cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation damage in Luna 20 soil.

As an extension of previous studies of radiation damage produced by heavy solar flare ions in lunar soils, high-voltage electron microscopy and electron diffraction procedures were used to rank a Luna 20 sample among the other soils returned by Soviet and American lunar missions. Micron-sized soil grains from the Luna 20 mission are the most lightly irradiated, in contrast to micron-sized grains from Luna 16 soil, which are the most heavily irradiated.
BINDING OF TO-PRO-3 AND TOTO-3 TO DNA : FLUORESCENCE AND HOLE-BURNING STUDIES

The thiazole orange derivative, TO-PRO-3, and its dimeric analogue, TOTO-3, bind strongly to both double- and single-stranded DNA. Both the bound and the free dye undergo efficient nonphotochemical hole burning. From the structure of the hole burned and the fluorescence line-narrowed spectra, it is concluded that there are multiple modes of binding of the dyes to DNA. In one mode, the absorption, fluorescence, and hole-burned vibronic band structure are similar to those of the free dye. It is proposed that the molecules in this mode are externally bound to the DNA chain. Molecules in the other binding mode are characterized by a strong interaction with DNA. These are proposed to be molecules in intercalated or base-stacked configurations.
Effect of diet on urinary excretion of VMA, HVA, metanephrine, and total free catecholamine in normal preschool children.

Quantitation of the urinary metabolites of catecholamines, including VMA, HVA, and metanephrines, from six normal preschool children was performed during a normal diet, a restricted diet, and a diet with increased amounts of vanilla, vanillin, and phenolic acids. Ingestion of these substances has been suspected of producing elevated values of urinary catecholamines and their metabolites. Urine was collected on the fourth day of each diet in two consecutive 12-hour aliquots, beginning at 8:00 am . Statistically significant diurnal variation in excretion of all three metabolites and total free catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) was demonstrated. Died did not alter excretion of total free catecholamines or any of the three metabolites. This study suggests that a three-day restriced diet is not necessary prior to screening children for neuroblastoma when using quantitative assay methods and that all screening tests should be performed on a 24-hour urine sample.
Increased Expression of TGF-β Receptors by Scleroderma Fibroblasts: Evidence for Contribution of Autocrine TGF-β Signaling to Scleroderma Phenotype

Scleroderma fibroblasts exhibit numerous phenotypic differences when compared with healthy skin fibroblasts. Some of these differences, in particular overexpression of collagen type I and other extracellular matrix proteins, parallel the effect of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) on dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that the scleroderma fibroblast phenotype may result from activation of autocrine TGF-β signaling. To test this hypothesis we examined the role of TGF-β Type I and Type II receptors in regulating collagen type I transcription. We have shown that overexpression of either Type I or Type II receptors significantly (3–4-fold) increases α2 (I) collagen promoter activity in transient transfection assays in dermal fibroblasts. Addition of anti-TGF-β antibody abolished, whereas addition of plasmin enhanced, the stimulatory effect of receptor overexpression on collagen promoter activity, suggesting that this effect depends on autocrine TGF-β. Moreover, these cotransfection experiments indicated that expression levels of TGF-β receptors is a limiting factor in the autocrine regulation of collagen type I transcription by TGF-β. Comparison of the TGF-β receptor Type I and Type II mRA expression levels in scleroderma and normal fibroblasts have indicated elevated expression (2-fold) of both receptor types in scleroderma cells, which correlated with increased binding of TGF-β. Significantly, elevated TGF-β receptor levels correlated with elevated α2 (I) collagen mRNA levels. These results suggest that the elevated production of collagen type I by scleroderma fibroblasts results from overexpression of TGF-β receptors.
Indications of preferred orientation in recrystallized hot pressed MgO.

X ray transmission technique to study preferred orientation in recrystallized hot pressed MgO
Spontaneous bilateral anterior partial in-the-bag intraocular lens dislocation following routine annual eye examination

We present the case of an 81-year-old man with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) in whom spontaneous bilateral anterior partial in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation was diagnosed following a routine dilated examination that demonstrated only mild pseudophacodonesis with no evidence of subluxation. Uneventful cataract surgery with placement of single-piece hydrophobic acrylic posterior chamber IOLs had been performed in both eyes 7 years previously. Bilateral IOL repositioning with scleral fixation was performed to correct the dislocation. Postoperative examinations showed remarkable improvement in visual acuity and IOL stability. We hypothesize that zonular weakness secondary to PXF predisposed the patient to bilateral IOL partial dislocation. Pupil dilation in the setting of mild pseudophacodonesis at the time of routine examination may have been a precipitating factor. To our knowledge, bilateral IOL subluxation/dislocation has been described in a limited number of case reports. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Factors influencing the relationships between reducing sugars and fry colour of potato tubers of cv. Record

Summary The influence of sampling and sugar and colour assessment on the correlation between sugar content and fry colour of potatoes was investigated in cv. Record stored at 5 and 10°C (to produce a wide range of reducing sugars), and sampled at the basal, middle and apical region of the tuber. When colour and reducing sugars from adjacent slices were compared excellent correlations were found between these two factors whether the colour was measured objectively, as reflectance density (RD) of the ground paste from fried disks (r = 0.9550) and optical density (OD) of extract from the paste (r = 0.9507), or subjectively against IBVL colour cards (r =−0.9378). Although good correlations were found for individual scorers, using matching colour cards, significantly different regression lines were found between individuals. Reducing sugar levels were generally higher at the basal end than at the apical end. Consequently, the correlations between fry colour and reducing sugars are much poorer if reducing sugar and colour are measured on different tissue in the same tuber and the variation in colour explained by variation in reducing sugar decreased from 90 to 50%. Sampling within tubers thus appears to be a major factor determining the ability to accurately predict fry colour from reducing sugar content. It is suggested that if potatoes for processing are to be rejected on the colour of the darkest part of a tuber then a sample core for sugars should be taken from the basal region of the tuber.
Alcohol Stress Response Dampening During Imminent Versus Distal, Uncertain Threat

Research indicates that fear and anxiety are distinct processes with separable neurobiological substrates. Predictable versus unpredictable shock administration has been used to elicit fear versus anxiety, respectively. Recent research has demonstrated that alcohol may reduce anxiety but not fear. However, previous manipulations of predictability have varied both probability and temporal uncertainty of shock threat, leaving unresolved questions regarding which stimulus characteristics elicit anxiety and are sensitive to alcohol stress-response dampening (SRD). We developed a novel paradigm to closely parallel basic research in animals that systematically varied temporal uncertainty of threat while holding threat probability constant. Intoxicated (0.08% target blood alcohol concentration), placebo, and no-alcohol control participants viewed a series of visual threat cues. Certain cue duration (5 s) blocks were equivalent to predictable shock blocks eliciting fear in earlier research. Uncertain cue duration (5, 20, 50, or 80 s, intermixed) blocks introduced temporal uncertainty regarding impending shock to elicit anxiety. Startle potentiation relative to matched cue periods in no-shock blocks provided the primary measure of affective response. All threat cues produced robust startle potentiation. Alcohol reduced startle potentiation during the firs t5so fthreat cue presentation in uncertain but not certain duration blocks. Alcohol also reduced startle potentiation at later times among longer uncertain duration cues, suggesting that alcohol SRD persisted. Trait negative emotionality and binge drinking status moderated alcohol SRD magnitude during uncertain threat. These translational findings corroborate previous reports regarding distinct substrates of fear versus anxiety and have implications for both alcoholism etiology and comorbidity with anxiety disorders.
A copper(II)–oxalate compound resulting from the fixation of carbon dioxide: μ‐oxalato‐bis­[bis­(1‐benzyl‐1H‐pyrazole)(trifluoro­methane­sulfonato)copper(II)]

Reductive coupling of adventitious CO2 by CuI has afforded the title compound, μ-oxalato-1κ2O1,O2:2κ2O1′,O2′-bis­[bis­(1-benzyl-1H-pyrazole-κN2)(trifluoro­methane­sulfonato-κO)copper(II)], [Cu2(CF3O3S)2(C2O4)(C10H10N2)4], which contains centrosymmetric mol­ecules in which the CuII ions, bridged by a planar oxalate ligand, exhibit a distorted square-pyramidal N2(pyrazole)O2(oxalato)O(trifluoro­methane­sulf­on­ate) coordination geometry, with the trifluoro­methane­sulfonate ligand coordinated axially. The mol­ecule exhibits five intra­molecular C—H⋯O,F hydrogen bonds per asymmetric unit, which help to stabilize the mol­ecule and to orient the benzyl and trifluoro­methane­sulfonate groups. Inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules to form two-dimensional layers.
Adsorption isotherms of condensable vapors on solids: Determination of monolayer points from isothermal plots based on the temperature of the vapor source

Abstract DeBoer and Broekhoff have proposed that inflections occur in adsorption isotherms at one-third of a monolayer if the adsorbent is homogeneous and the adsorbate does not undergo two-dimensional condensation. This concept has been applied to data for furan, thiophene, and 1,4-cyclohexadiene adsorbed on Graphon carbon black. The method needs only sample weight and thermocouple readings from which to compute the inflection corresponding to one-third of a monolayer. It is shown that this method can agree with the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method for determining monolayer points only if the BET constant c has a value near 10.
Friction Stir Weld Nugget Temperature Asymmetry

Abstract Two different hardness distributions were observed to result from the friction stir welding of an Al–Mg–Si alloy using identical welding speeds but different heat inputs. In one case, the distribution was relatively symmetric about the weld centreline and in the other, the hardness declined continuously from the advancing to the retreating sides of the weld nugget. Based on in-probe temperature measurements, full-field grain size mapping, and response to post-weld heat treatment, it has been ascertained that under low heat input conditions, the weld nugget attained a higher temperature on the advancing side than on the retreating side. Such a temperature asymmetry has often been proposed and has been predicted by simulation but, has not been convincingly demonstrated before this time.
Nanoscale Imaging of Neutral Atoms with a Pulsed Magnetic Lens

We present a scheme for imaging of neutral atoms to the nanoscale with a pulsed magnetic lens and show its viability through numerical calculations. This scheme achieves focal lengths on the order of several centimeters and focal spots of less than 10 nm. With these results, it is possible to create sub-10 nm structures on surfaces in a parallel and time-efficient manner. When used with metastable noble gas atoms, and in combination with electron spectroscopy, this scheme can create a chemically sensitive microscope which can probe surfaces on the nanometer scale.
Shock tube and theory investigation of cyclohexane and 1-hexene decomposition.

The decomposition of cyclohexane (c-C6H12) was studied in a shock tube using the laser-schlieren technique over the temperature range 1300−2000 K and for 25−200 Torr in mixtures of 2%, 4%, 10%, and 20% cyclohexane in Kr. Vibrational relaxation of the cyclohexane was also examined in 10 experiments covering 1100−1600 K for pressures below 20 Torr, and relaxation was found to be too fast to allow resolution of incubation times. The dissociation of 1-hexene (1- C6H12), apparently the sole initial product of cyclohexane decomposition, was also studied over 1220−1700 K for 50 and 200 Torr using 2% and 3% 1-hexene in Kr. On heating, cyclohexane simply isomerizes to 1-hexene, and this then dissociates almost entirely by a more rapid C−C scission to allyl and n-propyl radicals. This two-step reaction results in an initial small density gradient from the slight endothermicity of the isomerization. The gradient then rises strongly as the product 1-hexene dissociates. For the lower temperatures, this behavior is ful...
FTC synthesis for nonlinear systems: Sum of squares optimization approach

This paper studies the fault tolerant control (FTC) problem for nonlinear systems, with guaranteed cost or Hinfin performance objective in the presence of actuator faults. The mode of faults under consideration is typical aberration of actuator effectiveness. To transform the FTC design problem into a semi-definite programming (SDP), the effect of the nonlinear terms is described as an index. The proposed optimization approach is to find zero optimum for this index. Combined with other performance indexes, the conceived multiobjective optimization is solved by sum of squares method (SOS) in a reliable and efficient way. Numerical examples are included to verify the applicability of this new approach for the nonlinear FTC synthesis.
Veteran Status and Men’s Later-Life Cognitive Trajectories Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which men’s later-life cognitive trajectories vary by veteran status. Method: We use Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data to estimat...
The Most American Thing in New York City: The Historiography of the National Theater of the United States of America

New York City–based NTUSA uses a census-based creation process to develop vaudevillian spectacles that investigate the construction of local and national histories. Their performances expose tensions between art as a commercial enterprise and a community-building effort, testing the boundary between esoteric avantgarde and purely entertaining, popular performance.
Hierarchical multiscale structure-property relationships of the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) beak.

We experimentally studied beaks of the red-bellied woodpecker to elucidate the hierarchical multiscale structure–property relationships. At the macroscale, the beak comprises three structural layers: an outer rhamphotheca layer (keratin sheath), a middle foam layer and an inner bony layer. The area fraction of each layer changes along the length of the beak giving rise to a varying constitutive behaviour similar to functionally graded materials. At the microscale, the rhamphotheca comprises keratin scales that are placed in an overlapping pattern; the middle foam layer has a porous structure; and the bony layer has a big centre cavity. At the nanoscale, a wavy gap between the keratin scales similar to a suture line was evidenced in the rhamphotheca; the middle foam layer joins two dissimilar materials; and mineralized collagen fibres were revealed in the inner bony layer. The nano- and micro-indentation tests revealed that the hardness (associated with the strength, modulus and stiffness) of the rhamphotheca layer (approx. 470 MPa for nano and approx. 320 MPa for micro) was two to three times less than that of the bony layer (approx. 1200 MPa for nano and approx. 630 MPa for micro). When compared to other birds (chicken, finch and toucan), the woodpecker's beak has more elongated keratin scales that can slide over each other thus admitting dissipation via shearing; has much less porosity in the bony layer thus strengthening the beak and focusing the stress wave; and has a wavy suture that admits local shearing at the nanoscale. The analysis of the woodpeckers' beaks provides some understanding of biological structural materials' mechanisms for energy absorption.
Experiences in diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in the horse.

Summary This paper reviews the current status of diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy in the horse. Arthroscopy has been used as a diagnostic aid since 1974 and is useful for evaluation of abnormalities in synovial membrane and articular cartilage. Surgical arthroscopy is a more recent advance that has replaced conventional arthrotomy in 90 per cent of the author's cases. Clinical conditions currently being treated using arthroscopic techniques rather than arthrotomy include all chip fractures in the carpus, chip fractures of the first phalanx, chronic proliferative synovitis in the fetlock and osteochondritis dissecans of the femoropatellar and tibiotarsal joints. The equipment requirements and basic techniques are reviewed. Convalescent time following surgery is decreased and the cosmetic appearance improved compared to arthrotomy. Considerable experience is required for competent surgery which, in turn, is necessary for this method to have advantage over previous conventional techniques.
Designing autonomous layered video coders

Layered compression paradigms such as scalable, multiple description, and multi-view video coding, require coupled encoding decisions among layers to achieve optimal distortion performance under buffer constraints. Moreover, due to the dynamic and time-varying source characteristics, and temporal coupling of encoding decisions through the buffer constraints, it is not only necessary to consider the immediate rate-distortion impact of encoding decisions, but also their long-term rate-distortion impact. In other words, optimal encoding decisions must consider the coupling between layers and the coupling across time. In many scenarios, however, it may be impractical to make joint coding decisions for all of the layers. For instance, a two layer bitstream may be coded using different encoders for the base layer and enhancement layer, each with its own autonomous control plane; or, if the same encoder is used for multiple layers, then a joint decision process, which considers the aforementioned dependencies, may be too complex. In this paper, we propose a framework for autonomous decision making in layered video coders, which decouples the decision making processes at the various layers using a novel layered Markov decision process. We illustrate how this framework can be applied to decompose the decision processes for several typical layered video coders with different dependency structures and we observe that the performance of the proposed decomposition highly depends on the ability of the layers to model each other.
Talking About Safe Sex: The Role of Expectations and Experience1

We examined how affective expectations and objective experience influenced female college students' (N= 69) evaluations of discussions of safe-sex practices and willingness to engage in future discussions. Participants interacted with a confident male confederate (positive experience) or a nervous one (negative experience). Positive experiences produced more positive evaluations and greater willingness to participate in the future. Expectations were manipulated after the discussion by telling participants that discussions became easier over time (positive expectations) or telling participants nothing (neutral expectations). Independent of experience, positive expectations also resulted in more positive evaluations and greater willingness. Similar results were obtained 2 weeks later. Findings are discussed in terms of previous studies of affective expectations and implications for safe-sex education programs.
Support vector-based feature selection using Fisher's linear discriminant and Support Vector Machine

The problem of feature selection is to find a subset of features for optimal classification. A critical part of feature selection is to rank features according to their importance for classification. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been applied to a number of applications, such as bioinformatics, face recognition, text categorization, handwritten digit recognition, and so forth. Based on the success of the SVM, several feature selection algorithms that use it have recently been proposed. This paper proposes a new feature-ranking algorithm based on support vectors (SVs). Support vectors refer to those sample vectors that lie around the decision boundary between two different classes. Although SV-based feature ranking can be applied to any discriminant analysis, two linear discriminants are considered here: Fisher's linear discriminant and the Support Vector Machine. Features are ranked based on the weight associated with each feature or as determined by recursive feature elimination. The experiments show that our feature-ranking algorithms are competitive in accuracy with the existing methods and much faster.
Regulation of Opioid Receptors in Rat Sensory Neurons in Culture

To determine whether opioid receptors in sensory neurons are regulated by chronic exposure to opioids, we assessed the binding of various opioid ligands to membranes derived from isolated rat dorsal root ganglia neurons grown in culture. Equilibrium binding of [3H]diprenorphine onto membranes from cells grown for 13–15 days revealed a saturable binding site with aKd value of 0.3 ± 0.2 nmand an approximate Bmax value of 1300 ± 200 fmol/mg of protein. [3H]Diprenorphine binding increased 3-fold from 1–15 days in culture. The μ receptors represent ∼70 ± 11% of the [3H]diprenorphine binding sites, as indicated by saturation binding of [3H]DAMGO. The κ and δ receptors represent ∼10 ± 3% and ∼5 ± 2% of the [3H]diprenorphine binding sites, respectively. Preexposure of neurons to 10 μm naloxone for 48 hr up-regulated the receptors by 40%, whereas incubation with 100 nm to 10 μm DAMGO for 48 hr resulted in a significant decrease in theBmax value of opioid receptors, with a maximum reduction of 70%. The identification of a high level of opioid receptors expressed in isolated sensory neurons and their modulation by opioids demonstrates that cultured sensory neurons are an excellent model with which to study opioid receptor regulation.
Cross-cultural styles of thinking and their influence on consumer behavior

There has been a lot of interest in culture as a driver of consumer behavior. This article focuses on styles of thinking (analytic versus holistic) stemming from cultures with different social organizations. Early research in this area focused on broad cultural differences in consumer behavior. More recently, researchers have recognized that culture does not have a pervasive effect on consumer behavior. Rather, a variety of situational variables dictate when cultural differences due to styles of thinking will emerge. The authors examine the effect of analytic and holistic thinking across a range of consumer-related phenomena: brand extensions, brand knowledge structures, price–quality relationships, spatial biases, and context effects.
Quasi-constant rotational stiffness characteristic for cross-spring pivots in high precision measurement of unbalance moment

Abstract This paper proposes a design method for cross-spring pivots with quasi-constant rotational stiffness in the field of unbalanced moment measurement. To achieve high precision measurement of unbalance moment, the relationship between instrument sensitivity and the rotational stiffness of the cross-spring pivot is revealed. In order to eliminate the impacts of payload changes on instrument sensitivity, the relationship between geometric parameters and the rotational stiffness of the pivot is studied. Further, cross-spring pivots with quasi-constant rotational stiffness are designed as the rotation unit of a static balancing instrument, while the center shift of pivot takes the minimum value. Certain amount of unbalance moments is measured by the instrument. Experimental studies of the instrument show that the maximum measurement errors of unbalance moments 0.162 g mm, 0.319 g mm and 1.300 g mm are 0.068 g mm, 0.086 g mm and 0.053 g mm, respectively, when the payload ranges from 0 g to 7000 g. The instrument can achieve a relatively high precision measurement and the instrument sensitivity is almost not affected by the changes of payloads. The effectiveness of the method and the stiffness property of the pivot are verified by the experiments. So this kind of pivot has good prospects in unbalance moment measurement.
Evaluation of the β-Glucuronidase Substrate 5-Bromo-4-Chloro-3-Indolyl-β-D-Glucuronide (X-GLUC) in a 24-Hour Direct Plating Method for Escherichia coli.

A 24-h direct plating method for Escherichia coli using Peptone-Tergitol agar was used to compare the effectiveness of the chromogenic substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-glucuronide (X-GLUC) with the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucuronide (MUG) for β-glucuronidase activity. Values obtained for enumeration of two strains of E. coli recovered from artificially inoculated raw minced chicken (i.e., plating efficiencies on the inoculum, cells per g, and recovery percentages elated to those on Plate Count Agar) indicate that X-GLUC at 50 μg/ml was as effective as MUG in an agar medium. Unlike MUG, X-GLUC does not require ultraviolet light illumination, and the color reaction produced remains localized in the positive colonies.
The neonate versus adult mammalian immune system in cardiac repair and regeneration

The immune system is a crucial player in tissue homeostasis and wound healing. A sophisticated cascade of events triggered upon injury ensures protection from infection and initiates and orchestrates healing. While the neonatal mammal can readily regenerate damaged tissues, adult regenerative capacity is limited to specific tissue types, and in organs such as the heart, adult wound healing results in fibrotic repair and loss of function. Growing evidence suggests that the immune system greatly influences the balance between regeneration and fibrotic repair. The neonate mammalian immune system has impaired pro-inflammatory function, is prone to T-helper type 2 responses and has an immature adaptive immune system skewed towards regulatory T cells. While these characteristics make infants susceptible to infection and prone to allergies, it may also provide an immunological environment permissive of regeneration. In this review we will give a comprehensive overview of the immune cells involved in healing and regeneration of the heart and explore differences between the adult and neonate immune system that may explain differences in regenerative ability. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte Biology: Integration of Developmental and Environmental Cues in the Heart edited by Marcus Schaub and Hughes Abriel.
Unasked (and Unanswered) Questions About the Role of Neuroimaging in the Criminal Trial Process

The robust neuroimaging debate has dealt mostly with philosophical questions about free will, responsibility, and the relationship between brain abnormalities, violence, and crime. This debate, however, obscures several important issues of criminal procedure to which little attention has as of yet been paid: an indigent defendant's right of access to expert testimony in cases where neuroimaging tests might be critical; a defendant's competency to consent to the imposition of a neuroimaging test; and the impact of antipsychotic medications on a defendant's brain at the time that such a test is performed. This article considers these questions from the perspectives of both law and neuropsychology, and, from a clinical perspective, also focuses on identifying cases appropriate for referrals for neuroimaging studies, including preliminary testing based on neuropsychological assessment; understanding the importance of brain impairment as it relates to criminality and violence; establishing criteria for determining competency to consent to such tests, and the potential impact of medications on brain functioning when neuroimaging tests are conducted.
Age-related changes in perimicrovascular protein distribution

The diffusion hypothesis for physiological aging proposes that an increase in interstitial matrix fiber-to-gel ratio causes a decrease in nutrient diffusion to the cells. This hypothesis predicts a decrease in interstitial matrix protein with age. The objective was to test this hypothesis by determining age-related changes in plasma protein distribution in perimicrovascular and distal regions of rat mesentery interstitial matrix. Rats that were 77, 140, 210, 315, 455, and 630 days old were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, and a mesenteric loop was exteriorized. Intravital video microspectrophotometry was performed using wavelengths of 280, 320, and 700 nm. Perimicrovascular protein concentrations from the protein absorbance images were used to obtain the histogram, mean, and skewness of the proximal and distal protein concentration distributions. An exponential gradient model was also used to obtain the proximal and distal protein concentrations and gradient decay constants. Proximal protein concentration increased from 77- to 140-day-old rat and then decreased gradually through 210-, 315-, 455-, and 630-day-old rats. Distal concentration decreased gradually from 140- to 630-day-old rats. There was an increase in positive skewness of the proximal protein distributions from 140- through 630-day-old rats. We found an age-related decrease in perimicrovascular protein and propose that this is due to a decrease in protein permeability with age. The results support the diffusion theory of aging.
Single-Laboratory Validation of a Method for the Determination of Select Volatile Organic Compounds in Foods by Using Vacuum Distillation with Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Recent studies showed that headspace and purge and trap methods have limitations when used to determine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in foods, including matrix effects and artifact formation from precursors present in the sample matrix or from thermal decomposition. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method 8261A liberates VOCs from the sample matrix by using vacuum distillation at room temperature. The method was modified and validated for the determination of furan, chloroform, benzene, trichloroethene, toluene, and sytrene in infant formula, canned tuna (in water), peanut butter, and an orange beverage (orange-flavored noncarbonated beverage). The validation studies showed that the LOQ values ranged from 0.05 ng/g toluene in infant formula to 5.10 ng/g toluene in peanut butter. Fortified recoveries were determined at the first, second, and third standard additions, and concentrations ranged from 0.07 to 6.9 ng/g. When quantified by the method of standard additions, the recoveries ranged from 56 to 218% at the first standard addition and 89 to 117% at the third. The validated method was used to conduct a survey of the targeted VOCs in 18 foods. The amounts found ranged from none detected to 73.8 ng/g furan in sweet potato baby food.
How Do and Should We Compare Constitutional Law

How we compare constitutional law tends to depend in significant part on which side of several different divides we happen to be situated, on who the "we" is. Are we engaged in constitutional comparison (1) as legal academics or as social, especially political, scientists; (2) as legal academics whose national constitutions operate within a robust transnational legal order or more autonomously; (3) as legal academics from common law or civil law jurisdictions and law faculties; (4) as primarily scholars of constitutional/public law or of comparative/private law; or (5) not as scholars at all but as constitutional judges, lawyers, drafters, consultants or experts? But should it? Should there be a more uniform or trans-contextual approach to constitutional comparison that transcends these divides? And how does this differentiated practice relate to what are sometimes perceived as the disciplinary or methodological weaknesses of comparative constitutional law despite its undoubted revival and growth in recent decades? Is this practice the root cause of any such problems so that, again, eliminating these divisions is the solution? If not, what if anything should be done to change how we compare constitutional law? This essay argues that rather than adopting either a single, more uniform approach or a series of specialized and mostly compartmentalized sub-fields, as for example in political science, comparative constitutional law should acknowledge, and indeed celebrate, the pluralism and interdependence of its methods as mutually important pieces of the overall enterprise. This is emphatically not to say that the discipline could not usefully become more methodologically self-aware nor to deny the value of more empirical and interdisciplinary work, but rather that such trans-contextual uniformity or compartmentalization would be a mistake in a field as broad, developing, and as rooted in the world of practice both inside and outside the courtroom as comparative constitutional law.
Systemic Tensions in American Teacher Unions

Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) offers a broad approach to analyzing complex contexts. CHAT has been employed in analysis of activities specifically within learning contexts for many years (Yamagata-Lynch, 2010). We find that the CHAT approach to the analysis of learning and learning environments is attractive because of its ability to recognise the intertwining of human thought and action (Engestrom, 1987; Galperin, 1995; Leontiev, 1981).
Changes to Code Clones in Evolving Software.

Although cut-copy-paste (-and-adapt) techniques are considered bad practice, every programmer is using them. Because such practices not only involve duplication but also modification, they are called code cloning and the duplicated code is called code clone. A clone group consists of the code clones that are clones of each other. Code cloning is easy and cheap during software development, but it makes software maintenance more complicated, because errors may have been duplicated together with the cloned code and modifications of the original code often must also be applied to the cloned code. There has been little empirical work that checks whether the above mentioned problems are relevant in practice. Kim et al. [2] investigated the evolution of code clones and provided a classification for evolving code clones. Their work already showed that during the evolution of the code clones, common changes to the code clones of a group are fewer than anticipated. Geiger et al. [1] studied the relation of code clone groups and change couplings (files which are committed at the same time, by the same author, and with the same modification description), but could not find a (strong) relation. Therefore, this work will present a study that (in)validates the following hypothesis:
Lean Combustion in Gas Turbines

Abstract This chapter addresses the use of lean combustion in gas turbines. Lean combustion is now a standard practice for reaching ultralow pollutant emissions through control of combustion temperature. Innovation allows operation at lean conditions while avoiding operability issues such as premixer flashback and autoignition. Ground-based systems adopt innovations sooner than aviation systems because of the latter's safety requirements. The ability of current lean gas turbine technology to provide rapid response, good turndown, good stability, and low-emissions performance is remarkable. Recent adoption of advanced manufacturing methods is allowing further innovation such as multipoint injector arrays to be developed which have shown good performance with highly reactive fuels such as hydrogen.
Ab Initio QM/MM and Free Energy Calculations of Enzyme Reactions

A recently developed computational approach to studying enzyme reactions is reviewed. This approach consists of three major components: a pseudobond ab initio QM/MM method which provides a consistent and well-defined potential energy surface, an efficient iterative optimization procedure which determines the reaction paths with a realistic enzyme environment, and the free energy calculations which take account of the fluctuation of enzyme system. The review describes the applications of this QM/MM free energy approach to simulate reactions in two enzymes: enolase and triosephosphate isomerase (TIM). The calculations on enolase provide the insight on how the structure of the enolase active site organized to catalyze two different reaction to achieve overall catalytic efficiency. The study of TIM indicated a dual pathway mechanism and a low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) formed in the enediol intermediate. The LBHB is found to be very short with a distance of 2.46 Angstrom between two oxygen donor atoms, but its strength is only about 3–4 kcal/mol stronger than the normal hydrogen bond and even less than the ionic asymmetric hydrogen bond. That is much less than the value of 10–20 kcal/mol in the LBHB hypothesis.
Improving cardiovascular outcomes by intensifying low density lipoprotein lowering therapy in high-risk patients.

This editorial refers to ‘The benefit of adding ezetimibe to statin therapy in patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery and acute coronary syndrome in the IMPROVE-IT trial’, by A. Eisen et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehw377. One of the foundations of preventive cardiology is that the higher risk an individual person is for future cardiovascular events, the more aggressively that individual should be treated to reduce risk. While different medical societies throughout the world have recommended different approaches to assess risk, this premise has been universally accepted and is factored into all guidelines. Reduction in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a cornerstone of cardiovascular risk reduction, but questions remain about how aggressively LDL-C should be reduced in high-risk patients. A meta-analysis of statin trials by the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists (CTT) demonstrated every 1.0 mmol/L reduction in LDL-C is associated with a corresponding 20–25% reduction in cardiovascular events over 5 years.1 Based on these abundant data, statins are widely used to reduce risk in high-risk individuals. In contrast, the use of non-statin cholesterol lowering agents in addition to statins to reduce cardiovascular risk has been controversial. Prior to 2015, there were no large randomized trials to assess the benefits of adding a non-statin agent to statin therapy in reducing CV events. The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults focused on statin therapy as the primary goal,2 while the 2014 National Lipid Association recommendations for patient-centred management of dyslipidaemia used LDL-C goals with non-statin agents as necessary to achieve them.3 The IMPROVE-IT trial published in 2015 was the first large scale randomized trial to show the benefit of a non-statin agent in reducing cardiovascular events when added to statin therapy.4 The benefits …
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) is the most widely used nuclear imaging technique in cardiology, playing an important role in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), viability assessment, and risk stratification. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) improves the sensitivity and specificity over standard exercise stress testing and provides information regarding systolic function and wall motion abnormalities with gated SPECT.
Regional variation in antibiotic prescribing among medicare part D enrollees, 2013

Antibiotics are among the most widely prescribed medications. The geographic variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns and associated costs among Medicare Part D recipients have not been described. The purpose of this study was to assess the regional variation in antibiotic prescriptions and costs among Medicare Part D enrollees in 2013. Retrospective cohort review of all Medicare Part D enrollees in 2013, using the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Part D Prescriber Public Use File. All original or refill prescription claims for antibiotics as listed in the Part D Prescriber Public Use File were included. Our primary outcomes were total antibiotic claims and antibiotic cost per Medicare Part D Enrollee. Data were analyzed descriptively by state and by geographic region as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Antibiotic claims were described overall and by antibiotic class. Over 54 million outpatient antibiotic claims were filed for Part D enrollees in 2013, representing more than $1.5 billion in total antibiotic expenditures. Antibiotic use was highest in the South (1,623 claims/1,000 enrollees), followed by the Midwest (1,401 claims/1,000 enrollees), Northeast (1,366 claims/1,000 enrollees), and West (1,292 claims/1,000 enrollees). Average antibiotic costs per enrollee in each region were as follows: South $46.58, Northeast $43.70, Midwest $40.54, and West $36.42. Fluoroquinolones were the most commonly prescribed class overall (12.2 million claims). Antibiotic use among elderly Medicare enrollees in the United States was highest in the South region. Fluoroquinolones were the most common antibiotics used in all regions. These patterns could be utilized in the development of targeted antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
Evidence for a biological pump driver of atmospheric CO2 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1

The initial trigger of the atmospheric CO2 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1: 14.5–17.5 kyr B.P.) remains elusive. We present a compilation of four paired surface and intermediate-depth foraminiferal δ13C records to test whether reduced biological pump efficiency led to the initial CO2 rise during the last deglaciation. Surface ocean δ13C decreased across HS1 while intermediate-depth δ13C increased, leading to a reduction in the upper ocean δ13C gradient. Our compilation also suggests the δ13C gradient increased during the Bolling-Allerod (12.9–14.5 kyr B.P.) and decreased during the Younger Dryas (YD: 11.7–12.9 kyr B.P.). The HS1 and YD data are consistent with reduced biological export of isotopically light carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization at depth. Our results support the idea that a weaker Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation decreased biological pump efficiency by increasing the overall fraction of preformed nutrients in the global ocean, leading to an increase in atmospheric CO2.
Digoxin and cognitive performance in patients with heart failure: a cohort, pharmacoepidemiological survey.

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is a prevalent condition among patients with heart failure (HF), and is independently associated with disability and mortality. A large study of patients with atrial fibrillation incidentally demonstrated superior cognitive performance among participants who received digoxin. Interestingly, endogenous cerebral digoxin influences neuronal Na+-dependent transport of calcium and amino acids, as well as the release and reuptake of several neurotransmitters involved in cognitive functioning. Objective: To assess whether treatment with digoxin might improve cognition in patients with HF. Methods: This pharmacoepidemiological cohort study included hospitalized elderly people (age ≥65 years) from the GIFA (Gruppo Italiano di Farmacoepidemiologia nell’Anziano [Italian Group of Pharmacoepidemiology in the Elderly]) study. The GIFA study included 13 598 patients (1590 with a verified diagnosis of HF) without cerebrovascular or Alzheimer’s disease. The main outcome measure was cognitive performance, which was assessed on admission and immediately before discharge using the Hodkinson Abbreviated Mental Test. The diagnosis of HF was verified by the study investigators. Results: Among participants with HF, cognitive performance improved in 25% of 1172 participants who received digoxin compared with 16% of remaining patients (p < 0.0001). Among participants without HF, cognition improved in 23% of 2431 patients receiving digoxin compared with 17% of untreated patients (p < 0.0001). According to logistic regression analysis, the probability (odds ratio) of improving cognitive performance associated with administration of digoxin was 1.69 (95% CI 1.20, 2.38) among patients with HF, and 1.13 (95% CI 0.98, 1.31) among patients without HF, after adjusting for potential confounders. Analysis of the interaction term ‘use of digoxin by diagnosis of HF’ in fully adjusted logistic regression confirmed (p = 0.018) that the association between use of digoxin and improving cognitive performance varied according to diagnosis of HF. Conclusion: Treatment with digoxin might selectively improve cognitive performance among older patients with HF.
A Combination of Hypercholesterolemia and Hypertension Augments an Impairment in Intra-Renal Perfusion Responses

P105 The kidney is a target organ for cardiovascular risk factors, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension (HT), and is particularly susceptible to their combination. Even at an early stage, hypercholesterolemia (HC) and HT are individually associated with impaired renal perfusion responses to challenge with vasodilators. However, the effect of combined HC and HT on renal perfusion remains uncertain. To examine this, regional renal perfusion response to the renal vasodilator acetylcholine (Ach) was quantified in 4 groups of pigs, using electron beam CT, after 12 weeks of either normal (n=6), HC diet (n=6), HT (unilateral renal artery stenosis, n=5), or combined HC and HT (HC+HT, n=6). The HC and HC+HT groups had increased cholesterol levels vs. normal and HT (430±82 and 351±52 vs. 71±6 and 83±4 mg/dl, ANOVA p
Current Prescribing Practices for Antibiotic Prophylaxis: A Survey of Dental Practitioners

Aim Antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines have been developed for health care and dentistry. The authors examined whether dentists were following the 2007 American Heart Association (AHA) and the 2012 American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis. Materials and methods A survey was sent to 600 dentists in the south-central region of the United States. The survey examined dentists' prescribing practices for patients with cardiac and prosthetic joint replacements, antibiotic regimen prescribed, confidence in their prescription decisions, and dentistry's contribution to antibiotic resistance. Results The response rate was 28.7% (n = 172). Dentists followed the 2007 AHA guidelines for patients with a history of infective endocarditis (95%), and cardiac valves repaired with prosthetic materials (76%) or animal/donor tissue (61%). For prosthetic joint replacement, 72% prescribed antibiotic prophylaxis within the first 2 years after placement and 58% continued to prescribe after 2 years. Amoxicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic for cardiac conditions (92%) and prosthetic joint replacements (77%). No significant differences were found in relation to dentists' gender (p = 0.75), year of graduation (p = 0.71), scope of practice (p = 0.30), and their confidence in their prescription decisions; 73% believed taking multiple doses of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance. Conclusion The majority of dentists were following the 2007 AHA guidelines. Confusion regarding the 2012 AAOS guidelines for prosthetic joint replacement was evident. Clinical significance Keeping current with changing antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines ensures dentists are providing the best evidence-based dentistry for their patients.