cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational modelling of flow through prosthetic heart valves using the entropic lattice-Boltzmann method

Previous clinical, in vitro experimental and in silico simulation studies have shown the complex dynamics of flow through prosthetic heart valves. In the case of bileaflet mechanical heart valves (BMHVs), complex flow phenomena are observed due to the presence of two rigid leaflets. A numerical method for this type of study must be able to accurately simulate pulsatile flow through BMHVs with the inclusion of leaflet motion and high-Reynolds-number flow modelling. Consequently, this study aims at validating a numerical method that captures the flow dynamics for pulsatile flow through a BMHV. A St. Jude Medical (SJM) Regent™ valve is selected for use in both the experiments and numerical simulations. The entropic lattice-Boltzmann method is used to simulate pulsatile flow through the valve with the inclusion of reverse leakage flow, while prescribing the flowrate and leaflet motion from experimental data. The numerical simulations are compared against experimental digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) results from a previous study for validation. The numerical method is shown to match well with the experimental results quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Simulations are performed with efficient parallel processing at very high spatiotemporal resolution that can capture the finest details in the pulsatile BMHV flow field. This study validates the lattice-Boltzmann method as suitable for simulating pulsatile, high-Reynolds-number flows through prosthetic devices for use in future research.
Myocardial pathology after cardiac venous and lymph flow obstruction in the dog

Summary This study, carried out in dogs, was designed to elucidate the effects of cardiac lymphatic and venous obstruction, both separate and combined, on the viability of the myocardium. Specimens were stained with HBFP to demonstrate ischemia. Eleven dogs had venous obstruction, 5 dogs were acute (killed within 24 hours), and 6 dogs were chronic. Sixteen dogs had lymph obstruction, 4 dogs were acute, and 12 dogs were chronic. Twenty dogs had lymph obstruction in addition to venous obstruction, 5 dogs were acute, and 15 dogs were chronic. Nineteen animals served as control animals, 6 dogs were acute, and 13 dogs were chronic. Autopsies excluded all animals with any compromise of the arterial circulation. Large areas of myocardial fibers staining positively with HBFP were seen in acute and chronic experimental dogs from 1 hour to 90 days after operation. No gross or microscopic infarctions were found in the acute or chronic control dogs. Thirty-three per cent of dogs with chronic venous obstruction or chronic lymph obstruction showed gross infarctions without additional microscopic areas of infarction. In dogs with combined venous and lymphatic obstruction, 40 per cent had gross infarctions, whereas 87 per cent had a combination of gross plus microscopically evident infarctions. Thus, interference with the outflow of venous blood and lymph, without interference with the arterial blood supply, can lead to significant myocardial pathology of a type usually associated with a deficit in arterial blood supply. If, as has been postulated, the HBFP stain is specific for ischemic muscle fibers, our results seem to indicate that such a stage of ischemia can persist over a prolonged period of time without progressing to necrosis; or, alternatively, that over the course of time progressively more fibers that are in or near a fibrotic area slowly become ischemic. These findings in dogs provide support for the potential usefulness of myocardial revascularization procedures.
Study of Surface Durability of Container Glasses

After containers were exposed to a controlled cyclic-humidity test, the durability of their outside and inside surfaces was evaluated. All tests were made on containers as received; the determination of the influence of “finish” or constriction of the opening at the mouth of the bottle on the Surface durability therefore was possible. The study was enhanced by the use of replicas utilizing various electron microscope techniques. The results indicated that the smaller the opening of the container, the greater was the deterioration of the interior surface.
High heat flux cooling for silicon-on-silicon packaging

The authors report the first data on cooling of silicon substrates using pool boiling of Freon-12 and compare the results to liquid-jet impingement cooling of the same substrates. Heater fluxes of 2000 W/cm/sup 2/ at a maximum temperature rise of 50 K have been achieved using 16 jets impinging at 1 m/s. Pool boiling experiments have reached heater fluxes of 100 W/cm/sup 2/ with a 50 K temperature rise. Results from two-dimensional numerical simulation of the test section are in excellent agreement with the pool boiling data. These results indicate that both modes of cooling should be useful in cooling advanced packages. The authors demonstrate the use of monolithic integrated circuit fabrication techniques in the development of test sections for heat transfer measurements. A double-sided integrated circuit process has been used to fabricate a novel isothermal test section for direct measurement of heat transfer coefficients. >
A method for the rapid, automated filtration of protein hydrolyzates.

Abstract A method for the automated filtration of protein hydrolyzates prior to amino acid analysis is described. Minor modification of a Technicon Sampler II enables it to function simultaneously as a sampler and a filtrate collector. Samples are drawn from cups in the sampler tray and are forced through a Teflon filter (pore size, 0.2 μm) in a Millipore Swinnex filter holder by a variable-speed Technicon proportioning pump. The filtrates are collected in cups in the sampler tray opposite those containing unfiltered hydrolyzates. Using this technique, 12 hydrolyzates can be filtered in 25 min compared to the approximately 2 h of technician time required for their manual filtration. Aliquots from each of 48 samples representing different proteins and hydrolysis conditions are filtered manually and by the automated technique. Analysis of variance of the resulting recoveries of each amino acid indicate little likelihood of effects due to filtration method.
Inedible Fats and Greases

The rendering industry is an unsung hero of the agricultural community. It is estimated that approximately 36 billion lbs of raw material are processed annually by renderers into by-products for domestic use or export. Approximately one-fourth of the raw product is processed into edible or inedible fats and greases. The number of items that are manufactured from animal fats and restaurant greases is staggering; however, the largest single market is animal feed. Utilization of animal fat as a feed ingredient enhances the market value of animals and represents an economically and ecologically sound cycle. Without this outlet for spent animal carcases the cost of producing food from livestock would increase dramatically. Higher prices for eggs, meat, and milk would decrease consumer demand for these products and decrease the size of the livestock industry.
The effect of lexical frequency and Lombard reflex on tone hyperarticulation

Abstract Among the many factors that affect phonetic variation, two of them, low word frequency and speech in noise (Lombard speech), are linked to stronger or fuller realizations of segments. Noise and low usage frequency are both factors that may lead to perceptual difficulty suggesting that the strengthening due to these two factors may be related. To understand how these two factors relate to each other and to see if they play a similar role with respect to suprasegmental phenomena like tone, we investigated the effect of ambient noise and word usage frequency on tone production in Cantonese. We recorded Cantonese monosyllabic words of high and low usage frequency in both normal and Lombard speech styles, controlling for segmental and other factors and measured f0. We found that both ambient noise and lexical frequency influence tonal production. All six tones are produced with higher f0 in the presence of noise. Usage frequency affects f0 realization as well, but only for words with mid-range (mid-level or mid-rising) tones. Low-frequency words with mid-range tones are produced with higher f0 than frequent words. Extending earlier work showing greater vowel-space dispersion in less frequent words, we also found that the f0 trajectories of less frequent words are more dispersed than that of their more frequent counterparts, especially for mid–low tones. This dispersion does not occur for Lombard speech. Our results suggest that different aspects of speech production may account for the strengthening of speech in noise and in low-frequency words.
Functional Analysis of the Triplex Proteins (VP19C and VP23) of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

The triplex of herpesvirus capsids is a unique structural element. In herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), one molecule of VP19C and two of VP23 form a three-pronged structure that acts to stabilize the capsid shell through interactions with adjacent VP5 molecules. The interaction between VP19C and VP23 was inferred by yeast cryoelectron microscopy studies and subsequently confirmed by the two-hybrid assay. In order to define the functional domains of VP19C and VP23, a Tn7-based transposon was used to randomly insert 15 bp into the coding regions of these two proteins. The mutants were initially screened for interaction in the yeast two-hybrid assay to identify the domains important for triplex formation. Using genetic complementation assays in HSV-1-infected cells, the domains of each protein required for virus replication were similarly uncovered. The same mutations that abolish interaction between these two proteins in the yeast two-hybrid assay similarly failed to complement the growth of the VP23- and VP19C-null mutant viruses in the genetic complementation assay. Some of these mutants were transferred into recombinant baculoviruses to analyze the effect of the mutations on herpesvirus capsid assembly in insect cells. The mutations that abolished the interaction in the yeast two-hybrid assay also abolished capsid assembly in insect cells. The outcome of these experiments showed that insertions in at least four regions and especially the amino terminus of VP23 abolished function, whereas the amino terminus of VP19C can tolerate transposon insertions. A novel finding of these studies was the ability to assemble herpesvirus capsids in insect cells using VP5 and VP19C that contained a histidine handle at their amino terminus.
A new approach for the analysis of bacterial microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization: insights from an empirical study

Microarray-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (M-CGH) has been used to characterize the extensive intraspecies genetic diversity found in bacteria at the whole-genome level. Although conventional microarray analytical procedures have proved adequate in handling M-CGH data, data interpretation using these methods is based on a continuous character model in which gene divergence and gene absence form a spectrum of decreasing gene conservation levels. However, whereas gene divergence may yet be accompanied by retention in gene function, gene absence invariably leads to loss of function. This distinction, if ignored, leads to a loss in the information to be gained from M-CGH data. We present here results from experiments in which two genome-sequenced strains of C. jejuni were compared against each other using M-CGH. Because the gene content of both strains was known a priori, we were able to closely examine the effects of sequence divergence and gene absence on M-CGH data in order to define analytical parameters for M-CGH data interpretation. This would facilitate the examination of the relative effects of sequence divergence or gene absence in comparative genomics analyses of multiple strains of any species for which genome sequence data and a DNA microarray are available. As a first step towards improving the analysis of M-CGH data, we estimated the degree of experimental error in a series of experiments in which identical samples were compared against each other by M-CGH. This variance estimate was used to validate a Log Ratio-based methodology for identification of outliers in M-CGH data. We compared two genome strains by M-CGH to examine the effect of probe/target identity on the Log Ratios of signal intensities using prior knowledge of gene divergence and gene absence to establish Log Ratio thresholds for the identification of absent and conserved genes. The results from this empirical study validate the Log Ratio thresholds that have been used in other studies to establish gene divergence/absence. Moreover, the analytical framework presented here enhances the information content derived from M-CGH data by shifting the focus from divergent/absent gene detection to accurate detection of conserved and absent genes. This approach closely aligns the technical limitations of M-CGH analysis with practical limitations on the biological interpretation of comparative genomics data.
Influence of single hindlimb support during simulated weightlessness in the rat.

Mature male rats (n = 16) were assigned to either 14 days of head-down suspension with one hindlimb supported (HDS) or to control cages (C) of similar dimensions. Hindlimb support during HDS preserved the muscle mass-to-body mass ratio (mg/100g) compared with C conditions for the soleus (48.3 +/- 1.0 to 41.7 +/- 1.0), plantaris (98.4 +/- 3.4 to 103.3 +/- 4.1), and gastrocnemius (484.7 +/- 18.5 to 507.2 +/- 13.9). However, the muscle mass-to-body mass ratio was significantly lower for the soleus (28.9 +/- 1.5), plantaris (83.9 +/- 3.6), and gastrocnemius (411.9 +/- 24.2) muscles from the freely hanging hindlimbs compared with the contralateral muscles from the supported hindlimbs or muscles from C animals. Citrate synthase activity (mumol.g-1.min-1) was significantly lower in soleus muscles from HDS rats in both the supported (19.4 +/- 2.3) and freely hanging (20.0 +/- 1.6) hindlimbs compared with C (28.5 +/- 3.1), whereas soleus muscle glycogen concentration (mg/g) was significantly higher in the freely hanging limbs from HDS rats (5.90 +/- 0.31) but not in the supported limbs (3.80 +/- 0.61) compared with C (4.34 +/- 0.50). Doppler flow probes were used to determine that iliac blood flow to freely hanging hindlimbs was significantly decreased after 48 (-19 +/- 5%) and 72 (-20 +/- 6%)h of HDS compared with presuspension values. In addition, iliac vascular resistance was significantly elevated at most time points during the 72 h of HDS in the freely hanging limbs but not the supported hindlimbs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantification of left ventricular noncompaction and trabecular delayed hyperenhancement with cardiac MRI: correlation with clinical severity.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether MRI can quantify the severity and extent of left ventricular noncompaction and detect trabecular delayed hyperenhancement and whether doing so can show a relationship with clinical stage of disease.MATERIALS AND METHODS. In a retrospective blinded study, nine patients with left ventricular noncompaction and 10 control subjects had cardiac MRI studies evaluated for the severity and extent of left ventricular noncompaction and the amount and degree of trabecular delayed hyperenhancement on a myocardial segment basis (16-segment model). Findings were correlated with parameters of clinical stage of disease.RESULTS. Fifty-seven (39%) myocardial segments showed left ventricular noncompaction whereas 22 (17%) showed trabecular delayed hyperenhancement. Significant differences among clinical severity groups were noted in the severity and extent of left ventricular noncompaction at the mid (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively) and apical levels (p < ...
Statistical Vector Field Analysis Applied to Mixed Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Data

Abstract Combined cross-sectional and longitudinal data often present complex patterns of change. Growth functions representing the change in some measure as a function of chronological age can be a function of initial values of the measurement. Individual differences in developmental age with respect to chronological age tend to distort attempts to fit a single growth curve through combined cross-sectional and longitudinal data. We present a method by which these data can be visualized along with several examples from a data set comprising measurements of intellectual abilities with respect to aging. We call this new method a statistical vector field (svf) plot. An svf plot simultaneously allows the visualization of cross-sectional information summarizing sampling densities and longitudinal information summarizing how individuals at each particular age and ability are likely to change over time. The C source code for the svf software described in this paper may be obtained free from the University of Vir...
A Note on Agency Conflicts and the Small Firm Investment Decision

This paper explains how agency conflicts—and potential agency conflicts—can influence the investment decisions of small firms, and provides evidence of these effects using data from a recent survey...
Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Illness: The Dually Diagnosed Patient

In this article, the authors discuss the relationship between substance abuse and Psychiatric disorders, review case examples of various subgroups of dually diagnosed patients, suggest guidelines for diagnosing coexisting psychiatric disorders in patients with substance use disorders, and review treatment considerations in dually diagnosed patients.
Radiative Transfer through Arbitrarily Shaped Optical Media. Part I: A General Method of Solution

Abstract A general transform method is presented for studying problems of radiative transfer through absorbing, emitting and anisotropically scattering media exposed to arbitrary radiation conditions on its boundaries. The method permits quite arbitrary horizontal and vertical variability in the scattering and extinction properties of the medium bounded by a surface whose albedo and bidirectional reflection function varies from point to point. The technique developed incorporates a two-dimensional Fourier transform of the radiative transfer equation and a full Fourier expansion in azimuth. The general solution is based on the use of invariant imbedding principles in the form of doubling and adding algorithms. In developing these algorithms the principles of invariance are derived for three-dimensional geometry. Differences and similarities to the one-dimensional transfer problem are highlighted throughout. The method is applied to two special problems, namely the reflection by an atmosphere overlying or s...
Large-scale, Distributed, Multilingual, Electronic Meetings: A Pilot Study of Usability and Comprehension

The United Nations, the European Union, and many other organizations must conduct meetings in many languages, but typically employ human interpreters with their accompanying cost. In addition, these oral discussions require participants to take turns speaking, lengthening the process. Many studies have shown that group support systems can reduce meeting time and increase productivity, and the addition of automatic translation into this process could support these multilingual groups. However, prior studies have typically used only a few languages with group members face to face. This study investigates how well a large multilingual group can use electronic meeting software in a geographically dispersed environment. Results show that the group members were able to understand comments exchanged in 66 languages when translated to English, and they believed the multilingual meeting system was useful for such discussions.
Economic Analysis of Criminal Procedure

This essay reviews the economics of criminal procedure, proceeding through four topics in the literature. First, I review the implications of substantive criminal law theories for criminal procedure. The second part discusses the error cost model of criminal procedure, which is the dominant framework and posits that criminal procedure rules are designed to minimize the sum of error and administrative costs. The third part reviews the public choice model of criminal procedure. Under this model, criminal procedure rules are designed largely to regulate rent seeking activity. The last part of this paper is a brief discussion of some of the empirical work on procedure that bears directly on deterrence and welfare effects.
Bond Market Micro-Structure During the Euro-Zone Crisis

This is a forthcoming study on how euro-zone announcements and bailouts affect fixed income markets. In particular, this paper examines volumes, levels, and yields of euro-zone bonds around the time when macroeconomic announcements are made.
Plant-microbe symbiotic interactions.

With the growing human population and the impacts of climate change, agricultural and bioenergy crops will need to be produced with reduced inputs of water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides to be more environmentally sustainable. Symbiosis with microorganisms can allow plants to overcome such challenges. By understanding the natural plant–microbe interactions at work to increase plant stress tolerance and health, innovative new technologies may be developed to increase production. Although the molecular interactions between rhizobia and legumes has been extensively studied, the communication between other beneficial plant microorganisms and the host plants, and the mechanistic basis for the increased growth and health imparted by these symbionts on the plant host are only recently being elucidated. This special issue is dedicated to these topics, featuring research articles as well as review papers. Early communication, from chemotaxis, recognition of the microbes by the plant, effective colonization, and the plant genes necessary for positive response to the microorganisms are the focus of nine of the papers. Biotic stress tolerance conferred by plant-associated microorganisms against insects and microbial pathogens is covered in three papers. Increased tolerance to abiotic factors including salinity and limited nutrients as well as overall increased growth and health are the topics of three of the papers. Many of the authors included future perspectives on how to move this important research field forward. Information gained from plant–microbe interaction studies in native habitats may be especially relevant since the host plant and microorganisms have co-evolved with opportunities by the plant to select over time the most beneficial symbionts. Understanding the requirements for recruitment, recognition, colonization, and response will be essential if this knowledge is to be applied to commercial agriculture. Determination of the mechanisms by which microbiota impart tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress will enable optimization for improved plant health and growth under the increased challenges resulting from climate change. The contribution of all the authors and the manuscript reviewers is greatly appreciated. My Guest Editor colleagues Adriana Hemerly, Behnam Khatabi, Corne Pieterse and I are also grateful for the support of the Editor-in-Chief and the editorial staff for making this Special Issue possible.
Probes for narcotic receptor mediated phenomena. 41. Unusual inverse μ-agonists and potent μ-opioid antagonists by modification of the N-substituent in enantiomeric 5-(3-hydroxyphenyl)morphans.

Conformational restraint in the N-substituent of enantiomeric 5-(3-hydroxyphenyl)morphans was conferred by the addition of a cyclopropane ring or a double bond. All of the possible enantiomers and isomers of the N-substituted compounds were synthesized. Opioid receptor binding assays indicated that some of them had about 20-fold higher μ-affinity than the compound with an N-phenylpropyl substituent (Ki = 2−450 nM for the examined compounds with various N-substituents). Most of the compounds acted unusually as inverse agonists in the [35S]GTP-γ-S functional binding assay using nondependent cells that stably express the cloned human μ-opioid receptor. Two of the N-substituted compounds with a cyclopropane ring were very potent μ-opioid antagonists ((+)-29, Ke = 0.17 and (−)-30, Ke =0.3) in the [35S]GTP-γ-S functional binding assay. By comparison of the geometry-optimized structures of the newly synthesized compounds, an attempt was made to rationalize their μ-opioid receptor affinity in terms of the spatial...
Sum over Histories Representation for Chemical Kinetics

A new representation for chemical kinetics is introduced that is based on a sum over histories formulation that employs chemical pathways defined at a molecular level. The time evolution of a chemically reactive system is described by enumerating the most important pathways followed by a chemical moiety. An explicit formula for the pathway probabilities is derived and takes the form of an integral over a time-ordered product. When evaluating long pathways, the time-ordered product has a simple Monte Carlo representation that is computationally efficient. A small numerical stochastic simulation was used to identify the most important paths to include in the representation. The method was applied to a realistic H2/O2 combustion problem and is shown to yield accurate results.
Paul de Kruif's Microbe Hunters and an Outraged Ronald Ross

Paul de Kruif's book, Microbe Hunters, published in New York in 1926, was a romanticized medical "history," written in a breathless style, that describes the lives and works of a dozen famous figures, ranging from Leeuwenhoek to Sir Ronald Ross. Ross, who received the Nobel Prize in 1902 for his discovery that certain mosquitoes transmit malaria, resented de Kruif's personal remarks and his version of the malaria story, especially concerning the disputes with Italian workers over priorities. In a little-known polemic "review" of Microbe Hunters, Ross castigated de Kruif for statements he considered libelous. While Ross could not sue for libel across the Atlantic, his threatened action for libel forced the publisher of the British edition of Microbe Hunters to delete the chapter about Ross and one about David Bruce, Ross's countryman. de Kruif's book, a best-seller in its day and influential among the young for a generation, now seems gauche and anachronistic. While Ross seems to have been justified in some of his complaints about Microbe Hunters, the bitter tone of his reactions all but confirms de Kruif's opinion of him. Ross died in 1932 with a permanent niche in medical history; de Kruif died in 1971 and is little remembered except, perhaps, for Microbe Hunters.
Evaluating PK-12 Professional Learning Communities: An Improvement Science Perspective.

Professional learning communities (PLCs) have emerged as one of the nation’s most widely implemented strategies for improving instruction and PK–12 student learning outcomes. PLCs are predicated on...
The need for global regulatory harmonization: A public health imperative.

Drug regulation serves to protect public health. Done right, it drives the ongoing assessment of product safety, efficacy, and quality and promotes the development and availability of new and better products. However, in our modern world, the mosaic of regulations that govern drug development and
JC Polyomavirus Abundance and Distribution in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) Brain Tissue Implicates Myelin Sheath in Intracerebral Dissemination of Infection

Over half of adults are seropositive for JC polyomavirus (JCV), but rare individuals develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a demyelinating JCV infection of the central nervous system. Previously, PML was primarily seen in immunosuppressed patients with AIDS or certain cancers, but it has recently emerged as a drug safety issue through its association with diverse immunomodulatory therapies. To better understand the relationship between the JCV life cycle and PML pathology, we studied autopsy brain tissue from a 70-year-old psoriasis patient on the integrin alpha-L inhibitor efalizumab following a ~2 month clinical course of PML. Sequence analysis of lesional brain tissue identified PML-associated viral mutations in regulatory (non-coding control region) DNA, capsid protein VP1, and the regulatory agnoprotein, as well as 9 novel mutations in capsid protein VP2, indicating rampant viral evolution. Nine samples, including three gross PML lesions and normal-appearing adjacent tissues, were characterized by histopathology and subject to quantitative genomic, proteomic, and molecular localization analyses. We observed a striking correlation between the spatial extent of demyelination, axonal destruction, and dispersion of JCV along white matter myelin sheath. Our observations in this case, as well as in a case of PML-like disease in an immunocompromised rhesus macaque, suggest that long-range spread of polyomavirus and axonal destruction in PML might involve extracellular association between virus and the white matter myelin sheath.
Management of respiratory allergy by nonallergists. 2. Asthma.

Although most asthmatic patients should be referred to an allergist for evaluation, many return to their primary physician for symptomatic treatment and administration of allergens. Symptomatic treatment is based on drugs that relax smooth muscle, promote expectoration, and suppress tissue edema. Immunotherapy should be used in asthma even if the disease is mild. Steroids also have a place in the treatment of this common form of respiratory allergy.
Mutation in the Human HPRT1 Gene and the Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a rare X-linked inherited neurogenetic disorder of purine metabolism in which the enzyme, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGprt) is defective. The authors report a novel mutation which led to HGprt-related neurological dysfunction (HND) in two brothers from the same family with a missense mutation in exon 6 of the coding region of the HPRT1 gene: c.437T>C, p.L146S. Molecular diagnosis discloses the genetic heterogeneity of the HPRT1 gene responsible for HGprt deficiency. It allows fast, accurate carrier detection and genetic counseling.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Portions of this article were previously published in: Carmichael Olson H, Jirikowic T, Kartin D, and Astley S (2007) Responding to the challenges of early intervention for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Infants and Young Children 20(2): pp.162–179. These sections, including Table 1, are used here with permission of © copyright owner Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Inc.
800 megabyte per second systems via use of synchronous DRAM

DRAMs, as we know them today, do not satisfy the bandwidth needs of the processor. With today's architecture, the interface would have to grow in width, becoming so large as to be unmanageable. The memory bandwidth bottleneck has several solutions. The most economical solution is the SDRAM, meeting the challenge in the near future for the 100 to 200 MHz needs, and a path to the needs beyond the year 2000. >
Study of pedestrian hybrid beacon's effectiveness for motorists at midblock pedestrian crossings

Abstract Pedestrian signals, particularly at signalized, midblock crossings, delay drivers, which is termed “unnecessary delay” in this study. A pedestrian hybrid beacon was proven to be effective in decreasing this unnecessary delay to the drivers at midblock pedestrian crossings when compared to standard signalized midblock crossings. Two pedestrian hybrid beacons were installed at midblock pedestrian crossings in Lawrence, Kansas. A study was conducted at these two locations to determine the effectiveness of the pedestrian hybrid beacon in decreasing the unnecessary delay to drivers by comparing them with a signalized midblock on Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas. In addition to the delay measurements for drivers at pedestrian hybrid beacon and signalized treatment at midblock pedestrian crossings, other parameters such as driver compliance rate, pedestrian compliance rate, and other driver and pedestrian characteristics were also studied. Video cameras were used at these test locations and the effectiveness of the pedestrian hybrid beacon was analyzed from the video. A more than 90% reduction in delays was observed for the drivers at the pedestrian hybrid beacon at midblock crossings compared to the signalized crossing. Further, a better driver compliance rate was also recorded at the pedestrian hybrid beacon. Information about reductions in unnecessary delay to drivers and improvements to driver and pedestrian compliance rates from the use of pedestrian hybrid beacons would be useful to engineers, decision makers, and researchers to determine an optimum treatment at desired pedestrian crossings.
Prolongation of Relaxation Time in Extraocular Muscles With Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Adult Rabbit

Purpose We tested the hypothesis that short-term treatment with brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) would alter the contractile characteristics of rabbit extraocular muscle (EOM). Methods One week after injections of BDNF in adult rabbit superior rectus muscles, twitch properties were determined in treated and control muscles in vitro. Muscles were also examined for changes in mean cross-sectional areas, neuromuscular junction size, and percent of myofibers expressing specific myosin heavy chain isoforms, and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPases (SERCA) 1 and 2. Results Brain derived neurotrophic factor-treated muscles had prolonged relaxation times compared with control muscles. Time to 50% relaxation, time to 100% relaxation, and maximum rate of relaxation were increased by 24%, 27%, and 25%, respectively. No significant differences were seen in time to peak force, twitch force, or maximum rate of contraction. Brain derived neurotrophic factor treatment significantly increased mean cross-sectional areas of slow twitch and tonic myofibers, with increased areas ranging from 54% to 146%. Brain derived neurotrophic factor also resulted in an increased percentage of slow twitch myofibers in the orbital layers, ranging from 54% to 77%, and slow-tonic myofibers, ranging from 44% to 62%. No significant changes were seen SERCA1 or 2 expression or in neuromuscular junction size. Conclusions Short-term treatment with BDNF significantly prolonged the duration and rate of relaxation time and increased expression of both slow-twitch and slow-tonic myosin-expressing myofibers without changes in neuromuscular junctions or SERCA expression. The changes induced by BDNF treatment might have potential therapeutic value in dampening/reducing uncontrolled eye oscillations in nystagmus.
Dual Comb Outdoor Spectroscopy for Complex Molecular Response Retrieval

Trace gas concentration is measured across a turbulent open-air path. Using the appropriate dual-comb configuration, phase and absorbance spectra are simultaneously obtained. Decoherence caused by turbulence is estimated and corrected for.
T Cell Activation by t(9;22) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Derived Dendritic-Like Cells Is Associated with Increased Expression of Antigen Processing Machinery Components.

Abstract We have recently shown that dendritic-like cells derived from t(9;22) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells can activate T cells, while the original unmodified leukemic blasts cannot. To define the molecular basis of this functional difference, we have compared the level of antigen processing machinery components in unmodified blasts and ALL-derived dendritic-like cells, since they play a major role in antigen presentation. Six patient samples and one t(9;22) ALL cell line (Z119) were studied. Dendritic-like cells were generated by in vitro culture with CD40 ligand, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-3, IL-7, stem cell factor and tumor necrosis factor-α for six days. Maturation was verified by morphology and CD80/CD86 expression. Cells were studied for HLA class I and class II antigen expression. Furthermore, antigen processing machinery component expression was analyzed by intracellular staining with a unique panel of monoclonal antibodies which recognize the constitutive proteasome (Z, MB1, delta) and immunoproteasome (LMP2, LMP7, LMP10) subunits, the transporter subunits TAP 1 and 2 and the chaperones calnexin, ERp57, calreticulin and tapasin. HLA Class I antigen and HLA-DR/DQ/DP antigen expression was significantly up-regulated on the dendritic-like cells. LMP2, LMP7 and tapasin expression was significantly up-regulated in all t(9;22) ALL-derived dendritic-like cells, in comparison to the unmodified blasts. No significant difference was detected in the expression of the other antigen processing machinery components. These results suggest that T cell activation by t(9;22) ALL-derived dendritic-like cells is associated with increased expression of some, but not all, of the antigen processing machinery components. Whether t(9;22) ALL-derived dendritic-like cells can be used as a cellular vaccine for adoptive immunotherapy of ALL is being investigated.
Creating our own community

When we were starting our Ph.D. studies a few years ago, we both felt something was missing. As women working in the male-dominated sciences, we wanted to connect with peers and mentors who could help us thrive, but we couldn't find any active, campus-wide groups to join. So, we took it upon
Multipass configuration for improved squeezed vacuum generation in hot Rb vapor

We study a squeezed vacuum field generated in hot Rb vapor via the polarization self-rotation effect. Our previous experiments showed that the amount of observed squeezing may be limited by the contamination of the squeezed vacuum output with higher-order spatial modes, also generated inside the cell. Here, we demonstrate that the squeezing can be improved by making the light interact several times with a less dense atomic ensemble. With optimization of some parameters we can achieve up to $\ensuremath{-}2.6$ dB of squeezing in the multipass case, which is a 0.6 dB improvement compared to the single-pass experimental configuration. Our results show that, other than the optical depth of the medium, the spatial mode structure and the cell configuration also affect the squeezing level.
Fistula with Diffuse Venous Stenosis

Balloon-assisted maturation (BAM) is an aggressive approach to arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure in which repeated long-segment angioplasty is used to sequentially dilate that portion of the vein destined to become the AVF. This procedure has been around for a long time; however, more recently the approach has been more aggressively applied. This chapter discusses such a case.
Association of Asthma with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study

Background T H 1 and T H 2 cells have counterregulatory relationships. However, the relationship between asthma, a T H 2-predominant condition, and risk of systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a T H 1 condition, is poorly understood. Objective We aimed to determine whether asthma was associated with increased risks of incident RA among adults. Methods We conducted a retrospective population-based case-control study that examined existing incident RA cases and controls matched by age, sex, and registration year from the general population in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between January 2002 and December 2007. We performed comprehensive medical record reviews to ascertain asthma status using predetermined asthma criteria. The frequency of a history of asthma before the index date was compared between cases and controls. Logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounding factors. Results We enrolled 221 RA cases and 218 controls. Of the 221 RA cases, 156 (70.6%) were females, 207 (93.7%) were white, the median age at the index date was 52.5 years, and 53 (24.0%) had a history of asthma. Controls had similar characteristics except that 35 of 218 controls (16.1%) had a history of asthma. After adjustment for sex, age, smoking, body mass index, socioeconomic status, and comorbidity, asthma was significantly associated with increased risks of RA (adjusted odds ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.05-2.90; P = .03). Conclusions Despite the counterregulatory relationship between T H 1 and T H 2 cells, patients with asthma had a significantly higher risk of developing RA than healthy individuals.
Using Analytics to Nudge Student Responsibility for Learning

To scale student success, institutions may want to consider treating students more as partners, not just as customers or intervention recipients. One way to do so is sharing behavioral and academic feedback data that helps nudge students into taking responsibility for learning. The following chapter is drawn from the author's dissertation work (Fritz, 2016).
The impact of depressed mood, working memory capacity, and priming on delay discounting.

Abstract Background and Objectives The impaired ability to delay rewards, delay discounting (DD), is associated with several problematic conditions in which impulsive decision-making derails long-term goals. Working memory (WM), the ability to actively store and manipulate information, is associated with DD. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive priming on DD and to identify moderation of this effect dependent on degree of WM capacity (WMC) and depressed mood. Methods A WM task (n-back) was used as a cognitive prime before assessment of DD (Monetary Choice Questionnaire) and was compared to a similar prime from an inhibition task in a factorial design in 183 community participants. All participants completed a DD task and assessment of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II). Priming effects were evaluated relative to WMC of participants. Results Higher WMC and lower depression scores were associated with greater relative preference for larger, delayed rewards. The effects of a WM prime were moderated by WMC; benefits of the prime were only evident for individuals with lower WMC. No effects were found for an alternative inhibition task. Limitations Limitations included depression scores mainly in subclinical range, use of hypothetical instead of real rewards in the DD task, and no examination of the time course of effects. Conclusions This study provides support for the effectiveness of a brief WM prime in enhancing ability to delay rewards. Priming may be a useful adjunctive intervention for individuals with WM dysfunction or conditions in which impulsive decision-making may derail long-term goals.
An Interval Polynomial Interpolation Problem and Its Lagrange Solution

In many practical problems, we need to use interpolation: we know that the value of a quantity is uniquely determined by some other quantity x (i.e., y = f(x)), we have measured several pairs of values (xi, yi), and we want to predict y for a given x. We can only guarantee estimates for y if we have some a priori information about the function f(x). In particular, in some problems, we know that f(x) is a polynomial of known degree d (e.g., that it is linear, or that it is quadratic). For this polynomial interpolation, with interval uncertainty of the input data (xi, yi), we present several reasonable algorithms that compute, for a given x0, guaranteed bounds for f(x0).
Multicomponent Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory: Proton and Electron Excitation Energies

The quantum mechanical treatment of both electrons and protons in the calculation of excited state properties is critical for describing nonadiabatic processes such as photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer. Multicomponent density functional theory enables the consistent quantum mechanical treatment of more than one type of particle and has been implemented previously for studying ground state molecular properties within the nuclear–electronic orbital (NEO) framework, where all electrons and specified protons are treated quantum mechanically. To enable the study of excited state molecular properties, herein the linear response multicomponent time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is derived and implemented within the NEO framework. Initial applications to FHF– and HCN illustrate that NEO-TDDFT provides accurate proton and electron excitation energies within a single calculation. As its computational cost is similar to that of conventional electronic TDDFT, the NEO-TDDFT approach is promis...
Clostridium difficile stool shedding in infants hospitalized in two neonatal intensive care units is lower than previous point prevalence estimates using molecular diagnostic methods.

The point prevalence of Clostridium difficile stool shedding in hospitalized infants from two neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) was examined utilizing standard clinical testing compared with duplex PCR to identify toxigenic and non-toxigenic C. difficile strains. All infants from the two NICUs affiliated with a single academic medical center were eligible for inclusion. Stool collection was blinded to patient characteristics and occurred during a one week period at each NICU and repeated with a second weeklong collection 6 months later to increase sample size. Stools were tested for C. difficile using EIA (GDH/toxin A/B) with samples testing +/+ or +/− subsequently evaluated by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and by duplex PCR amplification of tcdB and tpi (housekeeping) genes. Cytotoxicity assays were performed on all samples positive for C. difficile by any modality. Eighty-four stools were collected from unique infants for evaluation. EIA results showed 6+/+ [7.1%], 7 +/− [8.3%], and 71 −/− [84.5%] samples. All 6 EIA +/+ were confirmed as toxigenic C. difficile by LAMP; 6/7 EIA +/− were negative by LAMP with one identified as invalid. Duplex PCR concurred with LAMP in all 6 stools positive for toxigenic C. difficile. PCR identified 2 EIA −/− stools positive for tpi, indicating shedding of non-toxigenic C. difficile. Cytotoxicity assay was positive in 4/6 duplex PCR positive samples and negative for all stools that were EIA +/− but negative by molecular testing. C. difficile blinded point prevalence in infants from two NICUs was 7.1% by molecular methods; and lower than expected based on historical incidence estimates. In house duplex PCR had excellent concordance with clinically available LAMP and EIA tests, and added detection of non-toxigenic C. difficile strain shedding. Evolving NICU care practices may be influencing the composition of infant gut microbiota and reducing the point prevalence of C. difficile shedding in NICU patient stools.
Flavonoids in Foods as in Vitro and in Vivo Antioxidants

In 1936 Szemt-Guorgi proposed the name of Vitamin P for a mixture of two flavonoids that decreased capillary permeability and fragility in humans and thus began the research on flavonoids and health (Rusznyak and Szent-Gyorgi, 1936). The flavonoids have been reported to exhibit a wide range of biological effects in animals and man that include antibacterial, antiviral, antiinflammatory, antiallergic, and vasodilatory actions. In addition, flavonoids inhibit lipid peroxidation, protein modification of collagen by peroxynitrite, platelet aggregation, and the activity of enzyme systems including phospholipase A2, glutathione reductase, xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase (Harborne, 1986).
The Operation of Law

To fully comprehend anything, it must be located in the two domains of history and logic: how it came to be what it is, and what it is in itself apart from its history. In chapter VI, I tried to show the historical origins of the law; in this and subsequent chapters I hope to develop a cogent legal theory.
Introduction and overview. Statistical methods in genetic epidemiology.

Abstract Common terms used in genetics with multiple meanings are explained and a brief overview given of the four major areas of genetic epidemiology--the study of familial aggregation, segregation, cosegregation and association. Familial aggregation measures the potential for a trait to have a genetic aetiology. Segregation analysis uncovers single gene segregation. Cosegregation with genetic markers gives rise to linkage, which is used to locate trait genes on the genome. Association analysis is used for fine mapping, but rests on the assumption that linkage disequilibrium exists.