cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Mechanical Properties of Soft Tissue with Ultrasound Vibrometry

The cardiovascular diseases atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, hypertension and heart failure have been related to stiffening of vessels and myocardium. Noninvasive measurements of mechanical properties of cardiovascular tissue would facilitate detection and treatment of disease in early stages, thus reducing mortality and possibly reducing cost of treatment. While techniques capable of measuring tissue elasticity have been reported, the knowledge of both elasticity and viscosity is necessary to fully characterize mechanical properties of soft tissues. In this article, we summarize the Shearwave Dispersion Ultrasound Vibrometry (SDUV) method developed by our group and report on advances made in characterizing stiffness of large vessels and myocardium. The method uses radiation forceFadiation force to excite shear waves in soft tissue and pulse echo ultrasound to measure the motion. The speed of propagation of shear waves at different frequencies is used to generate dispersions curves for excised porcine left-ventricular free-wall myocardium and carotid arteries. An antisymmetric Lamb wave model was fitted to the LV myocardium dispersion curves to obtain elasticity and viscosity moduli. The results suggest that the speed of shear wave propagation in four orthogonal directions on the surface of the excised myocardium is similar. These studies show that the SDUV method has potential for clinical application in noninvasive quantification of elasticity and viscosity of vessels and myocardium.
Acute airway obstruction in achalasia. Possible role of defective belch reflex.

Abstract Achalasia presenting as an acute airway obstruction is a rarely reported phenomenon. The pathophysiology of this dramatic complication of achalasia remains an enigma. Our patient with achalasia presented with an acute airway compromise necessitating emergent endotracheal intubation. We review the available literature on this interesting yet rare complication of achalasia. We also add some information to help elucidate the possible pathophysiologic mechanism of this emergency, proposing that specific upper esophageal sphincter manometry may indicate abnormality of the "belch reflex".
UPPER EXTREMITY PEDIATRIC COMPARTMENT SYNDROMES

SUMMARY Fractures are associated with the majority of compartment syndromes in children. Respect for associated soft-tissue injuries and recognition of specific fractures that can put a limb at risk for compartment syndrome are essential for prevention or successful treatment with early decompressive fasciotomies. In those limbs at risk for compartment syndrome, percutaneous pinning or intramedullary fixation provides fracture stabilization and prevents problems noted with standard cast treatment. Any condition that causes increased tissue pressure within a limited space can lead to compartment syndrome, however. It therefore is important to identify the injured, ill, or hospitalized child with unexplained changes in pain status or soft tissues. In particular, the agitated child with increasing analgesia requirements requires a thorough evaluation. The child’s behavior should not be attributed to young age, fear, or fracture pain. This is a trap that must be avoided to prevent the disastrous outcomes of a missed compartment syndrome.
Complexity and Differential Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on three analytic complexity topics, which are the subject of active research in the Department of Computer Science of Yale University. The first topic deals with the complexity of interpolation problems. The second topic discusses the optimal storage algorithms introduced for the direct solution of sparse linear systems of equations. The chapter presents the application of these algorithms to the 5-point difference equations that arise as approximations to partial differential equations in two independent variables. This class of algorithms is a good example of the general phenomenon of being able to construct algorithms for particular problems that trade-off computing time for storage. The third topic deals with a special case of the general problem for finding fixed points.
A Fine mapping quantitative trait loci that underlie resistance to soybean sudden death syndrome using NILs and SNPs.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars differ in their resistance to sudden death syndrome (SDS), caused by Fusarium virguliforme. Breeding for improving SDS response has been challenging, due to interactions among the 18-42 known resistance loci. Four quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to SDS (cqRfsâ€“cqRfs3) were clustered within 20 cM of the rhg1 locus underlying resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) on Chromosome (Chr.) 18. Another locus on Chr. 20 (cqRfs5) was reported to interact with this cluster. The aims here were to compare the inheritance of resistance to SDS in a near isogenic line (NIL) population that was fixed for resistance to SCN but segregated at two of the four loci (cqRfs1 and cqRfs) for SDS resistance; to examine the interaction with the locus on Chr. 20; and to identify candidate genes underlying QTL. Used were; a NIL population derived from residual heterozygosity in an F5:7 recombinant inbred line EF60 (lines 1-38); SDS response data from two locations and years; four segregating microsatellite and 1,500 SNP markers. Polymorphic regions were found from 2,788 Kbp to 8,938 Kbp on Chr. 18 and 33,100 Kbp to 34,943 Kbp on Chr. 20 that were significantly (0.005 0.0001) associated with resistance to SDS. The QTL fine maps suggested that the two loci on Chr. 18 were three loci (cqRfs1, cqRfs, and cqRfs19). Candidate genes were inferred. An epistatic interaction was inferred between Chr. 18 and Chr. 20 loci. Therefore, SDS resistance QTL were both complex and interacting.
Lagged effect of exports, industrialization and urbanization on carbon footprint in Southeast Asia

The study aims to examine lagged causal effect of economic development policies on the carbon footprint of Southeast Asia. This study employs unit root test, cointegration test and panel data analy...
On-Line Sensor to Measure the Density of a Liquid or Slurry

An on-line sensor to measure the density of a liquid or slurry is of interest for many different applications, such as measuring the density of a reagent in a pipeline during production or transport or measuring the density of a slurry in a radioactive waste storage tank on the Hanford reservation. Such a real-time, in-situ sensor is shown in Figure 1. The ultrasonic density sensor consists of longitudinal (B, C, D, E, and F) and shear wave (A) transducers mounted upon a plastic wedge. Density is measured based on the reflection of ultrasound at the wedge-liquid interface.
Active Videogames to Promote Traditional Active Play: Increasing the Reinforcing Value of Active Play Among Low-Active Children.

Background: Exercise reinforcement predicts physical activity of children. Repeated exposures of physical activity may increase physical activity reinforcement (incentive sensitization). Active vid...
Does the Residential Landscape Contextualize Friendships? Examining the Causes and Consequences of Affiliating with Older Friends:

Objectives:Examine the relationships among structural disadvantage, friendship network age composition, and violent offending by investigating the contextual and individual etiology of affiliating ...
Seven formulations of the kinematics of special relativity

We present a comprehensive discussion of the formulation of the kinematics of special relativity, i.e., the Lorentz transformation. We begin with a concise new proof that the principle of relativity implies that the transformation of event coordinates between inertial reference frames is linear. We then give a clear derivation of the pre-Lorentz transformation, which follows from the principle of relativity. We then show that the pre-Lorentz transformation and the inertial invariance of the speed of light together result in the Lorentz transformation. This, of course, is essentially the traditional formulation. We next present two additional formulations, one using Lorentz–Fitzgerald contraction and one using time dilation, instead of inertial invariance. This is reasonable since Lorentz–Fitzgerald contraction and time dilation are about as well established as and are arguably less abstract than inertial invariance, and thus may profitably be used instead of inertial invariance to complete the formulation. We then present a complete proof that the pre-Lorentz transformation and the requirement of closure upon composition together imply that the transformation is either a Galilean transformation or a generalized Lorentz transformation. This is noteworthy in that it gets ever so close to the Lorentz transformation without invoking light. In the course of this, we obtain a generalized velocity addition rule, which reduces to the velocity addition rule of special relativity. We next show that the generalized Lorentz transformation, together with inertial invariance, Lorentz–Fitzgerald contraction, and time dilation, used one at a time, yields three more formulations. We then show that the unspecified, nonzero, constant speed in the generalized Lorentz transformation can be determined without any reference to light, thereby obtaining a seventh formulation. Light plays no explicit role in the four formulations employing Lorentz–Fitzgerald contraction and time dilation and plays no role whatsoever in the seventh formulation. Thus, and this is a fact which should be strongly emphasized, the formulation of special relativity in no way depends upon the nature of electromagnetic radiation. We conclude by briefly discussing these seven formulations of the kinematics of special relativity and some associated implications.
Sarcopenia is Associated with Frailty in Lung Transplant Candidates

Purpose Frailty is associated with mortality in lung transplantation (LT). Sarcopenia is considered a cardinal component of frailty; this relationship has not previously been evaluated in lung disease. Methods In a multicenter prospective cohort of 367 LT candidates, 3 sarcopenia definitions were tested: European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project, and the lowest quartile of gender-specific appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) mass index (see Table Footer for definitions). ASM mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Frailty measures included Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; range 0-12; SPPB ≤7=frail) and the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP; range 0-5; FFP ≥3=frail). Associations between sarcopenia definitions and frailty were tested by logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and diagnosis. Generalized additive models (GAMs) tested non-linear associations between ASM mass index and frailty, adjusting for age and sex. Results Sarcopenia prevalence was 13% by EWGSOP and 12% by FNIH. Frailty prevalence was 17% for SPPB and 30% for FFP. Sarcopenia was associated with higher risk of SPPB and FFP frailty by EWGSOP, but not by FNIH. By lowest quartile of ASM mass index, sarcopenia was associated with FFP frailty (Table). The relationship between ASM mass index and risk of SPPB/FFP frailty appeared to be linear (Figure). Conclusion Sarcopenia is associated with frailty in LT candidates by EWGSOP and ASM mass index lowest quartile definitions. Future studies should optimize sarcopenia definitions and determine if reducing sarcopenia improves LT outcomes.
We Are Not All the Same: A Qualitative Analysis of the Nuanced Differences Between Chinese and South Korean International Graduate Students’ Experiences in the United States

This qualitative study explored the experiences of six Chinese and South Korean graduate students in the United States. Semistructured interviews and an interpretive phenomenological approach were used in which three major themes emerged: (a) academic challenges and acculturation, (b) academic support from host institute, and (c) cultural and pedagogical nuances. Challenges included language barriers during lectures, discussions and writing assignments, and lack of support services for international students. One significant finding was Chinese and South Korean students do not have the same graduate experiences in the United States. Participants shared how their prior homeland learning experiences (course delivery, relationships with instructors and assessments) impacted their learning, relationships, and academic challenges in the United States.
Emission of /sup 24/Na fragments in the interaction of /sup 197/Au with intermediate-energy pions and protons

Excitation functions for the formation of /sup 24/Na from /sup 197/Au have been measured for incident ..pi../sup +/ between 176 and 368 MeV, ..pi../sup -/ between 239 and 368 MeV, and protons between 197 and 800 MeV. The cross sections increase sharply with energy and at any given energy obey the relation sigma/sub pi+/ > sigma/sub pi-/ > sigma/sub p/. The results are analyzed in terms of the contribution of hot-spot and coherent-cascade mechanisms to the proton yields. The role of statistical phase-space factors, as embodied in cascade-evaporation calculations, is invoked to explain the ratio of ..pi../sup +/ and ..pi../sup -/ cross sections.
A systematic review of interventions for reducing heavy episodic drinking in sub-Saharan African settings.

Objective Assess the effect of non-pharmacological alcohol interventions on reducing heavy episodic drinking (HED) outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A systematic review of the available literature through August 19, 2020 was conducted. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials testing non-pharmacological interventions on alcohol consumption in sub-Saharan Africa were eligible for inclusion. Eligible outcomes included measures of HED/binge drinking, and measures indicative of this pattern of drinking, such as high blood alcohol concentration or frequency of intoxication. Three authors extracted and reconciled relevant data and assessed risk of bias. The review protocol is available on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42019094509). The Cochrane Handbook recommendations for the review of interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines guided all methodology. Results Thirteen intervention trials were identified that met our inclusion criteria and measured change in HED. Studies were judged of moderate quality. A beneficial effect of non-pharmacological interventions on HED was reported in six studies, three of which were deemed clinically significant by the review authors; no statistically significant effects were identified in the other seven studies. Interventions achieving statistical and/or clinical significance had an intervention dose of two hours or greater, used an array of psychosocial approaches, including Motivational Interviewing integrated in Brief Intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy and integrated risk reduction interventions, and were delivered both individually and in groups. Conclusions Evidence for the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to reduce HED in sub-Saharan African settings was limited, demonstrating the need for more research. To strengthen the literature, future research should employ more rigorous study designs, improve consistency of HED measurement, test interventions developed specifically to address HED, and explore structural approaches to HED reduction.
Development of a CRISPR/Cas9 system in Entamoeba histolytica: proof of concept

Abstract The protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is an important human pathogen and a leading parasitic cause of death on a global scale. The lack of molecular tools for genome editing hinders the study of important biological functions of this parasite. Due to its versatility, the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-Cas9 system has been successfully used to induce site-specific genomic alterations, including in protozoan parasites. In this study, we optimised CRISPR-Cas9 for use as a genetic tool in E. histolytica. We chose a single plasmid approach containing both guide RNA (gRNA) and Cas9 nuclease expression cassettes. The amebic U6 promoter was used to drive the expression of the gRNA and its expression was confirmed by Northern blot analysis. Stable transfectant cell lines were obtained using a destabilising domain of dihydrofolate reductase fused to myc-tagged Cas9 (ddCas9). With this system, we were able to induce ddCas9 expression 16 h following treatment with the small molecule ligand trimethoprim (TMP). Stable cell lines expressing ddCas9 and Luc-gRNA or non-specific (NS)-gRNA were transiently transfected with a plasmid containing a mutated luciferase gene (pDeadLuc) targeted by Luc-gRNA and another plasmid with a truncated luciferase gene (pDonorLuc) to restore luciferase expression and consequent activity. We observed that luminescence signal increased for the cell line expressing Luc-gRNA, suggesting that homologous recombination was facilitated by Cas9 activity. This evidence is supported by the presence of chimeric DNA detected by PCR and confirmed by sequencing of the resulting repaired DNA obtained by homologous recombination. We believe this represents the first report of a CRISPR/Cas9 system use in Entamoeba and provides evidence that this genome editing approach can be useful for genetic studies in this early branching eukaryote.
Managing and Leading Software Projects

The book is organized around basic principles of software project management: planning and estimating, measuring and controlling, leading and communicating, and managing risk. Introduces software development methods, from traditional (hacking, requirements to code, and waterfall) to iterative (incremental build, evolutionary, agile, and spiral). Illustrates and emphasizes tailoring the development process to each project, with a foundation in the fundamentals that are true for all development methods. Topics such as the WBS, estimation, schedule networks, organizing the project team, and performance reporting are integrated, rather than being relegating to appendices. Each chapter in the book includes an appendix that covers the relevant topics from CMMI-DEV-v1.2, IEEE/ISO Standards 12207, IEEE Standard 1058, and the PMI Body of Knowledge.
Virtual Structures - A Technique for Supporting Scientific Database Applications

Amazonia is based on a comprehensive model that includes a characterization of the development, representation, and evaluation of the concepts employed by scientists in their modeling of both the phenomena of interest and the process of modeling itself. It builds a framework for translating our conceptual model of scientific activity into a simple, unified, computational specification. CML is very simple to use and largely declarative in nature. Virtual R-Structures provide a means of integrating external software tools and smaller code executables (in Fortran, C, Pascal etc.) very easily in the modeling environment. The tool management system provides a generic technique which allows Amazonia to “start” a subsystem (external tool) as a background “server” process and to establish the communication channels between the main system and the server process.
An Experimental Study of the Effects of Information from Advertisements and Consumer Rating Publications on Criteria Listed by Consumers as Being Pertinent to Brand Selection

This paper experimentally examined the influence of selected advertisements and articles from consumer product rating publications on the criteria used to make a brand choice. Both sources were found to cause the list of decision criteria to change, but ads were less successful in causing congruent changes.
Cholesterol sulfate in rat tissues. Tissue distribution, developmental change and brain subcellular localization.

Abstract 1. 1. A reliable micromethod for the determination of the tissue level of cholesterol sulfate has been developed. Cholesterol sulfate was separated from the bulk of the free cholesterol by silica gel column chromatography, and the cholesterol sulfate fraction subjected to benzoylation. A small amount of contaminating free cholesterol and other lipids remaining in this fraction were converted to benzoyl esters while the cholesterol sulfate remained unreacted. The cholesterol sulfate was then separated from the benzoylated contaminants by a second silica gel chromatography column and subjected to solvolysis. The liberated cholesterol was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. 2. 2. The cholesterol sulfate contents of the visceral organs of 43-day-old rats were determined. Every tissue examined contained small amounts of this sulfate. Kidney contained the highest concentration of cholesterol sulfate (250–300 μg/g dry tissue weight) followed by spleen (77 μg/g), adrenal gland (50–70 μg/g) and lung (50–57 μg/g). 3. 3. In brain, cholesterol sulfate level rises sharply from 17 μg/g dry weight in 7-day-old rats to more than 50 μg/g in 15-day-olds, then it declines rapidly to 15 μg/g in the 40-day-olds and this level is maintained to adulthood. The developmental pattern in the liver resembles that in the brain, except that the peak is somewhat flatter with the highest value (60 μg/g dry weight) occurring in the 21-day-old animal. In contrast to the above two tissues, the level of kidney cholesterol sulfate increases steadily from 15 μg/g in 7-day-olds and reaches the adult level of approx. 200 μg/g in 50-day-olds. 4. 4. The highest level of cholesterol sulfate in subcellular fractions of rat brain occurred in a fraction rich in nerve endings. The level here was 10 times higher than that in the mitochondrial fraction, which contained the lowest levels of this steroid sulfate.
Piezoceramic Thin‐Film Multilayer Resonators on Crystalline Dielectric Substrates

Telecommunications systems depend on high stability frequency sources. For mobile uses such as cell phones, size and cost are severe additional constraints. This paper describes a class of piezoresonators that are comprised of ferroelectric thin films deposited on crystalline plate substrates [1] oriented to obtain very low temperature coefficients of frequency (TCFs) for the composite structure. Specifically described are high-frequency bulk acoustic wave resonators (HBARs) comprised of piezoceramic films on AT- and BT-cut quartz substrates. In order to achieve low or zero TCFs, it is necessary to utilize the pure shear plate mode in the quartz. This, in turn, requires that the piezoceramic film driving the motion be in one of two states: 1) polarization vector in the plane of the film, and excited from electrodes placed on the major surfaces, or 2) polarization vector normal to the plane of the film, and excited by electrodes producing an electric field in the plane of the film [2]. The combination of piezoceramic and quartz yields miniature, high frequency devices that are able to be accurately designed, while remaining affordable to produce. Electrical networks containing acoustic transmission lines are used to characterize the frequency-temperature and impedance properties of the HBARS.
microRNA-301b reduces PPARγ expression in transgenic sickle mice and in hemin-treated human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (1089.22)

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by chronic intravascular hemolysis resulting in the release of hemin into the blood. Our preliminary microarray data indicate that PPARγ expression is significantly reduced in hemin-treated human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs). To examine post-transcriptional mechanisms of PPARγ regulation in pulmonary hypertension in SCD (SCD-PH), Townes knockin SCD mice aged 12-weeks were gavaged daily with vehicle or rosiglitazone (RSG, 10 mg/kg/day) for 10 d. PPARγ was decreased and ET-1 expression was increased in sickle mice (SS) compared to littermate control mice (AA). Using an in vitro model that mimics acute extracellular hemin release, HPAECs were treated with DMSO or hemin (5 μM) for 72 h ± RSG (10 μM) for the final 24 h. Similarly, hemin reduced PPARγ and increased ET-1 expression in HPAECs. MicroRNA (miR-301b), which negatively regulates PPARγ, was increased in SCD mice and in hemin-treated HPAECs. In contrast, PPARγ activation attenuates increases in m...
"Campylobacter upsaliensis" isolated from cats as identified by DNA relatedness and biochemical features.

Campylobacter spp. were isolated from the feces of 20 (58%) of 53 asymptomatic cats during routine physical examination while the cats were maintained in an accredited quarantine facility. Fifteen of these Campylobacter spp. were identified phenotypically as Campylobacter jejuni, and two were identified as C. coli. DNA-DNA hybridization (hydroxyapatite method) was used to confirm the identification of three thermotolerant catalase-negative isolates. They were 80 to 100% related to each other and to the type strain of "C. upsaliensis" in reassociation reactions under optimal conditions and a stringent hybridization criterion. These strains were 75 to 100% interrelated and less than 12% related to type strains of other Campylobacter species. These strains represent the first reported feline isolate of "C. upsaliensis" and show that cats used in biomedical research can harbor this and other Campylobacter species.
Engelhardt and the Content-Free (?) Principle of Permission

In seeking a means of addressing problems in modern secular society in such a way that has moral authority for all parties to a given issue, one might search first for a means to eliminate the grounds of conflict. If a theory can appeal to a source of moral authority which all persons must recognize, and that theory can resolve moral conflicts, then such a theory would provide rationally justified means of resolving morally problematic cases. It is a premise of this work that a thick set of moral claims cannot be so justified to all, but it might be possible to justify and defend a minimal set of claims so that at least some reasonable conclusions can be made and justified to all potential parties to a moral conflict. Such a “thin theory” would be a means to derive solutions to moral conflicts with secular moral authority.
Development of a host-genotype-independent counterselectable marker and a high-frequency conjugative delivery system and their use in genetic analysis of Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecalis is a gram-positive commensal bacterium of the gastrointestinal tract. E. faecalis is also an opportunistic pathogen that frequently exhibits resistance to available antibiotics. Despite the clinical significance of the enterococci, genetic analysis has been restricted by limitations inherent in the available genetic tools. To facilitate genetic manipulation of E. faecalis, we developed a conjugative delivery system for high-frequency introduction of cloned DNA into target strains of E. faecalis and a host-genotype-independent counterselectable marker for use in markerless genetic exchange. We used these tools to construct a collection of E. faecalis mutant strains carrying defined mutations in several genes, including ccfA, eep, gelE, sprE, and an alternative sigma factor (sigH). Furthermore, we combined these mutations in various permutations to create double mutants, triple mutants, and a quadruple mutant of E. faecalis that enabled tests of epistasis to be conducted on the pheromone biosynthesis pathway. Analysis of cCF10 pheromone production by the mutants revealed that both the ccfA2 and delta eep10 mutations are epistatic to mutations in gelE/sprE. To our knowledge, this represents the first example of epistasis analysis applied to a chromosomally encoded biosynthetic pathway in enterococci. Thus, the advanced tools for genetic manipulation of E. faecalis reported here enable efficient and sophisticated genetic analysis of these important pathogens.
Affinity of Aporphines for the Human 5-HT2A Receptor: Insights from Homology Modeling and Molecular Docking Studies

Analogs of nantenine were docked into a modeled structure of the human 5-HT(2A) receptor using ICM Pro, GLIDE, and GOLD docking methods. The resultant docking scores were used to correlate with observed in vitro apparent affinity (K(e)) data. The GOLD docking algorithm when used with a homology model of 5-HT(2A), based on a bovine rhodopsin template and built by the program MODELLER, gives results which are most in agreement with the in vitro results. Further analysis of the docking poses among members of a C1 alkyl series of nantenine analogs, indicate that they bind to the receptor in a similar orientation, but differently than nantenine. Besides an important interaction between the protonated nitrogen of the C1 alkyl analogs and residue Asp155, we identified Ser242, Phe234, and Gly238 as key residues responsible for the affinity of these compounds for the 5-HT(2A) receptor. Specifically, the ability of some of these analogs to establish a H-bond with Ser242 and hydrophobic interactions with Phe234 and Gly238 appears to explain their enhanced affinity as compared to nantenine.
Evaluation of the Impact of Fuel Hydrocarbons and Oxygenates on Groundwater Resources

The environmental behavior of fuel oxygenates (other than methyl tert-butyl ether [MTBE]) is poorly understood because few data have been systematically collected and analyzed. This study evaluated the potential for groundwater resource contamination by fuel hydrocarbons (FHCs) and oxygenates (e.g., tert-butyl alcohol [TBA], tert-amyl methyl ether [TAME], diisopropyl ether [DIPE], ethyl tert-butyl ether [ETBE], and MTBE) by examining their occurrence, distribution, and spatial extent in groundwater beneath leaking underground fuel tank (LUFT) facilities, focusing on data collected from over 7200 monitoring wells in 868 LUFT sites from the greater Los Angeles, CA, region. Excluding the composite measure total petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline (TPHG), TBA has the greatest site maximum (geometric mean) groundwater concentration among the study analytes; therefore, its presence needs to be confirmed at LUFT sites so that specific cleanup strategies can be developed. The alternative ether oxygenates (DIPE, TA...
Thiazolidinedione-induced edema in patients with heart failure

Granberry and colleagues[1][1] aptly described the available literature on the use of thiazolidinediones in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. Impressive clinical data on the use of thiazolidinedione therapy for type 2 diabetes have recently been published, but the associated
The Creation of a High Equivalent Potential Temperature Reservoir in Tropical Storm Humberto (2001) and Its Possible Role in Storm Deepening

AbstractThirty global positioning system dropwindsondes (GPS sondes) were used to identify and examine the creation of a reservoir of high equivalent potential temperature (θe) in the nascent eye of Tropical Storm Humberto (2001). The θe did not increase in the high surface wind portion of the storm as it does in mature hurricanes; instead air spiraled into the light-wind center of the developing storm where it was trapped by subsidence under a mesoscale convectively generated vortex (MCV). An energy budget revealed that the inflow column took 7 h to reach the storm center during which a combined average surface enthalpy flux of ~230 W m−2 was diagnosed via the bulk aerodynamic equations. This estimate is close to the 250 W m−2 required for balance based on the energy acquired by the column. The high θe in the lowest kilometer, overlain by a near dry-adiabatic layer under the anvil base, resulted in convective available potential energy (CAPE) exceeding 2500 m2 s−2. This conditionally unstable air later s...
Heat transfer to horizontal tubes immersed in a fluidized-bed combustor

Abstract Experiments are carried out to measure the heat transfer rates to water-cooled horizontal tubes (DT = 25.4 mm) immersed in an atmospheric fluidized-bed combustor burning North Dakota lignite. Silica sand, with average diameter ranging from 0.544 mm to 2.335 mm, is used as bed material. The tests are conducted at average bed temperatures ranging from 587 to 1205 K. For bed temperatures less than 950 K, the bed is heated by a propane gas heater. The superficial velocity is varied from 0.73 to 2.58 m/s. Thus, the effect of bed temperature (TB = 587 – 1205 K), particle size (dp = 0.544 – 2.335 mm), and fluidizing velocity (U = 0.73 – 2.58 m/s) on the heat transfer rate to horizontal tube immersed in a fluidized-bed combustor (0.45 m × 0.45 m) is investigated. Among the existing correlations, those correlations proposed by Glicksman and Decker, Zabrodsky et al., Catipovic et al., Grewal, and Bansal et al. are found to predict the present data quite well, when the contribution due to radiation is included. The radiative heat transfer is estimated as the difference between the heat transfer to oxidized boiler tube and gold-plated tube. The relative contribution of radiation is found to be 13% for a bed of sand particles (dp = 0.9 mm) operating at 1087 K.
HOT-PASTE VISCOSITY AND ALPHA-AMYLASE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF HARD RED WINTER WHEAT FLOUR

Alpha-amylase is recognized as a major contributor to the results of viscometric tests on wheat flour. The use of a simple, rapid colorimetric α-amylase assay to routinely predict amylograph viscosity was studied. Particle size and overall composition of malt fractions did not affect the colorimetric test; and protein content of wheat flours did not consistently affect amylograph viscosity. Equivalent levels of α-amylase from different malts had similar effects on amylograph viscosity of a single flour; however, a single malt produced various peak viscosities in different flours. The data suggests that the viscosity may be influenced by environmental conditions which alter the starch properties and thereby effect viscosity. Consequently, the colorimetric α-amylase assay did not reliably predict amylograph viscosity of flours from various locations and environments.
Using a Reasoned Action Approach to examine US college women’s intention to get the HPV vaccine

Objective:Although at high risk of contracting the human papillomavirus (HPV), less than one-half of US college women have been vaccinated. The purpose of this study was to identify underlying factors influencing college women’s intention to get the HPV vaccine via developing an instrument using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA).Setting:Data were collected from college women at a large, public university in the Midwest USA via paper–pencil surveys.Design:The survey instrument was based on the RAA’s major constructs (attitude towards the act, perceived norms, perceived behavioural control) and was administered to a sample of 279 female college students.Results:Results indicated that attitude towards the act (β = .360, b = .694, standard error [SE] = .092, t = 7.53) and perceived norms (β = .396, b = .544, SE = .068, t = 8.031) were the major predictors of intention to get vaccinated. Specifically, perceived consequences of getting the vaccine, such as protection against HPV and cervical cancer, were prima...
Exploring the gap between interaction and institutional orders in pragmatic web design

This paper explores the call to attend to the communication pragmatics of the pragmatic web by examining instances of institutional talk and internet based support for deliberative communication. The examples map the terrain between the intentional design of communication support and the tacit, often unintentional aspects of communication that shape what is made explicit. Even though there is ever more designed support for communication and increasing capacity to design support, the tacit dimension of communication still plays a role in how people formulate moves in web-based interaction and in what becomes explicit in online interaction. These moves may have subtle but profound consequences for the discourse that emerges from designs intended to augment interaction and reasoning.
Metastatic low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma presented as a subepithelial mass in the stomach was diagnosed by EUS-guided FNA.

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Investigating women's greater support of the Affordable Care Act

Abstract Healthcare reform has recently dominated the political agenda. There is a consistent gender gap in healthcare policy preferences, and women are more likely to support the Affordable Care Act than men. This study investigates two explanations for the origins of this gap, which connect to a larger debate in political behavior whether symbolic versus self-interest reasons drive public opinion. The humanitarian hypothesis tests whether gender differences on pro-social values, such as humanitarianism, account for the gender gap in healthcare attitudes. Second, the economic security hypothesis tests whether these gender differences emerge because of women's self-interest due to their higher levels of economic vulnerability. There is support for both hypotheses, and each partially mediates the gap. Together they fully mediate the gender gap.
Twenty years of zebra mussels: lessons from the mollusk that made headlines

In the 20 years since zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) first appeared in North America, they have become one of our most widespread and abundant freshwater animals, and have fundamentally transformed freshwater food webs and biogeochemistry. Indeed, few human impacts on North American fresh waters have been greater or more far-reaching than the arrival of this single species. Nevertheless, ecological research has been uneven, and important research questions remain unanswered, especially concerning the long-term, large-scale effects of the invasion. Economic impacts have also been incompletely estimated, although they already exceed $100 million. We know little about the extent to which large outreach programs about zebra mussels have changed public knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors, and there are still substantial gaps in policies to curb the establishment, spread, and impacts of species like zebra mussels. Scientific, educational, and policy responses to the zebra mussel invasion highlight our successes and limitations concerning alien species in general.
GABAergic control of rat substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons: role of globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata.

Abstract Dopaminergic neurons in vivo fire spontaneously in three distinct patterns or modes. It has previously been shown that the firing pattern of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons can be differentially modulated by local application of GABA A and GABA B receptor antagonists. The GABA A antagonists, bicuculline or picrotoxin, greatly increase burst firing in dopaminergic neurons whereas GABA B antagonists cause a modest shift away from burst firing towards pacemaker-like firing. The three principal GABAergic inputs to nigral dopaminergic neurons arise from striatum, globus pallidus and from the axon collaterals of nigral pars reticulata projection neurons, each of which appear to act in vivo primarily on GABA A receptors (see preceding paper). In this study we attempted to determine on which afferent pathway(s) GABA A antagonists were acting to cause burst firing. Substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons were studied by single unit extracellular recordings in urethane anesthetized rats during pharmacologically induced inhibition and excitation of globus pallidus. Muscimol-induced inhibition of pallidal neurons produced an increase in the regularity of firing of nigral dopaminergic neurons together with a slight decrease in firing rate. Bicuculline-induced excitation of globus pallidus neurons produced a marked increase in burst firing together with a modest increase in firing rate. These changes in firing rate were in the opposite direction to what would be expected for a monosynaptic GABAergic pallidonigral input. Examination of the response of pars reticulata GABAergic neurons to similar manipulations of globus pallidus revealed that the firing rates of these neurons were much more sensitive to changes in globus pallidus neuron firing rate than dopaminergic neurons and that they responded in the opposite direction. Pallidal inhibition produced a dramatic increase in the firing rate of pars reticulata GABAergic neurons while pallidal excitation suppressed the spontaneous activity of pars reticulata GABAergic neurons. These data suggest that globus pallidus exerts significant control over the firing rate and pattern of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons through a disynaptic pathway involving nigral pars reticulata GABAergic neurons and that at least one important way in which local application of bicuculline induces burst firing of dopaminergic neurons is by disinhibition of this tonic inhibitory input.
Syntheses and X-ray structure determinations of the isomeric pentaphenylethane tricarbonylchromium(0) complexes, 1-tricarbonylchromium(0) phenyl- 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane and 2-tricarbonylchromium(0) phenyl-l,1,1,2-tetraphenylethane

Abstract Two chromium tricarbonyl (CTC) coordinated pentaphenylethanes (PPE) have been synthesized via organometallic coupling reactions. X-Ray structure determinations have shown the ethane carbon-carbon bond distances in C(1) and C(2) CTC complexes of PPE to be 1.615 (±0.007) and 1.620 (±0.005) A. Deprotonation of pentaphenylethane with the potassium t-butoxide-n-butyllithium complex gives the pentaphenylethyl carbanion at −70°C in THF as shown by deuteration with CH3OD to give 2-deuteropentaphenylethane.
Export and Reverse Investment: Strategic Implications for Newly Industrialized Countries

Multinational companies in a newly industrialized countries face a dilemma of whether and when they should engage in U.S. manufacturing. This study investigates consumer evaluations of product quality and purchase intent of two electronic products currently imported into the U.S. from a company in a newly industrialized country and one electronic product currently not manufactured by the same company. The results suggest that reverse investment in the U.S. may be a viable strategic alternative for companies in newly industrialized country traditionally engaged only in export activities if they pay careful attention to price and retail distribution in the U.S.
Effective lactate clearance is associated with improved outcome in post-cardiac arrest patients

Summary Introduction Early, effective lactate clearance has been shown to be associated with improved mortality in patients with trauma, burns, and sepsis. We investigated whether early, high lactate clearance was associated with reduced mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of post-cardiac arrest patients in an urban emergency department. Inclusion criteria included pre-hospital cardiac arrest patients over the age of 18. Exclusion criteria were traumatic arrest, successful resuscitation prior to the arrival of emergency medical services, and cardiac arrest in the presence of pre-hospital providers. Primary endpoints consisted of survival to 24h and survival to hospital discharge. Results A total of 79 patients were analyzed with a mean age of 64±17 and mean APACHE II score of 37.7±5. Of the 79 patients, 27 (34%) died within 24h and 66 (84%) died during the hospital course. The mean initial lactate level for the overall group was 15±5.2mmol/dl with a mean lactate of 14.4±5.1mmol/dl in the survivors and 16±5.3mmol/dl in the non-survivors ( p >0.05). Lactate clearance at both 6 and 12h was significantly higher for both 24-h and overall in-hospital survival ( p p Conclusions Early, effective lactate clearance is associated with decreased early and overall in-hospital mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients. These findings suggest that post-arrest tissue hypo-perfusion plays in an important role in early as well as overall mortality.
Application of the sequential formula: the electronic coupling and the distance dependence in the electron transfer of ferrocene-terminated alkanethiol monolayers

Abstract A sequential formula developed by Hsu and Marcus [J. Chem. Phys., 106 (1997) 584] is applied to calculate the electronic coupling between a gold electrode and each of the molecules ( η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe( η 5 -C 5 H 4 )CO 2 (CH 2 ) n SH and ( η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe( η 5 -C 5 H 4 )(CH 2 ) n SH ( n = 3 to 50). Most of the calculated coupling strengths, if converted to rate constants according to a high-temperature non-adiabatic expression, agree well with the experimental rate constants. The exponential coefficients are obtained by a linear fit of the logarithm of the coupling strengths to the chain length. The calculated exponential coefficient is 1.05 per methylene unit for both molecules and for large n . For shorter chains the exponential coefficient is slightly larger with an irregularity caused by an oscillation of coupling strengths between even and odd numbers of units. The physical origin of such oscillation among short chains is discussed.