cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Fluoro-Anhydride Curing Agent for Heavily Fluorinated Epoxy Resins

The cure of epoxy resins is commonly accomplished with amine or anhydride curing agents. The synthesis of suitable curing agents for fluorinated epoxy resins has been a problem since the fluorine contents in excess of 50% by weight are compromised by the curing agent unless it also contains fluorine. Fluoro-amines have several unfavorable characteristics including poor shelf life, poor color stability and unagressive cure function. Consequently, a new anhydride, 4-(2-hydroxy-hexafluoro-2-propyl) phthalic anhydride, has been synthesized. It is a colorless compound which is easily obtained as a supercooled liquid, is readily compatible with epoxy resins of the highest fluorine contents and which reacts readily to yield strong plastics of high fluorine content.
Differences in Fe(III) reduction in the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrobaculum islandicum, versus mesophilic Fe(III)-reducing bacteria

The discovery that all hyperthermophiles that have been evaluated have the capacity to reduce Fe(III) has raised the question of whether mechanisms for dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction have been conserved throughout microbial evolution. Many studies have suggested that c-type cytochromes are integral components in electron transport to Fe(III) in mesophilic dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms. However, Pyrobaculum islandicum, the hyperthermophile in which Fe(III) reduction has been most intensively studied, did not contain c-type cytochromes. NADPH was a better electron donor for the Fe(III) reductase activity in P. islandicum than NADH. This is the opposite of what has been observed with mesophiles. Thus, if previous models for dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction by mesophilic bacteria are correct, then it is unlikely that a single strategy for electron transport to Fe(III) is present in all dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms.
Exposure of blood from patients with sickle cell disease to air changes the morphological, oxygen-binding, and sickling properties of sickled erythrocytes.

We collected venous blood samples from 7 steady-state patients with homozygous sickle cell disease under venous oxygen pressure without exposure to air (UnExp-blood) and compared the morphological, oxygen-binding, and sickling properties with those of SS cells in aliquots of the same venous blood samples that were oxygenated in room air or at a PO2 near 180 mmHg (Exp-blood). Results showed that (1) upon deoxygenation under nitrogen, UnExp-blood generated a significantly higher percentage of elongated reversibly sickled cells (RSCs) than did Exp-blood; (2) upon gradual oxygenation of completely deoxygenated sickled cells, RSCs in UnExp-blood converted to discocytes at a higher oxygen pressure than did those in Exp-blood; (3) the degree of hysteresis between the sickling/desickling curves of UnExp-blood was greater than that of Exp-blood; and (4) deoxy-Hb S in hemolysate prepared from SS cells in UnExp-blood polymerized without a delay time, while those from Exp-blood polymerized with a distinct delay time. The in vivo properties of RSCs significantly changed upon oxygenation. We also found that the various properties of blood samples collected from patients with SCD by the ordinary method were similar to those of Exp-blood, probably because such blood samples are exposed to oxygen through air in the needle, syringe, and Vacutainer. Once SS cells were oxygenated, the in vivo properties of RSCs could not be recovered by partial deoxygenation to venous oxygen pressure. Am. J. Hematol. 81:26–35, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Plasma Prolactin in Acromegaly before and after Treatment

Plasma human prolactin (hPRL) was measured in 73 untreated acromegalic patients and was found to be elevated in 32‰ of the total population. Hyperprolactinemia was present in 40‰ of the females and in 27‰ of the male patients. In both groups, plasma hPRL correlated with plasma human growth hormone (hGH) levels with correlation coefficients of 0.38 (P < 0.05) for females and 0.41 (P < 0.005) for males. Fortyfive patients were treated with conventional supervoltage pituitary irradiation and evaluated 2, 5, and 10 yr after treatment. The patients with hyperprolactinemia before irradiation showed a decrease in plasma hPRL at the most recent follow-up (mean ± SEM, 125 ± 34 vs. 67 ± 15 ng⁄ml; P < 0.01), although, in general, they did not achieve normal values. The patients who had normal plasma hPRL before irradiation (mean ± SEM, 14 ± 2 ng⁄ml) had increased levels after therapy (23 ± 3 ng⁄ml; P < 0.005) but remained in the normal range during long term follow-up. In 10 patients followed for 1-10 yr without tre...
Revisiting angioplasty without stenting for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis after the stenting and aggressive medical management for preventing recurrent stroke in intracranial stenosis (SAMMPRIS) study.

BACKGROUND The Stenting and Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) study stopped recruiting patients because of higher-than-expected perioperative morbidity of primary stenting in patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. An alternative treatment, submaximal angioplasty without stenting, performed concurrently with SAMMPRIS, may offer revascularization benefits with a lower incidence of stenting-related risks. OBJECTIVE To present the results of a consecutive case series of primary submaximal angioplasty procedures performed for symptomatic severe atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis refractory to medical treatment. METHODS A database review identified primary submaximal angioplasty procedures performed in 41 patients for the treatment of >70% intracranial stenosis associated with an acute, symptomatic ischemic event in the distribution of the diseased vessel. For results analysis, 30-day events were reported as a percentage of patients treated. One-year periprocedural and ischemic event--free survival was reported as a percentage of all patients treated and displayed graphically with a Kaplan-Meier survival curve. RESULTS Three events in 41 patients included 1 intraprocedural vessel perforation, 1 reperfusion hemorrhage < 24 hours postoperatively, and 1 transient ischemic attack 3 months postprocedurally (30-day event rate, 2 of 41, 4.9%). Median clinical follow-up duration after submaximal angioplasty was 19 months, with ≥ 1 year of follow-up available for 32 patients. One-year perioperative and ischemic event-free survival was high (29 of 32 patients, 91%). CONCLUSION In this series, periprocedural safety of submaximal angioplasty in the setting of acute, symptomatic atherosclerotic intracranial stenosis was demonstrated. Although direct comparison is impossible because many patients were ineligible for stenting procedures, the complication profile compares favorably with rates of identically defined event-free survival for patients randomized to the medical (88%) and surgical (77%) arms of SAMMPRIS despite the absence of aggressive medical management.
De novo kaposi's sarcoma in renal transplantation. Case report and brief review

This report describes a de novo development of Kaposi's sarcoma in a Puerto-Rician man 9 months after a cadaveric renal transplant. Progression of the disease was observed despite local irradiation, while the patient remained immunosuppressed with prednisone and azathioprine. This was accompanied by depressed immunologic tests. Discontinuation of azathioprine and addition of chemotherapy (bleomycin and vincristine), while continuing prednisone to maintain functional survival of renal allograft, has led in this patient to regression of extensive cutaneous and suspected pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma lesions. The possible importance of a depressed immunosurveillance mechanism and activation of latent oncogenic virus by the presence of an allograft in the de novo appearance of Kaposi's sarcoma in transplant recipients is briefly discussed.
Binding of bovine papillomavirus E1 to the origin is not sufficient for DNA replication.

Abstract Replication of the bovine papillomavirus (BPV-1) DNA requires both the viral E1 and E2 gene products. The minimal origin of replication, which resides in a 60-basepair fragment centered on the unique Hpal site of the BPV-1 genome, can be bound by the E1 protein and is flanked by E2 binding sites. The integrity of the region surrounding the unique Hpal restriction enzyme site is important for E1 binding and DNA replication, but the E2 binding sites are not required. The ability of E1 to complex with E2 and the requirement for both factors in DNA replication have led to the hypothesis that the E1/E2 complex may have a direct role in replication. Therefore we have studied mutations in the BPV-1 origin region for E1, E2, and E1/E2 complex binding and for their effect on transformation and replication in the context of the complete viral genome. Transformation and DNA replication were observed with some mutated vital genomes dramatically reduced for E1 binding. These mutated origins could bind significant amounts of E1 in the presence of E2, suggesting that binding of the E1/E2 complex could compensate for the loss of E1 binding in DNA replication. One mutation, with an eight-nucleotide insertion at the Hpa l site, was still bound by E1 and the E1/E2 complex, yet did not replicate or transform efficiently. Thus although the binding of E1 or the E1/E2 complex to the origin appears to be necessary for replication, it is not sufficient.
Learning Civic Identity Outside of the Classroom: Diversity and Campus Associational Life

Cultivating an inclusive definition of citizenship is increasingly important to the maintenance of America's multicultural democracy. Yet, current college-level civic education and diversity interventions are incapable of fully addressing this problem. Hence, this comprehensive review of the literature on diversity and higher education suggests that political scientists—who are most likely to understand the pressing nature of this concern, as well as the role well-designed associational life might play in resolving it—address students' civic needs by renewing our interest in the on-campus equivalent of civil society. The article concludes with a recommendation for more empirical work to assess which specific features and activities of campus groups provide the most beneficial impact on students' civic identities.
Novel approaches to fracture healing.

The fractures that occur as a result of trauma frequently require multiple stage surgical procedures to achieve adequate union. Bone grafting with autogenous cancellous or cortico cancellous bone grafts is the traditional method used to repair bone defects. Most fractures will heal using this traditional procedure, however a number of fractures, up to 10% of the cases in United States alone, will result in delayed or impaired healing. Novel approaches are currently being investigated for the augmentation and acceleration of fracture healing. Some of these approaches include the use of biodegradable matrices; cell based approaches supplemented with osteogenic factors and genetic therapy. Cell based approaches for fracture healing have roused intense interest because of the great advance in the isolation and expansion of cells from the marrow that have the ability to differentiate into various types of cells including osteoblasts. In addition, the discovery and cloning of several proteins (bone morphogeneti...
PREVENTION IN DENTISTRY AS VIEWED BY A DENTAL HEALTH EDUCATOR

A dental health educator, with considerable experience in her attempts to promote improved oral health behavior, takes a hard look at the programs designed to teach continuing removal of dental plaque to school children.
How to identify patients with a poor prognosis in daily clinical practice

Predicting poor outcomes in daily practice is challenging. As well as prior episodes of low back pain and pain intensity, various psychosocial risk factors have been identified, although the independent prognostic value of these is rather low. This supports the necessity for a multidimensional view of the transition from acute to chronic pain and/or the development of disability. Psychological distress has been found to increase the risk of such a transition. Patients' beliefs and expectations about their pain seem to influence the recovery process; pain-related fear and fear avoidance can be influential psychological variables, from pain inception to its chronic stage. The influence of occupational factors such as job satisfaction, low workplace support or physical workload has also been emphasized. Treatment provider factors and the relationship between patients and care providers also contribute to the realistic or unrealistic expectations and meaningful or acceptable outcomes.
Reducing Product Energy Consumption With Leasing

Consumer demand and government regulation have led to increasing energy efficiency among consumer products to reduce environmental impacts. Continual improvement of the use-phase energy consumption results in points where it is environmentally beneficial for the product to be replaced with the newest model. Life cycle optimization is used to determine the product life spans that minimize energy consumption. Unfortunately, optimal life spans are found to be significantly shorter than current replacement periods and consumer behavior. This paper introduces the concept of using leasing as a tool for manufacturers to regulate product life spans as well as provide frequent maintenance and upgrades to improve product performance. Leasing offers flexibility that can be used to control product flow with varying replacement intervals necessary to make manufacturing optimal. Because ownership is maintained by manufacturers who are responsible for the product at its end-of-life, remanufacturing becomes an appealing alternative to landfilling, and offers additional energy savings by avoiding significant manufacturing processes. When remanufacturing is combined with optimal life cycles, significant long-term energy savings can be realized. In this paper we reveal some basic trends that could lead to a larger, more detailed study of product replacement and efficiency gains with respect to leasing. Refrigerators, dish washers, clothes washers, and vehicles are used as case studies.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Transnationalism and Migrants' Imaginings of Citizenship

Recent academic debates on transnationalism, immigration, and citizenship have largely ignored migrants' perspectives on citizenship. On the basis of ethnographic research in Germany and the United States between 1998 and 2001, we examine the values and meanings contemporary migrants assign to national citizenship and their citizenship practices. We argue that dominant discourses of liberal democratic citizenship and migrants' situated subject positions condition and mediate in complex ways their imaginings and practices of citizenship. We discuss how and why migrants' perspectives conform in significant ways across these two countries, while also varying among migrants. National citizenship remains meaningful in their struggle for mobility across borders, for equal protection under the law, and for equal access to social and political rights. However, migrants are also aware of the discrepancy between promises of equity and fairness associated with liberal democratic citizenship and the reality in which ...
Toxicity of a coal liquefaction product to aquatic organisms

As coal liquefaction processes approach commercialization in the United States, there is a growing need for information on their potential environmental impacts. Past oil spill experiences will not be adequate for predicting the effects of coal-derived oils, because the latter are chemically quite different from petroleum products. Using acute bioassay tests, a representative coal liquefaction product was compared with a petroluem-derived residual fuel oil and a diesel fuel, materials whose ecological effects have been documented following actual spills over the past 15 years. The acute toxicity of water soluble fractions (WSFs) of the three oils to two freshwater algae and one freshwater crustacean was determined. The WSFs were tested instead of the whole oils because (a) the water soluble components of an oil are responsible for most of its acute toxicity; and (b) while spilled oil can be contained and often recovered, the water with which it comes in contact will affect a larger area and for a longer time.
Estimation of errors in eigenvectors and eigenvalues from magnetic resonance results by use of linear data-fitting techniques

Abstract A technique for estimating errors in eigenvectors and eigenvalues resulting from magnetic resonance data is described. The procedure employs an error-propagation approach which permits use of linear data-fitting techniques. Also presented is a procedure for a simultaneous three-plane fit using the linear techniques.
Cerebral processing of spatial and verbal-analytic tasks: An EEG study

Abstract Cerebral processing was investigated as a function of cognitive task and spatial ability. EEGs were recorded while 38 subjects, ages 16–18, performed four tasks. The production requirement of the tasks varied along a spatial-analytic continuum while the perceptual requirement was held constant for three of the tasks and was nil for the fourth. Task related alpha power ratio differences were observed, supporting the hypothesis that hemispheric processing is a function of the task processing demands and not just related to the perceptual requirements.
Iron Oxyfluorides as High Capacity Cathode Materials for Lithium Batteries

Nanostructure iron oxyfluoride compounds of tunable oxygen content were fabricated by a solution process utilizing iron metal and fluorosilicic acid solutions as precursors. Simple adjustment of the synthesis atmosphere, temperature, and time enabled the fabrication of iron oxyfluoride materials with compositions spanning over the entire range from pure FeF 2 to FeOF. Nanocomposites were fabricated from iron oxyfluorides of various oxygen content and activated carbon in order, for the first time, to evaluate the impact of oxygen on the iron fluoride electrochemical performance. The introduction of oxygen proved beneficial to cycling stability but at the expense of reversible capacity. A combination of electrochemical and structural characterization analyses was performed to identify the iron oxyfluoride reaction mechanism.
Witt's Theorem for Quadratic Forms over 2-adic Local Rings.

Let R be a complete discrete valuation ring such that R/2R is a perfect field. Let L be a finitely generated R-lattice, and B :L x L~R a nondegenerate symmetric bilinear form. Write B (x, y) --x y. Given sublattices M and N of L, and an isometry z: M ~ N defined on M, we will find necessary and sufficient conditions for z to extend to L, i.e., there exists ~o ~ O (L) such that (pfM = z. Our proof generalizes the method used in [3] to prove the corresponding theorems of Rosenzweig [5] and Band [2] for forms over non-dyadic local rings. As in [5] we can use an argument of Siegel [8] to remove the restriction that R be complete. Given vectors x and y of L, Trojan [-9] has found necessary and sufficient conditions for there to exist an isometry ~o e O (L) such that cp (x) = y. We will assume Trojan's result. Using the method of this paper one can prove Trojan's theorem independently of O'Meara's 2-adic classification theorem ([7] p. 267). We will also use a general Witt's theorem proved by Kneser for arbitrary local rings [6]. When applied to 2-adic local rings, Lcan be arbitrary, but M and N are restricted. To explain our method we introduce the following terminology.
The Use of Micro-CT with Image Segmentation to Quantify Leakage in Dental Restorations

Objective To develop a method for quantifying leakage in composite resin restorations after curing, using non-destructive X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and image segmentation.
On the Nature of Belief

mon features, while overlooking a perceived difference; (4) potential for analogizing, largely undeveloped in the absence of language; (5) intuitive grasping or perceiving of relationships that would, if expressed in language, constitute propositions; and (6) the ability to act on these perceptions in the definition and pursuit of goals. .... An additional prerequisite . . .. is a system of manipulable signs capable of representing categories of thing (including self and other) and categories of feeling, quality, act, and relationship. [p. 599]
Secondary materials and international trade: A comment on the domestic market

Abstract Concentrating on wastepaper, Grace et al. [J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 5, 172–186 (1978)] have argued that international trade in secondary materials can effectively help to stabilize their prices. In their modeling, however, they erroneously assume that pulp sets the upper bound for the price of wastepaper. This paper presents evidence to the contrary. Pulp contracts are typically long term, so wastepaper is frequently an input of last resort. The wastepaper price can therefore easily exceed the price pulp when output demand is high. A geometric model is presented to formalize this explanation, and it is argued from there that the increased stability offered by trade is more significant than suggested by Grace et al.
A twin study of intelligence in Russia.

Twin data from prewar Russia show the same effect of family environment on intelligence as in contemporary America.
The conversion of guanine to hypoxanthine in rat-liver extracts

Abstract Crude dialyzed homogenates of rat liver convert [14C]guanine to hypoxanthine. This conversion is stimulated by the addition of ATP, ribose-5-phosphate, and DPN.H. The data presented are consistent with the idea that the reductive deamination takes place at the nucleotide level and by a pathway not involving opening of the purine ring.
Marshack's Critique of THE ROOTS OF CIVILIZATION and of Its Review by Arden R. King

Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. 1973-74 The Silent Complicity at Watergate. The American Scholar 43(1):21-37. Stein, Howard F., and Robert F. Hill 1973 The New Ethnicity and the White Ethnic: The Psycho-Cultural Dynamics of Ethnic Irredentism. The Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism 1(1):81-105. Suttles, Gerald 1968 The Social Order of the Slum: Ethnicity and Territory in the Inner City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Valentine, Charles 1968 Culture and Poverty: Critique and Counterproposals. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1971 Review of The Social Order of the Slum. Gerald Suttles. American Anthropologist 73:854-859.
FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ONGOING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AMONG FEMALE OFFENDERS

Background Ongoing traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance dependency (SuD) can greatly affect an offender9s ability to function while incarcerated and upon community reentry. Aims/Objectives/Purpose To identify factors associated with ongoing TBI-related symptoms among female offenders. Methods 275 female offenders were asked whether they experienced any of 19 ongoing symptoms after TBI. Variables (aggression, PTSD, mental health treatment, SuD, childhood victimisation, lack of parental/caregiver support, intimate partner violence, free or reduced lunch (ie, SES proxy) were entered into a Robust Poisson model (p≤0.25) to identify factors associated with having symptoms. Race did not meet criteria for model entry. Results/Outcomes (1) 154 of 275 (56%) offenders reported ongoing TBI-related symptoms. (2) SuD and PTSD were associated with having symptoms. An interaction was found between SuD and PTSD (p=0.0236). (3) An association was further found between females with PTSD and TBI-related symptoms among those without SuD (adjusted prevalence ratio (APR)=2.58; CI 1.49 to 4.45, p=0.0006), but not among those with SuD (APR=1.30; CI 0.98 to 1.73, p=0.0662). (4) Compared to having neither condition, the APR for the association between SuD and TBI-related symptoms was 2.32 (CI 1.34 to 4.01). The APR for the association with TBI-related symptoms among offenders with both SuD and PTSD, compared to having neither, was 3.03 (CI 1.80 to 5.08). Significance/Contribution to the Field PTSD and SuD are closely associated with ongoing TBI-related symptoms. Treating and managing all three conditions concurrently, as well as prevention efforts, would likely be cost effective and benefit both the female offenders and society.
Chip-to-Board Micromachining for Interconnect Layer Passive Components

Integrated inductors are typically formed either on a chip or embedded in a package or board. In this work, we explore the possibility of forming inductors in the chip-to-board interconnect layer. The solderless technique of copper (Cu) electroplating bonding is used to simultaneously form inductor structures as well as chip-to-board interconnect. The use of the gap between the chip and substrate for inductors not only increases integration density, but also allows large magnetic cross-sectional areas to be achieved. To demonstrate the technology, a plating-through-mold method has been used in the establishment of tall interconnect or solenoid inductors. For demonstration of the electroplating bonded micro solenoid structures, three- and seven-turn (500mum in height) inductors have been realized with measured inductances of 3.6 and 10.4nH, and Q-factors of 71 and 55, respectively. As an alternative approach, a polymer-core-conductor method in which polymer posts coated with metal are electroplating bonded, has been developed. This approach reduces processing time in the fabrication of the tall metal structures. For the polymer core RF structures, three-, five-, seven-, and 10-turn inductors have been fabricated. These inductors have inductances of 4.2, 7.0, 9.6, and 13.6nH, and Q-factors of 72, 64, 56, and 61, respectively
Ethics and the Chimera of Professionalism: The Historical Context of an Oxymoronic Relationship:

Like the Chimera of Greek mythology—an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts—professionalism has assimilated ethics as a part of its ordinary definition. In this paper, the relationship...
The characterization of hemiacetal bonds formed after periodate oxidation of heteroglycans

Abstract The location of inter-residue, cyclic hemiacetals formed following the periodate oxidation of four representative heteroglycans has been determined by methylation analysis of the periodate-oxidized glycans. The cyclic hemiacetals led to the protection of hydroxyl groups during methylation in methyl sulfoxide, and their positions were located by analysis of the resulting di- and mono-methyl ethers. Such derivatives were not observed upon methylation analysis of the native and the periodate-oxidized-borohydride-reduced glycans. Inter-residue hemiacetals were thus identified in all oxidized glycans, between aldehydic groups at C-2 or C-3 of oxidized residues and hydroxyl groups at C-3 or C-2 of adjacent, unoxidized residues. Selective removal of 6- O -substituents from oxidized residues resulted in a decreased ability of the latter to form the inter-residue hemiacetals. Analysis of the types and proportions of the methyl ethers resulting from inter-residue hemiacetal formation may also yield structural information on the glycan.
Mercury retention in two strains of mice.

Abstract Two strains of mice were given 3.0 mg of mercury as mercuric chloride, phenylmercuric acetate, or methyl- mercuric chloride. The type A mice tended to retain more mercury in the liver and kidneys from injections of all three mercurials over an 8-day test period than did type C57 mice. Mercury from mercuric chloride was retained primarily in the kidneys of both strains and from phenylmercuric acetate by the A strain. Mercury from methylmercuric chloride was retained in about equal amounts by the liver and kidneys of both strains and by the C57 strain from phenylmercuric acetate.
Platelet activating factor (PAF) and lyso-PAF in psoriasis.

Previous studies have shown that scale from lesional psoriatic skin contains substantial amounts of platelet activating factor (PAF). In this study, PAF and its immediate precursor, lyso-PAF, were measured in exudates from abrasions on lesional and uninvolved psoriatic skin, and from skin of healthy subjects. The mean amounts of PAF recovered from lesional and uninvolved psoriatic skin (n=13) and from healthy skin (n=14) were not significantly different (range 0.05–2.14 pmol/sample). Mean recoveries of lyso-PAF from lesional psoriatic skin (n=9) and skin of healthy subjects (n=13) were also similar (9.5 ± 1.9 and 11.0 ± 1.9 pmol/sample, respectively), but significantly less lyso-PAF was found in exudates from the uninvolved psoriatic skin (n=9; 3.1 ± 0.4 pmol/sample; P<0.01 relative to both lesional psoriasis and healthy skin). The finding of reduced lyso-PAF in uninvolved psoriatic skin was unexpected because increased phospholipase-A2 activity is associated with psoriasis. These results do not support the hypothesis that extracellular PAF contributes significantly to the inflammation associated with psoriasis.
Metabonomics of acute kidney injury in children after cardiac surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication in children who undergo cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. We performed metabonomic analyses of urine samples obtained from 40 children that underwent cardiac surgery for correction of congenital cardiac defects. Serial urine samples were obtained from each patient prior to surgery and at 4 h and 12 h after surgery. AKI, defined as a 50% or greater rise in baseline level of serum creatinine, was noted in 21 children at 48–72 h after cardiac surgery. The principal component analysis of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) negative ionization data of the urine samples obtained 4 h and 12 h after surgery from patients who develop AKI clustered away from patients who did not develop AKI. The LC/MS peak with mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) 261.01 and retention time (tR) 4.92 min was further analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and identified as homovanillic acid sulfate (HVA-SO4), a dopamine metabolite. By MS single-reaction monitoring, the sensitivity was 0.90 and specificity was 0.95 for a cut-off value of 24 ng/μl for HVA-SO4 at 12 h after surgery. We concluded that urinary HVA-SO4 represents a novel, sensitive, and predictive early biomarker of AKI after pediatric cardiac surgery.
Effects of noise and nonlinearity on the calibration of a non-binary capacitor array in a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter

A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter using a non-binary capacitor array is presented. A perceptron learning rule is used as the capacitor calibration algorithm. The nonlinearity is analyzed using the Volterra series. The effects of noise and nonlinearity are modeled to verify the calibration robustness. With the presence of noise and nonlinearity, the capacitor weights are adaptively calibrated to match the physical capacitors with better than 22-bit accuracy. The accuracy is no longer limited by capacitor matching.
Design for a Stable Channel in Coarse Alluvium for Riparian Zone Restoration

Geomorphic, hydraulic and hydrologic principles are applied in the design of a stable stream channel for a badly disturbed portion of Badger Creek, Colorado, and its associated riparian and meadow complexes. The objective is to shorten the period of time required for a channel in coarse alluvium to recover from an impacted morphologic state to a regime condition representative of current watershed conditions. Channel geometry measurements describe the stream channel and the normal bankfull stage in relatively stable reaches. Critical shear stress equations were used to design a stable channel in noncohesive materials with dimensions which approximate those of less disturbed reaches. Gabion controls, spaced at approximately 300 m intervals, are recommended to help reduce the chance of lateral migration of the newly constructed channel. Controls are designed to allow for some vertical adjustment of the channel bed following increased bank stability due to revegetation. The flood plain is designed to dissipate flood flow energy and discourage multiple flood channels. The channel has approximately a 90 percent chance of remaining stable the first two years following construction, the time estimated for increased stability to occur due to revegetation.
Local regularity of nonlinear wave equations in three space dimensions

This note examines the question of the minimal Sobolev regularity required to construct local solutions to the Cauchy problem for three-dimensional nonlinear wave equations of the form [partial derivative][sub t][sup 2]u [minus] [Delta]u = G(u, Du), (1), u(0) = f, [partial derivative][sub t]u(0) = g, (2), where Du = ([partial derivative][sub t]u, [del][sub x]u). For nonintegral s, this requires the use of an inequality. Thus it is crucial to gain control of the L[sup [ell][minus]1] norm in time of the maximum norm of the gradient of the solution in space. This is usually done by using the Sobolev imbedding theorem which leads to the restriction s > n/2+1 for the Sobolev exponent. The authors show that in three space dimensions (the case to which they restrict themselves throughout the paper), the lower bound for the Sobolev exponent can be reduced from 5/2 to s([ell]) [identical to] max[l brace]2, (5[ell] [minus] 7)/(2[ell] [minus] 2)[r brace] when the nonlinearity G in (1) grows no faster than order [ell] in Du. Thus, as [ell] [yields] [infinity] the classical result s > 5/2 is approached. They also show that this is sharp in the sense that the quantity [parallel]f[parallel][sub H[sup s([ell])]] + [parallel]g[parallel][sub H[supmore » s([ell])[minus]1]] is not sufficient, in general, to control the local existence time of solutions (for [ell] [ge] 3). The authors return to the spherically symmetric case at the end of the paper. For general nonlinearities, such a result just fails. It is shown how to apply instead a space-time estimate for the free solution due to Marshall and Pecher, as an extension of the work of Strichartz. 9 refs.« less
Grim tales about the impact factor and the h-index in the Web of Science and the Journal Citation Reports databases: reflections on Vanclay's criticism

This paper reflects on the most current and some of the recent contributions of JK Vanclay, focusing on his methods, findings, and criticism about the journal citations reports and the web of science databases, the journal impact factor and the h-index. It is argued and demonstrated that some of the recent papers of the author about scientometric issues, measures and sources show so much demagoguery, ignorance and arrogance, have so much prejudice and bias, so profound errors in using the databases, calculating metrics, and interpreting search results that the papers are very unlikely to be meant as a genuine contribution from an academic who is a graduate of--among others--Oxford University, professor and dean in a respected university, a well-published and well-cited author and a recipient of the Queen's Award (all the above in forest science). The papers are much more likely to serve as props for a staged, mock-up scenario based on slipshod research in an experiment, to illustrate the deficiencies in the processes and in the assessment of scholarly publishing productivity and impact in order to present the idealized solution of Vanclay: using the h-index, portrayed as the Prince, mounted on the shoulder of the White Horse, Google Scholar.
Heat transfer modeling in data centers

Abstract We consider a simplified physics model for simulating air and heat transfer in data centers, coupled with the use of real-time sensor measurements for specifying the required input information, mainly in the form of boundary data for the boundary value problems comprising the model. Results from a case study indicate that the model produces numerical approximations to temperature distributions which compare favorably with 3D experimental thermal measurements, even when the amount of input information provided by the real-time sensor data is limited. These initial numerical experiments suggest that the model could be suitable for operational and real-time usage as part of a data center energy management system.
Iminonitroso Diels−Alder Reactions for Efficient Derivatization and Functionalization of Complex Diene-Containing Natural Products

A remarkably efficient method for derivatization of complex diene-containing natural products by using stabilized iminonitroso Diels−Alder reactions is described. Turimycin H3, ergosterol, reductiomycin, isoforocidin, colchicine and thebaine were found to react with nitrosopyridines in a highly efficient regio- and stereoselective fashion. Preliminary bioactivity evaluations of turimycin cycloadducts are reported.
A model for fluvial bedrock incision by impacting suspended and bed load sediment

[1] A mechanistic model is derived for the rate of fluvial erosion into bedrock by abrasion from uniform size particles that impact the bed during transport in both bed and suspended load. The erosion rate is equated to the product of the impact rate, the mass loss per particle impact, and a bed coverage term. Unlike previous models that consider only bed load, the impact rate is not assumed to tend to zero as the shear velocity approaches the threshold for suspension. Instead, a given sediment supply is distributed between the bed and suspended load by using formulas for the bed load layer height, bed load velocity, logarithmic fluid velocity profile, and Rouse sediment concentration profile. It is proposed that the impact rate scales linearly with the product of the near-bed sediment concentration and the impact velocity and that particles impact the bed because of gravitational settling and advection by turbulent eddies. Results suggest, unlike models that consider only bed load, that the erosion rate increases with increasing transport stage (for a given relative sediment supply), even for transport stages that exceed the onset of suspension. In addition, erosion can occur if the supply of sediment exceeds the bed load transport capacity because a portion of the sediment load is transported in suspension. These results have implications for predicting erosion rates and channel morphology, especially in rivers with fine sediment, steep channel-bed slopes, and large flood events.
Ethanol intake patterns in female mice: Influence of allopregnanolone and the inhibition of its synthesis

Abstract The neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) is a positive modulator of GABAA receptors that exhibits a psychopharmacological profile similar to ethanol (i.e., anxiolytic, sedative-hypnotic). Based on research suggesting that manipulation of ALLO levels altered ethanol self-administration in male rodents, the current studies determined whether exogenous ALLO administration or the inhibition of its synthesis in vivo modulated ethanol intake patterns in female C57BL/6J mice. Lickometer circuits collected temporal lick records of ethanol (10%, v/v) and water consumption during daily 2 h limited access sessions. Following the establishment of stable ethanol intake, studies examined the effect of an acute ALLO challenge (3.2–24.0 mg/kg) or a 7-day blockade of ALLO production with finasteride (FIN; 50 or 100 mg/kg) on ethanol intake in a within-subjects design. In contrast to results in male mice, ethanol dose (g/kg), ethanol preference and most of the bout parameters were unaltered by ALLO pretreatment in female mice. Ethanol intake in females also was recalcitrant to 7-day treatment with 50 mg/kg FIN, whereas 100 mg/kg FIN significantly reduced the ethanol dose consumed by 35%. The FIN-attenuated ethanol intake was attributable to a significant decrease in bout frequency (up to 45%), with lick patterns indicating reduced maintenance of consumption throughout the 2-h session. FIN also produced a dose-dependent decrease in brain ALLO levels. In conjunction with data in male mice, the present findings indicate that there are sex differences in the physiological regulation of ethanol intake patterns by GABAergic neurosteroids.
Curriculum integration across fashion-related curricula

Curriculum integration enables students to understand connections among disciplines and to begin to develop a holistic knowledge base. The purpose of this article is to discuss a departmental curriculum integration process, its results, and its effectiveness as evaluated by faculty and students in the department. Pedagogical and administrative goals influenced the curriculum integration that took place in both postgraduate and undergraduate curricula. Integration resulted in minimising the department's curricular overlap and created a stronger department both visually and politically. It provided the opportunity for faculty and students to understand more about the other subject areas. Integration was least successful in a process-oriented course and among process-oriented students. It is suggested for departments thinking about integrating courses that it will be most successful when faculty are supportive and enthusiastic about the integration process. Two case studies are presented.
Endoscopic Papillary Large Balloon Dilation Reduces the Need for Mechanical Lithotripsy in Patients with Large Bile Duct Stones: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Removal of large stones can be challenging and frequently requires the use of mechanical lithotripsy (ML). Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) following endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) is a technique that appears to be safe and effective. However, data comparing ES
Comment on ``The use of CR-39 in Pd/D co-deposition experiments'' by P.A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F.E. Gordon and L.P.G. Forsley Interpreting SPAWAR-type dominant pits

A recent claim (Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 40, 293 (2007)) demonstrating a nuclear process triggered by electrolysis is challenged. An analysis, based on relative diameters, is used to demonstrate that predominant pits could not possibly be attributed to alpha particles, or to less massive nuclear projectiles. This conclusion is supported not only by positive results from a replication experiment, but also by results from the experiment on which the original claim was based. While the numerous SPAWAR-type pits seem to be highly reproducible, their interpretation is not yet clear.
On practicing the art of modeling: The guaranteed student loan program

Abstract The future of the Guaranteed Student Loan Program is currently under debate in the federal government; yet no formal model of this complex program has been constructed. Following an outline of a modeling process from the literature, we have taken the first steps in this direction. When the limited available data is placed in a simple econometric model of supply and demand, performing an equilibrium analysis results in elasticities with relative relationships that corresponds to those behaviors and events known to be operational in this program.
Sectoral adjustment in government expenditure in the 1970s: The educational sector in Latin America

Abstract As a consequence of economic stagnation and the increasing difficulties faced by developing country governments in financing their budgets, it might be expected that the education sector in these countries would suffer cutbacks. On the other hand, in most countries the education sector has high political, social and economic priority and is therefore one of the more difficult sectors within which to make adjustments. This paper examines the experience of 18 Latin American countries in terms of how educational spending has evolved at each educational level during the period 1965–1978. A comparison is made of the periods before and after the adjustment of the 1970s. The authors evaluate the form that expenditure adjustments have taken and conclude with some remarks on the patterns which emerged.
Excess mortality for patients with residual disease following resection of pituitary adenomas.

The importance of achieving tumor control in pituitary adenoma surgery is not entirely established. This manuscript reviews the literature linking residual pituitary tumor and hormonal hypersecretion to increases in long term mortality. When possible, we utilized meta-analysis methods to estimate a pooled standardized mortality ratio (SMR), which relates the risk of mortality for a cohort of patients compared to a similar age and gender matched cohort in the general population, for patients with endocrinologic evidence of residual disease. When this was not possible, we review the existing literature in the results and discussion section of this review. We identified 10 articles regarding acromegaly and three articles regarding Cushing’s disease which presented SMR data for adult patients undergoing transphenoidal surgery with data divided into subgroups based on post-operative growth hormone levels. Using growth hormone levels of 2.5 μg/l as a cutoff, the mortality rate ratio was 1.83 (95% CI = 1.03–3.24) for patients with persistent acromegaly. Similarly, patients with persistent Cushing’s disease experienced a marked increase in mortality rate ratio compared to those experiencing initial cure (mortality rate ratio = 3.25 (95% CI = 1.54–6.84). For other tumor subtypes, (i.e. Endocrine inactive adenomas, Prolactinomas, and TSH secreting tumors) there were not enough studies identified to allow for rigorous statistical analysis. There is an increasing body of data suggesting that treatment refractory acromegaly and Cushing’s disease puts patients at risk for early mortality, suggesting that aggressive efforts to normalize hormone levels in these patients are justified.
Criteria for the Selection of Nuclides for Radioimmunotherapy

For a number of years, the scientific and medical communities have contemplated the possibility of using radionuclides for therapy in cancer. The use of sealed sources, such as radium needles and capsules, is now commonplace. With the exception of a relatively selected number of applications, the hopes for employing unsealed sources are still unrealized. The problem has two components: the first, and the subject of this conference, is the discovery of a proper carrier molecule with which to bring the radionuclide into the vicinity of the cancer; the second involves interactions between the radionuclide and its biological environment, the radiation biology of the decay products. The accurate estimation of absorbed dose requires information about: the antibody — its specificity, immunoreactivity and stability; the biology of the cancer cell — the number of accessible antigenic sites and their affinity, the homogeneity of antibody presentation among the cancer cells, internalization and modulation of the antigen antibody complex, stability of the complex, stability and translocation of the label out of the complex, and the relationship of antigenicity to the cell cycle; the degree of natural immune surveillance; and the microenvironment of the tumor — its vascularity, its vascular permeability, oxygenation, microscopic organization and architecture including the mobility of the cells, their location and accessibility to intralymphatic, intraperitoneal, intracerebral and intramedullary pathways.
Realistic goals of cancer therapy: effective and humane care

BACKGROUND Cure is the ultimate goal of antineoplastic therapy, but currently available treatment falls short of this goal in many situations. OBJECTIVE To present the general aims of antineoplastic treatment and to discuss specific examples. SUMMARY The choice of therapy is influenced by the type of cancer, the extent to which it has spread, the effectiveness and toxicity of available therapy, the patient9s performance status, the presence of symptoms, and the patient9s preference. Goals of therapy include cure, prolongation of survival, improvement in quality of life, palliation of symptoms, and prevention of complications. CONCLUSIONS Establishing the goals of therapy for a patient with cancer is an individualized process. Stopping to consider what one is trying to accomplish can help the physician give effective and humane care.