cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Write-it-Yourself: Empowering Blind People to Independently Fill-out Paper Forms

Filling out printed forms (e.g., checks) independently is currently impossible for blind people, since they cannot pinpoint the locations of the form fields, and quite often, they cannot even figure out what fields (e.g., name) are present in the form. Hence, they always depend on sighted people to write on their behalf, and help them affix their signatures. Extant assistive technologies have exclusively focused on reading, with no support for writing. In this paper, we introduce WiYG, a Write-it-Yourself guide that directs a blind user to the different form fields, so that she can independently fill out these fields without seeking assistance from a sighted person. WiYG uses a pocket-sized custom 3D printed smartphone attachment, and well-established computer vision algorithms to dynamically generate audio instructions that guide the user to the different form fields. A user study with 13 blind participants showed that with WiYG, users could correctly fill out form fields at right locations with an accuracy as high as 89.5%.
A Normative Meaning of Meaningful Work

Research on meaningful work has not embraced a shared definition of what it is, in part because many researchers and laypersons agree that it means different things to different people. However, subjective and social accounts of meaningful work have limited practical value to help people pursue it and to help scholars study it. The account of meaningful work advanced in this paper is inherently normative. It recognizes the relevance of subjective experience and social agreement to appraisals of meaningfulness but considers them conceptually incomplete and practically limited. According to this normative account, meaningful work should be meaningful to oneself and to others and is also meaningful independent of them. It sets forth grounds for evaluating some work to be more meaningful than other work, asserting the possibility that one could be mistaken about the meaningfulness of one’s work. While it thus proscribes some claims to meaningful work, it also opens up potential new avenues of inquiry into, among other things, self-aggrandizing and harmful work that is experienced as meaningful, morally valuable work that is not experienced as meaningful, and the distinction between experienced and normative meaningfulness.
After Apollo - Fission origin of the moon

The present work maintains that the Apollo moon data substantiate the fission theory of the origin of the moon. It has been objected to this theory that prior to fission, the total mass and angular momentum of the earth-moon system would have to be greater than the present total of the earth and the moon, which would imply that angular momentum must have been lost since the fission. The present work states that this loss of momentum can be accounted for by the subsequent boiling off of a large amount of the original lunar mass. This would also mean that the moon ought to be greatly impoverished in volatiles, which it, indeed, is according to Apollo data. It is suggested that at one time the solar system was a binary star, namely, the sun and Jupiter. Successive fissions of Jupiter would have created other planets, which themselves could undergo fission, producing satellites.
Burial History Reconstruction of the Appalachian Basin in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, Using 1D Petroleum System Models

Abstract Nine 1D burial history models were built across the Appalachian Basin to reconstruct the burial, erosional, and thermal maturation histories of contained petroleum source rocks. Models were calibrated to measured downhole temperature and to vitrinite reflectance (% Ro) data from Devonian through Pennsylvanian petroleum source rocks. The highest levels of thermal maturity in Devonian and Mississippian source rocks are within and proximal to the Rome trough in the deep basin, which is also within the confluence of increased structural complexity and associated faulting, overpressured Devonian shales, and thick intervals of salt in the underlying Silurian Salina Group. Models incorporate minor erosion from 260 to 140 million years ago (Ma) that allows for extended burial and heating of underlying strata and generally results in less eroded thickness, compared to previously published models. Two modeled times of increased erosion, from 140 to 90 Ma and 23 to 5.3 Ma, are followed by less erosion from 5.3 Ma to Present. Absent strata are mainly Permian shales and sandstone; thickness of these removed layers increased from about 6,200 ft (1,890 m) west of the Rome trough to as much as 9,650 ft (2,940 m) within the trough. The onset of oil generation is based on 0.6% Ro for Pennsylvanian coal samples; time of onset for the Ordovician Utica Shale ranges from 387 to 306 Ma, and 359 to 282 Ma for Middle Devonian to basal Mississippian shales. The ∼1.2% Ro onset of wet gas generation ranges from 360 to 281 Ma in the Utica Shale, and 298 to 150 Ma for Middle Devonian to lowermost Mississippian shales.
Causation, electronic configurations and the periodic table

The article examines a recent interventionist account of causation by Ross, in which electronic configurations of atoms are considered to be the cause of chemical behavior. More specifically I respond to the claim that a change in electronic configuration of an atom, such as occurs in the artificial synthesis of elements, causes a change in the behavior of the atom in question. I argue that chemical behavior is governed as much by the nuclear charge of an atom as it is by its electronic structure. It is suggested that an adequate analysis requires attention to the dynamical interactions between nuclear charges and those of electrons, as typically carried out through the application of the Schrodinger equation. It is concluded that electronic configurations can only be said be causal in a weak sense that is somewhat analogous to the causal arguments that are invoked in folk physics.
Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Bleb-Related Endophthalmitis: A 9-Year Analysis at a Tertiary Eye Center:

Purpose:Clinical presentation, treatment choices, and outcomes in cases of bleb-related endophthalmitis (BRE) at a tertiary care center over a 9-year period are described.Methods:A retrospective re...
Third Ventricle Cavernous Malformation and Obstructive Hydrocephalus Thought to Be a Colloid Cyst.

Background Third ventricle cavernous malformations (CMs) associated with ventriculomegaly and obstructive hydrocephalus are quite rare in patients. Preoperative surgical planning can be challenging due to the lesion's non-specific appearance on CT and magnetic resonance imaging that can mimic other intraventricular pathologies, such as a colloid cyst. Management of these lesions can be varied in the setting of obstructive hydrocephalus. Case Description The patient is a 78-year-old woman who first presented to her primary care provider with balance difficulties and inability to ambulate on her own. She also had bladder incontinence and progressive, severe headaches. Imaging of the brain demonstrated entrapment of the right lateral ventricle and obstructive hydrocephalus due to a lesion in the third ventricle obstructing the right foramen of Monro, thought to be a colloid cyst. A right frontal neuroendoscopic approach with direct visualization, however, confirmed a third ventricle CM. A septal pellucidum fenestration was performed to restore cerebrospinal fluid communication and no resection of the lesion was performed. The patient recovered well after the operation and at clinical follow-up reported no headaches and was walking well without a walker and with no neurological deficits. Conclusions A third ventricle CM was discovered after a neuroendoscopic approach for resection of a presumed colloid cyst in a patient with obstructive hydrocephalus. A neuroendoscopic septostomy was performed to treat the obstructive hydrocephalus and no resection was attempted. The patient suffered no complications and is at her neurologic baseline with no deficits.
A conserved ubiquitin- and ESCRT-dependent pathway to regulate human lysosomal membrane proteins

The lysosome is an essential organelle to recycle cellular materials and maintain nutrient homeostasis, but the mechanism to down-regulate lysosomal membrane proteins is poorly understood. In this study, we developed a cycloheximide chase assay to measure the half-lives of ~30 human lysosomal membrane proteins and identified RNF152 as a short-lived protein. The degradation of RNF152 depends on ubiquitin and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. Ubiquitinated RNF152 is sorted and internalized by the ESCRT machinery into the lysosomal lumen for degradation. Strikingly, when expressed in budding yeast, human RNF152 is also degraded by the vacuole (yeast lysosome) in an ESCRT-dependent manner. Thus, our study uncovered a conserved mechanism to down-regulate lysosome membrane proteins.
The Impact of Social Media on the Quality of Doctor-Patient Interaction

Doctor-Patient Interaction (DPI) is a prerequisite for starting a therapeutic process. As this interaction plays a key role in all steps such a diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, the more efficient the DPI is, the more satisfied the patient is. From another standpoint, social media are conspicuously blending with different aspects of people's lives such as healthcare services. Social media provide people with the access to information and communication with other people across the world instantly. However, it is inevitable to face its downsides such as misleading information. This paper systematically reviews the influence of social media on DPI and patient’s perceptions of the online information and discusses that DPI can be enhanced by using social media and public medical knowledge can be expanded by the dissemination of supervised information. These conclusions can be expected because people express concerns about the validity of the information, its sources, and their security in using social media, and therefore, they tend to put trust more in scientific-based information provided by doctors or healthcare providers rather than some random misleading information.
Analytical model for pulse pileup in photon counting detectors with seminonparalyzable behavior

Photon counting x-ray detectors (PCDs) with energy discrimination capabilities provide spectral information, can eliminate electronic and Swank noise, and image multiple contrast agents simultaneously with high resolution. However, with high flux on the detectors, pulse pileup leads to count loss and spectral distortion. Accurate description of the output count rate and spectrum behavior of a PCD is crucial to the development of further applications, e.g., material decomposition. In this work, a fully analytical model of the pulse pileup spectrum and count statistics for a nonparalyzable detector with nonzero pulse length is proposed, which accounts for seminonparalyzable behavior, i.e., retriggering of counts by pulses incident during the dead time. We use a triangle to approximate a realistic pulse shape and recursively compute the output spectrum of different pulse pileup orders. A count-rate and spectrum dependent expression of count statistics is further derived based on renewal theory. Our analytical model can then be used to predict material decomposition noise using the Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB). We compared our model predictions with Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that our model can accurately predict the count loss and spectral distortion resulting from pulse pileup and can be used in predicting material decomposition noise over a large range of count rates.
Sliding with the sines - fatal hyperkalemia: A case report.

Author(s): Soe, Kyaw Khaing; Seto, Arnold Hoo | Abstract: BackgroundClassic electrocardiographic manifestations of hyperkalemia starting with peaked symmetrical T-waves are widely recognized in daily clinical practice but little evidence is documented how quickly it can evolve in real-time.Case summaryAn elderly diabetic and hypertensive male presented with acute renal failure and rhabdomyolysis. He experienced cardiac arrest with moderate hyperkalemia despite medical treatment and hemodialysis. Telemetry changes were retrospectively studied and found to have significant rhythm changes that occurred just less than 10 minutes prior to the cardiac arrest.ConclusionIn hyperkalemia, telemetry rhythm can change instantaneously in a significant way. Rapidly rising potassium could be life threatening and may require more than medical treatment.
ExpressHeart: Web Portal to Visualize Transcriptome Profiles of Non-Cardiomyocyte Cells

Unveiling the molecular features in the heart is essential for the study of heart diseases. Non-cardiomyocytes (nonCMs) play critical roles in providing structural and mechanical support to the working myocardium. There is an increasing amount of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data characterizing the transcriptomic profiles of nonCM cells. However, no tool allows researchers to easily access the information. Thus, in this study, we develop an open-access web portal, ExpressHeart, to visualize scRNA-seq data of nonCMs from five laboratories encompassing three species. ExpressHeart enables comprehensive visualization of major cell types and subtypes in each study; visualizes gene expression in each cell type/subtype in various ways; and facilitates identifying cell-type-specific and species-specific marker genes. ExpressHeart also provides an interface to directly combine information across datasets, for example, generating lists of high confidence DEGs by taking the intersection across different datasets. Moreover, ExpressHeart performs comparisons across datasets. We show that some homolog genes (e.g., Mmp14 in mice and mmp14b in zebrafish) are expressed in different cell types between mice and zebrafish, suggesting different functions across species. We expect ExpressHeart to serve as a valuable portal for investigators, shedding light on the roles of genes on heart development in nonCM cells.
A 56-Gb/s 50-mW NRZ Receiver in 28-nm CMOS

A wireline receiver consisting of a linear equalizer, a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE), a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit, and a demultiplexer (DMUX) employs new circuit and architecture techniques that afford substantial power savings. Realized in 28-nm technology, the 56-Gb/s receiver has a bit error rate (BER) of less than 10⁻¹² for a channel loss of 25 dB at 28 GHz.
Master Excel Through Projects

There are quite some books that teach us how to master Excel worksheets, and many of them are excellent. Some books go into every detail and are so valuable that they can be referenced as an encyclopedia for Excel. Nevertheless, this book takes a unique route to practice and master Excel.
Sample end effects

In high-resolution NMR spectroscopy, the variation of the magnetic field inside the sample has a measurable impact on lineshape. We present a model to calculate the moments of the internal field, as they relate to the current that should be set in the compensation coils to level the magnetic perturbations originating from the sample. We apply this model to common sample geometries, and discuss the practical implications for sample-limited applications.
The metabolism of O-phosphorylethanolamine in animal tissues. I. O-phosphorylethanolamine phospho-lyase: partial purification and characterization.

Abstract The enzyme O-phosphorylethanolamine phospho-lyase has been purified 107-fold from rabbit liver and 580-fold from rat liver with the use of DEAE-cellulose and brushite chromatography. The pH optimum of the enzyme's activity is 7.8 and enzyme preparations are unstable at temperatures above 55°. The apparent Km for O-phosphorylethanolamine was found to be 6.1 x 10-4. Dialyzed preparations after treatment with hydroxylamine were found to be almost completely dependent on the addition of pyridoxal phosphate. The Km for this cofactor was 2.7 x 10-7 m. Inorganic phosphate was found to be a competitive inhibitor with an apparent Ki of 1.3 x 10-3 m. None of the cations or anions tested was found to be essential for enzyme activity or to have an ability to activate the enzyme. The enzyme was inactivated by heavy metal cations, sulfate ions, and cyanide ions. Inhibition of p-chloromercuribenzoate could be reversed by dithiothreitol. Substrate specificity was tested with a variety of compounds; ethanolamine, ethylphosphate, ethylamine, ethylenimine, and 2-aminoethylphosphonate were not substrates for the enzyme. The approximate molecular weight as estimated by Sephadex G-200 chromatography was 168,000. An Arrhenius plot of enzyme activity showed a discontinuity with the energy of activation being 18,700 calories below 14° and 10,700 calories at higher temperature. By means of O-phosphorylethanolamine labeled with 14C in the amino carbon, it was shown by oxidation and Schmidt degradation of the enzymatically formed acetaldehyde that the 14C was solely in the carbonyl carbon of the product. These data serve to confirm the mechanism of this reaction as an initial β-elimination of Pi of the O-phosphorylethanolamine-pyridoxal phosphate complex. The purpose of this paper is to report the partial purification of the enzyme from liver which catalyzes the reaction H3N+CH2CH2OPO3- (pyridoxal-P)/→ NH4+ + CH2CHO + Pi and to describe some of its physical and chemical properties. In addition, studies utilizing 2-14C-O-phosphorylethanolamine indicate that the mechanism of the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme is that of a phospho-lyase (Sprinson, D. B., and Weliky, I., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 36, 866 (1969)) rather than an ammonia lyase as was originally indicated (Fleshood, H. L., and Pitot, H. C., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 36, 110 (1969)).
Secure routing in wireless sensor networks

This research addresses communication security in the highly constrained wireless sensor environment. The goal of the research is twofold: (1) to develop a key management scheme that provides these constrained systems with the basic security requirements and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of scalability, efficiency, resiliency, connectivity, and flexibility, and (2) to implement this scheme on an appropriate routing platform and measure its efficiency. The proposed key management scheme is called Hierarchical Key Establishment Scheme (HIKES). In HIKES, the base station, acting as the central trust authority, empowers randomly selected sensors to act as local trust authorities, authenticating on its behalf the cluster members and issuing to them all secret keys necessary to secure their communications. HIKES uses a novel key escrow scheme that enables any sensor node selected as a cluster head to generate all the cryptographic keys needed to authenticate other sensors within its cluster. This scheme localizes secret key issuance and reduces the communication cost with the base station. The key escrow scheme also provides the HIKES with as large an addressing mechanism as needed. HIKES also provides a one-step broadcast authentication mechanism. HIKES provides entity authentication to every sensor in the network and is robust against most known attacks. We propose a hierarchical routing mechanism called Secure Hierarchical Energy-Efficient Routing protocol (SHEER). SHEER implements HIKES, which provides the communication security from the inception of the network. SHEER uses a probabilistic broadcast mechanism and a three-level hierarchical clustering architecture to improve the network energy performance and increase its lifetime. Simulation results have shown that HIKES provides an energy-efficient and scalable solution to the key management problem. Cost analysis shows that HIKES is computationally efficient and has low storage requirement. Furthermore, high degree of address flexibility can be achieved in HIKES. Therefore, this scheme meets the desired criteria set forth in this work. Simulation studies also show that SHEER is more energy-efficient and has better scalability than the secure version of LEACH using HIKES.
Behavioral Genetics: Of Mice, Men, and Internal Bliss

Summary A mutation in the FAAH gene that enhances endocannabinoid signaling has been difficult to decipher, as it exists only in humans. A new study reports a knock-in mouse expressing an identical mutation, bridging an important translational gap.
Effects of a Commercial Malathion Preparation on Selected Soil Bacteria

The aromatic petroleum distillates present in a commercial preparation of malathion insecticide had a greater effect on viability of pure cultures of soil bacteria than did the malathion, whereas neither component had an effect on the population of the natural soil community.
Rapporteur talk: Cosmic Ray Propagation and Acceleration (sessions OG 1.3, 1.4, and a part of HE 1.2)

Theoretical views on particle acceleration in astrophysical sources and propagation of cosmic rays (CR) depend very much on the quality of the data, which become increasingly accurate each year and therefore more constraining. On the other hand, direct measurements of CR are possible in only one location on the outskirts of the Milky Way and present only a snapshot of very dynamic processes. The theoretical papers presented during the conference offer exciting insights into the physics of cosmic accelerators and processes which underlie the measured abundances and spectra of CR species. This paper is based on a rapporteur talk given at the 28th International Cosmic Ray Conference held on July 31-August 7, 2003 at Tsukuba. It covers the sessions OG 1.3 Cosmic ray propagation, OG 1.4 Acceleration of cosmic rays, and a part of HE 1.2 Theory and simulations (including origins of the knee).
Introducing software engineering processes via games and simulations: a Tri-P-LETS initiative

Through Tri-P-LETS (the Three P Learning Environment for Teachers and Students), the University of Memphis has changed student perceptions about computer science. Graduate students have assisted high school programming teachers by creating and presenting an enhanced curriculum emphasizing three P foundation areas: Process, Programming, and Problem Solving. This paper describes Tri-P-LETS and its impact on beginning programming classes in the Memphis area. It also discusses a software engineering process and associated forms that were used to provide students with a more realistic view of software development.
An Elementary Introduction to Percolation

The basic aspects of percolation theory are briefly reviewed in this chapter. The theory of percolation is important for the main issue discussed in this book, namely, the presence of nanoscale phase separation in manganites — both in theory and experiments — and the explanation of the CMR effect as arising from a percolation process (see Chap. 17). The concept of percolation is well known in physics, and it has been reviewed by Stauffer and Aharony [16.1]. Their book is much recommended to the reader to find additional information on this important subject, supplementing the elementary primer provided here.
The role of fidelity in fuzzy-logic inference

The concept of fidelity of inference is introduced to quantify the degree to which the inferred value of a consequent can be regarded as valid. This concept also enhances the understanding of other aspects of fuzzy-logic inference including transitivity, intuitive leap, rada, and coupled implicative equations. It also enables many of the results derived earlier for element-by-element implication and derived implication to be taken over to inclusion and derived inclusion. >
Central Suspension Technique of the Midface

The central suspension technique is useful in addressing moderate nasolabial folds in the lower eyelid. It is limited by the amount of suspension that can be obtained on the cheek fat of the midface.
Comparison of tyrosinase levels in amelanotic and melanotic melanoma cell cultures by a competitive enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay and by immunotitration analysis.

Melanogenesis in mammalian pigment cells is regulated by changes in the activity of tryosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme for melanin synthesis. Because recent evidence suggests that this enzyme may exist in pigment cells in both active and inactive stages, a competitive enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to compare tyrosinase levels in amelanotic and melanotic melanoma cell clones. The melanotic cell line used for this study, MEL-11A, had basal tyrosinase levels approximately 40 times that of the amelanotic cell line, AM-7. Both cell lines responded to melanocyte-stimulating hormone by demonstrating large increases in tyrosinase activity. For competitive ELISA analysis of tyrosinase levels in these two clones, microtiter plates were coated with purified tyrosinase, and trypsinized cell extracts were tested for their ability to compete with bound tyrosinase for antibody binding. Although tyrosinase activity in the amelanotic clone was 1/40 that of the melanotic clone, immunoreactive tyrosinase levels in AM-7 cells were found to be approximately one-half that present in the melanotic clone. Additional evidence for the presence of an inactive (or at least, catalytically less active) enzyme in AM-7 cells was obtained from immunotitration analysis of tyrosinase in cell extracts from both cell lines. These results suggest that at least some amelanotic melanoma cells may contain significant levels of catalytically inactive tyrosinase molecules and that the level of pigmentation in mammalian melanocytes may be regulated by a tyrosinase activation process.
Cyclic AMP production in isolated rat seminiferous tubule cell preparations: a potential in vitro assay for follicle stimulating hormone.

Abstract A simple procedure for the isolation of rat seminiferous tubule cell preparations free of Leydig cells is described. Both ovine and human FSH stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation. in proportion to the concentration of the hormones. Other hormones, including ICSH and hCG, were inactive. It is proposed that stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation in tubule cells may be a specific, sensitive and rapid in vitro assay for FSH.
Synthesis of the pheromone of the longtailed mealybug, a sterically congested, irregular monoterpenoid

A straightforward and scaleable synthesis of the sterically congested pheromone of the longtailed mealybug, with two adjacent quarternary carbons in a cyclopentene ring, was accomplished in 13.5% overall yield. Key steps included regiospecific cyclization of an α-diazo-β-ketoester to build the cyclopentane ring, followed by reduction of the enol triflate of the ketone to place the double bond.
Selective solution shearing deposition of high performance TIPS-pentacene polymorphs through chemical patterning

Methods for the solution deposition of organic semiconductors (OSCs) show great potential for the production of large-area, inexpensive, and flexible organic electronics. A solution deposition method called solution shearing has consistently been shown to yield thin film transistors with improved performance over those created via other solution-based approaches. However, the need for discrete, electronically isolated devices requires the parallel development of a facile means of pattern definition compatible with the solution shearing process. In our work, we use a simple chemical prepatterning method to enable the solution shearing deposition of the small molecule OSC TIPS-pentacene on substrates with feature sizes as small as 100 µm. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD) was also used to confirm the existence of high performance TIPS-pentacene polymorphs in the patterned thin films. Mobilities as high as 1.13 cm2 V−1 s−1 were obtained on 400 µm wide patterns by depositing a high-performance, metastable polymorph of TIPS-pentacene.
Health profiles of adolescents in foster care.

The purpose of this paper is to describe health profiles of adolescents in foster care. The Child Health and Illness Profile–Adolescent Edition clustered adolescents in foster care into 13 mutually exclusive health profiles using dimensions of satisfaction with health, risks, resilience, and discomfort. Health profiles were further characterized into four health status rankings from best to worst health status. Many reported best health status (39%); nearly equal numbers (30.6%) had profiles indicating poor or worst health status, particularly girls and those with high risk behaviors, aggression, sexual abuse, or suicidality. It is valuable to identify health characteristics of the most vulnerable subgroups of foster youth to tailor specific interventions.
Several heat-sensitive properties of the MULv-induced YAC lymphoma.

Abstract A therapeutic heat dose of 44.0 ± 0.1°C/20 min caused either temporary or permanent inhibition of tumor growth in 86% ( 25 29 ) of the CAF1/J female mice inoculated in the footpad with MULv-induced YAC lymphoma and heated when the tumor was well established. Heating before the tumor is well established is less effective because the heat-sensitivity of the tumor increases as it grows in the host. The transplantability of this tumor is more effectively impaired when heated tumor tissue is left in situ for 24 h post-heating than if it is excised immediately after heating and implanted in host mice.
The Current Management of Choledochal Cysts

Choledochal cyst disease is uncommon. The presentation of the disease is being seen more commonly in the adult population than in the pediatric population, particularly in the West, making this a diagnosis a general surgeon should consider when evaluating a patient with biliary disease. The diagnosis of this disease has been greatly facilitated by improving technologies, particularly MRCP and interventional techniques of PTC. The consequences of not treating choledochal cysts can result in malignant transformation. When possible, complete surgical excision of the cyst is recommended and should be performed as early as possible to prevent complications and the progression of liver fibrosis. Long-term follow-up is required for surveillance for late complications and for cancer, particularly in type IV and V choledochal cysts where complete excision is not possible.
Left ventricular hypertrophy in valvular aortic stenosis: mechanisms and clinical implications

Valvular aortic stenosis is the second most prevalent adult valve disease in the United States and causes progressive pressure overload, invariably leading to life-threatening complications. Surgical aortic valve replacement and, more recently, transcatheter aortic valve replacement effectively relieve the hemodynamic burden and improve the symptoms and survival of affected individuals. However, according to current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on the management of valvular heart disease, the indications for aortic valve replacement, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement, are based primarily on the development of clinical symptoms, because their presence indicates a dismal prognosis. Left ventricular hypertrophy develops in a sizeable proportion of patients before the onset of symptoms, and a growing body of literature demonstrates that regression of left ventricular hypertrophy resulting from aortic stenosis is incomplete after aortic valve replacement and associated with adverse early postoperative outcomes and worse long-term outcomes. Thus, reliance on the development of symptoms alone without consideration of structural abnormalities of the myocardium for optimal timing of aortic valve replacement potentially constitutes a missed opportunity to prevent postoperative morbidity and mortality from severe aortic stenosis, especially in the face of the quickly expanding indications of lower-risk transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The purpose of this review is to discuss the mechanisms and clinical implications of left ventricular hypertrophy in severe valvular aortic stenosis, which may eventually move to center stage as an indication for aortic valve replacement in the asymptomatic patient.
Circulating interferon in infants and children with acute respiratory illness.

Serum samples from two groups of patients hospitalized with viral respiratory disease were tested for interferon. The first group consisted of 41 infants and young children whose unfrozen sera were tested soon after collection. The second group contained 22 infants and children whose sera had been frozen for at least two years before being tested. Etiological evidence, by isolation and/or antibody rise, for virus infections was found in 29 patients in the first group, and in all patients in the second group. An interferon-like inhibitor was found in acute sera of 4 children with respiratory syncytial virus infection, in 2 with influenza A, and in 3 with influenza B.
A Chemically Induced Vaccine Strategy for Prostate Cancer

Here we report the design and evaluation of a bifunctional, small molecule switch that induces a targeted immune response against tumors in vivo. A high affinity ligand for prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) was conjugated to a hapten that binds dinitrophenyl (DNP)-specific antibodies. When introduced into hu-PBL-NOD/SCID mice previously immunized with a KLH-DNP immunogen, this conjugate induced a targeted antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) response to PSMA-expressing tumor cells in a mouse xenograft model. The ability to create a small molecule inducible antibody response against self-antigens using endogenous non-autoreactive antibodies may provide advantages over the autologous immune response generated by conventional vaccines in certain therapeutic settings.
The cathode strip chamber data acquisition electronics for CMS

Abstract Data Acquisition (DAQ) electronics for Cathode Strip Chambers (CSC) [CMS Collaboration, The Muon Project Technical Design Report, CERN/LHCC 97-32, CMS TDR3, 1997] in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) [CMS Collaboration, The Compact Muon Solenoid Technical Proposal, CERN/LHCC 94-38, 1994] experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) [The LHC study group, The Large Hadron Collider: Conceptual Design, CERN/AC 1995-05, 1995] is described. The CSC DAQ system [B. Bylsma, et al., in: Proceedings of the Topical Workshop on Electronics for Particle Physics, Prague, Czech Republic, CERN-2007-007, 2007, pp. 195–198] includes on-detector and off-detector electronics, encompassing five different types of custom circuit boards designed to handle the high event rate at the LHC. The on-detector electronics includes Cathode Front End Boards (CFEB) [R. Breedon, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 471 (2001) 340], which amplify, shape, store, and digitize chamber cathode signals; Anode Front End Boards (AFEB) [T. Ferguson, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 539 (2005) 386], which amplify, shape and discriminate chamber anode signals; and Data Acquisition Motherboards (DAQMB), which controls the on-chamber electronics and the readout of the chamber. The off-detector electronics, located in the underground service cavern, includes Detector Dependent Unit (DDU) boards, which perform real time data error checking, electronics reset requests and data concentration; and Data Concentrator Card (DCC) boards, which further compact the data and send it to the CMS DAQ System [CMS Collaboration, The TriDAS Project Technical Design Report, Volume 2: Data Acquisition and High-level Trigger, CERN/LHCC 2002-26, 2002], and serve as an interface to the CMS Trigger Timing Control (TTC) [TTC system 〈http://ttc.web.cern.ch/TTC/intro.html〉] system. Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) are utilized for analogous signal processing on front end boards. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) are utilized on all boards in the system to provide programmability. The DAQ system has been installed and commissioned, and is ready for LHC data taking.
Treatment of Infections Caused By Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Positive Bacteria

An increasing proportion of Staphylococcus aureus infections are caused by methicillin-resistant S aureus. Treatment of infections caused by this organism is challenging, especially because therapy with vancomycin, the traditional antibiotic of choice for methicillin-resistant S aureus infections, is associated with an increasing frequency of treatment failure, and vancomycin insensitive and vancomycin-resistant strains have emerged. In addition, Enterococcus sp. isolated from human infections are increasingly resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. Newer drugs available for treatment of resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections in the United States include linezolid, daptomycin, tigecycline and telavancin. The precise role for these newer agents is still evolving. Organisms resistant to each of these antimicrobials have emerged. New drugs in development include cephalosporins and carbapenems with MRSA activity.
A kinetic model for methyl decanoate combustion

Abstract A detailed kinetic model for the oxidation of the biodiesel surrogate, methyl decanoate, has been developed and tested against a broad range of experimental data. The methyl decanoate model consists of both low and high temperature oxidation chemistry. It has been constructed strictly through the extension of the chemical kinetic and thermochemical parameters used to describe the oxidation of the better-understood small methyl ester, methyl butanoate. The constructed model is tested in an a priori manner by the computation of all of the appropriate experimental data available for methyl decanoate oxidation. The results show a generally improved performance of the present model relative to that of literature models which have generally been constructed based on similarity to alkane oxidation reaction kinetics. Chemical path flux analyses of all available methyl decanoate models are analyzed and the results reveal that the fuel oxidation pathways exhibit completely different chemical mechanisms depending on the modeling prescriptions of the kinetic and thermochemical parameters. In particular, there is a wide degree of variability in the fate prescribed to the methyl ester functionality. In addition, experimental analysis of diffusion flame extinctions for methyl butanoate and methyl decanoate reveals that the high temperature reactivity of methyl butanoate is similar to that of methyl decanoate by introducing a concept of transport-weighted enthalpy. Consequently, the present modeling work and experimental analysis suggest that further studies of small methyl ester systems, such as methyl butanoate are required in order to improve the model fidelity of large biodiesel like methyl esters.
Elevated concentrations of the β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin and testosterone in the amniotic fluid of gestations of diabetic mothers

Hyperplasia of testicular Leydig cells and ovarian theca-lutein cells is a common histologic finding in infants of diabetic mothers. The functional correlates of this histologic finding were investigated by measurement of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, estradiol, and estrone in the amniotic fluid compartment of gestations with male and female fetuses in diabetic mothers (N = 34) and control women (N = 34) at term. When compared with those of control subjects, gestations of diabetic mothers had significantly higher amniotic fluid concentrations of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin. Gestations with either male or female fetuses in diabetic mothers had significantly higher amniotic fluid testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels when compared with those of their respective gender controls. In gestations with male fetuses in diabetic mothers there was a significant positive correlation between the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin and testosterone. There was no significant difference in amniotic fluid androstenedione, estradiol, or estrone levels between the gestations of diabetic mothers and those of control women. These results suggest that the testicular Leydig cell and ovarian theca-lutein cell hyperplasia seen in infants of diabetic mothers is due, in part, to elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin and is associated with elevated testosterone and dihydrotestosterone concentrations in the amniotic fluid.
Modeling of sound transmitted into a cavity through a composite plate using coupled FE/BE method and control of acoustic pressure using piezoelectric actuators

A coupled finite element/boundary element method is developed for the fully coupled structural/acoustic/piezoelectric system. This approach uses the dual reciprocity boundary element method to describe time dependent acoustic field and the finite element to structures and piezoelectric materials. A time-domain formulation of the coupled method is obtained. Based on the coupled time domain formulation, linear quadratic regulator and a feedforward controller are applied to reduce the acoustic pressure transmitted into a cavity through a composite plate using embedded piezoelectric actuators. The controls of interior acoustic fields due to excitations at different frequencies are investigated, transmission losses and deflection of the plates of the controlled and uncontrolled systems are presented.
The Kinetics of Haemolysis in Colloidal Silicic Acid--Complement Systems

The haemolytic systems obtained by adding complement to red cells sensitized with colloidal silicic acid were first described by Landsteiner and Jagic in 1904, and have excited considerable interest ever since, principally because of their apparent similarity to amboceptor-complement systems. No attempt, however, has been made to investigate their kinetics (a fact which is hardly surprising in view of their extraordinary complexity), and this paper is concerned with giving an account of such results as recent methods have been successful in establishing. 1. Methods . The methods employed are essentially those developed in connection with simpler haemolytic systems, and especially in connection with amboceptor-complement systems (Ponder, 1932, a ).
Connectives and quantifiers in fuzzy sets

Abstract We discuss some of the issues involved in the selection of appropriate operators for implementing the union and intersection of fuzzy subsets. We discuss the extension principles used in extending operators to fuzzy subsets. We provide a structure for aggregating linguistic variables in the theory of approximate reasoning. We look at mean operators on fuzzy subsets as well as the inclusion of importances in aggregation. We discuss non-monotone set operators. We introduce the concept of linguistic quantifiers and look at some applications of these structures. We are particularly concerned with their application to linguistic summarizers, syllogistic reasoning and multi-criteria decision making.
Hydration of gas-phase ions formed by electrospray ionization.

The hydration of gas-phase ions produced by electrospray ionization was investigated. Evidence that the hydrated ions are formed by two mechanisms is presented. First, solvent condensation during the expansion inside the electrospray source clearly occurs. Second, some solvent evaporation from more extensively solvated ions or droplets is apparent. To the extent that these highly solvated ions have solution-phase structures, then the final isolated gas-phase structure of the ion will be determined by the solvent evaporation process. This process was investigated for hydrated gramicidin S in a Fourier-transform mass spectrometer. Unimolecular dissociation rate constants of isolated gramicidin S ions with between 2 and 14 associated water molecules were measured. These rate constants increased from 16 to 230 s−1 with increasing hydration, with smaller values corresponding to magic numbers.
A MEASUREMENT OF THE FORM FACTORS FOR THE DECAY KLo → πμν

Abstract The decay process KLo → πμν has been studied in a wire chamber experiment using the three-degree KLo beam at SLAC. A sample of 26 500 Kμ3 events have been identified to obtain information on the form factors ƒ ± associated with the V-A hypothesis for this decay. Expressing the energy dependence of the form factors as ƒ ± = ƒ ± (0) (1 + λ ± q 2 m 2 ), where q 2 = (p K −p μ ) 2 , the experiment yields the value λ+ = 0.08 ± 0.01 and reveals a strong coupling between λ_ and ζ_(0) = ƒ_(0) ƒ + (0) .
An all-silicon Raman laser

With the growing use of optoelectronics in information technology, manipulating light is almost as important as manipulating electrons. Unfortunately silicon, workhorse of modern microelectronics, is next to useless in optical applications. There has been a massive effort to overcome silicon's inadequacies, and ways of coaxing silicon to handle light are under development but a key component — the laser — has been problematic. Last year a silicon laser was produced, but it involved metres of optical fibre. Now workers in Intel's research labs have come up with an all-silicon laser on a single chip. The device is compact and readily integrated with other silicon components. The possibility of light generation and/or amplification in silicon has attracted a great deal of attention1 for silicon-based optoelectronic applications owing to the potential for forming inexpensive, monolithic integrated optical components. Because of its indirect bandgap, bulk silicon shows very inefficient band-to-band radiative electron–hole recombination. Light emission in silicon has thus focused on the use of silicon engineered materials such as nanocrystals2,3,4,5, Si/SiO2 superlattices6, erbium-doped silicon-rich oxides7,8,9,10, surface-textured bulk silicon11 and Si/SiGe quantum cascade structures12. Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) has recently been demonstrated as a mechanism to generate optical gain in planar silicon waveguide structures13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21. In fact, net optical gain in the range 2–11 dB due to SRS has been reported in centimetre-sized silicon waveguides using pulsed pumping18,19,20,21. Recently, a lasing experiment involving silicon as the gain medium by way of SRS was reported, where the ring laser cavity was formed by an 8-m-long optical fibre22. Here we report the experimental demonstration of Raman lasing in a compact, all-silicon, waveguide cavity on a single silicon chip. This demonstration represents an important step towards producing practical continuous-wave optical amplifiers and lasers that could be integrated with other optoelectronic components onto CMOS-compatible silicon chips.
Toward a Competency-Based Taxonomy of Objectives in a Multi-Purpose Senior Center

A taxonomy of objectives was developed in a multi-purpose senior center in three domains, individualized services, group activities and community development. The system was based on the interplay between experience and theory in gerontology, and is used for monitoring need assessment and delivery of services to the elderly.
Rhythm analysis of clipped data: Examples using circadian data

It has previously been proved that, in rhythm analysis, it makes little difference to the outcome if the data are analyzed in clipped form (that is, reduced to zero crossings). Loss of amplitude information has little effect on analyses for periodicity, a fact which can be used to advantage both for data collection and for data analysis.
The vapor-phase catalytic hydration of ethylene oxide to glycols

The vapor-phase reaction between ethylene oxide and water to form glycols has been carried out under a wide range of conditions with particles of polystyrene–sulfonic acid ion exchange resins used as catalysts. The rates observed appeared to be directly proportional to the product of the partial pressure of ethylene oxide and the amount of water sorbed by the resin. By use of the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller equation to describe the amount of water sorbed by the resin, the experimental data were correlated over a sixty-fold range of reaction rates with a mean deviation of 15%. To obtain data of value in elucidating reaction mechanisms, the reactor was usually run under “differential” conditions, that is low conversions. However in a few runs conversions of as high as 54% were obtained for a contact time of 0.02 sec. The ratio of ethylene glycol to higher glycols (selectivity) obtained varied between 73 and 99% but was usually above 80% under conditions of high conversion. However it could also be reduced forcibly to produce higher glycols as the major product, if desired.