cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solubility of rare earth elements in carbonatite magmas, indicated by the liquidus surface in CaCO3Ca(OH)2La(OH)3 at 1 kbar pressure

The system CaCO_3-Ca(OH)_2(CC-CH) represents a synthetic analog to a carbonatite magma. Addition of a light rare earth (RE) component La(OH)_3 (LH) gives a simple analog of a rare earth carbonatite. Liquidus relations for two joins were studied at 1 kbar pressure; CH-LH and (CC_(55)CH_(45))-LH. CH-LH is binary with a eutectic at CH_(79)LH_(21) and 710°C. Thejoin CC_(55) + CH_(45))-LH has a liquidus piercing point between CC and LH, at (CC_(55)CH_(45))_(60)LH_(40) and 700°C. Combining the new results with known results for CC-CH allows construction of a liquidus diagram for part of the join CC-CH-LH. A ternary eutectic between the primary liquidus fields for CH, CC and LH occurs near 610°C with estimated composition CC= 33%, CH= 47%, LH= 20%. The solubility of La(OH)_3 in the synthetic carbonatite magma increases with increase of CO_2/H_2O from 20% at the eutectic to 40% at the piercing point on the join (CC_(55)CH_(45))-LH. The solubility of La in synthetic carbonatite is high compared with that of silicates. P_2O_5, and S. The results show that REE can become concentrated to high levels by fractionation of carbonatites, as long as they are not removed by high temperature crystallization of apatite and monazite.
Flow Visualization Technique for Investigation of Hydraulic Fracturing

This paper presents a methodology for the determination of dynamic proppant concentration mapping in the High Pressure Simulator (HPS). It also presents a model that is being employed to real time display: (1) the sand front propagating through the slot (2) the proppant concentration at the HPS facings, and (3) the dune build up as it occurs. The paper will present the overall software and hardware schemes used to accomplish this visualization task, snapshots of the real time videos produced by the technique, and how the technique is used.
Image enhanced CAPTCHA for web security

Many websites use CAPTCHA to defend against malicious automated programs from performing abusive tasks such as illegitimate account registration. CAPTCHA is widely used on commercial websites as a HIP system due to its simplicity of use and effectiveness against attacks. Over the years advances in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software and techniques developed to break CAPTCHA began to expose flaws and vulnerabilities of these CAPTCHA implementations. CAPTCHA can be improved by adding several levels of complexity but still retain the purpose of CAPTCHA by making it simple for human users but difficult for bots to break. In our system different challenge phrases were displayed instead of one like traditional methods. To pass our CAPTCHA challenge questions, users have to graphically interpret the displayed image to determine which challenge phrase to decipher. Several schemes have been designed and implemented. A particular design was chosen based on the result of surveys conducted on human subjects for the user-friendliness. The result of the surveys shows that our design is preferred by users and helps preventing automated attacks from bots using known methods.
SU-GG-T-47: Dosimetric Equivalence of Non-Standard Brachytherapy Needle Patterns

Purpose: To determine whether alternative prostate brachytherapy needle patterns can result in similar or improved dose distributions while providing better access and reducing trauma in the treatment of HDR prostate brachytherapy.Method and Materials: Standard prostate cancer HDR brachytherapy uses a regular grid of parallel needle positions to guide the catheter insertion. This geometry does not easily allow the physician to avoid piercing the penile bulb nor does it provide position flexibility in the case of pubic arch interference. In this study, CT datasets from 10 previously‐treated patients were used and catheters were digitized by following three hypothetical catheter patterns: conical, bi‐conical, and fireworks. The conical patterns were used to accommodate a robotic delivery using a single entry point. The bi‐conical and fireworks patterns were specifically designed to avoid the bulb. For each catheter distribution, a plan was optimized with the inverse planning algorithm, IPSA, and compared with the plan used for treatment. Irrelevant of geometry, a plan must fulfill the RTOG‐0321 dose criteria for target dose coverage (V100>90%) and organ‐at‐risk dose sparing (V75<1cc for the bladder and rectum, V125<<1cc for the urethra). Results: The three non‐standard catheter patterns used 16 non‐parallel, straight divergent catheters, with the focal point(s) in the perineum. 30 plans from 10 patients with prostate sizes ranging from 26 to 89 cc were optimized. All non‐standard patterns fulfilled the RTOG criteria when the clinical plan did. In some cases, the dose distribution was improved by better sparing the organs‐at‐risk. Conclusion: Alternative needle patterns can provide the physician with additional ways to treat patients previously considered unsuited for brachytherapytreatment (pubic arch interference) and to improve patient quality of life (avoidance of penile bulb), while fulfilling the RTOG criteria. Conflict of Interest: Research sponsored by the Nucletron Corporation.
Concept of a high temperature integrated multi-modular thermal reactor

Abstract The high temperature integrated multi-modular thermal reactor is a first-of-a-kind small modular reactor that uses an enhanced conductivity BeO–UO2 fuel with supercritical CO2 coolant to drive turbo-machinery in a direct Brayton cycle. The core consists of several self-contained pressurized modules, each containing fuel elements in pressurized channels surrounded by a graphite moderator, and Brayton cycle turbo-machinery. Each module is subcritical by itself, and when several modules are brought into proximity of one another, a single critical core is formed. The multi-modular approach and use of BeO–UO2 fuel with graphite moderator and supercritical CO2 coolant leads to an inherently safe system capable of high efficiency operation. The pressure channel design and multi-modular approach eliminates engineering challenges associated with large pressure vessels, and the subcriticality of the modules ensures inherent safety during construction, transportation, and after decommissioning. A feasible configuration consisting of seven modules operating for 14.7 years at 10 MWth power using 5% BeO and 5% 235U enriched fuel is presented in this paper. The results of the conceptual analysis include flux and power distributions as well as potential power shaping and reactivity coefficients were analyzed.
PPAR δ agonists stimulate oligodendrocyte differentiation in tissue culture

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that have been described as master genes that switch cells from an undifferentiated phenotype to a differentiated phenotype. In the present investigation, we examined the possibility that ligands for PPARs are potent activators of oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation and/or proliferation. Primary glial cultures and enriched OL cultures of neonatal mouse cerebra were treated with three different PPAR agonists: a PPAR gamma-selective agonist, a PPAR delta-selective agonist, and a pan agonist selective for both PPAR gamma and delta. Treatment with PPAR gamma agonist does not have an effect on the differentiation of OLs; however, PPAR delta agonist and the pan agonist treatment accelerates the differentiation of OLs within 24 h of application in mixed glial cultures. The number of OLs with processes and huge membrane sheets increases two- to threefold in both groups. The increase in the size of the sheets is also mirrored by changes in the intensity and distribution of myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) mRNAs. As compared to controls, the PPAR delta agonist-treated groups contain more OLs that have MBP and PLP mRNA extending into distal processes. These results indicate that PPAR delta plays a significant role in the maturation of OLs and regulates the size of OL sheets. BrdU immunostaining reveals that these agonists do not significantly stimulate proliferation of OLs expressing glycolipids. The studies in enriched OL cultures reproduce the effects of the PPAR agonists seen in the mixed glial cultures, indicating that the effect of the PPAR agonists is directly on the OLs and not via astrocytes. In the enriched cultures, the total number of OLs increases significantly in the PPAR delta agonist-treated groups, but BrdU immunostaining does not show an increased proliferation of cells. These findings suggest that PPAR delta increases the survival of cells and/or prevents cell death in enriched cultures. Although PPAR delta is expressed in various cell types, its role as a factor in the transcriptional regulation of OL differentiation has not been explored. We show for the first time that a ligand that serves as an agonist for PPAR delta activates the program of OL differentiation in primary and enriched OL cultures.
Inhibition of the type I interferon response in human dendritic cells by dengue virus infection requires a catalytically active NS2B3 complex.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent arthropod-borne human virus, able to infect and replicate in human dendritic cells (DCs), inducing their activation and the production of proinflammatory cytokines. However, DENV can successfully evade the immune response in order to produce disease in humans. Several mechanisms of immune evasion have been suggested for DENV, most of them involving interference with type I interferon (IFN) signaling. We recently reported that DENV infection of human DCs does not induce type I IFN production by those infected DCs, impairing their ability to prime naive T cells toward Th1 immunity. In this article, we report that DENV also reduces the ability of DCs to produce type I IFN in response to several inducers, such as infection with other viruses or exposure to Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, indicating that DENV antagonizes the type I IFN production pathway in human DCs. DENV-infected human DCs showed a reduced type I IFN response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV), Sendai virus (SeV), and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) infection and to the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C). This inhibitory effect is DENV dose dependent, requires DENV replication, and takes place in DENV-infected DCs as early as 2 h after infection. Expressing individual proteins of DENV in the presence of an IFN-α/β production inducer reveals that a catalytically active viral protease complex is required to reduce type I IFN production significantly. These results provide a new mechanism by which DENV evades the immune system in humans.
Comments on Anomalous Redshifts

IN a recent communication Lewis1 concludes: “… it is not surprising to find no confirmation” of Arp's2 reported anomalous redshifts in groups of galaxies. One of the groups Lewis mentions is the Sculptor Group, with redshifts and apparent magnitudes as plotted in Fig. 1. The data3 show that the two faintest (and according to Lewis's own data, the least massive members of the group) have an average excess redshift of + 400 km s−1. This is a very large value of redshift discrepancy for a recognized group and is almost a factor of two larger than any included in ref. 2. But because Lewis carefully shields us from this kind of evidence, it is not surprising to find him later arriving at a null conclusion.
Adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus following irradiation for cervical cancer

Abstract A series of eight cases with an adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus occurring 5 to 23 years following radiotherapy for cervical cancer is presented and the literature is reviewed. Abnormal vaginal bleeding was the presenting symptom in only 2 of 8 patients and in only 30.7% of 26 collected cases. In none of the 8 patients was the cancer confined to the uterine corpus. Intraabdominal spread or distant metastasis was documented in 5 of 8 patients and in 12 of 26 collected cases (46%). Survival was extremely poor. Regardless of treatment, all 8 patients died of cancer. The longest survival was 5 years and 1 month. Among 29 collected cases from the literature including present series, only 3 survived 5 years or longer without recurrence and 68.9% of those ( 20 29 ) died of the cancer at the time of publications. These unusual clinical features and the grave outcome may simply indicate the advanced cancer at diagnosis and are believed due to delay in diagnosis resulted from infrequent alarming symptom (vaginal bleeding) in these patients. Postradiation stenosis of the cervical canal and/or obliteration of the upper vagina appear to be the main obstacle.
C-5 isochronal inspection process modeling

United States Air Mobility Command (AMC) has a limited number of C-5 aircraft, and so opportunities to either preserve or increase aircraft availability are of interest to them. In an attempt to reduce inspection costs and promote inspection scheduling predictability, the Air Force is reducing the number of C-5 Isochronal inspection (ISO) sites from five to three. C-5 ISOs require at least two weeks and involve an exhaustive inspection of the entire aircraft. AMC headquarters staff asked us to model the new ISO process to help them understand how the reduced number of ISO locations will affect inspection timeliness. We used the problem as the class project for a graduate discrete event simulation course at the Air Force Institute of Technology. We review our process and results, and present some insights on conducting simulation research as a class assignment.
Downregulation of apoptosis-related genes in keloid tissues.

Abstract Background. Physiologically programmed cell death or apoptosis occurs during the natural balance between cellular proliferation and demise. Materials and Methods. We compared the expression of 64 apoptosis-related genes in keloids and normal scars to investigate the potential role of apoptosis in keloid formation. Two sets of mRNA were isolated from keloids excised from four previously untreated patients and four normal scar patients separately. Human cDNA arrayed hybridization was performed to compare the apoptosis-related gene expression between these two groups. In addition, TUNEL assays were performed to evaluate the percentage of apoptotic cells in keloids (center and periphery) versus normal scars. Results. Eight of the sixty-four apoptosis-related genes studied were significantly underexpressed in keloid tissue. The underexpressed genes and their relative expression compared with normal scar were defender against cell death 1 (DAD-1) (34.1% of normal scar); nucleoside diphosphate kinase B (c- myc transcription factor) (24.7%); glutathione S -transferase (17.9%); glutathione S -transferase microsomal (28.1%); glutathione peroxidase (47.2%); tumor necrosis factor receptor 1-associated protein (TRADD) (51.0%); 19-kDa interacting protein 3 (NIP3) (36.0%); and cytoplasmic dynein light chain 1 (HDLC1) (47.7%). Spatial analysis of apoptosis using TUNEL assays revealed apoptosis indices of 0.83 for keloid periphery and 0.63 for keloid center. Conclusions. In this study we demonstrated underexpression of apoptosis-related genes in human keloid tissue and decreased apoptotic activity in fibroblasts derived from keloids versus normal scars. We hypothesized that keloid fibroblasts fail to undergo physiologically programmed cell death and, thus, continue to produce and secrete connective tissue beyond the period expected in normal scar formation, accounting for the progressive and hypertrophic nature of keloids. This mechanism leads to new possibilities for treatment of keloids through induction of apoptosis.
A Proposed Taxonomy for Physical Prototypes: Structure and Validation

This paper introduces a taxonomy of physical prototypes, benchmarking it with existing classifications to elucidate the advantages and disadvantages. The proffered taxonomy is evaluated by three approaches: (i) checking the orthogonality of the individual elements of the taxonomy, (ii) benchmarking the proposed taxonomy with existing classifications of prototypes, and (iii) demonstrating its utility by applying it to classify different prototypes. The results show the proposed taxonomy is capable of distinguishing prototypes with greater precision than what is possible with current classifications. Further, the proposed classification is generally orthogonal, allowing for more consistent delineation between prototypes. However, the findings also reveal that some of the taxa are interdependent; exploring these interdependencies to develop a deeper understanding of how prototyping influences design thinking is the focus of future research.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Carcinogen-Nucleic Acid Interactions: Equilibrium Binding Studies of Aflatoxins B1 and B2 with DNA and the Oligodeoxynucleotide d(ATGCAT)2

Abstract Equilibrium binding is believed to play an important role in directing the subsequent covalent attachment of many carcinogens to DNA. We have utilized UV spectroscopy to examine the non-covalent interactions of aflatoxin B1 and B2 with calf thymus DNA, poly(dAdT):poly(dAdT), and poly(dGdC):poly(dGdC), and have utilized NMR spectroscopy to examine non-covalent interactions of aflatoxin B2 with the oligodeoxynucleotide d(ATGCAT)2. UV-VIS binding isotherms suggest a greater binding affinity for calf thymus DNA and poly(dAdT):poly(dAdT) than for poly(dGdC):poly(dGdC). Scatchard analysis of aflatoxin B1 binding to calf thymus DNA in 0.1 M NaCl buffer indicates that binding of the carcinogen at levels of bound aflatoxin ⁢ 1 carcinogen per 200 base pairs occurs with positive cooperativity. The cooperative binding effect is dependent on the ionic strength of the medium; when the NaCl concentration is reduced to 0.01 M, positive cooperativity is observed at carcinogen levels ⁢ 1 carcinogen per 500 base pa...
Effect of solvent quality on kinetics of tethered layer formation

We conducted a study of the effect of solvent quality on the kinetics of formation of a layer of polymer chains tethered to a solid substrate. In these experiments, tethering was accomplished by means of chemical bond formation between reactive sites on the surface and the end-functional groups of the polymer chains in solution. All experimental variables were held constant except for the χ-parameter between the polymer and solvent. Variation in the χ-parameter was achieved by use of a series of nonpolar, organic solvents. The distinct three-regime kinetics, typical of tethering reactions run in a good solvent and in the absence of segmental adsorption, was observed over the range of values for the χ-parameter. As expected, an increase in the χ-parameter (a decrease in solvent quality) did result in increased tethering density, but, contrary to expectation, no increase in tethering rate was observed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5530–5537, 2004
The role of alternative splicing in regulating agrin binding to muscle cells

Abstract The binding of agrin to the muscle cell surface can induce radical changes in the topography and physiology of the cell membrane, resulting in the organization of postsynaptic components opposite the nerve terminal. Alternative splicing of agrin mRNA yields several isoforms, which vary in their cellular expression, developmental profile, and acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering activity. Neurons and muscle cells express several of these agrin isoforms. To address the role of alternative splicing in regulating agrin's function, we compared the effects of splicing at the y and z sites of agrin (denoted `Ag y,z '). Agrin isoforms bound differently to the myotube surface: Ag0,0 and Ag4,0 showed much higher levels of binding than Ag4,8. The artificial splice form Ag0,8 showed binding levels similar to Ag4,8. Visualization of the bound agrin after an acute incubation revealed that each isoform associated with the cell surface in a distinct pattern. These binding patterns changed following stimulation of the myotubes with Ag4,8 for 4 h (which induces the clustering of AChRs). Ag4,8 binding sites were concentrated at >90% of the induced AChR clusters, while those for Ag4,0, Ag0,8, and Ag0,0 were enriched at 70%, 50% and 25%, respectively. Together, these observations indicate that alternatively spliced forms of agrin recognize at least partially non-overlapping populations of binding sites on the cell surface, and that the eight amino acid insert is the dominant factor influencing the level of the agrin binding to the cell surface. Further, some of these populations redistribute to AChR clusters upon agrin stimulation.
Parents Involved With Child Welfare: Their Perceptions of Mental Health Services

Parents involved with child welfare were interviewed to ascertain their experiences with the outpatient mental health treatment they and their children had received. Semi-structured interviews consisting of open ended questions were conducted with 20 parents recruited from three agencies providing home-based services to children and families referred by child welfare. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using the traditional qualitative iterative approach of reading and re-reading transcripts to identify patterns in the data. Four primary themes emerged from the analysis: relationships with therapists, perceived treatment benefits, availability and accessibility of services and therapists, and treatment expectations. Recommendations for practice and for future research are made.
Longitudinal acoustic mode in polymers. VIII. Nature of mass perturbations in terminally brominated paraffins

Raman spectra have been obtained of the longitudinal acoustic mode (LAM) in α-BrC20H41 and α, ω-BrC20H40Br, and compared with such spectra for n-C20H42. Normal coordinate analyses of these three molecules clearly account for (i) the frequency decreases on Br substitution; (ii) the presence of doublet LAM modes in both brominated molecules; and (iii) the decrease in the total intensity of the LAM mode resulting from the added masses, as distinct from the increase predicted by the elastic rod model. These results thus provide experimental support for predictions made from normal coordinate and intensity analyses regarding the influence on LAM bands of mass perturbations at the ends of paraffinic chains.
Negative regulation of T-cell adhesion and activation by CD43

CD43 is a cell-surface sialoglycoprotein expressed by a variety of haematopoietically derived cells, including T lymphocytes. Earlier observations of defective CD43 expression by T lymphocytes from boys with the X-chromosome-linked Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome suggested the importance of CD43 in lymphocyte function. Subsequent studies have suggested that CD43 facilitates leukocyte adhesion and has a co-stimulatory role during T-cell activation. To define the physiologically relevant function(s) of CD43, we have generated CD43-knockout mice. We report here that CD43-deficient T cells from such mice show a marked increase in their in vitro proliferative response to concanavalin A, anti-CD3, the superantigen SEB and allostimulation. Additionally, CD43-deficient T cells show a substantial enhancement in homotypic adhesion and in their ability to bind different ligands, including fibronectin and the intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1. Vaccinia-virus-infected CD43-knockout mice mounted an augmented anti-vaccinia cytotoxic T-cell response compared with their wild-type littermates, yet developed an increased virus load. We conclude that CD43 negatively regulates T-cell activation and adhesion and is important for viral clearance.
Origin of the open-circuit voltage in organic solar cells

One very important factor limiting the power conversion efficiency of the current state-of-the-art organic solar cells is the low energy conversion efficiency during the conversion process of an absorbed photon to an electron-hole pair collected at the electrodes. The absorption of a 2 to 3 eV photon typically leads to an open-circuit voltage of 0.5-0.6 V, representing approximately 80% energy loss. In this paper, we show that the open-circuit voltage of an organic donor-acceptor heterojunction cell is related to both the photocurrent and the dark current. Many factors, such as illumination intensity, organic heterojunction structure, electrode properties, operating temperature, can have significant impact on the open-circuit voltage. We also show that the conventional wisdom of using the "effective" gap of an organic donor-acceptor heterojunction to determine the maximum open-circuit voltage needs to be carefully re-examined. While the study shows that the open-circuit voltage in the copper phthalocyanine-C60 heterojunction cell still has some room for improvement, ultimately new materials will have to be used to boost the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells to the 20% regime.
Benefits of prophylactic gastropexy for dogs at risk of gastric dilatation–volvulus

Abstract The lifetime probability of death from gastric dilation–volvulus (GDV) for five dog breeds was estimated based on published breed-specific longevity and GDV incidence. These breeds were Great Dane, Irish Setter, Rottweiler, Standard Poodle and Weimaraner. Lifetime risk (95% CI) of GDV in these breeds ranged from 3.9% (0–11.2%) for Rottweiler to 36.7% (25.2–44.6%) for Great Dane. A decision-tree analysis for prophylactic gastropexy—using lifetime probability of death from GDV and expected cost savings for veterinary services as outcome measures—was undertaken to determine the preferred course of action in several dog breeds. Prophylactic gastropexy was the preferred choice of action for all breeds examined, with the reduction in mortality (versus no gastropexy) ranging from 2.2-fold (Rottweiler) to 29.6-fold (Great Dane). Assuming a prophylactic gastropexy costs US$ 400, the procedure was cost-effective when the lifetime risk of GDV was ≥34%. The maximum and minimum estimated breakeven costs for the gastopexy procedure ranged from US$ 20 (Rottweiler) to US$ 435 (Great Dane). The cost-effectiveness of prophylactic gastropexy was most sensitive to the cost of treating GDV (US$ 1500). Prophylactic gastropexy raises ethical issues that need to be considered by veterinarians and dog breeders.
Statistical-information-based performance criteria for Richardson–Lucy image deblurring

Iterative image deconvolution algorithms generally lack objective criteria for deciding when to terminate iterations, often relying on ad hoc metrics for determining optimal performance. A statistical-information-based analysis of the popular Richardson–Lucy iterative deblurring algorithm is presented after clarification of the detailed nature of noise amplification and resolution recovery as the algorithm iterates. Monitoring the information content of the reconstructed image furnishes an alternative criterion for assessing and stopping such an iterative algorithm. It is straightforward to implement prior knowledge and other conditioning tools in this statistical approach.
Development of a Design Methodology for Ducted Fan Systems Used in Micro Unmanned Air Vehicle Propulsion

This paper presents an aerodynamic loss prediction and design methodology that has been developed for ducted-fan system of a vertical takeoff and landing Micro Unmanned Air Vehicle (Micro UAV). The method is based on a parametric geometry model and semi-empirical aerodynamic methods. The developed loss correlation method was applied to an initial sizing attempt of a ducted fan system.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Dictionary Look-Up with One Error

LetWbe a set ofnbinary strings of lengthmeach. We are interested in designing data structures forWthat can answerd-queriesquickly; that is, given in a binary string ?, decide whether there is any member ofWwithin Hamming distancedof ?. The problem, originally raised by Minsky and Papert, remains a challenge in data structure design. In this paper, we make an initial effort toward a theoretical study of the smalldcase. Our main result is a data structure that achievesO(mloglogn) query time withO(nmlogm) space for thed=1 case.
Mosaic Trisomy 9 in an infant with mixed-field ABO blood grouping

A 44-year-old group A D+ G3P0 woman at 32 weeks' gestation underwent emergent cesarean section delivery of a 1.57-kg singleton male infant due to chorioamnionitis and breech presentation. ABO typing of the infant revealed mixed-field agglutination, with an apparent 50:50 mixture of A+ and O+ cells. There was no evidence of twin gestation, history of intrauterine transfusion, or maternal-fetal hemorrhage. Dextrose column separation of the infant's blood after agglutination with excess anti-A reagent 1 (see figure, left) allowed isolation of the nonreacting cell population. Testing for weak A phenotypes and presence of H antigen confirmed the partial group O phenotype. Serologic testing for D, E, c, e, Fy a , Fy(b), N, S, Jk a , and Jk b antigens disclosed identical expression patterns between the infant's two cell populations. Single-nucleotide polymorphism chromosomal microarray showed a mosaic single-copy genomic gain (trisomy) of Chromosome 9 in approximately 30% of cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis confirmed the mosaic presence of an additional Chromosome 9 homolog, with a normal (disomic) interphase nucleus (see figure, right, A) adjacent to a metaphase cell with Trisomy 9 (see figure, right, B). ABO mixed-field agglutination is most commonly seen after out-of-group RBC transfusion or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Rarely, chimerism resulting from either twin chimerism or tetragametic (dispermic) chimerism may result in dual RBC populations. In this patient, Mosaic Trisomy 9 introduced an extra copy of the ABO gene, located on Chromosome 9q34.2. The observed mixed-field agglutination likely reflects two phenotypically distinct cell lines: a more prevalent disomic line (genotype OO) and a less prevalent trisomic line (genotype AOO). Mosaic Trisomy 9 is a rare finding in liveborn infants resulting in variable outcomes, including cardiac defects. After identification of mosaicism in this infant an echocardiogram was performed, revealing a previously unsuspected atrial septal defect with left-to-right shunt.
GiveALink tagging game: an incentive for social annotation

Social tagging systems lead to inferred relationships among resources, tags and users from shared annotations in support of applications such as search, recommendation, and navigation. However, users share annotations largely for their own individual needs, such as bookmarking and involvement in online communities. Free tagging may also result in low-quality annotation data. In this paper, we introduce a tagging game designed as an incentive for users to share a large number of high-quality social annotation data while being entertained. Preliminary results suggest that playing the game leads users to classify resources into broad categories.
Three-dimensional vortex dynamics in bluff body wakes

Abstract Over the last few years, there has been a surge of activity concerning wake flows, in particular regarding 3-D aspects of flows that are nominally two-dimensional. In the laminar shedding regime, it has become evident that end boundary conditions can control the three-dimensional wake pattern over long spans. These end conditions can be manipulated to produce oblique shedding, chevron patterns, parallel shedding, cellular shedding, and vortex dislocations. Transient patterns known as phase shocks and phase expansions can be induced by temporal control of end conditions by using variable suction. These experimental patterns may be modeled analytically using Guinzburg-Landau equations. The long-standing controversy regarding discontinuities in the Strouhal-Reynolds number relationship is caused by the phenomenon of oblique shedding, in turn dependent on end conditions. The original scatter of around 20% in the measurement of this relationship between different laboratories, up to 1988, has been reduced to 1% when parallel shedding is induced. In the wake transition regime, the large discrepancy in reported critical Reynolds numbers (Re = 140–190) over the last 40 years has been found to be due to contamination from end conditions. Indeed, remarkably “clean” end conditions can extend the laminar regime to Re = 194. The wake transition is shown to involve two successive stages, each corresponding to a discontinuity in both the character of wake formation and the S-Re relationship. The first discontinuity (Re = 180–194) is associated with the inception of vortex loops and is hysteretic. The second discontinuity (Re = 230–260) corresponds to a change to a finer scale streamwise vortex structure. The wake can exhibit enormous vortical structures, “vortex dislocations,” which explain the origin of the low-frequency velocity irregularities first observed by Roshko in 1954. Such dislocations, which cause surprisingly large fluctuation energy downstream, are conceivably an intrinsic feature of transition of shear flows in general. In the far wake, the honeycomb-like three-dimensional pattern first observed by Cimbala et al. in 1988, is found to be due to interactions between oblique shedding waves formed upstream with growing 2D waves amplified in the far wake from free-stream disturbances. Previous observations may now be explained in terms of these wave interactions. With these deductions as the starting point, we have gone on to discover a new mechanism of “oblique wave resonance,” whereby the two wave systems above interact nonlinearly to produce a third “oblique resonance wave,” which is then preferentially amplified (by up to two orders of magnitude over the 2-D waves). This single oblique wave resonance can be visualized remarkably clearly and is distinctly different from themodels hitherto proposed for the far wake.
Synthesis of photoreactivating enzyme in synchronous and asynchronous cultures of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The technique of flash photolysis was used to study cellular variations in the number of photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) molecules during the cell division cycle of the UV-sensitive E. coli strain BS−1. No variations in the number of PRE molecules per genome were observed throughout the cell division cycle when synchronized cells cultured in either glucose-minimal or succinate-minimal medium were used. This is interpreted to mean that PRE synthesis is continuous throughout the cell cycle for glucose-grown cells, but may stop at the time chromosome replication ceases prior to division, in succinate-grown cells. The effect of growth rate and stage of growth on cellular PRE content in asynchronous cultures was also determined. Variations in the number of PRE per genome were observed for both synchronous and asynchronous cells cultured in different media and occurred in a manner that suggested a dependence on growth rate. PRE per genome increased with generation time. Stationary phase cells from each culture medium (nutrient broth, glucose-minimal, succinate-minimal) had more PRE per genome than did respective log phase cells. It is suggested that PRE synthesis may be controlled by some aspect of chromosome replication.
Effect of metal ions on the unfolding kinetics of α-lactalbumin on weakly hydrophobic surfaces

Abstract The effect of metal ion [Ca 2+ and Zn(NH 3 ) 4 2+ ] on the unfolding kinetics of bovine-α-lactalbumin (α-LACT) on a weakly hydrophobic chromatographic surface (ethyl polyether phase bonded on porous silica, C 2 ether) has been studied using surface intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy and liquid chromatography. Chromatographic results on the C 2 ether phase revealed two peaks for α-LACT, the first being the folded and the second an unfolded conformation, as determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The retention time for the second peak was found to depend on the specific metal additive in the mobile phase.Fluorescence studies showed a slow change in emission maximum from ca. 330 nm to 350 nm and a 5-fold increase in emission intensity for the adsorbed protein in the unfolded state. By following the fluorescence emission intensity at a given wavelength during the unfolding process, biphasic kinetics were observed with the kinetic constants depending on the specific metal-ion additive. In addition, solution refolding rates of the desorbed, unfolded species were measured and found to be consistent with literature refolding rate constants.
Semi-empirically derived petrophysical and thermodynamical coefficients of permselective shales—Implications on ore mineralization

Abstract Phenomenological coefficients of shale–electrolyte systems may offer a glimpse into probable matrix-permeability and solute-exclusionary relationships. Shales from unexposed Upper Cretaceous Period Mancos Shale and from Permian Period Abo Formation were cut into thin wafers, placed in custom built osmometers and a chemical potential applied across them giving rise to induced osmotic flow. This in turn spawned matrix unique constants namely mechanical filtration coefficient LP (m3 N−1 s−1), diffusional mobility per unit osmotic pressure LPD (m3 N−1 s−1), osmotic flow coefficient; LD (m3 N−1 s−1), reflection coefficient σ (dimensionless) at zero gradients of temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Considering intrinsic relationships between these constants where L D = ( σ 2 L P − ω / c ¯ s ) and LPD = −σLP, we have ascertained that the bentonitic fossiliferous Mancos shale had a lower LP and a higher σ compared to the kaolinitic and siliceous shale from Abo Formation indicating a higher degree of compaction post-diagenesis (lower porosity) and higher filtration efficiency. Mechanistic processes involved in solute transport and matrix morphology indicate key multi-scale transformations, ionic- and atomic-exchange competitions on high energy sites like cation-exchange sites, isomorphic substitution at argillaceous mineral edges, atomic-clipping within basal spacing, preferential pathway migration, dead-end pores that give rise to localized solute exclusionary processes and solute attenuation giving rise to anomalous osmotic gradients.
Measurements and Circuit Model of Carbon Nanofibers at Microwave Frequencies

We study electrical conduction in carbon nanofibers from 0.1 to 30 GHz, by measuring the S-parameters of a ground-signal-ground test structure in which a nanofiber forms part of the signal path. If the nanofiber is modeled as a resistor, the S-parameters are reproduced well by a simple, but realistic, lumped RC circuit model. This implies that, as at low frequencies, nanofibers behave as resistors all the way up to microwave frequencies.
Multi-Institutional Partnerships for Higher Education in Africa: A Case Study of Assumptions of International Academic Collaboration

Public and private universities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, and elsewhere in Africa, were experiencing all time high enrollments since the late 1990s. To address these demands, university administrators sought partnerships with universities of the global North to facilitate the necessary educational reform and curriculum transformation to meet the needs of the increased enrollments. In spite of these efforts, in the past 10 years the partnerships failed to meet expectations. A case approach was used to study reports, journals, interview notes, surveys, and qualitative data collected during 2007 – 2012 from one university selected purposely to shed light on partnerships and linkages with African universities. The authors examined the expectations, dynamics, and intricacies of academic partnerships and the reality of African academic institutions. The analysis revealed perplexing assumptions that undergird the expectations of collaboration between U.S. and African partners as well as cross-cultural dynamics that govern, sustain, and sometimes frustrate such engagements.
A Century of Census Tracts: Health & the Body Politic (1906–2006)

In 2006, the U.S. celebrates the 100th birthday of the census tract. These geographic units, born out of concerns for urban well-being, were first proposed in 1906 to provide a “convenient and scientific city map system” for the City of New York. They were employed for the first time in the U.S. census in 1910 in eight cities, via a joint effort involving the U.S. Census Bureau and state and local health departments. Initially termed “sanitary areas” because of their relevance to planning for public health and health services, census tracts are now widely used by all sectors of government and by myriad disciplines in the health, social, and geographic sciences for research as well as policy development, implementation, and evaluation. In this article, I describe the census tract's underappreciated origins, give examples of its current use in analyzing and addressing social disparities in health and health care, and discuss its continued significance and implications for population health and the public data required for informed democratic governance.
Characterizing Pore-Scale Configuration of Organic Immiscible Liquid in Multiphase Systems With Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography

The objective of this study was to examine the pore-scale distribution and morphology of organic immiscible liquid in natural porous media containing three immiscible fluids. High-resolution, three-dimensional images of an organic liquid (tetrachloroethene) in both three-phase (water–air–organic liquid) and two-phase (water–organic liquid) systems were obtained using synchrotron X-ray microtomography. These data were used to quantitatively characterize the morphology of the organic liquid residing within columns packed with one of three natural, sandy porous media. Organic-liquid blobs varied greatly in both size and shape, ranging from small, single spheres (≥0.03 mm in diameter) to large, amorphous ganglia with mean lengths of 4 to 5 mm. Singlets comprised the greatest number of blobs, whereas the large ganglia, while much fewer in number, comprised the majority of the organic-liquid surface area and volume. A significant portion of the organic liquid in the three-phase systems was observed to exist as lenses and films in contact with air. These features were not observed in the two-phase water–organic liquid systems. The median of the blob-frequency distributions was smaller and the variance larger for the three-phase systems. In addition, the global specific surface areas of the organic liquid were greater for the three-phase systems. These differences are attributed to the presence of the organic-liquid lenses and films for the three-phase systems.
Lignin Valorization by Forming Toughened Thermally Stimulated Shape Memory Copolymeric Elastomers: Evaluation of Different Fractionated Industrial Lignins

Lignin-based thermal responsive dual shape memory copolymeric elastomers were prepared with a highly branched pre- polymer (HBP, A2B3 type) via a simple one-pot bulk polycondensation reaction. The effect of fractionated lignin type (with good miscibility in the HBP) on copolymer properties was investigated. The thermal and mechanical properties of the copolymers were characterized by DMA, DSC, and TGA. Tensile properties were dominated by HBP 45% content. The copolymers glass transition temperature (Tg) increased with lignin content and lignin type did not play a signifi- cant role. Thermally stimulated dual shape memory effects (SME) of the copolymers were quantified by cyclic thermomechanical tests. All copolymers had shape fixity rate >95% and >90% shape recovery for all compositions. The copolymer shape memory tran- sition temperature (Ttrans) increased with lignin content and Ttrans was 20 � C higher than Tg. Lignin, a renewable resource, can be used as a netpoint segment in polymer systems with SME behavior. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41389.
The role of the West in the reconstruction of agriculture in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union

There is a drama unfolding in the agricultural reconstruction taking place in Central and Eastern Europe, and although the West can only play a supporting role through its bilateral and multilateral assistance, this assistance will be crucial in guiding their local counterparts in understanding the policy environment and constraints under which they operate. At present, the empirical underpinnings for this are weak, and the nature of outside assistance is such that momentum is often lost between missions. Resident missions in these countries should include a capacity for sustained dialogue on agricultural policy, grounded on a strong empirical base. The long run objective must nevertheless be to develop a capacity, in particular through agricultural education, research and extension programs. Copyright 1994 by Oxford University Press.
Fractal modeling of natural terrain: analysis and surface reconstruction with range data

In this paper we address two issues in modeling natural terrain using fractal geometry: estimation of fractal dimension, and fractal surface reconstruction. For estimation of fractal dimension, we extend the fractal Brownian function approach to accommodate irregularly sampled data, and we develop methods for segmenting sets of points exhibiting self-similarity over only certain scales. For fractal surface reconstruction, we extend Szeliski's regularization with fractal priors method to use a temperature parameter that depends on fractal dimension. We demonstrate both estimation and reconstruction with noisy range imagery of natural terrain.
Surficial Hydrocarbon Seep Infauna from the Blake Ridge (Atlantic Ocean, 2150 m) and the Gulf of Mexico (690-2240 m)

Infauna, including foraminifera and metazoans, were enumerated and identified from five types of seep habitats and two adjacent non-seep habitats. Collections were made with the deep submergence research vesselAlvinfrom three areas of active seepage in the Gulf of Mexico (Alaminos Canyon (2220 m), Atwater Canyon (1930 m), and Green Canyon lease block 272 (700 m)) and on the Blake Ridge Diapir (2250 m), which is located off the southeastern coast of the United States. The seep habitats sampled included four types of microbial mats (Beggiatoa, Thioploca, thin and thick Arcobacter) and the periphery of a large mussel bed. Sediments under large rhizopod protists, xenophyophores, were sampled adjacent to the mussel bed periphery. A non-seep site, which was >1 km away from active seeps, was also sampled for comparison. Densities of most taxa were higher in the Gulf of Mexico seeps than in Blake Ridge samples, largely because densities in the thick microbial mats of Blake Ridge were significantly lower. Diversity was higher in the Thioploca mats compared to other microbial-mat types. Within an ocean basin (i.e., Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico) we did not observe significant differences in meiofaunal or macrofaunal composition in Beggiatoa versus Thioploca mats or thin versus thick Arcobacter mats. Foraminifera represented up to 16% of the seep community, a proportion that is comparable to their contribution at adjacent non-seep communities. In general, the observed densities and taxonomic composition of seep sites at the genus level was consistent with previous
Soft capacity modeling for third generation radio resource management

This paper discusses wireless capacity models and capacity utilization models for 3G (WCDMA) system analysis. The soft capacity of a 3G cell is formulated as a function of bandwidth and interference, and the capacity utilization of an individual user is formulated as a function of the user's traffic class, activity factor, and negotiated QoS. Examples are provided for the uplink of a 3GPP W-CDMA cell which includes dedicated traffic channels (DCH), shared traffic channels (CPCH), and control channels (DPCCH). The usefulness of the capacity models is shown by simulation analysis, using JavaSim, of admission control protocols. Visualization of 3-D volumes illustrates the capacity consumption of individual traffic classes.