cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of the Head Model Conductor on the Source Localization of Auditory Evoked Potentials.

The accuracy of EEG source analysis reconstruction improves when a realistic head volume conductor is modeled. In this study we investigated how the progressively more complex head representations influence the spatial localization of auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs). Fourteen young-adult participants with normal hearing performed the AEP task. Individualized head models were obtained from structural MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging scans collected in a separate session. AEPs were elicited by 1 k Hz and 4 k Hz tone bursts during a passive-listening tetanizing paradigm. We compared the amplitude of the N1 and P2 components before and after 4 min of tetanic-stimulation with 1 k Hz sounds. Current density reconstruction values of both components were investigated in the primary auditory cortex and adjacent areas. Furthermore, we compared the signal topography and magnitude obtained with 10 different head models on the EEG forward solution. Starting from the simplest model (scalp, skull, brain), we investigated the influence of modeling the CSF, distinguishing between GM and WM conductors, and including anisotropic WM values. We localized the activity of AEPs within the primary auditory cortex, but not in adjacent areas. The inclusion of the CSF compartment had the strongest influence on the source reconstruction, whereas white matter anisotropy led to a smaller improvement. We conclude that individualized realistic head models provide the best solution for the forward solution when modeling the CSF conductor.
The Role of Invention in U.S. Metropolitan Productivity

At the regional scale, human capital and agglomeration forces are assumed to shape innovative capacity, but there are likely to be more direct channels like the development and commercialization of new products. This article examines the relationship between inventive activity and productivity at the level of U.S. metropolitan economies, using a patents database that links inventors to their residence. Examining the 1980 to 2010 period, we find robust evidence that patenting is correlated with and Granger causes higher productivity in metropolitan areas. A standard deviation increase in patents predicts a 6 percent increase in productivity over 10 years. Higher-quality patents enhance the effect. We attempt to identify a cross-sectional causal effect of patenting on productivity and wages using various historical instruments from the early 20th Century and controls for the selection of high-skilled workers into the area. Two-stage least squares regressions show an even stronger causal effect, but we can not rule out the possibility that historic advantages in manufacturing and scientific research continue to affect productivity through both patenting and some un-identified channel. We conclude that inventive activity plays an important role in regional prosperity.
VASCULAR HYPERREACTIVITY IN RELATION TO VASCULAR CHANGES IN THE HUMAN PLACENTA.

Abstract One hundred women in the fourth day of their puerperium were examined, using postural and cold pressor tests. The basis for the selection of these patients for testing was the incidence of macroscopic changes in the placentas. A control group of 50 women with no macroscopic placental changes was also tested. In the experimental group a significantly higher percentage of hyperreactive cases was detected. This group also showed a higher incidence of previous toxemia of pregnancy, and a more frequent history of familial hypertension.
Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Liquid Disinfectants on Contaminated Surfaces before Formation of Biofilms

A comparison was made of the effectiveness of popular disinfectants (Cavicide, Cidexplus, Clorox, Exspor, Lysol, Renalin, and Wavicide) under conditions prescribed for disinfection in the respective product labels on Pseudomonas aeruginosa either in suspension or deposited onto surfaces of metallic or polymeric plastic devices. The testing also included 7 nonformulated germicidal agents (glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, phenol, and cupric ascorbate) commonly used in disinfection and decontamination. Results showed that P. aeruginosa is on average 300-fold more resistant when present on contaminated surfaces than in suspension. This increase in resistance agrees with results reported in studies of biofilms, but unexpectedly, it precedes biofilm formation. The surface to which bacteria are attached can influence the effectiveness of disinfectants. Viable bacteria attached to devices may require dislodging through more than a one-step method for detection. The data, obtained with a sensitive and quantitative test, suggest that disinfectants are less effective on contaminated surfaces than generally acknowledged.
Application of an Automated Determination of Isoenzyme-5 of Lactate Dehydrogenase to the Diagnosis of Hepatic Disease

We have examined the clinical usefulness of measuring the activity of LD-5 (the slowest-moving isoenzyme of lactate dehydrogenase) in serum, after its column chromatographic separation, on the Du Pont ACA. Primary and secondary diseases of the liver were readily identified. LD-5 and alanine aminotransferase activities correlated well in hepatitis and LD-5 and alkaline phosphatase activities in metastatic disease of the liver. LD-5 activity was elevated in cases of congestive heart failure, muscle trauma, and cirrhosis (when associated with active inflammation or alcoholic hepatitis). The test proved most useful for the early identification of hepatitis and tumor involvement of the liver.
The Tension in a Locust Flight Muscle at Varied Muscle Lengths

1. Tension in a resting muscle increases when the muscle is stretched. If the stretch is maintained, the tension decays (stress relaxation). The time course of stress relaxation in the metathoracic second tergocoxal muscle (Tcx 2 ) of the locust Schistocerca americana was found to be adequately described by a multiexponential function with four or more time constants. These constants were independent of strain, and the slowest had a value of more than 60min. Tension continued to diminish even when stretch was maintained for 2–4h. 2. Tension in a stretched, unstimulated muscle increased with increased length of stretch. Resting tension in the locust Tcx 2 at the in vivo length was estimated to be 1 Ncm −2 or less. At 10% strain, resting tension was about 2 Ncm −2 . The stiffness of the unstimulated locust muscle was similar to that of unstimulated frog muscles. 3. The active tetanic tension was maximal (average = 32.4 N cm −2 ) at slightly less than the in vivo muscle length. Tetanic tension was 50% or more of its maximum value over a range of 80–130% of the in vivo muscle length. 4. The active twitch tension was maximal at slightly greater than the in vivo muscle length. The ratio twitch/tetanic force increased with muscle length. 5. Twitch relaxation time increased with muscle length, but the time to peak for twitch force was nearly independent of muscle length in a stretched muscle.
Thermal properties of compounds possessing both solid-phase and gas-phase flame retardant potential

Effective additives are required to impart a measure of fire retardancy to polymeric materials used in a variety of applications. Traditionally, these have been gas-phase active additives, most commonly organohalogen compounds, or solid-phase active agents, often organophosphorus compounds. Organosphosphorus flame retardants are often very effective but may suffer from a cost disadvantage when compared with their organobromine counterparts. Organohalogen flame retardants are usually quite effective but their use is subject to several environmental concerns. The development of additives that could simultaneously promote both types of fire retardant action could make available flame retardants that are both more cost effective and more environmentally friendly than those currently in use. Several sets of compounds including bromoanilino triazine derivatives and bromoaryl phosphates with the potential to display both solid-phase and gas-phase flame retardant activity have been prepared and evaluated by a variety of thermal methods.
Branches of Radial Solutions for Semipositone Problems

Abstract We consider the radially symmetric solutions to the equation −Δu(x) = λƒ(u(x)) for x ∈ Ω, u(x) = 0 for x ∈ ∂Ω, where Ω denotes the unit ball in R N (N > 1), centered at the origin and λ > 0. Here ƒ: R → R is assumed to be semipositone (ƒ(0) 0 there exists at most one positive solution u such that (λ, u) belongs to the unbounded branch of positive solutions. Further when ƒ(t) = tp − k, k > 0 and 1
Comparison of experimental and theoretical Fermi screening of charged impurities in degenerate semiconductors

Abstract Optical measurements on semiconductor thin films can be used to derive their complex dielectric function. In a log-log graph, the imaginary part near the plasma frequency tends to have two linear segments, one slope denoting the Drude and the other the quantum region. The quantum region is represented by a von Baltz and Escher asymptotic expression. An empirical screening function for the charged impurities is derived by matching the Drude and quantum expressions at the relatively narrow transition frequency band between Drude and quantum regions. This empirical expression and the corresponding theoretical Thomas-Fermi screening function are applied to a series of In2O3 and CdIn2O4 films to show that the theory systematically underestimates the screening by a factor of 2–3.
The Influence of Living Situations on Family Therapy Involvement Among Youth Adjudicated of a Sexual Crime

Clinical and research professionals working with youth who have sexually offended have increasingly advocated for community-based care. However, other scholars have noted the appropriateness of residential placements for many youth. Research is inconclusive concerning the degree to which youth with sexually harmful behaviors receive family services, particularly family therapy in either community-based care settings or residential settings, and has yet to thoroughly identify how placement influences family therapy involvement. This study reviews the files of youth who have been adjudicated of a sexual crime (N = 85) to quantitatively identify how living situations influence family therapy involvement. Using bivariate estimations, findings reveal that youth living out of the home and those who change placements were more involved in family therapy than those treated in their own communities or homes. Implications and future research directions are considered.
Effect of temperature on oleate adsorption at a calcite surface: an FT-NIR/IRS study and review

In-situ Fourier transform infrared/internal reflection spectroscopy (FT-IR/IRS) with reactive internal reflection elements (IREs) has been extended to study oleate adsorption at a calcite surface. Birefringent and transmission limitations of calcite were overcome with appropriate optics and a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer. Adsorption isotherms were determined at pH 9.2 for temperatures of 20°C and 60°C and found to agree with data reported in the literature. The in-situ FT-NIR/IRS results indicate that chemisorption occurs at low oleate concentrations since the extent of adsorption increases at the higher temperature. At higher oleate concentrations, surface precipitation of calcium dioleate predominates but, in this case, the adsorption densities decrease with increasing temperature. This effect was related to surface-passivation due to increased chemisorption and to the increased solubility of calcium dioleate at 60°C. A thorough review of the literature substantiates this position. Finally, ex-situ FT-IR/IRS spectra of the chemisorbed and surface precipitated states were obtained in the mid-infrared (MIR) region and were found to support the in-situ FT-NIR/IRS results. Previous attempts with other infrared sampling methods were not successful in obtaining such MIR spectra due to the highly absorbing nature of carbonate vibrations.
Diet-Induced Head Allometry Among Foliage-Chewing Insects and Its Importance for Graminivores

Individuals of the grass-feeding caterpillar of Pseudaletia unipuncta, reared from hatching on hard grass, had head masses twice as great as those of caterpillars fed soft artificial diet, even though the larvae reached the same body mass. Larvae reared on soft wheat seedlings had intermediate head masses. Thus muscular effort increases muscular development in an insect, which in turn has a dramatic morphogenetic effect on head size. Size differences in the head capsules, with the correlated differences in mandibular power, have a direct effect on the ability of the insects to ingest hard foods rapidly: larger heads are adaptive for dealing with hard grasses.
Fulminant hepatitis in patients undergoing liver transplantation: Evidence for a non-A, non-B, non-C, non-D, and non-E syndrome

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) in the absence of serum markers of hepatitis A (HAV) or B (HBV) infection or another cause is called non-A, non-B (NANB) FHF. The pathogenetic role of viral infection in NANB FHF remains controversial. To better define this relationship, we studied patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for FHF. Thirty-six patients with FHF underwent transplantation between 1987 and 1992. Pre-OLT serum was available for 24 patients, 14 with NANB FHF (all female; mean age, 32 years), and 10 (3 males, 7 females; mean age, 20 years) with a defined origin for FHF who formed the control group. Sera were tested using polymerase chain reaction for HAV, HCV, HDV, and HEV RNA and HBV DNA, and also serologically for antibodies to these viruses. In the NANB group, pre-OLT serum was negative for all viruses tested. Four patients in the control group had HBV serologically, 2 with HBV DNA in serum. One of these 4 also had hepatitis C and one hepatitis D infection. There was no difference in intensive care unit or hospital stay between the groups. The only significant difference in laboratory data was for peak creatinine pre-OLT (0.94 mg/dL in NANB v 1.62 mg/dL; P < .05). Two patients in the NANB groups and 3 in the control group required early retransplantation for graft primary nonfunction. One case of NANB FHF appeared to recur at 6 months but not after subsequent retransplantation. NANB FHF is not associated with hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E in plasma. It has a later age of onset but a similar clinical course to other forms of FHF and appears to preferentially affect women. Copyright © 1996 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Mechanisms of neutralization of bauxite residue by carbon dioxide.

Bauxite residue (red mud), an alkaline slurry from alumina refining, is produced in large volumes and disposed of in large surface impoundments. The objectives of this study were to measure the extent of neutralization of bauxite residue by carbon dioxide as a function of C O2 partial pressure and to determine the geochemical reactions responsible for carbon sequestration. Bauxite residue was exposed to carbon dioxide (C O2 ) at partial pressures ranging from 10−3.5 to 1 atm and the residue pore-water pH was measured until a steady state pH was achieved. Using pure C O2 ( PC O2 =1 atm) , a steady state pH of 7.7 was established in 1 day while it took 9 days to reach a pH of 9.8 at PC O2 = 10−3.5 atm . The pH rebounded to 9.9 after 1 day when bauxite residue first neutralized at PC O2 of 1, 0.1, or 0.01 atm for 10 days was subsequently exposed to PC O2 = 10−3.5 atm , indicating that the pH change during short-term carbonation (t⩽10 days) was due to reactions of carbonic acid and O H− in the pore water. A l...
SHEEP RED CELL BINDING TO HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES TREATED WITH NEURAMINIDASE; ENHANCEMENT OF T CELL BINDING AND IDENTIFICATION OF A SUBPOPULATION OF B CELLS

Neuraminidase treatment of normal human lymphocytes enhances their capacity to form SRBC rosettes; more red cells are bound and the rosettes are more stable. Under these conditions approximately 90% of peripheral blood lymphocytes form rosettes. In addition to the effects on T cells, another population of lymphocytes which possess surface immunoglobulin and have the Fc receptor acquire the rosette-forming property after neuraminidase. This subpopulation of ‘B’ cells represents approximately half of the lymphocytes with surface immunoglobulin but is not found among the leukemic lymphocytes of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Electron microscope observations indicate close approximation and intimate association of the red cell and lymphocyte membranes after neuraminidase.
A collective ranking method for genome-wide association studies

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyze genetic variation (SNPs) across the entire human genome, searching for SNPs that are associated with certain phenotypes, most often diseases, such as breast cancer. In GWAS, we seek a ranking of SNPs in terms of their relevance to the given phenotype. However, because certain SNPs are known to be highly correlated with one another across individuals, it can be beneficial to take into account these correlations when ranking. If a SNP appears associated with the phenotype, and we question whether this association is real, the extent to which its neighbors (correlated SNPs) also appear associated can be informative. Therefore, we propose CollectRank, a ranking approach which allows SNPs to reinforce one another via the correlation structure. CollectRank is loosely analogous to the well-known PageRank algorithm. We first evaluate CollectRank on synthetic data generated from a variety of genetic models under different settings. The numerical results suggest CollectRank can significantly outperform common GWAS methods at the cost of a small amount of extra computation. We further evaluate CollectRank on two real-world GWAS on breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter, and CollectRank performs well in both studies. We finally provide a theoretical analysis that also suggests CollectRank's advantages.
Regulation of microglia effector functions by tumor necrosis factor signaling

The exact biological role of the cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) in the central nervous system (CNS) is not well understood; but overproduction of TNF by activated microglia has been implicated in neuronal death, suggesting that TNF inhibition in the CNS may be a viable neuroprotective strategy. We investigated the role of TNF signaling in regulation of microglia effector functions using molecular, cellular, and functional analyses of postnatal and adult microglia populations in the CNS. No differences were found by flow cytometric analyses in the basal activation state between TNF-null and wild type mice. Although TNF-null microglia displayed an atypical morphology with cytoplasmic vacuoles in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the phagocytic response of TNF-null microglia to E.coli particles in vitro was normal and there were no signs of enhanced caspase 3 activation or apoptosis. Functionally, conditioned media from LPS-stimulated TNF-null microglia was found to have significantly reduced levels of IL-10, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-12 and CXCL1 relative to wild type microglia and exerted no cytotoxic effects on neurally differentiated dopaminergic MN9D cells. In contrast, incubation of wild type microglia with TNF inhibitors selectively depleted the levels of soluble TNF and its cytotoxicity on MN9D cells. To distinguish whether reduced cytotoxicity by LPS-activated TNF-null microglia could be attributed to deficient autocrine TNF signaling, we employed primary microglia deficient in one or both TNF receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2) in co-culture with MN9D cells and found that neither receptor is required to elicit LPS-evoked TNF production and cytotoxicity on dopaminergic cells.
HIV as a surrogate marker for drug use: a re-analysis of the San Francisco Men’s Health Study

Our analysis of drug use and morbidity data from a cohort of 1034 men yields the following results: 1) HIV infection is a strong indicator of drug use — HIV-positive respondents reported an average lifetime dose of recreational drugs (excluding marijuana) 2.3 times higher than HIV-negative respondents. 2) Homosexuality is a strong indicator of drug use — homosexual respondents reported an average lifetime dose 2.0 times higher than heterosexual respondents. 3) The incidence of AIDS-defining diseases was not limited to respondents infected with HIV, but was almost completely limited (98%) to respondents who reported using drugs. We also address a previous report (Ascher et al., 1993) that was based on the same database and purported to show that HIV alone correlates with the development of AIDS. Specifically, we show that the relationship between HIV infection and CD4+ T Cell loss is weaker than reported by Ascher et al., and provides little evidence for a causative relationship. These results support the hypothesis that long-term, habitual drug use can cause the conditions known as AIDS (independent of the presence of HIV), and refute the hypothesis that HIV alone causes these conditions independent of drug use.
Limiting conditional distribution for tests of independence in the two way table

For testing the hypothesis of independence in the rxc two way contingency table, we consider the likelihood ratio statistic –2In(λ) and the χ2statistic conditionally given the sufficient statistic of row and column margin totals. We use Stirling’s formula in the conditional characteristic function of normalized cell counts to give a direct proof that the limiting null conditional distribution is multivariate normal Z : Nrc (0, Λ). We then establish the two statistics have a limiting conditional distribution equivalent to Z T λ- Z, which has a central distribution with degrees of freedom ν=(r-l)(c-1) =rank(Λ).
Requirements for the display and analysis of three-dimensional medical image data

Three dimensional arrays of data representing measures of human body tissue properties are produced with x-ray computed tomography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging instruments. Array sizes vary from (64,64,64) to (512,512,128). Techniques to review the array values on a display screen include oblique plane, reprojection with selected dissolution, and simulated surface illumination display. The number of computer instructions required to generate these displays varies from 3.5 to 2500 million .The implementation of these methods requires large, fast random access memory (16 megabytes) and computers capable of executing a minimum of 10 million instructions per second. While computationally expensive, the use of three dimensional display techniques can be essential for accurate disease diagnosis and for optimizing disease treatment.
Food security and government interventions: A study of Indian grain markets

Abstract This study examines the future of Indian food security in light of possible liberalization of its agriculture sector. Demand for major food grains such as wheat and rice is projected after taking into account possible dietary changes due to income growth, urbanization and other demographic changes. Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) indicators are constructed to predict changes in supply patterns in the case of reduced government intervention. The projected demand growth suggests faster increases in per capita wheat consumption due to strong income growth and urbanization whereas per capita rice consumption is projected to level off in the next few years and then will likely decline steadily for the remainder of the projection period. This indicates that Indian wheat production may need to grow at a much faster rate than rice production in order to remain self-sufficient in the future. Based on the PAM ranking, this may be possible under reduced or no government interventions because of the comparative...
MO‐E‐342‐03: Radionuclide Therapy and Dosimetry in Nuclear Medicine

Advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer and other diseases have identified molecules and signaling pathways that we can now visualize, in vivo, for diagnosis, staging, and to identify optimal therapy and monitor patient response to therapy. These advances have also helped identify targets for targeted radionuclide therapy, making it possible to target radiation at the cellular and molecular level. Planning for this treatment approach is similar, in principle, to external beam radiotherapytreatment planning, but substantially different in practice. Dosimetry for systemic or locoregional administration of a therapeuticradiopharmaceutical requires an understanding of its biodistribution and pharmacokinetics, this must be coupled with a methodology for translating total number of radionuclide disintegration in a particular anatomical volume to the absorbed dose to the volume. Advances in imaging and computing technology over the past 20 to 30 years have fostered corresponding advances in the implementation of the basic radionuclide dosimetry scheme outlined above. Dosimetry in nuclear medicine is evolving from a standard anatomical model‐based calculation that provides mean absorbed dose over a target organ volume to a calculation that provides the spatial distribution of absorbed dose over the individual patient target and organ geometry and that also incorporates radiobiological modeling as a step towards assessing the biological consequences of the dose distribution. The evolution of nuclear medicinedosimetry as well as recently approved and emerging radionuclide‐based therapeutics will be reviewed.
The occurrence and roles of porphyrins in the environment: possible implications for bioremediation

Abstract Porphyrins are the molecules which are at the heart of most biochemical reactions involved in bioremediation. This review paper discusses the chemical structures, the biosynthetic pathways and the occurrence of porphyrins in the environment. The parallel between the mammalian and bacterial cytochrome P-450 enzyme systems and the similarity of the reactions at the molecular level is brought to the attention of the reader. Experiments where porphyrins and corrinoids are used as catalysts in the absence of the enzymes or the bacterial cells are opening the field of biochemical remediation, somewhere midway between biological and abiotic reactions.
A Process for Design, Verification, Validation, and Manufacture of Medical Devices Using Immersive VR Environments

This paper presents a framework and detailed vision for using immersive virtual reality (VR) environments to improve the design, verification, validation, and manufacture of medical devices. Major advances in medical device design and manufacture currently require extensive and expensive product cycles that include animal and clinical trials. The current design process limits opportunities to thoroughly understand and refine current designs and to explore new high-risk, high-payoff designs. For the past 4 years, our interdisciplinary research group has been working toward developing strategies to dramatically increase the role of simulation in medical device engineering, including linking simulations with visualization and interactive design. Although this vision aligns nicely with the stated goals of the FDA and the increasingly important role that simulation plays in engineering, manufacturing, and science today, the interdisciplinary expertise needed to realize a simulation-based visual design environment for real-world medical device design problems makes implementing (and even generating a system-level design for) such a system extremely challenging. In this paper, we present our vision for a new process of simulation-based medical device engineering and the impact it can have within the field. We also present our experiences developing the initial components of a framework to realize this vision and applying them to improve the design of replacement mechanical heart valves. Relative to commercial software packages and other systems used in engineering research, the vision and framework described are unique in the combined emphasis on 3D user interfaces, ensemble visualization, and incorporating state-of the-art custom computational fluid dynamics codes. We believe that this holistic conception of simulation-based engineering, including abilities to not just simulate with unprecedented accuracy but also to visualize and interact with simulation results, is critical to making simulation-based engineering practical as a tool for major innovation in medical devices. Beyond the medical device arena, the framework and strategies described may well generalize to simulation-based engineering processes in other domains that also involve simulating, visualizing, and interacting with data that describe spatially complex time-varying phenomena.
A proposal for the intercomparison of the dynamical cores of atmospheric general circulation models

A benchmark calculation is proposed for evaluating the dynamical cores of atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs) independently of the physical parameterizations. The test focuses on the long-term statistical properties of a fully developed general circulation; thus, it is particularly appropriate for intercomparing the dynamics used in climate models. To illustrate the use of this benchmark, two very different atmospheric dynamical cores--one spectral, one finite difference--are compared. It is found that the long-term statistics produced by the two models are very similar. Selected results from these calculations are presented to initiate the intercomparison.
Error bounds for spline and L-spline interpolation

One of our basic aims here is to obtain improved error bounds for spline and L-spline interpolation at knots, and to obtain certain stability (or perturbation) results for such forms of interpolation. To give a concrete example to illustrate our aim, consider for simplicity the interpolation of a given function f defined on [a, b] by a smooth cubic spline s over a uniform partition A, of [a, b]. Normally, if f E Cl[u, b], then its unique cubic spline interpolant s is defined by
Physician Health and Lifestyle

STUDENTJAMA provides a forum for critical exchange on current issues in medical education, research, and practice. It is produced by a group of medical student editors in collaboration with the JAMA editorial staff and is published monthly. The content of STUDENTJAMA includes writing by medical students, physicians, and other researchers, as well as original medical student artwork and creative writing. The articles and viewpoints in STUDENTJAMA do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the American Medical Association or of JAMA. All submissions must be the original unpublished work of the author(s). All submitted work is subject to review and editing.
Unconventional binders in refractory concretes for cement plant use

The physical properties of three 60% alumina monolithic refractories with different types of binders were evaluated to determine the optimum conditions of use and product selection for several applications within a cement pyroprocessing train.
Dielectric and far-infrared spectroscopy of glycerol

Abstract Broadband dielectric spectroscopy has been performed on supercooled glycerol for temperatures between 184 and 413 K. The measurements cover 18 decades of frequency and extend into the far infrared regime. The timescale of the α-process is observed over 14 decades of frequency as a function of temperature. In the THz range an additional loss peak was observed which is identified as the boson peak known from neutron and light scattering experiments. Between the α and boson peak the loss minimum has been observed as a function of temperature down to the glass temperature. It is very broad and cannot be ascribed to a simple superposition of α and boson peak. The data are compared to the susceptibilities obtained from neutron and light scattering.
Differential pulse voltammetric oxidation of polyinosinic acid and its components

Abstract The differential pulse voltammetric oxidation of polyinosinic acid (poly(I)), inosine-5'-monophosphate, inosine and hypoxanthine at a pyrolytic graphite electrode has been studied. Poly(I) gives a single, pH-dependent voltammetric oxidation peak which is well separated from the single peak observed for very low concentrations of hypoxanthine. An electroanalytical method for the detection and determination of trace amounts of hypoxanthine in poly(I) samples is described.
Parasites ofColeophora laricella larvae in newfoundland [Lep.: Coleophoridae]

A total of 15 species of parasites have been reared from the larch casebearerColeophora laricella (Hubner), in Newfoundland, but only 2 species,Agathis pumila (Ratzeburg) andChrysocharis laricinellae (Ratzeburg), are common. Both of these species had been introduced in the late 1940's for the biological control of the casebearer. The chalcid,C. laricinellae, was the more common parasite till the early 1970's, but since then the braconid,A. pumila, has become the most dominant, parasitizing up to 80% of the host larvae. It appears thatA. pumila is the most promising biological control agent present in Newfoundland.
Metallic friction at cryogenic temperature

Abstract Experimental data on static and kinetic coefficients of friction are reported for eleven combinations of clean metals, extending in three cases (Au on Au, Cu on Cu, Ni on Ni) from 300 to 20°K and the remainder from 300 to 80°K. The measurements were made in a gaseous atmosphere of pure helium in order to minimize surface contamination, and the relatively high measured friction gave evidence of good initial cleanliness. It was found that neither static nor kinetic friction changed significantly from its room temperature value as temperature was reduced.
An efficient, robust, domain-decomposition algorithm for particle Monte Carlo

A previously described algorithm T.A. Brunner, T.J. Urbatsch, T.M. Evans, N.A. Gentile, Comparison of four parallel algorithms for domain decomposed implicit Monte Carlo, Journal of Computational Physics 212 (2) (2006) 527-539] for doing domain decomposed particle Monte Carlo calculations in the context of thermal radiation transport has been improved. It has been extended to support cases where the number of particles in a time step are unknown at the beginning of the time step. This situation arises when various physical processes, such as neutron transport, can generate additional particles during the time step, or when particle splitting is used for variance reduction. Additionally, several race conditions that existed in the previous algorithm and could cause code hangs have been fixed. This new algorithm is believed to be robust against all race conditions. The parallel scalability of the new algorithm remains excellent.
Cobalt-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species and its possible mechanism

Electron spin resonance spin trapping was utilized to investigate free radical generation from cobalt (Co) mediated reactions using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline (DMPO) as a spin trap. A mixture of Co with water in the presence of DMPO generated 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-(2)-oxy(1) DMPOX, indicating the production of strong oxidants. Addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) to the mixture produced hydroxyl radical (.OH). Catalase eliminated the generation of this radical and metal chelators, such as desferoxamine, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid or 1,10-phenanthroline, decreased it. Addition of Fe(II) resulted in a several fold increase in the .OH generation. UV and O2 consumption measurements showed that the reaction of Co with water consumed molecular oxygen and generated Co(II). Since reaction of Co(II) with H2O2 did not generate any significant amount of .OH radicals, a Co(I) mediated Fenton-like reaction [Co(I) + H2O2-->Co(II) + .OH + OH-] seems responsible for .OH generation. H2O2 is produced from O2.- via dismutation, O2.- is produced by one-electron reduction of molecular oxygen catalyzed by Co. Chelation of Co(II) by biological chelators, such as glutathione or beta-ananyl-3-methyl-L-histidine alters, its oxidation-reduction potential and makes Co(II) capable of generating .OH via a Co(II)-mediated Fenton-like reaction [Co(II) + H2O2-->Co(III) + .OH + OH-]. Thus, the reaction of Co with water, especially in the presence of biological chelators, glutathione, glycylglycylhistidine and beta-ananyl-3-methyl-L-histidine, is capable of generating a whole spectrum of reactive oxygen species, which may be responsible for Co-induced cell injury.
Enhanced cell surface expression, immunogenicity and genetic stability resulting from a spontaneous truncation of HIV Env expressed by a recombinant MVA.

During propagation of modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) encoding HIV 89.6 Env, a few viral foci stained very prominently. Virus cloned from such foci replicated to higher titers than the parent and displayed enhanced genetic stability on passage. Sequence analysis showed a single nucleotide deletion in the 89.6 env gene of the mutant that caused a frame shift and truncation of 115 amino acids from the cytoplasmic domain. The truncated Env was more highly expressed on the cell surface, induced higher antibody responses than the full-length Env, reacted with HIV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and mediated CD4/co-receptor-dependent fusion. Intramuscular (IM), intradermal (ID) needleless, and intrarectal (IR) catheter inoculations gave comparable serum IgG responses. However, intraoral (IO) needleless injector route gave the highest IgA in lung washings and IR gave the highest IgA and IgG responses in fecal extracts. Induction of CTL responses in the spleens of individual mice as assayed by intracellular cytokine staining was similar with both the full-length and truncated Env constructs. Induction of acute and memory CTL in the spleens of mice immunized with the truncated Env construct by ID, IO, and IR routes was comparable and higher than by the IM route, but only the IR route induced CTL in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Thus, truncation of Env enhanced genetic stability as well as serum and mucosal antibody responses, suggesting the desirability of a similar modification in MVA-based candidate HIV vaccines.
Getting to Outcomes An Evaluation Capacity Building Example of Rationale, Science, and Practice

The Labin et al. logic model describes the why, how, what, and potential outcomes of evaluation capacity building (ECB). Getting To Outcomes offers a frame and empirical results for operationalizin...
Genetic basis of adaptive evolution of a polyphenism by genetic accommodation

Polyphenisms are evolved adaptations in which a genome produces discrete alternative phenotypes in different environments. In this study, the genetic basis of the evolution of a polyphenism by genetic accommodation was investigated. A polyphenic strain and a monophenic strain of Manduca sexta (L.) were crossed and the F1 offspring and backcross progeny were analysed. The larval colour polyphenism was found to be regulated by one sex-linked gene of major effect and many smaller effect modifier genes. The finding shows that the mechanism of genetic accommodation relies on genetic changes that are consistent with the current view of the genetic basis of adaptive evolution.
A Multi-Image Shape-from-Shading Framework for Near-Lighting Perspective Endoscopes

This article formulates a near-lighting shape-from-shading problem with a pinhole camera (perspective projection) and presents a solution to reconstruct the Lambertian surface of bones using a sequence of overlapped endoscopic images, with partial boundaries in each image. First we extend the shape-from-shading problem to deal with perspective projection and near point light sources that are not co-located with the camera center. Secondly we propose a multi-image framework which can align partial shapes obtained from different images in the world coordinates by tracking the endoscope. An iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is used to improve the matching and recover complete occluding boundaries of the bone. Finally, a complete and consistent shape is obtained by simultaneously re-growing the surface normals and depths in all views. In order to fulfill our shape-from-shading algorithm, we also calibrate both geometry and photometry for an oblique-viewing endoscope that are not well addressed before in the previous literatures. We demonstrate the accuracy of our technique using simulations and experiments with artificial bones.
Analysis of fluconazole effect on viability during extended incubations

Fluconazole is an azole agent with primarily fungistatic activity in standard in vitro susceptibility tests. However, recent work has demonstrated that this drug can reduce Candida albicans viability during prolonged incubations under non-growing conditions. The present study was undertaken to examine more closely some of the parameters of this killing activity. Fungicidal effects of 1·0 μg ml−1 of fluconazole were found during 7–14-day exposures in each of two media that prevented proliferation, distilled water and metal-depleted RPMI 1640 tissue-culture medium. Fluconazole appeared to be stable after being incubated at 37 °C for either 7 or 14 days. Strains of C. albicans resistant to fluconazole in standard short-term growth-inhibition assays were also found to be resistant to fluconazole's effect on viability in prolonged culture, suggesting similar mechanisms of action for these effects. C. albicans yeast cells pre-incubated for 7 days in distilled water were not more sensitive to the drug in short-term susceptibility assays. Although all proliferation of the organisms in distilled water cultures appeared to cease after 3 days, fluconazole added at 7 days still reduced C. albicans viability. Therefore, the drug appeared to kill the non-proliferating organisms directly rather than preventing growth and thereby the emergence of younger organisms that would live longer. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to the cell wall–cell membrane complex and interior contents of yeast cells incubated in distilled water alone; fluconazole appeared to increase the percentages of cells so affected. In summary, extended-incubation susceptibility tests demonstrated that fluconazole has direct fungicidal activity of non-proliferating C. albicans yeast cells. These results may be relevant to the manner in which this drug promotes clearance of chronic fungal infections.
Industrial−Academic Partnership: Interdisciplinary Educational Program in Nanoparticles, Macromolecules, and Interfaces

The Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces (CPS) Program at Carnegie Mellon provides education about technology applications for nanomaterials, macromolecules, and interfaces. (The CPS Program predates th...
On the Inverse of Linear Dynamical Systems

The problem considered is that of determining the inverse of a linear time-invariant dynamical system characterized by a first-order vector differential equation. This problem has application to various problems in control and estimation, where a state space representation is utilized. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for the existence of an inverse system and an algorithm is developed for the inverse system when one exists. The inverse algorithm generates a system composed of a differentiation system cascaded with a dynamical system.
Rescue of Cardiac Defects in Id Knockout Embryos by Injection of Embryonic Stem Cells

We report that Id knockout mouse embryos display multiple cardiac defects, but mid-gestation lethality is rescued by the injection of 15 wild-type embryonic stem (ES) cells into mutant blastocysts. Myocardial markers altered in Id mutant cells are restored to normal throughout the chimeric myocardium. Intraperitoneal injection of ES cells into female mice before conception also partially rescues the cardiac phenotype with no incorporation of ES cells. Insulin-like growth factor 1, a long-range secreted factor, in combination with WNT5a, a locally secreted factor, likely account for complete reversion of the cardiac phenotype. Thus, ES cells have the potential to reverse congenital defects through Id-dependent local and long-range effects in a mammalian embryo.
Preservation of bacteriophages by freezing and freeze-drying

Abstract Losses in titer determined before and after freezing and freeze-drying of bacteriophages were matched with the following known characters of the phages: particle morphology, size, chloroform sensitivity, nucleic acid content, and “osmotic” sensitivity. A high percentage of morphological type A phages are unusually sensitive to freezing and freeze-drying; type B phages are less sensitive. Large phages do not freeze-dry as well as small ones. Osmotically sensitive phages are not preserved as successfully as osmotically resistant ones.
Le renversement du flux magnétique dans les couches minces ferromagnétiques séparées par une couche de SiO

Nous avons etudie les variations des coefficients caracterisant le renversement de l'aimantation et les champs coercitifs en fonction des epaisseurs de couches minces ferromagnetiques et non-ferromagnetiques dans un ensemble de deux films ferromagnetiques separes par un film non-ferromagnetique. L'etude met en evidence l'existence d'un couplage entre les domaines des deux films permettant le renversement tres rapide du flux dans l'ensemble des couches minces. Le champ de couplage semble ětre produit par les ondulations de l'aimantation. We have studied the variations of the coefficients characterizing the flux reversal and of the coercive fields with the thicknesses of the ferromagnetic and the non-ferromagnetic thin films in a structure of double films separated by a non-ferromagnetic film. The study shows that an interaction between domains of the two magnetic films leads to the fast flux reversal in the double film structure. The coupling field seems to originate from the ripple structure in domains.
Survey of ion energetics properties of chemical weapon agent (CWA) breakdown products using G3(MP2) theory

Abstract The ion energetics properties of the major breakdown products of chemical weapons agents (CWAs) have been calculated using G3(MP2) theory to gain insight into which reactant ions in chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) would be optimal for detecting the CWAs. These results would also offer insight into which ions are formed in ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) detectors for CWA that use atmospheric pressure ionization sources. The ionization energies (IEs), proton affinities (PAs), electron affinities (EAs), and fluoride affinities (FAs) have been calculated for the major degradation products of sulfur mustard, the G-series nerve agents, and VX based on optimized structures using G3(MP2) theory. Electron attachment is found to yield an unstable parent anion or leads to an ionic structure with negative EA. The sulfur and nitrogen containing degradation products all have IEs + should be a favorable detection route. The strictly alkylphosphorus compounds all have IEs around 10 eV, implying that they would likely form a unique association product with NO + . All of the compounds with a P O moiety most favorably add an H + on the O atom with PAs of ∼900 kJ mol −1 . 2-(Diisopropylamino) ethane thiol (DESH) and ethyl-N,N-dimethyl phosphoramidate (EDPA) both have amine nitrogens that can readily accept a proton, with PAs > 900 kJ mol −1 . The least favorable protonation site is the oxygen that connects the phosphorus center to the different alkyl groups. The PAs indicate that non-dissociative proton transfer with protonated acetone or ammonia should provide good selectivity, likely with a large rate constant as seen in previous kinetics studies with CWA simulants. All of the breakdown products except 1,4-dithiane can attach a F − ion in at least one stable location. However, the corresponding FAs are too low to favor this process with the normal CIMS fluoride transfer anions.