cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and characterization of submicron formulation for a poorly soluble drug: the effect of Vitamin E TPGS and other solubilizers on skin permeability enhancement.

Abstract In transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS), it is a challenge to achieve stable and prolonged high permeation rates across the skin since the concentrations of the drug dissolved in the matrix have to be high in order to maintain zero order release kinetics. Several attempts have been reported to improve the permeability of poorly soluble drug compounds using supersaturated systems, however, due to thermodynamic challenges, there was a high tendency for the drug to nucleate immediately after formulating or even during storage. The present study focuses on the efficiency of drug crystals at the submicron/nano range in presence of different solubilizers to improve the permeation rate. Effect of several solubilizers, e.g. Pluronic F-127, Vitamin E TPGS, propylene glycol were studied on the submicron suspension systems of ibuprofen as a model drug. Various stabilizers such as hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were examined to evaluate their crystal inhibitory effects on particle growth of the drug compound at submicron range. The overall permeation enhancement process through the skin seems to be influenced by the presence of solubilizers and also the presence of submicron drug crystal. The most promising stable formulation was developed with Vitamin E TPGS + HPMC submicron suspension, which produced higher permeation rate compared to other vehicles.
Ordered cerium oxide thin films grown on Ru(0001) and Ni(111)

Abstract Cerium oxide thin films between 1–10 ML thick have been grown in situ on the Ru(0001) and Ni(111) surfaces. The films were highly ordered with an orientation determined by the orientation of the substrate on which they were grown, as shown by ion scattering spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The principal azimuths of the oxide films were aligned parallel to the principal azimuths of the substrates. The lattice constant of the films was nominally the same as for CeO 2 with a fluorite structure. Optimal films were grown by dosing metallic Ce at a rate of ca 3×10 14 min −1 cm −2 in an oxygen background while the substrate was at 700 K. Fully oxidized films could be grown by using an oxygen pressure near 10 −7 Torr, whereas substoichiometric films could be grown by decreasing the oxygen pressure. The fully oxidized films were predominantly terminated by an oxygen layer, whereas the substoichiometric films had a significant amount of cerium in the top layer. The structure of the reduced oxide films was most consistent with a CeO 2 (111) surface that contained numerous oxygen vacancies. The films grown on Ru(0001) were fully stable in terms of structure and composition at temperatures up to 1000 K. The films grown on Ni(111) lost oxygen upon annealing to 1000 K.
Youth Problem Behaviors 8 Years After Implementing the Communities That Care Prevention System: A Community-Randomized Trial

IMPORTANCE Community-based efforts to prevent adolescent problem behaviors are essential to promote public health and achieve collective impact community wide. OBJECTIVE To test whether the Communities That Care (CTC) prevention system reduced levels of risk and adolescent problem behaviors community wide 8 years after implementation of CTC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A community-randomized trial was performed in 24 small towns in 7 states, matched within state, assigned randomly to a control or intervention group in 2003. All fifth-grade students attending public schools in study communities in 2003-2004 who received consent from their parents to participate (76.4% of the eligible population) were included. A panel of 4407 fifth graders was surveyed through 12th grade, with 92.5% of the sample participating at the last follow-up. INTERVENTIONS A coalition of community stakeholders received training and technical assistance to install CTC, used epidemiologic data to identify elevated risk factors and depressed protective factors for adolescent problem behaviors in the community, and implemented tested and effective programs for youths aged 10 to 14 years as well as their families and schools to address their community's elevated risks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Levels of targeted risk; sustained abstinence, and cumulative incidence by grade 12; and current prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use, delinquency, and violence in 12th grade. RESULTS By spring of 12th grade, students in CTC communities were more likely than students in control communities to have abstained from any drug use (adjusted risk ratio [ARR] = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.06-1.63), drinking alcohol (ARR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09-1.58), smoking cigarettes (ARR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.27), and engaging in delinquency (ARR = 1.18; 95% CI, 1.03-1.36). They were also less likely to ever have committed a violent act (ARR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.98). There were no significant differences by intervention group in targeted risks, the prevalence of past-month or past-year substance use, or past-year delinquency or violence. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Using the CTC system continued to prevent the initiation of adolescent problem behaviors through 12th grade, 8 years after implementation of CTC and 3 years after study-provided resources ended, but did not produce reductions in current levels of risk or current prevalence of problem behavior in 12th grade. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01088542. Language: en
Aerodynamic Yaw Controller for the Space Shuttle Orbiter

A wind-tunnel investigation of the effectiveness of an aerodynamic yaw controller mounted on the lower surface of a Space Shuttle Orbiter model body flap was conducted in the Langley 31-Inch Mach 10 tunnel. The controller, consisting of a 60-deg delta fin mounted perpendicular to the body-flap lower surface and yawed 30 deg to the freestream direction, was tested at orbiter angles of attack from 20 to 40 deg at zero sideslip for a Reynolds number based on the wing mean aerodynamic chord of 0.66 x 10 6 . The aerodynamic control characteristics are presented with an analysis of the effectiveness of the controller in making a bank maneuver for Mach 18 flight conditions. The analysis shows that the controller is as effective as the reaction control system in initiating the bank maneuver. These results warrant further studies to determine the aerodynamic heating on the control surfaces and the effects of controller hinge-line cant angle and body-flap deflection on the controller effectiveness.
Soccer Ball Heading Model

Increasing attention on health and safety has brought attention to the possible cumulative head trauma of soccer ball heading. Attempts to study the correlation of neurocognitive deficits with heading, the acceleration of the head during heading, and the effectiveness of soccer headgear have appeared in the literature [1–7]. Lacking was an analytically based, experimentally verified biomechanics model of the impact between the soccer ball and the head. Such a model was attempted here. Figure 1 shows (a) a drawing of the impact at time t used to develop the theoretical analysis and (b) the solid resin sphere and fixture, soccer ball, and force plate experimental apparatus.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Network coherence in fractal graphs

We study distributed consensus algorithms in fractal networks where agents are subject to external disturbances. We characterize the coherence of these networks in terms of an H 2 norm of the system that captures how closely agents track the consensus value. We show that, in first-order systems, the coherence measure is closely related to the global mean first passage time of a simple random walk. We can therefore draw directly from the literature on random walks in fractal graphs to derive asymptotic expressions for the coherence in terms of the network size and dimension. We then show how techniques employed in the random walks setting can be extended to analyze the coherence of second-order consensus algorithms in fractal graphs with tree-like structures, and we present asymptotic results for these second-order systems.
Silicon and zinc telluride nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation: size distributions and nanoscale structure

Size distributions of Si and ZnTe nanoparticles produced by low energy density ArF (193 nm) pulsed laser ablation into ambient gases were measured as a function of the gas pressure and target-substrate separation, D{sub ts}, using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM). For low energy density (Ed = 1.04 J/cm{sup 2}) ablation of Si into He at pressures of 0.5, 1.5, 4 and 10 torr, large nanoparticles were most numerous at D{sub ts} = 10 mm, with smaller nanoparticles found at 20 mm and 40 mm. For each D{sub ts} value a maximum of the mean nanoparticle diameter occurred for a He pressure near 6 torr, in contrast to other recent measurements in which the size of Si nanoparticles increased monotonically with the He pressure. High resolution Z-contrast transmission electron microscopy (HRZTEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) revealed that ZnTe nanoparticles formed by ablation into nitrogen at E{sub d} = 0.74 J/cm{sup 2} consisted of a crystalline ZnTe core surrounded by an amorphous ZnO shell. Growth defects and surface steps were clearly visible in the ZnTe crystalline core. The dependences of the mean diameter of ZnTe nanocrystals on nitrogen pressure and D{sub ts}, weremore » qualitatively similar to those found for Si in He.« less
SUPERCONDUCTING GAP ANISOTROPY VS DOPING LEVEL IN HIGH-TC CUPRATES

We report the results of electronic Raman scattering in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ (Bi2212) and ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{6+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ (Tl2201) high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors with variations in the oxygen content. Near optimal doping, both materials show gap anisotropy, with $2\ensuremath{\Delta}/{k}_{B}{T}_{c}$ values of 7.2 ( ${B}_{1g}$) vs 5.8 ( ${A}_{1g}$) in Tl2201 and 8.5 ( ${B}_{1g}$) vs 6.2 ( ${A}_{1g}$) in Bi2212. However, overdoped samples exhibit a symmetry independent gap with $2\ensuremath{\Delta}{/k}_{B}{T}_{c}$ ranging from 5.2 for Bi2212 ( ${T}_{c}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}57\mathrm{K}$) to 3.9 in Tl2201 ( ${T}_{c}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}37\mathrm{K}$). We compare the data with calculations using both isotropic s-wave and d-wave order parameters.
Importance of interactions between the water column and the sediment for microbial concentrations in streams

The effect of interactions between the sediment and water column on concentrations of microbes in streams is quantified with a one-dimensional, steady state model. The effects of nine main parameters describing the flow, sediment transport, and microbial growth and decay are encapsulated in two dimensionless parameters: the Damkohler number Da, or the ratio of the time scales of advection and net growth, and the sediment interaction parameter S, or the ratio of the amount of microbes lost or gained in the sediment and the amount of microbes lost or gained in the water column. Applications of the model illustrate the importance of the sediment and identify parameters that require further study. The model predicts the field measurements of Jamieson et al. (2005b) within a factor of 2 in two of three cases, while concentrations predicted by ignoring the sediment exceed the measured values. In general, the effects of ignoring interactions with the sediment depend on Da and S. The loading predicted to meet water quality standards when the sediment is considered can be either greater than or less than the loading predicted when it is not considered. The applications of the model and an analysis of uncertainty suggest that further work on the settling velocity, attached fraction, resuspension rate, and net growth rate in the sediment would help to improve predictions of the fate and transport of microbes.
Self‐Deception Needs No Explaining

How can one deceive oneself if at the same time one knows the truth? The idea of such a thing has puzzled philosophers, and many philosophical efforts have been devoted to explaining the puzzle. Yet all such attempts have been misplaced. For in fact there is nothing distinctive about the way the mind works in self-deception, nothing that needs special explaining. The perception of a puzzle arises from certain mistaken assumptions about how the mind works generally. Once this is explained, we see that the way the mind works in self-deception embodies no deviation from the norm. The aura of paradox then disappears, and we see that self-deception requires no special explanation of its own.
Application of system identification and neural networks to classification of land mines

The ability to discriminate or classify land mines is critical. One methodology includes various resonance-based approaches, whereby the Singularity Expansion Method (SEM) parameters are estimated by some method, often a Prony or Maximum Likelihood approach. The natural resonance approach is very appealing for two reasons: firstly, SEM theory states that the natural resonances are invariant with target aspect angle and polarization. For application to land mines, this is appealing since the mines are probably oriented randomly. Secondly, one need store only a limited number of identification parameters in a library for each object. It is for these reasons that we have chosen to investigate the natural resonance approach, as applicable to an impulse ground penetrating radar (GPR). We have restricted the scope of the paper to a subset of conducting bodies of revolution (BOR). In particular, we seek to decide if the radar return from a buried BOR is either a "Cylinder Class" or a "Cone Class". From the perspective of land mine classification, the cylinder could represent a mine, and the cone a nonhazardous object. The methods described are applicable to a wideband incident waveform (or stepped frequency waveform) which excites natural resonance modes of the BOR. Exact resonance parameters of canonical BOR have been calculated by S.R. Vechinski (1989), and those results are used in this paper.
Die Beugungserscheinungen: a Tribute to F. M. Schwerd's Monumental Work on Fraunhofer Diffraction

The painstaking labors of a professor in Speyer, Germany, produced a most remarkable work on Fraunhofer diffraction over a century ago. Die Beugungserscheinungen by F. M. Schwerd (published in Mannheim in 1835) was profusely illustrated with excellent drawings of the calculated amplitude and intensity distributions of the Fraunhofer patterns of many interesting apertures and arrays. Some of these were carefully hand-colored to show the spectral distribution produced with white light. This paper provides a brief biographical sketch of Schwerd, and presents the beautiful experimental verification, which has recently been obtained with the aid of a computer generated diffraction plate, of the astounding accuracy of one of his color drawings.
Designing illuminants that render given objects in prescribed colors

A linear-programming technique is used to design examples of spectral power distributions of illuminants that, when irradiating a limited number of given objects, render these objects in prescribed colors. The numerical examples that demonstrate the technique are relevant to problems of designing light sources having a perfect color rendering index, or a high flattery index.
First observations of long‐lived meteor trains with resonance lidar and other optical instruments

In November 1998 the earth passed through a maximum in the cometary material responsible for the yearlyLeonids meteorshower. Themeteorstormeventpro- duced numerous examples of long-lived chemiluminescent trails|visible to the naked eye|over New Mexico, where a major observation campaign was centered. One trail was detected for over an hour with a CCD camera employing a narrow sodiumlter, and many others were observed for over ten minutes each. For the rst time, sodium densi- ties in such trails were measured while also being imaged in sodium light. Wehaveveried onesource of long-lived light emissions|a sodium-catalyzed reaction involving ozone| but it is far too weak to explain the visibility of such trails. Inaddition,wepresentanewexplanationforthecylindrical shell appearance long reported for chemiluminescent trails and show that ozone depletion by chemical processes is a possible explanation for this phenomenon.
Novel SOD1 mutation discovered in atypical ALS by whole exome sequencing

Patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (f-ALS) typically have asymmetric onset weakness, upper motor neuron signs, absent sensory involvement and relatively rapid disease progression with fatality typically in 2–5 years of onset.1 In contrast, distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMNs) and hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies type-2 (HMSN2) have symmetric length-dependent motor axonal loss and slow disease onset and progression. Hereditary motor neuropathies and motor neuron diseases have extremely diverse genetic causes,1 ,2 and within each group, distinct phenotype–genotype correlations are uncommon for f-ALS, dHMN and HMSN2. This report illustrates a varied phenotypic presentation from SOD1- associated f-ALS and illustrates whole exome sequencing (WES) as an effective approach for diagnosing genetically heterogeneous disorders with atypical phenotypes. ### Human subjects The study was approved by our institutional review board. Participants consented to use their medical records and DNA materials in research studies. ### Case report The proband was evaluated at ages 39, 40, 43, 65, 67 and 73 years. He had symmetrical progressive distal weakness of legs with foot drop and foot paraesthesias. Weakness progressed to his hands. Ankle reflexes were absent, and vibration sensation was reduced at the toes. Babinski and Chaddock signs were absent. From 39 to 65 years of age, he was suspected to have dHMN or HMSN. By age 67, spinobulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and HMSN2C were also considered in the differential diagnosis because of weakness in bulbar musculature, flaccid dysarthria and dysphagia. His reflexes became brisk at patellar and biceps brachii tendons despite the prominent weakness in the …
Protective Role of tolC in Efflux of the Electron Shuttle Anthraquinone-2,6-Disulfonate

Extracellular electron transfer can play an important role in microbial respiration on insoluble minerals. The humic acid analog anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) is commonly used as an electron shuttle during studies of extracellular electron transfer. Here we provide genetic evidence that AQDS enters Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 and causes cell death if it accumulates past a critical concentration. A tolC homolog protects the cell from toxicity by mediating the efflux of AQDS. Electron transfer to AQDS appears to be independent of the tolC pathway, however, and requires the outer membrane protein encoded by mtrB. We suggest that there may be structural and functional relationships between quinone-containing electron shuttles and antibiotics.
Analyzing the Aggregate Download Bandwidths in Peer-to-Peer Live Streaming Systems

In a peer-to-peer (P2P) live streaming system, the streaming quality of an end user is much affected by the aggregate download bandwidth from the partners. In this paper, we propose a stochastic model for the P2P streaming system to analyze the asymptotic probability distribution of the aggregate download bandwidth of a peer. Using renewal theory, we derive a close form expression for the asymptotic mean and variance of the aggregate download bandwidth. We analyze the relationship between the distribution of the aggregate download bandwidth and peer dynamics, bandwidth heterogeneity as well as algorithm design. We show that reducing the partner search time and increasing the peer degree can bring better performance. We also analyze the effect of the local optimization procedure that is adopted by most P2P streaming systems. We find that local optimization can only redistribute the bandwidth resources among peers with different life time. We validate our findings through extensive simulations and the results show that our model can describe the bandwidth distribution with good accuracy.
The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 76, 1994 January: The U.S. Antarctic Meteorite Collection*

The Meteoritical Bulletin number 76 contains a list of all classified meteorites collected by the United States' Antarctic meteroite program as of the summer of 1993. The compilation includes available information on classification, mass, weathering, olivine and pyroxene composition, Al-26 activities, natural thermoluminescence levels, pairing, collection location and references to published descriptions for 5537 meteorite specimens. A list of the properties of metallic meteorites and a list of the most significant meteorites by class are also included.
Factors Affecting Corrosion Resistance of Recuperator Alloys

As microturbine recuperators are needed to operate at higher temperatures in order to achieve higher engine operating efficiencies, a recurring problem encountered is a severe degradation in environmental resistance of type 347 stainless steel. Above 600°C, stainless steels can experience accelerated attack caused by water vapor, which is often present as a combustion product. Nickel-base alloys are less susceptible to this accelerated attack but their cost is prohibitive. In order to provide a clear, fundamental understanding of alloy composition effects on corrosion resistance of stainless steel components used in recuperators, the oxidation behavior of model alloys is being studied. A composition range of Cr and Ni contents has been identified with better corrosion resistance than type 347 stainless steel. Finer-grained alloys showed improved corrosion resistance compared to coarse-grained alloys with the same composition. It also has been demonstrated that minor alloy additions of Mn and Si are beneficial to corrosion resistance in these environments. This type of information will aid in the development of a corrosion-resistant and cost-effective recuperator material for operation at 650°–700°C.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
A geoacoustic bottom interaction model (GABIM)

The geoacoustic bottom interaction model (GABIM) has been developed for application over the low-frequency and midfrequency range (100 Hz to 10 kHz). It yields values for bottom backscattering strength and bottom loss for stratified seafloors. The model input parameters are first defined, after which the zeroth-order, nonrandom problem is discussed. Standard codes are used to obtain bottom loss, uncorrected for scattering, and as the first step in computation of scattering. The kernel for interface scattering employs a combination of the Kirchhoff approximation, first-order perturbation theory, and an empirical expression for very rough seafloors. The kernel for sediment volume scattering can be chosen as empirical or physical, the latter based on first-order perturbation theory. Examples are provided to illustrate the various scattering kernels and to show the behavior predicted by the full model for layered seafloors. Suggestions are made for improvements and generalizations of the model.
Short-coherence-length and high-coupling-efficiency pulsed diode laser for fiber-optic sensors

Light sources with low coherence and high coupling efficiency are needed for certain types of fiber-optic interferometric sensors. By driving a 1.3-μm diode laser with picosecond electrical pulses, we have reduced its coherence length to 44 μm. Coupling with an efficiency of 38% into a single-mode fiber has been measured.
An efficient combinationality check technique for the synthesis of cyclic combinational circuits

It has been recently pointed out that cyclic circuits are not necessarily sequential, and cyclic topologies that are combinational generally have lower literal counts than their acyclic counterparts. However, the synthesis of cyclic combinational circuits is potentially expensive due to the need to explore a wide range of cyclic topologies and check each of them for combinationality. We first obtain the acyclic implementation of the given set of boolean functions. Then using a branch-and-bound heuristic, we generate cyclic circuits that are to be checked for combinationality. Unlike earlier complex methods for combinationality check, our approach is to check whether this cyclic circuit is functionally equivalent to the acyclic circuit obtained earlier. While synthesizing cyclic circuits with the proposed method, we observed up to 45%. improvements in the literal count (for Espresso and LGsynth93 benchmarks) over the acyclic circuit synthesized by the Berkeley sis package.
Gas Phase Electrodeposition: A Programmable Localized Deposition Method for Rapid Combinatorial Investigation of Nanostuctured Devices and 3D Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaic Cells

This article applies a recently discovered gas phase nanocluster electrodeposition process to the formation and combinatorial improvement of 3D bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells. The gas phase deposition process used here is a single reactor system that forms charged nanoclusters (gold, silver, tungsten, and platinum) at atmospheric pressure. The clusters deposit onto selected surface areas with sub 100 nm lateral resolution using a programmable concept similar to liquid phase electrodeposition such that biased electrodes turn ON or OFF deposition in selected areas. Continued deposition of the nanoparticles results in a tower array with different lengths and density on a single substrate which is used as contacts to the active organic layer of 3D bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells. Applying a combinatorial approach identifies in a massively parallel way electrode designs and topologies that improve light scattering, absorption, and minority carrier extraction. We report photovoltaic cells with higher and denser nanocluster tower arrays that improve the power conversion efficiency of bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells by approximately 47.7%.
Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Elevates 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Evidence indicates that the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and high prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels contribute to the pathogenesis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition to overproduction by COX-2, PGE2 concentrations also depend upon the levels of the PGE2 catabolic enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). We find a dramatic down-regulation of PGDH protein in NSCLC cell lines and in resected human tumors when compared with matched normal lung. Affymetrix array analysis of 10 normal lung tissue samples and 49 resected lung tumors revealed a much lower expression of PGDH transcripts in all NSCLC histologic groups. In addition, treatment with the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI) erlotinib increased the expression of 15-PGDH in a subset of NSCLC cell lines. This effect may be due in part to an inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway as treatment with mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor U0126 mimics the erlotinib results. We show by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR that the transcript levels of ZEB1 and Slug transcriptional repressors are dramatically reduced in a responsive cell line upon EGFR and MEK/ERK inhibition. In addition, the Slug protein, but not ZEB1, binds to the PGDH promoter and represses transcription. As these repressors function by recruiting histone deacetylases to promoters, it is likely that PGDH is repressed by an epigenetic mechanism involving histone deacetylation, resulting in increased PGE2 activity in tumors. This effect is reversible in a subset of NSCLC upon treatment with an EGFR TKI.
Characterization of a High Power Nanocrystalline Transformer

Summary form only given. Nano-crystalline ferro-magnetic core material has very favorable magnetic properties for high frequency power applications. This paper investigates the properties of a nanocrystalline transformer with multiple secondary windings through experimental evaluation over a range of frequencies. Design considerations are addressed with special attention focused on scaling with respect to frequency, leakage inductance, and effective AC resistance of the windings. The data derived from the experimental evaluation yields scaling factors to help determine a transformer design for optimal power density.
Decomposition of Iron Carbonyls in Solid Polymer Matrices: Preparation of Novel Metal-Polymer Composites

The aim of this study was the synthesis and characterization of polymer composites in which microscopic metal or metal oxide particles were incorporated by thermal or photolytic decompositions of solid solutions of organometallic complexes in polymers. In contrast to conventional composites or filled polymer compositions, which are prepared by dispersion of particles or fibers in a polymer matrix, this study has typically involved the preparation of metal carbonyl solid solutions in polymers and the phase separation decomposition of the organometallic complex to form uniform metal or metal oxide dispersions of very small particle size (50–500 A).
Lateral Load Analysis of Two-Column Bents

Derivation of simple set of simultaneous equations involving only joint rotations in symmetrical two-column bent under lateral loads reviewed; equations are well-conditioned for rapid iterative solution, even in cases of rather extreme ratios of column stiffness to girder stiffness; method of solution is directly applicable to certain Vierendeel girders; both iterative and formal solutions demonstrated.
Dudley A. Sargent

(1960). Dudley A. Sargent. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 36-107.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: The Benefits of Letting Banks Issue Money

Economists have long debated the relationship of bank credit to the business cycle. The attribution of economic cycles to the "inherent instability" of fractional-reserve banking has been advanced not only by Austrian scholars in the tradition of Murray Rothbard, but also by a number of prominent economists historically including Irving Fisher and University of Chicago icons like Frank Knight, Henry Simons, and a young Milton Friedman. The recent financial crisis has reignited these calls to abolish fractional reserve banking through "narrow banking" or "sovereign money" proposals. This paper rejects this notion and argues that the "pyramid of credit" plays a fundamental role not only in stabilizing economic activity but also in fostering economic development. The instability commonly attributed to pyramiding can be largely mitigated by policy changes far less drastic than the abolition of bank money, and any residual instability is almost certainly worth the dramatic benefits in normal times.
Exploration of Polytetrafluoroethylene as a Potential Material Replacement for Hemodialysis Applications

Dialysis is the process by which an artificial kidney device removes waste and excess water from a patient. An outstanding problem with dialysis is that the body has a remarkable immune function where proteins and antigens mark foreign objects as possible threats despite the biocompatibility of the material. Upon adhesion to polymeric materials used currently in dialysis, proteins are lost. In this study, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is investigated as a potential replacement material for dialysis tubing because of its unreactive nature. The focus is to determine if PTFE will prove a viable material in minimizing protein adhesion and further reducing antibody loss of the patient. Protein loss as a function of filtration time was measured. PVC and PTFE materials were investigated following the same battery of testing where the protein concentrations in the blood were characterized using UV Visible spectrophotometry. Results demonstrate a loss of nearly 12 percent of blood proteins to the PVC material over the course of a typical dialysis treatment. Conversely, the protein loss due to adhesion to PTFE was less than two percent.
Popular Hybrid Congenital Heart Procedures without Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

As surgical and catheter interventions advance, patients with congenital heart disease are now offered alternative treatment options that cater to their individual needs. Furthermore, collaboration between interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have led to the development of hybrid procedures, using the best techniques of each respective field to treat these complex cardiac entities from initial treatment in the pediatric patient, to repeat intervention in the adult. We present a review of the increased popularity and trend in hybrid procedures in congenital heart disease without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.
The future of planetary defense

Asteroids and comets have impacted Earth in the past and will do so in the future. While the frequency of impacts is reasonably well understood on geologic timescales, it is difficult to predict the next sizeable impact on human timescales by extrapolation from population statistics alone. Fortunately, by identifying and tracking individual objects, we can make precise predictions of any potential close encounters with Earth. As more advance notice is provided, the range of possible mitigation options expands. While the chance of an impact is very small, the potential consequences can be severe, meaning that sensible risk reduction measures should be undertaken. By implementing surveys, the risk of an unforeseen impact can be greatly reduced: the first step is finding the objects. Fortunately, the worldwide community of professional and amateur astronomers has made significant progress in discovering large near-Earth objects (NEOs). More than 95% of NEOs capable of causing global devastation (objects larger than ~1 km in diameter) have been discovered, and none of these pose an impact hazard in the near future. Infrastructure is in place to link observations and compute close approaches in real time. Interagency and international collaborations have been undertaken to strengthen cooperative efforts to plan potential mitigation and civil defense campaigns. Yet much remains to be done. Approximately 70% of NEOs larger than 140 m (large enough to cause severe regional damage) remain undiscovered. With the existing surveys, it will take decades to identify the rest. Progress can be accelerated by undertaking new surveys with improved sensitivity.
Transitions at the Top: An Examination of CEO Successor Gender Changes on Investor Reactions

Given the historical and recent trends of women in leadership roles, it is no surprise that gender research has garnered a lot of interest from the both the academic and practitioner community, ali...
Attack of the 50-foot social justice warrior: the discursive construction of SJW memes as the monstrous feminine

This essay considers the origin and meaning of “social justice warrior” (SJW) memes. Despite each term within the phrase suggesting potentially positive connotations, we argue that as deployed within “alt-right” communities, it implies a kind of monstrous feminine: a woman who is unwieldy and out of control. We catalogue and analyze this meme using a visual discourse analysis of texts gathered through Google Images and Reddit. Our findings suggest that the SJW meme is deployed to emphasize opponents as having non-normative, problematic bodies, different brains (ones ruled by emotion rather than logic), and monstrous characteristics. We argue that such discourse is potentially dangerous, but that feminists may have the tools to recreate the SJW as an image of power.
Peer Group Supervision for Supervisors

Increasing emphasis on the role of the middle-management supervisor led to the development of a peer group supervisory model that enhances professional development without stifling autonomy, responsibility, and creativity. Examples of the model's objectives, learning phases, and benefits and limitations are presented.
Elevated serum progesterone levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration in in vitro fertilization cycles do not adversely affect embryo quality

Objective To assess the effect of an elevated serum P level on the day of hCG administration in an IVF cycle on resulting embryos by evaluating their performance at subsequent frozen ET. Design A retrospective study. Participants Ninety-six consecutive patients undergoing frozen ET cycles were studied in a tertiary care center. Main Outcome Measures Serum obtained on the day of hCG administration in an IVF cycle was assayed for E 2 and P by RIA. The main outcome measured was the development of a clinical pregnancy in a subsequent frozen ET cycle. Results Using a previously described breakpoint in serum P concentration of 0.9 ng/mL (2.86 nmol/L), 8 of 69 (11.6%) frozen ETs in which embryos from low P level IVF cycles were transferred and 7 of 27 (25.9%) frozen ETs of embryos from elevated P level IVF cycles were transferred resulted in the development of clinical pregnancies. Although this does not clearly demonstrate superiority of embryos obtained from elevated P cycles, employing a power calculation, the probability that the pregnancy rate in the elevated serum P group is at least equal to the observed rate in the low P group is 92.8%. Conclusion These data suggest that an elevated serum P level on the day of hCG administration does not adversely affect the quality of oocytes or resulting embryos.
A fuel freezing model for liquid-metal fast breeder reactor hypothetical core disruptive accidents

A proposed fuel freezing mechanism for molten UO2 fuel penetrating a steel channel was investigated in the course of liquid-metal-cooled fast breeder reactor hypothetical core disruptiv accident safety studies. The fuel crust deposited on an underlying melting steel wall was analyzed as being subjected to two stresses one due to the pressure difference between the flowing fuel and the stagnant molten steel layer, and the other resulting from the temperature variation through the crust thickness. Analyses based on the proposed freezing mechanism and comparisons with fuel freezing experiments confirmed that fuel freezing occurs in three modes. For initially low steel wall temperatures, the fuel crust was stable and grew to occlude the channel. At high steel wall temperatures (above 1070 K), instantaneous wall melting leading to steel entrainment was calculated to occur with final penetration depending on the refreezing of the entrained steel. Between these two extremes, the stress developed within the crust at the steel melting front exceeds the critical buckling value, the crust ruptures, and steel is injected into the fuel flow. Freezing is dominated by the fuel/steel mixture. The theoretical penetration distances and freezing times were in good agreement with the experimental results with no more thanmore » 20% error involved.« less
Amino acid degradation and effect of leucine on pyruvate oxidation in rat atrial muscle

Both left and right atria from fasted rats produced significant amounts of 14CO2 during incubation with U-14C-labeled leucine, isoleucine, valine, alanine, glutamate, glutamine, aspartate, asparagine, proline, threonine, or lysine. This pattern of amino acid metabolism resembles that of skeletal muscle. Production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]leucine was 2.5-fold greater in atria from fasted than from fed rats and was due to greater alpha-ketoisocaproic dehydrogenase activity in the tissue from fasted animals. At normal plasma concentrations, leucine reduced the oxidation of glucose and lactate in atria from fasted but not from fed rats by inhibiting pyruvate oxidation and without altering the rate of glycolysis. Leucine also reduced glucose oxidation when added in the presence of ketone bodies or other amino acids and stimulated the release of lactate into the medium. Although the leucine skeleton can be completely oxidized to CO2 and thus can serve as an alternative fuel in fasting in place of glucose, oxidation of leucine (like glucose or lactate oxidation) accounts only for a very small fraction of the total oxygen consumption of the resting atria.
ANTIMETABOLITES IN CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Publisher Summary Nur wer die Wissenschaft and Kunst der Vergangenheit und Gegenwart genau kennt, wird ihre Fortschritte mit Bewusstsein fordern.—C.A.T. BILLROTH (1829–1894).
Design and prototyping of a social media observatory

The broad adoption of online social networking platforms has made it possible to study communication networks at an unprecedented scale. With social media and micro-blogging platforms such as Twitter, we can observe high-volume data streams of online discourse. However, it is a challenge to collect, manage, analyze, visualize, and deliver large amounts of data, even by experts in the computational sciences. In this paper, we describe our recent extensions to Truthy, a social media observatory that collects and analyzes discourse on Twitter dating from August 2010. We introduce several interactive visualizations and analytical tools with the goal of enabling researchers to study online social networks with mixed methods at multiple scales. We present design considerations and a prototype for integrating social media observatories as important components of a web observatory framework.
Effect of ivacaftor on mucociliary clearance and clinical outcomes in cystic fibrosis patients with G551D-CFTR

Background The ability to restore cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) function with effective small molecule modulators in patients with cystic fibrosis provides an opportunity to study relationships between CFTR ion channel function, organ level physiology, and clinical outcomes. Methods We performed a multisite, prospective, observational study of ivacaftor, prescribed in patients with the G551D-CFTR mutation. Measurements of lung mucociliary clearance (MCC) were performed before and after treatment initiation (1 and 3 months), in parallel with clinical outcome measures. Results Marked acceleration in whole lung, central lung, and peripheral lung MCC was observed 1 month after beginning ivacaftor and was sustained at 3 months. Improvements in MCC correlated with improvements in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) but not sweat chloride or symptom scores. Conclusions Restoration of CFTR activity with ivacaftor led to significant improvements in MCC. This physiologic assessment provides a means to characterize future CFTR modulator therapies and may help to predict improvements in lung function. Trial registration ClinicialTrials.gov, NCT01521338. Funding CFF Therapeutics (GOAL11K1).
A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled Trial of Sitagliptin for Reducing Inflammation and Immune Activation in Treated and Suppressed Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors have pleotropic anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory effects in addition to glucoregulation. We evaluated inflammation and immune markers in suppressed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection during treatment with the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin. METHODS Virologically suppressed adults with HIV without diabetes on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) with ≥100/μL CD4 cells were randomized to 16 weeks of sitagliptin 100 mg/day vs placebo in a multicenter trial. The primary endpoint was the change in plasma soluble CD14 (sCD14) from baseline to week 15-16. RESULTS Ninety participants were randomized, and 42 from each arm were included in per-protocol analyses. Participants were 45% non-Hispanic white, 38% non-Hispanic black, and 15% Hispanic, with a median age of 51 years; 83% were male; and the median CD4 count was 602 cells/μL. At week 15-16, there was no difference in sCD14 change between the 2 arms (P = .69). Relative to placebo, the sitagliptin arm had 47% greater decline in CXCL10 (95% confidence interval, -57% to -35%) at week 15 (P < .001). There were no significant between-arm differences in other soluble biomarkers, total CD4 and CD8 counts, or markers of lymphocyte or monocyte activation. Sitagliptin was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS Sixteen weeks of sitagliptin had no effect on sCD14 levels in virologically suppressed participants with HIV. CXCL10, a chemokine involved in atherogenesis that predicts non-AIDS events during ART, declined markedly with sitagliptin. This suggests that DPP-4 inhibition has the potential to reduce cardiovascular morbidity in treated HIV infection. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT01426438.
St(r)uck by feminism: The implications of engaging a text of resistance

I explore how my subjectivity makes possible my reading of a “feminist” image in a subway car. I am struck by its potential for thinking about sexism, capitalism, subjectivity, space, and desire. I am stuck because I wonder if my reading is bound by the tasks/desires of a graduate student. After offering a surface, conventional reading of the image, I use exemplary methods to read the implications it has for feminist theory and use feminist non-representational geography to map how the spaces of graduate school and subway collided, allowing certain thoughts to stick to my reading. I wonder if discourses of anti-capitalist resistance make possible and sustain social relations that continue to oppress women and whether writing about (academic) images/texts is an act of significance or fictitious social capital. Engaging a reflective stance, I interrupt my reading to better understand the impact of graduate studies on reading cultural images/texts.
Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the environmentalist agenda

Jonathan Newman, Gary Varner, and Stefan Linquist’s Defending Biodiversity: Environmental Science and Ethics is a critical examination of a panoply of arguments for conserving biodiversity. Their discussion is extremely impressive though I think one can push back on some of their criticisms. In this essay, I consider their criticisms of the argument for conserving biodiversity based on ecosystem services; specifically, ecosystem functioning. In the end, I try to clarify and defend this argument against their criticisms.
Thermodynamic consequences of Tyr to Trp mutations in the cation–π-mediated binding of trimethyllysine by the HP1 chromodomain

Evolution has converged on cation-π interactions for recognition of quaternary alkyl ammonium groups such as trimethyllysine (Kme3). While computational modelling indicates that Trp provides the strongest cation-π interaction of the native aromatic amino acids, there is limited corroborative data from measurements within proteins. Herein we investigate a Tyr to Trp mutation in the binding pocket of the HP1 chromodomain, a reader protein that recognizes Kme3. Binding studies demonstrate that the Trp-mediated cation-π interaction is about -5 kcal mol-1 stronger, and the Y24W crystal structure shows that the mutation is not perturbing. Quantum mechanical calculations indicate that greater enthalpic binding is predominantly due to increased cation-π interactions. NMR studies indicate that differences in the unbound state of the Y24W mutation lead to enthalpy-entropy compensation. These results provide direct experimental quantification of Trp versus Tyr in a cation-π interaction and afford insight into the conservation of aromatic cage residues in Kme3 reader domains.