cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal characteristics of unsaturated dicarboxylic acid durable press finishing systems

Thermoanalytical (TA) studies including differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses were carried out to measure characteristics of dried mixtures based on two unsaturated polycarboxylic acids. Model 9% treatment (pad) solutions of maleic (M) and/or itaconic (I) acid, with and without potassium peroxydisulfate (K) as the free-radical initiator, were prepared with sodium hypophosphite (H) as the catalyst and vacuum oven-dried. DSC thermograms varied with each component; even the presence of a small amount of component K was evident. TG residue production and maximum rates of weight loss were the most useful thermal parameters. Residue/rate factors, used previously as predictors, were calculated. Previous studies indicated that high residues and low rates were indicators of combinations of reactants that resulted in good durable press treatments for fabrics. Residue/rate factors were used to rank the six mixtures that reflect actual fabric treatment combinations: MH, IH, MIH, and those same three with the initiator present. Rankings indicated that the presence of the initiator significantly increased the residue/rate factor for IHK and for MIHK. The presence of the initiator appears more beneficial to itaconic acid than to maleic acid. The rankings by the TA predictor agreed with textile properties measuring appearance and strength. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Performance Characteristics Of CCD's For The Acis Experiment

The search for the optimum CCD to be used at the focal surface of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) is described. The physics of the interaction of X-rays in silicon through the photoelectric effect is reviewed. CCD technology at the beginning of the AXAF definition phase is summarized, and the results of the CCD enhancement program are discussed. Other sources of optimum CCDs are examined, and CCD enhancements made at MIT Lincoln Laboratory are addressed.
Case report: Delayed recognition of an oximeter malfunction

Most anesthesiologists, relying upon sales presentations from salesmen from oximeter manufacturers, believe that if an oximeter produces a steady signal with a good pulse amplitude, the numbers are always believable in the absence of interference from external light sources or from intravenous dyes. Here I report a case in which an oximeter appeared to be working properly yet displayed values which were falsely low. Trust in the oximeter resulted in delayed identification of the problem.
Automatic generation of forward and inverse kinematics for a reconfigurable modular manipulator system

An algorithm is proposed for automatically generating both the forward and inverse kinematics of a serial-link N-degree-of-freedom reconfigurable manipulator (RM). Generation of the kinematic equations that govern a modular manipulator starts with geometric descriptions of the units, or modules, as well as their sequence in the manipulator. This geometric information is used to obtain the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) parameters of an RM. The DH kinematic parameters are then used to obtain the forward kinematic transformation of the system. The problem of obtaining the inverse kinematics of RMs is addressed, and the idea of scaling an RM to automate the inverse kinematics and make the procedure as general as possible is proposed.
Hot-Mix Asphalt Volumetrics Revisited: A New Paradigm

As early as 1905, Richardson recognized the importance to performance of the relative proportions, by volume, of the material components of bituminous mixtures. In the 1940s, Marshall explicitly addressed the volumetric percentages of air voids and of the degree of void saturation by asphalt. In the late 1950s, McLeod clearly demonstrated and justified the appropriate aggregate specific gravities to be used in volumetric computations and emphasized the importance of the combined volumes of the air voids and effective asphalt binder. These various volumetric parameters have since formed a principal part of the Marshall design method and have more recently been enshrined into the Superpave system. The definitions of the various volumetric parameters and their interrelationships are revisited here. An instructive and useful chart has been developed with which mixtures of different volumetric characteristics may be compared and, through trajectory analysis, reduced to a common basis. A further simple graphica...
Some General Properties of Nuclear Reaction and Scattering Cross Sections

This paper deals with some general properties of nuclear reaction and scattering cross sections which can be derived from the dispersion-theoretic treatment of nuclear reactions as given, for example, by Wigner and Eisenbud. The form of the cross section near the resonances is found to satisfy the Breit-Wigner formula with corrections of the order $\frac{{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}^{2}}{{D}^{2}}$, $\ensuremath{\Gamma}=\mathrm{level}\mathrm{width}$, $D=\mathrm{level}\mathrm{spacing}$. In the region between the resonances, the behavior is found to be of three types. In the first two types, simple minima occur differing in order of magnitude in the two cases by a factor $\frac{{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}^{2}}{{D}^{2}}$. In the third type, a flat non-resonance maximum occurs between the resonances considered, accompanied by two minima. This type of behavior may be associated with a large fluctuation of $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ or $D$ at some of the neighboring levels. The cross sections are explicitly calculated for some special choices of the $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ and $D$, and the averages compared with those of the statistical theory. The effect of the potential scattering on the scattering cross sections is briefly discussed.
Bayesian density estimation via dirichlet density processes

For the purpose of nonparametric density estimation, a prior distribution is constructed on the space of stepwise constant density functions, not necessarily of bounded support. In particular, the sequence of heights is conditionally distributed a priorias a Dirichlet process on the integers, given a bidimensional mixing parameter. Such a mixing parameter is composed of a bin width and a starting point which are, in turn, assigned an arbitrary marginal prior. Proper Bayesian estimates of the density are obtained. They are not histograms, but they share common features with the histogram and other kernel based estimators. They also incorporate prior information, like a prior guess for the density or bounds for its support, which may be particularly appealing for small sample situations, where usual density estimation methods are not satisfactory. The estimates are computable by simple numerical methods, as opposed to other nonparametric Bayesian density estimators proposed in the literature, which display ...
Therapeutic potential of 5-[125I]iodo-2'-deoxyuridine and methotrexate in the treatment of advanced neoplastic meningitis.

Purpose: To assess the therapeutic potential of methotrexate (MTX) and 5‐[125I]iodo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (125IdUrd) administered sequentially in rats bearing advanced (ten‐day‐old) intrathecal (i.t.) TE671 human rhabdomyosarcoma tumours.Materials and methods: Nude rats were injected with TE671 cells through an i.t. placed catheter. Ten days later, the animals were injected i.t. over a 12‐day period with (i) saline daily, (ii) MTX every other day, (iii) 125IdUrd every other day, or (iv) MTX and 125IdUrd on alternating days. Onset of paralysis was determined as a function of time, and the medians for onset (M), percentage of cells killed (% kill), and log cell kill were calculated.Results: The data show that (i) injection of MTX leads to a moderate delay in the onset of paralysis (MMTX=29 d versus Msaline=20 d), (ii) administration of 125IdUrd is more effective (MIdUrd=36 d), and (iii) sequential administration of MTX–125IdUrd further increases the therapeutic efficacy of 125IdUrd (MMTX–IdUrd=47 d).Conclusions: ...
Differential scanning calorimetry—thin layer chromatography study of ribonucleosides

Abstract Thermal mutagenesis has been associated with cleavage of the glycosidic bond and modification of the base structure. Using deoxynucleosides as models, thermal analysis has been utilized to determine the influence of structure on relative ease of these thermolysis reactions. Differential enthalpic analyses of series of crystalline ribonucleosides indicate that they are more resistent to glycosidic cleavage than are the corresponding 2′—deoxyribonucleosides. This difference in thermal stability is attributed to the retarding influence of the 2′-hydroxyl group on the initiation of ion pair formation in the proposed cyclic transition state. Cytosine exhibits a unique behavior insofar as partial deamination of the base occurs, subsequent to cleavage from the sugar, to yield uracil as indicated by a combined DSC-TLC analysis.
Animal models of eating disorders

Feeding is a fundamental process for basic survival and is influenced by genetics and environmental stressors. Recent advances in our understanding of behavioral genetics have provided a profound insight on several components regulating eating patterns. However, our understanding of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating, is still poor. The animal model is an essential tool in the investigation of eating behaviors and their pathological forms, yet development of an appropriate animal model for eating disorders still remains challenging due to our limited knowledge and some of the more ambiguous clinical diagnostic measures. Therefore, this review will serve to focus on the basic clinical features of eating disorders and the current advances in animal models of eating disorders.
Potential energy curves for the HNO molecule

Abstract Potential curves for the HNO molecule calculated by the unrestricted Hartree-Fock method are given. Comparisons are made with experimental spectroscopic and kinetics results, and possible mechanisms explaining the observed features are presented and discussed.
Measurements of infrared frequency shifts in stressed polymers

A difference-spectrum method is used to measure vibrational frequency shifts in mechanically stressed polymers. It is shown that the peak-to-peak height of the difference-spectrum intensity profile is a linear function of small frequency shifts with a slope inversely proportional to the band halfwidth for Lorentzian or Gaussian bands. The method is applied to measure frequency shifts in uniaxially stressed ultraoriented isotactic polypropylene films, using a double beam infrared grating dispersion spectrometer with a nonstressed sample in the reference beam. It is shown that frequency shifts can be measured with an accuracy of better than 0.01 cm−1 using the difference-spectrum method.
Introduction: Population Perspectives on Sexual Minorities

Population scientists investigate a multitude of important issues surrounding demographic trends and change. Yet, sexual minorities—including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons—continue to represent an understudied group in population-based research. This has both social and political implications, as it hampers our ability to identify and locate where sexual minorities fall along the spectrum of issues typically investigated by demographers. This special issue includes important population-level studies aimed at understanding the demographic landscape for sexual minorities. Though not an exhaustive list, these include family organization, health disparities, educational attainment, and important implications for measurement and estimation. Perhaps more important, these studies also provide a roadmap that population scientists can use to help develop areas ripe for inquiry.
Context, Compositionality and Calamity

: This paper examines an attempt made in a series of articles (Stanley, 2002, et al.) to create a syntactic placeholder for contextual information. The initial shortcoming of Stanley’s proposal is that it does not easily integrate these placeholders with domain-restricting information syntactically encoded elsewhere in the utterance. Thus, Stanley makes erroneous predictions in the case of sentences in which quantifier-restricting information encoded in (for example) a prepositional phrase conflicts with quantifier-restriction valued by context is internally incoherent. I explore the space of possible solutions that are available to Stanley, demonstrating how each results in its own interpretation problem and, ultimately, fails. In doing so, I argue that Stanley’s syntactic approach to contextual restriction is untenable.
Regional inhibition of sympathetic tone during shivering and induced muscle contraction

Abstract Adrenergic vasoconstriction evoked by the stimulation of the decentralized lumbar sympathetic chain can be inhibited during muscle contraction induced by shivering, sciatic nerve stimulation, or activation of the viscero-somatic reflex. Receptors which initiate the inhibition are thought to be present in skeletal muscle and activated by stretch. The specific site at which the inhibition occurs has not been determined but is known to be at a locus in the efferent adrenergic pathway peripheral to the spinal cord.
Morphological stability of a solid particle growing from a binary alloy melt

Abstract The stability of the shape of a spherical particle growing from an undercooled binary alloy melt is studied by a method of Mullins and Sekerka. These results are then compared with the earlier studies on the stability of planar and cylindrical interfaces, and it is shown that all these results can be generalized to one equation which contains appropriate dimensionless parameters. The application of our results to calculate stable tip dimensions of dendrites growing from a binary alloy melt is described.
Dimensional Variation Analysis and Synthesis for Composite Components and Assemblies

This paper presents a study on dimensional variations and tolerance analysis and synthesis for polymer matrix fiber-reinforced composite components and assemblies. A composite component dimensional variation model was developed with process simulation based on thermal stress analysis and finite element analysis (FEA). Using the FEA-based dimensional variation model, the deformations of typical composite structures were studied and the regression-based dimensional variation models were developed. The regression-based dimensional variation models can significantly reduce computation time and provide a quick design guide for composite products with reduced dimensional variations. By introducing a material modification coefficient, the comprehensive regression models can handle various fiber and resin types and stacking sequences, which eliminates the complicated, time-consuming finite element meshing and material parameter defining process. A structural tree method (STM) was developed for rapid computation of composite assembly dimensional variations resulting from deformations on individual components, as well as the deformation of composite components with complex shapes. With the STM and the regression-based dimensional variation models, rapid design optimization was conducted to reduce the dimensional variations of composite assemblies. Cost-tolerance functions were developed using a fuzzy multiattribute utility theory based cost-estimation method. Based on the developed dimensional variation and cost-tolerance models, composite assembly tolerance analysis and synthesis were performed in this study. The exploring research work presented in this paper provides a foundation for developing practical and proactive dimensional control techniques for composite products.
Free resolutions for polynomial functors

Abstract Given a homogeneous functor L (e.g., L=∧k or L=⊗k) and a finite free resolution F of a module M over a commutative ring with unit R, we construct in a canonical way a finite free complex C L ( F ) that approximates a resolution of L(M), and whose acyclicity properties do not depend on the characteristic of R. We provide a criterion for the acyclicity of C L ( F ) . As an application we prove in general the conjecture of Buchsbaum and Eisenbud on the structure of the lower order minors of the differentials in a finite free resolution (previously known only for Q -algebras).
Construction of adenoviral and retroviral vectors coexpressing the genes encoding the hepatitis B surface antigen and B7-1 protein

Abstract Recombinant retroviral (re-Rv) and adenoviral (re-Ad) vectors for delivery of two foreign genes were constructed, using the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) which mediates initiation of cap-independent translation. The first gene encoded the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the second encoded human or murine B7-1 molecule, a cell surface protein which is a costimulator for T cell activation. The EMCV IRES sequence was placed between the first and second coding sequences to form a dicistronic DNA fragment. In Rv vectors, the dicistronic fragment was inserted between the 5′ long terminal repeat (LTR) and an internal promoter for the neomycin (neo) gene, so that the transcription initiated from the 5′ LTR would generate a dicistronic mRNA for the HBsAg and B7-1 molecules. For Ad vectors, the dicistronic fragment was inserted between a cytomegalovirus promoter and a polyA signal to form a transcription cassette. This transcription cassette was inserted into the early region 1 of Ad5 genome to form a replication-defective re-Ad vector, or into early region 3 to form replication-competent vectors. Human cell line A549 infected with the re-Rv vectors or with the re-Ad vectors synthesized and secreted HBsAg at comparable levels, while the B7-1 molecules were detected at the surface of the infected cells, indicating both foreign genes carried by the Rv and Ad vectors were expressed efficiently.
Uniaxial and biaxial unsteady inflations of a viscoelastic material

Abstract Two cases of unsteady viscoelastic elongational flow configurations are considered theoretically, namely the inflation of an infinite cylinder (uniaxial elongation) and that of a sphere (biaxial elongation) subject to a constant pressure difference. The evolution of the viscoelastic material is modelled using the modified ZFD (MZFD) constitutive equation. The various adjustable parameters are established on the basis of shear flow measurements. In this work we examine the influence of the Deborah number, De, and the initial thickness-to-radius ratio, Rr. It is found that in the spherical configuration the volume growth is not always monotonic with time for all De values and is oscillatory for large De and large material thickness. The oscillations eventually die out in the long time limit as the thickness becomes small and the influence of normal stresses is no longer significant. In the small De range the growth is monotonic. In the limit of small Rr values, viscous effects become negligible and the flow approaches n ideal behaviour. In the present geometries the fluid pressure is decoupled from normal stresses and (radial) velocity so that the pressure has no influence on material growth. However, when the fluid pressure itself is determined from the radial momentum equation it is found to decrease as the material expands and eventually reaches a zero value at a critical time which depends on De, Rr, the outer-to-inner pressure ratio and the capillary number. This indicates that the material, not withstanding any internal pressure, has reached the growth limit or rupture.
Is Oregon's land use planning program conserving forest and farm land? A review of the evidence

Planners have long been interested in understanding ways in which land use planning approaches play out on the ground and planning scholars have approached the task of evaluating such effects using a variety of methods. Oregon, in particular, has been the focus of numerous studies owing to its early-adopted and widely recognized statewide approach to farm and forest land protection and recent experiment with relaxation of that approach in 2004 with the passage of ballot Measure 37. In this paper we review research-based evidence regarding the forest and farm land conservation effects of Oregon land use planning. We document the evolution of methods used in evaluating state land use planning program performance, including trend analysis, indicator analysis, empirical models, and analysis of indirect effects on the economic viability of forestry and farming. We also draw on data documenting Measure 37 claims to consider the degree to which Measure 37 might have altered land use and development trends had its impacts not been tempered by a subsequent ballot measure – Measure 49. Finally, we provide a synthesis of the current state of knowledge and suggest opportunities for future research. Common to nearly all of the studies we reviewed was an acknowledgement of the difficulty in establishing causal relationships between land use planning and land use change given the many exogenous and endogenous factors involved. Despite these difficulties, we conclude that sufficient evidence does exist to suggest that Oregon’s land use planning program is contributing a measurable degree of protection to forest and farm land in the state.
Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) behavioral macro model for packaging system eye diagram transient simulations

Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) [1] is widely used in the high-speed packaging system as a part of receiver for recovering the signal from the distortion by the inter-symbol interference (ISI). Simulating the eye diagram at the receiver output after DFE is helpful to system designers especially in the case there is no longer an open eye diagram at the receiver input. Currently, particular simulation tools or particular algorithm implementations are required to support the modeling and simulation of the DFE function. In this paper, a DFE behavioral macro model is proposed and tested. The proposed DFE behavioral macro model is an HSPICE circuit model and can be used directly in any existing conventional HSPICE compatible transient simulation tools. We use a voltage controlled resistor and a capacitor to model the bit slicer (Symbol Detector) in DFE. The terminated ideal transmission lines with particular delays combined with voltage controlled voltage sources are used for modeling the Feedback Filter (FBF) part of DFE. The summer in DFE is modeled by Directional Junction [2]-[4]. The proposed DFE behavioral macro model can be easily combined directly with existing receiver behavioral macro models targeting other receiver behaviors such as the Mpilog receiver model [5] for accurate receiver input property modeling and the hyperbolic — tangent behavioral model[6] for accurate pre-amplifier/CTLE nonlinear modeling.
SPMC path integral method applied to electromagnetic wave propagation in transversely inhomogeneous media

A stationary phase Monte Carlo (SPMC) approach based on the path integral formulation of the electromagnetic (EM) wave equation is applied to the computation of EM wave propagation in transversely inhomogeneous media having an arbitrary smoothly varying index of refraction profile. This method is developed to compute the fields in such a medium where the observation point is many, perhaps several hundred, wavelengths from the source. The Helmholtz equation is first transformed into its equivalent time-dependent Schrodinger equation with the direction of propagation taking the place of the time coordinate. The solution to the Schrodinger equation is then expressed in terms of Feynman's propagator. A SPMC filter, which results in a stable SPMC output with respect to various Monte Carlo parameters and thus overcomes the difficulties previously associated with the multidimensional SPMC method, is designed to evaluate the propagator. >
K-band 3-bit low-loss distributed MEMS phase shifter

In this work, we present a 3-bit K-band distributed phase shifter circuit that employs microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive switches. The measured results demonstrate an average 1.7 dB insertion loss at 26 GHz with return loss better than -7 dB. Insertion phase shifts of all switching states are measured and show phase error less than 8.50 for all states. The low loss K-band 3-bit phase shifter demonstrated here can potentially be extended to more-bit-controlled phase shifter applications.
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies Regulate LPS Uptake and LPS-Induced Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Responses by Human Monocytes

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-monocyte/macrophage interactions are central to the infected host's inflammatory response to gram-negative bacteria. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the regulation by LPS-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated LPS uptake by human peripheral blood monocytes. The uptake of LPS was stimulated by fresh or heat-inactivated serum (NHS or delta NHS) or by LPS-binding protein and inhibited by alpha-LPS or alpha-CD14 (LPS receptor) MAbs. The inhibition of alpha-LPS uptake was offset in the presence of NHS by a simultaneous MAb-mediated increase in LPS uptake that was blocked by alpha-complement receptor 1. Monocyte tumor necrosis factor-alpha responses to LPS were augmented by NHS and delta NHS and inhibited by alpha-LPS MAbs. Thus, alpha-LPS MAbs down-regulate the proinflammatory uptake of LPS by human monocytes via membrane-bound CD14 while promoting complement-mediated opsonic uptake through membrane-associated CR1.
Childless and One-Child Families in the Soviet Union

Soviet authorities have recently initiated a demographic policy aimed particularly at reducing the levels of childless and one-child families. An examination of available data indicates that the USSR has a level of childlessness equivalent to that of the United States, but a frequency of one-child families that is considerably greater. Popular explanations for very low fertility, such as inadequate housing or finances, do not explain the decision to remain childless or to stop childbearing after a single child is born. Furthermore, the effects of education and female labor force participation are mediated by cultural factors. It is these cultural factors that seem to differentiate among zero-, one-, and two-child families. In the Soviet case, the most appropriate policy tool for intervention in such cultural processes is propaganda, but such a value-transformation approach is more complex and unpredictable than a structural approach. Nevertheless, a structural explanation for fertility decline is inadequa...
Psychosocial Identity Development and Cultural Others

Experts in counseling understand that a person's reality is shaped by the culture in which the self is embedded; literature in cultural anthropology, linguistics, and psychology, however, reveals that identity, which is important to acceptance of persons from other cultures, is itself constituted differently depending on the culture of origin. Against the backdrop of American individualism, the cultural relativity of identity and pseudospeciation (false sense of cultural specialness) are explored. This literature grounds prejudice in evolution itself and provides reasons for movement beyond individualism to the more mature form of relational identity that includes cultural others. Implications for counseling are explored. Los expertos en consejeria entienden que la cultura en la cual el yo esta encajado forma la realidad de una persona; sin embargo, la literatura sobre la antropologia cultural, linguistica, y psicologia revela que la identidad, lo cual es importante para poder aceptar personas de otras culturas, es en si mismo constituido de una manera diferente segun la cultura de origen. Se examina contra un fondo de individualismo americano la relatividad cultural de identidad y pseudoespeciacion (el sentido falso de especialidad cultural). Esta literatura basa el prejuicio en evolucion y da razones para el cambio mas alla del individualismo a la forma mas madura de identidad relational que incluye al “otro” cultural. Se exploran las implicaciones para la consejeria.
Performance of Single Comb White Leghorn Layers Fed Corn-Soybean Meal and Barley-Corn-Soybean Meal Diets Supplemented with a Direct-Fed Microbial

An experiment was conducted with Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) layers to determine the effect of feeding either corn-soybean meal (C-S) or barley-corn soybean meal (B-C-S) diets with or without condensed cane molasses solubles (CCMS) or with or without CCMS-1,100 mg Lactobacillus (Lacto)/kg (ppm) diet on performance, nutrient retentions, digesta passage rate, and histological changes of the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. Six dietary treatments were fed for eight 28-d periods and consisted of C-S (control), C-S + CCMS, C-S + CCMS-1,100 ppm Lacto (4.4 x 107 cfu/mg Lacto), B-C-S (control), B-C-S + CCMS, and B-C-S + CCMS-1,100 ppm Lacto. The CCMS served as the carrier for the Lacto, and the CCMS-Lacto premix (55 g Lacto/kg) was incorporated at 2% of the diet. Lactobacillus supplementation in C-S diets improved (P < .05) egg weight, egg mass, egg size, and body weight gains, and in B-C-S diets improved body weight gains. There were no differences in feed consumption, feed conversion, internal egg quality, and egg specific gravity among the dietary treatments. Passage rates of digesta were increased (P < .05) when either C-S or B-C-S layer diets were supplemented with Lacto. Lactobacillus supplementations of the C-S and B-C-S diets increased (P < .05) fat and calcium, and fat, phosphorus, copper, and manganese retentions, respectively. Increased cellularity of Peyer's patches in the ileum indicated a stimulation of the mucosal immune system that responds to antigenic stimuli by secreting immunoglobulin (IgA).
Noise factor analysis for cDNA microarrays.

A microarray-image model is used that takes into account many factors, including spot morphology, signal strength, background fluorescent noise, and shape and surface degradation. The model yields synthetic images whose appearance and quality reflect that of real microarray images. The model is used to link noise factors to the fidelity of signal extraction with respect to a standard image-extraction algorithm. Of particular interest is the identification of the noise fac- tors and their interactions that significantly degrade the ability to ac- curately detect the true gene-expression signal. This study uses statis- tical criteria in conjunction with the simulation of various noise conditions to better understand the noise influence on signal extrac- tion for cDNA microarray images. It proposes a paradigm that is implemented in software. It specifically considers certain kinds of noise in the noise model and sets these at certain levels; however, one can choose other types of noise or use different noise levels. In sum, it develops a statistical package that can work in conjunction with the
Relaxation Effects in the Quantification of Fat using Gradient Echo Imaging

Quantification of fat has been investigated using images acquired from multiple gradient echoes. The evolution of the signal with echo time and flip angle was measured in phantoms of known fat and water composition and in 21 research subjects with fatty liver. Data were compared to different models of the signal equation, in which each model makes different assumptions about the T1 and/or T2* relaxation effects. A range of T1, T2*, fat fraction and number of echoes was investigated to cover situations of relevance to clinical imaging. Results indicate that quantification is most accurate at low flip angles (to minimize T1 effects) with a small number of echoes (to minimize spectral broadening effects). At short echo times, the spectral broadening effects manifest as a short apparent T2 for the fat component.
A concise stereospecific synthesis of repinotan (BAY×3702) ☆

Abstract A concise synthesis of the 2-[aminomethyl]chroman derivative BAY×3702 ( 3 ), a potent 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT 1A ) antagonist is described. Utilization of a Mitsunobu reaction of phenol ( 11 ) with the non-racemic allylic alcohol ( 12 ) and consequent ring-closing metathesis furnishes the chroman-2-yl framework of 3 in optically active form.
Cervical schistosomiasis, human papilloma virus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): a dangerous coexistence or coincidence?

Abstract Background Female genitourinary schistosomiasis (FGS) is widespread in endemic areas causing significant morbidity and mortality. Recent data suggest that FGS of the cervix not only is considered a risk factor for contracting different sexually transmitted diseases (STD), but also plays a significant role in modifying the natural history and immunological response to those infections, in particular HIV and HPV. Case report A 32-year-old female from Zambia, who was recently diagnosed with HIV and high-grade dysplasia with koilocytosis on cervical Pap smear, underwent cervical conization which confirmed moderate cervical dysplasia and also revealed the presence of viable and nonviable schistosoma eggs in cervical stroma. Four different HPV types were isolated by PCR, including one "low-risk" (type 6) and three "high-risk" types (types 45,56, and 58). Conclusion The presence of HPV, HIV infection, and cervical schistosomiasis in our patient is likely more than coexistence of multiple agents in the same milieu as cervical schistosomiasis increase susceptibility for other STDs including HIV and HPV. Therefore, in patients with schistosomiasis, immediate treatment for schistosomiasis and additional testing for HIV and HPV is warranted.
RBC and WBC fatty acid composition following consumption of an omega 3 supplement: Lessons for future clinical trials

Results from increasing numbers of in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that omega 3 fatty acids incorporated in cell culture media or in the diet of the animals can suppress the growth of cancers. When human clinical trials are initiated to determine the ability of omega 3 fatty acids to alter growth or response to chemotherapeutic interventions of cancers, it will be essential to determine the omega 3 intake of individuals in the trial to determine compliance with consumption of the supplement and to correlate with endpoints of efficacy. We wondered if the fatty acid composition of RBCs might accurately indicate incorporation of omega 3 fatty acids in the WBCs. In this report we determine and compare the changes in fatty acid compositions of red blood cells and white blood cells in response to consumption of three doses of an omega 3 fatty acid supplement. We found that the fraction of omega 3 fatty acids in both red blood cells and white blood cells increased following consumption of the supplement. There was a linear, dose responsive increase in the fraction of omega 3 fatty acids in red blood cells but the increase in omega 3 in white blood cells was not linear. The magnitude of increase in omega 3 fatty acids was different between the two cell types. Fatty acid analysis of red blood cells is a good measure of compliance with supplement consumption. However, fatty acid analysis of white blood cells is needed to correlate changes in fatty acid composition of white blood cells with other biochemical changes in the white blood cells. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00899353.
Improving access to mammography in rural areas

Many rural areas do not have reliable or adequate access to breast cancer evaluation facilities and care. With the advent of digital mammo-graphy it is possible to send high quality mammographic images across teleradiology/- telemedicine networks for interpretation at certified mammo-graphy centers. We have a statewide telemedicine network upon which telemammography is conducted with a number of very rural locations. Strict turn-around times for interpretation are guaranteed in contractual agree-ments. We are also testing the use of ultra-rapid pathology clinics for women with positive mammograms and real-time consultation with oncologists to reduce the time it takes for rural women to receive care.
Invited Review: Role of insulin in translational control of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle by amino acids or exercise

Protein synthesis in skeletal muscle is modulated in response to a variety of stimuli. Two stimuli receiving a great deal of recent attention are increased amino acid availability and exercise. Both of these effectors stimulate protein synthesis in part through activation of translation initiation. However, the full response of translation initiation and protein synthesis to either effector is not observed in the absence of a minimal concentration of insulin. The combination of insulin and either increased amino acid availability or endurance exercise stimulates translation initiation and protein synthesis in part through activation of the ribosomal protein S6 protein kinase S6K1 as well as through enhanced association of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4G with eIF4E, an event that promotes binding of mRNA to the ribosome. In contrast, insulin in combination with resistance exercise stimulates translation initiation and protein synthesis through enhanced activity of a guanine nucleotide exchange protein referred to as eIF2B. In both cases, the amount of insulin required for the effects is low, and a concentration of the hormone that approximates that observed in fasting animals is sufficient for maximal stimulation. This review summarizes the results of a number of recent studies that have helped to establish our present understanding of the interactions of insulin, amino acids, and exercise in the regulation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.
No evidence for cell activation or brain vaso-occlusion with plerixafor mobilization in sickle cell mice

Gene therapy for sickle cell disease is currently in active trials. Collecting hematopoietic progenitor cells safely and effectively is challenging, however, because granulocyte colony stimulating factor, the drug used most commonly for mobilization, can cause life-threatening vaso-occlusion in patients with sickle cell disease, and bone marrow harvest requires general anesthesia and multiple hip bone punctures. Plerixafor is an inhibitor of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor on hematopoietic progenitor cells, blocking its binding to SDF-1 (CXCL12) on bone marrow stroma. In support of a clinical trial in patients with sickle cell disease of plerixafor mobilization (NCT02193191), we administered plerixafor to sickle cell mice and found that it mobilizes hematopoietic progenitor cells without evidence of concomitant cell activation or brain vaso-occlusion.
A new genus and three new species of alpheid shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) from the tropical American coasts

A new alpheid shrimp genus, Triacanthoneus n. gen., is established for three new species from shallow marine waters of Central and South America. Triacanthoneus toro n. sp., the type species of the new genus, is described based on four specimens from Bocas del Toro, Caribbean coast of Panama. Triacanthoneus pacificus n. sp. is described on the basis of a single type specimen from the Pacific coast of Panama and an additional specimen from Bahia Malaga, Pacific coast of Colombia. Finally, Triacanthoneus alacranes n. sp. is described based on a single specimen collected near Alacranes Reef, off Yucatan Peninsula in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Triacanthoneus shares many features with Salmoneus Holthuis, 1955, but can be easily distinguished by the presence of three very strong and sharp teeth on the carapace, one being in a mediodorsal position posterior to carapace mid-length, and two in a dorsolateral post-hepatic position. This carapace armature is unique within the family Alpheidae.
Micromechanical models for time-dependent multiphysics responses of polymer matrix smart composites

Abstract Stemming from the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer matrix, the effective material properties of smart composites with polymer matrix become time-dependent. This study has two focuses. Firstly, a micromechanics model for predicting the effective time-dependent properties of polymer matrix smart composites was developed. One important contribution of this model is that Laplace transformation and inversion commonly used for linear viscoelastic composites are avoided since all calculations are accomplished in the time domain. Secondly, by taking advantage of the predicted effective time-dependent properties a computation approach was proposed to simulate the effective multiphysics responses of multiphase smart composites subjected to multiphysics loadings. Excellent agreements are achieved between the predictions provided by the present models and ABAQUS.
Review and Hypothesis: Might Patients with the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Have Latent Tetany of Magnesium Deficiency

The latent tetany syndrome (LTS) parallels CFS in its neuromuscular and psychiatric manifestations, as well as in inner ear disturbances: vestibular in CFS and FM, as well as in LTS, and increased vulnerability to noise-induced deafness in LTS. Microvascular damage to the cochlea is seen in Mg deficiency, noise-induced deafness, and might be a
The Angle Between Complementary Subspaces

Usually the discussion stops right there, and extensions to angles between subspaces of higher dimensions are, more or less tacitly, shoved under the rug. Perhaps this is because most instructors feel that such extensions are difficult to understand, or that further effort in this direction is not worthwhile. Indeed, this makes sense for angles between general subspaces because one would have to introduce concepts like gap or distance between subspaces [7, 12], principal (or canonical) angles [1, 2, 15, 12], the CS decomposition [11, 4, 10, 6, 12], and so on. These topics are better off in a more advanced course. However, angles between complementary subspaces are easier to deal with. The purpose of our article is to draw attention to some simple, though not very well known, expressions for the angle between complementary subspaces which are easily derived from the fundamental theorem of linear algebra [14] and elementary facts about matrix norms and projectors. Angles between complementary subspaces are not just academic. They arise, for instance, in the context of controller robustness [9, 16]. Roughly speaking, the spaces associated with the controller and the plant (a system described by a set of differential equations) are complementary subspaces. The robustness of the controller is defined by the smallest perturbation that renders the system unstable, which means that the associated subspaces are no longer complementary. The system remains stable as long as perturbations are smaller than the distance between the complementary subspaces. One measure of distance is the sine of the angle between the spaces.
General Responsivity Adherence in Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Examining the Impact on Substance-Use Outcome

Although the number of juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTC) in operation has increased since the first JDTCs were implemented in the 1990s, research continues to lag regarding the effectiveness of...
Advances in the variation of atmospheric pollen and its forecasting study

Over the past decades,research on atmospheric pollen has aroused a great worldwide interest by the public and scientists.Its has become an international project that has relevance in agriculture,environment,medicine and human health.Atmospheric pollen concentrations in a particular region vary markedly in response to geographical location,vegetational component,and various meterological parameters on many different time scales.Generally,during the 24-hour day,the highest pollen concentrations are observed at daylight,the lowest values are registered at night.During one year,high pollen concentrations occur in spring-summer,and low values during winter.Tree pollen is the dominant element in the spring-summer season,while weed and herb pollen is the main element in autumn.Forecasting study is the important aspect of atmospheric pollen.In recent years,a number of forecasting studies have been carried out to quantitatively evaluate diurnal,annual,seasonal variation of atmospheric pollen using numerical models.Meteorological parameters can also be predicted depending on the monitoring of atmospheric pollen.Finally,the future research directions of atmospheric pollen are discussed.
Abstract 2342: Characterization of inflammatory markers and mast cells in association with prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Evidence suggests that there is a strong association between chronic inflammation and prostate cancer development and/or progression. While chronic inflammation is known to serve as an “enabling characteristic” in many cancers, the mechanism whereby it contributes to carcinogenesis and progression is still very controversial. This is particularly true for cells of the innate immune system, such as mast cells, that have been shown to possess both pro- and anti-tumor properties. The role of mast cells in prostate cancer is of particular interest, as evidence suggests that they influence cancer progression and immune modulation. The current study seeks to characterize mast cell density and mast cell-to-epithelial ratio in relation to prostate cancer recurrence using a unique set of tissue microarrays (TMAs) from a case-control study nested in a cohort of prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. These studies are aided by novel digital image analysis using a software framework integrating whole slide imaging, virtual microscopy, and ImageJ based analysis algorithms. Our preliminary results, obtained via analysis of a prostate cancer TMA containing matched cancer and benign tissues from 727 cases of radical prostatectomy patients, correlated with the literature in that the mast cell density (mast cell number/total tissue area) was significantly higher in cancer versus benign (p = 0.0016). We will expanded this study to determine if mast cell number correlates with epithelial area in the same cohort and to examine mast cell density in correlation to the presence, grade, or progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, we will be examining this in a large full tissue slide cohort in relation to Gleason grade and stage. Finally, we are expanding this study to explore a possible role for mast cells in the racial disparity in prostate cancer incidence and prognosis. Citation Format: Heidi Hempel, Ibrahim Kulac, Nathan S. Cuka, Toby C. Cornish, Elizabeth A. Platz, Angelo M. DeMarzo, Karen S. Sfanos. Characterization of inflammatory markers and mast cells in association with prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2342. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2342
Cation effects on phosphatidic acid monolayers at various pH conditions.

The impact of pH and cations on phase behavior, stability, and surface morphology for dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) monolayers was investigated. At pH K+∼Mg2+>Ca2+. Additionally, cation complexation is tied to the pH and protonation state of DPPA, which are the primary factors controlling the monolayer surface behavior. The binding affinity of cations to the headgroup and thus deprotonation capability of the cation, ranked in the order of Ca2+>Mg2+>Na+>K+, is found to be well explained by the law of matching water affinities. Nucleation of surface 3D lipid structures is observed from Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+, but not from K+, consistent with the lowest binding affinity of K+. Unraveling cation and pH effects on DPPA monolayers is useful in further understanding the surface properties of complex systems such as organic-coated marine aerosols where organic films are directly influenced by the pH and ionic composition of the underlying aqueous phase.