cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Characterization of Drug Metabolism and the Influence of the Intestinal Microbiome: A Pharmacokinetic, Microbiome, and Untargeted Metabolomics Study

Determining factors that contribute to interindividual and intra-individual variability in pharmacokinetics (PKs) and drug metabolism is essential for the optimal use of drugs in humans. Intestinal microbes are important contributors to variability; however, such gut microbe-drug interactions and the clinical significance of these interactions are still being elucidated. Traditional PKs can be complemented by untargeted mass spectrometry coupled with molecular networking to study the intricacies of drug metabolism. To show the utility of molecular networking on metabolism we investigated the impact of a 7-day course of cefprozil on cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity using a modified Cooperstown cocktail and assessed plasma, urine, and fecal data by targeted and untargeted metabolomics and molecular networking in healthy volunteers. This prospective study revealed that cefprozil decreased the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C19, and CYP3A, decreased alpha diversity and increased interindividual microbiome variability. We further demonstrate a relationship between the loss of microbiome alpha diversity caused by cefprozil and increased drug and metabolite formation in fecal samples. Untargeted metabolomics/molecular networking revealed several omeprazole metabolites that we hypothesize may be metabolized by both CYP2C19 and bacteria from the gut microbiome. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that factors that perturb the gut microbiome, such as antibiotics, alter drug metabolism and ultimately drug efficacy and toxicity but that these effects are most strongly revealed on a per individual basis.
Myopic regression and recurrent Salzmann nodule degeneration after laser in situ keratomileusis in Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

Abstract Purpose We describe the first case of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) reported in the English language ophthalmic literature to have undergone Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery. Observations We review our patient's specific postoperative complications of myopic regression, Salzmann nodular degeneration, and dry eye syndrome, as well as the risks and consequences of performing LASIK on patients with this collagen disorder. Conclusions and importance Refractive errors may prompt EDS patients to seek laser vision correction, placing them at increased risk for complications such as myopic regression, keratectasia, and dry eye syndrome. Aberrant wound healing and collagen dysfunction may have influenced our patient's myopic regression and Salzmann nodule degeneration post-LASIK. Currently, EDS is considered a relative contraindication in LASIK due to a presumed higher risk of postoperative keratectasia; however, we believe it is possible that not all forms of EDS need to be an absolute contraindication to LASIK. More research is warranted to determine preoperative risk stratification for laser vision surgery in each subtype of EDS.
Conservation and Spatial Structure: Theoretical Approaches

One of the most important challenges facing ecologists over the next decades is to help with the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems. As has been recognized increasingly within ecology in general, and in conservation in particular, meeting these challenges will require including the role of spatial structure in the models that are used.
Association between race and maladaptive concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in American-style football athletes.

Objectives American-style football (ASF) athletes are at risk for the development of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (C-LVH), an established cardiovascular risk factor in the general population. We sought to address whether black race is associated with acquired C-LVH in collegiate ASF athletes. Methods Collegiate ASF athletes from two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division-I programmes were recruited as freshmen between 2014 and 2019 and analysed over 3 years. Demographics (neighbourhood family income) and repeated clinical characteristics and echocardiography were recorded longitudinally at multiple timepoints. A mixed-modelling approach was performed to evaluate acquired C-LVH in black versus white athletes controlling for playing position (linemen (LM) and non-linemen (NLM)), family income, body weight and blood pressure. Results At baseline, black athletes (N=124) were more often NLM (72% vs 54%, p=0.005) and had lower median neighbourhood family income ($54 119 vs $63 146, p=0.006) compared with white athletes (N=125). While both black and white LM demonstrated similar increases in C-LVH over time, among NLM acquired C-LVH was more common in black versus white athletes (postseason year-1: N=14/89 (16%) vs N=2/68 (3%); postseason year-2: N=9/50 (18%) vs N=2/32 (6%); postseason year-3: N=8/33 (24%) vs N=1/13 (8%), p=0.005 change over time). In stratified models, black race was associated with acquired C-LVH in NLM (OR: 3.70, 95% CI 1.12 to 12.21, p=0.03) and LM was associated with acquired C-LVH in white athletes (OR: 3.40, 95% CI 1.03 to 11.27, p=0.048). Conclusions Independent of family income and changes in weight and blood pressure, black race was associated with acquired C-LVH among collegiate ASF NLM and LM was associated with acquired C-LVH in white athletes.
Childhood ADHD Symptoms, Parent Emotion Socialization, and Adolescent Peer Problems: Indirect Effects Through Emotion Dysregulation.

Although parent reactions to children’s negative emotions are important to the development of adolescent social and emotional functioning, there is a lack of research examining this aspect of parenting in samples that include youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study addresses this gap in the research by examining the independent effects of childhood ADHD symptoms and parent reactions to negative emotions in the longitudinal prediction of adolescent emotion dysregulation and peer problems. A sample of 124 youth (52% female) with and without clinical elevations in ADHD symptoms were assessed in childhood (8–12 years; M = 10.50) and followed up 5–6 years later in adolescence (13–18 years; M = 16.15). Path models tested the direct effects of childhood ADHD symptoms, supportive parent reactions, and non-supportive parent reactions on adolescent peer problems (friendship quality, deviant peer affiliation, peer aggression) and the indirect effects via adolescent emotion dysregulation. Emotion dysregulation mediated the effects of greater ADHD symptoms and of less parent supportive reactions on adolescent peer problems; parent reactions also independently predicted specific adolescent peer problems. Even for youth with clinical elevations in ADHD symptoms, parent reactions to children’s negative emotions may be important in understanding adolescent emotion dysregulation and peer problems.
Policy Brief: Using Risk Securitization to Insure Against Pandemic-Related Risk

Although governments could protect against the economic devastation of future pandemics by requiring businesses to insure against pandemic-related risks, insurers do not currently offer that insurance. Even given sufficient actuarial data to set underwriting standards and rate tables, insurers are concerned that they lack sufficient capacity, as an industry, to cover pandemic-related risks, which are likely to occur worldwide and to be highly correlated. This Policy Brief examines how risk securitization could help insure those risks by utilizing the “deep pockets” of the global capital markets, which have a far greater risk-absorbing capacity than the global insurance markets.
Fenretinide inhibits vitamin A formation from β-carotene and regulates carotenoid levels in mice.

Abstract N-[4-hydroxyphenyl]retinamide, commonly known as fenretinide, a synthetic retinoid with pleiotropic benefits for human health, is currently utilized in clinical trials for cancer, cystic fibrosis, and COVID-19. However, fenretinide reduces plasma vitamin A levels by interacting with retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), which often results in reversible night blindness in patients. Cell culture and in vitro studies show that fenretinide binds and inhibits the activity of β-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1), the enzyme responsible for endogenous vitamin A formation. Whether fenretinide inhibits vitamin A synthesis in mammals, however, remains unknown. The goal of this study was to determine if the inhibition of BCO1 by fenretinide affects vitamin A formation in mice fed β-carotene. Our results show that wild-type mice treated with fenretinide for ten days had a reduction in tissue vitamin A stores accompanied by a two-fold increase in β-carotene in plasma (P
Complex Carbohydrates in Drug Development

Publisher Summary Recent advances in carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry afford the opportunity to develop bioactive complex carbohydrates, per se , as drugs or as lead compounds in drug development. Complex carbohydrates are unique among biopolymers in their inherent potential to generate diverse molecular structures. While proteins vary only in the linear sequence of their monomer constituents, individual monosaccharides can combine at any of several sites on each carbohydrate ring, in linear or branched arrays, and with varied stereochemistry at each linkage bond. This chapter addresses some salient features of mammalian glycoconjugate structure and biosynthesis, and presents examples of the biological activities of complex carbohydrates. The chapter presents selected examples that will provide an accurate introduction to their pharmacological potential. In addition to their independent functions, oligosaccharides can modify the activities of proteins to which they are covalently attached. Many glycoprotein enzymes and hormones require glycosylation for expression and function. The chapter discusses the ancillary role of carbohydrates that is of great importance to the use of engineered glycoproteins as pharmaceuticals.
Analysis of the effect of using non-composite multi-channel raw color images on face recognition accuracy with arbitrary large off-the-plane rotations

The need for a solution capable of identifying individuals from a distance, possibly wearing a disguise and in a crowded and busy environment is steadily increasing in many homeland security applications. The use of face recognition techniques has unique advantages when compared to other biometric methodologies - face images can be obtained from a distance and without the cooperation of the subject. A recent example demonstrating the growing need for such solution are the videos released by some terrorist organizations where the suspect's face is occluded with only the eyes being visible. Research has yielded several state-of-the-art algorithms but their accuracy is greatly lowered in the presence of various factors. Face recogition with arbitrary large face off-the-plane rotation remains one very challenging and open research problem. In order to build better face recognition algorithms, it is important to identify and analyze what and how factors affect the accuracy of said algorithms so these methods can be improved and made more robust. In our previous work we presented how factors such as image registration, number and type of training templates and the presence of varying amount of partial face information that can be used to improve the performance of three very popular widely used face recognition algorithms. In this paper, we examine how using multi-channel color images instead of their one-channel grayscale/color composite improves face recognition accuracy in the challenging case when face arbitrary large off-the-plane rotation is present. We demonstrate the improvement to face recognition accuracy through the very popular and widely used Eigenface-based, Fisherface-based and Direct Correlation-based algorithms. Our findings and experimental results with the data, show that when using frontal-facing images as external test images with frontal-facing images as training set images, the additional information contained in the multi-channel color images does not improve the composite gray-scale face recogntition accuracy. However, in the case where the algorithms are trained using only images with slight or considerable off-the-plane rotation, and externally tested either on frontal-facing images or images with arbitrary off-the-plane rotation, the information provided by the multi-channel color images boosts the face recognition accuracy for all three recognition algorithms.
Tooth whitening with hydrogen/carbamide peroxides in association with a CPP-ACP paste at different proportions.

Background: Different enhanced peroxide formulations have been developed to overcome mineral loss during tooth whitening. This study investigated the impact on tooth whitening from combining a CPP-ACP paste with home peroxide agents at several proportions. Methods: Ninety bovine incisors were randomly allocated into nine groups (n = 10) and exposed to 7.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP), 16% carbamide peroxide (CP), a CPP-ACP paste (Tooth Mousse/MI Paste, GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) and blends of HP/CP:MI at three proportions (1:1, 2:1 and 1:2). Tooth whitening was performed for 14 days and its effectiveness was measured by a spectrophotometer utilizing the CIE L*a*b* system (ΔE, ΔL*, Δa* and Δb*). Colour readings were measured at baseline (T0), 7 days of bleaching (T7), 14 days of bleaching (T14) and 7 days after the end of bleaching (T21). Data were analysed by two-way ANOVA for paired averages followed by the Tukey’s test and Pearson’s correlation at 5%. Results: Although CP produced the greatest colour change (ΔE), all whitening protocols were considered to be effective regardless of the CPP-ACP presence. In general, greater changes in ΔE, ΔL*, Δa* and Δb* were detected at T14, with T21 exhibiting similar results to those at T7. A greater number of strong correlations with ΔE values was found for a* (11/15). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, the results indicate that the CPP-ACP paste did not affect tooth whitening efficacy.
Storytelling, Language Shift, and Revitalization in a Transborder Community: “Tell It in Zapotec!”

In this article, I examine storytelling practices in a Zapotec transborder community formed by migration between Oaxaca, Mexico, and Los Angeles, California. Amid dual patterns of language shift away from Zapotec toward Spanish among community youth living on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border, there is a growing gap between storytelling ideologies that tightly link storytelling to Zapotec language use and the practices of storytellers, who increasingly use Spanish. As a discursive genre that is linked to processes of cultural reproduction, storytelling has particular significance for understanding language shift in this community. In this article, I demonstrate how speakers’ ideologies about how stories should be told are shaped by a widespread preoccupation with cultural continuity amid the transformations brought on by local migration practices. The varied responses to this transformation within the community, which range from acceptance to cultural revitalization activism, reflect distinct but overlapping ideologies of discursive authenticity as well as the role of traditional heritage language practices in contemporary social life.
An Evolutionary Perspective on Family Studies: Differential Susceptibility to Environmental Influences

An evolutionary perspective of human development provides the basis for the differential-susceptibility hypothesis which stipulates that individuals should differ in their susceptibility to environmental influences, with some being more affected than others by both positive and negative developmental experiences and environmental exposures. This paper reviews evidence consistent with this claim while revealing that temperamental and genetic characteristics play a role in distinguishing more and less susceptible individuals. The differential-susceptibility framework under consideration is contrasted to the traditional diathesis-stress view that "vulnerability" traits predispose some to being disproportionately affected by (only) adverse experiences. We raise several issues stimulated by the literature that need to be clarified in further research. Lastly, we suggest that therapy may differ in its effects depending on an individual's susceptibility.
A SCALING LAW FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF SHOT PEENING INDUCED SURFACE MATERIAL PROPERTY DEVIATIONS

Shot peening is frequently used to improve mechanical characteristics of metallic components’ surfaces. The physical properties of shot peened surfaces exhibit deviations from their bulk values. This paper shows that there exists a scaling law (universality) among seemingly unrelated material property deviations and among different peening conditions. We present examples and support for scaling behaviors based on experimental data on Almen strip deflection, cold work and residual stress profiles of a shot peened nickel‐base superalloy (Waspaloy), and swept frequency eddy current signals used for NDE studies of another shot peened nickel‐base superalloy (Inconel 718). In addition, a fast impedance calculation formula for a coil placed on a metal with small, continuous conductivity deviation is presented and used for analytical and numerical study of eddy current signals.
A protocol for topology-dependent transmission scheduling in wireless networks

A new channel access protocol for ad-hoc networks based on topology-dependent transmission scheduling, named collision-avoidance time allocation (CATA), is introduced. CATA allows nodes to contend for and reserve time slots by means of a distributed reservation and handshake mechanism. Contention is limited among nodes within two hops of one another, which provides a very efficient spatial reuse of the bandwidth available. CATA ensures that no collisions occur in successfully reserved time slots, even when hidden terminals exist. Reservations in CATA support unicasting, multicasting and broadcasting simultaneously, and adapt to dynamic service time. The throughput achieved by CATA is analyzed for the case of a fully-connected network topology. Numerical results show that CATA can achieve very high throughput.
Friend or foe: Conflicting demands and conditional risk taking by opportunistic scavengers

Abstract To optimize individual fitness, prey should balance predation threats with their own foraging demands. For prey that have additional competitive or positive interactions with their predators, however, little is known about the dynamics that regulate risk management behaviors. Our study focused on common marine gastropods (oyster drills) and one of their major predators: stone crabs. Notably, stone crabs not only prey on drills, but also serve as an ally by breeching the shells of eastern oysters. Subsequently, the foraging success of drills on oysters can be enhanced in the presence of crabs via scavenging on damaged oysters. We manipulated predator (crab) presence, resource (oyster) availability and prey (drill) hunger to explore how complex food-web interactions affect the risk management of predatory and scavenging gastropods. In mesocosm trials, we found that: (1) drills selected habitat closer to a central risk-reward patch as resource availability increased, although the presence of a stone crab generally stifled this movement toward the risk-reward patch; (2) in treatments without any live oysters provided as a foraging resource, drills were attracted by the presence of stone crabs despite the lack of an obvious incentive for this risk-enhancing behavior; (3) drills starved for 14 days prior to entering mesocosms selected habitat without regard to predation threat, while drills that were not starved responded strongly to predator presence; and (4) drills became more aggregated as resource availability decreased, predation threat increased, or starvation level decreased. These results indicate that in resource-poor environments, drills demonstrate riskier behaviors than predicted by simple predator–prey models due to additional, positive interactions with their crab predators.
Removal of electron-electron poles from many electron hamiltonians

Removal of electron-electron poles from many- electron hamiltonians to reduce difficulties in solution of schroedinger equation
A Novel Sorting Sequence in the β2-Adrenergic Receptor Switches Recycling from Default to the Hrs-dependent Mechanism

Plasma membrane recycling of G protein-coupled receptors can occur by at least two distinct mechanisms as follows: a "default" mechanism that occurs nonselectively, and a specifically sorted mechanism that requires the endosome-associated protein Hrs. In this study we have defined a sequence in the beta2-adrenergic receptor cytoplasmic tail that confers Hrs dependence on receptor recycling. This sequence resembles acidic dileucine class motifs found in other membrane proteins but is structurally and functionally distinct from previously identified sorting sequences. Mutation of the novel sorting sequence rendered plasma membrane recycling independent of Hrs and independent of a distal PDZ ligand required for Hrs-dependent recycling. We propose that the novel sorting sequence functions to "switch" endocytic trafficking between mechanistically distinct recycling modes, thereby explaining failure of the wild type beta2-adrenergic receptor to recycle efficiently by default.
Fiber-coupled high resolution infrared array spectrometer for the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

A novel cryogenic grating spectrometer (FCAS) is being designed for observations of volatiles in cometary and planetary atmospheres, and in newly forming planetary systems. The instrument features two-dimensional detector arrays coupled to a high-dispersion echelle by infrared fibers, and will achieve a spectral resolving power of about 40,000. The primary observational platform for this instrument will be the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, but it will also be configured for use at ground-based observatories. Initially, the spectrometer will use a 58 x 62, 1- to 5-micron InSb array. Larger-format IR arrays and arrays of different composition, will later be incorporated as they become available. The instrument will be used in two modes. The first uses a large format IR array in the spectral image plane for the customary one-dimensional spectral-one-dimensional spatial coverage. In the second mode, a massive, coherent bundle of infrared transmitting ZrF4 fibers will be installed after the dispersive element, to reformat the two-dimensional array into an elongated one-dimensional array for wide spectral coverage, allowing multiple lines to be measured in a single integration with high sensitivity. The overall instrument design is discussed, and the system sensitivity is estimated.
Sub-half-micrometer width 2-D MESFET

Two-dimensional (2-D) MESFET's having sub-half-micron channel widths have been fabricated on double-/spl delta/-doped Al/sub 0.24/Ga/sub 0.76/As/In/sub 0.18/Ga/sub 0.82/As/GaAs heterostructures. The 2-D MESFET operates like a normal transistor at room temperature but uses very few electrons in the channel (about 500 at peak current and 5 at threshold). Also, the Narrow Channel Effect (NCE) and Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) (two effects which limit the minimum power operation in conventional devices) have been practically eliminated. The 0.4 micron wide device had an ON/OFF current ratio of 10/sup 5/, a peak transconductance of 100 mS/mm, a threshold voltage of 0.3 V, a saturation voltage of 0.2 V, and a subthreshold ideality factor of 1.1. The 2-D MESFET DCFL inverter had a switching voltage and noise margin of 0.35 V and 0.26 V, respectively, at 0.8 V supply. These room temperature results suggest that the 2-D MESFET is an excellent candidate for future low power digital electronics applications.
Chapter 4:algebraic sets, polynomials, and other functions

Let T be a linear operator on the vector space V ofn×n matrices over a field F. We discuss two types of problems in this chapter. First, what can we say about T if we assume that T maps a given algebraic set such as the special linear group into itself? Second, let p(x) be a polynomial function (such as det) on V into F. What can we say about T if Tpreserves p(x), i.e. p(T(X)) = p(X) for all X in V?
Synthesis and Characterization of Stimuli-Responsive Semifluorinated Polymer Brushes Prepared by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

“Grafting from” surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques were used to synthesize semifluorinated diblock copolymer brushes from silica substrates. Synthesis of either a polystyrene or poly(methyl acrylate) homopolymer brush was performed first (inner block) followed by polymerization of a semifluorinated monomer (outer block). The semifluorinated outer block consisted either of poly(pentafluorostyrene), poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate), poly(pentafluoropropyl acrylate), or poly(trifluoroethyl acrylate). Analysis of the homopolymer and diblock copolymer brush layers was conducted using ellipsometry, ATR−FTIR, tensiometry, XPS, and AFM. Solvent-induced diblock rearrangement experiments were performed using a selective solvent for the hydrocarbon polymer block to generate a fluorine-deficient surface. With the exception of the systems containing PHFA, all the diblock systems were shown to exhibit water contact angles typical for the hydrocarbon polymer block after solvent t...
Inferring regional brain activity from evoked potential fields on the scalp

A new method is described to calculate epicortical potential fields from scalp fields based on linear algebra. It requires detailed anatomical information, for each subject, obtained from MR images. The calculation is validated in a physical model of the human head and applied to human subjects. The results suggest that the method yields reliable epicortical fields that help to localize evoked cortical activity in humans.
A Model for the DeltaE Effect in Magnetostrictive Transducers

ABSTRACT Changes in elastic moduli of between 0.4-18% are common in ferromagnetic materials such as nickel and iron when their magnetization is changed. However, extremely large moduli changes of up to 160% are observed in the rare earth-iron compounds R-Fe2, which can be advantageously utilized in design ofsmart structure systems. A nonlinear,hysteretic and magnetoelastically coupled model is presented and used to quantify the changes in resonance frequency exhibited by a loaded magnetostrictive transducer under varied bias magnetizations. The model is constructed inthree steps. In the first, the magnetization of the magnetostrictive material is quantified by considering the energylost to hysteresis as the magnetic field and operating stresses vary. In the second step, a quartic law is used toquantify the magnetostriction arising from domain rotations in the material. The material response, of the typefound in linearly elastic solids, is considered in the final step by means of force balancing in the magnetostrictivematerial. This yields a PDE system with magnetostrictive inputs and boundary conditions given by the transducer-load characteristics. The solution to the PDE system provides displacements and accelerations in the material. FastFourier Transform (FFT) analysis is then used to quantify the frequency-domain acceleration response from whichthe transducer's resonance frequency is calculated. Model results are compared with published experimental data.Keywords: AE effect, magnetostriction, transducers, Terfenol-D
Low protein fouling synthetic membranes by UV-assisted surface grafting modification: varying monomer type

Abstract The sensitivity of photo-induced grafting and polymerization and the filtration performance of six different grafted monomers [2 neutral (N-2-vinyl pyrolidinone (NVP), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)), 2 weak (carboxylic) acids (acrylic acid (AA), 2-acrylamidoglycolic acid (AAG)), and 2 strong (sulfonic) acids (3-sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPMA), 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS))] on poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes were measured. The approach was to (i) follow the degree of grafting on commercial PES ultrafiltration membranes with varying pore size (10–300 kDa) as a function of monomer concentration multiplied by irradiation time (the initial linear slopes are termed “sensitivity”), (ii) compare the wettabilities of various grafted membranes (PES-gr-monomer) as a measure of the hydrophilicity of the grafted surfaces, and (iii) contrast their the filtration performances (protein retention, hydrodynamic resistance, and cleanability) with 1 g/l protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Although all the grafted and polymerized monomers increased the surface wettability of the PES-grafted membranes over that for the unmodified PES membranes, their effect on filtration performance was different. Using the 50 kDa PES membranes for grafting, membranes with superior performance (high protein retention, high protein solution flux, and low irreversible fouling) were obtained with the NVP, AMPS and AA monomers. Neither commercial regenerated cellulose or PES membranes were as competitive. For larger pore-size membranes (70 and 100 kDa), however, PES-gr-AMPS and PES-gr-AA membranes exhibited reasonably high BSA rejection and protein solution fluxes with excellent cleaning capability (with projected high long-term performance) as compared with the control membranes. Grafting of NVP and HEMA resulted in an initial substantial decrease in BSA rejection due to their tendency to dissolve PES, but with further grafting rejection was recovered. These two monomers also exhibited reduced grafting sensitivity and reduced total hydraulic resistance with increases in wettability (or degree of grafting, DG) as compared with the as-received commercial PES membrane. Grafting sensitivity was inversely proportional to monomer size [(molar volume)1/3] for the charged monomers. Also, universal plots of DG versus a composite parameter of monomer concentration multiplied by time of irradiation were obtained and can be used for prediction. We also provide a detailed experimental protocol of how to choose vinyl monomers for preparing high performance ultrafiltration membranes using graft-assisted photo-polymerization and a new figure-of-merit to help compare modifications.
Anxiety, imagery, and sensory interference

Recently it has been suggested that high-anxious subjects do not process words as extensively as low-anxious subjects. Within the levels-of-processing models of memory, this suggests that high-anxious subjects focus on the sensory aspects of verbal material (graphic and phonetic), while low-anxious subjects organize their learning around semantic features. High and low trait anxious subjects were given a paired-associate task involving words that were high or low in sensory similarity, and they were given either an effective learning strategy, interaction imagery, or a poor one, repetition. State anxiety measures also were obtained. The results suggest that: (1) The differences in performance between high and low trait anxious subjects are nearly eliminated by an effective strategy such as interaction imagery; (2) high state anxious subjects are more impaired by high similarity than are low state anxious subjects.
Constructing second‐order structural models with specified mass submatrix condition numbers

This paper presents a simple new algorithm for constructing second-order models for any given flexible structure, with these models satisfying the constraint that each leading principal submatrix of the mass matrix must have a specified condition number. Now, the effects of rounding errors in practical computation generally increase with increasing condition number, i.e. as the matrix considered approaches singularity. Thus, the new models should prove useful for the systematic testing of the numerical properties of many algorithms in the dynamics and control of flexible structures.
Workshop summary discussions WORDS 99

This note describes the summary of discussions that took place at the end of the workshop during WORDS 99. The focus was on two aspects: the focus of WORDS and the topics of interest to the group. We elaborate on these two aspects here as well as discuss some conclusions.
Outlier Detections in Autoregressive Models

This article proposes a new technique for detecting outliers in autoregressive models and identifying the type as either innovation or additive. This technique can be used without knowledge of the true model order, outlier location, or outlier type. Specifically, we perturb an observation to obtain the perturbation size that minimizes the resulting residual sum of squares (SSE). The reduction in the SSE yields outlier detection and identification measures. In addition, the perturbation size can be used to gauge the magnitude of the outlier. Monte Carlo studies and empirical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed method as well as the impact of outliers on model selection and parameter estimation. We also obtain robust estimators and model selection criteria, which are shown in simulation studies to perform well when large outliers occur.
The Effect of Cardiopulmonary Bypass on Intestinal and Pulmonary Endothelial Permeability

Study objective To quantify simultaneously the pulmonary and gastrointestinal (GI) damage that occurs during uncomplicated surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and to examine the relationships between markers of such damage. Design Prospective, open. Setting Adult ICU of a national referral hospital. Patients Twenty patients undergoing elective CPB surgery. Measurements and results Pulmonary vascular injury was assessed using the protein accumulation index (PAI), a double isotope technique specific for high permeability pulmonary edema. The relationships of the PAI with percent neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), serum, and BAL myeloperoxidase (MPO), and bypass time were examined. Splanchnic vascular injury was assessed using tonometry to measure intramucosal pH (pHi) and the ratio of absorbed lactulose to L-rhamnose (L/R ratio) to determine gut mucosal permeability. Positive correlations were observed between bypass time and PAI (r=0.64, p Conclusions Pulmonary and GI injury are detectable following uncomplicated CPB. The absence of any relationship between the respective markers of dysfunction suggests that differing pathologic processes are responsible.
Densest binary sphere packings

The densest binary sphere packings in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-$x$ plane of small to large sphere radius ratio $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and small sphere relative concentration $x$ have historically been very difficult to determine. Previous research had led to the prediction that these packings were composed of a few known ``alloy'' phases including, for example, the AlB${}_{2}$ (hexagonal $\ensuremath{\omega}$), HgBr${}_{2}$, and AuTe${}_{2}$ structures, and to ${\mathit{XY}}_{n}$ structures composed of close-packed large spheres with small spheres (in a number ratio of $n$ to 1) in the interstices, e.g., the NaCl packing for $n=1$. However, utilizing an implementation of the Torquato-Jiao sphere-packing algorithm [Torquato and Jiao, Phys. Rev. E 82, 061302 (2010)], we have discovered that many more structures appear in the densest packings. For example, while all previously known densest structures were composed of spheres in small to large number ratios of one to one, two to one, and very recently three to one, we have identified densest structures with number ratios of seven to three and five to two. In a recent work [Hopkins et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 125501 (2011)], we summarized these findings. In this work, we present the structures of the densest-known packings and provide details about their characteristics. Our findings demonstrate that a broad array of different densest mechanically stable structures consisting of only two types of components can form without any consideration of attractive or anisotropic interactions. In addition, the structures that we have identified may correspond to currently unidentified stable phases of certain binary atomic and molecular systems, particularly at high temperatures and pressures.
Scalable event routing in hierarchical neural array architecture with global synaptic connectivity

An asynchronous communication scheme for scalable routing of spike events in large-scale neuromorphic hardware is presented. The routing scheme extends the Address-Event Representation (AER) protocol for spike event communication to a modular, hierarchical architecture supporting efficient implementation of global synaptic inter-connectivity across a cellular matrix of message parsing axonal relay nodes at varying spatial scales. This paper presents a probabilistic framework for analyzing trade-offs in throughput and latency of synaptic communication as a function of load and geometry, and simulation results verifying the statistics of traffic flow across the architecture.
Capacity planning through queueing analysis and simulation-based statistical methods: a case study for semiconductor wafer fabs

This paper presents a comprehensive framework for the strategic capacity expansion of production equipment in semiconductor manufacturing, and the proposed approach is applied to a model of an actual wafer fabrication facility. It is the intention of this work to show that, once intelligently integrated, an analytical queueing model and a numeric computer simulation model can be used synergistically and can lead to a better alternative method than methods restricted to only one of them. The outcome of our methods is a number of good system configurations, each of which is characterised by its cycle time (CT)–throughput (TH) profile. Such profiles fully describe the system's comprehensive performance over a wide range of demand scenarios (involving varying product mix), and hence can be used to thoroughly evaluate alternative configurations in capacity expansion decisions.
Computerized method to determine crystal orientations from Kikuchi patterns

Abstract A computerized method for determining crystal orientations from Kikuchi line patterns is described. The method is rapid and easy to use. When the Bravais lattice is known, the user need only specify a reference direction and the coordinates of the origin and of two points on each of six Kikuchi lines (three pairs). The programs yield the hkl indices of the Kikuchi lines, the beam direction, and the rotation matrix relating the crystal to a chosen reference frame. This rotation matrix can be used for various purposes, e.g., to specify an angle of rotation around a chosen axis or to calculate the misorientation between any two crystals.
Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide catalyzed by ruthenium trimethylphosphine complexes: the accelerating effect of certain alcohols and amines.

A trace amount of alcohol cocatalyst and a stoichiometric amount of base are required during the hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid catalyzed by ruthenium trimethylphosphine complexes. Variation of the choice of alcohol and base causes wide variation in the rate of reaction. Acidic, nonbulky alcohols and triflic acid increase the rate of hydrogenation an order of magnitude above that which can be obtained with traditionally used methanol or water. Similarly, use of DBU rather than NEt3 increases the rate of reaction by an order of magnitude. Turnover frequencies up to 95 000 h-1 have now been obtained, and even higher rates should be possible using the cocatalyst and amine combinations identified herein. Preliminary in situ NMR spectroscopic observations are described, and the possible roles of the alcohol and base are discussed.
Official interventions and the forward premium anomaly

Abstract This paper presents evidence that the forward premium anomaly intensifies during those times when a central bank intervenes. A model of exchange rate determination is presented to explain this and other features of the dollar–deutschemark and dollar–yen markets. In the model, the forward premium anomaly is caused by surprise central bank interventions in the foreign exchange market. Because interventions are pure surprises, the violations of uncovered interest parity that they create do not represent ex ante profit opportunities. Simulations of the model are found to match the forward premium anomaly and several other notable features of the data. The model also provides a theoretical basis for ARCH effects in exchange-rate returns.
Electrophoretic deposition of organically modified gibbsite nanocomposites with liquid crystalline character

A scalable synthetic approach was developed for the purpose of producing nanoplatelet composites with nacre-like structural organization. Gibbsite nanoplatelets were first synthesized and then organically modified to provide stable suspensions in organic solvents. The nanoplatelets were subsequently deposited from select organic phases using nonaqueous electrophoretic methods. The electrophoresis was carried out in the presence of organic diacrylate monomer resins that were ultimately retained to form thick (ca. 10–1,000 μm) nanocomposite films. The resulting optically transparent films exhibited a high solids loading (>40 % by volume) and a layered morphology consistent with colloidal liquid crystal systems. Following release from the conductive substrate, the deposited films were rolled, pressed, and polymerized to form bulk nanocomposites with improved strength and elastic modulus. The stratified organization of the nanoplatelets was successfully preserved throughout the processing steps. The deposition method is useful for the continuous production of bulk nanocomposites, and the resulting materials serve as a platform for further developments with alternative nanoplatelets possessing improved mechanical properties and optical transparency.
Relationships Between Food Preferences and Food Acceptance Ratings

A study was conducted to assess relationships between food preference ratings and food acceptability ratings. Acceptability ratings for each of two discriminably different samples of nine food items were obtained using the 9-point hedonic scale. Regression analysis indicated that no linear relationship existed between these ratings and either hedonic or frequency preference ratings of the foods. In addition, the range of acceptability ratings was smaller than the range of corresponding’preference ratings. Panelists’expressed preferences had no effect on their assignment of differential acceptance ratings to different samples of the items. Correlations between preference ratings of laboratory panelists and military field panelists were good, in spite of higher absolute preference ratings assigned by the laboratory panel.
Interactive refractions with total internal reflection

A requirement for rendering realistic images interactively is efficiently simulating material properties. Recent techniques have improved the quality for interactively rendering dielectric materials, but have mostly neglected a phenomenon associated with refraction, namely, total internal reflection. We present an algorithm to approximate total internal reflection on commodity graphics hardware using a ray-depth map intersection technique that is interactive and requires no precomputation. Our results compare favorably with ray traced images and improve upon approaches that avoid total internal reflection.
Histochemical evidence for pathways insulin cells use to oxidize glycolysis-derived NADH.

Abstract The activity of lactate dehydrogenase is known to be low in the pancreatic [beta ] cell, and the activity of the mitochondrial glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPD), the key enzyme of the glycerol phosphate shuttle, is known to be high in this cell. Lactate dehydrogenase was demonstrated histochemically in insulin positive cells of the rat pancreas, and its activity was semiquantified densitometrically; activity in these cells was estimated to be about 8% of that in the surrounding acinar tissue. mGPD histochemical activity was extremely high in cells exhibiting insulin immunofluoresence, while activity in surrounding pancreas tissue was negligible. When the activity was measured in situ at a physiologic concentration of substrate, this enzyme was inactive in the absence of free calcium. These results are consistent with the idea that glucose, the most potent physiologic insulin secretagogue, stimulates insulin secretion via aerobic glycolysis. If glycolysis-derived NADH, instead of being reoxidized in a mitochondrial hydrogen shuttle, is reoxidized to NAD by pyruvate via the reaction catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase with the resulting formation of lactate, there would be little or no pyruvate available for mitochondrial metabolism. Consequently adenosine triphosphate formation would be about 5% to 7% of that formed by the complete combustion of glucose to carbon dioxide via mitochondrial metabolism. The low lactate dehydrogenase and high mGPD emphasize the importance of mitochondrial hydrogen shuttles for reoxidation of glycolysis-derived NADH in insulin secretion.
The immunopharmacology of immunotoxicology, and immunorestoration.

The first part of this paper focuses on the secondary immunodeficiencies caused by immunosuppressive drugs and environmental chemicals. The mechanism of action and the therapeutic effects of azathioprine, glucocorticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporin A, and anticancer drugs will be discussed. The immunotoxic actions of benzene, polychlorinated and polybrominated biphenyls, tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, various insecticides, metals and abused drugs or drugs with side effects are also described. Immunorestorative approaches are discussed in the second part, based on our current knowledge of the immune system and the lymphokines and hormones involved in its function. The usefulness of thymic hormones, interleukin 2, macrophage growth factor/colony stimulating factor, and interferons as immunotherapeutic agents is considered. In addition, we address chemically defined drugs, such as levamisole, diethyldithiocarbamate, isoprinosine, muramyl dipeptides, azimexon, ciamex...
The Impact of Business School Students’ Psychological Capital on Academic Performance

Psychological capital (PsyCap) consisting of the psychological resources of hope, efficacy, resiliency, and optimism has been empirically demonstrated in the published literature to be related to manager and employee positive organizational outcomes and to be open to development. However, to date, little attention has been devoted to the impact of this positive core construct on important student-related outcomes. This study tests the relationship between business students’ PsyCap and their academic performance (grade point average [GPA]). The results indicate not only the predictive relationship between PsyCap and GPA, but also have important implications for training of PsyCap for business student development, retention, and success.
Chronic constipation in infants and children.

Around 1 per cent of infants and children suffer from chronic constipation, and is usually accompanied by soiling of the underpants. In most, the cause is unknown, however, some recent studies show evidence for disturbed motility in the anorectal region. Thus, this entity appears to have a functional basis and may be properly labelled as chronic “functional” constipation. The diagnosis of chronic “functional” constipation in infants and children is made by excluding all other causes of chronic constipation. Important among these are hypothyroidism, Hirschsprung’s disease especially that with involvement of a short segment of the distal rectum, congenital, and other anomalies of the gastro-intestinal tract. Anorectal manometry is a useful test to rule out Hirschsprung’s disease. The treatment involves disimpaction of the rectum and colon from feces and maintaining flow of colonic contents. This is achieved by using enemas and by using fecal softeners. The fecal softeners are used for prolonged periods and then gradually weaned. Recovery rate is about 50 per cent during the first year. Some may need fecal softeners for many years.