cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vaporization and precipitation characteristics of cerium nitrate precursor droplets heated by monochromatic irradiation

Abstract A novel experimental setup using radiative heating has been used to simulate the high heating rates of solution precursor plasma spray process and understand the thermophysical phenomena inside cerium nitrate precursor droplets. CO 2 laser having a heating rate comparable to that of the plasma has been adapted to heat pendant precursor droplets generated at the tip of a micro-needle. The process has been imaged with a high speed video camera. The images have depicted two distinct phases during the entire heating process. In the first stage, the surface evaporation is predominant while the second phase is dominated by precipitation phenomena. Inside the droplet during the heating process formation of explosive bubbles resulting in severe instability and shape deformation has been observed. The droplet deformation was found to be dependent on heating rate and solute concentration in the precursor solution. High laser power (high heating rate) makes the droplet prone to deformation while high concentration precursor solution being highly viscous increases the resistance against instability and deformation. It was also observed that the precipitate transitions through a series of chemical transformations from the initial gelatinous phase into the final solid agglomerate during the last part of the heating process. The SEM images of the precipitate showed a porous morphology. However high concentration precursors with low heating rate resulted in dense microstructure. It was also observed that the micro-structure exhibited irregular patterns, which is evidence of the presence of multiple nucleation sites. The number of nucleation centers increased with the increase of solute concentration and laser power, while XPS analyses confirmed the presence of Ce 3+ and Ce 4+ in the residue.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization/mass spectrometry mapping of human immunodeficiency virus-gp120 epitopes recognized by a limited polyclonal antibody.

In this study we have applied epitope excision and epitope extraction strategies, combined with matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, to determine the fine structure of epitopes recognized by a polyclonal antibody to human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein gp120. This is the first application of this approach to epitope mapping on a large, heavily glycosylated protein. In the epitope excision method, gp120 in the native form is first bound to the antibody immobilized on sepharose beads and cleaved with endoproteinase enzymes. In the epitope extraction method, the gp120 was first proteolytically cleaved and then allowed to react with the immobilized antibody. The fragments that remain bound to the antibody, after repeated washing to remove the unbound peptides, contain the antigenic region that is recognized by the antibody, and the bound peptides in both methods can be characterized by direct analysis of the immobilized antibody by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization/mass spectrometry. In this study we have carried out epitope excision and extraction experiments with three different enzymes and have identified residues 472–478 as a major epitope. In addition, antigenic regions containing minor epitopes have also been identified.
Effect of moisture content and cooking time on soybean meal urease index, trypsin inhibitor content, and broiler growth.

Abstract Soybean meal (SBM) was solvent-extracted at a commercial processing plant and subjected to added moisture and cooking time treatments. Results in Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that regardless of cooking time, the addition of either 10 or 25% moisture to raw SBM prior to either autoclaving or dry heating decreased urease index. Results in Experiments 3 and 4 indicated that when raw SBM contained either 0, 4, 8, 12, or 16% added moisture and autoclaved at 120 C in sealed containers from 0 to 135 min with 15-min intervals, urease and trypsin inhibitor contents decreased with either increasing added moisture or cooking time. With 16% moisture, either 30 or 45 min of cooking time was required to decrease urease index and trypsin inhibitor contents, respectively, to an acceptable level. Raw SBM autoclaved with less than 12% moisture contained urease and trypsin inhibitor contents considered excessive, regardless of cooking time. Raw SBM autoclaved for either 60 min at 12% or 30 min at 16% moisture showed lysine degradation when compared to SBM autoclaved for shorter periods of time. Increasing moisture and cooking resulted in decreased trypsin inhibitor and urease contents, increased broiler growth, improved feed efficiency, and decreased pancreas hypertrophy. Trypsin inhibitor was found in Experiment 5 to be a more reliable criterion for determining processing adequacy than was urease index. These data indicate that both SBM moisture and cooking time affected urease, trypsin inhibitor contents, and broiler growth, and that urease and trypsin inhibitor destruction during heat treatment immediately precedes lysine degradation.
Copper‐Catalyzed Peroxide Oxidation Testing for Tetraphenylborate Decomposition

Abstract A new processing option, copper‐catalyzed hydrogen peroxide oxidation of tetraphenylborate under alkaline conditions, was demonstrated in laboratory testing. Laboratory‐scale tests were conducted to evaluate the use of copper‐catalyzed hydrogen peroxide oxidation to treat simulants of the Savannah River Site tank waste. The oxidation process involves the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with a copper catalyst to form hydroxyl free radicals. With an oxidation potential of 2.8 volts, the hydroxyl free radical is a very powerful oxidant, second only to fluorine, and will react with a wide range of organic molecules. The goal is to oxidize the tetraphenylborate completely to carbon dioxide, with minimal benzene generation. Testing was completed in a lab‐scale demonstration apparatus at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Greater than 99.8% tetraphenylborate destruction was achieved in less than three weeks. Offgas benzene analysis by a gas chromatograph demonstrated low benzene generation. Analysis ...
The Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure: anatomical determinants and modifications.

Abstract Seven of 119 patients undergoing anatomical correction for transposition of the great arteries and Taussig-Bing anomalies without pulmonary stenosis had the Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure and the rest, the arterial switch. The age of the patients having the Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure ranged from 0.5 year to 5 years (mean age, 2.2 ± 1 years). Four patients had transposition, 2 had Taussig-Bing anomaly, and 1 had corrected transposition. Indications for the Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure were side-by-side great arteries associated with difficult coronary anatomy (5 patients), single coronary system (1 patient), and subaortic stenosis (1). A graft between the ascending and descending aorta for interrupted aortic arch made mobilization and posterior displacement of the ascending aorta for the arterial switch difficult. Subaortic stenosis (1 patient), subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (2 patients), and restrictive ventricular septal defect (4) precluded the Rastelli procedure. In 6 patients, the main pulmonary artery was transected at the band, a proximal main pulmonary artery to aorta anastomosis was complemented with a synthetic patch, and a right ventricle to distal main pulmonary artery valved conduit was inserted. Four patients had closure of the aortic outflow. Two patients had postoperative bleeding and 2, heart block. The only patient who did not have transaction of the main pulmonary artery, an omission that led to an obstructed conduit at the distal anastomosis, died late. Two patients subsequently needed aortic outflow closure for critical aortic insufficiency. The Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure has a definite role and can be safely performed in patients with transposition of the great arteries and Taussig-Bing anomalies. Aortic outflow closure minimizes the risk of aortic insufficiency. Transection of the distal main pulmonary artery allows a wide open conduit to main pulmonary artery anastomosis.
An Improved Measurement of Isotopic Ratios by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

The study of protein kinetics requires an accurate measurement of isotopic ratios of peptides. Although Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometers yield accurate mass measurements of analytes, the isotopologue ratios are consistently lower than predicted. Recently, we demonstrated that the magnitude of the spectral error in the FT-ICR mass spectrometer is proportional to the scan duration of ions. Here, we present a novel isotopic ratio extrapolation (IRE) method for obtaining accurate isotopic ratio measurements. Accuracy is achieved by performing scans with different duration and extrapolation of the data to the initial moment of the ion rotation; IRE minimizes the absolute isotopic ratio error to ≤1 %. We demonstrate the application of IRE in protein turnover studies using 2H2O-metabolic labeling. Overall, this technique allows accurate measurements of the isotopic ratios of proteolytic peptides, a critical step for enabling routine studies of proteome dynamics.
Carcinoma of paranasal sinuses: long-term outcomes with radiotherapy

Abstract Purpose To assess the clinical features, prognostic factors, results, and complications of treatment of carcinomas of the paranasal sinus. Methods and materials The records of 106 patients (72 men and 34 women) with paranasal sinus carcinoma treated with curative intent at Washington University between January 1960 and August 1998 were analyzed. Patient age ranged from 29 to 91 years (median, 64 years). Most tumors originated in the maxillary (76%) or ethmoid (18%) sinus. Most tumors were locally advanced at presentation. All patients underwent radiotherapy (RT), combined with surgery in 65%; 2% received chemotherapy. Results Follow-up ranged from 1.7 months to 24 years (median 5 years). The 5-year local tumor control, locoregional tumor control, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival rate was 58%, 39%, 33%, and 27%, respectively. A statistically significant improvement in DFS was noted with the addition of surgical resection to RT (35% vs. 29%, p = 0.05). Nodal status at presentation emerged as a statistically significant predictor for locoregional tumor control and DFS in multivariate analysis. Distant metastases occurred in 29% of patients. Conclusion This review of a large, single-institution experience of paranasal sinus carcinoma patients who underwent RT showed that locoregional tumor progression and recurrence remain predominant patterns of failure despite aggressive local treatment with combined surgery and RT. DFS improved slightly with combined modality treatment. The overall survival rates remained suboptimal, suggesting a need for more accurate determination of tumor extent, as well as more effective locoregional and systemic therapies.
A pharmacoeconomic comparison of antithymocyte globulin and muromonab CD3 induction therapy in renal transplant recipients.

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and muromonab CD3 (OKT3) are currently the only antilymphocyte preparations that are commercially available for induction immunosuppressive therapy for renal allograft transplantation in the US. ATG, in the usually prescribed doses. is more expensive than muromonab CD3. but muromonab CD3 is associated with more severe adverse effects that may affect clinical outcome and overall cost.
Relative sensitivity and specificity of agar gel immunodiffusion, enzyme immunosorbent assay, and immunoblotting for detection of anti-bovine leukemia virus antibodies in cattle

Three serologic methods for the detection of antibodies to bovine leukemia virus (BLV) were compared using the sera of 140 dairy cows. A widely used commercial agarose immunodiffusion screening assay and a commercial antibody capture enzyme immunosorbent assay were compared for sensitivity and specificity with immunoblotting as the standard. The immunoblot utilized the same antigen preparations that were provided in the commercial kits. The agarose immunodiffusion and the enzyme immunosorbent assay were comparable in the number of positive animals detected. However, the commercial screening kits failed to detect 39% (agarose immunodiffusion) and 35% (immunosorbent assay), respectively, of the animals determined serologically positive by immunoblot. These findings corroborate those of some other groups and emphasize the need for more sensitive tests to identify BLV positive cattle for culling or separation in order to create BLV-free herds.
Endothelial area as a prognostic indicator for invasive breast carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Vascular enumeration using antibodies to Factor VIII has been reported to be an independent prognostic indicator of invasive breast carcinoma. METHODS To eliminate potential subjectivity in distinguishing between individual vessels, especially in areas of tangled capillaries, total endothelial area (EA) was assessed using a Samba 4000 image analyzer. One hundred seventy-eight invasive breast carcinomas (Stage 1 and 2, mean follow-up: 71 months) were immumostained for the presence of CD34, the human hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen also present in endothelium, and EA was quantitated within 5 adjacent 20X fields (0.74 mm2). Additionally, these same vessels were manually counted from the image analyzer. Manual counts were also made from a photomicrograph representative of a single 10X field (1.06 mm2). RESULTS High grade carcinomas contained greater endothelial area than low grade carcinomas (P = 0.0001). Endothelial area was prognostically significant (P = 0.004) in univariate analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), as were stage of disease, tumor size, and combined histologic grade (P < or = 0.024). Manual vessel counts from the monitor were significant for OS only. Manual vessel counts from photomicrographs showed no statistically significant association with DFS or OS. In multivariate analysis, EA, but not vessel enumeration, remained as an independent predictor for OS (lymph node negative patients only, n = 87) and for DFS (lymph node positive patients only, n = 91). For the entire group of patients (lymph node negative and lymph node positive) independent predictors of DFS and OS were tumor grade and size (P < or = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Of the three methods used to evaluate tumor angiogenesis, total endothelial area, as objectively evaluated by image analysis, was the only independent prognostic indicator for OS for patients with lymph node negative invasive breast carcinoma.
Forget the Muse, think only of the (Decentered) Subject?

This essay involves an exploration of complex and fascinating acts of decentering and re-centering of writers in relation to traditional Muses as institutionalizations or sedimentations of artistic and intellectual inspiration in cultural tradition. Using the specific example of Wole Soyinka’s much discussed appropriation of Ogun, the Yoruba god of war, metallurgy and creativity as a point of departure, the paper gives what is intended as a far more complex and even more contradictory relationship between Soyinka and this chosen Muse than what we typically encounter in the criticism and scholarship on the Nigerian dramatist’s writings. This is done in two distinct though interlocking interpretive, discursive moves: first, by reading Soyinka’s positive appropriation of Ogun against Derek Walcott’s disavowal of the Muses of both Europe and Africa in the play, Dream on Monkey Mountain and in one of his most important essays, “The Muse of History”; and, secondly, by critically excavating Soyinka’s own scathing and revisionary critique of Ogun as a Muse in his first major play, A Dance of the Forests. Building on these readings of Soyinka and Walcott, the essay ends with a plea for paying as much attention, in the postcolonial Nigerian and African context, to re-centering as is given to decentering in Western postmodernist discourses, always with an eye to the interpenetrations and exchanges that take place among the diverse literary and cultural traditions of the world. Key words: Muse; a-muse; avant-garde critical theory; decentering and recentering; the Subject of traditional humanism.
A New Look at the High School Economics Texts.

Townshend-Zellner shows that, as a group, high school economics texts have improved substantially during the last decade. “It is now possible,” he asserts, “to recommend to high schools a significant number of texts … which substantially meet the minimum criteria set by the canons of our professional discipline.” There are still problems, however, in that “… the quality of the acceptable texts now runs strongly ahead of the typical teacher's preparation in economics.”
Beyond the simple functional analysis—The chain: A conceptual framework for assessment with a case study example

The theoretical basis of the functional analysis is expanded to include behavior chains occurring over relatively long term periods and including people not directly involved at the time of a client's specified problem behavior. Chain rules are described from animal research that are hypothesized to be helpful in understanding interactional behavior systems, such as in families, and in developing treatment plans for chain stimulus and consequence manipulations. A case of a 6 year old aggressive boy and his family is presented as an example of the utility of assessing problem behavior as a chain.
Dynamics of macromolecules and nuclear magnetic relaxation: Application of mode‐coupling diffusion theory to DNA, proteins and their complexes

A mode-coupling approach has been used to solve the Smoluchowski diffusion equation describing the correlation functions relevant in nuclear magnetic relaxation experiments on biological molecules like protein and DNA. A good reproduction of relaxation patterns for molecules that are fluctuating about three-dimensional structures imposed by secondary motives has been found. Important differences can be explained with the poor statistics collected by numerical simulations that do not contain fluctuations contributing to rates in the ns time-scale, therefore comparable with rotational rates.
Advocacy versus Certainty: The Dynamics of Committee Jurisdiction Concentration

I present an aggregate-level theory paralleling the theory of market competition to explain the dynamics of committee jurisdiction concentration. The theory states that organized issue constituents and the larger voting public, respectively, make private (i.e., advocacy) and collective (i.e., certainty) demands for policy benefits supplied by committees. I hypothesize that the levels of these competing demands drive two activities changing committee jurisdiction concentrations: "nonlegislative" and "legislative" jurisdiction advances. To test my hypotheses, I use nonlegislative committee hearings and bill referrals over a 15-year period (1979-93) to construct annual, issue-specific. Herfindahl indexes measuring nonlegislative and legislative jurisdiction concentrations. I use PAC contributions and issue salience to measure private and collective demands for policy benefits. Using two OLS regression models, I find that both types of demand influence the two jurisdiction advancement activities. Moreover, no...
Contemporary Issues in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution of the Atelin Primates

In the early 1990s, when we were graduate students beginning our respective dissertation projects on atelin primates, the number of studies available to us for background information was limited. Long-term field research on the genera discussed in this issue was restricted to a few sites scattered around Central and South America and it was being carried out by an equally limited number of scientists. If one were interested in spider monkeys (Ateles spp.), Cant, Chapman, Klein, Symington, and van Roosmalen were among the few researchers who had each authored multiple publications on the ecology and behavior of the genus. Even fewer had contributed to the literature on woolly monkeys (Lagothrix spp.)— most notably Defler, Nishimura, Peres, and Soini—while Milton and Strier were the only scientists associated with multiple publications on muriquis (Brachyteles spp.). We are very pleased that in the intervening decade, the number of long-term studies conducted on atelin primates has grown dramatically as a diverse international group of new researchers and established veterans have made substantial contributions to our understanding of
Understanding Teaching through the Minds of Teacher Candidates: A Curious Blend of Realism and Idealism.

Abstract This study identifies candidate's teaching concerns and teacher role beliefs and examines the relationship between such concerns and beliefs prior to candidate entry into a teacher education program. Results revealed three areas of concerns that a “teacher” must overcome; concerns about pupils, teaching situation issues, and survival concerns. Findings are examined within a developmental framework in an effort to better understand their potential impact on candidates’ subsequent development.
Formation of Odd-Numbered Clusters of CO 2 Adsorbed on Nanotube Bundles

Simulations show that CO2 adsorbed in the groove sites of carbon nanotubes displays unique quasi-one-dimensional behavior. Clusters containing only odd numbers of molecules are formed at finite CO2 coverages and low temperatures. The molecules are orientationally ordered with respect to the nanotube groove axis and azimuthally ordered in the plane perpendicular to the groove axis. This ordering is a result of a delicate balance between solid-fluid and fluid-fluid forces; the CO2 quadrupole plays a critical role in the cluster formation and orientational ordering.
Cost-optimal code motion

We generalize Knoop et al.'s Lazy Code Motion (LCM) algorithm for partial redundancy elimination so that the generalized version also performs strength reduction. Although Knoop et al. have themselves extended LCM to strength reduction with their Lazy Strength Reduction algorithm, our approach differs substantially from theirs and results in a broader class of candidate expressions, stronger safety guarantees, and the elimination of the potential for performance loss instead of gain. Also, our general framework is not limited to traditional strength reduction, but rather can also handle a wide variety of optimizations in which data-flow information enables the replacement of a computation with a less expensive one. As a simple example, computations can be hoisted to points where they are constant foldable. Another example we sketch is the hoisting of polymorphic operations to points where type analysis provides leverage for optimization. Our general approach consists of placing computations so as to minimize their cost, rather than merely their number. So long as the cost differences between flowgraph nodes obey a certain natural constraint, a cost-optimal code motion transformation that does not unnecessarily prolong the lifetime of temporary varibles can be found using techniques completely analogous to LCM. Specifically, the cost differences can be discovered using a wide variety of forward data-flow analyses in a manner which we describe.
Age, sex-role categorization, and psychological health in American homosexual and heterosexual men and women.

Abstract An examination (N = 569) was made of the following hypotheses: (a) Homosexuals would be classified as androgynous more frequently than heterosexuals, and (b) age would have a more negative impact on self-concept, as measured by self-esteem and depression scores, in homosexual males than in heterosexual males. Results showed that homosexual men and women were more frequently androgynous than were heterosexual men and women. Age did not have a more negative impact on self-concept in homosexual men. The most potent predictor of psychological well-being was self-perceived masculinity scores. Self-esteem increased in all four groups as the masculinity scores increased.
Expression of disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1, a schizophrenia-associated gene, is prominent in the mouse hippocampus throughout brain development

DISC1 (Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1) has been associated with schizophrenia in multiple genetic studies. Studies from our laboratory have shown that Disc1, the mouse ortholog of DISC1, is highly expressed in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in the adult mouse brain. Because developmental dysfunction of the hippocampus is thought to play a major role in schizophrenia pathogenesis, and the dentate gyrus is a major locus for adult neurogenesis in the mouse, we investigated Disc1 expression during mouse brain development. Strikingly, Disc1 is strongly expressed in the hippocampus during all stages of hippocampal development, from embryonic day 14 through adulthood. Disc1 mRNA was detected in the dentate gyrus at all stages in which this structure was identifiable, as well as in the cornu ammonis (CA) fields of the hippocampus, the subiculum and adjacent entorhinal cortex, and the developing cerebral neocortex, hypothalamus, and olfactory bulbs, all of which also express Disc1 in the adult mouse brain. In addition, Disc1 mRNA was seen in regions of the developing mouse brain which do not express Disc1 during adulthood, regions including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, reticular thalamic nucleus and reuniens thalamic nucleus. These results demonstrate that Disc1 marks the hippocampus from its earliest stages, and suggest that developmental Disc1 dysfunction may lead to defects in hippocampal function that are associated with schizophrenia.
A scalable, flexible workflow for MethylCap-seq data analysis

Advances in whole genome profiling have revolutionized the cancer research field, but at the same time have raised new bioinformatics challenges. For next generation sequencing (NGS), these include data storage, computational costs, sequence processing and alignment, delineating appropriate statistical measures, and data visualization. The NGS application MethylCap-seq involves the in vitro capture of methylated DNA and subsequent analysis of enriched fragments by massively parallel sequencing. Here, we present a scalable, flexible workflow for MethylCap-seq Quality Control, secondary data analysis, tertiary analysis of multiple experimental groups, and data visualization. This workflow and its suite of features will assist biologists in conducting methylation profiling projects and facilitate meaningful biological interpretation.
When Life and Learning Do Not Fit: Challenges of Workload and Communication in Introductory Computer Science Online

We present the results of an interview study investigating student experiences in two online introductory computer science courses. Our theoretical approach is situated at the intersection of two research traditions: distance and adult education research, which tends to be sociologically oriented, and computer science education research, which has strong connections with pedagogy and psychology. The article reviews contributions from both traditions on student failure in the context of higher education, distance and online education as well as introductory computer science. Our research relies on a combination of the two perspectives, which provides useful results for the field of computer science education in general, as well as its online or distance versions. The interviewed students exhibited great diversity in both socio-demographic and educational background. We identified no profiles that predicted student success or failure. At the same time, we found that expectations about programming resulted in challenges of time-management and communication. The time requirements of programming assignments were unpredictable, often disproportionate to expectations, and clashed with the external commitments of adult professionals. Too little communication was available to access adequate instructor help. On the basis of these findings, we suggest instructional design solutions for adult professionals studying introductory computer science education.
Phenotype dictates the growth response of vascular smooth muscle cells to pulse pressure in vitro.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of phenotype on pulse pressure-induced signaling and growth of vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro. Using a perfused transcapillary culture system, cells were exposed to increases in pulsatile flow and hence pulse pressure and maintained for 72 h before cells were harvested. Cell proliferation was determined by cell number, DNA synthesis, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) levels were determined by immunoblot and kinase activity by phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. Cell phenotype was determined by immunoblot and immunocytofluorescence using antisera specific for the differentiation markers α-actin, myosin, calponin, osteopontin, and phospholamban. In cells that highly expressed these differentiation markers, there was a significant increase in cell growth in response to chronic increases in pulse pressure without a significant change in MAPK activity in these cells. In contrast, in cells that weakly expressed SMC differentiation markers, there was a significant decrease in cell growth concomitant with a significant decrease in MAPK signaling in these cells. We conclude that SMC phenotype dictates the growth response of SMC to mechanical force in vitro.
Productivity and returns to scale of container ports

This is an empirical analysis of the performance of the five major container ports of the East Coast of the United States: Boston, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Hampton Roads. The data through 1978 indicate wide disparities in the productivity of these facilities. They also suggest that container ports exhibit significant returns to scale throughout the range of observation, that is up to 15 Mt a Year. These findings indicate that a national policy of developing small ports is not economically attractive, and that specific investments should be made most carefully.
Stability and performance analysis of time‐delay LPV systems with brief instability

Linear parameter-varying (LPV) systems provide a systematic framework for the study of nonlinear systems by considering a representative family of linear time-invariant systems parameterized by system parameters residing in a compact set. The brief instability concept in such systems allows the linear system to be unstable for some trajectories of the LPV parameter set, so that instability occurs only for short periods of time. In the present paper, we extend the notion of brief instability to LPV systems with time delay in their dynamics. The results provide tools for the stability and performance analysis of such systems, where performance is evaluated in terms of induced ℒ2-gain (or so-called ℋ∞ norm). The main results of this paper illustrate that stability and performance conditions can be evaluated by examining the feasibility of parameterized sets of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Using the results of this paper, we then investigate analysis conditions to guarantee the asymptotic stability and ℋ∞ performance of fault-tolerant control (FTC) systems, in which instability may take place for a short period of time due to the false identification of the fault signals provided by a fault detection and isolation (FDI) module. The numerical examples are used to illustrate the qualification of the proposed analysis and synthesis results for addressing brief instability in time-delay systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetic mechanisms of membrane fusion mediated by electric fields

Abstract External electric fields can induce the fusion of a wide variety of cell and artificial membranes. This experimental observation is a demonstration of an inherent ability of membranes to fuse if appropriate conditions are provided, and indicates the existence of properties of membrane systems, related to fusion, which are largely independent of the type of membrane. An approach to understanding more clearly the fundamental properties of membranes needed for fusion involves the comparison of systems of different levels of complexity, such as lipid monolayers, bilayers and plasma cell membranes. In all of these systems the physicochemical properties, especially viscosity, of the interacting membranes and the liquid layer between them are critical for the fusion kinetics. Other critical phenomenological parame- ters are the strength and duration of the electric pulse, which drives the fusion reaction. The fusogenic pulse induces a state of high Gibbs energy which leads to the destabilization of the membranes and the liquid layer between them by stochastic processes of growth of fluctuational waves and the overcoming of energy barriers. This results in the formation of localized molecular contacts, fusion junctions and pores, which may subsequently expand. Although this major kinetic pathway can be generally under- stood in terms of phenomenological models, the molecular mechanisms of electrofusion are unclear because of a lack of direct experimental measurements of the structural rearrangements during membrane merging. The elucidation of electrofusion mechanisms may provide clues to the understand- ing of the fundamental mechanisms of fusion in biological systems.
Development of the Anode Pore Structure and Its Effects on the Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract Microstructural features, especially pore structure, has a substantial effect on the properties of the anode layer determining the electrochemical performance of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Distinct anode pore structures were obtained by removal of various pyrolyzable pore formers (e.g. flake graphite, spheroidal graphite, spherical polymethyl methacrylate, random shaped sucrose, and spherical polystyrene particles). Determined processing parameters for the constituent layers allowed fabrication of Ni-YSZ anodes and complete multilayer fuel cells without macro defects (i.e. cracks, blisters and warpage). A systematic comparison was performed on the anode microstructures, as the fabricated fuel cells consisted of identical component layers (i.e. electrolyte, cathode and current collectors) supported by an anode layer with various pore structures. Voltammetric measurements and analyses of the corresponding impedance spectra on the developed fuel cells along with the investigations on the resultant microstructures using scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry techniques led to the identification of the relationships between the anode pore structure and the electrochemical performance of the fuel cells. It was revealed that the anode pore structure has critical effects on the properties of the formed anode layers such as electrical conductivity, gas permeability and electrochemical polarization. The novel findings on the anode pore structure allowed increasing the power density of the fuel cells with identical components from 0.45 W/cm2 to power densities over 1.75 W/cm2 at 800 °C using diluted hydrogen (10% H2 in Ar) as fuel.
The structure of polyenoic odd- and even-numbered fatty acids of mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Mullet oil contains more than 25% straight-chain odd-numbered fatty acids. Odd- and even-numbered components of chain lengths C15 to C20 were isolated and their structures determined. The vinylmethane rhythm prevails in all polyun-saturated acids. Numerous homologs have their double bonds in identical positions, relative to the carboxyl group, as for example, ‡9,12- and ‡6,9,12-C15, -C16, -C17 and -C18 acids. The terminal structures which are characteristic for oleic, linoleic, etc., families are not found in the unsaturated odd-numbered acids. The results show: that the proximal structure has greater influence than the terminal structure on the biosynthesis of unsaturated odd-numbered acids ; that chain lengths of 17 and 18 carbon atoms with double bonds in position 9 are crucial for synthesis of the polyenoic C19 and C20 acids; that chain lengths C15 and C16 with double bonds in position 9 are suitable for desaturation but that they are not suitable for desaturation after elongation. These specifications bring all acids of mullet into a rational order and reflect their possible interconversions. Presently, such classification has only limited predictive value in regard to the physiological properties of polyunsaturated acids. However, the new definitions for grouping the polyunsaturated fatty acids lead to interesting working hypotheses.
Conversion of 15α-hydroxy-11-oxo-progesterone to 3β,11α,15β-trihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one

Abstract 3β,11α,15β-Trihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one, an intermediate required for the synthesis of the oogoniols, has been prepared from 15α-hydroxy-11-oxo-progesterone in an overall yield of 16%. The three isomers (at C-11, C-15) of the pregnene were also prepared.
Rethinking burial dates at a Graeco-Roman Cemetery: Fag el-Gamous, Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract The Fag el-Gamous cemetery is a 125 hectare Graeco-Roman necropolis on the eastern edge of the Fayoum Depression. The 1000 + burials excavated to date at the cemetery are found largely in rectangular shafts at 0.3–3.0 m deep and oriented on an east–west axis. The high burial density, varying between 1.3 and 3.0 burials per square meter, is due in part to multiple burials in the same shaft. The stratigraphically deepest burials in a shaft are buried head east and later burials in the same shaft are buried head west. It has been argued that this directional shift occurred as early as the late first to the early second century AD. AMS radiocarbon dating of the available samples shows that the deepest and presumably oldest head-east burial dates to AD 79–230, and the oldest head-west burial dates to AD 128–284. One of the deepest signs of Christianity, a cross symbol, is present in the outer wrapping of a burial dated AD 545–645. The head-east and head-west burial practices in the Fag el-Gamous cemetery coexisted for at least 200 years.
Several factors affecting Al-MCM-41 synthesis

Abstract Several mesoporous aluminosilicate molecular sieves with the MCM-41 structure (Si/Al=24) have been synthesized using different aluminum and silica sources and varying several synthesis parameters during the preparation process such as the use of an anti-foaming agent, prior aging of the gel mixture or pH adjustment of the gel mixture under basic conditions followed by autoclaving three times. All samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption, TGA, 27 Al MAS NMR and elemental analysis. There is a significant improvement in the structure by using an anti-foaming agent before adding the surfactant, by aging the mixture of silica and aluminum source prior to synthesis, and by using δ-alumina instead of PHF alumina. Also, when the sample is synthesized, alternating the pH adjustment and autoclaving three times in sequence, well-resolved XRD peaks are obtained. These Al-MCM-41 materials have BET areas around 1000 m2/g but the amount of tetrahedral coordinated Al, on the whole, is low.
The radium content of varved clay

The radium content of varved clays, selected from an exposure of about 470 pairs of beds, has been determined. The results have been calculated for unit mass and unit volume of the dry varve, and unit volume of the varve particles. With one exception the radium content of the winter layer exceeds that of the summer layer. When plotted against time, the radium content shows a periodicity in concentration with no indication of either a general increase or decrease, over the span of years, in the summer layers or the winter layers.
Molecular Analyses in Families with Hunter Syndrome Indicate Unequal Maleand Female Mutation Rates in the Iduronate-2-Sulfatase Gene

Molecular diagnosis for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome) has detected a spectrum of mutations including large deletions, intragenic rearrangements, recurrent nucleotide substitutions at CpG sites, and high proportion of novel point mutations in the X-linked iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) gene. The mutational heterogeneity and the X-linked inheritance make the IDS gene a good disease model for studying human germline mutations and underlying mechanisms. Pooling data from 135 MPS II families observed that 8% were sporadic cases from de novo maternal germline mutations and 92% were transmitted cases from carrier females. Haplotyping analysis on transmitted cases showed preference of germline mutations from maternal grandfather. Estimation of male-to-female ratio of mutation rates indicated a 3.76-to-10.5-fold higher mutation rate in males for mutations in the IDS gene. However, little is known on gender-specific mutation rate for different type of mutations in the IDS gene. A large-scale population based collaborative study to construct a database of detailed mutational composition and family pedigrees is needed to further characterize the mutation origin and male/female mutation rates in the IDS gene. This information will be helpful in genetic counseling and disease prevention and also gain insight into mutagenesis mechanisms for various types of mutations.
Shortest Path Problem Algorithms

The shortest path problem (SPP) is a fundamental combinatorial optimization problem that concerns finding the shortest paths between a source and a destination; it is also referred to as a single-source shortest path problem (SSPP). In some problem settings, shortest paths between all pairs of nodes are desired; these are referred to as all-pairs shortest path problems (ASPP). The SPP arises in a number of applications, both as a stand-alone problem and as a subproblem in more complex scenarios. Several applications have been described in the last chapter. In this article, we describe algorithmic methods to solve the SSPP, as well as the ASPP. In real-life applications, networks vary in their characteristics such as in the presence of negative arcs, directed cycles, and so forth. We present both customized and the most extensively studied algorithms for each scenario, with an analysis of their individual complexities. Keywords: shortest paths; negative cycles; Dijkstra's algorithm; Bellman–Ford algorithm; Floyd–Warshall's algorithm
Palaeolatitudes from DSDP Leg 73 sediment cores: implications for the apparent polar wander path for Africa during the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic

Summary. Palaeolatitudes estimated from DSDP sediments provide important constraints on the apparent polar wander path (APWP) of Africa during the Cenozoic. A revised APWP is suggested based on new information about palaeomagnetic poles from the African continent and predicted palaeolatitudes are compared with those determined from Leg 73 sediments. Other published paths are discussed.
Comment on Bensel: “But the Bumblebee Flies Anyway, Doesn't It?”

“The American Ballot Box” is a most interesting exploration into the deep past of American electoral politics. Well-researched and argued, it provides examples of sometimes very funny interview sessions with nineteenth-century American voters. The basic data method here rests upon using congressional-election contest hearings as sources of information. The author does well, however, to remind us that by definition, election contests may have reflected “the dark side of the force,” so to speak, but also necessarily raised claims of fraud and other abuse by the losers. Naturally, the overwhelming majority of U.S. House elections in the nineteenth century were not contested. The strength of the method lies in the fact of contest itself, which permitted relatively searching inquiry into the conduct of elections, and thus revealed much about their organizational pattern that would be taken for granted (and hence not discussed or brought to light otherwise). But bias may be implicit in the method.
Length-weight relations and growth rates of dominant fishes of the Salton Sea: implications for predation by fish-eating birds

Abstract The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. Inflows are primarily from agricultural runoff, which render it eutrophic and able to support extensive fisheries. The lake and its surrounding wetlands are critical links for the Pacific Flyway, providing refuge and food for an extensive and diverse avifauna. We document fish size distributions, body shapes and growth rates and consider how they determine availability of fish to birds. Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus x O. urolepis hornorum) is the most important resource for fish-eating birds. Tilapia grow fast to a size that is readily handled by large birds and are the most abundant fish in the lake. Bairdiella (Bairdiella icistia) grow to a smaller size over a longer period. Corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus), sargo (Anisotremus davidsoni), and shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) are less important for fish-eating birds because they quickly grow to sizes outside bird handling capabilities (corvina) or are not readily catchable and currently of low abundanc...
Intracellular ice formation during the freezing of hepatocytes cultured in a double collagen gel

During freezing, intracellular ice formation (IIF) has been correlated with loss in viability for a wide variety of biological systems. Hence, determination of IIF characteristics is essential in the development of an efficient methodology for cryopreservation. In this study, IIF characteristics of hepatocytes cultured in a collagen matrix were determined using cryomicroscopy. Four factors influenced the IIF behavior of the hepatocytes in the matrix: cooling rate, final cooling temperature, concentration of Me2SO, and time in culture prior to freezing. The maximum cumulative fraction of cells with IIF increased with increasing cooling rate. For cultured cells frozen in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), the cooling rate for which 50% of the cells formed ice (B50) was 70 degrees C/min for cells frozen after 1 day in culture and decreased to 15 degrees C/min for cells frozen after 7 days in culture. When cells were frozen in a 0.5 M Me2SO + DMEM solution, the value of B50 decreased from 70 to 50 degrees C/min for cells in culture for 1 day and from 15 to 10 degrees C/min for cells in culture for 7 days. The value of the average temperature for IIF (TIIF) for cultured cells was only slightly depressed by the addition of Me2SO when compared to the IIF behavior of other cell types. The results of this study indicate that the presence of the collagen matrix alters significantly the IIF characteristics of hepatocytes. Thus freezing studies using hepatocytes in suspension are not useful in predicting the freezing behavior of hepatocytes cultured in a collagen matrix. Furthermore, the weak effect of Me2SO on IIF characteristics implies that lower concentrations of Me2SO (0.5 M) may be just as effective in preserving viability. Finally, the value of B50 measured in this study indicates that cooling rates nearly an order of magnitude faster than those previously investigated could be used for cryopreservation of the hepatocytes in a collagen gel.