cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of the interaction layer around fuel particles in dispersion fuel

Abstract Corrosion of uranium particles in dispersion fuel by the aluminum matrix produces interaction layers (an intermetallic-compound corrosion product) around the shrinking fuel spheres. The rate of this process was modeled as series resistances due to Al diffusion through the interaction layer and reaction of aluminum with uranium in the fuel particle to produce UAlx. The overall kinetics are governed by the relative rates of these two steps, the slowest of which is reaction at the interface between Al in the interaction layer and U in the fuel particle. The substantial volume change as uranium is transferred from the fuel to the interaction layer was accounted for. The model was compared to literature data on in-reactor growth of the interaction layer and the Al/U gradient in this layer, the latter measured in ex-reactor experiments. The rate constant of the Al–U interface reaction and the diffusivity of Al in the interaction layer were obtained from this fitting procedure. The second feature of the corrosion process is the transfer of fission products from the fuel particle to the interaction layer due to the reaction. It is commonly assumed that the observed swelling of irradiated fuel elements of this type is due to release of fission gas in the interaction layer to form large bubbles. This hypothesis was tested by using the model to compute the quantity of fission gas available from this source and comparing the pressure of the resulting gas with the observed swelling of fuel plates. It was determined that the gas pressure so generated is too small to account for the observed delamination of the fuel.
Characteristics of 5x5 and 6x6 inch taut shadow mask CRTs for cockpit displays

An integrated taut shadow mask color CRT in sizes 5 x 5 and 6 x 6 inches has been developed for heads down displays in jet fighter and helicopter applications. Completely viewable in a full sunlight ambient environment, these CRTs can display high resolution maps and tactical information while withstanding the rugged vibration environment of a military aircraft.
An Indepth Evaluation of High Frequency Circuit Laminates for the Wireless Telecommunication Market

Growth in the wireless telecommunication market. An important part to the systems is the laminate material chosen to carry the high frequency carrier signals. Available to desipers today is a wide range of materials ranging from the low cost difunctional epoxy/glass (FR4) to the high performance PTFE based laminates. This work focuses on critical electrical properties of the various laminate options and their stability against frequency and temperature. The effect of changing electrical properties is also quantified by measuring the impact on RF/microwave circuitry.
String crossings [computer graphics]

When the author was about 10 years old, he completed a project which involved driving little brass nails into a piece of wood so that they were equally spaced around a circle, and then winding shiny metal wire between every pair of nails. The result was a shiny spider's web of wire-it was an algorithm for making an aesthetic visual piece. Years later, when he started to learn computer graphics, he programmed up these string art creations on vector storage tubes and plotters, mixing colors and changing line widths. Then recently, an artist friend (Dan Robbins) mentioned that he was planning a sculpture that involved a similar kind of design. Part of his sculpture involved placing objects at the intersections of pairs of strings. He wanted to plan part of the sculpture in advance and asked if there was a way to determine how many strings were necessary to get a desired number of intersections. The article starts with an answer to Dan's question. It also explores some other questions derived from these simple but elegant little string art patterns. These lovely little geometric patterns lead to numerical patterns every bit as graceful and aesthetically pleasing.
Über ein neues Verfahren zur Bestimmung von Disproportionierungs- und Kombinationsabbruch. I. Unter Berücksichtigung des Abbruchs durch Primärradikale

Disproportionierungs- und Kombinationsabbruch wirken sich in verschiedener Weise auf die Molekulargewichtsverteilung aus. Diese Unterschiede haben charakteristische Veranderungen in der Beziehung zwischen dem Viskositatsmittel des Polymerisationsgrades (Pη) und der Bruttogeschwindigkeit (VBr) zur Folge. Letztere werden verwendet, um das Verhaltnis der beiden Abbruchsreaktionen zu ermitteln, wobei auch der Abbruch durch Primarradikale berucksichtigt wird. Das fur die Untersuchung notwendige Konstantenverhaltnis kw2/kab wird in unabhangiger Weise mittels radioaktiver Messungen (bei Verwendung von 14C-markiertem Initiator) bestimmt. Die drei experimentellen Grosen, welche benotigt werden, konnen mit relativ hoher Genauigkeit bestimmt werden; es sind Pη, VBr und die spezifische Radioaktivitat des Polymeren. Die Methode wird auf Polystyrol angewendet, bei welchem sich im Temperaturbereich von 30–70°C Kombinationsabbruch ergibt. Chain termination reactions by combination and by disproportionation have different influences on the molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymer. These differences provoke characteristic changes in the relationship between the viscosity average of the degree of polymerization (Pη) and the overall rate (VBr), which can be used to obtain quantitative information concerning the extent of both termination reactions. The additional termination by primary radicals has to be taken into account. The ratio of rate constants, kw2/kab which is needed for these determinations, is obtained independently by radioactive measurements (using 14C-labelled initiator). The three necessary experimental values (Pη, VBr and the specific radioactivity of the polymer) can be obtained with a relatively high precision. The method is applied to polystyrene. Termination by combination is found in the temperature range of 30–70°C.
Critical current density dependence on orientation of Bi-free needle-like crystals in Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8 thick films

Abstract The growth of superconducting Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8 thick films is generally accompanied by the distribution of Bi-free needle-like crystals. The sizes of these crystals reported in the literature vary significantly and it seems that the smaller the crystals, the higher the critical current density is. The effect of the orientation and size of these crystals on the critical current density is theoretically investigated. Results show that the superconducting to normal transition in the film is initiated in regions where the crystals have the greatest converging constrictions. Also, the size, orientation and concentration can have a profound detrimental effect on the transport current properties of these films. Alignment of the crystals in the direction of current flow can reduce the degradation in the transport properties.
Resolution of tonsillar herniation and syringomyelia after supratentorial tumor resection: case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: The pathophysiological features of syringomyelia are not yet entirely understood. We present a case of a supratentorial mass causing tonsillar herniation and syringomyelia. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman underwent magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of progressive headaches. A large parietooccipital mass was revealed. Herniation of the cerebellar tonsils and a cervical syrinx were also noted. INTERVENTION: A craniotomy was performed without incident. After tumor resection, the tonsils ascended and the syrinx resolved in a 1-year period. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of tonsillar herniation in the pathogenesis of syringomyelia. Acquired Chiari malformations and syringomyelia attributable to supratentorial masses may be treated by mass resection alone, without the need for foramen magnum decompression.
Examining meter‐scale fluid channelization in a subhorizontal bedrock fracture by tracking high‐salinity tracer using surface ground penetrating radar

To observe flow channeling in situ, surface groundpenetrating radar (GPR) was used to detect a saline tracer moving through a sub-horizontal bedrock fracture. The tracer is mapped using amplitude variations resulting from the significant difference in electromagnetic properties between the tracer and natural ground water within the fracture. Results show that hydrogeophysical investigations using GPR can successfully image tracer movement in a variety of flow configurations in three spatial dimensions through time (4D). Observed tracer travel paths demonstrated meter-scale spatial variability that may be attributed to heterogeneity in fracture aperture.
A Multi-Center, Qualitative Assessment of Pediatrician and Maternal Perspectives on Rotavirus Vaccines and the Detection of Porcine circovirus

In 2010, researchers using novel laboratory techniques found that US-licensed rotavirus vaccines contain DNA or DNA fragments from Porcine circovirus (PCV), a virus common among pigs but not believed to cause illness in humans. We sought to understand pediatricians' and mothers' perspectives on this finding. We conducted three iterations of focus groups for pediatricians and non-vaccine hesitant mothers in Seattle, WA, Cincinnati, OH, and Rochester, NY. Focus groups explored perceptions of rotavirus disease, rotavirus vaccination, and attitudes about the detection of PCV material in rotavirus vaccines. Pediatricians understood firsthand the success of rotavirus vaccines in preventing severe acute gastroenteritis among infants and young children. They measured this benefit against the theoretical risk of DNA material from PCV in rotavirus vaccines, determining overall that the PCV finding was of no clinical significance. Particularly influential was the realization that the large, randomized clinical trials that found both vaccines to be highly effective and safe were conducted with DNA material from PCV already in the vaccines. Most mothers supported the ideal of full disclosure regarding vaccination risks and benefits. However, with a scientific topic of this complexity, simplified information regarding PCV material in rotavirus vaccines seemed frightening and suspicious, and detailed information was frequently overwhelming. Mothers often remarked that if they did not understand a medical or technical topic regarding their child's health, they relied on their pediatrician's guidance. Many mothers and pediatricians were also concerned that persons who abstain from pork consumption for religious or personal reasons may have unsubstantiated fears of the PCV finding. Pediatricians considered the detection of DNA material from PCV in rotavirus vaccines a "non-issue" and reported little hesitation in continuing to recommend the vaccines. Mothers desired transparency, but ultimately trusted their pediatrician's recommendation. Both vaccines are currently approved for their intended use, and no risk of human PCV illness has been reported. Communicating this topic to pediatricians and mothers requires sensitivity to a broad range of technical understanding and personal concerns.
Germany, Hitler, and World War II : essays in modern German and world history

Preface Part I. Background: 1. The defeat of Germany in 1918 and the European balance of power 2. National Socialist organisation and aims in 1927 3. The world through Hitler's eyes Part II. The Nazi System: 4. The Nazi revolution: a war against human rights 5. Propaganda for peace and preparation for war Part III. Background for War: 6. Hitler and England, 1933-1945: pretence and reality 7. German foreign policy and Austria 8. Germany, Munich, and appeasement 9. A proposed compromise over Danzig in 1939? 10. The German generals and the outbreak of war, 1938-1939 11. Hitler's decision for war Part IV. World War II: 12. German diplomacy toward the Soviet Union 13. The Nazi-Soviet pacts: a half-century later 14. Germany and the United States, 1917-1949 15. Germany and Pearl Harbour 16. Global conflict: relations between the European and Pacific theatres in World War II 17. The Holocaust and the war in 1943 18. The German resistance to Hitler 19. D-Day after 50 years 20. German plans for victory 21. Reflections on running a war: Hitler, Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Tojo 22. Some thoughts on World War II 23. At the end: a new Germany in a new world Appendix: The end of Ranke's history: reflections on the fate of history in the twentieth century.
Hepatic vein and retrohepatic vena caval injury.

Retrohepatic venous injury presents as a rare but frequently lethal complication of trauma. The anatomic arrangement makes management of these injuries difficult at best. Operative exposure and isolation techniques ranging from cross-clamping the aorta, portal triad, suprarenal vena cava, and suprahepatic vena cava to the use of internal shunts are described in this report. Our experience from 1968 to 1987 with internal shunting techniques includes 27 patients. We have successfully resuscitated 12 patients for an acute mortality of 55 %. We believe that this figure is high but compares favorably with published results. Late deaths from sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation, or multiple systems organ failure remain as significant causes of overall mortality. Many techniques have been successfully employed over the years in achieving vascular isolation of the liver. The methods all have their own merits, but the key factor in each is the recognition that they need to be employed. Conservative selection of patients is undoubtedly justified, but aggressive approaches should not be delayed until they are the methods of last resort.
A web-based multi-perspective decision support system for information security planning

With the increasing exposure and vulnerability to cyber attacks, it becomes necessary to develop methodologies and systems that are capable of dealing with the complex and multifaceted nature of decision situations encountered in security planning and management. In this paper we present the theoretical basis, architecture and design of a web-based multi-perspective decision support system (DSS) and an underlying decision multi-criteria decision framework that is consistent with security and decision theory. The system is illustrated through a multi-stakeholder scenario that captures the complexity encountered in a multi-criteria security control selection decision problem.
Prenatally diagnosed sacrococcygeal teratoma: a unique expression of trisomy 1q.

Abstract Partial duplication of the long arm of chromosome 1 has been observed in fetal intracranial teratomas. We sonographically diagnosed a 19-week fetus with sacrococcygeal teratoma, cerebral ventriculomegaly, and cerebellar hypoplasia. Chromosomal analysis of amniocytes showed an unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 1 and 15, resulting in trisomy 1q21→1qter. Duplication or over expression at more than one locus on the long arm of chromosome 1 may be required for the development of an extra-gonadal teratoma.
Cancer stem cells: mediators of tumorigenesis and metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background Cancer stem cells (CSC) represent a subpopulation of cells responsible for tumor growth. Their role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis and metastasis remains uncertain.
MYC/BCL2 Protein Co-Expression Defines a Unique Subset of Aggressive Lymphoma and Contributes to the Inferior Prognosis of Activated B-cell Subtype of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: A Report from the International DLBCL Rituximab-CHOP Consortium Program Study

*701 Mutational Profile and Prognostic Significance of TP53 in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Patients Treated with Rituximab-CHOP: A Report From an International DLBCL Rituximab-CHOP Consortium Program Study Zijun Y. Xu-Monette, Lin Wu, Carlo Visco, Yu Chuan Tai, Alexander Tzankov, Wei-min Liu, Santiago Montes-Moreno, Karen Dybkaer, April Chiu, Attilio Orazi, Youli Zu, Govind Bhagat, Kristy L. Richards, Eric D. Hsi, X. Frank Zhao, William W.L. Choi, Xiaoying Zhao, J. Han van Krieken, Qin Huang, Jooryung Huh, Weiyun Ai, Maurilio Ponzoni, Andres J.M. Ferreri, Fan Zhou, Brad S. Kahl, Jane N. Winter, Wei Xu, Jianyong Li, Ronald S. Go, Yong Li, Miguel A. Piris, Michael B. Moller, Roberto N. Miranda, Lynne V. Abruzzo, L. Jeffrey Medeiros, Ken H. Young Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, CA, USA; San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy; University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain; Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA; The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Columbia University Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA; University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, China; Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Second University Hospital, Hangzhou, China; Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands; City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA; Asan Medical Center, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea; University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA; San Raffaele H. Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Southwest Washington Medical Center, Vancouver, WA, USA; University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic, Madison, WI, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing, China; Gundersen Lutheran Health System, La Crosse, WI, USA; University of Louisville, Louisville, KY; Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
Deformation and aging of quenched polypropylene

The physical properties, i. e., yield stress and stress-strain curve of the quenched (“smectic”) form of polypropylene have been shown to be time dependent at room temperature. The yield stress increases linearly with the logarithm of film age. No changes in the x-ray diffraction pattern, infra-red spectrum, electron diffraction pattern or morphology have been observed corresponding to this change in physical properties. A molecular mechanism is proposed which will explain this again process. Spherulites of the quenched form have been found to deform affinely when drawn. In contrast to this, slow cooled films show complete destruction of internal spherulite (lamellar) order, indicating a complex mechanism of deformation.
Incubation of conditioning-specific reflex modification: Implications for post traumatic stress disorder

Incubation of fear has been used to account for the delayed manifestation of symptoms of fear and anxiety including the delayed onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have shown the utility of classical conditioning-specific modification of the rabbit nictitating membrane response (NMR) as a model of PTSD. This modification includes an exaggeration in the size and a change in the timing of the unconditioned NMR after several days of classical conditioning. To assess the effects of incubation on conditioning-specific modification, we measured changes in responding as a function of the time between classical conditioning and NMR testing. After just one day of classical conditioning resulting in modest levels of learning, increases in response size were an inverted-U shaped function of days of incubation with little if any change occurring one and ten days after training but significant change occurring after six days. The incubation effect persisted for a week. An unpaired control group showed no change in the size of the response confirming the incubation effect was associative. The results bear a striking resemblance to symptoms of PTSD that do not always occur immediately after trauma and become exacerbated over time and then persist. They point to a window when incubation can exacerbate symptoms and speak to the vulnerability of re-experiencing trauma too soon. This could be a serious problem for military or emergency personnel recalled to combat or a disaster site without sufficient time to deal with the effects of their initial experiences.
Design of compact stacked-patch antennas on LTCC technology for wireless communication applications

Stacked-patch antennas on LTCC (low temperature cofired ceramics) multilayer structures can be easily designed for optimal bandwidth performance by an adjustment of the number of LTCC layers. This paper presents a methodology suitable for the design of compact broadband antennas. It is demonstrated that a stacked-patch antenna on an LTCC substrate with a thickness of less than 0.03/spl lambda//sub 0/ can achieve a bandwidth of up to 7%, which may find applications in a number of wireless communication systems.
The alpha-helix and the organization and gating of channels.

▪ Abstract The structures of an increasing number of channels and other α-helical membrane proteins have been determined recently, including the KcsA potassium channel, the MscL mechanosensitive channel, and the AQP1 and GlpF members of the aquaporin family. In this chapter, the orientation and packing characteristics of bilayer-spanning helices are surveyed in integral membrane proteins. In the case of channels, α-helices create the sealed barrier that separates the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer from the permeation pathway for solutes. The helices surrounding the permeation pathway tend to be rather steeply tilted relative to the membrane normal and are consistently arranged in a right-handed bundle. The helical framework further provides a supporting scaffold for nonmembrane-spanning structures associated with channel selectivity. Although structural details remain scarce, the conformational changes associated with gating transitions between closed and open states of channels are reviewed, emphasizi...
Prediction of lethal/effective concentration/dose in the presence of multiple auxiliary covariates and components of variance

Predictors of the percentile lethal/effective concentration/dose are commonly used measures of efficacy and toxicity. Typically such quantal-response predictors (e.g., the exposure required to kill 50% of some population) are estimated from simple bioassays wherein organisms are exposed to a gradient of several concentrations of a single agent. The toxicity of an agent may be influenced by auxiliary covariates, however, and more complicated experimental designs may introduce multiple variance components. Prediction methods lag examples of those cases. A conventional two-stage approach consists of multiple bivariate predictions of, say, medial lethal concentration followed by regression of those predictions on the auxiliary covariates. We propose a more effective and parsimonious class of generalized nonlinear mixed-effects models for prediction of lethal/effective dose/concentration from auxiliary covariates. We demonstrate examples using data from a study regarding the effects of pH and additions of variable quantities 2',5'-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide) on the toxicity of 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol to larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). The new models yielded unbiased predictions and root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) of prediction for the exposure required to kill 50 and 99.9% of some population that were 29 to 82% smaller, respectively, than those from the conventional two-stage procedure. The model class is flexible and easily implemented using commonly available software.
An Assessment of Vision Systems for Tele-Operated Ground Robot Navigation

§Many environments are hazardous to humans, requiring the use of robotics for certain tasks. These tasks, including navigation, are often conducted using a vision system for robot tele-operation. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of various vision systems, including: in-situ monovision, aerial monovision, combined monovision, and stereovision, in providing the operator with sufficient information for tele-operated ground robot navigation. A simulated tele-operation experiment was designed and users were tasked with the objective of locating and navigating to a given target in a debris field. User performance was recorded based on the following metrics: total navigation time, total move commands, invalid move commands, and time required to make a navigation decision. The vision systems were assessed based on the system’s ability to assist the user in performing the task. An analysis of the results was conducted and it is proposed that only a combined monovision system or a stereovision system is sufficient for tele-operated ground robot navigation tasks.
Work in progress — Web penetration testing: Effectiveness of student learning in Web application security

Web penetration testing embodies both the understanding of attack and defense philosophies. By learning malicious hacking activities, students will understand the perspectives of attackers and realize how to defend a Web application system. To foster information security education, it is important to introduce the attack understanding philosophy. Using student group projects, this study aims to measure student learning effectiveness in Web application security and to discover how students perceive learning given the attack understanding philosophy. In support of triangulation, this research will employ pre-test and post-test study along with the grounded theory approach. The future research findings will propose a framework to improve student learning effectiveness and student learning perception in Web application security.
Electrofluidic Assembly of Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Recent advances in surface nanomachining have allowed the fabrication of mechanical structures with dimensions reaching 20 nm, and resonant frequencies in the 100s of MHz. Structural issues prevent the “top-down” surface machining of high-quality NEMS resonators. Such systems are alternatively to be bestowed by “bottom-up” manufacturing technologies. We report the surface assembly of RF-range NEMS. Using electrofluidic assembly, we have successfully positioned Rh mechanical beams onto specific sites of a silicon circuit. With diameters as small as 250 nm and lengths varying from 2 to 3 μm, preliminary results show mechanical resonances ranging from 5 MHz to 80 MHz, and quality factors reaching 500. We also report the development of nanostructured NEMS for sensor applications, and present strategies for their deployment in integrative nanosystems.
Adaptively Weighted Large Margin Classifiers

Large margin classifiers have been shown to be very useful in many applications. The support vector machine is a canonical example of large margin classifiers. Despite their flexibility and ability in handling high-dimensional data, many large margin classifiers have serious drawbacks when the data are noisy, especially when there are outliers in the data. In this article, we propose a new weighted large margin classification technique. The weights are chosen adaptively with data. The proposed classifiers are shown to be robust to outliers and thus are able to produce more accurate classification results.
Hospital cost inflation and physician payment.

. The hypothesis that physicians use control over hospital resources to maximize their net revenue is examined to determine whether such behavior leads to more rapid growth of hospital costs. Theoretical and empirical studies are reviewed and hypotheses are developed regarding the relationship of cost increases to the method of physician payment. Exploratory comparisons of increases in hospital cost per patient day are made between Health Maintenance Organizations with salaried practice and Medical Foundations with fee-for-service. The association of international differences in the rate of increase of hospital cost per day with method of physician payment is explored in an Appendix in the microfiche supplement.
Prostacyclin and thromboxane changes predating clinical onset of preeclampsia: A multicenter prospective study

ContextAn imbalance in vasodilating (prostacyclin [PGI2]) and vasoconstricting (thromboxane A2 [TxA2]) eicosanoids may be important in preeclampsia, but prospective data from large studies needed to resolve this issue are lacking. Because most trials using aspirin to reduce TxA2 production have failed to prevent preeclampsia, it is critical to determine whether eicosanoid changes occur before the onset of clinical disease or are secondary to clinical manifestations of preeclampsia.ObjectiveTo determine whether PGI2 or TxA2 changes occur before onset of clinical signs of preeclampsia.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsMulticenter prospective study from 1992 to 1995 of subjects from the placebo arm of the Calcium for Preeclampsia Prevention Trial. Women who developed preeclampsia (n=134) were compared with matched normotensive control women (n=139).Main Outcome MeasuresExcretion of urinary metabolites of PGI2 (PGI-M) and TxA2 (Tx-M) as measured from timed urine collections obtained prospectively before 22 weeks', between 26 and 29 weeks', and at 36 weeks' gestation.ResultsWomen who developed preeclampsia had significantly lower PGI-M levels throughout pregnancy, even at 13 to 16 weeks' gestation (long before the onset of clinical disease); their gestational age–adjusted levels were 17% lower than those of controls (95% confidence interval [CI], 6%-27%; P=.005). The Tx-M levels of preeclamptic women were not significantly higher overall (9% higher than those of controls; 95% CI, −3% to 23%; P=.14). The ratio of Tx-M to PGI-M, used to express relative vasoconstricting vs vasodilating effects, was 24% higher (95% CI, 6%-45%) in preeclamptic women throughout pregnancy (P=.007).ConclusionsOur results show that reduced PGI2 production, but not increased TxA2 production, occurs many months before clinical onset of preeclampsia. Aspirin trials may have failed because an increase in thromboxane production is not the initial anomaly. Future interventions should make correcting prostacyclin deficiency a major part of the strategy to balance the abnormal vasoconstrictor-vasodilator ratio present in preeclampsia.
Gait and Balance Dysfunction: A Model of the Interaction of Age and Disease

This article reviews age-associated changes in gait, balance, and sensorimotor function and contrasts them to the changes that occur as a result of disease. Strength peaks in the mid-20s but declines only modestly until the fifth decade, after which there is rapid decline. All aspects of sensory function diminish with age, resulting in modest sensory changes in older patients. Gait speed is stable until the seventh decade and thereafter slows modestly. Age-related changes in the balance of older persons result in an effective response that meets routine needs but may be ineffective under demanding circumstances capable of producing response. Thus, these modest age-related decrements may be an element in the increased incidence of falls in older people. The loss of function caused by disease is of greater magnitude as well as being superimposed on that caused by age and thus may lead to a failure of mobility. Neurologic diseases that impair sensorimotor function compromise mobility in a manner consistent with the deficits that they produce. In mobility dysfunction caused by white matter lesions, the gait/balance abnormalities may not have unique clinical features, making diagnosis difficult. We used quantitative MRI to study the brains of older subjects with mobility impairment. The volume of white matter lesions in mobility-impaired subjects was double that of controls and was unrelated to increasing age, suggesting that white matter lesions are a disease-related rather than an age-related occurrence. We also used stance perturbation evoked potentials to demonstrate delayed conduction in some mobility-impaired older subjects. Prolonged sensory conduction may contribute to maladaptive balance and thus may be useful for diagnosis. Contemporary imaging and neurophysiology thus provides insight into the pathophysiology of mobility impairment and allows for more accurate diagnosis.
Video Frame Identification for Learning Media Content Understanding

This paper presents our latest work on identifying frame content types for understanding learning media content. In particular, we categorize frames into six classes namely, slide, Web-page, instructor, audience, picture-in-picture and miscellaneous, which make up salient narrative modes in learning videos. Various image and video analysis approaches are explored to achieve this task. Preliminary experiments carried out on three recorded seminars have yielded encouraging results. The identification of fine-grained visual content types can assist us in content understanding, access, browsing and searching of generic learning videos
Complementation Analysis of the Cold-Sensitive Phenotype of the Escherichia coli csdA Deletion Strain

The cold shock response of Escherichia coli is elicited by downshift of temperature from 37 degrees C to 15 degrees C and is characterized by induction of several cold shock proteins, including CsdA, during the acclimation phase. CsdA, a DEAD-box protein, has been proposed to participate in a variety of processes, such as ribosome biogenesis, mRNA decay, translation initiation, and gene regulation. It is not clear which of the functions of CsdA play a role in its essential cold shock function or whether all do, and so far no protein has been shown to complement its function in vivo. Our screening of an E. coli genomic library for an in vivo counterpart of CsdA that can compensate for its absence at low temperature revealed only one protein, RhlE, another DEAD-box RNA helicase. We also observed that although not detected in our genetic screening, two cold shock-inducible proteins, namely, CspA, an RNA chaperone, and RNase R, an exonuclease, can also complement the cold shock function of CsdA. Interestingly, the absence of CsdA and RNase R leads to increased sensitivity of the cells to even moderate temperature downshifts. The correlation between the helicase activity of CsdA and the stability of mRNAs of cold-inducible genes was shown using cspA mRNA, which was significantly stabilized in the DeltacsdA cells, an effect counteracted by overexpression of wild-type CsdA or RNase R but not by that of the helicase-deficient mutant of CsdA. These results suggest that the primary role of CsdA in cold acclimation of cells is in mRNA decay and that its helicase activity is pivotal for promoting degradation of mRNAs stabilized at low temperature.
Light to work transduction and shape memory in glassy, photoresponsive macromolecular systems: Trends and opportunities

Light can wirelessly direct functional responses in photoresponsive polymeric materials and composites. The intensity, phase, and polarization of light can be spatially modulated into complex patterns with holography (intensity or polarization) or masking (intensity or phase). Deriving from these foundational properties of light, photoresponsive macromolecular systems exhibit exceeding potential to yield rapid and highly engineered macroscopic as well as spatially selectable mechanically adaptive responses useful as soft actuators or topographical surfaces in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Scalable access within the context of digital libraries

This paper presents a summary of some of the work-in-progress within the Alexandria Digital Library Project. In particular, we present scalable methods of locating information at different levels within a distributed digital library environment. Starting at the high level, we show how queries can be routed to appropriate information sources. At a give a source, efficient query processing is supported by using materialized views and multidimensional index structures. Finally, we propose solutions to the problem of storage and retrieval of large objects on secondary and tertiary storage.
Effects of Added Pigments, Salt, and Phosphate on Color, Extractable Pigment, Total Pigment, and Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Turkey Breast Meat

Abstract Ground turkey breast meat treatments were prepared with 16 combinations of myoglobin (0, .4 mg/g meat), cytochrome c (0, .1 mg/g meat), salt (NaCl; 1, 2.5%), and sodium tripolyphosphate (0, .5%) before cooking to determine their effect on meat color, water extractable pigments, total pigment, and oxidation-reduction potential in cooked turkey breast meat Addition of myoglobin did not increase extractable pigment but significantly (P
Fabrication of 3D-IC interposers

Over the past several years, the semiconductor industry has seen some tremendous developments in using glass as an interposer substrate. Glass has many properties that make it an ideal substrate for interposer substrates such as: ultra-high resistivity, low dielectric constant, ultra-low electrical loss and adjustable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that allows management of 3D-IC stacks. Regardless of technical performance, any glass based solution must also provide significant cost advantages in substrate material, via formation, and subsequent processing. Cost-Effective Solutions In this paper, we will cover how fusion formed glass provides cost-effective solutions for the manufacturing of interposer materials for as-formed 100 μm precision substrate with a pristine surface, without the need for polishing, thus eliminating the manufacturing steps for polishing and thinning. Design Considerations For effective implementation of glass substrates, processing costs for through-glass-vias (TGV) on ultra-thin glass is also a challenge. This paper will reference data from several different designs to demonstrate the impact of design on Corning's TGV process cost relative to silicon solutions. It will also highlight processing lessons learned in fabricating TGV interposers from bare glass into complete packaged test vehicles and their impact on cost. Via Capabilities Furthermore, glasses via formation capabilities have dramatically improved over the past several months. Fully populated wafers with >100,000 through and blind holes (25 μm diameter) are fabricated today with 20μm diameters. We report on the significant enhancements demonstrated on important quality parameters. We will also report on strength parameters measured on TGV wafers and positive implications with respect to product reliability.
Infrasound from volcanic rockfalls

Proximal infrasound arrays can robustly track rapidly moving gravity-driven mass wasting, which occurs commonly at erupting volcanoes. This study reports on detection, localization, and quantification of frequent small rockfalls and infrequent pyroclastic density currents descending the southeast flanks of Santiaguito's active Caliente Dome in January of 2014. Such activities are identified as moving sources, which descend several hundred meters at bulk flow speeds of up to ~10 m/s, which is considerably slower than the descent velocity of individual blocks. Infrasound rockfall signal character is readily distinguishable from explosion infrasound, which is manifested by a relatively fixed location source with lower frequency content. In contrast, the rockfalls of Santiaguito possess higher frequencies dominated by 7.5 to 20 Hz energy. During our observation periods typical rockfall signals occurred ~10 times per hour and lasted tens of seconds or more. Array beamforming permitted detection of rockfall transients with amplitudes of only a few tens of millipascals that would be impossible to distinguish from noise using a single sensor. Conjoint time-synchronized video is used to corroborate location and to characterize various gravity-driven events.
Hematopoietic cells in mouse placenta.

The ability of mouse placenta cells to transform into hematopoietic cells has been investigated morphologically and functionally. The intravenous injection of suspensions of placental cells into lethally irradiated isogeneic recipients is followed by the development of splenic nodules, composed predominantly of cells in the lymphocytic and erythrocytic series. The injection of fetal spleen cells also produces nodules in the recipient's spleen, but the cells are almost entirely erythroid. Fetal liver cells produce a diffuse enlargement of the spleen as the result of an infiltration of granulocytes, erythrocytes, and megakaryocytes. Consistent with the morphologic evidence, mouse placental cells are capable of synthesizing antibodies and incorporating radioactive iron under appropriate experimental conditions. The placenta is superior immunologically to fetal liver and spleen but is not as good erythropoietically. By using donor cells labeled with a T6 chromosomal anomaly, it was demonstrated that the newly proliferating spleen cells in placenta-injected animals are derived from donor cell. Fetectomy at 11 days' gestation does not alter the ability of the placental cells to transform into hematopoietic cells, indicating that the responsible cells are present in the placenta early in gestation and suggesting that they may be originally trophoblast.
Did Multicultural America Result from a Mistake? The 1965 Immigration Act and Evidence from Roll Call Votes

Between July 1964 and October 1965, Congress enacted the three most important civil rights laws since Reconstruction: The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. As we approach the 50th anniversary of these laws, it is clear that all three have fundamentally remade the United States; education, employment, housing, politics, and the population itself have irreversibly changed.Arguably the least celebrated yet most consequential of these laws was the 1965 Immigration Act, which set the United States on the path to become a "majority minority" nation. In 1960, because U.S. law restricted immigration by race, eighty-five percent of the population was non-Hispanic white. Since the enactment of the Immigration Act, the Hispanic and Asian American share of the population has more than quintupled, and by 2043 the Census Bureau projects that African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans together will comprise a majority of the population.Based on the legislative history, statements by government officials, and media reports, many scholars argue that Congress did not intend to change the racial demographics of the immigrant stream. Instead, these scholars argue that the diversification of the U.S. population was an enormous unintended consequence, one which Congress, had it appreciated what it was doing, might have thought better of. This Article introduces novel evidence to evaluate that claim: the roll call votes of the House and Senate on these laws. The votes show that nearly identical coalitions of civil rights advocates supported all three laws while the same group of racially intolerant legislators opposed all three. This patterns suggests that all three laws had similar motivations and goals. We argue that the laws were inspired by sincere anti-racism and not cosmetic responses intended to have little practical effect.
Abstract 1910: Hyperperfusion in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Serial Arterial Spin-Labeled MRI of Reperfusion and Hemorrhagic Transformation

Background: Arterial spin-labeled (ASL) MRI facilitates repeated noninvasive evaluation of cerebral blood flow without the use of contrast. Hyperperfusion may be readily detected with ASL and serial imaging may therefore chronicle the dynamics of territorial perfusion from acute to chronic phases after stroke. We characterized hyperperfusion on ASL in a prospective series of acute ischemic stroke patients, describing the clinical correlates, time course and association with reperfusion hemorrhage. Methods: A consecutive series of acute ischemic stroke patients admitted during a 1-year period were evaluated with pseudo-continuous ASL with background suppressed 3D GRASE (delay=2s, matrix=64x64; 26 slices, resolution 3.4x3.4x5mm, scan time 4min). Post-processed ASL CBF maps were visually inspected for detection of hyperperfusion. DSA measures of collaterals and reperfusion were scored when available and hemorrhagic transformation (HT) was graded on GRE in all 198 cases. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses delineated clinical correlates, timing and other imaging features of hyperperfusion. Results: Among 198 patients, mean age was 69.4±15.7 years and 48.5% were women. Among 77 with serial ASL MRI, interval from initial to follow-up MRI was median 25.0 (IQR 10.3-53.9) hours. Hyperperfusion was detected in 15/198 (7.6%) patients at baseline and 30/77 (39.0%) at follow-up. Trajectories included 7/77 (9.1%) with hyperperfusion at both baseline and follow-up and 38/77 (49.4%) showing hyperperfusion at any timepoint during admission. Hyperperfusion correlated with achievement of reperfusion among patients undergoing endovascular therapy (OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.82-23.25, p=0.018) and history of atrial fibrillation (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.9-10.6, p<0.001). Analysis of the 42 cases with DSA revealed that hyperperfusion was most common in patients with poor collateral grade followed by more complete TICI reperfusion scores. Overall, HT affected 57/198 (28.8%), including 35/198 (17.7%) HI1, 11/198 (5.6%) HI2, 8/198 (4.1%) PH1 and 3/198 (1.5%) PH2. Multivariate analyses revealed that hyperperfusion at any timepoint was a potent predictor of HT (OR 52.6, 95%CI 12.4-222.6, p<0.001). Conclusions: Hyperperfusion in acute ischemic stroke is frequently demonstrated by ASL MRI, providing novel insight on the dynamics of reperfusion and HT. Hyperperfusion increases the risk of HT 50-fold, likely due to autoregulatory loss. Poor collaterals and sudden reperfusion in vulnerable cases such as those with atrial fibrillation may herald hyperperfusion and HT.
The impact of oxygen vacancies on lithium vacancy formation and diffusion in Li2-xMnO3-δ

Abstract High-capacity battery cathode materials containing Li2MnO3 appear to be activated during the first electrochemical cycle through the generation of oxygen vacancies. These oxygen vacancies have been predicted to alter the atomistic scale structure of Li2MnO3 and thus impact the delithiation process. In order to understand the effects of these oxygen vacancies we computationally determine the location of lithium removal in Li2MnO3-δ (δ = 0, 0.0625 and 0.125) and study lithium diffusion in Li2-xMnO3-δ. This study shows that it is energetically favorable for the lithium vacancies to form in the neighboring positions of the oxygen vacancies, suggesting that there is a strong interaction between the two vacancy types. This interaction also inhibits the diffusion of the lithium-ions, as seen in ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations where less hopping of lithium atoms is observed when oxygen vacancies are present. Additionally, the oxygen vacancy containing structures lead to an increase in the energy barrier for lithium and the calculated diffusion coefficient decreases by ~ 5 orders of magnitude from the perfect crystal structure.
CORRECTION: The impact of allergic rhinitis on work productivity [Prim Care Resp J 2007; 16(2): 98–105]

In our article entitled 'The impact of allergic rhinitis on work productivity'1 which was published in this year's Apri issue of the Primary Care Respiratory Journal (PCRJ), we were remiss in not acknowledging the use of the same data source, data collection and background literature that was used in our previous study addressing a different issue relating to lifestyle productivity which was published in the Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAI) in 2005.