cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation of transparent conductive oxides: mechanistic insights across configurations and exposures

Understanding transparent conductive oxide (TCO) degradation is critical to improving stability and lifetime of both organic and inorganic thin lm PV modules, which utilize TCOs, like indium tin oxide (ITO), aluminumdoped zinc oxide (AZO) and uorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as electrodes. These TCOs must retain their long-term functionality in diverse outdoor environments. In addition to bulk material degradation, interfacial degradation, a frequent avenue for failure in PV systems, is promoted by exposure to environmental stressors such as irradiance, heat and humidity. ITO, AZO and FTO samples in an open-faced con guration were exposed to damp heat and ASTM G154 for up to 1000 hours. The e ect of exposure on electrical and optical properties and surface energies of cleaned samples was measured. Yellowness, haze, water contact angle and resistivity of the di erent materials trended di erently with exposure time and type, indicating the activation of distinct degradation mechanisms. An encapsulated con guration study was conducted on ITO and AZO, exposing samples to the above accelerated exposures and two outdoor exposures (1x suns and 5x suns on a dual axis trackers), with and without PEDOT:PSS layers. PEDOT:PSS increases the yellowness and haze of ITO and AZO, but does not accelerate the increase in resistivity, suggesting that the optical and electrical degradation mechanisms are not coupled. Additionally, the hazing/roughening mechanism of PEDOT:PSS on AZO appears to be photo-sensitive; 5x outdoor exposure samples demonstrated distinctly higher haze than damp heat exposed samples.
Measuring dark energy clustering with CMB-galaxy correlations

The integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect in the cosmic microwave background as measured through its correlation with galaxies provides a unique opportunity to study the dynamics of the dark energy through its large scale clustering properties. Ultimately, a deep all-sky galaxy survey out to $z\ensuremath{\sim}2$ can make a $\ensuremath{\sim}10\ensuremath{\sigma}$ or $\ensuremath{\sim}10%$ measurement of the correlation and limit $\ensuremath{\sim}3%$ changes in the gravitational potential or total density fluctuation due to dark energy clustering on the Gpc scale. A canonical single scalar field or quintessence model predicts that these clustering effects will appear on the horizon scale with a strength that reflects the evolution of the dark energy density. In terms of a constant equation of state, this would allow tests of the quintessence prediction for models where $|1+w|\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.05$.
Identification of a Monocyte-Predisposed Hierarchy of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells in the Adventitia of Postnatal Murine Aorta

Background—Hematopoiesis originates from the dorsal aorta during embryogenesis. Although adult blood vessels harbor progenitor populations for endothelial and smooth muscle cells, it is not known if they contain hematopoietic progenitor or stem cells. Here, we hypothesized that the arterial wall is a source of hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells in postnatal life. Methods and Results—Single-cell aortic disaggregates were prepared from adult chow-fed C57BL/6 and apolipoprotein E–null (ApoE−/−) mice. In short- and long-term methylcellulose-based culture, aortic cells generated a broad spectrum of multipotent and lineage-specific hematopoietic colony-forming units, with a preponderance of macrophage colony-forming units. This clonogenicity was higher in lesion-free ApoE−/− mice and localized primarily to stem cell antigen-1–positive cells in the adventitia. Expression of stem cell antigen-1 in the aorta colocalized with canonical hematopoietic stem cell markers, as well as CD45 and mature leukocyte antig...
Gaseous Vortices in Barred Spiral Galaxiesa

During the course of examining many two-dimensional, as well as a smaller sample of three-dimensional, models of gas flows in barred spiral galaxies, we have been impressed by the ubiquitous presence fo vortex pairs, oriented roughly perpendicular to their bars, with one vortex on each side. The vortices are obvious only when viewed in the bar frame, and the centers of their velocity fields usually are near Lagrangian points L(sub 4,5). In all models that we have studied, the vortices form on essentially the same time scale as that for the development of gaseous spiral arms, typically two bar rotations. Usually the corotation radius, r(sub c), lies slightly beyond the end of the bar. Depending upon the mass distributions of the various components, gas spirals either into, or out of, the vortices: In the former case, the vortices become regions of high density, whereas the opposite is true if the gas spirals out of a vortex. The models described in this paper have low-density vortices, as do most of the models we have studied. Moreover, usually the vortex centers lie approximately within +/- 15 deg of L(sub 4,5). In the stellar dynamic limit, when pressure and viscous forces are absent, short-period orbits exist, centered on L(sub 4,5). These orbits need not cross and therefore their morphology is that of gas streamlines, that is, vortices. We believe that the gas vortices in our models are hydrodynamic analogues of closed, short-period, libration orbits centered on L(sub 4,5).
Calcium-Dependent Stabilization of the Central Sequence Between Met76 and Ser81 in Vertebrate Calmodulin

Spin-label electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) provides optimal resolution of dynamic and conformational heterogeneity on the nanosecond time-scale and was used to assess the structure of the sequence between Met(76) and Ser(81) in vertebrate calmodulin (CaM). Previous fluorescence resonance energy transfer and anisotropy measurements indicate that the opposing domains of CaM are structurally coupled and the interconnecting central sequence adopts conformationally distinct structures in the apo-form and following calcium activation. In contrast, NMR data suggest that the opposing domains of CaM undergo independent rotational dynamics and that the sequence between Met(76) and Ser(81) in the central sequence functions as a flexible linker that connects two structurally independent domains. However, these latter measurements also resolve weak internuclear interactions that suggest the formation of transient helical structures that are stable on the nanosecond time-scale within the sequence between Met(76) and Asp(80) in apo-CaM (H. Kuboniwa, N. Tjandra, S. Grzekiek, H. Ren, C. B. Klee, and A. Bax, 1995, Nat. Struct. Biol. 2:768-776). This reported conformational heterogeneity was resolved using site-directed mutagenesis and spin-label EPR, which detects two component spectra for 1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-3-methyl)-methanethiosulfonate spin labels (MTSSL) bound to CaM mutants T79C and S81C that include a motionally restricted component. In comparison to MTSSL bound within stable helical regions, the fractional contribution of the immobilized component at these positions is enhanced upon the addition of small amounts of the helicogenic solvent trifluoroethanol (TFE). These results suggest that the immobilized component reflects the formation of stable secondary structures. Similar spectral changes are observed upon calcium activation, suggesting a calcium-dependent stabilization of the secondary structure. No corresponding changes are observed in either the solvent accessibility to molecular oxygen or the maximal hyperfine splitting. In contrast, more complex spectral changes in the line-shape and maximal hyperfine splitting are observed for spin labels bound to sites that undergo tertiary contact interactions. These results suggest that spin labels at solvent-exposed positions within the central sequence are primarily sensitive to backbone fluctuations and that either TFE or calcium binding stabilizes the secondary structure of the sequence between Met(76) and Ser(81) and modulates the structural coupling between the opposing domains of CaM.
Applied Optics at Corning Glass Works

Corning Glass Works was established at Corning, New York, 100 years ago, and a research laboratory was formally established sixty years ago. For more than the 100 years, however, the company has applied scientific methods in its operations. A historical review is made of the research and development work at Corning that has led to new materials and new uses for materials used in a wide variety of applications of optical sciences.The author is with the Research and Development Laboratories, Corning Glass Works, Corning, New York 14830.
Three-dimensional effects in counterflow heat-recirculating combustors

Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of spiral counterflow Swiss roll heat-recirculating combustors were performed including gas-phase conduction, convection and chemical reaction of propane–air mixtures, solid-phase conduction and surface-to-surface radiation. These simulations showed that in 3D, results are surprisingly similar with or without a turbulence model activated because without turbulence, Dean vortices form in the curved channels which enhance heat transport and thus heat recirculation by nearly the same amount as turbulence does. Turbulence enhances the apparent viscosity to the point that, when the turbulence model is activated, the Dean vortices are not formed at the moderate Reynolds numbers studied in this work. Predictions of both 3D models are in good agreement with experiments with respect to extinction limits and temperature distributions. Comparing 3D to two-dimensional (2D) simulations employing a simple model for the out-of-plane heat losses, the turbulence model is found to be essential for accurate predictions in 2D because Dean vortices cannot form in 2D simulations. Predictions obtained using a 1-step chemical reaction model with the pre-exponential term adjusted to obtain agreement between model and experiments at one test condition are compared to a 4-step reaction model developed for flow reactors. The latter is found to provide good agreement with experiments with no adjustable parameters, which is argued to be plausible because the conditions inside heat-recirculating combustors are closer to those of flow reactors than propagating flames.
Bactericidal response of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) by the classical and alternative complement pathways against bacterial pathogens

Summary The alternative and classical complement pathways of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), most importantly the classical complement pathway which requires antibody, demonstrated bactericidal activity against two Gram-negative bacterial fish pathogens, Flexibacter columnaris and Vibrio anguillarum. This shows the importance of antibody-mediated bactericidal immunity in fish by the classical complement pathway in providing protection following immunization or natural infections.
Antifungal therapy: Potential interactions with other classes of drugs

Abstract Combination drug therapy is widely used for the management of many common medical conditions. The concurrent use of more than one drug can significantly alter the therapeutic and side-effect profile of each individual agent. Such drug-drug interactions are generally classified either as pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic. Oral agents used for the management of superficial fungal infections can have both types of interactions. This article describes common drug-drug interactions observed with amphotericin B, flucytosine, griseofulvin, ke-toconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole.
Eating dogfood: examining the relative roles of reason and emotion

Psychologists have described the working of the human brain as a combination of two systems – a dual process model. One system is intuitive and automatic (System 1) and the other is reflective and rational (System 2). To determine what insights this model has for stigma – such as fears of food contamination – we elicited the willingness-to-pay for two foods: a sandwich made of dog food and fat-free ice cream. We find critical evidence of a dual process decision making process in which the absence of cognitive load allows the participants to deliberate over the health benefits of either food. In addition, in the case of the sandwich, there is an emotional component in which the positive emotion of surprise can partially offset the negative emotion of disgust. This has notable implications for addressing food safety fears related to contamination as well as the food neophobia related to unfamiliar foods, processing, or preparation.
Is the phase transition in the Heisenberg model described by the (2 + ϵ) expansion of the non-linear σ-model?

Abstract The non-linear σ-model is a ubiquitous model. In this paper, the O ( N ) model where the N -component spin is a unit vector, S 2 = 1, is considered. The stability of this model with respect to gradient operators ( ∂ μ S · ∂ ν S ) s , where the degree s is the arbitrary, is discussed. Explicit two-loop calculations within the scheme of ϵ-expansion, where ϵ = ( d − 2), leads to the surprising result that these operators are relevant. In fact, the relevance increases with the degree s . We argue that this phenomenon in the O ( N ) model actually reflects the failure of the perturbative analysis, that is, the (2 + ϵ ) expansion. It is likely that it is necessary to take into account non-perturbative effects if one wants to describe the phase transition of the Heisenberg model within the context of the non-linear σ-model. Thus, uncritical use of the (2 + ϵ ) expansion may be misleading, especially for those cases for which there are not many independent checks.
Correlation of tar yields from rapid pyrolysis with coal type and pressure

Abstract A new correlation independently relating maximum tar yield from rapid pyrolysis (heating rate ≳ 100 K s − 1 ) to coal type and to total pressure is presented. Coal type effects are treated using only information on the elemental composition of the unpyrolysed coal. Pressure effects are correlated via empirical parameters obtained from best-fit analyses of existing data. The correlation is tested against experimental data for coals from the USA, France and W. Germany representing a wide range of rank, and for pressures from ‘Vacuum’ to 9 MPa. Satisfying results are obtained, with predictions of tar yield generally within ± 5 wt % (of dmmf coal) of observed values at all pressures for most coals. The correlation is most suited to predicting maximum tar yields under reaction conditions affording minimal opportunity for extra-particle secondary reactions of newly formed pyrolysis tars. It is also useful for predicting probable upper bounds on pyrolysis tar yields under other operating conditions.
Direct measurement of the decay energy of 85Sr from inner brehmstrahlung spectrum and Bahcall exchange correction

Abstract The decay energy for electron capture decay of 85 Sr has been obtained directly by a measurement of the inner bremsstrahlung end point energy. Our value of 1007 ± 30 KeV is in disagreement with the value of 1110 ± 30 keV deduced from the 85 Rb (p, n) 85 Sr reaction threshold. Our measured value of 478 ± 30 keV for the Q -value to the 514 keV excited level of 84 Rb when combined with the measured L/K ratio of 0.12 ± 0.05 yields a correction factor of 1.13 ± 0.17 using Rose's theory or 1.11 ± 0.18 using the most recent calculations of Winter based on the Hartree-Fock wave functions of Watson and Freeman. These values are to be compared with the Bahcall exchange correction factor of 1.09.
Blue Growth: The 2014 FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture

The latest United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report (FAO 2014) addresses the prospect of feeding a human population set to rise to 9.6 billion by 2050. Aquaculture products now provi...
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 RNA crystal structures reveal heterogeneous 1 × 1 nucleotide UU internal loop conformations.

RNA internal loops often display a variety of conformations in solution. Herein, we visualize conformational heterogeneity in the context of the 5′CUG/3′GUC repeat motif present in the RNA that causes myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). Specifically, two crystal structures of a model DM1 triplet repeating construct, 5′r[UUGGGC(CUG)3GUCC]2, refined to 2.20 and 1.52 A resolution are disclosed. Here, differences in the orientation of the 5′ dangling UU end between the two structures induce changes in the backbone groove width, which reveals that noncanonical 1 × 1 nucleotide UU internal loops can display an ensemble of pairing conformations. In the 2.20 A structure, CUGa, the 5′ UU forms a one hydrogen-bonded pair with a 5′ UU of a neighboring helix in the unit cell to form a pseudoinfinite helix. The central 1 × 1 nucleotide UU internal loop has no hydrogen bonds, while the terminal 1 × 1 nucleotide UU internal loops each form a one-hydrogen bond pair. In the 1.52 A structure, CUGb, the 5′ UU dangling end is t...
INFINITE-DIMENSIONAL ℤN-INDEXED LIE ALGEBRAS AND THEIR SUPERSYMMETRIC GENERALIZATIONS

We exhibit a new infinite-dimensional Lie algebra involving operators Ln with indices n ∈ ℤN and depending on a vector of structure constants, v. Two different types of central extensions are also presented. By constructing an explicit representation, we show that this algebra has a natural mathematical basis in terms of the algebra of infinitesimal diffeomorphisms of (S1)N. For N ≥ 2, the space of states is shown to have properties very different from those of the N = 1 (Virasoro) case. Supersymmetric generalizations are also given.
Evidence-Based Practice or Evidence-Guided Practice: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet [Invited Response to Gitterman & Knight's “Evidence-Guided Practice”]:

Gitterman and Knight (2013) expand upon the original model of evidence-based practice (EBP) by proposing an approach they label evidence-guided practice (EGP). They justify this by highlighting some supposed limitations of the original EBP model and by presenting some additional features to amend EBP into EGP. I attempt to show that the limitations they say characterize EBP are not actually a part of the real EBP model and are based upon either a misreading of the EBP literature, or by overlooking some of the features of EBP. I also try to demonstrate that most of the add-on elements to EBP they propose to label EGB are actually already present in the original model of EBP. One of their add-ons, an increased reliance upon formal theory as evidence, in addition to empirical research, seems to me a retrograde step and will perpetuate the harmful influence of some aspects of theory in social work practice. However, I judge their EGP model to be an improvement upon current social work practice, which largely ...
Gastric-juice ammonia assay for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and the relationship of ammonia concentration to gastritis severity.

Gastric-juice ammonia assay for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and the relationship of ammonia concentration to gastritis severity
Algebra structures on some canonical resolutions

The study of algebra structures on finite free resolutions of cyclic modules begins with Buchsbaum and Eisenbud [B-El]. The classes of cyclic modules whose minimal resolutions are known to admit an algebra structure include the residue field [Gu], complete intersections (Koszul complex), modules of homological dimension atmost 3 [B-El], Gorenstein of codimension four [K-M], and Herzog algebras [K-M23. Avramov [Al] gave examples to show that there are cyclic modules whose minimal resolutions do not admit an algebra structure. Let R be a noetherian local ring with maximal ideal m. In this paper we construct algebra structures on the minimal resolutions of two classes of cyclic modules R/I, namely, when Z is of the form Jk, where J is an ideal generated by a regular sequence, and when Z is the ideal of maximal minors of a generic n x m matrix, provided R contains the rationals. In [Al] Avramov defined certain obstructions to the existance of an algebra structure on the minimal resolution of a module and then produced modules with non-zero obstructions. The general question is whether the vanishing of these obstructions is also sufficient for the existence of a minimal algebra resolution of a cyclic module. When Z is an ideal generated by a regular sequence in R and M= R/Z” for any positive integer k, then these obstructions are all zero. Therefore, Avramov and Schlessinger asked whether the minimal resolutions of R/Z’ admit an algebra structure. Corollary 3.6 of this paper provides an affirmative answer to this question.
A note on approximation of optimal solutions of free problems of the calculus of variations

M. Lavrentiev, and later B. Mania, have given examples of free problems of the Calculus of Variations in which it is impossible to find a piecewiseC1 function, satisfying the same boundary conditions as the absolutely continuous optimal solution, and which simultaneously approximates both the optimal cost and, uniformly, the optimal trajectory. We investigate this question of approximation for free problems inEn.
Analysis of a Nuclear Accident: Fission and Activation Product Releases from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Facility as Remote Indicators of Source Identification, Extent of Release, and State of Damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel

Researchers evaluated radionuclide measurements of environmental samples taken from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility and reported on the Tokyo Electric Power Co. Website following the 2011 tsunami-initiated catastrophe. This effort identified Units 1 and 3 as the major source of radioactive contamination to the surface soil near the facility. Radionuclide trends identified in the soils suggested that: (1) chemical volatility driven by temperature and reduction potential within the vented reactors’ primary containment vessels dictated the extent of release of radiation; (2) all coolant had likely evaporated by the time of venting; and (3) physical migration through the fuel matrix and across the cladding wall were minimally effective at containing volatile species, suggesting damage to fuel bundles was extensive. Plutonium isotopic ratios and their distance from the source indicated that the damaged reactors were the major contributor of plutonium to surface soil at the source, decreasing rapidly wit...
Isolation of Differentially Expressed cDNA Fragments

After separation on acrylamide gel, differentially expressed bands are identified by autoradiography and cut out from the gel; cDNA samples are then eluted from the dried gel for further analysis. The accuracy of the cut-out depends on proper alignment of the gel and autoradiograph. Several tricks, such as marking the profile of the gel onto the film, making pinholes through the gel and film, or dotting the gel with fluorescent or radioactive dyes, may be used. However, none of them ensure 100 % reliability for accurate cutting of specific bands from the gel. We suggest following the procedure described by Kim et al. (1995) and reported below. This technique is more reliable than others, since guidelines exist on how to overlap the gel and the X-ray film.
Why Are Styles of Upward Influence Neglected? Making the Case for a Configurational Approach to Influences

Kipnis and Schmidt (1988) challenged the traditional between-person focus in upward influence research by the clustering of tactics to identify four broader styles individuals use in influence attempts. Using two diverse samples, findings supported the existence of three of the four styles identified by Kipnis and Schmidt (Tactician, Shotgun, and Bystander). Tests of hypotheses linking theoretical correlates to specific styles suggest that configurational approaches to influence use should not be ignored by researchers.
Long-term Outcomes in Pediatric-Onset Esophageal Eosinophilia

Background Pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a newly recognized antigen-induced form of chronic esophagitis (CE). Objective Characterization of long-term clinical outcomes in patients with pediatric EoE is needed. Methods From histologic review of 3817 pediatric esophageal biopsy specimens from 1982-1999, we conducted a nested case-control study of patients with retrospectively identified histologic eosinophilic esophagitis (rEoE) and CE, as well as an age-matched control cohort. Participants were asked to complete validated health-related outcome questionnaires. Results At an average of 15 years after initial endoscopy, both cohorts (42/198 patients with rEoE and 67/468 patients with CE, as well as 100 age-matched control subjects) completed questionnaires. Compared with control subjects, quality of life was significantly decreased among patients with rEoE ( P P P P P P P P = .04) were associated with dysphagia. Food impaction was more common among patients with reported food allergy than among those without (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2-7.8; P = .02). Conclusions Esophageal eosinophilia is associated with reduced quality of life and persistent symptoms 15 years after presentation. Increased esophageal eosinophil counts and the occurrence of food allergy and atopy in childhood increase the rate of dysphagia in young adulthood.
Efficient spill code for SDRAM

Processors such as StrongARM and memory such as SDRAM enable efficient execution of multiple loads and stores in a single instruction. This is particularly useful in connection with register allocation where spill code may need to save and restore multiple registers. Until now, there has been no effective strategy for utilizing this to its full potential. In this paper we investigate the use of SDRAM for optimization of spill code. The core of the problem is to arrange the variables in the spill area such that loading to and storing from the SDRAM is optimally efficient. We show that the problem is NP-complete and present a method based on integer linear programming (ILP) to solve the problem. We have implemented our approach as an additional phase in a gcc-based compiler for the StrongARM core of Intel's IXP--1200 network processor. Our optimizer, SLA (stack location allocator), rearranges the scalar variables so that memory accesses can be made cheaper. Our experimental results show that our ILP-based method is efficient and that the code generated for our benchmarks runs 0.8--15.1% faster than the code produced by the original compiler with --O2 optimization. Our SLA phase is guaranteed to not deteriorate the execution-time performance and can be configured such as not to increase the code size.
Preparation and Characterization of PbTiO3 and PbZrO3 Films from Oxide Multilayers

PbTiO3 and PbZrO3 thin films were successfully fabricated from oxide multilayers by employing ion-assisted deposition process (IAD). Excellent control of the film thickness and composition were achieved by using the multilayer deposition technique. A (001)-oriented phase was found in the PbTiO3 films at 550°C with 300 and 600eV Ar+ ion bombardment. Very fine equiaxial grain size of 0.2μm was seen in the IAD deposited PbTiO3 films, which is independent of the Ar+ ion beam energy. The optical properties of the PbTiO3 films were studied for different energies of Ar+ ion beam and for various post-deposition annealing temperatures. PbTiO3 films with packing density of near unity (≅0.99) were obtained at temperatures as low as 600°C.
Nutrient and Chemical Properties of Aging Golf Course Putting Greens as Impacted by Soil Depth and Mat Development

Nutrient and chemical changes in turfgrass sand-based root zones are not well understood. This study was conducted to characterize nutrient and chemical properties in putting greens influenced by root zone mixture and establishment treatment, putting green age, and soil depth. Putting greens were constructed and established with Agrostis stolonifera L. in sequential years from 1997 to 2000. Treatments included root zone mixtures of 80:20 (v:v) sand and sphagnum peat and 80:15:5 (v:v:v) sand, sphagnum peat,andsoil,andacceleratedversuscontrolledestablishment.Intheestablishmentyear, the accelerated treatment received 2.6-, 3.0-, and 2.6-fold more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively, than the controlled treatment. Soil samples were taken in Fall 2001, Spring 2004, and Summer 2004 and were analyzed for nutrient and chemical properties such as pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter (OM), total soluble salts (TSS), and 12 nutrients. The root zone mixture and establishment treatments had minimal effects on most nutrient and chemical properties with the exception of phosphorus and pH. Cation exchange capacity, OM, TSS, and all nutrients decreased with soil depth, whereas soil pH increased. The putting green age · soil depth interaction was significant for many of the nutrient and chemical properties, but separating soil samples into mat and original root zone instead of predetermined soil sampling depths eliminated most of these interactions. The mat layer had higher CEC and OM values and nutrient concentrations and lower pH values than the original root zone mixture.
Software technology risk advisor

This paper describes the Software Technology Risk Advisor (STRA), a knowledge-based software engineering tool that provides assistance in identifying and managing software technology risks. The STRA contains a knowledge base of software product and process needs, satisfying capabilities and capability maturity factors. After a user ranks the importance of relevant needs to his or her project, the STRA automatically infers risk areas by evaluating disparities between project needs and technology maturities. Identified risks are quantitatively prioritized and the user is given risk reduction advice and rationale for each conclusion. This paper presents methods used in the STRA, along with discussions of knowledge acquisition experimental results, current status, and related work. >
Racial Differences in Survival of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States: A Population-Based Study

Background & Aims: Survival after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis is generally dismal, but there are patients with more favorable outcomes. Racial variation in survival of patients with HCC could be associated with observed differences in survival; however this has not been previously examined. Methods: During 1987–2001, HCC patients were identified from 9 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results registries. One- and 3-year survival rates were calculated and compared by race. Models were constructed to examine the effects of race on the mortality risk. Results: Asians had the highest 1- and 3-year observed and relative survival, followed by whites, Hispanics, and blacks. Compared with whites, Asians (odds ratio [OR], 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.69) were more likely to receive local or surgical therapy, whereas blacks (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49–0.78) and Hispanics (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.60–1.09) were less likely to receive therapy. Adjusting for differences in receipt of therapy, stage of HCC, year of diagnosis, and other demographics, Asians (hazard rate [HR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78–0.91) maintained a lower mortality risk compared with whites. In adjusted models, Hispanics (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03–1.24) maintained a higher mortality risk, whereas the mortality risk for blacks became nonsignificant different from whites (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.99–1.14). Last, a 22% improvement in survival was observed between 1987–1991 and 1997–2001, which was mostly explained by increased receipt of local or surgical therapy. Conclusions: We observed significant racial variation in survival. These variations in survival are partly explained by a lower likelihood of receipt of therapy and more advanced HCC at diagnosis among blacks and Hispanics.
ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS AND MANAGEMENT OF DENGUE PATIENTS WITH UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING

There are 100 million cases of dengue infection, 500,000 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever, and 25,000 deaths annually due to dengue worldwide. Gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common type of severe hemorrhage in dengue fever. However, there are no reports about the clinical applications of endoscopic therapy for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGI) in dengue patients. From June 17, 2002 to January 30, 2003, 1,156 patients with confirmed dengue virus infection were treated at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. We analyzed those patients who had received endoscopic therapy for UGI. The characteristic endoscopic findings, therapeutic courses, and amount of blood component transfused were collected from their charts for statistical analysis. Among the 1,156 dengue patients, 97 (8.4%) had complications of UGI bleeding during hospitalization. The endoscopic findings included hemorrhagic (and/or erosive) gastritis in 67% of the patients, gastric ulcer in 57.7%, duodenal ulcer in 26.8%, and esophageal ulcer in 3.1%. Of the 73 patients with peptic ulcer, 42 (57.5%) met the endoscopic criteria (recent hemorrhage) for endoscopic hemostasis therapy. Peptic ulcer patients with recent hemorrhage required more transfusions with packed red blood cells (P = 0.002) and fresh frozen plasma (P = 0.05) than those without recent hemorrhage. Among these 42 patients with recent hemorrhage, endoscopic injection therapy was conducted in 15 patients (group A). The other 27 patients (group B) did not receive endoscopic therapy. After endoscopy, patients in group A required more transfusions with packed red blood cells (P = 0.03) and fresh frozen plasma (P = 0.014) than did patients in group B. There were no significant differences between groups A and B in duration of hospital stay and amounts of transfused platelet concentrate after endoscopy. Medical treatment with blood transfusion is the mainstay of management of UGI bleeding in dengue patients. Patients having peptic ulcer with recent hemorrhage require more transfusions with packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma for management of UGI bleeding than those without recent hemorrhage. However, when peptic ulcer with recent hemorrhage is encountered during the endoscopic procedure, endoscopic injection therapy is not an effective adjuvant treatment of hemostasis in dengue patients with UGI bleeding.
Smelter shutdown used in study of rain chemistry

The closing of a copper smelter near Tacoma, Wash., in the spring of 1986 gave a group of scientists at the University of Washington (Seattle) a unique opportunity to do a study of the effects of the smelter's emissions on the chemistry of rainwater in the area. The smelter, specially equipped to handle high-arsenic copper ore, was once the largest single source of airborne arsenic in the United States. Two papers on these studies were presented on December 11, 1986, at the AGU Fall Meeting/ASLO Winter Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. The group, headed by Richard J. Vong, set up a network of 38 sites to analyze rainwater in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The researchers took advantage of the smelter's coastal location by confining their observations to rainfall from cyclonic frontal systems that came directly in from the Pacific Ocean. These systems had not yet passed over any large pollution sources other than the smelter, according to Richard E. Peterson II, a member of the research team.
Applied Ethics in the Engineering, Health, Business, and Law Professions: A Comparison

BACKGROUND Applied ethics plays a critical role in engineering, health, business, and law. Applied ethics is currently a required component of the pre-practice education for these professions, yet the literature suggests that challenges remain in how we define, instruct, and assess professions-based ethics education. PURPOSE Based on the on going debate associated with the instruction and assessment of applied engineering ethics, an exploratory investigation was performed to determine what could be learned by looking across professions.
Battered Women: A Medical Problem Requiring Detection:

A one month study of the surgical and psychiatric service of a university hospital emergency room identified thirty-seven women coming for treatment as a result of physical abuse. Thirty-three of the thirty-seven women presented at the surgical services and represented 3.8 per cent of surgical admissions in the emergency room.These women came from all ages, social and ethnic groups. They usually presented with contusions or other injuries to the head and neck. The majority would not accept psychiatric treatment but were willing to discuss the problem with the emergency room physician if encouraged. The preventive implications of these findings for the nonpsychiatric physician are discussed.
Identification of differentially expressed UniGenes in developing wheat seed using digital differential display

Abstract The wheat UniGene sets, derived from over one million Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) in the NCBI GenBank, offer a platform for identifying differentially expressed genes in wheat seeds. This report illustrates a means to efficiently utilize this public database for gene expression (transcriptome) profiling of developing wheat seed. Using a data mining tool known as Digital Differential Display (DDD), thirteen pair-wise comparisons were performed on seven seed cDNA libraries from five varieties at various seed development stages. DDD identified 46 seed-specific UniGene sets, excluding the well characterized “housekeeping” and seed storage protein genes. Additionally, seed- and developmentally-specific UniGenes were identified. Some of these genes encode for proteins such as purothionins, serpins, α-amylase inhibitors, lipid transfer proteins, and other unknown but novel gene sequences. Specifically, the wheat serpin and β-purothionin precursor were found to be expressed at higher levels in hard varieties than soft varieties. This study supports the starting premise that by implementing in-silico analysis of the wheat UniGene database, it is possible to rapidly create transcriptional profiles of known and novel genes in developing seeds.
Chronic daily headache- one disease or two.? Diagnostic role of serum ionized magnesium

The entity of chronic daily headache (CDH) is well documented, but is not included in the current classification. We divided patients with CDH into groups with and without migrainous features. This division resulted in clearly distinguishable syndromes of daily migrainous headaches (DMH) and daily tension-type headaches (DTH). Family history of headaches was more common in patients with DMH. Patients in both groups had a high incidence of caffeine or drug overuse. The clinical division into DMH and DTH was supported by our finding of a higher incidence of disturbed magnesium (Mg) metabolism in patients with DMH. Of 26 patients with DMH, 8 (30.8%) had low serum ionized, but not total, Mg levels, and 16 (61.5%) had high ionized calcium/magnesium ratios. The corresponding numbers for the 22 patients with DTH were 1 (4.5%) and 8 (30.4%). These new laboratory measurements offer possible biological markers for the diagnosis of different headache syndromes.
An Open Source Client-Server System for the Analysis of Affymetrix Microarray Data

Microarray data is rich in nature and can often be used to approach a large number of biological questions. This is especially true when data from a broad range of cell types or tissues can be compared easily. We believe that the current limiting factor in the exploitation of microarray data is not technical, but rather the number of biological questions asked of the data. This is mostly a function of the number of biologists that can be coerced into spending time inspecting and questioning the data produced. In order to address this problem we have created a data analysis system that allows the simultaneous analysis of Affymetrix [1] type data by an arbitrary number of researchers. Our system provides tight integration with genomic data from the Ensembl [2] project along with a range of statistical query methods accessed through an easily used graphical environment running on remote clients. We are planning to release this system under the GPL and are actively looking for future collaborators and contributors to the project.
Using Abstraction Hierarchy as a Structured Approach in Verifying Data Quality in Driving Research

Data lost or misconstrued due to malfunctioning research equipment affects accuracy, results and analyses that driving researchers report. Carefully studying the data collection system with an Abstraction Hierarchy gathers necessary information about the equipment location and capabilities which can highlight issues in the collected data where completeness and quality are lacking. Use of this structured method to describe the instrumented research vehicle information system is a new application; however, Abstraction Hierarchy has been used in complex systems such as power, chemical and nuclear industries in order to improve the reliability of the human-machine interfaces. In this application, the Abstraction Hierarchy identified potential operating temperature issues affecting the quality of the data, provided avenues to clearly define how behavioral variables were measured, equated input and output sampling rates to show potential problems in the system and used similar variables to cross-check the consi...
CD94/NKG2A Inhibits NK Cell Activation by Disrupting the Actin Network at the Immunological Synapse

An adequate immune response is the result of the fine balance between activation and inhibitory signals. The exact means by which inhibitory signals obviate activation signals in immune cells are not totally elucidated. Human CD94/NKG2A is an ITIM-containing inhibitory receptor expressed by NK cells and some CD8+ T cells that recognize HLA-E. We show that the engagement of this receptor prevents NK cell activation by disruption of the actin network and exclusion of lipid rafts at the point of contact with its ligand (inhibitory NK cell immunological synapse, iNKIS). CD94/NKG2A engagement leads to recruitment and activation of src homology 2 domain-bearing tyrosine phosphatase 1. This likely explains the observed dephosphorylation of guanine nucleotide exchange factor and regulator of actin, Vav1, as well as ezrin-radixin-moesin proteins that connect actin filaments to membrane structures. In contrast, NK cell activation by NKG2D induced Vav1 and ezrin-radixin-moesin phosphorylation. Thus, CD94/NKG2A prevents actin-dependent recruitment of raft-associated activation receptors complexes to the activating synapse. This was further substantiated by showing that inhibition of actin polymerization abolished lipid rafts exclusion at the iNKIS, whereas cholesterol depletion had no effect on actin disruption at the iNKIS. These data indicate that the lipid rafts exclusion at the iNKIS is an active process which requires an intact cytoskeleton to maintain lipid rafts outside the inhibitory synapse. The net effect is to maintain an inhibitory state in the proximity of the iNKIS, while allowing the formation of activation synapse at distal points within the same NK cell.
Information Aggregation and Equilibrium Multiplicity: Morris-Shin Meets Grossman-Stiglitz ∗

This paper argues that adding endogenous information aggregation to situations where coordination is important — such as riots, self-fulfilling currency crises, bank runs, debt crises or financial crashes — yields novel insights into the multiplicity of equilibria. Morris and Shin (1998) have highlighted the importance of the information structure for this question. They also show that, with exogenous information, multiplicity collapses when individuals observe fundamentals with small enough idiosyncratic noise. In the spirit of Grossman and Stiglitz (1976), we endogenize public information by allowing individuals to observe financial prices or other noisy indicators of aggregate activity. In equilibrium these indicators imperfectly aggregate disperse private information without ever inducing common knowledge. Importantly, their informativeness increases with the precision of private information. We show that multiplicity may survive and characterize the conditions under which it obtains. Interestingly, endogenous information typically reverses the limit result: multiplicity is ensured when individuals observe fundamentals with small enough idiosyncratic noise.
A comparison of open versus closed techniques using the Harmonic Scalpel in outpatient hemorrhoid surgery.

ABSTRACT Background: Surgical excision using the Harmonic Scalpel is a modern technique for symptomatic third- and fourth-degree hemorrhoids. The resulting mucosal defect is then left open or sutured closed depending on surgeon preference. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the open vs. closed techniques of hemorrhoid excision using the Harmonic Scalpel in an outpatient setting. Methods: From July 2000 through October 2001, 42 patients underwent surgical excision of complex grade III or grade IV hemorrhoids via the Harmonic Scalpel with closure of the overlying mucosa (closed), and without closure of the overlying mucosa (open). Quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-36 survey. Results: Both groups were comparable in terms of patient demographics and type of anesthesia. There were no late complications. Mean follow-up was 16.9 (range, 12–27) months. Conclusion: Leaving the mucosal defect open following Harmonic Scalpel hemorrhoidectomy significantly reduces operative time, and th...
Profound hypoglycemia in a mail-order pharmacy customer as a result of a dispensing error

Accidental hypoglycemia is most commonly associated with the inadvertent ingestion of oral hypoglycemic drugs, and profound hypoglycemia can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Dispensing errors involving sulfonylureas are usually cited as the cause, and these errors have historically been related to sound-alike compounds or proximity errors. We present the case of a patient who received sulfonylureas meant for a different patient through the mail and simply complied with the instructions on the medication bottle, with the result of severe hypoglycemia. This case demonstrates the need for clinicians to properly assess all patients with profound hypoglycemia, evaluating them for inadvertent ingestion of hypoglycemic agents. Furthermore, pharmacies that provide mail-order prescription services must ensure patient safety through quality-control mechanisms.
Cardiac Involvement in Batten Disease

The onset and progression of cardiac involvement in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease) are studied in 29 children and adolescents with genetically verified disease at Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark.
Sexual Abuse and Binge Eating in a Nonclinical Population

This study with a nonclinical female sample investigated the relationship between symptoms of binge eating and a history of sexual victimization. Results indicate a higher incidence of binge eating symptoms among those with history of childhood sexual abuse and a higher incidence of such symptoms with history of sexual assault at any age. Victims in this nonclinical sample also reported more psychopathology on psychometric measures. Discussion includes suggestions that treatment of sexual molestation may warrant higher priority than treatment of symptomatic eating.