cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic properties of soddyite from solubility and calorimetry measurements

Abstract The release of uranium from geologic nuclear waste repositories under oxidizing conditions can only be modeled if the thermodynamic properties of the secondary uranyl minerals that form in the repository setting are known. Toward this end, we synthesized soddyite ((UO2)2(SiO4)(H2O)2), and performed solubility measurements from both undersaturation and supersaturation. The solubility measurements rigorously constrain the value of the solubility product of synthetic soddyite, and consequently its standard-state Gibbs free energy of formation. The log solubility product (lg Ksp) with its error (1σ) is (6.43 + 0.20/−0.37), and the standard-state Gibbs free energy of formation is (−3652.2 ± 4.2 (2σ)) kJ mol−1. High-temperature drop solution calorimetry was conducted, yielding a calculated standard-state enthalpy of formation of soddyite of (−4045.4 ± 4.9 (2σ)) kJ · mol−1. The standard-state Gibbs free energy and enthalpy of formation yield a calculated standard-state entropy of formation of soddyite of (−1318.7 ± 21.7 (2σ)) J · mol−1 · K−1. The measurements and associated thermodynamic calculations not only describe the T = 298 K stability and solubility of soddyite, but they also can be used in predictions of repository performance through extrapolation of these properties to repository temperatures.
I. Preliminary Observations on Artificial Colonization of Newborns

Glossary .—For the purpose of clarity the following terms have been defined in accord with their use in this and subsequent communications. 1-3 Interference: The inability of a second strain of coagulase positive staphylococcus to colonize a particular site of a newborn infant following artificial colonization of this specific site with staphylococcal strain 502A. This term is also used to indicate the inability of an index strain of coagulase positive staphylococci to colonize a household member who had been colonized previously with coagulase positive staphylococci. Infection: The presence of microorganisms without overt manifestations of disease. This term is equivalent to colonization. Criteria of Colonization: Isolation on artificial medium of more than one colony of a given strain of staphylococcus from a swab of the nasal mucosa or umbilicus. Colonization by a second strain is defined as the recovery of more than one colony of the second strain at any time
Formation of refractory inclusions by evaporation of condensate precursors

Berman’s (1983) activity-composition model for CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 liquids is used to calculate the change in bulk chemical and isotopic composition during simultaneous cooling, evaporation, and crystallization of droplets having the compositions of reasonable condensate precursors of Types A and B refractory inclusions in CV3 chondrites. The degree of evaporation of MgO and SiO2, calculated to be faithfully recorded in chemical and isotopic zoning of individual melilite crystals, is directly proportional to evaporation rate, which is a sensitive function of PH2, and inversely proportional to the droplet radius and cooling rate. When the precursors are partially melted in pure hydrogen at peak temperatures in the vicinity of the initial crystallization temperature of melilite, their bulk chemical compositions evolve into the composition fields of refractory inclusions, mass-fractionated isotopic compositions of Mg, Si, and O are produced that are in the range of the isotopic compositions of natural inclusions, and melilite zoning profiles result that are similar to those observed in real inclusions. For droplets of radius 0.25 cm evaporating at PH2 = 10−6 bar, precursors containing 8 to 13 wt.% MgO and 20 to 23% SiO2 evolve into objects similar to compact Type A inclusions at cooling rates of 2 to 12 K/h, depending on the precise starting composition. Precursors containing 13 to 14 wt.% MgO and 23 to 26% SiO2 evolve into objects with the characteristics of Type B1 inclusions at cooling rates of 1.5 to 3 K/h. The relatively SiO2-poor members of the Type B2 group can be produced from precursors containing 14 to 16 wt.% MgO and 27 to 33% SiO2 at cooling rates of 15% than are found on any condensation curve. The characteristics of fluffy Type A inclusions, including their reversely zoned melilite, can only be understood in the context of this model if they contain relict melilite.
Homographic entries in the internal lexicon: Effects of systematicity and relative frequency of meanings

The task was to distinguish between English and nonsense words, which were displayed singly. The display persisted until S pressed the yes-key if he thought the stimulus was English or the no-key if he thought it was nonsense. In an earlier study ( Rubenstein, Garfield, & Millikan, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 1970 ) it was found that the response time is shorter when the English word is a homograph, a word with more than one meaning, than when it is a nonhomograph. The data of the present study showed that this facilitating effect of homography is observable when the meanings of the homograph (a) are not systematically related and (b) tend to equiprobability.
The demand for money in a developing economy: The case of Kenya

Abstract The demand for money function occupies a central role in most theories of aggregate economic activity, especially in the formulation and execution of effective monetary policy. This paper examines the demand for money in the developing economy of Kenya. Special attention is paid to the model specification, its dynamic structure and to its temporal stability. The empirical results show that for both conventional definitions of money (the narrow and the broad), the theoretical model fits the Kenyan data quite well, and the proposed variables are all statistically significant and with the anticipated signs. The results further suggest, based on a battery of tests, that the estimated money demand equations for Kenya are temporally stable. Focus is also given to the open-economy nature of the money demand model, and the results indicate that some measure of foreign interest rates plays a significant role in the Kenyan money demand equations as potentially in any other money demand equation of an open economy. Monetary policy in Kenya, therefore, must take into account the response of domestic money demand to changes in such external factors.
Priapism Following Trazodone Overdose with Cocaine Use

Priapism is a urologic disorder and medical emergency with a variety of known etiologies including the use of psychotropic medications. The antidepressant trazodone is the agent most frequently implicated in the precipitation of priapism. Additionally, a number of drugs of abuse including marijuana, ethanol, and cocaine have been known to cause the disorder. It is unknown if drugs may act in an additive or a synergistic manner to cause priapism. We report a case of priapism which occurred following trazodone overdose in an individual actively using cocaine. This case suggests that combined trazodone and cocaine use may pose an additional risk of priapism. Since trazodone is commonly employed as a hypnotic and often chosen for polysubstance abusers due to its low abuse potential, clinicians should be aware of the possible additive risk of priapism in this patient population.
Preservation of parotid function after external beam irradiation in head and neck cancer patients: A feasibility study using 3-dimensional treatment planning

Abstract Purpose: Radiation-induced xerostomia is a frequent complication and major cause of morbidity in head and neck cancer patients. The severity of xerostomia is related to radiation dose and the amount of parotid tissue included in the irradiated volume. To reduce this side-effect and preserve salivary function, we have evaluated the use of 3-dimensional (3-D) treatment planning to spare the contralateral parotid gland in twelve patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. Methods and Materials: In each case, beam's eye view displays were used to design beam and blocking arrangements that excluded the contralateral parotid. Ten patients were treated with 2 nonopposing oblique fields in the axial and non-axial plane while two patients required a non-axial, non-coplanar 3-field arrangement. These 3-D treatment plans were also compared with conventional 2-dimensional (2-D) plans. The 2-dimensional plans were designed independently of the 3-D treatment planning information using the orthogonal radiographs and hard copies of the computed tomography scans. Results: An average of 1.8% (range, 0–7%) of the target volume was underdosed with the 95% isodose level for the 3-D plans compared with 18.8% (range, 2.0–36.6%) for the 2-D plans. This was due to improved identification of the target volumes and better design of blocked fields with beam's eye view treatment planning. Furthermore, the mean dose to the opposite parotid was 3.9 Gy for the 3-D plans vs. 28.9 Gy for the conventional plans. With a minimum follow-up of 4 months, only 2 of 12 patients have complained of a dry mouth. Conclusion: These encouraging results suggest that this approach is feasible in many cases. 3-D treatment planning may allow the use of parotid sparing techniques in patients who otherwise would not have been considered candidates using conventional radiotherapy techniques.
Doppler-broadening measurements of x-ray lines for determination of the ion temperature in tokamak plasmas

Ion-temperature results are deduced from Doppler-broadening measurements of the $K\ensuremath{\alpha}$ ($1s\ensuremath{-}2p$) resonance line emitted from heliumlike iron impurity ions in the hot central core of PLT (Princeton Large Torus) tokamak discharges. The measurements were performed using a high-resolution Bragg-crystal spectrometer with a multiwire proportional counter.
Properties of the Hugoniot function

Differentiation of the Hugoniot function $H (p,v) = E(p,v)-E(p_0,v_0)+\frac {1}{2}(p + p_0)(v_0 - v)$ and use of the first and second laws of thermodynamics leads to the relation dH = T dS + dA , where dA is the element of area in the ( p , v ) plane swept out (in a counter-clockwise direction) by the line segment ( p 0 , v 0 ) → ( p , v ) as the point ( p , v ) is moved from some point ( p 1 , v 1 ) to a neighbouring point ( p 1 + dp 1 , v 1 + dv 1 ). This relation, together with rather general assumptions regarding the shape of the isentropic curves dS = 0 for the material behind the shock, makes possible the geometrical derivation of a number of properties of the function H and of the Hugoniot curves dH = 0.
PHOTOPROPERTIES OF ALKOXY‐SUBSTITUTED PHTHALOCYANINES WITH DEEP‐RED OPTICAL ABSORBANCE

Triplet-state properties of 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa-n-butoxyphthalocyanine and its zinc derivative were determined for the first time. The T1 state of the metal-free phthalocyanine was characterized by a short lifetime (tau T = 17 microseconds) and low quantum yield (phi T = 0.095), and quenching of the triplet by O2 occurred with a bimolecular rate constant (kT sigma = 1.3 x 10(8) M-1 s-1) that is indicative of an endogonic reaction. The zinc complex (ZnPc(OBu)8) was markedly better as a triplet photosensitizer with respect to both tau T (60 microseconds) and phi T (0.5). Quenching by O2 produced singlet oxygen with nearly 100% efficiency, and kT sigma (1.7 x 10(9) M-1s-1) was close to the spin-statistical diffusion-controlled limit. Phosphorescence measurements showed the energy of the T1 state of ZnPc(OBu)8 to be 100 kJ/mol, which is 6 kJ/mol above the 1 delta g state of O2. These photoproperties, together with Q-band absorption maxima in the mid-700 nm range indicate that metal-centered 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octaalkoxyphthalocyanines have excellent potential as sensitizers in photodynamic therapy.
Assessment and follow-up of alcohol-dependent liver transplantation patients : A clinical cohort

Abstract We describe pretransplantation characteristics of 103 consecutive alcoholic cirrhotics who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation over a 28-month period, and follow-up characteristics for 58 of 82 survivors. We examined whether certain pretransplantation psychiatric and demographic variables predicted posttransplantation outcomes. Patients who were sober ⩽6 months and those who died after transplantation had longer transplant hospital stays, suggesting that physiological compromise may predict posttransplant course. Using survival analyses because of variable follow-up intervals, only age over 50 years and index hospital stays greater than 1 month showed statistical trends toward predicting shorter posttransplant survival duration. Neither pretransplant sobriety, gender, nor duration of pretransplant heavy drinking predicted posttransplant survival duration. No variable, including pre-operative sobriety ⩽6 months or attendance at alcohol rehabilitation peritransplant, predicted relapse except for female gender and pretransplant unemployment, in which cases the relapse rate was doubled. Our relapse rate of 21% is comparable to recidivism rates reported from other centers and for the general alcoholic population. These findings, several of which are contrary to general beliefs, continue to challenge our presumed predictive variables in selecting the best candidates for liver transplantation.
Euler calculations of unsteady transonic flow in cascades

In the present paper, Euler calculations of unsteady transonic flow in cascades are presented. A finite volume scheme is used to discretize the equations, which are implemented on a blade-fitted deformable mesh. The space-discretized equations are integrated forward in time using a multistage Runge-Kutta scheme. Adaptive dissipation terms of the type proposed by Jameson and Baker are added to capture shocks and to suppress nonphysical oscillations. Phase-shifted boundary conditions are used to reduce the computational domain to a single reference passage. No assumptions of small amplitudes or small flow deflections are made. Thus, the present code makes it possible to carry out aeroelastic calculations for cases where the shock strengths and oscillation amplitudes exceed the inherent limitations of potential flow codes.
An Experimental Study of Free Convection Heat Transfer From an Array of Horizontal Cylinders Parallel to a Vertical Wall

An experimental investigation of heat transfer from an array of three horizontal cylinders aligned vertically parallel to a single wall is presented. Three different cylinder center-to-center spacings for the array cylinders were examined, CC = 1.5D, 2D, and 4D. The wall-array spacings were varied from 0.081D to infinity. The cylinders were placed in a still air medium at atmospheric pressure and maintained at constant heat flux. Modified Rayleigh number, based on the diameter of the cylinders, ranged from 6.2 {times} 10{sup 4} to 1.2 {times} 10{sup 6}. Results indicate that heat transfer is generally enhanced, but for some wall spacing to cylinder configurations the heat transfer is generally enhanced, but for some wall spacing to cylinder configurations the heat transfer can be minimally decreased. For cases where the heat transfer was enhanced the top cylinder in the array was observed to have the highest enhancement (22%) and the lowest cylinder was enhanced the least (5%). Flow visualization studies showed that the wall generated a chimney effect between the wall and the cylinders.
Suppression of Voluntary Wheel Running in Rats Is Dependent on the Site of Inflammation: Evidence for Voluntary Running as a Measure of Hind Paw-Evoked Pain

Decreased voluntary wheel running has recently been proposed as a preclinical pain measure for inflammatory pain, but whether this reflects pain evoked by use of the affected limbs is unknown. To assess the role of inflammation site as a determinant of this measure, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), formalin, or equivolume vehicle was subcutaneously injected into the plantar surface of the hind paws (bilateral) or L1 dorsum dermatome (leaving paws unaffected) of male Sprague Dawley rats. CFA-induced hind paw mechanical allodynia (P < .001) did not correlate with reduced voluntary wheel running. Intraplantar formalin did not attenuate voluntary running, despite eliciting robust licking/writhing/flinching behavior and hind paw mechanical allodynia (P < .001). Subcutaneous L1 dorsum dermatome formalin, but not CFA, induced licking/writhing/flinching behavior (P < .001), but neither induced hind paw mechanical allodynia or attenuated voluntary running. That voluntary running is decreased by hind paw CFA, but not by L1 dorsum CFA, implies that the behavior is a measure of CFA-induced pain evoked by use of the affected limbs rather than supraspinal pain processing that is independent of inflammation site. Furthermore, the results suggest that interpretation of voluntary wheel running data cannot simply be explained by correlation with mechanical allodynia. Perspective Whether decreased voluntary running is dependent on inflammation site is unknown. We show that intraplantar, but not L1 dorsum, CFA suppressed voluntary running and formalin-induced licking/writhing/flinching behavior but had no effect on voluntary running. These data suggest that suppressed voluntary running by CFA likely reflects pain evoked by use of the affected limbs.
The development of curricular knowledge: a case of problematic pedagogical content knowledge during advanced knowledge acquisition.

Abstract The study examined, what and how 12 K-8 physical education teacher education (PETE) majors learned, about a movement approach that was discrepant from their experiences with physical education. This article describes one portion of the findings: what and, how PETE majors learned about a movement approach to game play/strategy and mechanisms of advanced knowledge acquisition that contributed to confusion about this topic. Analytic induction and constant comparison were used to analyze qualitative data from interviews, observations, and relevant documents. Eleven PETE majors initially maintained partial or inaccurate conceptions about a movement approach to game play/strategy or taught the content in ways that were inconsistent with their goals for physical education, their knowledge about learning and teaching game skills, and the information presented by faculty and cooperating teachers. Interacting with students' prior knowledge and what and how faculty taught, the following learning mechanisms ...
Nonlinear Elastic Constitutive Relations of Auxetic Honeycombs

When designing a flexible structure consisting of cellular materials, it is important to find the maximum effective strain of the cellular material resulting from the deformed cellular geometry and not leading to local cell wall failure. In this paper, a finite in-plane shear deformation of auxtic honeycombs having effective negative Poisson’s ratio is investigated over the base material’s elastic range. An analytical model of the inplane plastic failure of the cell walls is refined with finite element (FE) micromechanical analysis using periodic boundary conditions. A nonlinear constitutive relation of honeycombs is obtained from the FE micromechanics simulation and is used to define the coefficients of a hyperelastic strain energy function. Auxetic honeycombs show high shear flexibility without a severe geometric nonlinearity when compared to their regular counterparts.
Current status of radiofrequency ablation for common pediatric supraventricular tachycardias

bpm) more commonly noted in adolescence. Other patients with slowly conducting retrograde APs may have the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT), a distinct SVT that is commonly associated with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. In other patients, a slowly conducting, anterograde-only AP (Mahaim fiber) may result in a widely preexcited SVT that can be confused with ventricular tachycardia. For the purposes of this review,
Nonexpressibility of fairness and signaling

Expressiveness results for indeterminate data flow primitives are established. Choice primitives with three differing fairness assumptions are considered, and it is shown that they are strictly inequivalent in expressive power. It is also shown that the ability to announce choices enhances the expressive power of two of the primitives. These results are proved using a very crude semantics and will thus apply in any reasonable theory of process equivalence. >
Inhibition of Lactation and Prolactin Secretion in Rats by Ergot Alkaloids

Ergocornine hydrogenmalienate, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg; ergonovine maleate, 4.0 mg; dihydroergocornine, 1.0 mg; ergotamine tartrate, 4.0 mg; and ergocryptine mesylate, 0.5 mg; were administered subcutaneously once a day to lactating postpartum female rats from day 4 postpartum (delivery = day 0) to day 8 postpartum. Serum prolactin levels as measured by radioimmunoassay were depressed significantly as a result of treatment with each ergot alkaloid when compared with corn oil treated control rats. These compounds significantly depressed lactation as assessed by litter weight gain. The total mammary tissue weight determined in each animal of an ergocornine hydrogenmalienate treated group showed a reduction compared to those animals in a control group receiving corn oil. Hypophysial homografts equivalent to 2 pituitary glands from donor litter mates were transplanted beneath the kidney capsules of mature hypophysectomized female rats 3 days after hypophysectomy. The rats were treated for 2 days with 0.5 mg ergocor...
A surveying optical diffractometer.

SUMMARY A surveying optical diffractometer is described which provides an efficient means of obtaining high quality optical diffraction patterns of particularly suitable specimens from electron micrographs.
Concordance of chart and billing data with direct observation in dental practice.

– Objectives: The commonly used methods of chart review, billing data summaries and practitioner self-reporting have not been examined for their ability to validly and reliably represent time use and service delivery in routine dental practice. A more thorough investigation of these data sources would provide insight into the appropriateness of each approach for measuring various clinical behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of commonly used methods such as dental chart review, billing data, or practitioner self-report compared with a ‘gold standard’ of information derived from direct observation of routine dental visits. Methods: A team of trained dental hygienists directly observed 3751 patient visits in 120 dental practices and recorded the behaviors and procedures performed by dentists and hygienists during patient contact time. Following each visit, charts and billing records were reviewed for the performed and billed procedures. Dental providers characterized their frequency of preventive service delivery through self-administered surveys. We standardized the observation and abstraction methods to obtain optimal measures from each of the multiple data sources. Multi-rater kappa coefficients were computed to monitor standardization, while sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficients were calculated to compare the various data sources with direct observation. Results: Chart audits were more sensitive than billing data for all observed procedures and demonstrated higher agreement with directly observed data. Chart and billing records were not sensitive for several prevention-related tasks (oral cancer screening and oral hygiene instruction). Provider self-reports of preventive behaviors were always over-estimated compared with direct observation. Inter-method reliability kappa coefficients for 13 procedures ranged from 0.197 to 0.952. Conclusions: These concordance findings suggest that strengths and weaknesses of data collection sources should be considered when investigating delivery of dental services especially when using practitioner survey data. Future investigations can more fully rely on charted information rather than billing data and provider self-report for most dental procedures, but nonbillable procedures and most counseling interactions will not be captured with routine charting and billing practices.
Sos2 is dispensable for NMDA-induced Erk activation and LTP induction

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-induced activation of extracellular signal-related protein kinase (Erk) plays important roles in various neuronal functions including long-term potentiation (LTP). Son of sevenless (Sos) proteins have been implicated in NMDA-induced Erk activation in neurons of young mice. However, contribution of each of the two Sos isoforms, Sos1 and Sos2, has not been clarified. In this study, Sos2 involvement in NMDA-induced Erk activation was examined. We observed no defect in Erk phosphorylation induced by NMDA treatment of cortical neuronal cultures from Sos2-/- newborn mice. Moreover, theta-burst-induced LTP induction in the hippocampus of Sos2-/- mice was also normal. Finally, Erk activation by either depolarization or BDNF treatment was also normal in cultured neurons from Sos2 knockout mice. These results imply that Sos1 is the major regulator of these well-known neuronal Sos functions and suggest that a novel function for Sos2 in neurons remains to be determined.
A quantitative assessment of follicle size on oocyte developmental competence

Objective To quantitatively assess the impact of follicle size on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality. Design Prospective study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) Couples undergoing ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Intervention(s) A total of 235 cycles were monitored prospectively, and 2934 oocytes were collected from five groups of follicle size. Repeated measures multivariate analyses were used to compare the smaller follicle sizes with the lead follicle. Main Outcome Measure(s) Oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality. Result(s) Compared with the lead follicular group (>18 mm), the odds of a mature oocyte from a 16 to 18 mm size follicle were 37% and declined progressively with each size. The odds of fertilization of oocytes from follicles 16 to 18 mm in size was 28% less than the lead group and decreased with each size. The rate of polyspermy with conventional insemination was increased for the smaller follicular groups (adjusted odds ratio=2.37). Follicle size did not predict embryo cell number, but embryos from smaller follicles had a statistically significantly higher fragmentation compared with the lead group. Conclusion(s) The lead follicular group was most likely to have a mature oocyte that was capable of fertilization and best suited for development into a high-quality embryo. The smaller follicles were capable of producing metaphase II oocytes that could fertilize, but at rates approaching only 60% that of the lead follicular group.
The characterization of amino acid sequences in proteins by statistical methods

Abstract Three different but related comprehensive statistical analyses of amino acid sequences in proteins are described. The goal in each case is to search for evidence of significant sequence structure in individual proteins relative to a purely random arrangement of the amino acid residues and to attempt to relate any significant structure uncovered to the secondary and/or tertiary configuration of the protein. In the first of these analyses, which is reviewed briefly in an appendix, amino acids are divided into subgroups according to a variety of side chain physical properties (e.g. polarity, hydrophobicity). Deviations from randomness are expressed in terms of correlation indices ϱ ij ( c ) which are composition normalized doublet frequencies. Here i and j denote membership in a particular group for the physical property chosen and c denotes the “lag”, that is the number of residues along the chain separating the doublet. The other more refined analyses are described in some detail. For both of these each amino acid in a given protein is replaced by its appropriate value on a continuous physical property scale. Six such scales are employed: bulkiness, polarity, R F , p I , p K 1 and hydrophobicity. The resulting amino acid index sequences are treated as discrete series and are analyzed first by means of serial correlation methods and subsequently by employing spectral analysis techniques. Periodicities exhibited in these series are evaluated statistically and speculations are made concerning the connection between such structure and protein configuration. Although more than forty individual proteins whose primary sequences are known have been analyzed by these methods, results for the cytochrome c series, the hemoglobins and lysozyme are emphasized in the present paper. In the case of the cytochrome c family of proteins several relationships between primary sequence structure and “evolutionary order” are discussed. In addition, the results of several homogeneity studies are described in which the sequence structure of various portions of a given protein chain are compared.
Global digital topography mapping with a synthetic aperture scanning radar altimeter

Global digital topography data of the land surface is of importance in a variety of geoscientific and application disciplines. Such a database, with a spatial resolution of 150 to 500 m and height accuracy of 5 m or better can be acquired from an orbiting platform using a synthetic aperture scanning radar altimeter. Near-global coverage can be achieved within 14 days from an orbiting platform in a polar or near-polar orbit.
Prediction of Fatigue Life of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete Mixtures Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Using Artificial Neural Networks

Accurate prediction of the fatigue life of asphalt mixtures is a difficult task due to the complex nature of materials behavior under various loading and environmental conditions. This study explores the utilization of an artificial neural network (ANN) in predicting the fatigue life of rubberized asphalt concrete mixtures containing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Over 190 fatigue beams were made with two different rubber types (ambient and cryogenic), two different RAP sources, four rubber contents (0, 5, 10, and 15%), and tested at two different testing temperatures of 5 and 20°C. The data were organized into nine or 10 independent variables covering the material engineering properties of the fatigue beams and one dependent variable, the ultimate fatigue life of the modified mixtures. The traditional statistical method was also used to predict the fatigue life of these mixtures. The results of this study showed that the ANN techniques are more effective in predicting the fatigue life of the modified mixtures tested in this study than the traditional statistical-based prediction models.
Function-specific variations in the immunological synapses formed by cytotoxic T cells

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) provide defense against intracellular pathogens and tumors by recognizing and subsequently destroying infected or transformed cells. Recognition is achieved by T cell receptors (TCRs) on the CTL binding to non-self-peptide fragments presented in the cleft of class I MHC molecules (peptide–MHC complexes) on the surface of the target cell. TCR ligation triggers target cell destruction by the CTL through several mechanisms, including the delivery to target cells of a pore-forming protein that penetrate the target cell membrane (perforin) and specialized proteases (granzymes). It has been known for some time that the density of peptide–MHC (pMHC) complexes on the surface of target cells required to stimulate cytotoxic functions in CTLs is dramatically lower than that required to stimulate cytokine production and clonal expansion: very few agonist pMHC complexes, perhaps even a single one per target cell, can elicit measurable cytotoxic function at the population level (1, 2). In contrast, production of cytokines such as IFN-γ (which trigger effector functions in immune cells) and clonal expansion of CTLs require the presence of 100- to 1,000-fold more complexes (3). Separate thresholds for these biological responses fit within the context of CTL function: effector CD8+ T cells need to kill infected cells in response to the lowest possible level of foreign peptides to control infections at their early stages, but the immune system must also carefully control this potent cell population to avoid destruction of healthy tissue. Thus, cytokine production and proliferation likely occur only under conditions of high pMHC complex density, typically with delivery of costimulatory signals that in vivo will be provided by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Although the phenomenon of dual antigen-density thresholds for CTL responses is well established at the population level, the mechanism behind these dual programs of function at the …
Absence of Serological Evidence of Myxoma Virus Infection in Humans exposed during an Outbreak of Myxomatosis

MYXOMATOSIS is a viral disease of rabbits regarded by some investigators as a neoplastic disease1,2. Epizootics have been observed in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus spp.) in several areas of the Americas since 1898 when the disease was first reported by Sanarelli in Uruguay3. In California, myxomatosis outbreaks have been reported in domestic rabbit colonies along the coast from San Diego County to San Mateo County4,5. The disease in the Oryctolagus spp. is acute and highly fatal. The native wild rabbits (Sylvilagus spp.) are more resistant, and some develop benign fibromatous tumours1. In California, the brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) has been shown to be a reservoir host of the virus5. The virus has been shown to be transmitted naturally by a mosquito vector6.
Ultradian rhythms in waking behavior of rhesus monkeys

The behavior of seven individually housed adult male rhesus monkeys was recorded by time-lapse video, 10 hr per day, for up to 5 days. Recordings were analyzed in 50 sec intervals for the presence or absence of 5 behavior, viz., ingestion, locomotion, exploration, self-grooming, and resting. Analyses were based on the number of 50 sec intervals per 5 min epoch in which each of these behaviors occurred. Variance spectra were computed on each behavior for each animal, and the significance of a prospectively predicted behavioral cyclicity in the frequency band of 12–18 cycles/day was explored with t tests for the group of monkeys. All 5 behaviors exhibited a statistically significant spectral peak as predicted. Significant cross-spectral relationships were found reflecting temporal relationships between ingestion, locomotion, exploration, and resting. The first 3 were in phase with one another and out-of-phase (reciprocal) with resting. Locomotion tended to precede exploration, and exploration to precede ingestion. These results suggest that the 12–24 cycles/day orality rhythm described earlier in monkeys is not discrete, but is one component of a more general 12–18 cycles/day behavioral cycle involving locomotion, exploration, and rest as well. Self-grooming, while perhaps cyclic, was not significantly related to the orality-locomotion-exploration complex.
Reactions of “Hot” Methyl Groups with Surface Hydrogen during CH3−I Bond Scission on Ni(111)

We have studied the reactions between submonolayer coverage amounts of methyl iodide and adsorbed hydrogen on Ni(111) using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HEELS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and low-energy ion scattering (LEIS). Methane is the only hydrocarbon product during TPD to 500 K and consists of original methyl groups plus one coadsorbed hydrogen atom. Methane desorbs in a sharp peak at about 150 K and in broader peaks at 230 and 260 K. The 150 K process does not occur for coadsorbed CH3 and H but rather involves abstractions of surface hydrogen atoms by nascent, unaccommodated methyl groups formed during CH3−I bond scission. The higher temperature bond formation processes involve accommodated methyl groups.
Optically‐controlled solid‐state plasma leaky‐wave antenna

In this paper, a 2D leaky-wave antenna is designed for millimeter-wave applications in the W band. We consider a method for scanning the antenna beam at a fixed frequency using optical control of the properties of a semiconductor waveguide. The analyses are done at 94 GHz using silicon, although other frequency ranges and materials are possible. Beam scanning is achieved by varying the density of an optically induced plasma, without otherwise modifying the antenna structure or changing the frequency. The steepest-descent approximation is used to calculate the far-field radiation pattern, where we show that the beam can be scanned over an approximately 30° range. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 450–453, 2003
AstraNet: An Active, Heirarchical-Star, Fiber Optic Ethernet

AstraNet* is a heirarchical, active-star configured, Ethernet-compatible, fiber optic local area network. The use of active nodes makes all fiber links in the network point-to-point in nature, permiting the use of cost. effective LEDs and PINs and assuring reliable collision detection. AstraNet's heirarchical topology significantly reduces the amount of optical fiber required, reducing both cable and installation costs. We describe the AstraNet architecture and modules and report the results of field trials involving up to 176 network ports and both wall and under-carpet outlets.
Do all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy require surgery for the correction of scoliosis

Do all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy require surgery for the correction of scoliosis?
A 110 GOPS/W 16-bit multiplier and reconfigurable PLA loop in 90-nm CMOS

This paper describes a 16 /spl times/ 16 bit single-cycle 2's complement multiplier with a reconfigurable PLA control block fabricated in 90-nm dual-V/sub t/ CMOS technology, operating at 1 GHz, 9 mW (measured at 1.3 V, 50/spl deg/C). Optimally tiled compressor tree architecture with radix-4 Booth encoding, arrival-profile aware completion adder and low clock power write-port flip-flop circuits enable a dense layout occupying 0.03 mm/sup 2/ while simultaneously achieving: 1) low compressor tree fan-outs and wiring complexity; 2) low active leakage power of 540 /spl mu/W and high noise tolerance with all high-V/sub t/ usage; 3) ultra low standby-mode power of 75 /spl mu/W and fast wake-up time of <1 cycle using PMOS sleep transistors; 4) scalable multiplier performance up to 1.5 GHz, 32 mW measured at 1.95 V, 50/spl deg/C, and (v) low-voltage mode multiplier performance of 50 MHz, 79/spl mu/W measured at 570 mV, 50/spl deg/C.
Age as a prognostic factor for recurrence in patients with endometrial carcinoma

Abstract Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate age as a prognostic factor for recurrence in endometrial cancer patients treated with primary surgery. Methods. Between 1983 and 1998, 455 endometrial cancer patients underwent primary surgery at our institution. Patients were divided into three age groups based on age at diagnosis: Group A (age n = 156), B (age 60–69, n = 147), and C (age ≥70, n = 152). Clinicopathologic, treatment factors, and outcome were compared among the three groups. Prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results. The three age groups had a similar distribution of most pathologic features including stage, histology, cervical involvement, positive cytology, adnexal involvement, nodal metastases, serosal involvement, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI). Older women had a higher rate, however, of deep (>1/2) myometrial invasion ( P P P = 0.08). A significant difference in DFS was seen when Groups A and B were combined and compared with Group C (72.0 vs 60.3%, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis confirmed the significance of race, stage, grade, and LVI. Age was not found to be associated with recurrence (HR 1.1, 95% C.I. 0.91–1.5, P = 0.21). Conclusion. Our results reveal that, in a large cohort of comparably staged and treated endometrial carcinoma patients, age is not a prognostic factor for recurrence.
Evaluation of the Potential Impact of Ebola Virus Genomic Drift on the Efficacy of Sequence-Based Candidate Therapeutics

Until recently, Ebola virus (EBOV) was a rarely encountered human pathogen that caused disease among small populations with extraordinarily high lethality. At the end of 2013, EBOV initiated an unprecedented disease outbreak in West Africa that is still ongoing and has already caused thousands of deaths. Recent studies revealed the genomic changes this particular EBOV variant undergoes over time during human-to-human transmission. Here we highlight the genomic changes that might negatively impact the efficacy of currently available EBOV sequence-based candidate therapeutics, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs), and antibodies. Ten of the observed mutations modify the sequence of the binding sites of monoclonal antibody (MAb) 13F6, MAb 1H3, MAb 6D8, MAb 13C6, and siRNA EK-1, VP24, and VP35 targets and might influence the binding efficacy of the sequence-based therapeutics, suggesting that their efficacy should be reevaluated against the currently circulating strain.
Supporting multi-fidelity-aware concurrent applications in dynamic sensor networks

Most existing research in wireless sensor networks focuses on optimally running a single application on top of a tailor-made and deployed network. However, as sensors become an integral part of our environments, we posit that sensor networks will be increasingly viewed as platforms that will be used to run several user applications simultaneously. Concurrently executing applications requires the network's resources to be shared across applications so as to make the best long-term utilization of the constrained devices and communications network. This resource sharing entails tradeoffs in the fidelity offered to individual applications. Fidelity is an application-dependent concept that can denote a variety of operational measures including communication latency, data quality, and redundancy. In this paper, we present a principled way to define the fidelity associated with an application given a particular allocation of the available resources. Given a desired set of applications to deploy, we also explore the impact of sharing resources among the applications in terms of fidelity degradation to individual applications. To this end, we provide an algorithm that determines the optimal subset of applications to deploy given the available resources and the potential impact on fidelity and evaluate it.
Bounds and self-consistent estimates for elastic constants of random polycrystals with hexagonal, trigonal, and tetragonal symmetries

Peselnick, Meister, and Watt have developed rigorous methods for bounding elastic constants of random polycrystals based on the Hashin-Shtrikman variational principles. In particular, a fairly complex set of equations that amounts to an algorithm has been presented previously for finding the bounds on effective elastic moduli for polycrystals having hexagonal, trigonal, and tetragonal symmetries. The more analytical approach developed here, although based on the same ideas, results in a new set of compact formulas for all the cases considered. Once these formulas have been established, it is then straightforward to perform what could be considered an analytic continuation of the formulas (into the region of parameter space between the bounds) that can subsequently be used to provide self-consistent estimates for the elastic constants in all cases. These self-consistent estimates are easily shown (essentially by construction) to lie within the bounds for all the choices of crystal symmetry considered. Estimates obtained this way are quite comparable to those found by the Gubernatis and Krumhansl CPA (coherent potential approximation), but do not require any computations of scattering coefficients.
Shopaholic: a crowd-sourced spatio-temporal product-deals evaluation system (demo paper)

The emergence of internet advertising, email marketing and social networking has given rise to a new world of digital advertising used by stores and consumers alike. While retailers aim to promote all types of products, consumers also want to share this information via social media. This paper presents Shopaholic, a system that leverages social media to provide information on trending deals and store sales in any given location. It is intended to help shoppers identify great deals from the vast amounts of data scattered among social networks. Personalized search results, visualization of trends and sentiment analysis provided by Shopaholic allow the user to identify optimal deals. The application accounts for spatial and temporal data via a customized ranking algorithm and features integration with Twitter so that the user can share his or her actual experience using a deal. Ultimately, the system gives back to the shopping community by allowing users to share their experiences and evaluations of deals. A recommendation algorithm uniquely identifies the user's tastes, shopping history and current location to provide deal suggestions, thereby integrating temporal and spatial entities in recommendations.
Bilateral carotid body tumors managed with preoperative embolization: A case report and review

A patient with large bilateral carotid body tumors had preoperative, superselective embolization of major arterial afferent vessels. After marked reduction in tumor vascularity, total surgical extirpation was then possible without significant morbidity or carotid sacrifice. The use of preoperative embolization in the treatment of large bilateral lesions is emphasized and discussed.
Differentiation of Lactobacillus helveticus strains using molecular typing methods

Abstract Three molecular typing methods: SDS-PAGE, amplification of the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) loci by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), were examined for their ability to type sixteen strains of Lactobadllus helveticus . Strains were grouped based on SDS-PAGE and ITS amplification patterns. All sixteen strains were distinguished by RAPD. Molecular typing methods allow rapid and relatively inexpensive ways to strain type L. helveticus and potentially other dairy lactobacilli.
From Conventional to Atypical Antipsychotics and Back: Dynamic Processes in the Diffusion of New Medications

OBJECTIVE: Between 1994 and 1997, the Food and Drug Administration approved three new atypical antipsychotic medications for the treatment of schizophrenia. The authors tracked prescription patterns for these medications, an atypical antipsychotic approved in 1989, and conventional neuroleptics in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to determine how the new drugs have diffused in a national health care system. METHOD: Pharmacy claims data were collected for all patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in the VA. Patients who received stable 3-month prescriptions of any antipsychotic medication were followed over fiscal year 2000 to determine how often they were switched to another drug, how much time elapsed before they were switched, the drug to which they were switched, and whether they subsequently switched back to the original drug. RESULTS: Of the 21,873 patients with schizophrenia who had stable 3-month prescriptions of any antipsychotic medication, 5,426 (25%) had their medications switched d...
Entrepreneurship by the Books

The history of invention and innovation makes clear the importance of entrepreneurship as a driver of economic growth. This is especially important today, when we face the twin challenges of developing new economic energy sources while avoiding the threat of global warming. Thus, it is essential that we provide potential entrepreneurs access to the less well-known insights provided by book learning in addition to the well-known lessons from learning by doing.