cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An approach to fault diagnosis of chemical processes via neural networks

This article presents an approach to fault diagnosis of chemical processes at steadystate operation by using artificial neural networks. The conventional back-propagation network is enhanced by adding a number of functional units to the input layer. This technique considerably extends a network's capability for representing complex nonlinear relations and makes it possible to simultaneously diagnose multiple faults and their corresponding levels in a chemical process. A simulation study of a heptane-to-toluene process at steady-state operation shows successful results for the proposed approach.
Minimum spanning tree generation with content-addressable memory

An efficient parallel algorithm is proposed for finding a minimum spanning tree, with the aid of content-addressable memory. Operations such as minimum-value search and updating the active edges are implemented in an efficient manner. The algorithm has O(n) complexity, where n is the number of nodes. An example is given and compared with a conventional algorithm. Actual implementation shows approximately O(n) speedup. >
Phenomenon of Precipitation on Mixing Hemoglobin With Tissue Extract Antigen.

SummaryIt was observed that hemoglobin solutions (laked human erythrocytes in distilled water) when mixed with tissue extract antigen (Kahn antigen suspension) under proper conditions show immediate precipitation. This phenomenon of precipitation is manifested in a relatively wide range of hemoglobin-distilled water dilutions and also in various ratios of these dilutions to antigen suspension, Hemoglobin solutions derived from malarial blood specimens show a tendency toward a wider range of precipitation than hemoglobin solutions derived from non-malarial blood specimens. Ageing of the blood specimens at a temperature above refrigeration, such as room temperature, is an important factor in increasing the tendency toward such precipitation.
CORR Insights®: Sex-specific Differences of the Infraacetabular Corridor: A Biomorphometric CT-based Analysis on a Database of 523 Pelves

I n the current study by Gras and colleagues, the authors used biomorphometric analysis of 523 pelves to determine the orientation and diameter of the infraacetabular corridor. The authors found that a minimum 5 mm corridor was present in 93% of pelves. This work may result in improved surgical techniques for the placement of infraacetabular screws, which can be challenging, and which may help improve the surgical treatment in patients with certain patterns of acetabular fracture. The strength of this paper is the large quantity of scans used and the objective technique used to determine the size and location of the corridor. The use of large anatomic datasets is becoming much more common in orthopedics and has moved from research to development. For example, the SOMA database (Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ, USA) consists of more than 12,500 bones [3]. Stryker has used this database for determining the fit of fracture fixation plates and joint replacements in an attempt to improve the design of these devices. The ADaM service (Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium) utilizes advanced statistical methods to analyze 3-D patient anatomy. However, it is important to understand the details of the models used. In this paper, the pelvis models only include the periosteal surface. The cortex was not modeled. If there is variation in cortical thickness, for some patients, there may not be room for the infraacetabular screw even if the diameter of the infraacetabular corridor were 5 mm as measured to the periosteal surface. In addition, a majority of the pelvis scans (70%) were taken from CT scans from patients who required a CT angiography. These patients did not have a periacetabular fracture. A malreduced fracture may further reduce the corridor width.
An analysis of molecular interactions involved in the assembly of tropomyosin tactoids

Abstract Arrangements of parallel and antiparallel tropomyosin molecules are examined for residue interactions which might explain the paracrystal forms observed by electron microscopy. Molecular arrays which produce interaction maxima and corresponding computer graphics-simulated staining patterns are compared with observed electron micrographs. The best correlation of interactions with staining pattern occurs when cationic bridging of acid residues is maximized and supported by favourable ion pair interactions. In the antiparallel case, two main maxima occur and appear to correspond to divalent ion tactoids which have been previously reported. For the Cohen-Longley Mg 2+ tactoid the best fit is obtained with a molecular overlap of 201 residues and an end overlap of 17–18 residues (based on a rational 287 peptide sequence). Secondary maxima correspond to other known tactoid forms. Binding of tropomyosin molecules to actin may involve hydrogen bonding to six serine residues which occur at approx. 40-residue intervals.
Liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction for the enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites investigated with fluorescence spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis

Abstract The extraction and pre-concentration of phenol, 2-naphthol, and several hydroxyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites were investigated, using liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (LLLME). The PAH metabolites are a very important class of compounds, and they have not been investigated previously by LLLME. For several of the hydroxyl PAH metabolites, the enrichment factors were small when using LLLME with an alkaline acceptor phase. Changing the acceptor phase to 1-octanol, which gave a two-phase system, improved the enrichment factors significantly for several of the hydroxyl PAH metabolites. For example, the enrichment factor was improved by a factor of 68.5 for 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene. Enrichment factors were investigated as a function of time and stirring rate. At about 55 min the enrichment factor reached a maximum for the two-phase system and at approximately 75 min for the three-phase microextraction system. However, a 30 min extraction time was used for most of the experiments. Also, fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the enrichment factors and the mass distribution of the solute between the phases. Fluorescence spectroscopy was very effective in determining the very small concentrations of the solute in the various phases. In addition, capillary electrophoresis and LLLME were combined to demonstrate the substantial enrichment of 2-naphthol by combining these two approaches.
Generation of Replicate Asbestos Aerosol Samples for Quality Assurance

Abstract The large numbers of replicate asbestos samples (on the order of 400–600 samples) needed for the Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) program, the NIOSH sponsored quality assurance program, have traditionally been prepared by filtering aliquots of liquid asbestos suspensions. This technique has produced samples that are visually nonrepresentative of workplace or environmental asbestos exposure samples. Therefore, an effort was made to develop and carry out a preliminary evaluation of an alternative method for producing these samples using an aerosol generation technique. A fluidized bed aerosol generator was developed to provide sufficient aerosol to 320 filter samplers at a time. The collection chamber was one already in use for the generation of silica samples. Since the number of samples provided by this system was not sufficient, two sets of samples were combined to produce enough samples for one concentration level for the PAT program. The reproducibility from sample to sample was measured u...
Statistical Thermodynamics of Macromolecular Liquids and Solutions

The separability of the configuration partition function for long chain molecules and their solutions into intermolecular and intramolecular factors is discussed. Two consequences thereof are emphasized: (i) the thermodynamic properties of a polymer solution are virtually independent of the structure of the macromolecule and especially of its flexibility, and (ii) the chain configuration does not depend appreciably on concentration, even at the limit of the undiluted polymer. This separation of the partition function holds, however, only if the molecular chains are sufficiently flexible. Above a critical degree of stiffness that depends on the concentration, a state of partial order (e. g., liquid crystalline) is preferred. Theory for the limiting case of rigid, rod-like particles accounts satisfactorily for the biphasic equilibrium between an isotropic and an anisotropic (nematic) phase above a concentration limit that depends on the axis ratio x. The theory can be adapted to polydisperse systems in which the solute comprises species that differ in x. Applied to a distribution of such particles which is asymptotically of the form fx0 = α2x exp (—αx), it predicts separation of an anisotropic phase at volume fractions v2 ⩾ α exp α. The largest members of the distribution are partitioned preferentially into the anisotropic phase. Die Moglichkeit, den Konformationsanteil der Zustandssumme langkettiger Molekule nach intermolekularen und intramolekularen Faktoren aufzulosen, wird diskutiert. Von den sich ergebenden Konsequenzen sind zwei besonders zu betonen: (i) die thermodynamischen Eigenschaften einer Polymerlosung sind praktisch unabhangig von der Struktur des Makromolekuls, insbesondere von seiner Flexibilitat, und (ii) die Konfiguration der Kette hangt nur unwesentlich von der Konzentration ab, selbst im Grenzfall des unverdunnten Polymers. Diese Trennung der Zustandssumme gilt allerdings nur fur den Fall, das die Molekulketten genugend flexibel sind. Oberhalb eines gewissen Steifheitsgrades, der von der Konzentration abhangt, wird eine partielle Ordnung (z. B. flussig kristallin) bevorzugt. Fur den Grenzfall von steifen, stabformigen Partikeln erklart die Theorie befriedigend das zweiphasige Gleichgewicht zwischen einer isotropen und anisotropen (nematischen) Phase oberhalb einer gewissen Grenzkonzentration, die vom Achsenverhaltnis x abhangt. Die Theorie ist anpasbar fur polydisperse Systeme, in denen die gelosten Molekule bezuglich x unterschiedlich sind. Fur eine asymptotische Verteilung solcher Molekule. die dem Ausdruck fx0 = α2x exp(—αx) folgt, wird eine Ausscheidung einer anisotropen Phase bei Volumbruch v2 ⩾ α exp α vorhergesagt. Die grosten Spezies der Population befinden sich bevorzugt in der anisotropen Phase.
Characterization of molecules mediating cell-cell communication in human cardiac valve interstitial cells

Cell-cell interactions and adhesion determine cellular architectural organization, proliferation, signaling, differentiation, and death. We have identified the molecular components of different cell-cell junctions in human valve interstitial cells (ICs) both in situ and in culture. ICs were isolated, cultured, and phenotyped for cell surface and cytoplasmic markers by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. Western blotting was used to identify and quantify the molecular components of these cell-cell junctions in human valve ICs and compared with expression in smooth muscle and fibroblast cell types. N-cadherin and desmoglein were weakly detected on a low percentage of ICs, and the other classical cadherins were not detected. alpha- and beta-catenin, but not gamma-catenin, were expressed at equivalent levels by all valve ICs. Valve ICs did not express connexin-32 and -40; however, connexin-26 and -43 were equally expressed by a low percentage of ICs, demonstrating cell surface and cytoplasmic expression ,and connexin-45 was weakly expressed. The other cell types also expressed N-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenin, desmoglein and connexin-43. The expression of these junctional molecules was predominantly by valve ICs on the inflow side of the valves. Human valve ICs have the ability to communicate with other valve ICs and mediate cell-cell adhesion via N-cadherin, connexin-26 and -43, and desmoglein. The junctions between valve ICs could support an interconnecting and coordinated cellular unit capable of controlling the functionality of the valve.
Translational regulation of deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase and deoxynucleotide kinase synthesis in T4-infected Escherichia coli.

Abstract Almost immediately after infection of Escherichia coli with bacteriophage T4, enzymes necessary for bacteriophage DNA replication are synthesized. Synthesis of these “early” enzymes proceeds for a short time after infection and then stops while general protein synthesis continues. In the present investigation, regulation of cessation of synthesis of two early enzymes, deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase (HMase) and deoxynucleotide kinase, was studied in T4-infected E. coli B207, a mutant of E. coli B in which the rate of protein synthesis can be regulated by the concentration of K + in the medium. In medium containing 1 m M K + , protein is synthesized at 50% the normal rate. Using this system, it was possible to show that significant amounts of functional HMase and deoxynucleotide kinase messenger RNAs were present in infected cells after synthesis of these enzymes stopped, indicating that under these conditions cessation of early enzyme synthesis is regulated at the translational level.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for retinoblastoma: the first reported liveborn.

Abstract Purpose To develop an accurate mutation analysis procedure for retinoblastoma gene (RB1) mutation, which is sensitive at the single-cell level, and to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to achieve pregnancies without retinoblastoma. Design Case report. Methods Twelve day 3 embryos, obtained by IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, underwent single-cell DNA testing via polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme analysis to detect the presence of a paternal RB1 mutation. Embryos were diagnosed as being unaffected and were transferred to the uterus on day 5. Main outcome measures Achieving a healthy pregnancy and delivery, assessed by clinical presentation, fundus photography, and RB1 molecular analysis. Results A singleton pregnancy was achieved, and a child without retinoblastoma was born. The absence of the paternal RB1 mutation was confirmed on a sample of peripheral blood from the newborn. Conclusion We are first to report a successful human liveborn, delivered after IVF with preimplantation genetic diagnosis for retinoblastoma. The successful result indicates that preimplantation genetic diagnosis exists for this genetic disease and may represent a viable alternative to prenatal diagnosis with the subsequent option of terminating an affected pregnancy.
An Account of Queen Victoria

Edumond Gosse wrote an anonymous portrait of Queen Victoria shortly after her death in the April, 1901 issue of the "Quarterly Review."Â The article became notorious because it was somewhat critical of the Queen. It was based on notes and conversations with Mary Ponsonby.Â Several letters in the Symington Collection reveal the extent of their communications.
Time and space dependence of the electromagnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Exact analytical solution for the space-time evolution of electromagnetic field in electrically conducting nuclear matter produced in heavy-ion collisions is discussed. It is argued that the parameter that controls the strength of the matter effect on the field evolution is $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\gamma}b$, where $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ is electrical conductivity, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is the Lorentz boost-factor, and $b$ is the characteristic transverse size of the matter. When this parameter is of the order 1 or larger, which is the case at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider, the space-time dependence of the electromagnetic field completely differs from that in vacuum.
Gall Structure Affects Ecological Associations of Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)

Gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) induce structures (galls) on their host plants that house developing wasps and provide them with protection from natural enemies. The Asian chestnut gall wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu, is an invasive pest that is destructive to chestnut (Castanea spp.). An improved understanding of the interactions among D. kuriphilus, its host, and its natural enemies is critical for the development of effective management strategies against this pest. The objective of our study was to evaluate the D. kuriphilus community interactions, and relate these interactions to variations among gall traits. Galls were collected from four locations throughout the eastern United States from May (gall initiation) through August (after gall wasp emergence), and January. Gall characteristics (volume, weight, and schlerenchyma layer thickness), gall inhabitants (D. kuriphilus, parasitoids, and chamber fungi), and other community associates (insect herbivores and lesions thought to be caused by endophytes) were evaluated and correlated using canonical correlation analyses. The primary mortality factors for D. kuriphilus were parasitism, gall chamber-invading fungi, and failure of adult gall wasps to emerge. Larger gall size and thicker schlerenchyma layers surrounding the larval chambers were negatively correlated with parasitoids and chamber fungi, indicating these gall traits are important defenses. External fungal lesions and insect herbivory were positively correlated with the absence of D. kuriphilus within galls. This study provides support for the protective role of cynipid galls for the gall inducer, identifies specific gall traits that influence gall wasp mortality, and improves our knowledge of D. kuriphilus ecology in North America.
Single particle analysis using fluidic, optical and electrophoretic force balance in a microfluidic system

A unique microfluidic system is developed which enables the interrogation of a single particle by using multiple force balances from a combination of optical force, hydrodynamic drag force, and electrophoretic force. Two types of polystyrene (PS) particles with almost identical size and refractive index (plain polystyrene (PS) particle - mean diameter: 2.06 μm, refractive index: 1.59; carboxylated polystyrene (PS-COOH) particles - mean diameter: 2.07 μm, refractive index: 1.60), which could not be distinguished by optical chromatography, reveal different electrokinetic behaviors resulting from the difference in their surface charge densities. The PS-COOH particles, despite their higher surface charge density when compared to the PS particles, experience a lower electrophoretic force, regardless of ionic strength. This phenomenon can be understood when the more prominent polarization of the counter ion cloud surrounding the PS-COOH particles is considered. The surface roughness of the carboxylated particles also plays an important role in the observed electrokinetic behavior.
Evaluation of various infused cryoprotective ingredients for their freeze-thaw stabilizing and texture improving properties in frozen red hake muscle.

: Various cryoprotective ingredients were evaluated for their freeze–thaw stabilizing and texture improving properties during 6-mo frozen storage when red hake (Urophycis chuss) fillets were injected with sorbitol–sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) (40% to 60% : 3%), 1.5% alginate, or 0.75% alginate with soy protein isolate (SPI)–sorbitol–STPP (5% to 10% : 40% : 3%). Injection of 10% SPI, 1.5% alginate, or 0.75% alginate–5% SPI effectively improved water binding and retarded the freeze-induced texture changes when drip and cooking loss, centrifugal expressible moisture, protein extractability, SDS-PAGE profile, and Instron and sensory texture were assessed. The sorbitol and STPP combination was not as effective as alginate and SPI. Freeze-susceptible whitefish can be injected with proper cryoprotective ingredients for improved frozen storability.
Specific heat and resistivity of gadolinium near the Curie point in external magnetic fields

A modification of the ac calorimetric technique has been used to test the proportionality of the specific heat and temperature derivative of the basal-plane resistivity of gadolinium through the Curie point. Because of a large temperature-dependent background to the resistivity derivative, a direct comparison of the critical contributions to the two quantities was impossible. It was found, however, that the background was insensitive to applied magnetic fields so that a direct comparison of the deviation of the specific heat at a finite field from its zero-field value with the similar deviation of the resistivity derivative demonstrated the proportionality of the two quantities. In applied fields below 585 Oe, a "kink point" was observed in the specific heat below ${T}_{C}$ which moved to lower temperatures with increasing fields. Such an effect has been predicted to occur at fields and temperatures for which the internal magnetic field vanishes. The specific heat in several fields above 585 Oe was compared with the predictions of scaling laws and with the linear approximation to the parametric equation of state. Reasonable agreement between the data and the specific-heat scaling function predicted by the linear model could only be obtained by using an unrealistic value of the critical exponent describing the zero-field specific heat.
Collective Longitudinal Motion in Intense Ion Beams

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) using high energy heavy ion beams requires tight focussing of the igniting ion beams in longitudinal, as well as transverse, space at the pellet target. This sets significant requirements for stability in longitudinal motion. It has been previously noted that this motion can contain significant resistive wall instability. Results of numerical simulations of this instability in perturbed bunched beams are presented and analyzed. It is found that reflection of perturbations off bunch ends is distorted and delayed by space charge forces and that "soliton" waves can appear after reflection.
Ubiquitin (UbC) Expression in Muscle Cells Is Increased by Glucocorticoids through a Mechanism Involving Sp1 and MEK1

The muscle protein catabolism present in rats with insulin-dependent diabetes and other catabolic conditions is generally associated with increased glucocorticoid production and mRNAs encoding components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. The mechanisms that increase ubiquitin (UbC) expression have not been identified. We studied the regulation of UbC expression in L6 muscle cells because dexamethasone stimulates the transcription of this gene and others encoding components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Results ofin vivo genomic DNA footprinting experiments indicate that a protein(s) binds to Sp1 sites ∼50 bp upstream from theUbC transcription start site; dexamethasone changes the methylation pattern at these sites. Sp1 binds to DNA probes corresponding to the rat or human UbC promoter, and treating cells with dexamethasone increases this binding. Deletion and mutation analyses of the rat and human UbC promoters are consistent with an important role of Sp1 in UbC induction by glucocorticoids. Dexamethasone-induced ubiquitin expression is blocked by mithramycin, an inhibitor of Sp1 binding. UO126, a pharmacologic inhibitor of MEK1, also blocks UbCtranscriptional activation by dexamethasone; L6 cells transfected to express constitutively active MEK1 exhibit increased UbCpromoter activity. Thus, glucocorticoids increase UbCexpression in muscle cells by a novel transcriptional mechanism involving Sp1 and MEK1.
Mucosal barrier and immune mediators

The intestinal mucosa functions is an immunologic organ that plays a major role in the development of oral tolerance and host-defense mechanisms. Antigens must cross the intestinal epithelium in a controlled manner to interact with dendritic antigen-presenting cells, because bacteria or their products are a primary risk factor for the development of intestinal inflammation. Therefore, the regulation of the intestinal epithelial cell barrier is central to the development of intestinal immunity and inflammation, but the involved mechanisms are largely unknown. Intestinal barrier function relies on the formation of tight junctions at the apical contact areas of intestinal epithelial cells. Tight junctions have a highly dynamic structure whose permeability, assembly, or disassembly can be regulated by a variety of cellular and metabolic mediators, including cytokines, which have major functions in the immune system. Immune modulators control tight junction dependent intestinal barrier function during development, wound healing, and pathologic processes such as cancer, infection, and chronic inflammation.
Neurokinin Subtype Receptors Mediating Substance P Contraction in Immature Rabbit Airways

Two-week-old rabbit tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) and bronchial smooth muscle (BSM) segments were placed in organ baths, and isometric contractions to substance P (SP) were obtained. In the presence of phosphoramidon (PHOS), a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor, BSM segments were significantly more reactive and sensitive to SP than TSM segments. Neither neostigmine (NEO) nor atropine(ATR) eliminated these regional differences. Airway contractile responses to:1) Senktide (NK-3 agonist); 2) neurokinin A (NKA, a NK-2 agonist); and 3) Septide (a highly selective NK-1 agonist) were separately obtained. In the presence of PHOS and NEO, Senktide was virtually inactive in both BSM and TSM. In the presence of PHOS, NEO, and ATR, NKA was equipotent in all airway segments; in contrast, the Septide response was significantly more reactive in BSM than in TSM segments. After inhibition of NK-1 activity with GR 82334, a competitive NK-1 receptor antagonist, the regional differences in SP reactivity were greatly diminished. This latter indication of a NK-1 contribution was confirmed using Septide-mediated inactivation of NK-1 receptors whereby the regional differences in airway sensitivity to SP were eliminated. These findings indicate that both endogenous neutral endopeptidase activity as well as NK-1 and NK-2 receptor influences may modulate the contractile responses to SP in immature rabbit airways.
Tracking energy efficiency of near-threshold design using process variation control techniques

Near-threshold operation offers energy efficiency at the expense of increased performance variability. Adaptive Voltage/Frequency Scaling (AVS/AFS) techniques can be used to mitigate performance variability, yet their impact on energy efficiency has not been characterized. This paper defines different system scenarios for near-threshold design and assesses the impact of AVS/AFS on energy efficiency for each case. It is found that AVS techniques are more effective for tracking energy efficiency in the case of low leakage systems, while AFS techniques provide better tracking in the high leakage case. Moreover, it is found that for near-threshold operating points chosen at relatively high supply voltages, both AVS and AFS show similar behavior regarding energy efficiency tracking. The analysis is validated using circuit level simulation of a logic data path on a 45 nm SOI process.
Coincidence techniques for high energy electron induced multiparticle breakup experiments

Abstract A new generation of electron accelerators is coming on-line with high duty factors, high currents, and energies in the range of a few hundred MeV to several GeV. One of the major motivations for these accelerators has been the desire to perform coincidence experiments in electron-induced nuclear breakup reactions. Some recent experiments are reviewed, and the planning of new experiments, including out-of-plane detection, is examined.
Al‐Mn μ phase and its relation to quasicrystals

SUMMARY The potential interrelationship between the Al-Mn μ phase and icosahedral structures is investigated by a systematic study of the electron diffraction behaviour of the crystalline phase. The presence of systematic absences in selected area diffraction patterns is used to propose a space group for the μ phase and similarities with the icosahedral and decagonal diffraction patterns are argued to imply the presence in both the crystalline and quasicrystalline phases of icosahedral units with different stacking arrangements.
Control of interstitial thermal coagulation: comparative evaluation of microwave and ultrasound applicators.

This study presents a comparative evaluation of the control of heating and thermal coagulation with microwave (MW) and ultrasound (US) interstitial applicators. Helical coil MW antennas (17 mm and 25 mm length radiating antennae) were tested using an external implant catheter (2.2 mm o.d.) with water-cooling. US applicators with tubular transducers (2.2 and 2.5 mm o.d., 10 mm length, single-element and 3-element) were utilized with a direct-coupled configuration and internal water-cooling. Measurements of E-field distributions (for MW) and acoustic beam distributions (for US) were used to characterize the applicator energy output. Thermal performance was evaluated through multiple heating trials in vitro (bovine liver) and in vivo (porcine thigh muscle and liver) at varied levels of applied power (20-40 W for microwave, 15-35 W for ultrasound) and heating times (0.5-5 min). Axial temperature distributions in the tissue were recorded during heating, and dimensions of the resulting lesions of thermal coagulation were measured. Both MW and US applicators produced large volumes of tissue coagulation ranging from 8 to 20 cm3 with singular heating times of 5 min. Radial depth of lesions for both MW and US applicators increased with heating duration and power levels, though US produced notably larger lesion diameters (30-42 mm for US vs 18-26 mm for MW, 5 min heating). Characteristic differences between the applicators were observed in axial energy distribution, tissue temperatures, and thermal lesion shapes. MW lesions increased significantly in axial dimensions (beyond the active applicator length) as applied power level and/or heating duration was increased, and lesion shapes were generally not uniform. US provided greater control and uniformity of heating, with energy deposition and axial extent of thermal lesions corresponding to the length of the active transducer(s). The improved ability to control the extent of thermal coagulation demonstrated by the US applicators provides greater potential to target a specific region of tissue.
Study of cationic ring-opening photopolymerizations using optical pyrometry

Studies of the photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerizations of epoxide and oxetane monomers were conducted using optical pyrometry. Using this technique, the temperature of these photopolymerizations was monitored as a function of time. The effects of photoinitiator type and monomer structure on the rates of photopolymerization were investigated. Optical pyrometry was also used to investigate the acceleration of the photopolymerizations of various epoxide and oxetane monomers. Certain mixtures of monomers displayed synergistic effects that markedly increased their overall rates of polymerizations. In all cases in which acceleration of polymerization rate was noted, it could be attributed to an increase in the speed of ring opening of the initially formed protonated cyclic ether. The effects of relative humidity on the rate of cationic ring-opening photopolymerizations of cyclic ether monomers were also investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3303–3319, 2004
Recognition and management of digitalis toxicity

The most important step in the management of toxicity due to any of the cardiac glycosides is its recognition. Despite the development of an accurate clinical assay for serum levels of digoxin greater than 20 years ago, digitalis toxicity remains common and difficult to confirm, even if suspected, due primarily to 2 factors. First, the signs and symptoms of digitalis toxicity, most commonly an abnormal electrocardiogram showing ventricular or atrial arrhythmias, with or without some degree of concurrent atrioventricular block, often also occur in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and underlying coronary atherosclerosis who are not receiving a cardiac glycoside. Second, due to digoxin's narrow therapeutic ratio, the marked degree of variability in the sensitivity of individual patients to its toxic effects, and the common problem of obtaining blood samples inappropriately during the early distribution phase following dosing, a serum digoxin concentration often does not serve as a reliable indicator of toxicity. Despite these difficulties in diagnosis, the management of digoxin toxicity has been made much more effective with the widespread availability of F(ab) fragments of anti-digoxin antibodies. This drug provides the clinician with a rapidly acting, safe antidote for all commonly used digitalis preparations. Conventional therapy for digoxin toxicity remains the maintenance of serum potassium levels greater than or equal to 4 mEq/liter, reversal of decompensated CHF or overt myocardial ischemia, attention to serum magnesium levels and the patient's acid-base status, appropriate antiarrhythmics in the event of ventricular arrhythmias, and a temporary pacemaker for high-grade atrioventricular block. Nevertheless, the high specificity and documented safety of the antibody preparation provides a needed safety net for the continuing use of cardiac glycosides as first-line inotropic agents in the modern therapy of chronic CHF.
Illustrating the multiple facets and levels of fidelity of implementation to a teacher classroom management intervention.

Many school-based interventions to promote student mental health rely on teachers as implementers. Thus, understanding the interplay between the multiple domains of fidelity to the intervention and intervention support systems such as coaching and teacher implementation of new skills is an important aspect of implementation science. This study describes a systematic process for assessing multiple domains of fidelity. Data from a larger efficacy trial of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) program are utilized. Data on fidelity to the IY TCM workshop training sessions and onsite weekly coaching indicate that workshop leaders and the IY TCM coach implemented the training and coaching model with adequate adherence. Further, workshop leaders’ ratings of engagement were associated with teacher implementation of specific praise, following training on this content. Lastly, the IY TCM coach differentiation of teacher exposure to coaching was evaluated and found to be associated with teacher implementation of classroom management practices and student disruptive behavior.
Abstract 1322: Sensitizing radiation-induced integrin β-1 signaling by targeting uPAR in medulloblastoma cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Although radiation is an effective therapy, it has several adverse effects, including the induction of secondary (new) tumor within the irradiated field. Several studies have reported this effect with medulloblastoma despite effective radiotherapy during the initial stages. Here, we attempt to capitalize on the radiation-induced aggressive behavior of medulloblastoma cells by examining migration, cell adhesion and matrigel invasion properties. Comparison at the mRNA levels between the matrigel-invading and non-invading cells (with and without radiation) clearly demonstrates the aggressiveness of irradiated medulloblastoma cells. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the increased expression of uPA, uPAR, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), N-Cadherin, and integrins like α3, α5, β1 and β6 in irradiated cells. Increased expression of uPAR and integrin β-1 in irradiated cells was also confirmed by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation assays. The interaction between uPAR and integrin β-1 and subsequent downstream signaling is a key process in malignant progression and metastasis and has been recently reported in mediating resistance to radiation. With this view, we aimed to study the effect of siRNA-mediated knockdown of uPAR on cell migration and adhesion in irradiated and non-irradiated medulloblastoma cells. Downregulation of uPAR not only reduced cell migration and adhesion, but also reduced the increased migration and adhesiveness associated with irradiated cells. Apart from specific knockdown of uPAR in siRNA-transfected cells, the increased expression of uPAR and integrin β-1 upon radiation were also reduced both at the transcript and protein levels. Studies of the uPAR/integrin β-1 downstream signaling cascade have shown that uPAR knockdown reduces both the expression and phosphorylation of FAK, paxillin, p130Cas and Rac-1, which are known to be actively involved in coordinating tyrosine kinase based signaling related to cell migration and adhesion. Our in vitro results demonstrate that targeting uPAR might sensitize the radiation-induced aggressiveness of medulloblastoma cells by affecting the uPAR/integrin β-1 signaling pathway. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1322.
An Analysis of the Influence of Fundamental Values' Estimation Accuracy on Financial Markets

This research analyzed the influence of the differences in the forecast accuracy of fundamental values on the financial market. As a result of intensive experiments in the market, we made the following interesting findings: (1) improvements in forecast accuracy of fundamentalists can contribute to an increase in the number of fundamentalists; (2) certain situations might occur, according to the level of forecast accuracy of fundamentalists, in which fundamentalists and passive management coexist, or in which fundamentalists die out of the market, and furthermore; (3) where a variety of investors exist in the market, improvements in the forecast accuracy could increase the number of fundamentalists more than the number of investors that employ passive investment strategy. These results contribute to clarifying the mechanism of price fluctuations in financial markets and also indicate one of the factors for the low ratio of passive investors in asset management business.
The Disruption and Recovery of Fish Communities in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, Following Two Hurricanes in 2004

During the summer of 2004, four hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) affected Florida between August 13 and September 27. Two storms (Frances: category 2 and Jeanne: category 3) made landfall in the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on the east-central coast of Florida. The presence of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's long-term fisheries monitoring program in the IRL provided a unique opportunity to examine the effects of large tropical events on estuarine fish communities. Increased sampling efforts to monitor the effects of tropical disturbances on the fish community within the IRL and one of its major tributaries (St. Sebastian River) were initiated within days after the passing of the last hurricane (Jeanne). The objectives of the study were to characterize changes to the composition of the fish community within the lagoon and river immediately after the passage of two hurricanes, and to examine the recovery of the fish communities. Analyses indicated that immediately after the last hurricane passed, community diversity within the estuary decreased following these storms due to the absence of many marine species, whereas the fish community within the St. Sebastian River shifted to one containing a greater percentage of freshwater species. Recovery of the community structure to pre-hurricane conditions was evident within several weeks following the last hurricane, and by mid December 2004 (ca. 3 mo after the last storm), there was little difference between the pre-hurricane and post-hurricane fish communities.
Sacajawea: witnessing, remembrance and ignorance

This article considers the relations between discourse, knowledge, power and representations, and particularly how constructs and ideologies of gender, race and sexuality impact what we think we know, how we come to know it, and where this knowledge goes in theory, policy and practice. The story of Sacajawea, a Lemhi-Shoshone woman who was involved in the 1804–06 US Corp of Discovery expedition, is used as an examplar of how hegemonic representations, passed on through curriculum content, can distort understandings and perpetuate colonial and othering perspectives.
Counteracting dampeners: understanding technology-amplified capabilities of people with disabilities in Sierra Leone

This paper presents an ethnographically-based account on the impact of technologies appropriated in the livelihood strategies of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Sierra Leone, West Africa. In contrast to other developing countries, Sierra Leone presents a situation where people with disabilities are socially marginalized but not necessarily wholly disadvantaged. Through a lens of technology-amplified capabilities we show how PWDs leverage information and communication technologies (ICTs) to counteract social dampeners they regularly experience that prevent their participation in society. We discuss the role of the war experience and its impact on services and attitudes towards people with disability and how disruptive contexts can open up opportunities to support and amplify existing life skills towards development goals.
Algebraic-geometric properties of the coupler curves of the RCCC spatial four-bar mechanism

Abstract This paper uses an analytical approach, based on (3×3) orthogonal transformation matrices with dual number elements and the principle of transference, to obtain three parametric equations for the coupler curves of the RCCC four-bar mechanism. The equations express the Cartesian coordinates of an arbitrary point fixed in the coupler link as a function of a single variable; namely, the input angle. From this systematic approach, the curve describing the path of the coupler point is shown to be 16th-order. The coupler curve equations for the spherical four-bar and the Bennett linkage are deduced as special cases. The paper then presents plots of coupler curves of a general geometry and a special geometry RCCC mechanism. The latter example has a branch extending to infinity which is directly related to the limiting positions of the mechanism. Finally, the paper includes plots of typical coupler curves of the spherical four-bar and the Bennett linkage.
Expanders and dimensional expansion

Abstract We construct finite families of SL 2 ( R ) elements that are arbitrary close to identity and such that the corresponding Hecke operator, acting by Moebius transformation, has a uniform spectral gap (in a suitably restricted sense). This provides finite systems of monotone transformations of the interval [ 0 , 1 ] with the expansion property. Combined with the approach from Dvir and Shpilka (2008), we obtain a solution to the “dimension expander” problem from Wigderson (2004). To cite this article: J. Bourgain, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 347 (2009).
Genetics of germination-arrest factor (GAF) production by Pseudomonas fluorescens WH6: identification of a gene cluster essential for GAF biosynthesis

The genetic basis of the biosynthesis of the germination-arrest factor (GAF) produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens WH6, and previously identified as 4-formylaminooxyvinylglycine, has been investigated here. In addition to inhibiting the germination of a wide range of grassy weeds, GAF exhibits a selective antimicrobial activity against the bacterial plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora. We utilized the in vitro response of E. amylovora to GAF as a rapid screen for loss-of-function GAF phenotypes generated by transposon mutagenesis. A Tn5 mutant library consisting of 6364 WH6 transformants was screened in this Erwinia assay, resulting in the identification of 18 non-redundant transposon insertion sites that led to loss of GAF production in WH6, as confirmed by TLC analysis. These insertions mapped to five different genes and four intergenic regions. Three of these genes, including two putative regulatory genes (gntR and iopB homologues), were clustered in a 13 kb chromosomal region containing 13 putative ORFs. A GAF mutation identified previously as affecting an aminotransferase also maps to this region. We suggest that three of the genes in this region (a carbamoyltransferase, an aminotransferase and a formyltransferase) encode the enzymes necessary to synthesize dihydroGAF, the putative immediate precursor of GAF in a proposed GAF biosynthetic pathway. RT-qPCR analyses demonstrated that mutations in the gntR and iopB regulatory genes, as well as in a prtR homologue identified earlier as controlling GAF formation, suppressed transcription of at least two of the putative GAF biosynthetic genes (encoding the aminotransferase and formyltransferase) located in this 13 kb region.
Biological control of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, using Gramicidin S and D and molluscicidal strains of Bacillus

Applications of Final Whole Culture (FWC) or primary powder material from strains of each of four Bacillus species (B. alvei, B. brevis, B. circulans, B. laterosporus) used singly, as well as the antibiotics Gramicidin S (GS) and Gramicidin D (GD) used singly, were found to be molluscicidal against several life cycle stages of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha. Combinations of the bacterial material with either GS or GD were either additive (for GS) or antagonistic (for GD). The smaller the life cycle stage of the animal, the more sensitive it was to either the bacterial or antibiotic agent. The veliger stage was particularly sensitive to each agent, with the molluscicidal effect being more rapid in the veliger (5 h) than in the adult (6 days). The molluscicidal effects of these agents (at 1–100 μ g ml−1) against the veliger stages of the zebra mussel were comparable to the activity of B. thuringiensis and B. sphaericus against their target organisms. These agents used singly were also active against small adult Biomphalaria glabrata, the snail vector of schistosomiasis (eg at tenths of μ g ml−1 of GS).
Log-domain filtering: an approach to current-mode filtering

A novel approach to filter design, based on Adams' [1] ‘log-domain’ filters, is proposed that yields a truly current-mode circuit realisation. Adams' idea, which was introduced in a limited context, is generalised to permit a complete distortionless synthesis procedure, which results in circuit implementations readily realisable using complementary bipolar processes. It is shown that, by introducing an exponential map on the state-space description of the desired linear system, a log-domain filter can be fully realised with transistors configured in current mirror-type groupings, current sources and capacitors. Owing to the mapping, the state variables are intrinsically related to current, and not voltage, in the resulting circuits, a fact that emphasises the current-mode nature of the design. A general biquadratic filter section is designed, and, following discussion of cascading sections, a seventh-order Chebychev lowpass filter is designed. All designed circuits are shown to be tunable over a two-decade range in frequency while their characteristics are accurately preserved, even for biquad sections whose f0Q product is greater than fT/10. The Chebychev filter is shown in simulation to possess nearly 60 dB dynamic range relative to 0.9% THD, with a cutoff frequency of nearly 5 MHz, using transistor models from AT&T's CBIC-R 300 MHz complementary bipolar process.