cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase I trial of talazoparib and irinotecan with and without temozolomide in children and young adults with recurrent or refractory solid malignancies

Abstract Background Talazoparib combined with irinotecan and temozolomide demonstrated efficacy in a murine Ewing sarcoma model. Based on these data, we conducted a phase I trial of talazoparib and irinotecan with/without temozolomide in paediatric patients with recurrent/refractory solid malignancies. Patients and methods Cohorts of 3–6 patients with recurrent/refractory solid malignancies received escalating doses of oral talazoparib and intravenous irinotecan (arm A) and oral talazoparib, oral temozolomide and intravenous irinotecan (arm B) in a 3 + 3 design. Talazoparib was administered on days 1–6, and intravenous irinotecan and oral temozolomide were administered on days 2–6, of a 21-day course. Serum for talazoparib and irinotecan pharmacokinetics was obtained during course 1. UGT1A1 polymorphism and Schlafen family member 11 (SLFN11) immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results Forty-one patients (20 males; median age, 14.6 years; 24 with recurrent disease) were evaluable for dose escalation. Twenty-nine and 12 patients were treated on arm A and arm B, respectively, for a total of 208 courses. The most common diagnosis was Ewing sarcoma (53%). The most common ≥grade III haematologic toxicities in arms A and B included neutropenia (78% and 31%, respectively) and thrombocytopenia (42% and 31%, respectively). In arms A and B, febrile neutropenia (24% and 14%, respectively) and diarrhoea (21% and 7%, respectively) were the most common ≥grade III non-hematologic toxicities. Six patients (Ewing sarcoma [5 patients] and synovial sarcoma [1 patient]) had a response (1 with a complete response, 5 with a partial response). The objective response rates were 10.3% (arm A) and 25% (arm B). Pharmacokinetic testing demonstrated no evidence of drug-drug interaction between talazoparib and irinotecan. UGT1A1 was not related to response. SLFN11 positivity was associated with best response to therapy. Conclusions The combination of talazoparib and irinotecan with/without temozolomide is feasible and active in Ewing sarcoma, and further investigation is warranted.
The Spectrum of 1ES0229 + 200 and the Cosmic Infrared Background

We examine the effect of gamma-ray absorption by the extragalactic infrared radiation on intrinsic spectra predicted for 1ES0229+200 and compare our results with the observational data. We find agreement with our previous results on the shape of the IR spectral energy distribution (SED), contrary to the recent assertion of the HESS group. Our analysis indicates that 1ES0229+200 has a very hard intrinsic spectrum with a spectral index between 1.1 +/- 0.3 and 1.5 +/- 0.3 in the energy range between ~0.5 TeV and ~15 TeV. Under the assumptions that (1) the SED models of Stecker, Malkan & Scully (2006) are reasonable as derived from numerous detailed IR observations, and (2) spectral indexes in the range 1 < \Gamma < 1.5 have been shown to be obtainable from relativistic shock acceleration under the astrophysical conditions extant in blazar flares (Stecker, Baring & Summerlin 2007), the fits to the observations of 1ES0229+200 using our previous IR SEDs are consistent with both the IR and gamma-ray observations. Our analysis presents evidence indicating that the energy spectrum of relativistic particles in 1ES0229+200 is produced by relativistic shock acceleration, producing an intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum with index 1 < \Gamma < 1.5 and with no evidence of a peak in the SED up to energies ~15 TeV.
Wild Isolates of Neurospora crassa Reveal Three Conidiophore Architectural Phenotypes

The vegetative life cycle in the model filamentous fungus, Neurospora crassa, relies on the development of conidiophores to produce new spores. Environmental, temporal, and genetic components of conidiophore development have been well characterized; however, little is known about their morphological variation. We explored conidiophore architectural variation in a natural population using a wild population collection of 21 strains from Louisiana, United States of America (USA). Our work reveals three novel architectural phenotypes, Wild Type, Bulky, and Wrap, and shows their maintenance throughout the duration of conidiophore development. Furthermore, we present a novel image-classifier using a convolutional neural network specifically developed to assign conidiophore architectural phenotypes in a high-throughput manner. To estimate an inheritance model for this discrete complex trait, crosses between strains of each phenotype were conducted, and conidiophores of subsequent progeny were characterized using the trained classifier. Our model suggests that conidiophore architecture is controlled by at least two genes and has a heritability of 0.23. Additionally, we quantified the number of conidia produced by each conidiophore type and their dispersion distance, suggesting that conidiophore architectural phenotype may impact N. crassa colonization capacity.
Venous surgery for impotence.

Venous occlusion has been clearly established as a necessary phase of the erectile cycle, particularly for the establishment of full rigidity. This veno-occlusion is dependent on the expansion of the intracorporeal spaces due to increased arterial inflow and relaxation of the sinus smooth muscle.1,2 More recently, in a study of the tunica albuginea in men with penile veno-occlusive disorders, disruption of the normal elastic fiber arrangement has been reported, suggesting a causal relationship.3
Smart polyethylene textiles for radiative and evaporative cooling

Polyethylene (PE) textiles can be engineered through structural optimization for efficient wicking and drying to simultaneously offer radiative and evaporative cooling. The great advantages of smart PE textiles beyond conventional textiles in energy savings, water conservation and low environmental footprint are systematically investigated to drive sustainable energy and environmental development of the textile industry.
National trends and survival outcomes of penile squamous cell carcinoma based on human papillomavirus status.

BACKGROUND There are no series evaluating penile squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC) based on human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Herein, we present national registry data on clinical and survival outcomes for pSCC based on HPV status. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of 1224 pSCC patients with known HPV staining from the National Cancer Database. Patients with cM1 disease, those who did not receive treatment, or had missing follow-up data were excluded. Logistic regression identified factors associated with locally aggressive disease. Univariable, multivariable, and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-Cox proportional hazard modeling were used to assess hazard ratios (HR) associated with overall survival (OS). RESULTS After exclusion criteria, we identified 825 cases of which 321 (38.9%) were HPV positive. The HPV-positivity rate did not significantly change by year. HPV-positive patients were younger, had lower Charlson-Deyo performance score, and resided in areas with both lower median household income and lower school education completion. HPV-positive tumors presented with lower American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical T-stage (cT), poorer differentiation, lower rates of lymphovascular invasion (LVI), but more node-positive disease (cN+). For those who underwent lymph node surgery, there were no differences in final pathologic stage, upstaging, or presence of extranodal extension. Only tumor differentiation, LVI, and performance score were independent predictors for locally aggressive disease. HPV status was not a predictor of OS (IPTW-HR:0.89, p = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS In the largest series evaluating pSCC based on HPV status, HPV-positive tumors were associated with lower cT stages, less LVI, but more cN + disease. More studies on prognostic factors are needed, and time may still be immature to use HPV information for risk stratification.
Small Suburbs, Large Lots: How the Scale of Land-Use Regulation Affects Housing Affordability, Equity, and the Climate

Housing costs in major coastal metropolitan areas nationwide have skyrocketed, impacting people, the economy, and the environment. Land-use regulation, controlled primarily at the local leve, plays a major role in determining housing production. In response to this mounting housing crisis, scholars, policymakers, and commentators are debating whether greater state involvement in local land-use decisionmaking is the best path forward. We argue here that there are good reasons to believe that continuing on the current path—with local control of land-use regulation as it is—will lead to persistent underproduction of housing. The benefits of housing production are parimarily regional, including improved job markets, increased socioeconomic mobility, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. But the costs associated with producing more housing are often local, felt at the neighborhood level. Local governments whose voters are impacted by the local negative impacts of housing and will usually have less incentive to consider those regional, and national, benefits and approve housing. Recent political science, planning, economics, and legal research shows that smaller local jurisdictions tend to produce less housing, and that when political institutions decentralize control over housing to the sublocal (e.g., neighborhood) scale, less housing is approved. A central theory in academic research in land-use regulation and local government law has been the idea that competition among highly fragmented local governments can produce more efficient outcomes in public services and land-use regulation, even if there may be significant inequities across local jurisdictions in outcomes. Our analysis shows that this theory no longer accurately describes how fragmented local governance affects economic efficiency. Indeed, our analysis makes clear that fragmented local governance is both inequitable and inefficient, at least in the context of land-use regulation. Our analysis also raises questions about local government law scholarship contending that increased local governmental power can effectively address the dysfunctions of metropolitan areas in the United States. We present a range of policy proposals to address the problems we identify. First, greater state intervention in local land-use regulation is necessary. While that greater state role need not (and probably should not) entirely displace local control, it is essential to ensure that the larger-scale benefits of housing are appropriately considered. Second, we note that the highly fragmented local land-use regulatory system imposes challenges for housing production, in part, because variation among local regulatory practices creates barriers to entry for new housing across jurisdictions. Accordingly, we advocate for a state role to increase the standardization of local land-use regulatory tools as a key step to help advance greater housing production, even where local control is maintained.
Ocean Currents Over the Continental Slope

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the different aspects of ocean currents over the continental slope. Continental slopes underlie some 12% of the world ocean's surface area. Their importance to ocean circulation is out of proportion, since most of the major ocean currents flow over them and are in various ways affected by their topography. Superimposed on the typical upwelling regime are variations in the strength of the alongshore flow in response to changes of the wind stress. Coastal currents driven by density differences due to river runoff are common on continental shelves but reach to the upper slope only in a few places. Strong surface cooling, in the absence of significant salinity contrasts, produces cold and heavy coastal waters, the opposite of the coastal freshening case. Shallow water cools off rapidly, as its temperature also becomes uniform due to thermal convection, and tends to underflow less completely cooled deeper water. It is found that the fundamental slope effect examined above turns up in a different guise if the angular momentum balance of a fluid column fixed in space is considered instead of vorticity, allowing for external torques as well as the torque due to momentum advection.
Walking Away from Terrorism: Accounts of Disengagement from Radical and Extremist Movements

Foreword Preface: A Personal Reflection on Fieldwork 1. Qualities Are Not Causes 2. How, When and Why Terrorism Ends 3. "Prison was a good thing" 4. "I volunteered" 5. "There is no conscious decision" 6. "A step too far" 7. "They were once my people" 8. "I don't believe in integration" 9. Conclusions Bibliography
Towards a Systematics for Protein Subcellular Location: Quantitative Description of Protein Localization Patterns and Automated Analysis of Fluorescence Microscope Images

Determination of the functions of all expressed proteins represents one of the major upcoming challenges in computational molecular biology. Since subcellular location plays a crucial role in protein function, the availability of systems that can predict location from sequence or high-throughput systems that determine location experimentally will be essential to the full characterization of expressed proteins. The development of prediction systems is currently hindered by an absence of training data that adequately captures the complexity of protein localization patterns. What is needed is a systematics for the subcellular locations of proteins. This paper describes an approach to the quantitative description of protein localization patterns using numerical features and the use of these features to develop classifiers that can recognize all major subcellular structures in fluorescence microscope images. Such classifiers provide a valuable tool for experiments aimed at determining the subcellular distributions of all expressed proteins. The features also have application in automated interpretation of imaging experiments, such as the selection of representative images or the rigorous statistical comparison of protein distributions under different experimental conditions. A key conclusion is that, at least in certain cases, these automated approaches are better able to distinguish similar protein localization patterns than human observers.
Fortschritte im Einsatz verzweigter Stentprothesen zur endovaskulären Korrektur des Aortenbogens

Die endovaskulare Korrektur eines Aneurysmas im Bereich des Aortenbogens ist schwierig und verzeiht keine Fehler. Sowohl bei chirurgischen Korrekturen unter hypothermischem Kreislaufstillstand als auch bei Hybridoperationen zum Debranching gibt es noch erhebliches Verbesserungspotenzial. Endovaskulare Methoden zur Korrektur des Aortenbogens unter Einsatz verzweigter Stentprothesen haben sich weniger schnell entwickelt als ahnliche Methoden im thorakoabdominalen Bereich. Das erklart sich durch die besondere Anatomie des Aortenbogens, der dick und gekrummt sowie weit von den Femoralarterien entfernt ist, aber nah an der Aortenklappe liegt. Eine grose Vielfalt an verzweigten endovaskularen Stentprothesen wurde erprobt, von komplexen mehrfach verzweigten, einteiligen Modellen bis hin zu einfachen verzweigten modularen Stents. Keiner hat sich als vollstandig zufriedenstellend erwiesen. Die meisten Erfahrungen hat man mit der transkarotidalen Implantation verzweigter Stentprothesen mit einem langen und einem kurzen Bein. Dieser Ansatz lost mehrere technische Probleme wie z. B. Kaliber, Flexibilitat und Drehbarkeit des Einfuhrungssystems. Echte Fortschritte auf diesem Gebiet gibt es jedoch nur bei Anderungen der Technologie selbst. Das Aufkommen von schlanken Stentprothesen und Einfuhrungssystemen wird wahrscheinlich zu einem Trend weg von der transzervikalen Einbringung und hin zur transfemoralen Insertion sowie weg von zusatzlichen Bypassen zwischen supraaortalen Asten und hin zu mehrfach verzweigten modularen Systemen fuhren. Es ist kein Zufall, dass die endovaskulare Korrektur des Aortenbogens immer mehr der Korrektur der thorakoabdominalen Aorta ahnelt, wo sich die Kombination von aortalen Stentprothesen mit Seitenarmen und beschichteten Stents als sicher, effektiv und dauerhaft bewahrt hat.
Sex Equality Arguments for Reproductive Rights: Their Critical Basis and Evolving Constitutional Expression

What is at stake in a sex equality approach to reproductive rights? At first glance, equality arguments would seem to entail a shift in constitutional authority for reproductive rights - for example, from the Due Process to Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment - but as the articles of this Symposium richly illustrate, equality arguments for reproductive rights need not take this legal form. In introducing this Symposium, I identify a sex equality standpoint on reproductive rights that can be, and is, expressed in a variety of constitutional and regulatory frameworks. The Essay identifies some of the critical understandings and normative commitments that characterize the sex equality approach to reproductive rights. It then ties this cluster of critical understandings and normative commitments to particular advocates and authorities in the reproductive rights debate in the last several decades: it shows how the sex equality claim for reproductive rights was asserted in different doctrinal forms in the early 1970s, was then muted by Roe, the ERA debates and the early sex discrimination cases, and then found increasing recognition in Casey and the law review literature of the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, the dissenting justices in the Carhart case have asserted that the abortion right protects a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature. The introduction and essays of this Symposium demonstrate that the equality argument can be vindicated in many different doctrinal frameworks: under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, Privileges or Immunities Clause, or Equal Protection Clause, by cases decided under the Eighth Amendment, the Ninth Amendment, the Thirteenth Amendment, or the Nineteenth Amendment, through a federal or state statute, through human rights law, or by a synthesis of these forms of law.
Some Consequences of Critical Refraction in the Venus Atmosphere

Mariner V and the three successful Venera probes have shown the density of the atmosphere of Venus to be so high that critical refraction occurs at an altitude near 35 km. Somewhat bizarre optical effects are to be expected in such an atmosphere. Using a spherically symmetric model based upon the measurements of the refractivity at the top of the atmosphere by the Mariner V S-band occultation experiment, the Venera 4 data in its altitude range, and adiabatic extrapolation to the surface, calculations of a variety of ray paths have been made with a double-precision computer program. Phenomena discussed include the magnification of the planet, the elevation of the horizon, the apparent motion and distortion of the sun, and the possibility of ‘seeing’ completely around the planet.
Making Strong Fibers

Research toward carbon nanotube fibers that are light yet extremely strong is progressing rapidly.
Light therapy for bipolar disorder: a case series in women.

Objectives: To perform a dose-ranging safety and efficacy study of bright light therapy for depression in women with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Nine women with DSM-IV BD I or II in the depressed phase were exposed to 50 lux (illuminance at the receiving surface) red light for two weeks, after which they received 7,000 lux light therapy for two-week epochs of 15, 30 and 45 min daily. The Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale with Atypical Depression Supplement and the Mania Rating Scale were used to assess mood symptoms. Four patients received morning light and five patients received midday light. Results: Three of the four subjects treated with morning light developed mixed states. The fourth subject achieved a full, sustained response. To decrease the risk of inducing mixed episodes, we changed the time of light exposure to midday. Of the five women who received midday light therapy, two achieved full response and two showed early improvement but required a dose increase to sustain response. One woman remained depressed with 45 min of midday light but responded fully to a switch to morning light, 30 min daily. Conclusions: Women with bipolar illness are highly sensitive to morning bright light treatment; the induction of mixed states is a substantial risk. Initiating treatment with a brief duration (15 min) of midday light for bipolar depression is advisable.
Interconnects for Elastically Stretchable and Deformable Electronic Surfaces

Deformable, large-area electronic surfaces are desirable for many human-machine interfaces. The goal of our research is to fabricate elastically deformable electronics by integrating electronic devices and stretchable interconnects onto a flexible substrate. The focus of this paper is the fabrication and electrical performance of the stretchable interconnects. Au was deposited onto a silicone elastomer (PDMS) and patterned to achieve a resolution of 2 μm. Two patterning techniques are presented: patterning by shadow mask and patterning by photolithography. Photolithographic patterning on PDMS is not straightforward. First, we discuss the challenges in patterning and then the morphology of lines patterned by both techniques. The electrical resistance of the Au lines under tensile strain is presented. Interconnects patterned by shadow mask remain electrically conductive up to 100 % strain. Those patterned by photolithography maintain electrical conductivity when strained up to 60 %.
Chip scale package implementation challenges

The JPL-led MicrotypeBGA Consortium of enterprises representing government agencies and private companies have joined together to pool in-kind resources for developing the quality and reliability of chip scale packages (CSPs) for a variety of projects. In the process of building the Consortium CSP test vehicles, many challenges were identified regarding various aspects of technology implementation. This paper will present our experience in the areas of technology implementation challenges, including design and building both standard and microvia boards, and assembly of two types of test vehicles. We also discuss the most current package isothermal aging to 2000 hours at 100/spl deg/C and 125/spl deg/C and thermal cycling test results to 1700 cycles in the range of -30 to 100/spl deg/C.
IL-18 Augments Perforin-Dependent Cytotoxicity of Liver NK-T Cells

The liver contains abundant cytotoxic cells, including NK-T cells, NK cells, and CTLs. However, the regulation of this cytotoxicity is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of a recently described cytokine, IL-18, which is present in large quantities in the liver, on the cytotoxicity of intrahepatic lymphocyte subpopulations. This effect of IL-18 was assessed by assaying the in vitro cytotoxicity of purified NK-T, NK, and T cells against a CD95- and perforin-sensitive T cell line, Jurkat. The results show that IL-18 enhances the killing activity of liver NK-T cells by a CD95-independent, perforin-dependent pathway. IL-18 also augments liver NK cell activity, but the exact mechanisms of this killing remain to be elucidated. Finally, the augmentation of the killing activities of liver NK-T and NK cells by IL-18 is not due to soluble TNF-alpha, because none of these cell populations had detectable TNF-alpha production.
Replacing Twenty Percent of Concentrate with Ground Hay in an Alfalfa-Based Diet for Cows in Early Lactation

Abstract The objective was to observe performance of cows in early lactation when high quality ground alfalfa hay replaced part of dietary concentrate. Multiparous Holsteins were in two groups of 10 based on previous production and lactation number. Rations consisted of alfalfa-grass hay, alfalfa haylage, and concentrate based on corn, oats, and soymeal. Ground alfalfa replaced 20% of ingredients of the concentrate fed the experimental group. Individuals were fed to extent of appetite with restriction that concentrate dry matter did not exceed 65% of intake (52% if ground hay was considered as forage). Cows were on trial for 109 days, beginning 3 days postpartum. Daily intakes of dry matter averaged 26.0 and 25.1kg by the control and experimental groups; that of protein was 4.4 and 4.1kg. Dry matter digestibilities, determined by the acid insoluble ash procedure, were similar. Milk yields were 36.9 and 33.5kg per cow daily by control and experimental animals. Fat percentages averaged 3.2 and 3.7 making yields of fat-corrected milk similar. Both groups averaged 3.2% milk protein. Changes of body weight were similar.
Submarine landslide geomorphology, US continental slope

Abstract The morphometric analysis of submarine landslides in four distinctly different tectonic environments on the continental slopes of Oregon, central California, Texas, and New Jersey provides useful insight into submarine process, including sediment transport mechanisms and slope stability. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, we identify landslides from multibeam bathymetric and GLORIA sidescan surveys based solely on surficial morphology and reflectivity. This method provides useful data in a time- and cost-efficient manner. We measure various aspects of the failures, including landslide area, runout distance, and headscarp height, along with the slope gradient of the runout zone, the failure's scar, headscarp, and adjacent slopes. The largest failures of the four study areas occur in the Gulf of Mexico, adjacent to Mississippi Canyon, and between salt withdrawal basins. Smaller landslides occur within the basins, and at the base of the Sigsbee Escarpment. These smaller landslides tend to have higher headscarps than the larger ones, and often have cohesive material at the base, suggesting a stronger rheology. Oregon has the steepest local slopes, but surprisingly few large failures for a seismically active margin (especially in the north), implying that slope angle and seismic activity may not be the most important slope stability controls. The California continental slope is heavily incised, which makes failure isolation difficult. Most of the landslides occur within the larger canyons (Vizcaino, Pioneer, Monterey) and adjacent to a pock mark field in the Point Arena basin. The majority of landslides offshore New Jersey occur on the open slope between Lindenkohl and Carteret Canyons. Morphometric statistics give us insight into where mass movements occur, how big they are likely to be, their relative importance as sediment transport mechanisms, and the overall slope stability of a given margin. Most landslides occur on slopes less than 10°. Curiously, the steepness of the slope adjacent to the failure tends to be inversely proportional to the runout length. In both California and Oregon, slope failures tend to make the local slope steeper, whereas failures in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore New Jersey will tend to make the local slope less steep. Landslides with rubble beneath the scar are mostly smaller than those without, are deep seated, and make the slope steeper. We use the ratio of headscarp height to runout length as a measure of the failure's dynamic rheology. This ratio in the submarine case is orders of magnitude less than subaerial landslides. Hydroplaning of the failed mass may be responsible for the very long runout lengths. These morphometric relationships give us important insight into landslide dynamics and process in different sedimentary and tectonic environments.
Time utilization of a population of general surgeons in a prepaid group practice.

Seven general surgeons in a prepaid group practice previously shown to have a mean operative work load of 9.2 hernia equivalents (HE) per week were found to have a standardized mean daytime working week of 56.2 hours, exclusive of evening activities, of which 50.7 hours were devoted to professional activities. The surgeons also devoted a mean of 6.7 evening hours per week to professional activities for a mean net professional week of 57.4 hours. Comparisons with a population of previously studied community surgeons revealed that the prepaid group surgeons were able to produce a surgical output more than double that of the community surgeons while devoting only one and a half as much time to professional activities. Economies in the utilization of surgical manpower in the prepaid group appear to stem from: 1) restriction of practice setting to a single geographic location, 2) restriction of patients to surgical patients, 3) reduced surgeon waiting time in the office, and 4) the utilization of paraprofessional personnel for selected operative assisting. These economies were achieved while the prepaid group surgeons were observed to average more time per patient visit both on rounds and in the office than the community surgeons.
Breast masses in adolescent females

Conservative management of breast masses in adolescents is generally advocated in consideration of the low incidence of breast cancer. A retrospective chart review of 130 female patients seen in a general adolescent clinic over a two-year period was performed. The mean age was 17.5 years (range 12–21). One hundred and seven (88% of available data) had self-discovered lesions. Fibrocystic disease was clinically diagnosed in 66 (51%) patients, while 19 (15%) had fibroadenomas and 17 (13%) had a normal breast examination. Of the remaining patients, six (5%) had mastalgia, five (4%) had mastitis/abscess, three (2%) had asymmetry, three (2%) had hypertrophy, two (1%) had breast changes of early pregnancy, two (1%) had hematoma, one (1%) had axillary lymphadenopathy, and six (5%) had unknown. Excisional biopsy was performed on eleven patients; it revealed fibroadenoma in eight, and one each had a hematoma, granular cell myoblastoma, and breast abscess. Improvement or complete resolution of breast masses was documented in 31 (47%) of the patients with fibrocystic disease.
Corrosion Resistance of Pulse-Electroplated Ni-W Alloys

Nickel-tungsten (Ni-W) plating process exhibited fewer environmental hazards and lower health hazards than conventional chromium bath processes did, because they had the potential to be substituted for certain future applications. This study attempted to develop Ni-W alloy coatings with different weight percentages of tungsten to produce by using nickel-tungsten citrate electrolyte baths that are deposited by pulse current power source techniques. The composition of the ratio of tungsten/nickel was controlled by the change from ion mass transfer rates for the interface between cathodes and electrolytes that were caused by adjustment by charging the over potential or rest that was regulated by the on-off time during pulse and reverse-pulse current. In this study, the corrosion resistance and the composition of the coatings related to the operating parameters were also discussed through the analyses of the experimental design method. Results were found that Ni-W alloy compositions governed through regulation of pulse and pulse-reverse parameters. The frequencies of electric current, Ton and Toff with pulse duty cycles had great impact on chemical composition and surface morphology for the deposits. Results of the electrochemical tests indicated the pulse plated Ni-W metal alloy coatings in which the corrosion resistance was superior to that of the alloy deposited by the direct current technique.
Simulation of Catalyzed Urethane Polymerization: An Approach to Expedite Commercialization of Bio-based Materials

A MATLAB program was developed to simulate polyurethane foaming reaction. Key reactions (including isocyanate–polyol and isocyanate–water) and dozens of primary side reactions were taken consideration into the simulation of polymerization. The model tracks reaction rates, component concentration profiles and the temperature profile for the reactions under different conditions respect to different catalyst types, amount of catalyst loading, reaction temperature and the reactivities of the monomers with each other. Tin based catalysts and amine based catalysts were applied into gel and foam recipes separately to evaluate the impact of each catalyst on both gel and blow reactions. The model predicts performances of diverse foam recipes and can be effective for “sensitivity studies” useful in designing form formulations. The simulations have been validated for estimating catalyst loadings, identifying the tradeoff between higher catalyst loadings versus preheating of reagents, and providing insight into fundamental mechanisms/reactions.
Aztec Arithmetic: Positional Notation and Area Calculation

Texcocan-Aztec peoples in the Valley of Mexico used both picture symbols and lines and dots for numerical notation. Decipherment and analysis of mid-16th-century native pictorial land documents from the Texcocan region indicate that the line-and-dot system incorporated a symbol for zero and used position to ascribe values. Positional line-and-dot notation was used to record areas of agricultural fields, and analysis of the documentary data suggests that areas were calculated arithmetically. These findings demonstrate that neither positional notation nor the zero were unique to the Maya area, and they imply an equally sophisticated mathematical development among the Aztecs.
Effects of disintegration of incorporated 3H and 32P on the physical and biological properties of DNA.

Abstract Pneumococcal DNA was labeled with high specific activities of phosphorus-32 or tritiated pyrimidines and stored at −30 °C in a casein hydrolysate medium. The kinetics of inactivation of genetic markers on the labeled DNA was examined using a transformation assay. In addition, the kinetics of DNA strand scission were examined as a function of isotope disintegration. Strand scission was determined by sedimenting labeled DNA in neutral and alkaline sucrose density-gradients containing sedimentation reference markers. Sedimentation coefficients were converted to molecular weight using Studier's (1965) relationship. The efficiency of strand scission per disintegration was then calculated. Disintegration of 32 P causes single-strand breaks with unit efficiency and double-strand breaks with an efficiency of 5%. Tritium disintegration produces single-strand breaks with an efficiency of 30% and double-strand breaks with an efficiency less than 1%. The biological activity of pneumococcal transforming DNA labeled either with 32 P or tritium declines as a simple exponential function of the number of disintegrations of the incorporated isotope. Heterozygous DNA hybrids containing a radioisotope in only one strand were prepared by annealing radioactive DNA with DNA labeled with the heavy isotopes 2 H and 15 N. The hybrid molecules were fractionated on cesium chloride density-gradients and the inactivation kinetics of genetic markers in the hybrid DNA were examined. The rates of inactivation of markers on the labeled strand were nearly equal to the rates observed with homozygous DNA labeled in both strands. From this result we conclude that single strands of transforming DNA constitute the predominant “sensitive element” inactivated by disintegration of the radioisotopes. Genetic markers on the unlabeled strand of a tritium containing hybrid are four to five times less sensitive than are markers on the labeled strand. Homozygous DNA duplexes containing 32 P in only one strand appear to have multicomponent inactivation kinetics. These observations lend further support to single-strand integration models and lead us to postulate that a single-strand break constitutes an inactivating event.
Neuromuscular Diseases Associated with HIV-1 Infection

Neuromuscular disorders are common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); they occur at all stages of disease and affect all parts of the peripheral nervous system. These disorders have diverse etiologies including HIV itself, immune suppression and dysregulation, comorbid illnesses and infections, and side effects of medications. In this article, we review the following HIV-associated conditions: distal symmetric polyneuropathy; inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; mononeuropathy; mononeuropathy multiplex; autonomic neuropathy; progressive polyradiculopathy due to cytomegalovirus; herpes zoster; myopathy; and other, rarer disorders.
Desorption mass spectrometric control of composition during MBE growth of AlGaAs

We report on the implementation of technique of desorption mass spectrometry (DMS) in a real-time feedback loop for continuous monitoring and control of layer composition during molecular beam epitaxy growth of AlGaAs on (001) GaAs at high substrate temperatures. With this technique, the Ga desorption rate Fd(Ga) and thus the composition is monitored continuously and kept at the desired value by adjusting either the substrate heater power or the incident arsenic flux. Composition control by DMS during growth of nominally constant composition layers is found to be superior to that obtained with conventional MBE growth, as indicated by Fd(Ga) versus time profiles and low temperature photoluminescence (PL) results. The ability to produce complex graded structures by DMS control is demonstrated by the growth of nominally parabolic AlGaAs quantum wells, for which photoreflectance and PL results are consistent with the desired structure. The technique is quite general and applicable to many different compounds.
Simultaneous effects on vowel duration in American English: A covariance structure modeling approach

The powerful techniques of covariance structure modeling (CSM) long have been used to study complex behavioral phenomenon in the social and behavioral sciences. This study employed these same techniques to examine simultaneous effects on vowel duration in American English. Additionally, this study investigated whether a single population model of vowel duration fits observed data better than a dual population model where separate parameters are generated for syllables that carry large information loads and for syllables that specify linguistic relationships. For the single population model, intrinsic duration, phrase final position, lexical stress, post-vocalic consonant voicing, and position in word all were significant predictors of vowel duration. However, the dual population model, in which separate model parameters were generated for (1) monosyllabic content words and lexically stressed syllables and (2) monosyllabic function words and lexically unstressed syllables, fit the data better than the single population model. Intrinsic duration and phrase final position affected duration similarly for both the populations. On the other hand, the effects of post-vocalic consonant voicing and position in word, while significant predictors of vowel duration in content words and stressed syllables, were not significant predictors of vowel duration in function words or unstressed syllables. These results are not unexpected, based on previous research, and suggest that covariance structure analysis can be used as a complementary technique in linguistic and phonetic research.
A New Technique for Low-Jitter Measurements Using Equivalent-Time Sampling Oscilloscopes

A new timebase technology for equivalent-time sampling oscilloscopes is presented. The technology is based on the qualification of a high-Q resonator with traditional analog signal processing, and provides a startable oscillator for generating trigger-to-strobe delays with excellent long term jitter performance.
New evidence for islet-cell origin of insulin-like activity in serum.

Abstract Data are presented indicating that non-insulin insulin-like activity (I.L.A.) rises sharply in the serum of healthy individuals in response to both intravenous tolbutamide and intravenous glucose and that non-insulin I.L.A. is sluggishly increased in the serum of diabetic patients after intravenous glucose. A patient with a pancreatic islet-cell adenoma produced high concentrations of non-insulin I.L.A. that were reduced to subnormal levels by excision of his tumour. Thus, in response to the established islet-cell stimulators, glucose and tolbutamide, blood-levels of I.L.A. behaved in the same way as blood-levels of immunoreactive insulin. These observations are offered as evidence that a significant portion of I.L.A. in serum while probably not insulin, does originate in pancreatic islet tissue.
Left ventricular wall motion analysis using operator-independent contour positioning.

A method has been developed for the analysis of left ventricular wall motion which obviates the operator's involvement in the relative positioning of the systolic and diastolic contours. This was achieved by maximizing the cross-correlation function for the two silhouettes . The technique was compared with a standard method requiring the operator's definition of a long axis for the left ventricle. The results for 21 normal angiograms showed that with the cross-correlation technique the confidence region of the wall motion curves was markedly narrower and the symmetry in the contractile pattern between the anterior and posterior wall segments was better than with the standard technique. Statistical concepts for narrowing the normal group and the sources of errors in the analysis are discussed.
The Future of Cybersecurity Education

By fostering public-private partnerships in cybersecurity education, the US government is motivating federal agencies, industry, and academia to work more closely together to defend cyberspace.
The risks of “paperless” bank checks

Are your auditors ready for the latest electronic revolution—Check 21? The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) hastens the use of substitute bank checks. The substitutes consist of an electronic image of the front and back of checks presented for payment. And neither banks nor the disbursing party can require return of an original (paper) check. What risks do companies face from this “paperless” system? What new internal controls must firms establish? And since auditors won't be able to use paper checks as evidence of payment, what will they do? © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cellular electrophysiology — XVII. Effect of specific antibody on the coulokinetic behavior of Escherichia coli

Abstract Results indicate that prior treatment of E. coli with either 19S or 7S antibody fractions had little or no effect on the ability of organisms to metabolize glucose as indicated by the same coulombic outputs. It appears, however, that the rate of availability of glucose to the sides of enzymatic activity in the micro-organism may be lessened.
Trichloroaniline effects on renal function in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that mono- and dichloroanilines are capable of inducing acute renal failure in vivo and altering organic ion accumulation by renal cortical slices in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine the nephrotoxic potential of 4 trichloroaniline (TCA) isomers in vivo and to examine their effects on organic ion accumulation in vitro. In the in vivo experiments, male Fischer-344 rats (4 rats/group) were administered a TCA (0.8 or 1.5 mmol/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.) or vehicle (sesame oil 2.5 ml/kg). Renal function was monitored at 24 and 48 h. None of the TCA isomers induced marked renal effects at either time point. In vitro, all TCA isomers were effective in decreasing tetraethylammonium and p-aminohippurate accumulation by renal cortical slices at bath concentrations of 10−3 M with 2,3,4- and 3,4,5-TCA inducing the greatest reductions. These results indicate that TCA can have a direct effect on renal function in vitro, but that the isomers tested are less potent nephrotoxicants than the nephrotoxic mono- and dichloroanilines.
Bioenergetics and survival of the marine snail Thais lima during long-term oil exposure

The carnivorous snail Thais lima was fed Mytilus edulis during a 28-d exposure to the water soluble fraction (WSF) of Cook Inlet crude oil. The LC-50 of T. lima declined from >3000 ppb aromatic hydrocarbons on Day 7 to 818±118 ppb on Day 28. The LC-50 of M. edulis declined from >3 000 ppb aromatic hydrocarbons on Day 7 to 1 686±42 ppb on Day 28. Predation rate declined linearly with increasing aromatic hydrocarbon concentration up to 302 ppb; little predation occurred at 538 ppb and none at 1 160 or 1 761 ppb. Snail absorption efficiency averaged 93.5% and did not vary as a function of WSF dose. Total energy expenditure (R+U) increased at 44 ppb aromatics and declined at lethal WSF exposures. At sublethal WSF exposures, percentages of total energy expenditure were: respiration (87%), ammonia excretion (9%) and primary amine loss (4%). These percentages did not vary as a function of WSF dose or time. Oxygen:nitrogen ratios were not affected by WSF concentration or time and indicated that T. lima derived most of its energy from protein catabolism. The uptake of aromatic hydrocarbons into the soft tissues of snails and mussels was directly related to the WSF concentration. Naphthalenes accounted for 67 to 78% of the aromatic hydrocarbons in T. lima and 56 to 71% in M. edulis. The scope for growth was negative above 150 ppb WSF aromatic hydrocarbons and above 1 204 ppb soft-body aromatic hydrocarbons. These snails were physiologically stressed at an aromatic hydrocarbon concentration which was 19% of the 28-d WSF LC-50 (818±118 ppb) and/or 48% of the 28-d LC-50 of soft tissue aromatics (2 502 ppb).
The transcription factor Rim101p governs ion tolerance and cell differentiation by direct repression of the regulatory genes NRG1 and SMP1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Environmental pH changes have broad consequences for growth and differentiation. The best-understood eukaryotic pH response pathway acts through the zinc-finger transcription factor PacC of Aspergillus nidulans, which activates alkaline pH-induced genes directly. We show here that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rim101p, the pH response regulator homologous to PacC, functions as a repressor in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that Rim101p is associated in vivo with the promoters of seven Rim101p-repressed genes. A reporter gene containing deduced Rim101p binding sites is negatively regulated by Rim101p and is associated with Rim101p in vivo. Deletion mutations of the Rim101p repression targets NRG1 and SMP1 suppress rim101 mutant defects in ion tolerance, haploid invasive growth, and sporulation. Therefore, transcriptional repression is the main biological function of Rim101p. The Rim101p repression target Nrg1p is in turn required for repression of two alkaline pH-inducible genes, including the Na pump gene ENA1, which is required for ion tolerance. Thus, Nrg1p, a known transcriptional repressor, functions as an inhibitor of alkaline pH responses. Our findings stand in contrast to the well-characterized function of PacC as a direct activator of alkaline pH-induced genes yet explain many aspects of Rim101p and PacC function in other organisms.
Who Should Accept Primary Responsibility for the Encopretic Child? A Successful Pediatric Program Based on Dietary Control, Bowel Training, and Family Counseling

Such a program was used to treat 18 encopretic children; 17 improved and 14 became completely free of soiling. Most encopretic children can be man aged by pediatricians and only those children with severe emotional dis orders require psychiatric referral.