cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heat and mass transfer analysis of a coal particle undergoing pyrolysis

Abstract Heat and mass transfer are combined with kinetics to analyze a coal particle undergoing pyrolysis. The effects of particle size and surrounding temperature are investigated in terms of heat transfer while the effect of pressure is attributed to the competition of pyrolysis, secondary reaction, and the mass transport within the particle. At a high heat transfer rate, the weight loss is determined by the competition between pyrolysis and a secondary reaction. At a low heating rate, the contribution of internal mass transport becomes more pronounced. The weight loss is then determined by the competition between such internal transport and the deposition reaction.
Koroseal: A rubber substitute

Abstract Koroseal, a plastic substitute for common rubber tubing for hospital use, is presented. Its advantages are: (1) It is almost indestructible to ordinary sterilizing methods. (2) It is transparent, thus facilitating the administration of intravenous fluids and at the same time making the cleansing problem much simpler. (3) It is radiopaque and can be manufactured in whatever size seems most desirable. ∗ ∗Koroseal tubing used in this work was supplied through the courtesy of the United States Navy and the B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio.
Gastroschisis, atresia, dysmotility: surgical treatment strategies for a distinct clinical entity

Abstract Purpose Intestinal atresia (IA) occurs in 10% to 20% of infants born with gastroschisis (GS). We describe a distinct subset of these children with severe dysmotility, without mechanical intestinal obstruction, and with adequate intestinal length for enteral nutrition and propose possible treatment strategies. Methods A total of 177 patients with GS managed at a single institution between 1993 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Results Twenty-one (12%) patients had IA. Six (29%) did well, with gradual progression to full diet; 1 died at birth because of complete midgut infarction; 1 died of necrotizing enterocolitis; 4 with short bowel syndrome (SBS) (small bowel length, 30-41 cm) died of liver failure because of total parenteral nutrition (3) or sepsis (1). Nine (43%) were felt to have gastroschisis/atresia/dysmotility, defined as adequate small bowel length for survival as measured at time of laparotomy (mean, 146 cm; range, 66-233 cm), massive intestinal dilatation, and stasis. Of 9 patients with gastroschisis/atresia/dysmotility, 5 (56%) survived. All had surgery to "rescue" their dysfunction intestine, at mean age 128 days (range, 52-271 days): 4 had tapering enteroplasties of mean 37 cm (range, 5-115 cm)—all 4 survived; 3 had diverting stomas created for intestinal decompression, followed by stoma closure—1 survived; 1 nonsurvivor had a Kimura "patch"; 1 nonsurvivor underwent redo anastomosis. Survivors weaned off total parenteral nutrition at mean age 331 days after rescue surgery (range, 42-814 days). Conclusions More than one third of patients with GS/IA appear to have significant intestinal dysmotility without true SBS nor obstruction. Successful treatment of these infants may be achieved with the use of tapering enteroplasty and/or temporary diverting stomas.
An Examination of Metacognitive Strategy Use and Monitoring Skills by Competitive Middle Distance Runners

This study investigated metacognitive strategy use by competitive athletes. Specifically, it tested the extent to which competitive middle-distance runners rely upon internally-focused metacognitive strategies versus externally-focused thoughts when they compete. In addition, the link between strategic knowledge and the regulation of such strategies during a novel self-paced task was investigated. Division I collegiate runners from the Midwestern U.S. (M age = 19.6, SD = 1.23) provided written responses to inventories about strategy use and completed a performance task requiring them to monitor and adjust their running pace. Results indicated an overwhelming tendency for the competitive runners in this study to report internally-focused strategies as opposed to externally-focused thoughts. The bulk of the thoughts that runners reported focused on either (a) monitoring bodily processes and form or (b) information management strategies that related to race tactics during competition. Furthermore, evidence w...
Parallel MRI at microtesla fields

Parallel imaging techniques have been widely used in high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multiple receiver coils have been shown to improve image quality and allow accelerated image acquisition. Magnetic resonance imaging at ultra-low fields (ULF MRI) is a new imaging approach that uses SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) sensors to measure the spatially encoded precession of pre-polarized nuclear spin populations at microtesla-range measurement fields. In this work, parallel imaging at microtesla fields is systematically studied for the first time. A seven-channel SQUID system, designed for both ULF MRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG), is used to acquire 3D images of a human hand, as well as 2D images of a large water phantom. The imaging is performed at 46 mu T measurement field with pre-polarization at 40 mT. It is shown how the use of seven channels increases imaging field of view and improves signal-to-noise ratio for the hand images. A simple procedure for approximate correction of concomitant gradient artifacts is described. Noise propagation is analyzed experimentally, and the main source of correlated noise is identified. Accelerated imaging based on one-dimensional undersampling and 1D SENSE (sensitivity encoding) image reconstruction is studied in the case of the 2D phantom. Actual threefold imaging acceleration in comparison to single-average fully encoded Fourier imaging is demonstrated. These results show that parallel imaging methods are efficient in ULF MRI, and that imaging performance of SQUID-based instruments improves substantially as the number of channels is increased.
Low-temperature elastic constants of polycrystalline La2CuO4 and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

Abstract Using ultrasonic methods, we measured the 295-4-K elastic constants of superconductive La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 and nonsuperconductive La 2 CuO 4 . These materials show two elastic-constant similarities: nearly the same ambient-temperature elastic constants and an elastic-stiffness minimum in the 20–40-K region. Their principal difference is that La 2 CuO 4 softens 3% during cooling, while La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 softens 30%. This reversible wide-temperature-range softening resembles a magnetic phase transition. Perhaps it relates to the large drop in spin-excitation intensity found by Shirane and coworkers using inelastic neutron scattering.
Design and Analysis of a MEMS Based Auto-Focusing System

This paper presents the design and analysis of a novel MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) based auto-focusing system. By combining a folded in-plane optical path design and MEMS microfabricated optical components and comb drive actuator, the auto-focusing function is achieved in a compact system with continuously adjustable imaging distances. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation validated the feasibility of the design. The auto-focusing system presented in this work is applicable to a wide range of technological fields where high resolution imaging is desired while the space is limited.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Measurement of Immunologically Reactive Follicle Stimulating Hormone in Human Urine by Radioimmunoassay

ABSTRACT An ethanol precipitation of gonadotropins in urine has been combined with a radioimmunoassay for FSH to measure the FSH in the urine of normal males and one patient with the DelCastillo syndrome. Immunologically reactive FSH was recoverable from all urines, except one which was from a hypophysectomized child. Recovery experiments were carried out using the latter urine, to which had been added varying quantities of the Second International Reference Preparation of Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin. Total recoveries were obtained. Serial dilutions of the resuspended protein precipitate also gave proportionate results, verifying the validity of the assay system. It is not known whether the immunological values obtained for FSH are comparable to biological values.
Reports of the Death of Regression-Discontinuity Analysis are Greatly Exaggerated

Stanley (1991) argues that both random measurement error in the pretest and treatment-effect interactions bias the estimate of the treatment effect when multiple regression is used to analyze the data from a regression-discontinuity design (RDD). Stanley also argues that these biases are so severe that they should cause researchers to consider using statistical procedures other than regression analysis. The authors of the present article disagree. Curvilinearity in the regression of the posttest on pretest scores can be difficult to model, can bias the regression analysis of data from the RDD if not modeled correctly, and therefore should cause researchers to consider alternatives to regression analysis. If the regression surfaces are linear, however, unbiased estimates can be obtained easily via regression analysis, whether or not either random measurement error in the pretest or treatment-effect interactions are present. Improving upon regression analysis is a worthy goal but requires understanding just...
Asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-.DELTA.9(12)-capnellene

The first asymmetric total synthesis of the unnatural enantiomer of (-)-A9(12)-capnellene has been achieved in 14.1 % overall yield. The synthesis is based on the chiral nonracemic bicyclic lactam 15 derived from inexpensive (S)-valinol and levulinic acid. The goal of the synthesis, which was accomplished, was to reach the intermediate 13, originally reported in racemic form, and carry out the last step to the title compound.
Differences in A and B forms of monoamine oxidase revealed by limited proteolysis and peptide mapping

Monoamine oxidase (MAO, EC 1.4.3.4) is a mitochondrial outer membrane enzyme which deaminates amine transmitters in the nervous system and biogenic amines throughout the body. At least two types of MAO activity have been identified which differ in their specificities for substrates and sensitivities to inhibitors1–3. Type A preferentially deaminates 5-hydroxy-tryptamine and noradrenaline and is more sensitive to inhibition by clorgyline. Type B deaminates phenylethylamine and benzylamine and is more sensitive to inhibition by deprenyl. Tissues from several species express MAO A alone, MAO B alone, or both types of MAO. Furthermore, the two types of activity follow different developmental sequences in certain tissues. Models to explain the molecular and genetic regulation of this enzyme4 raise two questions: (1) are there different enzyme molecules associated with A and B types of activity, and (2) if there is only one enzyme molecule, how do differences in the microenvironment of this enzyme within the outer mitochondrial membrane produce two types of activity? Attempts to separate and purify the different types of activity have involved solubilisation and lipid extraction procedures that alter the kinetics of the enzyme and differentially affect the A and B types of activity5–8. Immunological studies9,10 have produced equivocal results. None of these observations has elucidated the molecular basis of the differences between the types of MAO activity. Here, we have used the technique of proteolytic digestion and peptide mapping to demonstrate that there are distinct enzyme molecules associated with the A and B types of MAO activity. This finding implies that the A and B forms of MAO may be coded for by separate gene loci and represent evolutionarily related proteins which have diverged in function.
Chemical effects in surface-enhanced raman scattering: pyridine chemisorbed on silver adatoms on Rh (100)

Abstract Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been observed from pyridine chemisorbed on silver adatoms which had been deposited at submonolayer coverage on a Rh (100) substrate under ultrahigh vacuum. The vibrational frequencies measured are characteristic of pyridine chemically adsorbed on the silver adatoms and an enhancement factor of ≈ 15–65 is calculated from the intensity of the scattering. This enhancement factor is in addition to the factor of four electromagnetic enhancement found for flat metal surfaces and therefore provides unambiguous evidence for the existence and magnitude of chemical enhancement in SERS.
Differentiation-related death of an established keratinocyte line in suspension culture

An established keratinocyte line (XB), derived from a mouse teratoma, terminally differentiates in suspension culture in a manner similar to human epidermal keratinocytes. When surface-grown XB cells are placed in suspension culture, they lose colony forming ability very rapidly; within three days the loss is virtually complete. Measurement of the ability of the suspended cells to synthesize protein and RNA show that they begin to lose both after 12 hours, the rate of uridine and glycine incorporation falling nearly to zero in about 36 hours. The cells then become insoluble in ionic detergents, owing to the formation of disulfide-stabilized keratin filaments, and digest their nuclei. The total RNA content of the cells (a measure of ribosomes) begins to drop sharply about 12 hours after the cells are placed in suspension culture, and most RNA is eliminated by 24 hours. This process is independent of the presence of serum in the medium. DNA also begins to disappear from the cells, but this process is slower than ribosomal destruction and is strongly affected by the presence of serum. After seven days in the absence of serum, half the DNA still remains, and nearly all the nuclei are still visible, whereas during the same period in the presence of serum all visible nuclei and all DNA disappear. In contrast to the destructive process that takes place in the keratinocytes, 3T3 cells are much more stable in suspension culture. They show a reversible decline in their rate of amino acid incorporation, but no decline in their rate of uridine incorporation, and they undergo little loss in colony forming efficiency for several days. They retain most of their RNA and nuclei with full DNA content. The destructive process in suspended XB cells seems to be a model for the cell death that takes place in terminal differentiation of the keratinocyte.
WHAT MAKES A MAP A MAP

Cartographers have long pretended that the authority of the map was a function of its resemblance to the world. Hence cartographers' obsessive concern with accuracy. Here it is argued that the map's power derives from the authority the map steals from its maker. Les cartographes ont longtemps pretendu que l'autorite d'une carte etait fonction de sa resemblance au monde. D'ou le souci obsessif de precision de la part des cartographes. Ici, l'on soutient que le pouvoir de la carte derive plutot de l'autorite que la carte emprunte a son auteur.
Charmonia in pp and PbPb with CMS

Abstract The mechanisms through which charmonia production is modified in the high-density medium created in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions are still not quantitatively understood. In order to disentangle different scenarios, a multi-dimensional analysis in a wide kinematic range is needed, in pp and AA collisions, looking at many observables that have different sensitivities to the various aspects of charmonia production. We will report on the prompt J / ψ measurements with the CMS detector, using the 150 μb − 1 of PbPb data recorded in 2011. The azimuthal anisotropy in PbPb collisions at 2.76 TeV will be presented. In addition, the comparison of the excited charmonium state ( ψ ( 2 S ) ) and the ground state ( J / ψ ) between PbPb and pp is updated, utilizing the pp sample from 2013, which has a factor of 20 higher statistical precision than the 2011 pp data previously presented.
Photocarrier drift-mobility measurements and electron localization in nanoporous silicon

We report photocarrier time-of-flight measurements in diode structures made of highly porous crystalline silicon. The corresponding electron and hole drift mobilities are very small ð<10 � 4 cm 2 = Vs Þ compared to homogeneous crystalline silicon. The mobilities are dispersive (i.e., having a power-law decay with time or length-scale), but are only weakly temperature-dependent. The dispersion parameter lies in the range 0.55–0.65 for both electrons and holes. We conclude that the drift mobilities are limited by the nanoporous geometry, and not by disorder-induced localized states acting as traps. This conclusion is surprising in the context of luminescence models based on radiative recombination of localized excitons. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
J.E. Keeler's discovery of a gap in the outer part of the A ring

Abstract In early January 1888, James E. Keeler was one of the first astronomers to work with the very new Lick Observatory 36-in. refractor. On January 7 while observing Saturn visually on a night of very fine seeing, he discovered a narrow, dark “division” in the outer part of the A ring. Despite repeated attempts, neither Keeler nor any of the other Lick observers saw this gap again until over a year later, on March 2, 1889, another night of extremely good seeing. On that occasion not only Keeler, but also E. S. Holden, J. M. Schaeberle, and E. E. Barnard all observed “Mr. Keeler's division,” as Barnard called it. It could only be seen using very high magnification with this large telescope, at a site known to be excellent, on the nights of very best definition. This gap is not the same as the feature which J. F. Encke had earlier discovered and described as a low-contrast division nearly in the middle of the A ring, and had drawn as nearly the same width as Cassini's division. Later visual observations by B. Lyot and A. Dollfus, again on nights of fine seeing with large telescopes, showed that the Encke division is complex. To them, with the best resolution, it appeared as three wide minima of light, fuzzy, and of low contrast, with a narrow, well-marked minimum of light at its outer edge. The outer edge is just where Keeler placed his gap, although he did not see the low-contrast structure in the Encke division. The images, with much superior resolution obtained from the Pioneer and Voyager space probes, show that the Encke division is even more complex than Lyot and Dollfus realized, but confirm the narrow Keeler feature as a true gap in the outer part of the A ring.
Solid state NMR study of [epsilon-13C]Lys-bacteriorhodopsin: Schiff base photoisomerization

Previous solid state 13C-NMR studies of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) have inferred the C = N configuration of the retinal-lysine Schiff base linkage from the [14-13C]retinal chemical shift (1-3). Here we verify the interpretation of the [14-13C]-retinal data using the [epsilon-13C]lysine 216 resonance. The epsilon-Lys-216 chemical shifts in bR555 (48 ppm) and bR568 (53 ppm) are consistent with a C = N isomerization from syn in bR555 to anti in bR568. The M photointermediate was trapped at pH 10.0 and low temperatures by illumination of samples containing either 0.5 M guanidine-HCl or 0.1 M NaCl. In both preparations, the [epsilon-13C]Lys-216 resonance of M is 6 ppm downfield from that of bR568. This shift is attributed to deprotonation of the Schiff base nitrogen and is consistent with the idea that the M intermediate contains a C = N anti chromophore. M is the only intermediate trapped in the presence of 0.5 M guanidine-HCl, whereas a second species, X, is trapped in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl. The [epsilon-13C]Lys-216 resonance of X is coincident with the signal for bR568, indicating that X is either C = N anti and protonated or C = N syn and deprotonated.
Finite element methods for suspension bridge models

Abstract A fourth order integro-differential equation used to model static deflection in suspension bridges is examined. Galerkin approximation methods are presented and analyzed, as well as methods for solving the resulting system of equations. Numerical experiments are presented.
Pulmonary infection with microsporidia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Microsporidia are obligate, intracellular protozoal parasites that can be pathogenic in immunocompromised individuals. The majority of cases of microsporidiosis have been documented in patients with HIV, and only a few case reports exist of infection in solid organ transplant patients. We report the first case of pulmonary microsporidial infection in an allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipient in the US. The patient was a recipient of a T-cell-depleted graft who succumbed to complications from respiratory failure 63 days post transplant. The diagnosis was made post mortem by electron microscopy and confirmed with PCR. Although rare, microsporidial infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained pulmonary infection in bone marrow transplant patients.
Fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy in multiple-scattering environments: an application to biotechnology

Over the past few years, there has been significant research activity devoted to the application of fluorescence spectroscopy to strongly scattering media, where photons propagate diffusely. Much of this activity focused on fluorescence as a source of contrast enhancement in optical tomography. Our efforts have emphasized the quantitative recovery of fluorescence parameters for spectroscopy. Using a frequency-domain diffusion-based model, we have successfully recovered the lifetime, the absolute quantum yield, the fluorophore concentration, and the emission spectrum of the fluorophore, as well as the absorption and the reduced scattering coefficients at the emission wavelength of the medium in different measurements. In this contribution, we present a sensitive monitor of the binding between ethidium bromide and bovine cells in fresh milk. The spectroscopic contrast was the approximately tenfold increase in the ethidium bromide lifetime upon binding to DNA. The measurement clearly demonstrated that we could quantitatively measure the density of cells in the milk, which is an application vital to the tremendous economic burden of bovine subclinical mastitis detection. Furthermore, we may in principle use the spirit of this technique as a quantitative monitor of the binding of fluorescent drugs inside tissues. This is a first step towards lifetime spectroscopy in tissues.
False-positive and false-negative assignments of topological insulators in density functional theory and hybrids

Density-functional theory (DFT) approaches have been used recently to judge the topological order of various materials despite DFT’s well-known band-gap underestimation. Use of the more accurate quasi-particle GW approach reveals few cases where DFT identifications are false positive, which can possibly misguide experimental searches for materials that are topological insulators (TIs) in DFT but not expected to be TIs in reality. We also present the case of false positives due to the incorrect choice of crystal structures and address the relevance of choice of crystal structure with respect to the ground-state one and thermodynamical instability with respect to binary competing phases. We conclude that it is necessary to consider both the correct ground-state crystal structure and the correct Hamiltonian in order to predict new TIs.
Grain boundary detection in microstructure images using computational intelligence

Two computational intelligence approaches, a fuzzy logic algorithm and a neural network (NN) algorithm, for grain boundary detection in images of superalloy steel microstructure during sintering are presented in this paper. The images are obtained from an optical microscope and are quite noisy, which adversely affects the performance of common image processing tools. The only known way to accurately determine the grain boundaries is digitizing by hand. This is a very time-consuming process, causes operator fatigue, and it is prone to human errors and inconsistency. An automated system is therefore needed to complete as much work as possible and we consider a fuzzy approach and a neural approach. Both methods performed better than the widely available standard image processing tools with the neural approach superior on images similar to those trained while the fuzzy approach showed more tolerance of disparate images.
Liberal Constitutionalism and Political Particularism in Montesquieu’s The Spirit of the Laws

The most well-known elements of Montesquieu’s political thought are his liberal constitutionalism and his emphasis on the need for a fit between a regime and a populace. But scholars have rarely sought to understand the theoretical relationship between these elements, and some have denied that they are meaningfully related at all. I argue that Montesquieu’s liberal constitutionalism and his political particularism are theoretically harmonious and mutually reinforcing elements of a unified project. Montesquieu’s liberal political philosophy possesses in-built sources of resistance to the rationalistic and universalistic political projects often associated with modern liberalism.
Technology for inferring contracts from code

Contracts are a simple yet very powerful form of specification. They consists of method preconditions and post-conditions, of object invariants, and of assertions and loop invariants. Ideally, the programmer will annotate all of her code with contracts which are mechanically checked by some static analysis tool. In practice, programmers only write few contracts, mainly preconditions and some object invariants. The reason for that is that other contracts are "clear from the code": Programmers do not like to repeat themselves. As a consequence, any usable static verification tool should provide some form of contract inference.
Functional analysis of the acetic acid resistance (aar) gene cluster in Acetobacter aceti strain 1023

Vinegar production requires acetic acid bacteria that produce, tolerate, and conserve high levels of acetic acid. When ethanol is depleted, aerobic acetate overoxidation to carbon dioxide ensues. The resulting diauxic growth pattern has two logarithmic growth phases, the first associated with ethanol oxidation and the second associated with acetate overoxidation. The vinegar factory isolate Acetobacter aceti strain 1023 has a long intermediate stationary phase that persists at elevated acetic acid levels. Strain 1023 conserves acetic acid despite possessing a complete set of citric acid cycle (CAC) enzymes, including succinyl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (SCACT), the product of the acetic acid resistance ( aar ) gene aarC . In this study, cell growth and acid production were correlated with the functional expression of aar genes using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and enzyme activity assays. Citrate synthase (AarA) and SCACT (AarC) were abundant in A. aceti strain 1023 during both log phases, suggesting the transition to acetate overoxidation was not a simple consequence of CAC enzyme induction. A mutagenized derivative of strain 1023 lacking functional AarC readily oxidized ethanol but was unable to overoxidize acetate, indicating that the CAC is required for acetate overoxidation but not ethanol oxidation. The primary role of the aar genes in the metabolically streamlined industrial strain A. aceti 1023 appears to be to harvest energy via acetate overoxidation in otherwise depleted medium
Using Classification Trees for Predicting National Bridge Inventory Condition Ratings

In bridge management practice, bridge condition is the fundamental information needed to allow decision makers to make well-informed decisions regarding preservation, rehabilitation, or replacement of a bridge or network of bridges. The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings, collected since the early 1970s, and the Commonly Recognized (CoRe) element condition data, collected since the early 1990s, are two major sources of bridge condition data in the United States. General NBI condition ratings are utilized for performance assessment, performance reporting, resource allocation, and selection of bridge projects by all levels of government. Since the early 1990s, the bridge management community has been interested in an algorithm to predict the categorical NBI condition rating classes from the more quantitative and detailed CoRe element condition data. An algorithm with sufficient predictive accuracy would make only CoRe element inspections necessary and would provide time and resource savings. This paper presents a new methodology for this purpose, using classification and regression trees (CARTs). The CART analyses were conducted with the bridge condition data provided by three state transportation agencies, using data from 2006 to 2010. The statistical results point to a more accurate prediction method than the previous algorithms described in the literature.
Research Spotlight: Did the Laki volcano eruption cause the cold winter of 1783–1784?

[1] In June 1783 the Laki volcano in Iceland began to erupt and continued erupting for months, causing a major environmental disaster. The eruption spewed out toxic sulfuric acid aerosols, which spread over northern latitudes and caused thousands of deaths. That summer, there were heat waves, widespread famines, crop failures, and livestock losses. During the following winter, temperatures in Europe were about 2°C below average for the late 1700s; the winter was also one of the most severe of the past 500 years in eastern North America. The Laki eruption has been blamed for the anomalously cold winter of 1783–1784. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL046696, 2011)
Sexual and perinatal transmission of hepatitis C

Such nonpercutaneous routes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission as sexual and perinatal spread are relatively inefficient. Several observations have been cited to support a role for sexual transmission of hepatitis C. Approximately 10% of persons with reported cases of acute hepatitis C in the United States report a history of potential sexual exposure. Anecdotal cases of sexual transmission have been reported, and HCV nucleotide sequence homology has been observed in viral isolates from sexual partners. Similarly, the prevalence of HCV infection is increased in groups with a high risk of exposure to sexually transmitted viral infections. Other observations, however, weigh against sexual transmission of HCV infection. Sexual transmission is negligible in sex-partner studies; alternative risk factors account for many cases of apparent sexual transmission between sexual partners; the prevalence of HCV infection in high-risk groups is much lower than that of other sexually transmitted infections; and the risk of apparently sexually transmitted HCV infection does not always correlate with intensity and duration of sexual exposure. The United States Public Health Service has estimated that the risk of sexual transmission is approximately 5%, well below the risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis B or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Similarly, perinatal HCV infection, though documented to occur, is unusual, except in babies born to mothers with very high levels of HCV RNA, including mothers with concomitant HIV infection. Weighing many, often conflicting reports, the United States Public Health Service has estimated that the likelihood of perinatal infection is low, on the order of 5% to 6%, and that breast feeding does not increase the risk of HCV infection in infants of mothers with hepatitis C. Current data do not support household exposure as a risk for HCV infection.
Acute Changes in Free IGF-1 and Leptin during Early Metabolic Decompensation in Type 1 Diabetes

Acute Changes in Free IGF-1 and Leptin during Early Metabolic Decompensation in Type 1 Diabetes
Some effects of 3-methylcholanthrene on uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase in the rat and guinea pig

Abstract Treatment of young rats and guinea pigs with 3-methylcholanthrene significantly increased liver microsomal glucuronyltransferase activity. The earliest detectable increase in rat glucuronyltransferase activity occurred between 6 and 12 hr following administration of the polycyclic hydrocarbon, and after 48 hr, glucuronyltransferase activity in treated animals was twice that in control animals. Liver glucuronyltransferase activity was not effected when rats were pretreated with nikethamide, chlorcyclizine or phenobarbital. Administration of d,l-ethionine or actinomycin D, inhibitors of protein synthesis, prevented the increase in glucuronyltransferase activity following 3-methylcholanthrene administration. Kinetic analysis of glucuronyltransferase activity indicated that the Vmax was significantly increased in treated rats and guinea pigs. The Km of the enzyme from 3-methylcholanthrene treated rats was significantly decreased, whereas, the Km of the enzyme from treated guinea pigs was significantly increased. These changes in Vmax and Km suggest that induction of glucuronyltransferase by 3- methylcholanthrene may involve qualitative as well as quantitative changes in the enzyme.
Efficient photoelectrochemical solar cells from electrolyte modification

PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL solar cells (PECs)1–3 have shown energy conversion efficiencies approaching 13% in sunlight4, and up to 15% in simulated insolation5. Of these, only those incorporating n-cadmium chalcogenide electrodes have been demonstrated to be conducive to thin film6 or in situ storage systems7. Previous studies of photoelectrochemical current and voltage limitation2,3,5,8,9 have focused on modification of the semiconductor electrode. Here we take the alternative approach by demonstrating that energy conversion can be improved by prevention of electrode surface modification and by systematic modification of the electrolyte. Electrolyte modification entails investigations of the primary photo-oxidized species, the nature of the counter ion, the distribution of species in solution, and related competing reactions. Optimization of the distribution of species and addition of cyanide to n-CdSe/([KFe(CN)6]2−/3−)aq PECs enhances the available voltage and the ease of charge transfer, and suppresses related decomposition products. The resultant PEC achieves an open-circuit potential of 1.2 V, an efficiency of 16.4%—the highest for any wide-band-gap (1.7 eV) solar cell (solid state or photoelectrochemical)—and a 100-fold improvement in photocurrent lifetime. Each of these represents a step towards realization of a viable PEC.
The effect of apple cider vinegar on adjuvant arthritic rats

Abstract A single, intradermal injection of Freund's complete adjuvant produces a condition in rats similar to human rheumatoid arthritis. Dilute apple cider vinegar, a popular folk remedy for rheumatoid arthritis was found to be ineffective in suppressing the adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats as indicated by hind-paw measurements and body weights. In addition, the severity of the arthritis was assessed using a relative arthritic scale. There were no significant differences in any of these parameters between adjuvant arthritic rats drinking water ad libitum and adjuvant arthritic rats drinking a dilute apple cider vinegar solution ad libitum . X-rays of the hind paws and tails of these rats showed a greater joint destruction and apparent calcium deposition in those given the vinegar solution. The results suggest that apple cider vinegar is ineffective as an anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory agent in rats with adjuvant arthritis.
An improved tandem mass spectrometer-ion-cyclotron-resonance spectrometer

Abstract An improved design for a tandem mass spectrometer-ion-cyclotron-resonance spectrometer (TICR) is presented. The TICR consists of an ion source, a 180° mass filter, and a separate reaction/detection region, consisting of an ICR cell. Since the ion formation and reaction regions are separate, determinations of kinetics and product distributions are greatly simplified. The design presented includes two major changes from that of Smith and Futrell [4]: (1) a velocity filter at the entrance of the ICR cell, to remove translationally hot ions; and (2) the use of a second ICR cell as an ion source. This allows ICR double-resonance techniques to be used in the ion formation region. Data on performance are presented, as well as examples of several novel experiments which are possible. The question of reactant-ion kinetic energy is discussed, and data are presented which indicate that the ions entering the ICR cell have kinetic energies of ∼ 0.5 eV (lab). Examples are presented illustrating the use of ICR double resonance to determine the effects of kinetic energy on reaction rate constants and product distributions.
The dynamic modeling, stability, and control of a continuous stirred tank chemical reactor

A realistic CSTR model was developed and verified experimentally. The reaction studied was the exothermic, base sodium hydroxide catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The model was used to evaluate the usefulness of the following stability analyses: steady state analysis, local linearization and Liapunov's direct method through Krasovskii's theorem. The effect of control valve hysteresis on the system was also investigated.
Production of Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes by Gamma Irradiation

Abstract Palladium nanoparticles were produced and supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) by gamma irradiation. A solution with a specific ratio of 2:1 of water–isopropanol was prepared and mixed with palladium chloride and the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The gamma radiolysis of water ultimately produces Pd metallic particles that serve as nucleation seeds. Isopropanol is used as an ion scavenger to balance the reaction, and the coalescence of the metal nanoparticles was controlled by the addition of SDS as a stabilizer. The size and distribution of nanoparticles on the carbon nanotubes (CNT) were studied at different surfactant concentrations and radiation doses. SEM, STEM and XPS were used for morphological, chemical and structural characterization of the nanostructure. Nanoparticles obtained for doses between 10 and 40 kGy, ranged in size 5–30 nm. The smaller nanoparticles were obtained at the higher doses and vice versa. Histograms of particle size distributions at different doses are presented.
Pope, Homer, and Manliness: Some Aspects of Eighteenth Century Classical Learning

Abbreviations and unspecified attributions. Part 1 Manliness and the body politic: manly learning. Part 2 Manly Ways: father of virtue the other sex the judgements of ladies. Part 3 My country's poet.
Study protocol: transforming outcomes for patients through medical home evaluation and redesign: a cluster randomized controlled trial to test high value elements for patient-centered medical homes versus quality improvement.

Background Health care in the United States is in the midst of a near perfect storm: strong cost pressures, dramatic redesign efforts like patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations, and a broad series of payment and eligibility reforms. To date, alternative models of care intended to reduce costs and improve outcomes have shown mixed effects in the U.S., in part due to the difficulty of performing rigorous evaluation studies that control for the broader transformation while avoiding other biases, such as organizational or clinic effect on individual patient outcomes. Our objective is to test whether clinics assigned to achieve high value elements (HVEs) of practice redesign are more likely than controls to achieve improvements in patient health and satisfaction with care and reduction in costs.
High-performance size-exclusion chromatographic analysis of dextran-methylprednisolone hemisuccinate in rat plasma.

Abstract A size exclusion chromatographic method is presented for the measurement of the concentrations of a macromolecular prodrug of methylprednisolone (MP), dextran–methylprednisolone succinate (DEX–MPS), in rat plasma. After precipitation of the plasma (100 μl) proteins with perchloric acid, the samples are injected into a size exclusion column with a mobile phase of water:acetonitrile:glacial acetic acid (75:25:0.2) and a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. The DEX–MPS conjugate, detected at 250 nm, elutes at a retention time of ∼6.5 min, free of endogenous peaks. Excellent linear relationships (r2=0.997) were found between the detector response and the concentrations of DEX–MPS in the range of 2–100 μg/ml (MP equivalent), with intra- and inter-run C.V.s of
Tweet Sentiment Analytics with Context Sensitive Tone-Word Lexicon

In this paper we propose a twitter sentiment analytics that mines for opinion polarity about a given topic. Most of current semantic sentiment analytics depends on polarity lexicons. However, many key tone words are frequently bipolar. In this paper we demonstrate a technique which can accommodate the bipolarity of tone words by context sensitive tone lexicon learning mechanism where the context is modeled by the semantic neighborhood of the main target. Performance analysis shows that ability to contextualize the tone word polarity significantly improves the accuracy.
Reduced membrane protein associated with resistance of human squamous carcinoma cells to methotrexate and cis-platinum.

A membrane protein recognized by monoclonal antibody SQM1 was identified in human squamous carcinomas, including those originating in the head and neck (SqCHN), lung and cervix. Cell lines derived from SqCHN of previously untreated patients expressed high amounts of this protein. In contrast, many cell lines established from SqCHN of patients previously treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation showed diminished amounts of this SQM1 protein. The expression of SQM1 antigen was determined in several SgCHN cell lines made resistant by exposure to methotrexate (MTX) in vitro. The parent cell lines all exhibited strong binding to SQM1 antibody. The MTX-resistant sublines showed much lower membrane binding of SQM1. The lowest SQM1 reactivity was found in cell lines with high resistance to MTX and with diminished rate of MTX transport. Some highly MTX-resistant cell lines which had high levels of dihydrofolate reductase, but which retained a high rate of MTX transport, also retained high levels of SQM1 binding. Reduced SQM1 protein was also found in SgCHN cells which developed resistance to the alkylating drug cis-platinum (CDDP) and which showed reduced membrane transport of CDDP. Cell growth kinetics and non-specific antigenic shifts were not responsible for the differences in SQM1 binding between the parent cell lines and their drug-resistant sublines. The finding of a novel protein which is reduced in cells resistant to MTX and CDDP could contribute to our understanding of the basic mechanisms of drug resistance. By detecting SQM1 protein in clinical specimens, it may be possible to monitor the development of drug resistance in tumors.
Estimation of Intermodule Communication (IMC) and Its Applications in Distributed Processing Systems

Communication among program modules plays an important role in the performance of distributed processing systems. In this paper, a model for estimating intermodule communication (IMC) is developed. The model derives communication volume based on module invocation rates and file access probabilities via the control-and-data-flow graph. The IMC model is validated by simulation experiments. Interprocessor communication (IPC) and system resources utilization can be estimated from the IMC. We show that IMC and IPC are useful in finding good module assignments in distributed processing systems.
Fair Test Use in Selection

Questions of test fairness are dependent upon the specific use of the test. The use of tests with which this paper is concerned is the prediction of a specific criterion. This obviously is only one of many ways in which tests are used, but it is one of the uses which has considerable practical importance where tests are used in selection, placement, or guidance situations. Discussions of test fairness for purposes of prediction are sometimes clouded by questions regarding the etiology of test performance. In the words of Anne Anastasi (1961),
YAP regulates cell proliferation, migration, and steroidogenesis in adult granulosa cell tumors

The Hippo signaling pathway has been implicated as a conserved regulator of organ size in both Drosophila and mammals. Yes-associated protein (YAP), the central component of the Hippo signaling cascade, functions as an oncogene in several malignancies. Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT) are characterized by enlargement of the ovary, excess production of estrogen, a high frequency of recurrence, and the potential for malignancy and metastasis. Whether the Hippo pathway plays a role in the pathogenesis of GCT is unknown. This study was conducted to examine the expression of YAP in human adult GCTs and to determine the role of YAP in the proliferation and steroidogenesis of GCT cells. Compared with age-matched normal human ovaries, GCT tissues exhibited higher levels of YAP expression. YAP protein was predominantly expressed in the nucleus of tumor cells, whereas the non-tumor ovarian stromal cells expressed very low levels of YAP. YAP was also expressed in cultured primary human granulosa cells and in KGN and COV434 GCT cell lines. siRNA-mediated knockdown of YAP in KGN cells resulted in a significant reduction in cell proliferation (P<0.001). Conversely, overexpression of wild type YAP or a constitutively active YAP (YAP1) mutant resulted in a significant increase in KGN cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, YAP knockdown reduced FSH-induced aromatase (CYP19A1) protein expression and estrogen production in KGN cells. These results demonstrate that YAP plays an important role in the regulation of GCT cell proliferation, migration, and steroidogenesis. Targeting the Hippo/YAP pathway may provide a novel therapeutic approach for GCT.
Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome: models and genetics.

Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes (t-MDS) occur in patients exposed to genotoxic chemotherapy, irradiation or both. About 20,000 cases of MDS were diagnosed in the US in 2008, of which approximately 10% were therapy-related. Since objective diagnostic criteria are lacking, this likely underestimates the true incidence. Cases are attributed to prior therapy based on circumstantial evidence, such as the following: 1) presence of typical clonal cytogenetic abnormalities, 2) significant exposure to leukemogenic therapy (e.g., at least one cycle), and 3) sufficient latency from exposure to diagnosis of t-MDS (e.g., at least six months). Alkylating agents are the principal cause of t-MDS. The syndrome was first recognized in the treatment of Hodgkin Disease, where a relationship between alkylator dose and risk of t-MDS/AML was established [1, 2]. This thinking has been extrapolated to the autologous stem cell transplant population as a potential explanation for t-MDS rates as high as 10% [3]. There are several sources of bias in these retrospective reports, since transplant patients are often heavily pretreated and have increased survival after transplantation (and, therefore, have more years “at risk” for t-MDS). Indeed, there is evidence of clonal abnormalities at the time of transplant in some patients who subsequently develop t-MDS/AML [4, 5]. Nevertheless, at least one prospective, randomized trial in patients with follicular lymphoma demonstrated a higher rate of t-MDS/AML in the high dose vs. conventional dose chemotherapy arm (7% vs. 0%, p=0.014), suggesting that the transplant procedure contributes directly to leukemia risk [6]. In most series, higher rates of t-MDS/AML have been reported for patients conditioned with TBI-containing regimens [3]. Therapy-related leukemia is also caused by exposure to topoisomerase II inhibitors. These patients typically present with t-AML without a preceding MDS phase. As most patients receive combination chemotherapy, it is often impossible to assign blame to a particular agent. Regardless of the cause, t-MDS/AML has an inferior prognosis compared to de novo disease [7]. The only curative option is allogeneic stem cell transplantation [8]. In this sense, this disease is unique among hematopoietic malignancies in that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is both an important cause and the only available cure.