cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of epithelial alkaline phosphatase in segmentally iterated bands during grasshopper limb morphogenesis

Although the study of rostral-caudal segmentation of the insect body has been a rich source of information about embryonic pattern formation, relatively little is known of the process of proximal-distal segmentation of insect appendages. Here we demonstrate that during the period of limb segmentation, five segmentally iterated, sharply demarcated bands of cell surface alkaline phosphatase activity are expressed in embryonic grasshopper limbs. These bands span each intersegmental boundary in the limb as well as one boundary within the tarsus. Within appendages, expression is restricted to epithelial cells, where activity is present on both apical and basolateral surfaces. This epithelial alkaline phosphatase remains active at neutral pH, is insensitive to levamisole inhibition, and is strongly inhibited by nucleoside monophosphates. Treatment of embryos with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C releases almost all visible chromogenic activity, indicating that the epithelial alkaline phosphatase is anchored to the plasma membrane by glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol. When material released by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C is separated on native polyacrylamide gels, a single broad band of enzymatic activity is detected following incubation with substrate. A polyclonal antiserum raised against a 55 x 10(3) M(r) alkaline phosphatase from shrimp recognizes a single band of 56 x 10(3) M(r) on immunoblots of grasshopper membrane proteins. The spatially restricted expression of epithelial alkaline phosphatase suggests that it may be involved in epithelial cell rearrangements or shape changes associated with limb segmentation and morphogenesis. It also may contribute to definition of axon routes in the limb, since pioneer afferent growth cones turn at, and migrate along, the edge of one alkaline phosphatase-expressing epithelial domain.
Optical coherence tomography based microangiography findings in hydroxychloroquine toxicity

Optical coherence tomography based microangiography (OMAG) is a new, non-invasive imaging modality capable of providing three dimentional (3D) retinal and choroidal microvascular maps without a need for exogenous dye. In this study, we evaluated the retinal and choroidal microvascular architecture of the macula in a patient with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) toxicity using OMAG. Detailed microvascular information of the retina and the underlying choroid showed loss of parafoveal outer retinal vasculature with sparing of the central fovea vasculature.
Surface Wave Testing To Investigate The Nature Of Roller Determined Soil Stiffness

Continuous compaction control (CCC) with instrumented vibratory roller compactors is an effective tool to estimate the relative soil stiffness over the complete area of a construction site. However, research is still needed to extract roller measured stiffness values directly comparable with pavement design parameters and laboratory measurements. In this study we have used surface wave testing over a compacted subgrade along with CCC to study the influence depth of the roller measured stiffness value. Results show that shear wave velocity with depth profiles can be useful to study the influence depth of roller measured stiffness values.
Influence Of the Daily Light Cycle on the Behavior of Argas Cooleyi (Acarina: Argasidae)

Responses to the daily light cycle can explain several facets of the behavior of Argas cooleyi under natural conditions. Experiments showed that unfed ticks have a negative photo response to undirected light and a negative klinotaxic orientation to directed light. A low thigmokinesis operates in response to substrate or mechanical stimulation. These responses appear to keep ticks hidden during daylight hours. Unfed A. cooleyi have an exogenously controlled diurnal locomotor rhythm synchronized to occur while swallows are roosting. This behavior apparently releases the low thigmokinesis and permits nightly host-finding activities in unfed ticks. Alteration of the LD cycle causes a corresponding shift in the locomotor rhythm and the rhythm does not persist in constant darkness. A low ambient temperature (15/C) suppresses the rhythm, but does not eliminate it. Water balance lias no apparent influence on the rhythm.
Study on Microbial Community Diversity in Three Artificial Lakes by PCR-RFLP

Objective:The microbial community diversity of three artificial lake(Yueya Lake,Niujiao Lake,Nanhu Lake)of Mudanjiang urban district were stuied.Methods:The total bacterial DNA from the three water samples was extracted directly.The fragments of 16S rDNA were amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR)and subsequently analyzed by RFLP.Results:The samples got different bands because of the difference of microbial diversity in the three lakes.Conclusion:The microbial community diversity of Niujiao Lake was in the richest.
Institutional conformance and tourism performance: an efficiency analysis in developing Pacific Island countries

ABSTRACTUsing a multi-level approach that exploits the synergism between hospitality and tourism, this study examines conceptual and empirical linkages between institutional isomorphism and tourism performance in developing Pacific Island countries. To this end, data envelopment analysis is used to examine how coercive, normative, and mimetic conformity mechanisms are related to optimally efficient tourism performance models. The results provide useful insights for policymakers and development strategists at the macro level by identifying the tourism models that do, and do not, lead to such efficiency. At the micro level, the results can help tourism and hospitality operators move toward more judicious uses of resources in environments characterized by both constrained tourism development potential and constrained rationality. Finally, research on institutional isomorphism in tourism and hospitality is scarce, and thus this study advances an interesting theoretical lens for future research in this area.
Concept Mapping as a Methodology to Develop Insights on Cognition During Collaborative Information Seeking

The importance of collaborative information seeking (CIS) during team decision-making is starting to be examined within the human factors community. Without the ability to collaborate to seek and retrieve information, a team cannot make accurate decisions. One area of particular importance to CIS is individual and team cognition. Through previous research, we know that cognition is critical to the performance of many collaborative efforts. Yet, there has been little research on the relationship of cognition to CIS. Consequently, appropriate methods to use and how to use them have not been clearly identified. One useful approach to understanding cognition during CIS is to implement a concept mapping methodology. In this paper, we discuss concept mapping and utilize it in a laboratory study focused on understanding the role of cognition during CIS. Through analysis of CIS oriented individual and team concept maps, we gained insights into how people cognitively perceive CIS.
Immigration, Christian faith communities, and the practice of multiculturalism in the U.S. South

ABSTRACTRecent scholarship has declared multiculturalism to be in retreat, yet multiculturalist discourses and practices remain salient in many realms of social reproduction. This paper explores multiculturalism in predominantly white churches in the U.S. South, a region that has seen significant demographic transformations due to immigration. Church outreach to immigrants draws on theologies that reject racial prejudice and that call for the accommodation and celebration of cultural differences. Drawing on qualitative research with pastors and congregants, this article explores how multiculturalist practice is both re-working and reinforcing existing social relationships in Christian faith communities. Multiculturalist practices, we show, disrupt racialized hierarchies long embedded in white churches. But they simultaneously leave racialized distinctions and inequalities intact, in part by maintaining separation between immigrants and non-immigrants. This case illustrates the everyday politics of multicu...
The risk of developing a symptomatic inguinal hernia in children with an asymptomatic patent processus vaginalis.

Abstract Background Children with a symptomatic indirect inguinal hernia have a patent processus vaginalis (PPV). However, the reverse is unknown, as the natural history of PPV is unclear. Currently, there are little data regarding the incidence and time frame for developing a symptomatic hernia with a known asymptomatic PPV. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted in children who were evaluated for a PPV during nonhernia laparoscopic surgery by a single pediatric surgeon (GWH) from 2000 to 2014. Those patients with intraoperative findings of PPV were followed up by chart review and phone inquiry. Results 1548 children underwent a laparoscopic operation, with 308 having an asymptomatic PPV. Phone contact was successful in 125 (43%) of these patients at a median of 8.1years (range 4.8–12.7) after the initial laparoscopic operation. Nineteen (13%) patients returned with a symptomatic hernia at a median age of 17months (range: 5–74) and a median presentation of 9months (range: 1–66) after the initial laparoscopy. Ten hernia repairs were unilateral and 9 bilateral. None of those who were contacted via phone inquiry reported hernia symptoms or hernia repair. Conclusions These data suggest that the risk of developing a symptomatic hernia during childhood in the presence of a known PPV is relatively low. Level of evidence Level 3; type of study: retrospective study.
Comparison of the safety-related physical and combustion properties of liquid hydrogen and liquid natural gas in the context of the SF-BREEZE high-speed fuel-cell ferry

Abstract We review liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) as a maritime vessel fuel, from descriptions of its fundamental properties to its practical application and safety aspects, in the context of the San Francisco Bay Renewable Energy Electric Vessel with Zero Emissions (SF-BREEZE) high-speed fuel-cell ferry. Since marine regulations have been formulated to cover liquid natural gas (LNG) as a primary propulsion fuel, we frame our examination of LH 2 as a comparison to LNG, for both maritime use in general, and the SF-BREEZE in particular. Due to weaker attractions between molecules, LH 2 is colder than LNG, and evaporates more easily. We describe the consequences of these physical differences for the size and duration of spills of the two cryogenic fuels. The classical flammability ranges are reviewed, with a focus on how fuel buoyancy modifies these combustion limits. We examine the conditions for direct fuel explosion (detonation) and contrast them with initiation of normal (laminar) combustion. Direct fuel detonation is not a credible accident scenario for the SF-BREEZE. For both fuels, we review experiments and theory elucidating the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT). LH 2 fires have a shorter duration than energy-equivalent LNG fires, and produce significantly less thermal radiation. The thermal (infrared) radiation from hydrogen fires is also strongly absorbed by humidity in the air. Hydrogen permeability is not a leak issue for practical hydrogen plumbing. We describe the chemistry of hydrogen and methane at iron surfaces, clarifying their impact on steel-based hydrogen storage and transport materials. These physical, chemical and combustion properties are pulled together in a comparison of how a LH 2 or LNG pool fire on the Top Deck of the SF-BREEZE might influence the structural integrity of the aluminum deck. Neither pool fire scenario leads to net heating of the aluminum decking. Overall, LH 2 and LNG are very similar in their physical and combustion properties, thereby posing similar safety risks. For ships utilizing LH 2 or LNG, precautions are needed to avoid fuel leaks, minimize ignition sources, minimize confined spaces, provide ample ventilation for required confined spaces, and to monitor the enclosed spaces to ensure any fuel accumulation is detected far below the fuel/air mix threshold for any type of combustion.
Economic Effects of Apportionment Formula Changes: Results from a Panel of Corporate Income Tax Returns

Empirical studies of the economic effects of changes in state corporate income tax apportionment policies generally have used highly aggregated state-level data. This study uses individual firm-level data, from 1992 to 2002 State of Georgia corporate income tax returns, to evaluate economic development and revenue aspects of increasing the sales factor weight (and uniformly lowering weights on payroll and property) in state corporate income tax apportionment formulae. The authors find elasticities indicative of a substantial impact on local sales (-6.5 percent), payroll (2.0 percent), and property (2.1 percent) following a move to double-weighted sales. For the average firm, increases in Georgia payroll and property were $37,110 and $190,829, respectively, while the decrease in Georgia sales was $634,367. Using 1994 figures (the year prior to double-weighting), this amounts to statewide payroll and property increases of $0.6 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively, and a gross receipts decrease of approxim...
Interleukin-24 as a target cytokine of environmental aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist exposure in the lung

Exposure to environmental aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, such as halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has great impacts on the development of various lung diseases. As emerging molecular targets for AhR agonists, cytokines may contribute to the inflammatory or immunotoxic effects of environmental AhR agonists. However, general cytokine expression may not specifically indicate environmental AhR agonist exposure. By comparing cytokine and chemokine expression profiles in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line CL5 treated with AhR agonists and the non-AhR agonist polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 39, we identified a target cytokine of environmental AhR agonist exposure of in the lungs. Thirteen cytokine and chemokine genes were altered in the AhR agonists-treated cells, but none were altered in the PCB39-treated cells. Interleukin (IL)-24 was the most highly induced gene among AhR-modulated cytokines. Cotreatment with AhR antagonist completely prevented IL-24 induction by AhR agonists in the CL5 cells. Knockdown AhR expression with short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) significantly reduced benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-induced IL-24 mRNA levels. We further confirmed that gene transcription, but not mRNA stability, was involved in IL-24 upregulation by BaP. Particulate matter (PM) in the ambient air contains some PAHs and is reported to activate AhR. Oropharyngeal aspiration of PM significantly increased IL-24 levels in lung epithelia and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of mice 4weeks after treatment. Thus, our data suggests that IL-24 is a pulmonary exposure target cytokine of environmental AhR agonists.
Measuring Individuals' Spatial Access to Healthy Foods by Incorporating Mobility, Time, and Mode: Activity Space Measures

Spatial access to healthy foods has drawn growing attention regarding the relationship with people's health conditions and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Individuals' differences and the impact of travel behaviors on food accessibility, however, are rarely studied. This study incorporates mobility, time, and transportation mode components to measure each individual's access to healthy foods. We employed three activity space measures to estimate food accessibility: route network buffer, time-weighted standard deviational ellipse (SDE), and mode-weighted SDE. Food accessibility in three activity spaces shows similar variabilities. Geographic size and spatial access to healthy foods differ significantly by income and employment for all three activity space measures. People with higher incomes and those who are currently employed are likely to have larger activity spaces and higher food accessibility. As age increases, people tend to increase their size of activity spaces (in both SDE measures...
A Comparison of Relative Value Units in Primary Versus Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), revision cases are often technically more challenging, and require more operative time and aftercare than primary cases. These time and effort differences should therefore be appropriately compensated for when using the relative value unit (RVU) system. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the mean (1) RVUs; (2) operative times; and (3) RVU/min; and (4) perform an individualized idealized surgeon annual cost difference analysis for primary vs revision TKA. Methods Current Procedural Terminology code 27447 identified 165,439 primary TKA patients, while Current Procedural Terminology code 27487 identified 8081 revision TKA patients from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The mean RVUs, operative times, and RVU/min were calculated. Dollar amount per minute, per case, per day, and year were also calculated. Student's t-test, with a cut-off P-value of Results The mean RVUs for primary TKA was 22, while for revision TKA was 27 (P Conclusion Orthopedic surgeons are reimbursed at a higher rate per minute for primary cases compared to revision TKA (0.26 vs 0.22, P
Statistical inference of probabilistic origin-destination demand using day-to-day traffic data

Abstract Recent transportation network studies on uncertainty and reliability call for modeling the probabilistic O-D demand and probabilistic network flow. Making the best use of day-to-day traffic data collected over many years, this paper develops a novel theoretical framework for estimating the mean and variance/covariance matrix of O-D demand considering the day-to-day variation induced by travelers’ independent route choices. It also estimates the probability distributions of link/path flow and their travel cost where the variance stems from three sources, O-D demand, route choice and unknown errors. The framework estimates O-D demand mean and variance/covariance matrix iteratively, also known as iterative generalized least squares (IGLS) in statistics. Lasso regularization is employed to obtain sparse covariance matrix for better interpretation and computational efficiency. Though the probabilistic O-D estimation (ODE) works with a much larger solution space than the deterministic ODE, we show that its estimator for O-D demand mean is no worse than the best possible estimator by an error that reduces with the increase in sample size. The probabilistic ODE is examined on two small networks and two real-world large-scale networks. The solution converges quickly under the IGLS framework. In all those experiments, the results of the probabilistic ODE are compelling, satisfactory and computationally plausible. Lasso regularization on the covariance matrix estimation leans to underestimate most of variance/covariance entries. A proper Lasso penalty ensures a good trade-off between bias and variance of the estimation.
The relationship between eating disorders and substance use: Moving beyond co-prevalence research

The frequent comorbidity of eating disorders and substance use has been demonstrated consistently by research. Less is known about the basis of this relationship. A review of the literature indicates that the hypotheses proposed to clarify the etiological relationship between eating disorders and substance use have not been supported sufficiently or consistently by empirical evidence. General criticisms include: a lack of well developed models, a reliance on co-prevalence data, and a lack of integration of knowledge from eating disorder and substance use research. It is suggested that an understanding of the etiological relationship between eating disorders and substance use will be arrived at only after fundamental inquiries into the functional relationship between eating disorders symptomatology and substance use patterns have been conducted. A behavioral assessment approach is offered as a means of evaluating the functional relationship between eating disorder symptomatology and substance use.
A compilation of molecular genetic maps of cultivated plants

In chapters of this book, detailed discussions of mapping efforts for various crop species are described. Similar treatments have also been summarized in other publications (see: Phillips and Vasil 1994; Jauhar 1996; Heslop-Harrison 1996; Paterson 1996) but no comprehensive summary of DNA-based marker maps of crops has been produced. The purpose of this chapter was to fill this void by succinctly presenting DNA-based marker mapping information of a larger number of plant species recognized as having economic importance.
Vitamin D and fat

Publisher Summary Over the last few years, there has been great interest in delineating the physiological role of vitamin D in each of these functions and also its participation in the emergence of disorders such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. This chapter discusses the concerning the physiological relationship between vitamin D and fat metabolism and the consequences of vitamin D deficiency for energy metabolism. Clinical and experimental investigations have documented that increased calcium ingestion can have a significant effect on overall weight maintenance due to its critical role in adipose tissue metabolism. A hypercalcemic diet seems to act indirectly through the inhibition of 1,25(OH)2D synthesis. Evidence indicates that 1,25(OH)2D plays a direct role in the modulation of adipocyte intracellular ionized calcium ([Ca2+]) signaling, provoking both increased lipogenesis and decreased lipolysis. Furthermore, clinical studies have directly linked vitamin D deficiency to obesity and insulin resistance, suggesting in general that vitamin D is a protective agent against these epidemic disorders. Research studies have also indicated vitamin D to be a part of an integrative physiological process involving bone and adipose tissue as well as mineral and energetic metabolism in reciprocal control.
MECHANISM OF RADIATION DAMAGE TO GRAPHITE AT HIGH TEMPERATURES

The radiation-induced contraction of graphite which is observed at high irradiation temperatures is considered for a variety of types of graphitic material. Contraction is attributed to two separable processes. The first process is akin to low temperature irradiation damage and involves a slight expansion of the crystallites parallel to the c-axis and a corresponding contraction parallel to the a-axis. Because this type of damage is annealable, the amount of crystallite expansion and contraction is a function of the irradiation temperature and largely accounts for the temperature dependence in the radiation stability of graphite. The second process is non-annealable and seems to result from a graphitization-like phenomen on poorly graphitized regions of artificial graphite. The poorly graphitized regions appear, for the greater part, to originate in crystallite boundaries and particle boundaries (i.e. binder) in the graphite. The degree of anisotropy of the graphite largely determines the interaction of the annealable and non-annealable dimensional changes and hence controls the observed overall behavior of graphite under high temperature irradiation. Furthermore, the use of low final processing temperatures or poorly graphitizing filler or binder increases the amount of non-annealable contraction and decreases the stability of the graphite.
Electromagnetic Propagation across an Achiral/Chiral (Dispersive) Boundary Using Phasor Approach to Fresnel Coefficients

Electromagnetic propagation across an achiral/chiral interface has been studied to evaluate Fresnel coefficients and examine the propagation characteristics. Extending the problem to include dispersive chiral dielectrics and discrete components may lead to potential applications such as tunable superlenses (with imaging and vision implications) and also devices including chiral Fabry-Perot etalons.
Evidence for dehydration-modulated small-scale convection in the oceanic upper mantle from seafloor bathymetry and Rayleigh wave phase velocity

Abstract It is well established that the evolution of oceanic lithosphere departs from the predictions of the half-space cooling model (HSC). Understanding the magnitude, spatial distribution and physical origin of this departure is fundamental to our understanding of plate tectonics and the Earth's thermal evolution. Here we analyze Rayleigh wave phase velocities and seafloor topography separately along spreading-history trajectories, which track each piece of seafloor since its formation at the mid-ocean ridge, in the Pacific and the Atlantic basins. We identify the age along each trajectory at which HSC fails to satisfy the observations. Bathymetry and seismic velocity yield consistent results on whether or not HSC gives a statistically better fit to the observations than the plate cooling model at 80% of the locations we examine. Locations of HSC failure identified by velocity but not topography overlap with SS precursor detections in the Pacific, suggesting partial melting at these places. For the locations where the two data sets agree, in the Atlantic the probability of HSC failure is correlated with the axial depth of the present-day ridge. Along trajectories for which the present-day ridge is shallow (deep), HSC failure occurs later (earlier). A similar dependence in the Pacific is difficult to observe since both ridge depth and HSC failure age vary little. We show that the patterns of HSC failure are best explained by small-scale convection in the oceanic upper mantle for which the onset time is governed by rheological stratification created by partial melting at the ridge.
Evaluation of the Flywheel Drive Concept for Passenger Vehicles

A flywheel to manage energy between a prime mover and a load has been used in many engineering applications. Automotive applications, however, pose a number of difficult problems which can be overcome only with proper design. Substantial mileage and performance improvements while meeting emission constraints can then be accomplished with the concept. An experimental flywheel car has been designed and built at the University of Wisconsin that has demonstrated a mileage improvement of about 50% over a corresponding production vehicle on the EPA/FUDC. With continued research and development gains of 100% appear feasible.
Percutaneous Delivery of Antihypertensive Agents: Advances and Challenges

Hypertension remains a significant risk factor for several cardiovascular disorders including coronary artery disease and heart failure. Despite the large armamentarium of drugs available for the management of high blood pressure, low oral availability is an ongoing challenge. Researchers are constantly developing alternative drug delivery systems. This review focuses on the transcutaneous delivery of antihypertensive agents. The use of diverse technologies for the delivery of specific antihypertensive agents is emphasized. The advances made and the challenges encountered are highlighted. Several transdermal drug delivery strategies are employed for the transport of this group of therapeutic agents across the skin and the most widely used techniques include microneedles, iontophoresis, sonophoresis, and chemical penetration enhancers. Each of these methods has benefits and limitations, and there are ongoing attempts by scientists to address the shortcomings. For instance, skin irritation continues to be a major challenge with iontophoretic transport while the quantity of a medication that can be incorporated into dissolving microneedles is limited. With skin permeation enhancers, concerns relating to cytotoxicity and irritation are common. Even though the use of ultrasound is exciting, this mode of delivery is also accompanied by challenges such as the design of a battery system that is potent enough to drive a low-frequency sonophoretic cymbal array, while still being portable enough to function as a wearable device. Although most researchers report enhanced drug delivery with the aforementioned methods, it is important to deliver therapeutically useful doses of these medications.
Cross-Cultural Research on Vocational Interests.

The data available suggest that at least some interest inventories, developed on White U.S. normative samples, are sufficiently valid for international and cross-ethnic use and that the world of wo...
Pulmonary Hypertension in Chronic Kidney Disease

An elevated pulmonary pressure (PASP >35 mm Hg) is a highly prevalent finding in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) – approaching over 30% of patients with CKD in some studies. This is often first detected on an echocardiogram, which is a very common test performed in patients with kidney failure, as the volume overload consistent with CKD can often be confused for congestive heart failure at times. In addition, some national guidelines have recommended a screening echocardiogram at the start of dialysis to rule out possible cardiac contribution to poor kidney function. Often, the high pulmonary pressure is a reflection of chronic volume overload and diastolic dysfunction (WHO group 2 pulmonary HTN), but patients with chronic kidney disease may have other unique factors that make them more susceptible to pulmonary hypertension, including elevated levels of endothelin, decreased levels of nitric oxide, metabolic abnormalities of calcium handling, anemia, and high-flow states associated with an AV fistula. Whether as a marker of underlying disease or as a contributing factor, significant pulmonary hypertension has been associated with worse outcomes in patients with CKD as well as kidney transplant recipients. An invasive hemodynamic study can be used to further classify pulmonary hypertension into sub-groups and help generate targets for optimal treatment. Further work is needed to determine whether some of the advances in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension can help improve clinical outcomes in this challenging group of patients.
A novel approach of methane dehydroaromatization using group VIB metals (Cr, Mo, W) supported on sulfated zirconia

Methane dehydroaromatization (MDHA) is a direct activation approach to covert methane to value-added chemicals in a single step. This requires no intermediate step, making it a commercially economic approach. Mo supported on HZSM-5/MCM-22 is a well-studied catalyst for this reaction, where Mo sites are responsible for activating methane to C2Hy dimers, which can oligomerize on HZSM-5 Bronsted acid sites to produce aromatics. Challenges for these bifunctional catalysts involve rapid coking and low product yield. In this study, a novel catalytic approach is introduced using group VIB metals (Cr, Mo, W) supported on sulfated zirconia (SZ) solid acid. It is believed that the Bronsted acidity of SZ should help to convert the dimers generated from metal sites to ethylene and aromatics like benzene. Here, fresh Mo, W and Cr were doped into SZ and characterized using pyridine DRIFTS, ammonia TPD, BET and SEM-EDS.. Catalytic activity for MDHA was ranked as Mo>W>Cr. Mo/SZ showed greater selectivity towards ethylene and benzene, followed by W/SZ, which was selective primarily towards ethylene. Cr/SZ showed the least activity under similar reaction conditions, producing only a small amount of ethylene. Higher catalytic activity for Mo/SZ was possibly due to reduced Mo oxide sites, found from XANES analysis, as well as higher acidity, observed from TPD. Deactivation was mainly due to coking, observed from subsequent TPO analysis. Further investigation is necessary to enhance the activity of this novel catalytic approach before considering for potential industrial applications.
Staging Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Procedures Within 90 Days Increases Costs in Bundled Payment Programs

Abstract Background Under current Medicare bundled payment programs, when a patient undergoes a subsequent elective procedure within the 90-day episode-of-care, the first procedure is excluded from the bundle and a new episode-of-care initiated. The purpose of this study was to determine if staging bilateral total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures within 90 days have an effect on bundled episode-of-care costs. Methods We reviewed a consecutive series of Medicare patients undergoing staged primary THA and TKA from 2015-2019. Patients who underwent a prior procedure within 90 days were compared to those who had undergone a procedure 90-120 days prior. We then performed a multivariate analysis to identify the independent effect of staging timeframe on costs and outcomes. Results Of the 136 patients undergoing a staged bilateral THA or TKA, 48 patients underwent staged procedures within 90 days (35%) and 88 patients between 91-120 days (65%). There were no significant differences observed for demographics, comorbidities, complications, readmissions, or discharge disposition (all P > .05). Patients undergoing a staged procedure within 90 days had increased episode-of-care costs by $2021 (95% CI $11-$4032, P = .049), increased postacute care costs by $2019 (95% CI $66-$3971, P Discussion Patients undergoing staged bilateral THA or TKA within 90 days have increased episode-of-care costs compared to those undergoing a staged procedure from 91-120 days. Since patients may still not be fully recovered from the first procedure, CMS should address the inappropriate allocation of costs to ensure institutions are not penalized.
Population pharmacokinetic model with time‐varying clearance for lorlatinib using pooled data from patients with non‐small cell lung cancer and healthy participants

Lorlatinib, a selective inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and c-ROS oncogene 1 (ROS1) tyrosine kinase, is indicated for the treatment of ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following progression on crizotinib and at least one other ALK inhibitor, or alectinib/ceritinib as the first ALK inhibitor therapy for metastatic disease. The population pharmacokinetics (PopPK) of lorlatinib was conducted by nonlinear mixed effects modeling of data from 330 patients with ALK-positive or ROS1-positive NSCLC and 95 healthy participants from six phase I studies in healthy volunteers; demographic, metabolizer phenotype, and patient prognostic factors were evaluated as covariates. Lorlatinib plasma PK was well-characterized by a two-compartment model with sequential zero-order and first-order absorption and a time-varying induction of clearance. Single dose clearance was estimated to be 9.04 L/h. Assuming that the metabolic auto-induction of lorlatinib reaches saturation in ~ 5 half-lives, clearance was estimated to approach a maximum of 14.5 L/h at steady-state after a period of ~ 7.25 days. The volume of distribution of the central compartment was estimated to be 121 L and the first-order absorption rate constant was estimated to be 3.1 h-1 . Baseline albumin and lorlatinib total daily dose were significant covariates on lorlatinib clearance. Use of proton pump inhibitors was found to be a significant covariate on the lorlatinib absorption rate constant. These factors were assessed to have no clinically meaningful impact on lorlatinib plasma exposure, and no dose adjustments are considered necessary based on the examined covariates.
Clinical Comparison of Two Confrontation Naming Measures in Spanish-Speaking People with Epilepsy.

Objective: Research on the lateralizing value of neuropsychological tests is limited among Latino people with epilepsy (PWE). This study aims to evaluate the utility of two confrontation naming measures in laterality determination. Method: Data were collected from 71 Latino PWE who completed the Vocabulario Sobre Dibujos (VSD) and the Ponton-Satz Modified Boston Naming Test (MBNT). Raw and standardized scores were examined to determine diagnostic accuracy for predicting left hemisphere (LH) epilepsy for the full sample and using a sample-specific median split of educational attainment. Results: The MBNT demonstrated adequate classification accuracy (65.7%, 77.1%) as did the VSD (54.3%, 74.3%) for predicting LH seizure laterality using raw and standardized scores, respectively. For participants with ≥ 9 years of education (HEdu), receiver operator characteristic curve analyses showed a raw/percentile cutoff of ≤ 26/≤ 5th on the VSD, yielding 53%–58% sensitivity/87%–83% specificity. A raw score cutoff of ≤ 17 on MBNT produced 47% sensitivity/78% specificity for HEdu participants. Conclusions: The VSD was found to have greater flexibility in determining cutoff scores using either raw or standardized scores for predicting seizure laterality. This study provides interpretation guidance, emphasizing education as a pertinent variable, to optimize lateralization accuracy for Latino PWE.
Extracorporeal photopheresis and its role in heart transplant rejection: prophylaxis and treatment

Heart transplantation is the gold standard therapeutic option for select patients with end-stage heart failure. Unfortunately, successful long-term outcomes of heart transplantation can be hindered by immune-mediated rejection of the cardiac allograft, specifically acute cellular rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Extracorporeal photopheresis is a cellular immunotherapy that involves the collection and treatment of white blood cells contained in the buffy coat with a photoactive psoralen compound, 8-methoxy psoralen, and subsequent irradiation with ultraviolet A light. This process is thought to cause DNA and RNA crosslinking, ultimately leading to cell destruction. The true mechanism of therapeutic action remains unknown. In the last three decades, extracorporeal photopheresis has shown promising results and is indicated for a variety of conditions. The American Society for Apheresis currently recommends the use of extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, scleroderma, psoriasis, pemphigus vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, graft-versus-host disease, Crohn's disease, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, and solid organ rejection in heart, lung, and liver transplantation. In this review, we aim to explore the proposed effects of extracorporeal photopheresis and to summarize published data on its use as a prophylactic and therapy in heart transplant rejection.
Use of motion capture-coupled ultrasound sensors to determine scapular position

Ultrasonic imaging is a safe, established, and non-invasive method to visualise the locations of structures within the body. Coupling existing skin mounted motion capture markers to ultrasound sens...
Users’ Perception Of Training Approaches For Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (Adas):

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) provide safety and comfort while driving. However, to effectively use ADAS, it is necessary for users to have proper knowledge of the systems and to trust ...
Active Control Experiments and Structural Testing

As in all other new technological innovations, experimental verification constitutes a crucial element in the maturing process as active structural control progresses from conceptualization to actual implementation. Experimental studies are particularly important in this area since hardware requirements for the fabrication of a feasible active control system for structural applications are in many ways unique. As an example, control of civil engineering structures requires the ability on the part of the control device to generate large control forces with high velocities and fast reaction times. Experimentation on various designs of possible control devices is thus necessary to assess the implementability of theoretical results in the laboratory and in the field.
Do Anti-Ticket Scalping Laws Make a Difference Online? Evidence from Internet Sales of Nfl Tickets

This paper investigates the relationship between state level anti-ticket scalping laws and online ticket scalping by examining transactions for National Football League tickets completed on eBay between 2002 and 2005. Despite limited enforcement of regulations in online marketplaces, the evidence suggests that ticket resale regulations do affect the structure of trade online. Stricter regulations were associated with fewer online transactions, a greater frequency of transactions that crossed state borders, as well as higher prices and markups in the secondary market. The evidence suggests that regulations may create significant opportunities for ticket scalpers to capture rents, and these opportunities seemed to be greatest in states that require resellers to be licensed. Over the time period studied, prices and quantities observed in states strictly prohibiting resale above face value became more similar to those observed in unregulated states. These observations are consistent with the idea that market participants updated their beliefs over time about the probability that scalping laws would be enforced online.
Activated chemisorption of methane and tunneling: a second look: Reply to a comment by B.D. Kay and M.E. Coltrin

Abstract Previous expressions for the sticking coefficient in chemisorption by tunneling of translationally hot molecules through a parabolic barrier are all approximations, valid only over a restricted temperature range. A new, more generally applicable relation is derived, and then used to compare expectations based on tunneling with the measured rates for chemisorption of CH4 and CD4 on W(211). It is shown that the experiments are not in agreement with the tunneling model. The opposite conclusion reached by Kay and Coltrin stems from deficiencies in data analysis.
The Heterogeneous Multiscale Methods with Application to Combustion

The framework of the heterogeneous multiscale methods (HMM) is briefly reviewed. Both the original HMM and the seamless HMM are discussed. Applications to interface capturing and flame front tracking are presented.
Early elective surgical exploration of spontaneous intracerebral hematomas of unknown origin: Clinical article

Object The management of non–life threatening spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage with no obvious medical etiology in patients and the lack of findings on images has not been clearly defined. In general, the current practice is to treat these patients conservatively and repeat studies to rule out a treatable cause 6 weeks to 3 months later; more often than not these repeated studies fail to reveal any findings, and the patient is treated conservatively. For years, the senior author (R.C.H.) has treated these patients with early surgical exploration. This study was undertaken prospectively to ascertain the frequency of positive findings during surgical exploration. Methods Between 2000 and 2007, the authors prospectively collected data from 9 cases (4 cerebellar, 4 lobar, and 1 caudate head) of unexplained intraparenchymal hemorrhages. The patient age ranged from 18 to 45 years (mean 31.2 years). All patients were normotensive, had no underlying medical problems explaining such a hemorrhage, and failed...
CHAMP gravity field solutions and geophysical constraint studies

We report results on the use of CHAMP observations for Earth's mean and time-varying gravity field solutions and the associated geophysical interpretation. 1.5 years of CHAMP data from May 2001 through February 2003 are used for monthly gravity solutions as well as a mean solution based on 6 months of data, employing the energy conservation principle and an efficient conjugate gradient inversion technique. The mean CHAMP gravity field model, OSU03a, is evaluated using other gravity fields model and various data including GPS leveling and Arctic 5′×5′ gravity anomalies. It is shown that OSU03a agrees well with EIGEN2 (CHAMP) model, and both models exhibit improvement over the polar regions. The estimated 3×3 CHAMP time-varying gravity field model, with the exception of J3 and 2nd order tesseral coefficients, are compared with available solutions using satellite laser ranging (SLR) for the semi-annual and annual components. It is shown that CHAMP temporal gravity solution agrees well with the SLR solutions as well as various geophysical fluid models, including atmosphere, hydrology, and ocean. The correlation coefficients between CHAMP and SLR solutions are 0.6∼0.8, with RMS at 0.7∼0.8 mm.
Investigation of miR-21, miR-141, and miR-221 expression levels in prostate adenocarcinoma for associated risk of recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate a broad array of cellular and disease processes. Several miRNAs are differentially expressed in cancer and many are being considered as biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes. Here we quantified the expression of three miRNAs, miR-21, miR-141, and miR-221, from prostate cancer surgical specimens and evaluated their association with disease recurrence after primary therapy. METHODS A pilot nested case-control study was designed from a large cohort of men who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1993 and 2001. Total RNA was extracted from malignant prostate tissue of 59 cases (recurrence) and 59 controls. Cases and controls were matched on age, race, pathologic stage, and grade. The relative expression of each miRNA was then determined for each sample by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of recurrence for tertiles of miRNA expression. We noted block storage time effects and thus, used separate tertile cutpoints based on the controls by calendar year of prostatectomy. RESULTS Lower miR-221 expression was associated with a higher risk of recurrence; the ORs were 3.21 for the lowest tertile and 2.63 for the middle tertile compared with the highest tertile of expression (P-trend = 0.02). This pattern was unchanged after multivariable adjustment (P-trend = 0.05). No statistically significant trends were observed for miR-21 or miR-141 after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS Based on this small pilot study, men with localized prostate cancers with lower miR-221 expression may have a greater risk for recurrence after surgery. Prostate 74: 1655–1662, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: The Owner's Manual to Life, Health, and Self.

Abstract In this article, the author reviews Trans Bodies, Trans Selves as an educational and clinical resource from the perspective of an academic physician working with transgender and gender non-conforming patients.
Engineering evidence for carbon monoxide toxicity cases

Unintentional carbon monoxide poisonings and fatalities lead to many toxicity cases. Given the unusual physical properties of carbon monoxide—in that the gas is odorless and invisible—unorganized and erroneous methods in obtaining engineering evidence as required during the discovery process often occurs. Such evidence gathering spans domains that include building construction, appliance installation, industrial hygiene, mechanical engineering, combustion and physics. In this paper, we attempt to place a systematic framework that is relevant to key aspects in engineering evidence gathering for unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning cases. Such a framework aims to increase awareness of this process and relevant issues to help guide legal counsel and expert witnesses.