cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bupivacaine increases the rate of motoneuron death following peripheral nerve injury.

BACKGROUND Appropriate management of pain after an injury or surgical procedure has been shown to improve patient outcomes. While infrequent, nerve damage resulting from regional anesthesia can be devastating, however the mechanism remains unknown. Local anesthetics are neurotoxic yet are frequently applied to sites where peripheral nerves are regenerating. Therefore, understanding their effects on injured and growing neurons may have important implications for clinical practice. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if local anesthetics exacerbate the rate of motoneuron death following axotomy. METHODS Mice were subjected to a unilateral transection of the facial motor nerve, and either normal saline, 2% lidocaine, or 0.75% bupivacaine was placed at the injury site. Four weeks post-axotomy, percent survival was determined by comparing the number of motoneuron cell bodies on the injured side and the uninjured control side. RESULTS The average facial motoneuron survival in the saline, lidocaine, and bupivacaine groups 4 weeks after axotomy was 80%, 78% and 35%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that bupivacaine exacerbates levels of cell death in injured motoneurons. It has been proposed that once a nerve is damaged, it becomes more susceptible to injury elsewhere along the nerve. Thus, an improved understanding of the effects of local anesthetics on neuron survival and axon regeneration may lead to strategies to identify patients at higher risk for permanent neural deficits after peripheral nerve blocks and/or decrease the risk of neural deficit following peripheral nerve blocks.
Reconciling Efficient Markets with Behavioral Finance: The Adaptive Markets Hypothesis

The battle between proponents of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis and champions of behavioral finance has never been more pitched, and there is little consensus as to which side is winning or what the implications are for investment management and consulting. In this article, I review the case for and against the Efficient Markets Hypothesis, and describe a new framework - the Adaptive Markets Hypothesis - in which the traditional models of modern financial economics can co-exist alongside behavioral models in an intellectually consistent manner. Based on evolutionary principles, the Adaptive Markets Hypothesis implies that the degree of market efficiency is related to environmental factors characterizing market ecology such as the number of competitors in the market, the magnitude of profit opportunities available, and the adaptability of the market participants. Many of the examples that behavioralists cite as violations of rationality that are inconsistent with market efficiency - loss aversion, overconfidence, overreaction, mental accounting, and other behavioral biases - are, in fact, consistent with an evolutionary model of individuals adapting to a changing environment via simple heuristics. Despite the qualitative nature of this new paradigm, I show that the Adaptive Markets Hypothesis yields a number of surprisingly concrete applications for both investment managers and consultants.
Symplectic rigidity of real and complex polydiscs

Abstract In R 2 n with its standard symplectic structure, the complex polydisc, D C 2 n ( r ) , is constructed as the product of n open complex discs of radius r. When n = 2 , the real polydisc, D R 4 ( r ) , is constructed as the product of 2 open real/Lagrangian discs of radius r. Sukhov and Tumanov recently showed that D C 4 ( 1 ) and D R 4 ( 1 ) are not symplectically equivalent. We extend this result in two ways. First we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for an orthogonal image of D C 4 ( 1 ) to be symplectically equivalent to D C 4 ( 1 ) . Second, we show that for all r ≥ 1 and n ≥ 1 , D R 4 ( 1 ) × D C 2 n − 4 ( r ) is not symplectically equivalent to D C 4 ( 1 ) × D C 2 n − 4 ( r ) .
Multicultural Literature as a Classroom Tool

Multicultural literature can be found all across classrooms in the United States. I argue it is more important what you do with the literature than just having it in the classroom. Multicultural li...
The meaning of "capacity building" for the nurse workforce in sub-Saharan Africa: An integrative review

Abstract Background "Capacity building" is an international development strategy which receives billions of dollars of investment annually and is utilized by major development agencies globally. However, there is a lack of consensus around what "capacity building", or even "capacity" itself, means. Nurses are the frequent target of capacity building programming in sub-Saharan Africa as they provide the majority of healthcare in that region. Objectives This study explored how "capacity" was conceptualized and operationalized by capacity building practitioners working in sub-Saharan Africa to develop its nursing workforce, and to assess Hilderband and Grindle's (1996) "Dimensions of Capacity" model was for fit with "capacity's" definition in the field. Design An integrative review of the literature using systematic search criteria. Data sources searched included PubMed, the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, the Excerpt Medica Database, and Web of Science. Review methods This review utilized conventional content analysis to assess how capacity building practitioners working in sub-Saharan Africa utilize the term "capacity" in the nursing context. Content analysis was conducted separately for how capacity building practitioners described "capacity" versus how their programs operationalized it. Identified themes were then assessed for fit with Hilderband and Grindle's (1996) "Dimensions of Capacity" model. Results Analysis showed primary themes for conceptualization of capacity building of nurses by practitioners included: human resources for health, particularly pre- and post- nursing licensure training, and human (nursing) resource retention. Other themes included: management, health expenditure, and physical resources. There are several commonly used metrics for human resources for health, and a few for health expenditures, but none for management or physical resources. Overlapping themes of operationalization include: number of healthcare workers, post-licensure training, and physical resources. The Hilderband and Grindle (1996) model was a strong fit with how capacity is defined by practitioners working on nursing workforce issues in sub-Saharan Africa. If overall significant differences between conceptualization and operationalization emerged, as the reader I want to know what these differences were. Conclusions This review indicates there is significant informal consensus on the definition of "capacity" and that the Hilderbrand and Grindle (1996) framework is a good representation of that consensus. This framework could be utilized by capacity building practitioners and researchers as those groups plan, execute, and evaluate nursing capacity building programming.
Communications Traffic Performance for Cellular Systems with Mixed Platform Types

Cellular communication systems that support a mixture of platform types distinguished by different mobility characteristics are considered. A tractable analytical model for traffic performance analysis is developed using multi-dimensional birth-death processes and the method of phases. The framework allows consideration of homogeneous and non-homogeneous systems, a broad class of dwell time distributions, and “missed” hand-off initiations. Cut-off priority for hand-offs and several platform types are considered to demonstrate the approach. The effects of different mobility parameters and of imperfect detection of hand-off needs are examined. Theoretical performance characteristics are obtained. These exhibit carried traffic, hand-off activity, blocking probability and forced termination probability for each platform type. The realizable exchange of blocking for hand-off performance is shown.
Allergic and Atopic Features of Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis

The increased incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis has mirrored the rise in allergies over the past decade. Eosinophilic esophagitis shares many features of other atopic diseases. The inflammatory cells and cytokines secreted are similar to what is seen in the classic atopic disorders such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Both environmental and food-specific IgE is present in the majority of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis. As with other atopic disorders, improvement occurs with elimination of the offending allergen or with the use of topical corticosteroids. Patients with eosinophilic esophagitis have a higher prevalence of these other atopic disorders, as well as a family history of atopy. Taken together, this implies a strong correlation between allergy, atopy, and eosinophilic esophagitis.
Removing Condition (A6)

We prove here that if x ∞is a critical point at infinity of index io + i ∞larger than or equal to 3, then the sequence of Morse indices of its iterates is strictly increasing, allowing us to focus on exactly one iterate in order to fulfill the conditions which warrant that our homology is well defined. Namely, letx∞ k be the iterate of x∞of order k. The Ho1-index ofx∞ k is clearlykio We denotei∞ k the index at infinity ofx∞kWe then have the following result.
Screening and Treatment of Early Diabetic Renal Disease in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

As has been discussed elsewhere in this text, diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the care of patients with diabetes and ESRD contributes significantly to health care costs. Of patients with type 1 diabetes, approx 20–30% will eventually develop ESRD (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), whereas about 10–20% of those with type 2 diabetes will do so (2,5, 6, 7, 8). In the past couple of decades, there have been notable advances in our knowledge regarding the early stages of diabetic kidney disease, including the advent of interventions that can significantly slow or even reverse the course of progressive disease. In this chapter, we will review the definition and detection of early diabetic kidney disease, its natural history, current proven therapies, and potential future therapies.
A screening-level life cycle greenhouse gas analysis of CO2 enhanced oil recovery with CO2 sourced from the Shute Creek natural gas-processing facility

Abstract This life cycle analysis (LCA) evaluates life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a system that produces both natural gas and crude oil. Two systems are defined: System 1, which independently produces natural gas and oil, and System 2, which captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from the natural gas-processing plant and utilizes this captured CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The LCA uses customized spreadsheet models with emission factors from peer-reviewed literature and publications of the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. The modeling results show that the CO2 EOR scenario using captured CO2 produces both natural gas and oil with lower life cycle GHG emissions than alternative systems producing natural gas and oil independently. Sensitivity analyses show that the model results are most sensitive to the fraction of CO2 captured (or equivalently, the fraction of CO2 vented) at the natural gas-processing facility and the incremental oil recovery factor and net CO2 utilization factor of the EOR operations. The input variable driving the relative difference in life cycle GHG emissions between these two systems is the fraction of CO2 captured at the natural gas-processing facility (i.e., the capture rate). The results of this study highlight the necessity of linking processes in the life cycle modeling, as a change to one process can affect other processes within the coupled energy system comprised of natural gas and oil. In addition, this analysis shows, as prior work has also suggested, that CO2 EOR using captured anthropogenic CO2 provides a viable means for offsetting carbon emissions from oil production and combustion via the associated storage of CO2 that occurs incidentally during this tertiary method of oil recovery.
Environmental Exposure History and Vulvodynia Risk: A Population-Based Study

Abstract Background: Risk factors for vulvodynia continue to be elusive. We evaluated the association between past environmental exposures and the presence of vulvodynia. Materials and Methods: The...
Allan H. Pasco. Balzac, Literary Sociologist

From warnings about the unbridled power of “new” media and the loss of family values to descriptions of the cultural conflicts between new and old generations, much of what Honore de Balzac had to ...
Is the Nervous System More Important Than the Immune System in Itch and Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a common cutaneous disorder characterized by severe itch, chronic inflammation, and increased nerve fiber density. It has been assumed that the neural changes are in response to ongoing inflammation. We used in vivo imaging over time of fluorescently labeled peripheral sensory nerves during epicutaneous sensitization to ovalbumin in an allergic mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Visualization of cutaneous nerve branches and blood vessels sequentially over months revealed that peripheral sensory nerves begin to pathfind within 48 hours of antigen exposure. Innervation density and arbor complexity of neuropeptidergic fibers in the skin increased within days. Neural sprouting preceded changes in vascularization, vascular permeability, and immune infiltration. Blocking neural activation during periods of sensitization prevented ovalbumin-induced changes in neural recruitment and pattern reorganization, as well as subsequent inflammatory infiltrates and scratching behavior. These data implicate different roles for recently identified itch molecules in modulating various steps in the inflammatory response. Thus, in contrast to the traditional view that neural changes are reactive to inflammation and scratching, these data suggest that allergic stimulation in a chronic eczema model requires neural recruitment and activation early in the process for the elaboration and maintenance of the inflammatory cascade.
Transformational Leadership and Positive Youth Development in Basketball

Given the key role coaches play in the experience of athletes, understanding the relationship between coach leadership styles and positive youth development (PYD) is crucial. This study examined th...
“How Much Does My Implant Weigh?”: Addressing Patient Concern about Weight Gain after Total Hip Arthroplasty

A common concern for patients undergoing joint replacement is that the implant will increase their body weight. In an effort to determine if in fact the joint implant is heavier than the bone removed during surgery, the authors conducted a 3-year review from 11/2014 to 11/2017 of 339 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures performed by a single surgeon. In the 339 patients, the bone and tissue removed from the patient was weighed. Using the known weights of each component (cup, head, and stem), the authors calculated the total mass of the hip prosthetic implant. Using deidentified patient data, they reviewed only the weight of bone and tissue removed and the calculated weight of the implant placed in each THA performed by the single surgeon. They subtracted the mass of the bone and tissue removed during surgery from the total mass of the hip implant to determine the net weight differential in the patient following surgery and calculated an average net weight gain of 124.84 g in the 339 patients who underwent THA. This weight gain of 124.84 g is equivalent to 0.275 lbs. Previous studies have only looked at weight gain or loss following total joint replacement with respect to natural weight loss/gain that may be associated with improved mobility following surgery. This is the first study to measure the actual quantifiable net weight differential due to the joint replacement itself. The authors concluded that no appreciable weight gain following THA can be attributed to the weight of the implant.
Biological Sex/Gender and Biopsychosocial Determinants of Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Trajectories

The goals of the report are to integrate recent and key foundational gender- and sex-related, post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) literature across several research domains, to highlight need for increased cross-field communication using an integrative biopsychosocial research model, and to provide recommendations for further research approaches and foci. Recent findings of TBI studies addressing gender and/or biological sex provide evidence of women’s unique risks for injury, significant differences in severity, type, and number of post-TBI symptoms reported by women vs. men, and complex, interactive molecular, genetic, psychosocial, and physiological factors that contribute differently to TBI outcomes for the sexes. Brain injury researchers, following years of failed clinical trials and mixed findings, are adopting new methods for more precisely characterizing differing effects of sex on both responses to TBI and recovery trajectories as well as underlying causes of these differences. New approaches include analysis of large data sets, use of sophisticated statistical models, more consistent exploration of sex-specific effects of TBI in more TBI study domains, and use of more precise measures. Increased cross-field communication and collaboration, stratification by sex, and increased adoption of these approaches are recommended to help advance understanding of TBI and move us closer to treatment development.
Assessment of Antibiotic Levels, Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria and Genetic Biomarkers in the Waters of the Rio Grande River Between the United States-Mexico Border.

Background. The worldwide emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria has become a health crisis, as fewer or sometimes no antimicrobial agents are effective against these bacteria. The Rio Grande R...
Empiricism or Pragmatism? Ernst Mach’s Ideas in America 1890–1910

Ernst Mach’s philosophical ideas were warmly received in America, which already had a pragmatist tradition close to Machian empiricism and budding schools of philosophy, psychology, and physics more or free of the neo-Kantian influences which were a strong academic competitor to the spread of empiricism in Europe. The founding pragmatists Charles Sanders Peirce and William James engaged directly with Mach and Paul Carus, the editor of the Monist and publisher of the Open Court press actively translated and published Mach’s works for the American public. A generation later when members of the Vienna Circle sought Academic posts in elite American universities, the ground was well prepared for their arrival as Holton and Stadler have described. Beneath the surface however, the American reaction to Mach was not one of naive admiration but fairly staunch criticism, which Mach himself appreciated and welcomed. Peirce was highly critical of Mach’s mechanics in a review and Peirce famously described Mach’s empiricism as akin to riding a horse to death. In some ways, Peirce himself had anticipated aspects of Mach’s views on mind and body, a surprising discovery I made recently. Even Carus, who declared himself an admirer, was highly critical of Mach’s theory of economy of thought. James, too, who admired Mach greatly, had major disagreements with Mach on so-called sensations of innervation in psychology, and although’s James’ own radical empiricist essays owed much to Mach’s neutral monist ideas in the Analysis, James broke away from what he saw as Mach’s excessive physical reductionism, rejecting the monism about nature that was Mach’s trademark. In short Mach’s ideas acted as a stimulus to American thinkers, but they had their own tradition and they were able to resist his authority and contribute in reverse to Mach’s own refinement of his positions.
Infiltration of liquid metals in porous compacts; modeling of permeabilities during reactive melt infiltration

Reactive infiltration is a fast and cost-effective technique for manufacturing ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are used in elevated temperature applications like rocket engine casings, jet nozzles, gas turbine blades and nuclear cladding. There is an urgent need for minimizing experimental costs as well as optimizing process parameters during manufacture, so that we have minimized manufacturing costs and reduced infiltration times. Towards this end, the objective of this research was to develop an integrated micro-macro model of reactive flow of molten silicon in a porous preform consisting of carbon-coated silicon carbide fibers and then optimize process parameters computationally. The overall objective of the research was to arrive at a modified equation of Darcy's law for flow through a porous medium with the help of numerical/computational modeling. This paper deals with the flow of silicon through porous carbon at the macro level. The macro flow of silicon was integrated with an available micro model by determining the transient porosity from the micro model and using it in Darcy's law written for the macro flow of silicon. From the results of this study, we recommend suitable process parameters such as initial temperature of the solid reactant and the specific kind of reactants to be used for achieving complete infiltration. These conclusions are drawn after observation of the rate of decrease of permeability with more reaction.
A Short WZ-style Proof of Abel's Identity

Using a certification procedure for Abel-type sums, we present a computerized proof of Abel's identity.
Recovery of Event Related Potential Signals using Compressive Sensing and Kronecker Technique

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are devices that are developed to enable the brain to communicate with a machine directly. These devices usually make use of event-related potential (ERP) component of electroencephalography (EEG) signals. BCIs have several applications, but perhaps the most important one is to communicate with the advance neuromuscular patients. P300 Speller is a method that was developed by making use of BCIs and ERPs to make it possible to communicate with a computer through EEG recordings. The sensitive nature of these signals makes it essential to make sure they have a high recovery rate once they have been compressed. Compressive sensing (CS) is a compression method which takes advantage of the potential sparsity of the signals and aims to reconstruct a signal from a smaller number of measurements that is specified by the Nyquist theorem. CS has been studied in various signal processing areas. Because of the low power consumption and the elapsed time for generating CS measurements, CS became as one of the most efficient compression methods. In this work, we study the applicability of CS and its recovery quality for ERP signals. We run the experiments based on random and deterministic sensing matrices and two different sparsifying bases. The simulation results show that the ERP signal is very suitable for CS compression up to 75% compression ratio (CR). For the recovery phase, we investigate the effects of the recently developed preprocessing approach called Kronecker- based technique. By using Kronecker-based technique in recovery, we could recover the original signal with high accuracy up to 30 dB.
Thermal Stability of Dynamical Phase Transitions in Higher Dimensional Stabilizer Codes

For all of the interest in dynamical phase transitions (DPT), it is still not clear the meaning or prevalence of these features in higher dimensional models. In this paper, we consider DPTs for stabilizer code models and quantum quenches between these models in higher dimensions, particularly $d=2,3$. We find that for many stabilizer codes, there exists a robust DPT to thermal noise which indicates the resilience of information stored in the ground space in the context of quantum error correction. That is, the critical temperature at which the DPT is lost corresponds to the theoretical upper-bound on the decoding rate for the code. We also discuss a generalization of the Wegner duality and how it can be used to characterize DPTs and other thermal properties.
A comparative analysis of EUV sheet and gate patterning for beyond 7nm gate all around stacked nanosheet FET’s (Conference Presentation)

Gate all around stacked nanosheet FET’s have emerged as the next technology to FinFET’s for beyond 7-nm scaling. With EUV technology integrated into manufacturing at 7nm, there is great interest to enable EUV direct print patterning for nanosheet patterning as a replacement to complex double patterning schemes. While front-up sheet pitches and gate pitches expected for the beyond 7nm node fall well within the EUV direct print regime (>40nm), it is unclear if direct print solutions can meet variation requirements at technology minimum sheet widths and gate lengths. Here, we explore the crossover point between direct print EUV and optical/EUV based double patterning processes for sheets and gates in the 40 – 50 nm sheet pitch/CPP regime. We demonstrate that to enable the minimum sheet widths of <20nm required for the technology, direct bright field print with shrink results in high variability. We develop a tone invert process with darkfield sheet print that utilizes a polymerizing etch to reduce variability and achieve sub-20nm sheet widths with reduced variability, comparable to a self-aligned double patterning (SADP) process. With gate length variation requirements being tighter, we show that SADP still yields a considerable improvement in line edge/width roughness over a direct print process. We project EUV technology into the future to quantify improvements that would enable direct printed gates that match SADP. Our results will provide a guideline to down-select patterning processes for the nanosheet front end while optimizing cost and complexity.
Near-earth asteroid: (285263) 1998 QE2

Abstract We present the results of an integrated effort to constrain the thermal and surface properties of near-Earth asteroid (285263) 1998 QE2 using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) during a historically approach to the Earth in May 2013. The near-infrared spectrum of (285263) 1998 QE2 is red, featureless, and exhibits a strong thermal excess beyond 2.0 μm. We model this thermal excess using the Near-Earth Asteroid Thermal Model and retrieved a model visual albedo of 0.04 ± 0.01, consistent with previous observations. Comparison with newly obtained laboratory spectra of the CM2 chondrites Murchison and the recently fallen Aguas Zarcas as well as archival spectra of Nogoya reveal that QE2 has a more Murchison/Aguas Zargas-like spectrum throughout the NIR. However, our spectrum of (285263) 1998 QE2 does not show the 0.7-μm feature observed by others and also visible in the laboratory spectra of CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. A better understanding of QE2's physical properties could help constrain models of the formation of other low-albedo NEA binaries.
A pilot study of a wearable monitoring system as an adjunct to geriatric assessment in older adults with cancer.

2062Background: Advances in health technology provide potential tools that can aid in assessing and monitoring the functional status of the growing older adult population diagnosed with cancer. We ...
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor is not Associated with Sarcoidosis Susceptibility or Severity in Whites or Blacks.

Background Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine, and increased MIF expression has been associated with the development and severity of multiple granulomatous, autoimmune diseases. However, MIF association studies have been discordant in sarcoidosis. Objective To evaluate associations between macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) promoter polymorphisms and sarcoidosis susceptibility and severity. Methods Three hundred and fifty one patients with sarcoidosis were recruited through the Genomic Research in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and Sarcoidosis (GRADS) study. Genomic DNA was isolated from serum, and the MIF -173G/C SNP [rs755622] and MIF -794 CATT5-8 microsatellite repeat [rs5844572] were genotyped. Allelic frequencies were compared between cases and healthy controls and associations between MIF alleles and sarcoidosis severity were assessed. Results The frequencies of the high expression -173C SNP and the low expression -794 CATT5 containing genotypes in white and black sarcoidosis patients were the same as those of healthy controls. High expression MIF alleles were not associated with sarcoidosis severity. Associations between MIF alleles and extrapulmonary sarcoidosis phenotypes were limited by small sample sizes. Conclusions High expression MIF genotypes were not associated with the susceptibility to or severity of pulmonary sarcoidosis in a large North American cohort. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2020; 37 (3): e2020004).
Medical Comorbidities in Geriatric Patients Undergoing Major Emergency Surgeries

Evidence-based medicine is defined as medical practice or care that emphasizes the practical application of the findings of the best available current research on the care of an individual patient. There is a lack of data on treatment of patients with multiple medical conditions and older patients are underrepresented in clinical trials. Comorbidities receive little attention in chronic disease trials. These trials should better report on comorbidities and assess the effects comorbidities have on treatment outcomes. In a world with an increasing aging population, the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery and emergent surgeries is expected to rise. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of studies analyzing emergent surgery in geriatric patients. The internist will help the surgical team in optimal preoperative preparation and postoperative care for prevention of complications, which are poorly tolerated in the geriatric population.
Temporal association between the COVID-19 Ad26.COV2.S vaccine and acute myocarditis: A case report and literature review.

With the recent approval and widespread administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen vaccines worldwide, incidence of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection has significantly decreased. In spite of their undisputed role in reducing the severity of the disease and reduction of the disease burden in the community, there have been case reports of serious side effects with these vaccines. We aim to describe a case report of myocarditis following administration of the Janssen vaccine in a healthy, young male and review the available literature on COVID-19 vaccine related myocarditis and its possible pathogenesis. This case and literature review notes a temporal association between COVID-19 vaccination and myocarditis. Despite these observations, the benefits of the vaccines far outweigh the risks of possible myocarditis.
Density functional theory calculations of magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies for ( Fe1–xCox)2B

We present and discuss density functional theory calculations of magnetic properties of the family of ferromagnetic compounds, (Fe1-xCox)2B, focusing specifically on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE). Using periodic supercells of various sizes (up to 96 atoms), it is shown that the general qualitative features of the composition dependence of the MAE is in agreement with experimental findings, while our predicted magnitudes are larger than those of experiment. We find that the use of small supercells (6 and 12-atom) favors larger MAE values relative to a statistical sample of configurations constructed with 96-atom supercells. As a result, the effect of lattice relaxations is shown to be small. Calculations of the Curie temperature for this alloy are also presented.
An Experimental Study of Oil Transport on the Piston Third Land and the Effects of Piston and Ring Designs

Faced with increasing concern for lubricating oil consumption and engine friction, it is critical to understand the oil transport mechanisms in the power cylinder system. Lubricating oil travels through distinct regions along the piston ring pack before being consumed in the combustion chamber, with the oil distribution and dominant driving forces varying substantially for each of these regions. In this work, the focus is on the lowest region in the piston ring pack, namely the third land, which is located between the second compression ring and the oil control ring. A detailed 2D LIF (Two Dimensional Laser Induced Fluorescence) study has been performed on the oil distribution and flow patterns of the third land throughout the entire cycle of a single cylinder spark ignition engine. The impact of speed and load were experimentally observed with the LIF generated real time high-resolution images, as were changes in piston and ring design. The results reveal the oil flow patterns and timing are consistent and predictable at each operating point. Speed and load variation alter the basic flow pattern through a corresponding change in inertia and gas dragging effect respectively, with ring design variation instigating specific and repeatable phenomenon onto the consistent oil flow pattern. As the majority of lubricating oil consumed in the engine crosses the third land at some point, an understanding of the timing and magnitude of the oil transport processes will allow means to be specifically developed to reduce the net oil flow across the third land towards the combustion chamber. This work forms a foundation for developing oil control strategies for the third land and for identifying how and when oil reaches the upper piston ring pack regions that directly contribute to oil consumption.
Urocanase and N-formimino-L-glutamate formiminohydrolase of Bacillus subtilis, two enzymes of the histidine degradation pathway.

Abstract Two enzymes in the pathway of l-histidine degradation were partially purified from extracts of Bacillus subtilis grown on l-histidine. Urocanase, the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of urocanate to 4-imidazolone-5-propionate, has a molecular weight of about 120,000 and is composed of at least two subunits. It is a highly unstable enzyme, partially stabilized by pyridoxal phosphate. It has a Km value of 7.7 x 10-5 m; imidazolepropionate acts as a competitive inhibitor with a Ki value of 3.1 x 10-4 m. Formiminoglutamate hydrolase, the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of N-formimino-l-glutamate to l-glutamate and formamide, has a molecular weight of about 220,000. The enzyme has a specific requirement for Mn++ at a concentration of 5 x 10-5 to 1 x 10-3 m. It also requires 2.5 x 10-3 m glutathione. The enzyme displays maximum activity at pH 8.70 and at this pH has a Km value of about 0.53 m. At pH 7.4 it has a Km value of 0.039 m. Two mutants lacking the enzymatic activity were found to produce material immunologically cross-reacting with formiminoglutamate hydrolase.
Molecular and genetic analysis of unc-7, a Caenorhabditis elegans gene required for coordinated locomotion

Mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans gene unc-7 confer an uncoordinated phenotype. Wild-type animals trace smooth, sinuous waves as they move; unc-7 mutants make irregular bends or kinks along their bodies, particularly when they move forward. The unc-7 locus has also been implicated in the nematode's response to volatile anesthetics. We have cloned unc-7 by transposon tagging: an unc-7 mutation was correlated with the insertion of the transposon Tc1, and reversion of the mutant phenotype was correlated with loss of the Tc1 element. We have physically mapped the region flanking the sites of Tc1 insertion and identified DNA rearrangements corresponding to eight additional unc-7 alleles. Northern analysis indicates that a 2.7-kb unc-7 message is present in all developmental stages but is most abundant in L1-L3 larvae. The 5' end of the message contains a trans-spliced leader SL1. An 18-kb intron is located upstream of the predicted translational start site of the gene, and DNA breakpoints of four gamma-ray-induced alleles were located within this intron. We determined the sequence of a cDNA corresponding to the unc-7 message. The message may encode a 60-kd protein whose amino acid sequence is unrelated to any other available protein sequence; a transmembrane location for the unc-7 protein is predicted. We predict from our analysis of unc-7 genetic mosaics that the unc-7 gene product is not required in muscle cells for wild-type coordination but is probably required in motor neurons (although a hypodermal role has not been excluded). We speculate that unc-7 may be involved in the function of neuronal ion channels.
Emotional variability and clarity in depression and social anxiety

Recent research has underscored the importance of elucidating specific patterns of emotion that characterise mental disorders. We examined two emotion traits, emotional variability and emotional cl...
The 1998 APHA Annual Lectu re What the UK can teach the US out health care

This paper was originally presented at the Annual Lecture of the American Public Health Association, 16th November 1998.
The RNA Helicase Mtr4p Modulates Polyadenylation in the TRAMP Complex

Many steps in nuclear RNA processing, surveillance, and degradation require TRAMP, a complex containing the poly(A) polymerase Trf4p, the Zn-knuckle protein Air2p, and the RNA helicase Mtr4p. TRAMP polyadenylates RNAs designated for decay or trimming by the nuclear exosome. It has been unclear how polyadenylation by TRAMP differs from polyadenylation by conventional poly(A) polymerase, which produces poly(A) tails that stabilize RNAs. Using reconstituted S. cerevisiae TRAMP, we show that TRAMP inherently suppresses poly(A) addition after only 3–4 adenosines. This poly(A) tail length restriction is controlled by Mtr4p. The helicase detects the number of 3′-terminal adenosines and, over several adenylation steps, elicits precisely tuned adjustments of ATP affinities and rate constants for adenylation and TRAMP dissociation. Our data establish Mtr4p as a critical regulator of polyadenylation by TRAMP and reveal that an RNA helicase can control the activity of another enzyme in a highly complex fashion and in response to features in RNA.
The Practical Uses of Fisheries History

Abstract Fisheries history has four practical uses. First, it helps us avoid bad decisions by providing a long-term vision of what we have tried and how it has worked. Second, history provides an accurate perspective on the development of our profession, verifying that conditions are neither as bad nor as good as they seem. Third, history informs the inventory stage of strategic planning, providing the baselines for setting management goals and objectives. Fourth, historical information can be used as experiments to address long-term ecological and management questions. Because of these uses, we must preserve our current work—gray literature, survey data, museum specimens, personal diaries and recollections—as the history of the future.
A Formal Perspective on the View Selection Problem

The view selection problem is to choose a set of views to materialize over a database schema, such that the cost of evaluating a set of workload queries is minimized and such that the views fit into a prespecified storage constraint. The two main applications of the view selection problem are materializing views in a database to speed up query processing, and selecting views to materialize in a data warehouse to answer decision support queries. In addition, view selection is a core problem for intelligent data placement over a wide-area network for data integration applications and data management for ubiquitous computing. We describe several fundamental results concerning the view selection problem. We consider the problem for views and workloads that consist of equality-selection, project and join queries, and show that the complexity of the problem depends crucially on the quality of the estimates that a query optimizer has on the size of the views it is considering to materialize. When a query optimizer has good estimates of the sizes of the views, we show a somewhat surprising result, namely, that an optimal choice of views may involve a number of views that is exponential in the size of the database schema. On the other hand, when an optimizer uses standard estimation heuristics, we show that the number of necessary views and the expression size of each view are polynomially bounded.
The Tissint Martian meteorite as evidence for the largest impact excavation

High-pressure minerals in meteorites provide clues for the impact processes that excavated, launched and delivered these samples to Earth. Most Martian meteorites are suggested to have been excavated from 3 to 7 km diameter impact craters. Here we show that the Tissint meteorite, a 2011 meteorite fall, contains virtually all the high-pressure phases (seven minerals and two mineral glasses) that have been reported in isolated occurrences in other Martian meteorites. Particularly, one ringwoodite (75 × 140 μm(2)) represents the largest grain observed in all Martian samples. Collectively, the ubiquitous high-pressure minerals of unusually large sizes in Tissint indicate that shock metamorphism was widely dispersed in this sample (~25 GPa and ~2,000 °C). Using the size and growth kinetics of the ringwoodite grains, we infer an initial impact crater with ~90 km diameter, with a factor of 2 uncertainty. These energetic conditions imply alteration of any possible low-T minerals in Tissint.
Teaching NeuroImages: CNS involvement in systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma

An 11-year-old boy presented with acute dysarthria and right hemiparesis. Brain MRI showed multiple enhancing supratentorial lesions (figure 1, A–C). An extensive infectious workup, CSF cytology, whole-body CT, and gallium and PET scans were unremarkable. Diagnostic brain biopsy revealed reactive astrocytosis. He improved gradually with oral prednisone and azathioprine but returned 3 months later with abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, and generalized lymphadenopathy. Brain MRI showed no new lesions. A mesenteric lymph node biopsy showed hallmark cells consistent with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (figure 2). Intrathecal methotrexate and whole-cranial irradiation resulted in radiologic resolution of lesions (figure 1, D–F). CNS involvement in CD30 ALK anaplastic large-cell lymphoma is extremely rare.1,2
Nanopore Concentration Polarization

Nanopores offer the potential for label-free analysis of individual proteins and low cost DNA sequencing. In order to design and evaluate nanopore devices, an understanding of nanopore electrokinetic transport is crucial. However, most studies of nanopore electrokinetic transport have neglected the effects of concentration polarization (CP) in the bulk fluid surrounding the pore. In this paper, we present a computational model which demonstrates the effects of CP on the background electrolyte in nanopore devices with tip diameters of 40–100 nm. We also present direct experimental observation of the distribution of an anionic dye in the vicinity of a conical nanopore. These results indicate that CP in a nanopore system can affect concentration distributions in the bulk solution tens of microns away from the pore, suggesting that typical boundary conditions used to model nanopore electrokinetic transport are incomplete.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Equivocal neurological signs, child development, and learned behavior

Ten children were tested repeatedly for five motor tasks commonly labeled “soft signs.” Finger approximation, walking heel to toe, and the equivocal Babinski improved significantly with practice. These results are interpreted as eliminating these tasks from evidence of “minimal brain damage” and questioning the validity of their inclusion in developmental tests.
Missing data imputation for remote CHF patient monitoring systems

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a leading cause of death in the United States. WANDA is a wireless health project that leverages sensor technology and wireless communication to monitor the health status of patients with CHF. The first pilot study of WANDA showed the system's effectiveness for patients with CHF. However, WANDA experienced a considerable amount of missing data due to system misuse, nonuse, and failure. Missing data is highly undesirable as automated alarms may fail to notify healthcare professionals of potentially dangerous patient conditions. In this study, we exploit machine learning techniques including projection adjustment by contribution estimation regression (PACE), Bayesian methods, and voting feature interval (VFI) algorithms to predict both non-binomial and binomial data. The experimental results show that the aforementioned algorithms are superior to other methods with high accuracy and recall. This approach also shows an improved ability to predict missing data when training on entire populations, as opposed to training unique classifiers for each individual.
Synthesis and mechanical properties of poly(styrene-b-lsobutylene-b-styrene) block copolymer lonomers

Linear and three-arm star poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (PS-PIB-PS) block copolymer ionomers possessing various counterions and levels of sulfonation were synthesized by sulfonating the polystyrene blocks of PS-PIB-PS block copolymers. Analysis of compression-molded films of the ionomers showed that the incorporation of sulfonate groups into the polystyrene blocks of these materials resulted in an increase in tensile strength, a decrease in elongation at break, and a persistence of elastic properties to much higher temperatures as compared with unsulfonated precursors. Among all counterions studied, zinc resulted in the strongest ionomers and potassium yielded the most easily processed ionomers. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the block copolymer ionomers possessed a phase-separated morphology; however, anomalous relaxations observed during the first heating cycle, but that were substantially reduced or completely absent in subsequent cycles, implied that strong ionic interactions were causing reduced processability and the formation of nonequilibrium morphologies. The observed relaxations were interpreted to be domain rearrangements brought about by the thermal energy supplied by the dynamic experiment. Annealing of films of relatively low ionic contents yielded viscoelastic behavior that was consistent with an equilibrium morphology characterized by phase-separated, partially sulfonated polystyrene domains of the same density and size as the polystyrene domains of the unsulfonated precursor. Compression molded films of high ionic content yielded a higher rubbery plateau modulus than the unsulfonated precursor, suggesting a different morphology. Solution-cast films of zinc ionomers exhibited two values for the rubbery modulus, a higher value at temperature below the T g of polystyrene and a lower value at temperature above the T q of polystyrene. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the major mass-loss process of the parent, linear block copolymer at 417°C (mid-point) and of the tetramethyl ammonium ionomer at 431°C.