cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-temperature method for measuring emissivity

Spectral emissivity can be uniquely determined from radiance measurements if the object can be observed at two different temperatures. The advantage of this approach is that the spectral emissivity is determined without a priori assumptions about spectral shape. Because the different temperatures are obtained by observing the scene at two times in the diurnal cycle (optimally after midday and midnight), the method assumes that emissivity is temporally invariant. This is valid for rocks and dry soils, not well established for vegetation, and not true when changes in soil moisture occur between the measurements. Accurate image registration and satisfactory signal:noise are critical factors that limit extensive use of this method.
Geometric relationship between cohomology of the complement of real and complexified arrangements

Abstract Let A R be a real hyperplane arrangement and let A C be its complexification. Let M R and M C be the respective complements. Then M R is the disjoint union of convex chambers whose number is given by its only Betti number, b 0 (M R ) . A real arrangement and its complexification satisfy the M-property: b 0 (M R )=∑ q b q (M C ) , the number of chambers in M R equals the sum of the Betti numbers of M C . The no-broken-circuit set, nbc , is a field independent combinatorial object. It has been used to label a basis for H ∗ (M C ) but not to label the chambers of M R in a way that makes the M-property explicit. In this paper we use the nbc set to label a combinatorial object in the nerve of the arrangement, which is field independent. This allows for simultaneous choices of nbc bases in H ∗ (M R ) and H ∗ (M C ) . We also explore the geometrical connections between these bases.
Microstructures of La1−xAx(A = Ca or Sr)MnO3−δ thin films by liquid-delivery metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

The microstructure of La1–xAx(A = Ca or Sr)MnO3–δ thin films grown by liquid-delivery metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on (001) MgO and (110)pseudo-cubic LaAlO3 were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The La1–xCaxMnO3–δ thin film on large lattice mismatched MgO exhibited very defective microstructures and consisted of two typical regions. The first region was close to the film–substrate interface and had an epitaxial relationship to the substrate with many differently oriented domains nucleated on the substrate surface. The second region consisted of columnar grains with some degree of texture. In contrast, the smaller lattice-mismatched La1–xSrxMnO3–δ/(110)pseudo-cubic LaAlO3 film had good crystalline quality with highly oriented columnar grains but exhibited complicated dislocation structures. Apart from the misfit dislocations formed at the film–substrate interface, two types of anomalous dislocations with limited contribution to relieving misfit stresses were also observed. One type of dislocation had extra planes in the film and some climbed into the substrate. These dislocations were considered to form from dislocation loops during nucleation of the film. The other type of dislocations had extra planes parallel to the film–substrate interface and glided into the substrate side resulting in a 2° tilt of the film with respect to the substrate. The complicated dislocation configurations present in the sample were related to the complex strain field in the film. The relative strains along the interface measured in the film were heterogeneous. The variations of the strains in the film were related to the local Curie temperature changes and second-order phase transitions of the film.
On the acquisition of the meaning of before and after

It was proposed that children acquire the meanings of words component by component. Forty children between 3;0 and 5;0 were asked to act out instructions containing the temporal conjunctions before and after (e.g., Before the boy jumped the gate, he patted the dog ) and to answer questions demanding before and after in their replies. The results showed four stages in acquisition: first, children understood neither word; second, children understood before but not after ; third, children interpreted after as if it meant before ; and fourth, children understood both words correctly. Linguistically, the results indicated that children acquire the separate meaning-components of before and after hierarchically, from the super-ordinate component on down.
Propagation and extinction of cyclopentadiene flames

Abstract Laminar flame speeds and extinction strain rates of cyclopentadiene/air mixture were determined in the counterflow configuration at atmospheric pressure, unburned mixture temperature of 353 K, and for a wide range of equivalence ratios. The experiments were modeled using recently developed kinetic models. Sensitivity analyses showed that both flame propagation and extinction of cyclopentadiene/air mixtures flames depend notably on the fuel kinetics and subsequent intermediates such as cyclopentadienyl, cyclopentadienone, and cyclopentadienoxy. Analyses of the computed flame structures revealed that the high temperature oxidation of cyclopentadiene depends in general on the kinetics of first few intermediates in the oxidation process following the fuel consumption. The potential reaction pathways of the consumption of cyclopentadienyl radicals were discussed and further investigation and validation is recommended for two relevant reactions that could improve the high temperature oxidation kinetic model of cyclopentadiene. The experimental flame data of this study are the first ones to be reported.
Endogenous opiates: 1990

Abstract This paper, an examination of works published during 1990, is thirteenth in a series of our annual reviews of the research involving the behavioral, nonanalgesic, effects of the endogenous opiate peptides. The specific topics this year include stress; tolerance and dependence; eating; drinking; gastrointestinal, renal, and hepatic functions; mental illness; learning, memory, and reward; cardiovascular responses; respiration and thermoregulation; seizures and other neurological disorders; electrical-related activity; locomotor activity; sex, pregnancy, development, and aging; immunological responses; and other behavior.
A mathematical model of insulin resistance in Parkinson's disease

Display Omitted Inflammation and oxidative stress cause insulin resistance in Parkinson's disease.Parkinson's disease is accentuated by insulin resistance.A combination of treatment options proves effective against Parkinson's disease.Delayed treatment states provide a more realistic view of drug efficacy. This paper introduces a mathematical model representing the biochemical interactions between insulin signaling and Parkinson's disease. The model can be used to examine the changes that occur over the course of the disease as well as identify which processes would be the most effective targets for treatment. The model is mathematized using biochemical systems theory (BST). It incorporates a treatment strategy that includes several experimental drugs along with current treatments. In the past, BST models of neurodegeneration have used power law analysis and simulation (PLAS) to model the system. This paper recommends the use of MATLAB instead. MATLAB allows for more flexibility in both the model itself and in data analysis. Previous BST analyses of neurodegeneration began treatment at disease onset. As shown in this model, the outcomes of delayed, realistic treatment and full treatment at disease onset are significantly different. The delayed treatment strategy is an important development in BST modeling of neurodegeneration. It emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, and allows for a more accurate representation of disease and treatment interactions.
Molecular cloning of the T4 genome: Organization and expression of the tail fiber gene cluster 34–38

λT4 derivatives that carry T4 tail fiber genes 34–38 have been isolated and characterized by genetic, structural and functional analysis. 32 λT4 recombinants were identified by a marker rescue screen of 310 λT4 clones generated by restriction of partial cytosine-containing T4 DNA with either HindIII or EcoRI and ligation into appropriately cleaved λ vectors. These tests defined 15 recombinant classes with respect to the contiguous stretches of genome recovered. Restriction enzyme structural analysis identified 7 HindIII fragments and 7 EcoRI fragments, established a restriction map covering about 11 kb, and indicated the orientation of the DNA inserts within the λ vectors. The cloned tail fiber genes are expressed efficiently from λ promoters and complement in vivo T4 phage carrying amber mutations in the tail fiber genes. Polypeptides corresponding to gp34-gp38 have been detected by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 35S-labeled extracts of appropriate λT4 recombinant infected UV-treated host cells. The genetic, structural and functional maps of the T4 tail fiber gene cluster have been correlated, and provide a rational approach to genetically directed DNA sequence analysis of genes 34–38 and their mutant variants that affect the assembly, structure and function of the tail fibers.
Methyl inosine monophosphate: a potential immunotherapeutic for early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

MIMP is a new thymomimetic purine under development for immunorestorative therapy. Lymphocytes were obtained from eight patients with acquired immunodeficiency disease (AIDS), eight with symptomatic pre-AIDS (ARC), and 22 normal controls and were stimulated in vitro with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). AIDS patients (mean CD4 counts of 40) showed PHA responses <10% of control while ARC patients (mean CD4 counts of 544) showed responses approximately 50% of the control responses. MIMP (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μg/ml) progressively augmented the PHA responses in all these groups. The augmentation of the responses of the leukocytes of AIDS patients while statistically significant was minimal. The augmentation of the responses of ARC patients was significant and their maximal responses approached control levels. The effect of 1 μg/ml MIMP was comparable with that observed with indomethacin (10−6 M) and interleukin-2 (IL2 – 4 units/ml) and was additive with each of these stimulants. In a parallel manner, MIMP restored the suppression of control lymphocytes induced by the immunosuppressive 17 amino acid fragment of the P41 peptide of HIV. In vivo experiments showed that MIMP significantly delayed death in a murine FLV AIDS model at a dose of 1 mg/kg by the oral or parenteral route. MIMP is under preclinical development for early HIV disease to forestall progression to AIDS by attenuating virus-induced immunosuppression.
Computational alanine scanning of the 1:1 human growth hormone–receptor complex

The MM-PBSA (Molecular Mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area) method was applied to the human Growth Hormone (hGH) complexed with its receptor to assess both the validity and the limitations of the computational alanine scanning approach. A 400-ps dynamical trajectory of the fully solvated complex was simulated at 300 K in a 101 A x 81 A x 107 A water box using periodic boundary conditions. Long-range electrostatic interactions were treated with the particle mesh Ewald (PME) summation method. Equally spaced snapshots along the trajectory were chosen to compute the binding free energy using a continuum solvation model to calculate the electrostatic desolvation free energy and a solvent-accessible surface area approach to treat the nonpolar solvation free energy. Computational alanine scanning was performed on the same set of snapshots by mutating the residues in the structural epitope of the hormone and the receptor to alanine and recomputing the deltaGbinding. To further investigate a particular structure, a 200-ps dynamical trajectory of an R43A hormone-receptor complex was simulated. By postprocessing a single trajectory of the wild-type complex, the average unsigned error of our calculated deltadeltaGbinding is approximately1 kcal/mol for the alanine mutations of hydrophobic residues and polar/charged residues without buried salt bridges. When residues involved in buried salt bridges are mutated to alanine, it is demonstrated that a separate trajectory of the alanine mutant complex can lead to reasonable agreement with experimental results. Our approach can be extended to rapid screening of a variety of possible modifications to binding sites.
High density micromass cultures of embryonic limb bud mesenchymal cells: an in vitro model of endochondral skeletal development

To study the mechanisms regulating endochondral skeletal development, we examined the characteristics of long-term, high density micromass cultures of embryonic chicken limb bud mesenchymal cells. By culture Day 3, these cells underwent distinct chondrogenesis, evidenced by cellular condensation to form large nodules exhibiting cartilage-like morphology and extracellular matrix. By Day 14, extensive cellular hypertrophy was seen in the core of the nodules, accompanied by increased alkaline phosphatase activity, and the limitation of cellular proliferation to the periphery of the nodules and to internodular areas. By Day 14, matrix calcification was detected by alizarin red staining, and calcium incorporation increased as a function of culture time up to 2 to 3 wk and then decreased. X-ray probe elemental analysis detected the presence of hydroxyapatite. Analogous to growth cartilage developing in vivo, these cultures also exhibited time-dependent apoptosis, on the basis of DNA fragmentation detected in situ by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL), ultrastructural nuclear morphology, and the appearance of internucleosomal DNA degradation. These findings showed that cellular differentiation, maturation, hypertrophy, calcification, and apoptosis occurred sequentially in the embryonic limb mesenchyme micromass cultures and indicate their utility as a convenient in vitro model to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of endochondral ossification.
Proximity effects of a Cu(001) substrate on the ferromagnetism of Co mono- and bilayers

Abstract Electronic and magnetic properties of mono- and bilayer Co/Cu(001) adsorption systems are studied using full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) total energy calculations. The large magnetic moment (2.07μ B ) of the Co free monolayer is decreased substantially to 1.78μ B when adsorbed on the Cu(001) substrate — which is 5% smaller than that (1.87μ B ) at the clean fcc Co(001) surface. In 2Co/Cu(001), the magnetic moment of the interfacial Co layer drops to 1.50μ B , even 10% smaller than the bulk value, 1.65μ B . These large proximity effects indicate that the Cu(001) substrate is harmful for Co overlayer magnetism and thus is not a good substrate for developing and studying 2D magnetism.
Transgenic analysis of tomato endo-β-1,4-glucanase gene function. Role of cel1 in floral abscission

Summary Endo-β-1,4-glucanase (EGase) expression in ripening tomato fruit and abscising tomato flowers reflects the overlapping accumulation of structurally divergent gene transcripts, including EGase1 (Cel1) and EGase2 (Cel2). Transgenic plants in which cel1 expression was specifically inhibited were evaluated in order to assess the potential role(s) played by Cel1 during fruit ripening and floral abscission. The constitutive expression of an antisense cel1 gene driven by the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus resulted in the reduction of Cel1 mRNA to trace levels in both ripening fruit and abscising abscission zones of transgenic tomato plants. Transgenic fruit in which cel1 expression was reduced to less than 0.1% of wild-type levels exhibited normal growth and softening behaviour. Transgenic floral abscission zones expressing 5–7% of wild-type levels of Cel1 mRNA exhibited an incidence of abscission reduced by up to one third. The incomplete loss of abscission ability by transgenic flowers may indicate that the contribution of Cel1 activity is insufficient to account for all floral abscission and attests to the presence in tomato abscission zones of additional cell wall hydrolase activities, including Cel2.
Coaxial Marx-Bank Driver and Flashlamp for Optical Excitation of Organic Dye Lasers

A flashlamp pumped laser system that utilizes a coaxial Marx-Bank driver circuit is described. The property of the Marx-Bank circuit, which is to charge storage capacitors in parallel but discharge them in series connection, affords the practical advantage that high applied voltages and flashlamp input energies may be attained with a relatively low dc charging voltage. The use of a coaxial flashlamp and circuit configuration minimizes total inductance so that short duration, high energy pulses efficient for dye laser excitation are obtained.
Poverty, Partnerships, and Privilege: Elite Institutions and Community Empowerment:

During the 1990s, universities and foundations separately entered into community partnerships with the intent of revitalizing poor urban neighborhoods. We describe the historical context that prece...
Dynamics of Electron and Photon Stimulated Desorption

We discuss specific examples of desorption due to electron or photon bombardment of solids, in which the repulsive interactions that result in particle expulsion can be clearly identified. A particularly interesting example is the desorption of positive ions from alkali-halides. Classical trajectory calculations are used to provide a picture of the atomic-scale motion during desorption. The results show that dynamic distortions of the lattice play a crucial role in the desorption process.
Analysis of melting and resolidification in a two-component metal powder bed subjected to temporal Gaussian heat flux

Melting and resolidification of a subcooled, two-component metal powder bed subjected to temporal Gaussian heat flux is investigated analytically in this paper. The integral approximate solutions for preheating, melting with shrinkage, and resolidification are obtained. An increase in heat source intensity or powder bed porosity will result in an increase of the melt pool depth, melt pool temperature, and the overall processing time. The melt pool becomes shallower with increasing subcooling because more heat flux is needed to melt the powder. A change in the liquid phase porosity will increase the process time only slightly and have a negligible effect on the amount of melted material produced.
Measuring the effect of field strength on noise amplification factor

As shown previously, parallel imaging techniques should benefit significantly from higher field strengths due to a reduction in noise amplification (g) factor. The intent of this study was to measure directly the role of field strength in this reduction, comparing the measured g factors for two commercial eight-channel head array coils of similar mechanical design at 3T and 7T using low and high permittivity phantoms. The results indicated that the lower g factors result primarily from the RF standing wave pattern and the greater spatial complexity of the coil sensitivities in high permittivity materials at high frequency, although the physical design of the array elements plays an important role in controlling the growth of noise amplification. A simplified method of g factor measurement for an array coil is also presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 31B: 51–59, 2007
The Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Model: Optimization and Evaluation of Simulated Radiative Fluxes and Precipitation

Abstract This work continues the presentation and evaluation of the Ocean–Land–Atmosphere Model (OLAM), focusing on the model’s ability to represent radiation and precipitation. OLAM is a new, state-of-the-art earth system model, capable of user-specified grid resolution and local mesh refinement. An objective optimization of the microphysics parameterization is carried out. Data products from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) are used to construct a maximum likelihood function, and thousands of simulations using different values for key parameters are carried out. Shortwave fluxes are found to be highly sensitive to both the density of cloud droplets and the assumed shape of the cloud droplet diameter distribution function. Because there is considerable uncertainty in which values for these parameters to use in climate models, they are targeted as the tunable parameters of the objective optimization procedure, which identified...
Characterization of a tunable, single-beam ponderomotive-optical trap

The generation and numerical and optical characterization of a single-beam, ponderomotive-optical trap are discussed. A novel segmented wave-plate technique is described, and experimental results of the trap formation are presented. Several methods to tune the traps are discussed, including techniques to realize a bright trap for dark-seeking electrons. The effects of non-Gaussian incident beams and beams with phase aberrations on trap formation are also described.
Identification of Mycobacteria from Solid and Liquid Media by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry in the Clinical Laboratory

Mycobacteria cause significant morbidity in humans. Rapid and accurate mycobacterial identification is important for improvement of patient outcomes. However, identification may be challenging due to the slow and fastidious growth of mycobacteria. Several diagnostic methods, such as biochemical, sequencing, and probe methods, are used for mycobacterial identification. We compared the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) Biotyper system (Bruker Daltonics) to 16S rRNA/hsp65 sequencing and/or DNA probes (Gen-Probe) for mycobacterial identification. One hundred seventy-eight mycobacterial isolates grown on solid and/or broth medium were included in the study. MALDI-TOF MS identified 93.8% of the mycobacteria isolates accurately to the species level and 98.3% to the genus level, independent of the type of medium used for isolation. The identification of mycobacteria directly from cultures using MALDI-TOF MS allows for precise identification in an hour compared to traditional biochemical and phenotypic methods that can take weeks or probes and sequencing that may take a few hours. Identification by MALDI-TOF MS potentially reduces the turnaround time and cost, thereby saving resources within the health care system.
PVSS11. Outcomes of Ischemic Colitis after Hybrid Endovascular Repair of Complex Aortic Aneurysms in the North American Complex Abdominal Aortic Debranching (NACAAD) Registry

Outcomes of Ischemic Colitis after Hybrid Endovascular Repair of Complex Aortic Aneurysms in the North American Complex Abdominal Aortic Debranching (NACAAD) Registry Carlos H. Timaran, Gustavo S. Oderich, Mark A. Farber, William Quinones-Baldrich, Peter Gloviczki, Guillermo Escobar, Roy K. Greenberg, James Black, Sharif Ellozy, Edward Woo, Michael Singh, Mark Fillinger, Jason Lee, Hasan H. Dosluoglu. Univ of Texas Southwestern Med Ctr, Dallas, TX; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Univ of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Univ of California, Los Angeles, CA; Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Johns Hopkins Med Ctr, Baltimore, MD; Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; Univ of Pennsylvania Med Ctr, Philadelphia, PA; Univ of Rochester Med Ctr, Rochester, NY; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr, Lebanon, NH; Stanford Univ Med Ctr, Stanford, CA; State Univ of New York, Buffalo, NY
A learning-theory approach to sensor networks

We propose a unified approach to various sensor network applications, using supervised learning. Supervised learning refers to learning from examples, in the form of input-output pairs, by which a system that isn't programmed in advance can estimate an unknown function and predict its values for inputs outside the training set. In particular, we examined random wireless sensor networks, in which nodes are randomly distributed in the region of deployment. When operating normally, nodes communicate and collaborate only with other nearby nodes (within communication range). However, a base station - with a more powerful computer on board - can query a node or group of nodes when necessary and perform data fusion. Learning techniques have been applied in many diverse scenarios. Preliminary research shows that a well-known algorithm from learning theory effectively applies to environmental monitoring, tracking of moving objects and plumes, and localization. We considered some basic concepts of learning theory and how they might address the needs of random wireless sensor networks.
Quantitative Computerized Image Analysis of Tn and T (Thomsen–Friedenreich) Epitopes in Prognostication of Human Breast Carcinoma:

SUMMARY The precursors of the blood group N and M-immunodominant structures, Tn and T (Thomsen‐Friedenreich) epitopes (EPs) occur in z 90% of carcinomas (CAs) but are masked in benign-diseased and healthy tissues. We determined quantitatively on 55 primary invasive ductal breast CAs, stages I to IV, the prognostic value of extent of Tn and T EP expression over an observation period exceeding 5 years postoperatively. Classical, established pathological and histological prognostic characteristic indicators associated with survival were subdivided by standard criteria into favorable and unfavorable categories. Tissue sections were reacted with monoclonal anti-Tn and -T antibodies, followed by the streptavidin‐biotin‐peroxidase‐DAB procedure; counterstain was methyl green. Tn and T EPs were then quantitated by computerized image analysis. Of the 55 CAs, 51 clearly expressed Tn and T, and four had traces. Strong Tn EP expression was statistically significantly associated with shortened 5-year disease-free interval, increasing pTNM stages, positive lymph node status, and increasing combined histological grades. T EPs were usually well expressed but showed no significant association with prognostic factors. Our results suggest that quantitative immunohistochemistry‐image analysis of Tn EPs of primary breast CAs may add new parameters to prognostication. (J Histochem Cytochem 45:1393‐1400, 1997)
Per-separation clustered-dot color halftone watermarks: separation estimation based on spatial frequency content

A framework for clustered-dot color halftone watermarking is considered, wherein watermark patterns are embedded in individ- ual colorant halftones prior to printing and embedded watermarks are detected from scans of the printed images after obtaining esti- mates of the individual halftone separations. The principal challenge in this methodology arises in the watermark detection phase. Typical three-channel RGB scanner systems do not directly provide good es- timates of the four CMYK colorant halftones that are commonly used in color printing systems. To address this challenge, we propose an estimation method that, when used with suitably selected halftone periodicities, jointly exploits the differences in the spatial periodicities and the color (spectra) of the halftone separations to obtain good estimates of the individual halftones from conventional RGB scans. We demonstrate the efficacy of this methodology experimentally us- ing continuous phase modulation for the embedding of independent visual watermark patterns in the individual halftone separations. Wa- termarks detected from the estimates of halftone separations ob- tained using the proposed estimation method have a much higher contrast than those detected directly. We also evaluate the accuracy of the estimated halftones through simulations and demonstrate that the proposed estimation method offers high accuracy. © 2010 SPIE
Practical Issues with the Use of Stem Cells for Cancer Gene Therapy

Stem cell-based drug delivery for cancer therapy has steadily gained momentum in the past decade as several studies have reported stem cells' inherent tropism towards tumors. Since this science is still in its early stages and there are many factors that could significantly impact tumor tropism of stem cells, some contradictory results have been observed. This review starts by examining a number of proof-of-concept studies that demonstrate the potential application of stem cells in cancer therapy. Studies that illustrate stem cells' tumor tropism and discuss the technical difficulties that could impact the therapeutic outcome are also highlighted. The discussion also emphasizes stem cell imaging/tracking, as it plays a crucial role in performing reliable dose-response studies and evaluating the therapeutic outcome of treatment protocols. In each section, the pros and cons associated with each method are highlighted, limitations are underlined, and potential solutions are discussed. The overall intention is to familiarize the reader with important practical issues related to stem cell cancer tropism and in vivo tracking, underline the shortcomings, and emphasize critical factors that need to be considered for effective translation of this science into the clinic.
PEM Fuel Cells and Platinum-Based Electrocatalysts

H2/air-powered PEM fuel cells are a future substitute for combustion engines as the green power source for transport application. In PEM fuel cells, because of their low operating temperature and low pH, both anode and cathode reactions are catalyzed by Pt or Pt-based electrocatalysts. Pt is a precious and expensive noble metal, and therefore its loading requirement plays a major role in determining the cost of fuel cells in mass production. The anode hydrogen oxidation reaction on Pt is intrinsically fast and requires very little Pt, while the cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a very sluggish reaction that consumes about 90% of the total Pt content in PEM fuel cells. The current Pt loading in the most advanced fuel cell vehicles that use state-of-the-art Pt-based catalysts is about four- to eightfold higher than the target established for mass-produced fuel cell vehicles. Therefore, lowering the Pt loading at the cathode is the most critical mission for the PEM fuel cell development. To do that, significant depth of knowledge in understanding the ORR on Pt and Pt-based electrocatalysts’ surfaces is required; and the search for novel Pt-based electrocatalysts with enhanced ORR activity is seemingly the most productive pathway.
Total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty: experimental technique in a porcine model

OBJECTIVE: Describe a unique simplified experimental technique for total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty in a porcine model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty on 10 animals. The gastroepiploic arch was identified and carefully mobilized from its origin at the pylorus to the beginning of the previously demarcated gastric wedge. The gastric segment was resected with sharp dissection. Both gastric suturing and gastrovesical anastomosis were performed with absorbable running sutures. The complete procedure and stages of gastric dissection, gastric closure, and gastrovesical anastomosis were separately timed for each laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty. The end-result of the gastric suturing and the bladder augmentation were evaluated by fluoroscopy or endoscopy. RESULTS: Mean total operative time was 5.2 (range 3.5 - 8) hours: 84.5 (range 62 - 110) minutes for the gastric dissection, 56 (range 28 - 80) minutes for the gastric suturing, and 170.6 (range 70 to 200) minutes for the gastrovesical anastomosis. A cystogram showed a small leakage from the vesical anastomosis in the first two cases. No extravasation from gastric closure was observed in the postoperative gastrogram. CONCLUSIONS: Total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty is a feasible but complex procedure that currently has limited clinical application. With the increasing use of laparoscopy in reconstructive surgery of the lower urinary tract, gastrocystoplasty may become an attractive option because of its potential advantages over techniques using small and large bowel segments.
Income Dynamics, Economic Rents and the Financialization of the US Economy

The 2008 collapse of the world financial system, while proximately linked to the housing bubble and risk laden mortgage backed securities, was a consequence of the financialization of the U.S. economy since the 1970s. This paper examines the institutional and income dynamics associated with financialization, advancing a sociological explanation of the large shifts of income into the finance sector. Complementary developments included banking deregulation, finance industry concentration, the increased size and scope of institutional investors, the shareholder value movement, and the dominance of the neoliberal policy model. As a result we estimate that since 1980 between 5.8 and 6.6 trillion dollars were transferred to the finance sector. We conclude that understanding inequality dynamics requires attention to market institutions and politics.
Deficiency of Niemann-Pick Type C-1 Protein Impairs Release of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and Results in Gag Accumulation in Late Endosomal/Lysosomal Compartments

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) relies on cholesterol-laden lipid raft membrane microdomains for entry into and egress out of susceptible cells. In the present study, we examine the need for intracellular cholesterol trafficking pathways with respect to HIV-1 biogenesis using Niemann-Pick type C-1 (NPC1)-deficient (NPCD) cells, wherein these pathways are severely compromised, causing massive accumulation of cholesterol in late endosomal/lysosomal (LE/L) compartments. We have found that induction of an NPC disease-like phenotype through treatment of various cell types with the commonly used hydrophobic amine drug U18666A resulted in profound suppression of HIV-1 release. Further, NPCD Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphocytes and fibroblasts from patients with NPC disease infected with a CD4-independent strain of HIV-1 or transfected with an HIV-1 proviral clone, respectively, replicated HIV-1 poorly compared to normal cells. Infection of the NPCD fibroblasts with a vesicular stomatitis virus G-pseudotyped strain of HIV-1 produced similar results, suggesting a postentry block to HIV-1 replication in these cells. Examination of these cells using confocal microscopy showed an accumulation and stabilization of Gag in LE/L compartments. Additionally, normal HIV-1 production could be restored in NPCD cells upon expression of a functional NPC1 protein, and overexpression of NPC1 increased HIV-1 release. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that intact intracellular cholesterol trafficking pathways mediated by NPC1 are needed for efficient HIV-1 production.
The MORE Trial: Multiple Outcomes for Raloxifene Evaluation

Breast cancer is a common disease in the United States and Europe and is therefore a major target for prevention strategies. Estrogen plays a central role in its pathogenesis, and treatment with estrogen deprivation has long been recognized to be an effective therapy. Tamoxifen is the first selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) to be widely used for the treatment of breast cancer and has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women. Raloxifene is a second-generation SERM that has estrogenic effects on bone and lipid metabolism, and antiestrogenic effects on breast tissue. Unlike tamoxifen, raloxifene displays antiestrogenic effects on the endometrium and may serve as a safer alternative to tamoxifen in the prevention setting. The MORE trial is a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial designed to determine whether 3 years of raloxifene reduces the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. As a secondary end point of the trial, raloxifene was shown to reduce the risk of both in situ and invasive breast cancer by 65% (RR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.21-0.58; P < 0.001). The benefits were most significant in women who developed estrogen receptor (ER)-positive cancers, with a relative risk of 0.10 (95% CI = 0.04-0.24). This reduced incidence of breast cancer may be due to an anticarcinogenic effect or to a slowing of growth of occult ER-positive cancer, with a shift to the right in the time-to-cancer curve. A second large-scale prevention trial in breast cancer comparing tamoxifen to raloxifene is presently enrolling cancer-free, but high-risk postmenopausal women (the STAR trial). Future directions include combined estrogen blockade of the breast by the addition of an aromatase inhibitor to a SERM. New trial designs, including those based on biochemical changes at the tissue level, will be required to allow future progress in this field with adequate rapidity.
Levin and O’Neal’s The Diabetic Foot. 6th ed.

John H. Bowker and Michael A. Pfeifer, editors. St. Louis: Mosby; 2001. 828 pages. $125.00. At any point in time, 3% to 4% of the diabetic population will have a foot ulcer, and 15% of the 16 million Americans with diabetes will have a foot ulcer in their lifetime. Following the development of a foot ulcer or infection, the risk of lower-extremity amputation is increased by a factor of eight, leading to over 50,000 such amputations yearly in the United States alone. No other disease affects as many organ systems …
Trastuzumab use in breast cancer: clinical issues.

Background: Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor 2 HER2 in breast cancer tissue is associated with shorter survival. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against HER2, can induce tumor responses when given alone and enhances the effectiveness of several chemotherapeutic agents. Methods: The recent clinical data on outcomes regarding testing for HER2 overexpression and the tolerance, toxicity, and antitumor effects of trastuzumab are reviewed. Results: Trastuzumab use is indicated either alone or with chemotherapy only in patients with IHC 3+ or FISH+ test results and survival is prolonged in patients with metastatic disease. Cardiac toxicity differs from anthracycline cardiac toxicity and is often reversible. Conclusions: The safety and efficacy profile of trastuzumab in patients with metastatic disease has led to large-scale testing of addition of the intervention in the adjuvant setting.
Perceptions of Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity for the Development of User-Centered Design Self-Management Tools within the Context of the Chronic Care Model: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Background The Chronic Care Model (CCM) is helpful to illustrate multiple levels of influence in the management of chronic disease, such as overweight and obesity in adolescents. Unfortunately, various constraints create gaps in the management process activities performed within the CCM. Consumer health technologies (CHT) may serve as a linkage between adolescents with overweight or obesity, their parents, and their pediatricians. Objective To conduct formative research to qualitatively identify views of adolescents with overweight and obesity on use of consumer health technologies to manage weight loss across chronic care management settings. Design As part of a multi-perspective qualitative study, 10 focus groups were conducted with adolescents with overweight and obesity. Participants/setting Forty-eight adolescents (15 male, 33 female) aged 12 to 17 years who were current participants of an intensive lifestyle change camp in the summer of 2012 participated in focus groups. All adolescents were classified as overweight (21%) or obese (79%) according to body mass index (BMI) for age charts published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Analysis All focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and checked for accuracy. Predefined and open coding were used to analyze transcripts for emerging themes. Results Adolescents perceive CHT, with its functional requirements of assistance with restaurant food selection, teaching cooking skills, and providing encouragement and motivation, to be helpful with overweight and obesity self-management. Desired features to carry out these functional requirements included avatars, self-monitoring capabilities, social networking, and rewards. Conclusion Our findings largely agree with previously reported parental perceptions of the benefit of CHT for adolescent overweight and obesity self-management and strengthen support for the design and implementation of CHT within the CCM.
Using Chapel to teach parallel concepts

One of the current big challenges in CS education is how to incorporate parallel programming to prepare our graduates for a world in which essentially all computers have multiple cores. This tutorial presents a parallel programming language and some ways that it can be used to teach parallel concepts in a variety of courses without a wholesale redesign of those courses. Attendees will be given access to an account on a test machine so they can experiment with the language during and after the tutorial.
Family Emotion Expressiveness Mediates the Relations Between Maternal Emotion Regulation and Child Emotion Regulation.

While there is a growing body of literature examining the influence of emotion socialization on children’s emotional and social development, there is less research on what predicts emotion socialization behaviors among parents. The current study explores maternal emotion regulation difficulties as a predictor of emotion socialization practices, specifically, family emotion expressiveness. Further, the current study examines the role of family emotion expressiveness as a possible mediator of the relations between maternal and child emotion regulation in a community sample of 110 mother–child dyads with preschool-aged children. Analyses revealed that positive family expressiveness mediated the relations between maternal emotion dysregulation and child emotion regulation and thus presents important clinical implications for existing emotion socialization interventions.
A Proximity Authentication System for Smartphones

Authenticating whether two smartphones are in close proximity is important in smartphone security. For example, the authentication result can be used to pair two devices and construct a secure communication channel between them. Many existing proximity authentication systems rely on short range networks—the communication is usually restricted in short range networks. However, this approach is inadequate when we want to verify whether the communication distance is within a few centimeters, i.e. near field. To address this challenge, many other techniques construct systems based on the near field communication (NFC) system. Unfortunately, only a small portion of smart devices in the current market are equipped with NFC chips. The purpose of this paper is to provide a close proximity authentication system which does not depend on NFC chips. We devise a system to achieve close proximity authentication by using correlated finger movements on the two smartphones. Human input usually contains errors and is of low entropy, which affects the usability and security of our system. We solve these issues in an efficient way, considering the limited computational resources on smart devices. Our system does not need any prior secret information shared between the two devices, and generates the same high-entropy cryptographic key for both devices in a successful authentication. The efficiency of the system is validated by evaluations on Motorola Droid smartphones.
Wrangling Tips: Entrepreneurial Manipulation in Fast-Food Delivery

Service economies are largely predicated on the expectation that the power in service exchanges lies with the consumer. Customers control the interaction through overt demands and gratuities. Howev...
Application of the Wray-Agarwal Model to Compressible Flows

This paper employs the recently developed one-equation Wray-Agarwal (WA) eddy viscosity turbulence model to simulate several highly compressible flows. The new model is compared to the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras and two-equation Shear-Stress-Transport k-ω models. Computational results for a 2D slot nozzle-ejector, transonic RAE 2822 airfoil, and transonic flow over an axisymmetric bump with mild separation are presented. It is shown that the Wray-Agarwal model is in better agreement with experimental data than the Spalart-Allmaras model and is competitive with the SST k-ω model.
Native Oxide and the Residual Stress of Thin Mo and Ta Films

Residual stress changed substantially between 2.5 and 80 nm film thickness in very thin Mo and Ta coatings sputtered onto Si substrates with native oxide. For both Mo and Ta, the thinnest films had a high compressive stress on the order of 2 to 3 GPa, and the stress relaxed, or became slightly tensile, with increasing film thickness. The coatings were examined using a variety of advanced characterization techniques including Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Grazing Incidence X-ray Scattering (GIXS), and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). AES showed the presence of 0 and C contamination at the interface between the substrate and the film; these impurities originated from the adsorbed species and the native oxide on the surface of the wafers. GIXS analysis of the Mo films showed that the lattice of the thinnest layers was considerably expanded compared to the interplanar spacing of bulk, pure Mo. This expansion was caused by incorporation of impurities from the substrate into interstitial sites, which caused the very high compressive stress. HRTEM showed that the sputter deposition process did not alter the thickness of the native oxide layer, suggesting that the Mo and Ta films interacted with only the adsorbed impurities and the top one or two layers of the SiO2. Mo films deposited onto clean W layers were tensile, which supported the hypothesis that impurities caused the high compressive stresses in the films deposited onto SiO2. Grain growth and phase transformations contributed to the relaxation in stress observed in the thicker films.
Organization of the Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Projection System: Specific or Diffuse?

Abstract Classical anatomical studies conducted during the late 1980s failed to reveal a structural organization in the arrangement of basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic corticopetal cells. In this study, we identified principles governing dendritic organization using 3-dimensional mapping of the cholinergic cell population (n = 2000) and their dendritic arbors. The orientation of proximal dendrites often coincided with the major axis of the sampled parent cell bodies, and varied according to different cytoarchitectonically defined regions. The population dendritic fields in the extension of the amygdala, internal capsule and pallidal/peripallidal regions showed preferential orientation in the horizontal plane along a latero-medial oblique axis. The least well oriented was the dendritic field of cholinergic cells in the horizontal limb of the diagonal band in both the horizontal and the coronal planes. Moreover, the orientation of fully reconstructed dendritic trees of juxtacellularly filled cholinergic neurons (n = 3) was consistent with the non-homogenous distribution of the dendritic arbor of cholinergic neurons. We hypothesize that the regionally preferred dendritic orientation varies with the orientation of the characteristic axonal input allowing an optimal, regionally specific sampling of inputs. These findings are discussed in relation to the presence of cholinergic clusters and to recent observations of the connectivity pattern of segregated and overlapping cortically projecting cell populations in the BF.
English‐speaking Québec and the Canadian constitution: 1867–1988

Abstract In 1867, at the foundation of Canada as a nation the English‐speaking peoples of Quebec constituted some 25% of the population of the province. They were also politically and economically powerful in Canada as a whole, and they had a strong cultural identity, being mostly from England, Scotland, and Ireland. This position of strength was reflected in the provision for the minority language community of the province in the British North America Act. But now in the 1980s they constitute only 10% of the population of the province, their political and economic power is greatly diminished, and their cultural and religious identity no longer obvious. Moreover, on account of changed social conditions some of the safeguards achieved in earlier legislation are no longer meaningful or effective.