cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Curvature Law of the Wall for Swirling Axial Flows in Rotating Machinery

A new law of the wall accounting for curvature effects in swirling axial flows is derived. The influence of the curvature on the turbulence mixing lengths in both axial and tangential directions is examined theoretically using the Reynolds stress transport equations. For equilibrium flows with weak curvature, identical mixing lengths are derived for the axial and tangential directions. Additionally, the effect of finite local curvature and shear stress ratio on the near-wall velocities is systematically explored. It is found that the curvature effect in swirling axial flows is suppressed by a factor of 1/(1 +σ 2 w ,) compared to that in curved channel flows, where σ ω is the ratio of the axial to swirl shear stress. For a given curvature radius, the maximum velocity deviation occurs when the axial-to-Swirl shear stress ratio is zero. Finally, the performance of the new curvature law is evaluated by implementing it as a wall function in a well-established CFD code. The new wall function provides improved agreement for swirl velocity distributions inside labyrinth cavities in comparison with existing experimental laser Doppler anemometry measurements.
Discrete dislocation dynamics simulations of plasticity at small scales

Discrete dislocation dynamics simulations in three dimensions have been used to examine the role of dislocation multiplication and mobility on the plasticity in small samples under uniaxial compression. To account for the effects of the free surfaces a boundary-element method, with a superposition technique, was employed. Cross-slip motion of the dislocation was also included, and found to be critical to the modeling of the dislocation behavior. To compare directly with recent experiments on micropillars, simulation samples at small volumes were created by cutting them from bulk three-dimensional simulations, leading to a range of initial dislocation structures. Application was made to single-crystal nickel samples. Comparison of the simulation results and the experiments are excellent, finding essentially identical behavior. Examination of details of the dislocation mechanism illuminates many features unique to small samples and points directly to the importance of both the surface forces and cross-slip in understanding small-scale plasticity.
Effects of noun–verb conceptual/phonological relatedness on verb production changes in Broca's aphasia

Background: Individuals with Broca's aphasia show better performance on nouns than on verbs, but the distinction between nouns and verbs is not always clear; some verbs are conceptually and/or phonologically related to nouns, while others are not. Inconsistent results on effects of noun–verb relatedness on verb production have been reported in the literature. Aims: We investigated (1) whether verb instrumentality (a conceptual relationship to nouns) or homonymy (a phonological relationship to nouns) would affect verb production in individuals with Broca's aphasia and (2) whether conceptual/phonological noun–verb relationship would affect responsiveness to aphasia therapy that focused on verb production. Methods & Procedures: Three English-speaking individuals with Broca's aphasia produced 96 verbs in sentences in response to picture stimuli. The target verbs included those that use an instrument and those that do not (e.g., to hammer vs. to yawn) and verbs that are phonologically identical to a related no...
Met-enkephalin-induced vasoconstriction in the microcirculation of rat striated muscle

Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital (50 mg/kg) and the arterioles of the cremaster muscle were observed using television microscopy. Methionine (Met)-enkephalin was added to give bath concentrations of 10(-11) to 10(-7) M. Met-enkephalin caused a decrease in the diameter of first-order (127 +/- 7 microns), second-order (57 +/- 7 microns), and third-order (18 +/- 2 microns) arterioles, with the third-order arterioles showing the greatest reactivity. The effects of Met-enkephalin were attenuated by the opiate antagonist, naloxone, by the alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonists, phentolamine and prazosin, and by chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine. These results suggest that Met-enkephalin causes vasoconstriction in the striated muscle microcirculation by stimulating norepinephrine release from local nerve terminals.
Precision ‘re’arming of CD33 antibodies

In this issue of Blood , Kung Sutherland et al report on the preclinical activity of SGN-CD33A, a humanized anti-CD33 antibody conjugated to a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer via a protease-cleavable linker, against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells in vitro and in vivo.[1][1] At this time,
The role of cyclin synthesis and degradation in the control of maturation promoting factor activity

We show that cyclin plays a pivotal role in the control of mitosis. A proteolysis-resistant mutant of cyclin prevents the inactivation of maturation promoting factor and the exit from mitosis both in vivo and in vitro. We have used a fractionated extract to study the activation of MPF by added cyclin protein.
Beyond the Equality - Efficiency Tradeoff

Arthur Okun’s equality-efficiency tradeoff offers an incomplete picture of urban public policy. In a post-industrial age in which non-wealthy households are increasingly unable on their own to prepare members of the rising generation for a productive role in mainstream society, social investment is an important consideration. It poses a tradeoff between immediate private consumption and investment in society’s future well-being. Social investment refers to programs for children and youth, ranging from prenatal care and early childhood education to after-school and youth-development programs.With formal credentials assuming a greater role and with adjustment to rapid change of expanding importance, social investment can fill a vacuum left by the inadequacy of household-level capacity. Non-wealthy families lack the full gamut of resources needed to shoulder for society the responsibility of tutoring the younger generation for adult life in a world of fast-changing technology. If we assume that, for future well-being, society needs to provide a highly complex form of education for everyone, then placing this responsibility on individual households runs the risk that a decreasing portion of the younger generation will be able to assume their place as productive members of society. In a society with a highly skewed distribution of private wealth, the tide of opportunity runs heavily against the non-affluent. Serious under-investment in future generations becomes inevitable, and social investment grows in urgency.Social investment faces a feasibility challenge. It represents a collective choice and a future time orientation, involving a disjuncture between policy time and political time. This paper contains three case cases that demonstrate the political feasibility of social investment. A fragmented metropolitan setting provides a special challenge, but one that can be made more manageable by involving the intergovernmental system and non-governmental actors from the business and nonprofit worlds.
Mining the challenges of CBPR for improvements in urban health.

The public health literature has broadly established that urban settings have complex impacts on the health and well-being of their residents.1 With large numbers of people living in close proximity in urban settings, there is increased likelihood that they will affect, positively or negatively, the health of communities that reside there.2 Low-income city residents, and in particular, persons of color, bear a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart conditions, and cancer.2,3 The additional convergence of social, environmental, political, economic, and structural factors exacerbate conditions that in turn, influence behaviors and circumstances resulting in poor health outcomes.1,4 With the proportion of people living in urban areas expanding worldwide,2 attention to methods that address causes of disease, and concurrently, preserve and maximize health, is as critical as ever.5
Adding life cycles to learning curves

Abstract The price-oriented experience curve has been extensively utilized as a model in corporate planning. However, managers exercise a greater degree of control over cost than they do over price. The use of the cost-oriented learning curve together with the product life cycle model in strategic planning is explored in this paper. The Ford Motor Company's experience with the Model-T, which was the first mass-produced automobile in the U.S., is used to reinforce the fact that the simultaneous use of the product life cycle and the learning curve would have provided Ford management with better planning information. With this information, Ford could have avoided the subsequent disastrous results which it experienced.
Electron-excitation energy-dependent features in the M -series x-ray spectrum of lanthanum

$M$-series (14 to 15 \AA{}) x-ray spectra from lanthanum are presented for near-threshold electron excitation. Several structures in the spectra which are not the ordinary characteristic-x-ray lines exhibit very strong intensity and wavelength (energy-position) dependence on the energy of the exciting electrons. Consideration of a sequence of spectra recorded for closely spaced ($\ensuremath{\Delta}E=1$ eV) incident electron energies and of the shape of the continuum-limit spectrum from lanthanum for other energies show that the several structures are actually a single feature of the continuous spectrum. This linelike feature exactly follows the energy of the incident electrons and has large intensity resonances in the neighborhoods of the threshold excitation energies of the lanthanum ${M}_{5}$ and ${M}_{4}$ inner levels. The interpretation offered suggests that the observed spectral variations are due to resonances in the cross section for scattering incident electrons into vacant $4f$ levels and that these resonances exist because of the excitation of sets of excited negative-ion bound states involving $3d$ inner-shell electrons. Consequences of the observed spectral variations for valence-band x-ray spectroscopy, appearance-potential spectroscopy, and continuum-limit spectroscopy are discussed.
Uptake of antigens: Role in gastrointestinal disease

The intestine is exposed to a wide variety of macromolecules. Because macromolecules are antigenic, mechanisms have evolved in the gastrointestinal tract to regulate their absorption. Macromolecular uptake can be beneficial in delivering essential factors for growth and in sampling the antigenic milieu of the gastrointestinal tract. Specific transport mechanisms exist to execute this physiological absorption. However, inappropriate and uncontrolled antigen transport may occur in disease states, or as a prelude to disease states in the gastrointestinal tract. Such transport may result in immune responses that are harmful. In this review we examine both physiological transport of macromolecules through epithelia and through M cells. We also discuss uncontrolled transport and its relation to disease states. We conclude by examining the interrelationship between antigen transport and an altered immune system in the establishment of gastrointestinal disease.
Pontine regulation of REM sleep components in cats: integrity of the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPT) is important for phasic events but unnecessary for atonia during REM sleep.

Abstract Transection, lesion and unit recording studies have localized rapid eye movement (REM) sleep mechanisms to the pons. Recent work has emphasized the role of pontine cholinergic cells, especially those of the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPT). The present study differentiated REM sleep deficits associated with lesions of the PPT from other pontine regions implicated in REM sleep generation, including those with predominantly cholinergic vs non-cholinergic cells. Twelve hour polygraphic recordings were obtained in 18 cats before and 1–2 weeks after bilateral electrolytic or radio frequency lesions of either: (1) PPT, which contains the dorsolateral pontine cholinergic cell column; (2) laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT), which contains the dorsomedial pontine cholinergic cell column; (3) locus ceruleus (LC), which contains mostly noradrenergic cells; or (4) subceruleus (LC alpha, peri-LC alpha and the lateral tegmental field), which also contains predominantly noncholinergic cells. There were three main findings: (i) Only lesions of PPT and subceruleus significantly affected REM sleep time. These lesions produced comparable reductions in REM sleep time but influenced REM sleep components quite differently: (ii) PPT lesions, estimated to damage 90 ± 4% of cholinergic cells, reduced the number of REM sleep entrances and phasic events, including ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) spikes and rapid eye movements (REMs), but did not prevent complete atonia during REM sleep: (iii) Subceruleus lesions eliminated atonia during REM sleep. Mobility appeared to arouse the cat prematurely from REM sleep and may explain the brief duration of REM sleep epochs seen exclusively in this group. Despite the reduced amount of REM sleep, the total number of PGO spike and REM sleep entrances increased over baseline values. Collectively, the results distinguish pontine loci regulating phasic events vs atonia. PPT lesions reduced phasic events, whereas subceruleus lesions created REM sleep without atonia. Severe REM sleep deficits after large pontine lesions, including PPT and subceruleus, might be explained by simultaneous production of both REM sleep syndromes. However, extensive loss of ACh neurons in the PPT does not disrupt REM sleep atonia.
The determination of the hysteresis curve for thick tape cores

Probably the most common problem that arises when using magnetic materials concerns the prediction of the flux-time curve, for a particular core, given the current-time curve, or vice versa. Quite often, the magnetization is a periodic function of time, even in the case of the ?d-c loop,? so that the ?-I curve is a closed loop. Therefore, it can be said that the original problem is to find the ?-I loop for the above conditions.
Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Myelofibrosis Transformed to a Precursor B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report with Review of the Literature

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) comprise a group of heterogeneous clonal hematopoietic cell disorders characterized by cytopenias, bone marrow hypercellularity, and increased risk of transformation to acute leukemias. MDS usually transformed to acute myeloid leukemia, and transformation to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is rare. Herein, we report a unique patient who presented with MDS with myelofibrosis. Two months after the initial diagnosis, she progressed to a precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was treated with induction therapy followed by allogenic stem cell transplantation. She was alive and doing well upon last followup. We have also reviewed the literature and discussed the clinicopathologic features of 36 MDS patients who progressed to ALL reported in the literature.
Computer graphics in the undergraduate biology laboratory

Computer graphics use by biology undergraduate students is now a mainstay in the microanatomy course taught at Trinity University. By using desktop computer graphics, these students are able to take ownership of histological images in ways not possible just five years ago. Digital frame grabs of microscope slides serve as the basis of student produced graphics. These graphics allow the undergraduate students to dramatically improve their learning opportunities and to visualize biological microstructures. Analytical study, dimensional reconstructions, presentation graphics for laboratory practical exams, multimedia presented term projects and "digital legacies" are now a part of these students' cognitive armamentarium. A description of the activities of the class reliant on computer graphics follows.
Aspects of habitat selection in the mosquitofish gambusia affinis

Laboratory experiments were performed to determine behavioral preferences of Gambusia affinis for habitat variables in partitioned aquaria. The fish preferred calm water, dark-colored substrates and subsurface vegetation providing lateral concealment. Floating cover, which obstructed access to the surface, was avoided. Lack of preference for real over plastic plant cover indicates that visual rather than chemical cues are involved. These laboratory preferences correspond to the reported microhabitat distribution of G. affinis in nature and indicate the presence of an active habitat preference, as opposed to passive habitat correlation, in this species. Species-specific habitat preferences, which may be narrower where a species occurs sympatrically with its congeners, probably form part of a reproductive isolating mechanism.
Using Sociocultural Theory To Teach Mathematics: A Vygotskian Perspective.

This study describes an elementary teacher's implementation of sociocultural theory in practice. Communication is central to teaching with a sociocultural approach and to the understanding of students; teachers who use this theory involve students in explaining and justifying their thinking. In this study ethnographic research methods were used to collect data for 4 1/2 months in order to understand the mathematical culture of this fourth-grade class and to portray how the teacher used a sociocultural approach to teach mathematics. To portray this teaching approach, teaching episodes from the teacher's mathematics lessons are described, and these episodes are analyzed to demonstrate how students created taken-as-shared meanings of mathematics. Excerpts from interviews with the teacher are also used to describe this teacher's thinking about her teaching.
Abnormal mitral valve coaptation in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: Proposed role in systolic anterior motion of mitral valve

Abstract Two dimensional echocardiographic evaluation utilizing the apical four chamber and apical long axis views was made in 10 normal subjects and 35 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including 16 without and 19 with systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. Mitral valve leaflets were imaged throughout the cardiac cycle. The normal subjects and the patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without systolic anterior motion demonstrated mitral valve coaptation that seemed to involve the distal tip of the anterior leaflet. In contrast, patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with systolic anterior motion demonstrated abnormal coaptation, so that the posterior leaflet coapted with a mid portion of the anterior leaflet, leaving a distal “residual” anterior leaflet in the left ventricle during systole. A sharp angulation of this distal leaflet in mid systole toward the interventricular septum is thought to represent systolic anterior motion. It is speculated that abnormal mitral leaflet coaptation is necessary for development of leaflet systolic anterior motion, which Is correlated with dynamic left ventricular outflow gradients in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.
Differential acute tolerance development to effects of nitrous oxide in humans

Abstract The analgesic, subjective, and psychomotor effects of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% nitrous oxide in oxygen were studied in 10 volunteers to determine if acute tolerance developed differentially to these variables. In this prospective, randomized, crossover, double-blind study, volunteers inhaled either placebo (100% oxygen) or one of the aforementioned doses of nitrous oxide for 120 min. During this period, volunteers immersed their non-dominant forearm, for 3 min, in ice-cold water at 25, 70 and 115 min from the onset of the inhalation. At other prescribed time intervals throughout the session, mood and psychomotor performance were assessed. Subjects reported less pain intensity from the cold-water stimulus and reported the pain bothered them less as a function of increasing nitrous oxide dose; in addition, this analgesia was significantly less as the inhalation period progressed (i.e., acute tolerance). Some subjective effects of nitrous oxide that could be considered hedonic in nature (elation, drug liking) also showed evidence of acute tolerance. In contrast, other subjective effects and the psychomotor-impairing effects of nitrous oxide did not change significantly during the inhalation period (i.e., no acute tolerance). The differential acute tolerance observed in this study suggests that different effects of nitrous oxide may be mediated by different neurochemical substrates.
Real-time analysis of ureteric bud branching morphogenesis in vitro

While it is clear that the normal branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud (UB) is critical for development of the metanephric kidney, the specific patterns of branching and growth have heretofore only been inferred from static images. Here, we present a systematic time-lapse analysis of UB branching morphogenesis during the early development of the mouse kidney in organ culture. Metanephric primordia from Hoxb7/GFP transgenic embryos were cultured for 3-4 days, and GFP images of the UB taken every 30 min were assembled into movies. Analysis of these movies (available as )revealed that the UB is a highly plastic structure, which can branch in a variety of complex patterns, including terminal bifid, terminal trifid, and lateral branching. To examine kinetic parameters of branching and elongation, skeletal representations of the UB were used to measure the number of segments and branch points and the length of each segment as a function of time and of branch generation. These measurements provide a baseline for future studies on mutant kidneys with defects in renal development. To illustrate how these quantitative methods can be applied to the analysis of abnormal kidney development, we examined the effects of the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 on renal organ cultures and confirmed a previous report that the drug has a specific inhibitory effect on UB branching as opposed to elongation.
Representation of function-form relationship for the conceptual design of stamped metal parts

Design representation of parts during conceptual design stage has been a challenging task because of the incompleteness of the information available. Traditional geometric design requires too much information on the geometric attributes, and does not consider the functionality of the part any more than that provided by individual features. Functional design in the form of 〈verb, noun〉 representation does not have adequate correlation with the geometric design. In this article, we propose a new form of the design representation of parts during conceptual design. The representation is calledsketching abstraction. In this representation, the discretionary geometry of the part that has functional relevance is captured using functional features, while the non-discretionary geometry is represented using a linkage mechanism. The functional features are related to the part function using data structures calledfunction-form matrices. The sketching abstraction is annotated with a set of primitives, and a grammar has been developed that parses the sketch to extract a set of canonical relationships between the functional features. These relationships can be used to extract part designs that are functionally similar but geometrically dissimilar. The sketching abstraction has a relationship with the solid model of the part as well. Thus we attempt to bridge the gap between function and form representations and provide the designer with a tool that can be used for generating design alternatives. We illustrate the theory developed in the domain of stamped metal parts.
Power, Paradise and Fantasy

Follies of power : America's unipolar fantasy /David P. Calleo. - Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2009. - x, 176 p. - ISBN 978-0-521-76767-5 Key trends shape history for generati...
Writing Visually Through (Methodological) Events and Cartography

This article explores visual forms of writing through cartography and methodological events. As re-envisioned writing practices and textual methodologies potentially push boundaries of qualitative research, these new lines of inquiry also may respond to persisting educational challenges that confine occupational job design and career pathways in education. Various related and unrelated inquiries, representations, and practices set in motion a series of methodological events related to writing, analysis, and our researcher selves. In this article, career pathways provide one topical example that is used to focus our writing and cartographies, but we also imagine broader methodological mappings that extend beyond data on teacher career pathways. We therefore propose that writing visually through cartography may help scholars avoid recycling research and retracing existing educational policies. Furthermore, we propose that uncertain textual authority and non-linear textuality may manifest as productive analy...
Observer studies involving detection and localization: modeling, analysis, and validation.

Although the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) paradigm is the accepted method for evaluation of diagnosticimagingsystems, it has some serious shortcomings inasmuch as it is restricted to one observer report per image. By contrast the free-response ROC (FROC) paradigm and associated analysis method allows the observer to report multiple abnormalities within each imaging study, and uses the location of reported abnormalities to improve the measurement. Because the ROC method cannot accommodate multiple responses or use location information, its statistical power will suffer. The FROC paradigm/analysis has not enjoyed widespread acceptance because of concern about whether responses made to the same diagnostic study can be treated as independent. We propose a new jackknife FROC analysis method (JAFROC) that does not make the independence assumption. The new analysis method combines elements of FROC and the Dorfman–Berbaum–Metz (DBM) methods. To compare JAFROC to an earlier free-response analysis method (specifically the alternative free-response, or AFROC method), and to the DBM method, which uses conventional ROC scoring, we developed a model for generating simulated FROC data. The simulation model is based on an eye-movement model of how experts evaluate images. It allowed us to examine null hypothesis (NH) behavior and statistical power of the different methods. We found that AFROC analysis did not pass the NH test, being unduly conservative. Both the JAFROC method and the DBM method passed the NH test, but JAFROC had more statistical power than the DBM method. The results of this comparison suggest that future studies of diagnostic performance may enjoy improved statistical power or reduced sample size requirements through the use of the JAFROC method.
Contribution of concentration-dependent surface diffusion to rate of adsorption

Abstract A model is presented which describes the intraparticle mass transfer considering both gas phase and adsorbed-phase diffusion. The model accounts for the concentration dependence of surface diffusion, and uses the Langmuir isotherm to describe the adsorption equilibria. A parametric study is presented showing the effects of various variables on the overall uptake curve and intraparticle concentration profiles. It is shown that surface diffusion contributes significantly to the overall intraparticle mass transfer. More importantly, inclusion of concentration dependence of surface diffusivity in the model influence significantly both the overall uptake and the intraparticle concentration profiles. The overall effect of concentration dependence of surface diffusivity is to enhance the rate of uptake during adsorption, and decrease it during desorption. Also, experimental uptake curves are presented for n -hexane on BPL activated carbon at two temperatures, and the data are correlated with the model. The surface diffusivities calculated from the model ignoring the concentration dependence of surface diffusivity are higher by a factor of 2–3 compared to the correct values obtained from the concentration-dependent model.
Channelling the ‘Other’: an embodied approach to teaching across cultures

This essay discusses issues of cultural difference in dance studies and presents specific pedagogical strategies for engaging the students' embodied knowledge as a research tool in both historical and cross-cultural investigations.
Studies on the serology of schistosomiasis. I. The in vitro activity of cercariae and miracidia in serum of experimental, natural, and immunized hosts.

Abstract The pericercarial membrane that forms around cercariae in sera of animals infected with schistosomes has been studied in a variety of sera. Antigen from several stages in the life cycle of two species of schistosomes were effective in invoking antibody in rabbits. The CHR was detected in a number of hosts from 10–52 days after exposure. The antigen in the parasite is fairly stable and will withstand a variety of treatments without losing activity. CHR activity of a serum can be absorbed with living cercariae or a cercarial homogenate that has been heated at 94 °C for 30 minutes. CHR of a serum from a patient infected with S. haematobium was better with cercariae of S. mansoni than cercariae of S. douthitti. The CHR of monkeys exposed to cercariae of S. douthitti was positive after 15 days and sera of rabbits exposed to cercariae of S. mansoni after 10 days. The miracidial immobilization test was more sensitive than the CHR in the detection of antibody in animals infected or immunized with schistosome antigens. Normal vertebrate sera contain non-specific miracidicidal substances that, with one exception (the horse), are destroyed or weakened by heating at 56 °C for 30 minutes.
Emotional and developmental aspects of human figure drawings in predicting school readiness

It was hypothesized that the combined use of Koppitz' developmental and emotional scores can improve the prediction of school readiness from children's Human Figure Drawings (HFD) when compared with each measure separately. The relationship of SES to HFD scores was also investigated. Multiple regression analysis was used with four factors—developmental score, emotional score, sex of the child, and SES of the school— to derive comparative correlations to test the hypotheses and to create a prediction equation to estimate the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT) scores of 141 kindergarten students ages 5 to 6 years representing three SES levels. Hit rate data were also presented. The results showed that the correlation for the combined developmental and emotional scores with the MRT score was not different than their separate correlations with the MRT. The SES factor was found to be significantly correlated (p < .01) with both developmental and emotional scores. The best single variable predictor of MRT scores was SES. The application of Bayes' Theorem of probability to the hit rate data showed that the nonreadiness predictions yielded by the developmental score, emotional score, and their combination are not better than chance predictions. Thus, it was found that Koppitz' developmental or emotional scoring systems are not viable screening instruments.
Adolescent medicine education in pediatric residency programs following the 1978 Task Force on Pediatric Education report.

Abstract In 1982, the Society for Adolescent Medicine initiated a survey of all pediatric residencies in the United States and Canada to determine: 1) if there had been an increase in the amount and quality of adolescent medicine training since the 1978 report by the Task Force on Pediatric Education; 2) if pediatric departments were assuming responsibility for the care of adolescents; and 3) the curriculum objectives for adolescent medicine (AM), the educational methods used, and whether program graduates (PGs) felt competent to care for adolescents. One hundred directors and 72 recent graduates completed an initial questionnaire. A follow-up telephone survey of program directors (PDs) who did not respond resulted in 109 completed interviews. The survey results suggest a favorable trend in AM training. Evidence of this favorable trend includes: 1) a 10% increase ( p p p p
Thermal and optical electron transfer involving transition metal complexes: insights from theory and computation

Abstract Current theories of electron transfer (ET) kinetics in conjunction with techniques of computational quantum chemistry are reviewed and applied to the analysis of thermal and optical ET processes involving transition metal complexes (TMCs). The roles of geometrical and electronic structure in controlling the relevant energetics and electronic coupling are discussed, and a number of limiting cases of kinetic behavior are displayed. Particular attention is paid to the formulation of the initial and final states involved in the ET, including the consequences of near-degeneracy and spin–orbit coupling. The roles of metal/ligand mixing and other types of ‘mediation’ of donor/acceptor coupling by molecular spacers are noted and illustrated with calculated results. An example of a detailed computation of activation parameters is also presented, including entropic effects and nuclear tunnelling.
Effect of dexamethasone on the duration of interscalene nerve blocks with ropivacaine or bupivacaine

Background Pain after shoulder surgery is often treated with interscalene nerve blocks. Single-injection blocks are effective, but time-limited. Adjuncts such as dexamethasone may help. We thus tested the hypothesis that adding dexamethasone significantly prolongs the duration of ropivacaine and bupivacaine analgesia and that the magnitude of the effect differs among the two local anaesthetics. Methods In a double-blinded trial utilizing single-injection interscalene block, patients were randomized to one of four groups: (i) ropivacaine: 0.5% ropivacaine; (ii) bupivacaine: 0.5% bupivacaine; (iii) ropivacaine and steroid: 0.5% ropivacaine mixed with dexamethasone 8 mg; and (iv) bupivacaine and steroid: 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with dexamethasone 8 mg. The primary outcome was time to first analgesic request after post-anaesthesia care unit discharge. The Kaplan–Meier survival density estimation and stratified Cox's proportional hazard regression were used to compare groups. Results Dexamethasone significantly prolonged the duration of analgesia of both ropivacaine [median (inter-quartile range) 11.8 (9.7, 13.8) vs 22.2 (18.0, 28.6) h, log-rank P Conclusions Dexamethasone prolongs analgesia from interscalene blocks using ropivacaine or bupivacaine, with the effect being stronger with ropivacaine. However, block duration was longer with plain bupivacaine than ropivacaine. Thus, although dexamethasone prolonged the action of ropivacaine more than that of bupivacaine, the combined effect of dexamethasone and either drug produced nearly the same 22 h of analgesia.
The Effect of CO(2) and KTP laser on the cat saccule and utricle.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To assess the potential carbon dioxide (CO2) and potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser-related trauma to the saccule and utricle in a cat model. Study Design: Basic science experiment utilizing cat model. Methods: Twelve adult male cats were divided into two groups—CO2 and KTP—to assess the potential saccule and/or utricle trauma with direct discharge of laser energy into the vestibule after the stapes was removed. Both groups were subdivided to assess the effects with acute sacrifice and three-month survival. Bone conduction auditory brain-stem response thresholds were used to monitor auditory function. Clinical observation was used to monitor vestibular function. The temporal bones were harvested, processed, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) in all animals with the uninvolved side serving as the control. Results: None of the animals demonstrated changes in bone conduction auditory brain-stem responses. None of the animals in the survival group demonstrated clinical vestibular dysfunction. Saccular and utricular wall rupture was observed in all animals sacrificed acutely. None of the saccular and utricular wall ruptures were of a size and location that could be attributed to laser trauma, and none of the saccular and utricular wall ruptures were associated with neuroepithelial trauma. Conclusions: There is no evidence of a difference between the CO2 and KTP laser in potential laser-related trauma. Using bone-conducting auditory brain-stem response threshold and clinical monitoring of vestibular function, there was no evidence of clinical auditory or vestibular dysfunction. The histologic evidence of saccular and utricular wall rupture is more consistent with stapes extraction trauma than laser-related trauma. Laryngoscope, 2009
Can pharmacogenomics improve malaria drug policy

Coordinated global efforts to prevent and control malaria have been a tour-de-force for public health, but success appears to have reached a plateau in many parts of the world. While this is a multifaceted problem, policy strategies have largely ignored genetic variations in humans as a factor that influences both selection and dosing of antimalarial drugs. This includes attempts to decrease toxicity, increase effectiveness and reduce the development of drug resistance, thereby lowering health care costs. We review the potential hurdles to developing and implementing pharmacogenetic-guided policies at a national or regional scale for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria. We also consider current knowledge on some component drugs of artemisinin combination therapies and ways to increase our understanding of host genetics, with the goal of guiding policy decisions for drug selection.
Micromachined circuits for millimeter- and sub-millimeter-wave applications

Two approaches for the development of micromachined circuits for millimeter- and submillimeter-wave applications are discussed. These technologies provide a means to overcome the drawbacks typically associated with conventional planar transmission lines, such as microstrip and coplanar waveguides. Examples demonstrating the use of micromachining to effectively incorporate a third dimension into the geometry of monolithic circuits are presented. This introduces additional parameters in the design and results in structures with superior electrical performance, such as membrane-supported circuits, and reduced volume and weight, such as micromachined-shielded circuits. Micromachined circuits which incorporate miniaturized shielding packages in a monolithic design are described. The performance of these circuits shows that the low-volume, low-weight packaging is effective in reducing signal loss, without degrading the desired frequency response. >
Efficacy and safety of ingredients found in preworkout supplements

Purpose Published evidence on common ingredients of “energy drinks” and other dietary supplements widely used by consumers in hopes of enhancing athletic performance is reviewed. Summary Preworkout products— unregulated dietary supplements— typically contain “proprietary blends” of multiple ingredients, including caffeine, dimethylamylamine, creatine, arginine, β-alanine, taurine, and phosphates. While some dietary supplement labels instruct consumers to seek the advice of a health care professional before using the products, the labels usually do not disclose all ingredients or their precise amounts, and evidence to support the purported performance-enhancing benefits is generally lacking. There is limited evidence to support the use of some preworkout supplement ingredients. For example, in one small placebo-controlled study ( n = 12), the use of the energy drink Red Bull (containing caffeine and taurine) 40 minutes before a simulated cycling time trial appeared to provide a meaningful ergogenic benefit; in another small study ( n = 12), the use of a similar caffeine-containing product (Redline) by strength-trained athletes was found to improve reaction time, energy, and mental focus relative to placebo use. However, published evidence on the use of the other ingredients listed above is scant, inconclusive, or conflicting. Adverse effects reported in association with preworkout supplements include gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac arrhythmia, blood pressure increases, and potential effects on lipids and blood glucose. Conclusion Although evidence exists to support the performance-enhancement efficacy of some preworkout ingredients as standalone agents, published data on combination products are scant, inconclusive, or conflicting. The safety of these products may be compromised if users consume larger-than-recommended amounts or use more than one product.
Shape switching of hollow layer-by-layer hydrogel microcontainers

We present a novel type of ultrathin hydrogel microcapsules with pH-triggered shape switch. The capsules are produced as hollow hydrogel replicas of cubical inorganic templates and capable of keeping cubical geometries at neutral pH but transform into bulged structures at basic pH.
DNA Double-Strand Break Repair at −15°C

ABSTRACT The survival of microorganisms in ancient glacial ice and permafrost has been ascribed to their ability to persist in a dormant, metabolically inert state. An alternative possibility, supported by experimental data, is that microorganisms in frozen matrices are able to sustain a level of metabolic function that is sufficient for cellular repair and maintenance. To examine this experimentally, frozen populations of Psychrobacter arcticus 273-4 were exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) to simulate the damage incurred from natural background IR sources in the permafrost environment from over ∼225 kiloyears (ky). High-molecular-weight DNA was fragmented by exposure to 450 Gy of IR, which introduced an average of 16 double-strand breaks (DSBs) per chromosome. During incubation at −15°C for 505 days, P. arcticus repaired DNA DSBs in the absence of net growth. Based on the time frame for the assembly of genomic fragments by P. arcticus, the rate of DNA DSB repair was estimated at 7 to 10 DSBs year −1 under the conditions tested. Our results provide direct evidence for the repair of DNA lesions, extending the range of complex biochemical reactions known to occur in bacteria at frozen temperatures. Provided that sufficient energy and nutrient sources are available, a functional DNA repair mechanism would allow cells to maintain genome integrity and augment microbial survival in icy terrestrial or extraterrestrial environments.
PROTEIN‐CALCIUM BINDING AND ITS EFFECT ON SEVERAL FOOD PROTEIN PROPERTIES, MOLECULAR WEIGHTS AND ISOELECTRIC POINTS1

A study was conducted to evaluate the mode of calcium-binding to four food protein sources. Following calcium-binding at pH levels of 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, samples were evaluated for changes in the approximate molecular and subunit weight and in the isoelectric point of the soluble proteins. Data presented show that there were subunit interactions during the various pH incubations. This was especially true for the soy and wheat gluten proteins. Isoelectric points were found to decrease for soy, wheat, and leaf proteins after calcium binding.
Centralized model predictive control strategies for inventory management in semiconductor manufacturing supply chains

Centralized strategies based on model predictive control (MPC) are applied to inventory management problems associated with semiconductor supply chains. Specifically, two benchmark problems of relevance to semiconductor manufacturing are examined. The first one is a single product, two node problem consisting of a fab/sort and an assembly/test facility controlled with a predictive controller using anticipation. The performance of the control scheme under conditions of plant-model mismatch, and unforeseen demand are evaluated. The insights gained from this problem are used in the design of a centralized MPC controller for a four node problem involving two interconnected fab/sort and assembly/test facilities. In this latter problem, inventory management of wafer, die, and package inventories are considered.
Classification, Natural History, and Evolution of the Epiphloeinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Part VIII. The Genera Acanthocollum Opitz, Stegnoclava Opitz, and Ichnea Laporte

ABSTRACT The checkered beetle genera Acanthocollum Opitz and Stegnoclava Opitz are redescribed and the genus Ichnea Laporte is revised for the first time. The monotypic genus Acanthocollum contains A. melanurum (Klug). Stegnoclava includes one previously described species, S. fumigata (Gorham), and two species describe herein, S. velatis Opitz, new species, and S. zorropsis Opitz, new species. Ichnea is comprised of 14 previously described species and five new species. The previously described species are I. aequinoctialis Spinola, I. aterrima (Klug), I. digna Wolcott, I. dimidiatipennis Spinola, I. divisa (Chevrolat), I. frenata (Erichson), I. incerta Gorham, I. lycoides Laporte, I. marginella (Klug), I. mimica Gorham, I. opaca (Klug), I. plumbea Gorham, I. praeusta (Klug), and I. procera Schenkling. The species of Ichnea described herein are I. acanthomelina Opitz, new species, I. atra Opitz, new species, I. callanga Opitz, new species, I. gregata Opitz, new species, and I. gremia Opitz, new species. Se...
Ontogeny of total body oxygen stores and aerobic dive potential in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

Two key factors influence the diving and hence foraging ability of marine mammals: increased oxygen stores prolong aerobic metabolism and decreased metabolism slows rate of fuel consumption. In young animals, foraging ability may be physiologically limited due to low total body oxygen stores and high mass specific metabolic rates. To examine the development of dive physiology in Steller sea lions, total body oxygen stores were measured in animals from 1 to 29 months of age and used to estimate aerobic dive limit (ADL). Blood oxygen stores were determined by measuring hematocrit, hemoglobin, and plasma volume, while muscle oxygen stores were determined by measuring myoglobin concentration and total muscle mass. Around 2 years of age, juveniles attained mass specific total body oxygen stores that were similar to those of adult females; however, their estimated ADL remained less than that of adults, most likely due to their smaller size and higher mass specific metabolic rates. These findings indicate that juvenile Steller sea lion oxygen stores remain immature for more than a year, and therefore may constrain dive behavior during the transition to nutritional independence.
Grass competition suppresses savanna tree growth across multiple demographic stages

Savanna ecosystems, defined by the codominance of trees and grasses, cover one-fifth of the world's land surface and are of great socioeconomic and biological importance. Yet, the fundamental question of how trees and grasses coexist to maintain the savanna state remains poorly understood. Many models have been put forward to explain tree-grass coexistence, but nearly all have assumed that grasses do not limit tree growth and demography beyond the sapling stage. This assumption, however, has rarely been tested. Here I show that grass can strongly suppress the growth of trees. I removed grass around trees of three size classes in an Acacia drepanolobium savanna in Laikipia, Kenya. For even the largest trees, grass removal led to a doubling in growth and a doubling in the probability of transitioning to the next size class over two years. These results suggest that grass competition in productive (nutrient-rich) savannas may limit tree growth as much as herbivory and fire (the main factors thought to determine tree demography within a rainfall region) and should be incorporated into savanna models if tree-grass coexistence and savanna dynamics are to be understood.