cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Laminar Slip-Flow Heat Transfer in Rectangular Microchannels

Slip-flow and heat transfer in rectangular microchannels are studied numerically for constant wall temperature (T) and constant wall heat flux (H2) boundary conditions under thermally developing flow. Navier-Stokes and energy equations with velocity slip and temperature jump at the boundary are solved using finite volume method in a three dimensional cartesian coordinate system. A modified convection-diffusion coefficient at the wall-fluid interface is defined to incorporate the temperature-jump boundary condition. Validity of the numerical simulation procedure is stabilized. The effect of rarefaction on heat transfer in the entrance region is analyzed in detail. The velocity slip has an increasing effect on the Nusselt (Nu) number whereas temperature jump has a decreasing effect, and the combined effect could result increase or decrease in the Nu number. For the range of parameters considered, there could be high as 15% increase or low as 50% decrease in fully developed Nu is plausible for T thermal boundary condition while it could be high as 20% or low as 35% for H2 thermal boundary condition.© 2008 ASME
Using origami boxes to explore concepts of geometry and calculus

The purpose of this classroom note is to provide an example of how a simple origami box can be used to explore important concepts of geometry and calculus. This article describes how an origami box can be folded, then it goes on to describe how its volume and surface area can be calculated. Finally, it describes how the box could be folded to maximize the surface area and the volume.
Radioiodination and 125I-labeled peptide mapping of proteins on nitrocellulose membranes.

A rapid procedure for generating dozens of 125I-labeled peptide maps from a protein band excised from a single lane of a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gel has been developed. Proteins, which can be rapidly purified by 2× SDS-PAGE separation, are electroblotted onto nitrocellulose paper (NCP) and located by aqueous naphthol blue-black staining. All subsequent steps of radioiodination, and enzyme or chemical cleavage, are carried out on the NCP making it possible to test a variety of cleavage reagents on the same protein sample. The resultant peptidic residues, which can be separated by thin-layer electrophoresis-thin-layer chromatography (2D TLE-TLC), SDS-PAGE, or HPLC, can be used in comparative studies or they can be recovered for further structural and immunological analyses.
YBCO/YSZ coated conductors on flexible Ni alloy substrates

Abstract A coating system for the deposition of in-plane oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) template films on 1 cm wide flexible metal substrates is presented. In static mode, the system is capable of producing high quality template films on 20 cm substrate lengths. In a continuous coating mode, the system is capable of producing good quality template films on 1.1 m substrate lengths. Superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ (YBCO) films subsequently deposited onto these template films have demonstrated critical currents ( I c ) of 200 A (1.5 cm length), 70 A (12 cm length) and 4 A (1 m length).
Eating Disorders and what to do About Obesity

(1993). Eating Disorders and what to do About Obesity? International Review of Psychiatry: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 9-12.
Constraints on Hot Star X-Ray Source Characteristics from Combined Analysis of X-Ray and UV Observations

Results from wind ionization calculations are presented which show how the P-Cygni profiles of “superionized” species such as O VI can provide information about the X-ray source characteristics of early-type stars. Using detailed radiative and atomic physics models, we find that a significant source of X-ray emission from ζ Pup (O4 If) comes from a region in the wind located within. roughly 1 to 2 stellar radii of the photosphere. Our results suggest that X-rays sources in which emission occurs exclusively at large radii (r ≳ a few R *)are inconsistent with UV P-Cygni profiles for O VI. Instead, we find that X-ray emission from shocks distributed throughout the lower regions of the wind (r ≃ 1 — 2 R *) is consistent with both X-ray and UV data, as well as mass loss rates deduced from radio and H α observations.
Effects of supercooling in the initial solidification of PbTe-SnTe solid solutions

Deviations from compositions anticipated by the thermal equilibrium phase diagram have been observed in Bridgman-grown crystals of Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te, in the first to freeze region of the boule. A set of experiments were conducted to determine the extent of thermal supercooling of Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te in a Bridgman-like configuration. The results of the compositional profiles and the supercooling measurements are consistent with a diffusionless transformation occurring at the onset of solidification, and the length of uncontrolled growth is inversely related to the temperature gradient of the furnace.
The Impact of Yellow Shore Crabs, Hemigrapsus oregonensis, on Early Benthic Phase Dungeness Crabs, Cancer magister, in Intertidal Oyster Shell Mitigation Habitat

Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) megalopae recruit to northeastern Pacific coastal estuaries, and settle into intertidal and subtidal habitats where they molt into Early Benthic Phase (EBP) crabs, and are dependent on epibenthic structure for shelter from predation. Given the importance of shell refuge to their post-settlement ontogeny, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began constructing intertidal plots of oyster shell in the Grays Harbor estuary, Washington, to enhance recruitment and mitigate losses of subtidalC. magister entrained and killed during extensive dredging efforts. When shell habitat was newly constructed, settlement and survival ofC. magister were high, and expectations for the mitigation project were met. During the first several years (1992-1997), plots greater than 1 yr postconstruction were colonized by yellow shore crabs,Hemigrapsus oregonensis (often≥75 crabs m−2, and abundance of EBPC. magister was reduced to nearly zero. While some predation of settling megalopae byH. oregonensis does occur, the relationship between these species is characterized by density-dependent competitive interactions. Laboratory observations of competition for shell habitat indicate thatH. oregonensis are dominant over EBPC. magister and can evictC. magister from refuge spaces. Field experiments show that high densities of the former cause, the latter to emigrate from shell, and suggest detection and avoidance of areas with high densities ofH. oregonensis by settlingC. magister megalopae. More recently (1998-2001), abundance ofH. oregonensis has declined dramatically within plots of oyster shell, apparently due to recruitment failure, and patterns ofC. magister abundance and production have returned to levels consistent with original expectations of the mitigation project. Both intraspecific and interspecific competition for space are significant factors effecting population, regulation ofC. magister when they are strongly dependent on refuge from predation. Efficacy of constructed oyster shell plots as a mitigation tool may hinge on the population dynamics of a species previously considered of little consequence to the target species.
Vocal tract modes based on multiple area function sets from one speaker

The purpose of this study was to derive vocal tract modes from a wider range of vowel area functions for a specific speaker than has been previously reported. Area functions from Story et al. [(1996). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 100, 537–554] and Story [(2008). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123, 327–335] were combined in a composite set from which modes were derived with principal component analysis. Along with scaling coefficients, these modes were used to generate a [F1, F2] formant space. In comparison to formant spaces similarly generated based on the two area function sets alone, the combined version provides a wider range of both F1 and F2 values. This new set of modes may be useful for inverse mapping of formant frequencies to area functions or for modeling of vocal tract shape changes.
Polymer Models of Yeast S. cerevisiae Genome Organization

Three-dimensional (3D) chromosomal organization impacts critical cellular processes including transcription, replication, and genomic stability. Despite the ubiquity of these challenges, a growing body of evidence suggests that major features of interphase chromosomal organization significantly vary across eukaryotes.A series of recent studies using optical and 3C-based experimental approaches has shown that on a global level the yeast genome is organized in a confined polymeric brush with the chromosomal centromeres tethered to the spindle pole body and telomeres tethered to the nuclear periphery. This happens to be in a striking difference with the human genomic organization, which chromosomes are shown to assume the fractal globule conformation with domains of active and inactive chromatin.In this work we investigated the implications of a Rabl-like chromosome organization using stochastic simulations of polymer dynamics and an exactly solvable polymer model. We showed that depending on the position along the genome, genomic loci are exposed to different mechanical stresses that may affect their biological function. This nonuniformity of the environment is especially prominent within a ∼100 kbp region around a centromere where the density effects statistically stretch the chromatin. We also found that a whole region of parameters describing the average state of the chromatin fiber was consistent with the experimental Hi-C data. Finally, the dynamical simulations showed that rapid progression through cell cycle allowed for spatial, but not necessarily topological, equilibration of yeast chromosomes, limiting their mutual entanglement.
Prognostic value of low-level cardiac troponin-I elevations in patients without definite acute coronary syndromes

Abstract Background Low-level cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) elevations predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with definite acute coronary syndromes (ACS), as defined by the presence of chest pain accompanied by ischemic electrocardiographic changes. However, their prognostic value in other clinical situations remains unclear. Methods We studied 366 patients with suspected myocardial infarction (MI) but without definite ACS, including 57 patients with low-level cTn-I elevations (1.0 to 3.0 ng/mL) and 309 patients with cTn-I Results Among patients with cTn-I elevations between 1.0 and 3.0 ng/mL, 6 (11%) had a nonfatal MI or CHD death at 1 year compared with 12 (4%) patients in the cTn-I Conclusions Low-level cTn-I elevations identify a subset of patients at increased risk for future cardiovascular events, even when obtained outside the context of definite ACS or presentation with chest pain.
Spousal Loss, Children, and the Risk of Nursing Home Admission

Methods. Based on longitudinal data from the health and Retirement Study, we studied 2,116 couples who were community residents in 1998. We estimate proportional hazards models for husbands’ and wives’ duration to first nursing home admission during 8 years of follow-up. Results. Overall, 438 (20.7%) husbands and 382 (18.1%) wives were institutionalized, and 362 (17.1%) husbands and 701 (33.1%) wives lost their spouse. Accounting for measured covariates, the risk of nursing home entry doubled for men following spousal death, but was unchanged for women. Results indicate that adult children reduced wives’ risk of nursing home admission regardless of husbands’ vital status, but buffered husbands’ risk only after the death of their wives. We uncover suggestive evidence of parent–child gender concordance in children’s buffering effect of widowed parents’ risk of institutionalization.
Learning structural and corruption information from samples for Markov random field binary image reconstruction

The authors have advanced Markov random field research by addressing the issue of obtaining a reasonable, nontrivial, noise model. They address this issue by looking at original images together with noisy imagery, and so creating a probability distribution for pairs of neighborhoods across both images. This models the noise within the MRF probability distribution, and provides an easy way to generate Markov random fields for annealing or other relaxation methods. >
Modeling Sexual Activity Among Schoolgirls in Zambia

This article proposes a model of sexual activity among secondary school-going Zambian girls. The model is tested for two age categories of adolescents using Covariance Structure Analysis. A sample of teenage girls was selected randomly from seven secondary schools that were selected randomly from schools located in the urban provinces of Copperbelt and Lusaka-Central in Zambia. The article identifies the role of dating as an intervening variable in explaining the variation in sexual activity among teenagers. In Zambia, courtship activities between young men and women traditionally took place under the supervision of parents and community elders. Presently, schools are an important setting for the young to meet and initiate sexual relationships. The theoretical and policy implications of this are discussed.
PC's and micro-controllers in mechatronics education

The mechanical engineering department at the University of Utah is developing a certificate program in mechatronics, which includes a three-quarter mechatronics sequence. This mechatronics sequence is required for all mechanical engineering students-this paper describes the mechatronics curriculum and discusses the extent to which students will use PCs and microcontrollers. The extent to which microcontroller are included in the curriculum is of particular significance to a mechanical engineering curriculum which may need an introduction to them but do not, however, require the low-level-language programming based teaching of microcontrollers.
The translation square map and approximate congruence

Abstract We consider the point matching problem under translation with the L∞ or L1 metric. We introduce the transition square map (TSM), which provides an algorithm for testing e-congruence of equal cardinality sets A and B. The TSM can be used to form a (δ, δ)-approximate point matching algorithm, which runs in time O(( e δ ) 6 n 3 ) .
Notochord signals control the transcriptional cascade of myogenic bHLH genes in somites of quail embryos

Microsurgical, tissue grafting and in situ hybridization techniques have been used to investigate the role of the neural tube and notochord in the control of the myogenic bHLH genes, QmyoD, Qmyf5, Qmyogenin and the cardiac alpha-actin gene, during somite formation in stage 12 quail embryos. Our results reveal that signals from the axial neural tube/notochord complex control both the activation and the maintenance of expression of QmyoD and Qmyf5 in myotomal progenitor cells during the period immediately following somite formation and prior to myotome differentiation. QmyoD and Qmyf5 expression becomes independent of axial signals during myotome differentiation when somites activate expression of Qmyogenin and alpha-actin. Ablation studies reveal that the notochord controls QmyoD activation and the initiation of the transcriptional cascade of myogenic bHLH genes as epithelial somites condense from segmental plate mesoderm. The dorsal medial neural tube then contributes to the maintenance of myogenic bHLH gene expression in newly formed somites. Notochord grafts can activate ectopic QmyoD expression during somite formation, establishing that the notochord is a necessary and sufficient source of diffusible signals to initiate QmyoD expression. Myogenic bHLH gene expression is localized to dorsal medial cells of the somite by inhibitory signals produced by the lateral plate and ventral neural tube. Signaling models for the activation and maintenance of myogenic gene expression and the determination of myotomal muscle in somites are discussed.
Adjusting Service Performance Criteria Based on Generalized Information from Previous Reports

This paper uses Least Square Method to develop the stochastic models to fit the categorized historical data which are commonly used in evaluating service performances. This paper then provides formulas to determine the targets for revenue maximization and downside risk under control. The paper further demonstrates that when setting a single criterion, if the benefit of achieving the criterion and the loss of missing the criterion do not vary according to the criterion, people will not have motivation to set a high criterion and will choose to set the criterion at the lowest point. On the other hand, if the potential gain increasing rate of setting a higher criterion overgrows the probability decreasing rate of achieving such a criterion, the risk-neutral agents will have the potential to take the high risk to pursue an impractically high criterion.
Time domain solutions for faulted power systems using detailed synchronous machine models

An algorithm for analyzing a synchronous machine under faulted conditions is presented. The results obtained using the algorithm are contrasted with results obtained using symmetrical component analysis. The results show that the solutions obtained using two different approaches may differ considerably depending on both the type of fault and the prefault loading of the machine. If the results obtained using the sixth-order state model are taken to be accurate, then the symmetrical component approach is in error 'on the high side' in every case, which is, of course, desirable. Discrepancies do, however, mandate further consideration. >
Restoration of adenosine deaminase-deficient human thymocyte development in vitro by inhibition of deoxynucleoside kinases

Mutations in the gene encoding adenosine deaminase (ADA), a purine salvage enzyme, lead to immunodeficiency in humans. Although ADA deficiency has been analyzed in cell culture and murine models, information is lacking concerning its impact on the development of human thymocytes. We have used chimeric human/mouse fetal thymic organ culture to study ADA-deficient human thymocyte development in an "in vivo-like" environment where toxic metabolites accumulate in situ. Inhibition of ADA during human thymocyte development resulted in a severe reduction in cellular expansion as well as impaired differentiation, largely affecting mature thymocyte populations. Thymocyte differentiation was not blocked at a discrete stage; rather, the paucity of mature thymocytes was due to the induction of apoptosis as evidenced by activation of caspases and was accompanied by the accumulation of intracellular dATP. Inhibition of adenosine kinase and deoxycytidine kinase prevented the accumulation of dATP and restored thymocyte differentiation and proliferation. Our work reveals that multiple deoxynucleoside kinases are involved in the phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine when ADA is absent, and suggests an alternate therapeutic strategy for treatment of ADA-deficient patients.
Motivational influences on word recognition: I. Foveal and parafoveal viewing

The effects of motivation (hunger vs. satiation) on tachistoscopic word recognition were investigated. Overall procedures were identical for foveal viewing (Experiment 1) and parafoveal viewing (Experiment 2). Results with foveal viewing confirmed earlier findings (Ferguson, 1983) that hunger facilitated word recognition and no need-relevance effects were evident. Under foveal viewing, words were recognized significantly earlier under conditions of hunger, but overt responding was not significantly faster. Under parafoveal viewing, no significant motivation effects occurred. It is possible that different processing mechanisms operate under parafoveal and foveal viewing conditions.
A Quantitative Evaluation of Linguistic Tests for the Automatic Prediction of Semantic Markedness

We present a corpus-based study of methods that have been proposed in the linguistics literature for selecting the semantically unmarked term out of a pair of antonymous adjectives. Solutions to this problem are applicable to the more general task of selecting the positive term from the pair. Using automatically collected data, the accuracy and applicability of each method is quantified, and a statistical analysis of the significance of the results is performed. We show that some simple methods are indeed good indicators for the answer to the problem while other proposed methods fail to perform better than would be attributable to chance. In addition, one of the simplest methods, text frequency, dominates all others. We also apply two generic statistical learning methods for combining the indications of the individual methods, and compare their performance to the simple methods. The most sophisticated complex learning method offers a small, but statistically significant, improvement over the original tests.
THE NORMATIVE/DESCRIPTIVE DISTINCTION IN METHODOLOGIES OF BUSINESS ETHICS

Attacking the traditional claim instigated by David Hume that there is a clear distinction between facts and values, or the descriptive and the normative, Werhane argues that this distinction between descriptive—or, what is—and normative—or, what ought to be—is misleading. In business ethics, at least, not only do these two concepts themselves overlap, but also the language in which we refer to these positions also frequently overlaps. Descriptive or behavioral business ethics has normative intent, and normative business ethics depends on descriptive case analyses for their subject matter. Thus, there is an interdependence between behavioral and normative business ethics that is sometimes ignored in the academic literature.
Influences of copolymer polyol on structural and viscoelastic properties in molded flexible polyurethane foams

In this study, the viscoelastic and morphological properties of molded foams were investigated to determine the influence of the presence or absence of reinforcing particulate copolymer polyols (CPP). The molded foams were based on toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and glycerol-initiated ethylene-oxide endcapped polypropylene oxide and, in most samples, some amount of copolymer polyol. Two series of foams were studied. In Series 1, as CPP is added to the formulation, the amount of TDI fed is kept constant. This results in a constant amount of hard-segment content as the filler in the system displaces, by weight, the polyether polyol in the foam, and it increases the hard segment to soft segment ratio (HS/SS). In Series 2, the amount of hard-segment material is proportionally decreased as CPP is added, resulting in a constant HS/SS ratio. Structural investigations of the foams displayed rather similar textures. The cellular structures of a CPP-containing foam was very similar to a foam lacking the copolymer polyols. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the CPP particles were well dispersed and that they possessed significant rigidity even at high temperature and under high compression. Although all of the foams were microphase-separated, they varied slightly in that the copolymer polyol containing foams exhibited higher weight fractions of extractables in both Series 1 and Series 2. This suggests that not all of the CPP material is covalently bonded into the polyol matrix. It was found that temperatures above ambient as well as humidity plasticized the viscoelastic behavior of all the molded foams evaluated. It was also found that the copolymer polyol particles, as added to the molded foams of Series 1, increased load-bearing capabilities but had a negative effect on the stress relaxation, creep, and compression set properties. In particular, the viscoelastic properties of the CPP-containing foam were distinctly more time-dependent than those of the foam lacking these particles. However, the Series 2 foams show that most of these effects are a result of the increased HS/SS ratio and not a result of the CPP particulate. It was shown that adding CPP while maintaining a constant HS/SS ratio improves percent load loss and load bearing under high-humidity conditions, two important properties in flexible polyurethane foams. Finally, it was shown that at high temperatures (ca. 100°C), an additional relaxation mechanism occurs which cannot be attributed to changes in the HS/SS ratio, but must be a result of the CPP components themselves. This additional mechanism results in higher rates of load relaxation and creep in foams containing CPP at high temperatures for foams of both series. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 766–786, 2000
Calcium channel blockers inhibit galvanotaxis in human keratinocytes

Directed migration of keratinocytes is essential for wound healing. The migration of human keratinocytes in vitro is strongly influenced by the presence of a physiological electric field and these cells migrate towards the negative pole of such a field (galvanotaxis). We have previously shown that the depletion of extracellular calcium blocks the directional migration of cultured human keratinocytes in an electric field (Fang et al., 1998; J Invest Dermatol 111:751–756). Here we further investigate the role of calcium influx on the directionality and migration speed of keratinocytes during electric field exposure with the use of Ca2+ channel blockers. A constant, physiological electric field strength of 100 mV/mm was imposed on the cultured cells for 1 h. To determine the role of calcium influx during galvanotaxis we tested the effects of the voltage-dependent cation channel blockers, verapamil and amiloride, as well as the inorganic Ca2+ channel blockers, Ni2+ and Gd3+ and the Ca2+ substitute, Sr2+, on the speed and directionality of keratinocyte migration during galvanotaxis. Neither amiloride (10 μM) nor verapamil (10 μM) had any effect on the galvanotaxis response. Therefore, calcium influx through amiloride-sensitive channels is not required for galvanotaxis, and membrane depolarization via K+ channel activity is also not required. In contrast, Sr2+ (5 mM), Ni2+ (1–5 mM), and Gd3+ (100 μM) all significantly inhibit the directional migratory response to some degree. While Sr2+ strongly inhibits directed migration, the cells exhibit nearly normal migration speeds. These findings suggest that calcium influx through Ca2+ channels is required for directed migration of keratinocytes during galvanotaxis and that directional migration and migration speed are probably controlled by separate mechanisms. J. Cell. Physiol. 193: 1–9, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Goal Programming Approach to Urban-Suburban Location Preferences

Recent efforts in the area of modelling activities in the urban environment have been concentrated on the use of simulation techniques. In this paper the problem of population location in a metropolitan area is treated in an analytic model employing a goal programming formulation. A target population is broken into groups which then compete for a share of limited capacity in a number of urban sectors. The possible usefulness of this approach to urban planning, real estate development, and transportation systems design is illustrated through the theoretical development and the presentation of a numerical model.
Translocation (6;15)(q12;q15): A Novel Mutation in a Patient with Therapy-Related Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Most myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) present with loss or gain of chromosomal material and less commonly show translocations as a sole abnormality. In addition, certain translocations are more commonly seen in MDS than others, but to our knowledge, the presence of t(6;15) has not been reported in MDS, specifically therapy-related MDS (t-MDS) cases. Patients with t-MDS, a group of heterogeneous stem cell related disorders resulting as a latent complication of cytotoxic and/or radiation therapy, generally tend to have a poorer prognosis than de novo MDS. We present a unique case of a patient who initially presented with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a normal karyotype and FLT3-ITD and NPM1 mutations. The patient was successfully treated with chemotherapy and an autologous bone marrow transplant but subsequently developed a new FLT3-ITD negative t-MDS with a unique translocation, t(6;15)(q12;q15), three years after transplant. To our knowledge, this unique sole translocation has never been reported in MDS or t-MDS and given her successful response to treatment and remission, presence of this translocation may have some prognostic value.
Aptamer-Phage Reporters for Ultrasensitive Lateral Flow Assays

We introduce the modification of bacteriophage particles with aptamers for use as bioanalytical reporters, and demonstrate the use of these particles in ultrasensitive lateral flow assays. M13 phage displaying an in vivo biotinylatable peptide (AviTag) genetically fused to the phage tail protein pIII were used as reporter particle scaffolds, with biotinylated aptamers attached via avidin-biotin linkages, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) reporter enzymes covalently attached to the pVIII coat protein. These modified viral nanoparticles were used in immunochromatographic sandwich assays for the direct detection of IgE and of the penicillin-binding protein from Staphylococcus aureus (PBP2a). We also developed an additional lateral flow assay for IgE, in which the analyte is sandwiched between immobilized anti-IgE antibodies and aptamer-bearing reporter phage modified with HRP. The limit of detection of this LFA was 0.13 ng/mL IgE, ∼100 times lower than those of previously reported IgE assays.
Clinical significance of abnormal electrocardiographic findings in individuals aging with spinal injury and abnormal lipid profiles.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular risk factors are common in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), and their prevalence increases with age. The actual prevalence of overt cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population has not been well established. METHODS Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were examined for abnormalities in 43 individuals with abnormal lipid profiles being followed in the outpatient SCI clinic of our institution. The mean age of the study population of predominantly men was 43 +/- 9.9 years and the mean duration of injury 16.6 +/- 8 years. RESULTS ECG abnormalities were common and present in 60.5% of participants. ST-T wave abnormalities were the most commonly observed (35%). Evidence of previous myocardial infarction was present in 7% of all individuals and in 12% of those with ECG abnormalities. The only clinical parameter differentiating the group with normal vs abnormal ECG was the duration of injury (19.5 +/- 8 y vs 12 +/- 5 y; P = 0.0026). Analysis of variance showed that injury duration was the sole predictor of abnormal ECG with 68% accuracy (P = 0.006). Among those with ECG abnormalities, although no significant differences were detected between those with and without evidence of previous myocardial infarction, mean total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were higher, and mean high-density lipoprotein was lower. Mean age and injury duration were greater in those with evidence of previous myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION Although age is an important risk factor for CVD in the population of individuals without disabilities, injury duration is at least as important as age in those with SCI. Our findings support the recommendation that individuals with SCI and abnormal lipids should be screened for CVD regardless of age.
Finite element modeling of structural steel component failure at elevated temperatures

Abstract A key issue in evaluating the response of structural systems to fire effects is the representation of material behavior at elevated temperatures. In addition to stress–strain behavior, modeling of fracture is required to capture failure modes such as tear out in connection plates and bolt shear. Fracture can be simulated in explicit finite element analysis using element erosion, in which elements are removed from the analysis when specified failure criteria are satisfied. However, the basis for determining and implementing material failure criteria at elevated temperatures is not well-established in the literature. A finite element material modeling methodology is presented for structural steels and structural bolts at elevated temperatures that incorporates erosion-based modeling of fracture. Temperature-dependent stress–strain relationships for structural steel and structural bolts were combined with a plastic strain-based failure criterion for element erosion to enable modeling of fracture in analysis of structural connections and assemblies. The failure criterion was calibrated against high-temperature experimental data on elongation of tensile coupons at fracture, and its dependence on temperature and mesh size was investigated.
Standardizing Ultrasound Assessment and Quantification for Use in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Clinical Trials (IN1-1.005)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential of quantitative ultrasound for use as a biomarker in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) clinical trials. BACKGROUND: Quantitative ultrasound identifies pathology in dystrophic muscles and thus could serve as a non-invasive tool for assessment of disease severity and progression. However, in order for it to serve a role in clinical trials, the reliability and sensitivity of the technique as performed by individuals without specific ultrasound expertise needs to be determined. DESIGN/METHODS: Four non-physicians with no previous ultrasound experience except a brief training session, acquired ultrasound images of six muscle groups in arms and legs of 12 boys with DMD (ages 4-12, mean 7.7 years) and 12 controls (ages 2-12, mean 7.9 years). Quantification of the gray scale levels (GSL) with an image processing program was then performed by a trained radiologist and a research assistant with no expertise, outside of one training session. A physical therapist performed functional assessments. RESULTS: Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability between sonographers was excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.85 and 0.9, respectively. The research assistant GSL interpretation was also closely aligned to that of the radiologist with ICCs of 0.83-0.95 depending on the muscle. Consistent with previously published results, GSL (averaged from all muscles) was higher in DMD than control muscle (p spearman =-0.78, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Non-physician evaluators with limited training can obtain ultrasound data with high reliability. The GSLs obtained from DMD boys were higher than controls and correlated with functional measures, consistent with previous reports. These findings indicate that quantitative ultrasound has the potential to be employed effectively in multicenter clinical therapeutic trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Supported by: NIH R01 AR060850. Disclosure: Dr. Wilder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zaidman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rutkove has received personal compensation for activities with UpToDate, Springer, Convergence Medical Devices, Inc and Neuralstem, Inc. Dr. Rutkove holds stock and/or stock options in Convergence Medical Devices, Inc.
Alpha-1- Antitrypsin Deficiency Liver Disease: Science and Therapeutic Potential 50 Years Later

A1AT deficiency has a complex pathophysiology, is highly variable in clinical course, and is under diagnosed. The association with chronic lung disease was first described by Eriksson and Laurell in 1963, and later, Sharp and colleagues recognized A1AT deficiency as a cause of liver disease. In 2013 an international meeting was held to review the intervening 50 years of basic and clinical science, with a focus on liver disease [1,2]. Leaders in basic science investigation and in clinical medicine presented both retrospective commentary and new data relating to A1AT liver disease. A1AT is the archetype of the Serine Protease Inhibitor (SERPIN) family and is encoded by the gene SERPINA1. A1AT protein is produced in the liver and secreted in the serum in large quantities. The function of A1AT is to inhibit neutrophil proteases released non-specifically during periods of inflammation [1-4]. Over 100 variant alleles of the A1AT gene have been described but the overwhelming majority of patients with liver disease are homozygous for the Z mutant allele. Homozygosity for this autosomal co-dominant Z mutant of A1AT, referred to as ZZ or “PIZZ” in World Health Organization nomenclature, is the classical form of A1AT deficiency. The mutant Z protein accumulates within hepatocytes rather than being efficiently secreted (see below). This results in a lower, “deficient” level of protease inhibitor activity in serum. Within the hepatocyte, the Z mutant protein accumulates in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), and may attain an altered conformation in which many A1AT mutant Z molecules aggregate to form large polymers. ZZ homozygous adults have a markedly increased risk of developing emphysema by a loss-of-function mechan ism in which insufficient circulating A1AT is available in the lung to inhibit non-specific connective tissue breakdown, which can occur during granulocyte phagocytosis. A subgroup of ZZ homozygous children and adults may also develop liver disease and Hepatocellu lar Carcinoma [HCC] via a toxic, gain-ofAbstract
Profiles of change in motivation for teaching in higher education at an American research university

ABSTRACTThe current study employed an emergent theoretical model of teaching role identity and motivation to investigate the change in conception of and motivation for teaching in higher education of research graduate students who teach in the United States. Fifteen participants took a graduate-level seminar as part of a two-course teaching professional development (PD) program. Qualitative content analysis of the participants’ pre-seminar and post-seminar reflective essays focused on change in the theoretical model’s components – participants’ goals, self-perceptions, epistemological beliefs, and action possibilities – and their alignment. The findings suggested four kinds of change in each component, ranging from dramatic change to reversed change, as well as three general profiles of change labeled ‘Transformation,’ ‘Elaboration’, and ‘Stagnation’. The model proved useful in conceptualizing the change in participants’ teaching-related conceptions and motivation and could provide a guide for future rese...
Insulin half-life in normal and diabetic subjects.

ConclusionsThe data provide no evidence for a significant alteration either in the decay rate of exogenous insulin or in the response to insulin in non-obese newly diagnosed, mild diabetics. A short t 1/2 for insulin is confirmed (6.5-9.0 minutes).
Austrobdella cairae n. sp., an Oioxenous Marine Leech (Clitellata: Piscicolidae) from the Banded Guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperata, in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Abstract A new marine leech is herein described from specimens infecting the external surfaces, including the mouth and cloaca, of the banded guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperate, captured in the Gulf of California and eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California. The leech is assigned to Austrobdella by possessing continuous contractile coelomic channels that lie outside the somatic musculature along the lateral edges of the urosome (marginal lacunae), clitellar gland cells densely packed in the urosome, 5 pairs of testisacs, and 6-annulate mid-body somites. The new leech is distinguished from its 6 congeners on the basis of body size (maximum 10 mm long) and shape (sub-cylindrical trachelosome distinctly demarcated from wider urosome that is ventrally flattened, convex dorsally, and narrowing toward caudal sucker that is narrow, 20−25% of maximum body width), number of eyespots (2 pairs), shape and arrangement of the ovisacs (pyriform and limited to somites XII/XIII), and characteristics of t...
Review: The Religious Imagination in Modern and Contemporary Architecture: A Reader by Renata Hejduk and Jim Williamson, eds.

Renata Hejduk and Jim Williamson, eds. The Religious Imagination in Modern and Contemporary Architecture: A Reader New York: Routledge, 2011, 385 pp., 16 color and 45 b/w illus. $165 (cloth), ISBN 9780415780803; $49.95 (paper), ISBN 9780415780810 For at least four decades now, historians have been busy demythologizing modernism. It continues to be a fruitful area of research, as there is no shortage of ways in which any monolithic view of modernism can show itself to be problematic. Among relatively recent aspects of such work are the myriad appearances of religious topics in a period for which increasing secularization, if not widespread hostility to religion, is readily presumed to be coterminous with, if not constitutive of, modernity. There are reasons behind such presumptions, for a central (even if not defining) condition of modernity is surely an increasing critique of religion as traditionally conceived. Whether this critique is construed and experienced as the death of God (as Friedrich Nietzsche had it), the falling apart of Christendom (as Christianity’s institutional metanarrative), Christianity’s own theological demythologization, or just the waning of religious authority amid splintering denominational claims, there are reasons enough not to be surprised that religion has been insufficiently addressed in the scholarship of modern architecture. The Religious Imagination in Modern and Contemporary Architecture is a welcome addition to this developing reappraisal of twentieth-century architecture. As an anthology comprising fifty separate chapters, including a general introduction and essays from a broad array of sources, it offers a wonderfully …
Experimentally Increasing the Compliance of Titin Through RNA Binding Motif-20 (RBM20) Inhibition Improves Diastolic Function In a Mouse Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background:Left ventricular (LV) stiffening contributes to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a syndrome with no effective treatment options. Increasing the compliance of titin...
DNA Repair: ERCC1, Nucleotide Excision Repair, and Platinum Resistance

DNA excision repair plays a significant part in platinum-based chemotherapy by removing DNA lesions caused by platinum-containing drugs. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway is the mammalian DNA repair mechanism that removes bulky DNA adducts induced by DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents. Platinum compounds induce their cytotoxic effect by binding to a DNA molecule in the form of a platinum-DNA-adduct. The NER pathway is the main mechanism responsible for platinum resistance by increased platinum-DNA-adduct removal and the excision repair cross complementing-group 1 (ERCC1) gene plays a major role in the NER-pathway because of its damage recognition and excision ability. This chapter will review mechanisms of DNA repair and platinum resistance as it relates to the NER pathway and regulation of ERCC1. A brief discussion on the role of cancer stem cells in platinum resistance is also presented.
Effective Governance Structure and Management of Utilization Programs

The operation of an effective utilization management program requires a governance structure that aligns both institutional and institution-wide goals and activities. It has been estimated that as much as 30 % of laboratory testing is likely to be wasteful. The prospect of broadly applied personalized or precision medicine holds great promise but with the attendant risk that, if misapplied, there is potential for extraordinary waste. As a vehicle for exploring the relationship between governance structure and effectiveness, this chapter outlines the four-phase evolution of laboratory utilization management in a large academic medical center (University of Michigan Health System). The consideration of failed early efforts and much more successful recent efforts illustrates the fundamental importance of alignment of governance in effective management of pathology and laboratory utilization.
Effects of Opsonin Density and type on the Phagocytosis of Beads

When a pathogen enters the body, the immune system releases small proteins that opsonize the foreign entity. This serves as a signal to macrophages to engulf the pathogen, a process known as phagocytosis. Depending on the type of opsonin covering the invasive species, phagocytosis can occur in structurally different ways. My research aimed to examine how different opsonin types and densities affect phagocytosis both qualitatively and quantitatively. Microspheres were used to replicate pathogens, and IgG antibody alongside iC3b complement were the opsonins studied. First, a Dose-Response curve was made to show it was possible to cover the bead with different amounts of opsonin, i.e. change the density of antibody or complement on the bead surface. Then, the distinctly opsonized beads were fed to cells and the effectiveness of phagocytosis was analyzed using two different techniques: time-lapse movies and 3D image reconstruction. Through the former method, it was quantitatively found that more densely opsonized beads were more effectively phagocytosed, and that cells transitioned through phagocytosis quicker with IgG covered beads. This may suggest that the actin dynamics and cytoskeleton remodeling occur faster through the IgG signaling pathway than through that of iC3b. Progress was made through the 3D image reconstruction to better observe the phagocytic cup structure formed by the cell and to more efficiently note a difference between iC3b and IgG consumption in a qualitative sense. Phagocytic studies can supply useful information for drug treatments involving passage of the drug through the cell membrane to reach its activation site. My research showed that opsonin density and type affect phagocytosis tremendously.
Endocrine-disrupting compounds and mixtures: unexpected dose-response.

The current study examined the effects on the red-eared slider turtle of extremely low doses of three endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs)—trans-Nonachlor, chlordane, and p,p′-DDE—singly and in mixtures. Previous studies using the red-eared slider turtle have proven its value as an organism for obtaining information about the effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds. The sex of the turtle, easily manipulated by exposure during embryogenesis, continues to be a marker of effects. When red-eared slider turtle embryos incubating at a temperature that normally produces a male-biased sex ratio are exposed to these compounds singly, the sex ratio of the resulting hatchlings shifts significantly to a female bias. The current work offers further evidence that the red-eared slider turtle provides a way to quantify the effects of mixtures and has the potential as a model for evaluating additivity and synergy. The results provide information about how very low doses (parts per billion) of these compounds behave in mixtures. The dose ranges were 0.125–0.5 ng/egg for trans-Nonachlor and chlordane and 7–28 ng/egg for p,p′-DDE. Results suggest the possibility that two of the compounds may exert effects in mixtures via complementary pathways; when applied singly, the effects of chlordane and p,p′-DDE were inversely related to dose, but in mixtures, which were essentially a greater dose of EDC, the compounds had an increased effect. In all cases, mixtures resulted in 100% females.
Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose Coverage Correlates Worldwide with Rates of Institutional Deliveries and Skilled Attendance at Birth

Abstract Background Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occurs in 90% of infants infected perinatally but is prevented when a hepatitis B vaccine is given within 24 h of birth (HepB-BD), followed by 2–3 additional doses. Methods Using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients (rho), we analyzed global and regional data to assess correlations between HepB-BD coverage, institutional delivery rates (IDR), skilled birth attendance (SBA) rates, and other potential co-variates. Results Significant correlations were observed worldwide between HepB-BD and SBA rates (rho = 0.44, p Conclusions Increasing IDR and SBA rates, training and supervising staff, increasing community awareness, and using HepB-BD outside the cold chain where needed would increase HepB-BD coverage and prevent chronic infections.