cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tailored recovery of carbons from waste tires for enhanced performance as anodes in lithium-ion batteries

Morphologically tailored pyrolysis-recovered carbon black is utilized in lithium-ion battery anodes with improved capacity as a potential solution for adding value to waste tire-rubber-derived materials. Micronized tire rubber was digested in a hot oleum bath to yield a sulfonated rubber slurry that was then filtered, washed, and compressed into a solid cake. Carbon was recovered from the modified rubber cake by pyrolysis in a nitrogen atmosphere. The chemical pretreatment of rubber produced a carbon monolith with higher yield than that from the control (a fluffy tire-rubber-derived carbon black). The carbon monolith showed a very small volume fraction of pores of widths 3–5 nm, prominent nanoporosity (pore width < 2 nm), reduced specific surface area, and an ordered assembly of graphitic domains. Electrochemical studies revealed that the recovered-carbon-based anode had a higher reversible capacity than that of graphite. Anodes made with a sulfonated tire-rubber-derived carbon and a control tire-rubber-derived carbon exhibited an initial coulombic efficiency of 71% and 45%, respectively. The reversible capacity of the cell with the sulfonated tire rubber-derived carbon as the anode was 390 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles, with nearly 100% coulombic efficiency. Our success in producing a higher performance carbon material from waste tire rubber for potential use in energy storage applications adds a new avenue to tire rubber recycling.
Calmodulin Mediates Calcium-dependent Activation of the Intermediate Conductance KCa Channel,IKCa1 *

Small and intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels play a crucial role in hyperpolarizing the membrane potential of excitable and nonexcitable cells. These channels are exquisitely sensitive to cytoplasmic Ca2+, yet their protein-coding regions do not contain consensus Ca2+-binding motifs. We investigated the involvement of an accessory protein in the Ca2+-dependent gating of hIKCa1, a human intermediate conductance channel expressed in peripheral tissues. Cal- modulin was found to interact strongly with the cytoplasmic carboxyl (C)-tail of hIKCa1 in a yeast two-hybrid system. Deletion analyses defined a requirement for the first 62 amino acids of the C-tail, and the binding of calmodulin to this region did not require Ca2+. The C-tail ofhSKCa3, a human neuronal small conductance channel, also bound calmodulin, whereas that of a voltage-gated K+channel, mKv1.3, did not. Calmodulin co-precipitated with the channel in cell lines transfected with hIKCa1, but not with mKv1.3-transfected lines. A mutant calmodulin, defective in Ca2+ sensing but retaining binding to the channel, dramatically reduced current amplitudes when co-expressed withhIKCa1 in mammalian cells. Co-expression with varying amounts of wild-type and mutant calmodulin resulted in a dominant-negative suppression of current, consistent with four calmodulin molecules being associated with the channel. Taken together, our results suggest that Ca2+-calmodulin-induced conformational changes in all four subunits are necessary for the channel to open.
On the Strictly-Positive-Realness of Schur Interval Functions

Necessary and sufficient conditions for strictly positive realness of discrete-time interval functions, which may be associated in parameter space by a multidimensional boxed domain, are provided. Positive realness of interval functions are studied, and both necessary and sufficient conditions are provided for such functions to be strictly positive real (SPR) in the presence of interval variations of the function's parameters corresponding to a Kharitonov-type box domain. The number of checking functions that have to be tested for SPR property in order to establish the interval SPR property grows with the order of the interval function. These tests give both necessary and sufficient conditions for SPR. The approach presented for interval functions does not require the checking of all the vertices for unit circle positive realness. >
Group and Interaction Effects with "No Child Left Behind": Gender and Reading in a Poor, Appalachian District

Critics of “No Child Left Behind” judge that it oversimplifies the influence of social context and the place of socially ascribed traits, such as social class, race, and gender, in determining achievement. We hold that this is especially likely to be true with regard to gender-related group effects and gender-implicated interaction effects. We make our concerns concrete in a multilevel, repeated measures analysis of reading achievement in a poor, rural school district located in the southern coalfields of Appalachian West Virginia. Our results suggest that as the percentage of students who are male increases, school mean scores in reading achievement decline for three reasons: individual males do less well than females; the greater the percentage of males, the lower the scores for all students; added to that, the greater the percentage of males, the lower the scores for males specifically. Given the accountability measures and sanctions proposed by “No Child Left Behind,” having a large percentage of males in a school could be disastrous. We conclude that gender effects in reading achievement are complex, easily overlooked, and have no obvious remedy. As such, they lend credence to the view that “No Child Left Behind” oversimplifies the social context of schooling and underestimates the importance of social ascription.
A comparative genomics approach to identifying the plasticity transcriptome

Background Neuronal activity regulates gene expression to control learning and memory, homeostasis of neuronal function, and pathological disease states such as epilepsy. A great deal of experimental evidence supports the involvement of two particular transcription factors in shaping the genomic response to neuronal activity and mediating plasticity: CREB and zif268 (egr-1, krox24, NGFI-A). The gene targets of these two transcription factors are of considerable interest, since they may help develop hypotheses about how neural activity is coupled to changes in neural function.
Combinatorial diffusion assay used to identify topically active melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor antagonists.

Abstract alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is implicated in pigmentation, central nervous system and immune system functions, growth, mitogenesis, and melanoma. Evaluation of these roles has been hindered by the lack of alpha-MSH antagonists. A combinatorial chemistry-based diffusion assay is used to find random tripeptides that antagonize normal frog and human melanoma MSH receptors and to identify pharmacological groups responsible for receptor interaction. The alpha-MSH antagonist D-Trp-Arg-Leu-NH2 is used to demonstrate directly the contribution of MSH to normal skin tone in frogs following injection or topical application.
Computational Thermochemistry: Scale Factor Databases and Scale Factors for Vibrational Frequencies Obtained from Electronic Model Chemistries

Optimized scale factors for calculating vibrational harmonic and fundamental frequencies and zero-point energies have been determined for 145 electronic model chemistries, including 119 based on approximate functionals depending on occupied orbitals, 19 based on single-level wave function theory, three based on the neglect-of-diatomic-differential-overlap, two based on doubly hybrid density functional theory, and two based on multicoefficient correlation methods. Forty of the scale factors are obtained from large databases, which are also used to derive two universal scale factor ratios that can be used to interconvert between scale factors optimized for various properties, enabling the derivation of three key scale factors at the effort of optimizing only one of them. A reduced scale factor optimization model is formulated in order to further reduce the cost of optimizing scale factors, and the reduced model is illustrated by using it to obtain 105 additional scale factors. Using root-mean-square errors from the values in the large databases, we find that scaling reduces errors in zero-point energies by a factor of 2.3 and errors in fundamental vibrational frequencies by a factor of 3.0, but it reduces errors in harmonic vibrational frequencies by only a factor of 1.3. It is shown that, upon scaling, the balanced multicoefficient correlation method based on coupled cluster theory with single and double excitations (BMC-CCSD) can lead to very accurate predictions of vibrational frequencies. With a polarized, minimally augmented basis set, the density functionals with zero-point energy scale factors closest to unity are MPWLYP1M (1.009), τHCTHhyb (0.989), BB95 (1.012), BLYP (1.013), BP86 (1.014), B3LYP (0.986), MPW3LYP (0.986), and VSXC (0.986).
The effect of acute fluid consumption on measures of impedance and percent body fat using leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis

To examine the effect of acute fluid consumption on measures of impedance and percent body fat (%BF) using a common leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analyzer system. Cross-sectional design with treatment order determined using a counterbalanced assignment. University laboratory. In total, 21 recreationally active men (mean age 19.7±1.0 years; body mass index 24.2±2.3 kg/m2) volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects had their body composition assessed on three separate occasions. After an initial baseline body composition measurement, subjects consumed 591 ml of water (H2O), a carbohydrate/electrolyte drink (CHOE), or received nothing, used as the control (CON). Subjects were reassessed 20, 40, and 60 min after baseline (POST). Urine specific gravity (USG) was recorded at baseline and 60 min POST to assess hydration state. There were no significant changes in impedance or total body water (TBW) for any of the measurement time periods after drinking H2O or a CHOE beverage. Body weight (BW) (P<0.0001) and %BF (P<0.02) increased significantly 20 min POST and remained elevated at the 40 and 60 min POST time periods. After drinking, USG significantly decreased (P<0.0001) 60 min POST from baseline. For the CON trial, there were no significant changes in BW, %BF, TBW, or USG over time. Fluid consumption had no effect on lower-body impedance despite causing significant changes in hydration state. A slight overestimation in %BF (∼0.5%) was observed due to increased BW in the H2O and CHOE trials. This finding may have little practical significance when assessing body composition by LBIA.
Normative Embourgeoisement among Manual Workers: a Reexamination Using Longitudinal Data*

This research examines the validity of the normative embourgeoisement perspective—the familiar notion that manual workers are becoming middle class in their cognitive orientations. Data are used from ten national surveys between 1956 and 1976 to examine changes in middle class identification among manual and nonmanual workers. Contrary to some earlier research which examined only two time periods, the results indicate that middle class identification among manual workers has increased over time at a faster rate than among nonmanual workers. Thus, there is greater similarity between manuals and nonmanuals in their middle class identification. Contrary to the arguments of normative embourgeoisement, however, the socioeconomic status (i.e., education, income, and occupational prestige) gains of manuals relative to nonmanuals do not account for this increased similarity. The research shows the need to apply longitudinal tests to dynamic theoretical perspectives, and the potential problems involved in such tests when only two periods are examined.
Business-Driven SOA Solution Development

Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a promising architectural style for creating enterprise information systems where multiple actors collaborate to define and develop business solutions that are composed of business services. The SOA approach enables both robust component development and asset creation for the enterprises. However, the real challenge faced by business lies in the area of SOA governance where the development of business and technical services are guided in a systematic and rational fashion. This paper presents a business-driven analysis method for business service development in the context of SOA. Business services have to be analyzed to guarantee their behaviors before they can be ready for implementation. We are using the System Dynamics method to model services and simulate their behaviors. Models and simulation results for business services via system dynamics are also presented in this paper.
DIVERGENT FORAGING STRATEGIES OF TWO NEOTROPICAL MIGRANT WARBLERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR WINTER HABITAT USE

Abstract To address whether foraging strategies affect habitat-use patterns of nonbreeding warblers, I quantified foraging behavior, bill dimensions, and diet (based on regurgitation samples) of Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) and Swainson's Warblers (Limnothlypis swainsonii) wintering in three habitats in Jamaica. Ovenbirds primarily gleaned prey from the surface of the leaf litter (95% of foraging maneuvers), resulting in a diet comprised predominantly of ants (62% of all prey items), seeds (18%), and beetles (9%). Swainson's Warblers foraged by lifting leaves (80% of foraging maneuvers), resulting in a significantly different diet dominated by beetles (39%), spiders (22%), and ants (19%). More than 60% of the regurgitation samples from Swainson's Warblers contained orthopterans and/or gecko (Sphaerodactylus goniorhynchus) bones. Averaged across all habitat types, Ovenbirds consumed ants in direct proportion to their abundance based on visual counts of arthropods. Swainson's Warblers consumed beetles m...
Direct Observation of Resident-Patient Encounters in Continuity Clinic: A Controlled Study of Parent Satisfaction and Resident Perceptions

Context: Direct observation (DO) by teaching physicians of medical care provided by resident physicians offers a method to evaluate clinical skills beyond traditional measures that focus solely on medical knowledge assessment. Objectives: We sought to determine if the presence of the teaching physician observer affects parental satisfaction with care and to assess resident perceptions of DO in a general pediatrics residency clinic. Methods: A cross-sectional parent survey compared visit satisfaction of parents who experienced a DO with controls in a traditional clinic visit. Additionally, a pre-post survey measured resident perceptions of direct observation before and after implementation of DO in the clinic. Findings: Parents frequently described their overall satisfaction with care as excellent after DO and traditional visits (DO 70%, 95% CI, 50-86% and control 80%, CI 66-89%). However, parents in DO visits were less likely to rate their satisfaction with the amount of time spent in the room as excellent (DO 78%, CI 58-91%; Control 95%, CI 85-99%). Most resident physicians were in favor of the DO process (63%) and agreed that DO provides feedback about history-taking (94%), physical examination (94%) and interpersonal skills (91%). Conclusions: Direct observation by attending physicians does not decrease overall parental satisfaction during clinical encounters. Additionally, residents have a generally favorable opinion of direct observation and believe that it can provide useful feedback.
Optical response of a cyclometalated iridium(III) hydrazino complex to carbon dioxide: generation of a strongly luminescent iridium(III) carbazate.

A system pairing the luminescent core of [Ir(ppy)2L2]+ (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine) with simple hydrazino ancillary ligands (L = N2H4) has been prepared for the direct optical detection of carbon dioxide (CO2). Silver-assisted and silver-free techniques were used for the successful introduction of N2H4 into the [Ir(ppy)2Cl]2 coordination sphere at room temperature to give the corresponding biscyclometalated iridium(III) hydrazino species as either a CF3SO3– (OTf–, 2a) or Cl– (2b) salt. The silver-free route was accomplished by the direct replacement of the ligated Cl– using a slight excess of hydrazine. The luminescence profile of the cationic iridium(III) hydrazino complex 2a (λmax = 501 nm) undergoes a red shift (λmax = 524 nm), accompanied by a change in the peak shape during exposure to CO2 in solution. The spectral changes observed are attributed to the formation of the corresponding neutral carbazate species Ir(ppy)2(H2NNHCOO) (3) and are not consistent with protonation of the ligated hydrazine. Convers...
Southern Chinch Bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) Overcomes Resistance in St. Augustinegrass

A population of the southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber, extensively damaged turf plantings of ‘Floratam’, a polyploid St. Augustinegrass, Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze, recognized for its resistance to this pest. We compared nymphal development, adult longevity, and egg production of this southern chinch bug population (polyploid-damaging population [PDP] with a standard population (STD), when both were provided St. Augustinegrass cultivars resistant and non-resistant to southern chinch bugs, STD bugs confined on resistant cultivars ‘Floratam’ and ‘Floralawn’ survived only 12 and 22 d, respectively, but survived 77 d on a susceptible cultivar (‘Florida Common’). In contrast, PDP bugs survived an average of 62 d on ‘Floratam’ and 80 d on ‘Floralawn’, STD females laid two eggs per female on resistant cultivars, but PDP females laid an average of 30 eggs on ‘Floratam’ and 85 eggs on ‘Floralawn’, Both PDP and STD bugs developed to adulthood on ‘Florida Common’, whereas only PDP bugs developed on ‘Floratam’.
Managing Functional Coupling Sequences to Reduce Design Complexity During Concept Improvements

A large part of design complexity is originated during the concept generation phase when coupling relationships are established between functional requirements and design parameters. Therefore, one of the important tasks in concept improvement is to properly manage the sequence of these functional couplings to minimize the design complexity. This paper introduces a new method, called Design Coupling Sequence (DCS), which, given a design matrix generated during conceptual design, can symmetrically guide the designer through this sequencing task to reduce the design complexity. DCS is developed with sound foundations from logics and mathematics, and useful in engineering practice as real-world design tasks become increasingly complex.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Surveillance of AIDS and syphilis in female sex workers in Yuxi,Yunnan,2005-2012

Objective To understand the infection status of HIV and treponema pallidum(TP) and risk behaviors in female sex workers(FSWs) in Yuxi and provide evidence for the improvement of monitoring measures and intervention strategies.Methods According to the AIDS sentinel surveillance protocol of Yunnan province,cross-sectional survey was conducted among FSWs annually at fixed place and time to collect their demographic and behavioral data.Blood samples were take from them to detect HIV and TP.Results Totally 7563 FSWs were under behavior surveillance and 7512 were under serological surveillance from 2005 to 2012.The AIDS knowledge awareness rate increased from 92.58% in 2005 and 78.89% in 2006 to 99.76% in 2012.The condom use rate at the latest sex was 95%,the condom use rate in the last month increased from 81.34% in 2005 to 94.83% in 2012.The overall HIV antibody positive rate was 0.48%,which declined from 1.55% to 0.24%,(χ2 trend = 4.83,P 0.05).The overall TP positive rate was 1.85%,which declined from 4.13% to 1.18%(χ2 trend = 25.86,P 0.01).HIV and TP positive rates were negatively correlated the last month condom use rate(HIV: OR = 0.932,95% CI: 0.893-0.973;syphilis: OR = 0.488,95% CI: 0.431-0.552),No correlations were observed between HIV and TP positive rates and the AIDS knowledge awareness rate,the latest condom using rate and drug user proportion.Conclusion HIV epidemic was still at low level among FSWs in Yuxi,indicating that health education and condom use promotion are effective in the prevention and control of AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases.
Characterization of gap junctions between pairs of Leydig cells from mouse testis

Leydig cells are coupled in vivo by numerous gap junctions. In vivo and in vitro cells were immunolabeled by connexin 43 (Cx43) but not by Cx26 or Cx32 antibodies; immunoblotting confirmed specificity of Cx43 labeling. Pairs of Leydig cells dissociated from mouse testis were studied by dual whole cell voltage clamp, and a high incidence of dye (n = 20) and electrical coupling (n = 60; > 90%) was found. Coupling coefficients were near 1 and junctional conductance (gj) averaged 7.2 +/- 1.2 nS (SE, n = 40). Large transjunctional voltage (Vj) decreased gj; currents decayed exponentially with time constants of seconds that decreased at greater Vj. The residual conductance at large Vj was at least approximately 40% of the initial conductance. Exposure of cell pairs to saline solutions saturated with CO2 (n = 15) or containing 2 mM halothane (n = 15) or 3.5 mM heptanol (n = 15) rapidly and reversibly reduced gj. In eight cell pairs, gating of single junctional channels was observed during halothane-induced reduction in gj. Most gating events at Vj 40 mV, smaller transitions of approximately 30 pS were also recorded, and the frequency and duration of the approximately 100-pS transitions decreased. Also, approximately 70-pS transitions between 30- and 100-pS conductances were observed in the absence of 70-pS transitions to or from the baseline, indicating that the 30-pS conductance was a substate induced by large Vj.
Frequency conversion in passive InGaAsP/InP waveguides

Four-wave mixing (FWM) is an important technique for optical frequency conversion in WDM systems. It allows format-independent frequency conversion over large frequency separations1-2 and can be used for dispersion compensation by conjugating the signal at midway.3 Several recent reports 4-5 have described experiments performed in active semiconductor amplifiers. We have studied FWM at λ = 1.5 μm in passive waveguides. In passive waveguides6 the nonlinearity relies on virtual transitions and does not suffer from limitations imposed by the carrier-modulation time constant or the carrier-heating time constant.
Management of Widely Metastatic and Unresectable Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Metastatic cSCC most frequently originates from the head and neck with metastases located in regional lymph nodes or the parotid gland. However, axillary and groin nodal metastases, and lung metastases can also occur. Half of all metastatic cases will develop local recurrence first. Thus, patients who develop locally recurrent cSCC after clear-margin excision (Mohs or non-Mohs) should be considered at risk for metastasis. Current staging of lymph node metastases for cSCC is based on the diameter, number, and laterality of lymph nodes involved. Treatment of nodal metastatic disease primarily consists of surgery and radiation. Chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antagonist therapies are generally reserved for locoregional disease that has not been controlled with surgery and/or radiation, and for distant metastases. However, early adjuvant therapy shows promise and requires further study to define appropriate patient populations. Future treatment models based on targeted therapies require a greater understanding of the genetic profile of cSCCs.
Humeral correlates of forelimb elevation in four West African cercopithecid monkeys.

Objectives We previously found that differing degrees of forelimb flexion, elevation, and abduction during nonlocomotor foraging activities covaried with scapular morphology among four sympatric cercopithecids. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether features of the proximal humerus are similarly related to forelimb elevation during foraging. Methods Our sample consists of humeri (n = 42) of adult Cercocebus atys, Cercopithecus diana, Colobus polykomos, and Piliocolobus badius collected from Cote d'Ivoire's Tai National Park. Features of the proximal humerus known to correspond with varying degrees of forelimb mobility were examined using a combination of 2-dimensional caliper-based indices and 3-dimensional analyses. Results Some features of the proximal humerus are consistent with the varying frequencies of forelimb elevation during foraging. For instance, the red colobus (P. badius) has a variety of features consistent with more pronounced shoulder mobility and forelimb flexibility including a wider, more distally projecting deltoid plane, greater tuberosity positioned below the humeral head articular surface, and larger intertuberosity angle. Conclusions The colobines, particularly P. badius, display a number of humeral and scapular features indicative of greater arm flexion, elevation, and abduction compared to the two cercopithecines. We conclude that idiosyncrasies in forelimb use during foraging are reflected in functionally relevant features of the cercopithecid proximal humerus, highlighting that postural behavior, in additional to locomotor behavior, can exert selective pressures on primate skeletal form. This result should provide for more informed reconstructions of the full positional repertoires in fossil taxa.
Polycythemia and Thrombocytosis

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are diseases of excess cell proliferation from bone marrow precursors. Two classic MPNs, polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocytosis (ET), are conditions of excess proliferation of red blood cells and platelets, respectively. Although PV and ET involve different cells in the myeloid lineage, their clinical presentations have shared features, consistent with overlapping mutations in growth factor signaling. The management of both diseases involves minimizing the risk of thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. Both PV and ET can progress to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia, portending a poor prognosis. MPNs can also present as primary myelofibrosis.
Contemporary Imaging of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations.

OBJECTIVE. Brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture results in substantial morbidity and mortality. The goal of AVM treatment is eradication of the AVM, but the risk of treatment must be weighed against the risk of future hemorrhage. CONCLUSION. Imaging plays a vital role by providing the information necessary for AVM management. Here, we discuss the background, natural history, clinical presentation, and imaging of AVMs. In addition, we explain advances in techniques for imaging AVMs.
Hydroxyapatite bone cement for suboccipital retrosigmoid cranioplasty: A single institution case series.

Abstract Objective To report rates of cerebrospinal fluid leak, wound infection, and other complications after repair of retrosigmoid craniotomy with hydroxyapatite bone cement. Methods Retrospective case review at tertiary referral center of patients who underwent retrosigmoid craniotomy from 2013 to 2016 with hydroxyapatite cement cranioplasty. Outcome measures Presence of absence of cerebrospinal fluid leak, wound infection, and other complications. Results Twenty cases of retrosigmoid craniotomy repaired with hydroxyapatite cement were identified. Median length of follow up was 9.8 months. No cases of cerebrospinal fluid leak were identified. One patient developed a wound infection which was thought to be related to a chronic inflammatory response to the implanted dural substitute. No other major complications were noted. Conclusions A method and case series of suboccipital retrosigmoid cranioplasty using hydroxyapatite cement and a are reported. Hydroxyapatite cement cranioplasty is a safe and effective technique for repair of retrosigmoid craniotomy defects.
Karoline Beltinger, Jilleen Nadolny, eds., Painting in Tempera, C. 1900

… the mode of work and thought and vision which tempera enforces is far more in harmony with the general tendencies of modern life … than is the contemporary fashion of painting in oil. Charles J....
Mississippi: One State’s Search for Equity in School Finance

The funding mechanism for the public schools in the state of Mississippi had been surprisingly stable for a number of years. The funding formula existed in its same form for over a half century bef...
Stratified Ekman layers evolving under a finite-time stabilizing buoyancy flux

Stratified flow in nocturnal boundary layers is studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the Ekman layer, a model problem that is useful to understand atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) turbulence. A stabilizing buoyancy flux is applied for a finite time to a neutral Ekman layer. Based on previous studies and the simulations conducted here, the choice of ( is the Obukhov length scale and is the friction velocity) provides a cooling flux that is sufficiently strong to cause the initial collapse of turbulence. The turbulent kinetic energy decays over a time scale of during the collapse. The simulations suggest that imposing on the neutral Ekman layer results in turbulence collapse during the initial transient, independent of Reynolds number, . However, the long-time state of the flow, i.e. turbulent with spatial intermittency or non-turbulent, is found to depend on the initial value of since the cooling flux and resultant stratification increase with for a given . The lower- cases have sustained turbulence with shear and stratification profiles that evolve in a manner such that the gradient Richardson number, , in the near-surface layer, including the low-level jet, remains subcritical. The highest case has supercritical in the low-level jet and turbulence does not recover. A theoretical discussion is performed to infer that the bulk Richardson number, , is more suitable than to determine the fate of stratified Ekman layers at late time. DNS results support the implications of for the effect of initial and on the flow.
Developing social and decisional capital in US National Blue Ribbon Schools

The US National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Program annually recognizes hundreds of schools successful in their states’ accountability systems. NBRS are studied for effective practices worth replica...
Nanoengineered capsules for selective SERS analysis of biological samples

Metal nanoparticles conjugated with DNA oligomers have been intensively studied for a variety of applications, including optical diagnostics. Assays based on aggregation of DNA-coated particles in proportion to the concentration of target analyte have not been widely adopted for clinical analysis, however, largely due to the nonspecific responses observed in complex biofluids. While sample pre-preparation such as dialysis is helpful to enable selective sensing, here we sought to prove that assay encapsulation in hollow microcapsules could remove this requirement and thereby facilitate more rapid analysis on complex samples. Gold nanoparticle-based assays were incorporated into capsules comprising polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEMs), and the response to small molecule targets and larger proteins were compared. Gold nanoparticles were able to selectively sense small Raman dyes (Rhodamine 6G) in the presence of large protein molecules (BSA) when encapsulated. A ratiometric based microRNA-17 sensing assay exhibited drastic reduction in response after encapsulation, with statistically-significant relative Raman intensity changes only at a microRNA-17 concentration of 10 nM compared to a range of 0-500 nM for the corresponding solution-phase response.
EEG for evaluation of “chemobrain.”

1076 Background: Cognitive impairment is a poorly understood and worrisome potential complication of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT). We sought to evaluate electroencephalography (EEG) as a means to measure neurophysiologic function in women receiving CT for early breast cancer. Methods: Women planning to undergo CT for operable breast cancer and age-similar controls were evaluated at baseline, during CT and at 1 year with neurophysiologic assessments. Testing included a brief fatigue inventory (BFI), brief mental fatigue assessment (BMF), Processing Speed Index (PSI) derived from Digit Symbol Coding and Symbol Search subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and a sustained elbow flexion physical task (PT). EEG recordings were obtained at rest and after the cognitive and physical tasks. Data were analyzed using repeated measures of analysis of variance. Results: Eight patient/control pairs completed baseline and on-treatment evaluations; 7 pairs also completed the 1 year assessment (1 pair withdrawn ...
#Sponsored #Ad: Agency Perspective on Influencer Marketing Campaigns

As digital and social media continue to grow in terms of usage and advertising expenditures, the advertising industry has been forced to develop innovative strategies. One such strategy is influenc...
The impact of a multimodal approach to vancomycin discontinuation in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (HSCT) with febrile neutropenia (FN)

BACKGROUND Current guidelines recommend adding vancomycin to empiric treatment of FN in patients who meet specific criteria. After 48 hours, the guidelines recommend discontinuing vancomycin if resistant Gram-positive organisms are not identified. Based on these recommendations, a vancomycin stewardship team defined criteria for discontinuation of vancomycin at 48 hours and increased surveillance of vancomycin usage through a multimodal approach. The purpose of this retrospective analysis is to assess the impact of this multimodal approach on the discontinuation of empiric vancomycin at 48 hours in FN. METHODS This retrospective analysis included a pre- and post-intervention cohort of 200 HSCT recipients with FN from 2015 to 2018. Criteria for continued vancomycin use beyond 48 hours included culture-documented resistant Gram-positive infection, positive Methicillin-Resistant S aureus (MRSA) nasal swab with evidence of pneumonia, or hemodynamic instability with concern for sepsis. The following patient characteristics were collected: previous MRSA infection, MRSA nasal swab collection and results, culture results, duration of vancomycin use, rationale for continuation of vancomycin beyond 48 hours, and re-initiation of vancomycin. RESULTS In the post-intervention cohort, vancomycin discontinuation at 48 hours increased from 31% (95% CI 21.94-40.05) to 70% (95% CI 61.02-78.97; P < 0.0001). An additional 23% of vancomycin orders were discontinued at 72 hours. Off criteria vancomycin use decreased from 33% in pre to 1% in the post-implementation cohort. CONCLUSION Establishing define criteria for vancomycin use in FN patients with a multimodal approach of physicians from hematology and infectious diseases, clinical pharmacists and the antibiotic stewardship team significantly improved vancomycin discontinuation.
Resolving Power and the Detection of Linear Detail

The ability of a photographic system to resolve and detect linear details is discussed in terms of the spatial frequency spectra of the details, the optical transfer function of the system and the ...
Beta-catenin mutations in hepatocellular cancer, tumor cell metabolism, and the response of these tumors to mTOR inhibition.

583Background: Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) continues to grow in incidence despite approval of many new therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and TKIs. Genomic landscape of HCC is ...
Soft Tissue Reconstruction of the Foot

The successful soft tissue reconstruction of the foot requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary team. Wounds of the feet stem from a multitude of problems, including physical defects from trauma and tumor resection, medical conditions such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, and congenital anomalies including structural, gait, and vascular abnormalities. Thus, many specialties must be involved, including foot and ankle orthopedics, vascular surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, oncology, endocrinology, infectious disease, physical and occupational therapy, prosthetics, and social work. Successful reconstruction of foot wounds requires not only durable soft tissue coverage but also interventions to prevent recurrence. This chapter focuses on local flaps and their utility in reconstructing common wounds of the foot.
SECTION 5-6 – Southern Blot

Publisher Summary This chapter describes southern blotting as a technique that is used to transfer DNA from its position in an agarose gel to a nitrocellulose (NC) filter placed directly above the gel. It explains that the DNA is denatured, neutralized, and transferred in a high-salt buffer by capillary action. The denatured, single-stranded DNA that binds to the filter is permanently bonded by baking the filter and is later hybridized to a radiolabeled probe to detect hybridizing DNA species. The time required to carry out the procedure for southern blotting is two days. On the first day, it takes 1–3 hours, and on the second day, it takes 2–3 hours. The chapter then lists the reagents that are used in this process. These are small quantities of sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide along with 200 ml of ammonium acetate and NC filters. Electrophoretic separation of DNA is run in advance on an agarose gel. Then, photograph of ethidium bromide-stained gel is taken.
Sympathetic subsumption: A defense against anxiety and aggression in groups

In the following paper, the author offers a name (“sympathetic subsumption”) and a psychoanalytic and socio-analytic explanation for the process by which a victimizing individual or group re-directs sympathy toward itself, even as it victimizes an other or others. In most cases, sympathetic subsumption involves ambivalent identifications with and tenuous idealizations of past and present victims and victimizers. The result of sympathetic subsumption is the displacement of sympathy for manifest victims, allowing acts of victimization to occur with diminished emotional resistance. Thus, individuals and groups make use of sympathetic subsumption to facilitate attacks upon others and to avoid conscious confrontation with real anxieties and terrors that arise in group settings.
Multihazard hurricane fragility model for wood structure homes considering hazard parameters and building attributes interaction.

Predicting building damage as a function of hurricane hazards, building attributes, and the interaction between hazard and building attributes is a key to understanding how significant interaction reflect variation hazard intensity effect on damage based on building attribute levels. This paper develops multi-hazard hurricane fragility models for wood structure homes considering interaction between hazard and building attributes. Fragility models are developed for ordered categorical damage states (DS) and binary collapse/no collapse. Exterior physical damage and building attributes from rapid assessment in coastal Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina (2005), high-resolution numerical hindcast hazard intensities from the Simulating WAves Nearshore and ADvanced CIRCulation (SWAN+ADCIRC) models, and base flood elevation values are used as model input. Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) is used to evaluate model prediction accuracy. Eleven and forty-nine combinations of global damage response variables and main explanatory variables, respectively, were investigated and evaluated. Of these models, one DS and one collapse model met the rejection criteria. These models were refitted considering interaction terms. Maximum 3-second gust wind speed and maximum significant wave height were found to be factors that significantly affect damage. Interaction between maximum significant wave height and number of stories was the significant interaction term for the DS and collapse models. For every 0.3 m (0.98 ft) increase in maximum significant wave height, the estimated odds of being in a higher damage state rather than lower damage state for DS model were found to be 1.95 times greater for one-story buildings rather than two-story buildings. For every 0.3 m (0.98 ft) increase in maximum significant wave height, the estimated odds of collapse were found to be 2.23 times greater for one-story buildings rather than two-story buildings. Model prediction accuracy was 84% and 91% for DS and collapse models, respectively. This paper does not consider the full hazard intensity experienced in Hurricane Katrina; rather, it focuses on single-family homes in a defined study area subjected to wind, wave, and storm surge hazards. Thus, the findings of this paper are not applicable for events with hazards that exceed those experienced in the study area, from which the models were derived.
Individuals with recurrent low back pain exhibit further altered trunk control in remission than when in pain

Abstract Background Movement alterations due to low back pain (LBP) could lead to long-term adverse consequences if they do not resolve after symptom subsides. This study aims to determine if altered trunk control associated with recurrent low back pain persists beyond symptom duration. Methods Twenty young adults with recurrent low back pain were tested once during an LBP episode and once in symptom remission, and twenty matched back-healthy participants served as controls. Participants walked on a treadmill with five prescribed step widths. Motion capture and surface electromyography were used to record frontal plane trunk kinematics and muscle activation. Thorax-pelvis coordination was calculated using vector coding technique, and bilateral longissimus activation and co-activation were analyzed. Findings Young adults with recurrent LBP exhibited a “looser” trunk control strategy in the frontal plane during gait that was persistent regardless of pain status across multiple step widths compared to back-healthy controls. This was demonstrated by a greater pelvis-only, less thorax-only coordination pattern, and decreased bilateral longissimus co-activation in individuals with recurrent LBP than controls. The looser trunk control strategy was further amplified when individuals with recurrent LBP were in symptom remission and exhibited greater trunk excursion and reduced in-phase coordination. Interpretation The amplification of aberrant movement during symptom remission may suggest that movement patterns or anatomical factors existing prior to the tested painful episode underlie the altered trunk control in individuals with recurrent LBP. The symptom remission period of recurrent LBP patients may be a critical window into clinical evaluation and treatment.
Re-evaluation of the Cardiovascular Safety Profile of Tegaserod: A Review of the Clinical Data.

Background and Aims Tegaserod is a 5-HT4 receptor agonist approved for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in women Methods An independent committee conducted an external adjudication to evaluate 24 possible cardiovascular ischemic events (tegaserod: n = 20; placebo: n = 4) identified internally. A second independent external adjudication further evaluated these events. Results A total of 18,645 patients were included (tegaserod: n = 11,614; placebo: n = 7031). The first adjudication identified 14 (0.075%) events (tegaserod: n = 13 [0.11%]; placebo: n = 1 [0.014%]). All patients had ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor, and 11 had ≥2. The second adjudication identified 390 events, 24 (0.13%) were classified as probable new or worsening events (tegaserod: 18 [0.16%]; placebo: 6 [0.09%]). For tegaserod, 7 (0.06%) were coronary or cerebrovascular ischemic events compared with 1 (0.01%) for placebo (odds ratio, 4.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–34.74; P = .273). All tegaserod patients reporting cardiovascular events had ≥1 risk, including cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, ≥55 years of age, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Women Conclusions Two independent, external adjudications suggest that tegaserod is safe for women
A Case of Paraneoplastic Myasthenia Gravis as the Initial Presentation in a Patient with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (P3.6-011)

Objective: n/a Background: The association between myasthenia gravis (MG) and thymoma is well-established, however, MG has been less frequently associated with other malignancies. We present a case of a B-cell non-hodgkin’s lymphoma presenting as a new diagnosis of MG. Design/Methods: n/a Results: A 68-year-old man presented with diplopia, dysphagia and ptosis after a knee replacement. He was given steroids for possible angioedema of the tongue without benefit. After four months of progressive symptoms, work-up revealed positive AChR antibodies consistent with MG. He started prednisone, pyridostigmine and azathioprine with temporary benefit. Five weeks later, he was admitted with an NSTEMI, new systolic heart failure, refractory atrial fibrillation with RVR, respiratory failure requiring intubation, MG exacerbation, pancytopenia, fevers and shock. CT chest/abdomen/pelvis revealed retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, but no thymoma. MRI brain and spine showed a thoracic subcutaneous mass, with biopsy confirming benign fibroadipose tissue. On further history, he had an unintentional 40lb weight loss over six months and three weeks of night sweats. A serum paraneoplastic panel revealed high titers of striational antibodies. Peripheral flow cytometry was positive for monoclonal B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Bone marrow biopsy showed low grade B-cell lymphoma. He improved with medical management and five days of IVIg for MG. He was discharged home on prednisone and pyridostigmine with no further MG symptoms. Conclusions: MG has rarely been reported in patients with B-cell lymphoma, and even more rarely as a presenting symptom. Azathioprine use has been linked to lymphoma in some populations, usually with prolonged use. Although our patient’s B symptoms preceded his MG diagnosis, suggesting a more indolent lymphoma that likely predated his treatment with azathioprine, it is possible that azathioprine played a role in his acute worsening and hospitalization. Regardless, this case emphasizes the importance of screening for signs or symptoms of other malignancies in patients diagnosed with thymoma-negative MG. Disclosure: Dr. Cormier has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schaefer has nothing to disclose.
CHAPTER 19 – Signaling Pathways in T and B Lymphocytes

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of several pathways that regulate lymphocyte activation and tolerance. The structure and signaling pathways regulated by two important receptors of the adaptive immune system, the T- and B-cell antigen receptors. It also examines how signaling through important co-receptors determines cellular responses. By comparing and contrasting these two receptor systems, it illustrates both common mechanisms of responding to antigen and important differences. Neither the T-cell receptor (TCR) nor the B-cell receptor (BCR) contains intrinsic catalytic activity for signal initiation. Rather, upon receptor engagement, tyrosine kinases are recruited by each complex and these become the primary enzymatic activities that mediate signal initiation. It is noted that changes in how a lymphocyte responds to antigen can lead to the breaking of tolerance and the development of autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, this chapter highlights the signaling processes that may contribute to autoimmunity and those signaling pathways that hold the most promise for therapeutic intervention.
Effect of frequency on microplasmas driven by microwave excitation

The effect of excitation frequency on the breakdown voltage of a microwave (mw) microdischarge and its steady-state plasma parameters is studied by the self-consistent one-dimensional Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo collisions model. It is found that for microdischarges in which the electron wall losses are significant, an increase in the mw frequency results in a decrease in the breakdown voltage. For conditions in which the electron wall losses become negligible, an increase in the frequency does not influence significantly the breakdown voltage. At the same time, for both regimes, the increase in the frequency results in an increase in the steady-state plasma density. The analysis of the steady-state plasma parameters have shown that the dominant electron heating mechanism is the Joule heating while the stochastic heating is negligible. Also, it is found that the electron energy distribution function consists of two electron groups, namely, slow and fast electrons. The presence of fast electrons in the plasma bulk indicates the non-local nature of microwave excited microdischarges.