cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SB-205384 Is a Positive Allosteric Modulator of Recombinant GABAA Receptors Containing Rat α3, α5, or α6 Subunit Subtypes Coexpressed with β3 and γ2 Subunits

Many drugs used to treat anxiety are positive modulators of GABAA receptors, which mediate fast inhibitory neurotransmission. The GABAA receptors can be assembled from a combination of at least 16 different subunits. The receptor’s subunit composition determines its pharmacologic and functional properties, and subunit expression varies throughout the brain. A primary goal for new treatments targeting GABAA receptors is the production of subunit-selective modulators acting upon a discrete population of receptors. The anxiolytic 4-amino-7-hydroxy-2-methyl-5,6,7,8,-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thieno[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carboxylic acid, but-2-ynyl ester (SB-205384) is widely considered to be selective for α3-containing GABAA receptors. However, it has been tested only on α1-, α2-, and α3-containing receptors. We examined the activity of SB-205384 at recombinant receptors containing the six different α subunits and found that receptors containing the α3, α5, and α6 subunits were potentiated by SB-205384, with the α6 subunit conferring the greatest responsiveness. Properties associated with chimeric α1/α6 subunits suggested that multiple structural domains influence sensitivity to SB-205384. Point mutations of residues within the extracellular N-terminal domain identified a leucine residue located in loop E of the agonist binding site as an important determinant of high sensitivity to modulation. In the α6 subunit the identity of this residue is species-dependent, with the leucine found in rat subunits but not in human. Our results indicate that SB-205384 is not an α3-selective modulator, and instead acts at several GABAA receptor isoforms. These findings have implications for the side-effect profile of this anxiolytic as well as for its use in neuronal and animal studies as a marker for contribution from α3-containing receptors.
An architecture for support of network operating system services

Abstract This paper argues that network architectures should be designed with the explicit purpose of creating a coherent network operating system (NOS). The resulting NOS must be capable of efficient implementation as the base (native) operating system on a given machine or machines, or of being layered on top of existing operating systems as a guest system. The goals and elements of a network architecture to support a NOS are outlined. This architecture consists of a NOS model and three layers of protocol: an interprocess communication (IPC) layer, with an end-end protocol and lower sub-layer protocols as needed to support reliable uninterpreted message communication; a service support layer (SSL), abstracting logical structures and needs common to most services, including naming, protection, request/reply structure, and data-type translation, error control; and a layer of standard services, (file, directory, terminal, process, clock, etc.).
Collector failures on 350 MHz, 1.2 MW CW klystrons for the accelerator production of tritium (APT)

At Los Alamos we have built and are operating the front end of the APT accelerator. We are currently operating a 7 MeV radio frequency quadrapole (RFQ) using three, 1.2 MW CW klystrons. These klystrons are required to dissipate the full beam power in the collector and were designed for this operating condition. The klystrons have operated for a maximum of 1500 HV hours and one collector has failed and all collectors show varying degrees of damage on the cone of the collector as well as sag in the overall collector structure. This paper will present and discuss the collector damage. It will also discuss the difficulties of diagnosing the collector failure. After the collector failure, we began utilizing a hydrophonic system to diagnose collector heating. The collectors are designed to allow for mixed-phase cooling and with the hydrophonic test equipment we were able to observe normal, single-phase cooling, mixed-phase cooling, as well as the hard boil on a collector with significant damage. These data will be presented and discussed. We also discovered that the worst case beam profile from a collector heating standpoint was not the full power beam but was instead a beam with the same perveance at about 55% of the maximum beam power. These results will be presented. The paper will also discuss some of the immediate steps taken to halt the collector damage on the remaining 350 MHz klystrons and design changes that are being implemented to solve the problem.
Product design in price-competitive markets: A case study of a skin moisturizing lotion

In this article, we apply a recently developed method for product design to the formulation of skin lotions and extend its application to consider price-competitive markets. The method is based on the use of consumer preference functions that are in turn parameters of price-demand relations. These relationships are then embedded in a business model that aims at determining the optimal lotion formulation from the profitability point of view. The model allows to distinguish the formulation that leads to the consumer most preferred skin lotion from the most profitably one in a quantitative fashion. In the latter case, the selling price is also determined simultaneously with the optimal formulation. The example analyzed shows that the consumer most preferred lotion is not profitable, whereas a slightly less preferred lotion is very profitable. We then extend the new product design procedure to consider a competitive environment in which prices of all competitors, change dynamically until equilibrium is established. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011
The Enigma of Drought

Drought is the most complex and least understood of all natural hazards, affecting more people than any other hazard (Hagman, 1984). For the past several decades, we have been reminded again and again of the ravages of drought and the inability of most societies to effectively mitigate impacts in the short term and reduce vulnerability in the longer term. In fact, most scientists would agree that vulnerability to drought is increasing for a number of reasons, the most important of which may be the increasing pressure of an expanding population base on limited water and other natural resources.
Analysis on Food Poisoning Events in Gansu Province from 2004 to 2010

【 Objective 】 To know about the situation of food poisoning events in Gansu province,and find out the trend,distribution and reasons of these events to provide scientific basis for correspending prevention.【 Method 】 Based on the data reported in National Management Information System of Public Health Emergencies of Chinese CDC from 2004to 2010,we analyzed the character of time,area,place distribution and reasons of the food poisoning events in Gansu province.【 Result 】 All kinds of food poisoning events in Gansu province had the high incidence trend on the second and third quarters,and numbers of poisoning events of chemistry and poisonous plant were on a declining curve.Most food poisoning events happened in family(41.2%),school cafeteria(20.6%) and dine together in rural area(19.1%).The largest number of events reported and affected people was microorganism poisoning,which were 41.2% and 83.9% respectioely.Poisonous plants had the highest morbidity(37.5%,P 0.01),and poisonous mushroom(72.0%) and pea bean(60.2%) most accounted for the major reasons.The top three reasons of high fatality rate were poisoning of Clostridium botulinum(50%),pesticide and rodenticide(46.3%),and poisonous mushroom(38.9%).【 Conclusion 】 In all food poisoning events,microorganism poisoning was still serious food safety issues,but from the fatality rate aspect,pesticide and rodenticide poisoning and mushroom poisoning had higher dangerousness.
Estimating initial contaminant mass based on fitting mass-depletion functions to contaminant mass discharge data: Testing method efficacy with SVE operations data

The mass of contaminant present at a site, particularly in the source zones, is one of the key parameters for assessing the risk posed by contaminated sites, and for setting and evaluating remediation goals and objectives. This quantity is rarely known and is challenging to estimate accurately. This work investigated the efficacy of fitting mass-depletion functions to temporal contaminant mass discharge (CMD) data as a means of estimating initial mass. Two common mass-depletion functions, exponential and power functions, were applied to historic soil vapor extraction (SVE) CMD data collected from 11 contaminated sites for which the SVE operations are considered to be at or close to essentially complete mass removal. The functions were applied to the entire available data set for each site, as well as to the early-time data (the initial 1/3 of the data available). Additionally, a complete differential-time analysis was conducted. The latter two analyses were conducted to investigate the impact of limited data on method performance, given that the primary mode of application would be to use the method during the early stages of a remediation effort. The estimated initial masses were compared to the total masses removed for the SVE operations. The mass estimates obtained from application to the full data sets were reasonably similar to the measured masses removed for both functions (13 and 15% mean error). The use of the early-time data resulted in a minimally higher variation for the exponential function (17%) but a much higher error (51%) for the power function. These results suggest that the method can produce reasonable estimates of initial mass useful for planning and assessing remediation efforts.
Culture reexamined: broadening our understanding of social and evolutionary influences

Culture reexamined: broadening our understanding of social and evolutionary influences, edited by Adam B. Cohen, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2014. xii+257 pp., US$79.95 (hardback), ISBN: 978-1-4338-1587-4 Culture reexamined brings together recent work meant to underscore the reciprocal influence between culture and human psychology, occasionally drawing in related sectors of sociology and anthropology. Its primary goal is to prompt psychologists to expand their studies beyond the influence of a national culture to include an array of other cultural influences. Accordingly, this book's nine chapters focus, respectively, on: professional and disciplinary cultures; generational cultures; culture and social class; regional culture; frontier settlement; political culture; food and culture; gendered sexual cultures; and the functionalism of religion. These are rather broad chapter topics, and as such are suggestive of a discipline in the midst of the cultural turn. The editor and all contributing authors are psychologists, and relatively few discussions engage literature from outside that discipline. Even so, little in this book may challenge seasoned cultural geographers to think about culture in ways they have not heretofore considered. In his introduction, the editor states that a benefit of reading this book is that it "might help you better understand your neighbors' puzzling food habits, why parents just don't understand, why the U.S. South and the Wild West seem like different countries" (p. 8). This proposed understanding comes not from the presentation of new findings nor from the authors' own previously published findings, but rather from recapitulations of previous work related to a chapter topic. In effect, each chapter reviews the scholarly ideas related to its respective topic and argues why that topic warrants further study by cultural psychologists. As a result, Culture reexamined would seem most useful as a work of reference for researchers within cultural psychology and closely related subfields of psychology. However, the editor asserts that this volume was assembled not only for psychologists but for "any professional in any field" and "people in any walk of life" who enjoy learning about culture or have a desire to increase their cultural sensitivity (pp. 8-9). Nearly a century has passed since Carl Sauer's The Morphology of Landscape weakened the intellectual foundations of environmental determinism within geography. But not all disciplines have extirpated environmental determinism in the way geography has done. As Culture reexamined testifies, the theory remains pervasive in some of them. This is evident in the chapter that cultural geographers might turn to first, which deals with the origins and maintenance of distinct regional cultures. One perspective the authors sympathize with is that "features of the physical environment (e. …
Lot streaming in the presence of learning in sublot-attached setup times and processing times

Lot streaming is the process of splitting a production lot into sublots, and then processing the sublots on different machines in an overlapping manner. In this paper, we study the use of lot streaming for processing a lot in a two-machine flow shop when a sublot-attached setup time is incurred before the processing of each sublot. The objective is to determine number of sublots and sublot sizes and minimize makespan. We also consider the case when the effect of learning is observed in processing times, sublot-attached setup times, or, both. We present closed-form expressions for optimal sublot sizes and efficient search schemes to determine optimal number of sublots.
Bioactivation of Trimethoprim to Protein-Reactive Metabolites in Human Liver Microsomes

The formation of drug-protein adducts via metabolic activation and covalent binding may stimulate an immune response or may result in direct cell toxicity. Protein covalent binding is a potentially pivotal step in the development of idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions (IADRs). Trimethoprim (TMP)-sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a combination antibiotic that commonly causes IADRs. Recent data suggest that the contribution of the TMP component of TMP-SMX to IADRs may be underappreciated. We previously demonstrated that TMP is bioactivated to chemically reactive intermediates that can be trapped in vitro by N -acetyl cysteine (NAC), and we have detected TMP-NAC adducts (i.e., mercapturic acids) in the urine of patients taking TMP-SMX. However, the occurrence and extent of TMP covalent binding to proteins was unknown. To determine the ability of TMP to form protein adducts, we incubated [14C]TMP with human liver microsomes in the presence and absence of NADPH. We observed protein covalent binding that was NADPH dependent and increased with incubation time and concentration of both protein and TMP. The estimated covalent binding was 0.8 nmol Eq TMP/mg protein, which is comparable to the level of covalent binding for several other drugs that have been associated with covalent binding–induced toxicity and/or IADRs. NAC and selective inhibitors of CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 significantly reduced TMP covalent binding. These results demonstrate for the first time that TMP bioactivation can lead directly to protein adduct formation, suggesting that TMP has been overlooked as a potential contributor of TMP-SMX IADRs.
Gaze data reveal distinct choice processes underlying model-based and model-free reinforcement learning

Organisms appear to learn and make decisions using different strategies known as model-free and model-based learning; the former is mere reinforcement of previously rewarded actions and the latter is a forward-looking strategy that involves evaluation of action-state transition probabilities. Prior work has used neural data to argue that both model-based and model-free learners implement a value comparison process at trial onset, but model-based learners assign more weight to forward-looking computations. Here using eye-tracking, we report evidence for a different interpretation of prior results: model-based subjects make their choices prior to trial onset. In contrast, model-free subjects tend to ignore model-based aspects of the task and instead seem to treat the decision problem as a simple comparison process between two differentially valued items, consistent with previous work on sequential-sampling models of decision making. These findings illustrate a problem with assuming that experimental subjects make their decisions at the same prescribed time.
Towards confident body sensor networking

With the recent technology advances of wireless communication and lightweight low-power sensors, Body Sensor Network (BSN) is made possible. More and more researchers are interested in developing numerous novel BSN applications, such as remote health/fitness monitoring, military and sport training, interactive gaming, personal information sharing, and secure authentication. Despite the unstable wireless communication, various confidence requirements are placed on the BSN networking service. This thesis aims to provide Quality of Service (QoS) solutions for BSN communication, in order to achieve the required confidence goals. We develop communication quality solutions to satisfy confidence requirements from both the communication and application levels, in single and multiple BSNs. First, we build communication QoS, targeting at providing service quality guarantees in terms of throughput and time delay on the communication level. More specifically, considering the heterogeneous BSN platform in a real deployment, we develop a radio-agnostic solution for wireless resource scheduling in the BSN. Second, we provide a QoS solution for both inter- and intra-BSN communications when more than one BSNs are involved. Third, we define application fidelity for two neurometric applications as examples, and bridge a connection between the communication QoS and application QoS.
Eve of the Xi’an Incident: Zhou Enlai Meets Zhang Xueliang

This chapter analyzes how the CPC leaders and Chinese local warlords, such as Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, reacted to Chiang Kai-shek’s Campaign to Drive out the Bandits (the Communists), as the background of the Xi’an Incident. The chapter highlights the secret negotiations between Zhou Enlai and Zhang Xueliang and reveals the truth about the involvement of the CPC and the Third International (Comintern) in the Xi’an Incident and corrects the misunderstandings in the previous studies of this unprecedented event in modern Chinese history.
Analyses of infectious disease patterns and drivers largely lack insights from social epidemiology: contemporary patterns and future opportunities

Background Infectious disease epidemiologists have long recognised the importance of social variables as drivers of epidemics and disease risk, yet few apply analytic approaches from social epidemiology. We quantified and evaluated the extent to which recent infectious disease research is employing the perspectives and methods of social epidemiology by replicating the methodology used by Cohen et al in a 2007 study. Methods 2 search strategies were used to identify and review articles published from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2013. First, we performed a keyword search of ‘social epidemiology’ in the title/abstract/text of published studies identified in PubMed, PsychInfo and ISI Web of Science, and classified each study as pertaining to infectious, non-infectious or other outcomes. A second PubMed search identified articles that were cross-referenced under non-infectious or infectious, and search terms relating to social variables. The abstracts of all articles were read, classified and examined to identify patterns over time. Results Findings suggest that infectious disease research publications that explicitly or implicitly incorporate social epidemiological approaches have stagnated in recent years. While the number of publications that were explicitly self-classified as ‘social epidemiology’ has risen, the proportion that investigated infectious disease outcomes has declined. Furthermore, infectious diseases accounted for the smallest proportion of articles that were cross-referenced with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms related to social factors, and most of these involved sexually transmitted diseases. Conclusions The current landscape of infectious disease epidemiology could benefit from new approaches to understanding how the social and biophysical environment sustains transmission and exacerbates disparities. The framework of social epidemiology provides infectious disease researchers with such a perspective and research opportunity.
Fragments of the Body in Christian, Bioethical and Social Imaginaries

Human tissue samples are essential to biomedical research, but recent controversies reveal disagreement over how to relate these fragments to donors. Deidentification has become impossible, a property model contravenes legal and religious traditions, and there is conflict over procedures for informed consent. While Michael Banner draws on Augustine and ethnographies to emphasize the role of fragments of the body in mourning, ethnographies actually suggest that many people believe that tissues and organs retain an ongoing connection to their donors. The Christian practice of the veneration of relics and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body support the idea of an ongoing tie between the person and the dead body, a connection affirmed by theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa even when it is unnecessary for their anthropology. This relationship of the donor to tissue supports the ongoing participation of the donor or her family in decisions on research.
Abstract 399: Nanoparticle silencing of β1 and β3 integrins augments Dasatinib sensitivity

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are an aggressive subcategory of breast cancers that currently lack FDA-approved targeted therapies. Previous studies have i) further subcategorized TNBCs into 5 distinct subtypes, each with a preferential response to specific chemotherapies and ii) identified beta1 and beta3 integrins to be key mediators of breast cancer EMT and metastasis. We surveyed beta1 and beta3 integrin expression in the 5 subtypes of TNBC with and without treatment of their proposed chemotherapies by western blot analysis. Using nanoparticles, we delivered beta1 and beta3 integrin-specific siRNAs to silence the expression of both integrins either with or without treatment of the proposed chemotherapies, and evaluated the effect of these treatment regimens on EMT, invasion, and 3D outgrowth. We demonstrated that beta1 and beta3 integrins are robustly expressed in the Mesenchymal Stem-Like, Mesenchymal, and Basal-Like2 subtypes of TNBCs. Furthermore, we observed elevated expression of beta1 integrin upon Dasatinib treatment of the Mesenchymal Stem-Like subtype. Lastly, we determined that delivery of beta1 and beta3 integrin siRNAs sensitized breast cancer cells to Dasatinib treatment. Collectively, our data suggests that delivery of beta1 and beta3 integrin-specific siRNAs in combination with Dasatinib treatment efficiently eliminates the aggressive characteristics of Mesenchymal Stem-Like breast cancer cell lines. Citation Format: Jenny G. Parvani, Vinson Chu, Sarah Roelle, Zheng-Rong Lu, William Schiemann. Nanoparticle silencing of β1 and β3 integrins augments Dasatinib sensitivity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 399. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-399
Characterization of Al-Mg Alloy Aged at Low Temperatures

Long-term aged [343 K (70 °C) for 30 months and natural exposure for over 10 years] Al 5456 H116 samples were characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), state-of-the-art energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) systems, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). ASTM G-67 mass loss tests of the sensitized Al 5456 alloy samples were conducted. Intragranular Mg-rich precipitates, such as Guinier–Preston (GP) zones, were confirmed in Al 5456 H116 aged at 343 K (70 °C) for 30 months, and the volume of these precipitates is 1.39 pct. β′ phase is identified at the grain boundary of a navy ship sample, while high-resolution STEM results reveal no intragranular precipitates. Intergranular corrosion (IGC) of Al 5456 was found to be related to the continuity of intergranular precipitates.
Cooperative data exchange: A coalition game perspective

We consider a data-exchange scenario in which each user initially has a subset of packets in the ground set X, and needs to retrieve all other packets in X. The users can exchange their packets by broadcasting coded or uncoded packets over a lossless broadcast channel. We refer to the set of all users as the grand coalition, and refer to any subset of users that collectively hold all packets in X as a minor coalition. A schedule and a scheme for transmissions satisfying all users in a coalition is called a solution for the coalition. The grand coalition is said to be stable under a solution if the following conditions hold: (i) there exists no other solution for any coalition S such that the transmission rate of some (or, respectively, any) member of S is strictly less (or, respectively, not greater) than that under the original solution; and (ii) there exists no other solution for any coalition S such that the sum-rate of S (i.e., the total transmission rate by all users in S) is strictly less (or, respectively, not greater) than the sum-rate of any coalition that includes some given (or, respectively, any arbitrary) member of S under the original solution. Our goal is to identify (if possible) a solution under which the grand coalition is stable. In this work, we propose an algorithm, referred to as cooperative data exchange with stable coalitions (CDESC), that, for any given instance, determines if there exists such a solution, and if so, it finds one such a solution.
Exploring ADINT: Using Ad Targeting for Surveillance on a Budget - or - How Alice Can Buy Ads to Track Bob

The online advertising ecosystem is built upon the ability of advertising networks to know properties about users (e.g., their interests or physical locations) and deliver targeted ads based on those properties. Much of the privacy debate around online advertising has focused on the harvesting of these properties by the advertising networks. In this work, we explore the following question: can third-parties use the purchasing of ads to extract private information about individuals? We find that the answer is yes. For example, in a case study with an archetypal advertising network, we find that - for $1000 USD - we can track the location of individuals who are using apps served by that advertising network, as well as infer whether they are using potentially sensitive applications (e.g., certain religious or sexuality-related apps). We also conduct a broad survey of other ad networks and assess their risks to similar attacks. We then step back and explore the implications of our findings.
Harvesting the Fruit of Agapao Leadership

This chapter examines the nine fruit of the Spirit as presented in Galatians 5. The fruit are described in three clusters: (a) People relating to God, (b) People relating to others in society, and (c) People relating to another individual. The fruit of the Spirit is the outward display of Living by the Spirit.
Coaches' Column: Trends in Middle Distance and Distance Running

(1959). Coaches' Column. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 53-54.
An integrated computational materials engineering approach for constitutive modelling of 3rd generation advanced high strength steels

Constitutive models for the 3rd generation advanced high strength steels (3GAHSS) were developed based on integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) approach. Multiple scale models from the atomic level to the continuum level were integrated to generate material models that can be used to accurately model the material response of the 3GAHSS depending on their microstructures. In addition to the shear deformation in the slip systems, martensitic phase transformation induced by the plastic deformation of the retained austenite was accounted for in the crystal plasticity model. Atomistic simulation results based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations were utilized to obtain the lattice parameters and elastic coefficients, while micropillar compression data and in-situ HEXRD test data were utilized for the characterization of the developed crystal plasticity model. 3D representative volume elements (RVE) were generated to represent the mechanical behaviour of the 3GAHSS by considering the distributions of grain size, grain shape, and grain orientation measured from the EBSD data. To predict macroscopic mechanical behaviour of 3GAHSS in complex deformations, finite element simulations were performed based on the developed crystal plasticity model and generated 3D RVEs. The CPFE simulation results were implemented in the advanced phenomenological models and utilized to accurately predict the formability and spring-back of 3GAHSS.
Should Antibiotic Prophylaxis Be Given Prior to Thyroidectomy or Parathyroidectomy

Although thyroid and parathyroid operations are very commonly performed, until recently there has been very little evidence to inform the decision of whether or not preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis should be given. It is interesting to note that while most surgeons would agree that clean operations that do not involve prosthetic implants do not generally require antibiotic prophylaxis, most endocrine surgeons give their patients preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis always or nearly always.
Marjolin's Ulcer of the Tibia With Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis.

Marjolin’s ulcer, a form of squamous cell carcinoma, is a rare complication of a chronic wound infection. To date, there have not been any detailed reports of lymphatic spread of Marjolin’s ulcer from an extremity. This report describes a 44-year old male with a history of an open tibia fracture at age 15, who presented with chronic osteomyelitis, increasing bloody wound drainage, and an enlarging vascular exophytic masses in the region of drainage. Biopsy of the mass showed squamous cell carcinoma. Initial staging with computed tomography (CT) was negative for metastatic disease. Six months after undergoing a below-knee amputation (BKA), the patient developed an enlarged lymph node in the left inguinal area. His re-staging CT and biopsy of inguinal node confirmed the presence of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was subsequently treated with inguinal node dissection and adjuvant radiation therapy. At 2.5 years follow-up, the patient remains disease-free. Our case illustrates the importance suspecting squamous cell carcinoma in patients with chronic infections and diligent follow up for patients with Marjolin’s ulcers.
Facile Synthesis of a 3,4-Ethylene-Dioxythiophene (EDOT) Derivative for Ease of Bio-Functionalization of the Conducting Polymer PEDOT

In the pursuit of conducting polymer based bio-functional devices, a cost-effective and high yield synthesis method for a versatile monomer is desired. We report here a new synthesis strategy for a versatile monomer 2-methylene-2,3-dihydrothieno (3,4-b) (1,4) dioxine, or 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene with a exomethylene side group (EDOT-EM). Compared to the previously reported synthesis route, the new strategy uses less steps, with faster reaction rate, and higher yield. The presence of EM group opens up endless possibility for derivatization via either hydro-alkoxy addition or thiol-ene click chemistry. EDOT-EM could be polymerized into stable and low impedance PEDOT-EM polymer using electro-polymerization method on different conducting substrates at both macro and micro scales. Facile post-functionalization of PEDOT-EM with molecules of varying size and functionality (from small molecules to DNAs and proteins) was achieved. The new synthetic route of EDOT-EM and the ease of post-functionalization of PEDOT-EM will greatly accelerate the use of conducting polymer in a broad range of organic electronics and bioelectronics applications.
Resonant and average behavior of the /sup 12/C+/sup 12/C total reaction cross section: 5. 6 < or = E/sub c. m. / < or = 10. 0 MeV

The gamma-radiation yields from the /sup 12/C+/sup 12/C interaction were measured in steps of 50 keV over the bombarding energy range 11.8 < or = E/sub lab/ < or = 20 MeV in order to study the energy dependence of the total reaction cross section. Several new resonances, occurring at E/sub c.m./=6.49, 7.30, 7.45, 9.33, and 9.67 MeV, were identified in these yields. Carbon partial widths were determined for a number of resonances, and these widths demonstrate the quasimolecular nature of the corresponding structures. The average or background trend of the energy dependence of the reaction cross section was found to be adequately described by an incoming-waves boundary condition model, however, and no evidence was found in the energy-averaged yields for anomalous absorption in the /sup 12/C+/sup 12/C system.
Demonstration of a Spectrally-Partitioned $4\mathrm{x}4$ Crossbar Switch with 3 Drops per Cross-point

We present the theory and realization of a spectrally-partitioned $4\mathrm{x}4$ crossbar switch, with three microrings per cross-point having disjoint resonance regions within an FSR. We also describe an associated energy efficient, non-blocking wavelength assignment algorithm.
Reducing abdominal hysterectomy surgical site infections: A multidisciplinary quality initiative.

Background To investigate abdominal hysterectomy surgical site infection (SSI) rates before and after implementation of an SSI care bundle. Methods An SSI bundle for abdominal hysterectomies was introduced in our hospital in April 2014 to reduce the SSI rate. The practices were divided into bundle elements around preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. We conducted a retrospective cohort study around implementation of the SSI care bundle. Women were included if they underwent abdominal hysterectomy between 2012 and 2015. They were then divided into 2 study groups: prebundle and postbundle. The primary study outcome was SSI rate. The superficial SSI rate was the secondary outcome. Results The overall SSI rate was 6.18% in the prebundle group, with a median monthly SSI rate of 7.03%. After bundle implementation, the overall SSI rate declined to 2.51% (P = .02). The reduction remained significant after multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio 0.38; 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.88; P = .03) indicating a 62% reduction in SSI postbundle as compared to prebundle.When comparing rates based on infection classification, superficial SSIs declined significantly from 3.73% in the prebundle group to 0.90% in the postbundle group (P = 0.02). Patient demographics and pre-existing medical conditions were similar pre- and postbundle. Compliance with bundle elements was high. Conclusions A significant reduction in SSI rate in abdominal hysterectomies was seen following implementation of an infection prevention bundle.
Body temperature instability and respiratory morbidity in the very low birth weight infant: a multiple case, intensive longitudinal study

Very low birth weight (VLBW) infant thermal instability upon neonatal intensive care unit admission has been associated with respiratory morbidity; however, the association between ongoing thermal instability and respiratory morbidity remains unclear. A longitudinal data analysis was conducted on 12 VLBW infants. Chronic respiratory morbidity risk was defined as supplemental oxygen requirement (FiO2) or scheduled diuretic dosing at 36 weeks post-menstrual age. Acute respiratory morbidity was quantified as desaturations (SpO2<90%), bradycardia with desaturations (HR<100 and SpO2<90%), apnea, increase in FiO2 requirement, or increase in respiratory support. Multi-level, mixed-effects models and regression analysis examined the relationships between body temperature over the first 14 days of life and respiratory morbidities. Body temperature was not associated with chronic respiratory morbidity risk (p=0.2765). Desaturations, bradycardia with desaturations, increased FiO2 requirement, and increased respiratory support were associated with decreased body temperature (p<0.05). Apnea was associated with increased body temperature (p<0.05). The covariate-adjusted risk of desaturations (aOR=1.3), bradycardia with desaturations (aOR=2.2), increase in FiO2 requirement (aOR=1.2), and increase in respiratory support (aOR=1.2) were significantly greater during episodes of hypothermia. VLBW infants are dependent on a neutral thermal environment for optimal growth and development. Therefore, the significant associations between hypothermia and symptoms of acute respiratory morbidity require further study to delineate if these are causal relationships that could be attenuated with clinical practice changes, or if these are concurrent symptoms that cluster during episodes of physiological instability.
Improved models of solar radiation and convective heat transfer for pavement temperature prediction

The enhanced integrated climactic model (EICM) is generally recognised as the standard approach for estimating pavement temperature profiles. Applications of the EICM are not limited to designing p...
This is not an oil novel: obstacles to reading petronarratives in high-energy cultures

This article explores the conceptual habits that made it difficult for twentieth-century literary studies to take novels about oil extraction seriously. Focusing primarily on Ramon Diaz Sanchez’s M...
Optimal Allocations to Heterogeneous Agents with An Application to the COVID-19 Stimulus Checks

This paper derives a closed-form solution for optimally allocating resources among heterogeneous individuals subject to individual-specific allocation constraints assuming the planner has CES-preferences and returns to allocations are non-increasing. We derive the optimal allocation of stimulus checks when the government's objective is to i) minimize inequality in consumption, ii) maximize stimulus, and iii) trade off these goals. The inputs for this analysis are obtained from a life-cycle model with heterogeneous households, which predicts household-type-specific consumption responses to different stimulus check amounts. Compared to the actual 2021-policy, optimal policies under all levels of inequality-aversion allocate more to low-income families with children.
Developing nociceptor-selective treatments for acute and chronic pain

Despite substantial efforts dedicated to the development of new, nonaddictive analgesics, success in treating pain has been limited. Clinically available analgesic agents generally lack efficacy an...
Baggage: The Case for Climate Mitigation (2009)

O n June 24 of 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia but with no very clear idea of what he intended to do. His motives, we can assume, included the usual testosterone-driven potpourri of territorial expansion, plunder, power, adventure, and glory. The opponent was said to be the czar of Russia, Alexander I, a mercurial sort much given to religious zealotry and the conviction that he was but a humble instrument of God or vice versa.
Simple and efficient filter for single photons from a cold atom quantum memory

Filtering unwanted light signals is critical to the operation of neutral atom quantum memories. The addition of a novel frequency filter increases the non-classical correlations and readout efficiency of our quantum memory by ≈ 35% [1].
A rapidly relocatable prediction system: operational implementation and validation

MODAS-NRLPOM is a scalable, portable, and rapidly relocatable system for nowcasting and short-term (2-day) forecasting in support of real-time naval operations. The analyses and forecasts can be available within an hour or two of a request, making the system useful in emergency situations. The Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) combines remote sensed data (altimetry and sea surface temperature) with in situ measurements to produce an analysis of the ocean that can be considerably more accurate than conventional climatology. Geostrophic velocities are derived from the T and S distributions, and the barotropic transport is computed from the computed dynamic height. The MODAS nowcast field provides initial and boundary condition for NRLPOM, a version of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) that has been implemented at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) for real-time naval applications. We will present the results from real-time exercises in coastal domains. The goals are: 1) to determine the network of observations necessary for accurate dynamical and acoustic prediction in coastal waters, 2) to verify the accuracy of the operational datasets available for the MODAS nowcast, and 3) to evaluate the nowcast and forecast capabilities using model-data comparisons.
Mechatronics : An Introduction

What is Mechatronics? Robert H. Bishop and M. K. Ramasubramanian Mechatronic Design Approach Rolf Isermann System Interfacing, Instrumentation, and Control Systems Rick Homkes Microprocessor-Based Controllers and Microelectronics Ondrej Novak and Ivan Dolezal An Introduction to Micro- and Nanotechnology Michael Goldfarb, Alvin Strauss, and Eric J. Barth Modeling Electromechanical Systems Francis C. Moon Modeling and Simulation for MEMS Carla Purdy The Physical Basis of Analogies in Physical System Models Neville Hogan and Peter C. Breedveld Introduction to Sensors and Actuators M. Anjanappa, K. Datta, and T. Song Fundamentals of Time and Frequency Michael A. Lombardi Sensor and Actuator Characteristics Joey Parker The Role of Controls in Mechatronics Job van Amerongen The Role of Modeling in Mechatronics Design Jeffrey A. Jalkio Design Optimization of Mechatronic Systems Tomas Brezina, Ctirad Kratochvil, and Cestmir Ondrusek Introduction to Computers and Logic Systems Kevin Craig and Fred Stol? System Interfaces M.J. Tordon and J. Katupitiya Communications and Computer Networks Mohammad Ilyas Control with Embedded Computers and Programmable Logic Controllers Hugh Jack and Andrew Sterian Introduction to Data Acquisition Jace Curtis Computer-Based Instrumentation Systems Kris Fuller Software Design and Development Margaret H. Hamilton Index
Biosynthesis of bacterial glycogen. VII. Purification and properties of the adenosine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase of Rhodospirillium rubrum.

Abstract The adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase from Rhodospirillum rubrum has been purified to apparent homogeneity with a heat step, protamine sulfate fractionation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and two preparative disc gel electrophoresis steps. The molecular weight obtained from this enzyme from sedimentation equilibrium was from 195,000 (for v = 0.70) to 245,000 (for v = 0.75). A molecular weight of 225,000 was obtained by a disc gel electrophoresis technique. The synthesis of ADP-glucose was dependent on the presence of ATP, glucose-1-P, enzyme, and either magnesium or manganous ion. The enzyme was quite specific for ATP. CTP, dGTP, ITP, TTP, and UTP could not substitute for ATP. In the presence of pyruvate, CTP gave 4.4% and dATP 1.9% of the activity found when ATP was the substrate. The enzyme was activated by pyruvate. None of the other glycolytic intermediates tested activated this enzyme. Pyruvate (5 mm) increased the Vmax of ADPglucose synthesis 2.5- to 3-fold, decreased the S0.5 for ATP about 10-fold (from 3.4 mm to 0.36 mm), and shifted the pH optimum of the enzyme from pH 8.5 to a broader pH optimum extending from pH 7.5 to 9.2. The saturation curves for ATP and pyruvate were sigmoidal, and a reciprocal heterotropic interaction exists between these two ligands. Increasing the concentration of one of these ligands decreased the sigmoidicity of the saturation curve for the other, as well as the concentration needed for half-maximal activity. The Hill constant (n) for pyruvate was 1.9 at 0.25 mm ATP, 1.7 at 0.50 mm ATP, and 1.2 at 2.5 mm ATP. n for ATP was 2.97 in the absence of pyruvate and 1.82 in the presence of 5 mm pyruvate. It was also found that pyruvate decreased the amount of metal ion required for half-maximal velocity: from 6.0 mm to 2.7 mm with Mg++, and from 5.4 mm to 1.8 mm with Mn++. When the level of ATP was below 1 mm, and Mg++ below 2 mm, the enzyme was almost totally dependent on pyruvate for activity. At 0.5 mm ATP, pyruvate in the range of concentration of 0.1 mm to 3 mm dramatically increased the activity of the enzyme. The reverse reaction, the pyrophosphorolysis of ADP-glucose, was dependent on the presence of ADP-glucose, enzyme, and Mg++. Pyruvate increased the Vmax of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorolysis from 1.5- to 2-fold, decreased the S0.5 for ADP-glucose more than 5-fold (from 2.0 mm to 0.38 mm), and decreased the Hill constant n with respect to ADP-glucose from n = 2.02 to n = 1.42.
Does the "Hispanic paradox" occur in rheumatoid arthritis? Survival data from a multiethnic cohort.

Objective Despite lower socioeconomic status (SES) and higher disease burden, Hispanics in the US paradoxically display equal or lower mortality on average than non-Hispanic whites. Our objective was to determine if the “Hispanic paradox” occurs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods In a cohort of 706 RA patients, we compared differences in RA severity and comorbidity between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white ethnic groups at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate and compare mortality risk between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Results We studied 706 patients with RA, of whom 434 were Hispanic and 272 were non-Hispanic white. Hispanics had significantly lower SES, greater inflammation, as well as higher tender and swollen joint counts. Patients were observed for 6,639 patient-years, during which time 229 deaths occurred by the censoring date (rate 3.4 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval 3.0, 3.9). Age- and sex-adjusted mortality was not significantly different between the 2 ethnic groups (hazard ratio [HR] 0.96). After adjustment for comorbidities, RA severity, and level of acculturation, mortality among Hispanics was lower (HR 0.56, P = 0.004). Conclusion Despite greater severity in most clinical manifestations and lower SES among Hispanics, paradoxically, their mortality was not increased. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying this survival paradox.
Flight performance of a swashplateless micro air vehicle

We present the control design, system integration, and free flight evaluation of a novel 227 g swashplateless coaxial helicopter. This micro aerial vehicle (MAV) achieves authority over roll, pitch, and yaw orientation as well as maneuvering thrust using only two propellers directly affixed to two motors. No additional aerodynamic control surfaces or actuators are introduced. Instead, cyclic control is obtained through the underactuated dynamic response of the main rotor itself to a modulated drive torque. Comparisons are drawn to conventional four-motor quadrotors and four-actuator fixed pitch coaxial helicopters in terms of mechanical complexity and actuator mass fraction. Trim power consumption in hover is reported across a range of symmetric and asymmetric loading states. Closed loop trajectory tracking maneuvers are demonstrated in a motion capture environment.