cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Women Still at Work: Professionals over Sixty and on the Job, by Elizabeth Fideler

Elizabeth Fideler investigates why some women choose to stay in the workforce rather than retire. The author approaches the topic from a personal interest after struggling with an unplanned retirem...
Short-Term Stability of Sleep and Heart Rate Variability in Good Sleepers and Patients with Insomnia: For Some Measures, One Night is Enough

Study objectives Quantify the short-term stability of multiple indices of sleep and nocturnal physiology in good sleeper controls and primary insomnia patients. Design Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to quantify the short-term stability of study outcomes. Setting Sleep laboratory. Participants Fifty-four adults with primary insomnia (PI) and 22 good sleeper controls (GSC). Measurements Visually scored sleep outcomes included indices of sleep duration, continuity, and architecture. Quantitative EEG outcomes included power in the delta, theta, alpha, sigma, and beta bands during NREM sleep. Power spectral analysis was used to estimate high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV) and the ratio of low- to high-frequency HRV power during NREM and REM sleep. Results With the exception of percent stage 3+4 sleep; visually scored sleep outcomes did not exhibit short-term stability across study nights. Most QEEG outcomes demonstrated short-term stability in both groups. Although power in the beta band was stable in the PI group (ICC = 0.75), it tended to be less stable in GSCs (ICC = 0.55). Both measures of cardiac autonomic tone exhibited short-term stability in GSCs and PIs during NREM and REM sleep. Conclusions Most QEEG bandwidths and HRV during sleep show high short-term stability in good sleepers and patients with insomnia alike. One night of data is, thus, sufficient to derive reliable estimates of these outcomes in studies focused on group differences or correlates of QEEG and/or HRV. In contrast, one night of data is unlikely to generate reliable estimates of PSG-assessed sleep duration, continuity or architecture, with the exception of slow wave sleep.
Simultaneous strong stabilization and tracking controller design for MIMO systems

A systematic controller synthesis method is presented for simultaneous stabilization with asymptotic tracking of step-input references for linear, time-invariant, multi-input multi-output plants. Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for existence of simultaneous integral-action controllers and in particular, simultaneous PID-controllers. Strong simultaneous stabilization using low order PD-controllers as well as simultaneous stabilization with zero steady-state error using PID-controllers can be achieved for the class of plants under consideration.
On the vaporization of Teflon and heated compound-materials in ablation-controlled arcs

In this article, we highlight and discuss overlooked physics and point out inaccuracies in a recently developed kinetic model of Teflon ablation caused by plasma in ablation controlled discharges. The effects of internal degrees of freedom on the energy flux conservation and the change of the average molecular mass with temperature on the mass, momentum, and energy fluxes conservation are investigated. Modifications to the governing set of equations, to account for these two effects, are derived and presented. Simple assessment of these effects showed the significance of including such modifications in the study of vaporization of Teflon and compound materials in ablation controlled arcs.
Glioma angiogenesis: Towards novel RNA therapeutics

Brain tumors exhibit marked and aberrant blood vessel formation indicating angiogenic endothelial cells as a potential target for brain tumor treatment. The brain tumor blood vessels are used for nutrient delivery, and possibly for cancer cell migration. The process of angiogenesis is complex and involves multiple players. The current angiogenesis inhibitors used in clinical trials mostly target single angiogenic proteins and so far show limited effects on tumor growth. Besides the conventional angiogenesis inhibitors, RNA-based inhibitors such as small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are being analyzed for their capacity to silence the message of proteins involved in neovascularization. More recently, a new family of non-coding RNAs, named angiomirs [microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in angiogenesis] has emerged. These small RNAs have the advantage over siRNAs in that they have the potential of silencing multiple messages at the same time and therefore they might become therapeutically relevant in a "one-hit multiple-target" context against brain tumor angiogenesis. In this review we will discuss the emerging technologies in anti-angiogenesis emphasizing on RNA-based therapeutics.
An assessment of long-term ozone trend uncertainties using Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometers (TOMS)

We provide here an estimate of the uncertainties that would result when combining multiple Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) datasets to produce a long-term column ozone record. We use calibration results and various post-launch validations to estimate calibration-related uncertainties for each of the instruments. Two basic methods for combining the individual data records are examined. We assess the combined uncertainty in the global column ozone data record for the period 1978-2000 for both methods using a Monte Carlo model with basic Gaussian statistics. In the case where TOMS data are combined without relative adjustments we estimate a trend uncertainty of slightly less than 1% per decade in the column ozone time dependence. The recently re-calibrated Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet 2 (SBUV2) datasets can be utilized to bridge a gap between TOMS datasets that occurred in the mid-1990s. With our current understanding of the sensor comparisons, we estimate a small improvement in the combined TOMS ...
Rheological study of biodegradable blends of starch and polyvinyl alcohol

The rheological behavior of biodegradable blends of starch and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) was measured as a function of temperature, shear rate, and moisture content using a capillary rheometer. An excellent correlation was found with a rheological model which was used as a means to characterize the influence of starch/PVOH content as well as a qualification of the viscosity for simulation studies. This model consisted of a power law dependence on shear rate, an Arrhenius dependence on temperature, and an exponential dependence on moisture.
The Frequency of a Helmholtz Resonator With a Hyperboloidal Mouth

It is shown theoretically that if the circular hole in a resonator is replaced by a hyperboloidal mouth which reduces the flux in the ratio ($1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1}$), the frequency is reduced in the ratio ${[\frac{(1\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1})}{(1+{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1})}]}^{\frac{1}{4}}$. The ratio of the greatest velocity---which occurs close to the wall at the narrowest section---to the velocity at the middle of the section is $\frac{1}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{1}}$. The lowering of pitch is given for six hyperboloidal mouths. Eight experimental determinations of frequency were made with two brass hyperboloids. The greatest difference between the observed and the calculated pitches was 0.3 of a half step. This agreement indicates that the viscosity of the air, which is neglected in the theory, has little effect on the frequency.
Pentraxins coordinate excitatory synapse maturation and circuit integration of parvalbumin interneurons

Summary Circuit computation requires precision in the timing, extent, and synchrony of principal cell (PC) firing that is largely enforced by parvalbumin-expressing, fast-spiking interneurons (PVFSIs). To reliably coordinate network activity, PVFSIs exhibit specialized synaptic and membrane properties that promote efficient afferent recruitment such as expression of high-conductance, rapidly gating, GluA4-containing AMPA receptors (AMPARs). We found that PVFSIs upregulate GluA4 during the second postnatal week coincident with increases in the AMPAR clustering proteins NPTX2 and NPTXR. Moreover, GluA4 is dramatically reduced in NPTX2 −/− /NPTXR −/− mice with consequent reductions in PVFSI AMPAR function. Early postnatal NPTX2 −/− /NPTXR −/− mice exhibit delayed circuit maturation with a prolonged critical period permissive for giant depolarizing potentials. Juvenile NPTX2 −/− /NPTXR −/− mice display reduced feedforward inhibition yielding a circuit deficient in rhythmogenesis and prone to epileptiform discharges. Our findings demonstrate an essential role for NPTXs in controlling network dynamics highlighting potential therapeutic targets for disorders with inhibition/excitation imbalances such as schizophrenia.
CURRENT BLADDER TUMOR TESTS: DOES THEIR PROJECTED UTILITY FULFILL CLINICAL NECESSITY?

Purpose: We reviewed currently available bladder cancer tests in the context of the clinical expectations of a noninvasive bladder cancer test.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the literature on bladder cancer tests that are commercially available or have shown clinical usefulness and examined how each test compares with standard methods of bladder cancer diagnosis.Results: The clinical necessity for a noninvasive test for bladder cancer is 2-fold, including the early detection of high grade bladder tumors before muscle invasion and monitoring tumor recurrence or new onset. An ideal noninvasive test should be sensitive, specific, rapid, technically simple and have low intra-assay and interassay variability. Urine cytology has high specificity but limited applicability due to its relatively low sensitivity and subjective nature. Hematuria detection by Hemastix * *Bayer Corp., Elkhart, Indiana. dipstick is sensitive but not specific for detecting bladder cancer. Molecules associated with bladder tumor grow...
The use of diary and interview techniques in evaluating a system for disseminating technical information

Diary and interview techniques were employed to evaluate various aspects of a Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) System introduced in the International Business Machines Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. The test population consisted of a representative stratified sample of IBM Research employees. The design of the experiment utilized three sets of matched subjects, two as test groups and one as a control group. All three groups were asked to keep, for a specified two-week period, a diary of all readings that were relevant to their work interests. After the diary period, all subjects were interviewed with regard to their information-gathering habits. The two test groups were then exposed to the SDI System for approximately ten weeks, while the control group received no exposure to the system. During the last two weeks of the subjects' exposure to the SDI System, all three groups were again asked to keep diaries of pertinent readings, and then all subjects were again interviewed. In utilizing this test-retest situation, it was anticipated that any significant changes in the reading habits or information-gathering techniques of the subjects could be detected and perhaps consequently related to the SDI System. An evaluation of the techniques employed is discussed, and some of the findings are compared to results of other research workers in this area.
The role of adjuvants in retroviral vaccines

The global HIV epidemic continues unchecked. Reports to the World Health Organization's Global Programme on AIDS indicate that more than 14 million persons have become infected with HIV and more than two million have died with AIDS. The spread of AIDS has generated a worldwide mandate for the development of safe and effective vaccines against HIV. Vaccines have been the most effective defense against other viral diseases such as polio and smallpox. However, the development of a vaccine against HIV-1 is a formidable task due to the variation of the virus, inadequate animal models of HIV disease, and the lack of correlates of protective immunity. Several candidate HIV vaccines are composed of synthetic, recombinant, or highly purified subunit antigens. Vaccines composed of subunit antigens generally are considered to be safer than traditional whole-killed or live-attenuated vaccines. However, purified subunit vaccines often are inherently less immunogenic than traditional vaccines. Immunologic adjuvants are agents that act generally to enhance specific immune responses to vaccine antigens. Formulation of experimental HIV vaccines with potent immunologic adjuvants is an attractive approach for amplifying and directing immune responses to highly purified antigens. Alum adjuvants, consisting of aluminum salts, first described in the 1920s, remain the only adjuvants in U.S.-licensed vaccine formulations. Novel adjuvants now undergoing preclinical and clinical testing with experimental subunit vaccine include detoxified lipid A, adjuvant emulsions, liposomes, biodegradable microspheres, muramyl peptides, and saponins. Adjuvants have been shown to elicit cytotoxic T-cell responses as well as antibody to subunit antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ex Ante and Ex Post Data in Inventory Investment

Abstract Expectational data on manufacturers' inventory investment and sales are analysed. These data are provided by Fortune Magazine's survey of corporations. It is found that firms tend to underanticipate investment changes and that entrepreneurs tend to be conservative in anticipations when economic conditions are depressed and less conservative when conditions are favorable. A theory of investment behavior is then derived and two realization functions are tested, one assuming perfect competition and cost minimization and the second assuming profit maximization and an oligopolistic market. The second performs best. Certain ex ante and ex post estimating forms are tested; the ex post form yielding excellent statistical results with real inventory stock as dependent variable involves the explanatory variables of real unfilled orders, real sales and a distributed lag variable. A major conclusion is that the Fortune ex ante data appear to be only marginally useful in explaining inventory investment; and u...
Specific interaction of the first three zinc fingers of TFIIIA with the internal control region of the Xenopus 5 S RNA gene.

Abstract A DNA plasmid encoding the first 101 amino acid residues of the Xenopus 5 S RNA gene-specific transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA) was derived by polymerase chain reaction amplification of this region from the cDNA for TFIIIA. This polypeptide includes the first three zinc fingers of the TFIIIA DNA binding domain. The polypeptide was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to greater than 95% homogeneity. The three finger polypeptide binds the internal control region of the 5 S RNA gene with sequence specificity and high affinity. Binding is metal-dependent and treatment of the polypeptide with EDTA abolishes binding. Polypeptide-DNA complexes exhibit a dissociation constant of 5.6(± 0.9) n m , while that for full-length Xenopus TFIIIA is 2.2(± 0.4) n m , measured under the same conditions. This suggests that the majority of the free energy of TFIIIA binding resides in these amino-terminal zinc fingers. The polypeptide protects 21 base-pairs of the internal control region from attack by DNase I, with protection from nucleotides +75 to +95 of the 120 base-pair gene. This region includes the C-block promoter element and several guanine residues that are essential for TFIIIA binding. Methylation interference experiments suggest that the mode of binding of the polypeptide and TFIIIA are similar. The minimal DNA sequences required for polypeptide binding were determined using a series of synthetic double-stranded deoxyribo-oligonucleotides. A 13 base-pair oligonucleotide spanning nucleotides +80 to +92 of the 5 S RNA gene retained specific and high-affinity binding, although the latter was reduced sixfold relative to longer DNA fragments. Polypeptides containing fingers 1 and 2, or fingers 2, 3 and 4 of TFIIIA do not exhibit sequence-specific DNA binding. Overall, these studies provide strong support for a model in which the first three zinc fingers of TFIIIA bind with high affinity between nucleotides +80 and +92 of the internal control region of the 5 S RNA gene.
Methotrexate sequestration in an ovarian cyst.

Abstract Objective. Methotrexate has been documented to accumulate in pleural effusions and ascitic fluid, resulting in severe local and systemic toxicity. In the following case report, we publish results of intraoperative measurements of methotrexate levels in serum and an ovarian cyst and attempt to determine if ovarian cysts similarly act as a depot for methotrexate. Methods. After determining intraoperative measurements of serum and ovarian cystic levels of methotrexate, we compared demonstrated pharmacokinetics to those expected by using pharmacokinetic systems analysis software. Results. Intraoperative measurement of methotrexate levels on day 3 of a 5-day methotrexate regimen revealed a serum methotrexate concentration of 1.6 × 10 −7 M and a concentration of 3.1 × 10 −7 M within the 166.4 ml ovarian cyst. Conclusions. The measured levels demonstrate that methotrexate is sequestered within an ovarian cyst resulting in higher local drug levels. Our pharmacokinetic analysis suggests that methotrexate doses less than 100 mg/m 2 can be safely administered to patients with small ovarian cysts. However, computed simulations support the possibility of local and systemic toxicity arising from large ovarian cysts when using high doses of methotrexate.
Cell biology: The proteasome assembly line

The assembly of the proteasome — the cellular machine that eliminates unwanted proteins — is a carefully choreographed affair, involving a complex sequence of steps overseen by dedicated protein chaperones.
Pulsed‐Potential Oxidation of Methanol

Methanol oxidation on a platinum electrode at an overvoltage appropriate for fuel‐cell application is incomplete; a poisonous partial‐oxidation product, thought to be , is formed. The poison may be oxidatively removed to regenerate the surface, but the cell may not produce power at the requisite polarization. A periodic, pulsed‐potential control strategy was examined as a means to regenerate in situ a platinum electrode which was otherwise poisoned by methanol oxidation from a and solution at 50°C. The potential was held at a high anodic polarization (1.18V vs. NHE) for time , and for the remainder of the cycle the potential was held at a less anodic value (0.4 or 0.6V). The total cycle time was varied from 0.2 to 10s with varied from 0.05 to 0.4. The average current during each segment of the polarization cycle was calculated from the coulombs measured in that segment, and . The average current at increased with the frequency or ; the coulombic efficiency, , decreased with increasing; and, the faradaic efficiency calculated from the blank‐corrected coulomb ratio has a maximum in . The effects are more pronounced for than at 0.6V, with the average current under pulsed‐potential control increased nearly two orders of magnitude above the steady‐state current at 0.4V. The power output from a fuel cell will be increased under pulsed‐potential operation with an optimum combination of waveform parameters existing which maximize power production.
Extension and refinement of the predictive value of different classes of markers in ADNI: Four-year follow-up data

Abstract Background This study examined the predictive value of different classes of markers in the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD) over an extended 4-year follow-up in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. Methods MCI patients were assessed for clinical, cognitive, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography–fluorodeoxyglucose (PET-FDG), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers at baseline and were followed on a yearly basis for 4 years to ascertain progression to AD. Logistic regression models were fitted in clusters, including demographics, APOE genotype, cognitive markers, and biomarkers (morphometric, PET-FDG, CSF, amyloid-β, and tau). Results The predictive model at 4 years revealed that two cognitive measures, an episodic memory measure and a Clock Drawing screening test, were the best predictors of conversion (area under the curve = 0.78). Conclusions This model of prediction is consistent with the previous model at 2 years, thus highlighting the importance of cognitive measures in progression from MCI to AD. Cognitive markers were more robust predictors than biomarkers.
Colin pittendrigh: The lion in winter

Unfortunately, I am not qualified to render an eye-witnesshistory of Colin Pittendrigh’s remarkable career; indeed, manyof his seminal achievements – the discovery of the circadianclock in Drosophila , the characterization of the common charac-teristics of circadian clocks, the debates with Frank Brown overwhether circadian timekeeping is intrinsic or environmentallydriven, the first formal models of circadian rhythmicity – wereall history at my birth. All I can offer is a small vignette of Pitt inhis later years, of the ‘lion in winter’. By a process of pureserendipity I had the pleasure of becoming perhaps Pitt’s last(albeit informal) student. Our educational model was ahead ofits time – a combination of e-mail correspondence and oneremarkably intensive weekend seminar. The dialogue we heldwas representative of the great currents runing through the fieldin the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, currents which are stillmanifest 15 years later.My first and only interaction with Pitt in a classroom was a guestlecture he gave to my undergraduate organismal physiologycourse during my sphomore year at Stanford in 1983. Helectured on avian migration mechanisms, how some birds mea-sure the position of the sun against their internal clock todetermine the direction of migration. Pitt was a powerfullecturer; this was one of the few lectures I remember well fromthis course (now 23 years ago!). (Interestingly, Pitt later claimedthat hearing Gustav Kramer lecture on the same topic in 1951stimulated his own interest in clocks). Pitt retired the next year,and – were it not for serendipity and the kindness of a wonderfullab technician – I probably would have had no interaction withPitt again.I had stayed at Stanford for my medical and graduate schooltraining, and was working in the labs of William Dement and
Work patterns in the professional life‐cycle*

A discriminant analysis was performed on a sample (n = 114) of salaried professionals to distinguish work patterns among three age groups corresponding to early, middle and late career stages. Three distinct profiles were generated by the two significant discriminant functions which emerged. The three career stage groups were given identifying labels: ‘finding a niche’, ‘digging in’ and ‘entrenched’. The findings support a life-cycle hypothesis of ageing and work patterns, although there is some substantiation for the cohort and ageing hypotheses in the literature. Scenarios for each of the three career stages are provided along with implications for improving the management of age-specific professional human resources.
A State Variable Constitutive Model for Superplastic Ti-6Al-4V Based on Grain Size

In this work, the superplastic material behavior of Ti-6Al-4V has been correlated with the grain size of the {alpha} phase. Because this microstructural state variable is directly observable, the viscoplastic flow kinetics could be determined separately from the state evolution (grain growth). The grain growth rate is the sum of static and deformation enhanced components which have been expressed in terms of current (state) variables rather than the historical quantities of plastic strain or time. In this manner, the grain growth relations are valid for arbitrary deformation rate and temperature paths. The deformation of a tapered rod has been measured and compared with simulation to evaluate the constitutive model.
Rab4a signaling unmasks a pivotal link between myocardial homeostasis and metabolic remodeling in the diabetic heart.

It is projected that by 2025 one third of a billion individuals worldwide will be inflicted with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) [1]. This widespread rise in incidence is expected to exacerbate cardiovascular disease due to the strong link between T2DM with cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, increased susceptibility to myocardial infarction, hypertension and stroke. Of the cardiovascular consequences of T2DM, the most perplexing condition is that of ‘diabetic cardiomyopathy’ (see recent reviews [2, 3]). This syndrome arises where diabetic patients develop cardiac contractile dysfunction out of proportion to, and in excess of other underlying risk factors, such as hypertension and/or coronary artery disease. Although the pathophysiology has not been completely defined, its hallmarks include; i) cardiac insulin resistance, ii) metabolic remodeling with increased fatty acid utilization and associated mitochondrial dysfunction and iii) cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy is a prerequisite to develop targeted therapeutics.
Voltage- and Ca2+-Activation of BK Channels Studied with Highly Constrained Allosteric Gating Mechanisms

BK channels are activated synergistically by depolarization and micromolar intracellular Ca2+. An allosteric gating scheme for a simplified BK channel with one voltage sensor and one Ca2+ site on each of the four subunits would lead to a minimal 50 state two-tiered model with 25 closed states (upper tier) and 25 open states (lower tier). It has been previously shown that allosteric models of this type with few constrained rate constants can approximate the gating of BK channels. We now explore to what extent such models with idealized gating (imposed by highly constrained rate constants) can account for the single-channel gating. Single-channel data were collected over wide ranges of voltage and Ca2+, and successive interval durations were measured and binned into 2-D dwell-time distributions. The idealized models were then globally fitted to the distributions using maximum likelihood methods to estimate the rate constants and allosteric gating parameters. An idealized model with independent voltage and Ca2+ sensors modulating the opening and closing rates could approximate the gating, but with some obvious differences between predicted and experimental data. The most likely parameters in this model indicated that each of the activated voltage and Ca2+ sensors increased the opening rates an additional ∼10-40 fold, with little effect on the closing rates. Adding a tier of flicker closed states and/or allowing specified cooperativity among and between the voltage and Ca2+ sensors improved the description of the data. Such highly constrained models provide a means to include the large numbers of states entered during gating of BK channels with multiple sensors per subunit, while limiting the number of gating parameters sufficiently to allow insight into gating mechanism. Supported by AHA grant 10POST4490012 and NIH grant AR32805.
Lung cancer in African Americans.

Excluding squamous and basal cell carcinomas of the skin, lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and remains the leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. It has been estimated that in 2001, 1.2 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States [1]. Data reported by the U.S. Bureau of Census, and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program has been used to report important trends in diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the general population [2]. While the incidence of bronchopulmonary carcinoma in men has leveled off over the last decade, the overall incidence in women continues to rise. Moreover, since the mid 1980s, primary lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women and now accounts for an estimated 25% of death from cancer in women [3] (Fig 1). An in-depth evaluation of these statistics reveal disturbing variances in cancer incidence, stage at presentation, and mortality in certain subpopulations of our society. African-American patients have the highest overall incidence of cancer and are 33% more likely to die of cancer than Caucasians, and more than twice as likely to die from cancer as are Asian Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Hispanics [1]. In 1999, cancer was the second leading cause of death among all racial and ethnic groups. The average annual age-adjusted incidence of lung cancer is 73.39 per 100,000 for African Americans and 54.31 per 100,000 for Caucasians [4, 5]. These statistics underscore the importance of smoking cessation programs, early diagnosis and treatment, and vigilant surveillance in all populations and especially in the AfricanAmerican community.
Anthocyanin Pigments of Rhubarb, Canada Red

SUMMARY The anthocyanin pigments of rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum‘Canada Red’) were extracted with 0.02% methanolic HCI and partially purified by use of cation-exchange resin. The pigments were separated into two bands with paper and cellulose thin-layer chromatography. The purified pigments were characterized by their R, values, partial acid hydrolysis, identification of the aglycones and sugars after complete hydrolysis, and their spectral properties. The main pigment (87% of the total anthocyanins) was identified as cyanidin-3-glucoside and the second (13%) is proposed to be cyanidin-3-rutinoside.
Equilibrium constants for quasi-chemical defect reactions

The presence of generally known thermodynamic quantities in the equilibrium constants for quasi-chemical defect reactions is established using CdTe as a specific example.
Influence of type of conduit and site of implantation on the outcome of continent catheterizable channels.

Abstract Objective Continent catheterizable channels (CCC) using the Mitrofanoff principle are essential for pediatric urinary tract reconstruction. There is controversy over the influence of type of CCC (appendix vs. Yang–Monti) and site of implantation (augmentation vs. native bladder) on outcome. Patients and methods A retrospective record review was conducted of all patients undergoing CCC since 1999, excluding patients who underwent seromuscular colocystoplasty. We analyzed the type of channel, site of implantation, complications requiring re-operation, and the revision rate according to type of CCC, type of stoma, site of implantation (bladder vs. augmentation) and segment used for augmentation (ileum vs. sigmoid colon). Results There were 41 patients with a mean age of 11.2 years and a mean follow-up of 33.3 months. Of these, 33 CCC were constructed with appendix and eight with a Yang–Monti technique (4 ileal, 4 sigmoid); 31 patients also had an enterocystoplasty (19 sigmoid, 9 ileal and 3 others). Overall revision rate was 27%; revision was required in 8/33 (24%) appendiceal and 3/8 (38%) Yang–Monti CCC (P = 0.7). Revisions were required in 4/21 CCC implanted in the native bladder and 7/20 implanted in augmented bladder (P = 0.3). The majority of revisions were at skin level. Conclusions Although there was no statistical difference in revision rate according to type of CCC, type of stoma or site of implantation, complications appeared to be more common in patients requiring a more complex reconstruction.
Pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma with multiple digital metastases in a cat

A 14-year-old domestic shorthaired cat was presented because of swelling of the digits and lameness. A solitary lung mass was observed on thoracic radiographs. Clinical and pathological evaluation confirmed a primary pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to a single digit on each foot. Other metastatic lesions were present in the left popliteal lymph node and in the left iliac vein.
Non-criteria manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome:

Only few studies have addressed the pathogenesis and treatment of the non-criteria manifestations of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) such as thrombocytopenia, nephropathy, cardiac valve disease, cognitive dysfunction, skin ulcers, or diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage. There is no consensus on the management of these manifestations; they may occur despite full-dose anticoagulation or may not improve if anticoagulation is initiated after their discovery. This brief review may help physicians in the management of the non-criteria manifestations of aPL.
The effect of a crystalline electric field on the magnetic transition temperatures of rare-earth rhodium borides

Abstract A simple molecular field model is presented for the prediction of magnetic transition temperatures of rare-earth (RE) compounds when crystalline electric field (CEF) splittings are significant. The model is applied to the RERh4B4 (RE=Gd−Tm) series, using what is known about the crystal field in these materials.
Where To Begin? Mapping Transcription Start Sites Genome-Wide in Escherichia coli

Recent genome-wide studies of bacterial transcription have revealed large numbers of promoters located inside genes. In this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, Thomason and colleagues (J. Bacteriol. 197:18–28, 2015, doi:10.1128/JB.02096-14) map transcription start sites in Escherichia coli on an unprecedented scale. This work provides important insights into the regulation of transcripts that initiate inside genes and sources of variability between studies aimed at identifying these RNAs.
Bias correction of microwave radiances for data assimilation

Temperature retrievals from polar-orbiting satellites are clearly beneficial in the Southern Hemisphere and the stratosphere, due to lack of conventional data, but have neutral impact on Northern Hemisphere forecasts. An alternative to retrievals is the direct assimilation of radiance data. The NRL Variational Data Assimilation System (NAVDAS), coupled with the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) NWP model, constitute a system capable of three-dimensional variational assimilation (3DVar) of radiance data. In particular, the assimilation of microwave radiance data from the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A) has shown clear positive impact on 5-day forecasts in both hemispheres. One requirement for successful radiance assimilation is bias correction. Biases are due both to the satellite instrument, and the underlying airmass, resulting from inaccuracies in the fast radiative transfer model that converts NWP fields into simulated radiances. Our approach to airmass bias correction uses multilinear regression of fifteen days of observed minus computed radiances, with selected NWP fields as predictors. Research into hybrid methods, which add the radiances themselves as predictors, is being pursued. Moisture retrievals from AMSU-B can also benefit from bias correction. Preliminary results comparing uncorrected and bias-corrected AMSU-B moisture retrievals are presented. The need for bias correction is universal. Our methodology is robust and general, and should be applicable to current and future satellites.
Elastography: current status, future prospects, and making it work for you.

AbstractElastography has emerged as a useful adjunct tool for ultrasound diagnosis. Elastograms are images of tissue stiffness and may be in color, grayscale, or a combination of the two. The first and most common application of elastography is for the diagnosis of breast lesions where studies have
Extraction of Cholesterol and Other Lipids from Dried Egg Yolk Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction was investigated for removal of cholesterol and lipid components from dried egg yolk. Four different combinations of pressure and temperature were used including 163 atm/40°C, 238 atm/45°C, 306 atm/45°C and 374 atm/55°C. As temperature and pressure were increased, more lipids and cholesterol were removed. Extraction at 306 atm/45°C or 374 atm/55°C removed approximately two-thirds of the cholesterol. Phospholipids and protein were concentrated under the supercritical extraction conditions used. Sponge cake volume was significantly (P < 0.05) improved at extraction conditions of 163 atm/40°C, 238 atm/45°C and 306 atm/45°C, which may have been due to higher phospholipid and protein concentrations. Only extraction at 374 atm/55°C significantly (P < 0.05) impaired emulsion stability of egg yolk.
Distribution of total Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn in the tongue of the ocean and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The elements Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn were concentrated from seawater using tetraethylenepentamine resin and analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The spatial distribution of these elements in the northwest Atlantic Ocean is discussed with respect to possible riverine inputs to the area from Puerto Rico.
ACES: application-specific cycle elimination and splitting for deadlock-free routing on irregular network-on-chip

Application-specific Network-on-Chip (NoC) in MPSoC designs often requires irregular topology to optimize power and performance. However, efficient deadlock-free routing, which avoids restricting critical routes and also does not significantly increase power for irregular NoC, has remained an open problem until now. In this paper an application-specific cycle elimination and splitting (ACES) method is presented for this problem. Based on the application-specific communication patterns, we propose a scalable algorithm using global optimization to eliminate as much channel dependency cycles as possible while ensuring shortest paths between heavily communicated nodes, and split only the remaining small set of cycles (if any). Experimental results show that compared to prior work, ACES can either reduce the NoC power by 11%~35% while maintaining approximately the same network performance, or improve the network performance by 10%~36% with slight NoC power overhead (-5%~7%) on a wide range of examples.
Helping Children Cope with Death: The Role Educators Can Play

Abstract Death is a universal reality that children cannot escape. The purpose of this article is to discuss a child's reaction to death, the need to discuss death with children, and a child's normal grief reactions. Children need adult assistance to move through the stages of grieving. Therefore, it is an important competency of educators to know how to help children cope when they are confronted with death. A list of suggestions to help us as educators, principles, and parents accomplish this sensitive task is included.
Highly oriented indium tin oxide thin films for organic light-emitting diodes

Transparent conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) tin films were grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) on glass and single crystal yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. The structural, electrical and optical properties of these films were investigated as a function of substrate deposition temperature and background gas pressure. Films were deposited using a KrF excimer laser (248nm, 30 ns FWHM) at a fluence of 1.2 J/cm2. Films were deposited at substrate temperature of 300 degree(s)C in mixed gases (12 mTorr of argon and 1-50 mTorr of oxygen). X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the deposited films. UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements were used to characterize the optical and electrical properties of the films. ITO films (300 nm thick), deposited by PLD on YSZ at 300 degree(s)C in a gas mixture of 12 mTorr of argon and 5 mTorr of oxygen, exhibit a low electrical resistivity (1.6 x 10-4(Omega) -cm) with a high transparency (~74%) at 550 nm. ITO films deposited by PLD on both glass and YSZ substrates have been used as an anode contact in organic light-emitting diodes. A comparison of the device performance for the two substrates shows that the device fabricated on the ITO/YSZ has a higher external quantum efficiency than that of the device fabricated on the ITO/glass.
Pneumococcemia as the presenting feature of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is associated with a susceptibility to bacterial infections, specifically for encapsulated organisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. However, severe bacterial infection as the initial presentation of this disease has been rarely reported. The most common presenting features are anemia, lytic lesions, hypercalcemia, and renal failure. We report two cases of pneumococcal bacteremia as the initial manifestation of an underlying multiple myeloma. The first case is of a 68-year-old woman with pneumococcal pneumonia and bacteremia, presenting with a white blood cell count of 900/microL and mild anemia. Further work-up disclosed monoclonal IgG kappa and 50% plasma cells in bone marrow. Her course was complicated by acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis. The second patient is a 57-year-old man presenting with acute pneumococcal meningitis and bacteremia. Due to prior bacterial epiglottitis, further work-up disclosed IgG lambda monoclonal spike and 40% plasma cells in bone marrow. Both cases responded to antibiotic therapy without complications. These two cases add to the few patients described in the literature with pneumococcemia as the first sign of multiple myeloma. Features that were common in most of these cases, and that should lead to a suspicion of myeloma in an otherwise asymptomatic patient, are S. pneumoniae bacteremia, leukopenia, mild anemia, history of prior bacterial infections, and indirect evidence of a paraproteinemia, such as increased total protein levels with low albumin.
The Uphill Climb of Thai Cartooning

This article is a synthesis of data the author gathered through interviews, observation, textual analysis and secondary literature searches, most of which were conducted in August 1993. Comic art in Thailand is treated from macro and micro perspectives, beginning with a brief history of, and contemporary insights about, the politics and economics of cartooning. Because political cartoonists have figured prominently in the country's often turbulent times, they are discussed in sections that highlight their professional concerns and their relationship with the government. The background and current status of the comic book industry is also presented, ending with a case study of the largest comics publisher in Thailand, Bun Lour Sarn.
Current Religious Trends in Japan

history, with a high degree of continuity, and of conservation of the contributions from the past. A primitive animism, common to most of the peoples of the world even today, has in Japan taken on its own peculiar characteristics in the system known as Shinto. One-sixth of the people are enrolled in one or another of the sects of voluntary Shinto. But it is rather to the national cult of State Shinto that we would refer. This has been carried by the celebrations at a hundred thousand shrines, by the daily instruction and ceremonies of twenty million students in schools, by the adoration of the Emperor raised to a religious cult, and by the ceaseless commemoration of the war-dead in every community. In recent years the Japanese people have been so completely immersed in this Shinto world that scarcely a single individual has been able to disentangle himself. Officially not a religion, it has been nevertheless a most all-pervasive religion. Avowedly the major religion in Japan has for fifteen centuries been Buddhism. The fifty-five sects have claimed a total of over fifty million adherents, or nearly five-sixths of the entire population. Although differing somewhat in emphasis, most of these sects are of the Northern, Mahayana type stressing salvation by faith and a future life in the Western Paradise. They have a bias toward peace and the passive virtues, yet each one boasts a founder who was a Japanese, and in times of crisis all of them accommodate themselves to nationalistic ends.
RF sputtered HgCdTe films for tandem cell applications

Polycrystalline Hg1−xCdxTe films were investigated for their potential as bottom cells of a CdTe-based tandem solar cell. The films were deposited by RF sputtering from a cold pressed target containing 30% HgTe + 70% CdTe. The as-deposited films were highly resistive with (111) preferred orientation and a bandgap of ∼1.0 eV. Various thermal treatment schemes were investigated under different conditions of ambient and temperature to reduce the resistivity. The film properties were analyzed using infrared transmission spectra, energy dispersive X-ray spectra and X-ray diffraction. N doped p-HgCdTe films were also prepared by reactive sputtering in a N2/Ar ambient. P-n junction solar cells were fabricated with CdS films as the heterojunction partner. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Charge distribution in the fission of 238U

The nuclear charge distribution in the fission of 238U by 9·5 MeV and 11·3 MeV protons and 11·5 MeV deuterons has been studied from the yield of 12 shielded or quasi-shielded nuclides. Correlation with a Gaussian charge dispersion was investigated for various mass formulae, neutron distribution functions and charge distribution hypotheses. Both the proton and deuteron induced fission of 238U showed best correlation with the minimum potential energy postulate of charge distribution using a shell-effected mass equation and a saw tooth neutron distribution.
Monolithic High-Aspect-Ratio Embedded Parylene Channel Technology: Fabrication, Integration, and Applications

This paper presents a novel channel fabrication technology of monolithic bulk-micromachined embedded channels. Based upon implementing two-step complementary dry etching technique and conformal parylene C layer deposition, high-aspect-ratio (internal channel height/internal channel width, greater than 20) polymer channels with uniform quasi-rectangular sidewalls have been successfully fabricated in one silicon wafer. The fabrication is completely compatible with further lithographic CMOS/MEMS process, which enables its total integration with on-chip micro sensors/actuators/structures for lab-on-a-chip applications. An exemplary process has been successfully demonstrated to verify the possibility of combining bulk micromachining and surface micromachining. This proposed formation of channels can be extensively used as beam elements in micromechanical devices or microcolumns for high-performance/high-throughput chip-based separation analysis. A spiral parylene column longer than 1.1 m embedded in a 3.3 mm times 3.3 mm chip has been presented as a prospective element in micro gas-chromatography (muGC)
Characterization of rat glomerular thromboxane A2 receptors: comparison to rat platelets.

Abstract This study was designed to characterize rat glomerular thromboxane A 2 (TxA 2 ) receptors and compare them to rat platelet TxA 2 receptors. The radioligand binding characteristics of the receptors were characterized using [ 125 I][1S-(1α,2β(5Z),3α-(1E,3R ∗ ),4α]-7-[3-(3-hydroxy-4-(4′-iodophenoxy)-l-butenyl)-7-oxabiocyclo-[2.2.1]heptan-2yl]-5-heptenoic acid ([ 125 I]BOP), a TxA 2 agonist. Equilibrium binding with [ 125 I]BOP, as well as competitive binding assays between [ 125 I]BOP and 13-azapinane TxA 2 receptors antagonists, were performed in rat glomerular membranes (RGM) and washed rat platelets (WRP). [ 125 I]BOP identified a single class of TxA 2 receptor sites in glomerular membrane with a K d of 318±55 pM and a B max of 260±62 fmol/mg protein (n = 14). [ 125 I]BOP was displaced by the TxA 2 agonist 15S-hydroxy-11α,9α(epoxymethano)-prosta-5Z,13E-dienoic acid (U-46,619) (IC 50 = 22±6 nM,n = 3), the antagonist SQ-29,548 (IC 50 = 41±7 nM, n = 4), and stereoselectively by the antagonists (−)-9-chlorobenzyl-6-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazol-1-yl acetic acid (L-657,926) (IC 50 = 0.27±0.04 nM, n = 3) and (+)-9-chlorobenzyl-6-fluoro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazol-l-yl acetic acid (L-657,926) (IC 50 = 124±0 nM,n = 2). The ability of six 13-azapinane TxA 2 antagonists to compete with [ 125 I]BOP was evaluated. The rank orders for the 13-azapinances showed no significant correlation between RGM and WRP. Phosphoinositide hydrolysis in whole glomeruli was stimulated with I-BOP (EC 50 = 1.99±0.43 nM, n = 4) and stereoselectively blocked by L-657,925 (IC 50 = 27.4±5.5 nM,n = 4) and L-65 (IC 50 = 811±116 nM, n = 3). These results indicate that functional TxA 2 receptors are present in glomeruli and that different subtypes of TxA 2 receptors exist in rat glomeruli and platelets.