cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graph-Assisted Cyclic Hoist Scheduling for Environmentally Benign Electroplating

Hoist scheduling is a class of production scheduling of batch systems in the manufacturing industries. Cyclic hoist scheduling (CHS) is a type of hoist scheduling that deals with the scheduling that involves one hoist and produces some type of product in a multistage production line. The only “resource” in the production is the hoist for which various operations compete with each other in every production cycle. Currently available CHS approaches, regardless of whether they are algorithmic or heuristic based, are almost all designed to maximize the production rate by optimizing hoist movements; environmental issues are not a concern during development of the hoist schedule. This paper introduces a methodology for solving a general CHS problem where the production rate and waste reduction are simultaneously taken into account. Using this methodology, all feasible hoist schedules for a given CHS problem can be rapidly identified using a graph-assisted search algorithm. The schedules are then evaluated in te...
Long-Term Illness as an Occupational-Career Interruption: Gender Differences in the Determinants and Outcomes in Sweden

Abstract This paper examines one particular type of occupational-career interruption; long-term illness. Event history analysis is used to uncover gender differences in the factors that influence illness work absenteeism and regression for the consequences of this type of interruption in Sweden, a country with a generous welfare state and high level of gender equality. Analysis of a panel survey (HUS) attests to gender differences in both the determinants and the effects of illness interruptions. For example, having a child in the household and the absence of a spouse or cohabiting partner significantly raise men's likelihood of experiencing an illness interruption, but is non-significant for women. With regards to the consequences of an illness interruption, women suffer significant losses in wages, while men experience no significant effect. For women, working full-time and working in a blue-collar job influence wages at a significant level. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of s...
The effects of continuous light and light intensity on the reproduction rates of twenty-two species of marine phytoplankton

Abstract The acclimated reproduction rates of 22 species of marine phytoplankton were measured at 0.01, 0.023, 0.1, and 0.23 ly/min in continuous light and in a 14: 10 h light: dark cycle. Three species that reproduced exponentially at all four light intensities in the 14: 10 LD regime did not reproduce at all in continuous light at any of the light intensities. One species, which reproduced at the two lowest light intensities in the 14: 10 LD regime, failed to reproduce at all in continuous light at any light intensity examined. Seven species reproduced more slowly in continuous light than in the 14: 10 LD regime at most or all light intensities. Four species reproduced at roughly the same rate in both light regimes. Five species reproduced more rapidly in continuous light. No general phylogenetic trend could be discerned from the responses of the species to the different light intensities or to continuous light. In general, species from coastal regions can reproduce as rapidly or more rapidly in continuous light than in a 14: 10 LD cycle, while most species from oceanic regions are harmed by continuous light. A phylogenetic trend in maximum potential reproduction rate is apparent, with diatoms being the fastest, dinoflagellates the slowest, and coccolithophores somewhat intermediate.
A musing look at American higher education

American higher education has changed in the past century. Most institutions have changed through administrative leadership, but the increased emphasis on graduate education and research has influenced all. While studies call for renewed attention to undergraduate education and the liberal arts, graduate schools emphasize research. This essay is a commentary on the views and values involved. People are indeed funny. Professors are people. Collectively, they profess no obligation and confess no deficiency in educating youth.
Law and science drive technology in the war against bioterrorism

Abstract The US approach to defense against bioterrorism is necessarily constrained by existing legal frameworks. Biodefense research also responds to the development of new laws designed to address bioterrorism threats, but for the most part, technology is not driving the development of new law. While the biotechnology revolution has resulted in a wide range of biodefense applications, these can be used only within existing constitutional restraints and statutory frameworks. These rules, including safety precautions, privacy concerns, and compensatory systems, will continue to shape technologies to fit within those constraints. Several examples demonstrate that technology cannot be used in ways that threaten the legal foundations of our society. Thus technology is now being challenged to come up with more rule-sensitive approaches. In other areas, such as research priorities, progress toward an effective biodefense would be better served by prioritizing research according to scientifically based organizing principles. In order to reach the next level of effectiveness in biodefense, we must understand the complex interrelations of biotechnology and law.
Multiple Fan-Heat Sink Cooling System With Enhanced Evaporator Base: Design, Modeling, and Experiment

A cooling device using stacked centrifugal fans and circular heat sinks was designed for cooling a semiconductor chip with a heat flux near 125 W/cm 2 . In this device, heat is conducted from the chip to a copper heat distribution block and then distributed to multiple heat sinks via four heat pipes. The copper block with embedded heat pipes or evaporator block was optimized using finite element analysis, and several cases were validated with experimental data. The experiments showed great benefits by having a second fan/heat sink in the device. The copper block by itself was found to contribute more than half of the overall thermal resistance of the cooling device. The thermal spreading resistance of the block can be reduced by about 70% if a piece of high-conductivity material, such as a diamond-copper composite, is inserted into its base. The thermal spreading resistance is generally lower when the thickness of the high-conductivity base piece increases. However, the analysis shows that the benefit of using a high-conductivity base tapers off as the thickness of the base piece nears the diameter of the heat pipes (δ* =1 ) and weakly worsens after (δ* > 1). The base will also not have a benefit when the size of the chip approaches that of the copper block (A* = 1).
Dramatic Rise in Overweight and Obesity in Adult Filipino Women and Risk of Hypertension

Objective:To assess trends in BMI of adult Filipino women over a 16-year period of rapid socioeconomic change; to identify factors associated with those trends; and to estimate the risk of hypertension associated with overweight, obesity, and high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Research Methods and Procedures:Women from randomly selected urban and rural communities of Metro Cebu, Philippines were recruited during a 1983 to 1984 index pregnancy, then followed prospectively for 16 years. Overweight and obesity were defined using BMI cut-off points of 25 and 30, respectively. The analysis sample included women 15 to 45 years of age when measured 4 months postpartum. Weight change in subsequent intervals from 1985 to 1999 was modeled using linear regression. The relationship of BMI and WHR to risk of hypertension in the last survey was modeled using logistic regression. Results:The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined increased nearly 6-fold from ∼6% in 1983 to 1984 to 35% in 1998 to 1999. Weight gain was positively associated with urban residence, improved socioeconomic status, fewer pregnancies and months of lactation, and more away-from-home work hours. Risk of hypertension was independently elevated by high WHR and overweight/obesity. Discussion:The dramatic trend of increasing overweight and obesity in this sample of women represents a serious health concern, especially in light of the strong association of excess weight, particularly in the truncal region, to risk of hypertension.
Studies of the slurry reactor

Abstract The use of slurry reactors, with catalyst particles suspended in either an inert or reacting liquid, shows promise of increasing applications in industry, particularly for exothermic reactions. Data are presented on the slurry hydrogenation of α-methyl styrene and on the hydrogenation of cyclohexene with catalyst suspended in water. Evidently mass transfer to the particles was controlling in both cases. Analysis of the data of KOLBEL and MAENNIG shows the surface reaction to be controlling in the hydrogenation of ethylene by catalyst suspended in an inert oil.
Changes in Transversus Abdominis Thickness With Use of the Abdominal Drawing-In Maneuver During a Functional Task

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine an individual's ability to produce an increase in transversus abdominis (TrA) thickness during the performance of a functional task with the use of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM). Design Within-subject repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of the ADIM and a loaded forward-reaching activity on the dependent variable of TrA thickness. Setting Laboratory Participants Convenience sample of 8 women and 8 men, asymptomatic, with a mean age of 27.6 ± 7.1 years. Interventions Ultrasound imaging measurements were recorded during 4 conditions: (1) while the patient was standing without the ADIM; (2) while the patient was standing with the ADIM; (3) during a loaded forward-reaching activity without the ADIM; and (4) during a loaded forward-reaching activity with the ADIM. Main Outcome Measures Thickness of the TrA muscle. Results The measurement obtained by an investigator blinded to the condition revealed statistically significant differences in the thickness of the TrA between all uncontracted conditions as compared with all contracted conditions. No statistically significant difference in the thickness of the TrA in the contracted states during quiet standing versus loaded forward reach was observed. Conclusion Subjects in this study demonstrated the ability to voluntarily activate the TrA during upright static and functional tasks. Additionally, the TrA thickness may change in a direction-specific manner. These findings support a protective role of the ADIM during functional activity and may add information to ways for promoting low back pain prevention. Future studies should include the effectiveness in the use of ADIM during functional tasks for the prevention of low back pain.
Phase II evaluation of amifostine as an esophageal mucosal protectant in the treatment of limited-stage small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy and twice-daily radiation

For limited-stage small cell lung cancer, twice-daily radiation with concurrent chemotherapy improves survival rate, but has dose-limiting esophageal toxicity. The authors studied 34 patients treated with amifostine in an attempt to decrease the incidence and grade of esophagitis. The results indicate that there was no reduction in toxicity, but the authors were able to maintain the high complete response rate that had been reported previously. These results differ from the use of amifostine in non-small cell lung cancer in which there is the observation of esophageal protection.
Signalling strategies for nodulation of legumes by rhizobia

During the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules, the establishment of the symbiotic relationship between rhizobia and leguminous plants depends on a highly specific exchange of signals. The products of several of the rhizobial nodulation (nod) genes are involved in the biosynthesis of host-specific lipo-oligosaccharide signalling molecules that can induce nodule morphogenesis on legume roots. Such signalling may point to a more widespread cell-to-cell signalling system in plants.
Abstract 4827: Investigation of the survival of circulating breast tumor cells using biomimetic microfluidic circulation system

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Distant metastases are the cause of about 90% of breast cancer patient death and the overall survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is only about 16%. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from the primary tumor, travel through the blood to distant anatomic sites and cause metastasis. The survival of CTCs in blood vascular system is a challenging pre-requisite of successful metastasis, as the biochemical and mechanical environment of circulation is vastly different from the primary tumor sites. Studies related to the fate of CTCs in circulation are mainly limited by lack of well-controlled and realistic experimental models. We have developed a microfluidic device that mimics the human blood circulatory system in order to study the mechanism underlying the survival of cancer cells in the blood circulation. The circulation device integrates a network of channels with a self-contained micropump can generate pulsatile fluid flow pattern and corresponding fluidic forces, which can represent the nature of blood flow and haemodynamic forces in the vasculature. The survival rate of breast cancer cell line MCF7 in circulation was measured via this microfluidic platform. MCF-7 cells in circulation device had a much lower survival rate compared with those in control device. The survival rate of MCF-7 cells after circulating 1, 2 and 4 hours are respectively 48.8%, 36.3% and 10.7%, while the survival rate in control device after 1, 2 and 4 hours are 93.7%, 77.6% and 94.30%. We further compared the survival rate of MCF-7 cells with SUM-159 cells. We hypothesize that by assessing the differential survival ability of breast cancer cells with varied EMT traits can reveal the key signatures of the metastatic tumor cells. Citation Format: Yang Wang. Investigation of the survival of circulating breast tumor cells using biomimetic microfluidic circulation system. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4827. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4827
Infrared spectroscopy studies of cation effects on lipopolysaccharides in aqueous solution.

The conformation of amphiphilic lipopolysaccharides (LPS) influences the behavior of free and cell-bound LPS in aqueous environments, including their adhesion to surfaces. Conformational changes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype 10 LPS aggregates resulting from changes in solution pH (3, 6, and 9), ionic strength [I] 1, 10, and 100 mmol L −1 , and electrolyte composition (NaCl and CaCl2) were investigated via attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. ATR-FTIR data indicate that LPS forms more stable aggregates in NaCl relative to CaCl2 solutions. Time- and cation-dependent changes in ATR-FTIR data suggest that LPS aggregates are perturbed by Ca 2+ complexation at lipid A phosphoryl groups, which leads to reorientation of the lipid A at the surface of a ZnSe ATR internal reflection element (IRE). Polarized ATR-FTIR investigations reveal orientation of LPS dipoles approximately perpendicular to the IRE plane for both Na- and Ca-LPS. The results indicate that changes in solution chemistry strongly impact the conformation, intermolecular and interfacial behavior of LPS in aqueous systems. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Interaction of multiple helical earth anchors embedded in granular soil

This experimental program studies the behavior of groups of helical earth anchors embedded in granular soil. This was performed by the use of laboratory and field anchor‐pullout tests. A literature review of existing anchor‐capacity theories and related material is presented. Laboratory and field group‐anchor pullout tests were conducted to study the mutual interaction behavior of the individual anchors. Results indicate that the group pullout capacity is a function of the horizontal spacing between anchors and that the exterior anchors in a closely spaced group carry the greatest proportion of the load at impending failure. Empirical equations were developed to predict the pullout capacity of groups of anchors.
DNA sequence of the promoter region of the ompC gene and the amino acid sequence of the signal peptide of pro-OmpC protein in Escherichia coli

Abstract The osmoregulated ompC gene of Escherichia coli was cloned and the DNA sequence of a fragment encompassing the promoter region and a portion of the coding region was determined. There were no obvious homologies in the DNA sequence of the promoter regions of the ompC and ompF genes, in contrast to those of the coding regions of the two genes, both of which code for the matrix porins (major outer membrane proteins) and form passive diffusion pores. The amino acid sequence of the signal peptide of pro-OmpC protein was also deduced from the DNA sequence
Urinary chemistry of the normal Sprague-Dawley rat.

On the basis of metabolic in vivo studies using the adult male Sprague-Dawley rat, we present a comprehensive summary of urine species measurements conducted in our laboratory over the last several years, as well as those present in the literature.
Optical Microanalysis In Microelectronic Device And Packaging Manufacture

Electron probe microanalysis (and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis) has been used for small area analysis for many years, but it gives only elemental information, in general. Cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence have been available as small area analytical techniques for several years, giving molecular information. Two "new" small area molecular analysis techniques have become available in the last few years, viz Raman (to be discussed in this symposium by C.L. Needham) and infra-red, which we will discuss. Examples will be given of the application of these various optical microanalytical techniques to device and packaging manufacture. The electron probe microanalyzer has been used for many years for analysis of small areas of microelectronic devices and packaging (e.g. Prof. Dave Wittry's initial analysis of Purple Plague was 1959). This type of analysis has been extended widely with the developments of scanning electron microscopes and energy dispersive x-ray analysis detectors and circuitry. Such analysis is elemental, in general, and has been very useful in the study of microstructure, thin films, contamination, corrosion products, etc. in all stages of device development, manufacture, test and application. However, often even quantitative elemental information lacks definition, and molecular information (how the elements are bonded together) is required. (In the analysis method described, some limited molecular information is available in low atomic number elements by measuring x-ray line shifts.)© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Elastic Translation Invariant Matching of Trajectories

We investigate techniques for analysis and retrieval of object trajectories. We assume that a trajectory is a sequence of two or three dimensional points. Trajectory datasets are very common in environmental applications, mobility experiments, video surveillance and are especially important for the discovery of certain biological patterns. Such kind of data usually contain a great amount of noise, that makes all previously used metrics fail. Therefore, here we formalize non-metric similarity functions based on the Longest Common Subsequence (LCSS), which are very robust to noise and furthermore provide an intuitive notion of similarity between trajectories by giving more weight to the similar portions of the sequences. Stretching of sequences in time is allowed, as well as global translating of the sequences in space. Efficient approximate algorithms that compute these similarity measures are also provided. We compare these new methods to the widely used Euclidean and Dynamic Time Warping distance functions (for real and synthetic data) and show the superiority of our approach, especially under the strong presence of noise. We prove a weaker version of the triangle inequality and employ it in an indexing structure to answer nearest neighbor queries. Finally, we present experimental results that validate the accuracy and efficiency of our approach.
Effects of immunization with the p12 proteins of LP-BM5 defective and ecotropic viruses on development of MAIDS.

Among murine leukemia viruses (MuLV) present in the LP-BM5 virus mixture, the agent etiologic for an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) is replication defective, containing only a single open reading frame which includes all ofgag. The Gag polyprotein encoded by the defective virus, termed BM5def, differs most in p12 from that of nonpathogenic ecotropic virus (BM5eco). As one approach to examining the role of p12 in disease, the ecotropic and defective virus forms of the protein, synthesized in bacteria, were used to immunize three strains of mice differing in their sensitivity to MAIDS. In each strain, both proteins elicited substantial antibody responses that were cross-reactive with either p12 and recognized the proteins as part of intact viral Gag polyproteins. Immunization with either p12 before infection with LP-BM5 viruses had no effect on the sensitivity or resistance of mice to MAIDS or on the extent of helper virus spread. The variant p12 of BM5def, when presented on its own, is thus not a crucial antigenic determinant of disease. Alternative mechanisms by which BM5def may contribute to MAIDS are discussed.
Summary of advanced methods for predicting high speed propeller performance

Three advanced analyses for predicting aircraft propeller performance at high subsonic speeds are described. Two of these analyses use a lifting line representation for the propeller blades and vortex filaments for the blade wakes but differ in the details of the solution. The third analysis is a finite difference solution of the unsteady, three dimensional Euler equations for the flow between adjacent blades. Analysis results are compared to data for a high speed propeller having eight swept blades integrally designed with the spinner and nacelle.
The effect of copper, chromium, and zirconium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys

The present study evaluates the effect of the systematic variation of copper, chromium, and zirconium contents on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a 7000-type aluminum alloy. Fracture toughness and tensile properties are evaluated for each alloy in both the peak aging, T8, and the overaging, T73, conditions. Results show that dimpled rupture essentially characterize the fracture process in these alloys. In the T8 condition, a significant loss of toughness is observed for alloys containing 2.5 pct Cu due to the increase in the quantity of Al-Cu-Mg-rich S-phase particles. An examination of T8 alloys at constant Cu levels shows that Zr-bearing alloys exhibit higher strength and toughness than the Cr-bearing alloys. In the T73 condition, Cr-bearing alloys are inherently tougher than Zr-bearing alloys. A void nucleation and growth mechanism accounts for the loss of toughness in these alloys with increasing copper content.
Synaptic Currents Generated by Neuronal Acetylcholine Receptors Sensitive to α-Bungarotoxin

Abstract Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are widely distributed throughout the nervous system, but their functions remain largely unknown. One of the most abundant is a class of receptors that contains the α7 gene product, has a high relative permeability to calcium, and binds α-bungarotoxin. Here, we report that receptors sensitive to α-bungarotoxin, though concentrated in perisynaptic clusters on neurons, can generate a large amount of the synaptic current. Residual currents through other nicotinic receptors are sufficient to elicit action potentials, but with slower rise times. This demonstrates a postsynaptic response for α-bungarotoxin-sensitive receptors on neurons and suggests that the functional domain of the postsynaptic membrane is broader than previously recognized.
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic and Genomic Testing: Preparing Nurse Practitioners for Genomic Healthcare

Rapidly emerging technologies make it possible for consumers to acquire information that is intended to explain their inherited susceptibility to disease and facilitate tailored healthcare services through direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing of personal genetic (PG) and personal genomic (PGM) testing. However, the health benefits and risks associated with these technologies are largely unknown. Consumers will turn to their healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners, to interpret test results and seek guidance on how to use these test results for medical decision-making. Nurse practitioners will need to constantly update their practice skills in response to advances in genomic technology that create new expectations among patients and lead to substantial changes in healthcare delivery.
Multiple forms of formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase produced by alternative splicing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (FPG) catalyzes the initial steps in the repair of DNA containing oxidized purines. Two cDNA clones from Arabidopsis thaliana encoding homologs of bacterial FPG have previously been described. We now report that there are at least five additional variants of FPG mRNA in Arabidopsis, each apparently produced from the same gene (AtMMH) by alternative splicing. Thus, AtMMH, like at least four other genes in the base excision repair pathway of human cells, produces multiple forms of protein product through alternative splicing. The variant forms of Arabidopsis FPG may be localized in different locations in the cells, may have different preferences for oxidized substrates, and/or may recruit different proteins that guide the subsequent steps of base excision repair.
Fixed-angle rotary shear as a new method for tailoring electro-mechanical properties of templated graphene–polymer composites

Abstract A capillary-driven particle-level templating technique was utilized to distribute graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) into specially constructed architectures throughout a polystyrene matrix to form multi-functional composites with tailored electro-mechanical properties. By precisely controlling the temperature and pressure during a melt compression process, highly conductive segregated composites were formed using very low loadings of graphene particles. Since the graphene flakes form a honeycomb percolating network along the boundaries between the polymer matrix particles, the composites show very high electrical conductivity but poor mechanical strength. To improve the mechanical properties, a new processing technique was developed that uses rotary shear through pre-set fixed angles to gradually evolve the honeycomb graphene network into a concentric band structure over the dimensions of the sample. An experimental investigation was conducted to understand the effect of GNP loading as well as rotary shear angle on the mechanical strength and electrical conductivity of the composites. The experimental results show that both the electrical and mechanical properties of the composites are significantly altered using this very simple technique, which allows rational co-optimization of competing mechanical and electrical performance as appropriate for a given target application.
Empirically Derived Consequences: A Data-Based Method for Prescribing Treatments for Destructive Behavior.

Behavioral treatments are often prescribed on the basis of a functional assessment. However, in a significant number of cases, functional assessment results are equivocal or suggest that internal stimuli are maintaining the behavior. In this investigation, we evaluated an alternative data-based assessment that may be useful in such cases. This assessment was used to identify reinforcers and punishers based on the reinforcement assessment procedure described by Pace, Ivancic, Edwards, Iwata, and Page (1985). We then assessed whether empirically derived reinforcers and punishers could be combined to treat the destructive behaviors of two clients. For both clients, the rates of destructive behavior decreased markedly. The results suggest that empirically derived consequences may be useful in decreasing destructive behavior when a functional assessment is inconclusive or is consistent with the hypothesis that the behavior is stereo-typic and maintained by internal stimuli.
POM Forum: Transfer of Changing Production Know-How

Even with the rich literature on knowledge management, we still don't know enough about how the rate of change in production-know-how affects the choice of mechanisms for its transfer. Codifying tacit know-how helps, but codification becomes more challenging as the know-how changes more frequently. Transfer of tacit know-how becomes much more complicated when it changes often. We need more research in this area, particularly to help production and operations managers who must ultimately use the new know-how and change their companies' production processes. The paper suggests a framework as a step in that direction. The framework focuses on the interplay between the level of codification and the rate of change of production know-how, and identifies four zones for classifying production know-how: “slow and codified,” “slow and tacit,” “fast and codified,” and “fast and tacit.” Examples from McDonalds, Club Med, Intel, and AOL are used to illustrate primary transfer mechanisms for each zone (manuals and systems, people, joint-development, and projects, respectively). Appropriate absorptive capacities in the production units for each zone are also identified. Since the ultimate responsibility of operations managers is to improve (i.e., change) their production know-how as fast as possible, they would be wise to adopt policies that are closer to those suited for the “fast and codified” zone. Intel and Toyota show good models.
Towards a logical form for descriptive metadata

Open linked data and semantic technologies promise support for information integration and inferencing. But taking advantage of this support often requires that the information carried by ordinary "colloquial" metadata records be made explicit and computationally available. Given the structured nature of most metadata records this looks easy to do; and conversion from metadata records to computer processable knowledge representation languages such as RDF is now commonplace. Nevertheless a precise formal characterization of the semantics of common colloquial metadata records is more involved than appearances would suggest. We explore two approaches to formalization and discuss some issues related to the nature of identifier elements in colloquial metadata records and the use of individual constants in knowledge representation.
Isolated Minkowski vacua, and stability analysis for an extended brane in the rugby ball

Abstract We study a recently proposed model, where a codimension one brane is wrapped around the axis of symmetry of an internal two-dimensional space compactified by a flux. This construction is free from the problems which plague delta-like, codimension two branes, where only tension can be present. In contrast, arbitrary fields can be localized on this extended brane, and their gravitational interaction is standard 4d gravity at large distances. In the first part of this work, we study the de Sitter (dS) vacua of the model. The landscape of these vacua is characterized by discrete points labeled by two integer numbers, related to the flux responsible for the compactification and to the current of a brane field. A Minkowski external space emerges only for a special ratio between these two integers, and it is therefore (topologically) isolated from the nearby dS solutions. In the second part, we show that the Minkowski vacua are stable under the most generic axially-symmetric perturbations, and we argue that this is sufficient to ensure the overall stability.
Thin-film cryotron catalog memory

THE use of thin-film cryotrons in logical circuitry, such as flip-flops and shift registers, has already been discussed in previous literature. Cl-a) The cryotrons used in this type of circuitry must be active devices with a greater-than-unity current gain. There are other applications, however, where low-gain cryotrons may be used. In switching networks and memories, the cryotrons can be driven from external transistor circuits and thus eliminate the necessity for the cryotrons to have gain greater than unity. As a result, considerably shorter switching times may be achieved. Translators, persistent-current memories, (4-7) catalog memories (a) and storage and retrieval systems are excellent examples of this type of circuit. This paper will discuss the use of the lowgain cryotron in a catalog memory.
Correlations between differential absorbance and the formation of individual DBPs

This study examined correlations between the differential absorbance at 272nm (deltaA272) and the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in chlorinated water from the Tolt River, a water source for Seattle, WA. The DBPs investigated included chloroform (CHCl3), dichlorobromomethane (CHCl2Br), mono-, di- and trichloroacetic acids (MCAA, DCAA, and TCAA, respectively), chloral hydrate (CH), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) and 1,1,1-trichloropropanone (TCP). Whereas the kinetics of DBP formation are complex and are non-linear, the same DBP data represented as a function of deltaA272 are quite simple. Absorbance decreases when the water is chlorinated, i.e., deltaA272 is always negative. The DBP vs. -deltaA272 correlations can almost always be quantified by linear equations, at least above some threshold value of -deltaA272, with R2 values > 0.95. The only DBP that did not follow this trend was CH, for which an exponential relationship better described the data. TCP and DCAN were unstable at pH 7 and 8, but at pH 6 linear correlations between their concentrations and -deltaA272 were as strong as those for the more stable DBPs. The threshold -deltaA272 value is approximately the same for many of the DBPs studied, supporting the hypothesis that individual DBPs are released following the formation of a common intermediate, or at least a small group of similar intermediates. The DBP vs. -deltaA272 correlations may have practical value since they provide an alternative approach for monitoring the formation of individual DBP species on-line, but the generality of the relationships needs to be further examined.
Expulsive Hemorrhage: a Study of Histopathological Details

Cataract surgery in the eye of a 71 year-old male was complicated by an expulsive hemorrhage. The eye became blind and was removed 21 days later. Histopathological evaluation revealed facts of outstanding interest: rupture of the long posterior ciliary artery on the nasal side was the cause of the massive bleeding and cystoid macular edema with vertical infolding of the central cones was found in the totally detached and distorted retina.
Ectopic overexpression of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac/DIABLO) or cotreatment with N-terminus of Smac/DIABLO peptide potentiates epothilone B derivative-(BMS 247550) and Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac)/DIABLO is a mitochondrial protein that is released into the cytosol along with cytochrome c (cyt c) during the execution of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Smac/DIABLO promotes apoptosis by neutralizing the inhibitory effect of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins on the processing and activities of the effector caspases. Present studies demonstrate that, upon engagement of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, epothilone (Epo) B derivative BMS 247550, a novel nontaxane antimicrotubule agent, as well as the death ligand Apo-2L/TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-α–related apoptosis-inducing ligand) induce the mitochondrial release and cytosolic accumulation of Smac/DIABLO, along with cyt c, in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. While it had no activity alone, ectopic overexpression of Smac/DIABLO or treatment with the N-terminus heptapeptide (Smac-7) or tetrapeptide (Smac-4) of Smac/DIABLO significantly increased Epo B– or Apo-2L/TRAIL–induced processing and PARP cleavage activity of caspase-3. This produced a significant increase in apoptosis of Jurkat cells ( P < .05). Increased apoptosis was also associated with the down-regulation of XIAP, cIAP1, and survivin. Along with the increased activity of caspase-3, ectopic overexpression of Smac/DIABLO or cotreatment with Smac-4 also increased Epo B– or Apo-2L/TRAIL–induced processing of caspase-8 and Bid, resulting in enhanced cytosolic accumulation of cyt c. This was not due to increased assembly and activity of Apo-2L/TRAIL–induced DISC (death-inducing signaling complex) but dependent on the feedback activity of caspase-3. These findings demonstrate that cotreatment with the N-terminus Smac/DIABLO peptide is an effective strategy to enhance apoptosis triggered by the death receptor or mitochondrial pathway and may improve the antitumor activity of Apo-2L/TRAIL and Epo B.
Design Procedure for Evaluating Stability of Turbomachinery Supported on Squeeze Film Dampers

The ability of a squeeze film damper to attenuate the amplitude of vibration and to decrease the dynamic forces transmitted to the support system, makes it an attractive means of supporting turbomachinery
Clinical Spectrum of Pulmonary Mucormycosis

Pulmonary mucormycosis is an uncommon, but important, opportunistic fungal pneumonia which is often diagnosed post-mortem. This review emphasizes clinical and pathologic characteristics of pulmonary mucormycosis that differentiate this infection from other fungal pneumonias. The most common clinical presentation of pulmonary mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive pneumonia with diffuse infiltrates on chest radiographic examination of a patient with an underlying hematologic malignancy treated with immunosuppressive drugs. Other immunocompromised hosts at risk for pulmonary mucormycosis include patients with diabetes mellitus who may develop a distinctive endobronchial form of this disease. Early consideration of this diagnosis, along with aggressive diagnostic evaluation, are critical to effective therapy and patient survival. While treatment with amphotericin B is the mainstay of therapy for pulmonary mucormycosis, diabetics with endobronchial disease may benefit from early, aggressive surgical resection of the involved lung tissue.
Pre-Cretaceous Geologic History of Deep Southeastern Gulf of Mexico: ABSTRACT

Analysis of seismic data and the results of DSDP Leg 77 reveal a complex pre-Cretaceous, pre-rift to post-rift geologic history for the deep southeastern Gulf of Mexico that is probably related to the early opening of the North Atlantic. The area is underlain by an extensive rifted and attenuated continental crust or transitional crust formed mainly in Late Triassic through Jurassic time owing to large-scale translational motions as the Yucatan-South American block pulled away from North America. Shallow holes drilled into the tops of tilted basement blocks encountered examples of this transitional crust (early Paleozoic metamorphic rocks intruded by Mesozoic diabase). The rifted basement is infilled and covered by an extensive syn-rift sequence of probable Jurassic age a d nonmarine origin (up to 2 km thick). Interpreted within this sequence is a narrow north-south-trending salt basin, which may be equivalent to the Louann salt in the northern Gulf basin and the salt in Cuba. Rifting mainly occurred during Late Triassic through Jurassic time, although in one broad area faulting and collapse of the basement apparently continued into the Early Cretaceous. The syn-rift sequence is overlain by a thick post-rift section of marine sedimentary rocks. DSDP Leg 77 drilled the upper part of the sequence and encountered a complete section of Lower Cretaceous deep-water carbonates. The lower part of the sequence lying below the deepest horizon drilled (Berriasian) has a similar character and is inferred to represent Upper Jurassic marine rocks, probably equivalent t the Late Jurassic (post-Louann) marine transgression observed around the periphery of the Gulf. End_of_Article - Last_Page 554------------
Polymeric solar cells with oriented and strong transparent carbon nanotube anode

In this study, an oriented, strong and transparent multiwall carbon nanotube sheet is used as the hole collecting electrode in polymer solar cells with RR-P3HT as the donor material and PCBM as the acceptor material. An open circuit voltage of 0.49 V, a short circuit current of 5.47 mA/cm 2 , a fill factor of 0.49, and an efficiency of 1.32% have been obtained. Performance dependence on incident light intensity along with other various investigations are presented.
Hepatic allograft cyclosporine concentration is independent of the route of cyclosporine administration and correlates with the occurrence of early cellular rejection.

This study compares the hepatic-tissue cyclosporine concentrations in liver biopsy specimens from patients with and without cellular rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation. Nine patients without cellular rejection were studied, including five patients receiving intravenous cyclosporine who had biopsies on posttransplant day 7 and four patients receiving oral cyclosporine who had biopsies on day 21. In these patients no significant differences were seen in blood cyclosporine concentrations (mean ± S.D.) (310 ± 162 vs. 273 ± 310 ng/ml) and hepatic-tissue cyclosporine concentrations (3,451 ± 1,262 vs. 3,545 ± 456 ng/gm). These nine patients without cellular rejection were then compared with eight patients with cellular rejection who were receiving intravenous cyclosporine, including seven patients who had biopsies on posttransplant day 7 and one patient who had a biopsy on day 14. In patients with and without cellular rejection blood cyclosporine concentrations were 330 ± 64 vs. 294 ± 146 ng/ml, and hepatic-tissue cyclosporine concentrations were 1,879 ± 998 vs. 3,493 ± 936 ng/gm, p<0.01. We conclude that hepatic-tissue cyclosporine concentrations are independent of the route of cyclosporine administration and that low hepatic-tissue cyclosporine concentrations correlate with early cellular rejection after orthotopic liver transplantation. (HEPATOLOGY 1992;15:1086–1091).
Bidirectional Crosstalk between the Estrogen Receptor and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Signaling Pathways in Breast Cancer: Molecular Basis and Clinical Implications

The estrogen receptor (ER) and/or the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) signaling pathways are the dominant drivers of cell proliferation and survival in the majority of human breast cancers. As a result, targeting these pathways provides the most effective therapies in appropriately selected patients. Nevertheless, resistance to both endocrine and anti-HER2 therapies occurs frequently and represents a major clinical challenge. Compelling preclinical and clinical evidence relates this treatment resistance to the presence of a complex bidirectional molecular crosstalk between the ER and HER2 pathways. As a consequence, treatment strategies targeting either pathway are associated with up-regulation of the other one, ultimately resulting in resistance to therapy. Therefore, a more promising strategy to prevent or overcome either endocrine or anti-HER2 resistance at least in some tumors is to combine targeted treatments that simultaneously block both signaling pathways. Many clinical trials exploring this strategy have shown positive results, and many more are currently ongoing. Future clinical trials with appropriate patient selection, based on biomarker evaluation of primary tumors and possibly of recurrent lesions, are warranted for the optimization of individualized therapeutic strategies.
An index of optimum sustainable population for the Pacific Walrus

Abstract The United States Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) specified that marine mammal stocks be maintained at an optimum sustainable population level (OSP). However, the information needed to directly estimate OSP for most stocks was not available and indices to OSP were soon proposed but to our knowledge none were fully developed. In 1994, a new management regime was adopted under the MMPA, potential biological removal (PBR), which was specifically developed to assess marine mammal mortalities associated with commercial fisheries. Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) are rarely killed in commercial fisheries, the greatest source of human caused mortality is the subsistence harvest by Alaskan and Russian natives, and PBR estimates have been erroneously used to make inference about the sustainability of the subsistence harvest. It is clear that an index to OSP is needed for the Pacific walrus because PBR as calculated for fisheries is not appropriate. In this study, we explored calf:cow ratios (CCR), estimated from spring harvest data, as an index to population abundance and OSP as a function of habitat carrying capacity ( K ). Eight of the 10 characteristics of an effective index are applicable to CCRs. Based on abundance estimates when the Pacific walrus population was at or near K and a simulated estimate of maximum net productivity, CCRs of 0.41–0.47 reflect a Pacific walrus population at OSP. The best use of the CCR index will be to inform subsistence hunters of the status of the population and to promote self-regulation of the harvest by hunters. However, because other factors which may be weakly density-dependent such as disease and physical trauma could effect CCRs and the same CCR can be expressed by a declining or increasing population, the index will need to be combined with other information (e.g., habitat change and use patterns, population trend, physical condition of individuals, survival rates, etc.) in a weight of evidence approach in order to have stronger inference. Furthermore, our analyses are based on a data set that included periods when climatic conditions differed from those of recent decades, requiring evaluation of the index into the future.
A team process to support interprofessional care

Abstract Health care reform recognizes the value of new care delivery models that are team-based. The Interprofessional Core Competencies (2011) speak to the importance of process-to-product through teamwork. While most often the focus of teamwork is product, to get to positive health outcomes through interprofessional teamwork, the importance of process must be acknowledged. What individuals bring to the process will influence the product. Individuals come to the work of the team influenced by many cultural perspectives- personal values, assumptions, and beliefs as well as disciplinary perspectives. Cultural layers are actively operating as teams form to provide care through interprofessional teamwork. Without self-awareness, reflection, and effective communication–the basic skill set for effective teamwork process–interaction within teams may not reach its potential. This article demonstrates one university's approach to educating their Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students and guiding them to achieve teamwork competencies that are vital to intra–interprofessional practice.
Alopecia/mental retardation syndrome

We report on an African-American patient with alopecia universalis, microcephaly, hypogonadism, and mental and growth retardation, and compare his phenotype to others with recessive alopecia/mental retardation syndromes in the literature. Our patient represents the first case reported from nonconsanguineous African-American parents.