cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manufacturing of a composite wing with internal structure in one cure cycle

Abstract The need for faster and more accurate manufacturing methods for composite parts continues to grow. Co-curing composite structures can decrease manufacturing time by eliminating secondary operations such as grinding, jigging, bonding, and fastening while creating lighter and more accurate parts. As a demonstrator for co-curing techniques, a six-meter carbon fiber wing for a high-altitude and high-speed dynamically soaring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was designed and manufactured in one cure cycle. Two wing-skin molds were created using low density tooling board, with the mold geometry directly machined into the material, reducing tool manufacturing time and cost. An aluminum insert was used to create a trailing edge cavity while maintaining a simple parting line of the wing tool. Three removable forms made of polystyrene foam inside of the wing cavity were used to position six internal webs and, after curing and removal of the forms, resulted in a hollow wing with internal webs. The resulting wings showed some defects in the wing skins but overall produced structurally sound parts. The method shows great potential for creating complex composite parts using only a single cure cycle with little finishing work and no secondary bonding, resulting in high precision at a relatively low cost.
Effect of donor type in patients with AML or MDS undergoing reduced intensity hematopoietic cell transplant.

7059Background: Haploidentical (haplo) hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) are a promising option for patients. Overall survival (OS) is comparable in patients receiving haplo vs matched unrelated...
Telemedicine: Past, present, and future

Telemedicine has the potential to transform the future of medicine in both rural and urban settings by improving access to medical care and providing a more affordable way to deliver it. Low reimbursement rates and lack of interstate licensing are the main obstacles limiting its widespread use in the United States. Demand for telemedicine, however, will likely continue to rise, and primary care providers will need to be familiar with the practical and legal considerations in establishing this type of service.
An Exome-seq Based Tool for Mapping and Selection of Candidate Genes in Maize Deletion Mutants

Despite the large number of genomic and transcriptomic resources in maize, there is still much to learn about the function of genes in developmental and biochemical processes. Some maize mutants that were generated by gamma-irradiation showed clear segregation for the kernel phenotypes in B73 × Mo17 F2 ears. To better understand the functional genomics of kernel development, we developed a mapping and gene identification pipeline, bulked segregant exome sequencing (BSEx-seq), to map mutants with kernel phenotypes including opaque endosperm and reduced kernel size. BSEx-seq generates and compares the sequence of the exon fraction from mutant and normal plant F2 DNA pools. The comparison can derive mapping peaks, identify deletions within the mapping peak, and suggest candidate genes within the deleted regions. We then used the public kernel-specific expression data to narrow down the list of candidate genes/mutations and identified deletions ranging from several kb to more than 1 Mb. A full deletion allele of the Opaque-2 gene was identified in mutant 531, which occurs within a ∼200-kb deletion. Opaque mutant 1486 has a 6248-bp deletion in the mapping interval containing two candidate genes encoding RNA-directed DNA methylation 4 (RdDM4) and AMP-binding protein, respectively. This study demonstrates the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of BSEx-seq for causal mutation mapping and candidate gene selection, providing a new option in mapping-by-sequencing for maize functional genomics studies.
High Temperature Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices in a Superconductor-Normal-Superconductor Geometry

The discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS) has led to intense interest in the fabrication of thin films and Josephson Junctions from the new materials. Most of the Josephson junction work has focused on the bicrystal approach[l]. In this method bicrystal substrates are used to produce a single coherent large angle grain boundary in epitaxial films of HTS. This method has produced most of the best junction results to date [2], but requires an expensive substrate and limits the flexibility of the junction placement.
Comparison of changes in nonclassical (α) and classical (β) acoustic nonlinear parameters due to thermal aging of 9Cr–1Mo ferritic martensitic steel

Abstract The objective of this research is to demonstrate the sensitivity of the hysteretic, nonclassical acoustic nonlinear parameter, α to track changes in the microstructure of 9Cr–1Mo ferritic martensitic steel due to thermal aging. The α parameter is measured with a non-contact nonlinear resonance ultrasound spectroscopy (NRUS) system with an air-coupled source and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) receiver. This NRUS setup is used to track changes in multiple 9Cr–1Mo specimens subjected to different aging times at the same 650 ∘ C temperature. These α results are shown to be highly sensitive to the associated changes in the microstructure of the 9Cr–1Mo specimens, and are then compared to three different parameters – Rockwell hardness, Young's modulus, E and the classical acoustic nonlinear parameter, β – all measured in the same specimens. These results are then combined to infer microstructure changes such as the removal of dislocations and the formation of carbide precipitates occurring in the 9Cr–1Mo specimens during thermal aging.
Discovering Sublanguages in a Large Clinical Corpus through Unsupervised Machine Learning and Information Gain

Sublanguages are domain-centered subsets of general or colloquial language. Their identification drives several language analysis tasks, but it is difficult to discern separate sublanguages in large clinical corpora. We applied k-means clustering of semantic properties, and a novel implementation of relative entropy as an information gain indicator, to identify sublanguages within a large clinical corpus (~1.6 million documents), visualizing the results in a heat map. Patterns both within and across clusters reveal sublanguage trends. These findings are significant in sublanguage analysis, and have implications on both regional and international levels.
Growth velocity in very preterm infants and body fat accrual at term-equivalent age

BACKGROUND To achieve ideal growth velocity rates and reduce the risk for postnatal growth restriction, clinicians often prescribe enriched postnatal diets for very preterm infants. However, high growth velocity rates might be associated with excessive body fat accrual early in life and a higher risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome later in life. Non-invasive methods to assess infant body composition are now available to evaluate the quality of weight gain (i.e. fat versus fat-free mass). OBJECTIVE The objective of this secondary …
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on Dark Web

This chapter presents a cyber-archaeology approach to social movement research. The approach overcomes many of the issues of scale and complexity facing social research on the Internet, enabling broad and longitudinal study of the virtual communities supporting social movements. Cultural cyber-artifacts of significance to the social movement are collected and classified using automated techniques, enabling analysis across multiple related virtual communities. Approaches to the analysis of cyber-artifacts are guided by perspectives of social movement theory. A Dark Web case study on a broad group of related IED virtual communities is presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the framework and provide a detailed instantiation of the proposed approach for evaluation.
Tracking differential activation of primary and supplementary motor cortex across timing tasks: An fNIRS validation study

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provides an alternative to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for assessing changes in cortical hemodynamics. To establish the utility of fNIRS for measuring differential recruitment of the motor network during the production of timing-based actions, we measured cortical hemodynamic responses in 10 healthy adults while they performed two versions of a finger-tapping task. The task, used in an earlier fMRI study (Jantzen et al., 2004), was designed to track the neural basis of different timing behaviors. Participants paced their tapping to a metronomic tone, then continued tapping at the established pace without the tone. Initial tapping was either synchronous or syncopated relative to the tone. This produced a 2 × 2 design: synchronous or syncopated tapping and pacing the tapping with or continuing without a tone. Accuracy of the timing of tapping was tracked while cortical hemodynamics were monitored using fNIRS. Hemodynamic responses were computed by canonical statistical analysis across trials in each of the four conditions. Task-induced brain activation resulted in significant increases in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (oxy-Hb) in a broad region in and around the motor cortex. Overall, syncopated tapping was harder behaviorally and produced more cortical activation than synchronous tapping. Thus, we observed significant changes in oxy-Hb in direct relation to the complexity of the task.
TACC: Topology-Aware Coded Computing for Distributed Graph Processing

This article proposes a coded distributed graph processing framework to alleviate the communication bottleneck in large-scale distributed graph processing. In particular, we propose a topology-aware coded computing (TACC) algorithm that has two novel salient features: (i) a topology-aware graph allocation strategy, and (ii) a coded aggregation scheme that combines the intermediate computations for graph processing while constructing coded messages. The proposed setup results in a trade-off between computation and communication, in that increasing the computation load at the distributed parties can in turn reduce the communication load. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the TACC algorithm by comparing the communication load with existing setups on both Erdos-Renyi and Barabasi-Albert type random graphs, as well as real-world Google web graph for PageRank computations. In particular, we show that the proposed coding strategy can lead to up to $82\%$ reduction in communication load and up to $46\%$ reduction in overall execution time, when compared to the state-of-the-art and implemented on the Amazon EC2 cloud compute platform.
Real-time False Data Injection Attack Detection in Connected Vehicle Systems with PDE modeling

Connected vehicles as a promising concept of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), are a potential solution to address some of the existing challenges of emission, traffic congestion as well as fuel consumption. To achieve these goals, connectivity among vehicles through the wireless communication network is essential. However, vehicular communication networks endure from reliability and security issues. Cyber-attacks with purposes of disrupting the performance of the connected vehicles, lead to catastrophic collision and traffic congestion. In this study, we consider a platoon of connected vehicles equipped with Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) which are subjected to a specific type of cyber-attack namely "False Data Injection" attack. We developed a novel method to model the attack with ghost vehicles injected into the connected vehicles network to disrupt the performance of the whole system. To aid the analysis, we use a Partial Differential Equation (PDE) model. Furthermore, we present a PDE model-based diagnostics scheme capable of detecting the false data injection attack and isolating the injection point of the attack in the platoon system. The proposed scheme is designed based on a PDE observer with measured velocity and acceleration feedback. Lyapunov stability theory has been utilized to verify the analytically convergence of the observer under no attack scenario. Eventually, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is evaluated with simulation study.
The Sage’s Rule (Plato’s Dream Realized). Supplemental Materials

The paper presents collection of the following materials. We propose definitions of “Left” (left liberal) and “Right” (conservative, classical liberal) politician - which we’ll need for further analysis. The R&D spending structure statistics shows the business contributes more than Government in R&D, while the Government generally dominates in universities R&D funding. The last piece is the short case study (time line of the reprisal for purely scientific research - Hall, Tabachnikov, 2017). The reprisal is interpreted as an example of fight of bureaucrats and Left politicians: for seizure of discretionary power by bureaucrats and political base extension and consolidation for the “Left” politicians.
Schools as a Vital Component of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health System.

This review examines the history and contemporary landscape of school mental health, describing evidence that schools are an essential component of the system of child and adolescent care and providing recommendations to advance this vital care delivery system. This literature review of scientific data and shifts to policy and practice in school mental health documents the evolution of collaboration between the education and mental health systems to support student mental health. This review describes best practices and provides examples for achieving the standards of the comprehensive school mental health systems model in states and local communities. Data demonstrate that multitiered systems of mental health support and services in schools, including mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, and treatment, improve academic and psychosocial functioning and reduce risk of poor outcomes, including mental illness and school failure. Policy and practice shifts in the field reflect a movement toward integrating mental health systems into the education sector, including preparing the education workforce to promote mental health and to support early identification of and intervention to address mental illness. To create a full continuum of mental health supports for students, states and districts can draw on national best practices and state exemplars as they install multitiered systems of mental health supports in all schools, conduct universal student mental health monitoring, and coordinate school and community mental health systems.
Snowmelt periods as hot moments for soil N dynamics: a case study in Maine, USA

The vernal transition represents the seasonal transition to spring, occurring as temperatures rise at the end of winter. With rapid snowmelt, microbial community turnover, and accelerated nutrient cycling, this is a critical but relatively under-studied period of ecosystem function. We conducted a study over two consecutive winters (2015-2016) at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine to examine how changing winter conditions (warming winters, reduced snow accumulation) altered soil nitrogen availability and stream N export during winter and the vernal transition, and how these patterns were influenced by ecosystem N status (N-enriched vs. N-limited). Of the two study years, 2016 had a warmer winter with substantially less snow accumulation and a discontinuous snowpack-and as a result, had a longer vernal transition and a snowpack that thawed before the vernal transition began. Across both years, snowmelt triggered a transition, signaled by increased ammonium concentrations in soil, decreased soil nitrate concentrations due to flushing by meltwater, and increased stream nitrate exports. Despite the contrasting winter conditions, both years showed similar patterns in N availability and export, differing only in the timing of these transitions. The vernal transition has conventionally been considered a critical period for biogeochemical cycling, because the associated snowmelt event triggers physicochemical and biochemical changes in soil systems. This was consistent with our results in 2015, but our data for 2016 show that this may not always hold true, and instead, that warmer, low-snow winters may demonstrate a temporal asynchrony between snowmelt and the vernal transition. We also show that ecosystem N status is a strong driver of the seasonal N pattern, and the interaction of N status and changing climate must be further investigated to understand ecosystem function under our current predicted trajectory of warming winters, declining snowfall, and winter thaw events.
Obesity and altered angiogenic-related gene expression in endometrial cancer.

Abstract Objectives Evaluate association between obesity and angiogenic-related gene expression in endometrial cancer (EC). Evaluate interaction between diet and metformin on angiogenic-related gene expression. Methods We evaluated the association between 168 human angiogenic-related genes and body mass index (BMI) in the TCGA Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma cohort (endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) cohort n = 290, and copy number high cohort n = 55), an independent validation cohort from Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence (GYN-COE) (n = 62) and corresponding 185 homologous mouse genes in an LKB1fl/flp53fl/fl mouse model of EC (n = 20). Mice received 60% of calories from fat in a high-fat diet (HFD), mimicking diet-induced obesity, versus 10% of calories from fat in a low-fat diet (LFD). After tumor growth, HFD (n = 5) and LFD (n = 5) mice were treated with metformin (200 mg/kg/day) or control. Whole transcriptome analysis of mouse tumors was performed using RNA-Seq. Results At a false-discovery rate of 10%, twenty-one angiogenic-related genes were differentially expressed with respect to BMI when adjusting for grade in the TCGA EEC cohort. Evaluation of these genes in the mouse model control group revealed association between increased Edil3 expression in HFD versus LFD mice (2.5-fold change (FC); unadjusted p = 0.03). An interaction was observed for expression of Edil3 between diet and metformin treatment (unadjusted p = 0.009). Association between BMI and increased expression of EDIL3 was validated in one of four EDIL3 probesets in the GYN-COE cohort (p = 0.0011, adjusted p = 0.0342). Conclusions Obesity may promote tumor progression via differential modulation of angiogenic pathways in EEC. Our exploratory findings demonstrated that EDIL3 may be a candidate gene of interest.
Discovering Geometry in Data Arrays

Modern technologies produce a deluge of complicated data. In neuroscience, for example, minimally invasive experimental methods can take recordings of large populations of neurons at high resolution under a multitude of conditions. Such data arrays possess non-trivial interdependencies along each of their axes. Insights into these data arrays may lay the foundations of advanced treatments for nervous system disorders. The potential impacts of such data, however, will not be fully realized unless the techniques for analyzing them keep pace. Specifically, there is an urgent, growing need for methods for estimating the low-dimensional structure and geometry in big and noisy data arrays. This article reviews a framework for identifying complicated underlying patterns in such data and also recounts the key role that the Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowship played in setting the stage for this work to be done by the author.
Vacuum Structures Revisited

We consider the relationship between the higher symmetry and the dynamical decomposition in supersymmetric gauge theory in various dimensions by studying the semi-classical potential energy. We observe that besides the scalar moduli we shall also include the field strength $F_{0\cdots d}$ in the vacuum moduli in the 1+d dimensional theory with a $\mathbb{Z}_{p}$ $d$-form symmetry. In gauge theory for charge-$p$ matters with this symmetry, we find that the vacua decompose into $p$ different universes at an intermediate scale, which means no dynamical domain wall can interpolate between them. In our setup, we re-derive the existing results on the decomposition in various dimensions. In four dimensions, we propose a UV gauge theory for the generalized super Yang-Mills theory, whose instanton sectors are restricted to the topological number with integer multiples of $p$.
IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ON SEDIMENT RESPONSE IN A SMALL DRAINAGE BASIN, WESTERN NEW YORK

The sediment response of a small drainage basin affected by construction is compared with that of an adjacent unaffected basin. Multiple regression analyses of both basins indicate that construction activities not only increase the suspended sediment concentration in storm runoff, but reduce the tendency for transportable sediments to become exhausted during a storm. The analyses further reveal that rainfall intensity is the most useful precipitation variable in explaining the variation in suspended sediment concentration in both basins, and that this variable accounts for a higher proportion of the variation in sediment concentration in the basin affected by construction than in the one unaffected. The latter occurs because construction activities increase both the extent of Hortonian overland flow and the availability of transportable sediment.
Maximal hypoellipticity for the ∂¯-Neumann problem ☆

Abstract We establish maximal hypoellipticity for the ∂ ¯ -Neumann problem on smooth, bounded pseudoconvex domains in C n under the weakest possible condition on the Levi form. In particular, maximal hypoellipticity holds on the level of ( n − 1 ) -forms for pseudoconvex domains of finite commutator type.
Far-infrared and submillimeter photometry of evolved stars

Broad-band photometric observations at far infrared and submillimeter wavelengths (30 μm < λ < 1mm) provide a unique probe of circumstellar shells in evolved objects and of the mass loss processes which produce them. The problems which these observations explore include: dust properties and dust-to-gas ratios in the outflowing material, the mass and structure of the circumstellar shell, and the pumping mechanism for maser emission. This contribution reviews the early work in this still largely unexploited field and reports results in each of the areas listed above. We also preview the dramatic advances forthcoming in this area from the IRAS satellite and the further progress which will come from the next generation of infrared and submillimeter telescopes.
Enzymatic synthesis of galactocerebroside by a galactosyltransferase from embryonic chicken brain.

Abstract A galactosyltransferase that catalyzes the synthesis of galactocerebrosides (galactosylceramide) containing α-hydroxy fatty acids linked to the amino group of the sphingosine moiety has been isolated from 19- to 20-day-old embryonic chicken brain. The enzyme catalyzes the following reaction: UDP-galactose-14C + ceramide → 14C-galactocerebroside (+ UDP) Several ceramides (N-acylsphingosines) were tested as galactose acceptors, including those containing C16 and C18 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, but the only active ceramide preparation was one containing a mixture of the α-hydroxy fatty acids 2-hydroxy C18:0 (97%) and 2-hydroxy C18:1 (2%). The reaction was stimulated by Mg++, Mn++, and Ca++. UDP-Galactose-14C could not be replaced by 14C-labeled galactose, galactose-1-P, or ADP-galactose; the Km values were 1.1 x 10-4 and 0.4 x 10-4 m for ceramide and UDP-galactose, respectively. The galactosyltransferase that catalyzes the synthesis of cerebroside is different from two other galactosyltransferases previously obtained from embryonic chicken brain, which are concerned with two steps in the synthesis of gangliosides. The UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase activity was low in homogenates of brains from young chick embryos; in the period between 15 and 20 days of embryonic development, there was a rapid increase in activity (per mg of protein). Maximal activity was detected in homogenates from 19- to 20-day-old embryos, and was 10- to 20-fold greater than the activity in young embryonic brain. The results are in accord with the suggestion that α-hydroxy fatty acid-containing cerebrosides are synthesized via the following pathway: sphingosine → ceramide → cerebroside.
The Mechanism of Tetracycline Fluorescence in Experimental Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Rat

Bright yellow fluorescence of tumor tissue, under long-wave ultraviolet light, after tetracycline administration was first reported by Hall and co-workers in 1957 (1), and was confirmed by McLeay in 1958 (2). They found that the fluorescent material, a tetracycline complex, was retained in experimental tumors in mice and rats for as long as 10 to 20 days, while it disappeared after 24 hours from the liver and intestines of the injected animals. The phenomenon has since been applied to the study of neoplastie lesions in various locations, using it as a tool for identification of cancerous tissue in fresh non-fixed specimens. The observations published to date are based on the detection of fluorescence in gross and microscopical material and indicate that tetracycline is deposited in carcinomas and sarcomas (3—15). With the exception of one study (6), which involved visual estimation of the intensity of fluorescence of gastric aspirates, the data available are of a qualitative nature. The diagnostic value of this phenomenon has been debated. Yellow-orange fluorescence is not rare in gastric sediment from patients who have not received tetracyline (13, 16). Tissue fluorescence after tetracycline administration has also been observed in chronic inflammations, e.g. experimental granuloma pouch (17), in acute necrosis of the pancreas (18), in myoeardial infarction (19), in burns (18), in non-
Neotropical Tineidae Ix: a review of the West Indian Xystrologa and biology of Xystrologa grenadella (Wlsm.), an invasive pest of cultivated greenhouse plants in southern Florida, USA and Germany (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea).

Abstract. Only two species, Xystrologa grenadella (Walsingham) and X. nigrovitta (Walsingham), of the predominantly Neotropical genus Xystrologa are known to occur in the West Indies. Xystrologa antipathetica (Forbes), originally described from Puerto Rico but also reported from the United States (Florida), is considered a junior synonym of X. grenadella. The adults of both species and the larva and pupa of X. grenadella are described and illustrated. The larval habits of the genus are reported for the first time as a general detritovore, feeding on woody refuse, the bark of Ficus trees (in Florida, USA), fungi, and the roots of orchids, and pineapple (in Puerto Rico). The injury that larvae of X. grenadella can inflict upon cultivated orchids in Florida is summarized. The introduction of X. grenadella is reported for the first time in the Old World, as a pest of greenhouse plants in Germany.
The Challenge of Change: Enhancing Social Work Services at a Time of Cutback

Little systematic attention has been paid to the process of cuts in resources in hospital social work departments and to the implications of such events over time. This article describes the activities of a social work department in response to hospitalwide downsizing. It outlines conceptual premises for action, recommends a step-by-step process for analysis and implementation, reviews implications of cutback, and describes outcomes for department and personnel. In this particular case, social work administration was able to make changes in department organization to improve quality, efficiency, and professional control of practice while modeling cutback and reorganization to the larger hospital community.
Upper-left gaze bias reveals competing search strategies in a reverse Stroop task.

Abstract Three experiments with a total of 87 human observers revealed an upper-left spatial bias in the initial movement of gaze during visual search. The bias was present whether or not the explicit control of gaze was required for the task. This bias may be part of a search strategy that competed with the fixed-gaze parallel search strategy hypothesized by Durgin [Durgin, F. H. (2003). Translation and competition among internal representations in a reverse Stroop effect. Perception &Psychophysics, 65, 367–378.] for this task. When the spatial probabilities of the search target were manipulated either in accord with or in opposition to the existing upper-left bias, two orthogonal factors of interference in the latency data were differentially affected. The two factors corresponded to two different forms of representation and search. Target probabilities consistent with the gaze bias encouraged opportunistic serial search (including gaze shifts), while symmetrically opposing target probabilities produced latency patterns more consistent with parallel search based on a sensory code.
An ascidian engrailed gene.

The engrailed genes play roles in the maintenance of segment polarity in a variety of animals and in the establishment and maintenance of the mid-brain/hind-brain boundary (MHB) in vertebrates. We isolated an ascidian engrailed gene and analyzed its expression pattern during early development. Expression begins at the neurula stage and is restricted to two cells within the neuroectoderm. At the tail-bud stage engrailed-expressing cells are in the "neck" region of the neural tube, which has been proposed to be the ascidian equivalent of the MHB. These same cells also express PAX2/5/8. We speculate that a structure equivalent to the MHB existed before the split of the three chordate subphyla.
Diabetic myonecrosis: a diagnostic challenge in patients with long-standing diabetes

A 51-year-old female with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) presented with sudden onset of pain and swelling of the left thigh. Her initial evaluation revealed mildly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and creatine phosphokinase. Venous and arterial Doppler studies were negative for DVT and arterial thrombus. Further imaging with CT scan and then MRI revealed an irregular, enhancing space-occupying lesion of the left upper and mid-thigh. Subsequent muscle biopsy showed myonecrosis and proliferative myositis. Both findings are consistent with diabetic myonecrosis, which is a microvascular complication of long-standing poorly controlled DM. The patient was treated with analgesics, supportive care, and optimization of glycemic control. While short-term prognosis is good with adequate healing in a few weeks to several months, longterm prognosis is poor due to underlying extensive vascular disease. Although radiological findings are very suggestive of the diagnosis, most clinicians still need tissue biopsy to rule out other serious conditions such as infections and malignancy. Keywords: diabetes mellitus; diabetic myonecrosis; proliferative myositis; microvascular complications (Published: 17 April 2013) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2013, 3 : 20494 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v3i1.20494
Oxygen Reduction Reaction Kinetics in Subfreezing PEM Fuel Cells

An experimental procedure was developed to measure oxygen reduction reaction kinetics in subfreezing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The procedure was also used to measure kinetics at temperatures above 0°C, and results compared to those collected with a traditional kinetic measurement technique. In general, because of brief time durations in which PEMFCs can be operated below freezing temperatures, short equilibration times were required and thus, enhanced catalyst activity was observed. At progressively lower subfreezing temperatures, suspected mass transport or uncompensated ohmic losses resulted in nonlinear Tafel plots, which at lower decades of current density become linear with a slope close to that predicted by Tafel kinetics, 2.303RT/α c F. Consistent with results of other researchers at nonfrozen conditions, low water (or ice) content in the fuel cell results in lower catalyst activity and performance at subfreezing temperatures. Cyclic voltammograms indicate that the rate of oxide formation decreases at subfreezing temperatures and low water contents, indicating proton activity as a likely reason for reduced catalytic activity. Arrhenius plots of current density at a constant overpotential are linear (constant activation energy) over the temperature range from 55 to - 40°C, indicating no fundamental change in reaction mechanism at subfreezing temperatures.
The Effects of Diquat and Ciprofibrate on mRNA Expression and Catalytic Activities of Hepatic Xenobiotic Metabolizing and Antioxidant Enzymes in Rat Liver

Although the mechanisms responsible for chemically induced oxidative stress are under intense investigation, little is known about the effects of prooxidant chemicals on the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes. We examined the effects of diquat (0.1 mmol/kg, ip) and ciprofibrate (0.025% w/w, diet), chemicals which induce oxidative stress via different biochemical mechanisms, on the steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of six cytochrome P450 enzymes, seven glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoenzymes, UDP-glucuronosyl transferase 1-06 (UGT1*06), gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma GCS), NADP(H):quinone oxidoreductase (quinone reductase), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and 18S ribosomal RNA in the livers of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Effects of chemical treatments on mRNA levels were compared to changes in catalytic activities for selected enzymes. Ciprofibrate treatment selectively decreased CYP1A2 mRNA expression, whereas both chemicals suppressed CYP3A2 mRNA expression. CYP4A1 mRNA expression and lauric acid hydroxylase activities were induced by ciprofibrate treatment, whereas diquat treatment moderately increased CYP4A1 mRNA levels without affecting lauric acid hydroxylase activities. The steady-state mRNA levels encoding constitutively expressed GST isozymes (Ya1, Ya2, Yb1, Yb2, and Yc1) were decreased by diquat exposure, and the mRNA encoding four of the five constitutively expressed GSTs (Ya1, Ya2, Yb1, and Yc1) were also decreased by ciprofibrate treatment. Nonconstitutively expressed or low constitutively expressed genes (CYP1A1, CYP2B1, CYP2B2, GST Yc2, GST Yf, and UGT1*06) were not induced by exposure to the prooxidants. Changes in isozyme-specific catalytic activities were more consistent with the observed changes in mRNA expression for the GSTs than for the P450s. Both treatments had inhibitory effects on hepatic GSH biosynthesis by decreasing gamma GCS large-subunit mRNA expression, gamma GCS catalytic activities, and hepatic GSH concentrations. Cu/Zn SOD and quinone reductase mRNA levels were increased after ciprofibrate exposure, whereas Cu/Zn SOD mRNA expression was decreased in the diquat-treated animals. The results of this study indicate that diquat and ciprofibrate can decrease the expression profile of a number of phase I, phase II, and antioxidant enzymes and inhibit GSH biosynthesis. These effects may involve the pretranslational loss of hepatic mRNAs, possibly due to accelerated production of reactive oxygen species.
Preparation and Properties of TiN Thin Films by D.C. Reactive Magnetron Sputtering

TiN thin films were deposited by D.C reactive magnetron sputtering on glass and metal substrate. The relations between the technical conditions and the properties of the thin films are studied, According to control the intensity of gas pressure by changing the flux of Ar and N2, the structure of TiN films could be control. By changing the target power、N2 flux and substrate temperature, the relations between the technical conditions and the structure of TiN thin films were analyzed so as to produce the TiN thin films of excellent decorations, good corrosion resistance and high micro-hardness.
CO2 laser-assisted local deposition of diamond films by combustion-flame method

Quality of diamond films is strongly dependent on substrate temperatures, which are usually controlled in a range of 600 - 1100 °C in most experiments. Although many applications have been achieved with these techniques, diamond film growth is still not possible for substrates that cannot endure such high temperatures for long time. In this study, a continue-wave (CW) CO 2 laser was used to irradiate the growth area on tungsten carbide (WC) substrates during C 2 H 2 /O 2 combustion-flame deposition in order to maintain required temperature in the growth area while keep the rest of the substrates at a low temperature. The laser power was adjusted between 200 - 600 W to study the effects of laser irradiation on diamond deposition. Surface morphologies of the deposited films were examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Film structures were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. It was concluded that the CO 2 laser irradiation during combustion-flame deposition could raise the temperature at the growth area efficiently. Both laser power and power density have effects on the diamond deposition. Laser irradiation with proper parameters could improve the crystal quality of the diamond films. Based on the experimental results, the CO 2 laser-assisted combustion-flame deposition is a promising method for local substrate heating during diamond film growth.
The electrical characteristics of InP implanted with the column IV elements

Abstract A study of the electrical characteristics of InP implanted with C, Si, Ge and Sn demonstrates that all of these column IV elements are donors, although the net electrical activation achieved with the light ion C was only about 5%. Samples implanted at temperatures of 150–200°C generally had lower sheet resistivities, higher mobilities and except for high doses, higher sheet carrier concentrations than those done at room temperatures. Implants at 150–200°C with 1 × 10 14 cm −2 of the heavier ions, Si, Ge or Sn, resulted in layers with sheet carrier concentrations of 7.8 × 10 13 , 5.6 × 10 13 and 4.7 × 10 13 cm −2 , respectively. Carrier concentration profiles of samples implanted at 200°C with 1 × 10 14 cm −2 of Si agreed reasonably well with LSS theory. Higher doses gave rise to substantial diffusion of the implanted Si, whereas room temperature implants showed poor activation near the surface.
DSP see-through: Going beyond talk-through

Engineering educators have found that students making the transition to real-time digital signal processing (DSP) from the more comfortable world of off-line processing using MATLAB must establish confidence in the hardware and software platform before significant learning can begin. In the audio realm, a talk-through project accomplishes this. For moving on to a more complicated signal such as video, the authors propose the use of a see-through project. A description of a see-through project on a high-performance real-time DSP platform, and how this can lead to better follow-on learning, is provided.
Reflections on New York City's 1947 Smallpox Vaccination Program and Its 1976 Swine Influenza Immunization Program.

In 1947, a smallpox outbreak occurred in New York City with a total of twelve cases and two deaths. In order to contain this outbreak, the New York City Department of Health launched a mass immunization campaign that over a period of some 60 days vaccinated 6.35 million people. This article examines in detail the epidemiology of this outbreak and the measures employed to contain it. In 1976, a swine influenza strain was isolated among a few recruits at a US Army training camp at Fort Dix, New Jersey. It was concluded at the time that this virus possibly represented a re-appearance of the 1918 influenza pandemic influenza strain. As a result, a mass national immunization program was launched by the federal government. From its inception, the program encountered a myriad of challenges ranging from doubts that it was even necessary to the development of Guillain-Barre paralysis among some vaccine recipients. This paper examines the planning for and implementation of the swine flu immunization program in New York City. It also compares it to the smallpox vaccination program of 1947. Despite equivalent financial and personnel resources, leadership and organizational skills, the 1976 program only immunized approximately a tenth of the number of New York City residents vaccinated in 1947. The reasons for these marked differences in outcomes are discussed in detail.
An experimental study of the rheological behavior of surface films

A constitutive equation has been developed to relate surface stresses to the deformational history of an interface. To verify the applicability of the equation to real surface films, experimental studies involving spread and adsorbed monolayers have been conducted using the deep-channel surface rheometer operated both under the conditions of oscillatory and constant floor motion. The results reported here are the first obtained using an oscillatory system. Experimental results indicate that both spread and adsorbed monolayers can exhibit viscoelastic behavior which may be represented by the model. Furthermore, it has been found that for three long chain, fatty acid films, spread on a pH 6.1 aqueous substrate, surface shear viscosity and surface elasticity increase with film pressure and molecular weight. The observed rheological behavior was found to be strongly pH dependent.
A family of quadratic forms associated to quadratic mappings of spheres

Abstract The general form of a real quadratic mapping of spheres can be determined by studying the diagonalization of each form in an associated family of quadratic forms. In particular, the eigenvalues provide a means for detecting maps which are of the Hopf type. When the eigenvalues are nonzero for every form in the family, the forms associated to ƒ: S n → S m give rise to a quadratic form on the tangent bundle of the unit sphere Sn. If ƒ is of the Hopf type, nondegeneracy of each form occurs only when n=1,3,7,15.
Survival benefit of stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with malignant glial neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: During an 8-year interval, we evaluated the survival benefit of stereotactic radiosurgery performed in 64 patients with glioblastomas multiforme (GBM) and 43 patients with anaplastic astrocytomas (AA). METHODS: Adjuvant radiosurgery was performed either before disease progression or for recurrent tumor at the time of disease progression. Clinical and imaging follow-up data were obtained for all patients. The diagnosis of GBM was obtained by performing craniotomies in 41 patients and by performing stereotactic biopsies in 23. The diagnosis of AA was obtained by performing craniotomies in 19 patients (44%) and by performing biopsies in 24. RESULTS: Of the entire series, the median survival time after initial diagnosis for patients with GBM was 26 months (standard deviation [SD], 19 mo; range, 5-79 mo) and the median survival time after radiosurgery was 16 months (SD, 16 mo; range, 1-74 mo). The 2-year survival rate was 51%. No survival benefit was identified for patients who underwent intravenously administered chemotherapy in addition to radiosurgery (P = 0.97). After undergoing radiosurgery, 12 patients (19%) underwent craniotomies and resections and 4 (6%) underwent subsequent radiosurgery for regional or remote recurrence. For 45 patients who underwent radiosurgery as part of the initial management plan, the median survival time after diagnosis was 20 months. Of the entire series, the median survival time after diagnosis for patients with anaplastic astrocytomas was 32 months (SD, 23 mo; range 5-96 mo) and the median survival time after radiosurgery was 21 months (SD, 18 mo; range 3-93 mo). The 2-year survival rate was 67%. Ten patients (23%) underwent subsequent craniotomies at a mean of 8 months after initial surgery, and two underwent subsequent radiosurgery. There was no acute neurological morbidity after radiosurgery. Histologically proven radiation necrosis occurred in one patient with GBM (1.6%) and two patients with AA (4.7%). For 21 patients for whom radiosurgery was part of the initial management plan, the median survival time after diagnosis was 56 months. CONCLUSION: In comparison to historical controls, improved survival benefit after radiosurgery was identified for patients with GBM and patients with AA. Although this survival benefit may be related to our selection of patients for radiosurgery based on their having smaller tumor volumes, no selection was made based on location. We observed that radiosurgery was safe and well tolerated. Its effectiveness as an adjuvant therapy deserves a properly stratified randomized trial.
ROLES OF GI AND GQ/11 IN MEDIATING DESENSITIZATION OF THE LUTEINIZING HORMONE/CHORIOGONADOTROPIN RECEPTOR IN PORCINE OVARIAN FOLLICULAR MEMBRANES

Although desensitization of most guanine nucleotide-binding (G) protein receptors is triggered by phosphorylation of the receptor, desensitization of the LH/CG receptor (-R) in porcine follicular ovarian membranes appears to be independent of LH/CG-R phosphorylation. We therefore evaluated whether desensitization of the LH/CG-R reflected a direct inhibition of adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity by either the alpha-subunit of Gi or betagamma-subunits derived from any of the membrane G proteins activated in response to LH/CG-R activation or whether desensitization reflected a competition between Gs and a G protein that activated phospholipase C for binding sites on the LH/CG-R. The results showed that follicular membrane AC activity was not inhibited upon activation of the LH/CG-R despite evidence that the ACs in follicular membranes, when maximally activated by forskolin, could be inhibited when membrane G proteins were activated by guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate, and that pertussis toxin pretreatment of membranes raised forskolin-stimulated AC activity, consistent with a tonic inhibition of follicular membrane AC activity. Similarly, agonist-stimulated desensitization of LH/CG-R-stimulated AC activity was not inhibited by pertussis toxin. Therefore, desensitization is not the result of inhibition of AC mediated by an inhibitory Gi subunit. Follicular membrane AC was also not inhibited by Gbetagamma subunits freed with activation of Gs Gq/11, or G13, based on the inabilities of exogenous Gbetagamma to promote desensitization and of a protein that sequesters Gbetagamma to inhibit desensitization. Desensitization was also not inhibited by a Gq/11 C-terminal peptide or antiserum directed toward the C-terminus of Gq/11, nor was it reversed with the addition of Gbetagamma to membranes exhibiting desensitized LH/CG-R, suggesting that desensitization is independent of coupling of the LH/CG-R to Gq/11. These results indicate that agonist-dependent desensitization of LH/CG-R-stimulated AC activity is mediated by a unique mechanism.
Eight-coordinate stereochemistries of U(IV) catecholate and aquo complexes ☆

An extended MM3 model has been used to identify all low energy configurations for U(IV) complexes with catecholate and aquo ligands. Both stochastic and systematic conformational analyses of [U(cat)n(OH2)8–2n] 4–2n complexes, n ¼ 1–4, establish that 20 of the 67 possible stereochemistries are minima on the MM3 potential surface. The stable stereochemistries are reported for each stoichiometry and, where possible, the results are compared with experimental data and with the predictions from prior repulsion energy calculations. 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.