cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turbine Blade Platform Impingement Cooling With Effects of Film Extraction and Roughness

With the movement of combustion systems to flatter exit temperature profiles for the purpose of reduced emissions, vane endwalls and blade platforms are experiencing higher gas temperatures than previously. While vane endwalls may be cooled by conventional methods extended from the airfoil techniques, blade platforms require simple but robust cooling methods that are amenable to the high rotational loads. This study presents a platform cooling solution that utilizes a single impingement jet directed to the underside of the platform from the forward shank face. Detailed local distributions of heat transfer coefficients are presented for the cooled platform region formed by the cavity between the pressure side and suction side of two adjacent blade castings. Fundamental understanding is provided for impingement into this confined cavity region, with two differing jet positions. The effects of jet impingement distance to the surface from Z/D of 1.5 to 8, and jet Reynolds number from 65,000 to 155,000 are investigated. Furthermore, to augment the cooled surface heat transfer coefficients, surface roughness is applied by a patented method appropriate to actual turbine hardware. The single cooling jet produces a platform cooling distribution that may be treated as two distinct regions. The primary impingement region is seen to behave in line with expectations from prior literature, with some cavity geometry effects. Impingement heat transfer coefficients are increased by as much as 50% through the use of an applied randomly roughened surface that models an actual braze alloy method. This roughness benefit is however lost if the impingement cooling jet is not relatively close to the platform surface. The non-impingement heat transfer regions of the platform are affected only by the total cooling flow rate supplied by the impingement jet.© 2005 ASME
Effect of Vestibulectomy for Intractable Vulvodynia.

Abstract Study Objective To assess the effectiveness of vestibulectomy in treating vulvodynia for patients with inadequate response to vulvar care guidelines and medical management. Design Retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Patients All patients who underwent a vestibulectomy from 2004 to 2013 for vulvodynia. Interventions All patients in this study underwent a vestibulectomy. Measurements and Main Results In this study we analyzed 31 patients' overall reported pain scores and Q-tip test scores before and after vestibulectomy. The efficacy of vestibulectomy on reduction of pain was then analyzed after surgical management. There was no significant difference in pain scores from initial visit compared with the last visit before vestibulectomy after vulvar care guidelines and medical management were initiated (p = .48–.94). However, mean subjective pain scores before and after vestibulectomy decreased by 67% (p Conclusions Vestibulectomy is an effective treatment for vulvodynia. For those with intractable pain, vestibulectomy is an appropriate next step after unsuccessful medical treatment. The surgery leads to a significant decrease in patients' pain scores, nearly eliminating it in most cases.
Angiotensin II decreases neuronal delayed rectifier potassium current: role of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) acts at specific receptors located on neurons in the hypothalamus and brain stem to elicit alterations in blood pressure, fluid intake, and hormone secretion. These actions ...
Bilateral Cleft Lip: An Unorthodox Management

Successful repair of bilateral cleft lip requires attention to the soft-tissue anomalies of the lip and nose and the hard-tissue defects of the maxilla. An algorithm for the management of the infant with bilateral cleft lip is presented. A multidisciplinary approach that uses lip adhesion and passive alveolar molding plates to set the stage for subsequent definitive fip and columellar reconstruction is discussed. This approach differs from most others because of reliance on the mucosal circulation of the prolabium.
Hilbert Space Approach to Partial Differential Equations

This chapter discusses the Hilbert space approach to partial differential equations. The Hilbert spaces are complete normed vector spaces in which the scalar product is defined satisfying the properties. The completeness means that every Cauchy sequence in the norm of the space converges in this norm to an element of the space. The scalars of the vector space are complex numbers and the functions are complex-valued. The chapter presents examples that shows that it may be possible to define different scalar products, hence different norms on the same vector space. The different norms might define the same convergent sequences, and it is the convergence that determines the topological nature of the space. The pre-Hilbert space is not adequate for immediate application because it is not in general complete. It is necessary to complete this space by adding more elements. These elements are ideal elements or generalized functions because they are identified with limits in the norm of regular functions in the pre-Hilbert space. This necessitates the definition of generalized solutions of differential solutions as the elements of the Hilbert space.
The good European in the Great War: Thomas Mann’s Reflections of an Unpolitical Man and the politics of self, nation and Europe:

This article interprets Thomas Mann’s Reflections of an Unpolitical Man (1918) as a document of the reimagining of self, nation and Europe during the First World War. In this messy and mostly forgo...
New Method for Real Time Influenza Surveillance in Primary Care: A Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) Supported Study

INTRODUCTION The goal of public health infectious disease surveillance systems is to provide accurate laboratory results in near-real time. When it comes to influenza surveillance, most current systems are encumbered with inherent delays encountered in the real-life chaos of medical practice. To combat this, we implemented and tested near-real-time surveillance using a rapid influenza detection test (RIDT) coupled with immediate, wireless transmission of results to public health entities. METHODS A network of 19 primary care clinics across Wisconsin were recruited, including 4 sites already involved in ongoing influenza surveillance and 15 sites that were new to surveillance activities. Each site was provided with a Quidel Sofia Influenza A+B RIDT analyzer attached to a wireless router. Influenza test results, along with patient age, were transmitted immediately to a cloud-based server, automatically compiled, and forwarded to the surveillance team daily. Weekly counts of positive influenza A and B cases were compared with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detections from an independent surveillance system within the state. RESULTS Following Institutional Review Board (IRB) and institutional approvals, we recruited 19 surveillance sites, installed equipment, and trained staff within 4 months. Of the 1119 cases tested between September 15, 2013 and June 28, 2014, 316 were positive for influenza. The system provided early detection of the influenza outbreak in Wisconsin. The influenza peak between January 12 and 25, 2014, as well as the epidemic curve, closely matched that derived from the established PCR laboratory network (r = 0.927; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS A network of influenza RIDTs with wireless transmission of results approximated the long-sought-after goal of real-time influenza surveillance. Results from the initial year strongly support this approach to highly accurate and timely influenza surveillance.
Fuzzy-Logic Applications in Electric Drives and Power Electronics

Abstract The use of an extended Kalman filter to train fuzzy neural network structures for online speed trajectory tracking of a brushless drive system is illustrated as an alternative to control schemes. Also described in this chapter is an implementation of a genetic-based hybrid fuzzy-proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for industrial motor drives. The genetic optimization technique is used to determine the optimal values of the scaling factors of the output variables of the fuzzy-PID (FPID) controller. The objective is to utilize the best attributes of the PID and FPID controllers to produce better response under disturbance. In servomotor drive tracking applications where we need to compensate for system uncertainty and random changes, a control structure that employs a fuzzy-logic controller incorporating an H-infinity tracking controller via an acceleration feedback signal is explained. The chapter ends with the implementation of a fuzzy-logic controller structure for switch-mode power-stage DC-DC converters and evaluates experimentally its sensitivity for variable supply voltages and load resistance variations.
Hodgkin disease: pharmacologic intervention of the CD40-NFκB pathway by a protease inhibitor

The malignant Reed-Sternberg cell of Hodgkin disease is an aberrant B cell that persists in an immunolgically mediated inflammatory infiltrate. Despite its nonproductive immunoglobulin genes, the Reed-Sternberg cell avoids the usual apoptotic fate of defective immune cells through an unknown mechanism. A likely candidate is the surface receptor, CD40, consistently expressed by Reed-Sternberg cells, and the first link in the pathway to NF-κB activation, the central regulator of cytokine production and apoptosis. CD40 signaling in B lymphocytes coordinates the immune response, including immunoglobulin isotype switch and Fas-mediated apoptosis. CD40-induced NF-κB activation is mediated by adapter proteins, the TNF receptor (TNFR)-associated factors (TRAFs), especially TRAFs 2, 3, and 5. Using a Hodgkin cell line, this study demonstrates that CD40 activation of NF-κB is mediated by proteolysis of TRAF3. Results further demonstrate that the pathway can be blocked by treatment with pharmacologic doses of a specific protease inhibitor, pepstatin-A, even in the presence of a mutated NF-κB inhibitor, I-κBα. The stability of TRAF3 regulates CD40/NF-κB–mediated control of the immune response, which is central to the biologic activity of the Reed-Sternberg cell. Prevention of TRAF3 proteolysis may be an entry point for design of novel pharmaceuticals to treat Hodgkin disease and immune system disorders.
An Evaluation of Some Ultra-Long-Range Weather Predictions

Predictions of wet and dry days made with an ultra-long-range weather prediction method for the Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Boston regions for November 1977–April 1978 are compared with the actual ...
Properties of C(G) and H(G)

With little change we can study functions of several variables. To keep the notation simple, we will restrict ourselves to two variables. In that case, G is an open set in ℂ × ℂ = ℂ2. Then C(G) is defined just as in the one-variable case. (The distance in ℂ2 between two points (z,w) and (z’,w’) will be denoted d((z,w), (z’,w’)) = (|z - z’|2 + |w - w’|2)½. We also define H(G) as before, but must first define holomorphic.
Experiences With Querying Gender Identity Across Seven Adolescent Medicine Sites.

Abstract Purpose To determine how the seven Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded Leadership and Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) programs currently obtain information on gender identity from their patients. Methods A computerized survey was sent to all LEAH site directors with questions to identify if and how programs documented youth's gender identity and barriers to implementation. Results With response rate of 100%, seven LEAH programs reported a total of 43 primary care and specialty clinics. For clinics with Electronic Health Records, 67% of clinics had a standardized gender identity question. Barriers to implementing a standardized question included concerns about confidentiality, lack of trained providers, low numbers of transgender patients, and no validated gender identity question. Conclusions Incorporation of inquiry of gender identity is possible in numerous clinical settings that serve adolescents. Future research is needed to determine how this information affects conversations with providers and necessary referrals to treatment.
Memory networks in the prefrontal cortex.

In the primate, the cortex of the frontal lobe appears devoted in its entirety to the representation and execution of actions. The frontal cortex as a whole can therefore be considered “motor cortex” in the broadest sense of the word. It coordinates actions in practically all the domains of adaptation of the organism to its environment; skeletal and ocular motility, logical reasoning, communication and the spoken language. Even visceral actions and emotional behavior are regulated by certain orbital and medial areas of the frontal cortex. This chapter outlines the rationale for the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the temporal organization of action, as well as some of the mechanisms that support it. It begins with certain basic assumptions about the cortex in general and the frontal cortex in particular. The cognitive functions of the cortex of the frontal lobe, as those of any other part of the neocortex, consist in the activation and processing within and between networks of representation, or memory networks. Those networks are widely distributed and highly specific, defined by their synaptic structure and connectivity. Thus, the memory code is a relational code, and all memory is associative. The cortical networks of memory extend across modules and areas by any anatomical definition. Memory networks overlap and are profusely interconnected with one another. Thus, one neuron or group of neurons anywhere in the cortex can be a part of many networks and thus many memories. This is why it is virtually impossible, by any method, to localize a memory.
Spontaneous idiopathic pulmonary vein thrombosis successfully treated with Warfarin: A case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Pulmonary veins (PVs) are the most proximal source of arterial thromboembolism. Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) is an uncommon clinical condition that can be fatal. Its incidence or prevalence is unclear as existing cases are case reports. It is often seen as a complication of malignancy, lobectomy, atrial fibrillation and less commonly idiopathic. It can be diagnosed using different types of non-invasive imaging studies. We present a 68-year-old woman who was undergoing treatment for recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) but was incidentally noted to be dyspneic and intermittently hypoxic. She was found to have idiopathic pulmonary vein thrombosis that was successfully managed with systemic anticoagulation.
Estimating signal and structured noise in ultrasound data using prediction-error filters

When using ultrasound to image heterogeneous media, echoes from multiple and off-axis scattering can overwrite the recorded ballistic wavefronts of interest. This reduces the coherence of signals across the aperture and causes clutter in the final image. Therefore, separating those unwanted events from the signal of interest is necessary to improve the visibility of structures in a B-mode image, and also to enable other processing methods that require coherent channel signals, such as various phase-aberration-correction techniques and sound-speed estimators. We used prediction-error filters (PEFs) to model the signal and the assumed additive noise in the data acquired through a 10 mm thick layer of beef tissue placed above a speckle region of a phantom. The PEF coefficients used to model the signal were first computed from the phantom data collected without tissue and subsequently employed to deconvolve the tissue data and find the PEF associated with the noise. These two filters were then used in a joint-inversion framework to separate the signal and noise components recorded within the original tissue data. In order to be able to apply our method in scenarios where direct measurements of the signal proxy are not available, we also evaluated the signal-PEF coefficients from the theoretical model of the signal from diffuse targets as provided by the van-Cittert Zernike (VCZ) theorem. To evaluate the quality of the separation of signal from the noise, we compared the original channel data acquired through the tissue with its estimated ballistic-wave component, as well as their corresponding spectra. We also compared performance of the proposed technique to F-X filter, which is a popular linear-predictionbased filter used to suppress noise in channel data. After the removal of acoustic noise from the channel data, coherence across the aperture increases. The average nearest-neighbor cross-correlation computed on the original data is 0.47, while the nearest-neighbor cross-correlation of the estimated ballistic-wave component is 0.81 or 0.97, depending whether the experimental or theoretical signal-PEFs are used in the estimation process.
Not Another Boring Resident Didactic Conference.

Background The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that residency programs in emergency medicine plan at least 5 hours of didactic experiences per week. Instructional methods should include small-group techniques, problem-based learning, or computer-based instruction. Despite recommendations from the ACGME, many programs' conference didactics continue to include primarily lecture-based instruction. Methods The authors describe instructional methods that promote active learning and may be superior to traditional lecture-based education. Results These methods include varying instructional methods, case-based learning, team-based learning and the flipped classroom, audience response systems, simulation, "wars," oral boards, escape rooms and scavenger hunts, expert panel discussions, debates, clinical pathologic cases, and leaderboards. The authors discuss how these methods can be implemented to make emergency medicine didactic conferences more varied and interactive for learners. Conclusions While there is minimal research on the efficacy of these methods in graduate medical education, many have shown to improvement engagement of learners and to be effective in undergraduate medical education. Further research will be needed to determine if long-term learning outcomes can be improved with these strategies.
Exploration and selection in the early acquisition of skill.

This chapter describes the development of brain and behavior, a dynamic systems approach to development, behavioral dynamics of learning to reach, and infant reaching and neural dynamics. The developmental process means the complex, contingent, multiply determined web of interactions that leads the organism from a single cell to a toddler who can climb, sing songs, and tease her baby brother. The most serious shortcoming of invoking brain maturation is a disregard for developmental process, either at the neural or at the behavioral level. Infants who are blind from birth are significantly delayed in reaching for objects outside of their close personal space, because without vision they lack the motivation to reach forward and grasp things. They do not have the concept of an object to reach for. New understanding of the mutual influences of brain and behavior, rather than assuming the conventional brain-to-behavior path of causality is important. Data on humans and monkeys depicts that there is a possibility of the involvement of the brain area in finding a successful solution of the Piagetian A-not-B error and various other delayed-response tasks.
Interpolation Kernels for Synthetic Aperture Sonar Along-Track Motion Estimation

The formation of high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) imagery requires accurate estimates of the sensor's trajectory. This is frequently accomplished using the displaced phase center antenna technique, which utilizes cross correlation of the signals received on successive pings. Accurate estimates of the sensor's ping-to-ping advance are then made by measuring the along-track spatial coherence of the scattered field. Unbiased advance-per-ping estimates require an accurate model for the spatial coherence of the scattered field. This model may be found by the application of the van Cittert–Zernike theorem to the problem of pulsed active sonar systems. In this paper, it is shown that the spatial coherence for a typical high-frequency SAS collection geometry is well approximated by a Gaussian whose width is proportional to the sensor's element size. Gaussian and quadratic along-track interpolation kernel performances are compared for a pair of at sea data collections. A relative image quality metric, based on image contrast, is defined to quantitatively assess the performance of the pair of interpolation kernels. In both tests, the use of an along-track estimator is shown to provide improved image quality. Also in both tests, the performance of the Gaussian kernel exceeds that of the quadratic kernel.
Systematic analysis of F-box proteins reveals a new branch of the yeast mating pathway

The mating pathway in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has long been used to reveal new mechanisms of signal transduction. The pathway comprises a pheromone receptor, a heterotrimeric G protein, and intracellular effectors of morphogenesis and transcription. Polarized cell growth, in the direction of a potential mating partner, is accomplished by the G-protein βγ subunits and the small G-protein Cdc42. Transcription induction, needed for cell–cell fusion, is mediated by Gβγ and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) scaffold protein Ste5. A potential third pathway is initiated by the G-protein α subunit Gpa1. Gpa1 signaling was shown previously to involve the F-box adaptor protein Dia2 and an endosomal effector protein, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase Vps34. Vps34 is also required for proper vacuolar sorting and autophagy. Here, using a panel of reporter assays, we demonstrate that mating pheromone stimulates vacuolar targeting of a cytoplasmic reporter protein and that this process depends on Vps34. Through a systematic analysis of F-box deletion mutants, we show that Dia2 is required to sustain pheromone-induced vacuolar targeting. We also found that other F-box proteins selectively regulate morphogenesis (Ydr306, renamed Pfu1) and transcription (Ucc1). These findings point to the existence of a new and distinct branch of the pheromone-signaling pathway, one that likely leads to vacuolar engulfment of cytoplasmic proteins and recycling of cellular contents in preparation for mating.
SEAKER: A mobile digital forensics triage device

Abstract As our world of digital devices continues to expand, the amount of digital evidence encountered by law enforcement during case investigation is ever increasing. Faced with a preponderance of high capacity digital media devices, forensic investigators must be able to review them quickly, and establish which devices merit further attention. Utilizing a small single-board computer called Raspberry Pi, this mobile digital forensics triage device provides fast, targeted feedback for immediate evidence assessment. A digital forensic device is presented in this paper. It is named SEAKER (Storage Evaluator and Knowledge Extraction Reader)[1] and it enables forensic investigators to perform triage on many digital devices very quickly. Developed for on-scene, time-sensitive investigations, its utility extends to preventing over-collection and large backlogs at digital forensics labs worldwide.
Fitted Temperature-Corrected Compton Cross Sections for Monte Carlo Applications and a Sampling Distribution

Developpement de sections efficaces simples corrigees en temperature qui remplacent le systeme statique de Klein-Nishina. Deux parametres suffisent, avec une precision de deux decimales, pour reproduire explicitement les sections efficaces exactes dans un domaine de 0 a 100 keV en temperature electronique, et dans un domaine de 0 a 1 MeV en energie de photon incident
Peer-to-peer translanguaging academic spaces for belonging: the case of Spanish as a heritage language

This ethnography analysis presents the translingual academic moments – moments in an academic interaction where both Spanish and English are used – of a group of six Spanish Heritage Language stude...
Automated Assembly of High Port Count Silicon Photonic Switches

We describe the advancements made on the automated assembly of a highly integrated 8x8 photonic switch. This switch is designed for maximum efficiency but requires proximity of optical and electrical interconnects and a well-conceived thermal solution. These constraints command innovative packaging approaches. A "fiber-last" assembly process was selected, which leverages a flip-chip joining solution to preserve the sensitive optical interfaces of the photonic circuit. A multi-fiber attach process relying on fiber self-alignment in V-grooves is used for the optical interface through which the high-speed signals are routed. It is also demonstrated that a performant optical switch engine can be constructed using standard low-cost electronic assembly principles.
ATR prevents Ca2+ overload-induced necrotic cell death through phosphorylation-mediated inactivation of PARP1 without DNA damage signaling

Hyperactivation of PARP1 is known to be a major cause of necrotic cell death by depleting NAD+ /ATP pools during Ca2+ overload which is associated with many ischemic diseases. However, little is known about how PARP1 hyperactivity is regulated during calcium overload. In this study we show that ATR kinase, well known for its role in DNA damage responses, suppresses ionomycin, glutamate, or quinolinic acid-induced necrotic death of cells including SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. We found that the inhibition of necrosis requires the kinase activity of ATR. Specifically, ATR binds to and phosphorylates PARP1 at Ser179 after the ionophore treatments. This site-specific phosphorylation inactivates PARP1, inhibiting ionophore-induced necrosis. Strikingly, all of this occurs in the absence of detectable DNA damage and signaling up to 8 hours after ionophore treatment. Furthermore, little AIF was released from mitochondria/cytoplasm for nuclear import, supporting the necrotic type of cell death in the early period of the treatments. Our results reveal a novel ATR-mediated anti-necrotic mechanism in the cellular stress response to calcium influx without DNA damage signaling.
Numerical Simulation of the Radiofrequency Safety of 128-Channel hd-EEG Nets on a 29-Month-Old Whole-Body Model in a 3 Tesla MRI

This article investigates the radiofrequency (RF) induced heating in a pediatric whole-body voxel model with a high-density electroencephalogram (hd-EEG) net during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 T. A total of three cases were studied: no net (NoNet), a resistive hd-EEG (NeoNet), and a copper (CuNet) net. The maximum values of specific absorption rate averaged over 10g-mass (10gSAR) in the head were calculated; with the NeoNet, it was 12.51 W/kg and in the case of the NoNet it was 12.40 W/kg. In contrast, the CuNet case generated 17.04 W/Kg. Temperature simulations were conducted to determine the RF-induced heating without and with hd-EEG nets (NeoNet and CuNet) during an MRI scan using an age-corrected and thermoregulated perfusion for the child model. The results showed that the maximum temperature estimated in the child's head was 38.38 ˚C for the NoNet, 38.43 ˚C for the NeoNet, and 43.05 ˚C for the CuNet. In the case of NeoNet, the maximum temperature estimated in the child's head remained compliant with IEC 60601 for the MRI RF safety limit. However, the case of CuNet is estimated to exceed the RF safety limit, which may require an appropriate cooling period or a hardware design to suppress the RF-induced heating.
PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES Notaries Public: Amend Powers and Duties

The Act amends the Code relating to the powers and duties of notaries public to provide that the certification or signature of a notary public is not evidence of the notary's knowledge of the contents of the document with certain exceptions. July 1, 1987
Hyperpinite Model Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a hyperfinite model theory, which is used to study and classify a type of model that arises in applied mathematics. In contrast, the classical model theory is aimed at models that arise in algebra and set theory. In applied mathematics one often approximates very large finite phenomena by simpler infinite models. These models are either countable sequences of finite structures or structures built upon the real numbers. Hyperfinite models provide a better source of infinite models that more closely approximate large finite phenomena. These models are developed within Robinson's infinitesimal analysis. Hyperfinite models deal with the limiting behavior of finite models. Their advantage is that they allow the use of finite combinatorial arguments in a manageable infinite context.
EEG-based cognitive task classification with ICA and neural networks

Electroencephalography (EEG) has been used extensively for classifying cognitive tasks. Many investigators have demonstrated classification accuracies well over 90% for some combinations of cognitive tasks, signal transformations, and classification methods. Unfortunately, EEG data is prone to significant interference from a wide variety of artifacts, particularly eye blinks. Most methods for classifying cognitive tasks with EEG data simply discard time windows containing eye blink artifacts. However, future applications of EEG-based cognitive task classification should not be hindered by eye blinks. The value of an EEG-controlled human-computer interface, for instance, would be severely diluted if it did not work in the presence of eye blinks. Fortunately, recent advances in blind signal separation algorithms and their applications to EEG data mitigate the artifact contamination issue. In this paper, we show how independent components analysis (ICA) and its extension for sub-Gaussian sources, extended ICA (eICA), can be applied to accurately classify cognitive tasks with eye blink contaminated EEG recordings.
Control of Rat Testicular Prostaglandin Dehydrogenase, δ13-Prostaglandin Reductase, and Total Prostaglandin Hypophysectomy, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, Prolactin, Growth Hormone, and Testosterone

The effects of hypophysectomy and various hormonal treatments on rat testicular prostaglandin dehydrogenase (PGDH), δ13-PG reductase, and total PGDH activities were studied in vivo and in vitro. All three activities were reduced, on a per animal basis, by hypophysectomy. Treatment with FSH increased all three activities while prolactin or GH plus LH inhibited only Δ13-PG reductase activity, the inhibition being evident both in vivo and in vitro. Prolactin ameliorated the effects of FSH in vivo and the gonadotropin effects were considered to be allosteric in nature. The highest specific activity for total PGDH activity was found in the testicular capsule followed by the interstitial cells and the seminiferous tubules. The seminiferous tubules had more total activity than did the interstitial cells and testicular capsule. PGDH activities in the three structural compartments of the testis were considered physiologically related to the functions of these compartments, ie contractility or steroidogenesis. Changes in the specific activity of PGDH indicated that the enzymes in the seminiferous tubules were localized within nongerminal cells.
The Value of the Serum Vitamin B12 Level in Diagnosing B12 Deficiency

Serum vitamin B12 levels of 2523 individuals were measured using the hemoglobin-coated charcoal assay. In one hospital, the test was performed on 1698 patients under hematologic evaluation for erythrocytic abnormalities of all types, while 825 patients from five other hospitals were studied because of suspected B12 deficiency. The incidence of low serum vitamin B12 was surprisingly low for both groups (2.3% and 3.5%, respectively). The value of the test as a diagnostic tool was further reduced by two characteristics of physician performance. First, with those patients who demonstrated a clear-cut macrocytic anemia and were suspects for intrinsic factor deficiency (pernicious anemia), extensive evaluations for B12 malabsorption were usually carried out prior to the receipt of the low B12 level. Second, when a deficiency state was not suspected, the return of a low value did not reliably stimulate physicians to begin evaluation or institute therapy. This was true despite the presence of clinical evidence of a possible gastrointestinal abnormality in many of the patients.
The blood supply of experimental liver metastases. V. Increased tumor perfusion with epinephrine.

Abstract The effects of epinephrine on the vascular perfusion of solitary Walker tumors implanted in the liver were studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. Colored silicone rubber (Microfil) solutions were injected into the arterial and portal circulations in each animal, and specimens were studied under a stereomicroscope. Internal vascular volume was calculated on the basis of the interference of light passing through the central portions of the tumors by Microfil-filled vessels. Intraarterial epinephrine, in doses of 100 or 10 μg, markedly increased vascular perfusion in the encircling plexus and the internal tumor circulation compared with control animals. Internal vascular volume was significantly increased from 9.4 percent in controls to 22.5 percent in epinephrine-treated animals. Increased perfusion was also seen when epinephrine was administered through the portal system, and in larger tumors after intraarterial administration. Internal tumor vessels were capillary-like in appearance.
Die stress characterization using arrays of CMOS sensors

This paper presents theory for application of FET devices as mechanical stress sensors and demonstrates the use of CMOS FET differential pairs as practical temperature insensitive sensors. By controlling the type and orientation of the pairs, both the difference of the in-plane normal stresses as well as the in-plane shear stress can be extracted on the
Theories Guiding Nursing Research and Practice, Making Nursing Knowledge Development Explicit edited by Joyce J. Fitzpatrick and Geraldine McCarthy

Fitzpatrick and McCarthy, both university professors and well-published researchers, provide a tool to advance the application of nursing theory to both research and practice in Theories Guiding Nu...
The use of error analysis to assess resident performance.

Background The aim of this study was to assess validity of a human factors error assessment method for evaluating resident performance during a simulated operative procedure. Methods Seven postgraduate year 4–5 residents had 30 minutes to complete a simulated laparoscopic ventral hernia (LVH) repair on day 1 of a national, advanced laparoscopic course. Faculty provided immediate feedback on operative errors and residents participated in a final product analysis of their repairs. Residents then received didactic and hands-on training regarding several advanced laparoscopic procedures during a lecture session and animate lab. On day 2, residents performed a nonequivalent LVH repair using a simulator. Three investigators reviewed and coded videos of the repairs using previously developed human error classification systems. Results Residents committed 121 total errors on day 1 compared with 146 on day 2. One of 7 residents successfully completed the LVH repair on day 1 compared with all 7 residents on day 2 ( P = .001). The majority of errors (85%) committed on day 2 were technical and occurred during the last 2 steps of the procedure. There were significant differences in error type ( P ≤ .001) and level ( P = .019) from day 1 to day 2. The proportion of omission errors decreased from day 1 (33%) to day 2 (14%). In addition, there were more technical and commission errors on day 2. Conclusion The error assessment tool was successful in categorizing performance errors, supporting known-groups validity evidence. Evaluating resident performance through error classification has great potential in facilitating our understanding of operative readiness.
Skeletal muscle phenotypes initiated by ectopic MyoD in transgenic mouse heart.

Forced expression of the myogenic regulatory gene MyoD in many types of cultured cells initiates their conversion into skeletal muscle. It is not known, however, if MyoD expression serves to activate all or part of the skeletal muscle program in vivo during animal development, nor is it known how limiting the influences of cellular environment may be on the regulatory effects of MyoD. To begin to address these issues, we have produced transgenic mice which express MyoD in developing heart, where neither MyoD nor its three close relatives—myogenin, Myf-5, and MRF4/herculin/Myf-6—are normally expressed. The resulting gross phenotype in offspring from multiple, independent transgenic founders includes abnormal heart morphology and ultimately leads to death. At the molecular level, affected hearts exhibit activation of skeletal muscle-specific regulatory as well as structural genes. We conclude that MyoD is able to initiate the program that leads to skeletal muscle differentiation during mouse development, even in the presence of the ongoing cardiac differentiation program. Thus, targeted misexpression of this tissue-specific regulator during mammalian embryogenesis can activate, either directly or indirectly, a diverse set of genes normally restricted to a different cell lineage and a different cellular environment.
Effects of DDT and triclosan on tumor-cell binding capacity and cell-surface protein expression of human natural killer cells

1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and triclosan (TCS) are organochlorine (OC) compounds that contaminate the environment, are found in human blood, and have been shown to decrease the tumor-cell killing (lytic) function of human natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells defend against tumor cells and virally infected cells. They bind to these targets, utilizing a variety of cell surface proteins. This study examined concentrations of DDT and TCS that decrease lytic function for alteration of NK binding to tumor targets. Levels of either compound that caused loss of binding function were then examined for effects on expression of cell-surface proteins needed for binding. NK cells exposed to 2.5 μM DDT for 24 h (which caused a greater than 55% loss of lytic function) showed a decrease in NK binding function of about 22%, and a decrease in CD16 cell-surface protein of 20%. NK cells exposed to 5 μM TCS for 24 h showed a decrease in ability to bind tumor cells of 37% and a decrease in expression of CD56 of about 34%. This same treatment caused a decrease in lytic function of greater than 87%. These results indicated that only a portion of the loss of NK lytic function seen with exposures to these compounds could be accounted for by loss of binding function. They also showed that loss of binding function is accompanied by a loss cell-surface proteins important in binding function.
SPANStore: cost-effective geo-replicated storage spanning multiple cloud services

By offering storage services in several geographically distributed data centers, cloud computing platforms enable applications to offer low latency access to user data. However, application developers are left to deal with the complexities associated with choosing the storage services at which any object is replicated and maintaining consistency across these replicas.In this paper, we present SPANStore, a key-value store that exports a unified view of storage services in geographically distributed data centers. To minimize an application provider's cost, we combine three key principles. First, SPANStore spans multiple cloud providers to increase the geographical density of data centers and to minimize cost by exploiting pricing discrepancies across providers. Second, by estimating application workload at the right granularity, SPANStore judiciously trades off greater geo-distributed replication necessary to satisfy latency goals with the higher storage and data propagation costs this entails in order to satisfy fault tolerance and consistency requirements. Finally, SPANStore minimizes the use of compute resources to implement tasks such as two-phase locking and data propagation, which are necessary to offer a global view of the storage services that it builds upon. Our evaluation of SPANStore shows that it can lower costs by over 10x in several scenarios, in comparison with alternative solutions that either use a single storage provider or replicate every object to every data center from which it is accessed.
Non-invasive thermal IR detection of breast tumor development in vivo

Lumpectomy coupled with radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy comprises the treatment of breast cancer for many patients. We are developing an enhanced thermal IR imaging technique that can be used in real-time to guide tissue excision during a lumpectomy. This novel enhanced thermal imaging method is a combination of IR imaging (8- 10 μm) and selective heating of blood (~0.5 °C) relative to surrounding water-rich tissue using LED sources at low powers. Post-acquisition processing of these images highlights temporal changes in temperature and is sensitive to the presence of vascular structures. In this study, fluorescent and enhanced thermal imaging modalities were used to estimate breast cancer tumor volumes as a function of time in 19 murine subjects over a 30-day study period. Tumor volumes calculated from fluorescent imaging follow an exponential growth curve for the first 22 days of the study. Cell necrosis affected the tumor volume estimates based on the fluorescent images after Day 22. The tumor volumes estimated from enhanced thermal imaging show exponential growth over the entire study period. A strong correlation was found between tumor volumes estimated using fluorescent imaging and the enhanced IR images, indicating that enhanced thermal imaging is capable monitoring tumor growth. Further, the enhanced IR images reveal a corona of bright emission along the edges of the tumor masses. This novel IR technique could be used to estimate tumor margins in real-time during surgical procedures.
Crack nucleation and stage I propagation in high strain fatigue—I. Microscopic and interferometric observations

Abstract The details of crack nucleation phenomena in the high strain fatigue of OFHC copper have been studied by optical microscopy and two-beam interferometry. By observation of artificially rumpled specimen surfaces, the plastic instability mechanism of crack nucleation has been ruled out in polycrystalline metals in favor of one which takes into account the detailed crystallographic aspects of slip in adjoining grains. As a result of this cyclic slip, a step is gradually built up at a sensitive grain boundary until it is approximately 1.5 μm high, at which point the stress concentration of the step is sufficient to propagate a crack both along the boundary at the surface and into the bulk of the specimen.
Mechanical response of Zr-based metallic glass

The new family of Zr-based multicomponent metallic glasses shows a beneficial combination of yield strength value as high as 2 GPa and microplasticity of up to 1% at room temperature and excellent glass-forming ability in a wide supercooled liquid region. Partial devitrification of glassy alloys upon heating or hot working above the glass transition temperature can lead to formation of nanocrystalline precipitates in the glassy matrix. In this case, the mechanical properties depend on the amount of crystalline precipitates. The nature of the brittle crystalline intermetallic phases is likely to dominate the mechanical behavior, leading to the observed decrease in ductility for the annealed samples since the deformation is no longer governed by the deformation mechanism of the amorphous phase. A fully crystallized alloy upon heating has revealed increasing ductility with temperature, exhibiting superplastic-like deformation with high elongation.
Acoustic phonon scattering by electron-hole droplets in Ge. Deformation potentialsz

Deformation potentials are calculated for electron-hole droplets in Ge and compared to the values for degenerate n- or p-doped Ge. Due to the conduction band anisotropy and the presence of an equal number of electrons and holes, it is found that screening effects are substantially reduced, but that there are strong anisotropies in coupling to various phonon modes. Deformationspotentiale fur Elektron-Loch-Tropfen in Germanium werden erreehnet und mit den Werten fur entartetes n- und p-Ge verglichen. Es wird gefunden, das wegen der Leitungsband-anisotropie und der Anwesenheit einer gleichen Zahl von Elektronen und Lochern die Abschir-mungseffekte stark abgeschwacht werden, das aber starke Anisqtropien in der Kopplung an die verschiedenen Phononzweige bestehen.
Multi-walled carbon nanotube-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress in a dynamic cell growth environment

Rapid increase in multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) production for their industrial and biomedical applications has led to concerns over the effects of MWCNTs on human health and the environment. Both animal and in vitro studies have provided important findings about MWCNT-induced effects on the lung cells or tissues. In vitro studies have provided a considerable amount of fundamental information on MWCNT-induced effects on the specific lung cells. However, the cell culture systems used in those studies were limited by the absence of dynamic nature of lung tissues. We hypothesized that MWCNT-induced cellular responses such as proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress under dynamic cell growth environment may differ from those under static cell growth environment. In this study, we used a dynamic cell growth condition to mimic mechanically dynamic environment of the lung and characterized interleukin 8 (IL-8), reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and cell proliferation for three days following exposure of MWCNTs at different concentrations (5, 10, and 20 μg/ml) to A549 cell monolayer under both static and dynamic cell growth conditions. Our results demonstrated the distinct differences in the levels of inflammatory response and oxidative stress between static and dynamic cell growth conditions. In conclusion, the dynamic cell growth system used in this study provided important changes in cellular responses that were not found in the static cell growth system and were similar to animal studies. The dynamic cell growth system can be considered as a viable alternative to in vivo test system in combination with existing in vitro static cell growth systems to evaluate the effect of MWCNTs on cellular responses in the respiratory system.
On the logic of nominalized predicates and its philosophical interpretations

Predicate nominalizations are transformations of predicates and predicate phrases into nouns or noun phrases. Thus, e.g., 'pious' is transformed into 'piety', 'wise' into 'wisdom', 'triangular' into 'triangularity', and 'human' into 'humanity'. We call these types of derivative nouns abstract singular terms. Some relational predicates are also transformed into abstract singular terms: e.g., 'identity' for 'is identical with' and 'indiscernibility' for 'is indiscernible from'.