cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgeon work captured by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program across specialties.

Abstract Background The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database is increasingly used for surgical research. However, it is unclear how well this database represents the breadth of work performed by different specialties. Methods Using the 2017 NSQIP participant use file and the 2017 Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary file, we evaluated (1) what proportion of surgical work is captured by NSQIP, (2) what procedures and disciplines are undersampled, and (3) the overall concordance between the NSQIP sample and a national sample. Results The NSQIP database reported at least one case for 4,463 out of the 5,272 Current Procedures Terminology codes in the Medicare file, potentially capturing 97.8% of surgical work across all 10 specialties. However, this proportion decreased to 72.1% when only procedures with at least 100 cases in NSQIP were considered. Limiting our analysis to only those procedures with 100 cases had markedly different effects by specialty. In part, this was owing to undersampling of minor procedures, which are more common in disciplines such as otolaryngology and urology. The overall association between the size of the NSQIP sample and the Medicare sample was 0.08. Conclusion Although NSQIP has the potential to capture a diverse surgical caseload, some specialties and procedures are undersampled, limiting the ability for NSQIP to generate valid benchmarks. There was little correlation between the sample sizes in NSQIP and a national sample. Increasing sampling of underrepresented procedures and developing weights to scale NSQIP to a national sample would strengthen the program's ability to inform health outcomes research and provide valid comparisons across procedures and specialties.
Mechanisms of exercise-induced preconditioning in skeletal muscles

Endurance exercise training promotes numerous biochemical adaptations within skeletal muscle fibers culminating into a phenotype that is safeguarded against numerous perils including doxorubicin-induced myopathy and inactivity-induced muscle atrophy. This exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers is commonly termed "exercise preconditioning". This review will discuss the biochemical mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against these harmful events. The first segment of this report highlights the evidence that endurance exercise training provides cytoprotection to skeletal muscle fibers against several potentially damaging insults. The second and third sections of the review will discuss the cellular adaptations responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against doxorubicin-provoked damage and inactivity-induced fiber atrophy, respectively. Importantly, we also identify gaps in our understanding of exercise preconditioning in hopes of stimulating future research.
Action-Manipulation Attacks on Stochastic Bandits

As stochastic multi-armed bandit model has many important applications, understanding the impact of adversarial attacks on this model is essential for the safe applications of this model. In this paper, we propose a new class of attack named action-manipulation attack, where an adversary can change the action signal selected by the user. We investigate the attack against a very popular and widely used bandit algorithm: Upper Confidence Bound (UCB) algorithm. Without knowledge of mean rewards of arms, our proposed attack scheme can force the user to pull a target arm very frequently by spending only logarithm cost.
Gender-based Differences in Career Plans, Salary Expectations, and Business Preparedness Among Urology Residents.

Objective To characterize gender-related differences between the values and salary expectations of US urology residents. Methods We analyzed 2016-2018 American Urological Association Census data regarding residents’ demographics, motivations, and concerns. To explore gendered differences, we queried Census items related to demographics, values, and preparedness for the business of practice. Descriptive statistics and test of hypotheses were used for analysis. Results A total of 705 residents responded of whom 196 (28%) were female. More than half of residents (54%) reported educational debt >$150,000. Factors influencing choice of practice setting included lifestyle (87%), compensation (82%), and location (78%) and was not significantly different between males and females. There were also no differences regarding planned practice setting. However, women had significantly lower first year salary expectations; 53% expected to make Conclusion Among a nationally representative sample of urology residents, women had significantly lower salary expectations and expressed significantly more discomfort with the business aspects of medicine, including contract negotiation, than their male counterparts. These observational findings may contribute to and potentially perpetuate the urology wage gap.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Abstract In this chapter, we introduce the reader to the fundamental concepts that outline pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Basic terms are defined and presented along with the related mathematical equations that permit us to explore the relationships between dose, exposure, and response. Selected clinical examples are provided to assist the reader in solidifying their understanding of these concepts. It is the intent that this overview will lessen the perception that PK and PD represent a somewhat esoteric discipline.
Reliability of Ferroelectric HfO 2 -based Memories: From MOS Capacitor to FeFET

Ferroelectric (FE) FETs as nonvolatile memories have enjoyed a recent resurgence among emerging memory technologies due to the discovery of ferroelectricity in HfO 2 [1] . FE-HfO 2 offers attractive qualities such as CMOS compatibility, fast read/write speed, excellent retention, and scalability [2] . However, as write endurance remains a concern, various techniques have been proposed to improve endurance; among them, popular ones include engineering of the interfacial layer (IL), modulating the FE oxide properties, and changing the gate electrode [ 2 - 5 ]. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time a systematic, reliable, and rapid method to qualitatively predict the FE endurance of prospective gate stack designs prior to running a full FeFET fabrication process. MOSCAPs incorporating FE gate stacks (∼ 4.5 nm) realized via a one-step lithography process on highly doped Si are compared against real endurance results from SOI FeFETs incorporating the same FE oxides. The FeFETs demonstrated in this work boast impressive programmability (0.4 - 0.5V memory window at ±3.3V, 1 µ s) and a strong potential for further scalability.
The Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor Dimethyl Oxalyl Glycine Decreases Early Gastrointestinal GVHD in Experimental Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

BACKGROUND Prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (PHI) promote stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha and affect signaling cascades of inflammation and cell death. Their beneficial use in experimental models of ulcerative colitis and lung allograft rejection led us to test the effect of the PHI dimethyl oxalyl glycine (DMOG) in the pathophysiology of graft versus host disease (GVHD). METHODS Acute GVHD was induced in lethally irradiated BALB/c mice. DMOG was administered intraperitoneally on alternate days for the first 2-weeks posttransplant, and then twice a week till day +50, while controls received vehicle only. Animals were monitored for clinical GVHD and analyzed at day +7 and at day +50. RESULTS DMOG treatment of allogeneic recipients improved survival by day +50, which was associated with decreased early gut injury and serum tumor necrosis factor-α compared with allogeneic controls. DMOG treatment of allogeneic recipients resulted in increased hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha expression and reduced apoptosis in the terminal ileum via Fas-associated protein with death domain protein repression along with decreased T-cell infiltration. Reduced pathology in colon after DMOG treatment associates with intestinal epithelium integrity and reduced damage caused by diminished recruitment of neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, we show protective effects of DMOG on early gut GVHD and improved survival in a model of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, providing the rationale for further evaluation of PHIs, in the prevention and treatment of acute GVHD.
The transgender organ donor: New frontiers in advocacy for mental health providers

For transgender and/or gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals who already experience health disparities, modern medical advancements such as transplant medicine can outpace progress in healthcare...
Exploring adipogenic and myogenic circulatory biomarkers of recurrent pressure injury risk for persons with spinal cord injury.

Purpose: To investigate linkages between circulatory adipogenic and myogenic biomarkers, gluteal intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), and pressure injury (PrI) history following spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: This is an observational repeated-measures study of 30 individuals with SCI. Whole blood was collected regularly over 2-3 years. Circulatory adipogenic and myogenic gene expression was determined. IMAT was defined as above/below 15% (IMATd) or percentage (IMAT%). PrI history was defined as recurrent PrI (RPrI) or PrI number (nPrI). Model development used R packages (version 3.5.1). Univariate analysis screened for discriminating genes for downstream multivariate and combined models of averaged and longitudinal data for binary (RPrI/IMATd) and finer scales (nPrI/IMAT%). Results: For adipogenesis, Kruppel-like factor 4 was the top RPrI predictor together with resistin and cyclin D1, and sirtuin 2 was the top IMAT predictor. For myogenesis, the top RPrI predictor was dysferlin 2B, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 was the top IMAT predictor together with dystrophin. Conclusion: Circulatory adipogenic and myogenic biomarkers have statistically significant relationships with PrI history and IMAT for persons with SCI. Biomarkers of interest may act synergistically or additively. Variable importance rankings can reveal nonlinear correlations among the predictors. Biomarkers of interest may act synergistically or additively, thus multiple genes may need to be included for prediction with finer distinction.
Did You Notice the Ads? Examining the Influence of Telepresence and User Control on the Effectiveness of Embedded Billboard Ads in a VR Racing Game

Virtual reality (VR) can enhance game players’ experience by creating a hyperrealistic environment through telepresence. While marketers have found opportunities for advertising in this new medium,...
18. SOSHI-APE: Sources of Sexual Health Information for Adolescents and Preferences for Education

Background Adolescents may receive information about sexual health topics from a variety of different sources, such as school, family, healthcare professionals, peers, and media sources such as television, books, and the internet. Despite this variety, there is little information on where adolescents actually do receive information on these topics. The objective of this study was to identify the sources from which adolescents receive information about sexual health topics, how useful they find this information, and their preferred sources for education. Methods We conducted a survey of adolescents aged 14-21 about the sources from which they received sexual health information. Adolescents were recruited through online and in-person advertising at an adolescent-specific obstetrics and gynecology clinic. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v25.0. This study was approved by the Western Institutional Review Board #2017-030. Results The survey was completed by 196 adolescents. The average age of respondents was 16.0 years, 82.1% identified as female, and respondents were racially diverse (Table 1). School was the most common source of information on almost all sexual health topics: STIs (67.9%), condoms (50.5%), sex (40.8%), consent (40.3%), abortion (34.7%), pregnancy (33.7%), and birth control (32.7%), with the exception of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues, which respondents most commonly learned about from friends (24.5%). Parents and friends were also reported as highly common sources of sexual health information (Figure 1). Information about sex was much less commonly obtained from media sources, although the internet was one of the main sources of information about LGBTQ issues (10.2%) and abortion (9.7%). Across all topics, respondents rated the information that they received to be somewhat or very useful (75-85.7%). The main sources from which respondents would have preferred to receive information were school, healthcare professionals, or parents, with the exception of LGBTQ issues, which they would have preferred to learn about from school, parents, or friends. Conclusions The results of this descriptive study suggest that adolescents receive most of their information about sexual health from school, parents, or friends, with the exception of LGBTQ issues and abortion. The accuracy of information from family, friends, and the internet may vary and adolescents should be made aware of this. Although healthcare professionals were an uncommon source of sexual health information, respondents identified them as one of their main preferred sources. These findings indicate a need for more education on sexual health topics during healthcare encounters.
Optimal Product Design: Implications for Competition and Growth under Declining Search Frictions

As search frictions become smaller in the market for a consumer product, buyers are able to locate and access more sellers per unit of time. In response, sellers choose to design varieties of the product that are more specialized in order to exploit differences in the buyers' preferences. I find mild conditions on the fundamentals under which the decline in search frictions and the increase in specialization have exactly offsetting effects on the extent of competition in the market. Under these conditions, price dispersion remains constant over time even though search frictions are vanishing. Buyer's surplus and seller's profit, however, grow at a constant endogenous rate, as the endogenous increase in specialization allows sellers to cater better and better to the heterogeneous desires of buyers. Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.
Native Electrophoresis and Western Blot Analysis

Ioannis N. Manoussopoulos and Mina Tsagris developed and described Native Electrophoresis and Western Blot Analysis (a procedure they term as NEWeB) to study plant virus features, including virus particle-protein interactions, electrophorotype formation, and strain separation. Viral proteins are loaded in agarose or mixed agarose-acrylamide gels and separated under native conditions and transferred to nitrocellulose or other suitable membranes. This study used NEWeB to show Plum pox virus particles’ interaction with the helper component, a virus-encoded protein. This technique could be used in similar studies of different viruses or large protein complexes, using the electrophoretic mobility of virus particles (VP) and proteins with western blot specificity. Uses include studying VP in cause and effect or in time-interval experiments, VP structural studies, and VP interaction with the host or viral proteins and also the study of VP-protein complexes.
The Gastrointestinal Tract

Ultrasound is an important imaging modality for evaluation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in children. Ultrasound is often the imaging study of choice in children presenting to the Emergency Department with vomiting, abdominal pain, and lethargy not explained by initial plain abdominal films. There is no need for preparation in the emergent setting and the lack of ionizing radiation is in accordance with the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle. Ultrasound techniques for assessment of the pediatric GI tract are reviewed, followed by a discussion of normal development and anatomy. The definition, incidence, and typical clinical presentation of disorders affecting the GI tract from the esophagus to the anorectal region are provided, including infectious, inflammatory, and congenital, and neoplastic abnormalities, as well as anatomic variants that can predispose to volvulus and obstruction. A brief overview of management is also provided.
Interactions of Matrix Components and Soluble Factors in Vascular Responses to Injury

The vascular system is lined by mitotically quiescent but metabolically active endothelial cells, which in addition to having a broad range of metabolic activities, provide a nonthrombogenic surface for blood flow. Beneath the endothelium, smooth muscle cells are found in the media of large vessels, and pericytes are found in close association with the endothelial cells of microvascular beds. The smooth muscle cells (pericytes) are thought to play major roles in maintaining vessel wall integrity, being responsible for the maintenance to the connective tissues of the vessel wall and in the control of vascular tone.8 Vascular cells (large and small vessel derived endothelial, pericyte, and smooth muscle cells) have been found to respond to injury in specific ways, depending upon the vascular bed and the cell type(s) injured. For example, following denudation injury evoked by angioplasty, endarterectomy or autologous or synthetic grafting, large vessel endothelial cells bordering the affected area will exhibit rapid sheet migration over the exposed extracellular matrix and proliferate in an attempt to reconstitute the normal continuous endothelial cell lining.15,20 The medial smooth muscle cells of large and medium-sized vessels respond to vessel injury by migrating into the intima, where they proliferate and synthesize matrix components, which results in the formation of a thickened intima which narrows the vessel lumen.34 In contrast, following soft tissue injury or in response to a variety of angiogenic factors, microvascular endothelial cells respond by freeing themselves from the constraints of their investing basement membranes. Following this, they migrate and proliferate in the surrounding three-dimensional interstitial stroma and ultimately form new microvessels.17
There You Have it: The Life, Legacy, and Legend of Howard Cosell by John Bloom Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2011, 220 Pp.

(2011). There You Have it: The Life, Legacy, and Legend of Howard Cosell by John Bloom Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2011, 220 Pp. American Journalism: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 128-130.
Enhanced DNA repair synthesis in hyperacetylated nucleosomes

We have investigated the level of "early" DNA repair synthesis in nucleosome subpopulations, varying in histone acetylation, from normal human fibroblasts treated with sodium butyrate. We find that repair synthesis occurring during the first 30 min after UV irradiation is significantly enhanced in hyperacetylated mononucleosomes. Nucleosomes with an average of 2.3 acetyl residues/H4 molecule contained approximately 1.8-fold more repair synthesis than nucleosomes with an average of 1.5 or 1.0 acetyl residues/H4 molecule. Fractionation of highly acetylated nucleosomes by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis yielded an additional 2.0-fold enrichment of repair synthesis in nucleosomes containing 2.7 acetyl residues/H4 molecule as compared to nucleosomes containing 1.9 acetyl residues/H4 molecule. This enhanced repair synthesis is associated primarily with nucleosome core regions and does not appear to result from increased UV damage in hyperacetylated chromatin. In addition, the distribution of repair synthesis within nucleosome core DNA from hyperacetylated chromatin is nonrandom, showing a bias toward the 5' end which is similar to that obtained for bulk (unfractionated) chromatin. These results provide strong evidence that enhanced repair occurs within nucleosome cores of hyperacetylated chromatin in butyrate-treated human cells. Finally, pulse-chase experiments demonstrate that the association of enhanced repair synthesis with hyperacetylated nucleosomes is transient, lasting only about 12 h after UV damage.
Family well-being in a participant-directed autism waiver program: the role of relational coordination

Background Massachusetts is one of a very limited number of states exclusively employing participant-direction to deliver autism waiver services to children. A crucial element of this waiver program is the work conducted by the state's Department of Developmental Services (DDS) staff and state-approved providers with waiver families to facilitate the implementation of the participant-direction model. Our study investigates the effect of the collaboration between state providers and family caregivers on family well-being. Methods We conducted a survey of 74 families who have been utilising waiver services for at least 6 months. Participants were asked to rate the coordination with providers as well as to report on parenting stress and impact of waiver services on family functioning. Data from in-home child and family assessments conducted by the state were also abstracted from program records. Results After controlling for a host of variables hypothesised to affect the outcomes of interest, we found that the family's view of how well they coordinated with formal providers is significantly associated all of the outcomes. Families who reported greater coordination with state providers experienced lower parenting stress and reported a more positive impact on family functioning. Child externalising behavioural problems and caregiver's health rating also contributed to parenting stress and family functioning. Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of establishing a collaborative partnership with waiver families in promoting family well-being. These results suggest that training and/or resources that foster team building and communication can positively impact family functioning among families with young children with autism.
The practical significance of birthmarks

Most, if not all, mothers carefully examine their newborn infants as soon after birth as they have an opportunity. In addition to counting the number of fingers and toes, they look for birthmarks and blemishes of any kind. When the pediatrician talks to the mother after examing the infant, she or he must decide whether to report on every birthmark or to wait for the mother to ask "what is that mark on her...?" Jacobs and Walton have provided some valuable new information that will be useful in answering these questions.1 They confirm what mothers and pediatricians already know: birthmarks are common.
Caching VM instances for fast VM provisioning: a comparative evaluation

One of the key metrics of performance in an infrastructure cloud is the speed of provisioning a virtual machine (or a virtual appliance) on request. A VM is instantiated from an image file stored in the image repository. Since the image files are large, often GigaBytes in size, transfer of the file from the repository to a compute node running the hypervisor can take time in the order of minutes. In addition to it, booting an image file can be a time consuming process if several applications are pre-installed. Use of caching to pre-fetch items that may be requested in future is known to reduce service latency. In order to overcome the delays in transfer and booting time, we prepare a VM a priori, and save it in a standby state in a "cache" space collocated with the compute nodes. On receiving a matching request, the VM from the cache is instantly served to the user, thereby reducing service time. In this paper, we compare multiple approaches for pre-provisioning and evaluate their benefits. Based on usage data collected from an enterprise cloud, and through simulation, we show that a reduction of 60% in service time is achievable.
Retrospective: George E. Palade (1912-2008).

A pioneer of modern cell biology used cell fractionation and electron microscopy to describe subcellular structures.
Scanning Electron Microscopic Analysis of the Mineralization of Type I Collagen via a Polymer-Induced Liquid-Precursor (PILP) Process

We have put forth the hypothesis that collagen is mineralized during bone formation by means of a polymer-induced liquid-precursor (PILP) process, in which a liquid-phase mineral precursor could be drawn into the gaps and grooves of the collagen fibrils by capillary action, and upon solidification, leave the collagenous matrix embedded with nanoscopic crystallites of hydroxyapatite. This hypothesis is based upon our observations of capillarity seen for liquid-phase mineral precursors generated with calcium carbonate. Here, we demonstrate proof-of-concept of this mechanism by mineralizing Cellagen sponges (type I reconstituted bovine collagen) in the presence of a liquid-precursor phase to calcium carbonate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the mineralized collagen, which in combination with selective etching studies, revealed the extent to which the mineral phase infiltrated the collagenous matrix. A roughly periodic array of disk-like crystals was found to be embedded within the collagen fibers, demonstrating that the mineral phase spans across the diameter of the fibers. Some of the morphological features of the mineralized fibers in our in vitro model system are similar to those seen in natural bone (albeit of a different mineral phase), lending support to our hypothesis that these non-equilibrium morphologies might be generated by a PILP process. SEM provides a different perspective on the morphology of bone, and has been useful here for examining the extent of mineralization in composite structures generated via the PILP process. However, further investigation is needed to examine the nanostructural arrangement of the crystallites embedded within the collagenous matrix.
Lymphokine-activated killer cell and natural killer cell activities in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the ability of T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) to respond to cytokines and to generate immune effector cells. METHODS The numbers and percentages of peripheral blood T and NK cells were examined by 2-color flow cytometry, and NK and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell function were measured in 4-hour 51Cr-release assays, in 34 patients with SSc. The patients were categorized into 3 subgroups: 10 had diffuse cutaneous disease of less than or equal to 3 years disease duration, 11 had diffuse cutaneous SSc of greater than 3 years duration, and 13 had limited cutaneous disease. RESULTS Baseline and activated NK and T cell numbers and NK activity were normal in SSc patients. However, mean LAK activity was significantly depressed in all SSc subgroups. CONCLUSION Decreased LAK cell function, despite normal numbers of circulating T and NK cells, indicates that SSc patients have poor ability to produce effector cells in response to interleukin-2.
Tandem mass spectrometry of Cu(II) complexes: the effects of ligand donor group on dissociation.

A quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer was used to study the dissociation patterns of Cu(II) complexes with various linear podand ligands. Cu(II) complexes having different combinations of nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulfur-containing terminal functionality attached to a diethylenetriamine (DIEN) framework were ionized by electrospray and collision-induced dissociation (CID) was used to generate product ions. Regardless of the particular functional groups present, the complexes undergo predominantly heterolytic cleavages of carbon–carbon bonds along the DIEN backbone with Cu remaining coordinated to one of the two terminal functional groups. Upon dissociation, Cu's preference to remain coordinated to a particular functional group follows the trend thioether > amine > imidazole > pyridine > ether. A simple evaluation of this trend based upon metal-functional group binding affinity appears not to be adequate for fully explaining these observations. The tendency of Cu(II) to be reduced upon dissociation helps explain the observed trend, as does the flexibility of the functional group, which affects its ability to orient its dipole effectively toward the metal. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reaction of steam with cellulose in a fluidized bed using concentrated sunlight

Abstract Steam gasification of cellulose at high temperatures can yield synthesis gas in a process that stores and transports highly concentrated solar energy. We have characterized the composition of the product gas in the temperature range 1050–1600 K in opaque and transparent fluidized-bed reactors. Bed material was either a pure tabular alumina or a crushed platinum-on-alumina catalyst. In both cases, the carbon present in the cellulose feedstock was well converted to a gaseous product. However, in the tabular alumina bed, the product gas had the high hydrocarbon and low hydrogen content characteristic of a rapid or flash pyrolysis process.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Relaxation in Iridium Metal: The Nuclear Magnetic Dipole Moments of Ir 191 and Ir 193

The nuclear magnetic resonances of $^{191}\mathrm{Ir}$ and $^{193}\mathrm{Ir}$ have been detected by pulsed NMR techniques in iridium metal in the temperature range $T=1\ensuremath{-}4$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and in external magnetic fields between 50 and 60 kOe. The observed frequency-field ratios for these isotropes are $\frac{{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{(191)}}{H}=0.074127(18)$ kHz/Oe and $\frac{{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{(193)}}{H}=0.080725(6)$ kHz/Oe. By combining the measured spin-lattice relaxation times ${{T}_{1}}^{(193)}T=2.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$ sec \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K with known values of the magnetic susceptibility and electronic specific heat, the Knight shift in iridium metal is estimated to be $K=+(1.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4)%$. Applying this shift to the experimental frequency-field ratios yields the nuclear magnetic dipole moments (uncorrected for diamagnetic shifts) ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{(191)}=0.1440(6){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}$ and ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{(193)}=0.1568(6){\ensuremath{\mu}}_{N}$.
Solid-Liquid Interface Instability in the Energy-Beam Recrystallization of Silicon on Insulator

An attempt has been made to systematically sort out the characteristic modes of morphological transition in the energy beam recrystallized thin film silicon on insulating substrates, and to relate them to the mechanisms of solid-liquid interface stability breakdown. Stable to unstable breakdown modes include faceted, cellular, and dendritic configurations as well as transient and composite configurations thereof. These primary modes of breakdown then lead to the secondary modes of breakdown which constitute the sub-boundary formation. The mechanics of the primary (interface) breakdown and that of the secondary (sub-boundary) breakdown must be clearly differentiated in understanding the breakdown process. Constitutional supercooling and absolute supercooling models have been used to explain the various interface instabilities.
Boron neutron capture enhancement of fast neutron radiotherapy utilizing a moderated fast neutron beam.

An investigation of the therapeutic potential of boronneutron capture (BNC) enhancement of fast neutron therapy utilizing the Harper University Hospital superconducting cyclotron-produced d ( 48.5 ) + Be fast neutron therapy beam is presented. A technique for modification of the fast neutron beam to increase the BNC enhancement is presented along with an evaluation of the effects of beam moderation on the biological effectiveness of the absorbed dose. Characteristics of the photon,neutron, and boronneutron capture components of the absorbed dose are presented. Results demonstrate the possibility of therapeutic gains greater than 50% over conventional fast neutron therapy at depths required to treat brain lesions. This enhancement is estimated assuming currently achievable boron concentrations, and is more than adequate to provide a therapeutic window for the effective treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme without prohibitive toxicity to the normal brain.
Phytochelatin-mediated cadmium tolerance in schizosaccharomyces pombe

Plants and certain fungi respond to heavy metal toxicity with the induced synthesis of metal-binding peptides known as phytochelatins (PCs). With cadmium, PCs can bind the metal to form a low molecular weight PC-Cd complex and a high molecular weight PC-Cd-S2− complex. The sulfide ions enhance the stability and Cd-binding capacity of the metal chelate, and formation of this sulfide-containing complex is associated with enhanced tolerance to cadmium. Molecular analyses of two fission yeast mutants that fail to produce a wild type level of the PC-Cd-S2− complex have determined that a vacuolar membrane transporter and several enzymes of the purine biosynthesis pathway are necessary in vivo for formation of the PC- Cd-S2− complex. A model based on vacuolar sequestration of the PC-Cd complex by an ATP-binding cassette-type transporter and its subsequent maturation into the stable PC-Cd-S2− complex via the actions of two purine biosynthetic enzymes is described.
Effect of amino acids on rapamycin biosynthesis by Streptomyces hygroscopicus

In a chemically defined medium containing aspartate, arginine and histidine to support good growth, addition of L-lysine stimulated rapamyycin production by 150%. This was probably due to its conversion to pipecolic acid, a rapamycin precursor. Phenylalanine and methionine interfered in rapamycin production by unknown mechanisms.
Evaluating the 'no reflow' phenomenon with myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Based on its ability to measure myocardial blood volume and capillary flow, myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) has provided invaluable pathophysiological information regarding the no reflow phenomenon both in humans and in the experimental laboratory. The new area of molecular imaging with MCE allows the identification of molecular events within the microcirculation that have provided further insights into the mechanisms involved in the no-reflow phenomenon.Molecular imaging with MCE has the potential for monitoring molecular events associated with no reflow phenomenon and also to develop strategies to limit the no reflow phenomenon via pharmacological means. This paper will cover these areas briefly.
The Theory of the eleastic constants of nematics

Abstract Expressions are derived for the elastic constants of nematic liquid crystals by conceiving the molecular models as tensor fields. It is shown that the anisotropic part of the intermolecular pair potential can be dealt with completely.
Mechanical development of a very non-standard patch array antenna for extreme environments

This paper describes the mechanical development of patch antenna arrays for the Juno mission. The patch arrays are part of a six-frequency microwave radiometer instrument that will be used to measure thermal emissions from Jupiter. The very harsh environmental conditions in Jupiter orbit, as well as a demanding launch environment, resulted in a design that departs radically from conventional printed circuit patch antennas. The paper discusses the development and qualification of the Juno patch array antennas, with emphasis on the materials approach that was devised to mitigate the effects of electron charging in Jupiter orbit.
Efficient routing of multiple vehicles with no explicit communications

In this paper, we consider a class of dynamic vehicle routing problems, in which a number of mobile agents in the plane must visit target points generated over time by a stochastic process. It is desired to design motion coordination strategies in order to minimize the expected time between the appearance of a target point and the time it is visited by one of the agents. We propose control strategies that, while making minimal or no assumptions on communications between agents, provide the same level of steady-state performance achieved by the best-known decentralized strategies. In other words, we demonstrate that inter-agent communication does not improve the efficiency of such systems, but merely affects the rate of convergence to the steady state. Furthermore, the proposed strategies do not rely on the knowledge of the details of the underlying stochastic process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonlinear Stochastic Filtering: A Brief Survey

In this article, we give a brief review of the results of the author and his colleagues working in nonlinear stochastic filtration.
Kinetic Control of CaF2 on Si(111) Growth Morphology

Thin (0.5 to 8 triple layer) CaF 2 on Si(111) films were grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and characterized using an in situ combination of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and componentresolved x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD). We identified surface, bulk-like, and interface F and Ca core-level shifts and used the XPS shifts and XPD modulations to identify the growth modes as a function of the kinetic parameters of CaF 2 flux and Si temperature. We identify 3 distinct regimes: (i) for high temperatures and flux we find a complete reacted F-Ca-Si layer, overlaid by 2 layer high islands which coalesce, followed by layer-by-layer growth, (ii) for high temperature and low flux, we find the reacted F-Ca-Si layer to be partially covered with thick islands, and (iii) for low temperatures we find an incompletely occupied F-Ca-Si layer followed by layer-by-layer growth. In all cases we find the buried interface to be structurally identical to the unburied F-Ca-Si layer
Constructing a framework to enable an open source reinvention of journalism

This article builds upon open source/open content literature and applications to develop a framework from which academics, citizens, critics, journalists and the media industry can collectively develop a sustainable model or models to save quality journalism — possibly by reinventing journalism as it has traditionally been defined. This article provides that framework, not so much as a theoretical construct, but rather as an annotated checklist to guide those interested in reinventing journalism.
SOCIOLOGY IN LEGIS-LAND: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC REPORT ON CONGRESSIONAL CULTURE*

This article argues that applied settings offer opportunities for analysis as well as employment. The theme is discussed in the context of a recent Congressional Fellowship. The first half of the a...
Formation of Copper Nanoparticles on ZnO Powder by a Surface-Limited Reaction

Formation of copper nanoparticles on zinc oxide (ZnO) powder is studied using a common chemical vapor deposition precursor, copper hexafluoroacetylacetonate vinyl trimethyl silane, Cu(hfac)(VTMS). This process is investigated by high-vacuum Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The growth was found to be promoted by exposing ZnO powder to the gas-phase water, and the intensity of the hydroxyl groups stretching signatures decreases after the powder is exposed to the copper deposition precursor. Vibrational spectroscopy results support the reaction on both polar and (1010) surfaces of the powder, and XPS confirms that the copper deposition takes place and identifies Cu(I) species as the main copper species on the surface of ZnO powder. The mechanism of the reaction includes the elimination of hfac ligand that reacts with surface hydrogen present in hydroxyl groups, and this surface-limited process stops when the surf...
Phylogenetic origin of the chloroplast

The 16S ribosomal RNA of the chloroplast of Euglena gracilis strain Z has been characterized in terms of its 2-dimensional electrophoretic "fingerprint" (T1 ribonuclease). Over 100 spots were resolved on the "fingerprint" and each spot was characterized as to which RNA oligonucleotide fragment(s) is contained. When compared to similar analyses of prokaryotic 16S rRNAs and eukaryotic cytoplasmic 18S rRNAs, the chloroplast 16S rRNA was a typically prokaryotic RNA, but bore little if any relationship to eukaryotic 18S rRNAs. Therefore, the cistrons for chloroplast 16S rRNA are related to the equivalent prokaryotic cistrons, but, apparently, are not related to the equivalent eukaryotic cistrons. Among the organisms available for comparison, the Euglena chloroplast 16S rRNA appears most closely related to the 16S rRNA of the eukaryote, Porphyridium cruentum (a red alga), and at least distantly related to the 16S rRNAs of the blue-green algae and perhaps also to the bacilli.
What is the complexity of solution-restricted operator equations?

Abstract We study the worst case complexity of operator equations Lu = f where L : G → X is a bounded linear injection of normed linear spaces. Past work on the complexity of such problems has generally required the class F of problem elements f to be the unit ball of X . However, there are many problems for which this choice of F yields unsatisfactory results. Mixed elliptic—hyperbolic problems are one example. the difficulty being that our technical tools are nor strong enough to give good complexity bounds. Ill-posed problems are another example. because we know that the complexity of computing finite-error approximations is infinite if F is a ball in X . In this paper, we pursue another idea. Rather than directly restrict the class F of problem elements f , we will consider problems that are solution-restricted: i.e., we restrict the class U of solution elements u . In particular, we assume that U is the unit hall of a normed linear space W that is densely, continuously embedded in G . The main idea is that our problem can now be reduced to the standard approximation problem of approximating the embedding of W into G .This allows us to characterize optimal information and algorithms for our problem..We use this idea to study three problems: the Tricomi problem (a mixed hyperbolic— elliptic problem arising in the study of transonic flow), the inverse finite Laplace transform (an ill-posed problem arising. e.g.. in geomathematics), and the backwards heat equation. We determine the problem complexity and derive nearly optimal algorithms for each of these problems.
Diet and food preferences of the adult horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA

Adult horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus (L.) feed on a wide variety of infaunal and epifaunal invertebrates during their spring spawning migration in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA. Comparison of the gut contents with estimates of available prey showed that the most abundant potential prey item, the bivalve Gemma gemma, was avoided. The thinner shelled but comparatively scarce clam Mulinia lateralis was a preferred prey item. In the laboratory, crabs fed on G. gemma when it was the only available item but not when M. lateralis or soft-shell clams, Mya arenaria, were offered in conjunction. Large M. lateralis (>10mm) were preferred to small M. lateralis; there was no discrimination between M. lateralis and M. arenaria of the same size. Male and female horseshoe crabs had similar gut contents and laboratory feeding preferences, despite the fact that females are larger than males. Crabs spawning later in the summer contained more food than did crabs collected at the peak of spawning activity.
Simulation and fabrication of piezoresistive membrane type MEMS strain sensors

Two piezoresistive (n-polysilicon) strain sensors on a thin Si3N4/SiO2 membrane with improved sensitivity were successfully fabricated by using MEMS technology. The primary difference between the two designs was the number of strips of the polysilicon patterns. For each design, a doped n-polysilicon sensing element was patterned over a thin 3 μm Si3N4/SiO2 membrane. A 1000×1000 μm2 window in the silicon wafer was etched to free the thin membrane from the silicon wafer. The intent of this design was to fabricate a flexible MEMS strain sensor similar in function to a commercial metal foil strain gage. A finite element model of this geometry indicates that strains in the membrane will be higher than strains in the surrounding silicon. The values of nominal resistance of the single strip sensor and the multi-strip sensor were 4.6 and 8.6 kΩ, respectively. To evaluate thermal stability and sensing characteristics, the temperature coefficient of resistance [TCR=(ΔR/R0)/ΔT] and the gage factor [GF=(ΔR/R0)/e] for each design were evaluated. The sensors were heated on a hot plate to measure the TCR. The sensors were embedded in a vinyl ester epoxy plate to determine the sensor sensitivity. The TCR was 7.5×10−4 and 9.5×10−4/°C for the single strip and the multi-strip pattern sensors. The gage factor was as high as 15 (bending) and 13 (tension) for the single strip sensor, and 4 (bending) and 21 (tension) for the multi-strip sensor. The sensitivity of these MEMS sensors is much higher than the sensitivity of commercial metal foil strain gages and strain gage alloys.
Micromachined thermally isolated circuits

Abstract This paper details a post-processing technique by which circuitry in an unmodified IC technology is thermally and electrically isolated from the silicon substrate. This method enables new applications for micromachining, including temperature regulation of analog ICs, to be carried out. The process is discussed in detail, along with improved tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) etching chemistries that use strong oxidizers to eliminate hillock formation. Also presented is an electrochemical biasing method that uses circuitry on the silicon being etched during the micromachining step. Work is currently underway to evaluate the use of these micromachining techniques for commercial analog circuit applications, several of which are discussed.
The Information Management System (IMS) Program Product

The Information Management System (IMS) was one of the first program products offered by IBM. From its inception in a North American Rockwell and IBM joint study in the 1960s, the product has evolved into the preeminent transaction processing database management system (DBMS). Throughout its history, IMS has remained the leader in DBMS technology.
Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency and the major histocompatibility complex

Steroid 21-hydroxylase (21-OHase) deficiency is an HLA-linked recessive disorder of cortisol biosynthesis that can occur in several forms which differ in severity. Because they are in genetic linkage disequilibrium with different HLA antigens, the inheritance of these forms is consistent with the existence of several alleles at a single locus. When severe 21-OHase deficiency occurs in association with the HLA haplotype A3;Bw47;DR7, there is a simultaneous null allele at one of the C4 loci. This was hypothesized to result from a single deletion or rearrangement affecting the 21-OHase and C4 loci and perhaps the HLA-B gene as well. To test this hypothesis and identify the 21-OHase gene, a cDNA clone was isolated that encoded the cytochrome P450 specific for steroid 21-hydroxylation in the bovine adrenal gland. This clone hybridized to two genes in normal human DNA, but to only one gene in DNA from an individual homozygous for A3;Bw47;DR7. All individuals heterozygous for A3;Bw47;DR7 carry a heterozygous deletion of a cytochrome P450 gene. Cosmid clones have been used to locate the 21-OHase genes both in man and mouse. In both species, there are two 21-OHase genes each located immediately 3' of one of the two C4 genes, and oriented in the same direction as the C4 genes. In man, the gene located 3' of the C4B gene is deleted in 21-OHase deficiency on the Bw47 haplotype, but the gene 3' of the C4A gene is deleted in hormonally normal individuals on the A1;B8;C4AQ0, C4B1;DR3 haplotype. Thus the 21-OHase B gene is normally active in man, but the 21-OHase A gene is not.