cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rat amnion membrane matrix as a substratum for regenerating axons from peripheral and central neurons: effects in a silicone chamber model

An extracellular matrix preparation, the human amnion membrane matrix (hAMM) can serve as a neurite-promoting substratum for cultured peripheral and central neurons, and also as a support for axonal growth in experimentally injured adult brain in vivo. In the present study, we tested similar materials as bridges in a silicone chamber model for the regeneration of sciatic nerve in the adult rat. Since hAMM elicited an inflammatory response, we developed a rat amnion membrane matrix (rAMM), which proved to be an excellent neurite-promoting substratum for cultured ganglionic and spinal cord neurons. The rAMM was coiled and inserted in the 10 mm gap between the two nerve stumps from the silicone chambers. At 16 days after implantation, temporal progress of regeneration was grossly similar as in saline-prefilled control chambers. However, rAMM-prefilled chambers displayed significantly higher number of vessels and a markedly different geometry of the regenerate: an endoneurium, surrounded by a perineurial-like cell layer, was formed outside the largely preserved central portion of the rAMM coil. After longer regeneration times (28 days), a rAMM core was no longer detected, but some rAMM-like materials remained interspersed in the endoneurium. The overall organization of the regenerate and the number of myelinated axons at this time were similar to those of control chambers, although the endoneurial cross-sectional area was larger in the rAMM chambers. One specimen, however, displayed the very patterns for which the experiments were designed, namely an array of numerous, myelinated axons tracing the spiraling spaces between consecutive lamellae of the rAMM coil.
Near-field optical detection of asperities in dielectric surfaces

A finite-difference time-domain code is used to model near-zone electromagnetic probe fields of subwavelength dimensions and the interactions of these fields with a dielectric sample. The magnitude and the phase of the electric and the magnetic fields are determined in the region in which the energy leaving the probe interacts with the sample. An angular-spectrum code is then used to propagate the electric field into the far zone, in which signal detection takes place. TE and TM polarizations in a two-dimensional waveguide are modeled. We examine the effects of scanning the probe over a surface asperity in a dielectric sample. Two different far-zone detection schemes (total-energy detection and differential detection with a split-cell detector) are studied. When the probe scans a well, total-energy detection by TE polarization yields the closest estimate of the well’s actual width, whereas differential detection by TM polarization yields the sharpest profile of the well’s edges. Differential detection is shown to be less sensitive to variations in the probe-to-sample separations during a scan and has minimal distortions with both TE and TM polarizations.
Protozoan genomics for drug discovery

Comparing the metabolic pathways of parasites and their hosts facilitates the identification of new drug targets.
Nicotine self-administration in rats: strain and nicotine pre-exposure effects on acquisition

Nicotine has been shown to maintain intravenous self-administration behaviour in humans and laboratory animals. However, factors critical in the initiation of nicotine self administration are not well defined. In particular genetic differences and effects of pre-exposure to nicotine have not been examined. Male Sprague-Dawley or Long-Evans rats were surgically prepared with indwelling jugular catheters and 3 days later received chronic injections of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg SC) or vehicle (saline, 1 ml/kg) for 7 days in their home cage. The next day, 2-h daily test sessions were initiated, during which rats were given the opportunity to nose-poke for nicotine infusions (0.015, 0.03 or 0.06 mg/kg per infusion) under a one-response fixed-ratio (FR-1) schedule of reinforcement with a 20-s time out after each infusion. One hole was defined as active while pokes in the other hole were recorded but had no scheduled consequence. The response requirement was increased progressively to five (FR-5) over successive sessions. Both saline- and nicotine-pretreated Sprague-Dawley rats showed a preference for the active hole, while only the saline-pretreated Long-Evans rats acquired the self-administration as defined by significant differences between responding in the active versus the inactive holes. The Fisher (F344) and Lewis inbred strains also failed to acquire self-administration of nicotine under these conditions. With Sprague-Dawley and Long-Evans rats that acquired the self-administration, and showed stable levels of maintained responding for nicotine, substituting saline for the nicotine or pretreating with mecamylamine (2.0 mg/kg SC) extinguished the behaviour. When dose per infusion was varied, an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve was obtained. These results support previous reports that nicotine can serve as a reinforcer in rodents and demonstrate that environmental factors such as prior nicotine exposure or genetic factors such as rat strain can affect acquisition of nicotine self-administration.
The Future of Futurity: Alexander Kluge and Yoko Tawada

If Fredric Jameson's Archaeologies of the Future links the renewal of utopian impulses after 1989 to the genre of science fiction, this article contends that science fiction and utopian writing alone cannot account for the problematics of futurity in contemporary German literature. Focusing on twenty-first-century “new stories” by Alexander Kluge and essay fiction by Yoko Tawada, the article compares the authors' literary configuration of time travel and parallel worlds to illuminate specific functions of futurity in stylistically divergent texts and literary projects. Analysis of Kluge's Tur an Tur mit einem anderen Leben (2006) and Tawada's “Zukunft ohne Herkunft” (2000) and “Eine Heidin in einem Heidekloster” (2009) additionally challenges some pivotal conventions in scholarship on these authors, notably the centrality of utopia and montage for Kluge and tropes of travel and transformation for Tawada. This article's larger aim is to expand the critical vocabulary for evaluating the style and stakes of ...
Communication, Politics, and the Notions of Martin Spencer

This essay calls attention to the work of sociologist Martin Spencer, who once offered an uncommon understanding of political communications in the United States. According to Spencer, public discourse not only propels action but constitutes action in and of itself on occasion. This means that political rhetoric can have both an injunctive effect on political actors and can also stand as a kind of completed “action” in its own right. The importance of these principles is examined here, and some of their implications are delineated.
Theory-inspired development of organic electro-optic materials

Abstract Real-time, time-dependent density functional theory (RTTDDFT) and pseudo-atomistic Monte Carlo–molecular dynamics (PAMCMD) calculations have been used in a correlated manner to achieve quantitative definition of structure/function relationships necessary for the optimization of electro-optic activity in organic materials. Utilizing theoretical guidance, electro-optic coefficients (at telecommunication wavelengths) have been increased to 500 pm/V while keeping optical loss to less than 2 dB/cm. RTTDDFT affords the advantage of permitting explicit treatment of time-dependent electric fields, both applied fields and internal fields. This modification has permitted the quantitative simulation of the variation of linear and nonlinear optical properties of chromophores and the electro-optic activity of materials with optical frequency and dielectric permittivity. PAMCMD statistical mechanical calculations have proven an effective means of treating the full range of spatially-anisotropic intermolecular electrostatic interactions that play critical roles in defining the degree of noncentrosymmetric order that is achieved by electric field poling of organic electro-optic materials near their glass transition temperatures. New techniques have been developed for the experimental characterization of poling-induced acentric order including a modification of variable angle polarization absorption spectroscopy (VAPAS) permitting a meaningful correlation of theoretical and experimental data related to poling-induced order for a variety of complex organic electro-optic materials.
Elevated thromboxane B2 levels in periodontal disease

Thromboxane B2, the stable end product of thromboxane A2, was measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay in gingival tissue obtained from clinically normal beagle dogs and beagle dogs with gingivitis and periodontitis. The animals with gingivitis contained gingival thromboxane B2 levels nearly twice that of clinically normal gingiva, while animals with periodontitis revealed gingival levels of thromboxane B2 that were 3–1/2 times greater than clinically normal and twice that of dogs with gingivitis.
Sodium- and Phosphorus-Based Food Additives: Persistent but Surmountable Hurdles in the Management of Nutrition in Chronic Kidney Disease

Sodium- and phosphorus-based food additives are among the most commonly consumed nutrients in the world. This is because both have diverse applications in processed food manufacturing, leading to their widespread use by the food industry. Since most foods are naturally low in salt, sodium additives almost completely account for the excessive consumption of sodium throughout the world. Similarly, phosphorus additives represent a major and "hidden" phosphorus load in modern diets. These factors pose a major barrier to successfully lowering sodium or phosphorus intake in patients with CKD. As such, any serious effort to reduce sodium or phosphorus consumption will require reductions in the use of these additives by the food industry. The current regulatory environment governing the use of food additives does not favor this goal, however, in large part because these additives have historically been classified as generally safe for public consumption. To overcome these barriers, coordinated efforts will be needed to demonstrate that high intake of these additives is not safe for public consumption and as such should be subject to greater regulatory scrutiny.
Highly efficient, low-cost femtosecond Cr 3+ :LiCAF laser pumped by single-mode diodes

We describe efficient continuous-wave (cw) and cw mode-locked operations of a Cr3+:LiCAF laser, pumped by inexpensive single spatial mode laser diodes. Up to 280 mW of cw output power was obtained with 570 mW of absorbed pump power, with a corresponding slope efficiency of 54%. Continuous tuning between 765 and 865 nm was demonstrated using a fused silica prism. A semiconductor saturable absorber mirror was used to initiate and sustain stable, self-starting, mode-locked operation. In cw mode locking, the laser produced 72 fs (FWHM) duration pulses, and 1.4 nJ pulse energy, at an average output power of 178 mW. Electrical to optical conversion efficiencies of 7.8% in mode-locked operation and 12.2% in cw operation were demonstrated.
Interactive robogami: data-driven design for 3D print and fold robots with ground locomotion

The process of designing and programming a new robot requires expert knowledge and design skills that are often acquired over the course of many years. This makes design of new robots difficult for non-experienced users. In addition to design, physical realization of a robot is also time and labor intensive. We propose a new fabrication process for mechanical robots, called 3D print and fold, which combines 3D printing with origami fabrication methods. In our technique, robots are 3D printed as flat faces connected at joints and are then folded into their final shape. To help casual users design ground robots using our 3D print and fold technique, we present our Interactive Robogami system. The system leverages a database of examples created by expert roboticists. A composition tool allows users to create new designs by composing parts from the robots in this database. The system automatically ensures that the assembled robot is fabricable and that it can locomote forward while still giving creative freedom to users.
Dislocation structures and their relationship to strength in deformed nickel microcrystals

The present work uses focused ion beam methods to prepare samples for transmission electron microscopy in order to quantitatively characterize changes in the dislocation substructures obtained from undeformed and deformed pure Ni microcrystals having sample diameters that range from 1 to 20 μm. Following deformation, the dislocation density measured in the microcrystals is on average in excess of their expected initial density, with an apparent trend that the average density increases with decreasing microcrystal size. These dislocation density data are used to assess the contributions of forest hardening to the flow strength of the microcrystals. The combined effects of lattice friction, source-truncation hardening and forest hardening are found to be insufficient to fully account for the large flow strengths in smaller microcrystals.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone inhibition of LH stimulated progesterone secretion by porcine granulosa cells in vitro.

Abstract GnRH has several direct actions on rat granulosa cells. Specific receptors for GnRH have been demonstrated on rat and human ovaries. Whether the porcine ovary has specific receptors for GnRH is still debated and the physiological actions of GnRH on porcine granulosa cells have not yet been clarified. Consequently, we have examined the actions of a GnRH agonist (GnRHa) on basal and LH stimulated progesterone secretion by porcine granulosa cells. GnRHa inhibited both basal and LH stimulated progesterone secretion by granulosa cells from medium (3–5 mm) and large (6–10 mm) antral follicles during 3 day incubations. LH stimulated progesterone secretion was more sensitive to inhibition than basal progesterone secretion. Studies on the time course for GnRHa inhibition of progesterone secretion indicated that the decrease in progesterone secretion occurred 48 to 72 hr after first exposure to GnRHa. Earlier inhibition occurred in only a fraction of the experiments. GnRHa did not have to be present during the time when inhibition occurred. Incubations of 2 days with GnRHa were just as effective as 3 day incubations at inhibiting progesterone secretion on day 3. Furthermore, a 30 min exposure to GnRHa on day 1 was just as inhibitory as a full 2 day incubation with GnRHa in inhibiting LH stimulated progesterone secretion on day 3. Incubation of the cells for 3 days prior to exposure of the cells to GnRHa did not alter the time course for GnRHa action. GnRHa did not alter the DNA content of the cultures in up to 6 day incubations or the number of viable cells attached to the wells in up to 3 day incubations. These studies suggest that an ovarian GnRH-like molecule could play a role in decreasing the responsiveness of particular follicles to LH and thus contribute to atresia.
Chemical classification of iron meteorites. VIII - Groups IC, IIE, IIIF and 97 other irons

Results are reported for determinations of Ni, Ga, Ge, and Ir concentrations in 106 iron meteorites. Three new groups are defined (IC, IIE, and IIIF) which contain 10, 12, and 5 irons, respectively. It is noted that group IC is a cohenite-rich group distantly related to IA, group IIE consists of those irons previously designated as Weekeroo Station type together with five others having similar compositions but diverse structures, and group IIIF is a well-defined group of low-Ni and low-Ge irons. Several anomalous irons are discussed, including a cluster of five plessitic octahedrites and ataxites with Ge/Ga atomic ratios ranging from 10 to 16 and a meteorite that has the second highest Ni content of any iron. It is shown that the IIE irons are compositionally similar to the mesosiderites and pallasites, and it is suggested that the three groups probably formed at approximately the same heliocentric distance.
Literary Translation in Britain and Selective Xenophobia

In his article "Literary Translation in Britain and Selective Xenophobia," Eric Dickens discusses the fact that fewer translations of works of contemporary prose, poetry, and essays appear in Great Britain than perhaps anywhere else in Europe. Dickens attributes this shortfall to various factors, including poor language teaching and an indifference to foreign languages in general, but also to a degree of smugness with regard to literature written in English being "the best in the world." In his study Dickens covers such areas as the availability of literary translations in bookshops, the attitudes of publishers, and the effect of prizes on the selection of authors translated. He also attempts to demonstrate that postcolonial studies has remained an exclusively English-language enterprise, rather than becoming a methodology for global liberation. Eric Dickens, "Literary Translation in Britain and Selective Xenophobia" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 4.1 (2002):
Power generation from a hybrid biological fuel cell in seawater.

Abstract A hybrid biological fuel cell (HBFC) comprised of a microbial anode for lactate oxidation and an enzymatic cathode for oxygen reduction was constructed and then tested in a marine environment. Shewanella oneidensis DSP-10 was cultivated in laboratory medium and then fixed on a carbon felt electrode via a silica sol–gel process in order to catalyze anodic fuel cell processes. The cathode electrocatalyst was composed of bilirubin oxidase, fixed to a carbon nanotube electrode using a heterobifunctional cross linker, and then stabilized with a silica sol–gel coating. The anode and cathode half-cells provided operating potentials of −0.44 and 0.48 V, respectively (vs. Ag/AgCl). The HBFC maintained a reproducible open circuit voltage >0.7 V for 9 d in laboratory settings and sustained electrocatalytic activity for >24 h in open environment tests.
Internet, Place, and Public Sphere in Diaspora Communities

Parham looks at the ways in which the Internet shapes the public spheres created by diaspora communities in general, and the Haitian diaspora in particular. She contends that most accounts have tended to generate either a positive response—that the Internet will provide ideal conditions for the flourishing of the diasporic public sphere—or a less optimistic response, concerned that the Internet will encourage a superficial engagement with important issues that require a more grounded response. Although each position tends to rely on some implicit assumptions about how spatial dispersion affects public-sphere activities, it is rare that writers explicitly analyze how varied combinations of on- and offline interaction shape this activity. Parham offers a close reading of existing literature as well as case studies from the Haitian diaspora to name three different types of Internet-mediated publics—representational, network, and vertical publics—that vary in the degree to which their activity occurs online or offline. She concludes that while representational publics largely reproduce pre-Internet forms of communication, network and vertical publics significantly expand the range of interaction and organizational forms that allow ethnic and national communities to flourish in diaspora. These new kinds of publics raise novel challenges and potentials that need to be integrated into existing public-sphere theory.
Medicare managed care plan performance: a comparison across hospitalization types

Objective The study evaluates the performance of Medicare managed care (Medicare Advantage [MA]) Plans in comparison to Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) Plans in three states with historically high Medicare managed care penetration (New York, California, Florida), in terms of lowering the risks of preventable or ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) hospital admissions and providing increased referrals for admissions for specialty procedures.
Effect of acute monoamine depletion on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity

The effect of acute, reversible depletion of either serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] or dopamine (DA) on the long-term (7-day) decrease of brain 5-HT content produced after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) administration was investigated. The tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MPT) significantly attenuated the acute increase in DA efflux produced by MDMA in the striatum as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Treatment with alpha-MPT had no effect on MDMA-induced 5-HT release. alpha-MPT treatment blocked the long-term (7-day) depletion of striatal 5-HT content after MDMA administration. The tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) completely blocked the acute increase in the extracellular concentration of 5-HT produced by MDMA. Although PCPA significantly attenuated the increase in DA efflux produced by MDMA, the effect was small in magnitude. More importantly, treatment with PCPA had no effect on MDMA-induced decrease of 5-HT uptake sites in the frontal cortex. These data are suggestive that acute depletion of DA but not 5-HT protects against the long-term neurotoxic effects of MDMA on 5-HT axon terminals. In addition, these data are supportive of the hypothesis that DA plays a major role in the neurotoxic effects of MDMA.
Attachment and pain: recent findings and future directions.

Long standing interest in individual differences linked to the experience of, and adjustment to, pain has recently expanded to include the “attachment styles” (Bowlby, 1982) of both pain patients and their caregivers. Following a brief review of the nature and origin of attachment styles, we review recent research addressing issues regarding attachment and pain and offer suggested directions for future research.
MicroRNAs Potentiate Neural Development

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed noncoding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression. In vertebrates, more distinct miRNAs are expressed in the brain than in any other tissue, where they are hypothesized to function in neural development. Recent reports describing the effects of specific miRNAs during development, and studies employing miRNA depletion as neural commitment proceeds in the embryo, support a requisite role for miRNAs in cell-fate decisions and provide clues to their function in other aspects of nervous system development.
Ultrastructure of neurons in the ventromedial nucleus or the hypothalamus in ovariectomized rats with or without estrogen treatment

The fine structure of the ventrolateral and dorsomedial subdivisions of the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus was examined in ovariectomized/control and ovariectomized/estrogen-treated rats to compare neurons of these areas to other neurons (specifically the ventrolateral thalamus), and to determine the effects of estrogen on these cells. The neurons of the VMN contain a large nucleus with a prominent nucleolus, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), polysomes, a Golgi complex, coated, uncoated and dense-cored vesicles, lysosome-like bodies, inclusion bodies, multivesicular bodies, whorl bodies and myelin figures. Similar organelles were present in the neurons of the ventrolateral thalamus, although polysomes were more prominent, and the cells lacked dense-cored vesicles in the perikarya. Differences in the cells of the VMN between ovariectomized/control and ovariectomized/estrogen-treated rats included a more conspicuous stacking of the RER and greater number of dense-cored vesicles in the estrogen-treated group in both the ventrolateral and dorsomedial subdivisions. In both areas the differences were statistically significant, although more marked in the ventrolateral subdivision. In both VMN subdivisions, the increased stacking of the RER could be correlated with the greater number of dense-cored vesicles and may reflect increased biosynthesis of a secretory product.
Using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to Design a Comfortable Automotive Driver Seat

Given enough time and use, all designs will fail. There are no fail-free designs. This is especially true when it comes to automotive seating comfort where the characteristics and preferences of individual customers are many and varied. To address this problem, individuals charged with automotive seating comfort development have, traditionally, relied on iterative and, as a result, expensive build-test cycles. Cost pressures being placed on today's vehicle manufacturers have necessitated the search for more efficient alternatives. This contribution aims to fill this need by proposing the application of an analytical technique common to engineering circles (but new to seating comfort development), namely Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA). An example is offered to describe how development teams can use this systematic and disciplined approach to highlight potential seating comfort failure modes, reduce their risk, and bring capable designs to life.
Selective retrieval of biotin-labeled cells using immobilized avidin☆

Isolated rat thymocytes have been reacted with biotinyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide to label surface components. The selective adsorption of biotin-labeled cells on nylon meshes containing immobilized avidin is described. The procedure appears to have general applicability to the retrieval of biotin-labeled cells, particulates or macromolecules from complex media.
Host MHC class II+ antigen-presenting cells and CD4 cells are required for CD8-mediated graft-versus-leukemia responses following delayed donor leukocyte infusions.

Following bone marrow transplantation, delayed donor leukocyte infusions (DLIs) can induce graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects without graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). These antitumor responses are maximized by the presence of host hematopoietic antigen-presenting cells (APCs) at the time of DLI. Using a tumor-protection model, we demonstrate here that GVL activity following administration of DLIs to established mixed chimeras is dependent primarily on reactivity to allogeneic MHC antigens rather than minor histocompatibility or tumor-associated antigens. CD8+ T-cell–dependent GVL responses against an MHC class II–negative tumor following delayed DLI require CD4+ T-cell help and are reduced significantly when host APCs lack MHC class II expression. CD4+ T cells primed by host APCs were required for maximal expansion of graft-versus-host reactive CD8+ T cells but not their synthesis of IFN-γ. In contrast, the GVL requirement for CD4+ T-cell help was bypassed almost completely when DLI was administered to freshly irradiated recipients, indicating that the host environment is a major factor influencing the cellular mechanisms of GVL.
Oscillation of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Concentration during the Myocardial Contraction Cycle

The concentration of adenosine 39,59-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) rises and falls during each myocardial contraction cycle. Peak concentrations of cyclic AMP precede peak development of systolic tension. Epinephrine alters the normal oscillation in myocardial cyclic AMP and increases both diastolic and systolic concentrations of the cyclic nucleotide. These transient changes in myocardial cyclic AMP indicate a potential role for cyclic AMP as a beat-to-beat regulator of myocardial contractility.
Development and real-time implementation of a rule-based auto-focus algorithm

This paper presents the development and real-time implementation of a rule-based approach to passive auto-focusing for digital still cameras. The implementation is performed on the processor DM310 which is specifically manufactured by Texas Instruments for digital still cameras. The squared-gradient sharpness function is considered to measure the amount of high-frequency content in an out-of-focus image. This sharpness function is then used within a rule-based search algorithm to obtain the focused lens position via moving the lens head step-motor. The developed rule-based approach is compared to the commonly used global search and binary search algorithms in terms of focusing speed and power consumption. It is shown that the introduced rule-based search algorithm achieves a lower number of focusing iterations or faster focusing speed, and a lower number of steps or lower power consumption.
Endomorphin-2 is not released from rat spinal dorsal horn in response to intraplantar formalin

Antibody coated microprobes, inserted into the spinal cord at the L4-5 level, were used to detect whether endomorphin-2 (Endo2) was released from spinal dorsal horns in anesthetized rats in response to formalin injected into the hindpaw footpads. Saline injections were used as a control and substance P (SP) was measured to verify activation of nociceptive afferent fibers. SP but not Endo2 was released during pre-stimulation periods. Saline injections did not cause the release of either Endo2 or SP from the spinal cord. Formalin injections caused an increase in Fos expression as well as a release of SP, but not Endo2 from the ipsilateral side dorsal horn in L4-5. We conclude that Endo2 does not play a role in mediating the in vivo responses to acute inflammatory nociceptive signals at the spinal level in the anesthetized rat model.
Polymer–filler interactions in PET/CaCO3 nanocomposites: Chain ordering at the interface and physical properties

Abstract In this paper the formation of a partially ordered amorphous phase in PET/precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) nanocomposites is highlighted and its effects on physical properties are discussed. PET/PCC nanocomposites are prepared by melt mixing, using an anhydride-modified PET (TPET) coupling agent synthesized on purpose. The effect of TPET/PCC interactions on PET amorphous phase conformation is revealed by solid state NMR and further investigated realizing a model of polymer/filler interface, by adsorbing TPET onto PCC. As a consequence of the interactions with the inorganic surface, the adsorbed polymer forms a trans-rich amorphous phase unable to crystallize. Addition of TPET also leads to an increase in the glass transition temperature and a reduction in the oxygen permeability of the nanocomposites.
In situ beam angle measurement in a multi-wafer high current ion implanter

Abstract Direct, in situ measurement of the average angle and angular content of an ion beam in a multi-wafer ion implanter is reported for the first time. A new type of structure and method are described. The structures are located on the spinning disk, allowing precise angular alignment to the wafers. Current that passes through the structures is known to be within a range of angles and is detected behind the disk. By varying the angle of the disk around two axes, beam current versus angle is mapped and the average angle and angular spread are calculated. The average angle measured in this way is found to be consistent with that obtained by other techniques, including beam centroid offset and wafer channeling methods. Average angle of low energy beams, for which it is difficult to use other direct methods, is explored. A “pencil beam” system is shown to give average angle repeatability of 0.13° (1σ) or less, for two low energy beams under normal tuning variations, even though no effort was made to control the angle.
Determination of halogenated organic compounds by electrothermal vaporization into a helium microwave induced plasma at atmospheric pressure

Abstract Helium microwave-induced plasma emission spectrometry is utilized for the determination of high-molecular-weight halogenated organic compounds. The analyte is desolvated, electrothermally vaporized, and swept into the plasma to produce cationic emission from the halogen. The detection limit for Citex BC-26 was 8 ng at both the Cl and Br emission lines with linear ranges of over 2 orders of magnitude for Br while Cl showed evidence of self-absorption. The method is applied to the determination of the fire retardant, tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate.
The Road Ahead: Diverse and Digital

Incoming editor in chief Maria Ebling discusses the magazine's biggest strength and its most pressing challenge, as well as what's in store for 2014 and the team of people working behind the scenes to make it all happen.
Oberflächenschutzschichten für metallische Hochtemperatur‐Werkstoffe. Teil 2: Schutzschichten auf Superlegierungen und hochschmelzenden Metallen

Im ersten Teil dieses Aufsatzes1 wurde auf Entwicklungstendenzen, Prufung und Herstellung von Schutzschichten hingewiesen. Nachfolgend werden Beispiele fur Schutzschichten, die fur Superlegierungen und hochschmelzende Metalle entwickelt wurden, beschrieben. Die Superlegierungen reprasentieren den heutigen technischen Stand der Entwicklung. Die hochschmelzenden Metalle mussen fur zukunftige Entwicklungen herangezogen werden. Im folgenden Text wurde das aussichtsreichste hochschmelzende Metall Niobium besonders berucksichtigt. Das Schutzschichtproblem existiert in ahnlicher Weise fur die Metalle Mo, W, Ta und auch Cr. Es wurden bei diesen Metallen analoge Schichttypen wie hier beschrieben angewandt, die auch in ihrer Problematik starke Parallellen aufweisen. Protection of High Temperature Metallic Materials against Oxidation, part 2; Protective Layers on Superalloys and High Temperature Materials. The structures of typical protective coatings of superalloys and Nb-alloys are briefly described and possible reasons for their failure are given. The importance of self-healing properties and of the reliability of such protective layers in any technical application is stressed. An order of magnitude of the duration of protection for different alloys is indicated for several coating types.
Passive potassium ion permeability of Halobacterium halobium cell envelope membranes

Cell envelope vesicles, prepared from Halobacterium halobium, were loaded with 3 M KCl, suspended in 3 M NaCl, and the loss of K+ was followed at various temperatures. The Arrhenius plot of the K+-efflux rates shows a break at 30 degrees C, with higher energy of activation above the break. This temperature dependence is consistent with earlier studies of chain motions in liposomes prepared from isolated lipids. The efflux of K+ is more rapid with increasing pH between pH 5 and 7. Since these vesicles do not respire under the experimental conditions it was expected that the K+-efflux data would be related to the passive permeability of the membranes to K+. The apparent K+ permeability at 30 degrees C is 1--2 - 10(-10) cm - s-1. This value corresponds to a 5-h half-life for retained K+ in the envelope vesicles and to a probably much longer half-life in whole cells. The previously observed ability of Halobacterium to retain K+ in the absence of metabolism can thus be explained solely by the permeability characteristics of the membranes.
Short communication: Low-fat ice cream flavor not modified by high hydrostatic pressure treatment of whey protein concentrate

The purpose of this study was to examine flavor binding of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)-treated whey protein concentrate (WPC) in a real food system. Fresh Washington State University (WSU, Pullman) WPC, produced by ultrafiltration of separated Cheddar cheese whey, was treated at 300 MPa for 15 min. Commercial WPC 35 powder was reconstituted to equivalent total solids as WSU WPC (8.23%). Six batches of low-fat ice cream were produced: A) HHP-treated WSU WPC without diacetyl; B) and E) WSU WPC with 2 mg/L of diacetyl added before HHP; C) WSU WPC with 2 mg/L of diacetyl added after HHP; D) untreated WSU WPC with 2 mg/L of diacetyl; and F) untreated commercial WPC 35 with 2 mg/L of diacetyl. The solution of WSU WPC or commercial WPC 35 contributed 10% to the mix formulation. Ice creams were produced by using standard ice cream ingredients and processes. Low-fat ice creams containing HHP-treated WSU WPC and untreated WSU WPC were analyzed using headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography. Sensory evaluation by balanced reference duo-trio test was carried out using 50 untrained panelists in 2 sessions on 2 different days. The headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography analysis revealed that ice cream containing HHP-treated WSU WPC had almost 3 times the concentration of diacetyl compared with ice cream containing untreated WSU WPC at d 1 of storage. However, diacetyl was not detected in ice creams after 14 d of storage. Eighty percent of panelists were able to distinguish between low-fat ice creams containing untreated WSU WPC with and without diacetyl, confirming panelists' ability to detect diacetyl. However, panelists were not able to distinguish between low-fat ice creams containing untreated and HHP-treated WSU WPC with diacetyl. These results show that WPC diacetyl-binding properties were not enhanced by 300-MPa HHP treatment for 15 min, indicating that HHP may not be suitable for such applications.
Patterns of multiple recurrences of superficial (Ta/T1) transitional cell carcinoma of bladder and effects of clinicopathologic and biochemical factors

BACKGROUND Although multiple sequential recurrences are one of the most important characteristics of superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder, few studies have examined multiple sequential recurrence patterns and the clinicopathologic and biochemical factors associated with these patterns. METHODS Two hundred seventy superficial TCC bladder carcinoma patients were followed. Clinical, pathologic, and tumor marker (p53, MIB-1, bcl-2, c-erb B-2, and epidermal growth factor receptor) data were collected at baseline and during followup. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) method was used to describe multiple recurrences. The Wei, Lin, and Weissfeld (WLW) marginal proportional hazards model was used to assess the effects of clinicopathologic and immunohistochemic factors on multiple recurrences. RESULTS Among the 270 patients, 126 (46.7%) had one or more recurrences, 38 (14.1%) had two or more recurrences, and 14 (5.2%) had three or more recurrences during the followup. The median times for the first, the second, and the third recurrences were 23 months, 15 months, and 13 months, respectively. In KM analysis, Stage T1, higher grades, and Ki-67 stain positivity were associated with the first recurrence, and p53 stain positivity was marginally significant. Other markers were not significant. For the second recurrence, only p53 stain positivity was significant. In multivariate analysis (WLW method), stage was significantly associated with the first recurrence (risk ratio [RR] = 2.03), and Ki-67 was marginally significant (RR = 1.49). For the second recurrence, only p53 positivity was statistically significant (RR = 2.73). CONCLUSIONS Among superficial TCC bladder carcinoma patients, multiple recurrences are common phenomena. The time for recurrence becomes shorter as the number of recurrences increases. In addition to tumor stage and grade, Ki-67 can be used to identify patients at high risk for a first recurrence; and p53 can be used to identify patients at high risk for a second recurrence. Cancer 2002;95:1239–46. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10822
XStream: a Signal-Oriented Data Stream Management System

Sensors capable of sensing phenomena at high data rates on the order of tens to hundreds of thousands of samples per second are now widely deployed in many industrial, civil engineering, scientific, networking, and medical applications. In aggregate, these sensors easily generate several million samples per second that must be processed within milliseconds or seconds. The computation required includes both signal processing and event stream processing. XStream is a stream processing system for such applications. XStream introduces a new data type, the signal segment, which allows applications to manipulate isochronous (regularly spaced in time) collections of sensor samples more conveniently and efficiently than the asynchronous representation used in previous work. XStream includes a memory manager and scheduler optimizations tuned for processing signal segments at high speeds. In benchmark comparisons, we show that XStream outperforms a leading commercial stream processing system by more than three orders of magnitude. On one application, the commercial system processed 72.7 Ksamples/sec, while XStream processed 97.6 Msamples/sec.
Patterns of Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive disease in New York State, 1987 to 1991: the role of vaccination requirements for day-care attendance.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in young children and is a major cause of other invasive bacterial disease.1 The case fatality rate for Hib meningitis is 1.0% to 3.4%.2,3 Also, 14% of meningitis cases result in persisting neurologic sequelae and 10% to 11% result in sensorineural hearing loss.4,5 With the introduction of Hib vaccines in 1985, what was once a potentially devastating disease is now preventable by vaccination.6 The risk of Hib in day-care centers (DCCs) is highest for younger children (≤23 months of age), during the first month of enrollment in day care, and for those children who attend larger day-care centers as opposed to home day-care settings.7 The incidence of Hib disease is higher for blacks, Hispanics, native Alaskans, American Indians, and children of lower socioeconomic status.8 Increasing enrollment in licensed DCCs throughout the country has provided an opportunity, through entrance requirements, to ensure that these children receive public health preventive measures such as vaccinations. Most states have laws requiring certain vaccinations before entry into DCCs; however, many states do not have a specific DCC entry requirement for Hib vaccination.9 The purposes of this article are to examine patterns of Hib incidence in New York State by gender, race, and age and to evaluate Hib disease within the DCC setting in New York State in relation to changing Hib vaccine requirements for DCCs. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of invasive Hib disease in New York State outside New York City.
Surgical Treatment for Empty Nose Syndrome

Objectives To detail empty nose syndrome (ENS), an iatrogenic disorder characterized by a patent airway but a subjective sense of poor nasal breathing, and to explore repair options for patients with ENS. Design A case series of 8 patients with ENS detailing symptoms before and after submucosal implantation of acellular dermis. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Subjects who were evaluated for abnormal nasal breathing and determined to have ENS. Patients were diagnosed as having ENS if they described characteristic symptoms, had evidence of prior nasal turbinate surgery, and their symptoms improved after they underwent a cotton test. Intervention Acellular dermis was implanted submucosally to simulate missing turbinate tissue. Main Outcome Measures Symptoms and symptom scores for the 20-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test completed before and after the implantation were gathered. Results A statistically significant improvement in symptom scores for the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test was noted ( P ≤ .02). Conclusions Careful assessment allows reconstructive surgery through submucosal implantation of acellular dermis. Symptoms of patients with ENS can improve with surgical therapy.
Toward numerical and analytical studies of first order phase transitions

Discrete lattice simulations of an one-dimensional phi^4 theory coupled to an external heat bath are being carried out. Great care is taken to remove the effects of lattice discreteness and finite size and to establish the correct correspondence between simulations and the desired, finite-temperature continuum limit.
Magnetic properties and microstructure of melt-spun Nd-Fe-Ga-B alloys

The magnetic and microstructural properties of melt-spun Nd/sub 18/Fe/sub 76-x/Ga/sub x/B/sub 6/ alloys have been studied as a function of Ga content. Coercivities of 17 kOe were obtained in underquenched samples having a large grain size of 500 nm. Samples prepared at wheel speeds of 15-19 m/sec, as well as overquenched (40 m/sec) and subsequently annealed, gave coercivities of around 20 kOe with no significant improvement of H/sub c/ upon Ga substitution. In Ga-free samples prepared by annealing highly overquenched ribbons (at 60 m/sec) only moderate coercive fields could be achieved (14 kOe). These samples had grain sizes of 70-100 nm. However Ga substituted samples prepared under the same conditions have a fine grain structure consisting of unequiaxed grains with size around 20 nm and show coercivities up to 23 kOe.
A 20-year experience with the Hancock porcine xenograft in the elderly

Abstract Background . The availability of 20 years of follow-up data on the Hancock porcine valve (Medtronic Inc, Irvine, CA) allows determination of long-term actual and actuarial failure rates in the elderly. Methods . We analyzed outcomes after mitral or aortic valve replacement with the Hancock porcine valve in 491 consecutive patients, comparing actual and actuarial valve failure rates in the elderly (age 65 or older) with those in younger patients. Results . The average age of aortic valve replacement recipients was 68 ± 14 years (N = 243) and of mitral valve replacement recipients, 64 ± 12 years (N = 248). Average follow-up was 7.0 years (1,673 patient-years) for aortic valve replacement and 7.3 years (1,781 patient years) for mitral valve replacement recipients. The median time to reoperation or structural failure was 15.9 years for aortic valve replacement patients and 14.3 years for mitral valve replacement patients. However, few elderly patients survived to 15 years (22% of the elderly aortic valve replacement and 13% of the older mitral valve replacement patients). The 15-year actual reoperation rate was therefore only 10% in the elderly aortic valve replacement compared to 30% in the younger aortic valve replacement patients. For mitral valve replacement, the 15-year actual reoperation rate was 11% in the elderly and 36% in the younger patients. The lifetime reoperation risk (the maximum potential number of patients who might ever undergo reoperation during their lifetime) is the sum of actual survival and actual reoperation rates. The lifetime reoperation risk was 20% or less for elderly aortic valve replacement patients and 18% or less for elderly mitral valve replacement patients. Conclusion . These data suggest that about 1 in 10 elderly patients (65 years or older) receiving a Hancock valve will require reoperation within 15 years and less than one in five will ever require reoperation in their lifetimes.
Improving the Reliability of Digital Devices with Redundancy: An Application of Decision Theory

The reliability of complex digital systems can be increased by increasing the reliability of the components of the system or by inserting redundant components into the system. Since it is often prohibitively expensive to obtain successively higher levels of component reliability, inserting redundant components may be the only reasonable way to satisfy future digital system requirements. The reliability of a given computer subsystem may be improved by adding redundant subsystems of the same sort having the same inputs, and entering the several outputs into a decision element designed to produce the most probably, correct final output. This paper deals with designing the decision element. The optimum design is obtained for several different types of systems. The decision element that maximizes the ``reliability'' is derived when the a priori probabilities of various outputs are known and when they are unknown. The optimum element is unique when the a priori probability is unknown.