cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a multi-purpose infrastructure for sustainable mobility. A case study in a smart cities application

Abstract Research in smart cities is characterised by different needs: decrease of polluting emissions, improvement of energy efficiency, optimization of production and consumption of energy are the main action required. According to the last European directives, alternative fuels can play a fundamental role in the future of transportation [1]. In the framework of an Italian research project, called i-NEXT (innovation for greeN Energy and eXchange in Trasportation), CNR-ITAE has developed a microgrid able to receive, as input, the solar energy and to deliver, as output, hydrogen and electricity for electric and hydrogen vehicles [2-6]. A 100 kW photovoltaic plant, installed on the roof of a shed for vehicles recovering, represents the energy source. An electrochemical energy storage of 100 kW and 300 kWh, equipped with 16 sodium nickel chloride high temperature batteries, balances the energy production from PV plant in order to guarantee the energy self-sufficiency of the whole system. Electricity produced supplies both an on-site hydrogen production (by electrolysis), compression and distribution system and an electric charging station needed for Electric Vehicles (EV), Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) and Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FCHEV). The hydrogen produced supplies two FCE bikes and a FCHE minibus developed in the framework of the project while a last mile delivery van (EV) is fed through a fast charging station. An ICT platform allows to monitor, control and connect plants and vehicles in order to manage energy flows, fault and warning events. The paper reports the results of the research activities regarding both infrastructures and vehicles development.
Modeling hurricane-induced wetland-bay and bay-shelf sediment fluxes

Hurricanes have long been recognized as a strong forcing in shaping the coastal morphology, especially by redistributing sediments among coastal wetlands, bays and inner continental shelves. However, the contribution of hurricane-induced sediment transport to the sediment budget of a shelf – bay – wetland system has not been evaluated using a physics-based numerical model. There is a particular confusion on how sediment transport to coastal wetlands contributes to sediment accretion in wetlands and thus wetland adaptation to sea level rise. In this paper, we present a coupled modeling system for hurricane winds, storm surge, waves and sediment transport on the Louisiana coast, and use it to investigate two fundamental questions: (1) How much sediment is transported and deposited on coastal wetlands during a major hurricane event like Hurricane Gustav (2008), and (2) where is the source of the deposited sediment on the wetland soil surface. Our model successfully reproduced the measured basin-averaged sediment accretion in the Terrebonne and Barataria Basins after Gustav, and estimated that Hurricane Gustav imported approximately 27 million metric tons of sediment on wetlands in that area. The estimated deposition was mainly made up of mud suspended from the coastal bays, and the contribution of this sediment to wetland deposition was 88.7% in Terrebonne Bay and 98.2% in Barataria Bay within the tested range of sediment properties. This paper demonstrates a useful tool to help understand how sediment dynamics in the coastal zone during hurricane events play a significant role in the sediment budget of a deltaic coast.
Creating intranets for management and collaboration in federal agencies

This chapter briefly examines government interest in intranets, describes the experiences of six federal government agencies in developing agency-wide intranets, and identifies and analyzes trends in intranet use, sources of growth, and impediments to further development. The six agencies are: the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Justice. The case studies reveal six overall trends in intranet use and development including the importance of upper management support in planning and launching and the importance of marketing in ensuring staff use. The authors conclude that intranets offer more potential for enhancing communication and management and that further development of intranets is likely.
Obstetric and Medical Intervention

Much of the material discussed in this chapter is based on the pioneering work of Caldeyro-Barcia (1975), who originated much of today’s technology for fetal monitoring. Caldeyro-Barcia stresses three possible sources of intrapartum risk to the newborn (Table 17): 1. The risk of early rupture of membranes (ROM). 2. Inadequate use of oxytocin to stimulate uterine contraction. 3. The position of the mother during labor.
Implementation of Plans

The Complex Program of Scientific and Technical Progress of the CMEA Nations to the Year 2000 (hereafter called CPS&T) was adopted at the 41st CMEA Session in 1985. This ambitious program aimed to raise the integration of science, technology, and innovation (ST&I) among member nations to a level above that accomplished during previous decades.1
The United States Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century, Hearing on Concentration and Competitiveness in the U.S. Economy, Comment of the Global Antitrust Institute, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University

This comment is submitted by the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI) at Scalia Law School at George Mason University to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regarding its hearing on Concentration and Competitiveness in the U.S. Economy as part of the Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century. The GAI Competition Advocacy Program provides a wide range of recommendations to facilitate adoption of economically sound competition policy.
Development of non-invasive diabetes risk prediction models as decision support tools designed for application in the dental clinical environment.

Abstract The objective was to develop a predictive model using medical-dental data from an integrated electronic health record (iEHR) to identify individuals with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) in dental settings. Retrospective data retrieved from Marshfield Clinic Health System's data-warehouse was pre-processed prior to conducting analysis. A subset was extracted from the preprocessed dataset for external evaluation (Nvalidation) of derived predictive models. Further, subsets of 30%–70%, 40%–60% and 50%–50% case-to-control ratios were created for training/testing. Feature selection was performed on all datasets. Four machine learning (ML) classifiers were evaluated: logistic regression (LR), multilayer perceptron (MLP), support vector machines (SVM) and random forests (RF). Model performance was evaluated on Nvalidation. We retrieved a total of 5319 cases and 36,224 controls. From the initial 116 medical and dental features, 107 were used after performing feature selection. RF applied to the 50%–50% case-control ratio outperformed other predictive models over Nvalidation achieving a total accuracy (94.14%), sensitivity (0.941), specificity (0.943), F-measure (0.941), Mathews-correlation-coefficient (0.885) and area under the receiver operating curve (0.972). Future directions include incorporation of this predictive model into iEHR as a clinical decision support tool to screen and detect patients at risk for DM triggering follow-ups and referrals for integrated care delivery between dentists and physicians.
Symptomatic Thromboembolic Complications After Shoulder Arthroplasty: An Update.

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) complications, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, are dreaded complications of orthopaedic surgical procedures that can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of data examining risk factors for VTE in shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of the present study was to review the rate of symptomatic VTE, determine patient and operative risk factors for VTE, and report on complications associated with VTE following shoulder arthroplasty. Methods Over a 16-year period, 5,906 patients underwent primary anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, or hemiarthroplasty. Symptomatic VTE events were identified in 24 shoulders within 90 days of surgery. Patient records were reviewed for surgical indication, patient and operative risk factors, and management of VTE. Results The rate of symptomatic VTE following shoulder arthroplasty was 0.41%. There were no deaths resulting from VTE events. Compared with patients who did not have VTE, those with symptomatic VTE events were found to be older (74.75 versus 68.51 years; p = 0.0028) and more likely to have had arthroplasty for a traumatic indication (3.31% versus 0.33%; p 70 years and arthroplasty for a traumatic indication were found to be independent risk factors on multivariate nominal logistic regression analysis, whereas body mass index, sex, operative time, and type of arthroplasty performed were not found to be independent risk factors. There were 11 readmissions resulting directly from the VTE events, and patients diagnosed with VTE as inpatients had longer hospital stays than outpatients (13.71 versus 1.94 days; p = 0.0002). Conclusions The risk of VTE following shoulder arthroplasty is low, and routine use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis may not be necessary. However, VTE complications can lead to substantial morbidity, longer hospital stays, readmission to the hospital, and further complications. Therefore, patients with multiple risk factors for VTE such as prior history of VTE, active malignancy, age of >70 years, or arthroplasty for traumatic indications should be considered for pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Clock Keeps Ticking: Circadian Rhythms of Free-Ranging Polar Bears.

Life in the Arctic presents organisms with multiple challenges, including extreme photic conditions, cold temperatures, and annual loss and daily movement of sea ice. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) ...
Effective Treatment of Geniospasm: Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background: Geniospasm is a rare genetic disorder characterized by paroxysmal rhythmic or irregular movements of the chin and lower lip due to repetitive contractions of the mentalis muscle. Pathophysiology is poorly understood, and optimal treatment has not been established. Methods: Geniospasm was characterized in a series of patients after evaluation in our clinics, and a comprehensive review of all cases in the medical literature was performed. Results: We evaluated four patients (1 female) in four families with geniospasm, aged 4 months to 9 years. Bothersome symptoms were present in one patient, who was treated with regular injections of onabotulinumtoxinA, with complete resolution of symptoms and no adverse effects. 9 patients in the literature have had similar outcomes. Conclusions: Limited data exist with regard to the effective treatment of geniospasm. Several treatments have been used historically, with variable outcomes. Our results, together with those of prior reported cases, demonstrate benefit of the use of botulinum toxin injections for management of this condition.
Modeling electrode-level crack and quantifying its effect on battery performance and impedance

Abstract Electrode-level cracks in a Li ion battery significantly impact its performance. We build a crack-containing electrochemical model to reveal the mechanism and quantify the effect of crack geometrical characteristics on specific energy, specific capacity and cell impedance. An elliptical-shaped crack is introduced into the electrode, which represents various configurations by changing the semi-axis ratio, crack angle and crack position. We show that lithium ion transport, electrochemical intercalation and the overall cell impedance are sensitive to the crack characteristics and electrotype absorption on crack surfaces. A longer crack more parallel to the current collector reduces the specific energy and specific capacity more significantly, especially when the current density is high. By contrast, a crack perpendicular to the current collector has little impact. The dependence on a series of crack orientation is quantified. The study of crack position shows that a crack closer to the separator has a stronger negative impact, dramatically reducing capacity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy simulations show that the crack shape factors such as semi-axis ratio, crack angle and electrolyte wetting ratio primarily affect the ohmic resistance. A longer crack more parallel to the current collector increases the ohmic resistance, while more crack wetting reduces the ohmic resistance. By contrast, crack position significantly affects the charge transfer resistance but with little impact on the ohmic resistance. A crack closer to the separator increases the charge transfer resistance. The effect of connected cracks into an open or closed ring shape is also considered, which can partially isolate active materials from the electrode depending on the size and orientation of the opening. This work provides a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of how various crack geometrical parameters affect the electrochemical behavior, which can assist in evaluating the significance of cracking, allow comparison with other degradation mechanisms to identify the limiting factor, and provide guidance on battery design and application strategy.
The impact of pretransplant opioid exposure on healthcare utilization and costs in kidney transplant.

Study objective Opioid use has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. Studies within kidney transplantation have also shown increased risk of mortality, graft loss, and complications in kidney transplant recipients who use opioids prior to transplant. The objective of this analysis was to identify if recent pretransplant opioid exposure would be an effective risk-stratifier for patients at risk for readmissions and readmission costs. Further, the objective was to see if a brief assessment of recent opioid use could predict chronic opioid use post-transplant." Patients and design This study was a single-center, retrospective cohort analysis of adult renal transplant recipients between January 2010 and December 2016 assessing the impact of pretransplant opioid use on posttransplant readmissions at 1 year postsurgery, as well as it's ability to identify patients at risk of chronic opioid use post-transplant. Opioid use was identified using medication reconciliation or a national prescription database, and readmissions and normalized costs for hospitalizations were identified via the Vizient clinical database. Main results Pretransplant opioid exposure occurred in 271 (24%) of 1129 patients transplanted during the study time period. There were no differences in index hospitalization length of stay or cost; however, patients with opioid exposure were significantly more likely to have been admitted within 1-year postsurgery (51 vs. 43%, p = 0.023), had more readmissions per patient (0.93 vs. 0.72, p = 0.010), and had higher normalized readmissions costs ($12,556 vs. $8344, p = 0.009). Patients with opioid exposure were also more likely to be admitted for readmissions, had more admissions per patient, and had higher readmission costs at 30 and 90 days postsurgery. There were no differences in preventability of readmissions between cohorts or in general causes of readmissions. A multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that being opioid experienced and having a history of diabetes mellitus were independently associated with readmissions at 1 year postsurgery. In addition, having opioid exposure at the time of transplant, a history of diabetes mellitus, and younger age were independently associated with chronic opioid use after transplant. Conclusion This study demonstrated that recent exposure to opioids prior to kidney transplant was significantly and independently associated with increased readmissions and readmission costs at multiple timepoints up to 1 year posttransplant as well as chronic opioid use after transplant.It also demonstrated that a brief assessment of recent opioid use may be able to identify patients at risk for chronic opioid use. Because opioid use is associated with multiple diseases, it is important to continue to study the association of opioid use, and the potential for disease-modifying interactions, with various clinical outcomes.
Transseptal Puncture Learning Curve for Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the learning curve for transseptal puncture (TSP) during transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) performed by a dedicated mitral valve structural heart team. Effective TSP is mandatory for TEER but can be time-consuming and associated with complications including pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. METHODS TSP was performed on 107 consecutive patients (76 ± 1 years, 52% male) undergoing TEER between 2014 and 2019. TSP was performed by each structural heart team member (1 cardiologist, 2 cardiac surgeons) on a rotating case-by-case basis. No team member had prior independent TSP experience. Data collected included total procedure time, TSP time (time elapsed between procedure start and septal crossing), and number of TSP attempts before successful puncture. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) of deviations from the mean across sequential cases were used to examine learning curves. RESULTS Median total procedure time was 107 min, and the median TSP time was 14 min. Greater case number was significantly associated with both lower TSP time (rs = -0.22, P = 0.022) and lower total procedure time (rs = -0.29, P = 0.003). The majority of patients required only 1 TSP attempt (79%). There was a significant quadratic relationship between case number and the CUSUM for TSP time, with the learning curve peaking at 49 cases. CONCLUSIONS TSP for TEER has a substantial learning curve, requiring >50 cases to achieve acceptable efficiency. Even once proficiency is demonstrated, TSP remains a time-consuming component of TEER. Improvements in transseptal access technology may significantly decrease the time needed to master TSP and may improve the safety and precision of the procedure.
Fluid Creep in the PICU: Characterizing Fluid Administration Beyond Maintenance Fluids

Critically ill children receive fluids for multiple reasons including resuscitation, nutrition, and medications. While it is well-established that fluid overload (FO) is associated with negative outcomes in critically ill children, it is challenging for clinicians to consider all fluid sources and adjust accordingly. “Fluid creep” (FC) refers to insidious IV fluid intake (medications, flushes, etc.) in excess of standard predicted maintenance fluid requirements (MFR), and can represent a major source of fluid intake. This phenomenon has previously been described in burn patients and adults but is less well-established among pediatric patients. The prevalence of FC and whether FC contributes to fluid overload in critically ill children …
Improving the development of sheet structures with optimization and simulation methods

Nowadays the development of mechanical components is driven by ambitious targets. So engineers have to fulfill all technical requirements and have to reduce weight and cost of the mechanical components simultaneously. Beside this, the development time and costs have to be lowered in order to reach shorter product cycles and faster market innovations.
Racial Disparities in Health Care

To the Editor: Dr Schneider and colleagues 1 found that black patients in Medicare managed care organizations (MCOs) had poorer quality of care than white patients. Although numerous studies have reported racial disparities in health care, few have examined whether physician characteristics or treatment recommendations contribute to these disparities. 2-4 We previously reported that Hispanic and black patients with severe coronary artery disease were less likely than white patients to have revascularization recommended after angiography. 2 However, hospital records of patients for whom medical therapy was recommended revealed that medical factors, such as diffuse disease, precluded some patients from undergoing the procedure. In addition, nonmedical factors, such as patients’ refusal of the physician recommendation for revascularization and preference for conservative medical therapy, contributed to our findings. This suggests that clinical as well as nonclinical or psychosocial factors account for disparities in cardiac care, with overt racial/ethnic discrimination less likely. Such factors cannot be gleaned from large administrative databases such as those used by Schneider et al. Researchers should begin to examine key variables or conditions in the health care evaluation continuum (from health care seeking for symptoms to diagnosis) that perpetuate widespread variation in health care delivery before any attempt is made to ascribe such findings to subliminal bias or discrimination. We must also ascertain how such disparities impact health outcomes. 5
The Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is the first Space Weather Mission in NASA's Living With a Star Program. SDO's main goal is to understand, driving towards a predictive capability, those solar variations that influence life on Earth and humanity's technological systems. The past decade has seen an increasing emphasis on understanding the entire Sun, from the nuclear reactions at the core to the development and loss of magnetic loops in the corona. SDO's three science investigations (HMI, AIA, and EVE) will determine how the Sun's magnetic field is generated and structured, how this stored magnetic energy is released into the heliosphere and geospace as the solar wind, energetic particles, and variations in the solar irradiance. SDO will return full-disk Dopplergrams, full-disk vector magnetograms, full-disk images at nine EIUV wavelengths, and EUV spectral irradiances, all taken at a rapid cadence. This means you can 'observe the database' to study events, but we can also move forward in producing quantitative models of what the Sun is doing today. SDO is scheduled to launch in 2008 on an Atlas V rocket from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite will fly in a 28 degree inclined geosynchronous orbit about the longitude of New Mexico, where a dedicated Ka-band ground station will receive the 150 Mbps data flow. How SDO data will transform the study of the Sun and its affect on Space Weather studies will be discussed.
Including electron-electron collisions in Monte Carlo simulations of swarms in partially ionized plasmas

A method is described whereby electron-electron (e-e) collisions can be included in Monte Carlo simulations of electron swarms in low-temperature partially ionized plasmas. The method is based on treating e-e collisions in a manner equivalent to electron-neutral collisions by using the impact approximation (instantaneous momentum exchange). This equivalence permits the direct inclusion of e-e collisions in the selection process used for collisions by the Monte Carlo method and is obtained by having electrons collide with a background electron fluid. Momentum exchange occurs with the fluid, thereby requiring periodic updates of the electron energy distribution function of the background fluid. This method is made computationally feasible by use of a modified null cross section technique. For typical discharge conditions (3 torr N/sub 2/, delta =10/sup -5/, E/N=20*10/sup -17/ V-cm/sup 2/) the method converges in less than tens of nanoseconds, making application to systems operating at greater than or equal to tens of megahertz possible. >
Decentralized estimators for a large scale dynamic system

Principal component analysis is used to decompose a large scale dynamic system into robust subsystems. Decentralized state estimators are then designed to observe the states of the individual subsystems. The estimators are useful in the identification of states which are strongly controllable and/or strongly observable in the inputs and outputs, respectively. The decentralized estimators have few elements and are easy to implement and tune in real time. The decentralized estimators were verified by simulation. Simulation results are presented. >
What do you mean I'm practicing without a license? certification and licensing of requirements engineering professionals

During the past few years, we have seen some dramatic events that support licensing and certification of software professionals. The decision to license software engineers in the state of Texas was a landmark event. Other significant events include the establishment of undergraduate degree programs in software engineering, the merger of the CSAB and ABET accrediting bodies, and the plan to accredit undergraduate degree programs in software engineering. The work of the SWECC and other groups such as the WGSEET all point in the direction of a discipline of software engineering that can support licensing and certification. I have long felt that licensing or certification of software engineers was inevitable, at least for developers of products that need to exhibit safety and security properties. Our inclination to sue may also lead to licensing of software engineers who develop essential business applications. The issues to be addressed today have to do with the concept of licensing requirements engineers, which is not exactly the same as licensing software engineers. My views on these issues follow.
Multiple target detection using a modified fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator

We investigate the performance of a modified fringe-adjusted joint transform correlator for detecting multiple targets present in an input scene. This technique, involving adjustment of the joint power spectrum (JPS) on the basis of the input-scene-only power spectrum, and apodization of the modified JPS on the basis of the reference signal power spectrum, is found to yield good correlation output. Simulation results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed technique.
Pioglitazone alters monocyte populations and stimulates recent thymic emigrants in the BBDZR/Wor type 2 diabetes rat model

Type 2 diabetes is commonly characterized by insulin deficiency and decreased sensitivity of insulin receptors, leading to a chronic state of hyperglycemia in individuals. Disease progression induces changes in the immune profile that engenders a chronic inflammatory condition. Thiazolidinedione (TDZ) drugs, such as Pioglitazone (Pio), aid in controlling disease symptoms. While the mechanisms by which Pio controls hyperglycemia are beginning to be understood, relatively little is known about the effects of Pio on suppression of the systemic immune phenotype, attributed to visceral adipose tissue and macrophages. Here, we utilize the recently developed BBDZR/Wor type 2 diabetes rat model to test our hypothesis that a selective in vivo growth of CD3+T cells in the spleen contributes to the increase in T lymphocytes, including Tregs, independent of visceral adipose tissue. We investigated the systemic effects of Pio on multifactorial aspects of the disease-induced immune phenotype both in vivo and in vitro in normal, non-diabetic animals and in disease. Our work revealed that Pio reversed the lymphopenic status of diabetic rats, in part by an increase in CD3+ T lymphocytes and related subsets. Moreover, we found evidence that Pio caused a selective growth of newly differentiated T lymphocytes, based on the presence of recent thymic emigrants in vivo. To investigate effects of Pio on the inflammatory milieu, we examined the production of the signature cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β and found they were reduced by Pio-treatment, while the levels of IL-4, an anti-inflammatory mediator, were significantly increased in a Pio-dependent manner. The increase in IL-4 production, although historically attributed to macrophages from visceral adipose tissue under other conditions, came also from CD3+ T lymphocytes from the spleen, suggesting splenocytes contribute to the Pio-induced shift towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. We show for the first time that Pio treatment significantly suppresses the systemic inflammatory status in the BBDZR/Wor type 2 diabetes rat model by the selective growth of newly differentiated CD3+ T cells and by increasing CD3+IL-4 production in immigrant spleen lymphocytes.
Relationship of Static Stereoscopic Depth Perception to Performance with Dynamic Stereoscopic Displays

Although most tasks performed by human observers that require accurate stereoscopic depth perception, such as working with tools, operating machinery, and controlling vehicles, involve dynamically changing disparities, classification of observers as having normal or deficient stereoscopic vision is currently based on performance with static stereoscopic displays. The present study compares the performance of subjects classified as deficient in static stereoscopic vision to a control group with normal stereoscopic vision in two experiments-one in which the disparities were constant during motion and one in which the disparities changed continuously. In the first experiment, subjects judged orientation in depth of a dihedral angle, with the apex pointed toward or away from them. The angle translated horizontally, leaving the disparities constant. When disparity and motion parallax were placed in conflict, subjects in the normal group almost always responded in accordance with disparity, whereas subjects in ...
Attitudes toward health among children of different races and socioeconomic status.

The semantic differential, a means of measuring attitudes, was administered to 178 fourth grade students to compare attitudes toward health. One school was composed almost entirely of black children from the inner city, the other contained white children from upper middle class homes. When the children were divided into the two groups by sex, differences between the groups were not statistically significant but there were highly significant differences between the races. Generally, white children held more positive attitudes toward health personnel and health institutions than black children, while on the average black children were less concerned about sickness than white children. Whether these differences in attitude are in some way ethnically determined or based rather on a "culture of poverty" could not be determined from this study.
Interaction of Ascorbic Acid with Silicic Acid

Interaction of ascorbic acid with silicic acid in the solid state was studied using diffuse reflectance spectroscopic techniques. Surface degradation products from ascorbic acid breakdown were effectively observed using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, whereas the corresponding transmittance spectral method did not give significant information concerning degradation products. Adsorption of ascorbic acid from methanol solution by silicic acid did not occur, However, after evaporation of the methanol, ascorbic acid did undergo strong interaction with silicic acid, probably through hydrogen bonding. Thermal degradation of ascorbic acid in the adsorbed state was found to be different from that in solution. In acid solution, furfural was a major degradation product; whereas in the adsorbed state, furfural could not be detected.
Acetylcholine potentiates glutamate-induced neurodegeneration in cultured hippocampal neurons

Glutamate-induced neurodegeneration in the mammalian central nervous system may be involved in both normal development and pathological neurodegenerative disorders. Cultured embryonic hippocampal pyramidal neurons were used to test the hypothesis that acetylcholine can modify glutamate-induced neurodegeneration. Acetylcholine potentiated the neurodegenerative actions of glutamate and lowered the threshold for glutamate neurotoxicity. The degeneration-potentiating effects of acetylcholine were mediated by muscarinic receptors. These results emphasize the importance of neurotransmitter interactions in the modification of neuroarchitecture.
Occurrence of zearalenone in fresh corn and corn products collected from local Hispanic markets in San Diego County, CA

Abstract Estrogenic mycotoxins such as zearalenone (ZON) produced by several species of Fusarium fungi can be found in many foods including corn and corn products. The contamination by the fungi can occur either in the field or during storage. Corn and corn products represent a significant part of Hispanic diets. Hispanic females can become exposed to ZON during the consumption of these products. The estrogenic property of ZON might promote precocious puberty in young girls and abnormal hormone balances in women. Corn and corn products were procured from local area Hispanic markets. A single laboratory validated method was used to determine ZON in these products. The limit of detection (LOD) for the method was 2.0 ng g −1 . The recovery rate of ZON spiked tortillas was 95%, 76% and 114%, masa was 102%, 98% and 107%, and whole corn was 92%, 89% and 94%, at concentrations of 5, 20, and 100 ng g −1 respectively. A total of 35 corn products, collected from small family owned markets in the Spanish speaking areas most likely to sell products consumed by the local Hispanic population, were analyzed (8 yellow and 7 white corn tortilla samples, 9 masa samples, 5 whole white corn and 5 whole yellow corn samples and 1 nixtamalized corn sample). ZON was found in 10 of 15 tortilla samples with a mean of 1.60 ng g −1 . Of the 9 masa samples, ZON was found in 7 samples with a mean of 4.52 ng g −1 . ZON was found in 4 fresh whole corn samples, averaging 0.71 ng g −1 . The nixtamalized corn sample contained a mean level of 10.31 ng g −1 ZON. ZON was more frequently found in the masa compared to the tortillas and fresh whole corn.
Magnetic-field-tuned superconductor-to-insulator transitions in amorphous Bi films with nanoscale hexagonal arrays of holes

We have observed multiple magnetic field driven superconductor-to-insulator transitions (SIT) in amorphous Bi films perforated with a nanohoneycomb (NHC) array of holes. The period of the magnetoresistance, $H={H}_{M}=h∕2eS$, where $S$ is the area of a unit cell of holes, indicates that the field driven transitions are boson dominated. The field-dependent resistance follows $R(T)={R}_{0}(H){e}^{{T}_{0}(H)∕T}$ on both sides of the transition so that the evolution between these states is controlled by the vanishing of ${T}_{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. We compare our results to the thickness driven transition in NHC films and the field driven transitions in unpatterned Bi films, other materials, and Josephson junction arrays. Our results suggest a structural source for similar behavior found in some materials and that despite the clear bosonic nature of the SITs, quasiparticle degrees of freedom likely also play an important part in the evolution of the SIT.
Magnetic Properties of Exposed Oceanic Crust on Macquarie Island

The authors of this report discuss the relative contributions of various rocks to the marine magnetic anomalies which are, of course, the crucial indicators of seafloor spreading.
Performance Evaluation and Outlook of Utility-Scale Linear Fresnel Technology

As one of the viable concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, linear Fresnel collectors differ from parabolic troughs by virtue of their low-profile mirror arrays and fixed receiver assemblies. This technology is capable of achieving high concentration ratios and so is applicable to high-temperature solar power plant designs. In addition, its low wind profile and linear nature lead to low system and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs.In this report two linear Fresnel solar plant configurations, namely a direct steam generation (DSG) system and a direct high-temperature molten-salt plant, are examined via a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) analysis. By treating LCOE as a function of the annual investment energy return (IER, or the ratio of annual net electricity to the total direct system cost) under various assumptions of O&M cost, a few plant scenarios employing high-temperature linear Fresnel technology are carefully configured to meet the aggressive LCOE goals of 8 cents/kWh and 6 cents/kWh. The latter is the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative goal aimed at making CSP cost competitive in the current energy market. In particular, a linear Fresnel scenario with the potential to meet the SunShot goal is featured with a collector cost of $100/m2, an annual system energy efficiency of 18%, a storage system cost of $15/kWh-th, and an O&M cost of $7.5/MWh. One of the most aggressive assumptions is an advanced power block with about 52% cycle efficiency and a turbine inlet temperature of 700°C.This work addresses unanswered questions regarding linear Fresnel cost and performance and identifies future research and development directions for linear Fresnel technology, including economic optimization of collectors and receivers, development of physical plant performance models, development of automated O&M mechanisms and sophisticated plant control software.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Disarming suppressor cells to improve immunotherapy.

Human tumors can use many different mechanisms to induce dysfunction in the host immune system. Accumulations of inducible regulatory T cells (iTreg, Tr1) are commonly seen in the tumor microenvironment. These Treg express CD39 and up-regulate CD73 ectonucleotidases, hydrolyze exogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to AMP and adenosine and produce prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Most tumors also express CD39/CD73 and COX-2 and thus contribute to immune suppression. Pharmacologic inhibitors can be used to eliminate adenosine/PGE2 production by Tr1 as well as the tumor or to block binding of these factors to their receptors on Teff or to selectively block cAMP synthesis in Teff. These pharmacologic blocking strategies used alone or in combination with conventional treatments or immunotherapies could disarm Tr1, at the same time restoring antitumor functions of Teff.
Who Participates in the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS)?

The national Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) is a multisite research program to improve outcomes for offenders with drug problems who are reentering the community after incarceration. Baseline data from three ongoing CJ-DATS studies were pooled to examine the characteristics of study participants. These analyses suggest that CJ-DATS study participants have serious drug problems, criminal histories, and mental health problems that can decrease the likelihood of successful community reentry unless addressed. HIV-risk behavior was associated with several categories of criminal acts, suggesting that the relationship between sexual risk behaviors and crime may need further investigation.
Movement of CO2 and HCO3-across isolated frog skin.

Abstract 1. 1. Comparison of the electrical responses of isolated frog skin (Rana pipiens) to the sodium salts of HCO3−, Cl−, SO42− and NO3− (120 mequiv/l) suggested low conductance (permeability) for HCO3−. 2. 2. This was confirmed by studies in which gain in total CO2 on the corium side was measured across electrically open skins between NaHCO3 and Na2SO4 solutions, pH 8.00. After 3 h the NaHCO3 and Na2SO4 were found to be more and less alkaline, respectively, (average pH's 8.26 and 7.88). From this permeability coefficients (P) for CO2 varying from 0.5 to 1.1 cm/h were calculated. This agrees with data from the literature for CO2 gas diffusion in skin, in the absence of NaHCO3. 3. 3. For short circuited skins between NaHCO3 solutions to which NaH14CO3 was added, 14C influx equalled 14C outflux. Hence, there was not an indication of active HCO3− transport. The carbon fluxes were approx. 6 times the short circuit current equivalent for Na+, suggesting that 14C moved as 14CO2. From this a P for CO2 of 3–4 cm/h was calculated. The conclusion is reached that tP for HCO3P− must be very low, comparable to P for SP42− (2·10−9-4·10−9 cm/sec). From net influx experiments (NaCl outside, Na2SO4 inside) a P for Cl− of 3·10−6-4·10−6 cm/sec was calculated. In this situation the skin potential difference was near zero, or reversed. 4. 4. For skins in mixtures of NaHCO3 + KHCO3 the potential difference changed by 24 mV per decade change in [Na+] on the outside over a range from 14 to 110 mequiv/l. Similar responses are most often seen for skins in SO42− saline. It is unlikely that HCO3− shunting is the reason for not obtaining an ideal 58-mV response, assuming Na+ permselectivity of the outside of the skin.
Genetics of Leaf Rust Resistance in the Soft Red Winter Wheat Cultivars Coker 9663 and Pioneer 26R61

Leaf rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, is an important disease of soft red winter wheat cultivars that are grown in the southern and eastern United States. The objectives of this study were to identify the leaf rust resistance genes in two soft red winter wheat cultivars, Coker 9663 and Pioneer 26R61, that have been widely grown and were initially highly resistant to leaf rust. Both cultivars were crossed with the leaf-rust-susceptible spring wheat cv. Thatcher and the F1 plants were crossed to Thatcher to obtain backcross (BC1) F2 families. In seedlings, the Thatcher/Coker 9663 BC1F2 families segregated for three independent seedling resistance genes when tested with different leaf rust isolates. The leaf rust infection types of selected BC1F3 lines, when tested with different leaf rust isolates, indicated that seedling resistance genes Lr9, Lr10, and Lr14a were present. In field plot tests, BC1F4 lines that were seedling susceptible had some adult plant resistance to leaf rust. Seedlings of the Thatcher/Pioneer 26R61 BC1F2 families segregated for two independent resistance genes. Infection types of selected BC1F3 lines indicated the presence of Lr14b and Lr26. The adult plant gene Lr13 was determined to be present in selected BC1F4 lines that were tested with different leaf rust isolates in greenhouse tests.
Releases of Calosoma sycophanta (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Near the Edge of Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Distribution

Approximately 100 Calosoma sycophanta L. adults were released in each of 5 plots located near the leading edge of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), expansion in Delaware, Michigan, and West Virginia. Before release, naturally occurring beetle populations were present in West Virginia, but not in the other states. Gypsy moth pupal numbers and numbers of pupae eaten by larval C. sycophanta were counted under burlap bands in both release and paired control plots to assess the effectiveness of the beetle. There was a significant positive partial correlation between pupal survival and abundance of beetle larvae ; gypsy moth pupal survival was high when predator population densities were high. This is not what would be expected if C. sycophanta were controlling the pest, but the data show that the beetle was capable of reproducing in release areas. These results indicate that it may be useful to release the beetle into other parts of the leading edge of gypsy moth infestation and in other areas where the beetle is not abundant.
Japanese contributions on consumer ecology in eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) beds, with special reference to trophic relationships and resources in inshore fisheries

Abstract Ecological studies on the animal communities in eelgrass beds in Japan are briefly reviewed Fish fauna and macro-invertebrate fauna in eelgrass beds have been studied in various localities of Japan. A comparison of fish fauna and mobile epiphytic invertebrate fauna of the various localities indicated a very high similarity between them. Fishes and decapod crustaceans have been classified into several categories according to their residence period in the eelgrass beds. Most of the permanent residents are small in size and have no importance for fisheries, however, the seasonal residents include the juvenile and young subadult stages of some commercial fishes. Trophic relations in eelgrass communities have been examined and seasonal modifications of food-chain relationships described. A faunal change of both fishes and epiphytic invertebrates accompanying the decline of the eelgrass beds has been shown, and the significance of eelgrass beds for conservation of inshore fishery resources has been discussed.
Pyrrole photooxidation. A pathway to bipyrrolic products

Dye-sensitized photooxidation of tert-butyl 3-methoxypyrrole-2-carboxylate in methanol yielded tert-butyl 3,5-dimethoxypyrrole-2-carboxylate and a bipyrrolic oxidative coupling product. A mechanism for the formation of the coupling product is presented.
Diboson Production at D0

New data set recorded by D0 experiment at the Tevatron collider at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV makes the diboson physics program an attractive probe of electroweak gauge structure in the Standard Model. Here we present the most recent diboson production cross section measurements at D0 for W{gamma}, Z{gamma}, WZ and ZZ and report on the tightest limits to date on the neutral trilinear gauge boson couplings in Z{gamma} production. Depending on the analysis the size of utilized RunIIa data collected during 2002-2006 by the D0 detector is 0.8-1.0 pb{sup -1}.
Equipment replacement under technological change

For infinite-horizon replacement economy problems it is common practice to truncate the problem at some finite horizon. We develop bounds on the error due to such a truncation. These bounds differ from previous results in that they include both revenues and costs. Bounds are illustrated through a numerical example from a real case in vehicle replacement. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pathology of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are gaining increasing recognition as components of the emerging epidemic of obesity in North America and in other parts of the world. These entities are considered the hepatic manifestations of the insulin resistance syndrome and represent the spectra of fatty liver disease associated with it. All features of metabolic syndrome are associated with NAFLD/NASH, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in the form of elevated triglyceride levels. NAFLD/NASH can progress to liver cirrhosis and has been reported as a cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, the histopathologic features of NAFLD/NASH and differential diagnostic considerations are discussed. In addition, grading and staging schema proposed and currently in use are reviewed. Finally, other aspects for consideration by practicing pathologists, such as sampling issues, histopathologic findings after therapeutic interventions, and recurrence after liver transplantation, are addressed.
A new product of algebras and a type reduction theorem

A construction is defined which associates, to every algebra\(\mathfrak{A}\) of a fixed but arbitrary finite similarity type, a groupoidF\(\mathfrak{A}\). The identities ofF\(\mathfrak{A}\) are finitely based if and only if those of\(\mathfrak{A}\) are, andF\(\mathfrak{A}\) is finite if and only if\(\mathfrak{A}\) is finite. Up to isomorphism,F\(\mathfrak{A}\) has the same endomorphism monoid and subalgebra lattice as\(\mathfrak{A}\), but the congruence lattice ofF\(\mathfrak{A}\) is the result of adjoining a new 1 to the congruence lattice of\(\mathfrak{A}\).F is functorial, preserves the satisfaction (and the non-satisfaction) of most Mal'cev conditions, and produces, by composition with the operation of forming the generated variety, an isomorphism of the lattice of varieties of fixed type to an interval in the lattice of varieties of groupoids.