cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The U.S. Market for Uranium: 70 Years of History

In this monograph, I explore this empirical problem, relying on information from the United States uranium industry following the Second World War. This era is interesting because prior to World War II there was minimal need for uranium, and therefore no significant industry. With the development of atomic weapons, however, a new demand emerged. To satisfy this demand, a number of agents entered into the uranium industry, leading to a rapid expansion in exploratory efforts. For twenty years, from after the end of World War II to the mid-1960s, the only legal purchaser of uranium in the U.S. was the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The AEC appeared to be very interested in inducing exploration. Incentives offered to firms included construction of access roads, bonuses for initial production from a mine, and the promise of high prices in the future.
The Debs of Bletchley Park

Michael Smith’s The Debs of Bletchley Park presents a new and welcome take on the people who were behind the cracking of the Enigma codes. The existing literature and public awareness of Bletchley ...
Simple menus of cost‐based contracts with monotone optimal effort

This paper extends the fixed‐price cost‐reimbursement (FPCR) menu by allowing the agent's cost‐reducing optimal effort to be monotone in the agent's cost type. We show that the performance of the optimal FPCR menu relies crucially on the monotonicity of optimal effort. In particular, in an optimal FPCR menu, if the optimal effort is increasing in type and only a portion of cost types are induced to exert effort, the performance of the optimal FPCR menu can be very poor relative to the fully optimal contract. Our results suggest that in designing an optimal FPCR menu it is important for the principal to take into account the cost structure or, more exactly, the monotonicity of optimal effort in type.
Multisource x-ray system for artifact reduction in dedicated breast CT

This study examines the potential of a multisource x-ray system to reduce cone beam artifacts in a dedicated breast CT acquisition geometry. A breast CT scanner (Doheny), built at our institution, was used to demonstrate the potential of multiple x-ray sources in a single x-ray tube housing. Both 3 focal spot and 5 focal spot thermionic systems were physically simulated in this study. The x-ray tube is mounted on a vertical actuator on the breast CT system gantry, allowing the single x-ray source to be positioned at different vertical locations in the field of view. Five acquisition geometries were used to acquire raw cone beam CT data with the x-ray source locations placed at 2 cm intervals. Data was collected using a 15-cm tall Defrise phantom. The individual acquisitions of raw CT data were reconstructed using filtered back projection, aligned and summed. The reconstructed CT volume data set using three sources and five sources were compared to that produced from a single source. Both multi-source datasets demonstrated less visible cone beam artifact, and the contrast clearly improved. The resolvable field of view in the vertical direction was extended by 50% when comparing the one source to the three source geometry and extended by 120% when comparing the one source to the five source geometry. This physical simulation of a multisource x-ray CT system successfully demonstrated that a reduction in cone beam CT artifacts could be achieved using a multi-source x-ray tube on a breast CT scanner.
Imaging oxygen pressure in the rodent retina by phosphorescence lifetime.

Many diseases of the eye, especially those causing inner retinal neovascularization (diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, sickle cell disease, etc.) have regional hypoxia as either a primary causative or early contributory factor. This is particularly true for diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness for individuals between 20 and 74 years of age. In diabetes, multiple structures of the eye are pathologically affected by vascular changes with resultant plasma leakage and tissue disruption (1). Currently available data suggest that the pathological growth of new vessels results from developing regions of hypoxia in the retina. These new blood vessels in the inner retina are defective and exudate from the vessels and/or bleeding due to vessel rupture are the major cause of the decreased vision/blindness associated with diabetes. Using microelectrodes, Linsenmeier and coworkers (2,3), reported that in diabetic cats the oxygen pressures in the inner half of the retina are about one half those of normal cats, and Berkowitz et al. (4), reported decreased oxygen response in the retina of galactosemic rats. Oxygen electrodes can very effectively identify global oxygen deficiency but are invasive. Also, since they make point measurements, they are not very effective for measuring focal hypoxia induced through microvessel failure. Retinal pathology in diabeties, for example, is thought to begin with pathological changes in the intraretinal microvessels (nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy) to growth of new vessels in the extraretinal space5. Similar pathogenic mechanisms are thought to occur in other diseases characterized by inner retinal neovascularization. Hypoxia resulting from vascular insufficiency could be responsible for production of high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Vitreous samples in humans with retinopathy have contained high levels of VEGF (5). High levels of VEGF have also been measured in animal models of ocular neovascular disease (see 6,7,8). In the present paper, we report continuing progress (see 9) in developing a phosphorescence lifetime imaging system capable of obtaining high resolution images of the oxygen distribution in the retina of the rodent eye. These oxygen measurements would make possible critical evaluation of the role of microcirculatory failure in vision loss using a variety of rodent models for human disease.
Development of a Screening Instrument for Exposure to Violence in Children: The KID-SAVE

The present study provided psychometric data on the KID-SAVE, an empirically based measure of children's exposure to community violence. The KID-SAVE was administered to 470 inner-city children in the third through seventh grades and demonstrated excellent reliability. Factor analysis yielded three subscales: Traumatic Violence, Indirect Violence, and Physical/Verbal Abuse. Initial investigation of construct validity suggested that the KID-SAVE successfully discriminated between groups of children reporting high and low levels of traumatic symptoms. The KID-SAVE appears to be a promising assessment tool and allows for quantification of the severity of violence exposure.
$H \rightarrow b\overline{b}j$ at Next-to-Next-to-Leading Order Accuracy.

We present the calculation of the decay $H \rightarrow b\overline{b}j$ at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) accuracy. We consider contributions in which the Higgs boson couples directly to bottom quarks, i.e. our predictions are accurate to order $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s^3 y_b^2)$ . We calculate the various components needed to construct the NNLO contribution, including an independent calculation of the two-loop amplitudes. We compare our results for the two-loop amplitudes to an existing calculation finding agreement. We present multiple checks on our two-loop expression using the known infrared factorization properties as the emitted gluon becomes soft or collinear. We use our results to construct a Monte Carlo implementation of $H \rightarrow b\overline{b}j$ and present jet rates and differential distributions in the Higgs rest frame using the Durham jet algorithm.
Reasons for policy experimentation that have nothing to do with selection bias

Abstract The conventional case in favor of policy experimentation focuses on how randomization controls selection bias. This is undoubtedly important. This essay focuses on additional benefits from experimentation that are completely distinct from controlling selection bias. These benefits derive directly from the fact that experimentation involves actively intervening to assign policy treatments. Experimentation “puts manipulability to the test” in ways that passive observation does not, and it allows for deeply engaged learning about policy formulation and implementation that ex post analyses miss.
Daniel Tobin’s famous ‘rubbish’ comment and the need for a reconsideration of AFL national union leaders in the new deal era

Daniel Tobin led the Teamsters Union from 1907 to 1952. He guided its transformation from a dwindling set of locals representing horse-drawn wagon drivers to the nation’s largest union. However, To...
Successful Treatment of Guttate Psoriasis With Ixekizumab: A Case Series:

Guttate psoriasis is an eruptive variant of plaque psoriasis. Systemic therapy of guttate psoriasis has been inconsistently effective. Given that guttate psoriasis and plaque psoriasis share severa...
Mibefradil alters intracellular calcium concentration by activation of phospholipase C and IP 3 receptor function

Mibefradil is a tetralol derivative originally developed as an antagonist of T-type voltage-gated calcium (Ca2+) channels to treat hypertension when used at nanomolar dosage. More recently, its therapeutic application in hypertension has declined and has been instead repurposed as a treatment of cancer cell proliferation and solid tumor growth. Beyond its function as a Cav blocker, the micromolar concentration of mibefradil can stimulate a rise in [Ca2+]cyt although the mechanism is poorly known. The chanzyme TRPM7 (transient receptor potential melastanin 7), the release of intracellular Ca2+ pools, and Ca2+ influx by ORAI channels have been associated with the increase in [Ca2+]cyt triggered by mibefradil. This study aims to investigate the cellular targets and pathways associated with mibefradil’s effect on [Ca2+]cyt. To address these questions, we monitored changes in [Ca2+]cyt in the specialized mouse epithelial cells (LS8 and ALC) and the widely used HEK-293 cells by stimulating these cells with mibefradil (0.1 μM to 100 μM). We show that mibefradil elicits an increase in [Ca2+]cyt at concentrations above 10 μM (IC50 around 50 μM) and a fast Ca2+ increase capacity at 100 μM. We found that inhibiting IP3 receptors, depleting the ER-Ca2+ stores, or blocking phospholipase C (PLC), significantly decreased the capacity of mibefradil to elevate [Ca2+]cyt. Moreover, the transient application of 100 μM mibefradil triggered Ca2+ influx by store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) mediated by the ORAI channels. Our findings reveal that IP3R and PLC are potential new targets of mibefradil offering novel insights into the effects of this drug.
Maternal Factors Associated with Family Social Distancing Practices During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic.

Despite social distancing being an effective method for mitigating community transmission of viruses, little is known about factors associated with social distancing practices among children and their families. The current study assessed maternal socio-demographic characteristics and political party identifications associated with family social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in this study were 1266 mothers (mean age = 39.92 years; 84.9% white) of children ages 17 years and younger from across the United States. They were recruited online through social media platforms and completed questionnaires on Qualtrics about their family’s social distancing practices and socio-demographic characteristics. Women with a Doctorate (mean = 35.37; SD = 4.24) and Master’s (mean = 34.26; SD = 5.70) degree reported higher levels of family social distancing compared to women with some college (mean = 31.11; SD = 8.11) or a college degree (mean = 32.62; SD = 6.91; p’s = .00). Women who identified as Democrat (mean = 35.92; SD = 3.30) or Independent (mean 34.13; SD = 5.63), or indicated not identifying with a political party (mean = 34.19; SD = 5.69), reported higher levels of family social distancing compared to women who identified as Republican (mean = 29.70; SD = 8.12; p’s = .00). The largest effect was found between women who identified as Democrat and Republican (effect size = 1.00). After controlling for relevant predictor variables, maternal education (standardized beta coefficient = .116; p = .000), race (standardized beta coefficient = .072; p = .007), and political party identification (standardized beta coefficient = − .348; p = .000) were significantly correlated with the Social Distancing Total Score. The current findings suggest there may be a benefit to COVID-19 public health campaigns targeting families with lower educational attainment and more conservative regions in the United States.
Unmasking a Privacy Concern: Potential Identification of Patients in an Immobilization Mask from 3D Reconstructions of Simulation CTs

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated that patients can be identified from 3D reconstructions of CT or MRI data of the brain or head and neck. This presents a privacy and security concern for scan data released to public datasets. It is unknown if thermoplastic immobilization masks used for treatment planning in radiation therapy are sufficient to prevent facial recognition. Our study sought to evaluate if patients with an immobilization mask could be identified on 3D reconstructions of scan data. Methods Our study reconstructed 3D images from simulation CT (SIM-CT) scans of 35 patients and compared these to original patient photographs to test if the thermoplastic mask obfuscated facial features. Blind review from 4 facial recognition algorithms and a human (radiation oncologist) was evaluated for the ability to match 3D reconstructions of patients scans to patient images. The matching procedure was repeated against an expanded testing dataset of the 35 patient photographs plus 13,233 facial photographs from the “Labeled Faces in the Wild” dataset. (13,268 photographs in total) Results Facial Recognition algorithms were able to match a maximum of 83% (range, 60%-83%) of patients to the corresponding images. Radiation Oncologist blinded review correctly matched 80% of patients to the corresponding images. Ethnicity and facial hair were the most common reasons for patient mismatch. In the expanded testing dataset, algorithms were also able to match a maximum of 83% (range, 57-83%) of patients. Conclusion The majority of patients were able to be identified through computer algorithm or human review even under a SIM-CT mask. These results suggest there is a potential privacy and security concern when SIM-CT data are released to publicly available datasets.
OAB-029: Bone marrow adipocytes induce metabolic reprogramming of multiple myeloma cells

Background Obesity-induced increases in bone marrow adipocyte (BMAd) numbers and volume are associated with an increased risk of MM. However, the associated molecular mechanisms have remained largely unknown. We hypothesize that BMAd support MM cells through metabolic reprogramming. Methods BM aspirates of MGUS, SMM, and NDMM patients were used to obtain mature BMAd or stromal cells (BMSCs). Murine BMSC cell-line OP9, MM cell-line 5TGM1, and human-origin MM cell-lines MM.1S, OPM2 were obtained from ATCC. Cell proliferation was assessed by CyQUANT Assay; lipolysis by Lipolysis Assay (Sigma); lipid uptake by flow cytometry (FCM) of fluorescent fatty acids (FA) BODIPY-C12 and -C16, or LipidTox. In-vivo efficacy of FA treatment was assessed in a MM CB17 SCID mouse plasmacytoma model. Results In-vitro co-culture revealed that BMSC-derived adipocytes (Ad) from MGUS/SMM and NDMM donors significantly increased the proliferation of MM.1S MM cells. Similarly, mature murine OP9 Ad cells also increased the proliferation of 5TGM1 murine MM cells. Interestingly, co-cultures showed dramatic decrease in LipidTox-stained lipid-droplet size distribution, suggesting increased lipolysis in Ad, further confirmed by increased glycerol content in conditioned media in the presence of MM cells. Moreover, BMAd from MGUS, SMM, and NDMM patients showed increased expression of genes responsible for lipolysis (NR1H3) and increased FA desaturation (SCD1, FASD2). Although MM cells lacked intracellular lipid storage, OPM2 and 5TGM1 MM cells rapidly took up BODIPY-C12 and -C16 FAs. The FA secreted from Ad were directly taken up by MM cells as shown by transfer of LipidTox-labeled lipids from OP9 Ad to unstained 5TGM1 or OPM2 MM cells as assessed by FCM. The addition of acipomox, a small-molecule inhibitor of lipolysis, decreased LipidTox signal in MM cells compared to untreated OP9 cells. FA are transported into cells through FATP (1-6) or CD36 receptors. Bioinformatics analysis of public Oncomine database showed that FATP1 and FATP4 were highly expressed in 21 human MM cell lines. MM cells from NDMM patients expressed high levels of FATP1 and FATP4. The uptake of BODIPY-C12 and -C16 by 5TGM1 or OPM2 MM cells was significantly reduced in the presence of Lipofermata, a pharmacological small-molecule inhibitor of FATP. Lipidomic analysis of BM aspirates from MM patients showed altered expression of various FA, including arachidonic acid (AA). Low doses of AA (0.125 - 2 µM) increased the proliferation and viability of MM cells whereas high doses (25- 100µM) dramatically decreased it, indicating a bimodal cellular effect of AA. Peritumoral AA treatment in a plasmacytoma model decreased tumor volume significantly. Conclusion We show that MM cells induce lipolysis in BMAd and that the released FFA are then taken up by MM cells through FATPs. Inhibition of either BMAd lipolysis or FFA transporter into MM cells could be a potential novel strategy to prevent MM progression.
Surgical Exposures for the Nerves of the Neck

Abstract The anatomy of the neck is complex. The nerves in this region are surrounded by important blood vessels. Many of the nerves are small and flimsy making dissection difficult and potentially dangerous. It is hoped that this chapter will give important information to guide the safe and efficient exposure of the various nerves during surgical procedures.
A Note upon Barometric Pressure and Breath-Alcohol Analysis

A number of people concerned with and employing breath-alcohol testing devices have exPressed uncertainty regarding the effects of changes in barometric pressure upon the results of analyses.
Experimental frostbite. The effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on tissue survival.

Abstract Pairs of rabbits were subjected to a freezing injury of the hind feet so that an evaluation of the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment could be made. A range of tissue temperatures (− 5 to − 36 °C) was studied, but no evidence of benefit from breathing oxygen under hyperbaric conditions (2.5 ATA for 90 min every 12 hrs for 7 to 8 days) was noted. Mean tissue loss as well as variation in degree of injury were the same in control and treated animals. The experiments suggested that hyperbaric oxygenation is not likely to be of value in reducing tissue loss in clinical frostbite.
ATM-dependent activation of p53 involves dephosphorylation and association with 14-3-3 proteins.

The p53 tumour-suppressor protein is a sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factor that induces cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to genotoxic stress1,2,3,4,5,6. Activation of p53 by DNA-damaging agents is critical for eliminating cells with damaged genomic DNA and underlies the apoptotic response of human cancers treated with ionizing radiation (IR) and radiomimetic drugs7,8. The molecular mechanisms by which DNA damage activates p53 have not been elucidated. Both the levels of p53 protein and its affinity for specific DNA sequences increase in response to genotoxic stress6,9,10. In vitro, the affinity of p53 for DNA is regulated by its carboxy-terminus11,12,13. We therefore examined whether this region of p53 is targeted by DNA-damage signalling pathways in vivo. In non-irradiated cells, serines 376 and 378 of p53 were phosphorylated. IR led to dephosphorylation of Ser376, creating a consensus binding site for 14-3-3 proteins and leading to association of p53 with 14-3-3. In turn, this increased the affinity of p53 for sequence-specific DNA. Consistent with the lack of p53 activation by IR in ataxia telangiectasia (AT; Refs 14,15), neither Ser376 dephosphorylation, nor the interaction of p53 with 14-3-3 proteins occurred in AT cells.
Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer

Treatment options for men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) are limited. Current treatment options include supportive care, second-line hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy has recently been shown to provide a survival benefit for men with advanced HRPC. However, newer therapies with less toxicity but clinical efficacy are needed to broaden the treatment options available to these men. With a better understanding of the role of the immune system in tumor recognition and clearance, various immunotherapeutic approaches are now being studied. An immune response to prostate cancer can be carried out in a variety of ways: (i) vaccine-based approaches with dendritic cells pulsed ex vivowith various prostatic antigens, viral vectors, or tumor cells; (ii) cytokine-mediated approaches; (iii) antibody-mediated approaches; and (iv) modulation of inhibitory immune signals.
A CELP-based hybrid digital-analog (HDA) joint source-channel speech coder

A joint source-channel coding system for transmitting speech on a bandlimited additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is presented. The proposed method uses a hybrid of digital and analog modulation techniques. The digital part of the system consists of an FS-1016 CELP speech coder followed by a rate-3/5 parallel concatenated (turbo) error correcting code. The analog part, which transmits the quantization error due to the FS-1016 CELP coder consists of a linear encoder and decoder. The advantage of the proposed system is that it achieves excellent rate-distortion/capacity performance that is common in digital systems while maintaining a "graceful degradation" characteristic that is common in analog systems. Comparisons are made with three purely digital systems and two purely analog systems. A formal listening test shows that, at high channel SNR, the improved performance of the proposed hybrid system versus the purely digital systems is noticeable to the average listener.
Top Priorities: Questions for Snowmass '96

Questions on the top quark posed for the 1996 DPF/DPB Summer Study on New Directions for High-Energy Physics (Snowmass 96).
Interaction of coenzyme with differently prepared zinc-free (apo) horse liver alcohol dehydrogenases.

Abstract The 4 zinc atoms in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1) have been removed three different ways: dialysis against ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid at pH 6.0; dialysis against acetate at pH 5.0, and dialysis against succinate at pH 5.0. The properties of the three apoenzymes differ. Only the apoenzyme prepared by the EDTA treatment will interact with the antibodies produced by native alcohol dehydrogenase, which contains 4 zinc atoms per mole. Also, only the EDTA-prepared apoenzyme will bind NADH. The apoenzymes are catalytically inactive, but since the enzyme produced by EDTA treatment still binds coenzyme and interacts with antibody for native enzyme, it can be assumed that the gross conformation of this apoenzyme is similar to that of native alcohol dehydrogenase. The reason for the inactivity of the enzyme may be associated with either substrate binding or activation of the substrate. The binding of NADH to the EDTA-prepared apoenzyme was studied by polarization of fluorescence. It was found that two nonidentical NADH-binding sites remained in the EDTA-prepared apoenzyme, Kd = 0.27 ± 0.01 µm and 1.44 ± 0.24 µm. The site with high affinity has the same Kd as that of native enzyme.
Fusion of range-only measurements from multistatic configurations for air collision warning

A requisite for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to operate within a controlled airspace is a capability to sense and avoid collisions with non-cooperative aircraft. Ground-based transmitters and UAS-mounted receivers are preferred due to the limitations on the size, weight and power of UAS. This paper assumes a constant velocity motion of an intruder (target) aircraft and presents a method to estimate the state (motion parameters — position and velocity) of the target so as to predict a possible collision point. Bistatic range and Doppler are assumed the only measurements available, with the employment of low-cost omni-directional antennas. Several configurations are investigated from a parameter observability point of view. The target motion parameter is shown not to be observable in a bistatic configuration and a change of course of the receiver merely yields marginal observability. In a multistatic configuration, one has marginal observability using two transmitters but good observability with three transmitters. Simulation results show that the position estimate of the possible collision point is statistically efficient in the 3-transmitter multistatic configuration.
Investigation and design of modular multilevel converter in AFE mode with minimized passive elements

This paper investigates design procedure of modular multilevel converter (MMC) in active front-end (AFE) mode of operation. The design in performed trying to minimize the amount of passive elements including arm inductances and submodule capacitances. This has been done using basic controllers needed for operation of MMC in AFE mode, without employing any additional controller in the circuit. In other words, the design is taking advantage of properly locating arm inductance and submodule capacitance magnitudes with respect to intrinsic resonance phenomenon in MMC converter. A model is developed in MATLAB/Simulink environment in order to show feasibility of the proposed design and also to have a comparison between the proposed MMC AFEs and the formal designs. The comparison in case of the shown case study reveals 90% reduction in arm inductance magnitude and 40% reduction in submodule capacitance values at the expense of adding filter inductaces with much smaller size.
Communicating with the Public: An Examination of National Park Planning Workbooks

Abstract Written materials are an important form of environmental communication. The way information is presented, however, may affect how it is received and whether people will use it. Simply providing information does not ensure that it is useable. Readers must be able to orient themselves to the information and find those pieces of information that interest them. This is particularly true in a citizen participation context. The purpose of this study was to examine ways of structuring a presentation so that it helps the reader utilize the information presented. In particular, the results of an evaluation of National Park Service planning workbooks will be discussed.
The lunar surface-exosphere connection: Measurement of secondary-ions from Apollo soils

Abstract Low energy secondary ions ejected by the solar wind are an important component of tenuous exospheres surrounding airless bodies, since these ions carry information on the planetary surface composition. In this work we examine the dependence of secondary-ion abundance, as a function of energy and mass, on surface composition. The surface compositions of two Apollo soils (10084 and 62231) and a synthetic Corning glass lunar simulant were measured with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and correlated with the spectra of secondary-ions ejected from the same soils by 4 keV He ions. XPS spectra for lunar soils show that the surface compositions are similar to the bulk, but enriched in Fe and O, while depleted in Mg and Ca. 4 keV He irradiation on the lunar soils and a glass simulant preferentially removes O and Si, enriching the surface in Al, Ti, Mg, and Ca. Secondary-ion species ejected from the Apollo soils by 4 keV He include: Na+, Mg+, Al+, Si+, Ca+, Ca++, Ti+, Fe+, and molecular species: NaO+, MgO+ and SiO+. Secondary ion energy distributions for lunar soil 10084 and 62231 rise rapidly, reach a maxima at ∼5 eV for molecular ions and Na+, ∼7.5 eV for Fe+, and ∼10 eV for Mg+, Al+, Si+, Ca+ and Ti+, then decrease slowly with energy. We present species-dependent relative conversion factors for the derivation of atomic surface composition from secondary-ion count rates for 4 keV He irradiation of lunar soils 10084 and 62231, as well as the Corning glass lunar simulant.
Neutron focusing devices based on segmented thin-film multilayers

Abstract A neutron converging device has been designed using sections of thin-film multilayer monochromators with the help of ray-tracing calculations (Saxena, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 454 (2000) 428, this issue). The device consists of an odd number of sections of multilayers. The central section will have a periodicity and angular orientation with respect to the mean ray that reflects the desired wavelength. The orientation of other sections was adjusted so that the reflected beam from these sections was coincident with that from the middle section. Since a rotation of sections also changes the wavelength of the reflected beam, the d-spacings of the peripheral sections were adjusted to reflect the same wavelength as the middle section. The convergence factor (gain in intensity) will depend on the areas of the primary beam and that of the sample, and also on the number of sections used in the focusing device. For a typical geometry, intensity may be increased by a factor of two or more. Used alone, such a device will both focus and monochromate the neutron beam to give a rather large Δλ/λ that is typical of thin-film multilayer monochromators. However, a device of this type may also be used to focus a neutron beam that has already been monochromated by reflection from a crystal monochromator. In this case, the neutron beam will be focused without a significant change of spectrum.
Older Adults' Comprehension of Transformational and Deactivation Negation.

The present research aimed to examine young and older adults’ comprehension of negated text to determine the locus of older adults’ difficulty in understanding this text construction. Participants were asked to read short passages at their own pace, complete a lexical decision task, and answer a comprehension question about what they had read. Older adults’ comprehension accuracy was lower than that of young adults for passages containing transformational negation. This suggests that limited working memory resources led to older adults’ difficulty with negation, not a difficulty with inhibition, as what would have been suggested with difficulties with deactivation negation.
Plateletapheresis: instrumentation validation.

Abstract Plateletapheresis instrumentation validation is required to document that a new or modified instrument or technique is capable of consistently producing acceptable products at the production center using their equipment, personnel, and counting techniques even though the instrument or technique may already have FDA or equivalent approval for use. To pursue the process of validation, several questions need to be addressed: when is it required, what products are validated, what parameters are monitored, and how many products are required. Validation is required when a new instrument or technique (process) is used that could affect the quality of the product. According to the FDA, each apheresis system (e.g., Spectra LRS, Amicus) and each type of product (e.g., single, double, triple) need to be validated separately. Parameters to be validated vary, but usually platelet (plt) yield, white blood cell (WBC) content (if products are labeled “leukoreduced”), and 5-day storage pH are monitored. The number of procedures monitored is also quite variable, but we use 20 samples for highly variable parameters such as platelet yield and WBC content and five samples for less variable parameters such as 5-day storage pH. As an example, we validated the Fenwal Amicus (Baxter Biotech) for single apheresis platelet products. With 20 samples, we found that: 85% of the products contained ⩾3 × 1011 plt (requirement was at least 75% contain ⩾3 × 1011 plt); platelet concentration of all products was ⩽1.515 × 106 plt/μL (requirement was ⩽2.435 × 106 plt/μL), and WBC content was
Fluorescence probing of yeast actin subdomain 3/4 hydrophobic loop 262-274. Actin-actin and actin-myosin interactions in actin filaments.

Abstract Residues 262–274 form a loop between subdomains 3 and 4 of actin. This loop may play an important role in actin filament formation and stabilization. To assess directly the behavior of this loop, we mutated Ser265 of yeast actin to cysteine (S265C) and created another mutant (S265C/C374A) by changing Cys374 of S265C actin to alanine. These changes allowed us to attach a pyrene maleimide stoichiometrically to either Cys374 or Cys265. These mutations had no detectable effects on the protease susceptibility, intrinsic ATPase activity, and thermal stability of labeled or unlabeled G-actin. The presence of the loop cysteine, either labeled or unlabeled, did not affect the actin-activated S1 ATPase activity or the in vitro motility of the actin. Both mutant actins, either labeled or unlabeled, nucleated filament formation considerably faster than wild-type (WT) actin, although the critical concentration was not affected. Whereas the fluorescence of the C-terminal (WT) probe increased during polymerization, that of the loop (S265C/C374A) probe decreased, and the fluorescence of the doubly labeled actin (S265C) was ∼50% less than the sum of the fluorescence of the individual fluorophores. Quenching was also observed in copolymers of labeled WT and S265C/C374A actins. An excimer peak was present in the emission spectrum of labeled S265C F-actin and in the labeled S265C/C374A-WT actin copolymers. These results show that in the filaments, the C-terminal pyrene of a substantial fraction of monomers directly interacts with the loop pyrene of neighboring monomers, bringing the two cysteine sulfurs to within 18 A of one another. Finally, when bound to labeled S265C/C374A F-actin, myosin S1, but not tropomyosin, caused an increase in fluorescence of the loop probe. Both proteins had no effect on excimer fluorescence. These results help establish the orientation of monomers in F-actin and show that the binding of S1 to actin subdomains 1 and 2 affects the environment of the loop between subdomains 3 and 4.
Coronary artery disease and outcomes of aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis.

Objectives The study sought to contrast risk profiles and compare outcomes of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (AS+CABG) with those of patients with isolated AS who underwent AVR alone. Background In patients with severe AS, CAD is often an incidental finding with underappreciated survival implications. Methods From October 1991 to July 2010, 2,286 patients underwent AVR+CABG and 1,637 AVR alone. A propensity score was developed and used for matched comparisons of outcomes (1,082 patient pairs). Analyses of long-term mortality were performed for each group, then combined to identify common and unique risk factors. Results Patients with AS+CAD versus isolated AS were older, more symptomatic, and more likely to be hypertensive, and had lower ejection fraction and greater arteriosclerotic burden but less severe AS. Hospital morbidity and long-term survival were poorer (43% vs. 59% at 10 years). Both groups shared many mortality risk factors; however, early risk among AS+CAD patients reflected effects of CAD; late risk reflected diastolic left ventricular dysfunction expressed as ventricular hypertrophy and left atrial enlargement. Patients with isolated AS and few comorbidities had the best outcome, those with CAD without myocardial damage had intermediate outcome equivalent to propensity-matched isolated AS patients, and those with CAD, myocardial damage, and advanced comorbidities had the worst outcome. Conclusions Cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities must be considered in managing patients with severe AS. Patients with severe AS and CAD risk factors should undergo early diagnostics and AVR+CABG before ischemic myocardial damage occurs.
Management of Gallstones in Diabetic Patients

The management of gallstones in diabetic patients has traditionally been considered problematic. Autopsy findings and uncontrolled studies have documented a higher prevalence of cholelithiasis in diabetics, and early reports showed dramatically increased perioperative morbidity and mortality for treatment of diabetics with acute cholecystitis. As a result, some authorities have recommended prophylactic cholecystectomy for diabetic patients with asymptomatic gallstones, which is in contrast to recommendations for nondiabetics. More recent investigators have shown comparable rates of operative morbidity and mortality for biliary surgery in diabetics when compared with the general population. Recent studies have questioned whether diabetes is an independent risk factor for gallstone formation. Decision analyses using these new data have shown that prophylactic cholecystectomy is not of clear benefit and should not be routinely recommended for diabetics with asymptomatic gallstones. We believe that available data, although limited, indicate that asymptomatic patients with diabetes do not benefit from screening for gall-stones and that cholecystectomy should only be performed in cases of symptomatic cholelithiasis, as is the case in the general population. (Arch Intern Med. 1993;153:1053-1058)
Performance evaluation of a job scheduler

International Business Machines' (IBM) Job Entry Subsystem 3 (JES 3) is the integral part of the MVS operating system that is responsible for controlling all jobs from their entry into the system until their exit out of the system. JES 3 maintains total awareness of each job while it is in the system and services the jobs upon request. These services include: prearing the job for execution, selecting the job for execution, and the processing of SYSIN/SYSOUT data. This paper reports the findings of the performance evaluation study of JES 3 through the use of a General Purpose Simulation System (GPSS) model of JES 3 and exhibits the benefits of using simulation models to study complex sytems such as JES 3. Once the model was developed, it was used to evaluate the effects of varying the job scheduler parameters of JES 3 in the batch job environment. The input workload and service times for the model were derived from System Management Facilities (SMF) and Resource Management Facilities (RMF) data from the modeled system.
An early Fgf signal required for gene expression in the zebrafish hindbrain primordium

We have explored the role of fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) signaling in regulating gene expression in the early zebrafish hindbrain primordium. We demonstrate that a dominant negative Fgf receptor (FgfR) construct disrupts gene expression along the entire rostrocaudal axis of the hindbrain primordium and, using an FgfR antagonist, we find that this Fgf signal is required at early gastrula stages. This effect cannot be mimicked by morpholino antisense oligos to Fgf3, Fgf8 or Fgf24--three Fgf family members known to be secreted from signaling centers at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB), in rhombomere 4 and in caudal mesoderm at gastrula stages. We propose that an Fgf signal is required in the early gastrula to initiate hindbrain gene expression and that this is distinct from the later roles of Fgfs in patterning the hindbrain during late gastrula/early segmentation stages. We also find that blocking either retinoic acid (RA) or Fgf signaling disrupts hindbrain gene expression at gastrula stages, suggesting that both pathways are essential at this stage. However, both pathways must be blocked simultaneously to disrupt hindbrain gene expression at segmentation stages, indicating that these signaling pathways become redundant at later stages. Furthermore, exogenous application of RA or Fgf alone is sufficient to induce hindbrain genes in gastrula stage tissues, suggesting that the two-signal requirement can be overcome under some conditions. Our results demonstrate an early role for Fgf signaling and reveal a dynamic relationship between the RA and Fgf signaling pathways during hindbrain development.
2-DG uptake patterns related to single vibrissae during exploratory behaviors in the hamster trigeminal system

Stimulation of one or several whiskers activates discrete foci throughout the trigeminal (V) neuraxis. These foci contribute to patterns, corresponding to the patterns of vibrissae, that have been directly related to aggregates of cells and axon terminals in the "barrel" cortex. Here, we combine high-resolution, 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) mapping and cytochrome oxidase (CO) staining to determine whether the known pattern of V primary afferent projections is sufficient to deduce the functional activation of their targets during exploratory behavior. Four adult hamsters had all of their large mystacial vibrissae trimmed acutely, except for C3 on the left, and B2 and D4 on the right; in two others, the left C3 and right A1 and E4 whiskers were spared. After fasting overnight, 2DG was injected and the animals behaved freely in the dark for 45 minutes. The brainstem, thalamus, and cortices were sectioned, then processed for both CO staining and 2DG autoradiography. Image-processing microscopy was used to separate the autoradiographic silver grains from the histochemical staining. CO patches were patterned in a whisker-like fashion in the full rostrocaudal extent of V nucleus principalis and in caudal portions of spinal V subnuclei interpolaris and caudalis, but absent in subnucleus oralis. 2DG silver grains were densest above those CO patches in the pattern corresponding to the active whiskers. There were no consistent 2DG foci in subnuclei oralis or rostral caudalis. In these same cases, prominent 2DG labeling was restricted to the appropriate barrels in the contralateral cortex. Only one case, however, displayed a clear and appropriate region of heightened 2DG uptake in contralateral ventroposteromedial thalamus (VPM) and the adjacent part of the reticular thalamic nucleus. Patterns of increased glucose utilization with single whisker stimulation are well matched to the CO patterns that mirror distributions of neurons associated with a vibrissa in the V brainstem complex, thalamus, and cortex. Single whiskers are represented by relatively homogeneous longitudinal columns of 2DG labeling in the V brainstem nuclei. The columns are not continuous through the axial extent of the V brainstem complex; rather, they occur separately within principalis, interpolaris, and caudalis. While whisker columns were consistently labeled in interpolaris and caudalis in all animals, the labeling was increasingly variable in principalis, barrel cortex, and VPM, respectively. This suggests that the behaving animal can and does significantly modulate activity in this major, synaptically secure pathway.
Malignant melanoma metastatic to the esophagus

Malignant melanoma metastatic to the esophagus, as the only evidence of disease, is rare. We present the only known case treated at our institution and review 10 other cases reported in the world's literature. Of 11 patients (including ours) with melanoma metastasizing to the esophagus and no other known disease, no patient survived 1 year. With this dismal prognosis, the goal of therapy in these patients must be palliation of dysphagia.
Asian Eyes: Body Image and Eating Disorders of Asian and Asian American Women

Abstract Attractiveness and beauty have been found to be the most important factors in prompting relationships and interactions, and for making social judgments. Standards of beauty in America, however, are primarily based on Caucasian-European-American ideals. Society is deluged with this beauty ideal constantly through media. People furthest from this ideal, specifically women of color, may suffer the psychological effects of low self-esteem, poor body image, and eating disorders. Research on body image and eating disorders has been exclusively conducted on white women; little research or conceptual work has included women of color. This paper sets a beginning foundation for understanding body image and eating disorders in Asian and Asian American women. In addition, the social-political image of Asian and Asian American women is addressed. Asian and Asian American women are victims of the “double jeopardy” of racism and sexism.
Process-Based Quality for Thermal Spray Via Feedback Control

Quality control of a thermal spray system manufacturing process is difficult due to the many input variables that need to be controlled. Great care must be taken to ensure that the process remains constant to obtain a consistent quality of the parts. Control is greatly complicated by the fact that measurement of particle velocities and temperatures is a noisy stochastic process. This article illustrates the application of quality control concepts to a wire flame spray process. A central feature of the real-time control system is an automatic feedback control scheme that provides fine adjustments to ensure that uncontrolled variations are accommodated. It is shown how the control vectors can be constructed from simple process maps to independently control particle velocity and temperature. This control scheme is shown to perform well in a real production environment. We also demonstrate that slight variations in the feed wire curvature can greatly influence the process. Finally, the geometry of the spray system and sensor must remain constant for the best reproducibility.
Disturbance and recovery of trunk stiffness and reflexive muscle responses following prolonged trunk flexion: influences of flexion angle and duration.

Abstract Background Experimental studies suggest that flexed working postures reduce passive support of the spine, which could represent a significant risk factor for the development of occupational low back disorders. Neuromuscular compensations to reduced passive stiffness include increases in baseline activity or reflexive activation of trunk muscles. Yet, alterations and recovery of the synergy between active and passive tissues following prolonged flexion in humans are currently unknown. Methods Twelve healthy participants were exposed to all combinations of two trunk flexion durations (2 and 16 min) and three flexion angles (33, 66, and 100% of individual flexion–relaxation angle). Load relaxation was recorded throughout exposures, whereas trunk stiffness and reflexive behaviors of the lumbar extensor muscles were investigated during dynamic responses to sudden perturbations. Findings The magnitude of load relaxation increased with increasing flexion angle. Trunk stiffness decreased and reflex gains increased following flexion exposures; for both outcomes, acute changes were larger following exposure to increasing flexion angle. Reflex gains remained elevated one hour after exposure to maximum flexion. Interpretation Exposure to prolonged trunk flexion changed trunk stiffness and reflex behavior in patterns consistent with epidemiological evidence linking such exposure with the risk of occupational low back disorders. Observed increases in reflex gains, at least among healthy individuals, may be a compensation for decreases in passive trunk stiffness following acute exposure to flexed postures. It remains to be determined whether the neuromuscular system can similarly respond to accumulated disturbances in passive structures following exposure to repeated flexion tasks.
THE SOLUBLE SPECIFIC SUBSTANCE OF A STRAIN OF FRIEDLANDER'S BACILLUS : PAPER I.

1. A method is given for the isolation of a specifically reacting nitrogen-free polysaccharide from the so called E strain of Friedlander's bacillus. 2. The properties of this polysaccharide are described.