cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilge Keel Influence on the Free Decay of Roll Motion of a Three-Dimensional Hull

The prediction of roll motion of a ship with bilge keels is particularly difficult because of the nonlinear characteristics of the viscous damping. Flow separation and vortex shedding caused by bilge keels significantly affect the roll damping and the magnitude of the roll response. To predict free response of roll, the Slender-Ship Free-Surface Random Vortex Method (SSFSRVM) developed in Seah & Yeung (2008) [1] was employed. It is a fast free-surface viscous-flow solver designed to run on a standard desktop computer. It features a quasi-three dimensional formulation that allows the decomposition of the three-dimensional hull problem into a series of two-dimensional computational planes, in which the two-dimensional free-surface Navier-Stokes solver FSRVM [2] can be applied. This SSFSRVM methodology has recently been further developed to model multi-degrees of freedom of free-body motion in the time domain. In this paper, we will first examine the effectiveness of SSFSRVM modeling by comparing the time histories of free roll-decay motion resulting from simulations and experimental measurements. Furthermore, the detailed vorticity distribution near a bilge keel obtained from the numerical model will also be compared with the experimental PIV images. Next, we will report, based on the time-domain simulation of the coupled hull and fluid motion, how the roll decay coefficients and the flow field are altered by the span of the bilge keels. Plots of vorticity contour and vorticity iso-surface along the three-dimensional hull will be presented to reveal the motion of fluid particles and vortex filaments near the keels.It is appropriate and an honor for me to present this roll-damping research in the Emeritus Professor J. R. Paulling Honoring Symposium. It was from “Randy” that I first acquired the concept of equivalent linear damping. Even more so, I am very grateful for his teaching, guidance and friendship of many years. — R. W. YeungCopyright © 2014 by ASME
Sensitivity Analysis of a Class of Differential-difference Systems

ABSTRACT The paper applies the theory of sensitivity analysis to a class of dynamical systems which possess hereditary influences. The analysis finds application in predicting or extrapolating the behaviour of a system subject to changes in its parameters about their nominal values. A sub-class of systems which lead to a mathematical formulation involving linear differential-difference equations is specifically considered. Computational schemes are given for the parametric and temporal influence functions.
Divacancy binding enthalpy and contribution of divacancies to self-diffusion in Si.

Recognition of the ``negative-U'' character of the donor levels of the single vacancy in Si compels one to make a reassessment of the long-range, Coulomb contribution to the Si divacancy binding enthalpy. On the basis of simple models, a revised value of 1.7 eV is obtained, of which 0.8 eV is from Coulomb interaction and 0.9 eV from short-range interaction. This Coulomb attraction serves to explain the previous observation that, below 340 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, divacancies anneal by long-range migration rather than by dissociation to single vacancies. Recent positron-annihilation measurements by Dannefaer et al. are shown to be consistent with this value of the binding enthalpy and with a vacancy-formation enthalpy of 2.4 eV. Some evidence is given that the positron is bound in a single vacancy with only about 1 eV of energy so that detrapping is significant above 900 K. It also seems likely that divacancy diffusion accounts for a significant fraction of Si self-diffusion above 1300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C and for the increase in self-diffusion activation energy from 4 to 5 eV between 1200 and 1400 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C.
Glucosinolates in the human diet. Bioavailability and implications for health

The glucosinolates are a large group of sulphur-containing glucosides found in brassica vegetables. After physical damage to the plant tissue, glucosinolates are broken down, by the endogenous enzyme myrosinase, releasing glucose and a complex variety of biologically active products. The most important and extensively studied of these compounds are the isothiocyanates. Glucosinolates can be degraded or leached from vegetable tissue during food processing, but thermal inactivation of myrosinase preserves some intact glucosinolates in cooked vegetables. Once ingested, any remaining intact glucosinolates may be broken down by plant myrosinase in the small intestine, or by bacterial myrosinase in the colon. Isothiocyanates are absorbed from the small bowel and colon, and the metabolites are detectable in human urine 2–3 h after consumption of brassica vegetables. Isothiocyanates are potent inducers of Phase II enzymes in vitro, and they have been shown to increase the metabolism and detoxification of chemical carcinogens in vitro and in animal models. Some of these compounds also inhibit mitosis and stimulate apoptosis in human tumour cells, in vitro and in vivo. This second effect raises the possibility that in addition to blocking DNA damage, isothiocyanates may selectively inhibit the growth of tumour cells even after initiation by chemical carcinogens. Epidemiological evidence supports the possibility that glucosinolate breakdown products derived from brassica vegetables may protect against human cancers, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract and lung. To define and exploit these potentially anticarcinogenic effects it is important to understand and manipulate glucosinolate chemistry and metabolism across the whole food-chain, from production and processing to consumption.
Imaging of the collateral ligament injuries of the knee

Abstract The role of routine and advanced imaging techniques after suspected injury to the collateral ligaments of the knee is to augment the findings on physical examination. Although radiographs may disclose avulsion injuries, the limited soft tissue contrast does not permit accurate assessment of the collateral ligaments and associated soft tissue structures. Because of its superior soft tissue contrast and multiplanar capabilities, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has largely replaced conventional imaging techniques. Using high-contrast pulse sequences, MR imaging permits localization of the site of ligamentous trauma, as well as associated soft tissue injury, including meniscal tears, cruciate ligament tears, and injury to the structures of the posterolateral corner. Although secondary signs of ligamentous injury, including adjacent soft tissue edema and bony contusions, may be helpful in localizing the site of injury, the most important criteria remains direct visualization of the ligament, with focal discontinuity. Using such criteria, accurate preoperative assessment of the injured extremity may be made, thereby aiding in the clinical management of the patient.
A Compact Ramp-Based Soft-Start Circuit for Voltage Regulators

A fully integrated soft-start circuit for voltage regulators is presented in this brief. A soft-start strategy based on a linearly ramped-up reference is adopted to prevent massive in-rush currents through the power device during the start-up phase of the regulator. The strategy is realized by a compact on-chip circuit, which requires no external components and has minimal transistor overhead, thereby minimizing the implementation area and cost of the overall regulator. The proposed soft-start circuit has been implemented in a 0.35-mum high-voltage complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology as part of a linear regulator controller for automotive applications. The proposed soft-start circuit occupies 0.026 mm2 on silicon, which corresponds to about one fifteenth of the total area of the linear regulator controller.
X-ray structures and oxidative electrochemistry of phosphine sulfides and phosphine selenides

Abstract A variety of mono- and bisphosphine sulfides and selenides were synthesized and structurally characterized by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the X-ray crystal structures were determined for eleven of these compounds. The percent buried volume was determined from the X-ray structures and the use of this measurement in estimating the steric bulk in phosphine sulfides and selenides was further developed. The oxidation of the mono- and bisphosphine chalcogenides was examined using cyclic voltammetry in methylene chloride and acetonitrile. The solvent had little effect on the observed trends in the potentials at which oxidation occurred. Both the mono- and bisphosphine chalcogenides display an irreversible oxidative wave. Many of the phosphine selenides also display a follow-up, irreversible reductive wave indicative of the formation of a Se–Se bond upon oxidation. However, the products for the oxidation of the phosphine selenides could not be isolated by chemical oxidation. The potential at which oxidation of the phosphine sulfides occurs is more positive than the analogous phosphine selenides.
Central pain: "new" syndromes and their evaluation.

Central pain syndrome is defined as pain associated with a lesion of the central nervous system. It has a low incidence but is frequently intractable and does not have effective treatment. The cause of central pain is speculative; however, the single common sensory abnormality in patients with central pain is interruption of spinothalamocortical nociceptive pathways. It appears that severe central nervous system lesions, with total destruction of ascending sensory systems, do not lead to a central pain syndrome; and that setting of mild, moderate, or severe disruption of the anterolateral ascending system with partial or complete preservation of the dorsal column/medial lemniscus functions is most frequently associated with central pain syndrome. Furthermore, even during remission, dysesthesias and pain could be triggered by additional afferent input to the large fiber/dorsal column/medial lemniscus system and, once established, they may not be abolished byadditional deafferentation. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dead-Time Effects on Counting Statistics in Subcritical Nuclear Systems

The analysis of the fluctuations of signals coming from detectors in the vicinity of a subcritical assembly of fissile materials is commonly used for the control and safeguard of nuclear materials and might be used for the surveillance of an accelerator driven system. One of the stochastic techniques is the measurement of the probability distributions of counts in time intervals {delta}t (gates); the departure of the ratio of the variance and the mean value with respect to 1 (the correlation) is directly related to the amount of fissile material and its subcriticality. The measurement of this correlation is affected by dead-time effects due to count losses because of the finite-time resolution of the detection system. We present a theory that allows (a) the calculation of the probability of losing n counts (P{sup (n)}) in gate {delta}t, (b) the definition of experimental conditions under which P{sup (2)} << P{sup (1)}, and (c) a methodology to correct the measured correlation because of losing one count in any gate. The theory is applied to the analysis of experiments performed in a highly enriched subcritical assembly.
Incentive Strength, Need State, Instrumental Task Difficulty, and the Magnitude of Goal Valence

Two experiments were performed to assess the effects of incentive strength, need state, and instrumental task difficulty on goal valence. In Experiment 1, subjects faced either an easy or a difficult task in order to avoid having to listen to aversive radio static. For some the radio static was to be loud, and for others it was to be soft. Anticipatory ratings of noise unpleasantness were as theoretically predicted, increasing as a direct function of task difficulty, but only when the stronger incentive (i.e., loud noise) was expected. In the second experiment, again subjects faced either an easy or a difficult instrumental task, but this time in an effort to win a McDonald's Big Mac™. For several hours before the experimental session, some of the subjects did not eat and the others did. In line with expectations, ratings of the attractiveness of the hamburger increased with instrumental task difficulty for subjects who had not eaten and were low and relatively uniform for those who had eaten. Results of ...
The inhibitory effect of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) on formation of neutrophil extracellular traps

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), web-like DNA structures, provide efficient means of eliminating invading microorganisms but can also present a potential threat to its host because it is a likely source of autoantigens or by promoting bystander tissue damage. Therefore, it is important to identify mechanisms that inhibit NET formation. Neutrophil elastase (NE)-dependent chromatin decondensation is a key event in the release of NETs release. We hypothesized that inhibitors of NE, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and α(1)-proteinase inhibitor (α(1)-PI), has a role in restricting NET generation. Here, we demonstrate that exogenous human SLPI, but not α(1)-PI markedly inhibited NET formation in human neutrophils. The ability of exogenous SLPI to attenuate NET formation correlated with an inhibition of a core histone, histone 4 (H4), cleavage, and partial dependence on SLPI-inhibitory activity against NE. Moreover, neutrophils from SLPI(-/-) mice were more efficient at generating NETs than were neutrophils from wild-type mice in vitro, and in experimental psoriasis in vivo. Finally, endogenous SLPI colocalized with NE in the nucleus of human neutrophils in vitro, as well as in vivo in inflamed skin of patients with psoriasis. Together, these findings support a controlling role for SLPI in NET generation, which is of potential relevance to infectious and autoinflammatory diseases.
Validating use-cases with the AsmL test tool

The Abstract State Machine Language supports use-case oriented modeling in a faithful way. In this paper, we discuss how the AsmL test tool, a new component of the AsmL tool environment, is used to generate finite state machines from use-case models which can be used for validation purposes or for testing.
International System And Foreign Policy Approaches: Implications for Conflict Modelling and Management

The quotations from Charles A. McClelland and Graham T. Allison represent two distinct approaches to the study of international relations: (i) international system analysis; and (2) foreign policy analysis. Essentially, international system analysts seek to explain interactions between nations by phenomena such as their prior interactions and the structure of the system. Foreign policy analysts, on the other hand, seek to explain foreign policy behavior as the output of subnational organizations following standard operating procedures or engaging in a problem-solving search. Given the international system and foreign policy approaches as contrasting points of departure, the goals of the present study are:
Self-Stabilization of an Actively Mode-Locked Semiconductor-Based Fiber-Ring Laser for Ultralow Jitter

Noise characteristics are studied for a self-stabilized laser utilizing the interplay between the intracavity dispersion and the optical frequency shift. The noise suppression bandwidth of this scheme is from 0 to ~100 KHz and showed the reduction of residual timing jitter (integrated from 0.9 Hz to 1 MHz) from 2.2fs to 660 attosecond which represents, to our knowledge, the lowest timing jitter reported for an actively mode-locked laser
Waning Protection after Fifth Dose of Acellular Pertussis Vaccine in Children

Background In the United States, children receive five doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine before 7 years of age. The duration of protection after five doses of DTaP is unknown. Methods We assessed the risk of pertussis in children in California relative to the time since the fifth dose of DTaP from 2006 to 2011. This period included a large outbreak in 2010. We conducted a case–control study involving members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California who were vaccinated with DTaP at 47 to 84 months of age. We compared children with pertussis confirmed by a positive polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) assay with two sets of controls: those who were PCR-negative for pertussis and closely matched controls from the general population of health-plan members. We used logistic regression to examine the risk of pertussis in relation to the duration of time since the fifth DTaP dose. Children who received whole-cell pertussis vaccine during infancy or who received any pertussis-contain...
Polymorphisms in the SHBG Gene Influence Serum SHBG Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Although diabetes-associated SNPs in SHBG are not associated with PCOS status, rs1799941 and rs727428 genotypes are independently associated with SHBG levels in PCOS women.
A Framework for Automated Diagram Assessment in Online Learning

This paper explores how to incorporate the expressiveness and learning benefits of diagrams with the computing power and scalability available in online learning. As a first step toward a framework for automated assessment of student diagrams in online learning environments, we propose a new feature for the INF ACT system's Sketch Tool. This "Blobs, Links and Labels" (BLL) feature eliminates ambiguity in diagrams by imposing a flexible, graph- inspired structure to the diagrams. Specifying assessment will be done in the style of programming- by-demonstration, where the instructor uses the system to provide examples of correct or incorrect student diagrams, which are then used by the assessment tool. In designing the BLL feature, we aim to strike a balance between diagrams' expressive power versus ease of use and ease of automated assessment.
The Primitive Equations in the Stochastic Theory of Adiabatic Stratified Turbulence

Abstract The stochastic theory of compressible turbulent fluid transport recently developed by Dukowicz and Smith is applied to the ensemble-mean primitive equations (PEs) for adiabatic stratified flow. The theory predicts a generalized Gent–McWilliams form for the bolus velocity and a single symmetric positive-definite diffusivity tensor for along-isopycnal Fickian diffusion of layer thickness and tracer distributions. When the theory is applied to the active tracer potential vorticity it provides constraints on the form of the Reynolds correlation in the momentum equation, and the turbulence closure problem is reduced to the determination of one 2 × 2 symmetric diffusivity tensor and one scalar field related to the eddy kinetic energy. The role of the rotational eddy fluxes of thickness, tracers, and potential vorticity is investigated, and a key feature of the closure is that the mean PEs do not depend on the gauge field associated with the rotational component of thickness flux, thereby eliminating th...
Forest Carbon: Law and Property Rights

Investments in reforestation and reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) have the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas accumulation; sustain ecosystem services that support human and ecological communities; and generate sustainable livelihoods for poor, forest-dependent people. But as a new form of property, forest carbon presents legal complications that no jurisdiction has completely untangled. This guide is designed to help community members, government leaders, lawyers, treaty negotiators, NGO advocates, and carbon investors do legal due diligence to understand forest carbon as property in order to support and develop sustainable forest carbon projects.
Racial Differences in Tobacco Cessation and Treatment Usage After Lung Screening: An Examination of the National Lung Screening Trial

BACKGROUND Black smokers have demonstrated greater lung cancer disease burden and poorer smoking cessation outcomes compared with whites. Lung cancer screening represents a unique opportunity to promote cessation among smokers; however, little is known about the differential impact of screening on smoking behaviors among black and white smokers. Using data from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), we examined the racial differences in smoking behaviors after screening. METHODS We examined racial differences in smoking behavior and cessation activity among 6,316 white and 497 black (median age, 60 and 59 years, respectively) NLST participants who were current smokers at screening using a follow-up survey on 24-hour and 7-day quit attempts, 6-month continuous abstinence, and the use of smoking cessation programs and aids at 12 months after screening. Using multiple regression analyses, we examined the predictors of 24-hour and 7-day quit attempts and 6-month continuous abstinence. RESULTS At 12 months after screening, blacks were more likely to report a 24-hour (52.7% vs. 41.2%, p < .0001) or 7-day (33.6% vs. 27.2%, p = .002) quit attempt. However, no significant racial differences were found in 6-month continuous abstinence (5.6% blacks vs. 7.2% whites). In multiple regression, black race was predictive of a higher likelihood of a 24-hour (odds ratio [OR], 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-2.0) and 7-day (OR, 1.5, 95% CI, 1.1-1.8) quit attempt; however, race was not associated with 6-month continuous abstinence. Only a positive screening result for lung cancer was significantly predictive of successful 6-month continuous abstinence (OR, 2.3, 95% CI, 1.8-2.9). CONCLUSION Although blacks were more likely than whites to have 24-hour and 7-day quit attempts, the rates of 6-month continuous abstinence did not differ. Targeted interventions are needed at the time of lung cancer screening to promote abstinence among all smokers. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Among smokers undergoing screening for lung cancer, blacks were more likely than whites to have 24-hour and 7-day quit attempts; however, these attempts did not translate to increased rates of 6-month continuous abstinence among black smokers. Targeted interventions are needed at the time of lung cancer screening to convert quit attempts to sustained smoking cessation among all smokers.
Severe Mental Illness in the Academy: A Secret Revealed

Professor Elyn R. Saks is a chaired professor at the University of Southern California Law School. She was valedictorian at Vanderbilt University, has a degree from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She has written numerous works on mental health issues. Professor James T. R. Jones is a professor at the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. He graduated with highest distinction from the University of Virginia and second in his class from Duke Law School. He worked at a Wall Street law firm, clerked for two federal judges, taught at the University of Chicago Law School, and is a noted expert on domestic violence. What do Professors Saks and Jones have in common? Both have severe mental illnesses: schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively. Both have been hospitalized for their conditions and take drugs that cause weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, high cholesterol, and nocturnal drooling. Severe Mental Illness in the Academy: A Secret Revealed discusses their secrecy about their diseases and their independent decisions to go public to show that people with severe mental illnesses can be highly successful law professors. Together, they are the face of severe mental illness in the Academy.
Depression and Physical Inactivity as Confounding the Effect of Obesity on Atrial Fibrillation.

Obesity is associated with an increased likelihood for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and with worsened AF symptom severity. However, other factors that are correlated with obesity may confound or mediate the relation of obesity with AF symptom severity. The purpose of this study was to determine if depression and physical inactivity may confound the association of obesity and AF symptom severity. Health status and demographic data were captured by questionnaire for 332 outpatients with documented AF. Weight/height was measured and body mass index (kg/m 2 ) calculated. Recent depression symptom severity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire. Physical activity during the last month was assessed by questionnaire. AF symptom severity was assessed using the University of Toronto AF Severity scale. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate which factors were associated with AF symptom severity. Obesity in patients with AF is associated with increased depression severity. In bivariate analysis, increasing body mass index (p = 0.001), lower levels of physical activity (p
Recent earthquake activity in the Santa Barbara Channel region

abstract A new network of seismograph stations surrounding the Santa Barbara Channel was established by the U.S. Geological Survey in late 1969. During the first 2 years of operation, 107 earthquakes were located in the region. The distribution of earthquake epicenters shows an east-west trending pattern that seems to be spatially related to offshore faults inferred from acoustic profiling. A composite first-motion plot from a cluster of ten earthquakes in the eastern channel suggests left-lateral strike-slip movements along a steeply dipping fault plane.
The Roman Military Feriale

In a major study, “The Roman Army and the Roman Religious Year,” recently published in this journal (XLV [1952] 187–252), Professor Nock has presented a new interpretation of the character and purpose of the Feriale Duranum. It is hardly necessary at this short interval to repeat his conclusions, which seem to me quite convincing, but as a postscript to Nock's study, I should like to do three things. The first is to discuss the purpose of the military Feriale when it was established, as it probably was, by Augustus. The second is to consider the distribution of the occasions in the Feriale and hence to some extent their value as breaks in the soldier's routine. Finally, I shall examine three sections of the text which for one reason or another deserve close study.
The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research

This article reviews classic and contemporary case study research in law and social science. Taking as its starting point that legal scholars engaged in case studies generally have a set of questio...
C-t Characteristics of Pr Doped ZnO Varistors

C-t characteristics of ZnO varistors containing praseodymium oxide are examined. The effects of sintering temperature on the C-t characteristics are also discussed. C-t characteristics are found to be strongly connected with the electronic interface states at the grain boundaries and useful for characterizing the interface states. When samples were sintered below 1340°C, the interface states were discrete and monoenergetic at 0.8eV below the conduction band edge. However, samples which were sintered above 1360°C formed continuously distributed levels near 0.7eV below the conduction band edge. Moreover, the density of states and varistor voltage per grain boundary rapidly increased in this temperature range. These phenomena were explained by the oxygen evolution from Pr6O11 by the reduction to Pr2O3 during the sintering process.
Urban folklore system and protection of the resources of urban folkway

With the development of urbanization, the center of folklore has changed to urban folklore. The construction of the system of urban folklore is an urging task and many problems need to be defined in theory. The resources of urban folkway, as the symbol of national spirit, need to be protected. It is a significance work to put forward protecting strategy based on the reorganization of the types of urban folkway resources.
eatment of bilateral bronchial foreign body with severe complication in children

abstractJECTIVE To elevate the rate of diagnosis and cure of the bilateral bronchia foreign body, and diminish the mortality of operation. METHODS Eeleven cases of Bilateral bronchial foreign body with severe complication were treated by pretreatment, general anesthesia, high frequent oxygen ventilation .RESULTS All cases were cured without any operation complication, two cases were operated two times. The success rate of emergency treatment were 100 percent. CONCLUSION The most common foreign body in bilateral bronchus are plants. When the chest x-ray examination and the chest auscultation is not consistent, the diagnosis of bilateral bronchial foreign body should be considered. The patient must be operated as soon as possible when the bilateral bronchial foreign body diagnosed. The operation should be performed considering the patient' s general condition. SaO2 monitoring is very important for the safety of the operation.
Peptide YY and gallbladder contraction. Studies in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of peptide YY on contraction of the gallbladder in vivo and in vitro and on contraction of the sphincter of Oddi in vitro. In conscious dogs that were prepared with strain-gauge force transducers implanted in the gallbladder wall, peptide YY (400 ng/kg, bolus; 800 pmol/kg · h, infusion) did not affect the resting contractile pattern of the gallbladder, nor did it inhibit cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8)-stimulated gallbladder contraction. In contrast, the cholecystokinin antagonist proglumide (5, 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg), given in vivo, inhibited CCK-8-stimulated gallbladder contraction in a dose-related manner. The highest dose of proglumide (80 mg/kg) completely abolished contraction of the gallbladder stimulated by CCK-8. In vitro studies showed that peptide YY (0.25, 0.5, or 1 μg/ml) did not affect the resting tension of rabbit gallbladder strips, and it did not inhibit CCK-8-stimulated contraction of gallbladder strips. Proglumide (0.4, 0.8, 1.6, or 3.2 mg/ml) inhibited CCK-8-stimulated tension of gallbladder strips in a dose-related manner. Peptide YY and CCK-8 had no effect on the motility of the canine sphincter of Oddi in vitro, whereas acetylcholine caused contraction and adrenergic agonists caused relaxation. These results suggest that peptide YY and pancreatone (a peptidelike substance, extracted from ileal and colonic mucosa, that inhibits CCK-8-stimulated gallbladder contraction in vivo) do not appear to be identical.
Quality of care in gout: from measurement to improvement.

Gout is a growing health problem, af- fecting approximately 7% of men and 3% of women over the age of 65 years. Although effective therapies for gout management exist, quality in gout care has been too frequently characterized as being "suboptimal." This review examines issues pertinent to quality of care in gouty arthritis with a focus on initial reports examining subopti- mal care, subsequent efforts to devel- op quality of care indicators for gout management, more recently published evidence-based recommendations for gout diagnosis and treatment, and an ongoing international initiative to de- velop core outcome measures for acute and chronic gout.
Genetic manipulation of putrescine biosynthesis reprograms the cellular transcriptome and the metabolome.

With the increasing interest in metabolic engineering of plants using genetic manipulation and gene editing technologies to enhance growth, nutritional value and environmental adaptation, a major concern is the potential of undesirable broad and distant effects of manipulating the target gene or metabolic step in the resulting plant. A comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of the product may shed some useful light in this regard. The present study used these two techniques with plant cell cultures to analyze the effects of genetic manipulation of a single step in the biosynthesis of polyamines because of their well-known roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. The transcriptomes and metabolomes of a control and a high putrescine (HP) producing cell line of poplar (Populus nigra x maximowiczii) were compared using microarrays and GC/MS. The HP cells expressed an ornithine decarboxylase transgene and accumulated several-fold higher concentrations of putrescine, with only small changes in spermidine and spermine. The results show that up-regulation of a single step in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway (i.e. ornithine → putrescine) altered the expression of a broad spectrum of genes; many of which were involved in transcription, translation, membrane transport, osmoregulation, shock/stress/wounding, and cell wall metabolism. More than half of the 200 detected metabolites were significantly altered (p ≤ 0.05) in the HP cells irrespective of sampling date. The most noteworthy differences were in organic acids, carbohydrates and nitrogen-containing metabolites. The results provide valuable information about the role of polyamines in regulating nitrogen and carbon use pathways in cell cultures of high putrescine producing transgenic cells of poplar vs. their low putrescine counterparts. The results underscore the complexity of cellular responses to genetic perturbation of a single metabolic step related to nitrogen metabolism in plants. Combined with recent studies from our lab, where we showed that higher putrescine production caused an increased flux of glutamate into ornithine concurrent with enhancement in glutamate production via additional nitrogen and carbon assimilation, the results from this study provide guidance in designing transgenic plants with increased nitrogen use efficiency, especially in plants intended for non-food/feed applications (e.g. increased biomass production for biofuels).
Validation of an automated spacecraft design model: Simple CEM

The Aerospace Corporation develops and maintains a suite of tools that perform spacecraft architecture and system engineering trade studies. This is both an area of strong capability and the focus of on-going research at The Aerospace Corporation. One critical area of interest in particular, and the source of much difficulty, is the accurate prediction of spacecraft cost. The current methods most often employed for these studies require significant human interaction and advanced engineering knowledge to result in accurate spacecraft designs and cost estimation. Due to these limitations, existing methods are ill-equipped to handle cost comparisons during rapid tradespace exploration. However, an alternative systems engineering model has been developed to meet these challenges: the Simple CEM (Concurrent Engineering Methodology). Compared to traditional models, the Simple CEM requires fewer inputs and has been validated at the systems level. This paper will focus on the efforts employed to validate this model on the subsystem level, which was undertaken to allow the tool to successfully tie into existing cost models, which require accurate mass inputs to provide reasonable results.
PRE-ABLATION THYROGLOBULIN AND THYROGLOBULIN TO THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE RATIO MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH PULMONARY METASTASES IN CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER.

Objective: Pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) frequently presents with extensive disease. We studied the value of pre-ablation thyroglobulin (Tg) and Tg normalized to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in predicting distant metastases in pediatric patients with DTC. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients <21 years old who underwent thyroidectomy followed by 131I ablation for DTC at 3 university hospitals over 20 years. Tg levels and the Tg/TSH ratio following surgery but prior to 131I ablation were assessed. The presence of distant metastatic disease was determined from the postablation whole-body scan. Results: We studied 44 patients with a mean age of 15.2 years (range 7 to 21 years) and mean tumor size of 2.8 cm. Eight patients had distant metastases and had a higher mean pre-ablation Tg value compared to patients without distant metastases (1,037 μg/L versus 93.5 μg/L, P<.01). The pre-ablation Tg/TSH ratio was also associated with the presence of distant metastases:...
On spectral noncircularity of natural signals

Natural signals are typically nonstationary. The complex-valued frequency spectra of nonstationary signals do not have zero spectral correlation, as is assumed for wide-sense stationary processes. Instead, these spectra have non-zero second-order noncircular statistics-that is, they are not rotationally invariant-that are potentially useful for detection, classification, and enhancement. These noncircular statistics are especially significant for transient events, which are common in many natural signals. In this paper we provide practical and effective estimators for spectral noncircularity and spectral correlation. We illustrate the behavior of our spectral noncircularity estimators for synthetic signals. Then, we derive a generalized likelihood ratio test using both circular and noncircular models and show how estimates of spectral noncircularity provide performance improvements for detection of natural acoustic events.
Molecular Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common life-threatening autosomal recessive disorders among individuals of European Caucasian descent. As a result, genetic testing for mutations in the CFTR gene is one of the most commonly ordered molecular tests in the United States. There are many FDA-approved testing platforms commercially available for molecular testing of the CFTR gene. The selection of a testing platform should rely heavily on the testing equipment available and on the ethnic makeup of the patient population that will be screened. At a minimum, any offered testing panel should at least include the panel of 23 mutations recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics. In the future, it is likely that diagnostic testing for CF will move to a next-generation sequencing-based platform.
BPCI: Everyone Wins, Including the Patient

Abstract Background Alternative payment models are becoming increasingly more common with the rising cost of the US health care. Bundled payment programs for elective hip and knee arthroplasty have shown promising results by improved outcomes and significant cost reduction. Methods All consecutive total joint arthroplasty with diagnosis-related group (DRG) 469/470 were included in this study. And 1427 episodes from 2009 to 2012 were defined as the baseline group; 461 episodes from October 2013 to September 2014 were defined as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) group. Results BPCI group had a 14% reduction in cost per episode. The average length of stay decreased from 3.81 to 2.57 days. All-cause readmissions within 90 days of surgery decreased from 16% to 10%. The average cost of readmission decreased by 23%. Net Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reconciliation payment for BPCI initiative participation was $1,012,962.79 for this 12-month study. Conclusion Our participation in the 2013-2014 CMS BPCI initiative for DRG 469/470 led to decreased readmissions and significant cost savings. In this study, minimizing hospital length of stay and discharging patients to home were the most effective strategies to achieve these outcomes.
Experimentally validated analytical expressions for the thermal efficiencies and thermal resistances of porous metal foam-fins

Abstract Novel, analytical expressions are developed for the thermal efficiency and thermal resistance associated with forced convection and conduction within a cylindrically shaped, open porous medium that is attached concentrically to a circular tube. Using the new analytical expression in conjunction with a two-temperature porous medium numerical model, a companion semi-analytical expression for the thermal efficiency of a cubical foam block attached on-center to a circular tube is also developed. Heat rates predicted with the semi-analytical model are verified through comparison with experimentally measured heat transfer rates using open-cell metal foam. Foam thermal resistances are also quantified over a range of operating conditions. The recommended ranges of application of the analytical and experimentally verified semi-analytical expressions for the thermal efficiency of both annular and square-shaped foams are also presented.
Modeling pyrolysis-induced microstructural changes in biomass: A cellular automata approach

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass is a chemically and morphologically heterogeneous material. This heterogeneity is in part responsible for the vast number of thermal decomposition products seen in pyrolysis events. While modeling of biomass pyrolysis has been a subject of much research in past years at length-scales ranging from macro to molecular, the majority of these works have focused on a range of continuum-based approaches. Though effective at capturing global outcomes, these approaches are less tractable as frameworks for capturing microstructural effects and upscaling molecular information. This work demonstrates the use of kinetic-cellular automata (k-CA) as an alternative platform for the modeling and simulation of biomass pyrolysis. Asides from being effective at capturing transport and chemical processes in highly heterogeneous system, k-CA is capable of modeling microstructural changes that occur as a result of chemical and physical transformations. A number of benchmark trials demonstrated the convergence of the k-CA to global continuum outcomes. Application of the k-CA to actual two-dimensional (2-D) biomass microstructures show promise for this platform as an intermediate length-scale tool capable of predicting char morphologies that mimic experimental outcomes at length-scales between those of atomistic events and those governed by macroscopically averaged approaches.
Fine-tuning the release of molecular guests from mesoporous silicas by controlling the orientation and mobility of surface phenyl substituents

Abstract Phenyl-functionalized mesoporous silica materials were used to explore the effect of non-covalent interactions on the release of Ibuprofen into simulated body fluid. Variations in orientation and conformational mobility of the surface phenyl groups were introduced by selecting different structural precursors: 1) a rigid upright orientation was obtained using phenyl groups directly bound to surface Si atoms (Ph-MSN), 2) mobile groups were produced by using ethylene linkers to connect phenyl groups to the surface (PhEt-MSN), and 3) groups co-planar to the surface were obtained by synthesizing a phenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica (Ph-PMO). The Ibuprofen release profiles from these materials and non-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were analyzed using an adsorption-diffusion model. The model provided kinetic and thermodynamic parameters that evidenced fundamental differences in drug-surface interactions between the materials. All phenyl-bearing materials show lower Ibuprofen initial release rates than bare MSN. The conformationally locked Ph-MSN and Ph-PMO have stronger interactions with the drug (negative ΔG of adsorption) than the flexible PhEt-MSN and bare MSN (positive ΔG of adsorption). These differences in strength of adsorption are consistent with differences between interaction geometries obtained from DFT calculations. B3LYP-D3-optimized models show that π-π interactions contribute more to drug adsorption than H-bonding with silanol groups. The results suggest that the type and geometry of interactions control the kinetics and extent of drug release, and should therefore serve as a guide to design new drug delivery systems with precise release behaviors customized to any desired target.
Effects of anxiety sensitivity reduction on smoking abstinence: An analysis from a panic prevention program.

OBJECTIVE Scientific evidence implicates anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a risk factor for poor smoking cessation outcomes. Integrated smoking cessation programs that target AS may lead to improved smoking cessation outcomes, potentially through AS reduction. Yet, little work has evaluated the efficacy of integrated smoking cessation treatment on smoking abstinence. The present study prospectively examined treatment effects of a novel AS reduction-smoking cessation intervention relative to a standard smoking cessation intervention on smoking abstinence. METHOD Participants (N = 529; 45.9% male; Mage = 38.23, SD = 13.56) included treatment-seeking smokers who received either a 4-session integrated anxiety-reduction and smoking cessation intervention (Smoking Treatment and Anxiety Management Program; [STAMP]) or a 4-session standard smoking cessation program (SCP). The primary aims focused on examining the effects of STAMP on (a) AS reduction during treatment, (b) early and late smoking point prevalence abstinence, and (c) the mechanistic function of AS reduction on treatment effects across early and late smoking abstinence. RESULTS Results indicated a significantly greater decline in AS in STAMP relative to SCP (B = -.72, p < .001). Treatment condition did not significantly directly predict early or late abstinence. However, the effect of STAMP on early abstinence was significantly mediated by reductions in AS (indirect = .16, 95% CI [.02, .40]). CONCLUSIONS Findings provide evidence for the efficacy of a novel, integrated anxiety and smoking cessation treatment to reduce AS. Moreover, the meditation pathway from STAMP to early abstinence through reductions in AS suggest that AS is a clinically important mechanism of change for smoking cessation treatment and research. (PsycINFO Database Record
“Am I a Good Man, or a Bad Man”? The Elephant Man (1980)

David Lynch’s The Elephant Man is the story of a patient, Joseph Merrick (1862–1890), who suffered from an extreme and rare deformity now understood to be caused by Proteus Syndrome, characterized by atypical growth of the bones, skin, head and a variety of other symptoms. This condition was first identified by Michael Cohen Jr. in 1979 (Cohen 1986; Cohen 1988a, Neurofibromatosis 1:260–280, b), inspired by a resurgence of medical interest in the Merrick case in the 1970s. The case history of Joseph Merrick was fully documented by Merrick’s physician, Sir Frederick Treves, in his memoir 45. Treves (1923).
In Brute-Force Search of Correlation Bounds for Polynomials.

We report on some initial results of a brute-force search for determining the maximum correlation between degree-d polynomials modulo p and the n-bit mod q function. For various settings of the parameters n, d, p, and q, our results indicate that symmetric polynomials yield the maximum correlation. This contrasts with the previouslyanalyzed settings of parameters, where non-symmetric polynomials yield the maximum correlation. We also prove new properties of maximum-correlation polynomials, and use those to obtain a new setting of parameters where those polynomials are not symmetric.