cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of dielectric and magnetic losses on the negative index characteristics of a chiral material with first-order sideband dispersion

Electromagnetic (EM) propagation in chiral materials under first-order dispersion is examined for negative indices under non-conductive losses. Three loss scenarios are considered, viz., dielectric (complex permittivity) losses; magnetic (complex permeability) losses; and a combination of both types of losses to investigate the overall impact of the losses on the emergence of negative index bands.
Validation of Clausius–Mossotti Function in Wideband Single-Cell Dielectrophoresis

For the first time, both lower and upper crossover frequencies of the real part of the Clausius–Mossotti function were calculated by using cell parameters measured on the same ultrawideband setup as that for single-cell dielectrophoresis. The calculation suggests that the lower crossover frequency can be from 0 to 127 kHz and that the upper crossover frequency can be from 45 to 108 MHz, in the unlikely case when uncertainties in the cell parameters all add up. The calculated lower crossover frequency was found to be in general agreement with the measured values of 28 ± 4 kHz. However, the calculated upper crossover frequency was significantly different from the measured values of 326 ± 35 MHz. The difference can be attributed to the field being highly nonuniform in single-cell dielectrophoresis, especially at higher frequencies. Additionally, with closely spaced electrodes in single-cell dielectrophoresis, adhesive force may have to be considered, even for a relatively nonadherent Jurkat cell. In any case, the difference between the calculated and measured crossover frequency suggests that the classical Clausius–Mossotti function, originally derived from the Maxwell–Wagner mixture model of a cell suspension, may not apply to single-cell dielectrophoresis in a straightforward manner, especially at high frequencies.
Inferring the Mind: Parasites and the Breakdown of Inference in Othello

Helms focuses on inference in Shakespeare’s Othello, analyzing the ways Iago uses inference to understand others and to mask his own mental states, also known as levels of intentionality. Inference is a powerful tool for predicting human behavior based upon general principles, but as those principles are applied to more and more complex cases, inference can overload the mind and lead to misreading. Reading the minds of others can be a form of parasitism, a cognitive adaptation Lisa Zunshine describes as “promiscuous, voracious, and proactive.” Helms reads Iago as a social parasite, tracking the development of the parasite character type in Machiavelli’s La Mandragola, Jonson’s Volpone, and Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.
Switching Activity of Faulty Circuits in Presence of Multiple Transition Faults

Excessive switching activity in the fault-free circuit can cause a fault-free circuit to fail because of increased delays. For the same reason, excessive switching activity in a faulty circuit can cause a delay fault to escape detection. This paper observes that the switching activity is higher in the presence of multiple delay faults with higher multiplicities (larger numbers of single faults that are present in the circuit together). The challenge in addressing multiple faults is related to their large number. This paper addresses this challenge by an iterative procedure that is applied to transition faults under a low-power broadside test set, and has two subprocedures: 1) the first subprocedure finds multiple transition faults with excessive faulty switching activity and 2) the second subprocedure modifies the test set so as to avoid excessive faulty switching activity for the faults found by the first subprocedure. With every additional iteration there are fewer multiple transition faults that exhibit excessive faulty switching activity. The experimental results for benchmark circuits demonstrate the levels of excessive faulty switching activity in the presence of multiple transition faults, and the possibility of reducing or even eliminating it after a small number of iterations.
Inverse characterization of composite materials via surrogate modeling

Abstract Methods for the inverse characterization of mechanical properties of materials have recently seen significant growth, largely because of the availability of enabling technologies such as automated testing, full-field measurement techniques, and inexpensive computing resources. Unfortunately, as the complexity of the material systems and their associated behaviors increase, even the most advanced methods for inverse characterization require impractically large computation time to produce results. To overcome this limitation we present a method that employs Non-Uniform Rational B-spline (NURBs) based surrogate modeling to generate a very efficient representation of the combined constitutive and structural model response required for inverse characterization. Building on our previous work, we present an inversion method for identifying the constitutive material properties that minimize an appropriate objective function. Verification of this methodology is achieved through synthetic numerical experiments that include material systems of isotropic-elastic, orthotropic-elastic, and orthotropic-hyperelastic with damage nature on selected geometries. Statistical analyses on the effects of experimental noise supplement our analysis. We then proceed to demonstrate the use of this approach to characterize actual specimens tested using a multiaxial robotic system. In conclusion, we discuss the effectiveness and limitations of the surrogate model-based methodology and outline further research required to advance this approach.
Effects of Lithium on Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Chemotaxis

Lithium, known best for its efficacy in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, also is capable of influencing the function of a variety of non-neural cells. Shenkman et al. (1978), for example, demonstrated that lithium was capable of enhancing several functions of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Lithium chloride, in vitro, augmented thymidine incorporation by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes and increased the ability oi these cells to form rosettes with sheep erythro-cytes. Lithium also stimulated phagocytosis of polystyrene latex particles by cultured human macrophages. Finally, lithium was found capable of reversing the inhibitory effects of prostaglandin E1 and theophylline on the response of human lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin. Since these inhibitory effects were very likely mediated by increased cellular levels of cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), the authors concluded that lithium acted by interfering in some fashion with adenylate cyclase activity. A similar conclusion was reached more recently by Gelfand et al. (1979). These authors found that theophylline, salbutamol, isoproterenol, and dibutyryl cAMP inhibited sheep erythrocyte rosette formation by human T lymphocytes as well as secretion of immunoglobulin M from plaque-forming B cells. Consistent with an ability to inhibit adenylate cyclase, lithium prevented the effects of all the drugs except dibutyryl cAMP.
Effect of Preemergent Herbicide Application on Rooting and Subsequent Liner Growth of Selected Nursery Crops

Abstract Unrooted cuttings of Lantana ‘New Gold’, Hibiscus ‘White Lephrechaun’, Asian jasmine and Burford holly were propagated under intermittent mist with flats treated with three rates (1/2×, 1×...
The augmented role of pancreatic imaging in the era of endoscopic necrosectomy: an illustrative and pictorial review

Endoscopic cystogastrostomy for mature pancreatic collections has long been recognized. However, FDA approval of newer lumen-apposing metallic stents in 2014 has now brought pancreatic necrosectomy to the endoscopic realm. Endoscopic drainage of Walled-off necrosis and direct endoscopic necrosectomy are technically challenging procedures with higher rates of complications. Collaborative clinical decision making both pre- and post-procedurally between the radiologist, endoscopist, and the surgeon can greatly improve outcomes in necrotizing pancreatitis. Herein, we review the basic pathophysiology that underlies progressive radiographic findings in NP, value of preprocedural imaging, current management algorithms, newer tools, and techniques as well as potential post-procedure complications on imaging follow-up after endoscopic interventions in necrotizing pancreatitis.
Whatever happened to China's neglected tropical diseases?

Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years ago, both extreme poverty and parasitic infections and other neglected tropical diseases were highly prevalent. Owing to social development, particularly economic reforms since the 1980s, poverty has since been dramatically reduced, and China became increasingly urbanized and industrialized. In parallel, China’s economic transformation translated into similar and remarkable reductions in neglected tropical diseases. Qian and colleagues report in their review published in Infectious Diseases of Poverty, the elimination or near elimination as a public health problem of lymphatic filariasis, trachoma, soil-transmitted helminth infections, schistosomiasis and other neglected tropical diseases. Of note, neglected tropical disease control and poverty reduction each appear to reinforce the other. China’s formula for success in parasitic and neglected tropical disease control might translate to other parts of the world, such as in sub-Saharan Africa through China’s new Belt and Road Initiative.
Contracting for 21st century infrastructure

Contracting practice and theory is based upon a legal framework which impedes the attainment of value, defined as quality and cost containment. The manufacture of complex, highly technical infrastructure is especially impeded. Constraints of the legal framework are being overcome through innovative infrastructure contracting practices which maintain competitiveness and accountability, and simultaneously foster collaboration among the participants. Some of these innovations are discussed along with five projects which utilized one or more of them. A management framework for contracting based on a competitive/collaborative model is offered which emphasizes value, cooperation, long-term relationships, accountability and stewardship.
Working across Borders: Building Collaborations for Primary Source Instruction

Indiana University (IU) Libraries hosts a three-day Primary Source Immersion Program (PSIP) for instructors, to help them integrate primary sources into existing or new courses and foster their stu...
Evaluation of Link Failure Resilience in Multirail Dragonfly-Class Networks through Simulation

During long-term operation of a high-performance computing (HPC) system with thousands of components, many components will inevitably fail. The current trend in HPC interconnect router linkage is moving away from passive copper and toward active optical-based cables. Optical links offer greater bandwidth maximums in a smaller wire gauge, less signal loss, and lower latency over long distances and have no risk of electromagnetic interference from other nearby cables. The benefits of active optical links, however, come with a cost: an increased risk of component failure compared with that of passive copper cables. One way to increase the resilience of a network is to add redundant links; if one of a multiplicity of links between any two routers fails, a single hop path will still exist between them. But adding redundant links comes at the cost of using more router ports for router-router linkage, reducing the maximum size of the network with a fixed router radix. Alternatively, a secondary plane of routers can be added to the interconnect, keeping the number of compute node endpoints the same but where each node has multiple rails of packet injection, at least one per router plane. This multirail-multiplanar type of network interconnect allows the overall size of the network to be unchanged but results in a large performance benefit, even with lower-specification hardware, while also increasing the resilience of the network to link failure. We extend the CODES framework to enable multirail-multiplanar 1D-Dragonfly and Megafly networks and to allow for arbitrary link failure patterns with added dynamic failure-aware routing so that topology resilience can be measured. We use this extension to evaluate two similarly sized 1D-Dragonfly and Megafly networks with and without secondary router planes, and we compare their application communication performance with increasing levels of link failure.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy identifies three classes of lipids in Cryptococcus neoformans melanized cell walls and whole fungal cells

A primary virulence-associated trait of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is the production of melanin pigments that are deposited into the cell wall and interfere with the host immune response. Previously, our solid-state NMR studies of isolated melanized cell walls (melanin "ghosts") revealed that the pigments are strongly associated with lipids, but their identities, origins, and potential roles were undetermined. Herein, we exploited spectral editing techniques to identify and quantify the lipid molecules associated with pigments in melanin ghosts. The lipid profiles were remarkably similar in whole C. neoformans cells, grown under either melanizing or nonmelanizing conditions; triglycerides (TGs), sterol esters (SEs), and polyisoprenoids (PPs) were the major constituents. Although no quantitative differences were found between melanized and nonmelanized cells, melanin ghosts were relatively enriched in SEs and PPs. In contrast to lipid structures reported during early stages of fungal growth in nutrient-rich media, variants found herein could be linked to nutrient stress, cell aging, and subsequent production of substances that promote chronic fungal infections. The fact that TGs and SEs are the typical cargo of lipid droplets suggests that these organelles could be connected to C. neoformans melanin synthesis. Moreover, the discovery of PPs is intriguing because dolichol is a well-established constituent of human neuromelanin. The presence of these lipid species even in nonmelanized cells suggests that they could be produced constitutively under stress conditions in anticipation of melanin synthesis. These findings demonstrate that C. neoformans lipids are more varied compositionally and functionally than previously recognized.
Robot-Assisted Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy

Esophageal carcinoma is the eighth most common cancer worldwide and the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death. Although squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) represents the most common histology, in the United States and many other Western countries, the incidence rate of adenocarcinoma (EAC) now exceeds that of ESCC, and this is expected to only increase. Most EACs affect the lower third of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction, and since the location of these tumors generally does not require removal of the entire esophagus, partial esophagectomy with intrathoracic anastomosis is increasingly favored among thoracic surgeons. Furthermore, the majority of surgically resectable patients present with locoregionally advanced stage requiring induction chemo- or chemoradiation therapy up front, which may lessen the reliability of the stomach conduit for anastomosis in the neck. Therefore, over the last decade, there has been a shift in the approach to esophagectomy away from transhiatal and three-hole (McKeown) techniques toward a transthoracic (Ivor Lewis) approach. Furthermore, this trend has been observed for both open esophagectomy and minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). Because performance of MIE with intrathoracic anastomosis is technically complex, particularly with respect to the performance of the anastomosis, the advent of robotics has delivered greater dexterity with a minimally invasive approach and may overcome some of the technical limitations inherent in “straight stick” laparoscopic/thoracoscopic approaches. A recent consensus statement recommended standardizing the nomenclature for esophagectomy according to procedure and approach; therefore, robotic-assisted Ivor Lewis esophagectomy is referred to as ILER.
Raymond Aron and Liberal Thought in the Twentieth Century: by Iain Stewart, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, xiii + 290 pp., $99.99 (cloth)

Raymond Aron (1905–1983) is best known for his intellectual sparring with Jean-Paul Sartre and for his stature as the pre-eminent Cold War liberal in France. He is credited with establishing an aut...
Smartphone Applications and Religious Reading among Swaminarayan Hindus

This paper examines how two prominent digital sacred texts, Vachanamrut Study App and Swamini Vato Study App, shape reading and meaning-making practices among members of the Swaminarayan Sampraday in the United States. By analyzing the design and use of applications, I argue that smartphone applications are pedagogical tools that integrate offline modes of textual study and simplify access to the meanings of the teachings. The historical, contextual, and paratextual features of smartphone applications reinforce that the study of sacred texts is an intentional, conscientious, dialogical, and gradual process—a process that enables individuals to fulfill their religious aspirations.
Human reliability under sleep deprivation: Derivation of performance shaping factor multipliers from empirical data

This paper develops a probabilistic approach that could use empirical data to derive values of performance shaping factor (PSF) multipliers for use in quantitative human reliability analysis (HRA). The proposed approach is illustrated with data on sleep deprivation effects on performance. A review of existing HRA methods reveals that sleep deprivation is not explicitly included at present, and expert opinion is frequently used to inform HRA model multipliers. In this paper, quantitative data from empirical studies regarding the effect of continuous hours of wakefulness on performance measures (reaction time, accuracy, and number of lapses) are used to develop a method to derive PSF multiplier values for sleep deprivation, in the context of the SPAR-H model. Data is extracted from the identified studies according to the meta-analysis research synthesis method and used to investigate performance trends and error probabilities. The error probabilities in test and control conditions are compared, and the resulting probability ratios are suggested for use in informing the selection of PSF multipliers in HRA methods. Although illustrated for sleep deprivation, the proposed methodology is general, and can be applied to other performance shaping factors.
The many publics for archaeology

Throughout the world, public agencies, professional societies, and individual archaeologists have recognized the need for more and better public education about archaeology. We are challenged to act on this recognition by providing opportunities for the public to learn about, and even participate in, archaeological interpretations and investigations. The audiences for these efforts include the general public, students and teachers, legislators, public administrators, and Native Americans. Archaeology has been a subject of interest to the public for centuries, and the archaeological record has fascinated people for even longer. Contemporary archaeologists must reach out to the public by providing them with understandable interpretations and explanations. We must do this if appreciation for archaeology and for the importance of archaeological preservation is to grow in America.
Using GNU Make to Automate the Recompile of VHDL SoC Designs

In every ASIC design project there comes a time that the design and its component parts must be functionally verified. In today’s design environment, the design is usually described in an HDL and the majority of the verification task is accomplished using an HDL simulator. In preparation for the simulations, it is always required that at least some of the design hierarchy be successfully compiled. The first successful compile and the subsequent recompilations of a design expressed in VHDL is the focus of this paper.
Patterns of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis During Treatment of Acute Leukemia: Results of a North American Web-Based Survey

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in 2% to 12% of patients with acute leukemia (AL) despite disease- and therapy-associated thrombocytopenia, and it can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Because of the few high-quality studies, there are no evidence-based guidelines for VTE prophylaxis in this patient population. We sought to determine the spectrum of practice regarding prevention of VTE in patients with AL during induction and consolidation therapies. Methods We conducted a 19-question Web-based survey directed at North American providers caring for these patients. One hundred fifty-one of 215 responses received were eligible for analysis, with a response rate of 20.9% among physicians who treated leukemias. Results Overall, 47% and 45% of providers reported using pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis during induction and consolidation phases, respectively. Approximately 15% of providers did not provide any VTE prophylaxis, while 36% used mechanical methods and ambulation. Among providers who did not recommend pharmacologic prophylaxis, the most commonly cited reasons were the perceived high risk of bleeding (51%), absence of data supporting use (38%), and perceived low risk of VTE (11%). Conclusion Large, prospective studies are needed to define the safest and most effective approach to VTE prevention in patients with AL.
Velocimetry in Particle Size Analysis

Velocimetry in particle size analysis encompasses the range of issues and methods used to measure particle velocities consistent with particle size measurement systems. Particle size may be measured simultaneously or consecutively with the velocity measurements described in this article. This article will present some issues that should be considered in selection of a velocity measurement technique. Three examples of commonly used particle velocity methods will be discussed as illustrations of possible approaches. For each of these examples, a brief discussion of advantages and limitations of the methods will also be presented.
The Formation of Network and Public Intervention: Theory and Evidence from the Chilean Experience

The first part of the paper deals with the theoretical foundations of new industrial policy tools aimed at promoting a process of interacting learning among firms. I discuss the issue at three different levels: first, I define the theoretical boundaries of my research interest within the considerable economic literature dealing with industrial networks; secondly, I concentrate on some endogenous growth and development models, in order to analytically define the existing relationship between firm interactions, knowledge flows, and productivity. Then, I discuss the relationship between knowledge diffusion and productivity, with particular emphasis on the fundamental concept of network multiplier. Finally, I carry out a microeconomic analysis of the motivations that bring firms to interact with each other, and look for a role for public institutions in promoting such interaction. I discuss in which cases public intervention promoting the formation of a knowledge-sharing network is justified by the existence of a sort of “market failure”, and identify which variables are involved. In the second part of the paper I analyze the most important Chilean networking program, the PROFO program. The availability of relational data on a significant number of firm networks allows me to investigate in detail the relationship between network structure, public intervention and firm competitiveness. The econometric analysis confirms a strong correlation between PROFO firms’ innovativeness and industrial cooperation, proving the existence of an interactive learning process among participant firms. I used sociometric data to refine my analysis of the impact of the program on the network multiplier: not only do participant firms also achieve better performance in terms of productivity, but this performance is quite strongly correlated with firm centrality and network density, which are the two variables best representing the structure and function of the network multiplier and that, as I previously mentioned, are strongly affected by PROFO.
Liver disease and nutrition

The liver plays a central role in the digestion, metabolism, and storage of nutrients. A deficiency of nutrients is often associated with liver disease and may be caused by decreased intake, decreased absorption, decreased storage, abnormalities in metabolism, or the increased requirements for nutrients. Alcoholism is a frequent cause of both malnutrition and liver disease, but nutritional deficiencies are also common in liver diseases not associated with alcoholism.
Iterative decoding with erasures in a concatenated system with diversity

We study error correcting codes, which are constructed by using "permutation" and "iterative decoding" in conjunction with "concatenation". These codes include "concatenated codes", "product codes" and "turbo codes" as special cases. We then extend our approach to a continuous channel, by adopting AZD (ambiguity zone detection) at the receiver, which introduces generalized erasures. Iterative decoding can significantly improve the performance of a coded system that contains a channel with memory (e.g., spectral shaping, ISI, multipath delay), modulation with memory (e.g., trellis coded modulation, continuous phase modulation) and/or diversity. Moreover, it is implementable with low decoding complexity and requires a small decoding delay. Using this framework, we propose two architectures for iterative receivers in an existing wireless packet transmission system. These receivers are fully backward compatible with the existing transmitter, have low decoding complexity and delay, and offer a decoding improvement of several dBs.
Introduction to Open Movements: FLOSS, Open Contents, Open Access, and Open Communities Minitrack

The Open Movements mini-track continues eleven earlier HICSS mini-tracks addressing the trend towards the adoption of open strategies. The track focuses on open source projects, especially Open Source Software development, though it also includes issues around Open Content creation, Open Access publishing and Open Communities more generally. The track is mainly directed to FLOSS developers and researchers who study the FLOSS phenomenon. This year the mini-track accepted four submissions. A focus in this edition of the mini-track is the use of tools which aid and streamline open source project development. We introduce the papers in the order in which they were scheduled at the conference.
Bayesian Classification of Geoeffective Solar Wind Structures

“Space weather” refers to the condition of geospace, a plasma-filled region primarily consisting of the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Space weather is controlled by the solar wind impinging on the outer boundary of the magnetosphere. Sporadic eruptions at the Sun such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares produce solar wind structures that can cause disturbances in the Earth's plasma environment, leading to adverse consequences on technological systems. Perhaps the most damaging of such “space weather effects” are severe geomagnetic storms characterized by intense disturbances that are long-lasting and global in geographic scale, encompassing both highlatitude and low-latitude regions around the Earth. Large geomagnetic storms are relatively infrequent occurrences but can seriously disrupt space-borne as well as ground-based susceptible systems including communications networks and electric power grids. Storms are often accompanied by increased populations of high-energy charged particles in geospace that can jeopardize satellites and astronauts. Thus, accurate and timely prediction of large storms is one of the most important end products of space weather research. The present prediction methods in operation, which are based on solar observations, are inaccurate because the trajectories and the magnetic fields of the ejecta from solar eruptions cannot be accurately predicted. This article describes the basics of a new approach to making real-time predictions of large geomagnetic storms. The approach is based on recognizing, in real-time solar wind data, quantifiable physical features that allow one to estimate the duration and geoeffectiveness of the solar wind that has yet to arrive at the detector. The results of an extensive test of the method using the archival WIND data from 1995–1999 indicate that high prediction accuracy (≥; 70–80 %) and moderately long warning times (several hours to more than ten hours) are achievable.
Peripheral signals conveying metabolic information to the brain: short-term and long-term regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis.

Numerous peripheral signals contribute to the regulation of food intake and energy homeostasis. Mechano- and chemoreceptors signaling the presence and energy density of food in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract contribute to satiety in the immediate postprandial period. Changes in circulating glucose concentrations appear to elicit meal initiation and termination by regulating activity of specific hypothalamic neurons that respond to glucose. Other nutrients (e.g., amino acids and fatty acids) and GI peptide hormones, most notably cholecystokinin, are also involved in short-term regulation of food intake. However, the energy density of food and short-term hormonal signals by themselves are insufficient to produce sustained changes in energy balance and body adiposity. Rather, these signals interact with long-term regulators (i.e., insulin, leptin, and possibly the orexigenic gastric peptide, ghrelin) to maintain energy homeostasis. Insulin and leptin are transported into the brain where they modulate expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides known to regulate feeding behavior and body weight. Circulating insulin and leptin concentrations are proportional to body fat content; however, their secretion and circulating levels are also influenced by recent energy intake and dietary macronutrient content. Insulin and leptin concentrations decrease during fasting and energy-restricted diets, independent of body fat changes, ensuring that feeding is triggered before body energy stores become depleted. Dietary fat and fructose do not stimulate insulin secretion and leptin production. Therefore, attenuated production of insulin and leptin could lead to increased energy intake and contribute to weight gain and obesity during long-term consumption of diets high in fat and/or fructose. Transcription of the leptin gene and leptin secretion are regulated by insulin-mediated increases of glucose utilization and appear to require aerobic metabolism of glucose beyond pyruvate. Other adipocyte-derived hormones and proteins that regulate adipocyte metabolism, including acylation stimulating protein, adiponectin, diacylglycerol acyltransferase, and perilipin, are likely to have significant roles in energy homeostasis.
Studies on protein methyltransferase in human cerebrospinal fluid.

Protein methyltransferases, rich in most mammalian brains, were studied in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Among several well-characterized groups of methyltransferases, protein methylase I (S-adenosyl-methionine:protein-arginineN-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.23) was found in significant amounts in human CSF samples. Both myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific and histone-specific protein methylase I activities were observed, the latter being generally higher in most CSF.S-Adenosyl-l-homocysteine, a potent product inhibitor for the methyltransferase, inhibited approximately 90% of MBP-specific protein methylase I activity at a concentration of 1 mM. The optimum pH of the MBP-specific protein methylase I was found to be around 7.2. Identity of exogenously added MBP as the methylated substrate for CSF enzyme was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. An amino acid analysis of the [methyl-3H]protein hydrolysate showed two major radioactive peaks cochromatographing with monomethyl- and dimethyl (symmetric)-arginine. Human CSF contained relatively high endogenous protein methylase I activity (activity measured without added substrate protein): The endogenous substrate can be immunoprecipitated by antibody raised against calf brain MBP. Finally, CSF from several neurological patients were analyzed for protein methylase I, and the results are presented.
Energy scavenging for sensor applications using structural strains

Resident sensors are envisioned for civil infrastructure applications, but providing long-term power for such devices remains a design challenge. An ideal solution would be to scavenge energy from structural strains and make the scavenging component a part of the sensor package. In principle, piezoelectric materials are suited to that role, and studies by others have demonstrated the feasibility of energy scavenging from flexible PZT devices operated at large strains and high strain rates. We have conducted experiments to collect electrical energy from PZT ceramics. We summarize the governing piezoelectric equations and outline the most convenient forms to use for the energy scavenging problem, illustrated by tracing one complete loading cycle. We review the material properties for the three PZT ceramics used in our experiments. We show experimental results recording voltage and charge in the cases of open-circuit, resistive loads, and capacitive loads, showing good agreement with analytical predictions. However, the greatest challenge is the approach to energy storage. In theory, capacitors can store energy but at varying voltage and with non-negligible leakage, whereas a battery can store energy at constant voltage with little leakage. We conducted experiments on both approaches, and we discuss our findings of the feasibility and efficiency of battery recharging at the scale of our devices, which have nominal dimensions of 10x10x1 mm.
Three hundred and fifty-three consecutive patients with permanent transvenous pacemakers.

Abstract The safety and convenience of the transvenous approach to long-term endocardial pacing are well established, but its principal drawback is electrode displacement. The reported incidence of this complication varies between 3.0% to 36.7%, and is highest in the early post-implantation period before endocardial fixation of the electrode tip. Recently Brewster and Evans determined that the electrode displacement rate in 21 published series averaged 14.3%. However, the Inter Society Committee on Heart Diseases (ICHD) report on pacemakers states that a rate of early displacement greater than 5% calls for a critical review of results. The training and expertise of the persons inserting the pacemaker electrodes undoubtedly are major factors which determine the proper transvenous placement of permanent cardiac electrodes. This paper deals with our clinical experience of 353 patients who received permanent transvenous pacemakers during the period September 1, 1974 through March 1, 1979, with emphasis on problems and complications encountered and overall results.
A Facile Wet Synthesis of Nanoparticles of Litharge, the Tetragonal Form of PbO

The red, tetragonal form of lead oxide, α-PbO, litharge, has been synthesized in the nanoparticle range using a rapid, one-step reaction sequence using water as the reaction medium. The product was characterized by powder x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. With time at room temperature, the original material slowly changed in color intensity, indicating its alteration to β-PbO, massicot. Grinding the aged material converted it back to the original litharge form. The role of impurities in the experimental synthesis of the material and microstructural variations in the final product are discussed, along with the PbO-phase compositions of commercial products.
Category algebras of complete metric spaces

We show that a complete metric space X has an essentially unique “nice” zero-dimensional dense Gδ subset, and derive from this a complete algebraic description of the “category algebra” (of Borel modulo first category sets) of X.
Planning, scheduling and control systems: why cannot they work together

Abstract The decisions made by the planning, scheduling, and control functions have a large economic impact on process industry operations—estimated to be as high as 10 dollars increased margin per ton of feed for many plants. The current process industry environment places even more of a premium on effective execution of these functions. In spite of the incentives, or maybe because of them, there exists significant disagreement about the proper organization and integration of these functions, indeed even which decisions are properly considered by the planning, scheduling or control business process. Advances in data capture and conditioning, sophisticated analytical techniques, and high performance computing environments have provided improved support for all three functions. High-speed communications can transfer information and data almost without limits. Yet, maintaining consistency among the decisions in most process companies continues to be difficult and the lack of consistency has real economic consequences. In this paper, we examine the following questions: what are the key issues, similarities, and differences for these functions in support of process industry decision making? What are the roadblocks in achieving the integration that seems technically feasible? The answers have significant financial implications as well as implications with regard to technology selection, infrastructure design, and staffing requirements.
Al/W/TiN/sub x//TiSi/sub y//Si barrier technology for 1.0- mu m contacts

A reliable contact diffusion barrier has been successfully formed by sintering in nitrogen a physically sputtered W/Ti bilayer. After a 650 degrees C furnace anneal, a TiN/sub x//TiSi/sub y/ layer on contact with the silicon substrate was formed beneath the overlying W. No reaction between N/sub 2/ and W was observed. Arsenic implanted in the silicon substrate tended to retard the silicidation of titanium. Substantial redistribution of both B and As across the silicide layer was also observed during the contact sintering process. The 1.0- mu contacts fabricated with the Al/W/TiN/sub x//TiSi/sub y//Si barrier technology exhibited low and tightly distributed contact resistivities (less than 10/sup -6/ Omega -cm/sup 2/). No excessive leakage of the shallow junctions was observed even after thermally stressing the sample at 400 degrees C for 8 h. >
Binary quadratic forms of determinant −pq

Abstract The following theorem is proved: If p and q are distinct primes of the form 4 n + 1, and ( p | q ) = 1, then x 2 − pqy 2 represents −1 if ( p | q ) 4 = ( q | p ) 4 = −1; p if ( q | p ) 4 = −( p | q ) 4 = 1; q if ( p | q ) 4 = −( q | p ) 4 = 1. If ( p | q ) 4 = ( q | p ) 4 = 1, there are examples with any of the three being represented.
Interpolation of franck-condon factors.

IN recent years, much effort has been expended to provide arrays of Franck-Condon factors qv′ v″ for many molecular band systems, particularly those of astrophysical and aeronomical interest because of the rapid growth of quantitative spectroscopic activity in aerospace and related fields. Many different straightforward analytical and numerical methods have been used in the calculation of q-arrays of various sizes appropriate to a number of molecular potentials of which the Morse potential has been the most popular. The calculation of a qv′ v″ array is in principle a simple task, though often formidable if an electronic computer and appropriate programme are not available.
Electrocatalytic properties of Pt/carbon composite nanofibers

Abstract Pt/carbon composite nanofibers were prepared by electrodepositing Pt nanoparticles directly onto electrospun carbon nanofibers. The morphology and size of Pt nanoparticles were controlled by the electrodeposition time. The resulting Pt/carbon composite nanofibers were characterized by running cyclic voltammograms in 0.20 M H 2 SO 4 and 5.0 mM K 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] + 0.10 M KCl solutions. The electrocatalytic activities of Pt/carbon composite nanofibers were measured by the oxidation of methanol. Results show that Pt/carbon composite nanofibers possess the properties of high active surface area and fast electron transfer rate, which lead to a good performance towards the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol. It is also found that the Pt/carbon nanofiber electrode with a Pt loading of 0.170 mg cm −2 has the highest activity.
Surfactant levels in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Marcus Davey discusses a new autopsy study that found that pulmonary surfactant content is not decreased in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Nursing career choice and Holland's theory: Are men and blacks different?☆

Abstract Professional nurses are overwhelmingly white and female despite lowered race and sex barriers to entry. In a study to examine race and sex differences in personality profile among nursing students, the Self Directed Search was administered to students entering baccalaureate nursing programs. The results generally supported Holland's typology. Race and sex differences in SDS codes were not significant; some differences were found in socioeconomic characteristics. The results provided some clues for effective vocational counseling and recruitment of men and blacks.
Letter by Uchino et al Regarding Article, “Art of Expertise in Stroke Telemedicine: Imaging and the Collaterome”

The editorial of this article by Dr Liebeskind is well written but has an error in relation to the article in discussion, by Wendt et al,1,2 on the ability of mobile stroke unit (Stroke Emergency Mobile [STEMO]) to triage patients with stroke to the appropriate hospitals. We applaud the innovation and achievement in Berlin using STEMO, and we agree with Dr Liebeskind and STEMO study group that the mobile stroke unit has potential to be used beyond simply providing prehospital thrombolysis. …
WE‐E‐332‐07: Workloads for High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Facilities

Purpose: Neither NCRP Report 147, Structural Shielding Design… Facilities nor NCRP Report 151, Structural Shielding Design… Facilities address high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy facility shielding. From a review of HDR patients treated at a major medical center, we report yearly patient census, treatment times, and workloads, compare them to literature data, and observe the consequences for HDR facility design. Method and Materials: For shielding calculations for an HDR vault, the yearly workload is defined as the product of the air kerma strength (Gy m2/h) at 1 m and the time (h) the source is used yearly. For a conventional 10 Ci HDR Ir-192 source, 0.04 Gy m2/h is commonly used. Limited literature data on HDR workloads varies between 4 Gy/Yr to 15 Gy/Yr. From a two year (2006, 2007) review of patient treated with HDR, we identify patient treatment dates, anatomic sites, prescribed absorbed doses, fractions, and total treatment times. From these data we extract yearly patient census, workloads by anatomic site and total yearly workloads. Results: By anatomic site, of 41 patients treated yearly, 14 were vagina, 13 uterus, 7 breast, 3 base of tongue, 2 sarcoma, and 2 head and neck. The average total number of fractions yearly was 232. Excluding quality assurance procedures, the average total yearly treatment time was 16.4 h and the average yearly workload at 1 m was 0.655 Gy/Yr, about 0.013 Gy/Week. These data are well below suggested literature values. This workload is less than 20% of the yearly workload of 4 Gy assuming 200 patients per year and a total yearly treatment time of 100 h used in this HDR facility's design. Conclusion: Using current popular HDR treatment methodologies, workloads of 1 to 2 Gy/Yr likely are sufficient for HDR facility design, potentially reducing shielding costs.
Hypertonic Medium Treatment for Localization of Nuclear Material in Bovine Metaphase II Oocytes

Oocytes enucleated at the second metaphase stage (MII) are often used as recipient cytoplasts for nuclear transfer. The oocyte's nuclear material has been traditionally removed blindly by aspirating the first polar body (Pb1) along with a portion of the cytoplasm. However, the Pb1-guided enucleation method is unreliable because the position of the Pb1 is variable. A previous study showed that pretreatment of mouse oocytes with 3% (0.09 M) sucrose allowed visualization of the metaphase spindle and chromosomes under standard light microscopy and led to a 100% enucleation rate. The same sucrose treatment, however, did not produce the same effect in bovine oocytes. In this study, we increased the concentration of sucrose to 0.3-0.9 M in PBS containing 20% fetal bovine serum (SPF) and found that the majority of the treated bovine oocytes (75%-86%) formed a small transparent bud into the perivitelline space, as compared with the 0.1 M sucrose (6%) or the no sucrose (0%) control groups. Staining of DNA with Hoechst 33342 revealed that these projections coincided with the position of the metaphase chromosomes in 100% of sucrose-treated oocytes, whereas only 31% of oocytes showed alignment of the position of Pb1 with their nuclear materials. Furthermore, 95% of oocytes treated in 0.3 M SPF were successfully enucleated by removing a small amount of cytoplasm adjacent to the projection. This is a significantly higher enucleation rate than that obtained by conventional Pb1-guided enucleation, even when a larger amount of cytoplasm was removed. For nuclear transfer, the enucleated oocytes treated with sucrose did not differ from the control oocytes in rates of fusion, cleavage, or development to blastocysts, or in the average cell numbers in blastocysts. This study demonstrated that 0.3 M sucrose treatment of bovine oocytes facilitates the localization of metaphase chromosomes under normal light microscopy and hence increases enucleation efficiency without compromising the in vitro development potential of cloned embryos by nuclear transfer.
NoncodingRNAs: from bench to bedside

The newly discovered differential expression in numerous tissues, key cellular processes and multiple diseases for several families of long and short noncodingRNAs (ncRNAs, RNAs that do not codify for proteins but for RNAs with regulatory functions), including the already famous class of microRNAs (miRNAs), strongly suggest that the scientific and medical communities have significantly underestimated the spectrum of ncRNAs whose altered expression has significant consequences in diseases. miRNA and other short or long ncRNA alterations are involved in the initiation, progression and metastases of human breast cancer. The main molecular alterations are represented by variations in gene expression, usually mild and with consequences for a vast number of target protein coding genes. The causes of the widespread differential expression of ncRNAs in malignant compared with normal cells can be explained by the location of these genes in cancer-associated genomic regions, by epigenetic mechanisms and by alterations in the processing machinery. miRNA and other short or long ncRNA expression profiling of human breast tumors has identified signatures associated with diagnosis, staging, progression, prognosis and response to treatment. In addition, profiling has been exploited to identify ncRNAs that may represent downstream targets of activated oncogenic pathways or that are targeting protein coding genes involved in cancer. Recent studies proved that miRNAs and noncoding ultraconserved genes are main candidates for the elusive class of cancer predisposing genes and that other types of ncRNAs participate in the genetic puzzle giving rise to the malignant phenotype. Last, but not least, the shown expression correlations of these new ncRNAs with cancer metastatic potential and overall survival rates suggest that at least some member of these novel classes of molecules could potentially find use as biomarkers or novel therapeutics in cancers and other diseases.