cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental Establishment of Mother–Daughter Orientation Relationships and Twinning Effects in Phase Transitions: A Great Legacy from Jack Gougoutas and Peggy Etter

A simple procedure, with an available program, may readily be used to establish the three-dimensional relationships between a mother and daughter phase, where mother and daughter are either two different phases of a material or a reactant and product in a solid-state transformation. The only requirements are that (i) the process involves a crystal-to-crystal transformation, and (ii) the experiment must be carried out without changing the alignment of the mother crystal. Application of the method supports the inferred alignment of mother and daughter phases in the published structures of two polymorphs of 4-cyanopyridinium perchlorate monohydrate 1. A new low-temperature, monoclinic polymorph of ferrocenium tetrafluoroborate 2 is produced when the known orthorhombic polymorph is cooled from 173 to 120 K. The major features of the transformation include “conservative twinning” and a modulation of the structure along the crystallographic b direction upon cooling. Redetermination of the structure of the low-t...
Human herpesvirus 6 lymphadenitis in drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome: a lymphoma mimic

Aims Lymphadenopathy, hematologic abnormalities, and constitutional symptoms are among the non-specific manifestations seen in drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), an uncommon but potentially fatal cutaneous adverse drug reaction. The ubiquitous human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) plays a unique role in the pathogenesis of DRESS, with emerging data suggesting that reactivation occurs in most cases and contributes to the clinical manifestations, including lymphadenopathy. Further, in the appropriate clinical context, demonstration of HHV-6 reactivation may lend support to a diagnosis of DRESS. The histopathology of DRESS-associated HHV-6 lymphadenitis is rarely reported, with morphologic and immunophenotypic characteristics concerning for T-cell lymphoma. The aim is to characterize the histopathology of HHV-6 lymphadenitis in the context of DRESS and to highlight this as an important cause of lymphadenopathy that may be a clinical, morphologic, and immunophenotypic mimic of lymphoma. Methods and results We describe a case of lymphoma-mimicking lymphadenitis in which the histopathologic demonstration of reactivation of HHV-6 infection lent support to the clinical diagnosis of DRESS. Conclusions Lymph node biopsies concerning for T-cell lymphoma should be evaluated for HHV-6 involvement in a clinical context suggestive of DRESS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Risk Mining: Company-Risk Identification from Unstructured Sources

Risk permeates all aspects of doing business. However, support tools capable of systematically identifying the complete spectrum of risks that a company might face are currently lacking. Such a tool would need to reliably identify company-risk relationships from unstructured sources, therefore providing a qualitative assessment of risk exposure. We propose a supervised learning approach that combines a weakly-supervised risk taxonomy, named entity tagging and dependency tree analysis in order to perform company-risk relationship classification. We demonstrate that a support vector machine using a tree kernel, trained on hand-annotated articles from Reuters News Archive, is capable of significantly outperforming a selection of alternative classification algorithms. To our knowledge, this is the first example of company-risk relationship extraction.
Neuropeptides and Chemical Messengers in the Aging Brain

This presentation is a review of the rapidly expanding scientific knowledge regarding chemical messengers in the aging brain. There are two major classes of chemical messengers—neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. This paper focuses upon the peptide hormones — brain and peripheral. In the past the two classes of chemical messengers were assumed to be associated with either the nervous system or the endocrine system and were believed to have distinctly different modes of communication. Now it appears there is a degree of overlap, a sharing of selected communication methods and a combining of the activities of the two systems to affect the functioning of groups of cells.
Self-congruence is not everything for a brand: initial evidence supporting the relevance of identity cultivation in a college student role-identity context

Theoretical understanding of the linkage between brands and specific aspects of self remains incomplete despite a large body of relevant research. This report develops the premise of specific aspects of self (role-identities) influencing brand preferences and reports relevant effects. Findings indicate that brands apparently “similar” to one of the consumer’s role-identities may not necessarily be those with the highest indicated levels of preference. An established individual within an identity domain may indicate lower levels of preference for a brand that he/she strongly associates with this identity. Essentially, the research reported highlights the possibility of changes in brand preferences due to role-identity dynamics. Alignment between self and brand is a net positive, but may not hold at the level of specific self-concept aspects such as a role-identity. This premise is consistent with Identity Theory and Symbolic Self-Completion Theory while highlighting a disconnection between user imagery and brand preferences.
Leveraging H 2 O 2 Levels for Biomedical Applications

Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 )-responsive materials have been employed as drug delivery or diagnostic systems to treat or detect diseases with abnormal oxidative stress. A number of H2 O2 -responsive systems have been developed, and they have achieved great progress in controlled drug delivery for disease treatment. However, pathological sites with elevated H2 O2 level, such as cancer and inflammation, have their own characteristics; therefore the material structures and the subsequent formulations should be reasonably designed to acquire maximized therapeutic effects. In this progress report, we overview the development of H2 O2 -responsive functional groups for constructing H2 O2 -responsive formulations, as well as the guidance for designing suitable formulations to treat each specific pathological condition. The challenges and perspectives in this field are also discussed.
ADSL CODEC Architecture that Minimizes DSP Computational Burden

The optimum analog front-end architecture for ADSL modems results from careful consideration of international ADSL standards, the attenuation characteristics of subscriber loops, the echo return loss of typical hybrid networks and the duplexing method employed. The architecture proposed here is based upon oversampled data converters. It relies on digital filters for standards compliance and minimizes analog filters.
TRANSFER AND MAPPING OF GENES USING METAPHASE CHROMOSOMES FROM ICR 2A FROG CELLS

Publisher Summary ICR 2A frog cells are haploid and possess five large chromosomes and eight small chromosomes. In an experiment described in this chapter, genes were transferred and mapped using metaphase chromosomes from ICR 2A frog cells. Cells were arrested in metaphase of mitosis using vinblastine sulfate and chromosomes isolated from these cells. The chromosomes were then sedimented in a sucrose gradient to separate them into two-size classes and used in chromosome mediated gene transfer experiments to transfer the genes coding for a thermolabile thymidine kinase associated with a thymidine-specific saturable transport system and a thermostable thymidine kinase. The recipient cells were deficient in the production of these enzymes. Selection took place in a medium containing hypoxanthine, aminopterin, thymidine (HAT) or HAT containing 60 times the normal thymidine concentration. Treatment of recipient cells with the fraction containing large chromosomes resulted in the highest level of transfer for the gene coding for the thermolabile thymidine kinase while the small chromosome fraction was most effective for transfer of the gene coding for the thermostable thymidine kinase.
Structural Characterization and Function Prediction of Immunoglobulin-like Fold in Cell Adhesion and Cell Signaling.

Domains that belong to an immunoglobulin (Ig) fold are extremely abundant in cell surface receptors, which play significant roles in cell–cell adhesion and signaling. Although the structures of domains in an Ig fold share common topology of β-barrels, functions of receptors in adhesion and signaling are regulated by the very heterogeneous binding between these domains. Additionally, only a small number of domains are directly involved in the binding between two multidomain receptors. It is challenging and time consuming to experimentally detect the binding partners of a given receptor and further determine which specific domains in this receptor are responsible for binding. Therefore, current knowledge in the binding mechanism of Ig-fold domains and their impacts on cell adhesion and signaling is very limited. A bioinformatics study can shed light on this topic from a systematic point of view. However, there is so far no computational analysis on the structural and functional characteristics of the entire...
Weekly Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and Cetuximab in Palliative Treatment of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

LESSONS LEARNED Chemotherapy for recurrent, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck need not be known for extreme toxicity.The weekly regimen studied here has been demonstrated to be tolerable and effective. BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to establish the response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and safety profile of weekly docetaxel, platinum, and cetuximab (TPC) in patients with relapsed or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-nine patients with metastatic or recurrent SCCHN with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status <3 were enrolled in an institutional review board-approved phase II trial. This study permitted prior chemoradiation, radiation, and/or surgery, provided that 3 months had elapsed since the end of the potentially curative treatment. Patients received cisplatin 30 mg/m2 or carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 2, docetaxel 30 mg/m2, and cetuximab 250 mg/m2 weekly for 3 weeks, followed by a break during the fourth week, for a 28-day cycle. Planned intrapatient dose modifications were based on individual toxicity. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients received TPC and were evaluable for response and toxicity. Rates of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and confirmed PR were 3%, 52%, and 30%, respectively. The overall objective response rate was 56%. Estimated median PFS and OS were 4.8 and 14.7 months, respectively. The rates of grade 3 and 4 worst-grade adverse events (AEs) per patient were 85% and 7%, respectively. Dose density through cycle 4 was preserved for all patients; however, treatment beyond cycle 6 with the TPC regimen proved unfeasible. CONCLUSION Weekly docetaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab is an effective regimen for patients with metastatic or recurrent SCCHN. Response rates, PFS, and OS compare favorably with other combination chemotherapy treatments. Grade 4 toxicity rates observed in this study were substantially lower than those described with regimens using less frequent, higher-dose chemotherapy schedules.
High performance Ni-Fe-Mg catalyst for tar removal in producer gas

Abstract A Ni-Fe-Mg material, supported on a ceramic substrate, suitable for application in a gasifier or reforming reactor was evaluated as a catalyst for tar decomposition via steam reforming. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactor using simulated producer gas containing toluene and ethylene as tar surrogates. The catalyst was prepared by wet-impregnation and characterized by analytical techniques to include: BET, XRD, TPR, and SEM. The elemental composition of Ni, Fe, and MgO was optimized for maximum activity and stability. The optimized catalyst composition contained Ni, Fe, and MgO in the ratio 45:21:34 by weight. The observed catalyst activity was superior in comparison to other alkaline earth metal promoters: CaO, SrO, and BaO as well as a reference catalyst, Ni-K-MgO, in the temperature range between 600 and 800 °C. Time on stream with the optimized composition showed sustained tar (toluene + ethylene) conversion of near 100% at 750 °C for at least 48 h, indicating no coke formation. The coke formation affinity of Ni was reduced by the presence of the FeNi3 alloy. The enhanced performance with MgO is attributed to the strong adsorption of H2O forming Mg(OH)2 species facilitated on the oxide ion vacancy site of MgO acting as oxygen exchange site.
Computer Science the Past and the Future

This paper examines the milestones in Computer Science and proposes that future progress will not be in terms of “bigger and better,” but rather in terms of qualitative differences in our abilities to process information. Achievements in artificial intelligence, programming languages and systems, computer architecture, numerical analysis, and complexity and algorithmic theory are discussed, and new avenues of research in these areas are suggested. We believe that there will be an exciting and symbiotic relationship between the way we think and the systems we build.
Photosynthetic Water Oxidation and Water Stress in Plants

Water oxidation, or the photolysis of water in oxygenic photosynthesis, is the foundation of autotrophy. It is the source of O2, which makes the Earth habitable for higher life forms. It is the source of electrons, which generate reductants and ATP, which, in turn, sustain all other biological activities. About two thirds of global water oxidation occurs in leaves of land plants and the effectiveness of water oxidation in leaves is governed by access to CO2, the terminal electron acceptor of photosynthesis. Access to atmospheric CO2 in most leaves is limited by stomata. These pores are variable valves which effect a fundamental compromise between CO2 uptake and H2O loss, described by Stocker (1952) as the path plants must steer on their Homeric journey between the Scylla of death by hunger, and the Carybdis of death by thirst (see Steudle, this Vol.).
Do Firms Adjust toward Target Leverage? Evidence from Defined Benefit Pension Plans

This paper investigates the influence of external shock on the speed of adjustment (SOA) toward target capital structure. To look at the impact of an exogenous shock on the speed of adjustment, we employ mandatory contributions (MCs) of defined benefit (DB) pension plans as a measure of the external shock, and find a negative impact of mandatory contributions on the level of leverage and the speed of adjustment toward target leverage. Additionally, we show that this negative impact of mandatory contributions on the speed of adjustment is heterogeneously determined for the firms with different levels of leverage volatility and managerial entrenchment, which suggests a possibility of heterogeneous speed of adjustment. Our results are robust when using generalized method of moments (GMM) or long differencing estimation to reduce the biases in estimation. The significant impact of the external shock on the speed of adjustment provides an evidence that firms do adjust their capital structure toward target leverage.
The Agouti and Extension Series of Alleles, Umbrous, and Sable

Although there are a great number of loci which influence the synthesis of melanin in mice,1 there are only two loci which control the nature of the pigment formed. Thus the agouti and extension series of alleles determine the relative amount and distribution of yellow pigment (phaeomelanin) and black or brown pigment (eumelanin) in the hairs of the coat.
Evaluating and Improving WWW-Aided Instruction.

A growing number of instructors are putting course resources on the World Wide Web (WWW) [Berners-Lee et al. 1994], from simple course descriptions through traditional printed handouts to complete „classroom-free“ classes ([Team Web 1995] provides a broad sampling of such resources). However, there appears to be a paucity of evaluation of WWWbased classroom resources. Do they help or do they hurt? Which materials are more valuable or less valuable? How do students react to the web? This paper describes the design, evaluation, redesign, and re-evaluation of a number of course webs that incorporate a wide range of resources (including readings, notes, transcriptions, and traditional handouts) and media (including text, images, and audio). This paper generalizes student reactions to webs for two introductory Computer Science courses [Rebelsky 1994] [Rebelsky 1996], incorporating additional comments from students in advanced courses.
Investigating Risk Factors for Multiple Myeloma among Black and White Americans

Racial variations in the incidence of various cancer types can provide important etiologic leads for epidemiologists to pursue. The fact that multiple myeloma is the only hematopoietic malignancy which occurs more frequently among U.S. blacks than whites has been especially intriguing to researchers at the National Cancer Institute. To investigate reasons for the black-white differences in risk for multiple myeloma (and three other cancer types), a large-scale epidemiologic study was initiated in 1985. This study was a collaborative endeavor involving the National Cancer Institute, the Georgia Center for Cancer Statistics, the Michigan Cancer Foundation, and the New Jersey State Health Department.
The next generation of immigration scholarship

Tomas Jimenez’s The Other Side of Assimilation is an insightful study of immigration from the perspective of non-immigrants. While most studies of immigration consider how immigration changes immig...
Proteomic analyses of Urine Exosomes reveal New Biomarkers of Diabetes in Pregnancy.

Author(s): Ramachandrarao, Satish P; Hamlin, Alyssa A; Awdishu, Linda; Overcash, Rachael; Zhou, Marcela; Proudfoot, James; Ishaya, Michelle; Aghania, Eamon; Madrigal, Assael; Kokoy-Mondragon, Chanthel; Kao, Kelly; Khoshaba, Roni; Bounkhoun, Anousone; Ghassemian, Majid; Tarsa, Maryam; Naviaux, Robert K | Abstract: ObjectiveTo evaluate 24 hour urine exosome protein content changes among pregnant US subjects with diabetes and obesity during early pregnancy.MethodsThe exosome proteome content from 24 hour urine samples of pregnant subjects with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, N=8) and pre-gestational Type 2 diabetes (PGD, N = 10) were compared with control samples (CTRL, N = 10) obtained at week 20 of pregnancy. Differences in exosome protein load between groups was identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, analyzed by linear regression in negative binomial distribution, visualized in MetaboAnalyst (version 3.0), and validated by western immunoblotting.ResultsAt the 20th week of pregnancy, we identified 646, 734 and 856 proteins in exosomes from 24 hour urine samples of patients from the CTRL, GDM and PGD groups, respectively. S100 calcium binding protein A9, damage associated molecular pattern (DAMP) signal, was found to be significantly increased in both GDM and PGD subjects. In GDM subjects the peptide counts for S100A9 protein independently correlated with maternal obesity and macrosomia of the newborn infants. Early to late pregnancy developmental changes in the GDM group were shown to utilize pathways and protein expression levels differently from those in PGD or CTRL groups.ConclusionsUrinary exosome proteomic analysis non-invasively provides insights into maternal changes during diabetic pregnancy. Exosome biomarkers early in pregnancy can be potentially used to better understand pathophysiologic mechanisms of diabetes at a cellular level, and to distinguish between gestational and pre-gestational diabetes at the pathway level. This information can aid intervention efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes in women with diabetes.
The Bolivian beef cattle industry: effects of transportation projects upon plant location and product flows in Beni

Bolivia has the potential to become an important beef exporting country in South America. However, to penetrate foreign markets (in Chile, Peru, and Brazil) she must upgrade her processing facilities. This calls for the construction of new slaughterhouses.;In the course of the 1980s, several new transport linkages (involving roads, railways, and waterways) are to be completed as Bolivians seek to integrate their territory. Most of these new linkages will connect the department of Beni, in the tropical lowland, with the rest of the country. It is in Beni where the greatest potential for cattle-beef production exists.;This study seeks to examine what will happen with the optimal location patterns of new slaughterhouses in Beni and factor-product flows as the new transportation connections are completed. The criterion of optimality selected in the analysis is the minimum combined costs of assembling and slaughtering cattle and distributing beef. Two beef qualities, four plant sizes, four levels of operation, and four export scenarios are considered. The analysis employs an iterative linear programming procedure.;It is found that the new transport projects have a negligible impact upon optimal patterns of plant locations, sizes and levels of operation and factor-product flows. This is so because: (a) For most routes, the new road and rail connections do not reduce transport costs of beef. As a consequence, air transportation continues to be the dominant mode for beef shipments; (b) there exist various institutional constraints, not considered in the mathematical model, which increase beef transport costs in relation to those of live cattle; and (c) given a slaughterhouse size and level of operation, all plant sites have identical processing costs.;The analysis indicates that alternative export scenarios have significant effects upon optimal locations, numbers, and sizes of slaughterhouses. This implies that plant location patterns should be formulated after foreign market opportunities have been carefully assessed.;Various factors were not considered in the analysis, such as other livestock types, taxes and levies, cattle by-products, and seasonal variations in the transportation infrastructure. The study permits one to focus on various areas in which existing information is weak. Several possible extensions of the analysis are suggested.
Managing and improving electronic thesis and dissertation programs

As universities increasingly transition from print to electronic thesis and dissertation programs, more librarians will find themselves tasked with managing the collection and preservation of these...
Needle, Pen, and the Social Geography of Taste in Early National Providence

This essay examines needlework samplers from Mary Balch's school and diaries produced by elite young women in Providence, Rhode Island in the late eighteenth century. Drawing on scholarship on mate...
Stationary Ginzburg–Landau Equations

Starting with this Chapter, we will consecutively introduce the basic framework which will eventually allow us to present the derivation of time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equations.
The Propagation and Eruption of Relativistic Jets from the Stellar Progenitors of GRBs

New two- and three-dimensional calculations are presented of relativistic jet propagation and break out in massive Wolf-Rayet stars. Such jets are thought responsible for gamma-ray bursts. As it erupts, the jet is surrounded by a cocoon of less energetic, but still highly relativistic ejecta that expands and becomes visible at much larger polar angles. These less energetic ejecta may be the origin of X-ray flashes and other high-energy transients which will be visible to a larger fraction of the sky, albeit to a shorter distance than common gamma-ray bursts. Jet stability is also examined in three-dimensional calculations. If the jet changes angle by more than three degrees in several seconds, it will dissipate, producing a broad beam with inadequate Lorentz factor to make a common gamma-ray burst.
Highway Traffic Modeling Using Probabilistic Petri Net Models

In this paper, we propose a novel method for modeling the highway traffic using Probabilistic Petri nets (PPNs). More specifically, the highway has been partitioned into discrete segments and probabilistic measures are derived based on the traffic data considering the vehicle movements. The proposed model is validated through the study of a publicly available dataset called Active Transportation Demand Management (ATDM) Trajectory Level Validation, which provides the real traffic data from different driving scenarios. The proposed method will generate graphical structures of the PPN as well as all important attributes related to the real traffic data. The output model can be used for path planning and collision avoidance for highway traffic.
An overview of cutaneous changes in COVID-19 patients.

ABSTRACT: Some COVID-19 patients may present with cutaneous changes related to new rashes, the virus itself, or drug treatments. The diagnosis of these cutaneous changes may be challenging and resemble other cutaneous conditions. Nurses should have adequate knowledge and skills to assess these cutaneous changes to provide safe care. This article highlights an overview of cutaneous changes in COVID-19 patients.
A Seldom Considered Aspect of Tax Fairness and Simplification: The Need for a Coherent Policy Perspective on the Many and Varied Dollar Limitations Contained in the Internal Revenue Code

The I.R.C. contains numerous dollar limitations that categorize taxpayers for dispensation of a wide variety of tax benefits and burdens. These limitations, haphazardly evolved over many years, include the dividing lines for rate brackets and scores of economic markets that indirectly define poverty, affluence, and wealth while determining eligibility for a host of exclusions, deductions, and credits pertaining to income assistance, retirement savings, small business relief, education, capital formation, and other national concerns. Unfortunately, no unifying policy for the setting of dollar limitations exists. An arbitrary mishmash of tax-determining standards hinders compliance and planning efforts. Additionally, inconsistent dollar limitations complicate political debate and weaken the socializing effects of taxpayer categorizations while lessening fairness in the Code necessary to support voluntary reporting. One way to remedy the failure to create cohesive standards for setting dollar limitations would involve setting rate brackets through statistical or other objective criteria, then converting bracket limits into a universal dollar limitation that, with some room for variations, would replace most of the uncoordinated limitations now in the Code. This article explores how to develop a universal limitation and why it could sharpen political debate, promote social cohesiveness, and place the burden of revenue effects adjustments on more appropriate Code features like rate determinations.
Fibrillary glomerulonephritis or complement 3 glomerulopathy: a rare case of diffuse necrotising crescentic glomerulonephritis with C3-dominant glomerular deposition and positive DNAJB9.

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) and complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) are rare forms of glomerulonephritis with distinct aetiologies. Both FGN and C3G can present with nephritic syndrome. FGN is associated with autoimmune disease, dysproteinaemia, malignancy and hepatitis C infection. C3G is caused by the unregulated activation of the alternative complement pathway. We present a rare case of diffuse necrotising crescentic glomerulonephritis with dominant C3 glomerular staining on immunofluorescence-consistent with C3G-but electron microscopy (EM) findings of randomly oriented fibrils with a mean diameter of 14 nm and positive immunohistochemistry for DNAJB9-suggestive of FGN. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of FGN to show dominant C3 glomerular deposits. This case report reaffirms the utility of EM in the evaluation of nephritic syndrome and highlights the value of DNAJB9-a novel biomarker with a sensitivity and specificity near 100% for FGN.
Natural Language Processing to Estimate Clinical Competency Committee Ratings

OBJECTIVE Residency program faculty participate in clinical competency committee (CCC) meetings, which are designed to evaluate residents’ performance and aid in the development of individualized learning plans. In preparation for the CCC meetings, faculty members synthesize performance information from a variety of sources. Natural language processing (NLP), a form of artificial intelligence, might facilitate these complex holistic reviews. However, there is little research involving the application of this technology to resident performance assessments. With this study, we examine whether NLP can be used to estimate CCC ratings. DESIGN We analyzed end-of-rotation assessments and CCC assessments for all surgical residents who trained at one institution between 2014 and 2018. We created models of end-of-rotation assessment ratings and text to predict dichotomized CCC assessment ratings for 16 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones. We compared the performance of models with and without predictors derived from NLP of end-of-rotation assessment text. RESULTS We analyzed 594 end-of-rotation assessments and 97 CCC assessments for 24 general surgery residents. The mean (standard deviation) for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.84 (0.05) for models with only non-NLP predictors, 0.83 (0.06) for models with only NLP predictors, and 0.87 (0.05) for models with both NLP and non-NLP predictors. CONCLUSIONS NLP can identify language correlated with specific ACGME Milestone ratings. In preparation for CCC meetings, faculty could use information automatically extracted from text to focus attention on residents who might benefit from additional support and guide the development of educational interventions.
Flow acceleration in an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) duct using paraelectric and peristaltic effects of a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma

Summary form only given. The plasma generated by a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUGDP/sup /spl trade//) can be used in aerodynamics for boundary layer flow control, flow re-attachment and flow acceleration. Flow acceleration by an EHD duct can be based on paraelectric effects, in which plasma is accelerated by electric field gradients, and by peristaltic effects, in which the plasma is accelerated by a traveling electrostatic wave, or by a combination of these two mechanisms. In all cases, Lorentzian momentum transport by the plasma ions accelerates the neutral gas flow. Aerodynamic research with paraelectric plasma actuators currently uses a two-dimensional thin plasma layer formed by one or more sets of electrode strips. In this paper, we are conducting experiments to generate a three-dimensional EHD duct using paraelectric or combinations of paraelectric and peristaltic plasma actuators. These EHD duct configurations generate a higher electron and ion number density over a larger volume (as compared to the flat panel plasma actuators), thus transferring more momentum to the neutral gas. This improved momentum transfer accelerates the gas to higher velocities than a flat paraelectric panel. By using two RF power supplies operating at different frequencies, the paraelectrically induced flow velocity can reach more than 9 m/s. Addition of momentum by a peristaltic traveling wave increases the flow velocity still further. The performance of a three-dimensional EHD duct air flow accelerator makes it appealing for several aerodynamic applications.
Sequencing Jobs to Minimize Total Weighted Completion Time Subject to Precedence Constraints

Suppose n jobs are to be sequenced for processing by a single machine, with the object of minimizing total weighted completion time. It is shown that the problem is NP-complete if there are arbitrary precedence constraints. However, if precedence constraints are “series parallel”, the problem can be solved in O( n log n ) time. This result generalizes previous results for the more special case of rooted trees. It is also shown how a decomposition procedure suggested by Sidney can be implemented in polynomial-bounded time. Equivalence of the sequencing problem with the optimal linear ordering problem for directed graphs is discussed.
Higher order corrections to parton showering from resummation calculations

The connection between analytic and Monte Carlo calculations of soft gluon emission is reanalyzed in light of recent, theoretical developments in resummation. An alternative Monte Carlo algorithm is suggested which incorporates (1) corrections beyond leading order to the showering and (2) smoothly merges with the higher order calculation of single, hard parton emission. In particular, it is possible to study jet properties in heavy boson production for all values of the boson transverse momentum with a total cross section of NLO accuracy. The specific cases of $W$, $Z$ and Higgs boson production at the Tevatron are addressed using a modified version of the Pythia Monte Carlo.
Characterization of a glucose-repressible ADP-ribosylation factor 3 (ARF3) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are highly conserved approximately 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that enhance the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of cholera toxin, and are believed to participate in vesicular transport in both exocytic and endocytic pathways. Based on size, phylogenetic analysis, amino acid sequence, and gene structure, mammalian ARFs fall into three classes (class I, ARFs 1, 2, 3; class II, ARFs 4, 5; class III, ARF6). Two ARF genes (yARF1, yARF2) are known in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and believed to participate in vesicular trafficking in the Golgi system; the double deletion mutant is not viable. A third yeast ARF (yARF3) cDNA has been cloned by polymerase chain reaction-based procedures. It contains an open reading frame of 549 bases encoding a protein of 183 amino acids, with a deduced amino acid sequence more identical (60%) to that of the class III mammalian ARF than to those of the other two classes (52-56%). The yARF3 protein, however, reacted poorly with antibodies against any of the three classes of mammalian ARFs. In the presence of GTP, recombinant yARF3 protein stimulated cholera toxin-catalyzed auto-ADP-ribosylation. yARF3 gene transcription, similar to that of yARF2, was repressed by glucose. As yARF3 was not essential for cell viability and was not required for endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi protein transport, it may provide an opportunity to define an ARF function in another kind of vesicular trafficking.
On the State 1-State 2 phenomenon in photosynthesis

Abstract The State 1-State 2 phenomenon of photosynthesis was studied in Chlorella by measuring the flash yield (Y) and the modulated rate ( v ) of oxygen evolution induced by weak modulated 650-nm light. From light intensity curves, intensities of 650 and 710 nm background and preilluminations were chosen to give maximum values of Y and v . Following long preilluminations in 710 nm (State 1) or in 650 nm (State 2), Y and v were measured in background light of chosen wavelength. The resulting plots of v vs Y show a discontinuity between State 1 and State 2. They confirm the predictions of Bonaventura and Myers [(1969) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 189, 366–383] and are consistent with changes in α (fraction of absorbed light captured by System II) as explanation of the State 1–State 2 phenomenon. When the intensity of 710 nm preillumination was too low, the characteristics of State 1 were not fully developed and the results then were similar to those of Delrieu [(1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 256, 293–299].
Calculations of Li adsorption and diffusion on MgO(100) in comparison to Ca

Density-functional theory calculations are used to study the adsorption and growth of small Li clusters on MgO(100). The binding of Li is found to be similar to that of Ca in many respects. Monomers bind to oxygen sites on the terrace and diffuse at room temperature to defect sites. A range of defect sites will bind monomers with increasing energies from oxygen vacancies, steps, kinks, divacancies, and magnesium vacancies, as well as to peroxo species on step edges. The binding strength correlates with the amount of Bader charge transferred from the adsorbing metal to the substrate. Small clusters are found to be highly mobile on the surface at room temperature. In two cases, we have found qualitative differences in the binding energies of Ca and Li which lead to different growth modes. First, Ca binds less strongly to charged oxygen vacancy defects (${\text{F}}^{+}$ centers) than it does on the terrace whereas Li forms a bond with the electron in the vacancy, and is trapped at room temperature. Second, the gas phase Ca dimer distance is longer than the O-O distance on the MgO surface so that epitaxial Ca islands are strained whereas Li is not. These two differences have a profound effect on the growth of clusters. At room temperature, a Ca monomer will not trap at defect sites occupied by another Ca monomer. Thus, Ca atoms diffuse on the terrace until the defects are saturated before nucleating three-dimensional islands. On the other hand, two-dimensional epitaxial Li island nucleate at Li-bound defects. These calculations explain the lower initial heat of adsorption of Li and higher surface coverage as compared to Ca in adsorption microcalorimetry measurements by Farmer et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 3098 (2009)].
Leading-edge sweepback and shape effects on fin-induced fluctuating pressures

Measurements of the fluctuating wall pressure have been made on centerline upstream of blunt fins in a Mach 5 turbulent boundary layer. Leading-edge sweep considerably reduces the mean and rms pressure loading at the fin root, the extent of the region of unsteady separation shock motion (i.e., the intermittent region), and the separation length. The frequency of shock-induced pressure fluctuations in the intermittent region increases with leading-edge sweepback, while frequency spectra in the separated region are virtually unchanged. A strake at the root of an unswept fin has virtually no effect, whereas a swept blunted root fillet reduces the upstream influence and intermittent region lengths by 50%, and reduces the mean and rms pressure loading at the fin root by about 75% and 95%, respectively. Experiments using hemicylindrical, wedge-shaped, and flat leading edges show that separated-flow scales and root loading increase with increasing "bluntness" (i.e., wedge to hemicylinder to flat), while the intermittent-region length increases (in terms of fin thicknesses). The changes in flowfield unsteadiness are related to changes in separated-flow structure which alter the dynamics of the primary vortex and recirculation process.
Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy for Diagnostic and Analytical Measurements in an Inductively Coupled Plasma

The use of cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) for atomic absorption measurements in a 27-MHz low-power argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is described. These results are used to demonstrate the utility of CRDS for both plasma diagnostic and analytical measurements. In these experiments, an aqueous solution of lead was introduced into a modified torch designed to enhance the ICP conditions for atomic absorption measurements. Absorption intensity characteristics of the lead 283.3-nm absorption line as a function of observation height and lateral position in the plasma were recorded for three different ICP powers (700, 500, and 200 W). The radial distribution of the ground-state lead atom density was derived from Abel inversion of the lateral measurements. At the novel 200 W operating condition, spectral line shapes vs. height and lateral position were fitted to Voigt profiles. Line-of-sight values of the gas kinetic temperature and electron density at different plasma locations were estimated from Gaussian and Lorentzian broadening components, respectively. The results are discussed and compared with those from other methods. The unique flexibility of CRDS for atomic and ionic absorption measurements in an ICP and the potential application of the ICP-CRDS technique for analytical measurements are demonstrated. Analytical results are compared with theoretical estimates of the lead detection limit.
Lasofoxifene (CP-336,156), a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, Prevents Bone Loss Induced by Aging and Orchidectomy in the Adult Rat

It has been well documented that selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) can prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats and postmenopausal women. The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of a potent and orally active SERM, lasofoxifene (CP-336,156), on bone mass, bone strength, total serum cholesterol, prostate weight, and histology in adult male orchidectomized (ORX) rats. Sprague Dawley male rats at 10 months of age were divided into 6 groups, with 10 rats/group. The first group was necropsied on day 0 and served as basal controls. The remaining rats were either sham operated (n = 10) and treated orally with vehicle, or ORX (n = 40) and treated with either vehicle or lasofoxifene at 1, 10, or 100 microg/kg x day for 60 days. Total serum cholesterol, prostate weight and histology, distal femoral bone mineral density (DFBMD) by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and static and dynamic bone histomorphometry of the third lumbar vertebral body were determined. Maximal load and stiffness of the fifth lumbar vertebral body were also determined by compression tests. Age-related decreases in DFBMD (-9%) and trabecular bone volume (TBV; -13%) of the third lumbar vertebral body were found in sham-operated rats compared with basal controls. ORX induced significant increases in total serum cholesterol (+31%), eroded surface (+48%), activation frequency of bone turnover (+103%) and significant decreases in prostate weight (-89%), DFBMD (-14%), TBV (-23%), and maximal load (-17%) compared with basal controls. Compared with sham controls, ORX induced significant increases in eroded perimeter and activation frequency. Lasofoxifene decreased body weight in all dose groups compared with both sham and ORX control values. Compared with ORX controls, ORX rats treated with lasofoxifene at 10 or 100 microg/kg x day had significantly lower percent eroded perimeter activation frequency and significantly higher DFBMD, TBV, and maximal load. Further, lasofoxifene at 10 and 100 microg/kg x day significantly decreased total serum cholesterol by 46% and 68% in ORX rats, whereas no effect was found in prostate weight and histology parameters compared with ORX control values. These data showed that lasofoxifene prevented bone loss by inhibiting bone turnover associated with aging and orchidectomy in 10-month-old male rats. Further, lasofoxifene decreased total serum cholesterol and did not affect the prostate in these rats. These results suggest that SERMs such as lasofoxifene may be useful therapeutic agents for preventing bone loss in elderly men with some degree of hypogonadism.
Use of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in prostate needle biopsy specimens with isolated high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia as a predictor of prostate adenocarcinoma on follow-up biopsy.

Abstract Isolated high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) on needle biopsy confers an increased risk of prostate carcinoma (CaP) on follow-up biopsy. The aim of this study is to determine whether paraffin-section fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of specific chromosome/oncogene copy number abnormalities (CNAs) in biopsy specimens with isolated HGPIN increases the predictive value for CaP on repeat biopsy. Cases were divided into 3 groups: controls (n = 8) and sextant biopsy specimens with isolated HGPIN without CaP (group A; n=11) and with CaP (group B; n=14) on follow-up biopsy. Dual-color FISH assessing c-myc , HER-2/neu , chromosome region 7q31 (D7S486), and corresponding chromosome centromeres was performed. An amplification ratio (AR) for each marker centromere was derived for each biopsy specimen, with AR ranges designated as no/low, low-intermediate, and high. Also calculated for each marker were the percentage of cells with marker amplification, hyperdiploidy, and monosomy. A composite score for each biopsy specimen was calculated based on these parameters, with a possible range of 0 to 15. The specific chromosomal oncogene CNAs were as follows: for chromosome 7/7q31, 2 of 11 (18%) in group A and 6 of 14 (43%) in group B; for chromosome 8/ c-myc , 4 of 11 (36%) in group A and 9 of 13 (69%) in group B; and for chromosome 17/ HER-2/neu , 10 of 10 (100%) in group A and 13 of 14 (93%) in group B. The mean composite score was 0 for controls, 2.5 for group A, and 4.7 for group B. Composite scores ≥4 for the 3 groups were 0 of 9 (0%) for controls, 1 of 11 (12%) for group A, and 8 of 14 (57%) for group B. These differences were statistically significant ( P = 0.015). One group A patient with a high composite score (6) had atypical small glands on follow-up biopsy at HER-2/neu amplification is common in HGPIN with and without follow-up CaP. Chromosome 7 and 8 aneusomy and 7q31 and c-myc amplification are greater in HGPIN with follow-up CaP. Patients with isolated HGPIN and high composite score without follow-up CaP are uncommon; these patients may have a small, unsampled CaP. Although patients with HGPIN without CaP are more likely to have a low composite score, a subset of patients with follow-up CaP have low composite score, suggesting (1) mutational pathways independent of chromosomes 7, 8, and 17 and HER-2/neu , c-myc , and chromosome region 7q31 CNAs; (2) CaP derived from an independent, unsampled focus of HGPIN; or (3) CaP not derived from HGPIN.
Structural magnetic resonance imaging in established and prodromal Alzheimer disease: A review

Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common form of dementia among the elderly, is currently diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria that have been in use for many years. When these criteria are applied in tertiary care settings by experienced clinicians, the accuracy of diagnosis in comparison to autopsy findings is 80% to 90%. In primary care settings, the accuracy of diagnosis is considerably lower. Thus, there remains a great need for a definitive test for AD. In addition, there is increasing optimism that medications will be developed that are truly effective at preventing or slowing down the progression of symptoms. Therefore, there is increasing interest in determining whether there are surrogate markers for AD that can be used, either for diagnosis or for measuring disease progression. One potential surrogate marker is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This report will give an overview of structural MRI findings in patients with mild to moderate AD, as well as those in the prodromal stage of disease, and will compare the imaging findings to what is known about the pathology of AD that is presumed to underlie the MRI measures. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies will be described. The latter are particularly relevant to the potential for using MRI measures as a surrogate marker for progression of disease in clinical trials.