cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determining local thermal transport in a composite uranium-nitride/silicide nuclear fuel using square-pulse transient thermoreflectance technique

Abstract Laser-based techniques have become an appealing option for determining the thermal diffusivities (D) and conductivities (k) of nuclear materials that would otherwise prove too hazardous or difficult to measure otherwise. These techniques have enabled non-destructive and non-contact thermal transport measurements with micron level spatial resolution. In this study, a new thermoreflectance technique known as square-pulse transient thermoreflectance (SPTR) is described and used to determine D values of both uranium sesquisilicide (U3Si2) and uranium nitride (UN) phases in a composite fuel. An extensive sensitivity analysis was conducted that identified the optimal measurement parameters of standard materials with a range of thermal transport properties comparable to those of various fuel types. The standards were measured using both SPTR as well as a spatial-domain thermoreflectance technique (SDTR). Several U3Si2 and UN phase regions of polished UN/U3Si2 (70/30 vol%) samples were measured using both methods, and the resulting calculated D and k values are reported, with both techniques showing excellent agreement between samples. Finally, the ability to use the technique for local diffusivity mapping was demonstrated over a multiphase region, and could be used to determine thermal transport properties in precipitates, secondary phases, and irradiation-damaged regions of post-irradiated fuel samples.
Important features of the potential energy surface of the methylamine plus O(1D) reaction

This research presents an ab initio characterization of the potential energy surface for the methylamine plus 1D oxygen atom reaction, which may be relevant to interstellar chemistry. Geometries and harmonic vibrational frequencies were determined for all stationary points at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. The focal point method along with several additive corrections was used to obtain reliable CCSDT(Q)/CBS potential energy surface features. Extensive conformational analysis and intrinsic reaction coordinate computations were performed to ensure accurate chemical connectivity of the stationary points. Five minima were determined to be possible products of this reaction and three novel transition states were found that were previously unreported or mislabeled in the literature. The pathways we present can be used to guide further searches for NH2 containing species in the interstellar medium.
Is Reconstruction of Large Mandibular Defects Using Bioengineering Materials Effective

Purpose Clinical tissue engineering has revolutionized surgery by improving surgical efficiency and decreasing the risks associated with traditional bone graft procurement techniques. Compared with autogenous bone grafts, composite tissue-engineered grafts fulfill the principles of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis and provide adequate bone volume for maxillofacial reconstruction with less morbidity. The present study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness, as defined by our success criteria, of a composite tissue-engineered bone graft in the reconstruction of mandibular defects. Patients and Methods We implemented a retrospective case series and enrolled a sample of patients with mandibular defects that had been reconstructed using allogeneic bone combined with recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 and bone marrow aspirate concentrate at our institution during a 5-year period. The success criteria were as follows: 1) bone union, defined as a homogenous radiopaque pattern continuous with native bone without mandibular mobility; and 2) volume of grafted bone adequate for implant placement, defined as at least 1.0 cm (height) by 0.8 cm (width). Clinical examinations and computed tomography scans were performed at 6 months postoperatively. Descriptive statistics were computed for each variable. Results From 2014 to 2019, tissue engineering reconstruction was used in 31 patients with and 3 patients without mandibular continuity defects, for a total of 34 patients. The median follow-up was 6 months. The mean length of the continuity defects was 5.5 cm (range, 1.0 to 12.5). Of the 30 patients with mandibular continuity defects, 27 achieved success according to our criteria, with an average gained height of 2.12 ± 0.64 cm and width of 1.53 ± 0.46 cm. Of the 34 patients, 1 was lost to follow-up, and treatment failed in 3 patients. Conclusions Although the use of autogenous graft remains the reference standard, the evolving science behind clinical tissue engineering has resulted in an effective treatment modality for complex head and neck defects with less morbidity and graft material equal to that of autogenous bone.
Optical Parametric Oscillation using 4H-SiC-on-Insulator Nanophotonics

We experimentally demonstrate 22 mW-threshold on-chip optical parametric oscillation using 4H-SiC-on-insulator microring resonators. Low-loss, high-confinement resonators may exhibit threshold powers as low as 6 mW.
Lutetium-177 Dotatate Therapy, Revolutionizing the Way Somatostatin Receptor-Positive Neuroendocrine Tumors are Treated

3072 Objectives: The incidence of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has increased in prevalence by 6-folds over the past 4 decades, becoming much more common than ever before. Furthermore, there is an average of a 5-7 year delay in the diagnosis, resulting in advanced metastatic cases at the time of diagnosis in over 50% of patients with NETs. Since the approval of Lutetium-177 (Lu-177) Dotatate (Lutathera) by the FDA in January 2018 for NETs, good response to therapy has been widely reported by NM facilities offering such therapy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and provide education on the logistics surrounding Lutathera therapy, with regards to patient preparation, radiopharmaceutical administration, and radiation safety issues. Methods: The patient preparation and protocols that are already set in place by hospitals for Lutathera therapy were reviewed. Nuclear Medicine physicians and technologists that have been working with Lu-177 Dotatate therapy were interviewed about the current process and potential issues. Results: Given the potential of renal toxicity, the standard of care protocol for the delivery of Lutathera includes Amino Acid pretreatment to protect the kidneys, as well as antiemetics to minimize nausea/vomiting caused by the Amino Acid. The Lutathera dose is typically given over a 30-minute infusion; however, the whole therapy protocol, including the administration of the non-radiopharmaceutical (antiemetic and Amino Acids), is a 4-6 hour process. Furthermore, while many facilities allow NM technologists privileges to administer non-radiopharmaceuticals within the department, some facilities limit such privilege to a nurse to start treatment and monitor the patient’s vital signs. Per the NRC, Lutetium-177 (T1/2 = 6.7 days) may contain Lu-177m as a contaminant with a T1/2 of 161 days, which contributes approximately 0.02 percent of the total amount of Lu-177. Such a contaminant can not be decayed in storage under rule 10 CFR 35.92, “Decay-in-storage,” because its half-life is greater than 120 days. This issue is requiring NM centers to contract with an outside company who will take care of the waste disposal and assure that it is properly being handled. Furthermore, most NM facilities are functioning with only one bathroom for radioactive patients. Any contamination from Lutathera patients may lead to, at best, labor-intensive decontamination efforts, or at worst, closure of a bathroom for weeks or even months in the case of Lu -177m. Conclusions: While Lutathera has helped with the treatment of metastatic NETs, some medical facilities have opted against its use or are not ready for the introduction of theranostics, as they do not have the means to deliver this service, whether that be sufficient staffing, disposal procedures, infrastructure, or a combination of all. Future NM centers should include a theranostic designated area and team capable of a safe and effective delivery of current and upcoming radionuclide therapeutic options.
Operational Codes, Institutional Learning and the Optimistic Model of Post-Communist Social Change

This paper discusses the conceptual model behind the widespread belief that in post Communist societies, once the democratic and market institutions are introduced, the emerging values and beliefs engendered by those very institutions will create the conditions for the consolidation and reproduction of democracy and market economy. The model is subjected to a double assessment: a critical theoretical review followed by an empirical test conducted through a case study. Both raise questions regarding the realism of the model and show that the direct relationship between institutional structures, institutional learning and the emerging values and beliefs (defined in this study as ‘operational codes’), a key relationship on which the model is based, is difficult to establish and substantiate. The paper concludes by pointing out the necessity to further elaborate the initial model in order to accommodate problems such as the emergence of institutional rigidities and learning blockages, and the emergence of dysfunctional values (values and beliefs that do not support and reproduce but undermine the institutional structures that shaped them initially), and to incorporate a theory of institutional change in which the evolution and change of beliefs, ideas and values play a much more preeminent place.
Abstract 3049: Tumor treating fields induce DNA damage and apoptosis in medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children and accounts for approximately 20% of all pediatric central nervous system tumors. Current multimodal treatment has led to a 70-90% five-year overall survival rate, however, the prognosis for patients with tumor dissemination and recurrent MB remains poor. Additionally, the majority of survivors exhibit long-term neurocognitive and neuroendocrine complications because of the cytotoxic drugs and high dose radiation. Consequently, more effective and less toxic treatments are necessary in order to raise the quality of life for these young patients. Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are an exciting new therapeutic opportunity for MB. TTFields are low intensity, alternating electric fields that disrupt cell division through physical interactions with key molecules during mitosis. The side effects from TTFields treatments are incredibly low, making it an ideal candidate for MB therapy. Currently TTFields were found to increase the survival of adult brain tumor patients by dysregulating the cytoskeletal network leading to mitotic arrest and as well as other varied multi-modal mechanisms of action. To determine if TTFields can be an effective treatment for MB, we conducted an in vitro study treating multiple MB cell lines with TTFields. We discovered that TTFields treatment reduced MB cell growth (Daoy, Med1-MB, D425, and D283) with an optimal frequency of 200-250 kHz. We also observed that TTFields treatment dysregulated actin polymerization that corresponded with a reduction in cell motility and invasion. TTFields treatment also caused DNA damage (γH2AX, 53BP1) that correlated with an increase in apoptotic cells. To expand on these initial findings, we conducted a combinatorial study with the small molecule inhibitor, CX-4945. CX-4945 is an inhibitor to casein kinase 2 and is currently being used in a phase I clinical trial to treat recurrent MB (NCT03904862). We discovered that CX-4945 enhanced the growth reduction of TTFields treatment. In addition, combining CX-4945 and TTFields increased the number of cells with dysregulated actin which correlated with a decrease in MB migration and invasion. Our findings demonstrate that TTFields may be a novel and less toxic method to treat MB patients. Citation Format: Ryan T. Nitta, Gordon Li. Tumor treating fields induce DNA damage and apoptosis in medulloblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3049.
High-Resolution, High-Sensitivity Time-Stretch Spectroscopy based on Optical Sampling by Cavity Tuning

We report experimental demonstration of sub-GHz spectral resolution and 10-18-J power sensitivity with a time-wavelength optical sampling spectrometer based on optical sampling by laser cavity tuning.
Perceptions of high-tech controlled environment agriculture among local food consumers: using interviews to explore sense-making and connections to good food

In recent years, new forms of high-tech controlled environment agriculture (CEA) have received increased attention and investment. These systems integrate a suite of technologies – including automation, LED lighting, vertical plant stacking, and hydroponic fertilization – to allow for greater control of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and light in an enclosed growing environment. Proponents insist that CEA can produce sustainable, nutritious, and tasty local food, particularly for the cities of the future. At the same time, a variety of critics raise concerns about its environmental impacts and energy use, high startup costs, and consumer accessibility challenges, among other issues. At this stage, however, relatively little research has explored actual consumer knowledge and attitudes related to CEA processes and products. Guided by theories of sense-making, this article draws from structured interviews with local food consumers in New York City to examine what people know and think about high-tech CEA. From there, it explores the extent to which CEA fits into consumer conceptualizations of what makes for “good food.” Key findings emphasize that significant gaps in public understanding of CEA remain, that CEA products’ success will depend on the ability of the industry to deliver on its environmental promises, and that concerns about “unnatural” aspects of CEA will need to be allayed. Given the price premium at which high-tech CEA products are currently sold, the industry’s expansion will depend in large part on its ability to convince value-oriented food consumers that the products meet the triple-bottom-line of economic, social, and environmental sustainability goals.
Transposable element diversity remains high in gigantic genomes

ABSTRACT Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences of DNA that replicate and proliferate throughout genomes. Taken together, all the TEs in a genome form a diverse community of sequences, which can be studied to draw conclusions about genome evolution. TE diversity can be measured using models for ecological community diversity that consider species richness and evenness. Several models predict TE diversity decreasing as genomes expand because of selection against ectopic recombination and/or competition among TEs to garner host replicative machinery and evade host silencing mechanisms. Salamanders have some of the largest vertebrate genomes and highest TE loads. Salamanders of the genus Plethodon, in particular, have genomes that range in size from 20 to 70 Gb. Here, we use Oxford Nanopore sequencing to generate low-coverage genomic sequences for four species of Plethodon that encompass two independent genome expansion events, one in the eastern clade (P. cinereus, 29.3 Gb vs. P. glutinosus, 38.9 Gb) and one in the western clade (P. vehiculum, 46.4 Gb vs P. idahoensis, 67.0 Gb). We classified the TEs in these genomes and found ~52 TE superfamilies, accounting for 27-32% of the genomes. We calculated Simpson’s and Shannon’s diversity indices to quantify overall TE diversity. In both pairwise comparisons, the diversity index values for the smaller and larger genome were almost identical. This result indicates that, when genomes reach extremely large sizes, they maintain high levels of TE diversity at the superfamily level, in contrast to predictions made by previous studies on smaller genomes.
Stem cells and glaucoma

Patients frequently ask about the applicability of stem cell research and therapy for their glaucoma. Stem cell therapies do offer significant promise in glaucoma. Like other neuro-degenerative diseases where stem cells may be of benefit, glaucoma offers logical targets for stem cell therapy. For glaucoma, these are the optic nerve and the trabecular meshwork. In Parkinson’s disease, stem cells delivered to the basal ganglia have proven to have significant therapeutic benefit.
Importance of the caspase cleavage site in amyloid-β protein precursor

Reports from multiple laboratories have now been published analyzing the critical nature of the caspase cleavage site of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) for cell death induction, synaptic loss, hippocampal atrophy, long-term potentiation, memory loss, neophobia, and other aspects of the Alzheimer's phenotype. Here we review the results and implications of these studies for the understanding of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology and the potential development of therapeutics that target this site in AβPP.
Vascular Endothelium: Physiological Basis of Clinical Problems

It is virtually certain that if you plan a meeting in a place as exotic and delightful as Corfu it will be easy to attract a distinguished audience regardless of the topic. It is equally certain that one would be inclined to use whatever mental gymnastics necessary to fit one’s area of expertise to the chosen topic in order to justify an invitation to participate. Thus the choice of the topic of this conference assured that the endothelium would receive the credit and the blame for a broad spectrum of physiologic and pathologic events relevant to clinical medicine. An analogy could be drawn to the apocryphal story about the blind man and the elephant with the conclusion, illustrated in Figure 1, that the endothelium is very like a tree. Another quote comes to mind, the origin of which I am not sure but I first heard it from Joseph Milic-Emili, “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail”.
Digital Phoenix Project: A Multidimensional Journey through Time

The Digital Phoenix Project is a multiyear project aimed at developing a realistic digital representation of the Phoenix metropolitan area through space and time that can be experienced in Arizona State University’s Decision Theater. A significant objective of this project is to create an environment for querying, researching, and visualizing critical urban sustainability issues confronting a rapidly urbanizing area. By creating a multidimensional virtual model of Phoenix from a variety of data sources, we can visualize patterns of growth and development, as well as their consequences, emerging across the continuums of space and time. The modeling of future environments will enable the assessment of policy scenarios and guide desired future urban-environmental patterns. A digitally constructed model of the city will also allow us to discover what Phoenix could have been like, starting with historical data as the basis for projecting to the present and into the future.
CD117: a novel ancillary marker for papillary thyroid carcinoma in fine-needle aspiration biopsies.

BACKGROUND: c-KIT/CD117 down-regulation has been described in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). In this study, the authors investigated CD117 as an ancillary immunocytochemical test for PTC in fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). METHODS: The expression of CD117 was assessed in cytologic samples of histologically confirmed classic PTC (n 535) and in a control group of benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) (n 530) using immunocytochemistry. The corresponding PTCs and BTNs from surgical resection specimens also were evaluated immunohistochemically for CD117. The expression of CD117 was assessed semiquantitatively using a scoring system from 0 to 5 that combined the proportion and the intensity of staining. RESULTS: The difference in immunoreactivity for CD117 between PTC and BTNs was highly significant both in FNAB samples and in the corresponding histology samples (P <.0001). On cytology, most PTCs (74%; n 526) lacked immunoreactivity for CD117, and 9 samples (26%) had faint reactivity in <2% of tumor cells (score, 0). In contrast, all BTNs (100%; n 530) were positive for CD117, and at least 50% of the cells (score, 2-4) were positive in 79% (n 524) of BTNs. Results with corresponding histology were similar to the cytology results; most PTCs (89%; n 531) lacked immunoreactivity for CD117, and 4 samples (11%) had faint reactivity in <2% of tumor cells. In contrast, all BTNs (n 530) were variably positive for CD117 (score, 2-4). Normal follicular epithelium also was positive for CD117 (score, 2-4). CONCLUSIONS: CD117 is expressed in both normal follicular epithelium and in BTNs. In contrast, expression of CD117 is absent or weak in PTC. These results suggest that CD117 may be useful as an ancillary marker for PTC. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2014;000:000-000. V C 2014 American Cancer Society.
Solution structure and base perturbation studies reveal a novel mode of alkylated base recognition by 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase I

The specific recognition mechanisms of DNA repair glycosylases that remove cationic alkylpurine bases in DNA are not well understood partly due to the absence of structures of these enzymes with their cognate bases. Here we report the solution structure of 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase I (TAG) in complex with its 3-methyladenine (3-MeA) cognate base, and we have used chemical perturbation of the base in combination with mutagenesis of the enzyme to evaluate the role of hydrogen bonding and pi-cation interactions in alkylated base recognition by this DNA repair enzyme. We find that TAG uses hydrogen bonding with heteroatoms on the base, van der Waals interactions with the 3-Me group, and conventional pi-pi stacking with a conserved Trp side chain to selectively bind neutral 3-MeA over the cationic form of the base. Discrimination against binding of the normal base adenine is derived from direct sensing of the 3-methyl group, leading to an induced-fit conformational change that engulfs the base in a box defined by five aromatic side chains. These findings indicate that base specific recognition by TAG does not involve strong pi-cation interactions, and suggest a novel mechanism for alkylated base recognition and removal.
Quantifying the Risk of Intellectual Property Loss in Analytics Outsourcing

The safety of a company's secrets and proprietary competitive practices becomes an important concern when the company is involved in outsourcing. This concern becomes even more critical when the company is engaged in analytics outsourcing where the company shares proprietary data about the internal processes. While there is a growing concern about the larger costs and risks of the wholesale outsourcing of analytics functions in the business press, there are no statistics on the risks or a sense of how big they might be. This paper attempts to fill this gap by building a mathematical model of the vendor-client interaction that will allow some baseline quantification of the risks that are inherent in analytics outsourcing. The paper also discusses the implications of these ideas for companies that work with outsourcing vendors and closes with some ideas for further research.
Homoepitaxial growth of low-resistivity-Al-doped ZnS single crystal films by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract Low-resistivity-Al-doped ZnS homoepitaxial films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The lowest resistivity of 2.2×10 -3 Ω cm was obtained at an Al concentration of 4.6×10 19 cm -3 in the ZnS(100) single crystal films grown at 260°C. Th e electron concentration was 3.9×10 19 cm -3 . Films with Al concentrations between 10 18 and 10 19 cm -3 showed excellent photolumi nescence spectra which exhibit strong and dominant near-band-edge emission of 3.785 eV at 77 K.
Formation of Surface Layers of Icosahedral Al(Mn)

Surface layers of the icosahedral phase of Al(Mn) have been formed from thin, alternating Al/Mn layers deposited on Al or Fe surfaces by rapid electron-beam or laser melting, by ion beam mixing, and by solid-state diffusion. The electron beam and laser treatments are similar to other liquid quenching techniques used previously to form the phase, but have well defined temperature histories which allow us to place limits on the melting point of the icosahedral phase, the time needed for its nucleation from the melt, and its growth velocity. Ion beam mixing is a way of forming the icosahedral phase which is quite different from melt quenching; the phase is formed during ion beam mixing at temperatures of 100–200°C. For mixing at ≤60C an amorphous phase with icosahedral short-range order is formed; this phase can be converted to the icosahedral phase by subsequent annealing. Formation of the icosahedral phase by reacting the as-deposited layers in the solid state is a new technique not previously reported. The results presented here place new restrictions on proposed structural and thermodynamic models for the icosahedral phase.
The catalytic behavior of alkali metal carbonates and oxides in graphite oxidation reactions

Abstract The reactions that occur in different gaseous environments between graphite and alkali metal carbonates and oxides have been studied by simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis and hot-stage microscopy. The catalytic effects of these salts during gasification of graphite in oxygen and carbon dioxide are interpreted on the basis of distinct oxidation-reduction cycles, involving the intermediate formation of peroxide in the former case and alkali metal in the latter. The thermodynamic feasibility of the proposed cycles has been discussed in detail.
Search for periodicity in global events in the geologic record: Quo vadimus

Periodicity hypotheses for various global events over the past {approx}250 m.y. are reevaluated following rigorous inspection of the radiometric data base utilized therein. The author suggest that these periodicities of {approx} 26 to {approx} 33 m.y. result from subjective use of radiometric data in the literature. Further search for periodicity in global events, especially those involving mathematical analysis of data from the geologic time scale, should be postponed until an adequate data base of high-quality radiometric ages for Phanerozoic time becomes available.
Medical manpower needs at home and abroad.

Medical manpower is ordinarily expressed as a ratio of the number of physicians (e.g., neurosurgeons) to the population of the geographic area (e.g., country). The many other factors that go into assessing medical manpower needs and the manner in which those factors may vary from one country to another and from one time to another are described. Despite the paucity of physicians in some countries and in some parts of the world, there is a suplus of physicians worldwide.
The lifetime economic burden of keratoconus: a decision analysis using a markov model.

Purpose To estimate the expected incremental lifetime cost of treatment of keratoconus compared to the expected cost of the treatment of myopia. Design Cost estimate from the patient's perspective using a Markov decision model. Methods We modeled a hypothetical cohort of people with clinically significant incident keratoconus as defined by the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Keratoconus (CLEK) Study. We included costs of clinic visits, fitting fees, contact lenses, surgical procedures, and complications. Survival curves of corneal transplants and associated complications were modeled using data from the 2007 Australian Graft Registry. Medical treatment regimens after surgery were defined by expert opinion. Results The expected value of the lifetime cost of the treatment of keratoconus over myopia was $25 168 with a standard deviation of $16 247 and a median of $17 596. The factors that most influenced the lifetime cost were the probability of initial corneal transplant and a subsequent regraft. The cost of routine care had relatively little influence on the lifetime cost of care. Conclusions The expected lifetime cost of treatment of keratoconus represents a significant cost to patients and payors. While the cost of routine care for keratoconus is not trivial, the primary factor influencing changes in the cost of care for keratoconus is the probability of corneal transplant. Combined with the significantly impaired vision-related quality of life and the relatively young onset of disease, the economic burden of the treatment of keratoconus represents a significant public health concern.
1345 ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF AMNIOTIC FLUID

Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is followed by amnionitis and/or fetal sepsis in some, but not all patients. At present there is no diagnostic test that can reliably predict which patient will become infected, but antibacterial properties of amniotic fluid may be important determinants. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gestational age or amniotic fluid (AF) lysozyme, IgG, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) or glucose concentrations influence bacterial growth. Thirty-seven AF samples were obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis from patients between 15 and 39 weeks of gestation. Each AF sample was inoculated with the same quantity of E. Coli (104 bacteria/ml). Bacterial growth was measured both spectrophotometrically for increasing turbidity and by plating techniques to determine numbers of colony-forming units. The gestational age (r = -0.73), lysozyme (r = -0.65), and glucose concentrations (r = 0.55) were significantly correlated with bacterial growth, while IgG concentration (r = 0.09) was not. CRP was not detected in the AF samples with our assay (range = 0.6 to 10.0 mg/100 ml). We conclude that antibacterial properties of amniotic fluid correlate more closely with increasing gestational age than with the other factors tested.
Real-time observation of metastable polymeric species formed from precursor soot

Micrometer-sized precursor soot particles were formed by pyrolysis of pure atmospheric-pressure acetylene in a flow tube reactor. Real-time analysis of both the gas and particle phases of the reactor effluent was performed with an ion trap-based aerosol mass spectrometer. Off-line analyses were also performed on the filter-collected reactor effluent. The real-time particle mass spectra revealed the presence of a polymeric mass distribution starting near 1000 Da and continuing to greater than 1750 Da. The spacing between the polymer peaks is approximately 70 Da. Comparison of real-time and off-line analyses reveals the metastable nature of the polymer-like high mass species.
Clinical response of alopecia, trichorrhexis nodosa, and dry, scaly skin to zinc supplementation

Two unrelated patients had dry brittle hair, alopecia, trichorrhexis nodosa, dry scaly skin, pigment dyschromia, short stature, and neurosecretory growth hormone deficiency. By means of the zinc tolerance test, patient 1 was shown to have zinc deficiency, whereas no clear zinc deficiency could be demonstrated in patient 2. In both patients, hair and the skin abnormalities responded to oral zinc therapy.
Field responses of redheaded pine sawfly males to a synthetic pheromone and virgin females in Florida.

Field tests using the sawfly pheromone [3,7-dimethylpentadecan-2-ol acetate with (−)-erythro configuration (2S,3S)] were conducted near Gainesville, Florida, during 1978–1981 to determine the attraction ofNeodiprion lecontei males to baited traps with respect to time of year and time of day. Greatest numbers of males were caught during May, July, and September in traps placed within a pine stand from July 1978 to July 1979. Males were only caught between 1400 and 2000 hr on 10 dates in June and 10 dates in September–October 1980, and 10 dates in June 1981, with greatest catches from 1600–1800 hr. Catches in a synthetic-baited trap and in virgin female-baited traps were similar with respect to time of day.
Elastic anomalies at the charge- and spin-density-wave transition.

The fluctuation contribution to the sound propagator is studied theoretically within a microscopic model. It is important to distinguish two different contributions: the quasiparticles and the phasons even in the transition region. For a pinned charge-density wave (CDW) [or spin-density wave (SDW)] only the quasiparticle term contributes, which gives rise to a sharp dip in the sound velocity at the CDW (or SDW) transition as observed in ${\mathrm{NbSe}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{TaS}}_{3}$. Further, a proper treatment of the anomalous term gives rise to sharp peak in the attenuation coefficient at the CDW (or SDW) transition. When the CDW (or the SDW) is unpinned, on the other hand, by an electric field for example, the dip in the sound velocity disappears completely while the peak in the attenuation coefficient doubles.
Optical data storage media

In this paper, we review many of the technical issues that must be addressed in developing high-quality optical disk recording media. The geometric design of tracking grooves and embossed data on the disk substrate must be optimized to the characteristics of the optical drive to support robust data seeking, track following, and data addressing. To ensure adequate recording performance and drive compatibility, we have used modeling to optimize the media thin-film structure for proper optical, thermal, and magnetic characteristics. Because low substrate birefringence is a necessary media characteristic for high recording densities, we discuss measurements which assess whether birefringence has been adequately controlled in disk production. Testing is used throughout media development and manufacture to measure that the quality goals of the design are achieved. The mechanical integrity of the disk and its cartridge, particularly for autoload libraries, is confirmed by load/unload stress testing. Media life and data archivability are established by a combination of time-zero and accelerated life stress tests of media mechanical and recording performance. This attention to a broad range of technical details is essential to ensure reliable storage of data on removable optical disk media.
Iodothyronamines are Oxidatively Deaminated to Iodothyroacetic Acids in vivo

3-Iodothyronamine (T(1)AM) and 3,3',5-triiodothyroacetic acid (Triac) are bioactive metabolites of the hormone thyroxine (T(4)). In the present study, the ability of T(1)AM and 3,3',5-triiodothyronamine (T(3)AM) to be metabolized to 3-iodothyroacetic acid (TA(1)) and Triac, respectively, was investigated. Both T(1)AM and T(3)AM were converted to their respective iodinated thyroacetic acid analogues in both cell and tissue extracts. This conversion could be significantly inhibited with the monamine oxidase (MAO) and semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) inhibitor iproniazid. TA(1) was found to be present in trace quantities in human serum and in substantial levels in serum from T(1)AM-treated rats. These results demonstrate that iodothyronamines are substrates for amine oxidases and that this metabolism may be the source of the corresponding endogenous arylacetic acid products Triac and TA(1).
Premature termination as a function of intake data based on ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and income

Although it is acknowledged that premature termination is detrimental to the therapy process, there is limited information on how to utilize client demographic data to indicate which clients have greatest potential to prematurely terminate. The study assessed how client ethnicity interacts with client gender, therapist gender, therapist ethnicity, and client socioeconomic status (education and income) to affect premature termination. The study consisted of 527 cases which received therapy services from the Auburn University Marriage and Family Therapy Center from October 1993 to October 1999. The three definitions of premature termination used were termination after one session, prior to six sessions, and by therapist report. Results indicated that interactions of client income and ethnicity and therapist gender and ethnicity were the most useful demographic data indicators of premature termination.
Designing Drug Trials: Considerations for Pregnant Women

Clinical pharmacology studies that describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs in pregnant women are critical for informing on the safe and effective use of drugs during pregnancy. That being said, multiple factors have hindered the ability to study drugs in pregnant patients. These include concerns for maternal and fetal safety, ethical considerations, the difficulty in designing appropriate trials to assess the study objectives, and funding limitations. This document summarizes the recommendations of a panel of experts convened by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. These experts were charged with reviewing the issues related to the development of preclinical and clinical drug studies in pregnant women and to develop strategies for addressing these issues. These findings may also be utilized in the development of future drug studies involving pregnant women and their fetus/neonate.
Absorption Line Width in the Rotation Spectrum of Atmospheric Water Vapor

Grating measurements at oblique incidence are employed as a means of obtaining the narrow slits essential to the direct observation of line width. Correction for the finite width of slit is small. It is accomplished by empirical extrapolation to zero slit in one instance, and by numerical estimation of slit influence in another. The absorption coefficient half-width at half-height for the atmospheric water vapor lines at 18.64 mu and 15.99 mu is found to be 0.12 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and 0.11 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively.
The Role of Ekman flow and Planetary Waves in the Oceanic Cross-Equatorial Heat Transport

A numerical model is used to mechanistically simulate the oceans' seasonal cross-equatorial heat transport. The basic process of Ekman pumping and drift is able to account for a large amount of the cross-equatorial flux. Increased easterly wind stress in the winter hemisphere causes Ekman surface drift poleward, while decreased easterly stress allows a reduction in the poleward drift in the summer hemisphere. The addition of planetary and gravity waves to this model does not alter the net cross-equatorial flow, although the planetary waves are clearly seen. On comparison with Oort and Vonder Haar (1976), this adiabatic advective redistribution of heat is seen to be plausible up to 10-20 deg N, beyond which other dynamics and thermodynamics are indicated.
Lattice study of the two-dimensional Wess-Zumino model

We present results from a numerical simulation of the two-dimensional Euclidean Wess-Zumino model. In the continuum the theory possesses $N=1$ supersymmetry. The lattice model we employ was analyzed by Golterman and Petcher, who gave a perturbative proof that the continuum supersymmetric Ward identities are recovered without fine-tuning in the limit of vanishing lattice spacing. Our simulations demonstrate the existence of important non-perturbative effects in finite volumes which modify these conclusions. It appears that in certain regions of parameter space the vacuum state can contain solitons corresponding to field configurations which interpolate between different classical vacua. In the background of these solitons supersymmetry is partially broken and a light fermion mode is observed. At fixed coupling the critical mass separating phases of broken and unbroken supersymmetry appears to be volume dependent. We discuss the implications of our results for continuum supersymmetry breaking.
Cytotoxicity of a BIS‐GMA dental composite before and after leaching in organic solvents

Cell culture techniques were used to determine the source of cytotoxic agents in a commercial BIS-GMA composite. The material was polymerized according to the manufacturer's directions and leachable components were removed by room temperature extraction in ethanol, chloroform, or toluene. The leachable components in the extracts were identified using infrared spectrographic analysis. Thin layer chromatographic analysis was used to determine the number of constituents. These constituents were separated by gas chromatography and then identified by mass spectrographic analysis. Succinic dehydrogenase activity and radioactive labeling with tritiated leucine were used to evaluate cell metabolism and protein synthesis, respectively. The infrared analysis of the extracts showed that the primary component was unreacted BIS-GMA. Trace amounts of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzophenone, a light stabilizer, as well as a phenyl ester of benzoic acid which was probably degraded from BIS-GMA, were detected by the mass spectrographic method. The removal of leachable components caused a 90% decrease in toxicity compared to the nonextracted BIS-GMA samples. The extracted BIS-GMA samples showed no cellular response compared to the Teflon negative control.
The Earth's Magnetism: An Introduction for Geologists

The nature of the geomagnetic field is one of the cornerstones of the study of the geophysical properties of the Earth. Despite the importance of geomagnetism to the understanding of the Earth and to the various subdisciplines of geophysics, and despite its being an essential part of any Earth scientist's education, it has been suggested that most geophysics textbooks and curricula devote only limited attention to the subject. With this in mind, Roberto Lanza and Antonio Meloni have authored The Earth's Magnetism: An Introduction for Geologists with the goal of producing a textbook that would provide a holistic approach to the subject and a general overview of many of the fundamental subjects that compose geomagnetism and its applications to geology. The text is meant to supplement more substantial treatments of various subjects and the geomagnetic literature.
Understanding the dramatic role of anomalous dispersion on the measurement of electron densities in plasmas using interferometers

For decades the electron density of plasmas has been measured using optical interferometers. With the availability of good X-ray laser sources in the last decade interferometers have been extended into the wavelength range 14 - 47 nm, which has enabled researchers to probe even higher density plasmas. The data analysis assumes the index of refraction is due only to the free electrons, which makes the index less than one. Recent interferometer experiments in Al plasmas observed plasmas with index of refraction greater than one at 14 nm and brought into question the validity of the usual formula for calculating the index. In this paper we show how the anomalous dispersion from bound electrons can dominate the free electron contribution to the index of refraction in many plasmas and make the index greater than one or enhance the contribution to the index such that one would greatly overestimate the density of the plasma using interferometers. Using a new average-atom code we calculate the index of refraction in many plasmas at different temperatures for photon energies from 0 to 100 eV and compare against calculations done with OPAL. We also present examples of other plasmas that may have index of refraction greater than one at X-ray laser energies. During the next decade X-ray free electron lasers and other X-ray sources will be available to probe a wider variety of plasmas at higher densities and shorter wavelengths so understanding the index of refraction in plasmas will be even more essential.
High-frequency Ventilation: Evidence-based Practice and Specific Clinical Indications

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Summarize the basic rationale for the use of high-frequency ventilation (HFV). 2. Summarize the findings of the most important clinical trials of HFV. 3. Described the basic characteristics of the various HFV devices available. 4. Explain potential problems with interpreting the results of multiple clinical trials comparing HFV with standard therapy. 5. Make well-informed choices in the use of HFV. Chronic lung disease (CLD) remains the leading cause of prolonged hospitalization as well as significant respiratory and developmental handicap in neonates. Consequently, many efforts in modern neonatal care have focused on methods that might reduce the incidence of this dreaded complication. High-frequency ventilation (HFV) appeared to hold much promise in this area because of its ability to provide excellent gas exchange with lower pressure amplitude. During the 1990s, both high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) became firmly established as important tools in the therapeutic armamentarium of neonatologists, based primarily on their potential for reducing the incidence of CLD and effectiveness in treating air leak, respectively. However, despite more than 20 years of laboratory and clinical research, the role of HFV remains controversial. At one end of the spectrum, a minority of clinicians uses HFV as a primary mode of ventilation; at the other extreme are those who view it strictly as a rescue technique, to be used only when conventional ventilation has failed. Most clinicians appear to have an intermediate degree of enthusiasm, using HFV in an early rescue mode for infants who are at high risk of complications with conventional ventilation or who have developed air leak, even though they are maintaining adequate gas exchange on conventional ventilation. Three types of high-frequency ventilators are widely in the United States for newborns: the Life Pulse® high-frequency jet ventilator (Bunnell Inc, Salt Lake …
In vitro metabolism of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) by various tissues and cytochrome P450s of human and rat

Abstract In vitro metabolism of DEHP by subcellular fractions of human brain, intestine, kidney, liver, lung, skin, testis, rat liver and recombinant CYP isoforms of human and rat was investigated using LC–MS/MS. DEHP was rapidly hydrolyzed to mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in 12 microsomal/cytosolic fractions of selected 7 human organs and rat liver but not in microsomal fractions of human brain and human female skin. MEHP was metabolized to CYP-mediated oxidative and dealkylated metabolites in human and rat liver and at a lower rate in human intestine. Measurable amounts of mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5-OH MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5-Oxo MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (5-carboxy MEPP), mono(2-carboxymethyl-hexyl) phthalate (2-carboxy MMHP) and phthalic acid (PA) were formed by human liver fractions. Human CYP2C9∗1, CYP2C19 and rat CYP2C6 were the major CYP isoforms producing 5-OH MEHP and 5-Oxo MEHP metabolites; however, only human CYP2C9∗1 and 2C9∗2 produced 5-carboxy MEPP from MEHP. Additionally, human CYP3A4 and rat CYP3A2 were the primary enzymes for PA production via heteroatom dealkylation of MEHP. Percent total normalized rates (%TNR) by CYP2C9∗1 in human liver microsomes (HLM) were 94%, 98% and 100%, respectively, for 5-OH MEHP, 5-Oxo MEHP, 5-carboxy MEPP, and 76% for PA production by CYP3A4.
Anterior Axillary Muscle-Sparing Thoracotomy for Lung Transplantation

We have been using an anterior axillary muscle-sparing thoracotomy to perform single-lung transplantation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The incision allows excellent exposure and may lead to improved chest wall and shoulder girdle mechanics, which may allow for a faster recovery. This incision has become our preferred approach in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring single-lung transplantation who have not had a previous ipsilateral thoracic operation.