cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary care in the United States and its precarious future

Primary care has not secured a firm place within the US health services system. Since primary care lacks a strong research base, is not institutionalized in medical education or in policy-making and is marginalized in both proposed and actual reforms, it has not developed into a central component of the health care infrastructure. We discuss recent efforts that promised modest improvements, including the Clinton health care reform proposals and subsequent federal and state actions, in the role of primary care within the health services system. We also assess the likely fate of primary care given the accelerated growth of managed care and market competition, the dissatisfaction of large segments of the population with managed care and misperceptions of managed care as synonymous with primary care. We highlight how managed care fails to achieve the cardinal functions of primary care and summarize initiatives that, at a minimum, would be required to secure a stronger position for primary care in the future.
p‐Toluenesulfonyl Bromide

[1950-69-2] C7H7BrO2S (MW 235.10) InChI = 1S/C7H7BrO2S/c1-6-2-4-7(5-3-6)11(8,9)10/h2-5H,1H3 InChIKey = NTSFJZORNYYLFW-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as a radical cyclization initiator and sulfonating, halogenating reagent) Alternate Name: 4-methylbenzenesulfonyl bromide, tosyl bromide, TsBr. Physical Data: mp 95–96 °C. Solubility: sparingly soluble in H2O; soluble in toluene, benzene, and methylene chloride. Form Supplied in: solid, not commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: melting point; a detailed structural analysis was performed using electron diffraction, MS,1 and IR.2 Preparative Methods: the title reagent can be prepared by the following methods: treatment of tosylsulfonic acid anhydride with HBr in AcOH for 20–30 min;3 reacting p-toluenesul-fonylhydrazide with a mixture of NaBr and NaBrO3 in acidic solution;4 reacting p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide with 2 mol of bromine;5 diazotizing p-aminotoluene in 48% HBr at 3 °C with solid NaNO2 then adding to a mixture of SO2, benzene, CuBr2, and KBr in dioxane;6 and reacting the sodium salt of p-toluenesulfinic acid with bromine.7 Purification: recrystallization from low boiling pet. ether.4 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: not available, but should be similar to tosyl chloride.
Aqueous humor dynamics in the aging human eye

Abstract Purpose: Healthy subjects were recruited to identify normal, age-associated changes in intraocular pressure and aqueous humor dynamics. Methods: Normal healthy subjects from two age groups were enrolled in the study: (1) those from 20 to 30 years of age (n = 51) and (2) those 60 years of age and older (n = 53). Intraocular pressure was measured by pneumatonometry, tonographic outflow facility by pneumatonography, and episcleral venous pressure by venomanometry. Aqueous flow and outflow facility were determined by a fluorophotometric technique. Uveoscleral outflow and anterior chamber volume were calculated. Results from the older group were compared with those from the younger group by means of unpaired, two-tailed t tests. Results: Compared with the younger group, the older group showed significant differences as follows: smaller anterior chamber volume (160 ± 39 vs 247 ± 39 μl; mean ± SD; P P = .002), and reduced uveoscleral outflow (1.10 ± 0.81 vs 1.52 ± 0.81 μl/minute; P = .009). Conclusions: In the healthy aging eye, there is a reduction in the production of aqueous humor and a reduction in its drainage through the uveoscleral outflow pathway.
Power dissipation estimation and advantages of low operating voltages

Like it or not, ready or not, operating voltage levels are going down. Power management is becoming increasingly important and fortunately it is becoming easier to accomplish. With each reduction in power supply voltage, power dissipation is reduced to approximately (V/sub CC//sup 2/new/V/sub CC//sup 2/old)/spl times/P/sub D/old (where V/sub CC/ is the operating supply voltage and P/sub D/ is the power dissipation, V/spl times/1). Internal current (static and dynamic), operating frequency, and external loading must also be considered to most accurately estimate power. A reduction in power supply voltage also affects some of the items mentioned. This paper includes an equation that can be used to easily and precisely estimate power dissipation of low-voltage interface products.
Fast organization of large photo collections using CUDA

In this paper, we introduce a system for the automatic organization of photo collections consisting of millions of images downloaded from the Internet. To our knowledge, this is the first approach that tackles this problem exclusively through the use of general-purpose GPU computing techniques. By leveraging the inherent parallelism of the problem and through the use of efficient GPU-based algorithms, our system is able to effectively summarize datasets containing up to three million images in approximately 16 hours on a single PC, which is orders of magnitude faster compared to current state of the art techniques. In this paper, we present the various algorithmic considerations and design aspects of our system, and describe in detail the various steps of the processing pipeline. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the system by showing results for a variety of real-world datasets, ranging from the scale of a single landmark, to that of an entire city.
A low cost, radio controlled blimp as a platform for remote sensing

The authors propose using a radio-controlled blimp as a new platform for microwave remote sensing. Although blimps have been used for aerial photography, they have not been applied in precision remote sensing. Among the advantages suggested are low cost, low maintenance, ease of deployment, and minimal personnel requirements. Applications are given of typical radar systems for which a remotely controlled blimp is a suitable platform. Among these systems, the authors suggest microwave radar systems such as synthetic aperture radars (SAR), altimeters, and scatterometers. Such radar systems are currently used for archaeological and geological studies typically from aircraft or satellites, but they propose using a blimp as a low cost alternative for these systems. As an example, the authors present an altimeter system designed to support NASAs Jason-1 launch. In support of this launch, testing is scheduled for work on landslide detection and mean sea level measurement. For the altimeter the remote controlled blimp will be used as the platform for these measurements. They acknowledge the funding support of NASA for this study.
Membrane Association of VP22, a Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Tegument Protein

Tegument proteins of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) are hypothesized to contain the functional information required for the budding or envelopment process proposed to occur at cytoplasmic compartments of the host cell. One of the most abundant tegument proteins of HSV-1 is the UL49 gene product, VP22, a 38-kDa protein of unknown function. To study its subcellular localization, a VP22-green fluorescent protein chimera was expressed in transfected human melanoma (A7) cells. In the absence of other HSV-1 proteins, VP22 localizes to acidic compartments of the cell that may include the trans-Golgi network (TGN), suggesting that this protein is membrane associated. Membrane pelleting and membrane flotation assays confirmed that VP22 partitions with the cellular membrane fraction. Through truncation mutagenesis, we determined that the membrane association of VP22 is a property attributed to amino acids 120 to 225 of this 301-amino-acid protein. The above results demonstrate that VP22 contains specific information required for targeting to membranes of acidic compartments of the cell which may be derived from the TGN, suggesting a potential role for VP22 during tegumentation and/or final envelopment.
Educational Attainment An Examination of Its Impact on Regional Economic Growth

In today’s globalized economy, universities serve as economic growth hubs and as facilitators of higher education. However, the perils of the most recent economic crisis have caused these instituti...
Reflective liquid-crystal displays with asymmetric incident and exit angles.

The 2×2 matrix methods are extended to calculate the optical behaviors of reflective liquid-crystal displays with asymmetric incident and exit angles. Both the unfolding method and the backward-eigenwave method are employed to derive the 2×2 matrix representations. The simulation results for symmetric incident and exit angles from these two methods are identical and agree well with those obtained from the 4×4 matrix method when the air–panel surface reflections are neglected. Further, the derived 2×2 matrix methods are applied to the asymmetric cases with different incident and exit angles. The simulated results on the normally black vertical alignment and normally white mixed-mode twisted nematic reflective displays show reasonably good agreement with the reported experimental data. In addition, a rubbing effect related to contrast values is observed and analyzed in asymmetric reflective cases. We also find that this effect has a significant influence on the contrast ratios once the difference between the incident and exit angles becomes large.
Vector-Space Methods and Kirchhoff Graphs for Reaction Networks

This article presents a vector-space formulation for constructing reaction routes (reaction pathways) and Kirchhoff graphs (reaction route graphs, fundamental graphs) for reaction networks. Specific examples from fuel-cell electrochemistry are included throughout to illustrate the more general theoretical discussion. Some of the mathematical aspects of Kirchhoff graphs, such as their representation of the fundamental theorem of linear algebra, are also discussed.
A Self-Sustained Microwave System for Dielectric-Constant Measurement of Lossy Organic Liquids

In this paper, dielectric constants of lossy organic liquids are measured using oscillation frequency shifts of a negative-resistance voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The design and working principle of the oscillator and the effect of material loss are presented in detail. The proposed method provides relatively large frequency shifts of 10-110 MHz for lossy test sample volumes of 50-200 μL whose dielectric constants are between 2-13 at 4.5 GHz, thereby allowing good resolution in dielectric-constant measurement. To make the system self-sustained, the VCO is used as part of a frequency synthesizer system for frequency-to-voltage conversion and digital extraction of the frequency shift using a unique detection algorithm. The dielectric constant of several organic liquids have been extracted to an accuracy better than 2% using sample volumes of 50-200 μL , and has excellent agreement with reported values. The applicability of this system for sensing dielectric mixtures has also been shown, and volume fraction estimation has been demonstrated to an accuracy of around 1%.
Endovascular repair of traumatic thoracic aortic disruptions with "stacked" abdominal endograft extension cuffs.

Objective Endovascular stent graft repair of a traumatic thoracic aortic disruption (TTAD) is rapidly becoming an accepted alternative to open surgical repair. The use of currently approved thoracic stent grafts especially in younger patients with small, "steep," tapered aortas, remains a concern due to the acute thoracic endograft collapse and enfolding. The objective of this study, the largest report to date, was to evaluate the mid-term results of TTAD treated with abdominal aortic "stacked" extension cuffs, with follow-up extending to 41 months. Methods Thirty-one patients with multi-system trauma (age range, 15 to 61; mean 31.4 years) were seen after motor vehicle accidents between January 1, 2003 and July 1, 2007. Chest x-ray findings warranted thoracic CT scans, which revealed disruptions of the thoracic aorta. Intra-operative arteriograms in all patients and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) (n = 17) delineated the extent of the aortic injuries. The aortic length from the subclavian artery to the injury averaged 2.5 cm (range, 1.5 to 4.0 cm). The repairs were performed with Gore (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, Ariz) (n = 15), Aneuryx (Medtronic, Santa Rosa, Calif) (n = 15), and Zenith (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, Ind) (n = 1) Aortic Extension Cuffs. A femoral artery approach was used in 27 patients and a supra-inguinal retroperitoneal iliac approach in four. All patients underwent thoracic CT scans during follow-up. Results In all patients, the stent-graft cuffs successfully excluded the TTAD: 21 patients had 2 cuffs, 9 had 3 cuffs, and 1 had 4 cuffs. The aorta adjacent to the injury mean diameter was 18.5 mm (range, 17-24 mm). No subclavian arteries were covered. Two patients required an additional cuff for exclusion of the Type I endoleaks at the distal attachment site within 6 weeks of initial endograft repair. There were no procedure-related deaths; 2 patients died of other injuries. At follow-up, extending to 41 months (range, 3 to 41 months), two pseudo-aneurysms occurred which required open operative repair: 1 due to infection (4 months) and a leaking pseudoaneurysm (14 months). A CT scan in all other survivors demonstrated no device-related complications, endoleaks, or cuff migrations. Conclusion Stent-graft repair of TTAD is technically feasible. The technique of "stacked" aortic cuffs provides an acceptable option when urgent therapy is needed, when patients are deemed high-risk for open operative repair, or until thoracic endografts are designed which can safely treat focal, smaller aortic diameter injuries.
State of the Studio Revisiting the Potential of Studio Pedagogy in U.S.-Based Planning Programs

This critical analysis of studio courses in contemporary U.S.-based planning programs seeks to reinvigorate discussions about the potential of studio pedagogy in educating planners. I begin by revi...
Trophic Conditions and Water Chemistry of Lakes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

ABSTRACT Sixty lakes and ponds distributed throughout the Cape Cod peninsula were each sampled three times during 1996–1998 in order to determine the chemical conditions of the waterbodies. The study lakes, situated on either glacial moraine, glacial outwash plain or post-glacial sand accumulations, ranged in surface area from 3.6 ha to 301 ha and in maximum depth from 1 m to 26 m. The dominant ionic species in all lakes were Na+ and Cl−, likely due to inputs from sea spray. Conductivity and the relative charge contribution from Na+, Cl− and Mg2+ increased with distance out onto the peninsula, whereas the contribution due to Ca2+ decreased along the same distance gradient. Concentrations of Mg2+ were greater than those of Ca2+ in the study lakes, and the concentrations of the latter cation were very low compared to other areas in the northeast U.S. Except for the eutrophic lakes situated on the post-glacial sand accumulations on the outer tip of Cape Cod, the water bodies were, in general, low in total ph...
Image Interpolation by Blending Kernels

A new convolution-based image interpolation method is presented, whose kernel function is designed via blending some well-known kernels. The new kernel is a better approximation to sinc function both in the space domain and the frequency domain. Comparative experiments with several polynomial spline type algorithms indicate that our approach exhibits a significant improvement in image quality.
Prevalence and impact of unrecognized COPD on elective surgery

Surgery patients with COPD have more episodes of post op bronchitis, pneumonia and longer length of stays (Manganas H 2007). NHANES data shows that less than 50% of patients with COPD are recognized. It is assumed that unrecognized COPD is less severe and therefore does not significantly affect perioperative morbidity. We aimed to determine the prevalence and effect of undiagnosed COPD on perioperative morbidity measured by hospital length of stay (LOS), in a population selected for COPD risk. Spirometry was performed in an at risk population (≥ 40 y.o. with a smoking history ≥ 20 pack-years) scheduled for elective surgery, during preoperative assessment (Ohar J 2011). Obstruction was defined by an FEV1/FVC Of the 199 subjects tested, 79 (40%) met spirometric criteria for obstruction. Only 9 of the 79 (11%) were previously recognized. Subjects with previously recognized COPD were older (75±8 v. 66±10 y.o.; p Conclusion: The prevalence of unrecognized COPD among surgical patients is quite high and it appears to affect perioperative morbidity similarly to previously recognized COPD. The data suggests that spirometric testing of an at risk population for COPD may have value in preoperative assessment.
Factors associated with survival in 148 recumbent horses.

Summary Reasons for performing study There are currently few data available on the prognosis and outcome of recumbent horses. Objectives To investigate the outcome of hospitalised horses that had been recumbent in the field or hospital and factors affecting their survival within the first 3 days of hospitalisation and survival after 3 days to hospital discharge. Study design Retrospective analysis of clinical records. Methods Records of 148 horses admitted to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California Davis from January 1995 to December 2010 with a history of recumbency or horses that became recumbent while hospitalised were evaluated. Exact logistic regression was used to assess the association between clinical parameters and survival within the first 3 days of hospitalisation and survival to hospital discharge after 3 days. Results There were 109 nonsurvivors and 39 survivors. Multivariate analysis showed variables associated with an increased odds of death within the first 3 days of hospitalisation included duration of clinical signs prior to presentation, with horses showing clinical signs for over 24 h having increased odds of death (P = 0.043, odds ratio [OR] 4.16, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.04–16.59), the presence of band neutrophils (P = 0.02, OR 7.94, 95% CI 1.39–45.46), the horse not using the sling (P = 0.031, OR 4.22, 95% confidence interval 1.14–15.68) and horses that were unable to stand after treatment (P<0.0001, OR 231.15, 95% CI 22.82–2341.33). Increasing cost was associated with lower odds of death (P = 0.017, OR 0.96, for each additional $100 billed, 95% CI 0.93–0.99). Conclusions This study demonstrates that the duration of clinical signs, response to treatment and the ability of horses to use a sling are associated with survival to hospital discharge for recumbent horses.
Calibrated near-forward volume scattering function obtained from the LISST particle sizer

The physical nature of particles, such as size, shape, and composition govern their angular light scattering, which is described by the volume scattering function (VSF). Despite the fact that the VSF is one of the most important inherent optical properties, it has rarely been measured in aquatic environments since no commercial instrument exists to measure the full VSF in the field. The commonly used LISST (Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissometry) particle sizer (Sequoia Scientific, http://www.sequoiasci.com) measures near-forward angular scattering of a laser source (lambda= 670 nm) at 32 logarithmically-spaced photodetectors arranged between 0.08 and 15 degrees and inverts the data to obtain particle size distribution (PSD). In order to calibrate the LISST to provide the near-forward VSF of unknown particle suspensions, we analyzed the scattering of light by polystyrene bead suspensions of known size distributions and composition, and empirically compared it with the results of Mie theory. This (1) allowed us to obtain a set of instrument specific scaling factors needed to retrieve the magnitude of the VSF and (2) provided validation that the shape of the VSF was appropriately obtained.
Anorexia nervosa: a retrospective view.

Philosophical and theological notions regarding food and eating are briefly reviewed, as is the history of anorexia nervosa. Modern studies of social, psychological, and biological aspects of anorexia nervosa have failed, as yet, to provide an organized, coherent understanding of the etiology of this disorder.
Aerodynamic shape optimization techniques based on control theory

These Lecture Notes review the formulation and application of optimization techniques based on control theory for aerodynamic shape design in both inviscid and viscous compressible flow. The theory is applied to a system defined by the partial differential equations of the flow, with the boundary shape acting as the control. The Frechet derivative of the cost function is determined via the solution of an adjoint partial differential equation, and the boundary shape is then modified in a direction of descent. This process is repeated until an optimum solution is approached. Each design cycle requires the numerical solution of both the flow and the adjoint equations, leading to a computational cost roughly equal to the cost of two flow solutions. Representative results are presented for viscous optimization of transonic wing-body combinations and inviscid optimization of complex configurations.
Inanimate interrogatives and settlement patterns in Francophone Louisiana

In the light of the extensive dialect leveling found in Francophone Louisiana, the suggestion made in Byers (1988) is a particularly interesting one, that the geographical distribution of qui and quoi, both meaning ‘what’, reflects the differential settlement histories of early 18th century Creoles, and Acadians, respectively. In this article I document these two interrogative patterns as to form and locales of attestation, and I explore the evidence for Byer's claim, showing that a strong case can be made by considering not only settlement history but also the interrogatives of Louisiana Creole, the origins of which arguably predate the arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana.
An integrated FBAR filter and PHEMT switched-amp for wireless applications

Amplifiers and filters must work together in modern wireless systems. Traditional technology does not allow these two functions to be combined effectively. However, this paper demonstrates that the technology does exist to integrate filters and amplifiers into one small package. This paper demonstrates that two switched-amplifiers and a FBAR filter can be integrated into a small glass metal SO-8 package. The combination provides 23 dB gain over a 100 MHz bandwidth, 35 dB rejection out of band. This is the only integrated FBAR filter with dual amplifier known to the authors to ever be reported.
Optimal analysis method for dynamic contrast-enhanced diffuse optical tomography

Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) is an optical imaging modality that has various clinical applications. However, the spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy of DOT is poor due to strong photon scatting in biological tissue. Structural a priori information from another high spatial resolution imaging modality such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been demonstrated to significantly improve DOT accuracy. In addition, a contrast agent can be used to obtain differential absorption images of the lesion by using dynamic contrast enhanced DOT (DCE-DOT). This produces a relative absorption map that consists of subtracting a reconstructed baseline image from reconstructed images in which optical contrast is included. In this study, we investigated and compared different reconstruction methods and analysis approaches for regular endogenous DOT and DCE-DOT with and without MR anatomical a priori information for arbitrarily-shaped objects. Our phantom and animal studies have shown that superior image quality and higher accuracy can be achieved using DCE-DOT together with MR structural a priori information. Hence, implementation of a combined MRI-DOT system to image ICG enhancement can potentially be a promising tool for breast cancer imaging.
The most significant passage in Aristotle's rhetoric

These essays were originally presented on the program, "The Most Significant Passage in Aristotle's Rhetoric." The panel was sponsored by the American Branch of the International Society for the History of Rhetoric, chaired by Richard Leo Enos of CarnegieMellon University, and convened during the Speech Communication Association Convention in Anaheim, California, November 1981. These synoptic views are intended to serve as a basis for discussion of one of the most significant theoretical statements in the history of rhetoric.
Effects of Task Type and Stimulus Heterogeneity on the Event Rate Function in Sustained Attention

The goals of the present experiment were (1) to determine the function relating rate of presentation of neutral background events to accuracy of signal detection in both a simultaneous (comparative judgment) and a successive (absolute judgment) vigilance task, and (2) to test differential predictions from Posner's pathway inhibition theory and Jerison's elicited observing-rate theory about the effects of heterogeneity in the shape of the neutral events. Data for simultaneous and successive tasks at four event rates (6, 12, 24, and 48 events/min) under both homogeneous and heterogeneous neutral-event conditions showed that the event-rate function (a decline in detections with increments in event rate) was steeper for the successive than for the simultaneous task. Consistent with Jerison's view but not with Posner's, stimulus heterogeneity did not moderate the effects of either time on watch or event rate.
Elbow Arthroscopy and Related Anatomy

Once thought to be an unsafe procedure due to the proximity of neurovascular structures and an inherently small capsular volume, elbow arthroscopy has made considerable advances over the past two decades. With improving instrumentation and techniques as well as increasing familiarity of the neurovascular anatomy, the indications of elbow arthroscopy has grown from simple diagnostic arthroscopy to treatment of OCD lesions, lateral epicondylitis, capsular release, and osteophyte excision. Relative contraindications include prior ulnar nerve transposition and any gross anatomical change that precludes safe entry of the joint with an arthroscope.
Role of activated platelets in excitation of cardiac afferents during myocardial ischemia in cats

Myocardial ischemia activates cardiac spinal afferents that mediate chest pain and excitatory reflex cardiovascular responses. Platelets are activated during myocardial ischemia and release 5-hydroxytryptamine, which stimulates abdominal spinal afferents. This study investigated the role of activated platelets in excitation of cardiac spinal afferents during ischemia. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were obtained from cats and incubated with collagen (2 mg/ml) or thrombin (5 U/ml). We observed reduction of platelets in PRP indicative of platelet activation by collagen and thrombin, respectively. Activity of single-unit, ischemia-sensitive cardiac spinal afferents was recorded from the left sympathetic chain in anesthetized cats. Injection of 1.5 ml PRP + collagen (activated platelets) into the left atrium (LA) stimulated 12 of 13 cardiac afferents. PRP + saline (nonactivated platelets, LA) and PPP + collagen did not alter activity of these afferents. PRP + thrombin (1.5 ml, LA) stimulated eight of nine other cardiac afferents, whereas PPP + thrombin did not stimulate any of the nine afferents. Antiplatelet immune serum (1 ml/kg iv) significantly decreased circulating platelets as well as neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMNs) in eight other cats, and in each animal, attenuated the ischemia-related increase in activity of cardiac afferents. Conversely, responses of five separate cardiac afferents to ischemia were not diminished after treatment with anti-PMN immune serum when concentration of circulating platelets was maintained by infusion of donated PRP despite the decrease in circulating PMNs. These data indicate activated platelets stimulate ischemia-sensitive cardiac spinal afferents and contribute to activation of these afferents during ischemia.
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging analysis of the lacrimal gland in sickle cell disease.

OBJECTIVES Clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease (SCD) can affect the orbit with prior reports describing changes in the lacrimal gland potentially related to chronic vaso-occlusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate lacrimal gland volumes and quantifiable shifts in MR-relaxation times in patients with SCD. METHODS Thirteen patients with SCD and 12 age-matched control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbits with 1.5-T MRI. Lacrimal glands were segmented manually; and gland volumes, peak, and mean T1- and T2-relaxation times were obtained from histogram analysis. RESULTS In patients with SCD, significant peak and mean T2 shortening (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001) and increased gland volume (P = 0.008) were observed. Significant correlations were seen between gland volumes in the patients SCD and peak T1 and T2 values (r = 0.6, P = 0.017; r = 0.56; P = 0.031) as well as between gland volumes and mean T1 and T2 values (r = 0.54, P = 0.039; r = 0.57, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION Significant differences in MR relaxometry and lacrimal gland enlargement provide evidence of subclinical lacrimal gland pathology and chronic lacrimal gland changes patients with SCD.
A rat model for hormone and mineral changes in chronic renal failure.

AbstractPlasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) in rats with surgically induced chronic renal failure were measured by radioimmunoassay. Plasma PTH levels in uremic rats (2897 ± 693 pg/ml) were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than those in nonuremic rats (286 ± 18 pg/ml). A low-phosphorus diet for 4 and 8 days increased serum calcium and decreased the elevated PTH level to the level of sham-operated rats. Plasma CT levels in uremic rats (60.1 ± 7.8 pg/ml) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those in nonuremic rats (37.6 ± 2.4 pg/ml). The low-phosphorus diet for 4 days, but not 8 days, increased the CT levels in uremic rats. Our results demonstrate the importance of phosphate and calcium in influencing the secretion of PTH and CT in uremia. The rat, along with appropriate radioimmunoassays, appears to be a useful model for studying bone mineral metabolism in chronic renal failure.
Mercury Capture by Nano-Structured Titanium Dioxide Sorbent during Coal Combustion: Lab-Scale to Pilot-Scale Studies

The performance of non-carbon based sorbent, titanium dioxide (TiO2) used with UV irradiation, was evaluated in a laboratory-scale coal combustor and in a slip-stream drawn from a pilot-scale coal combustor. For the laboratory-scale system, mercury capture efficiency peaked at 94% at a sorbent feed rate of 71 mg/m^3, with sorbent to coal ratio of 0.0074. For the slip-stream system, mercury capture efficiency achieved 92% at a sorbent feed rate of 622 mg/m^3, with sorbent to coal ratio of 0.015. The required sorbent feed rates for both systems were higher than those kinetically estimated from earlier established lab-scale study, indicating the interference of other species in coal combustion flue gas. The sorbent generation technique and injection location significantly affected the physical and chemical properties of the sorbent, and subsequently its performance. Pure anatase generated via a pre-synthesized technique was found to be more effective than a mixture of anatase and rutile crystalline structure generated via in-situ generation and found in commercial TiO2 (Degussa, P25). This study further revealed that the injection of nano-structured sorbent can be designed to obtain optimal efficiency of capture.
Determination of acrolein and crotonaldehyde in water with headspace gas chromatography

Objective:To establish a method for determination of acrolein and crotonaldehyde in water with headspace gas chromatography.Methods:Acrolein and crotonaldehyde in the water were extracted by headspace technology,then analyzed with DB-624 capillary column.At the same time,they were determined with GC by controlling the temperature.Retention time of the peaks was used for qualitative analysis,while external standard method was used for quantitative analysis.Results:The linear ranges for acrolein and crotonaldehyde were 6.2～500 μg/L.The Minimum detectable concentration was 3.3 μg/L and 4.4 μg/L,r≥0.9998,the recovery 102.0%～106.5%,and RSD 1.2%~3.9%.Conclusion:This method can be used to accurately determine acrolein and crotonaldehyde in the water.It is simple,rapid and sensitive.
Biological Significance and Applications of Heme c Proteins and Peptides

ConspectusHemes are ubiquitous in biology and carry out a wide range of functions. The heme group is largely invariant across proteins with different functions, although there are a few variations seen in nature. The most common variant is heme c, which is formed by a post-translational modification in which heme is covalently linked to two Cys residues on the polypeptide via thioether bonds. In this Account, the influence of this covalent attachment on heme c properties and function is discussed, and examples of how covalent attachment has been used in selected applications are presented.Proteins that bind heme c are among the most well-characterized proteins in biochemistry. Most of these proteins are cytochromes c (cyts c) that serve as electron carriers in photosynthesis and respiration. Despite the intense study of cyts c, the functional significance of heme covalent attachment has remained elusive. One observation is that heme c reaches a lower reduction potential in nature than its noncovalently li...
Hoping for more: redeveloping U.S. public housing without marginalizing low-income residents?

AbstractUrban restructuring policies have uprooted residents and dismantled communities. Previous studies focus on housing redevelopment that minimizes the fraction of housing units left for poor residents and on interviewing residents only once the redevelopment has been announced. By contrast, this paper examines how residents over time experienced the HOPE VI redevelopment of the Orchard Park public housing project in Boston, which sought to preserve a low-income community. Using official records and a unique set of interviews with residents before and after redevelopment, we find marked declines in crime and increased residential satisfaction, which are attributed to changes in tenant composition. The redevelopment process reduced the total number of public housing units yet maintained the vast majority of housing for poor families while creating a new social mix. The findings suggest that to more fully capture the impacts of restructuring, existing theory must be expanded to consider who is displaced...
Outcomes of bisphosphonate therapy in kidney transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mineral and bone disorders that precede kidney transplantation are exacerbated in the post-transplant setting by tertiary hyperparathyroidism and immunosuppressive regimens. Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases following transplantation, leading to increased fracture risk. The effect of bisphosphonates on fracture is unknown. The aim of this study was to update estimates of change in BMD and fracture rates in bisphosphonate-treated kidney transplant recipients through meta-analysis. Studies comparing bisphosphonate therapy to standard of care were included if follow-up duration was more than 6 months. We performed random-effects meta-analysis to determine the effect of bisphosphonates on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD and fracture rates. Bisphosphonates improved femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD compared with controls (0.055 g/cm(2) , 95% CI 0.012-0.099 and 0.053 g/cm(2) , 95% CI 0.032-0.074, respectively) without adversely affecting serum creatinine or calcium. This corresponded to an unweighted improvement in BMD of 6.0% and 7.4%, respectively. There was no difference in fracture incidence in the two groups. Bisphosphonate therapy in kidney transplant recipients is associated with a statistically significant improvement in BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. There was no difference in fracture incidence. Bisphosphonates did not adversely affect allograft dysfunction or serum calcium levels.
Determining the Age of Criminal Capacity: Acting in the best interest of children in conflict with the law

This article aims to stimulate critical discourse on the current practices regarding best interest of children in conflict with the law. The issue explored is whether determining the criminal capacity of children in conflict with the law is in the best interest of these children. Findings indicated that logistical and operational challenges are denying child offenders services as intended in the Act. In the light of this finding, the article advocates for keeping a clear vision of the Act’s restorative and rehabilitative intention as opposed to following a pragmatic approach during the upcoming review of the age of criminal capacity.
Combination of Buck and Boost Modes to Minimize Transients in the Output of a Positive Buck-Boost Converter

This paper describes a new method for minimizing the transients in the output of a DC-DC converter required for small powered portable electronic applications. The transient problem has been the most serious problem for power supplies needing the output voltage in the mid-range of the input voltage. The maximum transient arises when the input voltage becomes almost equal to the output voltage. Selecting the best approach involves a tradeoff among cost, efficiency, and output noise or ripple. There are various techniques used to solve the problem of transients. However, most of the methods have drawbacks such as comparatively higher transients or lower efficiency because of the longer switching operations. This paper describes few methods already been used to solve the transient problem and points out the demerits of those methods. In addition, a new combination method, which combines buck and boost modes during the transition mode, is described in this paper to minimize the transients at the output of the converters when the input voltage is near to the output voltage. Mathematical equations have been put forward to support the proposed idea for the transient minimization. Simulation results have been added to make a comparative analysis of transient response of this method with respect to the other methods.
Temporal Gene Expression after BCR-Crosslinking Based upon Zap70 Related Genomic Features.

Abstract Ig mutation status discriminates aggressive from more indolent chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Several gene expression studies distinguished CLL from other leukemia but failed to discriminate these two types of patients. Nevertheless, differentially expressed genes including zap70 were identified and further validated as an important prognostic factor. Zap70 is a normal component from the T cell receptor pathway, and may have a critical role in the B cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway in CLL. We questioned whether zap70 might alter response to BCR signaling in CLL cells and explain the difference in biologic characteristics of this disease. To examine this we crosslinked the BCR in CLL cells from 12 patients and B cells from 6 healthy donors. We examined the response to BCR stimulation on cell proliferation, apoptosis and gene expression profile. Here we analyzed the temporal gene expression after BCR crosslinking at different time points, in addition to the basal level of gene expression. Based on the results of a pilot study examining multiple different time points, four time points were analyzed in all cases ranging from 60 min to 390 min and gene expression of stimulated (S) and unstimulated (US) CLL and control cells analyzed for a total of 170 HU133 plus2.0 DNA-chips. We defined the expression data from the logarithmic ratio log(S/US) for each time point. In keeping with previous findings, the basal gene expression distinguished CLL samples from healthy B-cells, but did not distinguish mutated from unmutated patients. We defined the linear combination first for the initial time point and then for all four time points to score for expression over time. This temporal gene profile of BCR engagement was based on filtering of 2850 genes that now distinguish healthy B-cells from CLL-cells, but is now capable also of distinguishing a specific BCR signature of a group of patients. Of note, this distinguished patients based less upon Ig gene mutation status but on zap70 protein level, with a mean protein expression difference of 9 fold between these two groups. This more aggressive pattern reveals changes in gene expression in important genetic pathways associated with BCR crosslinking, including JUN and NFkB. Stimulating a crucial pathway for CLL biology identified temporal gene expression pathways linked with the aggressiveness of this leukemia. This suggests that a fuller understanding of the biologic differences in leukemia cells may be identified by a more dynamic approach to gene profiling by examination of response to specific stimuli, rather than examination at the basal level. Based upon these results, ongoing studies examine the biologic impact of gene silencing of zap70 using RNAi on BCR stimulation in CLL cells.
Fuzzy Logic and Expert Systems

The combination of fuzzy logic and expert systems is a fundamental technique flowing directly from the nature of fuzzy logic. Fuzzy expert systems are currently the most popular use of fuzzy logic with many applications now operational in a diverse range of subjects.
Ivacaftor withdrawal syndrome in cystic fibrosis patients with the G551D mutation

Ivacaftor use can lead to dramatic health improvements in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with gating mutations. Here, we report five instances of dramatic clinical decline following withdrawal of ivacaftor in three individuals with the G551D-CFTR mutation. In each case, the patient's lung function and symptoms rapidly deteriorated after cessation of treatment. Awareness of this phenomenon should inform both clinical practices as well as the design of future clinical trials of highly active CFTR modulators.
An Interpretable Joint Graphical Model for Fact-Checking From Crowds.

Assessing the veracity of claims made on the Internet is an important, challenging, and timely problem. While automated fact-checking models have potential to help people better assess what they read, we argue such models must be explainable, accurate, and fast to be useful in practice; while prediction accuracy is clearly important, model transparency is critical in order for users to trust the system and integrate their own knowledge with model predictions. To achieve this, we propose a novel probabilistic graphical model (PGM) which combines machine learning with crowd annotations. Nodes in our model correspond to claim veracity, article stance regarding claims, reputation of news sources, and annotator reliabilities. We introduce a fast variational method for parameter estimation. Evaluation across two real-world datasets and three scenarios shows that: (1) joint modeling of sources, claims and crowd annotators in a PGM improves the predictive performance and interpretability for predicting claim veracity; and (2) our variational inference method achieves scalably fast parameter estimation, with only modest degradation in performance compared to Gibbs sampling. Regarding model transparency, we designed and deployed a prototype fact-checker Web tool, including a visual interface for explaining model predictions. Results of a small user study indicate that model explanations improve user satisfaction and trust in model predictions. We share our web demo, model source code, and the 13K crowd labels we collected.
A systematic review of the relationship between urban agriculture and biodiversity

Urban agriculture is a unique form of agriculture that can provide fresh, local produce for urban residents, and may benefit biodiversity by decreasing the need to expand agriculture into natural areas as well as enhancing biodiversity in urban areas. However, although urban agriculture is also often cited as promoting biodiversity in urban areas, the extent of empirical evidence for such claims has not been studied. Here we systematically review the relationship between urban agriculture and biodiversity in the scientific literature. We strictly define urban agriculture as areas in cities that grow produce specifically for human consumption. We examined 148 papers from 2000 to 2017, of which only 24 studies fit our definition of urban agriculture, and of those, only 18 both involved urban agriculture and measured biodiversity. Of the studies that did measure biodiversity, some showed increases in diversity compared to urban vacant lots, but other showed no difference. Moreover, these studies were mostly focused on plants and invertebrates and were conducted almost exclusively in North America. In order to use the generalization that urban agriculture will have a positive influence on urban biodiversity, more studies will need to be conducted across a wider geographic range worldwide (particularly in developing countries in the tropics) and on a greater diversity of species and taxa (e.g., herpetiles, birds and small mammals). Such studies will likely increase in conservation importance as urban expansion and agricultural demands increase globally.
Q-TRANS: query translation into English

Q-TRANS, which stands for Query-TRANSlation System, translates formal database queries into English to enhance the usability of both natural and formal language database access systems. Q-TRANS is designed for the database query language SQL, whose query expressions serve as an abstract representation from which an English paraphrase is generated. Q-TRANS is also intended to be part of the Transformational Question Answering System (TQA system), which provides a natural language interface for database query, analyzing and ultimately translating the English queries into SQL expressions. The concepts and methods used in Q-TRANS to arrive at a query translation are, however, independent from the TQA system except for compatibility of lexical and grammatical coverage of the paraphrar.es produced. The paraphrases generated are true translations of the SQL expressions which are the input to Q-TRANS and serve in a sense as deep structures that get mapped into English imperatives. The grammatical English structures Q-TRANS produces obey somewhat conflicting constraints in that they preserve as much of the SQL structure as necessary to reflect the internal logic to the user, and at the same time represent as natural English sentences as possible.
Bioimpedance Analysis Using Fractional-Order Equivalent Electrical Circuits

Abstract Electrical impedance measurements quantify the resistance of a material to an injected electrical stimulus and have been used to detect physiological changes in biological tissues. These measures, often referred to as bioimpedance, are an attractive avenue for monitoring because they are noninvasive and present no high-energy radiation risks to participants. One method to represent and compare electrical impedance measurements uses fractional-order equivalent electrical circuits to represent measured datasets. These models result from the import of concepts from fractional calculus into electrical circuit theory. This chapter serves to present and discuss common fractional-order equivalent circuit models, their applications, and methods to collect and analyze results using these models. As an example, measurements from a human forearm in both relaxed and tensed states are analyzed using a fractional-order model to illustrate these techniques.