cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diabetic and bariatric surgery: a review of the recent trends.

Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective treatment for diabetes associated with morbid obesity. A Pubmed search was made for all articles on bariatric surgery and diabetes from 2009 to present (March 2011) in order to identify the recent advances in this field. Herein we review the recent data available on the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on diabetes. We also review the efficacy of gastrointestinal surgery done for diabetic patients having body mass index (BMI) 5 yrs). The efficacy of sleeve gastrectomy on diabetes in the long term is not yet known. Gastrointestinal procedures for non morbidly obese and non obese patients have shown great promise as surgical optional for diabetes, though their efficacy and safety in the long term are unknown. Novel endoscopic techniques and TANTALUS have shown some promise in resolving diabetes in obese patients. Bariatric surgery is very effective is resolving adolescent diabetes.
Effectiveness of a calculus scaling gel

Abstract. This study evaluated the effect of a calculus scaling gel (SofScale TM) on time and ease of the scaling procedure in a double-blind, split-mouth clinical study of 32 subjects. The Volpe-Manhold calculus index was used to quantify the distribution and amount of calculus deposition on the lingual aspect of the man-dibular 6 anterior teeth at baseline. The gel was applied directly to the calculus and subgingivally to the area to be scaled. Pre- and post-treatment gingival and stain indices were taken. Operator and subject questionnaires were completed immediately after treatment to determine ease of the scaling procedure. Results were analyzed with paired t-tests. The time difference in scaling between the product and placebo side was not significant. This study found that SofScaleTM is safe to gingival tissues and does not promote tooth sensitivity. However, this study did not find significant differences in scaling time between product and placebo when using a 2-minute gel contact time.
nsSNPAnalyzer : identifying disease-associated nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms

Nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) are prevalent in genomes and are closely associated with inherited diseases. To facilitate identifying disease-associated nsSNPs from a large number of neutral nsSNPs, it is important to develop computational tools to predict the nsSNP's phenotypic effect (disease-associated versus neutral). nsSNPAnalyzer, a web-based software developed for this purpose, extracts structural and evolutionary information from a query nsSNP and uses a machine learning method called Random Forest to predict the nsSNP's phenotypic effect. nsSNPAnalyzer server is available at http://snpanalyzer.utmem.edu/.
Studies of ionizing radiation effects on silicon drift detectors

A 45 × 45 mm rectangular silicon drift detector (SDD) was irradiated using a 60Co γ-source and its performance was studied. The total integrated dosage was 9 krad which is equivalent to the ionizing radiation dosage that the STAR SVT inner barrel detectors are expected to receive during 10 years of running at the soon to be built RHIC collider. The detector's performance after a high temperature annealing was also studied. The detector was found to be sufficiently radiation hard for RHIC applications.
A prediction model for COPD readmissions: catching up, catching our breath, and improving a national problem

Frequent COPD exacerbations have a large impact on morbidity, mortality and health-care expenditures. By 2020, the World Health Organization expects COPD and COPD exacerbations to be the third leading cause of death world-wide. Furthermore, In 2005 it was estimated that COPD exacerbations cost the U.S. healthcare system 38 billion dollars. Studies attempting to determine factors related to COPD readmissions are still very limited. Moreover, few have used a organized machine-learning, sensitivity analysis approach, such as a Random Forest (RF) statistical model, to analyze this problem. This study utilized the RF machine learning algorithm to determine factors that predict risk for multiple COPD exacerbations in a single year. This was a retrospective study with a data set of 106 patients. These patients were divided randomly into training (80%) and validating (20%) data-sets, 100 times, using approximately sixty variables intially, which in prior studies had been found to be associated with patient readmission for COPD exacerbation. In an interactive manner, an RF model was created using the training set and validated on the testing dataset. Mean area-under-curve (AUC) statistics, sensitivity, specificity, and negative/positive predictive values (NPV, PPV) were calculated for the 100 runs. The following variables were found to be important predictors of patients having at least two COPD exacerbations within one year: employment, body mass index, number of previous surgeries, administration of azithromycin/ceftriaxone/moxifloxacin, and admission albumin level. The mean AUC was 0.72, sensitivity of 0.75, specificity of 0.56, PPVof 0.7 and NPVof 0.63. Histograms were used to confirm consistent accuracy The RF design has consistently demonstrated encouraging results. We expect to validate our results on new patient groups and improve accuracy by increasing our training dataset. We hope that identifying patients at risk for frequent readmissions will improve patient outcome and save valuable hospital resources. Keywords: COPD; random forest; prediction; readmission (Published: 30 April 2012) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2012, 2 : 9915 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v2i1.9915
Production of mitotic abnormalities by ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid

Treatment of growing roots of onion with solutions of EDTA between 0.0004 and 0.002 M was found to modify the form and distribution of the chromosomes of the meristematic cells. Similar results were obtained with 0.002 M CaCl2 or MgCl2. The effects of EDTA are attributed to alterations in the general metabolism of the cell, rather than to direct breakage of chromosomes through chelation of divalent cations serving as bridges between macromolecular complexes of protein and nucleic acids.
Electrical properties of metallic electrodes

The series equivalent resistance R and capacitance C of metal/saline electrode/electrolyte interfaces were measured as a function of frequency (100 Hz–20k Hz) and current density (0·25 to 1000 A m−2) for eight typical electrode metals. For each of the metals tested, R decreased and C increased as the current density was increased above a critical value (with the exception of silver and MP35N at frequencies above 1 kHz for which R increased and C decreased slightly). With the exception of copper, the current density linearity limit (for 10 per cent decrease in R or 10 per cent increase in C) increased with increasing frequency and, in most cases, the current density linearity limit for 10 per cent increase in C was slightly less than that for 10 per cent decrease in R. Among the metals tested, copper and aluminium had the lowest current carrying capability and rhodium had the highest current-carrying capability. The current carrying capabilities of 316 SS, platinum, silver and MP35N, were intermediate and similar. With increasing current density, an increase in the electrode/electrolyte capacitance was the most sensitive indicator of the current-carrying linearity limit.
Emission of elemental gold particles from Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica

Volcanoes are an important source of gases and aerosols in the atmosphere. Significant quantities of trace elements are emitted as vapor species [Nriagu, 1989; Symonds et al., 1987] and are strongly enriched in the gas relative to the magma [Tazieff and Sabroux, 1983; Crowe et al., 1987]. After eruption the trace elements condense on ash and other particles or they form sublimates and agglomerates. Here we report on the emission of gold (Au) from Mount Erebus, Antarctica. Although the flux of emitted Au is low compared to other volcanoes, crystalline particulate Au has been found in the plume near the crater, in ambient air up to 1000 km from the volcano and in near surface samples. Vapor phase transport of Au may occur as a chloride species and could be an important transport mechanism in crystallizing magmatic intrusions.
Photoperiod time measurement for activity, torpor, molt and reproduction in mice

Resonance light:dark cycles (LD 6:18, 6:30, 6:42, or 6:54) were used to establish that a circadian rhythm of light sensitivity is involved in the thermoregulatory and reproductive responses to a short day photoperiod in the mouse, Peromyscus leucopus. A fifth group was maintained on the long day photoperiod of LD 16:8. After 19 weeks animals presented with LD 6:18 or 6:42 exhibited short day photoperiod responses: gonadal regression, incidence of spontaneous daily torpor and molt to the winter pelage. In contrast animals responded to LD 6:30 and 6:54 as long day photoperiods: maintenance of gonadal system, no incidence of spontaneous daily torpor, and summer pelage. In a second study a T-experiment was conducted to determine that more than one circadian system may regulate these multiple photoperiodic effects. Mice were exposed to 1 of 8 LD cycles for 15 weeks (1:22.00, 1:22.25, 1:22.50, 1:23.00, 1:23.50, 1:23.75, 9:15, or 16:8), Entrained wheel-running activity occurred under all LD regimes. Mice on LD 1:22.50, 1:23.00, and 1:23.50, however, exhibited activity patterns similar to mice on LD 9:15, and they exhibited gonadal regression. Mice on LD 1:22.00, 1:22.25, and 1:23.75 exhibited activity patterns similar to LD 16:8 animals, and most of these animals remained reproductively competent. There was also a close association between occurrence of reproductive regression and daily torpor. In contrast, molt to the winter pelt occurred under all non-24-hr LD cycles. This dysynchrony in response suggests that at least 2 circadian systems are involved in photoperiodic time measurement in P. leucopus.
Polarization of electrons in quantum dashes in magnetic field

Abstract We present a calculation of the quantum mechanical anticorrelation between two electrons each occupying an elongated quantum dot (“quantum dash”) and compare it to the corresponding classical result. A nonzero anticorrelation arises due to the repulsion between electrons. While the classical system is characterized by a sharp transition in the anticorrelation function, quantum effects smear out this sharp onset. The presence of a strong external magnetic field enhances the particle localization, causing the quantum anticorrelation to approach the classical limit. Some practical applications are discussed.
A projection-based error analysis of HDG methods for Timoshenko beams

In this paper, we give the first a priori error analysis of the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) methods for Timoshenko beams. The analysis is based on the use of a projection especially designed to fit the structure of the numerical traces of the HDG method. This property allows to prove in a very concise manner that the projection of the errors is bounded in terms of the distance between the exact solution and its projection. The study of the influence of the stabilization function on the approximation is then reduced to the study of how they affect the approximation properties of the projection in a single element. Surprisingly, and unlike any other discontinuous Galerkin method, this can be done without assuming any positivity property of the stabilization function of the HDG method. We apply this approach to HDG methods using polynomials of degree k ≥ 0 in all the unknowns, and show that the projection of the error in each of them superconverges with order k + 2 when k ≥ 1 and converges with order 1 for k = 0. As a result, we show that the HDG methods converge with optimal order k + 1 for all the unknowns, and that they are free from shear locking. Finally, we show that all the numerical traces converge with order 2k + 1. Numerical experiments validating these results are shown.
Rural Jail Reentry and Mental Health Identifying Challenges for Offenders and Professionals

The current study examines the challenges of rural jail reentry including mental health issues faced by offenders returning from jails. This study compared a sample of 200 current jail inmates, 166 probation/parole officers working in rural areas, and 21 rural treatment staff working with former offenders in a treatment capacity. Overall, inmates found structural issues (e.g., employment, housing, ability to pay fines) to be more challenging while practitioners were more likely to rank personal issues (e.g., lack of motivation, temptation to reoffend) as more problematic. Various themes emerged relating to mental health issues including health insurance, medication, transportation, and co-occurrence with substance abuse. Policy implications and recommendations for the future are discussed.
Effect of freezing and freeze-drying on the viability and storage of Lilium longiflorum L. and Zea mays L. pollen.

Abstract The freeze-preservation of pollen is dependent on the interaction of several factors such as freezing rate, thawing rate, freeze-drying temperature and duration, storage temperature and environment and rehydration rates. Changes in any of these variables affects the others directly or indirectly. Rapid freezing of pollen at rates of approximately 200 °C/min maintains the highest degree of viable pollen in combination with rapid thawing rates of 218 °C/min. Rapid cooling and slow rewarming resulted in a substantial loss of pollen viability. This might indicate that intracellular ice crystals formed during rapid cooling perhaps grow into larger ice masses during slow rewarming or storage at temperatures above −50 °C. The germinability of pollen freeze-dried at temperatures below −50 °C was also prolonged over that of the controls. Germination values for unfrozen pollen stored for 30 days at 0–5 °C averaged 50% for lily and 20% for corn. Freeze-dried pollen stored for 30 days at the same temperature yielded considerably higher viability percentages for both lily and corn pollen. Drying time is an important factor, perhaps indicating that residual moisture is critical. Freeze-dried pollen can be stored at higher temperatures than frozen and control pollen. Freeze-dried material stored for five months at 0–5 °C, upon slow rehydration yielded intact grains which has average germination percentages of 25 for lily and 15 for corn. The same pollen upon rapid rehydration showed rupturing of 20–40% of the cells and practically no germination.
Mechanism of crosslinking of proteins by glutaraldehyde I: reaction with model compounds

3H-Glycine and 6-aminohexanoic acid were used as model amine compounds and reacted with glutaraldehyde. Based on the spectral characteristics and the molecular weights obtained from the reaction products, it is concluded that glutaraldehyde can modify amines to form an intermediate which absorbs at 300 nm and has a molecular weight of about 200. In the presence of excess glutaraldehyde, this intermediate is quickly converted to a much larger intermediate which absorb strongly at 265 nm. The larger intermediates are finally altered to yield a strong absorption peak at 325 nm with no apparent change in the molecular weight. These results suggest that a process of polymerization is induced by the initial reaction of glutaraldehyde with amines. The glutaraldehyde-polymer amine complex is self-limiting in size and can undergo internal rearrangement to become chemically inert.
Research hurdles complicating the analysis of infertility treatment and child health

Research aimed at the empirical evaluation of infertility treatment including assisted reproductive technologies (ART) on child health and development is hampered by investigators' inability to methodologically separate possible treatment effects from underlying fecundity impairments. While the literature continues to identify ART as a risk factor for many child health outcomes, less attention has been paid to the methodologic rigor needed to answer this question. We identify aspects of fecundity and the nuances of medical practice that need to be considered and captured when designing epidemiologic investigations aimed at assessing ART and child health. These include: (i) the use of prospective study designs in which the unit of analysis (cycle versus individual versus couple) is defined; (ii) data collection on relevant time-varying covariates at, before and during treatment; and (iii) the use of statistical techniques appropriate for hierarchical data and correlated exposures. While none of these issues in and by itself is unique to ART research, attention to these issues has been lacking in much of the published research limiting our ability to evaluate health consequences for children. Longitudinal studies of children conceived with ART will benefit from attention to these issues and, hopefully, produce answers to lingering questions about safety.
Transcription sites in spread meiotic prophase chromosomes from mouse spermatocytes.

Mouse spermatocytes at pachytene stage have been examined by whole-mount electron microscope techniques complemented with autoradiography as an approach for visualizing their transcriptive activity. Structural elements of meiotic bivalents, such as synaptonemal complexes and chromatin fibers, have been satisfactorily displayed in the total set of autosomal and sexual bivalents in single spermatocytes. Adequate preservation of the entire set of bivalents has provided a basis for recognition of sites where presumptive preribosomal RNA and heterogeneous nuclear RNA species are being transcribed at different segments of autosomal bivalents. Nucleoli attached to the basal knob region where nucleolar organizer cistrons are assumed to be located and ribonucleoprotein fibrils associated with distinct chromatin loops have been recognized. These structural findings have been correlated with display of [3H]uridine incorporation sites in thin-section and whole-mount electron microscopy autoradiographic preparations. A low transcriptive activity of the sexual bivalent contrasted with extensive gene expression in autosomal bivalents. Each sex chromosome shows a double axial core. A short region of pairing with a synaptonemal complex joins the two chromosomes at one end. We conclude that variations in the rate of RNA synthesis throughout meiotic prophase stages in the mouse are expressed as fluctuations in the amount and distribution of distinct RNA species at specific segments of the bivalents.
Synthesis of Optimum Multivariable Control Systems by the Method of Steepest Descent

The optimum synthesis of multivariable control systems with generalized quadratic error criterion is solved by using time method of steepest descent in the Hilbert space. Apart from the conventional minimization techniques, this approach works directly on the functional of the error criterion itself so that the optimal solution can be determined through sucessive approximations. Since this solution can be obtained at high speed and with high accuracy by using a digital computer, this method is particularly useful in solving the actuation problem of adaptive control systems.
Social capital and health

Social capital refers to bonds between individuals, both in intimate relationships (primary groups) and in voluntary associations (secondary groups) that make it possible for individuals and groups to achieve a variety of goals. Such bonds have also been claimed to have health promoting effects. In this chapter, I review a variety of empirical studies at both levels of analysis and suggest that the results are mixed, much depending upon the context in which such relationships occur.
What's in an Outgroup? The Impact of Outgroup Choice on the Phylogenetic Position of Thalattosuchia (Crocodylomorpha) and the Origin of Crocodyliformes

Outgroup sampling is a central issue in phylogenetic analysis. However, good justification is rarely given for outgroup selection in published analyses. Recent advances in our understanding of archosaur phylogeny suggest that many previous studies of crocodylomorph and crocodyliform relationships have rooted trees on outgroup taxa that are only very distantly related to the ingroup (e.g., Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum), or might actually belong within the ingroup. Thalattosuchia, a group of Mesozoic marine crocodylomorphs, has a controversial phylogenetic position--they are recovered as either the sister group to Crocodyliformes, in a basal position within Crocodyliformes, or nested high in the crocodyliform tree. Thalattosuchians lack several crocodyliform apomorphies, but share several character states with derived long-snouted forms with a similar ecological habit, suggesting their derived position may be the result of convergent evolution. Several of these "shared" characters may result from ambiguously worded character state definitions--structures that are superficially similar but anatomically different in detail are identically coded. A new analysis of crocodylomorphs with increased outgroup sampling recovers Thalattosuchia as the sister group to Crocodyliformes, distantly related to long-snouted crocodyliforms. I also demonstrate that expanding the outgroup sampling of previously published matrices results in the recovery of thalattosuchians as sister to Crocodyliformes. The exclusion of thalattosuchians from Crocodyliformes has numerous implications for large-scale evolutionary trends within the group, including extensive convergence in the evolution of the secondary palate characteristic of the group. These results demonstrate the importance of careful outgroup sampling and character construction, and their profound effect on the position of labile clades.
Of Asian forests and European fields: Eastern U.S. plant invasions in a global floristic context.

Background: Biogeographic patterns of species invasions hold important clues to solving the recalcitrant ‘who’, ‘where’, and ‘why’ questions of invasion biology, but the few existing studies make no attempt to distinguish alien floras (all non-native occurrences) from invasive floras (rapidly spreading species of significant management concern), nor have invasion biologists asked whether particular habitats are consistently invaded by species from particular regions. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here I describe the native floristic provenances of the 2629 alien plant taxa of the Eastern Deciduous Forest of the Eastern U.S. (EUS), and contrast these to the subset of 449 taxa that EUS management agencies have labeled ‘invasive’. Although EUS alien plants come from all global floristic regions, nearly half (45%) have native ranges that include central and northern Europe or the Mediterranean (39%). In contrast, EUS invasive species are most likely to come from East Asia (29%), a pattern that is magnified when the invasive pool is restricted to species that are native to a single floristic region (25% from East Asia, compared to only 11% from northern/central Europe and 2% from the Mediterranean). Moreover, East Asian invaders are mostly woody (56%, compared to just 23% of the total alien flora) and are significantly more likely to invade intact forests and riparian areas than European species, which dominate managed or disturbed ecosystems. Conclusions/Significance: These patterns suggest that the often-invoked ‘imperialist dogma’ view of global invasions equating invasion events with the spread of European colonialism is at best a restricted framework for invasion in disturbed ecosystems. This view must be superseded by a biogeographic invasion theory that is explicitly habitat-specific and can explain why particular world biotas tend to dominate particular environments.
Predicting Cognitive Change in Older Adults: The Relative Contribution of Practice Effects

Assessing cognitive change in older adults is a common use of neuropsychological services, and neuropsychologists have utilized several strategies to determine if a change is "real," "reliable," and "meaningful." Although standardized regression-based (SRB) prediction formulas may be useful in determining change, SRBs have not been widely applied to older adults. The current study sought to develop SRB formulas on a group of 127 community-dwelling older adults for several widely used neuropsychological measures. In addition to baseline test scores and demographic information, the current study also examined the role of short-term practice effects in predicting test scores after 1 year. Consistent with prior research on younger adults, baseline test performances were the strongest predictors of future test performances, accounting for 25%-58% of the variance. Short-term practice effects significantly added to the predictability of all nine of the cognitive tests examined (3%-22%). Future studies should continue extending SRB methodology for older adults, and the inclusion of practice effects appears to add to the prediction of future cognition.
Finite-Horizon Control-Constrained Nonlinear Optimal Control Using Single Network Adaptive Critics

To synthesize fixed-final-time control-constrained optimal controllers for discrete-time nonlinear control-affine systems, a single neural network (NN)-based controller called the Finite-horizon Single Network Adaptive Critic is developed in this paper. Inputs to the NN are the current system states and the time-to-go, and the network outputs are the costates that are used to compute optimal feedback control. Control constraints are handled through a nonquadratic cost function. Convergence proofs of: 1) the reinforcement learning-based training method to the optimal solution; 2) the training error; and 3) the network weights are provided. The resulting controller is shown to solve the associated time-varying Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and provide the fixed-final-time optimal solution. Performance of the new synthesis technique is demonstrated through different examples including an attitude control problem wherein a rigid spacecraft performs a finite-time attitude maneuver subject to control bounds. The new formulation has great potential for implementation since it consists of only one NN with single set of weights and it provides comprehensive feedback solutions online, though it is trained offline.
High-Efficiency Multi-Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells Using Screen-Printed Electrode and Wet Etching Textured Surface

The enhancement of the conversion efficiency of multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells using screen-printed electrode (SPE) on wet-etching textured surface (WETS) was examined. SPE of Ag paste of 50mm width realized the narrow interval of the finger pattern without increasing shadowing area. The reduction of both contact resistance and finger interval permits doubling the sheet resistance and increases the quantum efficiency of n-layer at front surface. Consequently, the conversion efficiency of 17.4% was obtained for a mc-Si solar cell 100mm square.
Quantitative Molecular Phenotyping of Gill Remodeling in a Cichlid Fish Responding to Salinity Stress

A two-tiered label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomics workflow was used to elucidate how salinity affects the molecular phenotype, i.e. proteome, of gills from a cichlid fish, the euryhaline tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). The workflow consists of initial global profiling of relative tryptic peptide abundances in treated versus control samples followed by targeted identification (by MS/MS) and quantitation (by chromatographic peak area integration) of validated peptides for each protein of interest. Fresh water acclimated tilapia were independently exposed in separate experiments to acute short-term (34 ppt) and gradual long-term (70 ppt, 90 ppt) salinity stress followed by molecular phenotyping of the gill proteome. The severity of salinity stress can be deduced with high technical reproducibility from the initial global label-free quantitative profiling step alone at both peptide and protein levels. However, an accurate regulation ratio can only be determined by targeted label-free quantitative profiling because not all peptides used for protein identification are also valid for quantitation. Of the three salinity challenges, gradual acclimation to 90 ppt has the most pronounced effect on gill molecular phenotype. Known salinity effects on tilapia gills, including an increase in the size and number of mitochondria-rich ionocytes, activities of specific ion transporters, and induction of specific molecular chaperones are reflected in the regulation of abundances of the corresponding proteins. Moreover, specific protein isoforms that are responsive to environmental salinity change are resolved and it is revealed that salinity effects on the mitochondrial proteome are nonuniform. Furthermore, protein NDRG1 has been identified as a novel key component of molecular phenotype restructuring during salinity-induced gill remodeling. In conclusion, besides confirming known effects of salinity on gills of euryhaline fish, molecular phenotyping reveals novel insight into proteome changes that underlie the remodeling of tilapia gill epithelium in response to environmental salinity change.
Correlation Between Acoustic Emission and Wear of Multi-Layer Ceramic Coated Carbide Tools

Acoustic emission (AE) was used to monitor the machining process and tool condition during turning of AISI 4340 steel with uncoated, two-layer (TiC/A1 2 O 3 ) coated, and three-layer (TiC/Al 2 O 3 /TiN) coated cemented WC-Co tools. The experiments were performed at four different feedrates and constant cutting speed and depth of cut. The variation of the AE signal with cutting time is interpreted in light of the dominant mechanisms, rates, and patterns of wear and the contact friction conditions at the tool/workpiece and tool/chip interfaces. Correlations between intrinsic frequencies and AE sources are identified by examining the root-mean-square, dominant amplitude, type, and count rate of the AE signals. It is shown that AE frequencies in the range of 50-100 kHz are primarily due to plastic deformation in the near-surface tool regions and the primary, secondary, and tertiary shear zones of the workpiece, whereas cracking leading to coating delamination and WC grain pull-out generates frequencies in the range of 170-200 kHz. The tool life estimated from the root-mean-square of the AE signal is shown to be in good agreement with that determined from measurements of the maximum wearland width on the tool nose. The obtained results demonstrate that AE is an effective technique for in-process wear monitoring and wear mechanism identification of multi-layer ceramic coated tools.
Moment Method Analysis of the Electric Field under EHV Transmission Lines

The charge moment method is applied to the analysis of electric fields under EHV transmission lines over irregular terrain.
Transcellular migration of neutrophils is a quantitatively significant pathway across dermal microvascular endothelial cells

Neutrophil extravasation is central to inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In vivo, neutrophils have been shown to migrate through cell-to-cell junctions (paracellular pathway) or directly through the body of the endothelial cell (transcellular pathway). In vitro, however, neutrophil migration is a largely paracellular process where cells preferentially cross at tricellular corners devoid of tight junctions. To approximate the type of cells encountered by extravasating neutrophils in vivo, we developed a neutrophil-migration assay using primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. We show here that a large proportion of migrating neutrophils traverse a monolayer of microvascular endothelium using a purely transcellular pathway. In addition, we demonstrate that F-actin is rearranged similarly in neutrophils undergoing diapedesis along either route. This in vitro model closely simulates the physiological process of neutrophil extravasation in vivo and can be further utilized to evaluate the relative contribution of distinct migratory pathways to the pathophysiology of inflammatory skin disease.
RELATING SIZE OF JUVENILES TO SURVIVAL WITHIN AND AMONG POPULATIONS OF CHINOOK SALMON

Understanding relationships between the size of individuals and their sub- sequent survival can not only provide insights into mechanisms of mortality, but can also identify traits to measure for monitoring at-risk populations. We analyzed a data set of more than 54 000 juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from 15 populations over five years. The juveniles were tagged during the summer in their freshwater rearing habitats and then recaptured at downstream sites the following spring after an extended rearing and overwintering period. We measured the length and weight of fish at tagging and computed a "condition index" that determined how fat or thin a fish was relative to others. Among populations, mean length and mean condition index were poor predictors of survival, but we did detect year and site effects. Within populations, survival was strongly related to the relative length of individuals but not to relative condition index. Our results are consistent with length-related mechanisms of mortality mediated by hierarchical be- havior, and thus merely measuring changes in mean values of morphological traits in populations of juveniles may provide little insight into expected changes in population viability. Expanding upon these results, we predicted a nearly 60% increase in selection for juvenile fish length when we extended our observation period through adulthood. Thus, monitoring populations through only a portion of their life history may present an incom- plete picture of their survival variability.
An analysis of security price risk and return among publicly traded pharmacy corporations.

Abstract Background Community pharmacies have been subject to intense and increasing competition in the past several decades. Objective To determine the security price risk and rate of return of publicly traded pharmacy corporations present on the major U.S. stock exchanges from 1930 to 2009. Methods The Center of Research in Security Prices (CRSP) database was used to examine monthly security-level stock market prices in this observational retrospective study. The primary outcome of interest was the equity risk premium, with analyses focusing upon financial metrics associated with risk and return based upon modern portfolio theory (MPT) including: abnormal returns (i.e., alpha), volatility (i.e., beta), and percentage of returns explained (i.e., adjusted R 2 ). Three equilibrium models were estimated using random-effects generalized least squares (GLS): 1) the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM); 2) Fama–French Three-Factor Model; and 3) Carhart Four-Factor Model. Results Seventy-five companies were examined from 1930 to 2009, with overall adjusted R 2 values ranging from 0.13 with the CAPM to 0.16 with the Four-Factor model. Alpha was not significant within any of the equilibrium models across the entire 80-year time period, though was found from 1999 to 2009 in the Three- and Four-Factor models to be associated with a large, significant, and negative risk-adjusted abnormal returns of −33.84%. Volatility varied across specific time periods based upon the financial model employed. Conclusion This investigation of risk and return within publicly listed pharmacy corporations from 1930 to 2009 found that substantial losses were incurred particularly from 1999 to 2009, with risk-adjusted security valuations decreasing by one-third.
The Relationship between Organizational Ethical Culture and the Ethical Behavior of Employees: A Study of Accounting and Finance Professionals in the Insurance Industry of United States

This study explores the relationship between organizational ethical culture and ethical behavior of accounting/finance professionals working in the insurance industry in the United States. Results of 100 respondents in five different insurance organizations suggest that there is a significant relationship between organizational ethical culture and ethical behavioral intentions given bad debt write off and insider trading ethical vignettes. This was consistent with prior research findings that written (formal) and unwritten (informal) organizational policies significantly affect employees’ ethical decision-making (Sims and Keon, 2000 & 1997). Key (1999) also argued that organizational culture sends messages as to sanctioned and unsanctioned behavior.
The increase in animal mortality risk following exposure to sparsely ionizing radiation is not linear quadratic with dose

Introduction The US government regulates allowable radiation exposures relying, in large part, on the seventh report from the committee to estimate the Biological Effect of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR VII), which estimated that most contemporary exposures- protracted or low-dose, carry 1.5 fold less risk of carcinogenesis and mortality per Gy than acute exposures of atomic bomb survivors. This correction is known as the dose and dose rate effectiveness factor for the life span study of atomic bomb survivors (DDREFLSS). It was calculated by applying a linear-quadratic dose response model to data from Japanese atomic bomb survivors and a limited number of animal studies. Methods and Results We argue that the linear-quadratic model does not provide appropriate support to estimate the risk of contemporary exposures. In this work, we re-estimated DDREFLSS using 15 animal studies that were not included in BEIR VII’s original analysis. Acute exposure data led to a DDREFLSS estimate from 0.9 to 3.0. By contrast, data that included both acute and protracted exposures led to a DDREFLSS estimate from 4.8 to infinity. These two estimates are significantly different, violating the assumptions of the linear-quadratic model, which predicts that DDREFLSS values calculated in either way should be the same. Conclusions Therefore, we propose that future estimates of the risk of protracted exposures should be based on direct comparisons of data from acute and protracted exposures, rather than from extrapolations from a linear-quadratic model. The risk of low dose exposures may be extrapolated from these protracted estimates, though we encourage ongoing debate as to whether this is the most valid approach. We also encourage efforts to enlarge the datasets used to estimate the risk of protracted exposures by including both human and animal data, carcinogenesis outcomes, a wider range of exposures, and by making more radiobiology data publicly accessible. We believe that these steps will contribute to better estimates of the risks of contemporary radiation exposures.
Drug discrimination analysis of midazolam under a three-lever procedure. II: Differential effects of benzodiazepine receptor agonists.

Twelve rats were trained to discriminate 0.32 and 3.2 mg/kg s.c. midazolam from no drug under a three-lever, multiple trials drug discrimination procedure. In cumulative dose-response tests, midazolam s.c. (0.032-10 mg/kg) and i.p. (0.1-10 mg/kg) occasioned dose-dependent increases first in 0.32 mg/kg (low-dose) lever responding and then in 3.2 mg/kg (high-dose) lever responding. The benzodiazepines diazepam (0.032-18 mg/kg) and triazolam (0.0032-3.2 mg/kg) produced patterns of generalization similar to that of midazolam; however, chlordiazepoxide (0.1-32 mg/kg), lorazepam (0.032-10 mg/kg), flurazepam (0.01-10 mg/kg), bretazenil (0.01-32 mg/kg) and the imidazopyridazine zolpidem (0.032-3.2 mg/kg) dose-dependently occasioned > 80% responding on the low- but not the high-dose midazolam lever. Clonazepam (0.1-10 mg/kg) occasioned 0% responding on the high-dose lever, but also failed to occasion full generalization to the low-dose midazolam lever in 40% of the rats. Bretazenil has been well-characterized as a partial benzodiazepine agonist and zolpidem as benzodiazepine-receptor-subtype selective; the present results are consistent with their partial or selective agonist effects in those other paradigms. The differential effects of the classic 1,4 benzodiazepine agonists tested suggest that the discriminative stimulus effects of these other compounds may be more differentiable than previous drug discrimination studies have suggested. This three-choice drug discrimination procedure appears to be a useful model for studying relative intrinsic efficacies of this class of compounds.
Optimal Robust Control for Bipedal Robots through Control Lyapunov Function based Quadratic Programs

This paper builds off of recent work on rapidly exponentially stabilizing control Lyapunov functions (RES-CLF) and control Lyapunov function based quadratic programs (CLFQP) for underactuated hybrid systems. The primary contribution of this paper is developing a robust control technique for underactuated hybrid systems with application to bipedal walking, that is able to track desired trajectories with significant model perturbation (mass and inertia increased by up to 200%.) We evaluate our proposed control design on a model of RABBIT, a five-link planar bipedal robot.
Perch use by laying hens in a commercial aviary

Non-cage housing systems, such as the aviary, are being implemented by the laying hen industry, including in North America, in an attempt to improve the welfare of hens. Perches are a resource that is consistently included in aviaries. Hens are strongly motivated to perch, and perching can improve leg bone strength. However, hens may prefer elevated perches, particularly at night, and thus simply providing perches is not enough to improve welfare; they must be provided in a way that allows all hens to access them. Observations of laying hens using perches and ledges (flat, solid metal shelves to assist hens' movement between tiers) in a commercial aviary revealed variation in where hens roosted within the tiered aviary enclosure across the flock cycle (peak, mid and end of lay; P < 0.001 for all age points). Hens most often preferred roosting in the highest enclosure levels, leading to crowding on upper perches and ledges while perch space remained available on lower levels. Restricted access to preferable perches may cause frustration in hens, leading to welfare issues. Hens roosted more on perches at peak lay than mid and end lay (P < 0.001) but roosted less on ledges at peak lay than mid and end lay (P < 0.001). Additionally, more hens roosted on both perches and ledges in the 'dark' observation period compared with the number of hens roosting during the 'light' observation period (P < 0.001). Further research should look at all structural elements within the system that are used by hens for roosting, such as edges of tiers and upper wire floors, to evaluate how changes in perching preferences across the lay cycle may correlate with system design and bird-based parameters.
Cancellation policies in the hotel, airline and restaurant industries

Littlewood’s Rule and Expected Marginal Seat Revenue (EMSR) maximize revenue through the allocation of various fares quoted for different levels of customers’ willingness to pay. Both assume no cancellations or no-shows, an unrealistic assumption. The airline industry, by contrast, has been consistently stringent about such policies. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to provide an overview of cancellation policies across airline, hotel and restaurant industries. Specifically, this study demonstrates the origin of cancellation policies, mathematics modeling of cancellation policies, how major changes have occurred and their consequent impacts that currently allow for cancellation sophistications in industries.
Potential role of a quetiapine metabolite in quetiapine-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis.

Clozapine was the first of the atypical antipsychotics to be developed, but its use has been restricted because of toxicity issues, particularly the risk of potentially life-threatening drug-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis, which occurs in about 1% of patients. Bioactivation of clozapine by peroxidases forms a reactive nitrenium ion, which covalently adducts to protein and leads to neutrophil toxicity. The current generation of clozapine-inspired atypical antipsychotics has reduced toxicity through improved potency/decreased dose or through structural modification to prevent peroxidase-catalyzed nitrenium ion formation. Through the substitution of sulfur for the bridging nitrogen found in clozapine, quetiapine does not directly form a nitrenium ion when incubated with myeloperoxidase/H2O2. We present evidence that cytochrome P450 2D6 catalyzes the formation of 7-hydroxyquetiapine, which can be oxidized by human myeloperoxidase to form a reactive quinone-imine and a reactive radical, which may acco...
PATERNITY ANALYSIS IN A NATURAL POPULATION OF ASCLEPIAS EXALTATA: MULTIPLE PATERNITY, FUNCTIONAL GENDER, AND THE "POLLEN-DONATION HYPOTHESIS".

Recently, some evolutionary biologists have argued that selection on the male component of fitness shapes the evolution of reproductive characters in angiosperms. Floral features, such as inflorescence size, that lead to increased insect visitation without a concomitant increase in seed production are viewed as adaptations to enhance the probability of fathering seeds on other plants. In tests of this "pollen donation hypothesis," male reproductive success has usually been measured indirectly by flower production, pollinator visitation, or pollen removal. We tested the pollen donation hypothesis directly by quantifying the number of seeds sired by individual genotypes in a natural population of poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata, in southwestern Virginia. Multiple paternity was low within fruits, a fact which allowed us to use genotypes of progeny arrays to identify a unique pollen parent for 85% of the fruits produced in the population. Seeds sired (male success) and seeds produced (female success) were significantly correlated with flower number per plant (for male success, r = 0.32, P > 0.05; for female success, r = 0.66, P > 0.001). While the number of pollinaria removed, the usual estimator of male success in milkweeds, was highly correlated with numbers of seeds sired (r = 0.47; P > 0.001), it was even more highly correlated with numbers of seeds produced (r = 0.71, P > 0.001). Analysis of functional gender indicated that plants with many flowers did not behave primarily as males. In fact, individuals with the highest total reproductive success contributed equally as males and females. Furthermore, estimates of gender based on numbers of flowers produced or pollinaria removed overestimated the number of functional males in the population. In pollen-limited species, such as many milkweeds, proportional increases in both male and female reproductive success indicate the potential for selection to shape the evolution of large floral displays through both male and female functions.