cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caught in the Act: A Case Study on Microscopic Scale Physicochemical Effects of Fossilization on Stable Isotopic Composition of Bone

Abstract Geochemical zoning in a partially fossilized Pleistocene artiodactyl metapodial was contrasted with a fully fossilized Cretaceous ceratopsian femur as distinct stages along the fossilization process to investigate the physicochemical effects of fossilization and fossilization mechanisms. Bone fragments were analyzed via laser ablation ICP-MS, FT-IR, and stable isotope microanalysis to determine zoning patterns in trace elements, relative carbonate content and collagen contents, and stable isotopes of both the CO3 and PO4 components (δ13CCO3, δ18OCO3, and δ18OPO4). The Pleistocene sample shows a pronounced step in U concentration from high values (up to 90 ppm) within 1 mm of the outer bone surface and inner medullary cavity to ppb-level concentrations typical of in-vivo bone in the interior (inner ∼6 mm). High U broadly coincides with reduced collagen, higher δ13CCO3, and lower δ18OCO3. Rare earth elements (REE), however, show typical exponential decreases from bone edges inward, and δ18OPO4 shows no clear trend. The Cretaceous bone shows high REE and U contents throughout, a complete absence of collagen, and relatively uniform isotope compositions. The Pleistocene data, especially U zoning, implicate a diffusion-reaction (DR) fossilization mechanism, in which collagen degradation facilitates a recrystallization front that propagates as a front towards the bone interior, reducing OH-site CO3 content, and shifting δ13CCO3, δ18OCO3, and δ18OPO4. Disequilibrium O-isotope partitioning between the CO3 and PO4 components in the interior of the Pleistocene bone suggests that both the CO3 and PO4 components have exchanged with diagenetic waters, likely through abiotic and microbially-induced exchange, respectively. Strong partitioning between apatite and soil water, coupled with uptake of REE in apatite from surrounding sediment matrix during fossilization, leads to exponential decreases in concentrations, which are passively recorded in apatite in the bone interior. The Cretaceous data do not implicate a unique fossilization mechanism but instead reflect the consequences of protracted fossilization and the final state that the Pleistocene bone might eventually have reached had the bone not been excavated. That is, the Cretaceous bone fossilization history resulted in no collagen, reduced or no OH-site CO3, and more uniform isotopic compositions. The multi-analytical methods employed in this study may benefit studies of diagenetic alteration of other apatitic tissues, e.g., tooth enamel.
Relativistic Real-Time Time-Dependent Equation-of-Motion Coupled-Cluster.

We present a relativistic time-dependent equation-of-motion coupled-cluster with single and double excitations (TD-EOM-CCSD) formalism. Unlike other explicitly time-dependent quantum chemical metho...
Trojan Detection Using Dynamic Current Analysis

Hardware Trojan detection has emerged as a critical challenge to ensure security and trustworthiness of integrated circuits. A vast majority of research efforts in this area has utilized side-channel analysis for Trojan detection. Functional test generation for logic testing is a promising alternative but it may not be helpful if a Trojan cannot be fully activated or the Trojan effect cannot be propagated to the observable outputs. Side-channel analysis, on the other hand, can achieve significantly higher detection coverage for Trojans of all types/sizes, since it does not require activation/propagation of an unknown Trojan. However, they have often limited effectiveness due to poor detection sensitivity under large process variations and small Trojan footprint in side-channel signature. In this chapter, we address this critical problem through a novel side-channel-aware test generation approach, based on a concept of multiple excitation of rare switching (MERS) that can significantly increase Trojan detection sensitivity. (1) It presents in detail a scalable statistical test generation method, which can generate high-quality testset for creating high relative activity in arbitrary Trojan instances; (2) it analyzes the effectiveness of generated testset in terms of Trojan coverage; and (3) it describes two judicious reordering methods that can further tune the testset and greatly improve the side-channel sensitivity. Simulation results demonstrate that the tests generated by MERS can significantly increase the Trojans sensitivity, thereby making Trojan detection effective using side-channel analysis.
Case 2: Mysterious Hyperkalemia in a Premature Infant of 25 Weeks’ Gestation

A premature male neonate is born at 25 3/7 weeks to a 19-year-old gravida 2, para 1-0-0-1 woman. The woman had come to the labor and delivery department with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She was found to have a bag at the introitus and fetal heart rate decelerations. She was immediately taken to the operating room for an emergency cesarean section and found to have placental abruption. The pregnancy had been complicated by a history of rubella nonimmune status, polysubstance abuse, bipolar disorder, and late prenatal care starting at 20 weeks and 4 days. She had received antenatal steroids and magnesium sulphate. All prenatal laboratory findings had been negative including rapid plasma reagin, HIV, hepatitis B, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Membranes had ruptured at delivery with clear fluids. At delivery, the infant has no cry, no respiratory effort, and no tone. He is taken to the warmer and given positive pressure ventilation with no improvement in oxygen saturation or heart rate. No respiratory effort is noted. He then undergoes intubation and is given a dose of surfactant. Oxygen saturation increases to the 80s and the heart rate is greater than 100 beats/min. The infant is then transported immediately to the NICU. His Apgar scores are 1, 4, and 6 at 1, 5, and 10 minutes, respectively. Cord blood gas measurements include a pH of …
Electoral Competition and Factional Sabotage

Intra-party sabotage is widespread and can be detrimental to political parties. Despite its pervasiveness, little is known about the conditions facilitating sabotage — typically associated with factions’ opposing interests — and how parties react to contain it. I study a model of elections between two parties where factions can devote their resources to campaign for the party or to undermine each other. Each party redistributes electoral spoils among factions based on their internal rank — a noisy signal of their resource allocation. The model identifies conditions under which sabotage can be limited, and shows how parties’ internal organizations change to maximize the chances of winning the election. Results show that intra-party and inter-party competition are substitutes: as the electoral stakes increase, factions invest fewer resources into sabotage and devote more resources to promote the party. In equilibrium, parties adopt a winner-take-all incentive scheme when factions’ probability of ranking higher is increasing in campaigning effort, otherwise rewards are set to zero. When factions in the same party have different ideological preferences and parties choose policy platforms, in equilibrium the saboteur can be rewarded with policy concessions.
Atf ech waveguide component development and testing

The Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF) Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) system presently under construction will consist of two 53.2-GHz, 200-kW continuous-wave (cw) gyrotrons with a mode-controlled waveguide system and polarized launcher optimized for maximum power in the ATF plasma. Several components, such as a waveguide mode-analyzing directional coupler, a TiO2 mode absorber, miter bends, and a polarization-selectable beamed launcher, have been developed and tested. Laboratory results and initial high-power operation of the system are presented.
Powassan Virus Encephalitis Following Brief Attachment of Connecticut Deer Ticks

Background Powassan virus (POWV) is a tick-transmitted pathogen that may cause severe encephalitis; experimentally, it can be transmitted within just 15 minutes following a tick bite. The deer tick virus subtype of POWV (DTV) is transmitted by the deer tick and is the likely cause of the increase in the number of POWV cases reported in the United States. However, DTV has only been definitively documented in 6 patients by molecular analysis of the virus. Methods Two patients from Connecticut with encephalitis, who had a recent deer tick bite, were evaluated by the relevant serologic tests to determine if they had been infected with POWV. Evaluation also included molecular testing of an adult deer tick that had been removed from one of the patients. Results We documented neuroinvasive POWV infection in 2 children from Connecticut. Based on the results of testing the tick removed from case 2, this patient was infected by DTV, representing the 7th reported case and the first documented case of DTV infection in a child. Of note, the duration of the tick bites in both cases was very short. Conclusions We provide the first clinical and epidemiologic evidence that POWV/DTV can be rapidly transmitted to a human host, that is, within hours of tick attachment, which is distinctive when compared to other deer tick-transmitted infections such as Lyme disease.
Fall Risk Assessment Using New sEMG-Based Smart Socks

The electromyography signals (EMG) are widely used for the joint movements and muscles contractions monitoring in several healthcare applications. The recent progresses in surface EMG (sEMG) technologies have allowed for the development of low invasive and reliable sEMG-based wearable devices with this aim. These devices promote long-term monitoring, however they are often very expensive and not easy to be appropriately positioned. Moreover they employ mono-use pre-gelled electrodes that can cause skin redness. To overcome these issues, a prototype of a new smart sock has been realized. It is equipped with reusable stretchable and non-adhesive hybrid polymer electrolytes-based electrodes and can send sEMG data through a low energy wireless transmission connection. The developed device detects EMG signals coming from the Gastrocnemius-Tibialis muscles of the legs and it is suitable for lower-limb related pathology assessment, such as age-related changes in gait, sarcopenia pathology, fall risk, etc. In the paper it has been described, as a case study, the use of the socks to detect the risk of falling. A Machine Learning scheme has been chosen in order to overcome the well-known drawbacks of threshold approaches widely used in pre-fall systems, in which the algorithm parameters have to be set according to the users’ specific physical characteristics. The supervised classification phase has been obtained through a low computational cost and a high classification accuracy level Linear Discriminant Analysis. The developed system shows high performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity (about 80%) in controlled conditions, with a mean lead-time before the impact of about 700 ms.
Technical advance: The use of tree shrews as a model of pulmonary fibrosis.

Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive disease with a high morbidity and mortality. Some of the mechanisms of fibrosis development have been described using rodent models; however, the relevance of findings in these animal models is difficult to assess. New innovative models are needed that closely mimic IPF disease pathology. Methods To overcome this unmet need of investigating IPF with a relevant model, we utilized tree shrews, which are genetically, anatomically, and metabolically similar to primates and humans. Using human antibodies and primers, we investigated the role of macrophage phenotypic switching in normal and IPF subjects and bleomycin-injured tree shrews. Results Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from tree shrews expressed human markers, and there was recruitment of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to the lung in IPF subjects and bleomycin-injured tree shrews. MDMs were polarized to a profibrotic phenotype in IPF and in bleomycin-injured tree shrews. Resident alveolar macrophages (RAMs) expressed proinflammatory markers regardless of bleomycin exposure. Tree shrews developed bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis with architectural distortion in parenchyma and widespread collagen deposition. Conclusion The profibrotic polarization of macrophages has been demonstrated to be present in IPF subjects and in fibrotic mice. Although the lung macrophages have long been considered to be homogeneous, recent evidence indicates that these cells are heterogeneous during multiple chronic lung diseases. Here, we show new data that indicate a critical and essential role for macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk promoting fibroblast differentiation and collagen production. in the development and progression of fibrosis. The current data strongly suggest development of therapeutics that attenuate of the profibrotic activation of MDMs may mitigate macrophage-fibroblast interaction. These observations demonstrate that tree shrews are an ideal animal model to investigate the pathogenesis of IPF as they are genetically, anatomically, and metabolically closer to humans than the more commonly used rodent models.
A Positive Project Outcome: Lessons from a Non-Dominant Government University-Based Program

This article explores factors contributing to a non-dominant collaboration paradigm in a partnership between a government-based international development agency and a university-based non-governmental organization. Anchored in Wood’s and Gray’s collaborative framework, this article describes how the steeply hierarchical partnership navigated the elements of collaboration – organizational autonomy; shared problem domain; interactive processes; shared rules, norms, and structures; and decision making – to produce non-dominant values and practices deriving from negotiated processes, rules, norms, and structures that produced positive collaboration outcomes. In particular, a history of prior mutually beneficial interactions emerges as a critical precondition for achieving a non-dominant collaboration in this case study’s steeply hierarchical organizational relationship, one in which egalitarianism and equal decision-making regarding the agenda and the goals of the collaboration could have been highly constrained.
Observation of Scale Invariance in Two-Dimensional Matter-Wave Townes Solitons.

We report near-deterministic generation of two-dimensional (2D) matter-wave Townes solitons and a precision test on scale invariance in attractive 2D Bose gases. We induce a shape-controlled modulational instability in an elongated 2D matter wave to create an array of isolated solitary waves of various sizes and peak densities. We confirm scale invariance by observing the collapse of solitary-wave density profiles onto a single curve in a dimensionless coordinate rescaled according to their peak densities and observe that the scale-invariant profiles measured at different coupling constants $g$ can further collapse onto the universal profile of Townes solitons. The reported scaling behavior is tested with a nearly 60-fold difference in soliton interaction energies and allows us to discuss the impact of a non-negligible magnetic dipole-dipole interaction (MDDI) on 2D scale invariance. We confirm that the effect of MDDI in our alkali cesium quasi-2D samples effectively conforms to the same scaling law governed by a contact interaction to well within our experiment uncertainty.
A Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) of DAOs

A well-governed DAO of DAOs can provide technological and community solutions for the evolution of the DAO ecosystem. Through its technological infrastructure designs, a DAO of DAOs can create, improve and expand well-functioning and well-governed networks of DAOs. That DAO infrastructure, in turn, improves most of the applications and uses of digital assets and decentralized commerce for the greater good of society. This article examines the core features of a possible DAO of DAOs design, its ability to expand the DAO ecosystem, and the design’s uses in business and society.
Review of contact modelling in nonlinear finite element analysis

Abstract Finite Element Analysis (FEA) provides approximate solutions to engineering problems for specified physical phenomenon by using a numerical technique termed Finite Element Method (FEM). It is widely used in several engineering applications like automotive, medical, aerospace etc for research and development. Structural analysis in FEM are widely categorized as Linear and Nonlinear analysis. Large deformations, use of elastic–plastic material, and Constraint/Contact in geometries are causes of non-linearity. It’s important to address non-linearities and find its solution methodology to debug non-convergence issues in FE analysis. Analysis becomes complex and time consuming especially, in case of large models. It often results in incomplete simulation and unreliable results leading to loss of time & resources. A problem may have one or combination of multiple non linearities together and hence, different solving strategies are required to find the converged solution. Use of commercial analysis software’s make it probable to acquire solutions to nonlinear problems. Yet, one must specify appropriate numerical model and solution parameters. In this paper we will review different FE contact modelling methods, algorithms followed by commercial software’s, also focus on basics of contact mechanics to resolve contact nonlinearity. The findings of this review paper will help users to comprehend basics of contact mechanics and give insight to address FE contact problem to achieve converge solution in future. Understanding the physics of the problem, the role played by carefully constructed mesh and various boundary constraints, with added strategic and logical contact solving method can ensure a successful solution.
(INVITED) Illumination-controlled color behavior in doped glasses

Abstract Photochromism is the phenomenon of an object exhibiting a noticeable color change as a result of its interaction with the light illuminating it. However, this effect can be caused by a number of mechanisms. This paper examines some of these mechanisms, specifically as they pertain to glass systems. Specifically, we will investigate three general mechanisms: those resulting from direct light interactions with the glass matrix and dopants, those resulting from light interactions with inclusions within the glass, and those that do not depend on the glass matrix directly. Areas covered include rare-earth-doped silicates, smart windows, the Lycurgus cup, and commercial ‘dichro’ glass.
Clinical experience with maintenance therapeutic plasma exchange in refractory generalized myasthenia gravis.

Background Despite the availability of several immunomodulatory therapies, about 20% of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients remain refractory to conventional treatments. There is limited evidence to support the use of maintenance therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) therapy for refractory generalized MG. Methods Retrospective chart review of 14 patients with refractory generalized MG treated for 12 months with maintenance TPE therapy. Outcome measures were myasthenia gravis composite (MGC) score, myasthenia gravis activities of daily living (MG-ADL), number of acute exacerbations, medication changes, and adverse events. Data were collected at 3 monthly intervals for 12 months before and after initiation of TPE therapy. Results Clinically meaningful reductions in mean MG-ADL (>2 points) (mean MG-ADL score: 9.9 ± 0.5; 12-month pre-TPE to 5.2 ± 0.9; 12-month post-TPE) and MGC (>3 points) (mean MGC score: 25.2 ± 1.6; 12-month pre-TPE to 11.7 ± 1.4; 12-month post-TPE) were observed at 3 months following initiation of TPE and were maintained up to 12 months in all patients. After 12 months of TPE therapy, all patients had a significant reduction in daily prednisone and pyridostigmine use. Patients previously on IVIG or rituximab therapy were successfully weaned off both treatments. There was a significant reduction in acute MG exacerbations; 7.8 ± 1.1 mean exacerbations/patient (12-month pre-TPE) to 2 ± 1.1 mean exacerbations/patient (12-month post-TPE). Conclusion Over a period of 12 months, maintenance TPE therapy improved MG-ADL, and MGC with decreased immunosuppressant requirement, while being well-tolerated.
Utility of low-cost, miniaturized peristaltic and Venturi pumps in droplet microfluidics

Abstract Many laboratory applications utilizing droplet microfluidics rely on precision syringe pumps for flow generation. In this study, the use of an open-source peristaltic pump primarily composed of 3D printed parts and a low-cost commercial Venturi pump are explored for their use as an alternative to syringe pumps for droplet microfluidics. Both devices provided stable flow (
Modelling Novel Electrode Configurations for Nanosecond Pulsed Plasmas: A First Study

Determining the efficiency of various types of plasmas is a classical problem, particularly between DC, AC, and nanosecond repetitively pulsed plasmas (NRPPs). NRPPs have gained substantial traction because they can efficiently generate ionized and excited species at atmospheric pressure. While numerous studies have elucidated the impact of the local flow fields [1], understanding the in fluence of electrode geometry and the induced flow field remains incomplete. We hypothesize that the electrode configuration will strongly influence the electric field, plasma species, and the induced flow field. This motivates the development of a complete model coupling these phenomena.
Austrian Rationalism in the Age of the Decline of Positivism

Philosophical rationalism claims that man is capable of recognizing ultimate foundations and principles of knowledge; that all such knowledge is ultimately justified, or a priori valid, which must be presupposed insofar as one argues about any knowledge claim whatsoever — such as the law of contradiction — and which thus cannot be meaningfully disputed, because it is the precondition of meaningful doubt; and that man, based on the recognition of such ultimate truths, is capable of systematic scientific progress.
Slavery and Slaving in African History

This book is a comprehensive history of slavery in Africa from the earliest times to the end of the twentieth century, when slavery in most parts of the continent ceased to exist. It connects the emergence and consolidation of slavery to specific historical forces both internal and external to the African continent. Sean Stilwell pays special attention to the development of settled agriculture, the invention of kinship, 'big men' and centralized states, the role of African economic production and exchange, the interaction of local structures of dependence with the external slave trades (transatlantic, trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean), and the impact of colonialism on slavery in the twentieth century. He also provides an introduction to the central debates that have shaped current understanding of slavery in Africa. The book examines different forms of slavery that developed over time in Africa and introduces readers to the lives, work, and struggles of slaves themselves.
Chapter 13. New Approaches to Antitumor Therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the three representative new approaches to anti-tumor therapy: the circumvention of multidrug resistance, the antagonism of mitogenic growth factors, and finally the inhibition of oncogenic tyrosine kinases. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is characterized by cross-resistance to a group of structurally and mechanistically distinct antitumor agents. MDR can be induced by the expression of human mdr1 cDNA and also by gene transfection. Expression of the mdr1 gene occurs in normal human tissues, such as colon, lung, liver, and kidney, that are frequently exposed to xenobiotics. Thus, inhibition or reversal of the MDR phenotype appears as a promising clinical target for the improvement of current antitumor therapy. In addition to calcium antagonists, a diverse range of structurally and pharmacologically distinct drugs have been shown to reverse MDR. Growth factor involvement in the maintenance of the transformed phenotype is likely to be heterogeneous at the tumor level. The protein tyrosine kinases, that appear to play important roles in the transduction of signals initiating cellular replication and transformation, represent one type of an ever-increasing family of regulatory protein kinases. Protein tyrosine kinases have now been associated with several human cancers. The plethora of protein kinases makes the development of an inhibitor specific for a particular target a formidable task. Selective inhibition of target protein kinases is possible and can result in selective growth inhibition. As specific pharmacologic agents emerge from these areas, their value in antitumor therapies can only be judged in the human clinical trials.
Optical imaging with photonic hypercrystals

We present an optical imaging system based on photonic hypercrystal, an artificial optical medium combining the properties of hyperbolic materials and photonic crystals. This system functions as a negative refraction lens with substantially reduced image aberrations.
Noninvasive assessment of coronary stenoses by myocardial imaging during pharmacologic coronary vasodilation. VI. Detection of coronary artery disease in human beings with intravenous N-13 ammonia and positron computed tomography

The possibility of detecting mild coronary stenoses with positron computed tomography and nitrogen (N-13) ammonia administered during pharmacologic coronary vasodilation was previously demonstrated in chronically instrumented dogs. The feasibility of using this technique in human beings and its sensitivity in determining the degree and extent of coronary artery disease were examined in 13 young normal healthy volunteers and 32 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease. N-13 ammonia was administered intravenously and its distribution in the left ventricular myocardium recorded at rest and during dipyridamole-induced coronary hyperemia. In the 13 volunteers, N-13 activity was homogeneous at rest and during hyperemia, whereas 31 of the 32 patients had regional defects on the hyperemic images not present during rest. All six patients with double, all 10 with triple and 15 of 16 patients with single vessel disease (97 percent) were correctly identified with the technique. Two vessel involvement was correctly identified in five of the six patients with double vessel disease and three vessel disease in six of 10 patients. Of all 58 coronary stenoses, 52 (90 percent) were correctly identified. In a subgroup of 11 patients, the technique was compared with exercise thallium-201 planar images, which were abnormal in 10 (91 percent) whereas N-13 images were abnormal in all 11. Of the 19 stenosed coronary arteries in this subgroup, 11 (58 percent) were correctly identified with thallium-201 and 17 (89 percent) with tomography (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that cross-sectional imaging of the myocardial distribution of N-13 ammonia administered during pharmacologic coronary vasodilation is a highly sensitive and accurate means for noninvasive detection of coronary stenoses in human beings and for estimating the extent of coronary artery disease.
Performance analysis of a fault-tolerant scheme for location management of mobile hosts

We consider the problem of location management of mobile users. The objective is to keep track of the mobile users in order to deliver calls. The IS-41 is a simple strategy for location management used in North America. This strategy is not efficient for some movement and call patterns. Many strategies have been proposed to address efficiently given movement and call patterns.
Structure of the Linkage Region between the Polysaccharide and Protein Parts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mannan

An oligosaccharide fragment corresponding to the linkage region between the polysaccharide and protein parts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180 yeast mannan has been isolated. This was accomplished by the combined action of a bacterial endo-α(1→6)mannanase and an endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase on the mutant mannan from S. cerevisiae X2180-1A-5 that has an unbranched polysaccharide outer chain. The mannanase removed the unbranched mannan outer chain and the glucosaminidase apparently split a di-N-acetylchitobiose unit at the point of attachment of the polysaccharide to asparagine in the protein part. This order of degradation is assumed from the facts that wild type mannan with a branched outer chain was not attacked whereas ovalbumin was degraded with the release of the expected oligosaccharide fragment terminated by N-acetylglucosamine at the reducing end. Thus, the glucosaminidase was able to act only on a partially degraded mannan chain. The linkage fragment was composed of about 12 mannose units and a single N-acetylglucosamine which was found at the reducing end. The attachment of mannose to N-acetylglucosamine was by a β(1→4) linkage as in other glycoproteins. Acetolysis of the oligosaccharide yielded mannose, mannobiose αMan(1→2)Man and αMan(1→3)Man, mannotriose with both 1→2 and 1→3 linkages, and mannotetraose, probably αMan(1→3)αMan(1→2)αMan(1→3)Man. These fragments were interlinked by α(1→6) bonds, and the oligosaccharide was attached to the N-acetylglucosamine. Another acetolysis fragment isolated, αMan(1→3)αMan(1→2)αMan(1→3)βMan(1→4)GNAc, is common to other glycoproteins. The observation that this kind of branched inner core structure is made in a yeast mutant that forms an unbranched outer chain demonstrates that the formation of these two parts of the molecule is regulated in part by different enzymes and may serve different functions in the translocation of the mannan proteins and their organization in the cell wall.
Linkage analysis of HLA and candidate genes for celiac disease in a North American family-based study

Background Celiac disease has a strong genetic association with HLA. However, this association only explains approximately half of the sibling risk for celiac disease. Therefore, other genes must be involved in susceptibility to celiac disease. We tested for linkage to genes or loci that could play a role in pathogenesis of celiac disease.
Effects of elastic modulus on the fracture behavior of low-dielectric constant films

A model that predicts channel-crack propagation behavior in silica-based low-/spl kappa/ dielectrics (low-/spl kappa/) was developed. A solid-mechanics theory that governs fracture behavior was used to obtain low-/spl kappa/ material constants. These fracture parameters were used to predict crack behaviors in five low-/spl kappa/ films with distinct elastic moduli. The model developed demonstrates that crack propagation rate is extremely sensitive to modulus, especially when the material is compliant.
Bounds on solutions to the boundary-free incompressible Navier-Stokes initial value problem

Abstract The integral formulation of the Navier-Stokes initial value problem for boundary-free, incompressible fluid flow is used to establish Volterra integral inequalities on the physical velocity field uμ(x, t). Standard comparison theorems for Volterra equations are then applied to obtain weakly singular, nonlinear Volterra equations of the second kind for upper bounds on ¦ u μ ( x , t)¦ . With local existence and uniqueness guaranteed and smoothness of solutions characterized by results on Volterra equations, solutions for bounds may be obtained by standard analytical and numerical methods. A specific example is considered. Existence and uniqueness of local solutions uμ(x, t) to the Navier-Stokes problem is then guaranteed within the radius of convergence of bounds on ¦ u μ ( x , t)¦ , thereby precluding local breakdown phenomena. In addition, bounds on ¦ u μ ( x , t)¦ are used to obtain improved duration times for convergence of local iteration solutions for uμ(x, t). Finally, a new technique for establishing sufficient conditions for global existence, based on successive application of Volterra comparison theorems, is indicated.
The Impact of Staff Development on Teachers' Ability to Modify Curriculum for Gifted and Talented Students1:

In this study, three levels of staff development were provided to elementary teachers to train them in a technique called curriculum compacting. Teachers in 20 school districts across the country w...
Nanotwins in Copper Nanowires Controlled by Laser Assisted Electrochemical Deposition

Nanotwins in metallic nanowires can improve mechanical strength and maintain high electrical conductivity. We demonstrated a method of pulse laser assisted electrodeposition, which can generate dense nanotwins with different directions in copper nanowires of uniform length. Transmission electron microcopy characterization shows at lower electrochemical potential of −0.2 Volt, nanotwins tend to align along the longitudinal direction of the nanowires whereas at the high potential −0.8 Volt, nanotwins of {111}/ type that cross the width of the wire are formed. We investigated the two types of nanotwins by comparing the microstructures under different electrochemistry and laser setting. Two different mechanisms are proposed for two kinds of nanotwin — annealing twins and growth twins.© 2012 ASME
Joint position sense in the normal and pathologic knee joint.

Abstract Joint position sense has been suggested to be an important factor in the etiology of degenerative joint disease. It is also believed to be important in the rehabilitative process after reconstructive surgery of the knee. Despite this awareness, in many areas of orthopaedic surgery little effort has been devoted to study of this crucial topic. Therefore, we conducted several studies of knee joint position sense by measuring the ability of healthy subjects to reproduce an angle and detect the threshold of motion. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of the following factors: aging; degenerative joint disease; total knee replacement, i.e., both absence of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and sensory loss due to the absence of capsular structures; fatigue; athletic training; disruption and reconstruction of the ACL; and the role of ligament mechanoreceptors. Our results show that normal individuals can actively reproduce an angle with their knee to an average error of 2.5°. Furthermore, normal subjects require passive movement of ∼2.5°–4° to detect a change in position at the speeds used in this study (∼0.5°/s). Muscular training improves the ability to detect motion. On the other hand, muscular training and fatigue appear to decrease the ability to reproduce an angle. Changes in the knee and its associated structures caused by damage (ACL disruption, arthritis, total knee replacement) as well as aging uniformly cause deterioration of joint position sense. Total knee replacement and arthritic change cause the greatest deterioration. Reconstruction of ligamentous structures and/or rehabilitation appears to restore joint position sense to a near normal level.
Synthesis and binding studies of an optically pure hexadeoxy-1,4,5-tris(methylenesulfonic acid) analogue of IP3

The synthesis of the (−)-sodium salt of the hexadeoxy-1, 4, 5-tris(methylenesulfonic acid) analogue of IP3 by use of an asymmetric Diels-Alder reaction is described together with the effects of this compound in binding to the IP3 receptor.
Higgs boson search sensitivity in the H→WW dilepton decay mode at s=7 and 10 TeV

Prospects for discovery of the standard model Higgs boson are examined at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 10 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We perform a simulation of the signal and principal backgrounds for Higgs boson production and decay in the ${W}^{+}{W}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ dilepton mode, finding good agreement with the ATLAS and CMS collaboration estimates of signal significance at 14 TeV for Higgs boson masses near ${m}_{H}=160\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$. At the lower energy of 7 TeV, using the same analysis cuts as these collaborations, we compute expected signal sensitivities of about 2 standard deviations ($\ensuremath{\sigma}$'s) at ${m}_{H}=160\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ in the ATLAS case, and about $3.6\ensuremath{\sigma}$ in the CMS case for $1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of integrated luminosity. Integrated luminosities of $8\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $3\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ are needed in the ATLAS case at 7 and 10 TeV, respectively, for $5\ensuremath{\sigma}$ level discovery. In the CMS case, the numbers are $2\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 7 and 10 TeV. Our different stated expectations for the two experiments arise from the more restrictive analysis cuts in the CMS case and from the different event samples in the two cases. Recast as exclusion limits, our results show that with $1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of integrated luminosity at 7 TeV, the LHC may be able to exclude ${m}_{H}$ values in the range 160 to 180 GeV provided no signal is seen.
The Human Type 1 Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor from T Lymphocytes STRUCTURE, LOCALIZATION, AND TYROSINE PHOSPHORYLATION

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) are intracellular calcium release channels involved in diverse signaling pathways. An IP3R is thought to play a role in mobilizing calcium required for activation of T lymphocytes. The IP3R is a tetrameric structure comprised of four ∼300-kDa subunits encoded by a ∼10-kilobase mRNA. In the present study we determined the structure of the human type 1 IP3R expressed in T lymphocytes (Jurkats). The IP3R in human T cells had a predicted molecular mass of 308 kDa and was most similar to the non-neuronal form of the rodent type 1 IP3R. Two putative tyrosine phosphorylation sites were identified, one near the amino terminus and one near the putative channel pore at the carboxyl terminus. During T cell activation the IP3R was tyrosine phosphorylated. A site-specific anti-IP3R antibody was used to localize the carboxyl terminus of the IP3R to the cytoplasm in T cells.
Performance comparison of nonlinear crystals for frequency doubling of an 894nm Cs vapor laser

An examination of the efficiencies of three commonly used nonlinear crystals (PPKTP, LBO, and BiBO) when generating second harmonic of a Cesium laser is presented. The experiment investigates both the intracavity and single pass second harmonic generation of 895 nm Cs laser light when operating in quasi-CW and in CW modes and pumped by several watts. A degradation of the conversion efficiencies for each crystal was observed when high fundamental powers or a high duty cycle of the pump were used. For a Cs laser operating at 894nm, PPKTP is found to be the optimal crystal for intracavity SHG in both pulsed and CW modes when operating at SHG powers of several watts. At higher powers, however, the increased absorption coefficient of PPKTP at 447nm, compared to that of BiBO or LBO, may become significant to where another crystal will be more appropriate for this application. Maximum blue light power obtained with PPKTP crystal was about 1.5W in CW mode and 2.5W in QCW.
Estrogen Stimulates Delayed Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activity in Human Endothelial Cells via an Autocrine Loop That Involves Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor

Background —Estrogen plays a significant role in protecting premenopausal women from cardiovascular disease. We have found that estradiol augments endothelial cell activities related to vascular healing and that human coronary artery and umbilical vein endothelial cells express estrogen receptors (ERs). Classically, the ER functions as a transcription factor, but the cytoplasmic targets of this genomic effect have not been defined for endothelial cells. In the present study, we examined the potential role of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases ERK1 and ERK2 as mediators of estrogen action. Methods and Results —Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were estrogen depleted by culturing in hormone-free medium for 48 hours before experiments. 17β-Estradiol (E2) stimulated a delayed (3 hours) 5- to 7-fold induction of ERK1/2 activity requiring activation of ER and new transcription/translation. Conditioned media from cells stimulated for 3 hours with E2 induced immediate ERK1/2 activation and phosphorylation of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) receptor. Moreover, ERK1/2 activation by E2 or by conditioned media was abrogated by treatment with neutralizing anti-bFGF antibody. Conclusions —These data describe an autocrine mechanism for E2 induction of ERK1/2 in HUVEC. Because our previous studies suggested that certain cardioprotective effects of estrogen are genomic in nature, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that autocrine stimulation of endothelial ERK1/2 activity by bFGF may play a role in the beneficial effects of estrogen on cardiovascular biology.
Patient use of treatment-related information received from the cancer information service

This study explored patient information-seeking behavior and how such behavior might affect patient-physician interaction or health-care decisions. Telephone interviews were conducted with 257 patients with cancer and their relatives who called the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) and who received treatment-related information. Results indicated that these patients were generally very satisfied with communication from their treating physicians, had strong information needs, and preferred to participate in their treatment plans. They sought information from CIS just after diagnosis (49%) or during treatment (31%). Many of these patients (42%) discussed the CIS information with their physicians and 19% of these physicians sought more information or consulted a CIS referral. CIS referrals were contacted personally by 18% of patients. Stepwise discriminant analyses indicated that, compared with patients who did not, patients with either of these outcomes were more stressed by their disease and had been seen at more hospitals. Additionally, patients who shared CIS information with their physicians were also younger and more trusting that their physicians had current knowledge. Patients who themselves contacted a CIS referral were also more educated, had higher information needs, were less satisfied with the clarity of physicians' answers to their questions, called CIS earlier in their illness, and called specifically for a referral. Overall, these patients' most common information needs were for exploring all treatment options and being knowledgeable when discussing treatment plans with physicians. The information received from CIS satisfied these needs and was often communicated to their physicians.
Growth, strain relaxation properties and high-κ dielectric integration of mixed-anion GaAs1-ySby metamorphic materials

Mixed-anion, GaAs1-ySby metamorphic materials with a wide range of antimony (Sb) compositions extending from 15% to 62%, were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs substrates. The impact of different growth parameters on the Sb composition in GaAs1-ySby materials was systemically investigated. The Sb composition was well-controlled by carefully optimizing the As/Ga ratio, the Sb/Ga ratio, and the substrate temperature during the MBE growth process. High-resolution x-ray diffraction demonstrated a quasi-complete strain relaxation within each composition of GaAs1-ySby. Atomic force microscopy exhibited smooth surface morphologies across the wide range of Sb compositions in the GaAs1-ySby structures. Selected high-κ dielectric materials, Al2O3, HfO2, and Ta2O5 were deposited using atomic layer deposition on the GaAs0.38Sb0.62 material, and their respective band alignment properties were investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Detailed XPS analysis revealed a valence band ...
Reining in the Bureaucrats: Democratic Transition and Administrative Procedural Reform in Korea

How do civilian presidents control their bureaucracies after taking over from an authoritarian regime? To answer this question, I develop a “reining in” theory of delegation. I argue that presidents who faces intrabranch conflict over policy issues and cannot appoint—and dismiss—freely will solve their delegation problems through administrative procedure acts (APAs) and related laws. While some scholars argue that APAs are tools for preserving the status quo, I find that APAs help presidents change policy. Building on the delegation literature from economics, my theory represents a more general argument than prior theories for why presidents support APAs. I test the theory through a case study of South Korea's first civilian government (post-1961), under President Kim Young Sam. Kim initiated an APA to rein in a professionalized civil service that opposed his policy preferences. Strict procedural requirements designed to keep tabs on bureaucratic activities enhanced Kim's control over his bureaucracy.
Hormonal regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor content and signaling in bovine mammary tissue.

Mammary tissue from midpregnant heifers was cultured with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or transforming growth factor α for 1–3 days. After 1 day, 10 nm EGF or transforming growth factorα doubled DNA synthesis, whereas lower concentrations (0.1 or 1 nm) increased DNA synthesis 2- to 3-fold after 2–3 days in culture. In other studies, bovine mammary tissue was transplanted to ovariectomized athymic mice and treated for 10 days with saline, estradiol (1 μg/day), progesterone (1 mg/day), or estradiol + progesterone. Subsequent explant culture of the bovine tissue indicated that estradiol + progesterone augmented the ability of EGF to stimulate DNA synthesis. The increased response to EGF was associated with increased EGF binding and with increased EGF-induced tyrosine kinase that paralleled the increased EGF binding. In other studies, athymic mice bearing xenografted bovine mammary tissue were primed for 10 days with estradiol and progesterone, followed by 2-day treatment with saline (control), hydrocortison...
Currency crises in emerging markets: a comparative analysis of the mexican and turkish cases

The study aims to explore characteristics of currency crises in emerging markets. Two recent experiences in Mexico and Turkey respectively analyzed carefully to identify common elements in the development and eruption of the crises. Results of the study suggest that there are several background factors and triggers that were consistent in both cases. Finally a discussion of the policy implications of the findings concludes the study.
Structure of Water Hydration Around Collagen

We investigate the hydration structure of collagen using molecular dynamics simulations. The water density maximum, and orientation near the surface of collagen and their specificity to the proximal collagen sequence are clearly visible in our analysis. These results provide insights into the effect of hydration in collagen self-assembly, and more generally, the anomalous behavior of water near protein surfaces.Copyright © 2010 by ASME