cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A decade of change: Trends in the practice of cytopathology at a tertiary care cancer centre

Objectives The practice of cytopathology has evolved over the past decade with a growing need for doing more with less tissue. Changes in clinical practice guidelines and evolving needs in tissue acquisition for diagnosis and treatment have affected various areas of cytopathology in different ways. In this study, we evaluated the changing trends in cytopathological practice at our institution over the past decade. Methods We performed a retrospective review of our institutional database for cytopathology cases from calendar years 2009 (n = 28038) and 2019 (n = 31386) to evaluate the changing trends in practice. Results The overall number of exfoliative cases decreased 10% over the past decade, primarily due to a 64% decrease in gynaecological Pap testing. However, the volume of serous body cavity and cerebrospinal fluids increased 125% and 44%, respectively. The overall volume of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cases increased 38% from 2009 to 2019. The number of FNA cases increased across most body sites, driven primarily by a 180% increase in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration cases. In contrast, breast FNA volume decreased 43%. Ancillary studies increased substantially over the past decade, including immunostains (476%) and molecular testing (250%). Conclusions The trends in our cytopathological practice showed an increased volume of cases, especially in non-gynaecological specimens. As expected, the number of FNA cases used for immunostains and molecular testing increased substantially, indicating an upward trend in ancillary studies in cytopathological practice.
Minorities in Science

The underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in science has been an issue for many decades and has been exhibited at all levels of the educational pathway, including of course professional science careers, which is not surprising since these careers require the successful completion of educational levels. Thus, if the underrepresentation is seen at K-12, college, and professional/graduate school levels, then underrepresentation has to be exhibited at the career level. Generally this has been referred to as the educational/career pipeline and the absence of adequate numbers along the way referred to as “leaks in the pipeline.” For ethnic minorities, a number of reasons for these leaks have been identified and actually some remedies have been identified as well. Unfortunately this issue has not been enough of a priority for those solutions to have been implemented, very often due to inadequate amount of funding, so the problem has continued. Now, considering the changing demographics of the country, this problem is becoming an even major issue with regard to the scientific workforce and the resultant advancement of science in the future.
Equilibrium models of Cr3+ and Cu2+ with glutamate

Speciation diagrams and stability constants for glutamate (Glu) with (Cr3+) and (Cu2+) in aqueous solutions are presented. The current study covers a larger pH-range affording accurate results, and reveal a different set of species for Cu2+ and species not previously reported for Cr3+. For the Cu2+ Glu system, the most successful model that refined the potentiometric data contains the simple one-to-one complex, the bis-complex and the mono-hydroxo complex. The overall stability constants for Cu2+–Glu complexes have respective values of log β110 = 7.6 ± 0.2, log β11-1 = 1.3 ± 0.7, log β120 = 13.6 ± 0.2. Attempts to refine the stability constant for the mono-protonated metal complex (log β111) that was reported in the literature indicated that this mono-protonated species did not form to an appreciable amount to be important for the model presented here. For the Cr3+ Glu system, the overall stability constants for the complexes formed have the values of log β110 = 8.34 ± 0.03, log β11-1 = 1.9 ± 0.1 and log ...
Using PAC-UF to treat a low quality surface water

In a pilot study, a PAC-UF process shows promise in treating a low-quality source water without sacrificing either cost or operating efficiency.
Shifting the Burden: Potential Applicability of Bush v. Gore to Hazardous Waste Facility Siting

Since its inception in the 1980s, advocates of the environmental justice movement have attempted to remedy the disproportionate siting of hazardous waste facilities in minority neighborhoods by employing the Equal Protection Clause. These lawsuits have thus far been largely unsuccessful because of litigants’ inability to prove intentional discrimination by government actors in such siting decisions. However, in the 2000 decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore, the mere potential for discriminate impact of a decision made by government actors was sufacient to trigger a strict scrutiny analysis under the Equal Protection Clause. While the decision was declared to have little precedential value outside the voting rights context, this Note examines the potential for application of this novel approach to the Equal Protection Clause in future environmental justice claims arising under the Fourteenth Amend-
The High Life: Alpine Dwarfism in Arabidopsis.

Visiting high altitudes or latitudes, it is easy to marvel at the tiny survivors that green the ground. Plants in such habitats face many challenges, including freezing and fluctuating temperatures, strong winds, and, at high altitudes, increased UV radiation and low partial pressure of carbon
Channel Q function and capacity

Channel Q function is, for a time-invariant channel, the sum of auto-correlation functions of the channel impulse response functions over multiple receivers. It can be used to characterize the performance (output SNR) of acoustic communications using either passive-phase conjugation or decision feedback equalizer. Channel Q function also determines the channel capacity for a single source and multiple receivers (SIMO). We analyze in this paper that the properties of the channel Q function and show that it possesses a universal and stable properties for underwater acoustic waveguides, irrespective of the channel sound speed profiles, source and receiver range/depths. This property is examined with real data collected in various oceans with significant temporal variations in the propagation conditions and/or source-receiver range. The channel Q function determines the single-source multiple-receivers (SIMO) channel capacity. An example is given for a realistic ocean environment.
Influence of surface capping on oxygen reduction catalysis: A case study of 1.7 nm Pt nanoparticles

Abstract Organic and polymer capping agents are prevailingly used in the synthesis of metal nanocrystals to render size and shape controls for desirable catalytic properties. A general assumption in the electrocatalysis field is that the capping agents block active sites and hinder catalytic turnover. However there have been a number of experimental results suggesting otherwise. Investigation of the fundamental correlations between the surface capping and the catalytic kinetics of metal nanoparticles is of paramount importance yet still remains challenging in large part due to structural changes induced by capping agent removal or synthesis using different capping agents. Our approach involves a unique catalyst system comprising of 1.7 nm Pt nanoparticles with and without various surface capping. We find that surface capping affects both activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction. The influences can be positive, neutral or negative. The five capping agents studied fall into three groups. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) cappings do not change the onset potential or product selectivity, but increase the catalytic current density. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) cappings do not change the onset potential or product selectivity, but slightly decrease the catalytic current density. Oleylamine (OA) capping significantly decreases the onset potential and the catalytic current density as well as change the product selectivity by favoring a high percentage of 2-electron reduction.
A web-based pedometer programme in women with a recent history of gestational diabetes.

Diabet. Med. 29, 278–283 (2012) Abstract Aims Women with remote histories of gestational diabetes mellitus can reduce their diabetes risk through lifestyle changes, but the effectiveness of interventions in women with more recent histories of gestational diabetes has not been reported. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study of a low-intensity web-based pedometer programme targeting glucose intolerance among women with recent gestational diabetes. Methods Women with a gestational diabetes delivery within the past 3 years were randomized to a 13-week intervention consisting of a structured web-based pedometer programme which gave personalized steps-per-week goals, pedometers and education regarding lifestyle modification, or to a letter about diabetes risk reduction and screening after delivery for gestational diabetes (control condition). The main outcome measures were change in fasting plasma glucose and 2-h glucose levels on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test between baseline and 13-week follow-up. Weight was a secondary outcome and behavioural constructs (self-efficacy, social support, risk perception) were also assessed. Results Forty-nine women were enrolled. At 13-week follow-up, women randomized to the intervention did not have significant changes in behavioural constructs, physical activity or anthropometrics compared with women in the control group. Changes in fasting plasma glucose (–0.046 mmol/l vs. 0.038 mmol/l, P = 0.65), 2-h glucose values (–0.48 mmol/l vs. –0.42 mmol/l, P = 0.91) and weight (–0.14 kg vs. –1.5 kg, P = 0.13) were similar between the control and intervention groups, respectively. Conclusions Structured web-based education utilizing pedometers is feasible although uptake may be low. Such programmes may need to be supplemented with additional measures in order to be effective for reduction of diabetes risk.
Single-crystal structures of uranium and neptunium oxychalcogenides AnOQ (An=U, Np; Q=S, Se)

The compounds UOS, UOSe, NpOS, and NpOSe have been synthesized and their structures determined by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The results provide more detailed crystallographic information, including more precise interatomic distances, than earlier determinations from powder diffraction data. These isostructural compounds adopt the PbFCl structure type. Each An atom is surrounded by four O and five Q atoms in a distorted monocapped square-antiprismatic arrangement.
Late specification of Veg1 lineages to endodermal fate in the sea urchin embryo.

Single blastomeres of the sixth-cleavage veg_1 and veg_2 tiers of Strongylocentrotus purpuratusembryos were labeled with DiI lineage tracer, and the disposition of the progeny was followed through the blastula and gastrula stages in order to determine their respective endodermal and ectodermal contributions. In the endoderm of postgastrula embryos, veg_1-derived cells constituted nearly all of the prospective hindgut and about half of the prospective midgut, while veg_2-derived cells made up the prospective foregut and half the midgut. Oral veg_1 clones consistently contributed more cells to endoderm than aboral veg_1 clones. Oral veg_1 clones extended along the archenteron up to the foregut region, while aboral veg_1 clones contributed only small numbers of hindgut cells but large patches of ectoderm cells that extended out to the prospective larval vertex. The oral/aboral asymmetry in veg_1 allocations was also demonstrated using chimeric embryos, the animal halves of which were labeled with a rhodamine-dextran. Lineages expressing the vegetal plate marker Endo16 were more precisely determined by combining lineage tracer injection with whole-mount in situ hybridization. Endo16 expression was found in all cells that are going to participate in gastrulation. Recruitment of new cells to the Endo16 domain occurs in advance of the actual invagination of those cells. During the blastula stages Endo16 expression expands radially until all cells in the veg_2 lineages express this gene. The first phase of gastrulation, including the normal buckling of the vegetal plate and primary invagination of the archenteron, involves only the Endo16-expressing cells of the veg_2 lineages. As the archenteron begins to elongate, marking the onset of the second phase of gastrulation, there is an asymmetric expansion of Endo16 into the veg_1-derived cells that will contribute to the hindgut and midgut in accordance with lineage tracing observations. The results indicate a relatively late specification of veg_1-derived cells, resulting in late recruitment to the periphery of the vegetal plate territory as gastrulation proceeds. Differential recruitment of veg_1-derived cells on the oral side of the embryo introduces an oral bias to gastrulation by disproportionately increasing the number of cells on the oral side that are competent to participate in gastrulation.
Synthesis of porphyrin-spacer-quinone compounds via metal-mediated cross-coupling: new systems for probing the relative magnitudes of axial and equatorial electronic coupling at the porphyrin macrocycle in thermal and photoactivated electron transfer reactions

Two classes of (porphinato)zinc(II)-spacer-quinone electron transfer compounds were fabricated through metal-mediated cross-coupling reactions using appropriately derivatized porphyrin, dimethoxybenzene and phenylene spacer moieties. The syntheses of these electron transfer model systems utilized either a (2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)boronic acid or a boronic acid derivative of a 2,5-dimethoxyphenyl-substituted spacer compound which was subsequently coupled to either [5-(4′-bromophenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphinato]zinc(II) or 4-bromopyridine; the former species define compounds in which to probe the magnitude of electronic coupling between the meso-appended spacer moiety and the porphyrin carbon framework, while the latter constitute acceptor-modified, rigid axial ligands, that will facilitate a comparison of this coupling to that enabled by the zinc(II)-coordinated pyridyl moiety orthogonal to the porphyrin π system. These compounds further underscore the utility of combining the modular syntheses of donor, acceptor and spacer molecules with Pd-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions to elaborate porphyrin-based donor-spacer-acceptor systems.
Pack-years of cigarette smoking as a prognostic factor in patients with stage IIIB/IV nonsmall cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to characterize the relation between the survival of patients with stage IIIB/IV nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pack-years of cigarette smoking (graded according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system). METHODS: Data were analyzed from patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who had completed a prospective smoking questionnaire. The impact of pack-years of cigarette smoking, age, sex, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), and the presence of weight loss >5% was evaluated on overall survival using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Smoking history and clinical data were available for 2010 patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC (1004 women and 1006 men). Approximately 70% of patients (1409 patients) had smoked >15 pack-years, 13% (270) were former and current smokers who had smoked ≤15 pack-years, and 16% (331) were never-smokers ( 15 pack-years (14.6 months vs 10.8 months; log‒rank P = .03). As the number of pack-years increased, the median overall survival decreased (log‒rank P < .001). Multivariate analysis indicated that a history of smoking was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 1.36; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: More cigarette smoking, measured in pack-years, was associated with decreased survival after a diagnosis of stage IIIB/IV NSCLC. Trials assessing survival in patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC should report a detailed cigarette smoking history for all patients. Cancer 2010. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
It's About Time: A Conceptual Framework for the Representation of Temporal Dynamics in Geographic Information Systems

Abstract The study of spatiotemporal dynamics is certainly not new, nor is it unique to the field of geography. Nevertheless, addressing complex human and environmental issues such as global warming and human impacts on the environment requires empirical examination from a much broader and integrated perspective than can be accomplished with current techniques. Although Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are intended to provide an integrated and flexible tool for analyzing large volumes of data, they are historically geared toward the representation and analysis of situations frozen in time. Efforts to enhance the temporal capabilities of GIS have served to reveal many problems at a fundamental conceptual level. In order to address this problem, this paper presents a new Triad representational approach that unifies temporal-as well as locational-and object-related aspects and that incorporates concepts from perceptual psychology, artifical intelligence, and other fields. The goal of this research is a d...
NITROGEN FIXATION IN THE BAYBERRY (MYRICA PENSYLVANICA AND ITS ROLE IN COASTAL SUCCESSION

A B S T RA CT The nodules on roots of Myrica pe7tsylvanica (bayberry) contain a bacterial endophyte. By using the acetylene reduction technique these plant endophyte associations were shown to be capable of fixing nitrogen. As nodulation was plentiful and fixation vigorous, it is proposed that the success of M. pensylvanica as an early successional plant of dunes and impoverished coastal soils is due in part to the nitrogen-fixing capacity of its nodular association. PREVIOUS STUDIES on symbiotic nitrogen fixation have emphasized the role of leguminous plants, particularly in agricultural practice. Such symbioses have been described in some 13,000 species of the family Leguminosae. In contrast, nitrogen fixation by symbiotic bacteria in nonleguminous plants has been reported in only 13 genera representing 118 species (Rodriguez-Barrueco, 1968). Such studies have indicated the important role of nonleguminous symbiosis in the world's nitrogen cycle (Bond, 1967; Silver, 1971), and several reports have emphasized its significance for plants of pioneer successional communities. For example, Alnus glutinosa* (L.) Gaertn. and Myrica asplenifolia* L. (Gleason and Cronquist, 1963) [Syn. Comptonia peregrina* (L.) Coult. (Femald, 1950)] have been reported as successful colonizers of anthracite waste dumps (Schramm, 1966), while Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh and Dryas drummondii* Richards are early colonizers of fresh glacial till (Crocker and Major, 1955; Lawrence, et al., 1967). Other plants have been shown to be associated with the accumulation of fixed nitrogen in the soil and to play a part in the stabilization of sand dunes. Such species include Hippophae rhamnoides* L. (Stewart and Pearson, 1967), Casuarina equisetifolia* L. (Bond, 1957; Dommergues, 1963), Myrica
Genomic safe harbors permit high β-globin transgene expression in thalassemia induced pluripotent stem cells

Realizing the therapeutic potential of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells will require robust, precise and safe strategies for genetic modification, as cell therapies that rely on randomly integrated transgenes pose oncogenic risks. Here we describe a strategy to genetically modify human iPS cells at 'safe harbor' sites in the genome, which fulfill five criteria based on their position relative to contiguous coding genes, microRNAs and ultraconserved regions. We demonstrate that ∼10% of integrations of a lentivirally encoded β-globin transgene in β-thalassemia-patient iPS cell clones meet our safe harbor criteria and permit high-level β-globin expression upon erythroid differentiation without perturbation of neighboring gene expression. This approach, combining bioinformatics and functional analyses, should be broadly applicable to introducing therapeutic or suicide genes into patient-specific iPS cells for use in cell therapy.
On the response of an elastic membrane to a travelling ring load

Abstract Exact solutions in closed-form are presented for the dynamic response of an infinite elastic membrane to a suddenly applied, radially expanding ring load.
Use of near infrared spectroscopy to predict lignin content in tropical and sub-tropical pines

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to predict lignin content for trees from five species of tropical and sub-tropical pines (Pinus caribaea, P. maximinoi, P. oocarpa, P. patula and P. tecunumanii) grown in Brazil and Colombia. Breast height disks were taken from 174 trees and wedges from the disks were sectioned to sample juvenile and mature wood. The sections were ground into woodmeal and NIR reflectance spectra were measured on both unextracted woodmeal and woodmeal with extractives removed. Klason lignin content was measured on the woodmeal samples and partial least squares were used to fit calibration equations to predict lignin content from the reflectance spectra. Good prediction models were obtained regardless of which data set (i.e. combinations of species and regions) was used for the model calibration. A model using reflectance spectra for woodmeal with extractives removed and combining data for all species across both regions had an R 2 of 0.90 and standard error of cross-validation of 0.43% lignin for the calibration data set and an R 2 =0.91 and standard error of 0.40% for the validation data set. Calibration equations developed using only Brazilian or Colombian data were tested on the other data set. Predictions were very good, with prediction R 2 ranging from 0.83 to 0.90 and standard errors of prediction from 0.43 to 0.54% lignin.
Quantitative evidence of a silent gene P° of human red cell acid phosphatase in south Polish population

Abstract The distribution of red cell acid phosphatase types in 3244 unrelated Polish adults is reported. Gene frequencies P a = 0.3594, P b = 0.5643 and P c = 0.0763 were obtained. In a forensic case of disputed paternity an apparent mother/child incompatibility respect to red cell acid phosphatase was found, the mother appearing as type B and the child as type A. Determination of acid phosphatase activity suggested the presence of a silent gene P°. The phosphatase levels were about half the values expected, as determined in 237 adults representing the different phenotypes.
Holistic Modeling for Human-Autonomous System Interaction

For complex systems that embed automation, but also rely on human interaction for guidance and contingency management, holistic models are needed that provide for an understanding of the individual human and computer elements, and address the critical interactions of such complex systems. Discrete event simulation (DES) models and system dynamics (SD) models are two different approaches that can be used to address these requirements. Both modelling approaches can support the designers of future autonomous vehicle (AV) systems by simulating the impact of alternate designs on vehicle, operator, and system performance. However, the DES modelling approach is likely best suited for using probabilistic distributions to accurately model an operator who is a serial processor of discrete tasks, as well as an environment with randomly occurring events. The SD modelling approach is better suited for modelling continuous performance feedback that is temporally dependent and is affected by qualitative variables such a...
Cultural Perspectives on Teaching and Learning: A collaborative self-study of two professors' first year teaching experiences

In this collaborative self-study, two first-year assistant professors examine their views of teaching and learning from two cultural perspectives. Drawing from multiple data sources, including reflective analyses of teaching, monthly peer-support meetings, and the Students Opinion Information Survey, the study explores the differences in views of teaching and learning between Chinese and American cultures and how these differences affected our teaching practices. By exchanging views of teaching and learning, two first-year professors gained a more profound understanding of their own cultures and identified the strengths in each culture in order to provide better instruction to their students.
Damage-Mitigating Control of Power Systems for Structural Durability and High Performance

A major goal in the control of complex power systems such as advanced aircraft, spacecraft, and electric power plants is to achieve high performance with increased reliability, availability, component durability, and maintainability. The state of the art in the synthesis of control systems for complex mechanical processes focuses on improving performance and diagnostic capabilities under constraints that do not often adequately represent the dynamic properties of the materials. The reason is that the traditional design is based upon the assumption of conventional materials with invariant characteristics. In view of high performance requirements and availability of improved materials, the lack of appropriate knowledge about the properties of these materials of these materials will lead to either less than achievable performance due to overlay conservative design, or overstraining the structure leading to unexpected failures and drastic reduction of the service life. The key idea of the research work reported in this paper is that a significant improvement in service life can be achieved by a small reduction in the system dynamic performance. The concept of damage mitigation is introduced and, to this effect, a continuous-time model of fatigue damage dynamics is formulated. Finally, the results of simulation experiments are presented for transientmore » operations of a reusable rocket engine.« less
Genetic control of emigration behavior in Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum

Emigration behavior was measured in the flour beetlesTribolium castaneum andT. confusum. Analysis of genetic differences among populations derived from two highly inbred lines ofT. castaneum suggests differences in the genetic bases of two important aspects of the emigration rate response curve. Significant additive genetic variance in the behavior was found in outbred laboratory populations of both species that had been subjected to cyclical variation in population density for some 30 generations. In both species, emigration behavior was significantly correlated with fecundity measured in conditioned flour, low emigration rate phenotypes exhibiting a higher fecundity.
The chloride and calcium requirement of photosynthetic water oxidation: Effects of pH

Photosystem II membranes were isolated from chloroplast thylakoids of Phytolacca americana and Spinacia oleracea. After removal of activating Cl− or Ca2+, the pH dependence of the response of the membranes' water-oxidizing activity to a readdition of these ions was analyzed. The results were as follows: (1) the activation of water oxidizing activity by added Cl− was controlled by groups having not a pKa around 6 as previously concluded, but a pKa < 5 regardless of the presence of the extrinsic 23 and 17 kDa polypeptides; (2) at pH 5, the apparent Km for Cl− binding was well below 1 mM even in the absence of those polypeptides; (3) the binding of one H+ accompanied the acquisition of one activating Cl−, but the H+ requirement may have been less after removal of the two polypeptides; (4) the number of Cl− anions needed per active enzyme complex appeared to decrease with decreasing pH; (5) for Photosystem II membranes depleted of their 17 and 23 kDa extrinsic polypeptides, an existence of high- and low-affinity Ca2+-binding sites with apparent Km values of around 60 μM and above 1 mM was confirmed; (6) the high- and low-affinity binding sites were found to be interconvertible with the low-affinity sites dominating at low pH. As an alternative to a binding of the activating Cl− to histidines with an unusually low pKa, it is suggested that binding occurs on positively charged groups, the availability of which is controlled by the protonation state of neighboring anionic groups, presumably carboxylates. The positively charged Cl− binding entities may either be protonated amino or imino groups or, as favored by others, the Mn cluster at the active site of the water oxidase. The extrinsic 17 and 23 kDa polypeptides may serve as Cl− buffer for the catalytic site of the water oxidase. While the polypeptides are not essential for providing high affinity Ca2+ binding sites, the 23 kDa species is nevertheless needed to shield bound activating Ca2+ from the slightly acid pH of the thylakoid lumen during in situ electron transport.
Convergence and Extrusion Are Required for Normal Fusion of the Mammalian Secondary Palate

The fusion of two distinct prominences into one continuous structure is common during development and typically requires integration of two epithelia and subsequent removal of that intervening epithelium. Using confocal live imaging, we directly observed the cellular processes underlying tissue fusion, using the secondary palatal shelves as a model. We find that convergence of a multi-layered epithelium into a single-layer epithelium is an essential early step, driven by cell intercalation, and is concurrent to orthogonal cell displacement and epithelial cell extrusion. Functional studies in mice indicate that this process requires an actomyosin contractility pathway involving Rho kinase (ROCK) and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), culminating in the activation of non-muscle myosin IIA (NMIIA). Together, these data indicate that actomyosin contractility drives cell intercalation and cell extrusion during palate fusion and suggest a general mechanism for tissue fusion in development.
Mass flow in the O7f binary UW Canis Majoris

The ultraviolet spectrum of the eclipsing binary UW CMa (07f+O--B) has been observed by the Princeton telescope spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite in the wavelength region from about 950--1560 A at a resolution corresponding to 0.2 A. A number of stellar and interstellar lines appear in the spectrum. The following lines showing P Cygni characteristics have been observed: C iii (977, 1175 A), S iv (1062, 1072 A), P v (1117 A), Fe iii +Si iv (1122 A), P v+S iv (1128 A), N v (1238, 1242 A), Si iv (1393, 1402 A), and C iv (1549 A). The centers of the absorption components of the P Cygni lines yield radial velocities of from -200 to -800 km s$sup -1$, while the peaks of the emission components are shifted by +400 to +800 km s$sup -1$. These velocities are significantly larger than the projected orbital velocity of about 200 km s$sup -1$, and indicate that gas motions in the system are occurring. A mass-loss rate of about 3times10$sup - 6$ solar masses per year is estimated. A few photospheric absorption lines from the O7f component are also present: N iii (1006), 1183, 1184 A) and possibly He ii (1084 A).more » (AIP)« less
An Experimental Investigation of Resin Flow Sensing During Molding Processes

The present investigation focused on the need for sensing subsystems for the monitoring of resin flow dynamics during molding processes. Such subsystems, when combined with process parameter control, will produce intelligent manufacturing systems that could significantly improve manufacturing capabilities. A concise review of potential resin flow monitoring methodologies is included, and a detailed analysis of one particular sensing concept originally investigated at the U.S. Army Materials Technology Laboratory is presented. The concept is based on embedded electronic sensors, and during the present study a resin front monitoring system based on a modified version of this concept was developed. Electrically conductive wires were embedded orthogonally in a nonintersecting manner within mold cavities. Subsequent resin flow was sensed by monitoring the electrical characteristics of circuits which resulted during processing. A novel modification of circuitry was included to allow for the monitoring at multiple locations with a single electronic circuit. The net result of this modification was an improved response time of the overall sensing subsystem. The concept was verified experimentally through the performance of both one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) experiments. The resin system utilized consisted of a mixture of epoxy resin (UPON 826) and a curing agent (MHHPA). The sensed flow front progression information was validated through controlled injection rate experimentation and flow visualization results obtained with transparent molds. It was concluded that the resin flow sensing subsystem could be applied to relatively slow molding processes. Positive and negative aspects related to the applicability of the sensing method to actual manufacturing processes are discussed
Conjugate of nicotine and cotinine to bovine serum albumin.

Abstract A new simple method for the conjugation of nicotine and cotinine to protein has been developed. The pyridine alkaloids were coupled with ethyleneimine to form their aminoethylpyridinium derivatives, which were conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the presence of 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)-carbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate. About forty molecules of S-nicotine and thirty-five of S-cotinine per molecule of starting BSA were respectively recognized to be present in the conjugates by determining the liberated aminoethylpyridinium compounds after hydrolysis.
Selective intracavitary and coronary profound hypothermic cardioplegia for myocardial preservation: a new technique.

Abstract A technique is described for selective intracavitary and coronary hypothermic perfusion during cardiac bypass with cardioplegia to facilitate cardiac operations. A cold perfusate (Plasmalyte 148 and mannitol, 12.5 gm/L at 8° to 10°C) is administered with the aid of a low-flow perfusion pump into the left ventricular cavity and coronary circulation through an apical perfusion-venting (Per-Vent) catheter. This perfusate cools the myocardium rapidly and homogeneously to a temperature of 15° to 20°C. Within this temperature range, complete cardioplegia occurs and the safe ischemia period can be extended to 120 minutes. This method was applied in 50 unselected consecutive adult patients undergoing aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafting or aortic or mitral valve replacement. All patients survived and had excellent recovery of ventricular function.
Ductography for nipple discharge: No replacement for ductal excision

Abstract Background: Current management of nipple discharge depends on clinical history to distinguish pathologic from physiologic discharge. We investigated whether ductography supplied additional information in the decision for surgery and/or the localization of pathologic lesion. Methods: A retrospective review of patients with a presenting complaint of nipple discharge seen at the Lynn Sage Breast Center was conducted from January 1995 to June 1996. Medical records, pathology, and ductograms were reviewed. Results: Of 91 patients with nipple discharge, 49 met the criteria for physiologic discharge and 42 had pathologic discharge. Eleven with physiologic discharge had ductograms; none were abnormal. Four of 20 preoperative ductograms were normal but showed intraductal papillomas at the time of surgery; 6 of 20 (30%) had multiple lesions. Four lesions on ductograms did not demonstrate corresponding lesions in the surgical specimen. It is uncertain whether this is due to a missed lesion or a false-positive ductogram. Conclusions: Modern ductography does not reliably exclude intraductal pathology and is not a substitute for surgery in patients with pathologic discharge. Its utility is in identifying multiple lesions or those with lesions in the periphery of the breast. (Surgery 1998;124:685-91.)
Total Earth Pressure Cells for Measuring Loads in a Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

Commercially available hydraulic total overburden pressure cells were installed in the sand drainage layer of a municipal solid waste landfill and monitored for a period of 3,110 days. Both overburden pressure and temperature were measured in the landfill as it was filled with compacted waste. Topographic surveys of the landfill were periodically conducted to measure the height of waste above the pressure cells and to determine the landfill volume for indirect unit weight estimation. The average ratio of measured to theoretically-predicted overburden pressure was 0.6, indicating that on average the pressure cells underestimated the load. The overburden pressure measured near the toe of the landfill was greater than that predicted by the unit weight of landfilled material, while most of the overburden pressure measurements further inside the landfill were less than predicted. Several possible causes for this phenomenon are discussed, including the uneven distribution of forces resulting from the heterogeneous nature of the waste and cover soil. The earth pressure cells were capable of detecting the placement of individual waste lifts.
Influence of melatonin on bovine pulmonary vascular and bronchial airway smooth muscle tone

The influence of melatonin on tension of isolated bovine pulmonary vascular and bronchial smooth muscle rings were examined in these experiments. Melatonin caused a dose-dependent relaxation of precontracted (30 mM KCl) pulmonary artery and vein, although the effect is greater in arterial smooth muscle. This relaxant response was blocked by preincubating vessels with antagonists of vasoactive intestinal peptide or Substance P. In bronchial smooth muscle, melatonin caused a small contractile response. These experiments demonstrate that in response to melatonin the pulmonary vasculature relaxes, while in airway smooth muscle the reverse, constriction, occurs. It is hypothesized that nocturnal exaggeration of asthma may, in part, be due to changes in circulating levels of melatonin.
Electron-dense crystallites in nuclei of human amnion cells infected with measles virus.

MEASLES virus antigen has been specifically identified in the nuclei of infected cells by means of the fluorescent antibody technique; and the development and spread of virus antigen in amnion and other human cells have been correlated with observations made in a concurrent study of fine structure1. During a continuation of the latter investigation we have found that crystallites made up of ordered arrays of electron-dense particles occur within nuclei of infected human amnion cells, and have also observed extracellular particles that can be interpreted as mature virus.
Surface electrochemical properties of niobium-doped titanium dioxide nanorods and their effect on carrier collection efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells

We explore the effect of Nb-doping on the electronic band structure and microstructure of 1-dimensional rutile TiO2 nanorods as a photoanode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The nanorods with different Nb concentration are directly grown on top of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates and then assembled into DSSCs. Nb-doping is found to greatly enhance the energy conversion efficiency of nanorod-based DSSCs by more than 70%. This improvement in the photon-electron conversion process is attributed to enhanced electron injection and suppressed carrier recombination at the dye–nanorod interface and at the nanorod–FTO interface. Flat band potential analysis shows that Nb-doping shifts the surface potential of the nanorods positively to promote electron injection from the dye sensitizers to the nanorods. In addition, the nanoscale conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) measurement of individual nanorods shows that the high carrier concentration of the Nb-doped nanorods facilitates electron tunneling at the nanorod–FTO interface. New observations in this study indicate that Nb-doping into the nanorods modifies their surface states and the interface resistance between TiO2 and FTO. This facilitates the carrier transport from the excited dye to the FTO film by suppressing carrier recombination and improving electron collection efficiency.
A computationally efficient transient thermal model for electric machines based on singular value decomposition

A transient reduced order model (ROM) for electric machines based on singular value decomposition (SVD) is proposed. The ROM generation process starts with computation fluid dynamics (CFD) results of an electric machine model, from which SVD is used to calculate the approximate subspace that the temperature solution belongs to. Then a ROM working in the subspace is created. The ROM is shown to provide very similar results as those from CFD under arbitrary transient loss profiles. The ROM runs orders of magnitude faster than the original CFD model.
Diabetes mellitus increases the rate of development of decompensation in rats with outlet obstruction

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated the effects of the combination of bladder outlet obstruction and diabetes mellitus on in vitro rat bladder body strip function.Materials and Methods: Longitudinal strips were removed from ventral and dorsal detrusor of age matched control, 2-week diabetic, 2-week obstructed and 2-week obstructed diabetic rats. Contractile responses to electrical field stimulation, carbachol, adenosine triphosphate, KCl and phenylephrine, and relaxations in response to norepinephrine and isoproterenol were measured.Results: Bladders from diabetic, obstructed and obstructed diabetic rats were 1.6-fold, 2.6-fold and 3.6-fold heavier than those from controls. Responses of bladder strips from diabetics to all stimuli were similar to those of controls. Strips from obstructed rats were significantly less responsive to norepinephrine than those from controls or diabetics and strips from obstructed diabetics were significantly less responsive to norepinephrine and isoproterenol than those from all ...
Haiti 1990-6: Older and Younger Journalists in the Post-Cold War World

The events in Haiti in the early 1990s - the overthrowing of the democratically elected president, the subsequent internationally imposed economic embargo and the international military intervention that reinstated the President - provided a historical moment when the correlation of the age of journalists with their professional attitudes and practices was thrown into sharp relief as three generations worked alongside each other in a radically changing world. US print journalists working in Haiti at this time adopted substantially different journalistic beliefs and practices depending on whether they were the last of the post-Second World War generation of journalists, journalists who began their careers during or just after the Vietnam War, or journalists who had begun working since the end of the Cold War. The generational differences provide an opportunity to gain insights into the dynamics of the profession of foreign correspondents.
Dietary manipulation implicates lipid signaling in the regulation of germ cell maintenance in C. elegans

Reproduction in C. elegans relies on continuously proliferating germ cells which, during germline development, exit mitosis, undergo meiosis and differentiate into gametes. Supplementing the diet of C. elegans with dihommogamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6, DGLA), a long chain omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, results in sterile worms that lack germ cells. The effect is remarkably specific for DGLA, as eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and other long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with similar physical properties have little or no effect on fertility. Germ cells undergoing mitosis during larval stages are especially sensitive to DGLA, but exposure to DGLA during adulthood also reduces germ cells and brood size, in part by inducing inappropriate apoptosis of meiotic germ cells. Mutant strains with defects in fatty acid desaturation and elongation display altered susceptibility to DGLA, indicating that the sterility effect of the dietary lipid depends on the amount of DGLA present in membranes as well as on the capacity to convert DGLA to other fatty acids. We propose that DGLA produces a signal that interacts with one or more pathways regulating germ cell survival. Our DGLA findings are the first report of a role for a specific fatty acid affecting the development and maintenance of germ cells in C. elegans.
Gastrointestinal Tract and the Mucosal Macrophage Reservoir in HIV Infection

ABSTRACT The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a primary site for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection, replication, and dissemination. After an initial explosive phase of infection, HIV establishes latency. In addition to CD4 T cells, macrophages are readily infected, which can persist for long periods of time. Though macrophages at various systemic sites are infected, those present in the GIT constitute a major cellular reservoir due to the abundance of these cells at mucosal sites. Here, we review some of the important findings regarding what is known about the macrophage reservoir in the gut and explore potential approaches being pursued in the field to reduce this reservoir. The development of strategies that can lead to a functional cure will need to incorporate approaches that can eradicate the macrophage reservoir in the GIT.
Kinetics of {3 1 1} defect dissolution in silicon-on-insulator (SOI)

Abstract The reaction kinetics of {3 1 1} defect dissolution in SIMOX, SOITEC and bulk silicon materials have been investigated. The effects of implant energy and surface silicon thickness on the activation energy for {3 1 1} dissolution have been measured using quantitative TEM (QTEM). SOI wafers having surface silicon thickness of 750 and 1450 A were implanted with Si+ ions at 15–48.5 keV, 1×10 14 cm −2 . Furnace and RTA anneals were performed at temperatures ranging from 700 to 825 °C. Quantitative TEM was used to monitor the trapped interstitial dose in {3 1 1} defects. The activation energy for {3 1 1} dissolution was found to decrease as the surface silicon thickness decreased, suggesting a lower activation barrier as the implant damage approaches the surface silicon/buried oxide (BOX) interface. However, the 1450 A SOI had similar dissolution kinetics to the bulk silicon for all of the implants studied suggesting the reduced activation barrier is likely due to recombination at the surface Si/BOX interface.
The public health approach to motor vehicles, tobacco, and alcohol, with applications to firearms policy

The public health approach that has been used to reduce problems caused by motor vehicles, tobacco and alcohol is applied to firearms policy. Manufacturers try to focus prevention efforts on the user rather than the product, and promote education and law enforcement policies directed toward the consumer. Public health efforts emphasize the systematic collection of data, scientific inquiry, and a multi-faceted policy approach that includes modifying the product and the environment. The endeavor to reduce gun violence is part of the general and continuing public health struggle to reduce harms caused by consumer products.