cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Chrome Coating on Resistance of Sintered Joint for ITER Central Solenoid

The ITER Central Solenoid has 36 interpancake joints. The joints are required to have a resistance below 4 nOhm at 45 kA at 4.5 K. The US ITER Project Office developed and qualified a sintered joint for the interpancake joints that consistently showed exceptionally low dc resistance of 0.13 nOhm at up to 80 kA in the self-field of about 1.5 T. To provide a good current distribution in the joint, we removed chrome plating from the strands in this area. We built and tested four samples of the sintered joints before 2012. Such a low resistance prompted an investigation of the possibility of leaving the chromium on the strands during the joint preparation and still staying well below allowable resistance. Although removal of the chrome plating is not a very labor-intensive or time-consuming operation, it requires handling of harmful fumes and produces a solution containing hexavalent Cr, which is a hazardous substance. Elimination of the Cr removal step is a simplification of the fabrication process and therefore is a desirable act. We built two identical racetrack samples of the sintered joint and tested them in our joint test apparatus. One sample had Cr removed from the strands, the other had Cr intact. This paper provides a description of the test samples, fabrication steps, and results of the dc resistance measurements.
Separation of Multiple Ferritin Subunit Types by Reversed-Phase HPLC

Abstract Subjection of ferritin subunits to reversed-phase HPLC effected a separation of them into three chromatographic species. These three putative subunit species were found in varying proportions from porcine spleen, liver, and heart ferritins as well as human liver, spleen, and placental ferritins. Detailed chemical-physical characterization of each of the isolated species indicate them to be two H-type and one L-type ferritin subunits. Thus, reversed-phase HPLC presently stands as the only available means to separate preparatively the various subunit types of ferritin.
Three Multiple Comparison Procedures for Trimmed Means

Two common goals when choosing a method for performing all pairwise comparisons of J independent groups are controlling experiment wise Type I error and maximizing power. Typically groups are compared in terms of their means, but it has been known for over 30 years that the power of these methods becomes highly unsatisfactory under slight departures from normality toward heavy-tailed distributions. An approach to this problem, well-known in the statistical literature, is to replace the sample mean with a measure of location having a standard error that is relatively unaffected by heavy tails and outliers. One possibility is to use the trimmed mean. This paper describes three such multiple comparison procedures and compares them to two methods for comparing means.
Marriage patterns among unwed mothers: Before and after PRWORA

The promotion of marriage and two-parent families became an explicit public policy goal with the passage of the 1996 welfare reform bill. Marriage has the putative effect of reducing welfare dependency among single mothers, but only if they marry men with earnings sufficient to lift them and their children out of poverty. Newly released data from the 2002 cycle of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), along with data from the 1995 cycle, allow us to compare pre- and post-PRWORA differences in (1) cumulative marriage rates among unwed mothers, and (2) patterns of marital choice (that is, differences in characteristics of the men these mothers marry, such as their education and employment status). Overall, our results show that unwed childbearing is associated with lower marriage rates and marital quality. Difference-in-difference models show that welfare reform was not strongly associated with pre- and post-welfare reform changes in marriage among nonmarital birth mothers, even among the most disadvantaged mothers. Compared with other women, nonmarital birth mothers also were less likely than other women to marry “economically attractive” men in the post-welfare reform period. The success of marriage promotion initiatives may depend heavily on whether women themselves are “marriageable” and whether potential spouses have the ability to support a stable family life. © 2008 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Within-taxon morphological diversity in late-Quaternary Neotoma as a paleoenvironmental indicator, Bonneville Basin, Northwestern Utah, USA

Ecological data indicate that as the amount of precipitation in an arid areas increases, so too does mammalian taxonomic richness. This correspondence has been found in two late-Quaternary mammalian faunas from Utah, one from Homestead Cave in the Bonneville Basin. We use the remains of two species of woodrat (Neotoma cinerea and Neotoma lepida) from Homestead Cave to test the hypothesis that as the amount of precipitation in an arid area increases, so too does morphological diversity within individual mammalian taxa. Morphological diversity is measured as corrected coefficients of variation and as richness of size classes of mandibular alveolar lengths. Coefficients of variation for N. cinerea are few and coincide with moisture history if temporally successive small samples are lumped together. More abundant coefficients of variation for N. lepida coincide only loosely with moisture history, likely because such coefficients measure dispersion but not necessarily other aspects of variation. Richness of size classes of N. lepida is high during the early and late Holocene when moisture was high, and lowest during the middle Holocene when climate was most arid. D 2005 University of Washington. All rights reserved.
Parametric replication and sampling of optical fields

New class of optical processors that rely on wideband, net-gain mixers is described. Principle, operation and limitations of copy-and-sample-all parametric architectures are briefly outlined.
Layout Optimization of ESD Protection Diodes for High-Frequency I/Os

Layout options for CMOS ESD diodes' p-n junction geometry and metal routing are investigated in this paper. Experiments are performed using 90- and 180-nm technologies. Using the figures of merit ICP/C and R ON * C, it is shown that twin-well stripe diodes with nonminimum diffusion width and high-level broadside routing are optimum for gigahertz-frequency I/Os. In addition, the suitability of ESD diodes formed with the isolated P-well/deep N-well diffusions available in triple-well technologies is evaluated for high-speed I/O applications.
ELECTROSTATIC INTERACTIONS IN COLLOIDAL SUSPENSIONS : TESTS OF PAIRWISE ADDITIVITY

The electrical double-layer free energy is computed numerically for a model colloidal suspension of charged, hexagonally-packed monodisperse cylinders in a symmetric electrolyte solution using the Poisson-Boltzmann equations. Comparison is made to the energies estimated from sums of pair interactions and from two versions of a radially-symmetric cell model: one in which the outer boundary of the cylindrical cell is chosen to make the particle volume fraction Φ in the approximate model agree with that of the full lattice and the other in which the position of the outer boundary is chosen as half the nearest neighbor separation in the lattice. Calculations are performed for ranges of particle volume fractions from infinite dilution to 98% of closest packing, ionic strengths (in terms of the ratio of Debye length to particle radius λ/a) from 0.1 to 10.0, and dimensionless surface potentials and charge densities from 0.1 to 10.0. The pair approximation is valid only when typical interparticle spacings are greater than the Debye length. The first implementation of the cell model proves quite accurate, while the second is only qualitatively correct. The magnitude of particle surface charge density or potential has little effect on these conclusions.
Well-being in residency: a time for temporary imbalance?

Context Previous quantitative studies about doctor well-being have focused primarily on negative well-being, such as burnout. We conducted this study to understand residents' perspectives on well-being. Methods We conducted 45-minute interviews with residents from 9 residencies at 2 academic hospitals in Baltimore, Maryland. From February to June 2005, we approached 49 residents through random sampling stratified by programme and gender. The semi-structured instrument elicited descriptions of well-being in residency and factors related to its promotion or reduction. Using an editing analysis style, investigators independently coded transcripts, agreeing on the coding template and its application. Results The 26 participating residents came from internal medicine (3 programmes), psychiatry, surgery, emergency medicine, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. Six themes emerged: balance among multiple domains; professional development and temporary imbalance; professional satisfaction and accomplishment; maintaining a sense of self; stressors and coping strategies, and the role of residency programmes. Residents described well-being as a balance among multiple domains, including professional development, relationships, and physical and mental health. They viewed residency as a time for temporary imbalance, during which they invested in professional development at the expense of other domains. Some residents described feeling a ‘loss of self’. Residents revealed strategies for coping with stressors and endorsed ways in which training programmes helped to enhance their well-being. Conclusions Resident well-being was closely connected to professional development and required varying degrees of self-sacrifice with a re-balancing of personal priorities. These findings should be considered by training programmes that are interested in enhancing resident well-being.
Analysis of Nucleic Acid Conformations and Amino Acid Propensities in Single-Stranded Binding Proteins

Single stranded DNA- or RNA-protein complexes appear in a number of biological pathways, particularly those relating to DNA replication, gene regulation, and chromosome stability. Protein-nucleic acid binding in these complexes has been studied for some time, and a number of structures of these complexes exist; however, few consistent rules for binding have been determined. In particular, DNA and RNA conformation appears to vary widely, even when bound to homologous proteins (e.g., telomere end-binding proteins). No systematic study of nucleic acid conformational has been done, so it is unknown how different these conformations actually are from each other or from double-stranded DNA and RNA. In addition, no comparison of amino acid propensity for single stranded versus double stranded nucleic acids has been done. To those ends, we have built a non-redundant database of single stranded binding proteins. We have calculated various base step conformational and find wide statistical distributions for these parameters, but with some significant differences from double stranded nucleic acids.
Gauge fields in the separation of rotations and internal motions in the n-body problem

The problem of separating rotations from internal motions in systems such as macroscopic flexible bodies, atoms, molecules, nuclei, and solar systems is an old one, with many applications in physics, chemistry, and engineering. A new element, however, which has not been appreciated until fairly recently, is the existence of certain gauge fields on the reduced configuration space for such systems. These (non-Abelian) gauge fields arise in the ``falling cat'' problem, in which changes in shape induce changes in external orientation; but they also have a dynamical significance, and enter as gauge potentials in the Lagrangian or Hamiltonian describing the internal or reduced dynamics. Physically these gauge fields represent Coriolis effects. This review concentrates on the case of nonrelativistic, n-body systems not subject to external torques, and develops the gauge theory of rotations and internal motions in detail. Both classical and quantum treatments are given. The gauge theory is developed from the standpoint of classical, coordinate-based tensor analysis; more abstract mathematical notation is generally not used, although the basic geometrical ideas of fiber-bundle theory are developed as needed. Certain old results, such as the Wilson-Howard-Watson Hamiltonian of molecular physics, are examined from a gauge-theoretical standpoint; and several new results are presented, including field equations of the Kaluza-Klein type satisfied by the gauge fields, and geometrical interpretations of the Eckart frame.
Children's health in slum settings

Rapid urbanisation in the 20th century has been accompanied by the development of slums. Nearly one-third of the world's population and more than 60% of urban populations in the least developed countries live in slums, including hundreds of millions of children. Slums are areas of broad social and health disadvantage to children and their families due to extreme poverty, overcrowding, poor water and sanitation, substandard housing, limited access to basic health and education services, and other hardships (eg, high unemployment, violence). Despite the magnitude of this problem, very little is known about the potential impact of slum life on the health of children and adolescents. Statistics that show improved mortality and health outcomes in cities are based on aggregated data and may miss important intraurban disparities. Limited but consistent evidence suggests higher infant and under-five years mortality for children residing in slums compared with non-slum areas. Children suffer from higher rates of diarrhoeal and respiratory illness, malnutrition and have lower vaccination rates. Mothers residing in slums are more poorly educated and less likely to receive antenatal care and skilled birth assistance. Adolescents have earlier sexual debut and higher rates of HIV, and adopt risky behaviours influenced by their social environment. We also know little about the consequences of this form of early childhood on long-term health-related behaviour (eg, diet and exercise) and non-communicable disease outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease and mental illness. Further attention to understanding and addressing child health in slum settings is an important priority for paediatricians and those committed to child health worldwide.
The Cost-effectiveness of Routine Office-based Identification and Subsequent Medical Treatment of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma in the United States

Objective To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of routine glaucoma assessment and treatment under current eye care visit and treatment patterns and different levels of treatment effectiveness (from randomized trials). Design We compared the costs and benefits of routine glaucoma assessment and treatment compared with no treatment using conservative and optimistic assumptions regarding treatment efficacy and including and excluding prediagnostic assessment costs. Participants and Controls Computer simulation of 20 million people followed from age 50 years to death or age 100 years. Methods With the use of a computer model, we simulated glaucoma incidence, natural progression, diagnosis, and treatment. We defined glaucoma incidence conservatively as a mean deviation of −4 decibels (dB) on visual field testing in either eye for all diagnoses to be both clinically meaningful and unambiguous. We simulated the annual probability of subsequent progression and the quantity of visual field lost when progression occurred. Main Outcome Measures Visual field loss, ophthalmologic and nursing home costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), cost per QALY gained, and cost per year of sight gained. Costs and QALYs were discounted to 2005 values using a 3% rate. Results Compared with no treatment and when including diagnostic assessment costs, the incremental cost-effectiveness of routine assessment and treatment was $46,000 per QALY gained, assuming conservative treatment efficacy, and $28,000 per QALY gained, assuming optimistic treatment efficacy. Compared with no treatment and when excluding diagnostic assessment costs, the incremental cost-effectiveness of routine assessment and treatment was $20,000 per QALY gained, assuming conservative treatment efficacy, and $11,000 per QALY gained, assuming optimistic treatment efficacy. The cost-effectiveness was most sensitive to the treatment costs and the value of QALY losses assigned to visual field losses. Conclusions Glaucoma treatment was highly cost-effective when the costs of diagnostic assessments were excluded or when we assumed optimistic treatment efficacy. The cost was reasonable and in line with other health interventions even when diagnostic assessment costs were included and assuming conservative efficacy. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Regulation of Sodium Balance and Blood Pressure by the AT 1A Receptor for Angiotensin II

Abstract —To examine the role of the angiotensin II (AT) 1A receptor in the regulation of blood pressure and sodium balance, we measured systolic blood pressure responses in AT 1A receptor–deficient ( Agtr1a −/−) and wild-type ( Agtr1a +/+) mice while dietary sodium content was systematically altered. On a 0.4% sodium diet, systolic blood pressures were significantly lower in Agtr1a −/− than in +/+ mice. In Agtr1a +/+ mice, changing dietary sodium content did not affect blood pressure. In contrast, when Agtr1a −/− mice were fed a high-salt diet (6% NaCl), their systolic blood pressures increased significantly from 79±4 to 94±4 mm Hg ( P Agtr1a −/− mice decreased further while on a low-salt diet from 82±3 to 69±3 mm Hg ( P Agtr1a +/+ and −/− mice. Although urinary sodium excretion was substantially reduced in both groups during the low-salt diet, cumulative sodium balances became negative in Agtr1a −/− mice despite a 6-fold increase in urinary aldosterone. We infer, therefore, that the reduced blood pressures in Agtr1a −/− mice on a normal diet are caused by depletion of sodium and extracellular volume. Their “sodium sensitivity” suggests a critical role for renal AT 1A receptors to modulate sodium handling.
A CMOS negative supply for large dynamic range high-bandwidth analog circuits

To address the problem of current source output impedance degradation in a large full-scale sub-ranging ADC's reference ladder, a feedback closed-loop negative supply system, occupying 0.028 mm2 in 0.18-µm CMOS, is proposed. This system can be applied to overcome headroom issues in other high-performance large-dynamic-range analog circuits such as large input swing continuous-time filters, analog amplifiers, buffers and analog precision control loops. With a more than 40% power efficient core and a small on-chip 16-pF MOS capacitor, this architecture provides a power and area efficient solution. Supporting up to a 400-µA current, the system generates a −0.7 V output with less than 5-mV ripple, which can easily be suppressed by more than 40 dB by a linear regulator.
The Origins And Evolution of Japanese Direct Investment in Europe

Common misperceptions notwithstanding, Japanese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Europe has a long history. Such investment first penetrated European markets in the 1870s, and it has since evolved through a number of important historical phases. In quality, sectoral composition, location, motivation, and several other characteristics, Japanese FDI in Europe exhibited striking continuities during its first century of development. In more recent years, however, each of these characteristics has undergone substantial change as compared to earlier times.
rh_tsp_map 3.0

Summary:rh_tsp_map is a software package for computing radiation hybrid (RH) maps and for integrating physical and genetic maps. It solves the central mapping instances by reducing them to the traveling salesman problem (TSP) and using a modification of the CONCORDE package to solve the TSP instances. We present some of the features added between the initial rh_tsp_map version 1.0 and the current version 3.0, emphasizing the automation of many steps and addition of various checks designed to find problems with the input data. Iterations of improved input data followed by fast re-computation of the maps improves the quality of the final maps. Availability:rh_tsp_map source code and documentation including a tutorial is available at ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/agarwala/rhmapping/rh_tsp_map.tar.gz. CONCORDE modified for RH mapping is available in the directory http://www.isye.gatech.edu/~wcook/rh/. The QSopt library needed for CONCORDE is available at http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/~wcook/qsopt/downloads/downloads.htm Contact:richa@helix.nih.gov, FAX: 301-480-2288. (Please send email concurrently with any fax.)
On homotopy continuation method for computing multiple solutions to the Henon equation

Motivated by numerical examples in solving semilinear elliptic PDEs for multiple solutions, some properties of Newton homotopy continuation method, such as its continuation on symmetries, the Morse index and certain functional structures, are established. Those results provide useful information on selecting initial points for the method to find desired solutions. As an application, a bifurcation diagram, showing the symmetry/peak breaking phenomena of the Henon equation, is constructed.
ARE CENTRAL CITIES MORE CREATIVE? THE INTRAMETROPOLITAN GEOGRAPHY OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

This paper examines the location and growth of creative industries within metropolitan areas. In recent years, the creative industries have been increasingly sought after as potential engines of me...
Early postnatal point-of-care glucose screening in late preterm neonates of 35-36 weeks gestation

Background: Late preterm (LPT) neonates have been shown to be at higher risk for hypoglycemia compared with term neonates. Aims: To characterize postnatal values for point-of-care glucose (POCG) screening in late preterm neonates with a gestational age of 35-36 weeks, to assess the impact of additional risk factors in the development of POCG values ≤45 mg/dL in LPT neonates, and to compare laboratory and POCG values. Study design: POCG values were determined during the first 12 hours of life, and percentile trend lines were determined. LPT neonates were assigned to one of two groups: (1) no additional risk factors for POCG values ≤45 mg/dL (≤2.5 mmol/L); (2) at least one additional risk factor. Term neonates with pre-determined risk factors for hypoglycemia were screened at least once. Screening results were compared with laboratory determinations if the samples were obtained within 8 minutes of each other. Subjects: 238 LPT neonates with a gestational age of 35-36 weeks admitted to a newborn nursery. Outcome measures: POCG values and laboratory glucose values related to postnatal age; associated risk factors for POCG values were ≤45 mg/dL. Results: Minimum and 10th percentile values during the study period ranged from 20-48 mg/dL (1.1-2.7 mmol/L) and 36-59 mg/dL (2.0-2.3 mmol/L), respectively. No significant differences in incidence or distribution of POCG values ≤45 mg/dL were noted between the two groups. Values ≤45 mg/dL were noted frequently following an initial value >45 mg/dL. POCG values tended to be higher than laboratory glucose values, particularly in the lower range. The incidence of hypoglycemia in LPT infants was similar to the incidence in full-term infants with risk factors. Conclusions: Given the tendency for POCG to over-estimate laboratory glucose, the actual incidence of hypoglycemia in this cohort may be higher than we have reported. All neonates with gestational age 35-36 weeks should be monitored closely for hypoglycemia; a single screening value after delivery is inadequate.
LED-transistor optical vascular measure: Replicability of a new device

We describe the use of a photo-optical device for the measurement of peripheral vascular activity, the Optek OPB707A, which we advocate to replace the now obsolete Sensor Technology STRT-850A. The Optek device provides a close coupling of light emitted and received through use of a GaAlAs light-emitting diode (LED). It also provides a photodarlington transistor as the receiver. The device should be used in a transmitted mode (e.g., LED illuminating tissue on volar surface of thumb and receiver on the thumbnail). Signal-to-noise characteristics and replicability of the signal from occasion to occasion are shown to be equal or superior to those of the earlier device.
Longitudinal body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity.

Objective The longitudinal trajectories of body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity have not been evaluated using precise body composition methods. This study investigated the relationship between maternal prepregnancy BMI and offspring body composition trajectories during the first 6 years of life. Methods Healthy infants (N = 325) were assessed longitudinally (at ages 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mixed-effects regression for repeated measures was used to model each continuous outcome as a function of maternal BMI and covariates (race, gestational age, birth weight, and mode of infant feeding). Results Maternal obesity differentially impacted body fat, but not bone mineral content or density, of girls and boys. Boys born to mothers with obesity have higher body fat from ages 2–6 years compared to boys born to normal-weight and overweight mothers (P 0.05). Conclusions This clinical observational study demonstrates a sexual dimorphism in offspring body composition until age 6 years based on maternal BMI, with a greater effect of maternal adiposity seen in boys than in girls.
Equilibrium ^2H/^1H fractionations in organic molecules: I. Experimental calibration of ab initio calculations

Carbon-bound hydrogen in sedimentary organic matter can undergo exchange over geologic timescales, altering its isotopic composition. Studies investigating the natural abundance distribution of ^1H and ^2H in such molecules must account for this exchange, which in turn requires quantitative knowledge regarding the endpoint of exchange, i.e., the equilibrium isotopic fractionation factor (α_(eq)). To date, relevant data have been lacking for molecules larger than methane. Here we describe an experimental method to measure α_(eq) for C-bound H positions adjacent to carbonyl group (H_α) in ketones. H at these positions equilibrates on a timescale of days as a result of keto-enol tautomerism, allowing equilibrium ^2H/^1H distributions to be indirectly measured. Molecular vibrations for the same ketone molecules are then computed using Density Functional Theory at the B3LYP/6-311G** level and used to calculate α_(eq) values for H_α. Comparison of experimental and computational results for six different straight and branched ketones yields a temperature-dependent linear calibration curve with slope = 1.081−0.00376T and intercept = 8.404−0.387T, where T is temperature in degrees Celsius. Since the dominant systematic error in the calculation (omission of anharmonicity) is of the same size for ketones and C-bound H in most other linear compounds, we propose that this calibration can be applied to analogous calculations for a wide variety of organic molecules with linear carbon skeletons for temperatures below 100 °C. In a companion paper (Wang et al., 2009) we use this new calibration dataset to calculate the temperature-dependent equilibrium isotopic fractionation factors for a range of linear hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters and acids.
MOMCMC: An efficient Monte Carlo method for multi-objective sampling over real parameter space

In this paper, we present a new population-based Monte Carlo method, so-called MOMCMC (Multi-Objective Markov Chain Monte Carlo), for sampling in the presence of multiple objective functions in real parameter space. The MOMCMC method is designed to address the ''multi-objective sampling'' problem, which is not only of interest in exploring diversified solutions at the Pareto optimal front in the function space of multiple objective functions, but also those near the front. MOMCMC integrates Differential Evolution (DE) style crossover into Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to adaptively propose new solutions from the current population. The significance of dominance is taken into consideration in MOMCMC's fitness assignment scheme while balancing the solution's optimality and diversity. Moreover, the acceptance rate in MOMCMC is used to control the sampling bandwidth of the solutions near the Pareto optimal front. As a result, the computational results of MOMCMC with the high-dimensional ZDT benchmark functions demonstrate its efficiency in obtaining solution samples at or near the Pareto optimal front. Compared to MOSCEM (Multiobjective Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis), an existing Monte Carlo sampling method for multi-objective optimization, MOMCMC exhibits significantly faster convergence to the Pareto optimal front. Furthermore, with small population size, MOMCMC also shows effectiveness in sampling complicated multi-objective function space.
Microfluidic to Nanofluidic Interface via a Thermally Decomposable Sacrificial Polymer

We present an original batch process to connect a bulk microfluidic channel to a surface nanofluidic channel for a wide variety of microfluidic and lab-on-chip applications. The approach relies on a two-step lithography process using a thermally decomposable polynorbornene resist unity to form the sacrificial channel layer. A high aspect ratio silicon via is deep reactive ion etched to the subsurface microchannel. Lithography of a high viscosity unity plug is followed by lithography of a low viscosity unity sacrificial layer to form the nanofluidic channel. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition nitride layer is deposited to encapsulate the nanochannel and the sacrificial polymer is decomposed by baking. This technique enables fabrication of complete off-chip to nanochannel fluidic systems. We emphasize the benefit of sacrificial polymers to form long 3-D nanofluidic channels. [2014-0288]
Elevated Serum Metal Levels from Vitamin Supplementation: A Case Report.

Trace metal analysis, more commonly referred to as metal ion testing, was introduced as a clinical tool to evaluate metal-on-metal (MoM) implants that were used in hip replacements in the 1990s1-3. This test measures concentrations of various metals, such as cobalt and chromium, in either the serum or whole blood. It has been used with increasing frequency in the past decade as potential failures of MoM devices related to release of metal ions and debris have become better understood4-7. Elevated serum metal levels have been correlated with poor implant performance in numerous studies4-9. As a result, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the United Kingdom recently recommended obtaining metal ion levels in several groups of patients with MoM bearing surfaces as a method of ongoing surveillance10, and many surgeons in other parts of the world are using metal ion testing for similar purposes. In addition to metal release from MoM bearing surfaces, metal levels can also be notably elevated as a result of corrosion at modular taper junctions in patients with large-head MoM total hip arthroplasties11,12 and in patients with metal-on-polyethylene bearing surfaces13. Because metal ion levels are elevated in patients with problematic prostheses and these levels decrease after the source of metal debris is removed with revision arthroplasty surgery13,14, metal ion levels are currently being obtained on a routine basis in both clinical and research settings. Accordingly, accurate interpretation of these values is critical to the clinician, and other etiologies that could potentially affect these values should be clearly understood. We present a patient with a well-functioning total hip arthroplasty whose serum metal levels were substantially elevated secondary to dietary supplementation with vitamins; …
Ideas, Initiatives, and Implementations: Music Therapy in America, 1789–1848

This study is a history of early principles and practices of music therapy in the United States. The evidence suggests that the public press introduced the idea of using music as an adjunct to medicine in the late 18th century. This was followed by scholarly tracts written by medical students at the University of Pennsylvania in support of music therapy. The era concluded with implementation of organized musical activities in institutions for visually-handicapped and hearing-impaired students and renewed advocacy of music therapy. Primary sources for the study include articles and dissertations from the era and contemporaneous accounts and reports. The study concludes that music therapy grew at a slow but steady pace and that the profession developed on an apparently secure foundation.
One-Step Synthesis of Unsymmetrical N-Alkyl-N′-aryl Perylene Diimides

An efficient and facile protocol for the synthesis of unsymmetrical N-alkyl-N′-aryl perylene diimides is reported that circumvents the need for multiple reaction steps. A number of unsymmetrical perylene diimides containing a solubilizing swallowtail alkyl group and a variety of substituted aryl groups can be prepared in a single step from a simple mixture of amines.
Avionics Integration for a Fully Autonomous Self-Contained Indoor Miniature Unmanned Aerial System

This paper describes the design and development of the Georgia Tech Quadrotor (GTQ) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). The GTQ is an autonomous quadrotor helicopter capable of exploring cluttered indoor areas without relying on external navigational aids such as GPS. It weights around 1600 grams, has a width of about 60 cm. The GTQ uses an o-theshelf quadrotor platform and is equipped with o-the-shelf avionics and sensor packages using custom software and interface electronics. Similar platforms have previously used an o-board computer to achieve laser-aided inertial navigation due to the limited onboard computational power. The GTQ on the other hand, is capable of exploring indoor areas fully autonomously using only the processing power on-board the aircraft. The GTQ achieves this by using an elaborate navigation algorithm that fuses information from a laser range sensor, an inertial measurement unit, and a sonar altitude sensor to form accurate estimates of the vehicle attitude, velocity, and position relative to indoor structures. The overall architecture and hardware that make this possible are discussed in detail.
MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF SELF-COMPATIBILITY IN LINANTHUS SECTION LEPTOSIPHON (POLEMONIACEAE): PHYLOGENETIC EVIDENCE FROM INTERNAL-TRANSCRIBED-SPACER SEQUENCE DATA.

Phylogenetic reconstruction based on sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was used to investigate the evolutionary dynamics of homomorphic self-incompatibility in Linanthus section Leptosiphon (Polemoniaceae), a group of annual plant species. Hand-pollination experiments revealed that five species were self-incompatible and four were self-compatible. Optimization of breeding systems onto the tree resulting from maximum-likelihood analysis, with no assumptions made about the ancestral condition, indicated that self-incom- patibility has been lost four times in this section. An alternative tree rearrangement conforming to the hypothesis of three losses of self-incompatibility did not have a significantly lower likelihood than the maximum-likelihood tree as determined by a paired-sites test, but all rearrangements resulting in fewer than three losses were statistically rejected. Linanthus bicolor, a selling species, was found to be polyphyletic, with populations from different geographic regions occurring in three well-supported clades. Morphological similarity in these distinct lineages is likely to have resulted from convergent evolution of traits associated with self-fertilization. Selection for reproductive assurance is hypoth- esized to have played an important role in the recurrent transformations from self-incompatibility to selling in this group of annual species.
Metabolism of Steroid and Amino Acid Moieties of Conjugated Bile Acids in Man: V. Equations for the perturbed enterohepatic circulation and their application

Equations previously developed to describe the enterohepatic circulation of the major biliary bile acids in man (Gastroenterology 67:887, 1974) were modified in order to predict the effect on biliary bile acid composition and pattern of amino acid conjugation after prototypic perturbations of the enterohepatic circulation in man. For the steroid moiety, the effects of bile acid feeding, increased recycling frequency, decreased intestinal conservation, and increased dehydroxylation were simulated. For the glycine or taurine moiety, the effect of increased deconjugation or preferential loss of one of the amino acid moieties was simulated. For the steroid moiety, the steady state biliary bile acid composition reflects the balance between input and conservation for each bile acid. Similarly, the distribution of bile acids between glycine and taurine conjugates reflects the balance between conjugation and conservation fot each amino acid moiety. Because these values may vary widely and independently, analysis of biliary bile acid composition in terms of the steroid moiety or the glycine-taurine ratio per se cannot be used to infer the relative rates of input or conjugation.
Unbounded connectivity: Asymptotic stability criteria for stochastic LTV systems

In this paper, we study the asymptotic stability of linear time-varying systems with (sub-) stochastic system matrices. Motivated by applications in distributed dynamic fusion (DDF), we impose some mild regularity conditions on the elements of time-varying system matrices, and provide sufficient conditions under which the asymptotic stability of the underlying LTV system is guaranteed. We partition the sequence of system matrices into non-overlapping slices, and by introducing the notion of unbounded connectivity, we obtain stability conditions in terms of the slice lengths and some network parameters. In particular, we show that the system is asymptotically stable if the unbounded lengths of an infinite subset of slices grow slower than an explicit exponential rate.
Regulation of cyclic AMP as a prevention strategy for melanoma

CN15-02 Melanoma occurs mainly in fair-skinned individuals who burn rather than tan after ultraviolet (UV) exposure. This phenotype correlates with dysfunction in the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r), the receptor on melanocytes for melanocyte stimulating hormone. When the activity of this Gs-protein coupled receptor is sub-optimal, there is muted cytoplasmic cAMP signaling and the melanocyte produces pheomelanin, a sulfated lighter pigment with poor UV-blocking ability, rather than eumelanin, the brown-black melanin polymer highly protective against UV injury. Our goal is to develop novel UV-protective strategies by pharmacologically rescuing eumelanin production in fair-skinned individuals who, because of Mc1r loss-of-function polymorphisms, cannot melanize effectively. Using a transgenic murine model of “humanized skin” of variant pigment composition, we show that UV damage in the skin (including carcinogenesis) is much greater in pheomelanotic animals than in eumelanotic animals. Furthermore, we find that topical application of forskolin, a direct activator of adenylyl cyclase, by-passes defective Mc1r signaling in pheomelanotic mice and rescues robust eumelanin production in the skin. Importantly, this pigment accumulation is highly protective against both acute and chronic UV injury. Pharmacologic eumelanization is well-tolerated by the animals over several months, and does not induce damage response signals in the skin in contrast to natural tanning responses after UV exposure. Forskolin-induced eumelanin persists as long as the drug is applied daily to the surface of the skin (now tested for four months) and is reversible upon discontinuation of topical treatments. Melanin deposition after forskolin application mimics the natural nuclear capping pattern found in UV-exposed skin of darker pigment phenotype, and induces thickening of the epidermis much like natural UV-induced tanning responses. Manipulating natural melanin pigments by small molecules (sunless tanning) holds great potential for being an important novel UV-protective strategy with particular benefit to those populations most at risk of melanoma and other skin cancers.
A novel electron emitter with AlGaAs planar doped barrier

Hot electron emission from a planar surface has been pursued in the past two decades in both silicon and III-V compound semiconductors. Since they are majority carrier devices and have controllable material growth by MBE, emitters made from planar doped barrier (PDB) structures have the advantages of high current density and high electron emission efficiency. The authors present the emission from a new Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/As-GaAs PDB emitter. A PDB structure consists of a sequence of n/sup +/-i-p/sup +/(delta-doped)-i-n/sup +/ layers. The p/sup +/ delta-doped sheet is fully depleted giving rise to a triangular barrier. A positive bias applied to the surface forward biases the n/sup +/-i-p/sup +/ injecting junction and reverse biases the p/sup +/-i-n/sup +/ accelerating junction so that electrons in the n/sup +/ region are injected across the barrier into a high field region and accelerated toward the surface. Electrons with kinetic energy larger than the surface work function are then emitted. For an efficient PDB emitter, the transit distance (the total thickness of the accelerating region and the top contact layer) should be small and the accelerating voltage (the voltage drop across the accelerating region) should be large. The breakdown of the accelerating junction sets an upper limit to the field applied to the accelerating region. One way to increase the accelerating voltage and hence the electron kinetic energy, without sacrificing the small transit distance, is using materials with a higher breakdown field. >
Comb-Like Frequency-Bin Entangled Photon Pair Generation in Silicon Nitride Microring Resonators

We report a comb-like frequency-bin entangled photon pair source with a high coincidence to accidental ratio in a silicon nitride microring resonator. We measured a Schmidt number of 4.0, thus verifying high degree of time-frequency entanglement.
Changes in the Hippocampal Proteome Associated with Spatial Memory Impairment after Exposure to Low (20 cGy) Doses of 1 GeV/n 56Fe Radiation.

Exposure to low (∼20 cGy) doses of high-energy charged (HZE) particles, such as 1 GeV/n 56Fe, results in impaired hippocampal-dependent learning and memory (e.g., novel object recognition and spatial memory) in rodents. While these findings raise the possibility that astronauts on deep-space missions may develop cognitive deficits, not all rats develop HZE-induced cognitive impairments, even after exposure to high (200 cGy) HZE doses. The reasons for this differential sensitivity in some animals that develop HZE-induced cognitive failure remain speculative. We employed a robust quantitative mass spectrometry-based workflow, which links early-stage discovery to next-stage quantitative verification, to identify differentially active proteins/pathways in rats that developed spatial memory impairment at three months after exposure to 20 cGy of 1 GeV/n 56Fe (20/impaired), and in those rats that managed to maintain normal cognitive performance (20/functional). Quantitative data were obtained on 665–828 hippocam...
Interface engineering of Si 1−x Ge x gate stacks for high performance dual channel CMOS

In this paper, we discuss a technique for selective GeO x -scavenging which creates a GeO x -free interfacial layer (IL) on Si 1−x Ge x substrates. This process reduces interface trap density (N it ) and increases high-field hole mobility in Si 1−x Ge x pFETs. In addition, we identify the existence of electronic defect levels close to the Si 1−x Ge x band edges associated with the Ge surface concentration at the Si 1−x Ge x /IL interface. These electronic defects act as carrier scattering centers severely degrading the channel mobility and modulate the device threshold voltage. By successfully eliminating the GeO x component in the IL and electronic defects states at the Si 1−x Ge x /IL interface, high channel carrier mobility over a wide range of inversion carrier density in compressively-strained Si 1−x Ge x channel pFETs is demonstrated.
Science museums in transition: cultures of display in nineteenth-century Britain and America

‘Museums Are F****ing Important’, read the subject line of an April 2018 listserv email that I received from the ‘Audience Development Marketing Specialist’ at Museum Hack, a museum consulting and ...
Should we expect all-cause mortality reductions in large screening studies?

Randomised controlled trials of cancer screening are generally designed with disease-specific mortality (DSM) as the primary outcome. All-cause mortality (ACM) is often not reported, or reported only as a secondary outcome.1,2 Implicit in the choice of DSM as the primary outcome is that the screening intervention will not have an adverse effect on other causes of death, or at most that effect will be small in comparison with the DSM benefit. For example, the radiation exposure from mammography likely causes some cancers, but this number is small in comparison with the number of breast cancer deaths prevented.3 Harms due to overdiagnosis and overtreatment are more difficult to estimate, and may be substantial.4–6 Commentators have therefore argued that ACM is the preferred outcome for cancer screening trials, because DSM is a biased outcome due to incorrect assignment of the cause of death and failure to fully account for harms.7,8 If DSM decreases under screening, then there are three possible relationships between DSM and ACM in a cancer screening trial. First, both DSM and ACM may decrease by approximately the same absolute number of deaths, suggesting no important harms of screening. Second, DSM may decrease but ACM does not change significantly, suggesting that any benefits of screening are offset by harms. Third, ACM may increase while DSM decreases, suggesting that unintended harms of screening are greater than the benefits. An important limitation of determining which of these patterns has occurred in an individual screening trial is the difference in sample sizes needed to demonstrate a reduction in DSM as opposed to ACM. In a recent randomised controlled trial of screening for ovarian cancer (the United Kingdom Controlled Trial Ovarian Cancer Screening or UKCTOCS), a post-hoc analysis concluded that screening reduced DSM.1 …
Receptors and Transductional Events in Leukocyte Chemotaxis

Leukocyte chemotaxis appears to be initiated by the binding of chemoattractants to specific receptors on the surface of the cells. Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and guinea pig macrophages have high affinity receptors for the N-formylated oligopeptide chemotactic peptides and receptor binding initiates lysosomal enzyme secretion and chemotaxis. Horse PMNs also have receptors for the N-formyl peptides but in contrast to the human or guinea pig cells, binding of these substances to the cells does not initiate chemotaxis although it does induce secretion and 02 production. These cells will thus provide an excellent model for the study of receptor mediated events. Ongoing lipid biosynthesis is required for chemotaxis and alterations in phospholipid methylation are initiated by the binding of chemoattractants to responsive cells. We speculate that occupancy of chemotactic factor receptors leads to local changes in membrane lipid composition and that the changes are necessary for sustained migration.
Specific Circumstances: Neurologic Injury

Numerous studies have shown that early proper management of patients with neurologic injury can improve outcomes, by reducing the risk of secondary injury. The goals for patients with neurologic injury are to maintain normoxia and eucapnia, with particular emphasis on avoiding hypocapnia, hypoxemia, and hyperoxia. Guidelines recommend targeting a normal PaCO2 of 35–40, and monitoring frequent ABGs and capnography is very important in this patient population.