculated that pulsatile perfusion may not only provide nutrition and facilitate the elimination of toxins but also trigger protective mechanisms leading to the amelioration of innate immune responses. Those aspects may be of particular relevance when utilizing grafts with suboptimal quality which may have an increased vulnerability to ischemia/reperfusion injury and compromised repair mechanisms. This review aims to enunciate the principles of organ perfusion and preservation as they relate to indication, aspects of organ protection and to highlight future developments.
Options in the HCl Process for the Production of Alumina from Clay

The Bureau of Mines has conducted in-depth studies on the recovery of aluminum chloride hexa-hydrate and alumina from domestic kaolinitic clay. The original goal of the studies was to provide the technology for alumina production from domestic raw materials. Current research is focused on process modifications that would improve the economics of clay-HCl leaching and improve chances for transfer of the technology to commercial use. Options under investigation include direct leaching of raw clay, changes in leaching acid concentration and stoichi-ometry, decreased leaching duration, improved solid-liquid separations, elimination of solvent extraction for iron removal, and formation of basic aluminum chloride instead of aluminum chloride hexahydrate as an intermediate product. Implementation could decrease energy, equipment, and reagent costs by eliminating the calcination step, substituting filtration for thickening and washing circuits, and combining iron removal with aluminum chloride crystallization.
Scheduling on Homogeneous DVFS Multiprocessor Platforms

Homogeneous multiprocessor platforms are widely used on modern computing systems. Energy-aware scheduling on homogeneous platforms also receives wide research interest. This chapter surveys energy-aware scheduling research that is done on homogeneous DVFS multiprocessor platforms. These works are further classified by task types under consideration, namely, frame-based tasks, tasks with precedence constraints, periodic tasks, and sporadic tasks. Detailed techniques and algorithms are presented for various problems in the following.
Performance Contracting in the Human Services

Abstract The author addresses performance contracting, currently a major topic within the human services. Performance contracting is defined and distinguished from incentive contracting. A taxonomy of performance measures/standards used in human services performance contracting is introduced. Performance contracting is placed in the context of historical, as well as contemporary, forces promoting accountability in human ser-vices contracting. The performance contracting activities of three state human service agencies (Florida, Maine, and Kansas) are reviewed, compared, and contrasted. Some observations and speculations are offered about the experiences of the three states reviewed, about where perfor-mance contracting may be headed, and potential implications for human services administration, social work education, and clients themselves.
Marine genomics: a clearing-house for genomic and transcriptomic data of marine organisms.

The Marine Genomics project is a functional genomics initiative developed to provide a pipeline for the curation of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) and gene expression microarray data for marine organisms. It provides a unique clearing-house for marine specific EST and microarray data and is currently available at http://www.marinegenomics.org . The Marine Genomics pipeline automates the processing, maintenance, storage and analysis of EST and microarray data for an increasing number of marine species. It currently contains 19 species databases (over 46,000 EST sequences) that are maintained by registered users from local and remote locations in Europe and South America in addition to the USA. A collection of analysis tools are implemented. These include a pipeline upload tool for EST FASTA file, sequence trace file and microarray data, an annotative text search, automated sequence trimming, sequence quality control (QA/QC) editing, sequence BLAST capabilities and a tool for interactive submission to GenBank. Another feature of this resource is the integration with a scientific computing analysis environment implemented by MATLAB. The conglomeration of multiple marine organisms with integrated analysis tools enables users to focus on the comprehensive descriptions of transcriptomic responses to typical marine stresses. This cross species data comparison and integration enables users to contain their research within a marine-oriented data management and analysis environment.
Reference gene selection for qPCR in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus under abiotic stresses and expression analysis of seven ROS-scavenging enzyme genes.

Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, the only evergreen broadleaf shrub endemic to the northwest desert of China, is a valuable species for plant abiotic stress research. No report has so far described the selection of reference genes to get stringent normalization for qPCR in A. mongolicus. This work identified reliable reference genes for normalization of qPCR data in A. mongolicus under abiotic stresses from 14 reference gene candidates (UBQ, Tub1, Tub2, Abc1, Ubc1, Ubc2, Ubc4, Ubc5, eIF1, eIF2, eIF3, eIF4, EF1, EF2), and used the most suitable combination of reference genes to normalize the expression profiles of seven ROS-scavenging enzyme genes (AmSOD, AmAPX, AmGPX, AmCAT, AmGLR, AmPrx, and AmTrx). We set a series of 22 experimental samples covering the control and different time points under cold, dry, salt, and heat stresses. According to geNorm and NormFinder, the combination of eIF1 and eIF3 was best for accurate normalization across all the treatments, confirmed by normalizing qPCR data with AmHsp90. In contrast, these data show that Tub1, Abc1, and EF1 are not suitable reference gene candidates. After being normalized against eIF1 and eIF3, the seven ROS-scavenging enzyme genes exhibited differentially up- or down-regulated expression patterns. AmSOD and AmGPX were up-regulated by all four treatments, indicating that they may participate in an anti-oxidative mechanism under abiotic stresses in A. mongolicus. AmCAT exhibited a much higher expression level than AmAPX, AmPrx, and AmGPX, suggesting a principle role in detoxifying excessive H2O2. AmSOD, AmGPX and AmAPX showing the most abundant transcripts under heat, AmCAT and AmGLR under drought, and AmPrx under salt, were observed. Expression patterns of the seven ROS-scavenging enzyme genes suggest different antioxidant protection roles of these genes under abiotic stresses. These results are valuable for future research on gene expression and abiotic stress tolerance in A. mongolicus.
Alcohol-induced hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell dysfunction in the mouse is mediated by Kupffer cells

Abstract Significant increase in plasma hyaluronan level (104%) and a marked inhibition of hyaluronan uptake by the isolated, perfused liver (54%) were seen 3 h after intraperitoneal administration of alcohol (4.4 g/kg body wt.) to mice. Intravenous administration of GdCl 3 (10 mg/kg body wt.), an agent that inactivates/eliminates Kupffer cells, 24 h prior to alcohol administration, counteracted the alcohol-induced suppression of hepatic hyaluronan uptake and diminished the alcohol effect on plasma hyaluronan concentration. These data suggest that alcohol-induced impairment of the hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cell function is mediated by Kupffer cells.
Effects of Artemisia species on de novo lipogenesis in vivo.

Botanical compounds and extracts are widely used as nutritional supplements for the promotion of health or the prevention of disease. An extract of Artemisia dracunculus (PMI 5011) has been shown to improve insulin action, yet the precise mechanism is not known. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that the mechanism by which PMI 5011 and two related Artemisia extracts improve insulin action is associated with a down-regulation of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in the liver and an increase in DNL in the adipose tissue.Diet-induced obese 16-wk-old male mice (C57 BL/6 J) were divided into four groups: (control, 5011, Santa, and Scopa) and fed for 30 d with respective extracts incorporated into the diet at 1% (w/w). Deuterium was administered on day 30 for the measurement of DNL in blood, liver, and white adipose tissue. Individual fatty acids and glycerol levels were also measured.No statistically significant differences were seen in DNL between the control group and the three botanical treatments. Plasma levels of all four long-chain fatty acids were significantly lower in the three treatment groups. Glycerol in the plasma was lower in the treatment groups compared with the control group; however, this did not reach statistical significance in all cases. Tissue levels of the fatty acids and glycerol did not differ between any of the treatment groups.These results suggest that botanicals may not affect fractional DNL in animals on a high-fat diet. However, there were decreases in long-chain fatty acids and in glycerol coming from the newly synthesized triglycerides in plasma.
On the Performance of Distributed Clustering Algorithms in File and Streaming Processing Systems

There is often a need to cluster voluminous amounts of data. Such clustering has application in fields such as pattern recognition, data mining, bioinformatics, and recommendation systems. Here we evaluate the performance of 4 clustering algorithms viz. K-means, Fuzzy k-means, Dirichlet, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation within two different cloud runtimes: Hadoop and Granules. Our benchmarks use identical clustering code with both Hadoop and Granules. The difference between these implementations stem from how the Hadoop and Granules runtimes (1) support and manage the lifecycle of individual computations, and (2) how they orchestrate exchange of data between different stages of the computational pipeline during successive iterations of the clustering algorithm. We also include an analysis of our results for each of these clustering algorithms in a distributed setting.
A Comparison of Children's Question Asking Ability in Norway, West Germany, and the United States

Question asking is a vital part of a child's intellectual development. But does a child's initiative in this area depend in any way upon sex or cultural background, and to what extent does schooling, or grade level, enhance intellectual curiosity? A study into these factors involving American, Norwegian and West German children has just been completed under the auspices of the San Diego State University, and this article summarises the findings.
Some Probabilities, Expectations and Variances for the Size of Largest Clusters and Smallest Intervals

Abstract Given N points independently drawn from the uniform distribution on (0, 1), let [ptilde] n be the size of the smallest interval that contains n out of the N points; let n p be the largest number of points to be found in any subinterval of (0, 1) of length p. This paper uses a result of Karlin, McGregor, Barton, and Mallows to determine the distribution of n p , for p = 1/k, k an integer. The paper gives simple determinations for the expectations and variances of [ptilde] n , for all fixed n > (N + 1)/2, and of n1/2. The distribution and expectation of n p are estimated and tabulated for the cases p = 0.1(0.1)0.9, N = 2(1)10.
Effect of bile/pancreatic secretions on absorption of radioactive or stable zinc. In vivo and in vitro studies.

Biliary/pancreatic (B/P) secretions are a major component of endogenous secretions, and endogenously secreted Zn is a primary means of Zn homeostasis. This study examined whether B/P fluid alters the absorption/reabsorption of Zn and, in doing so, whether this contributes to homeostatic control of Zn. Animal experiments utilized rats fed 10 or 300 μg Zn/kg diet. An open-ended gut perfusion study in which65Zn-labeled B/P fluid or67Zn-labeled and digested diet found significantly decreased Zn absorption from B/P fluid. Although Zn absorption from both sources was less in animals fed diets higher in Zn, there was no interaction of treatment and diet. Further studies utilizing cultured human colon carcinoma cells (CACO-2) as in vitro models of gut enterocytes found that the presence of B/P fluid significantly decreased Zn retention and/or transport and resulted in a redistribution of cellular Zn after 1200 min of incubation. These studies show that a substance in B/P fluid can decrease the absorption of Zn and also suggest that dietary Zn and Zn associated with B/P secretions are absorbed from distinct pools. However, the lack of an interactive effect with diet, and the amount of time required to see differences in CACO-2 cells, suggest that differences in absorption are not a major contributor to Zn homeostasis.
Semi-global exponential stabilization of linear systems subject to “input saturation” via linear feedbacks

Abstract It is known that a linear time-invariant system subject to “input saturation” can be globally asymptotically stabilized if it has no eigenvalues with positive real parts. It is also shown by Fuller (1997) and Sussmann and Yang (1991) that in general one must use nonlinear control laws and only some special cases can be handled by linear control laws. In this paper we show the existence of linear state feedback and/or output feedback control laws for semi-global exponential stabilization rather than global asymptotic stabilization of such systems. We explicitly construct linear static state feedback laws and/or linear dynamic output feedback laws that semi-globally exponentially stabilize the given system. Our results complement the “negative result” of Fuller (1977) and Sussmann and Yang (1991).
Protein Crystal Detection and Characterization Using Polarization Interferometry

Protein crystals down to 30um in size have been detected using a scanning polarization interferometer with a 568nm laser source. The size and anisotropy of the crystals have been retrieved from the phase anisotropy measurements.
Sulfamethazine and its metabolites in pork: effects of cooking and gastrointestinal absorption of residues

Cooking-related changes in residues of [ 14 C]sulfamethazine (SMZ) and its metabolites were measured in pork products obtained from an animal given a single dose of the drug. In addition, the gastrointestinal absorption of residues after ingestion of cooked pork by dogs was assessed by analysis of blood and urine for SMZ and its metabolites. No loss of SMZ could be detected in pork loin,liver, and cured ham as a result of cooking by various methods
Women's Self-Disclosure of HIV Infection: Rates, Reasons, and Reactions

A survey of 65 ethnically diverse women at 2 outpatient HIV clinics revealed relatively low rates of disclosure of HIV-positive serostatus to extended family members, somewhat higher rates for immediate family members, and highest rates for lovers and friends. Spanish-speaking Latinas were less likely to disclose their serostatus or to discuss HIV-related worries with others than English-speaking Latinas, African Americans, and Anglo Americans. Reasons for disclosure and nondisclosure varied by target. In general, targets reacted positively to disclosure. Implications for clinicians treating women with HIV infection are discussed.
Chromosomes of Crassulaceae from Japan and South Korea

Chromosome numbers are reported for 257 collections, representing all but about five of the approximately 35 species of Crassulaceae native to Japan and South Korea, 21 of them for the first time. These species differ considerably among themselves in their chromosomes: in number, in size, and in the constancy or variation within species. A higher proportion of triploids and other odd-ploids has been found than is known in the family elsewhere, usually accompanied by obvious adaptations for vegetative propagation. Several species or species complexes that vary greatly in their morphology have been found to vary also in their chromosomes; but not enough is known about them yet to propose new ways of classifying them. Rough measurements of nuclear volume support the conclusion that members of two species complexes differ in the types of chromosome change predominating in their evolution, polyploidy in S. Sect. Aizoon and structural chromosomal rearrangements in S. polytrichoides sensu latiore.
Divalent cation biding to reduced and octanoyl acyl‐carrier protein

Mn(II) EPR binding studies with reduced acyl-carrier protein (ACP-SH) strongly suggest the presence of two relatively high-affinity manganese-binding sites (average Kd/site ∼ 80 μM) at physiological pH. Lowering the pH or titrating with sodium chloride reduces the average number of bound divalent cations and decreases the binding affinity. This is consistent with the idea that anionic ligand(s), e.g. the carboxylate of glutamic or aspartic acid, on the protein are involved in manganese ion coordination. At pH values above 8.0, binding affinity is also reduced, whereas the average number of bound metal ions increases to about five at pH 8.5. By interacting weakly with divalent cations (average Kd/site ∼ 1 mM), octanoyl acyl-carrier protein (OcoACP) exhibits dramatically different metal-ion-binding properties compared to ACP-SH. Calcium and magnesium can compete in either ACP species for manganese binding. Photochemically-induced dynamic nuclear polarisation 1H-NMR experments strongly suggest that ACP-SH and OcoACP undergo at pH-induced conformational change between pH 5.5 and pH 7.0, and that divalent cations stabilize the protein against such pH-induced structural perturbations.