cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Diagnostics in the Neoplasms of the Pancreas, Liver, Gallbladder, and Extrahepatic Biliary Tract: 2018 Update

Pancreatic neoplasms, including ductal adenocarcinoma, solid pseudopapillary neoplasm, pancreatic endocrine neoplasms, acinar cell carcinoma, and pancreatoblastoma, are associated with different genetic abnormalities. Hepatic adenomas with beta-catenin exon 3 mutation are associated with a high risk of malignancy. Hepatic adenoma with arginosuccinate synthetase 1 expression or sonic hedgehog mutations are associated with a risk of bleeding. Hepatocellular carcinoma and choangiocarcinoma display heterogeneity at both morphologic and molecular levels Cholangiocellular carcinoma is most commonly associated with IDH 1/2 mutations.
A Circular Polarized Feed Horn With Inbuilt Polarizer for Offset Reflector Antenna for $W$ -Band CubeSat Applications

A novel $W$ -band left-hand circular polarized (LHCP) cylindrical waveguide feed horn antenna is proposed. The proposed antenna features an inbuilt polarizer structure and a single side-fed linear polarized input to offer symmetric LHCP radiation pattern. The internal polarizer structure consists of nine pairs of circular cavities to generate a circularly polarized wave, eliminating the need for an orthomode transducer or a complex septum. The side-fed horn reduces the overall length by eliminating the rectangular to circular waveguide transition. The proposed horn antenna’s electrical dimension is $7.2\lambda \times 3.9\lambda \times 1.4\lambda $ at 84 GHz. The antenna has impedance matching ( $S_{11}$ below −15 dB) and axial ratio below 1.2 dB from 79.5 to 88 GHz. The horn is used as a feed source for an offset parabolic reflector of 10 cm diameter and small $f/D$ ratio 0.25, which can fit inside a CubeSat. The reflector antenna provides the simulated right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) directivity of 36.6 dBic at 86 GHz with spillover loss of 0.83 dB. The feed reflector assembly is also simulated with the complete aluminum CubeSat chassis. The measurement of the prototyped feed horn and the offset parabolic reflector antenna validates the analysis and simulation results.
Office-based and home-care for older adults in primary care: A comparative analysis using the Nash bargaining solution

Abstract Three care delivery settings are compared in this study: office-based care, home-care, and mixed-care, i.e., office-based care combined with home-care, in solo, small, medium, and large primary care practices. The objective of this paper is to identify which of these settings better achieves the secondary goals of the so-called quadruple aim, i.e., reducing costs, improving the patient experience, and improving the physician experience. A multi-objective integer programming formulation is developed to capture the elements of strategic health care planning. The formulation considers the minimization of four objective functions: the total cost of care workers, the total number of care workers, the total rejected demand and unsatisfied preferred care location, and the total panel size of the providers. Instead of computing the entire Pareto frontier, we used the Nash bargaining solution to determine a single Pareto optimal solution for the problem. The approach was tested using real world instances, which can be adjusted to any specific primary care practice. The numerical results show that none of the settings provides the smallest values in all objective functions. The choice of a setting for a primary care practice depends on the secondary goals that the practice desires to emphasize, and, in most cases, it is independent of the type of practice size. For the analyzed instances, a calculated overall score for each setting determined that, on average, the settings based on home-care strengthen the achievement of the secondary goals of the quadruple aim more so than in comparison to the office-based physician settings.
Entrepreneurship as a Key Resolution for Declining Business Dynamism

This paper investigates the causes and effects of declining business dynamism in the United States and identifies potential solutions that can be utilized to stimulate business dynamism through a comprehensive literature review. While the main focus of this paper is on business dynamism, the research also addresses entrepreneurial challenges and incentives, since active entrepreneurial activity is critical to maintaining a dynamic business environment. The study explores six factors—insufficient access to capital, regulations and tax compliance, employee/employer mismatch, economic uncertainty, generational views of entrepreneurship, and effects of corporations and other large enterprises—that influence entrepreneurial activity.
Managing Overactive Bladder and Urinary Incontinence in the Male

This chapter reviews the diagnosis and management of overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence (UI) in men. OAB is a syndrome characterized by urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia. In some individuals with OAB, the urgency will result in urge UI. The other major type of incontinence is stress UI, caused by a loss of urethral sphincter function. Although these symptoms occur about half as often in men as in women, they are a source of considerable bother and frustration when they are present. A thorough history, physical examination, and urinalysis are sufficient to guide initial therapy. Men with complicated symptoms (concomitant pain or hematuria, recurrent infections, poor bladder emptying, severe symptoms, prior pelvic radiation, neurologic disease, or major pelvic surgery) should be referred for specialized management. Behavioral therapies such as dietary modification, bladder training, and pelvic muscle exercises may be beneficial for symptoms of OAB, urge UI, and stress UI. Antimuscarinic medications are commonly used to treat OAB and urge UI. For refractory symptoms, sacral nerve stimulation is an effective surgical option. Stress UI in men is typically caused by prior prostate surgery. The most common treatments for male stress UI are transurethral injections of bulking agents, placement of a perineal sling, and implantation of an artificial urinary sphincter. External (condom) catheters and penile clamps are useful adjunctive measures for UI, which may be applicable for certain men.
Uniform Evaluation of the Four Dimensional Transducer Transmission Phase Integral

This paper summarizes recent progress in work to develop computationally efficient means for evaluating phase integrals of the form $$\int_{\rm{D}} {{\rm{A(s)exp(i}}\,{\rm{f(s))ds}}} $$ where A(s), f(s) are amplitude and phase factors, respectively, and D is a multiple dimension domain of either finite or infinite extent. Such integrals result from model formulations using Fourier transform methods or reciprocity integral/Green function methods. Numerical methods for evaluating such integrals are at the heart of computational models for most problems in ultrasonic radiation, transmission, and scattering.
IgA and IgG Hypogammaglobulinemia Are Associated with Mutations in the APRIL/BLYS Receptor TACI in Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM).

IgA and IgG hypogammaglobulinemia are a common finding in patients with WM which may contribute to recurrent infections seen in up to half of WM patients. The etiology for this finding remains unclear. As part of these studies, we investigated the prevalence and genetic basis for IgA and IgG hypogammaglobulinemia among 89 previously untreated patients with the clinicopathological diagnosis of WM. Their median IgM was 2,980 (180–12,400) mg/dl, median BM involvement was 35% (5%–95%) and median B2M was 2.7 (1.4–13.7 mg/dL). Fifty-six (63%) and 66 (74%) of these patients demonstrated IgG (
Correction: Protein patterns template arrays of magnetic nanoparticles

Correction for ‘Protein patterns template arrays of magnetic nanoparticles’ by Srikanth Nayak et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 57048–57056.
Abstract PD8-08: Characterization of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ER positive metastatic breast cancer using serial biopsies

Background: Metastatic breast cancer is characterized by a remarkable level of temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Management decisions based on a single tissue biopsy are therefore inherently limited by sampling bias and by dynamic changes in the receptor status and the mutational profile of the tumor. Methods: We characterized 41 serially enrolled patients on the tissue collection protocol DFHCC 13-416, who had ER+/HER2- breast cancer at the time of diagnosis of early stage disease. Results: 36 out of 41 patients (87.8%) had at least one biopsy in the metastatic setting. The number of biopsies in the metastatic setting ranged from one to seven. Two most frequently biopsied sites were liver (24.4%) and recurrent breast lesions (22.0%). Six out of 41 patients (14.6%) developed ER loss over the course of treatment. Estrogen receptor status conversions were noted in both the liver and in the recurrent breast lesions. PR loss was far more common, noted in 24 out of 41 patients (58.5%). Nine of these patients (21.9%) were PR negative at the time of diagnosis and an additional 15 patients (36.6%) lost PR expression during the course of their therapy. Median time to the loss of ER expression was 6.83 years from the initial diagnosis, while the median time to the loss of PR expression was 4.97 years, consistent with sequential decrease in ER dependence, resulting in loss of PR expression and increased dependence on other survival pathways. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of all serially collected tissues with reconstruction of phylogenetic trees is ongoing and will be presented at the meeting. Conclusions: Compared to previously published reports, high proportion of patients in this cohort had their metastatic disease confirmed and subsequently followed by serial biopsies. In majority of patients, receptor status changes follow a predictable pattern starting with loss of PR expression, followed by complete loss of ER expression. Concomitant changes in the mutation status of both ER and other co-mutated genes, as well as any associated transcriptomic changes may shed light into new interdependencies and vulnerabilities associated with these dynamic receptor status changes. Citation Format: Read K. Allen, Christopher J. Pinto, Donna M. Fitzgerald, Tiffany G. Huynh, Christopher T. Chen, Dejan Juric. Characterization of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ER positive metastatic breast cancer using serial biopsies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD8-08.
Iodine nutritional status among the population before and after implementation of a new standard of edible iodized salt in Wuwei City of Gansu Province

Objective To explore the iodine nutritional status of all people after the practice of new standard of edible iodized salt, to assess whether the new standard of edible iodized salt can satisfy the iodine nutrition need in different populations, and to provide a scientific basis for supplementation of iodine. Methods Before and after the implementation of new salt iodine concentration, in 2009 and 2015, a contrastive study was performed in 1 243 people (including 402 children aged 8 to 10 years, 408 adults aged 18 to 45 years, 211 pregnant women and 222 lactating women) who lived in urban and rural areas of Wuwei City. Random urine samples were collected to measure the urinary iodine in all populations and household salt samples were collected. Urinary iodine was detected by arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006). The iodine level in salt was determined by direct titration (GB/T 13025.7-2012) . Results Before and after the implementation of new iodine salt standard, the coverage of adequately iodized salt was consistently higher than 94%, the qualified rate of iodized salt was consistently higher than 96%, the median of iodized salt was reduced from 31.0 mg/kg to 26.9 mg/kg; the medians of urinary iodine of children aged 8 to 10 years, adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women were reduced from 290.84, 225.52, 200.42 and 180.65 μg/L to 187.37, 174.96, 159.99 and 152.88 μg/L; the ratios of urinary iodine which was less than 100 μg/L in children aged 8 to 10 years, adults and breastfeeding women were risen from 5.15% (10/194), 12.57% (24/191) and 16.19% (17/105) to 10.58% (22/208), 15.81% (34/215) and 33.33% (39/117); the ratio of urinary iodine which was less than 150 μg/L in pregnant women was risen from 39.78% (37/93) to 43.22% (51/118); the ratios of urinary iodine between 100 and 200 μg/L in children aged 8 to 10 years and adults were risen from 15.46% (30/194) and 30.37% (58/191) to 44.23% (92/208) and 43.26% (93/215); the ratios of urinary iodine greater than 300 μg/L in children aged 8-10, adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women were reduced from 47.94% (93/194), 34.55% (66/191), 29.76% (26/93) and 28.57% (30/105) to 17.31% (36/208), 19.07% (41/215), 16.95% (20/118) and 11.97% (14/117). Conclusion After the implementation of new salt iodine concentration standard, the iodine nutrition level has decreased in all groups and better suited for children aged 8 to 10 years and adults, but the risk of iodine deficiency is increased in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Key words: Iodine; Salts; Urine; Nutrition
Quantifying effects of environmental factors on moose harvest in Interior Alaska

Alaska moose (Alces alces) hunters have expressed concern that harvest has been challenged by warmer temperatures altering moose behavior and low water levels limiting boat access to hunting areas. The environmental impacts of these changes on moose harvest have not been quantified and are not well understood. Our objective was to assess how environmental conditions impact hunter harvest in Interior Alaska from 2000-2016. We split hunters into categories (local or non-local) and analyzed relationships during 5-day blocks that spanned the moose hunting season. The local harvest model associated high water level with increased harvest during block 4 (peak-harvest) of the hunting season (p = 0.006). A water level increase of 1 m increased daily harvest by 1.5 (p = 0.003). Non-local harvest was significantly different than null models for block 2 (p = 0.001), 3 (p = 0.048), and 4 (p = 0.001), and nearly in block 5 (p = 0.063). The non-local harvest model associated an increase in mean high temperature with reduced harvest in block 2 (p = 0.004) and block 5 (p = 0.037), and an increase in water level with increased harvest in block 3 (p = 0.083), 4 (p = 0.017), and block 5 (p = 0.092). These results reveal that local and non-local hunters are impacted differently by environmental conditions throughout the hunting season. We provided quantitative information on previously untested hypotheses regarding the impacts of dynamic environmental conditions on moose hunter harvest. Our findings provide wildlife managers with new insight on causes of variation in harvest among different user groups.
The polycomb proteins EZH1 and EZH2 co-regulate chromatin accessibility and nephron progenitor cell lifespan in mice.

SIX2 (SIX homeobox 2)–positive nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) give rise to all epithelial cell types of the nephron, the filtering unit of the kidney. NPCs have a limited lifespan and are depleted near the time of birth. Epigenetic factors are implicated in the maintenance of organ-restricted progenitors such as NPCs, but the chromatin-based mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, using a combination of gene targeting, chromatin profiling, and single-cell RNA analysis, we examined the role of the murine histone 3 Lys-27 (H3K27) methyltransferases EZH1 (enhancer of zeste 1) and EZH2 in NPC maintenance. We found that EZH2 expression correlates with NPC growth potential and that EZH2 is the dominant H3K27 methyltransferase in NPCs and epithelial descendants. Surprisingly, NPCs lacking H3K27 trimethylation maintained their progenitor state but cycled slowly, leading to a smaller NPC pool and formation of fewer nephrons. Unlike Ezh2 loss of function, dual inactivation of Ezh1 and Ezh2 triggered overexpression of the transcriptional repressor Hes-related family BHLH transcription factor with YRPW motif 1 (Hey1), down-regulation of Six2, and unscheduled activation of Wnt4-driven differentiation, resulting in early termination of nephrogenesis and severe renal dysgenesis. Double-mutant NPCs also overexpressed the SIX family member Six1. However, in this context, SIX1 failed to maintain NPC stemness. At the chromatin level, EZH1 and EZH2 restricted accessibility to AP-1–binding motifs, and their absence promoted a regulatory landscape akin to differentiated and nonlineage cells. We conclude that EZH2 is required for NPC renewal potential and that tempering of the differentiation program requires cooperation of both EZH1 and EZH2.
Hierarchical SOC Balancing Controller for Battery Energy Storage System

This article presents a hierarchical state-of-charge (SOC) balancing control method for a battery energy storage system. In the presented system, multiple battery cells are connected in-parallel at the inputs of a single-inductor multiinput single output (SI-MISO) power converter to form a battery module and multiple battery modules are connected in series at the output to form the complete battery system or pack. The presented hierarchical controller is able to control the SOC (achieve SOC balancing) at both the cell level and the module level (between all cells that are effectively connected in series and in-parallel) while simultaneously maintaining bus voltage regulation at the battery system or pack output. This is achieved by using the presented modulation scheme for the duty cycles of the power converter switches. Theoretical analysis and results from a proof-of-concept experimental prototype are presented and discussed in this article in order to evaluate and validate the operation of hierarchical SOC balancing controller and battery system.
Still Not Important Enough? COVID-19 Policy Views and Vote Choice

Scholars have long been skeptical of citizens' ability to vote on the basis of their policy views. Voters lack incentives to pay attention to politics and so are often unaware of the policy stances adopted by candidates and parties. However, some scholars have suggested that voter attention may increase when policy issues become important to them. The coronavirus pandemic provides a compelling test of this proposition. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most severe crises the United States has faced. Many voters also know people who have tested positive and in some cases died from the virus. It is thus salient and important to many if not most voters. Despite this context, we assess voters' knowledge about the candidates' positions on coronavirus issues and find low levels. In the absence of knowledge, voters project their own policy views onto their preferred candidate.
Sexual-risk reduction following the referral of syringe exchange registrants to methadone maintenance: Impact of gender and drug use.

Abstract This study evaluates the impact of enrolling syringe exchange registrants in methadone maintenance on change in sexual-risk behaviors. Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (BNEP) registrants (n = 210) participated in a parent study evaluating strategies for initiating methadone maintenance treatment and the study followed them for six months. Study staff administered the Risk Assessment Battery (RAB; Metzger, 1993) monthly throughout treatment. Staff conducted urinalysis testing weekly. Results showed that treatment enrollment reduced sexual-risk behaviors at month 1, though a longer treatment duration provided no further reductions in risky behaviors. Women reported higher levels of sexual risk throughout the observation period, and the use of cocaine diminished risk-reduction benefits. These findings demonstrate that participation in methadone maintenance reduces sexual-risk behaviors in syringe exchange registrants. Efforts to help more patients reduce cocaine use, and to help women address gender-specific psychosocial vulnerabilities, may further reduce risky behaviors during the treatment episode.
Carotid Cavernous Fistula Treatment via Flow Diversion: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background Carotid cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are pathologic connections between the carotid arteries and the cavernous sinus and have been classically treated with endovascular coil embolization, although flow diverters have been used for treatment successfully multiple times. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature for efficacy of flow diverters in treating CCFs. Methods A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched. Combinations and variations of “carotid cavernous fistula,” “flow diversion,” “pipeline embolization device,” “Surpass,” “Silk,” “p64,” “FRED,” and “flow redirection endoluminal device” in both AND and OR configurations were used to gather relevant articles. Citations of included articles from the systematic review were also screened for possible inclusion as a part of manual review. Included studies were full-text publications written in English that had patients with diagnosed CCFs and treatment with flow diversion. Results Eighteen full-text publications were relevant to this systematic review. A total of 41 patients underwent flow-diverting therapy alone or in conjunction with coil embolization, liquid embolization, and/or stenting for treatment of a diagnosed CCF. Twenty-nine patients (70.7%) needed 1 procedure alone, 11 patients (26.8%) required a second procedure, and 1 patient (2.4%) required a third procedure. Six patients (14.6%) had lasting symptoms despite intervention; however, all 41 patients had clinical improvement compared with initial presentation. Flow diversion was a useful solitary treatment or adjunctive treatment in all patients. Conclusions Flow diversion is a useful adjunct in combination with coil embolization for the treatment of CCFs but long-term outcomes remain to be seen.
Life Cycle Assessment of North American Shale Gases

We have conducted life cycle assessments (LCAs) of Marcellus and Barnett shale gases used as fuels for power generation. These gases are geologically and geographically distinct, with considerable variability in drilling, completion and processing operations. We find that their carbon and water footprints are consistent and about 50% lower than those of coal. Furthermore, we find that 1.4% - 1.7% of gross methane production is emitted. We conclude that substantial greenhouse gas reductions and water consumption may result from the replacement of coal-fired power generation with gas-fired power generation, regardless of the source of shale gas.
Living Speech: Resisting the Empire of Force, by James Boyd White

James Boyd White, Wright professor of law, professor of English, and adjunct professor of classics at the University of Michigan, is a man for all seasons, one of the American academy's genuine int...
A modular approach to design multi-channel event recorder

The author describes the modular approach to the design of a data acquisition system that will be a standard module of a custom built test system called multi-channel digitizing event recorder (McDER). This module will simplify the event recorder product testers (ERPTs) design and will reduce the cost of a custom built ERPT system. The design considerations of the McDER module are summarized, the concept of redundant monitoring is presented, and the McDER architecture, control board, data board and timing board are discussed. >
Modeling and optimized control algorithm for a solar fresh air heating system

A solar fresh air heating system with phase change thermal storage was introduced in this paper as an environmental protection energy saving method, and the mathematical model of the air conditioning room was derived based on law of thermodynamics. The fresh air temperature control problem was also addressed, and self-tuning parameter fuzzy PID controller was proposed for disturbance rejection due to the time delay problem and parameter variations, which was designed to regulate the flow rate to control the fresh air temperature. The controller presented is then validated, through simulation and experiment, to provide superior control performance with higher control accuracy, faster response and stronger robustness to a conventional PID controller.
Control of Exciton Dynamics in Nanodots for Quantum Operations

We present a theory to further a new perspective of proactive control of exciton dynamics in the quantum limit. Circularly polarized optical pulses in a semiconductor nanodot are used to control the dynamics of two interacting excitons of opposite polarizations. Shaping of femtosecond laser pulses keeps the quantum operation within the decoherence time. Computation of the fidelity of the operations and application to the complete solution of a minimal quantum computing algorithm demonstrate in theory the feasibility of quantum control.
2D quantum simulation of MOSFET using the non equilibrium Green's function method

We present results and describe progress we have made in the development of our fully quantum mechanical two dimensional device simulator. The simulator is based on the non equilibrium Greens function method (NEGF), which in the absence of many body effects (electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions) is equivalent to Schrodinger's equation with open boundaries. We discuss issues faced with regards to open boundary conditions, computational resource requirements, and their relationship to self consistent solution of the Poisson-NEGF equations.
Population structure and artificial evolution

We investigate the effect that population structure has upon the course of artificial evolution. We represent an arbitrary population structure by embedding a population of individuals in a graph. Each individual resides at a vertex of the graph and can only choose a mating partner from among its neighbors in the graph. Each individual mates with the selected partner and is replaced by the resultant offspring in the next generation. We embed populations in a variety of trees and mesh-structured graphs and observe differences in rates of change of average fitness and percent polymorphism over successive generations. Results indicate that populations embedded in sparse random graphs having relatively low diameter yield results similar to those embedded in complete graphs.
CHANGES OCCURRING WITH THE IMMOBILE LIQUID PHASE IN GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY. III. THE EFFECT ON OBSERVED PLATE HEIGHT.

Abstract This third communication of a series dealing with the effects of a nonuniform distribution of partioning liquid in a column on gas—liquid chromatographic behavior treats relationships between the observed plate height and the plate height contributions of each section of the column. The specific distribution considered is stepwise i . e ., the liquid load is assumed to be constant up to a cetain position whereupon it suddenly changes to some new value which is the constant througout the remainder of the column. The apparent plate height depends upon an “elution” effect arising from a liquid load different at the outlet from the average liquid load. The “elution” effect is opposed by an “ R -gradient” effect arising from a change in the fraction of the number of solute molecules in the mobile phase with a change in the liquid load. Experiment shows that these two effects essentially cancel each other An examination of the chromatodiffusion term of the Van Deemter equation, which deals with mass transfer and diffusion effects, shows that for a constant total amount of liquid in the column with the assumed distribution, is less efficient than one with a uniform distribution. The results are independent of the direction of carrier gas flow. The implications of these results with regard to column conditioning and use are discussed.
In Vitro Response of Human Lymphocytes to Mycoplasma pneumoniae

In vitro culture and stimulation of human peripheral lymphocytes were employed to investigate the role of cellular immunity in Mycoplasma pneumoniae disease. Subjects with documented natural infections served as donors. The lymphocyte response to whole M. pneumoniae organisms was determined as incorporation of tritiated thymidine in a semimicro culture system. The range of cellular reactivity stimulated by specific antigen was within the range stimulated by phytohemagglutinin. The difference between responses of subjects with documented infection and serologically negative controls was highly significant. Specific reactivity of peripheral lymphocytes correlated closely with the presence of serum growth-inhibiting antibodies, and both persisted for several years following infection. Serum complement-fixing titers correlated well with lymphocyte stimulability during the first year but antibody, as measured by this technique, tended to disappear in later convalescence. In light of previous studies, which revealed a lack of correlation between humoral antibodies and resistance to reinfection, these results suggest that immunity to M. pneumoniae infection is mediated by circulating small lymphocytes.
Liquid Jets in Subsonic Air Crossflow at Elevated Pressure

The breakup, penetration, droplet size and size distribution of a Jet A-1 fuel in air crossflow has been investigated with focus given to the impact of surrounding air pressure. Data has been collected by Particle Doppler Phased Analyzer (PDPA), Mie-Scattering with high speed photography augmented by laser sheet, and Mie-Scattering with ICCD Camera augmented by nano-pulse lamp. Nozzle orifice diameter, do, was 0.508 mm and nozzle orifice length to diameter ratio, lo/do, was 5.5. Air crossflow velocities ranged from 29.57 to 137.15 m/s, air pressures from 2.07 to 9.65 bar and temperature held constant at 294.26 K. Fuel flow was governed to provide a range of fuel/air momentum flux ratio q from 5 to 25 and Weber number from 250 to 1000. From the results, adjusted correlation of the mean drop size has been suggested using drop size data measured by PDPA as follows; Display Formula(1)D0D32=0.267Wea0.44q0.08ρlρa0.30μlμa-0.16 This correlation agrees well and shows roles of aerodynamic Weber number, Wea, momentum flux ratio, q, and density ratio, ρl/ρa. Change of the breakup regime map with respect with surrounding air pressure has been observed and revealed that the boundary between each breakup modes can be predicted by a transformed correlation induced from above correlation. In addition, the spray trajectory for the maximum Mie-scattering intensity at each axial location downstream of injector was extracted from averaged Mie-scattering images. From these results correlations with the relevant parameters including q, x/do, density ratio, viscosity ratio, and Weber number are made over a range of conditions. According to spray trajectory at the maximum Mie-scattering intensity, the effect of surrounding air pressure becomes more important in the farfield. On the other hand, effect of aerodynamic Weber number is more important in the nearfield.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Some relations between the sedimentation equilibrium of a polymer mixture and the distribution with respect to molecular weight and composition

Abstract It is shown that the molecular weight distribution in a polymer-homologous mixture can be derived in a simple manner from the sedimentation equilibrium if the polymer concentration at one end of the cell is negligible compared with that at the other end. Equations for the moments of the molecular weight distribution and for a number of molecular weight averages (including the number average) are developed. These assume that polymer-polymer interaction may be ignored. The effect of the polymer concentration can easily be accounted for, however, if it is assumed that the Flory-Huggins expression for the Gibbs free energy is applicable. It is found that in the vicinity of the theta temperature the apparent molecular weight averages derived from the data are linear functions of the concentration, the correction being proportional to the square of the angular speed and to the square of the average molecular weight. In mixtures which contain species that differ, not only in molecular weight M but also in partial specific volume v, information regarding the distribution over both M and v can be derived from the sedimentation equilibrium. Finally, equations are developed that enable one to compare the results of sedimentation equilibrium studies in a single solvent with those of density gradient centrifugation in a mixture of solvents.
Experimental Determination of the Q-factors of Microcantilevers Coated With Thin Metal Films

Abstract: Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are typically fabricated out of materials that are mechanically sound at the microscale, but can be relatively poor electrical conductors. For this reason, areas of MEMS can be coated with various thin metal films to provide electrical pathways. These films, however, may drastically alter mechanical properties of the device. In this paper we investigate how metallization of microcantilevers affects the quality factors, (Q). Using two sets of silicon microcantilevers that are coated with aluminium films from 5 nm to 30 nm thick, on one side and two sides, respectively, the Q-factors are experimentally determined using the ring-down method. The ring-down method entails mechanically exciting the microcantilevers at their fundamental resonance frequency, abruptly stopping the excitation, and then measuring the decay of oscillation amplitude as a function of time. From this ring-down curve, the Q-factor of each microcantilever can be determined. Results show that the greater the thickness of the aluminium film, the lower the Q-factor will be. We also show a significant temperature dependency of the Q-factor of aluminium coated microcantilevers.
Optical properties of matrix confined species

Abstract A majority of optically functional materials can be perceived as a liaison between ionic or molecular guests and a more or less rigid host. The guests exhibit an optical function, whereas the host provides suitable space, both of them synergistically complementing each other. The embracement of guests and hosts is often very intimate, as e.g. in typical phosphors, where luminescent ions even become part of the host. While the host–guest terminology usually is not applied to such marriages, the term becomes appropriate, if the host grants some degrees of spatial freedom, yet giving order and structure to its guests. Zeolites, clays and inverse opals are porous materials naturally providing hospitable cavities, channels or other compartments, and at the same time the guests are often demanded to occupy preassigned positions within these, or to structurally adapt to the interior host topology. Whereas zeolites and clays are merely patient providers of guest space, inverse opals, can actively turn the light on and off. The present article summarises and highlights recent experimental evidence, ongoing research and some envisaged merits resulting from the interaction of matrix confined luminescent ions, complexes and molecules with a focus on the optical properties of rare earth based materials.
Risk Analysis and Safety Evaluation of Biomass Cookstoves

Combustion of biomass in open fires and ad hoc unventilated stoves is the primary form of household energy for two to three billion people worldwide. These cookstoves have significant health, social, and economic impacts on poor families in developing countries. These impacts include disease, injury, excess time spent gathering fuel, deforestation, and high fuel costs relative to income. In an attempt to address many of these problems numerous non-governmental organizations have developed several biomass cookstove designs in the past five to ten years. These designs have generally focused on increasing fuel efficiency, and to a lesser degree, reducing particulate emissions. This emphasis has been driven largely by the availability of relatively straight forward fuel efficiency tests for biomass cookstoves developed 10–20 years ago and the ability of researchers to adapt current air pollution testing methods for stoves. In contrast there are no safety standards or hazard evaluations available for biomass cookstoves. Because of this the safety of the cookstove is seldom explicitly considered as a part of the design process. This paper addresses the basic safety issues that should be considered in the design of biomass stoves used in developing countries, describes the reasoning behind these safety issues, and proposes a set of safety guidelines for testing and evaluating stove safety. These guidelines are intended for testing and evaluating in the field as well as in the design lab.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Advances in cancer surgery: Natural orifice surgery (NOTES) for oncological diseases

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a new concept that attempts to reduce the impact of surgery on the patient. In surgical oncology several studies have already revealed that a minimally invasive approach provides at least the same, if not a better, long-term outcome. One could hypothesize that a less invasive approach such as NOTES could further enhance such advantages. Since its initial description, NOTES has become clinical reality and today nearly every organ is accessible by a transluminal approach, in at least the experimental setting. Subsequent to published research, first clinical studies on NOTES in oncology were reported and the accuracy of transgastric peritoneoscopy for staging of pancreas cancer was shown to be similar to laparoscopy in humans. A NOTES gastro-jejunostomy via transgastric access has also been proposed to decrease invasiveness of palliative treatment of duodenal, biliary and pancreatic cancers. Colorectal cancer resection via transanal access would offer a clear-cut patient advantage over laparoscopic and would not be subject to the frequent criticism of violating an innocent second organ, as the colon or rectum is always breached in a colectomy. Natural orifice endoluminal therapies, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection, already have been clinically applied for several years. Improved techniques or instruments evolving from NOTES technology might enhance its widespread use for the treatment of early malignancies and thereby again will provide a tremendous benefit for the patient. Although still somewhat controversial, the subject of natural orifice surgery in oncological disease indicates that current laboratory efforts to introduce NOTES into cancer surgery could be ready for cautious clinical investigations. The final determination of patient benefit will need well-constructed prospective study.
The impact of lean operations on the Chinese manufacturing performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of lean operations practice and design on the Chinese manufacturing performance, using lean assessment data from 65 plants in various industries.Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory factor and regression analyses are used to examine the associations among operations practice, production design, and operations performance. Three constructs are developed, two for operations practice (human resources and supply chains) and one for production design.Findings – Factor analysis shows that three factors are sufficient to represent the lean performance dimensions of flow, flexibility, and quality. Regression analysis shows that the lean performance factors are strongly related to operations practice and production system design. Using lean factors and operations practice/design, our results indicate significant gaps in lean manufacturing practices among different industries, with the petroleum and hi‐tech industries performing relatively best. ...
Projected range contractions of montane biodiversity under global warming

Mountains, especially in the tropics, harbour a unique and large portion of the world's biodiversity. Their geographical isolation, limited range size and unique environmental adaptations make montane species potentially the most threatened under impeding climate change. Here, we provide a global baseline assessment of geographical range contractions and extinction risk of high-elevation specialists in a future warmer world. We consider three dispersal scenarios for simulated species and for the world's 1009 montane bird species. Under constrained vertical dispersal (VD), species with narrow vertical distributions are strongly impacted; at least a third of montane bird diversity is severely threatened. In a scenario of unconstrained VD, the location and structure of mountain systems emerge as a strong driver of extinction risk. Even unconstrained lateral movements offer little improvement to the fate of montane species in the Afrotropics, Australasia and Nearctic. Our results demonstrate the particular roles that the geography of species richness, the spatial structure of lateral and particularly vertical range extents and the specific geography of mountain systems have in determining the vulnerability of montane biodiversity to climate change. Our findings confirm the outstanding levels of biotic perturbation and extinction risk that mountain systems are likely to experience under global warming and highlight the need for additional knowledge on species' vertical distributions, dispersal and adaptive capacities.
Ocular Manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection

Ocular manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, other than conjunctivitis, are uncommon. Optic disk swelling, optic nerve atrophy, retinal exudates and hemorrhages, and cranial nerve palsies have been infrequently reported. We describe a 15-year-old patient who developed bilateral optic disk edema and iritis during an acute infection with M. pneumoniae and review the world literature on findings associated with ocular manifestations of infection with this pathogen. Although our patient experienced complete resolution of iritis and optic disk edema after 6 weeks, several patients described in the literature have experienced permanent sequelae as a result of optic neuropathy.
Observation of negative differential conductivity in a FET with structured gate

Using electron beam lithography, we have fabricated a novel quantum device in which a lateral surface superlattice (LSSL) replaces the gate of a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). We have observed strong negative differential conductivity (NDC) which we believe could be due to the onset of Bloch oscillations. Other devices, identical in all ways except that the gates are solid instead of grid-like as in the BlochFET, did not show NDC. Alternative explanations for the NDC are discussed and discounted for various reasons.
Marker values at the time of an AIDS diagnosis

In this paper statistical methods are proposed to estimate the distribution of a CD4 T-cell number at the time of a clinical AIDS endpoint from serial measurements of CD4 T-cell values in a cohort study. The statistical formulation of the problem is that of survival analysis with interval censored data, but in which the endpoints are obtained with measurement error. A measurement error likelihood is developed, assuming normality of the CD4 distribution at AIDS. A maximum likelihood estimation procedure and a Gibbs sampling approach are implemented.
Divergent anti-inflammatory effects of different oil acute consumption on healthy individuals.

Inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), are implicated in atherogenesis. In addition, several types of oil as part of different types of diet are associated with the initiation of atherosclerosis and consequently with the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the exact role of oil consumption on vascular inflammation remains unknown. In this parallel study, we assessed the acute effects of extra virgin olive oil, soy oil, corn oil and cod liver oil on circulating soluble(s) forms of adhesion molecules and TNF-α. In all, 67 healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 50 ml of oil. Soluble forms of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and TNF-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline and at 3 h post oil consumption. All types of oil had no significant effect on soluble VCAM-1 levels (P=nonsignificant (NS) for all). On the contrary, all oil types decreased ICAM-1 levels (P<0.01). Olive oil (P<0.05), soy oil and cod liver oil (P<0.01 for both) reduced TNF-α levels significantly, in contrast to corn oil, which induced a nonsignificant decrease (P=NS). Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the absolute change in ICAM-1 and TNF-α levels (ρ=0.379, P<0.05), but not between the absolute changes in VCAM-1 and TNF-α levels (ρ=0.019, P=NS). Acute consumption of all types of oil decreased significantly ICAM-1 levels. In addition, olive oil, soy oil and cod liver oil decreased significantly TNF-α levels. Moreover, the absolute change in TNF-α levels was correlated with the absolute change in ICAM-1 levels. These findings indicate that acute consumption of specific types of oil is associated with specific significant anti-inflammatory effects.
Effect of protein disulfide isomerase on the rate-determining steps of the folding of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A.

The effects of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) on the four structured des species that accumulate in the rate-determining steps of ribonuclease A folding were investigated at pH 8.0 and 15°C. The results indicate that PDI catalyzes the conversion of the kinetically trapped intermediates, des-[26–84] and des-[58–110], by reshuffling them into the on-pathway intermediate, des-[40–95], and the formation of native protein, by acting as both a chaperone and an oxidase on this on-pathway intermediate. These results provide the first strong evidence for the mechanism of PDI in the rate-determining steps of the oxidative folding pathways of ribonuclease A. Our approach, using PDI and blocked PDI, combined with the fast-blocking 2-aminoethyl methanethiosulfonate method, may be generally applicable to the clarification of the effect of PDI on folding intermediates.
Characterizing the Non-reducing End Structure of Heparan Sulfate

Abstract The reducing end of heparan sulfate has been known for a long time, but information on the non-reducing end has been lacking. Recent studies indicate that the non-reducing end of heparan sulfate might be the place where fibroblast growth factor signaling complex forms. The non-reducing end also changes with heparanase digestion and, thus, might serve as a marker for tumor pathology. Using high performance liquid chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry, we have identified and characterized the non-reducing end of bovine kidney heparan sulfate. We find that the non-reducing end region is highly sulfated and starts with a glucuronic acid (GlcA) residue. The likely sequence of the non-reducing end hexasaccharides is GlcA-GlcNS6S-UA±2S-GlcNS±6S-Ido2S-GlcNS±6S (where GlcNS is N-sulfate-d-glucosamine, S is sulfate, UA is uronic acid, and Ido is iduronic acid). Our data suggests that the non-reducing end of bovine kidney heparan sulfate is not trimmed by heparanase and is capable of supporting fibroblast growth factor signaling complex formation.