cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoid effects on vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity and matrix Gla protein expression in rat lung

The role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity was investigated in fetal and adult lung. Glucocorticoid deficiency induced by adrenalectomy (ADX) stimulat...
Consuming for the Social Good: Marketing, Consumer Citizenship, and the Possibilities of Ethical Consumption

Can consumers be socially responsible? Can the interests of consumers, corporations, and the overall society be reconciled? Traditionally, sociologists have conceptualized consumerism as enhancing ...
Use of a retroviral vector with an internal opsin promoter to direct gene expression to retinal photoreceptor cells.

PurposeViral-mediated gene transfer to retina, as well as to other tissues, is evolving rapidly. We have evaluated the potential of a retroviral vector with an internal opsin promoter fragment to direct gene expression to retinal photoreceptor cells.MethodsTwo recombinant retroviral vectors were prepared; in each vector, a 1.4 kb fragment of the mouse opsin promoter was placed downstream from the neoR gene in the Moloney murine leukemia virus-based vector G1Na. The opsin promoter fragment was linked either to the cDNA for mouse rod photo-receptor phosphodiesterase (PDE) β-subunit or to the bacterial lacZ reporter gene. These vectors were tested for their ability to direct gene expression after transduction of 3T3 and Y79 cells, or of dissociated retinal cell cultures or retinal explants from neonatal mice.ResultsAs expected, PDE β-subunit and β-galactosidase mRNAs were expressed only at low levels in 3T3 fibroblasts and Y79 retinoblastoma cells. Northern blot analysis indicated that expression was derived...
Direct determination of cadmium in natural waters by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry without matrix modification

Abstract A procedure for the determination of cadmium in fresh, coastal and estuarine waters by polarized Zeeman-effect graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry is validated by using lake waters and seawater. The limit of detection for freshwaters is
Resuscitation of severe thermal injury with hypertonic saline dextran: effects on peripheral and visceral edema in sheep.

Background: Edema of tissue not directly injured by heat is a common complication after resuscitation of burn shock. Hypertonic 7.5% NaCl 6% dextran (HSD) infusion reduces early fluid requirements in burn shock, but the effects of HSD on peripheral and visceral tissue edema are not well-defined. Methods: We measured the micro-circulatory absorptive pressures of burned and nonburned skin and tissue water content of skin and other tissues in anesthetized sheep after 70% to 85% total body surface area scald and resuscitation. Fluid infusion was initiated 30 minutes after injury using 10 mL/kg HSD (n = 11) or lactated Ringer's (LR) (n = 12), with infusion rates titrated to restore and maintain preburn oxygen delivery (Do 2 ), Thereafter, both groups received LR infusions as needed to maintain Do 2 until the study's end at 8 hours. Colloid osmotic pressure was measured in plasma, and combined interstitial colloid osmotic and hydrostatic pressures were measured in skin. Results: Both treatments successfully restored Do 2 , but fluid requirements were less with the HSD group than with the LR group (43 ± 19 mL/kg vs. 194 ± 38 mL/ kg, respectively, p < 0.05). The peripheral and visceral tissue water contents at 8 hours postinjury until the end of the study in both burn groups were significantly higher than in nonburn controls. However, HSD-treated sheep had significantly less water content in the colon (↓ 28%), liver ( ↓ 9%), pancreas ( ↓ 55%), skeletal muscle ( ↓ 21%), and nonburned skin ( ↓ 12%) compared with LR-treated sheep (p < 0.05 for each). HSD-treated sheep maintained significantly higher (3 to 5 mm Hg) plasma colloid osmotic pressure than LR-treated sheep. Conclusion: There were no observed differences in edema in burn skin between the two treatment groups. The early volume-sparing effect of HSD and reduction in tissue edema are likely attributed to an increased extracellular osmolarity and a better maintenance of the plasma oncotic pressure.
The Health Professional Ethics Rubric: Practical Assessment in Ethics Education for Health Professional Schools

A barrier to the development and refinement of ethics education in and across health professional schools is that there is not an agreed upon instrument or method for assessment in ethics education. The most widely used ethics education assessment instrument is the Defining Issues Test (DIT) I & II. This instrument is not specific to the health professions. But it has been modified for use in, and influenced the development of other instruments in, the health professions. The DIT contains certain philosophical assumptions (“Kohlbergian” or “neo-Kohlbergian”) that have been criticized in recent years. It is also expensive for large institutions to use. The purpose of this article is to offer a rubric—which the authors have named the Health Professional Ethics Rubric—for the assessment of several learning outcomes related to ethics education in health science centers. This rubric is not open to the same philosophical critiques as the DIT and other such instruments. This rubric is also practical to use. This article includes the rubric being advocated, which was developed by faculty and administrators at a large academic health science center as a part of a campus-wide ethics education initiative. The process of developing the rubric is described, as well as certain limitations and plans for revision.
A note on the implementation of cable TV rate caps

In devising rate caps under the 1992 Cable Act, the FCC measured the effects of market power in cable TV by comparing overbuild franchise areas (served by more than one cable operator) with monopoly areas. This paper draws attention to, and corrects, several shortcomings in the FCC's analysis. We conclude that the overbuilds' rates are, on average, 12 percent lower than monopoly rates (and not 16 percent as estimated by the FCC, a difference of approximately $700 million in terms of annual cable revenues). Furthermore, overbuild operators offer better service quality than monopoly systems; the average overbuild offers upto 34 percent more non-broadcast channels.
Assembly and breakup of the core of Paleoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Nuna

Idealized conceptual models of supercontinent cyclicity must be tested against the geologic record using pre-Pangean reconstructions. We integrate tectonostratigraphic records and paleomagnetic data from Siberia, Laurentia, and Baltica to produce a quantitative reconstruction of the core of the Nuna supercontinent at 1.9–1.3 Ga. In our model, the present southern and eastern margins of Siberia juxtapose directly adjacent to, respectively, the arctic margin of Laurentia and the Uralian margin of Baltica. Consistent tectonostratigraphic records of the three cratons collectively indicate the history of Nuna9s assembly and breakup. According to this reconstruction, the late Mesoproterozoic transition from Nuna to Rodinia appears to have been much less dramatic than the subsequent late Neoproterozoic transition from Rodinia to Gondwana.
Primary structure of human T-cell receptor α -chain

The T-cell receptor has been studied intensely over the past 10 years in an effort to understand the molecular basis for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restricted antigen recognition. The use of anti-receptor monoclonal antibodies to isolate and characterize the receptor from human and murine T-cell clones has shown that the protein consists of two disulphide-linked glycopeptides, alpha and beta, distinct from known immunoglobulin light and heavy chains. Like immunoglobulin light and heavy chains, however, both the alpha- and beta-chains are composed of variable and constant regions. Molecular cloning has revealed that the beta-chain is evolutionarily related to immunoglobulins, and is encoded in separate V (variable), D (diversity), J (joining) and C (constant) segments that are rearranged in T cells to produce a functional gene. We report here cDNA clones encoding the alpha-chain of the receptor of the human T-cell leukaemia line HPB-MLT. Using these cDNA probes, we find that expression of alpha-chain mRNA and rearrangement of an alpha-chain V-gene segment occur only in T cells. The protein sequence predicted by these cDNAs is homologous to T-cell receptor beta-chains and to immunoglobulin heavy and light chains, particularly in the V and J segments.
Agreement between competing imaging measures of response of hepatocellular carcinoma to yttrium-90 radioembolization.

Purpose There are currently at least six major competing criteria used to determine response to yttrium-90 and other liver-directed therapies, including: (i) Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST); (ii) World Health Organization (WHO), (iii) volumetric, (iv) two-dimensional (2D) European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and (v) three-dimensional (3D) EASL criteria; and (vi) functional diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This study evaluated agreement among these competing tumor response classification schemes based on quantitative measurements of tumor size, necrosis, and changes in water mobility. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) underwent 90 Y radioembolization. The patients' tumor burden before and 3–6 months after treatment was assessed with MR imaging. The percent change in size of tumors was used to classify patients into response categories. κ and agreement statistics were used to compare concordance among the different criteria. Results Conventional size criteria (RECIST, WHO, and volumetric) all had a substantial level of agreement (κ = 0.76–0.78) when classifying patients into response categories. However, the conventional size criteria in relation to 2D or 3D EASL had only slight to moderate concurrence, with κ statistics as low as 0.06. Two-dimensional EASL criteria and functional DW MR imaging resulted in the highest response rates, 55% ( n = 11) and 75% ( n = 15), respectively, whereas conventional size criteria produced lower response rates. Conclusions Classification of HCC response to 90 Y radioembolization is related to which of the competing criteria are used. It is recommended that anatomic imaging criteria be used as the primary method to determine response and functional imaging criteria be used as a complementary secondary method.
Heart transplantation for adults with congenital heart disease: analysis of the United network for organ sharing database.

Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) in the adult is an uncommon indication for heart transplantation but has been increasing. We assessed survival and predictors of death after heart transplantation for adults with CHD. Methods Adult primary heart transplant recipients (aged > 17 years) reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing (1987 to 2006) were reviewed and categorized by diagnosis of CHD vs other diagnoses. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression modeling were performed. Results During the study period, 35,334 adults underwent primary heart transplantation, and 689 (2%) had CHD. Adult CHD recipients had longer mean waiting list time (218 vs 195 days; p = 0.004), longer ischemic time (3.5 vs 2.9 hours, p Conclusions Heart transplantation for adults with CHD is effective and has good long-term prognosis. The 30-day mortality rate is high, but 5- and 10-year survival is not statistically different from patients without CHD.
The mean function of a repairable system that is subjected to an imperfect repair policy

A repairable system can be simply characterized as a system which is repaired rather than replaced after a failure. In many practical situations, the mean function of a repairable system depends on several explanatory variables referred to as covariates that are time dependent. The mean function is an important figure that represents the expected number of failures up to a certain time. In this article, a repairable policy is proposed by using auxiliary stochastic processes which describe behaviors of these covariates and various properties are derived using the proposed policy. A general method to assess indirectly the mean function of a repairable system by using information on these covariates is also discussed.
The geometry of elongating plant cells

Shape and size of elongating cells were examined in three plant tissues: the adaxial epidermis of the petiole ofZebrina pendula L., the abaxial epidermis ofAnacharis densa L. leaves and the abaxial epidermis of the scale leaf ofAllium cepa L. Based on a few simple assumptions, the expected probability distribution frequencies (pdf) for cell length and number of adjacent walls were calculated. Actual data of cell lengths closely approximated those expected with the pdfs being asymmetrical since there are more younger, shorter cells than older, longer cells. Data for number of lateral walls of real cells were similar to that expected and these walls increase in compensating mechanism exists to maintain a constant range of cell lengths through many cell generations. It is expressed by longer than average new daughter cells dividing relatively soon while shorter than average new daughter cells divide after a relatively long cycle.
Complement-Enhanced Neutralizing Antibody Response to Varicella-Zoster Virus

Humoral immunity following infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was evaluated by a complement-enhanced neutralization test. The specificity of the test was examined and its sensitivity compared with that of the assay which measures antibody to VZV-induced membrane antigen (FAMA). Generally, the titer of neurtalizing antibody was two- to fourfold higher than the FAMA titer. The absence of neutralizing activity at a serum dilution of 1:4 indicated susceptibility of the donor to VZV infection and correlated with an absence of FAMA (titer, less than 1:2). A survey of susceptible leukemic children exposed to chicken pox revealed that several recipients of zoster immune globulin had a subclinical infection, as manifested by seroconversion and persistence of neutralizing antibody to VZV. Results of these studies indicate that the complement-enhanced neutralization test is a sensitive and specific assay for determination of humoral immune status with regard to VZV in healthy and immunosuppressed individuals.
Artificial Intelligence Technique For Automating Seismic Stratigraphic Interpretation

Abstract : Studying the character of reflected seismic wavelets may reveal facts about the stratigraphy of the reflector. Computers can aid humans in this task by revealing structural similarities between various wavelets. The relational tree is a good way to represent a waveform's global structure. By representing a waveform as a relational tree, processing it symbolically, and clustering the processed trees, a seismic wave form recognition system can be constructed. The symbolic processing is based on a tree transformation. An objective function, which measures the effectiveness of such a transformation, utilizes the ratio of between-cluster to within-cluster scatter. The action of a tree transformation applied to tree spaces is the same as linear discriminants applied to feature spaces. When tested on simulated seismic data, the relational tree waveform recognition system performs well at high signal-to-noise ratios.
Modeling and Experiment of Leading Edge Separation Control Using SDBD Plasma Actuators

This work presents the study of the single-dielectric barrier discharge aerodynamic plasma actuator. To model the physics of the plasma discharge, a space-time lumpedelement circuit model was developed. The model solution compared well to some of the characteristic features of the discharge such as the dependence of the sweep velocity and maximum extent of the ionized air as functions of the applied voltage and a.c. driving frequency. The time-dependent charge distribution obtained from the model was used to provide boundary conditions to the electric field equation that was used to calculate the time dependent electric potential. The was then used to calculate the space-time distribution of the actuator body force. An application of the plasma actuators to the leading-edge separation control on the NACA 0021 airfoil was studied numerically and experimentally. The results were obtained for a range of angles of attack for uncontrolled flow, and steady and unsteady plasma actuators located at the leading edge of the airfoil. The control of the lift stall was of particular interest. Improvement in the airfoil characteristics were observed in the numerical simulations at post-stall angles of attack with the plasma actuators. The computational results corresponded very well with the experiments.
Elevated gamma-globulin and increased antibody production in mice infected with lactic dehydrogenase virus.

Infection of mice with the lactic dehydrogenase virus (LDV) resulted in an elevated level of γ-globulin. Histologic examination of the spleen and lymph nodes revealed that the number of germinal centers was greatly increased. Immunization with human γ-globulin showed that the capacity of the virus-infected animal to produce anti-human γ-globulin was greatly enhanced and that the virus acted as an adjuvant. From these experiments it is concluded that a virus infection (LDV) can affect the immunologic response of the host to a heterologous antigen.
Institutional history of an interactive science center: The founding and development of the Exploratorium

This study examines the historical conditions that fostered significant reform in science education. To understand these conditions, we employ a framework drawn from the new institutionalism in organization theory to study the founding and early development of the Exploratorium—a prominent science center that greatly impacted the field of science education. We examine how the Exploratorium employed institutional resources that were available in its environment to develop a new type of organization: an interactive science center. Our findings reveal that the Exploratorium was shaped by the state, which includes all levels of government; the mass media; and the professions, including science, education, and museums. In addition, we explore the pivotal role an individual, Frank Oppenheimer, played in leveraging the institutional environment in which an organization was developing. Our findings suggest that (a) reform in science education may be more profoundly advanced by the development of a new type of organization than by “tinkering” with an existing type of organization such as schools, and (b) that interactive science centers should exercise caution in navigating the changing seas of science education by maintaining their core mission and collaborating with new types of organizations that arise in response to the changing environment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed93: 269–292, 2009
Velleman on intentions as reasons for action

assuming that there is a single absurdity implied by every false proposition. But when this last criticism is taken seriously, even the popular 'minimal' logic of Johansson seems to embody a non-constructive form of reasoning. Of course, given the apparatus of quantification over counteraxioms in the object language, we can formulate a generalized absurd proposition 3xG(x), and use it to define a new negation operator by the schema
Image gathering and processing for enhanced resolution

Traditional approaches to optical resolution enhancement have involved either the design of appropriate image-formation systems or some type of postprocessing of an image that has already been formed. Results presented in this paper suggest that improved images can be obtained if the image-gathering system is designed specifically to enhance the performance of the image-restoration algorithm to be used. We consider a class of problems in which the total available spatial bandwidth is fixed but the location of this bandwidth along the spatial-frequency axis is to some extent under our control. For example, we might consider either a low-pass system or a bandpass system of the same total bandwidth. We show that system performance can be substantially improved by proper allocation of the available bandwidth in the spatial-frequency domain. The optimum allocation is shown to be a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. We also describe coherent and incoherent optical image-gathering systems that can achieve the desired spatial-frequency passbands.
Boosted dictionaries for image restoration based on sparse representations

Sparse representations using learned dictionaries have been successful in several image processing applications. However, using a single dictionary model in inverse problems may lead to instability in estimation. In this paper, we propose to perform image restoration using an ensemble of weak dictionaries that incorporate prior knowledge about the form of linear corruption. The dictionary learned in each round of the training procedure is optimized for the training examples having high reconstruction error in the previous round. The weak dictionaries are either obtained using a weighted K-Means or an example-selection approach. The final restored data is computed as a convex combination of data restored in individual rounds. Results with compressed recovery of standard images show that the proposed dictionaries result in a better performance compared to using a single dictionary obtained with a traditional alternating minimization approach.
Monopolar and bipolar treatment.

. Monopolar and bipolar electrosurgical treatments are markedly different in principle, but the terms are often confused. The following article explains the differences between these two popular modalities.
A virtual laboratory for power electronics and DSP based motion control

Modern power applications require faster, cheaper and better control systems, and the performance demanded from embedded controllers is ever increasing. Therefore, well-equipped digital power education platforms and laboratories are becoming significant demand to educate the next generation engineers and researchers. In this paper, a virtual power electronics and drives lab is presented for graduate or undergraduate power engineering programs and practicing engineers. These tools help the students to learn how to configure the peripherals of digital signal processor (DSP) for real time applications and control/manage the power digitally. As the main platform, the combination of hardware in the loop system (HIL) and DSP facilitate understanding the basics of digital power concept and comprehending the details of real time control. The software framework provides modular and incremental build opportunity for DSP programming in order to experiment gradually, from basic to advanced levels. The hardware-in-the-loop system and associated power electronics and drives simulation tool creates the plant which is controlled by DSP in real time. All of the experiments provide a user friendly and safe environment for the student while experimenting power electronic systems at various power levels.
Preparation of chiral bipyridine bis-N-oxides by oxidative dimerization of chiral pyridine N-oxides

Abstract The direct preparation of chiral 2,2′-bipyridine bis-N-oxides has been developed. The method involves two stages, first, the deprotonation of substituted chiral pyridine N-oxides and second, the oxidative dimerization of the resulting 2-lithiopyridine N-oxides. Optimization of the reaction conditions led to the selection of LiTMP in THF for the deprotonation and molecular iodine as the oxidant. The corresponding 2-iodopyridine N-oxide is invariably formed as a by-product. A series of 11 chiral pyridine N-oxides was prepared that bear substituents at the C(2) and C(5) positions. Oxidative dimerization of these mono-N-oxides proceeded in 33–77% yield. In all cases, the dimerization was highly diastereoselective for the formation of the P-configuration of the chiral axis.
Magnetic fields and childhood cancers

We present an examination of available dose-response data on EMF and childhood cancer in the epidemiologic literature. We conclude that evidence of dose-response exists for childhood leukemia and that causality remains a scientifically defensible explanation for the epidemiologic results produced thus far on this disease in relation to EMF exposure.
Comparison of the Effects of Three Approaches on the Frequency of Stimulus Activations, via a Single Switch, by Students With Profound Intellectual Disabilities

The effects of three classes of reinforcing stimuli were compared across three students with profound intellectual disabilities. A multielement design with no baseline and final “best treatments” phase was used to measure the frequency of single-switch activations by each student across treatments. The three interventions were Treatment A, adapted toys and devices; Treatment B, cause-and-effect commercial software; and Treatment C, instructor-created video programs. Stimulus activations using a single switch were consistently greater when using individualized computer-based video programs. Implications for identifying stimuli for students who may not respond to traditional methods for teaching means—end contingencies (cause and effect) are discussed.
Freeze-fracture of frog slow tonic fibers. Structure of surface and internal membranes

Slow frog fibers from frog cruralis were examined by freeze-fracture and compared with twitch fibers. Major differences in membrane architecture between slow and twitch fibers are in the shape and disposition of T tubules, the shape of junctional regions, the frequency of peripheral couplings and of Ca pump particles. Aggregates of ACh receptors on the surface membrane are distinguishable from peripheral couplings on the basis of size and shape of intramembranous particles.
Array elevation requirements in phase aberration correction using an 8x128 1.75D array

Accurate measurement of tissue aberrations is necessary for effective adaptive ultrasound imaging. Higher order arrays provide more elements and a larger array footprint over which echo signals can be acquired. This allows for better sampling of the aberrator in both the azimuthal and elevation dimensions. These measured aberration profiles can then be used to correct the timing of transmitted and received RF signals to generate new images. We acquired single channel RF data on a 6.7 MHz, 8 x 128 array (Tetrad Co.) operating at F/1.0 in azimuth and F/2.9 in elevation. This array was interfaced to a Siemens Elegra scanner, allowing for data acquisition during routine phantom and clinical scanning. One-dimensional and two-dimensional physical near-field aberrators were used while imaging speckle only and spherical cyst-mimicking phantoms. In some experiments, neighboring elements were electronically tied in elevation to form ``taller'' elements. We collected individual channel data on each of 6 physical rows and then on a combination of rows to form 3x128, 2x128, and 1x128 arrays over a 6x128 aperture of the array. A least-mean-squares algorithm was employed to estimate the arrival time error induced by the tissue for the different array geometries. These aberration measurements were used to correct the images. In addition, point target simulations were performed to characterize the algorithm's performance for all four different array configurations. We present the performance of the adaptive imaging algorithm and discuss methods of combining arrival time profiles from axial and lateral tissue regions to improve adaptive imaging performance. Contrast results in simulation and phantom experiments with different aberrators are presented. We also discuss, in the context of our aberration measurement profiles, the array geometry requirements for successful adaptive imaging and the effects of the aberrators on sidelobe strength and contrast measurement. Results from performing adaptive imaging on clinical breast images using a 6x128 array geometry are also presented.
Novel iridovirus in a nautilus (Nautilus spp.)

Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies suggestive of iridovirus infection were observed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from a nautilus (Nautilus spp.) that died without premonitory signs. Transmission electron microscopy revealed enveloped, hexagonal, viral particles that measured approximately 176 nm in diameter. Virions contained a dense central core and morphology typical of iridoviruses. Extracted DNA was amplified using primers homologous to conserved iridovirus sequences. The amplicons were cloned, sequenced, and determined to be approximately 60% similar to reported amphibian iridovirus sequences. A polymerase chain reaction-generated digoxigenin probe was used to detect viral nucleic acid in tissue sections by DNA in situ hybridization and high-affinity cytochemistry. The detected nucleic acid corresponded to the inclusion bodies observed microscopically. This represents a novel iridovirus of mollusks.
THE DISCLOSURE OF SELF IN THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY.

(1965). The Disclosure of Self in the United States and Germany. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 65, No. 2, pp. 193-203.
Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament in the dog Comparison of results obtained with three different porous synthetic materials

The anterior cruciate ligaments in 17 knees of 12 mongrel dogs were replaced with one of three porous minimally reactive prosthetic (synthetic) materials. The results show that while the porous materials support the ingrowth of fibrous tissue from the bone of the dog's knee, fatigue failure occurred before sufficient fibrous tissue was incorporated to reconstitute a functional ligament. Further laboratory investigation is necessary before prosthetic materials, currently available, can be used in the unstable human knee.
Fetal MR imaging of posterior intracranial dural sinus thrombosis: a report of three cases with variable outcomes.

Background Thrombosis of fetal intracranial dural sinuses is a rare entity. A specific type of midline dural sinus thrombosis (DST) at the torcular Herophili with extension into the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) was initially seen on fetal US and was referred to fetal MRI for definite diagnosis and better delineation.
Detection of linear features in images using Radon and Hough transforms

Two algorithms were developed to detect linear or quasi-linear feature in images, one using the windowed Radon transform, and the other using the Hough transfrom. Two images from different types of sensors and with different features were processed using the two algorithms, and the results are compared with each other. The algorithm of the Radon transform yielded a reasonable noise reduction, and retained the major linear features. While using the Hough transform, linear feature plots containing different sets of line segments by taking different combinations of thresholds can be obtained.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Deficits in orofacial sensorimotor function in Parkinson's disease

Orofacial sensorimotor function was assessed in patients with Parkinson's disease and in age-matched controls. Tests were designed to assess sensory function, motor abilities, and the integration of sensory information for the performance of specific movements. Patients with Parkinson's disease and normal subjects both made more errors with increasing age; however, overall, patients with Parkinson's disease made significantly more errors in our tests than did normal subjects. Interestingly, patients with Parkinson's disease showed greater deficits in tests of sensory function and sensorimotor integration than in tests of motor function. These results suggest that one aspect of Parkinson's disease consists of complex deficits in the utilization of specific sensory inputs to organize and guide movements. The results are further discussed in relation to a proposed sensory gating or filtering schema of basal ganglia motor functioning.
Bibliography on Realizability

Abstract This document is a bibliography on realizability and related matters. It has been collected by Lars Birkedal based on submissions from the participants in “A Workshop on Realizability Semantics and Its Applications”, Trento, Italy, June 30–July 1, 1999. It is available in Bib TEX format at the following URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu./~birkedal/realizability-bib.html .
Prediction of Shrinkage and Warpage of Fiber Reinforced Thermoset Composite Parts

One of the most challenging tasks in designing plastic parts, especially those that are fiber reinforced, is to predict shrinkage and warpage of the molded parts. Shrinkage and warpage result from material inhomogeneities caused by flow induced fiber orientation, curing, poor thermal mold lay-out, and processing conditions. Shrinkage and warpage are directly related to residual stresses which result from locally varying strain fields that occur during the curing or solidification stage of a manufacturing process. This paper presents research conducted in modeling, analysis and process simulation of the thermomechanical behavior of compression molded fiber reinforced composite parts. The theory behind shrinkage and warpage of fiber reinforced composite parts is described first, followed by a description of finite element/finite difference simulation of the thermo mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced composites during a part's manufacturing process. A coupled temperature and stress simulation program wit...
Arylisothiocyanato selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) for prostate cancer.

Abstract A new series of androgen receptor targeted agents (ARTA) was prepared and tested in androgen-dependent and -independent prostate cancer cell lines. These agents were bicalutamide analogs with isothiocyanato substituted B-rings. Also, the linker sulfone of R-bicalutamide was maintained or replaced with several alternative linkages including ether, amine, N-methylamine, thioether, and methylene (in this case the product was a racemic mixture) functional groups at the X-position. To expand the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these arylisothiocyanato AR ligands, B-ring halogenated arylisothiocyanato ligands were also prepared and tested. The arylisothiocyanato AR ligands showed strong binding affinities to AR ranging from 0.6 to 54 nM. Among them, thioether and ether linkages demonstrated high binding affinities (0.6 and 4.6 nM, respectively) and selective cell growth inhibition (approximately 3- to 6-fold) for LNCaP, an androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line, when compared to the androgen independent prostate cell lines (DU145, PC-3, and PPC-1) and a bladder cell line (TSU-Pr1). However, the ligands were inactive (IC50>100 mM) in a normal monkey kidney cell line (CV-1) that was used as the control for non-specific toxicity.
Design considerations for a magneto-optic cryogenic film memory

It has been shown that certain materials, because of their ability to rotate the polarization vector of plane polarized light, can be applied to very large data-stores. One such material (iron-doped europium oxide) requires an operating temperature below 100 K. To produce an experimental device with superior cost/performance, a rotating disk file configuration was chosen. In developing this machine there were many unique demands placed on bearing technology, vacuum technology and system configuration. These and some material considerations, as well as the novel engineering features, will be described.
Solution heat treatment response of a third generation single crystal Ni-base superalloy

Abstract The standard solution heat treatment of the third generation, single crystal Ni-base superalloy, CMSX-10, requires temperatures up to 1365°C and lasts a total of approximately 45 h. These high temperatures and long times result in a heat treatment that is costly. To determine if the heat treatment could be simplified and/or shortened to reduce the cost, a detailed study was completed on the standard heat treatment. The solution anneal heat treatment dissolves the eutectic γ/γ′ regions early in the heat treatment cycle at temperatures up to about 1340°C. However, the chemical segregation from the partitioning of elements during solidification, was not eliminated until much higher temperatures were reached. In particular, the segregation of W and Re to the dendrite core was not significantly reduced until temperatures in excess of 1360°C were reached in the heat treatment cycle. Reducing the heat treatment temperature and/or shortening the time of the heat treatment would be expected, therefore, to result in residual segregation of W and Re to the dendrite cores, a locally unstable microstructure, and, possibly, the formation of TCP phases.
Immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma

Melanoma has traditionally been considered an immunogenic tumor. A number of approaches have been studied for enhancement of antitumor immunity. The first cytokine approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, interleukin-2, has resulted in prolonged responses in a small subset of patients, providing hope that immunotherapy might be useful for this disease. Ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody to CTLA-4, was recently approved and a number of other promising investigational approaches are currently being pursued. This manuscript discusses more recent advances in the treatment of melanoma employing a variety of immune-enhancing approaches.
Negative Capacitance and its Applications on Parasitic Cancellation for EMI Noise Suppression

In this paper, the characteristics of negative capacitance are first addressed. The different methods to generate negative capacitance are then discussed. The applications of negative capacitance for parasitic cancellation are finally presented.
Aortoenteric Fistulas: CT Features and Potential Mimics

Prompt diagnosis of aortoenteric fistulas is imperative for patient survival. The clinical signs of aortoenteric fistula include hematemesis, melena, sepsis, and abdominal pain, but the condition also may be clinically occult. Because clinical signs may not be present or may not be sufficiently specific, imaging is most often necessary to achieve an accurate diagnosis. Although no single imaging modality demonstrates the condition with sufficient sensitivity and specificity, computed tomography (CT), owing to its widespread availability and high efficiency, has become the imaging modality of choice for evaluations in the emergency setting. CT has widely variable sensitivity (40%-90%) and specificity (33%-100%) for the diagnosis of aortoenteric fistulas. To use this modality effectively for the initial diagnostic examination, radiologists must be familiar with the spectrum of CT appearances. Mimics of aortoenteric fistulas include retroperitoneal fibrosis, infected aortic aneurysm, infectious aortitis, and perigraft infection without fistulization. Differentiation is aided by the observation of ectopic gas, loss of the normal fat plane, extravasation of aortic contrast material into the enteric lumen, or leakage of enteric contrast material into the paraprosthetic space; these features are highly suggestive of aortoenteric fistula in a patient with bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
Theory, Style, and Technique

When Herman Heijermans began his career as a writer, he was filled with an enthusiasm for the new poetry of his day. After his arrival in Amsterdam, however, he found in the rising Socialist movement the promise of a new society. The spell of his early attraction to the Eightiers broke under the impact of Socialism, but not without leaving a permanent impression on his work. Even his appeal, Workers of All Lands, Unite, which is prefaced with a quotation from Shelley, betrays their influence. 1
Recent developments in the molecular modeling of diffusion in nanoporous materials

Molecular modeling has become a useful and widely used tool to predict diffusion coefficients of molecules adsorbed in the pores of zeolites and other nanoporous materials. These simulations also provide detailed, molecular-level information about sorbate structure, dynamics, and diffusion mechanisms. We review recent advances in this field, including prediction of various transport coefficients (Fickian, Onsager, Maxwell–Stefan) for single-component and multicomponent systems from equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, elucidation of anomalous diffusion effects induced by the confining pore structure, and prediction of slow diffusion processes beyond the reach of MD simulations.
Extending Lipschitz functions via random metric partitions

Many classical problems in geometry and analysis involve the gluing together of local information to produce a coherent global picture. Inevitably, the difficulty of such a procedure lies at the local boundary, where overlapping views of the same locality must somehow be merged. It is therefore desirable that the boundaries be “smooth,” allowing a graceful transition from one viewpoint to the next. For instance, one may point to Whitney’s use of partitions of unity in studying what is now known as the Whitney extension problem [36, 37]. In the present work, we consider what is perhaps the most basic Whitney-type extension problem, that of extending a Lipschitz function so that it remains Lipschitz. Often such a map is extended by first producing a cover of the new domain, extending the mapping locally, and then gluing together the individual pieces. Our main observation is that in many cases, if one chooses a random cover from the right distribution, the boundary can be made “smooth” on average, even when the local maps are individually quite coarse. This insight leads to the unification, generalization, and improvement of many known results, as well as to new results for many interesting spaces.
Polarization characteristics of resistively loaded orthogonal dipoles excited by ultra wideband signals

Polarization characteristics of the radiated electric field in free space at far distances from resistively loaded thin half-wave orthogonal dipoles excited by short pulses are investigated. It is shown that the radiated field can become circularly polarized in the broadside direction when the exciting input voltage is sinusoidal and the input to the x-axis dipole is the same as the input to the z-axis dipole but delayed by a quarter cycle. The Wu-King loading profile (see Wu, T.T. and King, R.W.P., IEEE Trans. Antennas and Propagation, vol.13, p.369-73, 1965) is considered here. These results are compared with that of the radiated field of unloaded orthogonal dipoles excited by finite cycles of sinusoids.
Fast algorithms for finding matchings in lopsided bipartite graphs with applications to display ads

We derive efficient algorithms for both detecting and representing matchings in lopsided bipartite graphs; such graphs have so many nodes on one side that it is infeasible to represent them in memory or to identify matchings using standard approaches. Detecting and representing matchings in lopsided bipartite graphs is important for allocating and delivering guaranteed-placement display ads, where the corresponding bipartite graph of interest has nodes representing advertisers on one side and nodes representing web-page impressions on the other; real-world instances of such graphs can have billions of impression nodes. We provide theoretical guarantees for our algorithms, and in a real-world advertising application, we demonstrate the feasibility of our detection algorithms.
Realcompactifications and Normal Bases

In a recent paper (see [2]), Orrin Frink introduced a method to provide Hausdorff compactifications for Tychonoff or completely regular T1 spaces X. His method utilized the notion of a normal base. A normal base ℒ for the closed sets of a space X is a base which is a disjunctive ring of sets, disjoint members of which may be separated by disjoint complements of members of ℒ.
Improbable Warriors: Mathematicians Grace Hopper and Mina Rees in World War II

The vast expansion of the US Navy in World War II and its increasing reliance on quickly emerging new technologies owed its success, in part, to the previously overlooked work of women. Much of this work was at the level of technician and mechanic, but there were also numbers of women with advanced educational and professional qualifications who held responsible positions during the war and who made high-level contributions in technical fields.
Chlorine Demand and Inactivation of Fungal Propagules

Conidia of filamentous fungi, vegetative yeast cells, and coliform bacteria were tested to determine their chlorine demand and their sensitivity to chlorine inactivation. Levels of chlorine demand for the various conidia, yeast, and coliforms were, respectively, 3.6 x 10(-9) to 3.2 x 10(-8), 1.2 x 10(-9) to 8.0 x 10(-9), and 2.5 x 10(-11) to 6.3 x 10(-10) mg of chlorine per propagule. Preliminary evidence suggests that the chlorine demand per propagule increases as the number of propagules per milliliter decreases. In general, conidia showed greatest resistance to chlorine inactiviation, followed by the yeast and coliforms. Inactivation by chlorine was influenced by pH, with inactivation (chlorine activity) falling in the order pH 5 > 7 > 8.
A Hybrid Orthogonal Genetic Algorithm for Global Numerical Optimization

In this paper, a hybrid orthogonal genetic algorithm (HOGA) is presented to solve global numerical optimization problems of continuous variables. Based on traditional genetic algorithms, the HOGA has been augmented with a robust selection operator and an intelligent crossover operator. These augmentations reduce statistical bias while improving convergence times and relative accuracy of the solutions. Examples show that HOGA can effectively solve a number of multimodal problems which are widely accepted as optimization benchmarks.
Sepsis after Scotland: enough with the averages, show us the effect modifiers

Cuthbertson and colleagues demonstrate that survivors of severe sepsis face, in general continued ongoing high mortality and quite poor quality of life. This cohort caps the initial, problem-definition stage on long-term outcomes after critical illness. Having compellingly demonstrated the opportunities for improvements in outcomes, epidemiologic and behavioral research must now to turn to understanding the mechanisms by which these outcomes can be improved. Such fundamental research will provide the evidence base to drive informed and successful interventional trials.
Low loss planar negative index metamaterials for the mid-infrared based on frequency selective surfaces

In this paper a planar metamaterial platform based on frequency selective surface (FSS) technology is presented along with a design methodology for realizing low loss negative index metamaterials (NIM). FSSs are periodic metallic screens supported by dielectric substrates and/or superstrates. Although they naturally act as electromagnetic filters, FSSs have also been used extensively as metamaterials such as artificial magnetic conducting (AMC) surfaces, metaferrites, and zero index metamaterials (ZIMs). A design example for a low loss FSS NIM was presented that is optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA) for mid-infrared (IR) operation at a wavelength of 3 mum.