cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PGDOT -- Perturbed Gradient Descent Adapted with Occupation Time

This paper develops further the idea of perturbed gradient descent (PGD), by adapting perturbation with the history of states via the notion of occupation time. The proposed algorithm, perturbed gradient descent adapted with occupation time (PGDOT), is shown to converge at least as fast as the PGD algorithm and is guaranteed to avoid getting stuck at saddle points. The analysis is corroborated by empirical studies, in which a mini-batch version of PGDOT is shown to outperform alternatives such as mini-batch gradient descent, Adam, AMSGrad, and RMSProp in training multilayer perceptrons (MLPs). In particular, the mini-batch PGDOT manages to escape saddle points whereas these alternatives fail.
Detecting Sub-Micron Space Weathering Effects in Lunar Grains With Synchrotron Infrared Nanospectroscopy

Space weathering processes induce changes to the physical, chemical, and optical properties of space-exposed soil grains. For the Moon, space weathering causes reddening, darkening, and diminished ...
Transformation of Populus — From System Development to Field Plantings

Populus hybrids are being used for woody plant transformation in attempts to increase insect and disease resistance. Refined in vitro micropropagation systems were the initial basis for Populus alba L. X P. grandidentata Michx. transformation system development (Chun et al., 1988b).
Mass Balance of Multiyear Sea Ice in the Southern Beaufort Sea

Abstract : The long-term goals are: 1) Determination of the net growth and melt of multiyear (MY) sea ice during its transit through the southern Beaufort Sea 2) Identification of key regional processes in southern Beaufort Sea affecting MY ice recruitment 3) Improved predictability of the future states of the Arctic ice pack. We have four main scientific objectives: I) Estimation of MY ice volume entrained into the Beaufort Sea from north of Canada The region north of the Canadian Archipelago contains some of the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic and the amount of this ice imported into the Beaufort Sea has a significant effect on the overall MY ice budget of the Arctic. II) Estimation of rate of thinning of MY ice during transit through southern Beaufort Sea The thickness of MY ice at the end of its westward transit through the Beaufort Sea will have a critical impact on the volume of MY ice recruited from one year to the next and on navigability in the Beaufort and other marginal seas. III) Assessment of contribution of refreezing of meltwater to overall mass balance of MY ice Meltwater created through surface ablation can refreeze if it finds its way underneath the sea ice where the ocean will typically be at the colder freezing point of seawater. This can create ice lenses and false bottoms beneath the sea ice and make a positive, but poorly-understood, contribution to the mass balance IV) Assessment of the role MY ice dispersal in promoting ice loss We speculate that diminished MY ice in the Beaufort Sea may be a consequence of changes in drift patterns. Moreover, if net drift and divergence increase as MY ice extent decreases, this may represent a feedback process that will accelerate the Arctic s trajectory toward a seasonally ice free state.
Basal Ganglia Encephalitis and Autoimmune Retinitis Associated with Influenza B (P5.034)

OBJECTIVE: We are presenting a rare case of basal ganglia encephalitis and autoimmune retinitis associated with Influenza B. BACKGROUND: Influenza has been associated with many neurologic complications including encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, Reye’s syndrome, transverse myelitis, GBS, and encephalitis lethargica. These complications are seen more frequently in children and in infections with influenza A, with the exception of Reye’s syndrome which is more common with influenza B. Influenza A has also been rarely associated with retinitis. We are presenting a case of rare neurologic complications of influenza B in a female with basal ganglia encephalitis and autoimmune retinitis. DESIGN/METHODS: Single observational case presentation with literature review. RESULTS: We describe a 61 year old female presenting with profound encephalopathy found to have Influenza B. MRI revealed symmetrically increased T2 signal with mild diffuse enhancement in bilateral basal ganglia. As encephalopathy resolved patient developed first diplopia then loss of vision and was found to have autoimmune retinitis. MRI showed decreased intensity following plasmapharesis, and her vision has slowly improved following steroid taper. CONCLUSIONS: Influenza can present with an array of neurologic complications. This case highlights that although encephalitis is more common with influenza A, it can present in influenza B. Additionally, autoimmune retinitis has not been reported in association with influenza B, but is a treatable complication that should not be overlooked. Disclosure: Dr. Graves has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hosey has nothing to disclose.
Yoga in Pediatrics

Yoga is a form of mind-body medicine that uses poses, breathing techniques, and relaxation strategies (Galantino, Galbavy, and Quinn, 2008). Yoga is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for heal...
Lo que la poesía no da, la locura no lo ampara

Amanecer en el valle del Sinu. Antologia poetica. (seleccion y prologo de Carlos Monsivais) Raul Gomez Jattin. Fondo de Cultura Economica, Bogota, 2004, 181 pags. Arde Rau. La terrible y asombrosa historia del poeta Raul Gomez Jattin. (edicion trilingue: espanol , ingles, frances) Heriberto Florillo. Editorial Heriberto Florillo, Bogota, 2003,47 1 pags., il.
A laboratory course for teaching intelligent control

We describe a new control laboratory course at The Ohio State University which focuses on the development and implementation of intelligent control algorithms for a variety of processes. Students execute a series of laboratory exercises implementing fuzzy control, adaptive fuzzy control, and other intelligent control techniques. Fully instrumented, independent testbeds in the laboratory emphasize several sensing and actuation technologies.
Human Factors and Aging: An Overview of Research Needs and Application Opportunities:

Diversity and a potential for growth characterize the field of human factors and aging. An overview of this area is presented to complement the in-depth articles that appear in this special issue. The historical origins of human factors and aging are presented, followed by a review and evaluation of the importance of conceptual thinking for this field of inquiry. The need to assemble basic data on the capabilities and limitations of the elderly, including subpopulations, is offered as a major and critical challenge. The areas of work, retirement, mobility, and the home environment serve to illustrate applications and avenues of intervention. Throughout the paper the status of current research and directions for future research are highlighted.
Clinical evaluation in patients of a 3% lidocaine cream in an acid mantle base for the treatment of pruritus

PIMECROLIMUS CREAM 1% SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES ATOPIC DERMATITIS IN INFANTS AGED 3-23 MONTHS WITHIN 3 DAYS OF TREATMENT Roland Kaufmann, MD, J.W. Goethe Universitat, Hautklinik, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, Regina Folster-Holst, MD, Christian-Albrechts-Universitat, Hautklinik, Kiel, Germany, Peter Hoeger, MD, University of Hamburg, Dept of Dermatology, Division of Paediatric Dermatology, Hamburg, Germany, Ulrich Wahn, MD, Charite-Virchow Klinikum, Kinderklinik und Poliklinik, Berlin, Germany
Clonality of lobular carcinoma in situ and synchronous invasive lobular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) of the breast is considered a marker for an increased risk of carcinoma in both breasts. However, the frequent association of LCIS with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) suggests a precursor-product relation. The possible genomic relation between synchronous LCIS and ILC was analyzed using the technique of array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). METHODS Twenty-four samples from the University of California–San Francisco pathology archives that contained synchronous LCIS and ILC were identified. Array CGH was performed using random primer–amplified microdissected DNA. Samples were hybridized onto bacterial artificial chromosome arrays composed of approximately 2400 clones. Patterns of alterations within synchronous LCIS and ILC were compared. RESULTS A substantial proportion of the genome was altered in samples of both LCIS and ILC. The most frequent alterations were gain of 1q and loss of 16q, both of which usually occurred as whole-arm changes. Smaller regions of gain and loss were seen on other chromosome arms. Fourteen samples of LCIS were related more to their paired samples of ILC than to any other ILC, as demonstrated by a weighted similarity score. CONCLUSIONS LCIS and ILC are neoplastic lesions that demonstrate a range of genomic alterations. In the current study, the genetic relation between synchronous LCIS and ILC suggested clonality in a majority of the paired specimens. These data were consistent with a progression pathway from LCIS to ILC. The authors conclude that LCIS, which is known to be a marker for an environment that is permissive of neoplasia, may itself represent a precursor to invasive carcinoma. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Does a Barcoding Gap Exist in Prokaryotes? Evidences from Species Delimitation in Cyanobacteria

The amount of information that is available on 16S rRNA sequences for prokaryotes thanks to high-throughput sequencing could allow a better understanding of diversity. Nevertheless, the application of predetermined threshold in genetic distances to identify units of diversity (Operative Taxonomic Units, OTUs) may provide biased results. Here we tests for the existence of a barcoding gap in several groups of Cyanobacteria, defining units of diversity according to clear differences between within-species and among-species genetic distances in 16S rRNA. The application of a tool developed for animal DNA taxonomy, the Automatic Barcode Gap Detector (ABGD), revealed that a barcoding gap could actually be found in almost half of the datasets that we tested. The identification of units of diversity through this method provided results that were not compatible with those obtained with the identification of OTUs with threshold of similarity in genetic distances of 97% or 99%. The main message of our results is a call for caution in the estimate of diversity from 16S sequences only, given that different subjective choices in the method to delimit units could provide different results.
SUBSCORES FOR INSTITUTIONS

Recently, there has been an increasing level of interest in reporting subscores. This paper examines the issue of reporting subscores at an aggregate level, especially at the level of institutions that the examinees belong to. A series of statistical analyses is suggested to determine when subscores at the institutional level have any added value over the total scores. The methods are applied to two operational data sets. For the data under study, the results provide little support in favor of reporting subscores for either examinees or institutions.
Video Journal Club: Combining Video Evaluation and Continuing Education

In the absence of an authoritative, current, and detailed source of information about videos for teaching gerontology and geriatrics, we developed a program to screen and evaluate videos. At our Video Journal Club, multidisciplinary health professionals view a video, complete a written evaluation, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and provide a critique to be used as the basis of a narrative review. In the process, we offer an opportunity for continuing education and an avenue for exchange across disciplines.
Structure of segments of a G protein-coupled receptor: CD and NMR analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae tridecapeptide pheromone receptor.

Peptides representing both loop and the sixth transmembrane regions of the α-factor receptor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were synthesized by solid-phase procedures and purified to near homogeneity. CD, nmr, and modeling analysis indicated that in aqueous media the first extracellular loop peptide E1(107–125), the third intracellular loop peptide I3(231–243), and the carboxyl terminus peptide I4(350–372) were mostly disordered. In contrast, the second extracellular loop peptide E2(191–206) assumed a well-defined structure in aqueous medium and the sixth transmembrane domain peptide receptor M6(252-269, C252A) was highly helical in trifluoroethanol/water (4:1), exhibiting a kink at Pro258. A synthetic peptide containing a sequence similar to that of the sixth transmembrane domain of a constitutively active α-factor receptor M6(252–269, C252A, P258L) in which Leu replaces Pro258 exhibited significantly different biophysical properties than the wild-type sequence. In particular, this peptide had very low solubility and gave CD resembling that of a β-sheet structure in hexafluoroacetone/water (1:1) whereas the wild-type peptide was partially helical under identical conditions. These results would be consistent with the hypothesis that the constitutive activity of the mutant receptor is linked to a conformational change in the sixth transmembrane domain. The study of the receptor segments also indicate that peptides corresponding to loops of the α-factor receptor do not appear to assume turn structures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 46: 343–357, 1998
New policies are needed to encourage improvements in irrigation management

Innovations are needed in both the technological and policy dimensions of water resource management to achieve the gains in productivity required to feed the world’s increasing population. Scientists and engineers will continue to discover and disseminate new information regarding the technology of water management. However, the effective demand for that information at the farm level will be limited in areas where water prices and allocations do not reflect scarcity conditions. This paper describes how public policies regarding water resources and agricultural production can motivate farmers to consider scarcity values and the off-farm impacts of irrigation and drainage activities. Farm-level and regional models of crop production are examined, and optimizing criteria derived from the models depict the role of scarcity values and policy parameters in farm-level decisions regarding water use. The rate at which improvements in water management are implemented by irrigators around the world might be enhanced...
Factors affecting the electrophoretic mobility of the major outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli in polyacrylamide gels

The outer membrane proteins of Escherichia coli can be resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of anionic detergents. Factors such as the choice of detergent and buffer system and the presence of urea in the separation gel are all shown to affect the charge and/or the configuration of the detergent-protein complexes and will affect the relative migration of these complexes to different extents. The procedures described in this paper may be of use in the determination of the relatedness of the proteins from the same or different strains. In addition, detailed examinations of the effects of these different parameters and the effect of changes in acrylamide concentrations may be useful in the detection of unusual characteristics which may indicate the presence of posttranslational modification.
Purified particulate methane monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) is a dimer with both mononuclear copper and a copper-containing cluster

Particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) is a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of methane to methanol in methanotropic bacteria. Understanding how this enzyme hydroxylates methane at ambient temperature and pressure is of fundamental chemical and potential commercial importance. Difficulties in solubilizing and purifying active pMMO have led to conflicting reports regarding its biochemical and biophysical properties, however. We have purified pMMO from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) and detected activity. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of approximately 200 kDa, probably corresponding to an alpha(2)beta(2)gamma(2) polypeptide arrangement. Each 200-kDa pMMO complex contains 4.8 +/- 0.8 copper ions and 1.5 +/- 0.7 iron ions. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopic parameters corresponding to 40-60% of the total copper are consistent with the presence of a mononuclear type 2 copper site. X-ray absorption near edge spectra indicate that purified pMMO is a mixture of Cu(I) and Cu(II) oxidation states. Finally, extended x-ray absorption fine structure data are best fit with oxygennitrogen ligands and a 2.57-A Cu-Cu interaction, providing direct evidence for a copper-containing cluster in pMMO.
The use of nanoarrays for highly sensitive and selective detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in plasma

Arrays of antibodies with well-defined feature size and spacing are necessary for developing highly sensitive and selective immunoassays to detect macromolecules in complex solutions. Here we report the application of nanometer-scale antibody array-based analysis to determine the presence of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in blood samples. Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) was used to generate nanoscale patterns of antibodies against the HIV-1 p24 antigen on a gold surface. Feature sizes were less than 100-nanometers, and the activity of the antibody was preserved. HIV-1 p24 antigen in plasma obtained directly from HIV-1-infected patients was hybridized to the antibody array in situ, and the bound protein was hybridized to a gold antibody-functionalized nanoparticle probe for signal enhancement. The nanoarray features in the three-component sandwich assay were confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Demonstration of measurable amounts of HIV-1 p24 antigen in plasma obtained from men with ...
A Comparison Of Density Functional Methods For The Estimation Of Proton Chemical Shifts With Chemical Accuracy

Fifteen procedures based on hybrid density functional theory were used to calculate magnetic properties for the carbon-bound hydrogen nuclei of 80 small to modest-sized organic molecules. The predicted isotropic shieldings derived from the various methods were compared with each other and also with solution experimental data. The computational methods investigated included the IGAIM and GIAO procedures, the 6-311++G(d,p), 6-311++G(2df,p), and 6-311++G(3df,2p) basis sets, the B3LYP, B3P86, and B3PW91 hybrid density functionals, and molecular geometries optimized using both MP2 and B3LYP methods. Although agreement with experiment consistently improved as the basis set was enlarged, the improvement upon going from 6-311++G(2df,p) to 6-311++G(3df,2p) was extremely small, and even the difference between 6-311++G(d,p) and 6-311++G(2df,p) was of a modest size. The GIAO and IGAIM procedures yielded very similar results in conjunction with the largest basis set, but GIAO suffered considerably less degradation tha...
Rehabilitation therapy and outcomes in acute respiratory failure: an observational pilot project.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe the frequency, physiologic effects, safety, and patient outcomes associated with traditional rehabilitation therapy in patients who require mechanical ventilation. Materials and Methods: Prospective observational report of consecutive patients ventilated 4 or more days and eligible for rehabilitation in a single medical intensive care unit (ICU) during a 13-week period was conducted. Results: Of the 32 patients who met the inclusion criteria, only 21 (66%) received physician orders for evaluation by rehabilitation services (physical and/or occupational therapy). Fifty rehabilitation treatments were provided to 19 patients on a median of 12% of medical ICU days per patient, with deep sedation and unavailability of rehabilitation staff representing major barriers to treatment. Physiologic changes during rehabilitation therapy were minimal. Joint contractures were frequent in the lower extremities and did not improve during hospitalization. In 53% and 79% of initial ICU assessments, muscle weakness was present in upper and lower extremities, respectively, with a decreased prevalence of 19% and 43% at hospital discharge, respectively. New impairments in physical function were common at hospital discharge. Conclusions: This pilot project illustrated important barriers to providing rehabilitation to mechanically ventilated patients in an ICU and impairments in strength, range of motion, and functional outcomes at hospital discharge.
Bereaved caregivers' descriptions of sleep: impact on daily life and the bereavement process.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe how sleep and bereavement may be related in family caregivers. DESIGN: Descriptive and qualitative. SETTING: Participants' homes. SAMPLE: 9 adults with no previous diagnoses of clinical depression or sleep disorders who had been providing care to family members who died in the previous six months. METHODS: Participants provided narrative accounts of sleep quality, bereavement, and daily functioning since the death of their family members. Participants' sleep quality and depressive symptoms also were measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Sleep quality, depressive symptoms, bereavement, and daily functioning. FINDINGS: Narratives revealed five themes: nightmares, wake after sleep onset, scheduling, daily life, and bereavement. Participants scored high on the PSQI and CES-D. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep quality appears to affect bereavement and daily functioning. Participants reported severe levels of sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Studies are needed to explore sleep quality in bereaved caregivers and to examine the relationship between sleep quality and an individual's ability to accomplish the tasks of bereavement.
Want to, need to, ought to: employee commitment to organizational change

Purpose – This study aims to focus on the role of employee commitment in the success of organizational change initiatives. The authors seek to propose and test a model that delineates antecedents and consequences of affective, normative, and continuance commitment to organizational change.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via online survey from employees working in a large not‐for‐profit organization. A total of 191 responses (32 per cent) were obtained. The hypothesized model relationships were tested using structural equation modeling.Findings – The results demonstrate that the antecedents: fit with vision, employee‐manager relationship quality, job motivation, and role autonomy all influence commitment to change (C2C). Notably, affective commitment, which in turn influences employee perceptions about improved performance, implementation success, and individual learning regarding the change, had the greatest impact.Research limitations/implications – Limitations that could lead to future...
Analysis of myosin B for magnesium.

Abstract Myosin B has been analyzed for magnesium by use of the dye Chrome Fast Blue BG. The average of all values obtained is 0.56 μg./mg. The chelating agent EDTA does not remove magnesium from myosin B. The results are based on analysis after chemical denaturation of the myosin and after wet-ashing. The latter was done at temperatures between 200 and 210 ° to avoid loss of the analyzable magnesium.
Bisphosphonate-modified gold nanoparticles: a useful vehicle to study the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Legg–Calve–Perthes disease (LCPD) is a juvenile form of osteonecrosis of the femoral head that presents in children aged 2–14 years. To date, there is no effective medical therapy for treating LCPD largely due to an inability to modulate the repair process, including the predominance of bone resorption. This investigation aims to evaluate the feasibility of using gold nanoparticles (GNPs) that are surface modified with a bisphosphonate compound for the treatment of osteonecrosis at the cellular level. Studies have found osteoclast-mediated resorption to be a process that contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of femoral head deformities arising from Perthes disease. Our in vitro model was designed to elucidate the effect of alendronate-(a bisphosphonate) modified GNPs, on osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast function. RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were cultured with recombinant mouse receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), which stimulates osteoclastogenesis, and were then treated with alendronate-modified GNPs for 24, 48, and 72 h. Cell proliferation, osteoclast function, and osteoclast morphology were evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion assay, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. Comparative studies were performed with GNPs that were only stabilized with citrate ions and with alendronate alone. Neither osteoclastogenesis nor osteoclast function were adversely affected by the presence of the citrate–GNP. Alendronate-modified GNPs had an enhanced effect on inducing osteoclast apoptosis and impairing osteoclast function when compared to unbound alendronate populations.
A Short Form of Pass 3 A Study of Its Structure, Interrater Reliability, and Validity for Assessing Normalization

The principle of normalization has become an internationally influential approach to planning and evaluating human services in developmental disabilities, rehabilitation, and related fields. PASS 3, the major standardized normalization-based program evaluation instrument currently in use, is now being applied in several countries to assess the quality of community residential, educational, vocational, child development, and other programs. In the present study, a short form of PASS 3 was derived and its properties assessed. The short form appears to be afeasible, cost-effective alternative to the longform in many potential evaluation and research contexts. Guidelines for field use were discussed.
An Extension Approach to New Sire Summaries

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Cognitive-Affective Processing System Analysis of Reactions to the O. J. Simpson Criminal Trial Verdict

Reactions to the O. J. Simpson verdict were analyzed using the Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) model. Content analyses of participants' open-ended reactions to the verdict revealed that differences in the accessibility of cognitive-affective units and their subsequent activation pathways characterized respondents' reactions, but participants' race appeared to have no direct effect. The results were used to construct cognitive-affective domain maps that underlay elated, dismayed, and ambivalent reactions. By promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of reactions to the verdict, we believe the domain maps facilitate overcoming the widespread tendency to attribute the cause of divergent reactions to an individual's race. The results have implications for the understanding of cultural differences.
The multifaceted effects of oral administration of methylphenidate in juvenile rats: Anxiety, activity, and attention

In previous studies, acutely administered oral methylphenidate (MPD, 3 mg/kg) prior to testing improved performance on the radial arm maze in juvenile rats. In order to examine the mechanisms producing this improvement we administered MPD once prior to each test of anxiety, locomotor activity and attention. On postnatal day (PND) 22 on an elevated plus maze, rats spent more time beyond the rails on the open arms and showed altered risk-assessment behaviors suggesting an anxiolytic-like effect of MPD. Grid crossings on the plus maze indicated that MPD increased locomotor activity, as did activity recording on PND 23. In another group of juveniles, MPD improved performance in a multi-trial attention task in an age-dependent fashion. These data suggest that oral MPD has multifaceted effects on juvenile rats that together improve performance on cognitive tests such as the radial arm maze. In addition, our data support human studies finding multifaceted effects of MPD.
The myth of transition: contractualizing disability in the sheltered workshop

This paper investigates notions of transition and independence, as well as the current circumstances that detain countless disabled people in employment endeavors that not only pay meager wages but also cement a lifelong servitude to the workshop. Sheltered workshops exist on the basis and replication of a structure that incarcerates disabled people within vocational‐like settings. This paper begins a discussion of the social contract that occurs between the disabled person in the workshop. The workshop is no longer a place of societal liberation that affords the individual the opportunity to learn vocational skills, but rather it has become an institution that creates its own army of workers that will forever be subjected to a life in the workshop because of their disability status.
Attentional modulation of neural processing of shape, color, and velocity in humans

Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure changes in regional cerebral blood flow of normal subjects, while they were discriminating different attributes (shape, color, and velocity) of the same set of visual stimuli. Psychophysical evidence indicated that the sensitivity for discriminating subtle stimulus changes was higher when subjects focused attention on one attribute than when they divided attention among several attributes. Correspondingly, attention enhanced the activity of different regions of extrastriate visual cortex that appear to be specialized for processing information related to the selected attribute.
The influence of titanium dioxide on the rheological and extrusion properties of polymer melts

An experimental study of the influence of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the rheological and extrusion properties of five polymer melts (two low-density polyethylenes, two high-density polyethylenes, and a polystyrene) has been carried out. Increasing TiO2 loading increases the shear viscosity η, with the extent of increase being greater at lower shear rates. At moderate and high TiO2 loadings, the filled melts may possess yield values. Empirical equations relating viscosity to filler loading have been developed. The first normal stress difference was measured for the melts and found to increase with increasing TiO2 loading. However, the extent of increase was less than found for the viscosity function and interpretation in terms of the theory of viscoelasticity suggests that the characteristic relaxation time of the melts decreases with increasing TiO2 level. Empirical equations relating the first normal stress difference coefficient to volume fraction of the filler have been developed. Addition of TiO2 is found to decrease extrudate swell and retard the occurrence of extrudate distortion.
Human gastrin-releasing peptide gene is located on chromosome 18

Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), a bombesin-like peptide, increases plasma levels of gastrin, pancreatic polypeptide, glucagon, gastric inhibitory peptide, and insulin. GRP is produced in large quantities by small-cell lung cancer and acts as a growth factor for these cells. To determine if chromosomal changes in small-cell lung cancer are related to the expression of GRP, we chromosomally mapped the gene using human-mouse somatic cell hybrids. Twenty hybrids, characterized for human chromosomes, were analyzed by Southern filter hybridization of DNA digested with EcoRI. Human DNA cut with EcoRI yields a major band of 6.8 kb and a minor band of 11.3 kb. The 6.8 kb band segregated concordantly with chromosome 18 and the marker peptidase A. The chromosome 3 abnormalities seen in small-cell lung cancer do not correlate with the chromosomal location of GRP, suggesting that the elevated expression of this gene may be due to mechanisms other than chromosomal rearrangement.
Statistical analysis of the cladoceran reproductivity test

The data from a renewal toxicity test are awkward to interpret if some of the adult organisms die during the experiment. The usual summary statistic is the mean number of young produced per adult, but when some adults die, the mean can be defined in two different ways, the mean overall (MOA) and the mean ignoring mortality (MIM). The MOA will be small if adults die but the MIM is relatively unaffected by mortalities. The MIM estimate is valid only if the effect of the toxicant on survival is not correlated with the effect on production of young. Analysis of data from several 7-d cladoceran renewal tests indicates that this correlation is negligible. For such tests, it appears that MIM calculations provide a valid way to separate the effect of the toxicant on the production of young from the effect on the survival of the adults. For both MOA and MIM, methods of statistical analysis are presented, including methods of point estimation, standard error estimation, interval estimation and significance test calculation.
Childhood traumatic infarction causing left ventricular aneurysm: diagnosis by two-dimensional echocardiography.

After being struck by an automobile, a 9 year old boy developed transient right bundle branch block followed by electrocardiographic changes of inferior wall myocardial infarction and an increase of serum cardiac enzymes. Two-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated a prominent septal aneurysm. Subsequent cardiac catheterization confirmed septal aneurysm and demon- strated an additional inferior aneurysm. Six weeks after the accident, resection of the inferior aneurysm was performed. At 1 year follow-up study, residual septal aneurysm and cardiomegaly are present, but the boy is asymptomatic.
Using Mechanical Environment to Enhance Stem Cell Transplantation in Muscle Regeneration

Muscle-derived stem cell (MDSC) transplantation has shown potential as a therapy for cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction in diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In this study we explore mechanical environment and its effects on MDSCs engraftment into cardiac and skeletal muscle in mdx mice and neoangiogenesis within the engraftment area. We first looked at transplantation of the same number of MDSCs into the heart and gastrocnemius (GN) muscle of dystrophic mice and the resulting dystrophin expression. We then explored neoangiogenesis within the engraftments through quantification of CD31 positive microvessels. This study is important to aid in determining the in vivo environmental factors leading to large graft size which may aid in determining optimum transplantation conditions for muscle repair.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
TOWARD REFLECTING PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF QUALITY OF SERVICE IN PLANNING, DESIGNING, AND OPERATING HIGHWAY FACILITIES

Today's highway administrators are operating in a more customer-conscious environment than in the past. Currently, however, expert judgments are used widely in lieu of road-user input. A comprehensive framework for studying and modeling public perceptions of quality of service (QOS) in a highway system is provided. The framework demonstrates how it is possible to observe the phenomena of drivers' perceptions of QOS and to apply them in the context of highway planning. Some of the results from a pilot implementation of the concepts are presented for illustrative purposes. A multiyear research effort is proposed for developing tools that will allow decision makers to consider the perceptions of highway users in decision making.
Venus: Satellite orbital decay, ephemeral ring formation, and subsequent crater production

The question of whether most or even all of the observed impact features on the surface of Venus can be derived from satellitic material is addressed. Consideration is given to the hypothesis that the craters retained on the surface of Venus were all emplaced within a relatively short interval, as collisional fragments of a former satellite impacted the surface. It is concluded that the areal density of craters may provide no absolute age information at all: the craters may be as recent as the last significant satellite loss event.
Use of Ultrasound in Detection and Treatment of Nerve Compromise in a Case of Humeral Lengthening

The development of iatrogenic nerve lesions during and following limb lengthening procedures present a challenge to orthopedic surgeons. Early treatment of nerve damage is critical in salvaging full function of the nerve. Precise location of damage, however, must be determined in order to appropriately administer treatment. We report a patient with a short humerus caused by a growth arrest undergoing a 7-cm lengthening who developed a neurapraxic injury of the radial nerve. Nerve compromise was noted 1 month into the lengthening program. Nerve conduction studies and electromyography could not be used to determine the precise site of injury. Likewise, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography were contraindicated and inconclusive, respectively, due to the presence of a metallic external fixation device. High-resolution ultrasonography (US) findings, however, correlated with our clinical examination of the patient's radial nerve function and permitted identification of the precise site of nerve involvement. Treatment was administered by removing a causative half-pin. Several days following treatment, nerve function returned to normal. There are a limited number of articles in the literature regarding nerve injuries associated with limb lengthening and their corrective treatments. The outcome of this case underscores the usefulness of US over various other diagnostic techniques under certain circumstances.
Transition to order after hilltop inflation

We investigate the rich nonlinear dynamics during the end of hilltop inflation by numerically solving the coupled Klein-Gordon-Friedmann equations in an expanding universe. In particular, we search for coherent, nonperturbative configurations that may emerge due to the combination of nontrivial couplings between the fields and resonant effects from the cosmological expansion. We couple a massless field to the inflaton to investigate its effect on the existence and stability of coherent configurations and the effective equation of state at reheating. For parameters consistent with data from the Planck and WMAP satellites, and for a wide range of couplings between the inflaton and the massless field, we identify a transition from disorder to order characterized by emergent oscillonlike configurations. We verify that these configurations can contribute a maximum of roughly 30% of the energy density in the universe. At late times their contribution to the energy density drops to about 3%, but they remain long lived on cosmological time scales, being stable throughout our simulations. Cosmological oscillon emergence is described using a new measure of order in field theory known as relative configurational entropy.
Methane and nitrous oxide analyzer comparison and emissions from dairy freestall barns with manure flushing and scraping

Abstract Continuous methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission measurements were conducted at two crossflow-ventilated dairy freestall barns located in the state of Wisconsin, USA during a 19-month period from 2008 to 2010. The two cross-flow mechanically ventilated buildings (275 and 375 cow capacities) were evaluated in the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study. In September of 2008, the barns' manure collection systems were changed from flushing open gutter using manure basin effluent to a tractor scrape. A photoacoustic multi-gas analyzer (PAMGA) and a direct methane/non-methane hydrocarbon analyzer (GC-FID) provided side-by-side measurements of methane (CH4) for 13 months. The PAMGA also measured nitrous oxide (N2O), and a side-by-side comparison was performed with a gas-filter correlation analyzer (GFC) for six months. Barn ventilation rates were measured by recording run times of the 127-cm diameter exhaust fans. All 125 belt-driven exhaust fans were identical, and in situ airflow measurements using the Fan Assessment Numeration System (FANS) were conducted once at the beginning and twice during the test. Daily CH4 and N2O emission rates were calculated over approximately 19 and 6 month periods respectively, on per barn, head, animal unit, floor area space and barn capacity bases. The differences between the analyzers' concentration measurements were compared in conjunction with water vapor and other gases. The analyzer type had a significant impact on the average CH4 emission rate (p
Rehospitalization and Performance Level Among Former Mental Patients

Although precise estimates are not available, it is evident, from analyses of admission statistics, that a large proportion of released psychotic mental patients do not return to the hospital. As a rough guess, Clausen (3) suggests that there are several million former mental patients in the general population. Adler (1), in a study of two rural Arkansas counties, found that, one year after release from a state hospital, about three-fourths of the patients in her cohort were still in the community. In terms of the modest goal of having patients return to and remain in the community, it appears that present-day release practices of mental hospitals are surprisingly successful.
Size-selective phase-transfer catalysis with interfacially cross-linked reverse micelles.

Cross-linking of the reverse micelles (RMs) of a triallylammonium surfactant afforded organic nanoparticles with introverted cationic groups. The cross-linked reverse micelles catalyzed size-selective biphasic reaction between sodium azide and alkyl bromides. Size selectivity of up to 9:1 was obtained for alkyl bromides with similar structures. The selectivity was influenced strongly by the size of the water pool and proposed to happen as a result of the “sieving” effect of the alkyl corona.
Generation of phenotypic helper/inducer and suppressor/ cytotoxic T-cell lines from cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis

Abstract The investigation of cell-mediated events in man has been largely limited to the study of the cells in the peripheral circulation. The study of T cells from localized anatomic compartments has been difficult due to the small numbers of cells usually obtainable from these sites. Investigation of such compartmentalized responses theoretically may yield information relating to both normal immunoregulation and autoimmune diseases—information that may not be obtainable through the investigation of the circulating cellular immune system. Utilizing Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis as a model of compartmentalized immunologically relevant cells, the technology for the generation of long-term T-cell lines from compartments with such limited access is described. Numerous CSF-derived T-cell lines that are stable both in continuous culture and after cryopreservation and that consist of both helper/ inducer and suppressor/cytotoxic phenotypes have been generated. The 104 to 105 CSF cells obtained initially from individual patients have often been expanded into greater than 108 total cells within 4 months. The ability to generate large, stable, cryopreservable helper and suppressor/ cytotoxic T-cell lines from limited access compartments will allow for new investigative approaches into both normal immunoregulation and autoimmune diseases in man.
Mechanisms and Pathophysiology of Autoimmune Disease

The first textbook on autoimmunity was published by Ian Mackay and McFarland Burnett in 1963. It was the first attempt to summarize existing knowledge on human autoimmunity. Since that time, there have been tens of thousands of experimental papers and numerous textbooks that focus on the diagnosis and treatment of human autoimmunity. There have been at least as many, if not more, directed at similar issues in animal models. Enormous strides have been made not only in diagnosis, but also in the pathophysiology and especially in treatment. We have gone from the era of simple HLA typing to deep sequencing and, more recently, epigenetic analysis. We have gone from the era of white blood cell differentials to detailed lymphoid phenotyping. We have gone from the era of simple antinuclear antibodies to detailed and sophisticated immunodiagnosis with recombinant autoantigens and disease-specific epitopes. We have gone from the era of using only corticosteroids to selective biologic agents. Diseases that were previously considered idiopathic are now very much understood as autoimmune. We are in the era of autoinflammatory reactions and the concept of both innate versus adaptive immunity in mediating immunopathology. In this edition of Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology, we focus on key and cutting-edge issues in the pathophysiology of autoimmunity. The issues are very much oriented and driven by hypothesis, i.e., a prediction of events expected to occur based on observations. It is not meant to be a complete summary of potential mechanisms of autoimmunity, but rather an attempt to accelerate discussion and better understanding. The primary goal is obviously to help our patients with autoimmune disease.
Predicting the Everyday Life Events of Older Adults

Predicting the everyday life events of people is a relatively unexplored topic, although several major theoretical approaches deal with related issues. The dispositional approach would assign a causal role to personality, while the situational approach would locate causation in the person's environment. Variations on these two extreme themes invoke an interactionist interpretation. Beyond this, a genuinely transactional approach focuses on the enduring person-environment relationship established as people deal with major and everyday life events. This study investigated a wide range of predictors of daily positive, negative, and ill-health events over time in a sample of 206 older adults. Results showed that personality variables played only a minor role in predicting daily events, although an interaction between extraversion and social network size was significant. Background demographic variables and the major stressors of recent conjugal bereavement and physical disability played a role in daily event occurrences. Overall, the strongest degree of predictability of events came from the events themselves: The high degree of event stability over time indicated the value of a genuinely transactional model in understanding the occurrence of everyday events.