cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Folding and cracking of graphene oxide sheets upon deposition

Abstract Graphene Oxide (GO) sheets, suspended in an aqueous solution, were deposited on freshly cleaved highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and studied using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). AFM phase imaging shows a distinct contrast between GO and the underlying HOPG substrate. Raman spectroscopy clearly showed the presence of GO sheets on the top of HOPG substrate. The AFM and STM images also reveal wrinkling, folding, and tearing of individual GO sheets after depositing onto an HOPG substrate. We have also observed a distinct cracking of a GO sheet after folding. We attribute this new cracking phenomenon to a weakening of C–C bonds during the oxidation of a graphene sheet.
Anesthetic management of the child with an upper respiratory tract infection.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The decision to proceed with anesthesia for the child with an upper respiratory tract infection is often difficult. Whereas most studies suggest that children who present for elective procedures with an upper respiratory tract infection are at increased risk of perioperative adverse events, these events are typically easy to recognize and treat. This review will discuss the current literature regarding outcome in children who present for elective surgery with an upper respiratory tract infection and suggests approaches to optimize their perioperative management. RECENT FINDINGS Although the literature regarding this important topic has been slow to evolve, recent large-scale outcome studies have identified a number of factors that increase the risk of perioperative adverse events among children with upper respiratory tract infections. The significance of these findings will be discussed. SUMMARY An understanding of the risk factors associated with administering anesthesia to the child with an upper respiratory tract infection is important in identifying elements of the preoperative assessment that merit attention and in optimizing the anesthetic plan as a means to limit any perioperative complications.
Modeling, simulation and fabrication of coated structures using the dip coating technique

Abstract Using the dip coating technique, we fabricate erbia-coated quartz fibers and glass slides. Further we present a thin film model of the dip coating technique applied to the glass slides. The model includes evaporation of the solvent and a bulk reaction term to simulate the creation of the erbium oxide that forms the coating. Evolution equations for the solvent and coating thicknesses are developed and solved numerically. We study how the solvent evaporation rate, the bulk reaction rate, the dynamic viscosity, the angle of the inclined substrate, the characteristic depth of the solution thickness, the initial profile of the solution thickness, and the length of substrate affect the coating thickness. The model is calibrated using the experimental results to provide a tool for predicting the coating thickness.
Monitoring Regional Fire History Through Size-Specific Analysis of Microscopic Charcoal: The Last 600 Years in South India

The quantitative analysis of microscopic charcoal from stratified lake, swamp or reservoir deposits can provide a record of fire history at a number of spatial scales. Recent research on charcoal particle production, dispersal and deposition indicates that fires at varying distances from a sediment source and of varying intensities will contribute particles in different size classes differentially to a deposit. Thus, analyses of regional fire history require consideration of charcoal particle sizes as well as ubiquity. Quantitative analysis of microscopic charcoal in a sediment core from a reservoir of the Vijayanagara period (c. AD 1300-1600) in northern Karnataka, India, indicates well-defined periods of burning which coincide with periods of open vegetation as defined by pollen analysis, and with periods of high settlement densities and intensive land use as defined by archaeological evidence. Charcoal particles in different size categories do not always co-vary in the core, reflecting differences between more local and more regional fire histories.
Assessing the performance and limits of an optoacoustic image reconstruction algorithm using computer-simulated experimental measurements

An optoacoustic imaging algorithm uses backprojection of the time-resolved velocity potential to map the sources of pressure waves detected by an array of acoustic detectors. The relationship between pressure (P) and velocity potential (vp) is P = -rho*d(vp)/dt, or vp = -Integral(P dt)/rho where rho is density, t is time, and d(vp)/dt is the time derivative of the velocity potential. In a forward calculation, a computer simulation can predict the complex pressure waves arriving at each of an array of detectors due to any arbitrary spatial distribution of initial pressure generation. In an inverse calculation, such computer-simulated experimental measurements are used to spatially map the initial pressure source which in optoacoustic imaging corresponds to the initial distribution of pulsed laser energy deposition. Hence, the performance of the inverse calculation as an image reconstruction algorithm could be tested using ideal computer-simulated data. In this report, the image reconstruction algorithm was systematically tested to specify the expected performance under optimal conditions, to illustrate the source/detector geometries that frustrate image reconstruction, and to assess the impact of measurement noise. Typical reconstruction errors were +/- 20%.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Environmentalism and Public Policy: Environmental Justice: Grassroots Activism and Its Impact on Public Policy Decision Making

A growing body of evidence reveals that people of color and low-income persons have borne greater environmental and health risks than the society at large in their neighborhoods, workplace, and playgrounds. Over the last decade or so, grassroots activists have attempted to change the way government implements environmental, health, and civil rights laws. Grassroots groups have organized, educated, and empowered themselves to improve the way government regulations and environmental policies are administered. A new movement emerged in opposition to environmental racism and environmenttal injustice. Over the last decades or so, grassroots activists have had some success in changing the way the federal government treats communities of color and their inhabitants. Grassroots groups have also organized, educated, and empowered themselves to improve the way health and environmental policies are administered. Environmentalism is now equated with social justice and civil rights.
The geniculostriate projection in the grey squirrel: preliminary autoradiographic data

Anterograde autoradiographic experiments reveal connectional specificity between the dorsal lateral geniculate (LGN) laminae and striate cortical layers in a rodent, the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Our data indicate that although the geniculostriate projection does not segregate right and left eye information within layer IV, geniculate projections to this layer are tightly organized such that particular cortical substrata receive input from specific LGN layer(s). Preliminary data suggest that geniculate layers 1 and 2 of the LGN project to a central zone of layer IV. In contrast, the layer 3 complex projects densely to a dorsal and ventral tier in layer IV, as well as to layer VI and the supragranular laminae. It is speculated that the input to supragranular layers arises from cells within layer 3c. which in turn, have been shown to receive input from the stratum griseum superficiale of the superior colliculus. It is argued that this tecto-geniculo-supragranular cortical pathway might convey W-cell information, as has been suggested for other species.
A plasmid containing the human metallothionein II gene can function as an antibody-assisted electrophoretic biosensor for heavy metals

AbstractDifferent forms of heavy metals affect biochemical systems in characteristic ways that cannot be detected with typical metal analysis methods like atomic absorption spectrometry. Further, using living systems to analyze interaction of heavy metals with biochemical systems can be laborious and unreliable. To generate a reliable easy-to-use biologically-based biosensor system, the entire human metallothionein-II (MT-II) gene was incorporated into a plasmid (pUC57-MT) easily replicated in Escherichia coli. In this system, a commercial polyclonal antibody raised against human metal-responsive transcription factor-1 protein (MTF-1 protein) could modify the electrophoretic migration patterns (i.e. cause specific decreases in agarose gel electrophoretic mobility) of the plasmid in the presence or absence of heavy metals other than zinc (Zn). In the study here, heavy metals, MTF-1 protein, and polyclonal anti-MTF-1 antibody were used to assess pUC57-MT plasmid antibody-assisted electrophoretic mobility. A...
Tratamiento endovascular urgente de una lesion en la vena cava superior

La hemorragia de la vena cava superior (VCS) por lesion iatrogenica es un suceso poco frecuente pero importante. Describimos el caso de una mujer de 56 anos con antecedentes de neumonectomia derecha por un cancer pulmonar con lesion iatrogenica y hemorragia de la VCS. Tras intentos infructuosos de reparar el defecto mediante sutura, la tecnica endovascular mediante stent recubierto logro controlar la hemorragia y a la vez mantener la permeabilidad del vaso. A nuestro entender, este es el tercer informe de control de una hemorragia de VCS utilizando esta tecnica, y apoya la experiencia de otros autores de que el control endovascular es un medio eficaz de tratar hemorragias venosas urgentes.
An evaluation of dapsone gel 5% in the treatment of acne vulgaris

Background: Oral dapsone has been available for over 60 years. Its first clinical use was discovered in 1945, when it was found to be efficacious in inhibiting the progression of leprosy. The combined antibacterial and anti-inflammatory pharmacologic activities of dapsone have made it a widely investigated drug, particularly for use in refractory and unusual dermatologic conditions. However, the possibility of significant hematological side effects, even at low doses, has limited its use. Currently, oral dapsone has FDA approval for the treatment of leprosy and dermatitis herpetiformis. The potential of oral dapsone to treat acne vulgaris is well established, but the risks of serious side effects have made it an undesirable drug for use in the relatively healthy acne population. Recently, a topical formulation of dapsone (Aczone™, Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Objective/methods: The aims of this study were to review the published literatu...
Impracticality and critique in a problematic field

Here I discuss how Guattari’s ‘impracticality,’ as Gerlach and Jellis put it, harbours rich models for political and theoretical practice. I describe these in terms of Guattari’s participation in militant activism and anti-psychiatric organizations, as well as his cross-disciplinary theoretical engagements, all of which exemplify nuanced navigations of ‘problematic fields’. After surveying what these are and how they work in Guattarian philosophy, I briefly engage Gerlach and Jellis’s dismissal of certain tendencies within geographic theory.
Nfil3 is crucial for development of innate lymphoid cells and host protection against intestinal pathogens

The bZIP transcription factor Nfil3 (also known as E4BP4) is required for the development of natural killer (NK) cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s). We find that Nfil3 plays a critical role in the development of other mucosal tissue-associated innate lymphocytes. Type 3 ILCs (ILC3s), including lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi)-like cells, are severely diminished in both numbers and function in Nfil3-deficient mice. Using mixed bone marrow chimeric mice, we demonstrate that Nfil3 is critical for normal development of gut-associated ILC3s in a cell-intrinsic manner. Furthermore, Nfil3 deficiency severely compromises intestinal innate immune defense against acute bacterial infection with Citrobacter rodentium and Clostridium difficile. Nfil3 deficiency resulted in a loss of the recently identified ILC precursor, yet conditional ablation of Nfil3 in the NKp46(+) ILC3 subset did not perturb ILC3 numbers, suggesting that Nfil3 is required early during ILC3 development but not for lineage maintenance. Lastly, a marked defect in type 2 ILCs (ILC2s) was also observed in the lungs and visceral adipose tissue of Nfil3-deficient mice, revealing a general requirement for Nfil3 in the development of all ILC lineages.
Empirical Evaluation of Gastrocnemius and Soleus Function During Walking

Abstract Distinguishing gastrocnemius and soleus muscle function is relevant for treating gait disorders in which abnormal plantarflexor activity may contribute to pathological movement patterns. Our objective was to use experimental and computational analysis to determine the influence of gastrocnemius and soleus activity on lower limb movement, and determine if anatomical variability of the gastrocnemius affected its function. Our hypothesis was that these muscles exhibit distinct functions, with the gastrocnemius inducing limb flexion and the soleus inducing limb extension. To test this hypothesis, the gastrocnemius or soleus of 20 healthy participants was electrically stimulated for brief periods (90 ms) during mid- or terminal stance of a random gait cycle. Muscle function was characterized by the induced change in sagittal pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle angles occurring during the 200 ms after stimulation onset. Results were corroborated with computational forward dynamic gait models, by perturbing gastrocnemius or soleus activity during similar portions of the gait cycle. Mid- and terminal stance gastrocnemius stimulation induced posterior pelvic tilt, hip flexion and knee flexion. Mid-stance gastrocnemius stimulation also induced ankle dorsiflexion. In contrast mid-stance soleus stimulation induced anterior pelvic tilt, knee extension and plantarflexion, while late-stance soleus stimulation induced relatively little change in motion. Model predictions of induced hip, knee, and ankle motion were generally in the same direction as those of the experiments, though the gastrocnemius׳ results were shown to be quite sensitive to its knee-to-ankle moment arm ratio.
Characterization of bofA, a gene involved in intercompartmental regulation of pro-sigma K processing during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract Sporulating cells of the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis are partitioned into two cellular compartments called the mother cell and the forespore. Gene expression in the mother cell and the forespore is regulated differentially by the compartment-specific transcription factors sigma K and sigma G, respectively. Gene expression between the two compartments is also coordinated by a signal transduction pathway that couples the activation of sigma K (by processing of its inactive precursor pro-sigma K) in the mother cell to sigma G-directed gene expression in the forespore. To dissect the signal transduction pathway genetically, we previously isolated bypass of forespore mutations at loci called bofA and bofB that relieve the dependence of pro-sigma K processing on the action of sigma G. bofB mutations were previously shown to be allelic to the two-cistron sporulation operon spoIVF, which encodes the pro-sigma K-processing enzyme or its regulator. We now report that bofA mutations are located in a small open reading frame of 87 codons that encodes a putative integral membrane protein with three potential membrane-spanning domains. The possibility is discussed that BofA and the SpoIVF proteins form a heteromeric complex in the mother cell membrane that surrounds the forespore and that this complex mediates the intercompartmental coupling of pro-sigma K processing to events in the forespore.
Windshear detection and avoidance: airborne systems survey

Functional requirements for airborne windshear detection and warning systems are discussed in terms of the threat posed to civil aircraft operations. A preliminary set of performance criteria for predictive windshear detection and warning systems is defined. Candidate airborne remote sensor technologies based on microwave Doppler radar, Doppler laser radar (lidar), and infrared radiometric techniques are discussed in the context of overall system requirements, and the performance of each sensor is assessed for representative microburst environments and ground clutter conditions. Preliminary simulation results demonstrate that all three sensors show potential for detecting windshear, and provide adequate warning time to allow flight crews to avoid the affected area or escape from the encounter. Radar simulation and analysis show that by using bin-to-bin automatic gain control, clutter filtering, limited detection range, and suitable antenna tilt management, windshear from wet microbursts can be accurately detected. Simulation results of end-to-end performance for competing coherent lidar systems are presented. >
Regional Disparities in China

This article is an attempt to define the dimensions and spatial patterns of regional disparities in China, to interpret their origins, and to speculate about their likely evolution. If reform in China is to be guided by efficiency considerations, changes in the incentive system must be supplemented by coherent proposals related to organizations, assets, and external linkages. The systematic nature of the reform process must be recognized, and the need for broader approaches to conceptualizing system change and transition are needed.
Adjective Check List as a measure of self-perception

The Adjective Check List (ACL) and a self-rating schedule (SRS) made up of Murray's needs taken from the ACL manual were administered to 27 graduate students in psychology on two separate occasions. Test-retest reliabilities were low for both tests, SRS reliabilities being appreciably lower than those for the ACL. Correlations between these two measures of self-description were also low and varied considerably from one testing to the next. Correcting the average cross-correlations for unreliability in the two scales still indicated that slightly less than half of their reliable variance was held in common. Reasons for the poor reliabilities and the poor cross-correlations were discussed and avenues for further research suggested.
DEVELOPMENT OF A LOWER EXTREMITY MODEL FOR FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AT BLAST CONDITION

Explosions are the leading cause of death on the battlefield [1]. These explosives generate shock waves which stimulate large accelerations and deformations. The resulting loads pose serious threats to military and civilians. Since lower extremities are in direct contact with the ground, the lower extremities are commonly injured during explosions [2]. These injuries could be seriously fatal. Although experimental studies have been performed to advance these understandings [2], limited progress has been made in computational analysis of shock waves on the lower extremity.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Nucleosome Stability Dramatically Impacts the Targeting of Somatic Hypermutation

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes is initiated by the activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). However, the influence of chromatin on SHM remains enigmatic. Our previous cell-free studies indicated that AID cannot access nucleosomal DNA in the absence of transcription. We have now investigated the influence of nucleosome stability on mutability in vivo. We introduced two copies of a high-affinity nucleosome positioning sequence (MP2) into a variable Ig gene region to assess its impact on SHM in vivo. The MP2 sequence significantly reduces the mutation frequency throughout the nucleosome, and especially near its center, despite proportions of AID hot spots similar to those in Ig genes. A weak positioning sequence (M5) was designed based on rules deduced from published whole-genome analyses. Replacement of MP2 with M5 resulted in much higher mutation rates throughout the nucleosome. This indicates that both nucleosome stability and positioning significantly influence the SHM pattern. We postulate that, unlike RNA polymerase, AID has reduced access to stable nucleosomes. This study outlines the limits of nucleosome positioning for SHM of Ig genes and suggests that stable nucleosomes may need to be disassembled for access of AID. Possibly the variable regions of Ig genes have evolved for low nucleosome stability to enhance access to AID, DNA repair factors, and error-prone polymerases and, hence, to maximize variability.
Overview of current management of sleep disturbances in children: I—Pharmacotherapy

Abstract The increasing appreciation of the short- and long-term detrimental impact of childhood sleep disturbances may be partly responsible for the increasing acceptance of pharmacologic management (undertaken by parents acting on the recommendation of a physician or independently without a physician's advice) despite the lack of data from controlled studies. Recent advances in clinical trial design and the increased ability to measure children's responses to pharmacologic interventions have enhanced our ability to conduct the necessary well-controlled studies in pediatric psychopharmacology. With the aim of providing a point of reference for these endeavors, this paper summarizes current knowledge of the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the drugs most commonly used as soporifics in children. Pharmacotherapies for sleep disturbances have been studied less in children than in adults, and—in part because of the paucity of pediatric data—the clinical benefits of currently prescribed agents are even more equivocal. The failure to identify optimal pharmacotherapy for pediatric sleep disturbances to date should not discourage research in this area. There is a palpable need for effective, well-tolerated pharmacotherapies that can mitigate or eliminate the detrimental effects of poor sleep on children's mood, cognition, and daily function without causing unwanted side effects or otherwise endangering the child. New, well-tolerated, nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics such as zolpidem and medications such as melatonin, in combination with environmental and/or behavioral interventions, are potential therapeutic options that await further study.
Fast stochastic algorithm for simulating evolutionary population dynamics

Motivation: Many important aspects of evolutionary dynamics can only be addressed through simulations. However, accurate simulations of realistically large populations over long periods of time needed for evolution to proceed are computationally expensive. Mutants can be present in very small numbers and yet (if they are more fit than others) be the key part of the evolutionary process. This leads to significant stochasticity that needs to be accounted for. Different evolutionary events occur at very different time scales: mutations are typically much rarer than reproduction and deaths. Results: We introduce a new exact algorithm for fast fully stochastic simulations of evolutionary dynamics that include birth, death and mutation events. It produces a significant speedup compared to direct stochastic simulations in a typical case when the population size is large and the mutation rates are much smaller than birth and death rates. The algorithm performance is illustrated by several examples that include evolution on a smooth and rugged fitness landscape. We also show how this algorithm can be adapted for approximate simulations of more complex evolutionary problems and illustrate it by simulations of a stochastic competitive growth model. Contact: ltsimring@ucsd.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Air pollution & the brain: Subchronic diesel exhaust exposure causes neuroinflammation and elevates early markers of neurodegenerative disease

Increasing evidence links diverse forms of air pollution to neuroinflammation and neuropathology in both human and animal models, but the effects of long-term exposures are poorly understood. We explored the central nervous system consequences of subchronic exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) and addressed the minimum levels necessary to elicit neuroinflammation and markers of early neuropathology. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed to DE (992, 311, 100, 35 and 0 μg PM/m3) by inhalation over 6 months. DE exposure resulted in elevated levels of TNFα at high concentrations in all regions tested, with the exception of the cerebellum. The midbrain region was the most sensitive, where exposures as low as 100 μg PM/m3 significantly increased brain TNFα levels. However, this sensitivity to DE was not conferred to all markers of neuroinflammation, as the midbrain showed no increase in IL-6 expression at any concentration tested, an increase in IL-1β at only high concentrations, and a decrease in MIP-1α expression, supporting that compensatory mechanisms may occur with subchronic exposure. Aβ42 levels were the highest in the frontal lobe of mice exposed to 992 μg PM/m3 and tau [pS199] levels were elevated at the higher DE concentrations (992 and 311 μg PM/m3) in both the temporal lobe and frontal lobe, indicating that proteins linked to preclinical Alzheimer's disease were affected. α Synuclein levels were elevated in the midbrain in response to the 992 μg PM/m3 exposure, supporting that air pollution may be associated with early Parkinson's disease-like pathology. Together, the data support that the midbrain may be more sensitive to the neuroinflammatory effects of subchronic air pollution exposure. However, the DE-induced elevation of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases was limited to only the higher exposures, suggesting that air pollution-induced neuroinflammation may precede preclinical markers of neurodegenerative disease in the midbrain.
Optimizing the use of biological therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Biological therapy revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) during the last decade. These monoclonal antibodies, which target tumor necrosis factor (TNF), integrins or IL12/23, have been approved—or are in development for—both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Early use of these agents taught clinicians that induction and maintenance therapy, coupled with immunomodulator agents, reduced the immunogenicity of these agents, and led to sustained remission in many patients. More recent data has demonstrated that, through dose adjustments, optimizing serum drug levels may also provide more durable maintenance of remission, and improved mucosal healing. This review examines clinical practices that may enhance clinical outcomes from biological therapy in IBD.
Data-Centric Routing in Sensor Networks using Biased Walk

We present spiral, a data-centric routing algorithm for short-term communication in unstructured sensor networks. Conventional data-centric routing algorithms are based on flooding or random walk. Flooding returns the shortest route but has a high search cost; random walk has a lower search cost but returns a sub-optimal route. Spiral offers a compromise between these two extremes - it has a lower search cost than flooding and returns better routes than random walk. Spiral is a biased walk that visits nodes near the source before more distant nodes. This results in a spiral-like search path that is not only more likely to find a closer copy of the desired data than random walk, but is also able to compute a shorter route because the network around the source is more thoroughly explored. Our experiments show that in a 500-node network with an average degree of 20 and two copies of every data object, for a short-term communication of 40 packets the total communication cost by spiral is only 72% of that by flooding, 81% of ERS, 74% of random walk, and 73% of DFS
Developmental effects of d-sotalol on anterograde and retrograde atrioventricular conduction in the rabbit.

Developmental Electrophysiology of d-Sotalol. Introduction: These experiments investigate the developmental effects of d-sotalol on standard electrophysiologic parameters of anterograde and retrograde AV conduction in the rabbit. Methods and Results: Using bipolar electrograms and standard pacing techniques, the effects of graded concentrations of d-sotalol on anterograde and retrograde conduction in mature and immature perfused rabbit hearts were compared. Also, a quantitative assessment of the drug's effects on a rate-dependent property of anterograde AV node (AVN) conduction, termed the “recovery process,” was compared in mature and immature rabbit hearts. The main developmental electrophysiologic findings of this investigation are: (1) in both the mature and immature rabbit heart, d-sotalol increases the anterograde conduction time and prolongs refractoriness of the AVN, yet the minimal concentrations of d-sotalol that produce these changes are lower in the neonate; (2) d-sotalol increases the anterograde refractory period of the His-Purkinje system in both age groups, but increases anterograde infra-Hisian conduction only in the neonate; (3) 1 × 10−4 M d-sotalol significantly changes the time constant of the AVN recovery process in the neonate, hut not in the adult; (4) for retrograde conduction, slow conduction through the AVN (HAmax) and infra-Hisian region (VHmax) are increased by d-sotalol in the neonate, but not in the adult. Conclusions: The findings of this study illustrate that d-sotalol has different effects on parameters of the developing AV conduction system. This implies that there may he maturational changes in the ionic currents that are responsible for anterograde and retrograde AVN and His-Purkinje conduction.
A finite element method for solving electromagnetic scattering problems

A novel finite element formulation of the electromagnetic scattering problem which can be considered a generalization of the unimoment method is presented. In order to validate the method, the authors apply it to two simple problems with known analytical solutions. The first problem is scattering from a perfectly conducting circular cylinder, in free space, due to an incident plane wave. Also considered is the problem of scattering from a dielectric circular cylinder, in free space, due to an incident plane wave. >
On the Use of Electrostrictive Actuators in Recovering the Optical Performance of the Hubble Space Telescope

This paper describes the development of a space qualified active mirror—the Articulating Fold Mirror—which forms part of the scheme for recovering the optical performance of the Hubble Space Telescope. Three Articulating Fold Mirrors are incorporated into the optical train of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera-2, which was installed into Hubble by astronauts in December, 1993. Each Articulating Fold Mirror utilizes six electrostrictive ceramic multilayer actuators to precisely position a mirror in tip and tilt in order to correct the spherical aberration of the Hubble Space Telescope’s primary mirror. Flight qualification aspects of the electrostrictive actuators are described. Pre- and post-repair images from the Wide Field and Planetary Camera, showing the effect of the optical correction, are presented.
Real-time fatigue reduction in emergency care clinicians: The SleepTrackTXT randomized trial

BACKGROUND: We assessed performance characteristics and impact of a mobile phone text-message intervention for reducing intra-shift fatigue among emergency clinician shift workers. METHODS: We used a randomized controlled trial of 100 participants. All participants received text-message assessments at the start, every 4 hr during, and at end of scheduled shifts over a 90-day period. Text-message queries measured self-rated sleepiness, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration. Additional text-messages were sent to intervention participants to promote alertness. A performance measure of interest was compliance with answering text-messages. RESULTS: Ninety-nine participants documented 2,621 shifts and responded to 36,073 of 40,947 text-messages (88% compliance rate). Intervention participants reported lower mean fatigue and sleepiness at 4 hr, 8 hr, and at the end of 12 hr shifts compared to controls (P CONCLUSIONS: We showed feasibility and short-term efficacy of a text-message based assessment and intervention tool. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Language: en
DIETARY FIBER SOURCES FOR BAKED PRODUCTS: BRAN IN SUGAR—SNAP COOKIES

To study the feasibility of producing high fiber cookies, sugar-snap cookies were prepared following the Micro III Method in which 10, 20 and 30% red and white wheat bran was substituted for flour and compared to a control cookie (100% flour). Substitution of 10% bran contributed 0.7g of dietary fiber, 1.2g with 20% substitution and 1.7g with 30% substitution. Incorporation of bran did not significantly affect top grain but did reduce spread, darkened the color and produced a more tender, less crisp cookie. Sensory data revealed that at levels of 10 and 20% substitution, bran affected only surface and interior color. Flavor was adversely affected at the 30% level.
Conical-reflector antennas

The mechanical advantages of a singly curved conical reflector are demonstrated by the experimental test of a furlable 1.83 m conical-Gregorian antenna at 16.33 GHz. The measured gain of 47.5 dB corresponds to a net efficiency of over 57 percent. A ray-optics analysis of conical-reflector antennas is presented, and data useful in the design of conical antennas is given. The conical-Gregorian antenna, in which a subreflector is used in conjunction with a conventional horn feed, is considered in detail. A physical-optics analysis of the conical-Gregorian antenna is used to investigate diffraction and other effects, and to analytically confirm the high performance of the antenna. It is concluded that conical antennas are a valuable addition to available antenna-design concepts.
An Autoregressive Formulation for SAR Backprojection Imaging

We present a recursive backprojection-based procedure for synthetic aperture imaging. In traditional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, radar measurements are processed in blocks of contiguous azimuth angle measurements. In continuous imaging applications, block processing generally entails significant computational overhead, in part due to overlapped processing of azimuth intervals. We consider a novel recursive update approach, in which the SAR image is updated using an autoregressive-based algorithm as new measurements are taken. In this approach, the SAR image is found as a linear combination of a small number of previous images and a term containing the current radar measurement. The computational and memory requirements of the recursive imaging approach are modest-on the order of M·N2, where M is the recursion order (typically ≤ 3) and N2 is the image size. In addition, we investigate the crossrange sidelobes realized by the autoregressive (AR) imaging approach. We show that a first-order autoregression of the image gives crossrange sidelobes similar to a rectangular azimuth window, while a third-order autoregression gives sidelobes comparable to those obtained from widely-used windows in block-processing image formation. We compare images obtained from the recursive and block-processing techniques, both for a synthetic scene and for X-band SAR measurements from the Gotcha data set.
The acceleration and precipitation of Van Allen outer zone energetic electrons

The first part of this paper presents the experimental results of a particle correlation experiment conducted between the magnetosphere and the auroral zone. The precipitation time profiles and increases of outer zone energetic electron fluxes are extremely well correlated. The enhancement of electron fluxes observed at synchronous altitudes is predominantly in the 50- to 150-kev energies. The increases are non-adiabatic, because they are not correlated with δB/δt. The variations observed in higher energy electron fluxes are generally correlated with variations in the local magnetic field and hence can be accounted for by adiabatic theories. Energy spectrums of the equatorial and auroral zone electrons are similar, with typical e folding energies of about 20 kev for both regions. Lifetimes of the non-adiabatic electrons are typically 10³ sec but may be as short as ∼200 sec. The equatorial electron pitch angle distribution is anisotropic and peaked toward 90°. The anisotropy in the pitch angle distribution changes with time and shows dependence on the electron flux. Finally, the energy spectrum in the equatorial plane is pitch angle dependent, with a steeper spectrum for smaller pitch angle particles. The second part of this paper presents theoretical interpretations of the experimental results, which can be consistently interpreted in terms of local acceleration by using the strong pitch angle diffusion model.
Effects of a controlled under-ice oil spill on invertebrates of an arctic and a subarctic stream

Abstract The short-term drift of macroinvertebrates is documented following two controlled oil spills placed under ice in aan arctic (Imnavait Creek) and subarctic (Poker-Caribou Creek) stream just as ice covered the water in early winter. No mortality was observed, but several species responded by differentially drifting from the oil-impacted areas during the following days. In the arctic stream, Trichotanypus posticalis (Diptera) showed a significant increase in drift for the first few days. There was also an overall increase in drift of total organisms post spill. Phaenospsectra sp. 1, the numerical dominant, decreased its nocturnal drifting compared with the upstream control station in the 5 days post spill. In the subarctic stream, Skwala sp. 1 (Plecoptera), Prosimulium sp. 1 (Simulidae) and Pseudo-diamesa sp. 1 showed significant increase in drift post spill. Among the species of benthic invertebrates sampled with a Hess sampler (WILDCO, Saginaw, Mich.), only the density of Nemoura sp. 1 declined significantly post spill. Polar ordinations using per cent difference showed that the oil-treated stations separated from the control stations in both the drift and the Hess bottom samples. Colonisation of artificial substrates in Imnavait Creek during the winter following the spill was almost non-existent. In Poker-Caribou Creek much colonisation took place over the winter with significantly more occurring on unoiled rocks as compared with oiled rocks. Trapped under a layer of ice, the oil injected should have had a reduced rate loss of the volatile, toxic aromatic components, exposing the invertebrates to them for a longer period of time, albeit at a cold temperature. The cold temperature lowered the body metabolism, thus reducing the effect of soluble oil fractions on invertebrates. In addition, the large-sized, over-wintering instars present had a low surface area per unit volume, which reduced absorption of volatiles, reducing the probability of any massive mortality. Key species in each system began drifting, presumbly as a behavioural response to the oil, compared with upstream control sites.
Eaton et al. Respond

We commend Gilbert et al. on their addition of sexual orientation in examining the public health issue of regular presex drinking. Although numerous studies have investigated presex drinking in sexual minority populations-primarily men-who-have-sex-with-men-the incorporation of sexual orientation into this nationally representative analysis provides an important additional perspective, given the pressing need to include sexual orientation-related variables in large-scale epidemiological reports and the elevated rates of substance use in sexual minorities.(1) To integrate the findings of our report and their letter: regular sex-related drinking is a notable public health concern, and sexual minority individuals have greater odds than heterosexuals to engage in this behavior. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 15, 2015: e1. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302906). Language: en
Surgical treatment of acute rupture of the tendo Achillis led to fewer reruptures and better patient-generated ratings than did nonsurgical treatment.

Question: In patients with acute, complete rupture of the tendo Achillis, is surgical or nonsurgical treatment more effective for improving clinical outcome? Design: Randomized (unclear allocation concealment), unblinded, controlled trial with 2-year follow-up. Setting: University hospitals in Sweden. Patients: 112 patients (mean age, 39 years [range, 21 to 63 years]; 88% men) who had had a closed rupture within the previous 7 days. Exclusion criteria were previous injury to the same tendon, functional impairment on the contralateral side, diabetes mellitus, neurovascular disease, or immunosuppression. Follow-up was …
Spectrum of excess mortality due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections☆

Patients infected or colonized with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) are often chronically and acutely ill, which results in substantial mortality unrelated to infection. Therefore, estimating excess mortality due to CRKp infections is challenging. The Consortium on Resistance against Carbapenems in K. pneumoniae (CRACKLE) is a prospective multicenter study. Here, patients in CRACKLE were evaluated at the time of their first CRKp bloodstream infection (BSI), pneumonia or urinary tract infection (UTI). A control cohort of patients with CRKp urinary colonization without CRKp infection was constructed. Excess hospital mortality was defined as mortality in cases after subtracting mortality in controls. In addition, the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for time-to-hospital-mortality at 30 days associated with infection compared with colonization were calculated in Cox proportional hazard models. In the study period, 260 patients with CRKp infections were included in the BSI (90 patients), pneumonia (49 patients) and UTI (121 patients) groups, who were compared with 223 controls. All-cause hospital mortality in controls was 12%. Excess hospital mortality was 27% in both patients with BSI and those with pneumonia. Excess hospital mortality was not observed in patients with UTI. In multivariable analyses, BSI and pneumonia compared with controls were associated with aHR of 2.59 (95% CI 1.52-4.50, p <0.001) and 3.44 (95% CI 1.80-6.48, p <0.001), respectively. In conclusion, in patients with CRKp infection, pneumonia is associated with the highest excess hospital mortality. Patients with BSI have slightly lower excess hospital mortality rates, whereas excess hospital mortality was not observed in hospitalized patients with UTI.
Autonomic Receptors in Human Prostate Adenomas

AbstractRadioligand receptor binding techniques were used to characterize alpha1 adrenergic, alpha2 adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic (MCh) binding sites in human prostate adenomas obtained from men with symptomatic and asymptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prostate adenoma specimens were obtained from nine men with asymptomatic BPH undergoing cystoprostatectomy, 11 men with symptomatic BPH undergoing open prostatectomy, and 11 men with symptomatic BPH undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). A quantitative symptoms score analysis and urinary flow rate determinations documented the absence of bladder outlet obstruction in men undergoing cystoprostatectomy and confirmed the presence of bladder outlet obstruction in men undergoing prostatectomy. The mean equilibrium dissociation constants (Kd) and the mean densities of 125I-Heat (alpha1 adrenergic) and 3H-NMS (MCh) binding sites were similar in tissue homogenates obtained from men with asymptomatic and symptomatic BPH. The m...
Activated sludge Kinetics and Effluent Quality

Problem of residual soluble organics in effluents for accurate effluent quality prediction in order to permit economic balance between extended waste treatment and chemical requirements for water treatment; influence and interrelationships of treatment unit hydraulics and process kinetics; data for process design and method of experimental determination of design criteria.
The recruitment of breast cancer survivors into cancer control studies: a focus on African-American women.

The recruitment of African Americans into cancer prevention and control studies has presented a major challenge to scientific investigators. Scientific findings, whether biomedical or behavioral, may not be appropriate and applicable to ethnic minority populations unless they are adequately represented as study participants. Moreover, the need to involve greater numbers of ethnic minorities is quite urgent due to the poor morbidity and mortality outcomes associated with ethnic minority group membership. Such is the case with breast cancer survivorship. The purpose of the study was to test a personalized recruitment strategy on response rate in African-American women. The response rate of 45% (n = 117) African Americans and 64% (n = 161) white subjects indicated only limited success in the recruitment of the African-American breast cancer survivors. The recruitment result suggests that culturally relevant recruitment strategies (e.g., inclusion of African-American investigators, culturally consistent letter of recruitment) may be insufficient in adequately increasing research participation. Therefore, further studies on investigating factors that influence research participation (eg, type of incentives, and schedule of payment as well as type of stationery and stamps used) are needed.
Setting the Media’s Agenda: A Power Balance Perspective

This chapter reviews the burgeoning number of studies seeking to explain what sets the media’s agenda, and integrates them within a power balance framework. The concept of power is used in a critical evaluation of the agenda-setting metaphor and its limitations when expanded to include influences on media content. The organizational perspective, taken by much “media sociology” research, has examined power relations within organizations. This approach restricts the power of journalists, who are viewed as constrained by bureaucratic structures. Alternatively, journalists may be viewed as agents of the organization’s power in their dealings with other institutions. These power relations between the media and sources can be examined at individual, organizational, and institutional levels and are discussed in terms of interdependency and symbiosis. A media organization may manifest its power through its ability to define a reality through reporting and structuring of information, in spite of efforts by involve...
Bank profits, loan activity, and monetary policy: evidence from the FDIC's Historical Statistics on Banking

Abstract This paper examines the long-run relationship between bank profits, loan growth, and monetary policy at different types of profitable banks. U.S. commercial bank data are analyzed from the FDIC's Historical Statistics on Banking from 1966 to 2013. The banks are divided into two groups based on their relative profitability (above or below the average profit rate) to examine their real estate and commercial loan activities. The bank's loan portfolio allocation (i.e., the ratio between real estate and commercial loans) is also examined to see if it has a relationship with monetary policy. The study finds evidence that monetary policy has a slightly larger negative relationship with real estate loans in banks with above average profits than with their less profitable peers. The analysis also finds evidence suggesting that commercial loan growth in low-profit banks may be more sensitive to their loan loss provisions than to monetary policy. The loan portfolio ratio shows a significant negative relationship with monetary policy and a positive relationship with provisions. The analysis reveals a positive coefficient or ‘perverse result’ between some of the commercial loan growth measures and monetary policy that may be explained by portfolio shifting at banks.