cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin-Film Packaging

Thin film refers to a coating layer of thickness typically in the range of from a few (2–3) atomic layers to a few (1–5) microns. However, film thicknesses up to 20–50 μm are frequently regarded as thin-film in electronic packaging. Thin-film packaging is the technology for conductors and dielectrics deposition and patterning in package fabrication, which resembles the technology used for integrated-circuit (IC) chip fabrication. Thin-film packaging is distinguished from thick-film packaging, mainly ceramic and printed wiring board (PWB) packaging, in two aspects: (a) the typical dimensions of conductors and dielectrics are about 2–25 μm versus 100 μm and above in thick-film packaging; (b) the typical methods of thin-film deposition include sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), more recently electro/electroless plating and polymeric solution coating, and other similar methods, which are all typical sequential processes, whereas in thick-film packaging parallel processes are more common, such as lamination and cofiring of ceramic greensheets. Nevertheless, the current trends in electronic packaging are the enhancement of thick-film technology to fabricate finer feature sizes which are traditionally considered only achievable by thin-film technology and the adoption of some of the parallel thick-film processes for thin-film fabrication. Due to these developments, the traditional division between thin- and thick-film packaging technologies is diminishing and the definition of thin-film packaging is becoming less obvious. Still, the mainstream of thin-film packaging can be well identified which allows a fairly extensive compilation on this technology. In this chapter, the need for thin-film packaging, electrical performance considerations, and typical structures in thin-film packages are first elucidated. Subsequently, the materials, processes, and cost analyses of thin-film packaging are discussed in detail. Repair is especially important in thin-film packaging and is dealt with in the context of cost and yield. Reliability of packages has been discussed in Chapter 5, “Package Reliability,” and reliability issues which are unique to thin-film packages are identified here. Some major commercial applications of thin-film packaging are reviewed, followed by a summary of the emerging technologies. Integration of various passive components is becoming imperative for thin-film packages to enhance electrical performance and packaging efficiency, which is also included in this chapter along with some applications and future predictions. Finally, the current development and future directions of thin-film packaging technology are summarized and projected.
Multi-spin exchange model the near melting transition of the 2D Wigner crystal

The low temperature properties of fermionic solids are governed by spin exchanges. Near the melting transition, the spin-exchange energy increases as well as the relative contribution of large loops. In this paper, we check the convergence of the multi-spin exchange model and the validity of the Thouless theory near the melting of the Wigner crystal in two dimensions. Exchange energies are computed using Path Integral Monte Carlo for loop sizes up to 8, at $r_s=40$, 50 and 75. The data are then fitted to a geometric model. Then the exchange energies are extrapolated to larger sizes in order to evaluate their contributions to the leading term of the magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat. These results are used to check the convergence of the multi-spin exchange model.
Chebysheff-Halley-like methods in Banach spaces

Chebysheff-Halley methods are probably the best known cubically convergent iterative procedures for solving nonlinear equations. These methods however require an evaluation of the second Frechet-derivative at each step which means a number of function evaluations proportional to the cube of the dimension of the space. To reduce the computational cost we replace the second Frechet derivative with a fixed bounded bilinear operator. Using the majorant method and Newton-Kantorovich type hypotheses we provide sufficient conditions for the convergence of our method to a locally unique solution of a nonlinear equation in Banach space. Our method is shown to be faster than Newton’s method under the same computational cost. Finally we apply our results to solve nonlinear integral equations appearing in radiative transfer in connection with the problem of determination of the angular distribution of the radiant-flux emerging from a plane radiation field.
Design and Operation of a Dual-Bridge Ultrasonic Inspection System for Composite Materials

The accepted method of inspecting composite aircraft and engine components is ultrasonic testing with a C-scan presentation of results. Within the last few years, analog recording systems have been superseded by digital data acquisition and analysis. Programmable control of mechanical scanning has improved upon earlier machines which could test only simple flat and circular shapes. The equipment described here was designed to inspect complex profiles such as aircraft engine vanes and ducts. A unique dual-bridge design with synchronized eleven-axis motion control was used to achieve this. The success of the system resulted from careful definition of initial design, and from the use of high-level software to supervise the otherwise lengthy task of programming complex scanning profiles.
The Analysis of Muscle Relaxants by Mass Spectrometric Methods

The introduction of curare in 1942 (1) generated a great interest in the chemistry and pharmacology of a class of compounds known as neuromuscular blocking agents. Curare, a generic term for several South American arrow poisons, has enjoyed a long and romantic history (2). It has been used for many years by the Indians living in the regions surrounding the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers for killing wild animals for food. Only tribal witch doctors possessed the knowledge of the preparation of curare. Following the discovery of the American continent, early explorers became interested in this compound and brought samples of the native preparations to Europe for evaluation.
Reduction of radiation dose in pediatric brain CT is not associated with missed injuries or delayed diagnosis

Increased accuracy of CTs in the identification of traumatic injuries compared with physical examination or conventional radiography is well documented. Our goal was to identify the most effective strategy for decreasing radiation exposure while retaining the benefits of computerized imaging. Based on a literature review and our trauma registry, the mortality risk of untreated injuries was compared with that of patients who received treatment of injuries diagnosed by CT. Because automated exposure control of tube current is not routinely used with brain CT, this region was identified as the initial focus for a dose-saving algorithm. CT settings were adjusted for children studies and the new settings were implemented into four protocols based on age. Images were compared and reviewed by radiologists for the ability to identify traumatic injuries. Effective dose (ED) was estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. The lifetime incidence and mortality for thyroid cancer and leukemia were assessed. In-hospital mortality of unidentified injury in trauma patients is 8.0%. Forty dose-saving CTs were performed and no injuries were missed. The ED decreased by 5.2-, 4.5-, 2.62-, and 2.5-fold in each group. Decreasing the ED is achievable, theoretically decreases the cancer risk and does not increase the missed injury rate.
An open trial of fluoxetine in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Background Anorexia nervosa is a disorder of unknown etiology with a high rate of relapse and no known treatment. Because anorexia nervosa shares some similarities with obsessive compulsive disorder, we hypothesized that a serotonin-specific medication might be useful in the treatment of this illness. Method We administered an open trial of fluoxetine to 31 patients with DSM-III-R anorexia nervosa. Most anorexics were started on fluoxetine treatment after inpatient weight restoration and then discharged from the hospital and followed up as outpatients. Results At the time of follow-up (11 +/- 6 months on fluoxetine), 29 of the 31 patients had maintained their weight at or above 85% average body weight (97% +/- 13% average body weight for the group). We judged response as good in 10, partial in 17, and poor in 4 anorexics as measured by improvements in eating behavior, mood, and obsessional symptoms. Restrictor anorexics responded significantly better than bulimic and/or purging-type anorexics. Conclusion This open trial suggests that fluoxetine may help patients with anorexia nervosa maintain a healthy body weight as outpatients. The reasons for the positive effects of fluoxetine are uncertain, but the agent may help by improving eating behavior and/or reducing obsessionality, depression, and anxiety. It is important to emphasize that this was not a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Thus we can not be certain of the efficacy of fluoxetine and caution that fluoxetine should not be used as the sole treatment of anorexia nervosa at this time.
They See Dead People (Voting): Correcting Misperceptions about Voter Fraud in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

The 2016 US Presidential election was unique for many reasons, especially the widespread endorsement of falsehoods about the candidates and the electoral process. Using a unique experiment fielded ...
Critical hybrid pedagogies: A self-study inquiry into faculty practices in a blended Educational Leadership EdD program:

In an educational context that includes an overarching neoliberal agenda and rapidly expanding inequalities that cross social, racial, class, linguistic, and gender lines, preparing educational lea...
Optimizing a human fecal assay that elicits bacterial swarming

A distinct property of many bacteria is swarming: swift movement across a surface through flagella propulsion. Early research indicates that bacterial swarming can be a protective host response to intestinal inflammation. Central to the further study of bacterial swarming in human health is an effective and replicable assay for swarming that can accommodate complex material, such as fecal matter. To date, nearly all swarming assays described in the literature are specific for bacteria grown in culture, most often Pseudomonas. In this paper, we describe a protocol for discerning swarming of bacteria from frozen human fecal samples. Moreover, we tested 4 variables that may influence the effectiveness of the assay: the method by which frozen samples were thawed, the concentration of agar used in the Lysogenic broth (LB) agar plate, the volume of LB agar poured in the plate, and the volume of sample inoculated. We found that while the type of thaw and volume of LB agar had little to no effect on swarming, greater concentrations of agar were negatively correlated with swarming and greater volumes of the sample were positively correlated with swarming.
Are Perceptually-Aligned Gradients a General Property of Robust Classifiers?

For a standard convolutional neural network, optimizing over the input pixels to maximize the score of some target class will generally produce a grainy-looking version of the original image. However, Santurkar et al. (2019) demonstrated that for adversarially-trained neural networks, this optimization produces images that uncannily resemble the target class. In this paper, we show that these "perceptually-aligned gradients" also occur under randomized smoothing, an alternative means of constructing adversarially-robust classifiers. Our finding supports the hypothesis that perceptually-aligned gradients may be a general property of robust classifiers. We hope that our results will inspire research aimed at explaining this link between perceptually-aligned gradients and adversarial robustness.
Laminoplasty-an underutilized procedure for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND CONTENT Cervical laminoplasty (LP) and laminectomy and fusion (LF) are commonly used surgical techniques for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Several recent studies have demonstrated superior perioperative metrics and decreased overall costs with LP, yet LF is performed far more often in the United States. PURPOSE To determine the percentage of patients with CSM who are radiographically candidates for LP. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective comparative cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients >18 years old who underwent LF or LP for CSM at 2 large academic institutions from 2017 to 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES Candidacy for LP based on radiographic criteria. METHODS Radiographs were assessed by 2 spine surgeons not involved in the care of the patients to determine the C2–C7 Cobb angle and the presence and extent of cervical instability. Patients with kyphosis >13°, > 3.5 mm of listhesis on static imaging, or > 2.5 mm of motion on flexion-extension or standing-supine films were not considered candidates for LP. Intraclass coefficient (ICC) was calculated to assess the interobserver reliability of angular measurements and the presence of instability. The percentage of patients for whom LP was contraindicated was calculated. RESULTS One hundred eight patients underwent LF while 142 underwent LP. Of the 108 patients who underwent LF, 79.6% were radiographically deemed candidates for LP, as were all 142 patients who underwent LP. The ICC for C2–C7 alignment was 0.90; there was 97% agreement with respect to the presence of instability. CONCLUSIONS In 250 patients with CSM, 228 (91.2%) were radiographically candidates for LP. These data suggest that LP may be an underutilized procedure for the treatment for CSM.
Nonlocal topological insulators: Deterministic aperiodic arrays supporting localized topological states protected by nonlocal symmetries.

The properties of topological systems are inherently tied to their dimensionality. Indeed, higher-dimensional periodic systems exhibit topological phases not shared by their lower-dimensional counterparts. On the other hand, aperiodic arrays in lower-dimensional systems (e.g., the Harper model) have been successfully employed to emulate higher-dimensional physics. This raises a general question on the possibility of extended topological classification in lower dimensions, and whether the topological invariants of higher-dimensional periodic systems may assume a different meaning in their lower-dimensional aperiodic counterparts. Here, we demonstrate that, indeed, for a topological system in higher dimensions one can construct a one-dimensional (1D) deterministic aperiodic counterpart which retains its spectrum and topological characteristics. We consider a four-dimensional (4D) quantized hexadecapole higher-order topological insulator (HOTI) which supports topological corner modes. We apply the Lanczos transformation and map it onto an equivalent deterministic aperiodic 1D array (DAA) emulating 4D HOTI in 1D. We observe topological zero-energy zero-dimensional (0D) states of the DAA—the direct counterparts of corner states in 4D HOTI and the hallmark of the multipole topological phase, which is meaningless in lower dimensions. To explain this paradox, we show that higher-dimension invariant, the multipole polarization, retains its quantization in the DAA, yet changes its meaning by becoming a nonlocal correlator in the 1D system. By introducing nonlocal topological phases of DAAs, our discovery opens a direction in topological physics. It also unveils opportunities to engineer topological states in aperiodic systems and paves the path to application of resonances associates with such states protected by nonlocal symmetries.
Plummer-Vinson Syndrome in an African American Woman Secondary to Menorrhagia: a Case Report

Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS) constitutes a triad of iron deficiency anemia, dysphagia, and cervical esophageal webs. It has usually been described in Caucasian women but rarely reported in African American women despite a high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia. We report a 32-year-old African American female with a history of iron deficiency anemia secondary to menorrhagia, who presented with progressive weakness and dysphagia. Her bloodwork revealed severe iron deficiency anemia, and upper endoscopy showed a single esophageal web that underwent Savary-Gilliard dilation. In African Americans, PVS should be suspected if concurrent dysphagia with iron deficiency anemia is present. Guidelines regarding endoscopic surveillance are yet to be studied, and long-term and comparable data, including trials of endoscopic monitoring for PVS, will help reduce the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
Structural annotation of equine protein‐coding genes determined by mRNA sequencing

The horse, like the majority of animal species, has a limited amount of species-specific expressed sequence data available in public databases. As a result, structural models for the majority of genes defined in the equine genome are predictions based on ab initio sequence analysis or the projection of gene structures from other mammalian species. The current study used Illumina-based sequencing of messenger RNA (RNA-seq) to help refine structural annotation of equine protein-coding genes and for a preliminary assessment of gene expression patterns. Sequencing of mRNA from eight equine tissues generated 293,758105 sequence tags of 35 bases each, equalling 10.28 gbp of total sequence data. The tag alignments represent approximately 207 × coverage of the equine mRNA transcriptome and confirmed transcriptional activity for roughly 90% of the protein-coding gene structures predicted by Ensembl and NCBI. Tag coverage was sufficient to refine the structural annotation for 11,356 of these predicted genes, while also identifying an additional 456 transcripts with exon/intron features that are not listed by either Ensembl or NCBI. Genomic locus data and intervals for the protein-coding genes predicted by the Ensembl and NCBI annotation pipelines were combined with 75,116 RNA-seq-derived transcriptional units to generate a consensus equine protein-coding gene set of 20,302 defined loci. Gene ontology annotation was used to compare the functional and structural categories of genes expressed in either a tissue-restricted pattern or broadly across all tissue samples.
Submersible operated peepers for collecting porewater from deep‐sea sediments

Peepers are a common alternative to push cores for collecting porewater from shallow aquatic environments such as lakes, streams, and wetlands but are infrequently used to sample deep-sea sediments due to design limitations. In this study, a peeper was developed to obtain porewater from precisely located positions on the deep-sea floor using remotely operated or manned submersibles. The sample cells of the peepers can be sealed closed after they are deoxygenated on board a ship to ensure that they remain anoxic until peepers are deployed at the deep-sea sampling location. Similarly, peeper cells can be closed at the end of an incubation period to maintain sample integrity during submersible recovery and until sample processing. Each peeper can be used to collect samples from 10 cm above the sediment water interface and at 10 cm intervals down to 60 cm depth in the sediment, and can provide sufficient volume for multiple chemical analyses, including stable isotope ratio determinations.
The chemistry of metal carbonyl anions : V. Interactions of carbonylmetallate monoanions with quarternary alkyl- and aryl-onium ions

Abstract Tetraphenyl-phosphonium and -arsonium ions react with C5H5Fe(CO)2− to give 35–45% yields of PhFe(CO)2C5H5 and substantial amounts of dimer. Corresponding reactions of Re(CO)5− are much slower and yield only Re2(CO)10. Tetraphenylarsonium salts of less nucleophilic carbonyl anions including C5H5M(CO)???− (M = Mo, W), Mn(CO)5−, Co(CO)4− and V(CO)6− are isolable as crystalline solids and are stable at 25°C. Base sensitive quarternary ammonium ions, PhMe3N+ and PhCH2Me3N+, also react slowly with C5H5Fe(CO)2− to quantitatively yield CH3Fe(CO)2C5H5 and PhCH2Fe(CO)2C5H5, respectively. A comparison of the reactions of these organometallic bases and non-metallic bases such as hydroxide ion and carbanions with quarternary onium ions is presented.
Condensation of dithiols with phosphorus containing reactants

Phosphorus containing reactants are condensed with dithiols as illustrated below using the interfacial technique to give low to medium molecular weight products. Infrared frequency band assignments are given. Durch Grenzflachenpolykondensation von reaktiven Phosphorverbindungen mit Dithiolen wurden Produkte niederer bis mittlerer Molekulargewichte erhalten. Eine Zuordnung der IR-Banden dieser Substanzen wird gegeben.
17q23 amplifications in breast cancer involve the PAT1, RAD51C, PS6K, and SIGMA1B genes

Amplification of the 17q23 region occurs frequently in breast tumors. To characterize the structure of 17q23 amplicons and to identify oncogene targets associated with this alteration, we performed a copy number analysis of 87 17q23 localized expressed sequence tags in seven breast cancer cell lines. Three major regions of amplification were detected in the MCF7 and BT474 cell lines. Amplification of at least one of four known genes ( PAT1 , PS6K , RAD51C , and SIGMA1B ) was detected in the cell lines and in 28% of 94 breast tumors. In most cases, these four genes were overexpressed when amplified, but there was a particularly good association between amplification of the SIGMA1B gene and elevated expression in tumors, which suggested a possible role for this gene in tumor progression. Our data show that this region contains at least four independent targets of amplification, which suggests that there is considerable variability in the structure of the 17q23 amplicon.
Sexual and Social Mobility in The Duchess of Malfi

The real subject is not primarily sexual lewdness at all, but “social lewdness” mythically expressed in sexual terms. Burke A Rhetoric of Motives It may be compared to a cage, the birds without dispaire to get in, and those within dispaire to get out. Florio's Montaigne The Duchess of Malfi rewrites The Spanish Tragedy after Hamlet and King Lear . It echoes the early play's concerns with wandering royal women and hysterical royal men, with erotic mobility and killer servants. But it transforms these variables in crucial ways. The erotic mobility shifts distinctly, away from Bel-imperia's rebellious sexual raids and toward the emergent bourgeois and Protestant ideal of companionate marriage. Conversely, the tense fraternal defensiveness is even more embattled. Antonio's outrageous and successful invasion is far from heroic, his initial potency athletic rather than martial. Yet his achievement is, intolerably, fully marital . The Lorenzo figure attracts the lurid energy that his sister and her lover relinquish, and becomes himself uncontrollably eroticized. After Shakespeare's two greatest tragedies the figuration of status narcissism as incest has probably become inevitable. And Pedringano has come fully of age as well. The meditative qualities of the neglected malcontent have by 1614 been refracted among a host of pungent instances: Hamlet, Malevole, Iago, Vindice, Edmund, Kent, Webster's own Flamineo, all contribute to Bosola's strange mixture of calm knowing violence and puzzlement. The seminal issues of The Spanish Tragedy have now, after a full generation of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, produced their curious bitter fruit.
Auditory effects of underwater noise in odontocetes.

A common result of noise exposure is a noise-induced threshold shift, defined as an increase in auditory threshold that persists after cessation of a noise exposure. If the hearing threshold returns to normal after some period of time, the threshold shift is called a temporary threshold shift (TTS). If the threshold does not return to normal, the remaining amount of threshold shift is called a permanent threshold shift (PTS). Observed PTS/TTS may be the result of a variety of mechanical and biochemical processes, including physical damage or distortion of the tympanic membrane and cochlear hair cell stereocilia, oxidative stress-related hair cell death, changes in cochlear blood flow, and swelling of cochlear nerve terminals resulting from glutamate excitotoxicity (Henderson et al. 2006; Kujawa and Liberman 2009). Although the outer hair cells are the most prominent target for noise effects, severe noise exposures may also result in inner hair cell death and loss of auditory nerve fibers (Henderson et al. 2006).
Humanitarian Engineering at The Ohio State University: Lessons Learned in Enriching Education While Helping People

Humanitarian engineering at The Ohio State University (OSU) has enriched our delivery of engineering education and at the same time led, via collaborative engagement, to helping people and communities. Here, we describe our curricular program, extracurricular activities, domestic and international projects, meetings and coordination, and our new Humanitarian Engineering Center. Throughout, we provide “lessons learned” for all these categories, and in conclusion provide some general lessons and challenges for engineering education.
Le Clézio’s “Martin” and His Religion of Ecstasy

Research is scant related to Le Clezio’s novella “Martin” from the collection of short stories entitled La Fievre with a few important exceptions including Maurice Cagnon and Stephen Smith’s essay “‘Martin’: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Hydrocephalic.” Moreover, most analyses of this narrative are quite superficial given that they are part of more comprehensive projects which investigate the FrancoMauritian author’s literary corpus as a whole. However, a more systematic exploration of this oft neglected text could potentially hold the key that unlocks the mystery of the inexplicable, enigmatic ecstasy that often pervades Le Clezio’s later fiction. Critics such as Jean Onimus, Ruth Holzberg, Keith Moser, Masao Suzuki, Jacqueline Michel, and Teresa Di Scanno have attempted to appropriate these ephemeral moments of euphoria that do not seem to fit into the rational mold. 1
Side lengths of pseudoconvex fullerene patches

In this paper we consider fullerene patches with nice boundaries containing between one and five pentagonal faces. We find necessary conditions for the side lengths of such patches, and then prove these conditions are sufficient by constructing such patches.
Variation in care and outcome following myocardial infarction

All patients deserve high quality hospital care and the best possible outcome Research describing variation in hospital treatment and outcomes has improved care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Studies, particularly from the United States, have shown significant differences in hospitals’ use of evidence based tests and treatments for acute myocardial infarction including aspirin, β blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.1 In response, major US organizations developed a set of core process measures for treatments considered to be standard of care.2 Hospitals’ performance on these measures were publicly reported and used to guide reimbursement.3 Subsequently, research identified significant variation in hospitals’ outcomes for acute myocardial infarction, including rates of 30 day readmission and mortality.4 The federal government has used hospitals’ performance on these metrics to exact financial penalties on institutions with worse than expected 30 day outcomes.5 It is with this focus on quality of healthcare that Chung and colleagues in the linked paper (doi:10.1136/bmj.h3913) describe variation in guideline recommended treatments and outcomes for patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction in the United Kingdom and Sweden.6 The authors examined nationwide registry data from all hospitals providing care for acute myocardial infarction in both countries between 2004 and 2010. They found that variation in …
Visual analytics of large-scale climate model data

This application paper presents a visual analytics tool designed to explore large-scale scientific data modeled after a natural climate phenomenon. The data are modeled on a high-performance computer and exported to a personal computer for interactive visualization. The system is co-designed by visual analytics researchers and domain scientists after a year of rapid prototyping and evaluation of multiple information and scientific visualization techniques using a model dataset that includes both scalar fields and flow fields. Five information-visualization and one scientific-visualization techniques are included in the visual analytics system to balance analytical effectiveness and computation time for large-scale interactive exploration. The paper discusses the system design, explains the design rationale, and shares computation performance and results of different visualization techniques. The primary contribution of this application paper is to show that we can interactively and effectively visualize a large amount of scientific model data on a modest desktop computer. The computation performance results of the individual visualization techniques and the overall system also provide benchmark references for other large-scale visualization development efforts.
Screening for ovarian cancer : the preliminary experience of a familial ovarian cancer center

Women with a family history of ovarian cancer represent a high-risk group for the development of epithelial ovarian cancer. From July 1990 through December 1992, 386 women with a first-degree or multiple second-degree relatives with confirmed ovarian cancer were enrolled in a study to assess the utility of screening with transvaginal sonography, color flow doppler, and CA125. The mean age of the group was 41; 85% were premenopausal and 89/384 (23%) had 2 or more relatives with ovarian cancer. An initial ultrasound examination was abnormal in 89/384 (23%), 89% of whom were premenopausal. A persistent ovarian mass was detected in 15 patients and all were surgically proven to be benign. Mean CA125 levels were significantly higher and more variable in pre- vs postmenopausal women. CA125 was > or = 35 U/ml in 42/386 (11%) (36-232 U/ml). All but one of these women were premenopausal and 50% subsequently normalized. Two patients who were surgically explored for a rising CA125 had normal ovaries. An additional 19 patients have undergone prophylactic oophorectomy with no consistent histopathologic abnormality identified. These data demonstrate the difficulty inherent in screening a predominantly premenopausal population and do not clearly establish the efficacy of these modalities in the early detection of ovarian cancer.
Integrated product policy (IPP) Workshop and Conclusions for the International Journal of LCA

Looking at the on-going discussions, integrated product policy seems to become important for the LCA community and should therefore be reflected in the International Journal of LCA. Reasons include that IPP: clearly follows life cycle thinking, encourages the usage of the life cycle tool box, e.g. for product-innovation, could become a political umbrella for a new co-operation along the life cycle - beyond the old roles of life cycle stakeholders acting on their own, faces similar issues as the LCA community looking e.g. at environmental value / objective setting.
High Rates of Fe-EDDHA and Seed Iron Concentration Suggest Partial Solutions to Iron Deficiency in Soybean

Plants require a continuous supply of iron (Fe) to maintain proper growth. Low rates of Fe chelates applied to reduce Fe deficiency in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] probably do not satisfy this requirement. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of high rates of Fe-EDDHA in reducing Fe deficiency when applied to susceptible and resistant cultivars grown on soils where soybean historically has exhibited mild to severe Fe deficiency. Four cultivars (two resistant, two susceptible) and six rates of Fe-EDDHA (0, 2.24, 4.48, 6.72, 8.96, and 11.20 kg ha -1 ) were evaluated at one location in 2002 and two locations in 2003. Severity of Fe deficiency varied markedly across environment and cultivars. Unifoliolate relative chlorophyll concentrations indicated that Fe deficiency can occur early in plant development and that planting seed Fe concentration (seed [Fe]) may be insufficient for early growth. Responses to higher rates of Fe-EDDHA were environment and cultivar specific and occurred over an extended period, manifest at maturity. At lower rates (<6.72 kg Fe-EDDHA ha -1 ), resistant cultivars exceeded susceptible cultivars in plant height, seed number, and grain yield, whereas at higher rates, susceptible cultivars often had values similar to resistant cultivars. Both resistant and susceptible cultivars exhibited linear responses to increasing rates when grown in harsh or intermediate environments, suggesting that even at very high rates of Fe-EDDHA, Fe deficiency limited plant growth and grain yield. Seed [Fe] changed very little in response to added Fe. Plotting relative grain yield versus seed [Fe] for each environment illustrated the narrow range of seed [Fe] associated with wide ranges in relative yield and the large difference between resistant and susceptible cultivars regardless of relative yield.
Early thrombosis of a porcine bioprosthesis in the aortic valve position.

Abstract Thrombosis of a porcine bioprosthesis in the aortic valve position is uncommon and usually occurs more than 1 year after implantation. 1 Only 3 patients with thrombosis of a porcine aortic valve bioprosthesis less than 1 year after insertion have been described. 2–4 We report life-threatening thrombosis of a Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis in the aortic valve position 6 months postoperatively.
Improving the Mismatch between Light and Nanoscale Objects with Gold Bowtie Nanoantennas

Metallic bowtie nanoantennas should provide optical fields that are confined to spatial scales far below the diffraction limit. To improve the mismatch between optical wavelengths and nanoscale objects, we have lithographically fabricated Au bowties with lengths $\ensuremath{\sim}75\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{n}\mathrm{m}$ and gaps of tens of nm. Using two-photon-excited photoluminescence of Au, the local intensity enhancement factor relative to that for the incident diffraction-limited beam has been experimentally determined for the first time. Enhancements $g{10}^{3}$ occur for 20 nm gap bowties, in good agreement with theoretical simulations.
Entropy–enthalpy compensation of biomolecular systems in aqueous phase: a dry perspective

We survey thermodynamic measurements on processes involving biological macromolecules in aqueous solution, which illustrate well the ubiquitous phenomenon of entropy-enthalpy compensation. The processes include protein folding/unfolding and ligand binding/unbinding, with compensation temperatures varying by about 50 K around an average near 293 K. We show that incorporating both near-exact entropy-enthalpy compensation (due to solvent relaxation) and multi-excitation entropy (from vibrational quanta) leads to a compensation temperature in water of about 230 K. We illustrate a general procedure for subtracting solvent and environment-related terms to determine the bare Gibbs free energy changes of chemical processes.
Chaos theory in geophysics: past, present and future

Abstract The past two decades of research on chaos theory in geophysics has brought about a significant shift in the way we view geophysical phenomena. Research on chaos theory in geophysics continues to grow at a much faster pace, with applications to a wide variety of geophysical phenomena and geophysical problems. In spite of our success in understanding geophysical phenomena also from a different (i.e. chaotic) perspective, there still seems to be lingering suspicions on the scope of chaos theory in geophysics. The goal of this paper is to present a comprehensive account of the achievements and status of chaos theory in geophysics, and to disseminate the hope and scope for the future. A systematic review of chaos theory in geophysics, covering a wide spectrum of geophysical phenomena studied (e.g. rainfall, river flow, sediment transport, temperature, pressure, tree ring series, etc.), is presented to narrate our past achievements not only in understanding and predicting geophysical phenomena but also in improving the chaos identification and prediction techniques. The present state of chaos research in geophysics (in terms of geophysical phenomena, problems, and chaos methods) and potential for future improvements (in terms of where, why and possibly how) are also highlighted. Our popular views of nature (i.e. stochastic and deterministic), and of geophysical phenomena in particular, are discussed, and the usefulness of chaos theory as a bridge between such views is also put forth.
Regional distribution and kinetics of three sites on the GABAA receptor: lack of effect of portacaval shunting.

Summary: The regional distribution of binding sites on the GABAA receptor and their kinetic parameters were measured by quantitative autoradiography in brains from normal rats and rats with a portacaval shunt, a model of portal systemic encephalopathy in which GABA neurotransmission may be altered. The ligands used were [3H]flunitrazepam (a benzodiazepine-site agonist), [3H]-Rol5-1788 (a benzodiazepine-site antagonist), [3H]musci-mol (a GABA-site agonist), and [35S]f-butylbicyclo-phosphorothionate (35S-TBPS, a convulsant that binds to a site near the chloride channel). Some brains were analyzed by computerized image analysis and three-dimensional reconstruction. The regional distribution of binding of the benzodiazepines was very similar, but the patterns obtained with [3H]muscimol and [35S]TBPS were different in many areas, suggesting a heterogeneous distribution of several subtypes of the GABAA receptor. The kinetic parameters were determined in brain regions for [3H]flunitrazepam, [3H]Rol5-1788, and [3H]muscimol. For each ligand, the Kd showed a significant heterogeneity among brain regions (at least threefold), contrary to conclusions drawn from earlier studies. In portacaval shunted rats, binding of all four ligands was essentially unchanged from that in control rats, indicating that, if there was an abnormality in GABA neurotransmission during portal systemic shunting, it was not reflected by altered binding to the main sites on the GABAA receptor.
Computational study of dimethyl phosphate anion and its complexes with water, magnesium, and calcium

Dimethyl phosphate anion (DMP) is often used to simulate the properties of the phosphate group, an important structural fragment of nucleic acids and phospholipids. Besides its functional importance, DMP has a strong affinity for metal cations and is often considered to be their binding site. In this study we reevaluate the binding properties of DMP with water molecules and with explicitly hydrated magnesium and calcium cations in the presence of a polar continuum solvent. We analyze the stability of the DMP in different conformations that represent possible inner- and outer-sphere binding modes. Our previous work (Petrov et al. J Phys Chem B 2004) has shown that electrostatic calculations, particularly those using a point-charge model, are wholly inadequate for this purpose. Calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory within the framework of the COSMO polarized continuum model (CPCM). Our data indicate that magnesium prefers outer-sphere coordination with DMP, whereas calcium binds directly. The effect of cation binding on vibrational infrared and Raman spectra are also discussed. We found that the inclusion of polar solvent in the computations improves the agreement between calculated spectral data and experimental results. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 102: 645- 655, 2005
Properties of an N-terminal proteolytic fragment of apolipoprotein AI in solution and in reconstituted high density lipoproteins

Limited proteolysis was used to study the domain structure and to produce a large N-terminal fragment of human apolipoprotein AI (apoAI). Digestion of reconstituted high density lipoprotein (rHDL) prepared with apoAI and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine or palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine by chymotrypsin, trypsin, elastase, and subtilisin generated a major fragment of 22 kDa. Under milder conditions proteolysis of lipid-free apoAI produced a fragment of similar size. The fragments shared the same N terminus as intact apoAI, and the chymotryptic fragment had a molecular weight of 22,384 as determined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Thus the fragment consists of the N-terminal 192 amino acid residues of apoAI, and the region around Tyr192 seems to be especially accessible to proteases. In aqueous solution the fragment, apoAI-(1-192), had an alpha-helix content similar to that of apoAI (approximately 52%) but existed only as monomers and dimers. ApoAI-(1-192) lysed dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine liposomes slowly compared with apoAI but did form rHDL complexes with palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylcholine or dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine when prepared by the sodium cholate dialysis method. ApoAI-(1-192) rHDL exhibited sizes and size distributions distinct from apoAI rHDL but displayed similar stability against denaturation. The isolated apoAI-(1-192) rHDLs retained a high ability to activate lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase, comparable with the most effective apoAI rHDL. The results suggest that the C-terminal domain of apoAI is crucial for self-association and initial lipid binding but is not involved in specific lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activation.
Approximation Method in Collision Theory Based on R-Matrix Theory

An approximation method for numerical calculations of scattering and reaction cross sections is described. An R matrix calculated with the flrst Rayleigh-Schroedinger approximation for the resonant energies and reduced widths is used. Simple potential well scattering is considered as an example. This method is compared with the Born approximation method, and the regions of validity are discussed. (M.J.T.)
Congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors: Restorative replacement

A As dentists, we are often faced with the question: to close or not to close? Since maxillary lateral incisors are often congenitally missing, replacement of these teeth raises several important treatment planning concerns. Therefore, it is beneficial to use an interdisciplinary treatment approach to obtain the most predictable outcome. There are multiple treatment options for the replacement of congenitally missing lateral incisors, including canine substitution, single-tooth implants, and tooth-supported restorations. Drs Zachrisson, Rosa, and Toreskog beautifully illustrated the benefits of canine substitution by presenting the advantages and disadvantages of space closure as well as the functional and esthetic limitations that accompany this treatment choice. Like our European colleagues, our team agrees with the underlying principle to develop treatment plans that are both conservative and functional while maintaining excellent esthetics. However, the esthetic and functional success of canine substitution ultimately depends on variables such as malocclusion, crowding, profile, crown shape and color, and smiling lip level. Also, the amount of crown reduction that is often required to appropriately position these teeth esthetically and functionally in 3 planes of space can be excessive. Therefore, the optimal canine substitution patient is one who has small canines with crowns that match the shade of the central incisors. Ideally, he or she should also have a nice profile, a Class II dental relationship, and no crowding in the mandibular arch. However, many patients do not meet these criteria, and multiple veneers often need to be placed on the anterior teeth to overcome the
Achilles tendonopathy and tendon rupture: Conservative versus surgical management

Injuries to the Achilles tendon are common in primary care. Insertional tendonitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, and paratenonitis are acute injuries usually treated conservatively with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory measures, and physical rehabilitation. Causative factors such as improper training or biomechanical abnormalities must be corrected to prevent reoccurrence. Achilles tendinosis is a chronic condition that does not always cause clinical symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are thought to be due to microtrauma or progressive failure resulting in inflammation. Again, conservative treatment usually relieves symptoms, but treatment may be prolonged. Surgical treatment may occasionally be recommended. With rupture of the Achilles, there exists some controversy regarding the advantage of conservative versus surgical management. Treatment should be based on individual patient considerations and expectations.
Large-scale mitochondrial DNA deletion mutations and nuclear genome instability in human breast cancer

Abstract Deletion mutations in mitochondrial (mt) DNA (mtDNA) as well as microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in nuclear DNA (nDNA) exist in human cancer. We determined if: (1) large-scale mtDNA deletion mutations were present in cancerous and not in normal breast tissue, and (2) combining mt- and nDNA findings would provide complementary information to identify breast cancer. Thirty-nine matched breast cancer/histologically normal and 23 "true" normal tissue samples from women without breast cancer were microdissected and DNA extracted. 4977, ∼3938, ∼4388 and ∼4576bp deletions were observed, with the 4576bp deletion being present in 0% of true normal, 13% of histologically normal specimens from a cancerous breast and 77% of breast cancers. The other three deletions were not specific to a breast containing cancer. LOH was found in 66.7% and MSI in 38.5% of samples. 38/39 (97.4%) tumors had at least one nDNA or 4576bp mtDNA alteration, suggesting that mt- and nDNA analysis provides complementary information in breast cancer detection. The 4576bp deletion appears to indicate cancer in the breast. The higher mtDNA copy number in cancer coupled with a mtDNA deletion mutation which appears specific for breasts which contain cancer may prove to be a good target to screen for cancer in the breast, including specimens of low and/or mixed cellularity.
Supplier- and buyer-driven channels in a two-stage supply chain

In this paper we explore the impact of power structure on price, sensitivity of market price, and profits in a two-stage supply chain with a single-product, -supplier and -buyer. We develop and analyze the case where the supplier has dominant bargaining power and the case where the buyer has dominant bargaining power, and consider a pricing scheme for the buyer that involves both a multiplier and a constant mark up. We show that it is optimal for the buyer to set the mark-up to zero and use only a multiplier and that the market price and its sensitivity are higher when operational costs (namely distribution and inventory) exist. We also observe that the sensitivity of the market price increases nonlinearly as the wholesale price increases, and derive a lower bound for it. Through experimental analysis, we show that marginal impact of increasing shipment cost and carrying charge (interest rate) on prices and profits are decreasing in both cases.
Hydrazine-air fuel cell power sources

The design, construction, and test of 5 kw, 40 kw, and 0.3 kw hydrazine-air fuel cell systems are discussed. Light weight and compact cell stack components were developed to meet cell stack goals of 16 pounds/kw and 0.25 cu.ft./kw. Militarized silent power sources of 300 watts and 5 kw, 28 volt d.c. were constructed. Test restLlts are discussed. The results prove that compact, silent, hydrazine-air fuel cell power sources are capable of field Army use and yield specific power densities in excess of 100 watt hours/lb.