cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Element-specific structure of materials with intrinsic disorder by high-energy resonant x-ray diffraction and differential atomic pair-distribution functions: A study of PtPd nanosized catalysts

We demonstrate how high-energy resonant x-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential atomic-pair-distribution function (PDF) analysis can be used to characterize the atomic ordering in materials of limited structural coherence with both excellent spatial resolution and element specificity. First we prove that this experimental approach is feasible by probing the K-absorption edge of Au({approx}81 keV) atoms in chemically ordered and disordered bulk Cu3Au alloys. The resulting Au-differential PDFs show very clearly the different ways Au atoms are known to occupy the sites of otherwise identical cubic lattices of those materials. Next we apply it to a more complex material: PtPd alloy and core-shell nanosized ({approx}2-4 nm) particles by probing the K-absorption edge of Pt({approx}78 keV). The resulting Pt-differential atomic PDFs reveal how exactly the atomic ordering of catalytically active Pt atoms is affected by the nanoparticles design, thus providing a firm structural basis for understanding their properties. The work is a step forward in expanding the limits of applicability of nontraditional XRD to the rapidly growing field of materials of unusual structural complexity.
How to Get a Number A Lesson Plan on Social Security

Youthful job-hunters need to know the procedure for obtaining a Social Security number and they should also have an understanding of the law which affects them as wage earners. This lesson plan suggests a method of presenting this information to a class.
Modelling of dynamic networks of thin elastic plates

The purpose of this paper is to derive junction conditions for networks of thin elastic plates and to analyse the dynamic equations of such networks. Junction conditions for networks of Kirchhoff plates and networks of Reissner–Mindlin plates are derived based on geometric considerations of the deformation at a junction. It is proved that the dynamic system which describes the Reissner–Mindlin network is well-posed is an appropriate energy space. It is further established that the Kirchhoff network is obtained in the limit of the Reissner–Mindlin network as the shear moduli go to infinity.
Two forms of the glucoamylase of Aspergillus niger

Abstract Two forms of the glucoamylase (α-1,4-glucan glucohydrolase, E.C.3.2.1.3) of Asgillus niger have been purified by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange columns. The purified enzymes possessed a high degree of purity as indicated by paper electrophoresis, sedimentation velocity, and disc-gel electrophoresis. The two enzymes had the same pH optima when starch was used as the substrate, temperature stability at elevated temperatures, action patterns on malto-oligosaccharides, antigenicity, and NH2-terminal amino acid. They differed in electrophoretic mobility, isoelectric point, and, to a small degree, in stability at room temperature for prolonged periods. Glucoamylase I was not dissociable into subunits in the presence of urea, acid, or β-mercaptoethanol under the conditions studied. Both forms of the enzyme were present in the crude glucoamylase preparation and did not arise as artifacts of the purification procedure.
Antimicrobial effect of resveratrol on dermatophytes and bacterial pathogens of the skin

The phytoalexin resveratrol is commonly found in food and drinks, including red wine, grapes, and peanuts. Many studies have shown that this compound has anti-inflammatory properties, and it has been ascribed as having health benefits that help to prevent cancer and coronary heart disease. A treatment that combines antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory actions may be desirable for alleviating many skin conditions that range in severity. Therefore, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of resveratrol against bacteria and dermatophytes that are major etiologic agents of human skin infections. Using the broth microdilution protocol of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) M7-A5, growth of the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inhibited at 171-342 microg/mL of resveratrol in the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide. Using the NCCLS protocol M38-P, activity against the fungal species Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton rubrum, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum gypseum was also tested. The growth of dermatophytes was inhibited at 25-50 microg/mL of resveratrol. Thus, this study indicates a novel application for resveratrol, a molecule of plant defense, to combat human fungal pathogens. Resveratrol and its analogs may have wide application to skin conditions that afflict a significant portion of our population, and may also have promising clinical potentials in diabetic wounds.
Significance of head and carapace pores in Ceriodaphnia (Crustacea, Cladocera)

Twelve species ofCeriodaphnia were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy for the presence of head and carapace pores. Rostral pores, similar to those in the Scapholeberinae (Dumont & Pensaert, 1983) were found in all species, situated just anterior to or between insertions of the antennules. With two exceptions, the pattern of reticulations around the pores was distinctive for each species. Oval ‘head pores’ or fenestrae occur consistently on the anterior surface of the cervical notch of juvenile and adultC. dubia, cf.dubia (from Australia),lacustris, andreticulata. The patterns of reticulations around a fenestra are unique to each species. It appears thatC. cornuta (s.l.) in the Americas has a fenestra, whereas AustralianC. cornuta (s.s.) has none. Minute pores often occur bilaterally anterior and posterior to the cervical notch in heavily reticulated individuals of several species but are not constant enough to be taxonomically useful. Well-defined small pores are situated within narrow reticulations just medial to the ventral and posterior valve margins ofC. dubia, lacustris, andreticulata. These open into carapace glands of unknown, perhaps secretory, nature. Similar glands have been observed in related taxa. Such glands and marginal pores occur only occasionally or not at all in otherCeriodaphnia. Other small pores sometimes occur among reticulations of the head, fornix, and lateral and antero-ventral surfaces of the valves. They are found more often in juvenile or heavily reticulated individuals. As yet no consistent pattern to their occurrence among species has emerged. Head and carapace pores inCeriodaphnia may be most useful in identifying species rather than in determining species groups or evolutionary patterns within the genus.
Agonist-stimulated Ligand Binding by the Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3 in a Lymphocyte Expression System

The ligand binding activity of the platelet integrin alpha IIb beta 3 is initiated by agonist-generated intraplatelet signals. We studied this process in vitro by expressing recombinant alpha IIb beta 3 in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized B lymphocytes. We found that phorbol ester stimulation induced the adhesion of lymphocytes expressing alpha IIb beta 3 to immobilized fibrinogen. Moreover, replacement of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of the alpha and beta subunits of alpha IIb beta 3 with those of alpha L beta 2 significantly increased adherence, whereas replacement of only the cytoplasmic domains significantly decreased adherence. This suggests that transmembrane segments are involved in the agonist-induced modulation of alpha IIb beta 3 activity. Similar results were seen when the alpha IIb beta 3 activation-dependent monoclonal antibody PAC-1 was substituted for immobilized fibrinogen. We also found that the adherence of lymphocytes expressing beta 3 with either of the two alpha IIb/alpha L chimeras was similar to that of cells expressing alpha IIb beta 3, whereas the adherence of cells expressing alpha IIb with either of the two beta 3/beta 2 chimeras was substantially decreased, suggesting that the identity of the cytoplasmic domain of beta 3, but not of alpha IIb, is critical for alpha IIb beta 3 function. This report indicates that B lymphocytes contain signal transduction pathways involving protein kinase C that can increase the ligand binding activity of alpha IIb beta 3 and demonstrates the utility of these cells as an expression system for the study of agonist-stimulated alpha IIb beta 3 function.
A large-area lithium-flouride Bragg spectrometer for stellar X-ray astronomy☆

A large-area Bragg spectrometer used to search for the Fe XXV X-ray emission lines of Sco X-1 is described. The device has 3400 sq cm of LiF on nine crystal panels aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rocket. X rays satisfying the Bragg condition reflect into an array of nine companion proportional counters. A pointing system incorporating a free gyroscope with 2 degrees of freedom assures that target X rays are reflected at the required angle and produces repeated spectral scans of the X-ray continuum, which are later superimposed to correct temporal effects. The instrument is capable of detecting a narrow line flux from Sco X-1 of about .01 photons/sq cm/sec.
Correlates of Death Anxiety: A Review of Empirical Studies:

Correlational studies of the fear of death completed over the last decade are reviewed. Research topics, trends, and findings are compared to earlier research on death anxiety correlates. Emphasis is placed on definitions of the construct, measurement techniques, concepts of death, and the variables of sex, age, occupation, socioeconomic status, value orientation, levels of awareness, and relationships between death anxiety and an array of personality variables. Suggestions for future areas of research are made.
PALEOMAGNETISM AND THE OROCLINE HYPOTHESIS

Eldredge, S., Bachtadse, V. and Van der Voo, R., 1985. Paleomagnetism and the orocline hypothesis. In: N.L. Carter and S. Uyeda (Editors), Collision Tectonics: Deformation of Continental Lithosphere. Tectonophysics, 119: 153-179. Oroclines were originally defined by Carey as curved mountain belts which initially were straight. or at feast straighter than they are today. In the last few years, the definition has been broadened to include any curved mountain belt, regardless of its original shape. Since the occurrence of oroclinal bending is best recorded in the change of declination as a function of tectonic setting. paleomagnetic and structural data from six potential oroclines have been compiled and analyzed to determine the amount of rotation displayed by the change of paleomagnetic declination relative to the change in strike of the fold belt. The arcuate belts investigated are: the Sicilian-Calabr~~n Arc and the Umbrian Arc of Italy. the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, the central portion of the Appalachian Mountains (from Pennsylvania to Virginia, U.S.A.). the Wyoming-Idaho overthrust belt of western North America and the Hercynides of Western and Central Europe. The Jura Mountains and the Pennsylvania-Virginia portion of the Appalachians fail to show significant oroclinal bending. ‘The Wyoming-Idaho belt shows a combination of rotated (possibly oroclinai) and unrotated thrust sheets. In the Sicilian-Calabrian Arc significant oroclinat bending caused by the impingement of the Calabria-Peloritani nappes in the Late Tertiary can be demonstrated. while the Umbrian Arc of similar age, in the Northern Apennines, also shows oroclinal bending on a smaller scale. Hercynian Europe (the only belt included in which deformation of basement rocks can be demonstrated) shows oroclinal bending (at least SO”) as well as a marked original curvature (70”) in its western part. Common to all the orocIines studied in this paper is the probable impingement of a rigid block or continental margin during the orogeny, causing subsequent deformation and bending of the fold belt.
Medical equipment donations in Haiti: flaws in the donation process

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 devastated the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area. The area's hospitals suffered major structural damage and material losses. Project HOPE sought to rebuild the medical equipment and clinical engineering capacity of the country. A team of clinical engineers from the United States of America and Haiti conducted an inventory and assessment of medical equipment at seven public hospitals affected by the earthquake. The team found that only 28% of the equipment was working properly and in use for patient care; another 28% was working, but lay idle for technical reasons; 30% was not working, but repairable; and 14% was beyond repair. The proportion of equipment in each condition category was similar regardless of whether the equipment was present prior to the earthquake or was donated afterwards. This assessment points out the flaws that existed in the medical equipment donation process and reemphasizes the importance of the factors, as delineated by the World Health Organization more than a decade ago, that constitute a complete medical equipment donation.
Wilfred Owen's THE SHOW

Wilfred Owen's poem “The Show,” which offers a bleak glimpse of a French battlefield in World War I, is a distinctly modern work in both style and theme, employing Owen's innovating pararhymes and ...
Comparison of atmospheric hydrology over convective continental regions using water vapor isotope measurements from space

[1] Global measurements of the 500–825 hPa layer mean HDO/H2O ratio from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) are used to expose differences in the dominant hydrologic processes in the Amazon, north Australian, and Asian monsoon regions. The data show high regional isotopic variability and numerous values unexpected from classical Rayleigh theory. Correlation analysis shows that mixing with boundary layer air, enhanced isotopic fractionation during precipitation, and subsiding air parcels contribute to intraseasonal isotopic variability. These local controls explain only 8–30% of total regional variance, which suggests that the isotopes are primarily indicators of moist processes that occur upstream. Seasonal trajectory analysis demonstrates that Rayleigh distillation in a Lagrangrian framework underestimates the observed isotopic depletion during the monsoons and suggests substantial recycling of water within or below clouds. The trajectory results for the dry seasons reveal that subsiding air parcels periodically introduce isotopically depleted air into the north Australia and Asian monsoon regions, whereas vigorous low-level convection over the Amazon basin acts to quickly enrich and moisten dry subsiding air. The analysis indicates variations in the strength of convective detrainment into the lower to middle troposphere over all regions, which, during the dry seasons of the north Australian and Asian monsoon regions, correlate with increases in relative humidity. This study shows that isotopic measurements provide unique diagnostics of mechanisms that control the seasonal sources of water and that these provide a refined understanding of the differences in the characteristics of hydrologic budgets in these monsoonal regions.
Dynamics of Gaseous Uptake in the Lungs: The Concentration and Second Gas Effects

A one-compartment, continuous-time model is proposed for the investigation of dynamic gas exchange in the lungs. The dynamics of the alveolar gas concentrations (state variables, xi) are demonstrated to be critically determined by, among other things, the blood-gas partition coefficients and the inspired concentrations (inputs, ui) of the component gases. The model has a bilinear structure which, when sibjected to a step input, can be exactly linearized. It is shown that the eigenvalues of the system are all real and negative, and can be simultaneously maximized if the most soluble gas of the inspirate alone is inhaled (i. e., the system becoming minimally stable). The normalized state response (xg/uj) corresponding to this input exhibits the greatest steady-state excursion, albeit with the slowest kinetics, so that the response xi/Ui rises most rapidly. Furthermore, this input-dependent effect extends also to the uptake kinetics of all other gases in the inspirate. Our investigations suggest that it can be ascribed primarily to an increase in the ratio of inspired-to-expired ventilation. These analytical predictions are further supported by simulation studies, and correspond closely with independent experimental observations. These results are consistent with, and provide a quantitative account for, the experimental observations generally known as the concentration and second gas effects.
The interaction energies of cholesterol and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine in spread mixed monolayers at the air-water interface.

The interaction of cholesterol with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) was investigated in insoluble miscible mixed monolayers at the air−water interface using a Langmuir balance technique. The strong condensation effects observed at all compositions were quantified on the basis of excess thermodynamic properties of the system. It was found that partial molar areas and work of compression of cholesterol in the mixed monolayers were greatly reduced and increased, respectively, at xDOPE of 0.8, while, in accord with the “umbrella model”, the character of cholesterol monolayers was drastically affected even at mole fractions of DOPE as low as 0.2. Calculated Gibbs free energies of mixing were shown to be symmetric about equimolar lipid quantities and considerably decreased at high surface pressures. Interaction energy parameters calculated from values of excess Gibbs energy are found to decrease linearly with surface pressure at a rate of 100 kT m·N−1, regardless of composition. All evidenc...
Use of excimer laser in the treatment of chronic total occlusion of a coronary artery that cannot be crossed with a balloon catheter.

The inability to advance a balloon across a chronically occluded coronary artery that has been crossed with a guidewire occurs in 5% of patients with chronic occlusions. In this report, a new indication for the excimer laser is described: the recanalization of a chronic occlusion that has been crossed with a guidewire that cannot be crossed with a balloon catheter. © 1993 Wiley-Liss,Inc.
Zinc and copper replacement therapy in children with deep burns

Abstract In 22 children with burns of between 10 and 20 per cent of the body surface zinc and copper serum levels were controlled. Supplementation with zinc sulphate (20 mg kg−1 d−1) and copper sulphate (0·08 mg kg−1 d−1) was only carried out in cases of pathological findings on admission. When both zinc and copper levels were normal, no supplementation was given. In spite of this the copper level rose spontaneously to over 40 per cent. When the copper level was normal, but zinc levels were low, copper levels remained around less than 1 per cent without supplementation. When zinc and copper levels were both abnormal and supplementation was given, the zinc levels rose by 87 per cent but the copper level by only 28 per cent, and the copper levels reached only the lowest normal values. Zinc supplementation appears to antagonize the copper absorption or to influence the serum copper level. We doubt that serum zinc and copper levels are of much help in controlling the therapeutic effect of copper supplementation.
The delay-friendliness of TCP

TCP has traditionally been considered unfriendly for real-time applications. Nonetheless, popular applications such as Skype use TCP since UDP packets cannot pass through many NATs and firewalls. Motivated by this observation, we study the delay performance of TCP for real-time media flows. We develop an analytical performance model for the delay of TCP. We use extensive experiments to validate the model and to evaluate the impact of various TCP mechanisms on its delay performance. Based on our results, we derive the working region for VoIP and live video streaming applications and provide guidelines for delay-friendly TCP settings. Our research indicates that simple application-level schemes, such as packet splitting and parallel connections, can reduce the delay of real-time TCP flows by as much as 30% and 90%, respectively.
Adiabatic rotation, quantum search, and preparation of superposition states

We introduce the idea of using adiabatic rotation to generate superpositions of a large class of quantum states. For quantum computing this is an interesting alternative to the well-studied ``straight line'' adiabatic evolution. In ways that complement recent results, we show how to efficiently prepare three types of states: Kitaev's toric code state, the cluster state of the measurement-based computation model, and the history state used in the adiabatic simulation of a quantum circuit. We also show that the method, when adapted for quantum search, provides quadratic speedup as other optimal methods do with the advantages that the problem Hamiltonian is time independent and that the energy gap above the ground state is strictly nondecreasing with time. Likewise the method can be used for optimization as an alternative to the standard adiabatic algorithm.
Bundled Payments in Total Joint Arthroplasty: Targeting Opportunities for Quality Improvement and Cost Reduction

Background Understanding the type and magnitude of services that patients receive postdischarge and the financial impact of readmissions is crucial to assessing the feasibility of accepting bundled payments.
Influence of microstructure on micromagnetic Barkhausen emissions in AISI 4140 steel

The effects of microstructure on the micromagnetic Barkhausen signal emissions in AISI 4140 steel are reported. The Barkhausen signal amplitude is known to be highly sensitive to the type and distribution of microstructural inhomogeneities, such as grain boundaries, precipitates and dislocations. The Barkhausen measurements were taken on samples having pearlitic, spheroidized and bainitic microstructures. The Barkhausen emissions were measured in terms of rms voltage peak-to-peak voltage and number of events per cycle. It is shown that Barkhausen signals can be used to distinguish between pearlitic and bainitic microstructures.
Interactions of Light Intensity, Spectral Dominance and Adaptational State in Controlling Anuran Phototaxis

We performed 12 experiments on phototactic behavior of frogs to test the following hypotheses: (a) there is a preferred intensity for light of every color, (b) such intensity-preferences differ among colors, (c) such intensity-preferences are shifted to lower intensities by dark-adaptation, and (d) the magnitude of such adaptional shifts themselves also differs among colors. The data were consistent with all four hypotheses. Zusammenfassung Die phototaktischen Praferenzen mexikanischer Frosche der Rana pipiens-Gruppe wurden untersucht. Die Tiere konnten unter sechs verschiedenen Reizintensitaten einer bestimmten Farbe wahlen. Sie waren entweder dunkel-adaptiert oder an mittlere Lichtintensitaten angepast. Die 12 Versuchsreihen fuhren zu den folgenden vier Schlusfolgerungen: 1 In jedem Versuch konnte eine maximale Praferenz fur eine bestimmte Intensitat gefunden werden. 2 Die Intensitatsbevorzugung ist abhangig von der Wellenlange. In der Nahe der Grenzen (rot und violett) des sichtbaren Spektrums werden in der Regel hohere Intensitaten gewahlt als in dessen Mitte. 3 Dunkelanpassung verschiebt die Praferenzkurve auf niedrigere Intensitaten. 4 Diese anpassungsbedingte Verschiebung ist ihrerseits ebenfalls wellen-langen-abhangig: Am Rande des sichtbaren Spektrums ist sie am grosten, in seiner Mitte am geringsten. Diese Ergebnisse stimmen mit dem Reizkontroll-Modell der Phototaxis von Hailman and Jaeger (1976) uberein und tragen zu dessen weiterer Prazisierung und Spezifizierung bei.
Xanthrochromia: By which method? A comparison of the visual and spectrophotometric determination of xanthrochromia

Study objectives: Although spectrophotometric definitions of xanthrochromia exist, nearly all hospitals in the United States use visual inspection for the detection of xanthrochromia. We compare visual inspection for xanthrochromia to the spectrophotometric detection of xanthrochromia. Methods: Laboratory technicians from a tertiary care hospital visually examined unmarked samples for the presence or absence of xanthrochromia. Samples were prepared by vigorously mixing 3 mL of blood with 3 mL of deiodinated water to lyse the RBCs. Dilutions were then made ranging from 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 100,000. Samples of each dilution were placed into clear polystyrene tubes obtained from lumbar puncture trays. In a random sequence, laboratory technicians visually examined each sample for xanthrochromia. In addition, each sample was scanned using a double-beam spectrophotometer (Spectronic Genesis 5, Spectronic Instruments, Rochester, NY) at wavelengths between 300 nm and 700 nm. Absorption was recorded for peaks at 415 nm in allergenic units, the resonant wavelength for oxyhemoglobin. Samples were considered to demonstrate xanthrochromia by spectrophotometry if their absorbance was greater than 0.023 allergenic units at 415 nm. Results: Sixteen laboratory technicians examined a total of 160 samples, of which 64 (40%) demonstrated spectrophotometric xanthrochromia. Visual inspection of the samples was 27% sensitive (95% confidence interval [CI] 16% to 39%) and 98% specific (95% CI 93% to 100%) for spectrophotometric xanthrochromia. Conclusion: Visual inspection is not sensitive for the detection of xanthrochromia. Emergency physicians should understand the limitations of the visual technique in their interpretation of the cerebrospinal fluid analysis of potential subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.
Isoenzyme-Selective Regulation Of SERCA2 Gene Expression by Protein Kinase C In Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes

Patients with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure display abnormally slowed myocardial relaxation, which is associated with downregulation of sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2) gen...
A perspective for understanding the modes of juvenile hormone action as a lipid signaling system.

The juvenile hormones of insects regulate an unusually large diversity of processes during postembryonic development and adult reproduction. It is a long-standing puzzle in insect developmental biology and physiology how one hormone can have such diverse effects. The search for molecular mechanisms of juvenile hormone action has been guided by classical models for hormone-receptor interaction. Yet, despite substantial effort, the search for a juvenile hormone receptor has been frustrating and has yielded limited results. We note here that a number of lipid-soluble signaling molecules in vertebrates, invertebrates and plants show curious similarities to the properties of juvenile hormones of insects. Until now, these signaling molecules have been thought of as uniquely evolved mechanisms that perform specialized regulatory functions in the taxon where they were discovered. We show that this array of lipid signaling molecules share interesting properties and suggest that they constitute a large set of signal control and transduction mechanisms that include, but range far beyond, the classical steroid hormone signaling mechanism. Juvenile hormone is the insect representative of this widespread and diverse system of lipid signaling molecules that regulate protein activity in a variety of ways. We propose a synthetic perspective for understanding juvenile hormone action in light of other lipid signaling systems and suggest that lipid activation of proteins has evolved to modulate existing signal activation and transduction mechanisms in animals and plants. Since small lipids can be inserted into many different pathways, lipid-activated proteins have evolved to play a great diversity of roles in physiology and development.
A Model of Farm-Level Demand for Extension Information

Since our sample includes both types of farmers who have and who have not contacted extension agents during the year, a Tobit model has been used to estimate the demand for extension service. The results show that the demand for extension service is directly related to the level of farm assets, farming experience, and level of education. The demand for extension service is significantly higher for white farmers as compared to black farmers, ceteris paribus.
Location aided broadcast in wireless ad hoc network systems

Ad hoc networks in wireless communications is a challenging field due to the constant change of network topology. Broadcast service in ad hoc networks is critical in supporting various important applications and message routing. We examine the problem of the traditional broadcast protocol (i.e., flooding) in mobile wireless ad hoc networks, also known as "broadcast storm problem". We introduce a location aided algorithm to compute the optimal local cover set without delay and without much communication overhead. Based on the algorithm, we propose three new location-aided broadcast protocols for ad hoc networks that compute the optimal local cover set for retransmissions on-the-fly. We compare and analyze the simulation results of our protocols and others. The results show that our new protocols save a significant amount of wireless bandwidth and consume less overhead.
Metabolic Disorders Associated With Neonatal Hypoglycemia

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe four sources of glucose available to the neonate in the first 24 postnatal hours. 2. Select the best routine diagnostic test to recognize fatty acid oxidation defects. 3. List three or more metabolic disorders that can be identified by newborn screening performed using tandem mass spectrometry. Hypoglycemia is a common problem in neonates that has many causes. This review focuses on metabolic disorders that may be associated with hypoglycemia in the neonatal period. During intrauterine life, the fetus derives fuel, as glucose, from the mother via the placenta. After birth, the energy demands on the former fetus increase dramatically. The baby now must maintain its own body temperature and must undertake the work of breathing and other activities. Further, the maintenance of blood glucose levels requires glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Postnatally, there are four sources of glucose: dietary glucose; glucose derived from the cleavage of more complex sugars in the gut (eg, lactose to glucose and galactose); glucose released from glycogen stores (primarily in the liver); and gluconeogenesis, in which glucose is synthesized from carbon skeletons derived from certain amino acids using energy derived from catabolism of fatty acids. Most term infants have sufficient glycogen stores to maintain blood glucose levels for several hours before gluconeogenesis is required. Infants who are breastfed in the United States typically are offered only water as a supplement to human milk during the first few postnatal days, a period when the mother’s milk supply is not yet established. In contrast, formula-fed babies receive calories by mouth by the end of the first postnatal day. Consequently, the metabolic stress of prolonged fasting occurs more frequently in breastfed than in formula-fed babies. Although breastfed babies have higher levels of ketone bodies that appear to provide adequate energy during this …
Short arms and talking eggs: Why we should no longer abide the nativist-empiricist debate

The nativist-empiricis td ebate and the nativist commitment to the idea of core knowledge and endow- ments that exist without relevant postnatal experience continue to distract attention from the reality of develop- mental systems. The developmental systems approach embraces the concept of epigenesis, that is, the view that development emerges via cascades of interactions across multiple levels of causation, from genes to environments. This view is rooted in a broader interpretation of experi- ence and an appreciation for the nonobvious nature of development. This systems approach is illustrated here with examples from studies of imprinting, spatial cogni- tion, and language development, revealing the inadequa- cies of the nativist-empiricist debate and the inconvenient truths of development. Developmental scientists should no longer abide the nativist-empiricist debate and nativists' ungrounded focus on origins. Rather, the future lies in grounding science in contemporary theory and develop- mental process.
Urinary 1H-NMR Metabolomics Can Distinguish Pancreatitis Patients from Healthy Controls

Context The characterization of the urinary metabolome may yield biomarkers indicative of pancreatitis. Objectives We establish a non-invasive technique to compare urinary metabolic profiles in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis to healthy controls. Methods Urine was obtained from healthy controls (HC, n=5), inpatients with mild acute pancreatitis (AP, n=5), and outpatients with chronic pancreatitis (CP, n=5). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra were obtained for each sample. Metabolites were identified and quantified in each spectrum; resulting concentrations were normalized to account for differences in dilution among samples. Kruskal-Wallis test, post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests, and principal component analysis were performed to identify metabolites that discriminate healthy controls, acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancreatitis. Results Sixty metabolites were identified and quantified; five were found to differ significantly (P<0.05) among the three groups. Of these, citrate and adenosine remained significant after validation by random permutation. Principal component analysis demonstrated that healthy control urine samples can be differentiated from patients with chronic pancreatitis or acute pancreatitis; chronic pancreatitis patients could not be distinguished from acute pancreatitis patients. Conclusions This metabolomic investigation demonstrates that this non-invasive technique offers insight into the metabolic states of pancreatitis. Although the identified metabolites cannot conclusively be defined as biomarkers of disease, future studies will validate our findings in larger patient cohorts. Image: Boxplots of two significant metabolites.
Development and demonstration of a Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology System

ABSTRACT: The purpose of the Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology (BMRST) program is to develop and demonstrate a mobile launch range tracking and control system based on GPS that can provide range safety support for military and commercial launch vehicles. The BMRST System consists of a unit on board the launch vehicle that transmits, via an S-band data link, precise navigation information derived from GPS and inertial sensors to the ground BMRST Mobile Operation Center (MOC). These data are processed in the MOC and displayed to ensure the continuation of safe flight for the vehicle. When necessary, the command destruct system can be activated to terminate the mission. As part of this development, two significant tests were conducted: (1) initial aircraft dynamic testing (January 2001), and (2) the first operational missile test (March 2001) for the BMRST System. This paper describes the BMRST System and these two major test/demonstration efforts.
Robust stability and stabilization of a class of non-linear stochastic systems with state and controller dependent noise

This paper presents a new approach to robust quadratic stabilization of nonlinear stochastic systems. The linear rate vector of a stochastic system is perturbed by a nonlinear function that satisfies a quadratic constraint. Our objective is to show how linear constant feedback laws can be formulated to stabilize this type of stochastic systems and, at the same time maximize the bounds on this nonlinear perturbing function which the system can tolerate without becoming unstable. The control input is simultaneously applied to both the rate vector and the diffusion term. The new formulation provides a suitable setting for robust stabilization of nonlinear stochastic systems where the underlying deterministic systems satisfy the generalized matching conditions. Examples are given to demonstrate the results.
Sample preparation and assay refinements for pathogen detection platforms

Food-borne and waterborne microbial pathogens are a potential problem in biowarfare and public health. Such pathogens can affect the health, combat readiness, and effectiveness of the warfighter in a battlefield environment and present potential threats to the civilian population through intentional or natural contamination of food and water. Conventional procedures to detect and identify microbial pathogens in food, water, and other materials can take days to perform and may provide inconclusive information. Research at the University of South Florida's Advanced Biosensors Laboratory (ABL) focuses on development of sample processing procedures and biosensor-based assays for rapid detection of biothreat agents. Rapid processing methods, including use of an automated concentrator of microorganisms in water, have been developed for complex matrix samples including ground beef, apple juice, produce, potable water and recreational water, enabling such samples to be directly tested by biosensor assays for target analytes. Bacillus atrophaeus spores and other bacteria can be concentrated from potable and recreational water at low levels with a dead-end hollow-fiber ultrafiltration concentration system. Target bacteria recovered by these processing procedures can be identified by evanescent wave, fiber optic biosensors or other detection platforms. Fiber optic biosensor assays have been improved to include subsequent PCR analysis and viability determination of captured target bacteria using broth enrichment and/or ATP luminescence.
Advanced optic fabrication using ultrafast laser radiation

Advanced fabrication and finishing techniques are desired for freeform optics and integrated photonics. Methods including grinding, polishing and magnetorheological finishing used for final figuring and polishing of such optics are time consuming, expensive, and may be unsuitable for complex surface features while common photonics fabrication techniques often limit devices to planar geometries. Laser processing has been investigated as an alternative method for optic forming, surface polishing, structure writing, and welding, as direct tuning of laser parameters and flexible beam delivery are advantageous for complex freeform or photonics elements and material-specific processing. Continuous wave and pulsed laser radiation down to the nanosecond regime have been implemented to achieve nanoscale surface finishes through localized material melting, but the temporal extent of the laser-material interaction often results in the formation of a sub-surface heat affected zone. The temporal brevity of ultrafast laser radiation can allow for the direct vaporization of rough surface asperities with minimal melting, offering the potential for smooth, final surface quality with negligible heat affected material. High intensities achieved in focused ultrafast laser radiation can easily induce phase changes in the bulk of materials for processing applications. We have experimentally tested the effectiveness of ultrafast laser radiation as an alternative laser source for surface processing of monocrystalline silicon. Simulation of material heating associated with ultrafast laser-material interaction has been performed and used to investigate optimized processing parameters including repetition rate. The parameter optimization process and results of experimental processing will be presented.
Unsteady multigrid method for simulating 3-D incompressible Navier-Stokes flows on dynamic relative motion grids

An unsteady multiblock multigrid method is presented for simulating three-dimensional incompressible turbulent flows on dynamic grids, where the blocks may be in motion relative to one another. The artificial compressibility form of the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is solved using a second-order time-accurate discretized Newton-relaxation scheme. The unsteady multiblock multigrid method is developed to accelerate the convergence of time-accurate solutions. The localized grid distortion technique is used to treat the relative motion of dynamic multiblock grids. Applications include an impeller, an isolated propeller, and a fully appended submarine with a rotating propulsor, which are presented to demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency, robustness, and applicability of the current method. (Author)
Varying Susceptibility to Methomyl and Permethrin in Widely Separated Cabbage Looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations within Eastern North America

Cultures of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), collected during 1980 from 11 eastern states and California, were assessed for susceptibility to methomyl and permethrin. T. ni were more susceptible to permethrin than methomyl, and the ratio of LD50 values (methomyl to permethrin) within each location ranged from 28:1 to 691:1. LD50 values for permethrin varied by a factor of 15 between locations, compared with 8.2 for methomyl. LD50 values for the California culture were similar to those of its eastern counterparts. There was no significant trend indicating that susceptibility to methomyl influenced susceptibility to permethrin. Although susceptibility to methomyl varied between geographic strains, there was no consistent pattern of increased tolerance in northern populations due to migration during a single growing season.
Toward Efficient Optical Trapping of Sub-10-nm Particles with Coaxial Plasmonic Apertures

Optical trapping using focused laser beams has emerged as a powerful tool in the biological and physical sciences. However, scaling this technique to nanosized objects remains challenging due to the diffraction limit of light and the high power levels required for nanoscale trapping. In this paper, we propose plasmonic coaxial apertures as low-power optical traps for nanosized specimens. The illumination of a coaxial aperture with a linearly polarized plane wave generates a dual optical trapping potential well. We theoretically show that this potential can stably trap dielectric particles smaller than 10 nm in diameter while keeping the trapping power level below 20 mW. By tapering the thickness of the coaxial dielectric channel, trapping can be extended to sub-2-nm particles. The proposed structures may enable optical trapping and manipulation of dielectric particles ranging from single proteins to small molecules with sizes previously inaccessible.
Further studies on milk fat synthesis.

We have reported evidence(l) for the de novo synthesis of milk fat by mammary tissue based on a study of the radioactivity found in milk fat glycerol following intramammary infusion of various C14 labeled metabolites. The synthesis of glycerol from glucose(2) and subsequent incorporation of the newly synthesized glycerol into milk fat suggested that milk fat was synthesized within the udder from “pools” of fatty acids and glycerol. An alternate pathway, equally possible but lacking experimental proof, envisions milk fat synthesis as a process of fatty acid transacylation onto preformed triglyceride molecules which were previously absorbed from the blood(3). The present study was undertaken to extend our earlier work and to test our hypothesis of de novo fat synthesis by mammary tissue.Experimental. Details pertaining to the method and site of infusion, the isotope infused, and the milk yield of the various cows used in these studies were reported earlier for all trials except stearate C12(l). The cows wer...
Ethics of Disenfranchisement and Voting Rights in the U.S.:Convicted Felons, the Homeless, and Immigrants

This paper examines the contemporary ethical issues surrounding voting rights of three disenfranchised groups in the U.S.: convicted felons, the homeless, and immigrants. Even in modern countries like the U.S., voting and other forms of political participation are skewed toward the elite, those with higher incomes, those who are employed, and those with more education. Low voter turnout presents serious challenges to democratic responsiveness, or the ability of leaders to respond to the needs and demands of citizens. Hence, voting should be encouraged in accord with the common interest. An important conclusion is that allowing all citizens – irrespective of their status – to vote would give them a voice in the context of governance. This notion is also associated with distributive justice, a philosophical concept that concentrates on just outcomes and consequences.
Identification of Poly(L-lactic acid) Degrading Microorganism

A strain possessing activity to degrade poly- L- lactic acid( PLA) DS04- W was screened from sludge. It was identified by the analyses of morphological,physiological and biochemical properties,16 Sr DNA comparison. It was identified as Bacillus megaterium.Strains DS04'- W has the ability of degradation PLA. It established the foundation for the further research on enzymic hydrolysis PLA.
Contamination Survey of Enterobacter Sakazakii in Domestic Formula Milk Powder and Infant Food from Wholesale Markets

[Objective]To understand the contamination state of domestic formula milk powder and infant food sold in wholesale market by Enterobacter sakazakii.[Methods]According to GB/T 4789.40-2008,test method for Enterobacter sakazakii was adopted to detect 69 samples. The isolates of Enterobacter sakazakii were evaluated for antibiotic susceptibility[Results]Of 69 samples of domestic formula milk powder and infant food,16 strains of Enterobacter sakazakii were isolated. Antibiotic susceptibility showed that all 16 strains were universally susceptible to the common antibiotics against G-bacteria.[Conclusion]The contamination situation due to Enterobacter sakazakii in domestic formula milk powder and infant food sold in wholesale market is severe,which should attract the attention of related departments.
Stress: Measurement by Self-report and Interview

This article focuses on stress measurement in social as opposed to laboratory contexts and considers two approaches to assessing recent eventful stressors—those that rely on a checklist and those using data obtained in detailed interviews. Although checklist approaches have been widely criticized, they remain the most commonly used method for obtaining information on exposure to social stress. Moreover, they appear to yield meaningful estimates of differences in exposure. Interview procedures employ qualitative probes to more precisely specify the occurrence of significant stress. This advantage has produced perhaps the most compelling evidence so far available for the role of stress in psychiatric disorder. The primary disadvantage of these investigator-based estimates is their high cost in time and effort relative to checklist methods. Measures of chronic or enduring stressor and of lifetime exposure to major and potentially traumatic events are also briefly described. It is argued that these relatively neglected dimensions of stress exposure are crucial to include within efforts to estimate variations in exposure to social stress.
Funding: An Overview

As a medical student, resident, and even as a junior attending, I spent little time thinking about money and where it came from. Sure, I filled out billing sheets for my clinical time seeing patients and doing procedures, and every month when my department administrator handed me my P&L statement, I glanced at it, not really paying much attention to the details, unable to interpret it. Frankly, at that time, I considered the economics of medicine and medical research somewhat distasteful and undignified. After all, I was an academic physician and my goal was to pursue medical science in its purest form, unsullied by things like money. Money would surely always flow freely because any worthwhile effort would be supported. Right? But exactly how that worked—i.e., the who, what, where, when, and how—I gave only glancing consideration.