cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytidine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic CMP) formation by homogenates of mouse liver.

Cyclic CMP3 has been identified as a product of the reaction between mouse liver homogenate, CTP and Mn2+ at neutral pH and 37°. This reaction appears to be enzymatic in character in that product formation is pH-, temperature-, time-, and substrate-dependent, and is inhibited by boiling the homogenate. Cyclic CMP formation is enhanced with 0.3 mM Mn2+ or Fe2+ and inhibited with 3 mM Mn2+ or detergents. Cyclic CMP was identified as one of the reaction products by comparison with authentic compound in several systems including: chromatography on neutral alumina columns, Dowex 1-formate columns, polyethyleneimine cellulose columns and thin layer plates; crystallization to constant specific activity; radioimmunoassay.
Exact solution of the Boltzmann equation in the relaxation approximation, existence of negative differential conductivity for certain types of energy bands and its implication for the fluctuation spectrum and the noise temperature

The Boltzmann equation for the distributionf k of a system of charged particles obeying classical statistics in a uniform fieldF, $$\frac{{\partial f_k }}{{\partial t}} + F\frac{{\partial f_k }}{{\partial k}} = \smallint d^3 k'(W_{kk'} f_{k'} - W_{k'k} f_k ),$$ will be solved analytically for a special class of transition ratesW kk′=const·h k ·ν k ·ν k′ for any initial distribution.h k is the Maxwell distribution andν k >0 can be interpreted as ak-dependent relaxation frequency. The constant relaxation approximation (ν k =ν) will be used to discuss the drift velocitiesu for all the fields and temperaturesT for certain types of band structuresE(k). Bands with lineark-dependence for largek give rise to drift velocities saturating for large fields. For bands with the periodicity of the reciprocal lattice, the zero drift-theorem has been proved. It states that $$\mathop {\lim }\limits_{F \to \infty } u (F,T) = \mathop {\lim }\limits_{T \to \infty } u (F,T) = 0$$ for all the periodic band structures. This theorem is even correct for a generalW kk′ if certain restrictions are made. Finally, making use of the Markov character of the conditional probability (Green's function) solution of the Boltzmann equation, the velocity fluctuation spectrumS is calculated forE(k)=A(1−cosa k). It will be shown thatS(F, T, 0) remains positive for the critical field and all temperatures, and therefore the noise temperature diverges on approaching the critical field.
Curing Procedures for Smoked Chicken

Abstract Subjective analysis of smoked chickens indicated that inclusion of NaNO3 in the cure solution for 18 to 24 hr. cure times produced no increase in color and decreased cured flavor and saltiness scores. Smoked chickens cured for 24 hr. have higher cured flavor scores, cured yields and cooked yields than those cured for 18 hr. In one experiment cooked yields of 69% were attained for endpoint meat temperature of 80° C. while in another experiment cooked yields of 81% were reached with endpoint meat temperatures of 77° C. Equilibration for 24 hr produced higher salt content (3.2%) in cooked meat when compared to 4 hr. equilibration (2.7%). Initiation of curing by immersion of carcasses into brine in frozen state gave cooked meat salt levels of 2.7% while carcasses cured from fresh or thawed states had salt levels of 3.3%.
TU‐E‐211A‐01: How to Apply for a Job

No matter how well you've done in school and training getting your first job will be a job unto itself. Most young applicants mistakenly believe that job applications and interviews are for their own benefit. Not true! Applying for a job is about what you can do for me, not what I can do for you. Your goals are to make me like you, convince me that you're competent and hard working, and that hiring you will be good for me and the company that I work for. Thus, your goals ‘to get lots of clinical experience and pass your boards’ doesn't help me. If I hire you then I'm goi>g to pay you a salary, not vice versa, so make me want to hire you. The job market is tight, and you'll have competition, so don't begin the process by wasting my time. Don't call me on the phone unless the advertisement clearly invites it. Don't ‘pad’ your resume or cover letter with irrelevent material making it hard for me to read. Prepare them both carefully. Include all the basic information I need but little more. Account for all time since high school and leave no gaps. Include you citizenship and visa information, plus list of references and publications. If I have trouble deciphering your resume then you've made extra work for me before before I've even hired you! Poorly organized resumes and cover letters containing spelling and gramatical errors immediate raise doubts about how carefully you can do your job. Similarly, letters addressed ‘Dear Sir’, ‘To Whom it may concern’, or with my name spelled incorrectly belie a degree of carelessness that prejudices your application. Use Google, Pubmed, etc. to learn as much as you can about the people and institution you're applying to. Indicate that you know something about who and what you're applying to. If you're invited for an interview show up on time, well prepared, neatly and conservatively dressed. Don't express radical political opinions or tell me why your current boss, teacher, or school, is unbearable. Nobody wants to hire a chronic malcontent! Anticipate and be prepared to answer tough questions. If you're asked to give a seminar practice your delivery and seek advice first from your mentors. Be truthful in your correspondence and during your interview. Medical Physics is a small community. People interviewing you will likely know your references and things you write or say are easily checked, so don't get caught in a lie. When you're lucky enough to get that first job, unless there are unusually horrific circumstances stay there for at least 3 years . As hard as it is to get that first job, it will be even more difficult to find a job later in your career if you've made a reputation for yourself as a frequent job changer or trouble maker. Learning Objectives 1. Applicants will learn strategies for preparing an effective resume and job application 2. Applicants will learn strategies for preparing for an interview and seminar
Peripheral Venous Catheter-Related Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia

Objective. Better understand the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of peripheral venous catheter (PVC)–related Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.Design. Retrospective study of PVC-related S. aureus bacteremias in adult patients from July 2005 through March 2008. A point-prevalence survey was performed January 9, 2008, on adult inpatients to determine PVC utilization; patients with a PVC served as a cohort to assess risk factors for PVC-related S. aureus bacteremia.Setting. Tertiary care teaching hospital.Results. Twenty-four (18 definite and 6 probable) PVC-related S. aureus bacteremias were identified (estimated incidence density, 0.07 per 1,000 catheter-days), with a median duration of catheterization of 3 days (interquartile range, 2–6). Patients with PVC-related S. aureus bacteremia were significantly more likely to have a PVC in the antecubital fossa (odds ratio [OR], 6.5), a PVC placed in the emergency department (OR, 6.0), or a PVC placed at an outside hospital (), with a longer duration of cath...
Pt and Ru X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of PtRu Anode Catalysts in Operating Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, ex situ X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray powder diffraction enabled detailed core analysis of phase segregated nanostructured PtRu anode catalysts in an operating direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). No change in the core structures of the phase segregated catalyst was observed as the potential traversed the current onset potential of the DMFC. The methodology was exemplified using a Johnson Matthey unsupported PtRu (1:1) anode catalyst incorporated into a DMFC membrane electrode assembly. During DMFC operation the catalyst is essentially metallic with half of the Ru incorporated into a face-centered cubic (FCC) Pt alloy lattice and the remaining half in an amorphous phase. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis suggests that the FCC lattice is not fully disordered. The EXAFS indicates that the Ru-O bond lengths were significantly shorter than those reported for Ru-O of ruthenium oxides, suggesting that the phases in which the Ru resides in the catalysts are not similar to oxides.
Values and the transformation of medical education: the promise of autoethnographic research

Between 2010 and 2011, a group of resident physicians at Lehigh Valley Health Network Family Medicine Residency undertook training in autoethnographic methods and completed research narratives related to personally challenging clinical encounters. The autoethnography project proved to be an effective and rewarding process through which the residents and faculty involved could reflect upon the meaning of their experiences and convey their insights to others through public presentation. This article (a) frames physician autoethnography within the existing paradigm of narrative and medicine, (b) reflects upon the function of values in medical education, and (c) articulates the particular role that autoethnography played in the identification and development of values for the participants in this project. A case is made for the utility of autoethnography as a method of clinical research that can reveal the role of values in the education of medical residents and in the care of patients.
The transcription map of mouse mitochondrial DNA

Nine transcripts complementary to mouse L cell mitochondrial DNA have been detected, sized and mapped to restriction fragments using the method of Berk and Sharp (1977). RNA isolated from L cell mitochondria was hybridized to 32P-labeled, cloned L cell mitochondrial DNA restriction fragments in 70% formamide under conditions 5 degrees C above the melting temperature of the DNA-DNA duplex, but approximately 15 degrees C below the melting temperature of the RNA-DNA duplex. The heteroduplexed material was then treated with the single-strand-specific nuclease S1, whick cleaves the single-stranded DNA not protected by RNA-DNA duplex formation into oligonucleotides and leaves intact 32P-labeled, single-stranded DNA replicas complementary to the transcripts. The single-stranded DNA replicas were then resolved and sized by alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis. Hybridization to strand-separated, 32P-labeled L cell mitochondria DNA restriction fragments under the same conditions showed that all nine transcripts hybridized exclusively to the heavy strand (H strand) of restriction fragments isolated as the dense strand from alkaline CsCl gradients, indicating that all stable transcripts 300 bases or longer detected by this technique originate from genes on the H strand. The two most abundant transcripts homologous to mitochondrial DNA map adjacent to the origin of replication. This result is consistent with map positions assigned to the large and small mitochondrial ribosomal RNAs isolated from Xenopus laevis and HeLa cells. Six of the other seven transcripts map continuously in approximately 40% of the genome. Only one transcript of 950 bases maps in the first quadrant of the genome as defined by the origin and direction of mitochondrial DNA replication, and it does not lie within the D loop region. The genetic function of the remaining 75% of this region of the genome is yet to be determined.
The PERFECT project: measuring performance of health care episodes.

Performance measurement is an essential element of health care system improvement in terms of public health, medical care, accountability and governance (1). Its role in decision making, planning a...
Gas-phase ligand binding to Jacobsen's manganese salen catalyst: Functional group and steric effects

Abstract Gas-phase equilibrium measurements have been used to determine the relative binding affinities of 18 ligands to Jacobsen's manganese salen catalyst. The group of ligands spans 5.7 kcal/mol and includes seven functional groups (alcohol, ketone, ester, acyclic ether, cyclic ether, epoxide, and amine). The data follow general trends seen in other gas-phase metal cation affinities, but are influenced to a much greater extent by steric effects. For example, a 2° amine is a stronger binder than a 1° amine (as typical for gas-phase cation binding), but a 3° amine is a much weaker binder due to excessive crowding with the bulky salen ligand. The impact of steric effects was also explored with computational modeling at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)/B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The study demonstrates the utility of using mass spectrometry to probe the ligand binding characteristics of sterically demanding, metal-centered catalysts.
CLEAVAGE OF TUBULIN BY VANADATE ION

Abstract Vanadate is known to cleave proteins in a near-uv-dependent manner. We have found that vanadate will cleave α- and β-tubulin upon photoirradiation (419 nm emission maxima) under conditions when tetravanadate, pentavanadate, and decavanadate are in solution. The reaction is independent of GTPMg or GDPMg, and cleavage occurs at two or more sites per chain. Cleavage was studied at pH 6.0 (2(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (Mes) and phosphate), pH 6.9 (piperazine-N,N′-bis(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (Pipes)), pH 7.0 (phosphate), and pH 8.0 (N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N′-bis(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (Hepes) and phosphate). The concentration of vanadate oligomer species, as determined by 51V NMR, was correlated with the extent of cutting. In organic buffers, low pH and high vanadate concentration favored oligomer formation, especially tetra and decavanadate. In phosphate buffer at pH 7 and 8, decamer is more prevalent, and at pH 6, phosphate buffer appears to favor a different oligomer form, V′, appearing at −582 ppm. Cleavage is best correlated with the presence of cyclic tetravanadate at pH 6.9 in Pipes buffer and the V′ species at pH 6.0 in phosphate buffer. Cleavage efficiency is also affected by interactions of photoactivated vanadate species with organic buffer components. In phosphate buffer no photochemical degradation of vanadate species occurs. Analysis using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis and western blotting showed that vanadate produced cleavage patterns and nonenzymatic cleavage patterns resulting from boiling tubulin in SDS sample buffer (J. J. Correia, L. D. Lipscomb, and S. Lobert, 1993, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 300, 105-114) are not the same. Attempts to identify the locations of the vanadate cleavage sites on the protein through N-terminal sequencing was unsuccessful, apparently due to the presence of blocked amino groups. We conclude that tetravanadate cleaves tubulin upon photoirradiation, that organic buffers can interact with vanadate oligomers upon photoirradiation, and that in phosphate buffer photocleavage is enhanced by an absence of photochemical degradation and a preference for forming photoactive vanadate oligomers. These results have general application to photoirradiation studies of any protein in the presence of vanadate.
Inadequacy of sample sizes in clinical trials of laboratory parameters attributable to invalid statistical assumptions

Clinical trials often determine the sample size based on the use of statistical methods such as analysis of variance, t tests, and rank sum tests, which compare mean or median values. The resulting studies rarely are big enough to show that the method is based on mistaken assumptions. Data from a recent clinical trial of nephrotoxicity associated with the use of contrast agents during angiography found a significant difference on the order of the difference that previous studies had intended to detect. It also showed that a central assumption does not apply to changes in serum creatinine. As a result, the previous studies had considerably lower power than believed. Their lack of significance reflected only the mistaken assumption. Analysis of variance, t tests, and rank sum tests may be just as invalid for other clinical parameters. Lack of significance cannot be automatically taken to imply a small treatment effect.
Multiple reference points, framing, and the status quo bias in health care financing decisions

Reference effects help account for several behavioral biases, including framing, status quo, and omission effects. Despite the importance of reference effects, little is understood about how decision makers adopt a referent. This study investigates the roles of status quo and framing conditions in the selection of reference alternatives. Full-time employees made health care financing decisions within a problem context containing multiple reference candidates. Results from this work demonstrate that the status quo bias can operate at multiple levels and that the status quo bias does interact with framing. In addition, these results demonstrate that subjects manifest the status quo bias within the domain of health care financing decisions.
Ion-beam-irradiation induced defects in gallium nitride

Epitaxial single-crystal gallium nitride (GaN) films on sapphire were irradiated at low and room temperatures using O+ ions over a range of fluences. The accumulation of disorder on the Ga sublattice has been investigated based on He+ Rutherford backscattering analysis along the 〈0001〉-axial channeling direction. The degree of disorder in the O+ irradiated GaN increases at low doses and saturates above 10 displacements per atom (dpa). The microstructures of two O+-irradiated specimens are characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Similar planar defect structures at the saturated disorder level are observed for as-irradiated and thermally annealed GaN. The growth and annihilation of these defects during ion irradiation and thermal annealing are believed to contribute to the saturation and stability of defect concentrations.
Characterization of carbon disulfide binding in blood and to other biological substances.

Free and bound forms of CS2 are present in subjects exposed to CS2. In rats exposed to 2 mg/liter (approximately 640 ppm) of CS2 for 4 hr, concentrations of acid-labile CS2 (AL CS2, a form of bound CS2 that can be recovered from biological samples by acid treatment) in plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) increased linearly with exposure time. The majority (90%) of the blood AL CS2 was present in the RBCs. About 95% of the AL CS2 in plasma and in RBCs of exposed rats was found in the precipitates after treatment with ammonium sulfate. Incubation of fractionated human RBC lysates with CS2 showed that CS2 binding in these fractions was proportional to the hemoglobin concentration. These observations show that in blood, CS2 binds (in the form of AL CS2) mainly to hemoglobin and to a small extent to other blood proteins. Binding of CS2 to small molecules, including amino acids, accounted for only a small fraction of blood AL CS2. In in vitro studies, CS2 also bound to human albumin, gamma-globulin, and horse heart myoglobin. It was also found that CS2 binds to amino and sulfhydryl compounds at physiological pH. Plasma incubated with CS2 was found to chelate copper. Chelation of copper-containing enzyme by the reaction products of CS2 and biological amines has been observed and has been proposed as one of the mechanisms by which CS2 induces neurotoxicity (M.J. McKenna and V. DiStefano, 1977b, J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 202, 253-266). Radioisotope studies showed that a substantial portion of the radioactivity could not be released from 14CS2-treated plasma and serum upon acid treatment at elevated temperature. These studies suggest the existence of non-acid-labile bound CS2, besides AL CS2, in plasma and serum treated with CS2.
Effect of amygdaloid lesions on dietary intake of disproportionate amounts of amino acids.

Abstract Male rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions in the anterior, medial or posterior aspects of the ventral amygdala and groups of intact rats were fed, in turn, basal, imbalanced or deficient amino acid diets involving threonine or isoleucine as the limiting amino acid, and then a low protein (6% casein) followed by a high protein (75% casein) diet. No change in food intake was observed in animals fed the threonine basal diet postoperatively. When the threonine or isoleucine imbalanced diet was substituted for the respective basal diet, animals with lesions in certain areas of the medial amygdala showed little or no depression in food intake of the imbalanced diets, while all other rats with amygdala lesions reduced their food intake markedly, as did intact controls, when fed such diets. All animals, however, curtailed their food intake of the deficient or high protein diets. The lack of responsiveness of the animals with medial amygdaloid lesions to the imbalanced diets suggests that these areas may be involved in a system regulating food intake of animals fed diets containing imbalanced amino acid mixtures.
The role of local theories: teacher knowledge and its impact on engaging students with challenging tasks

This study explores the extent to which a teacher elicited students’ mathematical reasoning through the use of challenging tasks and the role her knowledge played in doing so. I characterised the teacher’s knowledge in terms of a local theory of instruction, a form of pedagogical content knowledge that involves an empirically tested set of conjectures situated within a mathematical domain. Video data were collected and analysed and used to stimulate the teacher’s reflection on her enactments of an instructional sequence. The teacher, chosen for how she consistently elicited student reasoning, showed evidence of possessing a local theory in that she articulated the ways student thinking developed over time, the processes by which that thinking developed, and the resources that facilitated the development of student thinking. Her knowledge informed how she revised and enacted challenging tasks in ways that elicited and refined student thinking around integer addition and subtraction. Furthermore, her knowledge and practices emphasised the progressive formalisation of students’ ideas as a key learning process. A key implication of this study is that teachers are able to develop robust knowledge from enacting challenging tasks, knowledge that organises how they elicit and refine student reasoning from those tasks.
Detection of the neutral fragments produced in an electron impact ion source

Abstract An Atlas CH4 dual ionization chamber mass spectrometer has been modified to permit the detection of the neutral fragments produced in electron impact reactions. The techniques employed to investigate these neutral species are described and illustrated with the results obtained for 2-pentanone and carbon tetrachloride.
Neural stem cell progeny regulate stem cell death in a Notch and Hox dependent manner

Cell death is a prevalent, well-controlled and fundamental aspect of development, particularly in the nervous system. In Drosophila, specific neural stem cells are eliminated by apoptosis during embryogenesis. In the absence of apoptosis, these stem cells continue to divide, resulting in a dramatically hyperplastic central nervous system and adult lethality. Although core cell death pathways have been well described, the spatial, temporal and cell identity cues that activate the cell death machinery in specific cells are largely unknown. We identified a cis-regulatory region that controls the transcription of the cell death activators reaper, grim and sickle exclusively in neural stem cells. Using a reporter generated from this regulatory region, we found that Notch activity is required for neural stem cell death. Notch regulates the expression of the abdominalA homeobox protein, which provides important spatial cues for death. Importantly, we show that pro-apoptotic Notch signaling is activated by the Delta ligand expressed on the neighboring progeny of the stem cell. Thus we identify a previously undescribed role for progeny in regulating the proper developmental death of their parental stem cells.
Successful detection of embologenic ulceration in a symptomatic non-hemodynamic intracranial stenosis using C-arm cone beam CT

Objective The gold standard for the diagnosis of intracranial atherosclerosis remains catheter based digital subtraction angiography (DSA). A symptomatic hemodynamically non-significant intracranial atherosclerotic lesion is described, whose underlying embologenic characteristics were not detectable by either DSA or three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) but fully realized by C-arm cone beam CT (CBCT) angiography. Clinical presentation A 73-year-old man presented with crescendo transient ischemic attacks consisting of right arm tingling and hand weakness despite long term dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel for coronary artery stent. DSA and 3DRA demonstrated a smooth benign appearing left cavernous internal carotid stenosis of Intervention Given the incongruence of the lesion with the patient9s symptoms and lack of response to aggressive medical treatment, a decision was made to obtain higher resolution imaging. CBCT angiography was obtained with injection at two contrast dilutions, which uncovered an underlying ruptured ulcerated calcific plaque with a small dissective component and overlying thrombus. The lesion was treated with anticoagulation followed by balloon mounted stent angioplasty, with symptom resolution and maintained patency at the 1 year follow-up. Conclusion The superior spatial resolution and dynamic range characteristics of CBCT angiography provide added clinical utility in disambiguation of questionable intracranial atherosclerotic lesions which may be missed by conventional planar and rotational angiography. The additional information provided by CBCT angiography could be useful in lesion risk stratification and help refine indications for intracranial stent angioplasty given its recent documented shortcomings vis a vis medical management.
Performance Evaluation of a Bench-Top Precision Glass Molding Machine

A Dyna Technologies Inc. GP-5000HT precision glass molding machine has been found to be a capable tool for bridging the gap between research-level instruments and the higher volume production machi...
Tips and traps in the 14C bio-AMS preparation laboratory

Maintaining a contamination free sample preparation lab for biological 14C AMS requires the same or more diligence as a radiocarbon dating prep lab. Isotope ratios of materials routinely range over 4–8 orders of magnitude in a single experiment, dosing solutions contain thousands of DPM and gels used to separate proteins possess 14C ratios of 1 amol 14C/mg C. Radiocarbon contamination is a legacy of earlier tracer work in most biological laboratories, even if they were never hot labs. Removable surface contamination can be found and monitored using swipes. Contamination can be found on any surface routinely touched: door knobs, light switches, drawer handles, water faucets. In general, all surfaces routinely touched need to be covered with paper, foil or plastic that can be changed frequently. Shared air supplies can also present problems by distributing hot aerosols throughout a building. Aerosols can be monitored for 14C content using graphitized coal or fullerene soot mixed with metal powder as an absorber. The monitors can be set out in work spaces for 1–2 weeks and measured by AMS with regular samples. Frequent air changes help minimize aerosol contamination in many cases. Cross-contamination of samples can be minimized by using disposable plastic or glassware in the prep lab, isolating samples from the air when possible and using positive displacement pipettors.
Leaders as Linchpins for Framing Meaning.

Community college leaders serve as linchpins for framing meaning on campus. The current pressures on institutions (given declining financial resources, demands for accountability, changing faculty ...
Space-variant polarization patterns of non-collinear Poincaré superpositions

We present analysis and measurements of the polarization patterns produced by non-collinear superpositions of Laguerre-Gauss spatial modes in orthogonal polarization states, which are known as Poincare modes. Our findings agree with predictions (I. Freund Opt. Lett. 35, 148-150 (2010)), that superpositions containing a C-point lead to a rotation of the polarization ellipse in 3-dimensions. Here we do imaging polarimetry of superpositions of first- and zero-order spatial modes at relative beam angles of 0-4 arcmin. We find Poincare-type polarization patterns showing fringes in polarization orientation, but which preserve the polarization-singularity index for all three cases of C-points: lemons, stars and monstars.
Microgeographic Analysis as an Index to Family Structure and Networks

Historical and anthropological evidence indicates that kinship was a major factor affecting access to housing, household composition during the life cycle, ownership of property, and the social fabric of urban neighborhoods in Latin American cities. Despite this wealth of evidence, the influence of kinship in the spatial organization of the Latin American city has not been analyzed. This essay notes the importance of kinship in the development of colonial and early nineteenth-century Latin American cities, particularly in their patterns of house hold composition, population density and land use, and in the division of social space.
Anomalous Corrosion Behavior of Stainless Steels under SOFC Interconnect Exposure Conditions

In low and intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks, ferritic stainless steels are among the most promising materials to construct the interconnect, which is simultaneously exposed to a fuel on the anode side and an oxidant on the cathode side. However, the corrosion behavior of stainless steels under the interconnect exposure condition was unclear and thus was investigated in a specifically designed apparatus. It was discovered that, under the simultaneous exposure, the oxide scale formed on the air side of the sample was significantly different from the scales formed when the alloy was exposed to air only. It appeared that the anomalous corrosion behavior during the simultaneous dual exposure was due to hydrogen transport through the bulk alloy from the fuel side to the air side.
Controversies and challenges in the management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

The incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer has seen a worldwide increase in the last three decades, although whether this is due to a ‘true increase’ in incidence or simply increased detection of otherwise subclinical disease remains undetermined. Nonetheless, this rising incidence has fuelled an interest in early diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of thyroid cancer along with greater public awareness. The treatment of thyroid cancer revolves around appropriate surgical intervention, minimising complications and the use of adjuvant therapy in select circumstances. Prognostic features and risk stratification are crucial in determining the appropriate treatment. There continues to be considerable debate in several aspects of management in these patients, and there is limited prospective data to direct therapy, hence limiting decision-making to retrospective analyses, treatment guidelines based on expert opinion and personal philosophies. The major controversies are related to diagnostic work-up, extent of surgery and postoperative management including the role of radioactive iodine. There are also differences in opinion regarding management of nodal metastases and follow-up protocols. As overall survival in well-differentiated thyroid cancer exceeds 95%, it is important to reduce over-treating the large majority of patients, and focus limited resources on high-risk patients who require aggressive treatment and closer attention. There needs to be a concerted effort on the part of a multidisciplinary team to recognise the nuances in treating well-differentiated thyroid cancer.
Research Issues and Challenges to Advance System Software for Multicore Processors and Data-Intensive Applications

Compared with rapid technology advancements in multicore processors and rapid changes from computing-intensive to highly data-intensive applications, operating systems have been evolved very slowly for several decades. Application users are facing to two major challenges in today's computing environment. On the top level of the system hierarchy, private and shared caches are equipped for many cores to access concurrently, inevitably causing access conflicts to degrade execution performance. On the bottom level, the performance bottleneck of "memory wall" has been shifted to "disk wall" that is a serious bottleneck for many data- intensive applications. Since processor caches and disk storage are not in the major scope of operating system management, and their increasingly complex operations are not transparent to application users, the above mentioned performance issues have not been effectively addressed at any level of computer systems. We have made a continuous effort to enhance operating systems with two objectives: (1) to well utilize rich but complex resources of multicore processors and (2) to access disk data as fast as possible. At the multicore processor level, we are developing new resource allocation management to improve the effective caching capacity per core and/or per thread, and to minimize congestion in off-chip memory accesses by coordinating memory bandwidth sharing. At the storage level, we enable operating systems to effectively exploit "sequential locality" - for the same amount of data, sequential accesses are several orders of magnitude faster than random accesses in disks. In this talk, related research issues and challenges will be overviewed, and preliminary results will be presented.
Adenosine 2‘-Monophosphate, 5‘-O-[S-(4-Succinimidylbenzophenone)- thiophosphate]: A New Photoaffinity Label for the Coenzyme Site of Porcine NADP-Specific Isocitrate Dehydrogenase

A new photoaffinity label, adenosine 2'-monophosphate, 5'-O-[S-(4-succinimidyl-benzophenone)thiophosphate] (2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP), has been synthesized by an initial thiophosphorylation of 2'-AMP with PSCl(3) to form 2'-AMP-5'-thiophosphate (2'-AMP-5'-SP), followed by a coupling reaction of 2'-AMP-5'-SP with benzophenone-4-maleimide to produce 2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP. This product and its precursor were characterized by thin-layer chromatography, (31)P NMR, phosphorus analysis, and electron-spray mass spectroscopy. 2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP functions as a photoaffinity label of porcine NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase. To obtain reaction with other amino acids, Cys269 and Cys379, the most reactive cysteines of this enzyme, were mutated to yield a double mutant enzyme (C269A/C379S) exhibiting comparable activity and kinetic parameters to those of wild-type enzyme. 2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP inactivates C269A/C379S enzyme upon UV irradiation. The reaction exhibits a nonlinear relationship of k(inact) versus [2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP] with K(R) = 12 microM and k(max) = 0.0275 min(-1). NADP, NADPH, or 2'-monophospho-adenosine 5'-diphosphoribose protects the enzyme against 2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP inactivation. The ligand protection studies suggest that 2'-P-AMPS-Succ-BP binds to the porcine enzyme at the site best occupied by NADP/NADPH. The dimeric C269A/C379S isocitrate dehydrogenase incorporates 1.0 mol of 2'-P-[(35)S]AMPS-Succ-BP/mol enzyme dimer concomitant with complete loss of enzyme activity. The new photoaffinity label may be generally useful to identify important amino acid residues of NADP-specific enzymes.
Mixed-initiative nested classification by optimal thresholding

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that having two classifiers, a trichotomous classifier (true, false, or unknown) with workload-independent performance that turns over the data classified as unknown to a binary classifier (true or false) with workload-dependent performance, gives superior classification performance (lower probability of misclassification) compared to a single dichotomous classifier. We relate the classifier's performance to the inherent difficulty of the classification task at hand (classifiability), and compare the performance of different classifiers.
[2+2] cycloaddition reactions with a tungsten-stabilized 2H-phenol.

The phenol ligand of the complex TpW(NO)(PMe3)(η2-phenol) exists in solution as its 2H tautomer. This normally inaccessible isomer of phenol undergoes a [2+2] cycloaddition with several ketenes across the C3−C4 bond of the phenol. The resulting cyclobutanone can be selectively reduced with sodium borohydride without disturbing the enone functionality, and the resulting hydroxy[4.2.0]bicyclooctenone, which contains four new stereocenters, may be removed from the metal.
Sensor management using a new framework for observation modeling

In previous work, a sensor management framework has been developed that manages a suite of sensors in a search for static targets within a grid of cells. This framework has been studied for binary, non-binary, and correlated sensor observations, and the sensor manager was found to outperform a direct search technique with each of these different types of observations. Uncertainty modeling for both binary and non-binary observations has also been studied. In this paper, a new observation model is introduced that is motivated by the physics of static target detection problems such as landmine detection and unexploded ordnance (UXO) discrimination. The new observation model naturally accommodates correlated sensor observations and models both the correlation that occurs between observations made by different sensors and the correlation that occurs between observations made by the same sensor. Uncertainty modeling is also implicitly incorporated into the observation model because the underlying parameters of the target and clutter cells are allowed to vary and are not assumed to be constant across target cells and across clutter cells. Sensor management is then performed by maximizing the expected information gain that is made with each new sensor observation. The performance of the sensor manager is examined through performance evaluation with real data from the UXO discrimination application. It is demonstrated that the sensor manager is able to provide comparable detection performance to a direct search strategy using fewer sensor observations than direct search. It is also demonstrated that the sensor manager is able to ignore features that are uninformative to the discrimination problem.
Risky Knowledge in Risky Times: Political Discourses of Qawwālī and Sūfīana‐kalam in Pakistan‐Indian Sufism

The author studies the contentious Sufi poetry of Bulle Shah and Shah Abdul Latif. Written in the late eighteenth century, their poems critize Mughal corruption and nepotism, the rising tide of religious intolerance, the suffering of the common people, and the dogmatic thinking of the religious scholars. Their poetry puts them in risky and thorny position against the ulama and the politics of the royal Mughal court. The author illustrates how Sufi kalam (poetry) was historically an expression of resistance against the ulama and especially those who colluded with the establishment. She asserts that Sufi poetry expressed spiritual aspirations ; il also was written and sung as political protest against tyranny and religious chauvinism. Abbas analyzes how modern day singers like Abida Parvin and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan purposely chose Bulle Shah and Shah Abdul Latif's poetry during the dictatorial rule of General Zia ul-Haq in Pakistan and the rise of intolerant Islamist groups.
Gonadal function in mosaic XO or XX/XY Turner's syndrome

Gonadal function in four patients with mosaic XO or XX/XY Turner's syndrome was reviewed. Luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. Urinary testosterone (UT) and plasma testosterone (T) levels were determined by either double isotope or competitive protein binding methods. Three patients had ambiguous genitalia and exploratory surgery revealed only medullary elements in the gonads. Two virilized at puberty and were studied prior to surgery. One had normal LH levels (11 mIU/ml), a normal excretion of UT (0.5 μg/24 hrs) but responded to human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) with an ten-fold increase in UT. The other had castrate levels of LH (≧ 100 mIU/ml) and adult male levels of plasma T (208 mμg%) which did not increase with HCG. The third patient at age 41/2 years was found to have an undifferentiated streak and, contralaterally, a testis and epididymis. The fourth patient, 14 years of age, has no evidence of any adoloscent development. Prophylactic gonadectomy in mixed gonadal dysgenesis has been recommended because of the increased incidence of gonadal malignancy. Our patients support the recommendation for early surgery. It appears that waiting until post-puberty serves no purposes because if the gonads are to function at all, they are more likely to produce androgens.
Women, the Military, and Academe: Navigating the Family Track in an Up or Out System

Academia, the military, and the family are greedy institutions that make total claims on women while vying for their unwavering commitment. This comparative analysis examines the sacrifices that wo...
The theoretical and experimental study of the nonlinear and chaotic response of curved panels to intense acoustic excitation

Assuming a single-mode transverse displacement, a simple formula is derived for the transverse load-displacement relationship of a plate under in-plane compression. The formula is used to derive a simple analytical expression for the nonlinear dynamic response of postbuckled plates under sinusoidal or random excitation. The highly nonlinear motion of snap-through can be easily interpreted using the single-mode formula. Experimental results are obtained using buckled and cylindrical aluminum panels using discrete frequency and broadband excitation of mechanical and acoustic forces.
SU‐E‐J‐88: Correction of Arterial Input Function Distortion for DCE MRI Assessment of Hepatic Perfusion Response to Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To develop a post‐processing method for correction of arterial input function (AIF) distortion in T1‐weighted dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging used for perfusion quantification of the liver. Methods: The T2* effect at 3T can suppress the first‐pass peak of AIF sampled from aorta in DCE‐MRI acquisition due to high concentration of Gd‐DTPA during the first pass. To correct the distorted AIF, the first pass of AIF is modeled as a smooth function with a single peak by minimizing the least squares error in fitting the dual‐input single compartment kinetic model of the liver. Spline is used to interpolate data points from knot points. The method was evaluated by simulated data with different degrees of saturation in the first pass of AIF, and applied to DCE‐MRI of the liver in 12 patients. Hepatic perfusion estimated from original and corrected AIFs were compared.Results: The simulation shows that AIF saturation causes systemically errors in hepatic perfusion quantification. The AIF correction significantly improves perfusion measurement for a variety of degrees of saturation and imagenoise. In the DCE‐MRI of the 12 patients, there is an average of 35% saturation in the peak of AIF compared with corrected ones. The corrected AIF improves hepatic arterial perfusion by −20% and portal venous perfusion by 24%. Conclusions: The proposed method can correct saturation in the first pass of AIF due to the T2* effect at high‐concentration of Gd‐DTPA, and improve hepatic perfusion quantification. This approach might have the potential for evaluation of liver response to treatment in the patients with hepatic cancers.The work is supported in part by PO1CA59827 and RO1CA132834.
Toxicity of methylmercury and copper, applied singly and jointly, to the blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus.

The 24, 48 and 96 hour Tlm for methylmercury and copper were determined for adult blue gouramis. In addition, it was found that copper at low to moderately-high doses appears to be antagonistic to the toxic action of methylmercury in these fish.
Degradation by Ficin of Protein from Alfalfa Hay Conserved as Conventional and Laboratory‐Scale Bales

Ficin was utilized in a 2-h in vitro incubation procedure to characterize the partitioning of N into fractions based on resistance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) proteins to enzymatic degradation. Objectives included evaluation of the following treatment effects on N partitioning: (i) moisture content; (ii) laboratory bale density; (iii) laboratory baling without heating during storage; (iv) spontaneous heating in laboratory bales; and (v) conventional baling. Alfalfa at three moisture levels (268, 229, and 185 g kg -1 ) was conserved in the following bale types: (i) conventional bales; (ii) laboratory bales made at 1.0, 1.3, 1.7, and 2.0 times the density of conventional bales and incubated in two environments (straw stacks or insulated boxes); or (iii) a prestorage control. Significant (P ≤ 0.05) moisture x bale type interactions were observed for most N fractions, indicating N partitioning among bale types was greatly changed in high-moisture hay, but remained relatively stable in dry hay. Except for the Pool-C N fraction, which includes Maillard reaction products, laboratory-bale density generally had little effect on N partitioning. At the medium and low moisture levels, prestorage controls had more Pool-A N (greater buffer solubility) than did nonheated laboratory bales. Heating in laboratory bales facilitated additional significant change in N fractions, relative to nonheated laboratory bales. While Maillard reaction products increased in response to laboratory bale density, large increases in the portion of potentially available N most resistant to enzymatic degradation (B 2 subfraction), appeared dependent on large heat increments incurred specifically in conventional bales.
Performance results from in-flight commissioning of the Juno Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Juno-UVS)

We present a description of the Juno ultraviolet spectrograph (Juno-UVS) and results from its in-flight commissioning performed between December 5th and 13th 2011 and its first periodic maintenance between October 10th and 12th 2012. Juno-UVS is a modest power (9.0 W) ultraviolet spectrograph based on the Alice instruments now in flight aboard the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, and the LAMP instrument aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. However, unlike the other Alice spectrographs, Juno-UVS sits aboard a spin stabilized spacecraft. The Juno-UVS scan mirror allows for pointing of the slit approximately ±30° from the spacecraft spin plane. This ability gives Juno-UVS access to half the sky at any given spacecraft orientation. The planned 2 rpm spin rate for the primary mission results in integration times per 0.2° spatial resolution element per spin of only ~17 ms. Thus, for calibration purposes, data were retrieved from many spins and then remapped and co-added to build up exposure times on bright stars to measure the effective area, spatial resolution, scan mirror pointing positions, etc. The primary job of Juno-UVS will be to characterize Jupiter’s UV auroral emissions and relate them to in-situ particle measurements. The ability to point the slit will make operations more flexible, allowing Juno-UVS to observe the atmospheric footprints of magnetic field lines through which Juno flies, giving a direct connection between energetic particle measurements on the spacecraft and the far-ultraviolet emissions produced by Jupiter’s atmosphere in response to those particles.
Overshooting Adjustment to Tariff Liberalization

The article analyzes the dynamic effects of tariff liberalization on a small open economy. The primary focus is on nonmonotonic adjustment patterns of net lending such as overshooting or opposite short- and long run effects. When capital accumulation tilts wage income toward the future in the early transition periods, present generations perceive life-cycle type savings disincentives which create a transitory shortfall in savings. In the long run, wage profiles become flat again, and the savings deficiency vanishes. The transitory savings component may give rise to overshooting or opposite short- and long-run adjustment in the total stock of savings and net foreign assets.