cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Challenges in Vaccinology

The development of vaccines, which prime the immune system to respond to future infections, has led to global declines in morbidity and mortality from dreadful infectious communicable diseases. However, many pathogens of public health importance are highly complex and/or rapidly evolving, posing unique challenges to vaccine development. Several of these challenges include an incomplete understanding of how immunity develops, host and pathogen genetic variability, and an increased societal skepticism regarding vaccine safety. In particular, new high-dimensional omics technologies, aided by bioinformatics, are driving new vaccine development (vaccinomics). Informed by recent insights into pathogen biology, host genetic diversity, and immunology, the increasing use of genomic approaches is leading to new models and understanding of host immune system responses that may provide solutions in the rapid development of novel vaccine candidates.
Therapeutic Yoga Is Feasible for Informal Caregivers: A Multi-Method Pilot Study

An informal caregiver (ICG) is an individual who provides care (unpaid) to a person with a disability or disease. ICGs report the extreme time spent as an ICG lowers their availability to participa...
Presynaptic Markers of Cholinergic Function in Cortex Following Ibotenic Acid Lesion of the Basal Forebrain

The large neurons of the magnocellular nucleus of the basal forebrain provide the maior extrinsic cholinergic innervation of the cerebral cortex1,2,3,4,5. The cells of origin form a diffusely localized cell group known as the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and are found in the region of the ventromedial portion of the globus pallidus, the substantia innominata and the preoptic magnocellular nucleus. These cells send widespread projections to the cerebral cortex and the amygdala. This cell group is of particular interest given the finding that an analogous system in the human, known as the nucleus basalis of Meynert, shows considerable damage in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)6• Lesions of the rat NBM provide an animal model that mimics some of the neurochemical pathology associated with AD.
Genetic pleiotropy and the shared pathological features of corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy: a case report and a review of the literature.

Though distinct pathological entities, corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) share multiple biochemical and genetic features suggesting overlapping pathophysiolog...
Soil properties after 36 years of N fertilization under continuous corn and corn-soybean management

Abstract. Modern agricultural systems rely on inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilization to enhance crop yields, but its overuse may negatively affect soil properties. Our objective was to investigate the effect of long-term N fertilization on key soil properties under continuous corn [Zea mays L.] (CCC) and both the corn (Cs) and soybean [Glycine max L. Merr.] (Sc) phases of a corn-soybean rotation. Research plots were established in 1981 with treatments arranged as a split-plot design in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot was crop rotation (CCC, Cs, and Sc), and the subplots were N fertilizer rates of 0 kg N ha−1 (N0, controls), and 202 kg N ha−1, and 269 kg N ha−1 (N202, and N269, respectively). After 36 years and within the CCC, the yearly addition of N269 compared to unfertilized controls significantly increased cation exchange capacity (CEC, 65 % higher under N269) and acidified the top 15 cm of the soil (pH 4.8 vs. pH 6.5). Soil organic matter (SOM) and total carbon stocks (TCs) were not affected by treatments, yet water aggregate stability (WAS) decreased by 6.7 % within the soybean phase of the CS rotation compared to CCC. Soil bulk density (BD) decreased with increased fertilization by 5 % from N0 to N269. Although ammonium (NH4+) did not differ by treatments, nitrate (NO3−) increased eight-fold with N269 compared to N0, implying increased nitrification. Soils of unfertilized controls under CCC have over twice the available phosphorus level (P) and 40 % more potassium (K) than the soils of fertilized plots (N202 and N269). On average, corn yields increased 60 % with N fertilization compared to N0. Likewise, under N0, rotated corn yielded 45 % more than CCC; the addition of N (N202 and N269) decreased the crop rotation benefit to 17 %. Our results indicated that due to the increased level of corn residues returned to the soil in fertilized systems, long-term N fertilization improved WAS and BD, yet not SOM, at the cost of significant soil acidification and greater risk of N leaching and increased nitrous oxide emissions.
Constitutive behavior of granular materials under high rate of uniaxial strain loading

Abstract The uniaxial compressive behavior of Colorado Mason sand at high strain rates was investigated on a split Hopkinson pressure bar. The sand grains were placed inside a hardened steel tube and end-capped by tungsten carbide rods. This assembly, with a desired bulk mass density for sand, was then sandwiched between incident and transmission bar ends for dynamic compression. Unsorted dry sand and partially saturated sand were impacted at high strain rates to determine the volumetric and deviatoric behavior. Quasi-static compression under the same confinement was also conducted to compare with the high strain rate data. The effect of initial mass density and moisture content level on the constitutive behavior was investigated. The constitutive behavior of dry sand was analyzed using a recently developed adaptive particle fracture algorithm implemented in the poly-ellipsoidal discrete element method, to further understand the mesoscale behavior of sand under high-rate compressive deformations.
Rebound of cyst number following discontinuation of guanabenz treatment for latent toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals. The parasite forms latent tissue cysts that are refractory to current treatments and give rise to life-threatening reactivated infection following immune suppression. Previously, we showed that guanabenz sharply reduces brain cyst count in BALB/c mice harboring latent toxoplasmosis; however, whether cyst count would change once drug treatment stopped was not addressed. In the present study, we observed a rebound in brain cysts following the discontinuation of guanabenz or a guanabenz-pyrimethamine combination therapy. The re-expansion of brain cysts was not accompanied by symptoms of acute toxoplasmosis. We also tested whether the rebound in cyst counts could be ameliorated by administering pyrimethamine during or after guanabenz treatment.
Engineering ligand-specific biosensors for aromatic amino acids and neurochemicals.

Summary Microbial biosensors have diverse applications in metabolic engineering and medicine. Specific and accurate quantification of chemical concentrations allows for adaptive regulation of enzymatic pathways and temporally precise expression of diagnostic reporters. Although biosensors should differentiate structurally similar ligands with distinct biological functions, such specific sensors are rarely found in nature and challenging to create. Using E. coli Nissle 1917, a generally regarded as safe microbe, we characterized two biosensor systems that promiscuously recognize aromatic amino acids or neurochemicals. To improve the sensors’ selectivity and sensitivity, we applied rational protein engineering by identifying and mutagenizing amino acid residues and successfully demonstrated the ligand-specific biosensors for phenylalanine, tyrosine, phenylethylamine, and tyramine. Additionally, our approach revealed insights into the uncharacterized structure of the FeaR regulator, including critical residues in ligand binding. These results lay the groundwork for developing kinetically adaptive microbes for diverse applications. A record of this paper’s transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
The Dynamic Cytology of the Thyroid Gland

Publisher Summary The thyroid is unique among the endocrine glands in that its secretory epithelial cells enclose an extracellular mass, the amorphous colloid, in addition to having at their basal poles the usual close relationship to the capillaries. This morphological arrangement is complemented by the unique ability of the thyroid follicle to utilize iodine as a component of its hormonal secretion. The structural arrangement indicates that hormone is secreted into the lumen where it may be stored. Metabolic processes concerned in the secretion and utilization of colloid can occur independently of the metabolism of iodine. After treatment with an antithyroid drug the colloid content of the follicle is depleted and if hypophysectomy is performed, colloid again begins to accumulate. This indicated that resorption and formation of colloid could occur under conditions in which iodine metabolism is inhibited. The effects of pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) on colloid metabolism are also separable from its effects on iodination. This concept receives further support from the biochemical analysis of the major protein constituent of the colloid, thyroglobulin.
Anomalies: Ritual and Language in Lethal Injection Regulations (2008)

The state lethal injection protocols do not regulate lethal injections, but instead describe hypothetical rituals meant to reassure the reader - whomever that might be - that a controlled and orderly process, in accordance with the rule of law, will take place. The protocols are public relations documents, not legitimate legal regulations. Their status of 'non-legal' documents, provisions without legal authority is evident from the fact that they apparently are not governed by state administrative procedure acts.
Sensor Technologies for Direct Health Monitoring of Tires

Structural health monitoring of tires is increasingly becoming very important and a number of studies have been or are being conducted to develop appropriate means to accomplish this very difficult task. A key to achieving this goal would be the development of appropriate sensors for predicting, and thus ultimately preventing, onset of failure in tires. The failure modes in tires are many and it may require a large number of sensors to detect onset of these failure modes. This article summarizes some of the sensors that are currently available for sensing strain in tires. Specifically, we review noncontacting sensors such as the sidewall torsion sensor, the developments of the Apollo project, a laser-sensing system, micropower impulse radar, ultrawideband (UWB) radar–based health monitoring, chromasonic sensors based on acoustic emission, acceleration sensing, force/friction sensing, and strain sensing. Keywords: capacitance-based sensing; fiber-optics-based sensing; smart tires; structural health monitoring; sensors
Evaluating survivability and costs of three virtual machine based server architectures

Virtual machine based services are becoming predominant in data centers or cloud computing since virtual machines can provide strong isolation and better monitoring for security purposes. While there are many promising security techniques based on virtual machines, it is not clear how significant the difference between various system architectures can be in term of survivability. In this paper, we analyze the survivability of three virtual machine based architectures — load balancing architecture, isolated service architecture, and BFT architecture. Both the survivability based on the availability and the survivability under sustained attacks for each architecture are analyzed. Furthermore, the costs of each architecture are compared. The results show that even if the same set of commercial off the shell (COTS) software are used, the performance of various service architectures are largely different in surviving attacks. Our results can be used as guidelines in the service architecture design when survivability to attacks is important.
Paper Memory: A Sixteenth‐Century Townsman Writes His World. By Matthew Lundin. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012. Pp. 352. $49.95.)

This book is an excellent example of microhistory. The author's story is about Hermann Weinsberg [1518–1597], a Catholic lawyer and city councilor in Cologne who devoted fifty years of his life to ...
Effects of a supported speed treadmill training exercise program on impairment and function for children with cerebral palsy.

Aim To compare the effects of a supported speed treadmill training exercise program (SSTTEP) with exercise on spasticity, strength, motor control, gait spatiotemporal parameters, gross motor skills, and physical function. Method Twenty-six children (14 males, 12 females; mean age 9y 6mo, SD 2y 2mo) with spastic cerebral palsy (CP; diplegia, n=12; triplegia, n=2; quadriplegia n=12; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II–IV) were randomly assigned to the SSTTEP or exercise (strengthening) group. After a twice daily, 2-week induction, children continued the intervention at home 5 days a week for 10 weeks. Data collected at baseline, after 12-weeks’ intervention, and 4 weeks after the intervention stopped included spasticity, motor control, and strength; gait spatiotemporal parameters; Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM); and Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI). Results Gait speed, cadence, and PODCI global scores improved, with no difference between groups. No significant changes were seen in spasticity, strength, motor control, GMFM scores, or PODCI transfers and mobility. Post-hoc testing showed that gains in gait speed and PODCI global scores were maintained in the SSTTEP group after withdrawal of the intervention. Interpretation Although our hypothesis that the SSTTEP group would have better outcomes was not supported, results are encouraging as children in both groups showed changes in function and gait. Only the SSTTEP group maintained gains after withdrawal of intervention.
Forest Management Guideline Development Through Consensus: Important Factors to Consider

Consensus forums are one method of dealing with controversial natural resource issues. Minnesota regulators learned numerous important lessons when they used a consensus-based approach to develop voluntary site-level forest management guidelines. These include: 1) take active steps to facilitate information sharing among team leaders, 2) select team members who can effectively represent their group's perspective, who are solution-oriented, and who can help shape a compromise, 3) be prepared for problems that will arise so that they don't bog down the process, 4) use field tours as a mechanism to educate participants and to test the practicality of proposed guidelines, and 5) build in flexibility to accommodate the range of considerations which affect guideline application.
Including Curriculum Content on Lesbian and Gay Issues.

Abstract This paper presents a rationale for requiring content on lesbian and gay issues in the social work curriculum. Recent research suggests that a considerable percentage of social workers possess homophobic attitudes. Some support exists for making education a tool to reduce negative attitudes toward the gay population. However, students are unlikely to receive adequate information about this population before they enter the social work curriculum. The goals of including content on lesbian and gay issues are to decrease homophobic attitudes and to prepare students to provide effective social work practice with lesbian and gay clients. Methods and resources for incorporating content on lesbian and gay issues in human behavior, direct practice, policy, community organization and research courses of the social work curriculum are presented.
Dynamic Behavior of the Coronal Streamer Belt

In addition to its solar cycle evolution, the coronal streamer belt that lies at the base of the heliospheric current sheet sometimes undergoes drastic changes in its configuration. What causes drastic changes of the global structure?
Semicontinuum model of saturation overshoot and gravity‐driven fingering in porous media

[1] Gravity-driven multiphase flow in porous media is observed to be unstable under certain conditions. This Saffman-Taylor instability is driven by an inversion of the water saturation profile known as saturation overshoot that standard continuum models forbid. We hypothesize that the overshoot and the large-scale instability are created by different pore-filling mechanisms and patterns at the discrete pore scale. We present a new model that bridges continuum-scale and pore level physics which predicts the observed dependence of overshoot on grain size and fluid properties of the invading liquid.
Countertransference Bias in the Child Custody Evaluator

Concerns about bias which may arise in the child custody evaluation process have recently attracted critical attention. The types of biases addressed are those that primarily stem from cognitive psychol- ogy, as well as social and cultural sources of bias. Rarely discussed, however, is bias which can stem from evaluator countertransference, which if unrecognized can potentially lead to biased and non-objec- tive recommendations. While one must strive to be objective and im- partial, child custody evaluators are frequently working with highly charged emotional issues which may interact with their own personal issues or past experiences. This article examines the types of counter- transference phenomenon which may arise in the child custody evalua- tion, and presents tips for identifying and managing such reactions. doi:10.1300/J190v04n03_04 (Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.)
Vitamin D deficiency versus non-accidental trauma: comment on "Rickets or abuse? A histologic comparison of rickets and child abuse-related fractures".

We read with great interest the study by Kepron and Pollanen [1] concerning a histologic comparison of rickets and child abuse-related fractures. Recently, numerous studies have attempted to find a reliable method of differentiating vitamin D deficiency from traumatic causes of fracture in young children, with some studies concluding that vitamin D insufficiency was not associated with multiple fractures or the diagnosis of child abuse [2], and that fractures seen in overt rickets do not resemble non-accidental trauma [3]. Despite this, determining the underlying cause of fractures in young children is still a clinical dilemma, as the metaphyseal abnormalities of rachitic bones can be difficult to distinguish from classic metaphyseal lesions, which are highly specific for non-accidental trauma. Moreover, both diagnoses can co-exist. We recently studied the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cause of fracture in young children. After IRB approval, we retrospectively reviewed all skeletal surveys performed over the last 10 years at our center. Of the 396 skeletal surveys performed, 99 were read to have possible non-accidental trauma. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were sent in 11 of these 99 cases, all in children under 1 year of age (Table 1). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 12.5 % in the children with no clinical suspicion of vitamin D deficiency (95 % binomial CI 0.003–0.524, 1 of 8 cases), and was likely not related to the underlying cause of fracture in that single case. Three of the children were highly suspected of having vitamin D deficiency from their clinical course (prolonged NICU stay, or documented rickets of prematurity). Thus it appears that routine screening of vitamin D levels after suspected non-accidental trauma with fracture is not routinely useful in children for whom there is low clinical suspicion of vitamin D deficiency, although on occasion there is overlap in the diagnoses (1 of our 8 cases). While not currently accessible in the routine hospital setting, a histologic comparison of bone changes, as performed by Kepron and Pollanen [1], could be of great value in helping clinicians determine the underlying cause of fracture in infants and children.
Insulin inhibits secretin-stimulated pancreatic bicarbonate output by a dose-dependent neurally mediated mechanism.

Although previous reports suggest interactions between endocrine and exocrine pancreas, insulin's effect on pancreatic exocrine function remains unclear. Chronic pancreatic fistulas were created in six dogs with innervated INN and five dogs with denervated (DEN) pancreata; these animals were studied using the euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp technique. After a 30-min unstimulated period, both groups received a 60-min 1.5 mU.kg-1.min-1 insulin (clamp) or vehicle (control) infusion. Intravenous secretin was then initiated at 16 ng.kg-1.h-1; the secretin dose was doubled every 30 min until 125 ng.kg-1.h-1 was achieved. These studies were then repeated in INN animals during infusion of a 10 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 atropine background. Finally, INN animals underwent a similar unstimulated period followed by a 1.25 mU.kg-1.min-1 insulin (clamp) or vehicle (control) infusion. after 60 min, a 64 ng.kg-1.h-1 secretin infusion was initiated. Insulin infusion was then increased by 0.25 mU.kg-1.min-1 at 30-min intervals until 2.0 mU.kg-1.min-1 was reached. Unstimulated (0-30 min) serum glucose and insulin levels and pancreatic bicarbonate and protein outputs did not differ between groups. Clamp (30-90 min) and stimulated (90-210 min) insulin were each significantly elevate in clamp groups (81.9 +/- 2.4 vs. 7.0 +/- 0.3 microU/ml, P < 0.001); glucose and bicarbonate were unchanged. Protein outputs during clamp (64 +/- 9 vs. 24 +/- 6 mg/10 min; P < 0.05) and secretin-stimulated (52 +/- 9 vs. 29 +/- 3 mg/10 min; P < 0.05) periods were diminished by atropine but were unaffected by insulin. Secretin-stimulated (90-210 min) bicarbonate output was diminished by insulin (0.03 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.31 +/- 0.05 meq/10 min; P < 0.003) in INN but not DEN animals; this effect was partially reversed by atropine. Dose-response studies demonstrated a threshold for insulin's inhibitory actions between 1.5 and 1.75 mU.kg-1.min-1. These data provide further evidence for exocrine-endocrine regulatory interactions and suggest that insulin may influence secretin's stimulation of ductal cell secretion by a mechanism that is at least partially cholinergic in character.
The thyroglossal duct cyst and respiratory failure in neonates: Case report and review of an unusual entity

Abstract Thyroglossal duct cysts are unusual neck lesions in neonates. Most cysts are first noticed in preschool-aged children as a small midline neck swelling, and can become infected causing inflammation, erythema, and external drainage. In this patient population respiratory symptoms are frequently part of the initial presentation, and respiratory failure due to cyst mass effect is often fatal in newborns. The case presented here is unusual in terms of age at presentation (4 days), type of infecting bacteria (GBS), rapid cyst enlargement, and prominent respiratory symptoms (previously unreported in cysts inferior to hyoid bone). Although rare, TGDCs should be included in the differential diagnosis of congenital neck masses or unexplained respiratory compromise in neonates, especially when the presentation includes positional, intermittent, or progressively worsening obstructive respiratory symptoms. As this case illustrates, infection of these cysts is common but does not always manifest with visible neck inflammation and swelling. With rapid diagnosis the potentially fatal complications of TGDCs can be avoided in neonatal patients.
Using Global Simulations to Relate the Three-Part Structure of Coronal Mass Ejections to In Situ Signatures

White-light observations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) often show the classic "three-part" structure consisting of (1) a bright front; (2) a dark cavity; and (3) a bright, compact core. It has proven difficult to unambiguously associate these features with in situ measurements of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), in all but a few cases. In this study we use a global MHD model to simulate the eruption and evolution of a CME out to 0.25 AU, allowing us to continuously track these features from the Sun and through the solar wind. Our results support the generally held view that the interplanetary flux rope corresponds to the dark cavity. We find that the bright front merges with solar wind material swept up by the ICME. Thus, the sheath material found ahead of fast ejecta is in fact composed from both ambient solar wind material, as well the bright front. We also note that, in this simulation, the bright front is formed from the overlying streamer configuration from within which the CME erupted and is not itself coronal material swept up during the early phase of the eruption. The conclusions reached in this study are undoubtedly sensitive to the initial configuration and mechanism used to initiate the CME, and thus care should be taken when using them to interpret specific observations. On the other hand, they provide a unique, unbroken connection between remote solar and interplanetary observations. Ultimately, detailed comparisons between observations and simulation results may be able to constrain or even rule out some mechanisms of CME initiation.
Influence of the composition of cement kiln dust on its interaction with fly ash and slag

Abstract Cement kiln dust (CKD), a by-product of the cement industry, contains significant amounts of alkali, free lime, chloride and sulfate. Wide variation reported in the chemical composition of CKDs limits their potential application as a sustainable binder component in concrete. In the current study, the performance of two different CKDs as components in a novel binder is evaluated. Several binders are developed by blending CKDs with fly ash or slag. Binders with 70% CKD were prepared at a water-to-binder ratio of 0.4, and heat-cured at 75 °C to accelerate the strength development. The hydration progress was monitored using X-ray diffraction, and morphological examination was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Ettringite and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) were identified as the main hydration products in the hardened binder system. Strength development of CKD-based binder was found to be significantly influenced by its free lime and sulfate contents.
Stimulated turnover of phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidate in normal and Duchenne-dystrophic human skin fibroblasts

Summary Concanavalin A, when added to 32 P-phosphate-prelabeled fibroblasts, led to increased incorporation into phosphatidate and a corresponding decrease into phosphatidylinositol. This result was consistent with stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol turnover cycle and was not observed when either epinephrine or acetylcholine were substituted for Concanavalin A, although both neurotransmitters stimulate turnover in certain other cell types. Concanavalin A did not affect phosphate incorporation into other phospholipids. The Concanavalin A-induced increase in phosphatidate radioactivity and decrease in phosphatidylinositol radioactivity was significantly greater in Duchenne-dystrophic cells when compared to normal ones. This result suggests a diminished rate of phosphatidylinositol resynthesis from phosphatidate in such cells.
Enhanced Electron Transport in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Short ZnO Nanotips on A Mirco-textured Metal Anode

Much attention has been directed towards the enhancement of electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) using one-dimensional nanoarchitectured semiconductors. However, the improvement resulting from these ordered 1-D nanostructured electrodes is often offset or diminished by the deterioration in other device parameters intrinsically associated with the use of these 1-D nanostrucutres, such as the two-sided effects of the length of the nanowires impacting the series resistance and roughness factor. In this work, we mitigate this problem by allocating part of the roughness factor to the collecting anode instead of imparting all the roughness factors onto the semiconductor layer. A microscopically rough Zn microtip array is used as an anode on which ZnO nanotips are grown to serve as the semiconductor component in a DSSC. For the same surface roughness factor, our Zn microtip/ZnO nanotip DSSC exhibits an enhanced fill factor compared to a corresponding planar anode supported ZnO nanowire DSSC. In addition, the open circuit voltage of the Zn-microtip|ZnO-nanotip DSSC is also enhanced due to a favorable band shift at the Zn-ZnO interface, which raises the quasi Fermi level of the semiconductor and consequently enlarges the energy gap between the quasi Fermi level of ZnO and the redox species. The overall improvement demonstrates a new fundamental approach to enhance the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells.
Recovery of hafnium radioisotopes from a proton irradiated tantalum target

The178m2Hf nucleus, with its long half-life (31 y) and high-spin isomeric state (16+) is desired for new and exotic nuclear physics studies. The Los Alamos Radioisotope Program irradiated a kilogram of natural tantalum at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility in early 1981. After fifteen years of decay, this target was ideal for the recovery of178m2Hf. There was more than a millicurie of178m2Hf produced during this irradiation and there has been a sufficient period of time for most of the other hafnium radioisotopes to decayed away. Traditionally, separation techniques for recovering hafnium isotopes from tantalum targets employ solvent extractions with reagents that are considered hazardous. These techniques are no longer condoned because they generate a mixed-waste (radioactive and hazardous components) that can not be treated for disposal. In this paper we describe a new and unique procedure for the recovery of hafnium radioisotopes from a highly radioactive, proton irradiated, tantalum target using reagents that do not contribute a hazardous waste component.
Analytical study of the subsonic wing-rock phenomenon for slender delta wings

An analytic expression describing the aerodynamic roll moment has been obtained from the numerical simulation of wing rock. This expression is used in the equation governing the rolling motion of a delta wing around its midspan axis. The result is used to construct phase planes, which reveal the general global nature of wing rock—stable limit cycles, unstable foci, saddle points, and domains of initial conditions leading to oscillatory motion and divergence. An asymptotic approximation to the solution of the governing equation is obtained; this result provides expressions for the amplitudes and frequencies of limit cycles. The present analysis provides a penetrating global view of the wing-rock phenomenon.
Role of a symptom-based algorithmic approach to chronic pelvic pain.

Abstract Objective: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a disorder that has a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. Laparoscopic diagnosis can be disappointing, and recurrence is common after surgical treatment. A symptom-based algorithmic approach to treatment of CPP is presented that is safe and cost-effective. Methods: This approach is oriented towards making a potential clinical diagnosis of endometriosis. It relies on a structured evaluation of the patient and administration of medical therapy including GnRH agonists to selected patients. Evaluation begins with a history and physical examination; selected cases receive specific therapy. Non-responders undergo appropriate laboratory and imaging studies. If results remain negative, it is possible to make a clinical diagnosis of endometriosis and begin empiric treatment. Results: Early results strongly indicate that using this approach allowed clinicians to make highly accurate diagnoses (correct in 85–90% of cases). Conclusion: Use of this approach will minimize the need for surgery.
Steady-State Reflectance Spectroscopy Used to Quantify Hemodynamic and Optical Properties of Tissue: Demonstration of Heterogeneities of Human Prostrates

Heterogeneities in hemoglobin derivative concentrations and light scattering properties taken from ex vivo human prostate glands are demonstrated by using steady-state, single source-detector separation (1-3 cm) reflectance spectroscopy.
Livedo Vasculitis (The Vasculitis of Atrophie Blanche): Immunohistopathologic Study

Hyalinizing segmental vasculitis or livedo vasculitis (atrophie blanche) is a clinical entity with a distinctive immunohistopathologic morphology that can be distinguished from other forms of cutaneous vasculitis by histologic and direct immunofluorescent studies. Our studies showed that immunoglobulins and complement components (C1q, C3, and properdin) were localized in diseased vessel walls, suggesting an immune pathogenesis.
Laminate wrinkling scaling laws for ideal composites

Abstract For the double diaphragm forming process, laminate wrinkling is a major failure mode for both thermoplastic and thermoset composites. In this paper, we compare experimental observations on the wrinkling of aligned fibre thermoset composites with theoretical scaling laws based on ideal kinematics (i.e. constant interfibre spacing and constant thickness). Differences between the ideal predictions and actual results are explained in terms of deviations from ideal kinematics. Differences between thermoplastic and thermoset composites are discussed, and an empirical scaling law for the effect of part size on wrinkling is given.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF CATFISH IN THE U.S. MARKET: A CONSTANT MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Using ‘Constant Market Share’ analysis, we have decomposed the growth of catfish exports of major catfish exporting countries to the United States (U.S.) into structural, competitive and second-order effects and their sub-components. We have also studied competitiveness of the U.S. farm-raised catfish in the domestic market. The U.S. farm-raised catfish industry could not harvest the benefits of the supply-demand gap created in the U.S. due the shift of Vietnam's catfish exports away from the U.S. after 2003; however, China and Thailand and also some other catfish exporting countries derived the greatest extent of the benefits. Decline in the competitiveness of Vietnam's catfish exports to the United States has made China and Thailand catfish more competitive in the U.S. market. The benefits of increased demand for total fisheries products at the world level to the U.S. catfish industry have been marginalized by decline in competitiveness of the U.S. farm-raised catfish in domestic market.
Work in progress - External assessment through peer-to-peer evaluation of capstone projects

In 2006, the University of St. Thomas, Rowan University, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) completed an inaugural peer-to-peer assessment of final reports prepared by students during a capstone design course. The preliminary feedback has provided valuable information for modifying and improving the course. In addition, the results clearly indicate a need for refining the peer-to-peer assessment process to account for differences in curriculum and resources between the participating universities. Faculty are currently revising the evaluation process to develop a common assessment tool to enable inter-university benchmarking of student learning and performance. The updated process will provide a valuable tool in achieving external program assessment. Furthermore, the evaluation provides an avenue for sharing "best practices" amongst the faculty at participating schools.
Acetic acid as an irritant in pyrethrum extracts

Highly active dermatitis-producing concentrates have been obtained from pyrethrum flowers by ether extraction and by steam distillation, followed by further fractionation. The most active fractions have been found to be rich in acetic acid, previously unreported in pyrethrum. The suggestion is made that acetic acid contributes to the dermatitis-producing properties of pyrethrum extracts.
The Development and Behavior of Populations of Diabrotica 11-Punctata in Foothill Areas of California

The western spotted cucumber beetle, Diabrotica 11-punctata Mannerheim, is at times a serious local pest of deciduous stone fruits (Michelbacher el al. , 1941, 1943). An attempt is made here to delimit the factors influencing the population fluctuations of this species in relation to infestations in deciduous fruit orchards. The problem of infestations in field and vegetable crops is not comparable to this situation.
Superfuid-insulator transitions at noninteger filling in optical lattices of fermionic atoms

We determine the superfluid transition temperatures $T_c$ and the ground states of the attractive Hubbard model and find new insulating phases associated with non-integer filling at sufficiently strong pairing attraction $|U|$. These states, distinct from band and Mott insulating phases, derive from pair localization; pair hopping at large $|U|$ and high densities is impeded by inter-site, inter-pair repulsive interactions. The best way to detect the breakdown of superfluidity is using fermionic optical lattices which should reveal new forms of ``bosonic'' order, reflecting ground state pairing without condensation.
On the general form of the direct linearization for nonlinear evolution equations

Abstract We study the problem of generating the direct linearization for the nonlinear evolution equation, proposed by Fokas and Ablowitz, to a more general form. It leads us to discover the existences of classical rational conformal fields for some integrable systems. We also discuss the relationship between this general direct linearization method and the Riemann-Hilbert transform method. We may use this relationship to induce new solutions to nonlinear evolution equations.
Beach and sea-cliff dynamics as a driver of long-term rocky coastline evolution and stability

We investigate rocky coastline evolution over millennial time scales using exploratory analytical and numerical models based on interactions between beaches and sea cliffs. In the models, wave-driven sea-cliff retreat is a nonlinear function of beach width, where cliff retreat is maximized by sediment abrasion and minimized by either a lack of beach sediment or too much sediment (which prevents waves from reaching the sea cliff). As sea cliffs retreat, beach sediment is produced and distributed alongshore by wave-driven sediment transport, and local beach widths determine future cliff retreat rates. Numerical experiments indicate that through such interactions, rocky coastlines can reach an equilibrium configuration where headlands and embayments remain stable through time, even in the absence of alongshore variations in sea-cliff lithology. Furthermore, the equilibrium coastline configuration, or the alongshore proportion of rocky headland to cliff-backed pocket beach, can be predicted analytically. Initial tests suggest that predictions match well qualitatively with actual landscapes.
A Strategy Approach for Quality Management in a Global Environment: The Systems Approach to Project Quality

ABSTRACTFor quality management to successfully lead a company in the global environment, a comprehensive approach to product quality is required. The systems approach to product quality provides a philosophy and an action plan that can bring a company to a world-class level and sustain it there. The basis of this article is normative, but observations from the field of quality management support the conclusions. The systems approach incorporates the strategic advantages of many of the more recent quality management techniques and also introduces compatibility and availability as important dimensions of product quality. Compatibility is a dimension of product quality that pertains primarily to dynamic systems and is particularly significant with today's rapidly changing state of the art. Availability is also positively associated with optimal quality in the systems sense. Both dimensions are examined in terms of the strategic advantages they contribute to products designed for the global marketplace, and t...
Autoinhibition and autoactivation of the DNA replication checkpoint kinase Cds1.

Cds1 is the ortholog of Chk2 and the major effector of the DNA replication checkpoint in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Previous studies have shown that Cds1 is activated by a two-stage mechanism. In the priming stage, the sensor kinase Rad3 and the mediator Mrc1 function to phosphorylate a threonine residue, Thr11, in the SQ/TQ domain of Cds1. In the autoactivation stage, primed Cds1 molecules dimerize via intermolecular interactions between the phosphorylated Thr11 in one Cds1 and the forkhead-associated domain of the other. Dimerization activates Cds1, probably by promoting autophosphorylation. To define the mechanisms for the autoactivation of primed Cds1 and the regulation of this process, we carried out genetic and biochemical studies to identify phosphorylatable residues required for checkpoint activation. Our data indicate that dimerization of Cds1 promotes trans-autophosphorylation of a number of residues in the catalytic domain, but phosphorylation of a highly conserved threonine residue (Thr328) in the activation loop is the only covalent modification required for kinase activation in vitro and in vivo. Autophosphorylation of Thr328 and kinase activation in unprimed, monomeric Cds1 are strongly inhibited by the C-terminal 27-amino acid tail of the enzyme. This autoinhibitory effect may play an important role in preventing spontaneous activation of the replication checkpoint during normal cell cycles. The two-stage activation pathway and the autoinhibition mechanism, which are probably shared by other members of the Chk2 family, provide sensitivity, specificity, and noise immunity, properties required for the replication checkpoint.
Chondroma of the tongue

A case of lingual chondroma is presented, along with the pertinent light and electron microscopy findings. The literature on lingual chondromas has been reviewed, and the pertinent clinical features are discussed and compared with those of other hard lingual tumors, the osteoma and osteochondroma.
The chromosome cycle of a primitive cecidomyiid — Mycophila speyeri

1. The chromosome cycle of the primitive cecidomyiid Mycophila speyeri has three features also found in more specialized cecidomyiids: a large number of chromosomes in the germ-line, chromosome elimination from future somatic cells, and chromosome elimination in spermatogenesis. However, sexual oogenesis lacks the unusual features found in other cecidomyiids, and instead there is normal chromosome pairing and segregation. The studies on male and female meiosis suggest that sexual progeny begin development with fewer chromosomes than their parents possessed, and therefore a compensatory increase in chromosome number probably occurs during early cleavage in sexual progeny. 2. Two cytologically distinguishable patterns of chromosome elimination in cleavage are described, one of which has not been reported previously. 3. The evolutionary origin of the cecidomyiid chromosome cycle is discussed in the light of these results. It is concluded that the essential innovation in the ancestral group was an increase in chromosome number, possibly by polyploidy, and that chromosome elimination in cleavage and spermatogenesis made possible the perpetuation of this elevated chromosome number. Modifications of oogenesis are viewed as secondary adaptions not present in the early cecidomyiid stock.
Selective changes in the phosphorylation of endogenous proteins in subcellular fractions from cyclic AMP-induced differentiated neuroblastoma cells.

The endogenous phosphorylation of specific proteins was studied in subcellular fractions from proliferating and cAMP-induced differentiated neuroblastoma cells. Fractions containing nuclear, membrane-bound, and cytosolic proteins were incubated with [γ-32P]ATP, in the presence and absence of added cyclic nucleotides. Phosphate incorporation into specific proteins was determined by slab-gel electrophoresis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized reaction products. Cytosol fractions from differentiated cells demonstrated a twofold increase in cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of a specific protein with apparent mol wt of 59,000 daltons and a comparable decrease in cAMP-independent phosphorylation of another protein (97,000). The nuclear fraction of differentiated cells showed an increase in the cAMP-independent phosphorylation of two nonhistone proteins (110,000 and 102,000). Membrane fractions from differentiated cells exhibited a differential decrease in endogenous phosphorylation of specific proteins. Selective alterations in the phosphorylation of specific proteins in various subcellular components may be important biochemical events associated with the increased levels of differentiated functions in neuroblastoma cells in culture.
Study of low-resistivity oxides on Pt/MgO

Abstract Highly crystalline SrRuO3 (SRO) and La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (LSCO) thin films were deposited on Pt/MgO(100) by pulsed laser deposition. The films were mainly (001) textured normal to the substrate surface with a high degree of in-plane orientation with respect to the substrate's major axes. These films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering, four-point probe resistivity measurement and transmission electron microscopy. The room-temperature resistivities for LSCO and SRO films on Pt/MgO were found to be 35 and 40μωcm respectively. Ion beam minimum channelling yields of 43 and 33% were obtained for LSCO and SRO films respectively. The interface between Pt and oxide was found to be smooth and free from any interfacial diffusion. This result showed that high-quality low-resistivity oxide thin films can be deposited on Pt.
Geometrical acoustics and transonic helicopter sound

A new method is presented for predicting the impulsive noise generated by a transonic rotor blade. The method is a combined approach involving computational fluid dynamics and geometrical acoustics. A full-potential finite-difference method is used to obtain the pressure field close to the blade. A Kirchhoff integral formulation is then used to extend these finite-difference results into the far field. This Kirchhoff formula is based on geometrical acoustics approximations. It requires initial data across a plane at the sonic radius in a blade-fixed coordinate system. This data is provided by the finite-difference solution. Acoustic pressure predictions show good agreement with hover experimental data for cases with hover tip Mach numbers of 0.88 through 0.96. The cases above 0.92 tip Mach number are dominated by non-linear transonic effects seen as strong shocks on and off the blade tip. This paper gives the first successful predictions of far-field acoustic pressures for high-speed impulsive noise over a range of Mach numbers after delocalization.
Comparison of At-home and In-office Tooth Whitening Using a Novel Shade Guide

Clinical Relevance Five days of at-home whitening with 10% carbamide peroxide (eight hours/day) produces a similar tooth whitening result as one in-office treatment with 25% hydrogen peroxide (one ...
Arteriovenous fistula complicating renal transplantation.

Abstract A case of arteriovenous fistula of the major transplant vessels contributing to posttransplant hypertension and severe microangiopathic hemolytic anemia is reported. Improvement in blood pressure and correction of anemia followed ligation of the fistula. This case reinforces the need for diagnostic evaluation of all patients with sustained post-transplant hypertension.
A Second-Law Analysis of Thermoelastic Damping

In accordance with the Thomson effect (Thomson, 1853), when a thermoelastic solid is subjected to a tensile stress, it cools. Similarly, when a homogeneous material is subjected to an inhomogeneous stress field or when an heterogeneous material is subjected to any stress field (homogeneous or inhomogeneous), different parts of the material undergo different temperature changes. As a result irreversible heat conduction occurs and entropy is produced. In this paper we take the second law of thermodynamics as our starting point and develop a general theory for calculating the thermoelastic damping from the entropy produced.