cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benign thyroid adenomas among persons X-irradiated in infancy for enlarged thymus glands.

Thyroid adenoma incidence in a cohort of 2657 infants given X-ray treatment for a supposedly enlarged thymus gland, along with 4833 unirradiated siblings, has been ascertained for an average of 37 years since irradiation. Estimated thyroid doses ranged from 0.03 to >8 Gy, with 62% receiving <0.5 Gy. After excluding 4 adenoma cases with concurrent or previous thyroid cancer, there were 86 cases with pathologically diagnosed thyroid adenomas in the irradiated group and 11 in the sibling controls. The estimated excess relative risk (ERR) was 6.3 per gray (90% CI = 3.7, 11.2). Once the dose group with ≥6 Gy, which was producing downward curvature in the dose-response function, was removed, the curve was compatible with linearity and the ERR was 7.8 per gray. Thyroid adenoma rates were elevated even at low doses: the lowest dose group (<0.25 Gy) showed a significant elevation in risk. The relative risk appeared to be constant over time and was comparable for both sexes. Excess adenoma risk was observed in the ...
Quantitative determination of Eu(III) complex speciation in aqueous complexes of Eu(III) with oxydiacetic acid using 5D0 → 7F0 excitation spectroscopy

Abstract In this work we report on the use of 7F0→ 5D0 excitation spectroscopy in determination of the concentration of the mono-, bis-, and tris-complexes of Eu(III) with the terdendate ligand oxydiacetic acid (ODA) for various metal/ligand ratios. For each of these complexes a separate resolvable excitation peak is observed. Each of the peaks can be fit to a normalized Lorentzian lineshape function, and a multiplicative factor may be determined that is proportional to the concentration. Comparison is made with results from conventional potentiometric measurements, and the potential for the use of this procedure in other systems is discussed.
Transient Analysis of a Ceramic High Temperature Heat Exchanger and Chemical Decomposer

Ceramics are suitable for use in high temperature applications as well as corrosive environment. These characteristics were the reason behind selection silicone carbide for a high temperature heat exchanger and chemical decomposer, which is a part of the Sulphur-Iodine (SI) thermo-chemical cycle. The heat exchanger is expected to operate in the range of 950°C. The proposed design is manufactured using fused ceramic layers that allow creation of micro-channels with dimensions below one millimeter. A proper design of the heat exchanges requires considering possibilities of failure due to stresses under both steady state and transient conditions. Temperature gradients within the heat exchanger ceramic components induce thermal stresses that dominate other stresses. A three-dimensional computational model is developed to investigate the fluid flow, heat transfer and stresses in the decomposer. Temperature distribution in the solid is imported to finite element software and used with pressure loads for stress analysis. The stress results are used to calculate probability of failure based on Weibull failure criteria. Earlier analysis showed that stress results at steady state operating conditions are satisfactory. The focus of this paper is to consider stresses that are induced during transient scenarios. In particular, the cases of startup and shutdown of the heat exchanger are considered. The paper presents an evaluation of the stresses in these two cases.© 2007 ASME
Recent Developments in Composite Construction in the USA

This paper presents an overview of the proposed changes in composite design provisions for the upcoming American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) 2005 Specification. The main change insofar as member design is concerned relates to how composite column design is handled. The new provisions will provide a more smooth transition between design of composite and reinforced concrete columns and a more rational, mechanistically-based design procedure. Insofar as member detailing is concerned, the main change is in the strength values for shear studs, which have been considerably lowered under some circumstances. The paper also presents some ongoing developments in composite floor and lateral load resisting systems, and concludes with a short description of an unusual composite truss.
Nonuniform modulated filter bank

The design of modulated filter bank with nonuniform frequency allocations is considered. The nonuniform subband filters are formed by merging the subband filters of an uniform modulated filter bank. This simple merge preserved the spectral properties and the structure of the uniform modulated filter bank in the resulting nonuniform filter bank. The merge of subband filters of paraunitary modulated filter bank preserve the perfect reconstruction property. As a result, this seemingly idea gives rise to a simple design method for a large class of nonuniform modulate filter banks that are perfectly reconstruct. Design example of a nonuniform cosine modulated filter bank is derived. The performance of nonuniform cosine modulated filter bank under the presented framework is discussed.
Variable responses within epiphytic and benthic microalgal communities to nutrient enrichment

We evaluated how changes in nutrient supply altered the composition of epiphytic and benthic microalgal communities in a Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) bed in Florida Bay. We established study plots at four sites in the bay and added nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the sediments in a factorial design. After 18, 24, and 30 months of fertilization we measured the pigment concentrations in the epiphytic and benthic microalgal assemblages using high performance liquid chromatography. Overall, the epiphytic assemblage was P-limited in the eastern portion of the bay, but each phototrophic group displayed unique spatial and temporal responses to N and P addition. Epiphytic chlorophyll a, an indicator of total microalgal load, and epiphytic fucoxanthin, an indicator of diatoms, increased in response to P addition at one eastern bay site, decreased at another eastern bay site, and were not affected by P or N addition at two western bay sites. Epiphytic zeaxanthin, an indicator of the cyanobacterial/coralline red algae complex, and epiphytic chlorophyll b, an indicator of green algae, generally increased in response to P addition at both eastern bay sites but did not respond to P or N addition in the western bay. Benthic chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, fucoxanthin, and zeaxanthin showed complex responses to N and P addition in the eastern bay, suggesting that the benthic assemblage is limited by both N and P. Benthic assemblages in the western bay were variable over time and displayed few responses to N or P addition. The contrasting nutrient limitation patterns between the epiphytic and benthic communities in the eastern bay suggest that altering nutrient input to the bay, as might occur during Everglades restoration, can shift microalgal community structure, which may subsequently alter food web support for upper trophic levels.
Neonatal lupus erythematosus: clinical findings and pathogenesis.

Neonatal lupus erythematosus is an uncommon disease associated with maternal autoantibodies to proteins of the Ro/La (SSA/SSB) family. The clinical findings most often reported are third- degree heart block and cutaneous lupus lesions, but a significant number of children have cardiomyopathy, hepatobiliary disease, or hematologic cytopenias. The consistent presence of maternal autoantibodies and the transient nature of the disease implicate maternal autoantibodies as the cause of the disease, and developing animal models support the concept that the autoantibodies are pathogenic. Only a minority of babies exposed to the autoantibodies develop disease, however, and mothers and their babies have different disease manifestations. Thus, additional factors are likely to be important in determining disease expression.
Functional and anatomic differentiation between parvicellular and magnocellular regions of red nucleus in the monkey

Abstract Single unit recording in awake monkeys was used to search for functional differences between the two divisions of the red nucleus, and anatomical tracing of WGA-HRP was used to investigate inputs to the two divisions. We studied a total of 323 units in 4 red nuclei of two monkeys. Recording sites were identified in histological sections by the locations of lesions and the reconstruction of electrode tracks. Of the units in the RNm 98.5% discharged in high frequency bursts movement. Only 52% showed reliable responses to somatosensory stimulation, and the responses observed were weaker than the movement-related discharge. None of the units recorded in the RNp showed strong movement-related discharge, and 51% were completely unresponsiveness during both motor and sensory tests. A dorsolateral group of medium-sized cells that ovelaps the rostral half of the main RNm and the caudal pole of RNp appears to represent an extension of the magnocellular region. Retrograde transport ifWGA-HRP indicated that some of the cells are rubrospinal neurons. Furthermore, the discharge properties of dorsolateral neurons are like the main RNm neurons, except for lower discharge rates and smaller spike amplitudes. Mouth movements are strongly represented in the dorsolateral region. Anterograde transport of WGA-HRP from the motor cortex demonstrated dense terminal label in RNp as contrasted with light label inRNm. Retrograde transport of WGA-HRP from RNm labeled many more cells in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus than in motor cortex. We concluded that input to RNm from the cerebellum is the likely source movement-related activity recorded from cells in the RNm. The absence of appreciable movement-related activity in parvicellular red nucleus provides a clear functional distinction between this division and the magnocellular division of the red nucleus.
Spoiler alert: positive small natriuretic peptide--guided therapy sub-study ahead: read at your own risk.

Now moving forward on that cautionary note, the purpose of this editorial will be to put into context the findings from 38 older adults (age $75 years) with heart failure (HF) and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) #40% who were randomized to a strategy of amino terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)-guided therapy versus standard of care (SOC) by cardiologists with expertise in the management of HF as part of the larger (n5 151) single-center Pro-BNP Outpatient Tailored Chronic Heart Failure Therapy (PROTECT) study. Why might the findings from just 38 research participants be relevant to how we interpret the results from a growing literature of multiple smallto moderate-sized randomized trials that have compared outpatient HF management guided strategies using natriuretic peptides (NP) versus SOC? Although 2 meta-analyses suggest a beneficial outcome with respect to all-cause mortality when following and actively trying to decrease NP levels versus SOC, and a definitive (hopefully) multicenter trial will soon start enrollment, significant uncertainty remains as to which patients may be most likely to benefit from an NP-guided strategy. Much controversy surrounds the use of NP levels to guide chronic HF therapy, and nowhere is it more controversial than the applicability of this strategy to older adults. Two studies in particular, Trial of Intensified vs Standard Medical Therapy in Elderly Patients With Congestive Heart Failure (TIME-CHF) and NT-proBNPeAssisted Treatment To Lessen Serial Cardiac Readmissions and Death (BATTLESCARRED), enrolling a combined total of 863 subjects, showed overall neutral results for outcomes between NP guidance and SOC strategies. Further analysis of each study revealed that for adults !75 years, there was
Current Macroeconomic Policies and U.S. Agriculture: Discussion

the stage for further discussion and research. Starleaf's paper asserts the U.S. economy has been demand-managed during the postwar period in an effort to achieve high growth and resource utilization rates-given implied price stability constraints. Other industrialized countries have pursued similar goals, as well. While demand management has not been abandoned, it certainly has been reevaluated by most industrialized countries. As a result, these countries have exhibited much greater willingness to accept slow or negative real economic growth rates in order to address stubborn inflation problems. In his paper, Starleaf utilizes a number of regression equations to demonstrate the linkages between the farm sector and the general economy. While many of his conclusions have been reported previously in agricultural economics literature, some new and useful perspectives are discussed. For example, agricultural economists have long been concerned with supply management. But if strong economic growth in the general economy has as positive an impact on farm prices as he indicates, perhaps farmers should become more interested in demand management. Farm policy makers could become more supportive of public transfer payment programs such as food stamps, school lunches, and the like. Parenthetically, supply considerations are more important in determining farm price movements than Starleaf indicates. The statis-
Geopressure evolution, hydrocarbon generation and migration in the Beaufort-Mackenzie Basin, Canada: results from two-dimensional quantitative modelling

Abstract Three cross-sections of onshore and offshore areas of the Beaufort-MacKenzie Basin were used to simulate geopressure evolution, hydrocarbon generation and migration processes of the Tertiary section using a two-dimensional model. Two analytical approaches were used: (1) adjusting geological, geophysical and geochemical parameters to obtain the best fit between the model results and regional geological data in a one-dimensional manner; and (2) reconstructing the basin evolutionary history in a two-dimensional manner. The model results indicate that the present day distributions of geopressure and maturity levels at different locations have been modified by late Miocene uplift and erosion, followed by rapid deposition of the late Miocene-Pleistocene lperk sediments. Although the occurrence of oil and gas has no obvious relationship to geopressure at the present day, the evolution of geopressure in strata older than the Mackenzie sequence plays an important part in the maturation of Tertiary source rocks. Geopressure in these older formations caused an increase in thermal gradient and porosity in the deep formations. The analysis indicates that the timing of hydrocarbon generation and the evolution of geopressure are critical factors in the development of horizontal migration (Reindeer reservoirs) versus vertical migration (Kugmallit reservoirs).
Equilibrium studies by pulsed high pressure mass spectrometry: a calibration, and some pitfalls and solutions

Abstract The accuracy of pulsed high pressure mass spectrometry (PHPMS) thermochemical measurements was assessed using a ladder of charge transfer equilibria involving aromatic molecules. The ladder was constructed using ΔH° values from variable temperature measurements. For the 14 compounds in the ladder, the average agreement of the equilibrium results with spectroscopic ionisation potentials (IPs) is ± 0.6 kcal mol−1. Over the span of the ladder, from 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene to C6F6, the thermochemical ladder yields a ΔIP of 40.7 kcal mol−1, compared with the spectroscopic value of 42.3 kcal mol−1 i.e., the equilibrium values cover the span of 40 kcal mol−1 with an accuracy of ±5%. The sources of error in these studies are evaluated, and some common pitfalls in PHPMS studies are discussed. These include: steady states that appear as equilibria; isomerisation; pyrolysis of ions and neutrals; slow reactions and non-reactive systems; reaction outside the ion source; vapor pressure problems; and mass coincidences. Tests and solutions for these complications are also discussed.
Duration Effects in Contingency Management Treatment of Methamphetamine Disorders

Abstract The primary aim of this study was to determine whether different durations of contingency management (CM) in conjunction with psychosocial treatment produced different rates of abstinence among methamphetamine dependent individuals. Participants were randomized to one of the four 16-week treatment conditions: standard psychosocial treatment or psychosocial treatment plus one of the three durations of CM (one-month, two-month, or four-month). A total of 118 participants were randomized to the four treatment conditions. There were significant differences across treatment conditions for number of consecutive days of methamphetamine abstinence ( p p p
Do Timely Outpatient Follow-up Visits Decrease Hospital Readmission Rates?:

It is widely believed that timely follow-up decreases hospital readmissions; however, the literature evaluating time to follow-up is limited. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of patients discharged from a tertiary care academic medical center and evaluated the relationship between outpatient follow-up appointments made and 30-day unplanned readmissions. Of 1044 patients discharged home, 518 (49.6%) patients had scheduled follow-up ≤14 days after discharge, 52 (4.9%) patients were scheduled ≥15 days after discharge, and 474 (45.4%) had no scheduled follow-up. There was no statistical difference in 30-day readmissions between patients with follow-up within 14 days and those with follow-up 15 days or longer from discharge (P = .36) or between patients with follow-up within 14 days and those without scheduled follow-up (P = .75). The timing of postdischarge follow-up did not affect readmissions. Further research is needed to determine such factors and to prospectively study time to outpatient follow-up after discharge and the decrease in readmission rates.
Determination of micromolar bromate concentrations by adsorptive-catalytic stripping votammetry of the molybdenum-3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid complex

Abstract Adsorptive-catalytic stripping voltammetry is commonly used for monitoring trace metals. This study reverses the scheme by developing a sensitive procedure for measuring the catalyst. The catalytic action of bromate upon the cathodic response of the adsorbed molybdenum-3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid (VMA) complex has been exploited for measuring bromate down to the micromolar concentration level. Experimental variables affecting the response, including the metal and ligand concentrations or the accumulation time and potential, were characterized and optimized to yield a highly linear response (up to at least 1×10−4 mol l−1) and good precision (RSD of 3.5%; n=10; 2×10−6 mol l−1 bromate). Analogous adsorptive-catalytic stripping protocols may be utilized for the voltammetric detection of other catalysts.
Prelates and princes : Aristocratic marriages, canon law prohibitions, and shifts in norms and patterns of domination in the central middle ages

In this article, the author explores the processes whereby, at the turn of the twelfth century, European aristocrats acknowledged clerics' prohibitions of divorce and close-kin marriages. He argues that this normative shift cannot be adequately accounted for by the rise of feudalism, the Gregorian reformers' moralist offensive or the development of canon law : these events do not explain (1) why the Roman hierarchy thought it possible, at a certain moment in time, to impose their normative preferences on reluctant elites; or (2) why aristocrats eventually yielded to demands that undermined their autonomy of choice regarding marriage. He addresses both problems by considering two analytically distinct transformative processes. One concerns the symbolic and institutional conditions that allowed Roman prelates to substantiate their normative claims : the Church hierarchy emphasized the sacramental and spiritual significance of the marital tie and implemented reforms intended to preclude collusive practices between lords and bishops. The second process highlights how canonical rules of marriage were converted into effective normative constraints : in a context marked by the patrimonialization of feudal relations and an increase in competition, aristocrats relied on ecclesiastical standards for their own regulatory and strategic interests
Nuclear Emulsion Evidence for Parity Nonconservation in the Decay Chain π + -μ + -e +

Following a suggestion of Lee and Yang, the correlation between the initial direction of motion of the muon and the direction of emission of the positron in the decay chain ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{e}^{+}$ was investigated in nuclear emulsion to detect a possible parity nonconservation in both decay interactions. Positive pions from the University of Chicago synchrocyclotron were brought to rest in emulsion carefully shielded from magnetic fields, and 2000 complete decay events were measured. A correlation $W(\ensuremath{\theta})=1+acos\ensuremath{\theta}$ was found, with $a=\ensuremath{-}0.174\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.038$, clearly indicating a backward-forward asymmetry, i.e., a violation of parity conservation in both decay processes. Actually, following an argument of Lee, Oehme, and Yang, this asymmetry implies a noninvariance of either interaction with respect to both space inversion and charge conjugation, taken separately.A detailed discussion of a depolarization process specific to ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}$ mesons, i.e., the possible formation of "muonium," (${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$), is given. The results of this and similar experiments are compared with those obtained with muons originating from ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ decays in flight, and the implications of such a comparison are discussed.
Governance and Performance: New Perspectives. Edited by Carolyn J. Heinrich and Laurence E. Lynn, Jr. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2000. 349p. $65.00 cloth, $23.95 paper. Improving Governance: A New Logic for Empirical Research. Laurence E. Lynn, Jr., Carolyn J. Heinrich, and Carolyn J. Hill. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2001. 212p. $60.00.

Carolyn Heinrich, Laurence Lynn, and Carolyn Hill are public management and policy scholars who puzzle over the workings of government. Their efforts aim not only to add to our understanding of these workings but also to provide a template for future study. The first volume by Heinrich and Lynn is designed around a set of working papers originally introduced at a conference of government and policy scholars in May 1999 at the University of Arizona, and are oft referred to as “the Arizona papers.” The publication is the result of a research project funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts to study best practices in government management. The second volume authored by Lynn, Heinrich, and Hill argues for a theoretical framework to guide future research.
The polypeptide composition of epidermal prekeratin.

Abstract An α-fibrous protein, prekeratin, has been isolated from cow snout epidermis with citrate buffer, pH 2.65. Using acrylamide electrophoresis with 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, prekeratin can be shown to contain three polypeptide chains of different molecular weights. The two faster migrating components are very similar with a mol. wt of about 47 000 while the slower one has a mol. wt of about 58 000. Chromatography on a number of molecular sieve and exchange resins does not separate the components, but use of Sepharose 2B with 0.1 M Tris, pH 9.0, containing 10% propanol gives two peaks of protein. The first and major peak contains all three components while the second has only the two with the faster mobility. The two more rapidly migrating components and the slower one were isolated by acrylamide electrophoresis, and the latter has an amino acid composition more compatible with a non-helical protein. Enzymatic digestion with tosyl- l -phenylalanine chloromethylketone-treated (TPCK-)trypsin shows that the component of mol. wt 58 000 is more susceptible to hydrolysis than the other two. These data suggest that prekeratin is not homogenous in composition and consists of several interacting polypeptide chains. One of these components would appear to be non-helical in structure.
David Thomson's Suspicious Hollywood Biographies

(1993). David Thomson's Suspicious Hollywood Biographies. Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 53-64.
A QuantitativeJ-Correlation Experiment for the Accurate Measurement of One-Bond Amide15N–1H Couplings in Proteins

Abstract Very precise measurements of 1 J NH couplings have been made for approximately 40% of the amide sites in cyanometmyoglobin using two different experimental approaches. The first approach is a previously described frequency-based method in which the couplings are observed as splittings in the frequency-domain spectrum. The second is a new approach, along the lines of quantitative J -correlation spectroscopy, in which the coupling is encoded in the resonance intensity. Measurements obtained from the two experimental techniques are in agreement to a high degree of precision (s.d. of 0.17 Hz) and residual deviations appear to be largely random. The new method offers substantial time savings when resonances are widely dispersed in the frequency domain and may offer improved precision in these instances.
Cadmium accelerates bone loss in ovariectomized mice and fetal rat limb bones in culture

Loss of bone mineral after ovariectomy was studied in mice exposed to dietary cadmium at 0.25, 5, or 50 ppm. Results show that dietary cadmium at 50 ppm increased bone mineral loss to a significantly greater extent in ovariectomized mice than in sham-operated controls. These results were obtained from two studies, one in which skeletal calcium content was determined 6 months after ovariectomy and a second in which 45Ca release from 45Ca-prelabeled bones was measured immediately after the start of dietary cadmium exposure. Furthermore, experiments with 45Ca-prelabeled fetal rat limb bones in culture demonstrated that Cd at 10 nM in the medium, a concentration estimated to be in the plasma of mice exposed to 50 ppm dietary Cd, strikingly increased bone resorption, from 27 +/- 2% (mean +/- SEM) 45Ca release in cultures with no added cadmium to 68 +/- 6% release in cultures containing cadmium (n = 4). These in vitro results indicate that cadmium may enhance bone mineral loss by a direct action on bone. Results of the in vivo studies are consistent with a significant role of cadmium in the etiology of Itai-Itai disease among postmenopausal women in Japan and may in part explain the increased risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis among women who smoke.
Evidence for the methylation of apomorphine by catechol-O-methyl-transferase in vivo and in vitro

Abstract Pretreatment with either pyrogallol, tropolone or 8-hydroxyquinoline enhanced markedly the mean stereotyped behavior scores after apomorphine treatment in the rat. Experiments in vitro , using rat liver or brain catechol- O -methyltransferase (COMT) preparations and 14 C-methyl- S -adenosyl- l -methionine, demonstrated that apomorphine was methylated by this enzyme system. The apparent K m values for dopamine and apomorphine were 2.6 × 10 −4 M and 1.4 × 10 −3 M, respectively, for liver COMT. Pyrogallol and tropolone inhibited the methylation of apomorphine in vitro competitively when the apomorphine concentration was varied. These results suggest that methylation by COMT may represent an important metabolic pathway for the deactivation of apomorphine in vivo .
Differential effects of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid on suppression of lipoxygenase pathway in peritoneal macrophages

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was facilely incorporated into phospholipids of mouse peritoneal macrophages following incubation with pure fatty acids complexed to bovine serum albumin. Following stimulation with calcium ionophore A23187, the DHA-enriched cells synthesized significantly smaller amounts of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 compared to control or EPA-enriched cells. The EPA-enriched cells synthesized lower amounts of leukotriene C4 and leukotriene B4 compared to control cells. The stimulated macrophages utilized endogenously released arachidonic acid for leukotriene B4 and leukotriene C4 synthesis. Exogenous arachidonic acid increased the formation of 12-hydroxyeico-satetraenoic acid (12-HETE) and 15-HETE and macrophages enriched with DHA or EPA produced similar amounts of 12-HETE and 15-HETE compared to control cells. These studies demonstrated that the synthesis of leukotriene C4, leukotriene B4 and HETE in macrophages is differentially affected by DHA and EPA.
Reliability Analysis Framework for Structural Redundancy in Power Semiconductors

Parallel and standby configurations can be applied to semiconductor switches to improve the reliability of power electronic converters in mission-critical applications. In this paper, the reliability models of both configurations are developed based on the Markov process. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of each configuration is derived in terms of the underlying parameters. It is demonstrated that there is a boundary condition in which both configurations have the same MTTF. This boundary condition is expressed in terms of the junction temperature of the semiconductor switch in the steady state. The temperature range in which the parallel configuration is more reliable is formulated for different types of power semiconductor switches including MOSFETs, bipolar junction transistors, SCRs, triacs, regular diodes, and Schottky diodes. Case studies are presented to determine the more reliable configuration for a laboratory-scale buck converter.
The role of the complement system in innate immunity.

Complement is a major component of innate immune system involved in defending against all the foreign pathogens through complement fragments that participate in opsonization, chemotaxis, and activation of leukocytes and through cytolysis by C5b-9 membrane attack complex. Bacterias and viruses have adapted in various ways to escape the complement activation, and they take advantage of the complement system by using the host complement receptors to infect various cells. Complement activation also participates in clearance of apoptotic cells and immune, complexes. Moreover at sublytic dose, C5b-9 was shown to promote cell survival. Recently it was also recognized that complement plays a key role in adaptive immunity by modulating and modifying the T cell responses. All these data suggest that complement activation constitutes a critical link between the innate and acquired immune responses.
N-way composition of weighted finite-state transducers

Composition of weighted transducers is a fundamental algorithm used in many applications, including for computing complex edit-distances between automata, or string kernels in machine learning, or to combine different components of a speech recognition, speech synthesis, or information extraction system. We present a generalization of the composition of weighted transducers, n-way composition, which is dramatically faster in practice than the standard composition algorithm when combining more than two transducers. The worst-case complexity of our algorithm for composing three transducers T1, T2, and T3 resulting in T, is O(|T|Qmin(d(T1)d(T3), d(T2)) + |T|E), where |·|Q denotes the number of states, |·|E the number of transitions, and d(·) the maximum out-degree. As in regular composition, the use of perfect hashing requires a pre-processing step with linear-time expected complexity in the size of the input transducers. In many cases, this approach significantly improves on the complexity of standard composition. Our algorithm also leads to a dramatically faster composition in practice. Furthermore, standard composition can be obtained as a special case of our algorithm. We report the results of several experiments demonstrating this improvement. These theoretical and empirical improvements significantly enhance performance in the applications already mentioned.
Equilibrium emulsification of polymer blends by diblock copolymers

The onset and morphology of various equilibrium emulsion phases for an A and B homopolymer mixture with diblock A-B copolymers as the compatibilizer, is investigated. Attention is focused on the relation between the relative lengths of the blocks and the elastic properties of the interfacial layer which determines the phase behavior. The curvature elastic moduli K and K, as well as the spontaneous radius of curvature, R 0, are obtained. The situation studied here differs from the conventional interfacial approach to microemulsions with short-chain surfactants, in that (1) the area per copolymer Σ on the interface is not fixed, but is determined by a balance between the elastic energy of the chain and the interfacial tension ; thus Σ also depends on the curvatures ; (2) as a result of (1), the elastic coefficients K, K and R0 are interdependent, and in contrast to the short chain systems, the saddle-splay modulus K is always negative (see text for the sign convention). The phase diagram as a function of these parameters is therefore different from that obtained by conventional interfacial descriptions for short surfactants.
Electrochemical and rate performance study of high-voltage lithium-rich composition: Li1.2Mn0.525Ni0.175Co0.1O2

Abstract We report electrochemical studies of high voltage cathodes composed of lithium rich “layered-layered” material having the nominal composition Li 1.2 Mn 0.525 Ni 0.175 Co 0.1 O 2 , or equivalently 0.6Li[Li 1/3 Mn 2/3 ]O 2 –0.4Li[Mn 0.3 Ni 0.45 Co 0.25 ]O 2 . These aspects were investigated by cyclic voltammetry studies in conjunction with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to understand the redox reactions involving multiple transition metals and their capacity contribution at higher voltages, up to 4.9 V. Further, cathodes with 1.5 wt.% carbon nanofibers added to the Li 1.2 Mn 0.525 Ni 0.175 Co 0.1 O 2 composite electrode showed stable reversible capacities of about 280 mAh g −1 when cycled to 4.9 V for more than 100 cycles, and almost a factor of two improvements in the rate performance compared to the electrode composition prepared using conventional composition (7.5% carbon black and 7.5% binder).
Chemical Composition and Oxidative Stability of Safflower Oil Prepared with Expeller from Safflower Seeds Roasted at Different Temperatures

ABSTRACT: Seeds with different roasting (140°C to 180°C) and expelling (110°C to 150°C) temperatures were evaluated. The color development of their oils increased as both temperatures increased. The fatty acid compositions did not change, the major one being linoleic acid (80%). There were significant differences in the phosphorus content of oils prepared at different roasting temperatures, which was not the case with oils prepared at different expelling temperatures. The major phospholipid component of oil is phosphatidylinositol. The proportion of phosphatidylinositol in oil increased as both temperatures increased. Phosphatidylethanolamine in oil decreased as roasting temperatures increased. Tocopherols and tocotrienols were identified. The oxidative stabilities increased as both temperatures increased.
Herpes simplex encephalitis and bilateral acute retinal necrosis syndrome after craniotomy.

Abstract PURPOSE: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) syndrome is associated with members of the herpes virus family, but the mechanisms of infection remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to report a unique case of acute retinal necrosis syndrome associated with herpetic encephalitis in order to elucidate possible factors involved in herpetic central nervous system disease. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: A 64-year-old woman who developed acute herpes simplex virus encephalitis associated with bilateral acute retinal necrosis syndrome after craniotomy for resection of a suprasellar craniopharyngioma is presented. The results of lumbar puncture, magnetic resonance imaging, and ophthalmologic examination are consistent with herpetic infection. The origin of acute retinal necrosis syndrome and the association of acute retinal necrosis syndrome with encephalitis are reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: After craniotomy, we hypothesize reactivation of previously latent herpes simplex virus in the area of the inferior frontal lobe and optic chiasm. Reactivated virus may have migrated to the retina by axonal transport, through the optic nerves, to produce the acute retinal necrosis syndrome.
Activation of ERK1 and ERK2 in human eosinophils is regulated by cholesterol: Relevance to IL-5 signal transduction☆

Abstract Rationale In eosinophils, the activation of the serine-threonine MAP kinases ERK1 and ERK2 is a critical signal transduction event for numerous ligand-induced biological processes including elaboration of lipid mediators, directed migration, adherence and degranulation. Given that several cytokine receptor systems are associated with cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains and that components of the ERK signaling pathway are known to contain a cholesterol-sensing motif, the current studies tested the hypothesis that modulation of the cellular cholesterol content regulates receptor-mediated ERK activation in eosinophils. Methods Eosinophils were incubated with the cholesterol chelating agent methyl-b-cyclodextrin (cdex) and subsequently stimulated with 100pM IL-5 or 100nM fMLP. ERK activation was determined by immunoblotting for phospho-ERK1 and -ERK2 Results 1) Activation of ERK1 and ERK2 by fMLP and IL-5 is attenuated by preincubation of the eosinophils with 1-6 mg/ml cdex (N=5). 2) The IL-5-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT5 is unaffected by pretreatment with 6 mg/ml cdex, suggesting the attenuation of signaling by cdex does not affect this Jak-STAT pathway as it does the ERK pathway. 3) ERK1&2 activation is enhanced by exposure of eosinophils to 4 mg/ml cdex supplemented with 4% (w/w) cholesterol (N=4). Conclusions These studies suggest that a cholesterol-sensing component present in eosinophils regulates the activity of ERK1&2 and may therefore contribute to the biological responsiveness of eosinophils in the inflammatory microenvironment. Furthermore, defects or alterations in cholesterol metabolism may contribute to eosinophil-associated inflammatory diseases such as asthma.
An image segmentation method for detecting objects in images with textural background

In this paper, we propose a novel method for detecting objects in images which have a textural background. We combine two filter banks to smooth the textural regions and preserve edges in the image then, we use Chan and Vese active contours without edges model. In fact our model is a modification of the above said active contours model and we make it suitable for detecting objects in the images which have textures. The image is passed through a symmetric bank of Gabor filters and filtered images that possess a significant component of the original image are then subjected to a bilateral filter. The output filtered images which are smooth will use as inputs of Multi channel C-V active contours model. Results of the proposed method are presented for different kind of images with different textures in background to demonstrate the robustness of this method.
FT‐IR study of intermolecular interactions in polymer blends

Application de cette technique d'un melange homogene chitosane-alcool polyvinylique afin d'elucider les mecanismes moleculaires impliques dans ses proprietes mecaniques
Social and Behavioral Characteristics of Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment

This study examined the social and behavioral characteristics of children with specific language impairment (SLI) as compared with a group of children with typically developing language skills (TL)...
Wikipedia classroom experiment: bidirectional benefits of students' engagement in online production communities

Over the last decade, a citizen science movement has tried to engage students, laymen and other non-scientists in the production of science. However, there has been less attention in citizen science projects to use the public to disseminate scientific knowledge. Wikipedia provides a platform to study engagement of citizen scientists in knowledge dissemination. College and university students are especially appropriate members of the public to write science articles, because of the course-work and mentorship they receive from faculty. This paper describes a project to support students' writing of scientific articles in Wikipedia. In collaboration with a scientific association, we involved 640 students from 36 courses in editing scientific articles on Wikipedia. This paper provides details in the design of the program and our quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluating it. Our results show that the Wikipedia classroom experiment benefits both the Wikipedia community and students. Undergraduate and graduate students substantially improved the scientific content of over 800 articles, at a level of quality indistinguishable from content written by PhD experts. Both students and faculty endorsed the motivational benefits of an authentic writing experience that would be read by thousands of people.
The Impact of Assessment Procedures on the Relationship between Paper and Pencil and Behavioral Indicators of Social Skill

This study investigated the relationship between paper and pencil measures and molecular behavioral indicators of social skills in three widely used assessment options. A total of 221 students engaged in either a “get acquainted” or “role play” interaction, in which they were given instructions and knew they were being observed. A third group engaged in a “waiting period” interaction, in which they were given no instructions to interact and had no knowledge of being observed. Results showed that subjects in the “get acquainted” and “role play” situations scored higher on several measures of social skills than those in the “waiting period” situation. In addition, there was most variability in the measures of social skills in the waiting period situation. In general, trait measures exhibited poor correspondence with behavioral measures of social skills in all situations. However, state paper and pencil measures of social skills exhibited strong correspondence with behaviors in the waiting period, but not in the get acquainted or role play situations. Implications for the assessment of social communication skills through commonly used assessment procedures are discussed.
Digital stress: Adolescents’ personal accounts

Based on a thematic content analysis of 2000 anonymous posts to the website AThinLine.org, this article explores adolescents’ personal accounts of digital stress. Six kinds of digital stressors that engender two distinctive types of digital stress are identified. Type 1 stressors—“mean and harassing personal attacks,” “public shaming and humiliation,” and “impersonation”—reflect the migration of common forms of relational hostility onto the online space and echo discussions of harassment, drama, and bullying. Type 2 stressors stem from adolescents’ use of digital technologies in the service of seeking relational connection. These lesser-discussed Type 2 stressors—“feeling smothered,” “pressure to comply with requests for access,” and “breaking and entering into digital accounts and devices”—transpire in the context of adolescents’ attempts to form and maintain intimacy or close connections with others.
The effect of ethidium bromide on mobility of DNA fragments in agarose gel electrophoresis

Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) is sometimes added to running buffer during the separation of DNA fragments by agarose gel electrophoresis. It is used because upon binding of the molecule to the DNA and illumination with a UV light source, the DNA banding pattern can be visualized. The mode of binding of EtBr is intercalation between the base pairs. This binding changes the charge, weight, conformation, and flexibility of the DNA molecule. Since DNA molecules are sized by their relative movement through a gel compared to a molecular weight standard, mobility measurements can be critical to size determinations. After running two identical gels, one without EtBr and one with 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 microgram/mL EtBr in the running buffer, the mobilities of lambda HindIII DNA fragments were compared. The mobility of DNA was always less in the gels with EtBr. Using the reptation theory equation, which describes the mobility of DNA molecules through gel, changes in frictional coefficients were calculated. It was determined that the change in frictional coefficients brought about by the addition of EtBr is directly proportional to the fraction of base pairs of a fragment bound to EtBr. This change in friction is greatest in the largest fragments, which suggests that the stiffening of the molecule by the EtBr binding is the cause for the decreased mobility.
Expression profiling identifies novel gene targets and functions for Pdx1 in the duodenum of mature mice

Transcription factor pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) plays an essential role in the pancreas to regulate its development and maintain proper islet function. However, the functions of Pdx1...
Metabolism of Fenac Herbicide in a Lactating Cow

Abstract A study was made of the excretion and metabolism of Fenac herbicide in a lactating cow. At a herbicide level of 5ppm in the feed a gas chromatographic peak with the identical retention time of the major herbicide isomer (2,3,6-trichlorophenylacetic acid) was present in hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed urine representing, respectively, 52.8% (as the conjugated acid) and 18.6% (as the free acid) of the total herbicide dose. Fenac was absent in milk and feces samples. The herbicide was not degraded when incubated with rumen fluid or the 10,000× g supernatant fraction of beef liver.
Morphological changes following cochlear implantation in the animal model

Examination of the effects of cochlear implantation in the animal model has made it increasingly clear that biological changes may be induced by the device. In a preliminary study we established a damage threshold at 400 μA RMA (70 μCoul/cm2/o) after a single three-hour exposure to continuous 1 kHz sinusoidal stimulation. By systematic modification of stimulation parameters in the present study we have sought to establish damage thresholds and patterns of histological change in the chronically stimulated animal and further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the histopathological change in a second acute animal preparation. In part one, chronic stimulation at 1000 Hz for a total of 12 hours distributed over a four-week period resulted in a lower damage threshold at 15–20 μCoul/cm2/o, the lowest value tested. In addition to sensory and supporting cell degeneration osteoneogenesis and spiral ganglion cell degeneration were also observed. These findings are of some relevance under conditions of prolonged imp...