cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Raman investigation of phase transition in octafluoronaphthalene crystals

Abstract The phase transition in the octafluoronaphthalene crystal is investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Major changes take place in the phonon region while the intramolecular vibrations show only mild effects. The results obtained here are not consistent with the previously reported mechanism of the phase transition. The possible nature of the phase transition is discussed to explain present observations.
Cardiovascular calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease: a century-old phenomenon.

Cardiovascular calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease: A century-old phenomenon. The mortality risk from cardiovascular disease is increased in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This is due to both traditional and dialysis-specific factors. Recently, a number of the dialysis-specific risk factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular calcification. These include: hyperphosphatemia, high calcium-phosphate (Ca × P) product, elevated parathyroid hormone levels, duration of dialysis, and treatment with calcium-containing phosphate binders and vitamin D analogs. The recent availability of electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) has triggered increased awareness of the occurrence of cardiovascular calcification in ESRD patients. Given the development of transient hypercalcemia with calcium-containing binders, a link between calcium load from use of calcium-containing phosphate binders and development coronary calcification has been proposed. However, a causal relationship between use of these agents and cardiovascular calcification has not been established. Moreover, this phenomenon had been recognized over a century ago, long before these phosphate binders became available. Although its pathogenesis is likely to be multifactorial, available data strongly implicate elevated serum phosphorus as the primary culprit. Furthermore, the risk of calcification may be aggravated by vitamin D therapy, particularly in patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. Therefore, achieving vigorous control of serum phosphorus, Ca × P product and parathyroid hormone level might decrease cardiovascular calcification and improve survival of patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Since calcium acetate is the most cost-effective phosphate binder available, we recommend that it should remain the first line treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with ESRD.
New model of physical aging effects in enthalpy recovery

A new model of enthalpy recovery is presented which is based on a microscopic-relaxation theory. The microscopic basis and manner of construction of the enthalpy-recovery model are discussed in detail. The qualitative features of the model are illustrated using numerical simulations. In particular, the way in which the effects of physical aging are produced is discussed. The qualitative features observed in differential-scanning-calorimetry experiments are reproduced, and a program of extensive simulations is proposed and outlined. The present microscopically based model is also used to suggest interpretations and possible modifications of currently used phenomenological enthalpy recovery models.
Exact solution approach in analysis of resonance properties of two-dimensional dissipative superconductive Josephson lattice

Electromagnetic and superconducting properties are considered in superconducting films separated by thin oxide interlayers (the so-called superconductive lattices with microstructure). Using the planar X-Y model for superconductive lattices and taking account of dissipative effects of superconductive layers, we obtain a decomposition of current singularities in the dc current-voltage characteristics. Analytical functions are obtained, and an analysis is made of the hyperfine decomposition structure of current peaks in accordance with the numbern of layers and also in accordance with the determinedω0,ω1,ω2, the eigenmodes which are determined by two-dimensional Josephson resonators. A complex spectrum of current peaks in the dc current-voltage characteristics is shown in our analysis. The growth of the numberm1 of satellites from the principal peak with increase of the numbern of layers is observed. For some large numbern=n* of layers there is a tendency to an asymptotic saturation of the total number of satellites. In particular, the phenomenon of single peaks is observed for some intermediate numbern=nk of layers. In this case we have an intermediate layer, which shows the character of a one-dimensional long Josephson line. In the general case we can change parameters (n,ω0,ω1ω2) to get various properties in the dc current-voltage characteristics. Hysteresis is obtained for some values of the parameters. The characteristics defined through the exact solutions of the “non-Josephson” generation of the fluxon lattice,In=In(〈V〉), are presented.
Expert Opinion and Controversies in Musculoskeletal and Sports Medicine: Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes

Sudden cardiac death in young athletes has become a highly visible public health concern. Over the past 2 decades, unexplained or premature deaths of numerous athletes at the youth, collegiate, and professional levels have garnered extensive media coverage and stimulated a discussion centered on prevention of such tragic events. A number of issues related to the prevention and management of sudden cardiac arrest on the playing field are currently debated in the medical literature, including the true incidence of sudden death in the young athletic population, the adequacy of the preparticipation physical evaluation, and the emergency response and effectiveness of secondary prevention strategies such as use of automated external defibrillators in the athletic setting. Clinicians who care for competitive athletes and/or cover youth sporting events must be aware of the benefits and limitations of different preparticipation screening programs to identify at-risk athletes, and they must be prepared to respond to life-threatening emergencies during athletic participation.
Distribution Cost Reduction as an Incentive for Coal Conversion

A linear transshipment model was used to determine the extent to which delivered coal prices could be reduced through gains in efficiency in coal transportation and distribution. Aggregate savings for coal users in southern Minnesota of as much as $10.8 million per year were shown to be possible. It was argued that the savings thus obtained would have the same effect as large direct subsidies to potential coal users in encouraging coal use. A program to reduce delivered coal costs would involve less public funding than subsidies in addition to providing coal delivery by truck to industries not able to receive it by rail. Furthermore, the benefits from reduced coal distribution costs would accrue to all local users, not just those selected for public payments.
A study of drug abuse and other causes of homicide in New York

This study adapted a classification system for homicide and used it to examine the role of illicit drugs and alcohol in homicides. Records in the Office of the Brooklyn District Attorney were reviewed for 722 homicides that occurred in 1991-1993. Records included police reports, eyewitness reports, court documents, and medical examiner reports. The reliability of four independent raters using the classification was very high. There were 221 homicides (29 percent) that were drug-related. Victims in drug-related homicides were more likely than other types of homicides to be male and twenty-five to thirty-four years of age, but there was no difference by race. Of the drug-related homicides, 38 percent was due to the pharmacological effect of a drug, usually cocaine, or alcohol and the rest was due to the business of drug dealing. The role of drug pharmacology was less in this study than in past studies that interviewed prisoners and more than in past studies that used police classification of homicides. This classification system using multiple sources of data in a District Attorney's office provided a clear, unbiased picture of the role of illicit drugs and alcohol in homicide.
Sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents: An update

Sexually transmitted diseases are a significant cause of morbidity for U.S. adolescents. Recent advances in diagnosis may lead to enhanced recognition of infected individuals, particularly those who lack symptoms. New approaches to therapy have simplified treatment and may enhance compliance.
Analytical solutions for reactive transport of N-member radionuclide chains in a single fracture

Several numerical codes have been used to simulate radionuclide transport in fractured rock systems. The validation of such numerical codes can be accomplished by comparison of numerical simulations against appropriate analytical solutions. In this paper, we present analytical solutions for the reactive transport of N-member radionuclide chains (i.e., multiple species of radionuclides and their daughter species) through a discrete fracture in a porous rock matrix applying a system decomposition approach. We consider the transport of N-member radionuclide chains in a single-fracture-matrix system as a starting point to simulate more realistic and complex systems. The processes considered are advection along the fracture, lateral diffusion in the matrix, radioactive decay of multiple radionuclides, and adsorption in both the fracture and matrix. Different retardation factors can be specified for the fracture and matrix. However, all species are assumed to share the same retardation factors for the fracture and matrix, respectively. Although a daughter species may penetrate farther along the fracture than its parent species when a constant-concentration boundary condition is applied, our results indicate that all species retain the same transport speed in the fracture if a pulse of the first species is released into the fracture. This solution scheme provides a way to validate numerical computer codes of radionuclide transport in fractured rock, such as those being used to assess the performance of a potential nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain.
Transition from single to multiple double layers

It is shown that laboratory double layers become multiple double layers when the ratio of Debye length to system length is decreased. This result exhibits characteristics described by boundary layer theory.
Ultrastructural studies of the afferent synaptic input to oxytocin-containing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

Abstract A diverse afferent synaptic input to immunostained ocytocin magnocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus is described. By electron microscopy, immunoreactive material is present within cell bodies and neuronal processes and it is associated primarily with neurosecretory granules and granular endoplasmic reticulum. Afferent axon terminals synapse on perikarya, dendritic processes, and possibly axonal processes of oxytocin-containing neurons. The presynaptic elements of the synaptic complexes contain clear spherical vesicles, a mixture of clear spherical and ellipsoidal vesicles, or a mixture of clear and dense-centered vesicles. The postsynaptic membranes of oxytocinergic cells frequently show a prominent coating of dense material on the cytoplasmic face which gives the synaptic complex a marked asymmetry.
Compaction of binderless coal for coal log pipelines

Abstract Coal log pipelines transport compacted coal cylinders (logs) through a water-filled pipeline. To develop fully this technology and make it ready for commercial use, it is necessary to investigate means for fabricating coal logs. This paper describes the experimental tests and results that were completed to investigate and quantify the significance of various compaction conditions, determine optimal compaction conditions, and evaluate the technical feasibility of making durable coal logs without binders. Included are the results of three parametric studies. The first investigated the effect of loading rate, unloading rate and peak load application duration on the strength of coal logs, the second investigated the effect of moisture content on the strength of coal logs, and the third investigated the effect of compaction temperature on the strength of coal logs. In addition, the authors report and discuss preliminary results concerning the significance of other compaction parameters and the tensile strength characteristics of coal logs. The authors conclude that the strength of coal logs is highly dependent on the loading and log removal method, compaction temperature, compaction moisture content, and maximum particle size and that logs of adequate strength can be formed under many different sets of conditions. However, the water adsorption characteristics of the coal logs need to be improved in order for the logs to be suitable for transport in hydraulic freight pipelines.
Theoretical validation of chemical kinetic mechanisms: combustion of methanol.

A new technique is proposed that uses theoretical methods to systematically improve the performance of chemical kinetic mechanisms. Using a screening method, the chemical reaction steps that most s...
Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Acetylene (C 2 H 2 ): seed effect on SOA yields due to organic photochemistry in the aerosol aqueous phase

Abstract. The lightest Non Methane HydroCarbon (NMHC), i.e., acetylene (C2H2) is found to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Contrary to current belief, the number of carbon atoms, n, for a NMHC to act as SOA precursor is lowered to n=2 here. The OH-radical initiated oxidation of C2H2 forms glyoxal (CHOCHO) as the highest yield product, and >99% of the SOA from C2H2 is attributed to CHOCHO. SOA formation from C2H2 and CHOCHO was studied in a photochemical and a dark simulation chamber. Further, the experimental conditions were varied with respect to the chemical composition of the seed aerosols, mild acidification with sulphuric acid (SA, 3
A networking perspective of cooperative spectrum sharing in wireless networks: Analysis and experiments

In this paper, we present a networking perspective of cooperative spectrum sharing in wireless networks. For unlicensed band like WiFi, e.g., 2.4 GHz, it is particularly critical that network nodes share the same spectrum cooperatively and efficiently. We discuss several cooperative techniques for spectrum sharing in wireless networks including strategies to cooperatively reduce the transmitting power, and approaches to cooperatively reduce transmission interference. We also formulate the spectrum sharing problem as a cooperative game. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments to demonstrate techniques and phenomena for cooperative spectrum sharing in wireless networks. In one set of experiments, we demonstrate the wireless broadcast advantage (WBA) by attaching radio modules to cameras, in which automatic photography synchronization is achieved among a group of cameras wirelessly. In another set of experiments, we show that TV band can be shared with commodity network nodes cooperatively.
Provision of onsite HIV Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs: A Longitudinal Analysis

The provision of HIV education and testing in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs is an important public health strategy for reducing HIV incidence. For many at-risk individuals, SUD treatment represents the primary point of access for testing and receiving HIV-related services. This study uses two waves of nationally representative data of 265 privately-funded SUD treatment programs in the U.S. to examine organizational and patient characteristics associated with offering a dedicated HIV/AIDS treatment track, onsite HIV/AIDS support groups, and onsite HIV testing. Our longitudinal analysis indicated that the majority of treatment programs reported providing education and prevention services, but there was a small, yet significant, decline in the number of programs providing these services. Programs placed more of an emphasis on providing information on the transmission of HIV rather than on acquiring risk-reduction skills. There was a notable and significant increase (from 26.0% to 31.7%) in programs that offered onsite HIV testing, including rapid HIV testing, and an increase in the percentage of patients who received testing in the programs. Larger programs were more likely to offer a dedicated HIV/AIDS treatment track and to offer onsite HIV/AIDS support groups, while accredited programs and programs with a medical infrastructure were more likely to provide HIV testing. The percentage of injection drug users was positively linked to the availability of specialized HIV/AIDS tracks and HIV/AIDS support groups, and the percentage of female clients was associated with the availability of onsite support groups. The odds of offering HIV/AIDS support groups were also greater in programs that had a dedicated LGBT track. The findings suggest that access to hospitals and medical care services is an effective way to facilitate adoption of HIV services and that programs are providing a needed service among a group of patients who have a heightened risk of HIV transmission. Nonetheless, the fact that fewer than one third of programs offered onsite testing, and, of the ones that did, fewer than one third of their patients received testing, raises concern in light of federal guidelines.
The Identity of Three South American “Telamonine” Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) and Related Taxonomic Changes

Abstract.—Four treehopper species described as members of the tribe Telamonini from South America are here assigned as follows: the Colombian species Alchisme ruficarinata (Fowler), n. comb., with n. syn. A. insolita Creao-Duarte & Sakakibara (Membracidae: Membracinae: Hoplpophorionini); Telamona celsa Goding, apparently mislabeled, is placed as a reinstated syn. under T. monticola (Fabricius). The current placement of Heliria praealta Fowler and Telamona turritella Buckton as its junior synonym is confirmed; both were described from specimens originating from Quebec, not Brazil.
MAP reconstruction from spatially correlated PET data

High sensitivity 3-D PET data is often rebinned into 2-D data sets in order to reduce the computation time of reconstructions. The need to precorrect the 3-D data for attenuation, accidentals, scatter, and deadtime effects before rebinning along with the rebinning process itself changes the statistics of the data. This paper presents an approach for finding and using the statistics of Fourier rebinned (FORE) data. In particular, utilizing a space domain representation of FORE, we find the approximate covariance matrix. We also derive an improved estimate of the mean of the rebinned data with a 2-D forward projector that more accurately represents the effect of FORE on the original 3-D PET measurements. In order to incorporate dependent information, we model the data conditioned on the image as a low-order Markov field. This model is based on a quadratic approximation of the log-likelihood of dependent 2-D PET data. The dependence relationship is then incorporated into a novel maximum a posteriori (MAP) 2-D reconstruction method. Initial results show that this method offers modest MSE improvements with a reference image over Poisson-based MAP methods. Results also reveal that the use of only the improved mean leads to significant improvements in reconstructions from FORE data.
Pore-scale modeling of two-phase transport in polymer electrolyte fuel cells—progress and perspective

examined to model the underlying transport mechanisms in the PEFC with different levels of complexities. Due to the macroscopic nature, these two-phase models fail to resolve the underlying structural influence on the transport and performance. Mesoscopic modeling at the pore-scale offers great promise in elucidating the underlying structure-transport-performance interlinks in the PEFC porous components. In this article, a systematic review of the recent progress and prospects of pore-scale modeling in the context of two-phase transport in the PEFC is presented. Specifically, the efficacy of lattice Boltzmann (LB), pore morphology (PM) and pore network (PN) models coupled with realistic delineation of microstructures in fostering enhanced insight into the underlying liquid water transport in the PEFC GDL and CL is highlighted.
Burr formation during dry microdrilling operations

Burr formation is a problem in that it interferes with the proper functioning of micro components. A multi-response optimisation method using a Taguchi approach is used for simultaneous minimisation of burr size, namely, burr height and burr thickness when drilling AISI 1018 steel. Taguchi's L25 orthogonal array for each experiment was performed under different conditions of cutting speed, cutting feed, point angle, and lip clearance angle for a 600 µm drill diameter. In the utility concept for multi-response optimisation, the signal-to-noise ratio for each experiment in the orthogonal array was determined by employing weighting factors for burr height and burr thickness. Detailed analysis of ANOVA with the different combinations of weighting factors to determine the contributions of various micro drilling parameters in controlling the burr height and thickness is presented in this paper.
Real-time digital signal processing in the undergraduate curriculum

An undergraduate digital signal processing (DSP) laboratory at Western Michigan University (WMU) is described. A sequence of hands-on laboratory experiments using Texas Instruments DSP evaluation modules has been incorporated into the existing DSP undergraduate course. The main objectives are to enhance the students' understanding of the theory taught in class, provide experience with DSP implementation issues, and to increase their interest and participation in this important field of electrical and computer engineering. A description of the course, laboratory sessions, and supporting tools are described. To monitor the acceptance and success of the new laboratory, student assessments and evaluations have been collected and are briefly discussed.
Toward the standardization of life stress assessment: Definitional discrepancies and inconsistencies in methods

There has been considerable controversy about methods for assessing life stress. However, self-report checklists and interview-based measures (the predominant approaches used in current research) differ in several respects, ranging from basic definitions through theoretical assumptions. Most research comparing these two approaches has focused on global comparisons in predicting disorder, which fail to take into account more specific information on how the methods vary. The present article outlines three stages of assessment for life stress: definition, operationalization, and quantification. Detailed examination of these stages with a sample of depressed patients helps to demonstrate in an explicit manner how self-report checklists and interview-based methods differ at successive stages of the measurement process. Data are presented that indicate large endpoint discrepancies attributable to specific differences in the definitional and operational procedures used in the two assessment approaches. The nature of the discrepancies found is discussed, along with the implications for assessing life stress and testing its implications for health and well-being.
Response to "left ventricular systolic longitudinal function: comparison among simple M-mode, pulsed, and M-mode color tissue Doppler of mitral annulus in healthy individuals".

With great interest, we enjoyed reading the article by Mondillo et al where they concluded that standard M-mode imaging was a reliable method for assessing left ventricular systolic longitudinal function. We are concerned, however, about the terms “electromechanical interval” versus “electromechanical systole.” The article defines “electromechanical interval” as the time from the onset of the QRS complex to the end of left ventricular contraction. Tavel defines “electromechanical interval” as the time from onset of the QRS complex to the beginning of left ventricular contraction. Tavel further defines “electromechanical systole” as the time from the onset of the QRS to the end of left ventricular contraction. We suspect the authors understand the terminology but mistakenly interchanged the terms, in that they correctly report the measurement as electromechanical systole in Table 1. The distinction of this terminology, however, brings us to an important topic of modern day. Our search of present day literature reveals that confusion regarding systolic and diastolic time intervals is extensive. We have discovered 3 terms to describe the same time phrase: “electromechanical interval,” “electromechanical period,” and “electromechanical delay.” The roots of systolic time interval measurement date back to the early 1960s. These measurements were confirmed using phonocardiography, external pulse tracings, and intracardiac pressure tracings. Since then, the application of these time intervals continues to play a significant role in present day. Pellerin et al were among the first of modern day to apply these readings and found that time intervals measured by Doppler myocardial imaging, especially during systole, correlate significantly with the older hemodynamic recordings. Katherine L. Sprague, DO Anthony LaSala, MD, FACC Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Pediatric sickle cell retinopathy: correlation with clinical factors.

Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs in 1 of every 500 African American births and 1 of every 36,000 Hispanic American births. Of children with SCD, 16.7% to 96.3% develop sickle retinopathy (SR). This study was designed to determine whether certain factors are associated with SR and whether SR is correlated with a greater incidence of other SCD manifestations. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of 258 children with SCD seen in the ophthalmology clinic at a large urban children's hospital. Of these, 54 children with SR were matched for age and sickle variant with 54 children with normal examinations. Data extracted included demographics, type of retinopathy, presence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and history of acute chest syndrome, transfusions, pulmonary hypertension, renal disease, cerebrovascular accident, aplastic crisis, splenic sequestration, priapism, osteonecrosis, gallstones, pneumonia, leg ulcers, vaso-occlusive pain crises, and death. Results Of the children with SR, 11 (20.3%) had active proliferative disease, 32 (56.1%) had hemoglobin SS, 18 (31.6%) had hemoglobin SC, and 4 (7.0%) had hemoglobin S-beta thalassemia. Several factors were correlated with retinopathy: pain crisis (odds ratio [OR], 5.00; p = 0.011), male sex (OR, 4.20, p = 0.004), and splenic sequestration (OR, 4.00; p = 0.013). G6PD deficiency was more common in patients with retinopathy, although this was not statistically significant (OR, 4.20; p = 0.054). No other factors, including frequency of pain crisis, were statistically significant. Conclusions Patients with pain crisis and splenic sequestration should be considered for early ophthalmic evaluation. Those with G6PD deficiency may also deserve early screening. By identifying patients at high risk for SR, we can refine screening protocols to safeguard patients from vision loss.
Race conditions in coexisting overlay networks

By allowing end hosts to make independent routing decisions at the application level, different overlay networks may unintentionally interfere with each other. This paper describes how multiple similar or dissimilar overlay networks could experience race conditions, resulting in oscillations (in both route selection and network load) and cascading reactions. We pinpoint the causes for synchronization and derive an analytic formulation for the synchronization probability of two overlays. Our model indicates that the probability of synchronization is non-negligible across a wide range of parameter settings, thus implying that the ill effects of synchronization should not be ignored. Using the analytical model, we find an upper bound on the duration of traffic oscillations. We also show that the model can be easily extended to include a large number of co-existing overlays. We validate our model through simulations that are designed to capture the transient routing behavior of both the IP- and overlay-layers. We use our model to study the effects of factors such as path diversity (measured in round trip times) and probing aggressiveness on these race conditions. Finally, we discuss the implications of our study on the design of path probing process in overlay networks and examine strategies to reduce the impact of race conditions.
You Say You Want a Revolution? Drawing on Social Movement Theory to Motivate Transformative Change

Personal well-being of service employees and others is declining, yet well-being is likely to influence on-the-job productivity. Workplace wellness programming (WWP) is prevalent among service organizations, but is controversial with critics questioning the appropriateness and efficacy of employer involvement in personal health. To understand how employers engage employees in personal wellness, we conducted a qualitative field study of WWP in 10 diverse organizations. We found lower employee engagement and higher resentment in firms that relied primarily on wellness training, incentives, and impersonal communications. Employee engagement was higher in firms that collaborated with wellness-minded employees to (1) tap into long-standing, deeply held belief systems to forge an inspirational wellness ideology, (2) leverage social capital to recruit participants and resources, and (3) modify the physical environment to signal the importance of healthful behaviors and to reduce obstacles to healthful choices. T...
Phenomenon-Aware Stream Query Processing

Spatio-temporal data streams that are generated from mobile stream sources (e.g., mobile sensors) experience similar environmental conditions that result in distinct phenomena. Several research efforts are dedicated to detect and track various phenomena inside a data stream management system (DSMS). In this paper, we use the detected phenomena to reduce the demand on the DSMS resources. The main idea is to let the query processor observe the input data streams at the phenomena level. Then, each incoming continuous query is directed only to those phenomena that participate in the query answer. Two levels of indexing are employed, a phenomenon index and a query index. The phenomenon index provides a fine resolution view of the input streams that participate in a particular phenomenon. The query index utilizes the phenomenon index to maintain a query deployment map in which each input stream is aware of the set of continuous queries that the stream contributes to their answers. Both indices are updated dynamically in response to the evolving nature of phenomena and to the mobility of the stream sources. Experimental results show the efficiency of this approach with respect to the accuracy of the query result and the resource utilization of the DSMS.
Oxidation Catalysis by Supported Gold Nano-Clusters

The historical notion regarding the inability of gold to catalyze reactions has been discarded in view of recent studies, which have clearly demonstrated the high catalytic efficiency of supported nano-gold catalysts. Although nano-Au catalysts are known to catalyze a variety of reactions, the major focus has been on CO oxidation catalysis. In this work we focus on the important aspects related to the CO oxidation reaction. Special emphasis is placed on the studies undertaken on model nano-Au systems as these studies have considerably enhanced the understanding of the oxidation process. Gold in a highly dispersed state can selectively oxidize CO in the presence of excess hydrogen (of tremendous interest to state-of-the-art low-temperature fuel cells); related studies are addressed in this review. The nano-gold catalysts have also been investigated for the direct vapor-phase oxidation of propylene to propylene oxide in the presence of molecular oxygen; these investigations are highlighted in this work.
Characterization of Na+/HCO-3 cotransporter isoform NBC-3.

Na+- HCO 3 − cotransporters mediate the transport of HCO 3 − into or out of the cell. Two Na+- HCO 3 − cotransporters (NBC) have been identified previously, which are referred to as NBC-1 and NBC-2...
Highway Bridge Floors: A Symposium: Composite Construction for I-Beam Bridges

The results of analytical and experimental studies of composite construction for I-beam highway bridges are presented in this paper. Comparative design studies were made to determine the savings in...
Anti-VEGF Strategies in Ocular Angiogenesis-mediated Disorders, with Special Emphasis on Age-related Macular Degeneration

Pathological angiogenesis in the eye including exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), proliferative diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, neovascular glaucoma, and corneal neovascularization (trachoma) underlies the major causes of blindness in both developed and developing nations. Additionally, increased rates of angiogenesis are associated with several other disease states including cancer, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and other vascular-associated disorders. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors play an important role in the modulation of angiogenesis and have been implicated in the pathology of a number of conditions, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and cancer. AMD is a progressive disease of the macula and the third major cause of blindness worldwide. If not treated appropriately, AMD might progress to the second eye. Until recently, the treatment options for AMD were limited, with photodynamic therapy the mainstay treatment, which is effective at slowing disease progression but rarely results in improved vision. There are currently three approved anti-angiogenesis biologic therapies for ophthalmic diseases: an anti-VEGF aptamer (pegaptanib, Macugen®), a Fab fragment of a monoclonal antibody directed against VEGF-A (ranibizumab, Lucentis®), and VEGF trap (aflibercept, Eylea®). Several therapies have been and are now being developed for neovascular AMD, with the goal of inhibiting VEGF. At present, established therapies have met with great success in reducing the vision loss associated with neovascular AMD, whereas those still investigational in nature offer the potential for further advances. In AMD patients these therapies slow the rate of vision loss and in some cases increase visual acuity. Although these therapies are a milestone in the treatment of these disease states, several concerns need to be addressed before their impact can be fully understood.
Structural Characterization of Porous Materials Using SAS

This chapter begins with an overview of various engineered and naturally occurring porous solids and their applications in modern technologies. Different modes of confinement, such as topological, chemical, biological, and interfacial, can affect structural and kinetic aspects of the fluid phase equilibria, mechanical and viscoelastic properties, diffusion, and flow in confined spaces. Such dramatic modification of the fluid properties under confinement can be efficiently exploited in a variety of technologies, provided there are ways of controlling the internal structures and surface chemistry of the target porous material at the macroscopic, mesoscopic, microscopic, and molecular levels. SAS represents a nonintrusive technique that can provide information on the structure of porous media that is inaccessible to other methods of structural characterization. The rest of the chapter is devoted to the description of SAS structural analysis of porous silicas, carbons, membranes, polymer monoliths, sedimentary rocks and other common materials.
Bio-Inspired Segmentation and Detection Methods for Human Embryonic Stem Cells

This paper is a review on the bio-inspired human embryonic stem cell (hESC) segmentation and detection methods. Five different morphological types of hESC have been identified: (1) unattached; (2) substrate-attached; (3) dynamically blebbing; (4) apoptotically blebbing; and (5) apoptotic. Each type has distinguishing image properties. Within each type, cells are also different in size and shape. Three automatic approaches for hESC region segmentation and one method for unattached stem cell detection are introduced to assist biologists in analysis of hESC cell health and for application in drug testing and toxicological studies.
Audit quality within adverse selection markets

Purpose – Auditing may be viewed as an arrangement for reducing inefficiencies arising from the fundamental market conflict between a seller who wants as high a price as possible and a buyer who wants to pay as low a price as possible. In more general terms, sellers prefer policies that boost the stock price in the short run whereas buyers would prefer the price to peak when they are ready to sell some time in the future. By framing audited financial reports within this context, the purpose of this paper is to provide some insights regarding both audit institutions and audit regulation. Design/methodology/approach – This paper relies on conceptual arguments and a simple analytical model. Findings – The basic findings are that a unique definition of audit quality is not compatible with the economics of a market where there are conflicts across traders as well a possibility that some traders hold superior information to others. Even an identification of quality with accuracy fails in this setting of conflic...
Answer Quality Prediction in Q/A Social Networks by Leveraging Temporal Features

Community Question Answering (or CQA) services (also known as Q/A social networks) have become widespread in the last several years. It is seen as a potential alternative to search as using Q/A services avoids sifting through a large number of (ranked) search results, returned by a typical search engine, to get at the desired information. Currently, \emph{best} answers in CQA services are determined either manually or through a voting process. Many CQA services calculate activity levels for users to approximate the notion of expertise. As large numbers of CQA services are becoming available, it is important and challenging to predict \emph{best} answers (not necessarily answers by an expert) using machine learning techniques. Previous approaches, typically, extract a set of features (primarily textual and non-textual) from the data set and use them in a classification system to determine the \emph{best} answer. This paper posits that temporal features, different from the ones proposed and used in the literature, are better-suited for Q/A data sets and can be quite effective for predicting the quality of answers. The suitability of temporal features is based on the observation that these services are dynamic in nature in terms of the number of users participating in a given period and how many questions they choose to answer over an interval. We propose and analyze a small set of temporal features, and demonstrate that a few of these features work better than the large number of features used in the literature using the same traditional classification techniques. We also argue that the classification approaches measuring precision and recall are not well-suited as the CQA data is unbalanced, and quality ranking of \emph{all} answers need to be predicted. We propose the use of learning to rank approaches, and show that the features identified in this paper work very well with this approach as well. We use multiple, diverse data sets to establish the utility and effectiveness of features identified for predicting the quality of answers. This approach allows us to qualitatively predict the best answer as well as rank \emph{all} answers. The long-term goal is to build a framework for identifying experts, at different levels of granularity such as global and concept-specific, for CQA services.
Using a Palliative Care Framework for Seriously Ill Surgical Patients: The Example of Malignant Bowel Obstruction

In the recent report Dying in America: Addressing Key End of Life Issues, 1 the Institute of Medicine declared improving access to palliative care for seriously ill patients a national priority to address the crisis of low-value health care for patients near the end of life. Patients report comfort, symptom control, and dignity as central to achieving a “good death,” yet increasing numbers experience pain, unwanted health care transitions, and intensive care near the end of life. Surgeons play a critical role as providers of end-of-life care. Among Medicare decedents, almost one-third have surgery in the year before death, many in the last week of life, 2 and up to 25% of patients diagnosed as having stage IV cancer undergo a surgical procedure. Palliative care, an approach to care focused on improving quality of life for patients with lifethreatening illness and their families, is associated with improved symptom management, improved communication, and fewer care transitions for seriously ill patients. Although surgeons routinely care for seriously ill patients, the role of palliative care in surgery remains poorly defined. 3 Herein, we use malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) as an example of how surgeons can integrate principles of palliative care to support surgical care for patients with life-threatening illness. Management of MBO exemplifies the convergence of surgery and palliative care. Although survival varies based on cancer type and prognostic features, MBO is typically a late complication of advanced cancer, with life expectancy limited to weeks or months after onset. 4 Patient suffering can be immense with their remaining days fraught with high symptom burden, impaired quality of life, and hospitalization. Depending on anatomical features of the obstruction, surgical palliation via resection, bypass, or venting gastrostomy may offer select patients significant gains in quality of life. 4,5 However, substantial personal cost may accompany the pursuit of symptom relief in the form of prolonged recovery or burdensome complications, diminishing the benefits of treatment. As surgeons are increasingly called on to provide palliative interventions to seriously ill patients, their patients would benefit from strategies commonly used in palliative care to deliver goal-concordant care that is informed by patients’ values and health care priorities.
Critical Experiential Learning in the Native American Community for Title IV-E Students: A Pilot Evaluation

This article describes the development, implementation of, and outcomes associated with a specialized seminar designed to increase contextual and historical knowledge necessary for work with Native American families in the child welfare system and to increase students' personal and professional growth in this capacity. Findings from a 2-year pilot evaluation revealed that students' knowledge significantly increased over time compared with that of their non-participating peers. Seminar participation also led to personal and professional growth. Findings suggest that critical experiential learning significantly enhances traditional pedagogy for graduate social workers preparing to work in child welfare, a field plagued with disparity.
The Development and Application of CSG Technology Intelligence Central System

The primary goal of creating an electric power intelligence system is to set up a scientific and reasonable intelligence work system.This paper introduces the development and application of CSG technology intelligence central system,including its design concept as well as the design and accomplishment of its four function modules.The characteristics of the system are reflected by the humanization intelligence services in its functions of information searching,processing and publishing as well as intelligence topics,intelligence album,original text delivery and SDI(selective dissemination of information) service.
Pontine intertrigeminal region attenuates sleep apneas in rats.

Study objectives To determine whether the pontine intertrigeminal region (ITR), with recently described anatomic connections and an effect on vagally induced reflex apnea, has an impact on spontaneous sleep apneas in rats. Design Respiration, electroencephalogram (EEG), and electromyogram (EMG) were recorded in rats with lesions of the pontine ITR and in control animals. Participants 9 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Interventions Rats were implanted with EEG and EMG electrodes and were polygraphically recorded for 6 hours, and their respiration was monitored by placing each animal inside a single-chamber plethysmograph. Subsequently, a respiratory-related intertrigeminal site was identified by probing on dorsoventral tracks with 2 to 5 nL glutamate (10 nL, 10 mmol) injections from a multibarrel glass pipette. This site was then lesioned by injecting ibotenic acid (10 nL, 50 mmol) from a second pipette barrel. Animals were again recorded for 6 hours on days 2, 7, and 14 after the lesion. Measurements and results ITR lesions exerted no impact on mean respiratory pattern during any sleep-wake state, compared to baseline recordings. In contrast, apnea frequency during non-rapid eye movement sleep increased following ITR lesion, more than doubling by day 14. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a small and well-localized unilateral lesion of the ITR region in the lateral pons can increase sleep apnea expression in freely moving rats over a 2-week period. The present findings are in agreement with the general modulatory role of pontine structures in activities including respiration, heart rate, and regulation of blood pressure.
G-protein βγ subunits antagonize protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation and inhibition of phospholipase C-β1

Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms phosphorylated phospholipase C-beta1 (PLC-beta1) in vitro as follows: PKCalpha >> PKCepsilon; not PKCzeta. PLC-beta3 was not phosphorylated by PKCalpha. G-protein betagamma subunits inhibited the PKCalpha phosphorylation of PLC-beta1 in a concentration-dependent manner. Half-maximal inhibition occurred with 500 nM betagamma. G-protein betagamma subunits also antagonized the PKCalpha-mediated inhibition of PLC-beta1 enzymic activity. PKCalpha, in turn, inhibited the stimulation of PLC-beta1 activity by betagamma. There was little effect of PKCalpha on the stimulation of PLC-beta1 by alphaq/11-guanosine 5'[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]). These findings demonstrate that G protein betagamma subunits antagonize PKCalpha regulation of PLC-beta1. Thus betagamma subunits might have a role in modulating the negative feedback regulation of this signalling system by PKC.
Birth Asphyxia and the Neonatal Brain: What Do We Know and When Do We Know It?

In this article, the authors examine whether indicators commonly used to recognized birth asphyxia are specific to asphyxial states, and whether these allow recognition of a severity of asphyxia sufficient to pose a risk of irreversible brain injury. Characteristics recognizable within the first hours after birth are focused on because these characteristics will be of most use in clinical decisions regarding use of potential new therapies for asphyxia.