cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Go Big or Go Home – Printing Concrete Buildings

When people think of modernization, the first industry that comes to mind is often not construction, an industry that has been slow to adopt new technologies for reasons spanning from liability to cost effectiveness. On the other hand, additive manufacturing is an agile and ever-changing field, built on iterations of designs and printers. The combination of these seemingly opposite-styled fields, construction and additive manufacturing, into the subject area of additive construction, provides an avenue for construction to take advantage of the rapid development that has persisted in the field of additive manufacturing over the last decade. When scaling the technology of additive manufacturing to additive construction, the common viewpoint is to design a scale model, prove it works, and then build a bigger version of it. However, there is an inherent flaw with this mentality as this can lead printers of this scale to be too expensive and difficult to operate. This chapter follows the advancements of the additive construction team led by Megan Kreiger at the US Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. Megan chose to tackle this problem in a different way during the development of field deployable applications for the US military.
Sulforaphane: A Broccoli Bioactive Phytocompound with Cancer Preventive Potential.

There is substantial and promising evidence on the health benefits of consuming broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. The most important compound in broccoli, glucoraphanin, is metabolized to SFN by the thioglucosidase enzyme myrosinase. SFN is the major mediator of the health benefits that have been recognized for broccoli consumption. SFN represents a phytochemical of high interest as it may be useful in preventing the occurrence and/or mitigating the progression of cancer. Although several prior publications provide an excellent overview of the effect of SFN in cancer, these reports represent narrative reviews that focused mainly on SFN’s source, biosynthesis, and mechanisms of action in modulating specific pathways involved in cancer without a comprehensive review of SFN’s role or value for prevention of various human malignancies. This review evaluates the most recent state of knowledge concerning SFN’s efficacy in preventing or reversing a variety of neoplasms. In this work, we have analyzed published reports based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies to determine SFN’s potential as a chemopreventive agent. Furthermore, we have discussed the current limitations and challenges associated with SFN research and suggested future research directions before broccoli-derived products, especially SFN, can be used for human cancer prevention and intervention.
The Financial Impacts of COVID-19 on United Methodist Churches in North Carolina: a Qualitative Study of Pastors' Perspectives and Strategies.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches in the United States were forced to stop meeting in person and move to remote forms of worship and congregational life. This shift likely impacted congregational finances, which are primarily driven by individual donations. Initial research has suggested that there is a great deal of heterogeneity in the financial impact on congregations, but there has been scant research examining how pastors and congregations are managing finances during this period. This research examines the impact of COVID-19 and its associated restrictions on congregational finances and the strategies pastors used to adapt their church’s finances to the health restrictions. We conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews with 50 pastors in the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church appointed to 70 congregations. Using applied thematic analysis, we analyzed transcripts at both the pastor and congregation-level to identify similarities and differences in financial impact, financial strategies, and pastor experiences during the pandemic. Most congregations reported small decreases in giving that were offset by federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and other grants from the denomination. Some congregations, mostly urban and fairly large, reported significant increases in giving, while several other, predominantly small congregations, reported their church’s finances had been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Even in cases where the net impact of the pandemic was small or non-existent, pastors were forced to adopt a host of new strategies to manage finances. In general, small and large congregations experienced and responded to the financial impact of the pandemic very differently.and Implications. This research suggests that the pandemic’s impact on congregational finances were more than just on the bottom line. And while most churches weathered the economic challenges without severe impacts, questions remain as to the long-term impact of the pandemic on church finances.
Beyond Fear: Sociological Perspectives on the Criminalization of School Discipline

Since the early 1990s American schools have adopted a number of practices – zero tolerance, school police, metal detectors, drug sweeps, and surveillance cameras – that signal a shift from a discretionary student disciplinary framework to a crime control paradigm. The sociological subfield that centers on the examination and interpretation of the criminalization of school discipline is still in its formative stages and, consequently, even basic conceptual issues remain unsettled. However, sustained by a growing body of ethnographic research, the field’s theoretical discussions and debates regarding the causes, consequences, and social distribution of school criminalization are complex, vibrant, and synergistic. In the broadest terms, this field explores how school criminalization expresses, accommodates, and reinforces broader fears and political-economic changes. The field also includes a disappointingly but understandably small number of quantitative studies that bear directly on these theories. The field’s critical, sociological insights will find and resonate with a broader audience (including policy-makers) only after an equally innovative and vigorous quantitative empirical tradition emerges to refine and validate its theoretical contributions.
The Crystallization of Voter Preferences During the 2008 Presidential Campaign

While scholars disagree about whether and how much campaigns persuade voters, they increasingly agree that campaigns inform voters about the candidates and help voters bring their votes in line with their interests. Some argue that campaigns serve mostly to help voters bring their choices in line with preexisting political predispositions. This paper examines the crystallization of voter preferences during the 2008 presidential election campaign. The authors rely on polls from each month of the election year campaign to assess whether and how the structure of vote choice changed. The results show that certain election day predictors of the vote— especially party identification—became increasingly important predictors of preferences during the election cycle. Even the increase in party effects is mostly confined to the period leading up to the party conventions, well before the general election campaign even began. The structure of preferences evolved over the course of the long campaign. Even as the media dwell on—and speculate about the potential impact of—the many events that unfold daily during the course of presidential election campaigns, certain fundamental variables powerfully structure the election day vote. At the individual level, party identification is of great importance, increasingly so in recent years
Links with trivial Alexander's module but non-vanishing massey products

Abstract We describe an algorithm which, given almost any commutator β of weight m in the free group on k letters, constructs a k-component Brunnian link of circles in R 3 which has the same Alexander's module as the trivial k-component link, but has a non-trivial Massey product of weight m. Consequently these links are not even topologically I-equivalent to any homology boundary link. If β contains no repeat symbols then the corresponding link is not even link-homotopic to a trivial link!
Self Synchronization of Mobile Objects

Moving objects share space for managing their mobility. For example, vehicles share roads, airplanes and UAVs share the sky or under-water space, etc. The problem then can be stated as “how moving objects can self-synchronize over the use of common resource (space, intersections, etc.) to maintain a conflict-free movement without the aid of a third party?” In this paper we describe our self-synchronization scheme for traffic movement through intersections. We claim that our scheme will be able to introduce fairness, reduce or eliminate the accidents (conflicts), and significantly reduce the cost of traffic management by eliminating the traffic lights that have very little intelligent and other traffic signs such as stop, give way, etc. Our scheme not only implements traffic-light logic but also human drivers’ discretion to some extent. We present a simulation model to illustrate the working of our mechanism using simulated mobile cars.
Reduction of the oxygen effect in flame ionization detection

In flame ionization detection of hydrocarbons, the presence of oxygen in the sample gas affects the response of the detector to a given hydrocarbon concentration. A membrane separation technique de...
Some effects of Physalia physalis toxin on the cardiovascular system of the rat

Abstract Electrocardiograms were recorded from rats injected with toxin from P. physalis. Changes in the length of the P-R, QRS, and Q-T intervals and gross abnormalities in the electrocardiographic pattern were considered. The toxin affected the cardiac conduction system in proportion to dosage administered. There was first an increase in ventricular repolarization time, followed by disruption of sinoatrial node activity and the development of atrioventricular block. Lethal dose levels caused terminal electrocardiographic patterns similar to those resulting from ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia or fibrillation. It is suggested that the toxin influences the heart by interference with the sodium-potassium pump.
Isthmus flap aortoplasty: an alternative to subclavian flap aortoplasty for long-segment coarctation of the aorta in infants.

Abstract The ideal operation for infants with coarctation of the aorta remains controversial. Subclavian flap aortoplasty is the most popular technique for this age group. The 5 to 20% recurrence rate is attributed to regrowth of the coarctation web or inadequate length of the subclavian flap, particularly when the aortic isthmus is long and narrow. Severe arm ischemia following subclavian flap aortoplasty, although rare, is a disturbing complication. The purpose of this study is to report the results with a new technique we call isthmus flap aortoplasty for coarctation of a long segment of the aorta in infants. This technique avoids the limitations of subclavian flap aortoplasty. A short segment of aorta, including the ductal entrance and coarctation web, was resected in 4 infants (mean age, 35.5 days) with long-segment coarctation. The posterior wall of the long isthmus was opened longitudinally to the level of the transverse aortic arch. The descending aorta was mobilized and advanced to the level of the aortic arch where the posterior half was sutured. The anterior flap of attached isthmus was then sewn into a longitudinal incision made in the anterior wall of the descending aorta. All infants survived this procedure and had no gradient at completion of the repair. The mean transconduit gradient at rest was zero and rose to 7.0 ± 0.93 mm Hg after angiography at a mean follow-up of 42 months. Aortograms demonstrated that the reconstructed area had grown in girth and attained a normal caliber in each child. Isthmus flap aortoplasty eliminates the coarctation web, adequately bridges the repair with an intact flap, and does not sacrifice the subclavian artery. This study demonstrates that isthmus flap aortoplasty is a promising alternative to subclavian flap aortoplasty in the group of infants with the difficult anatomy of long-segment coarctation.
Preparing the public workforce for the twenty‐first century: thechallenge

The twenty‐first century is knocking on our doors, but do we know how to greet it? We know it is there waiting for us to let it in, but what are we likely to face when we open our institutional doors? What opportunities, uncertainties, or threats will it bring? Will we recognize the twenty‐first century when we see it, or might we confuse it with something seen before? Might we mistake an issue we should be prepared to deal with in the next millennium for a controversy of no significance? For government agencies the calendar is not much help. For public administrators the twenty‐first century is more than just a date. It is a state of affairs, a set of behaviour patterns, opportunities to be explored and risks to be avoided. Confronting the twenty‐first century means emerging from a relatively certain past to confront an uncertain future.
Optimization of strength and ductility in nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained metals

Abstract The possible optimization of strength and ductility in nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained metals is assessed. Most nanocrystalline metals show little ductility while exhibiting enhanced strength. The possibility that these properties can be optimized is discussed for microstructures with appropriate grain size distributions, and the introduction of second phase particles.
Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and urinary sodium excretion in mainland China.

Sir, The relationship of sodium intake to blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension has remained somewhat controversial for many years, despite a large body of evidence from experimental and epidemiological studies across populations supporting a positive correlation between sodium and blood pressure. The report by Cheung et al .1 of a positive correlation between diastolic blood pressure and urinary sodium excretion in 70 hypertensive Hong Kong Chinese patients tends support to the findings of an earlier and much larger nationwide survey of blood pressure, hypertension and sodium intake in 950 356 men and women carried out in mainland China in 1991.2 A positive within‐population relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure has been demonstrated in several studies in mainland China, using values …
Thermal Rearrangement of Ethynylarenes to Cyclopentafused Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: An Electronic Structure Study

BLYP/6-311G** electronic structure calculations are employed to elucidate the reaction mechanism of the thermal rearrangement of ethynylarenes to cyclopentafused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (CP-PAHs). Out of two potentially possible unimolecular rearrangement pathways, a one-step process involving hydrogen migration immediately followed by ring closure is clearly favored thanks to a significantly lower energy barrier. Contrary to common belief, neither 2-(1-naphthyl)ethylidene carbene nor its annelated analogs are genuine chemical species. Consequently, these carbenes do not constitute intermediates pertinent to this reaction mechanism, which has the predicted activation energy of 55−62 kcal/mol depending on the extent of strain in the parent ethynylarene molecule. The present study conclusively rules out free-radical mechanisms that commence with hydrogen abstraction. However, in the case of strainless substrates and higher reaction pressures, the pathway involving initial hydrogen addition might be...
Immunetolerance to experimental autoimmune nephrosis in rats.

SummaryIn 112 unprepared, random bred Sprague-Dawley rats the disease incidence of experimental autoimmunenephrosis was 89.3%.After treatment of rats in the neonatal period and up to 6 weeks of age with 1:1 rat kidney suspension in saline, the disease incidence decreased to 29.2%.It was shown that the production of the antibody to periluminal antigen was delayed and inhibited in these animals.It was concluded that immunetolerance had been induced in them.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease megatrials: taking the results into office practice.

Abstract Primary care specialists provide first-line care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by progressive, partially reversible airflow limitation induced mainly by smoking. Spirometry and questionnaires are important for COPD diagnosis, staging and prognosis. Smoking cessation, immunizations, pulmonary rehabilitation and self-management action plans comprise nonpharmacologic COPD management. The Understanding Potential Long-term Impacts on Function with Tiotropium (UPLIFT®) and Towards a Revolution in COPD Health (TORCH) megatrials provide evidence for maintenance pharmacotherapy to reduce exacerbations and improve patient symptoms and health-related quality of life. Although the primary outcomes—lung function decline (UPLIFT®) and mortality (TORCH)—were negative, long-acting bronchodilators in both trials reduced exacerbation rates and improved health status. Tiotropium added to usual care (in UPLIFT®) and salmeterol/fluticasone therapy (in TORCH) improved key patient-centered outcomes with no significant mortality risk or excess in serious cardiac adverse events associated with the study drugs. These results provide strong evidence of efficacy and acceptable safety profiles of maintenance pharmacotherapies in patient-centered outcomes and support combination drug regimens in patients with moderate to very severe COPD.
The real numbers as a wreath product

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the real numbers as a wreath product. Few mathematical structures have undergone as many revisions or have been presented in as many guises as the real numbers. Every generation re-examines the real numbers in the light of its values and mathematical objectives. It is often deplored that the field of real numbers is not constructive in any of the currently accepted meanings of the word. A real number turns out to be an equivalence class of such formal Laurent series, or strings as one call them, and arithmetic operations are performed on these equivalence classes. In this way, addition and multiplication become carryless. The chapter discusses the construction of real numbers. Real numbers can be constructed by algorithmically describing the operations of binary addition, multiplication, and division on infinite strings of zeroes and ones. It turns out, however, that an explicit description of the algorithms for the elementary operations is very cumbersome, owing to the presence of carries. The digits of a string used to represent a real number are allowed to be arbitrary integers. Two strings that differ only in that a carry has been performed on one of them are decreed equivalent, and a real number is an equivalence class under iterated performances of carry operations.
First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning edited by TURNBULL, MILES, & JENNIFER DAILEY–O'CAIN.

A review of the book "First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning," edited by Miles Turnbull and Jennifer Dailey-O'Cain is presented.
A Method for the Quantitation of Charge by Size Exclusion Chromatography Demonstrated with Components of Ficoll 400

Commercial ficoll, rather heterogeneous in molecular weight but generally considered to be non-ionic, is demonstrated to contain negatively charged residues on about 50% of its macromolecular components. We have fractionated this material by size exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-400 HR (under non-adsorbing conditions) according to size and charge, taking advantage of the influence of ionic strength on elution. We subsequently applied the same strategy for physical characterization of some of these fractions on Superose-6. These measurements illustrate a new chromatographic approach for estimating the charge and zeta-potential of macroionic solutes. We also consider the electro-osmotic swelling of Superose-6, and the possible implications of hydration and charge induction effects for the use of universal calibration. Lastly, we provide a detailed analysis of the sources of error in the measurement of retention volume in SEC and the related limitations with respect to the determination of apparent molecular size.
Chasmosaurus mariscalensis, sp. nov., a new ceratopsian dinosaur from Texas

ABSTRACT Chasmosaurus mariscalensis is a new species of ceratopsian dinosaur (Ornithischia; Ceratopsia) from the upper part of the Aguja Formation (late Campanian, Judithian) in Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas. This species is distinguished from other species of Chasmosaurus by its relatively short and broad squamosal bearing six very large epoccipitals, maxilla without pronounced lateral shelf, premaxilla without posterodorsal extension, and very long supraorbital horncores in adults. A bone bed accumulation comprising disarticulated remains of 10–15 juvenile, subadult, and fully adult individuals forms the hypodigm of C. mariscalensis, and allows the first full description of the postcranial skeleton for the genus. Males and females are separated on the basis of brow horncore orientation. This is the most advanced species of Chasmosaurus and is morphologically intermediate with Pentaceratops in several characters.
Role of lipid modifications in targeting proteins to detergent-resistant membrane rafts. Many raft proteins are acylated, while few are prenylated.

Sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich Triton X-100-insoluble membrane fragments (detergent-resistant membranes, DRMs) containing lipids in a state similar to the liquid-ordered phase can be isolated from mammalian cells, and probably exist as discrete domains or rafts in intact membranes. We postulated that proteins with a high affinity for such an ordered lipid environment might be targeted to rafts. Saturated acyl chains should prefer an extended conformation that would fit well in rafts. In contrast, prenyl groups, which are as hydrophobic as acyl chains but have a branched and bulky structure, should be excluded from rafts. Here, we showed that at least half of the proteins in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell DRMs (other than cytoskeletal contaminants) could be labeled with [3H]palmitate. Association of influenza hemagglutinin with DRMs required all three of its palmitoylated Cys residues. Prenylated proteins, detected by [3H]mevalonate labeling or by blotting for Rap1, Rab5, Gβ, or Ras, were excluded from DRMs. Rab5 and H-Ras each contain more than one lipid group, showing that hydrophobicity alone does not target multiply lipid-modified proteins to DRMs. Partitioning of covalently linked saturated acyl chains into liquid-ordered phase domains is likely to be an important mechanism for targeting proteins to DRMs.
Multiple bonding structures of C2H2 chemisorbed on Si(100)

Abstract Adsorption of acetylene on the Si (1 0 0) –(2×1) surface was studied at room temperature by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and theoretical modeling. Acetylene molecules adsorb nondissociatively in three distinctive bonding configurations, not one, as reported previously. In Configuration I, C 2 H 2 molecules adsorb in di-σ form over a single silicon dimer with a relative population of 0.33 at low coverage. Configuration II has an initial formation probability of 0.51 and involves adsorption across the ends of two adjacent dimers in the same row. In Configuration III (r-bridge) C 2 H 2 forms four bonds as it symmetrically bridges two neighboring dimers. Relative populations depend strongly on coverage. Above a coverage of ∼0.13 an acceleration in the rate of formation of Configuration III (r-bridge) is observed.
Medical pearl: Gentian violet to highlight the cornoid lamella in disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis.

REFERENCES 1. Silapunt S, Peterson SR, Alcalay J, Goldberg LH. Mohs tissue mapping and processing: a survey study. Dermatol Surg 2003; 29:1109-12. 2. Papa CA, Ramsey ML. Surgical Pearl: Digital imaging for mapping Mohs surgical specimens. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:712-3. 3. Alcalay J. Digital computerized mapping in Mohs micrographic surgery. Dermatol Surg 2000;26:692-3. Fig 2. Polaroid Macro 5 SLR camera. Note the dial for choosing the magnification on top of the unit, and the two integrated front flashes. J AM ACAD DERMATOL VOLUME 52, NUMBER 3 Pearls 513
An Occupational Therapy Educational Module to Increase Sensitivity About Geriatric Sexuality

Occupational therapists in clinical practice with the aging population need to address all aspects of activities of daily living intervention related to the elderly mentioned in the American Occupational Therapy Associations (AOTA) Uniform Terminology. These activities include the area of sexual expression. Sexuality is a topic that may be uncomfortable for many. Societal values tend to perpetuate myths linking sexuality with youth. To dispel these myths and to facilitate the student's comfort level an educational module was developed including both didactic and experiential material which supplements the former geriatric course content. Its purposes are to: (1) familiarize students with normal sexual changes with age and psychological factors affecting sexuality; (2) help dispel common myths about sexuality; (3) understand the occupational therapists role with sexual counseling and education; and (4) provide treatment suggestions for working with individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions which...
Smoothness of invariant manifolds

In this paper we present some functional analytic tools that allow us to prove a theorem on Ck,η-smoothness of general (discrete and continuous) invariant manifolds for Ck,η-systems. A crucial role in this proof will be played by a theorem on Ck,η-parameter dependence of a fixed point of a contraction defined on a scale of Banach spaces. This fixed point principle is stated independently and may be of interest in itself. Further functional analytic considerations concerning smoothness properties of the Nemytski operator are presented in a rather general form. Throughout the paper we treat the two cases of continuous and discrete dynamical systems in a unified manner. Thereby we use some concepts and results from the so-called calculus on measure chains which was developed by the author in Res. in Math. 18, 1990, 18–56. Knowledge of this calculus is not necessary for understanding the paper.
Toll-Like Receptor (TLR)-7 and -8 Modulatory Activities of Dimeric Imidazoquinolines

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that recognize specific molecular patterns present in molecules that are broadly shared by pathogens but are structurally distinct from host molecules. The TLR7-agonistic imidazoquinolines are of interest as vaccine adjuvants given their ability to induce pronounced Th1-skewed humoral responses. Minor modifications on the imidazoquinoline scaffold result in TLR7-antagonistic compounds which may be of value in addressing innate immune activation-driven immune exhaustion observed in HIV. We describe the syntheses and evaluation of TLR7 and TLR8 modulatory activities of dimeric constructs of imidazoquinoline linked at the C2, C4, C8, and N1-aryl positions. Dimers linked at the C4, C8, and N1-aryl positions were agonistic at TLR7; only the N1-aryl dimer with a 12-carbon linker was dual TLR7/8 agonistic. Dimers linked at C2 position showed antagonistic activities at TLR7 and TLR8; the C2 dimer with a propylene spacer was maximally antagonistic at bot...
Letrozole in the extended adjuvant setting: MA.17

Relapse after completing adjuvant tamoxifen therapy is a persistent threat for women with hormone-responsive breast cancer. Third-generation aromatase inhibitors, such as letrozole, provide a new option for extended adjuvant hormonal therapy after 5 years of tamoxifen. MA.17 was conducted to determine whether letrozole improves outcome after discontinuation of tamoxifen. Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (N = 5,187) were randomized to letrozole 2.5 mg or placebo once daily for 5 years. At a median follow-up of 30 months, letrozole significantly improved disease-free survival (DFS; P < 0.001), the primary end point, compared with placebo (hazard ratio [HR] for recurrence or contralateral breast cancer 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45, 0.76] P < 0.001). Furthermore, letrozole significantly improved distant DFS (HR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.43, 0.84; P = 0.002) and, in women with node-positive tumors, overall survival (HR = 0.61; 95% CI 0.38, 0.98; P = 0.04). Clinical benefits, including an overall survival advantage, were also seen in women who crossed over from placebo to letrozole after unblinding, indicating that tumors remain sensitive to hormone therapy despite a prolonged period since discontinuation of tamoxifen. The efficacy and safety of letrozole therapy beyond 5 years is being assessed in a re-randomization study, following the emergence of new data suggesting that clinical benefit correlates with the duration of letrozole. MA.17 showed that letrozole is extremely well-tolerated relative to placebo. Letrozole should be considered for all women completing tamoxifen; new results from the post-unblinding analysis suggest that letrozole treatment should also be considered for all disease-free women for periods up to 5 years following completion of adjuvant tamoxifen.
Field potential analysis and the physiology of second-order neurons in the visual system of the fly

The extracellular standing voltage in the eye and optic lobe of the dark-adapted fly was measured in conjunction with dye-marking techniques. A peripheral extracellular voltage drop of up to −55 mV is located in the synaptic region of the lamina ganglionaris. A larger, more proximal voltage of as much as −70 mV is located in the medulla. Analysis indicates that these regions correspond to current sinks. A hypothesis is proposed that the dark current sink in the lamina is produced by tonic depolarization of the second-order monopolar neuron by synaptic input from cells other than the photoreceptors. The effect of the dark depolarizing input is to increase the dynamic range of the hyperpolarizing light response of the second-order cell.
Background estimation methods for quantitative x-ray fluorescence analysis of gold nanoparticles in biomedical applications

Accurate background estimation to isolate the fluorescence signals is an important issue for quantitative X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Though a good estimation can be obtained experimentally through acquiring the background spectrum of water solution, it inevitably leads to unnecessary second exposure in reality. Thus, several numerical methods such as trapezoidal shape estimation, interpolation by polynomial fitting and SNIP (Statistics sensitive Nonlinear Iterative Peak-Clipping) algorithm are proposed to achieve this goal. This paper aims to evaluate the estimation results calculated by these numerical methods through comparing with that acquired using the experimental way, in term of mean squared error (MSE). Four GNP/water solutions with various concentrations from 0.0% to 1.0% by weight are prepared. Then, ten spectra are acquired for each solution for further analysis, under the identical condition of using pencil beam x-ray and single spectrometer. Finally, the experimental and numerical methods are performed on these spectra within the optimally determined energy window and their statistical characteristics are analyzed and compared. These numerical background estimation methods as well as the evaluation methods can be easily extended to analyze the fluorescence signals of other nanoparticle biomarkers such as gadolinium, platinum and Barium in multiple biomedical applications.
MOHS MICROGRAPHIC SURGERY FOR SKIN CANCER

Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a technique offering superior treatment for skin cancer with cure rates of 99% for primary and 94.4% for recurrent BCC, greater than 94% for SCC. As developed by Dr Frederic Mohs, the technique originally involved application of a chemical fixative. Mohs' fresh tissue technique is now usual, with immediate horizontal frozen sectioning of the entire margins of excised tissue, mapping and microscopic identification of remaining tumour, then repeat excisions, mapping and examination until a tumour-free plane is demonstrated throughout. This provides maximal conservation of uninvolved tissue structures, and allows more confident repair of a cancer-free surgical defect. Mohs Micrographic Surgery is becoming more widely available in Australasia; concurrently, indications for the technique are widening, as are the research interests, training opportunities, and professional organization of Mohs Practitioners. Very high, and increasing, incidence and prevalence of skin cancer in Australasia, and factors tending to contribute to this, suggest that Mohs Micrographic Surgery has an expanding role to play in Australasia.
Effect of ion bombardment on thin hafnium nitride films

Abstract The use of ion bombardment in the modification of the surface mechanical properties of hafnium nitride has been investigated. Initially the deposition rate and the composition of the films prepared under different conditions of bias potential, partial pressure of N2 and substrate temperature during r.f. sputtering were analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and 14N(d, ∝)12C nuclear reaction. The concentration of hafnium in the film was dependent on both the substrate temperature and the partial pressure of N2 during sputtering. Films bombarded with 500 keV Kr+ ions at different doses (1015-1017 ions cm-2) indicate only moderate changes in the microhardness compared with similar studies of TiN films. However, the HfN films showed a greater improvement in adhesion compared with TiN films at lower ion doses. Ion channeling studies on single-crystal stainless steel substrates did not show any evidence of ion-induced mixing or recoil implantation of hafnium into the substrate. Preliminary measurements of the sputtering yield at high energies indicate that the modifications in microhardness and adhesion of the films may be explained by possible recoil implantation of some nitrogen into the substrate.
Development of a dry deposition model for atmospheric coarse particles

Atmospheric inertial deposition of coarse particles has been quantified by the evaluation of particle dry deposition flux data collected simultaneously on the top and bottom surfaces of a smooth plate with a sharp leading edge that was pointed into the wind by a wind vane. The deposited particles were weighed and counted. The airborne concentration of coarse particles was measured with a Rotary Impactor. Deposition velocity was determined by dividing the mass flux (plate) by the airborne concentration (Rotary Impactor). The deposition velocity was considered to be due to gravitational settling (VST) and inertial deposition (VI). Deposition to the upper plate surface (VdU) was given by: VdU = VST + VI, while deposition to the lower plate surface (VdL) was given by: VdL = − VST + VI. The inertial deposition velocity was defined as: VI = \geAU∗, where \geA is the particle effective inertial coefficient and U∗ is friction velocity. Based on these equations, \geA was evaluated as a function of particle size as: \geA = 1.12e−30.36/dn, where da is the particle aerodynamic diameter (μm). The correlation coefficient was 0.92, \geA varied from 0.1 to 1.0 for particles between 5 and 100 μm diameter. The particle dry deposition fluxes obtained for the top and bottom surfaces of the plate were extended to the free atmosphere. A particle flux ratio (FR) was defined as: FR = VdLVdU. The mass median aerodynamic diameter MMDa for the atmospheric coarse particle size distribution correlated closely with the geometric mean values of (FR). The flux ratio was also related to the shape of the coarse particle mass distribution. The flux ratio was less than 0.1 for particles smaller than 3 μm diameter and did not increase significantly with wind speed. This corresponded to a minimum in the coarse particle mass distribution that was present for particles smaller than 3 μm diameter. The flux ratio was also small for particles larger than 50 μm diameter but increased rapidly with wind speed. This indicated that larger particles could remain suspended under high wind speed conditions. The measured mass distributions for atmospheric coarse particles showed an increase in larger particles with an increase in wind speed. This was in accordance with the increase in the particle flux ratio.
Fluorescence studies of cytochrome c1 and a cytochrome c1-cytochrome c complex†

Summary Cytochrome c 1 and cytochrome c form a complex in aqueous solution. The complex is stable to chromatography on Sephadex but is dissociated in media of high ionic strength. Results from the fluorescence probe technique using 8-anilino-1-naphthaline sulphonic acid strongly suggest that (i) the heme group of cytochrome c 1 is completely buried in the protein moiety, in contrast to cytochrome c ; (ii) ferricytochrome c 1 undergoes a conformation change on reduction which produces a more tightly closed structure; and (iii) in the cytochrome c -cytochrome c 1 complex the edge of the cytochrome c heme group evidently continues to be exposed.
The effect of boria and titania addition on the crystallization and sintering behavior of Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass

Abstract Crystallization and sintering behaviors of four β-spodumene (Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2) glasses having different compositions were investigated and compared by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass containing both B2O3 and TiO2 showed the lowest activation energy value for crystallization (220 ± 8 kJ/mol), whereas the stoichiometric Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass showed the highest value (322 ± 4 kJ/mol). The crystallization peak temperature (Tp) decreased from 918 to 819°C by the addition of both B2O3 and TiO2 to the stoichiometric Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass. The Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass containing both B2O3 and TiO2 showed approximately the same degree of sintering as the Li2O-Al2O3-4SiO2 glass containing only B2O3.
Involvement of gap junctions in tumorigenesis : transfection of tumor cells with connexin 32 cDNA retards growth in vivo

Abstract Gap junction channels provide a pathway for exchange of ions and small molecules between coupled cells, and this exchange is believed to be critical for normal tissue growth and development. As a test for a role of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication in control of cell growth, we have compared growth rates of communication-deficient human tumor cells (SKHep1) with clones stably transfected with cDNA encoding the rat liver gap junction protein connexin 32. In culture, growth rates for parental and transfected clones were similar. However, when sizes of tumors were evaluated following injection of these clones into athymic nude mice, growth rates for two well-coupled clones were significantly lower than for communication-deficient or poorly coupled clones. This study demonstrates that growth rate of these tumor cells in situ is negatively correlated with strength of intercellular communication.
Technological Innovativeness as a Moderator of New Product Design Integration and Top Management Support

Abstract Many war stories, as well as a number of empirical research studies, point to the value of design integration and top management support in new product development (NPD) efforts, where design integration is conceptualized as the coordination of product and process design activities performed by various organizational groups. However, some emerging evidence suggests that these aspects of program management are not equally valuable in all NPD contexts. Furthermore, the benefits of these approaches may not extend to all dimensions of NPD performance. This article addresses these issues as they relate to technological innovativeness. The author reports the results of a research study designed to (1) assess the direct contributions of design integration and top management support to several dimensions of NPD performance, and (2) identify potential moderating influences of technological innovativeness on these direct effects. A survey of 136 NPD projects drawn from firms representing most of the major U.S. manufacturing industries provides data for the study. The overall goals of the study were to amplify our understanding of management’s role in NPD and to further the development of contingency theory explaining new product success. The results indicate that design integration is positively associated with higher design quality in NPD, but it is not significantly linked with better financial performance. In addition, design integration appears to be an important influence on achieving NPD time goals, but only in cases of high technological innovativeness. This result suggests that increased design integration produces its greatest impacts when development processes are full of uncertainty. Top management support is positively associated with better time-based performance, design quality, and financial performance on the whole. However, a significant interaction effect suggests that high levels of top management support are ineffective in securing good financial performance in high technologically innovative environments. Other forces appear to be at work in these circumstances, making top management support less important. The article discusses the implications of these findings for management practice, a contingency-oriented view of NPD processes, and future research.
SIM system testbed III

The System Testbed III (STB-3) is the flagship testbed in JPL's Interferometry Technology Program for the Space Interferometry Mission, 1,16 in which it holds a place as the piece of ground hardware that looks and acts most like the real SIM space system. STB-3 is a 3-year, $11.2M program targeted at demonstrating that the SIM architecture, using two interferometers trained at bright guide stars to stabilize a third science interferometer in pathlength and angle, will work. STB-3 will also demonstrate much of the complexity of full SIM operations in the laboratory by the end of 2001. STB-3 is currently operating on optical tables in its first phase and is in the process of being moved to a full-size flight-like structure where feedforward stabilization of the science interferometer will be re-demonstrated. Finally, in its third phase, STB-3 will add autoalignment and other autonomous operations. This paper will present the current status of STB-3, our approach to feedforward stabilization, and designs and plans for phases 2 and 3.
Carotenoids Regulate Gene Expression and Induce Differentiation and Growth Inhibition in Human Placental Cells. |[dagger]| 1900

Carotenoids, plant pigments that are common components of the human diet, have been shown to modulate growth and function in several normal and transformed cell types. Certain carotenoids, particularly β-carotene(βC), are precursors for the formation of retinoic acid (RA). Mammalian fetuses derive carotenoids entirely from the maternal circulation. We have examined carotenoid placental uptake and cellular effects using primary cultures of human villous tissue and trophoblastic cells and a trophoblastic cell line (BeWo b30). Uptake of the carotenoids βC,β-apo-8′-carotenal and canthaxanthin (CTX) from organic solvent, carotenoid-loaded liposomes and human plasma lipoprotein fractions was saturable with respect to time and concentration. Rank order efficiency of uptake was LDL>HDL>liposomes> >solvent, suggesting that placental carotenoid uptake principally occurs via lipoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis. Among 8 carotenoids of dietary importance or structural interest tested, βC and CTX inhibited cell proliferation in a time-and dose(1pM-1μM)-dependent fashion. βC and CTX increased steady state mRNA accumulations of α- and β-hCG, which are markers of trophoblast endocrine differentiation. Treatment withβ-apo-8′-carotenal (a previtamin A βC metabolite) had no effect upon trophoblast cell proliferation or hCG expression. These results suggest that certain placental actions of carotenoids are independent of conversion to RA. We also have examined trophoblast gene expression by RT-PCR differential display using unstimulated, βC-differentiated and RA-stimulated trophoblast mRNAs. We have identified 12 partial cDNAs whose abundance is regulated coordinately by βC and RA as well as 8 cDNAs which are upregulated only by βC, further indicating that carotenoids may alter gene expression via novel mechanisms. These carotenoid-induced changes in trophoblast growth and function may shed light on fetal micronutrient accumulation and on the observed relationship between carotenoid-deficient diets and the occurrence of pregnancy complications.
Stage-specific expression of the Leishmania mexicana paraflagellar rod protein PFR-2.

A screen for Leishmania mexicana genes encoding promastigote-specific flagellar proteins resulted in isolation of genes encoding the major components of the paraflagellar rod. One of these, PFR-2, was characterized extensively. PFR-2 genes are present in the genome as a tandem array of three genes designated PFR-2A, PFR-2B, PFR-2C. PFR-2A and PFR-2B are encoded by a 3.1 transcript while PFR-2C is encoded by a 3.8-kb transcript that has a 3′ UTR different from that of the 3.1-kb transcript. Both of these mRNAs were 15-fold more abundant in promastigotes than in amastigotes. Two transcripts immediately upstream of the locus were constitutively expressed while two downstream transcripts were fourfold more abundant in promastigotes than in amastigotes. The PFR genes will provide a good model system for analysis of stage-specific gene regulation in Leishmania as well as assist in the characterization of the function and organization of the paraflagellar rod.
The partial volatilization of Mercury

During recent years research on the primitive solar nebula has followed two main themes: (1) Very early in the development of the nebula conditions probably favored the occurrence of major gaseous instabilities leading to the formation of giant gaseous protoplanets, but the rapid rise of the external temperature soon evaporated the envelopes of these protoplanets, possibly leaving behind precipitated solids which formed the cores and mantles of the terrestrial planets. (2) Models of the nebula indicate a later stage when conditions in the inner Solar System became very hot; at the position of Mercury the temperature was probably in the range 2500-3500 K. This leads to the hypothesis that the original protomercury was a body substantially more massive than the present planet and of normal composition, but that when it was immersed in the high-temperature field of the dissipating solar nebula, most of the rocky mantle was vaporized and mixed into the solar nebula gases and carried away by them. This hypothesis is investigated in the present paper. For simplicity the vaporization of a mantle composed of enstatite, MgSiO3, was computed for a planet with 2.25 the mass of Mercury at a temperature of 3000 K. It is argued that the mantle could probably be largely removed in the available time of 30,000 yrs. Subsequent accretion would restore some magnesium silicates to the mantle of the planet.
Inhibiting synthesis of extracellular matrix improves patch clamp seal formation.

The ability to form gigaohm seals is essential for patch-clamp studies. Cells with otherwise useful properties must be abandoned for electrophysiological studies if seal formation is not possible. We have found that by inhibiting the growth of extracellular matrix with s-D-xyloside, the success of forming gigaohm seals increased from near 0% to near 100%. Treated cells remained viable and appeared morphologically similar to untreated cells. Prototype treatment protocols are given for the renin secreting cell line As4.1.
Getting Involved in Our Children's Education

(1999). For Parents Particularly: Getting Involved in Our Children's Education. Childhood Education: Vol. 75, No. 3, pp. 170-171.