cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Titanium Oxide (TiO2) Nanoparticles on Reduced Crude Oil Residue

Over the last decade, Nanotechnology has been developed and enter in many fields especially in the oil and gas industries such as gas mobility control, sensing or imaging, enhanced oil recovery and other applications. Nanotechnology research and development in the oil and gas industries are very active and this is because of special properties of nanoparticles. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research into the effect of nanoparticles of titanium oxide (TiO2) on reduce crude oil viscosity that produce from atmospheric distillation. RCR has high viscosity and transport of it is very difficult through pipes caused many problems and financial loses so that many treatments are needed to overcome these problems. This research investigated many parameters through three pipes with different diameters (0.0127, 0.01905 and 0.0254 m) I.D., different concentrations (0.00625, 0.0125, 0.01875, 0.025 and 0.0375 (gm/L) w/v) at 50 oC and flow rate is about 50% of maximum. The results of this research: are display below:-The drag reduction performance is much better in larger pipes diameter than smaller, TiO2 NP's effect on RCR viscosity and the maximum percentage of viscosity deviation is about 1.6% and addition of TiO2 NP's to RCR is reduced pressure drop, %Dr and shear stress.
A very high charge,high polarization gradient-doped strained GaAs photocathode

A high-gradient-doping technique is applied to strained polarized photocathodes. The electron spin-polarization increases significantly as the highly-doped layer thickness is reduced. A 5.0-7.5 nm p-type surface layer doped to 5 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3} is found sufficient to overcome the surface charge limit. It is shown that the charge requirements of the Next Linear Collider can be met with a polarization approaching 80%.
A Preliminary Analysis of Law Review Notes

While our understanding of legal English as used in professional or legislative contexts has been growing, our understanding of English in academic legal contexts is very limited. Moreover, research in English for Academic Purposes has focused largely on areas other than law and therefore often does not apply. This is particularly true for research paper writing, given the discourse conventions of legal research or seminar papers. The study presented here offers an analysis of published student-written legal research papers, which can serve as a model for the teaching of seminar paper writing. After a discussion of some general characteristics of these research papers, we focus our detailed analysis on the introductory sections, and show how they are both similar to and different from those found in research article (RA) introductions as described in Swales (1990).
Financial Analysis of Implementing an Anaerobic Digester and Free Stall Barn System on a Mississippi Dairy Farm

The installation of an anaerobic digestion system and a free stall barn on a Mississippi dairy farm is only feasible with the presence of a cost-share plan. A 60% cost-share plan is the minimum amount of support a farmer must receive in order to install both facilities.
Venous Information in CT-Based Stroke Selection: The Only Way Out Is Through

Acute stroke treatment with thrombectomy for patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO)1 improves patient outcomes through successful reperfusion. Application of thrombectomy requires identification of favorable candidates. A number of well-described imaging characteristics identify favorable as opposed to unfavorable candidates for thrombectomy,2,3 but predictors of procedural success are less well defined.
Myasthenia gravis exacerbation in association with antibody overshoot following plasmapheresis.

Introduction Antibody overshoot following therapeutic plasmapheresis (PLEX) is defined by subsequent increase in antibody to levels exceeding those prior to removal. It has been infrequently described in the past, and its influence on the clinical course of myasthenia gravis (MG) remains unclear. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of 5 patients with generalized MG treated with PLEX. Results All 5 patients possessed antibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR-Ab). After undergoing 3 to 12 PLEX treatment sessions, AChR-Ab titer increased to a median of 1,292% of the baseline level. The median interval from last PLEX session to peak AChR-Ab detection was 6 weeks. In 4 patients, AChR-Ab overshoot was associated with a clinical deterioration. Discussion Acetylcholine receptor antibody overshoot may occur following PLEX. In patients who deteriorate following PLEX treatment, the presence of antibody overshoot may serve as additional guidance for treatment adjustment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Synthesis of Interval Observers for Bounded Jacobian Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems

A systematic procedure to synthesize interval observers for nonlinear discrete-time systems is proposed. The feedback gains and other matrices are found by solving semidefinite feasibility programs. Two cases are considered: (1) the interval observer is in the same coordinate frame as the given system, and (2) the interval observer uses a coordinate transformation. Numerical examples are provided to showcase the effectiveness of the interval observers and show an application to sampled-data systems.
Insight into the function of active site residues in the catalytic mechanism of human ferrochelatase

Ferrochelatase catalyzes the insertion of ferrous iron into a porphyrin macrocycle to produce the essential cofactor, heme. In humans this enzyme not only catalyzes the terminal step, but also serves a regulatory step in the heme synthesis pathway. Over a dozen crystal structures of human ferrochelatase have been solved and many variants have been characterized kinetically. In addition, hydrogen deuterium exchange, resonance Raman, molecular dynamics, and high level quantum mechanic studies have added to our understanding of the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. However, an understanding of how the metal ion is delivered and the specific role that active site residues play in catalysis remain open questions. Data are consistent with metal binding and insertion occurring from the side opposite from where pyrrole proton abstraction takes place. To better understand iron delivery and binding as well as the role of conserved residues in the active site, we have constructed and characterized a series of enzyme variants. Crystallographic studies as well as rescue and kinetic analysis of variants were performed. Data from these studies are consistent with the M76 residue playing a role in active site metal binding and formation of a weak iron protein ligand being necessary for product release. Additionally, structural data support a role for E343 in proton abstraction and product release in coordination with a peptide loop composed of Q302, S303 and K304 that act a metal sensor.
Conformal blocks from vertex algebras and their connections on M ¯ g , n

We show that coinvariants of modules over vertex operator algebras give rise to quasicoherent sheaves on moduli of stable pointed curves. These generalize Verlinde bundles or vector bundles of conformal blocks defined using affine Lie algebras studied first by Tsuchiya, Kanie, Ueno and Yamada, and extend work of others. The sheaves carry a twisted logarithmic &#119967; –module structure, and hence support a projectively flat connection. We identify the logarithmic Atiyah algebra acting on them, generalizing work of Tsuchimoto for affine Lie algebras.
Characterizing Time Series Variability and Predictability from Information Geometry Dynamics

This paper presents a method for analyzing changes in information contents of time series based on a combined adaptive approximate similarity detection and temporal modeling using Bregman information. This work extends previous results on using information geometry for musical signals by suggesting a method for optimal model selection using Information Rate (IR) as a measure of an overall model predictability.
Site-seeing by sequencing

An advance in DNA sequencing is a crucial component of a rapid, precise, and relatively inexpensive way to identify transcription factor binding sites at a whole-genome level.
Leadership and culture: Conceptual and methodological issues in comparing models across cultural settings

Notes that, while there have been periodic calls for comparative work in educational administration, few empirical studies have been designed specifically to compare principal leadership practices between contextual and cultural settings. Suggests that conducting such studies raises several conceptual and methodological problems with respect to underlying assumptions about knowledge, appropriate conceptualizations of principal leadership, and methods of inquiry. Proposes first to identify some of the salient conceptual and methodological issues involved in cross‐cultural research, and then to explore and elaborate on these issues in greater detail by investigating principal leadership across two cultural settings.
Conceptual and Methodological Challenges for Health Disparities Research and Their Policy Implications

This special issue of the Journal of Social Issues contributes to a growing body of research that illuminates the mechanisms through which racism and discrimination influence the health status of people of color. Importantly, this special issue attempts to connect research examining how racism operates at the interpersonal, internalized, institutional, and structural levels, and points to a number of policy strategies to mitigate the racism-health relationship. Going forward, a comprehensive model of the lived experience of race is needed that considers the cumulative, interactive effects of the different forms of racism and related risk factors on health as they operate over the lifespan. Such a model must facilitate an intersectional analysis to better understand the interaction of race with gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, geography, and other factors, and should also consider the negative consequences of racism for Whites (e.g., poorer health of a growing share of their neighbors, coworkers, customers, and congregants). Language: en
Designing the M/spl middot/CORE/sup TM/ M3 CPU architecture

The M/spl middot/CORE microRISC architecture has been developed to address the growing need for long battery life among today's portable applications. In this paper we present the architectural enhancements of the M3 processor the successor to the original M/spl middot/CORE M2 architecture. Specifically, we discuss the instruction buffer and pipeline enhancements, the branch prediction algorithm, branch folding for small program loops, the fast integer multiplier and several new instructions. We present performance comparisons between the M2 and M3 M/spl middot/CORE processors. Finally, we also discuss two system implementations utilizing the M/spl middot/CORE M3 processor.
Evolution of salt structures in the northern Paradox Basin: controls on evaporite deposition, salt wall growth and supra‐salt stratigraphic architecture

The northern Paradox Basin evolved during the Late Pennsylvanian-Permian as an immobile foreland basin, the result of flexural subsidence in the footwall of the growing Uncompahgre Ancestral Rocky Mountain thick-skinned uplift. During the Atokan-Desmoinesian ( ~313-306 Ma) fluctuating glacio-eustatic sea levels deposited an ~2500m thick sequence of evaporites (Paradox Formation) in the foreland basin, interfingering with coarse clastics in the foredeep and carbonates around the basin margins. The cyclic deposition of the evaporites produced a repetitive sequence of primarily halite, with minor clastics, organic shales and anhydrite. Sediment loading of the evaporites subsequently produced a series of salt walls and minibasins, through the process of passive diapirism or downbuilding. Faults at the top Mississippian level localised the development of linear salt walls (up to 4500m high) along aNW-SE trend. A crosscutting NE-SW structural trend was also important in controlling the evaporite facies and the abrupt termination of the salt walls. Seismic, well and field data define the proximal Cutler Group (Permian) as a basinward prograding sequence derived from the growing Uncompahgre uplift that drove salt basinwards (towards the southwest), triggering the growth of the salt walls. Sequential structural restorations indicate that the most proximal salt walls evolved earlier than the more distal ones. The successive development of salt-withdrawal minibasins associated with each growing salt wall implies that parts of the Cutler Group in one minibasin may have no chronostratigraphic equivalent in other minibasins. Localised changes in along-strike salt wall growth and evolution were critical in the development of facies and thickness variations in the late Pennsylvanian to Triassic stratigraphic sequences in the flanking minibasins. Salt was probably at or very close to the surface during the downbuilding process leading to localised thinning, deposition of diapir-derived detritus and rapid facies changes in sequences adjacent to the salt wall structures.
Quantifying the biological impact of surface ocean light attenuation by colored detrital matter in an ESM using a new optical parameterization

Abstract. Light attenuation by colored detrital material (CDM) was included in a fully coupled Earth system model (ESM). This study presents a modified parameterization for shortwave attenuation, which is an empirical relationship between 244 concurrent measurements of the diffuse attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance, chlorophyll concentration and light absorption by CDM. Two ESM model runs using this parameterization were conducted, with and without light absorption by CDM. The light absorption coefficient for CDM was prescribed as the average of annual composite MODIS Aqua satellite data from 2002 to 2013. Comparing results from the two model runs shows that changes in light limitation associated with the inclusion of CDM decoupled trends between surface biomass and nutrients. Increases in surface biomass were expected to accompany greater nutrient uptake and therefore diminish surface nutrients. Instead, surface chlorophyll, biomass and nutrients increased together. These changes can be attributed to the different impact of light limitation on surface productivity versus total productivity. Chlorophyll and biomass increased near the surface but decreased at greater depths when CDM was included. The net effect over the euphotic zone was less total biomass leading to higher nutrient concentrations. Similar results were found in a regional analysis of the oceans by biome, investigating the spatial variability of response to changes in light limitation using a single parameterization for the surface ocean. In coastal regions, surface chlorophyll increased by 35 % while total integrated phytoplankton biomass diminished by 18 %. The largest relative increases in modeled surface chlorophyll and biomass in the open ocean were found in the equatorial biomes, while the largest decreases in depth-integrated biomass and chlorophyll were found in the subpolar and polar biomes. This mismatch of surface and subsurface trends and their regional dependence was analyzed by comparing the competing factors of diminished light availability and increased nutrient availability on phytoplankton growth in the upper 200 m. Understanding changes in biological productivity requires both surface and depth-resolved information. Surface trends may be minimal or of the opposite sign than depth-integrated amounts, depending on the vertical structure of phytoplankton abundance.
Invasive Lesions Containing Filamentous Forms Produced by a Candida albicans Mutant That Is Defective in Filamentous Growth in Culture

A Candida albicans efg1 cph1 double mutant is nonfilamentous under standard laboratory conditions and avirulent in mice. However, this mutant produced filaments in the tongues of immunosuppressed gnotobiotic piglets and when embedded in agar, demonstrating that an Efg1p- and Cph1p-independent pathway for promotion of filamentous growth exists.
A distributed object-oriented multi-mission radar waveform design implementation

This paper furthers the development of Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and their application to the design of multi-mission radar waveforms. An application was developed with the goal of developing a waveform suite that finds the Pareto optimal solutions to a multi-objective optimization radar problem. Utilizing the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 (SPEA2) a series of radar parameters are optimized along the fitness metrics of interest. This implementation builds upon the previous work of [1] to develop an application that is capable of analyzing longer more realistic scenarios. It also advances the previous research by solving for the Pareto optimal front of a simultaneous Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Moving Target Indication (MTI) mission. These preliminary results are presented to validate the performance of the new application against previous work and introduce some results of the multi-mission radar suite.
A real-coded genetic algorithm involving a hybrid crossover method for power plant control system design

This paper introduces a new hybrid crossover method for a real-coded genetic algorithm and its application to control system design of a power plant. Determining gains for controllers by using a genetic algorithm method usually involves multiple training stages. This method is not necessarily optimal. This paper applies a hybrid crossover method in a real-coded genetic algorithm to simultaneously find gains of three PI control loops and six other coupled gains in a boiler-turbine control system. The real-coded genetic algorithm with the hybrid crossover method has a better convergence rate when applied to this problem, as compared to other methods. A better convergence rate reduces execution time and is particularly relevant to problems having significant simulation times. A comparison between hybrid crossover and convex crossover in a real-coded genetic algorithm together with multi point crossover using a binary coded genetic algorithm has also been made.
A simultaneous TG–DTA study of the thermal decomposition of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-carboxyphenyl ester (salsalate)

Abstract Simultaneous thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA) and gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection have been used to study the kinetics and decomposition of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, 2-carboxyphenyl ester, commercially known as salsalate. Samples of salsalate were heated in the TG–DTA apparatus in an inert atmosphere (100 ml min−1 nitrogen) in the temperature range 30–500 °C. The data indicated that the decomposition of salsalate is a two-stage process. The first decomposition stage (150–250 °C) had a best fit with second-order kinetics with Ea=191–198 kJ/mol. The second decomposition stage (300–400 °C) is described as a zero-order process with Ea=72–80 kJ/mol. The products of the decomposition were investigated in two ways: (a) Salsalate was heated in a gas chromatograph at various isothermal temperatures in the range 150–280 °C, and the exit gas stream analyzed by mass spectrometry (GC–MS). This approach suggested that salsalate decomposes with the formation of salicylic acid, phenol, phenyl salicylate, and cyclic oligomers of salicylic acid di- and tri-salicylides. (b) One gram samples of salsalate were heated in a vessel under nitrogen to 150 °C, and the residues were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The major compound detected was a linear tetrameric salicylate ester.
Combined effects of nicotine and alcohol on subjective, behavioral and physiological responses in humans.

Nicotine and alcohol have each been widely studied in humans, but there has been relatively little attention paid to their combined effects. This is surprising, given the high frequency with which they are consumed together. The limited literature on these combined effects is murky, partly because of failure to recognize that alcohol can have contrasting subjective mood effects depending on whether blood alcohol level is ascending or descending. However, in general, nicotine and alcohol (when blood alcohol level is descending) tend to have contrasting effects on mood ("stimulating" vs. "sedating", respectively), behavioral performance (slightly improving vs. impairing, respectively), and selected physiological responses (e.g. increased beta EEG vs. increased α EEG, respectively), but similar effects on other physiological responses (e.g. heart rate). Thus, when consumed together, mood, performance, and EEG responses are often intermediate between those due to alcohol alone or nicotine alone. Responses influenced in the same direction by either, such as cardiovascular effects, are exacerbated beyond effects due to either alone. Since mood and behavioral effects are likely to reinforce drug use, the attenuating influence of nicotine on alcohol's sedative effects could explain the frequently observed increase in smoking after alcohol consumption. At the same time, nicotine plus alcohol may exacerbate some physiological responses (e.g. cardiovascular) that can impact negatively on health. Limitations of this research and possible mechanisms of interaction between nicotine and alcohol are briefly noted. The need to consider the modulating influences of environmental and baseline-relevant factors is also emphasized.
Towards the Development of a Lodging Service Recovery Strategy

ABSTRACT This article presents findings from a survey of 613 hotel guests and indicates that guests' overall satisfaction regarding service failure and service recovery are higher when they believe that service failure is unstable and recovery is stable. Moreover, guests indicate they are more likely to return to the same hotel when they believe that service failure is unstable and recovery is stable. Finally, our results indicate that guests are actually more satisfied with their guest room when they believe that recovery is stable. Implications for managers' strategies are discussed.
Comment on “Sigma: Issues, Insights, and Challenges” by F. O. Strasser, N. A. Abrahamson, and J. J. Bommer

The recent paper “Sigma: Issues, Insights, and Challenges” by Strasser et al. (2009) provided an excellent review of the complexity and dependency of the standard deviation σ of ground motion, as well as the difficulty in reducing it. Strasser et al. (2009) concluded that “the value of σ has remained fairly stable over the past 40 years,” although there have been systematic efforts to reduce it (Atkinson and Boore 2003; Abrahamson and Silva 2008; Strasser et al. 2008). In other words, Strasser et al. (2009) showed that the prospects of reducing σ are hopeless, even though the authors may still believe that “there is some hope to achieve reductions in σ , although the process may be labor-intensive.” As stated by Strasser et al. (2009), their “attempt is made to identify the more promising approaches for reduction of σ .” Their paper is not worth a single comment if σ is simply a statistical issue or personal belief. As stated by Strasser et al. (2009), however, “the effort involved [reducing σ ] is likely to be worthwhile in the context of seismic hazard analysis.” Their paper surely deserves a comment in the context of seismic hazard analysis, modern probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) in particular, because the implications for society are far reaching, from seismic design of nuclear power plants, buildings, and bridges to earthquake insurance premiums. Statistics is a common tool used by all disciplines for collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data, and in particular for prediction and forecasting …
Development of a PVDF Sensor for the Measurement of the Acoustic Local Volume Displacement of Vibrating Beams

One method of reduction of radiated sound from vibrating structures is to reduce the surface volume velocity. At low frequencies, the volume velocity (or volume displacement) of a vibrating surface is directly related to the sound power emitted from that surface. Recent methods used for sensing surface volume displacement entail the use of a surface mounted strip of shaped polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) that spans the entire length of the structure. This paper shows that the volume displacement of a vibrating beam can be measured through the use of a set of localized PVDF sensors each spanning only an area of interest. Summation of the volume displacements measured by these sensors would yield the total beam volume displacement. In this application it was shown that two point sensors are required in addition to the distributed PVDF sensor to achieve such measurements. To examine the localized sensors developed, four beams with different end conditions (fixed-fixed, fixed-free, fixed-simply supported, and simply supported-simply supported) were constructed. In designing the localized surface sensors, the sensor shapes necessary to measure a localized area of interest were determined, these sensors were constructed, and subsequently tested using a fixture constructed for this specific purpose. Finally, a comparison between the measured values obtained using these combined PVDF/Accelerometer sensors were compared to those obtained using an array of accelerometers was performed to determine the accuracy of these sensors. It was discovered that the localized sensors developed were sufficiently accurate for sensing the volume displacement of the vibrating beam within a 0-1600 Hz frequency range. Possible sources of error are discussed in the text.
A Classroom Labor Market Game Illustrating the Existence, and Implications of, Statistical Discrimination.

Many undergraduate students report a lack of concern about facing labor market discrimination throughout their careers. However, there is ample evidence that discrimination based on race, gender, and age still persists within the labor market. The author outlines a classroom experiment demonstrating the existence of discrimination, even when the participants consider themselves above discriminating against others. The results can be used to facilitate discussions surrounding various labor market outcomes and the prevalence of discrimination within labor markets. As such, this experiment is appropriate for many business courses, including courses in economics, management, and ethics.
Resonance Raman scattering in Ti2O3 in the range 1.8–2.7 eV

Abstract Measurements of resonance Raman scattering from the A 1 g and E g modes of Ti 2 O 3 at room temperature were made in the energy range 1.8–2.7 eV. The results are interpreted in terms of a phonon modulation of the optical spectrum and related energy level structure. New information concerning assignments of interband transitions as well as further insight into the nature of d -electron/phonon interaction has been obtained.
Age-Dependent Diarrhea Induced by a Rotaviral Nonstructural Glycoprotein

The rotavirus nonstructural glycoprotein NSP4 is an intracellular receptor that mediates the acquisition of a transient membrane envelope as subviral particles bud into the endoplasmic reticulum. NSP4 also causes an increase in intracellular calcium in insect cells. Purified NSP4 or a peptide corresponding to NSP4 residues 114 to 135 induced diarrhea in young (6 to 10 days old) CD1 mice. This disease response was age-dependent, dose-dependent, and specific. Electrophysiologic data from intestinal mucosa showed that the NSP4 114-135 peptide potentiates chloride secretion by a calcium-dependent signaling pathway. Diarrhea is induced when NSP4, acting as a viral enterotoxin, triggers a signal transduction pathway.
Ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion irradiation: Response of Gd2O3 and ZrO2 to intense electronic excitation

In order to investigate the response of materials to extreme conditions, there are several approaches to depositing extremely high concentrations of energy into very small volumes of material, including ultrafast laser and swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. In this study, crystalline-to-crystalline phase transformations in cubic Gd2O3 and monoclinic ZrO2 have been investigated using ultrafast laser irradiation. The phases produced by the extreme conditions of irradiation were characterized by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Gd2O3 exhibited a cubic-to-monoclinic phase transformation, as evidenced by the appearance of the monoclinic (40 2¯), (003), (310), and (11 2¯) peaks in the GIXRD pattern and of four Ag and three Bg Raman modes. ZrO2 underwent a monoclinic-to-tetragonal phase transformation, as evidenced by the emergence of the tetragonal (101) peak in the GIXRD pattern and of Eg and A1g Raman modes. The new phases formed by ultrafast laser irradiation are high tempe...
Vegetational Associations of Host-seeking Adult Blacklegged Ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), on Dairy Farms in Northwestern Wisconsin

As a measure of the risk for exposure to Lyme disease, we estimated the distribution of host-seeking adults of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, on dairy farms in Barron County in northwestern Wisconsin. Vegetation ecotypes that were common to 18 farms that were representative of the county were surveyed by flag sampling. Tick prevalence and abundance, which were similar during fall and spring periods, were very low in farmhouse yards and forage croplands; only a single male was collected from 17 lawns. Sampling of 18 pastures with lactating cows also yielded only a single I. scapularis. In contrast, I. scapularis adults were captured in 9 of 37 samples from 18 pastures with heifers and dry cows; in those pastures, ticks were associated with woods and secondary vegetation or margins of pastures adjacent to woodlands. Blacklegged ticks were most prevalent and numerous in ungrazed woodlands; adults were captured in 27 of 53 samples on 13 of 15 farms, particularly when evidence of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), was apparent. The risk of encountering adult blacklegged ticks on dairy farms in Barron County, Wisconsin is therefore greatest in woodlands habitat. The presence of adult ticks in pastures with heifers and dry cows establishes an ecological basis for the exposure of dairy cattle to adult I. scapularis. Pastures with lactating cows, farmhouse yards, and forage croplands represent negligible risk.
The application of molecular diagnostic studies interrogating EGFR and KRAS mutations to stained cytologic smears of lung carcinoma.

EGFR and KRAS mutation analyses are of increasing importance for guiding the treatment of non–small cell lung carcinomas. Insufficient cellularity of cell blocks can represent an impediment to the performance of these tests. We investigated the usefulness of cytologic direct smears as an alternative specimen source for mutation testing. Tumor cell–enriched areas from freshly prepared and archived rapid Romanowsky–stained direct smears in 33 cases of lung carcinoma were microdissected for DNA isolation and evaluated for EGFR and KRAS mutations. EGFR mutations were detected in 3 adenocarcinomas; 2 tumors had the L858R substitution and 1 an exon 19 deletion. KRAS mutations affecting codon 12, 13, or 61 were detected in 11 cases (8 adenocarcinomas and 3 non–small cell carcinomas). EGFR and KRAS mutations were mutually exclusive. Hence, archived and freshly prepared direct smears represent a robust and valuable specimen source for molecular studies, especially when cell blocks exhibit insufficient cellularity.
Measurements of the relationship between turbulence and sediment in suspension over mobile sand dunes in a laboratory flume

[1] The relationship between fluid and particle motions over a mobile dune bed was investigated using a laboratory flume with mobile sand dunes. Fluid turbulence data from a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) and suspended-sediment data from an acoustic backscatter system (BSS) were collected from the same sampling volume at a constant position relative to passing sand dunes in a laboratory channel by using a motion control system to follow bed forms through the test section. A second BSS continually traversed the test section to map the bed profile. The data from the LDV and the two BSS units were correlated in order to link turbulence data with variations in suspended sediment concentration and position on bed forms. Local values of suspended sediment concentration were poorly correlated with quadrant classification, indicating a weak relationship between local turbulence and sediment in suspension. Reynolds stress values were not strongly affected by dune size over the scales covered in the experiments. Sweeps (quadrant 4 events) were the most numerous, but bursts (quadrant 2 events) generally had higher relative magnitudes. Bursts were best correlated with changes in suspended sediment concentration and with cumulative sediment suspension.
Geologic evidence for age of deposits at Hueyatlaco archeological site, Vasequillo, Mexico

Direct tracing of beds during excavation in May 1973, confirmed that the artifact-bearing layers at Hueyatlaco underlie 10 m of fine-grained, water-laid deposits that constitute part of the wide-spread Valsequillo gravels. Dissection of these deposits by the adjacent Rio Atoyac has reached a depth of 50 m. The stratigraphic section at Hueyatlaco includes four distinctive tephra units. The oldest one occupies a small channel in a series of cut-and-fill stream deposits that have yielded bifacial tools. It lies more than a meter above flat-lying, fine-grained beds from which edge-retouched tools have been recovered. The three other tephra units occur higher in the section. Fission-track ages on zircon phenocrysts from two of the younger tephra layers (370,000 ± 200,000 and 600,000 ± 340,000 yr, 2σ) agree with concordant uranium-series dates for a camel pelvis that was found associated with bifacial tools at Hueyatlaco (245,000 ± 40,000 yr by 230Th and > 180,000 yr by 231Pa). These dates are compatible with the depth of burial and subsequent dissection of the Hueyatlaco deposits, as well as with the degree of hydration of volcanic glass shards and with the extent of etching of heavy-mineral phenocrysts from within the tephra layers. These findings suggest to us that further search for archaeological remains in deposits as old as those at Hueyatlaco would be warranted.
Uncatalyzed and platinum-catalyzed gasification of carbon by water and carbon dioxide

Differential rates and integral surface time yields of the uncatalyzed and platinum-catalyzed gasification of carbon by H/sub 2/O and CO/sub 2/ were measured above and below 950 K, respectively, at pressures below atmospheric. Both the uncatalyzed and catalyzed reactions were inhibited by their products. At 890 K the catalyzed reactions were about 100 times faster than the uncatalyzed reactions. Reaction orders of the platinum-catalyzed gasification of carbon by H/sub 2/O wth respect to H/sub 2/O and H/sub 2/ and kinetic isotope effects in H/sub 2/O/H/sub 2/ and D/sub 2/O/D/sub 2/ suggest equilibration between gaseous H/sub 2/O and H/sub 2/ (or D/sub 2/O and D/sub 2/) and surface atomic oxygen. The latter yields CO by reaction with carbon which has been transported to the platinum surface following breakage of carbon-carbon bonds at the platinum-carbon interface. The selectivity of carbon gasification of CO, CO/sub 2/, and CH/sub 4/ indicates that CO/sub 2/ is produced from CO by water-gas shift, while CH/sub 4/ is produced by hydrogenolysis of carbon. The platinum-catalyzed gasification of carbon by CO/sub 2/ proceeds through a similar series of steps as that for the gasification by H/sub 2/O.
Determining incestuous contact between parent and child: frequency of children touching parents' genitals in a nonclinical population.

Although little empirical evidence is available, ideas about how “typical” parents rear their children with respect to sexual issues have been influencing court proceedings. The fact that a child touched a parent's genitals on one occasion has recently been introduced in some child custody cases as supportive evidence of molestation. The authors report on a questionnaire study of this question among 576 children aged 2–10. Parents in this study report that such activity is not uncommon on an “incidental” basis even among 10-year-olds. The authors discuss some legal and psychological implications and child-rearing recommendations drawn from their findings.
Design and performance of the spallation neutron source backscattering spectrometer

When the Spallation Neutron Source is operational in 2006 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, it will provide the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for research. This paper describes the expected performance of the near-backscattering, crystal-analyzer spectrometer designed to provide extremely high energy resolution at the elastic peak (δω=2.2–2.7 μeV, varying with sample dimension). The design requires a long initial guide section of 84 m from moderator to sample in order to achieve the requisite timing resolution. This spectrometer will provide an unprecedented dynamic range near the elastic peak of -258 μeV<ω<258 μeV. For experiments that require the full dynamic range available at comparable reactor-based instruments (or greater), this spectrometer is expected to have an effective count rate ∼60 times that of the current best spectrometers.
Decreased use of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): how new treatment modalities have affected ECMO utilization.

Objective: Over the last decade, several new therapies, including high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV), exogenous surfactant therapy, and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO), have become available for the treatment of neonatal hypoxemic respiratory failure. The purpose of this retrospective study was to ascertain to what extent these modalities have impacted the use of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at our institution. Methods. Patients from 2 time periods were evaluated: May 1, 1993 to November 1, 1994 (group 1) and May 1, 1996 to November 1, 1997 (group 2). During the first time period (group 1), HFOV was not consistently used; beractant (Survanta) use for meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), and pneumonia was under investigation; and iNO was not yet available. During the second time period (group 2), HFOV and beractant treatment were considered to be standard therapies, and iNO was available to patients with oxygenation index (OI) ≥25 × 2 at least 30 minutes apart, or on compassionate use basis. Patients were included in the data collection if they met the following entry criteria: 1) OI >15 × 1 within the first 72 hours of admission; 2) EGA ≥35 weeks; 3) diagnosis of MAS, PPHN or sepsis/pneumonia; 4) Results. Of the 49 patient in group 1, 21 (42.8%) required ECMO therapy. Of these ECMO patients, 14 (66.6%) had received diagnoses of MAS or PPHN. Only 3 of the patients that went on to ECMO received beractant before the initiation of bypass (14.3%). All ECMO patients in group 1 would have met criteria for iNO had it been available. Of all patients in group 1, 18 (36.7%) were treated with HFOV, and 13 (26.5%) received beractant. Of the 47 patients in group 2, only 13 (27.7%) required ECMO therapy (compared with group 1). Of these ECMO patients, only 5 (38.5%) had diagnoses of MAS or PPHN, with the majority of patients (61.5%) requiring ECMO for sepsis/pneumonia, with significant cardiovascular compromise. Only 5 of these ECMO patients, all outborn, did not receive iNO before cannulation because of the severity of their clinical status on admission. Of all patients in group 2, 41 (87.2%) were treated with HFOV (compared with group 1), 42 (89.3%) received beractant (compared with group 1), and 18 (44.7%) received iNO. Conclusions. The results indicate that ECMO was used less frequently when HFOV, beractant and iNO was more commonly used. The differences in treatment modalities used and subsequent use of ECMO were statistically significant. We speculate that, in this patient population, the diagnostic composition of neonatal ECMO patients has changed over time.
Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: II. Task-oriented statistical estimation

In the context of oncology, dynamic PET imaging coupled with standard graphical linear analysis has been previously employed to enable quantitative estimation of tracer kinetic parameters of physiological interest at the voxel level, thus, enabling quantitative PET parametric imaging. However, dynamic PET acquisition protocols have been confined to the limited axial field-of-view (~15-20 cm) of a single-bed position and have not been translated to the whole-body clinical imaging domain. On the contrary, standardized uptake value (SUV) PET imaging, considered as the routine approach in clinical oncology, commonly involves multi-bed acquisitions, but is performed statically, thus not allowing for dynamic tracking of the tracer distribution. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. In a companion study, we presented a novel clinically feasible dynamic (4D) multi-bed PET acquisition protocol as well as the concept of whole-body PET parametric imaging employing Patlak ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to estimate the quantitative parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V. In the present study, we propose an advanced hybrid linear regression framework, driven by Patlak kinetic voxel correlations, to achieve superior trade-off between contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and mean squared error (MSE) than provided by OLS for the final Ki parametric images, enabling task-based performance optimization. Overall, whether the observer's task is to detect a tumor or quantitatively assess treatment response, the proposed statistical estimation framework can be adapted to satisfy the specific task performance criteria, by adjusting the Patlak correlation-coefficient (WR) reference value. The multi-bed dynamic acquisition protocol, as optimized in the preceding companion study, was employed along with extensive Monte Carlo simulations and an initial clinical (18)F-deoxyglucose patient dataset to validate and demonstrate the potential of the proposed statistical estimation methods. Both simulated and clinical results suggest that hybrid regression in the context of whole-body Patlak Ki imaging considerably reduces MSE without compromising high CNR. Alternatively, for a given CNR, hybrid regression enables larger reductions than OLS in the number of dynamic frames per bed, allowing for even shorter acquisitions of ~30 min, thus further contributing to the clinical adoption of the proposed framework. Compared to the SUV approach, whole-body parametric imaging can provide better tumor quantification, and can act as a complement to SUV, for the task of tumor detection.
GROWTH PATTERNS OF PEA SEEDLINGS IN DARKNESS AND IN RED AND WHITE LIGHT

THOMSON, BETrY F., and PAULINE MONZ MILLER. (Connecticut Coll., New London.) Growth patterns of pea seedlings in darkness an-d in red and white light. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(3): 256-261. lllus. 1961.-Seedlings of peas were grown in vermiculite at 22?C. and exposed 16 hr. daily to red or white light or kept in darkness. Others were grown in soil in the greenhouse. Samples harvested daily to 16 days were dissected, the length of each internode and leaf measured and the total number of leaves and leaf primordia counted. The form of the stem apex and youngest primordia and internodes is the same in light as in darkness. Leaf production is accelerated very slightly and the growth of leaves and internodes is decidedly accelerated by light. Leaf-leaf, leaf-internode and internode-internode correlations indicate that the morphogenetic effect of light is limited to later stages of organ growth. Dry weight is consumned more rapidly in light than in darkness, probably because of more rapid growth and slightly greater amounts of respiring tissue in light-
Determination of monoamine oxidase in rat brain by electron spin resonance techniques.

—The recent development of spin-labeling techniques has permitted its application to the measurement of the concentration of rat brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase (MAO) and detection of possible multiple forms of this enzyme. Spin-labeled p-hydroxyamphetamine (SHA) was used as a probe of the active site of the enzyme. The binding of SHA to MAO was monitored by measuring the intensity of the × band ESR spectra obtained with a Varian V-4502 ESR spectrometer. The measured volume of each sample was about 0·02 ml and time required for each measurement was 5 min. In the presence of MAO, a linear relationship was observed between spectral intensity and the concentration of the spin-label in a range of 4 × 10−6m to 10−3m. A plot of the amount of enzyme-inhibitor complex formed against the concentration of SHA suggested the existence of at least three different affinities of SHA to the possible multiple forms of MAO. Measurements made using a constant concentration of the spin-label (3·21 × 10−5m) resulted in a calibration curve with two plateaus when the concentration of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was plotted against the apparent concentration of MAO. These data also suggested that spin-labeled hydroxyamphetamine had distinctly different affinities toward the multiple forms of MAO that were present in the partially purified preparation employed. Measurements made with constant concentrations of SHA and MAO but with varying temperatures (4-56°C) resulted in a curve with two plateaus which also suggested the existence of at least three different binding affinities of the enzyme preparation for the inhibitor. This ESR technique is simple, rapid, accurate and fairly sensitive. It was also applied to the measurement of MAO in human platelets.
Sprays formed by flashing liquid jets

Liquids forced from a high-pressure zone into a low-pressure zone often cross the equilibrium pressure for the liquid temperature and disintegrate into a spray by partial evolution of vapor. The ordinary aerosol dispenser is a common example of this operation, and flash boiling is another. This paper reports on a study of the sprays formed by such a process and of the mechanism of spray formation. Sprays from water and Freon-11 jets were analyzed for drop sizes, drop velocities, and spray patterns. The breakup mechanism was analyzed and data presented to show some of the controlling factors. A critical superheat was found, above which the jet of liquid is shattered by rapid bubble growth within it. The bubble-growth rate was correlated with the Weber number, and a critical value of the Weber number was found to be 12.5 for low-viscosity liquids. The mean drop size was also correlated with Weber number and degree of superheat. The spray from rough orifices and sharp-edged orifices was compared with sprays produced from cold liquids by other techniques and was found to be comparable in all respects except temperature.
`IR Experts' and the New Deal State: The Diary of a Defeated Subsumed Class:

This essay develops and applies Resnick and Wolff's conception of `subsumed classes', groups that receive a portion of surplus value for helping capitalists reproduce their class position. We profi...