cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dose-time effect of isoproterenol on aspartate amino-transferase and necrosis of the rat heart

Abstract Single subcutaneous doses of isoproterenol (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) were administered to separate groups of rats. Macroscopic lesion grades and aspartate amino-transferase activity of the hearts were determined at daily intervals until values returned to those of controls. Close parallelism and a direct dose-response relationship were observed between and with both methods although aspartate amino-transferase determination was a more sensitive and objective procedure for evaluating experimental myocardial damage. The duration of myocardial necrosis as measured by either method was also directly related to the dose of isoproterenol.
A Two-Step Path to Inclusion Formation of Huntingtin Peptides Revealed by Number and Brightness Analysis

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington's disease. We describe the use of the recently developed number and brightness method (NB as protein concentration increases, an inclusion is seeded and forms in the cytoplasm; the growing inclusion recruits most of the Httex1p and depletes the cell leaving only a low concentration of monomers. The behavior of Httex1p in COS-7 and ST14A cells is compared.
Development Of Cocaine Sensitization Before Pregnancy Affects Subsequent Maternal Retrieval Of Pups And Prefrontal Cortical Activity During Nursing

Abstract Pups are a highly rewarding stimulus for early postpartum rats. Our previous work supports this notion by showing that suckling activates the mesocorticolimbic system in mothers. In the present study, we tested whether development of behavioral sensitization to cocaine before pregnancy affects the neural response to pups during the early postpartum days (PD). Virgin rats were repeatedly administered cocaine for 14 days (15 mg kg−1) and withdrawn from treatment during breeding and pregnancy. The neural response to suckling was measured at PD 4–8 using blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) MRI or microdialysis. Our results show that BOLD activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), septum and auditory cortex was curtailed in cocaine-sensitized dams. No differences between cocaine sensitized and saline control dams were observed in the nucleus accumbens, olfactory structures, or in 48 additional major brain regions that were analyzed. Baseline, but not pup-stimulated, dopamine (DA) levels in the medial PFC were lower in cocaine-sensitized dams than in controls. When tested for maternal behaviors, cocaine-sensitized dams showed significantly faster retrieval of pups without changes in other maternal behaviors such as grouping, crouching and defending the nest. Taken together, the present findings suggest that maternal motivation to retrieve pups was enhanced by repeated cocaine exposure and withdrawal, a result reminiscent of ‘cross-sensitization’ between the drug and a natural reward. Changes in retrieval behavior in cocaine-sensitized mothers might be associated with a hypo-responsive medial PFC.
The air–water exchange of C15–C31 n-alkanes in a precipitation-dominated seepage lake

Abstract The air–water exchange of semivolatile n-alkanes in Crystal Lake, a small precipitation-dominated seepage lake in northern Wisconsin, was investigated with modeling and mass balance approaches. The results suggest that atmospheric deposition contributes approximately 80% of the allochthonous input of n-alkanes to Crystal Lake. Atmospheric deposition accounts for about 50% of the total annual input of n-alkanes to Crystal Lake, and an additional 30% is contributed by in situ production of planktonic n-alkanes (ΣC15, C17, C19). Contributions to the particle dry flux of terrestrial n-alkanes (ΣC25, C27, C29, C31) by pine pollen dispersal and by dry deposition of particles containing leaf waxes are similar in magnitude and constitute about 60% of the atmospheric input, with particle wet deposition being responsible for the remainder. Approximately 30% of the atmospheric input of the n-alkanes occurs during a two-week episode of pine pollen dispersal in spring. Concentration gradients between gaseous n-alkanes in the atmosphere and dissolved n-alkanes in the water column of Crystal Lake favor volatilization of n-alkanes from the lake surface; however, distributions of dissolved n-alkanes are characteristic of bacteria, and therefore are contained in organic matter and not available for air–water exchange. The estimated net atmospheric input of terrestrial n-alkanes is about 20% less than the settling sediment flux. Additional allochthonous sources of the terrestrial n-alkanes might include diffuse surface runoff or episodes of coarse-particle deposition. The discrepancies in the results from the modeling and mass balance approaches indicate that direct measurements of air–water exchange rates and measurements of the seasonal variations of particle size distributions in air and rain would greatly improve our ability to quantify air–water exchange rates of n-alkanes.
Long‐period and broad‐band teleseismic body‐wave modeling of the October 18, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

Inversion of long-period, teleseismic body waves for the Loma Prieta earthquake yields a nearly double-couple moment tensor corresponding to an oblique mechanism with strike 130°, dip 73° and rake 146°. The long-period centroid depth of the source is 18 km, and the seismic moment is 2.8×1019 Nm. The source time history consists of two pulses with a total duration of 8–9 sec. Preliminary forward modeling of broad-band, teleseismic body waves indicates the occurrence of at least two sub-sources. Constraining the fault orientation to the long-period inversion result, the first source was located at 18 km depth, and the second source was located updip at about 14 km depth. The second source has a seismic moment 2.7 times that of the first, and occurred 2.0 sec after the first. The precise location of the second source will require further modeling.
Age dependence of regional proton metabolites T2 relaxation times in the human brain at 3 T.

Although recent studies indicate that use of a single global transverse relaxation time, T2, per metabolite is sufficient for better than ±10% quantification precision at intermediate and short echo-time spectroscopy in young adults, the age-dependence of this finding is unknown. Consequently, the age effect on regional brain choline (Cho), creatine (Cr) and N-acetylaspartate (NAA) T2s was examined in four age groups using 3D (4 slices, 80 voxels 1 cm 3 each) proton MR spectroscopy in an optimized two-point protocol. Metabolite T2s were estimated in each voxel and in ten gray and white matter (GM, WM) structures in 20 healthy subjects: four adolescents (13±1 years old), eight young adults (26±1); two middle-aged (51±6) and six elderly (74±3). The results reveal that T2s in GM (average±standard error of the mean) of adolescents (NAA: 301±30, Cr: 162±7, Cho: 263±7 ms), young adults (NAA: 269±7, Cr: 156±7, Cho: 226±9 ms) and elderly (NAA: 259±13, Cr: 154±8, Cho: 229±14 ms), were 30%, 16% and 10% shorter than in WM, yielding mean global T2s of NAA: 343, Cr: 172, and Cho: 248 ms. The elderly NAA, Cr and Cho T2s were 12%, 6% and 10% shorter than the adolescents’, a change of under 1 ms/year assuming a linear decline with age. Formulae for T2 age-correction for higher quantification precision are provided.
FIELD ION MICROSCOPE STUDIES OF SURFACE RECONSTRUCTIONS

Presentation des resultats concernant la reconstruction des plans (110) et (100) de Pt et Ir et des plans de plus hauts indices pour Pt. Analyse de la reconstruction induite par deuterium de Ni (110)
The Effects of Antenna Pointing Error on Bit Error Rate Performance in Mobile Directional Antenna Applications

This paper investigates the issue of antenna pointing error in mobile directional antenna applications and its impact on bit error rate (BER) performance of the link. BER performance is investigated for a variety of postulated antenna characteristics in order to determine the sensitivity of BER performance to antenna pointing inaccuracies. The method employed uses motion dynamics derived from vehicular road course tests to determine power fade profiles for various antenna types as a function of antenna pointing accuracy. These power fade profiles are then used to characterize these channels as Rician multipath channels. Finally antenna pointing accuracy is mapped directly to link BER performance for an uncoded Differential Phase Shift Keying (DPSK) waveform. This study has found that this is a complex multi-dimensional problem. Power fades resulting from pointing inaccuracy generally deteriorate for larger antennas with narrow beamwidths. However, smaller antennas are more susceptible to multipath effects due to increased beamwidth. Results of this paper suggests that, contrary to what intuition might initially suggest, larger antennas with more narrow beamwidths may actually outperform smaller antennas in mobile applications.
Vapor pressure osmometry: minimum sample microvolumes.

PURPOSE Vapor pressure osmometers are currently designed to handle sample volumes as small as 2.0 microliters (microl) but smaller sample volumes are desirable in tear fluid studies. We determined the minimum sample size required for adequate validity and repeatability of osmolality measurements. METHODS A standard saline solution (290 mmol/kg) was sampled by a variable, calibrated pipette. Forty samples were processed with a Wescor 5520 vapor pressure osmometer at each of the following volumes: 2.0, 1.6, 1.2, 1.0, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5 microl. Prior to each test series, the instrument was calibrated with the identical volume of 290 mmol/kg saline. Relevant descriptive statistics were computed and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the resulting data. RESULTS The mean osmolalities of the eight 40-sample groups ranged from 288.42 to 290.68 mmol/kg and were not significantly different from 290 mmol/ kg or each other (p>0.05). The standard deviations were inversely correlated with the sample volumes, gradually increased to approximately 1% as sample volume was reduced to 0.8 microl, then more rapidly increased as the sample volume was lowered still further. CONCLUSION Sample microvolumes as small as 0.8 microl can be collected for accurate and repeatable results with the Wescor 5520 vapor pressure osmometer when a standard deviation of approximately 1% is acceptable. Microvolumes from 0.7 to 0.5 microl may also be used if the expanded spread of data can be offset by multiple repeated readings. Using a 2.0 microl sample volume, the ultimate accuracy and repeatability of the Wescor vapor pressure osmometer was +/-2% at 290 mmol/kg: 99%, of all readings (+/-3 standard deviations) should fall within +/-6 mmol/kg of the true value.
Conducting randomized trials in the electrophysiology laboratory: lessons from a randomized comparison of recording methods during pulmonary vein isolation by segmental ostial ablation.

Accurate identification of pulmonary vein (PV) potentials during segmental ostial ablation for PV isolation is very important to completely isolate the PVs and also to avoid unnecessary applications of radiofrequency energy. A prior post hoc analysis of unipolar and bipolar electrograms recorded from successful and unsuccessful ablation sites demonstrated that unipolar electrograms recorded at successful sites were more likely to have a rapid intrinsic deflection, larger amplitude, and earlier activation than electrograms recorded at unsuccessful sites. Moreover, unipolar electrograms recorded from the ablation and circular ostial mapping catheters were almost identical at successful sites. Based on these observations, a prospective, randomized study was conducted to test whether unipolar and bipolar electrograms would facilitate the ablation procedure when compared to bipolar electrograms alone during PV isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). In 44 consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF, 114 PVs were randomized to segmental ostial ablation guided by unipolar and bipolar electrograms (61) or by bipolar electrograms only (53). Segmental ostial ablation guided by unipolar and bipolar electrograms was associated with a ∼ 20–30% decrease in the procedure and fluoroscopy times necessary for isolation of a PV and also in the duration of radiofrequency energy application required for complete isolation of a PV. Although the sample size was not sufficient to detect a 5% change, the success rate for complete electrical isolation and the risk of symptomatic PV stenosis were similar between the 2 groups. Online analysis of unipolar electrograms facilitated the PV isolation procedure and was incremental to the analysis of bipolar electrograms alone. However, because segmental ostial ablation has only modest efficacy in achieving long-term freedom from recurrent AF, alternative ablation strategies that may or may not target PVs will eventually evolve. The role of unipolar electrograms in these new methods remains to be determined.
Strategies in localization proofs for one-dimensional random Schrödinger operators

Recent results on localization, both exponential and dynamical, for various models of one-dimensional, continuum, random Schrodinger operators are reviewed. This includes Anderson models with indefinite single site potentials, the BernoulliAnderson model, the Poisson model, and the random displacement model. Among the tools which are used to analyse these models are generalized spectral averaging techniques and results from inverse spectral and scattering theory. A discussion of open problems is included.
The Regulatory and Mineralogical Definitions of Asbestos and Their impact on Amphibole Dust Analysis

Although a familiar occupational health topic, the term asbestos generally is not well understood. Significant differences between mineralogical regulatory definitions sustain the confusion. Definitional ambiguity is addressed and its effect upon the characterization of New York State tremolitic talc are investigated. Analysis of asbestiform and nonasbestiform airborne dust populations clearly demonstrates the nonspecificity of the regulatory definition and the 3:1 aspect ratio “fiber” counting scheme. Shifting to a higher aspect ratio would reduce false positives radically without a loss in sensitivity for true asbestos. Any change in aspect ratio, however, must be accompanied by a mineralogically correct definition of asbestos if proper mineral characterization is to be assured.
Real-time thermo-mechanical property evaluation of thin films

We describe an experimental method capable of evaluating the elastic and loss moduli and the thermal diffusivity in thin films. The versatility of the technique is demonstrated with data scans from several films of technological interest.
Effect of diet on the survival and phenotype of a mouse model for spinal muscular atrophy

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a leading genetic cause of infant death. Patients with SMA lose alpha-motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord which leads to skeletal muscle weakness and atrophy. SMA is the result of reduction in Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) expression. Transgenic mouse models of SMA have been generated and are extremely useful in understanding the mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration in SMA and in developing new therapeutic candidates for SMA patients. Several research groups have reported varying average lifespans of SMNDelta7 SMA mice (SMN2(+/+);SMNDelta7(+/+);mSmn(-/-)), the most commonly used mouse model for preclinical therapeutic candidate testing. One environmental factor that varied between research groups was maternal diet. In this study, we compared the effects of two different commercially available rodent chows (PicoLab20 Mouse diet and Harlan-Teklad 22/5 diet) on the survival and motor phenotype of the SMNDelta7 mouse model of SMA. Specifically, the PicoLab20 diet significantly extends the average lifespan of the SMNDelta7 SMA mice by approximately 25% and improved the motor phenotype as compared to the Harlan diet. These findings indicate that maternal diet alone can have considerable impact on the SMA phenotype.
FFT-based RLS in signal processing

An algorithm for fast adaptive filtering is proposed. The algorithm applies a FFT (fast Fourier transform)-based iterative method and uses sliding data windows involving block updating and downdating computations. The method is stable and robust, and computes the tap weight filter vector in O(L log N) operations, where the sliding window Toeplitz data matrix X is L-by-N. The complexity thus generally lies between those of the family of unstable but fast, O(N), methods and the stable but slow O(N/sup 2/) Cholesky factor updating methods. >
Nuclear 3,5,3'-Triiodothyronine Receptor Concentration Increases during Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Partially Synchronized GC Cell Cultures

The relationship between DNA synthesis and the appearance of nuclear T3-binding sites was examined in cultured GC cells which were partially synchronized by incubation with 2 mM thymidine for 25 h. After removal of thymidine, 75–85% of the cells actively synthesized DNA, and mitoses were absent until 4–6 h later. Nuclear T3-binding capacity (BC) was measured in paired asynchronous control cultures (C) and thymidine- blocked cultures 0–3 h after removal of thymidine (early S phase), after 3–6 h (mid-S phase), and after 18 h when all of the thymidine-blocked cells had divided. Compared to asynchronous controls, cells in the early S phase had a significant increase in the mean DNA content from 13.53 ± 0.42 to 16.55 ± 0.79 (±SEM) μg/106 cells (P < 0.007), and this was associated with an increase in the mean concentration of nuclear T3-binding sites from 46.8 ± 2.8 to 61.1 ± 3.8 fmol/106 cells (P < 0.001). There was, however, no significant change in the concentration of T3-binding sites per 100 μg DNA (C, 344...
Breakdown in postmating isolation and the collapse of a species pair through hybridization.

Abstract: Species that evolved through ecological speciation and that lack intrinsic genetic incompatibilities may nonetheless be maintained by extrinsic postmating isolating barriers that impose selection against hybrids. These species, however, may be vulnerable to a breakdown in postmating isolation. Here, we investigate a model system for ecological speciation: sympatric limnetic‐benthic pairs of threespine sticklebacks. Recently, stickleback hybrid abundance in Enos Lake has increased. Given that ecological selection against hybrids was historically an important component of total reproductive isolation, we tested whether ecologically dependent postmating isolation is still functioning. We compared body shape, diet, growth, and survival in present‐day Enos fish with trait data in the undisturbed Paxton Lake species pair and with historical Enos Lake data. In both Paxton and historical Enos data, we found a strong correlation between body shape and diet; however, in present‐day Enos fish, this correla...
Fatigue crack closure

Abstract A loading stage for the scanning electron microscope has been used in conjunction with the stereoimaging technique to study fatigue crack closure for a center notched specimen of an aluminum alloy. The results are compared to similar measurements from single edge notched specimens of the same alloy and other materials. The magnitudes of closure loads were found to be different for these two specimen designs, but the dependence on stress intensity factor ( ΔK ) is the same. Comparison of experiments is made with a finite element model simulation of crack opening, a simple model is developed which simulates the observed opening behavior, and a method is given for estimating threshold ΔK from materials parameters and crack opening behavior in the near threshold region.
Phase Behavior of Lipid Monolayers Containing DPPC and Cholesterol Analogs

We investigate the miscibility phase behavior of lipid monolayers containing a wide variety of sterols. Six of the sterols satisfy a definition from an earlier study of “membrane-active sterols” in bilayers (cholesterol, epicholesterol, lathosterol, dihydrocholesterol, ergosterol, and desmosterol), and six do not (25-hydroxycholesterol, lanosterol, androstenolone, coprostanol, cholestane, and cholestenone). We find that monolayers containing dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine mixed with membrane-active sterols generally produce phase diagrams containing two distinct regions of immiscible liquid phases, whereas those with membrane-inactive sterols generally do not. This observation establishes a correlation between lipid monolayers and bilayers. It also demonstrates that the ability to form two regions of immiscibility in monolayers is not one of the biophysical attributes that explains cholesterol's predominance in animal cell membranes. Furthermore, we find unusual phase behavior for dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine monolayers containing 25-hydroxycholesterol, which produce both an upper and a lower miscibility transition. The lower transition correlates with a sharp change of slope in the pressure-area isotherm.
Mobile Forensics in Healthcare

Mobile communication has been heavily applied in the current healthcare system for health information exchange. Patient information security has become a major concern, especially with the wide adoption of electronic medical records. Mobile Forensics has been utilized by law enforcement to systematically procure and preserve mobile evidence. However, the adoption of mobile forensics in the healthcare lags behind. The goal of our project is to examine the options and to provide recommendations for adoption and customization of mobile forensics in the healthcare field. An open-ended survey of local healthcare and related facilities around Indianapolis has been explored to examine the current status of Mobile Forensics in the healthcare field. The results have been evaluated using statistical analysis. A methodology is being proposed that would use mobile forensics procedures taking into account the regulatory measures that have to be instituted due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.
Lenalidomide and Thalidomide: Mechanisms of Action—Similarities and Differences

Multiple myeloma is a B-cell malignancy characterized by an excess of monotypic plasma cells in the bone marrow. The molecular mechanisms that are involved in disease progression depend on the interaction between the multiple myeloma cells and the bone microenvironment. Because these mechanisms have been well characterized, it is possible to develop regimens that are more specific to pathways involved in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma than is typical for conventional chemotherapy in disease management. Thalidomide and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) have now been shown to block several pathways important for disease progression in multiple myeloma. First established as agents with antiangiogenic properties, thalidomide and IMiDs inhibit the production of interleukin (IL)-6, which is a growth factor for the proliferation of myeloma cells. In addition, they activate apoptotic pathways through caspase 8–mediated cell death. At the mitochondrial level, they are responsible for c-jun terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent release of cytochrome-c and Smac into the cytosol of cells, where they regulate the activity of molecules that affect apoptosis. By activating T cells to produce IL-2, thalidomide and IMiDs alter natural killer (NK) cell numbers and function, thus augmenting the activity of NK-dependent cytotoxicity. Data delineating these events have been derived from experiments done in resistant and sensitive multiple myeloma cell lines. Although thalidomide and IMiDs demonstrate similar biologic activities, IMiDs are more potent than thalidomide and achieve responses at lower doses. Lenalidomide, a thalidomide derivative, has also been shown to have a different toxicity profile. Our understanding of the mechanism of action of these agents has provided a platform for exciting clinical trials evaluating combinations of thalidomide and lenalidomide with both conventional chemotherapy and newer targeted agents.
Targeted ultrasound contrast agents: diagnostic and therapeutic potential

Future clinical applications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound will likely expand beyond the assessment of microvascular perfusion. One promising direction is the development of the field of "molecular imaging" with microbubbles or other ultrasound contrast agents. This application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound requires the development of site-targeted contrast agents that are retained within regions of a specific disease process, thereby allowing phenotypic characterization of tissue. Since microbubbles are pure intravascular tracers, the disease processes to be assessed must be characterized by unique antigens or "fingerprints" that are expressed within the vascular compartment. Accordingly, the pathologic states that have been or will be imaged include inflammation, atherosclerosis, neoplasms, thrombus formation, and angiogenesis, all of which are initiated and supported by molecular events within the vascular space. This review describes: 1) different strategies that have been employed to direct microbubbles to regions of disease, 2) the unique challenges for imaging targeted ultrasound contrast agents, and 3) some of the early experience imaging molecular events in animal models of disease.
Diabetes Mellitus and Noninvasive Imaging of Atherosclerosis

With the aging of the baby-boom generation, non–insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus (type 2) has become a worldwide pandemic. The causes of the disease are complex and multifactorial and include genetic disposition, lifestyle choices, abnormal aging processes, and alterations in metabolic processes. The impetus for diagnosing the preclinical effects of diabetes generally has been the individual patient’s risk for cardiovascular diseases, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular diseases. This review highlights the newer noninvasive imaging methods designed to provide the early prevention of preclinical atherosclerosis.
Cell death in the posterior necrotic zone of the developing chick wing measured by the loss of membrane integrity

Cell death in the posterior necrotic zone (PNZ) of the developing chick wing was examined in organ culture using a 51chromium release assay. This isotope is incorporated into the cytoplasm of mesenchymal cells and is released from the tissue very slowly. A sudden increase in 51Cr release coincides with cell death and lysis. There is no evidence of an increase in membrane permeability prior to histological evidence of cell lysis. Lysis begins at late stage 22 or early stage 23 and lasts for 9 hours. Approximately 3,500 cells lyse in the PNZ during this period of time, resulting in a considerable decrease in cell density in the tissue.
An Evaluation of Videoconferencing as a Supportive Technology for Practicum Supervision

In this study, the authors determine the efficacy of videoconferencing to supervise pre-service special education teachers. Efficacy is determined by (a) assessing interobserver reliability between on-site and off-site observers and (b) evaluating the feasibility and practicality of the videoconferencing technology. Data are collected in two elementary schools using the Skill Monitoring Checklist. Participants include pre-service teachers and university supervisors. Using point-by-point agreement scores, interobserver reliability is found to be 86% between on-site supervisors who observed face-to-face and off-site supervisors who observed via videoconferencing. Challenges related to feasibility are identified in the areas of equipment setup, Internet connection, visual field, and sound quality. Findings from this study suggest that videoconferencing is a promising practice for pre-service teacher practicum supervision.
A Research-Based Approach to the President-Principal Model: Problems, Dynamics, and High Performance Through Administrative Alignment

Many Catholic high schools have transitioned to a president-principal administrative structure. This article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the model, revealing pertinent issues that must be addressed while operationalizing the model. Recent research supports some aspects of the model, but it is no panacea. Clear job descriptions, role expectations, and administrative alignment can help the model succeed.
Width of the surface layer of liquid He4

We note that a divergence predicted for the contribution of capillary waves to the surface-layer thickness disappears if the effect of gravity is included. The resulting finite value for ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ is computed as a function of temperature, and a comparison is made with the static contribution to the thickness. Application to other liquid systems is discussed.
The Scope of the Fresh Start in Bankruptcy: Collateral Conversions and the Dischargeability Debate

This article examines the proper scope of the financial fresh start provided an individual debtor by the discharge in bankruptcy. The legal effect of the discharge is powerful in its simplicity: the debtor is freed from the obligation to pay prebankruptcy debts. A difficulty lies, however, in determining what the parameters of the fresh start policy should be. This article explores the problem in the context of a specific issue: the dischargeability of debts arising from conversions by the debtor of a secured creditor’s collateral.
Improved lattice measurement of the critical coupling in ϕ 2 4 theory

We use Monte Carlo simulations to obtain an improved lattice measurement of the critical coupling constant [{lambda}/{mu}{sup 2}]{sub crit} for the continuum (1+1)-dimensional ({lambda}/4){phi}{sup 4} theory. We find that the critical coupling constant depends logarithmically on the lattice coupling, resulting in a continuum value of [{lambda}/{mu}{sup 2}]{sub crit}=10.8{sub -0.05}{sup +0.10}, in considerable disagreement with the previously reported [{lambda}/{mu}{sup 2}]{sub crit}=10.26{sub -0.04}{sup +0.08}. Although this logarithmic behavior was not observed in earlier lattice studies, it is consistent with them, and expected analytically.
A risk-based optimisation methodology for pavement management system of county roads

A pavement management system (PMS) is a strategic and systematic process to maintain and upgrade the road network. When funding is limited, it is very important to identify the best mix of road preservation projects that provides the maximum benefits to society in terms of overall life cycle cost of the road network. The most common factors that play an important role for identifying projects are the following: budget, traffic volume, Present Serviceability Index (PSI) and risk associated with selecting treatment types. This research develops an optimisation methodology for county paved roads that identify the best mix of preservation projects within budget, maximising traffic (passengers and trucks traffic) on treated roads, maximising the weighted average PSI, and minimising the risk. This methodology will facilitate a statewide implementation of PMS for counties in the state of Wyoming.
The State and Violence: A Discussion of Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History

Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History (Cambridge 2009) offers a theory of the evolution of the modern state and an even more ambitious framework “for interpreting recorded human history.” The book raises fundamental questions about the political structuring of violence, the functions of the rule of law, and the establishment and maintenance of political order. In doing so, it speaks to a range of political scientists from a variety of methodological and subfield perspectives. We have thus invited four prominent political science scholars of violence and politics to comment on the book: Jack Snyder, Caroline Hartzell, Jean Bethke Elshtain, and Larry Diamond.
Label free nano-aptasensor for interleukin-6 in protein-dilute bio fluids such as sweat

A sub-pM limit of detection label-free sensor is presented for interleukin-6 based on impedimetric measurement of a gold nanoparticle/aptamer-modified electrode in artificial sweat.
Integrating philosophy with anthropology in an approach to morality

Philosophy and anthropology need to integrate their accounts of what a morality is. I identify three desiderata that an account of morality should satisfy: (1) it should recognize significant diver...
Literature and Philosophy: The Common Ground

IN THIS ESSAY I shall be talking about the sort of problem that has been fruitfully treated in both philosophy and literature. It seems to me that the number of such problems is actually rather small, and this is a point I should like presently to develop at somewhat greater length; but there is a preliminary issue that it would be very risky to leave in suspense: how literature and philosophy differ in their attitude to the subject matter they share. One crucial difference, it seems to me, is the absolute requirement that the literary subject be interesting to its intended audience. A philosophical perplexity too, no doubt, will hardly be very gripping if it impinges on our lives only in our accidental capacity as students of philosophy; but such feebleness of grip is no more damaging to its purely philosophical importance, if it has any, than to the purely mathematical importance of a theorem awaiting proof. Literature is very different in this respect; if a poet picks out for serious interpretation a state of affairs that is not at least a possible source of apprehension to his audience, he is committing suicide, not as an enthusiast of extracurricular virtues but as a poet. Nor ought we to be fooled by talk of his creating the subject and making it interesting, which is usually
A Novel Inhibitor of Protease-activated Receptor 1: A Review of Chemical Structure and Mode of Action

Limitations of current antiplatelet therapies have led to the discovery of new antiplatelet agents with new modes of action. Vorapaxar has been developed as a thrombin receptor antagonist. This drug works against the protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) and inhibits platelet aggregation mediated by PAR1. This article reviews this new class of antiplatelet therapy in detail with an acute focus on the TRACER (Thrombin Receptor Antagonist for Clinical Event Reduction in Acute Coronary Syndrome) and TRA 2°P-TIMI 50 (Trial to Assess the Effects of Vorapaxar in Preventing Heart Attack and Stroke in Patients With Atherosclerosis-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 50) trials. Vorapaxar has proven to be beneficial when administered to stable atherosclerotic patients. However, it has been shown to increase risk of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with known, previous history of cerebrovascular incidence. Despite these limitations, TRA 2°P-TIMI 50 results showed that vorapaxar appears to have a definitive therapeutic benefit when administered alongside aspirin or when it is used as an addition to dual antiplatelet therapy for patients with stable atherosclerosis.
TU-H-207A-06: The Effects of Various CT Tube Current Modulation (TCM) Schemes On Dose. Do You Really Know What Your TCM Scheme Is Doing?

Purpose: To compare the effects of various tube current modulation (TCM) schemes – including attenuation-based, “organ-based” and combined schemes - on both the resulting tube current values as well as dose savings. Methods: An anthropomorphic adult thorax phantom was scanned using a Multidetector row CT scanner that offered both attenuation-based and “organ-based” TCM schemes that could be used separately or in combination (Definition AS64, Siemens Healthcare). A small ion chamber was attached to a medial location on the surface of the chest phantom to provide a reference value which served as proxy for organ dose. Scans were performed under each possible TCM configuration (fixed mA, attenuationbased only, organ-based only and combined organ and attenuation based) using the same nominal parameters (e.g. Quality Reference mAs). The actual TCM scheme was extracted from the raw projection data of each scan to illustrate the actual mA variations. The scanner CTDIvol and ion chamber readings were recorded for each scan and comparisons were made across TCM schemes. Results: Each of the TCM schemes showed substantially different mA patterns. All TCM schemes showed some reduction in CTDIvol compared to a fixed mA scan with the same nominal settings; however the values ranged from a decrease of 2% (organ based only) to 18% (attenuation based only). The dose reduction to the surface dose point varied from a decrease of 34% (organ based only) to an increase of 15% (attenuation based only) compared to the fixed mA scan. Examining the actual TCM schemes from the raw data files allows us to understand the effects of each scheme. Conclusion: Phantom scans allowed us to compare the effects of different TCM schemes on both CTDIvol values as well as point doses. Future work will focus on organ doses from each scheme using validated Monte Carlo techniques.
Abstract A93: Treatment and survival after head and neck cancer diagnosis by race in Louisiana's public hospital system

Incidence and survival rates of head and neck cancer (HNC) vary by demographic characteristics, with significant disparities for men and African Americans. Depending on tumor site and stage, treatments options vary, albeit most often are a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The objectives of this study are to examine the effect of race on HNC treatment and survival in Louisiana public hospitals from 2000 to 2010. Cases of HNC were identified using Louisiana Health Care Services Division ICON database, which is composed of diagnostic and billing data for all patients undergoing primary treatment in the facilities. This data was subsequently linked to the Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) database. Survival rates by, race, sub-site and stage were calculated. Data were analyzed using SAS Version 9.3. Chi-square statistics were used to calculate difference in proportions while log adjusted mixed models were implemented to evaluate the impact of time to first course treatment between groups. Finally, Cox regression models were performed to estimate hazard ratios. A total of 1,168 HNC cases were diagnosed with from 2000 to 2010. Blacks initiated first course treatment after diagnosis 5.7 days (p=0.002) later than whites, adjusted for site, age and stage. While there was no age difference at the time of diagnosis, blacks were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a late stage HNC compared to whites (p=0.003). In addition it does not appear that treatment type varied by race. Survival functions by stage and tumor site consistently demonstrated poorer survival among blacks compared to whites. The current study suggests that survival differences between blacks and whites in Louisiana are more likely to be influenced by time to treatment and stage rather than any specific treatment differences. Citation Format: Edward S. Peters, Meghan M. Brashear, Tekeda F. Ferguson. Treatment and survival after head and neck cancer diagnosis by race in Louisiana9s public hospital system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A93.
Bioreactor design and operation

For a well mixed reactor, there are three common operational modes: batch, steady CSTR and fed-batch. The selection of the operational modes depends on the catalyst stability, substrate supply, product demand and regulatory requirements. Batch operation has the best flexibility, while CSTR has the highest productivity. There are three basic reactor types for aerobic cultivation of suspended cells: internal mixing; bubble columns and loop reactors, each with different properties. Scale-up is difficult because conditions in a large vessel are more heterogeneous than in a small vessel. Scale-up problems are all related to transport processes. Scale-down techniques are useful in identifying the controlling regime at the smaller scale, where many parameters can be tested more quickly and less expensively than at the production scale. Bioreactor instrumentation and control are important for bioreactor operations. Improvements in sensor technology and the dynamical models of bioreactors are critical to improvements in control technology. Sterilization is the removal of biocontaminants or foreign organisms for a fermentation system and the surrounding equipment. Industrial fermenters and associated pipings are designed for in situ steam sterilization under pressure, or steam in place (SIP). The use of saturated steam is common and advantageous over other hot fluids. Sterilization of process fluids is dependent on the expectation of probability of successful fermentations. Stringent requirement leads to longer reduced or dimensionless sterilization time t S . Bacterial spores are known to be more thermal resistant than vegetative forms of yeast, bacteria and bacterophages. One particularly resistant undesired biocontaminant is prions, or infectious proteins. Sterilizing prions requires special attention. To maintain aceptic operations, special considerations are needed for sealing the opening where stirrer shaft entering the vessel, control valves and sampling ports. Microbes, especially shear sensitive bacteria and mammalian cells, tend to attach to surfaces. The attachment of suspended microbes to surfaces can be modeled as adsorption. Surface adhesion delays washout in a chemostat. The cells adhered on the vessel surfaces are less likely to be taken out of the reactor by the outflowing stream. However, the adhesion - desorption balance eventually leads to the washout if the flowrate exceeds the critical limit. The washout is more gradual if cells adhere to the vessel surfaces, and a log tail could exist if the adhesion is strong.
From Technological “Catch-up” to “Leap-frog”: Computers, Semiconductors, and Telecommunications

The Spring 1989 conflict over the FSX fighter jet revealed many of the strategies, successes, and limitations of Japan’s high-technology policies. Tokyo has targeted aerospace for development since the 1960s, and a key policy has been to get Washington to agree to license production of its most advanced military aircraft in Japan. By 1983, this policy had been so successful in advancing Japan’s aerospace technology that Tokyo felt confident enough to announce it would independently develop a new state-of-the-art fighter jet scheduled for deployment in the 1990s. The FSX project would pull together a diverse range of technologies and firms into the production of a single weapon, and represent a major advance for Japan’s aerospace industry.
The Role of Ethnicity in School‐Based Obesity Intervention for School‐Aged Children: A Pilot Evaluation

BACKGROUND Rates of obesity have risen disproportionately for ethnic minority youth in the United States. School-based programs may be the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to implement primary prevention in children. In this study we evaluated the effect of a school-based obesity prevention on the outcome of body mass index percentile (BMI%), with baseline weight class and ethnicity examined as moderators. METHODS Participants (N = 125), ages 7-11 (56% female) from 4 urban, low-income, ethnic minority (58% black, 42% Latino) schools were recruited. Two schools received the Urban Initiatives Work to Play health intervention, and 2 demographically matched schools served as wait-list controls. RESULTS Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the independent and interactive effects of key variables on BMI%. An interaction between intervention status and ethnicity revealed Latino youth in the intervention had lower BMI% than those in the control group. Participation did not cause BMI% outcomes to decrease for black participants. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates the intervention is effective, but that the effectiveness varies across ethnicity. Interventions can be made more efficient and cost-effective by targeting youth of a common ethnicity that has shown empirical responsiveness to certain program elements.
An information theoretic framework for MRI preprocessing, multiclass feature selection and segmentation of PF tumors

In our earlier works, we demonstrated that multiresolution texture features such as fractal dimension (FD) and multifractional Brownian motion (mBm) offer robust tumor and non-tumor tissue segmentation in brain MRI. We also showed the efficacy of these and other features such as intensity and shape factor to delineate cyst from tumor tissue segments. To achieve this goal, we obtained novel multiclass Kullback Leibler Divergence (KLD) feature selection techniques to effectively select features for tumor (T), cyst (C) and non-tumor (NT) tissues types in multimodal MRI. In this work, we propose an information theoretic framework for improved pediatric posterior fossa tumor segmentation. Our proposed method combines all necessary steps such as MRI inhomogeneity correction, feature extraction, multiclass feature selection and T, C and NT tissue segmentation respectively in an integrated framework. Our integrated framework allows one to observe effect of each step in the end tumor segmentation results. Finally, we evaluate our method using eight pediatric patients in T1, T2 and FLARI modalities.
NATURE AND THE IRRUPTIVE VIOLENCE OF HISTORY

Historical thinking has long defined itself in part through opposition to the natural, in spite of periodic critical efforts to bridge the gap. Deeper in Western traditions of historical reflection are traces of modes of thought through which the distance between human history and nature writ large tends to collapse. Two thinkers not often placed in dialogue—Michel Foucault and Walter Benjamin—both unearthed aspects of this subterranean current. Foucault's The Order of Things maps different moments of Benjamin's trajectory: Renaissance resemblance and the metaphysics of language, classical taxonomy and the baroque “mourning-play,” and modern history and commodity culture in the nineteenth century. Violence appears periodically as the irruptive and disruptive force that conditions the natural-historical and thus an anthropocentric history that derives from it: from post-Edenic Babel to geological cataclysm and corporeal transience to the Marquis de Sade, Karl Marx, capitalism, and total war. Without in any way succumbing to naturalism, that inverse of subject-centered instrumental reasoning, both Foucault and Benjamin considered the import of the natural-historical for the eventual articulation of contemporary historical thinking and in doing so contributed to the regeneration of natural history as a mode of thought.