cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-cost propellant launch to LEO from a tethered balloon - economic and thermal analysis

As we have previously reported [1–3], it may be possible to launch payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO) at a per-kilogram cost that is one to two orders of magnitude lower than current launch systems, using only a relatively small capital investment (comparable to a single large present-day launch). 1 2 An attractive payload would be large quantities of high-performance chemical rocket propellant (e.g. LO2/LH2) that would greatly facilitate, if not enable, extensive exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond. The concept is to use small, mass-produced, two-stage, LO2/LH2, pressure-fed rockets (e.g. without turbopumps, which increase performance but are costly). These small rockets could reach orbit with modest atmospheric drag losses because they are launched from very high altitude (e.g. 22 km). They reach this altitude by being winched up a tether to a balloon that is permanently stationed there. The drag losses on a rocket are strongly related to the ratio of the rocket launch mass to the mass of the atmospheric column that is displaced as the vehicle ascends from launch to orbit. By reducing the mass of this atmospheric column to a few percent of what it would be if launched from sea level, the mass of the rocket could be proportionately reduced while maintaining drag loss at an acceptably small level. The system concept is that one or more small rockets would be launched to rendezvous on every orbit of a propellant depot in LEO. There is only one orbital plane where a depot would pass over the launch site on every orbit - the equator. Fortunately, the U.S. has two small islands virtually on the equator in the mid-Pacific (Baker and Jarvis Islands). Launching one on every orbit, approximately 5,500 rockets would be launched every year, which is a manufacturing rate that allows significantly reduced manufacturing costs, especially when combined with multiyear production contracts, giving a projected propellant cost in LEO of $400/kg or less. The configuration of the proposed propellant depot and the manner in which the propellant would be utilized has already been reported [1]. The launch processing facility (a small, modified container ship) and cable-car that moves the rocket on the tether have also been reported [2]. This paper provides new analysis of the economics of low-cost propellant launch coupled with dry hardware re-use, and of the thermal control of the liquid hydrogen once on-orbit. One conclusion is that this approach enables an overall reduction in the cost-per-mission by as much as a factor of five as compared to current approaches for human exploration of the moon, Mars, and near-Earth asteroids.
Transgene-mediated GDNF expression enhances synaptic connectivity and GABA transmission to improve functional outcome after spinal cord contusion

Glial cell line-derived trophic factor (GDNF) is a peptide with pleiotropic survival and growth-promoting effects on neurons. We found that intraspinal injection of a non-replicating herpes simplex virus-based vector coding for GDNF 2 h after blunt trauma to the thoraco-lumbar spinal cord produced sustained improvement in motor behavioral outcomes up to 5 weeks following injury. The improvement in behavior correlated with an increase in synaptophysin and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in the spinal cord at the level of injury. Addition of recombinant GDNF protein to primary spinal cord neurons in-vitro resulted in enhanced neurite growth and a marked increase in protein levels of GAD65 and GAD67, synapsin I and synaptophysin. GDNF-mediated increases in GAD and the synaptic markers were blocked by the MEK inhibitor UO126, but not by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. These results suggest that GDNF, acting through the MEK-ERK pathway enhances axonal sprouting, synaptic connectivity, and GABAergic neurotransmission in the spinal cord, that result in improved behavioral outcomes after spinal cord contusion injury.
Vibration of Functionally Graded Plates

This article considers the free vibration of plates for which materials properties vary continuously though the thickness. First, an examination of results available in the literature led to the discovery that the natural frequencies of such functionally graded plates are proportional to those of isotropic plates. In the usual formulation of existing plate theories, the midplane is taken as the reference surface and the variation in material properties through the thickness leads to coupling between inplane and bending deformations. The second part of this paper shows that it is possible to select a different reference plane so that this coupling is eliminated and the motion of the graded plate is governed by the same equation as that of homogeneous isotropic plates. This explains the relationship between the natural frequencies that was observed in the results presented by previous investigators. The study of functionally graded plate is made much simpler and results available for isotropic plates can be used directly.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The evaluation, management, and prevention of stingray injuries in travelers.

Although sharks may attack man without warning, stingrays are docile, usually nonaggressive, and do not attack man unless disturbed, by coastal waders or divers or caught or netted by fishermen. Because stingrays are ubiquitous in all temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, and even occur in many tropical freshwater river systems, human stingray injuries are common but rarely fatal. In the United States alone, 750 to 2,000 stingray injuries are reported each year compared with more than 300 scorpionfish envenomings annually, many in home aquarists, and thousands of catfish‐inflicted spine injuries, most of which are not reported.1–6 On very rare occasions, stingrays have launched off surface waters and into anchored or speeding motorboats, inflicting fatal human injuries. Several fatalities from penetrating thoracic stingray injuries and septic stingray wounds have now been reported.1–4,7 Although not as common as injuries caused by other venomous fish, stingray injuries are an important group of, mostly preventable, marine envenomings.1–4 Since the 1950s, stingray injuries treated in emergency departments and/or reported to poison control centers have only been described retrospectively and, often, incompletely. To date, no prospective multicenter collaborative investigations by coastal medical centers have been conducted to verify the frequencies and fatal and nonfatal outcomes of stingray injuries. Nevertheless, as more vacationing travelers spend more leisure time exploring seacoasts and tropical reefs, often in isolated island areas without immediate access to advanced health care services, there will be greater potential for stingray injuries with poor outcomes. A retrospective meta‐analysis of the descriptive epidemiology of stingray injuries, the mechanisms of stingray envenoming, the multiple clinical presentations of stingray injuries, and the management strategies for stingray injuries is now indicated and may improve the clinician’s ability to better manage and to prevent stingray injuries in travelers. To describe the epidemiology, pathophysiology, presenting manifestations, and any … Corresponding Author: James H. Diaz, MD, MPH&TM, DrPH, Program in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, 2021 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 200, New Orleans, LA 70122, USA. E‐mail: jdiaz{at}lsuhsc.edu
Relative safety of high-rise and low-rise steel moment-resisting frames in Los Angeles

This study assesses the deformation demands posed by high hazard seismic events to some common steel moment frame (SMF) structures in the Los Angeles region. The structures under consideration were SMF structures designed using the 1994 UBC for high seismic risk, both short and tall, similar to many SMF structures in Los Angeles. Lumped plasticity frame models are developed with the most current knowledge of nonlinear modelling techniques and component properties and are subjected to recorded and simulated ground motions. The recorded ground motions are selected and scaled to represent a high hazard seismic event. The simulated ground motions are extracted from a simulation of a magnitude 7·15 rupture of the Puente Hills fault. The frame models are varied to consider brittle pre-Northridge welds, ductile post-Northridge welds as well as simplified and detailed modelling techniques. Structural safety is assessed in terms of the number of structures that exceeded a safe inter-storey drift ratio for each ground motion set. Also, the relative safety of the tall and short SMF, taking into account brittle and ductile welds, is evaluated. Lastly, the differences in demands imposed by the recorded and scaled ground motions on tall SMF structures are compared. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In situ silane synthesis and bonding of monomeric stationary phases for high-performance liquid chromtography

A two-step, in situ synthesis and bonding reaction of monomeric alkyl chemically bonded stationary phases is described. Silane ligands are first synthesized from the corresponding terminal olefin and dimethylhydrochlorosilane using a hexachloroplatinic acid catalyst. The platinum may then be removed if desired by adsorption to activated carbon. Bonding to silica gel is then carried out in the normal manner directly, without further purification. The resulting bonded phase is equivelant both chemically and chromatographically to phases produced in the normal manner using vacuum-distilled or otherwise purified silanes. This approach provides a simple protocol for the synthesis of novel silanes not commericially available, or of silanes not sufficiently volatile for purification by vacuum distillation.
Role of invasive electrophysiologic testing in patients with symptomatic bundle branch block.

Abstract Electrophysiologic testing was performed In 112 symptomatic patients with bundle branch block. Abnormalities included HV Interval 70 ms or longer (35 patients), Infra-Hisian block with atrial pacing (6 patients) and sinus node dysfunction (23 patients). Inducible ventricular tachycardia occurred in 47 patients (42%). Therapy was based on the electrophysiologic test result: group I—16 patients with no therapy (normal study results); group II—34 patients with permanent pacing alone; group III—39 patients with antiarrhythmic therapy alone; and group IV—21 patients with both antlarrhythmic therapy and permanent pacing. Cumulative 4-year survival rates were 83% in group I, 84% In group II, 63% In group III and 84% In group IV (mean follow-up 2.5 years). Recurrent syncope occurred in 19% of group I, 6% of group II, 33% of group III and 19% of group IV. In symptomatic patients with bundle branch block and normal electrophysioiogic test results, prognosis Is good without treatment. In patients undergoing permanent pacing based on electrophysiologic testing, survival Is good and rate of symptom recurrence Is low. Electrophysiologic testing Identifies patients with Inducible ventricular tachycardia for whom antiarrhythmic therapy is indicated but who nevertheless have a poor prognosis.
Pair production opacities for gamma-ray burst spectra in the 10 GeV–1 TeV range

Abstract Recent calculations of pair production opacities for gamma-ray bursts detected by EGRET have suggested that relativistic bulk motion with large Lorentz factors must exist in these sources, whether of galactic or cosmological origin, to permit the emergence of a high energy continuum. The extant calculations usually assume an infinite power-law source spectrum for simplicity, an approximation that is quite adequate for most bursts detected by EGRET. However, for a given bulk Lorentz factor, photons above the EGRET range can potentially interact with sub-MeV photons in pair production opacity calculations, so it is important to accurately include the spectral curvature in bursts seen by BATSE. In this paper we modify our previous work to include such spectral forms, well-represented by broken power-laws, determining opacity as a function of energy for different source Lorentz factors Γ. The comparative depletion of low energy photons below 1 MeV turns out to be immaterial to considerations of bulk motion in cosmological bursts, but is crucial to estimates of source transparency in the 1 GeV – 1 TeV range for sources located in the galactic halo. We find that broad absorption dips can arise at these energies for suitable expansion parameters. Whipple, MILAGRO and GLAST will play an important role in the observation of the presence or absence of such distinctive structure in GRB spectra.
Physiological Effects of 1-Methylcyclopropene on Well-Watered and Water-Stressed Cotton Plants

The current study investigated the effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene inhibiting compound, in alleviating the detrimental effect of drought on cotton plants. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber in 2006 and 2007. Treatments consisted of (T1) an untreated control well-watered, (T2) 1-MCP at 10 g ai/ha well-watered, (T3) an untreated control water-stressed, and (T4) 1-MCP at 10 g ai/ha water-stressed. Water-stress treatment consisted of withholding water from the pots until stomatal closure. The water-stress regime and the 1-MCP treatments were imposed at the pinhead-square stage, approximately 4 weeks after planting. Water-stressed plants treated with 1-MCP had a higher stomatal resistance, less negative water potential, higher activity of antioxidant enzymes, and better maintenance of membrane integrity. The greatest effects on stomatal resistance were observed at 5 days after treatment initiation, in which water-stressed 1-MCP-treated plants exhibited stomatal resistance of 0.079 m2 s mmol−1, whereas water-stressed untreated plants exhibited only 0.047 m2 s mmol−1. There was no significant effect of 1-MCP on water-use efficiency, transpiration, and dry matter production. These results indicated that application of 1-MCP to water-stressed cotton may have the potential to lower levels of stress in treated plants.
Electron injection dynamics of Ru polypyridyl complexes on SnO2 nanocrystalline thin films.

Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the electron-transfer dynamics from Ru(dcbpy)2(X)2 complexes (dcbpy = 4,4‘-dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine; X2 = SCN-, 2CN-, and dcbpy; referenced as RuN3, Ru505, and Ru470, respectively) to nanocrystalline SnO2 films. For both films exposed to air (dry) and submerged in a pH 2 buffer solution, all traces show biphasic dynamics with a small ultrafast component (less than 10%) and nonexponential slow component, indicating that most injection occurs from thermalized excited state of the dye. In the dry film, the injection rate becomes slower, comparing RuN3, Ru505, and Ru470, correlating with decreasing excited-state oxidation potentials in these dyes. However, the variation of injection rate with dye potential is less noticeable at pH 2. The possible reason for the different injection dynamics in these dyes and under different environments are discussed. These injection dynamics are also compared with those on TiO2 and ZnO.
The impact of culture and gender on sexual motives: Differences between Chinese and North Americans

Abstract Recently, social scientists have begun to investigate the myriad of reasons why young men and women engage in sexual activities. As yet, however, they have not begun to investigate the impact of culture on people's sexual motivations. In this paper, we will address three questions: Does culture have an impact on sexual motives? Does gender have an impact? Do culture and gender interact in shaping sexual motives? In this study, we asked Chinese and North American college students to indicate the extent to which communal and individualistic sexual motives had influenced their decision to participate in sexual activities. As predicted, both culture and gender had an impact on young people's endorsement of various sexual motives. In a few cases the findings were not entirely as we had predicted, however.
Image-guided drainage of tuboovarian abscesses of gastrointestinal or genitourinary origin: a retrospective analysis.

Abstract Purpose To analyze the authors' success with image-guided drainage of tuboovarian abscesses (TOAs). Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis of patients with image-guided TOA drainage from 1999 to 2008 was performed. Patient recovery without salpingo-oophorectomy was considered clinical success. A total of 57 TOAs were drained in 49 female patients (mean age, 43; range, 12 to > 89). Results Thirty-three (58%) TOAs were drained percutaneously using computed tomography guidance and 24 were ultrasound guided (21 transvaginally, three transabdominally). Fifty-three TOAs were drained with catheter placement, and four were drained with aspiration alone. Abscess etiologies include pelvic inflammatory disease ( n = 21, 37%), gastrointestinal conditions related ( n = 21, 37%), gynecologic surgery ( n = 8, 14%), and other (12%). Image-guided drainage resolved TOAs without salpingo-oophorectomy in 74% of cases overall (42 of 57) and 88% (29 of 33) of gynecologic-related cases, including 95% (20 of 21) of pelvic inflammatory disease cases. Salpingo-oophorectomy was performed more often in gastrointestinal-related cases (10 of 21, 48%) than for all other causes (five of 36, 14%; P Conclusions TOAs, especially of gynecologic origin, can often be managed successfully with image-guided drainage. After image-guided drainage, patients with gynecologic-related TOA were less likely to undergo salpingo-oophorectomy than patients with gastrointestinal-related TOAs.
Non-Conventional Route to Glass-Ceramics for Electronic Packaging

This paper describes a non-conventional route to formation of dense glass-ceramics at relatively low temperatures. Organometallic precursors were used to synthesize powders with controlled purity and stoichiometry in the MgO/Al2O3/SiO2 system. These amorphous powders sintered by viscous flow to form a dense glass below 1000°C. Further heating resulted in the formation of very fine grained glass-ceramics. Beta-quartz, cordierite, and cordierite-mullite glass-ceramics were obtained with attractive properties for electronic packaging.
Metabolic and Anti-inflammatory Properties of 6-Methyl Prednisolone Alone and in Combination with Anabolic Hormones

Anabolic hormones such as methyl testosterone and growth hormone did not counteract the over-all catabolic effects of methyl prednisolone on nitrogen metabolism nor on body weight retardation. When the average Medrol intake per rat was of the order of 0.24 mg/day, the rate of collagen synthesis as measured by the uptake of radioglycine was significantly depressed in the skin. Growth hormone, when given in combination with the above dose of Medrol, seemed to counteract the inhibitory effect of the latter on the newly forming collagen of the implanted sponges, as is evident by the greater net collagen present at the end of the experimental period. At the lower intake level (.074 mg/day) methyl prednisolone did not significantly inhibit collagen synthesis at either skin or sponge, although it decreased the weights of spleen and thymus. All the animals receiving Medrol decreased their efficiency for utilizing dietary protein. At the higher levels Medrol produced a significant rise in the serum glutamic-oxaloa...
Front-form spinors in the Weinberg-Soper formalism and generalized Melosh transformations for any spin.

Using the Weinberg-Soper formalism we construct the front-form $(j, 0)\ensuremath{\bigoplus}(0, j)$ spinors. Explicit expressions for the generalized Melosh transformations up to spin two are obtained. The formalism, without explicitly invoking any wave equations, reproduces the spin-\textonehalf{} front-form results of Melosh, Lepage and Brodsky, and Dziembowski.
Experimental and quantum chemical studies of cooperative enhancement of three-photon absorption, optical limiting, and stabilization behaviors in multibranched and dendritic structures.

This paper reports on cooperative enhancement of three-photon absorption (3PA) cross section, studied by nonlinear transmission method, in going from a one-branched to a three-branched and then to a dendritic structure. Experimentally, we observe a 72% enhanced 3PA cross-section value in going from the one-branched chromophore to the dendritic chromophore, and a 49% enhanced 3PA cross-section value in going from the one-branched chromophore to the three-branched chromophore, when the 3PA cross-section values are normalized per structure unit. Quantum chemical calculation for the one- and three-branched structures, using the cubic response (CR) theory applied to a single determinant self-consistent field (SCF) reference state, also predicts such an enhancement. Two-dimensional π-delocalization, resulting in extended charge-transfer network in the case of the multibranched structures, is the main cause of the cooperative enhancement. Owing to the increased 3PA cross-section value for the dendritic chromopho...
Scan-free echo imaging of dynamic objects

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the problem of imaging a dynamic object with an imaging modality that utilizes a single illumination instead of sequential sector scanning used in conjunction with B-scanners. Two data collection strategies and their associated reconstruction algorithms are presented for dynamic object imaging. One scheme utilizes a single unfocused wave transmittedby an element of an array. In the other method, the elements of an array simultaneously illuminatethe object with unfocused multiplexed waves. The data base acquired in either of these methodsis sufficient for the recovery of the object's monostatic synthetic aperture data and reconstructionby the inversion outlined in [3] , [4] [5]. 1. INTRODUCTION In this paper, we consider an echo imaging problem where a physical array is used to obtaintemporal as well as spatial information regarding a dynamic object that possesses unknown and/orunpredictable maneuvers or experiences deformations as time varies (i.e., the reflectivity function
The comparative energetics of neotropical marsupials

1) The rates of metabolism and body temperatures of neotropical marsupials were measured and compared to those of Australian species. 2) Neotropical marsupials have somewhat higher basal rates of metabolism and higher thermal conductances than Australian species. The higher basal rates of neotropical species are correlated with food habits that exclude folivore specialists and to some extent with life in a mesic climate. The high conductances of neotropical marsupials relate to high, stable environmental temperatures. 3) Many small marsupials, even in a tropical rain-forest, enter torpor, store fat in their tails, and maintain unusually small temperature differentials, all apparently in response to the high cost of thermoregulation at small masses. 4) Mammals with low basal rates can compensate for a small size by decreasing thermal conductance, thereby maintaining a larger temperature differential with the environment than would otherwise be expected. 5) An appreciable difference in basal rate of metabolism exists between marsupials and placentals in terrestrial carnivores and grazer-browsers, but no such difference is present in arboreal folivores, arboreal frugivore-omnivores, terrestrial omnivore-insectivores, and ant-and termite-eaters. 6) High basal rates of placentals may insure as short a gestation period as is compatible with extended intrauterine development. 7) It is suggested that marsupials have a form of reproduction that may be energetically more expensive than that found in placentals, which may require marsupials to maintain a low basal rate of metabolism.
Seller Incentive Properties of EPA′s Emission Trading Auction

Abstract The new Clean Air Act Amendments instruct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct annual sealed bid/offer auctions of emission allowances. The auction pricing rules are discriminative and sellers with the lowest asking prices receive the highest bids. This paper assesses the seller incentives of this auction and demonstrates that the auction rules cause sellers to choose asking prices that under-reveal their cost of emission control. Furthermore, increasing the number of sellers intensifies this misrepresentation if the number of buyers remains fixed. The EPA′s rules can therefore generate significantly biased price signals and reduce the efficiency of the allowance trading market.
Role of extracellular HSP72 in acute stress-induced potentiation of innate immunity in active rats.

Acute stress can compromise acquired, and potentiate innate, immunity. Recent evidence suggests that the impact of stress on measures of immunity can be modulated by the physical activity status of...
Psychopathology in bariatric surgery candidates: A review of studies using structured diagnostic interviews

Psychiatric disorders are not uncommon among severely obese patients who present for bariatric surgery. This paper (1) reviews the results of the published studies using the structured interviews to assess psychopathology in bariatric surgery candidates; (2) compares the prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders across these studies with the data from other population samples; and (3) assesses whether sociodemographic variables appear to affect these prevalence rates. We searched online resources, PubMed, PsychINFO and reference lists of all the relevant articles to provide an overview of evidence so far and highlight some details in the assessment and comparisons of different samples in different countries. The prevalence estimates in the non-treatment obese group did not appear to differ substantially from the general population group in the US or the Italian population samples, although they were relatively higher for the German population. However, the rates of psychopathology in the bariatric surgery candidates were considerably higher than the other two population groups in all the samples. Overall, the most common category of lifetime Axis I disorders in all the studies was affective disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common category of current Axis I disorders. Certain demographic characteristics are also associated with higher rates of psychopathology, such as, female gender, low socioeconomic status, higher BMI. Overall, methodological and sociodemographic differences make these studies difficult to compare and these differences should be taken into account when interpreting the results.
Unsteady viscous flow in the vicinity of an axisymmetric stagnation point on a circular cylinder

Abstract An analysis is presented to investigate the unsteady fluid dynamic characteristics of an axisymmetric stagnation flow on a circular cylinder performing a harmonic motion in its own plane. Different solutions are presented for the small and high values of the reduced frequency of oscillation. The range of Reynolds numbers considered was from 0.01 to 100. Numerical solutions for the velocity functions are presented and the wall values of the velocity gradients are tabulated.
Functional heterogeneity is associated with the cell cycle status of murine hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are characterized by their ability to differentiate into all hematopoietic cell lineages while retaining their capacity for self renewal. One of the predictions of this model is the existence of a heterogeneous pool of HSCs, some members of which are destined to become lineage restricted progenitor cells while others function to renew the stem cell pool. To test whether HSCs are heterogeneous with respect to cell cycle status, we determined the fraction of phenotypically defined murine HSCs (Thy1.1lo Lin-/lo Sca-1+) that contain > 2n amount of DNA as measured by propidium iodide staining, Hoechst dye uptake and [3H]thymidine labeling; that fraction is 18-22%. In contrast, in the developing fetal liver, 40% of HSCs are in the S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Those HSCs which exhibit a low level of staining with rhodamine 123 are almost exclusively in G0/G1 (97%) whereas only 70% of HSCs which stain brightly for rhodamine 123 are in G0/G1. The injection of 100 G0/G1 HSCs rescued 90% of lethally irradiated mice in contrast to 100 S/G2/M HSCs, which protected only 25% of lethally irradiated recipients. Enhanced long-term donor-derived multilineage reconstitution of the peripheral blood was observed in recipients of 100 G0/G1 HSCs compared to recipients of 100 S/G2/M cells. These data indicate that a significant proportion of HSCs are actively proliferating during steady state hematopoiesis and that this subpopulation of cells exhibits reduced stem cell activity.
Smoking and cancer.

An extensive body of epidemiologic data has linked cigarette smoking to a wide variety of neoplastic diseases. Smokers have been found to incur an increased relative risk of mortality from cancer of the lung, head and neck, urinary tract, pancreas, and bladder. Recent work has also implicated smoking in the risk of leukemia and myeloma. The magnitude of these risks has prompted research aimed at identifying the carcinogens involved in specific smoking-related neoplasms, as well as potential genetic predispositions to the effects of these toxins. Mutations in tumor suppressor genes have been identified in both small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancer, and mutations in dominant oncogenes have been noted in the latter disease. A growing understanding of the molecular genetics of smoking-related cancers may translate into improved diagnosis and treatment. Detection of mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in premalignant tissues might facilitate identification of individuals who have a hereditary predisposition to smoking-related carcinomas. In the future, tumor growth may be halted by replacement or substitution of mutated tumor suppressor gene functions or biochemical modulation of oncogene products. New forms of immunotherapy may also be targeted specifically toward mutant oncogenes in cancer cells.
A millimeter-wave sensor development system for small airborne platforms

A truly multi-functional sensor suite is the key toward taking the next step in advancing small aircraft mission capabilities. Specifically, increased functionality to help these aircrafts operate safely and efficiently in the most demanding environments is desired. An ideal sensor development system platform that supports the development of a system that would satisfy all associated mission modes would need to offer the optimal combination of hardware and software reconfigurability, while minimizing size, weight, and power requirements and retaining a level of implementation simplicity that would naturally aid in the reduction of concept to deployment cycle time. A millimeter-wave development system is proposed in this work, demonstrating this capability through a tested implementation methodology. Results of initial phased developments related to real-beam imaging and mapping radar modes validate the performance and value of the system.
Quantitative analysis of mouse pancreatic islet architecture by serial block-face SEM

We have applied serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to measure parameters that describe the architecture of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, microscopic endocrine organs that secrete insulin and glucagon for control of blood glucose. By analyzing entire mouse islets, we show that it is possible to determine (1) the distributions of alpha and beta cells, (2) the organization of blood vessels and pericapillary spaces, and (3) the ultrastructure of the individual secretory cells. Our results show that the average volume of a beta cell is nearly twice that of an alpha cell, and the total mitochondrial volume is about four times larger. In contrast, nuclear volumes in the two cell types are found to be approximately equal. Although the cores of alpha and beta secretory granules have similar diameters, the beta granules have prominent halos resulting in overall diameters that are twice those of alpha granules. Visualization of the blood vessels revealed that every secretory cell in the islet is in contact with the pericapillary space, with an average contact area of 9 ± 5% of the cell surface area. Our data show that consistent results can be obtained by analyzing small numbers of islets. Due to the complicated architecture of pancreatic islets, such precision cannot easily be achieved by using TEM of thin sections.
311C90: patient profiles and typical case histories of migraine management.

Article abstract-The 311C90 (Zomig; zolmitriptan) long-term safety and efficacy study includes data from >30,000 treated migraine attacks across >2,000 patients. A review of the database identified individuals who were representative of the population studied within this trial to illustrate the findings from a patient perspective. Five case histories are described here. These patients were identified on the basis of lying at the midpoint of the trial population sample with reference to certain baseline characteristics, and therefore representing a "typical" patient. The case histories represent a "typical" man and woman patient, a patient who has migraine with aura, a patient with frequent migraine accompanied by a high frequency of adverse events, and a patient with frequent migraine attacks, some of which were related to menses. The results show that 311C90 was consistently effective for these individual patients across a number of treated attacks in the acute treatment of migraine. It is concluded that consideration of data at the individual patient level allows appreciation of clinical benefit from a different but valuable perspective. NEUROLOGY 1997;48(Suppl 3): S29-S33
A high performance GPU-based software-defined basestation

We present a high performance GPU-based software-defined basestation. The key idea is to explore the feasibility of using GPU as a baseband processor for supporting software-defined basestation to achieve both real-time high performance and high reconfigurability, considering the numerous computing resources and flexible programming interface of GPU. Based on an existing WARPLab SDR framework, we put effort on the exploration of the data level parallelism and algorithm level parallelism of baseband kernels for GPU acceleration, as well as the task level parallelism in the system for the task pipelining of packet data transfer and data processing. As a case study, an OFDM system is implemented to better demonstrate the concept of our system architecture and optimization strategies. In this case, our GPU-based basestation can not only achieve less than 3ms latency and more than 50Mbps throughput for processing streaming frames in real-time, but also offer software-defined flexibility and scalability for supporting future wireless standards.
DYNAMIC STOCHASTIC ADAPTIVE BIOECONOMIC MODEL OF OFFSHORE BLUEFIN TUNA AQUACULTURE

This research presents a bioeconomic framework for assessing the economic feasibility of an offshore bluefin tuna aquaculture operation by developing a dynamic stochastic adaptive bioeconomic model of such an offshore enterprise. The bioeconomic model incorporates the biological constraints of the species, the interaction of relevant economic parameters and constraints, and stochastic sources of risk to solve for the profit maximizing behavior of a farmed bluefin tuna producer. The model identifies the optimal harvest schedule for an offshore bluefin tuna farming facility that maximizes the net present value of the operation under a variety of economic, biological and regulatory conditions. Such a model is relevant given the growing prevalence of bluefin tuna farming worldwide, the present lack of studies formally examining the economics of this form of production, and the uncertainty surrounding the economic feasibility and sustainability of this form of production.
Security and Privacy in Health IT [Guest editors' introduction]

To address health IT's unique security and privacy issues, researchers study validation methods to improve the accuracy of records, encryption techniques to conceal information in transit, anonymization to permit distribution of health data without revealing identities, access control policies to enforce who sees what, and so on. The articles in this special issue touch on many of these topics.
Unified Curvilinear Ocean Atmosphere Model (UCOAM): A vertical velocity case study

Abstract In this paper, the Unified Curvilinear Ocean Atmosphere Model (UCOAM) is described. UCOAM is a non-hydrostatic LES model, capable of reading curvilinear orthogonal and non-orthogonal grid in all the three dimensions including the vertical. Furthermore, the interaction of bottom bathymetry with the flow field and particularly, the vertical component of the velocity in a fully curvilinear grid and a sigma grid are presented.
Resonance Tunneling Diode Structures on CdTe Nanowires Made by Conductive AFM

Variation of band gap across the nanowire length would be an exceptionally attractive property for the fabrication of on-nanowire devices such as resonance tunneling diodes (RTD). Band gap variation can be achieved by selective thinning of semiconductor wires by scanning probe lithography (SPL) technique. The external bias applied to a conductive AFM tip during scanning of CdTe nanowires was chosen so as to exceed the threshold of electric field-assisted evaporation of CdTe, estimated to be 5.5 V. Relatively high external voltages of 10−11 V cause fast and complete disintegration of a nanowire portion under the tip. In this way the nanowire can be cut to a desired length. Selection of a voltage between 5.5 and 10 V allows one to control the speed of CdTe evaporation. Thus, one can modulate the thickness of the semiconductor with angstrom scale precision along the nanowire length. Smaller diameter of the nanowire results in increase of quantum confinement in selected areas. The double barrier quantum well ...
Concentration and Extinction Coefficient Determination for Oligonucleotides and Analogs Using a General Phosphate Analysis

A general phosphate analysis (GPA) is developed which assays the concentration of nucleic acid oligomers and their analogs based on stoichiometric phosphorus in the sequence. The method involves complete digestion of the oligomer sample to orthophosphate using acid at high temperature and subsequent colorimetric analysis by phosphomolybdate complex formation. GPA is applied to oligomers having phosphodiester, methylphosphonate, and phosphorothioate backbone linkages. Given the absorption spectra of oligomers having these backbones, extinction coefficients are obtained and compared to other quantitative and predictive methods. In addition to sequences having the usual nucleoside residues found in naturally occurring nucleic acids, oligomers having base analog residues can be readily quantified by GPA.
A Role for YouTube in Telerehabilitation

YouTube (http://youtube.com) is a free video sharing website that allows users to post and view videos. Although there are definite limitations in the applicability of this website to telerehabilitation, the YouTube technology offers potential uses that should not be overlooked. For example, some types of therapy, such as errorless learning therapy for certain language and cognitive deficits can be provided remotely via YouTube. In addition, the website’s social networking capabilities, via the asynchronous posting of comments and videos in response to posted videos, enables individuals to gain valuable emotional support by communicating with others with similar health and rehabilitation challenges. This article addresses the benefits and limitations of YouTube in the context of telerehabilitation and reports patient feedback on errorless learning therapy for aphasia delivered via videos posted on YouTube.
Oncologic and Reproductive outcomes with progestin therapy in women with endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 Adenocarcinoma: A systematic review

Abstract Objective The objective of this review was to analyze published contemporary oncologic and reproductive outcomes in women with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer undergoing medical management with progestin therapy. Methods A systematic review of oncologic and pregnancy outcomes in women with complex atypical hyperplasia or grade 1 adenocarcinoma was performed using a comprehensive search of the MEDLINE literature. English language studies published from 2004 to 2011 which utilized hormonal therapy were identified using key words endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial cancer, fertility preservation, hormone and progestin therapy. Fisher's exact test was used to calculate statistical differences. Results Forty-five studies with 391 study subjects were identified. The median age was 31.7years. Therapies included medroxyprogesterone (49%), megestrol acetate (25%), levonorgestrel intrauterine device (19%), hydroxyprogesterone caproate (0.8%), and unspecified/miscellaneous progestins (13.5%). Overall, 344 women (77.7%) demonstrated a response to hormonal therapy. After a median follow up period of 39months, a durable complete response was noted in 53.2%. The complete response rate was significantly higher for those with hyperplasia than for women with carcinoma (65.8% vs. 48.2%, p=.002). The median time to complete response was 6months (range, 1–18months). Recurrence after an initial response was noted in 23.2% with hyperplasia and 35.4% with carcinoma during the study periods (p=.03). Persistent disease was observed in 14.4% of women with hyperplasia and 25.4% of women with carcinoma (p=.02). During the respective study periods, 41.2% of those with hyperplasia and 34.8% with a history of carcinoma became pregnant (p=.39), with 117 live births reported. Conclusion Based on this systematic review of the contemporary literature, endometrial hyperplasia has a significantly higher likelihood of response (66%) to hormonal therapy than grade 1 endometrial carcinoma (48%). Disease persistence is more common in women with carcinoma (25%) compared to hyperplasia (14%). Reproductive outcomes do not seem to differ between the cohorts.
Comparison of growth curves of mice selected and unselected for postweaning gain

Mice were sampled from a line selected for increased postweaning weight gain from three to six weeks and from a randombred control line originating from the same base population. Body weights were recorded at each of 14 ages from day 5 to day 98. The Richards and logistic growth functions were fitted to the growth trajectories of each individual mouse by a generalized non-linear least squares procedure. Estimated growth parameters (asymptotic weight, rate, shape of curve, age and weight at inflection, mean absolute growth rate and mean relative growth rate) were computed for each individual. The effects of line, litter within line, sex and line × sex interactions on these estimated parameters were then studied.Both the Richards and logistic functions fitted the data equally well and the plotted trajectories coincided over most of the growth curve. There was excellent agreement between the estimates of asymptotic weight and both age and weight at inflection based on the different functions. However, both functions apparently underestimated the asymptotic weight.Analyses of the line differences showed that selection for postweaning gain increased the mean absolute growth rate over the entire curve but had no effect on the relative growth rate or the shape of the growth curve. Full-sib analyses suggested the presence of considerable genetic variation and some high genetic correlations among the estimated growth parameters.
Atmospheric aerosol growth by heterogeneous condensation

Abstract Heterogeneous condensation of gases has been shown to be an important process in determining the size distribution of urban aerosols. The rate of condensation depends on the gas phase concentration of the condensing species. The effect of turbulent gas phase concentration fluctuations on the rate of growth of an aerosol by heterogeneous condensation is considered. First, a simulation of heterogeneous condensation growth of an aerosol in a spatially homogeneous system in which local gas phase concentration fluctuations exist is performed. It is found that the fluctuations lead to a size distribution that is broader than that obtained in the absence of fluctuations. Then, an extension of the Prandtl mixing length theory is developed for the term accounting for the turbulent contribution to condensation growth in the equation governing the mean aerosol size distribution function.
Pathways of Influence: Marital Relationships and Their Association with Parenting Styles and Sibling Relationship Quality

We investigated the associations among marital relationship quality, mothers’ parenting styles, and young children’s sibling relationship quality drawing on the principles of family systems theory. Survey data were collected from 130 mothers who had a target child (mean age = 4.6 years) with a sibling close in age. The sample consisted of participants who self-identified as Mexican-American (49%), European-American (20%), and Taiwanese in Taiwan (24%). Structural equation modeling was used to test the direct and indirect effects of marital relationships on children’s sibling relationship quality through parenting styles and the reciprocal association between sibling relationship quality and parenting styles. The findings revealed evidence of a direct effect of marital relationships on sibling relationship quality and bidirectional relations between sibling relationships and parenting styles. The importance of research on bidirectional associations between sibling relations and parenting styles is discussed.
Elemental abundance as a factor in the origins of mineral nutrient requirements

No element is found to be commonly required if it has an abundance of less than about 2 nM in the ocean, 20 mumoles/kg in the earth's crust, or 200 mumoles/100 moles Si in the cosmos. More than 40 elements are above these limits, but only 18 of them are commonly required (6 of these being dispensed with by some organism). It is postulated that all of the required elements fall under one of four hypotheses: H-I--a unique requirement dating from the origin of life; H-II--a unique requirement, acquired later; H-III--a primordial requirement which was satisfied by a number of elements, evolutionary adaptation being made to the most abundant member; H-IV--same as III, but a later acquisition. It is suggested that H, K (vs. Na), Mg (vs. Ca), C, N, O, P, S and Fe fall under H-I. Special requirements such as for B, Se and I fall under H-II. In H-III are K vs. Rb, Mg vs. Be(?), S vs. Se, Clvs. Br, H vs F(?), and Zn and Mn vs. various metals. In H-IV probably fall Ca vs. Sr, Na vs. Li (?), Mo vs. V, and Si vs. Ge. The most abundant heavy metal in the ocean is Zn, which may account for its utilization; other required heavy metals have special utility as electron carriers.
All Roads Lead to Arnold

I am honored to be here today to share some of my memories of Arnold. I'm in the unique position of having been Arnold's student, colleague, and co-author. For me, it started in January 1975 in Ros...
Mutuality and Preparedness of Family Caregivers for Elderly Women After Bypass Surgery

The purposes of this study were to identify caregivers' feelings of mutuality and reported preparedness for caregiving at hospital discharge and to examine the relationship between these measures and the recovery outcomes of elderly women after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. A sample of 49 dyads was followed at discharge, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The caregivers' Mutuality Scale (MS) scores and Preparedness for Caregiving (PCS) scores at discharge indicated positive feelings about the relationship with the elderly woman and their preparedness, and both measures were positively correlated with the self-report recovery measures at 3 months ( p p