cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
De novo SDHB gene mutation in a family with extra-adrenal paraganglioma

A 14-year-old male presented with abdominal pain. Imaging illustrated a left-sided adrenal mass; he underwent a left nephrectomy, confirming an extra-adrenal PGL. Germline genetic testing revealed a heterozygous, likely pathogenic mutation in the SDHB gene. The patient's family subsequently underwent genetic testing; his mother and sister were both positive for the familial SDHB mutation. Cascade testing for the proband's maternal aunt and maternal grandparents was negative for the familial mutation. SNP genotyping was used to confirm relationships. This is the second reported case of a de novo SDHB gene mutation and the first reported case of a confirmed de novo mutation in a patient who was not the initial proband. As SDHB-associated PGLs and PCCs are expected to be more aggressive and malignant, it is imperative to identify patients with SDHB mutations early. Given that many patients with germline mutations have no family history of PGL of PCC, the possibility of de novo mutations must be considered. Further studies are needed to determine the rate of de novo mutation in SDHB and other SDH-complex genes. Up to 41% of patients with paragangliomas (PGL) or pheochromocytomas (PCC) have an identifiable hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome. Mutations in 12 genes are known to increase the risk of PGL and/or PCC; however, the de novo rate is mostly unknown. Only one case report exists of a de novo SDHB mutation. We present the second case of a family with a de novo SDHB mutation.
9 – TOPICS IN ALGEBRA

Publisher Summary This chapter describes different topics in algebra that involves the set of natural numbers. Mathematical induction provides a means of proving certain theorems involving the natural numbers that appear to resist other means of proof. Probability theory enables one to state the likelihood of occurrence of a given event and has obvious applications to games of chance. The theory of permutations and combinations, which enables counting the ways in which a set of objects or select a subset of the original set can be arranged, is necessary background to a study of probability theory. An infinite sequence is a function whose domain is the set of all natural numbers. The series associated with an arithmetic sequence is called an arithmetic series. The choice of which formula to use depends on the available information. In a geometric sequence, the terms between the first and last terms are called geometric means.
Acute Urinary Retention

Acute urinary retention (AUR) is a painful urologic emergency specifically characterized by the sudden inability to urinate. It remains the most common urologic emergency managed by urologists worldwide and is a condition seen by all physicians regardless of their specialty. Population-based cohort studies in the United States and Belgium have put the incidence of AUR at 2.2–6.8 episodes per 1,000 man-years, but older studies have it as high as 130 episodes per 1,000 man-years [1–3, 5, 9, 11]. There is a significantly higher rate in the male population with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Due to the low occurrence rate in women, data on incidence is not readily available for the female population. Across numerous studies, the major risk factors for development of AUR in men are the following: age (age >70, RR 7.8), symptom severity (AUA symptom score >7, RR 3.2), prostate size (volume >30 mL, RR 3.0), and urinary flow rate (flow rate <12 mL/s, RR 3.9) [9, 13, 16]. Age is the predominant risk factor, with a nearly linear increase in incidence with age – up to 10 % of men over the age of 70 and almost one-third of men over the age of 80. While a variety of pathophysiologic mechanisms may contribute to the development of AUR, the three predominant mechanisms are outflow obstruction, neurologic impairment, and overdistension.
Workshop Proposal: PySAL: Python Spatial Analysis Library

PySAL is an open source library for cross platform geospatial data science. PySAL contains a family of 15 packages for different specialized areas of spatial data analysis, from geoprocessing, geovisualization, exploratory spatial data analysis, spatial machine learning, and confirmatory spatial analysis. The workshop focuses on a subset of PySAL dealing with geoprocessing, geovisualization, exploratory spatial data analysis, and regionalization.
Survey design, sampling, and significance testing: Key issues

Abstract Papers submitted to the journals of academic librarianship sometimes include errors in research design or statistical methods that limit the extent to which the results can be generalized beyond the sample of study participants. This guide discusses how to avoid common problems associated with survey design, sampling, and significance testing (hypothesis testing). The first section, on surveys, covers generalization, random error, investigator bias, response bias, survey design, and alternative methods of gathering data. The second section, on sampling, covers the need for sampling, the importance of defining the population and the cases, sampling strategies, sampling bias (selection bias, volunteer bias, survivorship bias, and nonresponse bias), the need to compare sample and population characteristics, and sample size. The third section, on significance testing, covers the need for significance tests, their inability to account for bias, levels of measurement, types of tests (independent-samples, paired-samples, and one-sample tests), t-tests and nonparametric alternatives, p values and alpha levels, hypothesis testing, and the importance of magnitude or effect size. The paper concludes with guidance on non-statistical methods of generalizing from limited data.
Traffic Sign Detection using Clara and Yolo in Python

Research in the field of self-driving and autonomous vehicles is continuously growing. Many researchers are working to make self-driving cars more secure. Researchers work diligently to make cars as safe as possible to minimize fatal injuries on our roads. In about 30 percent of these incidents, there is a central factor: speed. For several decades, speeding has been a widely discussed subject for major automotive companies. The purpose of the project is to contribute to this research by implementing a driving simulator for a device that can understand speed limit signs and make decisions that make the driver more comfortable and safer to drive. The CARLA Learning to Act (CARLA), an open-source autonomous test simulator consisting primarily of two modules, the CARLA simulator and the Python API module, is used as a simulator in this analysis. The algorithm You Look Just Once (YOLO) is used to classifying road signs. Yolo sees the whole picture during training and testing, encoding contextual information about the groups of objects and their appearances instead of a sliding window over several places in an image. This feature makes it extremely easy to analyze an image. Several utilities may be used to identify the speed signs of a road. There are two applications for this project: a request for a notice warning the driver that the vehicle’s speed is above the maximum allowed speed of that traffic, and a request for a rule to reduce the vehicle’s speed when the traffic limit is reached.
Depression Following Operative Treatments for Achilles Ruptures and Ankle Fractures

Background:The sudden and debilitating nature of lower extremity injuries can trigger mood disturbances, including major depressive disorder.Methods:This prospective study enrolled patients undergo...
The Role of Science and Engineering in Water Regulation Over the Past 100 Years

This article explores how scientific and engineering principles are inexorably linked to the regulation of water. Scientists and engineers first discovered the link between disease and water sources in the mid-19th century. Over the years, scientists and engineers have led the way to identifying water quality problems and their causes. These discoveries have directly contributed to the scope of water regulation in the United States and elsewhere. In addition, changes in water quality regulation have dictated the need for increasingly sophisticated water treatment technologies and engineers have been at the forefront of the development of these water control technologies. This session will discuss the historical roots, and the development over the century, of scientific principles and engineering technology in identifying and combating water pollution. It will also provide a solid foundation for understanding current efforts underway to solve current and future water quality issues.
Spirituality and Aging: Research and Implications∗

ABSTRACT Increasing attention to spirituality is an important trend in gerontology, human services, and health sciences. Spirituality is complex, overlaps with religion, infuses all human life, and therefore is difficult to study. Diverse methods are used in its investigation, and numerous scales measure its components. Almost all of the research reveals its significant connections with health and other aspects of well-being. Professional applications of the research findings have been limited by complex religious and cultural values, insufficient research, and ethical considerations. Unlimited opportunities for further study include the need to evaluate the impact of all religions and ideologies that claim to enhance spirituality.
Toward a Sustainable FTAA: Does Latin America Meet the Necessary Financial Preconditions?

This paper focuses on identifying preconditions that will ensure the sustainability of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). It argues that the macro, micro, and political conditions advanced in the literature to measure a country's ability to compete internationally, while necessary, are not sufficient to ensure the success and permanence of a free trade agreement. Instead, two additional financial conditions are needed. The first is that each partner in the free trade area needs to have sustainable public debts as determined by the achievement of credible and sustainable structural fiscal balances. The second is that exchange rate regimes across trading partners should be compatible in the sense that adverse shocks in one country do not generate a policy dilemma in other partners between abandoning their exchange rate system or the free trade area. A preliminary analysis of the evidence in the Latin American and Caribbean region shows the importance of these two preconditions. An analysis of debt sustainability reveals that there are a number of countries in the region that need to deal with potential solvency problems before reaching the status of credible partners in a regional trade arrangement. Argentina is already deemed insolvent, and countries such as Ecuador and Venezuela rank high on the list of countries where the issue of debt sustainability can become a serious problem. Not resolving this before reaching a regional trade agreement can threaten its long-term stability. The examination of the compatibility of exchange rate systems across trading partners is also very revealing. Part of the success of NAFTA since the late 1990s and the "impasse" of Mercosur during 1999-2001 had to do with the choices of exchange rate regimes. In both trade areas the share of trade among the partners is very high, and in NAFTA, this includes significant financial transactions. While Mexico was able to use the flexibility of the exchange rate to improve competitiveness following the sharp decline of portfolio flows from US investors into Mexico following the Asian and Russian crises, Argentina had no mechanisms to deal with an adverse shock from Brazil (such as a depreciation of the real in 1999). From this perspective, the recent move of Argentina towards a more flexible exchange rate system is good news for a sustainable free trade area.
Studies on sulfhydryl groups during cell division of sea-urchin eggs. 8. Some properties of mitotic apparatus proteins.

Abstract Proteins of the mitotic apparatus isolated directly from living sea-urchin eggs by the use of dithiodipropanol were found to contain three components. Their sedimentation coefficients were in the range of 3.2–3.5, 11–13, and 21–22. The 3.5-S and most of the 13-S particles were cleaved by sulfite or dithiothreitol to 2.5-S particles which, conversely, dimerized to the 3.5-S particles by oxidation. The molecular weights of the 3.5- and 2.5-S particles were 68700 ± 3000 and 34700 ± 2000, respectively. The 3.5-S particle contained 4.5% nucleotides by weight, 6 SH groups and 1 S-S group, and was coupled with a contractile protein, extracted from egg cortex, by intermolecular sulfhydryl-disulfide conversion.
SOI material technology using plasma immersion ion implantation

Silicon on insulator (SOI) devices have many attractive applications in integrated circuit technology. The high cost of manufacturing the SOI wafers, however, prevents it from being widely accepted for mass production. Separation by plasma implantation of oxygen (SPIMOX), an extremely high through-put SIMOX formation process using plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has demonstrated promising results. In this paper, an improvement on the SPIMOX process is presented. High-dose implantation is a costly procedure for the "smart cut" process. A low cost, high through-put implantation by hydrogen or helium plasma is demonstrated as a feasible, novel process for SOI technology using PIII.
Addressing Female Sexual Function after Cancer by Internists and Primary Care Providers

Introduction There are now almost 14 million cancer survivors in the United States, and for the majority of survivors, the bulk of post‐cancer medical care is provided by community primary care providers (PCPs). Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common and distressing quality of life issues facing female cancer survivors yet it has become increasingly evident that women's cancer‐related sexual dysfunction often goes unaddressed, including in primary care treatment setting.
Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels in the Myocardium

The cardiac action potential results from the complex, but precisely controlled, movement of ions across the cell membrane. Although the shape of the action potential is known to vary between different regions of the heart (e.g., sinoatrial node vs. atrial vs. ventricle), the present discussion will focus solely on the ventricular myocardium. The upstroke of the action potential (phase 0) in ventricular cells results from the rapid influx of Na+ through voltage-gated Na+ channels (Fozzard, 1994). A subsequent rapid, but incomplete, repolarization is achieved in phase 1 due to K+ efflux through transiently activated K+ channels (I to). This early outward current sets the initial plateau potential, thus influencing the behavior of subsequently activated ion channels and the duration of the action potential. The plateau of the action potential (phase 2) maintains the cell membrane potential in a relatively depolarized state for up to several hundred milliseconds. This plateau phase is characterized by minimal net ion flow owing to the balance of an inactivating inward Ca2+ current and K+ efflux through slowly activating voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels. Consequently, this balance between inward and outward currents is an important determinant of action potential duration and cardiac contractility. Finally, the action potential is terminated by a rise in K+ permeability (phase 3) that ultimately repolarizes the cell membrane back to the resting membrane potential level (phase 4).
A robust approach for sensor placement in automated vision dimensional inspection

Introduces a sensor placement approach for dimensional inspection with active visual inspection systems. For a given set of entities, an effective sensor plan includes parameter values that allow some entities to be observed simultaneously. Two kinds of approaches have generally been used for sensor planning in visual inspection systems: the generate-and-test method and the synthesis method. In order to have high performance and satisfactory accuracy, uncertainty must be considered in the sensing model of the visual system. Furthermore, in order to avoid sharp deterioration of the performance of the visual inspection system for very small disturbances of the parameters, an appropriate definition of robustness is proposed. In an experiment a new sensor planning approach based on robustness resolves some problems with earlier approaches.
Amplification of viral RNA from drinking water using TransPlex™ whole-transcriptome amplification.

Aims: Viral pathogens in environmental media are generally highly diffuse, yet small quantities of pathogens may pose a health risk. This study evaluates the ability of TransPlex™ whole transcriptome amplification (WTA) to amplify small quantities of RNA viruses from complex environmental matrices containing background nucleic acids. Methods and Results: DNA extracts from mock drinking water samples containing mixed microbial populations were spiked with small quantities of echovirus type 13 (EV) RNA. Samples were amplified using a Transplex™ WTA kit, and EV-specific quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to quantify target pathogens before and after application of WTA. Samples amplified by WTA demonstrated a decreased limit of detection. The log-linear relationship between serial dilutions was maintained following amplification by WTA. Conclusions: WTA is able to increase the quantity of target organism RNA in mixed populations, while maintaining log linearity of amplification across different target concentrations. Significance and Impact of the Study: WTA may serve as an effective preamplification step to increase the levels of RNA prior to detection by other molecular methods such as PCR, microarrays and sequencing.
Immunochemical Analysis of Serologically Active Lipids of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

The major complement-fixing antigen of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is found in the lipid fraction of the organism. When the lipids of M. pneumoniae were fractionated by column chromatography on silicic acid, serological activity against both rabbit and human immune sera was found in two fractions, B and D. Fraction B, eluted with chloroform–methanol (9:1), was a minor component in terms of total complement-fixing activity and contained a complex of lipids which were detected in the region characteristic of phosphatidic acids by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel G. Fraction D, eluted with ethyl acetate–methanol (3.5:2), had approximately the same complement-fixing antigen titer as the original lipid extract and appeared as a “comet-shaped” spot between phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine on Silica Gel G plates charred with sulfuric acid. However, by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel H impregnated with sodium tetraborate, it was demonstrated that fraction D did contain multiple components, all but one of which were carbohydrate-containing lipids (giving positive reactions when sprayed with orcinol-sulfuric acid reagent). Fraction D was found to contain glycerol and phosphate in equimolar ratios but did not contain nitrogen. Two sugars were detected which migrated on paper chromatograms with glucose and galactose. Images
Articular cartilage. Part II. The osteoarthritic joint

Articular hyaline cartilage, though a metabolically active tissue, has limited capacity for repair. Though the integrity of the cartilage is dependent upon a certain level of force placed upon it, excessive force leads to damage. It is when the breakdown of the cartilage exceeds the capacity of the cartilage for repair that osteoarthritis results. At present, pharmacologic treatment of osteoarthritis is focused toward the control of pain and stiffness. This treatment, however, masks the symptoms of the disease and effectively allows the patient to do further damage to the joint.
How many mutations does it take to get PNH

Comment on Inoue et al, page [4232][1] One of the puzzles in understanding paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is the reason for the expansion of the defective clone. In this issue, Inoue and colleagues suggest that a second mutation might be needed. The characteristic biochemical lesion in
Heat Transfer Enhancement of Channel Flow via Vortex-Induced Vibration of Flexible Cylinder

Thermal diffusion in a developed thermal boundary layer is considered as an obstacle for improving the forced convective heat transfer rate of a channel flow. In this work, a novel, self-agitating method that takes advantage of vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is introduced to disrupt the thermal boundary layer and thereby enhance the thermal performance. A flexible cylinder is placed at the centerline of a rectangular channel. The vortex shedding due to the cylinder gives rise to a periodic vibration of the cylinder. Consequently, the flow-structure-interaction (FSI) strengthens the disruption of the thermal boundary layer by vortex interaction with the walls, and improves the mixing process. This new concept for enhancing the convective heat transfer rate is demonstrated by a three-dimensional modeling study at different Reynolds numbers (84∼168). The fluid dynamics and thermal performance are analyzed in terms of vortex dynamics, temperature fields, local and average Nusselt numbers, and pressure loss. The channel with the self-agitated cylinder is verified to significantly increase the convective heat transfer coefficient. When the Reynolds number is 168, the channel with the VIV improves the average Nu by 234.8% and 51.4% as opposed to the clean channel and the channel with a stationary cylinder, respectively.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Species differences in the identification of acoustic stimuli by birds

The perceptual organization of auditory stimuli can reveal a great deal about how the brain naturally groups events. The current study uses identification techniques to investigate the abilities of two species of birds in identifying zebra finch song as well as synthetically generated speech stimuli. Budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were trained to differentially peck keys in response to the presentation of various complex stimuli. Although there were no clear differences in performance during the training paradigm between the two species, budgerigars were far more adept at learning to identify both sets of complex stimuli than were zebra finches, requiring far less trials to reach criterion. The non-singing but vocally plastic budgerigars vastly outperformed zebra finches at identifying both zebra finch song and synthetically designed human speech despite known similarities in auditory sensitivities between the two species and seemingly equivalent learning capacity. The flexibility that budgerigars seem to have at identifying various stimuli is highlighted by their enhanced performance in these tasks. These results are discussed in the context of what is known about both general and specialized processes which may contribute to any differences or similarities in performance.
Biomechanical Topography of Human Articular Cartilage in the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint

The objective of this study was to provide a map of cartilage biomechanical properties, thickness, and histomorphometric characteristics in the human, cadaveric first metatarsophangeal joint, to determine if normal articular cartilage was predisposed topographically to biomechanical mismatches in articulating surfaces. Cartilage intrinsic material properties and thickness were obtained from seven pairs of human, freshly frozen, cadaveric, metatarsophalangeal joints using an automated creep indentation apparatus under conditions of biphasic creep. Eight sites were tested: four on the metatarsal head, two on the proximal phalanx base, and one on each sesamoid bone to obtain the aggregate modulus, Poisson's ratio, permeability, shear modulus, and thickness. Cartilage in the lateral phalanx site of the left metatarsal head had the largest aggregate modulus (1.34 MPa), whereas the softest tissue was found in the right medial sesamoid (0.63 MPa). The medial phalanx region of the right joint was the most permeable (4.56 x 10(-15) meter4/Newton-second), whereas the medial sesamoid articulation of the metatarsal head of the left joint was the least permeable (1.26 x 10(-15) meter4/Newton-second). Material properties and thickness are indicative of the tissue's functional environment. The lack of mismatches in cartilage biomechanical properties of the articulating surfaces found in this study may be supportive of clinical observations that early degenerative changes, in the absence of traumatic events, do not occur at the selected test sites in the human first metatarsophalangeal joint.
Discrete choice analysis of spatial attack sites

This paper presents an algorithm for the complete specification of multinomial discrete choice models to predict the spatial preferences of attackers. The formulation employed is a modification of models previously applied in transportation flow and crime analysis. A breaking and entering crime data set is employed to compare the efficacy of this model with traditional hot spot models. Discrete choice models are shown to perform as well as, or better than such models and offer more interpretable results.
Children, adolescents and social work: A statement from the editor

Current social policy affects clinical social work with children, adolescents, and their families. As a result of inadequate funding, many resources that are needed for prevention and therapeutic work are not adequate for the needs of the client group. Gaps in resources affect the welfare of children and their families and often contribute to the causes of mental health problems. Other issues related to service systems and professional arrangements affect the identity and status of clinical social workers and interfere with optimal professional activities.
Sex steroids, APOE genotype and the innate immune system.

Microglia are a primary cellular component of the CNS innate immune system. Their response to conserved pathogen motifs is inherent and leads to the release of cytoactive factors that impact surrounding neurons and glia. The microglial response is modified by the local tissue environment and by “global” factors such as gender. Exposure to estrogen and testosterone, in general, down regulate microglia and peripheral macrophage function, promoting an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Other global factors, however, can “override” the gender-based effects demonstrated by estrogen or testosterone. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and the expression of specific isoforms of apolipoprotein E differentially regulate microglial and peripheral macrophage function. Our studies have shown that the presence of the APOE4 gene, a known risk factor for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, promotes a pro-inflammatory macrophage phenotype in neonatal microglia. However, in adult mice, the APOE genotype-specific effect depends on gender. Peritoneal macrophages from female adult APOE3 and APOE4 targeted replacement mice do not demonstrate an APOE genotype-specific response, whereas adult male APOE4 targeted replacement mice show enhanced macrophage responsiveness compared to adult male APOE3 mice. At least part of the altered macrophage response in APOE4 male mice may be due to differences in androgen receptor sensitivity to testosterone. These data re-enforce the concept that classical activation in macrophages has multiple levels of regulation, dictated by competing or synergistic factors and genotype.
Choosing the Wrong Pond: Social Comparisons in Negotiations That Reflect a Self-Serving Bias

We explore the role that choice of comparison groups plays in explaining impasse in teacher contract negotiations. We hypothesize that the negotiators select "comparable" districts in a biased fashion such that teachers' salaries in districts that unions view as comparable are higher than teachers' salaries in districts that school boards view as comparable. We also predict that strike activity is positively related to the difference in the salary levels of the unions' and boards' lists of comparables. We test these predictions using a unique combination of subjective survey and field data on teacher contract negotiations in Pennsylvania. Both hypotheses are supported by the data.
Modeling systemic and renal gadolinium chelate transport with MRI

The advent of modern MRI scanners and computer equipment permits the rapid sequential collection of images of gadolinium chelate (Gd) transit through the kidney. The excellent spatial and temporal (0.9 s) resolution permits analyzing the shape of the recovered curves with a sophisticated model that includes both space and time. The purpose of this manuscript is to present such a mathematical model. By building into the model significant physical processes that contribute to the shape of the measured curve, quantitative values can be assigned to important parameters. In this work, quantitative values are determined for blood dispersion through the cardio-pulmonary system, systemic clearance rate of Gd, blood flow into each kidney, blood transit time in each kidney, the extraction rate of Gd across the capillary membrane, interstitial distribution volume, and the GFR for each kidney.
Some pharmacological properties of the oviduct muscularis of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans

1. 1. Spontaneous and rhythmic contractions were measured in 80% of the preparations of the stable fly oviduct which were separated from the central nervous system and other tissues. Measurements of the changes in the amplitude and frequency of contractions and changes in the baseline tonus were taken separately, even though they often occurred together during chemical treatments. 2. 2. l-glutamate, at a concentration of 10−4 to 10−3 M, caused an increase in the frequency of contractions and in muscle tonus. Contraction frequency showed the highest percentage of change while amplitude and tonus had lower values. 3. 3. The excitation threshold for proctolin on the oviduct was between 10−13 and 10−10 M. The initial responses to the peptide showed increases in the amplitude, frequency, and tonus of muscle contractions. However, tonic changes dominated the response profile when the concentration reached 10−10 or 10−9 M. In 12 experiments in which the oviduct was exposed to 10−7 M leucomyosuppressin, no change in the amplitude, frequency, or tonus of muscle contractions was detected. 4. 4. Octopamine caused an inhibition of spontaneous muscle contractions of the oviduct. Spontaneous contractions showed a graded drop in activity over the concentration range tested (10−8−10−6 M). Also 57% of the preparations tested showed a substantial drop in baseline tonus after the addition of octopamine. 5. 5. Stable fly oviducts exposed to extracts from the male reproductive tract showed a noticeable change in the amplitude frequency and tonus of muscle contraction at levels of 2 to 3 equivalents.
Viscoelastic behavior of polymer blends

There is a reciprocal relation between flow and structure in multiphase systems such as polymer blends or composites. For this reason characterization of these materials must be carried out under conditions which guarantee minimum modification of structure. Capillary rheometry is particularly ill suited as a test tool, but the small strain dynamic oscillatory method may provide the true material responses, Most frequently these are expressed as frequency, ω, dependent storage and loss shear moduli, G′ and G″, or real and imaginary viscosities, η′ = G″/ω and η″ = G′/ω. However, two other methods of data presentation seem to be more sensitive to melt structure. They are the Cole-Cole plot of η″ vs. η′ and the relaxation spectrum. Frequently, both of them indicate a binomial response. Various mechanisms leading to such behavior will be discussed.
Modeling of the Electroplating of a Through‐Hole Considering Additive Effects and Convection

In this paper a general mathematical model of electroplating of high aspect ratio through-holes of multilayer printed circuit boards is developed. This two-dimensional model includes transport by electrical migration, diffusion, and convection in the through-hole. The solution of the model is used to examine the effects of plating variables on uniformity in an acid copper plating bath with and without additives in the bath. Different regimes of plating conditions are examined with particular emphasis on ohmic control. The general model is used to determine the necessary conditions to achieve ohmic-limited plating. These criteria and the solution of the ohmic-limited model used determine the type of flow enhancement required to achieve ohmic-limited plating. General guidance for selection of a model for through-hole plating is developed.
Electrochemistry and optical absorbance and luminescence of molecule-like Au38 nanoparticles

This paper describes electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of a well-characterized, synthetically accessible, 1.1 nm diam Au nanoparticle, Au(38)(PhC(2)S)(24), where PhC(2)S is phenylethylthiolate. Properties of other Au(38) nanoparticles made by exchanging the monolayer ligands with different thiolate ligands are also described. Voltammetry of the Au(38) nanoparticles in CH(2)Cl(2) reveals a 1.62 V energy gap between the first one-electron oxidation and the first reduction. Based on a charging energy correction of ca. 0.29 V, the indicated HOMO-LUMO gap energy is ca. 1.33 eV. At low energies, the optical absorbance spectrum includes peaks at 675 nm (1.84 eV) and 770 nm (1.61 eV) and an absorbance edge at ca. 1.33 eV that gives an optical HOMO-LUMO gap energy that is consistent with the electrochemical estimate. The absorbance at lowest energy is bleached upon electrochemical depletion of the HOMO level. The complete voltammetry contains two separated doublets of oxidation waves, indicating two distinct molecular orbitals, and two reduction steps. The ligand-exchanged nanoparticle Au(38)(PEG(135)S)(13)(PhC(2)S)(11), where PEG(135)S is -SCH(2)CH(2)OCH(2)CH(2)OCH(3), exhibits a broad (1.77-0.89 eV) near-IR photoluminescence band resolvable into maxima at 902 nm (1.38 eV) and 1025 nm (1.2 eV). Much of the photoluminescence occurs at energies less than the HOMO-LUMO gap energy. A working model of the energy level structure of the Au(38) nanoparticle is presented.
Laminar bottom gravity currents: friction factor–Reynolds number relationship

ABSTRACTThis study elucidates a relationship between the Fanning friction factor and the Reynolds number for the laminar propagation of constant-flux gravity currents. The particular motivation for this study was related to the pipeline disposal of dredged fluid-mud where non-Newtonian bottom gravity currents form. The power-law rheology model, which has been shown to model fluid-mud rheology well, was incorporated in the theoretical analysis. The proposed Fanning friction factor–Reynolds number relationship includes a proportionality constant (henceforth, the shape factor) that considers the shape of the current. For non-Newtonian fluid-mud gravity currents, a relationship for the shape factor was developed through laboratory experiments. Different potential applications of the developed friction factor–Reynolds number relationship are discussed. In this regard, a new viscous propagation model was developed and evaluated through comparisons with laboratory experimental data for fluid-mud gravity currents...
On the empirical fitting equations for aspiration coefficients for thin-walled sampling probes

Abstract A systematic study has been made of the empirical fitting equations for aspiration coefficients for aerosol sampling from a flowing gas stream under anisokinetic sampling conditions. Six equations have been tested against the numerically calculated aspiration coefficients of Liu et al. ( J. Aerosol Sci. 20, 367, 1989). A new set of equations has been obtained for estimating the errors in anisokinetic sampling for thin-walled sampling probes.
Inert facts and the illusion of knowledge: strategic uses of ignorance in HIV clinics

Abstract Like other highly regulated arenas, HIV clinics contain dark corners that some want to explore and others want to hide. Using ethnographic data on HIV clinics, I argue that awkward knowledge is kept inert in two main ways. Information can be sequestered, often under a pile of regulatory paper or a document describing an organization's routines, creating an illusion of knowledge while deflecting questions. Alternatively, with distributed ignorance people avoid seeing awkward patterns by using the division of labour and organizational boundaries as pretexts to keep key facts apart. Normal organizational processes that make a show of gathering and disseminating information are in fact often deployed strategically to create an illusion of knowledge while keeping important facts inert.
Fine Control of Local Whitespace in Placement

In modern design methodologies, a large fraction of chip area during placement is left unused by standard cells and allocated as “whitespace.” This is done for a variety of reasons including the need for subsequent buffer insertion, as a means to ensure routability, signal integrity, and low coupling capacitance between wires, and to improve yield through DFM optimizations. To this end, layout constraints often require a certain minimum fraction of whitespace in each region of the chip. Our work introduces several techniques for allocation of whitespace in global, detail, and incremental placement. Our experiments show how to efficiently improve wirelength by reallocating whitespace in legal placements at the large scale. Additionally, for the first time in the literature, we empirically demonstrate high-precision control of whitespace in designs with macros and obstacles. Our techniques consistently improve the quality of whitespace allocation of top-down as well as analytical placement methods and achieve low penalties on designs from the ISPD 2006 placement contest with minimal interconnect increase.
Tuning the Density Profile of Dendritic Polyelectrolytes

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that the shape of the intramolecular density profile of dendritic polyelectrolytes in solution can be tailored by varying the ionic strength of the solvent. Further, we find that a reversible transition between a “dense core” and a “dense shell” dendritic structure may be observed as the ionic strength is cycled from high to low. We present the necessary conditions in terms of salt concentration and various molecular variables such as generation number, spacer length, and number of charges, for realizing the potential of dendrimers as hosts in controlled-release and similar applications.
On the half-yearly oscillations in the tropics

The half-yearly component in the annual march of mean temperature and geostrophic zonal wind, below 100 mb and between 60° E and 120° E, is described by means of cross sections from pole to pole. We suggest that the second harmonics in the temperature, of opposite phase on the equator and in the subtropics, are linked with the position of the rising branch of the Hadley circulation twice a year near the equator. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1970.tb00504.x
The C-terminal repeat domain of Spt5 plays an important role in suppression of Rad26-independent transcription coupled repair.

In eukaryotic cells, transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair (TCR) is believed to be initiated by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) stalled at a lesion in the transcribed strand of a gene. Rad26, the yeast homolog of the human Cockayne syndrome group B (CSB) protein, plays an important role in TCR. Spt4, a transcription elongation factor that forms a complex with Spt5, has been shown to suppress TCR in rad26Δ cells. Here we present evidence that Spt4 indirectly suppresses Rad26-independent TCR by protecting Spt5 from degradation and stabilizing the interaction of Spt5 with Pol II. We further found that the C-terminal repeat (CTR) domain of Spt5, which is dispensable for cell viability and is not involved in interactions with Spt4 and Pol II, plays an important role in the suppression. The Spt5 CTR is phosphorylated by the Bur kinase. Inactivation of the Bur kinase partially alleviates TCR in rad26Δ cells. We propose that the Spt5 CTR suppresses Rad26-independent TCR by serving as a platform for assembly of a multiple protein suppressor complex that is associated with Pol II. Phosphorylation of the Spt5 CTR by the Bur kinase may facilitate the assembly of the suppressor complex.
Sensory cues and foraging decisions in a large carnivorous lizard, Varanus albigularis.

Abstract The white-throated savanna monitor, Varanus albigularis , is a large (>5 kg) carnivorous lizard that inhabits the arid savanna in southern Africa. In the natural environment, feeding occurs only during the 4-month wet season when invertebrate and small vertebrate prey are abundant. Seven experiments were conducted to examine the foraging, feeding and sensory discrimination behaviour of these lizards towards land snails, a favoured natural prey. Subjects were 16 subadult, captive-hatched lizards. Each lizard received several trials in choice discrimination tests with two or three types of snail stimuli differing in visual, chemical or tactile cues. Lizards differentiated between land snails using both visual and chemical cues. Large snails and those requiring short handling times were chosen over small snails and those requiring greater handling time. Neither snail movement nor snail weight were significant cues in choice of individual prey. Lizards preferred empty shells with fresh snail odour to empty snail shells without odour. The results suggest that these monitor lizards discriminate between prey items using visual and chemical cues. A result of their selectivity is obtaining a high caloric reward at a minimum energetic cost.
Modeling future lifetime as a fuzzy random variable

Abstract A recent article by de Andres-Sanchez and Puchades (2012) modeled life annuities as fuzzy random variables (FRVs). Their article was informative. However, it had the limitation that the FRV used to model the life annuity was not a granulated FRV. This followed because the authors assumed that the uncertainty insofar as mortality is entirely due to randomness and that the uncertainty with respect to interest rates is entirely due to fuzziness. The concern is that such a dichotomy may be problematic since, in actuality, the uncertainty of both the mortality parameter and the interest rate parameter can have both random and fuzzy features. The purpose of this article is to address the mortality portion of this dichotomy and, to this end, we model future lifetime as a FRV.
Effects of long-term amiodarone therapy on the defibrillation threshold and the rate of shocks of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Abstract The effects of long-term amiodarone therapy on the defibrillation thresholds and the rate of shocks were evaluated in 62 patients who had implantation of an automatic cardioverter-defibrillator ( n = 53) or prophylactic implantation of patch electrodes ( n = 9) who were survivors of sudden cardiac death ( n = 34) or had refractory rapid ventricular tachycardia ( n = 28). There were 53 men and 9 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 76 years (mean ± SD, 60 ± 12). Coronary artery disease occurred in 50 patients (80.6%), cardiomyopathy occurred in six (9.7%), valvular heart disease developed in two (3.2%), primary electrical disease developed in two (3.2%), hypertensive heart disease materialized in one (1.6%), and Ebstein's anomaly occurred in one (1.6%). The left ventricular ejection fraction varied from 10% to 75% (mean, 37 ± 17%). All patients had falled a mean of 3.9 ± 1.6 antiarrhythmic drugs prior to implantation of the device. Twenty-eight patients (45%) were taking amiodarone up to the time of surgery, with a mean daily dose of 406 ± 147 mg (range 200 to 800) and for a mean duration of 6.0 ± 6.7 months (range 1 to 36 months). The mean defibrillation threshold (DFT) was 12.0 ± 4.4 joules (range 5 to 20) in the group taking amiodarone and was not significantly different from that of the group not taking amiodarone ( n = 32) (mean DFT 12.3 ± 5.5 joules, range 5 to 30; p = 0.77). After discharge from the hospital, 53 patients were followed for a mean of 17.8 ± 14.4 months (range 1 to 63), and 25 (47%) of them were continued on a regimen of amiodrone with a mean daily dose of 344 ± 122 mg (range 100 to 600). A total of 179 presumably appropriate shocks were registered in 8 of 25 patients (32%) taking amiodarone and 126 appropriate shocks were given in 8 of 28 patients (29%) who were not taking amiodarone. This study suggests that (1) long-term amiodarone therapy does not increase the defibrillation thresholds in patients undergoing implantation of an automatic cardioverter-defibrillator and (2) a significant number of patients receiving long-term amiodarone therapy continue to suffer from ventricular tachyarrhythmias and require repeated shocks from the device.
Treatment of a police officer with PTSD using prolonged exposure

Exposure therapy has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans, rape victims, accident survivors, and other traumatized populations. However, little is known about the efficacy of exposure therapy for emergency services personnel diagnosed with PTSD. The present single-subject report describes the successful implementation of this therapy with a police officer diagnosed with chronic PTSD following a work-related incident. Using a time-series design, we found that symptom relief was clearly associated with the onset of exposure therapy, and persisted after termination of this therapy through a 6-month follow-up period. Hypothesized mechanisms for the efficacy of exposure therapy are discussed, as are future studies for the treatment of PTSD in emergency workers.
Complexity of a Chick Growth Response to Egg Yolk, Animal Fat and Fish Solubles Additions to the Diet

Abstract IN VITAMIN B12 assay investigations, Lillie et al. (1954) and Denton et al. (1954a) have reported that fresh egg yolk additions to the diet resulted in marked gains of chicks that were several times greater than those encountered for chicks fed levels of vitamin B12 maintained within the standard curve. On the basis of their findings, these data appear at variance with the B12 values for egg yolk previously reported by Milligan et al. (1952). Subsequently, Denton et al. (1954b) reported that egg yolk, lard or fish solubles additions to the ration resulted in weight gains of 18, 6, or 9%, respectively, over the basal diet which was adequately fortified with the known nutrients including vitamin B12. The studies comprising this report are intended to show the complexity of the growth response of chicks to dried egg yolk additions in the presence of tallow and/or fish solubles. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Day-old …