cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of reconfigurable methods of active phased array antenna

The biquadratic programming method is shown to be advantageous in reconfiguring an active phased array antenna by changing the phase of each remaining active element. Numerical results for a 13-element linear array are discussed to highlight this algorithm. The reconfigured results are compared against the eigenvalue and cophasal methods. It is concluded that, from both the theoretical and the practical viewpoint, the phase-only beam shaping technique provides the most suitable method for the optimum reconfigured phased array. >
Women’s Unequal Citizenship at the Border: Lessons from Three Nonfiction Films about the Women of Juárez

There is no better illustration of the impact of borders on women’s equal citizenship than the three documentaries reviewed in this essay. All three deal with the femicides that befell the young women of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico between 1993 and 2005. Juarez is just across the border from El Paso, Texas. Performing the Border (1999) stimulates the viewer’s imagination regarding the ephemeral nature of borders and their impact on the citizenship of women who live at the intersection of local, regional, national and international legal regimes. Senorita Extraviada (2001) is an intimate portrait of the victims which illustrates why the private grief of their survivors should have been a cause for public national mourning. Finally, Battle of the Crosses (2005), the work of social scientists, offers a panoramic description of the complicated social terrain on which the Juarez femicides occurred and their meaning was fought over. Together, the films suggest how borders are constructed and “performed” through law and law enforcement in ways that jeopardize women’s rights as citizens. The films also show how women in turn challenge law and law enforcement to transcend the limitations of social, political, and economic borders and assert their right to equal citizenship. Confronted with state intransigence in the face of the murders of dozens of young females, the women of Juarez used their traditional female roles as a springboard to political engagement. Overcoming the debilitating effect of class and ethnic marginality, patriarchal mass violence, and governmental corruption and lack of accountability, the women turned back the state’s effort to belittle the murders as private matters and the victims as deserving of their fate. The documentaries together provide a vivid case study that proves the importance of understanding the synthetic quality of borders and their relationship to women’s equal citizenship in a globalizing world where borders can pop up anywhere and at anytime.
Predicting the capabilities of ship monitoring by HF radar in coastal regions

Maritime domain awareness is important for coastal nations in terms of applications to coastal conservancy, security, fishery and stewardship of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Maritime situational awareness involves knowing the location, speed and bearing of ships and boats in the EEZ. HF radar is a useful tool in providing ship information in real time. It is especially effective when combined with information from ship-borne AIS beacons. It is important to be able to simulate HF radar (as well as AIS) performance in a ship-monitoring role, so that the cost-effectiveness of a network of HF radars and AIS beacon receivers can be estimated. A good performance simulation model also allows design trade studies that lead to effective and efficient system design. We describe a radar performance simulation model based on well-known principles and specialized to the Codar SeaSonde HF radar as installed at the Pescadero California station in the California Ocean Current Monitoring Program (COCMP). We include a parameter to account for the loss in propagation across the land-sea transition as well as coupling HF radar waves between antennas and the ground wave propagation mode. We compare performance simulation results in terms of signal to noise ratio with radar observations of ships by the Pescadero HF radar station. We find good qualitative agreement in terms of the ranges at which ships are detected and not detected.
Variable Spectra of IC 4997 and NGC 6572

Variability of the [0III]4363/4340 H γ ratio in IC 4007 was established in 1956 by William Liller and L.H. Aller who attributed the changes to a gradual decrease of electron density with time. Subsequent 4363/4340 ratio fluctuations negated this explanation. Ferland pointed out that small changes in the radiative flux of the Planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) could explains the variations. Our pervious study emphasized IUE observations, here we compare high dispersion spectra obtained with the Hamilton Echelle Spectrograph with previous measurements to asses line intensity variations. Emission line variability in PNN spectra as noted by Mendez et al. (1988) and by other for HeII 4686 in NGC 6572 may offer significant clues. PNN 4686 appeared by 1990 in IC 4997. Possibly both of these PNN may be evolving into Wolf-Rayet objects, but this development does not necessarily imply that the nebular excitation will increase with time.
Learning a taxonomy of predefined and discovered activity patterns

Many intelligent systems that focus on the needs of a human require information about the activities that are being performed by the human. At the core of this capability is activity recognition. Activity recognition techniques have become robust but rarely scale to handle more than a few activities. They also rarely learn from more than one smart home data set because of inherent differences between labeling techniques. In this paper we investigate a data-driven approach to creating an activity taxonomy from sensor data found in disparate smart home datasets. We investigate how the resulting taxonomy can help analyze the relationship between classes of activities. We also analyze how the taxonomy can be used to scale activity recognition to a large number of activity classes and training datasets. We describe our approach and evaluate it on 34 smart home datasets. The results of the evaluation indicate that the hierarchical modeling can reduce training time while maintaining accuracy of the learned model.
Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome.

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a rare, non-immunoglobulin E-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy primarily diagnosed in infancy, but has also been reported in older children and adults. Acute FPIES reactions typically present with delayed, repetitive vomiting, lethargy, and pallor within 1 to 4 hours of food ingestion. Chronic FPIES typically presents with protracted vomiting and/or diarrhea, and weight loss or poor growth. Common foods triggering FPIES include cow's milk, soy, rice, oats, fish, and egg. More detailed diagnostic criteria may help in increasing awareness of FPIES and reducing delayed diagnoses or misdiagnoses.
Effects of chronic hypercortisolemia on carbohydrate metabolism during insulin deficiency

This study was undertaken to further investigate the effect of acute selective insulin deficiency on glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis occurring during chronic physiological hypercortisolemia in conscious overnight fasted dogs. After an 80-min tracer and dye equilibration period and a 40-min basal period, selective insulin deficiency was created during the 180-min experimental period by infusing somatostatin peripherally (0.8 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) with basal replacement of glucagon intraportally (0.65 ng.kg-1.min-1). In the cortisol group (n = 5), a continuous infusion of hydrocortisone (3.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) was begun 5 days before the experiment. In the saline group (n = 5), there was no infusion of cortisol. [3-3H]glucose, [U-14C]alanine, and indocyanine green dye were used to assess glucose production and gluconeogenesis using tracer and arteriovenous difference techniques. During selective insulin deficiency in the saline group, the arterial plasma glucose level (Glc) increased from 109 +/- 2 to 285 +/- 19 mg/dl; glucose production increased from 2.7 +/- 0.2 to 4.5 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1. Gluconeogenic efficiency and conversion of alanine to glucose (Conv) increased by 300 +/- 55 and 356 +/- 67%. During selective insulin deficiency in the cortisol group, Glc increased from 117 +/- 3 to 373 +/- 50 mg/dl; glucose production increased from 3.3 +/- 0.5 to 6.9 +/- 0.7 mg.kg-1.min-1. Gluconeogenic efficiency and Conv increased by 268 +/- 41 and 393 +/- 75%, respectively. The maximal glycogenolytic rate increased significantly more in the cortisol group than in the saline group, accounting for the difference in glucose production. These results suggest that, even during chronic hypercortisolemia, acute insulin deficiency has more pronounced effects on glycogenolysis than gluconeogenesis.
Social Capital and Subjective Happiness: Which Contexts Matter?

The aims of this study were to investigate how much variance in happiness was attributable to household and administrative-area levels and to examine the associations between social capital at the individual, household, and administrative-area levels and happiness, while adjusting for various control variables at multiple levels. Data from the Seoul Welfare Panel Study (SWPS) beginning in 2008 and conducted by the Seoul Welfare Foundation were used for this study. This study used wave 1 of the SWPS (2008). The results showed that a relatively small percentage of happiness was attributed to the administrative-area level compared to the household level, which implies that a household context is more important for understanding the variation in individual happiness. The results also showed that individual level social capital variables including perceived helpfulness and volunteer work were positively associated with happiness. Perceived helpfulness and organizational participation at the household level were positively associated with happiness. However, no significant association could be found between administrative-area level social capital variables and happiness. The results indicate that different types of social capital at different levels may operate differently to happiness. The current study contributed to the empirical social capital literature by simultaneously considering the individual, household, and administrative-area levels and examining each one’s association with happiness while controlling for various control variables at multiple levels.
Causal asymmetry and causal relata: Reply to Lee

Jig-Chuen Lee in a recent paper, 'Causal Connection, Causal Asym metry, and the Counterfactual Analysis of Causation', offers a coun terexample to my account of causal asymmetry.1 In this paper I argue that Lee's example is effective only if a certain background assump tion concerning the nature of causal relata is made, an assumption which I previously held but have since abandoned on independent grounds. After outlining my new view of causal relata, I show that Lee's example can be revised to work under this new assumption. I propose a revision of my account of causal asymmetry to handle this case.
Vascular endothelial growth factor and substrate mechanics regulate in vitro tubulogenesis of endothelial progenitor cells

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the circulatory system have been suggested to maintain vascular homeostasis and contribute to adult vascular regeneration and repair. These processes require that EPCs break down the extracellular matrix (ECM), migrate, differentiate and undergo tube morphogenesis. Evidently, the ECM plays a critical role by providing biochemical and biophysical cues that regulate cellular behaviour. Using a chemically and mechanically tunable hydrogel to study tube morphogenesis in vitro, we show that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and substrate mechanics co-regulate tubulogenesis of EPCs. High levels of VEGF are required to initiate tube morphogenesis and activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which enable EPC migration. Under these conditions, the elasticity of the substrate affects the progression of tube morphogenesis. With decreases in substrate stiffness, we observe decreased MMP expression while increased cellular elongation, with intracellular vacuole extension and coalescence to open lumen compartments. RNAi studies demonstrate that membrane type 1-MMP (MT1-MMP) is required to enable the movement of EPCs on the matrix and that EPCs sense matrix stiffness through signalling cascades leading to the activation of the RhoGTPase Cdc42. Collectively, these results suggest that coupled responses for VEGF stimulation and modulation of substrate stiffness are required to regulate tube morphogenesis of EPCs.
General Application of the Relative Calibration Adjustment (RCA) Technique for Monitoring and Correcting Radar Reflectivity Calibration

AbstractAccurate calibration of radar reflectivity is integral to quantitative radar measurements of precipitation and a myriad of other radar-based applications. A statistical method was developed that utilizes the probability distribution of clutter area reflectivity near a stationary, ground-based radar to provide near-real-time estimates of the relative calibration of reflectivity data. The relative calibration adjustment (RCA) method provides a valuable, automated near-real-time tool for maintaining consistently calibrated radar data with relative calibration uncertainty of ±0.5 dB or better. The original application was to S-band data in a tropical oceanic location, where the stability of the method was thought to be related to the relatively mild ground clutter and limited anomalous propagation (AP). This study demonstrates, however, that the RCA technique is transferable to other S-band radars at locations with more intense ground clutter and AP. This is done using data from NASA’s polarimetric (N...
Part‐Time Faculty: Why Should We Care?

Even at institutions where highly trained, highly motivated, and deeply committed part-timers teach, part-time instruction can adversely affect teaching, the support of students, the general quality of education, and morale in departments.
Retention deficit for avoidance training in hypophysectomized rats: time-dependent enhancement of retention performance with post-training ACTH injections.

Abstract These experiments examined the effects of hypophysectomy on retention of avoidance training. In addition, the experiments examined the effects, on retention, of post-training ACTH injections administered to hypophysectomized rats. Rats were trained in a visual discriminated avoidance Y maze. Each rat received six training trials followed by six retraining trials the next day. Retention was measured by the number of correct choices during the retraining trials. When trained with a low-footshock intensity (0.8 mA), hypophysectomized rats showed retention performance which was significantly poorer than that of intact animals. There was no significant difference in performance when the animals were trained with a higher footshock intensity (1.4 mA), in part because of poorer retention performance of intact animals under these training conditions. Under both footshock conditions, a single post-training injection of ACTH enhanced later retention performance of hypophysectomized rats. This effect on memory was timedependent; injections delayed 2 or 6 hr after training did not significantly enhance retention. These findings are consistent with the view that hormonal responses to training may modulate later retention of the training experience.
An instrumentation and control system

To protect new and existing subsea electric utility power cables from environmental and man-made hazards, they must be buried under the sea floor. Experience demonstrates that the cable must be handled extremely carefully throughout the lay and burial sequence. During 1980, an automated, simultaneous cable-lay, trenching, and burial-sled system was implemented and tested. Following a period of modification and improvement, full-scale operations began under the adverse conditions of Cook Inlet, Alaska. This paper describes the automated control and instrumentation system which is being used to integrate surface-cable handling and subsea-trenching and burial operations. Key system elements include a microcomputer via bidirectional serially multiplexed subsea control and sensor suite directed by a surface communications.
S41-02 New developments in classification of sexual dysfunctions

The diagnostic system for the sexual dysfunctions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was originally developed by expert opinion, literature review and from feedback from experts in the field of human sexuality. In spite of considerable research in the area of human sexuality over the intervening years, there have been minimal changes to the diagnostic criteira for the sexual dysfunctions since their description in DSM III. These critieria sets lack precison. Progress within the field requires precise defintions to select homogenous groups for clinical research,. Current data suggests that many of the sexual dysfunction diagnoses can be updated with severity and duration criteria. This presentation will suggest revision to the diagnositc criteria based on recent clinical research.
Optical activity induced by rotation of atomic spin

Physical systems or processes invariant under mirror reflection are not expected to exhibit intrinsically chiral asymmetries. Thus, it is ordinarily the case that unbounded and unexcited atoms (in the absence of weak nuclear interactions) should not manifest circular birefringence. It is shown, however, that in a rotating reference frame the coupling of atomic spin angular momentum to the angular velocity of the rest frame gives to optical activity even in the absence of contributions from nuclear interactions and the classical Coriolis force. Ground-state atomic hydrogen is predicted to be optically active in the microwave region near the hyperfine splitting frequency of 1420 MHz. Under appropriate circumstances, this spin-associated rotational circular birefringence can be some ten orders of magnitude larger than that previously estimated for virtual electronic transitions falling within the visible and UV portions of the spectrum.
Production of interleukin-1 by microglia in response to substance P: role for a non-classical NK-1 receptor

Abstract Substance P (SP) is a central and peripheral neurotransmitter which has been found in multiple sclerosis plaques. SP stimulates peripheral immune cells and may play a role in some chronic inflammatory diseases. Human peripheral monocyte/macrophages have been shown to produce the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in response to SP. Therefore, in this study we examined rat brain microglia for the presence of SP receptors and production of IL-1 and TNFα in response to SP. Microglia had 4900±950(mean ± SE) receptors per cell fitting a two-site model. Four percent of these were high-affinity receptors with a Kd of 8.2 × 10−8 M ± 3.6 × 10−8 M (mean ± SE), and 96% of them were low-affinity receptors with a Kd of 2.1 × 10−6 M ± 5.2 × 10−7 M (mean ± SE). Competitive studies with CP 96,345 and other SP analogs demonstrate these to be non-classical NK-1 receptors. SP alone did not stimulate IL-1 or TNFα production. However, SP in synergy with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) quadrupled IL-1 production compared to LPS alone, but did not affect TNFα production. These results have implications for certain inflammatory conditions in the central nervous system.
Metabolic amplification: Analysis of the kinetic detection of low substrate levels

Metabolic amplification systems use cycles of enzyme catalyzed reactions, which are activated by one metabolite, which then recycles. Optimal operation of such systems depends upon the rate constants and the concentrations in the reactions. A simple system for experimental quantitation of a biologic molecule at low concentration would start with a one-step reaction followed by a cycle with the indicating dye. One may also start with a cycle resulting in two products, where one product is reconverted to initial substrate, the second product is connected in a linear sequence to a quantitating dye-reaction. The simplest system involves a two-step cycle with two enzymes, one of which provides the transfer of reducing (or oxidizing) equivalents to the dye. The other enzyme produces the reducing (or oxidizing) agent for the second enzyme in a reaction with one component derived from an enzymatic reaction chain, which connects to the component to be measured. Obviously, the faster the enzyme cycle cycles in comparison to the (slowest) conversion rate in the enzymatic reaction chain, the larger the amplification. But there are limits for low level response, as the initial enzyme in the reaction cycle has to attain first a stationary concentration in enzyme-substrate complex (for substrate supplied from reaction chain). Thus, a lag period results, depending on the rate of the entering substrate. Thereafter the response of the system depends upon the design of the experimental conditions: that is, the relation of the concentrations of the various substrate concentrations to their K M -values and to the relevant concentrations of the various catalyzing enzymes. We discuss these conditions kinetically allowing for rational design and analysis of various situations or where amplification may be obtained.
Reduction in oocyte number following prenatal exposure to a diet high in galactose

When pregnant rats were fed a 50 percent galactose diet there was a striking reduction in oocyte number in the offspring. The most prominent effects were noted after exposure to galactose during the premeiotic stages of oogenesis. Prenatal exposure to galactose or its metabolites may contribute to the premature ovarian failure characteristic of human galactosemia.
The Effect of Streptomycin with Para-Amino Salicylic Acid on the Emergence of Resistant Strains of Tubercle Bacilli

In a pilot study to observe the rate of development of resistant strains of tubercle bacilli by the use of streptomycin and para-aminosalicylic acid, it appears that development of such strains is delayed. Streptomycin-resistant tubercle bacilli are sensitive to para-aminosalicylic acid in vitro . Strains of tubercle bacilli in three patients appeared to develop resistance to para-aminosalicylic acid. This matter needs further investigation. Fifteen grams of para-aminosalicylic acid per day caused gastro intestinal disturbance with nausea, emesis and diarrhea. Blood levels ranged from 3 to 7 mgm. per cent four hours after PAS administration. Whether certain specific blood level maintenance is required for therapeutic efficacy requires further study. Prothrombin time was not altered by the above dosage.
Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues: Paul Farmer; Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001, 375 pages

Throughout the economic boom of the 1990s, social scientists frequently commented on two dominant global trends: (1) growing social inequality and (2) expanding epidemics of infectious disease, par...
Synthesis of Large Arrays of Well-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes on Glass

Free-standing aligned carbon nanotubes have previously been grown above 700°C on mesoporous silica embedded with iron nanoparticles. Here, carbon nanotubes aligned over areas up to several square centimeters were grown on nickel-coated glass below 666°C by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Acetylene gas was used as the carbon source and ammonia gas was used as a catalyst and dilution gas. Nanotubes with controllable diameters from 20 to 400 nanometers and lengths from 0.1 to 50 micrometers were obtained. Using this method, large panels of aligned carbon nanotubes can be made under conditions that are suitable for device fabrication.
Menopause in multiple sclerosis: therapeutic considerations

While the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) typically occurs during the childbearing years, many women living with MS are of perimenopausal age. There is frequent overlap between menopausal and MS-related symptoms and co-morbidities (e.g. sexual dysfunction, mood disorders and bladder function). Furthermore, some MS symptoms may be exacerbated by perimenopausal changes such as hot flashes or sleep disturbance. The MS neurologist may frequently be the first to become aware of these symptoms and to play a role in monitoring and managing them. In this review, we describe immunological and neurologic changes at menopause as they may impact MS. We then review common symptoms, including fatigue, depression, sexual function, pain and insomnia, and provide both behavioral and pharmacological suggestions for their management. Next, we discuss the need for osteoporosis and cancer screening in perimenopausal women with MS. Finally, we highlight important research gaps, including what effect, if any, the menopausal transition may play on MS disease course as well as the potential modulatory role of hormone replacement therapies.
Comparing atomistic molecular mechanics force fields for a difficult target: a case study on the Alzheimer's amyloid β-peptide.

Macromolecular function arises from structure, and many diseases are associated with misfolding of proteins. Molecular simulation methods can augment experimental techniques to understand misfolding and aggregation pathways with atomistic resolution, but the reliability of these predictions is a function of the parameters used for the simulation. There are many biomolecular force fields available, but most are validated using stably folded structures. Here, we present the results of molecular dynamics simulations on the intrinsically disordered amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), whose misfolding and aggregation give rise to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Because of the link between secondary structure changes and pathology, being able to accurately model the structure of Aβ would greatly improve our understanding of this disease, and it may facilitate application of modeling approaches to other protein misfolding disorders. To this end, we compared five popular atomistic force fields (AMBER03, CHARMM22 + CMAP,...
Patient and caregiver knowledge and utilization of partial versus radical nephrectomy: results of a national kidney foundation survey to assess educational needs of kidney cancer patients and caregivers.

Background In response to requests from patients, caregivers, and physicians for information on kidney cancer, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) conducted a survey to assess the educational needs of the kidney cancer community. Key areas of assessment were patient and caregiver knowledge of risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD), including kidney cancer and nephrectomy, and of kidney-sparing surgical options. Study Design Survey to assess educational needs of patients with kidney cancer and caregivers. Setting & Participants Respondents were invited through physician referrals and online sources and included 365 adult patients with kidney cancer and 52 caregivers. Predictor Age, geographic region, and cancer stages 1-2 versus 3-4. Outcomes & Measurements Survey responses were descriptively analyzed, with data compared and weighted to the population age and geographic characteristics of the general kidney cancer population. Results 83% of 181 early-stage patients, 92% of 123 late-stage patients, and 86% of 113 patients who did not know their stage received radical nephrectomy. Although 62% agreed that radical nephrectomy for cancer treatment is a risk factor for CKD, only 40% agreed that losing part or all of 1 kidney from injury or a disease other than cancer is a risk factor for CKD. 56% agreed that kidney cancer can be related to CKD. Limitations We did not have patient medical records to validate responses and we do not know the number of people who were invited to take the survey but declined. Conclusions There is a lack of patient awareness that kidney cancer and radical nephrectomy are risk factors for CKD. Only a minority of patients underwent partial nephrectomy or were given it as an option for their early-stage kidney cancer. This suggests a knowledge deficit among physicians, surgeons, patients, and caregivers alike that there is a bidirectional relationship between kidney cancer and CKD and that kidney-sparing surgery is preferable when feasible.
Abstract 4390: The p16INK4Atumor suppressor regulates cellular oxidative stress

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Melanoma, a malignant tumor of melanocytes, is a potentially lethal form of skin cancer linked to both environmental and genetic factors. Mutations or deletions in the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16INK4A are associated with multiple cancer types, but more commonly found in melanoma tumors and specifically associated with familial melanoma predisposition. Although p16 is thought to function as a tumor suppressor by negatively regulating the cell cycle, it remains unclear why genetic compromise of p16 predisposes to melanoma rather than other cancers. Here we describe a novel role for p16 in regulating oxidative stress in several cell types, including melanocytes. Compared to keratinocytes and fibroblasts, we also found increased ROS levels basally and following treatment with H2O2. Expression of p16 was rapidly upregulated following UV-irradiation in melanocytes, and in response to H2O2-induced oxidative stress in a p38 stress-activated protein kinase-dependent manner. Knockdown of p16 using siRNA increased intracellular ROS and oxidative (8-oxoguanine) DNA damage which was further enhanced by H2O2 treatment. Elevated ROS were also observed in p16-depleted human keratinocytes, and in whole skin and dermal fibroblasts from p16-deficient mice. ROS in p16-deficient fibroblasts were normalized by expression of exogenous p16. Finally, p16-mediated suppression of ROS could not be attributed to upregulation of antioxidant enzymes or the role of p16 in cell cycle regulation. These findings suggest a potential alternate tumor-suppressor function of p16 as an endogenous regulator of carcinogenic intracellular oxidative stress. The increased susceptibility of melanocytes to oxidative stress may explain why compromise of p16 predisposes to melanoma over other cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4390.
Copolymerization of 1,2-Epoxycyclohexane and Carbon Dioxide Using Carbon Dioxide as Both Reactant and Solvent

The copolymerization of 1,2-epoxycyclohexane (cyclohexene oxide, CHO) and carbon dioxide was performed using no other solvent than carbon dioxide itself. A CO2-soluble, ZnO-based catalyst was synthesized and used to catalyze the polymerization. Polymerizations were conducted at different temperatures, pressures, and mole fractions of CHO giving rise to polymer yields as high as 69% with catalyst activities as high as 400 g of polymer/g of Zn. The best results were obtained at temperatures of 100−110 °C and at mole fractions of CHO above XCHO = 0.15. This polymer was >90% polycarbonate with weight average molecular weights (Mw) ranging from 50 000 to 180 000.
PERIPHERAL BLOOD PROGENITOR CELL TRANSPLANTATION : A REPLACEMENT FOR MARROW AUTO- OR ALLOGRAFTS

Circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells include pluripotent stem cells expressing indefinite self-renewal capacity and, therefore, can be used for restoring hematopoiesis following myeloablative treatment. A transient shifting of progenitor cells from extravascular sites into the circulation by chemopriming and/or cytokine treatment enables the collection by apheresis of a sufficient number of progenitor cells to guarantee engraftment. The addition of new cytokines (e.g., thrombopoietin) and large volume apheresis will increase peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) procurement efficiency, whereas the risk of concurrently mobilizing clonogenic tumor cells in patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies remains to be carefully evaluated. As compared with bone marrow (BM) progenitor cells, the use of PBPCs significantly shortens the recovery of WBC and platelets following transplantation. Most recently, successful allogeneic transplantation of PBPCs has been reported without increasing the incidence and severity of acute graft-versus-host-disease. Due to the more than one log higher number of lymphoid subsets contained in a PBPC allograft, one might expect a more pronounced graft-versus-leukemia effect in the transplant patient. Similar to BM cells, ex vivo manipulation of mobilized apheresis products is used or being developed (ultralight density percoll gradient, CD8 depletion, selection of graft facilitating cells, CD34+ cell purification and others). The transduction and long-term expression of marker genes and, most recently, therapeutic genes (e.g., MDR–1) in PBPCs have been successfully demonstrated by several groups in patients with hematologic malignancies and selected solid tumors. It is expected that, based on the easier procurement of hematopoietic stem cells and advantageous engraftment characteristics, PBPCs in both autologous and allogeneic transplant situations will eventually replace BM-derived progenitor cells.
An investigation of possible contributing variables in compound wear process

This paper reports the results of a series of compound wear experiments conducted using heat treated 1042 steel sliding against A2 tool steel under normal atmospheric environmental conditions for severe wear. Compound wear takes place where there is sliding and impact motion occurring simultaneously. The influential variables that are considered in the statistically designed experiment are: normal impact load, frequency, and the rotational sliding speed with lubrication as an extra class variable. Experiments were conducted using a multi-purpose wear testing facility. The frictional force was determined from strain gauges. LabView™ software was used to monitor and store the continuous load and strain signals for further analysis. Using these data an empirical relationship modeling wear has been determined.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
Effects of Microreactor Geometry on Performance: Differences between Posted Reactors and Channel Reactors

Microreactors are useful for a variety of different purposes, but guidelines regarding optimal reactor geometry in microreactors remain poorly delineated in the literature. The present work uses the decomposition of ammonia to hydrogen to compare the conversions obtained in posted and channel microreactors. The experiments include measurements using a differential recycle reactor to obtain an empirical expression for the reaction rate, conversion measurements for comparison to idealized reactors, and flow visualization to characterize flow patterns. The conversion characteristics of the two geometries differ greatly. In the range of conditions studied, posted reactors yield conversion behavior close to those expected for ideal mixed flow, while channel reactor behavior resembles ideal plug flow. Flow visualization showed only steady laminar-like flow in the channel reactor. In contrast, the flow pattern in the posted reactor showed significant mixing.
An adaptable distributed trust management framework for large-scale secure service-based systems

A major advantage of service-based computing systems is the ability to enable rapid formation of large-scale distributed systems by composing available services to achieve the system goals, regardless of the programming languages and platforms used to develop and/or run these services. For these systems, which often involve communications among multiple organizations over various networks, high confidence and adaptability are of primary concern to ensure that users can access these systems anywhere and anytime through various devices, knowing that their security and privacy are well protected under various situations. In this paper, an adaptable distributed trust management framework for large-scale service-based systems is presented. This framework includes a meta-model with a formal specification language for situation-aware security policies, and tools for generating and deploying security agents to evaluate and enforce trust decisions based on security policies, credentials and situational information. With this framework, large-scale service-based systems can incorporate distributed trust management to meet their trustworthiness requirements under various situations.
Vitamin D status in a rural postmenopausal female population.

Background: Inadequate vitamin D nutritional status is increasingly recognized as common in North American and European populations, but the extent of the shortfall and the parameters of the distribution for populations of interest remain uncertain.Purpose: To report the distribution of values for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in a population of rural postmenopausal women, together with quantification of factors related to vitamin D status.Setting: Nine largely agrarian counties in eastern Nebraska (∼41° N).Participants: A population-based sample of 1,179 women 55 years of age and older recruited into a four-year trial of calcium and vitamin D supplementation.Methods: Baseline biochemical, dietary, and anthropometric measurements obtained on entry into trial.Results: Serum 25(OH)D concentration at baseline varied cyclically with season, with the solar cycle explaining 2.9% of the total variance (P < 0.001). Mean seasonally adjusted 25(OH)D concentration was 71.1 nmol/L. Serum 25(OH)D also exhibited ...
Gallbladder perforation associated with cholelithiasis and cholecystitis in a dog

A four-year-old female Japanese akita was admitted with icterus, ascites and chronically elevated serum bilirubin and liver enzymes. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a diffusely thickened, hyperechoic gallbladder wall with a focal defect, hepatic lymphadenopathy and a large volume of anechoic fluid within the peritoneal space. Diagnosis of biliary tract rupture with bile peritonitis was based on the findings of bile and suppurative exudate in peritoneal aspirates. A perforated gallbladder and cholelithiasis were found on exploratory celiotomy, while histopathology revealed chronic suppurative cholecystitis. The dog recovered uneventfully after cholecystectomy. Although rare, the triad of cholelithiasis, cholecystitis and gallbladder perforation should be considered after detection of one of these conditions.
A new method for the detection of viable cells in tissue sections using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT): an application in the assessment of tissue damage by surgical instruments

This report describes a new method using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) to visualize live viable tissue at the microscopic level. The visualization of the MTT stained tissue provides a metabolic assessment of tissue damage, and can be utilized as an extension of conventional hematoxylin-eosin (H & E) staining. In this report, several tissues were studied with MTT and H & E staining after incisions had been made by a variety of surgical dissecting instruments. A marked improvement in the detection of tissue damage was seen using MTT, regardless of how the damage was caused, i.e., physical, heat, or photon energy. In addition, a distinct zone of damage not noted on conventionally prepared and stained tissues is readily apparent. Thus MTT staining will have utility in both clinical and research studies, concerned with assessing the viability of tissues.
Studies of HLA-B27-associated disease

Several rheumatic diseases were first shown to be associated with human leukocytic antigen (HLA)-B27 in 1973. Recent developments in understanding this association include the finding that there are at least six variants of HLA-B27 at the molecular level, with no one variant preferentially associated with disease. Detailed studies of the structure of the HLA-B27 molecular family are in progress in several laboratories. Mice expressing HLA-B27 and transmitting it to their offspring (transgenic mice) have been produced and are being studied for their response to bacteria that are known to trigger reactive arthritis in B27+ humans. A particular restriction fragment length polymorphism was recently claimed to be a genetic marker for an additional risk factor in ankylosing spondylitis, but two other laboratories have failed to confirm this finding.
Analyzing wildfire exposure and source–sink relationships on a fire prone forest landscape

We used simulation modeling to analyze wildfire exposure to social and ecological values on a 0.6 million ha national forest in central Oregon, USA. We simulated 50,000 wildfires that replicated recent fire events in the area and generated detailed maps of burn probability (BP) and fire intensity distributions. We also recorded the ignition locations and size of each simulated fire and used these outputs to construct a fire source–sink ratio as the ratio of fire size to burn probability. Fire behavior was summarized for federal land management designations, including biological conservation reserves, recreational sites, managed forest, and wildland urban interface. Burn probability from the simulations ranged from 0.00001 to 0.026 within the study area (mean = 0.0023), and exhibited substantial variation among and within land designations. Simulated fire behavior was broadly related to gradients in fire regimes, although the combined effects of fuel, topography, and simulated weather resulted in fine scale patterns not reflected in ecological and vegetation data. Average BP for the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) nesting sites ranged from 0.0002 to 0.04. Among the 130 different wildland urban interface areas, average BP varied from 0.0001 to 0.02. Spatial variation in the source–sink ratio was pronounced, and strongly affected by the continuity and arrangement of surface and canopy fuel. We discuss the management implications in terms of prioritizing fuel management activities and designing conservation strategies on fire prone landscapes within the 177 million ha national forest network.
Particle Sizing in Dense, Rapidly Flowing Potassium Chloride (KCl) Suspensions Using Continuous-Wave Photon Migration Techniques

We present the first experimental measurement of particle size distribution (PSD) from undiluted, rapidly flowing suspensions using continuous-wave photon migration techniques. PSDs were obtained from a laboratory simulation of production line slurries used in the chemical fertilizer industry. Spectral measurements of concentrated, rapidly flowing slurry containing 25%-40% KCl pellets were used to calculate the suspensions reduced scattering coefficient and PSD using inverse algorithms. Our PSD results are in excellent agreement with sieving measurements. The importance of refractive index in the calculations of the PSD and the suspensions reduced scattering coefficient is also discussed.
Posterior C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation for atlantoaxial arthrodesis

Objective To assess the outcomes associated with C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation. Methods The clinical outcomes of 121 patients treated with posterior C1-C2 transarticular screws and wired posterior C1-C2 autologous bone struts were evaluated prospectively. Atlantoaxial instability was caused by rheumatoid arthritis in 48 patients, C1 or C2 fractures in 45, transverse ligament disruption in 11, os odontoideum in 9, tumors in 6, and infection in 2. Results Altogether, 226 screws were placed under lateral fluoroscopic guidance. Bilateral C1-C2 screws were placed in 105 patients; each of 16 patients had only one screw placed because of an anomalous vertebral artery (n = 13) or other pathological abnormality. Postoperatively, each patient underwent radiography and computed tomography to assess the position of the screw and healing. Most screws (221 screws, 98%) were positioned satisfactorily. Five screws were malpositioned (2%), but none were associated with clinical sequelae. Four malpositioned screws were reoperated on (one was repositioned, and three were removed). No patients had neurological complications, strokes, or transient ischemic attacks. Long-term follow-up (mean, 22 mo) of 114 patients demonstrated a 98% fusion rate. Two nonunions (2%) required occipitocervical fixation. In comparison, our C1-C2 fixations with wires and autograft (n = 74) had an 86% union rate. Conclusion Rigidly fixating C1-C2 instability with transarticular screws was associated with a significantly higher fusion rate than that achieved using wired grafts alone. The risk of screw malpositioning and catastrophic vascular or neural injury is small and can be minimized by assessing the position of the foramen transversaria on preoperative computed tomographic scans and by using intraoperative fluoroscopy and frameless stereotaxy to guide the screw trajectory.
DR3: Optimizing Site Selection for Global Load Balance in Application Delivery Controller

Site selection method determines the best server for a given client among multiple replicated servers deployed at geographically distributed locations. It is an important function of a global load balancing (GLB) system in application delivery controller (ADC) which is usually deployed at the entry of data centers. This paper presents a site selection method based on DNS Reply Race and Reflection (DR3), which achieves higher selection accuracy and incurs less system cost compared with conventional methods as Geo-mapping, Ping and DNS reply race.
Variation in cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to peptides derived from tyrosinase-related protein-2.

Summary In this study, we developed three optimized peptide ligands (OPL) that demonstrate increased affinities for HLA-A*0201 compared with wild-type tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) peptide. The OPL contain amino acids from TRP-2 (180-188) and preferred primary and auxiliary HLA-A*0201 anchor residues. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines were generated against wild-type TRP-2 peptide and OPL by multiple rounds of peptide stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HLA-A2*0201 + healthy individuals. CTL reactivity profiles to three different OPL were donor-dependent. Among donors, at least one OPL was particularly stimulatory and elicited high levels of CTL that cross-reacted with wild-type TRP-2 peptide. Cytotoxicity assays using CTL raised on wild-type TRP-2 peptide or OPL demonstrated lysis of HLA-A2-positive glioblastoma cells. Molecular models of TRP-2 and OPL peptides docked with HLA-A*0201 demonstrated that substitution of F for S at position 1 (P1) oriented the peptides favoring a pi–pi aromatic interaction with W 167 of HLA-A*0201. This in turn positions P5 and P8 aromatic rings to face solvent that may promote binding to the T-cell receptor, leading to a robust T-cell activation. The results of this study further substantiate the concept that rational design and testing of multiple peptides for the same T-cell epitope should elicit a broader response among different individuals than single peptide immunization. Our results may partially explain why some patients have better clinical responses to peptide-based immunotherapy, whereas others respond poorly.
General and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Training in Integrated Care: a Survey of Program Directors

Objective Integrated care models are an evidence-based approach for integrating physical and behavioral health services. The American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training Integrated Care Task Force sought to describe current practices for providing training in integrated care to general and child and adolescent psychiatry residents.
Implementation of the inverse radon transform by optical convolution

Abstract The implementation of the inverse radon transformed by optical correlation is described. This method described does not require formation of the derivative of the projections and allows the use of a fixed mask that is both real and positive and is dependent only on the geometry of the recording system. Experimental confirmation of the concept is included.