cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Snowmobile activity and glucocorticoid stress responses in wolves and elk

Abstract: The effect of human activities on animal populations is widely debated, particularly since a recent decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to ban snowmobiles from national parks. Immunoassays of fecal glucocorticoid levels provide a sensitive and noninvasive method of measuring the physiological stress responses of wildlife to disturbances. We tested for associations between snowmobile activity and glucocorticoid levels in an elk (Cervus elaphus) population in Yellowstone National Park and wolf (Canis lupus) populations in Yellowstone, Voyageurs, and Isle Royale national parks. For wolves, comparisons among populations and years showed that fecal glucocorticoid levels were higher in areas and times of heavy snowmobile use. For elk, day-to-day variation in fecal glucocorticoid levels paralleled variation in the number of snowmobiles after we controlled for the effects of weather and age. Also for elk, glucocorticoid concentrations were higher in response to snowmobiles than to wheeled vehicles after we controlled for the effects of age, weather, and number of vehicles. Despite these stress responses, there was no evidence that current levels of snowmobile activity are affecting the population dynamics of either species in these locations.
Modeling temperature and species fluctuations in turbulent, reacting flow

Abstract Assumed Gaussian and β probability density functions (PDFs) for temperature are used with series expansions of the reaction-rate coefficients to compute the mean reaction-rate coefficients in a turbulent, reacting flow. The series-expansion/assumed PDF approach does not require any numerical integration, which substantially reduces computational cost with little loss of accuracy. An assumed multivariate β PDF for species is investigated for use in modeling the interaction of species fluctuations and chemical combustion. The multivariate β PDF is initially evaluated through a parametric study. Results of the parametric study indicate that species fluctuations can increase or decrease the magnitude of the species production term, depending on the type of reaction. The models are then tested on a two-dimensional high-speed turbulent reacting hydrogen-air mixing layer. For the conditions tested the numerical simulations indicate that the net effect of species fluctuations is to reduce the mean species production rate.
Effects of Chlortetracycline in Calf Starter and Milk

Summary The dairyman may use commercial milk replacers or feeds containing antibiotic or may add antibiotic separately to milk or other feeds used in calf raising. This experiment was to determine the effects of feeding 50mg per day of antibiotic in milk, 25mg per pound of starter, or these concentrations in both milk and starter. Thirty calves were reared to 16 wk on each of the three treatments and compared to a control group of 30 calves not fed antibiotic. During the first 8 wk, the calves fed antibiotic in the milk grew significantly faster and ate significantly more feed than those in the control and starter-supplemented groups. Those receiving antibiotic in the starter alone gained significantly more than the controls, and those fed antibiotic in both milk and starter gained slightly more than those with antibiotic only from milk. Antibiotic feeding did not reduce calf mortality or significantly prevent diarrhea. From 8 to 16 wk antibiotic feeding in starter produced slightly greater weight gains and feed consumption, but the differences were not significant statistically. These results indicate that the most effective method of feeding calves antibiotic is in milk and, that after weaning, the effects of antibiotic feeding are of small importance.
A Cartesian grid embedded boundary method for the heat equation on irregular domains

We present an algorithm for solving the heat equation on irregular time-dependent domains. It is based on the Cartesian grid embedded boundary algorithm of Johansen and Colella (J. Comput. Phys. 147(2):60--85) for discretizing Poisson's equation, combined with a second-order accurate discretization of the time derivative. This leads to a method that is second-order accurate in space and time. For the case where the boundary is moving, we convert the moving-boundary problem to a sequence of fixed-boundary problems, combined with an extrapolation procedure to initialize values that are uncovered as the boundary moves. We find that, in the moving boundary case, the use of Crank--Nicolson time discretization is unstable, requiring us to use the L{sub 0}-stable implicit Runge--Kutta method of Twizell, Gumel, and Arigu.
Structure and mixing of a transverse jet in incompressible flow

The flow field induced by a jet in incompressible cross-flow is analysed and the results compared with those obtained in a reacting water-jet experiment. It is argued that the axial vortex pair in the flow arises from the jet momentum normal to the free stream, the momentum flux being equivalent to a normal force, i.e. to a lift.
Substance Use and Abuse among College Students: A Review of Recent Literature

This article reviews the research literature since 1980 on alcohol and other (illicit) drug use among college and university students. The discussion begins with a summary of survey findings on the nature and extent of alcohol and drug use, including prevalence and patterns of use and associated problems. This summary is followed by a discussion of the correlates of substance use and problems, including demographic characteristics, personality factors, year in college and grade point average, college residence, motivation, and attitudes. The most popular substance used by college students is alcohol, used by about 90% of students at least once a year. Heavy alcohol use is also prevalent, and is associated with serious, acute problems. Although alcohol use has decreased somewhat in recent years, much larger declines in use have been recorded for illicit drugs. The major proportion of research on substance use in this population has been devoted to alcohol; more information is needed on the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of illicit drug use. Suggestions for coping with problems of campus alcohol use/abuse are offered.
Comparison of methods for measuring gas-particle partitioning of semivolatile compounds

This work demonstrates several difficulties associated with sampling semivolatile aerosols. Gas-particle partition coefficients (Kp=[F/TSP]/A) of semivolatile PAHs and alkanes were estimated from chamber tests using four different sampling methods: filter-adsorbent (FA), filter–filter-adsorbent (FFA), Denuder–filter-adsorbent (DFA), and electrostatic precipitator-Adsorbent (EA). The FA, FFA, and EA sampling methods estimated Kp accurately for high concentrations of PAHs in diesel engine exhaust aerosol. The FA sampler, which used a Teflon Zeflour filter, was biased by filter adsorption of alkane gases sampled at lower concentrations, whereas the FFA sampler, which used a Teflon coated glass fiber filter, was biased by particle evaporation during the same tests. The EA sampler introduced small biases at low concentrations due to chemical artifacts from the corona, non-ideal particle collection, and evaporative loss of collected particles. The DFA sampler was biased by particle losses in the denuder for PAHs in diesel exhaust aerosol, but gave accurate estimates of Kp for alkanes measured at lower concentrations. Results from this research show that none of the methods tested was able to measure gas-particle partition coefficients accurately for each series of compounds under all sampling situations.
Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Directly Suppresses T Cell Proliferation through Impaired IL-2 Utilization and Cell Cycle Progression

Previously, we demonstrated that in vitro epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) supplementation inhibited T cell response in mouse spleen cells. In this study, we confirmed this effect of EGCG in mice fed 0.3% EGCG for 6 wk. A coculture with all the combinations of preincubating antigen-presenting cells and T cells with or without EGCG showed that EGCG suppressed antigen-induced T cell proliferation, mainly through a direct effect on T cells. To determine the mechanisms for this effect of EGCG, we stimulated purified mouse T cells with anti-CD3/CD28 in the presence of EGCG (2.5-15 micromol/L) and found that EGCG dose-dependently inhibited cell division and cell cycle progression and this effect of EGCG was more pronounced in CD4(+) than in CD8(+) T cells. Interleukin (IL)-2 concentrations in EGCG-treated cell cultures showed no difference up to 24 h but were higher in the cultures at 48 h compared with the untreated control cells. However, intracellular staining showed no difference between EGCG-treated and untreated control cells in IL-2 synthesis, but EGCG-treated cells expressed less IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) compared with untreated control cells. EGCG did not affect mRNA expression of IL-2 and IL-2R. These results indicate that EGCG-induced IL-2 accumulation in 48 h cultures is due to its reduced utilization. In summary, EGCG directly inhibits T cell proliferative response to both polyclonal and antigen-specific stimulation. CD4(+) cells are more responsive to EGCG than CD8(+) cells. Future studies should determine the effect of EGCG on CD4(+) cell subsets to assess its application in T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Insulin Resistance, Cystatin C, and Mortality Among Older Adults

OBJECTIVE Insulin resistance is a risk factor for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases. Impaired kidney function is linked with insulin resistance and may affect relationships of insulin resistance with health outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a cohort study of 3,138 Cardiovascular Health Study participants (age ≥65 years) without diabetes. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was calculated from fasting and 2-h postload insulin and glucose concentrations. Associations of ISI and fasting insulin concentration with all-cause mortality were tested using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for demographic variables, prevalent cardiovascular disease, lifestyle variables, waist circumference, and LDL cholesterol. Subsequent models were additionally adjusted for or stratified by glomerular filtration rate estimated using serum cystatin C (eGFR). RESULTS A total of 1,810 participants died during the 14.7-year median follow-up. Compared with the highest quartile of ISI, the lowest quartile (most insulin resistant) was associated with 21% (95% CI 6–41) and 11% (−3 to 29) higher risks of death without and with adjustment for eGFR, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile of fasting insulin concentration, the highest quartile was associated with 22% (4–43) and 4% (−12 to 22) higher risks of death without and with adjustment for eGFR, respectively. Similar attenuation by eGFR was observed when blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and C-reactive protein were included in models. CONCLUSIONS Insulin resistance measured as ISI or fasting insulin concentration is associated with increased risk of death among older adults, adjusting for conventional confounding characteristics. Impaired kidney function may mediate or confound this relationship.
Beyond the Futility Argument: The Fair Process Approach and Time-Limited Trials for Managing Dialysis Conflict

Futility is an ancient concept arising from Greek mythology that was resurrected for its medical application in the 1980s with the proliferation of many lifesaving technologies, including dialysis and renal transplantation. By that time, the domineering medical paternalism that characterized the pre-1960s physician-patient relationship morphed into assertive patient autonomy, and some patients began to claim the right to demand aggressive, high-technology interventions, despite physician disapproval. To counter this power struggle, the establishment of a precise definition of futility offered hope for a futility policy that would allow physicians to justify withholding or withdrawing treatment, despite patient and family objections. This article reviews the various attempts made to define medical futility and describes their limited applicability to dialysis. When futility concerns arise, physicians should recognize the opportunity to address conflict, using best practice communication skills. Physicians would also benefit from understanding the ethical principles of respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and professional integrity that underlie medical decision-making. Also reviewed is the use of a fair process approach or time-limited trial when conflict resolution cannot be achieved. These topics are addressed in the Renal Physician Association's clinical practice guideline Shared Decision-Making in the Appropriate Initiation and Withdrawal from Dialysis, with which nephrologists should be well versed. A case presentation of intractable calciphylaxis in a new dialysis patient illustrates the pitfalls of physicians not fully appreciating the ethics of medical decision-making and failing to use effective conflict management approaches in the clinical practice guideline.
Microsatellite instability testing in colorectal carcinoma: a practical guide.

In this month’s “Road Ahead” article, we continue last month’s theme that focused on the role of pathology in the care of our GI patients. Many gastroenterologists have successfully incorporated pathology into their core practices either within a business infrastructure or as part of a larger health care system. Dr Gibson and her colleagues at Yale University School of Medicine have helped inform us about a particularly difficult management problem: how to handle the genetically high-risk patients we see frequently in our hospitals and endoscopy units. New comprehensive practice guidelines concerning management of hereditary colon cancer syndromes are in development, but this short article provides a clear and concise guide for the practicing gastroenterologist.
Desert wildfire and severe drought diminish survivorship of the long-lived Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia; Agavaceae).

Extreme climate events are transforming plant communities in the desert Southwest of the United States. Abundant precipitation in 1998 associated with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) stimulated exceptional alien annual plant production in the Mojave Desert that fueled wildfires in 1999. Exacerbated by protracted drought, 80% of the burned Yucca brevifolia, a long-lived arborescent monocot, and 26% of unburned plants died at Joshua Tree National Park by 2004. Many burned plants <1 m tall died immediately, and survival of all but the tallest, oldest plants declined to the same low level by 2004. Postfire sprouting prolonged survival, but only at the wetter, high-elevation sites. During succeeding dry years, herbaceous plants were scarce, and individuals of Thomomys bottae (pocket gopher) gnawed the periderm and hollowed stems of Y. brevifolia causing many of them to topple. Thomomys bottae damage reduced plant survivorship at low-elevation, unburned sites and diminished survival of burned plants in all but the driest site, which already had low survival. Accentuated ENSO episodes and more frequent wildfires are expected for the desert Southwest and will likely shift Y. brevifolia population structure toward tall, old adults with fewer opportunities for plant recruitment, thus imperiling the persistence of this unique plant community.
Environmental control on eastern broadleaf forest species’ leaf wax distributions and D/H ratios

Abstract Local climate and environment broadly affect the deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratios of plant materials, however the degree to which an individual plant’s leaf waxes D/H ratios are affected by these parameters remains in question. Understanding these issues is particularly important in order to reconstruct past floral transitions and changes in the paleohydrologic cycle. For this study, we sampled five co-occurring tree species, Acer rubrum, Platanus occidentalis, Juniperus virginiana, Pinus taeda, and Pinus strobus and soils at forty sites along the East Coast of the US, from Florida to Maine. Hydrogen isotopic compositions of leaf wax n-alkanes, stem and surface waters were analyzed and compared against high-resolution temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit data to determine environmental controls on isotopic composition. Our results demonstrate that each tree species produce a unique distribution of n-alkanes with distinct chain length pattern. Average n-alkane chain lengths recovered from soils, A. rubrum, and J. virginiana leaves show significant correlations with mean annual temperature. δD values of A. rubrum leaf n-alkanes were strongly correlated to modeled mean annual precipitation δD values and other climate parameters related to latitude (i.e. temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit), while the δD values of J. virginiana n-alkanes were not. Differences in correspondence may reflect the timing of leaf wax synthesis between the two species. Further, soil n-alkane D/H compositions were strongly correlated to modeled mean annual precipitation δD values, while the apparent hydrogen isotopic fractionation was not. These findings indicate that the isotope ratio of n-alkanes from soils in Eastern North American forests and similar ecosystems likely represents a time-averaged value that smooth out the environmental influence any one plant experiences.
Modified CIC filter for sample rate conversion in software radio systems

Cascaded-integrator-comb (CIC) filters perform sample rate conversion (SRC) efficiently using only additions/subtractions. However, the limited number of tuning parameters may make conventional CIC filters unsuitable for SRC in software radio (SWR) systems. A simple modification to the CIC filter that enhances its SRC performance at the expense of requiring a few extra computations per output sample is proposed. Simulation results show that the modified CIC filter outperforms the conventional CIC filter for the purpose of SRC in SWR systems.
Power-factor and torque calculation with consideration of cross saturation of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor with brushless field excitation

This paper introduces a new method for calculating the power factor and output torque by considering the cross saturation between direct-axis (d-axis) and quadrature-axis (q-axis) of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM). The conventional two-axis IPMSM model is modified to include the cross saturation effect by adding the cross-coupled inductance terms. This paper also contains the new method of calculating the cross-coupled inductance values as well as self-inductance values in d- and q-axes. The analyzed motor is a high-speed brushless field excitation machine that offers high torque per ampere per core length at low speed and weakened flux at high speed, which was developed for the traction motor of a hybrid electric vehicle.
Dangerous Liaisons and other Tales from the Twilight Zone: Sex, Race, and Sorcery in Colonial Java

I have only once seen witchcraft on its path. I had been sitting late in my hut writing notes. About midnight, before retiring, I took a spear and went for my usual nocturnal stroll. I was walking in the garden at the back of my hut, amongst banana trees, when I noticed a bright light passing at the back of my servants' huts towards the homestead of a man called Tupoi. As this seemed worth investigation I followed its passage until a grass screen obscured the view. I ran quickly through my hut to the other side in order to see where the light was going to, but did not regain sight of it. I knew that only one man, a member of my household, had a lamp that might have given off so bright a light, but next morning he told me that he had neither been out late at night nor had he used his lamp. There did not lack ready informants to tell me that what I had seen was witchcraft. Shortly afterwards, on the same morning, an old relative of Tupoi and an inmate of his homestead died. This event fully explained the light I had seen. I never discovered its real origin, which was possibly a handful of grass lit by some one on his way to defecate, but the coincidence of the direction along which the light moved and the subsequent death accorded well with Zande ideas (Evans-Pritchard 1937: 34). In this extraordinary paragraph, Evans-Pritchard entices readers into sharing a field experience of witchcraft as an element of everyday life by drawing on narrative conventions of spooky tales of the supernatural. Yet after presenting witchcraft as ontologically real, he abruptly shifts discursive gears, explaining away what he saw while demoting witchcraft from a materially efficacious
Applying Pattern Approach for Solution Architecture Design: A Case Study in Retail Solution

Architecture design is an essential phase in software engineering. To effectively re-use pre-verified knowledge is critical for design high-quality architecture. Among several different approaches, architectural patterns are widely investigated as they capture the fundamental structural and behavioral principles of architecture design. Although a lot of patterns have already been defined, the application of patterns is still far from satisfaction because of lacking well-organized framework. In this paper, we introduce the IBM pattern for e-business, which provides a layered framework to organize e-business patterns and also a methodology to apply these patterns systematically across different phases of architecture design. We report a real case study of applying IBM pattern for e-business in designing a retail solution.
Writing Performance Assessments: How Important Is Extended Time?.

Students in Grades 5 and 8 completed a 30-minute writing performance assessment and a writing performance assessment completed over 3 days. Assessments were evaluated on four traits (ideas, organization, conventions, and sentence fluency). A significant interaction was found at Grade 5 between length of time allotted for the assessment and students' educational classification (general or special education). Grade 5 students performed significantly better on the 3-day writing assessment, with students in special education benefiting the most. At Grade 8, there were no differences between scores on the 30-minute and the 3-day assessments. No significant differences were found in students' writing performance across various types of discourse (narrative, imaginative, persuasive, and expository); significant differences were reported across certain writing traits. We shared three hypotheses for reported differences: (a) students' proficiency with the writing process, (b) scoring scale bias, and (c) differences in the revision behaviors of developing and mature writers. Educational implications related to statewide test programs are discussed.
Adherence to a pedometer‐based physical activity intervention following kidney transplant and impact on metabolic parameters

The majority of kidney transplant recipients die from cardiovascular events. Physical activity may be a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease following transplant. The goal of our study was to examine adherence to a physical activity intervention following kidney transplant and its impact on metabolic parameters. All patients who received a kidney transplant at our center between 12/2010 and 12/2011 received usual care (n = 162), while patients transplanted between 12/2011 and 1/2013 received a 90-day pedometer-based physical activity intervention (n = 145). Metabolic parameters were assessed at four and 12 months post-transplant. Baseline demographics and clinical management were similar between cohorts. Adherence to the prescription was 36.5%. Patients in the physical activity cohort had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure four months post-transplant compared to the usual care cohort (122 ± 18 vs. 126 ± 16 mmHg, p = 0.049 and 73 ± 10 vs. 77 ± 9, p = 0.004) and less impaired fasting glucose (20.7% vs. 30.9%, p = 0.04). Twelve-month outcomes were not different between cohorts. Over one-third of our cohort adhered to a pedometer-based physical activity intervention following kidney transplant, and the intervention was associated with improved metabolic parameters. Further study of post-transplant exercise interventions and methods to optimize long-term adherence are needed.
Histone Deacetylases (HDACs): Function, Mechanism, & Inhibition

Acetylation and deacetylation of histones provide a balance between an open conformation and a closed chromatin conformation for the regulation of transcription. This regulation is complex, but is principally regulated by histone acetylases (HATs) and deacetylases. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are of three classes. Class I are principally localized in the nucleus, where Class II members are localized both in nucleus and in cytoplasm. The Classes I and II HDACs, in addition to their well-known role in deacetylating histones for the inhibition of transcription also deacetylate lysine residues of other regulatory proteins to modulate their functions. Class III HDACs, which are also called sirtuins, are principally involved in metabolic processes and aging and also regulate other cellular functions. Activators of sirtuins show similar effects of low-calorie diet. Inhibitors of Classes I and II HDACs are utilized as drugs in many types of diseases including neurological disorders and cancer. Recent studies demonstrated that acetylation and deacetylation of histones regulate gene expression in coordination with other modifications such as ubiquitination, methylation, and phosphorylation. CpG island DNA methylation adds another complexity to the HDAC-mediated gene expression inhibition. It is hypothesized that regulation of proteins of similar functions could possibly be modulated by similar modifications. Elucidation of such common modifications may lead to identification of a signature, which is called histone code.
The Future of ErbB-1 and ErbB-2 Pathway Inhibition in Breast Cancer: Targeting Multiple Receptors

The Oncologist 2004;9(suppl 3):1-3 www.TheOncologist.com Correspondence: Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Hematology & Oncology, 3360 Ueberroth Building, Mail Code 707707, Los Angeles, California 90095-7077, USA. Telephone: 310-825-5193; Fax: 310-267-2310; e-mail: dslamon@mednet.ucla.edu Received March 26, 2004; accepted for publication April 15, 2004. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2004/$12.00/0 There is great enthusiasm in the oncology community over the discovery and use of molecules targeting cellular signaling processes. These processes are essential to cellular functions, including proliferation and differentiation. Many malignancies are characterized by abnormalities in cellular signal transduction, with dysfunction or overexpression of growth factor receptors or other elements of signaling pathways potentially resulting in increased cell survival, proliferation, invasion potential, metastasis, and angiogenesis [1, 2]. This enthusiasm is warranted, despite the fact that it has been tempered by apparent failure in the therapeutic application of some of the molecular-targeted therapies that have been developed. Clear evidence of the promise and success of this approach has been provided in studies of molecules for which we know the target to be operational in the pathogenesis of malignancy and for which drug delivery results in access to and interaction with the target sufficient to provide a pharmacologic effect. It seems likely that many of the apparent failures in therapeutic application are the result of an inability to identify appropriate patient populations—that is, those with target aberrations that are causally sufficient for expression of disease. These failures underscore the need for a better understanding of patient and disease characteristics that increase the likelihood of therapeutic response, as well as a better understanding of how the targeted signaling pathways act individually and interact with one another in the pathogenesis of the disease in which they are being evaluated. Figure 1 provides a simplified schematic of some cell signaling pathways involved in proliferation, transformation, apoptosis, motility, and metastasis and selected moleculartargeted agents that have been developed to inhibit the signaling that induces these processes. What is not made clear in such simplified schematics is that many signaling pathways appear to constitute a highly integrated network rather than a simple linear structure down a single pathway. This allows for considerable crosstalk, networking, and redundancy among pathways in cell signaling. Thus, inhibition of particular receptors known to activate certain pathways may still not result in complete or even significant inhibition of signaling or cell activation. One of the many issues to be confronted in the application of molecular-targeted therapies is whether broader target specificity is more likely to be The Oncologist
Dislocation damping after plastic deformation in interstitial-free and carbon steels

Abstract Ultrasonic resonance measurements were performed on interstitial-free and commercial carbon steels subjected to plastic deformation. Specimens had a trapped-mode cylindrical geometry which localized resonant vibrations and minimized acoustic losses into the grips of a mechanical testing machine that was attached to the ends of the specimens. Deformation induced an increase in Q −1 and a corresponding decrease in velocity that partially recovered with time. The frequency dependence and relative magnitude of velocity changes during recovery are found to be inconsistent with a single Debye form of the Granato-Lucke overdamped dislocation model. A distribution of Debye functions arising from a random distribution of pinning points also fails to explain the experimental results.
A Cupric Silver Histochemical Analysis of Domoic Acid Damage to Olfactory Pathways Following Status Epilepticus in a Rat Model for Chronic Recurrent Spontaneous Seizures and Aggressive Behavior

The amnesic shellfish toxin, domoic acid, interferes with glutamatergic pathways leading to neuronal damage, most notably causing memory loss and seizures. In this study, the authors utilized a recently developed rat model for domoic acid–induced epilepsy, an emerging disease appearing in California sea lions weeks to months after poisoning, to identify structural damage that may lead to a permanent epileptic state. Sprague Dawley rats were kindled with several low hourly intraperitoneal doses of domoic acid until a state of status epilepticus (SE) appears. This kindling approach has previously been shown to induce a permanent state of epileptic disease in 96% animals within 6 months. Three animals were selected for neurohistology a week after the initial SE. An amino cupric silver staining method using neutral red counterstain was used on every eighth 40 mm coronal section from each brain to highlight neural degeneration from the olfactory bulb through the brain stem. The most extensive damage was found in the olfactory bulb and related olfactory pathways, including the anterior/medial olfactory cortices, endopiriform nucleus, and entorhinal cortex. These findings indicate that damage to olfactory pathways is prominent in a rat model for domoic acid–induced chronic recurrent spontaneous seizures and aggressive behavior.
Heterostructure symmetry and the orientation of the quantum Hall nematic phases

Clean two-dimensional electron systems in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures exhibit anisotropic collective phases, the quantum Hall nematics, at high Landau-level occupancy and low temperatures. An as yet unknown native symmetry-breaking potential consistently orients these phases relative to the crystalline axes of the host material. Here we report an extensive set of measurements examining the role of the structural symmetries of the heterostructure in determining the orientation of the nematics. In single quantum well samples we find that neither the local symmetry of the confinement potential nor the distance between the electron system and the sample surface dictates the orientation of the nematic. In remarkable contrast, for two-dimensional electrons confined at a single heterointerface between GaAs and AlGaAs, the nematic orientation depends on the depth of the two-dimensional electron system beneath the sample surface.
Conceptual modeling of information exchange requirements based on ontological means

Unambiguous definition of the information exchanged between distributed systems is a necessary requirement for simulation system interoperability. The onto logical spectrum categorizes ontological means and shows the various degrees of support from recovery and discovery to reasoning. These means are highly applicable in support of data engineering to define information exchange requirements and therefore can increase interoperability. If the systems interfaces and resulting information exchange requirements are captured using the appropriate metadata, these ontological means can be furthermore applied to unambiguously identify exchangeable information. This allows systems to exchange information based on self-organizing principles using what they can exchange and not on mandated specifications of what they should exchange.
Revisiting loop fusion in the polyhedral framework

Loop fusion is an important compiler optimization for improving memory hierarchy performance through enabling data reuse. Traditional compilers have approached loop fusion in a manner decoupled from other high-level loop optimizations, missing several interesting solutions. Recently, the polyhedral compiler framework with its ability to compose complex transformations, has proved to be promising in performing loop optimizations for small programs. However, our experiments with large programs using state-of-the-art polyhedral compiler frameworks reveal suboptimal fusion partitions in the transformed code. We trace the reason for this to be lack of an effective cost model to choose a good fusion partitioning among the possible choices, which increase exponentially with the number of program statements. In this paper, we propose a fusion algorithm to choose good fusion partitions with two objective functions - achieving good data reuse and preserving parallelism inherent in the source code. These objectives, although targeted by previous work in traditional compilers, pose new challenges within the polyhedral compiler framework and have thus not been addressed. In our algorithm, we propose several heuristics that work effectively within the polyhedral compiler framework and allow us to achieve the proposed objectives. Experimental results show that our fusion algorithm achieves performance comparable to the existing polyhedral compilers for small kernel programs, and significantly outperforms them for large benchmark programs such as those in the SPEC benchmark suite.
Quantum Theory of Waveguides and Resonators

Thus far we have studied shot noise and thermal noise. In the case of thermal noise we extended the analysis by including Planck’s quantum postulate of energy occurring in quanta. This led to the Bose—Einstein distribution of photons, a distribution of thermal equilibrium. Then we studied the noise of classical linear systems, and determined the optimum noise performance of a linear two-port amplifier with specified internal noise. In this chapter, we begin the study of quantum noise as governed by the quantized equations of motion.
Characterizing interstate vibrational coherent dynamics of surface adsorbed catalysts by fourth-order 3D SFG spectroscopy

Abstract We report the first fourth-order 3D SFG spectroscopy of a monolayer of the catalyst Re(diCN-bpy)(CO)3Cl on a gold surface. Besides measuring the vibrational coherences of single vibrational modes, the fourth-order 3D SFG spectrum also measures the dynamics of interstate coherences and vibrational coherences states between two vibrational modes. By comparing the 3D SFG to the corresponding 2D and third-order 3D IR spectroscopy of the same molecules in solution, we found that the interstate coherences exist in both liquid and surface systems, suggesting that the interstate coherence is not disrupted by surface interactions. However, by analyzing the 3D spectral lineshape, we found that the interstate coherences also experience non-negligible homogenous dephasing dynamics that originate from surface interactions. This unique ability of determining interstate vibrational coherence dynamics of the molecular monolayer can help in understanding of how energy flows within surface catalysts and other molecular monolayers.
Updated Guidance for Palivizumab Prophylaxis

Dr Brady has disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently published an updated policy statement on the use of palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis.1,2 This updated guidance is based on new information about the effects of gestational age and other risk factors on the incidence of RSV hospitalizations. Overall, there has been a decline in the incidence of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis in the United States.3 Among infants …
Computational model of miniature pulsating heat pipes

The modeling work described herein represents Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) portion of a collaborative three-year project with Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems (NGES) and the University of Missouri to develop an advanced, thermal ground-plane (TGP), which is a device, of planar configuration, that delivers heat from a source to an ambient environment with high efficiency. Work at all three institutions was funded by DARPA/MTO; Sandia was funded under DARPA/MTO project number 015070924. This is the final report on this project for SNL. This report presents a numerical model of a pulsating heat pipe, a device employing a two phase (liquid and its vapor) working fluid confined in a closed loop channel etched/milled into a serpentine configuration in a solid metal plate. The device delivers heat from an evaporator (hot zone) to a condenser (cold zone). This new model includes key physical processes important to the operation of flat plate pulsating heat pipes (e.g. dynamic bubble nucleation, evaporation and condensation), together with conjugate heat transfer with the solid portion of the device. The model qualitatively and quantitatively predicts performance characteristics and metrics, which was demonstrated by favorable comparisons with experimental results on similar configurations. Application of the model also corroborated many previousmore » performance observations with respect to key parameters such as heat load, fill ratio and orientation.« less
High Knudsen Number Planar Jet Impingement Flows

This paper presents a gaskinetic study and analytical results on high speed rarefied planar jet impingement at a specular flat plate. The beginning of this paper reviews the results for planar free jet expanding into vacuum, followed by an investigation of jet impingement on normally set plates with a specular surface. Presented results include exact solutions for flowfield and surface properties. Numerical simulations with the direct simulation Monte Carlo method were performed to validate these analytical results, and good agreement with this is obtained for flows at high Knudsen numbers.
Bromsulphalein Dye Retention Test in Toxicological Investigations

Summary1) Fifteen minutes after administration of bromsulphalein at a dose of 10 mg/kg i.v. in rabbits, dye was present in the blood and a satisfactory determination of the dye concentration was possible. 2) Liver damage was reflected by an increased retention of bromsulphalein 15 minutes after injection of the dye.
STEM-Based Characterization of Dislocations and Stacking Faults in Structural Materials

The national initiative on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering holds great promise for accelerating the insertion of new materials in high performance structural applications. Achieving this aim relies upon the fidelity of materials models and their ability to capture the connectivity between processing, microstructure and performance. Advancements in our ability to characterize deformation mechanisms at finer length-scales are providing new insights into the governing deformation mechanisms in several important structural materials are being developed
Study of ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline electrolytes with isotope labels and sum-frequency generation

The ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR) on polycrystalline Pt catalysts in alkaline solution was studied for the first time with broadband sum-frequency generation (BB-SFG) spectroscopy. We fin...
Predicted Surface Composition and Thermodynamic Stability of MXenes in Solution

First-principles calculations are used to compare the binding energies of O, OH, and F on two-dimensional, metal carbide and nitride, or MXene, surfaces in order to predict the dependence of the thermodynamic stability of these compounds on their chemical composition. Solvation effects are implicitly included in the calculations to reproduce experimental conditions as closely as possible. The results indicate that all MXene surfaces are saturated with oxygen when exposed to H2O/HF solutions at low hydrogen chemical potential, μH, and that Sc-based MXenes can also be fluorinated in solutions of higher μH. After investigating the thermodynamic stability of all 54 MXene compounds Mn+1XnO2 (M = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta; X = C, N; n = 1, 2, 3), 38 are predicted to have formation energies below 200 meV/atom. Of these, six are predicted to have formation energies below 100 meV/atom, only one of which has been synthesized. Sc-based MXenes are found to be highly stable when their surfaces are terminated w...
Many-Body Formalism

As already noted in Chapter 39, systems of many identical particles, either bosons or fermions, form an important part of nature and, because of the required overall symmetry or antisymmetry of the many-particle wave function, these form not only important, but also very special, types of quantum-mechanical systems. Examples we have met are the many-electron system of an atom, or the many-electron system of condensed matter physics, the many nucleon-system of a nucleus, and the rnany-quark system of particle physics, All of these involve identical spin 1/2 particles and, hence, fermions. All of these identical particles have besides their orbital degrees of freedom, internal degrees of freedom such as their spin degree of freedom, but in the case of identical nucleons, an additional charge or isospin internal degree of freedom, and in the case of quarks, additional flavor (including isospin) and color degrees of freedom. Systems of identical bosons include the system of many 4He atoms, an example of a many-particle system where we may be dealing with a huge number of identical particles. Other examples of many-boson systems would include more complicated atoms, provided the identical atoms have an electron plus nucleon number that is an even number so the total atomic spin is an integer. Such systems are of particular recent interest in connection with the Bose—Einstein condensation of such atomic gases.
Vascular surgeon-hospitalist comanagement improves in-hospital mortality at the expense of increased in-hospital cost

Abstract Objective We have shown that vascular surgeon- hospitalist co management resulted in improved in-hospital mortality rates. We now aim to assess the impact of the hospitalist co management service (HCS) on healthcare cost. Methods A total of 1558 patients were divided into three cohorts and compared: 516 in 2012, 525 in 2013, and 517 in 2014. The HCS began in January 2013. Data were standardized for six vascular surgeons that were present 2012-2014. New attendings were excluded. Ten hospitalists participated. Case mix index (CMI), contribution margin, total hospital charges (THCs), length of stay (LOS), actual direct costs (ADCs), and actual variable indirect costs (AVICs) were compared. Analysis of variance with post-hoc tests, t -tests, and linear regressions were performed. Results THC rose by a mean difference of $14,578.31 between 2012 and 2014 ( P P = .0004). ADC increased more than AVIC; however, both significantly increased over time ( P = .0002 and P = .014, respectively). A mean $3326.63 increase in ADC was observed from 2012 to 2014 ( P P = .01). This increased cost was observed in the context of a higher CMI and longer LOS. CMI increased from 2.25 in 2012 to 2.53 in 2014 ( P = .006). LOS increased by a mean 1.02 days between 2012 and 2014 ( P = .016), and significantly during the study period overall ( P = .018). After adjusting for CMI, LOS increases by only 0.61 days between 2012 and 2014 ( P = .07). In a final regression model, THC is independently predicted by comanagement, CMI, and LOS. After adjusting for CMI and LOS, the increase in THC because of comanagement (2012 vs 2014) accounts for only $4073.08 of the total increase ( P P = .005), while related 30-day readmission rates decreased by ∼2% ( P = .32). Physician contribution margin remained unchanged over the 3-year period ( P = .76). The most prevalent diagnosis-related group was consistent across all years. Variation in the principal diagnosis code was observed with the prevalence of circulatory disorders because of type II diabetes replacing atherosclerosis with gangrene as the most prevalent diagnosis in 2013 and 2014 compared with 2012. Conclusions In-hospital cost is significantly higher since the start of the HCS. This surge may relate to increased CMI, LOS, and improved coding. This increase in cost may be justified as we have observed sustained reduction in in-hospital mortality and slightly improved readmission rates.
Fluid Power Control of a Hyper-Active Seat for Low-Frequency Vibration Suppression

Abstract Whole-body vibrations pose a problem to operators of off-road vehicles and heavy machinery. Current vehicle suspension systems including passive seats do not provide adequate vibration suppression for the operator. To deal with this, a three-degree-of-freedom Hyper-Active Seat is being developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology to suppress the vibrations felt by the operator. Two sets of experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential performance of the Hyper-Active Seat. First, the step response of the seat was determined for each of the three degrees of freedom. Second, the frequency response of the seat was generated to show the seat's capability of suppressing low-frequency vibrations. These two experiments characterized the roll-off frequency and damping ratio of the seat from which a system model was developed for each degree of freedom and compared to the experimental results. This model will aid in the development of a controller for vibration suppression.
Evolving treatment options for valve and aortic disease with bicuspid aortic valve.

Treatment decisions for patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) are unique for two principal reasons: (I) aortopathy with dilation of the proximal aorta is seen about 50% of cases, and frequently requires a combined repair; (II) patients are significantly younger than those undergoing treatment for acquired aortic valve disease, making the durability and lifestyle implications of treatment choices increasingly important (1). The traditional treatment for valve and aortic disease with BAV is composite or separate replacement of the valve and ascending aorta. While mechanical aortic valves are more durable, they require life-long anticoagulation. Bioprosthetic valves may be an even less attractive option for younger patients as primary valve failure has been reported in 26% of cases at 15 years (2). In this context, an alternative treatment approach with repair rather than replacement of the valve and aortic root, as proposed by Cosgrove et al. and later refined by Schafers et al. , is very appealing (3,4).