cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical Coherence Tomography in Multiple Sclerosis.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) grew out of a convergence of rapid advancements in femtoseconds optics research and fiber optic commercial technology. The basic concept of OCT is to “see” into tissues using light echoes, analogous to the sound echoes of ultrasonography. Multiple A-scans are assembled into a B-scan two-dimensional image of the tissue of interest. Retina is an ideal tissue for evaluation by OCT, since the eye is designed to minimize light scattering through the anterior chamber and vitreous. OCT has had a significant impact on the field of multiple sclerosis, where it has allowed direct imaging of the myelin-free segments of axons and cell bodies of retinal ganglion cells. Together with precise functional measurements of the afferent visual system, the addition of robust structural measurements of retinal injury has allowed for an unprecedented ability to correlate clinical effects with the degree of neuronal loss. In addition, OCT has proven helpful to distinguish different forms of demyelinating disease, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica, and has provided ideal outcome measures in remyelination and neuroprotection trials.
Phased array radar initial alignment algorithm using mutual coupling: an iterative approach

Using a mutual coupling based calibration technique, a platform agnostic algorithm is developed to perform an initial alignment on phased array radar systems without the use of external equipment (far-field sources, near-field chambers and probes) or the need to implement additional internal calibration networks to already existing systems. By using coupling pairs from mutual coupling measurements, an overdetermined system of equations is created and solved. The solutions of the overdetermined system are the least-square error estimated complex gains of each element channel. A pre-phasing routine is implemented on the element channels to avoid possible phase ambiguity issues in the results since fully digital radar systems may contain phases from all possible angles (-π:π). Another improvement implemented to the algorithm is an iterative solution that can reduce the errors of the estimated results and also further aids in avoiding phased wrapped results. For diagnostic purposes, the algorithm can determine if an element has failed in either receive or transmit mode and then perform the initial alignment while ignoring the failing elements to avoid introducing errors from these failed elements. The algorithm is compatible with dual polarized systems.
Cast and aged β-NiAl-β′-Ni2AlTi-γ′-Ni3Al-α-Cr alloys: a microstructural and mechanical properties investigation

Microstructural development and stability in cast Ni-30 at % Al-21 at % Cr-4 at % Ti, Ni-28 at % Al-18 at % Cr-6 at % Ti and Ni-26 at % Al-19 at % Cr-8 at % Ti alloys are examined in this paper. The paper considers the extent to which microstructural control and stability is improved in these alloys, when compared with earlier work by the authors on similar materials with lower aluminum (25 or 26 at %) and higher titanium (11 to 15 at %) contents. The paper discusses detailed transmission electron microscopy investigations of both as-cast and aged (140 h at 850 and 1100°C) samples. Attention is focussed on the transformation of L21 type β′ (nominally Ni2AlTi) dendrites. In particular, the influence of the formation of intradendritic L12 type γ′ (nominally Ni3(Al,Ti)) on the stability of the β′-phase is examined. Morphological changes and phase transformations within a β′-α-Cr eutectic are discussed. Various modes of second-phase precipitation are considered. The microstructures of selected samples are correlated with mechanical properties determined by tensile testing and fractography.
What does solidarity do for bioethics

Bioethical work on solidarity has yielded an array of divergent conceptions. But what do these accounts add to normative bioethics? What is solidarity's distinctive social normative role? Prainsack and Buyx suggest that solidarity be understood as the 'putty' of justice. I argue here that the putty metaphor is deeply insightful and-when spelled out in detail-successfully explicates solidarity's social normative function. Unfortunately, Prainsack and Buyx's own account cannot play this role. I propose instead that the putty metaphor supports a conception of solidarity as equity. This proposal enables us to answer whether and when we should act in solidarity, and with whom, while also capturing the putty metaphor and hence answering a basic question: what is solidarity for?
Computer Vision Assisted Approaches to Detect Street Garbage from Citizen Generated Imagery

The basis of smart governance is to leverage state-of-the-art technologies to improve lives of citizens. With the rapid permeance of smart-phone technologies today, citizens are increasingly active now in collaborating with public officials for improved quality of life. However, for effective utility, public officials must be empowered with optimal tools that can best leverage citizen participation. In this paper, we present the design and details of computer vision techniques to automatically detect and localize street garbage from citizen generated imagery, and analyze the performance of multiple techniques. Our dataset is mined from (citizen-generated) images in the well-known 311 service deployed in San Francisco, which is actually a service citizens use to report civic issues. Using a dataset of 2, 500 images (containing 6, 474 objects) evenly distributed between those containing street garbage and those that do not, we design and compare convolutional neural network techniques to detect and localize sources of garbage in the images. Results from our evaluations show that our system can be a vital cog towards next generation smart governance systems geared towards cleaner and healthier neighborhoods. Since identifying, collecting and disposing of street garbage is a critical aspect of governance across the globe, we believe that our work in this paper is critical, timely and may have global impact.
Improved Estimation of Background Ozone and Emission Impacts Using Chemical Transport Modeling and Data Fusion

As ozone air quality standards are tightened, the portion of the standard taken up by background ozone (BGO) increases. BGO is the ozone that would be observed in the absence of anthropogenic emissions. BGO can be a major, sometimes dominant, contribution to overall ozone. BGO originates from noncontrollable sources (e.g., wildfires, stratosphere-troposphere exchange, non-domestic pollution) and can vary significantly by region, elevation, and season, leading to high uncertainty in BGO contributions. In this work, US BGO is first quantified using a chemical transport model, specifically the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, with US anthropogenic emissions set to zero. A method of adjusting for model bias in the estimation of BGO is developed that fuses model results with observations. This method uses observational and modelled data to develop functions of space, time, and meteorology that relate CMAQ-simulated base case (using estimated emissions) and CMAQ-modelled US BGO (no US anthropogenic emissions) to the observations. Separate adjustment factors are developed for locally formed and background ozone. This allows for calculating both an adjusted US BGO and the amount of ozone formed from anthropogenic emissions that better align with observations and elucidation of the key influences and sources of bias for these two sources of ozone. The effects of boundary conditions on BGO estimates and model bias is also examined. Application of this adjustment factor method improves agreement between BGO estimated with two different sets of boundary conditions from r = 0.58 for the original modelled values to r = 0.85 for the adjusted values.
Management of Drosophila suzukii in Berry Crops

There has been significant progress in the development of management tools for Drosophila suzukii Matsumura populations. Initially, conventional growers relied almost exclusively on conventional insecticides, primarily synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphates, spinosyns, and neonicotinoids, for control of D. suzukii. Although these pesticides provided effective control, there has been an increase in secondary pest outbreaks due to the destruction of natural enemies that regulate these secondary pests. Recently, much emphasis has been placed in finding effective biorational pesticides as alternatives to these conventional pesticides. Organic growers had been limited to spinosad as the only effective organic option, which raised concerns over resistance development. Recently, other organic pesticides including azadirachtin + pyrethrins, Chromobacterium subtsugae, and sabadilla alkaloids have demonstrated some level of activity against D. suzukii and can be used in an organic rotation program. Cultural control tactics such as increasing harvest frequency, field sanitation, mulches, irrigation techniques, and exclusion netting have provided different levels of control for D. suzukii populations. The potential to use attract-and-kill techniques is currently being researched and has shown some efficacy. Finally, biological control for D. suzukii management has been studied intensively, and much information is available on predators, parasitoids, and pathogens that attack D. suzukii.
Getting Started in Laparoscopy

Laparoscopy was first performed by Kelling in 1901 (1), as a method to view the abdomen of a dog. One hundred years later, this technique has gained global popularity and widespread use for many procedures in multiple specialities. The technique made a major advance in the early 1980s with the invention of the television-chip camera, which afforded advantages including a magnified image with a binocular view, easy observation of the procedure by the entire operating room, and the ability of the surgeon to operate with both hands. Soon after this, the first successful laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. This was followed in 1985 by the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy, performed by Muhe, for which he received the highest award of the German Surgical Society (2). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy became the procedure to showcase the benefits of laparoscopic surgery: lower morbidity, better cosmesis, shorter hospitalization, and more rapid convalescence. With this, laparoscopy moved into the mainstream of accepted surgical practice for a variety of general surgical disorders.
An improved delay-hopped transmitted-reference ultra wideband architecture

The delay-hopped transmitted-reference (DHTR) ultra wideband (UWB) architecture was proposed by Hoctor and Tomlinson as a candidate for impulse UWB systems working in multipath fading channels. Compared to the RAKE transceiver, the DHTR transceiver does not require channel estimation, and the correlation can be performed in the analog domain. Since the analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are now placed after the correlators, high sampling-rate, high-power ADCs are no longer required. As a result, the DHTR architecture is suitable for low-power, low-data-rate impulse UWB applications, such as RF tagging and sensoring. However, the proposed DHTR architecture will produce discrete spectral spikes in the transmitted signal, which are undesirable because the emissions of the UWB devices are limited by the FCC's regulations. This paper presents a solution to this issue while adding little to the transceiver complexity.
Thermal noise, damping fundamentals and mode analysis: application to GMR sensors

Summary form only given. Magnetoresistive thin film sensors have been the dominant reason for the phenomenal growth in storage densities over the last decade. These sensors yield voltages when the direction of their ambient magnetization changes due to magnetic fields from the recorded media. A new source of noise has recently been found caused by thermal magnetization fluctuations of the film magnetization. These fluctuations yield random measurable voltages that add to the total system noise. Since thermal magnetization fluctuations vary inversely with the sensor volume, this noise source may dominate system performance at sufficiently high recording densities.
The second generation of autonomous surface vessels: Optimized performance for AUVs assistance at Sea

The next generation of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV) will be optimized for optimum performance at sea. The design of an innovative unconventional SWATH-ASV family, patented by the author and under further investigation at the MIT innovative Ship design lab is described in its main features. The new unconventional design of the hull is the key to superior resistance, powering and seakeeping performance. The achievement of these excellent results is a direct consequence of the extensive use of new computational fluid dynamic tools integrated into full parametric geometry optimization methods. The main modeling capabilities of these numerical methods are presented. As a result, the new ASV-SWATH is able to demand 20% to 40% less propulsion power than conventional catamarans at high speeds and it is subject to significantly lower motions in waves: 50% less heave and 60% pitch in a wide range of incoming wave frequencies. The new ASV platform is the ideal, yet missing, element to realize a true persistent and portable network of AUVs at sea. The characteristics of onboard systems for AUV launching/recovering and wireless recharging are finally discussed and their feasibility assessed in the light of the seakeeping predictions performed both for the AUV and the ASV in the same sea state.
Analysis of the methylation state of the T cell receptor β chain gene in T cells and large granular lymphocytes

We have evaluated the methylation state of the T cell receptor beta chain gene (TcR beta) in freshly isolated human large granular lymphocyte (LGL) and T cell DNA in order to investigate the relationship between LGL and T cells with regard to methylation of this region of genomic DNA. In addition, we wished to determine whether hypomethylation of specific regions of the beta chain gene DNA might account for the production of only a nonfunctional 1.0-kilobase (kb) TcR beta mRNA transcript in LGL. Our analysis indicates that the heterogeneous pattern of methylation seen in LGL DNA lies predominantly in the J beta 1 region of the TcR beta DNA structure. The CCGG sequences located at the beginning of the HTF island (CG-rich region) in the J beta 2 region are nonmethylated in both LGL and at least half of the T cell DNA, suggesting that the HTF island is nonmethylated in both LGL and T cell DNA. In addition, specific methylation differences between T cell and LGL DNA can be detected 0.7 kb 3' to the last exon of C beta 1, just 5' to the first exon and within the second exon of the C beta 2 region. The heterogeneous methylation state of the TcR beta J beta 1 region in LGL DNA may be due to and a result of the differential use of the J beta 1 segment for generation of the nonfunctional 1.0-kb mRNA in LGL. These results and our previous studies (Sakamoto, S., Ortaldo, J. R., and Young, H. A. (1988) J. Immunol. 140, 654-660 and Sakamoto, S., and Young, H. A. (1988) Nucleic Acid Res. 16, 2149-2163) indicate that DNA methylation may be one method by which functional gene expression is controlled in specific lymphoid cell populations.
Low-Temperature SCR of NO with NH3 over USY-Supported Manganese Oxide-Based Catalysts

A series of catalysts of manganese oxide, manganese–cerium and iron–manganese oxide supported on USY (ultra-stable Y zeolite) were studied for the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with ammonia in the presence of excess oxygen. It was found that MnOx/USY have high activity and high selectivity to N2 in the temperature range 80-180 °C. The addition of iron and cerium oxide increased NO conversion significantly although the single-component Fe/USY and Ce/USY catalysts had low activities. Among the catalysts studied in this work, the 14% Ce-6% Mn/USY showed the highest activity. The results showed that this catalyst yielded nearly 100% NO conversion at 180 °C at a space velocity of 30 000 cm3 g-1 h-1. The only product is N2 (with no N2O) below 150 °C. The effects of the concentration of oxygen, NO and NH3 were studied and the steady-state kinetics were also investigated. The reaction order is 1 with respect to NO and zero with respect to NH3 on the 14% Ce-6% Mn/USY catalyst at 150 °C.
Towards the construction of a language for describing the learning potential of computing activities

This paper represents a first attempt at constructing a language for describing the potential learning value of computers as a learning material. A lack of precision in describing the value computers add to the learning process has paradoxically made it easy for people to elevate the significance of using computers in pedestrian ways while simultaneously marginalizing higher-order uses such as Logo programming. Colleagues are invited to extend or challenge this paper's hypotheses. In the early 1980s Seymour Papert was dissatisfied with Robert Taylor's metaphors for the use of the computer in education. Taylor wrote about the computer as a tool, tutor or tutee (Taylor, 1980) while Papert described the computer as "mudpie" (Papert, 1980a; Papert, 1984) and then later more generally as material (Papert and Franz, 1987). The tool metaphor dominates most discourse regarding the use of computers in education. Educators and policy-makers alike use it to describe nearly every application of "technology". It would be impossible to list all of the examples of "computer as tool" in common usage or even scholarship. This work attempts to define the continuum that lies between the use of computers to reinforce traditional practice and the powerful ideas Papert writes of in Mindstorms (Papert, 1980b). While Papert's subsequent work provides examples of the construction of powerful ideas he fails to identify less powerful uses of computers. This may be the result of simple omission or a desire to appear polite. In either case all manner of computer-based activities have been granted equivalence by an education community lacking a precise metric for assessing value. When combined with the liberal and often inaccurate use of terms like constructivist we are left with a culture of intellectual relativism in which the loudest voice sets the standard. Dichotomies like conservative/liberal, traditional/progressive, Democratic/Republican are inadequate for describing educational philosophy and its resulting translation into practice. Papert's instructionism vs. constructionism seems a more precise way of describing one's learning theory and the practice that follows. It seems impossible to invent an empirical metric for measuring the efficacy of computer use in the context of education. There are simply too many variables involved in a complex system such as education. The nature of learning is even more difficult to quantify in anything but a reductionist fashion. Therefore, I propose the creation of a continuum that spans the gulf between traditional education routines possibly enhanced by the use of a computer and the sort of powerful idea construction only possible with the purposeful use of the computer. The subjectivity of the examples are acknowledge, but are intended to generate discussion. Compelling examples of children, computers and powerful ideas will be presented at Eurologo.
On constructing the elimination tree

Abstract We present a new algorithm for constructing the elimination tree for the Cholesky factor of an irreducible, symmetric, positive definite matrix A . The new algorithm runs in time O( m + n α( n , n )); the previous best asymptotic algorithm runs in time O( m α( m , n )), where m is the number of nonzero elements in the n × n matrix A and α( m , n ) is a functional inverse of Ackermann's function (and grows very slowly). Thus the new algorithm is a small asymptotic improvement over the previous best algorithm if the density of the matrix is greater than O( n ), and is the asymptotic equivalent of the previous algorithm otherwise. The new algorithm has an unusual form: reduce the graph corresponding to matrix A into a minimum spanning tree (MST) by an appropriate weight assignment, then construct the elimination tree by applying the existing algorithm to the MST obtained .
Coherent Raman Beats

The phenomenon of coherent Raman beats observed recently by Shoemaker and Brewer is analyzed through solutions of the coupled Maxwell-Schr\"odinger equations. The effect arises in coherently prepared molecular samples where the level degeneracy is suddenly removed by Stark-pulse switching. The problem divides into two parts: (a) a steady-state preparative regime whereby the initially degenerate quantum levels are placed in superposition by a resonant laser field, and (b) a transient regime in which coherent forward Raman scattering decays in the presence of the same laser field during a nonresonant condition. The laser and Raman light thus propagate together and produce at a detector a coherent beat with a frequency that corresponds to the level splitting between initial and final states. The beat signal possesses the remarkable property of being entirely independent of longitudinal molecular velocity in the case of a plane-wave laser beam and of being almost so for milliradian divergence. It follows that relaxation involving velocity-changing collisions and that Doppler dephasing effects are absent in coherent Raman beats, in agreement with experimental measurements of the decay rate. The effect of off-resonance excitation on the dephasing time and on the period of the beat signal is also discussed, and the possibility of a small rotation of the plane of polarization of the scattered light is included. The subject presents a new aspect of Raman scattering which can now yield precise radio-frequency splittings directly and offers a selective way of examining relaxation phenomena.
An examination of the relationship between behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity and social interaction anxiety.

Abstract Background Both behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity have been proposed to play a role in social anxiety; however, findings concerning the relationship between BAS and social anxiety have been mixed. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that low levels of BAS may only be associated with the social interaction subdimension of social anxiety. Method Measures of BIS, BAS, social interaction anxiety, and social observation anxiety were administered to three large analogue samples. Results As hypothesized, BAS was inversely related to social interaction anxiety, but was unrelated to social observation anxiety across all three samples. In addition, individuals with generalized social fears were found to report both higher levels of BIS and lower levels of BAS compared to individuals with few or specific social fears. Conclusion These findings suggest that a complete motivational account of generalized social anxiety should include both BIS and BAS.
Designing organizational structures to cope with communication breakdowns: a simulation model:

During crises, organizations commonly face communication breakdown and erroneous information. For example, equipment malfunctions, decision mak ers become unavailable, and so on. Such breakdowns should degrade the orga nization's ability to make decisions. However, the design of the organization — who can communicate with whom and who has access to what information- should determine the extent to which organizational performance is degraded by communication breakdowns. In this paper a model of organizational deci sion making when the organization is engaged in tasks so complex that the separate decisions of multiple decision makers must be integrated to locate the organization's decision is developed. Using simulation, the implications of this model for how organizations should be designed to best cope with crisis are examined.
Robust Photon Entanglement via Quantum Interference in Optomechanical Interfaces

Entanglement is a key element in quantum information processing. Here, we present schemes to generate robust photon entanglement via optomechanical quantum interfaces in the strong coupling regime. The schemes explore the excitation of the Bogoliubov dark mode and the destructive quantum interference between the bright modes of the interface, similar to electromagnetically induced transparency, to eliminate leading-order effects of the mechanical noise. Both continuous-variable and discrete-state entanglements that are robust against the mechanical noise can be achieved. The schemes can be used to generate entanglement in hybrid quantum systems between, e.g., microwave photon and optical photon.
Glass Property Models, Constraints, and Formulation Approaches for Vitrification of High-Level Nuclear Wastes at the US Hanford Site

Current plans for legacy nuclear wastes stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in Washington are that they will be separated into high-level waste and low-activity waste fractions that will be vitrified separately. Formulating optimized glass compositions that maximize the waste loading in glass is critical for successful and economical treatment and immobilization of these nuclear wastes. Glass property-composition models have been developed and applied to formulate glass compositions for various objectives for the past several decades. Property models with associated uncertainties combined with composition and property constraints have been used to develop preliminary glass formulation algorithms designed for vitrification process control and waste-form qualification at the planned waste vitrification plant. This paper provides an overview of the current status of glass property-composition models, constraints applicable to Hanford waste vitrification, and glass formulation approaches that have been developed for vitrification of hazardous and highly radioactive wastes stored at the Hanford Site.
Noise elimination methods in topological pattern recognition

As we published in the last three years, we can use the continuity threshold and the geometric projection methods to eliminate the background noise and the cloud-obscuring noise in an edge-detected 2D color picture for the topological pattern recognition system developed by the author. Preliminary computer experiments showed that the background noise elimination is thorough and the reconstruction of the obscured part of the original image is 90%+ accurate.
NATURALLY-TRANSITIONING RATE-TO-FORCE CONTROL IN FREE AND CONSTRAINED MOTION

The Naturally-Transitioning Rate-to-Force Controller (NTRFC) is presented for teleoperation of manipulators. Our goal is to provide a single controller which handles free motion, constrained motion, and the transition in-between without any artificial changes, In free motion the displacement of the master device (via the human operator's hand) is proportional to the commanded Cartesian rate of the manipulator. In contact, the displacement of the human operator's hand is proportional to the wrench (force/moment) exerted on the environment by the manipulator. The transition between free rate motion and applied-wrench contact with the environment requires no changes in control mode or gains and hence is termed natural. Furthermore, in contact, if the master enables force reflection, the wrench of the human operator's hand exerted on the master is proportional to the wrench exerted on the environment by the manipulator. This article demonstrates the NTRFC concept via a simple 1-dof model and then discusses experimental implementation and results from a Merlin manipulator teleoperated via the force-reflecting PHAN-ToM interface.
Semi-DeMorgan algebras

Semi-DeMorgan algebras are a common generalization of DeMorgan algebras and pseudocomplemented distributive lattices. A duality for them is developed that builds on the Priestley duality for distributive lattices. This duality is then used in several applications. The subdirectly irreducible semi-DeMorgan algebras are characterized. A theory of “partial diagrams” is developed, where properties of algebras are tied to the omission of certain partial diagrams from their duals. This theory is then used to find and give axioms for the largest variety of semi-DeMorgan algebras with the congruence extension property.
Effects of various prostanoids on thyrotropin secretion by superfused anterior pituitary cells.

Continuously superfused rat anterior pituitary cells were used to study the effects of prostaglandins (PGs) and a thromboxane (TX) on the secretion of TSH. Indomethacin, a blocker of PG synthetase, inhibited the amount of TSH secreted in response to TRH. This reduction in TRH responsiveness was overcome by administration of PGE2 in combination with the TRH. Arachidonic acid, a prostanoid precursor, increased the amount of TSH released by TRH. Supervision with TXB2 or imadazole, an inhibitor of TX synthetase, did not change TSH secretion. PGs A2, B2, D2, F1α, F2α, and endoperoxide analogs U- 44069 and U-46619 had no effect on hormone release. PGE1 and E2 both increased TRH-stimulated TSH, but neither compound affected basal output; PGI2 was found to stimulate TSH release. Somatostatin inhibited TRH-induced TSH, but failed to block the effects of the PGs. These studies demonstrate that P s, but not TXs, play a role in TSH secretion. PGE1 and PGE2 appear to modulate TRH responsiveness, while PGI2 directly st...
Regulation of the transition from vimentin to neurofilaments during neuronal differentiation

Vimentin (Vm) is initially expressed by nearly all neuronal precursors in vivo, and is replaced by neurofilaments (NFs) shortly after the immature neurons become post-mitotic. Both Vm and NFs can be transiently detected within the same neurite, and Vm is essential for neuritogenesis at least in culture. How neurons effect the orderly transition from expression of Vm as their predominant intermediate filament to NFs remains unclear. We examined this phenomenon within growing axonal neurites of NB2a/d1 cells. Transfection of cells with a construct expressing Vm conjugated to green fluorescent protein confirmed that axonal transport machinery for Vm persisted following the developmental decrease in Vm, but that the amount undergoing transport decreased in parallel to the observed developmental increase in NF transport. Immunoprecipitation from pulse-chase radiolabeled cells demonstrated transient co-precipitation of newly synthesized NF-H with Vm, followed by increasing co-precipitation with NF-L. Immunofluorescent and immuno-electron microscopic analyses demonstrated that some NF and Vm subunits were incorporated into the same filamentous profiles, but that Vm was excluded from the longitudinally-oriented “bundle” of closely-apposed NFs that accumulates within developing axons and is known to undergo slower turnover than individual NFs. These data collectively suggest that developing neurons are able to replace their Vm-rich cytoskeleton with one rich in NFs simply by down-regulation of Vm expression and upregulation of NFs, coupled with turnover of existing Vm filaments and Vm-NF heteropolymers. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 56:193‐205, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Catalyst screening and kinetic studies using microchannel reactors

Abstract A multi-parallel microchannel reactor system is described, as related to catalyst screening and discovery for heat-intensive heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Example systems are detailed in which the rapid heat transfer of the screening device is utilized to maintain isothermal operation in multiple channels for catalyst screening as well as kinetic investigations. The advantages of the system and pertinent results are discussed, specifically for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and methanol steam reforming applications.
Histopathology of experimentally induced nutritional deficiency cheilosis in the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Abstract A folic acid deficiency syndrome closely resembling the human counterpart has been produced experimentally in cotton ear marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus ) restricted to a folic acid-free purified diet. Intramuscular injections of the folic acid antagonist, methotrexate, speeded and intensified the onset and emergence of the deficiency disease in animals so treated. Eight of the 15 marmosets developed bilateral angular cheilosis as part of the syndrome. The angular stomatitis followed a clinical course similar to human nutritional deficiency cheilosis. The lesions were characterized histologically by a degeneration and superimposed inflammation of the labial commissures starting at the mucocutaneous junction and sequentially penetrating the epithelial, connective tissue and muscle layers.
Reversibility of object recognition but not spatial memory impairment following binge-like alcohol exposure in rats

Excessive alcohol use leads to neurodegeneration in several brain structures including the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the entorhinal cortex. Cognitive deficits that result are among the most insidious and debilitating consequences of alcoholism. The object exploration task (OET) provides a sensitive measurement of spatial memory impairment induced by hippocampal and cortical damage. In this study, we examine whether the observed neurotoxicity produced by a 4-day binge ethanol treatment results in long-term memory impairment by observing the time course of reactions to spatial change (object configuration) and non-spatial change (object recognition). Wistar rats were assessed for their abilities to detect spatial configuration in the OET at 1 week and 10 weeks following the ethanol treatment, in which ethanol groups received 9–15 g/kg/day and achieved blood alcohol levels over 300 mg/dl. At 1 week, results indicated that the binge alcohol treatment produced impairment in both spatial memory and non-spatial object recognition performance. Unlike the controls, ethanol treated rats did not increase the duration or number of contacts with the displaced object in the spatial memory task, nor did they increase the duration of contacts with the novel object in the object recognition task. After 10 weeks, spatial memory remained impaired in the ethanol treated rats but object recognition ability was recovered. Our data suggest that episodes of binge-like alcohol exposure result in long-term and possibly permanent impairments in memory for the configuration of objects during exploration, whereas the ability to detect non-spatial changes is only temporarily affected.
Microbial reduction in the NICU: seeing the light.

Healthcare-associated infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are mostly a consequence of host–environmental interactions. The relative immuno-deficient state of the premature infant, in combination with the use of invasive procedures, sets the stage up for an amalgamation of factors leading to nosocomial sepsis, with potentially disastrous outcomes. Caregivers of the susceptible neonate are well aware of the reasons behind catheter-related infections and have developed strategies to decrease them.1, 2 Another important contributor to sepsis-related morbidity in the NICU is associated with the use of invasive mechanical ventilation, that is, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).3
Quantitative structure–retention (property) relationships in micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRRs) attempt to quantitatively understand the relationship between structure and retention and quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs) to explore the prediction of molecular properties from retention in chromatography. The application of these techniques to micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) and microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) using surfactants, vesicles and liposomes is reviewed. A database of system constants for the solvation parameter model is assembled and critically discussed with respect to the interpretation of solvation properties of micellar pseudophases and their use to identify correlation models for the estimation of physicochemical and environmental properties from retention in MEKC and MEEKC. The use of structure-generated descriptors to model retention in MEKC is discussed and compared with experimental-based techniques. It is shown that the possibilities of exploiting the collection of tools that underpin QSRRs and QSPRs studies are only just starting to be realized in MEKC and more work is needed to convert from these possibilities to the realization of reliable and robust models for compounds of diverse structure.
Anidulafungin: A Novel Echinocandin

Until recently, the treatment available for serious fungal infections was composed of amphotericin B and azoles, and each class demonstrated significant limitations. Echinocandins are a new class of drugs that have shown promising results in treating a variety of fungal infections. Of these, anidulafungin is a novel echinocandin that appears to have several advantages over existing antifungals. It is unique because it slowly degrades in humans, undergoing a process of biotransformation rather than being metabolized. It has potent in vitro activity against Aspergillus and Candida species, including those resistant to fluconazole or amphotericin B. Results of several clinical trials indicate that anidulafungin is effective in treating esophageal candidiasis, including azole-refractory disease. The results of a recent study comparing fluconazole versus anidulafungin demonstrated the superiority of anidulafungin in the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis (IC). Studies evaluating the concomitant use of anidulafungin and either amphotericin B, voriconazole, or cyclosporine did not demonstrate significant drug-drug interactions or adverse events. To date, anidulafungin appears to have an excellent safety profile. On the basis of early clinical experience, it appears that anidulafungin will be a valuable asset in the management of serious and difficult-to-treat fungal infections.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Production and Its Binding to the Matrix Are Increased in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Degradation of the elastic media is a hallmark of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). We examined the expression of 2 elastolytic matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-2 and MMP-9, in AAA aortic tissues compared with those from atherosclerotic occlusive disease (AOD) and nondiseased control tissues. Quantitative competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and gelatin zymography showed increased MMP-9 mRNA and protein in both AAA and AOD tissues compared with those in control tissue, but there was no significant difference between AAA and AOD. In contrast, MMP-2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in AAA than in AOD or control tissues. Sequential extraction of the MMPs from the aortic tissue with a physiological salt solution, 2% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and 10 mol/L urea showed that large amounts of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were bound to the matrix. The most conspicuous finding was that the levels of MMP-2 were significantly elevated in the DMSO fraction in AAA tissues compared with AOD and control tissues. In addition, a large portion of MMP-2 found in the DMSO and urea fractions was in the active 62-kDa form, indicating that the precursor of MMP-2 in AAA is largely activated locally and binds to the tissue matrix tightly. By immunolocalization, MMP-9 was found to be primarily produced by macrophages and MMP-2 by mesenchymal cells. The production of MMP-2 was prominent when mesenchymal cells were surrounded by inflammatory cells, suggesting paracrine modulation of MMP-2 expression in AAAs. These observations emphasize that MMP-2 participates in the progression of AAAs by degrading aortic tissue matrix components.
On the chemical state of Co oxide electrocatalysts during alkaline water splitting

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and high-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to identify the chemical state of a Co electrocatalyst in situ during the oxygen evolution reaction. After anodic electrodeposition onto Au(111) from a Co(2+)-containing electrolyte, the chemical environment of Co can be identified to be almost identical to CoOOH. With increasing potentials, a subtle increase of the Co oxidation state is observed, indicating a non-stoichiometric composition of the working OER catalyst containing a small fraction of Co(4+) sites. In order to confirm this interpretation, we used density functional theory with a Hubbard-U correction approach to compute X-ray absorption spectra of model compounds, which agree well with the experimental spectra. In situ monitoring of catalyst local structure and bonding is essential in the development of structure-activity relationships that can guide the discovery of efficient and earth abundant water splitting catalysts.
Economic Security in Retirement: How Changes in Employment and Marriage Have Altered Retirement‐Related Economic Risks for Women

We examine across birth cohorts the consequences for inter‐ and intra‐gender equality of changing patterns of women's work, earnings, and marriage. While over time work participation rates, average earnings, and pension coverage for women have become increasingly similar to those for men, inequality among women has grown. As the economic opportunities for college‐educated women have improved, women with only a high school education or less are increasingly disadvantaged in the labor and marriage markets. The effects of employment changes on the future retirement security of women can either be told simply—on average the gender gap in labor force participation, wages, and pension coverage is closing—or be told with attention to the growing inequality among women in employment, pension coverage and benefits. In the presence of greater gender equality, inequality among women is becoming the future retirement security challenge for women and policy makers.
Hypnosynthesis: III. Hypnotherapy of Chronic War Neuroses with a Discussion of the Value of Abreaction, Regression, and Revivication

Abstract Three examples of chronic war neuroses which were successfully treated by hypnotherapy are presented. The clinical material would seem to indicate that the patient in the trance state is greatly influenced by the attitude and goal of the therapist and tends to produce the type of material which is expected of him. The protocols reveal that the hypnotized patient responds to a permissive, calm, attitude with relatively little emotional display, and by talking about harrowing war experiences in a matter-of-fact manner. It would appear that merely to recall the traumatic experience without a personalized, constructive, emotional relation to a supporting, understanding therapist is of little therapeutic value. The crux of the therapeutic problem in every approach, whether it be narcosynthesis, narco-analysis, hypno-syn-thesis, or the hypnotic intensification of an emotion is to bring about the integration of unbearable experiences which previously had been dissociated and obliterated from memory or w...
Liposomal Formulation Decreases Toxicity of Amphotericin B In Vitro and In Vivo

Background Liposomal amphotericin B is locally delivered to treat fungal orthopaedic infections but little is known about local tissue toxicity, if any, that might be associated with local delivery.
Modal Representations for the High-Frequency Response of Elastic Plates

Representations for the high-frequency response of a suddenly loaded infinite plate are obtained from the modal form of the exact solution. The method of approach is presented by treating a linearly elastic, homogeneous, isotropic plate subjected to a normal impulsive line load on one face. An investigation of the branches of the governing Rayleigh-Lamb frequency equation is given. These branches are closely related to the modes of propagation, the sum of which is the modal solution. The relationship between the high-frequency portions of the underlying frequency spectra and the high-frequency response is brought out. Series representations for the branches are used to facilitate a summation over the branch (or mode) numbers. This results in convenient high-frequency representations, which exhibit all of the expected singular wave fronts in the plate. The method appears to be applicable to a broader class of problems than other methods which have been used for the high-frequency response of a plate.
Preparation and characterization of pH-sensitive, interpenetrating networks of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acrylic acid)

Hydrogels with varying cross-linking ratio and ionic content were prepared from interpenetrating networks of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acrylic acid). Equilibrium swelling studies were conducted and the average molecular weight between cross-links, Mc, and mesh size were determined. Hydrogels with large Mc, values were found to swell to a greater extent than those with small Mc values. It was also observed that an increase in Mc yielded faster swelling and deswelling rates, as the rates for membranes with Mc = 18,000 were about twice as fast as were the rates for membranes with Mc = 34,000. Oscillatory swelling behavior was investigated in response to changes in the pH and ionic strength of the swelling medium. A change in pH from 3 to 6 caused an ionization of the hydrogels and an increase in the weight swelling ratio, with a greater increase exhibited by IPNs with a higher ionic content. Increase in pH also caused an increase in the average mesh size. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Flow around circular and noncircular cylinders by a low-order panel method

Time-dependent cross-flow was studied around cylinders with circular and noncircular cross-sections. The numerical approach for the analysis was a low-order panel method based on constant source and dipole values along each panel. The method was previously used successfully for several applications, such as calculation of the added mass and damping coefficients. In simulating the viscous time-dependent flow around the cylinder, the time-dependent wake feature of the code was used. For the circular and D-cylinders, the results agreed well with the experiments. Suggestions for improving the results for T-cylinders with angle of attack are included.
Selective determination of TNT in soil extracts by sequential injection spectrophotometry

A rapid sequential injection spectrophotometric method for the selective determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil samples is presented. The method is based on a derivatization reaction of TNT with sodium sulfite in a basic acetone medium. The reaction conditions, namely the percentage of acetone used in the reaction, the sample and reagent volumes, the mixing coil volume, and the reaction time, were optimized. The reaction was found to be particularly sensitive to the concentration of acetone; an acetone/water medium of 88% (v/v) acetone was found to be optimal. A study of the response of the method to other explosives demonstrated that the method is selective for TNT. In particular, it was shown that the method had little (<2%) or no response to other secondary explosives such as 2,4- or 2,6-dinitrotoluene (DNT). An average precision of 6.1% RSD was established for five soil samples (n = 4). The limit of detection was 0.5 μg mL-1 for aqueous standards and 80 μg g-1 for ∼300 mg soil samples. A...