cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
En bloc resection of primary tumors of the cervical spine: report of two cases and systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Background context Survival data and rates of recurrence after en bloc resection for cervical spinal tumors are limited to single case reports and small case series, making the true risk of recurrence after this procedure unknown. Purpose To report two cases of cervical chordoma managed via en bloc resection. To conduct a systematic review of the existing literature to determine the overall incidence of disease-free survival and investigate potential prognostic factors of recurrence. Study design Case report and systematic review. Methods We present the cases of a 60-year-old woman and a 76-year-old man who underwent en bloc resection of C3–C6 and C2 chordomas, respectively. A complete MEDLINE search was then undertaken for all articles reporting survival data for en bloc resections of primary tumors of the cervical spine. Exclusion criteria included non-English articles, lack of explicit mention or description of en bloc technique, age less than 16, no demographic or survival information reported, and follow-up less than 1 month. Survivorship analysis was conducted, and Kaplan-Meier plots were created with the primary outcome of interest being any tumor recurrence. Results A total of 10 articles comprising 18 cases were included for analysis with a mean follow-up of 47.4±41.5 months. Mean operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of hospitalization were 18.6 hours, 2.9 L, and 34.6 days, respectively. Postoperative complications occurred in eight of the nine patients in which these data were reported. There were three cases of local recurrence, occurring at 12, 44, and 113 months, and one case of distant metastasis, occurring at 12 months postoperatively. With the available data, 1- and 5-year disease-free survival rates of 88.2% and 73.5% were calculated. On Cox proportional hazards analysis, no factors were found to be predictive of recurrence. Conclusions In this systematic review of the literature, en bloc resection provided good disease-free survival rates in patients with primary tumors of the cervical spine. However, there are insufficient data on long-term subjective outcomes in these patients, and larger series are needed to determine the efficacy compared with piecemeal resection techniques. Other investigators should be encouraged to publish their results so that combined analyses like these may be performed with larger sample sizes.
Neurogenic secretion mediated by the purinergic P2Y1 receptor in guinea-pig small intestine.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that ATP is an enteric neurotransmitter that acts at P2Y1 excitatory purinergic receptors on intestinal secretomotor neurons to evoke neurogenic mucosal secretion in the guinea pig. Ussing chamber methods for studying neurogenic intestinal secretion were used to test the hypothesis. Application of ATP evoked concentration-dependent increases in short circuit current (Isc) indicative of stimulation of electrolyte secretion. MRS2179, a selective P2Y1 purinergic receptor antagonist, suppressed the ATP-evoked responses in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.9 ± 0.1 μM. Tetrodotoxin or a selective vasoactive intestinal peptide (VPAC1) receptor antagonist suppressed or abolished the ATP-evoked responses. A selective VPAC1 receptor antagonist also suppressed Isc responses evoked by electrical field stimulation of the secretomotor neurons. Secretory responses to ATP were not suppressed by scopolamine, piroxicam nor selective adenosine receptor antagonists. Region-specific differences in responses to ATP corresponded to regional differences in the expression of mRNA transcripts for the P2Y1 receptor. Post-receptor signal transduction for the P2Y1-evoked responses involved stimulation of phospholipase C and an IP3/Ca2+-calmodulin/protein kinase C signaling cascade. Our evidence suggests that ATP is released as a neurotransmitter to stimulate neurogenic mucosal secretion by binding to P2Y1 receptors expressed by VIP-ergic secretomotor neurons.
Surface plasmon generation and light transmission by isolated nanoholes and arrays of nanoholes in thin metal films

Extensive 3-D finite-difference time-domain simulations are carried out to elucidate the nature of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and localized surface plasmon polaritons (LSPs) generated by nanoscale holes in thin metallic films interacting with light. Both isolated nanoholes and square arrays of nanoholes in gold films are considered. For isolated nanoholes, we expand on an earlier discussion of Yin et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 467-469 (2004)] on the origins of fringe patterns in the film and the role of nearfield scanning optical microscope probe interactions. The associated light transmission of a single nanohole is enhanced when a LSP excitation of the nanohole itself is excited. Periodic arrays of nanoholes exhibit more complex behavior, with light transmission peaks exhibiting distinct minima and maxima that can be very well described with Fano lineshape models. This behavior is correlated with the coupling of SPP Bloch waves and more directly transmitted waves through the holes.
Insoluble Starch Xanthate: Preparation, Stabilization, Scaleup and Use

The addition of magnesium sulfate to xanthation mixtures of crosslinked starch aided isolation, scaleup and room-temperature product stability on storage. Pilot-plant scaleup of laboratory-developed procedures also yielded water-insoluble products effective in removing heavy metals from water. Several different processing methods are presented to show the ease of preparation and use of the products.
Twenty-five year evolution of medical hormonal therapy for prostate cancer.

I was just starting my residency in urology when the first LH-RH agonist agent became available in the United States in 1984 [1,2]. Reflecting back on the last quarter century, it has been an interesting ride! In this issue of BJU International , the important paper by Klotz and colleagues introduces the pure LH-RH antagonist, degarelix. To put this new compound in perspective, I will briefly recount where we have come from over the last 25 years.
Typifications of Homosexuals

Despite the importance of stereotyping to labeling theory, images of deviants have not been widely studied. This paper reports on social typifications about homosexuals. The data were obtained from 413 people in an urban metropolitan area who were asked to choose characteristics of homosexuals from a list of 34 traits. Factor analysis yielded three stereotypic dimensions: Sinful Lust, Sensitive Intellectual, and Sick Deviant. Compared with earlier work, Sinful Lust traits have apparently declined in importance, while Sensitive Intellectual traits have increased, and Sick Deviant traits have remained stable. The Sensitive Intellectual factor was related to greater tolerance of homosexuals, while the other two factors were related to greater rejection. Educational and age differences were also found on the three factors. Subgroup differences may selectively affect labeling and roles played by homosexuals. Shifts in typifications partly reflect shifts in “vocabularies of motive” concerning deviant behavior.
Kappa opioid receptor agonists differentially inhibit two classes of rat spinal neurons excited by colorectal distention.

Abstract Background & Aims: Quantitative neurophysiological studies have identified the presence of at least 2 spinal neuronal populations (abrupt and sustained) that are excited by the noxious visceral stimulus colorectal distention. This study examined the effects of the kappa opioid receptor agonists fedotozine and U50488H on the activity of these neurons. Methods: In decerebrate, cervical spinal cord–transected male rats, the lumbosacral spinal cord was exposed by a laminectomy. Dorsal horn neurons showing excitatory responses to colorectal distention (80 mm Hg, 20 seconds) were identified using microelectrodes. Cumulative doses of fedotozine and U50488H were administered intravenously or intrathecally, and antagonists were used. Results: Intravenous fedotozine and U50488H dose-dependently inhibited the evoked activity of sustained neurons. This inhibition was partially reversed by the kappa opioid antagonist norbinaltorphimine. The same agents had insignificant effects on the evoked activity of abrupt neurons. Fedotozine inhibited spontaneous activity of both abrupt and sustained neurons. Intrathecally administered U50488H had no effect on abrupt or sustained neurons, but intrathecally administered fedotozine inhibited the evoked and spontaneous activity of both groups. Conclusions: Kappa opioid receptor agonists acting peripherally had differential effects on 2 spinal neuronal populations responsive to colorectal distention. Fedotozine had additional inhibitory effects acting within the spinal cord.
Industrialized molecular biology, information biotechnology, and the blockbuster drug model – alive and well at age 50

The pharmaceutical industry is going through a period of dramatic change: we are witnessing the emergence of a new class of diagnostic tools based on complex patterns of gene expression; personalized therapeutics are appearing in the form of more precise patient stratifications; patent portfolios are shrinking along with the number of new FDA submissions [1]; and despite an 800% growth in R&D expenditures since the early 1980s, output of the drug discovery process has remained fairly constant [2]. Although these trends might seem troublesome at first, it is impossible to fully appreciate the therapeutic landscape outside the context of the dramatic advances taking place in gene sequencing, mRNA profiling, protein structure prediction and all supporting information technologies. Most significant among these has been the industrialization of molecular biology - a trend that will ultimately culminate in very rapid, inexpensive and freely available gene sequencing solutions for research and medicine.
Patterns of beverage use across the lifecycle

Total beverage intake patterns have changed greatly over the past half century. The present research was conducted to evaluate historic and current patterns of beverage consumption of adults and children in the U.S. Data were drawn from food balance surveys along with two-day beverage intake averages and were weighted to be nationally representative. A marked slow continuous shift downward in total milk intake with a shift toward an increased proportion of reduced fat milk was determined. The biggest shifts in beverage consumption among children aged 2 to18 were an increase in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) (from 87 to 154kcal/d), a smaller increase in juices (+21kcal/d), and a decrease in milk consumption (-91kcal/d). Data among adults aged 19 and older indicated that SSB intake has more than doubled. Water intake was highly variable, with a marked increase in bottled water intake but no clear trend in total water intake. Overall trends by age were presented and indicated that age-related beverage intake, both in ounces and kcal/day, decreased sharply for adults aged 60 and older. Kcal/d values ranged from a low of 283 for those over age 60 to a peak of 533 for those aged 19 to39 to 367 for 2 to 6year olds. The consumer shift toward increased levels of SSBs and alcohol, limited amounts of reduced fat milk along with a continued consumption of whole milk, and increased juice intake represent issues to address from a public health perspective.
Use of Elemental Tracers to Source Apportion Mercury in South Florida Precipitation

Source−receptor relationships for mercury (Hg) and other trace elements wet deposited in south Florida were investigated using daily event precipitation samples collected concurrently at 17 sites from August 6 to September 6, 1995. A multivariate receptor modeling approach found municipal waste incineration and oil combustion sources to account for 71 ± 8% of the Hg wet deposited at five Florida Everglades sites. A similar analysis of a year-long record of event samples (June 22, 1995−June 21, 1996) collected at Davie, FL, found 73 ± 6% of the Hg wet deposited to be accounted for by local anthropogenic sources. Receptor modeling results closely agreed with stack measurements made at local point sources during the study. An emissions reconciliation found that local medical waste incineration sources, which emitted Hg primarily in the reactive form (Hg(II)), could account for the Hg wet deposition left unexplained by the multivariate receptor model. The above findings suggest that emissions from local urban...
Ground- and excited-state torsional dynamics of a triphenylmethane dye in low-viscosity solvents

Abstract The ground-state recovery, excited-state absorption and stimulated emission gain temporal profiles of crystal violet have been measured in a series of normal alcohol solutions. The fluorescence time has been found to be faster than the excited-state lifetime in all the solvents studied. A linear viscosity dependence has been observed for the excited-state absorption and ground-state recovery times in the lowest-viscosity solutions. A simple model which is consistent with current theories for barrierless isomerization is proposed.
Factors affecting location of Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Acari: Tetranychidae), on corn leaves.

The site on which adult female Banks grass mite,Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), settled when placed on corn (Zea mays L.) leaves was significantly influenced by light, leaf surface, and gravity. Mites chose the abaxial side of corn leaves when light was excluded as a factor. With a light source present, the mites went to and stayed on the leaf surface away from light. In the absence of light and leaf-surface influences, gravity showed significant effect on the choice of the under site of corn leaves by the mites; this effect also existed with light present, and acted in concert with normal light conditions (i.e., light from above). Results suggest that both heat and ultraviolet light may be responsible for the observed light effect.
PRAGMATICS AND PEDAGOGY: PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD PACIFIC SECOND LANGUAGE RESEARCH FORUM, VOL. 2 . Nicholas O. Jungheim and Peter Robinson (Eds.) . Tokyo: The Pacific Second Language Research Forum, 1999. Pp. 307. $18.00 paper.

Since 1992 the Pacific Second Language Research Forum (PacSLRF) has hosted biannual conferences on SLA issues and invited speakers predominantly from within the Pacific and South East Asian region. The proceedings from the Forum's third conference (held at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, in March 1998), collected in this volume, will prove interesting and useful for researchers and teachers in the field.
Differential expression of genes of Pseudomonas syringae on leaves and in culture evaluated with random genomic lux fusions

Differential expression of genes of Pseudomonas syringae strain B728a on plants and in culture was assessed by measuring light production by a large collection of mutant strains containing random genomic insertions of a promoterless lux operon. Reporter gene fusions were made using Tn4431 containing luxCDABE from Vibrio fisheri. Light production reproducibly increased seven-fold when n-decanal was added to cells harvested from plant surfaces, to over 800-fold when added to cells cultured on a solidified culture medium, thus increasing the sensitivity of this reporter gene system. One of the 173 mutants tested exhibited significantly higher light production on plants than on solidified culture media compared to other mutants, while one lux fusion-containing strain produced significantly more light on culture media than on plants relative to the other mutants. The plant-inducible genes identified were not required for pathogenicity of this strain. Approximately 2% of the genes of P. syringae are apparently transcribed more actively in cells growing epiphytically on plants than in common culture media indicating that bacterial cells on plants may have substantially different behaviours than that of cultured cells.
Moiré optical spatial correlator.

A new optical method to obtain the spatial-correlation integral of moire maps is described and demonstrated. This method permits the direct and quantitative determination of the optical spatial correlation between two objects. The method can be applied to any optical quantity mapped by any moire technique. Application to optical metrology and pattern recognition is discussed.
Daxx/atrx, men1, and mtor pathway genes are frequently altered in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a rare but clinically important form of pancreatic neoplasia. To explore the genetic basis of PanNETs, we determined the exomic sequences of 10 nonfamilial PanNETs and then screened the most commonly mutated genes in 58 additional PanNETs. The most frequently mutated genes specify proteins implicated in chromatin remodeling: 44% of the tumors had somatic inactivating mutations in MEN1, which encodes menin, a component of a histone methyltransferase complex, and 43% had mutations in genes encoding either of the two subunits of a transcription/chromatin remodeling complex consisting of DAXX (death-domain-associated protein) and ATRX (α thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked). Clinically, mutations in the MEN1 and DAXX/ATRX genes were associated with better prognosis. We also found mutations in genes in the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway in 14% of the tumors, a finding that could potentially be used to stratify patients for treatment with mTOR inhibitors.
A THREE-LEVEL FINITE-DIFFERENCE SCHEME FOR SOLVING MICRO HEAT TRANSPORT EQUATIONS WITH TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT THERMAL PROPERTIES

Heat transport at the microscale is important for the processing of materials with a pulsed laser. In this study, we develop a three-level finite-difference scheme for solving micro heat transport equations with temperature-dependent thermal properties obtained based on the parabolic two-step model. It is shown by the discrete energy method that for constant thermal properties the scheme is unconditionally stable. Numerical results for thermal analysis of a gold film are obtained.
7: About Educational Indicators: Statistics on the Conditions and Trends in Education

In the early 1960s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration granted funds to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to study the societal impact of the space program. A major product of that grant was a book entitled Social Indicators (Bauer, 1966), now acknowledged to be the cornerstone of the social indicators movement (Sheldon, 1975). In the decade since Bauer's work appeared, hundreds of published and presented papers and dozens of books have been produced on social indicators (Frisbie, 1975; Magura & Ball-Rokeach, 1975; Meile & Haese, 1969; Myers & Guttman, 1974), indicators of life quality (Holz & Glitter, 1975; Skogan, 1974; Stetson & Wright, 1975), health indicators (Derogatis, Yevzeroff, & Wittelsberger, 1975; Siegler, 1974; Taylor, Aday & Anderson, 1975; Tissue, 1972), environmental indicators (Dye, 1975), indicators of social mobility (Duncan, 1968), employment indicators (Berkowitz, 1973; Dillman & Christenson, 1974), religious indicators (Finner, 1970), welfare indicators (Angrist, 1974; Flax, 1971; Merriam, 1968), leisure indicators (Ennis, 1968; Noe, 1972; Room, 1972), and, yes, educational indicators (Beyer & Snipper, 1974; Duncan, 1968; Glitter & Peterson, 1970; Irvine, 1968; Swift, 1967). Despite the voluminous literature on indicators, or perhaps because of it, indicators are not clearly distinguished from statistics. They hold no exalted place. Further, the literature contains much discussion of their potential application but little evidence of their utility. Finally, although the label may be newly rediscovered, the existence of educational indicators can be traced throughout history (Goody, 1968; Impara, 1977; Lockridge, 1974; MacManus, 1944).
Finite element methods in cell dynamics fundamentals

Abstract This paper describes the use of a computer method, called finite element analysis, that permits calculating solutions to models involving several interacting variables in physical, chemical, and biological systems. The method uses the fundamental laws of a given system directly. The idea of the method and its implementation to a number of problems, both new and old, is described. The significance and importance of this approach for the physical and biological sciences is discussed.
Gulf Coast oil disaster: impact on human reproduction

The catastrophic British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the shores of the United States, along with unpredictable effects on the health of local communities. The potential impact of the disaster on female and male reproduction will be discussed in this report, to provide greater clinician awareness about the potential consequences of this calamity and to call for more research on this subject.
Pas1c1 is a candidate for the mouse pulmonary adenoma susceptibility 1 locus

Pas1 candidate 1 (Pas1c1) gene (also named Lmna-rs1) was found to encode two alternatively spliced mRNA transcripts (i.e. Pas1c1-Va and Pas1c1-Vb). In this study, we identified three additional mRNA transcripts encoded by the Pas1c1 gene, which were designated as Pas1c1-Vc, Pas1c1-Vd, and Pas1c1-Ve, respectively. Similar to Pas1c1-Vb, the newly identified transcripts were only expressed in mouse lung tissues from strains carrying the Pas1-susceptible (Pas1/s) allele. Pas1c1 transcripts were also detected in heart, testis, or brain but not in liver, spleen, or kidney. An 11-nucleotide polymorphism was found within the 3'-acceptor splice site of exon 8, which cosegregates with mouse strain Pas1 alleles and may underlie the strain-specific exon 8 skipping. We also found that ectopic expression of the Pas1c1-Va and Pas1c1-Vb in COS7 and NIH3T3 cells exhibited distinct intracellular distributions. These results support that Pas1c1 as a candidate for the Pas1 locus and the strain-specific isoforms may have differential effects on cell proliferation.
Fracture analysis near the mid-ocean plate boundary, Reykjavik-Hvalfjördur area, Iceland

Abstract The geometry and thermal history of fractures have been determined at 59 stations from Reykjavik to Hvalfjordur in southwestern Iceland. The data provide information on crustal stress regimes in the vicinity of mid-ocean ridges. Two major, generalized fracture orientations are present 1. (1) a northeast system, trend 010°–030°, except on Akranes where the orientation is 040°–060° 2. (2) a broad east—west system containing one or more sets with strike between 070°–130°. Thermal history of the host rock and fractures was determined from secondary minerals in vugs and fractures. The thermal history indicates that the northeast fracture set opened while the area was within the relatively hot axial zone of active volcanism and rifting. Some of the east—west trending fractures also opened at this time but many formed later, after the area had begun to cool and drift from the active zone. The northeast fracture set is essentially parallel to the trend of dikes and normal faults in southwestern Iceland. They have been interpreted as extension fractures (resulting in about 0.4% maximum extension) forming generally from the same stress field associated with normal faulting and dike injection in the active zone. Fracturing in an east-west direction (estimated 0.1% maximum extension), mainly near the edge and outside the active zone, indicates a reorientation of this stress field. The dominant mechanism related to the origin of the east—west fractures may be thermoelastic stresses arising from axial and basal accretion and cooling of lithospheric plates. Both fracture systems are inferred to have formed, in the Griffiths idealization, under nearly biaxial effective compressive loading on the order of 200 bar. The discrepancy between this value and the kilobar-order strengths of short-time laboratory tests reflects such factors as high temperature stress corrosion and fatigue. Fracture propagation is assumed to have been stable, but governed primarily by lateral load-diminishing mechanisms rather than by progressive loading. These relaxation mechanisms may have been episodic (northeast-system fissure swarm activity) or steady-state (thermoelastic contraction) in time.
Language Performance of Educable Mentally Retarded and Normal Children at Five Age Levels

The present study comprised an analysis and comparison of the language performance of educable mentally retarded and normal children at mental age levels six through 10 years. Both syntactic and fu...
Preservation of the pylorus in resection of the head of the pancreas

Pylorus preservation has been advocated to decrease the morbidity associated with the classical or standard pancreaticoduodenectomy. The proposed advantages are decreased incidence of peptic ulceration, dumping syndrome, and nutritional problems. However, after an initial period of enthusiasm for the procedure, it is now being found that marginal ulceration at the duodenojejunal anastomosis is encountered with increasing frequency. Delay in gastric emptying occurs frequently, with an overall incidence of 30%. With the availability of better pancreatic enzyme supplements, the current incidence of nutritional problems and weight loss after the standard Whipple procedure is unknown. Whether there is a difference in long-term survival after the two procedures performed for adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas is still debatable. A controlled trial is needed to answer many of these questions, and pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy should be used cautiously until further data become available.
Financial Hardship and Life Satisfaction Among Aging African Americans With HIV

Research on older HIV-positive (HIV+) adults finds that minorities with HIV are less educated and report less stable incomes than whites with HIV and the general population. This study assesses to what extent perceived financial hardships contributes to life satisfaction for HIV+aging African Americans. Participants were 377 African American HIV+individuals over age 50 (35% women) living in New York City. A three-step hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that perceived financial strain for aging HIV+African Americans is a significant and independent predictor of life satisfaction (p < .001). Outreach to African Americans aging with HIV should consider how financial strain is associated with life satisfaction. Outreach should also address systemic economic disparities for African American communities that have high infection rates and a greater number of people living with HIV; these communities face a burden towards accessing effective health care and preventative care that is partially drive...
Juvenile sciaenid fishes respond favorably to Delaware Bay marsh restoration

Abstract Former salt hay farms in Delaware Bay have been the site of extensive restorations aimed at restoring tidal flow to the sites, encouraging Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) recolonization and creating high-quality juvenile fish habitat. We assessed the 234 ha Dennis Township restoration site as habitat for juvenile Cynoscion regalis (weakfish), Leiostomus xanthurus (spot) and Micropogonias undulatus (Atlantic croaker) by comparing abundance, prey types consumed, stomach fullness and condition factor at the restored site and at a nearby reference marsh, Moores Beach. The three sciaenid species were equally or more abundant at the restored marsh. Measures of feeding were generally equal or higher at the restored site and stomach fullness was equal to or significantly higher at the restored marsh compared with the reference marsh. Fish condition, as measured by predicted weight-at-length, was generally at least equal between the sites and was occasionally higher at the restored site. At both sites, a seasonal pattern typical of mid-Atlantic estuaries of recruitment, ontogenetic change in food habits and emigration of transient fishes was apparent. Three years following restoration, the Dennis Township site provided equivalent to enhanced conditions for feeding and growth for large numbers of juvenile sciaenid fish, compared to a nearby reference site.
Macroinvertebrate and Fish Populations of Four Streams Receiving High Rates of Hydrogen and Sulfate Ion Deposition

ABSTRACT We compared selected water quality parameters with macroinvertebrate and fish community dynamics among one episodically-acidified stream and three circumneutral streams on Laurel Hill in southwestern Pennsylvania over a four-year period. Water quality parameters associated with episodic acidification (pH, total alkalinity and total aluminum) were analyzed during high and low stream discharge. Acid episodes occurring during spring peak runoff periods in the poorly-buffered stream resulted in maximum depressions of pH (7.13 to 4.36) and total alkalinity (18 mgL−1 to 2gL−1), and elevations in total aluminum (0 to 490 ugL−1) when compared with the circumneutral streams (pH 7.5 to 6.29); total alkalinity (25 mgL−1 to 9 mgL−1); and total aluminum (10 to 180 ugL−1). Macroinvertebrate community parameters (number of taxa, diversity, and equitability were depressed in the acidified stream which was depauperate of Ephemeroptera and dominated by the plecopteran shredders, Leuctra sp. and Amphinemura sp. Mac...
STUDIES ON THE PHOTOCHEMICAL STABILITY OF SYNTHETIC RESIN-BASED RETOUCHING PAINTS: THE EFFECTS OF WHITE PIGMENTS AND EXTENDERS

AbstractThe durability of a paint vehicle can be strongly influenced by the pigments which it contains. This report describes an initial investigation of the photochemical degradation of paints formulated with a commercial poly(n-butyl methacrylate) and a variety of white pigments and extenders. Upon exposure to near-ultraviolet light this resin predominantly cross-links, eventually becoming almost completely insoluble. White pigments such as rutile TiO2 and Green Seal zinc oxide do not alter this tendency but they do slow the cross-linking rate, probably by their ability to absorb UV light. By contrast, a non-absorbing light scatterer like barium sulfate increases the rate of cross-linking, perhaps by increasing the path length of light as it becomes diffused within the paint film. Finally, pigments such as anatase TiO2 and Kadox 515 zinc oxide not only decrease the overall degradation by screening UV light but also increase the relative importance of chain-breaking chemistries through their photocatalyt...
Use of quicklime to increase oyster seed production

Abstract A single application of quicklime (calcium oxide), spread at a rate of 6.75 metric tons/ha, was used to prepare dormant oyster setting beds for spat production. Of 2 000 ha in Long Island Sound, Connecticut, U.S.A., 1200 ha had sufficient shells to cover at least 75% of the bottom. However, these shells had a continuous fouling organism layer that would prevent significant oyster setting. Many beds had predator populations of sea stars ( Asterias forbesi ) and oyster drills ( Urosalpinx cinerea and Eupleura caudata ). Quicklime cleans the shells by killing fouling organisms, and also controls sea stars and embryonic oyster drills. When the supply of clean shells for annual spreading on the setting beds is limited, use of the quicklime method prepares greater quantities of shells for possible oyster set.
On the solution of FEM problems with massive number of ports

Summary form only given. Phased array characterization, and electromagnetic (EM) and circuit (CKT) co-simulation of packaging, components and PCBs both involve large number of ports. As such, obtaining their transfer (system) function matrix requires multiple simulations, each with a different port excitation. Even fast methodologies such as the model order reduction (MOR) and other fast CEM methods, experience severe slow-down attributed to the large number of ports. This is due to the fact that the transfer (system) function matrix, i.e. s-matrix or Y or Z-matrix is dense (P × P, P is number of ports), and traditionally each row or column is obtained through a full-wave solution of the model at hand. Traditionally such problems are best tractable with direct factorization matrix methods such as the multifrontal LU decomposition, where after the factorization stage, the transfer matrix is rapidly obtained through P2 forward/backward substitutions. Alternatively block Krylov iterative methods (Y. Saad, Iterative Methods for Sparse Linear Systems, 2003) or multiple right-hand-side Krylov methods (C. Smith et al., IEEE Trans Antenna Propag, Nov 1989) could be used. This work will exploit the inherent rank-deficiency of such transfer matrices, to reduce the computational cost. Randomized singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithms (N. Halko et al., SIAM Review, pp.217-288, 2011) will be used to compute rank-deficient representations of such transfer matrices or sub-blocks. These methods use random projections along with low complexity, often out-of-core, linear algebra operations to find the dominant subspace of a matrix. As a result, the randomized SVD of an m × n dense matrix requires O(mnlog(k)) (k min(m, n)) floating-point operations instead of the O(mn2) of the standard full SVD. To extract the frequency dependence of such transfer function matrices, these randomized SVD-based methods will be combined with deterministic, robust and error controllable model order reduction methods as well as direct factorization schemes appropriately tailored to expedite the computation of selective inverse matrix entries. The talk will first outline the importance of fast many-port device CEM solvers, and highlight their computational challenges. Then, it will present the proposed computational framework that combines the randomized SVD, model order reduction method and fast selective inverse direct solvers. To verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed framework, problems ranging from antenna array, signal integrity and the computation of the Dirichlet-toNeumann map will be considered.
Enhancing Patient-Centered Care: SGIM and Choosing Wisely

One of the touchstones of academic General Internal Medicine, whether practiced in an ambulatory care setting or at the patient’s bedside, is its focus on enhancing and teaching patient-centered care. In an era of increasing cost consciousness, patient centeredness requires thoughtful, ongoing discussions about the risks and benefits of a myriad of medical tests and procedures. Against this backdrop, the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) chose to participate in the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely initiative. The Choosing Wisely initiative aims to promote conversations between patients and their physicians around tests and procedures whose necessity should be questioned and whose potential harms and benefits clarified within the context of each patient’s care plan. To date, 54 medical societies and 17 consumer groups have identified 280 potentially unnecessary medical tests and treatments that are commonly performed in the United States. 1 To further assist patients in engaging with their physicians in discussions about these tests and procedures, Consumer Reports is partnering in this process to develop and disseminate materials for patients through large, publically oriented consumer groups. This alliance of science, advocacy and policy is ultimately designed to improve patient care and clinical outcomes, and reduce wasteful and unnecessary healthcare expenditures. In discussing health care costs and the Choosing Wisely approach, Castle and Guest from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation note, “The initial focus should be on overuse of medical resources, which not only is a leading factor in the high level of spending on healthcare but also places patients at risk of harm.” 2 Some estimates suggest that as much as 30 % of all healthcare spending is wasteful. 3 Volpp and colleagues also identify the promise of the Choosing Wisely initiative when they note, “The Choosing Wisely initiative represents an important first step toward the identification of low-value services, more meaningful because it is a step taken jointly by consumer groups and professional societies.” 4 They go on to note, “Given fiscal realities, reducing low-value services is what will allow continued support for the coverage of high-value services.” 4 The ad hoc SGIM Choosing Wisely Committee was selected from the existing SGIM Clinical Practice Committee, and the Evidence-based Medicine Task Force, as well as selected society members. The goal of the ad hoc committee was to identify important topics for academic general internal medicine faculty across the spectrum of clinical practice. The committee operated under a few notable constraints. First, there had to beexistingevidence onthe selected topic, as there was no opportunity to construct new systematic reviews or evidence syntheses as part of the process. Second, the Choosing Wisely initiative was limited to five topics or
Fluorescence risetime of NE 102 scintillator

Abstract NE 102 is excited with picosecond pulses at 0.353 μm, and the onset of fluorescence is detected with a streak camera. The risetime of the fluorescence is measured to be ≤20 ps.
Verification of time-delay interferometry techniques using the University of Florida LISA interferometry simulator

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a cooperative NASA/ESA mission proposed to directly measure gravitational waves (GW) in the frequency range from to with an optimal strain sensitivity of at . LISA will utilize a modified Michelson interferometer to measure length changes of between drag-free proof masses located on three separate spacecraft (SC) separated by a distance of . The University of Florida has developed a hardware-in-the-loop simulator of the LISA constellation to verify the laser noise cancellation technique known as time-delay interferometry (TDI). We replicate the frequency stabilization of the laser on the local SC and the phase-locking of the lasers on the far SC. The laser photodetector beatnotes are electronically delayed, Doppler shifted and applied with a mock GW signal to simulate the laser link between the SC. The beatnotes are also measured with a LISA-like phasemeter and the data are used to extract the laser phase and residual phase-lock loop noise in post-processing through TDI. This uncovers the GW modulation signal buried under the laser noise. The results are then compared to the requirements defined by the LISA science collaboration.
Pre- and post-introduction patterns in neutral genetic diversity in the leafy spurge gall midge, Spurgia capitigena (Bremi) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Abstract Many researchers have hypothesized that reduced genetic diversity in introduced populations of biological control agents can compromise the agent’s ability to establish and then adapt to novel environments. Strategies such as collecting from a wide geographic area or maintaining large colony sizes through the quarantine process have been used to minimize the loss of genetic diversity. Few studies have examined how the process of collection, quarantine, and establishment could affect patterns of genetic diversity in biological control agents. In this paper, we examine patterns in neutral genetic diversity in Spurgia capitigena, a gall midge introduced as a biological control agent of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) from its original collection site in Italy, a newly discovered population of the midge from southern France, and in two established populations in North America. By comparing the existing populations with historical samples collected shortly after the original introductions in 1991, we found that there is evidence of a mild bottleneck in both of the introduced populations. Further, we also examined the population structure in European populations of the fly collected from leafy spurge and a closely related species, cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) and found evidence for local restrictions in gene flow between populations on the two plants, but no evidence to support the current taxonomy of the genus with two distinct fly species.
Structural evolution of mechanically alloyed TiAl alloys

Abstract Two titanium alloys with 24 and 50 at.% Al respectively, were mechanically alloyed in a steel vial with hardened steel balls using a Spex 8000 mixer-mill. The sequence of phases formed has been investigated by both X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. With increasing milling time a solid solution of aluminum in titanium, intermetallic Ti 3 Al, an amorphous phase and an f.c.c. crystalline phase formed sequentially. The formation of the amorphous phase has been rationalized in terms of Miedema's thermodynamic analysis. The results available on the f.c.c. phase suggest that this phase may be a titanium nitride formed by pick-up of nitrogen during milling and that it has not formed by the crystallization of the amorphous phase per se .
Metal-insulator transition, giant negative magnetoresistance, and ferromagnetism in LaCo 1 − y Ni y O 3

We have investigated the transport and magnetic properties of the perovskite ${\mathrm{LaCo}}_{1\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{y}{\mathrm{O}}_{3},$ an alloy of ${\mathrm{LaCoO}}_{3}$ (a semiconductor that exhibits spin-state transitions) and ${\mathrm{LaNiO}}_{3}$ (a paramagnetic metal). The metal-insulator transition (MIT) was found to occur at $y=0.40.$ On the insulating side of the transition the conductivity obeys Mott variable range hopping with a characteristic temperature ${(T}_{0})$ that varies with y in a manner consistent with the predictions of the scaling theory of electron localization. On the metallic side the low temperature conductivity (down to 0.35 K) varies as ${T}^{1/2}$ due to the effects of electron-electron interaction in the presence of disorder. The composition dependence of the low-temperature conductivity in the critical region fits the scaling theory of electron localization with a conductivity critical exponent close to unity, consistent with the scaling of ${T}_{0}$ in the insulating phase. A large negative magnetoresistance is observed (up to 70% in 17 T) which increases monotonically with decreasing temperature and is smoothly decreased through the MIT. The magnetic properties show that doping ${\mathrm{LaCoO}}_{3}$ with Ni leads to a rapid destruction of the low spin-state for ${\mathrm{Co}}^{3+}$ ions, followed by the onset of distinct ferromagnetic interactions at higher Ni content. Similar to ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CoO}}_{3},$ the system shows a smooth evolution from spin-glass to ferromagnetic ground states, which is interpreted in terms of the formation of ferromagnetic clusters. In contrast to ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}{\mathrm{CoO}}_{3}$ further doping does not lead to a bulk ferromagnetlike state with a large ${T}_{C},$ despite the clear existence of ferromagnetic interactions. We suggest that this is due to a limitation of the strength of the ferromagnetic interactions, which could be related to the fact that Ni rich clusters are not thermodynamically stable. The ferromagnetic clusters in ${\mathrm{LaCo}}_{1\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Ni}}_{y}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ do not percolate with increasing y explaining the lack of a high-${T}_{C}$ ferromagnetic state and the fact that the MIT is a simple Mott-Anderson transition rather than a percolation transition. Finally, in contrast to previous works (which focused on a single composition) we find no clear correlation between freezing temperature and the onset of magnetoresistance.
Swinging within the iron cage: Modernity, creativity, and embodied practice in American postsecondary jazz education

In this article, I seek to contribute to the anthropology of embodied practice by asking, what would embodied practical mastery that mandates constant differentiation look like, and what would be its cultural and social determinants? In doing so, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork I conducted in a postsecondary jazz school in the United States. Through an exploration of how jazz educators cope with the paradoxical task of training the body and liberating it, I inquire into the challenge of negotiating the tension between the two key modernist ideas of rationalized schooling and Romantic creativity in contemporary institutional contexts.
Calculations of correlation functions for two-dimensional square ice

Abstract Two approximation methods, the Monte Carlo method and the series expansion method, are used to calculate correlation functions, including the Kirkwood correlation function g, in two-dimensional square ice. The approximation methods are tested on the exact values of the polarization correlation function G and the self-correlation function g(o). Both approximate methods are reasonably precise and both methods give values of G and g(o) in good agreement with the exact values. Using both methods we estimate that g = 1.5 ± 0.3. Just as for three-dimensional ice this value of g is significantly smaller than G, thus supporting the assumption of dimensional similarity in the behavior of the correlation functions. Our results strongly indicate that g is a discontinuous function in the ideal ice limit as the Bjerrum fault concentration is varied. From these results, previous results for three-dimensional ice and general considerations relating g and G it is concluded that for real ice in three dimensions with a non-zero concentration of Bjerrum faults the values of g and G are both close to three.
Very large array observations of Jupiter's nonthermal radiation

The VLA has been used at 18 and 20 cm to obtain observational data on Jupiter at all rotational aspects in all four Stokes parameters, yielding maps of the total, linearly polarized and circularly polarized intensity with a resolution of 0.25 Jupiter radii. These maps reveal such previously undetected phenomena as an emission feature close to the planetary surface north and south of each of the two main radiation peaks. The emission from 1.8 to about 3 Jupiter radii from the planet's center is sharply confined to the magnetic equator.
The effect of slight deformation on droplet coalescence in linear flows

A trajectory analysis is used to determine the effect of small deformations and van der Waals attractions on the collision efficiency of two non-Brownian drops freely suspended in a linear flow at small Reynolds number. Simple shear flow and uniaxial compressional and extensional flow are considered. Treating the capillary number (Ca) as a small parameter permits an approach similar to matched asymptotic expansions. For Ca≪1, the analysis shows that the deformation is mainly axisymmetric and that the tangential motion of the drops in apparent contact is unaffected to leading order by the small deformation. A comparison with full three-dimensional boundary-integral calculations confirms the accuracy of the asymptotic approach. In the dimensionless parameter space, results for the collision efficiency are mapped for four parameters: Ca, size ratio, drop-to-medium viscosity ratio, and a dimensionless Hamaker parameter. For spherical drops in uniaxial compression and extension, the collision efficiencies are ...
Lipid bilayer permeation by neutral aluminum citrate and by three α-hydroxy carboxylic acids

Abstract Several groups have proposed that aluminum (Al) may permeate biologival membranes as a neutral complex with citrate. We tested this hypothesis by measuring aluminum citrate flux across unilamellar phospholipid vesicles (liposomes). Results from two independent procedures show that lipid bilayer permeation by the neutral aluminum-citrate complex is slow (P∼=1·10−11 cm·s−1). We then compared aluminum-citrate permeation with permeation by a series of α-hydroxy carboxylic acids and by trimethylcitrate. This comparison showed that the aluminum-citrate flux is limited by diffusion across the water/lipid interface. This is due to hydrogen bonding between water and the citrate carboxyl groups, and by hydration of the bound metal in the aqueous phase. By analogy with citric acid, steric hindrance of diffusion within the bilayer does not affect the permeation rate of aluminum citrate. Elevated tissue levels of Al in subjects fed a diet supplemented with citric acid and Al(OH)3 cannot be explained by lipid bilayer permeation of the neutral complex.