cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A systematic AFM-based method to measure adhesion differences between micron-sized domains in asphalt binders

Abstract The adhesion strength of asphalt binders is one of the fundamental properties that affect asphalt pavement’s performance. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one of the few methods that are capable of measuring adhesion of asphalt binders at the micro scale. Due to the stickiness and viscoelastic nature of the binder, challenges such as tip contamination are present in the measurement of AFM-based adhesion and the effects of operational parameters (e.g., the maximum compressive force and scanner drive speed) on adhesion measurements are often ignored in published studies. In this paper, a systematic AFM-based adhesion testing procedure was developed to minimize the above limitations, and used to characterize the adhesive force of four different asphalt binders. Results indicated that topographic images of solution-cast binder films displayed two micron-sized domains, with a height difference of a few nanometers between them. The adhesion difference between the raised and recessed areas of the binder films was considered to be statistically significant from t-tests, which might be attributed to the different chemical compositions between these two different domains. Such a rigorous AFM-based testing procedure can benefit adhesion measurements of other sticky polymeric materials. The adhesion difference between different domains should be helpful for building the link between chemical and mechanical properties of asphalt binders.
Pathogenesis and Prevention of Childhood Pneumonia in Developing Countries: Recommendations

Recommendations are presented that emerged from the Conference on the Pathogenesis and Prevention of Pneumonia in Children Developing Regions held 21-23 August 1989 in Bellagio, Italy. The conference recommendations embrace three major areas: first, the biology, epidemiology, and clinical manifestation of important etiologic agents causing acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI); second, the evaluation of risk factors affecting ALRI in the developing world necessary for planning intervention strategies in diverse ecologic settings; and third, the generation of targeted research questions that will translate into available safe and effective vaccines capable of controlling ALRI-related morbidity and mortality
Current controversies in the study of salmon homing

Salmonid fishes are famous for their tendency to home from feeding areas to spawn in their natal stream. In spite of considerable research effort, many aspects of homing are still poorly understood. This paper reviews four topics in the study of homing mechanisms which are presently unresolved or controversial. Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are emphasized but the issues apply widely within the family. The first topic is the migration from open ocean to coastal waters; tagging studies and correlations between ocean temperatures and migratory timing are in conflict regarding the possibility of true navigation by salmon. The second controversy involves homing through coastal waters and estuaries. These regions have physical characteristics which differ from both ocean and river environments and it is not clear how salmon make the transition from open water orientation to upstream migration. The third controversy concerns the process by which young salmon learn the chemical characteristics of their natal...
Effects of long-term sildenafil treatment for pulmonary hypertension in infants with chronic lung disease.

Objective To determine the clinical course and outcomes of infants with chronic lung disease (CLD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) who received prolonged sildenafil therapy. Study design We conducted a retrospective review of 25 patients Results Chronic sildenafil therapy (dose range, 1.5-8.0 mg/kg/d) was initiated at a median of 171 days of age (range, 14-673 days of age) for a median duration of 241 days (range, 28-950 days). Twenty-two patients (88%) achieved hemodynamic improvement after a median treatment duration of 40 days (range, 6-600 days). Eleven of the 13 patients with interval estimates of systolic pulmonary artery pressure with echocardiogram showed clinically significant reductions in PH. Five patients (20%) died during the follow-up period. Adverse events leading to cessation or interruption of therapy occurred in 2 patients, 1 for recurrent erections, and the other had the medication held briefly because of intestinal pneumatosis. Conclusion These data suggest that chronic sildenafil therapy is well-tolerated, safe, and effective for infants with PH and CLD.
Lightinduced sulfur-dealkylation of phosphino-thioether nickel(0) complexes

Abstract The observation of homolytic SCH3 bond cleavage in (Ph2P(o-C6H4)SCH3)2Ni0 under photochemical conditions has prompted further investigation of nickel(0) complexes and their stability. Tetradentate P2S′2 donor ligands (S′ = thioether type S donor) with aromatic rings incorporated into the P to S links, Ph2P(o-C6H4)S(CH2)3S(o-C6H4)PPh2 (arom-PSSP), or the S to S links, Ph2P(CH2)2SCH2(o-C6H4)CH2S(CH2)2PPh2 (PS-xy-SP), have been used to form four-coordinate, square planar nickel(II) complexes, [(arom-PSSP)Ni](BF4)2 (2) and [(PS-xy-SP)Ni](BF4)2 (3). The bidentate and tetradentate ligands, Ph2P(o-C6H4)SCH2CH3 (arom-PSEt) and Ph2P(CH2)2S(CH2)3S(CH2)2PPh2 (PSSP), give similar complexes, [(arom-PSEt)2Ni](BF4)2 (1) and [(PSSP)Ni](BF4)2 (4), respectively. Cyclic voltammograms of the Ni11 complexes in CH3CN show two reversible redox events assigned to Ni 11 1 and Ni 1 0 . The one-electron reduction product produced by stoichiometric amounts of Cp2Co can be characterized by EPR. At 100 K rhombic signals show hyperfine coupling to two phosphorus atoms. Complete bulk chemical reduction of complexes 1, 2, 3 and 4 with Na/Hg amalgam provided the corresponding nickel(0) complexes 1R, 2R, 3R and 4R which were isolated as red solutions or solids characterized by magnetic resonance properties and reaction products. Photolysis of these nickel(0) complexes leads to S-dealkylation to produce alkyl radicals and dithiolate nickel(II) complexes. Complex 3 crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2t/c with a=20.740(5), b=9.879(3), c=17.801(4) a A , s=92.59(2)°, V=3644(2) A 3 and Z=4 ; complex 4: P2 1 /c with a=13.815(4), b=13.815(4), c=15.457(5) a A , V=3365.4(14) A3 and Z=4.
The role of binder mobility in spontaneous adhesive contact and implications for cell adhesion

The standard view of mechanical adhesive contact is as a competition between a reduction in free energy when surfaces with bonding potential come into contact and an increase in free energy due to elastic deformation that is required to make these surfaces conform. An equilibrium state is defined by an incremental balance between these effects, akin to the Griffith crack growth criterion. In the case of adhesion of biological cells, the molecules that tend to form surface-to-surface bonds are confined to the cell wall but they are mobile within the wall, adding a new phenomenon of direct relevance to adhesive contact. In this article, the process of adhesive contact of an initially curved elastic plate to a flat surface is studied for the case in which the binders that account for adhesion are able to migrate within the plate. This is done by including entropic free energy of the binder distribution in the total free energy of the system. By adopting a constitutive assumption that binders migrate at a speed proportional to the local gradient in chemical potential, the transient growth of an adhesion zone due to binder transport is analyzed. For the case of a plate of very large extent, the problem can be solved in closed form, whereas numerical methods are invoked for the case of a plate of limited extent. Results are presented on the rate of growth of an adhesion zone in terms of system parameters, on the evolution of the distribution of binders and, in the case of a plate of limited extent, on the long-term limiting size of the adhesion zone.
Newburg of West Virginia: ABSTRACT

The Newburg (subsurface equivalent to the Williamsport Sandstone of Late Silurian age) has been the most important pre-Middle Devonian drilling target in West Virginia for several years. Seven gas fields have been discovered, covering an area of about 110 sq mi. Two wells have produced commercial quantities of Pennsylvania grade crude oil. As of November 1, 1970, the fields had produced an estimated 150 billion cu ft of gas. The median producing depth is approximately 5,500 ft. Trapping is both structural and stratigraphic, but predominantly controlled by porosity. Reported thicknesses of Newburg range from 0 to more than 25 ft but few wells have effective sandstone thicknesses in excess of 15 ft. Porosity values of 20% or more have been reported, but few sandstone beds with porosity of 8% or more are thicker than 10 ft. Permeability values in the more productive areas range up to more than 200 md. Fields are located in the western third of the state, and the best possibilities for future production lie in the undrilled parts of this division. Second best prospects lie within the middle third of the state which has been sparsely drilled to sufficient depth, and where two Newburg gas shows have been reported. Possibilities for the eastern highly folded belt are problematical. Some of the early wells were acidized, but now it is almost standard practice to fracture them; usually with very beneficial results. A few wells have been completed without stimulation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 607------------
Mentorship of Graduate Teaching Assistants: Effects on Instruction and a Space for Preparing to Teach Adults.

This article considers my mentoring of graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) as they worked with me to teach a graduate seminar. I sought their input to improve instruction in a course students consistently described as highly rigorous. To understand how I provided mentorship, I look at the work we did together to plan and teach the course and at the TAs' response to our work. This work differs from most literature on TAs as it focuses on the collaborative aspect of teaching and the intricacies of providing mentorship. Data include qualitative sources drawn from course materials and journaling, the TAs' reflections, and qualitative and quantitative student evaluations. Findings reveal that students still found course demands to be quite high. Additionally, the TAs needed more feedback on their teaching and to be made more visible to the students as sources of support. Implications explore the particular value of using TAs in colleges of education and suggest how best to integrate their input.
Intensity of Support Needs in Relation to Co-occurring Psychiatric Disorders

There is a growing body of research on the construct of support needs in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). An increasing emphasis is being placed on measuring and understanding the needs for supports and the factors that drive the intensity of these support needs. Prior research has firmly established that individuals with ID are more susceptible to a presenting co-occurring psychiatric disorder than individuals without ID. In this paper we examined the relationship between an individual's intensity of support needs and the presence of a diagnosed DSM-IV psychiatric disorder in a sample of 272 adults with ID. We found that individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis presented greater support needs in the area of problem behavior but lower support needs in relation to medical conditions that impact physical health. There was no significant difference in the overall intensity of support needs between individuals with ID who have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder and those who do not. The implicatio...
The clinical phenotype of two patients with a complete deletion of the iduronate-2-sulphatase gene (mucopolysaccharidosis II--Hunter syndrome).

Two patients with a complete deletion of the iduronate-2-sulphatase (IDS) gene are described. In both patients, the resulting phenotype was that of very severe Hunter syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis II). In addition, both had features not commonly seen in this disorder, e.g. early onset of seizures in one patient and ptosis in the other. It is speculated that loss of adjacent loci may contribute to the unusual findings and that the severe features present in both patients may represent contiguous gene syndromes. Further analysis of IDS cDNA from other patients with Hunter's syndrome may eventually enable phenotype to be predicted more accurately.
Left ventricular dilatation and failure post-myocardial infarction: Pathophysiology and possible pharmacologic interventions

An important antecedent to the development of late congestive heart failure is left ventricular dilatation and remodeling following myocardial infarction, which occurs in 30–40% of acute anterior transmural infarcts. Dilatation and remodeling commence within the first 24 hours following myocardial infarction and may be steadily progressive over months to years. Both the infarcted and uninfarcted regions of the myocardium are equally involved in the process. The remodeling process comprises left ventricular wall thinning (mainly due to cell slippage), chamber dilatation, and compensatory hypertrophy of the uninfarcted segment of the myocardium. The hypertrophy may initially be physiologic but may ultimately become a pathologic process, and thereby contribute to pump dysfunction. The possible reasons why the ventricualr hypertrophy may ultimately be dysfunctional include alterations in local architecture and their sequelae alone or in concert with local changes in the beta-adrenergic, alpha-adrenergic, or renin angiotensin systems. At the present time, there are encouraging data to suggest that nitroglycerin, or the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril, may ameliorate this process.
Image-Registration-Based Local Noise Reduction for Noisy Video Sequences

This paper presents a method for localizing noise-corrupted areas in quality degraded video frames, and for reducing the additive noise by utilizing the temporal redundancy in the video sequence. In the proposed algorithm, the local variance of each pixel is computed to obtain the spatial distribution of noise. After adaptive thresholding, region clustering, and merging, the corrupted areas of highest energy are detected. Due to the high temporal redundancy in the video sequence, the corrupted information can be compensated by overlapping the corrupted regions with the appropriate regions from adjacent video frames. The corresponding pixel locations in the adjacent frames are computed by using image registration and warping techniques. New pixel values are calculated based upon multi-frame stacking. Pixel values in the adjacent frames are weighted according to registration errors, whereas the values in the noisy frame are evaluated according to local variance. Knowing the location of the local noise enables the denoising process to be much more specific and accurate. Moreover, since only a portion of the frame is processed, as compared to standard denoising methods that operate on the entire frame, the details and features in other areas of the frame are preserved. The proposed scheme is applied to UAV video sequences, where the outstanding noise localization and reduction properties are demonstrated
Aging characteristics of a hybrid sol-gel Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 precursor solution

The “aging” characteristics of an acetic acid/methanol solvent-based lead zirconate titanate (PZT) precursor solution, prepared by the Inverted Mixing Order (IMO) process, have been studied for an extended period of time. The changes in film properties were characterized using optical microscopy, optical scattering, and ferroelectric testing. Films generated from the IMO process exhibit an increase in thickness as a function of solution age due to chemical “aging” (esterification) of the precursor solution. This increased thickness results in a decrease in the microstructural uniformity, which affects the electrical and optical properties. In order to understand and eventually control this phenomenon, we have quantified the “aging” of this solution using a variety of analytical methods, including 1H NMR spectroscopy, pH measurements, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. It is of note that we have discovered a method that circumvents this “aging” problem by removal of the volatile material, forming an IMO powder which can be redissolved to produce high quality PZT thin films whenever desired.
Amiodarone vs Sotalol as Prophylaxis Against Atrial Fibrillation/Flutter After Heart Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

Background The incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias remains high following open-heart surgery. The most common of these arrhythmias are atrial fibrillation and flutter (AFF), for which treatment is not well defined. Recent studies have focused on prophylactically treating patients in an attempt to reduce postoperative AFF. Several studies have shown that sotalol and amiodarone are both effective in reducing AFF following heart surgery. However, no studies have been done comparing both drugs. Methods A meta-analysis was done to compare the efficacy of sotalol and amiodarone after bypass graft surgery. Randomized controlled trials were included if patients were clearly monitored, and the incidence of AFF was noted. Ten studies were included in the final analysis. Results Both amiodarone and sotalol were more effective than placebo treatment in reducing the incidence of postoperative AFF. However, when the data were pooled, no differences were noted between amiodarone and sotalol for efficacy (sotalol, − 21.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], − 28.3 to − 14.6; amiodarone, − 14.1%; CI, − 20.1 to − 8.1), length of stay (sotalol, − 0.13 d; CI, − 0.33 to 0.07 d; amiodarone, − 0.18; CI, − 0.38 to 0.02 d), or adverse drug reactions causing drug termination (sotalol, 9.7%; CI, 0.086 to 19.3; amiodarone, 1.95%; CI, − 0.48 to 4.38). Conclusions This data would suggest that either drug could be used in a prophylactic regimen to reduce the incidence of AFF following heart surgery.
T Lymphocyte–Deficient Mice Lose Trabecular Bone Mass With Ovariectomy

UNLABELLED We examined OVX-induced bone loss in three TLD mouse models. In TLD mice, OVX caused trabecular bone loss equivalent to that of WT. In contrast, cortical bone loss with OVX was variable. We conclude that T lymphocytes do not influence OVX-induced trabecular bone loss. INTRODUCTION We examined ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss in three T lymphocyte-deficient (TLD) mouse models: nude mice, recombination activating gene 2-deficient (RAG2 KO) mice, and T cell receptor alpha chain-deficient (TCRalpha KO) mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bone mass was examined by DXA, microCT, and histomorphometry. We also examined the effect of OVX on T lymphocytes in the bone marrow and spleens of wildtype (WT) mice and on in vitro osteoclastogenesis and colony forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) activity in the bone marrow of WT and nude mice. RESULTS In WT mice, OVX did not alter T lymphocyte number in the bone marrow but did increase T lymphocytes in the spleen. Comparison of bone mass in nude, RAG2 KO, and TCRalpha KO mice with WT as measured by DXA showed decreased femoral bone mass in nude mice and increased vertebral bone mass in RAG2 KO mice. In TCRalpha KO mice, femoral, tibial, and vertebral bone mass were decreased. In vertebrae and long bones, bone loss with OVX was consistently present in WT mice but variably present in TLD mice as measured by DXA. In contrast, microCT and histomorphometry showed similar trabecular bone loss after OVX in all mice. However, femoral cortical bone loss occurred only in WT and RAG2 KO mice. OVX produced similar trabecular bone loss in WT and TCRalpha KO mice and also induced cortical bone loss in both. Histomorphometry showed that TRACP(+) area in bones was increased by OVX in femurs from both WT and nude mice as was in vitro osteoclast-like cell formation and CFU-GM activity. CONCLUSIONS These results show that OVX caused similar trabecular bone loss in both WT and TLD mice. The ability of DXA and measurement of cortical bone loss to show OVX-induced effects on bone mass was variable. It seems that T lymphocytes are not critical for OVX-induced trabecular bone loss in these mouse models.
Neurobiological model of stimulated dopamine neurotransmission to interpret fast-scan cyclic voltammetry data

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is an electrochemical method that can assess real-time in vivo dopamine (DA) concentration changes to study the kinetics of DA neurotransmission. Electrical stimulation of dopaminergic (DAergic) pathways can elicit FSCV DA responses that largely reflect a balance of DA release and reuptake. Interpretation of these evoked DA responses requires a framework to discern the contribution of DA release and reuptake. The current, widely implemented interpretive framework for doing so is the Michaelis-Menten (M-M) model, which is grounded on two assumptions- (1) DA release rate is constant during stimulation, and (2) DA reuptake occurs through dopamine transporters (DAT) in a manner consistent with M-M enzyme kinetics. Though the M-M model can simulate evoked DA responses that rise convexly, response types that predominate in the ventral striatum, the M-M model cannot simulate dorsal striatal responses that rise concavely. Based on current neurotransmission principles and experimental FSCV data, we developed a novel, quantitative, neurobiological framework to interpret DA responses that assumes DA release decreases exponentially during stimulation and continues post-stimulation at a diminishing rate. Our model also incorporates dynamic M-M kinetics to describe DA reuptake as a process of decreasing reuptake efficiency. We demonstrate that this quantitative, neurobiological model is an extension of the traditional M-M model that can simulate heterogeneous regional DA responses following manipulation of stimulation duration, frequency, and DA pharmacology. The proposed model can advance our interpretive framework for future in vivo FSCV studies examining regional DA kinetics and their alteration by disease and DA pharmacology.
Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease We Keep Learning How Little We Know

Although it has been apparent for some time that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, we do not seem to be gaining much ground in our efforts to understand either why this is the case or how best to prevent it. The dilemma was made explicit by the results of the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) showing that improvement in glycemic control was much more effective in reducing the microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes than it was in decreasing CHD.1 A subsequent analysis of the UKPDS data emphasized these differences in outcome by directly demonstrating that the impact of better glycemic control on incidence of CHD was strikingly attenuated as compared with the robust improvement in microvascular disease.2 The report by Wagenknecht and associates3 in this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology serves to both emphasize the magnitude of the problem as well as point out that the solution does not necessarily result from greatly increasing the number of CHD risk factors measured. See page 1035 The study by Wagenknecht and colleagues3 involved ultrasound evaluation of the progression over 5 years of carotid artery thickening in 1192 individuals, 336 of whom had type 2 diabetes at baseline, either undiagnosed (n=138) or diagnosed (228). Unfortunately, we are not told whether any of the participants developed clinical evidence of CHD during the 5-year period of observation. However, 40 deaths did occur, and the mortality rate was highest in the group with diagnosed diabetes at baseline (5.3%), as compared with 1.6%, 2.9%, and 1.6% in those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or undiagnosed diabetes, respectively. Because important conclusions of this study are that carotid thickening: 1) did not increase at …
Rings and rackets from single-wall carbon nanotubes: manifestations of mesoscale mechanics

We combine experiments and distinct element method simulations to understand the stability of rings and rackets formed by single-walled carbon nanotubes assembled into ropes. Bending remains a soft deformation mode in ropes because intra-rope sliding of the constituent nanotubes occurs with ease. Our simulations indicate that the formation of these aggregates can be attributed to the mesoscopic mechanics of entangled nanotubes and to the sliding at the contacts. Starting from the single-walled carbon nanotubes, the sizes of the rings and rackets' heads increase with the rope diameter, indicating that the stability of the experimental aggregates can be largely explained by the competition between bending and van der Waals adhesion energies. Our results and simulation method should be useful for understanding nanoscale fibers in general.
Role of thrombin in platelet-biomaterial interactions

Since no artificial surface is completely inert towards blood, thrombosis and thromboembolism complicate to some extent the use of all blood-contacting cardiovascular devices, whether intended for short-term or long-term applications [1]. Anticoagulant therapy is generally required to maintain device function with acceptable or low risk, implying an important role for the procoagulant enzyme thrombin in the thrombotic process. When devices are placed in the arterial circulation, the accumulation of blood platelets serves to localize and accelerate coagulation reactions leading to the formation of thrombus which may be composed almost entirely of platelets. These platelet masses may subsequently impair device function, or embolize to produce ischemia in distal microcirculatory beds. Platelet-biomaterial interactions have generally been resistant to conventional anticoagulant therapy (e.g., heparin), suggesting either that heparin is limited in its ability to affect this process, or that other thrombin-independent pathways of platelet recruitment may be of relatively greater importance [1, 2]. However, recent studies with more potent and specific inhibitors of the thrombin-platelet interaction have suggested that thrombin is indeed a key physiologic agonist for platelet activation in vivo. These observations are discussed below.
Obtaining refined first‐order predictive models of linear structural systems

This study presents an effective method for identifying predictive models and the underlying modal parameters of linear structural systems using only measured output and excitation time histories obtained from dynamic testing. The system under examination is modelled as a first-order multi-input multi-output time-invariant system, and the structural model is realized using the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm together with the Observer/Kalman filter IDentification algorithm. The identified state-space model is further refined using a non-linear optimization technique based on sequential quadratic programming. The numerical examples show that the developed methodology performs very well even in the presence of inadequate instrumentation and measurement noise, and that the methodology is highly capable of creating realistic predictive models of structural systems, as well as estimating their underlying modal parameters. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human IgG Subclasses: In Vitro Neutralization of and In Vivo Protection against West Nile Virus

West Nile virus (WNV)-neutralizing intravenous immune globulins (IVIG) were fractionated into IgG subclasses, and the contribution of each subclass to in vitro neutralization of and in vivo protection against WNV was evaluated. The results indicate that IgG1 (i) is the main subclass induced following WNV infection of humans, (ii) contained nearly all the in vitro WNV neutralization capacity, and (iii) mediates effector functions in vivo that render it superior to other subclasses in protection against WNV. The importance of human IgG1 indicates that a candidate WNV vaccine should induce an immune response that includes WNV-specific IgG1.
Negative Attitudes Toward Physical Activity: Measurement and Role in Predicting Physical Activity Levels Among Preadolescents

Objectives To describe the development and validation of a measure of negative attitudes toward physical activity and examine the association between these attitudes and self-reported physical activity among preadolescents. Method A school-based sample of 382 fifth and sixth graders (mean age = 10.8) completed measures of attitudes toward physical activity and self-reported physical activity. Body mass index data for the participants was collected as a part of a standard school health assessment. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were utilized to test the factor structure and predictive value of attitudes toward physical activity. Results Results supported the reliability and concurrent validity of the negative attitudes measure and found a significant association between negative attitudes and physical activity. Negative attitudes was found to be a stronger predictor of physical activity than positive attitudes, which have been the focus of previous research in this area. Conclusions The results suggest that negative attitudes toward physical activity can be reliably measured and may be an important target for intervention efforts to increase physical activity among children and adolescents.
Medical Heavy Ion Accelerator Proposals

The potential efficacy of energetic, charged particles in the treatment of human disease has long been recognized. For several decades, accelerators designed primarily for research in nuclear and high energy physics have been adapted for biomedical research including radiotherapeutic treatment of human diseases such as pituitary disorders, cancer, and, more recently, arteriovascular malformations. The particles used in these treatments include pions, protons and heavier ions such as carbon, neon, silicon and argon. Maximum beam energies must be available to penetrate into an equivalent of about 30 cm of water, requiring treatment beams of 250 to 1000 MeV/nucleon. Certain special treatments of superficial melanoma, however, require that beam energies as low as 70 MeV/nucleon also be available. Intensities must be adequate to complete a 100 rad treatment fraction in about 1 minute. For most heavy ion treatments, this corresponds to 107-109 ions/second at the patient. Because this research is best conducted in a dedicated, hospital-based facility, and because of the clinical need for ultra-high reliability, the construction of new and dedicated facilities has been proposed. Heavy ion accelerators can provide a variety of ions and energies, permitting treatment plans that exploit the properties of the ion best suited to each individual treatment, and that employ radioactive beams (such as 11C and 19Ne) to precisely confirm the dose localization. The favored technical approach in these proposals utilizes a conventional, strong-focusing synchrotron capable of fast switching between ions and energies, and servicing multiple treatment rooms.
Novel Natural Gas to Liquids Processes: Process Synthesis and Global Optimization Strategies

An optimization-based process synthesis framework is proposed for the conversion of natural gas to liquid transportation fuels. Natural gas conversion technologies including steam reforming, autothermal reforming, partial oxidation to methanol, and oxidative coupling to olefins are compared to determine the most economic processing pathway. Hydrocarbons are produced from Fischer–Tropsch (FT) conversion of syngas, ZSM-5 catalytic conversion of methanol, or direct natural gas conversion. Multiple FT units with different temperatures, catalyst types, and hydrocarbon effluent compositions are investigated. Gasoline, diesel, and kerosene are generated through upgrading units involving carbon-number fractionation or ZSM-5 catalytic conversion. A powerful deterministic global optimization method is introduced to solve the mixed-integer nonlinear optimization model that includes simultaneous heat, power, and water integration. Twenty-four case studies are analyzed to determine the effect of refinery capacity, liquid fuel composition, and natural gas conversion technology on the overall system cost, the process material/energy balances, and the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 505–531, 2013
Surface-mounted thin-film actuators in pointing systems applications

In this paper, high-fidelity modeling, precision positioning, vibration and disturbance attenuations, as well as tracking control problems for flexible beams with thin-film PZT actuators are studied. The mathematical models of the beam are described by partial differential equations. Nonlinear actuator dynamics are integrated to perform design, and guarantee accurate performance analysis with outcome prediction. Forces developed by the PZT actuators are applied to properly position the beam, attenuate vibrations and minimize disturbances. It is illustrated that high-fidelity mathematical models of actuators must be integrated because nonlinearities, hysteresis and other phenomena cannot be neglected. These nonlinear effects significantly degrade overall performance and, therefore, the control problem must be solved. To guarantee the optimal performance, robust tracking control algorithms are designed using proportional-integral control laws with state feedback. A novel design method is applied. In addition to the solution of the tracking control problem, the parametric optimization problem must be examined. In particular, we examine the system performance using different numbers of thin-film actuators and optimize their locations. The results reported are new and have not been previously reported in the literature. The proposed mathematical models, design procedures and optimization are verified through heterogeneous simulations and data-intensive analysis using the MATLAB environment.
Total Normal Motile Sperm Count Plays no Role in Clinical pregnancy Rate After Intrauterine Insemination

vitrified at 8-cell, morula and blastocyst stages using a modified vitrification medium with low concentration of DMSO to avoid potential toxicity. Nonbiopsied mouse embryos at the same stages were vitrified as control. The vitrified embryos were thawed and analyzed by their survival rate, blastocyst formation and hatching rates. RESULT(S): At 8-cell stage, the overall survival rate of the non biopsied embryos was significantly higher than the biopsied embryos (94% versus 68%), P 0.05). At morula stage, both biopsied and non biopsied groups had similar survival rate (96% versus 92%,P>0.05). After thawing, the blastocyst formation rate of the biopsied group is comparable to that of the non biopsied group (93% versus 94%, P>0.05). At blastocyst stage, both biopsied and non biopsied embryos had similar survival rate (92% versus 91%, P>0.05). The hatching blastocyst rates in both groups are similar (86% verse 89%, P>0.05). CONCLUSION(S): The above data suggests that the survival rate and developmental potential of the biopsied mouse embryos at morula and blastocyst stages are similar to those of the non biopsied embryos using the modified vitrification medium. Moreover, vitrification of biopsied embryos at advanced stage shows better survival ratewhen compared to cleavage stage embryos using the modified vitrification medium. SUPPORT: Institutional funds
Oxidative folding of murine prion mPrP(23-231).

A systematic study of the oxidative folding of murine prion protein mPrP(23‐231) is reported here. Folding of mPrP(23‐231) involves formation of a single disulfide bond, Cys179‐Cys214. Despite this simplicity, reduced mPrP(23‐231) exhibits numerous unusual folding properties. In the absence of denaturant, folding of mPrP(23‐231) is extremely sluggish, regardless of pH. The optimal pH for mPrP(23‐231) folding was found to be 4‐5. At pH 8.0, a condition that typically favors disulfide formation, folding of mPrP(23‐231) hardly occurs, and it not facilitated by inclusion of redox agent. In the presence of denaturant (4 m urea or 2 m guanidine hydrochloride) and basic pH (8.0), reduced mPrP(23‐231) refolds to the native structure quantitatively. The efficiency of folding can be further promoted by the presence of oxidized glutathione. At pH 4.0 and in the presence of 4 m urea, reduced mPrP(23‐231) converts to three distinctive conformational isomers, unable to form the native structure. These unusual properties lead us to the following conclusions. The reduced mPrP(23‐231) adopts a highly rigid structure with the two cysteines buried or situated apart. The presence of denaturant or low pH disrupts this rigid structure and lowers the energy barrier, which permits oxidation and refolding of the reduced mPrP(23‐231). Under selected conditions, reduced mPrP(23‐231) is capable of taking on multiple forms of stable conformational isomer that are segregated by energy barriers.
A system-wide anonymity metric with message multiplicities

An important goal of an anonymity system is to hide the level of communication between two users, i.e., the number of messages one user sent to another. We construct an anonymity metric that measures the extent to which the system-wide communication pattern of all users of an anonymity system is hidden, among other possible patterns, in the aftermath of an attack. Our model allows users to send or receive multiple messages via the anonymity system, and our metric handles attacks that are capable of determining infeasibility of some of the system's input-output message combinations. We also analyse two earlier attempts in the literature at arriving at such a metric, and show that one of those attempts is limited to only a small class of such attacks, while the other fails to take any attack into account. In comparison, our metric is comprehensive, as it is applicable to all attacks mentioned above.
Recent developments in standing-wave oscillator design: review

The paper summarizes the most recent advances in wave-based oscillator design, reviewing various manifestations of the traveling-wave oscillator and the standing-wave oscillator. We then review and analyze our latest development of standing-wave oscillator design utilizing wave-adaptive tapered transmission lines (Andress, W. and Ham, D., IEEE VLSI Symp., 2004). This structure lowers phase noise through loss-reducing shaping of the transmission line, such that it is adapted to the position-dependent standing wave amplitudes. Demonstrating the benefits of standing-wave-based operations, this novel design concept boosts the potential for the emergence of standing-wave oscillators as a useful alternative to the traditional LC oscillator.
Aspheric optics: smoothing the ripples with semi- flexible tools

A well-known fabrication problem with aspheric optical surfaces lies in high-frequency surface irregularities inherent in the figuring process. Optical grinding and polish- ing tools can smooth these ripples, yet retain the flexibility required to fit the aspheric surface. Anf/0.52, paraboloidal, 17-in. convex surface is produced with conventional rigid tools. A transmission ronchigram is obtained showing high- spatial-frequency errors of large magnitude. After four hours of grinding with a semi-flexible multiple-segment ring tool, almost all high-frequency error is removed. This shows good potential for smoothing finished aspheric optics. Flexible tools can also be involved in the figuring process itself. © 2002 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (DOI: 10.1117/1.1481898)
Evaluating the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 with Firm Quadratic Risk Programming

Federal agricultural commodity programs generally have been assumed to reduce the income risk for farm firms, but limited empirical research exists on this proposition. This paper presents a study of the impact of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977on income risk for a representative farm in Georgia. The model is used to derive an E-V frontier for a firm not participating in the program and for the same firm that is participating in the program. Results indicate that participation dominates nonparticipation except for higher level of expected net income.
"Benign" imaging abnormalities in children and adolescents with headache.

Objective.—To study the frequency of “benign” abnormalities on brain imaging in children with headache, compare it with the frequency of imaging findings that dictate a change in patient management, and determine the association of benign findings with headache. Methods.—A database of 681 headache patients from the pediatric outpatient neurology department over 2 years was reviewed. Patients with benign imaging abnormalities were compared to those with nonbenign findings. Benign abnormalities were defined as those that did not result in a change in patient management. Using literature review, we discuss the benign findings and their possible association with headache. Results.—Two-hundred and forty-one patients (35.4%) had imaging at our facility. Two-hundred and eighteen had brain magnetic resonance imaging and 23 had brain computed tomography (CT) only. Twenty-two patients had CT of the sinuses in addition to brain imaging. Forty-six (19.1%) were found to have 50 benign abnormalities including 13 sinus disease, 11 Chiari I malformations, 7 nonspecific white matter abnormalities, 5 venous angiomas, 5 arachnoid cysts, 4 enlarged Virchow–Robin spaces, 2 pineal cysts, 1 mega cisterna magna, 1 fenestration of the proximal basilar artery, and 1 periventricular leukomalacia. Twenty-three patients (9.5%) had findings requiring a change in management. These included 5 sinus disease, 4 tumors, 4 old infarcts, 3 Chiari I, 2 moyamoya, 1 intracranial vascular stenosis, 1 internal jugular vein occlusion, 1 arteriovenous malformation, 1 demyelinating disease, and 1 intracerebral hemorrhage. When excluding sinusitis, which was evident clinically prior to imaging, 3 patients had absence of abnormal neurologic symptoms and signs and imaging findings that resulted in a change in management. Conclusions.—Approximately 20% of pediatric headache patients with brain imaging have benign abnormalities that do not result in a change in headache management. Imaging findings that require a change in management are rare in patients with an absence of abnormal neurologic symptoms and signs, occurring in 1.2% of patients imaged in this study.
Inkless Microcontact Printing on SAMs of Boc- and TBS-Protected Thiols

We report a new inkless catalytic µCP technique that achieves accurate, fast, and complete pattern reproduction on SAMs of Boc- and TBS-protected thiols immobilized on gold using a polyurethane-acrylate stamp functionalized with covalently bound sulfonic acids. Pattern transfer is complete at room temperature just after one minute of contact and renders sub-200 nm size structures of chemically differentiated SAMs.
Graded representations of emotional expressions in the left superior temporal sulcus

Perceptual categorization is a fundamental cognitive process that gives meaning to an often graded sensory environment. Previous research has subdivided the visual pathway into posterior regions that processes the physical properties of a stimulus, and frontal regions that process more abstract properties such as category information. The superior temporal sulcus (STS) is known to be involved in face and emotion perception, but the nature of its processing remains unknown. Here, we used targeted fMRI measurements of the STS to investigate whether its representations of facial expressions are categorical or noncategorical. Multivoxel pattern analysis showed that even though subjects were performing a categorization task, the left STS contained graded, noncategorical representations. In the right STS, representations showed evidence for both stimulus-related gradations and a categorical boundary.
Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Comorbid Cannabis Use and Anxiety Disorders.

Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) co-occur with anxiety disorders at high rates, presumably because some individuals with anxiety disorders may rely on cannabis to manage anxiety. Motivation enhancement therapy (MET) combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious intervention for CUD, yet outcomes are worse for patients with elevated anxiety. The integration of MET-CBT with False Safety Behavior Elimination Treatment (FSET) may be useful with anxious CUD patients, as the use of cannabis to manage anxiety can be targeted as a false safety behavior. Here, we describe the integrated treatment and the successful use of it among two patients—one with CUD and comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD) and one with CUD and comorbid SAD and generalized anxiety disorder. Data support the feasibility of this integrated treatment as a viable approach to the treatment of CUD and comorbid anxiety disorders. Future controlled trials are now warranted to further evaluate the intervention.
Human Ascitic Fluid as a Blood Substitute in Experimental Secondary Shock

ConclusionHuman ascitic fluid, when administered to group compatible recipients, is capable of raising and maintaining the blood pressure in secondary shock.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Films and Characterization

Electrophoretic deposition enables the rapid deposition of single wall carbon nanotube films at room temperature. An accurate, reproducible film thickness can be obtained by controlling electric field strength, suspension concentration, and time. To investigate the electrical and mechanical properties of such films, we recorded electric resistance and Young’s modulus using I-V characterization and a nanoindenter, respectively. The measured resistivity of the films varied from 2.14 × 10-3 to 7.66 × 10-3 Ω·cm, and the Young’s modulus was 4.72 to 5.67 GPa, independent of film thickness from 77 to 134 nm. These results indicated that the mechanical and electrical properties of film are comparable with previously reported methods such as layer by layer deposition even though we achieved much higher deposition rates. We also measured the film mass density which is usually unrecorded even though it is an important parameter for MEMS/NEMS device actuation. The film density was found with conventional thickness measurement and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. It varied from 0.12 to 0.54 g/cm3 as the film thickness increased. This method could be extended to applications of CNT films for flexible electronics or high frequency RF MEMS devices.
Strong Quantum Coherence between Fermi Liquid Mahan Excitons.

In modulation doped quantum wells, the excitons are formed as a result of the interactions of the charged holes with the electrons at the Fermi edge in the conduction band, leading to the so-called “Mahan excitons.” The binding energy of Mahan excitons is expected to be greatly reduced and any quantum coherence destroyed as a result of the screening and electron-electron interactions. Surprisingly, we observe strong quantum coherence between the heavy hole and light hole excitons. Such correlations are revealed by the dominating cross-diagonal peaks in both one-quantum and two-quantum two-dimensional Fourier transform spectra. Theoretical simulations based on the optical Bloch equations where many-body effects are included phenomenologically reproduce well the experimental spectra. Furthermore, time-dependent density functional theory calculations provide insight into the underlying physics and attribute the observed strong quantum coherence to a significantly reduced screening length and collective excitations of the many-electron system.