cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Fiber Organization and Damage During Single Screw Extrusion of Natural Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics

The present work studies single screw extrusion processing for different systems of natural fiber reinforced thermoplastics. In the present study the mechanisms of fiber organization and fiber degradation have been investigated. The polymer matrix employed has been high density polyethylene (HDPE) with an MFI of 0.1. Fibers including jute and sisal have been used as discrete reinforcements with initial lengths varying from 5 to 10 mm. The extrusion process has been investigated using an open-barrel single screw extruder. The issues of fiber distribution and bubble formation have been related to the mechanical properties of these composites, particularly tensile strength. Fiber degradation has been assessed after processing by microscopic examination of the extruder contents. The effect of the processing temperature on the level of fiber degradation is also discussed here. Fiber length after processing has been measured, and unimodal and bimodal fiber length distributions have been obtained. However, the issue of adequate sample preparation for the fiber length characterization procedure still requires further work in order to reduce the experimental error. Fiber orientation distributions have been estimated for some of the samples. It has been found that at higher processing temperatures the fibers show more alignment in the flow direction. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 24:145–156, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/adv.20037
Modeling Truck–Shovel Systems as Closed Queueing Network with Multiple Job Classes

Abstract In this paper an analytical method is proposed to model the truck-shovel system as a closed queueing network with multiple job classes. This approach would provide the capability of estimating system performance measures (mine throughput, mean number of trucks, mean waiting time etc.) for planning purposes when the truck fleet is not necessarily composed of identical trucks. A computational study is presented to show how choosing different types of trucks affect the production level in a truck-shovel system. Mean Value Analysis (MVA) approach is used to compute all performance measures of the truck-shovel system.
Energy Transfer in Alkali Halide Scintillators by Electron-Hole Diffusion and Capture

This paper reviews recent calculations and experiments dealing with charge transport and capture in activated alkali halide scintillators. Both electrons and holes are captured at thallium sites in crystals such as KI(Tl) and NaI(Tl). The kinetics of charge transport is governed either by the diffusive motion of the self-trapped hole, or by the release of electrons from a thallium site.
Vertebral metastases from oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the incidence and clinical presentation of vertebral metastases related to squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of our clinical experience with 597 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Results: Four patients with vertebral metastases were identified, accounting for 0.7% of the series. Thirteen vertebrae were involved in these 4 patients. All patients showed advanced cervical metastases as evidenced by several histologically positive nodes with extracapsular invasion when the ablative tumor specimen was examined. All patients displayed symptoms of their vertebral metastases, including severe pain, hypercalcemic somnolence, and flaccid paralysis of the lower extremities as part of the cauda equina syndrome. Conclusions: Vertebral metastases are rare forms of distant metastasis related to squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Bone pain is a symptom that should result in expedient radiographic examination in such patients, particularly when advanced cervical metastases are identified during the primary tumor surgery, which places the patient at risk for distant metastatic disease. © 2002 American Assoication of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:858-862, 2002
Molecular Beam Epitaxy For Multilayer Fabrication

Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is a very powerful deposition technique, capable of growing multilayer materials with atomically sharp interfaces.1 However, to date MBE techniques have not been applied to the deposition of multilayer coatings for soft x-ray applications. One reason is that almost all MBE systems in present use are designed with thermal evaporation sources and 800 °C substrate heaters for the growth of GaAs-based semiconductors. However, many of the materials needed for the fabrication of x-ray optical elements require the ability to evaporate high melting point materials such as silicon, molybdenum, tungsten, etc., as well the capability to reach substrate temperatures -1000°C during growth to obtain epitaxy. We describe here the design of a new MBE system in our laboratory, which includes a 1000 0C substrate heater and two electron beam evaporators, as well as the usual evaporation (Knudsen) cells. While conventional UHV electron beam evaporation techniques can deposit refractory materials, MBE also has the advantage of in situ monitoring during growth, using Reflected High and Low Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED and LEED), for layer thickness control at the atomic level. Initial results on XUV optical coatings using this MBE system are presented.
Significance of cytologic detection of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in urine

Introduction Cellular changes of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) are uncommon in urine cytology. There is limited data regarding the clinical aspects and follow-up of patients with such findings. The aim of this study is to examine the clinicopathologic correlates of LSIL in urine cytology. Materials and methods A database search was conducted for urine cytology samples from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2013 for the keywords “HPV,” “LSIL,” “koilocytes,” and “atypical squamous cells genital tract.” Thin Prep preparations (Hologic, Marlborough, MA) on the retrieved cases were reviewed. Cases with morphologically unequivocal LSIL were further analyzed. Results Twenty-five cases—20 women (ages 17-65 years), 5 men (ages 70-84 years)—of voided urine cytology fulfilled the study criteria. History of genital tract squamous dysplasia and/or carcinoma was present in 10 patients (50%). Eight patients (30%) were immunosuppressed. Eleven patients had LSIL or atypical squamous cells on cytologic follow-up. One patient developed penile squamous cell carcinoma and another patient developed vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia 3, 5 years and 3 years from the index urine cytology, respectively. Ten women had human papillomavirus testing (Hybrid Capture 2; Digene Corporation, Gaithersburg, MD), of which 8 were positive (within 6 months to 4 years from the index urine cytology). Conclusions Our study reveals that LSIL is an uncommon finding in urine cytology, and in most cases, it is associated with LSIL in the genital tract. However, occasionally, it may lead to the detection of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or human papillomavirus–associated squamous cell carcinomas of the genital tract.
Social performances: understanding the motivations for online participatory behavior

"Open contribution systems" (OCS) are online applications that encourage users to contribute and share content in a "public" and open manner. While these systems lower the barriers to participating, what is less clear is why users are motivated to contribute time and effort in these online environments with relative strangers. My dissertation proposes that one way to explain high levels of participation on OCS is to use the lens of social performances. This lens suggests that individual participation on social software websites involves elements of both individual and collective performative behavior. The social performance framework suggests that the participatory behavior is part of a larger sensemaking exercise that rationalizes and aligns individual contributions to the collective effort. The view here is that OCS and its users are part of a socio-technical ecology and are mutually dependent on each other. Understanding participation as a form of social performance can enable us to better design systems that encourage participation, collaboration and sharing.
Activation by Fusion of the Glutaminase and Synthetase Subunits of Escherichia coli Carbamyl-phosphate Synthetase

Escherichia coli carbamyl-phosphate synthetase consists of two subunits that act in concert to synthesize carbamyl phosphate. The 40-kDa subunit is an amidotransferase (GLN subunit) that hydrolyzes glutamine and transfers ammonia to the 120-kDa synthetase subunit (CPS subunit). The enzyme can also catalyze ammonia-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis if provided with exogenous ammonia. In mammalian cells, homologous amidotransferase and synthetase domains are carried on a single polypeptide chain called CAD. Deletion of the 29-residue linker that bridges the GLN and CPS domains of CAD stimulates glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthesis and abolishes the ammonia-dependent reaction (Guy, H. I., and Evans, D. R. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 19906-19912), suggesting that the deletion mutant is trapped in a closed high activity conformation. Since the catalytic mechanisms of the mammalian and bacterial proteins are the same, we anticipated that similar changes in the function of the E. coli protein could be produced by direct fusion of the GLN and CPS subunits. A construct was made in which the intergenic region between the contiguous carA and carB genes was deleted and the sequences encoding the carbamyl-phosphate synthetase subunits were fused in frame. The resulting fusion protein was activated 10-fold relative to the native protein, was unresponsive to the allosteric activator ornithine, and could no longer use ammonia as a nitrogen donor. Moreover, the functional linkage that coordinates the rate of glutamine hydrolysis with the activation of bicarbonate was abolished, suggesting that the protein was locked in an activated conformation similar to that induced by the simultaneous binding of all substrates.
Rabies encephalitis in a patient with no history of exposure

A 29-year-old man died of a rapidly progressive encephalitis without a clinical diagnosis and without a history of exposure to the rabies virus. A diagnosis of rabies was established postmortem by histologic and ultrastructural demonstration of rabies virus inclusions, by fluorescent antibody reaction, and by viral culture. Viral inclusions were sparse, were generally irregular and poorly demarcated, and were confined almost exclusively to the cerebellar Purkinje cells. A history of exposure was obtained only in retrospect on detailed questioning of friends and relatives. Rabies encephalitis is now seen most frequently in patients without a history of exposure and may be easily overlooked both clinically and pathologically.
Kinetics of sulfer dioxide uptake on supported cerium oxide sorbents

A thermogravimetric technique has been used to evaluate the apparent rate of SO{sub 2} absorption by ceria supported on alumina. A kinetic model for the sulfation of the CeO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} sorbent has been developed that is first order with respect to the partial pressure of SO{sub 2} and first order with respect to the fractional unreacted cerium oxide on the sorbent. The reaction was also found to be zero order with respect to the oxygen and water vapor content of the gas over a range of concentrations that might reasonably be encountered in actual flue gas streams. CeO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} sorbent is being studied at the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center as a potential new sorbent for simultaneous removal of 90+% of both SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} from coal combustion flue gas in a dry, regenerable process.
Protection from direct cerebral Cryptococcus infection by interferon-γ-dependent activation of microglial cells

The brain represents a significant barrier for protective immune responses in both infectious disease and cancer. We have recently demonstrated that immunotherapy with anti-CD40 and IL-2 can protect mice against disseminated Cryptococcus infection. We now applied this immunotherapy using a direct cerebral cryptococcosis model to study direct effects in the brain. Administration of anti-CD40 and IL-2 significantly prolonged the survival time of mice infected intracerebrally with Cryptococcus neoformans. The protection was correlated with activation of microglial cells indicated by the up-regulation of MHC II expression on brain CD45(low)CD11b(+) cells. CD4(+) T cells were not required for either the microglial cell activation or anticryptococcal efficacy induced by this immunotherapy. Experiments with IFN-gamma knockout mice and IFN-gammaR knockout mice demonstrated that IFN-gamma was critical for both microglial cell activation and the anticryptococcal efficacy induced by anti-CD40/IL-2. Interestingly, while peripheral IFN-gamma production and microglial cell activation were observed early after treatment, negligible IFN-gamma was detected locally in the brain. These studies indicate that immunotherapy using anti-CD40 and IL-2 can augment host immunity directly in the brain against C. neoformans infection and that IFN-gamma is essential for this effect.
Effects of brief training on application of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.

31 staff members within one VA medical center were briefly trained in using the Global Assessment of Functioning scale. At both pre- and posttraining, participants provided Global Assessment of Fun...
The Social Impact of Military Growth in St. Mary's County, Maryland, 1940-1995

This article reports the social impact of a large naval base on a local community. The effects of the base are discussed in terms of three themes: (1) a restructuring of the local stratification system, (2) a shift from agrarian and fishing to postindustrial social patterns, and (3) the intermeshing of the community with the outside world. Systematic comparisons are made with another community that was similar to the impacted community, but that did not become the location of a major military installation.
Poverty and pollution abatement: Evidence from lead phase-out

Abstract An extensive literature suggests that poverty prevents nations from abating many forms of pollution. Considerable research also proposes a competing claim, that poverty delays but does not prevent pollution abatement. Neither position enjoys persuasive empirical support. Data describing the phase-out of leaded gasoline allow for empirical investigation and they support the latter claim—that poverty delays but does not prevent pollution abatement. Many poor nations have solved the problem of vehicular lead pollution and they have tended to follow rich nations in doing so. The phase-out achievements of richer nations have generated much of the ability and will that has enabled poor countries to solve the problem. The pattern of abatement sequencing and its root causes present important implications for environmental policy and research.
Dynamic Control of Logistics Queueing Networks for Large-Scale Fleet Management

Dynamic fleet management problems are normally formulated as networks over dynamic networks. Additional realism usually implies the inclusion of complicating constraints, typically producing exceptionally large integer programs. In this paper, we present for the first time the formulation of dynamic fleet management problems in an optimal control setting, using a novel formulation called a Logistics Queueing Network (LQN). This formulation replaces a single, large optimization problem with a series of very small problems that involve little more than solving a single sort at each point in space and time. We show that this approach can produce solutions that are within a few percent of a global optimum but provide for considerably more flexibility than standard linear programs.
Uncovering scaling laws to infer multidrug response of resistant microbes and cancer cells

Summary Drug resistance in bacterial infections and cancers constitutes a major threat to human health. Treatments often include several interacting drugs, but even potent therapies can become ineffective in resistant mutants. Here, we simplify the picture of drug resistance by identifying scaling laws that unify the multidrug responses of drug-sensitive and -resistant cells. On the basis of these scaling relationships, we are able to infer the two-drug response of resistant mutants in previously unsampled regions of dosage space in clinically relevant microbes such as E. coli , E. faecalis , S. aureus , and S. cerevisiae as well as human non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer stem cells. Importantly, we find that scaling relations also apply across evolutionarily close strains. Finally, scaling allows one to rapidly identify new drug combinations and predict potent dosage regimes for targeting resistant mutants without any prior mechanistic knowledge about the specific resistance mechanism.
The relationship of libido and serving capacity test scores in rams on conception rates and lambing percentage in the ewe.

Abstract A procedure for assessing sexual activity (libido) and serving capacity (number of ejaculations) in individual rams is described. Libido and serving capacity was measured by this procedure in 10 Lincoln, 10 Suffolk, 2 Columbia, and 2 Polypay rams prior to the breeding season. Semen was evaluated, and the scrotal circumference measured. The rams were single-sire mated to 10–12 whiteface, crossbred ewes during a 35-day breeding season (September 26 – October 29). First-service conception rates, total conception rate, lambing percentage per ewe lambing, and lambing percentage per ewe exposed were calculated for each ram. The mean libido score for the 24 rams was 8.95 and the mean serving capacity score was 3.16. The 24 rams were classified as low serving capacity ( 3 ejaculations). There were no significant differences in either conception rate or lambing percentages between the 3 groups of rams. The first-service conception rate, total conception rate, lambing percentage per ewe lambing, and lambing percentage per ewe exposed were 74.8, 93.8, 148.6, and 139.4 percent, respectively, for the 24 rams. Libido and serving capacity tests in the rams, as used in this experiment, prior to the breeding season, were not successful in predicting fertility or prolificacy in ewes.
The Finite Fourier Transform

In previous chapters we have met Fourier series and the Fourier transform. These are both incarnations of Fourier analysis on a commutative group, namely the unit circle and the real line under addition. In this chapter we study Fourier analysis in the even simpler setting of the additive group of integers modulo a fixed positive integer n [6, 12]. Here, for obvious reasons, the Fourier transform is called the finite Fourier transform. Although the finite Fourier transform has many interesting applications in abstract algebra, combinatorics, number theory, and complex variables [8], we view it mainly as a tool for approximating Fourier series. Computation of finite Fourier transforms is done efficiently by an algorithm known as the fast Fourier transform [1, 3, 5, 9, 13, 15]. Although it was discovered by Gauss, the fast Fourier transform has come into prominence only with the advent of modern computing. As an indication of its critical role in many scientific and engineering applications, it is often implemented in hardware rather than software.
Balance of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines at thoracic cancer operation

Background. A homeostatic balance of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines is thought to be important for the maintenance of health. Cytokine baseline levels and response patterns to cardiac and nonmalignant abdominal operations have been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cytokine patterns at operation for thoracic cancer; the hypothesis tested was that cytokine baseline levels and response patterns would be unique for patients with malignant disease undergoing thoracic operation. Methods. Ten patients undergoing pulmonary tumor resections were studied. Blood samples were collected at six perioperative time points. Results. The cytokine response of these patients differed from patients undergoing cardiac operations: baseline tumor necrosis factor-a (39.1 pg/mL) and interleukin-10 (76.76 pg/mL) were elevated without significant changes. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist became elevated postoperatively (871.6 pg/mL) compared with baseline (332.8 pg/mL) (p < 0.01). The level of tumor necrosis factor soluble receptor-2 was elevated at baseline (4,823.3 pg/mL) and remained elevated postoperatively (7,293.4 pg/mL) (p < 0.01). Conclusions. Our hypothesis was supported; a separate pattern of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokine levels and responses to thoracic operation was determined. This pattern may be indicative of tumor burden or detrimental to tumor surveillance; it merits further evaluation.
Impact of Dietary Patterns and Interventions on Cardiovascular Health

Dietary recommendations are a key element in the management of cardiovascular disease. Evidence is mounting that certain dietary patterns can influence cardiovascular health by modifying risk factors such as obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, as well as factors involved in systemic inflammation, insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, endothelial function, thrombosis, and cardiac rhythm.1,2 In recent years, numerous dietary fads have emerged, in part as a response to the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States.3 In the present study, we review the various dietary portfolios that have emerged in the literature and the major studies that investigated their effectiveness in modifying cardiovascular risk. Currently, the typical American diet is estimated to derive 49% of its calories from carbohydrates, 34% from fat, and 12% to 16% from protein.4 Proposals to alter the proportions and/or types of macronutrients in this diet have been made for weight loss and cardiovascular health (Table 1).5–12 For weight management, for example, the strategy recommended by most medical groups entails the intake of a low-calorie, low-fat diet. The concept of fat restriction for weight management stems from traditional calorimetric measurements, which assign greater energy values to fat (&9 kcal/g) and less to carbohydrate and protein (&4 kcal/g). The low-calorie concept, on the other hand, is an intuitive technique to induce negative energy balance and has been adopted by some commercialized weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers International. View this table: TABLE 1. Various Dietary Patterns, Including Those Popularized Commercially and Those Investigated by Observational Studies and Clinical Trials One alternative proposed for weight loss is the low-carbohydrate diet. This was first described by William Banting13 in the 1860s and recently has received much attention in the form of the Atkins’, Stillman, Protein Power Lifeplan, and Zone diets. The Atkins’ diet begins with a weight-loss …
Primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma. Case report.

✓ A case of primary intracranial leiomyosarcoma is presented, with clinical, radiological, light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural data. The histogenesis is discussed and the literature on smoothmuscle tumors of the central nervous system is reviewed.
Stop, You're Making Me Blush

CASE PRESENTATION A 26-year-old woman with a medical history of asthma and hypothyroidism presented to her primary physician for what she described as an unusual rash on the left side of her face for the past 18 months. She described asymmetric erythema and sweating involving the left forehead, cheek, and chin that would appear intermittently and were often exacerbated by warm showers or exercise. These episodes lasted for 30 minutes to a few hours and had been increasing in duration and degree of erythema during this 18-month interval. She denied pruritus, pain, or visual changes. She denied alcohol, illicit drug, or tobacco use. There was no family history of autoimmune, connective tissue, or malignant disorders, or a history of similar symptoms.
Comparison of Four Horse Herpesviruses

Four equine herpesviruses (equine abortion virus, equine herpesvirus types 2 and 3, and equine cytomegalovirus) were compared. The equine abortion virus did not cross-neutralize with any of the other viruses, but the other three did show varying degrees of cross-neutralization among themselves. Equine abortion virus grew more quickly in tissue cultures than did the others, and attained higher titers of infectivity in the culture fluid; it also formed plaques in a wider range of tissue culture species, although the other three were not specific for one tissue culture system only, in that they would multiply in rabbit and cat kidney cultures. The densities of the deoxyribonucleic acids of all four viruses were in the range 1.716 to 1.717 g/ml (a guanine plus cytosine content of 57 to 58%). Taxonomic separation, as a distinct serotype, of equine abortion virus from the other herpesviruses seems to be justified. The other three are closely related to one another. They should perhaps be regarded as separate viruses and termed horse herpesviruses types 2, 3, and 4, although an alternative view would be to regard them as variants of a single virus type. The question of whether types 2, 3, and 4, or any other herpesviruses, should be placed in a phylogenetically distinct subgroup, known as cytomegaloviruses, is a moot point.
Androgen Receptor Rediscovered: The New Biology and Targeting the Androgen Receptor Therapeutically

Discoveries over the past decade suggest that castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is sensitive, but not resistant to, further manipulation of the androgen–androgen receptor (AR) axis. Several new therapies that target this axis have demonstrated clinical activity. In this article, preclinical and clinical findings occurring in the field of AR-targeted therapies are reviewed. Reviews of scientific and clinical development are divided into those occurring prereceptor (androgen production and conversion) and at the level of the receptor (AR aberrations and therapies targeting AR directly). Intracrine androgen production and AR amplification, among others, are among the principal aberrancies driving CRPC growth. Phase III data with abiraterone acetate and phase II data with MDV-3100, along with other similar therapies, confirm for the clinician that the scientific findings related to persistent AR signaling in a castrate milieu can be harnessed to produce significant clinical benefit for patients with...
Thymic lesions in cats infected with a pathogenic molecular clone or an ORF-A/2-deficient molecular clone of feline immunodeficiency virus.

Previous studies using feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) molecular clones lacking the putative transactivator gene (ORF-A/2) failed to address the issue of thymus pathogenesis or investigate the levels of viral replication in separate lymphoid compartments (Y. Inoshima, et al., J. Virol. 70:8518–8526, 1996; E. E. Sparger, et al., Virology 205:546–553, 1994). Using a highly pathogenic molecular clone of FIV, JSY3, and an ORF-A/2-deficient mutant, JSY3ΔORF-A/2, we compared viral replication and the extent of thymic dysfunction as measured by the formation of lymphoid follicles and alteration of the thymocyte subsets. Viral replication was reduced in JSY3ΔORF-A/2-infected cats as measured by lymphocyte coculture, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative PCR. Cell-associated viral load measured by lymphocyte coculture varied in a tissue-dependent manner with replication highest in lymphocytes isolated from the thymus, lower in those from the peripheral blood, and lowest in those from lymph node. Thymic proviral load and the number of viral p24 Gag-positive cells within the thymus detected by immunohistochemistry were also reduced. In addition, the onset of a reduced peripheral blood CD4/CD8 ratio was delayed in JSY3ΔORF-A/2-infected cats. The formation and extent of thymic lymphoid follicular hyperplasia were similar in JSY3 and JSY3ΔORF-A/2-infected cats as measured by anticytokeratin immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry for percent pan T-negative, immunoglobulin G-positive cells within the thymus. In contrast, comparison of thymocyte subpopulations demonstrated a reduced expansion of single-positive CD4− CD8+ thymocytes in JSY3ΔORF-A/2-infected cats. Level of viral replication, therefore, may not correlate with the formation of thymic lymphoid follicles but may correlate with the expansion of the single-positive CD4− CD8+ thymocyte subpopulation.
Career Paths of City Managers in America's Largest Council-Manager Cities

What are the typical career paths of city managers serving in the nation's largest cities? This article examines the career paths of 113 city managers in council-manager cities with populations over 100,000. The authors identify four distinct career paths for city managers—long servers, lateral movers, ladder climbers, and-single city careerists—and find that city managers in the largest council-manager cities are commonly ladder climbers or single-city careerists. This research shows the stereotypical description of the ladder climber as the only career path is incomplete. Many large cities are providing opportunities for career development, making it unnecessary for city councils to select outsiders to fill top positions. While other research has shown that nearly four-fifths of city managers are hired from outside, only 54 percent of the city managers in the largest cities were outsiders at the time they were hired.
Contour diagrams for the presentation of separation quality in two-dimensional thin layer chromatography

Several methods for evaluating separation quality in two-dimensional thin layer chromatography are discussed. These include using either the distance between spot centers for the pair of solutes that is the most difficult to separate in a mixture, or the value of a suitable, separation function, as criteria of overall separation quality. Contour diagrams may be constructed in which solvent compositions for each of the two-dimensional developments are the independent variables and spot separation or the value of a suitable function is the dependent variable. Such diagrams indicate which are the best and the worst regions of the two-dimensional solvent domain. These diagrams should be of value for comparing different solvent systems for two-dimensional thin layer chromatography.
Identifying effects of TiO2 nanowires inside bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics on charge diffusion and recombination

The charge carrier dynamics of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) organic bulk-heterojunction photovoltaics with and without TiO2 nanowires are studied. Using inorganic nanowires as electron transport pathways improves the charge transit time and electron diffusion coefficient, which is the origin of fill factor and power conversion efficiency improvement observed in these devices. Through further comparison of devices with surface-modified nanowires (PCB–TiO2-NW), it is found that under AM 1.5 light illumination, charge recombination is dominant in the organic layer rather than at the TiO2 nanowire surface.
Nursing Perspectives on Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

SUMMARYAs primary caregivers across settings, nurses are challenged to provide compassionate care to terminally ill patients and their families. The issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia creates unique challenges for the nursing profession. Previous literature related to nurses' attitudes regarding euthanasia and assisted suicide is reviewed in this discussion of the issues central to nursing. These issues include ethical dimensions of nursing care, nursing attitudes regarding suicide, and nurses' unique roles with patients and family caregivers. The unique role of the nurse and professional obligations of the nursing profession are pivotal in addressing this important social issue.
Minimum Requirements for the Function of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 2

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2) is a G protein heterotrimer required for GTP-dependent delivery of initiator tRNA to the ribosome. eIF2B, the nucleotide exchange factor for eIF2, is a heteropentamer that, in yeast, is encoded by four essential genes and one nonessential gene. We found that increased levels of wild-type eIF2, in the presence of sufficient levels of initiator tRNA, overcome the requirement for eIF2B in vivo. Consistent with bypassing eIF2B, these conditions also suppress the lethal effect of overexpressing the mammalian tumor suppressor PKR, an eIF2alpha kinase. The effects described are further enhanced in the presence of a mutation in the G protein (gamma) subunit of eIF2, gcd11-K250R, which mimics the function of eIF2B in vitro. Interestingly, the same conditions that bypass eIF2B also overcome the requirement for the normally essential eIF2alpha structural gene (SUI2). Our results suggest that the eIF2betagamma complex is capable of carrying out the essential function(s) of eIF2 in the absence of eIF2alpha and eIF2B and are consistent with the idea that the latter function primarily to regulate the level of eIF2.GTP.Met-tRNA(i)(Met) ternary complexes in vivo.
Recent developments in methodologies for calculating the entropy and free energy of biological systems by computer simulation.

The Helmholtz free energy, F, plays an important role in proteins because of their rugged potential energy surface, which is ‘decorated’ with a tremendous number of local wells (denoted microstates, m). F governs protein folding, whereas differences ΔFmn determine the relative populations of microstates that are visited by a flexible cyclic peptide or a flexible protein segment (e.g. a surface loop). Recently developed methodologies for calculating ΔFmn (and entropy differences, ΔSmn) mainly use thermodynamic integration and calculation of the absolute F; interesting new approaches in these categories are the adaptive integration method and the hypothetical scanning molecular dynamics method, respectively.
THE INFLUENCES OF THE STANDARD PREFRONTAL LOBOTOMY OPERATION ON HALLUCINATORY PHENOMENA ASSOCIATED WITH PSYCHOTOMIMETIC DRUGS

For some years now, we have studied the social, clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of the chronic responsive and therapy-resistant schizophrenic patient. It was speculated that drug responses of patients with a prefrontal lobotomy would help in clarifying the nature of resistance to therapy; therefore, the overall study project included a group of resistant chronic schizophrenic patients who had been treated with a standard prefrontal lobotomy operation. The various groups of patients were subjected to similar clinical and neurophysiological investigations and therapeutic procedures in an attempt to establish specific profiles to differentiate each group. Psychotic patients with overt organic brain disease were also screened as a control group for certain types of investigation. Significant differences in response between chronic lobotomized and non-lobotomized schizophrenics using pentothal and phencyclidine activation techniques [17,18,20] have been reported by us. Differences were also described in sleep patterns [l6] and responses to psychotropic drug [12].
A single nucleotide change in mutY increases the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter jejuni mutants

OBJECTIVES Mutator strains play an important role in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide and is increasingly resistant to clinically important antibiotics. The objective of this study was to identify the genetic basis that contributes to a mutator phenotype in Campylobacter and determine the role of this phenotype in the development of antibiotic resistance. METHODS A C. jejuni isolate (named CMT) showing a mutator phenotype was subjected to WGS analysis. Comparative genomics, site-specific reversion and mutation, and gene knockout were conducted to prove the mutator effect was caused by a single nucleotide change in the mutY gene of C. jejuni. RESULTS The C. jejuni CMT isolate showed ∼ 100-fold higher mutation frequency to ciprofloxacin than the WT strain. Under selection by ciprofloxacin, fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants emerged readily from the CMT isolate. WGS identified a single nucleotide change (G595 → T) in the mutY gene of the CMT isolate. Further experiments using defined mutant constructs proved its specific role in elevating mutation frequencies. The mutY point mutation also led to an ∼ 700-fold increase in the emergence of ampicillin-resistant mutants, indicating its broader impact on antibiotic resistance. Structural modelling suggested the G595 → T mutation probably affects the catalytic domain of MutY and consequently abolishes the anti-mutator function of this DNA repair protein. CONCLUSIONS The G595 → T mutation in mutY abolishes its anti-mutator function and confers a mutator phenotype in Campylobacter, promoting the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter.
RTM Interpolation Using Time-Shift Gathers

We present an approach for increasing imaging resolution of reverse-timemigration (RTM) by taking advantage of time-shift gathers. The method has two steps: migrating seismic data with the extended imaging condition to get time-shift gathers and accumulating the time-shift gathers along time-shift axis after they are transformed to zero-lag time-shift by a post-stack depth migration on a finer grid. The final image is generated on a grid which is denser than that of the original time-shift images. The proposed method is based on the observation that non-zero-lag time-shift images recorded by the regular computing grid contain the information of zero-lag time-shift image of a denser grid, and such information can be continued to zero-lag time-shift and refocused at the correct locations on the denser grid. The extra computational amount of the method relative to RTM has the computational cost of zero-offset migration, which is almost negligible when compared to prestack shot-record RTM. Numerical tests on synthetic models demonstrate that the method can effectively improve RTM resolution. It can also improve the efficiency of RTM if the source and receiver wavefield extrapolations are performed on a coarse grid.
Laryngeal electromyography findings in a patient with HIV, John Cunningham virus and bilateral true vocal fold motion impairment.

We present the findings from laryngeal electromyography (EMG) on a 33-year-old HIV-positive male who presented with decreased vocal endurance and a breathy voice. Management considerations were broadened by the history of John Cunningham (JC) virus recovered from his cerebrospinal fluid and the consequent diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. 1,2 We reviewed the available literature on neuropathy, HIV, JC virus and how all these factors relate to voice disturbances. We present laryngeal EMG findings, discuss the benefit of electrodiagnostic studies, and offer an algorithm for interpreting this information and applying it to create the optimal care plan for these patients. As medical management of HIV-related diseases continues to improve, more patients may present with similar circumstances.
Availability of Maintained Systems: A State-of-the-Art Survey

Abstract Availability appears to be a more appropriate measure than reliability for measuring the effectiveness of maintained systems because it includes reliability as well as maintainability. This paper is a survey and a systematic classification of the literature relevant to availability. Emphasis in this paper is centered on the current state of the art on a variety of topics related to availability. Among the topics discussed are: the definition and concepts of the availability; the probability density functions (pdf) of failure times, the pdf of repair times, system configurations, and the various approaches employed to obtain the availability models; confidence intervals of availability; effect of preventive maintenance policies on availability; availability parameters in the model; and systems optimization.
Need for longitudinal studies of Asian wildlife in the face of crises

Abstract Conservation biology is conceived as a discipline that must balance the short-term aim of gathering data on pressing conservation issues with the long-term vision of protecting populations, species, and functional ecosystems. Asian wildlife face imminent threats ranging from hunting to loss of critical habitats, but there are few examples of detailed longitudinal wildlife research in the region. Longitudinal research is essential for protecting populations especially in light of the high volumes of legal and illegal trade, understanding basic population dynamics, notably with respect to long-lived species, as well as accommodating the spatial needs of animals. It is also critical for evaluating the success of conservation or management interventions and adaptively improving outcomes. Such studies, particularly when requiring sustained field work, are impeded by mismatches between needs on the ground vs. the priorities of different stakeholders, the ephemeral and inefficient nature of funding mechanisms, and by the logistics of maintaining sites and personnel. Yet we cannot adequately protect biodiversity in Asia unless the magnitude of human impacts on its species is quantitatively understood and used to inform management.
Interrupted PROGRAM and ERASE Operations for Characterizing Radiation Effects in Commercial NAND Flash Memories

A technique of interrupting PROGRAM and ERASE operations is used to extract information about the analog characteristics of commercial NAND Flash memory cells. The number of interrupted PROGRAM or ERASE operations required to cause a bit to change state is shown to be modified by program/erase stress, total ionizing dose, and heavy ion exposure. These modifications allow for the detection of stresses far below the thresholds for memory cell failure.
Manipulation of Host Diet To Reduce Gastrointestinal Colonization by the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicans.

ABSTRACT Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, can cause systemic infections with a mortality rate of ~40%. Infections arise from colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where C. albicans is part of the normal microflora. Reducing colonization in at-risk patients using antifungal drugs prevents C. albicans-associated mortalities. C. albicans provides a clinically relevant system for studying the relationship between diet and the microbiota as it relates to commensalism and pathogenicity. As a first step toward a dietary intervention to reduce C. albicans GI colonization, we investigated the impact of dietary lipids on murine colonization by C. albicans. Coconut oil and its constituent fatty acids have antifungal activity in vitro; we hypothesized that dietary coconut oil would reduce GI colonization by C. albicans. Colonization was lower in mice fed a coconut oil-rich diet than in mice fed diets rich in beef tallow or soybean oil. Switching beef tallow-fed mice to a coconut oil diet reduced preexisting colonization. Coconut oil reduced colonization even when the diet also contained beef tallow. Dietary coconut oil also altered the metabolic program of colonizing C. albicans cells. Long-chain fatty acids were less abundant in the cecal contents of coconut oil-fed mice than in the cecal contents of beef tallow-fed mice; the expression of genes involved in fatty acid utilization was lower in C. albicans from coconut oil-fed mice than in C. albicans from beef tallow-fed mice. Extrapolating to humans, these findings suggest that coconut oil could become the first dietary intervention to reduce C. albicans GI colonization. IMPORTANCECandida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, can cause infections with a mortality rate of ~40%. C. albicans is part of the normal gut flora, but when a patient’s immune system is compromised, it can leave the gut and cause infections. By reducing the amount of C. albicans in the gut of susceptible patients, infections (and the resulting fatalities) can be prevented. Currently, this is done using antimicrobial drugs; to “preserve” drugs for treating infections, we looked for a dietary change to reduce the amount of C. albicans in the gut. Using a mouse model, we showed that adding coconut oil to the diet could become the first drug-free way to reduce C. albicans in the gut. More broadly, this model lets us study the interactions between our diet and the microbes in our body and the reasons why some of those microbes, under certain conditions, cause disease. Podcast: A podcast concerning this article is available.
Gas-phase ions produced by freezing water or methanol for analysis using mass spectrometry

Introducing water or methanol containing a low concentration of volatile or nonvolatile analyte into an inlet tube cooled with dry ice linking atmospheric pressure and the first vacuum stage of a mass spectrometer produces gas-phase ions even of small proteins that can be detected by mass spectrometry. Collision-induced dissociation experiments conducted in the first vacuum region of the mass spectrometer suggest analyte ions being protected by a solvent cage. The charges may be produced by processes similar to those proposed for charge separation under freezing conditions in thunderclouds. By this process, the surface of an ice pellet is charged positive and the interior negative so that removal of surface results in charge separation. A reversal of surface charge is expected for a heated droplet surface, and this is observed by heating rather than cooling the inlet tube. These observations are consistent with charged supercooled droplets or ice particles as intermediates in the production of analyte ions under freezing conditions.
Lipodystrophy and severe metabolic dysfunction in mice with adipose tissue-specific insulin receptor ablation.

Objective Insulin signaling plays pivotal roles in the development and metabolism of many tissues and cell types. A previous study demonstrated that ablation of insulin receptor (IR) with aP2-Cre markedly reduced adipose tissues mass and protected mice from obesity. However, multiple studies have demonstrated widespread non-adipocyte recombination of floxed alleles in aP2-Cre mice. These findings underscore the need to re-evaluate the role of IR in adipocyte and systemic metabolism with a more adipose tissue-specific Cre mouse line.
Evaluating the uncertainty in urinary fluoride measurement by ion selective electrode method

Objective To evaluate the uncertainty of measurement result of urinary fluoride and to provide quality assurance for determinations.Method The investigation was conducted,according with principles and methods for uncertainty evaluation.Results The uncertainty of the combined standard of present method was 2.86 ％.For the sample containing 4.47 mg/L urinary fluoride,the expanded uncertainty was 0.26 mg/L.Conclusion The uncertainty of the present method was mainly from the sample repeatability,the preparation of standard solution,the linearity of the calibration curve and instruments and so on. Key words: Measurement uncertainty; Ion selective electrode; Urine; Fluoride
In vitro fertilization in unstimulated cycles: a new application

After four unsuccessful attempts at multiple follicular induction with exogenous gonadotropins, a patient underwent two attempts at IVF in spontaneous cycles triggered with hCG. The second attempt resulted in the transfer of three embryos and a successful singleton intrauterine pregnancy. We believe that unstimulated IVF is a viable option for patients with ovulatory cycles. It should be considered in cases of failed hyperstimulation, and may become a primary treatment option in the future.