cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, trends and functional impairment associated with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria among the oldest-old U.S. adults.

Abstract Background The prevalence of reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among U.S. adults aged 80 years and older increased between 1988 to 1994 and 2005 to 2010. Trends in the prevalence of albuminuria over this time period have not been reported in this population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of U.S. adults aged 80 years and older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1988 to 1994 (n = 1020), 1999 to 2004 (n = 995) and 2005 to 2010 (n = 971) to calculate the prevalence of albuminuria (albumin-to-creatinine ratio [ACR] ≥ 30 mg/g) by calendar period. The number of U.S. adults aged 80 years and older with elevated ACR and separately reduced eGFR was calculated by calendar period. Results Among participants aged 80 years and older, the prevalence of albuminuria was 30.9%, 33.0% and 30.6% in 1988 to 1994, 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2010 ( P = 0.9). The proportion of U.S. adults aged 80 years and older with both eGFR − 2 and ACR ≥ 30 mg/g increased from 6.8% in 1988 to 1994 to 8.4% and 9.5% in 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2010, respectively ( P = 0.008). In 1988 to 1994, 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2010, there were 1.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–2.27), 2.35 (95% CI, 1.93-2.78) and 2.74 (95% CI, 2.32–3.16) million U.S. adults aged 80 years older with albuminuria and 2.34 (95% CI, 1.79–2.89), 3.55 (95% CI, 2.96–4.14) and 4.58 (95% CI, 3.87–5.28) million, respectively, with eGFR − 2 . Conclusions The proportion of U.S. adults aged 80 years and older with an elevated ACR remained relatively stable between 1988 to 1994 and 2005 to 2010. However, due to the growth of the oldest-old, the absolute number with albuminuria increased substantially over the past 2 decades.
Realization of embedded capacitors using polymer matrix composites with barium titanate as high-k-active filler

Polymer matrix composites (PMC) with barium titanate as high-k-active filler have high potential in embedded capacitors within a printing circuit board (PCB) enabling high permittivity values and low loss factors. These PMCs allows for the use of established polymer processing techniques like screen printing and curing, which are compatible to the established PCB-materials and shaping processes. In this work a process chain, starting with a material optimization of the nano-sized barium titanate, dispersed in an unsaturated polyester-styrene reactive resin, and a further specific process development, will be presented. With respect to the optimization of the individual process steps the flow behaviour of the uncured composite, the polymerization process and the dielectric properties were characterized comprehensively. Using a composite with a barium titanate filler load of 74 wt% allows for a dielectric layer formation by a modified screen printing technique. After capacitor mounting and composite curing an initial capacity density of 13.3 pF/mm² could be achieved.
Conformational Properties and Entropic Partitioning of Topologically Complex Polymers under Confinement

The effect of molecular topology on the properties of isolated polymer chains trapped in a repulsive slit was investigated using off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations. Three different chain architect...
Coal Desulfurization with Sodium Hypochlorite

Wet desulfurization of Pittsburgh No. 8 coal and Illinois No. 6 coal were conducted with sodium hypochlorite in the laboratory. Pittsburgh No. 8 coal was leached by hypochlorite at high pHs in one ...
Dynamics of the Photogenerated Hole at the Rutile TiO 2 (110)/Water Interface: A Nonadiabatic Simulation Study

Hydrogen production in photoelectrochemical cells constitutes an important avenue toward carbon-free fuel. The most convenient process for hydrogen production is the splitting of water molecules, which necessitates a catalytic reaction involving a semiconductor. Here, we introduce a framework for the study of photocatalyzed reactions on semiconductor surfaces based on time-dependent density functional theory that explicitly accounts for the evolution of electronically excited states. Within this framework, we investigate the possibility of hole-mediated splitting of molecularly adsorbed water on a representative metal oxide surface—the rutile TiO2(110). We find that oxidative dehydrogenation of water is possible in synergy with thermal effects at temperatures between 60 and 100 K only when defects like Ti interstitials are present in the subsurface region. This study presents a general computational strategy for describing photoexcited semiconductor/adsorbate interfaces and also demonstrates that the occu...
Fibrillar β-amyloid evokes oxidative damage in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Beta-amyloid is one of the most significant features of Alzheimer's disease, and has been considered to play a pivotal role in neurodegeneration through an unknown mechanism. However, it has been noted that beta-amyloid accumulation is associated with markers of oxidative stress including protein oxidation (Smith et al., 1997), lipid peroxidation (Mark et al., 1997; Sayre et al., 1997), advanced glycation end products (Smith et al., 1994), and oxidation of nucleic acids (Nunomura et al., 1999). Furthermore, studies from cultured cells have shown that beta-amyloid leads to an increase in hydrogen peroxide levels (Behl et al., 1994), and the production of reactive oxygen intermediates (Harris et al., 1995). Taken together, this evidence supports the idea that beta-amyloid plays a key role in oxidative stress-evoked neuropathology. In this study, we examined the induction of oxidative stress in response to amyloid load in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The mice carrying mutant amyloid precursor protein and presenilins-1 (Goate et al., 1991; Hardy, 1997), develops beta-amyloid deposits at 10-12 weeks of age and show several features of the human disease (Holcomb et al., 1998; Matsuoka et al., 2001; McGowan et al., 1999; Takeuchi et al., 2000; Wong et al., 1999). Both 3-nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (protein and lipid oxidative stress markers, respectively) associate strongly with fibrillar beta-amyloid, but not with diffuse (thioflavine S negative) beta-amyloid, and the levels increase in relation to the age-associated increase in fibrillar amyloid load.From these data we suggest that fibrillar beta-amyloid is associated with oxidative damage which may influence disease progression in the Alzheimer's disease brain.
Statistically linearized optimal control of an electromagnetic vibratory energy harvester

In this paper, an extension of linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) control theory is used to determine the optimal state feedback controller for a vibratory energy harvesting system with Coulomb friction. Specifically, the energy harvester is a base-excited single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) resonant oscillator with an electromagnetic transducer attached between the base and the moving mass. The development of the optimal controller for this system is based on statistical linearization, whereby the Coulomb friction force is replaced by an equivalent linear viscous damping term, which is calculated from the stationary covariance of the closed-loop system. It is shown that the covariance matrix and optimal feedback gain matrix can be computed by implementing an iterative algorithm involving linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Furthermore, this theory is augmented to account for a non-quadratic dissipation in the electronics used to control the energy conversion. Simulation results are presented for the SDOF energy harvester in which the performance of the optimal state feedback control law is compared to the performance of the optimal static admittance over a range of disturbance bandwidths.
The Nature of Teacher Talk in Early Childhood Classrooms and Its Relationship to Children's Play With Objects and Peers

The nature of teacher talk in early childhood classrooms as well as how such talk is related to children's level of play with objects and peers during free play was examined. The purpose of the study was to determine what levels of teacher talk were related to child functioning. Eighty-nine children (42 girls, 47 boys; age range = 31 through 63 months) enrolled in three early childhood programs participated in the study. Results demonstrated that when teachers are within 3 ft of a child, they do not talk to that child 81% of the time and they talk at high levels 18% of the time. Although previous research suggests that high-level teacher talk should be related to high-level play with objects, the results indicated that high-level teacher talk was related to lower levels of play with objects and unrelated to play with peers on the part of the children.
Primary culture of normal rat mammary epithelial cells within a basement membrane matrix. II, Functional differentiation under serum-free conditions

A serum-free primary culture system is described which allows normal rat mammary epithelial cells (RMECs) embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane to undergo extensive growth and functional differentiation as detected by synthesis and secretion of the milk products casein and lipid. RMECs isolated from mammary glands of immature virgin rats were seeded within an extracellular matrix preparation derived from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma and cultured in a serum-free medium consisting of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium-F12 containing insulin, prolactin, progesterone, hydrocortisone, epidermal growth factor, bovine serum albumin, transferrin, and ascorbic acid. Casein synthesis and secretion were documented at the electron microscopic level as well as by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay using a polyclonal antibody against total rat caseins. Numerous secretory vesicles with casein micelles were noted near the apical surface of the RMECs, and secreted casein was observed in the lumen. These ultrastructural data were confirmed by the ELISA assay which showed that microgram amounts of casein per well were synthesized by the RMECs and that the amount of casein increased with time in culture. Using immunoblot analysis it was demonstrated that the full complement of casein proteins was synthesized. In addition to casein protein, β-casein mRNA levels were shown to increase with time. Synthesized lipid was detected at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Phase contrast photomicrographs demonstrated extensive intracellular lipid accumulation within the ductal and lobuloalveolarlike colonies, and at the electron micrograph level, lipid droplets were predominantly localized near the apical surface of the RMECs. The lipid nature of these droplets was verified by oil red O staining. Results from this study demonstrate that RMECs from immature virgin rats proliferate extensively and rapidly develop the capacity to synthesize and secrete casein and lipid when grown within a reconstituted basement membrane under defined serum-free conditions. This unique system should thus serve as an excellent model in which the regulation of mammary development and gene expression can be investigated.
NETWORK II.5 tutorial

This tutorial will acquaint the reader with a powerful modelling tool which can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to simulate a computer system. The NETWORK 11.5 world view and the class of problems it addresses will be discussed. A summary of NETWORK 11.5 capabilities will be presented. To tie the tutorial concepts together, an example of using NETWORK 11.5 is included.
Need for medical and psychosocial services among injection drug users: a comparative study of needle exchange and methadone maintenance.

This study compares the prevalence of perceived and unmet needs of HIV-negative injection drug users (IDUs) not receiving drug treatment (n = 251) and those recruited from a methadone maintenance program (n = 312) in 1998. We studied self-reported needs for six community services: medical, mental health, housing, income assistance, alcohol treatment, and drug treatment. Respondents reported the highest levels of need for mental health and housing services. Ninety-four percent of out-of-treatment IDUs reported having at least one need compared to 62% of methadone clients (p < .001). Across all reported service needs, at least 69% of respondents in both cohorts reported their needs were unmet. While HIV-infected drug users receive assistance through the Ryan White CARE Act, these findings suggest that seronegative drug users may benefit from similar community service programs.
Improvement of gate drive for self-power emitter turn-off thyristor (SPETO)

Self-power emitter turn-off thyristor (SPETO) is a high power switching device which could provide power for its gate drive during operation. Self-power function reduces the system cost and makes the mechanical structure compact, whereas it may bring extra harmonic when SPETO is being utilized in power utilities. In this paper, the impact of self-power function on extra harmonic is analyzed. The ideas to improve SPETO gate drive hence reduce extra harmonic are presented and verified by simulation.
Myeloid sarcoma of the upper extremity causing compartment syndrome: a case report.

Myeloid sarcoma, also known as chloroma, granulocytic sarcoma, or myeloblastoma, is a rare, solid neoplasm comprised of immature extramedullary granulocytic cells, seen most frequently as a manifestation of myeloid leukemia. It often occurs either as the presenting symptom of leukemia, or as the harbinger of leukemia to come several months later, developing at some point in the disease course of 2% to 8% of patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia overall. When occurring in patients without overt systemic signs of leukemia, the average time to the development of systemic disease is less than 1 year.1,2 Common sites of disease include the soft tissues, skin, bone, and lymph nodes. Less commonly, myeloid sarcoma can be seen in the intestines, mediastinum, epidural space, uterus, or ovary.3-6 Myeloid sarcoma presenting in the extremities is extremely rare. In this report we detail the unusual presentation of a compartment syndrome as the index presentation of a myeloid sarcoma in the soft tissues of the upper extremity.
Effects of overtraining, irrelevant stimuli, and training task on reversal discrimination learning in children☆

Abstract In Exp. I the effects of overtraining, number of variable irrelevant dimensions, and type of two-choice simultaneous discrimination task on the reversal learning of second-grade children were investigated. Overtraining facilitated reversal learning for color and form (nonspatial) discriminations and had only a slight effect on spatial discriminations. Increasing the number of irrelevant dimensions enhanced, although not significantly, the overtraining reversal effect (ORE) found with nonspatial problems. In Exp. 2 kindergarten children were tested on a spatial discrimination with either zero or two irrelevant dimensions and then administered a reversal shift with half of the S s receiving overtraining on Problem 1. Two irrelevant dimensions retarded original learning and overtraining retarded reversal learning. The data were interpreted as being consistent with mediational models of discrimination learning provided certain assumptions concerning the perceptual dominance of positional cues were made.
The reactions of alkylene oxides with various butyl and other alcohols

Acid-catalyzed additions of ethylene oxide to various isomeric butyl alcohols were observed to agree with the Poisson equation and the products were relatively unaffected in composition by changes in the reactants or reaction conditions. Base-catalyzed reactions yielded products whose composition could be more closely approximated by Weibull and Nycander’s equations. The product composition, although largely independent of reaction conditions, varied with the structure of the starting alcohol. Good correlation was found between the relative acidities of the starting alcohols and their reaction products and Weibull-Nycander distribution constants for base-catalyzed reactions of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. It is believed that the relative acidities of the alcohol and its epoxide adduct influence the product composition through the equilibrium reaction:
Simulation of the diffraction characteristics of a one-dimensional dual-periodicity superlattice

Abstract The diffraction characteristics of a dual-periodicity superlattice—a diffraction grating whose unit cell contains two different regions, one homogeneous and the other periodically nonhomogeneous—were numerically simulated. After choosing the second region to have sinusoidally varying permittivity, the widely used rigorous coupled-wave approach was applied to compute the reflection and transmission efficiency spectrums. An extensive parametric study revealed that the dual-periodicity superlattice exhibits anomalies in the long-wavelength regime which can be considered to be resonance anomalies (RAs), which are distinct from the Rayleigh–Wood anomalies. Also, double-periodicity superlattices exhibit RAs at higher wavelengths than single-periodicity superlattices.
Priming and Frequency Estimation A Strict Test of the Availability Heuristic

An experiment was conducted as a strict test of the availability heuristic. The availability of words containing a particular kiter was directly manipulated through a subliminal priming procedure. Subjects primed with words containing the letter T later judged the letter T to occur more frequently in the English language than did unprimed subjects. The data provide direct evidence regarding the mediating process underlying use of the availability heuristic. Ease of retrieval forms the basis for frequency estimation.
Combustion of coal particles in wall-burning swirl combustors☆

Abstract An approximate analysis is made of the performance of the wall-burning coal combustors. The results show that the swirl number plays a more important role than the char gasification chemical kinetics in determining the overall gasification rate. At high pressures, the wall-burning combustors may not be as efficient as the gas-stream combustors. The situation, on the other hand, may be reversed at the lower pressures.
Locking the active conformation of c-Src kinase through the phosphorylation of the activation loop.

Molecular dynamics umbrella sampling simulations are used to compare the relative stability of the active conformation of the catalytic domain of c-Src kinase while the tyrosine 416 in the activation loop (A-loop) is either unphosphorylated or phosphorylated. When the A-loop is unphosphorylated, there is considerable flexibility of the kinase. While the active conformation of the kinase is not forbidden and can be visited transiently, it is not the predominant state. This is consistent with the view that c-Src displays some catalytic activity even when the A-loop is unphosphorylated. In contrast, phosphorylation of the A-loop contributes to stabilize several structural features that are critical for catalysis, such as the hydrophobic regulatory spine, the HRD motif, and the electrostatic switch. In summary, the free-energy landscape calculations demonstrate that phosphorylation of tyrosine 416 in the A-loop essentially “locks” the kinase into its catalytically competent conformation.
Nuclear translocation kinetics of NF-κB in macrophages challenged with pathogens in a microfluidic platform

We have developed a microfluidic platform for real-time imaging of host–pathogen interactions and cellular signaling events. Host cells are immobilized in a controlled environment for optical interrogation of the kinetics and stochasticity of immune response to pathogenic challenges. Here, we have quantitatively measured activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway in RAW264.7 murine macrophage-like cells. This was achieved by measuring the cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation kinetics of a green fluorescent protein fusion construct to the NF-κB transcription factor subunit RelA (GFP-RelA). Translocation kinetics in response to live bacteria and purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenges were measured, and this work presents the first demonstration of live imaging of host cell infection on a microfluidic platform with quantitative analysis of an early (<0.5 h from infection) immune signaling event. Our data show that a 1,000× increase in the LPS dose led to a ~10× increase in a host cell activation metric we developed in order to describe NF-κB translocation kinetics. Using this metric, live bacteria challenges were assigned an equivalent LPS dose as a first step towards comparing NF-κB translocation kinetics between TLR4-only pathway signaling (activated by LPS) and multiple pathway signaling (activated by whole bacteria). The device also contains a unique architecture for capturing and fluidically isolating single host cells for the purpose of differentiating between primary and secondary immune signaling.
Comparison of Sindbis Virus-Induced Pathology in Mosquito and Vertebrate Cell Cultures

Abstract We have compared Sindbis virus-induced cytopathology in vertebrate and mosquito (Aedes albopictus) cell cultures. It has been shown that vertebrate cells undergo apoptosis when infected by Sindbis virus and this was confirmed here using hamster cells (BHK). The occurrence of cell death in Sindbis virus-infectedA. albopictuscells is a cell clone-specific phenomenon and, unlike in BHK cell cultures, mosquito cell death does not correlate with a large induction of apoptosis, as determined by assays testing for DNA fragmentation or reduced cellular DNA content. Cell cycle distribution changes were observed in Sindbis virus-infected BHK and C7-10 cell cultures, and the changes are distinct, both in the time of induction and the types of perturbations. In Sindbis virus-infected BHK cells, the major cell cycle profile change is the early accumulation of cells with sub-G1 DNA content and a corresponding reduction in the proportion of cells in G1 and G2/M. For Sindbis virus-infected C7-10 cells, the major perturbations are an increased proportion of cells showing G2/M or polyploid DNA content and a reduction in the proportion of G1 and S phase cells. These data suggest that the pathology induced in mosquito cell cultures by Sindbis virus infection may be distinct from the pathology which appears in vertebrate cell cultures.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate is an HCV NS5A ligand and mediates replication of the viral genome

Background & Aims Phosphoinositides (PIs) bind and regulate localization of proteins via a variety of structural motifs. PI 4,5-bisphosphate (PI[4,5]P 2 ) interacts with and modulates the function of several proteins involved in intracellular vesicular membrane trafficking. We investigated interactions between PI(4,5)P 2 and hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) and effects on the viral life cycle. Methods We used a combination of quartz crystal microbalance, circular dichroism, molecular genetics, and immunofluorescence to study specific binding of PI(4,5)P2 by the HCV NS5A protein. We evaluated the effects of PI(4,5)P2 on the function of NS5A by expressing wild-type or mutant forms of Bart79I or FL-J6/JFH-5'C19Rluc2AUbi21 RNA in Huh7 cells. We also studied the effects of strategies designed to inhibit PI(4,5)P 2 on HCV replication in these cells. Results The N-terminal amphipathic helix of NS5A bound specifically to PI(4,5)P 2 , inducing a conformational change that stabilized the interaction between NS5A and TBC1D20, which is required for HCV replication. A pair of positively charged residues within the amphipathic helix (the basic amino acid PI(4,5)P2 pincer domain) was required for PI(4,5)P 2 binding and replication of the HCV-RNA genome. A similar motif was found to be conserved across all HCV isolates, as well as amphipathic helices of many pathogens and apolipoproteins. Conclusions PI(4,5)P 2 binds to HCV NS5A to promote replication of the viral RNA genome in hepatocytes. Strategies to disrupt this interaction might be developed to inhibit replication of HCV and other viruses.
Does critical incident reporting contribute to medication error prevention

Medication-related critical incidents (CIs) comprise harmful and potentially harmful events. The aim of CI monitoring is quality improvement through system changes. In a prospective survey, we analysed our drug-related CIs of the year 2001 with an emphasis on how they contributed to system changes. A voluntary, anonymous, non-punitive CI reporting was used. The study was performed in a multidisciplinary, 23-bed, neonatal-paediatric intensive care unit (ICU). CI severity was graded: minor (no interventions required), moderate (requiring routine therapy, available outside the ICU), major (need for therapeutic interventions specific to the ICU). There were 284 drug-related CIs, 76% (95% confidence interval 71%–81%) of minor, 19% of moderate and 5% of major severity. A total of 24 CIs were potentially life threatening (if not detected). Some 27% of CIs were intercepted, 17% before preparation and 10% before administration of the drug to the patient. There was a negative correlation between median delay (from CI to detection) and mean severity of the different drug classes involved (P=0.027). As to the impact on quality, 46 CIs were followed by system changes and 63% (95% confidence interval 49%–77%) of these CIs were of minor severity. Examples of system changes are: double checking for potentially harmful drugs, standardised prescription form and contact to the national drug control agency regarding misleading drug labels. Conclusion: most of the system changes were based on minor critical incidents which were often detected only after a longer period of time. This shows the value of our "low-threshold" critical incident monitoring. Repeated checks along the drug delivery process (prescription, preparation, administration) are an important means to reduce adverse drug events.
Control Simulation in Building Energy Management Systems by Linear Matrix Inequality

The energy usage of building has occupied the large portion of total energy consumption. It is important to develop the building energy consumption minimization method. The new study adopted the thermal conservation equation for this multivariable control issue and the linear matrix inequality based on linear quadratic regulator for mixed H2&H∞ control. After substituting the obtained control gains into the original thermal systems, the asymptotically stabilities of whole systems are guaranteed. The comparison between the traditional and current control scheme are made.
Automated method for measuring globin adducts of acrylamide and glycidamide at optimized Edman reaction conditions

The general population is exposed to acrylamide, a potential human carcinogen, through food and cigarette smoke. The assessment of human exposure to acrylamide is important in the evaluation of health risks associated with this chemical. Hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide (AA-Hb) and its primary metabolite glycidamide (GA-Hb) are established biomarkers of acrylamide exposure and methods to measure these biomarkers using modified Edman reaction are described. Only limited information about the optimal Edman reaction conditions such as pH or temperature is available for these adducts and the existing methods do not allow automation needed in biomonitoring studies. In this study, the yield of Edman products of AA-Hb and GA-Hb between pH 3-10 and at 35-55 degrees C at different time intervals, and the applicability of liquid-liquid extraction on diatomaceous earth for analyte extraction, were assessed and results were used in a new optimized method. The applicability of our optimized method was assessed by comparing results obtained with a convenience sample from 96 individuals with a conventional method. Maximum yield of Edman products was obtained between pH 6-7, heating the reaction solution at 55 degrees C for 2 h resulted in the same yields as with conventional conditions, and use of diatomaceous earth was found suitable for automated analyte extraction. Using these conditions, no difference was observed between our optimized and a conventional method. The median globin adduct values in the convenience sample are 129 pmol/g globin (range: 27-453 pmol/g globin) and 97 pmol/g globin (range: 27-240 pmol/g globin) for AA-Hb and GA-Hb, respectively. The GA-Hb/AA-Hb ratio decreases significantly with increasing AA-Hb values indicating that measurement of AA-Hb as well as GA-Hb are needed to appropriately assess human exposure to acrylamide.
FT-IR SPECTROSCOPY OF NITRIC ACID IN TBP/OCTANE SOLUTION*

Infrared studies for the HNO3/0.73 M TBP n-octane system are reported. Two extracted species, TBP · HNO3 and TBP · 2HNO3, were identified in the organic phase. The concentration of the individual species was determined by the analysis of the vibrational band at ∼1650 cm−1. The band at 1648 cm−1 was assigned to the monosolvate TBP · HNO3 and the band at 1672 cm−1 to the hemisolvate TBP · 2HNO3. The infrared spectra revealed that with respect to the P═O bond, as well to each other, the HNO3 molecules in the hemisolvate are spectrally non-equivalent. The predominant structure of TBP · 2HNO3 involves the chain HNO3 dimer. Some ionic NO3 − and hydronium ions were identified in this system but only during formation of the monosolvate. The analyses performed in this system can serve for the characterization of HNO3 in related systems in the presence of metal species. *Work performed under the auspices of the office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Department of Energy, under contract W-31...
Application of load separation and normalization methods for polycarbonate materials

Ductile fracture methods recently developed for metallic materials are applied here for the first time to polymeric materials. These include the load separation method for % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeq4TdG2aaS% baaSqaaiaabchacaqGSbaabeaaaaa!39A7!\[\eta _{{\text{pl}}} \]determination and the normalization method for J-R curve calculation. A polycarbonate is chosen for this investigation. A set of blunt notched compact specimens were tested to evaluate load separation. In addition precracked specimens with different thicknesses were prepared for comparing the standard multiple specimen test method with the single specimen normalization method.
MATERNAL SUBSTANCE USE AND ITS RELATION TO UTILIZATION OF THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN A MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION † 808

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between maternal drug use during pregnancy and subsequent neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) utilization. The study members were 17,251 babies born alive in 1995 at the 6 Northern California Kaiser Permanente level III NICU's and their mothers. Data available on each mother-infant pair included demographic data, results of toxicology screens, results of screening by the Early Start Program (an obstetric clinic-based drug rehabilitation program), NICU admission status, and the use of neonatal assisted ventilation. Overall, 14.7% of all babies were admitted to the NICU, and 3.0% of all mothers (508) were identified as drug users by either positive toxicology results or Early Start. Of the 16,743 babies whose mothers were not identified by either method, 14.2% were admitted to the NICU. In contrast, 31.7% of the 139 babies whose mothers were identified by the Early Start program were admitted to the NICU, while 33.1% of the 369 babies whose mothers were identified by toxicology screens alone were admitted to the NICU. These percentages were statistically significantly different (p=0.001). Among the babies whose mothers were not identifiable as drug users, 2.8% experienced assisted ventilation during the birth hospitalization, compared to 3.6% of the Early Start babies and 9.0% of the babies with mothers identified as drug users by toxicology screens alone. These percentages were significantly different (p=0.001). These results indicate that babies of mothers identifiable as drug users (whether by toxicology results or by and obstetric clinic-based detection program) have significantly more NICU admissions and ventilator use than babies of non-users. The morbidity experienced by these babies and the costs of these neonatal services are enormous. Identifying women early in pregnancy and providing programs to stop the use of illegal drugs might decrease morbidity and costs considerably.
EFFECT OF DIETARY RESTRICTION ON PLASMA CHOLESTEROL AND CHOLESTEROL EXCRETION IN THE WHITE CARNEAU PIGEON

Abstract The effect of short-term dietary restriction on plasma cholesterol and cholesterol balance was examined in young White Carneau pigeons. Dietary restriction of 1 month increased plasma cholesterol significantly and subsequently decreased to initial levels at 3 months. The fecal excretion of neutral sterols was significantly reduced (P
U.S. Institutional Representation on Editorial Boards of U.S. Statistics Journals

Abstract This article presents two different, but similar, rankings of U.S. statistics faculties according to their current representation on editorial boards of 14 U.S. statistics journals. The data show that there is a widespread balance of individuals, institutions, and geographical locations in the U.S. with respect to publication officers.
The complete management of extremity vascular injury in a local population: a wartime report from the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group/Air Force Theater Hospital, Balad Air Base, Iraq.

Background Although the management of vascular injury in coalition forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom has been described, there are no reports on the in-theater treatment of wartime vascular injury in the local population. This study reports the complete management of extremity vascular injury in a local wartime population and illustrates the unique aspects of this cohort and management strategy. Methods From September 1, 2004, to August 31, 2006, all vascular injuries treated at the Air Force Theater Hospital (AFTH) in Balad, Iraq, were registered. Those in noncoalition troops were identified and retrospectively reviewed. Results During the study period, 192 major vascular injuries were treated in the local population in the following distribution: extremity 70% (n = 134), neck and great vessel 17% (n = 33), and thoracoabdominal 13% (n = 25). For the extremity cohort, the age range was 4 to 68 years and included 12 pediatric injuries. Autologous vein was the conduit of choice for these vascular reconstructions. A strict wound management strategy providing repeat operative washout and application of the closed negative pressure adjunct was used. Delayed primary closure or secondary coverage with a split-thickness skin graft was required in 57% of extremity wounds. All patients in this cohort remained at the theater hospital through definitive wound healing, with an average length of stay of 15 days (median 11 days). Patients required an average of 3.3 operations (median 3) from the initial injury to definitive wound closure. Major complications in extremity vascular patients, including mortality, were present in 15.7% (n = 21). Surgical wound infection occurred in 3.7% (n = 5), and acute anastomotic disruption in 3% (n = 4). Graft thrombosis occurred in 4.5% (n = 6), and early amputation and mortality rates during the study period were 3.0% (n = 4) and 1.5% (n = 2), respectively. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study represents the first large report of wartime extremity vascular injury management in a local population. These injuries present unique challenges related to complex wounds that require their complete management to occur in-theater. Vascular reconstruction using vein, combined with a strict wound management strategy, results in successful limb salvage with remarkably low infection, amputation and mortality rates.
Statistical inference in coupled quantum systems

We discuss the problem of statistical inference in a coupled system. The method is based on the concept of inference introduced in [1].
Autoregulation of Cerebral Blood Flow during Normocapnia and Hypocapnia in Dogs

The effect of hypocapnia on autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the lower limit of autoregulation (LLA) was determined in dogs anesthetized with nitrous oxide (66%) and halothane (0.2%, end-expired concentration). CBF and cerebral vascular resistance (CVR) were determined during both nor
Anatomic Variation in the Elastic Inhomogeneity and Anisotropy of Cortical Bone Tissue is Consistent Across Multiple Donors

Elastic inhomogeneity in cortical bone tissue is commonly accounted for by power-law scaling relationships with apparent tissue density, mineral density, or porosity [1–4], but limited data exists for anatomic variation in elastic anisotropy [5]. Experimental investigations of the elastic inhomogeneity and anisotropy of cortical bone tissue have typically used specimens excised from the femoral mid-diaphysis due to expediency. However, the proximal and distal ends of the diaphysis are more clinically relevant to common orthopaedic procedures and interesting mechanobiology.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Effects of parenteral secretin--cholecystokinin and of duodenal acid perfusion on gastric secretion in duodenal ulcer patients.

The effect of parenteral secretin-cholecystokinin and duodenal acid perfusion on brothstimulated gastric acid secretion was studied in 11 duodenal ulcer patients. Statistically significant inhibition occurred in both experimental conditions. The effect of secretincholecystokinin was more marked than the effect of duodenal acid perfusion. A poorly responsive subgroup of patients appeared to be responsible for the diminished inhibitory effect of duodenal acid perfusion. In this poorly responsive group there was a diminished duodenal volume response as well as diminished duodenal acid clearing. We conclude that there may exist a diminished release of gastrointestinal hormones such as secretin and cholecystokinin in certain duodenal ulcer patients.
Meteors in the Ionosphere

When meteors enter the lower E region of the ionosphere, they produce trails of ionization. Sensitive radio systems at frequencies of 3 to 300 mc can record echoes from these ionized trails at rates of thousands per hour. Study of these echoes has benefited astronomy, the physics of the upper atmosphere, and radio communication. This paper presents a review of the nature of meteoric echoes, and describes the principal uses of meteors as research tools. Some of the directions in which further meteoric research may prove profitable are suggested as well. When the results of the IGY programs are correlated, we may expect the knowledge gained from the study of meteors to play an important role.
Genetic Characterization and Immunogenicity of Coli Surface Antigen 4 from Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli when It Is Expressed in a Shigella Live-Vector Strain

The genes that encode the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) CS4 fimbriae, csaA, -B, -C, -E, and -D', were isolated from strain E11881A. The csa operon encodes a 17-kDa major fimbrial subunit (CsaB), a 40-kDa tip-associated protein (CsaE), a 27-kDa chaperone-like protein (CsaA), a 97-kDa usher-like protein (CsaC), and a deleted regulatory protein (CsaD'). The predicted amino acid sequences of the CS4 proteins are highly homologous to structural and assembly proteins of other ETEC fimbriae, including CS1 and CS2, and to CFA/I in particular. The csaA, -B, -C, -E operon was cloned on a stabilized plasmid downstream from an osomotically regulated ompC promoter. pGA2-CS4 directs production of CS4 fimbriae in both E. coli DH5alpha and Shigella flexneri 2a vaccine strain CVD 1204, as detected by Western blot analysis and bacterial agglutination with anti-CS4 immune sera. Electron-microscopic examination of Shigella expressing CS4 confirmed the presence of fimbriae on the bacterial surface. Guinea pigs immunized with CVD 1204(pGA2-CS4) showed serum and mucosal antibody responses to both the Shigella vector and the ETEC fimbria CS4. Among the seven most prevalent fimbrial antigens of human ETEC, CS4 is the last to be cloned and sequenced. These findings pave the way for CS4 to be included in multivalent ETEC vaccines, including an attenuated Shigella live-vector-based ETEC vaccine.
Gasoline Prices and the Used Automobile Market: A Rational Expectations Asset Price Approach

This paper examines the impact of changes in gasoline price expectations on the market values of used automobiles. An asset model of automobile valuation is used to relate year-to-year changes in market values to changes in the present discounted value of gasoline expenses. Econometric evidence from data covering the years 1972 through 1981 substantially confirms the hypothesis of the model that a gasoline price shock causes relative price changes across automobile types in proportion to the differences in their rates of fuel consumption.
Hemorrhage Detection and Segmentation in Traumatic Pelvic Injuries

Automated hemorrhage detection and segmentation in traumatic pelvic injuries is vital for fast and accurate treatment decision making. Hemorrhage is the main cause of deaths in patients within first 24 hours after the injury. It is very time consuming for physicians to analyze all Computed Tomography (CT) images manually. As time is crucial in emergence medicine, analyzing medical images manually delays the decision-making process. Automated hemorrhage detection and segmentation can significantly help physicians to analyze these images and make fast and accurate decisions. Hemorrhage segmentation is a crucial step in the accurate diagnosis and treatment decision-making process. This paper presents a novel rule-based hemorrhage segmentation technique that utilizes pelvic anatomical information to segment hemorrhage accurately. An evaluation measure is used to quantify the accuracy of hemorrhage segmentation. The results show that the proposed method is able to segment hemorrhage very well, and the results are promising.
Perceived orientation in depth from line-of-sight movement

Twelve college students viewed computer-generated displays of a cross comprised of two orthogonal dotted lines, and judged the apparent in-depth orientation of the horizontal arm by positioning a horizontal bar mounted on a rotary potentiometer. The vertical arm of the simulated cross was always in the observer’s frontal plane, but the randomly textured horizontal arm was in one of nine orientations relative to the line of sight. Each observer viewed displays in which the simulated cross was, alternately, (a) stationary, (b) approaching the viewer, and (c) stationary but expanding in size. The static texture density gradient in the horizontal arm of the simulated stationary cross mediated perceived orientation in depth. Further, when motion perspective was added to the detail perspective, the impression of depth was enhanced, with the greatest enhancement obtaining at the near viewing distance. When dynamic magnification was added to the detail perspective, the impression of depth was attenuated; this effect was interpreted as an illusory case of motion perspective.
Drug Court Program Monitoring: Lessons Learned About Program Implementation and Research Methodology

Drug courts were established in the United States as part of an effort to deal with the problems of drug-related criminal offending and the resulting overloading of the courts. Drug courts are purported to offer considerable hope for positive change in offenders, largely because of the balance between intensive supervision and rehabilitative services offered through such programs. This article reviews the implementation of one such drug court in a southern state, discusses noted implementation benchmarks for effective programs from the drug court literature, and examines the findings and lessons learned about program implementation and research methodology from a process evaluation that used multiple methods to assess program implementation.
Effect of Postharvest Storage and Ripening of Apples on the Sensory Quality of Processed Applesauce

Pre-processing low temperature storage of apples tended to increase the perceived sweetness and decrease sourness (tartness) of finished applesauce. Storage had no significant effect on the sheen and fruitiness of sauce and no effect on the overall acceptability ratings of flavor and texture. Grain size decreased on storage. Depending upon cultivar, color was adversely affected by storage. High temperature ripening tended to darken sauce but did not adversely affect the overall acceptability ratings of color and flavor. Ripening increased the fruitiness and decreased the grain size with some interactions between ripening and storage on grain size. Sweetness and sourness were not significantly affected by ripening treatments. The overall rating of texture was decreased with ripening.
Optimization-based dynamic 3D human running prediction: effects of foot location and orientation

This paper presents optimization-based dynamic three-dimensional (3D) human running prediction. A predictive dynamics method is used to formulate the running problem, and normal running is formulated as a symmetric and cyclic motion. In addition, a slow jog along curved paths has been formulated. It is a non-symmetric running motion, so a stride formulation has been used. The dynamic effort and impulse are used as the performance measure, and the upper body yawing moment is also included in the performance measure. The joint angle profiles and joint torque profiles are calculated for the full-body human model, and the ground reaction force is determined. The effects of foot location and orientation on the running motion prediction are simulated and studied. Simulation results from this methodology show good correlation with experimental data obtained from human subjects.
Past Tense Route Priming.

The present research examined whether lexical (whole word) or more rule-based (morphological constituent) processes can be locally biased by experimental list context in past tense verb inflection. In Experiment 1, younger and older adults completed a past tense inflection task in which list context was manipulated across blocks containing regular past tense verbs (e.g. REACH-REACHED) or irregular past tense verbs (TEACH-TAUGHT). Critical targets, consisting of half regular and half irregular verbs, were embedded within blocks and participants’ inflection response latency and accuracy were assessed. The results yielded a cross-over interaction in response latencies for both young and older adults. In the regular context there was a robust regularity effect: regular target verbs were conjugated faster than irregular target verbs. In contrast, in the irregular context, irregular target verbs were conjugated faster than regular target verbs. Experiment 2 used the same targets but in the context of either standard nonwords or nonwords ending in ‘‘-ED’’ to test the possibility of a phonological basis for the effect. The effect of context was eliminated. The results support the notion that distinct processes in past tense verb production can be locally biased by list context and, as shown in Experiment 2, this route priming effect was not due to phonological priming.