cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaborative research efforts and related activities of the Office of Rare Diseases Research at the USA National Institutes of Health

Introduction : Rare diseases present unique challenges to meet the numerous and varied needs of the rare diseases community and it is required to identify and address these needs. Significant financial and personnel resources are required to address these needs identified. The Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR) at the USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) has attempted to meet many of these needs in collaborative efforts with the research Institutes and Centers of NIH and other partners in the private and public sectors in the USA and around the world. Several of the activities of the NIH and the ORDR are presented as possible collaborative efforts available to research investigators and include the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, the Bench-to-Bedside research program at NIH, the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information center, the genetic test development program, and the information on clinical research studies made available through Clinical trials.gov. The value of an appropriate family medical history is discussed as are the provisions of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). Definitions of rare or orphan diseases vary from country to country and may cause some confusion to the rare diseases community. Conclusions : Rare diseases are not limited by geographical or historical boundaries and global partnerships of the rare diseases community are experiencing rapid expansion to assist in the development of orphan products for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and conditions. The unmet needs of the rare diseases community require additional innovative research and educational programs to reach the extensive global populations affected by the thousands of different rare diseases including activities with the National Organization for Rare Disorders and the Genetic Alliance.
Galanin and Receptors

Galanin is a neuropeptide expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Its N-terminal amino acid sequence is highly conserved across species. Three G-protein-coupled galanin receptors have been identified, with discrete localizations consistent with the anatomical distribution of galanin-immunoreactive neurons and terminal fields. Biological actions of galanin are generally inhibitory, including attenuation of the release of glutamate, acetylcholine, and serotonin; inhibition of signal transduction through adenylate cyclase; and reduced long-term potentiation. Experiments using exogenous administration of galanin and targeted mutation of the galanin gene and galanin receptor subtypes genes provide evidence that galanin blocks seizures, impairs performance on learning and memory tasks, produces anxiolytic-like and depression-related effects, increases feeding, inhibits insulin release from the pancreas, promotes peripheral axonal regeneration, and reduces pain transmission in peripheral nerves.
An update on the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Although levodopa remains the most effective symptomatic drug for Parkinson's disease (PD), its use is limited by the emergence of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias, particularly in young-onset patients. Dopamine agonists, catechol-O-methyltransferasee inhibitors and other anti-parkinsonian drugs have been found to diminish or prevent these complications and possibly to exert disease-modifying effects. The finding that the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the globus pallidum internus (GPi) are abnormally active in PD has led to effective surgical treatments designed to improve patients' quality of life. The relative benefits of targeting STN or GPi with high-frequency stimulation are still being debated. Experimental therapeutics of PD include novel delivery systems, anti-apoptotic strategies and implantation of genetically engineered cells, and stem cells. Despite encouraging results from early pre-clinical and clinical studies, trials of human fetal grafts and intraventricular and intraparenchymal infusion of glial cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor have not shown clinically meaningful benefits. Future therapeutic strategies should focus not only on ameliorating the symptoms of PD, but also on neuroprotective or neurorescue therapies that can favorably modify the natural course of the disease and slow the progression of both motor and nonmotor manifestations of PD.
Health Information Exchange

In the previous chapter we discussed how health information technology is being used to help patients better manage their own care. In this chapter, we will focus on main impediments to interoperability and provide examples of how those impediments have been overcome, at least in part.
Least Squares-based Optimal Reconciliation Method for Hierarchical Forecasts of Wind Power Generation

Wind power generation is hierarchically organized and can be aggregated/disaggregated based on geography and electrical network structure. Forecasts are required at all levels of such a hierarchy for different operational requirements, which are also known as “hierarchical forecasts”. In this paper, we propose a new method to produce hierarchical wind power forecasts which performs better than the conventional top-down or bottom-up method. At first, wind power generation at all levels of the hierarchy is independently forecasted using state-of-the-art techniques. Then, a least squares regression model is used to optimally reconcile these base forecasts. Adjusted forecasts are as close as possible to base forecasts but also satisfy the requirement of the aggregate consistency (i.e., the lower-level forecasts add up exactly to the higher-level forecasts). Case studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for very short-term wind power forecasts. The accuracy improvement of reconciled forecasts over benchmarks is confirmed at all levels of the hierarchy, regardless of forecast horizons and hierarchical structures.
Long-term comparative safety analysis of the risks associated with adding or switching to a sulfonylurea as second-line Type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment in a US veteran population.

AIM To examine the risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events associated with adding vs switching to second-line therapies in a comparative safety study of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using an as-treated analysis of people served by the Veterans Health Administration who were on metformin and subsequently augmented this treatment or switched to other oral glucose-lowering treatments between 1998 and 2012. This study included 145 250 people with long follow-up. Confounding was addressed through several strategies, involving weighted propensity score models with rich confounder adjustment and strict inclusion criteria, coupled with an incident-user design. RESULTS Second-line use of sulfonylureas was related to higher mortality (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% CI 1.14, 1.70) and cardiovascular risks (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.09, 1.30) compared with thiazolidinedione therapy. Differential hazards were associated with discontinuing or not discontinuing metformin; switching to sulfonylurea therapy was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events compared with all other therapies. Furthermore, add-on sulfonylurea therapy was associated with an elevated risk for both outcomes when compared with thiazolidinedione add-on therapy. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study may inform decisions on whether to augment or discontinue metformin; when considering the long-term risks, switching to a sulfonylurea appears unfavourable compared with other therapies. Instead, adding a thiazolidinedione to existing metformin therapy appears to be superior to adding or switching to a sulfonylurea.
Massive Inferior Vena Cava Thrombosis Associated With Retroperitoneal Venolymphatic Malformation: Use of Intravascular Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Management

Inferior vena cava (IVC) anomalies are uncommonly described. Many are associated with a higher rate of thromboembolic complications. Here we report a case of IVC thrombosis in a 20-year-old woman with a large isolated retroperitoneal venolymphatic malformation (VLM) with IVC envelopment in which a
Taking teachers' ideas seriously: Exploring the role of physics faculty in preparing teachers in the era of the Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for K-12 science instruction that centers on and substantively takes up students' science ideas. In this paper, we explore the question, “What role might physics faculties play in preparing teachers in the era of NGSS?,” as we also consider our field's adage that “most teachers tend to teach as they were taught.” In particular, we propose the importance of teacher education experiences that take teachers' own physics ideas seriously. We argue that physicists can play a critical role in this work by designing and facilitating teacher preparation and professional development that (1) elevates and maintains a focus on teachers' physics ideas and (2) collaboratively subjects teachers' ideas to the kinds of tests to which we subject our own ideas. We ground these considerations in two illustrative episodes from our local context: Focus on Energy professional development for elementary teachers. We highlight particular professional development instructor moves that take teachers' ideas seriously, and we discuss questions and implications that emerge from our analysis. Although the focus of our analysis is on taking teachers' ideas seriously, we suggest that most of our arguments also apply to taking students' ideas seriously in pre-college and university physics courses.
Planning principles and assessment of transformational adaptation: towards a refined ethical approach

The call for deliberate transformational adaptation (TA) has increased over the last decade. However, a challenge many planners face is the lack of clarity on the norms and principles for designing...
Probing heavy ion radiation effects in silicon carbide (SiC) via 3D integrated multimode vibrating diaphragms

We report on the measurement and analysis of energetic heavy ion radiation effects on the mechanical properties of silicon carbide (SiC) crystals, by exploiting a vertical stack of micromachined vibrating SiC thin diaphragms integrated in a three-dimensional (3D) fashion. The diaphragms are 1 mm × 1 mm in lateral dimensions and 2 μm in thickness, vibrating at their multiple flexural modes in the range of 200 to 800 kHz. Upon 10.25 MeV oxygen ion irradiation, the 4 devices in the 3D stack exhibit saliently different changes in their multimode resonance frequencies. The device that is intended to capture most ions shows the largest frequency downshifts (∼6.6%–11.3%), corresponding to the extracted tension release from 382 MPa to 306 MPa, which can be explained by the maximum displacement damage in this device. The design of 3D integration not only scientifically enables probing different radiation effects in multiple devices simultaneously with clear controls but also economically evades very expensive, repetitive tests on individual devices, thus proving to be a powerful platform for analyzing and understanding radiation damage in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems and other micro/nanosystems.
TimeExplorer: Similarity Search Time Series by Their Signatures

The analysis of different time series is an important activity in many areas of science and engineering. In this paper, we introduce a new method feature extraction for time series and an application TimeExplorer for similarity-based time series querying. The method is based on eleven characterizations of line graphs presenting time series. These characterizations include measures, such as, means, standard deviations, differences, and periodicities. A similarity metric is then computed on these measures. Finally, we use the similarity metric to search for similar time series in the database.
Orthobiologics in minimally invasive lumbar fusion

Minimally invasive (MI) spine surgery continues to gain popularity with patients and surgeons for its potential to decrease operative time and avoid complications commonly associated with open surgery. In the face of a changing surgical landscape, selecting the appropriate implant material to be used in MI lumbar fusion procedures will remain critically important. Various orthobiologic materials are available for use, including autologous and allogeneic bone graft, bone marrow aspirate (BMA), demineralized bone matrix (DBM), ceramics, and growth factors. The purpose of this review is to summarize the use and efficacy of currently available products, as well as highlight the development of novel therapeutic options.
What Exactly Is the Bargain? The Sensitivity of Plea Discount Estimates

Defendants who plead guilty receive less harsh sentences than those convicted at trial. Theories suggest that the magnitude of the plea discount reflects local courtroom norms, and also guides the ...
Designing and Reforming Courts: Lessons from the Regime Politics View of American Courts

The regime politics perspective on American courts sees judicial power as politically constructed, with politicians creating and designing courts to be their allies. This model is supported by a firm foundation of both logic and fit with the culture and politics of the United States. First, divided politics has supported the development of judicial review and strong courts and, second, an accountability culture has insured that courts are kept politically vulnerable. This delicate balancing act offers valuable lessons but also challenges to legal reformers in Japan and elsewhere. Embedding courts in politics may be sensible in the U.S. but not so prudent elsewhere. Additionally, the various dependencies to which U.S. courts are subject are positive in promoting democratic accountability, but also activate several pathologies that detract from that accountability: courts' association with politics may tarnish their public image, courts may stray from their assigned policy agenda, and elected officials may use courts to confound voters and avoid responsibility.
The Effects of Androgens on Bone Metabolism: Clinical Aspects

Over the past two decades, evidence has accumulated that similar to women, estrogen is the main regulator of bone metabolism in men. A large body of work has, however, demonstrated the important direct role of androgens in skeletal growth as well as in bone remodeling, in addition to the indirect effects of androgens following their aromatization to estrogens.
Negotiating Accessibility for Electronic Resources

Accessibility of library electronic resources is a must. Its importance derives from professional ethics of librarianship, rising total costs of acquisition, and mounting legal challenges to colleg...
Outbidding and Gender: Dynamics in the Colombian Civil War

The civil conflict in Colombia has gained attention in part for the inclusion of women in rebel forces and peace negotiations between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (...
Bacteriophages of the Human Microbiome

Abstract The human body hosts a great diversity of microbes, including viruses of bacteria termed bacteriophages. Bacteriophages have been traditionally viewed in the context of pathogenesis and molecular biology. Recently, a shift has occurred toward a more comprehensive understanding of phages as important components in both human health and disease. Dysbiosis away from the healthy bacterial and phage community structures is often correlated with disease. This article summarizes our current knowledge of human microbiome bacteriophages and their potential role in human health and disease.
Satisfaction and experiences with healthcare among urban-dwelling young adult lesbian women in New York City: An exploratory analysis

Young adult lesbian women (YALW) face unique barriers to healthcare access as providers do not perceive a need for sexual and reproductive healthcare services for this population. A brief survey wa...
Associations between Infant-Mother Physiological Synchrony and 4- to 6-Month-Old Infants' Emotion Regulation

Abstract In this study we assessed whether physiological synchrony between infants and mothers contributes to infants’ emotion regulation following a mild social stressor. Infants between 4- to 6-months of age and their mothers were tested in the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm, and were assessed for behavioral and physiological self-regulation during and following the stressor. Physiological synchrony was calculated from a continuous measure of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) enabling us to cross-correlate the infants’ and mothers’ RSA responses. Without considering physiological synchrony, the evidence suggested that infants’ distress followed the prototypical pattern of increasing during the Still Face episode and then decreasing during the Reunion episode. Once physiological synchrony was added to the model, we observed that infants’ emotion regulation improved if mother-infant synchrony was positive, but not if it was negative. This result was qualified further by whether or not infants suppressed their RSA response during the Still Face episode. In sum, these findings highlight how individual differences in infants’ physiological responses contribute significantly to their self-regulation abilities.
Corporate Responses to COVID-19: A Nonmarket Strategy Approach

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented threat to the survival of U.S. firms. Prior studies show that firms use market strategies such as layoffs and pay cuts to cope with organizational cr...
Docket Selection and Judicial Responsiveness: The Use of Ai in the Colombian Constitutional Court

This article addresses some of the limitations of AI as a tool to preselect a long or shortlist of cases for a court at the apex of the judicial system to review. It focuses on the Colombian constitutional court, as an example of a court at the apex of the judicial system that has been historically responsive to claims for fundamental rights. Docket selection is an example of a classification problem using supervised learning, in which a machine groups data according to preestablished characteristics. The article draws from political models of the functions of courts and the structure of the judiciary to show the importance of docket selection to provide high courts with complete information about existing conflict in a society. Secondly, it draws from critiques of AI made by philosophers of the mind and cognitive scientists to illustrate how AI can help be helpful in identifying and preselecting cases based on well-defined legal categories, but it can also bring significant selection problems known as false negatives. A machine cannot help the court identify emerging patterns of social conflict, or naturalized patterns of social interaction that have recently become problematic. Moreover, during times of social and political change, courts can become unresponsive or reactionary, and the costs associated with false negatives tend to be much greater.
Investigating the compression ignition combustion of multiple biodiesel/ULSD (ultra-low sulfur diesel) blends via common-rail injection

Researchers across the globe are searching for energy sources to replace the petroleum-based fuels used by the transportation sector. A fuel of particular interest is biodiesel, produced from a diverse variety of feedstock oils with differing fuel properties that alter the operation and emissions of the engines using them. As biodiesel may be mixed with petroleum-based diesel, the fuel being used by a diesel engine may vary by both biodiesel blend percentage and source. Therefore, the influence of biodiesel properties as a function of blend is important to understand. In this study, four biodiesels, produced from palm, jatropha, soybean, and beef tallow, are tested with blends of petroleum diesel at ratios of 5%, 10%, 20%, and 50% biodiesel content. The results are compared with tests of neat diesel and each biodiesel. Using electronic injection, timing is modulated to normalize combustion phasing for all fuels tested to directly investigate the effects of biodiesel on combustion. Results indicate that fuel viscosity, energy content, and molecular structure have distinct influences on combustion that must be considered for engine calibration. When adjusted for combustion timing, biodiesel blends also showed a general decrease in NOx emissions compared to ultra-low sulfur diesel.
Purification of 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase from Salmonella typhimurium and Its Inhibition by Purine Nucleotides

Abstract 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase has been purified nearly 200-fold from Salmonella typhimurium. The purified enzyme is highly unstable and can only be preserved as a suspension in ammonium sulfate at 50% saturation. The apparent Km values obtained for d,l-methylenetetrahydrofolate and NADP+ were 9.2 x 10-5 m and 4.5 x 10-5 m, respectively. The enzyme is inhibited by purine nucleotides. ATP acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to d,l-methylenetetrahydrofolate, but there is some competition between ATP and NADP+. Inhibition is incomplete even at high ATP concentrations, nearly 20% of activity being retained at ATP levels more than 10 times the apparent Ki concentration. The partial desensitization of the enzyme to inhibition was obtained by variations in pH and by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. The inhibition by purine nucleotides could serve as a physiologically important control mechanism preventing the unnecessary accumulation of the 5,10-methenyl and 10-formyl derivatives of tetrahydrofolate, both of which are involved in the transformylation reactions of purine biosynthesis, and the retention of activity at high inhibitor concentrations may be essential in order to maintain enough formyl-tetrahydrofolate for transformylations other than those involved in purine synthesis.
Smoke-Free Work Environment

A smoke-free work environment results from organizational policy prohibiting smoking within all company premises. Keywords: Smoke-Free Work Environment
Art and Genetics

A growing group of artists is addressing controversial developments in genetics and genomic research. Many of these artists represent social, political or ethical implications of this research in a broad variety of art forms. Keywords: GFP bunny; DNA graphy; microvenus; supercode; silent code
Avionics systems engineering education

The Rockwell International-Collins Avionics Divisions are developing an avionics systems engineering graduate program with Iowa State University. The author discusses the proposed curriculum and the four avionics systems engineering courses that will be offered. The four courses are: Systems Engineering and Analysis, Avionics Systems Engineering, System Project Management, and Software Systems Engineering. The Systems Engineering and Analysis course introduces system engineering concepts and principles. The second course applies the system engineering techniques presented in the first course to avionics. Current avionics functions are presented and then used to discuss avionics systems. The third course discusses avionics systems engineering from the project management viewpoint. The Software Systems Engineering course examines the systems aspect of software. >
Effects of noise intensity on visual target-detection performance.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of continuous white noise on visual target-detection performance. The variables manipulated were noise-intensity level, display-difficulty level, and target location. Four noise levels were utilized: 0, 80, 90, and 100 db. The 0-db. level served as the control condition. Display difficulty was defined in terms of the number of nontarget, or background, display elements. Three levels of difficulty were used: 8, 16, and 32 background letter characters. The target locations examined were the central and peripheral regions of the visual display. Twenty subjects were tested under all conditions. Both detection time and detection error were recorded. The results indicated that noise-intensity and display-difficulty level were significantly interrelated with respect to detection speed but not to detection error.
Scalable pattern matching for high speed networks

In this paper, we present a scalable FPGA design methodology for searching network packet payloads for a large number of patterns, including complex regular expressions. The efficiency of the technique enables a current-generation FPGA device to support pattern-matching at network rates from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps and beyond. It offers flexible trade-offs between character capacity, throughput, and data bus width and rate. This allows the approach to be used in a wide range of devices from low-end home network appliances to high-end backbone routers. Suitable network applications for the FPGA pattern-matcher include firewalls, network intrusion detection, email virus scanning, and junk-email identification. In this work, we use a standard set of patterns from an intrusion detection system to demonstrate the performance and scalability of our design with a real-world application.
Phase transitions of adsorbates. III. Heat effects and dimensional changes in nonequilibrium temperature cycles

Abstract Changes in the dimensions and heat content of the porous, 96% silica glass-water system were determined as temperature was cycled between +5° and −40°C at a rate of 0.33°C/min. The results are explained by the fact that the maximum experimentally realizable relative pressure, based on that of undercooled water, becomes less than unity below 0°C and diminishes with declining temperature. As a result, the adsorbate content decreases by migration of water to the outer surface, where it freezes between 0° and −8°C. At lower temperatures (−20°C) water drains from the smaller capillaries into larger voids and solidifies. An account is given of the anomalies of the extension isosteres, including hysteresis. In contrast with previous studies, the results obtained with porous glass and organic adsorbates are similar to those of the glass-water system and can be explained by the same theory.
The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on gross motor function and gait speed in children who are developmentally delayed

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a seven-week therapeutic horseback riding program and to determine if changes were retained after therapeutic riding was discontinued. A repeated-measures within-participants design was used to assess performance on the Gross Motor Function Measure and timed 10-meter walk in seven developmentally delayed children. A statistically significant improvement in gross motor function was found in post-intervention measures. Improvements were maintained seven weeks after therapeutic riding had ended. No considerable difference in gait speed was noted. This study indicates that therapeutic riding may lead to improvement in gross motor function in developmentally delayed children and that these improvements remain once therapeutic riding ceases.
Performance of ethical military research is possible: On and off the battlefield

Many of the same fundamental principles and regulations that govern civilian biomedical research also apply to research conducted by the US Military. Despite these similarities, the conduct of research by the US Military has additional requirements designed to preserve service members' informed consent rights, ethical standards and information that may be deemed classified. Furthermore, there are also additional rules and regulations associated with potential research to be done in a combat setting. Before conducting battlefield research, many unique circumstances must be considered to include: (1) the current legal and regulatory requirements for advanced informed consent (2) the tactical situations, and the ability to adequately document in the "austere" environment (3) the need to provide improved drugs and devices for combat casualty care and (4) the special nature of the superior-subordinate relationship. This paper discusses historical background, regulatory oversight, ethical implications and release of information as it pertains to research conducted by the US Military.
Middle Mississippian Blastoid Extinction Event

The Middle Mississippian blastoid (Phylum Echinodermata) extinction event (about 340 million years ago) was a rapid, habitat-specific extinction. Blastoids became rare or absent in shallow-water environments after the extinction, and this change was probably synchronous worldwide. Onshore-offshore habitat shifts have been recognized as an important historical trend among marine benthos. Unlike trends exhibited by other groups, blastoids appear to have repopulated shallow-water habitats after a period of diminished diversity and abundance.
Potent antitumor activity of IL-13 cytotoxin in human pancreatic tumors engineered to express IL-13 receptor α2 chain in vivo

Interleukin-13 receptor (IL-13R) α2 chain plays a key role in ligand binding and internalization. We have recently demonstrated that this cytokine receptor chain has unique characteristics in tumor biology: it inhibits tumorigenicity of breast and pancreatic cancer in animal models. In this study, we have exploited IL-13Rα2 chain and established a novel approach for pancreatic cancer therapy. For this, a plasmid encoding the IL-13Rα2 chain gene was mixed with liposomes and injected into subcutaneously or orthotopically xenografted human pancreatic tumors in immunodeficient mice, followed by systemic or local therapy by a recombinant IL-13 cytotoxin. Only tumors forced to express IL-13Rα2 chain acquired extreme susceptibility to the antitumor effect of IL-13 cytotoxin. There was a dominant infiltration of cells including macrophages and natural killer cells in the regressing tumors. Since macrophages were found to produce nitric oxide, IL-13Rα2-targeted cancer therapy involved not only a direct tumor cell killing by IL-13 cytotoxin but also activation of innate immune response at the tumor site. Therefore, this approach may be a new powerful tool for pancreatic cancer or other localized cancer therapy.
Sling suspension of the bladder neck for pediatric urinary incontinence

Abstract Objective Surgery for urinary incontinence in childhood is in the process of an ongoing search for better results because a procedure that guarantees dryness still does not exist. This study has been conducted to assess the overall results of the fascia sling procedure for incontinence in children. Material and methods Eighty-nine patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction and follow-up of more than 2 years have been included in the study (46 boys and 43 girls aged 2–17 years). All patients underwent U-type sling suspension of the bladder neck. In 59 patients detrusorectomy and in 11 patients bladder augmentation was performed. Sphincter incompetence was defined as low-pressure ( Results Forty-two (47%) patients were completely dry, and 23 (26%) considerably improved. The success rate was higher in males (35) than in females (30) (76% vs 70%). Detrusorectomy did not improve the success rate of the sling procedure (68% vs 79% sling only), but bladder augmentation did (90%). Higher success rates have been observed in adolescents compared to prepubertal children (83% vs 56%). No serious complications were observed. Conclusions Rectus fascia sling suspension is a safe procedure and could be considered a good option for the treatment of neurogenic sphincter incompetence in children.
Aerodynamic instability performance of an advanced high-pressure-ratio compression component

The data acquisition and reduction, test procedures, and results of in-stall and in-surge testing of a NASA high-pressure-ratio compression component are discussed, in addition to the compressor-rig configuration and instrumentation used. Data analysis revealed information about rotating stall hysteresis, rotating stall development and cessation times, and rotating-stall-cell flow blockage. It is found that hysteresis exists in the work coefficient as well as in the pressure coefficient. Airflow rakes were designed to study the in-surge transient response of the compressor. The quasi-steady compressor characteristics underlying the transient-surge data were investigated using a parameter-identification technique.
DSM-III Personality Disorder in Bariatric Clinic Patients

AbstractThirty-eight patients (30 women, 8 men) with morbid obesity who presented for vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) at a bariatric clinic were each compared with two age- and sex-matched community controls for DSM-III personality disorders using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ), a well-validated self-report instrument. Fifteen (39.5%) morbidly obese patients and 10 (13.2%) control subjects met criteria for at least one personality disorder (odds ratio = 5.8, p < 0.001). Morbidly obese patients were significantly more likely to display eccentric cluster and dramatic cluster personality disorders and traits, particularly borderline personality. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Nitrifier genomics and evolution of the nitrogen cycle

Advances in technology have tremendously increased high throughput whole genome-sequencing efforts, many of which have included prokaryotes that facilitate processes in the extant nitrogen cycle. Molecular genetic and evolutionary analyses of these genomes paired with advances in postgenomics, biochemical and physiological experimentation have enabled scientists to reevaluate existing geochemical and oceanographic data for improved characterization of the extant nitrogen cycle as well as its evolution since the primordial era of planet Earth. Based on the literature and extensive new data relevant to aerobic and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (ANAMMOX), the natural history of the nitrogen-cycle has been redrawn with emphasis on the early roles of incomplete denitrification and ammonification as driving forces for emergence of ANAMMOX as the foundation for a complete nitrogen cycle, and concluding with emergence of nitrification in the oxic era.
The growth of PC‐12 neurites is biased towards the anode of an applied electrical field

We have exposed cultures of PC12 cells to uniform DC electric fields following the addition of NGF. The success of these experiments relied upon the design of new chambers enabling fields to be applied to mammalian cell cultures. After 48 h of field application, the distribution of neurite outgrowths was biased towards the anode. More neurites faced the anode than would be expected if growth was uniform. The magnitude of this bias was strongly correlated with field strenght, with a threshold value of about 1 mV/mm. At field strengths above 30 mV/mm, the neurites growing towards the cathode were shorter than those growing towards the anode or perpendicular to the field. This response was not correlated with field strenght. This report confirms that mammalian neurons respond to electrical fields and supports the notion that neurites are influenced by endogenous electrical fields during development. As far as we are aware, this is the only report the documents a response towards the anode. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Influence of nano-confinement on the thermodynamics and dehydrogenation kinetics of metal hydrides

Nano-confinement within porous scaffold hosts holds promise for favorably altering the thermodynamics and dehydrogenation kinetics of metal hydrides used to reversibly store hydrogen for transportation applications. This review covers recent work investigating the influence of nano-confinement on the hydrogen exchange rates, the reaction pathways, and the equilibrium hydrogen pressure of light element and complex anion hydrides. Nano-confined NaAlH4, MgH2, LiBH4, and LiBH4/MgH2 are discussed in detail. Consideration is also given to the practical aspects of the additional mass and volume associated with confinement using scaffold hosts.
Coupling of confined impurity states in doped double-quantum-well structures

Les transitions de ces impuretes des donneurs du centre des puits sont mesurees dans plusieurs echantillons de largeurs de puits identiques mais de differentes largeurs de barriere. Les resultats concordent avec des calculs variationnels quand le melange inter-sous-bande et la difference des masses dans le puits et la barriere sont pris en compte
Van Fraassen’s Unappreciated Realism

Abstract What is not often noted about Bas van Fraassen’s distinctive approach to the scientific realism issue is that constructive empiricism, as he defines it, seems to involve a distinctively realist stance in regard to large parts of natural science. This apparent defection from the ranks of his more uncompromisingly anti‐realist colleagues raises many questions. Is he really leaning to realism here? If he is, why is this not more widely noted? And, more important, if he is, is he entitled to this shyly realist concession? Does his many‐pronged attack on what he sees as the main arguments in support of realism leave him with the wherewithal?
Foundation for Quantum Computing II

In this continuation of an earlier paper we develop further the theme of quantum logical specification and derive from it some apparently physically viable instantiations of potential quantum computing devices. Specifically, in the case of a one-parameter set of terms (or labels)—read as instants of time—we find, emerging quite naturally from the algebraic setup, the paradigm for a single qubit epitomized by the case of a two-state fermion interacting with an external single mode boson. This covers the cases: cavity QED, trapped ions, and, when the qubits are multiplexed appropriately, NMR based systems. (This case degenerates to one in which only bosons are relevant as in the case of pure bosonic harmonic oscillator models in the “dual rail” representation. Such models fly in the face of the logic itself, thus clearly revealing even at this level their well-known shortcomings as practical quantum computing devices. Here as elsewhere logical constraints apparently dominate physical ones.) In a final section we indicate briefly how this process exactly generalizes, in the case of a manifold of terms more general than the one-parameter case, to yield the notion of holonomic quantum computation. In the course of this investigation we find an interpretation of path integrals as limits of sequences of logical CUTS, thus establishing a link—though still tenuous—between ensembles of acts of quantum computation and Lagrangians.
Endoscopic CO2 laser cricopharyngeal myotomy.

Objectives: Over the past 10 years, endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy laser surgery has been proposed as an alternative to transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy. We will describe the technique and review the literature so that it may gain credence as a viable option for the treatment of cricopharyngeal achalasia. Methods: A literature review of endoscopic and transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy will be performed. The technical aspects of endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy will be presented and accompanied by intraoperative photographs, illustrations, and an online video demonstration. Results: Endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy is a well-tolerated procedure with low morbidity and good outcomes. It can be performed by surgeons who are comfortable with transoral laryngopharyngeal laser surgery. Conclusions: Endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy is a viable alternative to classic transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy with equivalent outcomes and comparable if not less morbidity. Laryngoscope, 119:45–53, 2009
PID Controller with Effective Integral Control Ensures Robustness against Bounded Uncertainties

Modern industrial processes are increasingly gaining complexities as they are coupled-MIMO and nonlinear in nature, thus use of nonlinear MIMO controllers is unavoidable. However keeping in view better robust properties of PID controller it is preferable to employ a hybrid solution, which should be composed of PID and modern controller designs. Feedback Linearization (FL) is one of such methods which give solutions to diffeomorphic nonlinear industrial control problems. Input-Output Exact Linearization (IOEL) cancels-out all the nonlinearities of plant by nonlinear feedback-controller, whereas a fixed structure linear controller, in outer loop, keeps the plant at required equilibrium position in state-space. In this study PID controller as preferable candidate for the outer loop design is investigated. It was found that, albeit, PID controllers are more robust then LQR design (thus it is a preferable choice), it does not always ensure robustness until-and-unless the loop should contain an effective-integral-control action.
Effects of 1‐epinephrine on hemodynamics and cardiac fiinction in coronary disease: Dose‐response studies

To assess the effects of elevated epinephrine levels on cardiovascular performance in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), epinephrine was infused intravenously into eight patients with normal coronary anatomy and 22 patients with CAD at dose rates of 0.06, 0.12, 0.18, and 0.24 μg/kg/min. Hemodynamic responses to epinephrine were not significantly different between the two groups. However, contractility increased significantly more (P < 0.05) and end-systolic volume decreased significantly more (P < 0.025) in normal subjects than in those with CAD. Plasma norepinephrine concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.05) at 0.24 μg/kg/min epinephrine, indicating activation of sympathetic nervous system. Epinephrine ischemic thresholds ranged from 652 to 3362 pg/ml. Patients with CAD compared with normal subjects had more frequent ventricular arrhythmias (55% vs. 25%), chest pain (50% vs. 13%), and ischemic ECG changes (73% vs. 13%). These results indicate that although epinephrine induced myocardial ischemia in CAD, hemodynamics and ventricular pump function were maintained. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1988) 43, 308–316; doi:10.1038/clpt.1988.37
Building bridges to fight fire: the role of informal social interactions in six Colorado wildland-urban interface communities

Property owners in fire-prone communities have been identified as key stakeholders in the wildfire dilemma. Although past research has examined stakeholder characteristics and their behaviours, less is known about how small-scale social processes among stakeholders might shape mitigation decision-making and related actions. This manuscript highlights the role informal social interactions play in building bridges among full-time and part-time residents that facilitate the spread of wildfire information and galvanise small-scale cooperative efforts to reduce wildfire risk. Data from in-depth interviews conducted with residents in six fire-prone Colorado communities indicate that these interactions create bridging capital that links those who are not likely to be the direct recipients of wildfire outreach efforts to those who are.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SPEZIFIC RECEPTORS FOR ATRIAL NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE ON HUMAN PLATELETS

The aim of our study was to characterize the receptor binding of human α-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to easily available human cells. Blood cells possess receptors for peptide hormones as for instance platelets for vasopressin. We therefore, investigated the presence of receptors for ANP on human peripheral blood cells from adult volunteers. Whereas no receptors were detected on red cells, mononuclear cells and granulocytes, we found ANP-receptors on human platelets. The binding studies were performed by incubating 40 × 106 platelets with 125J-ANP(103-106 cpm) and the competing ligand, when used, in a total incubation volume of 1 ml. Centrifugation was used to separate bound from free hormone. Specific binding of 125J-ANP was rapid, saturable and reversible. A steady state was achieved whithin 90 minutes. Scatchard analysis of saturation and competition experiments demonstrated the existence of one class of high affinity binding sites for ANP with a Kd of 8-16 pM and 10-26 receptors per cell. The Kd obtained in our binding studies was in the range of physiological ANP concentrations in human plasma (8-20 pM). Although characterization of platelet ANP receptors has the inherent disadvantage that they are few, they could be a useful model to investigate ANP receptor-status under different physiological and pathological conditions in man.
Turbulent Heating of the Solar Wind by Newborn Interstellar Pickup Protons

Spacecraft missions to the outer heliosphere have shown that the thermal protons that make up the solar wind are hotter than simple adiabatic expansion would predict. We examine a theory that describes this heating by using the time-varying 1 AU measurements as input and comparing the predictions with observations in the outer heliosphere. Inside 20 AU wind shear and shocks provide the dominant energy source to drive the turbulence. Outside 20 AU little remains to inject energy into the fluctuations except newborn interstellar pickup protons. The theory is built on a combination of two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence concepts and the latest kinetic theory describing the scattering of newborn interstellar pickup protons. We find that application of the theory to the observations produces encouraging agreement at the same time that it illuminates latitudinal effects associated with solar minimum conditions. A remaining challenge is to close the gap of a factor of 2 between observed and predicted proton temperatures beyond 40 AU. For this, we suggest that further structural development of the theory is needed, rather than ad hoc adjustment of the model parameters, which are reasonably well constrained by theory, simulation, and observations.
Using the Concept of “Population Dose” in Planning and Evaluating Community-Level Obesity Prevention Initiatives

When planning and evaluating community-level initiatives focused on policy and environment change, it is useful to have estimates of the impact on behavioral outcomes of particular strategies (e.g....
Role of excited species (RCONHCHR2)∗ in the radiolytic oxidation of the peptide main-chain in aqueous systems☆

Abstract In the γ-radiolysis of oxygen-free solutions of simple peptides at concentrations above ≈ 0·1 mol/l the formation of excited species, RCONHCHR 2 ∗ , leads to dissociation of the peptide main-chain with formation of amide and fatty acid functions ( Advanc. Chem. Ser. 1968, 81 , 384). Reported here is detailed chemical evidence that the species RCONHCHR 2 ∗ reacts quantitatively with oxidizing solutes such as O 2 and Fe III to yield hitherto undetected oxidation products which have the chemical properties of dehydropeptides.
Using videotaped specimens to test quality control in a computer-assisted semen analysis system.

Abstract Objective: To determine the feasibility of using semen samples previously recorded on videotape for intralaboratory and interlaboratory quality control of computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) systems. Design: Blinded, controlled study. Setting: Pooled semen specimens from two normal human volunteers in an academic research environment. Patient(s): None. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen parameters from a videotape analyzed internally and by four external laboratories. Result(s): Preliminary experiments designed to examine intralaboratory variation by repeated analysis of semen samples recorded on videotape revealed some significant differences for every variable examined. When these data were analyzed by using the larger biologic error caused by subsampling, no significant differences were found for any of the variables examined. When either a standard set or the specific laboratories' sets of parameters were used to analyze the same videotaped semen specimen, no statistically significant differences were detected for sperm concentration for motility among the five laboratories after the biological error caused by subsampling was applied to results. Conclusion(s): These data strongly suggest that videotaped semen specimens can serve as quality control for intralaboratory and interlaboratory testing of CASA equipment as long as the biologic error caused by subsampling is used to compare results.