cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analyzing birth intervals: implications for demographic theory and data collection.

In the last decade, the study of birth intervals has been greatly facilitated by a rapid expansion in data availability and by improvements in analytical techniques. Unfortunately, the results emerging from individual level, empirical studies of birth interval dynamics do not correspond with the predictions of standard demographic theory. This paper reviews a series of individual level studies that find substantial socioeconomic variation in childspacing after controlling statistically for the major intermediate or proximate variables. It then offers possible explanations for the lack of fit between theory and results at the micro level, concluding that the two most likely explanations are poor measurement of the four principal proximate determinants and the exclusion of additional proximate determinants.
Fine structure of the unistellate sperm of the shrimp, Sicyonia ingentis (Natantia)

Abstract Sperm of the prawn Sicyonia ingentis were studied cytochemically and ultrastructurally. Striking cytological differences were noted between these natantian sperm and previously studied reptantian sperm. In general, the S. ingentis sperm are composed of a spherical main body that is partially encompassed by a morphologically diverse cap region, from which extends a single appendage or spike. The main body houses an uncondensed, Feulgen-positive nuclear region that is partially surrounded by a cytoplasmic band. A single layer of small, 600 A, vesicles lines the periphery of the cytoplasmic band. Large membranous vesicles extend from the inner surface of the cytoplasmic band into the nuclear region. The nucleus is separated from the cap or acrosomal complex by a dense plate and a highly organized crystalline lattice, which is composed of geometric squares that are approximately 350 A in dimension. The cap region also contains convoluted membrane pouches; a central granular core; spherical bodies; an electron-dense, saucer-shaped plate; and a large anterior granule. The convoluted membrane pouches and anterior granule are periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive. The anterior granule also demonstrates RNAase-stable red fluorescence with acridine orange staining. A spiralled spike, approximately 6 μm long, extends from the anterior end of the cap. The cap and spike are bound by a double membrane, which results from the fusion of the plasma membrane and the convoluted pouch membrane. The sperm's acrosome is thought to be composed of the two PAS-positive cap components and the spike.
Derivation of concurrent programs: two examples

Abstract We give two examples of how concurrent programs can be derived from their specifications much like sequential ones. As a formal framework for our research we use the UNITY formalism, due to Chandy and Misra. Starting from an initial UNITY specification we proceed in a series of strengthening steps until the specification is restrictive enough to be translated directly into UNITY code. The programs we obtain this way may be further refined to increase their efficiency, reduce their grain of atomicity, or to allow for easy implementation on a particular architecture. The final programs satisfy Reynold's condition in that each atomic action mentions at most one shared variable, and are therefore implemented easily and efficiently on a variety of architectures.
Tracking Performance of a Monopulse Radar in the Presence of Multiple Targets

The equations derived by A. J. Rainal for the probability density function of the angle error output of a monopulse radar excited by a Gaussian signal and Gaussian thermal noise are generalized to include the presence of multiple targets. The examples given demonstrate the radar's behavior for various combinations of target and noise parameters.
The development of letter processing efficiency.

The development of efficiency in letter processing skills was studied using a letter search task. In two experiments, subjects searched for a target letter displayed with items varying in their visual featural or conceptual categorical similarity to the target. Accuracy and reaction time of search were evaluated for evidence of the visual search “category effect.” In order to determine if subjects could efficiently use knowledge of stimulus differences to facilitate search, conditions tested search time as a function of the amount of information to be processed both within the visual display and in short-term memory. In the two experiments, subjects of ages 6 years through adulthood showed the category effect; however, efficiency of letter processing was found to be related to the amount of information that had to be processed in memory. While there were drastic changes in search speed with increasing grade level, patterns of processing were consistent, leading to the conclusion that the knowledge required to process the letter information accurately is acquired very early. Results were discussed in terms of the distinctions among accuracy, automaticity, and efficiency of skill development and the relationship of these to general reading and intellectual development.
Fractional Order Signal Processing of Electrochemical Noises

The corrosion processes of stainless steel under different solutions were examined using electrochemical noise (ECN). Using rescaled range analysis, we demonstrated that ECN signals produced by cor...
Hydrodynamic lubrication in cold rolling

Summary Particular attention has been paid to the effects of roll flattening and to the inlet zone of pressure build-up in the determination of lubricant film thickness in cold rolling. It is shown that under present-day practical conditions, the thicknesses of the lubricant films relative to surface roughnesses are insufficient to maintain full fluid film lubrication. Although the mathematical model predicts a “speed effect” for rolling (plots of rolling load against speed looking like a Sommerfeld diagram for a journal bearing), the speeds involved are much faster than present commercial rates. Thus speed effects in the literature must have been caused by a change over from boundary to mixed lubrication and lubricant puddle entrapment in surface microcrevices. The non-dimensional form of the solutions shows that laboratory experiments rarely approach full-scale mill conditions, thus reflecting the notoriously difficult problem of evaluating commercial metal-working lubricants.
Recent dynamics suggest selected countries catching up to US obesity

Background: The United States has been the country with the highest body mass indexes (BMIs; in kg/m 2 ) at higher centiles, but research that compares the United States with other nations is lacking. Objective: To present a picture of global obesity and examine the shifts in BMI in children, I examined BMI data for men and women at the upper ends of the BMI distributions in Australia, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Design: As representative data, I used directly measured weight and height for children aged 6-18 y and for men and women aged ≥19 y. Quantile regression analysis with BMI was used to determine the outcome, and the coefficients of age, age squared, and age cubed represented the explanatory variables plotted to determine mean BMI at the 95th centile for each age group. Overweight and obesity measures across all selected countries, with the use of nationally representative surveys and the 95th centile mean BMI, were determined. Results: Among women, much larger increases were found in mean BMI at the 95th percentile in Australia (+5.7 BMI units) and the United Kingdom (+3.7 BMI units) than in the United States (+2.7 BMI units) in one-half the time. In contrast, among children, younger Chinese children experienced the largest increase. For example, the mean BMI at the 95th centile for 6-y-old Chinese children is 24.8 (a 5.0 increase), which is 2.6 BMI units more than the BMI at the 95th centile for children in the United States. Conclusions: Among children, BMIs for US children at the 95th centile are below those in China, whereas among women, Australian and UK women are rapidly approaching BMIs found in US women.
Used goods, not used bads: Profitable secondary market sales for a durable goods channel

The existing literature on channel coordination typically models markets where used goods are not sold, or are sold outside the standard channel. However, retailers routinely sell used goods for a profit in markets like textbooks. Further, such markets are characterized by a renewable consumer population over time, rather than the static consumer population often assumed in prior literature. We show that accounting for these market characteristics alters the optimal contract form as compared to the contracts derived in prior research. In particular, when new goods are sold in both the first and second periods of our model, the optimal contract differs from those in prior literature in that it can exhibit a negative fixed fee in the second period and requires contracting over the resale price in the second period. The model shows that the manufacturer makes higher profits from allowing used-good sales alongside new-good sales than from shutting down the retailer-profitable secondary market, and that unit sales expand with a profitable secondary market over those achievable without a secondary market. Furthermore, in contrast to previous investigations of durable goods markets that ignore the possibility of a retailer-profitable secondary market, we show conditions under which the manufacturer would optimally choose to sell no new goods in the second period, ceding the market entirely to the used-goods retailer. This research thus expands our knowledge of how durable goods markets work by incorporating the profitable operation of a retailer-run resale market.
Alcasim simulation code for Alcator C-Mod

A Matlab-Simulink simulation code Alcasim has been developed for Alcator C-Mod. The simulator includes models of the tokamak and plasma, the magnetic diagnostics and the power supplies. Alcasim runs the real-time control code of Alcator C-Mod and has been integrated with the standard software available to design the target waveforms and control algorithms. Extensive testing of the simulator has shown good agreement with experimental data. The short simulation time, which is around 3 minutes on a standard PC, makes Alcasim a close to real-time tool available to the physics operator to test the control programming in between C-Mod discharges. The Matlab-Simulink-IDL environment of Alcasim is also suitable to test new algorithms and architectures off-line and to develop advanced model-based control strategies
Simplified technique for titrating influenza virus neutralizing antibody in the chick embryo.

Summary and ConclusionsA yolk sac technic for the titration of serum neutralizing antibody for influenza viruses has been described which eliminates the necessity of testing each individual egg for infectivity since death of the embryo is used as a measure of infection with the virus.
Working condylar movement and its effects on posterior occlusal morphology

The movement of the mesiolingual cusp of the maxillary left first molar was studied in the frontal and horizontal planes. The movement was studied while varying the top wall, rear wall, and incisal guidance on the articulator. It can be concluded that the top wall inclination may significantly influence movement of the mesisolingual cusp of the maxillary first molar during working mandibular movement, the rear wall inclination has less influence than top wall inclination on cusp movement during a working mandibular movement, and the working side condylar movement should be considered when evaluating or restoring the dentition.
Effects of disulfiram on tissue norepinephrine content and subcellular distribution of dopamine, tyramine and their β-hydroxylated metabolites

Abstract Disulfiram has been shown to markedly inhibit dopamine-β-hydroxylase in vivo and to result in a decrease in norepinephrine content of tissues, presumably by making β-hydroxylation rate limiting. Disulfiram also inhibits the β-hydroxylation of tyramine to octopamine. While β-hydroxylation of tyramine appears to be necessary for retention by sympathetic vesicles, dopamine can be retained by the vesicles when β-hydroxylation is inhibited.
Improved methods for linear estimation of velocity records

Traditionally, linear mean-square (MS or stochastic) estimation coefficients are calculated using cross-correlations between each of the data at reference and estimation locations. Since the cross-correlation between data at reference and estimation locations typically decreases rapidly with increasing separation distance, the resulting estimated fluctuations diminish away from the reference locations. Two new schemes have been developed to optimally determine estimation coefficients which yield an improved estimated energy representation. One approach involves a non-linear least-square fit toboth the estimation covariance and the cross-correlation between data at reference and estimation locations. By also minimizing the error in the estimation covariance, realistic energy levels can be estimated without significantly altering the correlation between true and estimated velocity signals as given by the traditional MS method. Another scheme, developed for use with a single-point, two-component reference, maximizes the correlation coefficient between the estimate and its measured counterpart. It is shown that for this simple case, the estimated covariance can be setequal to the measured covariance without compromising the correlation coefficientat all. The effectiveness of the proposed techniques is demonstrated by comparing their estimates with those given by the MS method in a plane turbulent mixing layer. In general, the estimation schemes appear to give improved results when references from the edge of the mixing layer are employed. It is also demonstrated how the results of the proposed estimation methods can be used to infer details regarding the mixing layer structure and kinematics.
Intracardiac echocardiography in complex cardiac catheter ablation procedures

With the availability of catheter ablation for the elimination of complex cardiac arrhythmias, new imaging tools have enhanced the safety and efficacy of procedures performed in the electrophysiology laboratory. We review the use of intracardiac ultrasound (ICE) as the modality that allows real-time monitoring and reconstruction of cardiac anatomy. Practical technical information related to the use of ICE in ablation procedures in general and particular aspects related to ablation of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and arrhythmias in adults with congenital heart disease are discussed in this manuscript.
Emission rates of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide from Redoubt Volcano, Alaska during the 1989-1990 eruptions

Airborne measurements of sulfur dioxide emission rates in the gas plume emitted from fumaroles in the summit crater of Redoubt Volcano were started on March 20, 1990 using the COSPEC method. During the latter half of the period of intermittent dome growth and destruction, between March 20 and mid-June 1990, sulfur dioxide emission rates ranged from approximately 1250 to 5850 t/d, rates notably higher than for other convergent-plate boundary volcanoes during periods of active dome growth. Emission rates following the end of dome growth from late June 1990 through May 1991 decreased steadily to less than 75 t/d. The largest mass of sulfur dioxide was released during the period of explosive vent clearing when explosive degassing on December 14–15 injected at least 175,000 ± 50,000 tonnes of SO2 into the atmosphere. Following the explosive eruptions of December 1989, Redoubt Volcano entered a period of intermittent dome growth from late December 1989 to mid-June 1990 during which Redoubt emitted a total mass of SO2 ranging from 572,000 ± 90,000 tonnes to 680,000 ± 90,000 tonnes. From mid-June 1990 through May 1991, the volcano was in a state of posteruption degassing into the troposphere, producing approximately 183,000 ± 50,000 tonnes of SO2. We estimate that Redoubt Volcano released a minimum mass of sulfur dioxide of approximately 930,000 tonnes. While COSPEC data were not obtained frequently enough to enable their use in eruption prediction, SO2 emission rates clearly indicated a consistent decline in emission rates between March through October 1990 and a continued low level of emission rates through the first half of 1991. Values from consecutive daily measurements of sulfur dioxide emission rates spanning the March 23, 1990 eruption decreased in the three days prior to eruption. That decrease was coincident with a several-fold increase in the frequency of shallow seismic events, suggesting partial sealing of the magma conduit to gas loss that resulted in pressurization of the shallow magma system and an increase in earthquake activity. Unlike the short-term SO2 decrease in March 1990, the long-term decrease of sulfur dioxide emission rates from March 1990 through May 1991 was coincident with low rates of seismic energy release and was interpreted to reflect gradual depressurization of the shallow magma reservoir. The long-term declines in seismic energy release and in SO2 emission rates led AVO scientists to conclude on April 19, 1991 that the potential for further eruptive activity from Redoubt Volcano had diminished, and on this basis, the level of concern color code for the volcano was changed from code yellow (Volcano is restless; earthquake activity is elevated; activity may include extrusion of lava) to code green (Volcano is in its normal ‘dormant’ state).
Wilms' Tumor 1 and Dax-1 Modulate the Orphan Nuclear Receptor SF-1 in Sex-Specific Gene Expression

Products of steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) and Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) genes are essential for mammalian gonadogenesis prior to sexual differentiation. In males, SF-1 participates in sexual development by regulating expression of the polypeptide hormone Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS). Here, we show that WT1 -KTS isoforms associate and synergize with SF-1 to promote MIS expression. In contrast, WT1 missense mutations, associated with male pseudohermaphroditism in Denys-Drash syndrome, fail to synergize with SF-1. Additionally, the X-linked, candidate dosage-sensitive sex-reversal gene, Dax-1, antagonizes synergy between SF-1 and WT1, most likely through a direct interaction with SF-1. We propose that WT1 and Dax-1 functionally oppose each other in testis development by modulating SF-1-mediated transactivation.
The outcome of twin-twin transfusion syndrome complicated with placental insufficiency.

Objective The aim was to evaluate the incidence and perinatal outcomes of TTTS complicated with placental insufficiency (PI/TTTS). Study Design This was a retrospective study of all TTTS with PI. PI is defined as estimated fetal weight 20%. Results Fifty-two out of 270 (19%) pregnancies met criteria. Forty-nine (94.2%) donor twins were diagnosed with PI/TTTS. Fifteen were treated with amnioreduction, 26 with selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation, 4 with donor intrafetal radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and 7 had expectant management. There was a high incidence of abnormal Dopplers and abnormal placental cord insertion in the donor twin (58% marginal, 35% membranous) with a mean estimated fetoscopic donor placental share of 26.1 ± 14.3%. There was a significant decrease in the overall donor survival rate of 61% (4 RFA selected donors were excluded) as compared to overall recipient survival rate of 85%, respectively ( P = .009). There was no significant difference in donor or recipient survival rate among the treatment groups ( P = .058). Conclusion Placental insufficiency impacts the survival of the affected twins in the setting of TTTS. Studies are needed for appropriate treatment in TTTS with placental insufficiency.
Harmonic-Current-Restrained Relays for Differential Protection

DIFFERENTIAL relaying is the commonly accepted means of protecting large power transformers, a-c generators, and station bus systems against internal faults.1 The methods and circuits employed in various instances, while differing in detail, are all fundamentally the same in basic principle. Briefly speaking, this principle consists in continuously comparing in each phase the current entering the protected equipment with that leaving. As illustrated in the generalized single-line diagram figure 1, the comparison is made by means of current transformers of suitable ratios placed in all the power circuits connecting with the protected equipment. If current transformation takes place within the equipment as in the case of a power transformer, the ratios of the current transformers placed in the various circuits are chosen to have relative values corresponding to the transformation ratios so that the current transformer secondary currents may be compared on a 1:1 basis. The secondary windings of all the current transformers in each phase are connected in parallel with each other to a special kind of current relay usually called a “differential” relay. The current transformers are all connected in the same polarity with respect to the direction of the protected zone so that currents entering and leaving the protected zone will be represented in the secondary circuit by currents of opposite polarities. Normally, with sound equipment these positive and negative components will be equal, except for negligible exciting currents, and their algebraic sum which by the connection is applied to the relay coil will be essentially zero. When a fault occurs within the protected zone, however, the balance is upset and a difference current proportional to the fault current flows in the coil of the relay, causing it to operate and trip circuit breakers in all the connecting circuits, removing the faulted equipment from service.
High temperature oxidation resistance of magnetron-sputtered homogeneous CrAlON coatings on 430 steel

The requirements of low cost and high-temperature corrosion resistance for bipolar interconnect plates in solid oxide fuel cell stacks has directed attention to the use of metal plates with oxidation resistant coatings. We have investigated the performance of steel plates with homogenous coatings of CrAlON (oxynitrides). The coatings were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering, with Ar as a sputtering gas. Oxygen in these coatings was not intentionally added. Oxygen might have come through contaminated nitrogen gas bottle, leak in the chamber or from the partial pressure of water vapors. Nitrogen was added during the growth process to get oxynitride coating. The Cr/Al composition ratio in the coatings was varied in a combinatorial approach. The coatings were subsequently annealed in air for up to 25 hours at 800 oC. The composition of the coated plates and the rate of oxidation were characterized using Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). Surface characterization was carried out using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and surfaces of the coatings were found smooth on submicron scale. From our results, we conclude that Al rich coatings are more susceptible to oxidation than Cr rich coatings.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA detection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by polymerase chain reaction: enhanced sensitivity after mitogenic stimulation.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether stimulus-induced up-regulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) could enhance the diagnostic sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PBMC derived from 11 HIV-1-infected asymptomatic adults were cultured with a stimulus of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) plus phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 36 h prior to lysing the cells for PCR. In all 11 patients studied, the intensity of PCR-assisted HIV RNA amplification (RNA-PCR) performed on stimulated cells was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that obtained on unstimulated cells. A comparison of conventional PCR-assisted DNA amplification (DNA-PCR) with that of RNA-PCR was made on seven patients. The sensitivity of DNA-PCR was also increased by prior stimulation of cells, although not to the same extent as was observed for RNA-PCR. The results of our study indicate that the sensitivity of PCR can be significantly enhanced by prio...
Effectiveness research on psychosocial interventions among high-utilising patients in primary care

Many patients who experience significant health anxiety and somatisation, and who also over-utilise medical services, are unresponsive to standard medical care.1 Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to provide modest reductions in symptomatology and healthcare utilisation in these patients.1 Relaxation training (RT) also has been shown to benefit this population, but has been less widely studied.1
The preparation of prothrombin derivatives and an indication of their properties.

Abstract Several derivatives of prothrombin have been prepared. Biothrombin may be obtained by activating prothrombin in several different ways with activators obtained from tissues. During the transformation of prothrombin to biothrombin there is very little reduction in molecular weight and most likely no change in solubility in 7% ( w v ) trichloroacetic acid solution. If there are any degradation products during the interaction, their quantity must be small. Biothrombin can be transformed to citrate thrombin by dissolving it in 25% sodium citrate solution. Prothrombin itself can also be transformed to citrate thrombin in the same manner; however, an intermediate forms which is called citrate autoprothrombin. The latter is an accelerator in the activation of prothrombin with activators obtained from tissues. It loses its accelerator property when it transforms to thrombin. Prothrombin can be converted to autoprothrombin in solutions containing a small amount of Ac-globulin, calcium ions, and purified platelet factor 3. Autoprothrombin has accelerator properties under certain conditions of prothrombin activation and is a degradation product of prothrombin. During its formation a considerable quantity of carbohydrate and nitrogeneous material become soluble in trichloroacetic acid. Its sedimentation constant is smaller than that of prothrombin. It can be transformed to citrate thrombin by dissolving it in 25% sodium citrate solution. Methods are described for obtaining concentrates of citrate thrombin, autoprothrombin, and biothrombin.
Topology of a Functionally Important Region of the Cardiac Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger

The cardiac Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, NCX1, has been modeled to consist of 11 transmembrane segments and a large cytoplasmic loop (loop f). Cysteine mutagenesis and sulfhydryl modification experiments demonstrate that the loop connecting transmembrane segments 1 and 2 (loop b) is located on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane, as previously modeled. A mutation in loop b, asparagine 101 to cysteine (N101C), renders the exchanger insensitive to regulation by cytoplasmic Na+ and Ca2+. Nearby mutations at residue threonine 103 (T103C or T103V) increase the apparent affinity of the exchanger for cytoplasmic Na+ and also produce a significant Li+ transport capacity. The evidence suggests that the region at the interface of cytoplasmic loop b and transmembrane segment 2 is important in Na+ transport and also in secondary regulation. Thus, this region may form part of the link between the ion translocation pathway formed by the transmembrane segments and regulatory sites that have previously been localized to loop f.
Structure and reactivity of the dolomite (104)–water interface: New insights into the dolomite problem

Abstract The structure and reactivity of the dolomite (104)–water interface was probed in situ with high resolution X-ray reflectivity and surface force microscopy at room temperature. Measurements in stoichiometric solutions alternating between saturated and supersaturated (log IAP/K = 2.3) conditions show that the dolomite surface termination readily changes in response to solution composition, but these changes are self-limiting and partially irreversible. The freshly cleaved dolomite (104) surface in contact with the saturated solution has a stoichiometric termination, a distinct surface hydration layer and small surface structural displacements, similar to those observed previously at the calcite–water interface. After reaction with supersaturated solutions dolomite is terminated by a two-layer thick Ca-rich film with substantial structural displacements of the cations. With subsequent exposure to a saturated solution this surface was transformed to an interfacial structure different from the freshly cleaved surface, having a reduced density of the outermost surface layer and a Ca-rich second layer. These results provide new insight into the lack of dolomite growth in modern carbonate environments (i.e., the “dolomite problem”), suggesting that this behavior is associated with a combination of thermodynamic and kinetic factors, including (1) growth of compositionally modified epitaxial CaXMg2−X(CO3)2 layers having thicknesses limited by lattice strain, (2) slow incorporation of Mg during layer growth, and (3) partial irreversibility of surface reactions.
Sensitivity analysis for systems with structured uncertainty

A sufficient condition is given for the robust stability of systems with structured uncertainty. The upper bounds measured by the H∞-norm for the sensitivity function and the closed-loop transfer function of the system are also discussed. It is shown that the upper bounds for a certain performance index derived in this paper may be used to deal with the robust stability of the system with multiplicative and additive uncertainties at the same time, as illustrated in the given example.
IEC-based neutron generator for security inspection system

Large nuclear reactors are widely employed for electricity power generation, but small nuclear radiation sources can also be used for a variety of industrial/government applications. In this paper we will discuss the use of a small neutron source based on Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) of accelerated deuterium ions. There is an urgent need of highly effective detection systems for explosives, especially in airports. While current airport inspection systems are strongly based on X-ray technique, neutron activation including Thermal Neutron Analysis (TNA) and Fast Neutron Analysis (FNA) is powerful in detecting certain types of explosives in luggage and in cargoes. Basic elements present in the explosives can be measured through the (n, n’γ) reaction initiated by fast neutrons. Combined with a time-of-flight technique, a complete imaging of key elements, hence of the explosive materials, is obtained. Among the various neutron source generators, the IEC is an ideal candidate to meet the neutron activation analysis requirements. Compared with other accelerators and radioisotopes such as 252 Cf, the IEC is simpler, can be switched on or off, and can reliably produce neutrons with minimum maintenance. Theoretical and experimental studies of a spherical IEC have been conducted at the University of Illinois. In a spherical IEC device, 2.54-MeV neutrons of ∼108 n/s via DD reactions over recent years or 14-MeV neutrons of ∼2×1010 n/s via DT reactions can be obtained using an ion gun injection technique. The possibility of the cylindrical IEC in pulsed operation mode combining with pulsed FNA method would also be discussed. In this paper we examine the possibility of using an alternative cylindrical IEC configuration. Such a device was studied earlier at the University of Illinois and it provides a very convenient geometry for security inspection. However, to calculate the neutron yield precisely with this configuration, an understanding of the potential wall trapping and acceleration of ions is needed. The theory engaged is an extension of original analytic study by R.L. Hirsh on the potential well structure in a spherical IEC device, i.e. roughly a “line” source of neutrons from a cylindrical IEC is a “point” source from the spherical geometry. Thus our present study focuses on the cylindrical IEC for its convenient application in an FNA detecting system. The conceptual design and physics of ion trapping and re-circulation in a cylindrical IEC intended for neutron-based inspection system will be presented.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1914: The Diplomacy of Anglo-American Conflict

Preface Maps Introduction Part I. Revolution: 1. Diaz 2. The Fall of Diaz 3. Madero Part II. Counter-revolution: 4. Recognition 5. Indecision 6. Decision 7. Indiscretion 8. Non-recognition Conclusion Bibliography Index.
Petrology of the Green Knobs diatreme and implications for the upper mantle below the Colorado Plateau

Abstract Peridotite inclusions, crystal fragments, and kimberlite breccia at Green Knobs, New Mexico, have been studied to evaluate compositions and processes in the upper mantle below the Colorado Plateau. Most peridotite inclusions are spinel lherzolites and harzburgites, or their partly hydrated equivalents, in the Cr-diopside group. Orthopyroxene-rich websterites and olivine websterites comprise 3% of the peridotites and formed as cumulates. Typical anhydrous or slightly hydrated peridotites contain aluminous, calcic diopside (5–7% Al 2 O 3 ), aluminous orthopyroxene (3–6% Al 2 O 3 ), spinel, and olivine (near Fa 9 ). Geothermometers based on different mineral pairs yield temperatures from above 1100°C to below 700°C in single rocks. High values, derived from pyroxenes with included exsolution lamellae, may approximate temperatures of primary crystallization. Low values, based on olivine-spinel and olivine-clinopyroxene pairs, approach upper mantle temperatures before eruption. In rare samples, some spinel grains are rimmed by garnet while others are not rimmed; garnet formation was controlled by nucleation kinetics. About one-third of the peridotites were deformed shortly before eruption, with effects ranging from mild cataclasis to the production of ultramylonites. Discrete crystals of garnet, olivine (near Fa 8 ), and Cr-diopside represent garnet peridotite. Eclogites were not found. The garnet peridotite is more depleted than overlying spinel peridotite, and it is not a likely source for the minettes associated with the kimberlites. The mantle below Green Knobs consists of spinel peridotite from 45 to perhaps 60 km depth immediately underlain by more-depleted garnet peridotite. The position of the spinel-garnet transition may be fixed by kinetics. The kimberlite may have been produced when heat from ascending minette magma released volatiles from otherwise depleted garnet peridotite. Resulting gas-solid mixtures erupted along zones of deformation associated with Colorado Plateau monoclines. Sheared lherzolites formed during renewed movement along these zones.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Piperacillin-Tazobactam Using Spent Dialysate Effluent in Patients Receiving Continuous Venovenous Hemodialysis

Sepsis and multisystem organ failure are common diagnoses affecting nearly three-quarters of a million Americans annually. Infection is the leading cause of death in acute kidney injury, and the majority of critically ill patients who receive continuous dialysis also receive antibiotics. Dialysis equipment and prescriptions have gradually changed over time, raising concern that current drug dosing recommendations in the literature may result in underdosing of antibiotics. Our research group directed its attention toward antibiotic dosing strategies in patients with acute renal failure (ARF), and we sought data confirming that patients receiving continuous dialysis and antibiotics actually were achieving therapeutic plasma drug levels during treatment. In the course of those investigations, we explored "fast-track" strategies to estimate plasma drug concentrations. As most antimicrobial antibiotics are small molecules and should pass freely through modern high-flux hemodialyzer filters, we hypothesized that continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) effluent could be used as the medium for drug concentration measurement by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Here we present the first data demonstrating this approach for piperacillin-tazobactam. Paired blood and dialysate trough-peak-trough samples were drawn from 19 patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam and continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD). Total, free, and dialysate drug concentrations were measured by HPLC. Dialysate drug levels predicted plasma free drug levels well (r(2) = 0.91 and 0.92 for piperacillin and tazobactam, respectively) in all patients. These data suggest a strategy for therapeutic drug monitoring that minimizes blood loss from phlebotomy and simplifies analytic procedures.
A Conflicted Legacy: Paul Sidney Martin as Museum Archaeologist, 1925–38

ABSTRACT Paul Sidney Martin excavated archaeological sites in southwestern Colorado for the State Historical Society of Colorado and the Field Museum of Natural History between 1927 and 1938, although he began working for museums in 1925. His work in three realms—research, exhibition and outreach, and collections—helped redefine the role of the museum anthropologist at a time when archaeological research, particularly that based in museums, was in transition away from the search for exhibition-quality objects and toward research-driven expeditions. With data gleaned from relevant archives, in this article I present previously unpublished details of Martin's work to suggest that Martin leaves behind a conflicted legacy from an important era in the development of North American archaeology.
From anatomy to surgery to pathology: eighteenth century London and the Hunterian schools.

John Hunter, extolled for his pioneering contributions to surgery, was a surgeon as much by default as by design. By default, in that in spite of the urgings of his brother, William Hunter, M.D., John Hunter showed no interest in pursuit of a Doctorate in Medicine; and by default, in that he did not pursue training as a pathologist. There was good reason for the latter for in John Hunter’s day, Pathology did not exist as a discipline [1] and pathologists had not then been invented [2]. John Hunter had yet to take those first steps in a career that was later to contribute materially to the beginnings of the discipline of Pathology. Nonetheless, if some latter day title must be chosen to represent John Hunter’s abiding passion for investigation of disease by dissection, then the title ‘morbid anatomist’ fits as well as any (Fig. 1).
Protein sequence alignment and structural disorder: a substitution matrix for an extended alphabet

In protein sequence alignment algorithms, a substitution matrix of 20x20 alignment parameters is used to describe the rates of amino acid substitutions over time. Development and evaluation of most substitution matrices including the BLOSUM family [1] was based almost entirely on fully structured proteins. Structurally disordered proteins (i.e. proteins that lack structure, either in part or as a whole) that have been shown to be very common in nature [2] have a significantly different amino acid composition than ordered (i.e. structured) proteins [3]. Furthermore, the sequence evolution rate is higher in unstructured as compared to structured regions of proteins containing both structured and unstructured regions [4]. These results cast doubt on appropriateness of the BLOSUM substitution matrices for alignment of structurally disordered proteins [5].To address this problem, we take into the account the concept of structural disorder by extending the alphabet for sequence representation from 20 to 2x20=40 symbols, 20 for amino acids in disordered regions and 20 for amino acids in ordered regions. A 40x40 substitution matrix is required for alignment of sequences represented in the extended alphabet. Such an expanded matrix contains 20x20 submatrices that correspond to matching ordered-ordered, ordered-disordered, and disordered-disordered pairs of residues. In this paper we describe an iterative procedure that we used to estimate such a 40x40 substitution matrix. The iterative procedure converged with stable results with respect to the choice of the sequences in the dataset. In the obtained 40x40 matrix we found substantial differences between the 20x20 submatrices corresponding to ordered-ordered, ordered-disordered, and disordered-disordered region matching. These differences provide evidence that for alignment of protein sequences that contain disordered segments, the discovered substitution matrix is more appropriate than the BLOSUM substitution matrices. At the same time, the new substitution matrix is applicable for sequence alignment of fully ordered proteins as its order-order submatrix is very similar to a BLOSUM matrix.
Neuro-oncology: Five new things

Recent reports herald important advances in our understanding and management of gliomas. A role for alkylator chemotherapy in the management of certain high-grade gliomas has been confirmed and linked to specific, clinically ascertainable molecular markers. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy can now image 2-hydroxyglutarate, an oncometabolite restricted to the three-quarters of low-intermediate grade gliomas harboring an isocitrate dehydrogenase gene mutation; this has powerful implications for diagnosis and assessment of response to therapies. Genome-wide association studies point to several SNPs conveying increased risk of glioma; further studies of the involved genes and RNA products will enhance our understanding of glioma development. Finally, high-throughput sequencing has identified novel mutations in a histone-coding gene and in genes related to the histone complex in pediatric glioblastoma.
Enhancement or initiation of testicular sperm motility by in vitro culture of testicular tissue.

Abstract Objective: To describe different techniques of testicular tissue culture and their effect on sperm motility, mainly in cases of totally immotile spermatozoa, and to compare the effect of in vitro culture with that of motility stimulants. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patient(s): Ten patients undergoing testicular biopsy for diagnostic purposes or for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Intervention(s): Dissected testicular biopsy samples and tissue blocks were cultured at 37°C for up to 96 hours. Immediately after dissection, immotile testicular spermatozoa were incubated for 30 minutes in pentoxifylline and 2-deoxyadenosine. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm motility and vitality. Result(s): Overall, dissected samples showed improved sperm motility, which peaked within 48 hours of culture. Unlike motility, vitality declined linearly, from 56.3% ± 19% at initial assessment to 18.8% ± 11% at 96 hours. Five samples had initially immotile spermatozoa, of which four acquired motility at 48 hours. In vitro culture showed results comparable with those of incubation with pentoxifylline and 2-deoxyadenosine. Culture of tissue blocks did not improve motility or vitality compared with dissected tissue. Conclusion(s): The motility of testicular spermatozoa was enhanced or initiated after in vitro culture. Testicular biopsy culture may be an alternative to the use of motility stimulants to obtain motile spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, particularly when oocytes are not immediately available.
Electrical Measurement of Quantum Interference Population Control in a Semiconductor

We present the results of an electrical measurement of carrier population control via quantum interference between one- and two-photon absorption in (111) oriented bulk GaAs. Our results match with the theory and previous all-optical experiments.
Hierarchical Modeling of Activation Mechanisms in the ABL and EGFR Kinase Domains: Thermodynamic and Mechanistic Catalysts of Kinase Activation by Cancer Mutations

Structural and functional studies of the ABL and EGFR kinase domains have recently suggested a common mechanism of activation by cancer-causing mutations. However, dynamics and mechanistic aspects of kinase activation by cancer mutations that stimulate conformational transitions and thermodynamic stabilization of the constitutively active kinase form remain elusive. We present a large-scale computational investigation of activation mechanisms in the ABL and EGFR kinase domains by a panel of clinically important cancer mutants ABL-T315I, ABL-L387M, EGFR-T790M, and EGFR-L858R. We have also simulated the activating effect of the gatekeeper mutation on conformational dynamics and allosteric interactions in functional states of the ABL-SH2-SH3 regulatory complexes. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using a hierarchy of computational approaches that included homology modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, protein stability analysis, targeted molecular dynamics, and molecular docking. Collectively, the results of this study have revealed thermodynamic and mechanistic catalysts of kinase activation by major cancer-causing mutations in the ABL and EGFR kinase domains. By using multiple crystallographic states of ABL and EGFR, computer simulations have allowed one to map dynamics of conformational fluctuations and transitions in the normal (wild-type) and oncogenic kinase forms. A proposed multi-stage mechanistic model of activation involves a series of cooperative transitions between different conformational states, including assembly of the hydrophobic spine, the formation of the Src-like intermediate structure, and a cooperative breakage and formation of characteristic salt bridges, which signify transition to the active kinase form. We suggest that molecular mechanisms of activation by cancer mutations could mimic the activation process of the normal kinase, yet exploiting conserved structural catalysts to accelerate a conformational transition and the enhanced stabilization of the active kinase form. The results of this study reconcile current experimental data with insights from theoretical approaches, pointing to general mechanistic aspects of activating transitions in protein kinases.
Elevated intraosseous pressure in the intertrochanteric region is associated with poorer results in osteonecrosis of the femoral head treated by multiple drilling

Multiple drilling is reported to be an effective treatment for osteonecrosis of the head of femur, but its effect on intra-osseous pressure has not been described. We undertook multiple drilling and recorded the intra-osseous pressure in 75 osteonecrotic hips in 60 patients with a mean age of 42 years (19 to 67). At a mean follow-up of 37.1 months (24 to 60), 42 hips (56%) had a clinically successful outcome. The procedure was effective in reducing the mean intra-osseous pressure from 57 mmHg (SD 22) to 16 mmHg (SD 9). Hips with a successful outcome had a mean pressure of 26 mmHg (SD 19). It was less effective in preventing progression of osteonecrosis in hips with considerable involvement and in those with a high intra-osseous pressure in the intertrochanteric region (mean 45 mmHg (SD 25)). This study is not able to answer whether a return of the intra-osseous pressure to normal levels is required for satisfactory healing.