cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute kidney injury in critically ill newborns: What do we know? What do we need to learn?

Outcomes in critically ill neonates have improved over the past three decades, yet high residual mortality and morbidity rates exist. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is not just an innocent by-stander in the critically ill patient. Research on incidence and outcomes of AKI in the critically ill neonatal population is scarce. The objective of this publication is to (a) review original articles on the short- and long-term outcomes after neonatal AKI, (b) highlight key articles on adults and children with AKI in order to demonstrate how such insights might be applied to neonates, and (c) suggest clinical research studies to fill the gaps in our understanding of neonatal AKI. To date, observational studies suggest high rates of AKI and poor outcomes in critically ill neonates. Neonates with AKI are at risk of developing chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Large prospective studies are needed to test definitions and to better understand risk factors, incidence, independent outcomes, and mechanisms that lead to poor short- and long-term outcomes. Early biomarkers of AKI need to be explored in critically ill neonates. Infants with AKI need to be followed for sequelae after AKI.
Nasal Mucosal Metabolism and Absorption of Pentapeptide Enkephalin Analogs Having Varying N‐Terminal Amino Acidss

A series of enkephalin analogs with varying amino acids on the N‐terminus were synthesized and evaluated in rats in situ for their hydrolytic stability and absorption when administered nasally. The amino acids on the N‐terminus were tyrosine (Y), alanine (A), serine (S), lysine (K), and aspartic acid (D). These amino acids represent different charges and sizes. Among these peptides, only the peptide carrying aspartic acid on the N‐terminus was stable. The rank order of degradation rates was YGGFL > AGGFL > SGGFL, KGGFL > DGGFL. These results suggest that there are relatively high activities of aminopeptidases N and B and relatively low activity of aminopeptidase A in the rat nasal mucosa. Absorption studies were performed to determine the absorption rate of DGGFL, by measuring percentage recovery of nasal doses vs time. After a 50 μL dose of a 3 mg/mL solution, this peptide exhibited an absorption half‐life of 21 min, which is similar to the nasal absorption rate of YGGFL.
Predictors and Moderators of Outcome in Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa

ABSTRACT Objective To explore the predictors and moderators of treatment outcome for adolescents with bulimia nervosa (BN) who participated in family-based treatment or individual supportive psychotherapy. Method Data derived from a randomized controlled trial ( n = 80) of family-based treatment of BN and supportive psychotherapy were used to explore possible predictors and moderators of treatment outcome. Results Participants with less severe Eating Disorder Examination eating concerns at baseline were more likely to have remitted (abstained from binge eating and purging) after treatment (odds ratio [OR] 0.47; p p p p p Conclusions Lower eating concerns are the best predictor of remission for adolescents with BN, and family-based treatment of BN may be most effective in those cases with low levels of eating disorder psychopathology.
An empirical investigation into Six Sigma critical success factors

This pilot research explores the critical success factors of Six Sigma to gain insight into the gaps between Six Sigma theory and execution, and to understand the primary drivers of financial improvements. The findings demonstrate the key aspects that seem to be consistent among Six Sigma organisations. Results show organisations cite Six Sigma for cost reduction, notoriety of its success and increased revenues. Chi-square analyses indicate gaps exist between theory and actual practice across the three critical success factors of team selection, project selection and project implementation. A larger percent of respondents agree on the criticality of key tasks/issues, yet fewer companies execute them in practice. Regression results demonstrate the factors of team selection and project selection significantly impact the financial improvement performance of the responding organisations. These results are beneficial for researchers investigating Six Sigma, business leaders considering its implementation and for existing companies seeking to achieve even greater improvement gains.
Experimental Free Convection From Piping in District Heating Utilidors

Experiments were performed to study the two-dimensional natural convection heat transfer from two heated isothermal horizontal cylinders to an isothermal-cooled rectangular enclosure. The experiments were designed to simulate the heat transfer encountered in underground heat distribution systems where steam and condensate lines are routed through underground or in-ground corridors (utilidors) from a central plant. The steam supply and condensate return lines were simulated with two copper cylinders. The fluid between the cylinders and enclosure was distilled water to simulate the Rayleigh number range encountered with air in actual utilidors. Results were obtained for the overall heat transfer coefficient between the two cylinders and the enclosure. The data was correlated over a Rayleigh number, RaL , range of 2.1 × 108 to 4.8 × 109 representative of the Rayleigh number, based upon a hypothetical gap width, in a typical utilidor exposed to extreme enclosure to piping temperature differential boundary conditions. The corresponding Nusselt numbers, NuL , ranged from 21 to 59 when both cylinders were heated for water as the intermediate fluid. Corresponding heat transfer coefficients calculated for the utilidor case with air as the intermediate fluid were found to be smaller compared to some other correlations for concentric cylinders.
The rhodopsin-porphyropsin system in freshwater fishes—1. Effects of age and photic environment

Abstract The freshwater fish Scardinius erythrophthalmus L. has a mixture of rhodopsin ( λ max 507 nm ) and porphyropsin ( λ max , 535 nm ) in its retina. Fish kept in continuous light for several weeks convert nearly all their porphyropsin into rhodopsin. In darkness this rhodopsin is reconverted to porphyropsin. If, in the light, each fish is fitted with an opaque cap over one eye, then this eye increases its proportion of porphyropsin while there is no change in the exposed contralateral eye. “Dark fish”, with porphyropsin-dominated retinas, converted this pigment into rhodopsin in the light. Conversion was markedly retarded in capped eyes but not in contralateral uncapped ones. Thus light converted prophyropsin into rhodopsin by acting locally within the ocular tissues and not by centrally-controlled endocrine or neuro-endocrine mechanisms. This does not rule out the possibility that endocrine factors also determine visual pigment composition under some circumstances. Thus there is a sharp increase in the proportion of porphyropsin in fish between 5 and 8 yr, although this might reflect a change in the pattern of ocular dehydrogenases converting retinol into 3-dehydroretinol. In any event, it appears that the seasonal visual pigment variation, manifested by a rhodopsin increase in the summer, is absent or much reduced in older fish. The effects of monocular thyroxine injections and exposure to intermittent photic conditions are also investigated and discussed.
Preparation and properties of [NiII(BEES)(Cl)](BPh4): a NiII complex in a mixed nitrogen/thioether coordination environment

The synthesis and properties of the Ni I I complex [Ni I I (BEES)(Cl)](BPh 4 ) are described. The ligand bis-2-β-benzylthioethylaminoethylsulfide HCl (BEES.HCl) was prepared in good yield in three steps from bis-ethylaminosulfide and acetyl chloride. Complexation of Ni I I in the presence of chloride affords [Ni I I (BEES)(Cl)](BPh 4 ), which contains high-spin Ni I I in a pseudo-octahedral coordination environment, ligated by amine nitrogens, thioether sulfurs, and a chloride. The complex is irreversibly reduced at a potential of -1.24 V vs. SCE. The complex displays four d → d bands in the UV-Vis. Reduction of Ni I I → Ni I by Na/acenaphthylene leads to complete decomposition of the complex.
The male breast

The differential diagnosis for breast problems in male patients is generally simpler than in female patients because the spectrum of common diagnoses is narrower in males than in females. Mammography in male patients is performed infrequently even in busy breast imaging practices, making up less than 1% of mammographic studies performed in 2003 at the Baylor Sammons Breast Imaging Center at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Despite the infrequency of the examinations, radiologists need to be familiar with the mammographic appearances of the normal and abnormal male breast to render accurate interpretations, and clinicians need to be familiar with the common diagnoses seen in men with breast complaints. The objective of this article is to review male breast disorders encountered by clinicians and radiologists.
Extent of excision repair before DNA synthesis determines the mutagenic but not the lethal effect of UV radiation

Abstract Excision repair-proficient diploid fibroblasts from normal persons (NF) and repair-deficient cells from a xeroderma pigmentosum patient (XP12BE, group A) were grown to confluence and allowed to enter the G0 state. Autoradiography studies of cells released from G0 after 72 h and replated at lower densities (3−9 × 103 cells/cm2) in fresh medium containing 15% fetal bovine serum showed that semiconservative DNA synthesis (S phase) began ∼24 h after the replating. To determine whether the time available for DNA excision repair between ultraviolet irradiation (254 nm) and the onset of DNA synthesis was critical in determining the cytotoxic and/or mutagenic effect of UV in human fibroblasts, we released cultures of NF or XP12BE cells from G0, allowed them to reattach at lower densities, irradiated them in early G1 (∼18 h prior to the onset of S) or just prior to S phase, and assayed the frequency of mutations to 6-thioguanine resistance and the survival of colony-forming ability. The XP12BE cells, which are virtually incapable of excising UV-induced DNA lesions, showed approximately the same frequency of mutations and survival regardless of the time of UV irradiation. In NF cells, the slope of the dose response for mutations induced in cells irradiated just prior to S was about 7-fold steeper than that of cells irradiated 18 h earlier. However, the two sets of NF cells showed no significant difference in survival. Neither were there significant differences in the survival of NF cells released from G0, plated at cloning densities and irradiated as soon as they had attached and flattened out (∼20 h prior to S) or 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24 h later. We conclude that the frequency of mutations induced by UV is dependent upon the number of unexcised lesions remaining at the time of semi-conservative DNA replication. However, the amount of time available for excision of potentially cytotoxic lesions is not determined primarily by the period between irradiation and the onset of S phase.
Sorghum Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Adult Ovipositional Behavior on Resistant and Susceptible Sorghum Hybrids

Ovipositional behavior of adult sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola (Coquillett), on a midge-resistant (‘AT×2755 × T×2767’) and a midge-susceptible (‘AT×2752 × T×430’) sorghum hybrid was compared under field conditions at College Station, Tex., in 1983. Searching time, interval between two oviposition attempts, and number of flowers searched were recorded for a total of 320 adult female midges during four occasions. Probing time and frequency of ovipositional success were recorded for a total of 258 adult midges during 10 occasions. Adult midges searched flowers of the resistant hybrid more rapidly than flowers of the susceptible hybrid; however, probing/ovipositional time was longer for females on the resistant hybrid. Ovipositional efficiency of the sorghum midge female was 4-fold less on flowers of the resistant hybrid than those of the susceptible hybrid.
Interconvertible lac repressor-DNA loops revealed by single-molecule experiments.

At many promoters, transcription is regulated by simultaneous binding of a protein to multiple sites on DNA, but the structures and dynamics of such transcription factor-mediated DNA loops are poorly understood. We directly examined in vitro loop formation mediated by Escherichia coli lactose repressor using single-molecule structural and kinetics methods. Small (∼150 bp) loops form quickly and stably, even with out-of-phase operator spacings. Unexpectedly, repeated spontaneous transitions between two distinct loop structures were observed in individual protein–DNA complexes. The results imply a dynamic equilibrium between a novel loop structure with the repressor in its crystallographic “V” conformation and a second structure with a more extended linear repressor conformation that substantially lessens the DNA bending strain. The ability to switch between different loop structures may help to explain how robust transcription regulation is maintained even though the mechanical work required to form a loop may change substantially with metabolic conditions.
New materials for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

We have investigated the performance of a class of heterocycles, 5, 10-dihetera-5,10-dihydroindeno[3,2b]indenes, as hole transport agents in simple double heterostructure organic light-emitting diodes with tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq). The best of these materials, 5,10-dihydroindolo[3,2b]indole, yields devices with luminance and lifetimes comparable to those obtained using N,N{prime}-di-(3-methylphenyl)-N,N{prime}diphenyl-4,4{prime}-diaminobiphenyl (TPD) as a hole transporting material.
Causal Inference in Sociological Research

Originating in econometrics and statistics, the counterfactual model provides a natural framework for clarifying the requirements for valid causal inference in the social sciences. This article presents the basic potential outcomes model and discusses the main approaches to identification in social science research. It then addresses approaches to the statistical estimation of treatment effects either under unconfoundedness or in the presence of unmeasured heterogeneity. As an update to Winship & Morgan's (1999) earlier review, the article summarizes the more recent literature that is characterized by a broader range of estimands of interest, a renewed interest in exploiting experimental and quasi-experimental designs, and important progress in the areas of semi- and nonparametric estimation of treatment effects, difference-in-differences estimation, and instrumental variable estimation. The review concludes by highlighting implications of the recent econometric and statistical literature for sociological...
Ubiquitin Activation and Ligation

The energy dependence of intracellular protein turnover has been recognized for several decades. In the 1950s, Simpson1 and Schwieger et al. 2 showed that respiratory inhibitors decrease the rate of release of amino acids from cells. Therefore, these compounds, which decrease intracellular ATP concentration, inhibit intracellular protein turnover. Since peptide bond hydrolysis is a thermodynamically favorable process, why should protein break down require ATP? And how might ATP hydrolysis be coupled to peptide bond hydrolysis? Our understanding of the mechanistic basis for the ATP requirement has increased substantially in recent years. There are now several known ATP-dependent proteases. One of these is part of the multienzyme pathway that requires the small protein ubiquitin (Ub) as a cofactor. Although Ub-dependent protein breakdown is not the only ATP-dependent protein breakdown in higher eukaryotes,3 it is clear that the Ub-dependent pathway is quantitatively important. Turnover of at least 90% of the short-lived proteins in a mouse mammary carcinoma cell line is Ub dependent.4
Root development: Quiescent center not so mute after all

Many functions have been attributed to the quiescent center of a root apical meristem, from stem cell reservoir to pattern-generating center. Limited laser ablation of the quiescent center in Arabidopsis has now revealed that it acts to suppress differentiation and to maintain the surrounding initial cells as stem cells.
Nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns as exposures in research: a framework for food synergy

Evidence is synthesized that foods and food patterns act synergistically to influence the risk of several chronic diseases. Whole-grain consumption and risk of disease are presented as a model of food synergy. Food synergy is defined as additive or more than additive influences of foods and food constituents on health. Risk appears to be lower with consumption of whole grain than of refined grain; that is, benefit accrues when all edible parts of the grain are included (bran, germ, and endosperm). It appears that phytochemicals that are located in the fiber matrix, in addition to or instead of the fiber itself, are responsible for the reduced risk. Risk is further reduced if whole-grain foods are consumed in a diet otherwise high in plant foods. To gain full understanding of the pathways by which food synergies work, it is desirable to use several "top down" approaches, starting with the larger units, namely foods or food patterns, and working down to smaller units that provide protection from disease. Study of foods, food patterns, and individual nutrients or food components in reducing disease risk is seen as complementary. Epidemiologic, clinical trial, and in vitro approaches to such research are needed.
Interfacing Biography, Theory and History: The Case of Erving Goffman†

This study aims to show that much of Erving Goffman's writing is crypto-biographical and that key turns in his intellectual career reflected his life's trajectory and attempts at self-renewal. The case is made that Goffman's theoretical corpus reflects his personal experience as a son of Russian–Jewish immigrants who struggled to raise himself from the obscurity of Canadian Manitoba to international stardom. The concluding section describes the Erving Goffman Archives and the contribution that the large database of documents and biographical materials assembled therein can make to biocritical hermeneutics, a research program focused on the relationship between biography, theory, and history.
Practical software model checking via dynamic interface reduction

Implementation-level software model checking explores the state space of a system implementation directly to find potential software defects without requiring any specification or modeling. Despite early successes, the effectiveness of this approach remains severely constrained due to poor scalability caused by state-space explosion. DeMeter makes software model checking more practical with the following contributions: (i) proposing dynamic interface reduction, a new state-space reduction technique, (ii) introducing a framework that enables dynamic interface reduction in an existing model checker with a reasonable amount of effort, and (iii) providing the framework with a distributed runtime engine that supports parallel distributed model checking. We have integrated DeMeter into two existing model checkers, MaceMC and MoDist, each involving changes of around 1,000 lines of code. Compared to the original MaceMC and MoDist model checkers, our experiments have shown state-space reduction from a factor of five to up to five orders of magnitude in representative distributed applications such as Paxos, Berkeley DB, Chord, and Pastry. As a result, when applied to a deployed Paxos implementation, which has been running in production data centers for years to manage tens of thousands of machines, DeMeter manages to explore completely a logically meaningful state space that covers both phases of the Paxos protocol, offering higher assurance of software reliability that was not possible before.
To believe or not to believe: cognitive and psychodynamic approaches to delusional disorder.

Given how desperately ill many of our patients are, it hasalways seemed a shame that our ﬁeld insists on divid-ing itself—for example, biological vs. psychological, descrip-tive vs. historical, psychodynamic vs. cognitive-behavioral.Sometimesthisiscarriedtosuchextremesthatthepatient’swelfare appears to be secondary to the desire of a zealoustherapist to “score points” for his or her point of view.This case report is refreshing in that it presents the his-tory of a seriously ill woman who has been successfullytreatedwithacombinationofmedicationandpsychotherapystrategies. A review of the cognitive-behavioral and psycho-dynamic formulations contained here will reveal some sig-niﬁcantsimilarities:cognitivedistortionsanddefensemech-anisms, affect avoidance and affect intolerance, and so on.The technical recommendations do of course differ betweenmodels, but we should consider whether or not these schoolsof thought, and perhaps many others not represented here,might each include signiﬁcant pieces of the same truths inworking with patients.
Common test data language and tools improve quality and reduce cost

Parametric test data have been used for years to improve both product design and manufacturing processes. Historically these data have been program specific and have required teams of specialists. Different programs would have different methods of gathering and managing the data. Different people could analyze the same data with different custom tools and come up with different results. Recently we have been using a common test data exchange language to enable common tools and analysis methods. This data language, a precursor to proposed IEEE Standard 1389, has been successfully deployed to several different programs. Each program has its own test equipment, procedures, and goals for data analysis. Yet all programs have benefited from the common test data language and tools.
Ubiquitous Writing, Technologies, and the Social Practice of Literacies of Coordination:

This article shares results from a multi-institutional study of the role of writing in college students’ lives. Using case studies built from a larger population survey along with interviews, diari...
Wings of Wood, Wings of Metal: Culture and Technical Choice in American Airplane Materials, 1914-1945

List of TablesList of FiguresAcknowledgments1Materials, Symbols, and Ideologies of Progress32Engineering Enthusiasm: World War I and the Origins of the Metal Airplane223Metal and Its Discontents444An Old Role for the Military: Government Support for Metal Airplane Construction645Metal and Commercial Aviation I: Henry Ford Takes Flight966Neglected Alternative I: Plywood Stressed-skin Construction1147Persistence Pays Off: Military Success with Metal Airplanes1358Metal and Commercial Aviation II: The Triumph of the All-metal Airliner1559Neglected Alternative II: Synthetic Resin Adhesives17510World War II and the Revival of the Wooden Airplane19211Epilogue: Culture and Composite Materials223Notes233Index305
Knowledge-based computer vision-integrated programming language and data management system design

Properties that are needed in a language for programming computer vision tasks are described, and a new object-oriented programming language and data management system approach is suggested. An example from automatic pose estimation is used to illustrate the necessity for the properties in a language system, it is indicated where other languages and data management systems fail to provide these properties, and the type constructors used in the authors' system and features of the language semantics of their system are discussed. >
Market Timing with ETF Options

I provide new evidence on market timing by studying ETF option holdings of hedge funds. I find that market option holdings are economically significant in terms of their impact on the market exposure of the funds. Further, I find significant time variation in market option holdings, which could be due to market timing activity. I measure market timing ability as average risk-adjusted return on market option holdings. I find that market timing ability is close to zero for the average fund but is negative for heavy option users. In the cross-section, I find that some funds have significant negative market timing ability, which I distinguish from bad luck by bootstrapping market returns.
Terminology standards for nursing: collaboration at the summit.

Objective: The objective of the 1999 Nursing Vocabulary Summit Conference was to seek consensus on and a common approach to the development of nursing terminology standards for use in information systems. Methods: A four-day invitational conference brought together authors and representatives of responsible organizations concerned with the nursing terminologies recognized or under consideration by the American Nurses Association, along with experts on language and standards and representatives of professional organizations, federal agencies, and the health informatics industry. Results: Participants distinguished between colloquial terminologies and reference terminologies, and between information models and terminology models. They agreed that most recognized nursing terminologies were colloquial terminologies and that a reference terminology was needed. They formed task forces to develop and test aspects of a reference terminology model prior to a second meeting in June 2000, at which they would determine readiness to collaborate on a single international standard. Discussion: The 1999 Nursing Vocabulary Summit Conference changed the level of discussion about nursing vocabulary standards from a debate about the relative merits of the various terminologies recognized in the United States to an examination of methods for developing and testing a reference terminology model and, eventually, a reference terminology that could serve as an international standard.
Metaphors and Translation Prisms

Metaphors, along with similes, are often viewed as translation problems. Many prescriptive guidelines for how to treat them have been proposed, but there is a paucity of descriptive analysis on the nature of the transformation of metaphors, especially between languages that are linguistically and culturally distinct, for example, between English and Asian languages. Furthermore, the study of multiple translations within one language is even more limited. The present paper descriptively analyzes multiple English translations of the same Japanese literary text published in the past century. It shows that: i) a metaphor's life can be ceased or revived; ii) a metaphor's strength, markedness, linguistic state, pragmatic domain, and sociocultural base may change; iii) explicit metaphors and implicit metaphors interact; iv) a metaphor may be deleted or newly created, through translation. These findings empirically show that metaphors are open expressions with some room to be filled, left open, eliminated, or altered through translation, and thus they can serve as venues for varied translation approaches.
Gas-Phase Reaction Mechanisms for Nitrogen Oxide Formation and Removal in Combustion

The principal nitrogen oxides emitted from combustion devices are nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), collectively referred to as NOx, and nitrous oxide (N2O). Because of detrimental effects of nitrogen oxides on the environment and on health, nitrogen oxide emissions from combustion sources are regulated in most industrialized countries. A variety of techniques for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions have been developed. The concepts underlying many of these emissions reduction techniques can be understood in terms of the reaction mechanisms for formation and removal of nitrogen oxides in combustion.
Sex-based differences in knee ligament biomechanics during robotically simulated athletic tasks

ACL injury rates are greater in female athletes than their male counterparts. As female athletes are at increased risk, it is important to understand the underlying mechanics that contribute to this sex bias. The purpose of this investigation was to employ a robotic manipulator to simulate male and female kinematics from athletic tasks on cadaveric specimens and identify sex-based mechanical differences relative to the ACL loading. It was hypothesized that simulations of female motion would generate the higher loads and ligament strains associated with in vivo ACL injury risk than simulations of male motion. A 6-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator articulated cadaveric lower extremity specimens from 12 donors through simulations of in vivo kinematics recorded from male and female athletic tasks. Simulation of female kinematics exhibited lower peak lateral joint force during the drop vertical jump and lower peak anterior and lateral joint force and external joint torque during the sidestep cut (P<0.05). Peak ACL strain during a drop vertical jump was 6.27% and 6.61% for the female and male kinematic simulations, respectively (P=0.86). Peak ACL strain during a sidestep cut was 4.33% and 7.57% for female and male kinematic simulations respectively (P=0.21). For the tasks simulated, the sex-based loading and strain differences identified were unlikely to have a significant bearing on the increased rate of ACL injures observed in female athletes. Additional perturbation may be necessary to invoke the mechanisms that lead to higher rates of ACL injury in female populations.
On the Proposition 65

California's Proposition 65 law and implementing regulations have been in effect for over five years and represent dramatic and fundamental changes in public health and environmental regulation. The law, termed the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is primarily aimed at keeping the state's drinking water free from hazardous chemicals. However, it also targets a range of consumer products (food, medicines, cosmetics, and household goods) by requiring public warnings if they contain amounts of carcinogens orreproductive toxicants exceeding“no significant risk levels.”Any citizen may sue a business thatviolates this law and retain a portion of the monetary penalties imposed by the law. Currently there are over 500 chemicals and mixtures on the regulated list, and many law suits have been filedand settled on a number of important chemicals. Chloroform, lead, ethylene oxide, perchloroethylene, methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and asbestos have been the most significant cases. Public warnings are also now being given for alcoholic beverages and aspirin, and warning notices are posted at all gasoline-dispensing stations throughout the state.A forthcoming article will present more information on the law's background, implementation, impact on industry, and future implications by Dr. Takayuki Shibamoto, Chaiman of the Department of Environmental Toxicology at University of California, Davis.
The Development of a Roller Rig for Experimental Evaluation of Contact Mechanics for Railway Vehicles

This paper discusses the development of a state of the art single-wheel roller rig for studying contact mechanics and dynamics in railroad applications. The use of indoor-based simulation tools has become a mainstay in vehicle testing for the automotive and railroad industries. In contrast to field-testing, roller rigs offer a controlled laboratory environment that can provide a successful path for obtaining data on the mechanics and dynamics of railway systems for a variety of operating conditions. The idea to develop a laboratory test rig started from the observation that there is a need for better-developed testing fixtures capable of accurately explaining the relatively unknown physics of the wheel-rail contact mechanics and dynamics. Developing a better understanding of such physics would assist with designing faster, safer, and more efficient railroad systems. A review of the existing roller rigs indicated that many desired functional requirements for studying contact mechanics are not readily available. The Virginia Tech Railway Technologies Laboratory (RTL) has embarked on a mission to develop a state-of-the-art testing facility that will allow experimental testing for contact mechanics in a dynamic, controlled, and consistent manner. The VT roller rig is intended to allow for actively controlling all the wheel-rail interface degrees of freedom: cant angle, angle of attack, and lateral displacement. Two AC synchronous servomotors, accompanied with proper gearheads, accurately drive the rotating wheels. A novel force measurement system, suitable for steel on steel contact, is configured to precisely measure the contact forces and torques. The control architecture is developed based on the SynqNet data acquisition system offered by Kollmorgen, the drive-motor and actuator supplier. The Synqnet provides a unified communication protocol between actuators, drives, and data acquisition system; therefore eliminating any difficulty with data conversion among these units. Other auxiliary sensors and measurement systems are implemented to help with characterizing the contact mechanics and contact geometry. This paper will describe the main steps in the design process of the VT roller rig and the final design solution selected. It will also present the testing capabilities of the rig. The design analysis indicates that the rig can successfully meet the set requirements: additional accuracy in measurements, and better control on the design of experiments.© 2015 ASME
Effect of rapid product desiccation or hydration on thermal resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis PT 30 in wheat flour.

Salmonella is able to survive in low-moisture environments and is known to be more heat resistant as product water activity (aw) decreases. However, it is unknown how rapidly the resistance changes if product aw is altered rapidly, as can occur in certain processes. Therefore, the objective was to determine the effect of rapid product desiccation or hydration on Salmonella thermal resistance. Two dynamic moisture treatments were compared with two static moisture treatments to determine the effect of time-at-moisture on the thermal resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis phage type 30 (PT 30) in wheat flour. After inoculation, two static moisture groups were equilibrated to 0.3 and 0.6 aw over 4 to 7 days, and two dynamic moisture groups then were rapidly (<4 min) desiccated from 0.6 to 0.3 aw or hydrated from 0.3 to 0.6 aw. Samples then were subjected to isothermal (80°C) heat treatments, and Salmonella thermal resistance was compared via decimal reduction times (i.e., D80°C-values). The D80...
The Research Status and Development Prospects of the Underwater Gamma-spectrometer System

Compared with the conventional sampling and laboratory analysis for the measurement of radionuclide in water and at the bottom,the in situ measurement with the underwater gamma- spectrometer has the advantages of fast measuring speed,real- time response to the variation of radiation level,and so on.The development and application of the underwater gamma- spectrometer system are summarized and reviewed in the paper.The key technologies and the future development directions are analyzed.The research and development of such devices will focus on improving the detection accuracy,the detection limit and the ability to work continuously,as well as developing a more suitable efficiency calibration method.
EXPOSURE TO OPIATES: BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES IN PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

The purpose of this chapter is to review current literature on the developmental outcomes of preschool and school-aged children prenatally exposed to opiates, and in so doing to provide a sense of where the field has been and directions for the future. Clearly, this is a challenging task; the literature is relatively sparse and was primarily generated in the seventies and early eighties. The majority of data for children between 3 and 6 years of age are from the work of a few groups of investigators: Kaltenbach and Finnegan of Philadelphia, Rosen and Johnson of New York, Strauss and colleagues of Detroit, Hans and colleagues of Chicago, and Wilson and colleagues of Houston. This work consists primarily of longitudinal studies that began in the mid to late 1970s and culminated in the mid-1980s. At present there are no prospective data available for school-age children. While it may appear reasonable to assume that the paucity of recent literature reflects a decline in opiate use among pregnant women, the reality is that the incidence of prenatal opiate exposure continues to be significant. In recent years, however, the focus has been on investigating the effects of cocaine exposure, often to the exclusion of differentiating whether a woman uses opiates in addition to cocaine. A review of the literature on prenatal cocaine exposure yielded fewer than five studies that identified whether opiates were used in addition to cocaine. Such an approach to the delineation of drug exposure is not unique to current investigations, but reflects a typical lack of specificity that is evident throughout the literature on prenatal exposure to illicit drugs.
Effects of age on testicular function.

Long-standing beliefs have associated aging in men with declines in sexual performance, sex steroid serum levels, and fertility. Critical analysis of recent data, however, indicates that, although some parameters of sexual performance decline with advancing age, the age-related changes in reproductive hormones and fertility are rather subtle. Finally, these age-related hormonal alternations do not explain the diminution of sexual activity levels observed in healthy aging men.
Atypical presentation of a hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm: A case report and review of the literature

Classically, hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms (HAPs) arise secondary to trauma or iatrogenic causes. With an increasing prevalence of laparoscopic procedures of the hepatobiliary system the risk of inadvertent injury to arterial vessels is increased. Pseudoaneurysm formation post injury can lead to serious consequences of rupture and subsequent hemorrhage, therefore intervention in all identified visceral pseudoaneurysms has been advocated. A variety of interventional methods have been proposed, with surgical management becoming the last step intervention when minimally invasive therapies have failed. The authors present a case of a HAP in a 56-year-old female presenting with jaundice and pruritis suggestive of a Klatskin's tumor. This presentation of HAP in a patient without any significant past medical or surgical intervention is atypical when considering that the majority of HAP cases present secondary to iatrogenic causes or trauma. Multiple minimally invasive approaches were employed in an attempt to alleviate the symptomology which included jaundice and associated inflammatory changes. Ultimately, a right hepatic trisegmentectomy was required to adequately relieve the mass effect on biliary outflow obstruction and definitively address the HAP. The presentation of a HAP masquerading as a malignancy with jaundice and pruritis, rather than the classic symptoms of abdominal pain, anemia, and melena, is unique. This presentation is only further complicated by the absent history of either trauma or instrumentation. It is important to be aware of HAPs as a potential cause of jaundice in addition to the more commonly thought of etiologies. Furthermore, given the morbidity and mortality associated with pseudoaneurysm rupture, intervention in identifiable cases, either by minimally invasive or surgical interventions, is recommended.
Kallikrein-binding protein levels are reduced in the retinas of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

PURPOSE To determine the involvement of rat kallikrein-binding protein (RKBP) in the development of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg/kg body weight in 0.05 M citrate buffer, pH 4.5) in male Sprague-Dawley rats (150 to 175 g, 6 weeks old) as confirmed by hyperglycemia and reduced body weight. Retinas were dissected from animals at 1, 2, and 4 months of diabetes. The functional activity of RKBP in retinal homogenates was determined by its complex formation with tissue kallikrein. Immunoreactive RKBP levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The RKBP messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in the retina were measured by Northern blot analysis using the RKBP complementary DNA probe. The activity of total Na+,K(+)-ATPase was determined by a radioassay. Total protein concentration was determined by a protein assay. RESULTS The kallikrein-binding activity was reduced in the retinas of STZ-diabetic rats at 1 (59%), 2 (50%), and 4 (38%) months of diabetes compared to those of age-matched control subjects. Levels of immunoreactive RKBP were significantly lower in the diabetic animals at each time point examined compared to those of control subjects. At 1 and 2 months of diabetes, RKBP levels (nanogram/milligram protein) were decreased significantly to 6.9 +/- 0.7 (n = 8) and 10.6 +/- 1.0 (n = 8), respectively, compared to those of age-matched control subjects (14.1 +/- 0.7, n = 8, P < 0.001, and 14.1 +/- 1.2, n = 8, P < 0.01). At 4 months of diabetes, retinal RKBP levels were lower in both control and diabetic groups, but RKBP levels in diabetic groups were significantly lower (5.8 +/- 0.6, n = 8) than those of the age-matched control subjects (8.4 +/- 0.9, n = 8, P < 0.01). Similarly, Northern blot analysis showed that RKBP mRNA levels were reduced in the retina of each group of STZ-diabetic rats, suggesting that the decrease in RKBP occurred at the level of transcription. CONCLUSIONS The results show that STZ-induced diabetic rats have decreased retinal RKBP; moreover, this suggests that RKBP may contribute to diabetic retinopathy.
New Pressure Swing Adsorption Cycle Schedules for Producing High-Purity Oxygen Using Carbon Molecular Sieve

Two 3-bed 5-step and two 4-bed 7-step continuous feed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) cycle schedules were systematically devised and studied via simulation for producing high-purity O2 (≥99.5 vol %) at high recovery using a carbon molecular sieve (CMS). Two binary (O2:Ar) and two ternary (O2:Ar:N2) feed mixtures were investigated to mimic the product produced from a typical O2 PSA system. In addition to feed composition, the effects of light end (LE) versus heavy end (HE) equalization (Eq), two sequential Eq steps versus Eq followed by forced cocurrent depressurization (CoD)/light end pressurization (LEP) steps, feed flow rate (i.e., feed throughput θ), cycle time (tc), Eq step valve coefficient (Cv), and countercurrent depressurization (CnD) step Cv on the process performance were studied in terms of O2 purity (Pur, vol %), O2 recovery (Rec, %), and θ (LSTP, h/kg). In descending order, the best performance from each cycle was Pur = 99.5, Rec = 93.3, and θ = 455.7 for a 4-bed 7-step PSA cycle with LE Eq ...
Identity dominance: Using fingerprints to link an individual to a larger social structure

This is a fingerprint pattern and ridge count analysis for two population groups used to associate an individual to a group through qualitative and quantitative comparison. The fingerprint data from the two groups were analyzed using a classification and regression tree algorithm. Four distinct trees were produced. The first tree separated the two populations using only finger number and pattern. Subsequent trees separated the two populations using finger number, pattern, and ridge count. Including ridge counts increased the per-finger classification accuracy from 56.4% to 73.9% and 79.5% for right and left loop patterns respectively. Whorls with both ridge counts improved the classification accuracy to 83.3%. The classification accuracies provided the basis for determining the probability of correctly associating a person to one of the two groups. For each finger, the probability of correctly associating the finger to the group is binomially distributed based upon the classification probabilities. Association is based upon a majority vote. In the worst case with only finger pattern and finger number available, the expected probability of correctly associating the individual is 54.1% using all ten fingers. Adding ridge counts raises the lower bound to 90.8%. The upper bound using whorls with two ridge counts is 98.4%. Between these two extremes are cases in which the patterns vary among the fingers. Because the probability of correctly associating the individual to the city depends on the data available, cases where the fingerprint patterns or the deltas are not discernible reduce the probability of correct association accordingly.
Costs and Consequences of Early Hospital Discharge After Major Inpatient Surgery in Older Adults.

Importance As prospective payment transitions to bundled reimbursement, many US hospitals are implementing protocols to shorten hospitalization after major surgery. These efforts could have unintended consequences and increase overall surgical episode spending if they induce more frequent postdischarge care use or readmissions. Objective To evaluate the association between early postoperative discharge practices and overall surgical episode spending and expenditures for postdischarge care use and readmissions. Design, Setting, and Participants This investigation was a cross-sectional cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing colectomy (189 229 patients at 1876 hospitals), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (218 940 patients at 1056 hospitals), or total hip replacement (THR) (231 774 patients at 1831 hospitals) between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2012. The dates of the analysis were September 1, 2015, to May 31, 2016. Associations between surgical episode payments and hospitals’ length of stay (LOS) mode were evaluated among a risk and postoperative complication–matched cohort of patients without major postoperative complications. To further control for potential differences between hospitals, a within-hospital comparison was also performed evaluating the change in hospitals’ mean surgical episode payments according to their change in LOS mode during the study period. Exposure Undergoing surgery in a hospital with short vs long postoperative hospitalization practices, characterized according to LOS mode, a measure least sensitive to postoperative outliers. Main Outcomes and Measures Risk-adjusted, price-standardized, 90-day overall surgical episode payments and their components, including index, outlier, readmission, physician services, and postdischarge care. Results A total of 639 943 Medicare beneficiaries were included in the study. Total surgical episode payments for risk and postoperative complication–matched patients were significantly lower among hospitals with lowest vs highest LOS mode ($26 482 vs $29 250 for colectomy, $44 777 vs $47 675 for CABG, and $24 553 vs $27 927 for THR; P P P = .14; and $7132 vs $9552 for THR, P P = .16; $3175 vs $3064 for CABG, P = .67; and $1373 vs $1514 for THR, P = .93). Hospitals that exhibited the greatest decreases in LOS mode had the highest reductions in surgical episode payments during the study period. Conclusions and Relevance Early routine postoperative discharge after major inpatient surgery is associated with lower total surgical episode payments. There is no evidence that savings from shorter postsurgical hospitalization are offset by higher postdischarge care spending. Therefore, accelerated postoperative care protocols appear well aligned with the goals of bundled payment initiatives for surgical episodes.
On the application of neural networks to the classification of phase modulated waveforms

Accurate classification of phase modulated radar waveforms is a well-known problem in spectrum sensing. Identification of such waveforms aids situational awareness enabling radar and communications spectrum sharing. While various feature extraction and engineering approaches have sought to address this problem, the use of a machine learning algorithm that best utilizes these features is becomes foremost. In this effort, a comparison of a standard shallow and a deep learning approach are explored. Experiments provide insights into classifier architecture, training procedure, and performance.