cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Data Mining Approach to Forming Generic Bills of Materials in Support of Variant Design Activities

In variant design, the proliferation of bills of materials makes it difficult for designers to find previous designs that would aid in completing a new design task. This research presents a novel, data mining approach to forming generic bills of materials (GBOMs), entities that represent the different variants in a product family and facilitate the search for similar designs and configuration of new variants. The technical difficulties include: i) developing families or categories for products, assemblies, and component parts; ii) generalizing purchased parts and quantifying their similarity; iii) performing tree union; and iv) establishing design constraints. These challenges are met through data mining methods such as text and tree mining, a new tree union procedure, and embodying the GBOM and design constraints in constrained XML. The paper concludes with a case study, using data from a manufacturer of nurse call devices, and identifies a new research direction for data mining motivated by the domains of engineering design and information.
Critical endpoint behavior: A Wang–Landau study

Abstract We study the critical endpoint behavior using an asymmetric Ising model with two- and three-body interactions on a triangular lattice, in the presence of an external field. The simulation method we use is Wang–Landau sampling in a two-dimensional parameter space. We observe a clear divergence of the curvature of the spectator phase boundary and of the magnetization coexistence diameter derivative at the critical endpoint, and the exponents for both divergences agree well with previous theoretical predictions.
A sharp upper bound for the expected number of false rejections

Abstract We consider the class of monotone multiple testing procedures (monotone MTPs). It includes, among others, traditional step-down (Holm type) and step-up (Benjamini–Hochberg type) MTPs, as well as their generalization–step-up-down procedures ( Tamhane et al., 1998 ). Our main result–the All-or-Nothing Theorem–allows us to explicitly calculate, for each MTP in those classes, its per-family error rate–the exact level at which the procedure controls the expected number of false rejections under general and unknown dependence structure of the individual tests. As an illustration, we show that, for any monotone step-down procedure (where the term “step-down” is understood in the most general sense), the ratio of its per-family error rate and its familywise error rate (the exact level at which the procedure controls the probability of one or more false rejections) does not exceed 4 if the denominator is less than 1.
The Impact of Teacher Beliefs on the Provision of Leisure and Physical Activity Education Curriculum Decisions

This study investigated (a) variables that predict amount of time students with severe disabilities spend in leisure and physical activity education and (b) teacher beliefs about provision of these services. Participants included 35 secondary special education teachers and 170 students with severe disabilities. Findings suggest that special education teachers provided recommended duration, but valued other curriculum domains over leisure and physical activity education. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) indicated individual teacher differences are a significant predictor of students' participation in leisure and physical activity. Further, HLM analysis indicated that teachers' beliefs about their role in providing leisure education explained a significant portion of the variance among teachers. Recommendations for policy development and teacher education are provided.
Cushing’s Syndrome: All Variants, Detection, and Treatment

Cushing’s syndrome is caused by prolonged exposure to excess glucocorticoids. Diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome involves a step-wise approach and establishing the cause can be challenging in some cases. Hypertension is present in about 80% of patients with Cushing’s syndrome and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Several pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed for glucocorticoid-induced hypertension including a functional mineralocorticoid excess state, up-regulation of the renin angiotensin system and deleterious effects of cortisol on the vasculature. Surgical excision of the cause of excess glucocorticoids remains the optimal treatment for Cushing’s syndrome. Anti-glucocorticoid and antihypertensive agents and steroidogenesis inhibitors can be used as adjunctive treatment modalities in preparation for surgery, and in cases where surgery is contraindicated or has not led to cure.
What can we learn from reconstructing the extinct 1918 pandemic influenza virus

The influenza pandemic of 1918/1919 was a unique event in recorded history, costing on the order of 50 million lives in less than a year (Johnson and Mueller, 2002). Even though this number of deaths was horrendous, the overall mortality rate for those infected in the U.S. and in Europe was only about 2%. Thus, a very large percentage of the two billion world population became infected and suffered some degree of illness.
Interfacial Shear Strength of Banana Fiber in Low-Density Polyethylene

The increasing social pressure for biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly products has launched the use of natural fibers in fiber reinforced polymer composites. Unfortunately, due to the integration of organic material in thermoplastic components, the fiber-matrix interfacial bonding is poor. While the organic material is hydrophilic, able to absorb water, the majority of polymer matrices are hydrophobic, unable to bond with water. The interfacial shear strength, a quantity to measure this bonding, has been shown to be improved through morphological and chemical treatment. In this context, the interfacial shear strength of banana fiber in low-density polyethylene has not been fully characterized. The aim of this study is to identify and optimize the interfacial shear strength of banana fiber in a polymer matrix through a polymer-compatibilization technique. For characterization of the fiber-matrix interfacial bonding, a commonly used micromechanical technique, the pull-out test, is used. While these initial results range from 0.4 MPa to 1.5 MPa, multiple samples exhibit greater than 30% improvement in interfacial bonding. The results reveal a need for a more exact measurement method; however, they also reveal the potential use of polymer-compatibilization as a replacement to fiber-modification treatments.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Possibility of HIV-1 resistance mutations in cerebrospinal fluid from persons receiving suppressive therapy.

TO THE EDITOR—Eden et al [1] reported the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of low HIV load (mean, 121 copies/mL; range, 52–860 copies/mL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 10% of patients with a serum HIV load <50 copies/mL. The detection of low-level viremia in patients with fully suppressed infection usually results from a combination of occasional nonadherence and viral activation from a proviral DNA state. In accordance with this phenomenon, the detection of low copy numbers in CSF samples from a few patients is not surprising. However, the possibility also exists that some of the findings result from drug-resistant mutants arising from viral replication at other sites, with spillover into the CSF, or from the synthesis of new virus (currently speculative) in cells in the CSF. Eden et al state that “CSF viral load in our subjects with detectable HIV-1 RNA was too low to allow resistance analysis” [1, page 1824]. This statement is true with regard to recommendations for performance of drug resistance studies in the case of low viral load. In the present situation (with the assumption that viral load would be too low to lead to positive culture results), examination for drug resistance could be accomplished by PCR amplification, cloning of the products, sequencing of appropriate segments, and performing genotypic resistance analysis.
Fuzzy multi-objective model for supplier selection and order allocation in reverse logistics systems under supply and demand uncertainty

A new model for supplier selection in a reverse logistics system is developed.The proposed model is solved by Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy goal programming.The effectiveness of the modeling approach is demonstrated in a real case study.The performance of the solution method in obtaining trade-off solutions is analyzed. In this research, we develop a fuzzy multi-objective mathematical model to identify and rank the candidate suppliers and find the optimal number of new and refurbished parts and final products in a reverse logistics network configuration. This modeling approach captures the inherent uncertainty in customers' demand, suppliers' capacity, and percentage of returned products as well as existence of conflicting objectives in reverse logistics systems. The objective functions in this study are defined as total profit, total defective parts, total late delivered parts, and economic risk factors associated with the candidate suppliers whereas the uncertainties are treated in a fuzzy environment. In order to avoid the subjective weighting from decision makers when solving the multi-objective model, a Monte Carlo simulation integrated with fuzzy goal programming is developed to determine the entire set of Pareto-optimal solutions of the proposed model. The effectiveness of the mathematical model and the proposed solution method in obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions is demonstrated in a numerical example from a real case study.
The Search for a Reliable MEMS Switch

The RF community has long been searching for the ideal switch since the birth of electronics, and it is defined as a device having virtually no insertion loss (Ron = 0 Ω) over a wide frequency range, very high isolation [off-state capacitance (Coff)] = 0 fF), extremely high linearity (IIP2 and IIP3 → infinite), medium- to high-power handling (100 mW to 1 kW), and no dc power consumption. Our entire RF infrastructure ecosystem, from communication system networks, to satellite systems, to wideband spectral analysis, to instrumentation and radar systems, uses a variety of switches for signal routing and control (attenuation, phase shifting, etc.). The ideal switch was achieved long time ago using electromechanical relays, and even after nearly 100 years, it is still the best RF switch ever made from an electrical perspective [1]. It has very low insertion loss (Ron <;1 Ω), very high isolation (Coff of few fF), very high linearity and high power handling (100 mW to 50 W). However, it is bulky, expensive, and has an average lifetime of few million cycles.
Entrainment of Second Sound in Steady-State Counterflowing Normal and Superfluid Helium II

Velocity dependence of temperature waves /second sound/ in liquid He II measured as function of relative velocity for normal and superfluid
The degradation function in conventional tomography

A method is developed by which the imaging characteristics of a tomographic x-ray unit may be determined directly from a study of the mechanical motion of the unit. In this method we first describe the mechanical motions in terms of a vector equation. From this vector equation, a "degradation function" is derived which acts as a multiplicative factor, directly relating the optical transfer function of the system in a tomographic mode to the optimal transfer function of the system in a stationary mode. Therefore, if the imaging properties of the system in the stationary mode are known (or, as is often the case, can be neglected), it is a simple matter to determine the imaging properties in the tomographic mode. The star pattern is used to verify the validity of this method.
Spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of aniline by diazotization coupling with N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine and extraction

Abstract A spectrophotometric procedure is proposed for the determination of trace amounts of aniline by diazotization, coupling with N -(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine in sodium acetate medium, extraction of the yellow dye with chloroform, and conversion into a reddish purple dye. Two methods are available for the conversion. In the first, the chloroform extract is shaken with hydrochloric acid and the dye is converted and transferred into the aqueous phase. In the other, the chloroform extract is evaporated to dryness and the residue is dissolved in glacial acetic acid. The hydrochloric acid extraction method is the more rapid. The minimum detection limits for the two methods are 0.8 and 0.6 μg/ml respectively. Both methods show satisfactory accuracy and precision.
Time resolved infrared spectroscopy as a technique to study reactive organometallic intermediates

Abstract The application of time resolved infrared spectroscopy to problems in organometallic chemistry is discussed and an overview of different techniques to record TRIR spectra ranging from μs to fs time scales is presented. More detailed examples of TRIR applications in organometallic chemistry from the authors' laboratory are summarized. These are concerned with elucidating the natures and reaction dynamics of intermediates in the migratory insertion of CO into the metal–alkyl bonds of manganese and cobalt carbonyls and of cyclopentadienyl iron complexes.
Configural, Metric, and Scalar Invariance of the Modified Achievement Goal Questionnaire Across African American and White University Students:

There has been growing interest in comparing achievement goal orientations across ethnic groups. Such comparisons, however, cannot be made until validity evidence has been collected to support the use of an achievement goal orientation instrument for that purpose. Therefore, this study investigates the measurement invariance of a particular measure of achievement goal orientation, the modified Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ-M), across African American and White university students. Confirmatory factor analyses support measurement invariance across the two groups. These findings provide additional validity evidence for the newly conceptualized 2 × 2 framework of achievement goal orientation and for the equivalence of functioning of the AGQ-M across these distinct groups. Because this level of invariance is established, researchers can make more valid inferences about differences in the AGQ-M scores across African American and White students.
A POLYGEN-adjuvanted killed Neospora caninum tachyzoite preparation failed to prevent foetal infection in pregnant cattle following i.v./i.m. experimental tachyzoite challenge.

Cattle immunised with a POLYGEN-adjuvanted killed Neospora caninum tachyzoite preparation were previously shown to produce interferon (IFN)-gamma at levels similar to those of tachyzoite-infected cattle. In view of the critical role of IFN-gamma in resistance of mice to N. caninum infection, these results prompted us to test the POLYGEN-adjuvanted preparation in pregnant cattle to determine whether it will be able to prevent foetal infection following an experimental tachyzoite challenge. Seven heifers were immunised at 35 and 63 days of gestation with the POLYGEN-adjuvanted preparation, while five heifers were inoculated with POLYGEN alone at the same days of gestation. Four weeks later, all heifers were challenged with a combined i.v./i.m. inoculation of tachyzoites. The same challenge was given to seven unimmunized heifers at the same stage of gestation. An additional unimmunized heifer was inoculated with uninfected monolayer cell culture material. All challenged heifers, immunized and unimmunized, had infected foetuses. Immunized heifers developed both parasite-specific humoral and cellular immune responses, characterised by increased IFAT titres, a predominant IgG1 response, elevated lymphoproliferative response and IFN-gamma production. Following tachyzoite challenge, they developed an anamnestic humoral response and produced similar amounts of IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies, but did not have an anamnestic cellular immune response. The lack of anamnestic cellular immune response and/or the large i.v/i.m tachyzoite inoculum may have contributed to the failure of the preparation.
Isotopic composition of strontium in three basalt-andesite centers along the Lesser Antilles arc

Si87/Sr86 ratios have been determined for lavas and py lastic rocks from three basalt-andesite centers along the Lesser Antilles arc—Mt. Misery on the island of St. Kitts, Soufriere on the island of St. Vincent, and Carriacou, an island of The Grenadines. The average Si87/Sr86 content of these rocks is 0.7038 for Mt. Misery, 0.7041 for Soufriere, and 0.7053 for Carriacou. All the Sr87/Sr86 values from each center are the same within analytical uncertainty (±0.0002). The constancy of strontium isotopic data within each center supports the hypothesis that basalts and andesites for each specific center investigated are generated from the same source — in agreement with petrographic and major- and minor-element data. Strontium isotopic compositions and elemental concentrations, particularly of strontium and nickel, indicate that this source was mantle peridotite and that the relationship between the respective basalts and andesites is probably fractional crystallization.
A computer architecture laboratory course using programmable logic

This paper describes the software and hardware developed for the laboratory component of a junior/senior level computer architecture course. The principal feature of this course is that students are required to design and build their own computers using programmable logic devices (PLDs). The students use a simple register transfer language (CURTL) with a simulator and commercial PLD tools for their design activity. A graphical PC based debugging tool provides the I/O and main memory for the student built computers. >
Population structure, parasitism, and survivorship of sexual and autodiploid parthenogenetic Campeloma limum.

Abstract Two theories for the maintenance of sexual reproduction, the Red Queen hypothesis and mutation accumulation, suggest that the dispersal rates of sexuals and asexuals may determine the elimination or persistence of asexuals. Under higher dispersal rates of asexuals, asexuals may temporarily escape virulent parasites and reduce the effects of deleterious mutations. In the present study, I examine the population structure, parasite loads, and juvenile survivorship of Campeloma limum sexuals and autodiploid parthenogens from the southeastern U.S. Atlantic coastal plain. Using mtDNA sequence variation, it is shown that parthenogenetic haplotypes with limited sequence divergence are geographically widespread throughout this region and there is no significant population differentiation over a broad geographical scale. Sexual C. limum populations show significant mtDNA differentiation among and within river drainages and there is significant isolation by distance. These patterns are consistent with a rec...
A brushless D-C generator for aircraft use

THE COMMUTATOR has long been a distinctive and sometimes troublesome feature of d-c generators. It functions as a mechanical rectifier converting the alternating armature voltages to direct voltage for the generator load. It is a well-known fact that the rectifying action of the commutator can be performed by static rectifiers if it is economically feasible to do so. In other words, a d-c generator can be replaced by an a-c machine with its output completely converted to direct current by static rectifiers. This has been done infrequently in the past.1,2 Economics and application requirements have seldom justified the added complexity and increased cost. However, in modern aircraft applications a different situation exists. The increasingly severe environmental requirements placed on generating equipment have made it more and more difficult to obtain the necessary reliability and service life from commutator and brush systems. Higher altitudes have necessitated continual improvements in the ability of brush commutator systems to work under low-humidity, high-temperature conditions. In addition, demands for lighter weight generators have resulted in electrical designs which make satisfactory commutation even more difficult to obtain. The logical result of these trends is the elimination of mechanical commutators in certain air-borne d-c generating systems. This paper reports the development of such a system for a modern, high-performance intercepter aircraft.
Design and Validation of a Methodology Using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, to Identify Secondary Conditions in People With Disabilities

Abstract Chan L, Shumway-Cook A, Yorkston KM, Ciol MA, Dudgeon BJ, Hoffman JM. Design and validation of a methodology using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, to identify secondary conditions in people with disabilities. Objective To design and validate a methodology that identifies secondary conditions using International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes. Design Secondary conditions were identified through a literature search and a survey of Washington State physiatrists. These conditions were translated into ICD-9 codes and this list was then validated against a national sample of Medicare survey respondents with differing levels of mobility and activities of daily living (ADL) disability. Setting National survey. Participants Participants (N=9731) in the 1999 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey with no, mild, moderate, and severe mobility and ADL disability. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measure Percentage of survey respondents with a secondary condition. The secondary conditions were grouped into 4 categories: medical, psychosocial, musculoskeletal, and dysphagia related (problems associated with difficulty in swallowing). Results Our literature search and survey of 26 physiatrists identified 64 secondary conditions, including depression, decubitus ulcers, and deconditioning. Overall, 70.4% of all survey respondents were treated for a secondary condition. We found a significant relation between increasing mobility as well as ADL disability and increasing numbers of secondary conditions (χ 2 test for trend, P 2 test for trend, P 2 test for trend, P 2 test for trend, P 2 test for trend, P Conclusions We created a valid ICD-9–based methodology that identified secondary conditions in Medicare survey respondents and discriminated between people with different degrees of disability. This methodology will be useful for health services researchers who study the frequency and impact of secondary conditions.
Sequential mutations in Notch1, Fbxw7, and Tp53 in radiation-induced mouse thymic lymphomas

T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphomas commonly demonstrate activating Notch1 mutations as well as mutations or deletions in Fbxw7. However, because Fbxw7 targets Notch1 for degradation, genetic alterations in these genes are expected to be mutually exclusive events in lymphomagenesis. Previously, by using a radiation-induced Tp53-deficient mouse model for T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, we reported that loss of heterozygosity at the Fbxw7 locus occurs frequently in a Tp53-dependent manner. In the current study, we show that these thymic lymphomas also commonly exhibit activating Notch1 mutations in the proline-glutamic acid-serine-threonine (PEST) domain. Moreover, concurrent activating Notch1 PEST domain mutations and single-copy deletions at the Fbxw7 locus occur with high frequency in the same individual tumors, indicating that these changes are not mutually exclusive events. We further demonstrate that although Notch1 PEST domain mutations are independent of Tp53 status, they are completely abolished in mice with germline Fbxw7 haploinsufficiency. Therefore, Notch1 PEST domain mutations only occur when Fbxw7 expression levels are intact. These data suggest a temporal sequence of mutational events involving these important cancer-related genes, with Notch1 PEST domain mutations occurring first, followed by Fbxw7 deletion, and eventually by complete loss of Tp53.
Analysis of Internally Restricted Correlated Rotations in Peptides and Proteins Using 13C and 15N NMR Relaxation Data

The study of protein internal motions from analysis of 13C and 15N NMR relaxation data and auto- and cross-correlation spectral densities is being pursued in many labs. Model-free approaches and derived motional order parameters are normally used to interpret NMR relaxation data and internal mobility in proteins and peptides. Correlated motions can substantially modify the behavior of NMR auto- and cross-correlation spectral density functions and the values of derived motional order parameters. Here, a simple model is proposed to describe small amplitude (less than about 60° or 1 rad), internally restricted correlated rotations (IRCR) in peptides and proteins in order to analyze order parameters. Bond rotations are represented by vectors whose motions are correlated by a correlation coefficient, cij, which is the cosine of the angle between these vectors. Order parameters for NH, CαH and CβH bond motions have been calculated from molecular dynamics simulations performed on short peptides with well-defined...
Algebraic K-theory of stable C∗-algebras

Abstract Let A be a unital C∗ -algebra and let l denote the Calkin algebra (the bounded operators on a separable Hilbert space, modulo the compact operators K ). We prove the following conjecture of M. Karoubi: the algebraic and topological K-theory groups of the tensor product C∗ -algebra A ⊗ l are equal. The algebra A ⊗ l may be regarded as a “suspension” of the more elementary C∗-algebra A ⊗ K ; thus Karoubi's conjecture asserts, roughly speaking, that the algebraic and topological K-theories of stable C∗ -algebras agree.
Lazaroids U83836E and U74389G are Potent, Time‐Dependent Inhibitors of Caspase‐1

Caspase-1 is involved in inflammatory processes and is overactive in autoimmunity and autoinflammation. Antioxidant small molecules also play a role in the immune response by decreasing inflammation. An 84-membered library of pro- and antioxidant small molecules was screened for potential inhibitors of caspase-1. Thirteen compounds were discovered to reduce the activity of caspase-1 below 30%. The most potent inhibitors were lazaroid antioxidant molecules, U83836E (B8) and U74389G (B9), displaying apparent Ki values of 48.0 and 50.0 nm, respectively. Both demonstrated a time-dependent and reversible inhibition.
Perfluorooctanoic acid for shotgun proteomics.

Here, we describe the novel use of a volatile surfactant, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), for shotgun proteomics. PFOA was found to solubilize membrane proteins as effectively as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). PFOA concentrations up to 0.5% (w/v) did not significantly inhibit trypsin activity. The unique features of PFOA allowed us to develop a single-tube shotgun proteomics method that used all volatile chemicals that could easily be removed by evaporation prior to mass spectrometry analysis. The experimental procedures involved: 1) extraction of proteins in 2% PFOA; 2) reduction of cystine residues with triethyl phosphine and their S-alkylation with iodoethanol; 3) trypsin digestion of proteins in 0.5% PFOA; 4) removal of PFOA by evaporation; and 5) LC-MS/MS analysis of the resulting peptides. The general applicability of the method was demonstrated with the membrane preparation of photoreceptor outer segments. We identified 75 proteins from 1 µg of the tryptic peptides in a single, 1-hour, LC-MS/MS run. About 67% of the proteins identified were classified as membrane proteins. We also demonstrate that a proteolytic 18O labeling procedure can be incorporated after the PFOA removal step for quantitative proteomic experiments. The present method does not require sample clean-up devices such as solid-phase extractions and membrane filters, so no proteins/peptides are lost in any experimental steps. Thus, this single-tube shotgun proteomics method overcomes the major drawbacks of surfactant use in proteomic experiments.
Solid breeder materials

Increased attention is being given to the consideration of lithium-containing ceramic materials for use as breeder blankets in fusion devices. These materials, e.g., Li2O, γ-LiA102, Li4SiO4, Li2ZrO3, etc., are attractive because of their inherent safety advantages. At present, there is a broad scope of laboratory and irradiation activities in force to provide the requisite data enabling selection of the prime candidate solid breeder material.
Evaluating the effect of resource constraints on resilience of bulk power system with an electric power restoration model

Although reliability standards for electric power systems are well accepted, methods and metrics are not established for evaluating the effects of large-scale disruptions that exceed N – 1 criteria for bulk power systems. This paper introduces a model for simulating restoration of bulk power systems following such disruptions. The model allows analysts to simulate disruption of a bulk power system by designating system components as damaged or non-functional. The analyst further defines recovery resource availability and restoration priorities. The model then compares resource requirements to constraints to calculate the timeline of repair completion and the dynamic restoration of power across the network. Resilience metrics quantify the impacts and costs of the disruption to the utility. These quantities enable the analyst to evaluate how proposed system improvements affect restoration and resilience of the bulk power system. The paper concludes with an illustrative case study on a simplified seven-bus system.
Vertical Integration in American Manufacturing: Evidence for the 1980s

Many scholars have argued that the ownership of sequential stages in goods production fragmented in the 1980s, although few scholars have produced concrete evidence substantiating vertical disintegration. In this study, two measures are used to estimate vertical integration in U.S. manufacturing sectors in 1977 and 1987. Total vertical integration is the proportion of all shipments in a manufacturing sector dispatched by establishments to all other establishments belonging to the same companies. Manufacturing vertical integration estimates the proportion of manufacturing shipments that firms internalize. Both measures are calculated for aggregate manufacturing and all two-digit manufacturing sectors. Manufacturing vertical integration is also calculated for 79 four-digit producer goods sectors. Results show that the level of vertical integration in aggregate manufacturing was modest in 1977 and that a small decline occurred in the following decade. Individual manufacturing sectors underwent both vertical ...
CD8+ Effector T Cells at the Fetal-Maternal Interface, Balancing Fetal Tolerance and Antiviral Immunity

During pregnancy CD8+ effector T cells need optimal immune regulation to prevent a detrimental response to allogeneic fetal cells while providing immune protection to infections. A significant proportion of (prospective) mothers carry naive or memory CD8+ T cells with a TCR that can directly bind to paternal MHC molecules. In addition, a high percentage of pregnant women develop specific T cell responses to fetal minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags). Under normal conditions, fetal–maternal MHC and mHag mismatches lead to elevated lymphocyte activation but do not induce pregnancy failure. Furthermore, viral infections alter the maternal CD8+ T cell response by changing the CD8+ T cell repertoire and increasing the influx of CD8+ T cells to decidual tissue. The normally high T cell activation threshold at the fetal–maternal interface may prevent efficient clearance of viral infections. Conversely, the increased inflammatory response due to viral infections may break fetal–maternal tolerance and lead to pregnancy complications. The aim of this review is to discuss the recent studies of CD8+ T cells in pregnancy, identify potential mechanisms for antigen-specific immune recognition of fetal extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells by CD8+ T cells, and discuss the impact of viral infections and virus-specific CD8+ T cells during pregnancy.
Long-term patency and clinical outcome of the Viabahn stent-graft for femoropopliteal artery obstructions.

Purpose To assess the long-term patency of the Viabahn stent-graft after placement for the treatment of occlusive disease of the femoropopliteal artery (FPA). Materials and Methods Viabahn stent-grafts were placed into 87 limbs in 76 patients for the treatment of atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the FPA. Mean lesion length was 14.2 cm (range, 2.8–40 cm), with 80 of 87 lesions (92%) at least 7 cm in length. Patients were followed by duplex ultrasound (US), resting ankle brachial index (ABI) measurement, and clinical status at 6 months, 1 year, and yearly thereafter for a maximum of 8.5 years. A systolic velocity ratio greater than 2.0 on duplex US anywhere in the FPA was defined as a loss of primary vessel patency. Results Primary, primary assisted, and secondary vessel patency rates were 76%, 87%, and 93%, respectively, at 1 year and 55%, 67%, and 79%, respectively, at 4 years. Mean resting ABI improved from 0.70 before the procedure to 0.90 as of the most recent follow-up ( P P P = .001). The primary vessel patency rate in devices of at least 7 mm ( n = 21) was 82% at 4 years. No stent fractures were observed despite the use of multiple overlapping stent-grafts in 36.8% of limbs ( n = 32). Conclusions This study demonstrates durable vessel patency to 4 years for long Transatlantic Inter-Society Consensus class C and D lesions treated with the Viabahn stent-graft. Results were independent of lesion length and type but dependent on device diameter. This study helps confirm the durability and clinical utility of this device in the treatment of FPA occlusive disease.
Efficient spatial allocation in the quadratic assignment problem

Abstract Koopmans and Beckmann found that the competitive mechanism cannot sustain an assignment of indivisible plants to spatially distinct sites when intermediate product flows are required and transportation costs between sites are positive. Hartwick claims to have found valid counterexamples to this result. This paper demonstrates that while counterexamples to the Koopmans-Beckmann result do exist, Hartwick's examples are inappropriate. A correct example of a price-sustainable integer assignment is provided.
Characterization of high frequency transducers with wire target and hydrophone

In this paper, a wire-target technique was used for lateral beam profile measurements for single-element focused transducer in the very high frequency range (35-60 MHz). Two wire-targets made from 9 cm long tungsten wires with diameters of 8 /spl mu/m and 20 /spl mu/m were used as the pulse-echo target to measure the lateral beam profiles at the focal plane of two single-element focused transducers, a spherically focused 40 MHz Panametrics transducer and a lens-focused in-house lithium niobate (LiNbO/sub 3/) 60 MHz transducer. For comparison, measurements on the same transducers were performed by three small-aperture hydrophones with geometrical diameters varying from 37 /spl mu/m to 150 /spl mu/m. Results obtained with the wire-target technique are comparable to those obtained with small aperture hydrophones in characterizing the lateral radiation patterns of a single-element focused transducer in the high frequency range (35-60 MHz). However, wire-targets may overestimate pulse length. Compared to small-aperture hydrophones, the wire-target technique is simpler and more cost-effective. Its major advantage however is in the frequency range above 100 MHz in which commercial hydrophones are not yet available.
Apparatus for accurate measurement of interface resistance of high performance thermal interface materials

This manuscript describes a systematic and rational design of an experimental apparatus based on ASTM D-5470 standard for thermal interface resistance measurement of high performance thermal interface materials (TIM). The apparatus is intended to provide measurement of TIM thermal resistance as low as 0.065 K-cm/sup 2//W within 10% experimental uncertainty. The key points addressed are: 1) Apparatus design to obtain accurate measurement of TIM surface temperatures and heat flux, 2) Effects of surface flatness and roughness, and 3) Importance of and methods for surface cleaning. Design criteria are presented for choosing temperature sensors, their installation method, meter-bar material and thickness. The temperature sensors in the meter-bars should be located a sufficient distance from the heaters to ensure uniform heat flux in the thermal sensor region. Cooling plate design specifications, and a method for applying interface pressure are described. Experimental data are presented on a new TIM having 0.058 K-cm/sup 2//W interface resistance with 138 kPa contact pressure, which is lower than commercially available thermal grease and phase change materials.
The nature of Christianity in Beowulf

Readers of Beowulf are now in apparent agreement that the frequent Christian references in the poem fit easily and naturally into their contexts and give every sign of being simply an unconscious part of the normal language and thought of the poet. We must make the customary proviso, to be sure, that by ‘poet’ we have in mind the final reteller of some older pre-Christian story or stories now beyond recovery. The old Monkish Interpolator who used to be hauled out and execrated by scholars for smearing his despicable Christian Colouring like graffiti over a noble pagan monument has vanished like the ghost he always was. He has, however, now been replaced by equally busy Monkish Extrapolators working tirelessly to insert large sections of the Patrologia Latina somewhere between the lines of Beowulf. In doing so, they take advantage of the undeniable fact that the early Middle Ages provided an ample supply of patristic material, to argue (I think indefensibly) that it must have been put to use – that no vernacular poet could have fought off the urge to wrap any plain tale he had to tell in rich folds of typology, allegory and deeper meanings.
Modal characteristics of short-pitch photoresist gratings exhibiting zero-order diffraction anomalies

Zero-order diffraction efficiencies, in reflection, of short-pitch (pitch less than the incident wavelength), narrow-linewidth, photoresist gratings exhibit significant variations with angle of incidence. The intent of our effort was to explain these variations, which are characterized as resonance anomalies. At resonance we also have observed enhanced diffuse scattering. Modal analysis was applied to characterize the fields within the grating structure. A separate numerical method that combines effective-medium theory and waveguide mode computation was used to determine the lossy, guided-wave modes of the layered grating structure. We show that enhanced diffuse scattering is directly correlated with enhanced surface fields (order m=-1) that are associated with coupling of the incident field into guided-wave modes in the presence of the grating. Under certain conditions anti-guided-wave behavior in the grating is evident. Applications to scatterometry and surface characterization are suggested.
CONSERVATION GENETICS OF THE ENDANGERED ENDEMIC HAWAIIAN GENUS BRIGHAMIA (CAMPANULACEAE)

insignis and B. rockii. Our sampling (N 5 80) represents ;41% of all known individuals in the wild. Isozyme analyses revealed levels of genetic variation comparable to those reported for other Hawaiian flowering plant taxa but low levels of genetic variation at the population and species levels when compared to flowering plants in general. Ex situ individuals ( N 5 61) were genetically representative of natural populations and hence may appropriately serve as stock for population augmentations. The two morphologically similar Brighamia species were highly distinct genetically. The combination of morphological and ecological similarity with allozymic dissimilarity observed in Brighamia is unique among the Hawaiian taxa studied to date. The biota of the Hawaiian Islands is renowned for its superlative examples of phyletic radiations and concomitant high levels of endemism. Approximately 89% of the native Hawaiian flowering plant species are endemic to the archipelago, the highest percentage of any floristic region on earth, with many species restricted to single localities (Wagner, Herbst, and Sohmer, 1990). Over onequarter of all plants currently listed as federally endangered in the United States are found in the Hawaiian Archipelago (Wagner, Herbst, and Sohmer, 1990). Of the ;1000 recognized Hawaiian flowering plant taxa, over 100 are presumed extinct, with another 300‐400 at risk
A pedagogical approach to sport education season planning.

(2001). A Pedagogical Approach to Sport Education Season Planning. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 72, No. 9, pp. 37-46.
Bounds on properties of continental crustal heat production

Summary Linear programming is applied to the inverse problem of placing bounds on various properties of the continental crustal heat-source function for a given heat flow province, specifically the maximum value and the total crustal power. Data to be satisfied are the measured surface heat-flow values, and an approximate linear relation throughout the province between heat flow and surface heat production. For the latter, the approximation imposed is a linear relation between the smoothest components of the two functions, thereby allowing the observed short-wavelength scatter about the conventional linear regression. Its incorporation into the linear programming problem is done by equating a chosen set of lowest degree Fourier components. Because heat flow measurements tend to be very uncertain, a large dataset can be replaced by a relatively small number of the most reliable independent linear combinations of data, thereby reducing the size of the linear programming problem significantly. These combinations are constructed using a generalization of the standard spectral expansion method, for problems cast in normed vector spaces which are not inner product spaces. Application to the New England dataset demonstrates a significant effect on computed bounds, even when only a few of the smoothest Fourier components are matched.
Atomic-scale electrical characterization of carbon nanotubes on silicon surfaces with the UHV-STM

The ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (UHV-STM) is used to investigate the electrical and structural properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) supported on both clean and hydrogen-terminated Si(100) surfaces. Dry contact transfer (DCT) of SWNTs in situ precludes contamination of the SWNT/Si interface and enables sensitive atomic-scale measurements. Tunneling current-voltage (I-V) and conductance-voltage (dI/dV-V) spectra have been acquired from both semiconducting and metallic SWNTs. The compatibility of SWNTs with STM nanofabrication on the Si(100)-2times1:H surface is exemplified by the integration of H-resist nanolithography with adsorbed SWNTs. Contrary to earlier UHV-STM studies of SWNTs on Au(111), the motivation for our work is derived from the technological importance of the Si(100) substrate and the development of hybrid SWNT-Si nanoelectronic devices
Implementing Nonlinear Buoyancy and Excitation Forces in the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Modeling Tool

Wave energy converters (WECs) are commonly designed and analyzed using numerical models that combine multibody dynamics with hydrodynamic models based on the Cummins equation and linearized hydrodynamic coefficients. These modeling methods are attractive design tools because they are computationally inexpensive and do not require the use of highperformance computing resources necessitated by high-fidelity methods, such as Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics. Modeling hydrodynamics using linear coefficients assumes that the device undergoes small motions and that the wetted surface area of the devices is approximately constant. WEC devices, however, are typically designed to undergo large motions to maximize power extraction, calling into question the validity of assuming that linear hydrodynamic models accurately capture the relevant fluid-structure interactions. In this paper, we study how calculating buoyancy and Froude-Krylov forces from the instantaneous position of a WEC device changes WEC simulation results compared to simulations that use linear hydrodynamic coefficients. First, we describe the WEC-Sim tool used to perform simulations and how the ability to model instantaneous forces was incorporated into WEC-Sim. We then use a simplified one-body WEC device to validate the model and to demonstrate how accounting for these instantaneously calculated forces affects the accuracy of simulation results, such as device motions, hydrodynamic forces, and power generation. Other aspects of WEC-Sim code development and verification are presented in a companion paper [1] that is also being presented at OMAE2014.
Yolk lipids of developing atherosclerosis susceptible White Carneau and atherosclerosis resistant Show Racer pigeon embryos.

The lipid composition of yolks of developing embryonic atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carnean (WC) and -resistant Show Racer (SR) pigeons was analyzed to determine whether embryonic nutrition might be a factor in the difference in susceptibility to aortic atherosclerosis. The yolks of 1-day and 18-day old embryos were analyzed, and the amounts of phospholipid, sterol, non-esterified fatty acid, triglycA©ride,cholesteryl ester, and hydrocarbon were determined. On the first day of development in both breeds, triglycA©rides comnosed 80% of the total lipid content of the yolk; phospholipids, cholesteryl ester, sterols and non-esterified fatty acids comprised the rest. There was no difference between breeds in the amount of lipid in each class or in the total lipid. Therefore, the initial lipid diet of these embryos is not a factor in development of the disease. Examination of the yolk just prior to hatching, revealed that in both breeds there was a significant decrease in total volk lipids, but unequal utilization of lipid con stituents between breeds. Significantly higher amounts of phospholipids remained in the volk of the WC pigeons. During embryogenesis, the SR pigeons consumed significantly more of each lipid than the atherosclerosis- susceptible breed. This mav indicate that there is a difference between the two breeds in lipid metabolism. J. Nutr. 106: 627-630, 1976.
On the Radio Quiescence of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars and Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters

In the hot environments of the anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and the soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs), as indicated by their luminous, pulsed, quiescent X-ray emission, gamma rays generated from the inner gaps may have shorter attenuation lengths via two-photon pair production rather than via magnetic photon splitting. The AXP/SGR environments may not be pairless, even if photon splitting could completely suppress one-photon pair production in superstrong magnetic fields, as conjectured by Baring and Harding. Two-photon pair production more likely occurs near the threshold, which tends to generate low-energy pairs that are not energetic enough to power radio emission in the observed bands. However, emission in longer wavelengths may not be prohibited, in principle, if these objects are indeed magnetars. The so-called photon-splitting deathlines are still valid for high magnetic field pulsars that are much dimmer in X-rays, if gamma rays with both polarization modes split.
Pulmonary Tumours in Syrian Hamsters Following Inhalation of 239PuO2

SummarySyrian hamsters were exposed to various levels of aerosolized 239PuO2 particles to attain a range of initial lung burdens (medians ranged from 40 to 144 nCi). They were allowed to live without sacrifice and had gross and microscopic tissue examinations at death. Over a range of median lung doses from 4–12 000 rad there was an average 2 per cent incidence of malignant tumours (adenocarcinomas) and 9 per cent incidence of total tumours (primarily adenomas). Some of these results are consistent with those from other laboratories using plutonium oxide aerosols but they represent considerably lower lung tumour incidences than previously observed in this laboratory using aerosols of 238PuO2-ZrO2 particles.