cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liquid-to-Gas Mass Transfer in Anaerobic Processes: Inevitable Transfer Limitations of Methane and Hydrogen in the Biomethanation Process

Liquid-to-gas mass transfer in anaerobic processes was investigated theoretically and experimentally. By using the classical definition of kLa, the global volumetric mass transfer coefficient, theoretical development of mass balances in such processes demonstrates that the mass transfer of highly soluble gases is not limited in the usual conditions occurring in anaerobic fermentors (low-intensity mixing). Conversely, the limitation is important for poorly soluble gases, such as methane and hydrogen. The latter could be overconcentrated to as much as 80 times the value at thermodynamic equilibrium. Such overconcentrations bring into question the biological interpretations that have been deduced solely from gaseous measurements. Experimental results obtained in three different methanogenic reactors for a wide range of conditions of mixing and gas production confirmed the general existence of low mass transfer coefficients and consequently of large overconcentrations of dissolved methane and hydrogen (up to 12 and 70 times the equilibrium values, respectively). Hydrogen mass transfer coefficients were obtained from the direct measurements of dissolved and gaseous concentrations, while carbon dioxide coefficients were calculated from gas phase composition and calculation of related dissolved concentration. Methane transfer coefficients were based on calculations from the carbon dioxide coefficients. From mass balances performed on a gas bubble during its simulated growth and ascent to the surface of the liquid, the methane and carbon dioxide contents in the gas bubble appeared to be controlled by the bubble growth process, while the bubble ascent was largely responsible for a slight enrichment in hydrogen.
Cyclic AMP inhibits production of interleukin-6 and migration in human vascular smooth muscle cells.

Background. Gene expression induced by tumor ne- crosis factor- (TNF-) is involved in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration, two events critical to formation of stenotic vascular lesions. In some systems, elevating adenosine 3,5-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) inhibits TNF- induced gene transcription. We recently dem- onstrated that interleukin-6 (IL-6) was chemotactic to VSMC. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that ele- vating cyclic AMP would inhibit TNF--mediated IL-6 expression and VSMC migration. Materials and methods. VSMC were cultured from saphenous vein remaining after coronary artery by- pass grafting. Migration of VSMC through a porous membrane was determined. Intracellular cyclic AMP was elevated by exposing the cells to forskolin or 8-Br- cyclic AMP and was measured by radioimmunoassay. IL-6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. TNF- induced migration of VSMC in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation of cells with forskolin significantly increased cyclic AMP. Co- incubation of cells with TNF- in combination with 8-Br-cyclic AMP or forskolin inhibited migration by approximately 25 and 70%, respectively. Incubation with TNF- increased release of IL-6 from VSMC 18- fold over basal. This stimulated release was inhibited by either 8-Br-cyclic AMP or forskolin. In cells stimu- lated with TNF-, addition of an antibody to IL-6 re- duced migration by 25%. Conclusions. These data show that IL-6 produced by VSMC contributes to cell migration induced by TNF-. Further, elevating cyclic AMP inhibited TNF--induced release of IL-6, and migration of VSMC. These results are consistent with the notion that mechanisms that in- crease intracellular cyclic AMP, such as activation of -adrenergic receptors on VSMC, act as a brake on cell migration. © 2003 Elsevier Science (USA)
PubChem: A public information system for analyzing bioactivities of small molecules

PubChem (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) is a public repository for biological properties of small molecules hosted by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). PubChem BioAssay database currently contains biological test results for more than 700 000 compounds. The goal of PubChem is to make this information easily accessible to biomedical researchers. In this work, we present a set of web servers to facilitate and optimize the utility of biological activity information within PubChem. These web-based services provide tools for rapid data retrieval, integration and comparison of biological screening results, exploratory structure-activity analysis, and target selectivity examination. This article reviews these bioactivity analysis tools and discusses their uses. Most of the tools described in this work can be directly accessed at http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assay/. URLs for accessing other tools described in this work are specified individually.
Pharmacogenetic testing: Current Evidence of Clinical Utility.

Over the last decade, the number of clinical pharmacogenetic tests has steadily increased as understanding of the role of genes in drug response has grown. However, uptake of these tests has been slow, due in large part to the lack of robust evidence demonstrating clinical utility. We review the evidence behind four pharmacogenetic tests and discuss the barriers and facilitators to uptake: (1) warfarin (drug safety and efficacy); (2) clopidogrel (drug efficacy); (3) codeine (drug safety and efficacy); and (4) abacavir (drug safety). Future efforts should be directed toward addressing these issues and considering additional approaches to generating evidence basis to support clinical use of pharmacogenetic tests.
GRASSHOPPER (ACRIDIDAE) — HOST PLANT ASSOCIATIONS: RESPONSE OF GRASSHOPPER POPULATIONS TO CATTLE GRAZING INTENSITY

Grasshopper populations were monitored for 2 years in six differentially grazed pastures of native shortgrass prairie, and correlated with floral biomass in these pastures. Total numbers of grasshoppers were significantly higher in high biomass pastures (ungrazed or lightly grazed by cattle), while numbers of grasshoppers in the subfamily Oedipodinae were significantly higher in low biomass pastures (moderately or heavily grazed). Grasshopper numbers in the phytophilous subfamilies Gomphocerinae and Catantopinae were positively correlated with grass and forb biomass, while numbers of the geophilous Oedipodinae were negatively correlated with all biomass components. It would seem possible to modify grasshopper abundance through regulation of cattle grazing intensity, but changes in abundance would also be accompanied by shifts in the grasshopper species complex.
The Manufacturing Modernization Process: Mediating Institutions and the Facilitation of Firm-Level Change

Case studies of the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center in Philadelphia and the Labor Management Council for Economic Renewal in Michigan are presented to demonstrate how manufacturing modernization organizations (MMOs) facilitate organizational change in small and medium-size firms. Despite differences in structure, size, and funding, these two MMOs shared important characteristics that enabled them to work effectively with firms. First, each organization had credibility in the employer community. Second, each organization was connected to existing state and local industrial resources to network services to firms. Third, staff of each organization had sufficient shop floor knowledge to catalyze change through on-site problem solving. Fourth, each organization developed collective activities such as group trainings and seminars to help firms learn from one another about organizational innovations. Finally, each organization pursued continuous contact with the firms they serve to maintain their conf...
Screening and Assessment for Substance Abuse

In this chapter, our goal is to discuss the screening tools that currently exist for identifying substance abuse, how they play a role in helping the clinician formulate a diagnosis, as well as their limitations. We will outline key definitions that are important to understand when discussing substance abuse. Ultimately, we hope to increase awareness of the challenges that exist when screening for substance abuse and recognize the need for an efficient, evidence-based algorithm to help guide the clinician.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Intrapericardial Teratoma

Congenital cardiac masses are rare, with rhabdomyoma being the most common cardiac tumor occurring in the fetus. Intrapericardial teratomas are the second most common congenital cardiac mass, altho...
Relevance feedback retrieval of time series data

There has been much recent interest in retrieval of time series data. Earlier work has used a fixed similarity metric (e.g., Euclidean distance) to determine the similarity between a userspecified query and items in the database. Here, we describe a novel approach to retrieval of time series data by using relevance feedback from the user to adjust the similarity metric. This is important because the Euclidean distance metric does not capture many notions of similarity between time series. In particular, Euclidean distance is sensitive to various “distortions” such as offset translation, amplitude scaling, etc. Depending on the domain and the user, one may wish a query to be sensitive or insensitive to these distortions to varying degrees. This paper addresses this problem by introducing a profile that encodes the user's subjective notion of similarity in a domain. These profiles can be learned continuously from interaction with the user. We further show how the user profile may be embedded in a system that uses relevance feedback to modify the query in a manner analogous to the familiar text retrieval algorithms.
Rhesus offspring produced by intracytoplasmic injection of testicular sperm and elongated spermatids

Abstract Objective: To establish pregnancies in rhesus monkeys using testicular sperm and elongated spermatids injected into oocytes. Design: Comparative animal study. Setting: Regional Primate Research Center. Animal(s): Prime, fertile rhesus monkeys. Intervention(s): Oocytes collected by laparoscopy from gonadotropin-stimulated female rhesus monkeys were injected with testicular sperm or elongated spermatids obtained from the testis of males. Cleavage stage embryos were transferred to surrogate females. Main Outcome Measure(s): Fertilization, embryo cleavage, and the establishment of pregnancies. Fertilization failures were fixed and processed for the detection of microtubules and chromatin configurations. Result(s): Fertilization, assessed by the presence of two pronuclei within 15 hours after injection, was 60% for intracytoplasmic sperm injection with testicular sperm and 47% for elongated spermatid injection. Fertilized zygotes co-cultured in Connaughts Medical Research Labs (CMRL) medium on a Buffalo Rat Liver cell monolayer resulted in hatched blastocysts after testicular sperm extraction–intracytoplasmic sperm injection and elongated spermatids. Embryos transferred at the 4- to 8-cell stage gave rise to three pregnancies: 2/3 from testicular sperm and 1/1 from an elongated spermatid. Three healthy infants were delivered by cesarean. Oocytes that failed to fertilize typically remained arrested in metaphase of meiosis. Conclusion(s): Testicular sperm and elongated spermatids can be used for fertilization in the rhesus monkey resulting in live births.
Relation of form to life habit in free-living cupuladriid bryozoans

Since the late Mesozoic, several bryozoan groups have occupied unstable soft-sediment habitats by adopting a free-living and motile mode of life. Today, the free-living bryozoans often dominate epi- benthic faunal communities in these expansive habi- tats, yet their biology and ecology remain poorly un- derstood. This study examines their unique mode of life by exploring the relationship between form and function in the free-living Cupuladriidae of tropical America. Cupuladriid species occupy distinct niches in water depth and sediment type, and these vari- ables correlate with a variety of morphological traits amongst species, thereby helping formulate hypothe- ses on functional morphology. These hypotheses were tested with disturbance, burial and mobility experi- ments. Species deal both passively and actively with disturbance and burial. Colony size and shape pas- sively influences colony stability on the sea floor, sus- ceptibility to burial and the ability to emerge once buried. Movable mandibles (setae) assist in emergence following burial, actively increase colony stability, and deter the settlement and disruption of encrusting growth of other organisms. Mandibles also enable colonies to move over the sea floor, but such behaviour appears to be of minimal benefit to avoid predation or to influence dispersal. Disturbance on the sea floor is the most important factor in driving the convergent evolution of the mobile free-living form. Colony shape and size and the employment of mandibles to improve stability, return to the surface after burial, and remove epibiota are central to the post-Mesozoic success of free-living bryozoans.
Altered turnover of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase in erythroid cells of mice expressing Hprt a and Hprt b alleles.

We have previously shown that mice expressing Hprt a allele(s) have erythrocyte hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) levels that are approximately 25-fold (Mus musculus castaneus) and 70-fold ( Mus spretus) higher than in mice that express the Hprt b allele (Mus musculus domesticus; C57BI/6J; C3H/HeHa), and that these differences in erythrocyte HPRT levels are due to differences in the turnover rates of the HPRT A and B proteins as reticulocytes mature to erythrocytes. We show here that: (1) the taxonomic subgroups of the genus Mus are essentially monomorphic for the occurrence of either the Hprt a or the Hprt b allele, with Hprt a being common in the aboriginal species (M. spretus, Mus hortulanus and Mus abbotti) and in several commensal species (Mus musculus musculus, M. m. castaneus, Mus musculus molossinus), while Hprt b is common in feral M. m. domesticus populations as well as in all inbred strains of mice tested; (2) in all these diverse Mus subgroups there is a strict association of Hprt a with high and Hprt b with low levels of erythrocyte HPRT; and, (3) the association between the occurrence of the Hprt a allele and elevated erythrocyte HPRT levels is retained following repeated backcrosses of wild-derived Hprt a allele(s) into the genetic background of inbred strains of mice with the Hprt b allele. Collectively, these observations indicate that the elevated and low levels of erythrocyte HPRT are specified by differences in the Hprt a and b structural genes. Since evidence indicates that Hprt a and b encode HPRT proteins which differ in primary structure, we infer that the structure of HPRT is an important factor in determining its sensitivity to turnover in mouse erythroid cells. Hprt a and b may provide a useful system of "normal" allelic gene products for identifying factors that participate in protein turnover during mouse reticulocyte maturation.
Modeling System-wide Predictability and Associated Air Carrier Benefits

An approach for determining the impact of Air Traffic Management (ATM) Operational Improvements on the National Airspace System (NAS)-wide average required schedule padding to achieve a target level of on-time performance is presented. Also presented is an assessment of the impact of selected mid-term Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Operational Improvements (new capabilities and new runways) on the scheduled block times required to achieve the same on-time arrival performance in fiscal year 2020 (FY2020) as was attained in the FY2008 baseline. The impact of ATM Operational Improvements on NAS-wide predictability was achieved by augmenting the variation in delays obtained in simulation to account for un-modeled effects observed in actual data. The modeling process included NAS-wide simulation of flight operations across 36 days to quantify the effects of ATM-induced predictability. The simulation was then modified to incorporate un-modeled effects such as carrier-induced delays and surface congestion delays unrelated to departure queues that would impact predictability. Results show a difference of approximately 2% in NAS-wide on-time arrival performance against observed data. Additional un-modeled effects such as cancellations and re-routes maybe the cause of this 2% NAS-wide difference. A 2.0% average NAS-wide cancellation rate was determined from historical data (Bureau of Transportation Statistics) for FY2008; the first order effect is comparable to the magnitude of the difference in on-time performance between the model and observation. In FY2020, without improvements to the NAS, demand growth is shown to require an increase in scheduled block time of 678 seconds on average to maintain the same on-time performance. With the select NextGen improvements modeled herein, that increase can be reduced by 492 seconds, leading to operator efficiency gains through NextGen improvements.
Joint Message-Passing Symbol-Decoding of LDPC Coded Signals over Partial-Response Channels

We consider the problem of joint detection and decoding of low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded signals over partial response (PR) channels. A method to graphically represent the constraints imposed by the channel and the code on the channel output sequence is introduced. This enables the design of a detector and decoder that estimates a posteriori probabilities of noiseless channel output symbols rather than binary channel inputs. By running the sum-product algorithm (SPA) on this graph, a joint decoder is obtained that is shown to perform significantly better than the turbo-equalizer, at the cost of increased computational complexity.
The effect of oxygen vacancies on water wettability of a ZnO surface

In this study, the effect of oxygen vacancies on the water wettability of a hydrated ZnO(100) surface has been examined via molecular dynamics simulations with a reactive force field (ReaxFF). The results show that the oxygen vacancies on the ZnO surface change the structures of the ZnO surface and subsequently its water adsorption capability. While a 1 : 1 ratio of water to hydroxyl is observed for a water monolayer absorbed on ZnO(100) without oxygen vacancies, additional water adsorption as coordinate hydroxyl that resides on the vacancy site and bonds with three lattice zinc atoms is observed on the surfaces with oxygen vacancies. The results also show that the energy of the interaction per unit area between water and the hydrated ZnO surface is 55.1% higher in the presence of the oxygen vacancies than that without oxygen vacancies. This leads to a water contact angle of ∼115° for the hydrated ZnO(100) surface in the absence of vacancies and ∼21° with vacancies. The wetting kinetics of a water droplet on a ZnO(100) surface with and without oxygen vacancies are compared with the diffusion-limited reactive wetting and molecular kinetics models, respectively. In addition, the ordering of the vacancy sites is found not to significantly affect the wettability of the ZnO(100) surface.
Pharmacological profile of depressor response elicited by sarthran in rat ventrolateral medulla.

Injection of sarthran, an angiotensin receptor antagonist, bilaterally into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of α-chloralose-anesthetized rats decreases arterial pressure (AP) to the same e...
A general analytical procedure for robot dynamic model reduction

The identification of the dynamic model of a robotic manipulator represents a fundamental step for designing high performance model-based controllers. Despite the huge number of works presented on this topic, the symbolic dynamic model reduction (i.e., the identification of the set of parameters observable through the measure of joint torques and positions) still remain a challenging task, characterized from tailored solutions, adapted from time to time to specific families of mechanisms. The work here presented, introduces an automatic and analytical reduction of the dynamic model, based on a multi-dimensional Fourier series decomposition of the dynamic equations. The procedure enables to obtain symbolically the base dynamic parameters (BP) starting from a given kinematic structure. The Fourier based model reduction can be applied indifferently both to open- and closed-chain kinematics. A simulated example shows the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Prevention of accidents to the aged

Elderly persons often have accidents simply because they cannot break the habit of hurrying.A study showed that a fail, loss of balance, or a misstep accounted for 61 per cent of the spinal fractures in a series of 163 elderly patients. The author gives helpful suggestions and lists effective means for preventing such accidents to the aged.
Defending Marriage in Light of the Moreno-Cleburne-Romer-Lawrence Jurisprudence: Why Doma Cannot Pass Muster after Lawrence

This article discusses the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in light of Lawrence v. Texas. The Act has two parts: one suggests that states need not recognize same-sex marriages validly celebrated in other states and the other suggests that same-sex marriages will not be recognized for federal purposes. Each part is vulnerable to constitutional attack on equal protection grounds as involving either a sex-based classification triggering intermediate scrutiny or, perhaps, an orientation-based classification triggering rational basis with bite scrutiny. If construed broadly, the DOMA part discussing interstate recognition practices is constitutionally vulnerable because it involves Congress's exceeding its powers. Further, the Court has suggested that the Constitution imposes a fairly demanding standard if the federal government is going to be justified in supplanting state definitions of family, and the DOMA part defining marriage for federal purposes fails to meet that standard. The article concludes that there are numerous bases upon which DOMA can be struck down, even bracketing whether there is a constitutional right to marry a same-sex partner.
Proximal Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers for distributed optimization on weighted graphs

Distributed optimization aims to optimize a global objective function formed by summation of coupled local functions over a graph via only local communication and computation. In this paper, we develop a weighted proximal Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) for distributed optimization using graph structure. We give a bound on the rate of convergence of the algorithm in terms of the graph parameters. This fully distributed, single-loop algorithm allows simultaneous updates and can be viewed as a generalization of existing algorithms. More importantly, we achieve faster convergence by jointly designing graph weights and algorithm parameters. Numerical examples demonstrate that designing the graph weights and proximal term can considerably improve the algorithm performance.
GUCY2C ligand replacement to prevent colorectal cancer

Despite advances in screening and prevention strategies, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Given this continued public health burden of CRC, there is a clear need for improved disease prevention. CRC initiates and progresses over decades, canonically proceeding via a series of stepwise molecular events that turn a normal epithelium into a dysfunctional epithelium, then subsequently into an adenoma, and finally an invasive adenocarcinoma. An emerging paradigm suggests that guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) functions as a tumor suppressor in the intestine, and that the loss of hormone ligands for this receptor causes epithelial dysfunction and represents an important step in the disease process. In that context, GUCY2C ligand replacement therapy has been proposed as a strategy to prevent colorectal cancer, a translational opportunity that is underscored by the recent regulatory approval of the oral GUCY2C ligand linaclotide (Linzess™, Forest Laboratories and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.).
Testing precision analysis of centrobaric of laser facula

In order to analyse testing precision of centrobaric o f laser facula,atmosphere transmission,image error of optical system,size of infrared CCD photosensitive cell and relative measuring position are studied.The analytical results provide academic reference for optimization of the testing s ystem.
Global Dust Transport as Observed by A-Train Satellites

This paper presented a new height-resolved view of global dust transport based on 2007-2010 Atrain observations. First, a new dust identification methodology was developed to improve optically thin dust layer detection. Second a new dust partition methodology was developed and applied to CALIPSO lidar measurements to derive dust partitions in external mixed aerosols. These new approaches allow a new view of global dust distribution from dense dust layers near the strong source regions to the optically thin, but significant dust layers from the point of view of aerosol– cloud interactions, over the weak source regions, the transport areas, and the upper troposphere. The results will not only help us to better understand global dust transport and dust-cloud interactions, but also provide critical information for model evaluations and improvements.
Sizing and Coordinating Fast- and Slow-Response Energy Storage Systems to Mitigate Hourly Wind Power Variations

To mitigate intra-hour wind power variability, this paper presents probabilistic-based sizing and coordination control methods for fast- and slow-response energy storage systems (ESS). The fast-response ESS is designed to compensate for the hourly wind power variation, whereas the slow-response ESS coordinates with the energy deficiency or surplus. Aiming for a desired coverage and optimum sizing, the ESS capacities are determined using the conditional range metric (CRM) and desired power profiles from forecasts. Considering various real-world operational requirements, two ESS configurations and control strategies are proposed for power dispatch. The accuracy and effectiveness of these methods are evaluated by the CRM. Lifetime depreciation of the fast-response ESS is assessed by a rainflow counting algorithm for comparison among different power dispatch schemes.
Efficacy of Anthem Maxx, Solstice, Cadet, Roundup PowerMax, and Competitive Standards in Irrigated Corn

Control of Palmer amaranth and green foxtail was generally best when herbicides were applied as sequential treatments of preemergence (PRE) followed by late postemergence (LPOST) or as postemergence (POST) alone. Velvetleaf and puncturevine control was 95 and 93% or more, respectively, regardless of herbicide or application timing. Corn receiving herbicide treatments yielded 42 to 72 bu/a more grain than non-treated corn.
Effect of Time and Method of Aging on the Microbiological Quality of Beef Loins and Corresponding Steaks1

Twenty-four cattle were slaughtered at a commercial packing plant. Carcasses were chilled for 72 h at 4°C, and then fabricated into wholesale cuts. Right loins were vacuum packaged and aged for 1, 3 and 5 weeks at 4°C while the left loins were aged conventionally for 1, 2 and 3 weeks at the same temperature. Core samples were removed from both ends of the loins and were analyzed using standard microbiological procedures. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm thick steaks, wrapped in oxygen-permeable fresh meat wrap and placed at 4°C in a simulated meat case. On days 1, 3, 6 and 7 steaks were evaluated using the same microbial technique used for loins. Counts generally were similar for conventionally and vacuum-aged loins after aging 1 week. After 3 weeks of aging, the vacuum-aged loins had higher (P<.05) coliform, anaerobic, streptococcus and lactobacillus counts. In addition to these counts, the aerobic (20°C and 35°C) of vacuum-aged loins increased (P<.05) after an additional 2 weeks of aging. Counts of steaks from 1-week old loins generally were not different as a result of method of loin aging. Lactobacillus counts of steaks from 3-week old loins differed as a result of method of aging. Except for higher lactobacillus counts, counts of steaks from 5-week old vacuum aged loins were similar to the counts of steaks from loins which were vacuum-aged for 3 weeks.
Design and performance of a transverse discharge, UV-preionized mercury-bromide laser

The design, construction, and operating characteristics of a pulsed, transverse discharge-pumped HgBr laser, capable of operation at pulse repetition frequencies as high as 100 Hz, are presented. Having an active length of 53 cm, this laser system is preionized by two sets of spark arrays and average single pulse energies of 55 mJ are produced from Ne/N2/HgBr2 (natural abundance) vapor mixtures, with an output coupling of 50% and ∼ 17 J of energy stored in the pulse forming network. Based on measurements of the laser pulse energy for several values of cavity output coupling, the small signal gain coefficient and saturation intensity for the laser were determined to be 4.7% cm−1 and 260 kW cm−2, respectively. The single pass gain-to-loss ratio is 12.4.
A Proteomic Evaluation of Sympathetic Activity Biomarkers of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Western Blotting Technique Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury.

Abstract Endocrine disorders and autonomic dysfunction are common paradigms following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Alterations in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis following TBI may result in impaired vasopressor response, energy imbalance, fatigue, depression, or neurological disorders. Autonomic dysfunction is a common disorder following TBI. The sympathetic activity markers on HPA axis can be measured by Western blot protein analysis. Tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine beta hydroxylase are the key enzymes for the synthesis of norepinephrine; and neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the peptide that is co-stored and co-released with norepinephrine. Thus, the present chapter reviews the experimental protocols for Western blot protein analysis for the measurement of biomarkers that indicate sympathetic activity in brain regions (hypothalamus, pituitary, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum) following TBI.
Numerical Simulation of the Super Boom Problem

In this paper, the focused sonic boom problem, governed by a transonic flow, mixed type equation is solved numerically using Murman’s scheme. The results of the two dimensional calculations, based on a model proposed by Hayes are presented and the focusing effect is clearly detected. Next, a three dimensional model introduced by Cheng is examined. The numerical solutions confirm that the three dimensional effects are important. Finally, the results of the local analysis of the sonic boom propagation, in stratified atmosphere, are discussed.
Tough decisions in medical specialty camps: Relationships between camp dosage, outcomes, and camper attendance

Abstract Rationale Medical specialty camps play a significant role in the lives of the youth they serve. These camps have been found to improve self-determination in campers, to develop camper skills in managing a disability or coping with a diagnosis, and to provide campers with respite/escape from the challenges associated with their disability or diagnosis. Youth attending medical specialty camps are often funded through full or partial scholarships, mitigating a significant constraint to their participation. These resources are limited, leading camp administrators charged with allocating funding to make challenging decisions in determining which campers would most benefit from camp participation. Objective This study examines a factor often linked to the escalating achievement of outcomes, repeated camp attendance, in 217 youth (ages 10–16) attending a one-week residential summer “Type 1 diabetes” camp. Specifically, two research questions were examined using a structural equation model (SEM): (1) what effect does repeat camp attendance (returning for multiple years) have on targeted outcome achievement, and (2) how does camper age moderate the relationship between repeated camp attendance and outcomes? Results The study results indicate across the 10-outcomes tested in the study (e.g., relatedness, autonomy, competence), repeat attendance had no statistically meaningful effect (p ≤ .05) on outcome scores, nor did camper age moderate the strength of relationship between attendance and outcomes. Conclusion The lack of relationship between attendance and outcomes supports prior meta-analyses suggesting the lack of value of repeated attendance, as does the non-significant moderational effect. The results of this study may illustrate to program providers and funders that no discernible benefit (in terms of targeted and measured outcomes in the current study) is due to repeat attendance, which can inform resource allocation and camper recruitment decisions.
Optimization of Design Parameters for Enhanced Integrity of Massive Drilled Shaft

AbstractThis study focused on the optimization of concrete mixture and geometric design parameters for a drilled shaft to effectively reduce the potential degradation of mass concrete. At concrete’...
Some dilemmas of economic democracy: Indicators and empirical analysis:

The article addresses certain current and recurring dilemmas concerning economic or industrial democracy in modern society. First, it identifies the main indicators and proxies of economic democrac...
Lossy‐Context Surprisal: An Information‐Theoretic Model of Memory Effects in Sentence Processing

A key component of research on human sentence processing is to characterize the processing difficulty associated with the comprehension of words in context. Models that explain and predict this difficulty can be broadly divided into two kinds, expectation-based and memory-based. In this work, we present a new model of incremental sentence processing difficulty that unifies and extends key features of both kinds of models. Our model, lossy-context surprisal, holds that the processing difficulty at a word in context is proportional to the surprisal of the word given a lossy memory representation of the context-that is, a memory representation that does not contain complete information about previous words. We show that this model provides an intuitive explanation for an outstanding puzzle involving interactions of memory and expectations: language-dependent structural forgetting, where the effects of memory on sentence processing appear to be moderated by language statistics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that dependency locality effects, a signature prediction of memory-based theories, can be derived from lossy-context surprisal as a special case of a novel, more general principle called information locality.
Personalized Renal Collecting System Mockup for Procedural Training Under Ultrasound Guidance

Objective: In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of ultrasound guidance for endoscopic and percutaneous procedures. Kidney mockups could be used for training, however, available mockups are normally incompatible with ultrasound imaging. We developed a reproducible method to manufacture an ultrasound-compatible collecting system mockup that can be made at urology laboratories. Methods: Positive and negative molding methods were used. A three-dimensional (3D) digital model of a urinary collecting system and the overlying skin surface were segmented from computed tomography. A containment mold (negative) was made following the shape of the skin surface using 3D printing. A collecting system mold (positive) was also 3D printed, but made of a dissolvable material. The containment mold was filled with a gelatin formula with the collecting system mold submersed in situ within. After the gelatin solidified, a solution was used to dissolve the collecting system mold, but not the gelatin, leaving a cavity with the shape of the collecting system. The gelatin was extracted from the container mockup and the collecting system cavity was filled with water. The mockup was imaged with ultrasound to assess echogenicity and suitability for simulating ultrasound-guided procedures. Results: A clear shape corresponding to the collecting system was observed inside the gel structure. Structural integrity was maintained with no observable manufacturing marks or separation seams. Ultrasound images of the mockup demonstrated clear differentiation at the gelatin/water interface. A mock stone was placed in the collecting system and needle targeted to simulate percutaneous needle access. Conclusion: We developed a simple method to manufacture a personalized mockup of the renal collecting system of a patient that can be used for ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle access. Generic collecting system mockups can be used for training, and patient-specific models can be used to simulate and decide the best access path before a clinical case.
Effects of Jet to Wall Spacings on Heat Transfer Characteristics And Flow Fields of Turbulently Impinging Nozzled Jets on Hot Silicon

The heat transfer distributions of axisymmetric confined turbulent jets impinging on a high power density silicon issued from dual primary circular nozzles and accelerated under tapered nozzles has been extensively investigated in this research to discretize the flow field characteristics under submerged conditions. Sixteen RANS CFD simulations with processed chilled water as impingement fluid by varying Reynolds number 8000 ≤ Re ≤ 20000 (based on the main inlet nozzle jet diameter and bulk velocity) and the nozzle jet orifice plate to the die standoff distance 4 ≤ z/d ≤ 16 (up to sixteen nozzle jet diameters distance) is researched along with four distinct LES cases at a Reynolds of 20000. The nozzle plate has 20 tapered nozzles used to distribute and accelerate the flow under the dual circular nozzles where the flow is initially issued from. The CFD RANS simulations for dual circular primary nozzles are compared to the CFD cases of the single primary nozzle cases published previously. An overall heat transfer coefficient to the order of 179,000 W/m2°K has been observed on the surface of the silicon when the flow is issued from a single primary nozzle and an overall heat transfer coefficient to the order of 333,000 W/m2°K has been observed when the jets are issued from dual primary nozzles for identical jet-to-wall distance. Large Eddy Simulations are used to predict the flow-field turbulent characteristics of dual circular jets impinging directly on the silicon wall for four significant cases with varying (0.5 ≤ z/d ≤ 2) distances at a Reynolds (Re) of 20,000 issued from main nozzle and the results are compared to the four LES cases of single nozzle direct impingement that is published previously. Results from these simulations reveal intricate features of flow field distributions including primary and secondary vortices, entrainment effects on the bare die hot silicon and guides the design of the impingement setup in terms of nozzle configuration, maximum power and power density dissipation criteria that can be met for a given nozzle configuration and impingement setup for hotspot mitigation.
Rashba-driven anomalous Nernst conductivity of high spin-orbit-coupled lead chalcogenide films

In the absence of external magnetization, a finite Berry curvature $\left[\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}\left(k\right)\right]$ in the role of a momentum-dependent magnetic field can lead to a Hall-type thermal behavior such as the anomalous Nernst effect. The traditional and nonanomalous variants require a real-space magnetic field. In this work, we report coefficients for the anomalous Nernst effect $\left(\text{ANE}\right)$ and its spin analog, a variant of the more well-established spin Nernst effect $\left(\text{SNE}\right)$ in lead chalcogenide (PbX; $X$ = S, Se, Te) films. The narrow gapped PbX films with a large spin-orbit coupling (soc) offer a significant Rashba interaction that gives rise to $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}\left(k\right)$ and the attendant anomalous thermal behavior. In the presence of a temperature gradient, the $\text{ANE}$ and $\text{SNE}$ establish a thermal and spin current and are characterized by their respective coefficients which acquire higher values for a stronger Rashba interaction. We further show that an extrinsic soc generated by an in-plane electric field offers a gate-like mechanism to control (and turn-off) the anomalous thermal currents. Finally, we conclude by deriving the efficiency of an $\text{ANE}$-driven low-temperature Carnot heat engine and demonstrate that it can be gainfully optimized in systems with a robust intrinsic soc resulting in low carrier effective masses. Cooling techniques in microdevices via $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}\left(k\right)$ regulated anomalous thermal conductivity contributions are briefly discussed.
Research of toxic productions from thermal runaway processes of Li-ion battery and materials

The safety and thermal runaway processes of a lithium ion battery and its toxic leakage effects on human and environments are elaborated and discussed in detail. The EV power lithium ion battery was used as example to analysis its impact to a city environment. One of the representative combustion toxics CO was analyst in quantity from three different 10 A·h lithium ion cell(Li Fe PO4, Li Mn O2 and NMC) combustion experiment. It shows that the toxics safety problems of lithium ion battery can not be ignored any more.
A Case of an Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant with Morganella morganii Bacteremia and Peritonitis.

We describe a case of late onset Morganella morganii sepsis in an extremely low birth weight male neonate born at 23 and 4/7 weeks gestational age to a 30-year-old primigravid mother due to preterm labor. The mother was otherwise healthy with an unremarkable prenatal course. She received steroids and ampicillin prior to delivery. While initial blood cultures were negative, at day of life 4, the neonate developed signs of sepsis with leukocytosis and bandemia, and subsequent blood culture demonstrated growth of M. morganii. The patient then had spontaneous intestinal perforation on day of life 8 with peritoneal cultures growing M. morganii. The infant responded to standard therapy and survived to discharge, with few mild developmental delays upon outpatient follow-up. While M. morganii has been demonstrated in the neonatal population, it generally causes early onset sepsis and is associated with high mortality in preterm neonates. Here, we present this case of late onset neonatal sepsis with M. morganii complicated by spontaneous intestinal perforation, with survival in a 23 weeks gestation infant.
Sequential Bayesian Detection

This chapter develops sequential Bayesian detection techniques primarily aimed at the binary decision problem. It enables the extension of these estimation methods to an entire class of problems especially when a physical model is available that can be incorporated into the algorithm leading to model‐based detection. The chapter develops the Bayesian approach to decision theory primarily aimed at a coupling of sequential Bayesian estimation to sequential decision‐making. It discusses the basic theory required to comprehend the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and its inherent features that enable us to ascertain the performance of detection algorithms. The chapter develops the theory and from it develops a variety of metrics that can be extracted from the ROC to increase understanding of the embedded information. It applies the analysis to examples and uses the ROC to compare performance of a variety of detection techniques. Finally, a case study followed showing the applicability of the model‐based designs to anomaly detection.
Electro-optically derived millimeter-wave sources with phase and amplitude control

Integrated circuits are building blocks in millimeter-wave handsets and base stations, requiring nonlinear characterization to optimize performance and energy efficiency. Today's sources use digital-to-analog converters to synthesize arbitrary electrical waveforms for nonlinear characterization, but this approach demands even faster integrated circuits to increase the bandwidth to millimeter-waves. Optically derived sources are a potential path to generate precise millimeter-waves and arbitrary waveforms using additive frequency synthesis. In this work, we demonstrate optically derived millimeter-waves up to 99.2 GHz with phase and amplitude control that could be locked to an optical reference. Our approach uses a 1550 nm electro-optic frequency comb with a terahertz of bandwidth. A programmable spectral filter selects two wavelengths from the optical comb, illuminating a modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode on a coplanar waveguide. We then tune the phase and amplitude by varying the optical phase and amplitude in the programmable spectral filter. The result of our work is electro-optically derived millimeter-waves at (24.8, 49.6, 74.4, and 99.2) GHz with phase and amplitude control, enabling arbitrary repetitive waveform generation.
Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and Plant Reproduction

Reproduction is an essential process for all living things. Moreover, for many crop species reproductive structures are the principle edible parts. Despite this, relatively little is known about the effect of mycorrhizal symbiosis on host plant reproduction. Common limitations to reproduction include nutrient deficiency, herbivory and disease. Mycorrhizal fungi may influence all three. Different host species may vary in their response to infection by mycorrhizal fungi Temporal variation in response to infection by mycorrhizal fungi may also occur because of temporal variation in nutrient uptake in relation to nutrient demand. Several aspects of sexual reproduction may be influenced by infection by mycorrhizal fungi including the timing of reproductive events, the number of inflorescences per plant, the number of flowers per inflorescence, the amount of pollen per flower, the proportion of flowers producing fruits, and the number of seeds per fruit. Seed quality can also be strongly influenced by infection by mycorrhizal fungi, resulting in variation in seedling vigor and resultant competitive ability. Because infection by mycorrhizal fungi can influence interactions among plants, it may also influence the structure of populations and communities, determining, in part, the relative contributions by individuals to the next generation. Because infection by mycorrhizal fungi influences the nutrient and carbon status of hosts, it may indirectly influence herbivory and disease, both of which may limit reproduction. Several topics for future research are discussed.
The Suitability Rule, Investor Diversification, And Using Spread To Measure Risk

This article reviews the state of the law regarding actions against broker-dealers based on the NASD suitability rule and similar theories, summarizes the theory and practice of investor diversification, explains the motivations that may lead a broker to recommend excessively risky securities and investment strategies, and discusses the various methods that may be used to quantify or compare risk, focusing in particular on how the bid-ask spread may be used as a forward-looking surrogate for the direct measurement of risk.
Primary hypoblast development in the chick : I. Scanning electron microscopy of normal development.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicates that the primary hypoblast forms beneath the area pellucida during the first 8 h of incubation mainly by establishment of contact among cells which move downward out of the epiblast. This movement, polyingression, begins posteriorly and continues antero-laterally during the period of primary hypoblast formation. Polyingression produces many pits and possibly a crescentic fold in the embryo upper surface with corresponding cell clusters and a ridge on the lower surface. Fixationin situ helps prevent formation of artifactual folds and wrinkles facilitating interpretation of the SEM images.