cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IR fiber optic chemical sensors for hazardous waste detection

Infrared fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy is a powerful tool for identifying various organic compounds in soils. Using this technique a mixture of benzene and TCE on sand was measured; peaks due to both compounds are readily evident and correspond to the peaks in the pure liquid. At low concentrations of diesel fuel marine (DFM) on sand the band depths scale linearly with respect to DFM concentration. As the DFM concentration increases, the plot of DFM band depth versus concentration becomes nonlinear.
Renal versus continuous versus intermittent therapies for removal of uremic toxins

Renal versus continuous versus intermittent therapies for removal of uremic toxins. Uremic toxin removal by renal replacement therapies (RRTs) differs from the elimination of waste products by the native kidney in several ways. Specifically, uremic toxin removal by a RRT is achieved by a one-step membrane-based process, without the subsequent modifications that occur in the native kidney after a solute is filtered across the glomerular membrane. Another major difference relates to the continuous nature of native kidney function, which provides constant solute clearances and mass removal rates for a patient in steady state. This constancy of solute clearance, mass removal rate, and serum concentration does not exist for RRTs used in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The purpose of this review is first to compare solute removal by the native kidney with that by the various RRTs used for uremic patients. Subsequently, the therapy specificity of the relationship between solute clearance and mass removal rate is discussed, and the effective solute removal capabilities of different therapies compared.
Nondermatologists are more likely than dermatologists to prescribe antifungal/corticosteroid products: An analysis of office visits for cutaneous fungal infections, 1990–1994

Abstract Background: Dermatologists have greater accuracy than nondermatologists for diagnosis of skin disease. However, it is not clear whether this affects medical outcome. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that nondermatologists would be more likely than dermatologists to prescribe combination products for the treatment of common fungal skin infections. Methods: We analyzed office-based physician visits for fungal skin infections recorded in the 1990–1994 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Results: There were 4.1 million visits for cutaneous fungal disease of which 82% were to nondermatologists. Nondermatologists were more likely to prescribe combination agents (34.1%) than dermatologists (4.8%, p = 0.001). If the percentage of combination agents used by nondermatologists was reduced to that of dermatologists, an estimated $24.9 million or $10.3 million would be saved if clotrimazole or ketoconazole, respectively, were the substituted drug for the combination agent clotrimazole/betamethasone dipropionate. Conclusion: Nondermatologists are more likely to use a more expensive, less effective regimen than are dermatologists, suggesting that dermatologists are more cost-effective than nondermatologists in the treatment of common fungal skin disorders. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;39:43-7.)
Impact of obesity on maternal and neonatal outcomes in insulin-resistant pregnancy.

Objective To determine the impact of obesity on pregnancies complicated by insulin resistance. Study Design Secondary analysis of prospective cohort of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The exclusion criteria were type 1 DM, multiple gestation, fetal anomalies, unknown prepregnancy, and body mass index (BMI). Primary maternal outcome was a composite of any of the following: severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, third- to fourth-degree laceration, readmission, wound infection, or antepartum hospitalization. Primary neonatal outcome was a composite of any of the following: hypoglycemia, preterm delivery, admission to level 3 nursery, oxygen requirement > 6 hours after birth, shoulder dystocia, 5-minute Apgar ≤3, cord pH 2 ) were compared with nonobese women (BMI Results Of 356 subjects with DM, 233 (66%) were obese. Obese women were not at further increased risk of the composite maternal outcome (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43–1.09), the composite neonatal outcome (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.48–1.21), or cesarean (58.8 vs. 52.9%, p = 0.28, AOR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.91–2.39). Conclusion We did not find evidence that obesity worsened pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM and type 2 DM, suggesting that obese women may not require more stringent antepartum treatment strategies.
Modeling Team Processes: Issues and a Specific Example

This paper develops a perspective to modeling team processes by drawing on concepts from team theory, and the informational processing and organizational paradigms. In such a perspective, humans and their interactions in a team are modeled as objects in a computerized environment. The behavior of the objects are specified in terms of the executable programs. A simulation testbed is described. Various information structures for team decision making in an example financial domain are examined. Questions regarding the relationship between information structure who knows what, when, and how the information is used and team performance are studied for the example. Thus this study can be seen as a step in the translation of behavioral and normative viewpoints of team decision making into a computational framework. The results indicate that there are complex relationships between information structure and team performance. The conventional wisdom relating improved performance to more information is not always true. The experiments demonstrate several situations of team interaction where more information can lead to dysfunctional effects.
Uptake, Metabolism, and Release of N-[3H]-Acetylaspartylglutamate by the Avian Retina

: N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is a nervous system-specific dipeptide that is released from retinal neurons on depolarization. In the present study, extracellular metabolism, uptake, and release of [3H]NAAG were examined in the chick retina. After in vitro incubation with NAAG radiolabeled in the glutamate moiety, [3H]-glutamate and [3H]NAAG increased in retinal cells through time- and temperature-dependent processes, which were reduced in the absence of extracellular sodium. Coincubation of cells with [3H]NAAG and aspartylglutamate or phosphate resulted in the decreased extracellular appearance of [3H]glutamate, produced by hydrolysis of radiolabeled NAAG, and a consequent increased availability of [3H]-NAAG for transport into the retinal cells. When this tissue was incubated with radiolabeled NAAG, glutamate, glutamine, or aspartate under similar conditions, only [3H]-NAAG served as a significant source for the appearance of intracellular [3H]NAAG. These data support the conclusion that [3H]NAAG can be transported into retinal cells, whereas [3H]glutamate transport is the predominant process after release of this amino acid from NAAG by extracellular peptidase activities. After uptake, [3H]NAAG entered a cellular pool, from which the peptide was secreted under depolarizing conditions and in a calcium-dependent manner.
The Creation of the Style Louis XV

Who invented the style Louis XV? Who was the first to imagine, to create those plastic forms from which issued, in the end, those of the rococo? We know that the first decisive works appeared in the last fifteen years of the reign of Louis XIV, culminating in the decoration of the chapel at Versailles and of the choir of Notre Dame de Paris, two works, themselves almost regence, in which may be found already the essentials of the style of Louis XV. These years were those of Mansart's Surintendance des Bâtiments (from 1699) and, after his death in 1708, of the succession of Robert de Cotte as Premier Architecte. Was it really to these great functionaries, or to other men, more modest in rank, that we should attribute the artistic initiative in this creation, one of the most genial of modern times?
A struggling international partnership: TNK-BP joint venture

Joint ventures with equity participation by partners bring together parties with different capabilities to achieve a common goal. The expectation typically focuses on synergy that will benefit both parties. BP, the British oil company and the Russian conglomerate TNK formed a joint venture with similar hopes. BP offered its significant market power in the world and technological know-how; TNK brought to the table the vast oil reserves in the steppes of Siberia. In a few short years, the venture started manifesting instability primarily caused by the differences in economic motives and cultural orientations of the partners. This paper traces the chronology of events in the souring relationships between the partners as evidenced in recent times and assesses the instability of the venture.
Buoyancy-driven circulation in free-surface channels

The convective circulation driven by a surface buoyancy flux in a dead-end open channel is analysed. On the assumption of similarity profiles for velocity and temperature, the governing partlial differential are reduced to two nonlinear ordinary differential equations by integrating over the flow depth. A closed-form solution of the differential equations is presented. The solution is a function of the Grashof number G and the modified Prandtl–Grashof number PmG½ defined ih (21). The velocity and temperature along the channel vary linearly as the distance and as the square of the distance respectively. Analytical expressions for the rate of total heat loss from the channel and the rateof flow in the channel are derived. The analytical results compare well with the available experimental data.
Commentary on: the transacting cognitions of non-family employees in the family businesses setting

In this commentary, we discuss the origins of the academic study of family business and how this paper illuminates and is illuminated by prior research and theory in the family business and family systems fields. The academic study of the family business field began in earnest with a look at the endemic conflicts and tensions of family business (Lansberg, 1983; Dyer, 1986; Ward, 1987; Davis and Taguiri, 1989). From that point forward, very little research in this field has occurred that has explored these tensions and their causes. What little theory that has been developed has not provided conceptual frameworks rigorous enough to be tested empirically. The classic sources of tension have been identified as differences in goals and expectations between people in three main roles in a family business: owner, family member, and business manager. These roles are not new and have been investigated somewhat in other literature, such as Transaction Cost Economics (Williamson, 1981) and Agency Theory (Jensen and Meckling, 1994). The general role of conflict, how it operates, and how it is resolved has been well explored in the family systems literature (Gottman et al., 1993; Breunlin, 1989). The article ‘‘The transacting cognitions of non-family employees in the family businesses setting’’ by Mitchell et al. (2003) brings a new theoretical orientation to the family business
Regional industrial growth: evidence from Chinese industries

Abstract This paper examines several theories of regional industrial development in the case of China. It studies regional factors representing three broadly defined sources of regional growth: dynamic externalities arising from knowledge spillovers, natural advantage and local market conditions, and foreign trade and direct investment. Using provincial-level data on two-digit Chinese Industrial Classification industries over 1985–1993, we find that local competition is positively related to regional industrial growth. There is also strong evidence that provinces with a smaller state sector grow faster, and that a better transport system helps growth. Finally after controlling for various other regional factors, we find that exports and foreign direct investment have strong positive effects on regional industrial growth.
“Don't be a sit-down, shut-up kind of teacher”: Letters to Future High School Teachers

(1991). “Don't be a sit-down, shut-up kind of teacher”: Letters to Future High School Teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 243-245.
A low-power correlator

The complex valued matched filter correlators consume maximum power in the DS/SS CDMA receivers. These correlators accumulate 1024 samples lying in the range -7 to +7. This accumulation needs 3 data bits, 1 sign bit and 10 extra bits for overflow. Hence, the correlator can be implemented as a cascade of 4-bit full adder and a 10-bit incrementer. As a ripple carry adder (RCA) consumes the least power among all the existing adder architectures, we have implemented the 4-bit adder as a RCA. Previous incrementers were implemented as ripple counters. In this paper we propose a novel incrementer which is faster than a ripple counter based incrementer. Hence, it can be operated at a reduced voltage resulting in considerable power reduction. The incrementer is implemented using multiplexers, AND gates and TSPC registers. The ripple-counter correlator and the proposed incrementer correlator were laid out in MAGIC using 0.5µ CMOS technology followed by power estimation using HSPICE. It is shown that the proposed architecture requires 50% less power than a ripple counter based design.
Chlorine-36 in groundwater of the United States: empirical data

Natural production of the radionuclide chlo- rine-36 ( 36 Cl) has provided a valuable tracer for ground- water studies. The nuclear industry, especially the testing of thermonuclear weapons, has also produced large amounts of 36 Cl that can be detected in many samples of groundwater. In order to be most useful in hydrologic studies, the natural production prior to 1952 should be distinguished from more recent artificial sources. The object of this study was to reconstruct the probable preanthropogenic levels of 36Cl in groundwater in the United States. Although significant local variations exist, they are superimposed on a broad regional pattern of 36Cl/Cl ratios in the United States. Owing to the influ- ence of atmospherically transported ocean salt, natural ratios of 36 Cl/total Cl are lowest near the coast and in- crease to a maximum in the central Rocky Mountains of the United States. Resume La production naturelle du radionucleide chlore- 36 ( 36 Cl) fournit un interessant traceur pour l'etude des eaux souterraines. L'industrie nucleaire, en particulier les essais de bombes thermonucleaires, a egalement produit de grandes quantites de 36 Cl qui a pu etre detecte dans de nombreux echantillons d'eau souterraine. Afin d'en ame- liorer l'usage dans les etudes hydrologiques, la production naturelle avant 1952 doit etre distinguee des sources artifi- cielles plus recentes. L'objectif de cette etude a ete la re- construction des niveaux probables de 36Cl dans les eaux
Bringing values and deliberation to science communication

Decisions always involve both facts and values, whereas most science communication focuses only on facts. If science communication is intended to inform decisions, it must be competent with regard to both facts and values. Public participation inevitably involves both facts and values. Research on public participation suggests that linking scientific analysis to public deliberation in an iterative process can help decision making deal effectively with both facts and values. Thus, linked analysis and deliberation can be an effective tool for science communication. However, challenges remain in conducting such process at the national and global scales, in enhancing trust, and in reconciling diverse values.
A proposal for quality standards for measuring medication adherence in research.

A decade after widespread recognition that adherence to medication regimens is key to antiretroviral effectiveness, considerable controversy remains regarding a “gold standard” for adherence measurement. Each adherence measurement approach has strengths and weaknesses and each rests on specific assumptions. The range of assumptions regarding adherence measurement and the diversity with which each approach is implemented strongly suggest that the evaluation of a particular measure outside of the context in which it was used (e.g. the study’s operational protocol) may result in undeserved confidence or lack of confidence in study results. The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of best practices across commonly used measurement methods. Recommendations regarding what information should be included in published reports regarding how adherence was measured are provided to promote improvement in the quality of measurement of medication adherence in research.
ISAR imaging of small craft with roll, pitch and yaw analysis

In this paper, we analyze the effect of roll, pitch and yaw rotations on inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of small craft. An ideal ISAR image of a target with regular motion can be derived from the image projection plane and the radar line-of-sight (LOS) unit vector. Roll, pitch and yaw rotations can induce time-varying Doppler shifts that can be analyzed through the rotation matrix and the effective rotation vector. We use a commercial small craft ISAR data accompanied with roll, pitch and yaw data collected by the Trimble Tans Vector system with 4 GPS antennas to study the effect of rotational motion on ISAR imaging. For a target with regular motion, perturbations of roll and pitch motions may make for image blurring if conventional motion compensation is used. In this case, advanced imaging algorithms, such as the polar reformatting algorithm, that compensate the perturbations may improve the image.
Document representation in probabilistic models of information retrieval

Probabilistic models of retrieval have provided insights into the document retrieval process and contain the basis for very effective search strategies. A major limitation of these models is that they assume that documents are represented by binary index terms. In many cases the index terms will be assigned weights, such as within-document frequency weights, which are derived from the content of the documents by the indexing process. These weights, which are referred to here as term significance weights, indicate the relative importance of the terms in individual documents. This article describes how retrieval models which use either independence or dependence assumptions can be extended to include document representatives containing term significance weights. Comparison with other research indicates that search strategies based on models modified in this way can further improve the effectiveness of document retrieval systems.
How many lymph nodes properly stage a periampullary malignancy

The impact of lymphadenectomy in prognosis and staging in periampullary malignancies remains largely undefined. We examined all pancreaticoduodenectomies for periampullary carcinomas in the SEER cancer registry from 1993 through 2003. Overall, 5465 pancreaticoduodenectomies for nonmetastatic periampullary carcinomas were identified. The cohort was comprised of 62.5% pancreatic, 18.9% ampullary, 11.6% distal bile duct, and 7.0% duodenal cancers. A linear association between the number of lymph nodes (LNs) examined and overall survival was observed overall and for pancreas and ampullary cancers for node-negative (N0) disease. Median survival for all patients with localized, N0 disease improved from 24 to 31 months, with sampling of a minimum of 10 LNs, whereas 2 and 5-year survival improved from 52 and 29%, with <10 nodes examined to 58 and 37% with 10+ nodes examined (P<0.001). A 1-month median survival advantage was seen in patients with node-positive disease when more than 10 lymph nodes examined (15 versus 16 months, P<0.001). Significantly better median survival and cure rates are observed after pancreaticoduodenectomy for localized periampullary adenocarcinoma when a minimum of 10 lymph nodes are examined. This benefit likely represents more accurate staging. To optimize the prognostic accuracy and prevent stage migration errors in multicenter trials a minimum of 10 lymph nodes should be obtained and examined before the determination of node-negative disease.
Magnetohydrodynamic Vortex Containment, Part 2: Equilibrium of Uranium Fluoride Fuel in Hydrogen Propellant

The second in a series of papers on the effectiveness of using magnetohydrodynamically driven vortices to contain uranium in a gas core nuclear propulsion system is presented. This paper highlights the derivations of equilibrium chemical, electrical, and optical properties that are required to assess the effectiveness of the containment scheme. The primary constituents of the chemical analysis are uranium, hydrogen, and fluorine, and the local thermodynamic equilibrium properties of some 30 of the resulting chemical species are found. Limits on the ability of uranium hexafluoride to reduce condensation of the fuel are presented. Bulk transport properties, including diffusion rates, electrical conductivity, and opacity of the mixture are derived.
Achieving finite element mesh quality via optimization of the Jacobian matrix norm and associated quantities. Part II—A framework for volume mesh optimization and the condition number of the Jacobian matrix

Three-dimensional unstructured tetrahedral and hexahedral finite element mesh optimization is studied from a theoretical perspective and by computer experiments to determine what objective functions are most effective in attaining valid, high quality meshes. The approach uses matrices and matrix norms to extend the work in Part I to build suitable 3D objective functions. Because certain matrix norm identities which hold for 2 x 2 matrices do not hold for 3 x 3 matrices. significant differences arise between surface and volume mesh optimization objective functions. It is shown, for example, that the equivalence in two-dimensions of the Smoothness and Condition Number of the Jacobian matrix objective functions does not extend to three dimensions and further. that the equivalence of the Oddy and Condition Number of the Metric Tensor objective functions in two-dimensions also fails to extend to three-dimensions. Matrix norm identities are used to systematically construct dimensionally homogeneous groups of objective functions. The concept of an ideal minimizing matrix is introduced for both hexahedral and tetrahedral elements. Non-dimensional objective functions having barriers are emphasized as the most logical choice for mesh optimization. The performance of a number of objective functions in improving mesh quality was assessed on a suite of realistic test problems, focusing particularly on all-hexahedral ''whisker-weaved'' meshes. Performance is investigated on both structured and unstructured meshes and on both hexahedral and tetrahedral meshes. Although several objective functions are competitive, the condition number objective function is particularly attractive. The objective functions are closely related to mesh quality measures. To illustrate, it is shown that the condition number metric can be viewed as a new tetrahedral element quality measure.
Biodistribution of etanercept to tissues and sites of inflammation in arthritic rats.

Many monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and other protein drugs have targets usually residing within tissues, making tissue concentrations of mAbs relevant to their pharmacologic effects. Therefore, knowledge of tissue distribution kinetics is important to better understand their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The tissue distribution of mAbs is affected by many physiologic factors that may be altered in disease status. In the present work, we studied the tissue distribution kinetics of the fusion protein etanercept in inflamed joint tissues and examined the impact of inflammation on the tissue distribution of etanercept. Etanercept concentration profiles in plasma, blister fluid, and different tissues were obtained from healthy and collagen-induced arthritic (CIA) rats by use of a fluorescence quantification method via IRDye800CW labeling. Stepwise minimal and full physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) approaches were applied to characterize the distribution kinetics of etanercept in tissues in healthy and diseased animals. Etanercept exhibited modest tissue access (tissue/plasma area under the concentration curve [AUC] ratios 0.03–0.15 and estimated tissue reflection coefficients [σ] of 0.6–1.0), but with good penetration into arthritic paws (tissue/plasma AUC ratio 0.23 and σ 0.36). Etanercept exposure in the inflamed paws of CIA rats was approximately 3-fold higher than in normal paws taken from either CIA or healthy rats (tissue/plasma AUC ratios 0.23 versus 0.07 and σ 0.36 versus 0.71). The tissue distribution kinetics of etanercept in arthritic paws were well characterized with PBPK modeling approaches. Etanercept shows good penetration to arthritic paws in CIA rats. Our study indicates that inflammation produced increased tissue distribution of etanercept in CIA rats.
The State of Sulfur Metabolism in Algae: From Ecology to Genomics

232 I. Algae and the Global Sulfur Cycle 232 II. Sulfur Metabolism 233 A. SO4 2− Transport Systems 233 B. ATP Sulfurylase 237 C. APS Kinase 237 D. APS and PAPS Reductases 237 E. Sulfite Reductase 238 F. Serine Acetyltransferase 238 G. OASTL 239 H. Methionine Synthesis 239 I. Glutathione Synthesis 239 J. Phytochelatin Synthase 240 K. DMSP Synthesis 240 L. DMSP Degradation and Its Consequences 241 III. Non-Protein S Compounds 242 A. Sulpholipids 242 B. Sulfated Oligosaccharides 243 C. Thioredoxin and Glutaredoxin 243 D. Glutathione/Phytochelatin 245 E. DMSP and DMS 247 F. S-Containing Cofactors 247 IV. Selenocysteine Metabolism 248 V. Adaptation and Acclimation to S Deficiency 248 A. Cell Growth and Division 249 B. Changes Extracellular Proteins 249 C. Arylsulfatase and Hydrolytic Activity 249 D. SO 4 2− Transport 250 E. SO4 2− Assimilation 250 F. Metabolic Changes Elicited by S Deprivation 251 1. Down-Regulating Photosynthesis 251 2. Accumulation of Starch 252 3. H2 Production in S-Starved Cells 252 VI. Regulatory Mechanisms Controlling Responses to Sulfur Deficiency 253 A. SAC1 253 B. SAC2 255 C. SAC3 255 D. Other Mutants 255
Discrete Optimization with Decision Diagrams

We propose a general branch-and-bound algorithm for discrete optimization in which binary decision diagrams (BDDs) play the role of the traditional linear programming relaxation. In particular, relaxed BDD representations of the problem provide bounds and guidance for branching, and restricted BDDs supply a primal heuristic. Each problem is given a dynamic programming model that allows one to exploit recursive structure, even though the problem is not solved by dynamic programming. A novel search scheme branches within relaxed BDDs rather than on values of variables. Preliminary testing shows that a rudimentary BDD-based solver is competitive with or superior to a leading commercial integer programming solver for the maximum stable set problem, the maximum cut problem on a graph, and the maximum 2-satisfiability problem. Specific to the maximum cut problem, we tested the BDD-based solver on a classical benchmark set and identified tighter relaxation bounds than have ever been found by any technique, nearl...
Language abilities of children who stutter: A preliminary study

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between children who do (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) on standardized tests of receptive/expressive language and receptive vocabulary. Subjects were 16 boys and 4 girls who stutter (mean age = 46.80 months) and 16 boys and 4 girls who do not stutter (mean age = 47.55 months). Each child was audio recorded during a loosely structured, 30-minute conversation with an adult. This conversational interaction was subsequently assessed to provide information pertinent to the child's frequency and type of speech disfluency. After completion of the adult-child conversational interaction, each child was administered and responded to standardized tests of syntactic, semantic, and phonological abilities and development. Results indicated that the difference between measures of receptive/expressive language and receptive vocabulary is significantly greater for CWS than CWNS; however, this difference between receptive/expressive language and receptive vocabulary scores was not significantly correlated with the overall stuttering frequency of CWS. Findings were taken to suggest that the semantic development of CWS may lag behind their syntactic development, a possible imbalance among components of the speech-language systems of CWS that may contribute to the difficulties they have establishing normal speech fluency. Research supported by an NIH grant (DC00523) to Vanderbilt University.
The Carbon-Neutral Individual

Reducing the risk of catastrophic climate change will require leveling off greenhouse gas emissions over the short term and reducing emissions by an estimated sixty to eighty percent over the long term. To achieve these reductions, we argue that policymakers and regulators should focus not only on factories and other industrial sources of emissions but also on individuals. We construct a model that demonstrates that individuals contribute roughly one-third of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. This one-third share accounts for roughly eight percent of the world's total, more than the total emissions of any other country except China, and more than several continents. We contend that it is desirable, if not imperative, that governments address emissions from individual behavior. This task will be difficult because individual behaviors, including idling cars and wasting electricity, are resistant to change, even when the change is rational. Mindful of the costs, we propose measures that have a high likelihood of success. We draw on norms theory and empirical studies to demonstrate how legal reforms can tie the widely held abstract norm of personal responsibility to the emerging concrete norm of carbon neutrality. We suggest that these legal reforms could push carbon neutrality past a tipping point, directly influencing many carbon-emitting individual behaviors and building the public support necessary for policymakers to address the remaining sources.
Dosimetry Evaluation of In-Core and Above-Core Zirconium Alloy Samples in a PWR

A description of the neutron fluence analysis of activated zirconium alloys samples at a Westinghouse 3-loop reactor is presented. These samples were irradiated in the core and in the fuel plenum region, where dosimetry measurements are relatively rare compared with regions radially outward of the core. Dosimetry measurements performed by Batelle/PNNL are compared to the calculational models. Good agreement is shown with the in-core measurements when using analysis conditions expected to best represent this region, such as an assembly-specific axial power distribution. However, the use of these conditions to evaluate dosimetry in the fuel plenum region can lead to significant underestimation of the fluence. The use of a flat axial power distribution, however, does not underestimate the fluence in the fuel plenum region.
The Temperature Dependence of Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous Vibrational Linewidth Broadening Studies Using Coherent Picosecond Stokes Scattering

The theoretical interpretation of vibrational dephasing experiments has been dependent on several simplifying assumptions [1]. One important assumption has been low depletion (≤5%) of the laser pump in the stimulated Raman excitation process. We have observed that, given exponential stimulated Stokes gain and pulse intensity fluctuations from passively mode-locked Nd:glass laser systems, maintaining stimulated Stokes conversions between 1–5% is a nearly impossible task. Figure 1 shows that immediately after the stimulated Raman scattering threshold is reached, the laser can be depleted ≥10% and depletion approaches ≈50% as the laser energy increases. Other studies measuring both laser and Stokes pulses after the Raman cell reveal coincident sharp thresholds for stimulated Stokes scattering and laser depletion [2]. Consequently, we believe that most vibrational dephasing experiments [3–6] have been performed in the high Stokes conversion regime.
Put innovation science at the heart of discovery

The success rate of discoveries would be improved if we could find out how to innovate, argues Andrew Kusiak.
Vision Impairment Among Older Adults Residing in Subsidized Housing Communities

Purpose of the Study: To examine the rate of vision impairment and the relationship between vision impairment, cognitive impairment, and chronic comorbid conditions in residents of federally subsidized senior housing facilities.
Vitamin D Activity of Normal and Neoplastic Human Breast Tissue.

SummaryTo test the possibility that the hypercalcemia of human female breast cancer results from a Vit. D-like substance elaborated by the tumor, breast cancers, normal male and female breast and other tissues were assayed for Vit. D activity. Five of 6 cancers associated with hypercalcemia contained small amounts of activity; so did 3 tumors from normocalcemic women. The average activity of breast cancers was 15 ± 10 IU/g (mean ± SE). Normal male and female breast tissue contained 66 ± 14 IU/g. Two specimens of gynecomastia tissue and 2 bronchogenic carcinomas associated with hypercalcemia contained little or no activity. The small amount of Vit. D in breast cancer, a tissue which lyses bone, compared with the larger amount in normal breast tissue, which does not, makes it unlikely that Vit. D is responsible for the hypercalcemia of breast cancer.
Acetylation of sulfanilamide as influenced by the thyroid.

SummaryThe influence of the thyroid on the acetylation of sulfanilamide was studied Hyperthyroidism and thyroidectomy cdused a decrease in the amount of sulfanilamide acetj lated : thiouracil treatment led to an increase.
An Ethnic Literary Scholar Views American Literature

Within the last two decades, ethnic literary scholarship has emerged as a discrete discipline. In earlier years there were ethnologists and anthropologists, and-more importantly-people within the cultures who collected and interpreted oral traditions, folk tales, sermons, songs, and the littleknown work of their own authors. However, since the revolutions of the 1960s, with the concomitant establishment of ethnic studies programs, scholarly inquiry has been systematically developed and scholars have begun to report the enormous variety, quantity, and vitality of all the ethnic literatures of the United States. The results are beginning to appear in the introduction of new titles in anthologies, course syllabi, and academic lectures.
"Queering Citizenship in Alabama: Discourse, Power and Implications for U.S. Immigration Politics"

The state of Alabama is currently battling in the courts for full implementation of its immigration law, passed in June 2011 (HB 56), which is widely considered to be the most restrictive in the United States. Recent changes to the law (HB 658) reflect the Alabamian legislators continued commitment to their self-proclaimed anti-illegal immigration policy of “self-deportation” of “illegal aliens.” This paper investigates the public discourse used to both promote and oppose the Alabama legislation between April and August 2011 to demonstrate how economic, market-driven notions of citizenship have been deployed in Alabama to fundamentally, legally change the nature of state citizenship. Through a discourse analysis using a poststructuralist lens, the paper examines the manifest justifications and oppositional positions to this legislation in order to identify changes in the power dynamics reflected in existing notions of citizenship. The resulting power analysis suggests a changed, racialized meaning for cit...
Novel real-time 3D radiological mapping solution for ALARA maximization, D&D assessments and radiological management

Good management of decontamination and dismantling (DD this knowledge itself must be acquired safely and securely in a time-saving way. Additionally, Fukushima accident has imposed a stretch to the nuclear measurement operational approach required in such emergency situation: fast deployment and intervention, quick analysis and fast scenario definition. AREVA, as return of experience from its activities carried out at Fukushima and D&D sites, has developed a novel multi-sensor solution as part of its D&D research, approach and method, a system with real-time 3D photorealistic spatial radiation distribution cartography of contaminated premises. The system may be handheld or mounted on a mobile device (robot, drone, e.g.). In this paper, we will present our current development based on a SLAM technology (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) and integrated sensors and detectors allowing simultaneous topographic and radiological (dose rate and/or spectroscopy) data acquisitions. This enabling technology permits 3D gamma sources cartography in a reconstructed volume in real-time.
The Polemics of Exile in Jeremiah 26–45: The Exilic Coalition between the Shaphanides and Levites

there is strong scholarly consensus that the shaphanides in exile maintained close connections to the royal circle of Jehoiachin in Babylon and were responsible for a significant amount of redactional activity during the period of Babylonian domination. As discussed in the present study, the development of the book of Jeremiah was paramount to this literary endeavor and indeed serves as a key to understanding its ongoing development. The exilic adjustments and expansions to the preexilic literary collections reflect an attempt to establish ideological continuity from one epoch to the next, despite the obvious sociological, political, and theological disruption represented by the death of Josiah, the dissolution of Judah's autonomy, and the conditions of expatriate life. These adjustments are deployed to provide comprehensiveness to the literature, and thus to maintain the influence and vitality of the political ideology and scribal group standing behind it. The Shaphanides, however, would not have been the only group interested in preserving the Deuteronomistic tradition in exile. The preexilic version of this tradition attempted to appeal to a variety of Levitical groups, and the narrative regarding Josiah's reform activity in Judah suggests that the Levites of Josiah's realm did conform to the Deuteronomic program. The reform may have prohibited them from engaging in local cultic activity in the wake of Josiah's centralization efforts, but it provided them with regional juridical authority as executors and licensed exegetes of the written Deuteronomic legislation, stationed in each village or city gate.
1: Distinct tissue factors bind free IL-12p40 monomer extracellularly to generate novel cytokines

Background IL-12 and IL-23 are heterodimeric cytokines formed by the association of a common p40 subunit with either p35 or p19. It is currently thought that these bioactive heterodimers must be assembled within the cell by covalent linkage before being secreted. However, we and others have shown that both human and mouse antigen presenting cells exposed to inflammatory signals secrete high levels of p40 in a free monomeric form. The biological significance of this is unknown. We have recently proposed that free IL-12p40 functions as a “cytokine adaptor” by binding to other protein(s) from its environment extracellulary and forming novel cytokines. Aim This study poses two questions: first, is free p40 capable of generating IL-12-like activities in concert with p35 extracellularly? Second, does circulating serum p40 specifically associate with other proteins to potentially form new cytokines? Methods We used an in vitro association assay using the p40 monomer in combination with p35 released from necrotic cells, together with a novel unbiased ex vivo proteomics approach to address these questions. Results Here we show for the first time that secreted free p40 monomers can combine with p35 extracellularly to generate biologically active IL-12. Both recombinant p40 and that from the serum of p35 −/− mice could combine with p35 released from necrotic cells to generate IL-12. Furthermore, we used an unbiased ex vivo proteomic approach to extract multiple novel proteins that were coeluted with p40 from the serum of mice undergoing sepsis. Conclusions Our data suggest that the rapid secretion of p40 monomer from APCs and its association with novel polypeptides from the local inflammatory “soup” generates new cytokines. We propose that such cytokines could regulate subsequent development of effector class during the innate phase of the immune responses before the recruitment of adaptive immunity.
Open Parastomal Hernia Repair

Parastomal hernia formation, the presence of visceral contents protruding through an abdominal wall defect adjacent to an ostomy, represents a complex problem for the hernia surgeon. When compared to other types of ventral hernias, they occur at a higher rate, they are technically more difficult to repair, and they are associated with higher rates of surgical site occurrences and hernia recurrences. Recent reviews suggest that hernia formation complicates up to 50 % of stoma formation [1–6]. The presence of a parastomal hernia also increases the likelihood of a concomitant incisional hernia formation, which further complicates the repair of both hernias [7, 8]. Parastomal hernias have additional morbidity not associated with other hernias including poorly fitting stoma appliances, parastomal skin breakdown, stoma level obstruction, and pain which result in an overall negative impact on quality of life [9]. This chapter will provide an overview of the various types of open repair of parastomal hernias.
Self-Expression, Social Roles, and Faculty Members’ Attitudes towards Online Teaching

There is a widening gap between administrators’ and faculty members’ attitudes towards online education. This post-positivist grounded theory study explored features of the experiences that shaped sixteen faculty members’ attitudes towards online education. Two features are identified: (a) they strived to express subject matter of personal significance, and (b) they strived to take on various social roles. The degree to which these efforts were facilitated – or thwarted – shaped their attitudes towards online education. This analytical focus recognizes that online education changes not only how faculty members teach; it also introduces new activities that affect the meaning of teaching for faculty members.
Bio-based poly(butylene succinate-co-hexamethylene succinate) copolyesters with tunable thermal and mechanical properties

Abstract Biobased aliphatic polyesters are of interest for their biodegradability and potential to offset the use of unsustainable fossil resources. In addition, many of the bio-sourced monomers are inherently less toxic than those used in conventional polymers. In this work, biobased poly(butylene succinate-co-hexamethylene succinate) (P(BS-co-HS)) copolyesters with butylene succinate (BS)/hexamethylene succinate (HS) molar ratios over the entire compositional range were synthesized from succinic acid, butanediol and 1,6-hexanediol using direct melt polycondensation. The chemical and crystalline structure, thermal properties, solubility and mechanical properties of P(BS-co-HS) copolyesters were investigated. The results confirmed successful synthesis of all copolymers, and the melting temperature, glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature of P(BS-co-HS) copolyesters were tunable depending on BS/HS composition. The crystallinity of P(BS-co-HS) copolyesters decreased to a minimum of 6.0% when the BS/HS ratio was close to 1. Moreover, the incorporation of HS altered the tensile failure mechanism from brittle failure for neat PBS to ductile for P(BS-co-HS) copolyesters with HS content higher than 30 mol%. The solubility of these biobased copolymers and their thermal, mechanical and crystallization behavior over the full compositional range are disclosed for the first time. The polyesters show promise as greener coatings for biodegradable paper packaging.
Evolution of Toxin

It is very intriguing how toxins in certain organisms have evolved. There must have been a drawn out period where evolution ‘tested’ and ‘fine-tuned’ the toxin. To trace back we need to study both animal and bacterial toxins. Animal toxins are very diverse, which makes them important candidates for evolutionary innovation. On the other hand, bacterial toxins always target critical molecules. Toxins typically go after molecules that are either scarce or those involve in signal transductions. Both classes of toxin offer a unique model to study predator-prey relationship, co-evolution, lateral gene transfer, natural selection, and the influence of structure on molecular evolution. Adaptation and counter-adaptation due to evolutionary arms race results in complex traits. Each toxin or poison probably has its own evolutionary “arms race”. To be a strong player in evolutionary “arms race” toxins need structural plasticity. The existence of structural plasticity allows them to evolve as highly specific toxins for their respective targets. Protein toxins are either multi-domain or complex protein, and their larger surface area and subunit flexibility provide structural flexibility needed to survive, adapt and evolve. Several mechanisms and models have been suggested to explain this phenomenon. Point mutations, gene duplication, lateral gene transfer, recombination, and post-translation modification of genes lead to a wide variety of proteins and peptides. Study of these phenomena, relationships and proposed mechanisms can establish evolutionary link of protein toxins to their progenitors.
Evaluation of Plaque Morphology by 64-Slice Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography Compared to Intravascular Ultrasound in Nonocclusive Segments of Coronary Arteries

Rationale and Objectives Although intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the current gold standard for plaque characterization, noninvasive coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) requires further evaluation. The ability to detect plaque morphology by CCTA remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA for plaque detection and morphology. Materials and Methods Thirty-one patients underwent cardiac catheterization with IVUS and CCTA. The presence of plaque was evaluated by both modalities in nonocclusive segments ( Results Among the 31 patients (mean age 56.2 ± 8.6 years, 27% female), 152 segments were analyzed. Of these segments, 42% were in the left anterior descending artery, 32% were in the left circumflex artery, and 26% were in the right coronary artery. Plaque morphology by IVUS identified 103 segments as fibrous (68%), 31 as fibrocalcific (20%), and 6 as calcific (4.0%); 12 segments were normal (8.0%). To evaluate for the presence of plaque, CCTA had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 99% and 75%, respectively. In patients who underwent CCTA with a tube voltage of 100 kV, both sensitivity and specificity were 100%. The sensitivity and specificity of CCTA to identify plaque as calcified (fibrocalcific or calcific) vs noncalcified (soft or fibrous) were 87% and 96%, respectively. Overall, the accuracy of CCTA to detect the presence of plaque was 97%; the accuracy to detect plaque calcification was 94%. Conclusions CCTA offers excellent sensitivity and accuracy for plaque detection and morphology characterization in nonocclusive coronary segments. In addition, diagnostic accuracy is preserved with a reduced tube voltage protocol.