cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crack-depth effects in the cylindrically guided wave technique for bolt and pump-shaft inspections

Abstract The cylindrically guided wave technique (CGWT) has been developed and applied to the inspections of bolt and pump shaft in a nuclear power plant. Using the CGWT, defects were detected after an ultrasonic wave traveled through a long path in a metallic bolt, or shaft. The cylindrically guide wave has been known to be dispersive. This fact is important in the development of the capacity to determine the depth of a crack. A theoretical study was made on wave scattering at the circumferential crack in a long cylinder. The crack tip has an arbitrary radius d , which is less than the cylinder radius a . A time-harmonic incident wave with frequency ω is assumed to impinge on the crack. The scattered field involves several terms and has satisfied the stress-free conditions at the crack surfaces and the cylindrical surface. In this exact three-dimensional formulation, the terms of the displacement at a large distance from the crack were shown as vanishing except for the guided wave terms. The guided waves become predominant in the place where the ultrasonic receivers are usually located. The displacement in the direction of the cylinder axis is written in the form of guided progressive waves. In the process of solution, an integral equation is established. The highest order approximation of the solution is obtained and used in the numerical calculations of the scattered waveforms. The transfer factor of the scattered wave is calculated for a wide range of the frequency spectrum. The scattered waveforms at a distance away from the crack are calculated and presented for various values of the ratio of d to a . Also presented is the variation of the scattered waveform with respect to the distance of travel. The result clearly reveals the effects that the crack depth has on the amplitude and width of the scattered waveforms. It also enhances the capacity of CGWT to determine the depth of a crack.
Social indicators of human nutrition: Measures of nutritional status

The social indicators movement has neglected indicators of nutritional status. This report presents a discussion of the problems of validity, reliability and precision that plague current measures of nutritional status. Additional concerns for technically feasible and economically sound field methods are also expressed. The advantages of the various indicators are outlined. Indicators to measure the distribution of nutritional status across subgroups are presented. Further researcher is suggested.
Analyzing the impact of Double Patterning Lithography on SRAM variability in 45nm CMOS

This paper analyzes the impact of Double Patterning Lithography (DPL) on 6T SRAM variability. A test chip is implemented in a 45nm CMOS process that uses DPL. Measurements from 75 dies demonstrate a significant impact of DPL on SRAM failures. Extensive analysis demonstrates that DPL induced mismatch considerably increases functional failures in SRAM cells, and degrades yield. We also propose a DPL-aware sizing technique to mitigate yield losses.
Parameter Reduction for Variability Analysis by Slice Inverse Regression (SIR) Method

With semiconductor fabrication technologies scaled below 100 nm, the design-manufacturing interface becomes more and more complicated. The resultant process variability causes a number of issues in the new generation IC design. One of the biggest challenges is the enormous number of process variation related parameters. These parameters represent numerous local and global variations, and pose a heavy burden in today's chip verification and design. This paper proposes a new way of reducing the statistical variations (which include both process parameters and design variables) according to their impacts on the overall circuit performance. The new approach creates an effective reduction subspace (ERS) and provides a transformation matrix by using the mean and variance of the response surface. With the generated transformation matrix, the proposed method maps the original statistical variations to a smaller set of variables with which we process variability analysis. Thus, the computational cost due to the number of variations is greatly reduced. Experimental results show that by using new method we can achieve 20% to 50% parameter reduction with only less than 8% error on average.
Incorporation of quinoline into coal and coal-derived products

Quinoline forms an adduct with Bruceton hvAb coal at temperatures < 250 °C in the absence of H2 pressure and catalyst. The extent of quinoline incorporation into Bruceton coal was both time and temperature dependent. After 4 h at 200 °C, ≈ 20 wt% of quinoline had incorporated into the coal, as indicated by solubility measurements. A dissolution-precipitation technique was employed to permit a clean separation of physically-entrapped quinoline from the crude adduct. The crude adduct isolated in the first precipitation step had ≈ 75% of its quinoline content physically entrapped and 25% chemically bound, presumably by hydrogen bonding to acidic centres.
The chemical compatibility and tensile behavior of an Ni3Al-based composite

The chemical compatibility and tensile properties of a powder processed intermetallic matrix composite (IMC) were investigated in the temperature range 298–1373 K. The matrix alloy selected for this study was the ORNL developed advanced nickel-aluminide IC-221 (Ni-16Al-8Cr-1Zr-0.05B at. %). The composite contained 25 vol. % TiC particulate reinforcement. TiC/IC-221 compatibility samples were heat treated at 1373 K for up to 1000 h. A layer enriched in Zr and Ti formed at the TiC/IC-221 interface after heat treatment. In addition, Ti was observed to diffuse into the matrix. The composite exhibited higher yield strength and lower ductility than a similarly processed matrix alloy at all test temperatures. Heat treatment of the composite improved the tensile properties due to particulate/matrix interaction, resulting in improved load transfer. SEM fractography revealed that tensile failure occurred at the matrix/prticulate interface. Remnants of the matrix were observed on TiC particles on the fracture surface, suggesting good matrix/particulate bonding. The mechanical properties of the composite were very competitive with Ni-base superalloys.
An Additional Function of the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein Complex Prolyl 3-Hydroxylase 1·Cartilage-associated Protein·Cyclophilin B: THE CXXXC MOTIF REVEALS DISULFIDE ISOMERASE ACTIVITY IN VITRO*

Collagen biosynthesis occurs in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and many molecular chaperones and folding enzymes are involved in this process. The folding mechanism of type I procollagen has been well characterized, and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) has been suggested as a key player in the formation of the correct disulfide bonds in the noncollagenous carboxyl-terminal and amino-terminal propeptides. Prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 (P3H1) forms a hetero-trimeric complex with cartilage-associated protein and cyclophilin B (CypB). This complex is a multifunctional complex acting as a prolyl 3-hydroxylase, a peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerase, and a molecular chaperone. Two major domains are predicted from the primary sequence of P3H1: an amino-terminal domain and a carboxyl-terminal domain corresponding to the 2-oxoglutarate- and iron-dependent dioxygenase domains similar to the α-subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylases. The amino-terminal domain contains four CXXXC sequence repeats. The primary sequence of cartilage-associated protein is homologous to the amino-terminal domain of P3H1 and also contains four CXXXC sequence repeats. However, the function of the CXXXC sequence repeats is not known. Several publications have reported that short peptides containing a CXC or a CXXC sequence show oxido-reductase activity similar to PDI in vitro. We hypothesize that CXXXC motifs have oxido-reductase activity similar to the CXXC motif in PDI. We have tested the enzyme activities on model substrates in vitro using a GCRALCG peptide and the P3H1 complex. Our results suggest that this complex could function as a disulfide isomerase in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Background: The function of the CXXXC motifs in P3H1 and CRTAP has not been previously characterized. Results: The model GCRALCG peptide and the P3H1·CRTAP·CypB complex show disulfide isomerase activity in vitro. Conclusion: Our results suggest that this complex could function as a disulfide isomerase. Significance: This indicates an additional function of the P3H1 complex in the rER.
Anisotropic XY Model for Two-Dimensional Fe

New results on the magnetic properties of two-dimensional (2D) Fe(100) films close to and far from the Curie point are presented. The nonuniversal critial behavior found for these 2D Fe films grown on Pd(100) and Au(100) substrates is shown to be consistent with theoretical predictions for the 2D XY model with two-fold and four-fold symmetry-breaking perturbations.
Synthesis of 14C-labeled and tritiated AMPA potentiator LY450108

Asymmetric synthesis of AMPA potentiator LY450108-[14C] containing 14C-label attached to the chiral center of the molecule, was accomplished based on Evans' chiral oxazolidinone auxiliary method. Diastereoselective methylation of p-nitrophenylacetic acid derivative was used as a key step. The auxiliary was reductively removed, and the resulting primary alcohol was converted into the corresponding amine. Its sulfonylation, reduction of the aromatic nitro group, and acylation with 3,5-difluorobenzoyl chloride led to the final product. The synthesis of tritiated LY450108 is also detailed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recent research and design developments in steel and composite steel–concrete structures in USA

Abstract A brief review of the status of structural steel research in the US at the end of the Twentieth Century is presented in this paper to show that while many problems are being solved, there are new and challenging problems remaining. The chief impetus for continued research is that provided by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tropical storms, tornadoes and floods occurring in densely populated urban areas. New materials and new experimental and computational technologies also give rise to new and exciting research problems.
Insomnia: Old wine in a new bottle

The present paper provides a brief review of the medical and psychoanalytic literature concerning the etiology and treatment of insomnia, a highlight of recent sleep EEG research achievements, and a discussion of current research objectives and the manner in which they may contribute to a more rational approach toward treatment of sleep disorders.
Tied to a Tree: Culture and Self-Reflexivity

Comparative rhetoricians are heavily involved in textual interpretation, and the quality of the interpretation largely depends on how self-reflexive the interpreter is. However, within the disciplines of textual studies there is little specific guidance on how to improve self-reflexivity. This essay is intended to ameliorate this situation by drawing on and synthesizing the relevant literatures from such areas as cultural anthropology, qualitative research, and critical theory. I begin by outlining the disputes over the concept of self-reflexivity. I then move to the different spheres that have been proposed for self-reflexivity; these spheres range from accidents of individual psychology to historical circumstances to webs of power and privilege. Next I describe the most useful techniques for refining self-reflexivity, mapping out their theoretical and practical complexities. Throughout the essay I pull from my work on traditional Chinese rhetoric for cautionary examples. I conclude with some words of wa...
A physically motivated anisotropic tensorial representation of damage with separate functions for void nucleation, growth, and coalescence

Abstract A phenomenological anisotropic damage progression formulation for porous ductile metals with second phases is described through mechanisms of void nucleation, growth and coalescence. The model is motivated from fracture mechanisms and microscale physical observations. To describe the creation of new pores, the decohesion at the particle–matrix interface and the fragmentation of second phase particles, the void-crack nucleation equation is related to several microstructural parameters (fracture toughness, length scale parameter, particle size, volume and fraction of second phase), the plastic strain level, and the stress state. Nucleation is represented by a general symmetric second rank tensor, and its components are proportional to the absolute value of the plastic strain rate components. Based on the Rice and Tracey model, void growth is a scalar function of the trace of damage tensor and the positive triaxiality. Like nucleation, coalescence is a second rank tensor governed by the plastic strain rate tensor and the stress state. The coalescence threshold is related to the void length scale for void impingement and void sheet mechanisms. The coupling of damage with the Bammann–Chiesa–Johnson (BCJ) plasticity model is written in the thermodynamic framework and derives from the concept of effective stress assuming the hypothesis of energy equivalence. A full-implicit algorithm is used for the stress integration and the determination of the consistent tangent operator. Finally, macroscale correlations to cast A356 AL alloy and wrought 6061-T6 AL alloy experimental data are completed with predictive void-crack evolution to illustrate the applicability of the anisotropic damage model.
MO‐D‐BRB‐07: Automated IMRT Plan Generation for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Inter‐clinician variability can result in large inconsistencies in IMRT plan quality. This manifests itself as delays in the process due to wasted effort and/or suboptimal plans with respect to target coverage, normal tissue sparing, or both. The purpose of this work is to assess the performance of an automated IMRT planning (autoplanning) routine for prostate cancer.Methods: Autoplanning routines were created in the Philips Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS). The implementation of the autoplanning routines relied on Pinnacle ‘scripts,’ which are assemblies of internal commands stored as text files. Scripts can be called at any time on new patient files. When invoked on a new patient, the autoplanning routine creates various target and normal tissue planning structures, sets the beams and dose prescription, and loads customized IMRT objectives to start the optimization. The target objectives are based on prescription dose, while OAR objectives are determined from a model that takes into account geometric properties of the target and OARs to predict mean doses based on prior cases. To determine its clinical utility, the autoplanning script was compared to five retrospective plans. The prior and autoplanned cases were normalized by equalizing PTV coverage at the prescription dose; the comparison metrics focused on the target dose homogeneity and OAR sparing. Results: The script takes less than 90 seconds to run. The optimization time is case dependent, taking from 10–20 minutes until the initial solution converges. In the five comparison plans, one autoplanned solution bettered the clinically approved plan without intervention, while the remaining cases requiring minimal efforts (10 min ‐ 3 hrs of refinement) to meet or exceed the clinically approved plans. Conclusion: Autoplanning shows great potential in setting the basis for IMRT plans which meet the quality of manually developed plans with minimal or no intervention.
Enhancing Service Responsiveness: The Strategic Potential of EDI

Reports a recent survey of warehousing firms which examined the extent of involvement in electronic data interchange (EDI) and the impact which EDI has had on the firms′ operations and service capabilities. Warehousing firms providing EDI services to their customers were found to be better able to accommodate selected customers′ requests than firms not providing EDI services. Additionally, the firms providing EDI service were offering more services to their customers than firms not providing EDI service. Based on the research results, EDI firms appear to be more flexible and more responsive to customer requests. EDI offers significant potential for helping firms to gain competitive advantage and enhance customer responsiveness.
Bladder Reinnervation Using a Primarily Motor Donor Nerve (Femoral Nerve Branches) is Functionally Superior to Using a Primarily Sensory Donor Nerve (Genitofemoral Nerve)

Purpose: We determined whether transfer of a primarily motor nerve (femoral) to the anterior vesicle branch of the pelvic nerve would allow for more effective bladder reinnervation than transfer of a primarily sensory nerve (genitofemoral).Materials and Methods: A total of 41 female mongrel dogs underwent bladder decentralization and then bilateral nerve transfer, or served as sham operated or unoperated controls. Decentralization was achieved by bilateral transection of all sacral roots that induced bladder contraction upon electrical stimulation. Retrograde neuronal labeling dye was injected in the bladder 3 weeks before sacrifice.Results: Increased detrusor pressure after direct stimulation of the transferred nerve, lumbar spinal cord or spinal root was observed in 12 of 17 dogs with genitofemoral nerve transfer and in 9 of 10 with femoral nerve transfer (mean ± SEM 7.6 ± 1.4 and 11.7 ± 3.1 cm H2O, respectively). Mean detrusor pressure after direct electrical stimulation of transferred femoral nerves w...
Cryogenic leak testing of tube fittings/valves

A high pressure and variable temperature cryogenic leak testing system was conceived and designed in order to conduct leakage testing of pipe fittings/valves in liquid hydrogen supply lines of the Space Shuttle. The system can create a continuous testing environment of variable temperature, 5.5 to about 300 K, and variable pressure, 0.01 to about 70 x 10 exp 5 Pa, with a large sample space, 90 mm diameter x 228 mm length, and at low operating cost. In terms of cryogenic leak testing the system has a special capability for extensive applications. The system comprised a variable temperature cryostat, a high pressure sample chamber, a vacuum pumping station, gas flow control system, pressure and temperature control systems, and leak detecting and measuring systems. A general discussion of cryogenic leak testing methods is also presented.
Levels of Relatedness Within the Dependency Factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Adolescents

Provides information on the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire which assesses two types of dysphoric experiences, namely, interpersonal issues such as loss, abandonment and loneliness and issues of self-esteem such as failure, guilt and a lack of self-worth and autonomy. Positive correlation of the Dependence subscale with measures of depression; Application of the Facet Theory and Smallest Space Analysis.
Spectroscopic studies of the hydrogen bond

Abstract Since the publication of the proceedings of the Ljubljana symposium on hydrogen bonding by Hadzi [1] and the excellent book on the hydrogen bond by Pimentel and McClellan [2], a very large number of publications on the spectroscopic studies of hydrogen bonding have appeared in the literature. The present authors prepared a review on hydrogen bonding covering the period 1958–1963 for limited circulation [3]. In view of the very enthusiastic reception for this review by a number of workers and also the vast amount of published information on the subject after 1963, it was considered valuable to present an up-to-date review on the subject. The present review covers the period from 1958 to 1967 and embodies most of the studies on the hydrogen bond employing spectroscopic methods. The review does not include studies on crystals and macromolecules; hydrogen bonding in crystals has been recently reviewed by Hamilton and Ibers [4]. Electronic theories of the hydrogen bond have been reviewed by Bratoz [5]...
Phonetic markers of global discourse structures in English

Abstract A hypothesis about the relationship between prosodic structure and discourse structure in English was tested by taking into consideration explicit models of both intonational structure and discourse structure in constructing the experimental corpus. In the experiment, a corpus of discourses with controlled structure was read by speakers. Matched pairs of utterances were extracted from different positions in the discourses. These pairs were played to listeners to test whether the discourse position was distinguishable. The utterances were then ToBI transcribed in order to test whether the same dominance relationships in the discourses are reflected by the same edge tones. Then, pairs which were perceptually distinct were examined for tonal similarity. Finally, pairs of utterances which were perceptually distinct and which had similar tones were analyzed acoustically for phonetic differences. Several trends emerged in the acoustic analysis, including differences in fundamental frequency, root mean square amplitude, and duration. These phonetic factors were thus bearing the functional load of indicating more global aspects of discourse structure.
Idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis: a case report.

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a rare fibrosing inflamatory process involving dura mater and tentorium. In this report we are presenting contrast enhanced MRI findings of an unusual case of pachymeningitis which presented with a periorbital mass due to dural sinuses occlusion and retrograde filling of periorbital veins through superior sagittal sinus.
Iodine and lithium intercalation into the high-Tc superconducting oxide Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy☆

Abstract The kinetics of formation of the iodine intercalate of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y have been studied. Upto one iodine atom per 2212 formula unit was incorporated into the structure; under the conditions of reaction used no second-stage compound was observed. The activation energy for the diffusion of iodine molecules in the interlayer of the intercalation compound was determined (45 kJ/ mol). Lithium diffusion into the structure was studied chemically and electrochemically and was found to saturate at about x = 0.3 in Li x Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y ; the lithium has a diffusion coefficient around 10 −13 cm 2 /s. A small expansion of the lattice was observed. The superconductive properties were not improved by iodine or lithium intercalation.
Exponential stabilization of discrete-time switched linear systems ☆

This article studies the exponential stabilization problem for discrete-time switched linear systems based on a control-Lyapunov function approach. It is proved that a switched linear system is exponentially stabilizable if and only if there exists a piecewise quadratic control-Lyapunov function. Such a converse control-Lyapunov function theorem justifies many of the earlier synthesis methods that have adopted piecewise quadratic Lyapunov functions for convenience or heuristic reasons. In addition, it is also proved that if a switched linear system is exponentially stabilizable, then it must be stabilizable by a stationary suboptimal policy of a related switched linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) problem. Motivated by some recent results of the switched LQR problem, an efficient algorithm is proposed, which is guaranteed to yield a control-Lyapunov function and a stabilizing policy whenever the system is exponentially stabilizable.
Missing Our Comparative Advantage? Analysis from the Human Rights Frontier

The ever-widening application of “rights”-based discourse and practice worldwide raises critical research questions which comparative politics scholars are uniquely well-suited to analyze. Yet comparativists often shy away from human rights inquiry. The authors of this article explore the professional deterrents and intellectual challenges that lie behind this paradox. Drawing on their expertise on transitional justice and economic rights, they also indicate concrete ways in which the mass, scope and depth of comparative politics scholarship on human rights could be significantly increased.
Examination of Mitotic Stability and Hybridization Potential between Two Genetically Distinct Haplotypes of Magnaporthe grisea

Abstract Xia, J. Q. and Correll, J. C. 1995. Examination of mitotic stability and hybridization potential between two genetically distinct haplotypes of Magnaporthe grisea. Experimental Mycology 19, 171-177. MGR586 DNA fingerprinting was used to examine the mitotic stability and hybridization potential of two genetically distinct haplotypes of Magnaporthe grisea under laboratory conditions. Two isolates representing a haplotype in each of two different MGR586 DNA-fingerprinting groups (A and D) commonly found on rice in Arkansas, were grown singly or in coculture on solid medium, liquid medium, or on coinoculated rice leaves. A total of 355 monoconidial cultures were recovered at various times and examined for their MGR586 DNA fingerprints. The majority of the isolates of the two MGR586 DNA haplotypes remained stable over the 162-to 171-day study period. However, 16 isolates recovered belonged to one of seven nonparental haplotypes identified; the DNA fingerprints of these haplotypes differed by only 1-5% from the parental haplotypes. Of 97 isolates recovered from solid medium, a single nonparental haplotype was identified from the coculture treatment after 171 days. Of the 200 isolates recovered from liquid medium, 15 were nonparental types and represented seven different haplotypes. Of these, a single nonparental isolate was recovered from the parental haplotype D isolate grown singly after 67 days. The other 14 nonparental isolates were recovered from the coculture treatment; 3 were recovered after 38 days, 4 after 67 days, and 7 after 162 days. Thus, the nonparental variants were recovered much more frequently from the cocultured treatment. The appearance of the nonparental haplotypes may be due to hybridization between the two haplotypes. However, other factors such as a higher mutation in coculture cannot be ruled out as a possible explanation for these data. All isolates recovered from a lesion from coinoculated rice leaves were one haplotype. The data indicate that there was competition in both artificial media and host tissue between the two MGR586 haplotypes.
Differential regulation of gene expression of neurotensin and prohormone convertases PC1 and PC2 in the bovine ocular ciliary epithelium: possible implications on neurotensin processing.

Prohormone convertases PC1 and PC2 are enzymes involved in the intracellular processing of pro-neurotensin/neuromedin N (pro-NT/NN) through the regulated secretory pathway. In this study, we present evidence of the differential gene expression of pro-NT/NN, pro-PC1 and pro-PC2 in two cell lines established from the neuroendocrine ocular ciliary epithelium. Dexamethasone and forskolin were found to synergistically up-regulate NT/NN mRNA expression in both cell types. The pigmented cells released NT, and this release was enhanced by agents that induced its biosynthesis. In contrast, nonpigmented cells exhibited a significantly reduced neurotensin secretion in response to inducers, leading to an accumulation of the peptide. PC1 and PC2 mRNA expression was induced in a cell-specific manner by the same agents that enhanced pro-NT/NN biosynthesis. These results demonstrate cell-specific processing of pro-NT/NN by the ciliary epithelium.
Interactions of Oxygen and Hydrogen on Pd(111) surface

The coadsorption and interactions of oxygen and hydrogen on Pd(1 1 1) was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations. In the absence of hydrogen oxygen forms a (2 x 2) ordered structure. Coadsorption of hydrogen leads to a structural transformation from (2 x 2) to a ({radical}3 x {radical}3)R30 degree structure. In addition to this transformation, hydrogen enhances the mobility of oxygen. To explain these observations, the interaction of oxygen and hydrogen on Pd(1 1 1) was studied within the density functional theory. In agreement with the experiment the calculations find a total energy minimum for the oxygen (2 x 2) structure. The interaction between H and O atoms was found to be repulsive and short ranged, leading to a compression of the O islands from (2 x 2) to ({radical}3 x {radical}3)R30 degree ordered structure at high H coverage. The computed energy barriers for the oxygen diffusion were found to be reduced due to the coadsorption of hydrogen, in agreement with the experimentally observed enhancement of oxygen mobility. The calculations also support the finding that at low temperatures the water formation reaction does not occur on Pd(1 1 1).
Improvement of anger at one week predicts the effects of sertraline and placebo in PTSD

Abstract In previous work we demonstrated an early, robust and sustained effect for sertraline vs placebo on irritability and anger in subjects with PTSD. In this report, we explore the same dataset to assess whether a clinician might usefully predict ultimate response to sertraline, on the basis of its effect upon anger after one week. Three hundred and eighteen subjects were assessed. Outcome was measured by whether or not the score was reduced by at least 50% from baseline. Ordinary least squares regression was used to estimate the effects of change in anger at one week. Logistic regression was applied to estimate the effects on odds of a 50% drop in score. Cut points were developed for one-week change scores on anger for sertraline and placebo. The best cut point was selected as predictive of non-response, i.e. a cue suggesting that treatment switch would be in order. An increase in anger of 30% at one-week best predicted the likelihood of not responding to treatment in both the drug and placebo groups. Twenty-five percent of all non-responders were incorrectly identified, while only 7% of all improvers were incorrectly categorized as non-responders using this cutoff. Our findings imply that, for patients similar to those in this study, an increase in anger after one week of treatment might be one factor to consider when making a decision about continuation of the medication.
Iron in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a non-curable B-cell malignancy in which iron metabolism plays an important role. Patients with this disorder almost universally suffer from clinically significant anemia, which is often symptomatic, and which is due to impaired iron utilization. Recent studies have indicated that the proximal cause of dysregulated iron metabolism and anemia in these patients is cytokine-induced upregulation of hepcidin expression. Malignant myeloma cells are dependent on an increased influx of iron, and therapeutic efforts are being made to target this requirement. The studies detailing the characteristics and biochemical abnormalities in iron metabolism causing anemia and the initial attempts to target iron therapeutically are described in this review.
Debris Contamination in Sliding Contacts

Particulate contaminated lubricants can be detrimental to any tribosystem. Debris can originate from the external environment, be unintentionally introduced during fabrication, or be generated internally during operation. These particles, if not carefully filtered out, can have serious implications on the integrity of a tribosystem. This study focused on the abrasive wear observed from four-ball wear tests in the presence of lubricant with particulate contaminants. The contaminants studied were silicon dioxide sand particles and self generated AISI E-52100 steel particles. The particles were submerged in an industrial EP gear oil. The effects of particle size, composition, and concentration on abrasive wear of sliding interfaces was analyzed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Pro: robotically-assisted CABG is the optimal treatment for coronary artery disease.

DESPITE PROGRESS made by interventional cardiologists and advances in pharmacotherapy of ischemic heart disease, surgical coronary revascularization remains the most effective method of treatment for patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD). Because coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been routinely performed and standardized, the focus of research and development has shifted to strategies for reducing surgical stress, trauma, and procedurerelated complications. The introduction of endoscopic techniques developed in general surgery, orthopedics, and thoracic surgery and the development of new technology specific to cardiac surgery (eg, port access) led to the development of minimally invasive cardiac surgery. Minimally invasive cardiac surgery for CAD became popular with patients and some clinicians based on hopes of superior cosmetic results, faster patient recovery, and possible cost savings. Unfortunately, attempts to use existing endoscopic equipment in cardiac surgery have not resulted in the routine use of these procedures. Barriers to the widespread use of endoscopic cardiac surgery included poor visualization, problems with eye-hand coordination, use of 2-dimensional vision with subsequent loss of depth perception, fulcrum effect (movement of the instrument tip in direction opposite to the surgeon’s hands), imprecision and lack of dexterity because of significant operator fatigue, and interference and amplification of natural hand tremor. Now, minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques have been further extended with the use of robotic technology and have led to a renewed interest in closed chest cardiac surgery as a possible routine procedure.
The insulated conductor as a scattering antenna in a relatively dense medium

A simple formula is derived for the current induced in an insulated conducting cylinder when embedded in an isotropic homogeneous dissipative medium and excited by a periodic electric field with uniform amplitude and phase along its axis. The currents on electrically short, resonant, and terminated insulated conductors are discussed.
Continental runoff and early Cenozoic bottom-water sources

The dominance of warm saline bottom water during the mid-Cretaceous and the early Cenozoic has been inferred from sea-floor sediment records, an interpretation supported by early ocean general circulation model experiments. Thermohaline circulation depends in part on upper ocean salinities; however, early ocean models neglected continental runoff, a potentially critical factor in the salinity budget of the surface ocean. Our early Eocene ocean model sensitivity tests show that model deep-water sources can be enhanced, diminished, or turned off by varying the treatment of continental runoff in the atmosphere-ocean moisture flux calculation. Failure to treat surface runoff adequately thus has important implications for the simulation of thermohaline flow and formation of warm saline bottom water. Variations in runoff could have led to rapid changes in the relative importance of high-latitude versus subtropical deep water, such as may have occurred during the late Paleocene–early Eocene boundary interval (≈ 53.6–56.2 Ma).
Numerical knowledge as enabling and constraining fraction knowledge: an example of the reorganization hypothesis

Abstract It has been argued in the literature that numerical knowledge enables and constrains the development of fractional knowledge (the reorganization hypothesis), rather than interfering with it. This article examines the viability of the reorganization hypothesis in a case study of an African-American male, Jerry, who had constructed the initial number sequence at the beginning of his third grade in school. The case study extends over a 3-year period during which Jerry participated in a teaching experiment concerned with children’s construction of fractional knowledge. I use Piaget’s conception of fractions in terms of mental operations to indicate how the initial number sequence influenced the child’s fractional knowledge, particularly in the area of part–whole relationships. Specific ways in which the reorganization hypothesis was corroborated are explained in the context of Jerry’s hypothesized numerical operations and in the context of the ways in which the teachers brought forth Jerry’s numerical operations.
Role of nitric oxide in the regulation of HIF-1α expression during hypoxia

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits, controls the expression of a large number of genes involved in the regulation of c...
Boredom in Young Adults Gender and Cultural Comparisons

Little research has been done on boredom within or across cultures. The authors carried out comparisons of college students in Australia, Hong Kong, Lebanon and the United States with the Boredom Proneness (BP) Scale. A principal component analysis of the four samples revealed similar factor loadings and alpha coefficients. An ANOVA among groups showed a significant main effect of culture. A gender effect was also significant. Australian and U.S. samples were similar in their BP levels. Lebanese students, followed by the Hong Kong students, reported the highest amount of boredom proneness. Within all cultural groups males scored higher than females and significantly so in the United States and Australia. We identified 15 items that were transcultural in that they loaded on the first factor in all samples. Boredom proneness was found to share about half of its elements across cultures, leaving about half culturally specific. The authors explored the reasons for cultural and gender differences and pointed t...
Reversible granulocytopenia in association with riluzole therapy

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of severe neutropenia developing in association with riluzole 200 mg/d.CASE SUMMARY:A 63-year-old woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) presented with nausea, anorexia, and fever two weeks following inadvertent dose escalation of riluzole from 100 to 200 mg/d. Granulocytopenia was diagnosed and evaluation for a possible causative infectious process was negative; riluzole was considered a possible offender. Blood counts returned to normal with discontinuation of riluzole and administration of filgramstim.DISCUSSION:Riluzole is a glutamate release inhibitor used in the treatment of ALS, a devastating, progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor neurons. A variety of adverse effects have been described with riluzole therapy, most commonly dizziness and gastrointestinal disorders. In this patient, multiple investigations failed to reveal an infectious cause or other drug-induced cause for the granulocytopenia.CONCLUSIONS:Granulocytopenia has been reported as an a...
The moderating effects of personality on the relationship between change in work stressors and change in counterproductive work behaviours

We examined the relationship between change in work stressors and change in counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs) over 6 months using three waves of data. Increases in work stressors (i.e., interpersonal conflict and organizational constraints) were positively associated with both increases in CWBs (trend effects) and subsequent levels of CWBs (delayed-reaction effects). Personality characteristics (i.e., agreeableness and conscientiousness) were examined as moderators of the trend effects and delayed-reaction effects. As expected, the trend effect was stronger for low-agreeableness (or low-conscientiousness) workers than for high-agreeableness (or high-conscientiousness) workers. Contrary to expectations, however, the delayed-reaction effect was not consistently moderated by personality. We recommend that organizations recognize the potential for delayed consequences when estimating the effects of changes to the work environment. Organizations may also consider using individually tailored training methods (based on the worker's unique personality) to instruct workers about effective coping strategies. Practitioner points Unfortunately for organizations, the nature of the work stressor–CWB relationship is likely more complex than could be previously understood utilizing cross-sectional data. Organizations should be aware that CWBs could increase concurrently with an increase in work stressors (trend effect) and subsequently after an extended increase in work stressors has occurred (delayed-reaction effect). The potential presence of both immediate and delayed CWB responses to change in work stressors may indicate that the damage caused by work stressors is often underestimated. Organizations need to be more aware of the potential delayed costs of changes in work stressors for financial forecasting, programme development, and policy change. Organizations should be particularly concerned about an increase in work stressors immediately resulting in CWBs among low-conscientiousness or low-agreeableness workers. Efforts to educate workers about effective coping strategies could be tailored based on the employee's personality. Managers, however, should be aware that low-conscientiousness or low-agreeableness workers may be particularly vulnerable to delayed effects of increasing work stressors.
Methodology for Efficient Perception in Exclusively Haptic Environments

In haptic environments, it is especially demanding to design realistic interaction paradigms and provide global navigational cues. In this paper, we present a methodology that can replace and/or augment realistic haptic environments and is inspired by the psychological basis of haptics. The system employs haptic cueing to convey information about shape, size, texture, and material of the object through user-determined cues. The key conceptual framework that guides this approach is that humans have haptical memory of an object, and sparse data about the object features presented through cues can invoke spatial concepts that reveal the identity of the object. Secondly, the system represents an object's surface as a 2D raised surface map in the virtual environment. Since the haptic modality is specialized to perceive surface properties, surface rendering mimics the real environment and presents veridical sensations about the surface. We compare this methodology to conventional rendering of haptic objects where the object is sensed in its entirety through a haptic interface. The paper further studies usability of realistic haptic rendering in 1) egocentric and exocentric reference frames, and 2) with tactile and/or force feedback. Initial results indicate that tactile cueing in combination with realistic rendering of surfaces with force feedback in an egocentric reference frame leads to the most efficient perception
Localized Feature Selection for Clustering and its Application in Image Grouping

In clustering, global feature selection algorithms attempt to select a common feature subset that is relevant for all clusters. Consequently, they are not able to identify individual clusters that exist in different feature subspaces. In this paper, we propose a localized feature selection algorithm for clustering. The proposed algorithm computes adjusted and normalized scatter separability for individual clusters. A sequential backward search is then applied to find the optimal (maybe local) feature subsets for each cluster. Experiment results on both synthetic data clustering and content-based image grouping show the need for feature selection in clustering and the benefits of selecting features locally.
What We “Say” and What We “Think” About Female Managers: Explicit Versus Implicit Associations of Women With Success

In two studies, we investigated implicit gender stereotypes of successful managers. Using an adaptation of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) named the Successful Manager IAT (SM-IAT) in Study 1, ...
Observables, Gauge Invariance, and Time in (2+1)-dimensional Quantum Gravity

Two formulations of quantum gravity in 2+1 dimensions have been proposed: one based on Arnowitt-Deser-Misner variables and York's "extrinsic time," the other on diffeomorphism-invariant ISO(2,1) holonomy variables. In the former approach, the Hamiltonian is nonzero, and states are time dependent; in the latter, the Hamiltonian vanishes, and states are time independent but manifestly gauge invariant. This paper compares the resulting quantum theories in order to explore the role of time in quantum gravity. It is shown that the two theories are exactly equivalent for simple spatial topologies, and that gauge-invariant "time"-dependent operators can be constructed for arbitrary topologies.
Accurate waveform modeling using singular value decomposition with applications to timing analysis

It is known that ramp-based models are not sufficient for accurate timing modeling. In this paper, we develop a technique that accurately models the waveforms, and also allows a flexible trade-off of accuracy vs. computational and representational cost. The technique is based on singular value decomposition (SVD) and it naturally leads to a more general gate delay model which can be applied in any timing analysis engine with minor modifications. We demonstrate its application in timing analysis by propagating a waveform along a path. When compared with Spice, the proposed model shows good accuracy.
Upstream Analyses Create Problems with DNA-Based Species Delimitation

MELISA OLAVE1, EDUARD SOLA2, AND L. LACEY KNOWLES3 1Centro Nacional Patagonico – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Chubut U 9120 ACD, Argentina, 2Department de Genetica, Facultat de Biologia and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and 3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 41809-1029, USA ∗Correspondence to be sent to: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 41809-1029, USA; E-mail: knowlesl@umich.edu.
Efficacy of methylcobalamin and folinic acid treatment on glutathione redox status in children with autism

Background: Metabolic abnormalities and targeted treatment trials have been reported for several neurobehavioral disorders but are relatively understudied in autism. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether or not treatment with the metabolic precursors, methylcobalamin and folinic acid, would improve plasma concentrations of transmethylation/transsulfuration metabolites and glutathione redox status in autistic children. Design: In an open-label trial, 40 autistic children were treated with 75 μg/kg methylcobalamin (2 times/wk) and 400 μg folinic acid (2 times/d) for 3 mo. Metabolites in the transmethylation/transsulfuration pathway were measured before and after treatment and compared with values measured in age-matched control children. Results: The results indicated that pretreatment metabolite concentrations in autistic children were significantly different from values in the control children. The 3-mo intervention resulted in significant increases in cysteine, cysteinylglycine, and glutathione concentrations (P < 0.001). The oxidized disulfide form of glutathione was decreased and the glutathione redox ratio increased after treatment (P < 0.008). Although mean metabolite concentrations were improved significantly after intervention, they remained below those in unaffected control children. Conclusion: The significant improvements observed in transmethylation metabolites and glutathione redox status after treatment suggest that targeted nutritional intervention with methylcobalamin and folinic acid may be of clinical benefit in some children who have autism. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00692315.