cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Technique For Submicron Linewidth Measurement

We propose a novel technique to accurately measure submi-cron linewidths on photomasks and wafers. We do this by translating a phase-shifting mask across the surface containing the line whose width we wish to measure. With a Fourier-transform lens, we detect the intensity of the zero-order spatial component of the light coming from the surface as a function of the mask position. We show that the detected intensity curve varies dramatically and exhibits sharp changes in direction corresponding to the boundaries of the line. From this informa-tion the linewidth is readily apparent. We present a theoretical analysis and several computer simulations, showing that the technique is relatively independent of variations in the optical reflectance and in the height between the patterned feature and any substrate. Unlike other optical imaging methods for measur-ing linewidths, a high-resolution microscope and precise calibration are not needed. Using a laser, lateral resolution of 0.1 μm , well beyond the limit predicted by the Rayleigh criterion, is theoretically achievable. Preliminary experimental results agree well with the theoretical prediction.
Design of minimum-phase digital filters from linear-phase prototypes

General methods are described for transforming any linear-phase f.i.r. filter into one having minimum phase, half the degree and a magnitude response that is (or approximates to) the square root of that of the original linear-phase filter.
Effects of the sequence and size of non-polar residues on self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides.

Abstract Peptides with alternating hydrophobic and polar amino acids have been shown to form stable β-sheet secondary structures and self-assemble into hydrogel-like matrices in the presence of physiological salt concentrations. We hypothesized that the sequence and steric size differences of non-polar residues can affect the balance of peptide intermolecular forces in solution that drive self-assembly. To test this hypothesis, we designed a library of artificial amphiphilic peptides based on the sequence (FEFEFKFK) 2 by substituting combinations of the non-polar residues glycine, alanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine for phenylalanine. Peptide structure and self-assembly were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, the Thioflavin T assay, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The sequence and steric size of non-polar residues are shown to cause variations in peptide secondary structures and create significant differences in the matrix morphology of self-assembled peptides.
Theoretical and methodological development in the study of pathological voice quality

Abstract This special issue focuses on the development of theory in the study of communication disorders and its contribution to a broad theoretical framework for describing speech and language processes. In the case of the study of pathological voice quality, little attention has been paid to theoretical development or to issues of measurement validity. Instead, researchers have generally appropriated scales and categories traditionally used in the study of normal vocal quality. In this paper, we describe some theoretical and methodological problems that we think plague the study of pathological vocal quality as a result of the application of methodology first developed to characterize normal behavior and then applied to clinical phenomena. We argue that application of methods from the study of normal phenomena has actually hindered rather than advanced this clinical research area, and describe an alternative approach that addresses issues of the validity and utility of acoustic and perceptual measurements. Because pathological vocal qualities encompass the full range of possible vocal sounds, more systematic, theoretically motivated studies of pathological voice quality can serve as a fertile source of inspiration (and data) for studies of normal processes in voice production and perception.
Nucleotide sequence of hamster S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase cDNA.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding the proenzyme of hamster S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase including 169 nucleotides of the 5′ untranslated region has been determined. The deduced amino acid sequence shows a remarkable similarity to the human proenzyme with only seven differences out of 334 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence of the 5′ untranslated region showed 93% homology with the corresponding rat and human sequences suggesting that this region may play an important role in the regulation of S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase expression.
Transventricular Mitral Valvotomy

In a consecutive series of 200 operations for relief of mitral stenosis, transventricular valvotomy was performed whenever digital valvotomy was found to be ineffective. The operative mortality was 12.5 per cent. In a series of 17 second operations for mitral stenosis, the transventricular method was similarly used, with 2 operative deaths. A left lateral thoracotomy was employed, with reentry through the left atrium. The results of transventricular valvotomy were more satisfactory than when the usual commissurotomy through the left atrium was employed.
Phenotypic and Immunologic Comparison of Clade B Transmitted/Founder and Chronic HIV-1 Envelope Glycoproteins

ABSTRACT Sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) across mucosal barriers is responsible for the vast majority of new infections. This relatively inefficient process results in the transmission of a single transmitted/founder (T/F) virus, from a diverse viral swarm in the donor, in approximately 80% of cases. Here we compared the biological activities of 24 clade B T/F envelopes (Envs) with those from 17 chronic controls to determine whether the genetic bottleneck that occurs during transmission is linked to a particular Env phenotype. To maximize the likelihood of an intact mucosal barrier in the recipients and to enhance the sensitivity of detecting phenotypic differences, only T/F Envs from individuals infected with a single T/F variant were selected. Using pseudotyping to assess Env function in single-round infectivity assays, we compared coreceptor tropism, CCR5 utilization efficiencies, primary CD4 + T cell subset tropism, dendritic cell trans -infections, fusion kinetics, and neutralization sensitivities. T/F and chronic Envs were phenotypically equivalent in most assays; however, T/F Envs were modestly more sensitive to CD4 binding site antibodies b12 and VRC01, as well as pooled human HIV Ig. This finding was independently validated with a panel of 14 additional chronic HIV-1 Env controls. Moreover, the enhanced neutralization sensitivity was associated with more efficient binding of b12 and VRC01 to T/F Env trimers. These data suggest that there are subtle but significant structural differences between T/F and chronic clade B Envs that may have implications for HIV-1 transmission and the design of effective vaccines.
The use and opposition of rape myths in prime-time television dramas

The act of rape violates two deeply held values of American culture: the right to justice and the right of physical integrity. Despite this fact, thousands of women are raped each year. The victim of rape often becomes the target of blame; in one aspect or another she is held accountable for her victimization. Through the use of rape myths, which are grounded in patriarchal expectations of gender role behavior, our culture unites the apparently dichotomous opposites of the rights to justice and physical integrity. While rape myths have received extensive attention from behaviorists, their communication through the mass media has been ignored. This study focuses on the use of, and opposition to, rape myths in prime-time television dramas, as well as discusses the implications of those depictions.
Competency checklists for strabismus surgery and retinopathy of prematurity examination

Purpose To evaluate two checklist tools that are designed to guide, document, and assess resident training in strabismus surgery and examination of infants at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods A panel of staff surgeons from several teaching institutions evaluated the checklists and provided constructive feedback. All former residents who had been trained via the use of these checklist tools were asked to take self-assessment surveys on competency in strabismus surgery and ROP examination. A Likert 5-point scale was used for all evaluations, with 1 being the lowest rating and 5 the highest rating. Results Six experts in strabismus and seven in ROP rated the checklists. Their comments were used to revise the checklists, which were sent to the same group for reevaluation. The mean Likert score for the final checklists was 4.9 of 5.0 for both checklists. Of 16 former residents, 9 responded to the self-assessments with a mean overall score of 4.1 (of 5.0) for strabismus surgery and 3.9 for ROP examination. Conclusions These checklist tools can be used to assess the quality of a resident's training and experience in these specific ophthalmology skills. They are complementary to other curriculum and assessment tools and can serve to organize the educational experience while ensuring a uniformity of training.
Direct ion beam deposition for thin film formation

Abstract Thin film formation by direct ion beam deposition is described. The advantages of the low energy ion beam deposition method are discussed together with limitations of this method. The description of a prototype ion beam deposition system and lead and magnesium ion beam deposition using this system are given in detail. The lead and magnesium deposits are characterized by Rutherford backscattering analysis and electron microscopy. The most important advantage of the low energy ion beam deposition method is the precise controllability of deposition parameters.
Nitric oxide-dependent modification of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase: localization of cysteine target sites.

Skeletal muscle contraction and relaxation is modulated through the reaction of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) protein thiols with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Here, we have utilized high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry and a specific thiol-labeling procedure to identify and quantify cysteine residues of the SR Ca-ATPase that are modified by exposure to nitric oxide (NO). NO and/or NO-derived species inactivate the SR Ca-ATPase and modify a broad spectrum of cysteine residues with highest reactivities towards Cys364, Cys670, and Cys471. The selectivity of NO and NO-derived species towards the SR Ca-ATPase thiols is different from that of peroxynitrite. The efficiency of NO at thiol modification is significantly higher compared with that of peroxynitrite. Hence, NO has the potential to modulate muscle contraction through chemical reaction with the SR Ca-ATPase in vivo.
Pion, Kaon, and Antiproton Production in the Center-of-Mass in High-Energy Proton-Proton Collisions

The differential production cross section $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}\mathrm{dP}}$ has been measured for pions, kaons, and antiprotons produced in 12.5-GeV/c proton-proton collisions. In this experiment we studied the dependence of $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}\mathrm{dP}}$ on the longitudinal and transverse components of the c.m. momenta of the produced particles, ${P}_{l}$ and ${P}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$, while holding all other variables fixed in the center-of-mass system. The ranges of the components measured were ${P}_{l}=0.0\ensuremath{-}1.0$ GeV/c and ${{P}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{2}=0.1\ensuremath{-}1.5$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$. The 12.5-GeV/c extracted proton beam of the Argonne ZGS impinged upon a liquid-hydrogen target. The produced particles were detected by a spectrometer containing two bending magnets and \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}erenkov counters and scintillation counters in coincidence. The incident proton flux was determined by monitor scintillators calibrated during gold-foil irradiations. The cross sections for the production of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ and ${K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ were all found to have an unambiguous Gaussian dependence on ${P}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ over the entire range. In the formula $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}\mathrm{dP}}=B\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}A{{P}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}}^{2})$, we found $A\ensuremath{\approx}3.5$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ for ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ and ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. However, for ${K}^{+}$ we found $A\ensuremath{\approx}2.7$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. In studying the dependence of $\frac{{d}^{2}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}\mathrm{dP}}$ on ${P}_{l}$, we found that the cross section was very strongly peaked about ${P}_{l}\ensuremath{\approx}0.5$ GeV/c, with very few particles produced near ${P}_{l}=0$. This shows that there is no tendency for particles to be produced at rest in the center-of-mass system. (Such production is predicted by the statistical model.) Instead, particles come out in two clouds or "fireballs" following the two departing baryons. These fireballs have a mass of about 2100 MeV.
Challenging cell phone impact on reproduction: a review.

Purpose The radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) produced by cell phones can enhance the excitability of the brain and has recently been classified as carcinogenic. The suggested use of hands-free kits lowers the exposure to the brain, but it might theoretically increase exposure to the reproductive organs. This report summarizes the potential effects of RF-EMR on reproductive potentials in both males and females.
Investigation of pituitary influences on auto analgesia

Abstract (1) The effect of manipulations of pituitary hormonal systems on several paradigms of analgesia, as assessed by the tail-flick procedure, were investigated. (2) Systemic injection of ACTH did not elicit analgesia at 15, 30 or 60 min post injection. (3) Hypophysectomy had no effect upon analgesia elicited by acute foot shock. (4) Analgesia, elicited by classically conditioning fear to the tail-flick procedure, was slightly potentiated by hypophysectomy. (5) Hypophysectomy also potentiated morphine-induced analgesia at 2 and 3 hr, but not at 15, 30 or 60 min post injection. (6) These data suggest that neurochemical events in addition to pituitary-adrenal activation are necessary to elicit autoanalgesia (behaviorally-induced antinociception) and that CNS changes in opioid peptide activity which accompany autoanalgesia are independent of pituitary endorphins.
Vibrational energy relaxation of the OH stretch in liquid methanol

The state-to-state rate of vibrational energy relaxation of the OH-stretch fundamental is investigated via perturbative methods. The system is separated into an 11 degree of freedom methanol molecule and the surrounding bath. Notably, the large amplitude torsional motion is considered a bath degree of freedom, and the 11 small amplitude normal modes are expanded in a Fourier series of the torsional angle. The methanol-bath coupling is computed through the use of a molecular dynamics simulation, and the results are computed using Landau−Teller and time dependent perturbation theory. Results are compared to the ultrafast pump−probe experiments of L. K. Iwaki and D. D. Dlott [J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 9101].
Resource Loss, Resource Gain, and Mental Health Among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Prior research has shown that losses of personal, social, and material resources resulting from traumatic events significantly contribute to psychopathology. Gains of such resources have been shown to have protective effects on posttrauma mental health. Few previous studies of resource change, however, have controlled for pretrauma mental health. The current study, which included 402 survivors of Hurricane Katrina, made use of data collected prehurricane to examine patterns of loss and gain and subsequent mental health. The loss of social support, physical health, and personal property were shown to significantly affect posthurricane psychological distress over and above the effect of prehurricane psychological functioning and disaster exposure. Gains in resources showed no effect. Implications for practice and policy were discussed. Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, devastating the Gulf Coast region of the United States and contributing to the death of nearly 2,000 residents. The storm and its aftermath led to elevated health and mental health difficulties among survivors (e.g., Galea et al., 2007; Weisler, Barbee, & Townsend, 2006). Low-income, Black, single mothers were at particularly high risk for suffering these adverse effects (JonesDeWeever, 2008). Their communities sustained relatively more damage, and the stress of the disaster amplified ongoing struggles with substandard child-care and educational options, racial discrimination, and economic hardship (Spence, Lachlan, & Griffin, 2007). It is important to note, however, that declines in functioning among survivors are neither consistent nor inevitable. Previous research has identified a range of risk and protective factors that seem to accelerate or attenuate the psychological impact of natural disasters. Fewer personal, social, and material resources, for example, have also been associated with poor postdisaster psychological functioning (Brewin, Andrews, & Valentine, 2000; Norris & Kaniasty, 1996). The conservation of resources (COR; Hobfoll, 1989) model is a useful framework for understanding variability in survivors’ responses to natural disaster and for identifying who may be at the highest risk for psychological distress. Briefly, the COR model proposes that individuals naturally seek to acquire and maintain
Grandparents and Learning

The educational needs of grandparents have been overlooked. They deserve access to a curriculum that can help them adjust to their changing role and illustrate how to build satisfying family relationships. In order to identify appropriate topics and instructional procedures for grandparent education, weekly meetings were held for a semester with 400 grandmothers and grandfathers. The resulting program includes experiences in sharing feelings and ideas with peers; listening to the views of younger people; studying lifespan growth and adjustment; acquiring intergenerational communication skills; and focusing self-evaluation. A field test involving several hundred participants, equally divided into experimental and control groups, is underway to determine the worthwhileness of this approach to family development.
Homojunction interfacial workfunction internal photoemission (HIWIP) infrared detectors

A wavelength tunable far-infrared (FIR) detector based on the interfacial workfunction (IWF) between a heavily doped absorber/emitter layer and a lightly doped (or intrinsic) layer (same material) forming a homojunction is presented. The concept somewhat similar to the classic photoelectric effect was successfully demonstrated using commercial p-i-n structures. The forward biased Si, Ge, and InGaAs samples were operated at cryogenic temperatures. Threshold wavelengths ((lambda) t) from around 40 - 220 micrometers for Si and up to 240 micrometers for Ge were experimentally obtained. A model was developed to analyze the photoresponse and the dark current leading to detector figures of merit. The effect of the space charge region on the barrier height and the barrier position is investigated for a thick sample similar to the p-i-n structures.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A vibrational analysis of the O2 (A3Σ+u) Herzberg I system using rocket data

Abstract An observation of the u.v. nightglow between 2670 and 3040 A was conducted over White Sands Missile Range on 22 October 1984. A 1 4 m spectrometer operating at 3.5 A resolution viewed the Earth's limb at tangent heights between 90 and 110 km for 120 s. A total of 41 spectral scans of the nightglow were obtained with the brightest feature being the O2 (A3Σu+−X3Σg−) Herzberg I bands. The data were sorted into two groups, one from the top side of the layer and one containing the emission peak, and compared with synthetic spectra. The deduced O2 (A3Σu+) vibrational distributions indicate that at low altitudes, the higher vibrational levels ( v > 6) were relatively depleted; however, the magnitude of the vibrational shift is much less than that predicted from theories of vibrational relaxation. It is shown that increasing the electronic quenching of O2 (A3Σg+) with respect to the vibrational quenching can reduce the vibrational shift in the model and qualitatively explain the observations; however, several details of the vibrational distribution are not well reproduced.
Intrasubject Medication Adherence Patterns

The purpose of this prospective descriptive study was to explore the patterns of intrasubject (between medication) adherence of two similarly timed, twice-daily medications using the Medication Event Management System electronic monitoring cap. Medication adherence was measured for 6 months using electronic monitoring in 25 adult renal-transplant recipients. Data were available from 7,119 electronic medication events. Results indicated that two twice-daily medications scheduled to be taken simultaneously were taken within 5 min of each other 77% of the time and within 10 min, 92% of the time. When only the first scheduled dose of the day was examined, the results are 79% and 95%, respectively. These findings are important to researchers and clinicians who must evaluate medication adherence in transplant recipients while balancing cost and subject burden. This study provides empirical support for monitoring a single immunosuppressive medication electronically to estimate medication adherence with double or triple immunosuppressive drug therapy.
Involvement of SH2-containing phosphotyrosine phosphatase Syp in erythropoietin receptor signal transduction pathways.

Erythropoietin (Epo) regulates the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid precursors. The phosphorylation of proteins at tyrosine residues is critical in the growth signaling induced by Epo. This mechanism is regulated by the activities of both protein-tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. The discovery of phosphotyrosine phosphatases that contain SH2 domains suggests roles for these molecules in growth factor signaling pathways. We found that Syp, a phosphotyrosine phosphatase, widely expressed in all tissues in mammals became phosphorylated on tyrosine after stimulation with Epo in M07ER cells engineered to express high levels of human EpoR. Syp was complexed with Grb2 in Epo-stimulated M07ER cells. Direct binding between Syp and Grb2 was also observed in vitro. Furthermore, Syp appeared to bind directly to tyrosine-phosphorylated EpoR in M07ER cells. Both NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal SH2 domains of Syp, made as glutathione S-trnsferase fusion proteins, were able to bind to the tyrosine-phosphorylated EpoR in vitro. These results suggest that Syp may be an important signaling component downstream of the EpoR and may regulate the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells.
Uptake of glycine by human kidney cortex

Abstract The transport of glycine was investigated in histologically normal adult human kidney cortical slices. Uptake occurs against a gradient and shows concentration dependence. Kinetic analysis reveals two systems for transport of glycine with apparent transport K m values of 0.511 and 34.2 m M . Glycine transport on the high-K m system is competitively inhibited by 50 m M l-proline. Transport inhibition on the low-K m system could not be directly evaluated, but on theoretic grounds appears not to be inhibited by l-proline or hydroxyproline. Alpha-aminoisobutyric acid, valine, and thioproline are also shown to inhibit glycine uptake. Low medium sodium or anaerobic incubation depress the uptake of glycine. These observations are consistent with previous reports of glycine transport in rat kidney and support the proposals for the mechanism of familial iminoglycinuria based on in vivo investigations.
CuInSe2/Cd(Zn)S solar cell modeling and analysis

Abstract The CuInSe 2 /CdS solar cell can be modeled as a heterojunction with charge on its interface. Many of the time-dependent and intensity-dependent phenomena seen in current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements can be treated with this model. A comparison of the electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) results and the spectral response of the cells shows that only EBIC profiles which show strong response at the heterojunction are consistent with the flat (from 0.5 to 1.2 μm) spectral response of the cell.
A compact programmable analog classifier using a VMM + WTA network

We present the VMM+WTA structure as a general-purpose, low-power, compact, programmable classifier architecture and demonstrate its equivalence to a 2-layer perceptron. The classifier generates event outputs and is suitable for integration with event-driven systems. We present measured data from simple linear and non-linear classifier structures on a 0.35μm chip and demonstrate the implementation of an XOR function using a 1-layer VMM+WTA classifier.
Majocchi's granuloma after antithymocyte globulin therapy in a liver transplant patient.

A. Gega, G. Ketsela, F.L. Glavin, C. Soldevilla-Pico, D. Schain. Majocchi's granuloma after antithymocyte globulin therapy in a liver transplant patient. Transpl Infect Dis 2010: 12: 143–145. All rights reserved Abstract: Majocchi's granuloma (MG) is an atypical and uncommon presentation of dermatophytic infection involving the invasion of dermal and subcutaneous tissue by fungal organisms. It usually begins as a suppurative folliculitis and may culminate in the development of widespread granulomas. Immunosuppressed patients are at increased risk, especially those with T-cell deficiencies. We describe a case of inguinal MG in a liver transplant patient who had received antithymocyte globulin for acute rejection.
On Unifying Privacy and Uncertain Data Models

The problem of privacy-preserving data mining has been studied extensively in recent years because of the increased amount of personal information which is available to corporations and individuals. Most privacy transformations use some form of data perturbation or representational ambiguity in order to reduce the risk of identification. The final results from privacy transformation methods often require the underlying applications to be modified in order to work with the new representation of the data. Since the end results of privacy-transformation methods have not been standardized, the required modifications may vary with the method used for the privacy transformation. In some cases, it can be an enormous effort to re-design applications to work with the anonymized data. While the results of privacy-transformation methods are a natural form of uncertain data, the two problems have generally been studied independently. In this paper, we make a first attempt to unify the two fields, and propose a privacy transformation for which existing uncertain data management tools can be directly used. This is a great advantage, since it means that the wide spectrum of research available for uncertain data management can also be used for privacy-preserving data mining. We propose an uncertain version of the k-anonymity model which is related to the well known deterministic model of k- anonymity. The uncertain version of the k-anonymity model has the additional feature of introducing greater uncertainty for the adversary over an equivalent deterministic model. As specific instantiations of this approach, we test the effectiveness of the privacy transformation on the problems of query estimation and classification, and show that the technique retains greater accuracy than other k-anonymity models.
Lipid Globules Retain Globule Membrane Material After Homogenization

Abstract The composition of lipid globules collected by centrifugal flotation after homogenization was compared with globules from unprocessed milk. Lipid globules from homogenized milk contained more protein but less total lipid, phospholipid, and cholesterol than globules from equal volumes of unprocessed milk. Homogenization did not alter distribution of individual phospholipids in globules and skim milk. Homogenization induced redistribution of the membrane-associated enzymes 5′-nucleotidase and acid phosphatase between lipid globules and skim milk whereas distribution of phosphodiesterase largely was unaffected. Homogenization altered morphology of membrane surrounding lipid globules. Numerous casein micelles appeared to be associated with membrane-like material on surfaces of homogenized milk lipid globules. Membrane-associated coat material was less intensely stained, and some unit membrane was obscured or lost. Xanthine oxidase and butyrophilin, major milk lipid globule membrane-associated polypeptides, remained associated with lipid globules from homogenized milk. Results suggested that homogenization induced some loss of membrane material from the floating lipid globule fraction but that a large proportion of the original membrane material remained on lipid globule surfaces.
Wind-tunnel measurements of ignition delay using shock-induced combustion.

Abstract : Shock-induced combustion of fuel-air mixtures in a pebble bed-heated wind tunnel was utilized to obtain values of induction time, permitting an evaluation of the importance of certain kinetic parameters and qualitative evaluation of the effect of small contamination levels. Fuels tested were hydrogen, ethylene, acetylene, propane, and methane. Certain tools of research commonly used with shock tubes were adapted for these measurements. In particular, a traveling monochromator was used to observe the distribution of characteristic emissions and a traveling OH absorption apparatus indicated OH radical densities, both in the flame zone and in the induction zone. Other necessary measurements, both upstream and downstream of the shock, included static and impact pressures, Mach number, fuel concentration, and stagnation temperature. The usual kinetics calculation with time as the independent variable was modified to predict the streamwise distribution of chemical species behind the shock, in the presence of velocity, temperature and pressure gradients, as well as various ambient densities of OH radicals. The latter may be caused by the dissociation of very small amounts of water vapor, or by a partial reaction between the fuel jet and air, without exothermic effects. (Author)
Dissolved protein fluorescence in two Maine estuaries

Abstract Fluorescence of dissolved proteinaceous materials was examined in two estuaries differing primarily in river input. Low-wavelength excitation (220–230 nm) was found to be more useful than the high-wavelength excitation (280 nm) usually reported in the literature. Levels of fluorescence in estuarine samples were of the order to be expected from the probable levels of dissolved amino acids. However, quantitation of protein levels by fluorescence, even in relative terms, is virtually impossible, due to positive interferences among the two amino acid peaks and humic material and negative interference by various types of quenching. Salinity has little or no effect on quantum yield. Proteinaceous fluorescence along estuarine transects was noisy, with some positive correlations with chlorophyll levels. Noisy data are consistent with the short lifetimes of proteins in seawater. Sediments appeared to provide a source of proteinaceous fluorescence. Seaward samples tended to show higher tyrosine peaks while upstream samples were richer in tryptophan emission.
Toxoplasma co-opts host gene expression by injection of a polymorphic kinase homologue

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can cause severe disease in humans with an immature or suppressed immune system. The outcome of Toxoplasma infection is highly dependent on the strain type, as are many of its in vitro growth properties1. Here we use genetic crosses between type II and III lines to show that strain-specific differences in the modulation of host cell transcription are mediated by a putative protein kinase, ROP16. Upon invasion by the parasite, this polymorphic protein is released from the apical organelles known as rhoptries and injected into the host cell, where it ultimately affects the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signalling pathways and consequent downstream effects on a key host cytokine, interleukin (IL)-12. Our findings provide a new mechanism for how an intracellular eukaryotic pathogen can interact with its host and reveal important differences in how different Toxoplasma lineages have evolved to exploit this interaction.
Aortotomy site infections: case presentation and review of the literature

A patient with Aspergillus fumigatus infection involving an aortotomy site with multiple peripheral emboli following implantation of an aortic valve prosthesis for rheumatic heart disease is described. Eleven aortotomy site infections are reviewed from the literature. Eight cases were caused by fungi with Aspergillus sp accounting for four cases. Presenting symptoms were nondiagnostic and multiple. However, the diagnosis of aortotomy site infection should be entertained in patients who have had aortic valve surgery who develop fever and embolic phenomena with or without positive blood cultures coupled with no evidence of valve dysfunction, and who respond inappropriately to antibiotic therapy. Ten of the 11 patients reviewed from the literature died. Therapy should be directed at early recognition followed by prompt early surgery combined with the use of proper antimicrobial agents directed against the isolated microorganism.
Stability of B 7 Fibers

Recent experimental studies have found that fluid smectic phases of bent core liquid crystals form stable free standing fibers with extremely high slenderness ratios. In [1] a model was proposed to explain their formation based on the distinctive packing properties of bent core molecules in the SmCG phase. Here we develop this model further to include smectic energy terms so as to allow more general configurations and fields. We show that the relative size of the energy's elasticity constants can be used to determine the stability (instability) of circular fibers.
Gradient and spin echo(cardiographic) magnetic resonance imaging: prevalence of descriptive errors in published articles.

Recently, while correcting a set of galley proofs, we noticed a curious error: the term gradient-echo had been changed by the production editor to gradient-echocardiographic. Although initially puzzling, the etiology of this error soon became apparent. Cardiac ultrasound (i.e., echocardiography) is widely referred to as “echo,” unfortunately, even in formal writing. Long-suffering production editors are often in the habit of expanding “echo” to “echocardiography” or “echocardiographic” as appropriate, and had mistakenly applied this putative correction to our manuscript, although “gradient echo” and “spin echo” are technical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) terms. More recently, an identical error was noted in final print form in another manuscript, raising the question of the prevalence of this accidental “mixed-modality” error.
African marriage systems: Perspectives from evolutionary ecology

T here are many characteristics of contemporary African societies that puzzle demographers and others concerned with economic and social modernization. One of the most prominent is that the birth rate remains in both urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa in spite of the presence of several factors that supposedly promote lowering of fertility (McNicoll 1980). Some of these factors are increased survivorship of children into adulthood, increased availability of education and levels of educational attainment (for both sexes), increased urbanization, and increased monetarization of the economy via migratory wage labor and cash cropping. Each of these is normally thought to promote the freeing of young people from the control of elders and to foster the development of economically independent nuclear families, close conjugal relations between spouses, and parenting practices with more intense investment in smaller numbers of higher quality children (Caldwell 1977a, 1977b, 1982; Caldwell and Okonjo 1968; Anker et al., eds. 1982; Sudarkasa 1977; Page and Lesthaeghe 1981; see Barkow and Burley [ 19801 and Vining [1986] for further biosocial consideration of demographic transition.) Instead, in much of Africa, not only among country people but among urban populations as well, there persists high fertility and a pattern of parental investment in which both mothers and fathers invest, by Western standards, relatively little in each offspring and pursue a pattern of delegated parental responsibility (Draper and Harpending 1988). Coupled with low investment parenting is a mating patern that permits early sexual activity,
Comparison of Synovial Fluid in Middle Carpal Joints Undergoing Needle Aspiration, Infusion with Saline, and Infusion with a Combination of N-Acetyl-d-Glucosamine, Hyaluronic Acid, and Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate

Synovial fluid white blood cell (WBC) count and total protein (TP) concentration were evaluated in the midcarpal joints of horses to not only determine the effects of needle aspiration, infusion with saline, and infusion with a combination of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, hyaluronan, and sodium chondroitin sulfate (GHCS) at two different doses to evaluate the latter for safety, but to also provide information on saline injection as a control in joints. The midcarpal joints from 24 horses were used for this study. One midcarpal joint served as an untreated control, in which only synovial fluid was aspirated, whereas the opposite joint received either 2.5 mL isotonic saline (n = 8 horses), 2.5 mL of GHCS (n = 8 horses), or 7.5 mL of GHCS (n = 8 horses). Synovial fluid WBC and TP concentration were measured on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21. Needle aspiration caused a transient increase in synovial fluid WBC and TP levels after 1 day. Instillation of fluid (2.5 mL), whether saline or GHCS, caused significantly higher WBC and TP concentrations. GHCS at a dose of 7.5 mL created an elevation in TP level for an additional 48 hours; however, after 48 hours, WBC and TP were at concentrations that were not statistically different from controls. Even though an increase in WBC and TP concentrations occurred because of intra-articular saline and GHCS administration, these results were transient demonstrating that GHCS is no different than saline on synovial fluid, WBC, and TP parameters and that as previously described short-term elevation in synovial fluid inflammatory parameters should be expected when saline is used as a control.
Evaluation By Checklist: Debating the Effectiveness:

Bubblemania is a disease that seems to be spreading throughout school districts. The causes are known, the symptoms are becoming increasingly evident, and the results may be potentially devastating...
DYNAMIC CONTROL TO IMPROVE THE SEPARATION PERFORMANCE IN CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

Dynamic control in capillary electrophoresis (CE) is able to provide better resolution, shorter separation time, reduced band broadening and better reproducibility for the separations of organic and inorganic ions and large molecules such as proteins and DNA. This article provides an overview of dynamic control in CE by several techniques: pH, temperature, external electric field, and field amplification. These techniques take advantage of the changes in electroosmotic flow coefficient, electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes due to changes in equilibrium, viscosity of the buffer solution, and/or electric field strength. The basic theories and applications to the improvement of the separation performance for standard samples in CE by using these dynamic control techniques are presented. Finally, the advantages and shortcomings of these techniques and the future trends of dynamic control for the separations of real samples are discussed.
Bridged ferrocenes. 10. Structural phenomena

The structures of 1,1',2,2'-bis(tetramethylene)ferrocene, I, 1,1',2,2',4,4'-tris(tetramethylene)ferrocene, II, and 1,1',2,2',4,4'-tris(pentamethylene)ferrocene, III, are given and are compared to the previously determined structure of 1,1',2,2',4,4'-tris(trimethylene)ferrocene, IV. The iron-to-ring distances are consistent with the reported Moessbauer spectra and redox potentials. The cyclopentadienyl rings are eclipsed in the compounds with trimethylene and pentamethylene bridges but are staggered by 12-14 in the compounds with tetramethylene bridges. In compounds with tetra- and pentamethylene bridges the presence of staggering or eclipsing is attributed to the need to avoid eclipsing of the protons in the bridges. In the compound with three trimethylene bridges, the shortness of the bridges is of primary importance. The staggered conformation observed in I and II may be the source of the apparent anomalies observed in the ring-proton region of the NMR spectra of bridged ferrocenes. The bridge-proton region of the NMR spectra at 360 MHz are given for I and other bridged ferrocenes. Disorder of the bridge carbons observed in the crystals are correlated with the flipping of the bridges observed in the NMR spectra. 30 references, 8 tables.
Laboratory biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease

Diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease and the related dementias have long depended principally on clinical examination, especially cognitive testing. Establishment of biomarkers, which might assist in diagnosis or tracking of disease progression, would be a highly valuable addition to the care of patients. Such biomarkers are potentially available from body fluids and tissues as well as from brain imaging data. As specific disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease are developed, biomarkers may improve diagnostic accuracy and facilitate clinical trials, allowing a better gauge of treatment response. In this review, we focus on biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, including measurements of the proteins tau and beta-amyloid.
Estimating the argument of approximate conformal mappings

Let fbe analytic in the unit disk E f(0)=0f(z) ≢ 0 otherwise. We consider the problem of estimating the argument for given bounds for . Such problems arise in measuring the accuracy of approximate conformal mappings of simply connected domains onto the unit disk.
Follicular-Patterned Tumors of the Thyroid: The Battle of Benign vs. Malignant vs. So-called Uncertain

This article will review the controversial area of follicular-patterned thyroid tumors. The literature is discussed with emphasis on pathologic diagnosis and the criteria for malignancy. In addition, the current state of knowledge regarding molecular markers and their utility in diagnosing benign from malignant nodules is described. Finally, the apparent lack of consistency with regard to results of certain immunohistochemical markers is included.
Massively parallel computing and the search for jets and black holes at the LHC

Abstract Massively parallel computing at the LHC could be the next leap necessary to reach an era of new discoveries at the LHC after the Higgs discovery. Scientific computing is a critical component of the LHC experiment, including operation, trigger, LHC computing GRID, simulation, and analysis. One way to improve the physics reach of the LHC is to take advantage of the flexibility of the trigger system by integrating coprocessors based on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) or the Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture into its server farm. This cutting edge technology provides not only the means to accelerate existing algorithms, but also the opportunity to develop new algorithms that select events in the trigger that previously would have evaded detection. In this paper we describe new algorithms that would allow us to select in the trigger new topological signatures that include non-prompt jet and black hole-like objects in the silicon tracker.
Bubble nucleation; static forces in hollow-half-bubbles

It is suggested that the nucleation of bubbles may proceed through an intermediate stage of formation and growth of hollow-half-bubbles. The hollow-half-bubble can be formed by a simple, continuous deformation of the magnetization in the film. The inner wall repels the outer wall and facilitates its expansion. The inner wall is not stable, but the contractive driving force is relatively small. Hence, particularly in the presence of coercivity, the inner wall may survive sufficiently long to stabilize the outer wall. A transparent graphical analysis of the stability conditions of each wall is given.
Autografting and PUVA. A combination therapy for vitiligo.

A novel approach to the management of vitiligo is described using a combination of epidermal autografts transplanted into the depigmented areas and psoralen-ultraviolet-A (PUVA) therapy. Epidermal autografts can be obtained rapidly and in large numbers using a device that combines the synergistic effects of suction and heat on the skin. Subsequent exposure to PUVA therapy promotes spread of pigmentation out of the grafts resulting in even and complete pigmentation. In certain situations, the combination therapy appears to offer the potential for avoiding the disadvantages of both of the two treatments when they are used alone. This article presents our preliminary work in the development of the methodology for this combined approach. J Dermatol Surg Oncol 1992:18:357–360
Whatever happened to Pittsburgh Compound-A?

The intrigue surrounding the fate of Pittsburgh Compound-A may not rank alongside the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the ApoE1 allele, but it is a question we are often asked. The question provides a nice segue to this brief history of our work on amyloid imaging with Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB). This work formed the basis for our selection to share the 2008 Potamkin Prize with Clifford R. Jack, MD, who was likewise acknowledged for his pioneering and extensive work in magnetic resonance imaging in Alzheimer disease (AD). It is a great honor for us to join the list of previous winners of the prize inspired by Luba Potamkin
Effect of gallium oxide in preventing cristobalite formation in binary borosilicate glass composite

When an appropriate mixture of low-softening borosilicate (BSG) and high-softening high silica (HSG) glasses is sintered at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000 °C, a crystalline phase, identified as cristobalite by XRD, is known to precipitate out of the initial amorphous binary mixture of glasses as the sintering continues. The precipitation of cristobalite is found to originate in HSG and is controlled by the transport of alkali ions (e.g., K, Na, and Li) from BSG to HSG.1 In this paper we report that when a small amount of gallium oxide is present as a dopant in the above binary mixture of BSG and HSG, the cristobalite formation is completely prevented at the sintering temperatures investigated. The above result is attributed to a strong affinity between Ga+3 from gallium oxide particle and alkali ions from BSG, which diverts the diffusion of alkali ions from HSG to gallium oxide, thus forming a K+ and Ga+3-rich reaction layer adjacent to gallium oxide particles far too rapidly compared with that of cristobalite formation.