cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mean muscle activation comparison between fastballs and curveballs with respect to the upper and lower extremity

Abstract Baseball research on muscle activity (upper and lower extremity) during the throwing motion is important to understanding pitching mechanics for the future. Therefore, it is the purpose of this research study to compare the lower extremity muscle and upper extremity muscle activation patterns associated with the curveball pitch and the fastball pitch from the stretch position. Twelve skilled (NCAA collegiate level) pitchers volunteered to be in this study, with a mean age of 22.3 ± 4.53 years, mean height of 1.74 ± 0.13 m, and mean mass of 89.0 k ± 10.97 kg. The pitchers were fitted with six surface electromyography (EMG) bipolar electrodes on the stride leg biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius, ipsilateral side lower trapezius, upper trapezius, triceps brachii and biceps brachii. Each pitcher underwent maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) testing and then performed the fastball & curveball pitching sequence. All EMG variables of interest were normalized using MVIC data and compared between pitching type. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted for all muscle activity as well. If significance was found a pairwise analysis (Bonferroni) was performed between pitch type, using SPSS (p 0.05). Significant differences in the mean muscle activity for the fastball and curveball pitched from the stretch were observed. A higher level of muscle activity was found for the stretch fastball when compared to the stretch curveball. This study was able to provide a baseline measurement of muscle activity; however, kinematics and kinetics should be measured in future studies.
Acute toxicity of copper to the larval stage of three species of ambystomatid salamanders

Copper (Cu) appears to be consistently more toxic to anuran species relative to other vertebrate taxa. There are limited Cu toxicity data for salamanders; of the few studies conducted on salamanders, most examined Cu effects on the embryonic, but not the larval, stage. We performed acute toxicity experiments, to quantify LC50s, on Harrison stage 46 larvae (free swimming hatchlings with egg yolk completely absorbed) of three ambystomatid salamander species. Each LC50 experiment used exposure concentrations of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 µg/L with 10 replicates per concentration each containing one larva. We found very high toxicity for all species compared to previously published research on the embryo stage. Specifically, the 4-d LC50s for Ambystoma tigrinum and A. opacum were 35.3 and 18.73 µg/L, respectively. The same Cu concentrations caused similar toxicity to A. talpoideum (LC50 = 47.88 µg/L), but exposures required up to 48 d to elicit the same level of mortality. A time-to-event analysis indicated that time to mortality was significantly affected by Cu concentration. Additionally, for A. talpoideum, we observed that elevated levels of Cu decreased growth rate. Comparisons with previously reported Cu toxicity for embryos suggest that, as with fish, Cu may be more toxic to larval salamander stages than for embryos. Further, our data suggest that Cu is an important environmental contaminant that deserves increased scrutiny on the potential for population-level effects where contamination has occurred in wetlands and streams inhabited by salamanders.
IgM autoantibodies recognizing ACE2 are associated with severe COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 infection induces severe disease in a subpopulation of patients, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We demonstrate robust IgM autoantibodies that recognize angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) in 18/66 (27%) patients with severe COVID-19, which are rare (2/52; 3.8%) in hospitalized patients who are not ventilated. The antibodies do not undergo class-switching to IgG, suggesting a T-independent antibody response. Purified IgM from anti-ACE2 patients activates complement. Pathological analysis of lung obtained at autopsy shows endothelial cell staining for IgM in blood vessels in some patients. We propose that vascular endothelial ACE2 expression focuses the pathogenic effects of these autoantibodies on blood vessels, and contributes to the angiocentric pathology observed in some severe COVID-19 patients. These findings may have predictive and therapeutic implications.
Flipped ophthalmology classroom augmented with case-based learning.

Background Although the flipped classroom model provides an effective way to teach ophthalmology to medical students, there are concerns that it overburdens the learner. The purpose of this study was to assess medical students' perceptions of a case-based flipped classroom style compared with a traditional didactic lecture series and to evaluate the effects of case-based learning on students' confidence in managing common ophthalmic complaints. Methods We created an interactive, case-based flipped classroom ophthalmology curriculum. Paired pre- and post-clerkship surveys were distributed to students on the first and last day of the 2-week clerkship. Questions were formatted as statements using a 6-point Likert scale to assess students' prior exposure to a flipped classroom, perceptions of the flipped classroom curriculum, and confidence in evaluating ophthalmic complaints. Results A total of 75 students were included during the period July 2019 to March 2020. Pre-clerkship questionnaires revealed no preference for either teaching modality. Wilcoxon signed-rank testing comparing pre- and post-clerkship data revealed a significant increase in students' favoring the case-based flipped-classroom model. Participants reported significant reductions in pressure to perform, course burden, and overall anxiety as well as increased confidence in triaging common eye complaints. Conclusions The case-based flipped classroom modality prioritizes key learning objectives while increasing student participation and confidence. The reproducibility and accessibility of standardized prepared video lectures and cases may help institutions to better incorporate ophthalmology into preexisting rotations.
Breast carcinoma metastasising to the gastric wall and the peritoneum: what physicians need to know

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the USA and rarely metastasises to the gastric wall. We present a case of a 69-year-old woman with medical history of stage II-B breast cancer who presented with epigastric abdominal pain and black tarry stools. CT scan of the abdomen showed moderate gastric wall thickening and ascites. The patient underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for a fine-needle biopsy, which was negative for malignancy. Based on her presentation, we kept a high index of suspicion for peritoneal carcinomatosis and malignancy. The patient underwent laparoscopic wedge resection of the gastric wall with biopsies of gastric wall and peritoneum. Both biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic invasive lobular breast carcinoma. Our case highlights the importance of diagnostic laparoscopy and EUS in the setting of negative EGD biopsy results with a high suspicion of breast cancer metastasis to gastric wall.
Assessing the Quality and Credibility of Publicly Available Videos on Cervical Fusion: Is YouTube a Reliable Educational Tool?

ABSTRACT Background: YouTube has become a popular source for patient education, though there are concerns regarding the quality and reliability of videos related to orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures. This study aims to evaluate the credibility and educational content of videos on YouTube related to cervical fusion. Secondarily, the study aims to identify factors predictive of higher or lower quality videos. Methods: A YouTube query using the search terms “cervical fusion” was performed, and the first 50 videos were included for analysis. Reliability was assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria. Educational quality was assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and the Cervical Fusion Content Score (CFCS). Videos were stratified by content and source, and differences in JAMA, GQS, and CFCS scores were assessed. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify predictors of higher or lower JAMA, GQS, and CFCS scores. Statistical significance was established at P Results: Total number of views was 6 221 816 with a mean of 124 436.32 ± 412 883.32 views per video. Physicians, academic, and medical sources had significantly higher mean JAMA scores (P = 0.042). Exercise training and nonsurgical management videos had significantly higher mean CFCS scores (P = 0.018). Videos by physicians (β = 0.616; P = 0.025) were independently associated with higher JAMA scores. Advertisements were significant predictors of worse CFCS (β = −3.978; P = 0.030), and videos by commercial sources predicted significantly lower JAMA scores (β = −1.326; P = 0.006). Conclusions: While videos related to cervical fusion amassed a large viewership, they were poor in both quality and reliability. Videos by physicians were associated with higher reliability scores relative to other sources, whereas commercial sources and advertisements had significantly lower reliability and educational content scores. Currently, YouTube seems to be an unreliable source of information on cervical fusion for patients. Level of Evidence: 4. Clinical Relevance: The results of this study aid surgeons in counseling patients interested in cervical fusion, and suggest that publicly available videos regarding cervical fusion may not be an adequate tool for patient education at this time.
More-than-human sonic engagements in documentary film and phonography

Reconceiving relations with the more-than-human is a central concern of scholarship in the Anthropocene. In documentary film, entanglements with the more-than-human are expressed through cinematic ...
Estimating data-driven COVID-19 mitigation strategies for safe university reopening

After one pandemic year of remote or hybrid instructional modes, universities in the United States are now planning for an in-person fall semester in 2021. However, it is uncertain what the vaccination rate will look like after students, faculty, and staff return to campus. To help inform university-reopening policies, we collected survey data on social contact patterns and developed an agent-based model to simulate the spread of COVID-19 in university settings. In this paper, we aim to identify the immunity threshold that, if exceeded, would lead to a relatively safe on-campus experience for the university population. With relaxed non-pharmaceutical interventions, we estimated that immunity in at least 60% of the university population is needed for safe university reopening. Still, attention needs to be paid to extreme events that could lead to huge infection size spikes. At an immune level of 60%, continuing non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as wearing masks, could lead to an 89% reduction in the maximum cumulative infection, which reflects the possible non-negligible infection size from extreme events.
The physicality of representation

Representation is typically taken to be importantly separate from its physical implementation. This is exemplified in Marr’s three-level framework, widely cited and often adopted in neuroscience. However, the separation between representation and physical implementation is not a necessary feature of information-processing systems. In particular, when it comes to analog computational systems, Marr’s representational/algorithmic level and implementational level collapse into a single level. Insofar as analog computation is a better way of understanding neural computation than other notions, Marr’s three-level framework must then be amended into a two-level framework. However, far from being a problem or limitation, this sheds lights on how to understand physical media as being representational, but without a separate, medium-independent representational level.
Reducing PM Measurement Variability by Controlling Static Charge

PM (Particulate Matter) emitted by vehicles and engines is most often measured quantitatively by collecting diluted exhaust samples on filters that are weighed pre-and post-test. Static charge that builds on filters from handling can dramatically influence the measurement results, especially at low PM levels such as those produced when testing typical gasoline-powered vehicles or diesel-powered vehicles employing DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) technology. It was found that proper grounding of equipment, furniture, and floor was insufficient to mitigate the effects of static electricity when using the traditional method of weighing from a glass Petri dish in the presence of an ionizing bar. A stainless steel EDP (Electrostatic Discharge Platform), using commercially available ionizing bars, was developed and proven to successfully reduce filter measurement variability when weighing PTFE membrane filters on a 0.1 microgram balance. This paper reports hardware design, measurements, and comparative results quantifying the variability reduction achieved with the use of the Electrostatic Discharge Platform in a weigh room under tightly controlled conditions.
Π-Molecular complexes—III

Abstract Errors and misconceptions arising from Mulliken's treatment of π-molecular complexes are discussed. Attention is drawn to the common misuse of the term charge-transfer complex to describe complexes in which the importance of charge transfer forces has not been established. It is pointed out that information concerning the importance of charge transfer forces can best be obtained from measurements of stability constants of complexes formed by unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbons. Measurements of this kind are reported for the complexes formed by fourteen such hydrocarbons with TCNE (tetracyanoethylene). The results do not indicate any major contribution to binding by charge-transfer forces.
Fluorescent Pseudomonad Pyoverdines Bind and Oxidize Ferrous Ion

Major pyoverdines from Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79 (Pf-B), P. aeruginosa ATCC 15692 (Pa-C), and P. putida ATCC 12633 (Pp-C) were examined by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques to investigate the interaction between ferrous ion and the pyoverdine ligand. At physiological pH, ferrous ion quenched the fluorescence of all three pyoverdines much faster than ferric ion did. Also, increased absorbance at 460 nm was observed to be much faster for Fe2+ -pyoverdine than for Fe3+ -pyoverdine. At pH 7.4, about 90% of Fe3+ was bound by pyoverdine Pa-C after 24 h whereas Fe2+ was bound by the pyoverdine completely in only 5 min. The possibility that Fe2+ underwent rapid autoxidation before being bound by pyoverdine was considered unlikely, since the Fe2+ concentration in pyoverdine-free samples remained constant over a 3-min period at pH 7.4. Incubating excess Fe2+ with pyoverdine in the presence of 8-hydroxyquinoline, an Fe3+ -specific chelating agent, resulted in the formation of a Fe3+ -hydroxyquinoline complex, suggesting that the iron in the Fe2+ -pyoverdine complex existed in the oxidized form. These results strongly suggested that pyoverdines bind and oxidize the ferrous ion.
A covariant treatment of the light mesons

The success of nonrelativistic, Schrodinger equation (with relativistic corrections) fits of the charmonium spectra suggests the value of a relativistic extension to allow a treatment of the low-mass meson trajectories. We propose a covariant generalization of the two-particle Dirac equation, including a covariant generalization of the famed «Coulomb-plus-linear» potential. After separating this equation and relating the eigenvalues of the separation to the observable mass of a bound state, we found that the combination of relativistic kinematics, a four-vector tensor form for the interaction, and a potential linear in the proper separations(=(r2−t2)1/2) of the two particles for larges implies asymptotically linear Regge trajectories. By solving the equation we were able to reproduce the π, σ, K and K* trajectories very accurately; our potential parameters were similar to those found in heavy-quark studies. A consideration of the nonrelativistic limit of our equation provides hints as to the source of the long-range weakening of the spin-spin part of the four-vector interaction which has been observed in connection with the hyperfine structure of the heavy-quark spectra.
Search for the Autoantibody Immunodominant Region on Thyroid Peroxidase: Epitopic Footprinting with a Human Monoclonal Autoantibody Locates a Facet on the Native Antigen Containing a Highly Conformational Epitope

Autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPO) are the hallmark of the humoral autoimmune response in human autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). The majority of TPO autoantibodies in individual patients' sera interact with a restricted immunodominant region on TPO. Although this region can be mapped, previous studies have failed to localize its position on the TPO molecule. We, therefore, used a footprinting approach that can localize a highly conformational, discontinuous epitope on a very large molecule. Extensive biotinylation ( approximately 15 biotins/molecule protein) of lysine residues on the surface of purified, native TPO resulted in loss of multiple tryptic cleavage sites, as determined by analysis of tryptic polypeptide fragments on reverse-phase HPLC. TPO was then complexed with a monoclonal human autoantibody Fab (TR1.9) before biotinylation. After dissociation from TR1.9, TPO was recovered by gel filtration. A trypsin site, previously observed to be lost after TPO biotinylation, was restored when biotinylation was performed on the TPO-TR1.9 complex. The epitope-protected lysine (K) was present in a 30-aa TPO fragment that, by N-terminal sequencing, was found to be K713. Altered recognition by TR1.9 of a TPO-myeloperoxidase chimeric molecule involving this region supported the epitope protection data. In conclusion, we provide the first identification of an amino acid residue (K713) comprising part of an epitope within the TPO immunodominant region. This focal residue localizes the facet on the large, highly complex TPO molecule that contains the immunodominant region and provides the basis for rational guided mutagenesis studies to more fully characterize this region.
Toward an artificial liver. II. Removal of cholephilic anions from dogs with biliary obstruction, by hemoperfusion through charged and uncharged resins.

In dogs with biliary obstruction, hemoperfusion through an anion exchange resin (Dowex 1, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Richmond, Calif.) or an uncharged resin (XAD-2, Rohm & Haas Co., Philadelphia, Pa.) resin was carried out to determine whether selected protein-bound anions, normally extracted by the liver and excreted in bile, could be removed. Sulfobromophthalein, chenodeoxycholic acid, and total bilirubin were continuously removed by the resins during the 2-hr perfusion period. Indocyanine green was not removed. Blood levels of chenodeoxycholic acid and bilirubin in the dogs remained relatively constant, but adsorption of anions to the column continued throughout the perfusion, suggesting mobilization of tissue stores. Bile acids were adsorbed to a greater extent by XAD-2 than by Dowex 1, in agreement with in vitro equilibrium binding studies. Similarly, sulfobromophthalein was removed more effectively by Dowex 1 during hemoperfusion, and the charged resin had a greater affinity for sulfobromophthalein in vitro. Platelets and leukocytes were adsorbed during hemoperfusion and in vitro studies. Hemolysis was minimal. Electrolytes remained unchanged. Serum protein concentrations remained constant, but XAD-2 adsorbed some prealbumin and caused some denaturation of ceruloplasmin. Hemoperfusion through charged or uncharged resins appears to be a feasible procedure for removal of protein-bound anions in an animal model designed to simulate the excretory defect present in hepatic failure, and provides an experimental method for assessing the toxicity of protein-bound metabolites.
Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Shock-Film Cooling Interaction on a Turbine Blade With Fan-Shaped Cooling Holes

This paper presents the findings of an experimental and numerical investigation on the shock effect on heat transfer coefficient and film-cooling effectiveness. In this study, coolant was injected on the blade surface through a fan-shaped hole in a transonic cascade. The experimental results indicate that on the film-cooled suction surface of the blade, the shock from the adjacent blade impinging on the suction surface causes the film-cooling effectiveness to drop quickly by 18%, and then stay at a low level downstream of the shock. The shock also causes the local heat transfer coefficient to decrease rapidly by 25%, but then rise back up immediately after the shock. The results from the numerical study supported the film-cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient trends that were observed in the experiment. A detailed analysis of the numerical results reveals that the rapid change of the film-cooling effectiveness is due to the near surface secondary flows, which push the hot mainstream air toward the injection centerline and lifts the low temperature core away from the surface. This secondary flow is a result of a spanwise pressure gradient. The drop in heat transfer coefficient is caused by a boundary layer separation bubble which results from an adverse streamwise pressure gradient at the shock position.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria® conservative surgery and radiation--stage I and II breast carcinoma: expert panel on radiation oncology: breast.

: Breast conservation is a safe and effective alternative to mastectomy for the majority of women with early-stage breast cancer. Adjuvant radiation therapy lowers the risk of recurrence within the breast and also confers a survival benefit. Although acute side effects of radiation therapy are generally well tolerated; efforts are ongoing to minimize the long-term side effects of radiation, most prominently atherosclerotic heart disease. Efforts to minimize radiation therapy are also underway. They include omitting treatment altogether in the elderly and using accelerated, hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation, and accelerated partial-breast irradiation. Several randomized studies are ongoing to determine the efficacy, safety, and appropriate patients for these shorter treatments.
Maps or analogies? A comparison of instructional aids for menu navigation

The relative efficacy of a variety of spatial maps and analogies as instructional aids for the learning and navigation of hierachical data bases is studied. Subjects performed single- and multinode retrieval tasks with novel data bases. The results of one experiment indicated that subjects who studied an analogy prior to performing data-retrieval tasks were less affected by increasing search distance than were subjects who studied a spatial map. The second experiment suggested that the benefits of analogy relative to other instructional aids increased as time passed between initial instruction and interaction with the data base.
Magnetic resonance imaging measurement of volume magnetic susceptibility using a boundary condition.

A magnetic resonance imaging method is described for measuring the magnetic susceptibility difference between two homogeneous macroscopic compartments in contact with each other. A boundary condition is derived for the interface of the two compartments. This boundary condition predicts that across the interface there is a resonant frequency jump, which is a function of interfacial orientation relative to B0 field and the difference in susceptibility of the two sides. Based on this relationship, the magnetic susceptibility difference between two materials can be obtained from MR gradient echo imaging using signals from both sides in the vicinity of the boundary. This method is demonstrated by solution phantom experiments.
Reducing the cost of impedance-based structural health monitoring

This paper presents the current research on impedance-based structural health monitoring technique at the Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. The basic principle behind this technique is to apply high frequency structural excitations (typically higher than 30 kHz) through the surface-bonded piezoelectric transducers, and measure the impedance of structures by monitoring the current and voltage applied to the piezoelectric transducers. Changes in impedance indicate changes in the structure, which in turn can indicate that damage has occurred. Three examples, including a bolted joint, gas pipeline and composite structure, are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of this health monitoring technique to the wide variety of practical field applications. Although many proof-of-concept experiments have been performed using the impedance methods, the impedance-measuring device (HP4194A) is still bulky and expensive. Therefore, we have developed an operational amplifier-based turnkey device that can measure and record the electric impedance of a PZT. The performance of this miniaturized and portable device has been compared to our previous results and its effectiveness has been demonstrated. This paper summarizes the experimental setup, procedures, considerations needed to implement the device in field applications.
950 Volt 4H-SiC MOSFETs: DC and Transient Performance and Gate Oxide Reliability

SiC vertical MOSFETs were fabricated and characterized to achieve a blocking voltage of 950 Volts and a specific on-resistance of 8.4 mW-cm2. Extrapolations of time-dependent dielectric breakdown measurements versus applied electric field indicate that the gate oxide mean-time to failure is approximately 105 hours at 250°C.
Influence of hog lice, Haematopinus suis, on blood components, behavior, weight gain and feed efficiency of pigs

Blood components, behavior, weight gain and feed efficiency were studied in 40 weaner pigs infested with lice and 40 left uninfested (controls). Packed cell volumes and concentrations of hemoglobin, serum proteins, leukocytes, serum globulins, and serum albumins increased significantly in both groups. Eosinophil concentrations increased and neutrophil concentrations decreased in the infested group but not in the controls. There was a significant increase in erythrocyte concentrations in the control group while the infested group's erythrocyte concentrations decreased at the middle of the experiment. Blood of infested and uninfested pigs showed no significant differences from pre-infestation values in sedimentation rates and concentrations of fibrinogen, basophils, and monocytes. Control pigs spent more time at feeders and more time active while not at feeders. Nevertheless, average daily gains (ADG) and feed efficiencies (FE) of the two groups were not significantly different. When ADG and FE were grouped by severity of Haematopinus suis infestation, pigs with more H. suis had higher ADG and better FE than pigs with fewer or no lice. The results suggest that a decrease in activity by infested pigs allows them to save energy which is then available for growth.
Multi-scale GEOBIA with very high spatial resolution digital aerial imagery: scale, texture and image objects

This study used geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) with very high spatial resolution (VHR) aerial imagery (0.3 m spatial resolution) to classify vegetation, channel and bare mud classes in a salt marsh. Three classification issues were investigated in the context of segmentation scale: (1) a comparison of single-and multi-scale GEOBIA using spectral bands, (2) the relative benefit of incorporating texture derived from the grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) in classifying the salt marsh features in single-and multi-scale GEOBIA and (3) the effect of quantization level of GLCM texture in the context of multi-scale GEOBIA. The single-scale GEOBIA experiments indicated that the optimal segmentation was both class and scale dependent. Therefore, the single-scale approach produced an only moderately accurate classification for all marsh classes. A multi-scale approach, however, facilitated the use of multiple scales that allowed the delineation of individual classes with increased between-class and reduced within-class spectral variation. With only spectral bands used, the multi-scale approach outperformed the single-scale GEOBIA with an overall accuracy of 82% vs. 76% (Kappa of 0.71 vs. 0.62). The study demonstrates the potential importance of ancillary data, GLCM texture, to compensate for limited between-class spectral discrimination. For example, gains in classification accuracies ranged from 3% to 12% when the GLCM mean texture was included in the multi-scale GEOBIA. The multi-scale classification overall accuracy varied with quantization level of the GLCM texture matrix. A quantization level of 2 reduced misclassifications of channel and bare mud and generated a statistically higher classification than higher quantization levels. Overall, the multi-scale GEOBIA produced the highest classification accuracy. The multi-scale GEOBIA is expected to be a useful methodology for creating a seamless spatial database of marsh landscape features to be used for further geographic information system (GIS) analyses.
Effect of organic nitrogen fertilizers on microbial populations associated with bermudagrass putting greens

Four natural organic fertilizers, alone or in combination with the synthetic organic fertilizer isobutylidene diurea (IBDU), were compared with IBDU alone for their effect on soil/root microbial populations associated with bermudagrass grown on a golf course putting green in southern Florida, USA. Populations of total fungi, total bacteria, fluorescent pseudomonads, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, actinomycetes and heat-tolerant bacteria were monitored every 3 months during the 2-year study. On only one sampling date and for only one bacterial population (S. maltophilia) was a significant difference in microbial populations obtained among the fertilizer treatments. However, the S. maltophilia populations associated with the natural organic fertilizer treatments were not significantly different from the synthetic organic IBDU fertilizer treatment.
Pulse shaping to improve performance of NMR multiple-pulse sequences: 2-D solvent-suppressed cosy of vitamin B1 in water

Abstract Grafted “narrow reject” pulse shapes, whicch were shown previously to be capable of uniformly exciting a wide range of resonance frequencies with a sharp null directly on resonance for solvent suppression, are combined to generate multiple-pulse sequences. In particular, we show that two-dimensional solvent-suppressed spectra can be obtained with such pulses. This is the first application of pulse Grafting to high-resolution, multiple-pulse NMR spectroscopy.
Hypoxia results in an increase in total systemic shunt flow in dogs

There is considerable evidence to indicate that blood flow to many organs changes in response to hypoxia. However, since blood may traverse nutrient capillaries or be shunted through precapillary arteriovenous channels, measurements of total organ blood flow alone may not accurately reflect microcirculatory adaptations to hypoxia. To test this hypothesis, we determined the effect of controlled normoxic ventilation (PO2 = 86.4 +/- 2.8 Torr; N = 10) and controlled hypoxic ventilation (PO2 = 45.9 +/- 1.0 Torr; N = 5) on cardiac output, nutrient blood flow and total systemic shunt flow in dogs using radiolabelled 15 micrometers microspheres. The microspheres were injected from left heart catheters in each animal and total systemic shunt flow was estimated from the radioactivity present in pulmonary artery reference samples. Cardiac output, as well as nutrient blood flow to the heart and brain, was similar in both hypoxic animals and normoxic controls. Although we could detect no significant changes in nutrient blood flow to the remaining organs in response to hypoxia, total systemic shunt flow increased from a baseline value of 4.4% of cardiac output to a maximum value of 7.9% of cardiac output in hypoxic animals compared to 2.3% of cardiac output in normoxic animals at a similar time point (P less than 0.01). This hypoxia-induced increase in total systemic shunt flow may contribute to the overall decline in organ function often observed in this setting.
Adaptation to visual displacement with active and passive limb movements: effect of movement frequency and predictability of movement.

Three experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of active and passive limb movements on adaptation to visual displacement. Over a wide frequency range (0·5-1·25 Hz) with constant amplitude, 30°, significant adaptation was achieved with active and passive movements. When arm movement frequency was constant at 1·0 Hz but amplitude of movement was varied, less adaptation was achieved for both active and passive movements than when amplitude was held constant. Even at a frequency above that of most naturally occurring limb movements, 1·67 Hz, and with variable amplitude motion, significant adaptation was achieved with active and passive limb movements. These findings emphasize the importance of visual-proprioceptive discordances for adaptation to visual displacement when only sight of the hand is permitted. Significant differences did not appear between the active and passive movement conditions in any of the experiments.
'A Lot of Them Thought I wouldn't Last There': African Women and Career Advancement in Academic Scientific Careers

This paper examines the relevance of cultural diversity in studies of women in scientific professions. It is based on a qualitative study of 18 African women in academic scientific careers and representing several English-speaking countries. I investigate how women who seek and gain entry into academic scientific careers are positioned in the academic hierarchy and whether their rate of progress is impeded by exclusionary practices in their professional fields. I also examine whether other interacting circumstances such as development issues, colonial legacies, and the influence of patriarchal states and cultures create somewhat different types of constraints and options for women in academic settings. I address these concerns by investigating the following issues: (1) early career experiences (academic, political, and economic concerns, (2) response from important others (professional colleagues, administrators, and students, (3) reflections on career barriers (faculty rank, research productivity, and perceptions of job satisfaction).
Delta Cardiac Troponin Values in Practice: Are We Ready to Move Absolutely Forward to Clinical Routine?

The improved analytical characteristics of both sensitive and high-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponins I (cTnI)3 and T (cTnT) have substantially increased the diagnostic sensitivity for early detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (1–3). With the ability to detect small increases in circulating cardiac troponins, any cause of myocardial injury will now produce a substantially greater number of analytically true positive findings not detectable by earlier generations of cardiac troponin assays (3–6). This evolution has led to a decrease in diagnostic specificity for the diagnosis of AMI, a concern to many clinicians who may incorrectly equate any increased cardiac troponin value to an AMI (7, 8). Observational studies, although conducted predominately with prior-generation assays, have consistently demonstrated that any increase in cardiac troponin due to almost any mechanism of myocardial injury carries an association with worse outcomes (3, 7). Nevertheless, because diagnostic specificity is pivotal to appropriate therapy, pragmatic approaches are needed to sustain diagnostic specificity with sensitive and high-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin. In this issue of Clinical Chemistry , Mueller and colleagues (9) report on their experience with one such approach that uses the change in cardiac troponin over time (δ). First proposed by Fesmire in 2000 (10), diagnostic algorithms based on the δ cardiac troponin have now been shown in several studies to improve diagnostic specificity, but not necessarily diagnostic sensitivity (11–13). When a sensitive contemporary assay (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Vitros ES cTnI) was used, a 6-h δ based on an optimized 30% change improved diagnostic specificity from 77% to 91%, whereas diagnostic sensitivity changed from 94% based on the 99th-percentile value, compared with 75% based on the δ value (11). More recently, using the high-sensitivity cTnT assay (hs-cTnT), Reichlin and coworkers observed that a criterion of an absolute …
LAYER – a computer program for the graphic display of intensity data as simulated precession photographs

LAYER is a 32-bit Microsoft Windows-based program that reads intensity data in SHELX type 4 format and displays any level of the reciprocal-lattice net. The program is primarily intended for instructive purposes, but may also prove useful as a visual complement to statistically based numeric analysis of diffraction data for space-group determination.
Safety in Numbers: Data from Oakland, California

This paper adds material to the ongoing body of literature exploring the effect of pedestrian volume on safety for pedestrians. Observed and existing data for 247 intersections in Oakland, California, were used to model the effect of pedestrian volume on the number and rate (number of collisions per pedestrians) of vehicle—pedestrian collisions at or near these intersections. The study used a data set containing pedestrian collisions, average annual pedestrian volume, average annual vehicle volume, and other intersection characteristics. Estimates of the model parameters show that the number of pedestrian collisions increases more slowly than the number of pedestrians; that is, the collision rate decreases as the number of pedestrians increases, consistent with previous studies by Leden and Jacobsen. Specifically, a doubling of the number of pedestrians (increase of 100%) is associated with only a 52% increase in the number of vehicle-pedestrian collisions, with the corresponding rate decreasing by about ...
Analytical and numerical study of a new kind of PM brushless motor with trapezoidal EMF for low cost and low inertia applications

This paper deals with the design of a new kind of PM brushless machine for low cost and low inertia applications. The proposed solution is based on the use of rare earth bonded magnet of prismatic shape. This unconventional solution allows to obtain trapezoidal waveforms which can be very interesting in a simple 120 degrees two phases energized current control strategy. These structures are studied and compared with conventional ones using an analytical method based on magnetic charge theory. This analytical method is validated by finite difference calculation. The study shows that these very original solutions can be very advantageous in terms of performance, weight and inertia
The evaluation of MFIE integrals with the use of vector triangle basis functions

Formulas that provide an efficient and reliable numerical evaluation of the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) with the use of vector triangular basis functions are developed. The MFIE integrals for the three basis functions on a triangular facet are converted from three vector integrals to three scalar integrals, which are evaluated simultaneously. The 1/R2 singular behavior is extracted from the integral, and closed-form expressions are given for the singular terms. Consequently, the formulas are valid for all observation points and are suitable for general-purpose modeling. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Transesterification of epoxidized soybean oil to prepare epoxy methyl esters

Abstract Epoxidized methyl esters were prepared by the transesterification of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO). The transesterification was complete in 10 min at 50 °C without loss of the epoxide function. Epoxidized methyl esters represent a renewable substrate that is readily converted into surfactants, fuel additives, and other industrial products. The implementation of this reaction will increase the availability of epoxidized methyl esters and promote the development of new biobased products.
Recurrent type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in a renal allograft: Successful treatment with plasmapheresis

Recurrent disease is increasingly recognized as a cause of renal allograft dysfunction and failure. We describe a patient with type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis not associated with hepatitis C. The glomerular disease recurred in the renal allograft within 1 month of transplantation, leading to acute allograft dysfunction and nephrotic syndrome. Aggressive treatment with prednisone and plasmapheresis resulted in improvement in kidney function, improvement of the light microscopic picture, and removal of immune complexes from the glomerular subendothelial space.
Longitudinal assessment of heart rate variability in very low birth weight infants during their NICU stay.

Abstract Background Maturation of the autonomic nervous system has not been studied in high-risk very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in the first few weeks of life. Aim To characterize developmental changes in autonomic nervous system activity of high-risk VLBW infants from 23 to 38 weeks post-menstrual age by measuring heart rate variability (HRV). Study design and subjects In this prospective cohort study 38 infants admitted to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital NICU were longitudinally followed weekly or biweekly. Heart period data were recorded while infants were resting in active sleep. Outcome measures Growth of spectral power of HRV in low-frequency (0.05–0.25 Hz) and high-frequency (0.25–1.00 Hz) bands was modeled with linear mixed-effects models. The high-frequency power provides a measure of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Results Low-frequency power increases with post-menstrual age, and intubated infants have lower HRV. The increase in low-frequency power is faster (0.50 ± 0.12 dB/week) than the increase in RSA (0.17 ± 0.09 dB/week). Conclusion This longitudinal data exhibits developmental maturation of the RSA and of the low-frequency power of HRV in high-risk VLBW infants.
The European Community of twelve and the drug demand. Excerpt of a comparative study of legislations and judicial practice.

Abstract The imminent birth of a United Europe has called forth a survey of national ‘drug’ legislations in the twelve member countries of the European Community. Chapters of possible interest and concern to the professions addressed by Drug and Alcohol Dependence are reproduced, the permission for which is gratefully acknowledged. The divergence of concepts and measures embodied in national legislations is staggering — not the least in the light of results of scientific research. The original document CEC/LUX/V/E/1/28/91 is obtainable from the Commission of the European Community, DG V. Building Jean Monet, L-2920 Luxembourg.
Minor element evidence that Asteroid 433 Eros is a space-weathered ordinary chondrite parent body

Abstract The NEAR mission to 433 Eros provided detailed data on the geology, mineralogy, and chemistry of this S-class asteroid [McCoy, T.J., Robinson, M.S., Nittler, L.R., Burbine, T.H., 2002. Chem. Erde 62, 89–121; Cheng, A.F., 1997. Space Sci. Rev. 82, 3–29] with a key science goal of understanding the relationship between asteroids and meteorites [Cheng, A.F., 1997. Space Sci. Rev. 82, 3–29; Gaffey, M.J., Burbine, T.H., Piatek, J.L., Reed, K.L., Chaky, D.A., Bell, J.F., Brown, R.H., 1993a. Icarus 106, 573–602]. Previously reported major element data revealed a bulk surface similar to that of ordinary chondrites, with the notable exception of sulfur, which was highly depleted [Trombka, J.I., and 23 colleagues, 2000. Science 289, 2101–2105; Nittler, L.R., and 14 colleagues, 2001. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 36, 1673–1695]. The origin of this sulfur deficiency, and hence the fundamental nature of the asteroid's surface, has remained controversial. We report a new analysis of NEAR X-ray spectrometer data, indicating that Eros has Cr/Fe, Mn/Fe, and Ni/Fe ratios similar to ordinary chondrite meteorites of type LL or L. Chondritic levels of Cr, Mn, and Ni argue strongly against a partial melting explanation for the sulfur depletion. Instead, our results provide definitive evidence that Eros is a primitive body with composition and mineralogy similar to ordinary chondrites, but with a surface heavily modified by interactions with the solar wind and micrometeorites, processes collectively termed space weathering.
Neural filters for jet analysis.

We study the efficiency of a neural-net filter and deconvolution method for estimating jet energies and spectra in high-background reactions such as nuclear collisions at the relativistic heavy-ion collider and the large hadron collider. The optimal network is shown to be surprisingly close but not identical to a linear high-pass filter. A suitably constrained deconvolution method is shown to uncover accurately the underlying jet distribution in spite of the broad network response. Finally, we show that possible changes of the jet spectrum in nuclear collisions can be analyzed quantitatively, in terms of an effective energy loss, with the proposed method.
Viral IL-10 gene therapy inhibits TNF-α and IL-1β, not IL-6, in the newborn endotoxemic mouse

Abstract Introduction : Modulation of the inflammatory cascade within the liver of critically ill infants may improve the chance of survival. Using gene therapy, the authors hypothesized that augmented local production of the counter-regulatory cytokine viral interleukin-10 (IL-10) in vivo will modulate the critical cytokines in the inflammatory response. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether replication-defective adenovirus-mediated viral IL-10 (vIL-10) gene transfer and expression within the liver can achieve this goal in newborn mice. Materials and Methods : Four-week-old Balbc mice were administered (intraperitoneally) 1 × 10 9 plaque-forming units (pfu) per milliliter of an adenovirus vector (E1ab-deleted) that encodes the sv40 promoter and the BCRF1 cDNA, or of control vector dl434 that expresses no foreign gene. Forty-eight hours later the mice were challenged with 50 μg/kg of lipopolysaccharide; (LPS) they were killed 1, 2, 6, or 24 hours later (six at each time point). Southern blot analysis was performed on genomic DNA isolated from the liver, lung, and kidney to assess gene transfer of BCRF1. Homogenized liver protein was analyzed for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, IL-6, and recombinant vIL-10. Results : Southern blot analysis confirmed successful gene transfer to the liver but not to the lung, kidney, or dl434-transduced liver in mice that received adenovectors. Viral IL-10 levels within the liver ranged from 14 to 18 ng/mL. In controls, INF-α production was elevated at early time points, to 18,000 pg/mL, but decreased rapidly by 24 hours after LPS challenge. The TNF-α levels of animals treated with Ad5svBCRF1 were significantly lower than those of controls throughout the course of study ( P P P Conclusion : In vivo administration of adenovectors encoding BCRF1 to newborn mice results in efficient hepatic transduction and expression of recombinant vIL-10. The Kupffer cell response to LPS is suppressed with respect to TNF-α and IL-1β, but not IL-16. In vivo modulation of hepatic cytokine responses is achievable using gene products that mimic cellular cytokines. This is an effective model for the selective evaluation of therapeutic gene products for gene therapy of sepsis.
A geometric realization of quantum groups of type D

Abstract We geometrize quantum groups of type D in the spirit of Beilinson et al. (1990) [1] .