cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromate Film Used for Chemical Corrosion Control on Gold-Plated PCB connectors,

Abstract : Electrical intermittencies in nuclear submarine navigational computers can result from degradation of gold-coated contacts by insulating films, the latter identified as principally composed of organics and silver sulfide. The films can be removed, but without appropriate measures, they recur. To retard insulating film build-up, a protective, noninsulating chromate surface treatment was developed; it has proven effective in extending service life. Because protection arises from a surface modification, investigation of the chromating process requires the use of surface-sensitive techniques. Analysis by AES, SAM, XPS, EMA and RBS reveals the presence of a thin ( 30 Angstroms) layer, rich in Cr(3+) on top of the gold. This contrasts with much thicker films incorporating Cr(6+) species found in chromate films grown for the protection of Zn, Cd and Al. The absence of Cr(6+) species suggests the chromate film on gold protects via a physical rather than electrochemical mechanism. The chromate film continuity and composition can be adversely affected by mechanical contact, tarnish growth, and substrate microheterogeneity. Copper compounds are implicated in the occasional development of insulating films during field application of the chromate treatment.
Management of child care services — A state-to-state transfer venture

This paper presents information of a new venture between several states to transfer child services components, drawing on the author's personal experience as one of California's representatives to a five-state transfer of technology Consortium. The purpose, participants, and goals of the Consortium are outlined; some of the major components transferred are discussed, and the proposed versus the actual transfer process is compared. It was discovered that of the six stages designed for the effective and efficient transfer of services, most, in actuality, served to function as proposed. At the same time, it was discovered that the most crucial stage occurred at the beginning, and without an adequate definition of the transfer need, problems and dissatisfaction from the States impacted on all subsequent transfer stages.
Solvent swelling behavior of Permian-aged South African vitrinite-rich and inertinite-rich coals

Abstract Two South African coals similar in rank and age, but different in maceral composition, were studied using solvent swelling. Inertinite-rich Highveld coal (dominated by semifusinite) and vitrinite-rich Waterberg coal were evaluated for swelling extent and swelling rate using N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and CS 2 /NMP. A stop-motion videography method was developed to study individual particle swelling behavior. This method allowed observation of overshoot and climbing-type swelling, as well as swelling kinetics. Single-particle swelling experiments showed that both coals exhibited overshoot-type and climbing-type swelling. The inertinite-rich coal swelled much faster (in both solvents) than the vitrinite-rich coal. The swelling in CS 2 /NMP was faster for both coals. Kinetic parameters showed that solvent swelling was governed by relaxation (super-Case II relaxation) of the coal structure. X-ray computed tomography was conducted over a 50 h swelling period in NMP for single particles of each coal. Anisotropic swelling was observed in all the particles (swelling greater perpendicular to the bedding plane than parallel to it). The subtle changes in molecular structure, fine structural and physical differences resulted in significant differences in solvent swelling behavior.
Transient Current Interruption Mechanism in a Magnetically Delayed Vacuum Switch

The capacity of a magnetically delayed vacuum switch to conduct current depends on the density of plasma injected into the switch. Exceeding the current capacity results in the switch entering a lossy mode of operation characterized by a transient interruption of the main current (opening behavior) and a rapid increase of voltage across the vacuum gap. Streak and framing photographs of the discharge indicate that a decrease of luminosity near the middle of the gap preceeds the transition to the opening phase. The zone of low luminosity propagates toward the cathode. This evidence suggests that the mechanism causing the opening phase is erosion of the background plasma in a manner similar to that in a plasma-opening switch. The resulting ion depletion forces a space-charge-limited conduction mode. The switch inductance maintains a high discharge current even during the space-charge-limited conduction phase, thus producing high internal fields. The high accelerating voltage, in turn, produces electron and ion beams that heat the electrode surfaces. As a result of the heating, jets of electrode vapor issue from the electrodes, either cathode or anode, depending on the selection of electrode materials.
Directed evolution of a genetic circuit

The construction of artificial networks of transcriptional control elements in living cells represents a new frontier for biological engineering. However, biological circuit engineers will have to confront their inability to predict the precise behavior of even the most simple synthetic networks, a serious shortcoming and challenge for the design and construction of more sophisticated genetic circuitry in the future. We propose a combined rational and evolutionary design strategy for constructing genetic regulatory circuits, an approach that allows the engineer to fine-tune the biochemical parameters of the networks experimentally in vivo. By applying directed evolution to genes comprising a simple genetic circuit, we demonstrate that a nonfunctional circuit containing improperly matched components can evolve rapidly into a functional one. In the process, we generated a library of genetic devices with a range of behaviors that can be used to construct more complex circuits.
A new Lagrangian flamelet model for local flame extinction and reignition

Flamelet-based modeling for the evolution of chemically reactive scalars originally designed assuming large Damkohler numbers is extended for situations where local flame extinction and reignition occur. A Lagrangian extension of the flamelet model is formulated, considering a fluid particle that belongs to the same local flame structure as time evolves, where the temporal evolution of the flame structure is determined by, among other things, the scalar dissipation rate associated with the particle. The flamelet model, which is capable of predicting flame extinction but not reignition, is modified by mimicking known reignition scenarios. Model performance is examined using Lagrangian data obtained from direct numerical simulations of non-premixed reactions in isotropic turbulence; the results of the model agree both qualitatively and quantitatively with results obtained from the direct numerical simulations.
Kidney stones during pregnancy

Kidney stones affect 10% of people at some point in their lives and, for some unfortunate women, this happens during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a complex state and both physiological and mechanical changes alter risk factors for kidney stone formation. When a pregnant woman develops acute nephrolithiasis, the situation is more complicated than in nonpregnant women. Imaging limitations and treatment restrictions mean that special diagnostic and management algorithms are needed upon presentation. Ultrasonography remains the gold-standard first-line diagnostic imaging modality for kidney stones during pregnancy but several second-line alternatives exist. Acute renal colic during pregnancy is associated with risks to both mother and fetus. As such, these patients need to be handled with special attention. First-line management is generally conservative (trial of passage and pain management) and is associated with a high rate of stone passage. Presentation of obstructive nephrolithiasis with associated infection represents a unique and serious clinical situation requiring immediate drainage. If infection is not present and conservative management fails, ureteroscopy can be offered if clinically appropriate, but, in some circumstances, temporary drainage with ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube might be indicated. Shockwave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy are contraindicated during pregnancy.
Reflections: neurology and the humanities. Reflections for February: An economy of words.

Last year the World Bank announced that the global economy lost the equivalent of $50 trillion USD in 2008. This unimaginable sum underscores the worst economic recession in decades. The economy, broadly defined, is the production, exchange, and consumption of goods and services. As economists and historians pursue the gory dissection of the recent crisis, those of us in medicine may take an opportunity to learn from the many parallels between the recent economic unwind and the challenges in our own daily practice. The quantum of medical care can be defined as the simple patient–physician interaction. In economic terms, the patient produces the problem at hand, exchanges it with the physician, who then produces solutions for the patient's consumption. While the global economy is transacted in the form of currency, trade between the patient and the physician is transacted largely in the form of words. ### Complexity One of the causes of the recent financial cataclysm has been the use of increasingly …
Synthesis of Chloro Alkoxy and Alkoxy Derivatives of Methyl Oleate

Vegetable oil based lubricants typically have improved lubricity and biodegradability over their mineral oil based counterparts. However, vegetable oil lubricants often fail to meet the performance standards of mineral based oils with respect to cold temperature and resistance to oxidation. Olefins are an oxidatively weak point for vegetable based compounds. Removal of the olefin in a vegetable based lubricant through functionalization may increase resistance to oxidation. If the added functionality also causes branching of the alkyl chain, cold temperature properties may be improved. Any chemical modifications considered must be scalable and cost-effective to be useful in a commercial application. In this study, methyl oleate was functionalized into a chloro alkoxy derivative. Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) and calcium hypochlorite were both used to generate hypochlorous acid in situ. Hypochlorous acid and a series of alcohols (methanol, ethanol, and butanol) were reacted with methyl oleate to make chloro alkoxy compounds in 29.8–77.9 % yields. In an effort to make a branched saturated ether we removed the chlorine moiety of the chloro alkoxy compounds. Dehalogenation was achieved under basic conditions over a Pd/C catalyst in 2-propanol. Reaction times increased substantially as the size of the adjacent alkoxy group increased. The reaction rate could be improved by heating the reactions above 100 °C in a pressure reactor. Increased reaction temperature also resulted in an increase in ketone side products from the competing elimination reactions. Saturated ether yields were 4.1–43.2 %.
Air-stable fabric thermoelectric modules made of N- and P-type carbon nanotubes

This report demonstrates an exciting new paradigm for thermoelectric energy conversion with both n- and p-type organic materials that possess mechanical flexibility, simple fabrication processes, and stability in air. In order to synthesize n-type samples with membranes and papers, carbon nanotubes were doped with both polyethyleneimine (PEI) and sodium borohydride (NaBH4), showing excellent n-type characteristics with thermopower values as large as −80 μV K−1. Thermoelectric modules made of both n- and p-type composites were fabricated to demonstrate thermoelectric voltage and power generation with one, two, and three p–n couples connected in series. The testing modules produced ∼6 mV thermoelectric voltage, with ∼25 nW generated power upon application of ∼22 °C temperature gradients. These promising results show that further work with many junctions connected in series would result in scalable organic p–n couple modules, which can generate power from temperature gradients or provide cooling for various electronic devices.
Commentary: Using the Conference to Inform Public Awareness and Public Policy

Organizing an issue-focused conference is one way that anthropologists can draw attention and resources toward issues of public relevance, and even influence policy formation. This conference format allows the anthropologist to simultaneously work "behind-the-scenes" and be "public." The activities involved in organizing such a conference are as important as the outcomes, such as giving important roles in the conference to people affected by the issue(s) being examined. Anthropologists should be comfortable knowing that practicing public anthropology does not have to mean that anthropology is foregrounded or that ethnography is the centerpiece. By working on issues of public and policy relevance individual anthropologists contribute to building public anthropology.
General Internal Medicine at the Crossroads of Prosperity and Despair: Caring for Patients with Chronic Diseases in an Aging Society

The instability of today's medical marketplace makes the future of general internal medicine uncertain. To thrive, general internal medicine must build on its strengths within the medical marketpla...
TU‐A‐330D‐1: PET/CT Attenuation Correction and Image Fusion

In order for an annihilation event to be accurately detected in a PETscanner, it is necessary for both annihilation photons to pass through the patient without interaction and be detected by two detectors in the scanner. The probability of this occurrence is less than that for a single photon, resulting in significant attenuation effects in a PET scan. In the past, a positron source, such as Ge‐68, was used as a transmission source to provide a transmission map to be used for attenuation correction. The recent integration of PETscanners with state‐of‐the‐art multi‐slice CTscanners has provided the capability for using the CT scan as a high‐quality attenuation map to accomplish the task of attenuation correction. This has resulted in an improvement in the quality of the correction and thus an improvement in overall PETimage quality. However this implementation has not been accomplished without additional problems being identified. Specifically beam hardening can cause errors in the attenuation correction and accurate corrections are difficult in regions where there is physiological motion such as the heart and lungs due to difficulties in accurately registered the CT and PET scans in these areas. Close attenuation must be paid to these effects. Integration of the CTscanner with the PETscanner has provided a significant advance in clinical diagnosis and treatment planning because of the ability to accurately register and display high quality images of anatomy from CT and images of organ function from PET. This makes it possible not only to differentiate malignant from benign lesions but to also precisely localize malignant lesions and differentiate between abnormal uptake and normal physiological uptake of radiopharmaceuticals.
Properties of Magnetic and Velocity Fields in and around Solar Pores

We studied the magnetic and velocity fields of four pores situated close to the disk center and its surrounding regions. We find the following results from our analysis: The velocity inside the pore is very close to zero, whereas there is a strong and narrow downflow around the pore. The vertical velocity gradient observed at the edge of the pore is stronger than the velocity gradient seen in intergranular lanes. Immediately surrounding these narrow downflows, normal granular convection is observed. This observation is consistent with the theoretical picture of an isolated flux tube embedded in a quiet region surrounded by a downflow driven by radiative energy losses. Needle-like structures were seen around the pore, with the head of the needle showing an upflow. The needle tail ends in the downflow surrounding the pore. Assuming the flow is horizontal in the body of the needle, the needle-like structures would represent a possible signature of circular flow system surrounding the pore. The radial extent of this observed flow system (which likely feeds the downflow around the pore) is about 10''. A pore with relatively large fill fraction shows a small upflow in the center surrounded by the downflow, whereas a pore with small fill fraction shows downflows throughout the pore. The asymmetries of the observed Stokes V profiles and their temporal variations are studied. We find temporal variations of V-profile asymmetries observed within pores on timescales of 5 minutes.
Kidney clearance of d- and l-tryptophan by rats

Abstract 1. 1. Renal clearances of d -tryptophan and of l -tryptophan by rats were compared. 2. 2. Both d - and l -tryptophan were reabsorbed by the rat kidney tubules very efficiently. 3. 3. Compared to the rapid excretion of d -tryptophan by the chick, the good retention of this isomer by the rat kidney might be responsible for its efficient utilization by rats.
Mechanisms of abnormal erythropoiesis in malignancy

In order the investigate mechanisms of diminished red cell production in malignancy, we assayed erythroid progenitor cell proliferative responses to erythropoietin in plasma clot cultures of bone marrow cells from 34 cancer patients. Erythroid colony growth by marrow cells of 11 healthy donors (means of 58 CFU-E and 19 BFU-E derived colonies/6 X 10(4) cells) was similar to that in cultures of cells from patients either with (means of 44 CFU-E and 22 BFU-E derived colonies/6 X 10(4) cells) or without (means of 50 CFU-E and 19 BFU-E derived colonies/6 X 10(4) cells) myelophthisis. Colony formation was normal at all erythropoietin concentrations tested, indicating that both the CFU-E and BFU-E retain normal erythropoietin sensitivity in vitro. CFU-E proliferation correlated negatively (r = -0.56; P less than 0.001) with the level of hemoglobin. In contrast to marrow cell proliferative responses to erythropoietin, serum erythropoietin levels were inappropriately reduced in all 19 patients in whom they were measured, a finding which may be important in the pathogenesis of anemia in patients with cancer.
Erythrocyte glyoxalase I polymorphism in the owl monkey, Aotus

Three erythrocyte glyoxalase I phenotypes were observed in a sample of 235 karyotypically defined New World owl monkeys, Aotus. The selective distribution of glyoxalase I allele (GLO1, GLO2) is related to the karyotype of each animal. Owl monkeys with a karyotype VI had an equal distribution of GLO1 and GLO2 genes in the population. Aotus with karyotype II, III, IV, or V had, exclusively, the GLO2 allele (expressed as the fast electrophoretic phenotype), in contrast with monkeys with karyotype I or VII, which had only the GLO1 allele (expressed as the slow electrophoretic phenotype).
Contrasting Roles of p57KIP2 and p21WAF1/CIP1/SDI1 in Transplanted Human and Bovine Adrenocortical Cells

Cell transplantation provides a way to compare the regulation of cell proliferation in the same cell type in cell culture and in a vascularized tissue structure in a host animal. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p57(KIP2), p21(WAF1/CIP1/SDI1) and p27(KIP1) have been extensively studied in cell culture but their role in growth control in tissues is less well understood. In the present experiments we compared the behavior of cell cycle inhibitors in human and bovine adrenocortical cells in culture and following cell transplantation in scid mice. p57 was expressed in the majority of cells in the intact human adrenal cortex. However, double immunofluorescence showed that cells that are in the cell cycle are p57(-) adrenocortical cells, p57 and p27 levels were not affected by inhibition of growth at high cell density, whereas p21 was higher in dividing than growth-inhibited cells. However, p21 was also high in senescent adrenocortical cells. After transplantation of human adrenocortical cells in scid mice, p57 and p27 were observed in most cells in the transplant tissue. Over time the number of p21(+) cells decreased greatly in human adrenocortical cells, but not in bovine adrenocortical cells. This difference correlated with lower levels of cell division (assessed by Ki-67 or incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine) in the human cells in transplant tissues in comparison to bovine cells. The differences between human and bovine cells were observed both when cells were transplanted beneath the kidney capsule and when cells were injected subcutaneously in collagen gel. We conclude that the behavior of p57, but not p21, is consistent with a role as a physiological mediator of proliferative quiescence in the adrenal cortex. The high level of p21 in dividing adrenocortical cells in culture, and in bovine adrenocortical cells in transplant tissues, may be a response to conflicting positive and negative growth influences. Cells may enter the cell cycle under the influence of a strong positive mitogenic signal, but coexisting negative growth stimuli trigger a p21-dependent block to further progression through the cell cycle. This model suggests that bovine adrenocortical cells respond to positive growth stimuli in transplant tissues but human cells lack this response.
Venous Thromboembolic Events after Recombinant Activated Factor VII in Lung Transplant Recipients

Purpose Recombinant activated factor VII (rVIIa) has been used off-label to control bleeding after lung transplantation; however, the thromboembolic risks remain unclear. To address this issue, we analyzed the effects of rVIIa use on the incidence of venous thromboembolic events (VTE). Methods and Materials We conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating all patients that received lung transplantation between August 1, 2008 and October 31, 2012. Data was extracted using the Organ Transplant Tracking Record (OTTR), inpatient admission and discharge summaries, laboratory reports, and clinic notes. The incidence of VTE was compared between patients receiving rVIIa and those that did not (controls). Between-group comparisons were made using the chi-squared test for categorical data, and the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data. Results Among 255 patients, 63 (24.7%) developed a new VTE after transplantation. Within this group, 15 (5.9%) experienced a pulmonary embolism (PE). A total of 32 patients (12.5%) received 43 doses of rVIIa [median total dose = 4.9 mg (range 2-15)]. Intraoperative administration of rFVIIa was more common than cardiothoracic intensive care unit administration (59.4% vs. 40.6%). Overall, patients receiving rFVIIa had higher rates of VTE than controls [14 (43.8%) vs. 49 (22.0%), p Conclusions VTE is a frequent complication after lung transplantation. In our cohort of lung transplant recipients, treatment with rFVIIa significantly increased the risk of venous thromboembolic events.
Tilt caesarean section.

Summary Use of a ten degree left-side-down “tilt” position for Caesarean section has resulted in a very significant improvement in the oxygen saturation of umbilical artery and vein blood of infants at birth. This is especially notable in infants delivered from mothers under spinal block. It is believed that this improvement in the oxygenation of the fetus is due to release of pressure on the mother's vena cava which causes an increase in her cardiac output and improved perfusion of the uterus.
Acquisition of Inhibitor-Sensitive Protein Kinases through Protein Design

Protein phosphorylation is the major post-translational modification used by eukaryotic cells to control cellular signaling. Protein kinases have emerged as attractive drug targets because heightened protein kinase activity has been associated with several proliferative diseases, most notably cancer and restenosis. Until now, it has been very difficult to confirm the utility of protein kinases as inhibitor targets because very few small molecules that selectively inhibit one particular kinase are known. Discovery of highly specific kinase inhibitors has been slow because the protein family contains approximately 2000 members, all of which share a conserved active site fold. Recent work in several laboratories has sought to circumvent the problem of kinase structural degeneracy by engineering drug sensitivity into Src family tyrosine kinases and mitogen-activated protein kinases through site-directed mutagenesis. By introducing a unique non-naturally occurring amino acid into a conserved region of the enzyme's binding site, a target protein kinase can be rapidly sensitized to a small molecule. Introduction of the engineered kinase into a cell line or animal model should greatly expedite the investigation of protein kinase inhibition as a viable drug treatment. The purpose of this review is to summarize these recent advances in protein kinase drug sensitization.
Molecular and ultrastuctural changes of rat pre-implantation embryos during two-cell developmental arrest

Background Rat pre-implantation embryos often suffer 2-cell stage developmental arrest and fail to progress further under in-vitro conditions.
Paired carbon isotope and cadmium data from benthic foraminifera: Implications for changes in oceanic phosphorus, oceanic circulation, and atmospheric carbon dioxide

Abstract The carbon isotope and cadmium content of foraminiferal shells from oceanic sediments provides information on past chemical distributions in the ocean. Starting from reasonable assumptions, it can be shown that paired data on both tracers provides more information than does either separately. The slope of paired isochronous δ13C and Cd Ca data from fossil benthic foraminifera depends on oceanic P:Cd and gDδ13C:ΔP ratios. The zero Cd Ca intercept of this line depends on mean oceanic δ13C, P, and the Δδ13C:ΔP ratio. Given data sufficient to define oceanic mean δ13C and Cd contents, it is possible to place quantitative constraints on the product of the C:P Redfield Ratio and mean oceanic phosphorus, and to estimate a circulation parameter which is independent of changes in ocean chemical inventories. With the limited available data, no significant changes in oceanic P:Cd can be detected between the Holocene and most recent glacial maximum. If this data is taken to be representative of the whole ocean, then the P and Cd contents of the ocean were about 17% higher during the last glacial maximum than at present. Ocean box models indicate that this change in oceanic P, and a 2°C deep ocean cooling during glacials, would cause a 47 ppmV reduction in atmospheric PCO2 during glacial intervals.
Mechanisms of resistance to cisplatin.

The use of cisplatin in cancer chemotherapy is limited by acquired or intrinsic resistance of cells to the drug. Cisplatin enters the cells and its chloride ligands are replaced by water, forming aquated species that react with nucleophilic sites in cellular macromolecules. The presence of the cisplatin adducts in DNA is thought to trigger cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Knowledge of the mechanism of action of cisplatin has improved our understanding of resistance. Decerased intracellular concentration due to decreased drug uptake, increased reflux or increased inactivation by sulfhydryl molecules such as glutathione can cause resistance to cisplatin. Incresed excision of the adducts from DNA by repair pathways or increased lesion bypass can also result in resistance. Finally, altered expression of regulatory proteins involved in signal transduction pathways that control the apoptotic pathway can also affect sensitivity to the drug. An improved understanding of the mechanisms of resistance operative in vivo has identified targets for intervention and may increase the utility of cisplatin for the treatment of cancer.
Politics Hinders Open Standards in the Public Sector: The Massachusetts Open Document Format Decision

In 2003, Eric Kriss, of the Executive Office of the Governor of Massachusetts, advised all employees that the Executive Branch would begin a transition of its information technology resources into open standards. The intent of the plan was the standardization of the IT infrastructure and the improvement of interoperability across agencies. The Executive Office later extended the open standards policy to electronic documents. In the quest to make documents accessible across agencies, Open Document Format (ODF) was declared to be the preferred format for storing data. This decision provoked a serious conflict between Microsoft and the Executive Branch after it became clear that proprietary open document formats, such as the one that was being offered by Microsoft, were declared to be unacceptable. This case explores the decisions that the champions made, the role that politics played in the process and the impact of these decisions on the ODF implementation.
Drinking consequences and subsequent drinking in college students over 4 years

There is some evidence that college student drinkers may continue drinking in the face of adverse consequences. We examined 2 hypotheses: (a) that this seemingly pathological behavior is a phenomenon of university life, occurring with consistency throughout the entirety of college, and (b) that individuals accumulate these consequences over multiple semesters in college. A sample of 3,720 students from a large Midwestern university was asked to complete surveys the summer before college and every semester thereafter for 4 years. Results showed that certain drinking-related consequences (e.g., blackouts, regretted sexual experiences) consistently predicted continued frequent heavy drinking in the following semester, even after controlling for sex, race, age, and previous-semester frequent heavy drinking (range of odds ratio = 1.17 to 1.45 across semesters, p < .01). Such potent consequences may predict subsequent drinking for a number of possible reasons that may be examined and addressed as they would pertain to specific protective behavioral strategy-related and cognitive interventions. Furthermore, consequences were accumulated over multiple semesters by notable proportions of students. For example, 13.8% of students reported blacking out 5 time-points or more--describing a full half or more of their college careers. Experimental studies which aim to modify students' perceptions of norms associated with these consequences may aid in developing interventions to reduce the burden of harm to students. In the broader context, and given the prevalence of students' accumulation of consequences, future study might aim to determine how and in what ways these findings describe either pathological or normative processes.
High coercive force 2–17type Sm1−xErx(Co0.69Fe0.22Cu0.08Zr0.02)7.22 magnets with a low temperature coefficient☆

Abstract High energy permanent magnet alloys with internal temperature compensation corresponding to the formula Sm 1− x Er x (Co 0.69 Fe 0.22 Cu 0.08 Zr 0.02 7.22 ( x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) were characterized by optical metallography, combined scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, electron microprobe analysis and X-ray diffraction. Sintered magnets were prepared from the induction-melted alloys, ground in the as-cast and homogenized states and sintered with and without a sintering aid. Reversible temperature coefficients α and salient magnetic properties were also investigated. A near-zero temperature coefficient was achieved at an erbium content of x = 0.4. The alloy with an erbium content of x = 0.2 produced a higher energy product and coercivity with a greater, but still usefully low, temperature coefficient. These results indicate that erbium-containing alloy compositions, with proper sintering, solutioning, isothermal aging and controlled cooling heat treatments, can achieve a very high coercive force combined with the desired thermal magnetic behavior for many device applications.
Subscale LOX/hydrogen testing with a modular chamber and a swirl coaxial injector

To support basic injector and chamber technology, the response of a modular calorimeter chamber to an injector with swirl coaxial elements was investigated. The tests supported both the Advanced Launch System (ALS) and the Space Shuttle Main Engine programs. Original test plans included chamber pressures up to 2250 psia, the current ALS engine criteria, but hardware limitations forced conditions to be reduced. With four different chamber configurations, a variety of data was obtained with chamber pressures ranging from 1483 psia to 1679 psia and mixture ratios from 5.24 to 6.90. The swirl coaxial injector showed good chamber wall compatibility, despite misaligned elements, and its high performance was independent of fuel. Heating rates and wall temperatures were acceptable and close to predict profiles, and after scaling to a chamber pressure of 2250 psia, heating rates remained acceptable. In addition, a chamber spool made with the vacuum plasma spray process survived hot-fire testing with no detrimental effects.
Spin-density-wave instability in wide parabolic quantum wells

Calculations of electrons in a remotely doped wide parabolic quantum well, in the presence of a strong in-plane magnetic field, using a modified Hartree-Fock approximation with a point-contact exchange interaction, support the idea that a spin-density-wave state may occur in an experimentally accessible range of parameters. Electrical transport in the spin-density-wave state is expected to be finite at zero temperature, but highly anisotropic, with a low resistivity for currents perpendicular to the magnetic field.
Continuous semiorder representations

Given 〈X,≻〉, where X is a topologically connected space and ≻ is an asymmetric binary relation, necessary and sufficient conditions are presented for the existence of a continuous representation of the form, 〈u, δ〉; that is, for x,y∈X, x≻y if and only if u(x)>u(y)+δ where u:X→R is continuous and δ is a strictly positive real number. The results are related to existing results for numerical representations of interval orders and semiorders.
ANDROGEN RECEPTOR GENE ALTERATIONS ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ISOLATED CRYPTORCHIDISM

AbstractPurpose: Multiple theories of testicular descent exist but there is no consensus. Cryptorchidism is a component of the androgen insensitivity syndrome, suggesting that testicular descent may be at least partially under the control of androgenic stimulation. To determine whether isolated cryptorchidism may be caused by androgen insensitivity, we screened a population of boys with isolated cryptorchidism for the presence of androgen receptor gene alterations.Materials and Methods: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated from tissue collected from 21 patients with isolated cryptorchidism during orchiopexy. Patient selection was biased to maximize the likelihood of detection of a genetic etiology of cryptorchidism. The DNA was screened for androgen receptor gene alterations in exons 2 to 8 using single strand conformational polymorphism analysis.Results: No abnormalities in the androgen receptor gene were detected by single strand conformational polymorphism analysis in any patient.Conclusions: Mutat...
Technology Insight: querying the genome with microarrays--progress and hope for neurological disease.

The postgenomic era has seen important advances in the ability to perform large-scale analysis, using microarrays, of the genome at the level of gene sequence, gene copy number and messenger RNA transcript expression. In this review, Coppola and Geschwind discuss how microarray technology is being used to study of the genetics and pathogenesis of neurological disorders, and how it might be used in the future for patient diagnosis and classification into treatment groups. The ability to perform large-scale analysis of the genome at the level of gene sequence, gene copy number and messenger RNA transcript expression characterizes the post-genomic era. In the past decade, the microarray-based approach has emerged as one of the major tools in this area of genome biology, contributing to advances in the understanding of Mendelian and complex neurological disorders. Despite technical issues regarding design, data analysis and validation that have to be addressed in the planning and interpretation of a microarray study, microarray-based approaches for studying transcript expression, single-nucleotide-polymorphism genotyping and gene resequencing are becoming more widely adopted. Genomic microarrays are providing an unprecedented opportunity to dissect the genetic risk for complex neurological disorders. Numerous clinical and preclinical applications are likely to dominate the ambitious microarray agenda within the next decade.
Hard X-Ray Emission Associated with White Dwarfs. II.

We have previously conducted a search for X-ray sources coincident with white dwarfs using the white dwarf catalog compiled by McCook & Sion and the ROSAT sources in the WGA Catalog (Paper I). To include the white dwarfs discovered since 1999 and to include the X-ray sources detected in ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations made with a boron filter, we have carried out another search using an updated list of white dwarfs and the final catalogs of the ROSAT PSPC observations with and without a boron filter. Forty-seven new X-ray sources convincingly coincident with white dwarfs are found and reported in this paper. Among these, only five show hard X-ray emission: three possess confirmed or suggested late-type companions, one is apparently single, and the other is likely a misclassified BL Lac object. The apparently single white dwarf with hard X-ray emission, KPD 0005+5106, was discussed extensively in Paper I. Photospheric origin for the hard X-ray emission from hot DO and DQZO white dwarfs remains a tantalizing possibility, but high-quality near-IR spectroscopic observations and monitoring of the Hα emission line are needed to rule out the existence of a faint dMe companion.
Microsatellite instability and survival in rectal cancer

Objective High levels of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) have been associated in many studies with improved prognosis in colon cancer. Very few studies have evaluated the effect of MSI-H on rectal cancer survival. We assessed MSI-H and other genetic and epigenetic changes on survival of 990 individuals diagnosed with first primary rectal cancer.
In-medium hadron–nucleon total cross sections inferred from quasifree scattering

Abstract The target-mass dependence of hadron–nucleus quasifree scattering is used to select the hadron–nucleon total cross sections within the nuclear medium that yield the observed mass-dependence in a Glauber model. These in-medium cross sections are larger than found in free space for 705 MeV/ c K + , but smaller than in free space for protons and pions at several energies.
The prigogine-résibois master equation and plasma quasi-linear equations

Abstract Classical plasma quasi-linear equations are derived from the Prigogine-Resibois master equation.
Co-responsibility for research integrity.

To enlarge the discussion of scientific responsibility for research integrity, this paper offers two historico-philosophical observations. First, in the broad history of ideas, modern ethics replaces social role responsibility with appeals to abstract principles; by contrast, discussions within the scientific community of responsibility for research integrity constitute a rediscovery of the continuing vitality of role responsibility. This is a rediscovery from which philosophy itself may benefit. Second, within the context of scientists’ concerns, the idea of role responsibility has undergone significant evolution from “collective responsibility” to the notion of responsibility resting with a “trans-scientific community.” Further challenges nevertheless remain in order to relate scientific role responsibility for scientific integrity to the relationship between science and society. To promote a notion of integrity not just in science but in the science-society relationship, it may be useful to think in terms of a “co-responsibility” for scientific integrity.
Predicting health patterns using sensor sequence similarity and NLP

Health information technology has been used in long-term care to improve outcomes and reduce cost. In Tiger Pace, an aging in place facility from Columbia, MO, we deployed sensor networks together with an electronic health record (EHR) system to provide early illness recognition. In this paper, we describe a methodology for early illness based on non-wearable sensor data and concepts extracted from nursing notes using Natural Language Processing (NLP). The methodology is inspired from genomie sequence annotation using BLAST. First, we extract a set of Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) concepts from each nursing note using Metamap, a NLP tool provided by UMLS. Then, we associate each daily sensor sequence with the medical concepts related to the nursing notes issued that day for that patient. Finally, to infer the health concepts for an unknown day, we compute the similarity between its sensor sequence and those available in the database. The challenges presented by this method are finding the most suitable multi-attribute time sequence similarity and aggregation of the retrieved concepts. On a pilot dataset from three Tiger Place residents, with a total of 1685 sensor days and 358 nursing records, we obtained an average precision of 0.34 and a recall of 0.52.
Campaign Events, the Media and the Prospects of Victory: The 1992 and 1996 US Presidential Elections

Presidential campaigns are the most obvious means by which American voters receive information about candidates and issues, yet there is strong resistance to the notion that they influence presidential elections. We conduct an examination of presidential campaign effects in the 1992 and 1996 elections that features three departures from previous studies: (1) a stronger definition of campaigning and campaign events, facilitating a clearer idea of what it is that we are testing; (2) detailed data on television and newspaper coverage of the campaigns, allowing us to measure media effects; and (3) an alternative measure of electoral impact that is resistant to survey errors and random movement. We find that campaign events, and particularly media coverage of those events, significantly affect the candidates' chances for electoral success.
Single Crystals of Aluminium and other Metals

WITH reference to Prof. Porter's letter in NATURE of March 17, p. 362, the accompanying photographs (Figs. 1 and 2) may be of interest. They illustrate at a magnification of 100 diameters the type of fracture obtained when a drawn tungsten wire consisting of a single crystal is broken in tension. The fracture is always of the wedge type, the wire being very greatly reduced in diameter in one plane while it suffers no appreciable reduction in the plane at right angles. The photographs show the same specimen after fracture taken from two planes at right angles. The diameter of the wire was 0.05 mm.
Feasibility of nondestructive evaluation of synthetic or wire ropes using a transverse-impulse vibrational wave

Abstract The feasibility of the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of wire and synthetic ropes using a transverse-impulse vibrational wave was investigated experimentally. The experiment was conducted using a 2.38 mm diameter stainless-steel wire rope and a 6.35 mm diameter double-braided nylon rope. Each sample was approximately 14 m long. Broken strands produced readily detectable partial reflection of the wave. The velocity of the wave propagation followed the well-known equation ( F/M) 1 2 , where F is the applied load and M is the mass per unit length of the rope. The results indicate that the transverse-impulse vibrational wave method can provide a fast and simple means of detecting flaws and determining both the load level in and the average mass per unit length of a rope.
A method for dealing with inverse problems in transport and filter theory

For a plane parallel atmosphere, the inverse problem of radiative transfer treated here utilizes the results of an experiment which measures the total angle dependent column density of the specific intensity for determination of the phase function (or angular differential cross section) and the albedo for single scattering. A generalization of this technique is presented to deal with the multi-dimensional problems in which the atmosphere is contained in a volume bounded by any arbitrary convex surface. We use two methods of mathematical approach for the solutions of appropriate integral equations of the Fredholm type. One, the spherical harmonic expansion method, and two, a maximal variational principle. We also demonstrate the use of the maximal variational principle to deal with the linear filter matrix equation of the Wiener-Hopf type.
RELATIONSHIP OF BASELINE HYPOXEMIA TO THE RESPONSE TO INHALED NITRIC OXIDE IN PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN. † 2051

RELATIONSHIP OF BASELINE HYPOXEMIA TO THE RESPONSE TO INHALED NITRIC OXIDE IN PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN. † 2051
A semiparametric empirical likelihood method for data from an outcome-dependent sampling scheme with a continuous outcome.

SUMMARY. Outcome-dependent sampling (ODS) schemes can be a cost effective way to enhance study efficiency. The case-control design has been widely used in epidemiologic studies. However, when the outcome is measured on a continuous scale, dichotomizing the outcome could lead to a loss of efficiency. Recent epidemiologic studies have used ODS sampling schemes where, in addition to an overall random sample, there are also a number of supplemental samples that are collected based on a continuous outcome variable. We consider a semiparametric empirical likelihood inference procedure in which the underlying distribution of covariates is treated as a nuisance parameter and is left unspecified. The proposed estimator has asymptotic normality properties. The likelihood ratio statistic using the semiparametric empirical likelihood function has Wilks-type properties in that, under the null, it follows a chi-square distribution asymptotically and is independent of the nuisance parameters. Our simulation results indicate that, for data obtained using an ODS design, the semiparametric empirical likelihood estimator is more efficient than conditional likelihood and probability weighted pseudolikelihood estimators and that ODS designs (along with the proposed estimator) can produce more efficient estimates than simple random sample designs of the same size. We apply the proposed method to analyze a data set from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (CPP), an ongoing environmental epidemiologic study, to assess the relationship between maternal polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) level and children's IQ test performance.
NbN edge junction fabrication: edge profile control by reactive ion etching

In order to fabricate NbN edge junctions with low parasitic capacitance, an insulator with low dielectric constant, such as SiO/sub 2/, must isolate the base and counterelectrode except on the edge. Reactive ion etching was used to cut an edge in SiO/sub 2//NbN bilayer films. For this process it is necessary that SiO/sub 2/ be etched more rapidly than NbN to form a suitably sloped edged profile. The authors investigated the influence of etching gas composition and other parameters on etching rates and edge profiles, using CF/sub 4/, CF/sub 4//O/sub 2/, CF/sub 4//CH/sub 4/, CF/sub 4//CHF/sub 3/, and CHF/sub 3/. It was found that CF/sub 4/ and CF/sub 4//O/sub 2/ plasma etching generally yields poor, undercut edge profiles. However, satisfactory edge profiles were obtained with the other three gas combinations. The edge angle can be controlled by changing the proportions of the gases. Using this process, the authors have successfully fabricated NbN/oxide/PbBi edge junctions with >