cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An efficient method for optimal structural design by substructuring

Abstract An optimal structural design technique incorporating the concept of substructuring in its formulation is presented. The method is developed using functional analysis techniques and the state space formulation of the optimal design problem. Design sensitivity analysis for the problem is discussed and an integrated computational algorithm for optimal design is presented. As an application of the method, optimal design of general trusses is presented. Numerical results for two standard truss structures of 25 and 200 members are obtained, using substructuring, and are compared with results obtained without substructuring. It is shown that the algorithm with substructuring is up to 66% more efficient.
Sleep apnea in male patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome

Abstract purpose: Fibromyalgia is a common pain syndrome that is often associated with sleep disturbances. The most characteristic pattern noted on formal steep study is α-wave intrusion on δwave sleep. This nonrestorative sleep pattern may be endogenous, or caused by any of a number of sleep disturbances. Our goal was to determine the frequency of sleep apnea and its relationship to a nonrestorative sleep pattern in our patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. patients and methods: All new fibromyalgia patients seen in the Rheumatology Clinic at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center were screened using history and physical examination for suspicion of sleep apnea. When this condition was suspected, the patients underwent formal polysomnography to delineate any sleep disturbance. results: Four of 92 women, and 13 of 25 men with the new diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome underwent polysomnography. Of the women, 22% (2 of 92) had significant sleep apnea at formal evaluation; both were obese and had obstructive findings. In contrast, 44% (11 of 25) of the men had significant sleep apnea. conclusions: Sleep apnea is not a significant cause of fibromyalgia symptoms in females. In male patients with fibromyalgia, sleep apnea was observed in a large percentage. Fibromyalgia may be a marker for occult sleep apnea in males.
SIGCHR: a portable character generator

SIGCHR is a portable, device-independent character generator for computer-driven, line-drawing plotters. The meaning of "portable" in this context is described, and the methods used for attaining portability in this algorithm are outlined. A test program for SIGCHR is presented, and the results of executing that program are shown.
Coupling of Highly Nonlinear Waves with Linear Elastic Media

This paper reports a fundamental study of the coupling between highly nonlinear waves, generated in a one dimensional granular chain of particles, with linear elastic media, for the development of a new Non Destructive Evaluation and Structural Health Monitoring (NDE/SHM) paradigm. We design and use novel acoustic actuators to excite compact highly nonlinear solitary waves in a one-dimensional linear elastic rod and investigate the pulse propagation across the interface. To model the actuator and rod system we use Finite Element Analysis (Abaqus) and obtain excellent agreement between the experimental observations and the numerical results. We also study the response of the system to the presence of defects (cracks) in the steel rod, by comparing the wave propagation properties in pristine and cracked test objects. The obtained results encourage the use of highly nonlinear waves as an effective tool for developing a new, viable NDE/SHM method.
A role for telomeric and centromeric instability in the progression of chromosome aberrations in meningioma patients.

BACKGROUND The primary chromosome aberration in meningiomas is monosomy or deletion of chromosome 22. Common secondary aberrations include losses or deletions of chromosomes 1p, 14q, and 10q and unstable chromosome aberrations including rings, dicentrics, and telomeric associations. Despite the analysis of several hundred tumors by cytogenetic and molecular techniques, the mechanisms involved in the progression of chromosome aberrations in meningioma remain poorly understood. METHODS Sixty-seven meningiomas were cultured successfully using a short term in situ technique and harvested incorporating a high resolution G-banding technique with ethidium bromide. RESULTS Twenty-six tumors (39%) showed normal karyotypes, whereas 41 tumors (61%) showed clonal chromosome aberrations. The most frequently observed aberration was the loss of chromosome 22 or structural aberrations involving 22q12, which occurred in 30 tumors (45%). The second most common aberrations were whole arm translocations involving the centromeric breakpoint at 1q10, resulting in the loss of the entire 1p chromosome in 12 tumors (18%). Two tumors showed a new, recurring, unbalanced, whole arm translocation der(1;2)(q10;q10). A third aberration, telomeric associations, were observed in 16 tumors (24%), occurring transiently in 11 tumors and recurring clonally in 5 tumors. Dicentric chromosome 22 was found in 7 tumors (10%), with the progressive loss of chromosome 22q material being found in 2 tumors. CONCLUSIONS The chromosome instability demonstrated in the current series of tumors suggests that the progression of chromosome aberrations in meningioma is mediated in some respects by both telomeric and centromeric instability. These two types of instability may be early events in the progression of chromosome aberrations in meningioma and each can account for at least some of the loss of heterozygosity of chromosomes 22q and 1p detected by molecular analysis. Cancer 2000;88:440–53. © 2000 American Cancer Society.
Blood ACTH in the stressed adrenalectomized rat after intravenous injection of hydrocortisone.

THE experiments of Ingle et al. (1937, 1938), Sayers and Sayers (1945, 1947), Gray and Munson (1951) and Abelson and Baron (1952) have clearly demonstrated that the secretory products of the adrenal cortex inhibit ACTH release in the intact rat. Alterations in the rate of secretion of ACTH were based on changes in weight or the concentration of ascorbic acid of the adrenal glands of the test animal. These indices limit the evaluation of pituitary control since the response in the target gland is measured hours or days after steroid administration. The development of a technic for measuring ACTH in blood has made it possible to study ACTH release in the adrenalectomized animal within a few minutes after administration of hydrocortisone. methods Male rats from the Holtzman Rolfsmeyer farm weighing 250 to 350 gm. were acclimatized for two weeks in our laboratory (constant lighting and temperature, 78 ± 1° F.).
A Method and Tool for Process-Centric Supply Chain Transformation

Supply chain transformation is an emerging service area in the market which is offered to help companies in maximizing the performance of their supply chain operations while reducing costs. An end-to-end supply chain transformation includes the improvement from strategic and tactical level, operational level, execution level and implementation level. Business process is the foundation and linkage of the whole supply chain transformation lifecycle. In this paper, we introduce an effort in IBM China Research Lab named On-demand Supply Chain Analytics Resource (OSCAR), which provides comprehensive methodology and tool support for supply chain transformation from a process-centric point of view. The tool provides an end-to-end support for supply chain transformation, which includes business process modeling, business process diagnosis, strategic and tactical decision making, etc. It has been successfully applied in several supply chain transformation projects for validation and hardening.
Breakdown of equivalence between the minimal l 1 -norm solution and the sparsest solution

Finding the sparsest solution to a set of underdetermined linear equations is NP-hard in general. However, recent research has shown that for certain systems of linear equations, the sparsest solution (i.e. the solution with the smallest number of nonzeros), is also the solution with minimal l1 norm, and so can be found by a computationally tractable method.For a given n by m matrix Φ defining a system y=Φα, with n < m making the system underdetermined, this phenomenon holds whenever there exists a 'sufficiently sparse' solution α0. We quantify the 'sufficient sparsity' condition, defining an equivalence breakdown point (EBP): the degree of sparsity of α required to guarantee equivalence to hold; this threshold depends on the matrix Φ.In this paper we study the size of the EBP for 'typical' matrices with unit norm columns (the uniform spherical ensemble (USE)); Donoho showed that for such matrices Φ, the EBP is at least proportional to n. We distinguish three notions of breakdown point--global, local, and individual--and describe a semi-empirical heuristic for predicting the local EBP at this ensemble. Our heuristic identifies a configuration which can cause breakdown, and predicts the level of sparsity required to avoid that situation. In experiments, our heuristic provides upper and lower bounds bracketing the EBP for 'typical' matrices in the USE. For instance, for an n × m matrix Φn,m with m = 2n, our heuristic predicts breakdown of local equivalence when the coefficient vector α has about 30% nonzeros (relative to the reduced dimension n). This figure reliably describes the observed empirical behavior. A rough approximation to the observed breakdown point is provided by the simple formula 0.44 ċ n/log(2m/n).There are many matrix ensembles of interest outside the USE; our heuristic may be useful in speeding up empirical studies of breakdown point at such ensembles. Rather than solving numerous linear programming problems per n, m combination, at least several for each degree of sparsity, the heuristic suggests to conduct a few experiments to measure the driving term of the heuristic and derive predictive bounds. We tested the applicability of this heuristic to three special ensembles of matrices, including the partial Hadamard ensemble and the partial Fourier ensemble, and found that it accurately predicts the sparsity level at which local equivalence breakdown occurs, which is at a lower level than for the USE. A rough approximation to the prediction is provided by the simple formula 0.65 ċ n/log(1 + 10m/n).
E2M1 Multipole Mixing Ratios in the 'Spherical' Nuclei Te-124, Te-126, and Xe-126

$\frac{E2}{M1}$ mixing ratios of the 709-, 714-, and 723-keV transitions in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{124}$, the 754-keV transition in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{126}$, and the 491-keV transition in ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{126}$ were measured using the $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ directional-correlation technique. In addition, the measurements on the 646-603-keV, 1691-603-keV, and 2091-603-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ cascades in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{124}$ are in agreement with pure $E2$ character of the 1691- and 2091-keV transitions in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{124}$. Coaxial Ge(Li) and Na(Tl) scintillation detectors were used in different combinations depending on the energy resolution required for a particular measurement. The results for the mixing ratios are $\ensuremath{\delta}(709)={+0.04}_{\ensuremath{-}0.05}^{+0.03}$, $\ensuremath{\delta}(714)=+0.98\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19$, and $\ensuremath{\delta}(723)=\ensuremath{-}3.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1$ for the transitions in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{124}$; $\ensuremath{\delta}(754)={\ensuremath{-}5.5}_{\ensuremath{-}0.3}^{+0.4}$ for the ${2}^{{+}^{\ensuremath{'}}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{+}$ transition in ${\mathrm{Te}}^{126}$; and $\ensuremath{\delta}(491)={+27}_{\ensuremath{-}9}^{+30}$ for the ${2}^{{+}^{\ensuremath{'}}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{+}$ transition in ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{126}$. There is an indication that the mixing ratios for the ${2}^{{+}^{\ensuremath{'}}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{+}$ transitions in even-even tellerium isotopes are negative and the mixing ratios of similar transitions in even-even Xe isotopes have positive values.
Outcome after Hemorrhagic Shock in Trauma Patients

Background: It is essential to identify patients at high risk of death and complications for future studies of interventions to decrease reperfusion injury. Methods: We conducted an inception cohort study at a Level I trauma center to determine the rates and predictors of death, organ failure, and infection in trauma patients with systolic blood pressure ≤ 90 mm Hg in the field or in the emergency department. Results: Among the 208 patients with hemorrhagic shock (blood pressure ≤ 90 mm Hg), 31% died within 2 hours of emergency department arrival, 12% died between 2 and 24 hours, 11% died after 24 hours, and 46% survived. Among those who survived ≥ 24 hours, 39% developed infection and 24% developed organ failure. Increasing volume of crystalloid in the first 24 hours was strongly associated with increased mortality (p = 0.00001). Conclusion: Hemorrhage-induced hypotension in trauma patients is predictive of high mortality (54%) and morbidity. The requirement for large volumes of crystalloid was associated with increased mortality.
Determination of Ergot Alkaloid Content in Tall Fescue by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Ergot alkaloids are a class of toxic compounds, some of which are produced by a fungal endophyte in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The objective of this research was to measure total ergot alkaloid content in tall fescue by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with a calibration developed from immunochemical reference data. Eighty-four tall fescue samples were collected from experiments at the University of Missouri. Samples were from plants that varied in maturity, endophyte status, genotype, growing environment, and storage and preservation treatment. Samples were scanned by NIR radiation and analyzed chemically for ergot alkaloid content using a commercial immunoassay. An empirical prediction equation was developed by regressing NIR reflectance data against absorbance data from the immunoassay. The initial calibrations achieved a 1 - variance ratio (VR) of 0.86 with a mean and standard error of cross validation (SECV) of 0.606 ± 0.12; however, this was possible only when stockpiled tall fescue samples were omitted from the population. Stockpiled samples were checked for chemical accuracy and spectral similarity to the population, and another set of calibrations was developed. The final calibration, which omitted only those stockpiled samples that were infected with a toxic endophyte, had a 1 - VR of 0.89, with a mean and SECV of 0.682 ± 0.11. We concluded that total ergot alkaloid content in tall fescue can be quantified by NIR spectroscopy with a calibration developed from immunochemcial data, though it may not be possible to include samples of stockpiled tall fescue if they are infected with a toxic endophyte. Such a calibration can be robust and precise, reliably predicting an entire class of compounds in a diverse population of tall fescue samples.
Double acceptor-donor pair lines in cadmium sulfide

Abstract In this paper we report a new pair-spectrum resulting from the recombination of a double acceptor and a donor. Magnetic field studies show that in the excited state the two hole states are mixed due to the presence of the donor. This mixing results in a greater multiplicity in line splitting than has been observed in other types of pair-spectra. The Zeeman experiments confirmed the double-acceptor-donor complex and the Zeeman patterns were theoretically predicted. The effective g-value of the hole is proportional to [(g h cos θ) 2 + (g h⊥ sin θ) 2 ] 1 2 where θ is the angle between the c axis and the magnetic field.
OntoSem methods for processing semantic ellipsis

This paper describes various types of semantic ellipsis and underspecification in natural language, and the ways in which the meaning of semantically elided elements is reconstructed in the Ontological Semantics (OntoSem) text processing environment. The description covers phenomena whose treatment in OntoSem has reached various levels of advancement: fully implemented, partially implemented, and described algorithmically outside of implementation. We present these research results at this point -- prior to full implementation and extensive evaluation -- for two reasons: first, new descriptive material is being reported; second, some subclasses of the phenomena in question will require a truly long-term effort whose results are best reported in installments.
Long-term effects of dietary fructose on carbohydrate metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Abstract The effect of dietary fructose on glycemic control in subjects with diabetes mellitus is controversial. Therefore our aim was to conduct a long-term study to examine the effects of dietary fructose on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and to delineate the mechanisms for the effects observed. Six subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who were being treated by diet alone consumed 13% of their calories as fructose incorporated into mixed meals in place of sucrose for 3 months as inpatients on a metabolic ward. The following parameters were measured: (1) weekly fasting plasma-glucose concentrations, (2) postprandial serum glucose and insulin levels after four sugar tolerance tests, (3) basal hepatic glucose production, and (4) hepatic and whole-body insulin sensitivity determined during a hyperinsulinemic, euglycemic clamp. When modest amounts of fructose were substituted for sucrose in the diet for 3 months, basal hepatic glucose output remained unchanged (12.84 ± 1.83 nmol/kg/min v 12.51 ± 2.00 nmol/kg/min) as did hepatic insulin sensitivity (92% ± 4% v 93% ± 4% suppression) and peripheral glucose disposal (22.52 ± 4.56 nmol/kg/min v 25.80 ± 9.45 nmol/kg/min) to a 860 pmol/m 2 /min insulin infusion at euglycemia (4.8 mmol/L). Fructose feeding also did not alter fasting plasma-glucose concentrations or postprandial plasma glucose and insulin responses to oral glucose or fructose loads or to mixed meals containing either sucrose or fructose. In conclusion, substitution of physiologic amounts of sucrose by fructose for prolonged periods is unlikely to have adverse effects on glucose metabolism in diabetic subjects who are being treated with diet alone.
Ion Mobility Spectrometry as a Tool in Evaluating the Efficacy of Cleaning Protocol for Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratory Remediation

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is frequently used to gauge the success of remediation in clandestine methamphetamine laboratory sites due to portability of the instrument. In most cases, remediation involves some form of surface cleaning, followed by assaying using IMS to detect residual contaminants. However, the effectiveness of this cleaning approach has not been systematically evaluated nor has the effect of residual cleaner on IMS response. In this study, various building materials were exposed to a solution of methamphetamine followed by a series of cleaning cycles with a commercially available detergent, Simple Green. We found that cleaning using Simple Green requires exhaustive efforts; therefore, other cleaning agents should be explored that might be able to achieve a non-detectable IMS signal with less effort.
G-values for gas production from ion-irradiated polystyrene

Abstract Natural and deuterium-substituted polystyrene targets have been irradiated with energetic ion beams in order to make quantitative measurements of gas emission products. Targets with the deuterium substitution made at the pendant hydrogen group site were compared with targets in which the substitution was made at the hydrogen sites of the pendant phenyl group. The gases were measured with a residual gas analyzer; the primary gas products measured were H 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 3 H 4 , C 6 H 6 , and their various deuterium-substituted forms. It was shown that the G -values for the production of gas molecules by ion-irradiation are strongly dependent on the linear energy transfer (LET) of the ion. Evidence was given that the primary origin of the saturated hydrocarbon gas methane could be traced to scission of the polymer main chain while the primary origin of most of the unsaturated hydrocarbon gases could be traced to the pendant phenyl group in the macromolecule. Based upon zero-point energy theory, the effective reaction temperature for C-H bond scission during 1 MeV Ar + irradiation is ~ 1600°C.
Photocontrol of Dioscorea alanta plantlet growth

Abstract Light quality evaluations were conducted on yam (Dioscorea alata L. cultivar ‘Oriental’) plantlets to determine the potential usefulness of manipulation of the light environment in regulating growth. Eight-week old, in vitro grown yam plantlets were transferred to pots and treated in vivo with end-of-day (EOD) red (R) or far-red (FR) light. Also, nodal segments of D. alata plantlets were cultured on Murashige and Skoog basal medium and exposed in vitro to EOD R or FR light. EOD FR light increased internode elongation in both the in vivo and in vitro evaluations, but stimulated petiole elongation and protuber number and dry weight per plant only in the in vivo evaluation. EOD FR light enhancements of internode and petiole elongation and protuber development in these evaluations were reversed by immediately following far-red with red light, suggesting the involvement of phytochrome in these photoreversible processes. Photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) evaluations with white (fluorescent) light indicated that leaf, node, and root production per plant from D. alata segments on Murashige and Skoog basal medium was enhanced when subjected to higher PPFD (67 and 107 μmol m−2 s−1).
Glutamate Induces Mitochondrial Dynamic Imbalance and Autophagy Activation: Preventive Effects of Selenium

Glutamate-induced cytotoxicity is partially mediated by enhanced oxidative stress. The objectives of the present study are to determine the effects of glutamate on mitochondrial membrane potential, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy regulating factors and to explore the protective effects of selenium against glutamate cytotoxicity in murine neuronal HT22 cells. Our results demonstrated that glutamate resulted in cell death in a dose-dependent manner and supplementation of 100 nM sodium selenite prevented the detrimental effects of glutamate on cell survival. The glutamate induced cytotoxicity was associated with mitochondrial hyperpolarization, increased ROS production and enhanced oxygen consumption. Selenium reversed these alterations. Furthermore, glutamate increased the levels of mitochondrial fission protein markers pDrp1 and Fis1 and caused increase in mitochondrial fragmentation. Selenium corrected the glutamate-caused mitochondrial dynamic imbalance and reduced the number of cells with fragmented mitochondria. Finally, glutamate activated autophagy markers Beclin 1 and LC3-II, while selenium prevented the activation. These results suggest that glutamate targets the mitochondria and selenium supplementation within physiological concentration is capable of preventing the detrimental effects of glutamate on the mitochondria. Therefore, adequate selenium supplementation may be an efficient strategy to prevent the detrimental glutamate toxicity and further studies are warranted to define the therapeutic potentials of selenium in animal disease models and in human.
Space Interferometry Mission (SIM): meeting the technology challenge

Optical and infrared interferometry will open new vistas for astronomy over the next decade. Space based interferometers, operating unfettered by the Earth's atmosphere, will offer the greatest scientific payoff. They also present the greatest technological challenge: laser metrology systems must perform with sub-nanometer precision; mechanical vibrations must be controlled to nanometers requiring orders of magnitude disturbance rejection; a multitude of actuators and sensors must operate flawlessly and in concert. The Interferometry Technology program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is addressing these challenges with a development program that plans to establish technology readiness for the Space Interferometry Mission by early in the year 2001.
Crowd-based design activities: helping students connect with users online

By definition, human-centered design relies on interaction with users. While interacting with users within industry can be challenging, fostering these interactions in a classroom setting can be even more difficult. This qualitative study explores the use of crowd-based design activities as a way to support student-user interactions online. We motivate these online methods through a survey of 27 design instructors, who identified common challenges of conducting student-user interactions in physical settings, including coordination constraints and geographical barriers to meeting in person. We then describe our research through design to create and test 10 activities in a classroom setting, including using Twitter for needfinding and using Reddit to brainstorm ideas with experts. Finally, we present an emergent framework outlining the design space for crowd-based design activities where students learn to use input from online crowds to inform their design work. We discuss plans to refine and expand the current set of activities for open access to instructors.
Influence of the cobalt particle size in the CO hydrogenation reaction studied by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

The influence of particle size in the carbon monoxide hydrogenation reaction has been studied using cobalt nanoparticles (NPs) with narrow size distribution prepared from colloidal chemistry. The s...
Neopterin: Still a Forgotten Biomarker Dr. Apple responds

As lead author representing the IFCC C-SMCD coauthors, I acknowledge that our review on future …
Size Distribution of Trace Organic Species Emitted from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles

Size distributions of particulate hopanes, steranes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the exhaust from four heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) operated under idle, creep, transient, and two high-speed driving modes. Particulate matter was collected using a chassis dynamometer and a dilution sampling system equipped with cascade impactors and filter samplers. Samples were extracted using organic solvents and analyzed using gas chromatography−mass spectrometry. Size distributions of hopanes and steranes were functions of engine load conditions and vehicle technology. Hopanes and steranes peaked in size ranges larger than 0.18 μm aerodynamic particle diameter under light load conditions and less than 0.10 μm aerodynamic particle diameter under heavier load conditions. The eight hopane size distributions emitted from newer technology (>1998) vehicles were unimodal while the four hopane size distributions emitted from older technology vehicles (<1992) were bimodal. Similar trends be...
Molecular Targets for Radiation Oncology in Prostate Cancer

Recent selected development of the molecular science of Prostate cancer (PrCa) biology and radiation oncology is reviewed. We present potential targets for molecular integration treatment strategies with radiation therapy (RT), and highlight potential strategies for molecular treatment in combination with RT for patient care. We provide a synopsis of the information to date regarding molecular biology of PrCa, and potential integrated research strategy for improved treatment of PrCa. Many patients with early stage disease at presentation can be treated effectively with androgen ablation treatment, surgery or RT. However, a significant portion of men are diagnosed with advanced stage/high risk disease and these patients progress despite curative therapeutic intervention. Unfortunately, management options for these patients are limited and are not always successful including treatment for hormone refractory (HR) disease. In this review, we focus on molecules of extracellular matrix component, apoptosis, androgen receptor, RUNX and DNA methylation. Expanding our knowledge of the molecular biology of prostate cancer will permit the development of novel treatment strategies integrated with radiation therapy to improve patient outcome
A double-blind controlled trial of anti-Pseudomonas chemotherapy of acute respiratory exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis.

A double-blind controlled trial of anti- Pseudomonas chemotherapy was carried out in 24 exacerbations of pulmonary disease in patients with cystic fibrosis. Fifteen exacerbations were treated with oxacillin plus sisomicin and carbenicillin (treatment group); nine were treated with oxacillin alone (control group). The planned length of treatment was 14 days. The difference between the failure rate in the treatment group (3/15) and the control group (7/9) was statistically significant ( P P Pseudomonas aeruginosa was still present in the sputum of all nine patients in the control group, but was not isolated from six of the 15 patients in the treatment group. The data suggest a beneficial role for anti- Pseudomonas chemotherapy in the treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Monte Carlo study of B-cell receptor clustering mediated by antigen crosslinking and directed transport

It is known from experiments that in the presence of soluble antigen, B-cell receptors (BCRs) assemble into microclusters and then collect into a macrocluster known as a ‘cap’. However, the mechanisms of BCR cluster formation during recognition of soluble antigens remain unclear. In previous work, we demonstrated that effective intrinsic attractions among BCRs can lead to the formation of small microclusters of BCR molecules. The effective intrinsic attractions could be caused by multivalent antigen binding, association with lipid rafts, or other biochemical factors. In the present study, we have developed and studied a Monte Carlo model of BCR clustering mediated by explicit binding and crosslinking of soluble bivalent antigens. Antigen crosslinking is shown to microcluster BCRs in an affinity-dependent manner and also in a biologically relevant timescale; however, antigen crosslinking alone does not appear to be sufficient for the formation of a single macrocluster of receptor molecules. We show that directed transport of BCRs is needed to drive the formation of large macroclusters. We constructed a simple model of directed transport, where BCR molecules diffuse towards the largest cluster or towards a random BCR microcluster, which results in a single macrocluster of receptor molecules. The mechanisms for both types of directed transport are compared using network-based metrics. We also develop and use appropriate network measures to analyze the effect of BCR and antigen concentration on BCR clustering, the stability of the formed clusters over time and the size of BCR–antigen crosslinked chains.
Polymer-mounted N3P(MeNCH2CH2)3N: a green, efficient and recyclable catalyst for room-temperature transesterifications and amidations of unactivated esters

Abstract Merrifield resin-supported N 3 P(MeNCH 2 CH 2 ) 3 N shows excellent activity in the transesterification of higher esters such as glyceryl tribenzoate to methyl esters. The catalyst was successfully cycled 20 times (albeit with an increase in reaction time) without compromising yield up to the 20th cycle. The catalyst also showed good performance in amidation reactions of unactivated esters with amino alcohols.
Interaction of a Cumulus Cloud Ensemble with the Large-Scale Environment. Part IV: The Discrete Model

The Arakawa-Schubert (1974) parameterization is applied to a prognostic model of large-scale atmospheric circulations and used to analyze data in a general circulation model (GCM). The vertical structure of the large-scale model and the solution for the cloud subensemble thermodynamical properties are examined to choose cloud levels and representative regions. A mass flux distribution equation is adapted to formulate algorithms for calculating the large-scale forcing and the mass flux kernel, using either direct solution or linear programming. Finally, the feedback of the cumulus ensemble on the large-scale environment for a given subensemble mass flux is calculated. All cloud subensemble properties were determined from the conservation of mass, moist static energy, and total water.
Endovascular interventions for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms: The pivotal role of the clinical nurse in postoperative care

Descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (dTAA) comprise 40% of all aneurysms arising from the thoracic aorta. Because rupture of thoracic aneurysms is associated with a 94% mortality rate, timely detection, surveillance and treatment is imperative. Endovascular stent-graft repair of thoracic aneurysms was first performed in 1992 and has become an accepted treatment option for this condition in select candidates. There is an abundance of information for the care of patients after open surgical repair of dTAA. However, still relatively few written guidelines exist in the nursing literature for postoperative care and complications associated with endovascular stent-graft repair. The prevalence of aortic endografting, however, now makes it necessary for nurses to have a solid knowledge base in the operative procedure, complications and postoperative care for this patient population. Ideal candidates for aortic endografting undergo CTA or MRI preoperatively and fit a set of strict anatomic criteria to ensure proper delivery and fixation of the device. The early postoperative care focuses on minimizing pulmonary complications, paraplegia, renal failure and embolic complications such as stroke and limb ischemia through skilled nursing assessment and interventions. Late complications such as stent-graft migration, kinking, stent fracture and endoleak are often without symptoms, making it necessary for patients to be educated about these potential complications and to be encouraged to comply with lifelong follow up. This overview provides a sound cognitive framework for nurses practicing in a vascular surgery milieu.
CREST: principled foundations for decentralized systems

CREST is an architectural style for decentralized, flexible, and secure open and adaptive systems. Adopting the bilateral transfer of computation as the fundamental medium of exchange among peers, CREST reduces content to a side-effect of computational exchange. We discuss the style's constraints, its anticipated benefits, and the implementation mechanisms.
Calculation of inclusion formation in low-alloy-steel welds

Equilibrium thermodynamic calculations were performed to predict the sequential inclusion formation in low-alloy-steel welds. In the calculations the multi-phase equilibrium between oxides and liquid steel was considered. The oxidation sequence was found to be sensitive to small changes in the weld metal composition. The calculations are compared with experimental measurements available in the literature. Calculated aluminum and titanium concentrations in solid solution in the weld correlated well with experimental data. The calculations indicate that the present method can be used as a first approximation to describe the inclusions formation in low-alloy-steel welds. The results are discussed with reference to the acicular ferrite microstructure development.
Molten globules move into action.

One of the important goals of protein engineering and design is to create proteins with novel binding specificities. In addition to the intrinsic interest in understanding how the affinity and specificity of protein–ligand interactions is modulated, one can imagine a variety of practical applications for such a technology.
Comparative effects of intraduodenal psyllium and senna on canine small bowel motility

SUMMARY Background/aim: To define the possible contribution of altered small intestinal motor activity to side-effects of bulking fibres, we sought to compare the relative effects of intraduodenal and intracolonic administration of the bulking fibre psyllium and the anthraquinone laxative senna on canine small intestinal motor activity. Methods: Motor activity was recorded by serosal strain gauges implanted along the small intestine in 6 dogs. In random order, the motor responses to the instillation of psyllium (in doses of 5 or 10 g), senna (10 mg/kg) or appropriate vehicle (200 ml water infusion or saline 5 ml bolus) into either the proximal duodenum or proximal colon were assessed. Results: The intra-duodenal administration of psyllium in either dose consistently induced a prolonged burst of‘clustered’contractions; in contrast, clusters were infrequent and of short duration following instillation of either vehicle or senna (P < 0.05). Intraduodenal instillation of psyllium inhibited migrating motor complex (MMC) migration and consistently delayed the onset of the next MMC cycle; a similar inhibition occurred with vehicle, however. Neither senna nor its vehicle inhibited MMC migration. None of these agents had any effect on small intestinal motor activity when instilled directly into the colon. Conclusions: Psyllium administered directly into the duodenum inhibits MMC activity and consistently induces‘clustered’contractions. Whilst the MMC-inhibitory effect appears to be a non-specific volumerelated phenomenon, the induction of clusters is independent of volume or laxation. These motor effects of psyllium may contribute to the gastrointestinal symptomatology related to such agents and could be avoided by the preferential release of psyllium in the colon.
Description and Analysis of Metabolic Connectivity and Dynamics in the Human Red Blood Cell

The human red blood cell (hRBC) metabolic network is relatively simple compared with other whole cell metabolic networks, yet too complicated to study without the aid of a computer model. Systems science techniques can be used to uncover the key dynamic features of hRBC metabolism. Herein, we have studied a full dynamic hRBC metabolic model and developed several approaches to identify metabolic pools of metabolites. In particular, we have used phase planes, temporal decomposition, and statistical analysis to show hRBC metabolism is characterized by the formation of pseudoequilibrium concentration states. Such equilibria identify metabolic "pools" or aggregates of concentration variables. We proceed to define physiologically meaningful pools, characterize them within the hRBC, and compare them with those derived from systems engineering techniques. In conclusion, systems science methods can decipher detailed information about individual enzymes and metabolites within metabolic networks and provide further understanding of complex biological networks.
Measurement of select transition strengths and autoionizing lifetimes in atomic oxygen.

We have located the ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})4p' $^{3}$F and ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p' $^{3}$P autoionizing states of atomic oxygen and measured the autoionization-dominated lifetimes for the ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p' $^{1,3}$P, and ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p' $^{3}$D${,}^{3}$F states. In addition, we have measured transition strengths for the ${(}^{4}$S\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p $^{3}$P to ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3s' $^{3}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3s' $^{3}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to ${(}^{2}$D\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p' $^{1,3}$P${,}^{3}$D${,}^{3}$F transitions, and characterized the 2${\mathit{p}}^{4}$ $^{3}$P to ${(}^{4}$S\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{})3p $^{3}$P two-photon resonance for saturating light intensities. In making these original measurements, we use a variety of multiphoton-ionization methods, including Rabi-oscillation and damped-Rabi-oscillation methods.
Infrared spectral investigation of plasma spray coated hydroxyapatite

Abstract Plasma spray coated hydroxyapatite was studied using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. Special attention was made to illustrate in terms of the infrared spectra the effect of spray distance on the coating, and the difference between the surface and the bulk of the coating. The difference in spray distance was not found to change the infrared band locations. However, band broadening was observed due to the lower crystallinity in the coating. One notable difference that was observed between the spectra of the surface and the bulk of the coating was the higher degree of splitting of the asymmetric P–O stretching vibration mode (ν3) from the coating surface. This difference was attributed to the perturbed environment around PO43− ions, and to the dehydroxylation and/or the misplacement of hydroxyl ions in the crystalline network that occurred for the apatite crystals during the plasma spray process.
Distribution of Thyroid, Parathyroid and Ultimobranchial Hypocalcemic Factors in Birds. I. Thyroid and Ultimobranchial Calcitonins in Pigeons and Pullets1

Thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, and “ultimobranchial tissue samples” were dissected separately and identified histologically in pigeons. A rat biological assay for calcitonin was used to measure hypocalcemic activity in these pharyngeal glands of common pigeons, White Carneaux pigeons, and pullets. In the biological assay, log dose—response lines of avian tissue extracts were parallel to that of porcine calcitonin, and hypocalcemic responses of test animals to avian tissue extracts were not abolished by thyroparathyroidectomy. Porcine calcitonin was inactivated by incubation with pigeon and pullet serum; hypocalcemic activity of pullet ultimobranchial extract was reduced by incubation with calcitonininactivating material obtained from rat serum. Pigeon thyroid and ultimobranchial extracts produced hypophosphatemia as well as hypocalcemia in rats. In pullets, hypocalcemic activity was absent from thyroid glands but was present in parathyroid glands, ultimobranchial samples, and cervical nerves. In comm...
Nonlinear behavior of laser-induced damage in KDP and DKDP under multiwavelength irradiation

The damage performance of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP, and its deuterated analog DKDP) crystals under multi-wavelength, simultaneous exposure to the harmonics of a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser system is of particular interest because it approximates the conditions taking place during frequency conversion. In this work, damage initiation under simultaneous exposure to two pulses at different wavelengths is investigated as a function of fluence in both KDP and DKDP. We have developed a novel damage testing instrumentation which allows us to measure the damage pinpoint density as a function of laser parameters, including wavelength, fluence, and pulse-length. This new method enables us to carefully quantify the damage effects of both, single-wavelength and dual-wavelength pulsed irradiation. In the latter case, we measure the laser-induced damage behavior when the fluence at one wavelength is varied while the fluence of the second wavelength is kept constant. Our results suggest that the behavior of laser-induced damage initiation under simultaneous multi-wavelength irradiation is complex and crystal dependent.
Role of Mutual Attachment in Drug Use: A Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT Objective This study examines childhood aggression, mutual attachment and later drug use. Method Data on 397 children and adolescents at three points in time were collected and analyzed. Mothers and their children were individually interviewed. Results A weak parent-child mutual attachment in girls can be viewed as a consequence of childhood aggression. Moreover, mutual parent-child attachment affects later drug use through three stabilities: (1) the stability of attachment during adolescence, (2) the stability of unconventionality during adolescence, and (3) the stability of drug use during adolescence. Conclusion The multiple pathway perspective on drug use poses a number of ways in which to think about interventional approaches. First, interventions may be targeted toward those risk factors showing the strongest relations with later drug use. A second mode of orientation to intervention would deal with the amenability of the target to particular interventional agents. Interventions may be geared to intraindividual characteristics or may focus more attention on familial characteristics. A third way of considering interventions, as suggested by the developmental pathways to drug use, seeks to address the temporal order of risk factors leading to drug use.
Thermochemical Property, Pathway and Kinetic Analysis on the Reactions of Allylic Isobutenyl Radical with O2: an Elementary Reaction Mechanism for Isobutene Oxidation

Kinetics for the reactions of allylic isobutenyl radical (CC(C)C) with molecular oxygen are analyzed by using quantum Rice−Ramsperger−Kassel (QRRK) theory for k(E) and master equation analysis for falloff. Thermochemical properties and reaction path parameters are determined by ab initio−Moller−Plesset (MP2(full)/6-31g(d) and MP4(full)/6-31g(d,p)//MP2(full)/6-31g(d)), complete basis set model chemistry (CBS-4 and CBS-q with MP2(full)/6-31g(d) and B3LYP/6-31g(d) optimized geometries), and density functional (B3LYP/6-31g(d) and B3LYP/6-311+g(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31g(d)) calculations. An elementary reaction mechanism is constructed to model the experimental system, isobutene oxidation. The forward and reverse rate constants for initiation reaction C2CC + O2 ↔ CC(C)C + HO2 are determined to be 1.86 × 109 T1.301 exp(−40939 cal/RT) (cm3 mol-1 s-1) and 6.39 × 108 T0.944 exp(−123.14 cal/RT) (cm3 mol-1 s-1), respectively. Calculations on 2,5-dimethylhexa-1,5-diene, methacrolein, isobutene oxides, and acetone product f...
Prevalence of Major Risk Factors and Use of Screening Tests for Cancer in the United States

Much of the suffering and death from cancer could be prevented by more systematic efforts to reduce tobacco use, improve diet, increase physical activity, reduce obesity, and expand the use of established screening tests. Monitoring the prevalence of cancer risk factors and screening is important to measure progress and strengthen cancer prevention and early detection efforts. In this review article, we provide recent prevalence estimates for several cancer risk factors, including tobacco, obesity, physical activity, nutrition, ultraviolet radiation exposure as well as human papillomavirus and hepatitis B vaccination coverage and cancer screening prevalence in the United States. In 2013, cigarette smoking prevalence was 17.8% among adults nationally, but ranged from 10.3% in Utah to 27.3% in West Virginia. In addition, 15.7% of U.S. high school students were current smokers. In 2011-2012, obesity prevalence was high among both adults (34.9%) and adolescents (20.5%), but has leveled off since 2002. About 20.2% of high school girls were users of indoor tanning devices, compared with 5.3% of boys. In 2013, cancer screening prevalence ranged from 58.6% for colorectal cancer to 80.8% for cervical cancer and remains low among the uninsured, particularly for colorectal cancer screening where only 21.9% of eligible adults received recommended colorectal cancer screening.