cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of particle and bulk level cohesion reduction of surface modified fine aluminum powders

Abstract In this work, characterization of cohesion reduction at the particle as well as bulk scales is addressed, including the investigation of analytical models to relate the properties at two scales. Two techniques, surface silanization and dry particle coating, are utilized to reduce the cohesiveness and improve the flowability of fine cohesive aluminum powders. Cohesiveness of these surface modified powders is evaluated at the particle scale through the particle properties such as surface roughness and surface energy, and at the bulk scale in both consolidated and aerated state using a Sevilla Powder Tester through unconfined tensile strength, solid fraction, settling and bubbling velocity. In addition, bulk-scale characterization using standard Angle of Repose (AoR) method is carried out. An analytical model is proposed, which allows for calculating interparticle pull-off force where the representative surface morphology is randomly generated and the plastic deformation of asperities in contact is taken into account. Experimental results indicate that surface silanization and dry particle coating can dramatically improve the flowability, and make otherwise unfluidizable powder fluidizable. The reduction of cohesiveness is largely ascribed to the reduction of surface free energy, which becomes less than 1/4 of the original value. Bond number is computed for all samples from the interparticle pull-off force and measured particle size. Surface modification drastically reduces the Bond number by approximately 2 orders of magnitude indicating the significant improvement of flowability. Representation of particle cohesiveness by Bond number has good qualitative agreement with the bulk-scale cohesiveness characterized by the Angle of Repose as well as the bubbling velocity which is measured using the Sevilla Powder Tester.
A Dual-V t low leakage SRAM array robust to process variations

This paper presents a dual-Vt SRAM array design which is robust to process variations. After reviewing a cell-level analysis to compare various dual-Vt configurations under variations, an algorithm is introduced which assigns a configuration to each cell in an SRAM array to meet a target read delay with minimum leakage at a desired probability. Two versions of the algorithm are discussed which trade off accuracy in wire delay estimation with granularity of assignment. Simulation results show the probability of meeting a target read delay at various locations is at least 0.93 using our proposed techniques.
Treatment compliance in patients lost to follow-up after polysomnography.

Objectives Studies on positive airway pressure (PAP) compliance typically focus only on patients who returned for follow-up. In this study, we examined patients who failed to follow-up after their initial polysomnogram (PSG) and PAP titration to determine their treatment status in terms of PAP usage. Study design On retrospective chart review, we identified 57 patients who, based on PSG findings and symptoms, required the use of PAP but failed to follow-up after titration. Twenty-five of these patients were successfully contacted and agreed to an interview. Results Only 7 (28%) patients were using PAP on a regular basis. The remaining 18 (72%) patients were noncompliant. Conclusions A significant proportion (24%) of OSA patients who required treatment with PAP were lost to follow-up after polysomnography. This group of patients has previously been ignored in the literature. We showed in this study that majority (72%) of these patients were not being treated adequately for OSA.
Automatic detection of foreign objects in computed radiography

This paper presents an effective two-step scheme for automatic object detection in computed radiography (CR) images. First, various structure elements of the morphological filters, designed by incorporating available morphological features of the objects of interest including their sizes and rough shape descriptions, are used to effectively distinguish the foreign object candidates from the complex background structures. Second, since the boundaries of the objects are the key features in reflecting object characteristics, active contour models are employed to accurately outline the morphological shapes of the suspicious foreign objects to further reduce the rate of false alarms. The actual detection scheme is accomplished by jointly using these two steps. The proposed methods are tested with a database of 50 hand-wrist computed radiographic images containing various types of foreign objects. Our experimental results demonstrate that the combined use of morphological filters and active contour models can provide an effective automatic detection of foreign objects in CR images achieving good sensitivity and specificity, and the accurate descriptions of the object morphological characteristics.
Preparation and addition polymerization of substituted 2-oxazolines

The new oxazoline-containing monomers, 4-acrylyloxymethyl-2,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline (AOMO), 4-methacrylyloxymethyl-2,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline (MAOMO), 4-methacrylyloxymethyl-2-phenyl-4-methyl-2-oxazoline (PMAOMO), and the previously known monomer, 2-isopropenyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline (IPRO), were synthesized for addition polymerization studies. The monomers were homopolymerized in benzene using a free radical initiator and in aqueous media using emulsion techniques. Molecular weights of 8,000–15,000 (Mw) were obtained for the homopolymers. Copolymerization studies were carried out with AOMO, MAOMO, and IPRO as M1, and methyl methacrylate (MMA), methyl acrylate (MA), styrene (STY), acrylonitrile (AN), and vinyl acetate (VA) as M2 for each case of M1. Relative reactivity ratios for the fifteen copolymers and Q and e values for the three oxazoline monomers were determined. The r1 values for AOMO and MAOMO copolymerizations indicated a lower value of k11 than expected, presumably because of steric effects. The r1 values in the IPRO copolymerizations were somewhat larger than expected. It was proposed that significant electron donation to the radical center of IPRO·by resonance effects occured.
Arcade mitral valve and anomalous left coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery

Abstract The use of color Doppler interrogation significantly improves accuracy in the evaluation of coronary artery anatomy. This was demonstrated in a patient in whom the left coronary artery originated from the posterior and medial aspect of the pulmonary artery, a particularly difficult coronary anomaly to detect by 2-dimensional imaging. In addition to the coronary artery anomaly, this patient also had an arcade mitral valve. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2001;14:641-3.)
A favorable view: progress in cancer prevention and screening.

Clifton Leaf, in his article “Why We’re Losing the War on Cancer,” presents criticisms of past research approaches and the small impact of this research thus far on producing cures or substantially extending the life of many cancer patients. It is true that gains in long-term survival for people with advanced cancers have been modest, hindered in part by the heterogeneity of tumors, which allows the cancers to persist using alternate molecular pathways and so evade many cancer therapeutics. In contrast, clinical trials have demonstrated that it is possible to reduce the incidence or improve cancer survival through prevention and early detection. Strides have been made in preventing or detecting early the four deadliest cancers in the United States (i.e., lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal). For example, 7-year follow-up data from the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) provides evidence that tamoxifen reduces the occurrence of invasive breast tumors by more than 40%; recent studies using aromatase inhibitors and raloxifene are also promising. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed that finasteride reduced prostate cancer incidence by 25%, and the ongoing Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is investigating selenium and vitamin E for prostate cancer prevention based on encouraging results from earlier studies. Living a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity, avoiding obesity, and eating primarily a plant-based diet has been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. In addition, noninvasive stool DNA tests for early detection are being studied, which may lessen the reluctance of people to be screened for colorectal polyps and cancer. Behavioral and medical approaches for smoking prevention are ways to reduce the incidence of lung cancer, with antinicotine vaccines on the horizon that may help former smokers to avoid relapse. The US National Lung Screening Trial is testing whether early detection via spiral CT screening will reduce lung cancer mortality. Prevention and earlier detection offer efficient and practical strategies to reduce the cancer burden. Several of the suggestions Mr. Leaf makes, such as developing interdisciplinary collaborations and allocating resources to research earlier in the process of carcinogenesis, have become an integral strategy in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) approach in the past decade, specifically in the realm of cancer prevention and early detection. For example, an aggressive program to identify biomarkers for earlier detection of cancer — the NCI’s Early Detection Research Detection (EDRN) — has identified three promising biomarkers since its establishment in 2000. It collaborates with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and extramural scientists to develop validation standards and to identify the best technologies to use for systematic investigations. If these biomarkers can be validated, they might help to reduce cancer mortality.
Embodied Surveillance And The Gendering Of Punishment

This ethnography explores the enactment of “get tough” politics in a state prison for women and considers whether the implementation of seemingly gender-neutral programs and policies implies that w...
Buried oxide vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays with transparent top electrodes

We present properties of densely packed all-epitaxial oxide-apertured VCSEL arrays. The devices utilize transparent contacts to increase the available packing density and are fabricated in a planar manner through the use of via holes. Initial results on thermal isolation between devices are encouraging and indicate that arrays with high packing densities based on the proposed architecture are achievable with acceptable cross talk.
Supporting case-based design for packaged software implementations

Design in packaged software implementation (PSI) is the process to solve business problems by customizing and integrating the off-the-shelf software package. PSI experts frequently practice case-based design (CBD) when facing a new problem situation: explore the past design cases, find a similar case, and reuse the design for that case in the new problem situation. The success of CBD depends on a continuous cycle of knowledge creation. This paper presents a theoretical framework of case-based design as an organizational knowledge creation process. Based on this framework, the research proposes an innovative tool to support CBD in packaged software implementations. The fundamental belief is that by utilizing the collective power of a large group of people, better designs can be achieved at lower costs with lower risks.
EWOD-Driven Translational Movement of a Liquid Polyelectrolyte Droplet

Controlled transportation of air- and electrochemically stable materials is of interest in many areas of science. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of an ionic liquid monomer and its corresponding polyelectrolyte. The translational movement of these ionic liquid droplets across a substrate using the mechanism of electrowetting on a dielectric (EWOD) is demonstrated with emphasis given to electrode design and selective switching in the device construction. Directional control of a 2 mm sized polyelectrolyte droplet is shown to laterally move across the substrate surface on the order of 10s of minutes due to its increased viscosity, whereas its ionic liquid monomer also transverses but at a much faster pace-on the order of 10s of seconds. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Metal–organic polyhedra constructed from dinuclear ruthenium paddlewheels

Abstract Reactions of Ru2n+ [n = 4 for Ru2(OAc)4 and n = 5 for Ru2(OAc)4Cl] with H2CDC (9H-3,6-carbazoledicarboxylic acid), H2BBDC (5-tert-butyl-1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid) and H2BDC (1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid) were conducted in inert atmospheres under solvothermal conditions in a sealed tube. Two octahedral cages, [Ru2(CDC)2Cl]6, 1 and [Ru2(CDC)2]6, 2 were obtained when starting from Ru2n+ with CDC, and two cuboctahedral cages, [Ru2(BBDC)2Cl]12, 3 and [Ru2(BDC)2]12, 4 were yielded when starting from Ru2n+ with BDC based linkers. Structures of these MOPs were characterized by single crystal X-ray analyses. The resulted MOPs have shown redox activity and magnetic properties similar to their parent metal complexes.
Quebecol, a novel phenolic compound isolated from Canadian maple syrup

The province of Quebec in Canada leads the world’s production of maple syrup, a natural sweetener obtained by thermal evaporation of sap collected from maple (Acer) species. As part of our laboratory’s detailed chemical investigation of Canadian maple syrup, a novel phenolic compound, 2,3,3-tri-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, assigned the common name of quebecol, was obtained. Quebecol was isolated using a combination of chromatographic methods and identified by detailed 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectral (MS) analyses. Liquid chromatography mass spectral (LC-MS) analyses revealed that quebecol is not originally present in maple sap. This observation, as well as the lack of a feasible biosynthetic pathway to explain its origin, suggests that quebecol is formed during the processing and/or extraction of maple syrup. Thus, the identification and biological evaluation of non-natural, process-derived compounds in maple syrup are warranted since such molecules may contribute towards the biological activities reported for this natural sweetener.
Endovascular aneurysm repair: gender-specific results.

Abstract Objectives The outcome for a wide variety of diseases and treatment methods varies by gender. In an effort to determine whether gender has a role in the outcome of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, we analyzed data from consecutive patients treated at a single institution over 6 years. Methods Over 6 years ending in March 2002, 704 patients underwent endovascular repair of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm at The Cleveland Clinic. Six hundred six patients (86.1%) were men and 98 patients (13.9%) were women. Preprocedure and postprocedure imaging studies were evaluated to determine the frequency of aneurysm sac shrinkage or growth, defined as diameter change equal to or greater than 5 mm. Presence and type of endoleak was assessed with non–contrast material–enhanced, post-contrast-enhanced, and delayed post-contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans. These and other clinical variables were assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox-Mantel log-rank test, and values were expressed as mean ± SE. Results Male and female patients were comparable with respect to baseline comorbid conditions. Women, however, were slightly older (76.7 ± 0.7 years vs 74.4 ± 0.3 years; P = .009), and had slightly smaller aneurysms (5.2 ± 0.1 cm vs 5.4 ± 0.04 cm; P = .033). There were no gender-specific differences in perioperative mortality (men, 1.3%; women, 3.1%; P = .197) or mid-term (24 months) survival (men, 80% ± 2.6%; women, 78% ± 8.1%). Similarly, there were no differences at 24 months in risk for graft migration (7.5% ± 2.0% vs 5.4% ± 3.2%), need for secondary remedial procedures (24% ± 2.9% vs 21% ± 6.3%), conversion to open surgery (3.9% ± 1.5% vs 3.8% ±2.7%), or post-repair aneurysm rupture (1.1% ± 0.9% vs 2.2% ±2.2%) in male and female patients, respectively. In contrast, risk for graft limb occlusion at 24 months was significantly higher in women than in men (11% ± 5.2% vs 3.3% ± 1.1%; P = .022). While frequency of endoleak of any type did not differ among male and female patients, aneurysm sac shrinkage at 24 months was more rapid in women (76% ± 8.1% vs 57% ± 3.5%; P = .019). Conclusions With the exception of slightly older age and somewhat smaller aneurysm, female patients are similar to male patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair. A greater frequency of graft limb occlusion was observed in female patients, but no statistically significant differences were detected in survival, rupture risk, or need for secondary procedures. Moreover, a more rapid rate of aneurysm sac shrinkage was detected in women. These observations suggest that endovascular aneurysm repair should be offered to suitable candidates irrespective of gender.
Cadmium effects on mitochondrial function are enhanced by elevated temperatures in a marine poikilotherm, Crassostrea virginica Gmelin (Bivalvia: Ostreidae).

SUMMARY Marine intertidal mollusks, such as oysters, are exposed to multiple stressors in estuaries, including varying environmental temperature and levels of trace metals, which may interactively affect their physiology. In order to understand the combined effects of cadmium and elevated temperature on mitochondrial bioenergetics of marine mollusks, respiration rates and mitochondrial volume changes were studied in response to different cadmium levels (0–1000 μmol l –1 ) and temperatures (15, 25 and 35°C) in isolated mitochondria from the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica acclimated at 15°C. It was found that both cadmium and temperature significantly affect mitochondrial function in oysters. Elevated temperature had a rate-enhancing effect on state 3 (ADP-stimulated) and states 4 and 4+ (representative of proton leak) respiration, and the rate of temperature-dependent increase was higher for states 4 and 4+ than for state 3 respiration. Exposure of oyster mitochondria to 35°C resulted in a decreased respiratory control and phosphorylation efficiency (P/O ratio) compared to that of the acclimation temperature (15°C), while an intermediate temperature (25°C) had no effect. Cadmium exposure did not lead to a significant volume change in oyster mitochondria in vitro . Low levels of cadmium (1–5 μmol l –1 ) stimulated the rate of proton leak in oyster mitochondria, while not affecting ADP-stimulated state 3 respiration. In contrast, higher cadmium levels (10–50 μmol l –1 ) had little or no effect on proton leak, but significantly inhibited state 3 respiration by 40–80% of the control rates. Elevated temperature increased sensitivity of oyster mitochondria to cadmium leading to an early inhibition of ADP-stimulated respiration and an onset of complete mitochondrial uncoupling at progressively lower cadmium concentrations with increasing temperature. Enhancement of cadmium effects by elevated temperatures suggests that oyster populations subjected to elevated temperatures due to seasonal warming or global climate change may become more susceptible to trace metal pollution, and vice versa .
Gender Distrust and Intimate Unions Among Low-Income Hispanic and African American Women

We investigate levels of generalized distrust of men among low-income African American, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and non-Hispanic white women in a three-city survey. The results reveal substantial variation. We find Hispanics' overall levels of distrust to be higher than levels for either African Americans or whites. Among Hispanics, however, Dominicans are the most distrusting group followed by Puerto Ricans; whereas Mexicans report levels of distrust that are comparable to African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Married women are less distrusting than cohabiting women who, in turn, are less distrusting than non-cohabiting women. Nevertheless, distrust is not a significant predictor of a woman's total number of lifetime marital and cohabiting relationships; and distrust only marginally predicts a woman's desire to be in a steady relationship. We suggest that studies of trust in this population should focus more on attitudes displayed in specific encounters than on overall, generalized attitudes about gender distrust.
Molecular genetics of mosquito resistance to malaria parasites.

Malaria parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, but even efficient vector species possess multiple mechanisms that together destroy most of the parasites present in an infection. Variation between individual mosquitoes has allowed genetic analysis and mapping of loci controlling several resistance traits, and the underlying mechanisms of mosquito response to infection are being described using genomic tools such as transcriptional and proteomic analysis. Malaria infection imposes fitness costs on the vector, but various forms of resistance inflict their own costs, likely leading to an evolutionary tradeoff between infection and resistance. Plasmodium development can be successfully completed only in compatible mosquito-parasite species combinations, and resistance also appears to have parasite specificity. Studies of Drosophila, where genetic variation in immunocompetence is pervasive in wild populations, offer a comparative context for understanding coevolution of the mosquito-malaria relationship. More broadly, plants also possess systems of pathogen resistance with features that are structurally conserved in animal innate immunity, including insects, and genomic datasets now permit useful comparisons of resistance models even between such diverse organisms.
Bilirubin 20 mg/dL = vigintiphobia.

VIGINTIPHOBIA: A ONE-ACT PLAY Cast: A third-year pediatric resident A 40-year-old neonatologist A 50-year-old practicing pediatrician Scene: The hallway outside of the normal newborn nursery at almost any hospital Time: Any time in 1983 Resident:—(addressing the neonatologist) We just admitted an apparently healthy 4-day-old term infant for evaluation and treatment of jaundice. The baby was the product of a normal pregnancy and delivery and weighed 3,200 g when born at this hospital. The baby went home at 48 hours of age and was being fed a commercial formula. The infant now weighs 3,250 g. Physical examination is entirely normal and the baby is vigorous.
Process-Based Risk Measures for Observable and Partially Observable Discrete-Time Controlled Systems

For controlled discrete-time stochastic processes we introduce a new class of dynamic risk measures, which we call process-based. Their main features are that they measure risk of processes that are functions of the history of the base process. We introduce a new concept of conditional stochastic time consistency and we derive the structure of process-based risk measures enjoying this property. We show that they can be equivalently represented by a collection of static law-invariant risk measures on the space of functions of the state of the base process. We apply this result to controlled Markov processes and we derive dynamic programming equations. Next, we consider partially observable processes and we derive the structure of stochastically conditionally time-consistent risk measures in this case. We prove that they can be represented by a sequence of law invariant risk measures on the space of function of the observable part of the state. We also prove corresponding dynamic programming equations.
Improved spread spectrum digital audio watermarking based on a modified perceptual entropy psychoacoustic model

The proliferation of the Internet and increasing data delivery speeds has facilitated the exchange of multimedia products, both in legal and illegal ways. Digital watermarking offers promise for effective content and copyright protection of digital multimedia. We present an audio watermarking system based on a modified perceptual entropy psychoacoustic model and spread spectrum algorithm. By using better perceptual masking, adaptive insertion of the watermark, blind detection and a better synchronization scheme, this approach provides improved robustness, greater capacity and needs lower computation than similar approaches.
Place of residence modifies the association between acculturation and dietary tools knowledge among Latina WIC participants: a multi-state study.

This cross-sectional study assessed: (a) awareness and knowledge of federal dietary tools (MyPyramid, Food Guide Pyramid (FGP), and food labels (FL)), and (b) the influence of acculturation and state of residence on FGP knowledge (FGPK) indicators among low-income Latina WIC participants (N = 479) living in Connecticut, Ohio, Texas, and California. Participants were familiar with FGP but only 37% recognized MyPyramid. FGPK was highest for fruits (71%) and lowest for the ‘breads and cereals’ group (12%). Less than half (47%) used FL’s when grocery shopping. Living in OH, was associated with the lowest FGPK. Multivariate analyses showed that more acculturated individuals living in CT/CA had better FGPK than participants living in TX and their less acculturated counterparts in CT/CA. The forthcoming revised federal dietary tools need to be adequately disseminated among Latinos, with special emphasis on those with lower acculturation levels, living in rapid emerging Latino communities or in the US–Mexico border.
Characterizing outage capacity for space-time communication over wideband wireless channels

We provide a compact characterization of the outage rates for wideband wireless communication, quantifying the effects of frequency and spatial diversity. Our information-theoretic computations yield the following findings. (a) Complex models typically employed in simulations can be replaced by simple, bandwidth-dependent, tap delay line models without loss of generality. (b) The spectral efficiency (i.e., the achievable rate, divided by the bandwidth) is well approximated as a Gaussian random variable, so that it is only necessary to specify its mean and variance to obtain outage rates. (c) The mean spectral efficiency depends only on the spatial diversity, while the variance depends on the spatial and frequency diversity via a product. Our definitions of frequency and spatial diversity have physically motivated interpretations, and are not based on high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) asymptotics as in prior work.
Use of an Elliptical Aperture to Control Saturation in Closely-Coupled, Cold Iron, Superconducting Dipole Magnets

The high fields permitted by superconducting windings result in saturation of closely-coupled iron in dipole and quadrupole beam transport magnets. Coupland1 suggested using a triangular cutout at the poles to reduce the change in the sextupole (b2) term due to saturation. The use of an elliptical aperture in a close-coupled dipole for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) has been studied using the BNL computer program MDP (a version of GFUN). The ellipse aspect ratio was varied while holding the horizontal (minor) radius constant. The proper aspect ratio gives no shift in b2 due to saturation, and a reduction in the b4 shift. A modification of the ellipse also reduces b4. The elliptical aperture introduces a large b2 term at low field which must be compensated for by the coil design. A practical coil design which does this for the RHIC magnet is presented.
The Global Gag Rule: Impacts of conservative ideology on women’s health

This article will outline the legislative history of the Global Gag Rule and will describe the key stakeholders responsible for the policy’s passage and promotion. The negative effects associated with the policy’s implementation will be discussed, as well as its implications for human rights discourse and political activism.
The Theory And Application Of The Management Game Approach To Teaching Business Policy

Presents information on a study which described a management game theory that emphasizes the dynamic character of business. Purpose and structure of the game; Description of the game; Features of t...
RARE CASE OF R TO L SHUNTING THROUGH PATENT FORAMEN OVALE AFTER MITRAL VALVE REPLACEMENT

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a common condition present in about 20% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery as identified by intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE). Management of a coincidental diagnosis of PFO during cardiac surgery is variable. A 44-year-old female with end-stage
Metal-Cored Welding GMAW Consumables Development for Girth Welding of X-100 Pipe

Metal-cored wire electrodes with different compositions were used to make girth weld joints at a heat input of 0.7–0.8 kJ/mm. Design of experiments methodology was used to create a response surface primarily in carbon (C), manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni) space in steel containing molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), and boron (B) additions. This allowed the modeling of all-weld-metal yield strength, tensile strength and Charpy impact toughness as a function of weld metal composition. Results indicated that weld metal yield and tensile strengths have a linear dependence on the %C, %Mn and %Ni content of the weld. The Charpy impact toughness behavior at −20° C was more complex, initially showing a dependence on %C and %Ni in small scale trials, and subsequently showing a dependence on the %oxygen (O) and %Mn content in full scale production trials. These results can be combined for graphical optimization of the response surface to identify regions in weld metal composition that contain the desired weld metal yield, tensile and Charpy impact toughness for design of metal-cored wire electrodes for the welding of X-100 pipe. These results and their implications for design of girth welds in X-100 pipe are presented in this study.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Renal Nerves Are Involved in the Natriuresis and Diuresis Produced by Central Administration of Clonidine in the Rat

To determine whether renal nerves are involved in natriuresis or diuresis produced by the intracerebroventricular administration of clonidine (0.2, 2.0, and 8 micrograms/kg/min, and 2.0 microliters/min), urine flow, and sodium excretion were measured before and during clonidine administration from innervated and contralateral denervated kidneys in anesthetized (Inactin, 0.1 g/kg, ip) Sprague-Dawley rats. Baseline urine flow and sodium excretion were elevated after renal denervation prior to infusion of clonidine. Examining urine flow and sodium excretion before and during clonidine infusion indicated significant increases in urine flow and sodium excretion from the innervated kidneys but not from the denervated kidneys, possibly due to the renal sympatho-inhibition in the innervated kidney. However, the higher doses of clonidine (2 and 8 micrograms/kg/min) may have diffused out of the intracerebroventricular space into the peripheral circulation and produced their effect by a direct action on the kidney. Subsequently, two experiments were performed to distinguish between a central action and peripheral action. First, clonidine was administered centrally with concurrent administration of an alpha 2-blocker, yohimbine (8 micrograms/kg/min, i.v.), peripherally. In a second experiment the dose of clonidine was reduced 10-fold such that this reduced dose did not produce a peripheral action but still produced the renal responses to central administration. The results of the latter two studies further confirmed that natriuresis and diuresis produced by intracerebroventricular administration of clonidine is in part mediated by renal nerves.
Supercharging with m-nitrobenzyl alcohol and propylene carbonate: forming highly charged ions with extended, near-linear conformations.

The effectiveness of the supercharging reagents m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA) and propylene carbonate at producing highly charged protein ions in electrospray ionization is compared. Addition of 5% m-NBA or 15% propylene carbonate increases the average charge of three proteins by ∼21% or ∼23%, respectively, when these ions are formed from denaturing solutions (water/methanol/acetic acid). These results indicate that both reagents are nearly equally effective at supercharging when used at their optimum concentrations. A narrowing of the charge state distribution occurs with both reagents, although this effect is greater for propylene carbonate. Focusing the ion signal into fewer charge states has the advantage of improving sensitivity. The maximum charge state of ubiquitin formed with propylene carbonate is 21+, four charges higher than previously reported. Up to nearly 30% of all residues in a protein can be charged, and the collisional cross sections of the most highly charged ions of both ubiquitin and ...
Prostaglandins E2 and E2 alpha are elevated in saliva of cystic fibrosis patients

Several products of arachidonic acid metabolism were assayed in whole saliva of patients with cystic fibrosis, a disease affecting primarily the exocrine glands. The levels of prostaglandins (PG) E2 and F2 alpha were elevated fourfold in patients with cystic fibrosis, compared with a control group (mean +/- SEM for PGE2 1.13 +/- 0.22 vs 0.37 +/- 0.08 ng/ml saliva, p less than 0.005; and for PGE2 alpha 0.84 +/- 0.27 vs 0.17 +/- 0.03 ng/ml saliva, p less than 0.025). The levels of PGI2, hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids, and leukotrienes showed no significant differences between the two groups. These changes were not present in individuals heterozygous for the cystic fibrosis gene. Study of appropriate control groups suggested that the changes that we observed in patients with cystic fibrosis could not be attributed to their lung disease or to the medications these patients were receiving. Our findings indicate that metabolism of arachidonic acid is abnormal in cystic fibrosis.
Melanosis of the Prostate Gland: Report of a Case with Neoplastic Epithelium Involvement

AbstractProstate gland melanosis is an uncommon lesion and the precise histogenesis is unclear. Melanin may be found within melanocytes in the prostatic stroma, within prostatic epithelium and, rarely, in both locations. The stromal dendritic cell has been shown to contain premelanosomes and melanosomes suggesting primary melanin production by this cell. The melanogenic potential of prostatic epithelial cells has not yet been conclusively established.An example of prostatic melanosis is presented in which stromal and epithelial components were found. This dual distribution of melanin has been regarded as an indication that melanin in the epithelial cells results from phagocytosis of melanin from stromal melanocytes as a secondary phenomenon. Melanin pigment was identified not only within hyperplastic prostatic epithelium but also was found in the epithelial component of a well differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma.
Rough resolution: a refinement of resolution to remove large literals

Semantic hyper-linking [Plaisted et al., 1992, Chu and Plaisted, 1993, Chu and Plaisted, 1992] has been proposed recently to use semantics with hyper-linking [Lee and Plaisted, 1992], an instance-based theorem proving technique. Ground instances are generated until an unsatisfiable ground set is obtained; semantics is used to greatly reduce the search space. One disadvantage of semantic hyper-linking is that large ground literals, if needed in the proofs, sometimes are hard to generate. In this paper we propose rough resolution, a refinement of resolution [Robinson, 1965], to only resolve upon maximum literals, that are potentially large in ground instances, and obtain rough resolvents. Rough resolvents can be used by semantic hyper-linking to avoid generating large ground literals since maximum literals have been deleted. As an example, we will show how rough resolution helps to prove LIM3 [Bledsoe, 1990], which cannot be proved using semantic hyper-linking only. We will also show other results in which rough resolution helps to find the proofs faster. Though incomplete, rough resolution can be used with other complete methods that prefer small clauses.
The Early Cretaceous Apple Bay flora of Vancouver Island: a hotspot of fossil bryophyte diversity1

The pre-Cenozoic bryophyte fossil record is significantly sparser than that of vascular plants or Cenozoic bryophytes. This situation has been traditionally attributed to a hypothesized low preservation potential of the plants. However, instances of excellent pre-Cenozoic bryophyte preservation and the results of experiments simulating fossilization contradict this traditional interpretation, suggesting that bryophytes have good preservation potential. Studies of an anatomically preserved Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) plant fossil assemblage on Vancouver Island (British Columbia), at Apple Bay, focusing on the cryptogamic flora, have revealed an abundant bryophyte component. The Apple Bay flora hosts one of the most diverse bryophyte assemblages worldwide, with at least nine distinct moss types (polytrichaceous, leucobryaceous, tricostate), one complex thalloid liverwort, and two other thalloid plants (representing bryophyte or pteridophyte gametophytes), which contribute a significant fraction of biodiv...
Receta del Testimonio Mole: A Value-Rich Recipe for Folklórico Resilience Testimonio.

This testimonio explores the story of three hermanas and their connections to comunidad, familia, and self-esteem through Mexican folklorico. Each testimonio is positioned within a Latin Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) framework and further explored through Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth framework. The stories within this paper allow each hermana’s Truth to take shape in a way that is authentic to their experience through the voice, structure, and tone of each testimonio. In this way, testimonio is used as methodology in radical storytelling (Cruz, 2012). The hermanas explore their relationship to ethnic identity and cultural heritage as Mexicanos who have a relationship to traditional Mexican folklorico. Within their stories, each of the hermanas testimonialistas discuss the unique ways in which their ethnicity intersects with other aspects of their identities, including gender, sexuality, and nationality. These stories are examples of testimonio as both a product and a process. More importantly, these testimonios illustrate the ways in which marginalized communities make sense of the world around them in a way that empowers and uplifts the MindBodySpirit.
STIMULATION OF HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES: ACTIVATION BY A SODIUM PERIODATE INDUCED GROWTH FACTOR

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the stimulation of human lymphocytes, an activation by a sodium periodate (NaIO4)-induced growth factor. NaIO4 stimulates human peripheral blood lymphocytes to undergo DNA synthesis and cell division. Several distinct mechanisms for activation exist. Although lymphocyte growth factor (LGF) is evaluated in cultures of naive lymphocytes, it may contribute to late DNA synthesis in NaIO4-treated lymphocyte cultures. Such a component would be independent of the cell–cell contact required by the population that attains peak DNA synthesis within 48–72 h. Adherent cells influence the production of LGF and the response of autologous cells to LGF. The LGF activity could not be detected in the medium of NaIO4 stimulated depleted cultures, and LGF produced in adherent enriched cultures could not be assayed in depleted cultures.
Systemic lupus erythematosus: Extent and patterns of off-label use of rituximab for SLE

Despite conflicting evidence from clinical trials, rituximab continues to be used off-label in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A new study has now investigated the use of this drug for SLE in Europe, including indications for use and patient characteristics.
Gauguin, Darwin, & Design Thinking: A Solution to the Impasse between Innovation & Regulation

We live in a time of fast-paced change and societal upheaval. Whether it’s choosing whom to vote for, documenting personal stories, finding friends and spouses, commercializing personal assets, or creating innovative products and services, traditional behaviors have given way to new opportunities and methods of accomplishing these activities. Moreover, these goals can be accomplished much more quickly than was ever possible previously. As a result, the existing structure of laws and rules that benefit society by ensuring, inter alia, public safety, competitive markets, environmental health, and access to justice for all have come under increased pressure. The clash is most visible in the public confrontations between companies in the sharing economy and the state and local governments that have been on the front lines as entire industries have been disrupted.This essay examines the conflict between innovators and regulators, exploring the reasons behind it and analyzing the problems from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Although this chapter is intended as a thought piece, and not an exhaustive look at the issues, I do propose a possible path forward that I hope will stimulate further research and analysis, leading ultimately to a solution that all stakeholders will embrace.
No one can track you: Randomized authentication in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are formed by a huge number of vehicles which act as the network nodes and communicate with one another. This emerging paradigm has opened up new business opportunities and enables numerous applications ranging from road safety enhancement to mobile entertainment. A fundamental issue that impacts the successful deployment of VANET applications is the security and privacy concerns raised by VANET users. However, it is a challenging task to authenticate vehicles while fully preserving their privacy. In this work, we propose a novel privacy-preserving randomized authentication protocol that leverages Homomorphic encryption to allow each individual vehicle to self-generate any number of authenticated identities to achieve full anonymity in VANETs. The proposed protocol prevents vehicles from being tracked by any single party including peer vehicles, service providers, authentication servers, and other infrastructure. Meanwhile, our protocol also provides traceability in case of any dispute. We have conducted both security analysis and experimental study which demonstrates the superiority of our protocol compared to other existing works.
Integrating student-focused career planning into undergraduate gerontology programs.

ABSTRACTAs our global older adult populations are increasing, university programs are well-positioned to produce an effective, gerontology-trained workforce (Morgan, 2012; Silverstein & Fitzgerald,...
Sleep and Dementia

In this review, we seek to analyze the most novel findings recently published in the literature on sleep and dementia. The degeneration of suprachiasmatic nucleus and prefrontal cortex in dementia disrupts sleep-wake rhythmicity and contributes to cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD), respectively. Sleep deprivation increases amyloid-β production and decreases its clearance. Short and long duration of sleep increase risk of cognitive disorders. Studies suggest that obstructive sleep apnea accelerates amyloid deposition though intermittent hypoxia. Effect of CPAP on cognition is controversial. Subjects with severe daytime sleepiness or sleep-related movement disorder have a higher risk for vascular dementia. These findings highlight the impact of sleep on dementia. Thus, the bi-directional link of sleep and neurodegenerative disease may influence each other in many ways that have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of AD.
Models and Simulation

This chapter introduces the general concepts of modeling systems and simulation. The basic structure and behavior of systems and models are discussed. Other important topics discussed are: the various stages of a complete simulation study, the performance of a system estimated by running the simulation model, the general approaches for simulation modeling, and the simulation support software available.
The Power of Conversations

My father dropped out of school at a very early age. He was not very successful in school and thought it would be better to find a job to help his sister, who was raising him, pay the bills. He did whatever he could to bring a few dollars into the house, despite his sister’s protests and desire for him to go back to school. He eventually became a delivery boy for a local grocery store. He would deliver groceries purchased by customers in a push cart. Yes, this was in the 1930’s when walking was a much more common occurrence than today in many communities that make up our nation.
Hepatitis C is an Independent Risk Factor for Perioperative Complications and Nonroutine Discharge in Patients Treated Surgically for Hip Fractures.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between noncirrhotic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, perioperative complications, and discharge status in patients undergoing surgical procedures for hip fractures.Methods:A retrospective epidemiological study was performed, querying the National Hospital Di
India's Counterforce Temptations: Strategic Dilemmas, Doctrine, and Capabilities

Is India shifting to a nuclear counterforce strategy? Continued aggression by Pakistan against India, enabled by Islamabad's nuclear strategy and India's inability to counter it, has prompted the l...
Period prevalence of chronic pancreatitis diagnosis from 2001–2013 in the commercially insured population of the United States

Abstract Background Prevalence estimates of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the US are scarce. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CP in the commercially insured population of the US. Methods We analyzed the IQVIA Legacy PharMetrics database to calculate the period prevalence of CP from 2001 to 2013 among individuals with ≥1 year of enrollment. CP was defined as ≥1 healthcare contacts associated with a non-ancillary claim for a primary diagnosis of CP (ICD-9-CM 577.1). Prevalence estimates were age- and sex- adjusted to the 2010 US population. Sensitivity analysis was performed by using more stringent criteria: a) 1 claim of CP + [≥1 claims of acute pancreatitis (AP), CP or pancreatic cyst/pseudocyst]; b) 1 claim of CP + [≥1 claims for AP, CP or pancreatic cyst/pseudocyst in ≥3 months before or after the index CP claim]; c) ≥2 claims for CP; and d) ≥2 claims for CP separated by ≥ 6 months. Results Of 48.67 million eligible enrollees, 37,061 received the diagnosis of CP (mean age, 51.2 ± 15.2 years; 49% male). The age- and sex- adjusted period prevalence of CP per 100,000 was 73.4 (95% CI, 72.6–74.1), 98.7 (95% CI, 97.7–99.7) for adults and 8.3 (95% CI, 7.8–8.8) for children. Prevalence of CP was slightly higher in males (sex ratio, 1.05) and highest in the age group of 46–55 years (135/100,000). On sensitivity analysis, the prevalence of CP per 100,000 decreased to 60.2, 39.7, 38.8, and 18.8 with each of the alternative definitions. Conclusion Prevalence estimates reported in our study provide an insight into the population burden of CP in the US.
C–H Alkylation via Multisite-Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer of an Aliphatic C–H Bond

The direct, site-selective alkylation of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds in organic substrates is a long-standing goal in synthetic chemistry. General approaches to the activation of strong C-H bonds include radical-mediated processes involving highly reactive intermediates, such as heteroatom-centered radicals. Herein, we describe a catalytic, intermolecular C-H alkylation that circumvents such reactive species via a new elementary step for C-H cleavage involving multisite-proton-coupled electron transfer (multisite-PCET). Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction is catalyzed by a noncovalent complex formed between an iridium(III) photocatalyst and a monobasic phosphate base. The C-H alkylation proceeds efficiently using diverse hydrocarbons and complex molecules as the limiting reagent and represents a new approach to the catalytic functionalization of unactivated C(sp3)-H bonds.