cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visual Internal Urethrotomy With Intralesional Mitomycin C and Short-term Clean Intermittent Catheterization for the Management of Recurrent Urethral Strictures and Bladder Neck Contractures

Objective To evaluate our longitudinal experience using visual internal urethrotomy (VIU) with intralesional mitomycin C (MMC) and short-term clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) for urethral strictures and bladder neck contractures (BNC) after failure of endoscopic management. Materials and Methods This case series involved review of our prospectively developed database of all men who underwent VIU with MMC and CIC in a standardized fashion for urethral stricture or BNC between 2010 and 2013 at our tertiary care medical center. Etiology was identified as radiation-induced stricture (RIS) or non-RIS and analyzed by stricture location. Cold knife incisions were made in a tri or quadrant fashion followed by intralesional injection of MMC and 1 month of once daily CIC. Results All 37 patients previously underwent at least 1 intervention for urethral stricture or BNC before VIU with MMC and CIC. Mean stricture length was 2.0 cm (range, 1-6 cm; standard deviation, 1.0 cm). Over the median follow-up period of 23 months (range, 12-39 months), 75.7% of patients required no additional surgical intervention (RIS, 54.5%; non-RIS, 84.6%; P = .051). In those that did recur, median time to stricture recurrence was 8 months (range, 2-28 months). One patient with recurrence required urethroplasty. Conclusion VIU with MMC followed by short-term CIC provides a minimally invasive and widely available tool to manage complex recurrent urethral strictures (
Performance of the hermes-III gamma ray simulator

Hermes III is a 22-MV, 730-kA, 40-ns pulsed power accelerator that drives an electron beam diode/converter to generate an intense pulse of bremsstrahlung radiation. In Hermes III, eighty individual 1.1-MV, 220-kA pulses are generated and added in groups of four to develop twenty 1.1-MV, 730-kA pulses which are then fed through inductively isolated cavities and added in series by a magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL). An extension MITL delivers this surnmed output to the electron beam diode. The construction of Hermes III was completed February 1988 and was followed by an accelerator characterization and performance demonstration phase. Hermes III met all of its performance requirements during this testing period and has gone operational one year ahead or schedule. An overview of the Hermes-III design is presented together with details of the performance obtained for the various subsystems. A discussion of future applications of this technology is also presented.
Reflections and directions: The profession of sport psychology past, present, and future.

The authors review the historical context of sport psychology to explore the present state of sportpsychology and make suggestions for the future of the field. The origins of sport psychology are rootedin efforts to improve athletic performance. However, the label sport psychology has been used todescribe two different service delivery models: performance enhancement and therapy with athletes.Presently, advancements have been made in terms of organizational structure, but there has been littleimpact on the applied profession. In order to advance the profession, protect the public, and resolveconfusion, sport psychology is examined. The authors identify performance excellence as the uniqueaspect of sport psychology and propose the field be identified as performance psychology. In order topractice performance psychology competently, four areas of training are identified: (a) performanceexcellence, (b) mental health counseling, (c) consulting psychology, and (d) performance specialtydomain(s). Finally, the authors recommend that a licensure specific to performance psychology bedeveloped.Keywords: sport psychology, performance psychology, profession, practice
Analysis of choice in honeybees

Free-flying honeybees were trained in a set of four problems to choose between two differently scented targets, one or the other of which contained sucrose solution. The training was simulated quantitatively, always with the same simple linear equations for computing changes produced by reinforcement and nonreinforcement in the strength of association between each target and the sucrose, but with a diverse array of functions for predicting choice on the basis of relative strength. Accuracy of prediction was indexed by the root-mean-square (RMS) deviation of simulated data from real data. The results provide some good approximations of what is tentatively assumed to be the true choice function, setting the stage for further development of the associative features of the model to encompass more complex phenomena of honeybee learning in choice situations.
Ultra Stable Reference Pulser for High Resolution Spectrometers

A solid state, double pulse generator with a pulse amplitude temperature coefficient of 0 to -8 ppm/°C was developed. It is shown that when a servo-stabilized spectrometer is locked on the pulser peaks, the gain and zero-intercept of the system drift only ±20 ppm/day or less than 1/10 of the optimum resolution of Ge(Li) detectors. The pulser generates signals which rise in 15 nsec, remain flat-topped for 40 ?sec and then fall exponentially to the baseline in 250 ?sec. The pulse rate can be varied from 0.1 - 1000 pulse-pairs/sec in 9 steps. The amplitude of the two pulses can be set independently from 5.5-700 mV, using a 7-bit precision R-2R attenuator. When used in conjunction with a preamplifier test capacitor of 1 pF, this amplitude range corresponds to 0.1 - 12.7 MeV (Ge). A "tag" pulse, generated in coincidence with each reference pulse, can be used for gating a multichannel analyzer, a coincidence system or a stabilizer. The performance of the pulser was measured with a computer based, servo-stabilized multichannel analyzer in which the two 60Co lines from a Ge(Li) detector were used as the stabilizer reference peaks. The pulser signal was injected into the preamplifier via a 1 pF air-dielectric capacitor mounted in a temperature regulated oven. The pulser peak was set between the 60Co peaks, and its location was measured as a function of temperature, supply voltage and repetition rate.
A robust ILU preconditioner using constraints diagonal Markowitz

In science and engineering, modeling and simulations are popularly used to gather knowledge and explain a complicated phenomena. These models are typically represented in partial differential equations (PDEs) which can be solved using meshes and sparse matrices. The solution cost of PDEs are dominated by the solution cost of sparse linear systems. Therefore, an efficient sparse linear solver becomes more important with the popularity of scientific modeling and simulations. In this paper, we proposed a robust incomplete LU preconditioning algorithm using constraints diagonal Markowitz. Experimental results with various linear systems show that ILU algorithm using constraints diagonal Markowitz shows better performance and more stable than traditional ILU algorithm with predefined ordering.
Nonpeptide tachykinin antagonists: medicinal chemistry and molecular biology

Studies with the nonpeptide antagonists have illuminated aspects of tachykinin pharmacology in several areas, and may lead to therapeutic breakthroughs in areas such as pain,arthritis,and asthma.
Differential expression of N-ras in metaplastic retinal pigmented epithelium

Changes in expression of proto-oncogenes have been suggested as a key element in controlling the proliferative and differentiated status of a cell. We studied the expression of several of these genes in proliferating normal and metaplastic RPE cells. Using cDNAs to the c-myc, N-ras and n-myc genes we performed Northern blot analysis on the cytoplasmic RNA in normal and metaplastic RPE cells. We found that proliferating normal and metaplastic RPE cells exhibit similar patterns of expression of the c-myc gene. In contrast, when compared to normal cells, proliferating metaplastic RPE cells exhibited early and abnormally high levels of a 4 kb N-ras RNA. These changes in N-ras expression precede the vitreous-induced phenotypic change from an epithelial to a fibroblastic morphology. Understanding what role, if any, the N-ras gene plays in this metaplasia may lead to a better understanding of proliferative disorders such as proliferative vitreoretimopathy.
The nucleic acid distribution function: Evaluation of the loop closure probability

We present a detailed theoretical study of nucleic acid distance distribution functions for chain lengths up to thirty-five nucleotides. The distribution functions were found by the Monte Carlo techniques described previously and, where they are symmetric, by reconstruction from their even moments. A comparison of the two approaches allows an assessment of the utility of expansion procedures for stiff chains (C∞ ≈ 17), as a function of length and extension. It was found that for chains with fewer than fourteen nucleotides over seventy even moments were required to obtain a reliable function for extensions R ≥ (〈R2〉)1/2. On the other hand at thirty-five nucleotides the first ten even moments were sufficient to reconstruct the distribution for all but extreme extensions. The other feature of the calculation is the prediction of a loop weighting function. It was found that for a thirty-five nucleotide chain, the form of the distribution function is very nearly gaussian for R < (〈R2〉)1/2. Consequently a loop weighting function based on detailed crystallographic data is now known for all values of N. The first derivative of the function is within 8% of the Jacobson-Stockmayer value at 170 nucleotides, but differs severely from the latter for chains with less than twenty nucleotides.
Superconductivity in A-15 compounds☆

Abstract Superconductivity in A-15 compounds is examined in terms of electron pairing induced by exchange of acoustic plasmons. The electronic band structure of Nb 3 Sn, V 3 Si, and similar materials favor transition temperatures of T c ∼ 20 K.
Micrografts. II: Evaluation of 25:1, 50:1, and 100:1 expansion skin grafts in the porcine model.

This study was undertaken to evaluate 25: 1, 50: 1, and 100: 1 expansions of micronized skin grafts in a porcine model. Two full-thickness skin excisions (graft and control) were performed on each of 30 immature pigs (20 pounds). The pigs were divided into three groups of 10 animals each: group A, 25 cm 2 ; group B, 50 cm 2 ; and group C, 100 cm 2 . One square centimeter of the excised skin was thinned to produce a thick split-thickness skin graft. Four 90-degree passes were made through a skin mesher with the smooth side of the plastic mesh carrier to produce uniform pieces of skin. These pieces were applied to one area on each pig. Both the graft and control sites were covered with film. The film was removed on postoperative day 7, and excision sites were photographed on postoperative days 7, 10, 14, and 21. Healing was evaluated with a 12 × 12 inch digitizing pad to estimate the percent area healed. Healing was compared via analysis of variance, with percent area healed used as the dependent variable and treatment (control or graft) and postoperative day and expansion size used as the independent variables. No difference was found on postoperative day 7. On postoperative day 10, 25: 1 grafts healed better than the 50: 1 grafts, which were healed more than the 100: 1 grafts. No difference was seen between 25: 1 and 50: 1 grafts on postoperative day 14; however, they were healed better than the 100: 1 expansion grafts. No difference was seen between the graft sites on postoperative day 21. Except for the 100: 1 graft on postoperative day 10, the graft sites were significantly better healed than the control sites for all expansion sizes on postoperative days 10, 14, and 21. The optimum graft size appears to be between 25: 1 and 50: 1. This study suggests the possible use of these grafts in the clinical setting. These grafts provide an immediately available autograft with a large expansion ratio
Closure on “An Optimization-Based Method for Selection of Resonant Harmonic Filter Branch Parameters”

The interest shown by the discussers in the authors' work is greatly appreciated. The very in-depth discussion has provided an opportunity to further clarify the work as well as to correct some small errors. Most important, the request to include additional test-case data has provided the opportunity to provide a more detailed case study.
THE OCCURRENCE AND STRUCTURE OF FLAGELLAR SCALES IN SOME FRESHWATER CRYPTOPHYTES1

Flagellar scales were found in seven out of eleven fresh-water cryptophytes investigated by shadowing whole cells. All scales examined were 140 to 170 nm in diameter and had a basic seven-sided rosette pattern with delicate interlacing. The results of this study indicate that flagellar scales are common in cryptophytes.
Studies on the Underhydroxylated Basement Membrane Procollagen Synthesized by Rat Parietal Yolk Sacs in the Presence of α, α'-Dipydridyl

Rat embryo parietal yolk sacs synthesized and secreted underhydroxylated [14C]proline-labeled basement membrane procollagen when incubated in the presence of the iron chelator α, α'-dipyridyl and [14C]proline. Upon reduction and sodium dodecyl sulfate-agarose gel filtration, this procollagen eluted as a discrete peak of labeled material close to the position of the β components of type I collagen. Secreted underhydroxylated procollagen contained interchain disulfide bonds and was completely degraded by a 6 hr treatment with α-chymotrypsin at 4 d`C. Results from 4 hr incubations indicated that the distribution of 14C-procollagen between tissue and medium was unaffected by the presence of α, α'-dipyridyl, but analysis of results from pulse-label and chase experiments revealed that underhydroxylated procollagen was secreted at less than half the rate of control procollagen.
A molecular switch required for retrovirus assembly participates in the hexagonal immature lattice.

In the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) Gag protein, the 25 amino-acid residues of the p10 domain immediately upstream of the CA domain are essential for immature particle formation. We performed systematic mutagenesis on this region and found excellent correlation between the amino-acid side chains required for in vitro assembly and those that participate in the p10–CA dimer interface in a previously described crystal structure. We introduced exogenous cysteine residues that were predicted to form disulphide bonds across the dimer interface. Upon oxidation of immature particles, a disulphide-linked Gag hexamer was formed, implying that p10 participates in and stabilizes the immature Gag hexamer. This is the first example of a critical interaction between two different Gag domains. Molecular modeling of the RSV immature hexamer indicates that the N-terminal domains of CA must expand relative to the murine leukaemia virus mature hexamer to accommodate the p10 contact; this expansion is strikingly similar to recent cryotomography results for immature human immunodeficiency virus particles.
A stable, sensitive, and inexpensive amplifier for oxygen electrode studies.

Abstract A stable, compact, and inexpensive amplifier is described that permits using the Clark oxygen electrode to measure the oxygen consumption of even slowly respiring mammalian cells at the lowest cell densities at which exponential growth will take place. A modification of the usual spinner flask used in mammalian cell culture greatly reduces the noise picked up by the electrode circuit and makes possible measurements at the highest sensitivity range.
Optical Glass Requirements of the Optical Industry

After defining optical glass, the requirements of the optical industry are discussed from the standpoints of quantity, quality, and variety. Consumption is small but the demands in respect of quality are high. The variety of optical constants now available is great but the designer is in need of combinations of index of refraction and dispersion not now available.
Chemical Decapsulation of Artemia franciscana Resting Cysts Does Not Necessarily Produce More Nauplii

Decapsulation of Artemia spp. cysts in strong hypochlorite solutions reportedly increases the number of nauplii that hatch. Commercial cysts of Artemia franciscano were subjected to four decapsulation methods prior to hatching them in aerated seawater. Samples were removed from the hatch vessels every 5 h from 15 through 45 h, and fully hatched nauplii were counted. The experiment was performed three times. No significant difference was seen between mean numbers of control nauplii and nauplii obtained using the decapsulation method that yielded the best hatch: oxidation for 15 min in equal parts Clorox® and seawater plus 6 mL of a 40% NaOH solution, followed by reduction with 100 mL of 0.7 M sodium thiosulfate. A third treatment was inferior to either of these, and two others produced very low yields. It was concluded that of the methods evaluated, none is superior to no treatment at all, and some are clearly detrimental to developing Artemia embryos.
Concepts of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during development: tooth and lung organogenesis

One of the major problems in developmental biology concerns how differential gene activity is regionally controlled. One approach to this problem is the use of mesenchyme specification of epithelial-specific gene expression, such as, during tooth morphogenesis or lung morphogenesis. In the example of tooth morphogenesis, dental papilla ectomesenchyme induces de novo gene expression as assayed by detection of amelogenin transcripts, or immunodetection of amelogenin polypeptides within ameloblast cells. This process does not require serum supplementation or exogenous factors during epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in vitro. In contrast, lung morphogenesis requires hormones to mediate mesenchyme-derived influences upon type II epithelial cell differentiation and the production of pulmonary surfactant (eg, neutral and phospholipids, surfactant proteins). Glucocorticoids are required to stimulate the release of fetal pneumonocyte factor (FPF) from fibroblasts which, in turn, enhance the production of pulmonary surfactant. Thyroxin appears to regulate the relative responsiveness of progenitor type II cells to steroid-stimulated release of FPF. This review will highlight key concepts associated with these developing organ systems and emphasize the problem of regional controls which regulate epithelial cell-specific gene activity.
"Interculturality" in Higher Education as Student Intercultural Learning and Development: A Case Study in South Korea.

This paper discusses the topic of ‘interculturality’ in higher education as it relates to global student mobility and internationalization efforts at higher education institutions. Starting with the underlying idea of ‘internationalization at home’, it explores domestic students’ intercultural experiences at a summer international program in Korea. Four main themes emerged from this case study, interpreted as student intercultural learning and development. They include: (1) intercultural impact due to the presence of international students; (2) personal intercultural change including development in construing cultural differences; (3) the English language perceived as a tool rather than an end; and (4) intercultural experiences with international faculty in class. This study concludes that ‘interculturality’ in higher education can be understood as student intercultural learning and development, as noted with domestic students.
Unity in Action: Explaining Alignment Behavior in the Middle East

Stephen Walt’s The Origin of Alliances is the most comprehensive, theoretically informed, and widely cited study to date of Middle East alignment behavior during and after the turbulent ‘Arab cold ...
Statistical Approximations of Power Flow for a Vehicle Structure With Uncertainties

In this paper, an efficient approach is presented for probabilistic power flow analysis of complex structures with parameter uncertainties. A component-based technique is used to generate reduced order models of low- to mid-frequency vibration and power flow. The reduced order model (ROM) is built from component mode synthesis of finite element models, followed by a secondary modal analysis to reduce the number of degrees of freedom associated with the component interfaces. This formulation allows for efficient and accurate prediction of vibration transmission in complex structural systems. Then, this methodology is extended to the study of statistical approximations of the power flow for a structure with parameter uncertainties. Two techniques are employed for probabilistic power flow analysis: (1) a locally linear interpolation (LLI) method for low-dimensional random variable domains, and (2) an advanced mean value (AMV) method for multi-dimensional random variable domains. In addition, an extended version of the AMV method is presented for uncertainties characterized by a uniform distribution. These statistical approximations of power flow are first demonstrated for a simple example system, an L-shaped plate. They are then examined in more detail for an important engineering application, a ground vehicle model.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Laparoendoscopic single-site porcine nephrectomy using a novel valveless trocar system.

Abstract Background and Purpose: The AirSeal™ access system is a novel laparoscopic trocar that uses airflow to create insufflation pressure without the need for a physical seal or valve. By eliminating all valve elements within the lumen of the canula, the port provides a platform that accommodates multiple instruments of any diameter, shape, or combination and is ideally suited for laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). We present our initial experience with valveless trocars in traditional urologic laparoscopic cases and a porcine LESS nephrectomy series. Materials and Methods: Nine transperitoneal LESS nephrectomies were performed in a live porcine model using the 27-mm oval valveless trocar. All working instruments were placed through the single port, and the specimen was extracted through the 4-cm port site. Results: All cases were completed without technical or operative complications. The porcine single-port nephrectomy (n = 9) was successfully performed in a mean operative time of 24 minute...
Complexed prostate-specific antigen as a staging tool for prostate cancer: a prospective study in 420 men.

Over time, the parameters commonly used to predict pathological stage in men with localized prostate cancer have changed, and there is now little stratification in pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations, clinical stages, and biopsy Gleason scores. This prospective study evaluated the utility of complexed PSA (cPSA ) for predicting organ-confined disease in a contemporary series of subjects. The age range of the 420 men was 39 to 72 years (58.2 ± 6 years). Specimens were collected before radical prostatectomy, and total and free PSA (Hybritech Tandem assays, Beckman Access; Beckman Coulter, Inc., Brea, CA) and total and cPSA (Bayer Immuno 1; Bayer Corporation, Tarrytown, NY) were measured. Pathologic stage was determined from the prostatectomy specimen. Of the 420 men, 316 (75%) had organ-confined disease, and 104 (25%) had non-organ-confined disease (20.7% had extraprostatic extension, 2.6% had seminal vesicle involvement, and 1.4% had positive lymph nodes). Prebiopsy Gleason score distribution was as follows: organ-confined organ-confined, 6 (87%) and 7 (10%); non-organ-confined, 6 (66%) and 7 (30%). Of patients with organ-confined disease, 75% had clinical stage T1c disease compared with 56% for non-organ-confined disease. Using univariate logistic regression, the following variables predicted organ-confined disease: biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage, total PSA, percent free PSA, cPSA, percent cPSA (P <0.05). A multivariate model with biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage, and cPSA had a receiver operator characteristic area under the curve of 0.69. Replacing cPSA with total PSA in this model provided similar information. cPSA and total PSA were highly correlated (r = 0.985). In summary, cPSA was equivalent to total PSA in predicting organ-confined disease. Present and future models and nomograms using PSA as an indicator of pathological stage could consider use of cPSA.
The most frequently used words of spoken English

In 1963 a method was published for the analysis of word frequencies in spontaneous (story-telling) spoken language. The immediate purpose was to provide a means for computer analysis of part-of-speech usage in a study of linguistically impaired aphasic patients. A dictionary of most frequently used words in response to a 20-card administration of the Thematic Apperception Test based on the verbal output of 12 subjects was compiled. The present paper is a revision of the dictionary based on 54 adults. An alphabetical listing of the words in the new directory with part-of-speech identification of each word is included.
Isolation of brain tubulin by affinity chromatography

Abstract An affinity chromatographic procedure for the isolation of tubulin from brain is described. The yield is good and the method rapid and gentle. Criteria of purity are colchicine binding, SDS acrylamide gel electrophoresis, and velocity sedimentation.
Concealed Sinus Rhythm A Cause of Misdiagnosis of Digitalis Intoxication

A 47-year-old man with a long history of atrial fibrillation presented with a regular rhythm and absent P waves on the surface electrocardiogram. When this rhythm persisted after digitalis withdrawal His bundle electrocardiography demonstrated sinus rhythm. Recognition of concealed sinus rhythm prevents misdiagnosis of digitalis intoxication and inappropriate withdrawal of digitalis therapy.
Atherosclerosis in the Back Yard

The phenomenon of neovascularization in atherosclerosis has been widely recognized through “the eyes of novel imaging techniques” in recent years. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypoxia have been implied as the underlying mechanisms. The pathophysiologic consequences and therapeutic implications of this neovascularization process for atherosclerosis have, however, remained challenging and controversial. In the current focus issue of the Journal, 4 articles and this commentary are devoted to this topic.
Is RapidArc more susceptible to delivery uncertainties than dynamic IMRT

Purpose: Rotational IMRT has been adopted by many clinics for its promise to deliver treatments in a shorter amount of time than other conventional IMRT techniques. In this paper, the authors investigate whether RapidArc is more susceptible to delivery uncertainties than dynamic IMRT using fixed fields. Methods: Dosimetric effects of delivery uncertainties in dose rate, gantry angle, and MLC leaf positions were evaluated by incorporating these uncertainties into RapidArc and sliding window IMRT (SW IMRT) treatment plans for five head-and-neck and five prostate cases. Dose distributions and dose-volume histograms of original and modified plans were recalculated and compared using Gamma analysis and dose indices of planned treatment volumes (PTV) and organs at risk (OAR). Results of Gamma analyses using passing criteria ranging from 1%–1 mm up to 5%–3 mm were reported. Results: Systematic shifts in MLC leaf bank positions of SW-IMRT cases resulted in 2–4 times higher average percent differences than RapidArc cases. Uniformly distributed random variations of 2 mm for active MLC leaves had a negligible effect on all dose distributions. Sliding window cases were much more sensitive to systematic shifts in gantry angle. Dose rate variations during RapidArc must be much larger than typical machine tolerances to affect dose distributions significantly; dynamic IMRT is inherently not susceptible to such variations. Conclusions: RapidArc deliveries were found to be more tolerant to variations in gantry position and MLC leaf position than SW IMRT. This may be attributed to the fact that the average segmental field size or MLC leaf opening is much larger for RapidArc. Clinically acceptable treatments may be delivered successfully using RapidArc despite large fluctuations in dose rate and gantry position.
Side chain conformational averaging in human dihydrofolate reductase.

The three-dimensional structures of the dihydrofolate reductase enzymes from Escherichia coli (ecDHFR or ecE) and Homo sapiens (hDHFR or hE) are very similar, despite a rather low level of sequence identity. Whereas the active site loops of ecDHFR undergo major conformational rearrangements during progression through the reaction cycle, hDHFR remains fixed in a closed loop conformation in all of its catalytic intermediates. To elucidate the structural and dynamic differences between the human and E. coli enzymes, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of side chain flexibility and dynamics in complexes of hDHFR that represent intermediates in the major catalytic cycle. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation dispersion experiments show that, in marked contrast to the functionally important motions that feature prominently in the catalytic intermediates of ecDHFR, millisecond time scale fluctuations cannot be detected for hDHFR side chains. Ligand flux in hDHFR is thought to be mediated by conformational chan...
Terahertz Metamaterials on Thin Silicon Nitride Membranes

The terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum holds promise for spectroscopic imaging of illicit and hazardous materials, and chemical fingerprinting using moment of inertia vibrational transitions. Passive and active devices operating at THz frequencies are currently a challenge, and a promising emerging technology for such devices is optical metamaterials. In particular, a chem/bio sensing scheme based on the sensitivity of metamaterials to their dielectric environment has been proposed but may be limited due to the large concentration of electric flux in the substrate. In addition, there is an interest in fabricating 3D metamaterials, which is a challenge at these and shorter wavelengths due to fabrication constraints. In order to address both of these problems, we have developed a process to fabricate THz metamaterials on free-standing, 1 micron thick silicon nitride membranes. We will present THz transmission spectra and the corresponding simulation results for these metamaterials, comparing their performance with previously fabricated metamaterials on various thick substrates. Finally, we will present a scheme for implementing a 3D THz metamaterial based on stacking and possibly liftoff of these silicon nitride membranes.
Graduate medical education confronted.

RECENT changes in the financing of hospital care have precipitated new activity and interest in graduate medical education by calling attention to preexisting forces already affecting the system. Many things are happening simultaneously. Intensive hospital care of patients with increasingly complex cases admitted to teaching hospitals has limited the scope of both graduate and undergraduate medical education. The high cost and increasing organization of medical care already have led to a steady shift of care from the hospital to the ambulatory setting. Because of these changes, several commentators have recommended expansion of the content of graduate and undergraduate medical education to include more primary care and social and behavioral sciences1,2and a shift in its location to ambulatory settings.3,4Major changes have been suggested in the specialty mix of graduate medical education, including a new primary care specialty.5,6Two separate, large task forces have recommended changes in
Detection of boundary-layer transition with a laser beam

Fig. 5 The burning time of particles as a function of the oven temperature. References 'Schadow, K., '"Study of Gaseous Nonequilibrium Effects in Particle-Laden, Ducted Flows for Improvement of the Combustion Efficiency," AIAA Paper 72-36 San Diego, Calif., 1972; Schadow, K., "The Influence of Combustor Parameters on the Combustion of Particle-Laden Fuels in Ducted Flows," AIAA Paper 73-177, Washington, D.C., 1973. Boussios, A., "Primarkammerprozesse fur Kombinationsantriebe," Kursus der Carl-Cranz-Gesellschaft uber "Flugkorperantriebe" in Braunschweig, March 19-23,197?. McLain, W.H., "Identification of Exhaust Species from the combustion of LM and LMH Fuels," AFRPL TR-68-105, April 1968, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Lab., Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Markowskii, L.Ya. and Kondrashev, Yu.D., "The composition and Properties of Borides of the Elements of the first and second Groups of the periodic Systems," Zhurnal Neoranicheskoi Khimii, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1957, pp. 34-41. Secrist, Childs, US Atomic Energy Rept. TID-17149, 1962. Hsia, H., "Air-Augmented Combustion of Boron and BoronMetal Alloys," Final Rept. AFR DL-TR-71-80, June 1971, Air Force Research Lab., Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Opposite senses of fold asymmetry

Abstract If the orientation of the principal compressive stress is oblique to layering, viscous multilayers fold in response to the layer-parallel shortening and develop asymmetric interfaces in response to the layer-parallel shear. A theoretical analysis of folding of viscous multilayers with different slip laws at layer contacts shows that the sense of asymmetry of folds is determined largely by the behavior of the layer contacts and the sense of layer-parallel shear during folding. For a given sense of layer-parallel shear, the sense of asymmetry of folds can be reversed by changing only the behavior of the layer contacts. If the slip rate is linearly proportional to the shear stress at layer contacts, the resistance to slip is the same everywhere along interfaces, and the folds develop the sense of asymmetry of drag folds. If the slip rate is a nonlinear function of the shear stress at layer contacts, however, the resistance to slip varies with position along interfaces, and folds develop the sense of asymmetry of monoclinal kink folds. For a given variable resistance to slip at layer contacts, the sense of asymmetry depends on the sense and magnitude of the layer-parallel shear and on the thickness-to-wavelength ratio of the multilayer. For finite multilayers with variable resistance to slip at contacts, an increase in the layer-parallel shear stress decreases the dominant wavelength and increases the amplification factor for the initial perturbation of the interface. The multilayer consists of linear viscous layers and is confined by thick, viscous media. Resistance to slip at layer contacts is modeled theoretically by a powerlaw relationship between rate of slip and contact shear stress. The equations, derived to 2nd order in the slopes of the interfaces, describe the growth of asymmetric folds from initial, symmetric perturbations.
Quantum cascade transmitters for ultrasensitive chemical agent and explosives detection

The small size, high power, promise of access to any wavelength between 3.5 and 16 microns, substantial tuning range about a chosen center wavelength, and general robustness of quantum cascade (QC) lasers provide opportunities for new approaches to ultra-sensitive chemical detection and other applications in the mid-wave infrared. PNNL is developing novel remote and samp ling chemical sensing systems based on QC lasers, using QC lasers loaned by Lucent Technologies. In recent months laboratory cavity-enhanced sensing experiments have achieved absorption sensitivities of 8.5 x 10 -11 cm -1 Hz -1/2 , and the PNNL team has begun monostatic and bi-static frequency modulated, differential absorption lidar (FM DIAL) experiments at ranges of up to 2.5 kilometers. In related work, PNNL and UCLA are developing miniature QC laser transmitters with the multiplexed tunable wavelengths, frequency and amplitude stability, modulation characteristics, and power levels needed for chemical sensing and other applications. Current miniaturization concepts envision coupling QC oscillators, QC amplifiers, frequency references, and detectors with miniature waveguides and waveguide-based modulators, isolators, and other devices formed from chalcogenide or other types of glass. Significant progress has been made on QC laser stabilization and amplification, and on development and characterization of high-purity chalcogenide glasses, waveguide writing techniques, and waveguide metrology.
El Nino-Southern Oscillation impacts on winter winds over Southern California

Changes in wintertime 10 m winds due to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation are examined using a 6 km resolution climate simulation of Southern California cov- ering the period from 1959 through 2001. Wind speed statistics based on regional averages reveal a general signal of increased mean wind speeds and wind speed variability during El Nino across the region. An opposite and nearly as strong signal of decreased wind speed variability during La Nina is also found. These signals are generally more sig- nificant than the better-known signals in precipitation. In spite of these regional-scale generalizations, there are sig- nificant sub-regional mesoscale structures in the wind speed impacts. In some cases, impacts on mean winds and wind variability at the sub-regional scale are opposite to those of the region as a whole. All of these signals can be interpreted in terms of shifts in occurrences of the region's main wind regimes due to the El Nino phenomenon. The results of this study can be used to understand how inter- annual wind speed variations in regions of Southern Cali- fornia are influenced by the El Nino phenomenon.
Numerical analysis of heat transfer on a rotating disk surface under confined liquid jet impingement

Abstract The objective of this study is to characterize the conjugate heat transfer for a confined liquid jet impinging on a rotating and uniformly heated solid disk of finite thickness and radius. The model covers the entire fluid region (impinging jet and flow spreading out over the rotating surface) and the solid disk as a conjugate problem. Calculations were done for a number of disk materials and working fluids covering a range of Reynolds number (500–1500), under a broad rotational rate range of 0–750 rpm or Ekman number (4.42 × 10−5 to ∞), nozzle to target spacing (β = 0.25–5.0), disk thicknesses to nozzle diameter ratio (b/dn = 0.167–1.67), Biot number (3.73 × 10−3–0.118), Prandtl number (1.29–124.44), and solid to fluid thermal conductivity ratio (36.91–2222). It was found that plate materials with higher thermal conductivity maintained a more uniform temperature distribution at the solid–fluid interface. A higher Reynolds number increased the local heat transfer coefficient reducing the wall to fluid temperature difference over the entire interface. The rotational rate also increased local heat transfer coefficient under most conditions. The simulation results compared reasonably well with previous experimental studies.
The morphology, crystallography, and mechanism of carbide precipitation in an Fe-0.12 Pct C-3.28 Pct Ni alloy

Carbide precipitation during the eutectoid decomposition of austenite has been studied in an Fe-0.12 pct C-3.28 pct Ni alloy by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supplemented by optical microscopy. Nodular bainite which forms during the latter stages of austenite decomposition at 550 °C exhibits two types of carbide arrangement: (a) banded interphase boundary carbides with particle diameters of about 20 to 90 nm and mean band spacings between 180 and 390 nm and (b) more randomly distributed (“nonbanded”) elongated particles exhibiting a wide range of lengths between 33 and 2500 nm, thicknesses of approximately 11 to 50 nm, and mean intercarbide spacings of approximately 140 to 275 nm. Electron diffraction analysis indicated that in both cases, the carbides are cementite, obeying the Pitsch orientation relationship with respect to the bainitic ferrite. The intercarbide spacings of both morphologies are significantly larger than those previously reported for similar microstructures in steels containing alloy carbides other than cementite (e.g., VC, TiC). Both curved and straight cementite bands were observed; in the latter case, the average plane of the interphase boundary precipitate sheets was near {110}α//{011}c consistent with cementite precipitation on low-energy {110}α//{111}γ ledge terrace planes (where α,β, andc refer to ferrite, austenite, and cementite, respectively). The results also suggest that the first stage in the formation of the nonbanded form of nodular bainite is often the precipitation of cementite rods, or laths, in austenite at the α:γ interfaces of proeutectoid ferrite secondary sideplates formed earlier. Although these cementite rods frequently resemble the “fibrous” microstructures observed by previous investigators in carbide-forming alloy steels, they are typically much shorter than fibrous alloy carbides. The bainitic microstructures observed here are analyzed in terms of a previously developed model centered about the roles of the relative nucleation and growth rates of the product phases in controlling the evolution of eutectoid microstructures.
Self-Presence and the Effects of the Avatar on Health and Appearance.

Abstract Self-presence, defined as the degree of connectedness with one's avatar as well as the effects of the avatar on perceptions of oneself, suggests that interactions with an avatar may have real implications for how one perceives and treats the body offline. A study examining the influence of the “Second Life” avatar on “Second Life” users' offline appearance, health, and well-being is discussed, along with the importance of examining self-presence as a theoretical mechanism. This research engages with the idea that immersion with an avatar via social virtual play has an influence on our health offline.
Treating Traumatized Children: Current Status and Future Directions

Empirical knowledge regarding effective treatments for traumatized children has increased in the past decade, yet much still remains unknown. There is growing support for the efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for treating PTSD, depressive, and behavioral problems in sexually abused children, and evidence that suggests that this treatment is effective for children exposed to other types of trauma, and for multiply traumatized children. Few other psychosocial treatments have been adequately studied to date. Open psychopharmacological studies have identified several promising medication classes for traumatized children but these need to be tested in randomized, placebo controlled trials. No empirical studies have evaluated the efficacy of early interventions provided to children in the acute aftermath of mass disasters or terrorist acts. More research is needed to test potentially effective treatments for traumatized children, and to identify optimal methods for disseminating and implementing evidence-based treatments to community practitioners.
Mammalian SNM1 is Required for Genome Stability

The protein encoded by SNM1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to act specifically in DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICL) repair. There are five mammalian homologs of SNM1, including Artemis, which is involved in V(D)J recombination. Cells from mice constructed with a disruption in the Snm1 gene are sensitive to the DNA interstrand crosslinker, mitomycin (MMC), as indicated by increased radial formation following exposure. The mice reproduce normally and have normal life spans. However, a partial perinatal lethality, not seen in either homozygous mutant alone, can be noted when the Snm1 disruption is combined with a Fancd2 disruption. To explore the role of hSNM1 and its homologs in ICL repair in human cells, we used siRNA depletion in human fibroblasts, with cell survival and chromosome radials as the end points for sensitivity following treatment with MMC. Depletion of hSNM1 increases sensitivity to ICLs as detected by both end points, while depletion of Artemis does not. Thus hSNM1 is active in maintenance of genome stability following ICL formation. To evaluate the epistatic relationship between hSNM1 and other ICL repair pathways, we depleted hSNM1 in Fanconi anemia (FA) cells, which are inherently sensitive to ICLs. Depletion of hSNM1 in an FA cell line produces additive sensitivity for MMC. Further, mono-ubiquitination of FANCD2, an endpoint of the FA pathway, is not disturbed by depletion of hSNM1 in normal cells. Thus, hSNM1 appears to represent a second pathway for genome stability, distinct from the FA pathway.
The NIH genetic testing registry: a new, centralized database of genetic tests to enable access to comprehensive information and improve transparency

The National Institutes of Health Genetic Testing Registry (GTR; available online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gtr/) maintains comprehensive information about testing offered worldwide for disorders with a genetic basis. Information is voluntarily submitted by test providers. The database provides details of each test (e.g. its purpose, target populations, methods, what it measures, analytical validity, clinical validity, clinical utility, ordering information) and laboratory (e.g. location, contact information, certifications and licenses). Each test is assigned a stable identifier of the format GTR000000000, which is versioned when the submitter updates information. Data submitted by test providers are integrated with basic information maintained in National Center for Biotechnology Information's databases and presented on the web and through FTP (ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/pub/GTR/_README.html).
Some remarks on the foundations of numerical analysis

The problem of increasing the understanding of algorithms by considering the foundations of numerical analysis and computer science is considered. The schism between scientific computing and computer science is discussed from a theoretical perspective. These theoretical considerations have an intellectual importance when viewing the computer. In particular, the legitimacy and importance of models of machines that accept real numbers is considered.
Systemic and mucosal immunological responses during repeated mucosal SHIV162P3 challenges prior to and following infection in pigtailed macaques

Abstract Local and systemic immunological changes following vaginal HIV-1 exposures are poorly characterized and may influence susceptibility to infection. Therefore, we examined longitudinal mucosal, plasma cytokine profiles and viral-specific T-cell responses (vSTRs) before and during weekly repeated low-dose SHIV SF162P3 viral challenges in six female pigtailed macaques, even in the absence of overt systemic infection. Following a single viral challenge, induction of several cytokines was detected consistently in cervico-vaginal lavages (CVL). With additional exposure and documented systemic infection, a hallmark of response profile was defined as peak levels in both CVL (MCP-1, MIP-1α, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-1RA and IL-8) and plasma cytokines (MCP-1, eotaxin and IL-1RA) in the macaques. In the periphery, vSTRs were observed within the first one or two viral challenges, but prior to the detection of systemic infection in 5 / 6 exposed pigtailed macaques. These findings provide valuable information regarding mucosal HIV-1 infection that may benefit microbicide research and development.
Temporal analysis of long-term atmospheric moisture levels in Phoenix, Arizona.

Abstract Long-term monthly averaged dew point and relative humidity levels for Phoenix, Arizona are examined in this investigation. Dew points are generally unchanged over the 1896–1984 period of instrumental record; relative humidities have dropped sharply during the recent decades. Changes in local land use and a developing urban heat island are suggested causes of the observed patterns in the Phoenix atmospheric moisture levels.