cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fuel Conditioning Facility Electrorefiner Process Model

Abstract The Fuel Conditioning Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory processes spent nuclear fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II using electro‐metallurgical treatment. To process fuel without waiting for periodic sample analyses to assess process conditions, an electrorefiner process model predicts the composition of the electrorefiner inventory and effluent streams. For the chemical equilibrium portion of the model, the two common methods for solving chemical equilibrium problems, stoichiometric and non‐stoichiometric, were investigated. In conclusion, the stoichiometric method produced equilibrium compositions close to the measured results whereas the non‐stoichiometric method did not.
Dynamically simulating and visualizing the engineering specification of high power supply test system

This paper introduces an innovative method to simulate and visualize the engineering specification of automatic test system with high power supply. Its implementation can dynamically simulate and visually interpret the valid operating scopes of the test system and validate the safe operating points for an effective integrated circuit test.
Direct force measurements at the smooth gold/mica interface

We have developed a technique for accessing a very smooth gold surface (4 A root-mean-square roughness) with nominal area greater than 100 μm2. It is a simple, controlled, and chemically noninvasive procedure of separating the smooth gold/mica interface carried out in the surface forces apparatus. Taking advantage of cold welding between surfaces of thin gold films and using carefully chosen quantities of compression, we have been able to isolate a region of the smooth gold/mica interface from forces other than those of adhesion. This allows measurement of the pull-off force required to separate smooth gold from mica (Fp/R = 1800 mN/m); this represents a significant end point to data of previous studies addressing the impact of roughness on adhesion. Roughening of the gold surface during the separation process acts to reduce the pull-off forces required on subsequent separations.
Influence of Dietary Tetramethylthiuram Disulfide (a Fungicide) on Growth and Incidence of Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Single Comb White Leghorn Chicks

The effect of dietary tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD) (0, 30, or 60 mg/kg diet) on the performance and incidence and severity of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) chicks was studied in a 6-week experiment. Body weights (3 weeks of age) and bone ash (4 and 6 weeks of age) of chicks fed either 30 or 60 mg TMTD/kg diet were significantly lower compared to controls. Dietary TMTD, however, significantly increased the incidence and severity of TD in layer chicks with the highest incidence (69%) occurring in 6-week old-birds. This study showed that SCWL chicks were susceptible to TMTD-induced TD as early as 2-weeks of age and that the condition persisted throughout the growing phase.
Gender in language and life: A Dutch American example

This case study of language shift among turn-of-the-century Dutch Protestant immigrants highlights how language operates to create and reinforce social systems of meaning. The author describes how gender variations in language acquisition relate to social and economic positions of the migrants and their age at arrival. At the individual, familial, and ethnic group level, language acquisition was genedered. Men and women had different reasons for learning or preserving their language, with women occupying the extremes of both innovation and retention. Using socioloinguists' interviews, immigrant letters, literary works, and a variety of other sources, the author argues that the relative absence of gender and class distinctions in English grammar reinforced a particular vision of America that also included freedom from these elements.
Structural health monitoring of helicopter hard landing using 3D digital image correlation

During operation of vehicles and structures, excessive transient loading can lead to reduced fatigue life and even mechanical failure. It has been shown that when a structure undergoes a damaging sequence of events, such as those occurring during a helicopter hard landing, the structural health of a specimen can be severely affected. In order to effectively quantify damage and monitor the structural health of the specimen, experimental data is required across a wide area of the helicopter. Within this paper the use of three-dimensional (3D) digital image correlation (DIC) and dynamic photogrammetry (DP) is examined as a possible method to acquire the necessary data to perform structural health monitoring in a non-obtrusive manner. DIC and DP are a non-contacting measurement techniques that utilizes a stereo pair of digital cameras to track prescribed surface pattern or optical targets placed on the structure. The approaches can provide global information about changes to the structure over the entire field of view. A scale laboratory test is performed on a helicopter to simulate several loading scenarios. The changes in the structural shape and strain field of the model helicopter fuselage as a direct result of the loadings are identified. The tests demonstrate that this technique is a valid way to determine the damage inflicted on the structure due to an excessive applied loading or dynamic maneuver. Practical applications and common limitations of the technique are discussed.
Throughput enhancement of MANETs: Packet fragmentation with hidden stations and BERs

Hidden nodes cause unexpected collisions and interferences in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs). However, little attention has been given to the behavior of hidden nodes, especially when channels are under random bit errors. Exchanging RTS/CTS can avoid hidden node problems. However, undesirable overheads in every packet cause performance degradation, and this motivates many researchers to design new algorithms with modification of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In this paper, the impact of hidden nodes is thoroughly modeled using Markov chains. This model incorporates critical network parameters (random bit errors, packet lengths, number of users) in noisy MANETs channels. Through rigorous analysis, the study suggests the optimal packet lengths to be used in various channel conditions with the existence of hidden nodes. These optimal fragments effectively reduce the number of retransmissions caused by collisions from hidden nodes and corrupted packets due to random bit errors, which significantly improves throughput in noisy MANETs channels without modification of the standards.
A Novel Microtubule Destabilizing Entity from Orthogonal Synthesis of Triazine Library and Zebrafish Embryo Screening

The first orthogonal combinatorial synthesis of a high-purity triazine library was demonstrated. Novel triazine-based microtubule inhibitors were discovered by an efficient zebrafish embryo screening and in vitro microtubule polymerization assay.
Platelet aggregation in native blood exposed to a shifting shear rate field.

Abstract Native whole blood was exposed to a shifting shear rate field (1000 sec-1 for 5 sec followed by 100 sec-1 for 25 sec) in a home-made apparatus designed with a couette viscometer geometry. The occurrence of rheological platelet aggregation (RPA) was measured by the ratio between platelet count on PRP obtained from blood samples fixed by formalin before and after shearing. A heterogeneous group of 78 patients affected by vascular and nonvascular diseases were investigated by this method. Abnormal values of RPA appeared to be significantly associated with vascular thrombotic disorders.
Multiplicative properties of projectively dual varieties

We present a general formula for the dimension of the projectively dual of the product of two projective varietiesX1 andX2, in terms of dimensions ofX1,X2 and their projective duals (Theorem 0.1). The proof is based on the formula due to N. Katz expressing the dimension of the dual variety in terms of the rank of certain Hessian matrix. Some consequences and related results are given, including the “Cayley trick” from [3] and its dual version.
Circadian rhythms, diet, and neuronal excitability

Many aspects of normal biological function are governed by circadian rhythms, including metabolism, ingestive behaviors, and sleep-wake cycles. Certain pathological processes as well are also affected by the circadian rhythms. For example, it is well known that seizure occurrence can be influenced by the sleep-wake cycle. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with proven efficacy in the treatment of intractable epilepsies. While the mechanisms underlying the clinical effects of the KD remain unclear, there are emerging links between circadian rhythms and KD action. Such factors should be considered when planning and administering the KD to patients.
Forensic Study for Causes of Fall Using Fault Tree Analysis

A woman fell on a ramp in front of a pub and broke her ankle. She had had some drinks in the pub. Questions have been asked as who was to blame, the woman herself, her shoes, or the ramp. The writer introduces a fault tree model that can be used to solve the problem both qualitatively and quantitatively. The graphical model shows the interrelationships among the possible causes contributing to the fall. The qualitative and quantitative analyses produce the ranking of the minimal cut sets of causes that are most likely to contribute to the fall. Logical assessment and building codes support the qualitative analysis. The quantitative analysis requires the use of probability values. Some of these values are readily available, while others call for adequate judgment. A step-by-step process of solving the problem is presented in this paper.
Second malignant neoplasms in long-term survivors of osteosarcoma: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Experience.

BACKGROUND The authors investigated the incidence and relative risk of secondary malignant neoplasms in long-term survivors of osteosarcoma. METHODS A comprehensive list of 509 patients with primary osteosarcoma treated at our institution between February 1973 and March 2000 was identified. All study patients received chemotherapy and/or surgery on one of six different protocols (T4, 5, 7, 10, 12, and CCG-7921/POG-9351). Chemotherapy was scheduled for up to 40 weeks with some variations in the actual treatment period and consisted of various combinations of the following agents: high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, vincristine, cisplatin, and ifosfamide. RESULTS Secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN) occurred in 14 of 509 patients. Only one had pulmonary metastasis at diagnosis and subsequent multiple recurrences that required thoracotomies and further modification of the chemotherapy regimen. The median age at diagnosis for osteosarcoma was 16.6 years (range, 3.1–74.4 years). The median follow-up was 5.2 years (range, 0.1–25.0 years). The time interval from diagnosis of the primary osteosarcoma to the development of SMN was 1.3–13.1 years (median, 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6–9.6). The most common SMN occurred in the central nervous system (n = 4): anaplastic glioma, meningioma, high-grade glioma, and maxillary astrocytoma. There were two cases of acute myeloid leukemia and one case each of myelodysplastic syndrome, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, breast carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The overall 5 and 10-year cumulative incidences of SMNs were 1.4% ± 1.1% and 3.1% ± 1.8%. The standardized incidence ratio was 4.6 (95% CI, 2.53–7.78, P = 0.00001) for the cohort and 3.64 (95% CI, 1.82–6.52, P = 0.0007) when patients with a history of retinoblastoma or Rothmund-Thomson syndrome were excluded. CONCLUSIONS The overall incidence of secondary malignancies in long-term survivors of osteosarcoma was significantly higher than the expected incidence of cancer in the general population. However, the standardized incidence ratios were much lower than those reported for Hodgkin disease and retinoblastoma. Although additional follow-up is warranted, the successes of current treatment regimens consisting of intensive, high-dose chemotherapy in combination with topoisomerase II inhibitors outweigh the risks. Cancer 2002;95:1728–34. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10861
Cross national study of perceived service quality in long-term care facilities

Abstract This cross-national study of 306 nursing home residents in the United States and the United Kingdom examines the similarities and differences in their evaluation of service quality. Service quality was defined as the differences between expectations about the service and actual perceptions of the service delivered in terms of five dimensions: tangibles, assurance, empathy, reliability and responsiveness. The SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure service quality. The two groups differed in their expectations for quality and their perceptions of service quality: US residents' ratings were lower in all respects.
Adenomyoepithelioma of the Breast

Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast is a rare benign breast neoplasm characterized by biphasic proliferation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells. It occurs in older women and presents as a palpable nodular mass. Mammographic findings are nonspecific and often suspicious for malignancy. A core needle biopsy may be misleading and may be mistaken for invasive ductal carcinoma. Characteristic histologic features include a well-circumscribed multinodular growth pattern, in which the nodules consist of closely intermixed proliferating glands and myoepithelial cells. Both epithelial and myoepithelial components show only mild pleomorphism and a low mitotic rate. The epithelial cells react with antibodies to cytokeratins. The myoepithelial cells show positive staining for smooth muscle actin, smooth muscle myosin, calponin, p63, desmin, and S-100. Incompletely resected tumors or tumors extending to the resection margins tend to recur. Malignant transformation of adenomyoepitheliomas has been described but occurs rarely.
Fixed-point-free maps on tree-like continua

Abstract A fixed-point-free homeomorphism on a tree-like continuum is described. The tree-like continuum is obtained as inverse limit of trees, and the homeomorphism is obtained as an induced map of the inverse limit space.
Metastatic colonic carcinoma to the testes: case report and review of the literature

A case of metastatic carcinoma to the testes from the colon is reported and 14 previous case reports reviewed. The range in age of reported patients was 18 to 76, with a median age of 51 years. The clinical presentation in most cases was testicular swelling or hydrocoele. In three cases, the testicular lesion antedated the discovery of a primary colorectal cancer. The majority of patients had other widespread metastases at the time testicular involvement was diagnosed. In older patients who present with a testicular mass or hydrocoele, the differential diagnosis must include metastatic carcinoma.
Case Studies of Multidisciplinary Approaches to Integrating Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.

Traditionally, school curriculum has been largely based on the concept that instruction should be separated into distinct subjects for ease of understanding and then reassembled when complex applications are required. Although it is assumed that students readily re-connect their school knowledge and then use it in an applied context outside of the classroom, recent research does substantiate this belief (Crohn, 1983; Hawkins, 1982). Here in lies the crux of the matter, the school curricula is a segregated approach to instructional topics which does not adequately address the reassemblage of topics into a coherent body of knowledge to be used by students.
Circulation in the Southern Ocean during the Paleogene inferred from neodymium isotopes

Long-term records of neodymium (Nd) isotopes from sedimentary archives can be influenced by both changes in water mass mixing and continental weathering. Results of Nd isotopic analyses of fossil fish teeth from ODP Site 689 (Maud Rise, Southern Ocean) provide a long, continuous, high-resolution marine sediment Nd isotope record (expressed in eNd units). Correlation of down core secular variations between the eNd record, d 13 C values from benthic foraminifera, and clay mineral assemblages demonstrates that long-term variability of Nd isotope ratios reflect changes in ocean circulation, and that only minor fluctuations in eNd values are associated with changes in continental weathering on Antarctica. Nonradiogenic eNd values at Site 689 during the middle Eocene require the contribution of an end member with eNdb9.5. Southern Ocean deep water may have been too radiogenic in the middle Eocene (eNd=8.5), though this end member may not be fully characterized. A possible source of deep water outside of the Southern Ocean in the middle Eocene is the Tethys Sea (eNd=9.3 to 9.8). The presence of Warm Saline Deep Water (WSDW) on Maud Rise is consistent with the Nd isotope results. The onset of more radiogenic eNd values at ~40.8 Ma coincides with other changes at Site 689 which are consistent with a switch from a warm bottom water mass in the middle Eocene to a colder bottom water mass in the late middle Eocene. A rapid shift to radiogenic eNd values beginning at 37 Ma is best explained by the opening of Drake Passage. The shift coincides with increases in phytoplankton production throughout the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean that document the development of upwelling cells presumably related to more effective latitudinal circulation. After the Eocene/Oligocene boundary when large-scale ice sheets developed on Antarctica, Southern Ocean sourced water masses, such as Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), had a greater influence on the hydrography of the study area. An early Oligocene trend to nonradiogenic compositions resulted in similar values to the modern eNd values of these water masses. The modern eNd values of AAIW and AABW reflect a significant contribution of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW), thus decreasing eNd values in the early Oligocene may have resulted from the export of Northern Component Water (NCW, similar to modern NADW). During the late Oligocene and early Miocene, the long-term trends of the record follow benthic d 13 C values. Variability in the Nd isotope record most likely reflects fluctuations in ocean circulation arising from changes in the relative contributions of
Non-coherent demodulation for orthogonal space-time coded CPM

In this paper non-coherent receivers for orthogonal space-time coded continuous phase modulated signals transmitted over additive white Gaussian noise and quasi-static fading channels are presented. The receivers are found to perform less than 1-dB away from the corresponding coherent detectors.
Neurological complications of acquired immune deficiency syndrome: analysis of 50 patients

Fifty patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome had complications affecting the central or peripheral nervous systems or both. The patients were either male homosexuals, intravenous drug abusers, or recently arrived Haitian refugees. They ranged in age from 25 to 56. Central nervous system complications were of four kinds: (1) Infections included Toxoplasma gondii abscesses in 5 patients, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in 2, cryptococcal meningitis in 2, Candida albicans in 1, and possible Mycobacterium avium intracellulare in 3. Eighteen patients suffered a subacute encephalitis possibly attributable to cytomegalovirus infection. (2) Tumors consisted of primary lymphoma of the brain in 3 patients and meningeal invasion by systemic lymphoma in 4. (3) Vascular complications included nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in 2 patients and cerebral hemorrhages in the setting of thrombocytopenia in 3. (4) Undiagnosed central nervous system problems were evidenced as focal brain lesions in 3 patients and self-limiting aseptic meningitis in 4. Peripheral neuropathy occurred in 8 patients.
Human-Robot Interaction in an Arabic Social and Cultural Setting

Abstract We have permanently deployed Hala; the world first's English and Arabic Robot Receptionist for 500+ days in an uncontrolled multi-cultural/multi-lingual environment within Carnegie Mellon Qatar. Hala serves as a research testbed for studying the influence of socio-cultural norms and the nature of interactions during human-robot interaction within a multicultural, yet primarily ethnic Arab, setting. Hala, as a platform, owes its uptime to several independently engineered components for modeling user interactions, syntactic and semantic language parsing, inviting users with a laser, handling facial animations, text-to-speech and lip synchronization, error handling and reporting, post dialogue analysis, networking/interprocess communication, and a rich client interface. We conjecture that disparities in discourse, appearances, and non-verbal gestures amongst interlocutors of different cultures and native tongues. By varying Hala's behavior and responses, we gain insight into these disparities (if any) and therefore we've calculated: rate of thanks after the robot's answer amongst cultures, user willingness to answer personal questions, correlation between language and acceptance of robot invites, the duration of conversations, effectiveness of running an open-ended experiment versus surveys. We want to understand if people communicate with a robot (rather, an inanimate object with human-like characteristics) differently than amongst themselves. Additionally, we want to extrapolate these differences/similarities while accounting for culture and language. Our results indicate that users in Qatar thanked Hala less frequently than their counterparts in the US. The robot often answered personal questions and inquiries (for ex: her marital status, job satisfaction, etc); however, only 10% of the personal questions posed by the robot were answered by users. We observed a 34% increase in interactions when the robot initiated the conversation by inviting nearby users, and the subsequent duration of the conversation also increased by 30%. Upon bringing language into the mix, we observed that native Arabic speakers were twice more likely to accept an invite from the robot and they also tended to converse for 25% longer than other cultures. These results indicate a disparity in interaction across English and Arabic users thereby encouraging the creation of culture specific dialogues, appearances and non-verbal gestures for an engaging social robot with regionally relevant applications.
Autonomy as a Source of Conflict: Caucasian Conflicts in Theoretical Perspective

The granting of autonomous status to minority populations has gained support among academics and practitioners alike as a way to solve, manage, and even preempt ethnic conflict. In spite of the enthusiasm for ethnofederalism, however, the provision of autonomy to minorities may actually increase rather than decrease the likelihood of conflict. Under certain political conditions, autonomy promotes the separate identity of the minority and increases its motivation and capacity to seek separation from the central state. This article presents a rudimentary theoretical framework identifying which qualities of autonomy solutions increase the likelihood of conflict. It discusses how autonomy relates to other factors conducive to conflict by studying minorities in the South Caucasus and examines the case of Georgia. In Georgia, there were five ethnic minority populations, two of whom—the Abkhaz and the South Ossetians—enjoyed autonomous status and were the only minorities to engage in armed conflict with the Georgian government. This article shows how autonomy, by empowering ethnic elites with control of statelike institutions and by enhancing factors such as leadership, economic viability, and external support, played a crucial role in the escalation of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Conversely, the absence of autonomy mitigated separatist and secessionist sentiments among two of Georgia's other minority groups—Javakheti's Armenian and Kvemo Kartli's Azeri populations.
Abundance of interstitial heparan sulfate in granuloma annulare but not in other mucinous skin diseases.

Background: Heparan sulfate (HS), unlike other glycosaminoglycans, is mainly located on cell surfaces but can be shed into the interstitium by a regulated process. It has been found in interstitial fluid drained from cutaneous wounds, but otherwise the conditions under which the release of HS from the cell surface occurs are unknown. To better characterize this process, we have investigated the presence of interstitial HS in various skin diseases with glycosaminoglycan accumulation. Methods: Histologic routine material was stained immunohistochemically using an antibody recognizing HS. Results: Heparan sulfate immunoreactivity is present in the interstitium of young cutaneous scars and in the interstitium of the inflammatory infiltrate of granuloma annulare. No reactivity was found in a number of non-inflammatory skin diseases with mucin deposition. Conclusions: The selective presence of interstitial HS in only two of the investigated skin conditions supports the existence of a regulated mechanism to release HS from the surface of cells into the interstitium. It is suggested that HS modulates the biologic actions of growth factors and cytokines not only during wound repair but possibly also in inflammatory skin diseases such as granuloma annulare.
Century-scale records of coral growth rates indicate that local stressors reduce coral thermal tolerance threshold.

Coral bleaching, during which corals lose their symbiotic dinoflagellates, appears to be increasing in frequency and geographic extent, and is typically associated with abnormally high water temperatures and solar irradiance. A key question in coral reef ecology is whether local stressors reduce the coral thermal tolerance threshold, leading to increased bleaching incidence. Using tree-ring techniques, we produced master chronologies of growth rates in the dominant reef builder, massive Montastraea faveolata corals, over the past 75–150 years from the Mesoamerican Reef. Our records indicate that the 1998 mass bleaching event was unprecedented in the past century, despite evidence that water temperatures and solar irradiance in the region were as high or higher mid-century than in more recent decades. We tested the influence on coral extension rate from the interactive effects of human populations and thermal stress, calculated here with degree-heating-months (DHM). We find that when the effects of chronic local stressors, represented by human population, are taken into account, recent reductions in extension rate are better explained than when DHM is used as the sole predictor. Therefore, the occurrence of mass bleaching on the Mesoamerican reef in 1998 appears to stem from reduced thermal tolerance due to the synergistic impacts of chronic local stressors.
Learning for Semantic Parsing

Semantic parsing is the task of mapping a natural language sentence into a complete, formal meaning representation. Over the past decade, we have developed a number of machine learning methods for inducing semantic parsers by training on a corpus of sentences paired with their meaning representations in a specified formal language. We have demonstrated these methods on the automated construction of natural-language interfaces to databases and robot command languages. This paper reviews our prior work on this topic and discusses directions for future research.
The genetic basis for variation in the concentration of phenolic glycosides in Salix sericea: an analysis of heritability

Key Word Index4alix sericea; Salicaceae; willow; phenolic glycosides; salicortin; 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin; genetic variation; heritability. Abstract-Willows and many other members of the Salicaceae often produce phenolic glycosides, and the concentrations of these are known to vary among plants. We used progeny from a factorial half-sib quantitative genetics experiment with Salix sericea to determine whether the concentration of two phenolic glycosides, salicortin and 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin, show additive heritability. We found that the con- centration of salicortin was much higher than 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin, and that both compounds showed additive genetic variation. However, the heritability of these two chemicals differed dramatically. We obtained heritability values of 0.20 for salicortin and 0.59 for 2'-cinnamoylsalicortin. Plant growth para- meters were not strongly conelated with the concentrations of these phenolic glycosides. Copyright 0 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Human ISD11 is essential for both iron-sulfur cluster assembly and maintenance of normal cellular iron homeostasis

The LYR family consists of proteins of diverse functions that contain the conserved tripeptide 'LYR' near the N-terminus, and it includes Isd11, which was previously observed to have an important role in iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we have cloned and characterized human ISD11 and shown that human ISD11 forms a stable complex in vivo with the human cysteine desulfurase (ISCS), which generates the inorganic sulfur needed for Fe-S protein biogenesis. Similar to ISCS, we have found that ISD11 localizes to the mitochondrial compartment, as expected, but also to the nucleus of mammalian cells. Using RNA-interference techniques, we have shown that suppression of human ISD11 inactivated mitochondrial and cytosolic aconitases. In addition, ISD11 suppression activated iron-responsive element-binding activity of iron regulatory protein 1, increased protein levels of iron regulatory protein 2, and resulted in abnormal punctate ferric iron accumulations in cells. These results indicate that ISD11 is important in the biogenesis of Fe-S clusters in mammalian cells, and its loss disrupts normal mitochondrial and cytosolic iron homeostasis.
Aligned, Coexisting Liquid and Solid Regions in Pulsed and CW Laser Annealing of Si

Aligned, coexisting liquid and solid regions are observed in cw laser annealing of polycrystalline Si films on quartz substrates. These stripe patterns are the precursors of surface topography that exists after cooling. It is proposed that a similar situation exists in the pulse annealing process. A calculation of the temperature evolution which assumes stripe symmetry and kinetic restraints of the crystallization process has been carried out. These calculations indicate a lattice temperature of between 1100 and 1300 K, 10 nsec after the sample has fully solidified.
What does “community” mean for persons with mental illness?

We need to develop living arrangements for persons with severe mental illness that are durable and available as long as needed and that provide a sense of community.
3D polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography of canine meniscus based on a 2D high-fill-factor microelectromechanical Mirror

A miniature optical imaging probe based on a high-fill-factor MEMS mirror has been developed for nondestructive diagnosis of articular joint diseases and injuries. The MEMS mirror scans ±30° at less than 6 V in both x- and y-axis. The outer diameter of the probe is 5.8 mm. Three-dimensional polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography of canine meniscus has been successfully demonstrated.
Corticosteroids to prevent postextubation upper airway obstruction: the evidence mounts

Intubation of the airway can lead to laryngotracheal injury, resulting in extubation failure from upper airway obstruction (UAO). A number of factors can help to identify patients who are at greatest risk for postextubation UAO. Three randomized controlled trials demonstrate that prophylactic corticosteroids decrease the risk for postextubation UAO and probably the need for re-intubation.
Time Pressure, Time Saving And Online Shopping: Exploring A Contradiction

Previous survey research revealed that consumers perceived online shopping and buying to be a time saving practice. Paradoxically, they only rarely reported using that tactic to save time, introducing a contradiction. Focus group research and unstructured interviews among active, time-pressured consumers provide partial solutions to the puzzle. Two types of online shopping benefits appeal to two types of consumers: Those experiencing situational time pressure respond well to "time-saving" appeals. Another, larger proportion, whose personal inclinations or personality traits result in time pressure are more interested in doing more tasks quickly or engaging in polychronic activities. These findings suggest online merchants simultaneously promote both time-saving and quicker accomplishment of more tasks. Though they are two sides of the same coin, time-pressured consumers tend to see only one side or the other. Both types of time-pressured shoppers eschew Websites requiring substantial "up-front" investment of time; complex, multi-option initial or home pages, and early insistence for "registration" that requires revealing personal information. This suggests clean, clear, uncluttered introductory pages and delay in urging registration until rapport has been established. Inexpensive, rapid delivery times and liberal return privileges were also highly valued by all time-pressured participants. Cost restrictions limit the degree to which online merchants can accommodate these preferences.
Endothelial microRNA-150 is an intrinsic suppressor of pathologic ocular neovascularization

Pathologic ocular neovascularization commonly causes blindness. It is critical to identify the factors altered in pathologically proliferating versus normally quiescent vessels to develop effective targeted therapeutics. MicroRNAs regulate both physiological and pathological angiogenesis through modulating expression of gene targets at the posttranscriptional level. However, it is not completely understood if specific microRNAs are altered in pathologic ocular blood vessels, influencing vascular eye diseases. Here we investigated the potential role of a specific microRNA, miR-150, in regulating ocular neovascularization. We found that miR-150 was highly expressed in normal quiescent retinal blood vessels and significantly suppressed in pathologic neovessels in a mouse model of oxygen-induced proliferative retinopathy. MiR-150 substantially decreased endothelial cell function including cell proliferation, migration, and tubular formation and specifically suppressed the expression of multiple angiogenic regulators, CXCR4, DLL4, and FZD4, in endothelial cells. Intravitreal injection of miR-150 mimic significantly decreased pathologic retinal neovascularization in vivo in both wild-type and miR-150 knockout mice. Loss of miR-150 significantly promoted angiogenesis in aortic rings and choroidal explants ex vivo and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in vivo. In conclusion, miR-150 is specifically enriched in quiescent normal vessels and functions as an endothelium-specific endogenous inhibitor of pathologic ocular neovascularization.
Dialogue between E. coli free radical pathways and the mitochondria of C. elegans

The microbial world presents a complex palette of opportunities and dangers to animals, which have developed surveillance and response strategies to hints of microbial intent. We show here that the mitochondrial homeostatic response pathway of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans responds to Escherichia coli mutations that activate free radical detoxification pathways. Activation of C. elegans mitochondrial responses could be suppressed by additional mutations in E. coli, suggesting that C. elegans responds to products of E. coli to anticipate challenges to its mitochondrion. Out of 50 C. elegans gene inactivations known to mediate mitochondrial defense, we found that 7 genes were required for C. elegans response to a free radical producing E. coli mutant, including the bZip transcription factor atfs-1 (activating transcription factor associated with stress). An atfs-1 loss-of-function mutant was partially resistant to the effects of free radical-producing E. coli mutant, but a constitutively active atfs-1 mutant growing on wild-type E. coli inappropriately activated the pattern of mitochondrial responses normally induced by an E. coli free radical pathway mutant. Carbonylated proteins from free radical-producing E. coli mutant may directly activate the ATFS-1/bZIP transcription factor to induce mitochondrial stress response: feeding C. elegans with H2O2-treated E. coli induces the mitochondrial unfolded protein response, and inhibition of a gut peptide transporter partially suppressed C. elegans response to free radical damaged E. coli.
The Chemsitry of Diazepines

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the chemistry of seven-membered heterocyclic compounds containing two nitrogen atoms. The literature through early 1966 has been covered. Synthetic methods leading to various diazepine ring systems are summarized, and the reactions and properties that have been studied for these ring systems have been discussed. The chapter is divided into diazepines with nitrogen atoms in the 1, 2-positions; 1, 3-positions; and 1, 4-positions. They are further divided by taking into account the rings fused to the diazepine. All the seven membered heterocyclic compounds containing two ring nitrogens are considered under this outline, regardless of the degree of unsaturation.
Western European Earlier Bronze Age

The Earlier Bronze Age tradition existed during the Sub-Boreal period, in which climatic conditions were somewhat warmer (about 1 to 2 degrees C) and wetter than today. Within the broad area encompassed by the Earlier Bronze Age, somewhat cooler and wetter conditions existed in the west, particularly along the Atlantic, warmer and drier conditions in the south, particularly along the Mediterranean, and more variable continental conditions in the east.
Site-Specific Internal Motions in GB1 Protein Microcrystals Revealed by 3D 2H–13C–13C Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

2H quadrupolar line shapes deliver rich information about protein dynamics. A newly designed 3D 2H–13C–13C solid-state NMR magic angle spinning (MAS) experiment is presented and demonstrated on the microcrystalline β1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1). The implementation of 2H–13C adiabatic rotor-echo-short-pulse-irradiation cross-polarization (RESPIRATION CP) ensures the accuracy of the extracted line shapes and provides enhanced sensitivity relative to conventional CP methods. The 3D 2H–13C–13C spectrum reveals 2H line shapes for 140 resolved aliphatic deuterium sites. Motional-averaged 2H quadrupolar parameters obtained from the line-shape fitting identify side-chain motions. Restricted side-chain dynamics are observed for a number of polar residues including K13, D22, E27, K31, D36, N37, D46, D47, K50, and E56, which we attribute to the effects of salt bridges and hydrogen bonds. In contrast, we observe significantly enhanced side-chain flexibility for Q2, K4, K10, E15, E19, N35, N40, a...
Effect of Temperature Dependent Properties and Particle Shape on Heat Transfer in Plasma Flow

In this paper, plasma flow over non-spherical particles has been investigated numerically. The conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy are solved simultaneously using finite volume method. To body-fit the non-spherical particle surface, an adaptive orthogonal grid is generated. The flow field and the temperature distribution are calculated for oblate and prolate particle shapes. A number of particle surface temperatures and far field temperatures are considered and thermophysical property variation is fully accounted for in our model. The shapes are represented in terms of variations in the axis ratio which is defined as the ratio of axis along the flow direction to the axis perpendicular to the flow direction. For oblate shape, axis ratios from 0.4 (disk-like) to 1 (sphere) are used whereas for proate shape, axis ratios of 1 (sphere) to 1.6 (cylinder-like) are used. The computational model is first validated by comparison with results and correlations available in literature for constant property flow. Effects of flow Reynolds number, particle shape, surface and far field temperatures, and variable properties, on the flow field, temperature variations, drag coefficient, and Nusselt number are outlined.© 2003 ASME
Reducing search space for fast pedestrian detection

Region of interest (ROI) generation used to extract candidate windows which are likely to have pedestrians is an important step in pedestrian detection systems. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to reduce the number of candidate windows extracted as ROI to reduce the computation time of pedestrian detection. In our proposed method, we take advantage of the temporal correlation between the adjacent frames to discard the candidate windows in regions where pedestrians cannot be found. To do this, we compare the confidence scores computed for the ROIs in the previous frames in two steps and ignore the regions where all of the neighboring ROIs are classified as non-pedestrian. Simulation results show that our proposed algorithm can improve the speed of pedestrian detection significantly compared to the existing systems while maintaining comparable accuracy.
Study on the process of Chinese rice wine cooked wheat Qu making with mixed-strains

In order to improve the cellulase activity of cooked wheat Qu,a fungus strain CF7 with higher cellulase activity was isolated from laboratory-preserved wheat Qu microbe through Congo red medium and the wheat Qu making,which was identified as Aspergillus niger by analyzing its morphology and ITS gene sequences. The cooked wheat Qu making process of cellulase-optimizing by A. niger mixed with Aspergillus oryzae Su-16 was also studied by response surface analysis. The results showed that the optimum conditions were:incubation time of 51h,moisture content of 62%,inoculum of 3. 9mL/50g wheat and that cellulase-producing was up to 32. 5U/g·dry wheat Qu,29. 5 times higher than that of wheat Qu making with A. oryzae Su-16 alone. The alcohol yield of mixed cooked wheat Qu and was improved 6. 1% through small-scale rice wine fermentation.
Percutaneous Lithotripsy in Morbid Obesity

Percutaneous lithotripsy is an established, safe, effective method for the management of renal calculi. Obesity long has been associated with increased surgical morbidity and may eliminate a patient from shock wave treatment. We compared 44 obese patients to 226 nonobese patients undergoing percutaneous stone management. Stone number, location and total stone burden were comparable in the obese and nonobese groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in hospital time, operative time, fragment rate, access success rate or morbidity. Percutaneous procedures offer successful alternatives with low morbidity for patients with renal calculous disease.
Influence of Binders, Carbons, and Solvents on the Stability of Phosphorus Anodes for Li-ion Batteries.

Phosphorus (P) is an abundant element that exhibits one of the highest gravimetric and volumetric capacities for Li storage, making it a potentially attractive anode material for high capacity Li-ion batteries. However, while phosphorus carbon composite anodes have been previously explored, the influence of the inactive materials on electrode cycle performance is still poorly understood. Here, we report and explain the significant impacts of polymer binder chemistry, carbon conductive additives, and an under-layer between the Al current collector and ball milled P electrodes on cell stability. We focused our study on the commonly used polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binders as well as exfoliated graphite (ExG) and carbon nanotube (CNT) additives. The mechanical properties of the binders were found to change drastically because of interactions with both the slurry and electrolyte solvents, significantly effecting the electrochemical cycle stability of the electrodes. Binder adhe...
Effects of Metal Composition and Ratio on Peptide-Templated Multimetallic PdPt Nanomaterials

It can be difficult to simultaneously control the size, composition, and morphology of metal nanomaterials under benign aqueous conditions. For this, bioinspired approaches have become increasingly popular due to their ability to stabilize a wide array of metal catalysts under ambient conditions. In this regard, we used the R5 peptide as a three-dimensional template for formation of PdPt bimetallic nanomaterials. Monometallic Pd and Pt nanomaterials have been shown to be highly reactive toward a variety of catalytic processes, but by forming bimetallic species, increased catalytic activity may be realized. The optimal metal-to-metal ratio was determined by varying the Pd:Pt ratio to obtain the largest increase in catalytic activity. To better understand the morphology and the local atomic structure of the materials, the bimetallic PdPt nanomaterials were extensively studied by transmission electron microscopy, extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and pai...
Calculating the Confidence and Prediction Limits of a Rate Constant at a Given Temperature from an Arrhenius Equation Using Excel

Calculating error limits for rate constants derived from a fitted Arrhenius expression is problematic. In the past, de Levie has suggested that centering the data around the mean ln(k) and 1/T values before doing the regression gives a correct result. It is suggested here that a convenient and standardized approach (and thus, one likely to be used by students) is to calculate the confidence and prediction limits of the rate constant at a given temperature using the Regression Data Analysis tool of Excel and using some of Excel’s built-in functions.
Erratum to: Repeatability of [68Ga]DKFZ11-PSMA PET Scans for Detecting Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen-positive Prostate Cancer.

We studied the effect of varying specific activity of [68Ga]DKFZ-PSMA11 ([68Ga]DP11) on repeated imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen-positive (PSMA+) xenograft tumors. Athymic nude mice bearing PC3-PIP (PSMA+) and PC3 (PSMA−) bilateral flank tumors were assessed to study intra- and inter-day repeatability of [68Ga]DP11 imaging in mice administered [68Ga]DP11 or [67Ga]DP11 (as a dilution tracer) using imaging and biodistribution studies. Region of interest (ROI) analysis of the [68Ga]DP11 imaging study indicated that the uptake was constant on the same day or consecutive days. Prior imaging with [68Ga]DP11 did not significantly influence the subsequent uptake of [68Ga]DP11. Uptake of [68Ga]DP11 (60 min) and [67Ga]DP11 (24 h) in PC3-PIP tumors was 12.37 ± 4.19 %ID/g and 12.49 ± 6.88 %ID/g, respectively; [68Ga]DP11 was 13.83 ± 3.77 and 17.76 ± 1.84 on same-day and 15.98 ± 5.82 %ID/g on second-day imaging. This study demonstrates that [68Ga]DP11, in a given PSMA+ lesion, is constant under several same-day or serial-day imaging conditions.
A primer on stable parameter estimation and forecasting in epidemiology by a problem-oriented regularized least squares algorithm.

Abstract Public health officials are increasingly recognizing the need to develop disease-forecasting systems to respond to epidemic and pandemic outbreaks. For instance, simple epidemic models relying on a small number of parameters can play an important role in characterizing epidemic growth and generating short-term epidemic forecasts. In the absence of reliable information about transmission mechanisms of emerging infectious diseases, phenomenological models are useful to characterize epidemic growth patterns without the need to explicitly model transmission mechanisms and the natural history of the disease. In this article, our goal is to discuss and illustrate the role of regularization methods for estimating parameters and generating disease forecasts using the generalized Richards model in the context of the 2014–15 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.