cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frailty Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Stable Claudication.

Background Frailty, a syndrome characterized by decreased physiologic reserves and resistance to stressors, is associated with disability, poor surgical outcomes, and mortality. We evaluated the impact of frailty on cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients with intermittent claudication. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients with stable intermittent claudication enrolled in the OMEGA-PAD study between 2010 and 2015. The modified frailty index (mFI) is a retrospectively validated index of frailty derived from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging and was used in this study to categorize frailty as low, medium, or high. Our outcome was time to occurrence of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE), defined as a composite endpoint of myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke, or CVD-related death. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate relative hazards ratio. Results There were 129 subjects with a mean age of 67 years, 97% were men, 36% were diabetic, and 33% had known coronary heart disease. When the mFI criteria were applied, 38 subjects were “low” frailty, 72 were “medium” frailty, and 19 were “high” frailty. During the median follow-up period of 34 months (interquartile range: 25–43), 29 subjects experienced a MACE. When compared to the lowest mFI, patients with medium frailty were 2.8 times more likely to have an event (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95–8.46, P = 0.06), whereas patients with a high mFI were 4.8 times as likely (95% CI: 1.43–15.8, P = 0.01). In a model adjusted for age, smoking status, and presence of diabetes, those with a medium mFI were 4.3 times more likely to have an event (95% CI: 1.37–13.7, P = 0.01) and those with a high mFI were 9.2 times as likely (95% CI: 2.6–32.4, P = 0.001). Conclusions Higher mFI category is associated with a significantly increased risk of MACE in PAD patients with stable claudication. Frailty may serve as a useful adjunct for assessment of overall cardiac risk, particularly as treatment options are being contemplated.
Kinetics of intratumoral T-cell activation during chemoradiation for cervical cancer.

6Background: Limited data in cancer patients have suggested that chemotherapy and radiation impact local and systemic immune cell populations. Radiation therapy (RT) is known to deplete circulating lymphocytes but is thought to increase local antigen presentation. The dynamics of these competing effects on the kinetics of intratumoral infiltration and expansion of activated and immunoregulatory T cells are unknown. Methods: We prospectively evaluated intratumoral immune infiltration during fractionated RT using multi-spectral flow cytometry. Cervical brushings were obtained from 14 patients before (baseline) and during RT (week 1, 3 and 5). Cells collected from the cervical brushings were stained with a 16-color panel of antibodies that included markers to identify T cell and dendritic cell subsets with activation and suppressor molecules. Changes in immune cell subsets at different time points were evaluated and calculated using matched-pair analysis with Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: CD3+ T cells dec...
Exchange Interaction and Energy Transfer for 3 d 3 Ions: A 2 4 − E 2 Transition for KMg F 3 : V 2 +

The energy levels of exchange-coupled pairs of $3{d}^{3}$ ions, each in the $^{4}A_{2}$ or $^{2}E$ state, are derived, taking into account the orbitally anisotropic nature of the exchange interaction. Specific analysis is made of the spectrum of collinear pairs of vanadium ions in a KMg${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ host. It is found that the Davydov-type splittings in the excited levels of the pairs, which are caused by the exchange orbital anisotropy, are 2-6 times greater than the ground-state-ground-state exchange matrix elements. Using a semiquantitative method for estimating the diminution of exchange as one increases the number of ligand linkages between the magnetic ions, the magnitude of energy-transfer integrals for ${\mathrm{V}}^{2+}$ ions separated by three ${\mathrm{F}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions is found sufficient to cause rapid single-ion-single-ion energy transfer (\ensuremath{\sim}1 \ensuremath{\mu}sec). This result indirectly supports the argument that the Davydov-like terms for weakly coupled ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ pairs are responsible for energy transfer in dilute ruby.
Basic Principles of Continuous System Modeling

In this chapter, we shall introduce some basic concepts of continuous system modeling. By the end of this chapter, the student should be able to code simple modeling problems in some of the currently used simulation languages. The languages ACSL, DARE-P, and DESIRE are introduced in order to demonstrate the similarities that exist between the various continuous system simulation languages.
The impacts of text-based CMC on online social presence

Social presence is a critical influence on learners’ online social interaction in an online learning environment via computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems. This study examines how three CMC systems, e-mail, bulletin board, and real-time discussion, influence the level of online social presence and privacy. Mixed methods were applied to examine the relationships of three CMC systems with social presence and privacy. The results indicate (a) E-mail is perceived to possess the highest level of social presence, followed by the real-time discussion and bulletin board; (b) one-to-one e-mail was perceived to have a higher level of privacy while one-to-many was perceived less privacy; and (c) in addition to the attributes of CMC systems, learners’ perceptions of CMC systems impacted level of privacy as well. This study suggested that the format of CMC systems, e-mail and real-time discussion should be examined in two different formats: one-to-one e-mail, one-to-many e-mail, one-to-one real-time discussion, and many-to-many real-time discussion.
Somatomedin Action and Tissue Growth Factor Receptors

The somatomedins (SMs) are a family of peptide hormones which are growth hormone (GH)-dependent, possess insulin-like activity in extra-skeletal tissue, and promote the incorporation of (35-S)-sulfate into proteoglycans of cartilage. Although their precise role in the control of cellular growth and replication is still unclear, a growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that the SMs are the major mediators of the anabolic actions of GH: (1) plasma levels of SM are decreased in GH deficiency and rise following treatment with exogenous GH (1); (2) plasma levels of SM are, generally, elevated in acromegaly (2); (3) under in vitro conditions, SM stimulates DNA synthesis in many cell lines (3); and, (4) continuous subcutaneous administration of the SM peptide IGF-I stimulates tibial epiphyseal widening and increased body weight in hypophysectomized rats (4).
Effects of Surface Composition, Water Column Chemistry, and Time of Exposure on the Composition of the Detrital Microflora and Associated Macrofauna in Apalachicola Bay, Florida

In experiments where measures of the detrital micro floral biomass, morphology, and activity were compared to the mass, numbers, and diversity of the associated macrofauna on different surfaces (artificial and natural plant detritus) incubated in baskets at the same station in a river-dominated estuary, the changes in microbial mass, morphology, and activity were not correlated with changes in the macrofaunal population attracted to baskets. In experiments where the different surfaces were incubated at two different stations, the gross measures of microbial biomass (lipid phosphate, poly-β-hydroxybutyrate), nutritional history, and respiratory activity were correlated with the particular substrate used, whereas the macrofaunal population was significantly correlated with the water chemistry but not with the gross measures of the detrital microflora.
Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Reclassification to Non-Invasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP): a Retrospective Clinicopathologic Study

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) accounts for nearly 50% of newly diagnosed PTC cases. There is considerable debate in literature about the clinicopathologic features and prognostic significance of PTMC and whether it should be treated as a separate entity. Due to lack of agreement and supportive data, the consensus study group that established the criteria for non-invasive thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like features (NIFTP) kept its size above 1 cm i.e., excluding PTMC from this new group. As a result, to date, some patients diagnosed with PTMC get aggressive treatments such as partial or total thyroidectomy and even radioactive iodine ablation. We retrospectively studied clinicopathologic features and long-term follow-up of 48 cases of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Of these, 7 cases (15%) had capsular invasion, 2 cases (4%) had extrathyroidal extension, 1 case (2%) had lymphovascular invasion, 5 cases (25%) had lymph node metastases, no case (0%) had any distant metastases, and 1 case had recurrence after long-term follow-up (mean 13.7 years, range 1–21 years). Upon slide review, 8 cases fulfilled the criteria for NIFTP and were sub-classified under this new category. These 8 cases had no recurrence after long-term follow-up (mean 12.1 years, range 7–19 years). In this study, we confirmed the previous published reports exhibiting indolent nature of PTMC and also suggested that PTMC cases that fulfill all the criteria for NIFTP can be sub-classified under this term in order to avoid unnecessary aggressive treatment.
Glycemic Variability: How to Measure and Its Clinical Implication for Type 2 Diabetes

Glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1C) levels have traditionally been the gold standard for assessing glycemic control and treatment efficacy in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, A1C does not take into account fluctuations in blood glucose levels known as glycemic variability (GV). In recent years, GV has become increasingly clinically relevant, because of a better understanding of the need to reach target A1C while avoiding hypoglycemia. GV relates to both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, and has been associated with poorer quality of life. Diabetes treatments targeting multiple pathophysiological mechanisms are most beneficial in controlling A1C and reducing GV. In clinical trials, a number of metrics are used to measure GV, many of which are not well understood in the clinical practice. Until a gold standard metric for GV is established, the variety of measurements available may confound the choice of an optimal treatment for an individual patient.
108) Bilateral Sensory Deficits and Widespread Hyperalgesia following Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness of the Quadriceps

Unaccustomed eccentric exercise leads to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). While DOMS has been demonstrated to result in altered postural control which may result in further injury, very little is known about the somatosensory changes at the knee in presence of DOMS of the quadriceps. DOMS elicited in this muscle was hypothesized to result in bilateral induced mechanical hyperalgesia, measured via pressure pain threshold (PPT) and hypoesthesia, evidenced by deficits in both vibration perception threshold (VPT) and proprioception which was measured via threshold to detection of passive motion (TDPM). Thirty participants (15 males and 15 females) took part in the study. Eccentric exercise consisted of 10 sets of 10 maximum eccentric quadriceps contractions of the dominant knee. Assessments consisted of pain intensity, PPT, VPT and, TDPM at 3 different assessment time points: (1) pre-eccentric exercise; (2) immediately and (3) 48 hours after eccentric exercise. Pain intensity increased and PPT decreased at 48 hours. VPT increased ipsilaterally both immediately and 48 hours after exercise. TDPM increased on the ipsilateral side immediately and bilaterally at 48 hours. Females demonstrated greater impairment in TDPM than males at 48 hours. Widespread hyperalgesia, ipsilaterally impaired VPT and bilaterally impaired proprioception were demonstrated in the presence of DOMS. Athletes performing strenuous lower limb eccentric exercise in training leading to DOMS may experience increased pain and hypoesthesia which may predispose them to lower quarter joint trauma.
ASPECTS OF myo -INOSITOL METABOLISM AND BIOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER PLANTS

SUMMARY: Germinated lily pollen contains a glucogenic process for the conversion of myo-inositol to starch over the myo-inositol oxidation pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway. The key intermediates between these two pathways are UDP-D-xylose and free D-xylose which allow elongating pollen tubes to utilize exogenous L-arabinose and D-xylose as carbon sources for the synthesis of glucose. Evidence is presented for the functional role of the myo-inositol oxidation pathway in pectin biosynthesis. Evidence is also presented to support the view that the cyclization of D-glucose 6-phosphate to myo-inositol 1-phosphate includes a significant isotope rate effect at carbon 5 of the substrate.
A interpretação de Trotsky sobre o estalinismo

Este artigo foi, originalmente, uma palestra de Perry Anderson proferida em Paris, em 1982 e trata da interpretacao de Trotsky sobre o significado historico do estalinismo. O autor defende que e a mais coerente e desenvolvida teorizacao do fenomeno dentro da tradicao marxista, construida em momento de lutas politicas contrarias a isso. Desse modo, seu pensamento estava envolvido numa tensao com os maiores conflitos e eventos daquele momento historico. O texto divide o pensamento trotskista em tres diferentes fases.
Flame-Retardant Polyurethane Foams: One-Pot, BioinspiredSilica Nanoparticle Coating

The replacement of halogen-free flame retardants, driven by health concerns, has sparked a large demand for new “green” flame-retardant alternatives. Inspired by the natural flame-retardant propert...
Dynamics of evapotranspiration over a non-irrigated alfalfa field in the Southern Great Plains of the United States

Abstract Accurately quantifying the dynamics of evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for efficient water management and improved water use efficiency. However, details on the magnitudes and annual dynamics of ET with respect to environmental/biophysical factors and harvesting of hay in non-irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are lacking. Using the eddy covariance (EC) technique, daily magnitudes and seasonal/annual dynamics and budgets of ET were quantified from April 2016 to May 2018 over a non-irrigated alfalfa field in central Oklahoma, USA. The field was harvested periodically for hay, and cumulative dry forage yield was approximately 7.5 and 10 t ha−1 in 2016 (dry year) and 2017 (wet year), respectively. Daily ET reached up to 6.9 mm d−1 and 8-day average ET reached up to 5.64 mm d−1. Cumulative seasonal (April-October) ET was 652 mm (∼1.3 times of precipitation) in 2016 and 734 mm (∼0.8 times of precipitation) in 2017. Annual ET in 2017 was ∼900 mm (∼0.8 times of annual precipitation). Optimum air temperature (Ta) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) for ET were approximately 30 °C and 3 kPa, respectively. Higher forage production was associated with a greater increase (∼22%) in carbon uptake (gross primary production, GPP) than ET (∼13%) in 2017 compared to 2016. Consequently, ecosystem water use efficiency (EWUE) at the seasonal scale (seasonal sums of GPP to ET) was 2.38 and 2.57 g C mm−1 ET in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Despite strong correspondence (R2 = 0.73) between EC-measured ET and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived ET (ETMOD16), the standard ETMOD16 product underestimated ET by 36% compared to EC-measured ET. The MODIS-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) explained 83% of variations in alfalfa ET, indicating the potential of integrating remote sensing observations and climate data to extrapolate site-level alfalfa ET at larger areas.
Complaint-Oriented Policing: Regulating Homelessness in Public Space:

Over the past 30 years, cities across the United States have adopted quality-of-life ordinances aimed at policing social marginality. Scholars have documented zero-tolerance policing and emerging t...
A Massive Self-Organizing Map For Hyperspectral Image Classification

Hyperspectral image classification is a challenging task due to its high dimensionality. Class imbalance and lack of enough sample images make the process of classifying hyperspectral remote sensing images (RSI) more difficult. One well-known unsupervised learning algorithm called self-organizing maps (SOM) which utilizes competitive learning for training neurons to represent particular subsets of a dataset well. The SOM has been used for classification with RSI but does not generate any outstanding results. In addition, by using the typically small map sizes for SOM, the minority classes are not recognized adequately. To improve SOM, the concept of Emergent SOM (ESOM) was introduced where the use of much larger map sizes of at least four thousand neurons was recommended. To handle the class imbalance in RSI with unsupervised classification, we propose the use of much larger and more massive SOM than suggested. With a more significant number of representable cluster centers, the minority classes can be detected as the projection onto a map size of that magnitude magnifies the input subset resulting in a higher granularity with a deeper level of detail. Our experimental results show that the massive SOM (MSOM) can classify entire hyperspectral images with impressive classification accuracy along with identifying minority classes accurately. Simultaneously, the performance of MSOM rivals current contemporary supervised learning methods.
Optimal management of residential energy storage systems in presence of intermittencies

Abstract This paper presents a new energy management framework based on Energy Price Tag (EPT) of connected energy storage systems to address the challenges of daily energy management in presence of intermittencies. In the proposed strategy, during the occurrence of an unpredicted intermittency, the energy management system compensates the resulting energy imbalance by distributing the stored energy based on the EPT of energy storage systems. When intermittency is over, the energy management system updates the future operating points of the system based on new conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is examined on an energy management system for a typical smart building over a 24-h time frame and the results are compared with a baseline strategy that does not consider EPT in management of intermittencies. The comparison of results validates the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in cost effective energy scheduling of smart building components during and after the occurrence of intermittencies.
Regional to Global Evolution of Impacts of Parameterized Mountain-Wave Drag in the Lower Stratosphere

AbstractMountain ranges are regional features on Earth, as are the regions of mountain-wave drag (MWD) exerted by dissipating atmospheric gravity waves generated by flow over them. However, these r...
Esophageal POEM: the new standard of care.

Since its introduction into clinical practice nearly a decade ago, per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has now become an accepted minimally invasive approach for the treatment of achalasia with excellent short- and mid-term clinical outcomes in both treatment naive and those who have failed prior therapy. POEM is comparable to laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) in terms of efficacy and safety, with less procedural pain and faster recovery time. Recent data also reveals that POEM may be more effective and durable than pneumatic dilation (PD) for the treatment of achalasia, with similar safety profile. Preliminary data on POEM for spastic esophageal disorders (SED) is promising yet scarce. Post-POEM gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common but asymptomatic in most patients, further highlighting the need for ongoing research in this field and the importance of long-term surveillance of these patients.
Altered metabolism in pulmonary hypertension: fuelling the fire or just smoke?

Glucose and fat metabolism are altered in pulmonary arterial hypertension, but it is not yet clear if these changes are causes or effects of the diseasehttp://bit.ly/3cWyf66
Are "Superwomen" without social support at risk for postpartum depression and anxiety?

Postpartum depression and anxiety are common among women. Previous research has found perfectionism and the lack of social support to be associated with psychological distress. This study examined ...
Perceptions of Auditor Responsibility: Views of the Judiciary and the Profession

A vital concern to the international auditing community is the litigation risk created by the ‘expectations gap’, the existence of potential differences between societal views of the scope of auditor responsibility and those of audit professionals. The focus of this study is to investigate the role that factors identified as important in professional audit standards and in the international press play in attributions of auditor responsibility in two important audit contexts: fraud and going concern. With respect to fraud detectability, the factors investigated were collusion and materiality, while those factors related to going concern predictability were evidence reliability and timing of unpredicted events. US auditors and practicing judges participated in the study. Consistent with expectations, the results indicate that auditors' attributions of responsibility were significantly affected by the detectability and predictability variables examined. The effect of the factors on judges' attributions of auditor responsibility was moderated by their general attitudes toward the auditing profession. Specifically, in the absence of mitigating factors, judges with unfavorable attitudes made greater responsibility assessments than those with favorable attitudes. However, in the presence of mitigating factors such as collusion or when the time period between the audit opinion date and bankruptcy was long, judges with unfavorable attitudes made significantly lower responsibility assessments. Lastly, while evidence reliability and materiality significantly affected auditors' attributions, they did not play a role in the attributions of the judges.
Anticipated impact of recent ethanol lock shortage and price increase on practice among pediatric intestinal rehabilitation programs across the United States.

Background Ethanol lock use has been associated with significantly lower rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in children with intestinal failure. Concerns have been raised among intestinal rehabilitation program providers regarding the impact of recent changes in cost and availability of ethanol locks in the US. Methods We conducted a survey among the members of the North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Intestinal Rehabilitation Special Interest Group (NASPGHAN IR-SIG) regarding practice changes among providers to tackle this issue and the anticipated effect on CLABSI rates. Results The results show that the vast majority of US participants use ethanol locks in their population with intestinal failure, with most anticipating or already experiencing reduction in access to ethanol locks. Most worrisome is that more than half of participating programs expect an increase in CLABSI rates in this vulnerable patient population as a consequence of limited access to ethanol locks. Conclusion Further multicenter prospective studies to assess the efficacy of alternative locking agents, besides ethanol, are needed in order to have readily available and affordable options for CLABSI prevention in the future.
Intracranial Hypotension Related Skull Remodeling with Enophthalmos

Drs Pirakitikulr and Tse describe their experience managing a patient with progressive enophthalmos following cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting. The case is interesting and nicely illustrates seve...
Using Atomic Force Microscopy to Study the Real Time Dynamics of DNA Unwinding by Mitochondrial Twinkle Helicase

Understanding the structure and dynamics of DNA-protein interactions during DNA replication is crucial for elucidating the origins of disorders arising from its dysfunction. In this study, we employed Atomic Force Microscopy as a single-molecule imaging tool to examine the mitochondrial DNA helicase Twinkle and its interactions with DNA. We used imaging in air and time-lapse imaging in liquids to observe the DNA binding and unwinding activities of Twinkle hexamers at the single-molecule level. These procedures helped us visualize Twinkle loading onto and unloading from the DNA in the open-ring conformation. Using traditional methods, it has been shown that Twinkle is capable of unwinding dsDNA up to 20-55 bps. We found that the addition of mitochondrial single-stranded DNA binding protein (mtSSB) facilitates a 5-fold increase in the DNA unwinding rate for the Twinkle helicase. The protocols developed in this study provide new platforms to examine DNA replication and to explore the mechanism driving DNA deletion and human diseases. Graphic abstract: Mitochondrial Twinkle Helicase Dynamics.
Modeling inactivation kinetics for Enterococcus faecium on the surface of peanuts during convective dry roasting

Abstract Dry roasting can reduce Salmonella contamination on peanuts. While previous studies evaluated impact of product temperature, process humidity, product moisture, and/or product water activity on Salmonella lethality, no published study has tested multiple primary and secondary models on data collected in a real-world processing environment. We tested multiple primary and secondary models to quantify Salmonella surrogate, Enterococcus faecium, inactivation on peanuts. Shelled runner-type peanuts inoculated with E. faecium were treated at various air temperatures (121, 149, and 177 °C) and air velocities (1.0 and 1.3 m/s) for treatment times from 1 to 63 min. Peanut surface temperature was measured during treatment. Water activity and moisture content were measured, and E. faecium were enumerated after treatment. Microbial inactivation was modeled as a function of time, product temperature, and product moisture. Parameters (Dref, zT, zaw, zMC, and/or n) were compared between model fits. The log-linear primary model combined with either the modified Bigelow-type secondary model accounting for aw or moisture content showed improved fit over the log-linear primary model combined with the traditional Bigelow-type secondary model. The Weibull primary model combined with the traditional Bigelow-type secondary model had the best fit. All parameter relative errors were less than 15%, and RMSE values ranged from 0.379 to 0.674 log CFU/g. Incorporating either aw or moisture content in the inactivation models did not make a practical difference within the range of conditions and model forms evaluated, and air velocity did not have a significant impact on inactivation. The models developed can aid processors in developing and validating pathogen reduction during peanut roasting.
Culture-Related Specific Syndromes

This chapter focuses on culture-related specific syndromes, also called culture-bound syndromes, which refer to the mental conditions or psychiatric syndromes whose occurrence or manifestation is closely related to cultural factors and thus warrant understanding and management primarily from a cultural perspective. Their clinical manifestations tend to be unique and different from those of psychiatric disorders that fit within existing psychiatric classifications. These syndromes tend to be observed more frequently in certain cultural areas that share common cultural traits, or features than in others. Various subgrouping systems have been proposed by different scholars in the past to organize and categorize various culture-related syndromes. Subgrouping by cardinal symptoms was suggested by Hong Kong cultural psychiatrist E. M.Yap in 1967, in which he suggested subgroups of primary fear reactions, hyperidic rage reaction , specific culture-imposed nosophobia , and trance dissociation. In 1985, Ronald C. Simons, an American cultural psychiatrist, and his anthropological colleague, Charles C. Hughes, suggested classifying and categorizing all culture-related syndromes by taxon, based on which they suggested the startle-matching taxon;the sleep-paralysis taxon; the genital-retraction taxon;the sudden-mass-assault taxon; the running taxon; the fright-illness taxon;and the cannibal-compulsion taxon. In 1981, Tseng and McDermott suggested the subgrouping of the syndromes according to how they might be affected by cultural factors.
Knowledge mapping: an essential part of knowledge management

Knowledge management is one of the fastest emerging fields in industry today. Unfortunately, however, most of the knowledge management endeavors do not seem to have rigorous and comprehensive knowledge management methodologies, tools, and techniques. One technique that can greatly aid the knowledge management field can be borrowed from the concept mapping community, namely the use of knowledge maps. This chapter will discuss the role of knowledge mapping for improving knowledge management projects, and the specific use of a tool called WisdomBuilder to aid in the creation of the knowledge maps.
A study of multi-stack silicon-direct wafer bonding for MEMS manufacturing

Multi-stack wafer bonding is one of the most promising fabrication techniques for creating three-dimensional microstructures, such as for power MEMS devices. However, there are several bonding issues that MEMS technologists have to face and overcome to successfully build multilayered structures. Among these are: (1) Chemical residues on surfaces to be bonded originating from the fabrication processes prior to bonding, (2) Increased stiffness due to multiple bonded wafers and/or thick wafers, (3) Bonding tool effects, and (4) Defect propagation to other wafer levels after high-temperature annealing cycles. The problems and the solutions presented here are readily applicable to any MEMS project involving the fabrication of multi-stack structures of two or more wafers containing intricate geometries and large etched areas.
Unsteady Lifting Surface Theory for a Marine Propeller of Low Pitch Angle With Chordwise Loading Distribution

Abstract : This study is third in a series of investigations applying the unsteady lifting surface theory to the marine propeller case. In this investigation, the surface integral equation is solved for a mathematical model where the chordwise loading is taken as the first term of Birnbaum's lift distribution (flat-plate chordwise distribution), in conjunction with Glauert's lift operator, which, in essence, satisfies the chordwise boundary conditions by a weighted average. It is shown that this model is an improvement over the modified Weissinger model used previously in this series, because it contains as a nucleus the exact two-dimensional solution, and thus it provides a sounder basis for dtermining the three-dimensional effects. The blade-loading is determined for a propeller operating in flow disturbanccs induced by the presence of a hull and by the blade-camber effect. The stationary loading obtained by the present model is about 10% less than that obtained by the modified Weissinger model, whereas the nonstationary loading is slightly larger. (Author)
MAGNIFICATION ENDOSCOPY IN THE UPPER GI TRACT

Magnification endoscopy in conjunction with chromoendoscopy provides additional valuable and detailed information with respect to mucosal morphology. The most promising indications include the depiction and staging of squamous cell cancer of the esophagus, the potential to identify neoplasia within Barrett's esophagus, and the demarcation of early gastric cancer. However, the exact role of magnification endoscopy for routine clinical practice is not yet determined and is currently under investigation
Perceptions of racism in healthcare among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional study

Background Racial disparities in the clinical outcomes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) exist. Perceived racial discrimination may contribute to disparities in health. Objectives To determine if perceived racism in healthcare differs by race among patients with SLE and to evaluate its contribution to racial disparities in SLE-related outcomes. Methods 163 African–American (AA) and 180 white (WH) patients with SLE were enrolled. Structured interviews and chart reviews were done to determine perceptions of racism, SLE-related outcomes (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) Damage Index, SLE Disease Activity, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D)), and other variables that may affect perceptions of racism. Serial hierarchical multivariable logistic regression models were conducted. Race-stratified analyses were also performed. Results 56.0% of AA patients compared with 32.8% of WH patients had high perceptions of discrimination in healthcare (p Conclusions Perceptions of racism in healthcare were more common in AA patients than in WH patients with SLE and were associated with depression. Interventions aimed at modifiable factors (eg, trust in providers) may reduce higher perceptions of race-based discrimination in SLE.
Empirical studies of separability and prediction using threshold logic units

Abstract Several properties of threshold logic units (TLU's) were studied by actual training on vectors filled with random numbers (a Gaussian distribution). Trends have been observed relating predictive ability to the training set size (N)/dimensionality (D) ratio and also linking the degree of category set overlap to the frequency with which subsets are successfully trained. The results further suggest that predictive ability may not change significantly over wide ranges of D providing the N/D ratio is constant and greater than two or three.
The Gravitational Perturbations of the Kerr Black Hole. I. The Perturbations in the Quantities which Vanish in the Stationary State

As a preliminary towards a complete integration of the Newman-Penrose equations governing the gravitational perturbations of the Kerr black hole, the perturbations in the spin coefficients and in the components of the Weyl tensor, which vanish in the stationary state, are considered. The manner of treatment of the basic equations yields Teukolsky's equations expressed directly in terms of the basic derivative operators of the theory and, further, suggests a preferred gauge in which two of the components of the Weyl tensor are governed by the same equations as a Maxwell field. Various identities and relations that are needed in subsequent work are assembled. In two appendixes, the solution of Maxwell's equations in Kerr geometry and the perturbations of the charged Kerr-Newman black hole are considered.
REPRODUCTION IN POLEMONIUM: ASSESSING THE FACTORS LIMITING SEED SET

Evidence of pollen and/or resource limitation of seed production in the herbaceous perennial plant Polemonium foliosissimum was investigated. Large numbers of open flowers on selected individuals were hand-pollinated at regular intervals, and seed set was compared with that of control blossoms on those same plants as well as with that of control flowers on control individuals. Experimental and control individuals were monitored and reproductive output measured during the following flowering season as well. Although hand-pollinated flowers set significantly more seeds than did either set of control blossoms, the results suggest that individual reproduction (i.e., the total number of seeds produced by a plant) was limited by resources other than pollen. Pollen availability may also have limited seed production, but to a lesser extent. A proper protocol for examining the limitation of seed set is developed, and the biases inherent in most of the simplified procedures currently in use are discussed.
Reductive Transformation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene: Roles of Iron and Natural Organic Matter

This study investigated the effects of redox-active and iron-coordinating functional groups within natural organic matter (NOM) on the electron transfer interactions between Fe(II) and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), an energetic residue often encountered in aqueous environments as a propellant component and impurities in 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Experiments were first conducted in homogeneous phases as a function of pH in the presence of ligands that (1) complex iron (e.g., citric acid, oxalic acid), (2) complex and reduce iron (e.g., caffeic acid, ascorbic acid), and (3) humic substances with known carboxyl content and electron transfer capacity. Then, effects of these NOM components on Fe(II) reactivity in heterogeneous media were investigated by introducing goethite. Our results indicate complex catalytic and inhibitory effects of NOM components on the reaction between Fe(II) and 2,4-DNT, depending upon the ability of NOM component to (1) reduce dissolved and particulate Fe(III) (e.g., ascorbic acid), (2) form kinetically labile dissolved Fe(II) reductants (e.g., tiron and caffeic acid), and (3) produce surface-associated Fe(II) species that are accessible to 2,4-DNT.
Survival and major neurodevelopmental impairment in extremely low gestational age newborns born 1990–2000: a retrospective cohort study

It is important to determine if rates of survival and major neurodevelopmental impairment in extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs; infants born at 23–27 weeks gestation) are changing over time. Study infants were born at 23 to 27 weeks of gestation without congenital anomalies at a tertiary medical center between July 1, 1990 and June 30, 2000, to mothers residing in a thirteen-county region in North Carolina. Outcomes at one year adjusted age were compared for two epochs of birth: epoch 1, July 1, 1990 to June 30, 1995; epoch 2, July 1, 1995 to June 30, 2000. Major neurodevelopmental impairment was defined as cerebral palsy, Bayley Scales of Infant Development Mental Developmental Index more than two standard deviations below the mean, or blindness. Survival of ELGANs, as a percentage of live births, was 67% [95% confidence interval: (61, 72)] in epoch 1 and 71% (65, 75) in epoch 2. Major neurodevelopmental impairment was present in 20% (15, 27) of survivors in epoch 1 and 14% (10, 20) in epoch 2. When adjusted for gestational age, survival increased [odds ratio 1.5 (1.0, 2.2), p = .03] and major neurodevelopmental impairment decreased [odds ratio 0.54 (0.31, 0.93), p = .02] from epoch 1 to epoch 2. The probability of survival increased while that of major neurodevelopmental impairment decreased during the 1990's in this regionally based sample of ELGANs.
One-dimensional Hubbard model in the presence of magnetic field

Abstract The ground-state properties of the one-dimensional Hubbard model at half-filling in the presence of magnetic field are examined using the generalized mean-field approximation (GMF), which includes both the spin-density and the electron-hole correlations on an equal footing. The GMF results for the ground-state energy, the electron-hole excitation gap, the magnetization and the susceptibility are compared in one dimension with the exact ones. The GMF approach provides insight into both the magnetism and the Mott—Hubbard localization in the presence of applied field. The numerical results for the ground-state energy, the local moment, the kinetic energy and the number of double occupied sites are overall in good agreement with the exact results. The generalized mean-field formalism allows to separate the single-particle excitations from antiferromagnetic order parameter at relatively large magnetic field.
An Adaptive Unstructured Grid Method by Grid Subdivision, Local Remeshing, and Grid Movement

An unstructured grid adaptation technique has been developed and successfully applied to several three dimensional inviscid flow test cases. The approach is based on a combination of grid subdivision, local remeshing, and grid movement. For solution adaptive grids, the surface triangulation is locally refined by grid subdivision, and the tetrahedral grid in the field is partially remeshed at locations of dominant flow features. A grid redistribution strategy is employed for geometric adaptation of volume grids to moving or deforming surfaces. The method is automatic and fast and is designed for modular coupling with different solvers. Several steady state test cases with different inviscid flow features were tested for grid/solution adaptation. In all cases, the dominant flow features, such as shocks and vortices, were accurately and efficiently predicted with the present approach. A new and robust method of moving tetrahedral "viscous" grids is also presented and demonstrated.
Violating Human Rights in the US Immigration Detention System

: [human rights, immigration, detention] Gretchen E Schafft is contributing editor of “Human Rights Forum,” the AAA Committee for Human Rights column in Anthropology News.
Alterations in Chemically Induced Tissue Injury Related to All-trans-Retinol Pretreatment In Rodents

Retinol (vitamin A) is an essential nutrient which has many physiological effects throughout the body. Our studies have demonstrated that retinol modulation of immune response, through alteration of macrophage and neutrophil function, can have dramatic effects on the toxicity of some compounds. Based on these studies, our current hypothesis for retinol potentiation of chemical-induced liver injury is that retinol administered to rats prior to the hepatotoxicant (CCl4 and AA in rats; and AA, APAP, and GalN in mice) primes the Kupffer cells to a more active state. This may occur in part as a result of increases in chemical mediators such as TNF from these Kupffer cells. Following hepatocyte damage by a toxicant, Kupffer cells are activated to release reactive oxygen species, immune mediators, and chemotactic factors which all serve to enhance the inflammatory response. This increased inflammatory response then results in increased injury to the already toxicant-damaged hepatocytes. In addition, retinol modulation of toxicant activation and detoxification may also make important contributions to the potentiation of some toxicants such as AA. Retinol protection of CCl4 hepatotoxicity in mice is more difficult to explain at this time but is possibly related to alterations in CCl4 metabolism in this species. Differences in response between pulmonary and liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) may explain the retinol protection from 1-NN pulmonary toxicity. Retinol may decrease the inflammatory response through downregulation of pulmonary macrophage function, thus resulting in decreased pulmonary injury. Finally, since retinol protection of cadmium toxicity in the liver and testis requires 7 days of retinol pretreatment, we suspect that retinol is inducing protective protein(s) in these organs. Aside from its normal biological role in rhe body, clinical medicine has found new uses for retinol in the treatment and prevention of some cancers, and in the treatment of certain dermatologic conditions. Since these patients are frequently administered or exposed to other potentially toxic compounds, it is obviously prudent and necessary to continue research into the effects of retinol on immune modulation and interaction with other compounds. More importantly, these studies demonstrate the modulation of immune function is one mechanism by which one chemical can influence the toxicity of another.
Effects of Trees on Wind Flow Variability and Turbulence

This paper describes the results of a field experiment at the Goodnoe Hills site to examine the effects of trees on wind flow variability and turbulence. Although vegetation at the site consisted primarily of grass, scattered areas of trees that penetrated the site provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate the effects of surface roughness changes on the wind flow characteristics. Wind data collected at nine towers across the site revealed that surface roughness changes in the upwind fetch caused pronounced variations in the wind flow over site. At two towers that were frequently downwind of a grove of trees, 30% reductions in wind speed and a factor of 2 to 3 increase in turbulence were measured at heights of 32 m (approximately twice the tree height). A substantial increase in the magnitude of the wind gusts, as well as a considerable decrease in the mean wind speed, was observed when a tower was downwind of the trees. The effects of the trees on the wind flow characteristics were considerably reduced at heights of 60 m and at distances greater than 500 m. 13 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.
Distinct Mechanisms Underlying Tolerance to Intermittent and Constant Hypoxia in Drosophila melanogaster

Background Constant hypoxia (CH) and intermittent hypoxia (IH) occur during several pathological conditions such as asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. Our research is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to injury or adaptation to hypoxic stress using Drosophila as a model system. Our current genome-wide study is designed to investigate gene expression changes and identify protective mechanism(s) in D. melanogaster after exposure to severe (1% O2) intermittent or constant hypoxia.
PLTLIB: A FORTRAN plot library for the IEEE 488-1975 general-purpose instrument bus

PLTLIB a ete developpe pour utiliser IBLIB efficacement et pour ameliorer specifiquement la plupart des fonctions generalement souhaitees de la table tracante
A Novel Iron Complex for Cross-Coupling Reactions of Multiple C–Cl Bonds in Polychlorinated Solvents with Grignard Reagents

A novel iron(III) complex (2) of a pincer ligand [1, N2,N6-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide] was developed and used for remediation of polychlorinated solvents via sp3–sp3 coupling of Grignard reagents with C–Cl bonds. The use of an iron catalyst for such coupling reactions is highly desirable due to its greener and more economical nature. Complex 2 was characterized using various spectroscopic techniques: electrospray ionization mass spectrometer (ESI-MS, m/z 575.1), cyclic voltammetry (E1/2, 0.03 V and ∆E, 0.97 V), and ultraviolet visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopic techniques. The iron(III) complex showed efficient activation of multiple C–Cl bonds and catalyzing C–C coupling of polychlorinated alkyl halides, such as dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), chloroform (CHCl3), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), with various Grignard reagents under ambient reaction conditions. Complex 2 showed exceptional activity with reactions approaching near completion in about 5 min. With the required catalyst loading as low as 0.2 mol%, considerably high turnover numbers (TON = 483) and turnover frequency (TOF = 5,800 h−1) were obtained. None of the products detected during the reaction contained any chlorine, indicating an efficient dechlorination method while synthesizing products of synthetic and commercial interest. Interestingly, the catalyst was capable of replacing all chlorine atoms in each polychlorinated solvent under the investigations with high conversion.