cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcinosis Cutis in Systemic Sclerosis

Calcinosis cutis is defined as deposition of insoluble calcium salts in the skin and subcutaneous tissues. It can occur in multiple disorders but it is commonly seen in systemic sclerosis (SSc) especially in the limited type. It is frequently a late finding, but can develop at any point during the disease process and the severity varies from single small lesions typically in the hands to generalized calcinosis also known as calcinosis universalis. The pathogenesis is not well understood but theories include calcium and phosphate microenvironment imbalance, inflammatory causes, and chronic/recurrent ischemia. Calcinosis cutis is a common cause of morbidity in SSc patients and currently there is no treatment consensus although multiple therapies have been attempted with varying degrees of success.
Transverse Anderson localization and image transport through disordered fibers

Disordered optical fibers show novel waveguiding properties that can be used for various device applications, such as beam-multiplexed optical communications and endoscopic image transport. The quality of the transported image is shown to be comparable with or better than some of the best commercially available multicore image fibers with less pixelation and higher contrast. Progress and results, as well as ongoing efforts on the design, fabrication, and characterization of the disordered optical fibers will be discussed.
Paradoxical supine overdrainage with ventriculoatrial shunt

Antisiphoning devices and gravitational valves (ShuntAssistant) have been used successfully to decrease overdrainage of CSF due to postural change, by limiting the amount of CSF outflow in the upright position. The possible advantage of a VA configuration conferred by a smaller hydrostatic column is lessened by the lack of a longer, smaller diameter distal catheter. We observed subatmospheric intracranial pressure in supine patients with ventriculoatrial shunt, associated with headaches that were worse lying down and upon awakening in the morning.
A Super-Logarithmic Lower Bound for Hypercubic Sorting Networks

Hypercubic sorting networks are a class of comparator networks whose structure maps efficiently to the hypercube and any of its bounded degree variants. Recently, n-input hypercubic sorting networks with nearly logarithmic depth have been discovered. These networks are the only known sorting networks of depth o(lg^2 n) that are not based on expanders, and their existence raises the question of whether a depth of O(lg n) can be achieved by any hypercubic sorting network. In this paper, we resolve this question by establishing a super-logarithmic lower bound on the depth of any n-input hypercubic sorting network. Our lower bound can be extended to certain restricted classes of non-oblivious sorting algorithms on hypercubic machines.
Politics and Power in Early Medieval Europe: IMPERIAL UNITY AND REGIONAL POWER

By all appearances Carolingian rulers from Charles Martel to Louis the Pious had united the Frankish world under their stern lordship. Potential rivals and factions had been suppressed, the fortunes of great families were made or unmade according to the needs of royal power, abbots and bishops became partners in rulership and, perhaps most importantly, Carolingians were victorious in battle. Carolingian rulers also presided over a sweeping reform of the Frankish church and society which reached its apogee in Louis the Pious's reform councils (816–19) and his elegant conception of a ‘Christian Empire’. Working to undermine imperial unity were a number of structural tensions. The transition from expansion under Charlemagne to defence under Louis the Pious diminished opportunities to acquire the spoils necessary for maintaining the patronage networks that sustained the imperial edifice. As the flow of plunder and tribute dissipated, aristocrats began to vie for honores and wealth within the empire. It probably is no coincidence, as Timothy Reuter has observed, that this competition for internal wealth was marked by a noticeable uptick in allegations of abuse of church property. These complaints were not driven by antagonism between clerics and the laity; they were a predictable byproduct of the political empowerment of abbeys during the Carolingians' rise to power and the elaboration of a flexible system of property transfers that bound kin-groups, monks, kings and imperial aristocrats to one another.
Interactions of saprophytic yeasts with a nor mutant of Aspergillus flavus

The nor mutant of Aspergillus flavus has a defective norsolorinic acid reductase, and thus the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway is blocked, resulting in the accumulation of norsolorinic acid, a bright red-orange pigment. We developed a visual agar plate assay to monitor yeast strains for their ability to inhibit aflatoxin production by visually scoring the accumulation of this pigment of the nor mutant. We identified yeast strains that reduced the red-orange pigment accumulation in the nor mutant. These yeasts also reduced aflatoxin accumulation by a toxigenic strain of A. flavus. These yeasts may be useful for reducing aflatoxin contamination of food commodities.
Learning the Control-Flow of a Business Process Using ICN-Based Process Models

In this paper, we present a process mining algorithm that discovers Activity Precedence Graphs (APG), which are control-flow models in the Generalized Information Control Net (ICN) family of models. Unlike many other control-flow models discovered by process mining algorithms, APGs can be integrated with other business process perspectives.
Managing operations in multiagent virtual organizations

In this paper we present our method and experimental results for handling virtual organization (VO) task management operations. First, we present a combinatorial auction approach to the initial commitment decision problem, which determines how a team task (i.e. VO task) can be allocated to a team of agents forming a virtual organization, while taking into consideration that the agents may be of different nature and they have other (their own) tasks in addition to the VO tasks. Then we present our solution to the crisis management problem, which determines at run time what to do when an agent decides to abandon a previously committed task in order to pursue a newly arrived, better task. We have built a testbed for evaluation of the strategies and used a building construction domain problem to show the effectiveness of our approach.
Sense-making in feminist social science research

Abstract This essay explores the ways in which feminist scholars have conceived their studies in order to conduct research that is for the emancipation of women and a more egalitarian society. In aspiring to the ideals of feminist theory, many researchers in the social sciences as well as the humanities have developed elaborate collaborative research projects that combine a variety of methods and approaches. Critiques of these methodologies are beginning to emerge from within the field of feminist research. Some claim that highly collaborative participatory research should not be seen as the absolute model for all feminist empirical studies. There are those situations that warrant the development of alternative approaches. This analysis suggests that Dervin's sense-making methodology is the type of research approach that could offer feminist scholarship methods that are true to the ideals of feminist perspectives, but at the same time avoids some of the traps of research that demand collaboration and on overemphasis on intersubjectivity.
Two estimates for curves in the plane

We obtain a Fourier transform estimate and an L 3/2 (R 2 )-L 3 (R 2 ) convolution estimate for certain measures on a class of convex curves in the plane.
Least absolute deviations estimation via the EM algorithm

This paper derives EM and generalized EM (GEM) algorithms for calculating least absolute deviations (LAD) estimates of the parameters of linear and nonlinear regression models. It shows that Schlossmacher's iterative reweighted least squares algorithm for calculating LAD estimates (E.J. Schlossmacher, Journal of the American Statistical Association 68: 857–859, 1973) is an EM algorithm. A GEM algorithm for computing LAD estimates of the parameters of nonlinear regression models is also provided and is applied in some examples.
Myrrh: A Transaction-Based Model for Autonomic Recovery

As software comes under increasing scrutiny for its lack of safety and reliability, numerous static and partially dynamic tools (including model checking) have been proposed for verifying large and complex systems of interacting components. However, because these tools have been largely unsuccessful, it is essential to develop dynamic mechanisms able to enforce runtime safety properties. We aim to address this goal through a runtime system, called Myrrh, that can provide broad safety and reliability guarantees. Myrrh uses transactions, an abstraction commonly associated with database systems, in order to create autonomic capabilities that support automated recovery within the context of a general purpose programming language. The resulting code is self-correcting; exceptions cause faulty transactions to rollback and thus return the system to its previous state
CIRCULATING THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE RECEPTOR MESSENGER RNA AS A MARKER OF TUMOR AGGRESSIVENESS IN PATIENTS WITH PAPILLARY THYROID MICROCARCINOMA

ABSTRACT Background: We have previously shown that thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor messenger RNA (TSHR mRNA) is detectable in the peripheral blood of patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTmC). The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of TSHR mRNA status as a marker of tumor aggressiveness in patients with PTmC. Methods: Preoperative TSHR mRNA values were obtained in 152 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and were found to have PTmC on final pathology. Clinical parameters were analyzed from an institutional review board-approved database using χ2 and t tests. Results: Preoperatively, TSHR mRNA was detected in the peripheral blood in 46% of patients, which was less than that for macroscopic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) (80%) but higher than for benign thyroid disease (18%) (P<.001). The focus of cancer was larger in the TSHR mRNA-positive group compared to the negative group (0.41 vs. 0.30 cm, respectively, P = .015). The prevalence of tall-cell variant was higher in the TSHR...
Inhibition of platelet adhesion as functional test for vitamin E status.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes inhibition of platelet adhesion as functional test for Vitamin E status. Implantation of substances in the form of rings of material into blood vessels provides a method of measuring the adhesion of platelets and subsequent thrombus formation in a test commonly known as the Gott ring test. Whole blood is more suitable for evaluating solely the quantitative aspect of platelet adhesion. The rate of transport of platelets to the flow chamber wall is greatly enhanced by the presence of red cells, roughly a hundred times the transport rates expected on the basis of platelet diffusivity assessed from their molecular weight. Various methods are available to quantify adherent platelets. Computer-aided analyses of the individual photomicrograph frames resulting from each experimental run are employed in the chapter. When whole blood is the perfusate, qualitative investigations are generally not possible; only quantitative measurements at given points in time can be performed.
Photomixotrophic growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 on ferrous iron

This study investigates the role iron oxidation plays in the purple non-sulfur bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003. This organism is unable to grow photoautotrophically on unchelated ferrous iron [Fe(II)] despite its ability to oxidize chelated Fe(II). This apparent paradox was partly resolved by the discovery that SB1003 can grow photoheterotrophically on the photochemical breakdown products of certain ferric iron–ligand complexes, yet whether it could concomitantly benefit from the oxidation of Fe(II) to fix CO_2 was unknown. Here, we examine carbon fixation by stable isotope labeling of the inorganic carbon pool in cultures growing phototrophically on acetate with and without Fe(II). We show that R. capsulatus SB1003, an organism formally thought incapable of phototrophic growth on Fe(II), can actually harness the reducing power of this substrate and grow photomixotrophically, deriving carbon both from organic sources and from fixation of inorganic carbon. This suggests the possibility of a wider occurrence of photoferrotrophy than previously assumed.
An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China

An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. James S. Olson. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. 422 pp.
Decrease in Formalin-Inactivated Respiratory Syncytial Virus (FI-RSV) Enhanced Disease with RSV G Glycoprotein Peptide Immunization in BALB/c Mice

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a high priority target for vaccine development. One concern in RSV vaccine development is that a non-live virus vaccine would predispose for enhanced disease similar to that seen with the formalin inactivated RSV (FI-RSV) vaccine. Since a mAb specific to RSV G protein can reduce pulmonary inflammation and eosinophilia seen after RSV infection of FI-RSV vaccinated mice, we hypothesized that RSV G peptides that induce antibodies with similar reactivity may limit enhanced disease after subunit or other non-live RSV vaccines. In support of this hypothesis, we show that FI-RSV vaccinated mice administered RSV G peptide vaccines had a significant reduction in enhanced disease after RSV challenge. These data support the importance of RSV G during infection to RSV disease pathogenesis and suggest that use of appropriately designed G peptide vaccines to reduce the risk of enhanced disease with non-live RSV vaccines merits further study.
Obituary: pulmonary artery catheter 1970 to 2013

The birth of the intermittent injectate-based conventional pulmonary artery catheter (fondly nicknamed PAC) was proudly announced in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1970 by his parents HJ Swan and William Ganz. PAC grew rapidly, reaching manhood in 1986 where, in the US, he was shown to influence the management of over 40% of all ICU patients. His reputation, however, was tarnished in 1996 when Connors and colleagues suggested that he harmed patients. This was followed by randomized controlled trials demonstrating he was of little use. Furthermore, reports surfaced suggesting that he was unreliable and inaccurate. It also became clear that he was poorly understood and misinterpreted. Pretty soon after that, a posse of rivals (bedside echocardiography, pulse contour technology) moved into the neighborhood and claimed they could assess cardiac output more easily, less invasively and no less reliably. To make matter worse, dynamic assessment of fluid responsiveness (pulse pressure variation, stroke volume variation and leg raising) made a mockery of his ‘wedge’ pressure. While a handful of die-hard followers continued to promote his mission, the last few years of his existence were spent as a castaway until his death in 2013. His cousin (the continuous cardiac output PAC) continues to eke a living mostly in cardiac surgery patients who need central access anyway. This paper reviews the rise and fall of the conventional PAC.
Security issues and solutions in multicast content distribution: a survey

Multicast enables efficient large-scale content distribution by providing an efficient transport mechanism for one-to-many and many-to-many communication. The very properties that make multicast attractive, however, also make it a challenging environment in which to provide content security. We show how the fundamental properties of the multicast paradigm cause security issues and vulnerabilities. We focus on four areas of research in security for multicast content distribution: receiver access control, group key management, multicast source authentication, and multicast fingerprinting. For each we explain the vulnerabilities, discuss the objectives of solutions, and survey work in the area. Also, we briefly highlight other security issues in multicast content distribution including source access control, secure multicast routing, and group policy specification. We then outline several future research directions.
Gene expression in rat lacrimal gland duct cells collected using laser capture microdissection: evidence for K+ secretion by duct cells.

PURPOSE. To compare gene expression profiles of lacrimal gland duct and acinar cells after laser capture microdissection (LCM) and identify molecular networks related to K + secretion, testing the hypothesis that duct cells are responsible for high K + levels in tears. METHODS. Frozen sections of lacrimal glands from five rats were subjected to LCM to isolate pure samples of duct and acinar cells. RNA was extracted, amplified, reverse transcribed, and hybridized to rat cDNA microarrays. Paired arrays from ducts and acini of the five animals were scanned and analyzed with in-house software. Gene expression was confirmed with fluorescent antibodies and confocal microscopy. RESULTS. A list of 10,294 genes expressed in ducts and acini was searched using gene ontologies related to ion transport. From a list of 55 genes that were expressed in ducts, a panel of genes hypothesized to be involved in basolateral-to-apical transport of K + and Cl - was chosen for validation by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. This analysis confirmed translation of the genes of interest and showed that NKCC1, Na + ,K + -ATPase and the M3 cholinergic receptor are expressed on the basolateral membrane of duct cells, whereas KCC1, IK Ca 1, CFTR, and CIC3 are apically localized. CONCLUSIONS. Laser capture microdissection in conjunction with gene expression analysis provides an excellent approach for studying lacrimal gland duct cells about which relatively little is known at the molecular level. As demonstrated in a proposed model, the polarized expression of transporters and channels on lacrimal gland duct membranes is consistent with the hypothesis that duct cells secrete the relatively high K + in lacrimal fluid.
Shift from inhibition to excitation in the neostriatum but not in the nucleus accumbens following long-term amphethamine

Abstract Neuronal responses to 1.0 or 5.0 mg/kg d -amphetamine were recorded simultaneously in the neostriatum and nucleus accumbens of rats pretreated twice daily with these doses or with saline for 6 consecutive days. In all groups, the number of neurons responding to a challenge injection of either dose of amphetamine with an overall excitation or inhibition was not significantly different. During the first 30–60 min of the drug response, however, neurons in the neostriatum of amphetamine-pretreated rats responded with a significant increase in firing rate compared to saline controls. In the nucleus accumbens, on the other hand, tolerance developed to the inhibition produced by 1.0 mg/kg d -amphetamine, whereas the responses produced by 5.0 mg/kg were not significantly altered by long-term treatment. Liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection revealed that pretreatment with 5.0 mg/kg d -amphetamine produced a slight, but significant, reduction of dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the neostriatum. Catecholamine levels were not significantly altered in the nucleus accumbens by either dose. These electrophysiological and neurochemical changes are discussed in relation to the known involvement of these sites in the dose-dependent behavioral alterations that accompany repeated amphetamine injections.
Ethnic and gender differences in HPV knowledge, awareness, and vaccine acceptability among White and Hispanic men and women.

The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge and awareness, and HPV vaccination among White and Hispanic males and females. Differences in HPV knowledge, sources of information, vaccine awareness, vaccination status, and interest in vaccination were examined. A community sample was recruited from local health care clinics in a medium sized Midwestern city between May 2010 and December 2011. Participants (N = 507) were White (n = 243) and Hispanic, males (n = 202) and females between the ages of 15–30. Results indicate that White and female participants were significantly more likely to have heard of HPV, have higher levels of HPV knowledge, have been diagnosed with HPV, and be aware of the HPV vaccine for women. White and female participants were also more likely to have heard of HPV from their physician and were significantly more interested in receiving the HPV vaccine in the future. There was no effect of ethnicity on interest in the vaccine per a doctor’s recommendation, however. Findings suggest that Whites and females have greater levels of HPV awareness and knowledge and that, while Hispanic participants are less likely than White participants to be told about the HPV vaccine from their provider, they may be equally receptive to such a recommendation.
Effects of Pseudomonas chlororaphis and gaseous chlorine dioxide on the survival of Salmonella enterica on tomatoes

Summary Control of Salmonella enterica on tomatoes is important for food safety. The aim of this research was to evaluate the survival of Salmonella enterica serovars Montevideo (SM) and Typhimurium (ST) on tomatoes exposed to gaseous chlorine dioxide and Pseudomonas chlororaphis (Pc). Pc was applied to stem scars of tomatoes prior to inoculations with SM and ST. Tomatoes were treated with gaseous ClO2 at 0.4 mg L−1 for 2 and 4 h (90% R.H. 13 °C), respectively. At 4 h of ClO2 treatment, SM and ST populations were reduced to 0.82 and <0.30 log CFU g−1, respectively. Tomatoes treated with SM and ST had 5.42 and 5.37 log CFU g−1 of Salmonella. Tomatoes treated with Pc + Salmonella count was 2.59 (treated) and 5.83 log CFU g−1 (control). Salmonella survival was similar at 2 and 4 h of ClO2 treatment. Application of ClO2 and Pc may reduce contamination of tomatoes by Salmonella serovars.
Soluble ST2 in the fetal inflammatory response syndrome: in vivo evidence of activation of the anti-inflammatory limb of the immune response.

AbstractObjective: Inflammation is a mechanism of host response to infection, which can be harmful when inappropriately modulated. Soluble ST2 (sST2) is a decoy receptor of interleukin (IL)-33, and this complex modulates the balance in the Th1/Th2 immune response. Moreover, sST2 inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in cooperation with an anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. The objectives of this study were to: (1) determine whether umbilical cord plasma sST2 concentration differs between preterm neonates with and without funisitis and between those with and without the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS); and (2) evaluate the relationship between sST2 and IL-10 among neonates with funisitis and/or FIRS.Methods: Umbilical cord plasma was collected from neonates delivered prematurely due to preterm labor or preterm prelabor rupture of membranes with (n = 36), and without funisitis (n = 30). FIRS (umbilical cord IL-6 concentration ≥17.5 pg/mL) was identified in 29 neonates. Plasma sST...
Measurement Stability In Fiber Optic Component Testing

Stability tests were performed on three types of tests setups -- a multimode setup with a laser, a multimode setup with a light emitting diode, and a singlemode setup with a laser. Each of the setups used a coupler for source monitoring. The multimode setup with 'a laser was postulated to be affected by modal noise. Also, stability as a function of ambient temperature changes was examined in the singlemode setup.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Empirical Investigation of the Psychosocial Functioning of Children Raised by Grandparents

Empirical studies describing the functioning of children raised by their grandparents are noticeably limited, yet custodial grandparenting has become a prominent alternate family structure. Grandparents may function better as surrogate parents than abusive parents, nonrelatives, or foster caregivers. Although many children raised by their grandparents enjoy favorable functioning, others experience significant school-adjustment difficulties. In this study, a psychometrically sound behavior rating scale is used to examine teachers’ perspectives regarding specific social-emotional behaviors of children raised by grandparents compared to a matched group. Teachers rated children raised by grandparents as exhibiting significantly higher levels of a specific pattern of behavioral problems than a comparison group. School professionals can help the children by identifying the strengths and needs of these families and by providing effective prevention services to advance positive school and life outcomes.
Comparison of fingerstick versus venipuncture for antibody testing of measles and rubella

The aim of this study was to determine whether the fingerstick method of obtaining blood is an acceptable alternative to venipuncture for measuring antibody levels. Blood specimens for antibody determination were obtained from healthy adult subjects by venipuncture with the serum separated from the clot by standard methodology. Fingerstick samples were also obtained by piercing the second or third finger and collected in Microtainer serum separator tubes. The serum was then separated by centrifugation, and all specimens were immediately stored at -80 degrees C until assayed. There was an excellent correlation between sera collected from fingerstick and venipuncture for both measles and rubella antibody assays. For the measles enzyme immunoassay (EIA), 85% of subjects were immune, and the correlation coefficient between the fingerstick and the venipuncture results was 0.98 using least squares linear regression. For the rubella EIA, 100% of subjects were immune, and the correlation coefficient was 0.83. Both methods showed the same number of immunopositive individuals; furthermore, there were no cases of immunity to either virus that were detected in only 1 fluid source. There was no significant difference in antibody levels from blood obtained by either method.
An Optical Study of Adsorbed Films

The optical method of Rayleigh and Drude for the study of surface "transition layers" (Uebergangsschichten) has been experimentally modified so as to give greater accuracy, and has been applied to the study of adsorption on glass. Various substances were investigated, and of these only two, water and methyl alcohol, showed definite adsorption. Curves for these, plotting thickness of adsorbed layer against partial pressure, are given. Up to 5 or 6 mm pressure there is no detectable adsorption of water vapor (apart from the probable presence of the first mono-molecular layer). From then on there is a cluster formation which results in a gradual covering of the surface until at 12.5 mm pressure there is another mono-molecular layer present. Above 13 mm there is strong condensation. The results for methyl alcohol were similar. Adsorption began at 30 percent saturation and continued linearly up to 90 percent saturation pressure, when strong condensation set in. It is pointed out that the method is applicable to the study of surface conditions at the interface between any two phases.
145 ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND BODY COMPOSITION OF BREAST-FED AND FORMULA-FED INFANTS

Top of pageAbstract Breast-fed infants consume less energy than formula-fed infants, but grow at almost the same rate. We hypothesized that breast-fed infants spend less energy and/or store less energy. To test these hypotheses, full term infants were studied at 42 and 84 days of age. Eight infants (4 ♀, 4 ♂) were breast-fed (BF) and 10 infants (6 ♀, 4 ♂) were fed a soy-based formula (FF). 24-Hour energy expenditure (EE) was determined by heart beat counting with calibration of heart rate against indirect calorimetry. Total body water (TBW) was estimated by deuterium dilution (0.5g/kg D2O orally, D in urine by NMR). Fat-free body weight was calculated assuming a water content of 80.4% at 42 days and 80.0% at 84 days of age. Body fat = body wt minus fat-free wt. Results (mean (SD)) are shown for 6 BF and 9 FF infants who have to date completed the study: At 42 d BF infants spent significantly (p< .048, 1-tailed t-test) less energy than FF infants, but at 84 d EE was similar. Body fat was slightly lower in BF infants at both ages. Overall wt gain was somewhat less in BF infants, but composition of gain was similar.
SU-E-T-235: Dosimetry Study within a Millimeter from Beam Exiting Air-Tissue Interface Using Film and Monte-Carlo Simulation on a Co-60 Beam.

Purpose: Objective is to assess dose accuracy and uniformity to cells in a well‐plate irradiated on Co‐60 beam using film (EBT2) and Monte‐Carlo simulation. Methods: Situations are encountered where dosimetry near beam‐exiting air‐interface is needed. Typical example is irradiation of cells in well‐plate. Small amount of cell emulsion may amount to as small as 1 mm thickness which results in leaving large air space above the cells. Due to contamination concerns, air space above cells can not be avoided. Preferred geometry for irradiation is to place cell‐plate on a build‐up slab (water‐equivalent), and point the beam upward. On Co‐60 beam, film EBT2 was employed to measure doses 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, 1.2 mm upstream from air‐ interface. Film optical‐density (OD) was measured with a pocket densitometer, and converted to dose using film‐calibration specific to film‐batch. To validate film data, Monte‐Carlo code DOSXYZNRC was employed for simulation. Doses were calculated employing (i) calculation grid 0.1–1.0 mm along beam direction, and (ii) 15000 million incident particles to achieve 3mm, and (ii) non‐homogeneous emulsion for cells to settle at the bottom. Since dose in‐homogeneity is primarily due to air interface, results are expected to be qualitatively similar for other beams (Cs‐137 or 6 MV.
Deformation of a two-dimensional viscous drop in time-periodic extensional flows: analytical treatment

In Sarkar & Schowalter (2001), we reported results from numerical simulations of drop deformation in various classes of time-periodic straining flows at non-zero Reynolds number. As often occurs, analytical solutions provide more effective understanding of the structure and significance of a phenomenon. Here we describe drop deformation predicted from analytical solutions to linear time-periodic straining flows. Three different limiting cases are considered: an unsteady Stokes flow that retains all but the nonlinear advection terms, a Stokes flow that neglects inertia altogether, and an inviscid potential flow. The first limit is in clear contrast to the common approach in emulsion literature that resorts almost always to the Stokes flow assumption. The analysis clearly shows the forced–damped mass–spring system underlying the physical phenomena, which distinguishes it from the inertialess Stokes flow. The potential flow also depicts resonance, albeit of an undamped system, and provides an important limit of the problem. The drop deformation is assumed to be small, and a perturbative approach has been employed. The first-order problem has been solved to arrive at either an evolution equation (in Stokes and potential flow limits) or the long-time periodic drop response (for unsteady Stokes analysis). The analytical results compare satisfactorily with those obtained from the numerical simulation in Sarkar & Schowalter (2001), and the resonance characteristics are quantitatively explained. The three different solutions are compared with each other, and the results are presented for different parameters such as frequency, interfacial tension, viscosity ratio, density ratio and Reynolds number. Furthermore, the simple ODE model presented in the Appendix of Sarkar & Schowalter (2001) is shown to explain the asymptotic limits of the present solution.
Spectra of matrices with P-matrix powers

We raise and partially answer the question of which sets of complex numbers can be the spectra of matrices all of whose powers are P-matrices. Several related questions are raised, and the partial results negatively resolve two earlier conjectures regarding spectra of P-matrices.
A novel route to poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and its amphiphilic block copolymers

The vinyl of the ester group of 2-vinyloxyethyl methacrylate was first selectively reacted with acetic acid to obtain 2-[1-(acetoxy)ethoxy]ethyl methacrylate (2). This protected monomer was subjected to anionic polymerization in tetrahydrofuran at −60°C in the presence of LiCl, using 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium as initiator. The molecular weight of the polymer could thus be controlled and a narrow molecular weight distribution obtained. The protecting group, 1-(acetoxy)ethyl, could be easily eliminated (by quenching the polymerization reaction with methanol and water) to generate poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)). Block copolymers were also prepared by the sequential anionic polymerization of MMA and 2 or styrene and 2. They possess narrow molecular weight distributions, and controlled molecular weights and compositions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1865–1872, 1998
Parathyroid hormone modulates angiotensin II-induced aldosterone secretion from the adrenal glomerulosa cell

The effect of PTH on aldosterone secretion from isolated bovine adrenal glomerulosa cells was examined. PTH binding was autoradiographically localized to the adrenal cortex, suggesting a specific effect. This binding of PTH was displaceable by cold PTH, but not by ACTH. No binding was observed in the adrenal medulla. In addition, PTH was shown to stimulate aldosterone secretion in a dose-dependent manner and to potentiate aldosterone secretion in response to angiotensin-II, such that PTH (10−9 M) elevated the secretory rate from 58.6 ± 6.8 to 110.9 ± 19 pg/min-million cells in the presence of 10 nM angiotensin-II. The magnitude of the synergism between the two hormones depended on the concentrations of PTH and angiotensin-II as well as the time during which aldosterone secretion was measured. Within the first 15 min of stimulation, PTH increased the sensitivity to angiotensin-II, shifting the Ka for activation from 1.0 to 0.3 nM. In contrast, between 30-45 min of angiotensin-II stimulation, PTH elevated t...
A reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography method for bovine testicular hyaluronidase digests using postcolumn derivatization with 2-cyanoacetamide and ultraviolet detection.

Abstract A reversed-phase ion-pair HPLC method for separating hyaluronic acid oligomers, using a polymeric C18 column at alkaline pH, is described. As the concentration of the ion-pairing agent tetrabutylammonium hydroxide increased, over the range of 0.01 to 0.06 m , the capacity factors ( k ′) of tetra- to dodecasaccharide decreased. The change in k ′, for each increment in pairing agent, increased with oligomer molecular weight. When changing mobile phase pH from 7 to 8, k ′ dramatically decreased and remained unchanged from pH 8 to 11. The isocratic separation was optimized to resolve tetrato dodecasaccharide at pH 9.0 in under 19 min. The postcolumn derivatizing agent 2-cyanoacetamide reacted with the reducing N -acetylglucosamine end groups of hyaluronic acid oligomers to yield reaction products that were monitored at 276 nm. In a series of control experiments using decasaccharide and N-acetylglucosamine, it was found that maximum product formation took place at pH 9 and was greatly influenced by borate buffer concentration. The optimum concentration for 2-cyanoacetamide was 0.33% and a temperature of 100°C gave the best signal to noise ratio for the postcolumn reaction. The method is linear and reproducible, and has a lower limit of detection for tetrasaccharide of 20 ng (25 pmol). This system is suitable for studying the degradation kinetics of purified hyaluronic acid oligomers by bovine testicular hyaluronidase. Extension of the method to fluorescent and electrochemical detection and its applicability to other glycosaminoglycans is discussed.
The PMP22 gene and its related diseases.

Peripheral myelin protein-22 (PMP22) is primarily expressed in the compact myelin of the peripheral nervous system. Levels of PMP22 have to be tightly regulated since alterations of PMP22 levels by mutations of the PMP22 gene are responsible for >50 % of all patients with inherited peripheral neuropathies, including Charcot–Marie–Tooth type-1A (CMT1A) with trisomy of PMP22, hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) with heterozygous deletion of PMP22, and CMT1E with point mutations of PMP22. While overexpression and point-mutations of the PMP22 gene may produce gain-of-function phenotypes, deletion of PMP22 results in a loss-of-function phenotype that reveals the normal physiological functions of the PMP22 protein. In this article, we will review the basic genetics, biochemistry and molecular structure of PMP22, followed by discussion of the current understanding of pathogenic mechanisms involving in the inherited neuropathies with mutations in PMP22 gene.
Toward a Psychodynamic Approach to Bioethics

Although many first-generation bioethicists were psychiatrists and some received psychoanalytic training, the field of bioethics has developed largely in isolation from psychodynamic theory. While much has been written regarding the ethics of psychoanalysis, only a few scholars have attempted to explain bioethical phenomena in psychodynamic terms. This paper argues for the development of a comprehensive theory of “psychodynamic bioethics” that attempts to explain individual and collective attitudes toward bioethical controversy in psychodynamic terms.
Probability of detecting perchlorate under natural conditions in deep groundwater in California and the southwestern United States.

We use data from 1626 groundwater samples collected in California, primarily from public drinking water supply wells, to investigate the distribution of perchlorate in deep groundwater under natural conditions. The wells were sampled for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Priority Basin Project. We develop a logistic regression model for predicting probabilities of detecting perchlorate at concentrations greater than multiple threshold concentrations as a function of climate (represented by an aridity index) and potential anthropogenic contributions of perchlorate (quantified as an anthropogenic score, AS). AS is a composite categorical variable including terms for nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Incorporating water-quality parameters in AS permits identification of perturbation of natural occurrence patterns by flushing of natural perchlorate salts from unsaturated zones by irrigation recharge as well as addition of perchlorate from industrial and agricultur...
NEURAL NETWORK–BASED MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION FOR EFFECTIVE VEHICLE EMISSION TESTING AND ENGINE CALIBRATION

In automotive manufacturing, vehicle emission testing and engine calibration are the key to achieving emission standards with satisfactory fuel economy. Because of the complexity of physical and chemical phenomena occurring during engine combustion and catalytic conversion and the lack of real-time measurements of key process and performance parameters, engine calibration and emission testing are still experiment-assisted trial-and-error practices, which are always expensive and inefficient. In this article, a neural network (NN)–based modeling approach is introduced to characterize engine and catalytic converter operations. A model-based optimization method is also introduced to identify optimal engine calibration parameters so that emission reduction and fuel efficiency improvement can be achieved simultaneously. This development facilitates a comprehensive performance analysis of engine and catalytic converters with much less effort required for experiments.
Calculated resistance in cancer

The future of cancer treatment lies in targeted therapies. That oft-repeated phrase of the last few years comes with a warning: watch out for drug resistance. A new mathematical model explores how combinations of drugs could keep resistance at bay.
Interdomain long-range electron transfer becomes rate-limiting in the Y216A variant of tyramine β-monooxygenase.

The enzyme tyramine β-monooxygenase (TβM) belongs to a small eukaryotic family of physiologically important mononuclear dicopper monooxygenases. The properties of this family include noncoupled mononuclear copper centers ~11 A apart, with Cu(M) performing C-H and O(2) activation and Cu(H) functioning as an electron storage site [Klinman, J. P. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 3013-3016]. A conserved tyrosine (Y216 in TβM) is positioned between the copper domains and is associated with Cu(H) (through an interaction with a Cu(H)-coordinating histidine). Mutations at Y216 (to W, I, and A) indicate little or no difference in electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, while X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies show only a very small decrease in distance between Cu(M) and its Met471 ligand in reduced enzyme. High-performance liquid chromatography assays demonstrate that turnover of substrate is complete with Y216W and Y216I, whereas Y216A undergoes a secondary inactivation that is linked to oxidation of ligands at Cu(M). Steady-state kinetic and isotope effect measurements were investigated. The significantly elevated K(m,Tyr) for Y216A, together with a very large (D)(k(cat)/K(m,Tyr)) of ~12, indicates a major impact on the binding of substrate at the Cu(M) site. The kinetic and isotopic parameters lead to estimated rate constants for C-H bond cleavage, dissociation of substrate from the Cu(M) site, and, in the case of Y216A, the rate of electron transfer (ET) from Cu(H) to Cu(M). These studies uncover a rate-limiting ET within the solvent-filled interface and lead to a paradigm shift in our understanding of the mononuclear dicopper monooxygenases.
On the k-residue of disjoint unions of graphs with applications to k-independence

The k-residue of a graph, introduced by Jelen in a 1999 paper, is a lower bound on the k-independence number for every positive integer k. This generalized earlier work by Favaron, Maheo, and Sacle, by Griggs and Kleitman, and also by Triesch, who all showed that the independence number of a graph is at least as large as its Havel-Hakimi residue, defined by Fajtlowicz. We show here that, for every positive integer k, the k-residue of disjoint unions is at most the sum of the k-residues of the connected components considered separately, and give applications of this lemma. Our main application is an improvement on Jelen's bound for connected graphs which have a maximum degree cut-vertex. We demonstrate constructively that, in some cases, our extensions give better approximations to the k-independence number than all known lower bounds-including bounds of Hopkins and Staton, Caro and Tuza, Favaron, Caro and Hansberg, as well as Jelen's k-residue bound itself. Additionally, we apply this disjoint union lemma to prove a theorem for function graphs (those graphs formed by connecting vertices from a graph and its copy according to a given function) while simultaneously giving, in this context, different classes of non-trivial examples for which our new results improve on the k-residue, further motivating our first application of the lemma.
Efficient reacquire and identify path planning over large areas

An important task in maritime search and inspection involves re-acquiring and identifying underwater objects by surveying the objects from multiple angles. Because of false contacts related to clutter on the sea floor, the objects are often detected in dramatically different densities in a given area. Previously developed methods to plan survey paths on groups of contacts led to efficient paths when the contacts occur in close proximity, but inefficient paths when the objects occur over large distances. We present a planning algorithm to generate an efficient path to survey objects from multiple angles that is independent of the density of the objects. The algorithm leverages the previously-developed algorithms for surveying objects from multiple directions, coupled with density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) clustering and ant colony optimization techniques.
Slit die viscometry at shear rates up to 5 × 106s−1: An analytical correction for small viscous heating errors

If the viscosity can be expressed in the formη = α (T)f(σ), the walls are at a constant temperatureT0, and the extra stress, velocity and temperature fields are fully developed, then the wall shear rate\(\dot \gamma _w\) can be calculated by applying the Weissenberg-Rabinowitsch operator toFcQ instead of to the flow rateQ, whereFc is a correction factor which differs from 1 when the temperature field is non-uniform; the isothermal equation relating the wall shear stress and pressure gradient is still valid. For the case in whcihη = η0|σ|n/(1 +β(T−T0)), wheren, η0, andβ are independent of shear stressσ and temperatureT, an exact analytical expression forFc in terms of the Nahme-Griffith numberNa andn is obtained. Use of this expression gives agreement with data obtained for degassed decalin (η = 2.5 mPa s) from a new miniature slit-die viscometer at shear rates\(\dot \gamma\) up to 5 × 106s−1; here, the correction is only 7%,Na is 1.3, andGz, the Graetz number at the die exit, is 119. For a Cannon standard liquidS6 (η = 9 mPa s), agreement extends up to 5 × 105s−1; at 2×106s−1 (whereNa = 7.2 andGz = 231), the corrections are 11% (measured) and 36% (calculated).
Compliance to requests made by gazing and touching experimenters in field settings.

Abstract Two experiments supported the hypothesis that gaze and touch would serve additive functions of increasing compliance to unambiguous requests. These and other experiments were integrated into Ellsworth and Langer's (1976) framework for interpreting gaze (and touch) as nonspecific activators. It was concluded that behavioral responses to gaze and touch are a function of the attention and arousal elicited by these stimuli, the meaning derived from the situation, and the attributes of the gazing and touching person. It was suggested that future research should study subjects' responses to gaze and touch in terms of attributions made by subjects about people who engage in these behaviors.
Direct synthesis of titanium-substituted mesoporous SBA-15 molecular sieve under microwave - Hydrothermal conditions

Titanium-substituted mesoporous SBA-15 molecular sieve has been successfully prepared at 373 K by direct synthesis under microwave−hydrothermal conditions within about 2 h. By means of X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, infrared, UV−vis diffuse reflectance, and Raman spectroscopies, a successful isomorphous substitution of titanium in the silica framework of SBA-15 samples with Si/Ti ratios of 20, 30, and 40 has been reported. The substitution of Ti for Si did not change the textural properties. The higher titanium loading leads to the formation of extraframework titanium species. These results show that microwave-assisted synthesis is an ideal approach to prepare Ti-substituted SBA-15, which is expected to be useful as a selective oxidation catalyst for reactions involving large molecules.