cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deviations from the least-cost diets for infants

This paper addresses an on-going controversy in the nutrition literature over the size and significance of the nutrient elasticity with respect to food expenditure. Linear programming methods are used to estimate the least-cost diets for infants in Cebu, Philippines. The results imply that, overall, the actual expenditure is greater than the least-cost expenditure. Data and regression analyses are used to explore the determinants of the deviations from the least-cost diets. The results support the hypotheses that the deviations increase with income due to the diminishing marginal utility of nutrients and that the deviations fall as the nutritional knowledge of the mother increases.
Mixed mode stress intensity factors for deflected and inclined corner cracks in finite-thickness plates

Mixed mode stress intensity factor solutions are presented for deflected and inclined corner cracks in finite-thickness plates under uniform tensile remote loading. Three-dimensional enriched finite elements, which contain analytically known crack tip displacement and strain fields, are employed in the analyses. The stress intensity factor solutions are generated for quarter-circular corner cracks with various deflection and inclination angles ranging from 0° to 75°. The effect of plate thickness on the mixed mode fracture solution is also investigated. In the analyses presented, crack length/plate thickness (a/t) ratio ranges from 0.2 to 0.8. It is shown that decreasing the plate thickness results in magnification of mixed mode stress intensity factors along the crack front. Crack propagation angles are also determined along the deflected and inclined corner crack fronts based on the computed mixed-mode stress intensity factor distributions. The solutions presented can be used to assess fail/safe conditions and fatigue crack growth for the three-dimensional cracks studied.
Earth system science sentiments.

I am in almost complete agreement with John Lawton's discourse on “Earth system science” (Editorial, 15 Jun., p. [1965][1]). However, I was taken aback by the obvious lack of reference to geology as a constituent. By definition alone, geology should have been featured prominently in the discussion. And then I realized that the “Earth system science” described by Lawton is “geology.” We don't need a new name because this is not a new discipline. The points made are still valid—we need to broaden the perspective and redesign our institutions to more fully use this new definition and allow the old science of geology to flourish. # {#article-title-2} “There are, as far as i am aware, no undergraduate degree courses in [Earth system science],” says John Lawton in his Editorial. I am, in fact, a graduate of just such a program! Stanford University established its Earth Systems Program ( ) when I was a sophomore, allowing me to graduate in 1994 with a B.S. in Earth systems. When I was in the program, Earth systems students took classes in biology, geology, and economics, in addition to classes in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The program offered several “tracks,” or concentrations within the major program. A number of other colleges including Southern Utah University, Cornell, California State University Monterey Bay, and Seoul National University ([1][2]) have established similar interdisciplinary Earth science programs. Having such a breadth of exposure has served me well in several jobs and now in graduate school. I agree with Lawton's call for further institutional support for an integrated systems approach to Earth science, in the name of planetary health. 1. [↵][3]Web sites for the programs mentioned are as follows: Southern Utah State University, ; Cornell, ; California State University Monterey Bay, ; and Seoul National University, . [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.292.5524.1965 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text"
Unique epitope of apolipoprotein A-I expressed in pre-beta-1 high-density lipoprotein and its role in the catalyzed efflux of cellular cholesterol

The ability of mouse anti-apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) monoclonal antibodies to recognize pre-beta-HDL species in native plasma was determined. An antibody identifying residues 137-144 of the mature protein uniquely recognized pre-beta-1 HDL, an HDL species of low molecular weight implicated in early cholesterol transport from cell membranes to plasma [Castro, G. R., & Fielding, C. J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 25-29]. Incubation of plasma with this antibody significantly inhibited the efflux of labeled cholesterol from cultured fibroblast monolayers. A second antibody, binding to residues 93-99 of apo A-I, recognized a second pre-beta-HDL species (pre-beta-2 HDL) but not pre-beta-1 HDL and did not inhibit cholesterol efflux. Several other antibodies had broad specificity for HDL (including pre-beta-1 HDL). This research suggests that apo A-I residues 137-144 are adjacent to or part of a structural site in pre-beta-1 HDL active in promoting the efflux of cellular cholesterol and that this site is not exposed in other HDL species.
dATP/ATP, a Multifunctional Nucleotide, Stimulates Bacterial Cell Lysis, Extracellular DNA Release and Biofilm Development

Background Signaling by extracellular adenosine 5′-triphosphase (eATP) is very common for cell-to-cell communication in many basic patho-physiological development processes. Rapid release of ATP into the extracellular environment from distressed or injured eukaryotic cells due to pathogens or other etiological factors can serve as a “danger signal”, activating host innate immunity. However, little is known about how or whether pathogenic bacteria respond to this “danger signal”. Methods and Principal Findings Here we report that extracellular dATP/ATP can stimulate bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation via increased cell lysis and extracellular DNA (eDNA) release. We demonstrate that extracellular dATP/ATP also stimulates bacterial adherence in vitro to human bronchial epithelial cells. Conclusions and Significance These data suggest that bacteria may sense extracellular dATP/ATP as a signal of “danger” and form biofilms to protect them from host innate immunity. This study reveals a very important and unrecognized phenomenon that both bacteria and host cells could respond to a common important signal molecule in a race to adapt to the presence of one another. We propose that extracellular dATP/ATP functions as an “inter-domain” warning signal that serves to induce protective measures in both Bacterial and Eukaryotic cells.
Reflow of Al-Cu by low-temperature germane reactions

This paper describes a low temperature reflow of Al-Cu using GeH 4 reactions. The Al-alloy reflow occurs due to formation of low melting point eutectic with Germanium. This technique results in a low cost process for filling high aspect ratio vias/lines with Al-based alloys with improved damascene capability. This is achieved at temperatures below 400 degree(s)C by reacting Germane (GeH 4 ) with Al-Cu alloys deposited by conventional techniques which result in voids, gaps and poor filling. Using such a process it is demonstrated that high aspect ratio vias with large undercuts can also be filled without voids. The low temperature provides capability to form multilevel homogeneous Al-alloy via/line structure without degrading the resistance of underlying interconnects. The reliability data shows that Al-Cu-Ge via/interconnect structure deposited by this method is at least `1.5X' better electromigration life time (t 50 ) to that of hot sputtered Al-Cu (deposited at 535 degree(s)C) and almost `2X' to that of conventionally used CVD W stud/Al-Cu interconnect structure. The improvement in the reliability may be attributed to filling without voids high aspect ratio sub- half micron vias with low resistivity metal such as Al-Cu-Ge at temperatures well below 400 degree(s)C. Since this technique does not rely on the wetting layer or diffusion barrier a lower sheet resistance of Al-Cu-Ge line is achieved compared to high temperature reflow processes. Also the reaction between Al and GeH 4 takes place uniformly resulting in reproducible contact resistance. Most importantly it is possible to achieve `high open-short yields' of comb- serpentine structures, and via chains of difficult to polish materials like Al-Cu using `damascene' process.
The origins of modern academic autobiography: Felix Meiner's Die Wissenschaft der Gegenwart in Selbstdarstellungen, 1921–1929

This essay examines Felix Meiner's Die Wissenschaft der Gegenwart in Selbstdarstellungen (‘Present-Day Knowledge in Self-Portraits’, twenty-eight published volumes published between 1921 and 1929), particularly its two volumes of historians’ autobiographies, as a paradigm through which we may understand the history of scholarly autobiography and the conditions under which academics turn to first-person writing. It also explores the cultural, political and sociological context of the volumes’ publication and marketing.
Characteristics of protein splicing in trans mediated by a semisynthetic split intein.

Protein splicing in trans results in the ligation of two protein or peptide segments linked to appropriate intein fragments. We have characterized the trans-splicing reaction mediated by a naturally expressed, approximately 100-residue N-terminal fragment of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis intein and a synthetic peptide containing the 38 C-terminal intein residues, and found that the splicing reaction was very versatile and robust. The efficiency of splicing was nearly independent of temperature between 4 and 37 degrees C and pH between 6.0 and 7.5, with only a slight decline at pH values as high as 8.5. In addition, there was considerable flexibility in the choice of the C-terminal intein fragment, no significant difference in protein ligation efficiency being observed between reactions utilizing the N-terminal fragment and either the naturally expressed 107-residue C-terminal portion of the intein, much smaller synthetic peptides, or the 107-residue C-terminal intein fragment modified by fusion of a maltose binding protein domain to its N-terminus. The ability to use different types of the C-terminal intein fragments and a broad range of reaction conditions make protein splicing in trans a versatile tool for protein ligation.
Fluctuating Clouding Behavior in Mixed Micellar Solutions

The clouding behavior of mixed surfactant (Triton X-114/sodium dodecyl sulfate) systems, as manifested by solution turbidity, was studied over a range of concentrations and temperatures. The results were correlated with particle size data obtained from dynamic light scattering measurements. Fluctuating behavior, involving clouding at relatively low temperatures, (partial) clarification upon further heating (“declouding”), and definitive clouding at still higher temperatures, was observed. The temperature ranges and solution compositions producing declouding were found to coincide roughly with a previously reported preclouding phenomenon. In this, clouding occurs in two stages, starting with a relatively stable colloidal suspension displaying a Tyndall effect, and proceeding to full clouding at higher temperatures. Both pre- and declouding were found to be promoted by the presence of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate in the micellar Triton X-114 solution. A modified charge accumulation mechanism is proposed t...
Glasses containing closed-shell transition metal complexes: 2. Excited-state absorption

Abstract We have evaluated several new glasses, containing molecular complexes of d 0 transition metal ions, from the point of view of their suitability as possible tunable laser materials. Using as excitation source the 308 nm line of an excimer laser, we found that in spite of the relatively large quantum efficiency, these glasses have very strong excited-state absorption (ESA) of cross-sections about three order of magnitude greater than the stimulated emission cross-sections. The ESA spectra are very broad and their maxima are shifted to the violet or ultraviolet region with respect to luminescence, however in view of its high level, ESA still precludes any laser action in these materials. Nevertheless, one of these glasses (niobate-doped) suggest a direction for further development and possibly reduced ESA.
Dynamic Monte Carlo Simulation of Gelation with Extensive Cyclization

Recent investigations have implicated cagelike precursors in the unusually high gelation conversion (82%) of acid-catalyzed tetraethoxysilane. However, the statistical models used so far cannot capture kinetic or composition-dependent features of alkoxysilane polycondensation. Here we take a first step toward unified modeling of the kinetics and structure of silica gelation. Dynamic Monte Carlo simulations (Somvarsky, J.; Dusek, K. Polym. Bull. 1994, 33, 369) are developed which permit competition between extensive cyclization and growth. The model includes well-established kinetic trends (hydrolysis preequilibrium and first-shell substitution effects). As a first approximation, unimolecular-like terms for cyclization reactivity follow the experimental pattern of bimolecular rate coefficients. The present simulations allow unlimited formation of three-site rings, giving rise to many structures that are not those of real silicates (where four-site rings dominate). However, the level of cyclization (both cycles per molecule and per site) is consistent with that of real silicates and is enough to delay gelation to 82% conversion or higher. These simulations also display a broader range of gelation behavior than prior kinetic models. At high to moderate monomer concentrations, competition between cyclization and growth causes the expected delay of gelation. Upon further dilution, we discover a third regime, absent from prior kinetic gelation models but important for siloxanes: formation of a distribution of polycyclic precursors that still retain enough functionality to gel.
Life and Death in Germinal Centers (Redux)

I am grateful to K. Hathcock, R. Hodes, A. Peters, and V. Storb for sharing unpublished results. This work was supported in part by United States Public Health Service grants AI24335 and AG10207.
Optimization of blended wine quality through maximization of consumer liking

Abstract A mixture design was used to optimize blended Vitis vinifera wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel) for consumer acceptability. Consumer overall liking values were modeled within an augmented simplex centroid mixture design to determine areas of desirability for each consumer. Two major segments of consumers were identified, with membership mainly dependent upon responses to Zinfandel. Samples were less polarizing when the wines were blended as opposed to remaining as single wines. Three optimized blends were created: for all consumers, segment 1 and segment 2. A subsequent consumer study indicated that optimized blends for each segment were not significantly different from the other wines. However, segment 2 consumers preferred the segment 2 blend to the wine blend optimized across all consumers. The optimized blend across all consumers was the least liked for each segment. Identifying consumer segments can help better optimize products for successful entry into the marketplace. Optimizing a product within a mixture design environment is a useful, efficient technique to understand ingredient interactions and how they affect overall consumer acceptance.
Management of perforated appendicitis in children: a decade of aggressive treatment.

Abstract Perforated appendicitis in children continues to be associated with significant morbidity. In 1976, a treatment algorithm was begun at the authors' institution, which included immediate appendectomy, antibiotic irrigation of the peritoneal cavity, transperitoneal drainage through the wound, and 10-day treatment with intravenous ampicillin, clindamycin, and gentamicin. Initial results with this scheme in 143 patients demonstrated a 7.7% incidence of major complications and no deaths. From 1981 through 1991, the authors continued to use this treatment plan in all patients with perforated appendicitis. Three hundred seventy-three patients with perforated appendicitis were treated, and the rate of major complications was 6.4%. Infectious complications occurred in 18 patients (4.8%) and included intraabdominal abscesses (5 patients, 1.3%), phlegmon treated with an extended course of antibiotics (6 patients, 1.6%), wound infections (5 patients, 1.3%), and enterocutaneous fistula requiring further operations (2 patients, 0.5%). There were six cases of small bowel obstruction (1.6%), which required operative intervention. There were no deaths. The average length of stay all patients was 11.4 days (range, 8 to 66 days). Utilization of transperitoneal drainage and choice of antibiotic therapy continue to be sources of controversy in the surgical literature. However, the treatment plan used in the present study resulted in the lowest complication rate reported to date, and the authors conclude that this scheme in truly the "gold standard" for treatment of perforated appendicitis. New treatment plans using laparoscopic appendectomy, different or shorter courses of antibiotics, or not using drain should have complication rates that are as low as, or lower than this one to be considered as useful alternatives.
Ecotourism versus Nature-based Tourism: Do Tourists Really Know the Difference?

(2007). Ecotourism versus Nature-based Tourism: Do Tourists Really Know the Difference? Anatolia: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 161-165.
Equally Spaced Spherical Arrays

A method is described analyzing the radiation characteristics of a spherical array by means of the Poisson sum technique. The elements are arranged as a series of circular arrays of different radii on a spherical surface. The main beam behaves as (sin u)/u. A method of estimating other side-lobe characteristics is also described; numerical examples are given.
Perspectives on Intervening on Physical Inactivity and Diet

The global epidemic of obesity is staggering in its scope. The World Health Organization (2011) reports that nearly 1.5 billion adults aged 20 years and older and 43 million children younger than 5 years are overweight. The health, societal, and economic impact of obesity on current and future generations is daunting. Obesity is associated with an increased prevalence of serious chronic diseases and con-ditions, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, musculoskeletal conditions, mental health disorders, and physical function limitations and disability (Abdullah et al., 2011; Alley & Chang, 2007; Deaton et al., 2011; Martin, Freedman, Schoeni, & Andreski, 2010; Wang, McPherson, Marsh, Gortmaker, & Brown, 2011).Obesity among participants 30 to 49 years old in the Framingham Study was associated with a doubling of proba-bility of having a physical function limitation in older age (Peeters, Bonneux, Nusselder, De Laet, & Barendregt, 2004). Available data on direct health care costs estimate that obesity accounts for 74 billion dollars of all health care expenditures in the United States and 33 billion euros in the European Union and 25% of all health expenditures in Canada (Allender, Foster, Scarborough, & Rayner, 2007; Anis et al., 2010; Trasande & Elbel, 2012). An additional 5.5 billion British sterling pounds in health care expenditures associated with obesity are projected by 2050 in the United Kingdom (Trasande & Elbel, 2012; Wang et al., 2011).Physical inactivity and poor dietary habits are the primary contributors to overweight and obesity. Individually, physi-cal inactivity and poor dietary habits increase the risks of developing many chronic diseases and conditions—and these risks are compounded in the presence of obesity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008; World Health Organization, 2011, 2012). Physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary habits are highly prevalent in developed and—increasingly so—in developing countries throughout the world (World Health Organization, 2008, 2011).The body of scientific literature about physical activity and diet has grown exponentially over the past decade, demon -strated by the sheer volume of published articles in this and other journals. However, the effectiveness of long-term interventions to promote physical activity has been equivo-cal, but shorter term interventions have shown some success in improving physical activity (Garber et al., 2011). Obesity prevention and treatment programs have been effective in children (Oude Luttikhuis et al., 2009; Waters et al., 2011) but somewhat less so in adults (Appel et al., 2011; Wing & Phelan, 2005). Thus, there remains much to learn about these complex behaviors and how to effectively intervene in diverse settings and populations.This issue of
Prolactin variants in ram adenohypophyses vary with season

Secretion of PRL in sheep is affected by photoperiod being highest during the spring and summer, lowest in fall and winter. The objectives of this study were to determine if 1) the production of variant forms of PRL, and 2) immuno- and bioactivities of PRL (iPRL and bPRL) differ during times of the year selected to represent periods of low, transitional and high PRL secretion. Twelve mature rams were maintained on pasture and killed in October, December, and April (n = 4/month). Individual pituitary glands were dispersed, cells obtained, and fixed for immunocytochemical flow cytometry, extracted with 0.01 N NaHCO3 or cultured in serum-free, defined media. The Mr of PRL extracted from cells immediately following dispersion ranged from 14-140K, with significantly more bands greater than 40K being detected from rams sacrificed in December than from those killed in October and April (P less than 0.01). No bands of PRL greater than 25K were observed when samples were reduced with beta-mercaptoethanol prior to electrophoresis, indicating that the high Mr forms were disulfide-linked aggregates. Culture media from October and April contained variants of PRL that ranged from 22-40K but those greater than 25K were generally not observed from cells harvested during December. Extracts of cells after 24 h in culture contained fewer high Mr species during December than had been present in initial extracts from that month. In contrast, during April more high Mr intracellular forms were present after culture than had been detected prior to culture during that month. The percentage of lactotrophs averaged 50.0 +/- 2.5, 47.4 +/- 5.7, and 59.4 +/- 5.5 for October, December, and April, respectively. Initial lactotroph content (pg/lactotroph) of iPRL was higher (P = 0.06) in April (46.0 +/- 17.0) when compared to October and December (8.0 +/- 2.0 and 20.0 +/- 10.0, respectively). In contrast, the bPRL content of initial extracts was higher (P = 0.05) in December (267.0 +/- 68.0) than in October (101.0 +/- 35.0), but not than in April (190.0 +/- 70.0). Although iPRL and bPRL concentrations in culture media were similar for the 3 months, the intracellular iPRL (P less than 0.001) and bPRL (P less than 0.0001) content after culture was greatest during April. In summary, in addition to the well-documented seasonal changes in blood concentrations of PRL, different molecular forms of PRL were found within the pituitary at different times of the year and seasonal variations in iPRL and bPRL did not occur in parallel.
Localization of the nerve growth factor receptor on fetal human schwann cells in culture

Abstract Previous studies have established that Schwann cells (SC) in culture express an NGF receptor. In this study, cultures of fetal human SC were established from fetal nerves and various light microscopic (LM) and electron microscopic (EM) techniques were used to localize the NGF receptor on the SC. Results indicate that the NGF receptor is localized to the plasma membrane of the SC. Quantitative digital analysis determined that the distal portion of the SC process had high concentrations of NGF receptor. The possible functional significance of this latter observation is discussed in terms of SC migration and ensheathment of axons.
Multidimensional gesture sensing at the piano keyboard

In this paper we present a new keyboard interface for computer music applications. Where traditional keyboard controllers report the velocity of each key-press, our interface senses up to five separate dimensions: velocity, percussiveness, rigidity, weight, and depth. These dimensions, which we identified based on the pedagogical piano literature and pilot studies with professional pianists, together present a rich picture of physical gestures at the keyboard, including information on the performer's motion before, during, and after a note is played. User studies confirm that the sensed dimensions are intuitive and controllable and that mappings between gesture and sound produce novel, playable musical instruments, even for users without prior keyboard experience. The multidimensional sensing capability demonstrated in this paper is also potentially applicable to button interfaces outside the musical domain.
Achieving fair and predictable service differentiation through traffic degradation policies

Recently a large number of approaches to service differentiation have appeared in the literature. Most of these approaches are based on the Differentiated Services (DiffServ) Architecture proposed by IETF and they have been evaluated in a number of independent studies. It is widely acknowledged that the Differentiated Services approach provides proper service differentiation in well-provisioned networks under normal traffic conditions. However DiffServ may fail to provide proper service differentiation in the presence of extreme network conditions such as congestion or in under-provisioned networks, resulting in unfair service degradation and unpredictable traffic behavior. We believe that the main reasons for the failure of service differentiation under extreme network conditions are static per-aggregate resource allocation and the lack of the specification of traffic behavior during the congestion. We propose to explicitly define traffic behavior through so called degradation policies. Degradation policies would specify how much of the network resources each traffic class could receive under different levels of congestion. In particular, the degradation policy would specify traffic behavior in terms of the performance parameters like delay, loss, or throughput. Such an approach to service differentiation allows dynamic allocation of traffic resources while maintaining fairness and predictability of the traffic behavior under all network conditions.
Refugee Health: Information Needs of Health Professionals

For health professionals who work with refugee and asylee clients, finding linguistically and culturally appropriate information for their clients can be challenging. Respondents of an information needs assessment identified several issues including literacy and health literacy, diversity of clientele, availability of existing materials, funding for translation, time to look for existing materials, and the information overload newcomers face. Current information needs included more time and money to find and create materials, translated materials in advance of newly arriving populations, one-stop shopping for materials, nonprint materials, and information on specific diseases and preventative care.
Effects of ethanol and ethanol withdrawal on nociception in rats.

The effect of acute and chronic administration of ethanol and ethanol withdrawal on a radiant heat tail-flick assay of nociception was examined in rats. Acute administration of ethanol (2.0 g/kg, i.p.) produced peak antinociception (68% of maximum) by 30 min, and effects were gone by 120 min. Cumulative doses of ethanol (0.5-2.0 g/kg, i.p.) produced dose-dependent increases in latencies to 49% of maximum. During chronic administration, a liquid diet containing ethanol (6.5%) was given for 10 days. Tail-flick latencies were measured on day 0 (baseline), day 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 of chronic ethanol and at 3, 6, 12, and 36 hr after removal of ethanol. To test for behavioral tolerance, both between- and within-group designs were used. In both between- and within-group experiments, the antinociceptive effects of chronic ethanol peaked by day 4 of exposure to the liquid diet, and tolerance developed by day 10. When the liquid diet was removed, hyperalgesia was detected at 6 and 12 hr after withdrawal, and was gone by 36 hr after withdrawal. When cumulative doses of ethanol (0.5-2.0 g/kg) were administered starting 12 hr after withdrawal, ethanol (0.5 g/kg) fully reversed the hyperalgesia induced by ethanol withdrawal, even though this dose was without antinociceptive effect in the absence of withdrawal. Higher doses of ethanol during ethanol withdrawal did not increase tail-flick latencies over baseline. In summary: (1) ethanol produces antinociception when administered acutely or chronically; (2) tolerance to the antinociceptive effects develops during chronic administration; (3) ethanol withdrawal induced hyperalgesia, which was reversed by ethanol; and (4) repeated testing did not produce behavioral tolerance.
A Large Dynamic Chamber for Characterizing Particulate and VOC Emissions

A dynamic chamber (8 m{sup 3}) was designed and constructed for the investigation of particulate emissions from appliances and office equipment and their impact on indoor air quality. The supply air incorporated high efficiency particle filters to provide a near-zero particle background in a low turbulence flow. The flow rate could be varied from 2 to 80 m{sup 3}/min. For testing operating appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, the dimensions of the chamber were chosen to allow an operator to use an appliance over a floor area of about 2 m{sup 2}. The need for low particle backgrounds dictated that the chamber be operated in an overpressure mode, so that all leaks were from the inside and would only affect the total flow measurements. The flow converges into an outlet tube 20 cm in diameter where velocity and concentration measurements could be made in multiple ports. The chamber was furnished with interior lights and electrical outlets. Recently, the chamber has been modified with carbon filters on the inlet to allow for sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as from floor wax. The filters remove the VOC background to a level below that detectable by the sorbent cartridges/analysis system used formore » sampling. The chamber has even been pressed into service as a small cleanroom for some operations that required its unique characteristics. The chamber has been successfully operated in both a closed-loop mode and in an open-loop mode. The main advantage of the closed loop mode is that the backgrounds can be reduced to zero more quickly, but the disadvantage is that humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations grow because they are not removed by the filters.« less
Dynamic Nash task reassignment strategies in multi-team systems

Dynamic task assignment is a critical issue in the control of dynamic multi-team systems. An interesting example of dynamic task assignment is the deployment of fighting units on each side during a military operation. An initial deployment of resources by a top commander may not always result in the most desirable outcome. A reassignment of the units to different tasks during the course of operation may then become necessary in order to achieve the required objective. In this paper, the possibilities of changing the initial assignment of certain units, and the deployment of units after completing their initial assignment to other tasks are investigated. Two typical cases requiring specific reassignment strategies are considered. Because of the complexity in optimizing multi-team dynamic systems, we consider only the two-step lookahead Nash strategy as the approach to determine the optimal reassignment. We show that the use of reassignment strategies can improve the performance of the overall system and thus provide the team leader with a more flexible and effective control mechanism to achieve the overall desired objective.
Electromigration design rules for bidirectional current

Electromigration reliability of different metallization systems and structures under bidirectional current stress is studied in a wide frequency range (from mHz to 200 MHz). The experimental results show that at very low frequencies, the damage healing factor and lifetime under AC stress increases with increasing frequency. At high frequencies, the pure AC lifetime was found to be determined by the thermal migration instead of electromigration. All the observations are in agreement with an average current model indicating that while AC current contributes to self-heating, only the average (DC) current contributes to electromigration in all practical cases for interconnects and vias. The conclusion applies to all materials and geometries tested.
Modulation of interleukin-6 in cardiac myoblasts during endotoxemia

Introduction. Interleukin (IL)-6 is induced in the heart during endotoxemia. We investigated endotoxin-induced IL-6 in vitro and its modulation by IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) would stimulate nuclear factor (NF)-κB intranuclear translocation was also examined. We hypothesized that IL-6 production is enhanced with LPS and cytokine challenge and that LPS stimulates NF-κB intranuclear translocation in a myogenic cell line. Methods. Rat H9c2 cardiac myoblasts were grown in culture. IL-6 protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after LPS (10 μg/ml) and in the presence of TNF-α or IL-1β. IL-6 mRNA was amplified using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Myoblasts were treated with LPS and stained for the p65 subunit of NF-κB. Results. LPS stimulated IL-6 protein and mRNA expression (P < 0.05). IL-1β increased IL-6 when combined with TNF-α (P < 0.05). In the presence of LPS, TNF-α lowered IL-6 production, which was further reduced upon addition of IL-1β. LPS activated NF-κB showing p65 subunit cellular localization within 30 min. Conclusions. In cardiac myoblasts, IL-6 is either enhanced or reduced depending on interactions between LPS and cytokine challenge. Enhanced nuclear translocation of NF-κB in response to LPS was evident in a myogenic cell line.
Short Day Lengths Enhance Skin Immune Responses in Gonadectomised Siberian Hamsters

In Siberian hamsters and other photoperiodic rodents, exposure to short photoperiods simultaneously inhibits gonadal hormone secretion and enhances some measures of immune function. The present study tested whether gonadal hormones mediate the effects of short days on skin immune function (delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions) in male Siberian hamsters. The magnitude of delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions was greater in hamsters exposed to short days relative to those in long days. Comparable effects of photoperiod were obtained in castrated hamsters bearing empty or testosterone-filled implants. The data suggest that contemporary gonadal hormone secretion is neither necessary, nor sufficient to mediate the effects of short photoperiods on skin immune function.
AN ACCURATE TWO-NODE SHEAR-DEFORMABLE CURVED BEAM ELEMENT

An accurate two-node (three degrees of freedom per node) finite element is developed for curved shear deformable beams. The element formulation is based on shape functions that satisfy the homogeneous form of the partial differential equations of motion which renders it free of shear and membrane locking. The element is demonstrated to converge to the results obtained from a shear deformable straight beam when the beam becomes shallower. Numerical examples were performed to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency with respect to previously published formulations.
A Practical Guide for the Treatment of Symptomatic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF)

This review will outline the management of patients with symptomatic systolic heart failure or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), i.e., those with structural heart disease and previous or current symptoms. Determination of volume status and appropriate diuretic administration is important in heart failure management. Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems improves survival and decreases hospitalizations in patients with systolic or reduced ejection fraction HF (HFrEF). Beta blockers and aldosterone antagonists improve ejection fraction. Indications for additional agents including nitrates plus hydralazine, digoxin, statins, omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, anticoagulants, and antiarrhythmics will be discussed. Choice of agents, dose-related effects, strategies to minimize adverse effects, and medications to avoid will be presented.
BAG MODEL QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS AT LOW-ENERGY

Gluon-exchange mediating quark-exchange scattering is the mechanism of lowest order in perturbative QCD that contributes to the strong interactions at low energy. When it is dressed with long-range quark-gluon correlations by means of bag-model wavefunctions, this quark interchange force becomes bilocal in the quark-gluon sector involving the whole bag and non-perturbative. When it is Fierz-rearranged, the quark-interchange amplitude takes on the usual local form for each hadron that is expected from the wealth of empirical knowledge at low energy. This quark interchange is calculated here in the MIT bag model, which is supplemented by tunneling rules, and then applied to elastic NN scattering, and subsequently toπN andππ scattering. For each reaction the OBE interaction is obtained in agreement with meson theoretic models. Repulsive axial-vector meson exchanges are predicted for NN scattering at short range. The chiral structure of the quark interchange force in conjunction with its tunneling aspects suggest an interpretation of the strong interactions at low energy as Josephson currents of non-Abelian superconductivity.
Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopic Anomalies in an Anhydrous Interplanetary Dust Particle

Because hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic anomalies in interplanetary dust particles have been associated with carbonaceous material, the lack of similar anomalies in carbon has been a major conundrum. We report here the presence of a 13C depletion associated with a 15N enrichment in an anhydrous interplanetary dust particle. Our observations suggest that the anomalies are carried by heteroatomic organic compounds. Theoretical models indicate that low-temperature formation of organic compounds in cold interstellar molecular clouds can produce carbon and nitrogen fractionations, but it remains to be seen whether the specific effects observed here can be reproduced.
The Rural Pastors Initiative: Addressing Isolation and Burnout in Rural Ministry

We present findings from an 18-month evaluative study in which we gathered survey and telephone interview data on 51 rural pastors who participated in an intervention designed to help them overcome some of the biggest hurdles in their professional lives (including loneliness, isolation, burnout, an imbalance between personal and professional life, and an absence of self-care activities) and to buttress the primary means by which they try to ameliorate these problems: cultivation of spiritual closeness to God. We contextualize our findings in rural environments, a reality that puts pastors in the position of ministering to their congregations but also performing an array of social services for which they never received training. Our findings suggest that rural pastors suffer an appreciable degree of loneliness and isolation. While some conditions improved over the course of the program, the participants continued to struggle with the structural and organizational barriers endemic to daily life as a rural minister. This intervention appears to have helped participants enhance their professional aptitudes, reduce their reported degree of loneliness, and connect horizontally with other congregational leaders. However, the program did not catalyze greater self-care among pastors, which may be a result of their perceiving self-care as a luxury. Finally, the data suggest that pastors attempt to make their lives better by reaching inside themselves rather than trying to connect with others. Loneliness—which may be ingrained in the job itself—remains the most robust explanatory variable, exhibiting a strong relationship with other variables such as burnout and professional excellence.
A Transport Infrastructure Supporting Real Time Interactive MPEG-4 Client-Server Applications over IP Networks

Nearly all of the multimedia streaming applications running on the Internet today are basically configured or designed for 2D video broadcast or multicast purposes. With its tremendous flexibility, MPEG-4 interactive client-server applications are expected to play an important role in online multimedia services in the future. This paper presents the initial design and implementation of a transport infrastructure for an IP based network that will support a client-server system which enables end users to: 1) author their own MPEG-4 presentations, 2) control the delivery of the presentation, and 3) interact with the system to make changes to the presentation in real time. A specification for the overall system structure is outlined. Some initial thoughts on the server and client system designs, the data transport component, QoS provisioning, and the control plane necessary to support an interactive application are described.
Primary tracheal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND Primary tracheobronchial non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is an uncommon occurrence. The authors report a patient who presented with primary tracheal NHL, the sixth such patient described in the literature. METHODS Using a MEDLINE search, 41 additional patients presenting with symptomatic primary or secondary tracheobronchial NHL were identified. The characteristics, management, and outcome of these patients are described. RESULTS Patients with NHL of the upper respiratory tract present with dyspnea, wheezing, and cough, and frequently are misdiagnosed as having asthma. The majority of patients have additional sites of intrathoracic disease with tracheobronchial involvement occurring in the setting of advanced or relapsed NHL. Low grade histology is seen most commonly in patients with primary tracheal NHL. Several patients demonstrate the typical histologic features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have been used alone or in combination for treatment. The outcome of these patients does not appear different from that observed in patients with lymphomas of similar histology and stage that do not involve the tracheobronchial tree. CONCLUSIONS Thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, and oncologists should recognize that NHL can rarely be confined to the trachea or bronchi. NHL should be considered in the differential diagnosis of airway obstruction, because it represents a highly treatable malignancy. Cancer 1996;77:2332-8.
Successful repair of a variant of mitral arcade

References 1. Bapat V, Attia R, Redwood S, Hancock J, Wilson K, Young C, et al. Use of transcatheter heart valves for a valve-in-valve implantation in patients with degenerated aortic bioprosthesis: technical considerations and results. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2012;144:1372-9; discussion 9-80. 2. Cheung AW, Gurvitch R, Ye J, Wood D, Lichtenstein SV, Thompson C, et al. Transcatheter transapical mitral valve-in-valve implantations for a failed bioprosthesis: a case series. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011;141:711-5. 3. Hon JK, Cheung A, Ye J, Carere RG, Munt B, Josan K, et al. Transatrial transcatheter tricuspid valve-in-valve implantation of balloon expandable bioprosthesis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010;90:1696-7.
Book Review: 'Havana USA: Cuban Exiles and Cuban Americans in South Florida, 1959-1994.'

Writing contemporary history is a rough and risky business, and all the more when the subject of inquiry is the rambunctious and raucously political Cuban exile community in Miami. Maria Cristina Garcia's Havana USA is a vivid example of those inescapable perils: it ends abruptly in late 1994 in the after math of the balsero crisis and the sudden reversal of three decades of United States policy toward Cuban emigration, and was published in early 1996 in the middle of yet another crisis over the Cuban downing of two small planes flown by Miami-based exiles and the United States passage of the Helms-Burton law, which significantly strengthened and extended the U.S. embargo against Cuba (called a "blockade" in Cuba). Moreover, as the aging protagonists of the drama of exile and revolution pass on while post-exile and post-revolution generations come of age on both sides of the Florida Straits, Cuba and Cubans await a rendezvous with demographic destiny. Sharp changes loom for both the real Havana and "Havana USA", as Garcia aptly calls the hybrid society the exiles have built in South Florida since 1959 and whose history she traces over three tumultuous decades. It is all the more remarkable, then, that she succeeds admirably in her portrayal: whatever happens in the tumult still ahead, this book is unlikely to be matched any time soon as a history of the period and of the exile experience in Cuban Miami. Havana USA is a fascinating case study in American immigration and ethnic history.
Removal of the mandrel from beryllium sputter coated capsules for NIF targets

AbstractThe choice of the mandrel material has a significant bearing on the properties of the sputter-coated beryllium shell needed for NIF targets. Here, we present our work on screening four mandrel materials, their impact on the Be shell and issues related to their subsequent removal. Beryllium shells sputter deposited on hollow glow discharge polymer or GDP spheres met most of the target specifications. However, they had greater opacity due to partial oxidation of the Be during the GDP burnout step. Poly (α-methyl styrene), silicon and nickel beads were explored as alternative mandrels but were plagued with problems such as cracking of the Be shell or incomplete removal. The most promising approach was a two-step coating process mediated by a thin 6μm Be mandrel that is made using GDP.
Comparison of deep level spectra of MBE- and MOCVD-grown InGaAsN

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) studies of both p-type (uid) and n-type (Sidoped), lattice-matched, 1.05 eV bandgap InGaAsN grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) are reported, and the results are compared to previous measurements of similar materials grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD). In MBE-grown p-type InGaAsN, two majority-carrier hole traps were observed: H3′ (0.37 eV) and H4′ (0.51 eV), and no evidence was found for the presence of minority-carrier electron traps. These two traps appear to be similar to two levels, H3 (0.48 eV) and H4 (0.5 eV), previously characterized in MOCVD-grown InGaAsN. In MBE-grown n-type InGaAsN, we observed a shallow distribution of electron levels, E1′ (0 < EA < 0.35 eV), as well as a deep electron trap E4′ (0.56 eV) and a deep hole trap H5′ (0.71 eV). E1′ appears to be coincident with a superposition of two levels observed in MOCVD-grown InGaAsN, a shallow distribution termed E1 (0 < EA < 0.20 eV) and a discrete (though broadened) level E3 (0.34 eV). Further, E4′ appears to be similar in character to a level observed in MOCVD-grown material, E4 (0.82 eV), although a disparity in activation energy exists. This disparity may be due to a temperature-dependent capture cross-section for one or both levels, a possibility that is currently under investigation. In contrast, H5′ appears to have no analogue in MOCVD-grown material and thus may be unique to the MBE growth technique.