cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Data-Driven Participant Recruitment: Findings from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 3

Effective and measurable participant recruitment methods are urgently needed for clinical studies in Alzheimer’s disease. To develop methods for measuring recruitment tactics and evaluating effectiveness. Recruitment tactics for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI3) were measured using web and phone analytics, campaign metrics and survey responses. A total of 462 new participants were enrolled into ADNI3 through recruitment efforts. We collected metrics on recruitment activities including 82,003 unique visitors to the recruitment website and 3,335 calls to study phone numbers. The recruitment sources that produced the most screening and enrollment included online advertisements, local radio and newspaper coverage and emails and referrals from registries. Analysis of recruitment activity obtained through tracking methods provided some insight for effective recruitment. ADNI3 can serve as an example of how a data-driven approach to centralized participant recruitment can be utilized to facilitate clinical research.
Board Gender Diversity: Debate and Practice

Public companies are besieged with requests to add women to their boards. Corporate directors are trained to listen carefully and advised to evaluate evidence. Most would welcome reasonable requests to advance gender diversity to their boards. Many, however, are frustrated by the sheer volume and tenor of advocacy on the subject. They and other participants in the debate would do well to reflect a bit more on the arguments and evidence. This essay is intended to help. In short, it advises advocates to avoid exaggerated claims about the economic payoffs from diversity, urging instead to focus on the fairness merits of the equation. That way, as progress on board gender diversity continues to be made, appointees can feel pride and be assessed on the merits, rather than serve under a cloud of stigma.
Central Office Foci and Principal Data Use: A Comparative Study of Equity-Focused Practice in Six Districts

In this comparative study, I examine principal data use in two sets of districts. One set of three districts has a district-wide focus on using data to improve instruction, and the other set, also with three districts, has a district-wide focus on analyzing disaggregated data by student demographic groups. Data sources include interviews with principals in each set (18 from data-focused districts, and 9 from disaggregation-focused districts), and analysis focuses on ways that they talk about analyzing data in relation to district expectations and equity. Findings showed that each set of principals shared a different approach to data, either performance-focused or demographic-focused, suggesting the central role of the district in guiding how data are used at the building level. I conclude with implications for practice, policy, and research.
Geographies of global lifestyle migration: Towards an anticolonial approach:

This article brings the critiques of anticolonial theorists into conversation with the burgeoning literature on Global North-to-South lifestyle migration – including scholarship employing related t...
A Multi-resolution Theory for Approximating Infinite-p-Zero-n: Transitional Inference, Individualized Predictions, and a World Without Bias-Variance Tradeoff

Transitional inference is an empiricism concept, rooted and practiced in clinical medicine since ancient Greece. Knowledge and experiences gained from treating one entity (e.g., a disease or a grou...
Optimizing predictive strategies for acute kidney injury after major vascular surgery.

Abstract Background Postoperative acute kidney injury is common after major vascular surgery and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. High-performance risk stratification using a machine learning model can inform strategies that mitigate harm and optimize resource use. It is hypothesized that incorporating intraoperative data would improve machine learning model accuracy, discrimination, and precision in predicting acute kidney injury among patients undergoing major vascular surgery. Methods A single-center retrospective cohort of 1,531 adult patients who underwent nonemergency major vascular surgery, including open aortic, endovascular aortic, and lower extremity bypass procedures, was evaluated. The validated, automated MySurgeryRisk analytics platform used electronic health record data to forecast patient-level probabilistic risk scores for postoperative acute kidney injury using random forest models with preoperative data alone and perioperative data (preoperative plus intraoperative). The MySurgeryRisk predictions were compared with each other as well as with the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification. Results Machine learning models using perioperative data had greater accuracy, discrimination, and precision than models using either preoperative data alone or the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (accuracy: 0.70 vs 0.64 vs 0.62, area under the receiver operating characteristics curve: 0.77 vs 0.68 vs 0.61, area under the precision-recall curve: 0.70 vs 0.58 vs 0.48). Conclusion In predicting acute kidney injury after major vascular surgery, machine learning approaches that incorporate dynamic intraoperative data had greater accuracy, discrimination, and precision than models using either preoperative data alone or the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification. Machine learning methods have the potential for real-time identification of high-risk patients who may benefit from personalized risk-reduction strategies.
Emerging investigator series: thermodynamic and energy analysis of nitrogen and phosphorous recovery from wastewaters

In a circular nutrient economy, nitrogen and phosphorous are removed from waste streams and captured as valuable fertilizer products, to more sustainably reuse the resources in closed-loops and simultaneously protect receiving aquatic environments from harmful N and P emissions. For nutrient reclamation to be competitive with the existing practices of N fixation and P mining, the methods of recovery must achieve at least comparable energy consumption. This study employed the Gibbs free energy of separation to quantify the minimum energy required to recover various N and P fertilizer products from waste streams of fresh and hydrolyzed urine, greywater, domestic wastewater, and secondary treated wastewater effluent. The comparative advantages in theoretical energy intensities for N and P recovery from nutrient-dense waste streams, such as fresh and hydrolyzed urine, were assessed against the other more dilute sources. For example, compared to reclaiming the nutrients from treated wastewater effluent at centralized wastewater treatment plants, the minimum energy required to recover 1.0 M NH3(aq) from source-separated hydrolyzed urine can be ≈40–68% lower, whereas recovering KH2PO4(s) from diverted fresh urine can, in principle, be ≈13–34% less energy intensive. The study also evaluated the efficiencies required by separation techniques for the energy demand of N and P recovery to be lower than the current production approaches of the Haber–Bosch process and phosphate rock mining. For instance, the most energetically favorable ammoniacal nitrogen and orthophosphate reclamation schemes, which target hydrolyzed and fresh urine, respectively, require energy efficiencies >7% and >39%. This study highlights that strategic selection of waste stream and fertilizer product can enable the most expedient recovery of nutrients and realize a circular economy model for N and P management.
Gender, poverty and entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review and future research agenda

Women represent the majority of the poor worldwide and entrepreneurship is widely argued to be critical for alleviating poverty conditions. However, research on this topic is dispersed and fragment...
The Saliency of Snake Scales and Leopard Rosettes to Infants: Its Relevance to Graphical Patterns Portrayed in Prehistoric Art

Geometrically arranged spots and crosshatched incised lines are frequently portrayed in prehistoric cave and mobiliary art. Two experiments examined the saliency of snake scales and leopard rosettes to infants that are perceptually analogous to these patterns. Experiment 1 examined the investigative behavior of 23 infants at 3 daycare facilities. Four plastic jars (15 × 14.5 cm) with snake scales, leopard rosettes, geometric plaid, and plain patterns printed on yellowish-orange paper inside were placed individually on the floor on separate days during playtime. Fourteen 7-15 month-old infants approached each jar hesitantly and poked it before handling it for 5 times, the criterion selected for statistical analyses of poking frequency. The jars with snake scales and leopard rosettes yielded reliably higher poking frequencies than the geometric plaid and plain jars. A second experiment examined the gaze and grasping behavior of 15 infants (spanning 5-months of age) seated on the laps of their mothers in front of a table. For paired comparisons, the experimenter pushed two of four upright plastic cylinders (13.5 × 5.5 cm) with virtually the same colored patterns simultaneously toward each infant for 6 sec. Video recordings indicated that infants gazed significantly longer at the cylinders with snake scales and leopard rosettes than the geometric plaid and plain cylinders prior to grasping them. Logistic regression of gaze duration predicting cylinder choice for grasping indicated that 7 of 24 paired comparisons were not significant, all of which involved choices of cylinders with snake scales and leopard rosettes that diverted attention before reaching. Evidence that these biological patterns are salient to infants with undeveloped brains might the integration of subcortical and neocortical visual processes known to be involved in snake recognition that possibly biased artistic renditions of similar pattern during prehistoric times.
Physical-geometric optics hybrid methods for computing the scattering and absorption properties of ice crystals and dust aerosols

Exact solutions and reasonable approximations of the optical properties of nonspherical particles in the atmosphere (particularly, coarse mode mineral dust particles, ice crystals within cirrus clouds, and aviation-induced contrails) are fundamental to numerous climate studies and remote sensing applications (Ch’ylek and Coakley, 1974; Haywood and Boucher, 2000; Ramanathan et al., 2001; Sokolik et al., 2001; Kaufman et al., 2002; Liou et al., 2000; Liou, 2002; Baum et al., 2005; Baran, 2009; Yang et al., 2010). The morphologies of realistic aerosols (Reid et al., 2003) and ice crystal habits (Heymsfield and Iaquinta, 2000) are extremely diverse. For simplicity, light scattering simulations reported in the literature are limited to a small set of well-defined nonspherical geometries such as hexagonal columns or plates, aggregates of columns or plates, bullet rosettes, circular cylinders, and ellipsoids (Asano and Yamamoto, 1975; Mishchenko and Travis, 1998; Yang et al., 2005; Bi et al., 2008; Meng et al., 2010; Xie et al., 2011).
Why are repeated words produced with reduced durations? Evidence from inner speech and homophone production

Abstract Acoustic reduction for repeated words could be the result of articulation and motor practice (Lam & Watson, 2014), facilitated production (Gahl, Yao, & Johnson, 2012; Kahn & Arnold, 2015), or audience design and shared common ground (Galati & Brennan, 2010). We sought to narrow down what kind of facilitation leads to repetition reduction. Repetition could, in principle, facilitate production on a conceptual, lexical, phonological, articulatory, or acoustic level (Kahn & Arnold, 2015). We compared the durations of the second utterance of a target word when the initial production was aloud or silent. The silent presentation either involved unmouthed or mouthed inner speech. Overt production, unmouthed and mouthed inner speech all led to reduction in target word onsets, but target word durations were only shortened when a word was initially said aloud. In an additional experiment, we found that prior naming of a homophone of the target word also led to duration reduction. The results suggest that repetition reduction occurs when there is a recently experienced auditory memory of the item. We propose that duration may be controlled in part by auditory feedback during production, the use of which can be primed by recent auditory experience.
Studies in biomimetic alkaloid syntheses—9: Two total syntheses of minovincine

Abstract Condensation of methyl 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydroazepino[4,5-b]indole-5-carboxylate ( 5 ) with the ethylene ketal of 2-acetyl-5-chloropentanal, followed by reactions with triethylamine and aqueous acid gave minovincine 1a . Alternatively, a condensation of the indoloazepine hydrochloride 5a with the sodium enolate of formyl acetone, followed by acid cyclization, N-benzylation and reaction with base gave the 19-oxosecodine analogue 13 . Thermal cyclization of the latter, debenzylation by hydrogenolysis, alkylation with 1,3-bromochloropropane and final cyclization gave minovincine 1a . This sequence provides the first example of isolation and subsequent cyclization of a reactive secodine analogue.
Optimizing almost-tail-recursive PROLOG programs

There is a wide class of problems for which the natural Prolog specification, as a top-down, recursive computation, is significantly less efficient than an iterative bottom-up version. However, the transformation from the top-down specification to the bottom-up implementation is not always obvious, principally due to problems with nondeterminism and the order in which variables get bound — problems which do not arise in comparable situations in functional languages. This paper illustrates how these problems can be handled in certain cases, and the transformation mechanized, using algebraic properties of operators such as associativity and distributivity. The resulting programs are tail-recursive, and hence significantly more efficient in space usage, with no deterioration in execution speed.
Overview of mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease and their use in drug discovery.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition that affects millions of individuals, encompasses two distinct conditions: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). CD is an inflammatory condition affecting any part of the digestive tract between the mouth and anus, but, most commonly, the ileum and colon. It is distinguished by the presence of granulomas in the mucosal tissue and patchy areas of transmural inflammation. UC is restricted to the colon and is manifest as continuous inflammation starting from the rectum and extending back towards the cecum. Inflammation in UC is primarily restricted to mucosal layers. Research is ongoing to understand the causality of these two diseases, and advances in understanding of their pathology have resulted from the variety of mouse models of IBD that have emerged since the early 1990s. Described in this unit are contemporary mouse models of these conditions and examples of their use in drug discovery. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 47:5.57.1-5.57.19. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: IBD; mouse; model; colitis
Extreme fractionation of 234U238U and 230Th234U in spring waters, sediments, and fossils at the Pomme de Terre Valley, southwestern Missouri

Isotopic fractionation as great as 1600% exists between 234U and 238U in spring waters, sediments, and fossils in the Pomme de Terre Valley, southwestern Missouri. The activity ratios of 234U238U in five springs range from 7.2 to 16 in water which has been discharged for at least the past 30,000 years. The anomalies in 234U238U ratio in deep water have potential usefulness in hydrologic investigations in southern Missouri. Clayey units overlying the spring bog sediments of Trolinger Spring are enriched in 230Th relative to their parent 234U by as much as 720%. The results indicate that both preferential displacement via alpha recoil ejection and the preferential emplacement via recoiling and physical entrapment are significant processes that are occurring in the geologic environment.
Twinning of Crystals (II)

Certain properties of a crystalline substance may appear only below, for instance, a certain critical temperature and are frequently accompanied by equilibrium states exhibiting a marked decrease in symmetry. One such example of this is the appearance of twinned crystals in what sometimes may be regarded as an austenite/martensite transition. In the higher temperature austenite the crystal is cubic, while in the lower temperature martensite it is tetragonal. Another example is the appearance of spontaneous polarization in a ferroelectric, like Rochelle salt. Also in this instance, the crystal structure is more symmetric in the absence of spontaneous polarization.
Condition monitoring-the way ahead for large electrical machines

The author describes the way ahead for the application of condition monitoring to large electrical machines for both installation on new machines, to assist in providing a long life, and retrofit installation on existing machines, to prolong their life in service as part of a refurbishment programme. >
The Political Psychology of Biology, Genetics, and Behavior

The last several decades have witnessed remarkable advances in neurobiological approaches, including evolutionary, neuropsychological, behavioral genetic, and physiological methods to explore individual differences in social and political phenomena. In this special issue, we seek to include these advances into the greater political psychology discourse through a series of articles focused on topics of enduring interest to political psychologists, such as candidate evaluation, voter turnout, race, and public preferences concerning social welfare policy. Language: en
The Battered Child, edited by Ray E. Helfer, M.D., and C. Henry Kempe, M.D. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1968, 268 pp., $12.50

It is but a short 8 years since Kempe and colleagues coined the term "the battered child syndrome." This was a major advance, for it captured both professional and lay attention and led within a remarkably short time to the implementation of reporting laws within all 50 states. Hardly any other piece of research can be said to have influenced social policy so effectively in such a short period of time. We are now presented in this edited book with an upto- date picture of the problem.
Plasminogen Levels in Schizophrenia

Serum plasminogen levels were measured in 50 normal subjects and 82 schizophrenic patients. The levels of plasminogen were significantly elevated (p < 0.001) in the group of schizophrenic patients.
Dryland forestry for sustainable development

Dryland forestry is concerned with the management of trees and shrubs for sustainable development of dryland regions of the world. Applications of dryland forestry include the production of wood for fuel, poles and posts, and building materials; fruit and nut production; fodder, browse, and forage production; modification of local microclimates for improved agricultural crop production; and protection of lands susceptible to water or wind erosion, etc. These applications are combined into land-use practices linked to people's needs and social values. Dryland forestry, therefore, can be defined more broadly as the management and often establishment of trees and shrubs to improve the livelihood and quality of life for people in dryland regions.
Separation of cyclotron-produced 44Sc from a natural calcium target using a dipentyl pentylphosphonate functionalized extraction resin

Significant interest in 44Sc as a radioactive synthon to label small molecules for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been recently observed. Despite the efforts of several research groups, the ideal 44Sc production and separation method remains elusive. Herein, we propose a novel separation method to obtain 44Sc from the proton irradiation of calcium targets based on extraction chromatography, which promises to greatly simplify current production methodologies. Using the commercially available Uranium and Tetravalent Actinides (UTEVA) extraction resin we were able to rapidly ( 80% of the activity generated at end of bombardment (EoB) in small ~1M HCl fractions (400μL). The chemical purity of the 44Sc eluates was evaluated through chelation with DOTA and DTPA, and by trace metal analysis using microwave induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The distribution coefficients (Kd) of Sc(III) and Ca(II) in UTEVA were determined in HCl medium in a range of concentrations from zero to 12.1M. The 44Sc obtained with our method proved to be suitable for the direct labeling of small biomolecules for PET imaging, with excellent specific activities and radiochemical purity.
RELATIONSHIP OF THYROID ACTIVITY TO DISTRIBUTION OF FAT IN RABBIT CARCASSES

The effects of exogenous administration of T4 and a combination of T4 and Synovex (12.5 mg progesterone and 1.25 mg estradiol) on the distribution of fat in rabbit carcasses have been studied. The results demonstrate that increasing thyroid activity will cause production of leaner rabbits that contain adequate amounts of intramuscular fat. Further, implantation of estrogenic hormones tend to stimulate growth and counteract the depressed weight gains in treated rabbits. A possible T4-Synovex interaction is indicated. Rabbits receiving both hormones had the lowest amount of waste fat and the highest amount of intramuscular fat of all treatment groups.
Hail Parameter Relations: A Comprehensive Digest

Diagrams of hail size parameters are presented and attempts are made to correlate size and mass/volume as indicators of integral quantities of hailstone fall. Radar cross-sections are presented, along with related radar parameters such as the equivalent radar reflectivity factor, the mean Doppler fallspeed, the variance of the Doppler spectrum, and the ratio of the reflectivity factors for the 3.21 and 10.0 cm radar wavelengths used. An analysis of the possible effects of natural or artificial modification of the hail size distribution are discussed.
Comparing Biofouling Control Treatments for Use on Aquaculture Nets

Test panels comprised of uncoated, copper coated and silicone coated 7/8'' (22 mm) mesh knitted nylon net were evaluated to compare their properties and the effectiveness to prevent biofouling. This paper describes test procedures that were developed to quantify the performance in terms of antifouling, cleanability, drag and cost. The copper treatment was the most effective at controlling fouling, however, the silicone treated nets were the easiest to clean. The drag forces on the net were a function of twine diameter, twine roughness and fouling. After immersion, the uncoated nets had the most drag followed by the silicone and copper treatments. The cost of applying silicone to nets is high; however, improved formulations may provide a non-toxic alternative to control fouling.
Measurement of plasma glycosaminoglycans: an extension of the method.

Abstract The measurement of plasma glycosaminoglycans has been modified to measure not only the material which is retained on ECTEOLA cellulose but also that which may be retained on a stronger anion exchanger, Dowex 1× 2 resin. The extension of the method may be useful in the study of conditions in which the degradation of glycosaminoglycans may be impaired.
Studies on the pituitary responsiveness to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) in intact male rats of different ages.

The pituitary response to a punned porcine LH-RH was investigated in male rats of IS, 25, 30, 35, 45, 60, and 240 days of age. Significant amounts of LH were released after administration of LH-RH in all the ages studied. The maximal response was seen, however, between 35 and 45 days of age, the lowest being at 15 and 240 days of age. No evidence of pituitary LH depletion after LH-RH was observed in any of the groups studied. LH-RH elicited a significant FSH release at 25, 30, 35, and 45 days of age. No significant FSH release was observed at 15, 60, and 240 days of age. The maximal response in terms of FSH release was recorded between 25 and 35 days of age. No apparent pituitary FSH depletion could be seen after LH-RH administration in any of the groups studied. (Endocrinology 90: 585, 1972)
Reductive Acylation of Azobenzene

Abstract Considerable attention has been focused onto the fixation of molecular nitrogen in recent years.1 As the in vivo process is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase which consists of two protein components: an Fe-protein and an Fe-Mo-protein, the redox reaction must occur in the immediate vicinities of the metal cluster and is likely preceded by coordination of N2 with one of the molybdenum atoms. Our interest in the organic prototype of the reaction, namely the saturation and cleavage of NN multiple bonds, has resulted in a report of reducing azobenzenes to anilines by the Pd-catalyzed hydrogen transfer from cyclohexene.2 We now wish to describe the use of Mo(II) species in carboxylic acids to effect the conversion of azobenzene to anilides.
No evidence to support the use of low-dose doxycycline as an adjunct to nonsurgical therapy in smokers.

No evidence to support the use of low-dose doxycycline as an adjunct to nonsurgical therapy in smokers
The regulation of hippocampal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) after a protracted treatment with selective or nonselective nAChR agonists

In rats, 1 mg/kg twice daily for 10 d of nicotine, a nonselective agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), fails to change α4 and β2 nAChR subunit mRNA but significantly decreased α7 nAChR subunit mRNA and protein expression, which is associated with a 35–40% decrease in the number of 125I-α-Bgtx binding sites in hippocampus. In addition, this schedule of nicotine treatment produced a 40% increase in the number of high- (KD 1 nM), but decreased by 25% the number of low-affinity (KD 30 nM) binding sites for 3H-epibatidine in hippocampus. In contrast, repeated treatment with lobeline (2.7 mg/kg twice daily for 10 d), which selectively binds to high-affinity binding nAChRs, fails to change the expression of high- or low-affinity nAChRs. These data suggest that a simultaneous upregulation of high-affinity nAChRs and downregulation of low-affinity nAChRs is elicited by ligands that can bind to both low- and high-affinity nAChRs, but not by selective agonists of high-affinity nAChRs. One might infer that in hippocampus, high- and low-affinity nAChRs may be located in the same cells. When these two receptor types are stimulated simultaneously by nonselective ligands for high- and low-affinity nAChRs, they interact, bringing about an increase in binding site density of the high-affinity nAChRs.
General Model of Inflammation

Dysfunctions in the immune system, due to genetics, disease or environmental factors, can cause bacterial colonization and chronic inflammation. In cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infections can initiate inflammation of the airway. We propose a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations to describe interactions between macrophages, both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and bacteria. Small changes in parameters governing inflammatory cytokine production and macrophage sensitivity to cytokines result in dramatically different model behaviors. When the immune system is functioning properly, a non-aggressive pathogen will not provide a sufficient trigger to initiate chronic inflammation, however, in disease positive feedback of the inflammatory cytokine can induce chronic inflammation even after a bacterial infection has been resolved. In addition, if the macrophage population is more sensitive to inflammatory cytokines small perturbations initiated by bacteria will also lead to chronic inflammation. We have found nonaggressive bacteria are able to initiate chronic inflammation and propose why anti-inflammatory cytokine therapy may not be effective in resolving this inflammation.
Parallelization of local BLAST service on workstation clusters

Abstract This paper describes approaches to improve the performance of one of the most common and increasingly important aspects of the Human Genome Project (HGP) — large-volume, batch comparison of DNA sequence data. This basic comparison operation, usually carried out by the well-known BLAST program on one subject sequence against the internationally available databases of nearly five million target sequences, is already used hundreds of thousands of times each day by researchers around the world. At present, it is still used primarily in single query, or small batch query mode. As the entire sequence of the human genome nears completion, the area of functional genomics, and the use of micro-arrays of sets of genes, is coming to the fore. These developments will demand ever more efficient means of BLASTing sets of data that will make single processor implementation on powerful workstations infeasible. We describe the three primary parallel components to BLAST. The first is at the sequence-to-sequence comparison level. The second parallelizes a single query across a partitioned and distributed database. Finally, the set of queries themselves are partitioned across a set of servers with replicated or partitioned databases. The three methods may be employed alone or in concert. Our current implementation is described which parallelizes batch requests, and our plans for implementation of the other levels is also described. The results will ultimately be applied to hardware assistance for this soon-to-be primitive computer operation.
The Growth of the Sociology Graduate Program at Kent State University.

The initial growth of the graduate program in sociology at Kent State University was dominated by the interests, academic training and career goals of particular people who participated in it. Moreover, in 1939, when the program was initiated, its growth closely mirrored the principal concerns of the discipline. Today the program is responsive less to the discipline or particular faculty, and more to political, economic and demographic factors. As a state-funded institution, this university and graduate program are more likely to react to state needs and those of its other public, the students.
GRAIN REFINEMENT AND SUPERPLASTICITY IN A LITHIUM-CONTAINING Al-Mg ALLOY BY THERMOMECHANICAL PROCESSING

The refined microstructures and superplastic properties resulting from controlled thermomechanical processing of an A1-8Mg-0.5Li-0.23Zr alloy were evaluated. Rolling between the solvus temperatures for Ng and Li in the alloy allowed for grain refinement by precipitation of 6 (AlgMg5) during deformation and subsequent precipitation of G1(Al3Li) on cooling. Increasing the rolling strain enhance the su erplastic ductility of the alloy at 573K in the strain-rate regime of 10-q-10-2 S-'. Elongations in excess of 500 pct. , without cavitation, and a corresponding strain-rate sensitivity coefficient of approximately 0.5, were obtained. TEM investigations of the microstructural characteristics responsible for the mechanical behavior revealed that a more uniformly refined grain structure (3-5um) evolved by continuous recrystallization (CRX) in material experiencing the larger rolling
Naturally Occurring Mutations in the Largest Extracellular Loops of ABCA1 Can Disrupt Its Direct Interaction with Apolipoprotein A-I

The ABCA1 transporter contains two large domains into which many of the genetic mutations in individuals with Tangier disease fall. To investigate the structural requirements for the cellular cholesterol efflux mediated by ABCA1, we have determined the topology of these two domains and generated transporters harboring five naturally occurring missense mutations in them. These mutants, unlike wild type ABCA1, produced little or no apoA-I-stimulated cholesterol efflux when transfected into 293 cells, establishing their causality in Tangier disease. Because all five mutant proteins were well expressed and detectable on the plasma membrane, their interaction with the ABCA1 ligand, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, was measured using bifunctional cross-linking agents. Four of five mutants had a marked decline in cross-linking to apoA-I, whereas one (W590S) retained full cross-linking activity. Cross-linking of apoA-I was temperature-dependent, rapid in onset, and detectable with both lipid- and water-soluble cross-linking agents. These results suggest that apoA-I-stimulated cholesterol efflux cannot occur without a direct interaction between the apoprotein and critical residues in two extracellular loops of ABCA1. The behavior of the W590S mutant indicates that although binding of apoA-I by ABCA1 may be necessary, it is not sufficient for stimulation of cholesterol efflux.
Tapped lakes as sediment traps in an Arctic delta

Lakes within the Colville River delta in northern Alaska, USA, vary in size from small ponds created by ice-wedge growth to thaw lakes that are as much as three kilometres long and ten metres deep. As the river migrates, lake edges are breached and the lakes are drained. Such lake tapping is aided by permafrost thaw and ice wedge melt and, in the case of the larger lakes, by wave action within them. Once a lake is tapped, it drains rapidly creating a deep scour hole at its entrance and from then on it is subject to the varying stages and discharge of the river. During flooding, when the river is transporting its largest amount of sediment, the tapped lakes become settling basins and rapidly fill. The Colville River delta has lakes in all stages from freshly breached to those that are now being destroyed by channel migration.
The role of perivascular adipose tissue in vasoconstriction, arterial stiffness, and aneurysm.

Since the “rediscovery” of brown adipose tissue in adult humans, significant scientific efforts are being pursued to identify the molecular mechanisms to promote a phenotypic change of white adipocytes into brown-like cells, a process called “browning”. It is well documented that white adipose tissue (WAT) mass and factors released from WAT influence the vascular function and positively correlate with cardiac arrest, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. Similar to other fat depots, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is an active endocrine organ and anatomically surrounds vessels. Both brown-like and white-like PVAT secrete various adipokines, cytokines, and growth factors that either prevent or promote the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) depending on the relative abundance of each type and their bioactivity in the neighboring vasculature. Notably, pathophysiological conditions, such as obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, induce the imbalance of PVAT-derived vasoactive products that promote the infiltration of inflammatory cells. This then triggers derangements in vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cell dysfunction, resulting in the development of vascular diseases. In this review, we discuss the recent advances on the contribution of PVAT in CVDs. Specifically, we summarize the current proposed roles of PVAT in relationship with vascular contractility, endothelial dysfunction, neointimal formation, arterial stiffness, and aneurysm.
Evaluating the lateral resolution of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope

We present a statistical assessment of the lateral resolution of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope AOSLO .W e adopt a 2-D Gaussian function to approximate the AOSLO point spread function PSF, which is dominated by the residual wavefront aberration and characterized by the Strehl ratio. Thus, we derive the lateral resolution in the presence of residual wave aberrations, which is inversely proportional to square root of the Strehl ratio. The mod- eling, while not sufficient in describing the fine structure of the real PSF, demonstrates good conformance to the lateral cross section of the real PSF. With this model, the lateral resolution of our current AOSLO was computed to be 1.65 to 2.33 m, which agreed well with the actual result. We also reveal the relationships among the lateral reso- lution and other three measures of the AOSLO imaging property in- cluding the Strehl ratio, the PSF, and the root mean square rms of wavefront aberration. © 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.2166434
Age, personality, and the Holtzman Inkblot Technique.

Recent longitudinal studies using personality questionnaires and ratings have shown remarkable stability across the adult years. In an investigation of age changes and differences in personality as measured by the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT), ninety-three men and women aged twenty-five to ninety were administered Form A of the HIT; forty-four of these were retested one to three years later. Stability coefficients ranged from .07 for Form Appropriateness to .73 for Form Definiteness, with most variables showing significant but moderate stability. Repeated measures analyses of variance showed increases in six variables and decreases in two others, but only one of these changes was paralleled by cross-sectional age differences. Correlations with self-report measures of the broad personality domains of neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience failed to show hypothesized relations, and the associations seen were attributable to chance. It was concluded that the HIT measures perceptual-cognitive variables that are moderately stable in adulthood.
Epicardial Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with ischemic heart disease. 1,2 Reentry related to ventricular scars is the most common cause of sustained monomorphic VT associated with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators can be lifesaving, but they expose the patient to shocks, which can be painful and are also associated with exacerbations of underlying heart failure. 3 Catheter ablation for VT is an important therapy for patients with drug-refractory ventricular arrhythmias 4,5 and can be immediately lifesaving when VT is incessant. 6 Although most VTs in patients with coronary artery disease and prior infarction originate from reentry circuits in the subendocardium, endocardial mapping fails to identify a clinically important reentry circuit in approximately 20% of patients. Furthermore, during follow-up, approximately one-half of patients experience at least one VT recurrence. Epicardial and intramural reentry circuit locations are well recognized from surgical mapping and ablation and are an important cause of failure of endocardial ablation. 7 The method of percutaneous access to the pericardial space for mapping and ablation developed by Sosa and colleagues 8 now allows epicardial reentry circuits to be treated with catheter ablation. Pericardial adhesions after cardiac surgery often prevent percutaneous access, although limited access is possible in some patients. 9,10 A direct surgical approach to the pericardial space via a subxiphoid pericardial window or thoracotomy can achieve access in most patients. It is important to recognize and take precautions to minimize potential risks inherent in epicardial access and ablation. There is risk of injury to an epicardial coronary artery if catheter position is in close proximity and the coronary vessel diameter is small. Overlying epicardial fat can potentially be protective. Proximity to the coronary arteries is assessed most commonly by angiography. Phrenic nerve injury, subdiaphragmatic vascular injury, and intraabdominal and pericardial bleeding are also potential risks.
B74-22 Software Engineering: International Computer State of the Art Report

This volume is one of a series of state of the art reports by Infotech. In some respects it is reminiscent of the software which is discussed within it. Its organization is a good example of top down specification via the method of successive refinement. There are other analogies too which shall be pointed out later.
The performance of flexible-membrane wave barriers in oblique incident waves

The interaction of oblique incident waves with a tensioned, inextensible, vertical flexible membrane wave barrier hinged at the sea floor is investigated in the context of two-dimensional linear wave-body interaction theory. First, an idealized system (tensioned vertical screen) is considered and analytic solutions are obtained. Second, a more practical system with the membrane tension provided by a buoy is investigated by a boundary integral equation method. For each case, both submerged and surface-piercing systems are considered. A two-domain boundary element program is developed based on a discrete membrane dynamic model and simple-source distribution over the entire fluid boundaries. Since the boundary condition on the membrane is not known in advance, membrane motions and velocity potentials are solved simultaneously. The accuracy and convergence of the developed computer program are checked using the energy-conservation formula. The numerical results are further verified through comparison with analytic solutions when the buoy is infinitely small. Using the developed computer program, the performance of surface-piercing or submerged buoy/membrane wave barriers is tested with various membrane, buoy, and mooring characteristics and wave conditions including oblique wave headings. It is found that the efficiency of a submerged or surface-piercing buoy/ membrane breakwater can be enhanced in oblique waves for certain design conditions. From our numerical examples, it can be concluded that the buoy/membrane wave barrier can function as a very effective breakwater for a variety of incident wave angles if it is properly designed.
Operational Aspects of the SLAC Main Control Center

The SLAC Main Control Center (MCC) incorporates functions that were previously handled in two separate control rooms; i.e., (1) the setup and maintenance of interlaced beams in the accelerator and (2) the delivery of the beams to separate experimental areas. The complexity of beam operation has increased with the activation of the new SPEAR facility. This experimental area uses low energy electrons and positrons which run simultaneously with a full complement of six other beams. Considering all the operational requirements, the MCC instrumentation plays a major role in determining the operation efficiency.
Non-pharmacologic approaches to graft-versus-host prevention

Allogeneic transplant offers a curative option for selected hematological malignancies and improved disease free survival in those where cure is not possible. For patients in these categories, Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs often and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following transplantation. Pharmacological immunosuppression has considerable toxicity and controls GVHD in about 75% of transplant recipients when used in combination and continually. Thus, there is the need for viable and non-toxic alternatives for GVHD prevention and this is the impetus for seeking novel non-pharmacological strategies. Most techniques directed to this end are based on various permutations of T-cell depletion. Total T-cell depletion was the first graft engineering strategy employed but while beneficial, it was associated with delay in engraftment and early relapses. Modern depletion and adoptive immunotherapy techniques are directed toward specific subsets of T-cells which include alloreactive, naive, NK cells, T-helper and cytotoxic T-cells. While large bodies of preclinical evidence attest to the efficacy of currently available non-pharmacological prevention techniques, such is not the case with vigorous clinical trials. Where available, the proven non-pharmacological prevention techniques are yet to be fully interwoven into the patient care arena. Integration of available strategies and continuing research are therefore acutely needed to improve the chronic morbidity and mortality seen with both allogeneic transplant-associated GVHD and the use of pharmaceutical immunosuppressants.
Diagnostic performance of the BinaxNow Influenza A&B rapid antigen test in ED patients

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the BinaxNow Influenza AB these specimens were collected by clinical staff and tested for influenza using the BinaxNow RAT. Patients with both a research RT-PCR and clinical RAT were included in the study. Rapid antigen test diagnostic performance was evaluated using RT-PCR as a criterion standard, with preplanned, stratified analysis for subject age, duration of symptoms, influenza subtype, and polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold, which provides a semiquantitative estimate of viral load. Results Of 561 subjects enrolled, 131 (23.4%) had a positive RT-PCR, and 37 (6.6%) had a positive RAT. Overall, RAT performance included sensitivity of 24.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.5%-32.9%), specificity of 98.8% (95% CI, 97.1%-99.6%), positive predictive value of 86.5% (95% CI, 70.4%-94.9%), negative predictive value of 81.1% (95% CI, 77.4%-84.3%). Rapid antigen test sensitivities were low for all categories of subject age, symptom duration, influenza subtype, and cycle threshold. Conclusion The BinaxNow RAT demonstrated high specificity and poor sensitivity in ED patients selected by treating clinicians for influenza testing. A negative RAT is a poor predictor for the absence of influenza in the ED and should not be used as a criterion to withhold antiviral medications.
Androgen receptor localization in the human prostate: demonstration of heterogeneity using a new method of steroid receptor autoradiography.

Abstract We have used a novel receptor labeling and autoradiographic technique to identify the cell types in human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) that contain androgen receptors, and we have found that androgen receptor localization is heterogeneous. Prostatic androgen receptors were labeled by incubating slide-mounted frozen tissue sections (10 μm thickness) with [ 3 H]R1881 in vitro . Tissue sections labeled in this way were subjected to concurrent biochemical and autoradiographic analysis. Some of the sections were wiped from the slides for scintillation counting to validate that the procedure indeed measures total cellular androgen receptors of appropriate high affinity and androgen steroid specificity. Replicate labeled slide-mounted tissue sections were dried rapidly, apposed to dry emulsion-coated coverslips, and exposed in the dark for autoradiography. Autoradiograms were developed, fixed, and stained; silver grains were counted over nuclei or cytoplasm of epithelium or strorna to evaluate specific androgen receptor location. Autoradiographic analysis of human glandular BPH demonstrated androgen receptor localization almost exclusively in the epithelial nuclei, with little or none in the stroma. We anticipate that data obtained using this new method of steroid receptor autoradiography may provide fresh insight into the mechanism of hormonal regulation of the prostate.