cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endometrial Cancer in the Elderly

Endometrial cancer is a common cancer in the senior adult oncology population. Unfortunately, older patients may fare worse than their younger counterparts for many reasons: limited evaluation beyond chronological age, scarcity of data to treat the elderly, increase in perioperative complications, and a hesitancy to offer surgical intervention in the oldest old. As the cornerstone of diagnosis and treatment is surgical, this vulnerable population needs appropriate evaluation and care perioperatively in order to derive benefit from what can be aggressive but curative procedures. An understanding of the nature and treatment of the disease, as well as the approach to the senior adult oncology patient, should guide the practitioner toward a thorough assessment and frank discussion with the patient/family/caregiver to establish “right-sized” care for the geriatric endometrial cancer patient.
Bioimaging: Hot nanoparticles light up cancer

Targeting magnetic nanoparticles to tumours then applying an alternating magnetic field can improve the contrast for infrared thermal imaging.
Thermodynamic separability of ultra-thin film surfaces and interfaces

Abstract Surface and interface excess quantities are coupled or ill-defined for ultra-thin films. Yet, surface and interface energy are consistently used to describe monolayer-range heteroepitaxial structures. Here, we examine the convergence of interfacial thermodynamic quantities to the well-defined thermodynamic (separability) limit in the systems Ag/Au(1 1 1) and Al/Au(1 1 1). Convergence to separability occurs together with the interface-induced electronic structure and interlayer spacing perturbations. We discuss how lack of thermodynamic separability affects growth mode, coherency, and domain organization.
Hydrophilic Fungi and Ergosterol Associated with Respiratory Illness in a Water-Damaged Building

BackgroundDamp building–related respiratory illnesses are an important public health issue.ObjectiveWe compared three respiratory case groups defined by questionnaire responses [200 respiratory cas...
A comparison of youth‐driven and adult‐driven youth programs: Balancing inputs from youth and adults

This article examines the unfolding of experiences in youth programs that differed in the degree of youth and adult influence over program activities. In-depth qualitative data were obtained over a three- to four-month cycle of activities in two “youth-driven” and two “adult-driven” programs for high-school–aged youth. All had been identified as high quality, and in all of the programs, the adults were sensitive and respectful to the youth. Rather than finding that one approach was categorically better than the other, our analyses suggested that each provided distinct developmental experiences, and that each presented somewhat different day-to-day challenges to the adults. In the youth-driven programs, the youth experienced a high degree of ownership and empowerment, and they reported development of leadership and planning skills. In the adult-driven programs, the adults crafted student-centered learning experiences that facilitated youth’s development of specific talents. Across both approaches, youth also gained self-confidence and benefited from the adults’ experience in other ways. The article highlights balancing techniques that adults in both programs used for keeping youth’s work in the program on track while keeping youth invested. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Toddlers learn words in a foreign language: the role of native vocabulary knowledge

The current study examined monolingual English-speaking toddlers' (N=50) ability to learn word-referent links from native speakers of Dutch versus English, and second, whether children generalized or sequestered their extensions when terms were tested by a subsequent speaker of English. Overall, children performed better in the English than in the Dutch condition; however, children with high native vocabularies successfully selected the target object for terms trained in fluent Dutch. Furthermore, children with higher vocabularies did not indicate their comprehension of Dutch terms when subsequently tested by an English speaker whereas children with low vocabulary scores responded at chance levels to both the original Dutch speaker and the second English speaker. These findings demonstrate that monolingual toddlers with proficiency in their native language are capable of learning words outside of their conventional system and may be sensitive to the boundaries that exist between language systems.
Investigations for Supersonic Transports at Transonic and Supersonic Conditions

Several computational studies were conducted as part of NASA s High Speed Research Program. Results of turbulence model comparisons from two studies on supersonic transport configurations performed during the NASA High-Speed Research program are given. The effects of grid topology and the representation of the actual wind tunnel model geometry are also investigated. Results are presented for both transonic conditions at Mach 0.90 and supersonic conditions at Mach 2.48. A feature of these two studies was the availability of higher Reynolds number wind tunnel data with which to compare the computational results. The transonic wind tunnel data was obtained in the National Transonic Facility at NASA Langley, and the supersonic data was obtained in the Boeing Polysonic Wind Tunnel. The computational data was acquired using a state of the art Navier-Stokes flow solver with a wide range of turbulence models implemented. The results show that the computed forces compare reasonably well with the experimental data, with the Baldwin-Lomax with Degani-Schiff modifications and the Baldwin-Barth models showing the best agreement for the transonic conditions and the Spalart-Allmaras model showing the best agreement for the supersonic conditions. The transonic results were more sensitive to the choice of turbulence model than were the supersonic results.
FIELD THEORY OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS OF MASSIVE CHARGED VECTOR BOSONS

The field theory of the electromagnetic interactions of massive charged vector bosons, based on the most general second-order Lagrangian, is considered. Besides the charge and mass of the spinone quantum, the theory is characterized by three additional parameters,x, λ andξ. The spin-one quantum has a magnetic dipole moment of (1 +x) magnetons and an electric dipole moment ofλ magnetons. Ifξ > 0, the theory also contains spin-zero quanta. The canonical formalism for theξ = 0 case is carried through, and it is shown, to order e2, that the theory can be expressed in manifestly covariant form, provided one uses a natural generalization of the definition and application of normal products in perturbation theory. If instead the calculation is performed as done by Lee and Yang, then one finds, in addition to the infinite, noncovariant, nonhermitian part of the interaction Hamiltonian proportional to x2 that they found, a similar term proportional toe2 alone, which however is also nongauge-invariant. The first (x2) of these terms contributes an infinite self-energy to the vector boson, and the second (e2) term contributes an infinite self-energy to the photon.
Permeation of endogenous IgG with an anionic subpopulation into glomerular basement membrane in rat.

Conflicting results of previous electron microscopy studies and concerns about the validity of immunoperoxidase technique employed in those studies to accurately localize endog- enous IgG in rat glomerular basement membrane (GBM) prompted us to use other techniques to answer the following question: Does endogenous IgG permeate the matrix of GBM? Immu- nofluorescence, radioimmunoassay (RIA), isoelectric focusing, sodium dodecyl sulphate-poly- acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and immunodetection on Western blots were used to detect endogenous IgG in GBM. Direct immunofluorescence of normal frozen rat kidney sections prepared from in vivo perfused kidney showed endogenous IgG in a linear pattern of staining in the GBM. RIA for rat IgG found the IgG content of collagenase-solubilized GBM to be 0.48% of the dry weight. Immunodetection for rat IgG on Western blots of SDS-PAGE- separated GBM demonstrated endogenous IgG in purified collagenase-solubilized GBM. IgG was detected as an intact molecule with covalently linked light and heavy chains and not as small immunoreactive catabolic fragments. Isoelectric focusing followed by immunodetection on Western blot showed that part of the endogenous IgG in GBM was anionic. The results clearly show that under normal conditions, endogenous IgG can permeate into the collagen matrix of GBM in rat and that some of this IgG is more anionic than the IgG in serum. These findings may assist in understanding the transit of autoantibodies to subepithelial glomerular antigens located beneath the matrix of GBM in membranous glomerulonephropathy. o 1986 Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
The Combined Adsorption of Cadmium(II) and Thiosulfate on Mercury

The combined adsorption of thiosulfate and Cd (II) on mercury, as measured by chronocoulometry, is reported. It is concluded, primarily on the basis of the relationship between the amount of adsorbed thiosulfate and adsorbed Cd (II), that the reaction leading to the thiosulfate induced adsorption of Cd (II) is Data is also given on the adsorption of thiosulfate from cadmium‐free solutions.
Current reversal at 10,000 years B.P. at the Strait of Gibraltar — A discussion

Abstract The hypothesis that a reversal of currents occurred at the Strait of Gibraltar at the end of the Wurm, as proposed by a growing number of workers in the western Mediterranean, has been questioned recently. It appears that the particular arguments presented contradicting this hypothesis are inconclusive, and we must conclude that current reversal at the Strait remains a viable hypothesis.
Impact of a new senior emergency department on emergency department recidivism, rate of hospital admission, and hospital length of stay.

Study objective Senior (geriatric) emergency departments (EDs) are an emerging phenomenon across the United States, designed to provide greater comfort for elders, screening for common morbidities, and selective contact with social workers. We hypothesize that the senior ED will reduce recidivism, rate of admission, and hospital length of stay. Methods This was a pre/postintervention observational study of seniors (≥65 years) before and after opening of a new senior ED in a large community hospital. Older nonseniors treated during the same periods were included to detect temporal trend bias. Outcomes included admission to the hospital, hospital length of stay, and ED return visits. Cox proportional hazards models, controlling for patient age, sex, triage level, insurance type, admission on the index visit, and hospital length of stay, were used to test association with time to return within 30 and 180 days. Multivariable regression modeling was used to determine whether the intervention was associated with admission on the index visit, and hospital length of stay. Results There was no significant difference in time to return within 30 days (HR=1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95 to 1.23), 180 days (HR=0.99; 95% CI 0.91 to 1.08), or average hospital length of stay. Risk of being admitted on the index visit was lower for seniors treated in the senior ED compared with the regular ED (Relative Risk=0.93; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.98). Conclusion A new senior ED was not associated with reduced ED recidivism or hospital length of stay, but was associated with decreased rate of admission.
Is there a constant fraction of recognized deviance in organizations

Do administrators tend to develop working definitions of “normal” rates of deviance for the type of organization they control? School principals’ estimates of the rates of deviance for their schools were found to be remarkably uniform across a nationwide sample of 7,289 public or private schools encompassing various grade levels and socioeconomic mixtures of pupils. Fully 94 percent of the pupils in the sample attend schools where the deviance rate is estimated to be less than 10 percent. Structural and subcultural explanations for uniformity of principals’ perceptions are suggested.
Reflective afocal adaptive optics: optical coherence tomography retinal imaging system

We present a new design for a reflective afocal AO-OCT retinal imaging system. The optical performance of this instrument is compared to our previous multimodal AO-OCT/AO-SLO retinal imaging system. The feasibility of new instrumentation for improved visualization of microscopic retinal structures will be discussed. Examples of images acquired with this new AO-OCT instrument will be presented.
DC bus voltage control for PV sources in a DC distribution system infrastructure

This paper proposes a design of a controlled voltage bus for a PV source to be used in a hybrid DC distribution system infrastructure. Load centers, boost converter, and distribution panels combine to link the solar collectors with multiple loads and Backup battery systems add to the complexity of a PV installation. The controlled voltage bus is constructed based on the design of a DC-DC boost converter. A Traditional DC-DC boost converter is limited to get a constant DC voltage as an input and boosting it to a certain voltage level as long as the load is fixed. The boost converter described in this paper is capable of receiving variable DC voltage as an input and give a constant boosted DC output voltage. The significant advantage of this device is that it is capable of producing a fixed voltage, with a very small ripple that can be neglected, while operating with variable load. The parameters of the DC-DC boost circuit were calculated such that it gives the device the ability of controlling a wide range of input voltage and be operated at a wide range of load variations. Closed-loop control of the boost converter utilizes a conventional proportional integral (PI) controller. Since the system has two variables which are the input voltage and the load, the duty ratio is not allowed to be constant to get a fixed output voltage. The PI controller is used in a closed loop system to obtain a suitable duty cycle to keep the output voltage constant according to the reference level of the DC-bus. Simulation and experimental results for different disturbance conditions show good performance of this proposed control system. The results verify the validity of the proposed model and show its practical use in renewable energy applications.
Epinephrine deficiency in hypocorticotropic hypopituitary children.

In rats, adrenal medullary synthesis of epinephrine is impaired by ACTH deficiency and is not improved by replacement doses of glucocorticoid. We have evaluated plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations in 43 children, 8–15 yr old. These children were divided into 5 groups, with 6–10 per group: normals; children with isolated GH deficiency; hypopituitary children deficient in both GH and TSH; hypopituitary children deficient in GH, TSH, and ACTH; and short children without known organic disease. The deficiencies of ACTH and TSH were being treated with replacement doses of cortisol and T4. Plasma catecholamines were measured in the supine position at rest every other hour from 0800–1600 h, and after exercise in the standing position at 1000 h. Plasma norepinephrine levels, both at rest and after exercise, were normal in all four groups of short children. Resting and postexercise plasma epinephrine levels were reduced to 10–20% of normal in the hypocorticotropic hypopituitary patients, and were n...
Induced Cyclic Cocycles and Higher Eta Invariants

Abstract We construct some cyclic cocycles on the foliation algebra and show that the result of pairing them with a leafwise Dirac operator is a spectral invariant. This leads to a notation of higher eta invariants.
pH mediated inhibition of the cell to cell spread of herpes simplex virus infection.

The relationships between the environmental pH and the replication and spread of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in rabbit skin (RS) cell cultures was studied. Relative to the plaque formation at pH 7.0, incubation of RS cells with medium adjusted to pH 6.6 resulted in a 50 to 70 per cent decrement in plaque number. The addition of overlay media adjusted to pH 6.0 or 6.3 precluded HSV plaque formation. Select HSV-1 (type 1) and HSV-2 (type 2) strains readily survived a 3 day incubation with medium adjusted to pH 6.3 as demonstrated by plaque production following a medium shift to pH 7.0. RS cells incubated with medium at pH 6.3 did not replicate. The survival of RS cells incubated for 3 days with medium adjusted to pH 6.3 was demonstrated by renewed cell proliferation following a medium change from pH 6.3 to 7.0. The progeny virus yields of two HSV strains replicating in RS cells incubated with medium adjusted to pH 6.3 or 7.0 were equivalent at 24 or 48 hours post infection and were indicative of a productive infection. The inhibition of HSV plaque formation at pH 6.3 was not due to an alteration of cell receptors but was the result of an inhibition in the cell to cell spread of the virus. These results are discussed with regard to the possibility that the decline in pH associated with the inflammatory response may serve as a host defense against HSV infections.
Home health care and the housing and living arrangements of the elderly

Abstract Home health care is long-term care, primarily skilled nursing, delivered in a home setting. Its provision may increase the likelihood that the elderly, the vast majority of which are homeowners, can live independently and maintain their desired residential status even if in relatively poor health. We provide empirical evidence on the extent to which home health care benefits affect the housing and living arrangements of the elderly by examining plausibly exogenous changes in the supply of long-term care insurance through the Medicare program that occurred in the late 1990s. Prior to 1997, Medicare reimbursed home health care agencies on a retrospective-cost basis. Then, starting in October, 1997, as a result of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA97), Medicare switched to a system of prospective payments for home health care, which induced state-by-calendar-year variation in the supply of this type of insurance. We exploit this variation to econometrically identify the short-run impact on the housing and living arrangements of the elderly, using CPS data from 1995 to 2000 (before and after the law change). Our estimates indicate that living arrangements are quite responsive to home health care benefits for the widowed, but not for the married elderly. The estimated elasticity of shared living to benefits is −0.9 for the widowed. However, these benefits have little impact on homeownership, at least in the short run, which suggests that the moderately adverse health events toward which public home health care benefits are targeted are not those that drive housing mobility and tenure transitions at advanced ages.
Effect of the agitation rate on the generation of low-crystallinity cellulose from phosphoric acid

Changes in the basic powder properties of low-crystallinity powder cellulose (LCPC) as a function of the agitation rate used during its generation from phosphoric acid were investigated. We reacted cotton linter with phosphoric acid (85% w/v) at room temperature for an hour and then at 50°C for 3 h to produce the LCPC solution. The latter was slowly added to water (ca. 10 times the volume of phosphoric acid used) at a constant agitation rate of 700, 2000, or 4000 rpm. LCPC powder thus formed was collected by filtration, washed with water and acetone, and dried at 30°C. Scanning electron micrographs showed the three products to be highly aggregated in structure. The crystallinities of LCPC prepared at 700, 2000, and 4000 rpm were 39, 31, and 24%, respectively. The crystalline component of LCPC produced at 700 and 2000 rpm contained both cellulose II (major component) and cellulose I (minor component), whereas LCPC generated at 4000 rpm belonged to the cellulose II crystal lattice. The porosity and true, bulk, and tap densities of LCPC made at 4000 rpm were 88.55% and 1.435, 0.138, and 0.164 g/cc, respectively. The corresponding values for LCPC made at 700 and 2000 rpm were 60.30% and 1.452, 0.541, and 0.576 g/cc and 54.49% and 1.465, 0.583, and 0.667 g/cc, respectively. Avicel® PH-101, in contrast, had a degree of crystallinity of 89% and a true density value of 1.577 g/cc. The porosity, bulk density, and tap density values were intermediate to those of LCPC made at 4000 rpm and 700 or 2000 rpm. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2624–2628, 2001
On the formation of a homogeneous zygotic population in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Abstract Upon transfer into a liquid medium devoid of a nitrogen source, vegetative cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii undergo a gametogenic differenciation process to give rise to sexually active gametes that are capable of mating with opposite mating type gametes. Striking differences have been demonstrated in the mating efficiency (0 to 100%) of gametes induced at different vegetative growth stages in the light-dark synchronized culture. This difference in mating efficiency of gametes is independent of mating-type but directly related to the growth stage of the synchronized vegetative cultures at the time of gametogenic induction. In contrast to the synchronized culture, the mating efficiency of gametes in the continuous light, nonsynchronized vegetative culture is independent of the growth stage at the time of gametogenic induction. The mating behavior of gametes appears to be rather unstable since the mating efficiency of a given clone can be altered considerably during routine maintenance of the culture. Not all the progeny of a particular strain inherit the identical mating efficiency of their parents. The stability of the mating behavior and the transmittance of the mating behavior to the vegetative progeny have been found to vary among different clones. The high frequency at which the mating behavior alters suggests that the mating behavior is a rather complex expression of a number of different factors.
Effect of Retinoids on the Differentiation of Chick Embryo Metatarsal Skin Explants

Twelve retinoids were evaluated in organ culture for activity in modulating epithelial differentiation of metatarsal skin explants from 13-day chick embryos. The epithelium differentiated into a squamous, keratinizing epidermis; but, in the presence of active retinoids, keratinization was inhibited, and a mucous metaplasia developed. The methyl-keto and 1-methoxyethyl cyclopentenyl analogs of retinoic acid were about tenfold more effective than retinoic acid in altering epithelial differentiation. The dichlorophenyl analog exhibited about the same activity as retinoic acid. The following analogs were one-half to one-third as effective as retinoic acid in inhibiting keratinization: the chlorotrimethylphenyl analog of retinoic acid and the 13- cis , 10-fluoro analog of trimethylmethoxyphenyl methyl retinoate. The other 7 retinoids were essentially not active at the concentrations tested (1.4–2.0 × 10 -5 M). The activity of synthetic retinoids in altering epithelial differentiation may be related to their ability to affect or treat epithelial lesions provided that modification of the retinoid molecule can enhance its activity and decrease toxicity.
Spectrum and Anomalous Resistivity for the Saturated Parametric Instability

A wave spectrum peaked in angle and broadened in wave number is found from a non-linear saturation theory for the decay-type parametric instability in the case of nearly equal electron and ion temperatures. The dominant saturation mechanism is nonlinear damping of Langmuir waves by induced scattering from ions. The nonlinear resistivity for transverse waves, including the pump, is obtained from the related mechanism of conversion of transverse into longitudinal waves due to interaction with ions.
Modal properties of circular and noncircular optical waveguides

Abstract We give a review and a comparison of recent methods of analyzing circular and noncircular optical waveguides. Comparison among competing methodologies is made as follows: Galerkin's method is used with Laguerre-Gauss basis functions in circular geometry to examine the modal solution in a step index fiber, and comparison with the exact solution is made. A W-fiber, which has no exact solution, is then examined. Rectangular geometry is considered, and discussion centers on the use of Galerkin's method using trigonometric basis functions and Hermite-Gauss basis functions. Re difficulty arising from the use of basis functions that do not decay exponentially for large argument (trigonometric functions) is illustrated. Finally, a square step index waveguide is used to illustrate a comparison between a variational method that uses the Gaussian approximation as the starting point, and Galerkin's method using Hermite-Gauss basis functions. We conclude that the variational method does well in predicting the...
Study of energy levels of 92Nb observed in the 92Zr(p, n) reaction☆

Abstract The energy levels of 92 Nb were observed in the 92 Zr(p, n) reaction by use of the neutron time-of-flight technique. Limits on the spins and parities of the 92 Nb levels were placed by observing the enhancement in the relative yield of the final states at an isobaric analog resonance and by the measurement of the relative yield off resonance. The measured enhancements and off-resonance yields are compared with values calculated using the statistical compoundnucleus model. Comparison of results from the two methods is used to obtain spin-parity assignments for nine energy levels lying between 976 and 1739 keV in 92 Nb.
Absorption and cannibalism: do phytoseiids conserve egg resources when prey densities decline rapidly?

The number of eggs oviposited or left in the opisthosomas of dead mites (total eggs) was assessed for Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt), Neoseiulus fallacis (Garman), Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten or Amblyseius andersoni Chant when each was caged with either (1) no Tetranychus urticae Koch, (2) only odours of T. urticae, (3) ten eggs of M. occidentalis or (4) ten nymphs of M. occidentalis (T. pyri for M. occidentalis). The total eggs for the no prey versus odour tests did not differ within species; the levels were the greatest for N. fallacis > T. pyri > A. andersoni > M. occidentalis. Among treatments, egg means did not differ for M. occidentalis but they did for N. fallacis and T. pyri and similar trends were seen for A. andersoni. Egg means were usually less for mites held with ten predator nymphs than mites held with ten predator eggs or with no prey. Were adult females with nymphs absorbing rather than ovipositing their eggs or dying with them in their opisthosomas? Activity levels (walking) for adult females were no more for mites held with nymphs versus no food. The data indicated that interference by nymphs was not increasing the energy use of females and thus reducing egg levels. However, tests with ten nymphs, one egg and no adult female had egg losses from nymphal predation that could account for fewer eggs in cage tests. Overall, no evidence for absorption was found. If it occurs, it must be among younger eggs or mites exposed to less rapid prey losses than were the mites tested here; in addition, other stimuli may cause absorption. The total eggs in sticky-tape tests were greatest for N. fallacis > M. occidentalis > T. pyri > A. andersoni. Cage versus stick-tape data differed most for M. occidentalis because of cannibalism. All four mites cannibalized eggs but M. occidentalis did most rapidly and extensively. When starved, it laid all of its eggs before the other three species did. Such behaviours may enhance survival of M. occidentalis when prey become scarce.
Repositioning misplaced central venous catheters

Central venous catheters inserted through the subclavian or basilic veins may be misplaced in the internal jugular vein. A simple technique employing a deflector guide wire allows catheter reposition in a very short time without the need for catheter withdrawal. In this manner, radiation exposure, the risk of catheter contamination, and patient discomfort are lessened.
Mean field analysis of phonon softening in high Tc superconductors

Abstract Different experiments indicate softening of the phonons at or below the superconducting transition. We analyze in mean field the phonon self-energy in the superconducting state and found that phonons do not get softened significantly for an s-wave coupled superconductor.
An evaluation of three-dimensional computational combustion and fluid-dynamics for industrial furnace geometries

A three-dimensional gaseous combustion and computational fluid-dynamics model is presented for simulating reacting flow in industrial furnaces and utility boilers. Data were obtained for non-reacting flow in both a tangential-fired and a wall-fired furnace. These two cases were simulated with a variety of grid resolutions to establish grid-independent solution requirements. A differencing scheme was used which assured that the numerical solution was exact for linear basis functions on an arbitrarily spaced mesh. This accuracy was demonstrated by comparing numerical results with analytic solutions of the fully coupled equation set. Several variations of the SIMPLE algorithm were incorporated into the flow model to study the importance of velocity/pressure coupling. These variations included SIMPLE, SIMPLER, SIMPLEC, SIMPLEST, and combination of these algorithms. The robustness and speed of the SIMPLE-based methods were evaluated for a corner-fired furnace and a wall-fired furnace. The importance of temporal fluctuations due to fluid turbulence on the non-linear mixing in gaseous combustion was quantified for corner-fired furnace geometries and compared with similar studies on laboratory scale furnaces.
Synthesis of BaAl2Si2O8 from Solid Ba‐Al‐Al2O3‐SiO2 Precursors: II, TEM Analyses of Phase Evolution

Conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, has been used to examine the intermediate phases produced during the transformation of Ba-Al-α-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 (cristobalite) precursors into celsian, BaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 . Analyses were conducted on samples that had been exposed to pure, flowing oxygen at peak temperatures of 300°C for 24 h, 650°C for 72 h, or 900°C for 24 h. Particles of Al 2 O 3 retained after the 300-900°C heat treatments were coated with a layer of BaAl 2 O 4 . An amorphous, alumina-poor Ba-Al-Si-O (G1) phase was observed in contact with residual SiO 2 particles after the 650°C heat treatment. Although not a starting component of the precursor, elemental silicon was also detected after the 300-900°C heat treatments. Silicon particles produced during the 300°C heat treatment were surrounded by an amorphous Ba-Al-Si-O (G2) phase that contained more alumina than the G1 phase. Fine-grained barium orthosilicate (Ba 2 SiO 4 ) and sanbornite (BaSi 2 O 5 ) were observed after the 650°C treatment, along with thin, plate-shaped grains of BaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 . The latter two phases were surrounded by an amorphous Ba-Al-Si-O (G3) phase that possessed less alumina than the G2 phase. Smaller platelets of BaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 were also detected after the 300°C treatment. After annealing at a peak temperature of 1650°C, BaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 was the only silicate compound detected by TEM. Novel reaction paths to BaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 , which are consistent with the present TEM observations and prior XRD and SEM/EDX analyses (Part I), are discussed.
Structural insights into +1 frameshifting promoted by expanded or modification-deficient anticodon stem loops

Maintenance of the correct reading frame on the ribosome is essential for accurate protein synthesis. Here, we report structures of the 70S ribosome bound to frameshift suppressor tRNASufA6 and N1-methylguanosine at position 37 (m1G37) modification-deficient anticodon stem loopPro, both of which cause the ribosome to decode 4 rather than 3 nucleotides, resulting in a +1 reading frame. Our results reveal that decoding at +1 suppressible codons causes suppressor tRNASufA6 to undergo a rearrangement of its 5′ stem that destabilizes U32, thereby disrupting the conserved U32–A38 base pair. Unexpectedly, the removal of the m1G37 modification of tRNAPro also disrupts U32–A38 pairing in a structurally analogous manner. The lack of U32–A38 pairing provides a structural correlation between the transition from canonical translation and a +1 reading of the mRNA. Our structures clarify the molecular mechanism behind suppressor tRNA-induced +1 frameshifting and advance our understanding of the role played by the ribosome in maintaining the correct translational reading frame.
New Tool and New Process for Ultra High Performance for Metal/High-K Gate Dielectric Stack for Sub-45 nm CMOS Manufacturing

Off stage power dissipation and profitability are posing fundamental and practical challenges to the scaling of Si CMOS to its limit. With escalating developmental cost, off state leakage current related power dominates the CMOS heat dissipation problem making the necessity of reducing the gate leakage current density to zero, so that the designer will get relief to focus on other imposing challenges. To continue to make big gains, as we scale down from 45 nm it is important to reduce the tool cost and turn to high-k materials. In this paper we report the results of a new process and tool to deposit metal/high-k gate dielectric stack. Hafnium oxide dielectric of 0.39 nm EOT is deposited using monolayer photoassisted deposition process on a home-built system. Our process has also reliably demonstrated the success achieved with low process induced variation of the system and this is the driving factor to convincingly make this an attractive alternate choice to existing tools. The leakage current density value reported in this paper represents the lowest value reported by anyone in the open literature. This is a major breakthrough and will have major impact on the silicon IC manufacturing.
Changeable hydrothermal media as potential cradle of life on a planet

Abstract According to the elaborated systemic concept, a prebiotic microsystem has a chance to be transformed into primary living unit (probiont) only under nonequilibrium oscillating conditions. This transition proceeds through three successive kinds of transformations. First, a prebiotic microsystem must acquire the specific critical properties being at the unstable state of the bifurcate transition. Then it should be relatively stabilized due to balanced oscillations between the initial and the forward states (there appears the paradoxical state of ‘stabilized instability’). The decisive transformation to the living state is connected with the inversion of the ratio of ‘free energy to entropy contribution’ when the free energy input in the microsystem becomes higher than the entropy input. Changeable nonequilibrium conditions are most typical to hydrothermal systems in comparison with other aqueous media of the Earth. In this context the hydrothermal medium seems very suitable to be considered as a potential cradle of life on a planet. To characterize a scale of the thermodynamic and physico-chemical fluctuations some hydrothermal systems in Kamchatka peninsula were explored. The period of the pressure microoscillations in Mutnovsky and Pauzhetsky hydrothermal systems range from 10 to 30 min, and the amplitude is 0.2–0.7 bar. From time to time the amplitude of the fluctuations significantly rises due to spontaneous increase of activity of the nearest volcanoes. Similar results were obtained during the exploration of thermodynamic and chemical fluctuations in Mura hydrothermal field in Slovenia: the period of the water pressure oscillations is 60–70 min, and the average amplitude about 0.5 bar. Temperature and some chemical parameters oscillate in this field with the same period. These data can be used to conduct advanced laboratory experiments on prebiotic organic synthesis under nonequilibrium oscillating conditions. Some universal aspects of this concept may allow us to better understand the origin-of-life process in the Universe.
An Example of US Food and Drug Administration Device Regulation Medical Devices Indicated for Use in Acute Ischemic Stroke

The Food and Drug Administration has established requirements for protecting the public health by assuring the safety and effectiveness of a variety of medical products including drugs, devices, and biological products, and for promoting public health by expediting the approval of treatments that are safe and effective. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health is the center within the agency that is responsible for pre- and postmarket regulation of medical devices. In this article, we review current regulation of medical devices, research and development programs, pre- and postmarket perspectives, and future considerations of medical devices, particularly as they relate to devices targeting acute ischemic stroke as an example of the process. We also review the Center for Devices and Radiological Health's historical perspective of acute ischemic stroke trials and clinical trial design considerations used in prior studies that have led to US market clearance as they are related to currently marketed devices indicated for acute ischemic stroke.
Pulmonary Paragonimiasis Diagnosed by Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy

We report a case of paragonimiasis involving a 12-year-old Latin American boy. The diagnosis was made by fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a pulmonary nodule. Identification of the species by morphometric analysis of the eggs indicated that the infection was caused by Paragonimus mexicanus.
Forced-flow liquid chromatography with a coulometric detector.

Abstract A tubular platinum electrode packed with small chips of platinum is described which was shown to function with 100% electrolytic efficiency. Application of the electrode is described for the coulometric determination of electroactive species in the effluent from a liquid chromatograph. Cu and Fe were determined in a series of standards. An average relative deviation of less than 2 ppt was obtained for analysis of samples containing 5 μg of Cu(II) and 5 μg of Fe(III).
Considerations for observational research using large data sets in radiation oncology

The radiation oncology community has witnessed growing interest in observational research conducted using large-scale data sources such as registries and claims-based data sets. With the growing emphasis on observational analyses in health care, the radiation oncology community must possess a sophisticated understanding of the methodological considerations of such studies in order to evaluate evidence appropriately to guide practice and policy. Because observational research has unique features that distinguish it from clinical trials and other forms of traditional radiation oncology research, the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics assembled a panel of experts in health services research to provide a concise and well-referenced review, intended to be informative for the lay reader, as well as for scholars who wish to embark on such research without prior experience. This review begins by discussing the types of research questions relevant to radiation oncology that large-scale databases may help illuminate. It then describes major potential data sources for such endeavors, including information regarding access and insights regarding the strengths and limitations of each. Finally, it provides guidance regarding the analytical challenges that observational studies must confront, along with discussion of the techniques that have been developed to help minimize the impact of certain common analytical issues in observational analysis. Features characterizing a well-designed observational study include clearly defined research questions, careful selection of an appropriate data source, consultation with investigators with relevant methodological expertise, inclusion of sensitivity analyses, caution not to overinterpret small but significant differences, and recognition of limitations when trying to evaluate causality. This review concludes that carefully designed and executed studies using observational data that possess these qualities hold substantial promise for advancing our understanding of many unanswered questions of importance to the field of radiation oncology.
Fine mapping of X-linked clasped thumb and mental retardation (MASA syndrome) in Xq28

The MASA syndrome is an X-linked disorder with mental retardation, spastic paraparesis, and adducted thumbs as the most characteristic features. We performed linkage analysis, using Xq28 markers, on a large MASA syndrome family. The maximum lodscore was 6.37 at 0 recombination for DXS52 and 5.99 at 0 recombination for DXS305. Crossovers were demonstrated between the disorder and DXS455. Clinical and linkage data from this family further support the hypothesis that the MASA syndrome and X-linked hydrocephalus are allelic disorders.
3-D scene analysis via sequenced predictions over points and regions

We address the problem of understanding scenes from 3-D laser scans via per-point assignment of semantic labels. In order to mitigate the difficulties of using a graphical model for modeling the contextual relationships among the 3-D points, we instead propose a multi-stage inference procedure to capture these relationships. More specifically, we train this procedure to use point cloud statistics and learn relational information (e.g., tree-trunks are below vegetation) over fine (point-wise) and coarse (region-wise) scales. We evaluate our approach on three different datasets, that were obtained from different sensors, and demonstrate improved performance.
The European Union, Capacity Building, and Transnational Networks: Combating Violence Against Women Through the Daphne Program

One of the ways that international organizations promote policy agendas is through the use of management strategies, including initiatives that focus on domestic capacity building. As the European Union (EU) has evolved, it has used management strategies to expand its influence over a multitude of policy issues in innovative ways. This research note provides an empirical examination of how the EU has used capacity building strategies in an effort to address violence against women. In particular, I focus on EU efforts to build the capacity of domestic advocacy organizations through the distribution of resources and the facilitation of transnational networking. By using data I collected on the Daphne program, the EU's primary mechanism for addressing gender violence, and by employing both qualitative and social network analysis, I provide empirical evidence that demonstrates how the EU has provided new political opportunities for domestic organizations to improve their capacity to combat violence against women.I would like to acknowledge the following people for their comments and support at various stages of this project: Lee Ann Banaszak, Steven Bloom, Tobin Grant, Phil Habel, Scott McClurg, Emma Moburg-Jones, Meg Rincker, Steve Shulman, Fred Solt, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, Michelle Wade, and anonymous reviewers.
Miami Limestone of Florida and Its Recent Bahamian Counterpart

The Miami Oolite, named by Sanford (1909) for the oolitic limestone of Pleistocene age which covers a large part of the southern tip of Florida, has been found to consist of two separate units—an upper unit, herein designated the oolitic facies, and a lower unit, called here the bryozoan facies. In this paper the two units are combined as the Miami Limestone,[1][1] a formational name which now seems more appropriate than the Miami Oolite. The bryozoan facies, the dominant constituents of which are massive compound colonies of the cheilostome bryozoan Schizoporella floridana Osburn surrounded by ooids and pellets, covers the greater part of Dade County and extends in places into adjoining counties—a total area of about 2000 square miles. It averages 10 feet in thickness in southeastern Florida and thins to 1 foot or so westward to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the surface rock of the southern Everglades and is one of the most extensive bryozoan limestones in the country. In southeastern Florida it is covered by an elongated mound of cross-bedded oolitic limestone, the upper unit or oolitic facies. This is the rock of the southern end of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, with a maximum thickness of 35 feet under the Ridge summit thinning westward toward the low-lying Everglades as it encroaches over the bryozoan facies. Interest in the origin of the two units has been heightened recently by the recognition of similar deposits that are being actively produced in a nearby area. Immediately east of Miami on the western edge of the Great Bahama Bank, strung in a north-south line, are the islands of Bimini, Cat Cay, Sandy Cay, etc., the region described by Newell and others (1959). East of the Cays and parallel to them, a large underwater mound of unstable oolite is forming, and east of the mound in the shallow lagoon, massive, tubular bryozoans (Schizoporella flondana Osburn) are growing. The oolite from the mound is slowly encroaching over the bryozoan beds. The bathymetric and ecologic conditions now extant in this area are probably similar to those which existed during the Pleistocene to form the units of the Miami Limestone. The eastern slope of the unstable oolite mound of the Cat Cay and Sandy Cay area is cut by tidal channels which run normal to the direction of the mound itself. Narrow valleys, similar to these channels, can be found in the indurated rock of the oolitic facies of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge. The valleys probably had their origin as channels produced by tidal currents at the time the oolitic mound of the Ridge was in an unstable condition. It is also believed that the shape and orientation of the Lower Keys of Florida originated in a similar fashion. [1]: #fn-2
Recurrence rates after selective neck dissection in the N0 irradiated neck.

Objectives To define patterns of subclinical metastases in irradiated N0 necks with recurrent or persistent primary site disease and to determine the regional control rate when selective neck dissection (SND) is used in this setting. Patients and Intervention Individuals included were previously treated for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with primary radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy. All had recurrent or persistent disease at the primary site, with no clinical or radiographic evidence of nodal disease. The patients underwent surgical treatment of the primary site along with site-specific SND and were required to undergo at least 1 year of follow-up. Subsequent recurrence at the primary site disqualified the patient from further evaluation. Main Outcome Measure Regional tumor control. Results Forty-three patients meeting the inclusion criteria underwent 59 SNDs (levels dissected: I-IV [n = 22], II-IV [n = 34], and I-III [n = 3]). Sixteen specimens were positive for nodal disease. The charts of 26 patients, who underwent a total of 35 SNDs, were available for review after 1 year (none of the patients involved died of disease in the neck). There were no neck recurrences (mean follow-up, 25 months; median, 21 months). All patients with more than 2 occult nodal metastases experienced primary site recurrence or distant metastases. Conclusions In this small cohort, SND in previously irradiated patients with recurrent primary disease but clinically negative necks has resulted in excellent tumor control in the neck. The usual patterns of nodal spread do not appear to be significantly altered with primary site recurrence after radiation therapy. The presence of more than 2 positive nodes in the neck specimen correlates with poor prognosis.