cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The electrochemical behavior and analytical applications of the Pt-P2O5-H2O system

Abstract The development of the electrolytic moisture cell for trace water in gas analysis was reviewed. The water handling capacity and response rate of the cell were discussed in terms of electrode area, desiccant film thickness, gas flow rate, and current-voltage characteristics. A condensed continuous polymeric film in which the entire current is carried by protons in a push-pull effect is proposed to account for the rate-controlling behavior of the anode. Possible mechanisms were also presented to account for anomalies observed in the cell behavior in the presence of hydrogen.
Changes in maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein levels associated with intrauterine genetic diagnostic procedures

Abstract The amount of fetal-maternal transfusion during invasive intrauterine diagnostic instrumentation was determined by measuring the increase in maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (delta AFP) caused by the procedure. Fetal liver biopsy or fetoscopy for purposes other than blood sampling caused a mean delta AFP of 11.4 ng/ml and 34.2 ng/ml, respectively. Fetoscopy with fetal blood sampling produced a mean delta AFP of 211.8 ng/ml, while fetoscopy followed by placentesis caused a mean delta AFP of 462.8 ng/ml (representing a 1.07 ml fetal-maternal transfusion). Although this magnitude of fetal-maternal transfusion is an acceptable risk for the fetus, it is a sufficient transfusion to cause blood cell antigen sensitization.
Prevalence of At-Risk Drinking Among a National Sample of Medical Students

As limited research exists on medical students' substance use patterns, including over-consumption of alcohol, the objective of this study was to determine prevalence and correlates of at-risk drinking among a national sample of medical students, using a cross-sectional, anonymous, Web-based survey. A total of 2710 medical students from 36 U.S. medical schools (1st to 4th year) completed the survey. Included in the instruments was a 10-item scale (AUDIT) to assess at-risk drinking behaviors within the last 12 months. Over 15% of the subjects (n = 412) scored positive for at-risk drinking (>/= 8). Multivariate analysis of the data revealed the following independent predictors were statistically significant (P </= 0.05) for at-risk drinking: being of younger age, male, unmarried, using illicit drugs, smoking tobacco products within the last 30 days, having low perception of risk, showing impulsive behavior, being depressed, and having gambling problems. Findings from this study provides initial data for investigating further associations between risky drinking behavior, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors, as well as effectiveness of curriculum or campus-wide policy interventions to reduce over-consumption of drinking among this population.
Determining documentation requirements for user-developed applications

Abstract Adequate documentation of user-developed applications is important to insure that they are developed in accordance with appropriate quality assurance methods, that they can be properly used, and that they can be maintained. A study of opinions of information center personnel indicates that not all user-developed applications have the same level of documentation requirements. Thirteen factors affecting the documentation requirement level of an application are identified and ranked. The top-ranked factors are: maintenance requirements, the use of output by another system, financial impact, scope of application, and its complexity. Forms of documentation preferred for different application types — modelling, data analysis, simple query, report preparation, transaction processing, and graphics — are also identified and ranked for applications with low and high documentation requirements. Two forms of documentation, user's instructions and narrative descriptions, are recommended as appropriate for all applications, regardless of their type or documentation requirement level. The appropriateness of other forms of documentation such as output layouts, design documents, and hardware/software requirements depends on the level of documentation requirements, and the type of application.
Technical considerations for functional sequencing assays

Next-generation sequencing technologies need careful design of experiments and evaluation of results to meet field requirements. Here we discuss technical considerations for these high-throughput assays, together with criteria to assess the quality of the results and the necessary validation.
Night call in U.S. radiology residency programs

Rationale and Objectives. We acquired information about resident call in radiology programs throughout the United States to allow programs to compare themselves with others and to learn of possible alternate approaches to similar clinical and educational needs. Methods. A 30-question survey was mailed to the program directors of all accredited U.S. radiology residency programs. A second mailing was sent to program directors who did not respond within 3 months. The survey addressed questions of the timing of call during residency training, the frequency of call, the nature of the call experience, and the relation to fellow and faculty call. Questions regarding available technical assistance, resident clinical activities postcall, faculty review of oncall studies, and other relevant issues were included. Results. One hundred sixty-six of 206 (81%) of the program directors responded. The amount and type of call taken by radiology residents was highly variable in different programs. The mean number of in-house call days per month was 2.9 (SD = 2.6), 3.3 (SD = 2.2), 2.4 (SD = 1.9), and 1.3 (SD = 1.6) for first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year residents, respectively. The nature of technical and fellow/faculty assistance available to the resident was also variable. Conclusion. Night call in U.S. radiology residency programs is variable but tends to be concentrated in the second year of residency. Fourth-year residents take less call than other residents, especially close to the time of the written and oral board examinations. Although program directors were satisfied with many aspects of their call systems, most indicated at least one major change they would like to make.
Design and implementation of a PC-based image-guided surgical system

In interactive, image-guided surgery, current physical space position in the operating room is displayed on various sets of medical images used for surgical navigation. We have developed a PC-based surgical guidance system (ORION) which synchronously displays surgical position on up to four image sets and updates them in real time. There are three essential components which must be developed for this system: (1) accurately tracked instruments; (2) accurate registration techniques to map physical space to image space; and (3) methods to display and update the image sets on a computer monitor. For each of these components, we have developed a set of dynamic link libraries in MS Visual C++ 6.0 supporting various hardware tools and software techniques. Surgical instruments are tracked in physical space using an active optical tracking system. Several of the different registration algorithms were developed with a library of robust math kernel functions, and the accuracy of all registration techniques was thoroughly investigated. Our display was developed using the Win32 API for windows management and tomographic visualization, a frame grabber for live video capture, and OpenGL for visualization of surface renderings. We have begun to use this current implementation of our system for several surgical procedures, including open and minimally invasive liver surgery.
Supercritical Deoxygenation of a Model Bio-Oil Oxygenate

A novel process for the fixed-bed deoxygenation of a model bio-oil compound in supercritical media at mild pressures (tens of bars) is presented. As an example, nonanal deoxygenation over Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst in supercritical n-hexane (T c = 234.45 °C, P c = 30.2 bar) with excess hydrogen (molar H 2 /nonanol in feed = 57) at 300 °C provides steady conversions of approximately 60% over a pressure range of 7—80 bar with approximately 40% selectivity to C 8 and C 9 hydrocarbons, at liquid hourly space velocities of 80 g nonanal•(g Pt) ―1 •h ―1 . Further, the conversions display only a mild temperature dependence. This suggests that for the conditions under study, the reaction is limited by mass transfer of nonanal (limiting reactant) from the bulk fluid phase to the catalyst particle. Among the alkanes, the selectivity to the decarbonylation product (n-octane) is higher at all pressures relative to the hydrogention product (n-nonane). However, the selectivities toward nonane and nonanol increase relative to the decarbonylation product (n-octane) at higher reactor pressures, attributed to the enhanced hydrogen partial pressures at supercritical conditions. Effective rate constants, estimated from a simple isothermal packed-bed reactor model that assumes first-order dependence on nonanal concentration, decrease exponentially as the pressure is tuned from subcritical pressures (gaslike properties) to supercritical pressures (liquidlike properties). This decrease is characteristic of the pressure dependence of the external mass transfer coefficient. Mass transfer coefficients, predicted using published correlations, are of the same order of magnitude as the effective rate constants, further affirming that the measured reaction rates are controlled by external mass transfer.
Brachistochrone on a 1D Curved Surface Using Optimal Control

The brachistochrone for a steerable particle moving on a 1D curved surface in a gravity field is solved using an optimal control formulation with state feedback. The process begins with a derivation of a fourth-order open-loop plant model with the system input being the body yaw rate. Solving for the minimum-time control law entails introducing four costates and solving the Euler-Lagrange equations, with the Hamiltonian being stationary with respect to the control. Also, since the system is autonomous, the Hamiltonian must be zero. A two-point boundary value problem results with a transversality condition, and its solution requires iteration of the initial bearing angle so the integrated trajectory runs through the final point. For this choice of control, the Legendre-Clebsch necessary condition is not satisfied. However, the k = 1 generalized Legendre-Clebsch necessary condition,from singular control theory is satisfied for all numerical simulations performed, and optimality is assured. Simulations in MATLAB ® exercise the theory developed and illustrate application such as to ski racing and minimizing travel time over either a concave or undulating surface when starting from rest. Lastly, a control law singularity in particle speed is overcome numerically.
Beamlike harmonic vibration of variable-thickness sandwich plates

A theory is presented for the beamlike harmonic vibration of linearly elastic variable-thickness sandwich plates that are symmetrical about a middle surface1. In the analysis the face sheets are treated as membranes, the core is assumed to be deformable in transverse shear and to be inextensible in the thickness direction, and all core stresses on cross sections normal to the middle surface are assumed to be negligible, except for the transverse shear. The participation of the face sheet membrane forces in resisting transverse shear by virtue of their inclinations is taken into account. Numerical and experimental results show that neglecting this participation can lead to significant errors if the transverse shear modulus of the core is low and the thickness variation is appreciable. Nomenclature a = plate length in x direction D(x) = local flexural stiffness, =Eth2/2 G(x) = core shear modulus h (x) = core thickness / = identity matrix [Eq. (22)] I(x) = mass moment of inertia per unit of middle-surface area M(x) = bending moment per unit width N = number of segments for finite-difference equations p\(x),p2(x) = pressure distributions on upper and lower surfaces, respectively p(x) = antisymmetric component of pressure loadings, =l/2[pi(x)-p2(x)] Q(x) = transverse shear per unit width q(x) - running vertical loading RI = dimensionless measure of transverse shear flexibility t(x) - face sheet thickness w(x) = vertical (z-wise) displacement of cross section x,y,z = coordinates j8 = thickness taper parameter for plate with linear
Relationship Between Collagen Fibrils, Glycosaminoglycans, and Stress Relaxation in Mitral Valve Chordae Tendineae

The tensile properties of mitral valve chordae tendineae derive from their structural make-up. The objectives of this study were to compare the stress relaxation properties of different types of chordae and relate their variation to structural features. Fifty chordae from eight hearts were subjected to stress relaxation tests. The percent stress relaxation and the relaxation rates were found to increase in the order of marginal, basal, and strut chordae. The water content of the three types of chordae was the same (marginal 77.1 ± 5.9%, basal 77.0 ± 3.4%, strut 78.0 ± 2.3% wet weight). The collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in chordae were quantified using hydroxyproline assay, fastin elastin assay, and fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis, respectively. Collagen content of marginal chordae was only slightly less than that of basal and strut chordae (marginal 56.6 ± 8.2%, basal 61.4 ± 5.6%, strut 63.8 ± 3.9% dry weight). There was also no significant difference in elastin content between the chordae (marginal 5.3 ± 3.2%, basal 5.4 ± 2.7%, strut 4.6 ± 1.7% dry weight). However, the concentrations of unsulfated chondroitin/dermatan sulfate, 6-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, and 4-sulfate chondroitin sulfate significantly decreased in the order of marginal, basal, and strut. The total GAG-content also decreased in the order of marginal, basal, and strut (p = 0.06). The greater amount of GAGs in marginal versus strut chordae is consistent with our previous observations that marginal chordae have a greater collagen fibril density and thus more GAG-mediated, fibril-to-fibril linkages. The greater number of proteoglycan linkages may prevent the slippage of fibrils with respect to each other, and thus reduce stress relaxation. The different viscoelastic properties of mitral valve chordae can thus be explained morphologically.
Slurvian generation, satiation, and recall: Two age groups

Abstract Two groups, composed of persons of two of the age categories commonly affected by language loss through brain damage, were involved. The time required to generate and satiate meaning of slurvian sentences was determined independently for both the visual and auditory modalities. Effects on the retention of the two age groups for the two modalities and for the generation and satiation conditions were assessed through three recall tests. Age did not affect the effective durations for generation or satiation. The stimuli were more quickly generated through the auditory modality, but were satiated in both modalities with equivalent effective durations. Recall was adversely influenced by both age and satiation. Hypotheses were proposed to account for differences between the present study and earlier studies.
Sequential Modification of NEMO/IKKγ by SUMO-1 and Ubiquitin Mediates NF-κB Activation by Genotoxic Stress

Abstract The transcription factor NF-κB is critical for setting the cellular sensitivities to apoptotic stimuli, including DNA damaging anticancer agents. Central to NF-κB signaling pathways is NEMO/IKKγ, the regulatory subunit of the cytoplasmic IκB kinase (IKK) complex. While NF-κB activation by genotoxic stress provides an attractive paradigm for nuclear-to-cytoplasmic signaling pathways, the mechanism by which nuclear DNA damage modulates NEMO to activate cytoplasmic IKK remains unknown. Here, we show that genotoxic stress causes nuclear localization of IKK-unbound NEMO via site-specific SUMO-1 attachment. Surprisingly, this sumoylation step is ATM-independent, but nuclear localization allows subsequent ATM-dependent ubiquitylation of NEMO to ultimately activate IKK in the cytoplasm. Thus, genotoxic stress induces two independent signaling pathways, SUMO-1 modification and ATM activation, which work in concert to sequentially cause nuclear targeting and ubiquitylation of free NEMO to permit the NF-κB survival pathway. These SUMO and ubiquitin modification pathways may serve as anticancer drug targets.
SECOND-ORDER RAMAN SPECTRA AND PHONON SPECTRUM OF LiD.

Abstract The second-order Raman spectra of LiD are studied at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. These spectra are such that they can be compared with the temperature weighted two-phonon density of states to get information on phonons throughout the first Brillouin zone. This comparison is used to supplement the neutron scattering results to formulate a very good deformation dipole model for the lattice dynamics of LiD.
Synthesis and characterization of poly(methyl methacrylate)-g-poly(dimethylsiloxane)copolymers. I. Bulk and surface characterization

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) macromonomers of controlled molar masses, narrow molar mass distributions, and high percent functionalities were synthesized through the utilization of the living anionic ring-opening polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane. The resultant methacryloxy-functionalized macromonomers were statistically copolymerized with methyl methacrylate to form the title graft copolymers of various chemical compositions. Surface segregation of the low surface energy component, PDMS, was established
The Role of Assisted Circulation in the Management of Endotoxic Shock

Abstract Despite recent advances in treatment, the mortality from endotoxic shock remains high. Death in these patients is frequently associated with progressive myocardial failure. A lethal dose (LD 100 ) of Escherichia coli endotoxin (1 mg. per kilogram of body weight) was administered intravenously to 12 dogs. The dogs were then divided into two experimental groups of 6 each. The treatment of the dogs in Group I consisted of positive-pressure ventilation and maintenance of circulating blood volume and acid-base balance. The dogs in Group II were treated identically, except that one and one-half hours after the induction of endotoxic shock the dogs underwent a period of assisted circulation. Survival was significantly prolonged in Group II dogs (Group I, 10.6 hours; Group II, 24.5 hours [ p p p p p This study demonstrates the value of prolonged assisted circulation in the treatment of endotoxic shock.
Kinematic analysis of the pelvic limbs of healthy dogs during stair and decline slope walking.

Objectives: To evaluate range of motion (ROM) of the pelvic limb in healthy dogs descending stairs compared with decline slope walking. Methods: Reflective spheres were placed on the skin over the joints of the right pelvic limb of seven adult, hound-type dogs with no clinical signs of orthopaedic or neurologic disease. Five trials of stair and ramp descent of each dog were recorded using four 60 Hz digital infrared cameras. Two-dimensional kinematic data were collected as dogs walked down stairs and on a continuous decline of equivalent slope. Maximum and minimum joint angles and ROM were calculated for the coxofemoral, femorotibial and tibiotarsal joints. Results: Stair descent resulted in significantly greater femorotibial flexion and tibiotarsal flexion and extension compared with continuous slope descent. Significantly greater ROM was achieved in the coxofemoral, femorotibial and tibiotarsal joints during stair descent. Clinical Significance: Compared with a continuous slope, stair descent achieves greater ROM in the pelvic limbs of dogs. Stair descent may be a useful therapeutic exercise to improve ROM in dogs with musculoskeletal disease of the pelvic limb, and ramp descent may be easier for dogs with limited motion of pelvic limb joints.
Comparison of Early Stopping Criteria for Neural-Network-Based Subpixel Classification

A neural-network-based subpixel classification is one of the most commonly used approaches to address spectral mixture problems. Neural-network subpixel-classification performance is directly related to the network-training protocols used. This letter examined early stopping criteria for network training of subpixel land-cover classification. A new stopping criterion is proposed that is based on the reduction of mean squared error (MSE) for a validation data set. We obtained excellent results by stopping the network training when the reduction of MSE between training iterations became marginal. Furthermore, the neural-network learning rate can be used as a threshold value to identify the stopping point. The approach appeared to be robust for both simulation data and actual remote-sensing data. Use of this criterion outperformed two other commonly used stopping criteria: a predefined number of training iterations and a cross-validation approach.
Simultaneous estimation of T(G2+M), T(S), and T(pot) using single sample dynamic tumor data from bivariate DNA-thymidine analogue cytometry.

Background Estimating the duration of S phase (TS ) and the potential doubling time (Tpot ) from a single time measurement of the movement of cells using bivariate cytometry is common. However, these estimates require an assumption of the duration of G2 + M (TG2+M ). Inspection of the measured dynamic quantities, relative movement [RM(t)], fractions of labeled divided and undivided cells (flu(t) and fld(t)) suggests that TG2+M, TS, and Tpot can be determined simultaneously. Methods An equation connecting the growth of the cell population, time, and the dynamic quantities was determined. The equation cannot be solved analytically, but accurate approximations can be used to find Tpot. From this result, the value of TG2+M can be determined from fld(t), and TS can be determined from RM(t). Results Kinetic parameters obtained from single time estimates using the new method compared to those obtained from the analysis of multiple time-point measurements of MCa-K and MCa-4 murine tumors are shown to be in close agreement. Moreover, estimates of TG2+M in MCa-4 tumors, treated with paclitaxel, provide extra information on the changes in TG2+M. When applied to the rat R3327-G prostate tumor model following androgen ablation, a correlation analysis of the Tpot values obtained by the new and previous single time-point methods demonstrates that the rank order from shortest to longest Tpot values are largely preserved. Conclusions The new procedure makes direct estimation of TG2+M possible from single time-dynamic measurements. The results from previous studies on TS and Tpot are largely unchanged, but extra information is now available. Cytometry 41:1–8, 2000 © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nannochloropsis sp. algae for use as biofuel: Analyzing a translog production function using data from multiple sites in the southwestern United States

Abstract This paper investigates the production of Nannochloropsis sp. algae at five different sites located in the southwestern region of the United States. Studies of the economic viability of algae production typically calculate the Capital and Operating Expenses of stylized algal production firms with minimal understanding of the linkages between production and input variables that drive the costs being estimated. These results work towards filling this gap by estimating several production functions using real world data. Our dataset includes 10,316 days of algae growth, from which we generate 495 growth period observations. Particularly, the study analyzes the relationship between variation in input factors over a growth period and the resulting algae production measured by ash free dry weight. We carry out several multivariate econometric regression analyses. The variables photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), length of growth periods, and the growth of Nannochloropsis salina result in increased algae production. Algae production at the Texas AgriLife at Texas A&M University in Pecos, Texas, and Flour Bluff, Texas, resulted in higher algae production than the three sites in New Mexico. Increases in the initial algae inoculation levels and average precipitation consistently indicated a negative relationship with algae production in our model. These results should be useful for further studies aiming to connect real world algae production decisions with measures of costs and profitability.
Ab initiostudy of palladium and silicon carbide

Ab initio methods have been used to investigate the properties of Pd as impurity in bulk SiC at five charged states within the framework of density functional theory using the local spin density approximation. It was found that Pd interstitials and substitutionals have similar energy to their intrinsic counterparts. In addition, Pd substitutes for a vacancy, di-vacancy, and tri-vacancy with similar energies. Pd diffuses through SiC via an interstitial mechanism employing the tetrahedral sites and Pd can substitute for Si and C at positive charged states. Removing electrons (p-type doping) from SiC lowers the formation and migration energies of Pd defects in SiC for most configurations.
Standardization of the Chloramine-T Method of Protein Iodination:

SummaryA method is described for the controlled iodination of proteins. The potential, EMF, of the reaction mixture is monitored and used to determine the minimum amount of chloramine-T required for acceptable iodination. The method has been applied to the iodination of bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, Salmonella flagella, and other proteins.
Influence of ecdysterone on molting in Palaemonetes.

Abstract Since many female decapod crustaceans are known to delay molting until after release of their larvae or young, such ovigerous female shrimp may have a high titer of molt-inhibiting substance. At that time, comparison can be made between ovigerous females and mature males in terms of their response to injections of a molting hormone. Injection of ecdysterone (β-ecdysone, 20-hydroxyecdysone) in doses between 5 and 0.25 μg, proved to be toxic to adult shrimp. However, when treated with 0.1 μg of ecdysterone, ovigerous female shrimp survived the incubation period of their larvae without molting. Similar treatment of males during stage C of their molt cycle resulted in an increase in the rate of molting among this group. Injection of ecdysterone during stage D of the molt cycle induced no change in molting frequency. We suggest that the action of ecdysterone is influenced by the titer of a molt-inhibiting factor in the recipient animal.
A model for the interaction of anesthetics with the phospholipid membrane headgroup-interface region

Abstract A previous model for lipid-anesthetic interaction is modified to account for anesthetics which bind to the headgroup-interface region of the bilayer rather than the acyl chain region. The new models account for anesthetic-induced changes in membrane phase transition temperature and permeability as well as the previous model, while still accounting for pressure reversal of anesthesia. In addition, the new models account for a ‘saturation’ of the effect of increasing concentrations of anesthetic on the membrane phase transition temperature, in agreement with experiment and in contrast to our previous model.
MICROTUBULAR CRYSTALS IN MAMMALIAN CELLS

Periwinkle alkaloids in very low concentrations cause an intracytoplasmic sequestration of microtubule protein in the form of symmetrical, microtubular bodies. These crystals, which may measure up to 8 µ in length, appear within 30 min in L-strain fibroblasts in vitro, but they increase in incidence and size with time of exposure to the alkaloids. Similarly, if exposed to these compounds, human leukocytes in vitro contain identical crystalline structures. Neither colchicine nor puromycin prevents the formation of these bodies; the latter compound, however, retards crystal growth.
Survival after Treatment of Rabies with Induction of Coma

We report the survival of a 15-year-old girl in whom clinical rabies developed one month after she was bitten by a bat. Treatment included induction of coma while a native immune response matured; rabies vaccine was not administered. The patient was treated with ketamine, midazolam, ribavirin, and amantadine. Probable drug-related toxic effects included hemolysis, pancreatitis, acidosis, and hepatotoxicity. Lumbar puncture after eight days showed an increased level of rabies antibody, and sedation was tapered. Paresis and sensory denervation then resolved. The patient was removed from isolation after 31 days and discharged to her home after 76 days. At nearly five months after her initial hospitalization, she was alert and communicative, but with choreoathetosis, dysarthria, and an unsteady gait.
Geographical and taxonomic variation in the pattern of natural sex reversal in the teleost fish order Synbranchiformes

Two types of males have been found in all members of the Synbranchidae. The primary males are born as males and possess single, but bilobular, testes with two gonadal sinuses. Secondary males evolve by sex reversal of functional females and possess a lamellar organization of the testes with three gonadal sinuses and often ovarian residua. Undifferentiated races lack primary males and are recorded only from certain geographical areas. Rudimentary hermaphroditism is classified as a derived evolutionary stage and gonochorism, which is represented in the Amphipnoidae, a primitive evolutionary condition. The alternative of primary versus secondary male is decided by a genetic shift mechanism instead of by environmental conditions. The precarious poise of sexual identity in the Synbranchidae is defined as a switch mechanism to compensate for the vicissitudes of the natural habitat, allowing reproduction in spite of severe population depletions. Based on an examination of its gonadal structure, Alabes is considered to have no phylogenetic affinities with the Synbranchiformes. The occurrence of natural hermaphroditism in phylogenetically unrelated groups of fishes in radically different environments is regarded as the results of chance evolution, rather than convergence.
Combined sorbent/catalyst media for destruction of halogenated VOCs

Abstract Several chromium modified zeolites have been developed and tested for their ability to physisorb chlorinated VOCs (CVOCs) at ambient and then catalytically destroy them at elevated temperatures (ca. 300°C). These dual function materials, which act as both sorbents and catalysts, are believed to be the key to implementing a new energy efficient process for the destruction of low concentration level CVOC streams. Data showing catalytic activity, sorptivity and other physical properties for Y and ZSM-5 zeolites based media are presented. A chromium exchanged ZSM-5 (Cr-ZSM-5) medium which showed superior performance catalytically (> 95% TCE and MeCl2 destruction at 300°C) and adequate sorption capacity (0.074 g TCE/g sorbent, 0.064 g MeCl2/g sorbent at 23°C in the presence of humid air) was chosen for subsequent dual function tests. These tests showed that ambient temperature fixed bed sorption of CVOCs followed by periodic heating of the upper portion of the bed to catalytic temperatures (ca. 35°C) with slow temperature ramping of the lower portion to desorb trapped CVOCs, produced a highly energy efficient cyclic process for their destruction. A Cr-ZSM-5 bed, which alternately stored and then destroyed CVOC from a humid 110 ppm TCE stream at a space velocity of 2400 h−1, was shown to operate over a 1460 min cycle which required heating for only 7% of the time.
Emerging drugs for acute ischemic stroke

Stroke is no longer an untreatable condition, and its management is changing rapidly as new developments appear for acute treatments. The objective of this article is to provide a concise introduction to the pathophysiology and existing treatments for stroke, as well as discussing current research goals and interventions under evaluation, along with potential development issues. It will end with the authors' interpretations of the presented material and their opinions about where the field is going, or should go, in the coming years. The material herein is derived from current literature and expert opinion. Overall, the most important findings are that future advances in stroke treatment will probably include combination therapies that will be administered in specialized stroke care units to maximize patient outcome.
Relationship of Bioassayable and Immunoassayable Plasma ACTH and Cortisol Concentrations in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Cushing's Disease

Plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations were determined at 5-min intervals over a 3- or 4-h sampling period in 2 normal subjects. Time spans studied were 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, 4:00 PM-8:00 PM, 8:00 PM-11:00 PM, and 4:00 AM-8:00 AM. Similar sampling for 3 h, (onset 9:00-9:30 AM) was performed on 4 patients with Cushing's disease, 3 untreated and 1 in remission following pituitary irradiation. Two of these patients were studied on 2 separate occasions. Plasma ACTH was determined by both immunoassay (I) and bioassay (B). Although in general, these studies demonstrated significant correlation between I-ACTH or B-ACTH concentrations and those of plasma cortisol, a striking finding in both subject categories was the presence of 30- to 50-min episodes during which marked rises in both I- and B-ACTH concentrations occurred without concomittant, or markedly diminished, increments in plasma cortisol concentrations. This could not be explained by biological inactivity of the ACTH, since a highly significant correlation was present between I- and B-ACTH concentrations at all times; r values ranged between 0.86 and 0.98 for normal subjects, and 0.76 and 0.96 for patients with Cushing's disease. The lack of correlation in these episodes also does not appear to be secondary to an 11-beta-hydroxylase block, differences in the rate of change of plasma ACTH concentrations, lack of adrenal "priming" by prior ACTH or incapacity of the adrenal gland to further increase secretion. I/B ACTH ratios were similar in the normal subjects (1.42-1.64) and in the patients with Cushing's disease (1.27-1.47). "Apparent" ACTH half lives calculated from "peaks" of ACTH secretion were 7-12 min for I-ACTH and 3-9 min for B-ACTH in the normal subjects; and 9-13 min and 7-9 min respectively, in the patients with Cushing's disease. Mean plasma ACTH I-and B-concentrations at comparable time periods were higher in patients with active Cushing's disease than in normal subjects. These studies also indicate that in Cushing's disease, the abnormality present resides in ACTH regulatory mechanisms, not in the nature of the ACTH secreted. Approximation of the total amount of immunoassayable ACTH secreted in one normal subject over a 24-h period yielded a value of 73 mug. Total mug/h secreted in the 2 normal subjects were highest in the hour preceding awakening (6:30-7:30 AM; 12.9 and 12.2 mug/h); were 5.3 and 4.0 mug/h between 10:00-11:00 AM, and 1.4 and 1.7 mug/h between 9:00-10:00 PM. In the 3 patients with clinically active Cushing's disease, apparent ACTH secretion between 10:00-11:00 AM varied from 19.2-34.3 mug/h, the magnitude of such secretion being positively correlated with the extent of increased adrenal cortical activity present.
The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Restoration of Israel in the “Judeo-centric” Strand of Puritan Millenarianism

For the American Puritan minister Increase Mather, the battle of Armageddon would be “the most terrible day of battel that ever was.” “Asia is like to be in a flame of war between Israelites and Turks,” he wrote in The Mystery of Israel's Salvation, “[and] Europe between the followers of the Lamb and the followers of the beast.” In the Asian and European spheres of action, or so Mather anticipated, God's Israelite and Protestant armies would “overthrow great Kingdoms, and make Nations desolate, and bring defenced Cities into ruinous heaps.” The inevitable victory would reshape the course of history, for the destruction of Roman Catholic and Ottoman power would be accompanied by the conversion of the Jews and the lost tribes of Israel to Christianity and by their restoration to their ancestral homeland in Palestine. Then would come the birth of the millennium in Jerusalem and the subsequent spread of the kingdom of Jesus Christ throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world.
Patterns of ambulatory care usage and leading treatments for rosacea.

Abstract Background: Millions of rosacea sufferers are not being treated, and the reasons they do not get treatment are not well characterized. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the main reasons for visit, providers seen and treatments used for rosacea. Methods: We used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1993–2010, tabulating the leading reasons for visit, providers seen and treatments used in rosacea visits. Results:There were 1 750 000 visits per year for rosacea. The leading reasons for visit were other diseases of the skin (25.3%), skin rash (19.6%), and discoloration or abnormal pigmentation (14.7%). Dermatologists managed 72.4% of visits. The most common treatments used were topical metronidazole (29.3%), tetracycline (11.0%), minocycline (8.5%), doxycycline (7.9%), and oral metronidazole (6.9%). Limitations: Some reasons for visit were too nonspecific to provide good insight on why the patient made a visit. Conclusions: Dermatologists manage rosacea most common...
The many facets of PEDF in drug discovery and disease: a diamond in the rough or split personality disorder?

Introduction: Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) was discovered as a neurotrophic factor secreted by retinal pigment epithelial cells. A decade later, it re-emerged as a powerful angiogenesis inhibitor guarding ocular function. Since then, significant advances were made identifying PEDF's mechanisms, targets and biomedical applications. Areas covered: The authors review several methodologies that have generated significant new information about the potential of PEDF as a drug. Furthermore, the authors review and discuss mechanistic and structure–function analyses combined with the functional mapping of active fragments, which have yielded several short bioactive PEDF peptides. Additionally, the authors present functional studies in knockout animals and human correlates that have provided important information about conditions amenable to PEDF-based therapies. Expert opinion: Through its four known receptors, PEDF causes a wide range of cellular events vitally important for the organism, which includ...
Ethical Issues in Emergency Psychiatry

The care of patients with a psychiatric emergency is fraught with ethical challenges. Applying ethical reasoning to clinical challenges may help to improve care. Emergency providers should assess decision-making capacity using 4 criteria: communication, understanding, appreciation, and reasoning. Maintaining patient confidentiality is a strong imperative for emergency physicians and should be protected unless compelling additional concerns take precedence. The goal of involuntary treatment should be to protect patients from harm that they would not be exposed to were they capable of autonomous decision making, not dangerous, or not impaired by their psychiatric illness using the least restrictive means possible.
Haptic feedback and human performance in a dynamic task

This study explores the effects of haptic feedback on performance and learning by human subjects executing a dynamic task. We present the results of experiments involving the control of a ball and beam. Human subjects perform position targeting of the ball through hand operation of the beam angle. In our dynamic analysis we discuss how this prototype task may be used to test the efficacy of various haptic feedback conditions. We obtain results for two conditions of haptic feedback, produced using two ball sizes, and apply various metrics to analyze performance. We also examine ordering effects that occur in the presentation of these haptic conditions. Our analysis and experimental findings indicate that the performance of a dynamic task is governed by the complexity of system dynamics and the magnitude of haptic feedback. Our results provide modest support to recommend exposure to a more complex, higher force-feedback task prior to the execution of a simpler lower feedback task.
Treating venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with cancer. Although much is known about the factors that contribute to VTE risk, pre-emptive therapy in high-risk populations is clearly indicated in only a few clinical situations. Low-molecular-weight heparin is still the recommended class of anticoagulants for cancer-associated VTE. Management of VTE in patients with renal failure, hemorrhagic brain metastases, thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy remains challenging with few safe and effective alternatives. Novel oral agents are currently being investigated and may play a role in the future in the treatment of cancer-associated VTE.
Achieving carrier class availability of FSO link via a complementary RF link

Due to the difficulty of deploying fiber-to-home, the solution for the last-mile problem remains an unsolved challenge. Among all the alternatives, free-space optics (FSO) shows great potential due to its non-interfering nature and abundant available bandwidth. However, because the operational status of an FSO link is highly weather dependent, feasibility of using FSO to deliver data to end-users remains questionable. A hybrid architecture that utilizes the complementary nature of FSO and radio frequency (RF) links with respect to their individual weather sensitivities has been proposed to significantly increase availability. According to this architecture, we developed a channel model integrating the RF and FSO channels. Experimental measurements are also taken into account in order to verify validity of the model. Based on the model and available weather condition data, we concluded that the hybrid link does demonstrate significantly better availability than the FSO alone case. Carrier class availability can be achieved.
Reversible grain size changes in ball-milled nanocrystalline Fe--Cu alloys

Nanocrystalline Fe{sub {ital x}}Cu{sub 100{minus}{ital x}} solid solutions ({ital x}{lt}60) with single-phase fcc structure have been prepared by mechanical alloying. The average grain size of the powders (6--20 nm) depends on the composition of the material. Varying the composition changes the grain size reversibly. This can be explained by the underlying mechanism of plastic deformation and solution hardening during mechanical alloying coupled with the recovery behavior of the material.
A Reconsideration of the Mode of Development of the Bar Eye of Drosophila Melanogaster.

HE sex-linked semi-dominant mutation, Bar, of Drosophila melanoT gaster (TICE 1914) when homozygous reduces the facet number of the compound eye from approximately 770 (the facet number of the wild type) to about 75. When heterozygous, it reduces the facet number to about 350. Its discovery afforded geneticists an effective tool for the quantitative study of gene action. Only one year after the announcement of its discovery, ZELENEY and MATTOON (1915) showed it to be sensitive to selection-that is, to changes in the genotypic environment. SEYSTER (1919) showed that in Bar facet number varied inversely with temperature and that temperature was effective only during the larval period. To explain his data, SEYSTER postulated “the existence of a chemical factor or determiner which acts as an inhibitor of facet formation and that, at a higher temperature, the speed of reaction is much greater than at a lower.” This pioneer work of SEYSTER, which unfortunately was interrupted by the first World War, opened the floodgates for a number of experiments designed to measure the effect of temperature on the development of the Bar eye, with the intention of finding an explanation of the mode of action of the Bar mutant. KRAFKA, in a series of three papers, published in 1920, confirmed and extended SEYSTER’S work to show that temperature was effective during only a limited portion of the larval period. He suggested “ . . . the decrease in facet number to be due to an inhibitor, the temperature coefficient of which differs from that of the normal facet-producing reaction . . .” and that “ . . . the Bar eye factor comes into play after about three-fourths of the larval period is finished.” Subsequent work showed that the temperature effective period (T.E.P.) varies in duration (percentage of larval life) and position from temperature to temperature (DRIVER 1926 and others). For example, at 2ooC the T.E.P. occupies approximately 25 percent of larval life, while at 27OC it includes only about 15 percent (DRIVER 1931). More recently, MARGOLIS (1934, 1935a, 1935b, 1936) very carefully repeated the temperature work on Bar. His conclusions in the main confirm those of the earlier workers. MARGOLIS (1935”) presented in schematic
Advances in cellular and tissue engineering using layer‐by‐layer assembly

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a self-assembly technique used to develop multilayer films based on complementary interactions between film components. These multilayer films have had a significant impact on the fields of cellular and tissue engineering. The aim of cellular engineering is to understand and control cell behavior, which not only impacts applications in regenerative medicine but also other biomedical therapies that rely on cell interactions with biomaterials, including treatments for autoimmune disorders and cancer. Tissue engineering approaches to tissue repair and regeneration utilize three-dimensional biomaterial scaffolds that interact favorably with cells. Cellular engineering studies can better inform the design of these scaffolds. The ease of tuning the chemical and mechanical properties of LbL films, the ability to coat a variety of medically relevant substrates (including cell culture surfaces and scaffolds), and the wide range of species that can be incorporated into these films (ranging from proteins to small molecules) have led to the successful use of LbL assembly for a variety of cellular and tissue engineering applications. The films used in these biomedical applications can be divided into those that release therapeutics, often with controlled stimuli-responsive release behavior, and those that act without releasing these agents. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Performance of HPC Middleware over InfiniBand WAN

High performance interconnects such as InfiniBand (IB)have enabled large scale deployments of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. High performance communication and IO middleware such as MPI and NFS over RDMA have also been redesigned to leverage the performance of these modern interconnects. With the advent of long haul InfiniBand (IB WAN), IB applications now have inter-cluster reaches. While this technology is intended to enable high performance network connectivity across WAN links,it is important to study and characterize the actual performance that the existing IB middleware achieve in these emerging IB WAN scenarios. In this paper, we study and analyze the performance characteristics of the following three HPC middleware: (i)IPoIB (IP traffic over IB), (ii) MPI and (iii) NFS over RDMA. We utilize the Obsidian IB WAN routers for inter-cluster connectivity. Our results show that many of the applications absorb smaller network delays fairly well. However, most approaches get severely impacted in high delay scenarios. Further, communication protocols need to be optimized in higher delay scenarios to improve the performance. In this paper, we propose several such optimizations to improve communication performance. Our experimental results show that techniques such as WAN-aware protocols, transferring data using large messages (message coalescing) and using parallel data streams can improve the communication performance (up to 50%) in high delay scenarios. Overall, these results demonstrate that IB WAN technologies can enable cluster-of-clusters architecture as a feasible platform for HPC systems.