cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discriminating Composite Panels by Use of a Spectral Reflectometer

Carbon fibers are being increasingly used in composites for aircraft. They are bound together with a binder, often an epoxy. There are many grades of binders, and many different types of composites sold on the market. They are expensive. We have some donated materials of unknown type, and would like to be able to be cost-effective and use them without incurring a large cost to analyze the materials using laboratory methods. Visual inspection is not normally sufficiently accurate to be able to tell one composite from another. Optical methods that involve a broader spectrum have commonly been used to discriminate organic materials. A five-band spectral reflectometer is used to measure reflectivity of the surfaces, and is a simple way of extracting data into the infrared bands. The instrument used in these tests is less resolved than a narrow band spectrometer, but is easier to deploy because it is a hand-held device that only requires a flat surface of approximately 3 cm diameter.Reflectivity of many different composite materials, including a bismaleimide, several thermoset epoxies, and some low temperature epoxies from various manufacturers is measured. Other materials are also included to demonstrate that non-composites can be rejected by the methods. Analysis shows that the reflectometer measurements are capable of discriminating some materials, but have difficulty with discriminating others. The raw reflectivity data are likely to be helpful for future radiation modeling of composite surfaces.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The role of tryptophan cation–pi interactions on ammonia transport through the AmtB ammonia channel

Abstract. The high-resolution structure of Escherichia coli AmtB ammonia/ammonium channel and proteoliposome functional analysis has provided sufficient information to propose a permeation theory for this integral membrane channel protein. The role of cation–pi interactions at the periplasmic vestibule of the channel is proposed and integrated with molecular and quantum mechanical dynamics simulations and calculations. The structural and simulation data closely reinforce each other and point to cation–pi interactions as one of the primary mechanisms of ligand recruitment within the channel vestibule.
Congenital rubella surveillance following epidemic rubella in a partially vaccinated community

Epidemic rubella occurred in Casper, Wyo., nine months after completion of a community-wide rubella vaccination program for children under 12 years of age; 84 per cent of the 1,039 reported cases were in unvaccinated teenagers. Surveillance of all 830 pregnant women and their newborn infants in Casper was conducted during the nine months following the epidemic to document the impact of that epidemic of these pregnant women and to determine whether the previous rubella vaccination effort had altered the risk of congenital infection and malformation of the unborn fetus. Twenty per cent of the pregnant women in Casper were susceptible to rubella at the time of the epidemic. Twenty-four women had serologically documented prenatal rubella infections—seven clinical and 17 inapparent. Two infants had rubella IgM positive umbilical cord serum specimens consistent with congenital rubella infection but no infant was born with congenital defects. There was no increase in stillbirths or abortions. Rubella vaccine-induced immunity, althouhg not adequate to prevent this epidemic, probably reduced the occurrence of fetal infection and congenital malformations.
On a modified form of Parzen estimator for nonparametric pattern recognition

Abstract The use of Bayesian Strategy in pattern recognition problems involves the estimation of probability density function of each of the categories of patterns. If the functional forms of the density functions are not known, the estimation has to be done nonparametrically. A commonly used nonparametric density estimator makes use of the weighting function technique, developed for the one dimensional case by Parzen and later extended to the multi-dimensional case by Murthy. Several authors (Shanmugam, Koontz and Fukunaga, and Duin) have suggested modified forms of Parzen estimator for a variety of applications. In this paper, we derive a form of Parzen estimator which uses a data dependent smoothing matrix and a Gaussian weighting function. We show that this form of Parzen estimator has some desirable parametric properties. We also establish that the estimator is asymptotically consistent.
Polymer and oligomer melts: Thermodynamics, correlations, and lattice-hole theory

We discuss the position of lattice hole theories in the original Simha-Somcynsky formulation and modifications by Nies, Stroeks and Xie, as applied to a series of mixed systems, of the intermolecular as well as the intramolecular type. The former encompass molecular mixtures of low and high molar mass constituents, and also composites. The latter include statistical copolymers as well as oligomers with their distinctive terminal and internal constituent groups. An important ingredient of these theories is the temperature and volume dependent hole fraction, obtained by the minimization of the configurational free energy. It has the character of a free volume quantity and is shown to bear a close relation to the free volume fraction extracted from positron probe spectroscopy. Its importance is implicit in the above applications. It is explicit in problems of phase relations and in correlations between surface tension and bulk properties of polymer and oligomer melts. Its significance for transport processes in the melt was pointed out by Utracki, and subsequently for viscoelastic processes in melt and glass, by several authors.
The Physician and the Internet

The Internet is one of the greatest developments in informational exchange during the past century. It allows almost anyone to access information available throughout the world. Nonetheless, the Internet is often misunderstood by physicians. It can be considered a super computer network that allows users to transfer a wide variety of information at a low cost. The information can be transferred through functions such as electronic mail, file transfer protocols, the Usenet, or the most widely recognized World Wide Web. Electronic mail functions like the usual postal service but is carried through the Internet, and delivery is usually within the hour. It can serve as a method of communication between physicians and patients. File transfer protocols function as a method for transferring large amounts of information such as software through the Internet. The Usenet acts like an international bulletin board service, allowing users anywhere to post messages and to respond to messages from other users. Several patient support groups have Usenet sites for exchanging specific disease information. The World Wide Web has received the greatest attention because most of the information on the Internet is text, sound, or pictures. Numerous medical organizations have established Web sites. This article attempts to describe each of these functions and the benefits to physicians.
Studies in the hydrophylic properties of possible ointment base constituents. V. The isomeric eicosanols

A series of isomeric eicosanols were synthesized. The water numbers of these compounds were determined as well as their effect on the surface and interfacial tensions of a mineral oil-water system. The 1-, 2-, and 4-eicosanols exhibit some desirable properties that merit further investigation as to their use in ointment bases. The 6-, 8-, and 10-eicosanols showed little, if any, emulsifying properties.
Performance bounds on optimal watermark synchronizers

The inability of existing countermeasures to consistently cope against localized geometric attacks has precluded the widespread acceptance of image watermarking for commercial applications. The efficiency of these attacks against the so-called spread spectrum methods resides in their ability to affect the synchronization between the watermark reference and the extracted watermark at the detector end. In systems based on quantization schemes, geometric attacks have the effect of moving the watermark vector away from its actual quantization centroid, thus causing the watermark decoder to output wrong message symbols. In this paper, our goal is to gain a better understanding of the challenges imposed by the watermark synchronization problem in the context of localized geometric attacks. For that matter, we propose a model for the watermark synchronization problem based on maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation techniques. In that way, we derive theoretically optimal watermark synchronizer structures for either blind or non-blind schemes and based on the Cramer-Rao inequality we set lower bounds on the variance of these attack parameter estimates as a means to assess the accuracy of such synchronizers.
Urinary exosome miRNome analysis and its applications to salt sensitivity of blood pressure.

Abstract Objectives To investigate microRNAs (miRNAs) in urinary exosomes and their association with an individual's blood pressure response to dietary salt intake. Design and methods Human urinary exosomal miRNome was examined by microarray. Results Of 1898 probes tested, 194 miRNAs were found in all subjects tested. 45 miRNAs had significant associations with salt sensitivity or inverse salt sensitivity. Conclusion The expression of 45 urinary exosomal miRNAs associates with an individual's blood pressure response to sodium.
Optical frequency up-conversion by supercontinuum-free widely- tunable fiber-optic Cherenkov radiation

Spectrally-isolated narrowband Cherenkov radiation from commercial nonlinear photonic crystal fibers is demonstrated as an ultrafast optical source with a visible tuning range of 485–690 nm, which complementarily extends the near-infrared tuning range of 690–1020 nm from the corresponding femtosecond Ti:sapphire pump laser. Pump-to-signal conversion efficiency routinely surpasses 10%, enabling multimilliwatt visible output across the entire tuning range. Appropriate selection of fiber parameters and pumping conditions efficiently suppresses the supercontinuum generation typically associated with Cherenkov radiation.
Noninvasive diagnosis of acute cellular rejection in liver transplant recipients: A proteomic signature validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay†

The diagnosis of acute cellular rejection (ACR) requires liver biopsy with its attendant expense and risk. Our first aim was to prospectively determine in an exploratory analysis whether there is a serum proteome signature associated with histologically confirmed ACR. Our second aim was to use simpler and faster enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based assays for proteins identified as differentially abundant in the proteomic analysis to identify patients with ACR in a separate validation cohort. We used sequential high-abundance protein depletion and isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to characterize the serum proteome in serum samples of patients with or without ACR. Seven of the 41 proteins identified as differentially abundant [serum amyloid A, complement component 4 (C4), fibrinogen, complement component 1q (C1q), complement component 3, heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), and HSP70] could be measured with ELISA-based assays in a validation cohort consisting of patients with ACR (n = 25) and patients without ACR (n = 21). The mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with ACR and in patients without ACR were 198 ± 27 and 153 ± 34 U/L, respectively. Among the 7 proteins for which ELISA assays were available, C4 and C1q were both independent predictors of ACR. C4 had the greatest predictivity for differentiating patients with or without ACR. A C4 level ≤ 0.31 g/L had a sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 62%, a positive predictive value of 74%, and a negative predictive value of 94%. A C4 level ≤ 0.31 g/L and an ALT level ≥ 70 IU/mL together had a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 81%, a positive predictive value of 86%, and a negative predictive value of 94%. In summary, in this exploratory analysis, serum C4 and ALT levels were highly predictive of ACR in liver transplant recipients. Confirmation in a prospective, larger, and diverse population is needed.
Development and validation of a Western immunoblot assay for detection of antibodies to porcine endogenous retrovirus.

Background. Reports that pig endogenous retrovirus (PERV) infects human cells in vitro have heightened the importance of molecular and serologic monitoring of xenograft recipients for evidence of infection with PERV. We report the development and validation of a PERV-specific Western immunoblot assay for the diagnostic testing of porcine xenografts recipients. This assay is based upon the serological cross-reactivity observed between PERV variants capable of infecting human cells in vitro and other mammalian C type retroviruses. Methods and Results. Strong reactivity between PERV expressing embryonic pig kidney PK-15 cells and antisera raised against whole virus preparations of murine leukemia virus, gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV), and simian sarcoma-associated virus was demonstrated by an immunofluorescence assay, suggesting specific antigenic cross-reactivity between this group of viruses and PERV. Western immunoblot analysis demonstrated that anti-GALV antisera reacted with three proteins in PK-15 cells having molecular masses of 30, 55, and 66 kDa. Antisera specific for the Gag proteins of either GALV or simian sarcoma-associated virus reacted with the 30-kDa (major) and 55-kDa (minor) proteins present in PK-15 cells and in PERV-infected 293 human kidney cells, likely representing reactivity to the processed and precursor forms of the PERV Gag protein, respectively. No reactivity was seen in uninfected 293 cells. Analysis of plasma samples from 200 United States blood donors and from 58 human immunodeficiency virus-1, 18 human immunodeficiency virus-2, 13 human T-cell lymphotrophic virus-I, 21 human T-cell lymphotrophic virus-II, and 15 cytomegalovirus infected controls were negative. Conclusions. As this assay is based on PERV antigen derived from infected human cells, it clearly has the capacity to detect a serologic response towards PERV variants that have zoonotic potential and will allow for the accurate determination of PERV-specific seroreactivity in porcine xenograft recipients.
Mitral and Aortic Valve Orifice Area in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Congestive Cardiomyopathy: Determination by Two Dimensional Echocardiography

Abstract Previous determinations of normal valve orifice areas have been mainly from postmortem studies. In this study mitral and aortic valve orifice area were determined from two dimensional echocardiograms in 20 normal subjects and 20 patients with congestive cardiomyopathy. Mitral valve orifice area was larger than quoted in standard textbooks. Both mitral and aortic valve orifice area were reduced in patients with cardiomyopathy. Valve opening was assessed relative to left ventricular and aortic root size. The ratio of mitral valve orifice area to left ventricular cross-sectional area was markedly reduced in patients with cardiomyopathy compared with normal subjects. The ratio of aortic valve orifice area to aortic root size also was reduced in patients with cardiomyopathy. Anterior mitral leaflet E point-septal separation was similar to that in previous reports contrasting normal subjects with patients with myopathy. Among patients with cardiomyopathy, mitral E point-septal separation was primarily a function of left ventricular size and was not significantly correlated with fractional shortening or ejection fraction within this group having uniformly poor systolic function.
Coherent structure dynamics in near-wall turbulence

The regeneration and dynamics of near-wall longitudinal vortices – which dominate turbulence production, drag, and heat transfer – are analyzed using direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow. These dominant streamwise vortices are shown to result from nonlinear saturation of an instability of lifted low-speed streaks near a single wall, free from any initial vortex. The newly-found instability mechanism initiates streak waviness in the (x,z) plane, generating streamwise vorticity sheets. Streak waviness in turn induces positive ∂u/∂x (i.e. positive VISA), which causes these sheets' vorticity to then concentrate via stretching (rather than roll up) into new streamwise vortices. The instability requires sufficiently strong streaks (y circulation per unit x > 7.6 wall units) and is inviscid in nature, despite the close proximity of the no-slip wall. We find that self-annihilation of streaks due to viscous cross-diffusion of opposite-signed wall normal vorticity across each streak causes the instability amplification to scale in wall units, suggesting the relevance of our results to high Re as well. Significantly, the strongly 3D vortices generated by streak instability agree well with the CS educed from fully turbulent flow, suggesting the prevalence of this streak instability-based vortex formation mechanism. Simultaneous to vortex generation, an internal shear layer is generated across the streak from each streamwise vortex by stretching of spanwise vorticity. Such a shear layer eventually rolls up at the downstream end of a streamwise vortex, and the two link up and propagate outward to form a spanwise "arch" vortex. The newly generated streamwise vortices act to sustain/strengthen the preexisting streak which spawned them through localized lifting of near-wall fluid by induction. We develop a new spatiotemporal vortex generation mechanism, in which vortices leave behind "vortex-less" streaks, whose instability, due to the mechanism explained herein, initiates streamwise vortex formation.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies in the Selection-Recruitment Interview

A model is presented in which it is proposed that interviewers' pre-interview evaluations of applicants tend to be self-fulfilling. These self-fulfilling effects are mediated by both the tendency of interviewers to convey their opinions of the interviewee in their conduct of the interview and their tendency to notice, recall, and interpret information in a manner that is consistent with pre-interview evaluations. Possible moderators of the effects of pre-interview evaluations also are discussed.
Efficient yarn-based cloth with adaptive contact linearization

Yarn-based cloth simulation can improve visual quality but at high computational costs due to the reliance on numerous persistent yarn-yarn contacts to generate material behavior. Finding so many contacts in densely interlinked geometry is a pathological case for traditional collision detection, and the sheer number of contact interactions makes contact processing the simulation bottleneck. In this paper, we propose a method for approximating penalty-based contact forces in yarn-yarn collisions by computing the exact contact response at one time step, then using a rotated linear force model to approximate forces in nearby deformed configurations. Because contacts internal to the cloth exhibit good temporal coherence, sufficient accuracy can be obtained with infrequent updates to the approximation, which are done adaptively in space and time. Furthermore, by tracking contact models we reduce the time to detect new contacts. The end result is a 7- to 9-fold speedup in contact processing and a 4- to 5-fold overall speedup, enabling simulation of character-scale garments.
Rapid variation in epilayer threading dislocation density near x = 0·4 in GexSi1−x on (100) Si

Abstract A sharp increase in the number of dislocations threading from the heterointerface to the growth surface has been observed when the Ge content is increased (and consequently the critical thickness decreased) at about x=0·4 in Gex Si1−x single epilayers grown on (100) Si. This increase by a factor of 60 times seems to be due to the change in glide behaviour of epithreading dislocations associated with interfacial misfit dislocations with thickness. The threading density difference persists in layers of equal thickness but differing Ge content to thicknesses well above critical.
Two-Photon Resonant Four-Wave Mixing And Multiphoton Ionization Of Cesium In A Heat Pipe Oven

Optical pumping of cesium vapor in a heat pipe oven in which the energy of two near-infrared photons is close to the 6D states results in high conversion efficiency (up to 1.7%) of the near-infrared pump light to intense blue, forward-propagating radiation. The blue light corresponds to the 7P-6S transition. The dependence of conversion efficiency upon focusing conditions, cell length, and pump intensity is presented. Absorption and gain coefficients are measured in a second heat pipe. The results are discussed in terms of optically pumped stimulated emission (OPSE), stimulated electronic Raman scattering (SERS), and subsequent nonlinear four-wave mixing of two pump-laser photons and one SERS or OPSE infrared photon leading to parametric generation at w = 2WL -wiR.
Control theory and type A behaviour.

As a test of ‘control theory’, 75 Type A/B undergraduates completed a multidimensional health locus-of-control measure. Type A behaviour correlated significantly with beliefs regarding personal control over health, but not with beliefs regarding chance or powerful others. These findings suggest Type As' desire for control is multidimensional.
Optimization of a fuzzy C-means approach to determining probability of lesion malignancy and quantifying lesion enhancement heterogeneity in breast DCE-MRI

Previous research has shown that a fuzzy C-means (FCM) approach to computerized lesion analysis has the potential to aid radiologists in the interpretation of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) breast exams. 1, 2 Our purpose in this study was to optimize the performance of the FCM approach with respect to binary (benign/malignant) breast lesion classification in DCE-MRI. We used both raw (calculated from kinetic data points) and empirically fitted 3 kinetic features for this study. FCM was used to automatically select a characteristic kinetic curve (CKC) based on intensity-time point data of voxels within each lesion, using four different kinetic criteria: (1) maximum initial enhancement, (2) minimum shape index, (3) maximum washout, and (4) minimum time to peak. We extracted kinetic features from these CKCs, which were merged using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. There was comparable performance for methods 1, 2, and 4, while method 3 was inferior. Next, we modified use of the FCM method by calculating a feature vector for every voxel in each lesion and using FCM to select a characteristic feature vector (CFV) for each lesion. Using this method, we achieved performance similar to the four CKC methods. Finally, we generated lesion color maps using FCM membership matrices, which facilitated the visualization of enhancing voxels in a given lesion.
A molecular switch for induction of long-term depression of corticostriatal transmission.

Long-term modification of synaptic transmission at corticostriatal synapses is implicated in voluntary motor control, reward-based learning, and habit formation ([Reynolds and Wickens, 2002][1]; [Yin and Knowlton, 2006][2]). Unlike many excitatory synapses in the brain that are potentiated by high-
Globular Porous Nanoparticle Tin(IV) Phenylphosphonates and Mixed Methyl Phenylphosphonates

Hydrothermal synthesis of Sn(O3PC6H5)2 yields globular aggregates of nanoparticles that are layered. The particle size depends upon the time and temperature of hydrothermal treatment but may be as small as 20 nm in the lateral directions and three or four layers thick. Because of their small size, the particles form globules within which the particles form “house of cards” type pores. Surface areas as high as 300 m2/g are common with pores in the micropore range. Tin(IV) methylphosphonate is also layered, but the particles tend to aggregate into rosettes. Mixed derivatives of the type Sn(O3PC6H5)x(O3PCH3)2-x, where x > 0.5, also form globules, with higher surface areas than the tin phenylphosphonates. The formation of these spherical aggregates appears to be general for tin(IV) phosphonates as a result of a lack of particle growth.
Evaluation of a Dicalcium Phosphate Supplement as a Source of Phosphorus for Chicks 1. Comparison of Dicalcium and Tricalcium Phosphates as a Source of Phosphorus in Chick and Poult Rations

Abstract IN RECENT years, much attention has been focused upon the comparative availability of various phosphorus supplements for use in poultry rations. Several reports concerning the utilization of these supplements have been published (Bird et al., 1945; Gillis, Norris and Heuser, 1948, 1949; Siebirth et al. 1952; Miller and Joukovsky, 1953; and Grau and Zweigert, 1953). A large portion of this work has been of a qualitative nature and precise comparisons of different supplements have only recently been reported on chicks by Gillis, Norris and Heuser (1954) and on poults by Wilcox et al. (1954). A comparison of the biological availability of the products used by Gillis et al. (1948) with the solubility in acid indicated no correlation between solubility and nutritional performance in animals. However, these workers studied the comparative availability of a number of common phosphorus supplements and compounds by adding each singly to a basal diet very low …
Fall-out Plutonium-239 and Zirconium-95 in the Lungs of Deer

To evaluate the inhaled fall-out activity in a man-sized mammal, lungs were analysed from Utah deer (Odocoileus h. hemionus) (Raf.). These wild deer were killed by rifle shots through the head to prevent contaminating the lungs with fall-out from the digestive tract or from the fur. Comparison of teeth with those from deer of known age indicated an average life-span of about 2–3 years. Lungs were cleanly dissected, sealed in plastic bags to prevent contamination, and weighed.
Crisis intervention team officer dispatch, assessment, and disposition: Interactions with individuals with severe mental illness

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model is a specialized police response program for people in a mental illness crisis. We analyzed 2174 CIT officers' reports from one community, which were completed during a five year period. These officers' reports described interactions with people presumed to be in a mental illness crisis. We used hierarchical logistic and multinomial regression analyses to compare transport to treatment to either transport to jail or no transport by how the calls were dispatched. The results revealed that both dispatch codes and officers' on-scene assessments influenced transport decisions. Specifically, calls dispatched as suspected suicide were more likely to be transported to treatment than calls dispatched as mental disturbance. Furthermore, calls dispatched as calls for assistance, disturbance, suspicious person, assault, suspicion of a crime, and to meet a citizen were all less likely than mental disturbance calls to result in transportation to treatment. Officer assessments of the use of substances, being off medications, signs and symptoms of mental or physical illness, and violence to self or others were associated with the likelihood of being transported to treatment. These results build on previous work that demonstrated differences in transport decisions between CIT trained and non-CIT trained officers.
Selected area electron diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis for the identification of asbestos fibres, a comparison

Abstract Transmission electron microscope selected area electron diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscope energy dispersive X-ray micro-analysis spectra from thirteen silicate minerals are compared. This was done to determine the relative viability of the two methods specifically for differentiating asbestos from non-asbestos minerals. Six asbestos and seven non-asbestos sheet and chain silicates were studied and the results from the two electron microscope methods are presented as micrographs, electron diffraction patterns and X-ray micro-analysis elemental spectra. The results show that only the selected area electron diffraction method is reliable in differentiating the six asbestos minerals from most of the randomly selected non-asbestos minerals.
Management of Arch Hypoplasia After Successful Coarctation Repair

Abstract Background . Pronounced arch obstruction can be seen after a well-repaired coarctation, and this probably results from the failure of a somewhat hypoplastic arch to grow or from clamp injury at the time of the initial repair, or from both causes. Because of mediastinal adhesions and minimal collateral circulation, use of extraanatomic bypass grafts appears to be the preferred approach. Methods . Six children or young adults presented with arch obstruction over a 3-year period. Their mean age was 13.5 ± 4 years, and the mean interval from the time of the initial repair was 10 ± 4 years. The mean age of the patients at the time of the initial repair was 3.2 ± 5 years. Symptoms included exertional headache and chest pain. The mean systolic gradients, as shown by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, were 34 ± 7 mm Hg and 33 ± 6 mm Hg, respectively. Repair was accomplished through a midsternotomy using a polytetrafluoroethylene patch placed in the concavity of the arch, which extended from the ascending to the descending aorta. Dissection was kept close to the aorta and arch to minimize injury to the phrenic and recurrent laryngeal nerves. Cardiopulmonary bypass and moderate hypothermia (25° to 27°C bladder temperature) without circulatory arrest were used. Results . All patients were discharged home 4 to 20 days postoperatively (mean, 7 ± 6 days). All patients were found to be normotensive at a mean follow-up of 1.3 ± 1 years. Postoperative echocardiograms, which were obtained in all patients, revealed no residual gradients. Exercise blood pressure was evaluated in 2 patients and found to be normal. Conclusions . Transsternal arch enlargement using cardiopulmonary bypass and moderate hypothermia without circulatory arrest is an attractive and safe approach for the treatment of arch obstruction after coarctation repair. Unlike the use of extraanatomic bypass grafts, it allows complete relief of the obstruction, unhampered aortic growth, the minimal use of foreign material, and a repair that is protected deep within the mediastinal space. (Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:975–80)
On convex formulation of the floorplan area minimization problem

It is sho wn that the floorplan area minimization problem can be formulated as a convex programming problem with the n umbers of variables and constraints significantly less than those previously published.
A knockout approach to understanding CD8+ cell effector mechanisms in adaptive immunity to Listeria monocytogenes.

Abstract In the described experimental approach, we use an attenuated LM strain to evoke LM specific CD8 + T cell responses. In this fashion, we can immunize immunocompromised gene knockout mice, that would succumb to low level infection with virulent LM. We then generate antigen matched, LM-specific CD8 + T cell lines from wild-type and gene knockout mice, and compare their capacity to provide immunity to LM infection in vivo . To date, our results demonstrate that CD8 + T cell-derived IFN-γ and TNF are not required effector functions. Perforin deficiency has an impact on CD8 + T cell immunity but our studies provide strong evidence for the existence of perforin independent pathways of CD8 + T cell immunity to LM. To assess the potential for redundancy in effector mechanisms, we have generated mice deficient in both perforin and IFN-γ and are developing mice deficient in perforin and TNF. By removing the major CD8 + T cell effector mechanisms, singly and in combination, we will eventually determine whether immunity to LM can be provided by redundant effector pathways or if novel effector mechanisms exist beyond our current knowledge. The generation of MHC matched, single and double knockout mice, will also aid in continuing studies to analyze the role of these molecules in resistance to in vivo infection.
Oxygen mass transport effects during hydrogen reduction of UO2 + x

Abstract Reduction of UO 2 + x was studied in a molecular beam system, in which a collisionless flux of atomic hydrogen strikes a portion of the surface of the solid and the reaction product water is detected by an in-situ mass spectrometer. The experiment revealed kinetic limitations due to both surface chemical reaction and to transport processes, the latter including surface diffusion of oxygen as well as bulk diffusion. A quantitative model of the reduction process showed that the surface reaction rate was linear in the H atom beam intensity and in the excess O/U ratio above a minimum value for detectable reaction. The bulk diffusion coefficient of oxygen determined from the data at 585°C agreed well with the measurement of Lay. The surface diffusion coefficient at the same temperature was found to be ~1 cm 2 /s, suggesting ideal two-dimensional-gas behavior of oxygen on the urania surface.
Recursive bayesian estimation using gaussian sums

The Bayesian recursion relations which describe the behavior of the a posteriori probability density function of the state of a time-discrete stochastic system conditioned on available measurement data cannot generally be solved in closed-form when the system is either non-linear or nongaussian. In this paper a density approximation involving convex combinations of gaussian density functions is introduced and proposed as a meaningful way of circumventing the difficulties encountered in evaluating these relations and in using the resulting densities to determine specific estimation policies. It is seen that as the number of terms in the gaussian sum increases without bound, the approximation converges uniformly to any density function in a large class. Further, any finite sum is itself a valid density function unlike many other approximations that have been investigated. The problem of determining the a posteriori density and minimum variance estimates for linear systems with nongaussian noise is treated using the gaussian sum approximation. This problem is considered because it can be dealt with in a relatively straightforward manner using the approximation but still contains most of the difficulties that one encounters in considering non-linear systems since the a posteriori density is nongaussian. After discussing the general problem from the point-of-view of applying gaussian sums, a numerical example is presented in which the actual statistics of the a posteriori density are compared with the values predicted by the gaussian sum and by the Kalman filter approximations.
Abstract A37: Interim analysis of CALGB 150607: A pilot study of the mutational & expression status of MET, HGF, EGFR, KRAS, p53, c-CBL, and E-cadherin in resected lung adenocarcinoma specimens

MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays a critical role in proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. It has been shown to be dysregulated in a number of malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite reports of alterations in MET, and its ligand, HGF, being highly associated with advanced pathological stage and worse outcome in patients with NSCLC, the value of MET as a prognostic biomarker remains unclear. The primary objective of this study is to determine the correlation between MET alterations and expression with stage and overall survival in adenocarcinoma (AC) patients in a large cohort of patients. The secondary objectives are to determine the correlation between overall survival and the following: 1) epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), 2) EGFR mutations & expression, 3) KRAS mutations, 4) TP53 mutations, and 5) CBL mutations. In addition, sera levels of circulating MET and HGF will be evaluated in order to determine their potential as prognostic factors. MET, EGFR exons 18–21, TP53 exons 4–10, KRAS exon 2, and CBL exons 2–16 were sequenced using standard PCR and sequencing techniques. Standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques were used to evaluate MET, phosphorylated (pMET Y1003 and Y1230/34/35) p53, HGF, EGFR, and E-cadherin expression. A total of 280 patients will be included in this study, and the interim analysis reported herein evaluated 100 patients. The intensity of cytoplasmic or membranous staining was scored on fourpoint scale: (0, no staining; 1+, weak; 2+, moderate; 3+, strong staining). The extent of staining was scored on a similar scale (0, negative; 1+, 1–10%; 2+, 11–50%; 3+, > 50%). The product of the intensity and extent of staining yielded final scores between 0 and 9. The mean expressions were: MET 3.6 (±0.3); pY1230/34/35 MET 2.0 (±0.2); pY1003MET 4.6 (±0.3); HGF 4.4 (±0.3); EGFR 4.3 (±0.3); TP53 3.7 (±0.3); and E-cadherin 5.5 (±0.3). In ten patient samples, six non-synonymous (NS) mutations were detected in MET (SEMA domain: E168D, M362T, N375S, and Q318K; JM domain: T992I and R970C). In EGFR, the NS mutation L858R was detected in two patients. We detected 12 NS mutations in TP53 (exon 4: E68*, P72R; exon 5: V157F, R175H, I162F, H193Y, Y163D; exon 8: R273L, R273C, V274L, A276F, and G266*). Four NS mutations were detected in exon 2 of KRAS (G12C, G12V, G12D, and G12S). Three mutations were found in the proline-rich region of CBL (L676P, A677S and A678S). ELISAs were utilized to determine soluble MET and HGF levels in pre- and postoperative sera samples. Soluble MET serum levels were significantly increased (p
Free energies of protein adsorption onto mineral particles — from the initial encounter to the onset of hysteresis

Abstract The kinetics and energetics of human serum albumin (HSA) adsorption onto silica and talc particles are compared, from the earliest moment of contact, up to 24 h exposure. The measured affinity constants are used to obtain the free energies of interaction (ΔG). The free energies of interaction are also obtained via the measured surface properties of HSA, water, silica and talc. Comparison between the ΔG-values obtained by the two different approaches makes it possible to deduct the manner and conformation of HSA adsorption at the earliest moment, as well as after onset of hysteresis. Two different modes of hysteresis are identified — one allows slow dissociation and the other approaches apparent irreversibility. The mechanisms of both are elucidated, as is the mechanism of desorption at high pH and by displacement with identical or quasi-identical molecules.
Interaction between La(Sr)FeO3 SOFC cathode and YSZ electrolyte

Anode-supported yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid oxide fuel cells utilizing a Sr-doped LaFeO3 (LSF) cathode show improved performance with the incorporation of a Sm-doped CeO2 layer between the cathode and YSZ electrolyte. Detailed X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of LSF–YSZ reaction mixtures indicates no strontium or lanthanum zirconate formation between these materials even at 1400 °C. However, a significant shift in the LSF diffraction peaks is readily apparent and corresponds to a unit cell volume expansion. The most likely scenario for the change in volume is considered to be the incorporation of Zr4+ cations in the perovskite structure. The presence of the Zr cations subsequently results in reduced electrical conductivity of the cathode, potentially explaining the need for the aforementioned ceria interlayer.
The purification of hydrogenase II (uptake hydrogenase) from the anaerobic N2-fixing bacterium Clostridium pasteurianum

Abstract The H 2 uptake activity (units/mg protein) of Clostridium pasteurianum cells with methylene blue as the electron acceptor increases with cell density independent of the growth conditions. The H 2 evolution activity (units/mg protein) of the same cells with reduced methyl viologen as the electron donor remains fairly constant under all growth conditions tested. Cells grown under N 2 -fixing conditions have the highest H 2 uptake activity and were used for the purification of hydrogenase II (uptake hydrogenase). Attempts to separate hydrogenase II from hydrogenase I (bidirectional hydrogenase) by a previously published method were unreliable. We report here a new large-scale purification procedure which employs a rapid membrane filtration system to fractionate cell-free extracts. Hydrogenases I and II were easily filtered into the low-molecular-weight fraction ( M r less than 100 000), and from this, hydrogenase II was further purified to a homogeneous state. Hydrogenase II is a monomeric iron-sulfur protein of molecular weight 53 000 containing eight iron atoms and eight acid-labile sulfur atoms per molecule. Hydrogenase II catalyzes both H 2 oxidation and H 2 evolution at rates of 3000 and 5.9 μmol H 2 consumed or evolved/min per mg protein, respectively. The purification procedure for hydrogenase II using the filtration system described greatly facilitates the large-scale purification of hydrogenase I and other enzymes from cell-free extracts of C. pasteurianum .
EOFs of One-Dimensional Cyclostationary Time Series: Computations, Examples, and Stochastic Modeling

Abstract Many climatic time series seem to be a mixture of unpredictable fluctuations and changes that occur at a known frequency, as in the case of the annual cycle. Such a time series is called a cyclostationary process. The lagged covariance statistics of a cyclostationary process are periodic in time with the frequency of the nested undulations, and the eigenfunctions are no longer Fourier functions. In this study, examination is made of the properties of cyclostationary empirical orthogonal functions (CSEOFs) and a computational algorithm is developed based on Bloch's theorem for the one-dimensional case. Simple examples are discussed to test the algorithm and clarify the nature and interpretation of CSEOFs. Finally, a stochastic model has been constructed, which reasonably reproduces the cyclostationary statistics of a 100-yr series of the globally averaged, observed surface air temperature field. The simulated CSEOFs and the associated eigenvalues compare fairly with those of the observational data.
Isolation of a human-brain sodium-channel gene encoding two isoforms of the subtype III alpha-subunit.

Voltage-gated sodium channels are members of a multigene family of transmembrane proteins that are important determinants of electrical excitability in cell membranes. These proteins are typically composed of a large α-subunit and one or two β-subunits. The primary structure of α-subunits is highly conserved among different subtypes and different species. Based on the conserved sequences and application of the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) reaction, we have isolated three overlapping clones from human brain. These sequences share highest homology (89%) to the rat brain subtype III gene and cover a 4.2-kb expanse of the transcript. The 5′-most clone has a translation start site located in the same region as other mammalian brain sodium channel genes. A 92-nucleotide insert was found in domain I at a location previously demarcated by published splice sites in rat brain sodium channels IIN/IIA and IIIN/IIIA. It is most likely that this transcript represents the two isoforms (neonatal and adult) of the human brain sodium channel gene, SCN3A (GenBank accession numbers AF035685 and AF035686). As is the case for rat brain sodium channels IIN/IIA and IIIN/IIIA, these isoforms are generated through an alternative splicing mechanism. The conservation of the exon structure suggests that alternative RNA splicing is a common feature for sodium channel mRNA processing and may play an important role in modulating the channel function.
The perception of incongruity by young children

Seventy-four children, four to seven years of age, were asked to describe what they saw in a photograph of a three-sided building taken so that it appeared, in contrast to the buildings surrounding it, to have only one wall, although at the same time it appeared to be, or to have been, inhabited. The readiness with which the awareness of this incongruity was expressed was found to be a positive monotonic function of both mental and chronological age. The most frequent rationalization offered for the incongruity was that the building had been damaged by some act of Nature. Only three children, two of whom had seen such buildings, offered the correct interpretation.
Temperature measurements of expansion products from shock compressed materials using high-speed spectroscopy

Results from spectral radiance measurements using optical multi-channel analyzer over the visible and near infrared regime provide estimates of temperature from expansion products resulting from shocked materials. Specifically, we have made spectral radiance measurements over the wavelength regime of 300–1500 nm. Experiments conducted on aluminum, cerium, and Composition-B high explosive span a wide regime of E/E_v, where E is the internal energy increase of the shocked material, and E_v, is the specific energy required to vaporize the material. For the materials investigated, the ratio is ~ 1, 3 and 5 for aluminum, cerium, and Composition-B, respectively. The basic assumption made to deduce these temperatures is that the debris cloud is radiating as a blackbody with emissivity of one and independent of the wavelength. We are also assuming that the probe is monitoring the debris, which is at a single temperature and that there is no spatial temperature gradient. Temperatures at or above the boiling point are confirmed for aluminum and cerium, while the results for Composition-B provide the time-dependent temperature expansion history for shocked Composition-B over the stress regime of 28–130 GPa. These are the first measurements of temperature obtained from the expansion products from materials that have been shocked to very high pressures.
Controlled copolymerization of vinyl acetate with 1‐alkenes and their fluoro derivatives by degenerative transfer

The degenerative transfer copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethene and higher 1-alkenes, as well as their fluoro derivatives (RfCHCH2), under mild conditions was carried out using AIBN as the initiator and ethyl iodoacetate as the control agent. The obtained random copolymers were fairly high in alkene content, with high molecular weights and relatively narrow polydispersities. The quasi-living nature of the copolymerization allowed the synthesis of a block terpolymer by sequential addition of two different 1-alkene comonomers to a vinyl acetate copolymerization system. The fluorinated side chains of vinyl acetate/fluoro alkene copolymers segregate toward the air-side of thin films, resulting in advancing water contact angle as high as 114°. 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3728–3736, 2005
Characterization of Variants Altered at the N-terminal Proline, a Novel Heme-Axial Ligand in CooA, the CO-sensing Transcriptional Activator

CooA, the carbon monoxide-sensing transcription factor from Rhodospirillum rubrum, binds CO through a heme moiety resulting in conformational changes that promote DNA binding. The crystal structure shows that the N-terminal Pro(2) of one subunit (Met(1) is removed post-translationally) provides one ligand to the heme of the other subunit in the CooA homodimer. To determine the importance of this novel ligand and the contiguous residues to CooA function, we have altered the N terminus through two approaches: site-directed mutagenesis and regional randomization, and characterized the resulting CooA variants. While Pro(2) appears to be optimal for CooA function, it is not essential and a variety of studied variants at this position have substantial CO-sensing function. Surprisingly, even alterations that add a residue (where Pro(2) is replaced by Met(1)-Tyr(2), for example) accumulate heme-containing CooA with functional properties that are similar to those of wild-type CooA. Other nearby residues, such as Phe(5) and Asn(6) appear to be important for either the structural integrity or the function of CooA. These results are contrasted with those previously reported for alteration of the His(77) ligand on the opposite side of the heme.