cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HALO PIN LOOSENING : A BIOMECHANICAL COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL AND CONVENTIONAL DESIGNS

Abstract Loosening of the pins is the most common complication associated with use of the halo orthosis. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a new cylindrical cutting pin tip design which minimizes damage to adjacent bone and does not rely on high axial forces to maintain fixation would perform better mechanically than conventional conical tip pins. Conventional and experimental halo pins were tested for mechanical stability in human cadaveric skull bone using a servohydraulic load frame (Model 858 Bionix, MTS Corp., Minneapolis, MN). A cyclic transverse load of ±300 N was applied through the pins for 10,000 cycles in a sinusoidal wave form in both fully tightened and reduced axial load situations. Load-to-failure testing was also performed to determine the strength and stiffness of each configuration. Photomicrographs of thin decalcified sections through a hole formed by each pin tip were compared for gross evidence of bony damage. With the pins fully tightened, there was no statistically significant difference in the motion between the experimental design (mean±95% confidence interval: 0.41±0.027 mm) and the conventional halo pin (0.38±0.075 mm). After the axial pin force was intentionally decreased, there was no significant increase in the motion of the experimental pins (0.43±0.032 mm), however, there was a significant increase in the motion of the conventional pins (3.15±2.403 mm)(p The data obtained herein support our hypothesis and indicate that the experimental pin design possesses biomechanical characteristics superior to current designs. These characteristics may translate into fewer complications in the clinical setting.
Enhanced detection of malignant lymphoma in cerebrospinal fluid by multiparameter flow cytometry

Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry has not been widely applied to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. We attempted to optimize flow cytometric detection of malignant lymphoma in CSF samples by the routine use of 3- and 4-color flow cytometry, with specific selection of lymphoid cells by fluorescence vs 90 degrees light scatter gating. Thirty-six consecutive CSF samples were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry, and the results were compared with those of standard microscopic examination. Lymphoid events were adequate for analysis in 27 of the 36 samples. Each of the 9 unsuccessful samples was more than 24 hours old at analysis or contained fewer than 1 x 10(4) total cells (< or =1 cell/microL). Lymphoma was detected in 10 of the remaining 27 cases. Six lymphomas were detected by morphology and flow cytometry, 1 only by morphologic examination, and 3 only by flow cytometry. Therefore, the combination of flow cytometry and morphologic examination enhanced the detection by 43% over morphologic examination alone. Flow cytometry permitted the detection of lymphoid clones totaling less than 1% of total cells. Multicolor flow cytometry is a rapid and sensitive technique that enhances detection of lymphoma in paucicellular CSF samples. Given the great sensitivity of flow cytometry, future studies will be necessary to assess the significance of detecting small lymphoid clones in this setting.
Deep Neural Networks for In Situ Hybridization Grid Completion and Clustering

Transcriptome in brain plays a crucial role in understanding the cortical organization and the development of brain structure and function. Two challenges, incomplete data and high dimensionality of transcriptome, remain unsolved. Here, we present a novel training scheme that successfully adapts the U-net architecture to the problem of volume recovery. By analogy to denoising autoencoder, we hide a portion of each training sample so that the network can learn to recover missing voxels from context. Then on the completed volumes, we show that Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) can be used to infer co-occurrences among voxels, providing foundations for dividing the cortex into discrete subregions. As we stack multiple RBMs to form a deep belief network (DBN), we progressively map the high-dimensional raw input into abstract representations and create a hierarchy of transcriptome architecture. A coarse to fine organization emerges from the network layers. This organization incidentally corresponds to the anatomical structures, suggesting a close link between structures and the genetic underpinnings. Thus, we demonstrate a new way of learning transcriptome-based hierarchical organization using RBM and DBN.
An Evaluation of the Results of Cloud Seeding in Western New Mexico and Southeastern Arizona During July and August, 1951 and 1952

An attempt is made to determine whether or not the effectiveness of cloud seeding in increasing the amount of natural rainfall during the years 1951 and 1952 over western New Mexico and southeaster...
Assessing Role of Major Drivers in Recent Decline of Monarch Butterfly Population in North America

Monarch (Danaus plexippus L.) is a long distance migratory species of butterfly in North America that has experienced population declines in recent years. Several interacting factors have been postulated to contribute to this decline. For example, reduced overwintering habitat in Mexico as a result of logging leading to deforestation and reduced breeding habitats in the United States. Decreased spring breeding populations and inclement weather patterns have also been proposed. Herbicides are commonly used in many agricultural production systems planted with genetically modified (GM) cultivars that are resistant to these chemicals. However, the non-target effects of these commonly used herbicides to the monarch host-plant, milkweed (Asclepias spp. L.), which commonly grows within GM planted agricultural fields has also been hypothesized to explain reduced breeding habitats in the Midwestern United States. Currently, significant uncertainty regarding the dynamics of these multiple hypotheses and how their interaction may impact the eastern monarch butterfly population remains. Meanwhile, several efforts to help monarchs have been launched; for example, milkweed plantings and campaigns to minimize deforestation in overwintering habitats. In this context, this mini-review highlights different population decline hypotheses and conservation initiatives and discusses knowledge gaps in awareness and research efforts to mitigate the eastern monarch butterfly population decline.
Doing Business in Cameroon: An Anatomy of Economic Governance

From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, images of crisis and reform dominated talk of Cameroon's economy. Doing Business in Cameroon examines the aftermath of that period of turbulence and unpredictability in the northern city of Ngaoundere. Taking the everyday encounters between business actors and state bureaucrats as its point of departure, the book vividly illustrates the backstage and interconnected dynamics of four different sectors (cattle trade, trucking, public contracting, and NGO work). Drawing on his training in law and social anthropology, the author is able to clarify intricate policy dynamics and abstruse legal developments for readers. A widespread picture emerges of actors grappling with the long-term implications of selective or suspended enforcement of legal rules. The book deftly illuminates a set of shifting configurations in which economic outcomes like monetary gains or the circulation of goods are achieved by foregoing the possibility of relying on or complying with the law.
Experiments in eleetromagnctically induced transparency

When narrowband probe radiation traveling through a bulk material is tuned to a resonance transition from the ground state of the material, the radiation experiences strong attenuation and dispersion. Recent theoretical1 and experimental2,3 work has demonstrated that this attenuation can be almost completely eliminated by the addition of a strong coherent coupling radiation field coupling a third state to the upper state of the resonance transition. In effect, a destructive quantum interference blocks the excitation of the atom from its ground state and renders the atom transparent. We term this effect “electromagnetically induced transparency.”
Restraining the Unitary Executive: A Regime Ethics Basis for Administrator Defiance of Presidential Directives

The now dominant unitary executive model of presidential power claims historical, constitutional, and moral warrant for placing under direct presidential control all authority to interpret and exec...
Crystal structure of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe U7BR E2-binding region in complex with Ubc7

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) is a protein quality-control pathway in eukaryotes in which misfolded ER proteins are polyubiquitylated, extracted and ultimately degraded by the proteasome. This process involves ER membrane-embedded ubiquitin E2 and E3 enzymes, as well as a soluble E2 enzyme (Ubc7 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and UBE2G2 in mammals). E2-binding regions (E2BRs) that recruit these soluble ERAD E2s to the ER have been identified in humans and S. cerevisiae, and structures of E2–E2BR complexes from both species have been determined. In addition to sequence and structural differences between the human and S. cerevisiae E2BRs, the binding of E2BRs also elicits different biochemical outcomes with respect to E2 charging by E1 and E2 discharge. Here, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe E2BR was identified and purified with Ubc7 to resolve a 1.7 A resolution co-crystal structure of the E2BR in complex with Ubc7. The S. pombe E2BR binds to the back side of the E2 as an α-helix and, while differences exist, it exhibits greater similarity to the human E2BR. Structure-based sequence alignments reveal differences and conserved elements among these species. Structural comparisons and biochemistry reveal that the S. pombe E2BR presents a steric impediment to E1 binding and inhibits E1-mediated charging, respectively.
Detection of Single-Axis Pitch Bearing Defect in a Wind Turbine Using Electrical Signature Analysis

Recently, multiple wind turbine failure databases have reviewed that pitch bearings are one of the subassemblies with the highest failure rates, and largest contributors to overall downtime. If a monitoring technology is developed and can give an early warning about the pitch bearing condition, the maintenance process can be largely improved; downtime and losses can be minimized. Electrical signature analysis (ESA) has been extensively investigated for years to monitor wind turbine main drivetrain structural health condition, including generator bearings, multi-stage gearbox gears and bearings. ESA has advantages of being low cost, hardware free (no additional sensor is required), has minimum impacts on system normal operation, and can be directly applied to commercial drive units to provide an online remote condition-based monitoring solution. In this paper, ESA is used to monitor and trend deterioration of pitch bearing health condition. Various fault indicators (FIs) has been investigated, a detailed comparison indicates negative-sequence FI is the most sensitive to detect single-axis pitch bearing failure. This hardware-free solution is validated by both simulation and field data from MW-scale wind farms and turns out to be the first field-validated effort to use ESA to monitor pitch bearing health condition, and provide single-axis pitch bearing defect detection, as reported in the literature.
Engraving the Surface of Electrospun Microfibers with Nanoscale Grooves Promotes the Outgrowth of Neurites and the Migration of Schwann Cells

We report a simple method based upon coaxial electrospinning for the fabrication of aligned microfibers engraved with nanoscale grooves to promote neurite outgrowth and cell migration. The success of this method relies on the immiscibility between poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) for the generation of PVP/TFE pockets on the surface of a PCL jet. The pockets are stretched and elongated along with the jet, eventually resulting in the formation of nanoscale grooves upon the removal of PVP. The presence of nanoscale grooves greatly enhances the outgrowth of neurites from both PC12 cells and chick embryonic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) bodies, as well as the migration of Schwann cells. The enhancements can be maximized by optimizing the dimensions of the grooves for potential use in applications involving neurite extension and wound closure.
Optimal replay-based channel simulation via dithering methods

We investigate replay-based channel simulation methods that reuse data collected from expensive field experiments through the use of dither within the standard communication pipeline. While traditional playback simulations rely on accurate channel models and their estimates, the method proposed here reduces the effect of channel estimation errors and unmodeled effects by exploiting similarities between different input signals. A notion of optimality of the proposed scheme will be discussed from the perspective of a related estimation problem. Finally, the proposed scheme is tested both numerically and experimentally with field data collected from MACE 10 experiments.
Comparing distance and time as driving exposure measures to evaluate fatal crash risk ratios

Abstract Background The use of an appropriate driving exposure measure is essential to calculate traffic crash rates and risks. Commonly used exposure measures include driving distance and the number of licensed drivers. These measures have some limitations, including the unavailability of disaggregated estimates for consecutive years, low data quality, and the failure to represent the driving population when the crash occurred. However, the length of driving time, available annually from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), can be disaggregated by age, gender, time-of-day, and day-of week, and addresses the temporal discontinuity limitation of driving distance on the United States (U.S.) national scale. Objectives The objective of this study is to determine if the length of driving time as a driving exposure measure is comparable to driving distance by comparing distance-based and time-based fatal crash risk ratios by driver age category, gender, time-of-day, and day-of-week. Methods The 2016–2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) provided driving distance, and 2016–2017 Fatality Analysis Reporting System provided the number of drivers in fatal crashes. The distributions of driving distance and length of driving time by driver age category (16−24, 25−44, 45−64, and 65 years or older), gender, time-of-day, day-of-week were compared. Two negative binomial regression models were used to compute the distance-based and time-based fatal crash risk ratios. Results The distributions of driving-distance were not different from the length-of-driving-time distributions by driver age category, gender, time-of-day, and day-of-week. Driving distance and the length of driving time provide similar fatal crash risk ratio estimates. Conclusions The length of driving time can be an alternative to driving distance as a measure of driving exposure. The primary advantage of driving time over driving distance is that, starting from 2003, the disaggregated estimates of the length of driving time are available from ATUS over consecutive years, curtailing the discontinuity limitation of driving distance. Furthermore, the length of driving time is related to drivers’ perceived risks about their driving conditions and as a result, may be a better exposure measure than driving distance in comparing crash risks between drivers whose likelihood of traveling in hazardous driving conditions (e.g., nighttime) varies substantially.
A p53-dependent translational program directs tissue-selective phenotypes in a model of ribosomopathies

In ribosomopathies, perturbed expression of ribosome components leads to tissue-specific phenotypes, such as limb and craniofacial defects as well as bone marrow failure. What accounts for such tissue-selective manifestations and what role translation plays is poorly understood. Combining comprehensive mouse genetics and in vivo​ ribosome profiling, we observe limb patterning phenotypes in ribosomal protein (RP) haploinsufficient embryos and uncover corresponding selective translational changes of transcripts controlling limb development. Surprisingly, either loss of p53, which is activated by RP haploinsufficiency, or augmented protein synthesis rescues these phenotypes. These findings are reconciled by the unexpected identification of p53 as a master regulator of protein synthesis, which specifically induces 4E-BP1 expression. 4E-BP1, a key regulator of gene expression at the translation level, facilitates selective changes in the translatome and thereby explains, at least in part, how RP haploinsufficiency may elicit specificity to gene regulation. These results provide an integrative model to explain how a tissue-specific phenotype may emerge from a mutation in a ribosome component.
Solar Data Tools: Automatic Solar Data Processing Pipeline

The increasing volume of photovoltaic system performance data is creating opportunities for remotely monitoring system health and optimizing operations and maintenance activities. However, this data often arrives in a variety of formats, with varying levels of quality, and missing metadata. The inability to automatically ingest, quality check, filter, and flag data across a large number of unique PV systems is a major roadblock to unlocking the potential of PV system performance data at scale. We have developed an automatic data processing pipeline application, written in open source Python. This software takes as an input generic, tabular PV performance time series data, typically a power signal at some sampling frequency, possibly with some missing or corrupted data. Using advanced data algorithms, large, high-frequency data sets can be standardized, cleaned, filtered, and flagged for basic operational issues in seconds on a standard laptop, with no need for user input or system metadata.
Altered expression of clock and clock-controlled genes in a hSOD1-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model

Most physiological processes in mammals are subjected to daily oscillations that are governed by a circadian system. The circadian rhythm orchestrates metabolic pathways in a time-dependent manner and loss of circadian timekeeping has been associated with cellular and system-wide alterations in metabolism, redox homeostasis, and inflammation. Here, we investigated the expression of clock and clock-controlled genes in multiple tissues (suprachiasmatic nucleus, spinal cord, gastrocnemius muscle, and liver) from mutant hSOD1-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mouse models. We identified tissue-specific changes in the relative expression, as well as altered daily expression patterns, of clock genes, sirtuins (Sirt1, Sirt3, and Sirt6), metabolic enzymes (Pfkfb3, Cpt1, and Nampt), and redox regulators (Nrf2, G6pd, and Pgd). In addition, astrocytes transdifferentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells from SOD1-linked and FUS RNA binding protein-linked ALS patients also displayed altered expression of clock genes. Overall, our results raise the possibility of disrupted cross-talk between the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peripheral tissues in hSOD1G93A mice, preventing proper peripheral clock regulation and synchronization. Since these changes were observed in symptomatic mice, it remains unclear whether this dysregulation directly drives or it is a consequence of the degenerative process. However, because metabolism and redox homeostasis are intimately entangled with circadian rhythms, our data suggest that altered expression of clock genes may contribute to metabolic and redox impairment in ALS. Since circadian dyssynchrony can be rescued, these results provide the groundwork for potential disease-modifying interventions.
Writing the Story of Sabadullah: Transnational Literacies of Refugee-Background Parents

Theoretically framed at the intersection of language, identity, and transnationalism, this chapter examines how two Syrian refugee-background parents negotiated narrating and writing a bilingual and multimodal fictional story commonly used in Syria by parents as a bedtime story. Primary data included two audio recorded interviews: an oral narration of the story and a collaborative writing session with the author. Secondary data included ethnographic fieldnotes to contextualize the participants’ transnational experiences and relations. An interview-based case study design was adopted and data was analyzed in an iterative manner. Findings suggest that while the parents were both invested in writing a bilingual story, they had different views about its purpose. While the father was focused on maintaining the story’s authenticity, the mother reinterpreted and rewrote the story through the lens of her current life and understanding of parental roles within the context of the United States. Implications are presented with respect to how the two participants negotiate the ambivalence of writing the story between two frames of reference: Syria and the United States.
LA-ICP-MS and MALDI-MS image registration for correlating nanomaterial biodistributions and their biochemical effects.

Laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) are complementary methods that measure distributions of elements and biomolecules in tissue sections. Quantitative correlations of the information provided by these two imaging modalities requires that the datasets be registered in the same coordinate system, allowing for pixel-by-pixel comparisons. We describe here a computational workflow written in Python that accomplishes this registration, even for adjacent tissue sections, with accuracies within ± 50 µm. The value of this registration process is demonstrated by correlating images of tissue sections from mice injected with gold nanomaterial drug delivery systems. Quantitative correlations of the nanomaterial delivery vehicle, as detected by LA-ICP-MS imaging, with biochemical changes, as detected by MALDI-MSI, provide deeper insight into how nanomaterial delivery systems influence lipid biochemistry in tissues. Moreover, the registration process allows the more precise images associated with LA-ICP-MS imaging to be leveraged to achieve improved segmentation in MALDI-MS images, resulting in the identification of lipids that are most associated with different sub-organ regions in tissues.
Risk assessment approaches for the transport of radioactive material

Transporting radioactive materials involves radiological risks as well as the ordinary risks of transport. Transportation accidents to a vehicle carrying radioactive material naturally involve risk, even when the package carrying the radioactive material is not damaged. Routine transport of radioactive material that takes place without incident also involves radiological risk. This chapter discusses how these risks are estimated and evaluated, the assumptions underlying the estimation methods, and the implication of these estimates for transport safety and transport regulation.
Evaluating the Dimensionality and Invariance of ”Low Self-Control”

According to Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) A General Theory ofCrime, all illegal activity is the manifestation of a single underlyingcause. The authors argue that inadequate child-rearing causes individualsto develop a similar type of propensity for criminal and analogousbehavior. Gottfredson and Hirschi label this characteristic“low self-control.” Six dimensions, which can be identified intheir theory, are suggested to comprise a final low self-controltrait. Further, low self-control is proposed to be an invariantcharacteristic (i.e., its form does not change with the age of theindividual or context in which the person resides). In this research, weevaluate these two propositions. First, the six dimensions are measured andused to determine if a multidimensional model can explain another commonfactor—low self-control—in two samples of individuals (fromdifferent locales) with dissimilar mean ages. Second, low self-control inboth samples is tested for invariance. We test the proposed invariance oflow self-control by examining if the parameter values in a model, which isreflective of Gottfredson and Hirschi's conceptualization of thecharacteristic, differ across the two samples of individuals. The resultssupport both of Gottfredson and Hirschi's propositions. Lowself-control does appear to be a multidimensional characteristic whosedimensions represent another common factor. Low self-control also appears tobe an invariant latent trait that members of these two samplespossess. These tests help to clarify Gottfredson and Hirschi'sconceptualization of low self-control.
A cluster-based energy balancing scheme in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we propose a novel, cluster-based energy balancing scheme. We assume the existence of a fraction of “strong” nodes in terms of abundant storage, computing and communication abilities as well as energy. With the transformation of the flat network infrastructure into a hierarchical one, we obtained significant improvements in energy balancing leading to a longer connected time of the network. The improvement is quantified by mathematical analysis and extensive numerical simulations.
Feasibility of plasma aftertreatment for simultaneous control of NOx and particulates

Abstract : Plasma reactors can be operated as a particulate trap or as a NOx converter. Particulate trapping in a plasma reactor can be accomplished by electrostatic precipitation. The soluble organic fraction of the trapped particulates can be utilized for the hydrocarbon- enhanced oxidation of NO to NO2. The NO2 can then be used to non-thermally oxidize the carbon fraction of the particulates. The oxidation of the carbon fraction by NO2 can lead to reduction of NOx or backconversion of NO2 to NO. This paper examines the hydrocarbon and electrical energy density requirements in a plasma for maximum NOx conversion in both heavy-duty and light-duty diesel engine exhaust. The energy density required for complete oxidation of hydrocarbons is also examined and shown to be much greater than that required for maximum NOx conversion. The reaction of NO2 with carbon is shown to lead mainly to backconversion of NO2 to NO. These results suggest that the combination of the plasma with a catalyst will be required to reduce the NOx and oxidize the hydrocarbons. The plasma reactor can be operated occasionally in the arc mode to thermally oxidize the carbon fraction of the particulates.
Definition and Examples of Continuous-Time Markov Chains

This article consists of definitions and examples of continuous-time Markov chains (CTMCs). We first define a CTMC as a continuous-time stochastic process that has a countable state space and the Markov property. Then, we restrict our attention to time-homogenous CTMCs, for which we define the transition probability matrix. We further restrict our attention to regular CTMCs and provide an alternative definition of a CTMC. Next, we define the embedded discrete-time Markov chain and the generator matrix of a CTMC and investigate the possible ways of characterizing a CTMC. We complete the definitions by defining the transition rate diagram of a CTMC. Finally, we conclude the article by providing examples of CTMCs. Keywords: markov chain; continuous-time stochastic process; time-homogeneity; regularity; poisson process; birth and death process
Elastic Stability of Shells

Over and above the determination of stresses and displacements in shell structures, under some loadings the question of elastic stability of a shell arises, just as it does in plates and columns, which were discussed in Chapter 7.
Isoflurane delays the development of early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage through sphingosine-related pathway activation in mice

Objective Isoflurane, a volatile anesthetic agent, has been recognized for its potential neuroprotective properties and has antiapoptotic effects. We examined whether isoflurane posttreatment is protective against early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and determined whether this effect needs sphingosine-related pathway activation.
PRODUCT USAGE CONTEXT: IMPROVING CUSTOMER NEEDS GATHERING AND DESIGN TARGET SETTING

The early information-gathering stages of product design prove problematic for frontier design environments, or situations unfamiliar to the designer. This research provides a framework for gathering, documenting, and acting upon contextual information including the customer, market, and product usage context. This framework is validated through an empirical product study which shows that a chosen functional family of products, designed to fulfill the same primary function, exhibit significant differences in both customer needs and product requirement design targets. These differences are convincingly accounted for in terms of product usage context factors identified by the research. The functional family of “broadcast light and allow mobility” is selected, corresponding to a wide variety of candle and lantern-type products. It is shown that the products suited for long distance backpackers, for example, exhibit significantly lower volume and weight than the products intended for other usage contexts. The results presented provide a starting point to extend this research to other product domains, and support the future development of methods and tools equipping design engineers to successfully design products for frontier design environments.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Human cytomegalovirus UL69 protein is required for efficient accumulation of infected cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Abstract Human cytomegalovirus blocks cell-cycle progression in the G1 compartment upon infection of primary human fibroblasts. The virus-coded UL69 protein can institute a G1 block when expressed in cells in the absence of virus infection. We have constructed a cytomegalovirus mutant, TNsubUL69, that lacks the UL69 coding region. This virus grows slowly in fibroblasts, but produces a wild-type yield after an extended delay. It grows with normal kinetics in cells coinfected with a recombinant retrovirus, retroUL69, which expresses UL69 protein, demonstrating that its growth defect results from the mutation in the UL69 gene. UL69 protein is packaged within virus particles, and it was possible for us to produce two types of virus stocks. TNsubUL69+pUL69 lacks the UL69 gene but contains UL69 protein in virus particles. It is produced by growth in fibroblasts that are coinfected with retroUL69. TNsubUL69−pUL69 lacks the UL69 gene and protein. It is produced by growth in fibroblasts that do not contain UL69 protein. The mutant virions lacking both the UL69 gene and protein fail to induce a cell-cycle block with normal efficiency, whereas the mutant particles lacking the gene but containing the protein can institute the block. These results are consistent with the view that the UL69 protein contributes to the cytomegalovirus-induced cell-cycle block, and they suggest that UL69 protein delivered to cells within virions can induce the block without the synthesis of additional UL69 protein encoded by the infecting viral genome.
Is age a barrier to the aggressive treatment of ovarian cancer with paclitaxel and carboplatin

Abstract Objective. The objective of this study was to determine whether the toxicities associated with chemotherapy are age related in women treated for ovarian cancer. Methods. Patients with stage II–IV epithelial ovarian cancer underwent cytoreductive surgery. Adjunctive therapy was given to each patient consisting of intravenous (IV) paclitaxel 175 mg/m 2 over 3 h with a subsequent 30-min IV infusion of carboplatin. Carboplatin dose was calculated to achieve a targeted area under the curve (AUC) of 5.0–7.5. Treatment was repeated at 21- to 28-day intervals for six cycles. Toxicities were graded after each dose of chemotherapy. Results were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and log likelihood ratio to compare toxicities in women age Results. Fifty-three women, 22 of whom were ≥60 years old, were treated with 309 cycles of chemotherapy. Forty-eight patients (92%) completed all six cycles. AUC dosing of carboplatin was equivalent for both groups. Carboplatin dose reduction occurred in 75% of patients for grade 4 neutropenia or thrombocytopenia. No patient required a reduction in the paclitaxel dose. Neutropenia was less frequent in women ≥60 years old than in women P = 0.02). There was no difference between women P = 0.22). Conclusion. Age is not a barrier to the aggressive treatment of ovarian cancer with this regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin.
Clinical decision‐making using the General Behavior Inventory in juvenile bipolarity

Objective: The General Behavior Inventory (GBI) is a questionnaire that has utility in the assessment of mood disorders in adults. The purpose of this study was to examine how the GBI might optimally be used in the assessment of youths. Method: Children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 years participated in this study. All youths were evaluated with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS). Based on the K-SADS results, subjects were then assigned to one of four groups: a bipolar spectrum group, a depressive disorders group, a disruptive behaviors disorders group, and a no diagnosis group. Guardians completed a version of the GBI modified for parent reporting. Patients 10 years old or greater also completed the GBI as a self-report measure. Results: There were 196 subjects who participated. Both parent report and youth self-report assigned patients to the appropriate diagnostic group with better than 74% accuracy. Combining information from multiple informants did not significantly improve diagnostic group assignment. Conclusions: These data suggest that the GBI may be a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of mood disorders in youths, particularly when diagnostic specificity is more important than sensitivity.
Analysis of moderately thick flanged reactor vessels

Abstract A computer method is presented for the analysis of moderately thick flanged shells of revolution such as are used for reactor pressure vessels. The shell may be subjected to symmetrical or unsymmetrical loads and a thermal environment. The method employs a finite element discretization for modelling the flange portions, and a theory appropriate to moderately thick shells for the remainder of the pressure vessel. The governing differential equations for the shell portions are put in the Goldberg-Bogdanoff first-order form and integrated numerically using a scheme such as a Runge-Kutta process. The finite element stiffness matrix for a flange region is used to form a superelement influence coefficient matrix, permitting the flange region to be treated as a giant step in the numerical integration process.
Active Hypothesis Testing for Anomaly Detection

The problem of detecting a single anomalous process among a finite number M of processes is considered. At each time, a subset of the processes can be observed, and the observations from each chosen process follow two different distributions, depending on whether the process is normal or abnormal. The objective is a sequential search strategy that minimizes the expected detection time subject to an error probability constraint. This problem can be considered as a special case of active hypothesis testing first considered by Chernoff where a randomized strategy, referred to as the Chernoff test, was proposed and shown to be asymptotically (as the error probability approaches zero) optimal. For the special case considered in this paper, we show that a simple deterministic test achieves asymptotic optimality and offers better performance in the finite regime. We further extend the problem to the case where multiple anomalous processes are present. In particular, we examine the case where only an upper bound on the number of anomalous processes is known.
Analysis of melting in the presence of natural convection in the melt region

An analysis of multidimensional melting is performed which takes account of natural convection induced by temperature differences in the liquid melt. Consideration is given to the melt region created by a heated vertical tube embedded in a solid which is at its fusion temperature. Solutions were obtained by an implicit finite-difference scheme tailored to take account of the movement of the liquid-solid interface as melting progresses. The results differed decisively from those corresponding to a conventional pure-conduction model of the melting problem. The calculated heat transfer rate at the tube wall decreased at early times and attained a minimum, then increased and achieved a maximum, and subsequently decreased. This is in contrast to the pure conduction solution whereby the heat transfer rate decreases monotonically with time. The thickness of the melt region was found to vary along the length of the tube, with the greatest thickness near the top. This contrasts with the uniform thickness predicted by the conduction solution. These findings indicate that natural convection effects, although unaccounted for in most phase change analyses, are of importance and have to be considered.
Short-term withdrawal of maintenance medication.

Summary This study was designed to determine whether or not regular withdrawal of maintenance medication for short periods would be a feasible treatment regimen for both patients with ground privileges and patients requiring continuous supervision on locked wards, and whether or not observable regression would occur. Fifty patients with ground privileges selected from one building were randomly assigned to experimental and control situations for observation over a 12-week period. Twenty patients requiring close supervision on a locked ward of this same building were studied for 16 weeks—8 weeks while receiving their regular maintenance medication and 8 weeks of having their medication withdrawn on weekends. No significant differences were found between the two treatment groups of privileged patients. The patients did vary significantly through time but these changes occurred in both groups. The locked ward patients tended to show slight improvement after 8 weeks of continuous medication as measured by the MSRPP psychiatric interview, but loss of clinical gains was noted when medication was withdrawn for 8 weeks on weekends. This group of patients tended to show slight ward behavioral improvement as observed by ward personnel the first 8 weeks while receiving medication on weekends but regressed to their prestudy level at the end of 8 weeks of having their medication withdrawn on weekends.
Formation of austenite in 1.5 pct Mn steels

The formation of austenite from different microstructural conditions has been studied in a series of 1.5 pct Mn steels that had been heated in and above the intercritical (α+ γ) region of the phase diagram. The influence of variables such as cementite morphology, initial structural state of the ferrite and the carbon content has been assessed in terms of their respective effects on the kinetics of austenite formation and final microstructure. Austenite was found to form preferentially on ferrite-ferrite grain boundaries for all initial structures. The results of this study have shown that the 1.5 pct Mn has lowered both the AC3 and AC1, lines causing large amounts of austenite to form in low carbon steel. The kinetics of austenite formation at 725 °C were not only very slow but also were approximately independent of the amount formed. Austenite appeared to form slightly more rapidly from cold rolled ferrite than from recrystallized ferrite or ferrite-pearlite structures.
A preliminary study of impact of reduced system inertia in a low-carbon power system

One of the important features of low-carbon electric power system is the massive deployment of renewable energy resources in the advent of a new carbon-strained economy. Wind generation is a major technology of generating electric power with zero carbon dioxide emission. In a power system with the high penetration of wind generation, the displacement of conventional synchronous generators with variable speed wind turbines reduces system inertia. This leads to larger system frequency deviation following a loss of large generation. In this paper, the impact of the reduction of system inertia on system frequency is analyzed as the result of the integration of a significant amount of wind generation into power systems. Furthermore, we present a preliminary study of the impact of the distribution of the inertia contributions from those online conventional synchronous generators on the rate of change of frequency (ROCOF) based on the total energy injected into the system due to the fault. The total fault energy is represented using Hamiltonian formulism. With the IEEE 39-bus system, it is shown that for a fault with the given injected total energy, clearing time, and location, the distribution of inertia contributions can significantly affect the magnitude of ROCOF. Moreover, for such a fault with different locations, the average of the magnitudes of ROCOF caused by the fault at different locations is larger when the distribution of the inertia contributions is more dispersed.
Connecting New Nurses and Home Care

Home health providers have traditionally held that nurses must have a minimum of 1 year of experience before considering becoming a home health nurse. As the number of nurses working continues to lag behind the number of nurses needed, home health agencies may want to reconsider their stance on hiring newly licensed registered nurses (RNs). This article explores the current and projected shortage of nurses. Establishing partnerships between nursing education programs and home health agencies can create a win-win situation for all concerned. Ideas for developing effective partnerships are discussed. Home health agencies are encouraged to consider ways in which they can develop new nurses in home health through a variety of strategies.
Sensitivity of Listeria monocytogenes to rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

Abstract There are limited reports on antilisterial activities of spices and herbs in culture media and fewer still in foods. The present study was undertaken to identify spices that possess antilisterial properties and to evaluate effects in media and food. Of 18 spices screened on BHI agar (48 h, 35°C), only rosemary (≥0·5%, w/v) and cloves (≥1%, w/v) were listericidal. Tests were expanded with rosemary to include also its essential oil and four of the major oil constituents, oleoresin, encapsulated oil, and antioxidant extract of rosemary. Effects on Listeria monocytogenes strain Scott A in BHI broth were examined after 24 and 48 h at 35°C. The inhibitory concentrations of rosemary oil were 10 wl/100 ml broth. Of the major constituents of rosemary oil (cineole, borneole, α-pinene and camphor), only α-pinene (0·1 wl/100 ml) delayed listerial growth. The oleoresin, the encapsulated oil, and the antioxidant extract were also antilisterial (100 mg, ≥ 1 g and 0·02 g per 100 ml, respectively). The antilisterial activity of the aqueous extract of rosemary was considerably lower than that of the ground herb or the ethanolic extract. Addition of 0·5% finely ground rosemary or 1% rosemary oil to ready-to-eat pork liver sausage prior to cooking delayed listerial growth during refrigerated storage. The encapsulated oil (5%) and the antioxidant extract (0·3-0·5%) inhibited growth of listeriae, whereas the oil (1%) was ineffective.
Pulsed field actuation of Ni-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloy single crystal

Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloy Ni-Mn-Ga has twin boundaries in the martensitic phase that move when a suitable magnetic field is applied. In this fashion strains of up to 6% have been observed for static fields in single crystals [1]. Recently 2.5% strain has been demonstrated [2] in Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals for oscillating fields up to frequencies of 75Hz (150Hz actuation). This work studies the actuation of single crystals when pulsed fields are applied. Fields in the 0.4-1.5MA/m-range were generated in an air coil with rise times of the order of 1ms and below. The elongation of the samples is measured with a light beam reflected off the tip of the crystal. Single twin boundaries have been observed to advance 0.16mm during 600μsec-long pulses. Actuation has been shown to be possible at least up to frequencies of 1700Hz.
Phonon spectrum of a model of electronically excited silicon

With a view to clarifying the process proposed in the plasma-annealing hypothesis for laser-induced recrystallization, we have performed a simple calculation of phonon frequencies in electronically excited silicon. We make assumptions most favorable to the plasma-annealing hypothesis, i.e., we assume that the laser energy remains in the electronic system. We use a one-parameter interpolation of the electronic dielectric constant between the bond charge and the free-electron models in a computation of the phonon spectrum. The calculation yields a softening of the [111] zone-boundary transverse-acoustic phonons. Typically, such a softening would be thought to lead to a structural phase transition. The excited electron densities needed for this softening are in the range (6-10)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{21}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ which seems unreasonably large to us. Thus, on two counts, we have grounds for rejecting the plasma-annealing hypothesis.
Reading up books: Probability and statistics: Current texts and readings provide the key to statistical, stochastic, and probabilistic models

One of an electrical engineer's major responsibilities is converting a problem into mathematical form and then into a piece of hardware that will solve, or at least help cope with that problem. Often the model will be deterministic, for example E = IR. However, in some cases, uncertainty precludes using a deterministic model to describe the problem. In these cases, electrical engineers often use probabilistic, statistical, or stochastic models.
Gain properties of LiSrAlF 6 :Cr 3+

Small-signal gain properties of Cr3+-doped LiSrAlF6 are measured for the first time to our knowledge. Maximum small-signal gain values of 0.17 cm−1 are reported for π-polarized light. For σ polarization, the gain is significantly suppressed by excited-state absorption.
IL-10 Immunomodulation of Myeloid Cells Regulates a Murine Model of Ovarian Cancer

Elevated levels of IL-10 in the microenvironment of human ovarian cancer and murine models of ovarian cancer are well established and correlate with poor clinical prognosis. However, amongst a myriad of immunosuppressive factors, the actual contribution of IL-10 to the ovarian tumor microenvironment, the mechanisms by which it acts, and its possible functional redundancy are unknown. We previously demonstrated that elimination of the myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) compartment within the ovarian tumor ascites inhibited tumor progression and, intriguingly, significantly decreased local IL-10 levels. Here we identify a novel pathway in which the tumor-infiltrating MDSC are the predominant producers of IL-10 and, importantly, require it to develop their immunosuppressive function in vivo. Importantly, we demonstrate that the role of IL-10 is critical, and not redundant with other immunosuppressive molecules, to in vivo tumor progression: blockade of the IL-10 signaling network results in alleviation of MDSC-mediated immunosuppression, altered T cell phenotype and activity, and improved survival. These studies define IL-10 as a fundamental modulator of both MDSC and T cells within the ovarian tumor microenvironment. Importantly, IL-10 signaling is shown to be necessary to the development and maintenance of a permissive tumor microenvironment and represents a viable target for anti-tumor strategies.