cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of the Catalyst Program: Consultation and Collaboration in Gifted Education

A recent evaluation of the Catalyst Program, a resource consultation and collaboration program in gifted education, was conducted in order to investigate the effects of student academic performance...
A mathematical model for the joint metabolism of nitrogen and energy in cattle

Abstract A mathematical model for the joint metabolism of nitrogen and energy has been developed and its utility studied. It takes into account digestion, absorption, anabolism, catabolism, and excretion of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous nutrients. The model consists of a set of non-linear differential equations which, upon integration, yield predictions for changes in body proper and energy stores and for outputs of milk, heat, methane, and nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous wastes. Key aspects are the modes whereby nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous nutrients combine for body growth and milk production and nitrogenous nutrients split into non-nitrogenous nutrients and nitrogenous wastes. Values for some of the model parameters were obtained from the literature, but many of the important ones had to be estimated from experimental data. Estimation was accomplished by iterative weighted least squares fitting of the model to published results from energy and nitrogen metabolism trials on growing steers and on milking and non-milking cows fed widely-varying protein and energy intakes. The model was tested with metabolism data from trials not used in estimating parameters. Over 70% of the comparisons for daily output of faecal nitrogen and energy, urine nitrogen and energy, milk nitrogen and energy, and methane showed deviations between prediction and observation of 20% or less. These deviations were little greater than the discrepancy between observations for replicate trials, thus establishing a basic soundness of the model. Although fitted and tested with cattle, the model applies in principle to animals generally and man, for predicting outputs from widely-varying nitrogen and energy inputs as conditioned by species, type and physiological state. The model, with some extension, should permit more profitable ration formulation than do extant approaches over a very broad domain of feeding and price situations.
Villaret's syndrome : a report of two cases

The syndrome resulting from lesions of the lower four cranial nerves (CN) and the cervical sympathetic chain is known as Villaret's syndrome. We report two cases of the syndrome and emphasize the localizing value of this constellation of signs. The second case is unusual because involvement of the cervical sympathetic chain produced sympathetic overactivity, instead of the usual sympathectomy effect. Increased sympathetic outflow expressed as pupillary dilation, widened palpebral fissure, and facial sweating (the Claude Bernard syndrome) usually occurs as an early manifestation of apical thoracic tumors and has not been previously associated with Villaret's syndrome.
Research Commentary—The Integral Role of Families

The challenge for parents and families is to balance the caregiving demands of the ir ch i ld ' s chronic condition while maintaining their health and quality of life. FAMILIES PLAY AN integral role in pediatric nursing because families are the context for the growth and development of children (Friedman, Bowden, & Jones, 2003). Families function to provide basic needs for physical survival, including food and shelter, safety and protection, and emotional support, caring, and nurturance for children and other family members. Parents and families create a safe environment teaching children about the importance of health promotion and lifestyle choices, physical activity, and recreation. Thus, it is through families that children learn roles and routines, as well as being socialized to their culture and society. Because families are the context of care, pediatric nurses provide care to children in concert with their families. Families become vulnerable when they do not have the capabilities and resources available to meet the demands related to normative and situational stressors or economic strains and when there are health demands that the family is unable to meet (Friedman et al., 2003; McCubbin & McCubbin, 1993). Resilient families cope with these demands by building upon their strengths and capabilities to successfully adapt to these stressors (Friedman et al., 2003; Malone, 1998; McCubbin & McCubbin, 1993; Patterson, 1995). Family nursing interventions focus on assisting families to develop and maximize their capabilities and resources to improve their ability to function when they are challenged with these stressors (Malone, 1998). Thus, when families are confronted with a child's illness, families adapt by learning to manage care and reframing
Composite spiral growth kinetics of calcite revealed by AFM

In situ growth of CaCO3 on a cleaved (1014) calcite surface from aqueous solution is observed with an atomic force microscope. Growth layers form by the nucleation of steps at spiral sources centered on screw dislocations. The kinetics of simple (isolated) and composite (clustered) spiral sources and the development of spiral plateaus, growth-induced domain walls, and interdomain budding sites are described. Single and double-armed spirals, counterclockwise and clockwise spirals, and hollow-cored and uncored spirals are exhibited. Spiral arms rotate faster along the long rhomb diagonal, thereby pairing the steps emitted from double-armed spirals. Clustered spirals interact in ways which can increase their step nucleation rates above those of isolated spirals.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The relationship between phosphorylation potential and redox state in the isolated working rabbit heart.

Abstract The effects of the cytosolic and mitochondrial redox state on the function and phosphorylation potential of working perfused rabbit hearts were studied. Hearts were perfused with glucose, while lactate, aminooxy-acetate (an inhibitor of the malate-aspartate shuttle). β-hydroxybutyrate, and pyruvate were sequentially added to the perfusate to manipulate the cytosolic and mitochondrial NAD + /NADH ratio. The phosphorylation potential and product of ADP and P 1 were both found to be proportional to mitochondrial redox state. There was no overall relationship between cytosolic redox potential and the ATP ADP × P 1 ratio, although at high mitochondrial NADH, there was a tendency for the states with more reduced cytoplasm to be associated with a lower phosphorylation potential. Cardiac output and dP/d t were decreased after 75 μM aminooxy-acetate was present for 15 min, and remained low when 0.5-1.0 mM β-hydroxybutyrate was added, even though the β-hydroxybutyrate period was characterized by both very low cytosolic NAD + /NADH and high mitochondrial NADH. Function returned to normal when the cytoplasm was oxidized by addition of 10 mM pyruvate, and although MVO 2 rose from 4.0 ± 0.4 to 5.0 ± 0.5, this was not accompanied by statistical changes in either mitochondrial NADH or phosphorylation potential. Therefore, the cytosolic redox state may play a role in cardiac function, but has only a minor contribution to the regulation of the phosphorylation potential in the working perfused rabbit heart.
Spatial distribution of isoprene emissions from North America derived from formaldehyde column measurements by the OMI satellite sensor

Received 10 May 2007; revised 19 September 2007; accepted 25 October 2007; published 26 January 2008. [1] Space-borne formaldehyde (HCHO) column measurements from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), with 13 � 24 km 2 nadir footprint and daily global coverage, provide new constraints on the spatial distribution of biogenic isoprene emission from North America. OMI HCHO columns for June-August 2006 are consistent with measurements from the earlier GOME satellite sensor (1996–2001) but OMI is 2–14% lower. The spatial distribution of OMI HCHO columns follows that of isoprene emission; anthropogenic hydrocarbon emissions are undetectable except in Houston. We develop updated relationships between HCHO columns and isoprene emission from a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem), and use these to infer top-down constraints on isoprene emissions from the OMI data. We compare the OMI-derived emissions to a state-of-science bottom-up isoprene emission inventory (MEGAN) driven by two land cover databases, and use the results to optimize the MEGAN emission factors (EFs) for broadleaf trees (the main isoprene source). The OMI-derived isoprene emissions in North America (June–August 2006) with 1 � 1 resolution are spatially consistent with MEGAN (R 2 = 0.48–0.68) but are lower (by 4–25% on average). MEGAN overestimates emissions in the Ozarks and the Upper South. A better fit to OMI (R 2 = 0.73) is obtained in MEGAN by using a uniform isoprene EF from broadleaf trees rather than variable EFs. Thus MEGAN may overestimate emissions in areas where it specifies particularly high EFs. Within-canopy isoprene oxidation may also lead to significant differences between the effective isoprene emission to the atmosphere seen by OMI and the actual isoprene emission determined by MEGAN.
Monolithic GaAs/Si Integration

The recent demonstrations of room-temperature cw operation of diode lasers fabricated in GaAs/AlGaAs layers grown on Si wafers have encouraged efforts to develop monolithic GaAs/Si integration technology for applications such as optical interconnects between VLSI subsystems. This paper summarizes our current work in this area, which is focused on the development of a highspeed, MSI-scale monolithic GaAs/Si test chip that integrates Si MOSFET circuits with diode lasers, LEDs, photoconductive detectors, and MESFET logic circuits fabricated in GaAs/AlGaAs layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Growth issues and processing considerations that affect device and circuit performance are addressed, and the characteristics of LEDs monolithically integrated with Si driver circuits and of GaAs microwave MESFETs fabricated on high-resistivity Si substrates are reported.
Characteristic emission in glutaraldehyde polymerized hemoglobin

Hemoglobin with different modifications has been investigated using spectroscopic techniques. A new emission at around 371 nm has been observed under excitation of 305 nm from glutaraldehyde polymerized human hemoglobin. Intensity and peak position of the emission are dependent on both oxidation state and ligand environment and the emission has been identified from the hemoglobin oligomer.
Health maintenance and management in childhood disability

Health and health-related needs of children with disabilities are very broad in scope, and it is impossible to adequately cover all aspects in a single article. This article has tried, however, to highlight the issues common to disability, and lay the groundwork for the development of health maintenance guidelines for this population. The prevalence of childhood disability is on the rise, yet life expectancies are improving, and it is not uncommon for children even with severe disabilities to live well into adulthood. The ICIDH2 paradigm shift to focus on health and function rather than impairment and disability fits well with the national initiative to promote health for all. There is a paucity of information on the impact of childhood interventions on health in adulthood, yet it would be prudent to surmise that early interventions will be effective. Directed attention to the basic health needs and preventive measures for the management of children with disabilities is required. This can be difficult because the management of a child with disability is dynamic and challenging, and health care providers may find their time and energies consumed with just managing the more obvious and striking disability-related problems. The widespread ramifications of disability on both the individual and society, call for teamwork between family, health care providers, and the community. Although the specific needs of such a diverse group vary widely; as a group, children with disabilities have many common needs. These include the need for basic health maintenance and health promotion measures such as nutrition, immunizations and physical fitness, as well as coordination of services, psychologic and family support, technical assistance, funding resources, communication between health and education fields, and access to a "medical home," the site for primary care of the child. As a tree is bent, so it will grow. Efforts to promote growth and maximize opportunities for development, to inculcate healthy eating habits, to encourage exercise and socialization behaviors, and to strengthen the bond between the child with disability, family, and community will help minimize disability-related problems in adulthood. As children with disabilities are drawn into the mainstream of the concept of health, we should start to see the much awaited change in societal attitudes toward disability. The conditions resulting in childhood disability are many varied. Rather than developing condition specific health guidelines, it would be more advantageous to use a general health framework of anticipatory guidance, growth, development, medical management, psychologic and vocational counseling, and resource planning. Working off this framework, health maintenance and promotion measures can then be further individualized to suit the child and family's specific needs.
TIME-OPTIMAL EXTENSION OR RETRACTION IN POLAR COORDINATE ROBOTS: A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SWITCHING STRUCTURE1

The problem of time-optimal control of robot manipulators is of importance because of its potential for increasing the productivity of assembly lines. This work is part of a series of papers by the authors on this topic using direct and indirect methods of optimization. A cylindrical robot or a spherical polar robot constrained to the horizontal plane is considered, and optimal solutions for radial maneuvers are generated. Indirect methods are employed in order to establish the switching structure of the solutions. The results show that even such apparently simple maneuvers as extension or retraction of a robot with a prismatic joint can produce very complex optimal solutions. Timeoptimal retraction can exhibit ten different switching structures with eight switching points and two singular arcs.
Expression and purification of isotopically labeled peptide inhibitors and substrates of cAMP-dependant protein kinase A for NMR analysis.

Extensive X-ray crystallographic studies carried out on the catalytic-subunit of protein kinase A (PKA-C) enabled the atomic characterization of inhibitor and/or substrate peptide analogues trapped at its active site. Yet, the structural and dynamic transitions of these peptides from the free to the bound state are missing. These conformational transitions are central to understanding molecular recognition and the enzymatic cycle. NMR spectroscopy allows one to study these phenomena under functionally relevant conditions. However, the amounts of isotopically labeled peptides required for this technique present prohibitive costs for solid-phase peptide synthesis. To enable NMR studies, we have optimized both expression and purification of isotopically enriched substrate/inhibitor peptides using a recombinant fusion protein system. Three of these peptides correspond to the cytoplasmic regions of the wild-type and lethal mutants of the membrane protein phospholamban, while the fourth peptide correspond to the binding epitope of the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor (PKI5–24). The target peptides were fused to the maltose binding protein (MBP), which is further purified using a His6 tag approach. This convenient protocol allows for the purification of milligram amounts of peptides necessary for NMR analysis.
Post‐Traumatic Epilepsy: Cellular Mechanisms and Implications for Treatment

Epilepsy complicates severe head trauma. Development of persistent seizures appears to correlate with the extent of trauma. Although early reports suggested that prophylactic administration of antiepileptic drugs would prevent epileptogenesis, controlled studies have failed to corroborate this assumption. Head trauma initiates a sequence of responses that includes altered blood flow and vasoregulation, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, increases in intracranial pressure, focal or diffuse ischemia, hemorrhage, inflammation, necrosis, and disruption of fiber tracts. The presence of an intracranial hematoma has a robust association with the development of post-traumatic epilepsy. Extravasation of blood is followed by hemolysis and deposition of heme-containing compounds into the neuropil, initiating a sequence of univalent redox reactions and generating various free radical species, including superoxides, hydroxyl radicals, peroxides, and perferryl ions. Free radicals initiate peroxidation reactions by hydrogen abstraction from methylene groups adjacent to double bonds of fatty acids and lipids within cellular membranes. Intrinsic enzymatic mechanisms for control of free radical reactions include activation of catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. Steroids, proteins, and tocopherol also terminate peroxidative reactions. Tocopherol and selenium are effective in preventing tissue injury initiated by ferrous chloride and heme compounds. Treatment strategies for prevention or prophylaxis of post-traumatic epilepsy must await absolute knowledge of mechanisms. Antioxidants and chelators may be useful, given the speculation that peroxidative reactions may be an important component of brain injury responses. However, potential treatment strategies involving gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists, NMDA receptor antagonists, and barbiturates need further scientific assessment. Language: en
Financial Economics: A Concise Introduction to Classical and Behavioral Finance, by T. Hens and M. O. Rieger

Financial Economics: A Concise Introduction to Classical and Behavioral Finance, by T. Hens and M. O. Rieger, Springer, Heidelberg (2010), 373 pp., $99.00, 64.99, 74.95, CHF 107.50. ISBN 978-3-540-...
A Proposal for Input of Hand-Drawn Information to a Digital System

Much progress has been made in speeding up communications between input-output digital equipment and the central processing unit. Faster and faster card readers, printers and tape drives have been developed to match the vastly increased internal processing speeds of modern digital computers. In contrast, direct man-machine communication still lags far behind machine-machine data exchange. Much work is being done to ease this communications bottleneck in such areas as character recognition and voice recognition, which are but two of the more well-known examples.
Role of Tissue Doppler and Strain Echocardiography in Current Clinical Practice

The motion of a muscle, is performed only by the Carnous fibers, and each Carnous fiber has a power of contracting itself…. The force of the whole Muscle is but an aggregate of the contractions of each particular fiber. — —William Croone in De ratione motus musculorum (On the Reason of the Movement of the Muscles), 1664 Visual or semiautomated tracking of the endocardial border provide estimates of cardiac volume, which are used to derive ejection fraction, a quantitative indicator of ventricular function. However, the heart is a complex mechanical organ that undergoes cyclic changes in multiple dimensions that ultimately effect a change in chamber volume that results in ejection of blood. Regardless of imaging technique, ejection fraction is unable to provide information on the underlying myocardial mechanical activity. Also, ejection fraction reflects the sum contribution of several regions and does not provide information on regional function. Regional function assessed visually is subjective and prone to error.1 Quantification of regional myocardial activity (deformation) was feasible only in experimental studies by use of markers attached directly to the myocardium, a technique not practicable in the clinical realm.2 Myocardial tagging with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) introduced the opportunity to noninvasively track regional myocardial mechanics.3,4 Modifications to the filter settings on pulsed Doppler to image low-velocity, high-intensity myocardial signal rather than the high-velocity, low-intensity signal from blood flow allows similar assessment by ultrasound. This technique is commonly referred to as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) or Doppler myocardial imaging.5 The TDI method depicts myocardial motion (measured as tissue velocity) at specific locations in the heart. Tissue velocity indicates the rate at which a particular point in the myocardium moves toward or away from the transducer. Integration of velocity over time yields displacement or the absolute distance moved by that point …
Sustained-release morphine sulfate with sequestered naltrexone for moderate to severe pain: a new opioid analgesic formulation and beyond

Opioid usage during chronic nonmalignant pain has increased substantially over the past two decades. Prescription opioids have become the second most misused drug in the USA and prescription opioid abuse has escalated into a widespread public health problem. It is hoped that abuse-deterrent opioid formulations will take an important role in reducing opioid abuse, misuse and diversion. Embeda (sustained-release morphine sulfate with sequestered naltrexone) represents a new opioid formulation with an intended abuse-deterrent feature, now available on the market. Although Embeda seems to be a successful formulation by passing the efficacy trial, safety trial, pharmacokinetic study and abuse liability study, etc., it will require some long-term prospective epidemiological studies to substantiate fully its abuse-deterrent benefit. Embeda represents a new opioid formulation, adding to our arsenal to treat moderate to severe pain and playing its potential role in discouraging opioid abuse, misuse and diversion. ...
Update on the Molecular Biology of Nasal Polyposis

The definition of CRS with and without nasal polyposis continues to evolve. It may require an understanding of a broader range of etiologies and pathogenesis than bacterial or viral infection. One must know whether the inflammation is of infectious or noninfectious origin. Therapeutic options will include pharmacotherapies and surgery. The pharmacotherapeutic approach will include antibiotics, systemic and topical steroids, possibly antifungals, novel anti-inflammatory therapies such as the use of antibodies directed against inflammatory cytokines and antileukotrienes, and perhaps low-dose macrolide therapy. In the case of massive nasal polyposis, modern surgical techniques will have to be performed before these therapeutic options will be possible. Finally, the use of topical diuretics such as amiloride and furosemide has been studied and the initial responses seem to be encouraging.
Design of robot monocular vision based on DSP and CMOS image sensor

Aiming at the property of robot duty, this paper designed a monocular vision system. Based on the simplified HIS color model, the object status can be judged with a sampling method. With CPLD to form the control timing sequence, a CMOS image sensor is adapted to build up a hardware platform with a resolution of 0.3 M pixel. The high-performance DSP processor used can provide image processing and motion control functions simultaneously. The algorithm is verified with Matlab and then ported to DSP. Experimental result has shown that the system can implement the status judgement successfully.
Is it time for medical therapy for aortic valve disease

Calcific aortic stenosis is the most common indication for surgical valve replacement. Currently there are no medical therapies approved for the treatment of this disease. This review will summarize the clinical and experimental studies published over the past 5 years that indicate that medical therapy may be an option for this patient population.
Spectral range selection for face recognition under various illuminations

Multispectral imaging and fusion of multispectral images in visible spectrum have been employed and proved to enhance the recognition performance over conventional broad-band images, especially when the illumination changes. In this paper, we further our study toward the recognition performance of a smaller number of spectral band images. Given the illumination, we propose an automated method that specifies the optimal spectral ranges to achieve an improved recognition performance compared with conventional broad-band images. Our discovery can be practically used for a new customized sensor design associated with given illuminations for an improved face recognition performance over conventional broad-band images.
On the statistical dependencies of coalesced hashing and their implications for both full and limited independence

This paper gives the first optimal bounds for coalesced hashing schemes in the case of limited randomness, and thereby establishes the analytic performance of these schemes in a model that supports formal randomized computation. As a byproduct of this work, we attain a much simpler analysis of coalesced hashing schemes, which provides more information about the statistics of the underlying processes. We present the generating functions that govern the chain distribution and probe performance for coalesced hashing schemes, including asymptotic formulations when cellars are used.
Molecular Diagnosis of the Philadelphia Chromosome in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome was the first specific chromosomal abnormality to be consistently associated with a particular neoplasm, in this case chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML,)1. Formed by a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 222, the 22q-, or Ph1 chromosome is found in the malignant cells of more than 90% of patients with CML3. The presence of the molecular equivalent of a Ph1 chromosome is such a consistent finding in CML that it IS now the basis of a diagnostic test in routine clinical use.
Postnatal Growth and Age Estimation in Free-Ranging Bats: A Comparison of Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Sampling Methods

Abstract Estimates of postnatal growth rates and age based on data collected from free-ranging little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) captured sequentially at the same colony in the same year were used to compare longitudinal (mark–recapture) and cross-sectional (grab) sampling methods. Analyses of these data indicate that cross-sectional sampling significantly underestimates growth rates for length of forearm, body mass, and length of epiphyseal gap. Equations based on cross-sectional samples significantly overestimated ages of young, as compared with equations based on the longitudinal method. These results support the hypothesis that cross-sectional sampling is unreliable for deriving postnatal growth curves for free-ranging bats and emphasize the importance of using longitudinal data to derive growth rates and estimates of age during the postnatal period.
Long-term outcomes of gastrografin in small bowel obstruction

Abstract Background The gastrografin (GG) challenge is a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used to treat patients with small bowel obstruction (SBO); however, long-term data on SBO recurrence after the GG challenge remain limited. We hypothesized that patients treated with GG would have the same long-term recurrence as those treated before the implementation of the GG challenge protocol. Methods Patients ≥18 years who were treated for SBO between July 2009 and December 2012 were identified. We excluded patients with contraindications to the GG challenge (i.e., signs of strangulation), patients having SBO within 6-wk of previous abdominal or pelvic surgery and patients with malignant SBO. All patients had been followed a minimum of 1 y or until death. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression models were used to describe the time-dependent outcomes. Results A total of 202 patients were identified of whom 114 (56%) received the challenge. Mean patients age was 66 y (range, 19–99 y) with 110 being female (54%). A total of 184 patients (91%) were followed minimum of 1 year or death (18 patients lost to follow-up). Median follow-up of living patients was 3 y (range, 1–5 y). During follow-up, 50 patients (25%) experienced SBO recurrences, and 24 (12%) had exploration for SBO recurrence. The 3-year cumulative rate of SBO recurrence in patients who received the GG was 30% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21%–42%) compared to 27% (95% CI, 18%–38%) for those who did not (P = 0.4). The 3-year cumulative rate of exploration for SBO recurrence in patients who received the GG was 15% (95% CI, 8%–26%) compared to 12 % (95% CI, 6%–22%) for those who did not (P = 0.6). Conclusions The GG challenge is a clinically useful tool in treating SBO patients with comparable long-term recurrence rates compared to traditional management of SBO.
On nano-oxide coarsening kinetics in the nanostructured ferritic alloy MA957: A mechanism based predictive model

Abstract Nanostructured ferritic alloys are dispersion strengthened and imbued with remarkable neutron irradiation damage tolerance by an ultrahigh density of nano-oxide precipitates that must remain stable under prolonged high-temperature service. Here, previously reported long-time and high-temperature thermal aging data is used to derive a simple, but physically based and quantitatively predictive nano-oxide coarsening model using least square fits to equations representing different underlying mechanisms. A dislocation pipe diffusion model adequately fit the data with a dislocation-detachment climb mechanism providing the best fit. This model is consistent with microstructural observations and recently reported thermo-kinetic nano-oxide nucleation, growth and coarsening simulations that rationalize the underlying physics of coarsening. It is predicted that the nano-oxides will remain fully stable up to 900 °C. This remarkable coarsening resistance is due to the extremely low matrix solubility and diffusion rate of Y in equilibrium with Y 2 Ti 2 O 7 that activates lower resistant paths along dislocations.
Aerosol detection efficiency in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract An electrostatic size classification technique was used to segregate particles of known composition prior to being injected into an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Size-segregated particles were counted with a condensation nuclei counter as well as sampled with an ICP-MS. By injecting particles of known size, composition, and aerosol concentration into the ICP-MS, efficiencies of the order of magnitude aerosol detection were calculated, and the particle size dependencies for volatile and refractory species were quantified. Similar to laser ablation ICP-MS, aerosol detection efficiency was defined as the rate at which atoms were detected in the ICP-MS normalized by the rate at which atoms were injected in the form of particles. This method adds valuable insight into the development of technologies like laser ablation ICP-MS where aerosol particles (of relatively unknown size and gas concentration) are generated during ablation and then transported into the plasma of an ICP-MS. In this study, we characterized aerosol detection efficiencies of volatile species gold and silver along with refractory species aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, and yttrium oxide. Aerosols were generated with electrical mobility diameters ranging from 100 to 1000 nm. In general, it was observed that refractory species had lower aerosol detection efficiencies than volatile species, and there were strong dependencies on particle size and plasma torch residence time. Volatile species showed a distinct transition point at which aerosol detection efficiency began decreasing with increasing particle size. This critical diameter indicated the largest particle size for which complete particle detection should be expected and agreed with theories published in other works. Aerosol detection efficiencies also displayed power law dependencies on particle size. Aerosol detection efficiencies ranged from 10− 5 to 10− 11. Free molecular heat and mass transfer theory was applied, but evaporative phenomena were not sufficient to explain the dependence of aerosol detection on particle diameter. Additional work is needed to correlate experimental data with theory for metal-oxides where thermodynamic property data are sparse relative to pure elements. Lastly, when matrix effects and the diffusion of ions inside the plasma were considered, mass loading was concluded to have had an effect on the dependence of detection efficiency on particle diameter.
Biotransformations catalyzed by cloned p-cymene monooxygenase from Pseudomonas putida F1

p-Cymene monooxygenase (CMO) from Pseudomonas putida F1 consists of a hydroxylase (CymA1) and a reductase component (CymA2) which initiate p-cymene (p-isopropyltoluene) catabolism by oxidation of the methyl group to p-isopropylbenzyl alcohol (p-cumic alcohol). To study the possible diverse range of substrates catalyzed by CMO, the cymA1A2 genes were cloned in an Escherichia coli pT7-5 expression system and the cells were used in transformation experiments. The tested substrates include different substituents on the aromatic ring at the 2 (ortho), 3 (meta) or 4 (para) position relative to the methyl moiety. As a result, a distinct preference was observed for substrates containing at least an alkyl or heteroatom substituent at the para-position of toluene. The conversion rate of 4-chlorotoluene or 4-methylthiotoluene to the corresponding benzyl alcohol was found to be as good as the canonical substrate, p-cymene. But 3-chlorotoluene, 4-fluorotoluene and 4-nitrotoluene were relatively poor substrates. CMO is also capable of producing styrene oxide from styrene. However, the oxidation of 4-chlorostyrene to 4-chlorostyrene oxide was by far the fastest among the substrates used in this study. The various biotransformation products were identified by a combined solid phase microextraction/gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analytical technique.
Synergetic role of photogenerated electrons and holes in the oxidation of CO to CO2 on reduced TiO2(110): A first-principles study

We present the role of photogenerated charge carriers in the oxidation of CO by O2 on reduced, rutile TiO2(110) based on first-principles DFT calculations. Our calculations show that hole-trapped O2 at the O vacancy site adopts a tilted open ring configuration, while an additional electron preferentially localizes at the CO-bound Ti site. The electron–hole separated configuration likely converts to the O–O–C–O complex with a small barrier of around 0.1 eV. From the neutral intermediate state, CO2 is predicted to desorb off the surface with a barrier less than 0.2 eV if another hole is available. For comparison, we also look at both thermally activated and hole-mediated CO oxidation processes, but the predicted overall barriers of around 0.9 and 0.5 eV, respectively, appear to be high for facile CO oxidation at low temperatures. Our findings clearly highlight that excess electrons and holes can synergetically contribute to CO photooxidation, which is consistent with a recent experimental study by Petrik an...
Therapeutic Communication: Reliability Testing of the Therapist Language Coding System

Supervisors in all health care disciplines are required to evaluate supervisee performance. A particularly difficult but essential performance dimension to evaluate is therapeutic rapport, the rela...
Research Progresses in the Corrosion and Protection of Grounding Grid at Substation

Grounding grid is an important device guaranteeing the safe operation of electrical equipments and power grid.However,grounding grid is subject to corrosion in service environments.In this paper,the corrosion mechanism of grounding grid is analyzed,and the research progresses in the development of materials and anti-corrosion methods for grounding grid has been reviewed.
Effects of oligomycin on the (Na + + K + )-dependent adenosine triphosphatase.

Oligomycin inhibited a rat brain (Na+ + K+)-dependent ATPase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC [3.6.1.3][1]) preparation, but the inhibition was incomplete even at high oligomycin concentrations, and Dixon plots were concave downward. Inhibition increased as the incubation temperature was lowered. Elevated MgCl2 concentrations antagonized the inhibition, and relative inhibition was less at low (1 µM) than at high (1-3 mM) ATP concentrations. In the presence of ouabain, which also inhibited the enzyme, the relative efficacy of oligomycin decreased. Oligomycin influenced the kinetics of cation activation, diminishing V max and n (the slope of the Hill plot, an index of cooperativity) for both NaCl and KCl, and also reducing K 0.5 (the concentration for half-maximal activation) for NaCl. Inhibition of the associated K+-dependent phosphatase activity could be demonstrated in the presence of NaCl, and oligomycin reduced V max and n for KCl activation in this case also. The data suggest that oligomycin decreases ATPase activity by affecting the equilibria between alternative allosteric forms of the enzyme, oligomycin favoring a form with a lower V max and a higher Q 10, and with n for cation activation near 1.0; this shift in equilibria would be opposed by MgCl2 and temperature. It is proposed that both forms, reminiscent of E 1 and E 2, catalyze (Na+ + K+)-dependent hydrolysis and cation transport, since inhibition of transport by oligomycin is also reported to be incomplete. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The careful technical assistance of Mr. Ronald Olmstead and Miss Mary Neville is gratefully acknowledged. [1]: pending:yes
Effect of copper-doped silicate 13–93 bioactive glass scaffolds on the response of MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro and on bone regeneration and angiogenesis in rat calvarial defects in vivo

Abstract The release of inorganic ions from biomaterials could provide an alternative approach to the use of growth factors for improving tissue healing. In the present study, the release of copper (Cu) ions from bioactive silicate (13–93) glass scaffolds on the response of cells in vitro and on bone regeneration and angiogenesis in vivo was studied. Scaffolds doped with varying concentrations of Cu (0–2.0 wt.% CuO) were created with a grid-like microstructure by robotic deposition. When immersed in simulated body fluid in vitro, the Cu-doped scaffolds released Cu ions into the medium in a dose-dependent manner and converted partially to hydroxyapatite. The proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the scaffolds were not affected by 0.4 and 0.8 wt.% CuO in the glass but they were significantly reduced by 2.0 wt.% CuO. The percent new bone that infiltrated the scaffolds implanted for 6 weeks in rat calvarial defects (46 ± 8%) was not significantly affected by 0.4 or 0.8 wt.% CuO in the glass whereas it was significantly inhibited (0.8 ± 0.7%) in the scaffolds doped with 2.0 wt.% CuO. The area of new blood vessels in the fibrous tissue that infiltrated the scaffolds increased with CuO content of the glass and was significantly higher for the scaffolds doped with 2.0 wt.% CuO. Loading the scaffolds with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (1 μg/defect) significantly enhanced bone infiltration and reduced fibrous tissue in the scaffolds. These results showed that doping the 13–93 glass scaffolds with up to 0.8 wt.% CuO did not affect their biocompatibility whereas 2.0 wt.% CuO was toxic to cells and detrimental to bone regeneration.
Results of the Mustard operation for dextro-transposition of the great arteries

One hundred twenty patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (TGA) underwent intra-arterial baffle repair using thin Dacron fabric from 1971 to 1979. The ages of the patients ranged from 29 days to 17 years (mean age 28 months). Thirty-five patients had undergone 49 preliminary palliative operations. Early postoperative mortality was 4.8% for patients with simple TGA but was higher among patients with associated ventricular septal defect (26%), VSD and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (28.5%) and intact ventricular septum with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (12.5%). Early nonfatal postoperative complications included low cardiac output (23.3%), respiratory insufficiency (35.8%), junctional rhythm (34.1%), superior vena caval (SVC) obstruction (9.1%), and chylothorax (7.5%). Late postoperative mortality for all groups was 7.5% (nine patients). Late cardiac dysrhythmias occurred in 33 patients (40.7%). Normal sinus rhythm has been preserved in all patients since direct, high SVC cannulation was instituted. Late postoperative hemodynamic and angiographic evaluation in 61 patients revealed severe to total SVC obstruction in 12 patients (20.2%) and pulmonary venous obstruction in four patients (6.5%). Among the latter, two patients died following reoperation and another patient died without operation. SVC obstruction was clinically important in only three patients, two of whom have undergone successful reoperation. All other late survivors are acyanotic and clinically well. The Mustard operation has dramatically improved the survival rate and quality of life for patients with TGA. However, postoperative caval and pulmonary venous obstruction are problems which require additional technical modifications and stimulate the search for alternative corrective operations.
Signaling Crosstalk between Tubular Epithelial Cells and Interstitial Fibroblasts after Kidney Injury.

Background: A wide variety of kidney diseases ultimately lead to tubulointerstitial damage. The initial site of injury is usually the renal tubules, with activati
H-infinity control via scenario optimization for handling and stabilizing vehicle using AFS control

Due to the day by day emergence of automobile industry, improvement in sensor technologies and the need to reduce the occurrence of accident vehicle handling and stability improvement technologies emanating. In this paper a novel H infinity controller via scenario optimization (H-infinity VSO) is presented for Active front steer (AFS) control the aim is to handle and stabilize vehicle under the uncertainty of parameter road adhesion coefficient µ. Parameter uncertainty is translated into perturbed matrixes. Optimal controller gains are calculated by considering predefined scenarios extracted according to the parameters e and β. e represents the probability of violation of LMI constraints and β represents confidence or risk failure. In this manner a chance constrained problem is solved which results in less conservativeness in stability and optimality. The results of proposed approach are much improved as compared to the optimal guaranteed cost controller (OGCC) and optimal coordination (OC) controller.
Some More Tips for the Would-Be Entrepreneur

This chapter presents some tips for the would-be entrepreneur by presenting a summary of lessons the author has learned from experience and from several talented individuals. Typical exit strategies are acquisition or initial public stock offering (also called ?>going public ?>). If a person is self-financed, customer-financed, or bootstrapped, his/her exit strategy might not be to exit at all, but instead to create a company that maintains a number of employees in an acceptable lifestyle via lucrative salaries. If the right steps are taken for the long-term growth of the company, he/she will be far more attractive to a responsible prospective acquisition partner. Other tips include having an integrated financial plan and an integrated product/service plan, and practicing integrity of all. Honesty and openness are essential ingredients for dealing with everybody in business: customers, users, employees, colleagues and investors.
Caleb and the Conquest

Having now spent the preceding ten chapters investigating King David and the minor figures who surround him, I will pivot here and turn my attention in the next three chapters to a Judahite hero who lived long before David but who is nevertheless closely related to him: Caleb ben Jephunneh. In probing the biblical memories of Caleb’s exemplary deeds, we will see how they evolved in competition with the veneration of King David. A series of biblical passages (from Numbers and Deuteronomy) ascribe to this figure exemplary deeds during the conquest of Canaan. Most importantly, Caleb is remembered as the one who opposed the spies who discouraged Israel from undertaking an invasion of the land. In other accounts (from Joshua and Judges), Caleb dispossesses the formidable Anakites who occupy Hebron, a central place in the kingdom of Judah. In the process of transforming Calebite identity, the biblical authors integrated Caleb into Judahite history. The means they adopted to achieve this integration was war commemoration. By inserting texts in the canonical narrative of Israel’s history of conquest, they amplified this war memory to include tales of the Calebites’ ancestor performing indispensable deeds of valor on the behalf of Judah and of all Israel. As such, this literary supplementation illustrates the relationship between commemoration and national integration that I am exploring in this book.
Biomimetic Cardiac Tissue Model Enables the Adaption of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiomyocytes to Physiological Hemodynamic Loads

Induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) provide a human source of cardiomyocytes for use in cardiovascular research and regenerative medicine. However, attempts to use these cells in vivo have resulted in drastic cell death caused by mechanical, metabolic, and/or exogenous factors. To explore this issue, we designed a Biomimetic Cardiac Tissue Model (BCTM) where various parameters associated with heart function including heart rate, peak-systolic pressure, end-diastolic pressure and volume, end-systolic pressure and volume, and ratio of systole to diastole can all be precisely manipulated to apply hemodynamic loading to culture cells. Using the BCTM, two causes of low survivability in current cardiac stem cell therapies, mechanical and metabolic, were explored. iPSC-CMs were subject to physiologically relevant mechanical loading (50 mmHg systolic, 10% biaxial stretch) in either a low- or high-serum environment and mechanical loads were applied either immediately or gradually. Resul...
Sensitivity Analysis of Granularity Levels in Complex Biological Networks

The influx of biomedical measurement technologies continues to define a rapidly changing and growing landscape, multi-modal and uncertain in nature. The focus of the biomedical research community shifted from pure data generation to the development of methodologies for data analytics. Although many researchers continue to focus on approaches developed for analyzing single types of biological data, recent attempts have been made to utilize the availability of multiple heterogeneous data sets that contain various types of data and try to establish tools for data fusion and analysis in many bioinformatics applications. At the heart of this initiative is the attempt to consolidate the domain knowledge and experimental data sources in order to enhance our understanding of highly-specific conditions dependent on sensory data containing inherent error. This challenge refers to granularity: the specificity or mereology of alternate information sources may impact the final data fusion. In an earlier work, we employed data integration methods to analyze biological data obtained from protein interaction networks and gene expression data. We conducted a study to show that potential problems can arise from integrating or fusing data obtained at different granularity levels and highlight the importance of developing advanced data fusing techniques to integrate various types of biological data for analytical purposes. In this work, we explore the impact of granularity from a more formulized approach and show that granularity levels significantly impact the quality of knowledge extracted from the heterogeneous data sets. Further, we extend our previous results to study the relationship between granularity and knowledge extraction across multiple diseases, examining generalizability and estimating the utility of a similar methodology to reflect the impact of granularity levels.