cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of β-Casein Layers at the Air/Solution Interface: Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Transferred Layers

We report the nanoscale structural changes associated with the interfacial gelation of adsorbed β-casein layers as a function of aging time. Adsorbed layers were transferred to solid supports and imaged by atomic force microscopy. The aging of the layer was accompanied by the formation of distinct disk-shaped protein nanoparticles (∼20 nm in diameter). Under conditions where a gelled layer was expected (from previous interfacial rheology experiments), we observed ordering of the particles and the formation of elongated aggregates or linear rows. Brewster angle microscopy images were also obtained during the adsorption and gelation processes and during the degradation of the protein layer following addition of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). If SDS was added prior to interfacial protein gelation, the layer developed a foamlike morphology consistent with a fluid interfacial protein layer. However, if SDS was added after gelation, the protein layer was observed to fracture, consistent with the b...
CREATIVITY IN SCIENCE

. Creativity is a concept far more often associated with art than with science. The creative dimension of scientific inquiry and practice is described and compared with its artistic counterpart; similarities and differences are analyzed.
Transformation by murine and feline sarcoma viruses specifically blocks binding of epidermal growth factor to cells.

Normal cells in culture have membrane receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGF); EGF stimulates cells to divide by binding to these receptors. Cells transformed by murine and feline sarcoma viruses rapidly lose the ability to bind EGF, whereas cells transformed by the DNA tumour viruses, polyoma and SV40, or infected with non-transforming RNA tumour viruses have normal levels of functional EGF receptors. The results suggest that a produce of the sarcoma virus genome specifically changes cell EGF receptors; the sarcoma gene product may, then, be functionally related to EGF.
The Methodology of Musical Ontology: Descriptivism and its Implications

I investigate the widely held view that fundamental musical ontology should be descriptivist rather than revisionary, that is, that it should describe how we think about musical works, rather than how they are independently of our thought about them. I argue that if we take descriptivism seriously then, first, we should be sceptical of art-ontological arguments that appeal to independent metaphysical respectability; and, second, we should give ‘fictionalism’ about musical works—the theory that they do not exist—more serious consideration than it is usually accorded.
Effects of corticoids on diet-induced cardiovascular lesions in mice

Summary A high-fat (28 %, lard), low-protein (8 %, casein), hypolipotropic diet that produces cardiovascular damage, particularly atrial thrombosis, was fed to young adult, female mice. In mice receiving this diet, neither adrenalectomy nor injection of corticoids (cortisone acetate or fluorohydrocortisone) altered the incidence of the atrial thrombosis as compared to that in controls. Supplementation of the diet with a lipotropic substance, choline chloride, decreased the incidence of atrial thrombosis in all groups except the adrenalectomized animals.
Computer control of a far infrared interferometer

A simple interface has been designed for the automatic control and data collection from a Grubb Parsons Mark III cube interferometer. A computer is used to automatically step the movable mirror on the interferometer. Data may be directly input into the computer for immediate transformation or stored for later analysis via a fast Fourier transformation. The interface is based on a commercial analog-to-digital converter having a parallel-to-serial data converter. The device can also display ASCII characters sent from the computer in parallel binary code. The system is applicable to recording interferograms having long time durations and to measuring multiple interferograms for statistical averaging.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Improves Activity-Induced Pain in Comparison With Pain at Rest in Middle-Aged Patients With Significant Cartilage Degeneration

Background: Recent reports revealed that outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in middle- or old-age patients are comparable with those of young patients. However, in case of concomitant arthrosis in the affected knee, there has been a paucity of literature regarding the outcomes of ACL reconstruction. We studied the level of improvement in pain originating from significant cartilage degeneration in middle-aged ACL-deficient patients after ACL reconstruction. We divided the pain into pain at rest and activity-induced pain.Hypothesis: The activity-induced pain would be more improved by ACL reconstruction than the pain at rest.Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods: We studied 36 patients who had undergone arthroscopic isolated ACL reconstruction for functional instability with significant cartilage degeneration grade III or IV without mensical injury. All patients had activity-induced pain; 20 of these patients also had pain at rest. To assess the pain level, the visu...
The argument from psychological egoism to ethical egoism

Psychological egoism is the view that each person is so constituted that he always seeks his own advantage or best interest. This thesis makes the factual claim that human nature is such that no person can perform an act unless he believes that it is in his best interest. According to psychological egoism there are two sorts of acts that a person cannot perform: ones that he believes to be contrary to his best interests and ones about which he has no beliefs (with respect to how they relate to his interests). Ethical egoism is the view that a person's only obligation is to promote his own best interest. 1 While psychological egoism purports to tell us how people do in fact behave, ethical egoism tells us how people ought to behave. It is sometimes claimed that psychological egoism, if true, lends support to ethical egoism. Specifically, it is supposed that the truth of ethical egoism follows from two premises: one asserting the truth of psychological egoism, and the other stating the principle that 'ought' implies 'can'. One can see that the argument has some intuitive appeal. The first premise says that it is impossible for a person to do anything but seek his own good. And the second premise says that we are never required to do the impossible. So it would seem that we can infer the truth of ethical egoism from these premises. The validity of this argument is rarely challenged. The usual criticism is that the argument is unsound because psychological egoism is false. 2 So even if the conclusion follows from the premises, we need not be committed to ethical egoism. But even if this defeats the argument, it would still be interesting to know if the conclusion really does follow from the premises. If additional premises are required to make the argument valid, premises as dubious as psychological egoism itself, then the argument is even weaker than it is normally supposed to be.
Turning a water and oil insoluble cisplatin derivative into a nanoparticle formulation for cancer therapy.

The formulation of water insoluble organic compounds into nanoparticles has become a widely established method for enhancing the delivery and efficacy of cancer therapeutics. Therefore, a comparable approach when applied to water insoluble inorganic compounds should also promote similar advantages. Herein, we have successfully formulated insoluble iodinated cisplatin (CDDP-I) into an LPI NPs (lipid-coated iodinated CDDP nanoparticles). Two separate microemulsions were combined, each containing a precursor for the synthesis of CDDP-I. The resulting CDDP-I precipitate was then coated with an anionic lipid and dispersed in water with the help of an additional lipid. This method allows us to effectively encapsulate CDDP-I and was able to achieve a considerable drug loading of 82 wt%. Administered LPI NPs demonstrated high level accumulation in tumor tissues and exhibited an anti-cancer activity comparable to free CDDP in two melanoma xenograft models without inducing nephrotoxicity. The benefits offered through this delivery formulation are not unique to CDDP-I, as this versatile platform may be extended to the formulation of other inorganic compounds that are both water and oil insoluble into nanoparticles for superior anti-cancer efficacy.
Heterogeneity and transferring practices: implementing flow manufacturing in multiple plants

Adopting new practices to develop capabilities and enhance competitiveness is a goal for many firms. This study of a corporate initiative to implement flow manufacturing in multiple plants highlights some elements of the interaction between the content of a complex practice, the sources of the practice knowledge, and the characteristics and competitive priorities of the recipients of the practice. Heterogeneity among the plants, stemming from both differences in resource endowments and differences in choices made by managers, presents challenges to achieving firm-wide distinctiveness. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rhombohedral phase at the cubic-orthorhombic transformation of UMn2

Abstract Time-of-flight neutron diffraction experiments show that the cubic-orthorhombic structural transformation in the cubic Laves phase UMn 2 is accompanied by a rhombohedral precursor distortion at 230 K.
Ipilimumab Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma

Immune augmentation with ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody, has joined the ranks of approved immunologic agents for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Phase III studies of ipilimumab in metastatic melanoma have demonstrated an overall survival advantage as compared to other approved and investigational therapies. However, the adverse effects associated with this medication are unique and often require management with steroids or other immunosuppressants. In addition, the time to response differs with ipilimumab as compared to traditional chemotherapy, and alternative means of assessment of response have been proposed. In this review, we will summarize the basic science of this treatment, its preclinical evaluation, and the clinical trials leading to its approval. We will also discuss the details regarding its use, assessment of response to this drug and other immune-related therapies, and further directions for investigation.
Factors which influence directional coarsening of Gamma prime during creep in nickel-base superalloy single crystals

Changes in the morphology of the gamma prime precipitate were examined as a function of time during creep at 982 C in 001 oriented single crystals of a Ni-Al-Mo-Ta superalloy. In this alloy, which has a large negative misfit of -0.80 pct., the gamma prime particles link together during creep to form platelets, or rafts, which are aligned with their broad faces perpendicular to the applied tensile axis. The effects of initial microstructure and alloy composition of raft development and creep properties were investigated. Directional coarsening of gamma prime begins during primary creep and continues well after the onset of second state creep. The thickness of the rafts remains constant up through the onset of tertiary creep a clear indication of the stability of the finely-spaced gamma/gamma prime lamellar structure. The thickness of the rafts which formed was equal to the initial gamma prime size which was present prior to testing. The single crystals with the finest gamma prime size exhibited the longest creep lives, because the resultant rafted structure had a larger number of gamma/gamma prime interfaces per unit volume of material. Reducing the Mo content by only 0.73 wt. pct. increased the creep life by a factor of three, because the precipitation of a third phase was eliminated.
A proposal for a policy on the ethical care and use of cadavers and their tissues

Recent events have occurred that indicate the need for policies on the ethical care and use of cadavers and their tissues in the United States. At present, there are policies that address the procurement, handling and disposition of cadavers, but there are no national or society sponsored policies that clearly state the ethically appropriate use of cadavers. The ethical issues presented in this manuscript are meant to encourage thought and discussion on this topic. A proposed outcome would be the development of specific ethical guidelines that would be sponsored by national organizations, such as the American Association of Anatomists and/or the American Association of Clinical Anatomists, and would be adopted by institutions that use cadavers or their tissues.
Silica-supported iron nitride in Fischer-Tropsch reactions: II. Comparison of the promotion effects of potassium and nitrogen on activity and selectivity

The performance of silica-supported iron catalysts promoted by potassium and nitrogen has been studied for the conversion of CO to hydrocarbons. Reactions were investigated at 250/sup 0/C and 1, 7.8, and 14 atm in a differential conversion range of less than 6%. Significant differences exist in the behavior of these supported catalysts in comparison to prior studies of fused or precipitated materials. It was found that an unpromoted Fe-carbide catalyst was more active at lower pressures and less active at higher pressures than the nitrided catalyst. Moreover, it was found that potassium-promoted catalysts were less active than catalysts without potassium. Both Fe-nitride and potassium-promoted catalysts showed higher olefin selectivities, higher water-gas shift activity, lower alcohol yields, and larger proportions of higher molecular weight products than their unpromoted counterparts. The product distributed parameters are presented for all catalysts at different pressures and conversion levels. The significance of the incorporation of alcohols into the distribution plot is discussed and a mechanism for alcohol formation is proposed. The effect of nitrogen on the catalytic reaction is discussed in terms of a donor model theory in which nitrogen atoms donate electrons to the iron d band. From the product distribution of the supported Fe-nitridemore » and potassium-promoted catalysts, it is concluded that nitrogen and potassium have similar promoting function on the Fischer-Tropsch reactions and further that an additive effect is observed for Fe-K-nitride catalysts. 31 refs.« less
What Can We Learn about Resilience from Large-Scale Longitudinal Studies?

Since the mid-1980s, a number of investigators from different disciplines—child development, pediatrics, psychology, psychiatry, and sociology—have focused on the question why some children cope successfully with major adversities in their lives, while others develop severe and persistent psychopathology. The resilience these children display is conceived as an end-product of buffering processes that do not eliminate risks and stress in their lives, but that allow the individual to deal with them effectively (Rutter, 1987).
International border management systems: Analyst tools

The management of today's borders is a challenge for any border management system. As part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at Sandia National Laboratories, a team of international border management specialists, along with input from representatives of several countries, have exercised a systematic approach to identify technology gaps and have developed a technology roadmap aimed at addressing many of the challenges associated with the analysis of border management systems. In the process, several tools have been developed to assist analysts in capturing knowledge and representing information in a meaningful way while making it easier to retrieve when needed. The tools have been used to help in technology gap analysis for specific borders and to aid decision makers on resource prioritization. This paper discusses the approach and results of this effort and presents the current thinking on how to apply existing and novel tools.
Wayne Stephen Cail

Dr. Wayne Stephen Cail died prematurely on a quiet February evening in Charlottesville, Virginia. Wayne had lived and worked in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center for a good portion of his 52 years on this planet. Wayne's self-appointed task here was building a
Teaching Geometry to Students With Math Difficulties Using Graduated and Peer-Mediated Instruction in a Response-to-Intervention Model

Geometry is a course that is increasingly required for students to graduate from high school. However, geometric concepts can pose a great challenge to high school youth with math difficulties. Although research on teaching geometry to students with mathematics difficulties is limited, teachers are challenged daily with providing support for youth who do not make adequate progress through high-quality core mathematics instruction. This article provides practical and promising practices for providing additional small group support (i.e., Tier II interventions) to youth that promote understanding of finding the area of a trapezoid. Specifically, the authors focus on the use of a graduated instructional sequence and peer-mediated instruction within an explicit instruction model. Recommendations and sample lessons are provided.
Equalization of Volterra systems using a multilinear SVD based pseudo p th order inverse

Volterra series techniques have been used for some time to model nonlinear systems. The models are well defined, however the number of parameters grows exponentially with the order of the nonlinearity. Techniques exist to compensate a nonlinear system but are often not practical to implement. One approach to this problem is to factor the Volterra kernels into a sum of simple terms that are easy to implement. There are several approaches published in the literature for second order nonlinearities. This work proposes using a multilinear extension of the SVD to factor third and higher order kernels into terms that are easily implemented. Also proposed here is an extension of the pseudo-inverse concept that utilizes the multilinear factorization and compensates for the most significant terms.
Cryptography based on chaotic systems

In this letter, a new chaos-based secure communication scheme is proposed in an attempt to thwart the attacks proposed recently. Instead of encoding the message signal in a chaotic system directly, we use two chaotic signals in our scheme. One of the chaotic signals is used to synchronize the chaotic encrypter and the chaotic decrypter. The other is used to encrypt the plain signal by using a multishift cipher scheme. Thus the transmitted signal is not used to encrypt the message and a more complicated method of encryption is used.
Ecological Studies of the Branchiobdellidae (Oligochaeta)

Crayfish collected from a central Texas farm pond are hosts for two Branchiobdellidae. Evidence indicates the branchiodbellids are commensals, since they survive for long periods in the absence of crayfish, but are dependent upon them as a site for reproduction. Branchiobdellid cocoons, which have incubation periods of 10 to 12 days, are attaches to the exoskeleton of the host mostly on the ventral abdominal surface. Cocoons are not deposited on very small crayfish, apparently because of selection brought about by the loss of eggs through the frequent molts of young crayfish, since eggs left on exuviae perish. Transfer between hosts is accomplished mostly through body contact of the crayfish. The logarithm of the branchiobdellid populations yields a straight line when plotted against crayfish body lengths. This may be accounted for by the increased surface area and the decreased frequency of molts of larger crayfish. Population densities are minimum during the winter, increase distinctly in early spring, ...
Regulation of EBNA Gene Transcription in Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines: Characterization of Sequences Downstream of BCR2 (Cp)

During Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent infection of B lymphocytes in vitro, six EBV nuclear antigens (EBNAs) are expressed from one of two promoters, Cp and Wp, whose activities are mutually exclusive. Upon infection, Wp is initially active, followed by a switch to Cp for the duration of latency. In this study, the impact on Cp and Wp activity of sequences downstream of the distal EBNA gene promoter, Cp, was assessed in two lymphoblastoid cell lines. Cp activity was detected in constructs extending from just upstream of oriP to the first W1 exon. In contrast, Wp activity required the presence of the next downstream exon, W2. Viral sequences from -2199 to +2680 bp, relative to the Cp transcription start site, were dispensable for Wp activity. Sequences from +155 to +2680 bp, relative to the Cp transcription start site, were dispensable for Cp activity. Deletion of a 200-bp region from +2680 to +2880 bp downstream of Cp decreased both Cp and Wp activity two- to fivefold. Wp activity was also significantly diminished by deletion of the sequences from +2880 to +3000 bp downstream of the Cp transcription initiation site, which encompassed the Wp CCATT box. Based on deletion analyses of 10.3 kb of viral genomic sequence extending from just upstream of oriP to the first Wp, the only deletions which significantly upregulated Wp activity were those which abrogated Cp activity. However, reporter constructs in which the orientation of Cp was reversed displayed Wp activity comparable to that of reporter constructs in which Cp was deleted, even though the steady-state level of Cp-initiated transcripts from the inverted promoter was indistinguishable from that observed with Cp in normal orientation. This is the first direct evidence to support transcriptional interference as the mechanism for the mutually exclusive behavior of Cp and Wp.
Building a Distributed Block Storage System for Cloud Infrastructure

The development of cloud infrastructures has stimulated interest in virtualized block storage systems, exemplified by Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), Eucalyptusâ€™ EBS implementation, and the Virtual Block Store (VBS) system. Compared with other solutions, VBS is designed for flexibility, and can be extended to support various Virtual Machine Managers and Cloud platforms. However, due to its single-volume-server architecture, VBS has the problem of single point of failure and low scalability. This paper presents our latest improvements to VBS for solving these problems, including a new distributed architecture based on the Lustre file system, new workflows, better reliability and scalability, and read-only volume sharing. We call this improved implementation VBS-Lustre. Preliminary tests show that VBS-Lustre can provide both better throughput and higher scalability in multiple attachment scenarios than VBS. VBS-Lustre could potentially be applied to solve some challenges for current cluster file systems, such as metadata management and small file access.
MRI Features of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Within 2 Hours From Symptom Onset

Background and Purpose—MRI has been increasingly used in the evaluation of acute stroke patients. However, MRI must be able to detect early hemorrhage to be the only imaging screen used before treatment such as thrombolysis. Susceptibility-weighted imaging, an echo-planar T2* sequence, can show intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients imaged between 2.5 and 5 hours from symptom onset. It is unknown whether MRI can detect ICH earlier than 2.5 hours. We describe 5 patients with ICH who had MRI between 23 and 120 minutes from symptom onset and propose diagnostic patterns of evolution of hyperacute ICH on MRI. Methods—As part of our acute imaging protocol, all patients with acute stroke within 24 hours from symptom onset were imaged with a set of sequences that included susceptibility-weighted imaging, diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging, T1- and T2-weighted imaging, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and MR angiography using echo-planar techniques. Five patients with ICH had MRI between 23 and 120 minutes from the onset of symptoms. Results—ICH was identified in all patients. Distinctive patterns of hyperacute ICH and absence of signs of ischemic stroke were the hallmark features of this diagnosis. The hyperacute hematoma appears to be composed of 3 distinct areas: (1) center: isointense to hyperintense heterogeneous signal on susceptibility-weighted and T2-weighted imaging; (2) periphery: hypointense (susceptibility effect) on susceptibility-weighted and T2-weighted imaging; and (3) rim: hypointense on T1-weighted imaging and hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging, representing vasogenic edema encasing the hematoma. Conclusions—MRI is able to detect hyperacute ICH and show a pattern of evolution of the hematoma within 2 hours from the onset of symptoms. (Stroke. 1999;30:2263-2267.)
The role of migrant networks in linking local labour markets: the case of Asian Indian migration to New York and London

Social networks have long been identified as crucial to migration flows and the economic behaviour of immigrants. Much of the literature on international migration and economic sociology specifically focuses on the role of interpersonal ties in influencing migration and economic action, such as finding employment. Using the case of Gujarati Indian migration to New York and London, the life histories of these immigrants illustrate that specific configurations of network ties result in different migration flows and occupational outcomes. These configurations include organizational, composite, and interpersonal ties that link local labour markets transnationally and channel immigrants to particular destinations and into particular occupations. The findings clarify the role and meaning of networks as they affect different types of migration and the occupational outcomes of migrants. The prominence of these network mechanisms also challenges the role of human capital in producing distinct outcomes for immigrants.
Gene Deletions in Mycobacterium bovis BCG Stimulate Increased CD8+ T Cell Responses

Mycobacteria, the etiological agents of tuberculosis and leprosy, have coevolved with mammals for millions of years and have numerous ways of suppressing their host's immune response. It has been suggested that mycobacteria may contain genes that reduce the host's ability to elicit CD8+ T cell responses. We screened 3,290 mutant Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) strains to identify genes that decrease major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation of mycobacterium-encoded epitope peptides. Through our analysis, we identified 16 mutant BCG strains that generated increased transgene product-specific CD8+ T cell responses. The genes disrupted in these mutant strains had disparate predicted functions. Reconstruction of strains via targeted deletion of genes identified in the screen recapitulated the enhanced immunogenicity phenotype of the original mutant strains. When we introduced the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) gag gene into several of these novel BCG strains, we observed enhanced SIV Gag-specific CD8+ T cell responses in vivo. This study demonstrates that mycobacteria carry numerous genes that act to dampen CD8+ T cell responses and suggests that genetic modification of these genes may generate a novel group of recombinant BCG strains capable of serving as more effective and immunogenic vaccine vectors.
A Community Model for Coalbed Methane Utilization: ABSTRACT

The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa provides a model for community utilization of coalbed methane and energy independence. A feasibility study for coalbed methane development has been completed through a grant from the U. S. Department of Energy. The total resource available beneath the 760-acre (310-ha.) campus is estimated to be nearly 10 bcf. The Mary Lee Coal Group alone contains more than 3.4 mcf of gas, assuming 75% recovery. As a result of an economic analysis, two exploration/research wells have been completed to depths of 2,289 and 2,760 ft (698 and 841 m) respectively. The university is currently in the process of unitizing with Bryce and Partlow Hospitals. The combined acreage is approximately 2,000 acres (800 ha.). It is anticipated that coalbed methane could meet the gas demands of all three facilities for many decades. The methane will be used for space heating, domestic hot water, and for compressed natural gas (CNG) to operate the university's vehicle fleet. Recently the university, along with Southern Company Services, Kaneb Services, and the Gas Research Institute, has embarked on a demonstration project to evaluate the feasibility of using coalbed methane as a primary fuel source for a fuel-cell power plant. A 40-kW fuel cell will be utilized to provide both electricity and hot water for the student recreation building. These coalbed methane utilization activities should provide planning information for communities located over coal lands to develop independent resources and provide long term energy alternatives. End_of_Article - Last_Page 457------------
On ten- and eleven-coordinated periodic packings of equivalent spheres

It is shown that ten- and eleven-coordinated packings of symmetry-equivalent spheres can be derived by a continuous deformation of closest packing. The tetragonal ten- and eleven-coordinated close packings described in the literature are special minimum density, cases of these deformations.
Inclusion body hepatitis–anaemia and hydropericardium syndromes: aetiology and control*

Clinical and pathological descriptions of inclusion body hepatitis–anaemia syndrome (IBH–AS) and hydropericardium syndrome (HpS) are presented and their causation and control are discussed. IBH–AS ...
Investigating 2D modeling of atmospheric convection in the PBL

The performance of a two-dimensional (2D) numerical model in representing three-dimensional (3D) planetary boundary layer (PBL) convection is investigated by comparing the 2D model solution to that of a 3D largeeddy simulation. The free convective PBL has no external forcing that would lead to any realizable 2D motion, and hence the 2D model represents a parameterization (not a simulation) of such a convective system. The present solutions show that the fluxes of conserved scalars, such as the potential temperature, are somewhat constrained and hence are not very sensitive to the model dimensionality. Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), surface friction velocity, and velocity variances are sensitive to the subgrid-scale eddy viscosity and thermal diffusivity in the 2D model; these statistics result mostly from model-generated hypothetical 2D plumes that can be tuned to behave similarly to their 3D counterparts. These 2D plumes are comparable in scale with the PBL height due to the capping inversion. In the presence of shear, orienting the 2D model perpendicular to the mean shear is essential to generate a reasonable momentum flux profile, and hence mean wind profile and windrelated statistics such as the TKE and velocity variances.
PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE TROPICAL AMERICAN COLUMBELLID TAXA CONELLA, EURYPYRENE, AND PARAMETARIA (GASTROPODA: NEOGASTROPODA)

Abstract Conella, Eurypyrene, and Parametaria are three taxa of columbellid neogastropods native to the Neogene American tropics whose monophyly and relationships have traditionally been confused. The primary objective of this study is to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the tropical American species in these genera, to evaluate their monophyly, and to establish their constituencies. Parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis was used to generate phylogenetic topologies, after which the shortest trees were evaluated to minimize stratigraphic debt using a stratigraphic character added to the data set. The morphologically most parsimonious topologies are well resolved but the main clades are not well supported. Stratocladistic evaluation of the most parsimonious trees resulted in four morphologically and stratigraphically shortest trees. Overall, the resultant trees suggest that Conella and Eurypyrene are monophyletic with minor changes to their traditional constituency, but the resulting trees do n...
Short-Course Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy With Boost in Women With Stages 0 to IIIa Breast Cancer: A Phase 2 Trial.

Purpose Conventionally fractionated whole-breast irradiation (WBI) with a boost takes approximately 6 to 7 weeks. We evaluated a short course of hypofractionated (HF), accelerated WBI in which therapy was completed in 3 weeks inclusive of a sequential boost. Methods and Materials We delivered a whole-breast dose of 36.63 Gy in 11 fractions of 3.33 Gy over 11 days, followed by a lumpectomy bed boost in 4 fractions of 3.33 Gy delivered once daily for a total of 15 treatment days. Acute toxicities were scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4. Late toxicities were scored using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer scale. Cosmesis was scored using the Harvard Cosmesis Scale. Our primary endpoint was freedom from locoregional failure; we incorporated early stopping criteria based on predefined toxicity thresholds. Cosmesis was examined as a secondary endpoint. Results We enrolled 83 women with stages 0 to IIIa breast cancer. After a median follow-up of 40 months, 2 cases of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence occurred (2 of 83; crude rate, 2.4%). Three-year estimated local recurrence-free survival was 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87.8%-98.7%). The 3-year estimated distant recurrence-free survival was 97.3% (95% CI: 89.8%-99.3%). Three-year secondary malignancy-free survival was 94.3% (95% CI: 85.3%-97.8%). Twenty-nine patients (34%) had grade 2 acute toxicity, and 1 patient had a late grade 2 toxicity (fibrosis). One patient had acute grade 3 dermatitis, whereas 2 patients experienced grade 3 late skin toxicity. Ninety-four percent of evaluable patients had good or excellent cosmesis. Conclusions Our phase 2 institutional study offers one of the shortest courses of HF therapy, delivered in 15 fractions inclusive of a sequential boost. We demonstrated expected low toxicity and high local control rates with good to excellent cosmetic outcomes. This fractionation scheme is feasible and well tolerated and offers women WBI in a highly convenient schedule.
High Accuracy Transistor Compact Model Calibrations

Typically, transistors are modeled by the application of calibrated nominal and range models. These models consists of differing parameter values that describe the location and the upper and lower limits of a distribution of some transistor characteristic such as current capacity. Correspond- ingly, when using this approach, high degrees of accuracy of the transistor models are not expected since the set of models is a surrogate for a statistical description of the devices. The use of these types of models describes expected performances considering the extremes of process or transistor deviations. In contrast, circuits that have very stringent accuracy requirements require modeling techniques with higher accuracy. Since these accurate models have low error in transistor descriptions, these models can be used to describe part to part variations as well as an accurate description of a single circuit instance. Thus, models that meet these stipulations also enable the calculation of quantifi- cation of margins with respect to a functional threshold and uncertainties in these margins. Given this need, new model high accuracy calibration techniques for bipolar junction transis- tors have been developed and are described in this report.
Hepatitis E virus serum antibodies and RNA prevalence in patients evaluated for heart and kidney transplantation.

ABSTRACT ABSTRACT ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Background. Background. Background. Background. Background. Acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in solid organ transplant recipients is rare, but can cause severe hepatic and extrahepatic complications. We sought to identify the pretransplant prevalence of HEV infection in heart and kidney candidates and any associated risk factors for infection. Material and methods. Material and methods. Material and methods. Material and methods. Material and methods. Stored frozen serum from patients undergoing evaluation for transplant was tested for HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and HEV RNA. All patients were seen at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, with 333 patients evaluated for heart (n = 132) or kidney (n = 201) transplant. HEV IgG antibodies (anti-HEV IgG) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and HEV RNA by a noncommercial nucleic acid amplification assay. Re- Re- Re- Re- sults. sults. sults. sults. sults. The prevalence of anti-HEV IgG was 11.4% (15/132) for heart transplant candidates and 8.5% (17/201) for kidney transplant candidates, with an overall seroprevalence of 9.6% (32/333). None of the patients tested positive for HEV RNA in the serum. On multivariable analysis, age older than 60 years was associated with HEV infection (adjusted odds ratio, 3.34; 95% CI, 1.54-7.24; P = 0.002). Conclusions.We conclude that there was no evidence of acute HEV infection in this pretransplant population and that old- er age seems to be associated with positive anti-HEV IgG.
TRPV4-AQP4 interactions 'turbocharge' astroglial sensitivity to small osmotic gradients.

Water regulation by astroglia is of pivotal significance for the function of the vertebrate CNS. Failure of astrocytic ion/water homeostatic mechanisms may result in irreversible metabolic injury i...
The Hallmark of a Profession

Public policy issues present both dangers and opportunity to those in marketing. This in itself is a challenge to anyone interested in pursuing the idea of social service. It is argued that social ...
Automating the SMAP Ground Data System to Support Lights-Out Operations

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is a first tier mission in NASA's Earth Science Decadal Survey. SMAP will provide a global mapping of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw states. This mapping will be used to enhance the understanding of processes that link the terrestrial water, energy, and carbon cycles, and to enhance weather and forecast capabilities. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been selected as the lead center for the development and operation of SMAP. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has an extensive history of successful deep space exploration. JPL missions have typically been large scale Class A missions with significant budget and staffing. SMAP represents a new area of JPL focus towards low cost Earth science missions. Success in this new area requires changes to the way that JPL has traditionally provided the Mission Operations System (MOS)/Ground Data System (GDS) functions. The operation of SMAP requires more routine operations activities and support for higher data rates and data volumes than have been achieved in the past. These activities must be addressed by a reduced operations team and support staff. To meet this challenge, the SMAP ground data system provides automation that will perform unattended operations, including automated commanding of the SMAP spacecraft.
What do educators know, do, and think about behavior? An analysis of special and general educators' knowledge of evidence-based behavioral interventions

As we attempt to address the needs of students with challenging behaviors in today's classrooms, it is important to gain an understanding of general and special educators' knowledge, skills, and confidence about evidence-based behavior interventions. This article presents a national survey study of 277 special and general educators' reported behavioral knowledge and skills. Results indicated the special educators had greater knowledge about primary, secondary, and tertiary behavioral interventions than general educators. Over half of the combined educators had a less than average understanding of universal bully prevention strategies. Results also indicated the general educators had a lower level of training and confidence to work with students with challenging behaviors. Practical implications for teacher education and further research are presented.
Immunolocalization of the Bcl-2 Protein Within Hematopoietic Neoplasms

The Bcl-2 proto-oncogene was discovered at the t(14;18) breakpoint found in most follicular B-cell lymphomas and some diffuse large-cell lymphomas. Bcl-2 is unique among proto-oncogenes, being localized to mitochondria and extending cell survival by blocking programmed cell death. We examined Bcl-2 protein expression in 82 hematologic malignancies and reactive lymphoid processes. All lymphomas with Bcl-2 rearrangement demonstrated high levels of Bcl-2 protein. However, most follicular and diffuse lymphomas without Bcl-2 rearrangement also displayed intense Bcl-2 staining. In these cases, mechanisms other than classic translocation may be deregulation Bcl-2. The pattern of Bcl-2 staining in follicular lymphoma is the inverse of the pattern in reactive hyperplasia, confirming a role for Bcl-2 immunolocalization in routine diagnosis. Small lymphocytic malignancies, including small lymphocytic lymphoma, mantle zone lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, expressed intermediate levels of Bcl-2. Bcl-2 protein varied in plasma cell dyscrasias. Bcl-2 protein levels in T-cell lymphomas reflected their corresponding stage of development. No substantial Bcl- 2 was present in the Reed-Sternberg cells of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease. Chronic myelogenous leukemia was strongly positive for Bcl-2, consistent with the presence of Bcl-2 in normal myeloid progenitors. Immunohistochemistry identified an expanded spectrum of hematopoietic neoplasms in which Bcl-2 may provide a cell survival advantage.
Retrograde air embolization in coronary operations

Observations during coronary operations are presented that prove that if the ascending aorta is cross-clamped and suction applied to the left side of the heart or to the aortic root for venting purposes, the pressure rapidly drops in the coronary arterial system and a situation is created in which air may enter through the coronary arteriotomy and pass into the aortic root and the left ventricle. Another mechanism to explain the occurrence of some cases of “iatrogenic” air embolism has also been presented: introduction of air into the ascending aorta while cardioplegic solution is being injected through peripherally attached bypass grafts. Air trapped in these grafts or in the coronary artery itself may propagate proximally as well as distally in the coronary arteries and may reach the aortic root even if the left side of the heart is left unvented. These mechanisms may be responsible for heretofore unexplained cases of “iatrogenic” air embolization. We recommend careful purging of air, which may be present, from the left ventricle and aortic root every time before the aortic cross-clamp is removed during coronary operations.
Copy number variations and stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death worldwide after heart disease and all forms of cancers. Monogenic disorders, genetic, and environmental risk factors contribute to damaging cerebral blood vessels and, consequently, cause stroke. Developments in genomic research led to the discovery of numerous copy number variants (CNVs) that have been recently identified as a new tool for understanding the genetic basis of many diseases. This review discusses the current understanding of the types of stroke, the existing knowledge on the involvement of specific CNVs in stroke as well as the limitations of the methods used for detecting CNVs like SNP-microarray. To confirm an unequivocally association between CNVs and stroke and extend the current findings, it would be desirable to use another methodology to detect smaller CNVs or CNVs in genomic regions poorly covered by this technique, for instance, CGH-array.
Reduction of Stray Loss in Power Transformers Using Horizontal Magnetic Wall Shunts

The use of a horizontal arrangement of wall shunts is proposed in this paper as a cost-effective way to reduce the stray losses in power transformers. This paper compares the performance of horizontal wall shunts with the available alternative (vertical shunts). A 3-D finite-element analysis (FEA) is used for the calculation of stray losses in tank walls, and other structural parts. A novel hybrid numerical/analytical method is proposed for the calculation of stray losses inside the magnetic shunts. The proposed method is based on the double Fourier series expansions of the magnetic field distribution at the surface of the shunts, which is determined using 3-D FEA. A 200 MVA power transformer is investigated as a case study where the stray losses are calculated with and without the vertical and horizontal shunts. A parametric FEA is carried out to find the optimal placement of the horizontal shunts on the tank walls. Results show that the proposed horizontal magnetic shunts arrangement are as effective as the conventional vertical shunts in reducing the stray losses while reducing the weight of the shields, therefore providing a cost-effective method for magnetic shielding of the transformer tank walls.
Temperature dependence of the formation of the passivation layer on carbon steel in high alkaline environment of concrete pore solution

Abstract In this study, the formation and the strength of the passive layer on carbon steel in concrete pore solution were investigated for temperatures ranging from room temperature to 850 °C. Two sets of carbon steel specimens were first exposed to different temperatures for an hour. One group cooled to room temperature in the air and the other one in the water. The steel specimens were then immersed in concrete pore solution and the passive layer formed on the steel was investigated. Results showed that in the extreme conditions, i.e. very high temperature, and water-cooled condition, the passive layer rarely formed on the steel. Increasing the exposure temperature led to a decrease in the thickness of the passive layer. This decrease was more apparent when steel was cooled in water compared to air cooled specimens. Results from this study contribute to the knowledge base that may be used to advance the state of the art in predictive models for steel reinforcement in concrete exposed to high temperatures (e.g., fire, power plants).
An Economic Analysis of Inspection Costs for Mistake-Proofing Binomial Attributes

Self-checks (rapid feedback on defects) are shown to be a special case of the np-control chart, not a competing process control method. Existing economic control chart design models are employed to show that managerial actions cannot always make self-c..
Ultra-low energy neuromorphic device based navigation approach for biomimetic robots

This paper discusses our work on developing synaptic memory devices based neuromorphic platform for biomimetic robot navigation. We recently developed a Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) based learning scheme for robots using mathematical model of memristive devices [1]. We demonstrated the potential of that approach by applying it to navigate a two-wheeled differential drive robot in an environment cluttered with obstacles. In this work, experimentally derived device models for synaptic memory devices are used to extend that learning scheme. Our results indicate that the proposed approach can outperform conventional algorithms in terms of accuracy, realtime unsupervised control, and energy-efficiency.