cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental and Computational Assessment of a Ducted-Fan Rotor Flow Model

Ducted-fan-based vertical and/or short takeoff and landing uninhabited aerial vehicles are frequently encountered in aeronautical applications. In edgewise flight, the performance of these vehicles is, in general, poor because of the increasingly distorted inlet flow as the flight speed is increased. The present experimental study uses a planar particle image velocimeter system to investigate the near duct aerodynamic performance in hover and edgewise flight conditions. High-resolution particle image velocimetry measurements provide reliable and highresolution aerodynamic data forming a validation basis for further analytical and computational design studies. A radial equilibrium-based fan aerodynamic model is also integrated into a three-dimensional Reynold-averagedNavier–Stokes-based computational system. Particle image velocimetry measurements and computational predictions of the mean flow near the fan inlet plane are in very good agreement at hover conditions. The aerodynamic modifications due to fan inlet flow distortion in an edgewise flight regime are clearly displayed in particle image velocimetry results. A comparison of the current particle image velocimetry measurements and the accelerated Reynold-averaged-Navier–Stokes predictions supported by the simple radial equilibrium-based rotor model indicates that the current rotor model can be highly effective and time efficient in the design cycle of future vertical and/or short takeoff and landing uninhabited aerial vehicle systems based on ducted fans.
Working Memory, Motivation, and Teacher-Initiated Learning

Working memory is where we “think” as we learn. A notion that emerges as a synthesis from several threads in the research literatures of cognition, motivation, and connectionism is that motivation in learning is the process whereby working memory resource allocation is instigated and sustained. This paper reviews much literature on motivation and working memory, and concludes that the apparent novelty of the proposal offered to describe motivation in terms of working memory results from the apparent lack of cross-channel exchange among these research traditions. The relation between working memory and motivation is explored in the context of the interactive compensatory model of learning (ICML) in which learning is considered to result from the interaction of ability, motivation, and prior learning. The ICML is recast in light of the revised definition of motivation offered here. This paper goes on to suggest ways in which a range of teaching and learning issues and activities may be reconceptualized in the context of a model emphasizing a learner's working memory that makes use of chunks of previously acquired knowledge.
Streptococcal bacteriostatic antibody in patients treated with penicillin.

Conclusions(1) The administration of penicillin to patients with streptococcal pharyngitis depresses the formation of type-specific antibacterial antibody. (2) There is a relation between the dose and route of administration of penicillin and the degree to which antibacterial activity develops. (3) Suppression of antibody formation by penicillin is probably due to rapid removal of the antigenic focus. (4) Failure to develop type-specific antibacterial antibody for the Streptococcus following penicillin therapy increases the risk of subsequent infection by homologous serological types.
A new directional simulation method for system reliability. Part II: application of neural networks

A challenge in directional importance sampling is in identifying the location and the shape of the importance sampling density function when a realistic limit state for a structural system is considered in a finite element-supported reliability analysis. Deterministic point refinement schemes, previously studied in place of directional importance sampling, can be improved by prior knowledge of the limit state. This paper introduces two types of neural networks that identify the location and shape of the limit state quickly and thus facilitate directional simulation-based reliability assessment using the deterministic Fekete point sets introduced in the companion paper. A set of limit states composed of linear functions are used to test the efficiency and possible directional preference of the networks. These networks are shown in the tests and examples to reduce the simulation effort in finite element-based reliability assessment.
Clinical characteristics of patients intolerant to VVIR pacing.

Abstract The incidence and clinical predictors of the development of intolerance to VVIR pacing have not been extensively studied in prospective long-term randomized trials comparing different pacing modes. The frequency and clinical factors predicting intolerance to ventricular pacing are controversial. The Pacemaker Selection in the Elderly (PASE) Trial enrolled 407 patients aged ≥65 years in a 30-month, single-blind, randomized, controlled comparison of quality of life and clinical outcomes with ventricular pacing and dual-chamber pacing in patients undergoing dual-chamber pacemaker implantation for standard clinically accepted indications. We reviewed the clinical, hemodynamic, and electrophysiologic variables at the time of pacemaker implantation in 204 patients enrolled in the PASE trial and randomized to the VVIR mode, some of whom subsequently required crossover (reprogramming) to DDDR pacing. During a median follow-up of 555 days, 53 patients (26%) crossed over from VVIR to DDDR pacing. A decrease in systolic blood pressure during ventricular pacing at the time of pacemaker implantation (p = 0.001), use of β blockers at the time of randomization (p = 0.01), and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (p = 0.04) were the only variables that predicted crossover in the Cox multivariate regression model. After reprogramming to the dual-chamber mode, patients showed improvement in all aspects of quality of life, with significant improvements in physical and emotional role. The high incidence of crossover from VVIR to DDDR pacing along with significant improvements in quality of life after crossover to DDDR pacing strongly favors dual-chamber pacing compared with single-chamber ventricular pacing in elderly patients requiring permanent pacing.
Conspicuous consumption dynamics

Abstract We formalize Veblen's idea of conspicuous consumption as two alternative forms of interdependent preferences, dubbed envy and pride. Agents adjust consumption patterns gradually, in the direction of increasing utility. From an arbitrary initial state, the distribution of consumption among agents with identical preferences converges to a unique equilibrium distribution. When pride is stronger, the equilibrium distribution has a right-skewed density. When envy is stronger, the equilibrium is concentrated at a single point, and the adjustment dynamics involve a shock wave that can be interpreted as a growing, moving, homogeneous “middle class.”
Enzymatic processing of pheromones and pheromone analogs

Pheromone perception requires rapid enzymatic degradation of the active chemical signal in the sensory hairs. Three insects are used to illustrate chemical approaches to studying the degradation of pheromones by antennal enzymes. First, hydrolysis of acetate and haloacetate esters is examined in the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella. Second, aldehyde oxidation and the selective inhibition of the oxidase and dehydrogenase activities are described for the tobacco budworm moth,Heliothis virescens. Finally, a stereochemical analysis of the epoxide-hydrase catalyzed addition of a water molecule to the oxirane ring of disparlure is described for the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar.
Direct finite element solution on an optical laboratory matrix-vector processor

The first optical laboratory system results employing a direct LU decomposition solution of a system of linear algebraic equations are presented for a finite element problem solution. This also represents the first laboratory demonstration of the use of sign-magnitude negative number representation as well as new bit partitioning techniques to increase the accuracy of an optical encoded processor beyond the number of bit channels available.
A method of angiocardiographic visualization of septal defects utilizing transient pulmonary artery tamponade.

A ngiocardiographic demonstration of cardiac septal defects is enhanced in the presence of a right-to-left transseptal shunt.1 However, when there is an isolated interatrial or interventricular septal defect, the transseptal shunt is, as a rule, left to right ; and under these circumstances, angiocardiographic visualization of the septal defect is usually impossible. An experimental method of visualizing such defects by virtue of temporary reversal of the transseptal shunt during angiocardiographq has been developed.
Lessons Learned in Curriculum Development: A New Perspective

Curriculum development is traditionally a faculty responsibility. However, students and residents can also conceptualize, implement, and evaluate curriculum. This issue of Dilemmas in Palliative Care Education highlights a studentinitiated second-year elective entitled the “Preceptorship on End of Life Care” at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Rather than describe in detail the structure and methods of this course (as course materials have been accepted by the End of Life Physician Education Resource Center: kwww.eperc.mcw.edul), the authors were asked to reflect on their three years of experiences with this elective and write about the critical issues that they faced in the process of curriculum development, implementation, and sustaining change as student leaders graduate. In order to insure that the authors’ energy, vision, and passion for end-of-life education were retained in their writing, only limited editorial changes were requested. As you read the article by Taylor et al., I hope that you, like I, will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there is a group of “soon-to-be MDs” who are ready and able to advance the quality of end-of-life care through education. I encourage you to share the Taylor et al. article with your students and residents to show them that curriculum change can be effected through student–faculty collaboration.
Proteomic analyses of transgenic LQT1 and LQT2 rabbit hearts elucidate an increase in expression and activity of energy producing enzymes

Abstract Various biochemical and genomic mechanisms are considered to be a hallmark of metabolic remodeling in the stressed heart, including the hypertrophied and failing heart. In this study, we used quantitative proteomic 2-D Fluorescence Difference In-Gel Electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) in conjunction with mass spectrometry to demonstrate differential protein expression in the hearts of transgenic rabbit models of Long QT Syndrome 1 (LQT1) and Long QT Syndrome 2 (LQT2) as compared to littermate controls (LMC). The results of our proteomic analysis revealed upregulation of key metabolic enzymes involved in all pathways associated with ATP generation, including creatine kinase in both LQT1 and LQT2 rabbit hearts. Additionally, the expression of lamin-A protein was increased in both LQT1 and LQT2 rabbit hearts as was the expression of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and desmoplakin in LQT1 and LQT 2 rabbit hearts, respectively. Results of the proteomic analysis also demonstrated down regulation in the expression of protein disulfide-isomerase A3 precuorsor and dynamin-like 120 kDa protein (mitochondrial) in LQT1, and of alpha-actinin 2 in LQT2 rabbit hearts. Up regulation of the expression of the enzymes associated with ATP generation was substantiated by the results of selective enzyme assays in LQT1 and LQT2 hearts, as compared to LMC, which revealed increases in the activities of glycogen phosphorylase (+ 50%, + 65%, respectively), lactate dehydrogenase (+ 25%, + 25%) pyruvate dehydrogenase (+ 31%, + 22%), and succinate dehydrogenase (+ 32%, + 60%). The activity of cytochrome c-oxidase, a marker for the mitochondrial function was also found to be significantly elevated (+ 80%) in LQT1 rabbit hearts as compared with LMC. Western blot analysis in LQT1 and LQT2 hearts compared to LMC revealed an increase in the expression of very-long chain-specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (+ 35%, + 33%), a rate-limiting enzymes in β-oxidation of fatty acids. Collectively, our results demonstrate similar increases in the expression and activities of key ATP-generating enzymes in LQT1 and LQT2 rabbit hearts, suggesting an increased demand, and in turn, increased energy supply across the entire metabolic pathway by virtue of the upregulation of enzymes involved in energy generation.
Jackson-type integrals, bethe vectors, and solutions to a difference analog of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov system

It is shown how to find solutions to the quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov system using the Bethe ansatz technique.
Secondary Intramedullary Spinal Cord non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases of solid neoplasms are associated with poor long-term survival. As the characteristics of secondary intramedullary spinal cord non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are not well understood, we sought to describe its clinical features and outcome. We retrospectively reviewed the Mayo Clinic patient database, lymphoma database, and pathology records from 1996 to 2010 and identified patients with clinical myelopathy and neuroimaging evidence of secondary intramedullary spinal cord involvement from pathologically confirmed systemic NHL. Seven patients were included in this study. The median age was 61 years (range, 41-81). Symptom onset was subacute (≤8 weeks) in six. Four patients were wheelchair-dependent at diagnosis. Spinal cord NHL was diagnosed by cerebrospinal fluid cytology in four; Positron emission tomography hypermetabolism in two; or MRI features alone. Myelopathy developed in five patients at a median 8 months (range, 1-58) following systemic NHL diagnosis, while myelopathy was the heralding symptom of NHL in two patients. Spinal cord MRI lesions were characteristically gadolinium enhancing and expansile. Four patients had co-existing MRI brain lesions. Six patients had B-cell NHL and one patient T-cell NHL. Six of the seven were treated (high dose intravenous methotrexate in three; radiation therapy in two; and R-CHOP in one). Median survival was 11.5 months (range, 1-28) with a 33% 2-year survival compared to historical median survival estimates of spinal cord metastases due to solid tumors of 3 months. In secondary intramedullary spinal cord involvement of NHL early neurological morbidity is common, but overall survival compares favorably to previously reported survival in spinal cord metastases from solid tumors.
Rouleau Formation and Fertility of Spermatozoa in Guinea Pigs Treated with Cyproterone Acetate

The effects of cyproterone acetate (CA) on fertility of spermatozoa and rouleau formation were investigated in male guinea pigs. Twelve of 15 matings during CA treatment resulted in pregnancy even when rouleaux were absent in ejaculates, indicating that the rouleau condition is not necessary for the fertilizing ability of guinea pig spermatozoa. Examination of epididymides and vasa deferentia revealed that rouleaux diminished progressively with treatment time and were absent in the excurrent ducts of all males during the eighth and ninth weeks of treatment. Following a latent period after treatment, rouleaux were first noted in a specific epididymal region and were present throughout the distal excurrent ducts and ejaculates by 6 wk posttreatment. This sequence of rouleau loss and reappearance in the excurrent ducts suggests that rouleau formation is dependent on a regional epididymal influence that requires androgens. Spermatogenesis was not arrested; however, seminal vesicle and body weights were reduce...
The characterization of InN growth under high-pressure CVD conditions

Gaining insight into the gas phase and surface chemistry processes that govern the growth of InN and indium-rich group III-nitrides alloys is of crucial importance for understanding and controlling their materials properties. High-pressure chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD) has been shown to be a valuable method for achieving this goal. First results show that InN layers can be grown under HPCVD conditions at 850 – 900 °C in the laminar flow regime of the HPCVD reactor at pressures around 15 bar and ammonia to TMI precursor flow ratio below 200. This is a major step towards the growth of indium rich group III-nitride heterostructures due to the close processing windows. The ex situ InN layers analysis shows that the absorption edge in the InN depends strongly on the precursor flow ratio, indicating that the debated InN properties are strongly influenced by the indium-to-nitrogen stoichiometry. By controlling the InN point defect chemistry we showed that the absorption edge shifts from 1.8 eV down to 0.7 eV. The results show a close relation between absorption edge shift in InN and In – N stoichiometry. In order to study the growth under high-pressure CVD conditions, real-time optical characterization techniques have been developed and applied to analyze gas phase constituents as well as the film nucleation and steady state growth at elevated pressures. Principal angle reflection and laser light scattering are employed to study surface chemistry processes at a sub-monolayer level, showing their superiority in optimizing and controlling the growth process.
The molecular weight of the cell-free translation product of αl(I) procollagen mRNA

Abstract Chick embryo calvaria RNA has been translated in a nucleasetreated reticulocyte lysate system. The products have been characterized by their susceptibility to collagenase digestion and precipitability by Type I procollagen chain antibodies. The largest product, pre procollagen αl(I), migrates more slowly than proto procollagen αl(I) isolated from calvaria, contains initiator methionine and is cleaved to proto procollagen αl(I) by dog pancreas microsomes. The molecular weight of pre procollagen αl(I) was estimated to be 165,000 and by a similar analysis, pre procollagen α2 was identified and its weight determined to be approximately 165,000 daltons. Bacterial collagenase digestion of pre procollagen αl(I) generated two new low molecular weight hydrophobic components.
Quantum Chemical Investigation of Enzymatic Activity in DNA Polymerase β. A Mechanistic Study

Recent experimental observations support the assumption that all families of polynucleotide polymerases have a universal “two-metal-ion” mechanism of nucleotide addition. This mechanism provides a general picture of the nucleotidyl transfer reaction. However, the detailed reaction pathway is still a matter of debate. We investigated two potential reaction pathways for DNA polymerase β using density-functional theory. Our model consists of 67 atoms of the polymerase active site and includes all major features thought to be important for catalysis. The first mechanism we investigated involves the formation of a PO3 intermediate. This intermediate is thought to be involved in phosphate reactions in solution and could be accommodated in the polymerase β active site. However, the barrier to formation of this intermediate is 37.0 kcal/mol, and we do not expect that this mechanism is the one that occurs in the enzyme. The second mechanism that leads to a pentacoordinated intermediate appears to be feasible. This...
Doppler assessment of right ventricular filling dynamics in systemic hypertension: comparison with left ventricular filling

To assess right ventricular filling dynamics in systemic hypertension, pulsed Doppler echocardiographic studies were obtained at the tricuspid and mitral anuli in 43 untreated hypertensive patients, aged 23 to 66 years, and in 42 age-matched normotensive control subjects. In hypertensive patients, the ratio of late to early peak filling velocity and atrial filling fraction were higher, while normalized peak filling rate, one third and one half filling fractions were lower, compared with control values. Right ventricular filling dynamics correlated poorly with age in hypertensive patients, and were unrelated to left ventricular mass or left ventricular wall thickness. Weak correlations were only found between right ventricular wall thickness and right ventricular peak late inflow velocity, first half and first third filling fractions. However, right ventricular filling dynamics were closely related to left ventricular filling dynamics in both hypertensive patients (r = 0.49 to 0.82) and normal individuals (r = 0.55 to 0.86). Thus right ventricular filling dynamics are altered in hypertension, independently of left ventricular mass or blood pressure, are weakly related to right ventricular thickness, but remain closely correlated to left ventricular filling dynamics.
Optical excitation and detection of a quartz crystal resonator

Optical excitation and detection of a quartz crystal resonator have been realized experimentally. Optical fibers have been used to excite the crystal through the thermoelastic effect. The resonator vibration was detected through another piece of optical fiber. The results provided a foundation for future remote optical excitation of resonant sensors for sensing application in extreme environments.
Spin Analog-to-Digital Convertor Using Magnetic Tunnel Junction and Spin Hall Effect

A spin-based analog-to-digital converter (ADC) using magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is proposed in this letter. Our proposal is based on a novel high-speed low-power MTJ comparator that is controlled through spin Hall effect and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effects. According to the simulation results, spin ADC offers features including high sampling rate, low-power consumption, and less chip area occupation for higher bit resolution while provides the benefit of nonvolatility of conversion results.
Design and simulation of extremum-seeking open-loop optimal control of current profile in the DIII-D tokamak

In a magnetic fusion reactor, the achievement of a certain type of plasma current profiles, which are compatible with magnetohydrodynamic stability at high plasma pressure, is key to enable high fusion gain and non-inductive sustainment of the plasma current for steady-state operation. The approach taken toward establishing such plasma current profiles at the DIII-D tokamak is to create the desired profile during the plasma current ramp-up and early flattop phases. The evolution in time of the current profile is related to the evolution of the poloidal flux, which is modeled in normalized cylindrical coordinates using a partial differential equation usually referred to as the magnetic diffusion equation. The control problem is formulated as an open-loop, finite-time, optimal control problem for a nonlinear distributed parameter system, and is approached using extremum seeking. Simulation results, which demonstrate the accuracy of the considered model and the efficiency of the proposed controller, are presented.
A gesture based user interface prototyping system

GID, for Gestural Interface Designer, is an experimental system for prototyping gesture-based user interfaces. GID structures an interface as a collection of “controls”: objects that maintain an image on the display and respond to input from pointing and gesture-sensing devices. GID includes an editor for arranging controls on the screen and saving screen layouts to a file. Once an interface is created, GID provides mechanisms for routing input to the appropriate destination objects even when input arrives in parallel from several devices. GID also provides low level feature extraction and gesture representation primitives to assist in parsing gestures.
Ascorbate acts as a highly potent inducer of chromate mutagenesis and clastogenesis: linkage to DNA breaks in G2 phase by mismatch repair

Here we examined the role of cellular vitamin C in genotoxicity of carcinogenic chromium(VI) that requires reduction to induce DNA damage. In the presence of ascorbate (Asc), low 0.2-2 microM doses of Cr(VI) caused 10-15 times more chromosomal breakage in primary human bronchial epithelial cells or lung fibroblasts. DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) were preferentially generated in G2 phase as detected by colocalization of H2AX and 53BP1 foci in cyclin B1-expressing cells. Asc dramatically increased the formation of centromere-negative micronuclei, demonstrating that induced DSB were inefficiently repaired. DSB in G2 cells were caused by aberrant mismatch repair of Cr damage in replicated DNA, as DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin and silencing of MSH2 or MLH1 by shRNA suppressed induction of H2AX and micronuclei. Cr(VI) was also up to 10 times more mutagenic in cells containing Asc. Increasing Asc concentrations generated progressively more mutations and DSB, revealing the genotoxic potential of otherwise nontoxic Cr(VI) doses. Asc amplified genotoxicity of Cr(VI) by altering the spectrum of DNA damage, as total Cr-DNA binding was unchanged and post-Cr loading of Asc exhibited no effects. Collectively, these studies demonstrated that Asc-dependent metabolism is the main source of genotoxic and mutagenic damage in Cr(VI)-exposed cells.
Upscaling of field-scale soil moisture measurements using distributed land surface modeling

Accurate coarse-scale soil moisture information is required for robust validation of current- and next-generation soil moisture products derived from spaceborne radiometers. Due to large amounts of land surface and rainfall heterogeneity, such information is difficult to obtain from existing ground-based networks of soil moisture sensors. Using ground-based field data collected during the Soil Moisture Experiment in 2002 (SMEX02), the potential for using distributed modeling predictions of the land surface as an upscaling tool for field-scale soil moisture observations is examined. Results demonstrate that distributed models are capable of accurately capturing a significant level of field-scale soil moisture heterogeneity observed during SMEX02. A simple soil moisture upscaling strategy based on the merger of ground-based observations with modeling predictions is developed and shown to be more robust during SMEX02 than upscaling approaches that utilize either field-scale ground observations or model predictions in isolation.
Identification of Human Neutrophil-derived Cathepsin G and Azurocidin/CAP37 as Chemoattractants for Mononuclear Cells and Neutrophils

Macrophage infiltration into inflammatory sites is generally preceded by neutrophils. This suggests neutrophils may be the source of chemotactic factors for monocytes. To identify these putative monocyte attractants, we have systematically prepared neutrophil granules, lysed them, and sequentially purified the released proteins by several reverse phase chromatography procedures. Assays for monocyte chemotactic activity of the chromatography fractions yielded a major peak of activity associated with a protein of 30 kD, according to SDS-PAGE analysis. NH2-terminal sequence of the protein revealed this to be identical to cathepsin G. The monocyte chemotactic activity of human cathepsin G was dose dependent with optimal concentration at 0.5–1 μg/ml. Cathepsin G is chemotactic rather than chemokinetic for monocytes, as demonstrated by checkerboard analysis. Cathepsin G–induced monocyte chemotaxis is partially pertussis toxin sensitive implying the involvement of a G protein–coupled receptor. Enzymatic activity of cathepsin G is associated with its monocyte chemotactic activity, since DFP- or PMSF-inactivated cathepsin G no longer induced monocyte migration. The chemotactic activity of cathepsin G can also be completely blocked by α1 antichymotrypsin, a specific inhibitor of chymotrypsin-like proteinases present in human plasma. In addition, cathepsin G is also a potent chemoattractant for neutrophils and a chemokinetic stimulant for T cells. In the course of pursuing these in vitro studies, we established that the T cell chemoattractant, azurocidin/CAP37 from human neutrophil granules, at doses of 0.05 to 5 μg/ml, was chemotactic for monocytes and neutrophils. As predicted from the in vitro chemotactic activity, subcutaneous injection of cathepsin G into BALB/c mice led to infiltration of both mononuclear cells and neutrophils. Thus, the transition of inflammatory exudate from neutrophil to mononuclear cells can be mediated, at least in part, by extracellular release of neutrophil granule proteins such as cathepsin G and azurocidin/CAP37.
On a composite model to the IC yield problem

In a recent paper, see ibid., vol. Sc-9, no.3, p.86-95 (1974), Warner proposed a composite model to the monolithic IC yield problem. This composite model is a multiparameter fit to a set of data originally described by Moore (1970). It is shown that these same data can be modeled equally well with negative binomial statistics with two parameters.
Effect of chronic intermittent hypoxia on noradrenergic activation of hypoglossal motoneurons.

In obstructive sleep apnea patients, elevated activity of the lingual muscles during wakefulness protects the upper airway against occlusions. A possibly related form of respiratory neuroplasticity...
IN VIVO ASSESSMENT OF FREE RADICAL ACTIVITY DURING SHOCK WAVE LITHOTRIPSY USING A MICRODIALYSIS SYSTEM: THE RENOPROTECTIVE ACTION OF ALLOPURINOL

Purpose: Shock wave lithotripsy is believed to cause renal damage directly through cellular injury from high energy shock waves and indirectly through vascular injury and resultant ischemia, which gives rise to oxygen free radical compounds. The transient and volatile nature of free radicals and derived products makes their detection difficult. Moreover, certain medications may provide a protective effect against shock wave lithotripsy induced renal parenchymal injury. We introduced an innovative microdialysis system for in vivo sampling of interstitial fluids that can be analyzed for free radical mediated lipid peroxidation products after shock wave lithotripsy treatment in the swine model. In addition, this system was used to test the antioxidant or renoprotective action of allopurinol.Materials and Methods: Ten juvenile swine were assigned to a nonmedicated control group that underwent shock wave lithotripsy or to a group that was premedicated with allopurinol before shock wave lithotripsy. Each group ...
Evaluating Central Venous Catheter Care in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND: Catheter-related bloodstream infection remains an important health problem for hospitalized children. Although placement of a central venous catheter is a life-saving intervention for critically ill children, these same central catheters are a potential source of infection. OBJECTIVES: Few studies that directly address care of central venous catheters for children in intensive care units have been reported. This evaluation was designed to describe the extent of evidence-based practices for care of insertion sites of central venous catheters in the pediatric intensive care unit of an urban tertiary care center. Another goal was to determine the influence of 2 different regimens for dressing changes on rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections and costs. METHODS: A convenience sample and an exploratory design were used to collect data in 2 phases, including 30 days to establish baseline information and 30 days each during which patients received dressing care for a central venous catheter with a transparent dressing alone and with a transparent dressing plus a chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing. Nurses also participated in a survey of knowledge about infection control practices related to central catheters. RESULTS: Few differences were found between the transparent dressing alone and a chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing plus the transparent dressing. A serendipitous finding was the number of times that central catheters were accessed daily. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this project suggest that infection control efforts may be most appropriately focused on processes rather than on products.
Two Roads Diverged in the Yellow Wood of Incrementalism

Two Cases, one of urban synoptic-style planning, one of university strategic-style planning, are reported and analyzed with reference to other planning styles. Planning style is identified as a key construct in a setf-reinforcing loop connecting world view and organizational culture, all of which are considered as semantic systems. The evolution of organizational forms is traced to forecast the emergence of smart organizations as a result of the introduction of strategic planning. Recent events in the continuing case study are appended. [futures research, organizational culture change, planning styles, semantic systems, smart organizations]
The Enclosure Movement in France

THE BLANKET TERM "enclosures" may be interpreted as an individualistic movement of agrarian reform designed to adapt the feudal system of land tenure and cultivation to the changing needs of the capitalistic economy. Enclosures involve the abolition of stifling feudal servitudes, consolidation and redistribution of small and scattered holdings, grazing of individual herds apart from the common herd, freedom from communal crop rotation, and fences or ditches erected on one's land that produces for the market rather than for self-sustenance.
A metric and mixed-integer-programming-based approach for resource allocation in dynamic real-time systems

Dynamic real-time systems such as embedded systems operate in environments in which several parameters vary at run time. These systems must satisfy several performance requirements. Resource allocation on these systems becomes challenging because variations of run-time parameters may cause violations of the performance requirements. Performance violations result in the need for dynamic re-allocation, which is a costly operation. A method for allocating resources such that the allocation can sustain the system in the light of a continuously changing environment is developed. We introduce a novel performance metric called MAIL (maximum allowable increase in load) to capture the effectiveness of a resource allocation. Given a resource allocation, MAIL quantifies the amount of additional load that can be sustained by the system without any performance violations. A mixed-integer-programming-based approach (MIP) is developed to determine a resource allocation that has the highest MAIL value. Using simulations, several sets of experiments are conducted to evaluate our heuristics in various scenarios of machine and task heterogeneities. The performance of MIP is compared with three other heuristics: integer-programming based, greedy, and classic min-min. Our results show that MIP performs significantly better when compared with the other heuristics.
Limitations to vegetation establishment and growth in biofiltration swales

Abstract Limitations to vegetation establishment and abundance in biofiltration swales (also called biofilters or bioswales), vegetated storm-water facilities intended to improve runoff water quality, was studied through field monitoring and greenhouse experimentation. The various environmental factors influencing vegetation and organic litter abundance was investigated in eight bioswales in western Washington state, including three that were retrofitted. A nested 4×4 factorial greenhouse experiment tested the response of four turfgrass species commonly seeded in bioswales to three inundation regimes plus a control. In the greenhouse experiment and in the field, persistent inundation significantly suppressed germination and growth. Field monitoring further revealed that heavy shade overwhelms all other environmental factors. Where light is adequate, vegetation and organic litter biomass is strongly and inversely related to the proportion of time bioswales are inundated above 2.5-cm depth during the driest time of year (summer). For most bioswales, flow velocity and hydraulic loading during storm events appear too large to permit sedimentation of silt and clay particles, even with dense vegetation and abundant organic litter. Thus, herbaceous vegetation abundance may not provide a good indication of bioswale treatment performance, and actual storm-water treatment may be much poorer than is generally anticipated from previous studies.
Exploring the use of a test automation framework

It is known that software testers, more often than not, lack the time needed to fully test the delivered software product within the time period allotted to them. When problems in the implementation phase of a development project occur, it normally causes the software delivery date to slide. As a result, testers either need to work longer hours, or supplementary resources need to be added to the test team in order to meet aggressive test deadlines. One solution to this problem is to provide testers with a test automation framework to facilitate the development of automated test solutions.
The effects of prolonged ethanol exposure on the mechanical properties of polyurethane and silicone catheters used for intravascular access.

Background:Products containing alcohol are commonly used with intravascular devices at insertion, to remove lipids from occluded intravascular devices used during parenteral nutrition, and increasingly for the prevention and treatment of intravascular device-related bloodstream infection. The effects of alcohol on the integrity of intravascular devices remain unknown.Methods:Two types of widely used commercial peripherally inserted central catheters, one made of polyether-urethane and one made of silicone, were exposed to a 70% etha-nol lock solution for up to 10 weeks. Mechanical testing was performed to identify force-at-break, stress, strain, modulus of elasticity, modulus of toughness, and wall area of ethanol-exposed and control catheters.Results:No significant differences between exposed and unexposed catheters were identified for any of the mechanical parameters tested except for a marginal reduction in the modulus of elasticity for both polyetherurethane and silicone catheters and minor increases in the wall area of polyetherurethane catheters.Conclusions:These data indicate that exposure to a 70% ethanol lock solution does not appreciably alter the integrity of selected commercial polyetherurethane and silicone catheters. Given the greatly expanded use of alcoholic solutions with intravascular devices of all types, we believe that manufacturers would be well advised to subject their catheters and other intravascular devices to formal testing of the type employed in this study.
Adaptation of EMIT | Drug Abuse Urine Assays for Use With a Centrifugal Analyzer

A modification of the EMIT| Drug Abuse Urine Assay procedure for use ~Nlth the Centrifichem| Series 400 centrifugal analyzer is described. The procedure change utilizes the EMIT Drug Abuse Urine Assay kits but the relative amounts of buffer, bacteria, reagent A, reagent B, calibrators, and patient specimen have been decreased to the 300 vL minimum volume of the Centrlflchem analyzer. The influence of bacterial settling which occurs due to centrlfugatlon has been studied and has been shown not to Interfere with the assay. This new procedure permits high volume testing of urine specimens for opiates, barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine metabollte, propoxyphene, benzodlazeplne metabollte, and methadone at a significant decrease In cost per with an Increase in precision.
Technology-Rich Inquiry Science in Urban Classrooms: What are the Barriers to Inquiry Pedagogy?

What are the barriers to technology-rich inquiry pedagogy in urban science classrooms, and what kinds of programs and support structures allow these barriers to be overcome? Research on the pedagogical practices within urban classrooms suggests that as a result of many constraints, many urban teachers' practices emphasize directive, controlling teaching, that is, the ''pedagogy of poverty'' (Haberman, 1991), rather than the facilitation of students' ownership and control over their learning, as advocated in inquiry science. On balance, research programs that advocate standards-based or inquiry teaching pedagogies demonstrate strong learning outcomes by urban students. This study tracked classroom research on a technology-rich inquiry weather program with six urban science teachers. The teachers implemented this program in coordination with a district-wide middle school science reform. Results indicated that despite many challenges in the first year of implementation, students in all 19 classrooms of this program demonstrated significant content and inquiry gains. In addition, case study data comprised of twice-weekly classroom observations and interviews with the six teachers suggest support structures that were both conducive and challenging to inquiry pedagogy. Our work has extended previous studies on urban science pedagogy and practices as it has begun to articulate what role the technological component plays either in contributing to the challenges we experienced or in helping urban science classrooms to realize inquiry science and other positive learning values. Although these data outline results after only the first year of systemic reform, we suggest that they begin to build evidence for the role of technology-rich inquiry programs in combating the pedagogy of poverty in urban science classrooms. fl 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 128-150, 2002
A Human Estrogen Receptor (ER)α Mutation with Differential Responsiveness to Nonsteroidal Ligands: Novel Approaches for Studying Mechanism of ER Action

Estrogens, acting through the estrogen receptors (ERs), play crucial roles in regulating the function of reproductive and other systems under physiological and pathological conditions. ER activity in regulating target genes is modulated by the binding of both steroidal and synthetic nonsteroidal ligands, with ligand binding inducing ERs to adopt various conformations that control their interactions with transcriptional coregulators. Previously, we developed an intramolecular folding sensor with a mutant form of ERalpha (ER(G521T)) that proved to be essentially unresponsive to the endogenous ligand 17beta-estradiol, yet responded very well to certain synthetic ligands. In this study, we have characterized this G521T-ER mutation in terms of the potency and efficacy of receptor response toward several steroidal and nonsteroidal ligands in two different ways: directly, by ligand effects on mutant ER conformation (by the split-luciferase complementation system), and indirectly, by ligand effects on mutant ER transactivation. Full-length G521T-ER shows no affinity for estradiol and does not activate an estrogen-responsive reporter gene. The synthetic pyrazole agonist ligand propyl-pyrazole-triol is approximately 100-fold more potent than estradiol in inducing intramolecular folding and reporter gene transactivation with the mutant ER, whereas both ligands have high potency on wild-type ER. This estradiol-unresponsive mutant ER can also specifically highlight the agonistic property of the selective ER modulator, 4-hydroxytamoxifen, by reporter gene transactivation, even in the presence of estradiol, and it can exert a dominant-negative effect on estrogen-stimulated wild-type ER. This system provides a model for ER-mutants that show differential ligand responsiveness to gene activation to gain insight into the phenomenon of hormone resistance observed in endocrine therapies of ER-positive breast cancers.
Regulation of FlbD activity by flagellum assembly is accomplished through direct interaction with the trans-acting factor, FliX.

Summary The temporal and spatial transcription of late flagellar genes in Caulobacter crescentus is regulated by the s 54 transcriptional activator, FlbD. One requirement for FlbD activity is the assembly of a structure encoded by early, class II flagellar genes. In this report, we show that the trans -acting factor FliX pre- dominantly functions as a negative regulator of FlbD activity in the absence of the class II-encoded flagellar structure. In contrast, a mutant FliX that bypasses the transcriptional requirement for early flagellar assem- bly is incapable of repressing FlbD in a class II flagel- lar mutant. Expression of this mutant allele, fliX1 , does not alter the temporal pattern of FlbD-dependent transcription. Remarkably, this mutation confers the correct cell cycle timing of hook operon transcription in a strain that cannot assemble the flagellum, indi- cating that the progression of flagellar assembly is a minor influence on temporal gene expression. Using a two-hybrid assay, we present evidence that FliX reg- ulates FlbD through a direct interaction, a novel mechanism for this class of s 54 transcriptional activa- tor. Furthermore, increasing the cellular levels of FliX results in an increase in the concentration of FlbD, and a corresponding increase in FlbD-activated tran- scription, suggesting that FliX and FlbD form a stable complex in Caulobacter . FliX and FlbD homologues are present in several polar-flagellated bacteria, indi- cating that these proteins constitute an evolutionarily conserved regulatory pair in organisms where flagel- lar biogenesis is likely to be under control of the cell division cycle.
Institutional Considerations in Locating Norms of Consensus: A Cross-National Investigation

This paper is an investigation of the judicial norm of consensus in four national high courts: the High Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of Canada, the South African Supreme Court of Appeals (and Constitutional Court) and the House of Lords (Law Lords) in the United Kingdom. Research on consensual norms in the U.S. Supreme Court is outlined first. Then, after reviewing the methods of cointegration and suggesting an alternative to the Caldeira and Zorn (1998) procedure, this paper will explore the applicability of these methods to the location of consensual norms in different institutional contexts. Specifically, the importance of opinion-writing tradition and institutional legitimacy will be highlighted. Finally, aggregated opinion-writing data for each court will be analyzed. The results illustrate the importance of considering institutional variations when searching for evidence of consensual norms cross-nationally.
Abstract 446: Ebp50 Regulates Oxidative Stress Through Skp2 and Foxo1

Inflammation and oxidative stress play important roles in cardiovascular disease. Reactive oxygen- and nitric oxide (NO)-derived species affect proliferation and migration of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), and amplify vascular inflammation. In this work we explore the role of Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin (ERM) binding protein of 50kDa (EBP50) as a novel mediator of oxidative stress. EBP50 plays a critical role in vascular remodeling. We reported that EBP50 mediates migration and proliferation of VSMC. In addition, EBP50 potentiates inflammatory responses (including iNOS expression) in macrophages and vascular cells. EBP50 stabilizes S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2) - a substrate recruiting component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets FoxO1 for degradation. FoxO1 is a transcription factor that controls the expression of two key antioxidant enzymes - manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and catalase. Therefore, we hypothesize that EBP50 regulates oxidative stress through Skp2-...
Introduction to Samuel Dodd's Reports

The law reports of Samuel Dodd, which date from 1678 to 1713, are mostly from the Court of Exchequer from a period when there has been to date no printed law reports specific to this English court. There are a few scattered Exchequer reports published in the general English law reports of this period, and these have been reprinted in order to give a view of the jurisdiction of this court.
Analysis of the Conversion of U.S. Engineering Doctoral Dissertations into U.S. Patent Applications

ABSTRACTDoctoral dissertations approved in 2009 by U.S. graduate programs in aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering were examined to identify U.S. patent applications based on inventions described in those dissertations. Slightly over 8 percent of the studied dissertations yielded at least one patent application, although the percentage varied greatly among disciplines. This is important to librarians because they play key roles in the dissertation process from cataloging to educating graduate students and faculty about dissertations, patents, and the patenting process.