cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Evolution of Accelerated Pavement Testing for U. S. Military Airfield Pavements at the Waterways Experiment Station

Since the early 1940s, researchers at the U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg, Mississippi have relied on accelerated pavement testing (APT) to develop airfield pavement design and evaluation procedures critical to the construction and safe operation of military airfields. In 1941, the U.S. Army built the XB-19 bomber that weighed 711.7 kN (160,000 lb). At that time, all asphalt pavements on airfields were constructed using extrapolated criteria from highway pavement designs. The XB-19 sunk through the under-designed asphalt pavement and destroyed an entire airfield during its maiden voyage. Army leaders turned to WES to develop procedures for designing pavements capable of supporting such massive aircraft loads. After the new California Bearing Ratio (CBR) design procedures for flexible airfield pavements were developed, APT was immediately used to begin validating the new procedures. As the years went by, aircraft continued to advance. Multiple wheels were added to distribute the heavy loads across larger sections of pavements. New APT devices were developed to adapt these more complicated landing gear structures. Gross weights increased to nearly 4,448 kN (1,000,000 lb) by the 1960s. Advanced fighter aircraft were developed with tire pressures as high as 2.76 MPa (400 psi). With each new advancement, APT devices were required to validate design procedures and to evaluate new materials and construction techniques. This paper discusses some of the challenges researchers faced and how they used unique APT solutions to evaluate emerging pavement designs as they developed criteria for constructing military airfields for the United States.
Against Interpretation: Searching Marina Abramović’s Face

In this article, I explore some of Marina Abramovic’s artworks as a reference point for developing a possible philosophical orientation that privileges lingering in the search of research. Abramovi...
Expert-in-the-loop AI for Polymer Discovery

The use of AI in knowledge dense domains, e.g., chemistry, medicine, biology, etc. - is extremely promising, but often suffers from slow deployment and adaptation to different tasks. We propose a methodology to quickly capture the intent and expertise of a domain expert in order to train personalized AI models for specific tasks. Specifically we focus on the domain of polymer materials design and discovery: it often takes 10 years or more to design, synthesize, test, and introduce a new polymer material into the market. One way to accelerate up the design of polymer materials is through the use of computational methods to design the material, such as combinatorial screening, generative models, inverse design, etc. The drawback of these methods is that they generate a large number of candidates for new molecules, which then need to be manually reviewed by subject matter experts who select only a dozen for further investigation. Our solution is a human-in-the-loop methodology where we rank the candidates according to a utility function that is learned via the continued interaction with the subject matter experts, but which is also constrained by specific chemical knowledge. We prove the viability of our proposed methodology in a polymer production lab and we (i) evaluate against datasets of polymers previously produced in the lab as well as (ii) producing several novel materials that are undergoing experimental development, and (iii) quantitatively show that standard synthetic accessibility scores do not inform about patterns of SME decisions.
Photography for Evaluating Patients with Hair Loss

Physicians are continuously required by our peers, patients, payers, and the government to provide proof that our interventions are beneficial to the patient, and to measure the quality of our care. These data are in turn used by payers for justifying reimbursement and by patients for selecting a provider. In facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, demonstrating benefit and measuring quality are challenging because of the constructs available to measure our outcomes. Whereas many other medical disciplines can rely on objective measurements to assess the efficacy of their interventions, we are often forced to rely on more subjective concepts such as attractiveness and happiness. As a result, facial plastic surgeons have recently made a concerted effort to develop more objective outcome assessments. Many of these outcomes are direct measurements made from photographs taken of patients in the perioperative period [3] or social perceptions based on a photograph [2].
Foster Care Factors and Permanency for Children With Substance-Related Removals:

Children in foster care due to parental substance use disorder are at high risk for delayed permanency. Understudied is the effect of foster care factors on these children’s exits from care. This s...
Mobile and Airborne Lidar Scanning of Beach Elevation Change Due to Hurricane Harvey

This study utilized a mobile lidar system (MLS) for rapid post-storm damage assessment of the beach and foredune structure along a section of sandy beach on North Padre Island, Texas, located roughly 50 km south of San Jose Island where Hurricane Harvey first made landfall. Strong winds, storm surge levels, and flooding resulted in rapid change of the beach and foredune structures. MLS data were collected on September 5, 2017, only 11 days after Harvey made landfall. The system used is called a Velodyne HDL-32E (made by LidarUSA) and is a lower cost, shorter range scanner. Tests were conducted to ensure scanner accuracy and a “best practices” procedure for initialization of the positioning and orientation system was produced. Results concluded that more tests must be completed before using the scanner in dynamic driving patterns. However, post-Harvey scans aligned well with pre-Harvey airborne lidar data collected over the region, and these data were used to measure beach erosion stemming from the storm.
TwAS: treadmill with adjustable surface stiffness

Abstract In biomechanics of human locomotion, the physical properties of the walking surface are important factors that can affect the kinematics and dynamics as well as the energy requirement of the locomotion. Softness of the surface is a critical factor when it comes to rehabilitation applications for mobility impaired patients. Many poststroke patients are prescribed to walk on a compliant surface such as foam walkways to better prepared them for the real-world scenarios such as walking on grass, mud, etc. However, and while the softness of foam walkways is not adjustable, the best level of surface stiffness differs from one patient to another, and even for one individual patient the best level of surface stiffness changes as the rehabilitation process progresses. Furthermore, during the initial stages of rehabilitation for mobility impaired patients, partially canceling the weight is another important factor as many of these patients are not able to support their own weight during walking. This chapter presents a novel dual belt Treadmill with Adjustable Stiffness (TwAS) where speed and surface stiffness of each belt can be independently adjusted based on what is best for a particular user. In addition, the TwAS treadmill is integrated with the following systems: a weight cancelation hydraulically actuated harness system LiteGait, motion capture system with eight Vicon cameras, and a ParvoMedics VO2max metabolic cost measurement system. With this integrated system, a mobility impaired patient can walk at different speeds, on different surface stiffness levels while the walking kinematics can be tracked by the motion capture system and the energy expenditure can be measured by the VO2max system. Furthermore, using the model-based surface stiffness level together with the tracked surface deflection using the motion capture system, the ground reaction force can be calculated which can be used to understand the joints’ torques through inverse dynamic approaches. This system can provide a unique rehabilitation and evaluation platform for the therapist as it can provide real-time data on the performance of mobility impaired patients. This system is also a valuable tool for rehabilitation of injured athletes.
Salvage radiotherapy for primary refractory and relapsed diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, accounting for 30–40% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases and presenting later in life, most often in the six...
Phase-Sensitive Characterization of Dynamics in Biofilms in Response to Chemical Cues

Bacterial biofilm shows different dynamics in response to the environment. Three-dimensional phase-sensitive optical sectioning characterizes the dynamics inside of biofilm by the optical texture and the systematic Doppler shift measurements.
Hypoglycemia in Pancreatic Disease

Plasma glucose is maintained in a narrow range (~60 to ~120 mg/dl or 3.3 to 6.7 mmol). Glucose that falls significantly below this concentration is a potentially life threatening medical emergency. Severe hypoglycemia is associated with increased mortality in diabetic patients (23). It has been said that, as a group, people with diabetes fear hypoglycemia more than they fear the long term complications of diabetes (2). In this review we consider both the severe forms of hypoglycemia that may occur in diabetic patients with an underlying disease of the pancreas (pancreatogenic diabetes) and uncommon forms of hyperglycemia that result from pancreatic disorders in the absence of diabetes
L’esplorazione addominale: cercare ció che non va

Quando il chirurgo apre l’addome non e raro che egli sappia gia cosa l’aspetta: il quadro clinico e/o gli esami ausiliari lo guidano verso la diagnosi del processo patologico. Tuttavia, in molti casi, egli esplora l’ignoto, guidato esclusivamente dai segni di irritazione peritoneale che lo spingono ad ipotizzare che la cavita peritoneale sia piena di sangue o pus.
DNA-Binding Proteins and Chromatin

Procaryotic genomic DNA and associated proteins together form an irregularly shaped structure, designated as the nucleoid. In contrast to the range of different chromatin proteins identified in bacteria, almost all eucaryal genomes are compacted into nucleosomes, chromatin, and chromosomes by essentially the same four proteins, histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. This chapter describes several different families of archaeal chromatin proteins with unrelated structures, but with the common properties of abundance, small size, positive charge, and ability to bind to DNA with little or no sequence specificity. Alba does bind to both DNA and RNA in Sulfolobus species, but chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments argue convincingly that Alba is bound to genomic DNA and functions as a chromatin protein in S. solfataricus. Sul10a is the generic name of an abundant ~11 kDa DNA-binding protein investigated from S. acidocaldarius (Sac10a) and S. solfataricus (Sso10a). An NMR solution structure has been established for methanogen chromosomal protein 1 (MC1) from Methanosarcina sp. CHTI55. It is apparent that many different chromatin proteins have evolved, all of which must bind and compact DNA into complexes that are readily disassembled, or that are inherently compatible with DNA replication and transcription machineries. Gene expression requires transcription activators, for example, histone acetylases that help disassemble chromatin and so allow transcription factor access to the DNA. With the accumulation of genome sequences, it is now apparent that most archaea have the capacity to synthesize several different chromatin proteins.
Why we permute blocks

In randomized controlled experimental studies, the process of randomization is used to ensure internal validity of the estimation of intervention effects, objectivity in the assignment to intervent...
Remembering the Great Depression in the Rural South

What was most impressive about this book was the diversity of those interviewed—African Americans and whites, males and females, former tenant farmers and sharecroppers, factory and mill workers, o...
Transfer-function interpretation of a new all-linear, constant-coefficient adaptive controller

In a series of previous papers, the author introduced an approach to adaptive control based on the ideas of disturbance-accommodating control (DAC). This approach leads to a class of adaptive controllers that, in many cases, are completely linear and time-invariant. A representative example of one of these all-linear, time-invariant adaptive controllers is analytically examined from the classical transfer function viewpoint. This analysis reveals a unique mathematical structure of the controller's transfer function, which provides a simple explanation for the controller's remarkable adaptive capabilities. >
Post‐fire bedload sediment delivery across spatial scales in the interior western United States

Post-fire sediment yields can be up to three orders of magnitude greater than sediment yields in unburned forests. Much of the research on post-fire erosion rates has been at small scales (100 m2 or less), and post-fire sediment delivery rates across spatial scales have not been quantified in detail. We developed relationships for post-fire bedload sediment delivery rates for spatial scales up to 117 ha using sediment yield data from six published studies and two recently established study sites. Sediment yields and sediment delivery ratios (SDRs; sediment delivered at the catchment scale divided by the sediment delivered from a plot nested within the catchment) were related to site factors including rainfall characteristics, area, length, and ground cover. Unit-area sediment yields significantly decreased with increasing area in five of the six sites. The annual SDRs ranged from 0.0089 to 1.15 and these were more closely related to the ratio of the plot lengths than the ratio of plot areas. The developed statistical relationships will help quantify post-fire sediment delivery rates across spatial scales in the interior western United States and develop process-based scaling relationships. Published in 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Ciliated hepatic foregut cyst: A report of 6 cases and a review of the English literature

Ciliated hepatic foregut cyst (CHFC) is a rare cystic lesion most commonly identified in segment 4 of the liver that arises from the embryonic foregut. The classic histologic pattern is comprised of 4 distinct layers (inner ciliated epithelial lining, smooth muscle, loose connective tissue, fibrous capsule). Although rare, cases of metaplastic and malignant epithelial lining have been described in CHFC. We report 6 additional cases of CHFC, one of which had gastric metaplasia of the cyst lining, and review all reported cases of CHFC in the English literature. We describe the clinicopathologic analysis of 6 cases, with selective immunohistochemical analysis on 1 case with gastric metaplasia. Cases occurred in 4 women and 2 men (average age 55 years, range 42 to 67 years). Cysts ranged in size from 0.7 to 17 cm (average 7.2 cm) and were grossly tan-pink to white with blood-filled contents. The majority were located in segment 4 of the liver, however 2 were located in the porta hepatis. Tumor serologies (CA19-9 and/or CEA) were performed in 3 cases; 1 case demonstrated elevated CA19-9, and 2 cases had laboratory values within normal limits. All cases showed the classic histologic findings, however one case additionally had extensive gastric metaplasia. In conclusion, CHFC is a rare diagnostic entity that should be considered in the differential diagnosis for cystic hepatic lesions, particularly those located in segment 4 of the liver. Metaplasia and squamous carcinoma can occur, therefore complete surgical excision is the recommended treatment.
Broadening Horizons: Self‐Expansion in Relational and Non‐Relational Contexts

AbstractThe self-expansion model posits that individuals are motivated to broaden their sense of self byacquiring new identities, developing new perspectives, enhancing capabilities, and gaining resources.The self-expansion motivation is driven by individuals’ desire to increase their potential self-efﬁcacyand ability to accomplish goals. In this article, we discuss two main ways individuals self-expand – byforming relationships and including the other in the self and through engaging in novel activitiesthat are challenging and/or interesting either on one’s own or with a relationship partner. We pro-vide an overview of recent research detailing the numerous interpersonal and intrapersonal beneﬁtsand implications of self-expansion. Additionally, we differentiate self-expansion from a series ofpotentially associated constructs. Individuals have a variety of life experiences, but certain experiences can actually alter indi-viduals’ self-concepts (i.e., the collective set of beliefs individuals have about themselves;Markus & Wurf, 1987). For example, individuals in romantic relationships may indicate thattheir partners “make them a better person”. Others may seek out new and challengingexperiences on their own in order to “broaden their horizons”. In either of these cases,individuals seek out particular life experiences that help them add to their sense of self orwhat researchers call self-expansion (e.g., Aron & Aron, 1986). At its core, self-expansionentails the addition of content to the self-concept through experiences that are novel,interesting, and (at times) challenging.The self-expansion model posits that individuals are motivated to broaden their sense ofself by acquiring new identities, developing new perspectives, enhancing capabilities, andgaining resources (Aron & Aron, 1986; Aron & Aron, 1997; Aron, Lewandowski, Mashek,& Aron, 2013). This motivation for pursing self-expansion opportunities is driven byindividuals’ desire to increase their potential self-efﬁcacy and ability to accomplish goals, aswell as to decrease boredom (Aron, Norman, & Aron, 1998; Aron et al., 2013; Tsapelas,Aron, & Orbuch, 2009).Individuals can experience self-expansion through a variety of ways. According to themodel, individuals self-expand primarily through close relationships (Aron & Aron, 1986;Aron et al., 2013). For example, individuals may self-expand through developing newrelationships, increasing commitment toacurrent romantic partner (e.g., byprogressing fromdating to married, individuals may have access to more of their partner’s resources), orengaginginvariousnovelandinterestingexperienceswitharomanticpartner.However,morerecent research demonstrates how self-expansion occurs within individuals (e.g., Mattingly &Lewandowski, 2013a, 2013b). In the ﬁrst part of this article, we provide an overview of themost studied form of self-expansion– relational self-expansion– as well as how self-expan-sion affects interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes. In the second part of this article, we
The neurobehavioral teratology of retinoids: A 50‐year history

This review of the central nervous system (CNS) and behavioral teratology of the retinoids over the last 50 years is a commemorative retrospective organized by decade to show the prominent research focus within each period and the most salient findings. In the 1960s, research focused on the gross CNS malformations associated with exposure and the delineation of dose-response and stage-specific responses in rodent models. Relevant scientific events before and during the 1960s are also discussed to provide the zeitgeist in which the field of neurobehavioral teratology emerged in the 1970s. During this period, studies demonstrated that adverse effects on postnatal behavior could be produced in animals exposed to doses of vitamin A lower than those that were teratogenic or impacted growth. Work during the 1980s showed an overrepresentation of behavioral studies focused on the reliability of screening methods, while the marked effects of human exposure were illustrated in children born to women treated with isotretinoin during pregnancy. The human catastrophe invigorated research during the 1990s, a period when technological advances allowed more elegant examinations of the developing CNS, of biochemical, cellular, and molecular developmental events and regulatory actions, and of the effects of direct genetic manipulations. Likewise, research in the 1990s reflected a reinvigoration of research in neurobehavioral teratology evinced in studies that used animal models to try to better understand human vulnerability. These foci continued in the 2000-2010 period while examinations of the role of retinoids in brain development and lifelong functioning became increasingly sophisticated and broader in scope. This review of the work on retinoids also provides a lens on the more general ontogeny of the field of neurobehavioral teratology. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pediatric obesity and walking duration increase medial tibiofemoral compartment contact forces

With the high prevalence of pediatric obesity there is a need for structured physical activity during childhood. However, altered tibiofemoral loading during physical activity in obese children likely contribute to their increased risk of orthopedic disorders of the knee. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of pediatric obesity and walking duration on medial and lateral tibiofemoral contact forces. We collected experimental biomechanics data during treadmill walking at 1 m•s(-1) for 20 min in 10 obese and 10 healthy-weight 8-12 year-olds. We created subject-specific musculoskeletal models using radiographic measures of tibiofemoral alignment and centers-of-pressure, and predicted medial and lateral tibiofemoral contact forces at the beginning and end of each trial. Obesity and walking duration affected tibiofemoral loading. At the beginning of the trail, the average percent of the total load passing through the medial compartment during stance was 85% in the obese children and 63% in the healthy-weight children; at the end of the trial, the medial distribution was 90% in the obese children and 72% in the healthy-weight children. Medial compartment loading rates were 1.78 times greater in the obese participants. The medial compartment loading rate increased 17% in both groups at the end compared to the beginning of the trial (p = 0.001). We found a strong linear relationship between body-fat percentage and the medial-lateral load distribution (r(2) = 0.79). Altered tibiofemoral loading during walking in obese children may contribute to their increased risk of knee pain and pathology.
Immunological studies of young adults with severe periodontitis. I. Medical evaluation and humoral factors.

Cellular responses of young adults with severe periodontitis (SP) were compared to the cellular responses of young adults with a healthy periodontium (HP). Analyses included T-cell and B-cell levels, blast transformation, production of leukocyte inhibitory factor (LIF), and phagocytosis and killing by peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's). The levels of T- and B-cells were virtually identical in the HP and SP groups. In blastogenesis assays SP subjects tended to respond to bacterial extracts more frequently than did HP subjects although the differences in frequency were not statistically significant for any single stimulant. The average of the blastogenic response for the SP responders did not differ from the magnitude of the response for the HP responders for any stimulant. However, female SP responders tended to respond higher to the bacterial extracts than did the female HP responders. Conversely, the male SP responders tended to respond lower than the male HP responders. Responses to PHA did not differ between groups. However, thymidine uptake in unstimulated control cultures from the SP subjects was significantly lower than the average background in cultures from HP subjects. The difference held for both males and females. Production of LIF, assessed after stimulation by bacterial extracts, did not differentiate between the SP and HP groups, nor did phagocytosis or killing of Streptococcus sanguis by PMN's.
The history of articulators: the Contributions of Rudolph L. Hanau and his company--part I.

This article is an historical overview of the Hanau Engineering Company from the time of Rudolph Hanau's death in 1930 to the present. It explores the development of many articulators intended both for removable and fixed prosthodontic restorations. The article is divided into the eras of the company's corporate history, and it reviews articulator designs and major improvements made during each of those periods.
Effect of Nature of Surfaces on Wetting of Sapphire by Liquid Aluminum

Contact angles of aluminum drops on sapphire measured under vacuum conditions from 660° to 1250°C generally fell into three ranges. Large obtuse contact angles indicating interfacial energies greater than either of the two surface energies were obtained up to about 900°C; van der Waals bonding then existed at a compound interface. In the intermediate range, contact angles were 90° or slightly greater indicating a common interface with an energy, sγl, greater than sγg but less than lγg. Acute contact angles indicating a sγl less than sγg and greater than lγg occurred above about 950°C because of the formation of a high temperature complex surface structure with sγg > lγg. A hydroxylated sapphire surface has a lower sγg which increases with gradual dehydroxylation and conversion to the high temperature surface structure with a corresponding change in contact angle through the three ranges. Chemical bonding existed in the latter two ranges. Reactions occurred between Al and the sapphire surface to form volatile species at contact angles less than 90°. Molten Al normally has an oxide coating the effect of which appears to be removed at about 870° C.
Phylogenetic Studies of the Rodent Family Gerbillidae: I. Chromosomal Evolution in the Southern African Complex

Chromosomes of several southern African gerbils were examined and compared by G- and C-banding techniques: Desmodillus auricularis, Gerbillurus paeba, G. vallinus, Tatera afra, T. brantsii , and T. leucogastor . Intraspecific chromosomal variation involves an inversion and a euchromatic addition in G. paeba , and heterochromatic additions in G. vallinus and the Tatera species. Chromosomal evolution in the southern African gerbils has been characterized by a minimum of 7 centric fissions, 6 centric fusions, 1 tandem fusion, 7 inversions (one unfixed), 6 translocations, and numerous but individually variable constitutive heterochromatic additions. The close affinity of the genera Tatera and Gerbillurus is confirmed by cladistic analysis of chromosomal data. Gerbillurus paeba (2n = 36) and G. vallinus (2n = 60) evidently arose from a common ancestor that had a 2n = 44; events leading to the former were fusions, to the latter fissions. This illustrates the hazard of assuming either a general decrease or increase in diploid numbers for any group of mammals.
On the reaction sequence of WC-Co formation using an integrated mechanical and thermal activation process

Abstract A systematic study on the reaction sequence of WC–Co composite formation by annealing high energy ball milled WO 3 , CoO and graphite powder mixtures in a hydrogen atmosphere has been conducted. X-ray diffraction has been used as the main tool to analyze the phase transformation of the powder mixture during processing. It was observed that WO 3 is reduced to W phase by passing through the intermediate W 20 O 58 and WO 2 phases and the subsequent carburization sequence appears as W→Co 6 W 6 C→Co 3 W 3 C→W 2 C→WC. The intermediate Co 3 W has been found in the reduction stage, which can be subsequently carburized at higher temperatures.
Seismic attenuation in artificial glass cracks: Physical and physicochemical effects of fluids

Attenuation and stiffness of artificial, fluid containing cracks are measured from 3 mHz to 10 Hz. The cracks are wedge-shaped; made from glass microscope slides. To explain the frequency dependence of both the attenuation and the stiffness (akin to a modulus), we need to appeal to well known fluid flow mechanisms and to the physicochemical interaction between the fluid and crack surface. By altering the wettability of the crack surfaces, surfactants change the mobility of water and thereby change the frequency dependence of the fluid flow effects by several orders of magnitude.
Immunostimulatory Effects of Cycloartane-Type Triterpene Glycosides from Astragalus Species

In the course of our research on the oligoglycosidic constitutents of Turkish Astragalus species, we have isolated a number of cycloartane-type triterpene glycosides. The current study examines the immunostimulatory effects of nineteen of these cycloartane-type compounds using a transcription-based bioassay for Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation in a human macrophage/monocyte cell line, THP-1. All compounds were inactive at 100 μg/ml except astragaloside I which increased NF-κB directed luciferase expression to levels about 65% as compared with maximal stimulation by E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 10 μg/ml. None of the compounds were active at low dosage levels (0.1 μg/ml) in combination with 50 ng/ml LPS. Astragaloside I also increased mRNA expression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as measured using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT)-PCR. Based on these results it is clear that certain structural features are required for immunostimulation of cycloartane-type triterpene glycosides.
The influence of potassium and rifampicin on the expression of bacteriophage T2 prereplicative genes in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract The transcription of specific mRNA from T2 phage DNA by purified Escherichia coli RNA polymerase was markedly affected by the concentration of KCl. Thus the genes for dihydrofolate reductase and deoxynucleotide kinase were transcribed at 50 m m KCl, but at 200 m m KCl the synthesis of the kinase mRNA was nearly eliminated and that of the reductase was increased slightly. Rifampicin-resistant initiation complexes formed at 200 m m KCl failed to produce appreciable kinase mRNA despite reduction of the KCl concentration to 50 m m following initiation of RNA chain elongation. This result suggests that the RNA polymerase holoenzyme does not bind to deoxynucleotide kinase promoters in the presence of 200 m m KCl in a manner capable of initiating synthesis of this message. Initiation complex formation at 50 m m KCl, however, permitted the synthesis of deoxynucleotide kinase mRNA at 200 m m KCl indicating that once formed the initiation complex is capable of producing message even at high salt. The KCl effect on gene expression was reproduced in a coupled E. coli cell-free system directed by T2 DNA. However, in this case the inhibition of protein synthesis at high concentrations of KCl was due primarily to the chloride ions and could be alleviated by substituting acetate for chloride. The synthesis of mRNA in the coupled system was similar with either anion. Analysis of proteins synthesized in the coupled system by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that, like deoxynucleotide kinase, the synthesis of several additional gene products was influenced by the concentration of KCl. The genes coding for these products, including deoxynucleotide kinase, belong to a class whose transcription is reduced or eliminated in vivo on addition of rifampicin at 1 min postinfection and are referred to as “quasilate.” Evidence is presented to indicate that the mRNAs for deoxynucleotide kinase, dihydrofolate reductase, and deoxycytidylate deaminase are produced in excess of the levels needed for optimal synthesis of these enzymes during normal infection.
Top-gated few-electron double quantum dot in Si/SiGe

Abstract A few-electron quantum dot utilizing Schottky, metal top gates in a modulation doped Si/SiGe heterostructure was realized and non-linear transport through the dot was studied. By carefully tuning the capacitively coupled gates, the single quantum dot was transformed into two tunnel-coupled quantum dots in series. The resulting double quantum dot was tuned to the few-electron regime and the charge stability diagram was studied as a function of the gate voltages. Understanding of such a double dot system is essential for the practical implementation of exchange-mediated multi-qubit systems in silicon devices.
Design of particulate composites for optical applications

This paper reviews the basic theoretical approach to describing light scattering in filled materials with nearly matching refractive indices (Rayleigh-Gans-Debye Theory). The modifications necessary to handle high filler concentrations (interparticle interference and multiple scattering) are included empirically. The primary result of this analysis is an expression for the optical transmission of a polymer composite as a function of particle size, volume fraction, composite thickness, and refractive index difference between the components. The angular dependence of the scattering is included so that scattered light which falls within the aperture of the transmission detector can be accounted for, Particular attention is given to including the temperature dependence of the refractive index and the effect of fillers on the thermal expansion properties of the polymer matrix in order to predict the temperature range over which the composite will be optically useful. Similarity to analyses of the Christiansen filter is discussed.
A reweighting of receptor mechanisms in the ground squirrel retina: PIII and B-wave spectral sensitivity functions

PIII and b-wave spectral sensitivity functions were measured under various adapted conditions in the 13-lined ground squirrel. The PIII was isolated by intravitreal injection of sodium L-aspartate. Under the conditions studied, the PIII spectral sensitivity function always fitted the absorption spectrum of a 518 +/- 3 mm Dartnall nomogram. This suggests that of the three photoreceptors ('rod-like', 'blue' cone and 'green' cone) present in the 13-lined ground squirrel the green cones are the overwhelming majority. The dark-adapted b-wave had two components; a b1-wave with a spectral sensitivity that fitted a 516 +/- 1 nm Dartnall nomogram and a b2-wave with a spectral sensitivity that fitted a 502 +/- 4 nm Dartnall nomogram. The light-adapted b-wave had a spectral sensitivity that fitted a 516 +/- 2 nm Dartnall nomogram.
Variables influencing sentencing severity: Intercourt differences in Connecticut

Studies of criminal-court dispositions have traditionally aggregated courts along political and geographic boundaries. This article suggests that courts should be analyzed individually, even within the same jurisdiction, as a means of increasing the explanatory capacity of the variables involved. Further, it is contended that intercourt differences are a result of organizational influences operating within each court.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria on incidentally discovered adrenal mass.

For patients without a history of malignancy, most small (less than 3 cm) incidentally discovered adrenal masses are benign, and extensive and costly workup is usually not justified. For incidentalomas from 3 to 5 cm in size, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, 2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography, adrenal biopsy, or surgery can be considered. Lesions larger than 5 cm should be removed because of the higher risk for malignancy. For patients with histories of malignancy, incidentally discovered adrenal masses are more often malignant, and thus even smaller adrenal lesions are suspect. Adrenal biopsy should be reserved for cases in which the results of noninvasive techniques are equivocal.
Making numbers out of magnitudes

We argue that number principles may be learnable instead of innate, by suggesting that children acquire probabilistically true number concepts rather than algorithms. We also suggest that non-propositional representational formats (e.g., mental models) may implicitly provide information that supports the induction of numerical principles. Given probabilistically true number concepts, the problem of the acquisition of mathematical principles is eliminated.
Complex-temperature phase diagram of the 1D Z6 clock model and its connection with higher-dimensional models☆

Abstract We determine the exact complex-temperature (CT) phase diagram of the 1D Z6 clock model. This is of interest because it is the first exactly solved system with a CT phase boundary exhibiting a finite-K intersection point where an odd number of curves (namely, three) meet, and yields a deeper insight into this phenomenon. Such intersection points occur in the 3D spin 1 2 Ising model and appear to occur in the 2D spin 1 Ising model. Further, extending our earlier work on the higher-spin Ising model, we point out an intriguing connection between the CT phase diagrams for the 1D and 2D Z6 clock models.
Considerations of net present value in policy making regarding diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

Background The pharmaceutical and medical device industries function in a business environment in which shareholders expect companies to optimize profit within legal and ethical standards. A fundamental tool used to optimize decision making is the net present value calculation, which estimates the current value of cash flows relating to an investment. Methods We examined 3 prototypical research investment decisions that have been the source of public scrutiny to illustrate how policy decisions can be better understood when their impact on societally desirable investments by industry are viewed from the standpoint of their impact on net present value. Results In the case of direct, comparative clinical trials, a simple net present value calculation provides insight into why companies eschew such investments. In the case of pediatric clinical trials, the Pediatric Extension Rule changed the net present value calculation from unattractive to potentially very attractive by allowing patent extensions; thus, the dramatic increase in pediatric clinical trials can be explained by the financial return on investment. In the case of products for small markets, the fixed costs of development make this option financially unattractive. Conclusions Policy decisions can be better understood when their impact on societally desirable investments by the pharmaceutical and medical device industries are viewed from the standpoint of their impact on net present value.
P04.83. What factors influence the use of integrative medicine (IM) modalities by infectious disease (ID) physicians

Methods In a 2010 national survey of 1000 practicing ID physicians, participants were asked to report the extent (major, minor or not at all) to which the following considerations played a role in their recommendation/referral of IM modalities: (1) Knowledge of how and when to use them; (2) Amount of clinical research showing clear benefit; (3) Insurance; (4) Cost; (5) Reliable referral base; (6) Concern for professional reputation; (7) Fear of judgment from colleagues; (8) Insufficient regulatory oversight of supplements; and (9) Potential drug interactions with botanicals/supplements. Results A total of 311 (31%) ID physicians responded to the survey. The mean age was 49 and 64% of respondents were male. Their responses to the questions are listed below.
Regression-based due date assignment rules for improved assembly shop performance

Many simulation studies have evaluated sequencing rules and due date assignment methods for scheduling job shops. More recently researchers have studied multistage, or assembly, shops. Typically, due dates have been set by using a fixed multiple of the critical path length. This paper evaluates the effects on shop performance due to using a regression-based approach for setting due dates. The findings show that marked improvement in the performance of dispatching rules can occur when the proposed due date setting procedure is used.
Removal of sulfur components from low sulfur gasoline using copper exchanged zeolite Y at ambient temperature

Copper-exchanged zeolite Y has been shown to be an effective material for removal of a variety of sulfur species from hydrocarbon streams, and both monovalent (Cu(I)) and divalent (Cu(II)Y) materials have been claimed to be effective. In this work we discuss experiments aimed at providing a direct performance comparison between the two copper-containing materials. Cu(I)Y zeolite is somewhat more effective than Cu(II)Y in removing thiophene from various fuel blends. Capacity of both materials for thiophene diminishes markedly when aromatics and/or olefins are present, and Cu(I)Y immediately turns dark on exposure to such feeds. Both materials demonstrate ability to convert thiols to disulfides at ambient temperature.
Modifying CLJP to select grid hierarchies with lower operator complexities and better performance

Algebraic multigrid (AMG) is an efficient algorithm for solving certain types of large, sparse linear systems. For solving very large problems with AMG it becomes necessary to use parallel algorithms. Coarse grid selection algorithms such as CLJP were created to parallelize the setup phase of AMG. For some problems, such as those discretized on structured meshes, CLJP tends to select coarse grids with more nodes than alternative coarsening algorithms. In this paper, the cause for the selection of too many coarse nodes by CLJP is examined, and a new technique which lowers the operator complexities generated by CLJP is introduced. To validate the new method, the modified CLJP is compared to other coarsening algorithms for large-scale problems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NONLINEAR EVOLUTION OF SUBSONIC AND SUPERSONIC DISTURBANCES ON A COMPRESSIBLE FREE SHEAR LAYER

The effects of a nonlinear-nonequilibrium-viscous critical layer on the spatial evolution of subsonic and supersonic instability modes on a compressible free shear layer is considered. It is shown that the instability wave amplitude is governed by an integrodifferential equation with cubic-type nonlinearity. Numerical and asymptotic solutions to this equation show that the amplitude either ends in a singularity at a finite downstream distance or reaches an equilibrium value, depending on the Prandtl number, viscosity law, viscous parameter and a real parameter which is determined by the linear inviscid stability theory. A necessary condition for the existence of the equilibrium solution is derived, and whether or not this condition is met is determined numerically for a wide range of physical parameters including both subsonic and supersonic disturbances. it is found that no equilibrium solution exists for the subsonic modes unless the temperature ratio of the low-to-high-speed streams exceeds a critical value, while equilibrium solutions for the most rapidly growing supersonic mode exist over most of the parameter range examined.
Polyflex expandable stents in the treatment of esophageal disease: initial experience.

Background The new generation of expandable plastic esophageal stents (Polyflex; Boston Scientific, Natick, MA), combine the features of plastic and self-expanding metallic stents. The main objective of this study is to evaluate our initial experience with Polyflex expandable stents in the treatment of esophageal disease from two institutions. Methods A total of 58 Polyflex stents were placed in 38 patients over a two-year period. There were 24 men and 14 women, with a median age of 63 years (range, 25 to 83). The most common indication for placement was an esophageal stricture in 25 patients (66%); other causes included leak in 8 (21%) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in 5 (13%). We evaluated the hospital course, complications, and outcomes. Results The median postoperative stay was one day. Complications included migration in 38 stents (63%) (28 patients; 73%), retrosternal chest discomfort in nine, reflux in four, airway obstruction in one, and food impaction in three. Continued leak or a persistent TEF occurred in five patients (38%). Reintervention was required predominantly due to migration of the stent at a mean interval of 46 days (range, 1 to 353). Patients with dysphagia improved significantly with dysphagia scores (1 = no dysphagia; 5=unable to swallow saliva) improving from 3.44 to 2.15 ( p Conclusions Polyflex stents were effective in the relief of dysphagia due to strictures. They were less effective in esophageal perforations or leaks. Their primary disadvantage is a high migration rate and further improvements in design are required to decrease this high incidence of migration.
Paleoanthropological implications of the Nonarcheological Bone Assemblage from Swartklip I, South-Western Cape Province, South Africa

The relative frequencies of different skeletal elements within the bone assemblage recovered from a late Pleistocene fissure fill at Swartklip (South-Western Cape Province, South Africa) are shown to resemble those in the assemblage from the Transvaal australopithecine site of Makapansgat. Since there is evidence that carnivores, probably hyenas, accumulated the bones at Swartklip, it follows that carnivores, rather than hominids, may have accumulated the bones at Makapansgat.
Optimizing maintenance therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: strategies for improving patient-centered outcomes.

Abstract Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Published practice guidelines and treatment algorithms for COPD are designed to increase awareness of the problem and improve patient care; however, Objective: This paper reviews the use of maintenance therapy in COPD and examines the optimal timing for initiating such therapy based on the available literature. Methods: Relevant publications were identified through a search of MEDLINE (1995-May 2007) using the terms COPD, guidelines, treatment, maintenance therapy, bronchodilator, ipratropium, tiotropium, β-agonist, salmeterol, and inhaled corticosteroid . English-language publications discussing pharmacologic maintenance therapy for COPD, including practice statements/guidelines, randomized controlled clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, with a focus on agents currently approved for use in the United States, were selected for inclusion. Results: Although guidelines and algorithms agree on the importance of regularly scheduled maintenance therapy to reduce symptoms of COPD, minimize activity limitations, and improve health status, the timing of the initiation of such therapy is debatable. In most instances, maintenance medications, which include long-acting β 2 -agonists, long-acting anticholinergics, and combination products, are prescribed late in the disease process and mainly for patients with severe disease. However, there is increasing evidence that the use of maintenance therapy early in the disease process may be associated with improvements in such outcomes as lung function, symptoms, exercise tolerance, exacerbations of COPD, and quality of life. Conclusion: The high burden associated with COPD highlights the need to initiate maintenance therapy before a substantial decline in lung function has occurred.
Design of weak scattering media for controllable light scattering.

We explore the possibility of designing correlation functions of a particle’s scattering potential for producing desired scattered intensity distributions, within the validity of the first Born and far-field approximations. It is shown that for scatterers with the same average distributions of the scattering potential (refractive index) but different degrees of potential’s correlation, the scattered fields with prescribed average intensity distributions can be produced. Two examples of such potentials are included: those for flat circular and ring-like scattered intensities, if considered to be a function of the scattering (azimuthal) angle. In both cases the height, width and edge sharpness can be adjusted at will. Production of the novel media is envisioned via the 3D printing or sequences of liquid crystal light modulators.