cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An approach to the reduction of hydrocarbon contamination in the scanning electron microscope

The deposition of electron beam-induced specimen contamination in both the transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) has remained a problem since the beginning of these forms of microscopy. Generally, sources of SEM contamination can be attributed to one or a combination of three major contributors: (1) the pumping system; (2) outgassing of other internal SEM component parts (i.e., specimen stage, stage lubricants, O-rings, etc.), or (3) the sample (including its preparation and handling). Generally, because of the nature of SEM, specimen contamination can be minimized but is difficult to avoid fully. This work outlines three approaches taken with instruments at NIST to reduce the deposition of contamination in high-resolution cold-field emission SEMs. With some modification these techniques could be applied to any SEM. These approaches have been in successful operation for several years, resulting in a reduction in electron beam-induced hydrocarbon contamination.
MR imaging of diffuse liver diseases.

critical. The T1W precontrast images must include in-phase and out-of-phase acquisitions to assess hepatic lipid or iron content, and dynamically enhanced postgadolinium images. Timing of the arterial phase images also is critical for demonstration of acute hepatitis. The timing of the venous and equilibrium phase images are less critical, and are important for grading more severe acute hepatitis, demonstration of fibrosis, and for delineating vascular abnormalities. In cirrhosis, dynamic postgadolinium images are critical for detection and characterization of regenerative or dysplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The same sequences that are useful for liver evaluation provide a comprehensive evaluation of all of the soft tissues of the abdomen, and allow depiction of most of the important diseases, and thus, facilitate use of a universal protocol for abdominal imaging. The following sections discuss MR imaging sequences that are used for the evaluation of diffuse liver diseases, including processes that lead to abnormal lipid metabolization, iron deposition disease, and perfusion abnormalities that are related to inflammation, fibrosis, vascular occlusion or infarction, and hemorrhage.
Towards a system for body-area sensing and detection of alcohol craving and mood dysregulation

Current methods in clinical psychology primarily rely on questionnaires and interviews with examiners. This paper presents preliminary work towards a smartphone-based wireless body area sensing system that will be used to improve current methods and provide real-time interventions if necessary. This system consists of several wearable sensors for measuring physiological data, a smartphone, and a web server. The smartphone is the centerpiece, responsible for collecting sensor data, interacting with the user, performing real-time computation, and communicating with the web server. The system collects physiological data, self-reported emotional and behavioral state, and other user-context data such as GPS location or ambient audio recording.
Can successful aging and chronic illness coexist in the same individual? A multidimensional concept of successful aging.

For the past 4 decades, many studies seeking to develop a definition and identify critical determinants of successful aging have been published. To date, there is still no consensus on a standard definition or measure of “successful aging.” Most constructs have been one dimensional; although a few have been multidimensional, none has emerged as standard. The most serious limitation of contemporary successful aging constructs is the undue focus on physiologic aspects of aging. To move beyond this limited perspective that stresses disease and impairment, we postulate that successful aging may coexist with diseases and functional limitations if compensatory psychological and/or social mechanisms are used. With this premise, this article presents a new definition and conceptual framework of successful aging, together with an operational definition (measurement) that delineates our successful aging concept. We discuss how the proposed multidimensional measurement may be used as a screening tool, and address its relevance for health services research and health care delivery. (J Am Med Dir Assoc 2009; 10: 87–92) Keyword: Successful aging concept
Philosophy as psychology

Who is Franz Brentano and why should a cognitive scientist care? Perhaps the question could be reframed. Who, in 1874, published what was considered to be the most important text [1] in the development of experimental psychology alongside Wundt's Principles of Physiological Psychology [2]? Who can rightfully be considered the forefather of Gestalt psychology and phenomenology? Who influenced the development of logic and analytic philosophy? Whose thinking found its stamp, directly or indirectly, in a range of work by noted philosophers, psychologists and logicians, including Edmund Husserl, Ernst Mach, Bertrand Russell, Alfred Tarski, William James, Christian von Ehrenfels and Kurt Koffka? In her book Immanent Realism: An Introduction to Brentano, Liliana Albertazzi suggests that this sometimes dubious legacy might have rendered Brentano, arguably the greatest thinker of his time in the philosophy of psychology, relatively neglected in contemporary cognitive science.
Deposition of BaxSr1-xTiO3 in atmospheric pressure flame: Combustion monitoring and optimisation of thin film properties

Abstract An atmospheric pressure spray flame was used to deposit barium-strontium-titanate (BaxSr1-xTiO3, BST) films by the combustion chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) process. CCVD flames with and without substrate were analysed as a function of spray droplet size and substrate deposition location. Emission spectroscopy and temperature pyrometry measurements were used to determine flame structure and temperature. Emissions from atomic and molecular species reach a maximum early in the flame zone and then decrease sharply, an observation indicative of very fast reaction rates. The spray droplet size has a marked effect on the surface morphology of deposited thin films: coarser sprays yield a rougher film surface while finer sprays produce a smooth, optically clear surface. Optimal conditions for the deposition of high performance ferroelectric BST films had a mean droplet size of 1-2 μm and deposition temperature between 1000 and 1100 °C. BST films deposited under optimised conditions on single crystal s...
Improved enzyme immunoassays for the detection of antigens in fecal specimens. Investigation and correction of interfering factors

Solid phase enzyme immunoassays (EIA) are widely used for the detection of infectious agents in body fluids such as stool specimens. However, we found that stool specimens contained substances which desorb from 50% to 68% of the immunoreactant from solid phase surfaces. This desorbing activity decreased the sensitivity of EIA systems for toxin A of C. difficile, rotavirus and adenovirus. The desorbing activity in stool specimens was partially heat labile at 56 degrees C for 30 min, was present in stool fractions corresponding to an estimated molecular weight of 25,000 and was shown to degrade solid phase protein. In addition, the desorbing activity was partially reversed by specific and nonspecific protease inhibitors. Thus, the desorption may reflect the enzymatic activity of stool proteases. The desorption was markedly reduced by diluting specimens in 50% fetal calf serum or an acid-protein buffer such as 0.25 M citrate buffer, pH 4.7, containing 5% bovine serum albumin. These diluents were shown to improve the recovery of toxin A of C. difficile, rotavirus and adenovirus in EIA systems for these antigens.
Formation of new continental crust in Western British Columbia during transpression and transtension

Crustal growth in the Coast Mountains, along the leading edge of the Canadian Cordillera, was the result of processes associated with horizontal flow of material during transpression and subsequent transtension, and the vertical accretion of mantle derived melts. From 85 to 58 Ma, as exotic terranes were translated northward during transpression, the crust was thickened to about 55 km, and melt that originated from a mix of mantle-derived basalt with partial melt of the thickened crust intruded into crustal scale transpressive shear zones. When the orogen extended, between 58 and 50 Ma, there was large-scale decompression melting in the mantle and dehydration melting in the lower crust. Voluminous emplacement of sub horizontal sills facilitated by ductile flow of the gneissic country rocks partially filled space created as the crust was pulled apart and as 15 to 20 km of tectonic exhumation occurred across low angle normal ductile shear zones. By 50 Ma, the final crustal thickness of the new continental crust was about 34 km. Comparison of seismic data with other crustal sections suggests that the crust-forming processes identified in western British Columbia have general applicability to models for the formation of continental crust.
Activation energy barriers in the molecular relaxation dynamics of Li+ interacting with acyclic and cyclic polyethers in acetonitrile

Ultrasonic relaxation spectra of LiClO4 plus the open chain polyether triglyme (TG) at CLiClO4 ≃ 0.8 M, molar ratio R = [TG]/[LiClO4] = 1, and at temperatures of 15, 25, 35, and 45°C in dry acetonitrile are reported. Corresponding spectra for LiClO4 plus the macrocycle 12-crown-4 (12C4) at R = [12C4]/[LiClO4] = 1, at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40°C, and CLiClO4 = 0.32 M in acetonitrile are also reported. Both relaxation envelopes, for the two systems, have been fitted by two Debye relaxation processes and interpreted by the Eigen-Winkler reaction scheme: where “PE” symbolizes the polyether, Li+ … PE is a solvent separated species and LiPE+ and (LiPE)+ are two complex species. The temperature dependence of the relaxation spectra permits the calculation of the activation parameters for the forward and reverse processes for the system LiClO4 + TG and for one of the two processes for the LiClO4 + 12C4 system. Comparisons between the two sets of data lead to the conclusion that the much slower second relaxation process, in the case of the macrocycle, is attributable to a combination of an enthalpic and an entropic effect on the energy barrier for the present systems.
Mechanical failure of metal-polyethylene sandwich liner in metal-on-metal total hip replacement

Metal-on-metal had been proposed as an optimal articulation in THRs, however, many monoblock prostheses have been recalled in the USA because of significant high rates of early failure. Metal-on-metal prostheses had been implanted in our institution, and this is a case history of a single patient, in whom metal-on-metal THRs with different femoral sizes of heads were implanted. A 57-year-old female patient underwent bilateral total hip replacements with metal-on-metal prostheses using metal–polyethylene “sandwich” liners 9 years ago on the right side and 7 years ago on the left side respectively. The only difference in both sides was the femoral head diameter of 28 mm in right and 34 mm in left. Seven years after the left surgery, the acetabular liner was dissociated, however, metallosis was not detected. Although the larger femoral head was thought to increase hip joint stability, it dictated a reduction in polyethylene thickness in this prosthesis design, and it was 4 mm in the left hip. Recently, metal-on-metal articulations are thought not to be optimal for hip joint bearing surface, however, this clinical failure was due to the polyethylene thickness and quality.
New insights into the consequences and mechanisms of renal impairment in obstructive nephropathy.

O BSTRUCTIVE nephropathy refers to the renal disease resulting from impaired flow of urine or tubular fluid as a consequence of structural or functional abnormalities in the urinary tract. These abnormalities are referred to as obstructive uropathy. Obstructive uropathy is a common entity. Its exact incidence is difficult to ascertain because obstruction of the urinary tract is a manifestation of a variety of diseases that require hospitalization and surgical intervention. It has been calculated that 166 patients per 100,000 population were hospitalized in the United States in 1985 with a presumptive diagnosis of obstructive uropathy.! In 1985, slightly in excess of397,000 hospital discharge diagnoses were recorded as obstructive uropathy. In addition, there were more than 482,000 patients with a discharge diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and it is probable that most of these individuals had been admitted to the hospital because of obstruction secondary to an enlarged prostate. The effects of obstructive uropathy in the kidney result from a variety of factors with complex interactions.z,3 Changes in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration, and tubular function occur. Most of the information about the consequences of urinary tract obstruction on kidney function and structure has been derived from functional, biochemical, and histological studies in experimental animals. Most studies have examined the effects of complete, short-term ureteral obstruction «36 hours' duration) on renal function. Both bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO) and unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) have been studied, and it is apparent that the two models differ significantly. The effects of partial, longstanding obstruction of the urinary tract have been less comprehensively studied. For the sake of clarity, the alterations in renal function in response to obstruction are described in the discussion below as affecting either glomerular function or tubular function. However, it is important to realize that such alterations are interdependent.
Modulation of photon echo intensity by pulsed non-uniform magnetic fields

Abstract Modulations of the intensity of a two-pulse photon echo due to a short, rapidly switched, pulsed magnetic field gradient (⋍1 G/mm) applied during the time, 2τ, between echo preparation and detection in YLiF4:Er3+ are described. The echo intensity changes are explained quantitatively by a model in which the pulsed magnetic field, which adds to the 30 kG DC magnetic field, modulates the optical transition frequencies of the echo-producing Er3+ ions. These ions, because of the gradient in the pulsed field, experience a spatially-dependent phase accumulation that alters the phase mismatching condition.
Clinicopathologic correlations in a large Alzheimer disease center autopsy cohort: neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles "do count" when staging disease severity

There is uncertainty regarding the association of cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease (AD) with classic histopathologic features- neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and "neuritic" amyloid plaques (NPs). This uncertainty fuels doubts about the diagnostic importance of NFTs and NPs and leads to confusion regarding hypotheses of AD pathogenesis. Three hundred ninety subjects who underwent longitudinal premortem clinical workup and postmortem quantitative neuropathologic assessment served as the group to address this issue. Subjects with concomitant brain disease(s) were analyzed independently to more accurately assess the contribution of distinct pathologies to cognitive decline. More than 60% of patients of all age groups had important non-AD brain pathologies. However, subjects without superimposed brain diseases showed strong correlations between AD-type pathology counts (NFTs > NPs) and premortem Mini-Mental State Examination scores. The observed correlation was stronger in isocortex than in allocortex and was maintained across age groups including patients older than 90 years. A theoretical model is proposed in which our results are interpreted to support the "amyloid cascade hypothesis" of AD pathogenesis. Our data show that there are many important contributory causes to cognitive decline in older persons. However, NFTs and NPs should not be dismissed as irrelevant in AD based on clinicopathologic correlation.
Seed cone and ovule ontogeny in Metasequoia, Sequoia and Sequoiadendron (Taxodiaceae–Coniferales)

TAKASO, T. & TOMUNSON, P. B., 1992. Seed cone and ovule ontogeny in Metasequoia, Sequoia and Sequoiadendron (Taxodiaceae–Coniferales). Structural features of seed cones, up to the initiation of ovules, are developed in the three genera in the summer and late fall prior to pollination in the following spring, when cones renew their further development. Bracts are initiated in a decussate manner in Metasequoia but spirally in Sequoia and Sequoiadendron. No ovuliferous scale is initiated, at most there is a shallow mound of tissue on the adaxial surface of the bract from which the ovules are developed. Metasequoia produces a single series of up to eight ovules in acropetal (centripetal order), Sequoia and Sequoiadendron produce a double series of six to nine ovules, also in acropetal order, since a second series of ovules appear distal to and alternate with the first series. Common features that unite the genera are the somewhat peltate configuration of the cone scales due to late intercalary expansion, the derivation of the vascular supply to the bract-ovule complex from a single bundle and the usual inversion of the seed during late development, to which can be added developmental features. The absence of tooth-like structures, present in some other Taxodiaceae, is discussed in relation to cone evolution in the family being determined by changes in developmental timing. Emphasis is made on the way in which features of morphogenesis, determine cone organization in the three genera independent of an interpretation that relies solely on hypothetical ancestral forms.
First and second order stress extrapolation for mode I and mode II edge cracks

Abstract The use of linear and second order stress extrapolation to obtain K I and K II in two-dimensional finite element models of a thick plate containing an edge crack was examined. Three loading cases were studied, including classical Mode I and Mode II problems and a problem of tribological contact. Linear extrapolation was observed to yield accurate predictions of K I in cases of dominant Mode I loading. In Mode II situations, notably where the crack faces experienced compressive normal stresses, second order extrapolation was observed to improve estimates of K II .
4D in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico Hoover, Madison, and Marshall fields

The use of time-lapse or 4D seismic technology is well established in the North Sea and West Africa where the application of 4D for reservoir production monitoring and surveillance has resulted in documented gains in recovery efficiency, increased reserves, and more efficient field operations. However, for several reasons, including challenging acquisition conditions, 4D technology has not been widely applied in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. In late 2005 and early 2006, ExxonMobil acquired a deepwater Gulf of Mexico 4D survey covering the Hoover, Madison and Marshall fields in the Alaminos Canyon/East Breaks area (for simplicity, we will refer to this as the Hoover survey).
Nucleic Acid Precursor Incorporation by Eimeria nieschulzi (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) and Jejunal Villus Epithelium*

SYNOPSIS Autoradiography was used to investigate incorporation of tritiated adenine, adenosine, guanosine and thymidine by Eimeria nieschulzi and rat jejunal villus epithelial cells. At 2 1/2 days postinoculation, parasitized and control tissues were incubated for 20 min in oxygenated Tyrode's solution (37 C, pH 7.5) containing 30 μCi/ml of each nucleic acid precursor. Treatment of tissues with ribonuclease revealed that E. nieschulzi incorporated label from [3H]adenine primarily into RNA while that from [3H]adenosine and [3H]guanosine was present mainly in DNA. Label from [3H]thymidine was not utilized by parasites. Host villus epithelial cells incorporated label from [3H]purines primarily into RNA. Labeled cytoplasmic RNA was significantly increased in parasitized cells after incubation in [3H]adenine. Tritiated nuclear RNA and cytoplasmic RNA were significantly decreased in parasitized cells after incubation in [3H]adenosine. Incorporation of label from [3H]guanosine was similar for parasitized and control cells. A small quantity of label from each [3H]precursor was incorporated into DNA of villus epithelial cell nuclei.
Enhancing release of peptide YY after near-total proctocolectomy: jejunal pouch vs. ileal pouch-distal rectal anastomosis.

Reconstructing the enteric tract after near-total proctocolectomy by interposing a jejunal pouch between the distal ileum and the distal rectum slows small intestinal transit and decreases the number of stools per day compared to a conventional ileal pouch-distal rectal reconstruction. Our hypothesis was that the jejunal pouch operation brings about these results by protecting the ability of the ileal mucosa to secrete peptide YY, thus augmenting the hormonal ileal brake on small intestinal transit and decreasing the stool frequency. In five jejunal pouch dogs and five ileal pouch dogs, more than 6 months after the operation, serum peptide YY concentrations were determined before and at 30-minute intervals for 180 minutes after a standard meal. Fasting serum concentrations of peptide YY, measured by radioimmunoassay, were greater in jejunal pouch dogs (mean ± SEM, 1340 ±143 pg/ml) than in ileal pouch dogs (804 ±52 pg/ml; P <0.01). Postprandial peptide YY concentrations in jejunal pouch dogs were also greater at 30 minutes (jejunal pouch = 1524 ±131 pg/ml, ileal pouch = 913 ±67 pg/ml; P = 0.01) and 60 minutes after the meal (jejunal pouch = 1723 ±250 pg/ml, ileal pouch = 1001 ±70 pg/ml; P = 0.05) and peaked sooner (jejunal pouch = 81 ±17 minutes, ileal pouch = 147 ±12 minutes; P = 0.01). We concluded that the jejunal pouch operation results in greater ileal fasting and postprandial secretion of peptide YY than the ileal pouch operation. The greater release may account, in part, for the slower small bowel transit and decreased number of stools after the jejunal pouch operation.
Factors Affecting Spring Wheat Variety Choices: Comparisons between Canada and the United States

The demand for high-quality hard wheats has been increasing in the 1980s and 1990s. In this article, factors affecting the varieties planted of hard red spring wheat in Canadian producing regions and North Dakota are compared. Differences exist in the development and release of varieties, which affect the supply and quality of hard wheats produced. Wheat areas in the Canadian provinces are more con- centrated in the top variety than those in North Dakota. However, in recent years, there appears to be a tendency toward increased varietal concentration in North Dakota and less in Canada. Econometric models are developed to compare and contrast factors affecting variety choice. In Canada, agronomic factors including relative yields are significant variables affecting variety choice. In North Dakota, agronomic factors generally have less effect on adoption rates, but economic variables are important. Varieties in North Dakota and Manitoba have shorter life cycles and reach their maximum utilization by farmers earlier than in Alberta or Saskatchewan. The longer varietal life cycles and higher concen- tration of the dominant variety suggest end-use variability should be lower in Canada than in North Dakota. La demande de ble vitreux de haute qualite s'accroit depuis une vingtaine d'annees. Nous comparons id lesfacteurs determinant le choix des varietes de ble deprintemps roux vitreux dans les regions canadiennes de production et au North Dakota. On observe, dans les modalites de creation et de mise au commerce des varietes, des differences qui influent sur l'offre et sur la qualite des bles produits. Ainsi au Canada, les surfaces emblavees dans la variete la plus recommandee etaient plus concentrees qu'au North Dakota, bien que, ces dernieres annees, la tendance semble s'inverser. Des modeles econometriques ont ete construits pour comparer et confronter les facteurs jouant sur le choix varietal. Au Canada, lesfacteurs agronomiques, notamment les rendements relatifs, ressortaient comme les variables significatives du choix varietal, alors qu‘au North Dakota leur importance etait secondaire a celle des variables economiques. Les varietes adoptees au North Dakota et au Manitoba avaient un cycle de vie plus court et atteignaient leur sommet d'utilisation plus vite qu‘en Alberta ou en Saskatchewan. La plus longue duree du cycle de vie des varietes et les plus fortes concentrations de la variete dominante indiquent que la qualite du grainproduit devrait etre mains variable au Canada qu'au North Dakota.
Strength—toughness relationship for austenitic stainless steel welds at 4 K

Abstract Cryogenic mechanical property data compiled at the National Bureau of Standards, USA, have been used to analyse the relationship between yield strength and fracture toughness for austenitic stainless steel welds at 4 K. This study demonstrates that there is an inverse linear correlation between yield strength and fracture toughness for the stainless steel welds at 4 K, and that the welds have significantly lower toughness than base materials of comparable strength.
Developing scalable Java applications

The past ten years have seen a significant shift in focus in the design of microprocessors. Previously, great improvements in performance could usually be realized between processor generations by simply increasing the clock frequency and shrinking the die size. However, due to physical and engineering limitations, a stage was reached where increasing the processor frequency no longer became a practical design technique for commodity processors. In order to continue to provide performance improvements, processor designers turned to scaling the number of cores (or execution units) available within a single processor package. These "multi-core" processors offered the hope of providing increased computing power within a single package to applications that were prepared to use it.
Resistive wall mode in collisionless quasistationary plasmas.

The stability analysis of the n = 1 resistive wall mode is carried out for a simplified model of collisionless tokamak plasma. It is found that the trapped particle compressibility and the resonance between the mode and the precession drift frequency lead to a significant improvement of the beta stability limits. It is shown that, within the frame of the simplified model, the resistive wall mode can be fully suppressed and the plasma can be stable up to the wall beta limits for a slow plasma rotation.
The measurement of polymer surface tension by drop image processing: Application to PDMS and comparison with theory

Digital image processing techniques are applied toward the determination of polymer surface tension by pendant drop measurements. Experimental values for poly(dimethylsiloxane) as a function of molecular weight and temperature correspond well with previous measurements of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surface tension, testifying to the applicability of the new technique. Current thermodynamic treatments are found to provide excellent predictions of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surface tension for molecular weights of 3900 and 75,000 at temperatures ranging from 20 to 120°C. Theories developed by K. M. Hong and J. Noolandi (Macromolecules, 14, 1223, 1981) and Y. Rabin (J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Lett. Ed. 22, 335, 1984) yield predictions within 5% of t he experimental results for the materials and conditions studied. The proposed relation of Sanchez
The Test Path Generation from State-Based Polymorphic Interaction Graph for Object-Oriented Software

Successful integration of classes makes functionalities work correctly in software. The individual class usually functions correctly, but when the classes are integrated several unexpected faults may occur. In Object-Oriented software it is particularly hard to detect faults when classes are integrated because of inheritance, polymorphism and dynamic binding. Software designers use Unified Modeling Language (UML) to create an abstract system scenario and to visualize the system's architecture. A lot of research reveals that UML is not only for software design, but also for software testing. More and more researchers have realized UML models can be a source for Object-Oriented software testing. This paper proposes an intermediate test model called the Polymorphism State SEquence Test Model (PSSETM), which is generated from sequence diagram, class diagram and state-charts for integration testing. The example of Bookstore System shows the PSSETM test model is able to exhibit the possible state of object and the polymorphic information of class. Based on the PSSETM test model, various coverage criteria are defined to generate valid test paths to enhance testing on interaction among classes and the polymorphism of class.
Mid-range nucleon-nucleon interaction in the linear sigma model

Abstract The mid-range attraction between two nucleons is described by correlated two-pion exchange in the linear σ model. In contrast to previous work, chiral symmetry is incorporated dynamically, rather than by enforcing chiral constraints by hand. The input chiral σ mass is a free parameter, but the range and strength of the nucleon-nucleon (NN) attraction are insensitive to its value, which can be taken to be very large. A large σ mass reduces the strength of the nonlinear σ-meson interactions. The resulting strong NN attraction and small many-nucleon forces qualitatively reproduce the scalar dynamics in the Walecka model. To describe correlated two-pion exchange, the s-wave ππ phase shift is computed by summing the tree-level amplitude using the lowest-order Pade approximant. Unitarity and dispersion relations then determine the s-wave N N → ππ amplitude in the pseudophysical and physical regions. This amplitude contains important ππ rescattering effects and respects chiral symmetry. Unitarity and dispersion relations are then used again to calculate the spectral function for the scalar-isoscalar part of the NN interaction. The result can be approximated by a light scalar meson with a broadly distributed mass, which is consistent with the earlier results of Durso, Jackson and Verwest; moreover, the computed mass distribution is insensitive to the input σ mass, as long as it is large ( ⪆1 GeV ). Finally, nuclear matter properties are calculated in a Hartree approximation with the model scalar-isoscalar interaction and an elementary ω meson.
Photochemical Reactivity of Perchloroethylene: A New Appraisal

Perchloroethylene (PCE), a solvent used in dry cleaning, has been suspected of contributing significantly to photochemical ozone/oxidant (O3/Ox) problems in urban atmospheres. Past evidence, however, was neither complete nor consistent. To interpret more conclusively the past evidence, and further understand PCE's role in the O3Ox problem, a smog chamber testing program was conducted. The program's objectives were: (a) to explain the mechanism of the PCE reaction in smog chamber atmospheres, and (b) to extrapolate the smog chamber findings regarding PCE reactivity to the real atmosphere. Results showed that in smog chambers, PCE reacts and forms O3/Ox following what appears to be a Cl instigated photooxidation mechanism rather than the OH initiated mechanism accepted in current smog chemistry. The evidence, collectively, strongly supported this conclusion even though the source of Cl atoms could not be identified with confidence. It was further concluded that in the real atmosphere neither the Cl instigat...
Synthesis, Electrochemistry, and Structural Studies of Lithium Intercalation of a Nanocrystalline Li2MnO3-like Compound

A nanocrystalline lithium-rich manganese (IV) oxide, synthesized by a low-temperature sol−gel route, is reported as a surprising lithium intercalation host. The composition of the material is very close to Li2MnO3. X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analyses establish that the material possesses a nanocrystalline structure, similar to that of the rock salt monoclinic Li2MnO3, with a crystallite size of about 5 nm. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis at the Mn K edge indicates that the Mn is in the 4+ oxidation state and in a local atomic/electronic environment similar to that in the rock salt monoclinic Li2MnO3. Unlike the microcrystalline Li2MnO3, which is known to be electrochemically inactive for lithium intercalation or deintercalation, this nanocrystalline counterpart surprisingly yields a reversible intercalation capacity of 0.71−0.87 Li per formula or 163−200 (mA h)/g and a specific energy density of 400−450 (mW h)/g, at diff...
Management of painful diabetic neuropathy.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a prevalent disease in the US which affects more than 15 million people. As the disease progresses over time, neuropathic pain can become a common complication; it is present in more than 50% of individuals with diabetes mellitus aged >60 years. The pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy is theorised to be multifactorial. Numerous medications, some with different mechanisms of action, have been examined regarding their effects on the symptoms associated with diabetic neuropathy such as pain, paraesthesia and numbness. However, the majority of the studies have included small patient populations. Tricyclic antidepressants, amitriptyline and desipramine in particular, have been relatively well studied and shown to be effective. However, anticholinergic adverse effects may limit their usefulness and may preclude use in the elderly. Studies have also shown gabapentin to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Capsaicin cream provides another treatment option with a favourable adverse effect profile. Many other medications have been evaluated in diabetic neuropathy; however, more placebo-controlled studies with adequate patient populations need to be performed to solidify their role in treatment.
Status And Future Of High Density Magnetic Data Storage

Magnetic recording is entering yet another phase of explosive growth both in applications and in technology. Witness the 35mm magnetic camera and the excitement created by the rediscovery of vertical recording. Alternate technologies hoping to profit from its supposed demise (e.g.; optical storage) again see their emergence threatened. This paper addresses the prospects for the "moving target" - magnetic recording.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Free vibration analysis of circular cylindrical shells

Abstract A general analytical method is presented for evaluating the free vibration characteristics of a circular cylindrical shell with classical boundary conditions of any type. The solution is obtained through a direct solution procedure in which Sanders' shell equations are used with the axial modal displacements represented as simple Fourier series expressions. Stokes' transformation is exploited to obtain correct series expressions for the derivatives of the Fourier series. An explicit expression of the exact frequency equation can be obtained for any kind of boundary conditions. The accuracy of the method is checked against available data. The method is used to find the modal characteristics of the thermal liner model of the U.S. Fast Test Reactor (FTP). The numerical results obtained are compared with finite element method solutions.
A role for CD99 in T cell activation.

Abstract The function of the T cell surface protein CD99 was investigated in human CD4 + peripheral T cells. Crosslinking of the CD99 molecule using anti-CD99 mAbs in the presence of anti-CD3 Ab resulted in a marked enhancement of proliferation. CD99 coligation also enhanced CD25 expression and early markers of T cell activation, CD69 and CD40L. Ligation of CD99 resulted in the pronounced tyrosine phosphorylation of an ∼29-kDa protein suggesting that a specific CD99-induced signal transduction pathway may exist. Simultaneous costimulation with anti-CD99 and anti-CD28 Abs appeared to have additive effects on CD40L expression while CD99 ligation had no effect on CD2-mediated T cell induction of CD40L expression. These results demonstrate that CD99 signal transduction can deliver effective costimulatory signals to T cells.
Stabilizing nanocrystalline materials with dopants

The enhancement of material properties caused by extremely small grain sizes in metals and ceramics is attractive for many technological applications including protective coatings, electronic interconnects and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. However, the large driving force for grain growth caused by the abundance of grain boundaries remains a critical complication in the synthesis and functionality of nanocrystalline materials. Here we present atomistic simulations that illuminate the stabilizing effect of interfacially segregated, oversized dopants in face-centered cubic (fcc) copper. Using a bicrystal configuration, the calculated grain boundary energy is reduced to zero with systematically increasing dopant coverage and atomic radius mismatch. We then extend this result to a nanocrystalline network and determine the critical dopant concentration required to eliminate grain growth in bulk and thin film structures. The results of this investigation are intended to guide future experimental efforts to design appropriately doped, stable nanocrystalline materials.
Mouse erythroleukaemia of viral aetiology.

IN 1962, Rauscher1 described a virus recovered from BALB/c mice which resulted in a mononuclear infiltrate of the tissues examined, beginning 30–45 days after inoculation. Nucleated erythrocytes were observed in large numbers in the red pulp of the spleen and in sinusoids of the liver as well as in peripheral blood smears.
Structure and Opportunity: Committee Jurisdiction and Issue Attention in Congress

This article explores how the congressional committee system shapes the dynamics of issue attention. Consisting of what is referred to as a congressional opportunity structure, it describes how committee jurisdictions provide an important institutional context for the attention paid to new issues in congressional hearings. This is illustrated through an examination of congressional attention to biotechnology over a 30-year period. This article finds that committees with broader jurisdictions were more active in biotechnology than committees with a narrow policy remit. However, these institutional effects varied widely, even within a single policy domain. This variation suggests that issue attention depends on the degree of fit between issue characteristics and the congressional opportunity structure. More broadly, the findings here illustrate the virtues of public policy research in studies of Congress.
Synthetic Study of Azimuthal AVO Analysis With Anisotropic Spreading Correction

Summary In azimuthal AVO (amplitude-variation-with-os et) analysis, it is common to compensate for geometrical spreading by applying empirical amplitude gain corrections that may give erroneous results when the overburden is azimuthally anisotropic. Here, we present a synthetic modeling study, in which we test a more rigorous, moveout-based anisotropic spreading correction (MASC) on PP reections from the bottom of an orthorhombic layer. It should be emphasized that the MASC method operates with the eectiv e moveout parameters derived directly from wide-azimuth traveltimes and does not need any other information about the velocity model. The wide-azimuth, long-oset data were computed by the anisotropic reectivit y method, which generates exact waveelds for a stack of horizontal, azimuthally anisotropic layers. Although the MASC algorithm is valid within the framework of ray theory and does not account for the transmission through the top of the target layer, it accurately reconstructs the reection coecien t for a wide range of osets and azimuths. Errors in the estimated reection coecien t are mostly caused by the intereference of the target event with shear and mode-converted waves. We also examined the performance of the empirical t 2 gain correction on two models with dieren t relative strength of the azimuthal variation of the geometrical spreading. If the azimuthal dependence of the reection coecien t is much more pronounced than that of the geometrical spreading (i.e., three times or more at an angle of 20 , as in our model 1), the t 2 -correction can be used for purposes of qualitative azimuthal AVO analysis. However, when this condition is not satised (our model 2), the empirical correction distorts or even obliterates the azimuthal AVO signature.
Electron-capture decay of 2·4-hr 152Dy☆

Abstract A study of the radiations emitted in the electron-capture decay of 2·4-hr 152 Dy shows that only one level in 152 Tb, a 1 + level at 256·8 keV, is populated. Log ft for this transition is 4·3, and the γ-ray de-exciting the 1 + level is an El transition.
Cardiorenal Syndrome: Ultrafiltration Therapy for Heart Failure—Trials and Tribulations

Heart failure remains the leading cause of hospitalization in older patients and is considered a growing public health problem with a significant financial burden on the health care system. The suboptimal efficacy and safety profile of diuretic-based therapeutic regimens coupled with unsatisfactory results of the studies on novel pharmacologic agents have positioned ultrafiltration on the forefront as an appealing therapeutic option for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). In recent years, substantial interest in the use of ultrafiltration has been generated due to the advent of dedicated portable devices and promising results of trials focusing both on mechanistic and clinical aspects of this therapeutic modality. This article briefly reviews the proposed benefits of ultrafiltration therapy in the setting of ADHF and summarizes the major findings of the currently available studies in this field. The results of more recent trials on cardiorenal syndrome that present a counterpoint to previous observations and highlight certain limitations of ultrafiltration therapy are then discussed, followed by identification of major challenges and unanswered questions that could potentially hinder its more widespread use. Future studies are warranted to shed light on less well characterized aspects of ultrafiltration therapy and to further define its role in ADHF and cardiorenal syndrome.
Application of maximum likelihood estimation to radar imaging

An efficient maximum likelihood (ML) estimator to obtain the scattering center locations of a target and the relative scattering level of these scattering centers from the scattered field data is described. In the proposed method, ML estimation is carried out in the image domain rather than in the frequency-aspect domain. A two-dimensional (2-D) inverse Fourier transform is used to transfer the scattered field data from frequency-aspect domain to the image domain (down-range/cross-range). As expected, the scattered field data in the image domain has some regions with high energy. The samples in the high-energy regions are used to obtain the initial guess for the ML estimator as well as for ML estimation. The ML estimator in the image domain is applied to both simulated and experimental scattered fields of some targets.
Academic, Behavioral, and Social Adaptation of Boys with Hemophilia/HIV Disease

Examined the intelligence, academic achievement, behavior, and social competency of 37 school-aged boys with hemophilia, 56% with HIV infection. IQ scores fell in the average range, but total reading scores were almost 1 standard deviation below the mean. Parent and teacher ratings of social functioning and behavior fell in the normal range. Absenteeism, an average of 27 days for the previous school year, was inversely correlated with most teacher ratings, indicating that absenteeism may be a significant factor in the academic and social adaptation of children with hemophilia. Overall, boys infected with HIV demonstrated the same level of academic and behavioral adaptation as those uninfected. The need for special education programs and interventions to enhance competency in the school setting is discussed.
Tumor-initiating Activity of Fluorinated 5-Methylchrysenes

Abstract The environmental carcinogen, 5-methylchrysene, is more carcinogenic than are any of the other monomethylchrysene isomers or chrysene. For investigation of the site of metabolic activation of 5-methylchrysene, a series of fluorinated 5-methylchrysene derivatives was prepared and tested for tumor-initiating activity on mouse skin. The compounds tested were 1-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 3-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 6-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 7-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 9-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 11-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, and 12-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, as well as 5,12-dimethylchrysene and 12-methoxy-5-methylchrysene. Each compound was assayed at total initiating doses of 30 or 100 µg with promotion by three-times weekly application of 2.5 µg of tetradecanoylphorbol acetate. Of the fluoro compounds, 12-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 1-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, and 3-fluoro-5-methylchrysene were less active than was 5-methylchrysene, whereas 6-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 7-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, 9-fluoro-5-methylchrysene, and 11-fluoro-5-methylchrysene were as potent as was 5-methylchrysene. Both 5,12-dimethylchrysene and 12-methoxy-5-methylchrysene were also less active than was 5-methylchrysene. These results indicate that positions 12, 1, and 3 of 5-methylchrysene are involved in metabolic activation to the ultimate carcinogen. The requirements favoring carcinogenicity in this series are a bay-region methyl group and an unhindered peri position adjacent to an unsubstituted angular ring.
Coordinated VM Resizing and Server Tuning: Throughput, Power Efficiency and Scalability

Performance control and power management in virtualized machines (VM) are two major research issues in modern data centers. They are challenging due to complexities of hosted Internet applications, high dynamics in workloads and the shared virtualized infrastructure. Obtaining a model among VM capacity, server configuration, performance and power consumption is a very hard problem even for just one application. In this paper, we propose and develop GARL, a genetic algorithm with multi-agent reinforcement learning approach for coordinated VM resizing and server tuning. In GARL, model-independent reinforcement learning agents generate VM capacity and server configuration options and the genetic algorithm evaluates different combinations of those options for maximizing a global utilization function of system throughput and power efficiency. The multi-agent design makes GARL a scalable approach, which is important as more and more applications are hosted in data centers using cloud services. We build a testbed in a prototype data center and deploy multiple RUBiS benchmark applications. We apply a power budget in the testbed and observe superior system throughput and power efficiency of GARL. Experimental results also find that GARL significantly outperforms a representative reinforcement learning based approach in performance control. GARL shows better scalability when compared to a centralized approach.
Non-Parametric Scan Statistics for Disease Outbreak Detection on Twitter

We present a new method for disease outbreak detection, the "Non-Parametric Heterogeneous Graph Scan (NPHGS)". NPHGS enables fast and accurate detection of emerging space-time clusters using Twitter and other social media streams where standard parametric model assumptions are incorrect.