cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Different reaction sequences for partial oxidation of propane over different ceria-supported catalysts

Abstract Hydrogen production using the partial oxidation of propane over supported metal catalysts was studied in a small isothermal packed-bed reactor. Ceria was used as the support, due to its ability to store and release oxygen, with nickel and platinum being the metals used. The overall purpose of the study was to determine the pathways and sequences of hydrogen production. Flow rates of the inlet stream were varied from 100 to 400 scc/min, and two weights of each catalyst were used. The reactions were carried out at 600 °C and 1 atm, with a ratio of O2 to C3H8 maintained at 1.78. For the experimentally observed products leaving the reactor, the corresponding reaction matrix was subjected to Gauss elimination to determine that four independent reactions could be obtained. This results in a maximum of ten sets of these reactions. The number of sets was reduced by carrying out a material balance on the products to determine the net rate of each of the four reactions; sets containing negative rates for irreversible reactions could then be eliminated from consideration. To determine the validity of any remaining sets containing dry-reforming, steam-reforming and water-gas shift reactions, a secondary set of experiments were carried out at the outlet conditions of the original experiments to see if those three reactions could indeed take place. Eventually, only one set of four reactions was deemed suitable for the Pt/CeO2 catalyst, incorporating total oxidation, partial oxidation, dehydrogenation and water formation. The extents of these four reactions were followed as a function of contact time, showing that partial oxidation decreases down the reactor, while total oxidation increases. For the Ni/CeO2 catalyst, three sets were suitable. The three are very similar, in that they all contain total oxidation, steam reforming and dehydrogenation, with the fourth reaction being partial oxidation, dry reforming or water formation. Qualitatively, the same results are found for all three sets. Total oxidation is the predominant reaction at all contact times, with steam reforming and/or dry reforming producing hydrogen only at larger contact times. The differences between the results for the two supported catalysts indicate that different types of reactors should be chosen, depending upon the catalyst to be used. For supported nickel catalysts, large packed-bed reactors may be optimal, while micro-reactors in parallel may be best for supported platinum catalysts.
A distributed admission control model for large-scale continuous media services

We present a novel distributed admission control model for multimedia delivery. Proxy servers form a large-scale distributed infrastructure and can be used to perform the admission control tasks. In our distributed admission control algorithm, an agent first characterizes its disk bandwidth requirement based on the distribution of requests arrived at the proxies. Then, it reserves the disk bandwidth from the server by maximizing its utility function. The server grants the bandwidth to the agents according to its capacity. Based on the granted bandwidth, each agent executes the admission control algorithm for its local requests. The distributed admission control model provides the admission control service close to the users and, hence, reduces the network load, media server load, and, in some cases, users' response latency.
Measuring bioavailable copper using anodic stripping voltammetry

Since speciation can affect bioavailability and toxicity of copper in aquatic systems, accurate predictions of effects of bioavailable forms require detection and/or measurement of these forms. To develop an approach for measurement of bioavailable copper, a copper sulfate solution (CuSO4·3Cu(OH)2·H2O) was used in 10-d aqueous and sediment toxicity tests with Hyalella azteca Saussure. These tests encompassed ranges of pH (6.5 to 8.1), alkalinity (10 to 70 mg/L as CaCO3), hardness (10 to 70 mg/L as CaCO3), and conductivity (30 to 300 μmho/cm). Changes in copper speciation were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA) for dissolved copper and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) for labile copper, and concentrations were evaluated relative to amphipod survival. Ten-day LC50s based on AA-measured aqueous copper concentrations ranged from 42 to 142 μg Cu/L, and LC50s based on DPASV-measured copper concentrations ranged from 17.4 to 24.8 μg Cu/L. In 10-d tests using copper-amended sediments with diverse characteristics and AA-measured copper concentrations spanning an order of magnitude, total copper concentrations were not predictive of sediment toxicity, but H. azteca survival was explained by DPASV measurements that varied by ≤4%. In order to make defensible estimates of the potential risk of metals in sediments or water, it is essential to identify the fraction of total metal that is bioavailable. In these experiments, DPASV was useful for measuring bioavailable copper in aqueous and sediment tests with H. azteca.
Risk of thrombocytopenia with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors across drugs and patient populations: a meta-analysis of 29 large placebo-controlled randomized trials

Aims Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) reduce myocardial infarction and peri-procedural thrombotic complications in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, they may cause bleeding and thrombocytopenia, which are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Although the risk of bleeding has been well characterized, the extent of the risk of thrombocytopenia remains uncertain. In this meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the risk of thrombocytopenia associated with GPI compared with placebo across drugs and patient populations. Methods and results Risk ratios were calculated for thrombocytopenia ( 1000 patients) of GPI vs. placebo involving a total of 123 419 patients. We used meta-analysis techniques to estimate the summary effect across all trials, in pre-specified sub-groups, and in sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the data. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use increases the rate of thrombocytopenia [risk ratio (RR) = 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48–1.78] and severe thrombocytopenia (RR = 3.52, 95% CI 2.87–4.30) compared with placebo. These findings are consistent by route of administration (oral vs. intravenous). Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (RR 2.66, 95% CI 2.12–3.34) and elective PCI (RR 2.78, 95% CI 1.76–4.40) treated with a GPI had higher risks of thrombocytopenia than patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.25–1.58; P < 0.001 for heterogeneity by sub-group). Conclusions The administration of GPI compared with placebo was associated with a 63% increased risk of thrombocytopenia ( 3-fold increased risk of severe thrombocytopenia (<50 000 platelets/mm3). This corresponds to an average of 10–20 additional cases of thrombocytopenia per 1000 patients given GPIs, of which 6–7 cases are severe. [10.1093/ehjcvp/pvu014][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1093/ehjcvp/pvu008
Ceramic processing: An overview

Processing of ceramics is reviewed from a broad perspective, with emphasis on the predominant powder-based methods, but with considerable attention to other methods. Major stages of the powder process, from preparation, modification, and handling, to sintering or pressure densification (or postdensification) are discussed. Nonpowder-based methods, such as chemical vapor deposition, melt, and polymer pyrolysis processing, are also presented. Processing of ceramic composites is reviewed, noting the shifts in processing technology this entails. Practical aspects, such as part size, shape, volume, and the costs of various processes are also addressed.
The Clinical Data Repository: A Challenge to Medical Student Education

The implementation of comprehensive clinical data repositories carries implications for the medical informatics curriculum for pre-MD medical students. There is the risk that electronic health records will detract from students' acquisition of basic skills in inquiry and information management. It is possible, however, to create an application within the data repositories that will provide students with opportunities to practice their skills as they follow the evaluation and management of patients.
Evaluation of a Tapered Header Configuration to Reduce Flow Maldistribution in Minichannels and Microchannels

In designing a heat exchanger, it is generally assumed that the fluid is uniformly distributed through the heat exchanger core. In reality, the flow distribution is rarely uniform due to inlet and outlet header designs and flow velocity changes in the headers. The flow distribution through a plate&fin heat exchanger (straight Z&type flow) with parallel micr ochannels and minichannels is studied by using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT. It was found that the flow maldistribution is quite severe with constant cross&sectional area headers. A modified header design with tapered cross& section was employed and the flow and pressure distributions were investigated using the CFD model. Further, a mathematical model was used to study the effect of the tapered headers on the pressure difference available for each channel across its inlet and outlet ends. The pressure difference across each channel is responsible for the actual flow rate through the channel. Results from the CFD were compared with the model predictions.
The thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone) receptor is expressed on murine dendritic cells and on a subset of CD45RBhigh lymph node T cells: functional role for thyroid-stimulating hormone during immune activation.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), a central neuroendocrine mediator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis, has been shown to affect various aspects of immunological development and function. To gain a better understanding of TSH involvement within the mammalian immune system, the expression and distribution of the TSH receptor (TSHr) has been studied by immunoprecipitation and by flow cytometric analyses. Using highly enriched populations of B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells, trace amounts of TSHr were precipitated from B cells and T cells, whereas high levels of TSHr were precipitated from the dendritic cell fraction. Flow cytometric analyses of TSHr expression on splenic and lymph node T cells revealed a major difference between those tissues in that only 2–3% of splenic T cells were TSHr + , whereas 10–20% of CD4 + 8 − and CD4 − 8 + lymph node T cells expressed the TSHr, which was exclusively associated with CD45RB high cells and was not expressed during or after activation. The TSHr was not present on cells of the immune system during fetal or neonatal life. However, recombinant TSHβ was found to significantly enhance the phagocytic activity of dendritic cells from adult animals and to selectively augment IL-1β and IL-12 cytokine responses of dendritic cells following phagocytic activation. These findings identify a novel immune-endocrine bridge associated with professional APCs and naive T cells.
TRP Channels and Pain

Nociception is the process whereby primary afferent nerve fibers of the somatosensory system detect noxious stimuli. Pungent irritants from pepper, mint, and mustard plants have served as powerful pharmacological tools for identifying molecules and mechanisms underlying this initial step of pain sensation. These natural products have revealed three members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel family—TRPV1, TRPM8, and TRPA1—as molecular detectors of thermal and chemical stimuli that activate sensory neurons to produce acute or persistent pain. Analysis of TRP channel function and expression has validated the existence of nociceptors as a specialized group of somatosensory neurons devoted to the detection of noxious stimuli. These studies are also providing insight into the coding logic of nociception and how specification of nociceptor subtypes underlies behavioral discrimination of noxious thermal, chemical, and mechanical stimuli. Biophysical and pharmacological characterization of these...
Community-based organizations' capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate success.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have the potential to promote and sustain health, prevent disease, and address health disparities, but many lack the capacity to do so. An assessment of the 20 CBOs receiving supplemental grant funding from the Pfizer Foundation Southern HIV/AIDS Prevention Initiative indicated a high level of knowledge for developing goals and objectives (mean score = 3.08 on a scale of 0 (none) to 4 (extensive)) and high self-assessed abilities to conduct six of 20 specific intervention activities, including the development of community relationships and coalitions. Lower knowledge and skill levels were observed for intervention evaluation. While CBOs of this Initiative have established prerequisite abilities, they have self-acknowledged needs for technical assistance to maximize HIV/AIDS prevention capacity.
Benign Prostate-specific Antigen (BPSA) in Serum Is Increased in Benign Prostate Disease

Background: BPSA is a “benign” form of free prostate-specific antigen (PSA) that is increased in prostate transition zone tissues of men with pathologic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We developed an immunoassay to determine the concentration of BPSA in the serum of men with BPH. Methods: The BPSA antigen was purified by HPLC, and murine monoclonal antibodies were prepared by standard methods. A fluorogenic ELISA was developed with high specificity for BPSA and no cross-reactivity with other forms of PSA. Results: The BPSA immunoassay had a lower limit of detection of 6 ng/L and a cross-reactivity of <1% with all other clipped and nonclipped forms of PSA. The BPSA antibody was specific for the internal Lys182 cleavage site that characterizes BPSA. Biopsy-negative men with a median total PSA of 4.8 μg/L had a median of 0.22 μg/L BPSA, representing 25% of the free PSA in serum. BPSA ranged from 0% to 60% of the free PSA in serum. BPSA in a cohort of cancer serum also comprised 25% of the free PSA. Control serum from women or men without increased PSA had nondetectable BPSA. Conclusions: BPSA is a significant percentage of the free PSA in BPH serum but not in control serum. The presence of prostate cancer does not alter the relative proportions of BPSA in sera with <10 μg/L PSA. BPSA has a wide distribution of concentrations in the serum and may provide clinical information for the study of men with BPH.
Probabilistic design of aluminum sheet drawing for reduced risk of wrinkling and fracture

Abstract Often, sheet drawing processes are designed to provide the geometry of the final part, and then the process parameters such as blank dimensions, blank holder forces (BHFs), press strokes and interface friction are designed and controlled to provide the greatest drawability (largest depth of draw without violating the wrinkling and thinning constraints). The exclusion of inherent process variations in this design can often lead to process designs that are unreliable and uncontrollable. In this paper, a general multi-criteria design approach is presented to quantify the uncertainties and to incorporate them into the response surface method (RSM) based model so as to conduct probabilistic optimization. A surrogate RSM model of the process mechanics is generated using FEM-based high-fidelity models and design of experiments (DOEs), and a simple linear weighted approach is used to formulate the objective function or the quality index (QI). To demonstrate this approach, deep drawing of an aluminum Hishida part is analyzed. With the predetermined blank shape, tooling design and fixed drawing depth, a probabilistic design (PD) is successfully carried out to find the optimal combination of BHF and friction coefficient under variation of material properties. The results show that with the probabilistic approach, the QI improved by 42% over the traditional deterministic design (DD). It also shows that by further reducing the variation of friction coefficient to 2%, the QI will improve further to 98.97%.
Biomarker Studies and Other Difficult Inferential Problems: Statistical Caveats

The inferential issues associated with biomarker studies are enormously complex. False-positive conclusions are rampant in the literature. It is wonderful to have many potential biomarkers in trying to explain the heterogeneity of cancer and outcomes of its treatment. But a large number of biomarkers give rise to statistical headaches. False-positives proliferate. A useful approach is to reduce many biomarkers into a single dimension, and to then attempt to confirm the prognostic or predictive value of the single-dimensional quantity. This is not a panacea for all statistical and scientific ailments, but it minimizes some of the problems. A related concern is subset analysis. I give a statistical argument that estrogen-receptor status is predictive of the benefits of chemotherapy in node-positive breast cancer.
Mineralocorticoid Blockade Reduces Vascular Injury in Stroke-Prone Hypertensive Rats

Chronic treatment of saline-drinking stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) with agents that interfere with the formation or actions of angiotensin II (Ang II) prevents the developmen...
Reconstructing population exposures from dose biomarkers: inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a case study

Reconstructing population exposures from dose biomarkers: inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE) as a case study
Africa's Intoxicating Beer Markets

African beer markets are increasingly being commercialized. Select brewers are going to extraordinary lengths to attract new customers on the conti- nent. Economic and business "life cycle" models usually indicate that this can only go on for a finite period, that industries, companies, and products, just like organ- isms, must move through stages of emergence and maturity to inevitable decline. Such expectations may be too rigid in the African context. Such are the continent's dynamic economic and social realities that commercial brewers, and especially a handful of multinational corporations, look capable of staving off decline—an intoxicating prospect for them indeed. Resume: Les marches de la biere africains sont de plus en plus commercialises. Des brasseurs selects font des efforts astronomiques pour attirer de nouveaux cli- ents sur le continent. Les modeles economiques et commerciaux bases sur le principe du "cycle de vie" semblent indiquer que ce phenomene ne peut se pour- suivre que sur une duree limitee, sachant que les industries, les entreprises et les produits, tout comme les organismes vivants, passent par les etapes de l'emergence, de la maturite, et finissent par un declin inevitable. De tels parametres peuvent etre consideres comme trop rigides dans le contexte africain. La dynamique des realites economiques et sociales du continent sont telles que les brasseurs com- merciaux, et en particulier une poignee de societes multinationales, semblent capables de conjurer un tel declin: voici en effet un avenir bien grisant en per- spective pour ce marche.
Scrotal-inguinal Ultrasonography: A Technique for Identifying the Nonpalpable Inguinal Testis without Laparoscopy

AbstractPurpose: Treatment of the patient with a nonpalpable testis is controversial, since a high percent will have an inguinal testis or testicular remnant at exploration. While laparoscopy is an effective modality for localizing the intra-abdominal testis, diagnostic laparoscopy is of limited value for patients with nonpalpable (normal or atrophic) inguinal testes. In an effort to identify preoperatively impalpable inguinal testes, we performed scrotal-inguinal ultrasound.Materials and Methods: We evaluated 64 patients (74 nonpalpable testes) in the last 4 years, representing 20 percent of all those presenting with cryptorchidism. Average patient age was 4.5 years (range 6 months to 17 years). All patients underwent preoperative scrotal-inguinal ultrasound and surgical exploration. Diagnostic laparoscopy was reserved for patients with negative ultrasound and no palpable tissue in the scrotum or groin on a preoperative examination.Results: Scrotal-inguinal ultrasound correctly identified 40 of the 42 in...
Increased spinal reflex excitability is associated with enhanced central activation during voluntary lengthening contractions in human spinal cord injury.

This study of chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) subjects investigated patterns of central motor drive (i.e., central activation) of the plantar flexors using interpolated twitches, and mo...
Using Legislative Intent as Reasoning in Legal Analysis

This article discusses how legislative intent can influence the courts' reasoning in statutory analysis. In particular, the article examines how California courts have relied on the legislative intent behind the DUI laws in order to interpret the term "driving," and how students can incorporate this form of reasoning in order to more fully develop their analysis of this issue.
Ab initio structure of MgSiO3 ilmenite at high pressure

The structural properties of MgSiO 3 -ilmenite at high pressures are determined using Ab initio variable cell-shape molecular dynamics. Our athermal results at zero pressure are in excellent agreement with single-crystal measurements. The predicted lattice constants compare favorably with powder X-ray diffraction data. The internal parameters are shown to vary only slightly with pressure. The c axis is considerably more compressible than the a axis and our results suggest that this anisotropic behavior arises in the relatively larger compressibility of MgO 6 with respect to SiO 6 octahedra. Both octahedral types remain highly distorted with the degree of distortion decreasing (more rapidly in MgO 6 ) under compression. By comparing free energies, it is shown that MgSiO 3 should transform from the ilmenite to the perovskite structure at 30 GPa (for static lattice). At the transition, the density and elastic moduli increase substantially.
Surface Modification of Organic Polymers by Low-temperature Plasma

The energy of active species such as electrons, ions, excited atoms, excited molecules and ultraviolet rays generated in low-temperature plasma is comparable to the bond energy of organic compounds. In low-temperature plasma, these active species react with organic polymer to make free radicals in the suface layer and sometimes induce polymer surface etching. Consequently these radicals react with excited atoms and excited molecules in the plasma and oxygen in the air to make functional groups on the surface of the polymer, or react with each other to form crosslinking. Furthermore these radicals react with monomers to form graft co-polymerization layer on the surface of the polymer. The surface of the polymer treated with low-temperature plama has many characteristic properties such as high surface tension, good adhesiveness, decreased leakage of additives and so on. The low-temperature plasma treatment is useful and unique technique for modifying the surface of various polymers.
Multi-mode Inversion of Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) Dispersion Curves And High-resolution Linear Radon Transform (HRLRT)

We analyze seismic data using multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) to invert multi-mode surface-wave dispersion curves into 1D vertical shear-wave velocity profiles. The dispersion-curve patterns of the Rayleigh wave are imaged using conventional methods and the high-resolution linear radon transform (HRLRT). Comparison of these imaging techniques shows that the HRLRT provides higher imaging resolution of the dispersion-curve pattern that can be critical for observing and interpreting fundamentaland higher-mode dispersion-curve events of surface-wave energy. The authors conclude that multi-mode dispersion-curve inversion needs to be paired with HRLRT for the correct identification and estimation of fundamentaland highermode dispersion-curve data to arrive at accurate inversion results.
Analysis and Application of Gardenia Topnote Essential Oil by Supercritical CO_2 Extraction

Gardenia topnote essential oil was extracted by supercritical CO2 from gardenia flower.Chemical constituents of gardenia topnote essential oil were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed by GC-MS,49 compounds were identified.It showed that components with green note are the main,and linalool(46.02%) is the highest content.According to the analysis and the combined smell of gardenia flowers,gardenia perfume essence was created.
Determination of Lycopene in the health foods by HPLC

[Objective]To establish a method for extraction and determination of lycopene in the health foods(in tablet,powder and oily) by HPLC.[Methods]The lycopene was extracted with chloroform,after microcapsule membrane was ruptured by water.Vitamin C and pyrogallic sub acid were added for anti-oxidant during the whole process.Lycopene content was determined by HPLC.[Results]The linear range of this method was 0.01-10.0 mg/L,r =0.999 7.The detection limit of lycopene was 0.005 mg/L,The average recoveries of tablet,powder,oily,oily without microcapsules were 91.4%,96.3%,89.8% and 101.8%,and the RSD was 3.59%,3.17%,4.87% and 2.86%,respectively.[Conclusion]The method is simple and reliable in determination of lycopene in the health foods with high extraction efficiency and less oxidation loss in pre-treatment process.
LOGIC OPTIMIZATION OF FEED WATER PUMP INTERLOCK OF AIR-COOL 600 MW UNIT

This paper presents an optimization of the interlock logic control of No.1 600 MW subcritical air-cool unit of Guohua Jinjie Energy CO.,Ltd.The interlock logic design core it revealed has a control of three feed water pumps that are standby for one another and can all be started up from section A or B of the bus-bar.Tests on the electric pump interlock were conducted under the different conditions,one is with one pump in operation while the other was standby under 59% load,and the other is that two pumps were in operation while one pump is standby under 100% load.The test results have proved that the logic design after optimization is rational and correct.
Algorithms for Collision Detection Between a Point and a Moving Polygon, with Applications to Aircraft Weather Avoidance

This paper proposes mathematical definitions of functions that can be used to detect future collisions between a point and a moving polygon. The intended application is weather avoidance, where the given point represents an aircraft and bounding polygons are chosen to model regions with bad weather. Other applications could possibly include avoiding other moving obstacles. The motivation for the functions presented here is safety, and therefore they have been proved to be mathematically correct. The functions are being developed for inclusion in NASA's Stratway software tool, which allows low-fidelity air traffic management concepts to be easily prototyped and quickly tested.
Issues in Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Child Psychiatry

An introduction to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for children and adolescents with severe spokenlanguage disorders is presented. Significant advances have been made in assessment and intervention approaches over the last decade. Children with severe disabilities who employ AAC systems can demonstrate communication achievements that exceed traditional expectations.
Regulatory Policies Regarding Pediatric Spinal Devices

The medical device industry, physicians, and global regulatory authorities collaborate in the introduction of medical devices that are safe and effective for their intended uses. Knowledge regarding regulatory processes is required to successfully navigate the available pathways to market for innovative pediatric orthopedic medical devices and provide timely access to potentially life-enhancing and lifesaving orthopedic devices. Medical device technologies directed toward care of pediatric patients with disorders affecting the spine and thorax represent a critical unmet need in the United States. Specific challenges encountered in the development of pediatric spinal devices relate to economic factors, target population considerations, liability concerns, available regulatory pathways, and clinical trial design considerations. Processes for regulation of medical devices worldwide are variable and ultimately remain subject to control by the regulatory body of the specific country. International medical device regulatory harmonization and convergence offer potential to improve regulatory processes for pediatric spinal devices.
Hanif Kureishi: The Buddha of Suburbia (1990)

It can be argued that novelists like V. S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, and Hanif Kureishi helped change the entire debate on identity politics in England in the 1990s. But, as Bruce King suggests, Kureishi’s “is a different subject matter from that of Naipaul and Rushdie,” being “partly the difference between being an immigrant and being born in a country” (187). Yet all three novelists are interested in the metamorphosis that overtakes characters who meet and interact with others from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Kureishi’s major characters are as likely to be white or of mixed ethnic origins as Asian or black, and his canvas extends beyond the minority communities in England that are becoming larger each year. Kureishi himself had a Muslim father who immigrated from India at the time of the Partition in 1947 and married an Englishwoman. Born in Bromley, Kent, a suburb of London, in 1954, Kureishi belonged to a new generation of children of immigrant/English parents. He neither grew up a Muslim nor spoke Urdu. Although light skinned, he suffered at school from a racist climate that made him try to deny his Pakistani self: “I couldn’t tolerate being myself” (My Beautiful Laundrette 76). Yet when he visited Pakistan for the first time in 1983 he discovered that he “couldn’t rightfully claim to either place” — England or Pakistan (81).
Greener Oxidation of Benzhydrol: Evaluating Three Oxidation Procedures in the Organic Laboratory

In one lab period, students individually conduct one of three published green oxidation reactions of benzhydrol. Each method employs a different oxidant (potassium permanganate, sodium tungstate/hydrogen peroxide, or bleach) and requires approximately the same amount of time to complete. In a subsequent lab period, using a combination of TLC, IR spectroscopy, and GC, students work in teams to compile results and determine the average yield and purity, cost, amount of waste, and greenness of the oxidation method that was performed. Ultimately, the three methods are compared to determine whether one method is superior to another in each of the categories listed above.
Rapid, field-based screening for chital ( Axis axis ) DNA in illegal meat markets

The Bangladesh Sundarbans are a globally significant ecosystem for biodiversity conservation. However, illegal hunting has resulted in the extinction of a number of species and threatens the persistence of many others, including the chital deer (Axis axis). Wildlife officials are able to easily recognise chital hides by their distinctive markings, but the meat of this protected species is much harder to identify. Here, we describe a genetic method to detect chital DNA in meat products confiscated from market traders.
Folate receptor targeted anti-tumor activity of EC-0225, a folate-targeted dual drug conjugate

568 The membrane-bound folate receptor (FR) is overexpressed on a wide range of primary and metastatic human cancers, such as those originating in ovary, lung, breast, endometrium, kidney and brain. Since folate-linked conjugates are known to be efficiently bound and internalized by FR-expressing cells, similar to the free vitamin, we have explored the possibility of using a single folate ligand to simultaneously target two small molecule chemotherapeutic drugs to the same FR. Herein we report the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of EC-0225, a novel folate conjugate of two drugs- one a potent microtubule inhibiting agent, and the second a DNA alkylating drug. When tested on cells in culture, EC-0225 was found to provide specific dose-dependent potency. Thus, EC-0225 inhibited the growth of FR-positive KB cells with an IC50 of ∼ 1 nM. The cytotoxic activity was greatly reduced in the presence of a large excess of folic acid. In addition, EC-0225 displayed no activity on FR-negative cells, thereby demonstrating this compound9s specificity. EC-02259s activity was next evaluated against FR-positive tumors in mice. Thus, Balb/c mice bearing subcutaneous M109 tumors (syngeneic lung carcinoma) were treated intravenously with EC-0225, and this brief therapy caused complete remissions (CRs) in 4 of 5 animals. Furthermore, the activity occurred in the absence of weight loss or major organ tissue degeneration. In contrast, greatly reduced anti-tumor activity (0/5 CRs) was observed in EC-0225-treated animals that were co-dosed with a non-drug containing folate. EC-02259s potency was also confirmed in a second cancer model, human KB xenografts growing in nu/nu mice. Here, EC-0225 therapy again displayed remarkable anti-tumor activity (5/5 CRs), and this activity also occurred in the absence of weight loss or major organ tissue degeneration. In contrast, combination therapy at various doses of the two free drugs proved to be very toxic when administered at equivalent levels, and this regimen was not effective at lower non-toxic dose levels. The ability of EC-0225 therapy to inhibit the growth of large (250, 500 and 750 mm3) tumors was also tested and found to be extremely active against all tumor sizes. Importantly, this is the first presentation demonstrating that a FR-targeted chemotherapeutic drug can effect regression of such large established tumors in an animal model. Taken together, the above results indicate that EC-0225 is a highly promising chemotherapeutic agent which can be selectively delivered to advanced FR-positive tumors without causing overt toxicity.
Prediction and feedback may constrain but do not stop anthropomorphism

I thank Andersen not only for his agreeable view of the place of Guthrie (1980) in CSR and for highlighting some parts of my argument, but also for his general clarity and his provocative and timel...
Knowledge Management as an Enabler of the Paris Agreement Implementation in Africa

Numerous ongoing projects are upgrading climate observation networks to plug the climate data gap in Africa. Projects like trans-Africa hydromet observation (TAHMO) and climate for development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) will avail increased data for early warning, modelling and research in African. In many cases however, historical climate data still remains on paper and thus beyond reach. As cited by IPCC assessments, the level of accessible climate literature from Africa continues to be significantly low, a situation exacerbated by both inadequate Internet connectivity and climate information that is either not captured or packaged for online and offline access. Poor Internet certainly impacts the access and findability of climate knowledge and research produced in Africa. Indigenous knowledge relied upon for generations in addition remains masked because its purveyors lack channels to codify and share the knowledge. Implementation of the Paris Agreement will entail data collection to monitor progress, as well as sharing of good practices, lessons, needs, challenges and opportunities at sub-national, national and regional levels. This paper will provide tested opportunities to facilitate sound knowledge management for implementation of the agreement by mobilizing pan-Africa climate knowledge partners to create a community for co-producing climate knowledge, sharing it and learning.
Lower health-related quality of life predicts all-cause hospitalization among HIV-infected individuals

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a patient-centered outcome measure used in assessing the individual’s overall functional health status but studies looking at HRQOL as a predictive tool are few. This work examines whether summary scores of HRQOL are predictive of all-cause hospitalization in the US Military HIV Natural History Study (NHS) cohort. The Short Form 36 (SF-36) was administered between 2006 and 2010 to 1711 NHS cohort members whose hospitalization records we had also obtained. Physical component summary scores (PCSS) and mental component summary scores (MCSS) were computed based on standard algorithms. Terciles of PCSS and MCSS were generated with the upper terciles (higher HRQOL) as referent groups. Proportional hazards multivariate regression models were used to estimate the hazard of hospitalization for PCSS and MCSS separately (models 1 and 2, respectively) and combined (model 3). The hazard ratios (HR) of hospitalization were respectively 2.12 times (95% CI: 1.59–2.84) and 1.59 times (95% CI: 1.19–2.14) higher for the lower and middle terciles compared to the upper PCSS tercile. The HR of hospitalization was 1.33 times (95% CI: 1.02–1.73) higher for the lower compared to the upper MCSS tercile. Other predictors of hospitalization were CD4 count 50 copies/mL (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.46, 2.26), and yearly increment in duration of HIV infection (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.93, 0.96) (model 3). After controlling for factors associated with hospitalization among those with HIV, both PCSS and MCSS were predictive of all-cause hospitalization in the NHS cohort. HRQOL assessment using the SF-36 may be useful in stratifying hospitalization risk among HIV-infected populations.
Light history and age-related changes in retinal light damage

Purpose To determine the effects of age and long-term light- or dark-rearing environments on acute, intense-light-mediated retinal degeneration. Methods Male albino rats were maintained in a dim cyclic light environment or in darkness for as long as 1 year. When aged 2, 4, 8, and 12 months, some rats were given the synthetic antioxidant dimethylthiourea (DMTU) by intraperitoneal injection and were exposed to intense visible light for as long as 24 hours. Uninjected control rats were exposed to light at the same time. Other rats were treated with light of lower intensity for various periods. Two weeks after intense-light treatment, photoreceptor cell degeneration was estimated by determining the level of rhodopsin and by measuring the content of photoreceptor cell DNA. Light-induced changes in retinal DNA were analyzed immediately after exposure by neutral gel electrophoresis and by 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine measurements. Expression of the antioxidative stress protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was determined by northern blot analysis of mRNA in retinal extracts. Results At all ages, rats reared in cyclic dim-light conditions had lower rhodopsin levels than did rats reared in darkness; photoreceptor cell DNA levels were unaffected by the rearing environment. Senescent losses in rhodopsin and retinal DNA were significant after rats were 12 months old. Dim-light-reared rats exhibited an age-related increase in retinal light damage susceptibility, whereas dark-reared rats were equally susceptible to damage at all ages. In both types of rats, the mechanism of light-induced cell death involved an apoptotic process, visualized by the pattern of DNA fragments on electrophoretic gels. The process also induced the expression of HO-1 mRNA. Photoreceptor cell loss determined by biochemical measurement, DNA fragmentation, and HO-1 induction were dramatically reduced by the administration of DMTU. Conclusions The age-related increase in susceptibility to retinal light damage in rats is influenced by their long-term daily light history. Decreasing retinal irradiance by dark-rearing eliminates the age-related increase in light damage, suggesting a correlation between light environment and retinal gene expression associated with damage. In all rats, retinal light damage resulted in a pattern of DNA fragmentation consistent with apoptotic cell death and in an increased expression of HO-1 mRNA. Antioxidant treatment greatly reduced apoptosis and HO-1 expression. This indicates that light damage involves an oxidative process that may also trigger apoptosis in the retina. The rat aging model may provide useful insights into the role of light environment associated with retinal degeneration in an aging human population.
Efficacy of endoscopic-guided fine-needle aspiration in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal spindle cell tumors.

Background Spindle cell neoplasms of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract constitute a wide group of lesions that may raise diagnostic difficulties on hematoxylin-eosin-stained slides. Appropriate endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) technique with sufficient cell block material for immunohistochemistry (IHC) can lead to accurate diagnosis. Methods This is a retrospective study of 29 cases obtained from our institution's records over a five-year period (2011-2015). Cytomorphology, histology (when available), IHC, FNA procedure details, imaging characteristics, and clinical history were reviewed. Rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) was used in all cases. Cytologic samples were correlated with surgical pathology resection specimens when available. Results Eighteen GI stromal tumors, six leiomyomas, two schwannomas, and one granular cell tumor were analyzed; two cases were not amenable for a definitive diagnosis: one showed fragments of smooth muscle not otherwise specified (smooth muscle vs. leiomyoma) and the other one was insufficient for diagnosis. Locations included stomach, esophagus, duodenum, and colon. EUS-FNA was performed with different gauge needles. Total number of passes ranged between two and nine. We found no evidence that larger-sized needles are superior in procuring adequate lesional tissue. Cell block material was stained with various antibodies. Fourteen surgical resection specimens available showed 100% correlation between cytology and histology. None of the neoplasms recurred until now; one patient succumbed to known esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion FNA is a pivotal and inexpensive method for rapid evaluation of GI spindle cell tumors and should be used widely in the attempt to avoid unnecessary surgery. Size of needle used for EUS-FNA does not seem to influence the yield of lesional tissue; rather, ROSE can guide the number of passes and subsequently lead to an adequate cell block.
Robo Advisors: quantitative methods inside the robots

Robo Advisors (RAs) are perhaps the most important disruptive trend in wealth and asset management today. There is an immense amount of information about RA systems, but still little is known about the core portfolio optimization and asset allocation methods applied within such systems. Thus, to date, there is no comprehensive analysis of the methods used in RAs, their occurrences in these systems, the respective volumes of assets under management (AuM), and the future methodological prospects of the RAs. We analyzed 219 existing RAs worldwide and showed that Modern Portfolio Theory remains the main framework used in RAs. The current trend is to improve and augment this framework rather than applying and developing entirely new approaches. However, we also revealed that the AuM volumes tend to be higher for the systems applying newer and more sophisticated methods. In general, there is a clear gap between the predominant methods applied in RAs and new methodological developments. In the future, as the RA services mature, we can expect that the RAs system will adopt many of the new approaches since they promise good performance and have certain marketing potential.
Acute left main stem coronary occlusion following transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a patient without recognized coronary obstruction risk factors: a case report.

Background Acute coronary obstruction following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an uncommon but life-threatening event. Case summary A 78-year-old man developed acute left main obstruction following transfemoral TAVR with a balloon-expandable valve. Cardiac arrest ensued, requiring emergent peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to the left main coronary artery was performed with one drug-eluting stent. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) demonstrated focal underexpansion of the stent in its proximal segment which was not responsive to high-pressure non-compliant balloon dilatation, suggesting stent compression from either valve strut or calcific native leaflet. Therefore, to increase radial strength of the scaffolding at the site of compression, we deployed a second stent within the first stent, and further expanded that segment with high-pressure balloon inflations. Final IVUS demonstrated better expansion of the focally compressed segment. Following PCI, left ventricular function normalized completely. The patient was discharged from hospital on Day 3 post-procedure. At 12 weeks follow-up, his dyspnoea had improved significantly, and follow-up transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated normal left ventricular systolic function and normal aortic valve function. Discussion Established risk factors for coronary ostial occlusion include a short distance between the aortic annulus and the coronary ostia (<10 mm) and a narrow aortic root (<28 mm at the sinuses of Valsalva). These two factors increase the likelihood that the native valve leaflets are displaced over and obstruct the coronary ostia when the aortic bioprosthesis is deployed. Perplexingly, our patient did not present with any of the recognized risk factors for acute coronary occlusion, suggesting other factors might be at play. We suggest that a leaflet length to coronary sinus height ratio greater than 1 might be an additional useful predictor of coronary occlusion during TAVR. In addition, we suggest that if residual focal stent compression from either valve strut or calcific leaflet exists after stent deployment and the latter is resistant to balloon dilatation, deploying a second concentric layer of stent might improve the radial strength of the scaffolding and improve overall stent expansion.
γ’-(L12) precipitate evolution during isothermal aging of a Co–Al–W–Ni superalloy

Abstract The coarsening kinetics and elemental partitioning behavior of γ’-(L12) precipitates in a γ(f.c.c.)-matrix for a model quaternary Co-8.8Al-8.9W-9.9Ni at.% superalloy are investigated utilizing isothermal aging conditions at 650, 800 and 900 °C. The γ′-precipitate mean radius, number density, and volume fraction, at 800 and 900 °C, were studied using scanning electron microscopy; the calculated temporal exponents associated with coarsening of γ′-precipitates display good agreement with model predictions for quasi-stationary coarsening. An atom probe tomographic (APT) investigation of the aged γ/γ′ microstructure at 650 °C demonstrates that the compositions and volume fractions of both phases vary continuously up to 4096 h. The aged microstructure at 650 °C consists of interconnected nanoscale γ′-precipitates, corroborated utilizing SEM for the 4096 h aged-specimen. The activation energy for coarsening is estimated for the temperature range 650–900 °C to be 283 kJ mol−1, in reasonable agreement with activation energies for diffusion of Al, W, and Ni in Co, suggesting that coarsening of γ′-precipitates is limited by bulk-diffusion. APT measurements of specimens aged for 1024 h at 800 and 900 °C demonstrate that the isothermal aging temperature has a significant effect on the compositions and partitioning behavior of Co, Al, W and Ni between the γ- and γ′-phases. The partitioning ratio of the concentrations between the γ′- and γ-phases is largest for W, decreasing linearly from 5.3 ± 0.1 at 650 °C to 2.1 ± 1.2 at 900 °C, and smallest for Co, decreasing from 0.86 ± 0.01 at 650 °C to 0.73 ± 0.01 at 900 °C.