cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Properties of physical storage models for object-oriented databases

The authors identify six different physical storage models for object instances under class hierarchies. They examine the properties of the six models from various angles, such as storage overhead, query processing overhead, impact of scheme changes, and consequences of updates. The advantages and disadvantages of each physical storage model are considered. >
Carotenoid and vitamin E status are associated with indicators of sarcopenia among older women living in the community

Background and aims: Oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, and the relationship between dietary antioxidants and sarcopenia needs further elucidation. The aim was to determine whether dietary carotenoids and α-tocopherol are associated with sarcopenia, as indicated by low grip, hip, and knee strength. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on 669 non-disabled to severely disabled community-dwelling women aged 70 to 79 who participated in the Women’s Health and Aging Studies. Plasma carotenoids and a-tocopherol were measured. Grip, hip, and knee strength were measured, and low strength was defined as the lowest tertile of each strength measure. Results: Higher plasma concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin were associated with reduced risk of low grip, hip, and knee strength. After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, race, smoking, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and plasma interleukin-6 concentrations, there was an independent association for women in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of total carotenoids with low grip strength [Odds Ratios (OR) 0.34, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.20-0.59], low hip strength (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.16-0.48), and low knee strength (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.75), and there was an independent association for women in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of α-tocopherol with low grip strength (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.78) and low knee strength (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.29-0.95). Conclusions: Higher carotenoid and α-tocopherol status were independently associated with higher strength measures. These data support the hypothesis that oxidative stress is associated with sarcopenia in older adults, but further longitudinal and interventional studies are needed to establish causality.
Old Friends and New Alliances How the 2004 Illinois Senate Race Complicates the Study of Race and Religion

Barack Obama won the 2004 U.S. Senate race in Illinois, becoming the only current Black senator and only the fifth in history. This election generated particular interest in the study of race and elections because Obama's challenger, Alan Keyes, is also Black. The race was the first involving two Black men representing the major political parties in a Senate election. The election provides an opportunity to pursue the dynamics of race, religion, identity, and electoral choice. The authors ask how various racial and religious cues framing Obama and Keyes influenced voters' perceptions and assessments. They analyze data from embedded experiments in a survey of Black and White voters in Illinois and examine the significance of stimuli framing the candidates by race and religion and the effect those treatments had in eliciting racial group consciousness and altering candidate evaluations. They present the results of models estimating the effects of various influences on attitudes and behaviors in the race.
Rupture models for the A.D. 900–930 Seattle fault earthquake from uplifted shorelines

A major earthquake on the Seattle fault, Washington, ca. A.D. 900–930 was first inferred from uplifted shorelines and tsunami deposits. Despite follow-up geophysical and geological investigations, the rupture parameters of the earthquake and the geometry of the fault are uncertain. Here we estimate the fault geometry, slip direction, and magnitude of the earthquake by modeling shoreline elevation change. The best fitting model geometry is a reverse fault with a shallow roof ramp consisting of at least two back thrusts. The best fitting rupture is a SW-NE oblique reverse slip with horizontal shortening of 15 m, rupture depth of 12.5 km, and magnitude Mw = 7.5.
FlumeJava: easy, efficient data-parallel pipelines

MapReduce and similar systems significantly ease the task of writing data-parallel code. However, many real-world computations require a pipeline of MapReduces, and programming and managing such pipelines can be difficult. We present FlumeJava, a Java library that makes it easy to develop, test, and run efficient data-parallel pipelines. At the core of the FlumeJava library are a couple of classes that represent immutable parallel collections, each supporting a modest number of operations for processing them in parallel. Parallel collections and their operations present a simple, high-level, uniform abstraction over different data representations and execution strategies. To enable parallel operations to run efficiently, FlumeJava defers their evaluation, instead internally constructing an execution plan dataflow graph. When the final results of the parallel operations are eventually needed, FlumeJava first optimizes the execution plan, and then executes the optimized operations on appropriate underlying primitives (e.g., MapReduces). The combination of high-level abstractions for parallel data and computation, deferred evaluation and optimization, and efficient parallel primitives yields an easy-to-use system that approaches the efficiency of hand-optimized pipelines. FlumeJava is in active use by hundreds of pipeline developers within Google.
DFT comparison of intrinsic WGS kinetics over Pd and Pt

Abstract We report density functional theory (DFT) results for five competing water–gas shift (WGS) pathways on identical Pd and Pt(1 1 1) surface models. We develop analytical kinetic models to compare intrinsic catalytic activity under conditions relevant to low-temperature WGS. The baseline model predicts that WGS proceeds preferentially through a carboxyl intermediate, that water dissociation is rate limiting, and that the intrinsic rate on Pt is greater than on Pd. Absolute rates are unphysically low because of unphysically high CO coverage. Systematically decreasing the CO binding energy in keeping with its known coverage dependence yields more realistic coverages and absolute rates, shifts the rate limiting step to carboxyl formation, and retains the same ordering of activity. Predicted rate orders and activation energies are not consistent with those observed for supported Pt and Pd catalysts, suggesting that even on nominally inert supports, the support plays an active role in WGS activity.
PGE2 decreases reactivity of human platelets by activating EP2 and EP4

Abstract Introduction Platelet hyperreactivity associates with cardiovascular events in humans. Studies in mice and humans suggest that prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) regulates platelet activation. In mice, activation of the PGE 2 receptor subtype 3 (EP3) promotes thrombosis, but the significance of EP3 in humans is less well understood. Objectives To characterize the regulation of thromboxane-dependent human platelet activation by PGE 2 . Patients/Methods Platelets collected from nineteen healthy adults were studied using an agonist of the thromboxane receptor (U46,619), PGE 2 , and selective agonists and/or antagonists of the EP receptor subtypes. Platelet activation was assayed by (1) optical aggregometry, (2) measurement of dense granule release, and (3) single-platelet counting. Results Healthy volunteers demonstrated significant interindividual variation in platelet response to PGE 2 . PGE 2 completely inhibited U46,619-induced platelet aggregation and ATP release in 26% of subjects; the remaining 74% had partial or no response to PGE 2 . Antagonism of EP4 abolished the inhibitory effect of PGE 2 . In all volunteers, a selective EP2 agonist inhibited U46,619-induced aggregation. Furthermore, the selective EP3 antagonist DG-041 converted all PGE 2 nonresponders to full responders. Conclusions There is significant interindividual variation of platelet response to PGE 2 in humans. The balance between EP2, EP3, and EP4 activation determines its net effect. PGE 2 can prevent thromboxane-induced platelet aggregation in an EP4-dependent manner. EP3 antagonism converts platelets of nonresponders to a PGE 2 -responsive phenotype. These data suggest that therapeutic targeting of EP pathways may have cardiovascular benefit by decreasing platelet reactivity.
Effect of bulk oxygen on 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloys

Abstract The effects of oxygen variations on 14(Cr)YWT(Ti) nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFA) containing high densities of Y–Ti–O nano-features (NFs) were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography and small angle neutron scattering. The alloy with the lowest O had the fewest and coarsest NFs. The microhardness increase with higher O content is consistent with the corresponding increasing NF volume fraction and variations in grain size.
Chemistry of Sodium, Potassium, and Chlorine in Volcanic Gases on Io

Abstract We used thermochemical equilibrium calculations in the O–S–Na–K–Cl–H system to model the speciation of volcanic gases emitted from high-temperature (1000–2000 K) silicate magmas on Io. The effects of temperature, pressure, and bulk composition of the gases are explored. The bulk compositions are based on atomic ratios observed in Io's plasma torus and extended atmosphere, and from chondritic abundances. The results show that chlorides of Na and K are the major Cl gases, NaCl, Na, and (NaCl) 2 are the major Na gases, and KCl, (KCl) 2 , and K are the major K gases for systems with (Na+K)/Cl>1. The abundances of Na, K, and Cl gases change dramatically at (Na+K)/Cl=1. As the (Na+K)/Cl ratio decreases below unity, which is possible for lower temperature volcanic vents, the major Cl gases change to Cl 2 , Cl, S 2 Cl, and SCl 2 . The results show that abundances of H-bearing gases are insignificant for plausible hydrogen abundances in Io. Higher temperatures and lower pressures increase the abundances of monatomic Na and K. Sodium, K, and Cl compounds condense as Na 2 S (at higher temperatures and lower O/S ratios), Na 2 SO 4 (at lower temperatures and higher O/S ratios), and NaCl and KCl. Under some conditions, Na 2 SO 4 and Na 2 S condense simultaneously. These condensates can form coatings on silicate ash particles in the vicinity of volcanic vents. Condensation temperatures decrease as pressure decreases, and condensation is not favored by low-pressure volcanic vents. Silicate magmas, especially alkaline ultrabasic magmas may be important sources of S, alkalis, and Cl on Io. Our predictions agree with spectral absorption features indicating that sodium sulfate and/or sodium sulfide may be present in red deposits on Io's surface. The two major sources of Na, K, and Cl in the plasma torus are sputtering from solid Na 2 S/Na 2 SO 4 /chloride surface condensates and ionization of alkali chloride and monatomic alkali gases that could be present in volcanic plumes and Io's volcanic atmosphere.
Time Optimal Seek Trajectories for a Dual Stage Optical Disk Drive Actuator

A closed-form solution for the time optimal control of a dual actuator disk drive system that takes into account the physical constraint limiting the relative motion of the fine and coarse actuator has been derived. The result is useful for determining track seeking strategies for high performance optical disks. The application of the necessary conditions to a simplified model of the compound actuator is presented and a solution derived.
X-Ray Emission Spectrography using Ion Exchange Membranes

THE spot-test technique of X-ray emission Spectrography1 for microgram amounts of elements has been extended to lower concentrations of metal ions by using ion-exchange resin membranes to concentrate the elements present as ions in dilute solution, and to act as a carrier for the sample in the spectrograph.
Development and use of a dynamic sequential sampling program for onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), on onions.

Data collected in 1983 from six commercial onion fields in upstate New York indicate that dispersion characteristics of onion thrips (OT), Thrips tabaci Lindeman, are precisely described by Taylor’s power law ( S 2 = amb), with 1na = 0.517, S 1na = 0.059, b = 1.89, and S b = 0.028 ( n = 47; r 2 = 0.99; P ≤ 0.0001). Additionally, during the main period of infestation (late July–late August) OT appear to be randomly distributed within an onion field. Data on OT dispersion were used to develop a sequential sampling procedure linked to a dynamic action threshold of three OT per leaf. This sampling plan was tested in 50 commercial onion fields in 1985. Results indicate that treatment decisions were reached 88% of the time after inspecting only 15 plants. Only 10 of 314 (3%) field inspections required a scout to examine 50 plants to reach a treatment decision. When the sequential sampling plan was compared with a fixed sample size of 50 or 100 plants, 95% of the decisions made were the same, and in the remaining 5% of the cases no sequential decision was made.
Metabolism inhibition as a result of interaction of antibody with a membrane protein ofMycoplasma bovoculi

The metabolism inhibition reaction is a test commonly used for the speciation of mycoplasmas. Cattle infected withMycoplasma bovoculi produce serum antibodies that are active in metabolism inhibition. For characterization of this reaction, affinity matrixes were prepared from lysates ofM. bovoculi bound to a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a 94,000 kDa membrane protein (p94) of the mycoplasma. These matrixes containing purified p94 were used to specifically remove metabolism-inhibiting activity from serum samples of cattle infected withM. bovoculi. The results provide evidence that p94 is the major and perhaps only target for the action of complement-independent, metabolism-inhibiting antibodies. This antibody reactivity may inhibit a vital membrane function associated with the p94 protein.
The Effects of Amantadine and Pemoline on Cognitive Functioning in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Amantadine hydrochloride and pemoline, both frequently used to treat the fatigue of mutiple sclerosis (MS), may also improve attention and other cognitive functions in MS. To our knowledge, these agents have never been compared in a placebo-controlled trial of patients with MS. Objective: To evaluate the effects of amantadine and pemoline on cognitive functioning in MS. Methods: A total of 45 ambulatory patients with MS and severe fatigue were treated for 6 weeks with amantadine, pemoline, or placebo using a parallel group design. They underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing to determine treatment effects on cognitive functioning. Primary outcome measures were tests of attention (Digit Span, Trail Making Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test), verbal memory (Selective Reminding Test), nonverbal memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), and motor speed (Finger Tapping Test). Results: Fatigue did not significantly correlate with any of the neuropsychological outcome measures at baseline or after treatment. All three treatment groups improved on tests of attention ( P P P Conclusions: Cognitive functioning in MS is independent of fatigue. Neither amantadine nor pemoline enhances cognitive performance in MS compared with placebo.
Control of nonlinear multivariable systems

A method of controlling nonlinear nonautonomous multivariable systems is presented in which the control variables are subject to magnitude constraints. The system is designed to track a non-linear model within some region of the state space, the size of this region being a function of certain model parameters. To illustrate the method, the technique is applied to the control of an exothermic chemical process.
The flipside of the flagship

Flagships remain a key approach for motivating and mobilizing conservation actions and interests. This study quantified attitudes towards two endemic globally threatened Amazona parrots, one of which was developed as a popular flagship in the 1980s. We used a mixed methods approach that included qualitative and quantitative interviewing and a newspaper content analysis to provide empirical evidence that the process of creating this conservation flagship inadvertently fostered negative attitudes and behaviors towards its non-flagship congener. We argue that, similar to other commercially branded goods and services, popular conservation flagships can produce powerful standards of comparison that may decrease the attractiveness and public acceptance of non-flagship species. These results parallel findings from the fields of consumer research and marketing psychology showing that “top-of-the-line” products may hurt sibling models. We therefore suggest that this is an important unintended consequence of the flagship approach and encourage the conservation community to learn from commercial brand developers who have been wary of the potential for exclusionary contrast effects of flagship brand deployment.
A new waste minimization method for the determination of total nonhalogenated volatile organic compounds in TRU wastes

As part of the technical support CST-12 provides for a wide variety of defense and nondefense programs within Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) complex, new waste minimization technique is under development for radiological volatile organic analysis (Hot VOA). Currently all Hot VOA must be run in a glovebox. Several types of samples contain TRU radiological waste in the form of particulates. By prefiltering the samples, through a 1.2 micron syringe and counting the radioactivity, it has been found that many of the samples can be analyzed outside of a glovebox. In the present investigation, the types of Hot VOA samples that can take advantage of this new technique, the volume and types of waste reduced, and the experimental parameters will be discussed. Overall, the radioactive waste generated is minimized.
Corticosteroids in acute traumatic brain injury.

Editor—The findings of the systematic review of randomised controlled trials of corticosteroids in acute traumatic brain injury1 are in keeping with the conclusions reached by the Committee for Guidelines for the Management of Severe Head Injury, based in the United States. They indicate that the available evidence does not show a benefit of corticosteroids in acute severe traumatic brain injury.2 The guidelines committee therefore recommended that corticosteroids should not be given routinely to patients with severe head injury. We are puzzled why the authors state that considerable uncertainty remains over the effect of corticosteroids and recommend that a trial requiring 20 000 participants is justified. The meta-analysis showed that the odds ratio for death was 0.91, corresponding to a pooled absolute risk reduction for death in head injured patients treated with steroids of 1.8%, which was far from being significant. Moreover, the subgroup analysis, which analysed trials with only the highest quality of concealment of allocation (blinding), showed that …
Clinical decision-making by gastroenterologists and hepatologists for patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma.

Choice of therapy in early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial, and no broad consensus exists as to how patient and tumor characteristics should be used to guide choice of therapy. We have previously reported on decision making in early HCC by liver surgeons. In the present study, we quantified the impact of clinical factors on choice of therapy for early HCC by gastroenterologists and hepatologists. Physicians who treat HCC were invited to complete a web-based survey including ten case scenarios that systematically varied across seven clinical factors. Choice of therapy—liver transplantation (LT), liver resection (LR), radiofrequency ablation or intra-arterial therapy—was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. Tumor number and size, type of resection required, biological Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and platelet count had the largest effects on choice of therapy. For example, LR was more likely to be recommended over LT for patients with small solitary tumors versus multiple tumors [relative risk ratio (RRR) 3.63], those who would require a minor versus major LR (RRR 3.39), those with lower biological MELD score (6 vs. 10; RRR 1.95), and those with a higher platelet count (150,000/μL vs. 70,000/μL; RRR 2.77). In contrast, serum α-fetoprotein level and etiology of cirrhosis were not associated with choice of therapy. No physician-related factors studied had an impact on choice of therapy. The clinical factors weighed most heavily by gastroenterologists and hepatologists are quite similar to those considered important by surgeons. There was good consensus among gastroenterologists and hepatologists as to the factors used to choose therapy.
Aldosterone secretion in the enucleated rat adrenal during salt retention.

Previous studies on the enucleated rat adrenal failed to find secretion of a steroid that would account for the salt retention which takes place in the 2-week period after enucleation. Following the protocol used when this phenomenon was first observed, i. e., giving only tap water for consumption in the 24 hr prior to testing, the enucleated adrenal’s capacity to secrete a mineralocorticoid was investigated. Twenty-four hours after enucleation adrenal glands were removed, incubated and then extracted. This extract was found to contain significant mineralocorticoid activity when given to adrenalectomized rats. This extract was separated into fractions by thin-layer (TLC) and paper chromatography, and mineralocorticoid activity was found in the fraction running with aldosterone standard. Aldosterone was identified in this fraction by chromatographic techniques and through measurement with a specific immunoassay for aldosterone. Adrenal venous effluent was collected from enucleated adrenals and the mean sec...
The effects of right heart bypass on acute ventricular failure with and without ventricular fibrillation.

A technique was developed for closed-chest bypass of the right ventricle. Blood is removed from the right atrium and returned into the pulmonary artery. The blood return cannula can be inserted without x-ray equipment. The maximum flow through the system is ten liters per minute. Acute right ventricular failure produced by embolization of pulmonary arteries with starch could be treated promptly and repeatedly with the bypass. In six out of eight failure periods, the right ventricle had recovered after only five minutes of bypass. Progressive decrease of the arterial oxygen saturation, inherent with diffuse pulmonary embolization, could not be reversed. During ventricular fibrillation, while the circulation was maintained with closed-chest left ventricular bypass (transarterial), right heart bypass could not substitute right heart function. The reasons for this failure were incompetence of the pulmonary artery and tricuspid valves and increase of pulmonary arterial resistance.
Influence of occupant restraint system on traumatic brain injuries

The influence of occupant restraint system on traumatic brain injuries in a front crash was computationally investigated using multibody and finite element methods in a loosely-coupled manner. A multibody dynamic analysis that includes a crash dummy and vehicle model with/without restraint system was performed. Based on the kinematic characteristics of the dummy's head obtained from the multibody dynamic analysis, two different finite element analyses with a human head model were performed. The first approach was simply to drive the finite element head model with an initial velocity and deceleration calculated from the multibody analysis. The second approach was to reconstruct the complicated crash scenario using simple head impact to a stationary wall, in which the head yielded almost identical kinematic characteristics obtained from the multibody analysis. Through the two approaches, strain-, pressure-, and motion-based brain injury metrics were assessed for three different settings of occupant restrain...
Notes on distribution, host associations, and bionomics of Erythmelus klopomor Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of lace bugs in Missouri, USA, with particular reference to its primary host Corythucha arcuata (Say)(Hemiptera, Tingida)

The fairyfly Erythmelus klopomor Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) is an idiobiont, multivoltine egg parasitoid of lace bugs (Hemiptera, Tingidae). The parasitoid apparently reproduces thelytokously and at present is only known in the USA from 36 counties in Missouri, two in Illinois, four in Florida and one each in North Carolina and Maryland. At least a somewhat wider occurrence of the parasitoid is indicated because of the ease by which it has been reared from its primary host the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata (Say). It also has been reared in Missouri from the additional hosts C. cydoniae (Fitch), C. marmorata (Uhler), C. pergandei Heidemann, C. ciliata (Say), and also from Gargaphia solani Heidemann (a new host record). The parasitoid is short lived with an average life cycle of 14.5 days and apparently overwinters as an adult. Erythmelus klopomor should be considered as a candidate classical biological control agent against the recently introduced C. arcuata in Bulgaria, northern Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey, and also possibly against the well-established invasive C. ciliata in Europe.
3D seam selection techniques with application to improved ultrasound mosaicing

In this work we introduce two different techniques for the global optimization of surfaces and apply them to the task of finding the optimal stitching seam between neighboring and overlapping 3D ultrasound volumes. Existing techniques for US mosaicing, based on interpolation or planar seams, introduce artifacts into the composite volume especially when using a large number of clinical scans. Our first method models the seam as a B-spline surface and treats its calculation as a shape optimization problem. In this case the optimal location of the surface-defining control points is a large scale constrained optimization problem, which is solved using a cooperatively coevolving particle swarm based approach. The second method treats the seam selection as a voxel labeling problem, where each voxel in the composite volume is labeled with its respective source volume. Therefore if we have N volumes, each voxel in the composite volume may be assigned one of the N labels. The optimal labeling, which implicitly defines a seam, minimizes the intensity and gradient difference between adjacent volumes The formulation is optimized using graphcuts, which guarantees that a global minimum is achieved due to the submodularity of the energy function. The final composite volume is constructed voxel-wise by taking the value of the source volume, which is designated by its label. Our application of this procedure is the construction of composite ultrasound image volumes for incorporation into an ultrasound simulator. These methods are validated on clinical US data acquired from obstetrics patients.
Can privatizing education really improve achievement? An essay review

Abstract That private schools in America are overwhelmingly controlled by religious organizations creates economic obstacles to educational choice plans, such as one proposed by J. Chubb and T. Moe in Politics, Markets, and America's Schools. Religious schools are less than perfectly competitive, their objective functions contain values other than academic achievement, and they are handicapped by parochial versions of many constraints faced by public schools. The ability of churches to supplement government subsidies to their students, or of any private school to rebate cash or in-kind benefits to clients, means that privatization through vouchers would increase educational inequality. Although rebates would allow clients to maximize private utility, this would be inconsistent with maximization of academic achievement. Finally, evidence for the hypothesis that private schools promote achievement relative to public schools is shown to be weak.
Standard Audiogram Recording

(1948). Standard Audiogram Recording. Acta Oto-Laryngologica: Vol. 36, No. sup78, pp. 173-182.
Comment on "Performance of Quasi-Steady MPD Thrusters at High Powers"

I a recent Synoptic and full paper Malliaris et al. have shown that quasi-steady MPD arc performance appears to be limited by a critical value of (J/m) such that (J/m)c = l/b\2eNQVi/M']; where all notation is identical to that of Ref. 1. They note' that operation beyond the critical point becomes objectionable due to instabilities, sharp rise of voltage, erosion, and participation of spurious propellant. Noting that M/N0 = m{, where mi is the mass of an ion, and J/rh = vjb, where v is the exhaust velocity, it is seen that the critical condition requires (ve)c = \2eVJm^\ or that the exhaust velocity at the critical condition is given by the Alfven critical velocity' (this result being equivalent to Eq. (7) of Ref. 2). A comparison of the computed Alfven velocity and the measured exhaust velocity corresponding to (Isp)c of Table 2 of Ref. 1 is shown in Table 1. Since the analytic expression for (J/m)c is obtained by assuming a minimum power input which results in the equipartition of energy between ionization and kinetic energies,' a consequence of this model is the limiting of the exhaust velocity to the Alfven velocity and, for a highly ionized exhaust stream, the limiting of the thrust efficiency to 50% or less. Thus from the analytic and experimental results presented in Ref. 1 it appears that the Alfven critical velocity may have significance with regard to the performance of self-field quasisteady arcs. It is interesting to note that a similar critical condition accompanied by a sudden jump in voltage has also been observed in a steady applied field lithium-fueled MPD arc.' In this device, however, ion velocities more than twice as high as the Alfven velocity have been measured at operating conditions below critical; i.e., operation at values of arc current, applied magnetic field, and input feed rate such that sudden voltage jumps are not observed. Both Doppler shift and energy analyzer techniques were used to measure ion velocities directly. The measured values agreed to within 15% with velocities deduced from thrust measurements, indicating they were representative of the effective exhaust velocity. The thrust efficiency, for the fully ionized beam, varied from 25% to 45%. It is not the purpose of this comment to define a performance limit for the quasi-steady arc, nor to compare quasi-steady and steady applied field arc performance. Its purpose is to point out that questions regarding the Alfven critical velocity, limiting velocities, and limiting efficiencies which have been raised for applied field arcs also appear relevant for self-field quasi-steady arcs.
Laser-Assisted Room-Temperature Film Growth Using a Constrained Pulsed Nozzle Expansion

Results are presented on a method that uses laser-assisted reactivity in a constrained gas expansion to facilitate film growth. The 193 nm output of an ArF excimer laser is focused through a hole in a substrate into a gas pulse consisting of trimethylamine-alane (TMMA). As shown by mass spectral data, laser irradiation of the TMAA clearly results in significant gas-phase reactivity. While no discernible film growth takes place in the absence of laser radiation, the laser readily brings about film growth on a silicon substrate, even though the substrate is held at room temperature and no laser/substrate interactions occur. Atomic force microscopy is used to investigate the surface morphology present in different regions of the deposited film, and chemical composition in those regions is investigated with Auger electron spectroscopy.
Subsolidus phase relations in the BaTiO3TiO2 system

Abstract Ba 6 Ti 17 O 40 , Ba 4 Ti 13 O 30 , BaTi 4 O 9 , and Ba 2 Ti 9 O 20 are the only compounds which were found to have a stability range in the subsolidus of the BaTiO 3 TiO 2 system. BaTi 2 O 5 and BaTi 5 O 11 , reported in other studies, apparently are not stable. The compound reported as Ba 2 Ti 5 O 12 appears to have been mistaken for Ba 6 Ti 17 O 40 . X-Ray diffraction powder data are given for this phase which is monoclinic with a = 9.890, b = 17.117, c = 18.933 A and β=98°42.6′. The phase formulated previously as BaTi 3 O 7 is shown to be Ba 4 Ti 13 O 30 based on structural and density considerations, phase equilibria, and single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data. This compound is orthorhombic with a = 17.072, b = 9.862, and c = 14.059 A, probable space group, Cmca . An idealized structure for this phase is proposed. Ba 2 Ti 9 O 20 decomposes above 1300°C in the solid state to BaTi 4 O 9 plus rutile. Single crystals were grown using BaF 2 as a mineralizer.
Novel FET integrated inverted stripline patch

An FET has been integrated with a cavity-enclosed inverted stripline patch antenna. This low-cost microwave source operates at 5.69 GHz with an output power of 57 nW. The half-power beamwidths in the E- and H-plane patterns are 46 and 64 degrees , respectively. The crosspolarisation level is nearly 20 dB down from the maximum. >
Inhibin A measurement using an automated assay platform.

Background Second–trimester measurement of maternal serum inhibin A is widely used for Down syndrome screening. To date, only a manual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) produced by Diagnostic Systems Laboratories, Inc (DSL) has been available. The objective of this study was to compare the DSL assay with a new automated assay produced by Beckman Coulter, Inc (Access). Methods Residual serum samples from 570 women, who were receiving routine screening for Down syndrome, were retrieved from storage. The Access assay sensitivity, linearity and reproducibility were determined and a method comparison was performed. Inhibin A levels were measured using both assays. Twenty samples from women with confirmed Down syndrome pregnancy were also tested. Results The Access assay had coefficients of variation of less than 10% across the range of values tested, and a sensitivity below 1 pg/mL. The DSL and Access inhibin A assay values were highly correlated (r = 0.961, r2 = 0.923), with no apparent outliers. Inhibin A values from the Access assay were a constant 23% lower (95% CI 1–41%) than corresponding values from the DSL assay. Median values from 15 to 20 completed weeks' gestation were computed and found to be consistent with expectations. The weight-adjusted multiples of the median (MoM) levels in the unaffected pregnancies fit a log Gaussian distribution well between at least the 5th and 95th percentiles with corresponding log standard deviations of 0.1960 and 0.1919 for DSL and Access, respectively. Conclusions With median inhibin A levels appropriately calculated for the Access assay, Down syndrome screening performance is expected to be comparable to that obtained with the manual DSL assay. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Observations on the synthesis and structure of wide pore aluminum phosphate molecular sieves

The synthesis of wide pore 18-ring aluminum phosphates has been explored using several amines as templates. The systems studied in more detail involve the use of dipentylamine (DPTA), a combination of tributylamine (TBA) and dipentylamine and dipropylamine (DPA). In the latter two systems a thermally unstable phase with an XRD pattern similar to VPI-5 was obtained which has been identified as the H1 phase. In the DPTA system both thermally stable and unstable phases can be formed, depending on the reaction conditions used. By controlling the gel formation in the DPA system ALPO4-8 was synthesized by hydrothermal methods. The products in the first two cases contain significantly higher amounts of the amine than has been reported in the synthesis of VPI-5. The structure of the thermally unstable H1 phase has been solved from X-ray powder data collected using a synchrotron X-ray source and shown to contain 6-coordinate aluminum in the 4-rings.
Stem cells as common ancestors in a colorectal cancer ancestral tree.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Cancer is thought to be an evolutionary process. Modern studies of evolution increasingly rely on genome comparisons, and similar molecular phylogeny approaches could be translated to somatic cell genomes to reconstruct colorectal cancer progression. The purpose of this review is to outline how human somatic cell ancestral trees can organize many old and new observations. RECENT FINDINGS A somatic cell tree starts from the zygote and ends with present day normal or neoplastic cells. In between are ancestors and dead ends, which functionally correspond to stem and nonstem cells. Cancer genome projects illustrate that mutations are relatively infrequent, and consistent with normal mutation rates, particularly if mutations begin to accumulate from birth. Therefore, some mutations eventually found in cancers may first occur in normal appearing crypts, which are maintained by niches that allow for stem cell clonal evolution and selection. Although mutations occur too infrequently to function as somatic cell molecular clocks, potentially more labile epigenetic changes in CpG methylation may also record somatic cell ancestry. SUMMARY Somatic cell evolution can occur throughout life, and potentially at least some of this unseen past may be reconstructed by 'reading' the lifetime changes that accumulate within our genomes.
Reihe Epidemiologie 8: Verblindung in randomisierten Studien: Wie man verdeckt, wer was erhalten hat

Die reiche Geschichte der Verblindung erstreckt sich uber zwei Jahrhunderte. Weltweit wissen die meisten Wissenschaftler, was mit Verblindung gemeint ist, doch hinter einem nur allgemeinen Verstandnis lauert oftmals Verwirrung. Begriffe wie einfachblind, doppelblind und dreifachblind haben fur verschiedene Personen unterschiedliche Bedeutung. Auserdem verwechseln viele medizinische Forscher die Verblindung mit der Geheimhaltung der Randomisierungsliste. Solche Verwechslungen zeigen, dass beide Begriffe missverstanden werden. Verblindung bedeutet, das Studienteilnehmer, Studienarzte (meist diejenigen, die die Behandlung verabreichen) oder Bewerter (diejenigen, die die Outcome-Daten erheben) die zugeteilte Intervention nicht kennen, sodass sie durch dieses Wissen nicht beeinflusst werden. Im Allgemeinen fuhrt die Verblindung zu einem Ruckgang der unterschiedlichen Bewertung von Behandlungsergebnissen (Informationsbias). Sie kann bei den Studienteilnehmern aber auch die Compliance und die Bereitschaft zum Verbleib in der Studie verbessern, wahrend sie die Anwendung zusatzlicher Pflege- oder Therapiemasnahmen (manchmal als Ko-Intervention bezeichnet) reduziert. Studienarzte und Leser gehen vielfach gutglaubig davon aus, dass eine randomisierte Studie einfach dann als hochwertig anzusehen ist, wenn sie doppelt verblindet wurde, als ob es sich bei der doppelten Verblindung um die Conditio sine qua non einer randomisierten, kontrollierten Studie handelte. Auch wenn die Doppelverblindung (Verblindung von Studienarzten, Studienteilnehmern und Bewertern der Behandlungsergebnisse) auf eine solide Studienplanung schliesen lasst, durfen Studien ohne Doppelverblindung nicht automatisch als minderwertig eingestuft werden. Anstatt sich ausschlieslich auf Begriffe wie Doppelverblindung zu verlassen, sollten Wissenschaftler explizit angeben, wer wie verblindet wurde. Wir empfehlen, den Ergebnissen mehr Glauben zu schenken, wenn zumindest die Bewertung der Studienergebnisse verblindet erfolgte, mit Ausnahme von objektiven Endpunkten wie etwa der Mortalitat, die kaum Raum fur systematische Fehler (Bias) lassen. Wenn Studienarzte ihre Verblindungsmasnahmen korrekt angeben, kann der Leser sie beurteilen. Leider lasst die Berichterstattung in vielen Artikeln zu wunschen ubrig. Wenn in einem Beitrag behauptet wird, es habe eine Verblindung stattgefunden, ohne dies weiter zu erklaren, sollte der Leser hinsichtlich ihrer Bias reduzierenden Wirkung skeptisch bleiben.
Solid-like behaviour of unsheared sickle haemoglobin gels and the effects of shear

Pathogenesis in sickle cell disease depends on the polymerization of deoxyhaemoglobin S into long fibres followed by 'gel' formation. The 'gelation' renders the affected erythrocytes less deformable than normal so that they obstruct the microvasculature and the 'gelation' process has been one of the targets for the development of therapeutic treatments of sickle cell disease. 'Gelation', however, acts through the rheological properties it induces and rheological abnormalities are therefore the immediate bases of pathogenesis. Although there has been very little study of the rheology of haemoglobin S haemolysates, the 'gels' are generally considered to be highly viscous and thixotropic on the basis of gross observation. Limited and generally qualitative observations show that high viscosity depends on deoxygenation and exhibits hysteresis in gelling/ungelling cycles; also that shearing accelerates gelation and can induce formation of fibre aggregates and crystals in suspension which, in contrast to the 'gel', are fluid. Using transient and steady state methods it is shown here that unsheared sickle deoxyhaemoglobin preparations are solid-like, consistent with a gel-like nature, whereas shearing converts them to thixotropic viscous systems. These results underline the marked variation and thixotropy the system can undergo and may be relevant to the pathogenesis, clinical course and therapy of sickle cell disease.
The Natural Rate of Interest and Its Usefulness for Monetary Policy

We estimate a state-of-the-art DSGE model to study the natural rate of interest in the United States over the last 20 years. The natural rate is highly procyclical, and fell substantially below zero in each of the last three recessions. Although the drop was of comparable magnitude across the three recessions, the decline was considerably more persistent in the Great Recession. We discuss the usefulness and limitations, particularly due to the zero lower bound, of the natural rate for the conduct of monetary policy.
Two-component velocity measurements in a supersonic nitrogen jet with spatially resolved inverse Raman spectroscopy

Using inverse Raman spectroscopy (IRS), we directly measured two perpendicular velocity components by crossing two probe laser beams symmetrically with the pump laser beam. Because of the crossing, the spatial resolution was improved by more than 1 order of magnitude compared with that obtained with previous IRS measurements. This made it possible to map out the planar velocity and temperature distributions in a supersonic N2 jet. The measured distributions are in good agreement with theoretical calculations. Extension to the measurement of all three velocity components is discussed.
Recognizing physical abuse and neglect in the skilled nursing facility: the physician's responsibilities.

The Older Americans Act established Ombudsmen programs that have the responsibility to identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by, or on behalf of, residents in long-term care facilities. In 1998, Ombudsmen programs across the nation reported investigating over 111,000 nursing home complaints, of which approximately 10% were classified as issues involving abuse, gross neglect, or exploitation. Beyond these officially recognized cases, however, are instances of mistreatment and neglect that are never recognized nor reported. In a telephone survey of 577 nursing assistants and nurses, 36% of the respondents admitted to witnessing at least one act of physical abuse in the prior year. One author, based on unpublished data from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, estimates an incidence of 61 cases of abuse per 1000 patient-years in the nursing home. From the cases that do come to light, we know of the devastating physical and psychological consequences: death, severe injury, humiliation, fear, and anger, to name but a few. Definitions of elder abuse vary by state, but elder abuse generally refers to physical, sexual, financial, and psychological mistreatment and neglect. While all types of abuse can occur at home or in an institutional setting, the focus of this article is physical abuse and neglect in an institutional setting. Specifically, we will focus upon the physician’s role in prevention, recognition, and reporting of physical abuse and neglect in the skilled nursing facility.
Programmable micro accelerometers and gyroscopes

The integration of MEMS, IDTs (Interdigital Transducers) and required microelectronics and conformal antenna to realize a programmable accelerometers and gyroscopes is presented in this paper. This unique combination of technologies results in novel conformal sensors that can be remotely sensed by an RF system with the advantage of no power requirements at the sensor site. Hybrid Programmable accelerometers and gyroscopes on a single chip are useful for inertial navigation systems. Programmable sensors are achieved with splitfinger interdigital transducers (IDTs) as reflecting structures. If IDTs are short-circuited or capacitively loaded, the wave propagates without any reflection whereas in an open circuit configuration, the IDTs reflect the incoming SAW signal. The programmable accelerometers and gyroscopes can thus be achieved by using an external circuitry on a semiconductor chip using hybrid technology.
Combination of Adrenomedullin with Its Binding Protein Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing

Cutaneous wound continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in the setting of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Despite advances in wound care management, there is still an unmet medical need exists for efficient therapy for cutaneous wound. Combined treatment of adrenomedullin (AM) and its binding protein-1 (AMBP-1) is protective in various disease conditions. To examine the effect of the combination treatment of AM and AMBP-1 on cutaneous wound healing, full-thickness 2.0-cm diameter circular excision wounds were surgically created on the dorsum of rats, saline (vehicle) or AM/AMBP-1 (96/320 μg kg BW) was topically applied to the wound daily and wound size measured. At days 3, 7, and 14, skin samples were collected from the wound sites. AM/AMBP-1 treated group had significantly smaller wound surface area than the vehicle group over the 14-day time course. At day 3, AM/AMBP-1 promoted neutrophil infiltration (MPO), increased cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α), angiogenesis (CD31, VEGF and TGFβ-1) and cell proliferation (Ki67). By day 7 and 14, AM/AMBP-1 treatment decreased MPO, followed by a rapid resolution of inflammation characterized by a decrease in cytokines. At the matured stage, AM/AMBP-1 treatment increased the alpha smooth muscle actin expression (mature blood vessels) and Masson-Trichrome staining (collagen deposition) along the granulation area, and increased MMP-9 and decreased MMP-2 mRNA expressions. TGFβ-1 mRNA levels in AM/AMBP-1 group were 5.3 times lower than those in the vehicle group. AM/AMBP-1 accelerated wound healing by promoting angiogenesis, collagen deposition and remodeling. Treatment also shortened the days to reach plateau for wound closure. Thus, AM/AMBP-1 may be further developed as a therapeutic for cutaneous wound healing.