cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chondrules in the LEW85332 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite: fractionation processes in the solar nebula

We studied 14 chondrules separated from LEW85332, an ungrouped type-3 carbonaceous chondrite related to CR chondrites; 23 elements were determined by neutron activation and the chondrules were characterized petrographically. Oxygen isotopic compositions were determined by R. N. Clayton and T. K. Mayeda for seven chondrules. Chondrule abundance ratios tend to form one of two distinct patterns. In low FeO chondrules, refractory lithophile patterns are flat (i.e., unfractionated); siderophile abundances are high and show a small decrease with increasing volatility. Although high FeO chondrules also have flat refractory lithophile abundance patterns, siderophile abundances are highly fractionated; refractory Ir is very low and Fe is very high relative to other siderophiles. We suggest that the low FeO chondrules in LEW85332 formed early in nebular history when metal was intimately mixed with silicates in the chondrule precursors, and that the viscosity of the liquid-solid mix was too high to permit expulsion of the metal by centrifugal action; their porphyritic structures are consistent with incomplete melting, which would result in relatively high viscosities. When the high FeO chondrules formed somewhat later, much of the Fe was oxidized and the melting of precursors was more extensive, FeO and other oxidized siderophiles were retained in the silicate liquid, and metal was lost, possibly expelled from low viscosity chondrule melts. The O isotopic compositions of the chondrules form a linear array of slope 0.93 +/- 0.05 on a three-isotope diagram, parallel to the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous minerals (CCAM) line and a CR chondrule array, but offset from the latter by -1% in (delta)O-18. Some or all of this offset may reflect incorporation of O from Antarctic water during weathering. Chondrule (Delta)O-17 values correlate positively with FeO, possibly indicating that the (Delta)O-17 of the nebular gas composition increased with time. The chemical and O isotopic data suggest a temporal sequence extending from early, low FeO to late high FeO chondrules.
MPIDB: the microbial protein interaction database.

Summary: The microbial protein interaction database (MPIDB) aims to collect and provide all known physical microbial interactions. Currently, 22 530 experimentally determined interactions among proteins of 191 bacterial species/strains can be browsed and downloaded. These microbial interactions have been manually curated from the literature or imported from other databases (IntAct, DIP, BIND, MINT) and are linked to 24 060 experimental evidences (PubMed ID, PSI-MI methods). In contrast to these databases, interactions in MPIDB are further supported by 8150 additional evidences based on interaction conservation, co-purification and 3D domain contacts (iPfam, 3did). Availability: http://www.jcvi.org/mpidb/ Contact: gro.ivcj@llogj
Attributes of effective community preceptors for pre-clerkship medical students.

Background: Attributes of effective precepting of pre-clerkship medical students in community settings are not adequately described. As part of preceptor needs assessment, we conducted site visits over three consecutive years. We also measured the preceptorships’ educational quality, using students’ post-rotation data, to identify priority areas for faculty development, corroborate site visit findings, and assess functions of the site visit. Methods: Three university faculty directly observed teaching encounters in 83 community preceptors’ offices during a 12–18week second year (pre-clerkship) medical student rotation. Data were collected on practice demographics, teaching content, and educational quality, using multiple measures. Narrative responses to interview questions were coded for prevalent themes. Student post-rotation assessments were obtained by anonymous online evaluations. Results: Good precepting attributes and suggestions for improvement were identified from both narrative analysis and student post-rotation evaluations in these key areas: independence in patient assessment, time spent teaching, giving feedback and orientation to the preceptor’s practice. Student evaluations of preceptors’ effectiveness significantly improved from year 1 to 2 and persisted into year 3. Appropriate faculty development strategies were derived from the combined results. Conclusions: The site visit by university faculty allows real-time observation and may itself be an effective intervention for improving teaching and learning.
Knee Joint Preservation With Autologous Cartilage Implantation

ABSTRACT DAMAGE TO THE BODY'S JOINT CARTILAGE is becoming a disabling problem for Americans as they live longer and remain active. TRADITIONALLY, ARTICULAR DAMAGE has been treated with arthroscopic debridement and microfracture, abrasion arthroplasty, and osteochondral autograft. Orthopedic surgeons now can offer patients a new option: autologous cartilage implantation (ACI), in which cultured autologous cartilage cells are used to repair and promote growth in cartilage defects. USE OF ACI PRESERVES the articular surfaces of the knee in patients with early onset osteoarthritis, decreases pain, maintains patients' quality of life, and delays possible total joint replacement.
Physiologic differences in rate-related versus exercise-induced left bundle branch block

Abstract Left bundle branch block (BBB) due to increased heart rate (Figure 1) and exercise-induced left BBB (Figure 2) are well known. Numerous authorities refer to both as “rate related,” implying that exercise-induced left BBB is a variant of left BBB due to increased heart rate. 1–5 Investigation of our patients indicates that this is not strictly correct. Because none of our patients had indications for atria1 pacing, we could not compare such a “pure” rate stimulus. Yet our results indicate that exercise-induced left BBB and left BBB due to “spontaneous” rate increases behave so differently that, while increased heart rate might be 1 determinant of exercise-induced left BBB, the 2 cannot be equated.
Beyond Hurricane Sandy: What Might the Future Hold for Tropical Cyclones in the North Atlantic?

Coastal communities are beginning to understand that sea level rise is projected to dramatically increase the frequency of coastal flooding. However, deep uncertainty remains about how tropical cyclones may change in the future. The North Atlantic has historically been responsible for the majority of global tropical cyclone economic losses, with Hurricane Sandy's approximately USD$70 billion price tag providing a recent example. The North Atlantic has experienced an upward trend in both total tropical cyclones (maximum sustained winds > 18 m/s) and major hurricanes (maximum sustained winds > 50 m/s) in recent decades. While it remains unclear how much of this trend is related to anthropogenic warming, and how tropical cyclone risk may change in the future, the balance of evidence suggests that the strongest hurricanes may become more frequent and intense in the future, and that rainfall associated with tropical cyclones may increase as well. These projections, along with sea level rise and demographic trends, suggest vulnerability to tropical cyclones will increase in the future, thus requiring major coastal adaptation initiatives.
On Scalable Distributed Coding of Correlated Sources

This paper considers the problem of scalable distributed coding of correlated sources that are communicated to a central unit, a setting typically encountered in sensor networks. As communication channel conditions may vary with time, it is often desirable to guarantee a base layer of coarse information during channel fades, as well as robustness to channel link (or sensor) failures. The main contribution is twofold. First, we consider the special case of multistage distributed coding, and show that naive combination of distributed coding with multistage coding yields poor rate-distortion performance, due to underlying conflicts between the objectives of these two coding methods. An appropriate system paradigm is developed, which allows such tradeoffs to be explicitly controlled. Next, we consider the unconstrained scalable distributed coding problem. Although a standard ?Lloyd-style? distributed coder design algorithm is easily generalized to encompass scalable coding, the algorithm performance is heavily dependent on initialization and will virtually always converge to a poor local minimum. We propose an effective initialization scheme for such a system, which employs a properly designed multistage distributed coder. We present iterative design techniques and derive the necessary conditions for optimality for both multistage and unconstrained scalable distributed coding systems. Simulation results show substantial gains for the proposed multistage distributed coding system over naive extensions which incorporate scalability in a multistage distributed coding system. Moreover, the proposed overall scalable distributed coder design consistently and substantially outperforms the randomly initialized ?Lloyd-style? scalable distributed coder design.
Evolution of medical tomographic imaging - as seen from a Darwinian perspective

The development of medical tomographic imaging involves appearance of new imaging modalities, progressive change in (or loss of) the existing imaging modalities and devices, their divergence into special-purpose imagers and the convergence of different imaging modalities into devices of similar functions. These features closely resemble aspects of Darwinian evolution, which involves natural selection of inherited variability in life-forms. Thus, if imaging devices are the equivalent of life-forms, then sources of imager variability are imager designs or ideas, which could be considered to be the equivalent of genes; random appearance of new ideas - the equivalent of mutations; mass manufacture - the equivalent of reproduction; integration of different ideas - the equivalent of genetic recombination, the pressures exerted by the marketplace - the equivalent of natural selection. This hypothesis is explored by comparing aspects of the evolution of X-ray, radionuclide, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and several other tomographic imaging modalities. It may be of interest to apply this Darwinian model to help direct the current increasing emphasis on targeted and translational research and in weighting the relative roles of industry, clinical users and academic non-targeted "basic" research.
Improved coupled-mode theory for the dynamics of semiconductor laser arrays

We present an improved coupled-mode model to describe the dynamics of weakly index-guided semiconductor laser arrays. The model is derived from a partial differential equation model that includes the effects of carrier diffusion and gain guiding. Results from the two models are compared, and good qualitative and quantitative agreement is obtained.
LIFE HISTORY TRAITS IN HUMANS: Theory and Empirical Studies

▪ Abstract Life history theory offers evolutionary explanations for the timing of life events, with a particular focus on age-schedules of fertility and mortality and growth. Traditional models examine trade-offs between current and future reproduction and quality versus quantity of offspring. These models can be used to understand questions concerning time of gestation, age of weaning, juvenile mortality profiles, age at maturation, adult body size, fertility rates, senescence, menopause, and the length of the life span. The trajectory of energy acquisition and its allocations is also an important part of life history theory. Modifications of these models have been developed to examine the period of learning, postweaning parental investment, and patterns of development. In this article, we combine energetic and demographic approaches in order to examine the human life course from an optimality perspective. The evolved life history solves related problems across two generations. The first set of decisions...
Simulation-based workforce assignment considering position in a social network

The goal of this paper is to propose a novel modeling framework to help project managers devise optimal workforce assignments that consider both short- and long-term aspects of projects that must be completed through a multi-organizational social network. The proposed framework is comprised of an evaluation module and an assignment module. Each time a workforce assignment is performed, the Decision Evolution Procedure of the evaluation module first calculates the position value between each pair of currently available workforce members based on various social networking parameters such as trustworthiness, influence, reputation, and proximity. Second, by using these position values, the Extended Regular Equivalence Evaluation algorithm from the evaluation module computes the regular and structural equivalence values between each pair of workforce members. Finally, the assignment module selects an optimal workforce mix that maximizes both the short-term performance (productivity) as well as the long-term performance (workforce training, and robustness) of the project organizations. Agent-based simulation and multi-objective optimization techniques are leveraged for the evaluation module and the assignment module, respectively. The proposed framework is illustrated and successfully demonstrated using the software enhancement request process in Kuali, a multi-organizational alliance-based software development project involving 12 universities.
Now-Toxic Dyes and Dye-Resistant Bacteria

Exposure of three typical organisms—Serratia marcescens Bizio (syn. Bacillus prodigiosus), Bacillus anthracis Koch, and Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach—to saturated aqueous solution of neutral red (5.6% National Aniline certified) for 48 hours failed to kill them; and Serratia marcescens survived 9 days exposure. All three organisms survived 21 days exposure to 2% solution of neutral red and Bacillus anthracis survived thirty days exposure to this dilution of dye. The three organisms survived 24 hours exposure to saturated aqueous Bismarck brown (Grubler) and Bacillus anthracis survived 40 days exposure. Serratia marcescens (known to be one of the Gram-negative group resistant to triphenylmethane dyes) was tested for degree of resistance to gentian violet. The bacteriostatic titre of this dye in agar for this organism is about 1: 900. It was found to survive 4 hours exposure to 1:2000 solution and is probably unaffected by even much stronger dilutions. To aqueous suspensions of this organism enough gentia...
The Magic Touch Endothelial Cells Muscle-Up Adipose

Merfeld-Clauss et al1 describe an activin A–mediated, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β–independent pathway that regulates endothelial-induced mural cell differentiation from mesenchymal progenitors derived from adult human adipose tissue. These studies provide insights that should prove beneficial for the efficient generation of autologous smooth muscle cells (SMCs) for vascular tissue engineering and reparative medicine and may also shed light on the process of SMC differentiation during embryonic blood vessel assembly, as discussed herein. Article, see p 800 Embryonic blood vessel formation begins with the de novo emergence of primordial endothelial cells shortly after gastrulation, when their parent mesoderm progenitors are formed.2,3 The differentiation of endothelial cells from multipotent mesodermal progenitors, and their coalescence into vascular plexi, is a complex process involving multiple signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators, which has been recently reviewed.4 Newly formed endothelial tubes then govern the subsequent acquisition of mural cells (pericytes or SMCs) that make up the surrounding vessel wall. Proliferating endothelial cells secrete platelet-derived growth factor-B that acts as a chemoattractant and mitogen for mural cell precursors,5–7 derived from the mesenchyme surrounding the endothelial tubes.8,9 On contact with endothelial cells, newly recruited mesenchymal progenitors are induced toward a mural cell fate, in a process known to involve heterocellular gap junction channel formation,10,11 which is necessary for the subsequent activation of TGF-β.6,12 Activated TGF-β is thought to induce mural cell–specific gene expression via TGF-β-control elements in the promoter region of genes such as SM-α-actin.13 TGF-β also induces mural cell differentiation via the upregulation of the transcription factor, serum response factor.14 Serum response factor binds to a DNA sequence referred to as …
Vices of Inattention

Why do we routinely betray moral commitments that, in some sense, we authentically embrace? One explanation involves inattention: failure to attend to morally important aspects of our lives. Inattention ranges from an unmotivated lack of focus, or “simple” inattention, to more purposeful and wilful self-deception. Self-deception has received exhaustive and insightful treatment by philosophers and psychologists; what remains unexamined is the less complex, but more pervasive phenomenon of simple inattention. Since inattention is at least equally important in accounting for our routine moral failures, this gap is an important one to fill. In this essay I examine moral dimensions of inattention: what makes it problematic, what vices it reflects, what duties we have to overcome it, and how we might try to do that. I argue that inattention obscures responsibilities to prevent harm, erodes autonomy, manifests a lack of virtue, and undermines integrity. For these reasons, we have obligations of attentiveness. I propose that we should attend (at least) to apparent violations of our moral values in which we are personally implicated, which we have power to affect, and to which we have been directed by clues that something is amiss. I end with practical suggestions for enhancing our attentiveness.
Addressing Educational Inequities for Latino Students: The Politics of “Forgetting”:

Minority access to higher education was dealt a blow in 1995 when the University of California Regents passed a resolution barring consideration of race or ethnicity in admissions. The university responded to the severe decline in minority enrollment by supporting “outreach” programs, such as Puente, but “forgot” its promise of support when state funds dried up.
46 – The Birth of Reproductive Biology 1889 to 1940: An Historical Perspective

The birth of sexual physiology began with C.E. Brown-Sequard's hypothesis in 1889, which said that testicular extract possessed rejuvenating effects. His suggestion that ovarian extract had a similar role opened the door to the modern study of the gonads. The male and female hormones thus shared a common origin, but took different paths. Widespread acceptance of both sexual hormones was delayed long after the study of other ductless glands had stimulated the new field of endocrinology to develop. Brown-Sequard's theories were rejected because his subject matter was taboo, the laboratory was technologically unprepared to pursue steroid chemistry, and there were no clinicians with an appropriate patient following. The study of ovarian extract fared better in the late 1890s. When experiments validated the existence of hormones in the early 1900s, the study of glandular physiology accelerated and sex hormones re-entered the scientist's arena. In the 1930s, gynecologists, collaborating with chemists and the pharmaceutical industry, added hormonal treatment to patient care. By 1940, reproductive endocrinology and gynecology had established specialties built specifically around the female patient. Andrology did not become a distinct specialty until the 1960s. These divisions maintained the segregation of reproductive medicine from non-reproductive medicine, both in science and in practice. By the 1990s, the consequences of excluding women as subjects of ongoing medical research became clinically apparent.
Proxemics and performance: Subjective human evaluations of autonomous sociable robot distance and social signal understanding

An objective of an autonomous sociable robot is to meet the needs and preferences of a human user. However, this can sometimes be at the expense of the robot's own ability to understand social signals produced by the user. In particular, human preferences of distance (proxemics) to the robot can have significant impact on the performance rates of its automated speech and gesture recognition systems. In this work, we investigated how people perceive a sociable robot based on its performance at different locations. We performed an experiment in which a robot's ability to understand social signals was artificially attenuated across distance; robot maximum, minimum, and average performance rates were also varied. Participants (N = 160) instructed a robot using speech and pointing gestures, and then responded to a questionnaire to provide their subjective evaluations of the robot.We identified significant relationships between robot performance and user perceptions of robot competence, anthropomorphism, engagement, likability, and technology adoption; we identified no relationship between human-robot distance and subjective measures, which contrasts related work. Our results have significant implications for autonomous sociable robot design.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Ribosome

Structural biology techniques such as crystallography and cryo-EM produce high resolution snap shots of the ribosome at various stages of protein synthesis. Single molecule studies yield time-resolved measurements with low spatial resolution. Currently, there is no experimental technique capable of producing time-resolved trajectories of the ribosome with atomistic resolution. Computer simulations are critical for furthering our understanding of the ribosome because they fill this gap. We review computational studies of the ribosome, including structural modeling, normal mode calculations, coarse grain simulations, and molecular dynamics simulations. Several success stories have occurred, where predictions based on computer simulations were verified experimentally.
Intracellular Ca2+ and PKC activation do not inhibit Na+ and water transport in rat CCD

Experiments examined the effects of elevation of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) or activation of protein kinase C (PKC) on Na+ and water transport in the rat cortical collecting duct (CCD). We measured the lumen-to-bath 22Na+ flux (J1-->b), transepithelial voltage (VT), and water permeability (Pf) in CCD from deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-treated rats. Ionomycin (0.5 and 1 microM) and thapsigargin (1 and 2 microM) were used to increase [Ca2+]i. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 0.3 and 1 microM) and oleoyl-acetyl-glycerol (OAG; 100 microM) were used as activators of PKC. [Ca2+]i was measured in isolated perfused tubules using the fluorescent dye fura 2. When added to the bathing solution, 220 pM arginine vasopressin (AVP) failed to affect [Ca2+]i, whereas 1 microM ionomycin increased [Ca2+]i by 103 +/- 15% and 2 microM thapsigargin increased [Ca2+]i by 24 +/- 4%. In flux studies, neither ionomycin nor thapsigargin affected J1-->b or Pf, although ionomycin caused marked morphological changes. Ionomycin also failed to alter either parameter in tubules from non-DOC-treated rats. Neither 100 microM OAG nor 1 microM PMA affected J1-->b or Pf. OAG at 50 microM had no effect on VT or transepithelial resistance, indicating no inhibition of conductive Na+ transport. We conclude that increased [Ca2+]i and PKC activation do not affect J1--b or Pf in the rat CCD. These findings may account for the sustained increase in J1--b produced in the rat CCD by AVP.
Effect of wheat grass juice in supportive care of terminally ill cancer patients— A tertiary cancer centre experience from India

8634 Background: The solid content of juice made from wheat grass is 70% chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is often referred to as “The blood of plant life” and has almost the same chemical structure as hae...
A Problem with Condition Containing an Integral Term for a Parabolic-Hyperbolic Equation

In a layer obtained as the Cartesian product of an interval [−T 1 ,T 2], T 1 ,T 2 > 0, and a space ℝ p , p ≥ 1, we study a problem with nonlocal condition in the time variable containing an integral term for a mixed parabolic-hyperbolic equation in the class of functions almost periodic in the space variables. For this problem, we establish a criterion of uniqueness and sufficient conditions for the existence of solutions. To solve the problem of small denominators encountered in the construction of the solution, we use the metric approach.
Cultivation of Normal Human Epidermal Melanocytes

An important approach in studies of normal, diseased, and malignant cells is their growth in culture. The isolation and subsequent culture of human eplderma1 melanocytes has been attempted since 1957 (1-5), but only since 1982 have pure normal human melanocyte cultures been reproducibly established to yield cells in sufficient quantity for biological, biochemical, and molecular analyses (6). Selective growth of melanocytes, which comprise only 3-7% of epldermal cells in normal human skin, was achieved by suppressing the growth of keratinocytes and fibroblasts in epidermal cell suspensions with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and the intracellular cyclic adenosine 3', 5' monophosphate (cAMP) enhancer cholera toxin, respectively, which both also act as melanocyte growth promoters. Recent progress in basic cell-culture technology, along with an improved understanding of culture requirements, has led to an effective and standardized isolation method, and special culture media for selective growth and long-term maintenance of human melanocytes. The detailed description of this method is aimed at encouraging its use in basic and applied biological research.
Marketing's Challenge to Economics:

Clearly recognized in the President's 1962 Economic Report to Congress is the fact that “faster economic growth in the United States requires, above all, EXPANSION OF DEMAND.”But most academic econ...
EPR : choix des concepteurs en matière de sûreté

Le caractere evolutionnaire de l'EPR reside dans la mise en oeuvre combinee de solutions eprouvees enrichies du Retour d'Experience de nombreuses annees x reacteur et de solutions innovantes. Les solutions optimisees retenues par le concepteur pour reduire la probabilite de fusion du coeur s'appuient principalement sur le Retour d'Experience de conception et d'exploitation des reacteurs existants. Dans le cadre d'un approfondissement de la defense en profondeur, des solutions innovantes reposant sur un effort important de R&D sont proposees pour gerer des accidents tres peu probables qui pourraient conduire a la fusion du coeur et pour en limiter les consequences sur l'environnement.
National estimates of the impact of electronic health records on the workload of primary care physicians

Eighty-four thousand primary care physicians have received $1.3 billion in HITECH payments for EHR adoption. However, little is known about how this will impact primary care workload efficiency and the national primary care shortage. This study examines whether EHR is associated with increases in face time with the patient per visit and increases in the physician’s patient volume per week. We used a nationally representative sample of 37,962 patient visits to 1470 primary care physicians during the pre-HITECH years 2006–2009 from the restricted-access version of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Quantile regressions were used to estimate the effects of EHR use on patient face time per visit and physician’s patient volume per week at different points of the time and volume distributions. Primary care physicians with EHR spend an extra 1.3 face time minutes per visit, or 1.5 extra hours per week. This is 34,000 extra hours of face time per week in the U.S. However, physician age matters. Among young physicians, EHR use is associated with a decline in weekly patient volume, while EHR use among older physicians is associated with an increase in volume, regardless of initial practice size. If younger physicians behaved like older physicians when adopting EHR, there would be 37,600 additional patient visits per week in the U.S., the equivalent of adding 500 more primary care physicians to the U.S. workforce. EHR can enhance productivity/efficiency in primary care physician workloads.
Simulation study of routing algorithms in the wireless-optical broadband access network

Several kinds of routing algorithms used in the wireless-optical broadband access network are introduced in this paper. By simulating routing algorithms, various property parameters are compared comprehensively. The simulation results show that delay aware routing algorithms, especially those consider delays both in optical links and wireless front-end, can improve the performance of WOBAN significantly.
Multi-media in optimizing drawing teaching

Due to the teaching reform developing further, to cultivate and develop students spatial imaginative ability has been on the table, and how to apply the multi-media to optimize drawing teaching, has been a reseachable subject to vocational school teachers.This thesis, based on teaching experiments and practice, is going to talk about application of multi-media in optimizing drawing teaching.
Early juxtacortical osteosarcoma (parosteal osteoma).

An osteochondroma-like lesion represents the beginning of juxtacortical osteosarcoma. This may be differentiated from simple osteochondroma by the irregular development of masses of connective tissue, fibrocartilage, and osteoid, in and on the cartilaginous cap of the lesion, and also by the appearance of more than a minimal amount of connective-tissue stroma in the marrow cavity of the bony stalk.
What Kind of Christian Are You? Religious Ideologies and Political Attitudes

Through measures of orthodoxy, images of God, and instrumental beliefs, scholars of the social scientific study of religion have been able to demonstrate how abstract and specific religious beliefs influence political and social attitudes. Building upon this work, this article uses a unique data set to measure social and prosperity gospel support. Further, it examines the roots and political behavioral consequences of support to these religious ideologies. The results show that religious tradition, congregational messages, and social demographics all influence doctrinal support. However, these relationships are conditional upon race. The results also show that the social gospel promotes an emphasis on the structural sources of social problems and the importance of rehabilitation, which leads to higher levels of self-expressed liberalism and democratic identification. Conversely, the prosperity gospel promotes holding individuals accountable for social problems and punishing deviant behavior, which leads to higher levels of self-expressed conservatism and Republican identification. The data also suggest that race matters, as the relationship between prosperity gospel support and political attitudes is more powerful for blacks than whites.
Brief Report: The Di Guglielmo Syndrome: Studies in Hemoglobin Synthesis

The in vitro synthesis of heme and globin has been studied in bone marrow cell suspensions obtained from five patients with Di Guglielmo syndrome. In all, a defect of heme synthesis was demonstrated, but globin synthesis was greatly reduced in only two of the five; in these two, the clinical course was a rapid one.
The omega and iota surrogate immunoglobulin light chains.

A major activity of a pre-B lymphocyte is the stepwise rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes. When a pre-B cell has successfully completed the process of rearrangement at both heavy and light chain loci, this dividing lymphocyte undergoes a cellular transition into a mature B cell whereby it stops dividing and expresses membrane immunoglobulin tetramers (μm2L2) on its surface which will function as the antigen receptor. The process of rearrangement is of central importance to the generation of immunological diversity. However, it is imperative that in any given lymphocyte only a single heavy chain allele be productively rearranged (allelic exclusion), and that only a single κ or λ light chain allele be correctly rearranged (allelic and isotypic exclusion). These processes of allelic and isotypic exclusion are unique to the immune system and ensure that any lymphoid clone expresses only a single antigen receptor.
Nonrheumatic myopericarditis post acute streptococcal pharyngitis: An uncommon cause of sore throat with ST segment elevation

Nonrheumatic myopericarditis is an uncommon complication of acute pharyngitis caused by Group A Streptococcal infection (GAS). While the natural history of carditis complicating acute rheumatic fever is well established, the incidence, pathophysiology and clinical course of nonrheumatic myopericarditis are ill defined. Advances in rapid bedside testing for both myocardial injury and GAS pharyngitis have allowed for increasing recognition of this uncommon complication in patients presenting with a sore throat with associated chest discomfort. We describe a case of a 34years old man with GAS pharyngitis complicated by acute myopericarditis who presented with chest pain, ST segment elevation on electrocardiogram, and elevated cardiac biomarkers.
Electroactive nanofluids with high solid loading and low viscosity for rechargeable redox flow batteries

A typical dispersion of iron oxide nanoparticles in alkali electrolyte is limited to 20 wt% solids, above which it has a paste-like consistency (>370 cP), incompatible with flow applications. The formulation of stable electrochemically active colloids of nanoscale iron oxide (30–50 nm) with up to 70 wt% solids, low viscosity ( 2 weeks at rest), and 55% enhancement in thermal conductivity is reported herein. A thin surface coating allows for good particle dispersion, which is shown to be crucial for these enhanced features. These suspensions of electrochemically active nanoparticles (nanoelectrofuels) can undergo electrochemical charge and discharge in fluidized format through particle–electrode impact events with potential for application in redox flow batteries. The surface coating is found to partially suppress electrochemical access to the nanoparticle in a fluidized format but has no detrimental effects on discharge capacity in the solid state. This approach is also shown to suppress a parasitic nanoparticle agglomeration process, which is otherwise dominant during electrochemical cycling of pristine iron oxide. A dissolution re-precipitation mechanism is proposed to offer insight into this auxiliary benefit. This study provides the first insight into the feasibility of adopting electrochemically active nanofluids as high energy density redox flow battery electrolytes.
Incipient Fault Detection in Rotating Machinery by Using Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract Detection of incipient failures is a fundamental issue in routing machines. A new approach for on-line detection of incipient faults is proposed. This methodology is based on vibration monitoring dau and fuzzy art neural networks. Numerical results demonstrating the high efficiency of the proposed approach are presented.
Mitigating fall risk: A community fall reduction program

One fourth of all American's over 65 years of age fall each year. Falls are a common and often devastating event that can pose a serious health risk for older adults. Healthcare providers are often unable to spend the time required to assist older adults with fall risk issues. Without a team approach to fall prevention the system remains focused on fragmented levels of health promotion and risk prevention. The specific aim of this project was to engage older adults from the community in a fall risk assessment program, using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) program, and provide feedback on individual participants' risks that participants could share with their primary care physician. Older adults who attended the risk screening were taking medications that are known to increase falls. They mentioned that their health care providers do not screen for falls and appreciated a community based screening.
Osteophytes and fracture calluses share developmental milestones and are diminished by unloading

Osteophytes are a typical radiographic finding during osteoarthritis (OA), but the mechanisms leading to their formation are not well known. Comparatively, fracture calluses have been studied extensively; therefore, drawing comparisons between osteophytes and fracture calluses may lead to a deeper understanding of osteophyte formation. In this study, we compared the time courses of osteophyte and fracture callus formation, and investigated mechanisms contributing to development of these structure. Additionally, we investigated the effect of mechanical unloading on the formation of both fracture calluses and osteophytes. Mice underwent either transverse femoral fracture or non-invasive anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Fracture callus and osteophyte size and ossification were evaluated after 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, or 28 days. Additional mice were subjected to hindlimb unloading after injury for 3, 7, or 14 days. Protease activity and gene expression profiles after injury were evaluated after 3 or 7 days of normal ambulation or hindlimb unloading using in vivo fluorescence reflectance imaging (FRI) and quantitative PCR. We found that fracture callus and osteophyte growth achieved similar developmental milestones, but fracture calluses formed and ossified at earlier time points. Hindlimb unloading ultimately led to a threefold decrease in chondro/osteophyte area, and a twofold decrease in fracture callus area. Unloading was also associated with decreased inflammation and protease activity in injured limbs detected with FRI, particularly following ACL rupture. qPCR analysis revealed disparate cellular responses in fractured femurs and injured joints, suggesting that fracture calluses and osteophytes may form via different inflammatory, anabolic, and catabolic pathways. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:699-710, 2018.
A simplified approach to simultaneous multi-scalar imaging in turbulent flames

Abstract This communication describes and demonstrates an approach to making simultaneous multi-scalar measurements with reduced equipment requirements. Specifically, this letter describes and demonstrates the ability to simultaneously acquire high-quality planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) images of CH2O and either CH, OH, or a combination of CH and OH using a single Nd:YAG-pumped dye-laser system and two intensified cameras. Acquiring these images with common diagnostic equipment was facilitated by exciting strong transitions in the C–X (0,0) band of CH (near 314 nm) and in the A–X (0,0) and (1,1) bands of OH, which are spectrally adjacent. Additionally, Rayleigh scattering images were acquired simultaneously with these PLIF images using a second Nd:YAG laser and an un-intensified camera. However, it would be possible to conduct these measurements with a single, sufficiently energetic Nd:YAG laser.
Divergent Bilateral Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion with Cortical Screw Fixation: Description of New Trajectory for Interbody Technique from Midline Exposure.

Background A major drawback to use of cortical bone trajectory pedicle screws (CBTPSs) with traditional posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion grafts is that traditional graft insertion trajectories require wider posterior exposure. This wider exposure, beyond the limits otherwise required for CBTPS placement, negates a primary benefit of CBTPS fixation. The aim of this study was to define an alternative surgical technique for interbody graft placement that, when used in conjunction with CBTPS fixation, permits both minimal soft tissue dissection and optimal graft placement. Methods A team of neurosurgeons specializing in treatment of spinal pathologies developed a surgical technique for insertion of bilateral PLIF grafts that complements the principles of CBTPS fixation. This technique is illustrated in a patient undergoing lumbosacral decompression, CBTPS fixation, and 3-column arthrodesis. Results The described technique uses a divergent trajectory of bilateral PLIF grafts rather than the traditional parallel or convergent trajectories. Conclusions By aiming medially to laterally with the interbody graft, one recapitulates many advantages of CBTPSs, including avoidance of wide tissue dissection, greater intergraft volume available for bone grafting, and greater graft coverage of the hypophyseal ring. The prospective collection of outcome data for patients who undergo lumbosacral fusion using the divergent PLIF technique is ongoing.
Platinum atomic layer deposition on metal substrates: A surface chemistry study

Abstract The surface chemistry associated with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of platinum films on metallic nickel substrates using trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum(IV) (MeCpPtMe3) and oxygen was characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The uptake of the MeCpPtMe3 ALD precursor was found to be self-limiting between 525 and 625 K, but to lead to multilayer deposition at 675 K. The adsorbed species display a C:Pt ratio of approximately 5:1, suggesting that all methyl moieties are lost upon activated bonding to the surface but that the methylcyclopentadienyl group remains coordinated to the adsorbed Pt atoms. Oxygen treatment of that surface leads to the complete removal of the carbon-containing species from the surface and to the formation of a thin NiO film. Further dosing with MeCpPtMe3, in the next ALD cycle, fully reduces that NiO film to metallic Ni(0) and adds more Pt to the surface. However, no Pt film buildup was seen after several ALD cycles. Angle-resolved XPS data suggested that the deposited Pt migrates below the NiO that forms during the O2 exposures and possibly alloys with the metallic Ni substrate at that stage.
Dimensional Synthesis of Spatial RR Robots

This paper presents a synthesis procedure for a two-degree-of-freedom spatial RR chain to reach an arbitrary end-effector trajectory. Spatial homogeneous transforms are mapped to 4 × 4 rotations and interpolated as double quaternions. Each set of three spatial positions obtained from the interpolated task is used to define an RR chain. The RR chain that best fits the trajectory is the desired robot. The procedure yields a unique robot independent of the coordinate frame defined for the task.
Dynamical consequences of time-reversal symmetry for systems with odd number of electrons: Conical intersections, semiclassical dynamics, and topology

Abstract In this manuscript we identify the main differences between the effects of Kramers symmetry on the systems with even and odd number of electrons, the ways how the aforementioned symmetry affects the structure of the Conical Seams (CSs), and how it shows up in semiclassical propagation of nuclear wavepackets, crossing the CSs. We identify the topological invariants, associated with CSs, in three cases: even and odd number of electrons with time-reversal symmetry, as well as absence of the latter. We obtain asymptotically exact semiclassical analytical solutions for wavepackets scattered on a CS for all three cases, identify topological features in a non-trivial shape of the scattered wavepacket, and connect them to the topological invariants, associated with CSs. We argue that, due to robustness of topology, the non-trivial wavepacket structure is a topologically protected evidence of a wavepacket having passed through a CS, rather than a feature of a semiclassical approximation.
Abstract TP212: 24 S -Hydroxycholesterol as a Serum Biomarker for Acute Stroke

Introduction: Several serum based biomarkers for acute stroke have been identified, but the clinical values of these biomarkers have not been realized due to inadequate sensitivity and specificity ...
Polarization wavefront shaping for quantitative phase contrast imaging by axially-offset differential interference contrast (ADIC) microscopy

Axially-offset differential interference contrast (ADIC) microscopy was developed for quantitative phase contrast imaging (QPI) by using polarization wavefront shaping approach with a matched pair of micro-retarder arrays. In ADIC microscopy, wavefront shaping with a micro-retarder array (μRA) produces a pattern of half-wave retardance varying spatially in the azimuthal orientation of the fast-axis. For a linearly polarized input beam, the polarization pattern induced from the linearly polarized plane wave through the μRA is identical to the interference between a slightly diverging right circularly polarized (RCP) and a slightly converging left circularly polarized (LCP) plane wave. Using a 10× objective, two axially offset foci separated by 70 μm are consequently generated from the patterned wavefront with orthogonal polarization states, serving as the sample and reference focal planes respectively for QPI. A paired μRA in transmission coherently recombines the two orthogonal components to recover the incident polarization state in the absence of sample. The large spatial offset (roughly 1/10 of the field of view) between the two foci provides a stable and uniform reference. Quantitative phase contrast images are directly recovered from sample-scan measurements with a single-channel detector and lock-in amplification with fast polarization modulation. This method has been successfully used for bio-sample imaging, nanoparticle detection and refractive index calculation of silica microbeads.
Pathophysiology and Treatment of Hepatitis B and C Infections in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease.

An in-depth understanding of viral hepatitis is important to the care of patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. Both hepatitis B and C viruses are acquired through hematogenous spread and can lead to horizontal transmission. Concurrent hepatic and renal injuries have ominous outcomes with significant morbidity. Hepatitis B incidence has decreased through practices including vaccination of nonimmune individuals and isolation of patients with the disease. The pathogenesis of hepatitis B leads to various symptoms and serologic changes with unique temporal associations dictating an acute or chronic presentation. Chronic hepatitis B develops when there is persistence of surface antigen for more than 6 months. Occult hepatitis B is an enigmatic form of the chronic disease where viral DNA is present despite the patient remaining seronegative. Nucleoside analogs are used as a treatment for individuals with hepatitis B who have comorbid CKD; however, the mainstay of infection control relies on immunization. Hepatitis C, an RNA virus, has increased in prevalence. Strict universal precautions with sound infection-control practices are important to prevent seroconversion. Recent therapeutic advances involving the development of direct-acting antiviral agents have broadened treatment options for patients with renal impairment and hepatitis C, offering the potential for a definitive cure. Controversy on the timeliness of treatment for transplant options has also risen with the advent of these newer therapies. We review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and updates in treatment of these viral entities as they relate to the hemodialysis population.