cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative dehydrogenation of propane over vanadia-based catalysts supported on high-surface-area mesoporous MgAl2O4

Abstract The oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene was investigated over a series of novel vanadia-based catalysts supported on high-surface-area magnesium spinel. A mesoporous MgAl 2 O 4 support was synthesized via a low-temperature sol–gel process involving the heterobimetallic alkoxide precursor, Mg[Al(O i Pr) 4 ] 2 . A high-purity catalyst support was obtained after calcination at 1173 K under O 2 atmosphere and active vanadia catalysts were prepared from the thermolysis of OV(O t Bu) 3 after grafting onto the spinel support. MgAl 2 O 4 -supported catalysts prepared in this manner have BET surface areas of 234–245 m 2 /g. All of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, and Raman, solid-state NMR, and diffuse-reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy. At all vanadium loadings the vanadia supported on MgAl 2 O 4 exist as a combination of isolated monovanadate and tetrahedral polyvanadate species. As the vanadium surface density increases for these catalysts the ratio of polyvanadate species to isolated monovandate species increases. In addition, as the vanadium surface density increases for these catalysts, the initial rate of propane ODH per V atom increases and reaches a maximum value at 6 VO x /nm 2 . Increasing the vanadium surface density past this point results in a decrease in the rate of propane ODH owing to the formation of multilayer species in which subsurface vanadium atoms are essentially rendered catalytically inactive. The initial propene selectivity increases with increasing vanadium surface density and reaches a plateau of ∼95% for the V/MgAl catalysts. Rate coefficients for propane ODH ( k 1 ), propane combustion ( k 2 ), and propene combustion ( k 3 ) were calculated for these catalysts. The value of k 1 increases with increasing VO x surface density, reaching a maximum at about 5.5 VO x /nm 2 . On the other hand, the ratio ( k 2 / k 1 ) for V/MgAl decreases with increasing VO x surface density. The ratio ( k 3 / k 1 ) for both sets of catalysts shows no dependence on the vanadia surface density. The observed trends in k 1 , ( k 2 / k 1 ), and ( k 3 / k 1 ) are discussed in terms of the surface structure of the catalyst.
The mammalian iris-ciliary complex affects organization and synthesis of cytoskeletal proteins of organ and tissue cultured lens epithelial cells.

A water soluble growth inhibitor was isolated from the mammalian ocular iris-ciliary complex. The molecular weight of this protein is 10 kD or lower as determined by ultrafiltration fractionation. The iris-ciliary (IC) complex water soluble protein(s) significantly inhibits synthesis of lower molecular weight protein of the epithelial cells of the organ cultured mammalian ocular lens. It was also found that this inhibitory effect of IC is mediated via the structural organization of the lens. Monolayer cultures of the lens epithelial cells exposed to IC did not manifest any inhibiton of their protein synthesis. Moreover, these tissue cultured lems epithelial (TCLE) cells showed a significant increase in their protein synthetic activities in response to the presence of IC factors in the culture medium. It is postulated that the IC activity is modulated via either the lens capsule, an extracellular matrix, or due to the specific organization of the intact lens. The specific effects of IC on the cytoskeletal organization and synthesis in the organ cultured lens epithelial (OCLE) and TCLE cells were also examined. Both groups, treated with IC factors, manifested significant alterations in their protein synthetic activities and cytoskeletal architecture. The 3H-leucine incorporation experiments showed that α-actin and α-tubulin synthesis is partially inhibited by IC factors in OCLE cells by vimentin synthesis is not, whereas in TCLE cells all of them showed increased synthesis in response to IC factors. Turnover rates of these proteins in both OCLE and TCLE cells were also computed. The immunofluorescence and microscopic evaluation of OCLE and TCLE cells exposed to IC factors illustrated significant alteration in the cytoarchitecture of the filaments. We demonstrate that an inhibitor(s) molecule of 10 kD or lower size isolated from IC inhibited protein synthesis of OCLE cells and stimulated protein synthesis in TCLE cells. The IC factor also affects the synthesis and organization of cytoskeletal filaments of both the OCLE and TCLE cells. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The optical spectrum of aircraft St. Elmo's fire

On February 26, 1995, during a NASA sponsored mission to Peru to study red sprites and blue jets, the instrumented Westwind 2 jet aircraft encountered spectacular St. Elmo's fire from the wing pods, tail and nose while flying through a cloud at an altitude of 13.83 km (45,376 ft). The phenomenon was captured on low light level monochromatic and color television systems aboard the aircraft, and its spectrum was recorded on a low light level TV spectrograph with response from 395.0 to 750.0 nm. The cameras and spectrograph also recorded scattered intra-cloud lightning and a possible lightning discharge near, or to, the aircraft. The spectrum of St. Elmo's fire was primarily the second (2nd) positive bands of N2. The data were consistent with a population of electrons having relatively low energy (<18 eV).
Abstract Categories or Limited-Scope Formulae? The Case of Children's Determiners.

Six tests of the spontaneous speech of twenty-one English-speaking children (1 ;10 to 2 ;8; MLUs 1.53 to 4.38) demonstrate the presence of the syntactic category determiner from the start of combinatorial speech, supporting nativist accounts. Children use multiple determiners before a noun to the same extent as their mothers (1) when only a and the or (2) all determiners are analyzed, or (3) when children and mothers are matched on determiner and noun types and determiner+noun tokens. (4) Overlap increases as opportunity for overlap increases : children use multiple determiners with more than 50 % of nouns used at least twice with a determiner and with 80% of nouns used at least six times with a determiner. (5) Formulae play a limited role in low-MLU children’s determiner usage, INCREASING with MLU. (6) Less than 1 % of determiner uses are errors. Prior results showing no overlap are likely a sampling artifact. How do children’s earliest syntactic representations develop ? We contrast two possible approaches to children’s development of syntactic categories. We focus on categories because even radically incompatible approaches agree that humans’ mental grammars are eventually expressed in terms of categories.
The reality of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator longevity: what can be done to improve cost-effectiveness?

r a o v s p Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated the mortality benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death, expanding the indications for device therapy. However, ICDs are expensive and patient longevity often exceeds pulse generator longevity, so many patients will require replacement of pulse generators, which is associated with additional costs. Generator replacement also carries a substantial risk for complications even when performed electively. While the overall risk of initial implantation complicaions is 3.2% in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD egistry, the risk of major complications for generator replaceents is 4.1%–5.8%, with complications including death. Risks are even higher for patients undergoing system upgrade, and risks of pocket-related adverse events requiring surgical intervention increase with every consecutive replacement. Therefore, it is eneficial to reduce the need for upgrade or replacement of pulse enerators. In the current issue of HeartRhythm, Thijssen et al assess the ongevity of 4673 ICDs implanted since 1996, identifying that 2% were replaced because of battery depletion. Overall, the ean device longevity was only 5.0 0.1 years and slightly onger at 5.5 0.1 years for devices replaced because of battery depletion.
Analyst Forecasts and Herding Behavior

The use of analyst forecasts as proxies for investors' earnings expectations is commonplace in empirical research. An implicit assumption behind their use is that they reflect analysts' private information in an unbiased manner. As demonstrated here, this assumption is not necessarily valid. There is shown to be a tendency for analysts to release forecasts closer to prior earnings expectations than is appropriate, given their information. Further, analysts exhibit herding behavior, whereby they release forecasts similar to those previously announced by other analysts, even when this is not justified by their information. These results are shown to have interesting empirical implications. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Prenatal Sonographic Detection of Genital Malformations

AbstractPostnatal clinical and pathological correlation of sonographically identified genital malformations in 17 fetuses was undertaken to determine the outcome of these findings. Diagnoses confirmed at autopsy or by postnatal examination and surgery included male (XY) pseudohermaphroditism in 2 cases, hypospadias with chordee in 3, microphallus in 2, cloacal anomaly in 2, congenital adrenal hyperplasia in 3, penoscrotal transposition in 2, intra-abdominal testes in 1, megalourethra in 1 and cloacal exstrophy variant in 1. Additional abnormalities included congenital heart defects, cleft palate, and renal, anorectal, cranial and cerebral malformations. Four fetuses with a sonographically abnormal appearing phallus were found to have an endocrine disorder (3 congenital adrenal hyperplasia and 1 panhypopituitarism). Outcomes included 2 abortions and 1 neonatal death with the remaining neonates undergoing medical and reconstructive treatment.Prenatal detection of genital abnormalities can be helpful in eval...
Improving Parameterization of Rain Microphysics with Disdrometer and Radar Observations

Abstract Disdrometer observations indicate that the raindrop size distribution (DSD) can be represented by a constrained-gamma (CG) distribution model. The model is used to retrieve DSDs from polarization radar measurements of reflectivity and differential reflectivity and to characterize rain microphysics and physical processes such as evaporation, accretion, and precipitation. The CG model parameterization is simplified to a single parameter for application in single-moment numerical models. This simplified parameterization is applied in the Variational Doppler Radar Analysis System (VDRAS) using Kessler-type parameterizations for model initialization and forecasting. Results are compared to those for the Marshall–Palmer (MP) DSD model. It is found that the simplified CG model parameterization better preserves the stratiform rain and produces better forecasts than the MP model parameterization.
In-Situ Copolymerization of Cyclic Poly(butylene terephthalate) Oligomers and -Caprolactone

Copolyesters were synthesized by using ring-opening polymerization of cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) oligomers (c-PBT) and -caprolactone monomer (CL) in the presence of stannoxane catalyst at an elevated temperature. The in-situ copolymerization was conducted with various c-PBT/CL feed ratios. The copolyesters were characterized by GPC, NMR, and FT-IR techniques. Phase separation and the relaxation behavior of the resultant copolyesters were investigated by DSC, DMTA, and dielectric spectroscopy measurements. Mechanical properties (stress-strain behavior) are also reported and can be adjusted by varying the -caprolactone content of the copolymer.
Distribution amplitudes and electroproduction of the delta and other low-lying resonances.

Calculations are presented of certain moments of the wave function of the \ensuremath{\Delta} and of the lowest-lying negative-parity resonances. These are used to obtain model distribution amplitudes for these resonances and to calculate the size of the high-${Q}^{2}$ nucleon-resonance transition amplitude for each case. The I=(3/2 resonances are less asymmetric than the I=(1/2 ones, and indeed are compatible with total symmetry and even with being asymptotic; the agreement between calculation and measurement is good for the ${S}_{11}$(1535) transition amplitude although inconclusive for the \ensuremath{\Delta}. (For the isoquartet negative-parity ground state, the data presently hardly exist.)
Michael Davitt: Freelance Radical and Frondeur – By Laurence Marley

The author of this biography begins with the important reminder that Michael Davitt was not yet forty when the Kilmainham Treaty was signed (11). What Laurence Marley has sought to redress are Davi...
Baseline wander compensation for perpendicular recording

Baseline wander (BLW) effects generated by the high-pass pole of the preamplifier in a perpendicular recording system are low-frequency distortions that cause degradation in system performance. Since perpendicular systems also have a considerable amount of signal content at low frequencies, BLW can cause considerable performance loss. We propose and evaluate a decision feedback-based algorithm which compensates for the undesired BLW effects and improves the overall performance.
61.3: High Performance Organic Light‐Emitting‐Diodes on Graphene Electrode and Thin c‐Si TFT for Flexible Display and Lighting

We demonstrate high performance OLEDs with transparent graphene electrode and thin single crystal Si TFT. Green OLEDs on graphene exhibit power efficiency of >150lm/W at 10,000cd/m2 with external light extraction. OLEDs are also integrated with 60nm-thick flexible single crystal Si TFT made by controlled spalling technology.
Shannon bounds on the throughput for Gaussian, bi-level, block interference channels

Results are presented on code performance and capacity bounds for channels with Gaussian, bi-level, block interference for binary and nonbinary modulation, noncoherent demodulation, and soft-decision decoding. Each transmitted block is corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise that has one of two power spectral densities. The smaller of the two is the power spectral density of the thermal noise, and the difference between the two spectral densities is the power spectral density of the interference noise. The average power in the interference is constant, so the power spectral density of the interference is inversely proportional to the average fraction of the blocks that have interference. This block interference channel has been used to model partial-band interference in frequency-hop communications and to model pulsed interference in a number of communication systems. Throughput results for turbo-product and low-density parity-check codes that are used on Gaussian block interference channels are compared with the capacity bounds for such channels. For some code rates, we show that the throughput of the codes and the capacity bounds are both nonmonotonic functions of the fraction of the blocks that have interference. Applications to adaptive-rate coding are discussed.
Simulation of organ-specific patient effective dose due to secondary neutrons in proton radiation treatment

Cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment are exposed to high doses to the target (tumour), intermediate doses to adjacent tissues and low doses from scattered radiation to all parts of the body. In the case of proton therapy, secondary neutrons generated in the accelerator head and inside the patient reach many areas in the patient body. Due to the improved efficacy of management of cancer patients, the number of long term survivors post-radiation treatment is increasing substantially. This results in concern about the risk of radiation-induced cancer appearing at late post-treatment times. This paper presents a case study to determine the effective dose from secondary neutrons in patients undergoing proton treatment. A whole-body patient model, VIP-Man, was employed as the patient model. The geometry dataset generated from studies made on VIP-Man was implemented into the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code. Two proton treatment plans for tumours in the lung and paranasal sinus were simulated. The organ doses and ICRP-60 radiation and tissue weighting factors were used to calculate the effective dose. Results show whole body effective doses for the two proton plans of 0.162 Sv and 0.0266 Sv, respectively, to which the major contributor is due to neutrons from the proton treatment nozzle. There is a substantial difference among organs depending on the treatment site.
Effect of cylindrical confinement on the determination of laminar flame speeds using outwardly propagating flames

Article history: The effect of nonspherical (i.e. cylindrical) bomb geometry on the evolution of outwardly propagating flames and the determination of laminar flame speeds using the conventional constant-pressure technique is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The cylindrical chamber boundary modifies the propagation rate through the interaction of the wall with the flow induced by thermal expansion across the flame (even with constant pressure), which leads to significant distortion of the flame surface for large flame radii. These departures from the unconfined case, especially the resulting nonzero burned gas velocities, can lead to significant errors in flame speeds calculated using the conventional assumptions, especially for large flame radii. For example, at a flame radius of 0.5 times the wall radius, the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects can be low by ∼15% (even with constant pressure). A methodology to estimate the effect of nonzero burned gas velocities on the measured flame speed in cylindrical chambers is presented. Modeling and experiments indicate that the effect of confinement can be neglected for flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius while still achieving acceptable accuracy (within 3%). The methodology is applied to correct the flame speed for nonzero burned gas speeds, in order to extend the range of flame radii useful for flame speed measurements. Under the proposed scaling, the burned gas speed can be well approximated as a function of only flame radius for a given chamber geometry - i.e. the correction function need only be determined once for an apparatus and then it can be used for any mixture. Results indicate that the flow correction can be used to extract flame speeds for flame radii up to 0.5 times the wall radius with somewhat larger, yet still acceptable uncertainties for the cases studied. Flow-corrected burning velocities are measured for hydrogen and syngas mixtures at atmospheric and elevated pressures. Flow-corrected flame speeds in the small cylindrical chamber used here agree well with previously reported flame speeds from large spherical chambers. Previous papers presenting burning velocities from cylindrical chambers report performing data analysis on flame radii less than 0.5 or 0.6 times the wall radius, where the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects may be low by ∼15 or 20%, respectively. For cylindrical chambers, data analysis should be restricted to flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius or a flow correction should be employed to account for the burned gas motions. With regard to the design of future vessels, larger vessels that minimize the flow aberrations for the same flame radius are preferred. Larger vessels maximize the relatively unaffected region of data allowing for a more straightforward approach to interpret the experimental data.
Diesel sport utility vehicles with hybrid electric drive trains

This paper presents the concept of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) applied to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with diesel engines. Two SUVs currently available in the U.S. market have been selected as the representative vehicles used in this study, which consists of the modeling and simulation of the vehicles as close as possible to the manufacturer's specifications and then running the models through the Advance Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR). Effects of hybridization on the fuel economy and dynamic performances of the two representative SUVs are investigated. Different hybridization levels from mild to full hybrid electric drive trains are studied through comprehensive simulations.
Digital communication with jamming experiments for a signal processing first course

In this paper we provide the details of a final project in digital communications, used in a signal processing first course taught to second year ECE students. Simple nulling filters are used to minimize a sinusoidal jamming signal. The students have already learned about an FIR nulling filter, the placement of zeros on the unit circle, and the frequency response. In the filter design the students learn that the filter also removes a portion of the signal, and that increases the probability of making a bit error when noise is present. An IIR notch filter works well too, but it has parameters that are sensitive to coefficient quantization. Jammer frequency error is another constraint. The students thus find themselves in the midst of a constrained optimization problem. Students have enjoyed this project, and in particular are very eager to strive for the best bit error probability (BEP) performance.
Magnesium Deficiency, Requirement and Toxicity in the Young Japanese Quail

Studies of magnesium deficiency, requirement and toxicity in the young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were conducted. Day-old birds were fed an adequate purified diet containing 35% soy protein to 2 weeks of age. Residual magnesium in the diet without any added magnesium salts was 21 p.p.m. magnesium was supplied by graded amounts of MgSO4 to a total of 11 levels ranging from 125 to 2,000 p.p.m. Deficiency signs included poor growth, and occasionally excitability, gasping and convulsions. Most mortality occurred during the first 7 days. The maximum dietary magnesium concentrations that produced the minimal significant deviation from normal values for mortality, body weight, hemoglobin and tibia ash was 225, 200, 250 and 250 p.p.m., respectively. Based on these measurements, 300 p.p.m. magnesium is considered adequate to meet the young quail's requirement under the conditions of these experiments. With 2,000 p.p.m. magnesium, the only adverse effect was an increase in mortality. Between 200 and 1,000 p.p.m. magnesium there was a linear relationship between concentration of magnesium in the tibia and the log of the concentration of dietary magnesium. This suggests that tibia magnesium concentration might be useful for bioassay of magnesium in foodstuffs.
Measuring Multi-Channel Advertising Response

Advances in data collection have made it increasingly easy to collect information on advertising exposures.However, translating this seemingly rich data into measures of advertising response has proven difficult, largely due to concerns that advertisers target customers with a higher propensity to buy or increase advertising during periods of peak demand. We show how this problem can be addressed by studying a setting where a firm randomly held out customers from each campaign, creating a sequence of randomized field experiments that mitigates (many) potential endogeneity problems. Exploratory analysis of individual hold-out experiments shows positive effects for both email and catalog, however the estimated effect for any individual campaign is imprecise, due to the small size of the holdout.To pool data across campaigns we develop a hierarchical Bayesian model for advertising response, which allows us to account for individual differences in purchase propensity and marketing response. Building on the traditional ad-stock framework, we are able to estimate separate decay rates for each advertising medium, allowing us to predict channel-specific short- and long-term effects of advertising and use these predictions to inform marketing strategy. We find that catalogs have substantially longer-lasting impact on customer purchase than emails. We show how the model can be used to score and target individual customers based on their advertising responsiveness, and find that targeting the most responsive customers increases the predicted returns on advertising by about 70% versus traditional RFM-based targeting.
Conspiracy Theory Reconsidered: Responding to Mass Suspicions of Political Criminality in High Office

This article criticizes recent proposals for covert government operations against conspiracy-theory groups and networks. The article argues that fear of secret plots by political insiders is intrinsic to America’s civic culture, legal traditions, and political institutions. The appropriate government response to conspiracy theories is not to try to silence mass suspicions but instead to establish procedures for ensuring that suspicious events are thoroughly and credibly investigated. As it stands, investigations of assassinations, defense failures, election breakdowns, and other political events with grave implications for America and the world fail to meet basic standards for transparency, independence, and objectivity.
Observation and nursing comparison after circumcision by three method

Redundant prepuce and phimosis are common in boys. Circumcision is the best measure to treat them. To improve the effects laser and plastibell are used in the treatment in our hospital and get remarkable results. We have found that the plastibell is superior to that of routine method and laser by observation and nursing comparison in 1196 cases. In conclusion, suitable operation method and reasonable nursing care is the key point to recovery.
Abstract 5097: Tissue stiffness regulates multinucleation in mammary epithelial cells

This study investigates how increased stiffness of the tumor microenvironment (TME) can facilitate cellular multinucleation. Multinucleation is an easily observable marker for polyploidy, facilitating the quantification of this phenotype. Polyploidy is commonly an intermediate to aneuploidy, defined as an abnormal number of chromosomes, a phenotype found in 85% of solid cancers that can drive tumorigenesis. Up to 37% percent of tumors exhibit whole-genome doubling, which typically precedes other somatic copy number alterations. Additionally, induction of tetraploidy in human cells promoted increased tolerance for mutation, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, and transformation in culture. Tumors are inherently stiffer than normal tissue, and this property has been shown to affect cell growth and proliferation. Similarly, cell cycle errors have long been linked to chromosomal abnormalities. Here, we used engineered two-dimensional substrata that mimic tumor and normal microenvironments to investigate how matrix stiffness regulates multinucleation in mammary epithelial cells. Cells cultured on “stiff” substrata, representing tumor tissue, showed a nearly 14-fold increase in multinucleation compared to cells cultured on “soft” substrata, representing normal tissue. We found that multinucleation was regulated in part by signaling downstream of MMP3, a protease commonly upregulated in cancer. This signaling depended on expression of the Rac1 splice variant, Rac1b, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression of Snail. Under all conditions, cells cultured on soft substrata maintained a low frequency of multinucleation. We also investigated biochemical effectors downstream of Snail. Aurora A kinase (Aurora A) is a mitotic regulator commonly elevated in cancer that has been shown to induce multinucleation in mammary epithelial cells and increase tumor incidence in mice. We found using microarray analysis that MMP3 increases the levels of Aurora A in mammary epithelial cells. We further discovered that upregulation of Aurora A in response to MMP3 signaling was limited to one transcript variant. These data suggest that an increase in multinucleation is driven by the stiffening of the tissue during tumorigenesis, in part by MMP3-induced signaling and regulation of Aurora A splicing. More broadly, these data suggest a key role for the mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression. Citation Format: Allison K. Simi, Derek C. Radisky, Celeste M. Nelson. Tissue stiffness regulates multinucleation in mammary epithelial cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5097.
History of the Jurisdiction of the Consular Officer

From a historical point of view, the consular authority may be traced back to certain functionaries of the ancient Greek city-states, known as prostates and proxeni. These officials exercised jurisdiction and applied a special body of law to foreigners residing for the purpose of trade within their territory, but, different from the modern consul, exercised authority derived from the local sovereign rather than from the state of those over whom they exercised jurisdiction. Their position as precursor of the present day consular officer lies in the fact that they were appointed for the purpose of deciding disputes involving foreigners according to a body of law distinct from that governing the local inhabitants and of a nature more nearly approximating that to which they were accustomed in their native lands.
Triticum Species (Wheat)

Four out of six species of wheat are allopolyploid. The diploid ancestors of each polyploid species as well as most of the polyploid species of the closely related genus Aegilops have been identified. The meiotic pairing of polyploid wheat chromosomes is genetically regulated and only homologous chromosomes pair during meiosis. From the point of view of gene transmission, wheat allopolyploids behave as if they were diploid. Polyploid wheat tolerates exceptionally well aneuploidy and an unparalleled number of aneuploid and single alien chromosome addition and substitution lines and intervarietal substitution lines have been developed. Monosomics and telosomics were extensively used in the past in wheat gene mapping, but these mapping techniques have now been largely replaced by linkage mapping relative to microsatellite (SSR), single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and to a lesser extent restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers.
Comparison of antithrombotic agents during urgent percutaneous coronary intervention following thrombolytic therapy: A retrospective cohort study.

Background The optimal antithrombotic regimen for urgent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) following thrombolytic therapy for ST segment myocardial infarction (STEMI) is currently unknown. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients referred to our institution from January 2005 to July 2014 who underwent urgent PCI within 24 hr after receiving thrombolytic therapy. The patients were divided into three cohorts based on the anticoagulation strategy during PCI-bivalirudin, heparin alone or heparin plus Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI). The primary end point of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was defined as a composite of inpatient death, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Net adverse clinical events (NACE) were defined as a combination of MACE plus major bleeding complications. Univariable, multivariable and propensity-weighted modeling were used to compare MACE and NACE between the three treatment groups. Results A total of 695 patients met the inclusion criteria during the study period. In the univariable analysis, there was no significant difference treatment in MACE between the three groups (Bivalirudin: 1.2% vs. Heparin + GPI: 4.4%; Heparin alone: 2.7%, P = 0.11). In the reduced logistic regression model, compared to bivalirudin, the odds of NACE was significantly higher with heparin alone (OR: 3.58, 95% CI: 1.21, 10.54, P = 0.02) or with heparin plus GPI (OR: 9.0, 95% CI: 2.83, 28.64, P <0.001). Conclusion In STEMI patients undergoing PCI within 24 hr after thrombolytic therapy, bivalirudin was associated with a strong trend toward reduced bleeding complications as compared to heparin alone or heparin plus GPI. The optimal antithrombotic regiment for urgent PCI following thrombolytic therapy is currently unknown. Our study demonstrated that use of bivalirudin during PCI following thrombolytic therapy is associated with a trend toward reduced bleeding complications compared to heparin alone or heparin plus GPI. Large randomized trials of adjunctive anticoagulation during PCI in this complex post-thrombolytic population are warranted. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A critical examination of visualized femininity: selective inheritance and intensification of gender posing from historical painting to contemporary advertising

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the visual correspondences of gender posing behaviors, specifically exhibited by female figures, between historical European painting and contemporary American photographic advertising. While utilizing Erving Goffman’s Gender Advertisements as an analytical framework, the study focuses on the visual legacy of gender ritualization that is salient in contemporary mass media, proposing five semiotic codes to concretely analyze it. Although Goffman’s gender posing is traditionally associated with female vulnerability and indolence, the study proposes that such qualities are exploited as indicators of luxury within Western visual culture and advertising specifically. It seeks to deconstruct and re-frame the interconnected connotations of luxury and gender display, both expanding Goffman’s framework and providing a unique interpretive resource for critical readers of media texts.
Role and Therapeutic Targeting of the HGF/MET Pathway in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor with dismal prognosis. Current therapeutic options, consisting of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, have only served to marginally increase patient survival. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are dysregulated in approximately 90% of GBM; attributed to this, research has focused on inhibiting RTKs as a novel and effective therapy for GBM. Overexpression of RTK mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET), and its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), in GBM highlights a promising new therapeutic target. This review will discuss the role of MET in cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, cell migration and invasion, angiogenesis and therapeutic resistance in GBM. It will also discuss the modes of deregulation of HGF/MET and their regulation by microRNAs. As the HGF/MET pathway is a vital regulator of multiple pro-survival pathways, efforts and strategies for its exploitation for GBM therapy are also described.
A nanomechanical Raman spectroscopy based assessment of stress distribution in irradiated and corroded SiC

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) composites are under consideration for cladding and structural materials in various types of reactors. The effects of ion irradiation and corrosion on stress distribution due to mechanical loading on chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC were investigated in this paper by using nanomechanical Raman spectroscopy (NMRS). The stress distribution was analyzed as a function of the oxide formation on a corroded specimen and as a function of ion-induced irradiation damage in an irradiated specimen. A finite element method (FEM) based model was developed based on local mechanical properties measured using nanoindentation to predict the NMRS measured stress distribution. The stress distribution was also predicted theoretically by using a stress concentration factor, which is a function of sample geometry and boundary conditions. The maximum stress obtained theoretically was in good agreement with the FEM model and NMRS based measurements. FEM results captured the stress variation trends and maximum stress value in the analyzed samples. NMRS measurements predicted that corrosion had a greater influence on increasing the maximum value of stress in comparison to ion irradiation. The increase in stress attributed to corrosion in comparison to ion irradiated samples was approximately 10%–20%.
Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome: A New Twist to an Established Pathogen

Human disease due to hantaviruses (HV) worldwide are virus strain–dependent variations on the theme of vascular leak syndrome. In the Americas, hantaviruses cause a syndrome called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), the latter to recognize the central role of cardiac involvement in fatal disease. In Asia and Europe, hantaviruses cause the hemorrhagic fever renal syndrome (HFRS) and the milder variant nephropathia epidemica (NE). HFRS was described during the Korean conflict and the virus first isolated in 1978, but in retrospect the disease was described in China centuries earlier (Johnson, 2001). The field was reinvigorated by the discovery of HPS and Sin Nombre (SN) virus in 1993 in the American Southwest (Nichol et al., 1993; Duchin et al., 1994), but in retrospect aspects of the disease were probably described in Navajo legend centuries earlier. Two comprehensive reviews cover broad aspects of hantaviruses (Nichol, 2001; Schmaljohn and Hooper, 2001), and other excellent reviews focus on particular aspects of the pathogen and disease (Johnson, 2001; Plyusnin and Morzunov, 2001; Bausch and Ksiazek, 2002; Hjelle, 2002; Khaiboullina and St. Jeor, 2002; Vapalahti et al., 2003; Maes et al., 2004; Pini, 2004). This review synthesizes recent information on the pathophysiology and treatment of hantaviral infections focusing primarily on HCPS and highlighting the parallels and contrasts with HFRS.
Role of resistant starch on diabetes risk factors in people with prediabetes: Design, conduct, and baseline results of the STARCH trial

Dietary resistant starch (RS) might alter gastrointestinal tract function in a manner that improves human health, particularly among adults at risk for diabetes. Here, we report the design and baseline results (with emphasis on race differences) from the STARCH trial, the first comprehensive metabolic phenotyping of people with prediabetes enrolled in a randomized clinical trial testing the effect of RS on risk factors for diabetes. Overweight/obese participants (BMI≥27kg/m2 and weight≤143kg), age 35-75y, with confirmed prediabetes were eligible. Participants were randomized to consume 45g/day of RS (RS=amylose) or amylopectin (Control) for 12weeks. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of RS on insulin sensitivity and secretion, ectopic fat, and inflammatory markers. Secondary outcomes included energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, appetite, food intake, colonic microbial composition, fecal and plasma levels of short-chain fatty acids, fecal RS excretion, and gut permeability. Out of 280 individuals screened, 68 were randomized, 65 started the intervention, and 63 were analyzed at baseline (mean age 55y, BMI 35.6kg/m2); 2 were excluded from baseline analyses due to abnormal insulin and diabetes. Sex and race comparisons at baseline were reported. African-Americans had higher baseline acute insulin response to glucose (AIRg measured by frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test) compared to Caucasians, despite having less visceral adipose tissue mass and intrahepatic lipid; all other glycemic variables were similar between races. Sleep energy expenditure was ~90-100kcal/day lower in African-Americans after adjusting for insulin sensitivity and secretion. This manuscript provides an overview of the strategy used to enroll people with prediabetes into the STARCH trial and describes methodologies used in the assessment of risk factors for diabetes. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: STARCH (NCT01708694). The present study reference can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01708694. Submission Category: "Study Design, Statistical Design, Study Protocols".
Two-Component Ferritin Nanoparticles for Multimerization of Diverse Trimeric Antigens.

Antigen multimerization on a nanoparticle can result in improved neutralizing antibody responses. A platform that has been successfully used for displaying antigens from a number of different viruses is ferritin, a self-assembling protein nanoparticle that allows the attachment of multiple copies (24 monomers or 8 trimers) of a single antigen. Here, we design two-component ferritin variants that allow the attachment of two different antigens on a single particle in a defined ratio and geometric pattern. The two-component ferritin was specifically designed for trimeric antigens, accepting four trimers per particle for each antigen, and was tested with antigens derived from HIV-1 envelope (Env) and influenza hemagglutinin (HA). Particle formation and the presence of native-like antigen conformation were confirmed through negative-stain electron microscopy and antibody–antigen binding analysis. Immunizations in guinea pigs with two-component ferritin particles, displaying diverse Env, HA, or both antigens, e...
Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia: A General Overview with Focus on the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitors.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) encompasses the spectrum of iatrogenic hyperkinetic movement disorders following exposure to dopamine receptor-blocking agents (DRBAs). Despite the advent of atypical or second- and third-generation antipsychotics with a presumably lower risk of complications, TD remains a persistent and challenging problem. Prevention is the first step in mitigating the risk of TD, but early recognition, gradual withdrawal of offending medications, and appropriate treatment are also critical. As TD is often a persistent and troublesome disorder, specific antidyskinetic therapies are often needed for symptomatic relief. The vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitors, which include tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine, and valbenazine, are considered the treatment of choice for most patients with TD. Deutetrabenazine—a deuterated version of tetrabenazine—and valbenazine, the purified parent product of one of the main tetrabenazine metabolites, are novel VMAT2 inhibitors and the only drugs to receive approval from the US FDA for the treatment of TD. VMAT2 inhibitors deplete presynaptic dopamine and reduce involuntary movements in many hyperkinetic movement disorders, particularly TD, Huntington disease, and Tourette syndrome. The active metabolites of the VMAT2 inhibitors have high affinity for VMAT2 and minimal off-target binding. Compared with tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine and valbenazine have pharmacokinetic advantages that translate into less frequent dosing and better tolerability. However, no head-to-head studies have compared the various VMAT2 inhibitors. One of the major advantages of VMAT2 inhibitors over DRBAs, which are still being used by some clinicians in the treatment of some hyperkinetic disorders, including TD, is that they are not associated with the development of TD. We also briefly discuss other treatment options for TD, including amantadine, clonazepam, Gingko biloba, zolpidem, botulinum toxin, and deep brain stimulation. Treatment of TD and other drug-induced movement disorders must be individualized and based on the severity, phenomenology, potential side effects, and other factors discussed in this review.
Diseño de un esterilizador industrial por concentración de energía solar, para alimentos enlatados

El presente articulo muestra el diseno de un colector solar termico, para ser implementado en un autoclave de vapor en un proceso industrial de esterilizacion de alimentos enlatados, para la ciudad de Bogota, Colombia. La seleccion del tipo de colector solar se baso en los parametros climaticos y de radiacion solar de la zona, eligiendo el colector por tubos de vacio con tubo de calor. Para validar el diseno, se llevo a cabo un analisis por elementos finitos en un solo tubo del colector solar, enfocado en el analisis de temperaturas necesarias del proceso, tomando en cuenta la radiacion incidente de la zona de estudio en el dia de mayor distancia entre el Sol y la Tierra.
IUPAC gas chromatographic method for determination of fatty acid composition: collaborative study.

An international collaborative study of IUPAC methods II.D.19 and II.D.25 for preparation and GLC analysis of fatty acid methyl esters was begun in 1976. The IUPAC methodology, applicable to animal and vegetable oils and fats and fatty acids from all sources, contains special instructions for preparation and analysis of methyl esters of fatty acids containing 4 or more carbon atoms (analysis of milk fat). Twenty-three collaborators participated in the analysis of 5 known mixtures, 4 vegetable oils, 1 fish oil, and 2 butterfats. Several blind duplicate samples were included. The experimental data were subjected to statistical analysis to examine intra- and interlaboratory variation. Reproducibility and accuracy data for the higher fatty acid (14:0-22:1) mixtures and fish and vegetable oils were satisfactory and were in good agreement with results from an AOCS Smalley Committee check sample program involving analysis of the same samples. Typical coefficients of variation (%) at various concentrations were 15 (2% level), 8.5 (5% level), 7 (10% level), and 3 (50% level). Low recoveries and poor reproducibility were characteristics of results obtained for butyric acid in the butterfat and related known mixtures. A coefficient of variation of about 19% was found for analysis of butyric acid in butterfat, vs coefficients of variation in the range of 4-13% for similar levels of other components in butterfat and other samples. The IUPAC methodology for GLC analysis of fats and oils other than milk fats has been adopted by the AOAC as official first action to replace the current GLC method, 28.063-28.067.
The Role of Sensorimotor Rhythmic EEG Activity in the Etiology and Treatment of Generalized Motor Seizures

Since our initial reports of successful seizure reduction in drug-refractory epileptics through the application of EEG biofeedback techniques developed in cat research (Sterman & Friar, 1972; Sterman, Macdonald, & Stone, 1974), there have been abundant confirmations of this therapeutic effect in man (Finley, Smith, & Etherton, 1975; Seifert & Lubar, 1975; Ellertsen & Klove, 1976; Lubar & Bahler, 1976; Wyler, Lockard, Ward, & Finch, 1976; Wyler, Robbins, & Dodrill, 1979; Sterman & Macdonald, 1978; Kuhlman, 1978; Cott, Pavloski, & Black, 1979; Sterman & Shouse, 1981; Lubar, Shabsin, Natelson, Holder, Whitsett, Pamplin, & Krulikowski, 1981). Moreover, the questions immediately raised concerning the incorporation of adequate control procedures and the specificity of this effect have now been put to rest. What remains at issue, however, is an understanding of the mechanism responsible for the elevated seizure thresholds produced by this technique (see, for example, Wyler, Chapter 6). Also in question is the appropriate clinical utilization of EEG biofeedback therapy as an alternative to extended drug trials or neurosurgery for poorly controlled patients. This discussion will address both of these issues.