cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nestedness of Beliefs: Examining a Prospective Elementary Teacher's Belief System about Science Teaching and Learning.

This study, conducted from a constructivist perspective, examined the belief system of a prospective elementary teacher (Barbara) about science teaching and learning as she developed professional knowledge within the context of reflective science teacher education. From an analysis of interviews, observation, and written documents, I constructed a profile of Barbara's beliefs that consisted of three foundational and three dualistic beliefs. Her foundational beliefs concerned (a) the value of science and science teaching, (b) the nature of scientific concepts and goals of science instruction, and (c) control in the science classroom. Barbara held dualistic beliefs about (a) how children learn science, (b) the science students' role, and (c) the science teacher's role. Her dualistic beliefs formed two contradictory nests of beliefs. One nest, grounded in lifelong science learner experiences, reflected a didactic teaching orientation and predominantly guided her practice. The second nest, not well grounded in experience, embraced a hands-on approach and predominantly guided her vision of practice. The findings accentuate the complexity and nestedness of teachers' belief systems and underscore the significance of identifying prospective teachers' beliefs, espoused and enacted, for designing teacher preparation programs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 835–868, 2003
Distal Ulna Fractures

In isolation, distal ulna fractures are rare. They are often found in conjunction with distal radius fractures, and the complexity of the interaction of the distal ulna with the radioulnar joint and triangular fibrocartilage complex makes understanding and treatment of distal ulna fractures challenging. Fixation of distal ulna fractures can be problematic owing to comminution making reduction challenging. A thin soft tissue can lead to hardware prominence and necessitate implant removal. In this Current Concepts article, we review the anatomy, pathology, and treatment of distal ulna fractures as well as potential complications and salvage procedures.
Implications of Ordovician (≈460 Myr) marine cement for constraining seawater temperature and atmospheric pCO2

Abstract The marine diagenetic history of the Effna buildups (Virginia, lower Caradocian, ≈460 Myr) is atypical of Phanerozoic carbonates and reflects variable redox conditions in the semi-restricted Appalachian foreland basin. Fibrous marine cements are the focus of this study. Least-altered fibrous calcite from the Effna Formation has a translucent appearance in transmitted light and a 2–3 mol% MgCO3 composition; the latter is similar to values (2–5 mol%) from translucent fibrous calcite in other Caradocian units [Holston (Tennessee) and Kullsberg (Sweden) formations]. Some fibrous calcite is overlain by hardgrounds that in places have an irregular micro-topography with sharp overhangs indicative of syn-depositional dissolution. Geochemical evidence supporting the marine dissolution includes δ18O values from altered fibrous calcite that are more positive (up to −3.9‰ PDB) than coeval least-altered fibrous calcite from Holston buildups in Tennessee (up to −4.8 to −5.8‰ PDB). Syn-depositional dissolution was likely associated with sulfide oxidation along an oxic–anoxic interface and not due to upwelling of cold bottom water in the Appalachian foredeep. Faunal and lithologic evidence suggests that oxic surface waters had a normal salinity and a water temperature conducive for metazoan growth ( 14 present atmospheric level) during the early Caradocian.
C.O.6 Complete genetic analysis by whole exome sequencing of a cohort with centronuclear myopathy identifies titin gene mutations

Centronuclear myopathies (CNM) are a group of rare heterogeneous congenital myopathies characterized by muscle weakness and low tone of varying onset, often requiring respiratory, feeding and/or ambulatory assistance. Frequent central nuclei are the primary pathological finding in affected skeletal muscles. CNM may be caused by mutations in the MTM1, DNM2, RYR1 and BIN1 genes. MTM1 mutations, which cause X-linked myotubular myopathy, are thought to account for about 50% of CNM cases, while DNM2 and RYR1 account for ∼15% each, and BIN1 for <5%, leaving about ∼15–20% of cases without a known disease gene. To identify known and novel gene mutations responsible for CNM, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) in 28 probands with sporadic CNM from a population already depleted by clinical testing for MTM1 and DNM2 mutations. RYR1 and BIN1 had largely not been sequenced because of the large gene size (RYR1) and rarity (BIN1) of these mutations. WES was performed by Axeq Technologies using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform, which generated 10× coverage of 84–88% across the target regions in these samples. Concomitantly, one of these 28 patients was identified to have MTM1 duplication on further clinical testing. Of the remaining 27, two had DNM2 and nine had RYR1 mutations that were considered probably pathogenic. Remarkably, we identified five cases with compound heterozygote mutations of the titin gene (TTN), the majority being frameshift insertions, deletions, or stopgain mutations. Analysis of the remaining cases has identified at least one additional new candidate gene, and further testing is underway. In summary, exome sequencing has identified the molecular basis for roughly 60% of these patients with CNM. Work is underway to identify novel genes in the remaining 11 exomes.
Immediate Foreshock Sequences of Oceanic Transform Earthquakes on the East Pacific Rise

Foreshock sequences provide one of the few windows into the earthquake nucleation process. Until recently it was impossible to study foreshock sequences of oceanic earthquakes owing to the low detection thresholds of standard seismic catalogs for the regions near spreading ridges. In the last few years autonomous hydrophone arrays operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration9s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory have lowered the detection threshold in several oceanic regions to about magnitude 3. We investigate the fore-shock sequences of large oceanic transform fault earthquakes using the seismicity catalogs derived from the hydrophone data. Transforms on the equatorial East Pacific Rise regularly have foreshocks within 1 hr before a magnitude 5–6 earthquake, while those on the Juan De Fuca and Mid-Atlantic Ridges do not. The foreshocks typically occur in the period between 100 and 1000 sec before the mainshock, suggesting that this timescale is important for large-earthquake nucleation in this region.
Archaeology without Boundaries

Authors in this issue give examples of archaeologists learning to see the socio-political and economic frames of their research and show how we can begin to expand the limits of our comprehension of heritage.
Trajectory planning and control of a Stewart platform-based end-effector with passive compliance for part assembly

This paper presents the kinematic analysis and trajectory planning for a six-degrees-of-freedom end-effector whose design is based on the Stewart platform mechanism. The end-effector is composed of two platforms and six linear actuators driven by stepper motors. A spring-loaded platform is used to provide passive compliance to the end-effector during a part assembly. A closed-form solution is derived for the inverse kinematic transformation and a computationally effective numerical solution is obtained for the forward kinematic transformation using the Newton-Raphson method. Three trajectory planning schemes, two for fine motion and one for gross motion are developed. Experimental results of tracking various test paths are presented.
Male gonadotrophic factor in brain and blood of photoperiodically stimulated slugs

A pulmonate male gonadotrophic factor (MGF) has been described that is released from cerebral ganglia of male-phase slugs (Limax maximus). This factor produces, directly or indirectly, an increase in spermatogonial proliferation as determined by in vivo incorporation of [3H]thymidine into gonadal DNA. In the present investigation MGF activity was demonstrated in saline homogenates of male-phase cerebral ganglia by injecting homogenates into immature slugs for 5 consecutive days and assaying gonadal [3H]thymidine incorporation on Day 7. Dose-response data indicate that daily administration of as little as 0.1 brain equivalent can produce a significant stimulation in incorporation. Comparison of brain homogenates from immature (short-day) and male-phase (long-day) animals has shown that male-phase cerebral ganglia contain substantially more MGF activity than immature ganglia. Similar injection experiments using slug blood plasma showed that activity is present in male-phase blood but not in the blood of short-day immatures. MGF activity in long-day brain homogenates and blood plasma was found to be associated with a molecular weight fraction of 50 to 100 kDa obtained by ultrafiltration. Activity could be reduced or destroyed by treatment with trypsin or by heating. The present findings suggest that MGF is a proteinaceous factor of substantial size. It appears that both the synthesis and the secretion of MFG are stimulated in slugs that are in their male developmental phase as a result of prior exposure to long-day photoperiods.
Packet Scheduling for Real-Time Surveillance in Multihop Wireless Sensor Networks With Lossy Channels

We consider the problem of real-time surveillance where remote sensors transmit data periodically to a control center through multihop transmissions. All data need to be delivered within a common deadline, which is the time that the control center makes control decisions. We propose a model that jointly considers the end-to-end delay constraints and delivery ratio requirements of flows, the need for multihop transmissions, and the unreliable nature of wireless transmissions. We develop a framework for designing feasibility-optimal policies. We then demonstrate the utility of this framework by considering two types of systems: one where sensors can transmit and receive packets simultaneously, possibly on different channels, and the other where sensors cannot. For the first type of systems, we propose an online distributed scheduling policy and prove that the policy is feasibility optimal. We also provide a heuristic for the second type of systems. We show that this heuristic is still feasibility optimal for some topologies. Simulation results show that both policies outperform state-of-the-art policies by large margins.
Uncovering the Structure-Property Relationships in R5(SixGe4-x) Intermetallic Phases

Abstract A family of intermetallic compounds, R 5 (Si x Ge 4− x ), where R=rare earth metal has opened up a unique opportunity to a solution of a century-old problem of the intrinsic relationships between the composition, atomic structure and properties of metallic materials. To date the largest body of knowledge has been accumulated in the system with R=Gd. The known crystal structures of the Gd 5 (Si x Ge 4− x ) phases are closely related to one another and consist of 36 atoms per unit cell distributed among six or nine independent crystallographic sites in orthorhombic or monoclinic crystal systems, respectively. We show that in a certain range of compositions (i.e. when 2 x ≤2.1), both the orthorhombic and monoclinic crystal structures can be retained at room temperature at the same value of x . The monoclinic Gd 5 (Si 2.09 Ge 1.91 ) alloy undergoes two transformations to the orthorhombic phase: the fully reversible low temperature magnetic/martensitic phase transition, and the high temperature martensitic-like phase transition which appears to be irreversible below ∼730 K signifying the importance of magnetic interactions in this system.
Normal And Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering With Optical Fibers

Raman scattering techniques, because of the vibrational information they contain, have numerous applications in the measurement and identification of aqueous pollutants in groundwater, as well as other contaminated waters. However, the extension of Raman techniques using fiber optics to remote sensing of groundwater is not completely straightforward. Single-fiber optrodes provide the greatest signals but also large background levels. Multiple-fiber optrodes offer lower background levels but are not practical over very long distances and are not as sensitive as single-fiber optrodes. The difficulties of obtaining Raman spectra with fiber optics are discussed, and the potential techniques for overcoming the limitations of single-fiber devices are descrivbed. The results of Raman spectral measurements that were made using a dual-fiber optrode in a novel forward-scattering configuration will be presented. The possible extension of these results to surface-enhanced Raman (SER) scattering will be discussed. In addition initial results of SERS performed with optical fibers will be presented, along with a description of future directions for this research.
Not a Geist of a Chance: Laying to Rest an "Unlaid Ghost"?

As Sigmund Freud's last completed work and only extended treatment of Judentum, Moses and Monotheism has generated extensive commentary and controversy since its publication. Most readers have attempted to divine Freud's relationship to his own Jewish identification from this "last testament." Recently, scholars from a variety of disciplines have focused their attention on Freud's discussion of Geistigkeit (translated as intellectuality or spirituality) and Judentum in Moses's concluding section. The author analyzes the performative dimensions of Freud's entire text—its four-year production and rhetorical construction—to argue that Freud and his recent critics may have erected Geistigkeit as a fetish that supplements Freud's other strategies to disavow the traumatic knowledge of Judentum's identification in the European imaginary with the dispositive circumcision. Like the circumcision it would spirit away, Moses enacts rather than signifies the disavowal of the "unlaid ghost" of Jewish racial, gender, an...
Chipmunk IV: development of and experience with a new generation of radiation area monitors for accelerator applications

Abstract The operation of a high-energy accelerator complex presents challenging problems for radiation monitoring during “beam-on” conditions. As a response to these needs, Fermilab has developed several families of radiation monitoring instruments intended for use under beam-on conditions. One of these instruments is a tissue equivalent, ion chamber based, area monitor called a “Chipmunk”. This article describes the latest version of these monitors, specifically the Chipmunk IV, as developed at Fermilab.
Human pharmacokinetics of 1-[2-[2-(4 pyridyl)-2-imidazolinyl-(1)]-ethyl]-3-(4-carboxyphenyl) urea (CGP 15720A).

Pharmacokinetics of CGP 15720A have been studied in patients receiving this drug in a short I.V. infusion during its phase I clinical trial. Plasma decay was biphasic with a mean t1/2β of 4.9 ± 2.47h. The drug was cleared rapidly from plasma (7.02 ± 5.95 L/h). Renal clearance (4.13 ± 1.65 L/h) appears to be the major clearance pathway. The steady state volumes of distribution of the drug indicate limited tissue distribution for the drug. Studies with plasma and urine of patients receiving 14[C] GCP 15720A indicate that the drug is not metabolized. CGP 15720A could be measured in cerebrospinal fluid.
Novel silicon-carbon fullerene-like cages

A class of highly symmetric silicon carbide fullerene-like cage nanoclusters with carbon atoms inside the Si20 cage and with high stability are presented. The Generalized Gradient Approximation of Density Functional Theory (GGA-DFT) is used to study the electronic and geometric structure properties of these structures and full geometry optimizations are performed with an all electron 6-311G** basis set. The stability of the clusters is found to depend on the geometrical arrangements of the carbon atoms inside the clusters and the partly ionic nature of the bonding. Possibilities of extending these structures into a larger class of nanostructures are discussed.
Heat Flux Calibration of T5 Hypervelocity Shock Tunnel Conical Nozzle in Air

The uniformity of the convective heating due to a free stream of hypervelocity air expanded through a conical nozzle is evaluated in the T5 free-piston reflected shock tunnel at Caltech. The stagnation-point heat flux is measured on a rake of ten one-inch-diameter spheres located at the nozzle exit plane. A total of eight shots (two shots at each of the four conditions) were performed with stagnation enthalpies varying from 9.5 to 21 MJ/kg and stagnation pressures from 20 to 60 MPa. Good uniformity was found as the standard deviation among gages ranged between ±4% and ±7% when the two gages located near the nozzle wall were excluded. Good heat flux shot-to-shot repeatability was also found as the standard deviation in stagnation-point beat flux between shots at a given condition was generally below ±4%. The nozzle expansion and flow over a single sphere were simulated using DPLR CFD code with a fully catalytic wall. Very good agreement was found between DPLR and the experiment as the differences between computation and experiment are under 8% for each condition which is significantly below the experimental uncertainties.
Harmonic wavelets based statistical linearization for response evolutionary power spectrum determination

Abstract A novel harmonic wavelets based statistical linearization approach is proposed for determining the evolutionary power spectrum (EPS) of the response of nonlinear oscillators subject to stochastic excitation. Specifically, first a mathematically rigorous wavelet-based representation of non-stationary stochastic processes is presented. Next, a representation of the process corresponding to a specific scale and translation level is derived. This procedure leads to an EPS estimation approach which is applicable for estimating not only separable but non-separable in time and frequency EPS as well. Several numerical results are presented in this context. Next, focusing on the case of the stochastic response of a linear system and relying on the orthogonality properties of the developed representation an excitation–response EPS relationship is derived. It is further shown that the excitation–response EPS relationship is valid even for linear time-variant (LTV) systems since the approach possesses inherently the element of time-dependence. Further, an extension via statistical linearization of the input–output EPS relationship for the case of a nonlinear system is developed. The approach involves the concept of assigning optimal and response dependent equivalent stiffness and damping elements corresponding to the specific frequency and time bands. This leads to an iterative determination of the EPS of the system response. Pertinent Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the reliability and versatility of the approach.
Homologous in vitro bioassay for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) reveals increased FSH biological signal during the mid- to late luteal phase of the human menstrual cycle.

Monitoring of the secretory dynamics of FSH during the human menstrual cycle has demonstrated conflicting results between the amounts of FSH measured by dimer-specific immunoassays and previous heterologous in vitro bioassays. These differences suggest somewhat different models of the steroidal and nonsteroidal regulation of FSH secretion and its control of folliculogenesis in the human. We have developed a homologous in vitro bioassay, using the recombinant human FSH receptor cotransfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells with a cAMP-responsive luciferase reporter gene, that overcomes many of the theoretic shortfalls of previous assays and allows reevaluation of the changes in bioactive FSH across the menstrual cycle. Bioactive FSH levels measured across 12 menstrual cycles in 11 normal women ranged from 4-40 IU/L. FSH bioactivity was constant during the menstrual cycle, with elevations noted only during the mid- to late luteal phase. Bioactive FSH levels were similar to immunoactive FSH levels across th...
Interlacement of the even and odd spectra of real symmetric Toeplitz matrices

It is shown that for every n the even and odd spectra of real symmetric Toeplitz matrices Tn=(tr−s)nr,s=1 are interlaced if tr = 1π∫π0⨍(θ)cos rθ dθ, r=0,1,2,…, where f is monotonic and nonconstant.
Immunoreactivity of rhodopsin and opsin

An examination by a radioimmunoassay of the relative affinity of opsin and rhodopsin for rabbit antibody raised against bovine rhodopsin revealed that opsin was the preferred antigen. About 10-fold greater amounts of rhodopsin than opsin were required to achieve 50% inhibition of binding of 125I-labeled ligand in the RIA. Opsin was more reactive when examined in the light or dark, compared to rhodopsin incubated in the dark. Mixtures of opsin and rhodopsin (prepared by partial bleaching of rhodopsin or synthetic mixtures) exhibited increased reactivity with increasing mole fraction of opsin. This response was nonlinear, with small increases in opsin producing relatively large increases in reactivity. A partial fractionation of the antibody into two groups showing differential reactivities toward opsin and rhodopsin was achieved by affinity chromatography on opsin-Sepharose. However, with both groups, opsin was still the preferred antigen. Scatchard analysis of 125I-labeled rhodopsin and opsin produced nonlinear plots, indicating the presence of multiple species of antibody. The affinities and binding capacities were similar for both labeled antigens. In competitive binding studies, the antibody showed a strong preference for either labeled ligand (rhodopsin or opsin) as compared to the unlabeled material. These latter observations indicate that altering rhodopsin either by bleaching or iodination produced changes in the relative immunoreactivity of the molecule.
Direct electrochemistry of cytochrome C at nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond.

Direct electron transfer of horse heart cytochrome c is measured at a nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond thin-film electrode. A quasi-reversible, diffusion-controlled cyclic voltammetric response is observed for untreated diamond. The peak currents change linearly with the concentration, and importantly, there is no electrode fouling. The results, observed for a hydrogen-terminated and uncharged surface, (i.e., no ionizable carbon-oxygen functional groups), raise interesting questions about the necessary surface interactions of cytochrome c for relatively rapid electrode kinetics.
Inheritance of reaction to Pseudomonas lachrymans in pickling cucumber.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) lines resistant to angular leafspot caused by Pseudomonas lachrymans react to an infection by developing necrotic lesions that lack the chlorotic halo characteristic of the susceptible reaction. The inheritance of the non-halo lesion reaction was studied in all possible crosses between resistant lines MSU 9402 and Gy 14A, and susceptible cultivars Wisc. SMR 18 and National Pickling. Genetic analysis of the F1, F2, backcross and F3 populations revealed that the non-halo lesion type, associated with resistance, was controlled by a single recessive gene, pl. This character appears to be an important component of resistance to P. lachrymans.
The Normal State of Helium

An approximate wave function for normal helium is calculated, by using theoretically determined functions for the limiting cases of large and small $r'\mathrm{s}$ and interpolating between them. The charge density computed from this wave function is in good agreement with that found independently by Hartree. The diamagnetism of normal helium is calculated, and agrees with observation within the experimental error. The repulsive forces between two helium atoms are calculated by the method of Heitler and London, and the attractive Van der Waals forces are roughly estimated from Wang's results with hydrogen. The potential curve so found gives a "molecular diameter" in agreement with experiment, and the minimum of the curve leads to approximately correct density and boiling point for the liquid.
Multiplex dsDNA Fragment Sizing Using Dimeric Intercalation Dyes and Capillary Array Electrophoresis: Ionic Effects on the Stability and Electrophoretic Mobility of DNA-Dye Complexes.

Methods have been developed for performing accurate, high-resolution, multiplex capillary electrophoresis separations of dsDNA using dimeric intercalation dyes as noncovalent labeling reagents. The quality of these separations is highly dependent on the cation present during electrophoresis. Using buffers that contain only one cation, we show that the tetrapentylammonium (NPe4+) ion results in high-resolution, high-sensitivity separations but that smaller ions such as sodium or the commonly used buffer ion tris produce low-resolution, low-intensity separations of DNA−dye complexes. Using an 80 mM taps-NPe4, 1 mM H2EDTA, pH 8.4, 0.8% HEC separation buffer, high-quality multiplex separations were performed using TOTO and buTOTIN, YOYO and TOED2, and TO and buTOTIN labeled restriction digests. In the taps-NPe4 buffer, there is no significant mobility shift when complexes are formed with DNA−dye ratios from 100 to 5 bp per dye and very little dye transfer was observed. This property permits accurate multiplex...
Absence of ZnuABC-mediated zinc uptake affects virulence-associated phenotypes of uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073 under Zn(II)-depleted conditions.

In an effort to uncover the role of the high-affinity Zn(II) uptake system in uropathogenic Escherichia coli CFT073, we deleted the znuB gene, which encodes for the transmembrane component of the ZnuABC transporter system. The null mutant for znuB did not grow on minimal medium unless supplemented with excess Zn(II) (50 μM ZnCl2). In contrast, the E. coli K-12 ΔznuB cell line grew well on minimal medium that was not supplemented with Zn(II). The ΔznuB mutant was significantly deficient in the formation of biofilm under static conditions and also showed a substantially reduced migration front of swarm cells. Because motility and biofilm formation are important for E. coli CFT073 pathogenicity, we propose that the high-affinity Zn(II) uptake system may contribute to the virulence of this pathogen in the urinary tract.
On the Optimality of Single-Item, Incremental Cost Rules for the Make-Buy Decision

ABSTRACT Decision rules for the make-buy decision most often assume the form of single-item, incremental cost rules which, for application, require decisions to be made for each item in isolation from all others. While it has been recognized that such decision rules may be non-optimal in situations where equipment capacity limits exist, the literature has not considered other cases where non-optimality arises. The purpose of this paper is to use linear programming as a framework for evaluating the optimality of single-item, incremental cost rules. The major conclusion of this paper is that the presence of any type of binding constraint in the planning problem, regardless of its origin, renders a single-item decision rule potentially non-optimal. A set of optimal screening decision rules is developed to be used in conjunction with a linear programming model for make-buy decisions in cases where such binding constraints exist.
Sudden neonatal death in carnitine transporter deficiency

A newborn infant died suddenly and unexpectedly on day 5 of life. Postmortem investigations led to a suspicion of carnitine transporter deficiency, a diagnosis supported by the finding that both parents are heterozygotes for this disorder. The fasting stress caused by poor breast-feeding with no formula supplements and, possibly, the vegetarian diet of the mother were likely the critical factors leading to neonatal death, an outcome previously not described in this disorder.
Nanoelectronic single-electron transistor circuits and architectures

Single-electron tunneling (SET) devices have been proposed as one promising candidate for future nanoelectronic integrated circuits. SETs have appealing properties for implementing ultra-dense and complex signal and image processing systems. The potential for very dense arrays of SET transistors makes them attractive for the realization of cellular non-linear network (CNN) circuits, where locally-connected cells may alleviate the interconnect problem facing conventional architectures as they scale. Herein, we investigate the use of nanoelectronic structures in CMOS-type digital circuits and in analog CNN architectures for potential application in future high-density and low-power CMOS-nanodevice hybrid circuits. We first present an overview of the operation of the SET transistor and simulation of SET circuits. We then discuss a programmable CMOS-type SET logic circuit based on a summing-node-inverter structure, followed by simple linear and 2-d SET-CNN architectures using the SET inverter topology as the basis for the non-linear transfer characteristics required of individual CNN elements. The simple SET-CNN cell acts as a summing node that is capacitively coupled to the inputs and outputs of nearest neighbour cells. Monte Carlo simulation results are then used to show CNN-like behaviour in attempting to realize different functionality such as shadowing, pattern forming, and horizontal-line detection. Within the context of these simple architectures, we discuss the speed and signal delay in SET non-linear circuits, and calculate the approximate power dissipation in a SET network. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal Performance Testing of Solar Steam Generator 4 at AREVA Solar’s Kimberlina Demonstration Facility

The Kimberlina Solar Thermal Power Station in Bakersfield, California, is AREVA Solar’s first North American solar thermal energy facility and an important showcase of AREVA’s Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) technology. Construction of a fourth solar steam generator (SSG4) was completed at Kimberlina in August 2010. At the time SSG4 represented AREVA Solar’s most current commercial technology, designed for direct superheat steam generation. SSG4 incorporates technology advancements that significantly enhance the AREVA Solar technology’s controllability, steam temperature and pressure capabilities as well as overall performance. After SSG4 was commissioned, AREVA Solar carried out an extensive performance test program on this advanced technology to formally evaluate and quantify its measured performance and compare that to the model-predicted performance. The performance testing included two specific tests. The first was the Steady State Performance Test (SSPT), which evaluated the technology’s steady-state performance over a two-hour period on multiple days. The second test was the Entire Day Performance Test (EDPT), which evaluated the technology’s performance throughout an entire day, including overnight losses, startup, mid-day performance (including steady-state, quasi steady-state and transients) and shutdown. The third test demonstrated the technology’s response to a simulated direct normal insolation (DNI) transient. AREVA Solar took great care to design and perform this testing in a standardized manner that would stand up to independent, expert observation and was consistent with established ASME performance test codes (PTC), where applicable. AREVA Solar plans to implement this testing methodology in future commercial plants and technology demonstrations. This paper documents in detail the performance testing methodology used to evaluate AREVA Solar’s new technology, including: • Test prerequisites; • Performance (both measured and modeled) calculation equations; • Environmental and optical surface measurement techniques; • Measurement test success criteria; • Uncertainty calculation and implementation. This paper also documents the measured testing results relative to the AREVA Solar internal modeled results including follow-up model validation.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Disruption of Choline Methyl Group Donation for Phosphatidylethanolamine Methylation in Hepatocarcinoma Cells

Despite being widely hypothesized, the actual contribution of choline as a methyl source for phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) methylation has never been demonstrated, mainly due to the inability of conventional methods to distinguish the products from that of the CDP-choline pathway. Using a novel combination of stable-isotope labeling and tandem mass spectrometry, we demonstrated for the first time that choline contributed to phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis both as an intact choline moiety via the CDP-choline pathway and as a methyl donor via PE methylation pathway. When hepatocytes were labeled with d 9-choline containing three deuterium atoms on each of the three methyl groups, d 3-PC and d 6-PC were detected, indicating that newly synthesized PC contained one or more individually mobilized methyl groups from d 9-choline. The synthesis ofd 3-PC and d 6-PC was sensitive to the general methylation inhibitor 3-deazaadenosine and were specific products of PE methylation using choline as a one-carbon donor. While the contribution to the CDP-choline pathway remained intact in hepatocarcinoma cells, contribution of choline to PE methylation was completely disrupted. In addition to a previously identified lack of PE methyltransferase, hepatocarcinoma cells were found to lack the abilities to oxidize choline to betaine and to donate the methyl group from betaine to homocysteine, whereas the usage of exogenous methionine as a methyl group donor was normal. The failure to use choline as a methyl source in hepatocarcinoma cells may contribute to methionine dependence, a widely observed aberration of one-carbon metabolism in malignancy.
A comparison of two methods for determining the sensitivity of human myeloid colony-forming units to cytosine arabinoside

Studies were carried out to determine the optimal method for measuring the sensitivity of myeloid clonogenic cells to cytosine arabinoside (ara C). Bone marrow or peripheral blood cells were either exposed to different concentrations of ara C for 1 h in vitro and then after washing were plated in agar and cultured for 7 d in vitro, or were directly plated in agar containing different concentrations of the drug. The 3H-TdR suicide index of the clonogenic cells was also determined. Washing the specimens under study subsequent to incubation with ara C prior to plating in agar provided the most accurate measure of the ara C sensitivity of the clonogenic cells. When carried out in conjunction with the 3H-thymidine suicide index, the 'wash' method permitted the simultaneous determination of both the kinetic and metabolic sensitivity of these cells to ara C. Using this combined method, it was observed that the differences between the ara C sensitivity of the CFUc of different individuals resulted from differences in the proportion of clonogenic cells synthesizing DNA in the different marrow specimens.
Perspective: Aging and Infectious Diseases: Past, Present, and Future

As we enter into the 21st century, infectious disease specialists will be managing a greater number and proportion of patients with infections who are > or = 65 years old. Much has been learned about aging, host resistance, and infections over the past 15 years. However, if we are to meet the challenge of the complex issues of geriatric infectious diseases, infectious disease clinicians, teachers, and researchers must assume a more proactive role in clinical care, training, education, and research on problems and issues confronting the aging population.
Ivermectin: uses and impact 20 years on.

Purpose of review Ivermectin was first discovered and used in veterinary medicine over 20 years ago. This review highlights some of the recent published research from 2005 through June 2006 on the use of ivermectin in both helminth and arthropod infection. Recent findings In recent years, several published studies have detailed the expanding role for ivermectin in multiple endo and ectoparasitic infections, including scabies, pediculosis, soil transmitted helminths, gnathostomiasis and myiasis. In addition, there is increasing experience with parenteral ivermectin for the treatment of disseminated strongyloidiasis. The success of ivermectin in reducing Onchocerca volvulus and Wuchereria bancrofti transmission through universal treatment in disease control programs continues to be well documented, but recent epidemiologic data describe suboptimal response to ivermectin by O. volvulus in a minority of individuals, the molecular markers for which are currently under investigation. Summary Over 20 years of research and clinical use have advanced ivermectin from its beginnings as a veterinary anthelmintic to its significant role in several successful disease control programs. Nevertheless, further research is needed to understand the basis for suboptimal response and to better define optimal drug regimens for varying diseases.
Research interface on a programmable ultrasound scanner.

Abstract Motivation Commercial ultrasound machines in the past did not provide the ultrasound researchers access to raw ultrasound data. Lack of this ability has impeded evaluation and clinical testing of novel ultrasound algorithms and applications. Objectives Recently, we developed a flexible ultrasound back-end where all the processing for the conventional ultrasound modes, such as B, M, color flow and spectral Doppler, was performed in software. The back-end has been incorporated into a commercial ultrasound machine, the Hitachi HiVision 5500. The goal of this work is to develop an ultrasound research interface on the back-end for acquiring raw ultrasound data from the machine. Methods The research interface has been designed as a software module on the ultrasound back-end. To increase the amount of raw ultrasound data that can be spooled in the limited memory available on the back-end, we have developed a method that can losslessly compress the ultrasound data in real time. Results and discussion The raw ultrasound data could be obtained in any conventional ultrasound mode, including duplex and triplex modes. Furthermore, use of the research interface does not decrease the frame rate or otherwise affect the clinical usability of the machine. The lossless compression of the ultrasound data in real time can increase the amount of data spooled by ∼2.3 times, thus allowing more than 6 s of raw ultrasound data to be acquired in all the modes. The interface has been used not only for early testing of new ideas with in vitro data from phantoms, but also for acquiring in vivo data for fine-tuning ultrasound applications and conducting clinical studies. We present several examples of how newer ultrasound applications, such as elastography, vibration imaging and 3D imaging, have benefited from this research interface. Since the research interface is entirely implemented in software, it can be deployed on existing HiVision 5500 ultrasound machines and may be easily upgraded in the future. Conclusions The developed research interface can aid researchers in the rapid testing and clinical evaluation of new ultrasound algorithms and applications. Additionally, we believe that our approach would be applicable to designing research interfaces on other ultrasound machines.
Electron-impact and glow-discharge ionization LC–MS analysis of green tea tincture

A liquid chromatography–particle-beam mass spectrometer (LC–PB/MS) with interchangeable electron-impact (EI) and glow-discharge (GD) ion sources was evaluated for future application in analysis of botanical extracts. In this work a green tea tincture was characterized for a series of catechin components (catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) and caffeine. Special emphasis was given to EGCG and caffeine, because they are important in determining the possible health effects of the green tea. The effects of instrument operating conditions were evaluated for the EI and GD ionization sources to determine their effect on analyte intensities and fragmentation patterns. These studies furnished information about the effects of these conditions in determining possible ionization pathways in the two ion sources. The mass spectra of these compounds obtained with the GD ion source are EI-like in appearance, with clearly identified molecular ions and fragmentation patterns that are easily rationalized. The absolute limits of detection for EGCG and caffeine were, respectively, 11 ng and 0.77 ng for the EI source and 3.2 ng and 0.61 ng for the GD source. The PB/EIMS and PB/GDMS combinations can be operated in a flow-injection mode, wherein the analyte is injected directly into the mobile phase, or coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), enabling LC–MS analysis of complex mixtures. A reversed-phase chromatographic separation of the green tea tincture was performed on a commercial C18 column using a gradient of water (containing 0.1% TFA) and ACN. Quantification of EGCG and caffeine was performed by the standard addition method. The amounts of EGCG and caffeine in the tested green tea tincture were each ∼14 mg mL−1.
Extension of the MUSIC algorithm to millimeter-wave (MMW) real-beam radar scanning antennas

Step-scanned radar antennas represent a new application of radar technology for detection of targets and estimation of their locations. In this paper we describe a new development called Scan-MUSIC (SMUSIC), which extends the application of the MUSIC algorithm to improve the cross-range resolution of closely spaced point targets with a step-scanned radar. This paper also demonstrates that SMUSIC can be used with radar data obtained with an experimental Millimeter Wave (MMW) coherent scanning radar. While a mathematical proof of resolvability has not yet been established for the scanning antenna, we have shown that we can apply the spatial smoothing method to the SMUSIC algorithm to estimate the closely spaced point targets that are within the beamwidth of the radar antenna. The results show that the targets that are spaced less than 1/4 of the antenna beamwidth and are interfering can be resolved with SMUSIC in constructive interference case. This paper also presents the performance of the SMUSIC superresolution algorithm for the scanning antenna in terms of probability of successful resolution and the total average mean-squared error of target locations, based on the simulated data generated by using an experimental antenna pattern.
Selective Labeling, Cross-Linking, and Cleavage of Proteins with Transition-Metal Complexes

Abstract Because the substitution reactions of transition-metal complexes can be controlled precisely by the choice of the metal and the ligands, and because these complexes have various spectroscopic and electrochemical properties, they are well-suited for many applications in biochemical and biophysical laboratories. Complex [Pt(trpy)Cl)+ reacts, under mild conditions and noninvasively, with the exposed side chains of His, Cys, and even Arg residues in proteins. The derivatives can be separated chromatographically. The Pt(trpy)2+ tags are stable. They are easily detected and quantitated owing to the strong UV-vis bands, whose positions and relative intensities depend on the identity and the environment of the tagged residue. The selectivity of Pt(II) chloro complexes as labeling reagents can be controlled by purposeful changes of the other three ancillary ligands. Treatment of Cys residues with (η5-C5H5)Fe(η5-C5H4HgCl)results in attachment of the redox-active ferrocenyl tag to the protein. Proteins can ...
Semiempirical, squeeze flow, and intermolecular diffusion model. II. Model verification using laser microwelding

This article reviews the application of a coupled squeeze flow and intermolecular diffusion model, which was used to predict the quality and size of microwelds in plastics. Weld widths predictions were compared with previously presented experimental results using moving heat source models and temperature fields. The motivation for this work was to develop and verify a model based on fundamental principles that could accurately predict weld size and strength for conventional plastic welding techniques as well as novel techniques such as laser microwelding. It is envisioned that the resulting model could be used to predict proper welding parameters, including laser power and travel speed, to produce welds of varying size. Although insight into weld quality can be derived from this model, it was not the goal of this work to accurately predict weld strength for laser microwelding because of the difficulty in measuring weld strength on the micron scale. However, as reported in Part 1, weld strength for impulse welds were accurately predicted. In this model it was found that variable temperature histories, rather than a single value of maximum weld temperature, allows more accurate modeling of the welding process. In this work (Part 2), microwelds as small as 11 μm in width were produced with transmission infrared welding. In addition, welds over 150-μm wide were also generated and the model was able to predict the range of weld widths that were found experimentally. It was found that the predictions were in very good agreement with the experimental results. There was some deviation between the experimental data and the model at the extreme parameters and it is believed that this was due to the temperature-dependent material properties as well as optical aberrations. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Hematopoietic Death of Unprotected Man from Photon Irradiations: Statistical Modeling from Animal Experiments

Most estimates of the radiation dose lethal to 50 per cent of a human population are based on historical data taken from well-known experiences reflecting inadequately known physical and biological conditions, or from medical procedures where individual patients received advantages of modern clinical care. It has been debated as to whether the experience of unprotected man would more closely reflect that of hospital patients or of the radiobiological studies with large animals. The issue at question is whether the apparent two-fold or more increased susceptibility of large animals to death from bone marrow damage (compared with the majority of estimates for man) is due more to true interspecies differences or the lack of medical support. This study is an attempt to assess the radiosensitivity of unprotected man in terms of the composite animal experiments. Based upon an extensive data base containing 121 separate animals studies using 13 different species, an estimate of the mortality dose-response relationship due to a uniform, continuous field of photon radiation is predicted for 70 kg unprotected man. Man is assumed to have a level of radiation sensitivity similar to that of the species represented in the data base, after adjustment for body weight. The mathematical model used includes fixed terms to account for effects of body weight and dose rate, and random terms reflecting inter- and intra-species variation and experimental error. Point predictions and 95 per cent prediction intervals are given for the LD05, LD10, LD25, LD50, LD75, LD90, and LD95, for dose rates ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 Gy/min, and treatment times ranging from about 2 min to about 24 h. At 1 cGy/min our point prediction of the LD50 is 299 cGy with an associated 95 per cent prediction interval of (168 cGy, 535 cGy). The analogous values at 50 cGy/min are 183 cGy and (103 cGy, 326 cGy).