cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uranium based materials as potential thermoelectric couples for future radioisotope power systems

The actinide series possesses some of the most unique and unusual properties found anywhere in the periodic table. Unfortunately, every actinide element is radioactive to some degree, and this has made it difficult to study the fundamental properties of most actinide based materials. To date, very little work has been done to study the thermoelectric properties of materials made with actinides, and there is often disagreement in the literature that does exist. This leaves a rather large, open trade space for a facility designed to handle low-activity actinides, and process them into thermoelectric materials. Naturally occurring actinides (i.e., thorium and uranium) have a low enough activity that they can be handled with minimal safety and shielding requirements, while powdered thorium and uranium can be handled in specially prepared gloveboxes with minimal licensure requirements. This work will describe the standing-up of a laboratory, glovebox, and radiological hood designed to handle and process thorium and uranium into thermoelectric materials. Glovebox equipment includes a drill press for size reduction of large metal ingots, a high energy ball mill for blending and comminution of raw materials, an inhouse constructed hot press for processing, and a polishing station for sample preparation. All the equipment has been exercised and deemed to be ready for processing trials. Initial trials will focus on the production of La 3 Te 4 in order to prove the facility is capable of processing thermoelectric materials. After successful production of La 3 Te 4 samples, the facility will be used to produce uranium chalcogenides. These materials represent a relatively simple set of compounds that have been studied in the literature, but significant disagreement exists about the thermoelectric properties of these materials. In addition, the uranium chalcogenides can form the Th 3 P 4 structure, which is generally considered to be a very favorable structure for thermoelectric materials.
Improved Performance of a Cooperative Genetic Algorithm When Solutions Were Presented as Cartoon Faces

Genetic algorithms are often able to identify solutions within a multidimensional problem space that elude human detection. Humans sometimes have difficulty retrospectively identifying the features or feature combinations that lead to the success of an individual solution. However, humans are adept at identifying configural patterns within faces. We hypothesized that mapping the features of a problem space onto a cartoon face space would help humans visualize patterns and contribute to the operation of a genetic algorithm.
Trends and outcomes of sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer: a national cancer database study

Previous studies have shown that sphincter-preserving surgery is associated with better quality of life in postsurgical rectal cancer patients. However, the factors predicting the likelihood of undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery have not been well-described. The aim of this study was to report the factors that determined the likelihood of undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery. Characteristics of 24,018 rectal cancer patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery and abdominoperineal resection diagnosed from 2008 to 2012 from the National Cancer Database were investigated retrospectively for rate, pattern, and differences in mortality. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios for assessing mortality. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regressions models for outcome sphincter-preserving surgery. Eighteen thousand four hundred fifty-two (77%) patients had sphincter-preserving surgery. Majority of sphincter-preserving surgery patients were aged < 70 (74%), had private insurance (52%), and got treatment at a comprehensive community cancer program (54%). Multivariable analysis showed that patients with age ≥ 70 (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80–0.95), male gender (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84–0.96), having Medicare (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76–0.90), Medicaid (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63–0.81), and poorly differentiated grade (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71–0.85) were less likely to undergo sphincter-preserving surgery. Multivariable analysis showed that patients having abdominoperineal resection have higher likelihood of mortality than sphincter-preserving surgery (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.16–1.36). We were able to identify several patient and tumor-related factors impacting the likelihood of undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery. Patients undergoing non-sphincter sparing surgery had a higher mortality that sphincter preservation.
Translating Materials-Level Performance into Device-Relevant Metrics for Zinc-Based Batteries

Summary Zinc-based batteries are experiencing a resurgence in interest owing to their promising energy and power metrics, and inherent safety advantages compared with lithium-ion batteries. As scientists worldwide address the remaining obstacles to realizing competitive performance across the family of zinc batteries, the enthusiasm to report new “breakthroughs” at the materials or small-device level must be tempered by a realistic understanding of how such improvements will translate to practical energy-storage devices. Framing early-stage results in such a context will advance the prospects of next-generation Zn batteries while avoiding the “hype cycle” that has plagued research and development for other energy-storage technologies. Herein, we present guidelines by which to evaluate and report data derived from new electrode formulations and cell components such that the results will directly inform which breakthroughs are technologically relevant to scale up.
Exploring genetic counselors' perceptions of usefulness and intentions to use refined risk models in clinical care based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).

Pathogenic germline mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are associated with an elevated lifetime risk for breast (50%-85% risk) and ovarian cancer (20%-40% risk). Genome-wide association studies have identified over 100 genetic variants associated with modified breast and/or ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. Risk models generated based on these variants have shown that these genetic modifiers strongly influence absolute risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer in BRCA mutation carriers. There is a lack of understanding, however, about the clinical applicability and utility of these risk models. To investigate this gap, we collected survey data from 274 cancer genetic counselors (GCs) through the National Society of Genetic Counselors Cancer Special Interest Group. Questions assessed perceptions of usefulness and intentions of genetic counselors to use these refined risk models in clinical care based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We found that GCs' reactions to the estimates were largely positive, though they thought the possibility of changing management based on results was unlikely. Additionally, we found that more experienced GCs were more likely to consider refined risk estimates in clinic. Support also was provided for core predictions within the TAM, whereby the perceived usefulness (indirect effect est. = 0.08, 95% CI: [0.04, 0.13]) and perceived ease of use (indirect effect est. = 0.078, 95% CI: [0.04, 0.13]) of refined risk estimates were indirectly associated with intentions to use via attitudes.
Acoustic Microscopy of Ceramic Bearing Balls

Ceramic bearing balls have great potential for replacing steel bearing balls in most applications because of their lower weight, larger strength at high temperatures, and abundance of raw materials. However, ceramic materials are brittle, and the advantages of ceramic parts can be lost if small surface cracks and bulk defects are present in part. This work will report on a method we developed to detect small sub-micron surface cracks in ceramic bearing balls. We present a theory to calculate the scattering from these small “trenches” or cracks, and we will present an amplitude and phase measuring acoustic microscope capable of detecting these defects. Finally, we will present a signal processing scheme that enhances the contrast in images obtained on curved surfaces.
Intellectual Property as a Complex Adaptive System

This article aims to provide some elements of an evolutionary theory of property rights. It applies a systems-based capital-theoretic perspective to explain the formation and transformation of property rights structures. The approach emphasizes how entrepreneurs create capital combinations by connecting capital goods—defined widely to include property rights, such as patents—in their production plans. Their actions change complementarity relations between property rights as used in production. We treat the property rights structure as a complex adaptive system that exhibits increasing structural complexity as it evolves. Entrepreneurs discover gaps in the property rights system. As they organize production to exploit profit opportunities, entrepreneurs regroup existing intellectual property rights (IPR) into new modules, such as patent pools, that encapsulate more complex combinations of basic building blocks of intellectual property. A patent pool constitutes an interpolation of a new meso level within the macro IPR structure. We apply our framework to the first of the patent pools for digital video compression technology used in digital television and DVDs.
Predictors of liver fat among children and adolescents from five different ethnic groups.

Objectives As rates of obesity around the world have increased, so has the detection of high level of liver fat in children and adolescents. This may put them at risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. This analysis of a cross-sectional population-based study of children and adolescents evaluated demographic and lifestyle determinants of percent liver fat. Methods Healthy participants (123 girls and 99 boys aged 5-17 years) recruited by convenience sampling in three locations completed questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and dual X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment. General linear models were applied to estimate the association of demographic, anthropometric, and dietary factors as well as physical activity with MRI-based percent liver fat. Results The strongest predictor of liver fat was body mass index (BMI; p < 0.0001); overweight and obesity were associated with 0.5% and 1% higher liver fat levels. The respective adjusted mean percent values were 2.9 (95% CI 2.7, 3.1) and 3.4 (95% CI 3.2, 3.6) as compared to normal weight (2.4; 95% CI 2.3, 2.6). Mean percent liver fat was highest in Whites and African Americans, intermediate in Hispanic, and lowest among Asians and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (p < 0.0001). Age (p = 0.67), sex (p = 0.28), physical activity (p = 0.74), and diet quality (p = 0.70) were not significantly related with liver fat. Conclusions This study in multiethnic children and adolescents confirms the strong relationship of BMI with percent liver fat even in a population with low liver fat levels without detecting an association with age, sex, and dietary or physical activity patterns.
Strength of Figure Equation in Triangulation

That which is termed strength of figure equation is a basic tool for analyzing a triangulation scheme in geodetic surveying. The derivation of this equation is not readily available (as of 1963) in the United States. It is therefore developed a new from basic surveying premises for those who are interested in the source of this equation. It is demonstrated to apply directly to a direction theodolite, and with slight modification to a repeating theodolite.
Back to the Future of Regulating Abortion in the First Term

Abortion and women's reproductive rights have reemerged as front-page news. As popular culture grapples with election rhetoric, states continue to engage in aggressive anti-abortion regulation of first-term abortions. In the first half of 2011, more abortion bills have passed to restrict abortion than ever before. The 162 new abortion bills passed by 19 states in the first six months of the year dwarf the average number of abortion bills for the last three decades of 15 per year. Even more, these bills propose significantly more stringent limits on abortion than in the past, including mandatory ultrasound viewings, intensive counseling, and bans after the first fetal heartbeat at six weeks. These restrictions seem blatantly to defy the holding of Roe v. Wade permitting abortion in the first trimester, yet they continue to proliferate.This Article provides the historical context for the current onslaught of proposed abortion bills by returning to two of the earliest Supreme Court cases of indirect regulation of abortion in the first term. It offers a legal history of the case, City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, and its follow-on case, Ohio v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health. For before the dust had even settled in the Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, legislators had moved to restrict its impact by passing laws to 'protect women’s health and voluntary and informed consent.' In the Akron cases, the Court first rejected such attempts to limit abortion in the first term, but then subsequently upheld a first-term regulation, casting doubt upon its continued commitment to Roe. This legal history offers insights and analyses into the legislation of abortion gleaned from a review of the historical record in the Akron cases found in archives and long-forgotten files in dusty basements. It relies on interviews with key players in the cases to provide a fuller explanation of the political and social motivations behind the legal disputes. Revisiting the legal and factual details of these foundational cases of first-term abortion regulation offers a more nuanced understanding of the opposition to abortion and the unsatisfactory nature of the judicial compromises. For only one thing is clear: “The decision in Roe v. Wade neither started nor ended the debate over abortion.”
Traumatic neuroma of the oral cavity: Report of thirty-one new cases and review of the literature

Abstract Thirty-one cases of oral traumatic neuroma are presented. The clinical, light microscopic, and ultrastructural features are discussed in relation to the previous literature on the subject. Consideration is given to the possible mechanisms by which neuromas cause pain. The evidence supports the concept that traumatic neuromas in the oral cavity may account for some cases of atypical facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia.
Strain relaxation index and diastolic function from echocardiography: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Background A novel strain relaxation index (SRI) is introduced to assess diastolic function by CMR, using myocardial deformation during LV relaxation. We investigate how SRI relates to standard diastolic parameters by echocardiography (echo). We also relate SRI to mass to volume ratio (MVR) by CMR, which is seen to increase in diastolic dysfunction. SRI accounts for both very early myocardial relaxation and tissue compliance.
Clinical Psychology Graduate Education in the Study of Suicide: Availability, Resources, and Importance.

Psychologists run the risk of losing a patient to suicide and of experiencing the traumatic impact of this event. The present study examines current levels of training in the study of suicide in the member-departments of the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP--N = 33), comparing these findings with the level of training in member-departments (N = 115) of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology programs (CUDCP). Eighty percent of the CUDCP departments (N = 92) responded, and of these, only 35% offer formal training in the study of suicide; whereas in the 76% of the NCSPP programs that responded, 56% offer formal training. Although the NCSPP programs seem attitudinally more receptive and supportive of formal training (graduate and postgraduate) in the study of suicide, the NCSPP programs do not significantly differ from their CUDCP counterparts in the actual availability of such formal training. Even when all training efforts of the CUDCP and NCSPP programs are combined, only 40% of all graduate programs in clinical psychology offer formal training in the study of suicide.
Corporate Bond Portfolio Optimization with Transaction Costs

Although much research has been devoted to portfolio optimization, starting with the seminal work of Markowitz (1952), relatively little has been focused on corporate bond portfolio optimization, particularly when there are multiple bonds in which to invest. In this paper, we propose a methodology addressing the problem of corporate bond portfolio optimization in a multi-period environment with transaction costs. We model interest rates using a classic CIR process and we model the defaultable bonds using a reduced form model. In this model, risk neutral default intensities evolve according to a CIR process with the Brownian motion terms correlated across the bonds. The bonds are then valued using the basic affine model of Duffie and Singleton (2003). Bond price paths are created using this affine model along with a translation from risk neutral probabilities to physical default probabilities to determine whether or not default has occurred in a period. Our portfolio optimization methodology melds simple binomial tree optimization with a technique from control theory called receding horizon control (RHC) which is used for solving large, computationally difficult problems. This methodology can accommodate a wide variety of bond dynamics beyond those mentioned above as well as a wide variety of performance objectives. Essentially, this methodology breaks down the portfolio optimization problem into a sequence of problems solved over time which allows one to incorporate changes in the system dynamics and to overcome issues of computational complexity. Through Monte Carlo simulation we demonstrate results showing our methodology can significantly outperform the bond portfolio methodology of holding a constant proportion of the portfolio in each bond. Note that this research is ongoing and thus this paper does not contain the complete analysis that will be done by the summer of 2006.
Development of new Si-based waveguide: photonic crystal cladded waveguide

A new type of silicon waveguide - photonic crystal (PC) cladded waveguide has been developed based on the photonic band gap (PBG) principle. The refractive index in the core of the new PC cladded waveguide has large flexibility; and a low index core (e.g. SiO/sub 2/) or even a hollow core waveguide can be realized. Potential applications include high power transmission, low dispersion, thin cladding thickness, nonlinear properties engineering as well as biomaterials sensor on silicon chip.
Synoviocyte-Mediated Expansion of Inflammatory T Cells in Rheumatoid Synovitis Is Dependent on CD47-Thrombospondin 1 Interaction

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis elicit spontaneous proliferation of autologous T cells in an HLA-DR and CD47 costimulation-dependent manner. T cell costimulation through CD47 is attributed to specific interaction with thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), a CD47 ligand displayed on FLS. CD47 binding by FLS has broad biological impact that includes adhesion and the triggering of specific costimulatory signals. TSP1(+) FLS are highly adhesive to T cells and support their aggregation and growth in situ. Long-term cultures of T cells and FLS form heterotypic foci that are amenable to propagation without exogenous growth factors. T cell adhesion and aggregate formation on TSP1(+) FLS substrates are inhibited by CD47-binding peptides. In contrast, FLS from arthroscopy controls lack adhesive or T cell growth-promoting activities. CD47 stimulation transduces a costimulatory signal different from that of CD28, producing a gene expression profile that included induction of ferritin L chain, a component of the inflammatory response. Ferritin L chain augments CD3-induced proliferation of T cells. Collectively, these results demonstrate the active role of FLS in the recruitment, activation, and expansion of T cells in a CD47-dependent manner. Because TSP1 is abundantly expressed in the rheumatoid synovium, CD47-TSP1 interaction is proposed to be a key component of an FLS/T cell regulatory circuit that perpetuates the inflammatory process in the rheumatoid joint.
Genotypic comparison of five isolates of Rickettsia prowazekii by multilocus sequence typing.

Genetic traits of five Rickettsia prowazekii isolates, including the first from Africa and North America, and representatives from human and flying squirrels were compared using multilocus sequence typing. Four rickettsial genes encoding 17 kDa genus-common antigen (17 kDa gene), citrate synthase (gltA), OmpB immunodominant antigen (ompB) and 120 kDa cytoplasmic antigen (sca4) were examined. Sequence identities of 17 kDa gene and gltA were 100% among the isolates. Limited sequence diversity of ompB (0.02–0.11%) and sca4 (0.03–0.20%) was enough to distinguish the isolates, and evaluation of the combined four genes provided a method to easily differentiate R. prowazekii from other rickettsiae.
Nipple reduction with a modified circumcision technique

Several methods of reduction of the hypertrophic nipple have been reported. All of them have some drawbacks. We propose a technique that can be easily performed and can produce excellent aesthetic as well as good functional results.
Comment on “A Complete Skull from Dmanisi, Georgia, and the Evolutionary Biology of Early Homo”

Lordkipanidze et al. (Research Article, 18 October 2013, p. 326) conclude, from gross morphological comparisons and geometric-morphometric analysis of general shape, that the five hominid crania from Dmanisi in Georgia represent a single regional variant of Homo erectus. However, dental, mandibular, and cranial morphologies all suggest taxic diversity and, in particular, validate the previously named H. georgicus.
The effect of temperature on the electrophoretic analysis of cottonseed meal extracts

Abstract The electrophoretic patterns of a cottonseed meal extract in the ethylamine barbital buffer (pH = 10.4 at 25°C.) have been investigated over the range of 0 to 20°C. The results indicate that there is no change in the relative concentrations of the components as a function of temperature. The application of a single viscosity correction to the solvent could not entirely compensate for the change in mobility of each component with temperature. The viscosity-mobility product displayed a decrease with increasing temperature. This trend varied irregularly for the several components present.
Multilingual text resources at the linguistic data consortium

The Linguistic Data Consortium (LDC) is currently involved in a major effort to expand its multilingual text resources, in particular for machine translation, message understanding and information retrieval research. The main sources for data acquisition are governmental and international organizations, newswire services, and diverse publishers. This paper describes some of the research that is being done to identify potential resources, discusses some of the process involved in negotiating the broadest possible access to the material for the human language technology research community, and identifies key issues and considerations in transducing the text into common and well documented formats.
NEOTRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: THE ANATOMY OF A NEW URBAN FORM

Built at a small scale and incorporating many features of certain old-city neighborhoods, such as narrow streets and small setbacks, neotraditional developments have been designed by architects and built by a small number of developers on suburban greenfield sites since the early 1980s. The distinctive neotraditional urban form represents the convergence of certain aspects of two planning traditions—urban aesthetics and social utopianism. In this paper I outline the two traditions and show how they have been selectively appropriated by neotraditional architects and planners. I suggest that the recent restructuring and fragmentation in the suburban housing market has led to the creation of niche markets, such as the market for neotraditionalism. Using Pierre Bourdieu's concept of habitus, I argue that the commercial success of neotraditional developments can be explained when recognition is given to the role of relatively affluent house buyers intent on creating a habitus and appropriating symbolic capital...
Effect of dietary phytosterols on rat tissue lipids.

Abstract The present study was designed to examine the incorporation of phytosterols (PS) in membranes and tissues of rats fed a diet containing 2% PS in the presence of 0.2% cholic acid for 22 days. The control diet contained 12 mg PS/100 g compared with 2,012 mg/100 g. Liver, kidney, testis, and prostate microsomes, plasma, and epididymal fat pads were examined for sterols. Fatty acid composition and phospholipid pattern were also examined in some tissues. The PS diet resulted in a fivefold increase in plasma PS compared with controls. PS was found to accumulate in adipose tissue and liver microsomes in rats fed the PS‐supplemented diet. There was no effect of PS incorporation on microsomal cholesterol content, except in the testes, in which dietary PS reduced cholesterol content by 25%. Dietary PS increased 20:4n‐6 and 22:5n‐3 fatty acids in membranes of the liver, testis, and prostate but decreased 16:1 in liver microsomes. PS incorporation had no effect on the phospholipid pattern of the liver and te...
Relations Between Dialect Variation, Grammar, and Early Spelling Skills

Relationships among African American English (AAE), linguistic knowledge, and spelling skills were examined in a sample of 92 children in grades one through three whose speech varied in the frequency of morphosyntactic AAE features. Children were separated into groups of high (AAE speakers) and low (standard American English, SAE, speakers) use of AAE features in speech, and asked to produce, recognize, and spell four inflected grammatical morphemes because variable omission of these endings in speech is a morphosyntactic characteristic of AAE. The groups differed in their spelling and elicited spoken production of inflections, but not recognition of these forms. AAE speakers omitted the inflections more often at each grade. Density of morphosyntactic AAE features in speech was related directly to spelling inflections, but this effect was mediated by children’s understanding of standard grammatical forms.
Algorithms and complexity results for graph-based pursuit evasion

We study the classical edge-searching pursuit-evasion problem where a number of pursuers have to clear a given graph of fast-moving evaders despite poor visibility, for example, where robots search a cave system to ensure that no terrorists are hiding in it. We study when polynomial-time algorithms exist to determine how many robots are needed to clear a given graph (minimum robot problem) and how a given number of robots should move on the graph to clear it with either a minimum sum of their travel distances (minimum distance problem) or minimum task-completion time (minimum time problem). The robots cannot clear a graph if the vertex connectivity of some part of the graph exceeds the number of robots. Researchers therefore focus on graphs whose subgraphs can always be cut at a limited number of vertices, that is, graphs of low treewidth, typically trees. We describe an optimal polynomial-time algorithm, called CLEARTHETREE, that is shorter and algorithmically simpler than the state-of-the-art algorithm for the minimum robot problem on unit-width unit-length trees. We then generalize prior research to both unit-width arbitrary-length and unit-length arbitrary-width graphs and derive both algorithms and time complexity results for a variety of graph topologies. Pursuit-evasion problems on the former graphs are generally simpler than pursuit-evasion problems on the latter graphs. For example, the minimum robot and distance problems are solvable in polynomial time on unit-width arbitrary-length trees but NP-hard on unit-length arbitrary-width trees.
HIV-1 CDNA INTEGRATION : REQUIREMENT OF HMG I(Y) PROTEIN FOR FUNCTION OF PREINTEGRATION COMPLEXES IN VITRO

We present data indicating that a host protein is important for function of HIV-1 preintegration complexes (PICs) in vitro. PICs partially purified from infected cells were subjected to gel filtration in 600 mM KCl, which removed a factor required for integration without fully disrupting PICs. Addition of an extract from uninfected cells restored activity. Fractionation of the complementing activity yielded HMG I(Y), a nonhistone chromosomal protein important for transcriptional control and chromosomal architecture. Complementing activity could be isolated from PICs, and activity could be depleted from such fractions with an antibody against HMG I(Y). Recombinant HMG I(Y) also complemented salt-stripped complexes. The finding that a host protein is required for integration by HIV PICs parallels findings in several well-studied transposition and site-specific recombination systems.
Glycoprotein detection in nitrocellulose transfers of electrophoretically separated protein mixtures using concanavalin A and peroxidase: application to arenavirus and flavivirus proteins.

Abstract Glycoproteins in nitrocellulose transfers of electrophoretically separated mixtures of cellular and viral proteins are rapidly and sensitively located by sequential incubation with the lectin concanavalin A and the enzymatically active glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase. The bound enzyme is located by incubation with a substrate which is converted to a highly insoluble colored product. The specificity of the method is demonstrated by the abolition of concanavalin A binding in the presence of α-methyl mannoside. The method is capable of detecting as little as 60 ng of a purified model glycoprotein after electrophoresis. It has been applied to the analysis of the glycoproteins of purified Lassa virus and of the virus-specific glycoproteins in Japanese encephalitis virus-infected cells.
A comparative sealability study of different retrofilling materials

The purpose of the study was to compare the sealing properties of Cavit and zinc polycarboxylate cement with silver amalgam when used as retrofilling materials of root canals. The retrofilling materials were placed at the apices of dogs' teeth and were left there for a 6-month period, after which time the teeth were extracted and the marginal leakage was evaluated by C14-labeled urea. A second part of the study included an in vitro placement of the retrofillings. Previously extracted teeth were used and the same retrofilling materials were placed. They were left to set for 2 days in physiologic saline solution. Then the same evaluation for leakage was used. The purpose of the second part was to compare and evaluate the effect of aging on sealability. Under the conditions of this study, amalgam afforded a better seal in the 6-month group than polycarboxylate cement or Cavit. Both Cavit and polycarboxylate cement showed more leakage in the 6-month group. The deterioration of the seal afforded by Cavit in the 6-month group was statistically significant. The seal of amalgam was the only one which was improved by time.
Efficient isolation of ecdysteroids from the silkworm, Bombyx mori by droplet counter-current chromatography

The insect moulting hormones, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and its precursor, ecdysone were first isolated from the pupae of silkworm Bombyx mori using a classical solid support chromatographic technique. We have developed a simple procedure for isolation of 20-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone from B. mori by droplet counter-current chromatography (DCCC). DCCC method was very efficient for isolation of such a small amount as insect hormones.
A Musical Chronology and the Emerging Life Song

Listening to music often evokes in individuals cognitive and affective memories of important life events and significant losses. The authors have observed that music and lyrics significantly contri...
Formation of a novel reversible cytochrome P450 spectral intermediate: role of threonine 303 in P450 2E1 inactivation.

tert-Butyl acetylene (tBA) is a mechanism-based inactivator of cytochromes P450 2E1 and 2E1 T303A; however, the inactivation of the T303A mutant could be reversed by overnight dialysis. The inactivation of P450 2E1 T303A, but not the wild-type 2E1 enzyme, by tBA resulted in the formation of a novel reversible acetylene−iron spectral intermediate with an absorption maximum at 485 nm. The formation of this intermediate required oxygen and could be monitored spectrally with time. Although the alternate oxidants tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP) and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) supported the inactivation of wild-type P450 2E1 by tBA in a reductase- and NADPH-free system, only tBHP supported the inactivation of the 2E1 T303A mutant. The losses in enzymatic activity occurred concomitantly with losses in the native P450 heme, which were accompanied by the formation of tBA-adducted heme products. The inactivations supported by tBHP and CHP were completely irreversible with overnight dialysis. Spectral binding constan...
Clown Shows: Anti-Theatricalist Theatricalism in Four Twentieth-Century Plays

Metatheatre is an old practice but a comparatively recent critical interest. It attained momentum among critics in the early 1960s, stirred partly by Lionel Abel’s brief essays in Metatheatre: A New View of Dramatic Form. Abel claimed that a new dramatic ‘form’ had arisen in the English Renaissance and the Spanish Golden Age. ‘[T]ragedy would be replaced by metatheatre’ in the theatres of Shakespeare and Calderon, Abel argued, after whom extended a lineage that stretched to Pirandello, Genet, Brecht and Beckett. These plays had not been recognized as a distinct form, Abel said, and had no name: ‘I shall presume to designate them. I call them metaplays, works of metatheatre.’
Complete Pulse Characterization from MOSAIC Envelopes and Pulse Spectrum

Although MOSAIC offers a sensitive approach for chirp characterization, the chirp from this method is not necessarily unique. We demonstrate complete and unambiguous ultrashort pulse characterization using an additional spectral measurement and a new algorithm.
Full length article: Frequency-domain channel estimation and equalization for shallow-water acoustic communications

A new frequency-domain channel estimation and equalization (FDE) scheme, combined with a new group-wise phase correction scheme, is proposed for single-carrier (SC) underwater acoustic communications systems employing single transducer and multiple hydrophones. The proposed SC-FDE scheme employs a 2N-point Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to estimate and equalize the channel in frequency domain, where N is the number of symbols in a data block. Both the frequency-domain channel estimation and equalization are designed by the linear minimum mean square error criterion. Initial channel estimation is performed by a pilot signal block and later updates are achieved using the detected data blocks. The proposed phase correction scheme utilizes a few pilot symbols in each data block to estimate the initial phase shift and then correct it for the block to combat the large phase rotation due to the instantaneous Doppler drifts in the acoustic channels. Time-varying instantaneous phase drifts are re-estimated and compensated adaptively by averaging the phase variation across a group of symbols. The proposed SC-FDE and phase correction method is applied to the AUVFest'07 experimental data measured off the coast of Panama City, Florida, USA, June 2007. With the Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation and a symbol rate of 4 ksps, the proposed scheme achieves an average uncoded bit error rate on the order of 1x10^-^4 for fixed-to-fixed channels with the source-receiver range of 5.06 km. For the moving-to-fixed source-receiver channels where the source-receiver range is 1-3 km, the multipath delay spread is 5 ms, the average Doppler shifts are +/-20 Hz, and the maximum instantaneous Doppler drifts from the mean is +/-4 Hz, the proposed scheme achieves an average uncoded bit error rate on the order of 1x10^-^3.
Variability of Acetabular Coverage Between Supine and Weightbearing Pelvic Radiographs

Background:Radiographic measures of acetabular coverage are essential screening tools used to characterize bony structure contributing to femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Small changes in pelvic tilt result in altered radiographic measures of acetabular coverage. Positional changes in pelvic tilt are known to occur between the supine and weightbearing positions. It is unclear whether alteration of pelvic tilt between these positions is clinically sufficient to influence measures of acetabular coverage.Purpose/Hypothesis:To determine whether, and to what degree, imaging position (supine vs weightbearing) is capable of altering several measures of acetabular orientation: pubic symphysis to sacrococcygeal distance (PSSC), angle of Sharp (SA), Tonnis angle (TA), percentage of acetabular crossover (CO), and lateral center-edge angle of Wiberg (LCEA). The hypothesis was that imaging position would significantly alter all measures of acetabular orientation.Study Design:Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evide...
Nanomedicine: making controllable magnetic drug delivery possible for the treatment of breast cancer

A recent study published in Nano Letters documents the synthesis and performance of porous silica nanocapsules filled with magnetic nanoparticles as a controllable magnetic drug delivery vector. Under a remotely applied radiofrequency magnetic field, these nanocapsules demonstrate on-off switchable release of the internally loaded drug payload. Both in vitro and in vivo studies using MT2 mouse breast cancer cell models demonstrate that the magnetic targeting of these nanocapsules allows for deep tumor penetration and subsequent on-demand release of the drug cargo, significantly reducing tumor cell viability.
Association between major depressive disorder and C-reactive protein levels in stable coronary heart disease patients

Abstract Objective This study aimed for a comprehensive evaluation of major depressive disorder (MDD) in stable coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, excluding all other potential psychiatric comorbidities, and including associations with cardiac biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), troponin T (TnT), and amino-terminal pro-B-type brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Methods Cross-sectional study of a consecutive series of 72 stable CHD outpatients ( n =30 with MDD, n =42 with no psychiatric disorder). Psychiatric diagnoses were established by using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), and psychiatric assessment was performed on Axis I, Axis III, Axis IV, and Axis V. Regression analyses were performed including CRP, TnT, and NT-proBNP as dependent variables, and MDD, demographics, and comorbid medical conditions as independent variables. Results Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed a significant association between MDD and CRP (beta=0.262, P =.02), excluding all other demographic and medical variables from the models, except age (beta=0.266, P =.02). In addition, the results described a significant relationship between type II diabetes mellitus and TnT (beta=0.267, P =.02), and age and NT-proBNP levels (beta=0.374, P =.001). Conclusion Major depressive disorder was associated with elevated CRP levels in a consecutive series of stable CHD patients.
Tryptophan loading may reverse tolerance to opiate analgesics in humans: A preliminary report

Five patients on chronic opiate medication to treat low-back and leg pain were determined to have developed opiate tolerance on the basis of their failure to obtain significant relief (rated on a subjective pain scale and by the degree of straight leg-raising they were able to endure) after receiving 30 mg of morphine administered i.v. in divided doses over 35 min. After these patients' diets had been supplemented with 4 g/day of L-tryptophan for 2-9 weeks, they achieved significant relief from pain when the opiate tolerance test was re-administered, and were able to lead more active lives while reducing their daily opiate intake. chronic opiate administration probably reduces the serotonin turnover rate in the central nervous system; it may be that this is reversed by loading with the serotonin precursor, L-tryptophan.
Protein Kinase Cγ Mediates Regulation of Proliferation by the Serotonin 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 2B

Activation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2B (5-HT(2B)), a G(q/11) protein-coupled receptor, results in proliferation of various cell types. The 5-HT(2B) receptor is also expressed on the pacemaker cells of the gastrointestinal tract, the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), where activation triggers ICC proliferation. The goal of this study was to characterize the mitogenic signal transduction cascade activated by the 5-HT(2B) receptor. All of the experiments were performed on mouse small intestine primary cell cultures. Activation of the 5-HT(2B) receptor by its agonist BW723C86 induced proliferation of ICC. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase by LY294002 decreased base-line proliferation but had no effect on 5-HT(2B) receptor-mediated proliferation. Proliferation of ICC through the 5-HT(2B) receptor was inhibited by the phospholipase C inhibitor U73122 and by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor inhibitor Xestospongin C. Calphostin C, the alpha, beta, gamma, and micro protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Go6976, and the alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and zeta PKC inhibitor Go6983 inhibited 5-HT(2B) receptor-mediated proliferation, indicating the involvement of PKC alpha, beta, or gamma. Of all the PKC isoforms blocked by Go6976, PKCgamma and micro mRNAs were found by single-cell PCR to be expressed in ICC. 5-HT(2B) receptor activation in primary cell cultures obtained from PKCgamma(-/-) mice did not result in a proliferative response, further indicating the requirement for PKCgamma in the proliferative response to 5-HT(2B) receptor activation. The data demonstrate that the 5-HT(2B) receptor-induced proliferative response of ICC is through phospholipase C, [Ca(2+)](i), and PKCgamma, implicating this PKC isoform in the regulation of cellular proliferation.
Multiple applications for the 10kW fiber laser at the Electro-Optics Center

The Penn State Electro-Optics Center will be installing a 10 kW fiber laser at its Northpointe, PA facility in Fall 2005. This presentation will discuss the facility's capabilities and introduce three planned experiments that will utilize the high power near 1μm. The first experiment will be in the area of laser charring effects with semi-transparent composite materials. Previous work had been limited due to spot size requirements and limited available power. The new laser will enable effects testing up to levels of several hundred W/cm 2 . The second application will be damage testing of optical coatings. Coating damage continues to be a major obstacle in the development of HEL systems. The new facility at the EOC will allow us to test optical coating damage at fluence relevant to HEL systems. A third planned application is the demonstration of a low-cost, non-coherent beam combiner. The combiner design will be discussed with preliminary results and plans for range testing at an underground mine location.
Optimal non-linear pricing with regulatory preference over customer type

Abstract In this paper we characterize the Pareto-optimal set of non-linear pricing schedules when non-negative weights are assigned to each customer type. Our analysis first compares general non-linear tariff schedules and sets of self-selecting two-part tariffs, when there are two customer types and the cost function is linear. We then derive optimal sets of two-part tariffs for arbitrary numbers of customer types and general cost functions. We also consider the sustainability of non-linear pricing schedules under the threat of entry of rival firms.
The Effects of a Career Planning Course and a Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Program (SIGI PLUS) on Undecided University Students

This study examined the separate and combined effects of a career planning course and a computer-assisted career guidance system (SIGI PLUS) on undecided university students. Seventy first and second year university students were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups (career planning course only; career planning course and SIGI PLUS; SIGI PLUS only; wait-listed control group). Pre and posttest measures were administered and an analysis of covariance was conducted to determine differences among groups for each measure. Significant overall differences were found for each measure. Follow-up procedures revealed significant differences between specific career treatment groups and the control group. Implications for counselors are discussed.
The use of baseline clinical measures to predict those at risk for progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Although histologic changes of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) begin in men when they are in their thirties, symptomatic BPH characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) typically do not develop for several decades. Progression of BPH may lead to significant voiding symptoms, acute urinary retention, and the need for prostate surgery. However, developing LUTS is not inevitable for men with histologic evidence of BPH. The ability to predict those men who are risk for BPH progression is increasingly important because of recent evidence provided by the Medical Therapy of Prostate Symptoms study. This landmark study demonstrated that 5α-reductase inhibitors, alone or in combination with selective α-blockers, can delay or prevent the progression of BPH. In addition, the most important and consistent predictive factors for BPH progression are baseline prostatespecific antigen and prostate volume. Integration of these clinical parameters into clinical practice is influencing the decision regarding which men should observe or initiate treatment. This article highlights recent studies regarding the use of baseline clinical parameters on predicting BPH progression.
Using Efficient Model Based Sum-Scores for Conducting Skills Diagnoses

Consider test data, a specified set of dichotomous skills measured by the test, and an IRT cognitive diagnosis model (ICDM). Statistical estimation of the data set using the ICDM can provide examinee estimates of mastery for these skills, referred to generally as attributes. With such detailed information about each examinee, future instruction can be tailored specifically for each student, often referred to as formative assessment. However, use of such cognitive diagnosis models to estimate skills in classrooms can require computationally intensive and complicated statistical estimation algorithms, which can diminish the breadth of applications of attribute level diagnosis. We explore the use of sum-scores (each attribute measured by a sum-score) combined with estimated model-based sum-score mastery/nonmastery cutoffs as an easy-to-use and intuitive method to estimate attribute mastery in classrooms and other settings where simple skills diagnostic approaches are desirable. Using a simulation study of skills diagnosis test settings and assuming a test consisting of a model-based calibrated set of items, correct classification rates (CCRs) are compared among four model-based approaches for estimating attribute mastery, namely using full model-based estimation and three different methods of computing sum-scores (simple sum-scores, complex sum-scores, and weighted complex sum-scores) combined with model-based mastery sum-score cutoffs. In summary, the results suggest that model-based sum-scores and mastery cutoffs can be used to estimate examinee attribute mastery with only moderate reductions in CCRs in comparison with the full model-based estimation approach. Certain topics are mentioned that are currently being investigated, especially applications in classroom and textbook settings.