cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolating blocks as computational tools in the circular restricted three-body problem

Abstract Isolating blocks may be used as computational tools to search for the invariant manifolds of orbits and hyperbolic invariant sets associated with libration points while also giving additional insight into the dynamics of the flow in these regions. We use isolating blocks to investigate the dynamics of objects entering the Earth–Moon system in the circular restricted three-body problem with energies close to the energy of the L 2 libration point. Specifically, the stable and unstable manifolds of Lyapunov orbits and the hyperbolic invariant set around the libration points are obtained by numerically computing the way orbits exit from an isolating block in combination with a bisection method. Invariant spheres of solutions in the spatial problem may then be located using the resulting manifolds.
High capacity of lithium-sulfur batteries at low electrolyte/sulfur ratio enabled by an organosulfide containing electrolyte

Abstract Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising energy storage technology to replace lithium ion batteries for higher energy density and lower cost. Dissolution of lithium polysulfide intermediates in conventional Li-S electrolytes is known as one of the key technical barriers to the development of Li-S, because it promotes redistribution and irreversible deposition of Li 2 S, and also forces large amounts of electrolyte to be used, shortening cycling life and driving down cell energy density. Recently, dimethyl disulfide as a functional co-solvent has been demonstrated to show an alternate electrochemical reaction pathway for sulfur cathodes by the formation of dimethyl polysulfides and lithium organosulfides as intermediates and reduction products. In this work, comprehensive studies show that this new pathway not only provides high capacity but also enables excellent capacity retention through a built-in automatic discharge shutoff mechanism by tuning carbon/sulfur ratio in sulfur cathodes to reduce unfavorable Li 2 S formation. Furthermore, this new electrolyte system is also found to enable high capacity of high-sulfur-loading cathodes with low electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratios, such as a stable specific capacity of around 1000 mAh g −1 using a low electrolyte amount (i.e, E/S ratio of 5 mL g −1 ) and high-sulfur-loading (4 mg cm −2 ) cathodes. This electrolyte system almost doubles the capacity obtained with conventional electrolytes under the same harsh conditions. These results highlight the practical potential of this electrolyte system to enable high-energy-density Li-S batteries.
Recreational Sport Participation as a Moderator of College Stress

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that campus recreation could play an important role in student development by providing opportunities for students to cope with the increasing pressures...
Fucosylation regulates cell death in rheumatoid arthritis (87.24)

Abnormal inflammation and apoptosis are major pathogenic features of synovial fibroblasts (SF) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fucosylation, an important type of glycosylation, has been identified in cancer and inflammation conditions. The role of fucosylation in RA was investigated. Real-time PCR indicated that between RASF and osteoarthritis (OA) SF (N=14 each), there was no difference in the expression of apoptosis related molecules, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), its receptors DR4, DR5, DR6, DcR1, DcR2, and regulators of apoptosis FLIP L and cIAPs. However, there was a higher level of α1-2-Fucosyltransferase ( Fut1 , P=0.016), α1-3/1-4-Fucosyltransferase ( Fut3 , P=0.018) and α1-3-Fucosyltransferase ( Fut6 , P=0.038), but not α1-6-Fucosyltransferase ( Fut8 , P=0.910) in RA compared to OA synovial tissues. Interestingly, a strong positive correlation between TNFα and Fut1 , Fut3 and Fut6 was identified. Fut1 also correlated with Il17a . Preincubation of RASFs with 2-Deoxy-D-Galactose (15 mM/ml), a FUT1 inhibitor, decreased the sensitivity to TRA-8, an anti-human DR5 antibody, mediated apoptosis and this effect can be reversed by fucose (15 mM). Similar results were also found on human monocyte/macrophage cell lines, HL60 and THP-1. Our studies suggest that fucosylation is strongly associated with abnormal inflammation and apoptosis in RA effector cells. Fucosylation might be a novel target for RA therapy.
Investigation of a non-isocyanate urethane functional monomer in latexes by emulsion polymerization

Abstract A urethane methacrylate monomer, 2-[(butylcarbamoyl)oxy]ethyl methacrylate (BEM), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and butyl acrylate (BA) were used to prepare latexes. The effects of polymer process (batch versus semi-batch), polymer composition, and the locus (core-shell) of urethane functionality in the latex particles were studied. Urethane functional latexes were evaluated by FT-IR, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), gas chromatography (GC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). A compositional drift was observed for the batch polymerization which resulted in early formed polymers rich in MMA and BEM. This accounted for the higher modulus and tensile strength in latexes derived from batch polymerization. Both homogeneous and core-shell structures were prepared. The tensile modulus, tensile strength and elongation-at-break were all dependent on BEM content.
Neev: A cognitive support agent for content improvement in hardware tickets

IT service providers differentiate themselves through offering after-sales support for hardware and software products. Thus, businesses, including large corporations, have intricate work-flows for servicing such support requests while reducing man-hours needed. These work-flows generally operate through a ticketing system for resolving customer issues. A lot of man-hours are spent in searching old tickets for correct problem and resolution for such issues. Support requests pertaining to enterprise hardware are more challenging than desktop support for end-user products. Enterprise hardware requires deeper diagnosis involving several systems and expertise of multiple agents. In this work we propose a cognitive agent, Neev, which helps in mitigating the problem in a three-fold fashion (1) retrieving a summary of relevant ticket text (2) Tagging the relevant parts as a part-of-the-problem or a part-of-the-solution (3) Focusing on the precise problem and solution. We evaluate the performance of our system using a rank-based metric where a ticket extraction is successful if the problem or solution occur in the top-n suggestions. We report the results for varying top-n values for both problem and solution on varying severity of the tickets. We find that the accuracy for problem extraction in top-1 is 62% and it reaches 86% and 94% for top-3 and top-5 cases, respectively. Furthermore, the accuracy for solution extraction reaches 62% and 88% for top-3 and top-8 cases, respectively.
Media Use in Virtual Teams of Varying Levels of Coordination.

This study was undertaken to provide a more complete understanding of how the selection of various media in virtual team settings affects student team coordination. A total of 75 teams of 304 under...
Transatlantic Sovereignty and the Creation of the Modern Colonial Subject

The extension of political sovereignty from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas constitutes one of the first and most consequential transatlantic relations in the modern era. This extension of sovereignty was not only spatial but temporal: it sought to create a paradigm that would allow territorial occupation to be considered the moral precondition for an ideology of paternalist tutelage that required rationalization after the appropriation of the new American territories. In this essay, Aching examines a line of disingenuous moral argumentation that made use of humanist thought, scholasticism, and just war theory to position and restrict an ideologically conceived notion of the “Indian” to a temporality of permanently arrested development, or what Aching refers to as the creation of the modern, colonial subject.
Child Maltreatment and Physical Victimization: Does Heavy Drinking Mediate the Relationship?:

Past studies examining the child maltreatment (CM)/victimization pathway have been limited by their focus on sexual victimization, narrow windows of assessment, and failure to examine gender differences. In the current study, we sought to examine (1) the impact of CM on physical victimization (PV) trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood and (2) the extent to which heavy drinking mediated the relationship between CM and later PV. Using three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we found that CM was associated with a 69% greater odds of later PV for both genders, after the inclusion of control variables, and that the risk continued into adulthood. Further, heavy drinking was found to mediate the CM/victimization pathway at Wave I, but not at later waves. When mediation was examined separately for men and women, support for mediation was found for men and women. The current study suggests that CM represents a liability for interpersonal violence for both genders and highlights the importance of looking at victimization across time.
PHOTODETACHMENT OF METASTABLE HELIUM MOLECULES FROM THE SURFACE OF HELIUM NANODROPLETS

Metastable triplet helium molecules, created in helium nanodroplets by electron bombardment, become trapped in surface states. Photo induced electronic transitions of a molecule result in its detachment from the cluster. It is subsequently detected when it emits a secondary electron upon reaching a nearby surface. We have found that there are two different characteristic energies with which the molecules are emitted, one thermal and one much larger. We have also found that the spectral lines are asymmetric, but the peaks are only slightly blue shifted from their values in the free molecule.
Linking Risk Messages to Information Seeking and Processing

In an effort to better understand the ways in which risk messages can indirectly affect risk-related behaviors, this review explores the links between such messages and information seeking and processing. The narrative first offers a brief look at the literature that shores up salient concepts, and then moves to a model of risk information seeking and processing (RISP), constructed by Griffin, Dun-woody, and Neuwirth (1999), which seeks to organize those factors into a coherent framework. The RISP model, thus, serves as a crossroads for selected concepts synthesized from Eagly and Chaiken’s (1993) heuristic-systematic model (HSM) of information processing, Ajzen’s (1988) theory of planned behavior (TPB), and other bodies of research in communication and risk perception. Of particular interest is the extent to which the model can accommodate reactions to both personal risks and risks to persons and objects other than oneself. This last domain is particularly important to the development of policy in arenas...
Conscious Sedation During Electrophysiology Testing and Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

This article focuses on the administration of conscious sedation (CS) during electrophysiology studies and radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation in the adult population. Characteristics that support the need for CS in this population are discussed, as well as the consideration of administration techniques, choice of CS agents, and particular monitoring concerns. Agents that may affect electrophysiologic parameters are addressed. Postsedation care is discussed and a written example of discharge teaching is included.
St. Brendan's and the Community: Mental Health Services in Ireland

1. In Ireland, the regional administrators--including the chiefs of nursing and psychiatry--have as their responsibility all of the related outpatient clinics, day hospitals, day care centers and community residences, including all levels of acuity. Discharge planning becomes easier than in the United States. 2. In Ireland, Assessment Units are unlocked, nurses are in uniform, there is no equivalent of a Master's prepared clinical specialist or an advanced level Nurse Practitioner, and residences are integrated into neighborhoods. 3. The majority of chief psychiatric nurses and officers and nurse tutors in Ireland are men. Teaching is not a top priority of staff nurses, and nurse tutors are not involved regularly with students on the wards.
Viscosity modeling of reservoir fluids using the Friction Theory with PC-SAFT crude oil characterization

Abstract The Friction Theory (FT) for viscosity modeling is applied to a characterization method based on the Saturates-Aromatics-Resins-Asphaltenes content (SARA) which makes use of the Perturbed-Chain version of the Statistical Associating Fluid Theory equation of state (PC-SAFT EoS). The viscosity modeling results are compared to Chi-Square (CS) characterization method that uses Peng-Robinson (PR) EoS. In the Friction Theory, viscosity is calculated using repulsive and attractive pressures from an EoS. In this work, the FT parameters for pseudo-components are obtained by tuning to a single value of viscosity at saturation condition. A new fitting approach for PC-SAFT FT model is proposed where the number of fitting parameters for each pseudo-component is reduced from two to one. The simulation results for 10 light crude oils from the Middle East region show that using PC-SAFT EoS to represent the phase behavior of the crude oil provides viscosity predictions that are at least as good as the CS method that uses PR EoS, even though a lower number of tuning parameters and pseudo-fractions are used. However, the use of PC-SAFT to calculate repulsive and attractive pressures in the FT model does not significantly improve the accuracy in viscosity modeling as compared to the use of PR EoS.
Two Decades Since To Err Is Human: An Assessment Of Progress And Emerging Priorities In Patient Safety.

The Institute of Medicine’s To Err Is Human, published in 1999, represented a watershed moment for the US health care system. The report dramatically raised the profile of patient safety and stimul...
The effect of the 2018 Giro d’Italia on Israel’s tourism firm value:

On September 18, 2017, the organizers of the 2018 Giro d’Italia announced that for the first time in its history, this world famous event would begin outside of Europe—in Israel. This article contr...
Chlorpromazine protects against acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice by modulating autophagy and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation

Abstract Background and aim Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) leads to liver injury, which is one of the most common causes of liver failure in the United States. We previously demonstrated that pharmacological activation of autophagy protects against APAP-induced liver injury in mice via removal of damaged mitochondria and APAP-adducts (APAP-ADs). Using an image-based high-throughput screening for autophagy modulators, we recently identified that chlorpromazine (CPZ), a dopamine inhibitor used for anti-schizophrenia, is a potent autophagy inducer in vitro. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to determine whether CPZ may protect against APAP-induced liver injury via inducing autophagy. Methods Wild type C57BL/6J mice were injected with APAP to induce liver injury. CPZ was administrated either at the same time with APAP (co-treatment) or 2 h later after APAP administration (post-treatment). Hemotoxyline and eosin (H&E) staining of liver histology, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining of necrotic cell death as well as serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were used to monitor liver injury. Results We found that CPZ markedly protected against APAP-induced liver injury as demonstrated by decreased serum levels of ALT, liver necrotic areas as well as TUNEL-positive cells in mice that were either co-treated or post-treated with CPZ. Mechanistically, we observed that CPZ increased the number of autolysosomes and decreased APAP-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation without affecting the metabolic activation of APAP. Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine partially weakened the protective effects of CPZ against APAP-induced liver injury. Conclusions Our results indicate that CPZ ameliorates APAP-induced liver injury partially via activating hepatic autophagy and inhibiting JNK activation.
Who Gets to Have a DREAM? Examining Public Support for Immigration Reform:

This article assesses how different notions of citizenship shape mass attitudes toward immigration reform. We examine the underpinnings of the military service and college education provisions that...
Promoting Institutional Repositories via Visualizations: A Change-Point Study

This article examines whether implementing visualizations on an institutional repository webpage increases traffic on the site. Two methods for creating visualizations to attract faculty and studen...
AI in the Sky: How People Morally Evaluate Human and Machine Decisions in a Lethal Strike Dilemma

Even though morally competent artificial agents have yet to emerge in society, we need insights from empirical science into how people will respond to such agents and how these responses should inform agent design. Three survey studies presented participants with an artificial intelligence (AI) agent, an autonomous drone, or a human drone pilot facing a moral dilemma in a military context: to either launch a missile strike on a terrorist compound but risk the life of a child, or to cancel the strike to protect the child but risk a terrorist attack. Seventy-two percent of respondents were comfortable making moral judgments about the AI in this scenario and fifty-one percent were comfortable making moral judgments about the autonomous drone. These participants applied the same norms to the two artificial agents and the human drone pilot (more than 80% said that the agent should launch the missile). However, people ascribed different patterns of blame to humans and machines as a function of the agent’s decision of how to solve the dilemma. These differences in blame seem to stem from different assumptions about the agents’ embeddedness in social structures and the moral justifications those structures afford. Specifically, people less readily see artificial agents as embedded in social structures and, as a result, they explained and justified their actions differently. As artificial agents will (and already do) perform many actions with moral significance, we must heed such differences in justifications and blame and probe how they affect our interactions with those agents.
Correction to: CT angiograms of the neck in strangulation victims: incidence of positive findings at a level one trauma center over a 7-year period

The original source of the flowchart in Fig. 3 has not been referenced and acknowledged correctly in the original article. This is now corrected.
Stalled Pulsing Inertial Oscillation Model for a Tornadic Cyclone

A supercell storm is a tall, rotating thunderstorm that can generate hail and tornadoes. Two models exist for the development of the storm's rotation or mesocyclone - the conventional splitting-storm model, and the more recent pulsing inertial oscillation (PIO) model, in which a nonlinear pulse represents the supercell. Although data support both models and both could operate in the same supercell, neither model has satisfactorily explained the tornadic cyclone. A tornadic cyclone is an elevated vorticity concentration of Rossby number approximately 1000 that develops within the contracting mesocyclone shortly before a major tornado appears at the surface. We now show that if the internal temperature excess due to latent energy release is limited to the realistic range of -12 K to +12 K, the PIO model can stall part way through the pulse in a state of contraction and spin-up. Should this happen, the stalled-PIO model can evolve into a tornadic cyclone with a central pressure deficit that exceeds 40 mb, which is greater than the largest measured value. This simulation uses data from a major tornadic supercell that occurred over Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, on May 3, 1999. The stalled-PIO mechanism also provides a strategy for human intervention to retard or reverse the development of a tornadic cyclone and its pendant tornado.
Modeling Ketogenesis for Use in Pediatric Diabetes Simulation.

Background:Simulation is being increasingly integrated into medical education. Diabetes simulation is well-received by trainees and has demonstrated improved clinical results, including reduced adu...
A novel approach to remove interference of therapeutic monoclonal antibody with serum protein electrophoresis.

Abstract Objectives Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by malignant growth of plasma cells, usually producing a monoclonal antibody (mAb). New treatments for MM include therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (tmAbs), but patients treated with tmAb demonstrate interference on serum electrophoresis (SPE) and immunoprecipitation electrophoresis (IEP). Evaluation of treatment efficacy and determination of MM remission include SPE and IEP which identifies mAb, but cannot differentiate between disease associated mAb and tmAb. We hypothesized that tmAb could be removed from patient sera before testing by SPE and IEP to provide accurate diagnoses for clinicians. Design and methods We developed the Antigen Specific therapeutic monoclonal Antibody Depletion Assay (ASADA), that utilizes magnetic beads coated with the cognate antigen of the tmAbs, to deplete two different tmAb (daratumumab, elotuzumab) from saline and patient sera and assessed for complete removal of tmAb by SPE and IEP. Results We found that tmAb could be efficiently removed from saline and patient sera. ASADA demonstrated acceptable analytical specificity and sensitivity in IEP. Recovery of appropriate quantitative values by SPE was demonstrated with clinically acceptable precision. A single bead cocktail could be used to treat both daratumumab and elotuzumab. Conclusions This demonstrates proof of principle that ASADA can be used to remove current and future tmAb from patient sera, regardless of platform. This research provides for accurate diagnosis, disease monitoring, and remission status in MM patients being treated with tmAb.
A hyper differential counterpublic: Muslim social media users and Islamophobia during the 2016 US presidential election:

We interviewed 61 Muslims in 15 focus groups from the most visible Muslim population in the United States: the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Participants shared their experiences of and responses to I...
Impact of Fiber-Based Enteral Nutrition on the Gut Microbiome of ICU Patients Receiving Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics: A Randomized Pilot Trial.

Objectives Dietary fiber increases the abundance of bacteria that metabolize fiber into short-chain fatty acids and confers resistance against gut colonization with multidrug-resistant bacteria. This pilot trial estimated the effect of fiber on gut short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in the ICU. Design Randomized, controlled, open label trial. Setting Medical ICU. Patients Twenty ICU adults receiving broad-spectrum IV antibiotics for sepsis. Intervention 1:1 randomization to enteral nutrition with mixed soy- and oat-derived fiber (14.3 g fiber/L) versus calorie- and micronutrient-identical enteral nutrition with 0 g/L fiber. Measurements Rectal swabs and whole stools were collected at baseline and on study Days 3, 7, 14, and 30. The primary outcome was within-individual change in the cumulative relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing taxa from baseline to Day 3 based on 16S sequencing of rectal swabs. The secondary outcome was Day 3 cumulative short-chain fatty acid levels based on mass spectrometry of whole stools. Analyses were all intent to treat. Main results By Day 3, the fiber group received a median of 32.1 g fiber cumulatively (interquartile range, 17.6-54.6) versus 0 g fiber (interquartile range, 0-4.0) in the no fiber group. The median within-individual change in short-chain fatty acid producer relative abundance from baseline to Day 3 was +61% (interquartile range -51 to +1,688) in the fiber group versus -46% (interquartile range, -78 to +13) in the no fiber group (p = 0.28). Whole stool short-chain fatty acid levels on Day 3 were a median of 707 μg short-chain fatty acids/g stool (interquartile range, 190-7,265) in the fiber group versus 118 μg short-chain fatty acids/g stool (interquartile range, 22-1,195) in the no fiber group (p = 0.16). Conclusions Enteral fiber was associated with nonsignificant trends toward increased relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria and increased short-chain fatty acid levels among ICU patients receiving broad-spectrum IV antibiotics. Larger studies should be undertaken and our results can be used for effect size estimates.
Crystallization and structure of ebselen bound to cysteine 141 of human inositol monophosphatase (IMPase)

Inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) is inhibited by lithium, which is the most efficacious treatment for bipolar disorder. Several therapies have been approved, or are going through clinical trials, aimed at the replacement of lithium in the treatment of bipolar disorder. One candidate small molecule is ebselen, a selenium-containing antioxidant, which has been demonstrated to produce lithium-like effects both in a murine model and in clinical trials. Here, the crystallization and the first structure of human IMPase covalently complexed with ebselen, a 1.47 A resolution crystal structure (PDB entry 6zk0), are presented. In the complex with human IMPase, ebselen in a ring-opened conformation is covalently attached to Cys141, a residue located away from the active site. IMPase is a dimeric enzyme and in the crystal structure two adjacent dimers share four ebselen molecules, creating a tetramer with approximate 222 symmetry. In the crystal structure presented in this publication, the active site in the tetramer is still accessible, suggesting that ebselen may function as an allosteric inhibitor or may block the binding of partner proteins.
The rise of illiberal memory

The essay seeks to explain how and why rightwing populists in Europe, North America, and beyond have developed an “illiberal” politics of memory in opposition to the global liberal memory culture o...
Pan-ebolavirus protective therapy by two multifunctional human antibodies.

Ebolaviruses cause a severe and often fatal illness with the potential for global spread. Monoclonal antibody-based treatments that have become available recently have a narrow therapeutic spectrum and are ineffective against ebolaviruses other than Ebola virus (EBOV), including medically important Bundibugyo (BDBV) and Sudan (SUDV) viruses. Here, we report the development of a therapeutic cocktail comprising two broadly neutralizing human antibodies, rEBOV-515 and rEBOV-442, that recognize non-overlapping sites on the ebolavirus glycoprotein (GP). Antibodies in the cocktail exhibited synergistic neutralizing activity, resisted viral escape, and possessed differing requirements for their Fc-regions for optimal in vivo activities. The cocktail protected non-human primates from ebolavirus disease caused by EBOV, BDBV, or SUDV with high therapeutic effectiveness. High-resolution structures of the cocktail antibodies in complex with GP revealed the molecular determinants for neutralization breadth and potency. This study provides advanced preclinical data to support clinical development of this cocktail for pan-ebolavirus therapy.
The Bidder's Curse: Comment

The prices of auctions on eBay often exceed eBay’s fixed-price “BuyIt-Now” prices. I investigate the causes of this overbidding, focusing on the interpretation in Malmendier and Lee (2011) that the observed overbidding cannot be explained “without allowing for nonstandard preferences or beliefs” and that the “strongest direct evidence points to limited attention.” Using data from their study and new data from eBay, I provide evidence that a key condition for identifying nonstandard behavior may not have been met, and that the observed overbidding is not inconsistent with standard behavior once we allow for the likely presence of search costs. (JEL D12, D44, D83) The large literature on price dispersion has identified search costs as a primary explanation for the ubiquitous failure of the law of one price. While many expected the Internet to reduce search costs and consequently price dispersion, empirical work has found that price dispersion continues to be widespread even as commerce has shifted online (see Baye, Morgan, and Scholten 2006 for a survey of the literature). Adding to this evidence, Malmendier and Lee (2011)—henceforth, ML—found that auction ending prices on eBay often exceed eBay’s fixed-price Buy-It-Now (BIN) prices. ML examined 167 auctions for the Cashflow 101 board game and 1,931 auctions for a cross section of products such as books and consumer electronics. In 42 percent of the Cashflow 101 auctions, the ending price exceeded the lowest contemporaneous BIN price, and the mean auction ending price was $0.28 above the mean low BIN price. Showing generalizability, the authors reported that in 48 percent of the cross-section auctions, the ending price exceeded the low BIN price, and the mean net overpayment was 10 percent. 1
Nonlinear Filtering and Smoothing for Noisy Alternating Renewal Processes with Applications

A nonlinear estimation scheme for estimating a noisy alternating renewal process signal transmitted through an analog channel is considered. The derivation for a nonlinear smoother and results of computer simulation illustrating some potential applications are presented.
Mucosal function and breath hydrogen excretion: comparative studies in the clinical evaluation of children with nonspecific abdominal complaints.

To evaluate the role of the lactose breath hydrogen test for the detection of lactose malabsorption in children with chronic nonspecific abdominal complaints, breath hydrogen excretion was measured in 131 children with recurrent abdominal pain (n = 75) or chronic nonspecific diarrhea (n = 56) following a lactose load (2 gm/kg; maximum 50 gm). The data were compared to those obtained from lactose tolerance tests (n = 113) and symptom response following a lactose load (n = 109) performed simultaneously with the lactose breath hydrogen test, and with results from small bowel biopsies obtained in 31 children to determine dissacharidase activity and mucosal histology. The results indicate that an increase in breath hydrogen of greater than 10 ppm above base line values (delta ppm) by 120 minutes ("early increase" response) completely discriminates between biopsy-proven isolated lactase-insufficient and lactase-sufficient children. A similar increase after 120 minutes ("late increase" response) is consistent both with normal mucosal function and partial lactase insufficiency due to mucosal injury. Breath hydrogen responses predicted assayed lactase activity in all patients with isolated lactase insufficiency, but were "falsely negative" in four of ten children whose lactase insufficiency was secondary to mucosal injury. In both clinical groups, lactose malabsorbers report significantly more symptoms than absorbers (P less than .001), but neither symptom reports nor tolerance tests are accurate methods for distinguishing lactose malabsorbers from absorbers. Although the lactose breath hydrogen test provides objective documentation of lactose malabsorption, it is equally predictive of assayed lactase activity in all clinical groups.
Aerodynamics of High-Lift Wings with Ground Effect for Racecars

The aerodynamics of a finite-span rectangular wing is investigated using a numerical method. A high-lift single element airfoil section is used. The study focuses on the effect of the ground clearance (the vertical distance between the leading edge of the wing and the ground). The study includes the effect on the overall characteristics of the flow around the wing and the generated aerodynamic forces (down force and drag). Two wings are used in the study with and without end plates. The CFD code ?STAR CCM+? is used in the study. The study showed that there is a range of ground clearance where it has a strong effect on the wing behavior. That effective range was the same for wings with and without end plates. At a small ground clearance, the down force can be easily doubled by small change in the clearance. However, the use of a high lift airfoil section increases the interaction with the ground boundary layer and may cause a decrease in the generated down force.
Markovian Analysis of Adaptive Reconstructive Multiparameter τ-Openings

A classical single-parameter τ-opening is a union of openings in which each structuring element is scaled by the same parameter. Multiparameter binary τ-openings generalize the model in two ways: first, parameters for each opening are individually defineds second, a structuring element can be parameterized relative to its overall shape, not merely sized. The reconstructive filter corresponding to an opening is defined by fully passing any grain (connected component) that is not fully eliminated by the opening and deleting all other grains. Adaptive design results from treating the parameter vector of a reconstructive multiparameter τ-opening as the state space of a Markov chain. Signal and noise are modeled as unions of randomly parameterized and randomly translated primary grains, and the parameter vector is transitioned depending on whether an observed grain is correctly or incorrectly passed. Various adaptive models are considered, transition probabilities are discussed, the state-probability increment equations are deduced from the appropriate Chapman-Kolmogorov equations, and convergence of the adaptation is characterized by the steady-state distribution relating to the Markov chain.
Neural Basis of Memory: Systems Level

A systems level approach to the neuroscientific investigation of memory looks at the ways in which different areas of the brain interact and communicate to achieve this function. Keywords: cognitive neuroscience; amnesia; frontal lobes; episodic memory; neuroimaging
Regulation of steady-state free Ca2+ levels by the ATP/ADP ratio and orthophosphate in permeabilized RINm5F insulinoma cells.

Stimulation of insulin secretion in the pancreatic beta-cell by a fuel such as glucose requires the metabolism of the fuel and is accompanied by increases in oxygen consumption and intracellular free Ca2+. A very early signal for these events could be a decrease in the cytosolic ATP/ADP ratio due to fuel phosphorylation. To test this hypothesis the regulation of free Ca2+ was evaluated in permeabilized RINm5F insulinoma cells that sequester Ca2+ and maintain a low medium free Ca2+ concentration (set point), between 100 and 200 nM, in the presence of Mg2+ and ATP. ATP, creatine, creatine phosphate, and creatine phosphokinase were added to the media to achieve various constant ratios of ATP/ADP. Free Ca2 was monitored using fura-2. The results demonstrated that the steady-state free Ca2+ concentration varied inversely with the ATP/ADP ratio and orthophosphate (Pi) levels. In contrast, no correlation between free Ca2+ and the phosphorylation potential (ATP/ADP.Pi) was found. Regulation of the Ca2+ set point by the ATP/ADP ratio was observed at ratios between 5 and 50 and at Pi concentrations between 1 and 7 mM, irrespective of whether mitochondria were participating in Ca2+ sequestration or were inhibited. Increasing the ATP/ADP ratio stimulated Ca2+ uptake by the nonmitochondrial pool but did not modify Ca2+ efflux. Glucose 6-phosphate (1 mM) had no effect on the Ca2+ set point. The data suggest that variations in the cytosolic ATP/ADP ratio induced by fuel stimuli may regulate Ca2+ cycling across nonmitochondrial compartments and the plasma membrane by modulating the activity of Ca2+ -ATPases. A mechanism linking fuel metabolism and cytosolic ATP/ADP ratio to activation of the Ca2+ messenger system in pancreatic beta-cells is proposed.
Can pediatric training manage in managed care

On January 18, 1995, the University of California convened a special meeting to discuss the business operations of its five academic medical centers in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Irvine. Because of the rapid developments occurring in the maturing and competitive managed care market in California, the academic medical centers are facing unprecedented financial pressures. Charles Townsend, of the accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick, stated that the medical centers9 staff would need to be cut by at least 2500 full-time equivalents, including physicians and nurses, by the year 1999. William Kerr, Director of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, forecasted a comprehensive restructuring and streamlining of services. Jordan Cohen, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, described the challenges facing these five academic medical centers and others like them as "truly seismic."1 The rise of managed care medical systems during the last 5 years has led many researchers to question whether the academic medical center will survive in its current state.2-6 Market forces are changing the provision of medical care at an extremely fast pace. By 1998, an estimated 60% of people living in US cities will be covered by managed care health plans. Fewer hospital admissions, shorter hospital stays, and decreased reimbursements associated with managed care have decreased hospitals9 operating gains. Academic medical centers, such as those in California, are facing pressure to lower health care delivery costs. The probable decreases in Medicare and research funds under the current Congress also threaten the financial revenues of academic medical centers.
Elevation of Extrahepatic Glutathione S-Transferase and Epoxide Hydratase Activities by 2(3)-tert-Butyl-4-hydroxyanisole

Investigations in these and other laboratories have established that administration of 2(3)- tert -butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) to rodents: ( a ) protects a variety of target tissues against the production of tumors by a wide range of chemical carcinogens; ( b ) reduces the levels of mutagenic metabolites produced from benzo( a )pyrene and numerous therapeutic agents in vivo ; ( c ) elevates the hepatic activities of microsomal epoxide hydratase and cytosol glutathione S -transferase; ( d ) alters the activities of other hepatic enzymes and affects the levels of some hepatic catalytic constituents; and ( e ) increases the concentrations of nonprotein thiol compounds in liver and several other tissues. Addition of BHA to the diet resulted in elevated glutathione S -transferase and epoxide hydratase activities in multiple extrahepatic tissues of female CD-1 mice and male Sprague-Dawley rats. In mice, glutathione S -transferase specific activities in cytosol doubled in lung and stomach and increased to 15 times control levels (with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene as substrate) in small intestine. Microsomal epoxide hydratase specific activity toward styrene oxide doubled in mouse colon and stomach and increased to nearly 6 times control levels in small intestine. Enhanced activities of these enzymes were observed in several other mouse tissues and in rat small intestine, kidney, and lung. Dietary administration of BHA to mice led to elevations of the concentrations of nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds in the mucosa of several digestive tract tissues as well as in the urinary bladder. Epoxide hydratase is a detoxifying enzyme which inactivates numerous mutagenic epoxides. However, elevation of epoxide hydratase activity may not necessarily exert a protective function in the case of all arene oxides since at least some forms of this enzyme catalyze an essential step in the formation of carcinogenic diol-epoxides of benzo( a )pyrene. The enhancement by BHA of extrahepatic glutathione S -transferase activities and nonprotein sulfhydryl levels, and possibly also the enhancement of extrahepatic epoxide hydratase activity, may be important factors in the mechanisms by which this antioxidant protects against chemical carcinogenesis.
Finding diverse optima and near-optima to binary integer programs

Typical output from an optimization solver is a single optimal solution. There are contexts, however, where a set of high-quality and diverse solutions may be beneficial; for example, problems involving imperfect information or those for which the structure of high-quality solution vectors can reveal meaningful insights. In view of this, we discuss a novel method to obtain multiple diverse optima / near optima to pure binary (0–1) integer programs, employing fractional programming techniques to manage these typically competing goals. Specifically, we develop a general approach that makes use of Dinkelbach’s algorithm to sequentially generate solutions that evaluate well with respect to both (i) individual performance and as a whole and (ii) mutual variety. We assess the performance of our approach on a number of MIPLIB test instances from the literature. Using two diversity metrics, computational results show that our method provides an efficient way to optimize the fractional objective while sequentially...
Parallel implementations of discrete relaxation technique on fixed size processor arrays

Discrete relaxation technique has been widely used in pattern recognition, artificial intelligence and computer vision. For the consistent labeling problem for labeling n objects with m labels, a parallel implementation based on a new sequential algorithm is shown. This non-partitioned parallel implementation runs in O(nm) time using nm PE's. Two partitioned implementations are then proposed. In the first implementation, O(n/sup 2/m/sup 2//P) time performance is achieved by using P PE's connected to a common bus, where P or=P/sup 2/. >
64 – Beer: Is It Alcohol, Antioxidants, or Both? Animal Models of Atherosclerosis

Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world and also historically the oldest. There are several possible active ingredients, especially alcohol which has been amply demonstrated by epidemiological studies. In addition the polyphenol antioxidants may be bioactive. Beer contains moderate amounts of these antioxidants but the large per capita consumption of beer makes it a substantial contributor to beverage antioxidants. In the United States it ranks third and ahead of wine which is in fourth place. Ethanol may be an antioxidant depending on the model. The polyphenols are always antioxidants and are active at sub-micromolar levels in an in vitro model of atherosclerosis, the oxidation of lower-density lipoproteins. Beer polyphenols also bind to these proteins potentially protecting them from in vivo oxidation and slowing down the atherosclerosis process. Short-term animal studies have shown that beer without alcohol is indeed an in vivo antioxidant and that beer is equally as protective as red wine. Beer countered the oxidative stress of alcohol and was an antioxidant in several rat models. Animal atherosclerosis studies with beer gave mixed results. In a hamster model at equal dilution of red wine and beer, beer proved to be an equivalent inhibitor of atherosclerosis by hypocholesterolemic and/or antioxidant mechanisms. Lager beer at a human-equivalent dose in this model was a significant anti-atherosclerotic agent. In a genetic mouse model with a lipid profile similar to humans, beer without alcohol was an effective anti-atherosclerotic agent but beer combined with alcohol was more effective. Both types of beer influenced protein expression that could beneficially impact atherosclerosis. Alcohol enhances the protective effect of beer in this model. Long-term human studies are needed to compare beer with and without alcohol and thus determine the bioactive ingredient(s).
Microchondrule-bearing clast in the Piancaldoli LL3 meteorite: a new kind of type 3 chondrite and its relevance to the history of chondrules

Electron microprobe, scanning electron microscope, and petrographic analyses of the microchondritic clast of the Piancaldoli LL3 chondrite are reported and compared with other type three chondrites. The clast, like other type three chondrites, has a fine-grained Fe-rich opaque silicate matrix, sharply defined chondrules, abundant low-Ca clinopyroxene and minor troilite and Si and Cr-bearing metallic Fe, Ni. However, the very high model matrix abundance, unique characteristics of the chondrules, and absence of microscopically observable olivine indicate that the clast is a new type of type three chondrite. It is concluded that the microchondrules were formed by the same process that formed normal-sized chondrules in type three chondrites: melting of preexisting dustballs. It is suggested that dust grains were mineralogically sorted in the nebula before aggregating into dustballs.
Inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase by bidentate chelating agents

1-2H-Phthalazine hydrazone (hydralazine; HYD), 2-1H-pyridinone hydrazone (2-hydrazinopyridine; HP), 2-quinoline-car☐ylic acid (QCA), 1-isoquinolinecar☐ylic acid (IQCA), 2,2′-bi-1H-imidazole (2,2′-biimidazole; BI), and 1H-imidazole-4-acetic acid (imidazole-4-acetic acid; IAA) directly and reversibly inhibit homogeneous soluble bovine dopamine β-hydroxylase (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine, ascorbate:oxygen oxidoreductase (β-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.17.1). HYD, QCA and IAA show competitive allosteric inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase with respect to ascorbate (Kis = 5.7(±0.9) μM, 0.14(±0.03) mM, 0.80(±0.20) mM; nH= 1.4(±0.1), 1.8(±0.4), 2.8(±0.6), respectively). HYD and IAA show slope and intercept mixed-type allosteric inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase with respect to tyramine. QCA shows allosteric uncompetitive inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase with respect to tyramine. HP, BI and IQCA all show linear competitive inhibition (Kis = 1.9(±0.3) μM, 21(±6) μM, and 0.9(±0.3) μM, respectively) with respect to ascorbate. HP and BI show linear mixed-type while IQCA shows linear uncompetitive inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase with respect to tyramine. In the presence of HP, HYD or IAA intersecting double-reciprocal plots of the initial velocity as a function of tyramine concentration at differing fixed levels of ascorbate are observed. These findings are consistent with a uni-uni-ping-pong-ter-bi kinetic mechanism for dopamine β-hydroxylase that involves a ternary enzyme-ascorbate-tyramine-oxygen complex. The results for HYD, QCA and IAA are the first examples of allosteric inhibitor interactions with dopamine β-hydroxylase.
An Integrated Approach for Processing Information Inquiries at the Time of a New Product Launch

At the time of launch of a new product there is a sizeable increase in the number of drug information requests received by the marketing company. It is important that medical personnel be available to support the information needs of medical professionals and the companies sales representatives without. crippling their clinical research activities. Therefore, it is essential that a system be in place which provides for the accurate and timely processing of these requests. This paper describes a system designed to meet these needs. The Drug Information Service is responsible for coordinating an integrated system for processing both written and telephone inquiries. Preparation for product launch includes the development of a comprehensive product bibliography and index to facilitate rapid access to published literature by the medical staff; the preparation of standard responses to anticipated inquiries; and the conduct of training classes of medical personnel who are to assist with responding to drug information questions. Consideration is given to the use of unpublished data and the legal implications of responding to medical inquiries. These activities are integrated into the existing automated drug information system database which allows for monitoring of activities, tracking of individual requests and retrieval of previously completed replies for re-use.