cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who Should Implant a Pacemaker System, Cardiologist or Surgeon?

The question, ‘To pace or not to pace’ stated by the theme of this symposium has gained increasing significance and implication. The electronic wizards, conceived in the aerospace industry and delivered in the competitive ‘think tanks’ of pacemaker manufacturers’ Research and Development Departments, have given us every manner of circuit design for simulating or even improving on the normal heart’s conduction system. There is little question that the future will witness a return to the use of atrial triggered ventricular systems in the vast majority of patients with heart block. Automatic conversion of atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmias through biologic programmability is already a reality for temporary pacing systems and only awaits the perfection of a dependable atrial electrode before such devices will be ready for permanent implantation.
Development of a real-time PCR method for quantification of Prevotella histicola from the gut.

We designed species-specific primers and developed a qPCR method for enumerating P. histicola from intestinal samples. The two designed primer sets showed specificity for the target 16S rRNA gene of P. histicola. The absolute qPCR method was sensitive to quantify as few as 103 colony-forming units (CFU) in the gut.
TRIENNIAL LACTATION SYMPOSIUM/BOLFA: Plasticity of mammary development in the prepubertal bovine mammary gland,

Although peripubertal mammary development represents only a small fraction of the total mass of mammary parenchyma present in the udder at the end of gestation and into lactation, there is increasing evidence that the tissue foundations created in early life can affect future mammary development and function. Studies on expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors seem to confirm the relevance of these steroids in prepubertal mammary development, but connections with other growth factors, hormones, and local tissue factors remain elusive. Enhanced preweaning feeding in the bovine appears to enhance the capacity of mammary tissue to response to mammogenic stimulation. This suggests the possibility that improved early nutrition might allow for creation of stem or progenitor cell populations to better support the massive ductal growth and lobulo-alveolar development during gestation. Increasing evidence that immune cells are involved in mammary development suggests there are unexpected and poorly understood connections between the immune system and mammary development. This is nearly unexplored in ruminants. Development of new tools to identify, isolate, and characterize cell populations within the developing bovine mammary gland offer the possibility of identifying and perhaps altering populations of mammary stem cells or selected progenitor cells to modulate mammary development and, possibly, mammary function.
G343(P) A new hope? are prednisolone’s days numbered as the force awakens to dexamethasone as the steroid of choice in the treatment of acute asthma in children

Aims The Aims of this report were to compare the level of care provided by our A and E department in relation to the standards from the 2016 BTS guidelines for the management of acute asthma. In addition we report the use of dexamethasone as our new first line choice of steroid. Methods This report is an audit of the children presenting to our hospital during the period between 1 st November 2016 and 30th June 2017 with a coded diagnosis of Asthma. The data was collected retrospectively and included children between the ages of 2 and 16 years of age. We assessed time to triage, correlation of triage to actual BTS classification of asthma, length of stay, combination of therapies and follow up. The data was compared with the previous audit Results 404 asthma presentations between the 01/11/16 and 31/06/17. 124 episodes (twice as many as the previous audit) resulted in admission (99 under A and E clinicians to our emergency decision unit (EDU) and 25 admitted to the medical team). The correlation of triage colour and severity assessment on examination was approximately 93%. 2.4% of patients became sicker as a result of waiting longer than their triage recommended. The average length of stay when admitted under the emergency team to the EDU was 6 hours and 58 min. When admitted under the medical team, the average length of stay was 3 days 16 hours and 33 min. 94.4% of patients were treated correctly compared with the BTS guidelines. EDU has decreased our medical admissions by 80% There were no admissions from our A and E department to ITU during the audit period Within 6 months prednisolone was phased out and only patients with specific care plans were using it Conclusions We are operating to a high standard adhering to the BTS guidelines Dexamethasone is a well tolerated and cheaper alternative to prednisolone- exact figures for savings are being calculated. Triage continues to be a point of excellence for this emergency department Over half of the children seen in this audit cycle were given follow up in an asthma nurse specialist or consultant led clinic.
Fatigue Behavior Characterization of Superelastic Shape Memory Alloy Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been frequently used for strengthening concrete structures. However, conventional FRPs exhibit brittle behavior with relatively low ultimate tensile strains and limited energy dissipation capacity, and possess limited fatigue life. Superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a class of metallic alloys that can recover strains between 6% and 8% upon load removal. SMAs possess excellent corrosion resistance, enhanced energy dissipation abilities, and high fatigue properties. Small-diameter superelastic SMA strands are new form of SMA elements. SMA strands can replace conventional fibers to produce resilient composites with enhanced ductility and deformability. These composites can be used for concrete and steel infrastructure strengthening and energy absorption applications.
Oregon Elks Children's Eye Clinic vision screening results for astigmatism.

Background In the Elks Preschool Vision Screening program, which uses the plusoptiX S12 to screen children 36-60 months of age, the most common reason for over-referral, using the 1.50 D referral criterion, was found to be astigmatism. The goal of this study was to compare the accuracy of the 2.25 D referral criterion for astigmatism to the 1.50 D referral criterion using screening data from 2013-2014. Methods Vision screenings were conducted on Head Start children 36-72 months of age by Head Start teachers and Elks Preschool Vision Screening staff using the plusoptiX S12. Data on 4,194 vision screenings in 2014 and 4,077 in 2013 were analyzed. Area under the curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were performed to determine the optimal referral criteria. A t test and scatterplot analysis were performed to compare how many children required treatment using the different criteria. Results The medical records of 136 (2.25 D) and 117 children (1.50 D) who were referred by the plusoptiX screening for potential astigmatism and received dilated eye examinations from their local eye doctors were reviewed retrospectively. Mean subject age was 4 years. Treatment for astigmatism was prescribed to 116 of 136 using the 2.25 D setting compared to 60 of 117 using the 1.50 D setting. Conclusions In 2013 the program used the 1.50 D setting for astigmatism. Changing the astigmatism setting to 2.25 D; , 85% of referrals required treatment, reducing false positives by 34%.
Synthetic peripherally-restricted cannabinoid suppresses chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy pain symptoms by CB1 receptor activation

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a severe and dose-limiting side effect of cancer treatment that affects millions of cancer survivors throughout the world and current treatment options are extremely limited by their side effects. Cannabinoids are highly effective in suppressing pain symptoms of chemotherapy-induced and other peripheral neuropathies but their widespread use is limited by central nervous system (CNS)-mediated side effects. Here, we tested one compound from a series of recently developed synthetic peripherally restricted cannabinoids (PRCBs) in a rat model of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. Results show that local or systemic administration of 4-{2-[-(1E)-1[(4-propylnaphthalen-1-yl)methylidene]-1H-inden-3-yl]ethyl}morpholine (PrNMI) dose-dependently suppressed CIPN mechanical and cold allodynia. Orally administered PrNMI also dose-dependently suppressed CIPN allodynia symptoms in both male and female rats without any CNS side effects. Co-administration with selective cannabinoid receptor subtype blockers revealed that PrNMI's anti-allodynic effects are mediated by CB1 receptor (CB1R) activation. Expression of CB2Rs was reduced in dorsal root ganglia from CIPN rats, whereas expression of CB1Rs and various endocannabinoid synthesizing and metabolizing enzymes was unaffected. Daily PrNMI treatment of CIPN rats for two weeks showed a lack of appreciable tolerance to PrNMI's anti-allodynic effects. In an operant task which reflects cerebral processing of pain, PrNMI also dose-dependently suppressed CIPN pain behaviors. Our results demonstrate that PRCBs exemplified by PrNMI may represent a viable option for the treatment of CIPN pain symptoms.
Nature of B chromosomes in the harvest mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we examined the characteristics of two types of B chromosomes in harvest mice of the genus Reithrodontomys. B chromosomes were interrogated with rDNA, telomeric repeat, LINE element and centromeric heterochromatin probes. The two types of B chromosomes share the following features: (a) telomeres present on the ends of both arms; (b) hybridization to LINE probes; (c) absence of hybridization to the ribosomal gene probes; (d) C-band-positive centromeric regions; and (e) euchromatic arms. They differ as follows: (a) the larger B element hybridizes to the centromeric heterochromatin (pMeg-1) probe whereas the smaller B element does not; (b) the amount of C-band-positive material is reduced in the smaller B chromosome relative to that present on the larger B chromosome; and (c) the smaller element is reduced in size by about a third. It is concluded that the larger B chromosome arose as a leftover centromere from centric fusion, whereas the smaller element has a different origin — perhaps as an intact fragment or as an amplified region from the A chromosomes. The presence of euchromatic regions on B chromosomes may account for their survival in the karyotype.
American Jews in Text and Context: Jacob Behrman and the Rise of a Publishing Dynasty

This article explores the career of Jacob Behrman (1921–2012) and the growth of Behrman House from a small Jewish bookseller to the leading publisher of Jewish religious school textbooks. Behrman’s success owed in part to his ability to appeal to the vast center, to gauge correctly his consumers’ needs and reflect their outlook and values, to eschew partisanship and play down ideological differences, and to swim with the tide. In addition, I make the case that Behrman House elevated the field of Jewish education by raising the quality of Jewish textbooks, and that through its ascendency played a role in redefining the goals of Jewish education and its undergirding ideological thrust. Behrman was not driven by a single model of Jewish education or a monolithic vision for the Jewish community, but rather, by business exigencies and a connection to Jewish peoplehood and culture.
Effects of glial glutamate transporter activator in formalin-induced pain behaviour in mice.

Background Nociceptive pain remains a prevalent clinical problem and often poorly responsive to the currently available analgesics. Previous studies have shown that astroglial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is critically involved in pain processing and modulation. However, the role of astroglial GLT-1 in nociceptive pain involving the hippocampus and ACC remains unknown. We investigated the role of 3-[[(2-Methylphenyl) methyl]thio]-6-(2-pyridinyl)-pyridazine (LDN-212320), a GLT-1 activator, in nociceptive pain model and hippocampal-dependent behavioural tasks in mice. Methods We evaluated the effects of LDN-212320 in formalin-induced nociceptive pain model. In addition, formalin-induced impaired hippocampal-dependent behaviours were measured using Y-maze and object recognition test. Furthermore, GLT-1 expression and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation (pERK1/2) were measured in the hippocampus and ACC using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Results The LDN-212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly attenuated formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviour. The antinociceptive effects of LDN-212320 were reversed by systemic administration of DHK (10 mg/kg, i.p), a GLT-1 antagonist. Moreover, LDN-212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly reversed formalin-induced impaired hippocampal-dependent behaviour. In addition, LDN-212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) increased GLT-1 expressions in the hippocampus and ACC. On the other hand, LDN-212320 (20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly reduced formalin induced-ERK phosphorylation, a marker of nociception, in the hippocampus and ACC. Conclusion These results suggest that the GLT-1 activator LDN-212320 prevents nociceptive pain by upregulating astroglial GLT-1 expression in the hippocampus and ACC. Therefore, GLT-1 activator could be a novel drug candidate for nociceptive pain. Significance The present study provides new insights and evaluates the role of GLT-1 activator in the modulation of nociceptive pain involving hippocampus and ACC. Here, we provide evidence that GLT-1 activator could be a potential therapeutic utility for the treatment of nociceptive pain.
Photochemical electrocyclization and leaving group expulsion with a naphthothiophene-2-carboxanilide linked to a chromophore

Abstract A naphthiothiophene-2-carboxanilide bearing a leaving group at the C-3 position undergoes efficient electrocyclic ring closure and leaving group expulsion upon direct photolysis. The reaction occurs in the triplet excited state and can be sensitized by thioxanthone. Thioxanthone as chromophore can also be covalently attached to amide nitrogen by a trimethylene linker, and the photoreaction is equally efficient. Quenching studies show that the triplet excitation is localized primarily on the naphthothiophene moiety, due to rapid exothermic energy transfer from the thioxanthone chromophore. Acriflavin dye is capable of sensitizing the photoreaction at 450 nm, but the quantum yield is low in this case.
Burning Libraries: A Community Response

ABSTRACTThe first decade of the twenty-first century has seen a growing recognition that widespread impacts of climate change (erosion, sea level rise, wildfires, warming soil temperatures) are rapidly destroying archaeological sites and permanently wiping out millennia of cultural heritage and important scientific data on a global scale. This paper provides a brief overview of the efforts of the international archaeological community and its allies to organise a broad and coordinated response to this widespread and urgent threat to our basic record by mobilising at the local, national and international level. The work of the archaeological professional societies has supplemented a growing host of initiatives on multiple scales by national and local governmental agencies, regional research teams, local and Indigenous heritage groups and the international global change scientific community. This paper provides some reflections on the Society for American Archaeology’s Climate Change Strategies and the Arch...
Mechanical Behavior of Braided Composite Materials

Graphite/epoxy composite material specimens manufactured with AS-4 fiber and 3501 matrix in a 3-D braiding process were subjected to tension, compression, impact, and cyclic loading. The type of braiding utilized for the specimens results in a material that is not subject to delamination as experienced by laminated composites. Further, braiding has potential for the direct creation of structural shapes such as I-beams or stiffened panels which can be manufactured as one piece rather than being assembled from several laminated elements. The specimens employed in this study, however, were more familiar straight-sided coupon shapes. Tension test results indicate a tensile strength of 1280 MN/m 2 (186 ksi) and a tensile Young's modulus of 106 GN/m 2 (15.3 Msi). The compression strength is 447 MN/m 2 (64.8 ksi) and the compressive Young's modulus is similar to that for tension. A series of impact tests was performed on the material to determine the threshold of detectable impact damage. An energy of 5.4 J (4 ft.lb) was found to produce damage that was detectable by both radiography and by ultrasonic C-scanning. Fatigue tests were run on the material at a stress ratio of -1 to determine the fatigue life of the braided composite. Specimens fatigued at 290 MN/m 2 (′42 ksi) had nominal lives of 20 000 cycles. Reducing the fatigue stress to ′(40 ksi) 276 MN/m 2 extended the life to 80 000 cycles. Lower stresses produced longer lives. In addition, compression, and fatigue tests were run on specimens that had been subjected to the 5.4-J (4-ft.lbs) impact test. There was virtually no change in compressive strength and fatigue life compared to specimens without the prior impact loading. Thus, impact loading has little, if any, effect on the mechanical behavior of the braided composites included in this study. In conclusion, braided composites have potential to solve many of the shortcomings of more conventional laminated composite materials.
Conversion of ras genes to cancer genes.

The cellular precursor of Harvey and Balb sarcoma virus, termed proto-ras, from certain tumors registers most frequently as an apparent cancer gene in the gene transfer assay with NIH 3T3 cells [1–4]. The viral ras gene is a dominant transforming gene that elicits all features of oncogenic transformation in a single step upon transfer into established and primary human and animal fibroblast cells [5]. This encodes a single transforming protein of 21 kDA, p21 Ha-ras, which is presumed to be involved in the growth regulation of cells similar to G-proteins [6, 7]. However, the role of the cellular ras gene as a human cancer gene is debatable, as only 10% of the DNAs from certain cancer cells produce foci of transformed NIH 3T3 cells in the transfection assay. No consistent correlation between ras activation and any special type of human cancer is observed, thus 3T3-transforming proto-ras may not be necessary for malignancy [8, 9].
Making the Ethnic Embryo: Enacting Race in US Embryo Adoption

How are frozen embryos donated for procreation racialized as "ethnic" subjects and what are the political implications of these enactments? Based on ethnographic research within an embryo adoption program in the United States, I examine the practices through which staff and participants produce "ethnicity" in embryos and trace its multiple permutations. Strategies used to stabilize race in embryos also disturb, fracture, and confound the bases for designating race. Analyzing race-making practices in embryo adoption reveals the interplay between practical challenges in assisted family-making practices and their wider political implications for reproductive politics.
The cost of a nutritious diet in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka

Abstract The high cost of a nutritious diet can worsen nutrition outcomes especially among low-income households. Yet little is known about the cost of a nutritious diet in South Asia, where malnutrition in multiple forms remains high. We use data from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh to calculate the minimum cost of meeting recommended food-based dietary guidelines, or the Cost of a Recommended Diet (CoRD). We further compare CoRD to actual food expenditures. Across these countries, we find that majority of households spend less on food than the CoRD estimate, that an average household overspends on staples and protein foods and underspends on dairy and vegetables, and that subnational variation in CoRD is to an extent driven by the higher variability in the price of vegetables relative to that of starchy staples. Our results suggest a need to shift food policy focus away from energy-dense towards nutrient-rich foods.
Friction in inertial granular flows: competition between dilation and grain-scale dissipation rates

Friction plays an important role in the behavior of flowing granular media. The effective friction coefficient is a description of shear strength in both slow and rapid flows of these materials. In this paper, we study the steady state effective friction coefficient μ in a granular material in two steps. First, we develop a new relationship between the steady state effective friction coefficient, the shear rate, the solid fraction, and grain-scale dissipation processes in a simple shear flow. This relationship elucidates the rate- and porosity-dependent nature of effective friction in granular flows. Second, we use numerical simulations to study how the various quantities in the relationship change with shear rate and material properties. We explore how the relationship illuminates the grain-scale dissipation processes responsible for macroscopic friction. We examine how the competing processes of shearing dilation and grain-scale dissipation rates give rise to rate-dependence. We also compare our findings with previous investigations of effective friction in simple shear.
Working Memory and Inadequate Micronutrient Consumption in Healthy Seniors

Objective: To investigate whether inadequate intake of micronutrients, as defined by the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) according to gender, is associated with lower working memory performance in healthy seniors. Method: 601 female and 530 male seniors (≥60 years) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. Analyses of the association between RDA micronutrient reference levels and having a memory performance score in the lowest quartile were stratified by gender. Logistic regression was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for having a memory performance score in the lowest quartile for individuals with inadequate RDA levels compared to adequate RDA levels. Results: Over half of participants had inadequate intake of vitamin C, choline, and zinc. Men who had less than the RDA of choline from their food were more likely to be in the lowest memory performance quartile, while women who with inadequate B2 were more likely to be in the lowest quartile. Discussion: Inadequate intake of micronutrients was significantly associated with lower working memory performance.
Experimental Limits on Monopole Catalysis of Nucleon Decay

During the past year since the Wingspread Monopole Workshop1, perhaps the most significant and novel experimental advance in the now more than half-century “quest” for the detection of magnetic monopoles has come from terrestrial experiments searching for evidence of monopole catalysis of nucleon decay (MCND). A large class of grand and/or super-unified theories which predict nucleon decay and the existence of super-heavy magnetic monopoles of mass Mm ∼ 1016 GeV/c2 as specific features of such theories2, also predict that monopoles in the presence of hadronic matter may catalyze baryon number violating processes with cross sections typical of that for the strong interactions3!
Discovery of MFH290: A Potent and Highly Selective Covalent Inhibitor for Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 12/13

Genetic depletion of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) or selective inhibition of an analog-sensitive CDK12 reduces DNA damage repair gene expression, but selective inhibition of endogenous CDK12 is difficult. Here, we report the development of MFH290, a novel cysteine (Cys)-directed covalent inhibitor of CDK12/13. MFH290 forms a covalent bond with Cys-1039 of CDK12, exhibits excellent kinome selectivity, inhibits the phosphorylation of serine-2 in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA-polymerase II (Pol II), and reduces the expression of key DNA damage repair genes. Importantly, these effects were demonstrated to be CDK12-dependent as mutation of Cys-1039 rendered the kinase refractory to MFH290 and restored Pol II CTD phosphorylation and DNA damage repair gene expression. Consistent with its effect on DNA damage repair gene expression, MFH290 augments the antiproliferative effect of the PARP inhibitor olaparib.
Role of mixed lineage kinase 3 in response of head and neck squamous cancer cell lines to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition

6076 Background: More efficacious treatments of head and neck squamous cancers (HNSCC) are urgently needed. HNSCC overexpress EGFR, yet the efficacy of EGFR inhibitors is marginal, with minimal effect on patient survival. Mixed lineage kinases (MLKs) are members of a large family of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) that activate MAPK pathways, involving JNK, ERK 1/2 and p38 cell signaling pathways. (Gallo KA, Johnson GL, Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2002;3:663–72) We explored the role of MLK3 in HNSCC as a possible therapeutic target. Methods: The requirement of MLK3 for cell proliferation and survival of HNSCC cell lines UM-SCC-38 and -47 (HPV+) (obtained from TE Carey, U Michigan) was investigated using RNA interference (siRNA) and MLK3 inhibitor K252a to inhibit the expression and activity of MLK3. Cells were also exposed to EGFR inhibitor Compound 56 at various concentrations. Proliferation was assessed with MTT after 72 h exposure. The effect of MLK3 inhibition on relevant c...
Identification of pesticide residues in common fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A new screening method was developed for the determination of 152 pesticide multi-residues in different chemical species with a Carbon NH2column using solid-phase extraction(SPE)coupled with gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(GC-QTOF MS).In the first stage(MS1) accurate mass database,up to three-five ions of the pesticides were monitored.The presence of at least three ions and the accomplishment of the intensity ratio(Q/qi)within the established tolerances were used as the confirmation of intensity criteria.The pesticides which have less characteristic ions or the peaks of the characteristic ions detected were up the tolerance were determined in the second stage(MS2) and the spectral difference was evaluated using MS2 library for the identified. Cabbage,tomato,pear were selected as typical fruits and vegetables to spike and detected all the 152 pesticides at two concentration levels of 5.0 and 10.0μg/kg.The recoveries in the range of 70%-120% at two concentration levels were 91.45% and 94.08% for cabbage,88.20% and 88.80% for tomato,86.84%and92.10% for pear respectively.Using the established 152 pesticide MS2 library some suspected pesticides were identified,and at the same time the analysis scope was expanded.
Triangulation and Parental Infidelity: Faithful Parents’ Attempts to Make Their Adult Children Feel Caught, Rumination, and Satisfaction in the Unfaithful Parent–Child Relationship

This study examined parent–child relationships wherein a parent engaged in an extramarital affair. Specifically, I investigated the impact of faithful parents’ attempts to make their adult children...
Using deep learning to predict age from liver and pancreas magnetic resonance images allows the identification of genetic and non-genetic factors associated with abdominal aging

With age, abdominal organs and tissue undergo important changes. For example, liver volume declines, fatty replacement increases in the pancreas, and patients become more vulnerable to age-related diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, type two diabetes, cancer, gallstones and inflammatory pancreatic disease. Detecting early abdominal aging and identifying factors associated with this phenotype could help delay the onset of such diseases. In the following, we built the first abdominal age predictor by training convolutional neural networks to predict age from 45,552 liver magnetic resonance images [MRIs] and 36,784 pancreas MRIs (R-Squared=73.3{+/-}0.6; root mean squared error=3.70{+/-}0.03). Attention maps show that the prediction is driven not only by liver and pancreas anatomical features, but also by surrounding organs and tissue. We defined accelerated abdominal aging as the difference between abdominal age and chronological age, a phenotype which we found to be partially heritable (h_g2=26.3{+/-}1.9%). Accelerated abdominal aging is associated with seven single nucleotide polymorphisms in six genes (e.g PNPT1, involved in RNA metabolic processes). Similarly, it is associated with biomarkers (e.g body impedance), clinical phenotypes (e.g chest pain), diseases (e.g hypertension), environmental (e.g smoking) and socioeconomic (e.g education) variables, suggesting potential therapeutic and lifestyle interventions to slow abdominal aging. Our predictor could be used to assess the efficacy or emerging rejuvenating therapies on the abdomen.
Coupled radiative and conjugate heat transfer in participating media using lattice Boltzmann methods

Abstract In the past, lattice Boltzmann methods (LBM) have been extensively developed for momentum and energy transport in single-phase and multi-phase fluid systems. Recently, LBM based algorithms have been developed and applied to fundamental Radiative Transport Equations (RTE), including radiation–material interactions and were found very convenient to model radiative energy exchange between radiation and material medium. This work advances the development of Lattice Boltzmann Equations (LBE) for radiative transport by integrating them with existing LBEs for energy and momentum transport for solving multi-physics problems. The multi-physics example problems of thermal energy transport where radiation, conduction and convection all are considered as important modes are modeled via this integrated LBM. These integrated LBM models are used to solve one and two dimensional problems, and highlight the advantage of this approach for solving multi-physics problems in a single framework. First example involves modeling radiative and conductive heat transfer in one-dimensional slab using LBM. The numerical results are compared with existing benchmark P1 solutions. Next example is the simulation of two-dimensional radiative porous burner with hot walls. This problem is simulated with two numerical models: a homogenous porous media and a heterogenous model of packed obstacles which have differential scattering and absorption interactions. The homogenous model uses analytical velocity field and provides a simpler approach, but has limitations in providing detailed analysis. In heterogenous model velocity field, temperature field and radiation field are computed with a set of coupled LBEs. Fluid flowing through heterogenous porous media undergoes conjugate heat exchange with obstacles and also interacts with isotropic incident radiation. These two-dimensional example cases with different material properties are solved with D2Q16 LBE template.
Some Extensions of Loop Transfer Recovery

In this paper, new conditions for regulator loop transfer recovery (LTR) of minimum phase, non-square, left-invertible, full- or reduced-order observer-based multivariable feedback control systems are derived. It is proved that these conditions are satisfied asymptotically by either the full- or the reduced-order Kalman filters that assume fictitious process noise at the input in the design model. These results eliminate the need for artificially squaring a non-square system and extend the theory to reduced-order observer-based LOG designs. The results are illustrated by a numerical example.
Phospholipid functional groups involved in protein kinase C activation, phorbol ester binding, and binding to mixed micelles.

Abstract The specificity of the phospholipid cofactor requirement of rat brain protein kinase C was investigated using Triton X-100 mixed micellar methods. Sixteen analogues of phosphatidylserine were prepared and tested for their ability to support protein kinase C activity, [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding, and protein kinase C binding to mixed micelles. Phosphatidylserinol, -L-serine methyl ester, -N-acetyl-L-serine, -2-hydroxyacetate, -3-hydroxypropionate, and -4-hydroxybutyrate did not activate protein kinase C in mixed micelles containing 2 mol % of sn-1,2-dioleoylglycerol. This indicates that both the carboxyl and amino moieties are important for activation. Phosphatidyl-D-serine and -L-homoserine were incapable of supporting full activation; this demonstrates stereospecificity and the importance of the distance between the phosphate and carboxyl and amino moieties. Since 1,2-rac-phosphatidyl-L-serine and 1,3-phosphatidyl-L-serine fully supported protein kinase C activity, the stereochemistry within the glycerol backbone at the interface was not necessary for maximal activation. Neither lysophosphatidyl-L-serine nor 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine supported protein kinase C activity implying that the interfacial conformation is critical to the activation process. The phospholipid dependencies of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding and of protein kinase C binding to mixed micelles containing sn-1,2-dioleoylglycerol did not mirror those for activation. The data demonstrate that protein kinase C possesses a high degree of specificity with respect to phospholipid activation and implicate several functional groups within the phospho-L-serine polar head group in binding and activation.
The kinetics of pig heart triphosphopyridine nucleotide-isocitrate dehydrogenase. II. Dead-end and multiple inhibition studies.

Abstract The multiple inhibition technique is used to show that substrate inhibition by α-ketoglutarate results from combination with central complexes and inhibition of catalysis or product release, and not from dead-end combination with E-TPN. Oxalylglycine (an analogue of α-ketoglutarate) is a good dead-end inhibitor competitive versus both α-ketoglutarate and isocitrate and noncompetitive versus TPN. These patterns, and the results of multiple inhibition studies with oxalylglycine and TPNH, show conclusively that the mechanism of TPN-isocitrate dehydrogenase must be random.
Sufficient Statistic: Theoretical Background†

A sufficient statistic is such that the conditional distribution of the data given the sufficient statistic does not depend on any unknown parameters. In this sense, it contains all the information in the original data. A necessary and sufficient condition is the factorization theorem. A minimal sufficient statistic is a function of every other sufficient statistic, and is conveniently found for distributions in the exponential family. Topics described here include complete sufficient statistics, minimum variance estimation, uniformly most powerful unbiased tests, Bayesian methods, and invariance. Keywords: conditional; factorization; minimal sufficient; exponential family; complete sufficient; Rao–Blackwell; minimum variance; UMPU test; Neyman structure; Bayesian; invariance
Slaying the Dying Dragon of State Sovereignty - A Review of John T. Noonan's Narrowing the Nation's Power: The Supreme Court Sides With the States

This reviews Judge John T. Noonan's Narrowing the Nation's Power: The Supreme Court Sides With the States. Judge Noonan's book criticizes City of Boerne v. Flores and five later cases in which the Court narrowly construes Congress's power to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment. Judge Noonan compares the Boerne line of cases to Dred Scott v. Sandford and contends that it poses a present danger to the exercise of democratic government. Some prior commentary has found Judge Noonan's legal analysis flawed, while other commentary has praised the book for publicizing the esoteric but important recent case law on federalism. This review explores the connection between the book's flawed legal analysis, on the one hand, and its potential strongly to influence public opinion, on the other hand. In short, the flaws in Noonan's legal analysis stem from his effort to depict the Boerne line of cases as the bastard spawn of the Rehnquist Court, with which he must do knightly battle to liberate our beleaguered democracy.
Dissipation-induced instabilities in finite dimensions

The goal of this work is to introduce a coherent theory of the counterintuitive phenomena of dynamical destabilization under the action of dissipation. While the existence of one class of dissipation-induced instabilities was known to Sir Thomson (Lord Kelvin), it was not realized until recently that there is another major type of these phenomena hinted at by one of Merkin's theorems; in fact, these two cases exhaust all the generic possibilities. The theory grounded on the Thomson-Tait-Chetayev and Merkin theorems and on the geometric understanding introduced in this paper leads to the conclusion that ubiquitous dissipation is one of the paramount mechanisms by which instabilities develop in nature. Along with a historical review, the main theoretical achievements are put in a general context, thus unifying the current knowledge in this area and the multitude of relevant physical problems scattered over a vast literature. This general view also highlights the striking connection to various areas of mathematics. To appeal to the reader's intuition and experience, a large number of motivating examples are provided. The paper contains some new unpublished results and insights, and, finally, open questions are formulated to provide an impetus for future studies. While this review focuses on the finite-dimensional case, where the theory is relatively complete, a brief discussion of the current state of knowledge in the infinite-dimensional case, typified by partial differential equations, is also given.
Comparative Metropolitan Organization: Service Production and Governance Structures in St. Louis (MO) and Allegheny County (PA)

For many observers, a large number of governments in a metropolitan area is thought to equate to "fragmentation," and fragmentation, to ineffective organization and poor performance. Other observers find a large number of local governments to mean competition and consequent pressures for efficiency. The number of local governments, however, is only one dimension of the structure of a metropolitan area. We identify and measure key structural characteristics of "fragmented" metropolitan areas, employing a comparative study of two metropolitan city-counties: St. Louis City and County, Missouri, and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania. We argue that these areas, with their many units of local government, "work" by means of integrating structures built by local governments together with county and state governments. Counties, in particular, are a useful focus for study of metropolitan relationships because they often provide the institutional frame within which integrating structures are built.
Unsteady forces on circular cylinders in a cross-flow

A three-axis piezoelectric load cell was used to measure the local unsteady forces induced on cylinders placed in a cross-flow. In conjunction with this, a single hot-wire was used to traverse the wake at a fixed distance behind the cylinder so that correlations between the induced forces on the cylinder and the wake velocity could be calculated to provide insight into the character of the flow-induced unsteady forces. Experiments were carried out on both two-dimensional and finite-span cylinders at a Reynolds number of 46,000. For the two-dimensional cylinder case, substantial evidence was obtained to demonstrate that the strength of the vortex roll-up along the span was quite uniform. Consequently, the lift-velocity correlation along the span remained unchanged. On the other hand, there was a total lack of correlation between the fluctuating drag and the wake velocity, thus indicating that the drag signal was not quite periodic. In the finite-span cylinder case, the separated flow from the top edge of the cylinder was found to suppress vortex shedding along the span of the cylinder, destroyed its coherence and caused the wake flow to oscillate in the stream direction. This oscillation induced a significant fluctuating drag on the cylinder. Consequently, the fluctuating drag far exceeded the fluctuating lift and the wake velocity was found to correlate well with the drag and not with the lift. This correlation remained intact along the span of the cylinder. Finally, the rms fluctuating lift and drag forces were found to vary along the cylinder span, with the lift increasing and the drag decreasing as the base of the cylinder is approached; thus suggesting that a submerged two-dimensional region exists near the base of the cylinder.
Economic Value Added ® : A critical analysis

This article discusses economic value added (EVA), a financial measure introduced by the consulting firm Stern Stewart & Company., which claims that EVA is the only true indicator of business and management performance. The article briefly explains how EVA is calculated and demonstrates that EVA is identical to residual income, an older financial measure largely abandoned by U.S. companies years ago. Yet EVA is by no means the panacea that some authors have suggested. This is demonstrated by showing inconsisten-cies in definitions of EVA and various general limitations of using EVA. Companies that use EVA should understand the inconsistencies involved, then take the limitations of EVA explicitly into account. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Economic Implications of Influenza and Influenza Vaccine

The objective of this chapter is to review and summarize the current economic estimates of influenza and the cost-effectiveness of its vaccines. We reviewed the published assessments of the economic costs of human seasonal and pandemic influenza internationally. Seasonal influenza costs Germany, France, and the USA between $4 and $87 billion annually. Depending upon the intensity of transmission and severity of disease, pandemic influenza may cause as many as 350 million deaths and result in economic losses topping $1 trillion – an impact great enough to create a worldwide recession. We then reviewed 100 papers primarily from more than a dozen countries which studied the cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccine in children, adults, and the elderly. These studies demonstrate that influenza vaccination is quite cost-effective among children 6 months to 18 years old, in health care workers and pregnant women, and in high-risk individuals. Remarkably, compared with the other recently introduced vaccines for children, such as rotavirus and pneumococcal polysaccharide, vaccinating children and school attendees results in societal cost savings because it obviates lost productivity and wages among infected individuals and their caretakers. Vaccination for children is recommended in the USA and in Canada, but public health policy makers in Europe have undervalued this vaccine and not recommended it so widely.
Measurement of the lifetime of the A super 1 pi state of CO by level-crossing spectroscopy

The lifetime of the $v=2$ level of the $A^{1}\ensuremath{\Pi}$ state of CO has been measured by molecular level-crossing spectroscopy. Unlike previous experiments with molecules in which the Hanle effect has been analyzed for individual rotational states, the present results are obtained from analysis of the composite level-crossing signal from all of the rotational states which are excited by the entire $A\ensuremath{\rightarrow}X(2, 0)$ resonance band. Our experimental result is $\ensuremath{\tau}(v=2)=9.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0$ nsec in good agreement with Hesser's value of 10.5 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.0 nsec obtained from phase-shift experiments.
The effects of semi- and HPLC-purified human satietin and alpha-1-glycoprotein on ingestion and body weight

Abstract Satietin is thought to be an endogenous glycoprotein that can suppress food intake (FI) and body weight (b.wt.). In Experiment 1, rats were ICV infused with either a-CSF or with 50 μg/rat of human satietin. FI was suppressed ( p p p p p
SEVERE ANAPHYLACTOID REACTION AFTER IV Gd.DTPA

Serious adverse reactions following the IV administration of Gd-DTPA (Magnevist, gadopenetate dimeglumine, Berlex Laboratories, Wayne, NJ), although extremely rare, can occur. As yet, there has been no published case of a severe anaphylactoid-type reaction to Gd-DTPA.
The Patient-centered Medical Home: An Evaluation of a Single Private Payer Demonstration in New Jersey

Background:The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) has increasingly been looked to by policy makers, health care providers, and private insurers as a potential solution to the fragmented and inefficient US health care system. Whether the PCMH achieves these goals is not known.Objectives:To evaluate
The complexity of total order structures

Abstract The relationship between the computational complexity of r.e. sets and of total orders on the sets is investigated. Total orders inherit some complexity properties from the fields over which they are defined, but also may be arbitrarily complex or have speedups independently of the field. This suggests that the total order structure itself possesses the complexity properties. Different complexity properties hold for total orders of different order types. In particular, whether the total order has a least or greatest element determines whether the complexity properties hold almost everywhere or infinitely often.
Matrix patterns for eigenvalue—eigenvector Adjustment

An eigenvalue and an eigenvector of a matrix can be changed somewhat by changing some of the entries in the matrix. Patterns of entries in the matrix sufficient to obtain prechosen eigenvalue-eigenvector changes are described.
Vitamin E Succinate Decreases Lung Cancer Tumor Growth in Mice

Background. In vitro studies have shown that Vitamin E Succinate (VES) arrests lung cancer cellular proliferation; however, in vivo studies have not been performed. This study examined in vivo effects of VES on lung cancer. Methods. An in vitro dose-response curve of human A549 lung cancer tumors to VES was established. A549 tumors were established in the right submammary fat pads of athymic nude mice (C57/BL/6J-Hfh11nu). Seven days postinjection, mice were separated into VES and control groups. VES mice (n = 12) underwent daily intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 0.1 Ml VES in polyethylene glycol and dimethysulfoxide (7% DMSO, 93% PEG); control mice (n = 11) were injected with vehicle only. At 27 days, harvested tumors were measured and weighed. Lungs were stained for metastases using hematoxylin-eosin. Tumor volume and weights were compared using a two-sample t test. Tumor growth curves were compared using a mixed model analysis of variance. Results. In vitro studies demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of A549 cell proliferation by VES (IC50 18 μg/ml). Final tumor volumes and weights differed significantly between VES and control mice with volumes of 292.9 ± 31.4 mm3 vs.192.6 ± 20.4 mm3 (P = 0.01) and weights of 255.7 ± 37.0 mg versus 168.6 ± 20.0 mg (P = 0.05), respectively. Tumor growth curves differed significantly (P < 0.001). Both groups of mice showed pulmonary metastases. Conclusions. Intraperitoneal VES was associated with decreased A549 tumor volume, weight, and growth; however, despite reduced tumor growth, pulmonary metastases were seen in VES-treated mice. Nonetheless, these results suggest that lung cancer patients may benefit from inclusion in eventual clinical studies using VES.