cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlled Multifactorial Coagulopathy: Effects of Dilution, Hypothermia, and Acidosis on Thrombin Generation In Vitro.

BACKGROUND Coagulopathy and hemostatic abnormalities remain a challenge in patients following trauma and major surgery. Coagulopathy in this setting has a multifactorial nature due to tissue injury, hemodilution, hypothermia, and acidosis, the severity of which may vary. In this study, we combined computational kinetic modeling and in vitro experimentation to investigate the effects of multifactorial coagulopathy on thrombin, the central enzyme in the coagulation system. METHODS We measured thrombin generation in platelet-poor plasma from 10 healthy volunteers using the calibrated automated thrombogram assay (CAT). We considered 3 temperature levels (31°C, 34°C, and 37°C), 3 pH levels (6.9, 7.1, and 7.4), and 3 degrees of dilution with normal saline (no dilution, 3-fold dilution, and 5-fold dilution). We measured thrombin-generation time courses for all possible combinations of these conditions. For each combination, we analyzed 2 scenarios: without and with (15 nM) supplementation of thrombomodulin, a key natural regulator of thrombin generation. For each measured thrombin time course, we recorded 5 quantitative parameters and analyzed them using multivariable regression. Moreover, for multiple combinations of coagulopathic conditions, we performed routine coagulation tests: prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). We compared the experimental results with simulations using a newly developed version of our computational kinetic model of blood coagulation. RESULTS Regression analysis allowed us to identify trends in our data (P < 10). In both model simulations and experiments, dilution progressively reduced the peak of thrombin generation. However, we did not experimentally detect the model-predicted delay in the onset of thrombin generation. In accord with the model predictions, hypothermia delayed the onset of thrombin generation; it also increased the thrombin peak time (up to 1.30-fold). Moreover, as predicted by the kinetic model, the experiments showed that hypothermia increased the area under the thrombin curve (up to 1.97-fold); it also increased the height of the thrombin peak (up to 1.48-fold). Progressive acidosis reduced the velocity index by up to 24%; acidosis-induced changes in other thrombin generation parameters were much smaller or none. Acidosis increased PT by 14% but did not influence aPTT. In contrast, dilution markedly prolonged both PT and aPTT. In our experiments, thrombomodulin affected thrombin-generation parameters mainly in undiluted plasma. CONCLUSIONS Dilution with normal saline reduced the amount of generated thrombin, whereas hypothermia increased it and delayed the time of thrombin accumulation. In contrast, acidosis in vitro had little effect on thrombin generation.
A cultural history of medical vitalism in enlightenment Montpellier

One of the key themes of the Enlightenment was the search for universal laws and truths that would help illuminate the workings of the universe. It is in such attitudes that we trace the origins of modern science and medicine. However, not all eighteenth century scientists and physicians believed that such universal laws could be found, particularly in relation to the differences between living and inanimate matter. From the 1740s physicians working in the University of Medicine of Montpellier began to contest Descartes's dualist concept of the body-machine that was being championed by leading Parisian medical 'mechanists'. In place of the body-machine perspective that sought laws universally valid for all phenomena, the vitalists postulated a distinction being living and other matter, offering a holistic understanding of the physical-moral relation in place of mind-body dualism. Their medicine was not based on mathematics and the unity of the sciences, but on observation of the individual patient and the harmonious activities of the 'body-economy'. Vitalists believed that Illness was a result of disharmony in this 'body-economy' which could only be remedied on an individual level depending on the patient's own 'natural' limitations. The limitations were established by a myriad of factors such as sex, class, age, temperament, region, and race, which negated the use of a single universal treatment for a particular ailment. Ultimately Montpelier medicine was eclipsed by that of Paris, a development linked to the dynamics of the Enlightenment as a movement bent on cultural centralisation, acquiring a reputation as a kind of anti-science of the exotic and the mad. Given the long-standing Paris-centrism of French cultural history, Montpellier vitalism has never been accorded the attention it deserves by historians. This study repairs that neglect.
Planning Optimization for Inductively Charged On-Demand Automated Electric Shuttles Project at Greenville, South Carolina

Wireless charging technology presents an ideal fit for autonomous electric vehicles for realizing a fully automated system (vehicle and charger). This article presents a planning optimization analysis for a pilot project of in-route wireless charging infrastructure serving fixed-route on-demand shared automated electric shuttles (SAESs) at Greenville, SC, USA. A single-objective nonlinear mixed integer system planning optimization problem is formulated. A comprehensive cost model representing the overall inductively charged SAESs system is developed, considering road construction, power electronics and materials, traction battery, and installation costs. The optimization problem is solved to determine the best combination of the system key design parameters (number and allocations of wireless chargers, charging power level, track length, and on-board battery capacity) that show the most cost-effective solution and allow the SAESs to achieve charge-sustaining operation. The planning platform incorporates representative simulated traffic data (driving speed and routes) for four SAESs in the Greenville using the Simulation of Urban Mobility tool. These data are fed to a vehicle powertrain model and a wireless charger power model to predict the battery power, energy and state-of-charge profiles, which are provided to the search algorithm to assess the design objectives under specific constraints. The results indicate that implementing high-power (100 kW) wireless charger at a few designated stops for fixed-route SAESs with the proper track length allows the vehicles to realize charge-sustaining operation, infinite range, and zero recharge downtime, with a significant reduction in the on-board battery (36%) and road coverage (69%), at minimum cost.
Uninspired: Framing Wheelchair Basketball and Able-Bodied Basketball in College News Sources:

Guided by framing theory, this study identifies qualitative differences in the coverage of college wheelchair and able-bodied basketball teams. The sample consisted of 160 wheelchair basketball and...
A multifaceted investigation into molecular associations of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension pathogenesis.

PurposeChronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is characterized by incomplete thrombus resolution following acute pulmonary embolism, leading to pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular d...
Gilbert's syndrome and molecular genetics basis

Gilbert's syndrome is a congenital,nonhemolytic,unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.The intermittent mild jaundice is its clinical characteristic.The pathogenesis of the disease is the gene mutation of the isoenzyme which encoding the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1).The gene mutation can affect glucuronic acidation of drugs.Therapeutic dose can cause unexpected toxicity.It is very important to detect the gene mutation of UGT1A1 for diagnosis,treatment and genetic counseling of Gilbert's syndrome. Key words: Gilbert's syndrome; UDP-glucuronosyltransferase; Gene mutation
A novel tracer for in vivo optical imaging of fatty acid metabolism in the heart and brown adipose tissue.

Multiplexed imaging is essential for the evaluation of substrate utilization in metabolically active organs, such as the heart and brown adipose tissue (BAT), where substrate preference changes in pathophysiologic states. Optical imaging provides a useful platform because of its low cost, high throughput and intrinsic ability to perform composite readouts. However, the paucity of probes available for in vivo use has limited optical methods to image substrate metabolism. Here, we present a novel near-infrared (NIR) free fatty acid (FFA) tracer suitable for in vivo imaging of deep tissues such as the heart. Using click chemistry, Alexa Fluor 647 DIBO Alkyne was conjugated to palmitic acid. Mice injected with 0.05 nmol/g bodyweight of the conjugate (AlexaFFA) were subjected to conditions known to increase FFA uptake in the heart (fasting) and BAT [cold exposure and injection with the β3 adrenergic agonist CL 316, 243(CL)]. Organs were subsequently imaged both ex vivo and in vivo to quantify AlexaFFA uptake. The blood kinetics of AlexaFFA followed a two-compartment model with an initial fast compartment half-life of 0.14 h and a subsequent slow compartment half-life of 5.2 h, consistent with reversible protein binding. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging after overnight cold exposure and fasting produced a significant increase in AlexaFFA uptake in the heart (58 ± 12%) and BAT (278 ± 19%) compared to warm/fed animals. In vivo imaging of the heart and BAT after exposure to CL and fasting showed a significant increase in AlexaFFA uptake in the heart (48 ± 20%) and BAT (40 ± 10%) compared to saline-injected/fed mice. We present a novel near-infrared FFA tracer, AlexaFFA, that is suitable for in vivo quantification of FFA metabolism and can be applied in the context of a low cost, high throughput, and multiplexed optical imaging platform.
Supporting Pharmaceutical Healthcare Outreach: A Culminating First-Year Programming Experience

Although they might initially think otherwise, students can make positive societal impacts through their programming skills, even as early as their introductory programming courses. This paper describes a culminating first-year experience where student programming teams are paired with clients majoring in a doctor of pharmacy program to develop software applications in support of the clients' community-focused educational outreach activities on the hazards involving the use of electronic cigarettes. In the process, the programming students are exposed to various concepts beyond the expected coverage of technical competencies, focusing on ways to deliver meaningful value to others from an entrepreneurial mindset perspective. Positive feedback and data gathered from student surveys, course evaluations, alumni emails, and client comments indicates that, through this service-learning focused term project, programming students learn valuable software development and personal communication skills that will carry them beyond this course and into their professional lives. To assist those who are interested in implementing this project at their institution, adoption materials are available without charge via download from the Engineering Unleashed information repository.
Quantitating Mitral Regurgitation in Clinical Trials: The Need for a Uniform Approach

Abstract Background There is an established relationship between the degree of mitral regurgitation (MR) and prognosis. Quantitation of MR severity guides therapeutic approaches. Inconsistent definitions and categorization of MR severity in clinical studies limit meaningful comparisons between trials and compromise development of an effective evidence base. The purpose of this study was to quantify heterogeneity in grading systems for MR severity in the contemporary literature. Methods We performed a systematic review of randomized (RCT) and propensity score (PS) adjusted clinical studies of MV interventions (surgical or percutaneous). A total of 35 articles from 2015-2020 were included (15 RCT, 20 PS). Results There were 22 studies that reported MR severity in numerical categories, either values from the historical “plus” system or numerical MR grades, while 9 studies reported MR severity using text-only descriptive categories. Among the studies that used numerical categories, 2+ MR was defined as moderate in 64% of studies, mild in 27%, and mild-moderate in 9% and 3+ MR was defined as moderate in 14%, moderate-severe in 52%, and severe in 14%. Conclusions There was substantial variability in MR severity definition and reporting in contemporary clinical studies of MV interventions. We recommend the historical “plus” numerical grading system be abandoned and that inclusion and outcome criteria in MR clinical trials be based on American and European guideline-recommended categories as none/trace, mild, moderate, and severe. Adoption of these simple recommendations will improve the consistency and quality of MR clinical trial design and reporting.
Deploying and Integrating Smart Devices to Improve Work Zone Data for Work Zone Data Exchange

Connected temporary traffic control devices (cTTCDs) that provide their location and status are a new tool that infrastructure owners and operators can begin to use to improve the accuracy of work ...
Firearm Lethal Means Safety with Military Personnel and Veterans: Overcoming Barriers using a Collaborative Approach

Suicides by firearm have increased over the past decade among United States service members and veterans. As firearm access is a suicide risk factor, firearm-related lethal means safety is critical to suicide prevention. However, identity, occupational, and cultural barriers may deter efforts to promote lethal means safety with service members and veterans. The current manuscript describes a collaborative framework to guide mental health providers' in conducting firearm-related lethal means safety with service members and veterans, including within the context of Safety Planning. In approaching firearm lethal means safety conversations with patients, clinicians must work to overcome their own reticence, address patient concerns directly, and remain culturally sensitive to the values of the military and veteran communities. This approach is illustrated using case vignettes that encompass addressing firearm-related lethal means safety with service members and veterans.
Using Vignette-Based Methodology to Examine Study Recruitment in Older African American Adults: A Methods Paper.

This study’s objective was to assess which caring recruitment behaviors correlate with the successful recruitment of older African-American adults—a two-step cross-sectional design employing a vignette-based survey methodology. Kristen Swanson’s middle-range theory of caring was used to guide the examination of African-American adults’ (65 years of age and older) perceptions of research-study-recruiter recruitment behaviors. This study’s main findings are twofold: Step 1: Seven of ten invited experts identified major revisions of the two core vignettes, written at an eighth-grade reading level and high school comprehension. Step 2: A 51% response rate yielded findings that this methodology successfully captured older African-American adults’ perception of research study recruiters’ behavioral characteristics during the recruitment process. Older African-Americans who received the hypothetical caring vignette were twice as likely to indicate their willingness to enroll in a research study with a high commitment (i.e., brain donation) compared to their counterparts who received the hypothetical uncaring recruitment scenario. Vignette-based survey methodology holds promise as a tool for informing the recruitment of older African-American adults and other minorities into federally funded health-related research studies.
Systematic Next Generation Sequencing is feasible in clinical practice and identifies opportunities for targeted therapy in women with uterine cancer: Results from a prospective cohort study.

Abstract Background: Both incidence and mortality of uterine cancer are on the rise and mortality is higher for African American women. The aim of our study was to evaluate how Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) may facilitate identification of and intervention for treatment disparities when integrated into clinical workflows. Results Our cohort included 159 uterine cancer patients with recurrent/progressive and newly diagnosed advanced stage and/or high-risk histology. The most common tumor histological subtypes included EEC (n = 67), SEC (n = 34), UCS (n = 20), and mixed (n = 14). Black patients were most likely to present with aggressive histology: (SEC, 34.0%) and carcinosarcoma (UCS, 14.0%). The four most common mutations across all subtypes were TP53, PIK3CA, PTEN, and ARID1A. There was racial disparity between Black versus non-Black patients who were initiated on targeted therapy (28.2% vs. 38.2%, respectively) and clinical trial (15% vs. 22.6%, respectively). Compared to non-Black patients, Black patients had a significantly higher percentage TP53 mutations (p Conclusions NGS for uterine malignancies provides actionable information for targetable mutations and/or clinical trial enrollment in most patients; further investigation is necessary to identify potentially modifiable factors contributing to current disparities that may improve targeted therapy uptake and clinical trial participation.
A survey of health monitoring systems for wind turbines

Abstract Wind energy has played an increasingly vital role in renewable power generation, driving the need for more cost-effective wind energy solutions. Health monitoring of turbines could provide a variety of economic and other benefits to aid in wind growth. A number of commercial and research health monitoring systems have been implemented for wind turbines. This paper surveys these systems, providing an analysis of the current state of turbine health monitoring and the challenges associated with monitoring each of the major turbine components. This paper also contextualizes the survey with the various potential benefits of health monitoring for turbines.
The Other Side of Help: Negative Effects in the Help-Seeking Processes of Abused Women

Data from 32 in-depth interviews with abused women in outreach groups demonstrated that respondents first sought assistance from informal helpers by telling the stories of their violent experiences. Telling was a significant social act since it made public their "fictions of intimacy" (Tifft 1993), affected their perceptions of their relationships, and altered others' definitions of the couple. In part because help providers often reduced the complexity of intimate relationships to incidents of violence, well-intentioned help provision frequently had unintended negative consequences. It was not necessarily the help women wanted and the assistance was often based on a definitional contingency, or acceptance of others' definitions of the situations and others' prescriptions for action. This contingency placed the women in the same relation to the supporters as they were to the abusers, that is, others controlled the definitions of their experiences and their identities.
Craniocervical arachnoid cyst in a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome: a unique case: Case report

Klippel-Feil syndrome, or brevicollis, is a complex congenital disorder caused by the improper segmentation of the cervical vertebrae. The authors present the very rare case of a patient with Klippel-Feil syndrome who presented with an intradural arachnoid cyst at the craniocervical junction. They also examine possible factors contributing to this association. A 46-year-old woman presented with complaints of progressively worsening headaches and dizziness of 18 months' duration. She also demonstrated mild bilateral upper-extremity weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed fused cervical vertebrae and a dorsal intradural arachnoid cyst at the craniocervical junction, extending down to the fourth cervical level. Because of worsening myelopathy and the presence of brainstem compression, the patient underwent surgical excision of the arachnoid cyst, which was approached via a midline posterior suboccipital/upper cervical route. An endoscope was introduced through a gap between the occiput and fused upper ...
Estrogen-progestin pharmacodynamics of the postmenopausal endometrium studied by thymidine labeling.

Abstract Five postmenopausal women were treated with conjugated equine estrogens, 1.25 mg tablets for 25 days, and medroxyprogesterone acetate, 10 mg tablets, in combination with the last 10 estrogen doses. Twenty-five endometrial biopsy specimens were incubated in vitro with tritiated thymidine and radioautographic slides were prepared. Within five days of estrogen treatment the thymidine labeling index (TLI) in both glands and stromal cells increased from a very low resting state to relatively high levels of DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Within five days after addition of progestin, epithelial TLIs decreased to low levels and returned to minimal baseline levels four days after the last steroid dose. Analysis of variances indicated significant changes in epithelial cells (P
Do emotional eating urges regulate affect? Concurrent and prospective associations and implications for risk models of binge eating.

Objective: Emotional eating (EE) reflects an urge to eat in response to emotional rather than physical cues and is a risk factor for the development of binge eating. EE has been conceptualized as an attempt to regulate negative affect (NA), a posited maintenance factor for binge eating. However, no study has examined whether EE urges regulate affect. Further, no studies have examined longitudinal associations between EE urges and positive affect (PA). Method: We examined within-subject longitudinal associations between affect and EE urges in a community-based sample of female twins (mean age517.8 years). Participants (N5239) completed ratings of affect and EE urges for 45 consecutive days. Results: Greater NA was concurrently associated with greater EE urges. Additionally, greater EE urges predicted worse NA for both concurrent and prospective (next-day) analyses. Finally, lower PA was associated with greater EE urges in concurrent analyses, but there were no prospective associations between changes in PA and EE urges. Discussion: EE urges do not appear to effectively regulate affect. EE urges in a community-based sample appear to have the same functional relationship with affect as binge eating in clinical samples, further supporting EE as a useful dimensional construct for examining processes related to binge eating. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetics of felbamate, a novel antiepileptic drug: application of mixed-effect modeling to clinical trials.

Felbamate is a novel antiepileptic drug currently undergoing clinical trials in the United States. Serum felbamate concentration data from a phase II safety and efficacy trial were analyzed using nonmem. A one-compartment, open model with first-order absorption and elimination was used. Body weight, sex, concurrent folic acid therapy, and Phenytoin dose and dose concentration ratio did not affect the estimates for felbamate clearance (CI). Carbamazepine dose and dose Concentration ratio (CDCR) led to significant improvements in the objective function. The final models for felbamate clearance and volume of distribution (Vd) were as follows: CI(L/hr) = 2.43 + 0.429*CDCR/240, Vd (L) = 51. The coefficient of variation of clearance was only about 12%, which may be indicative of the highly selective patient population. The clearance estimates are similar to those obtained in healthy volunteers and in patients receiving lower dosages of felbamate. The volume of distribution estimate, however, is slightly smaller than that reported previously. Valuable pharmacokinetic information can be obtained from the routine monitoring of serum concentrations during safety and efficacy trials.
PERFORMANCE OF INTEREST-FREE ISLAMIC BANKS VIS-Ã€-VIS INTEREST-BASED CONVENTIONAL BANKS OF BAHRAIN

This paper examines the comparative performance of Bahrain’s interest-free Islamic banks and the interest-based conventional commercial banks during the post Gulf War period with respect to (a) profitability, (b) liquidity risk, and (c) credit risk. Nine financial ratios are used in measuring these performances. Applying Student’s t-test to financial ratios for Islamic and conventional commercial banks in Bahrain for the period 1991-2001, the paper concludes that there is no major difference in performance between Islamic and conventional banks with respect to profitability and liquidity. However, the study finds that there exists a significant difference in credit performance. JEL classification: G20, G21 Key words: Banks, Comparative performance, Bahrain
Descriptive analysis of Pinot noir wines from Carneros, Napa, and Sonoma

Twenty-eight Pinot noir wines from Carneros, Napa, and Sonoma were evaluated by descriptive analysis by seven trained judges. Wines differed significantly for all 14 sensory attributes except prune aroma. Principal component analysis of the mean ratings showed that Carneros wines differed from Napa and Sonoma wines and that they had unique sensory attributes. Carneros Pinot noir wines were characterized by intense fresh berry, berry jam, cherry, and spicy aromas.
A high order accurate, low frequency stable convolution quadrature method for the solution of time-domain electromagnetics problems

Convolution quadrature (CQ) methods are one of a host of new techniques for creating stable implementations of time domain integral equations. Like all such methods, CQ methods provide an accurate approach for spatial integration in view of the natural shadow region created by the Galerkin testing process. The success of CQ in this regard, however, does nothing to eliminate the slowly growing instability connected with the separation of electromagnetic problems into electrostatic and magnetostatic problems at low frequency. In this work, therefore, we add the loop-tree low frequency stabilization technique to the CQ method. Numerical results demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the technique.
Automatic atlas-based volume estimation of human brain regions from MR images.

MRI offers many opportunities for noninvasive in vivo measurement of structure-function relationships in the human brain. Although automated methods are now available for whole-brain measurements, an efficient and valid automatic method for volume estimation of subregions such as the frontal or temporal lobes is still needed. We adapted the Talairach atlas to the study of brain subregions. We supplemented the atlas with additional boxes to include the cerebellum. We assigned all the boxes to 1 of 12 regions of interest (ROIs) (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, cerebellum, and subcortical regions on right and left sides of the brain).Using T1-weighted MR scans collected with an SPGR sequence (slice thickness = 1.5 mm), we manually traced these ROIs and produced volume estimates. We then transformed the scans into Talairach space and compared the volumes produced by the two methods ({open_quotes}traced{close_quotes} versus {open_quotes}automatic{close_quotes}). The traced measurements were considered to be the {open_quotes}gold standard{close_quotes} against which the automatic measurements were compared. The automatic method was found to produce measurements that were nearly identical to the traced method. We compared absolute measurements of volume produced by the two methods, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the automatic method. We also compared themore » measurements of cerebral blood flow obtained through [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O PET studies in a sample of nine subjects. Absolute measurements of volume produced by the two methods were very similar, and the sensitivity and specificity of the automatic method were found to be high for all regions. The flow values were also found to be very similar by both methods. The automatic atlas-based method for measuring the volume of brain subregions produces results that are similar to manual techniques. 39 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.« less
On regulation of phagosome maturation and antigen presentation

Phagocytosis has essential functions in immunity. Here we highlight the presence of a subcellular level of self-non-self discrimination in dendritic cells that operates at the level of individual phagosomes. We discuss how engagement of Toll-like receptor signaling controls distinct programs of phagosome maturation. An inducible mode of phagosome maturation triggered by these receptors ensures the selection of microbial antigens for presentation by major histocompatibility class II molecules during the simultaneous phagocytosis of self and non-self.
Exploratory case method to determine the frequency of redundant orders within manually consolidated order lists

A computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system can provide an efficient means of retrieving and consolidating order lists from multiple electronic clinical practice standards and protocols. However, the consolidated order list may contain exact duplicate or overlapping orders. Benner's framework for levels of nursing expertise can be used to explicate the variability of the nurse's responses to redundancies in order lists and the potential compromise to patient safety. An exploratory case method was performed to consolidate 74 orders from 11 sources. The consolidated order list contained 35% fewer orders after the redundant orders were removed. Our work has shown that many redundant orders may arise by consolidating order lists from multiple electronic standards. It is imperative that consolidated electronic order lists be manageable by the nurse according to their level of clinical and computer expertise, and that redundant orders are resolved before being displayed to the nurse.
CommentsComments on “Canalizing Boolean Functions Maximize Mutual Information”

In their recent paper “Canalizing Boolean Functions Maximize Mutual Information,” Klotz et al. argued that canalizing Boolean functions maximize certain mutual informations by an argument involving Fourier analysis on the hypercube. This note supplies short new proofs of their results based on a coupling argument and also clarifies a point on the necessity of considering randomized functions.
NMR characterization of simulated Hanford low-activity waste glasses and its use in understanding waste form chemical durability

Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS-NMR) spectroscopy has been used to characterize the structural and chemical environments of B, Al, and Si in model Hanford low-activity waste glasses. The average {sup 29}Si NMR peak position was found to systematically change with changing glass composition and structure. From an understanding of the structural roles of Al and B obtained from MAS-NMR experiments, the authors first developed a model that reliably predicts the distribution of structural units and the average {sup 29}Si chemical shift value, {delta}, based purely on glass composition. A product consistency test (PCT) was used to determine the normalized elemental release (NL) from the prepared glasses. Comparison of the NMR and PCT data obtained from sodium boro-aluminosilicate glasses indicates that a rudimentary exponential relationship exists between the {sup 29}Si chemical shift value, and the boron NL value.
Holographic simulation of compensation for atmospheric wavefront distortion

An experiment is described which demonstrates the validity of the concept of compensating, by holographic techniques, for atmospheric distortions of wavefronts.
Hydromagnetic stability of inviscid shear flows

Drazin [1] studied the hydromagnetic stability characteristics of a perturbed vortex sheet. Omission of reckoning the total effective pressure in the hydromagnetic case as the sum of the hydrodynamic pressure and the magnetic pressure (or what is the same, neglect of the contribution of the magnetic field to the normal force at the interface) led Drazin to the erroneous result that the presence of a magnetic field did not affect the instability of the perturbed vortex sheet. This paper rectifies this error and shows the stabilising effect of the magnetic field on the perturbed vortex sheet in consistency with the conclusions reached earlier by Michael [4]. It is further shown that the hydromagnetic stability characteristics of a perturbed vortex sheet correspond to those of a smoothly-varying shear-layer flow for long-wave disturbances — a result that has been only conjectured in the hydromagnetic case in Drazin's analysis without proof (though an analogous result is well established for the hydrodynamic case).
Polyribosome Binding by GCN1 Is Required for Full Activation of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 2α Kinase GCN2 during Amino Acid Starvation

The protein kinase GCN2 mediates translational control of gene expression in amino acid-starved cells by phosphorylating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2alpha. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, activation of GCN2 by uncharged tRNAs in starved cells requires its direct interaction with both the GCN1.GCN20 regulatory complex and ribosomes. GCN1 also interacts with ribosomes in cell extracts, but it was unknown whether this activity is crucial for its ability to stimulate GCN2 function in starved cells. We describe point mutations in two conserved, noncontiguous segments of GCN1 that lead to reduced polyribosome association by GCN1.GCN20 in living cells without reducing GCN1 expression or its interaction with GCN20. Mutating both segments simultaneously produced a greater reduction in polyribosome binding by GCN1.GCN20 and a stronger decrease in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2alpha phosphorylation than did mutating in one segment alone. These findings provide strong evidence that ribosome binding by GCN1 is required for its role as a positive regulator of GCN2. A particular mutation in the GCN1 domain, related in sequence to translation elongation factor 3 (eEF3), decreased GCN2 activation much more than it reduced ribosome binding by GCN1. Hence, the eEF3-like domain appears to have an effector function in GCN2 activation. This conclusion supports the model that an eEF3-related activity of GCN1 influences occupancy of the ribosomal decoding site by uncharged tRNA in starved cells.
“To Avoid This Mixture”: Rethinking Pulque in Colonial Mexico City

On June 8, 1692, a popular uprising left Mexico City in ruins. The colonial government blamed the violence on pulque, an indigenous alcohol made from the fermented juice of the maguey. Not all pulque, however, was considered equal. While ostensibly pure pulque blanco (white pulque) was seen as medicinal, pulque mezclado (mixed pulque), which contained certain additives, was condemned as a threat to political stability. This essay takes this often-overlooked distinction as a point of departure for examining the political and social significance of pulque by way of the grid of intelligibility that gave it meaning. For colonial elites, the mixing of pulque had a magnetizing effect on the social world, drawing the urban poor together in the space of the pulqueria (pulque tavern) and making possible multiple forms of contact—from solidarity to sex. But it also had epistemological implications: the study of mixed pulque offered elites a language for talking about race mixing (mestizaje), while simultaneously co...
Density dependent selection 1: A stable feasible equilibrium may not be attainable☆

Abstract The joint evolution of gene frequency p , and population size N is studied. It is shown that when the genotypic fitnesses are logistic functions of the population size, sets of initial states exist which lead to bizarre behavior. Even though equilibria may be locally stable, these sets of initial conditions eventually produce negative fitnesses. Alternative models are discussed as are some general properties of the mean fitness.
Mathematical smoothing of gamma ray spectra

Abstract Gamma ray spectra observed with NaI(Tl) or Ge(Li) spectrometers often exhibit considerable scatter from channel to channel. Mathematical smoothing is capable of removing most of this scatter, and this paper reports studies of various methods of application of the data convolution technique. One method is shown to work quite well, and benefits of using smoothed spectra in further data analysis are discussed.
The International History of Grassroots Associations

Grassroots Associations (GAs) are defined as locally-based, volunteer-run, nonprofit, common-interest groups. They are not American in origin, as so many in this country believe. They began to flourish about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and within a few millenia were active in advanced (settled, horticultural) preliterate societies all over. The earliest GAs were forms of social clubs. About 3,000 B.C. religious cults arose as GAs, and a few thousand years later occupational guilds arose as GAs. GA prevalence has been increasing ever since, but especially in modern societies. The author's model of GA prevalence helps explain the growth of GAs in human history.
SU‐E‐J‐01: 3D Fluoroscopic Image Estimation From Patient‐Specific 4DCBCT‐Based Motion Models

Purpose: 3D motion modeling derived from 4DCT images, taken days or weeks before treatment, cannot reliably represent patient anatomy on the day of treatment. We develop a method to generate motion models based on 4DCBCT acquired at the time of treatment, and apply the model to estimate 3D time-varying images (referred to as 3D fluoroscopic images). Methods: Motion models are derived through deformable registration between each 4DCBCT phase, and principal component analysis (PCA) on the resulting displacement vector fields. 3D fluoroscopic images are estimated based on cone-beam projections simulating kV treatment imaging. PCA coefficients are optimized iteratively through comparison of these cone-beam projections and projections estimated based on the motion model. Digital phantoms reproducing ten patient motion trajectories, and a physical phantom with regular and irregular motion derived from measured patient trajectories, are used to evaluate the method in terms of tumor localization, and the global voxel intensity difference compared to ground truth. Results: Experiments included: 1) assuming no anatomic or positioning changes between 4DCT and treatment time; and 2) simulating positioning and tumor baseline shifts at the time of treatment compared to 4DCT acquisition. 4DCBCT were reconstructed from the anatomy as seen at treatment time. In case 1) the tumor localization error and the intensity differences in ten patient were smaller using 4DCT-based motion model, possible due to superior image quality. In case 2) the tumor localization error and intensity differences were 2.85 and 0.15 respectively, using 4DCT-based motion models, and 1.17 and 0.10 using 4DCBCT-based models. 4DCBCT performed better due to its ability to reproduce daily anatomical changes. Conclusion: The study showed an advantage of 4DCBCT-based motion models in the context of 3D fluoroscopic images estimation. Positioning and tumor baseline shift uncertainties were mitigated by the 4DCBCT-based motion models, while they caused errors when using 4DCT-based motion models. Partially funded by Varian research grant.
The C−H Activation of Methane by Laser-Ablated Zirconium Atoms: CH2ZrH2, the Simplest Carbene Hydride Complex, Agostic Bonding, and (CH3)2ZrH2

Reaction of laser-ablated Zr with CH4 (13CH4, CD4, and CH2D2) in excess neon during condensation at 5 K forms CH2ZrH2, the simplest alkylidene hydride complex, which is identified by infrared absorptions at 1581.0, 1546.2, 757.0, and 634.5 cm-1. Density functional theory electronic structure calculations using a large basis set with polarization functions predict a C1 symmetry structure with agostic C−H- - -Zr bonding and distance of 2.300 A. Identification of the agostic CH2ZrH2 methylidene complex is confirmed by an excellent match of calculated and observed isotopic frequencies particularly for the four unique CHDZrHD isotopic modifications. The analogous reactions in excess argon give two persistent photoreversible matrix configurations for CH2ZrH2. Finally, methane activation by CH2ZrH2 gives the new (CH3)2ZrH2 molecule.
Atmospheric ozone near the North Pole

Abstract During a flight to the North Pole in mid-winter, spectra of the Moon have been taken. They show that, at least on the date of the flight, the amount of ozone at the North Pole was normal, i.e. the same as in Ottawa three weeks later. At the time of the flight, the Pole was 1200 km from the nearest place of sunshine in the 50 km layer.
Geographical Assessment of Microalgae Biofuels Potential Incorporating Resource Availability

Previous assessments of the economic feasibility and large-scale productivity of microalgae biofuels have not considered the impacts of land and carbon dioxide (CO2) availability on the scalability of microalgae-based biofuels production. To accurately assess the near-term productivity potential of large-scale microalgae biofuel in the USA, a geographically realized growth model was used to simulate microalgae lipid yields based on meteorological data. The resulting lipid productivity potential of Nannochloropsis under large-scale cultivation is combined with land and CO2 resource availability illustrating current geographically feasible production sites and corresponding productivity in the USA. Baseline results show that CO2 transport constraints will limit US microalgae-based bio-oil production to 4 % of the 2030 Department of Energy (DOE) alternative fuel goal. The discussion focuses on synthesis of this large-scale productivity potential results including a sensitivity analysis to land and CO2 resource assumptions, an evaluation of previous modeling efforts, and their assumptions regarding the transportation of CO2, the feasibility of microalgae to meet DOE 2030 alternative fuel goals, and a comparison of the productivity potential in several key regions of the USA.
Surveillance of occupational skin diseases: A method utilizing workers' compensation claims

In order to determine the feasibility of using workers' compensation claims (WCC) for surveillance of occupational skin diseases, we reviewed all WCC received in the state of Ohio from 1980 through 1984. A total of 4,214 WCC for occupational skin diseases were filed by 2,610 Ohio companies, of which 1,656 (63%) companies were classified in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) categories with average annual WCC rates above the overall state average for skin diseases. During the five year study period, 102 companies filed six or more WCC, of which 85 (83.3%) companies were classified in SICs with above-average WCC rates. WCC from 65 (63.7%) of these 102 companies implicated either the same occupation or causal agent in 50% or more of WCC received from each respective company. Using SIC classifications with WCC rates above the state average and six or more filed WCC as measures of risk, there was good correlation between company risk ranking by SIC categorization and number of WCC filed. This study suggests that active intervention strategies to prevent occupational skin diseases can be based on primary identification of companies filing WCC, followed by secondary identification of high-risk occupations or causal agent exposures within these companies.
Cancer and the Environment [AP-S Turnstile]

Each year, the (US) President's Cancer Panel [1] identifies an area of concern related to the successful implementation of the National Cancer Program. The panel, authorized by the National Cancer Act in 1971, holds meetings around the country to which it invites relevant experts in the field to give testimony. The final report of the panel, issued in the fall, is based on all testimony received (at the meetings as well as through other channels) and peer-reviewed literature in the field. The panel Web site [1] includes archived reports from 1996 (“Fighting the War on Cancer in an Evolving Health Care System”) to 2008 (“Maximizing Our Nation's Investment in Cancer”).
Thermal and Radiation Stability of Thin-Film Cermet Resistive Elements

Recent laboratory experiments indicate that cermet thin-film resistors consisting of an 80/20 mixture of chromium and silicon monoxide can be fabricated to high sheet resistances up to 4500 ohms per square. These films show a pronounced thermal stability of <1 ppm/°C from -50°C to +175°C. Radiation stability of the films is ?1% variance in absolute resistance for fluences up to 1 × 1015 e/cm2 at a 1.5 MeV energy level.
Effects of sex steroid hormones on arginine vasopressin in intact and castrated male and female rats.

In the present study we have examined the effects of androgens and estrogens on circulating arginine vasopressin (AVP). Adult male Wistar rats had serum AVP levels of 0.4 μU/ml. Two weeks after bilateral castration, AVP rose to 2.6/nU/ml, but daily testosterone administration (100 μg/100 g BW) to the castrate males prevented the AVP increase (0.8 μU/ml). During a normal estrous cycle, adult female Wistar rats had AVP values of 0.6 μU/ml during diestrus, 4.6 μU/ml on the morning of proestrus, 1.3 μU/ml on the afternoon of proestrus, and 1.5 μU/ml on the day of estrus. These changes in AVP paralleled the presumed changes in serum estradiol. Two weeks after bilateral ovariectomy of the adult female rats, AVP was 1.4 μU/ml but daily estradiol injections (100 fig/100 g BW) to the castrate females produced a rise of serum AVP to 5.0 μU/ml. The results suggest an androgen inhibition and an estrogen stimulation of serum AVP levels.
Possible Theoretical Interpretations of the Excited Hyperons

The recently discovered excited hyperons are discussed in terms of four alternative interpretations. These appear to be the only possibilities which are not inconsistent with the current experimental and theoretical situation. Each possibility is analyzed in terms of theoretical models and .heir experimental consequences summarized. Experiments which would serve to determine which interpretation is correct are discussed. (auth)
A model for estimating the economic impact of secondhand smoke exposure: a study in Indiana.

Objective This study estimated the economic cost of health services and premature loss-of-life costs from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in Indiana. Design and setting Costs of SHS-related mortality and morbidity were estimated using national attributable risk values for diseases that are causally related to SHS exposure both for adults and children. Estimated direct costs included hospital inpatient costs, loss-of-life costs, and ambulatory care costs where available, based on the most currently available Indiana hospital discharge data, vital statistics, census data, and nationally published research. Participants Attributable risk values were applied to the number of deaths and hospital discharges in Indiana in 2008 and 2010, respectively, to estimate the number of individuals impacted by SHS exposure. All cost estimates were adjusted to 2010 US dollar values. Results The direct cost of health care and premature loss of life in Indiana attributed to SHS was estimated to be $1.3 billion in 2010--$237.8 million in health care costs and $879.0 million in premature loss of life for adults and $89.4 million in health care costs and $98.6 million in premature loss of life for children. The estimated population for Indiana in 2010 was 6 483 802 resulting in SHS-related costs of $201 per capita. Discussion This study demonstrated a model that could be used to estimate the costs of health care and premature mortality from exposure to SHS at a state or local level. These data may be used to support the education of the public, community leaders, and state policy makers regarding the magnitude of the problem and the compelling need to implement interventions to better protect the health of citizens and their economic prosperity.