cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Optimization Based Methodology to Design Flexible Systems Subjected to Changing Operating Conditions

Flexible systems maintain a high performance level under changing operating conditions or design requirements. Flexible systems acquire this powerful feature by allowing critical aspects of their design con guration to change during the operating life of the product or system. In the design of such systems, designers are often required to make critical decisions regarding the exible and the non-exible aspects of the design con guration. We propose an optimization based methodology to design exible systems that allows a designer to effectively make such critical decisions. The proposed methodology judiciously generates candidate optimal design versions of the exible system. These design versions are evaluated using multiobjective techniques in terms of the level of exibility and the associated penalty. A highly exible system maintains optimal performance under changing operating conditions, but could result in increased cost and complexity of operation. The proposed methodology provides a systematic approach for incorporating designer preferences and selecting the most desirable design version — a feature absent in several recently proposed exible system design frameworks. The developments of this paper are demonstrated with the help of a exible three-bar-truss design example.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Uptake of phenylalanine and tyrosine by a strong-acid cation exchanger

The equilibrium and rate of uptake of the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine by Amberlite 252, a strongly acidic, cation-exchange resin, have been investigated. Uptake of the amino acids by the hydrogen form of the resin occurs primarily by the stoichiometric exchange of hydrogen ions and amino acid cations. The amount of amino acid taken up by the resin can be calculated as a function of solution pH and amino acid concentration from a model that takes into account both solution and ion-exchange equilibria. The rates of uptake of the two amino acids have been determined experimentally for a closed batch system. The results of experiments in which the resin particle size, the flow rate, and the concentration were varied show that intraparticle transport is dominated by the slow diffusion of amino acid cations through the macroreticular polymer structure of the resin, with some contribution from macropore transport of amino acid cations and zwitterions. An intraparticle diffusion model has been developed to describe these results and predict the performance of fixed-bed operations.
Image-guided endoscopic endonasal resection of a recurrent craniopharyngioma

Craniopharyngiomas are benign epithelial-lined neoplasms that commonly arise in the sella turcica. Traditional surgical management of craniopharyngiomas using microsurgical technique entails a transsphenoidal approach via a craniotomy or a sublabial-transseptal incision. In recent years, endoscopic approaches have been used to treat sellar lesions including craniopharyngiomas; however, the otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon’s experience with recurrent craniopharyngiomas has not been reported. We describe our successful experience using an endonasal endoscopic approach to resect a complex recurrent craniopharyngioma.
Carbon Nanotubes, Synthesis, Growth and Orientation Control in Opposed Flow Diffusion Flames

The combustion synthesis of carbon nanotubes is reviewed, examining their formation and control in diffusion flames. Much of the initial work in this area employed coflow diffusion flames and provided insight into carbon nanotube (CNT) formation. However, the inherent multidimensional nature of such coflow flames made the critical spatial location difficult to maintain. Among this early work, our UIC group demonstrated the superiority of the opposed flow diffusion flame configuration due to its uniform radial distribution that reduces such flow to a one-dimensional process. While a summary of the early coflow flame work is presented, the use of the opposed flow diffusion flame will be the focus of this review. The production of carbon nanostructures in the absence of a catalyst is discussed together with the range of morphology of nanostructures generated when a catalyst is employed. The important aspect of control of the growth and orientation of CNTs and generation of CNT arrays through the use of electric fields is examined as is the use of anodized aluminum oxide templates. Fruitful areas for further research such as the functional coating of CNTs with polymers and the application of these opposed flow flames to synthesis of other materials are discussed.
The partitioning of attached and detached eddy motion in the atmospheric surface layer using Lorentz wavelet filtering

Townsend's attached eddy hypothesis states that the turbulent structure in the constant stress layer can be decomposed into attached and detached eddy motion. This paper proposes and tests a methodology for separating the attached and detached eddy motion from time series measurements of velocity and temperature. The proposed methodology is based on the time-frequency localization and filtering capabilities of the orthonormal wavelet transforms. Using a relative entropy statistical measure, the optimal wavelet basis is identified first. The turbulence time series measurements are then transformed into the wavelet domain where the contribution of specific events in the time-frequency domain is identified. The filtering scheme utilizes a recently constructed Lorentz thresholding methodology that successfully eliminates all wavelet coefficients associated with the detached eddy motion. While this filtering scheme lacks the compression efficiency of the classical Donoho and Johnstone's universal thresholding model, it conserves the higher-order statistics and important turbulence interactions related to the Reynolds stresses. Following the filtering scheme, the attached eddy motion time series is re-constructed by an inverse wavelet transform of the non-zero wavelet coefficients. The proposed partitioning methodology for attached and detached eddy motion is tested using 56 Hz triaxial sonic anemometer velocity and temperature measurements above a uniform dry lake bed in Owens valley, California, for a wide range of atmospheric stability conditions. Validation that the wavelet filtered time series represents the attached eddy motion is also discussed in the context of conservation of turbulence energy and surface fluxes.
A resonant frequency tunable, extensional mode piezoelectric vibration harvesting mechanism

Electrical power for distributed, wireless sensors may be harvested from vibrations in the ambient through the use of electromechanical transducers. To be most useful, the electromechanical transducer should maximize the harvested power by matching its resonant frequency to the strongest vibration amplitude in the source's vibration spectrum. This paper introduces a new frequency tunable mechanism wherein the deformation of the piezoelectric elements is primarily in-plane extension, and bending effects may be neglected. The extensional mode resonator (XMR) is formed by suspending a seismic mass with two piezoelectric sheets. The mechanism is made frequency tunable by an adjustable link that symmetrically pre-tensions both piezoelectric sheets. A prototype XMR has been built and tested that has demonstrated adjustable and repeatable resonant frequency variation from 80 to 235 Hz. The electrical power generated by the XMR is also insensitive to the driving frequency, when the resonant frequency is matched to the driving frequency.
A Functional Approach to Module Verification

The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for designing and verifying data abstractions using the functional approach. Before doing so, the existing techniques for designing and verifying procedure and data abstractions will be surveyed briefly. These techniques will then be modified and extended to verify data abstractions. By using the concept of a mathematical function, one can model the behavior of a procedure abstraction and give a more uniform and clearer meaning to the stepwise refinement and verification of procedure abstractions. The concept of a state machine is then used as a basis to specify data abstractions. Using state machine specification, a technique for expressing the design of a data abstraction is then given. A method is then developed to verify the design of a data abstraction with respect to its specifications.
Definition of a novel binding site on CD8 cells for a conserved region of the MHC class Ib molecule Qa-1 that regulates IFN-γ expression

Natural killer (NK) cells and activated CD8 cells both express cytotoxic activity and produce substantial levels of IFN-γ in response to viral and bacterial infections. In the case of NK cells, cellular activation and IFN-γ expression are regulated by an interaction between NK receptors and MHC class Ib molecules, including HLA-E/Qa-1. We have used soluble tetrameric complexes of the murine class Ib molecule Qa-1 to define the significance of this interaction for CD8 cells. We find that all CD8 cells express a receptor for Qa-1 and that ligation of this receptor by Qa-1 results in up-regulation of IFN-γ production.
Les antagonistes de la GnRH et l'hyperplasie bénigne de la prostate

Resume La prise en charge de plus en plus precoce de l'hypertrophie benigne de la prostate (HBP) permet de diminuer le recours a la chirurgie et met ainsi le traitement medical en premiere ligne avec la necessite d'en optimiser l'efficacite et la tolerance. Les alphabloquants et les inhibiteurs de la 5-alpha-reductase representent actuellement les deux principales classes de medicaments utilisees. Le role des androgenes, la testosterone et surtout la dihydrotestosterone intraprostatique, a bien ete identifie dans la croissance du tissu glandulaire et musculofibroblastique de la prostate. Ces donnees physiopathologiques incitent a evaluer l'interet de traitements freinateurs de l'axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-gonadotrope par les analogues de la LHRH. Les agonistes entrainent une castration biologique associee a une nette amelioration des symptomes d'HBP, mais la rechute clinique est systematique a l'arret du traitement. Les antagonistes, en particulier le cetrorelix, ameliorent les symptomes d'HBP avec une persistance du benefice a distance de l'arret du tratiement, en depit d'un effet uniquement transitoire sur le volume prostatique. A l'action hormonale pourrait s'ajouter un effet direct d'apoptose cellulaire et d'inhibition des facteurs de croissance intratissulaire. Les antagonistes de la LH-RH pourraient ainsi devenir une alternative aux molecules actuelles en proposant un traitement relativement court pour un benefice prolonge.
The effect of turnover on work satisfaction and mental health: Support for a situational perspective

This study finds support for the situational approach to affect determination in a prospective, two-year longitudinal field study. Specifically, turnover was shown to predict changes in subsequent job measures of work satisfaction and mental health. Employees who changed jobs and occupations showed greater increases in both work satisfaction and mental health than employees who only changed jobs or employees who remained in their initial positions. Further research directions are introduced.
Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in dystrophic rat retinas: guanosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate anomalies during photoreceptor cell degeneration.

Abstract The kinetic characteristics and enzyme activities of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE), using cyclic-AMP (cyclic-AMP-PDE) or cyclic-GMP (cyclic-GMP-PDE) as substrate, have been measured in developing retinas of control and Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. The latter are afflicted with an inherited degeneration of the retinal photoreceptor cells. Two classes of cyclic-AMP-PDE are localized in the inner layers and one is in the photoreceptor layer of both control and RCS retinas. In RCS retina, the activity of the photoreceptor-specific cyclic-AMP-PDE surpasses that of the control retina during most of the period when rod outer segment debris accumulates, and falls below that of the control retina when the photoreceptor population is depleted. These data suggest that the accumulated debris has the capacity to hydrolyze cyclic-AMP. One class of cyclic-GMP-PDE is localized in the inner layers and one is in the photoreceptor layer of both control and RCS retinas. The kinetic characteristics of cyclic-GMP-PDE in the layers of the RCS retina are similar to those of control retina for the first 14 days of life but, during the period when debris accumulates, the cyclic-GMP-PDE of the inner layers is not demonstrable and that of the photoreceptor layers shows altered kinetics. Thereafter, the latter disappears due to the depletion of the photoreceptor population, and cyclic-GMP-PDE of the inner layers is again observable. The anomalous kinetics and activities of cyclic-GMP-PDE apparently result from the association of cyclic-GMP-PDE enzymes with a heat-denaturable, non-dialyzable material which is derived from the RCS photoreceptor cells and/or accumulated debris. The specificity of the material for cyclic-GMP-PDE suggests that cyclic-GMP metabolism may be altered, in situ, before the RCS photoreceptor cells degenerate.
Exome sequencing identifies mutant TINF2 in a family with pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND Short telomeres are a common defect in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, yet mutations in the telomerase genes account for only a subset of these cases. METHODS We identified a family with pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic infertility, and short telomeres. RESULTS Exome sequencing of blood-derived DNA revealed two mutations in the telomere-binding protein TINF2 . The first was a 15-base-pair deletion encompassing the exon 6 splice acceptor site, and the second was a missense mutation, Thr284Arg. Haplotype analysis indicated both variants fell on the same allele. However, lung-derived DNA showed predominantly the Thr284Arg allele, indicating that the deletion seen in the blood was acquired and may have a protective advantage because it diminished expression of the missense mutation. This mosaicism may represent functional reversion in telomere syndromes similar to that described for Fanconi anemia. No mutations were identified in over 40 uncharacterized pulmonary fibrosis probands suggesting that mutant TINF2 accounts for a small subset of familial cases. However, similar to affected individuals in this family, we identified a history of male and female infertility preceding the onset of pulmonary fibrosis in 11% of TERT and TR mutation carriers (five of 45). CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify TINF2 as a mutant telomere gene in familial pulmonary fibrosis and suggest that infertility may precede the presentation of pulmonary fibrosis in a small subset of adults with telomere syndromes.
UV-VISIBLE ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY AND PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF AN ALKENE-O2 CONTACT CHARGE-TRANSFER SYSTEM IN LARGE NAY CRYSTALS

Single layers of 40 μm NaY crystals were prepared on a CaF2 support. These are sufficiently transparent to allow recording of reactants occluded in the zeolite pores by UV−visible transmission spectroscopy for the first time. Spectra of 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene (DMB) and oxygen gas loaded into the zeolite revealed the true absorption profile of the DMB·O2 charge-transfer contact complex. Visible-light-induced reaction was monitored by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Irradiation resulted in the same selective oxidation to 2,3-dimethyl-3-hydroperoxy-1-butene observed previously in highly scattering pellets of 1 μm NaY particles.
Storage Tank Stability of Soybean-derived Biodiesel

Abstract The petroleum fraction known as middle distillate that is used for transportation purposes consists of diesel, jet fuels. Many agricultural-based oils have been considered and used in petroleum fuel blends or as petroleum replacements. Soybean-derived biofuels have proven to be an excellent substitute for petroleum diesel fuel applications, such as cars, trucks, trains, and ships. However, biofuel replacements have not been studied for long-term storage tank stability. This type of storage stability would involve mixtures with not only biofuel but also water and air. The tank contents would be in constant contact with water bottoms and air because of draw down and refilling of partially empty storage tanks. The results of this study are important because the Department of Defense will be purchasing diesel fuel that contains up to 5% biodiesel. This article examines the storage tank stability, by ASTM method D-5304, of soy-derived biodiesel petroleum blended fuel in an environment of air and disso...
Abstract 4806: Breast carcinoma DNA methylation profiles are associated with tumor size, alcohol intake, and folate intake

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The cornerstones of breast cancer prognosis and management are tumor size and axillary lymph node involvement. We investigated both individual genes and overall patterns of methylation in relation to these and other tumor characteristic along with environmental exposure variables. The Illumina GoldenGate methylation bead-array platform was used to measure 1413 autosomal CpG loci associated with 773 cancer-related genes in 162 FFPE primary breast tumors (AJCC stage I-IV) from the Pathways Study. From CpG locus-by-locus tests, the strongest methylation associations (based on the number of CpG loci with Q-values < 0.05) were for tumor grade (209 loci), tumor size (74 loci), estrogen receptor status (183 loci), progesterone receptor status (69 loci), and triple negative status (130 loci). Unsupervised clustering, using a recursively partitioned mixture model (RPMM), of all autosomal CpG loci across all tumors resulted in eight distinct methylation profile classes, and class membership was significantly associated with patient race (P < 0.02) and tumor size (P < 0.001). Using multinomial logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders, patient age, alcohol intake, total dietary folic acid intake, and tumor size were all significantly associated with tumor methylation profile (all P < 0.0001). Furthermore, there were opposite trends of methylation for increasing alcohol and folate intake, which were associated with decreased and increased methylation, respectively. Lymph node status, tumor grade, estrogen receptor status and tumor histology were not associated with methylation class in the multinomial model. In an RPMM of tumors from postmenopausal patients only, methylation class membership was significantly associated with estrogen receptor status (P < 0.03). Selected CpG loci were validated with Sequenom EpiTYPER methylation analysis and methylation of several candidate genes were associated with silencing of gene expression. Taken together, these data demonstrate strong associations between both specific gene methylation and overall DNA methylation profiles and tumor characteristic and patient exposure history. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4806.
Effects of dosage titration of methylprednisolone acetate and triamcinolone acetonide on interleukin-1-conditioned equine articular cartilage explants in vitro.

Summary Reasons for performing study: Osteoarthritis is a frequent sequela of joint disease, especially with severe injuries or if attempts at therapy are unsuccessful. Negative and positive effects of corticosteroid treatment of articular cartilage have been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Objectives: To assess the metabolic effects of varying dosages of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on interleukin-1α (IL-1) conditioned equine cartilage explants. Our hypothesis was that lower dosages of corticosteroids would be less detrimental to cartilage metabolism than higher dosages. TA would be less detrimental to cartilage metabolism than MPA. Methods: Treatment groups included articular cartilage explants with no IL-1 (control), IL-1 alone, and IL-1 plus 10, 5, 1 and 0.5 mg/ml MPA or 1.2, 0.6, 0.12 and 0.06 mg/ml TA. Explants were labelled with 35SO4 priorto the beginning and end of the experiment to assess glycosaminoglycan (GAG) degradation and synthesis, respectively. Total GAG content in media and explants and total cartilage DNA were also analysed. Results: MPA and TA reduced GAG synthesis compared to control and IL-1 alone. The highest dosage of MPA (10 mg/ml) reduced GAG synthesis less than lower dosages of MPA and all dosages of TA Compared to IL-1 alone, all dosages of TA and lower dosages of MPA increased GAG degradation. MPA at 10 mg/ml reduced GAG degradation. Both MPA and TA increased media GAG content compared to control and IL-1 explants. Total cartilage GAGs were unchanged with MPA, but reduced with TA, compared with IL-1 alone. Total cartilage DNA was decreased with MPA and increased with TA compared to IL-1 and control explants. Conclusions: MPA and TA did not counteract the negative effects of IL-1 and did not maintain cartilage metabolism at control levels. Lower dosages of MPA and TA were not less detrimental to cartilage metabolism than higher dosages. TA did not appear to be less harmful than MPA on cartilage metabolism. The results of this study differ from the findings of comparable in vivo studies. Potential relevance: The low numbers of horses used in this study limits extrapolation of these findings to the equine population; however, this study also questions the clinical relevance of this in vitro model.
Fullerene (C61+) production and decomposition in carbon-13 (1+) + fullerene (C60) collisions: carbon-atom exchange and the fragmentation pattern as a function of energy

The reaction of C{sup +} with C{sub 60} has been studied under single collision conditions over the energy range from 2 to 78 eV. C{sub 61}{sup +} is observed to form with no activation energy and survives for > 1 ms at excess energies up to 10 eV. At low collision energies the dominant C{sub 61}{sup +} decay pathway is to C{sub 60}{sup +} + C, which can also result from charge transfer. These two C{sub 60}{sup +} production mechanisms can be distinguished by the different C{sub 60}{sup +} velocity distributions which result. {sup 13}C labeling clearly demonstrates that in the C{sub 61} {sup +} adduct, the {sup 13}C{sup +} projectile undergoes exchange with C atoms in the C{sub 60} target. At collision energies above 20 eV, a series of C{sub 60-2n} {sup +} products are observed, and {sup 13}C labeling shows that C-atom exchange also occurs in collisions leading to these fragmentation channels. At high collision energies a small amount of C{sub 59}{sup +} is detectable, but no other odd-sized fragments were detected. 19 refs., 2 figs.
Superficial extremity soft tissue sarcoma: an analysis of prognostic factors.

Background: Experience with soft tissue sarcoma has suggested that superficial tumors have a favorable prognosis. We evaluated the prognostic features of this subset of sarcoma. Methods: Prospective data on 215 patients presenting to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with primary extremity superficial soft tissue sarcomas between July 1, 1982 and July 1, 1996 were analyzed. Superficial sarcomas were defined as subcutaneous tumors not invading the investing fascia of the muscle. Analysis was by univariate and multivariate tests for local recurrence, metastasis, and tumor mortality. Results: Ninety (42%) patients were over 50 years of age, 115 (53%) had high-grade tumors, 53 (25%) had tumors ⩾5 cm, and 18 (8%) had positive margins following definitive resection. Median follow-up was 45 months (range 2 days to 151 months), 31 (14%) patients had local recurrences, 20 (9%) had distant metastases, and 15 (7%) died of disease. Five- and 10-year actuarial disease-specific survivals were 91% and 85%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age >50 years predicted local recurrence (RR 5.7; 95% CI, 2.4–13.3;p<0.0001). High grade (RR 4.2; 95% CI, 1.4–12.7;p<0.006), and size ⩾5 cm (RR 4.4; 95% CI, 1.8–11;p<0.002) predicted distant metastases. High grade (RR 7; 95% CI, 1.5–31.4;p<0.003), size ⩾5 cm (RR 6.9; 95% CI, 2.3–20.8;p<0.0006), and positive margins (RR 3.8; 95% CI, 1.2–12.4;p<0.006) predicted tumor mortality. Conclusion: Primary superficial extremity soft tissue sarcomas have a favorable prognosis. Size and grade of superficial tumors are the strongest factors in predicting survival.
First-order sensitivity and worst case analysis of doubly terminated reactance two-ports

Equations are derived which enable the designer to predict, from a single circuit analysis, all sensitivities and the worst case error of the loss response for a doubly terminated reactance two-port. The method is extended to the important practical class of resonanceadjusted circuits. The results confirm the experimentally observed dependence of the sensitivities on the reflection factor and on the tuning process used in the construction of the circuit. Interestingly, the sensitivities depend only on the properties of the reflection coefficients and on the complex power in the individual reactive elements.
Pressure fluctuations and flow pattern recognition in vertical two phase gas-liquid flows

Presented are measurements of wall pressure fluctuations and pressure drop fluctuations for the flow regimes of bubbly, slug, churn, and annular type. Schematic of the air water loop that was used for the measurements is shown. Two phase gas-liquid flows play an important role in advanced energy conversion systems, large industrial chemical reactors, and diverse systems such as oil gas pipelines and nuclear reactors. Flow pattern maps based on visual observations have been developed by various investigations and form the basis for predicting flow regimes. The probability density function (PDF) of the pressure drop signal can be used objectively to discriminate between the various flow regimes in vertical two phase gas-liquid flows when the average pressure drop is mostly gravitational. This technique of flow pattern recognition, unlike the x-ray technique, is simple and applicable to large sized ducts without increase in cost or complexity.
ADAM8: A novel osteoclast stimulating factor

We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-selective complementary DNA (cDNA) subtraction hybridization with an immortalized murine osteoclast (OCL) precursor cell line to identify genes that are highly expressed in OCLs compared with OCL precursors and which may be involved in the OCL differentiation process. ADAM8 was one of the 50 genes identified. ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) peptides are membrane-bound proteins that can act as cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion molecules, degrade the extracellular matrix, and play a role in tissue morphogenesis. Addition of antisense (AS) S-oligonucleotides for ADAM8 (1-10 nM) to mouse bone marrow cultures treated with 10−9 M 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] significantly inhibited OCL formation compared with treatment with the control S-oligonucleotide. Furthermore, conditioned media from 293 cells transiently transfected with a secretable form of the ADAM8 cDNA increased OCL formation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, treatment of OCLs with soluble ADAM8 conditioned media significantly increased pit formation per dentin slice compared with control OCLs. Time course studies indicated that ADAM8 increased OCL formation only when it was present during days 4-7 of the 7-day culture period. Structural analysis, using truncated constructs of ADAM8, showed that the cysteine-rich/disintegrin domain was responsible for its OCL stimulatory activity. Western blot analysis confirmed that the soluble form of ADAM8 is present in normal marrow cultures. These data suggest that ADAM8 plays an important role in OCL formation and acts primarily at the later stages of OCL differentiation.
Flow past a Row of Flat Plates at Large Reynolds Numbers

The steady, incompressible, high Reynolds number, viscous flow past a row of flat plates is computed by a Galerkin finite element discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations in the streamfunction/vorticity formulation. A novel implementation of the inflow and outflow boundary conditions is described, which combines numerical stability with computational economy in the solution procedure. The calculations reported here cover the range of medium and small blockage ratios, i.e. 5 $\leq $ a $\leq $ 25 (where a is the inverse blockage ratio). A transition is found from narrow wake eddies for small values of a, to wide wake eddies for values of a above a$\_{\text{crit}}\approx $ 15. This transition is in general agreement with the trends reported earlier by Fornberg (1991), for the related problem of flow past a row of circular cylinders (for which a$\_{\text{crit}}$ was approximately 8).
Single Cell Analysis of Drug Distribution by Intravital Imaging

Recent advances in the field of intravital imaging have for the first time allowed us to conduct pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies at the single cell level in live animal models. Due to these advances, there is now a critical need for automated analysis of pharmacokinetic data. To address this, we began by surveying common thresholding methods to determine which would be most appropriate for identifying fluorescently labeled drugs in intravital imaging. We then developed a segmentation algorithm that allows semi-automated analysis of pharmacokinetic data at the single cell level. Ultimately, we were able to show that drug concentrations can indeed be extracted from serial intravital imaging in an automated fashion. We believe that the application of this algorithm will be of value to the analysis of intravital microscopy imaging particularly when imaging drug action at the single cell level.
Dynamics retrospective: great problems, attempts that failed

Abstract Ten problems of dynamical systems are stated. A short discussion of each is given, with some references.
Plastic zone formation around an arresting crack

We have followed the evolution of strain near the tip of an arresting cleavage crack in a pressure vessel steel using a strain gage technique. The measurements were made using a linear array of strain gages located along the intended crack path and 0.65B (B is the specimen thickness) above this plane. The gages were read using instrumentation capable of resolving strain in time intervals of between 2 and 4µs. The results were obtained in a thick plate, large enough that reflected elastic waves did not contribute significantly to the strain records or crack motion during the time interval of interest.
Performance comparison of high-temperature packed bed operation with PCM and sensible-heat pellets

A comparison is made between two specific thermal energy storage materials, zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) as a sensible-heat material and a salt/ceramic composite (Na 2 SO 4 /SiO 2 ) as a phase change material, for high-temperature applications. Second-law thermodynamic analyses along with material stability tests are employed as criteria for the assessment of these materials. To facilitate the analysis, case studies are presented, and the thermal behaviour of the packed bed for each scenario is simulated by an experimentally validated computational model. The case studies are designed to examine the role of the heat of fusion and the material quantity in the thermal performance of the packed bed. For stability evaluation, these materials are exposed to a number of thermal cycles in a high temperature test environment. The zirconium oxide pellets not only offer excellent physical stability but prove to be thermodynamically promising as well.
Tandem cyclopropanation/Cope rearrangement sequence. Stereospecific [3 + 4] cycloaddition reaction of vinylcarbenoids with cyclopentadiene

Abstract Divinylcyclopropane intermediates can be isolated from the [3 + 4] cycloaddition reaction between rhodium(II) acetate-stabilized vinylcarbenoids and cyclopentadiene. This result confirms that the reaction proceeds through a tandem cyclopropanation/Cope rearrangement sequence.
Evoked unit activity in auditory cortex of monkeys performing a selective attention task

Abstract Single-unit responses were recorded from the auditory cortex of rhesus monkeys performing a selective attention task which used combined light and sound stimuli. The animals were first trained to push a lever to the left for a noise burst and to the right for a tone burst, and then trained to push left for a left light and right for a right light. Subsequently, one of the four possible light and sound stimulus combinations (Noise + Left Light, Noise + Right Light, Tone + Left Light, Tone + Right Light) was randomly presented on each trial. In blocks of 100 trials only one part of the combined stimulus (either the light or the sound) determined the direction of lever push that would be reinforced. Responses of single units to identical sound stimuli were compared for blocks in which sound was the relevant cue and blocks in which light was the relevant cue. Typically, differences were in response strength without alteration of response pattern. Even the earliest response components (15–20 msec latency) could show changes. Two-thirds of the response comparisons showed differences in strength depending upon whether sound or light was the relevant cue, with about as many responses stronger for light relevant as for sound relevant. Independent of which modality was relevant, unit responses for trials in which both parts of the combined light and sound stimulus indicated the same direction of lever push were generally stronger than unit responses for trials in which the two parts of the combined stimulus signalled opposite directions of lever pushes.
Yield of EUS-guided FNA of pancreatic masses in the presence or the absence of chronic pancreatitis.

Background Evaluation of a focal pancreatic mass in the setting of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a diagnostic challenge. The objectives of the study were to compare the diagnostic yield and accuracy of EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA) in the evaluation of pancreatic-mass lesions in the presence or the absence of CP and to identify predictors of CP before EUS-FNA of pancreatic-mass lesions. Methods The study design was analysis of data collected prospectively on all patients with solid pancreatic-mass lesions who underwent EUS-FNA at a tertiary referral center. A total of 282 consecutive patients underwent 300 EUS-FNA procedures of pancreatic-mass lesions over a 3-year period. The diagnostic yield and the accuracy of EUS-FNA was compared between patients with and without CP. CP was defined by the presence of more than 4 EUS criteria. Results Final diagnosis was adenocarcinoma in 210 (70%), benign disease in 64 (21%), other pathology in 19 (6%), and indeterminate in 4 (2%); 3 patients (1%) were lost to follow-up. CP was noted in 75/300 (25%) patients. A lower sensitivity for EUS-FNA was observed in patients with CP than in those without CP (73.9% vs. 91.3%; p = 0.02). While patients with CP had a higher negative predictive value (88.9% vs. 45.5%; p Conclusions EUS-FNA has a low sensitivity for pancreatic-mass lesions in the setting of CP. This decreased sensitivity can be overcome by performing more numbers of passes at FNA, which improves diagnostic accuracy. Demographic features and clinical presentation are predictive of underlying CP in patients with pancreatic-mass lesions.
Dynamic measures of primary and secondary school characteristics: Implications for school effects research

Abstract In this paper we introduce a new way to conceptualize and measure the educational resources that young people encounter as they make their way from kindergarten to high school graduation. Using recent methodological advances in group-based modeling and a unique data set, we empirically test for and identify a series of categorically distinct school characteristic trajectories. We find that these trajectories vary significantly in terms of their intercept and slope, their prevalence within the sampled population, and in the sociodemographic makeup of their constituent members. We then present an extended empirical example illustrating relationships between school characteristic trajectories and important post-secondary educational outcomes, both before and after controlling for static, single-year measures of primary and secondary school characteristics. Our results suggest that the chronology of students’ exposures to different educational resources is significantly associated with college enrollment, college selectivity, and, in some instances, college completion.
Further experiments on supersonic turbulent flow development in a square duct

The mean-flow structure of supersonic, turbulent, adiabatic-wall flow in a square duct is investigated experimentally over a development length x/D = 0-50 for a uniform flow, Mach 3.9 condition at the duct inlet. The results show that a secondary flow cell structure develops which is similar to that for the incompressible case. Development of the primary flow is influenced by the combined effects of the secondary flow and the streamwise adverse pressure gradient. Total pressure, axial mean velocity, and Mach number profiles are presented which show that the outer flow is sensitive primarily to the streamwise pressure gradient, while flow in the near-wall region is dominated by the secondary flow. Axial mean-velocity profiles plotted in terms of van Driest-scaled variables show that a well-defined log-law region exists in the near-wall layer. This region exists in the presence of a secondary flow which continuously modifies spanwise wall shear stress behavior along the length of the duct.
Multi-Axial Fatigue Damage Models of Fiber Reinforced Composites

Fiberglass reinforced composites are extensively used in various structural components. In order to insure their structural integrity, their monotonic and fatigue properties under multiaxial stress fields must be understood. Combined in-phase tension/torsion loading is applied to [±45°]4 E-glass/epoxy composite tubes under monotonic and fatigue conditions to determine the effects of multiaxial loading on its failure. Various monotonic and fatigue damage criteria are proposed. These models considered failure mode (failure plane), the energy method and the effective stress-strain method. It is observed for the majority of experiments, the failure initiated at the outer lamina layer at 45° to the tube axis. A damage criterion for multiaxial monotonic loading is proposed considering both normal and shear stress contributions on the plane of failure. The experimental data show an excellent agreement with this proposed model for various loading conditions. Other failure models are currently under investigation utilizing the stresses and strains at the composite laminate as well as stress and strain at the outer lamina layer. Multiaxial fatigue failure models are proposed considering again the plane of failure. Since the plane of the failure is subjected to mean and cyclic stresses (shear and normal) and mean and cyclic strains (shear and normal), the fatigue damage models consider the contributions of these stresses and strains to the fatigue life of the composite tube. In addition to the fatigue damage model based on the plane of failure, a multi-axial fatigue failure model is proposed considering the mean and cyclic energy during fatigue experiments. The experimental data show a good correlation between the proposed damage parameters and fatigue life of specimens with some scatter of the data. Other fatigue failure models are currently under investigation considering the loading frequency and visco-elastic properties of the composite.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Organizing new interactions: internet portals in the instructional computer lab

The U.C. Berkeley E-BABEL project centers on an internet portal for university-level foreign language learners. With E-BABEL's integrated set of linking and communication tools, foreign language instructors are able to offer their students well organized ways on the internet to use, encounter, and reflect upon the language they are studying. Built using the JA-SIG's uPortal technology, the E-BABEL environment's flexible and easily personalized interface addresses the concerns of instructors who bring or send their students to campus computer labs to access the rich and varied foreign language resources on the internet, but subsequently worry with good reason that their students will become lost in cyberspace.
A novel method for generating approximate wavefunctions

Molecular Hamiltonians are constituted by momentum operators (e.g., kinetic energy and interaction with electromagnetic radiation), local potential operators (e.g., electron–electron coulomb, electron–nucleus, and electron–external field interactions), and spin operators. In general, the effect of transformations that generate states from a reference state is to destroy this form. Here it is shown how one can generate all pure states by the action of a commutative semigroup of transformations that are diagonal in the space–spin coordinate representation that do not destroy this form and thus maintain the physical interpretability of effective Hamiltonians. Using such transformations, we formulate an approximation theory that has physical interpretation at all orders. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003
Gender and Physical Health: A Study of African American and Caribbean Black Adults

Although gender disparities in health in the United States remain a primary concern among health professionals, less is known about this phenomenon within the black American population. Using the National Survey of American Life, the author examines gender differences in self-rated health, chronic illness, and functional limitations among African Americans (n = 3,330) and Caribbean blacks (n = 1,562) and the extent to which the availability of resources explains these differences. The results reveal a consistent disadvantage among African American women across indicators of health. The gender-health relationship among Caribbean blacks is somewhat weaker, but there is a health disadvantage for immigrant women and U.S.-born Caribbean men when certain resources are taken into account. These findings illustrate the importance of the intersections of race, ethnicity, and nativity in our understanding of gender differences in health.
A practical multinuclear transceiver volume coil for in vivo MRI/MRS at 7 T

A practical multinuclear transceiver RF volume coil with improved efficiency for in vivo small animal (1)H/(13)C/(23)Na MR applications at the ultrahigh magnetic field of 7 T is reported. In the proposed design, the coil's resonance frequencies for (1)H and (13)C are realized by using a traditional double-tuned approach, while the resonant frequency for (23)Na, which is only some 4 MHz away from the (13)C frequency, is tuned based upon (13)C channel by easy-operating capacitive "frequency switches". In contrast to the traditional triple-tuned volume coil, the volume coil with the proposed design possesses less number of resonances, which helps improve the coil efficiency and alleviate the design and operation difficulties. This coil design strategy is advantageous and well suitable for multinuclear MR imaging and spectroscopy studies, particularly in the case where Larmor frequencies of nuclei in question are not separate enough. The prototype multinuclear coil was demonstrated in the desired unshielded design for easy construction and experiment implementation at 7 T. The design method may provide a practical and robust solution to designing multinuclear RF volume coils for in vivo MR imaging and spectroscopy at ultrahigh fields. Finite difference time domain method simulations for evaluating the design and 7-T MR experiment results acquired using the prototype coil are presented.
Transperineal interstitial implantation of prostate cancer: a new method.

Abstract A method of transperineal interstitial implant of prostate without the need for surgical exploration was used to provide a boost dose of 3200 rad to the implanted volume in patients with relatively advanced Stage C carcinoma of the prostate. All patients were initially givern megavoltage teletherapy to a dose of 4320 rad in 24 treatments via anteroposterior and posteroanterior en bloc pelvic and para-aortic portals; then, lateral pelvic ports were used to give additional 1400 rad in 7 treatments. The implant was performed three to four weeks later. Twenty-three patients were treated since 1971; the follow-up period was a minimum of two years in all except three patients. Fifteen patients were alive disease-free; one died of ulcerative colitis, disease-free at 28 months and one was alive with disease at this writing. Disease was locally controlled among all patients except one (96%). The morbitity was insignificant and the quality of life was good. The time of recurrence was from three to nine months in the seven patients who failed., Six of these died before 30 months; three had poorly differentiated histology. No patient among those initially diagnosed by needle biopsy had failed whereas 50% of those whose diagnosis was by transurethral resection showed distant metastases; only one of these patients had concurrent local failure.
Bolus shaping of contrast medium to adapt k-space sampling: adjusting injection protocol of magnetic resonance angiography for optimal images in a 3-T system.

Abstract Purpose To explore the possibility of shaping bolus of contrast medium to adapt k-space sampling to improve image quality in a 3-T system. Materials and Methods Eighty patients suspected of having renal arterial disease or atherosclerosis were divided into four groups and underwent imaging with different high-spatial-resolution three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scanning and injection protocol combinations. A group of 20 patients were injected single-dose contrast medium with a centric view ordering for k-space filling. Another group of 20 patients underwent MRA with double-dose and centric-view ordering. The bolus of contrast medium was shaped by adjusting injection protocol to adapt centric and sequential view ordering of sampling k-space, respectively, for other two groups. Then, the quality of image got with different protocols combination was compared, and the dose of contrast medium used in latter two groups was compared with single- and double-dose prescription basing on body weight. Result Bolus shaped adapting to centric view ordering and sequential view ordering brings more homogeneous vessel signal. Individualized dose is lower than the double dose but higher than the single dose. Dose does not necessarily correlate with body weight. Conclusion Under certain scanning protocol, appropriate shape of contrast medium passing through target vessel leads to higher-quality image and save contrast medium.