cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dodecylpyridinium alkanoates stabilize dispersed chlorophyll.

— In the presence of a surfactant that does not ligate Mg, chlorophyll is adsorbed to polyethylene particles swollen with tetradecane principally as the infrared-absorbing, highly polymeric species Chl 740. Examples of such surfactants are quaternary ammonium salts and soaps. However, when surfactants of opposite charge are present together, in this case dodecylpyridinium iodide and Na butyrate or myristate, chlorophyll may exist entirely in a dispersed form absorbing around 666 nm. Absorption and fluorescence spectral data show that much of the dispersed pigment is still associated, but as dimeric and perhaps short oligomeric species. It is concluded from fluorescence lifetime analysis that most of the observed fluorescence comes from a small population of chlorophyll that is probably monomelic and isolated; fluorescence of more highly associated species decays with a wide range of lifetimes. The capacity for photochemical sensitization of these particles with dispersed chlorophyll is similar to that of particles with ligating surfactants examined earlier. Structures are suggested for chlorophyll association in which Mg is ligated by water hydrogen-bonded to a carboxylate group, while the dodecylpyridinium counterion lies near the chlorophyll ring. The effect of the two surfactants is synergistic. Overall, spectra of dispersed chlorophyll adsorbates resemble most closely those of colloidal chlorophyll suspensions prepared by dilution of solutions in polar organic solvents with water.
Who Will Control the Blue Revolution? Economic and Social Feasibility of Caribbean Crab Mariculture

New mariculture technologies that use "appropriate" technology or rely on the natural productivity of the oceans to supply feed sources for seafood farming in coastal waters are being developed. These technologies may be feasible for small-scale commercial mariculture projects implemented by fishermen-farmers in developing countries. This article presents research data regarding the economic and social feasibility of the adoption of a new mariculture technology by artisanal fishermen in two small fishing villages in Antigua and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. The technology involves growing algae on offshore screens and feeding it to Caribbean spider crabs (Mithrax spinosissimus) raised in offshore cages. The research indicates that the adoption of crab mariculture by fishing crews is feasible because they have requisite values, skills, corporate resources, market relationships, and territorial rights. However, fishing crews may lack start-up capital and may require visible evidence of technologi...
The Dependence Of Nematic-Isotropic Transition Temperatures On The Anisotropy Of Polarizability Of The C-X Bond For Terminal Substituents

Abstract Examination of four molecular series of nematogens reveals that Tc is in general related to δα of the C-X bond, but not always directly proportional. Substituents which interact strongly with the remainder of the molecular π-electron system are among notable exceptions
The Discourse of Sodom in a Seventeenth-Century Venetian Text

Abstract This essay examines L'Alcibiade fanciullo a scola, a seventeenth-century text written in Venice. L'Alcibiade is a sort of Platonic dialogue between a sodomite teacher and his young and attractive pupil. The teacher tries to convince his student to let him penetrate him. The discourse of the sodomite teacher is similar to Lacan's “discourse of the master.” Maggi brings to the fore the intrinsic ambiguities of the sodomite discourse. On the one hand, since he posits himself outside society, the sodomite is able to manipulate and distort any sort of discourse. The sodomite teacher believes that women embody the religious/political power that oppresses sodomites. The master knows that any discourse exclusively aims to acquire a certain power. On the other hand, the sodomite discourse is nothing but another form of power/oppression. The master subjugates the other through his “sodomite rhetoric,” based on lies and puns.
Photometric method for routine determination of kcat and carbamylation of rubisco.

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (rubisco) is the first enzyme in photosynthetic CO2 assimilation. It is also the single largest sink for nitrogen in plants. Several parameters of rubisco activity are often measured including initial activity upon extraction, degree of carbamylation, catalytic constant of the enzyme (kcat), and the total amount of enzyme present in a leaf. We report here improvements of the photometric assay of rubisco in which rubisco activity is coupled to NADH oxidation which is continuously monitored in a photometer. The initial lag usually found in this assay was eliminated by assaying rubisco activity at pH 8.0 instead of 8.2, using a large amount of phosphoglycerate kinase, and adding monovalent cations to the assay buffer. We found that when using the photometric assay, the ratio of activity found initially upon extraction divided by the activity after incubating with CO2 and Mg2+ reflects the degree of carbamylation as determined by 14carboxyarabinitol bisphosphate/12carboxyarabinitol bisphosphate competition. We developed methods for measuring the catalytic constant of rubisco as well as the total amount of enzyme present using the photometric assay and carboxyarabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate. We believe that the photometric assay for activity will prove more useful than the 14CO2 assay in many studies.
Biocompatible, Lactide-Based Surfactants for the CO2−Water Interface: High-Pressure Contact Angle Goniometry, Tensiometry, and Emulsion Formation

The unique properties of compressed CO2, including its low cost, nontoxicity, easily tunable solvent strength, and favorable transport properties, make it an environmentally attractive alternative to volatile organic solvents. Suitable surface-active species can be utilized to realize the full potential of clean, CO2-based technologies, by helping to overcome the low solubility typically associated with many solutes of interest in CO2. In this work we synthesize and investigate the interfacial activity of a series of nonionic amphiphiles with a biocompatible and biodegradable CO2-phile at both the CO2−water (C|W) and CO2−water−solid (C|W|S) interfaces. We developed a high-pressure pendant drop tensiometer and contact angle goniometer that allows us to measure both tension and contact angle in tandem. The tension of the C|W interface was measured in the presence of the lactide (LA)-based surface active agents with varying molecular weight and hydrophilic-to-CO2-philic ratios. Emulsion studies with an optim...
Green Tea: A Potential Alternative Anti-Infectious Agent Catechins and Viral Infections

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, following water. Black, oolong, and green tea are products of a perennial tree or shrub called Camellia sinensis. Camellia sinensis is native to Mainland China and is referenced in Chinese literature at least 5000 years ago. Since its discovery, green tea has been heralded as having several health benefits associated with its consumption. Traditionally, green tea has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, such as the prevention and treatment of a variety of cancers, mental alertness, weight loss, lowering cholesterol level, and UV protection. Studies have shown that catechins, the polyphenols found in tealeaves, are effective as anti-infectious agents by affecting the infection process instead of specifically targeting the virus. This treatment strategy has the potential of reducing the prevalence of drug-resistant viruses and the reliance on anti-viral drug therapies. This paper will explore the efficacy of green tea in preventing infections by the hepatitis B and C, influenza and human immunodeficiency virus.
Chemical changes that predispose smoked Cheddar cheese to calcium lactate crystallization

Abstract We have observed a high incidence of calcium lactate surface crystals on naturally smoked Cheddar cheese in the retail marketplace. The objective of this study was to identify chemical changes that may occur during natural smoking that render Cheddar cheese more susceptible to calcium lactate crystal formation. Nine random-weight (approximately 300g) retail-packaged samples of smoked Cheddar cheese were obtained from a commercial manufacturer immediately after the samples were smoked for about 6h at 20°C in a commercial smokehouse. Three similarly sized samples that originated from the same 19.1-kg block of cheese and that were not smoked were also obtained. Within 2 d after smoking, 3 smoked and 3 control (not smoked) samples were sectioned into 5 subsamples at different depths representing 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 6, 6 to 8, and 8 to 10mm from the cheese surface. Six additional smoked cheese samples were similarly sectioned at 4 wk and again at 10 wk of storage at 5°C. Sample sections were analyzed for moisture, l(+) and d(−) lactate, pH, and water-soluble calcium. The effects of treatment (smoked, control), depth from cheese surface, and their interactions were analyzed by ANOVA according to a repeated measures design with 2 within-subject variables. Smoked samples contained signficantly lower moisture and lower pH, and higher total lactate-in-moisture (TLIM) and water-soluble calcium-in-moisture (WSCIM) than control cheeses. Smoked samples also contained significant gradients of moisture, pH, TLIM, and WSCIM, with lower moisture and pH, and higher TLIM and WSCIM, occurring at the cheese surface. Gradients of moisture were still present in smoked samples at 4 and 10 wk of storage. In contrast, the pH, TLIM, and WSCIM equilibrated and showed no gradients at 4 and 10 wk. The results indicate that calcium and lactate in the serum phase of the cheese were elevated because of smoking, especially at the cheese surface immediately after smoking treatment, which presumably predisposes the smoked cheeses to increased susceptibility to calcium lactate surface crystallization.
Conducting an Initial Session in Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples: Suggestions for Beginning EFT Therapists

ABSTRACT Emotion focused therapy for couples (EFT; Johnson, 2004) is an empirically supported model of couple therapy that is continuing to develop and mature. Excellent published resources exist for the therapist desiring to learn the EFT model yet sometimes uncertainty remains about exactly how to conduct an initial session. Questions also arise about how to integrate EFT-specific questioning with more general aspects of conducting a couple assessment. An outline of an initial session is offered that can be adapted depending on therapist preferences and client needs. Suggested elements include: joining/alliance building, eliciting presenting complaints, tracking the negative interactional cycle, obtaining relational and other history, asking about goals, assessing commitment, presenting a reframe, contracting for therapy, and assigning simple strategic “homework.”
On Some Properties of Correlation Functions Used in Optimum Interpolation Schemes

Abstract Objective analyses using the so-called method of optimum interpolation incorporates statistical information on the variable(s) by means of the covariance or correlation functions. The concern in this contribution is with some properties of the analytic forms of the correlation functions that are used to model the statistical structure. First, some attention is directed to the question of fitting the various analytic forms (containing adjustable constants) to samples of actual correlations. All but one of the candidate forms were indistinguishable on the basis of the residuals of the statistical fitting procedure. Second, the criterion of positive-definiteness of the correlation function is extended to stipulate that the transform (or spectrum) of the function should possess some features of the spectra of actual variables—the most important one being the spectral decay rate at high wavenumber. Again, all but one of the candidate forms (the same one as above) had transforms that were acceptable. T...
The Worst Science in the World

Emphasizing the importance of scientific research in early 20th-century British Antarctic expeditions, Larson argues for a new interpretation of the Scott-Amundsen race to the pole.
Perioperative Complications After Noncardiac Surgery in Patients With Insertion of Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents

The perioperative outcomes of noncardiac surgery in patients who have received second-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) have received limited study. We reviewed the medical records of 1,748 consecutive patients who received DES at our institution (1,789 procedures) from January 1, 2009, to July 1, 2012, to determine the outcomes of subsequent noncardiac surgery. During a median follow-up of 43 months, 221 patients underwent 345 noncardiac surgeries (138 low risk, 130 intermediate risk, and 77 high risk), of which 278 were in patients with previous second-generation DES implantation. The incidence of noncardiac surgery in patients with previous second-generation DES implantation was 4.5% at 1 year, 11.6% at 2 years, and 15.2% at 3 years. The mean time from stent implantation to surgery was 21 ± 12.9 months. Mean age was 66 ± 8 years, 99% were men, and 11% had a perioperative complication, including 5.8% major bleeding, 2.5% acute kidney injury, 2.2% major adverse cardiac event, and 1.4% stroke. Perioperative stent thrombosis occurred in 2 patients (0.7%, 95% confidence interval 0.2% to 2.6%): 1 patient had received a DES 14 months before surgery and had stent thrombosis on the day of surgery and the other had a DES implanted 21 months before surgery and developed stent thrombosis the day after surgery. In conclusion, the incidence of perioperative complications with noncardiac surgery after second-generation DES implantation was 11% and consisted mainly of bleeding (5.8%). The incidence of definite stent thrombosis was 0.7%.
Can ultrasound enable efficient intracellular uptake of molecules? A retrospective literature review and analysis.

Most applications of therapeutic ultrasound (US) for intracellular delivery of drugs, proteins, DNA/ RNA and other compounds would benefit from efficient uptake of these molecules into large numbers of cells without killing cells in the process. In this study we tested the hypothesis that efficient intracellular uptake of mole- cules can be achieved with high cell viability after US exposure in vitro. A search of the literature for studies with quantitative data on uptake and viability yielded 26 published papers containing 898 experimental data points. Analysis of these studies showed that just 7.7% of the data points corresponded to relatively efficient uptake (.50% of cells exhibiting uptake). Closer examination of the data showed that use of Definity US contrast agent (as opposed to Optison) and elevated sonication temperature at 37 � C (as opposed to room temperature) were asso- ciated with high uptake, which we further validated through independent experiments carried out in this study. Although these factors contributed to high uptake, almost all data with efficient uptake were from studies that had not accounted for lysed cells when determining cell viability. Based on retrospective analysis of the data, we showed that not accounting for lysed cells can dramatically increase the calculated uptake efficiency. We further argue that if all the data considered in this study were re-analyzed to account for lysed cells, there would be essentially no data with efficient uptake. We therefore conclude that the literature does not support the hypoth- esis that efficient intracellular uptake of molecules can be achieved with high cell viability after US exposure in vitro, which poses a challenge to future applications of US that require efficient intracellular delivery. (E-mail: prausnitz@gatech.edu) 2012 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
Hair and scalp disorders in ethnic populations.

From birth to advanced age, there are common hair care practices that can be observed and common hair disorders that occur based on chronologic age. Children have the simplest hair care regimen and fewer common disease processes compared with adults. Carried into adulthood, hair care can have profound effects on the health of the hair and scalp. Coupled with environmental exposure the genetic susceptibility to disease becomes apparent and disease processes can be identified. In this article the patterns of the most common scalp and hair disorders of African Americans are identified and treatment efficacy is reviewed. The examination of the scalp and the hair shafts is described in detail in the normal and disease states. Approach to treatment is outlined by age group and disease, with the overlay of the concerns and practices of African American patients taken into consideration.
The Design of an Intelligent Accountability Architecture

As more enterprises turn to SOA for the flexible deployment of business processes, adaptable and highly configurable infrastructures can be used to ensure that end-to-end quality of service requirements are met via automatic and dynamic process monitoring, diagnosis, and routing. We present the intelligent accountability middleware architecture (LLAMA) to support extensible SOA-based service process composition, run-time management, and configuration. It includes the infrastructure to continuously monitor services within an active service workflow, and dynamically adapt by performing run-time process reconfigurations. An open source enterprise service bus (ESB) project, Mule, has been adopted to incorporate its routing and interception mechanisms to create the LLAMA ESB to achieve dynamic configurability and dynamic routing that can be controlled and adjusted at run-time through agents and other LLAMA components and brokers. We measure the performance of the LLAMA ESB, specifically, the overhead of interceptors, and the profiling and dynamic routing infrastructure. We find that there is no significant overhead imposed by the LLAMA ESB.
Milk Production Response to Nitrogen Solubility in Dairy Rations

Abstract Twenty Holstein cows, in their 8th to 10th wk of lactation, were assigned randomly to four equal groups in a 2 × 2 factorial 9-wk experiment to determine the effect of nitrogen solubility on protein utilization. Two percents of protein (13 and 15%) and two nitrogen solubilities (22 and 42%) were obtained by selecting from natural feedstuffs. Four complete rations (concentrate plus sorghum silage) were fed ad libitum. Soluble nitrogen did not affect average daily intakes of dry matter, crude protein, or net energy-lactation. However, the higher protein increased these average daily intakes. The lower nitrogen solubility increased milk yield. No significant effects were detected in total milk solids, milk fat, milk protein, and milk solidsnot-fat percentages.
Group Processes in Experiential Training Groups in Botswana

While group counseling has the potential to be an effective form of intervention in sub-Saharan Africa, research on group processes that would help guide group interventions in the region is scarce. This study investigated therapeutic factors and group climate in experiential training groups in Botswana. The Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ; Bloch, Reibstein, Crouch, Holroyd, & Themen, 1979) and the Group Climate Questionnaire–Short (GCQ–S; MacKenzie, 1983) were collected from participants during three sessions of training groups in a group dynamics course. CIQ results indicated that group members prefer Cognitive Insight-oriented groups (Kivlighan & Holmes, 2004). The factor structure of the GCQ–S was not a good fit with this population, suggesting that cultural differences influence group climate variables.
RF-thermal-structural analysis of a waveguide higher order mode absorber

For an ongoing high current cryomodule project, a total of 5 higher order mode (HOM) absorbers are required per cavity. The load is designed to absorb Radio Frequency (RF) heat induced by HOMs in a 748.5MHz cavity. Each load is targeted at a 4 kW dissipation capability. Water cooling is employed to remove the heat generated in ceramic tiles and by surface losses on the waveguide walls. A sequentially coupled RF-thermal-structural analysis was developed in ANSYS to optimize the HOM load design. Frequency-dependent dielectric material properties measured from samples and RF power spectrum calculated by the beam-cavity interaction codes were considered. The coupled field analysis capability of ANSYS avoided mapping of results between separate RF and thermal/structural simulation codes. For verification purposes, RF results obtained from ANSYS were compared to those from MAFIA, HFSS, and Microwave Studio. Good agreement was reached and this confirms that multiple-field coupled analysis is a desirable choice in analysis of HOM loads. Similar analysis could be performed on other particle accelerator components where distributed RF heating and surface current induced losses are inevitable.
Approximation of surfaces in quantitative 3-D reconstructions

In serial section reconstructions, a series of planar profiles are taken representing curves on the surface of the structure to be reconstructed. For a number of quantitative serial section methods, approximation of a surface is done by the formation of tiles between points of adjacent profiles. As generally proposed, finding this approximation has been difficult due to the inordinately large number of possible solutions resulting from different combinations of tiles between points. Current algorithms have either applied heuristic criteria to force the formation of only one solution, or have searched all acceptable combinations for one that minimizes some cost function. The algorithm presented has been developed to choose the tiling which minimizes the estimated error when the tile approximation of the surface is used in subsequent quantitative algorithms such as the calculation of surface area. >
Micro-operation cache: a power aware frontend for the variable instruction length ISA

Introduces the micro-operation cache (Uop Cache-UC) designed to reduce the processor's frontend power and energy consumption without performance degradation. The UC caches basic blocks of instructions pre-decoded into micro-operations (uops). The UC fetches a single basic-block worth of uops per cycle. Fetching complete pre-decoded basic-blocks eliminates the need to repeatedly decode variable length instructions and simplifies the process of predicting, fetching, rotating and aligning fetched instructions. The UC design enables even a small structure to be quite effective. Results: a moderate-sized UC eliminates about 75% instruction decodes across a broad range of benchmarks and over 90% in multimedia applications and high-power tests. For existing Intel P6 family processors, the eliminated work may save about 10% of the full-chip power consumption with no performance degradation.
Accelerating Possession: Global Future of Property and Personhood

Accelerating Possession: Global Future of Property and Personhood. Bill Maurer and Gabrielle Schwab, eds. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006. 275 pp.
Advanced Computer Control and Testing of Remote Rotating Machinery Using Dependable Wireless Conduit

Direct computer control of industrial processes over wireless conduit is just beginning to get momentum among the manufacturing industries. Historically, it was restricted to space industry. Manufacturing industries preferred distributed control over direct computer control partly for the fact that the computer were not so reliable and reliable ones were quite expensive to be cost effective. As the computers are becoming more affordable and reliable, the direct computer control systems are being adopted by industry for monitoring and controlling of industrial processes. The process control scheme combines the power of computer processing and convenience of wireless conduit in one control system. We believe that the industrial process can be controlled from a computer over a wireless conduit. We also believe that the wireless direct computer control of an industrial process can be achieved through many of the currently available technologies. In this paper a direct computer control with a dependable wireless conduit for controlling, testing and monitoring of a remotely located rotating electric machine is presented. Several case studies are performed to validate the performance of the suggested control scheme. The results of the case studies are presented and finally a conclusion with recommendation for the future work is given
Does Television Viewing Cultivate Unrealistic Expectations About Marriage

One explanation for the high divorce rate in our society focuses on the idealistic expectations with which many people enter into marriage. The media have been cited as the source of or major contributor to these expectations; however, no empirical evidence exists to support that claim. Based on a survey of 285 never-married university students, this study sought to examine the relationship between television viewing, holding idealistic expectations about marriage, and intentions to marry. Results from regression and path analyses indicate that, although overall television viewing has a negative association with idealistic marriage expectations, viewing of romantic genre programming (e.g., romantic comedies, soap operas) was positively associated with idealistic expectations about marriage. Further, a strong and positive association between these expectations and marital intentions was evidenced. These findings are discussed in terms of both cultivation theory and the uses and gratifications perspective of media influence.
Mechanism regulating proasthmatic effects of prolonged homologous β2-adrenergic receptor desensitization in airway smooth muscle

Use of long-acting β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists to treat asthma incurs an increased risk of asthma morbidity with impaired bronchodilation and heightened bronchoconstriction, reflecting t...
Creating monolayers and thin films of a novel bis(alkyl) substituted asymmetrical polyoxotungstate, [[CH3(CH2)11Si]2OSiW11O39]4- using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

A bis(alkyl) substituted, asymmetric polyoxometalate {[CH3(CH2)3]4N}4{[CH3(CH2)11Si]2OSiW11O39}, was prepared and incorporated into monolayer and multilayer thin films using Langmuir–Blodgett techniques.
Simulation of Interaction Between Lamb Waves and Cracks for Structural Health Monitoring With Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors

In this paper, the detection for two kinds of cracks is studied: (1) linear notch crack; (2) nonlinear breathing crack. A pitch-catch method with piezoelectric wafer actives sensors (PWAS) is used to interrogate an aluminum plate with a linear notch crack and a nonlinear breathing crack respectively as two cases. The inspection Lamb waves generated by the transmitter PWAS, propagate into the structure, interact with the crack, acquire crack information and are picked up by the receiver PWAS. The linear notch crack case is investigated through: (1) analytical model developed for Lamb waves interacting with a general linear damage; (2) finite element simulation. The breathing crack, which acts as a nonlinear source, is simulated using two approaches: (1) element activation/deactivation technique; (2) contact model. The theory and solving scheme of the proposed element activation/deactivation approach is discussed in detail. The signal features of different damage severities are analyzed. Crack opening, closing, stress concentration, surface collision phenomena are noticed for the breathing cracks. Mode conversion is noticed for both crack cases. The generation mechanism and mode components of the new wave packets are investigated by studying the particle motion through the plate thickness. A damage index is proposed based on the spectral amplitude ratio between the second harmonic and the excitation frequency for the breathing crack. The damage index is found capable of estimating the presence and severity of the breathing crack. The paper finishes with summary and conclusions.
Physical Mechanism for the Tallahassee, Florida, Minimum Temperature Anomaly

Abstract Nighttime minimum temperatures at the Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH) are colder in comparison with surrounding locations and other parts of the city, especially during the cool season (TLH minimum temperature anomaly). These cold events are examined using the one-dimensional Oregon State University atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) model including a two-layer model of soil hydrology. The model is used for 12-h forecasts of the ABL parameters, such as surface fluxes, surface inversion height, and minimum temperature when clear, calm synoptic conditions existed over the region at night. The minimum temperature forecasts are performed at TLH and a nearby location. Cooling in the surface inversion layer is examined in terms of turbulence and clear-air radiative effects, and it is confirmed that the lower temperatures at TLH are related to the clear-air radiative cooling even in the lower part of the inversion layer but not to cold-air drainage. Stability, ABL height, and surface inversion height a...
Peptide Mapping and Amino Acid Analysis

As we have seen in Chapter 1, what uniquely defines a specific protein is its amino acid sequence, or primary structure. The methodology for determining the sequential arrangement of amino acids in a protein or peptide has been in place for some time. The first protein for which a full amino acid sequence was determined was the peptide hormone insulin by Frederick Sanger in 1953. At the time, this work was considered a major breakthrough, since it proved that proteins have uniquely defined structures. Sanger received the Nobel Prize for this work in 1958. While much of the chemistry involved in amino acid sequencing is now automated, the determination of protein sequences remains a tedious and technically demanding effort that is best left to laboratories that specialize in these methods. Nevertheless, the generalist can gain insight into the structure of target proteins by a number of methods that provide indirect information of amino acid composition and arrangement. Peptide mapping and amino acid analysis are often combined to provide this type of information. In this chapter we shall describe the methods commonly employed for peptide mapping and amino acid analysis of proteins. As we shall see, these methods are readily accessible to most protein scientists. At the end of the chapter, we shall briefly discuss the basis for protein sequence analysis. Again, the actual determination of protein sequences is largely the realm of experts, but it is worthwhile reviewing the chemistry involved in sequence analysis, since this is such an important part of modern protein science.
Value of delayed duplex ultrasound assessment after endothermal ablation of the great saphenous vein

Objective Endothermal ablation (ETA) of the great saphenous vein (GSV) is associated with a small but definite risk of endothermal heat-induced thrombosis (EHIT) extending into the common femoral vein. Follow-up duplex ultrasound imaging to detect EHIT after ETA is considered standard of care, although the exact timing of duplex ultrasound imaging to detect EHIT after ETA remains unclear. We hypothesized that an additional duplex ultrasound assessment 1 week after ETA would not identify a significant number of patients with EHIT and would significantly increase health care costs. Methods This was a retrospective review of consecutive ETA GSV procedures from 2007 to 2014. All patients were evaluated with duplex ultrasound imaging on postprocedure day 1, and 79% of patients underwent a second ultrasound assessment 1 week postprocedure. EHIT was considered present when proximal GSV closure progressed to level ≥4, based on a six-tier classification system. Results From January 1, 2007, until December 31, 2014, 842 patients underwent GSV ETA. Patients with EHIT were more likely to have had a prior deep venous thrombosis (DVT; P = .002) and a larger GSV ( P = .006). Forty-three procedures (5.1%) were classified as having EHIT requiring anticoagulation, based on a level ≥4 proximal closure level. Of the 43 patients with EHIT, 20 (47%) were found on the initial ultrasound assessment performed 24 hours postprocedure, but 19 patients (44%) with EHIT would not have been identified with a single postoperative ultrasound scan performed 24 hours after intervention. These 19 patients had a level ≤3 closure level at the duplex ultrasound scan performed 24 hours postprocedure and progressed to EHIT on the delayed duplex ultrasound scan. Lastly, thrombotic complications in four patients (9%), representing three late DVT and one DVT/pulmonary embolism presenting to another hospital, would not have been identified regardless of the postoperative surveillance strategy. Maximum GSV diameter was the only significant predictor of progression to EHIT on multivariate analysis ( P = .007). Based on 2014 United States dollars, the two-ultrasound surveillance paradigm is associated with health care charges of $31,109 per identified delayed venous thromboembolism event. Conclusions Delayed duplex ultrasound assessment after ETA of the GSV comes with associated health care costs but does yield a significant number of patients with progression to EHIT. Better understanding of the timing, risk factors, and significance of EHIT is needed to cost-effectively care for patients after ETA for varicose veins.
Undergraduate Public Health Degree Programs Best Practices for Integration Into Technical Colleges With Workforce Missions

The American Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health highlighted the critical need for public health education in the community college system in its 2014 Community College and Public Health report. The report details two associate degree prototypes: (1) Public Health: Generalist & Specializations and (2) Health Navigator. The prototypes were developed for transferring into bachelor’s programs, but employability for graduates with an associate degree in public health was not addressed in the report. Yet associate degrees in public health may not be a viable option for colleges whose mission and purpose require demonstrated regional employment for all graduates. Lake Washington Institute of Technology (Kirkland, WA) developed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Health (BASPH) after a labor market needs assessment and employer surveys demonstrated little employment potential for graduates with an associate degree in public health. The BASPH is the only 2+2 program (associate degree + 2 year...
Exploring S&T foresight tools and techniques: Learning from a Canadian federal pilot project

A retrospective on some of the events and challenges from the past 20 years demonstrates the high degree of uncertainty that has become the norm for the industrialized world, including Canada. From the challenges of AIDS to the end of the Cold War, and from the Human Genome to the World-Wide Web, the global context is full of surprises. It is clear that Canada's place is firmly in the world and not detached from it.
Detection rates of hypertension,hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia among workers under high temperature environment in Miyun area of Beijing

[Objective]To understand the incidence rates of hypertension,hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia and their risk factors among workers under high temperature environment in Miyun area of Beijing,provide the scientific basis for developing the intervention measures.[Methods]Workers exposed to high temperature environment in Miyun area of Beijing received the health examination from May to July 2011.Investigators who had been trained conducted the survey and putted the data in.According to relevant diagnostic criteria,the incidence rates of hypertension,hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia were analyzed.[Results]A total of 712 workers received the health examination,the detection rate of hypertension in males(14.90%) was higher than that in females(5.3%),and the detection rate of abnormal TG in males(22.1%) was higher than that in females(11.1%).[Conclusion]It is necessary to strengthen the health education among workers under high temperature environment,carry out the comprehensive prevention and control measures,so as to reduce the incidence rates of hypertension and hyperlipemia complications.It is suggested that the severe hyperlipemia should be regarded as the occupational contraindication of high temperature operation.
An analysis of risk sharing in strategic R&D and new product development projects

Abstract While prior research regarding strategic projects recognizes the tension inherent in interfirm relationships, less is understood of the impact of risk sharing in the design of the contracts guiding those relationships. This investigation illuminates important performance elements of projects as they differ in the amount of contractual risk that is shared among firms. Through a multivariate analysis of 240 United States defense department R&D and new product development contracts, we found that defense contracts with partner risk sharing built in involve more change and growth than their concentrated risk counterparts. Our results suggest that projects, when managed through interfirm contracts, are more likely to involve strategic change when risk is shared than when either the buyer or seller assumes full design, technical, and/or financial risk. The results further suggest that projects containing shared buyer and seller risk enhance the prospects of joint gain through the generation of opportunities for learning.
Interstitial pregnancy following homolateral salpingectomy. Report of 2 cases and a review of the literature

Abstract Interstitial pregnancy following homolateral salpingectomy is a rare occurrence, only 73 cases having previously been recorded. Two such cases are presented, together with a comprehensive review of the literature. The mechanism of fertilization and implantation is purely speculative in these cases, but both internal and external migration of the ovum has been implicated and is discussed. Ectopic pregnancy was the indication for the preceding salpingectomy in the majority of reported cases. The surgical procedures most commonly employed for the treatment of the interstitial pregnancy following the homolateral salpingectomy were cornual resection and hysterectomy.
Quantification of F-Ring and D-/E-Ring Isoprostanes and Neuroprostanes in Alzheimer’s Disease

Numerous in vitro cell culture, animal, and tissue homogenate studies have implicated free radical damage in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) 1,2. A variety of methods have been employed to assess the free radical damage; however, most of these methods suffer from either non-quantitative results, a lack of information about cellular localization, or both3- 10.
Behavior Comparison of Prestressed Channel Girders from High-Performance and Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete

In response to the demand for sustainable and improved bridge design practices, the development of emerging materials like ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) is at the forefront of structural innovation. UHPC offers significant advantages to bridge superstructure design as it provides advanced mechanical and durability properties, including high compressive strength and increased tensile capacity. With the introduction of high-strength steel fibers into mixture proportions, postcracking tensile and flexural tensile capacities are increased. These increased tensile capacities provide greater ductility and reduce or possibly eliminate the need for mild steel reinforcement. The present research investigated the behavioral response of full-scale prestressed bridge girders subjected to four-point flexural loading. Two channel-shaped girders were designed to provide equal design moment capacities to facilitate comparative analyses of performance. The first of these girders was designed with high-performance ...
Metastable cobalt nitride structures with high magnetic anisotropy for rare-earth free magnets.

Metastable structures of cobalt nitrides and Fe-substituted cobalt nitrides are explored as possible candidates for rare-earth free permanent magnets. Through crystal structure searches using an adaptive genetic algorithm, new structures of ConN (n = 3…8) are found to have lower energies than those previously discovered by experiments. Some structures exhibit large magnetic anisotropy energy, reaching as high as 200 μeV per Co atom (or 2.45 MJ m−3) based on first-principles density functional calculation. Substituting a fraction of Co with Fe helps in stabilizing new structures and at the same time further improves the magnetic properties. Our theoretical predictions provide useful insights into a promising system for the discovery of new rare-earth free magnets by experiment.
Monogamy relation in multipartite continuous-variable quantum teleportation

Quantum teleportation (QT) is a fundamentally remarkable communication protocol that also finds many important applications for quantum informatics. Given a quantum entangled resource, it is crucial to know to what extent one can accomplish the QT. This is usually assessed in terms of output fidelity, which can also be regarded as an operational measure of entanglement. In the case of multipartite communication when each communicator possesses a part of an $N$-partite entangled state, not all pairs of communicators can achieve a high fidelity due to the monogamy property of quantum entanglement. We here investigate how such a monogamy relation arises in multipartite continuous-variable (CV) teleportation, particularly when using a Gaussian entangled state. We show a strict monogamy relation, i.e., a sender cannot achieve a fidelity higher than optimal cloning limit with more than one receiver. While this seems rather natural owing to the no-cloning theorem, a strict monogamy relation still holds even if the sender is allowed to individually manipulate the reduced state in collaboration with each receiver to improve fidelity. The local operations are further extended to non-Gaussian operations such as photon subtraction and addition, and we demonstrate that the Gaussian cloning bound cannot be beaten by more than one pair of communicators. Furthermore, we investigate a quantitative form of monogamy relation in terms of teleportation capability, for which we show that a faithful monogamy inequality does not exist.
Review of Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:

Objective: To review the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Data Sources: Literature was accessed via MEDLINE (1950–February 2009) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1960–2009) using the medical subject heading terms omega-3 fatty acids and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. Additional references were found by searching bibliographic references of resulting citations. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All English-language, placebo controlled publications identified were analyzed for significance. Studies relevant to the objective were used, including eight studies evaluating the use of omega-3 fatty acid in the treatment of children with symptoms of ADHD. Data Synthesis: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been found to have variable efficacy in the treatment of patients with ADHD. Of the eight studies evaluated, three demonstrated no significant improvements in any evaluation criteria, with five studies reporting positive effects in at least one outcome measure. All positive efficacy studies included concomitant supplementation with omega-6 fatty acids. No clinically significant adverse effects were identified in the reviewed studies. Conclusions: Based on the available data, current fatty acid supplementation techniques do not appear to be a consistant method of controlling ADHD symptoms. Without better evidence to determine the true value of fatty acids in the treatment of ADHD, omega-3 fatty acid use should be isolated to adjuvant supplementation or used in patients unable or unwilling to take stimulant medications. If recommended, there does not appear to be clinically significant adverse events associated with omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and this would be a safe treatment modality.
A Systematic Review: Outcomes in Adult Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Treated with Intralesional Cidofovir or Bevacizumab:

Objectives(1) To systematically identify studies evaluating the use of intralesional cidofovir or bevacizumab as an adjunct in adult recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, determine disease severity...
Strain-Dependent Effects of Acute Alcohol on Synaptic Vesicle Recycling and Post-Tetanic Potentiation in Medial Glutamate Inputs to the Mouse Basolateral Amygdala.

BACKGROUND Inbred mouse strains are differentially sensitive to the acute effects of ethanol (EtOH) and are useful tools for examining how unique genomes differentially affect alcohol-related behaviors and physiology. DBA/2J mice have been shown to be sensitive to the acute anxiolytic effects of alcohol as well as the anxiogenic effects of withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure, while B6 mice are resistant to both. Considering that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is an important brain region for the acute and chronic effects of EtOH on fear and anxiety related behaviors, we hypothesized that there would be strain-dependent differences in the acute effects of EtOH in BLA slices. METHODS We utilized patch clamp electrophysiology in BLA coronal slices from 4 inbred mouse strains (A/J, BALBcJ, C57BL/6J, and DBA/2J) to examine how genetic background influences acute EtOH effects on synaptic vesicle recycling and post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) in response to low (2 Hz)- and high (40 Hz)-frequency stimulation. RESULTS We found that EtOH inhibited synaptic vesicle recycling in a strain- and stimulation frequency-dependent manner. Vesicle recycling in DBA/2J and BALBcJ cells was inhibited by acute EtOH during both low- and high-frequency stimulation, while recycling measured from A/J cells was sensitive only during high-frequency stimulation. Recycling at C57BL/6J synapses was insensitive to EtOH regardless of stimulation frequency. We additionally found that cells from DBA/2J and BALBcJ mice were sensitive to EtOH-mediated inhibition of PTP. CONCLUSIONS Acute EtOH application inhibited vesicle recycling and PTP at glutamatergic synapses in both a strain- and frequency-dependent fashion. Several presynaptic proteins that contribute to synaptic vesicle priming in addition to PTP have been implicated in alcohol-related behaviors, including Munc13, Munc18, and RIM proteins, making them potential candidates for the molecular mechanism controlling these effects.
[125/123I] 5-Iodo-3-pyridyl ethers: syntheses and binding to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Three 3-pyridyl ether nicotinic ligands-(S)-5-Iodo-3-[(2-pyrrolidinyl)-methoxy]pyridine (5-iodo-A-85865), (S)-5-Iodo-3-[1-(methyl)-2-pyrrolidinyl-methoxy]pyridine (5-Iodo-A-84543), and (S)-5-iodo-3-[1-methyl-(2-azetidinyl)-methoxy]pyridine (5-iodo-N-Me-A-85380) were labeled with I-125/I-123, and their ability to label high-affinity brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) was evaluated. The most promising ligand, [123/125I] 5-iodo-A-85865, showed approximately 65% inhibition of radioactivity uptake in thalamus in mice pretreated with cytisine. Preliminary SPECT imaging studies with [123I] 5-iodo-A-85865 revealed a distribution profile consistent with nAChRs (thalamus > frontal cortex > cerebellum) and a more rapid pharmacokinetic profile relative to azetidinyl 3-pyridyl ether based ligands.
Hybrids - Best of both worlds

An overview is presented of hybrid rocket propulsion systems whereby combining solids and liquids for launch vehicles could produce a safe, reliable, and low-cost product. The primary subsystems of a hybrid system consist of the oxidizer tank and feed system, an injector system, a solid fuel grain enclosed in a pressure vessel case, a mixing chamber, and a nozzle. The hybrid rocket has an inert grain, which reduces costs of development, transportation, manufacturing, and launch by avoiding many safety measures that must be taken when operating with solids. Other than their use in launch vehicles, hybrids are excellent for simulating the exhaust of solid rocket motors for material development.