cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
XPS determination of molecular rearrangement at the surface of a crosslinked polymer system

XPS analysis of a wide stoichiometric range of polypropylene glycol (PPG)/polyglycidoxy propyl methyl siloxane (PGPMS) networks was performed in this study. These networks were prepared by reacting the hydroxyl end groups of the PPG chains with the epoxy groups of the PGPMS junction material. The atomic % Si at the surface, which represented the amount of PGPMS present, was found to vary in a linear fashion with the atomic % Si in the bulk materials. Normalization of the atomic % Si at the surface with respect to the atomic % Si in the bulk enabled an enhancement factor, R, to be defined. The enhancement factor decreased as the amount of Si in the bulk networks increased. An analysis of network topologies proved useful in explaining the XPS data.
Transposition of an 1 × 1 matrix requires Ω(log 1 ) reversals on conservative Turing machines

We consider matrix transposition on a k-tape Turing machine which treats entries of a matrix as indivisible entities (‘pebbles’). We call such a machine a conservative k-tape machine. We show that such a machine requires Ω(logl) reversals to transpose an lxl matrix.
Job Admission and Resource Allocation in Distributed Streaming Systems

This paper describes a new and novel scheme for job admission and resource allocation employed by the SODA scheduler in System S. Capable of processing enormous quantities of streaming data, System S is a large-scale, distributed stream processing system designed to handle complex applications. The problem of scheduling in distributed, stream-based systems is quite unlike that in more traditional systems. And the requirements for System S, in particular, are more stringent than one might expect even in a "standard" stream-based design. For example, in System S, the offered load is expected to vastly exceed system capacity. So a careful job admission scheme is essential. The jobs in System S are essentially directed graphs, with software "processing elements" (PEs) as vertices and data streams as edges connecting the PEs. The jobs themselves are often heavily interconnected. Thus resource allocation of individual PEs must be done carefully in order to balance the flow. We describe the design of the SODA scheduler, with particular emphasis on the component, known as macroQ, which performs the job admission and resource allocation tasks. We demonstrate by experiments the natural trade-offs between job admission and resource allocation.
Pediatric Provider Insight Into Newborn Screening for Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Objective. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a major contributor to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, yet newborn screening for this disorder in the United States is not standard practice. We surveyed pediatric providers regarding a novel newborn G6PD screening program successfully implemented in 2007 at a US urban women’s hospital newborn nursery. Study Design. An electronic survey was distributed to 472 pediatric providers addressing extent to which they were influenced by the screening program. Results. Ninety-two (20%) providers responded, of whom 74 (80%) had taken care of G6PD-deficient patients diagnosed by the screening program. A majority found the diagnosis helpful for patient management and influential in their management. Most common changes in management included more counseling on jaundice and follow-up and avoidance of hemolytic crisis triggers. Conclusions. General pediatric providers support newborn G6PD screening and appreciate the current program. Knowing the G6PD defici...
Stone-In-Neck phenomenon: a new sign of cholecystitis

Physical examination and laboratory testing lack sufficient accuracy to distinguish cholecystitis from cholelithiasis. As a result, imaging studies are often required to safely disposition patients presenting with right upper quadrant or epigastric pain. Ultrasound is the initial test of choice in the majority of these cases, and generally relies a combination of findings (anterior gallbladder wall thickening, pericholecystic fluid/wall edema, hydrops, or a sonographic Murphy’s sign) to establish a definitive diagnosis. We suggest that the Stone-In-Neck (SIN) phenomenon, defined as an immobile stone lodged in the neck of the gallbladder, is specific for cholecystitis in the absence of other findings. We prospectively compared the surgical pathologies of 57 patients diagnosed with either SIN or simple lithiasis to determine the incidence of cholecystitis in each group. SIN had a specificity of 97% and a positive predictive value of 93% in diagnosing cholecystitis. Physicians performing right upper quadrant ultrasound should have a high index of suspicion for cholecystitis when the SIN phenomenon is present, and should be aware that this group of patients are at much higher risk for cholecystitis than those with simple lithiasis.
Understanding Gendered Variations in Business Growth Intentions across the Life Course

This article investigates differences in growth intentions of men and women entrepreneurs. Using data from the U.S. Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics I and II, we test hypotheses informed by life course theory regarding the influence of career stage and family status on high growth intentions of men and women entrepreneurs. Results show that young men are especially likely to express high growth intentions, while mothers expressed high growth intentions more frequently than did other women.
Maternal Self-Efficacy and Children's Influence on Stress and Parenting Among Single Black Mothers in Poverty

This study explores the relations among perceived self-efficacy, social support, children's behaviors, and maternal parenting in a sample of 188 single Black mothers of a preschoolage child, employed and nonemployed, who also were current and former welfare recipients in New York City. Using multiple regression techniques, a positive relationship was found between child behavior problems and parenting stress; being nonemployed, lower self-efficacy, and less social support from friends were marginally significant predictors. Fewer child behavior problems and higher maternal educational attainment were significant predictors of more supportive, involved parenting. A marginally significant positive interaction between self-efficacy and child behavior problems indicated that self-efficacy buffered the effect of behavior problems on maternal parenting behavior.
Communication-Conflict Predisposition: Development of a Theory and an Instrument

This paper has two objectives. First, it presents a brief informal statement of a theory of the dynamic constructs of personality bearing upon conflicts within and between people. The six dynamics (range of feelings, task energy, respect for community, respect for others, desire for control, and concern for one's own self-uniqueness) are based on the concept-free research of Osgood et al. and Bales. Second, it reports the reliability and validity of an instrument which, using scales for the six dynamics, is designed to measure the degree to which one is predisposed to handle conflict constructively (win-win) or destructively (win-lose). Internal and test-retest reliability of the instrument are acceptable for basic research. Several field studies suggest criterion validity. Construct validity was examined by comparison with three other instruments, which were supportive.
Hyperphosphatemic Familial Tumoral Calcinosis: Genetic Models of Deficient FGF23 Action

Hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis (hFTC) is a rare disorder of phosphate metabolism defined by hyperphosphatemia and ectopic calcifications in various locations. To date, recessive mutations have been described in three genes involving phosphate metabolism: FGF23, GALNT3, and α-Klotho, all of which result in the phenotypic presentation of hFTC. These mutations result in either inadequate intact fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) secretion (FGF23 or GALNT3) or resistance to FGF23 activity at the fibroblast growth factor receptor/α-Klotho complex (α-Klotho). The biochemical consequence of limitations in FGF23 activity includes increased renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate, hyperphosphatemia, and increased production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. The resultant ectopic calcifications can be painful and debilitating. Medical treatments are targeted toward decreasing intestinal phosphate absorption or increasing phosphate excretion; however, results have been variable and generally limited. Treatments that would increase FGF23 levels or signaling would more appropriately target the genetic etiologies of this disease and perhaps be more effective.
Non-rigid registration of breast surfaces using the laplace and diffusion equations

A semi-automated, non-rigid breast surface registration method is presented that involves solving the Laplace or diffusion equations over undeformed and deformed breast surfaces. The resulting potential energy fields and isocontours are used to establish surface correspondence. This novel surface-based method, which does not require intensity images, anatomical landmarks, or fiducials, is compared to a gold standard of thin-plate spline (TPS) interpolation. Realistic finite element simulations of breast compression and further testing against a tissue-mimicking phantom demonstrate that this method is capable of registering surfaces experiencing 6 - 36 mm compression to within a mean error of 0.5 - 5.7 mm.
eIF4E Threshold Levels Differ in Governing Normal and Neoplastic Expansion of Mammary Stem and Luminal Progenitor Cells

Translation initiation factor eIF4E mediates normal cell proliferation, yet induces tumorigenesis when overexpressed. The mechanisms by which eIF4E directs such distinct biological outputs remains unknown. We found that mouse mammary morphogenesis during pregnancy and lactation is accompanied by increased cap-binding capability of eIF4E and activation of the eIF4E-dependent translational apparatus, but only subtle oscillations in eIF4E abundance. Using a transgenic mouse model engineered so that lactogenic hormones stimulate a sustained increase in eIF4E abundance in stem/progenitor cells of lactogenic mammary epithelium during successive pregnancy/lactation cycles, eIF4E overexpression increased cell self-renewal, triggered DNA replication stress, and induced formation of pre-malignant and malignant lesions. Using complementary in vivo and ex vivo approaches, we found that increasing eIF4E levels rescued cells harboring oncogenic c-Myc or H-RasV12 from DNA replication stress and oncogene-induced replication catastrophe. Our findings indicate that distinct threshold levels of eIF4E govern its biological output in lactating mammary glands, and that eIF4E overexpression in the context of stem/progenitor cell population expansion can initiate malignant transformation by enabling cells to evade DNA damage checkpoints activated by oncogenic stimuli. Maintaining eIF4E levels below its pro-neoplastic threshold is an important anticancer defense in normal cells, with important implications for understanding pregnancy-associated breast cancer.
Malnutrition, inflammation, and atherosclerosis in peritoneal dialysis patients.

The clinical outcomes of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and the ongoing health and function of the peritoneum obviously depend on a number of genetic and non genetic systemic factors. During the last two decades, much of the emphasis in PD and in hemodialysis (HD) has been on improving dialysis adequacy, especially with regard to small-solute removal. That factor is definitely of importance to improved clinical outcomes, but systemic factors—such as the various nutrition, immunologic, and cardiovascular abnormalities in uremia, often aggravated by an underlying disease—are increasingly being recognized as even more important determinants of outcomes. Thus, the focus is now shifting from “dialysology” to studies of the pathophysiology of uremia and its complications. In this brief review, we focus on the so-called MIA syndrome (malnutrition, inflammation, and atherosclerosis), because the presence of this syndrome has a dramatic effect on patient survival as well as on the health and function of the peritoneum.
Non-cosmological redshifts of spectral lines

We showed in a recent report1 (see also refs 2–4) that the normalized spectrum of light will, in general, change on propagation in free space. We also showed that the normalized spectrum of light emitted by a source of a well-defined class will, however, be the same throughout the far zone if the degree of spectral coherence of the source satisfies a certain scaling law. The usual thermal sources appear to be of this kind. These theoretical predictions were subsequently verified by experiments5. Here, we demonstrate that under certain circumstances the modification of the normalized spectrum of the emitted light caused by the correlations between the source fluctuations within the source region can produce redshifts of spectral lines in the emitted light. Our results suggest a possible explanation of various puzzling features of the spectra of some stellar objects, particularly quasars.
A survey of structural and multidisciplinary continuum topology optimization: post 2000

Topology optimization is the process of determining the optimal layout of material and connectivity inside a design domain. This paper surveys topology optimization of continuum structures from the year 2000 to 2012. It focuses on new developments, improvements, and applications of finite element-based topology optimization, which include a maturation of classical methods, a broadening in the scope of the field, and the introduction of new methods for multiphysics problems. Four different types of topology optimization are reviewed: (1) density-based methods, which include the popular Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) technique, (2) hard-kill methods, including Evolutionary Structural Optimization (ESO), (3) boundary variation methods (level set and phase field), and (4) a new biologically inspired method based on cellular division rules. We hope that this survey will provide an update of the recent advances and novel applications of popular methods, provide exposure to lesser known, yet promising, techniques, and serve as a resource for those new to the field. The presentation of each method's focuses on new developments and novel applications.
Transition Delay Fault Testing of Microprocessors by Spectral Method

We introduce a novel spectral method of delay test generation for microprocessors at the register-transfer level (RTL). Vectors are first generated by an available ATPG tool for transition faults on inputs and outputs of the RTL modules of the circuit. These vectors are analyzed using Hadamard matrices to obtain Walsh function components and random noise levels for each primary input. A large number of vector sequences is then generated such that all sequences have the same Walsh spectrum but they differ due to the random noise in them. At the gate-level, a fault simulator and an integer linear program (ILP) compact these vector sequences. The initial RTL vector generation also reveals the hard-to-test parts of the circuit. An XOR observability tree was used to improve the testability of those parts. We give results for an accumulator-based processor named Parwan. The RTL technique produced higher gate-level transition fault coverage in shorter CPU time as compared to a gate-level transition fault ATPG.
THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ANAPLASMOSIS

There have been a t least 80 drugs proposed for the treatment of anaplasmosis. The suggested efficacy of these agents has often been based on a small number of clinical cases, with an almost complete lack of prior information as to their specific activity, or lack of such activity, against Anaplasma marginale. The host specificity of the parasite has defeated many efforts to evolve a screening method that would adapt itself to the examination of a large number of compounds. The previous lack of a preliminary screen has been a major stumbling block in the rational chemotherapeutic approach to the problem.
Seeking and Processing Information about Impersonal Risk

Attempts to model risk response tend to focus on risks that pose a direct personal threat. This study examined the applicability of one risk response model to impersonal risks—risks that threaten something other than the self, in this case, the environment. This study utilized a section of the Griffin et al. risk-information seeking and processing model, which depicts relationships between informational subjective norms and information seeking and processing as being mediated by perceptions of information insufficiency. The results indicate that while those relationships do hold for impersonal risk, informational subjective norms (perceived social pressure to be informed) may play an even more complex role than initially anticipated. These norms may be a powerful predictor of seeking and processing when individuals face impersonal risks.
Retrograde amnesia: Role of temperature, dose, and duration of amnesic agent

In retrograde amnesia experiments, raising the temperature of etherization increases the amnesic effect by increasing the concentration (partial pressure) of the inspired ether vapor, rather than by an effect on body temperature. Thus, the enhanced effect of warm ether is another example of the dose-dependence of retrograde amnesia.
Three-limb compartment syndrome and rhabdomyolysis after robotic cystoprostatectomy

The case of a 53 year-old, ASA physical status III man who underwent laparoscopy-assisted cystoprostatectomy, then subsequently developed three-limb compartment syndrome and rhabdomyolysis, is presented. He recovered baseline renal function and the use of his limbs. Well-limb compartment syndrome (WLCS) has a multifactorial etiology and is prevented and managed by avoidance of known risks.
A cytoplasmic inclusion in mouse trigeminal neurons

Mouse trigeminal neurons contained a cytoplasmic inclusion consisting of a dense particle (diameter ∼ 100 nm.) surrounded by a smooth surfaced membrane sometimes in continuity with the rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. The identity of the inclusion is uncertain but it may be related to intracisternal A type particles.
Grid blackout in vacuum tubes

Grid blackout, variously called Whippany effect, desensitization, or grid effect, is a phenomena characterized by residual negative grid charging following application of voltages causing grid current to flow. All types of vacuum tubes examined have been observed to exhibit grid blackout in considerable variation. The effect is believed to be caused by formation of an extremely thin layer of evaporated semi-conductor from the cathode which causes the actual grid surface potential to differ from the applied grid voltage. Blackout mechanism performs an operation on positive input pulses to give an anode waveform similar in some respects to that caused by cathode interface except blackout time constants are very much longer than observed with cathode interface. Detection of blackout in a tube can be accomplished in several ways. A method which gives quantitative data is presented allowing characterization of the blackout effect applicable to calculation of circuit degradation.
Regulation of moist convection over the West Pacific warm pool

Abstract The mechanisms that regulate moist convection over the warm tropical oceans are not well understood. One school of thought holds that convection is caused by the convergence of moisture, which in turn is produced by an independent dynamical mechanism. Another school maintains that convection occurs as needed to just balance the production of convective instability and that the timescales to establish this balance is much less than the timescales of tropical disturbances. This is called the quasiequilibrium hypothesis. This paper explores how convection is actually governed over the west Pacific warm pool. Convection appears to be initiated there when the boundary-layer equivalent potential temperature exceeds a threshold value that is determined by conditions just above cloud base. Given known surface flux values and the propensity for convection to inject low equivalent potential temperature air into the boundary layer, it is shown that under most circumstances convection is regulated by a balan...
Subtypes of receptors for serotonin.

Interest in the physiological functions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; seroto­ nin) has increased steadily since its discovery in the intestine (1) and in serum (2). Its identification in brain in the early 1950s (3), followed a decade later by the initial studies of its distribution in brain by histofluorescence (4), stimulated investigations of the possible behavioral functions of this in­ dolealkylamine. In addition to studies of its function in brain, a steady stream of investigations have described its possible functions in the periphery, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract (see 5) and, more recently, in the cardiovascular system (see 6). Indeed, the initial suggestion that there might be more than one type of receptor for 5-HT came from experiments on the isolated guinea pig ileum. Gaddum & Picarelli (7) demonstrated that only a portion of its contractile response to 5-HT could be blocked by high con­ centrations of morphine but that the remainder of the response could be
Searching for Steven Spielberg: introducing iMovie to the high school English classroom: a closer look at what open-ended technology project designs can do to promote engaged learning

Through the course of the iMovie projects, the students in the high school English classes we studied demonstrated several key attributes of our engaged learning framework. In terms of our first category of analysis, the vision of learning, the iMovie project and software allowed the students to take ownership over the direction of their work. With the exception of the general boundaries set up by the teacher at the beginning of the assignment, the students were independently responsible for the scope of their iMovies and controlled most of the ongoing project decisions themselves.
Response to Therapy With Teriparatide, Denosumab, or Both in Postmenopausal Women in the DATA (Denosumab and Teriparatide Administration) Study Randomized Controlled Trial

Both antiresorptive and anabolic osteoporosis medications increase bone mineral density (BMD), but no single agent can restore normal bone strength in most osteoporotic patients. Moreover, the magnitude and consistency of the patient response to each individual agent vary depending on the anatomic site. In the DATA study, we reported that in postmenopausal osteoporotic women, 2 years of combined denosumab and teriparatide increase mean BMD at the hip and spine more than either drug alone. In the current analysis, we wished to determine if the individual rates of BMD response were also greater among women treated with both drugs. In DATA, 94 postmenopausal osteoporotic women (ages 51–91) were randomized to receive teriparatide (20 mcg subcutaneously daily), denosumab (60 mg subcutaneously every 6 mo), or both medications for 24 mo. The BMD of the total hip (TH), femoral neck (FN), and lumbar spine (LS) were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The 82 subjects who completed all 2-yr treatments were analyzed. Responders were defined as experiencing BMD increases of >3%. An “excellent response” was defined as an increase of >6%. Over 24 mo, TH BMD increased by >3% in 36%, 53%, and 92% of women in the teriparatide, denosumab, and combination groups, respectively, and by >6% in 11%, 17%, and 50% in the teriparatide, denosumab, and combination groups, respectively (p 3% in 85%, 93%, and 100% of women in the teriparatide, denosumab, and combination groups, respectively (p = nonsignificant for all comparisons) and by >6% in 63%, 78%, and 100% of women in the teriparatide, denosumab, and combination groups, respectively (combination vs teriparatide, p = 0.001; combination vs denosumab, p = 0.016). In summary, more women treated with 24 mo of combined denosumab and teriparatide achieved a significant response at the TH and FN than those treated with either drug alone. All women treated with both agents together experienced an excellent response at the LS. These results support the continued investigation of combined denosumab and teriparatide therapy in postmenopausal osteoporotic women utilizing clinical endpoints such as fracture reduction.
Business and Climate Change: MBA Course Syllabus

In the next few decades, few issues will loom larger for businesses (and MBAs graduating today) than climate change. It is quite likely that there will be a price on carbon in the future, the implications of which are enormous. Recognizing that corporations are the constituency with the largest cause-and-effect relationship to climate change, many forward-thinking companies are taking the issue head-on, and preemptively. Through their resource use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they are the cause; the effect of mitigating and adapting to it will be a major source of costs (for some) and benefits (for others). I created the Tuck School MBA elective course ‘Business and Climate Change (BCC)’ to ask: should shareholder value-maximizing firms care about climate change, if so, why? And how? BCC has four goals: (1) To develop awareness of climate change and the opportunities/challenges it presents for shareholder value-maximizing businesses; (2) To explore the science, the forecasts, and public policy related to climate change, and who the key players are; (3) To develop tools to assess the market value/value-at-risk impacts of firms’ exposure to fossil fuel use, carbon footprints and GHG emissions, and regulatory outcomes (e.g., cap and trade, carbon tax, renewable energy mandates); (4) To examine what global firms are currently doing to address climate change. The syllabus contains links to the relevant readings and course assignments, including a novel ‘Fossil Fuel Beta’ project.
State of the art PWM techniques: A critical evaluation

With the introduction and wide acceptance of gate turn off power devices (e.g. Bipolars, Power Fets, GTO's, etc.), the switching behavior of converters has reached the point where further improvements in firing and switching networks bring only marginal benefits. Consequently, the research interests in the area of static converters have been shifting toward improving the process of power conversion through a combination of new circuit topologies and improved voltage and harmonic control PWM techniques. As a result several such techniques have been proposed lately.
A User-Friendly Security Assessment Model

This chapter emphasizes the importance of embracing a proven security assessment methodology. The model enables authorities to create building blocks for threat, vulnerability, and consequence integration that allows officials to determine which areas of the corporation are at most risk so appropriate investments can be made to protect critical infrastructure, operations, and processes from damage or destruction, and resources from harm, injury, or loss. It provides a proven user-friendly security assessment model and metrics that can be fitted to any security organization of any size to measure performance effectiveness and competency.
Conductivity of Graphene-Like Thin Films Prepared from Chemically Exfoliated Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG), Natural Flake Graphite, and Carbon Powder

The use of super acids such as chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) has proven to be extremely effective at exfoliating different forms of graphite in high concentrations without covalently functionalizing the surface of the graphene. Once quenched, the acid solutions can then be vacuum filtered through acid resistant polypropylene filter paper with an average pore size of 0.2 μm to collect the exfoliated carbon into a free standing retentate film. These films can then be easily washed, removed, and redispersed into solution by sonicating the films in a surfactant solution. Films were deposited onto various substrates using a range of spin coating parameters. This study has found that exfoliated CNTs provide the best conductivity out of the four types of chemically exfoliated carbon structures studied. CNTs have also proven to be the easiest type of exfoliated carbon to disperse and are able to stay in solution with less than 1%wt surfactant. The findings have shown that the electrical conductivity of the spin coated films actually increases with RPM and is inversely proportional to the film thickness. It is possible to achieve electrical conductivities as high as 10,507 ± 3728.64 [S/m] while still maintaining the transparency of the thin films. The initial spin coating step is more efficient at low ramp rates around 100 rpm/s and results in very smooth films. High spin speeds of 1800 rpm during the casting stage are found to play a large role in improving the conductivity of the films. Lastly, drying the samples on a hot plate for 5 min. on high has significantly improved the films electrical properties and virtually eliminated the need for tedious and expensive plasma cleaning treatments.
The Pioneer in American Life Insurance Marketing

Colonial America gave little thought to life insurance selling. The colonists secured protection against marine risks from private underwriters, first in London, eventually at home. It has been asserted that Philadelphia had no fire insurance until 1752; Boston none before 1795. The first corporations formed in this country for insuring lives were those of the Presbyterian Ministers Fund (1759) and a similar company organized for the benefit of Episcopal ministers (1769). Neither of these corporations offered insurance to the general public. In the last decade of the eighteenth century many insurance companies were formed in the United States. At least five were chartered to underwrite life risks, but only one, The Insurance Company of North America, appears to have accepted any. There is no basis for saying that any of these early companies tried to sell life insurance.
The Sounds and Stages of Emerson’s Social Reform

Nicole H. Gray, “The Sounds and Stages of Emerson’s Social Reform” (pp. 208–232) This essay argues that Ralph Waldo Emerson’s antislavery reform efforts in the 1850s depended on a theory of transformation and mediation that shares ground with his linguistic and philosophical experiments. I base this claim on a reading of the sounds and citations at work in one political address, delivered in 1854 as part of an extended public reaction to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850. This essay takes up three different ways in which the structure of citation and revision (“recitation”) function in relation to this address. First, I discuss recitation in terms of critics’ conceptualization of Emerson’s general approach to language. Second, I consider Emerson’s recitation of a line from “La Marseillaise,” a revolutionary tune that became the French national anthem, in his journals and his speech. Finally, I turn to Emerson’s re-vision of his audience within this address, and in the space of his orations in general.
The Possible Role of Gonadal Steroids and 5HT3 Receptors in Encouraging Menses

Serotonin (5-HT) and seritonergic receptors are strategic participants in nociception. Traumatic injury to peripheral tissues which results in arachadonic acid, bradykinin and prostaglandin release, initiates vasodilation and extravisation of serotonin which then binds with 5-HT3 receptors on pain afferents. This sequence has been shown to mediate inflammatory pain both peripherally and centrally and is exclusively excitatory. More recently, Wetzel has shown that gonadal steroids bind to 5-HT3 receptors non-competitively, blocking 5-HT3 receptor sites. This action interrupts propagation of painful stimuli potentially resulting in peripheral inflammatory analgesia. A review of the available literature was performed with the purpose of establishing the location and actions of 5-HT3 receptors in inflammatory pain, discussing the antagonism of 5-HT3 by gonadal steroids and outlining how early estrus might influence inflammatory pain. Of particular interest are the possible effects of elevated serum estrogen levels on 5-HT3 functionality in human pain and the potential for employing 5-HT3 selective drugs as a method of therapy. 5-HT3 receptors are non-competitively bound by circulating gonadal steroids and conduction of peripheral inflammatory pain is reduced or interrupted. Circulating gonadal steroids may affect the potential for conduction of inflammatory pain, enhancing the opportunity for near typical menses.
1500°F filament-wound electrical wire insulation

By the way of introduction to you who are not familiar with Sandia Laboratory and its operations, I will give you a few pertinent facts about Sandia. We are located in the eastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and work with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in the design and development of hardware for nuclear bombs and missiles. In general this hardware may be described as ballistic cases, arming and fusing and firing systems, testing and handling equipment associated with nuclear weapons. We have another laboratory located in Livermore, California, which does similar work with the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at Livermore. Our beginning was back in 1949 when President Truman asked the Bell System to accept a no-fee, no-profit contract with the Government to perform this task. Our accomplishments to date have been due to the careful attention to the series of unique and demanding requirements. Nuclear weapons must 1. be extremely safe to handle, for an unintential detonation would be catastrophic; 2. they must be highly reliable — they must work the first time they are energized after lying in storage for many years; and 3. they must be able to withstand environmental extremes of mechanical shock, temperature, changes, moisture, vibration and acceleration. While most of our work is devoted to nuclear weapons for the government, Sandia Laboratory is now releasing more and more unclassified information for non-military applications. Our 1500°F insulated wire was developed for a specific application within our system; now we fully recognize that these requirements do not represent general use conditions for all wire insulations, but we hope that by sharing this technology with electrical manufacturers that some of the aspects of this process will be useful to your applications. The general design parameters given to us at the beginning of this project were: that the internal hook-up wire to be used in an inertial switch must maintain a dielectric strength of 200 volts per mil during 1500°F exposure; it must be flexible to permit 90° bending prior to the elevated temperatures; and it must be contamination-free so that it will not outgas or emit particles which could contaminate switching contacts during our operational temperatures between −65°F and 200°F. This process development project has evolved around a thermal barrier silicone rubber (TBS 758)® developed by General Electrical Silicone Products Department, and other materials added for reinforcement and processing aids. The ultimate reinforcing material has proven to be boron nitride long staple fibers (BNF) produced by the New Products Division of Carborundum Company.
Inhibition of a Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-Linked Aldehyde Reductase from Bovine Brain by Barbiturates

The partially purified NADPH-linked aldehyde reductase (alcohol:NADP oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.2) from bovine brain has been further characterized, and inhibition of the enzyme by barbiturates has been investigated. In addition to substituted benzaldehydes and phenylethanols, free indoleacetaldehyde was observed to be a substrate for the enzyme. In the present studies, it was found that brain aldehyde reductase is markedly inhibited by barbital, phenobarbital, pentobarbital, and amobarbital, with K i values ranging from 50 to 400 µM. Inhibition by these agents was reversible and of a noncompetitive type with respect to p -nitrobenzaldehyde, indoleacetaldehyde, p -hydroxyphenylglycolaldehyde, or NADPH. The enzyme was not markedly inhibited by amobarbital alcohol, a normal metabolite of amobarbital, or by barbituric acid; K i values for these compounds were found to be 0.6 and 4 mM, respectively. Evidence is presensted suggesting that inhibition of aldehyde reductase by the barbiturates is due to the ionized form of the inhibitors. Pyrazole, a potent inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, did not inhibit aldehyde reductase, and the barbiturates had no effect on alcohol dehydrogenase. The differential sensitivity of aldehyde reductase to the inhibitory effects of barbiturates and pyrazole is used to distinguish this enzyme from liver alcohol dehydrogenase.
Immediate and short-term effects of wearing a single textured insole on symmetry of stance and gait in healthy adults

Asymmetry of standing balance and gait are common in individuals with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders and achieving symmetrical stance and gait is an important goal of rehabilitation. The aim of the study was to investigate if asymmetry of stance and gait observed immediately after the start of using a single textured insole remains during longer use of the insole. Ten young healthy adults walked in two different conditions: with a textured insole positioned in the left shoe or without the insole. Weight bearing, gait, and perceived level of discomfort were evaluated before using a textured insole, immediately after being provided with the insole, and after walking for 10min with the insole. The center of pressure (COP) trajectory was calculated for the right and left foot in the insole and no-insole conditions. Asymmetry of stance and gait was present immediately after the start of using a textured insole (p<0.05) but was not evident after 10min of wearing the insole. The COP trajectory of the right foot after being provided with the left insole was significantly greater compared with walking with no insole (p<0.05). Gait velocity, cadence, and the COP trajectory of the left foot were not affected by the use of the insole. The outcome of the study provides a background for the investigation of the effect of using a textural insole in gait rehabilitation.
Estimation of excitation forces for wave energy converters control using pressure measurements

ABSTRACTMost control algorithms of wave energy converters require prediction of wave elevation or excitation force for a short future horizon, to compute the control in an optimal sense. This paper presents an approach that requires the estimation of the excitation force and its derivatives at present time with no need for prediction. An extended Kalman filter is implemented to estimate the excitation force. The measurements in this approach are selected to be the pressures at discrete points on the buoy surface, in addition to the buoy heave position. The pressures on the buoy surface are more directly related to the excitation force on the buoy as opposed to wave elevation in front of the buoy. These pressure measurements are also more accurate and easier to obtain. A singular arc control is implemented to compute the steady-state control using the estimated excitation force. The estimated excitation force is expressed in the Laplace domain and substituted in the control, before the latter is transforme...
Solving the chemical master equation by aggregation and Krylov approximations

The chemical master equation (CME) is often difficult to solve directly due to the curse of dimensionality. Aggregation was among the earliest ideas for addressing this challenge. It consists in coarsening the state space of the CME to make it more tractable. This reduction inevitably introduces a numerical error that is not trivial to account for, consequently only a few implementations deal with the estimation and control of this aggregation error. Here, we implement an error control by using an adaptive aggregation strategy and the concept of defect (or residual) in the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations. We embed the aggregation approach in the step-by-step matrix exponential implementation of Expokit that uses Krylov subspace approximations. We conduct numerical experiments on test problems that model the toggle switch, receptor oligomerization, and repressilator. This work is an important step toward solving problems that arise in the stochastic modeling of larger biological networks.
Resistance to thyrotropin

Resistance to thyrotropin (RTSH) is broadly defined as reduced sensitivity of thyroid follicle cells to stimulation by biologically active TSH due to genetic defects. Affected individuals have elevated serum TSH in the absence of goiter, with the severity ranging from nongoitrous isolated hyperthyrotropinemia to severe congenital hypothyroidism with thyroid hypoplasia. Conceptually, defects leading to RTSH impair both aspects of TSH-mediated action, namely thyroid hormone synthesis and gland growth. These include inactivating mutations in the genes encoding the TSH receptor and the PAX8 transcription factor. A common third cause has been genetically mapped to a locus on chromosome 15, but the underlying pathophysiology has not yet been elucidated. This review provides a succinct overview of currently defined causes of nonsyndromic RTSH, their differential diagnoses (autoimmune; partial iodine organification defects; syndromic forms of RTSH) and implications for the clinical approach to patients with RTSH.
Common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) as a primate model for behavioral neuroscience studies.

Abstract Background The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) has been proposed as a suitable bridge between rodents and larger primates. They have been used in several types of research including auditory, vocal, visual, pharmacological and genetics studies. However, marmosets have not been used as much for behavioral studies. New method Here we present data from training 12 adult marmosets for behavioral neuroscience studies. We discuss the husbandry, food preferences, handling, acclimation to laboratory environments and neurosurgical techniques. In this paper, we also present a custom built “scoop” and a monkey chair suitable for training of these animals. Results The animals were trained for three tasks: 4 target center-out reaching task, reaching tasks that involved controlling robot actions, and touch screen task. All animals learned the center-out reaching task within 1–2 weeks whereas learning reaching tasks controlling robot actions task took several months of behavioral training where the monkeys learned to associate robot actions with food rewards. Comparison to existing method We propose the marmoset as a novel model for behavioral neuroscience research as an alternate for larger primate models. This is due to the ease of handling, quick reproduction, available neuroanatomy, sensorimotor system similar to larger primates and humans, and a lissencephalic brain that can enable implantation of microelectrode arrays relatively easier at various cortical locations compared to larger primates. Conclusion All animals were able to learn behavioral tasks well and we present the marmosets as an alternate model for simple behavioral neuroscience tasks.
Production of Food Crops and Other Biomass by Seawater Culture

This chapter presents evidence on the feasibility of adapting crops to seawater culture. The scheme is enticing. The resources of land, water and nutrients upon which this novel system of crop production would draw - sea and sand- are at present useless for this purpose and indeed inimical to it in many situations. And while traditionally the sea has served as a source of animal protein (fish and shellfish),raising crop plants by seawater culture would represent primary production, without the very large energy losses that are incurred at each successive trophic level.
Fungistasis of Beauveria bassiana by Selected Herbicides in Soil

Oatmeal-dodine agar was used as a selective medium to enumerate colony-forming units (CFU's) of the entomogenous fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin in sterilized soil following the simul...
Strain induced phase transformation in zirconium thin films

Abstract While high temperature is known to transform zirconium from the hexagonal closed pack (hcp) to the body centered cubic (bcc) phase, there is little or no evidence of mechanical strain induced transformation to the face centered cubic (fcc) phase in the literature. We performed molecular dynamics simulation to show irreversible hcp to fcc phase transformation in zirconium, triggered at about 14.6% tensile strain. The transformation mechanism depends on the crystallographic direction of loading. Gliding of Shockley partial dislocations on prism plane { 1 0 1 ¯ 0 } is suggested facilitate this transformation. Nudged elastic band (NEB) theory was used to estimate the transformation energy barrier, which was observed to decrease with any increase in temperature.
US Policies Supporting Inclusive Assessments for Students with Disabilities: A 60-Year History

Policies over the past 60 years promoting access to inclusive instruction and assessment of students with disabilities (SWDs) can be described as an ever-evolving set of conventions designed to promote fairness, shaped by the interacting principles of equity and excellence (Skirtic, 1991). The emphasis on equity of educational opportunity has promoted increased inclusion of SWDs in state assessments and has encouraged increasing emphasis on holding these students to the same high achievement standards as for all students. While the history of inclusive assessment has witnessed many advances in accessibility, the innovations in testing policies and supports have been less successful in promoting equity of educational benefit for SWDs. The present chapter traces key policy milestones in the legislative journey toward greater equity and excellence through a discussion of disability laws and regulation and highlights the need for a greater emphasis on fairness through equity of opportunity to learn.
Secure Milk and Secure Beef Supply Plans-Role of the Veterinarian

Veterinarians have a tremendous responsibility— and opportunity— to help their clients prepare for a potential foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. While eradication of FMD, should it occur in the U.S., is the ultimate goal, the old approach to FMD response— massive depopulation— is no longer workable except in a small outbreak. The size, structure, efficiency and extensive movement in cattle production will likely require alternative response options to manage disease spread, such as vaccination and allowing animals to recover.
Combatting Sepsis: A Public Health Perspective

Public health professionals and organizations have an opportunity to create a more comprehensive sepsis prevention strategy that spans the continuum of care and merges existing infection prevention strategies with chronic disease management and improved education on the signs and symptoms of worsening infection and sepsis. Recent public health efforts have improved our understanding of US national sepsis epidemiology and focused on increasing sepsis awareness. Additional opportunities and challenges include creating more integrated sepsis and infection prevention programs that encompass outpatient and inpatient care.