cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Test of superconducting radio-frequency cavity bombarded by protons

A beam of 2 × 1010 protons/s was focused onto a small area on the high-field iris of a superconducting cavity operating at the resonance frequency. The input, reflected, and stored power were monitored. The cavity remained in steady state during this test. We conclude that such superconducting cavities will remain viable in the high-proton-flux environments proposed in the design of a superconducting accelerator for pions (PILAC).
Oral sumatriptan-induced myocardial infarction.

Background. Sumatriptan has been used in the treatment of migraine and other vascular headaches since 1993 in the United States. Its side effects include chest pains in 3% to 8% of patients who have known cardiac risk factors. This is a case report of a 45‐year‐old woman with no history of cardiac risk factors who had a myocardial infarction after her monthly dose of oral sumatriptan. Methods. The patient was examined in the emergency room, evaluated by electrocardiography, and serial evaluations of cardiac enzymes over the next 24 h. She was admitted to the cardiology ward. A cardiac catherization and additional laboratory studies were performed the following day. Results. The catherization revealed normal heart function, but a 60% to 70% non‐flowing stenosis within the first septal perforator. Laboratory indices for cardiac risk were within normal ranges. Conclusions. Patients without cardiac risk factors may experience myocardial infarction following an oral dose of sumatriptan.
Climate change and persistent high temperatures: does it matter?

Climate change may affect the behavior of various systems on earth, one of which is human population. In the current literature, it is hypothesized that anthropogenic impacts on earth may yield persistent and adverse climatic conditions which may become the norm rather than an exception. Given these climatic conditions, the world population may lose its stability and these climate conditions may trigger population shifts that may be characterized by regional migration patterns or loss of population. In this commentary the purpose is to review historical views on this subject and apply a mathematical model developed to provide computational insight to human population behavior given climatic conditions that are hypothesized to occur during the next millennium. The scenarios used for this purpose is hypothetical, but they may reveal critical population dynamics which may need to be taken into consideration in addressing future climate change impacts.
Antiviral susceptibility testing-flow cytometric analysis (AST-FCA) for the detection of cytomegalovirus drug resistance.

Abstract Antiviral susceptibility testing-flow cytometric analysis (AST-FCA), an application of flow cytometry in conjunction with cell culture, was developed to identify susceptibility of cytomegalovirus (CMV) isolates to the antiviral drugs ganciclovir (GCV) and foscarnet (PFA). The viral isolates used in this study were obtained from peripheral blood of AIDS patients. Among GCV-susceptible strains, the mean 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) using AST-FCA was 18 μm (SI 50 = 1.4). Among GCV resistant strains, the mean IC 50 was 47 μm (SI 50 = 3.6). For PFA, the mean IC 50 was 80 μm (SI 50 = 1.0) for susceptible strains. IC 50 s for strains resistant to PFA, showed no significant reduction of infectivity at the highest drug concentration (i.e., 200 μm PFA) tested. Additional analyses confirmed the accuracy of AST-FCA by parallel testing using plaque reduction assay. AST-FCA is a novel, nonisotopic, and relatively simple to perform laboratory procedure for the identification of CMV drug-resistant strains.
Design of waveguide-to-microstrip transitions specially suited to millimetre-wave applications

A design procedure for millimetre waveguide-to-microstrip transitions is presented. The analysis is such that existing design information, readily available in practical curve format, can be directly applied. In addition, the procedure can be adapted to all physically realisable microstrip impedances, as well as substrate materials and thicknesses.
Controlled- not gate with weakly coupled qubits: Dependence of fidelity on the form of interaction

An approach to the construction of the controlled-not quantum logic gate for a four-dimensional coupled-qubit model with weak but otherwise arbitrary coupling has been given recently [M. R. Geller et al., Phys. Rev. A 81, 012320 (2010)]. How does the resulting fidelity depend on the form of qubit-qubit coupling? In this paper we calculate intrinsic fidelity curves (fidelity in the absence of decoherence versus total gate time) for a variety of qubit-qubit interactions, including the commonly occurring isotropic Heisenberg and $\mathit{XY}$ models, as well as randomly generated ones. For interactions not too close to that of the Ising model, we find that the fidelity curves do not significantly depend on the form of the interaction, and we calculate the resulting interaction-averaged fidelity curve for the non-Ising-like cases and a criterion for determining its applicability.
Superconducting A-15 Nb3Ge films produced by reactive evaporation

Abstract The reactive evaporation process was successfully used to deposit films of the A-15 Nb3Ge phase. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, illustrating the use of such processes for the deposition of A-15 compounds. In this process, niobium vapors from an electron-beam-heated evaporation source react with germane gas introduced into the vacuum chamber at low partial pressures (approximately 10-4 Torr) to produce Nb3Ge deposits. The process variables studied were the deposition temperature, the niobium-to-germanium impingement ratio on the substrate and the plasma-enhanced deposition, in this case the activated reactive evaporation process. At low deposition temperatures (below 450 °C) the deposit is amorphous (or microcrystalline) and can be crystallized to the Nb3Ge phase by heat treatment, e.g. at 850 °C for 1 h in vacuum. The ratio of niobium to germanium in the deposit can be varied by changing the process parameters. The films are superconducting with a transition temperature up to 15.7 K as measured by the four-probe resistivity method.
Photoresist shape reconstruction from secondary scanning electron microscopy

The paper discusses the approach of using single detector system to classify the photo resist surface using different signal and image processing methodologies. We couple the understanding of the physical phenomenon and come up with an integrated method to generally classify the surface depending upon the side wall curvature. Construction of 3-D image of the surface and extracting features from the methods to classify the surfaces are the predominant aspects of the approach. We have used several methods to serve the purpose including the wavelet filters in edge and surface roughness detection. In this paper, non-stereoscopic 3-D shape reconstruction method is applied to address a difficult inverse problem in semiconductor fabrication metrology. The problem is that of deducing a chip's vertical cross-section from two-dimensional top-down scanning electron microscope images of the chip surface. Our results are illustrated with a variety of real data sets. In semiconductor chip fabrication, photo resistive material is used as an overlay, which will protect substrate areas (typically metal), which must remain on the chip after other unprotected substrate areas are etched off. The shape and size of the photo-resist material, at the submicron level, is therefore largely responsible for the shape and quality of the protected substrate. Critical dimension scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to determine this shape, and the research addressed in this paper proposes an image processing approach combined with physical modeling, to accurately obtain surface shape information from SEM imaging.
Corporate governance in the USA and Europe: they are closer than you might think

Purpose – Aims to provide an insightful viewpoint on the growing similarity of corporate governance for companies in the USA and Europe and to provide corporate leaders with a framework for anticipating corporate governance changes in order to avoid risks and maximize enterprise value.Design/methodology/approach – Likely patterns of corporate governance changes are derived through the examination of the underlying factors impacting corporate governance in the USA and Europe and matching these with multiple corporate governance events or changes in the marketplace.Findings – Corporate governance in the USA and Europe is becoming more similar even though the underlying drivers for convergence are different in Europe and the USA.Research limitations/implications – Conclusions are based on a limited number of anecdotal observations and are not empirically substantiated.Practical implications – Provides a useful framework for understanding the likely development of corporate governance in the USA and Europe, t...
Brain Potentials from Normal Speakers and Stutterers

(1936). Brain Potentials from Normal Speakers and Stutterers. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 137-150.
Sensitivity of an asymmetric, three-dimensional diffuser to inlet condition perturbations

Abstract The sensitivity of a three-dimensional, asymmetric diffuser to inlet condition perturbations was investigated using dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators. Previous experimental and computational studies revealed the sensitivity of the separated flow in this diffuser to secondary flows in the inlet duct of the diffuser. By purposefully altering these secondary flows with highly tunable plasma actuators, the diffuser’s pressure recovery could be both significantly improved and degraded. Two cases, one with pulsed forcing and another with continuous forcing, were selected for further study using 2D particle image velocimetry (PIV). PIV data were acquired in five streamwise-wall-normal planes. These measurements reveal that the relatively weak spanwise forcing introduced by the plasma actuators changes the size and orientation of the separation bubble. Pulsed forcing produces a strong peak in the Reynolds shear stress in the boundary layer upstream of separation. This significantly delays separation leading to a large increase in diffuser pressure recovery. In contrast, continuous plasma actuator forcing causes early separation on the diffuser sidewall, completely changing the separation geometry. This causes a larger and more unsteady separation bubble with higher reversed flow velocities which contribute to losses in the diffuser’s pressure recovery.
Controlling CD4 gene expression during T cell lineage commitment

T cell lineage commitment as the double-positive (DP) thymocyte matures into the single-positive (SP) T cell requires the irreversible repression or maintenance of CD4 gene expression. Signals transmitted from the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) during thymic selection are believed to be linked to the transcriptional regulation of the CD4 gene; thus, a study of the factors that control CD4 gene expression may lead to further insight into the molecular mechanisms that drive T cell development. This review discusses the work conducted to date to identify and characterize the transcriptional control elements in the CD4 locus and the factors that mediate their function. From these studies, it is clear that the molecular mechanisms controlling CD4 gene expression are very complex and are controlled by many different signals as the thymocyte develops.
'... the colored folks form the most interesting spectacle in the South': conceptualizing race, labor, and travel in postbellum America.

1 This paper explores the Reconstruction Era and the late nineteenth century and the importance of movement on the American landscape for newly freed African Americans. Travel is significant in this context as millions of people of color were trying to recover from the ravages of slavery, gain employment, or simply search for a meal; therefore, how travel relates to ideas of freedom and citizenship are examined here. The paper explores how employers and the Freedmen's Bureau manipulated labor requirements, vagrancy and enticement laws, and other restrictive measures affecting the mobility of African Americans. Although the Freedmen's Bureau sought to assist freed African Americans against this virulent racism, their goal of inaugurating a free labor system in the South was restrictive in its own right. This paper argues that the burgeoning of the tourism industry and new trends in journalistic and touristic literary traditions to feed this industry led to a romanticized version of this context that ignore...
Electronic Structure of Magnesium Silicide and Magnesium Germanide

Pseudopotentials previously calculated for metallic magnesium and semiconductors silicon and germanium are used to calculate the electronic energy-band spectra of magnesium silicide and magnesium germanide. Results are obtained for the energy gap and the positions of the valence-band maximum and conduction-band minimum which are in agreement with what is known experimentally about these substances. The use of the energy levels determined is discussed in interpreting ultraviolet reflectance spectra of these compounds. Finally, on the basis of the present calculations, some speculations are made about the nature of the electron and hole energy surfaces in the semimetallic region of the alloy system ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{2}{(\mathrm{Sn})}_{x}{(\mathrm{Pb})}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$.
Modeling the Propagation of Failures in Software Driven Hardware Systems to Enable Risk-Informed Design

Software-driven hardware configurations account for the majority of modern complex systems. The often costly failures of such systems can be attributed to software specific, hardware specific, or software/hardware interaction failures. The understanding of the propagation of failures in a complex system is critical because, while a software component may not fail in terms of loss of function, a software operational state can cause an associated hardware failure. The least expensive phase of the product life cycle to address failures is during the design stage. This results in a need to evaluate how a combined software/hardware system behaves and how failures propagate from a design stage analysis framework. Historical approaches to modeling the reliability of these systems have analyzed the software and hardware components separately. As a result significant work has been done to model and analyze the reliability of either component individually. Research into interfacing failures between hardware and software has been largely on the software side in modeling the behavior of software operating on failed hardware. This paper proposes the use of high-level system modeling approaches to model failure propagation in combined software/hardware system. Specifically, this paper presents the use of the Function-Failure Identification and Propagation (FFIP) framework for system level analysis. This framework is applied to evaluate nonlinear failure propagation within the Reaction Control System Jet Selection of the NASA space shuttle, specifically, for the redundancy management system. The redundancy management software is a subset of the larger data processing software and is involved in jet selection, warning systems, and pilot control. The software component that monitors for leaks does so by evaluating temperature data from the fuel and oxidizer injectors and flags a jet as having a failure by leak if the temperature data is out of bounds for three or more cycles. The end goal is to identify the most likely and highest cost paths for fault propagation in a complex system as an effective way to enhance the reliability of a system. Through the defining of functional failure propagation modes and path evaluation, a complex system designer can evaluate the effectiveness of system monitors and comparing design configurations.© 2008 ASME
Ring-opening polymerization of spirobislactones in a solid acrylic matrix

Acrylic resins have been made with pendant spirobislactone functional groups. These resins form films at room temperature. When heated at 120°C for 24 h, the films are crosslinked by the reaction of spirobislactone, hydroxyl, and glycidyl groups in the polymer, and an insoluble film is produced.
Dynamics of the inverse pinch.

Experiments are performed on the plasma produced in a large inverse pinch using argon with no applied magnetic fields or preheating. A direct observation is made of the precursor ionization which initially raises the electron temperature and electrical conductivity. Calculations show that most of the mass is entrained in the current sheet, but that less than complete sweeping occurs at the lower velocities. The shock which is embedded in the current sheet closely resembles an ordinary gasdynamic shock. Consideration of the shock jump condition derived from the induction equation is shown to determine the frequent inability of the shock to separate from the current sheet.
Thermodynamic study of the behavior of uranium and plutonium during thermal treatment under reducing and oxidizing modes

Abstract This study investigated the equilibrium compositions of uranium and plutonium under various thermal treatment conditions using an incineration equilibrium calculation program. The treatment conditions examined included temperature, oxygen level (either reducing or oxidizing), and the existence of chlorine. In a simulation, a selected waste containing either uranium or plutonium was input to the program along with the desired treatment conditions. The program then performed the free energy calculations and searched for the optimum composition which minimizes the total system free energy. The simulation results have indicated that, under a reducing mode, uranium tends to stay in a solid phase as UO 2 (s) up to 1500°C; however, under an oxidizing mode, it will exist as U 3 O 8 (s) up to 1100°C. As the temperature increases, the solid-phase compounds either vaporize or decompose into various vapor-phase compounds. Under a reducing mode, all the preferred compounds will be in vapor phase when the system temperature is above 1900°C; under an oxidizing mode, this temperature is 1450°C. For plutonium, the thermodynamically preferred solid-phase compound is PuO 2 (s) up to about 1500°C under either a reducing or an oxidizing mode. As the temperature increases, the compound will vaporize mainly into its vapor phase, i.e. PuO 2 (g), up to about 2000°C. Above this temperature, the system contains only vapor-phase compounds. In addition to equilibrium composition, the effective vapor pressure and the fraction in vapor phase for the two metals have also been evaluated. The existence of chlorine has not been found to affect the simulation results significantly. The simulation results have been compared with those generated from the HSC program and the results have indicated that the HSC program contains inappropriate thermodynamic data for uranium and plutonium simulations.
Chloride Ion Effects on Synthesis and Directed Assembly of Copper Nanoparticles in Liquid and Compressed Alkane Microemulsions

Microemulsions are effective media for solution-based synthesis of metallic nanoparticles where surfactants and other ionic species influence the directed assembly of the nanomaterials with specific sizes, geometries, and compositions. This study demonstrates the effects of chloride ion on the synthesis of copper nanoparticles within the sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelle system utilizing both liquid isooctane and compressed propane as the bulk solvent. Copper nanoparticle synthesis can be achieved in the presence of HCl in the micelle core, taking advantage of the buffering action of the AOT surfactant. The concentration of chloride ions influence the particle growth rate and dispersion in liquid isooctane. The presence of chloride ions during particle synthesis in compressed propane has a significant effect on the geometry and structure of the copper nanomaterials produced. Chloride ion addition to the compressed propane/Cu(AOT)2−AOT/water reverse micelle system at 20 °C and 31...
Old Testament Adaptation in The Stonyhurst Pageants

This article examines the relationship between the Douay-Rheims translation of the bible and The Stonyhurst Pageants preserved at Stonyhurst College in northern Lancashire. Going beyond Carleton Brown’s recognition of that relationship in his 1920 publication of the pageants, it details the ways in which the Stonyhurst playwright adapted the biblical text by combining scriptural verse and critical apparatus, thus demonstrating the playwright’s consummate familiarity with his source and his skill in adapting it to serve his needs. Additionally, the close relationship between biblical translation and pageant text connects The Stonyhurst Pageants with the concerns of English Catholics in the seventeenth century rather than with the suppressed religious play-cycles of Henrician and Elizabethan England.
CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION OF TUBULIN DURING MEIOSIS IN THE EGGS OF THE SURF CLAM, SPISULA SOLIDISSIMA

Polymerized tubulin can be stabilized in Kane's spindle isolation medium (HGL solution), isolated by differential centrifugation and then assayed by colchicine binding activity. In the eggs of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima, the level of particulate tubulin undergoes a series of specific changes during first meiotic division. In either unactivated ("interphase") eggs or metaphase eggs the amount of particulate tubulin was about 13% of the total at 23°C. The amount of particulate tubulin decreased shortly after activation, reaching a minimum value at about 5 min, the time of nuclear membrane breakdown. The particulate tubulin concentration then rose, reaching a maximum at metaphase, and then decreased again during anaphase, reaching a minimum at first polar body formation. In HGL homogenates of unactivated eggs a structure is present which has been shown to contain the interphase particulate tubulin (IPT). This structure consists essentially of a 10–20 µ granular sphere attached to a membranous material which is probably part of the egg cortex. These particles are absent at the time of nuclear membrane breakdown, when the level of particulate tubulin is minimal and when the first signs of spindle formation are visible. Electron microscopy of these particles by negative staining indicates that they are composed of microtubules associated with a granular matrix which may be a polymorphic aggregate of tubulin.
Genetic studies of low abundance human plasma proteins VIII. Inherited structural variation in antithrombin III

Genetically determined structural polymorphism of antithrombin III has been observed using ultra narrow pH polyacrylamide isoelectric focusing gels, followed by immunoblotting. The products of three alleles at the antithrombin III structural locus have been detected in normal U.S. white and black blood donors. The frequencies of the three alleles, AT III* 1, AT III* 2 and AT III* 3, respectively, are: 0.878, 0.103, 0.019 in whites and 0.916, 0.068, 0.016 in blacks. Family data from a large number of families establish an autosomal codominant pattern of inheritance of the three alleles.
Symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment and the incidence of delayed retinal breaks: case series and meta-analysis.

Purpose To establish the necessity for an early follow-up examination after an initial funduscopic examination with negative results for patients with acute, symptomatic posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Design Retrospective case-control study and meta-analysis. Methods Records were reviewed of patients seeking treatment over a 4.5-year period who were diagnosed with an acute, symptomatic PVD. A MEDLINE search to identify all published observational case studies reporting vitreoretinal pathologic features after acute, symptomatic PVD. Results The incidence of retinal tears in eyes with a symptomatic PVD was 8.2%. The overall rate of retinal break in the meta-analysis portion of the study was 21.7%. In total, 1.8% of patients had retinal tears that were not seen on initial examination. Of the 29 patients with delayed-onset retinal breaks, 24 (82.8%) had at least one of the following: vitreous hemorrhage at initial examination, hemorrhage in the peripheral retina at initial examination, or new symptoms. Conclusions If the results of an initial examination of a patient with an acute, symptomatic PVD are negative for retinal tears, the necessity of early follow-up may be best determined by the presence of pigmented cells in the vitreous, vitreous hemorrhage, or retinal hemorrhage. Most patients with symptomatic PVD may not need an early follow-up examination.
A nonmonotonic compositional variation in the near surface layers: Surface segregation of Pt-Rh alloys

True single atomic layer depth-resolved, equilibrium composition depth profiles have been obtained for the (001) plane of five Pt-Rh alloys. All of them show an enrichment of Rh in the top surface layer and a depletion of Rh in the second layer. Rh segregation agrees with a bond breaking theory while the depletion of Rh in the second layer may indicate an oscillatory structure in the single ion potential in the surface layers.
An analysis of the training stress syndrome in competitive athletics

Abstract Training stress is defined as having both positive and negative adaptation responses. Positive adaptations to training stress are desirable and generally demonstrate appropriate responses to physical and psychological overloads imposed to initiate a training effect. Negative adaptations to training stress generally occur when an imbalance exists between imposed training demands and coping capacities. The purpose of this paper is to present conceptual models that define the nature of positive and negative adaptations to training stress. The positive response to training stress is presented in a model emphasizing that training stress is necessary for training gain. Thus not all training stress leads to negative adaptation at psychological or physiological response levels. Negative training stress responses are hypothesized to regress along a continuum from staleness to overtraining to burnout. This regressive pattern is labeled the training stress syndrome. Clear definitions and distinctions for st...
Surface water and energy budgets for the Mississippi catchment area from global reanalysis and a regional climate model

Abstract Characteristics of the Mississippi catchment surface water and energy budgets in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) regional spectral model (RSM) and the driving NCEP/NCAR global reanalysis (NCEPR) are compared. The RSM is similar to the Global Spectral Model (GSM) used in the reanalyses, in that it was originally derived from the global model. However, the RSM does not have an artificial water source to maintain the surface moisture (unlike the NCEPR) and the RSM surface water dries. Although the much larger wintertime surface water difference has only a small effect on the evaporation differences and other components of the wintertime water and energy cycles, summertime effects are greater. The RSM develops consistent summertime hydroclimatological differences of decreased surface water, precipitation, evaporation, increased sensible heating, outgoing longwave radiation, incoming solar radiation and temperature. The RSM Mississippi River basin also has larger interannual surface water (and other water and energy) variations than might be discerned from the NCEPR.
Endangered species, threatened fisheries: Science to the rescue! Evaluating the Congressionally designated Steller Sea Lion Research Program

Abstract Between 2001 and 2004, the US Congress designated over $120 million for research on the western population of Steller sea lions. This paper evaluates the science program, summarizing its context and motivation, the amount and distribution of funds, and how the recipients allocated funding to research activities. It considers factors affecting the science program's contribution to solving the problem that spurred Congress to act. While the program failed to achieve its immediate goals for a variety of reasons, it did provide long-term benefits for science and ecosystem management in the North Pacific.
Direct Exciton Spectrum in Diamond and Zinc-Blende Semiconductors

We present a new method to investigate the exciton spectrum in the case of degenerate bands. Using symmetry considerations and second-order perturbation theory, we obtain a simple analytical expression for the binding energy as a function of the band parameters. Direct excitons in group IV elements, III-V compounds, and II-VI compounds can be investigated by this method. Results are given for Ge, GaAs, InSb, ZnSe, and CdTe.
Binge eating severity, self-concept, dieting self-efficacy and social support during treatment of binge eating disorder.

Objective In treatment of binge eating, measures of self-concept, eating self-efficacy, and social support were examined at 0, 6, and 18 months to determine if improvements in these variables were associated with reductions in binge eating severity. Method Obese adult females (N = 125) were treated for 6 months, with 12 months of maintenance meetings. The Binge Eating Scale (BES), Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSC), Dieter's Inventory of Eating Temptations (DIET), and a social support measure (SocSup) were used. Results Over the first 6 months, improvements in BES were associated with improvements in the TSC and DIET. Over 18 months, improvements in BES were associated with improvements in the TSC, DIET, and SocSup. Discussion Therapy for binge eating should result in improvement in self-concept and eating self-efficacy, as well as reductions in binge eating. This study showed that self-concept and eating self-efficacy were associated with improvement in binge eating severity. The association with social support did not appear until long-term follow-up. Improvement in self-concept and eating self-efficacy may be processes leading to clinical improvement in this eating disorder, or they may result from changes in binge eating. © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 26: 295–300, 1999.
SYSTEMATICS OF ATOMIC DISPLACEMENT PARAMETERS IN PEROVSKITE OXIDES

Abstract Atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) determined from crystal structure refinement principally embody atomic thermal vibration, but they can also include the effects of disorder, partial site occupancy, electronic interactions, and other factors. A growing number of consistently determined studies are becoming available from high T neutron powder diffraction instrumentation, making it possible in the near future to explore the systematic behavior of ADPs for chemically diverse and important classes of oxides such as the perovskites. Factors such as coordination number, formal valence, site symmetry, polyhedral volume, bond valence sum, electronegativity, temperature, atomic number, Debye temperature, phonon density of states and atomic size can be tested for significance. Ultimately, empirical rules and parameters to account for the systematic behavior can be developed, and then used as tools for studying new materials and identifying anomalous behavior.
Near-Infrared Sub-Bandgap All-Silicon Photodetectors: A Review

Silicon Photonics has generated an increasing interest in recent years both for optical telecommunications and for optical interconnects in microelectronic circuits. Although silicon photodiodes are excellent detectors at visible wavelengths, due to its band-gap the development of high-performance photodetectors at near infrared wavelengths has remained an imperative but unaccomplished task so far. In recent years, however, a number of near-infrared all-silicon photodetectors have been proposed and demonstrated useful in many application fields. In this paper, a review of the state of the art is presented. Devices based on mid-bandgap absorption, surface-state absorption, internal photoemission absorption and two-photon absorption are reported, their working principles elucidated and their performance discussed and compared.
STAT‐mediated EGFR signaling in cancer

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are commonly expressed and activated in many malignancies. EGFR is an upstream activator of several pathways involved in tumor progression, and STATs activate selected genes involved in oncogenesis. There are several different mechanisms by which STAT proteins can mediate intracellular EGFR signaling, including direct activation of STATs by EGFR binding and indirect activation of STATs through Src-mediated EGFR signaling. EGFR likely activates STAT in a manner distinctive from other mechanisms of STAT activation; STAT5 can be phosphorylated in an EGF-dependent manner at unique sites, conferring novel functions. Cumulative evidence suggests that targeting EGFR signaling pathways at several levels may demonstrate synergistic therapeutic effects compared with targeting the upstream receptor alone. Thus, methods to inhibit EGFR in conjunction with oncogenic STATs may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for cancers characterized by upregulation of EGFR signaling.
A Soft Switching Three-phase Current-fed Bidirectional DC-DC Converter With High Efficiency Over a Wide Input Voltage Range

In this paper, a three-phase current-fed dual-active-bridge (DAB) bidirectional DC-DC converter is presented. Compared to the voltage source DAB converter, the proposed converter allows low RMS current and maintains zero voltage switching (ZVS) in the whole operating range by keeping the ratio between primary side and secondary side DC-link voltage constant, leading to high efficient energy conversion over a wide input voltage range. In addition, the ZVS conditions can be maintained using small DC inductors and the input current ripple still remains small because of high DC inductor current ripples being alleviated by three-phase interleaving structure. Furthermore, the proposed topology with Y-Y connected transformers is proven to have better current sharing capability compared with other three-phase topologies with different transformer connections. The operation mode analysis, soft switching conditions, and hardware design guidelines are derived in this paper. A 6-kW hardware prototype with input voltage range of 24~48 V and rated 288 V output voltage is developed and tested in the laboratory. The experimental results verified that the proposed converter could maintain high efficiency over a wide input voltage and power range.
Cardiac Rhabdomyoma Simulating Mitral Atresia

Clinical, catheterization, and pathologic findings were recorded in a newborn infant with tuberous sclerosis and multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas that produced a clinical picture simulating mitral atresia and the hypoplastic left-heart syndrome. The clinical picture was due to a left atrial tumor that completely obstructed the mitral valvular orifice. Even if the diagnosis of left atrial tumor had been made, successful surgical correction was unlikely because of left ventricular rhabdomyomas, which produced severe subvalvular aortic stenosis and did not appear to be resectable. This case demonstrates the possibility that a hamartoma, such as a rhabdomyoma, occasionally can mimic the hypoplastic left-heart syndrome.
Hyperplastic Cellular Remodeling of the Media in Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Background— Progressive medial degeneration and atrophy is thought to be a cause of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in the elderly. Extensive apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has been demonstrated in the media of abdominal aortic aneurysms. We investigated whether medial atrophy from loss of VSMCs occurs in primary ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Methods and Results— Morphometric analysis of 28 nonaneurysmal ascending thoracic aortas and 29 ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms was performed by directly measuring the thickness of their vascular layers and by indirectly calculating the area of their vascular compartments. The cellular and matrix composition of the media was assessed at the structural, protein, and transcript levels. Despite thinning of the media secondary to vascular dilatation, there was an overall increase in the medial area of aneurysms. VSMC density was preserved, implying cellular hyperplasia as a result of the increased medial mass. There was decreased express...
A combined chemical-petrological study of separated chondrules from the Richardton meteorite

Abstract Individual chondrules have been separated from the H5 chondrite Richardton and subjected to a detailed chemical-petrological study. A portion of each chondrule has been examined petrographically and phase chemistry determined by electron microprobe analysis. Of the remaining portion an aliquot was taken for measurement of major element abundances by microprobe using a microfusion technique. Rb, Sr,87Sr/86Sr and REE were determined by mass spectrometric isotope dilution. The chondrules define a Rb-Sr isochron age of 4.39 ± 0.03Ga(λ = 1.42 × 10−11 a−1) and an initial ratio of 0.7003 ± 7. The age is interpreted as a metamorphic age and indicates that Sr isotope equilibration occurred in the Richardton parent body for some 100 Ma or more after condensation of the solar system. Metamorphism had little effect on chondrule textures but effected Fe/Mg exchange to produce highly uniform olivine and pyroxene compositions, and may have caused some redistribution of REE. The major element compositions of Richardton chondrules are mostly constant and close to reported averages for Tieschitz, Bishunpur and Chainpur. They contain high-temperature condensate elements in close to cosmic proportions, but are deficient in Fe. Theories of chondrule origin are briefly reviewed, and while it is difficult to distinguish between direct condensation and dust fusion by impacting, it is postulated that iron was fractionated from silicate prior to or during chondrule formation.
Oxidative Stability and Sensory Attributes of Prerigor Cooked Beef Steak

Beef sirloin tip steaks from 12 steer carcasses were cooked prerigor and postrigor using three heating methods and stored at 4 degrees C or -20 degrees C. Prerigor cooked steak had lower cook loss, higher pH, higher shear force, and sensory hardness than postrigor cooked steak. Conventional oven cooking produced the lowest cook loss for prerigor steak. Prerigor cooked steak had lower thiobarbituric acid value than postrigor cooked samples after 2 wks at 4 degrees C or 3 mo at -20 degrees C. Sensory warmed-over flavor intensity scores were low and showed no differences between prerigor and postrigor cooked steaks for refrigerated or frozen samples.
Energy production and trading: using computer simulation to mitigate risk in electricity generation/consumption collaboration policies

The electric utility industry has undergone fundamental change in the last decade. Foremost of these changes have been numerous deregulation attempts. Producers and large consumers have built business models based upon large volume transactions, which lead to smooth production and volume discounting. The risks associated with using these traditional business models in deregulated markets are many. This paper describes the development of a computer simulation environment that models a novel collaborative strategy proposed by a local electricity utility to mitigate highly varying load situations demanded by the largest steel-producing region in the United States. Through the use of this model, collaborative strategies for effective electricity generation and usage are developed and analyzed.
Geometrically Nonlinear Static Behavior of Cable Structures

Geometrically nonlinear analyses are used to study the static structural behavior of three cable systems. All analyses and results are nondimensional and therefore valid for any scale. The behavior of a system that has a singular linear stiffness matrix is compared to that of a comparable system that has a nonsingular linear stiffness matrix. The actions considered include pretensioning, uniform dead load, asymmetric and antisymemtric vertical live loads and moving vertical live loads. There is no distinct improved static behavior associated with the system that has a nonsingular linear stiffness matrix. The nonlinear behavior of a cable stiffened by a girder is also studied. The behavior of the deck-stiffened system depends strongly on a nondimensional parameter defined by the moment of inertia of the girder divided by the area of the suspension cable times the square of its sag. A preliminary comparison of the relative effectiveness of stiffening with a girder versus stiffening by longitudinal pretensioning is made.
Methods for calculating stress intensity factors for interfacial cracks between two orthotropic solids

Abstract Stress intensity factors for interfacial cracks between two dissimilar orthotropic materials were considered. Due to the oscillatory characteristics of stresses and displacements near the crack tip, individual strain energy release rates no longer exist. Instead, the individual strain energy release rates corresponding to a finite crack extension were obtained in terms of the stress intensity factors and the assumed crack extension Δ a . The finite element methods in conjunction with the crack closure technique were used to calculate these finite extension strain energy release rates from which accurate stress intensity factors were obtained. An alternative method based on crack surface displacement ratio was also discussed. Non-oscillatory (Δ a -independent) Mode I and Mode II “strain energy release rates” were also proposed to provide an alternate measure of fracture mode mixity or to be used as a fracture criterion for interfacial cracks.
A LARGE ANGLE CONVERGENT BEAM ELECTRON DIFFRACTION STUDY OF THE CORE NATURE OF DISLOCATIONS IN 3C-SIC

Dislocations produced by 1300 °C indentation of the silicon-terminated (111) face of 3C-SiC were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. They were all found to be either widely separated partial dislocation pairs, or else, arrays of single partial dislocation half-loops on neighboring parallel slip planes and having the same Burgers vector. It was concluded that in the latter case, each array consisted of leading partial dislocations which had nucleated without accompanying trailing partial dislocations. The core nature of both dissociated dislocations and arrays of single partial dislocations has been determined by the technique of large angle convergent beam electron diffraction. The results indicate that the core of all single partial dislocation half-loops constituting an array consists of silicon atoms. It is concluded that, with the present deformation geometry, the Si-core partial dislocations are preferentially nucleated before the C-core partial dislocations. In the case of a dissociated dislocation, when a pair of partials was present, electron microscopy observations revealed that the morphology of the two partial dislocations was very different; while the Si-core partials were smooth, the C-core partial dislocations had a zig-zag morphology.
Resolution of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus Ecotypes by Using 16S-23S Ribosomal DNA Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequences

Cultured isolates of the marine cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus vary widely in their pigment compositions and growth responses to light and nutrients, yet show greater than 96% identity in their 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences. In order to better define the genetic variation that accompanies their physiological diversity, sequences for the 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were determined in 32 Prochlorococcus isolates and 25 Synechococcus isolates from around the globe. Each strain examined yielded one ITS sequence that contained two tRNA genes. Dramatic variations in the length and G+C content of the spacer were observed among the strains, particularly among Prochlorococcus strains. Secondary-structure models of the ITS were predicted in order to facilitate alignment of the sequences for phylogenetic analyses. The previously observed division of Prochlorococcus into two ecotypes (called high and low-B/A after their differences in chlorophyll content) were supported, as was the subdivision of the high-B/A ecotype into four genetically distinct clades. ITS-based phylogenies partitioned marine cluster A Synechococcus into six clades, three of which can be associated with a particular phenotype (motility, chromatic adaptation, and lack of phycourobilin). The pattern of sequence divergence within and between clades is suggestive of a mode of evolution driven by adaptive sweeps and implies that each clade represents an ecologically distinct population. Furthermore, many of the clades consist of strains isolated from disparate regions of the world's oceans, implying that they are geographically widely distributed. These results provide further evidence that natural populations of Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus consist of multiple coexisting ecotypes, genetically closely related but physiologically distinct, which may vary in relative abundance with changing environmental conditions.
The detection and quantification of retinopathy using digital angiograms

An algorithm is presented for the analysis and quantification of the vascular structures of the human retina. Information about retinal blood vessel morphology is used in grading the severity and progression of a number of diseases. These disease processes are typically followed over relatively long time courses, and subjective analysis of the sequential images dictates the appropriate therapy for these patients. In this research, retinal fluorescein angiograms are acquired digitally in a 1024/spl times/1024 16-b image format and are processed using an automated vessel tracking program to identify and quantitate stenotic and/or tortuous vessel segments. The algorithm relies on a matched filtering approach coupled with a priori knowledge about retinal vessel properties to automatically detect the vessel boundaries, track the midline of the vessel, and extract useful parameters of clinical interest. By modeling the vessel profile using Gaussian functions, improved estimates of vessel diameters are obtained over previous algorithms. An adaptive densitometric tracking technique based on local neighborhood information is also used to improve computational performance in regions where the vessel is relatively straight. >
Evidence for a C-terminal turn in PBAN An NMR and distance geometry study

The solution conformation of the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) of the moth Helicoverpa zea has been determined using homonuclear two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and distance geometry-restrained energy minimization. The insect peptide hormone showed a random distribution of conformers in aqueous solution, whereas in a less polar medium of trifluoroethanol and water, a reordering process was observed. In particular, the C-terminal region (Phe-Ser-Pro-Arg-Leu-NH2) adopts a type I′β-turn conformation, residues 20-27 are in a helix conformation, and residues 1-19 exhibit a high degree of flexibility. Direct observation of the C-terminal β-turn configuration of PBAN is consistent with a previous report that showed a rigid, cyclic analog of the C-terminal pentapeptide of PBAN retained pheromonotropic activity [Nachman, R.J., Kuniyoshi, H., Roberts, V.A., Holman, G.M. & Suzuki, A. (1993). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 661-666], Furthermore, our results show no interaction between the C-terminal turn and the rest of the polypeptide chain, thus providing further evidence that the C-terminal turn is indeed the important conformation recognized by the PBAN receptor. © Munksgaard 1996.
Antiviral Effects of Virazole in Chronic Hepatitis B Surface Antigen-Seropositive Chimpanzees

Virazole (Ribavirin, ICN 1229), a broad-spectrum, antiviral chemotherapeutic agent was used to treat two adult chronically hepatitis B surface antigen (HB s Ag)-seropositive chimpanzees. No significant change in serum hepatitis B surface antigen was noted and no adverse reactions were observed. The role of viral replication in the chronic carrier state of hepatitis B is discussed.