cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Diagnostic Aids for Melanoma

According to estimates, there will be approximately 70,000 new cases of melanoma and 8800 deaths in 2011. The incidence of melanoma has been steadily increasing and has doubled in recent decades.1 For lesions with a depth of less than 1mm, surgical excision is usually curative and 5-year survival rate is 93–97%.2 By contrast, distant metastatic melanoma has an extremely poor prognosis and 5-year survival ranges from 10 – 20 % depending on location of the metastasis.2 Detection of melanoma at an early stage is critical for improving the survival rate. In addition to decreased survival of late versus early stage melanoma, the cost of treating a late stage melanoma is dramatically higher. Recent estimates show the total costs of in situ tumors to be around $4700 while a stage IV melanoma has a total cost of approximately $160,000.3 The cost of treating late stage melanoma is likely to rise with the implementation of newly approved treatments such as ipilimumab which costs about $120,000 for a full treatment. Despite advances in diagnostic aides such as dermatoscopy, detection has remained a significant challenge and improved methods of accurately diagnosing melanoma are needed. Studies have shown that even for expert dermoscopists, accurately diagnosing melanoma, particularly in small diameter lesions, is very challenging with one study showing a biopsy sensitivity of 71% for melanomas of less than 6mm.4 To measure specificity, numerous studies have looked at biopsy ratios – i.e. the number of biopsies of benign lesions performed to make the diagnosis of one skin cancer -- and numbers vary widely. On the low end, a study from a specialized pigmented lesion clinic showed a biopsy ratio of approximately 5:1 (5 benign lesions per melanoma biopsied).5 A recent retrospective study involving eight practitioners at a single institution had a biopsy ratio of 15:1.6 On the high end, a study involving a single physician over a 14-year period showed a biopsy ratio of over 500:1 in patients with no history of melanoma.7 Given these challenges, new diagnostic aides that could help increase both sensitivity and specificity of biopsies would be of great benefit to patients and physicians. Such improvements have the potential to lead to increased diagnosis of early lesions which would improve survival and lower overall cost of treating melanoma. Additionally, improved diagnostic techniques would lead to fewer biopsies and decreased morbidity to patients.
Experimental evaluation of apodization functions for quantitative fourier transform mass spectrometry

Abstract A selection of apodization functions for Fourier transform mass spectrometry have been evaluated for peak height and isotope ratio reproducibility using an experimentally acquired series of transients. The Noest—Kort function consistently gives relative standard deviations (RSDs) 20–80% smaller than the other functions considered. The limited dynamic range of this function, due to the slow roll-off auxiliary maxima, gives rise to systematic interference. This is true even in the case of a target peak adjacent to an interference but resolved from its central maximum. We recommend the Noest—Kort function for repetitive quantitative measurements in cases in which interferences are either absent or can be systematically taken into account.
Respiration of homogenates and mitochondrial fractions of bovine dental pulp

Abstract Bovine dental pulps were prepared in large quantities and respiration studies were made on homogenates and mitochondrial fractions. Succinate was the only Krebs cycle intermediate that elicited a respiratory response. The addition of ADP or NAD + had no effect on endogenous respiration, but these cofactors inhibited succinate respiration when they were added in high concentrations, and stimulated succinate respiration when they were added in low concentrations.
Zircon captures exhumation of an ultrahigh-pressure terrane, North-East Greenland Caledonides

Abstract Zircon from the North-East Greenland ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane formed over a 45 million year period from peak UHP conditions through the amphibolite facies. Our study utilizes sensitive high resolution ion microprobe-reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG) mass spectrometry to assess the multiple ages and trace element patterns preserved in zircon from samples chosen to capture the exhumation history of these rocks. Peak UHP conditions from 365 to 350 Ma are derived from coesite-bearing samples, while a suite of progressively retrogressed quartzofeldspathic host gneisses and late-stage, leucocratic melts emplaced into the gneisses track exhumation. Melting occurred during all stages of exhumation, beginning with H2O-absent dehydration melting of phengite on the decompression path. A garnet-bearing leucosome in the neck of a kyanite-eclogite boudin that gives an age of 347 Ma is taken as the beginning of phengite melting. Leucosomes formed in HP granulite to amphibolite facies gneisses between 350 and 340 Ma, and fluid assisted melting continued until 320 Ma in the form of late, cross cutting pegmatites. Changes in the zircon trace element patterns are linked to decreasing temperature, and show that significant new zircon grew during melting on the exhumation path. Zircon cores recording protolith ages generally preserve magmatic temperatures (700 °C) and typical igneous REE patterns (Yb/Gd = 10). UHP/HP eclogite-facies zircon records higher T (900 °C) and flat HREE patterns (Yb/Gd = 1). Granulite to amphibolite facies zircon in quartzofeldspathic gneisses records both flat (Yb/Gd = 1) and steep (Yb/Gd = 100) HREE patterns at ca 700 °C suggesting the variable effects of garnet during decompression. Amphibolite facies pegmatites and leucosomes document a transition from moderate HREE (Yb/Gd = 10) at 700 °C to steep HREE (Yb/Gd = 100–1000) patterns at 600 °C. The pronounced steepening of the HREE patterns is attributed to garnet breakdown during amphibolite-facies metamorphism. The 30–50 million year spread of ages observed in individual samples records multiple periods of zircon growth and is interpreted as a characteristic signature of slowly exhumed UHP terranes. The data show that zircon ages combined with trace element and textural characterization of zircon from a broad suite of samples can successfully define the exhumation history of UHP terranes.
The Impact of Surface Forces on Particle Flow and Membrane Fouling in the Microfiltration of Metalworking Fluids

Microfiltration is an in-process recycling method that shows great potential to extend fluid life and reduce bacterial concentrations in synthetic and semisynthetic metalworking fluids. The primary problem facing the use of microfiltration is membrane fouling, which is the blocking of membrane pores causing reduced flux. In this paper a fluid dynamic model of partial and complete blocking in sintered alumina membranes is developed that includes hydrodynamic, electrostatic, and Brownian forces. Model simulations are employed to study the impact of electrostatic and Brownian motion forces on the progression of partial blocking. The simulations also examine the effects of fluid velocity, particle size, and particle surface potential. The inclusion of electrostatic and Brownian forces is shown to significantly impact the progression of the partial blocking mechanism. The addition of a strong interparticle electrostatic force is shown to eliminate the partial blocking build-up of small particles due to the presence of the repulsive forces between the particles. As a result, the time to complete blocking of the test pore was lengthened, suggesting that flux decline is reduced in the presence of electrostatic forces. The Brownian motion is shown to have a large impact at low fluid velocities. The most effective parameter set is a low fluid velocity, small particle sizes, high microemulsion surface potential, and high membrane surface potential.
Object-Oriented Discrete Event Simulation Modeling Environment for Aerospace Vehicle Maintenance and Logistics Process

Abstract The operations and support (O&S) activities of aerospace vehicles involve the maintenance process to repair and replace broken parts and the logistics system which replenishes spares in the inventory. O&S cost represents the majority of the vehicle life cycle cost, and there are various research efforts focused on reducing it. Improvements to maintenance and logistics systems are expensive to perform in real life, so creating a modeling and simulation (M&S) environment capable of analyzing these systems allows for the testing of efficient changes. These systems operate on well-defined procedures and rules, and they can be modeled using discrete event simulation (DES). A DES environment, Virtual Environment for Operations and support Process Simulation (VE-OPS), is being developed for maintenance and logistics analysis using an object-oriented programming language. Generic class variables are defined for simulation objects such as vehicles and for maintenance and logistics process steps such as vehicle assessment and repairs. In the simulation, the vehicle and part objects are passed from one process to the next. This environment structure provides flexibility to tailor the model to specific applications while reducing the burden of recreating it for different projects, and by using an open source language such as Python, it can be shared with other researchers and freely deployed on multiple machines.
Retroperitoneal sarcomas: The role of diagnostic imaging and multimodal management

Retroperitoneal sarcomas are a varied group of malignancies which have a high rate of recurrence following surgery alone. The majority of the initial recurrences are local in nature, and new therapeutic approaches are clearly needed. Diagnostic imaging and “interventional radiology” have important roles to play in the management of these malignancies, as well as in investigational approaches to therapy. Two cases are presented which illustrate some recent advances in diagnosis and staging of this group of tumors which can be attributed to new cross-sectional imaging techniques, when used in concert with “conventional” imaging methods. The latter include arteriography to guide the placement of intra-arterial catheters for local infusion chemotherapy. CT-guided needle biopsies can be performed to secure a preoperative diagnosis and also to obtain viable tissue for in vitro chemosensitivity assays. A judicious combination of local and systemic chemo therapy, radiation, and surgery may hold promise for better control of this malignancy, similar to the therapeutic advances which have already been obtained with limb sarcomas.
Optimal estimation of hearing-aid compression parameters

A new procedure for measuring the attack and release time constants of a hearing‐aid compression circuit is presented in this paper. The procedure is based on a mathematical model of the response of a compression system to sudden increments or decrements in the amplitude of a sinusoidal excitation. The parameters of the model, which include the attack and release time constants, are fitted to the measured hearing‐aid test‐signal response using a minimum mean‐squared error criterion. A computer simulation of a compression hearing aid is used to illustrate the behavior of the compression amplifier and to assess the accuracy of the estimated attack and release time constants.
High Resolution Monitoring of Implant and Anneal Uniformity Using Therma-Probe Technology

A new advanced application of the therma-probe systems for high-resolution mapping of implant and anneal non-uniformities is described.
Bark beetle outbreaks affect regional carbon cycle

Bark beetle outbreaks can kill a large number of trees—in fact, insect outbreaks affect an area similar in size to that affected by forest fires annually across North America. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so bark beetle outbreaks can significantly affect regional carbon dynamics. In general, immediately after an outbreak, carbon uptake by trees decreases. Dead trees become snags, which may fall to the ground several or more years after the outbreak. After snags fall, decomposition increases. Carbon uptake begins to recover years to decades after a bark beetle outbreak. There have been few studies of biogeochemical cycling following outbreaks, and those studies have shown a variety of effects in different forests.
Thyroid Disease and the Cardiovascular System

Thyroid hormones, specifically triiodothyronine (T3), have significant effects on the heart and cardiovascular system. Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, subclinical thyroid disease, and low T3 syndrome each cause cardiac and cardiovascular abnormalities through both genomic and nongenomic effects on cardiac myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. In compromised health, such as occurs in heart disease, alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism may further impair cardiac and cardiovascular function. Diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease may benefit from including analysis of thyroid hormone status, including serum total T3 levels.
Real-time holographic implementation of optimal correlation algorithms

In this paper we theoretically analyze and demonstrate that a photorefractive correlator, originally proposed by D. M. Pepper and later implemented by J. O. White and A. Yariv as well as many others, can be used to realize adaptively a wide variety of optimal correlation filters such as the matched filter, the inverse correlation filter, the maximum discrimination correlation filter and several trade-off correlation filters.
Resistance as a Social Drama: A Study of Change‐Oriented Encounters1

Resistance is a change‐oriented process that follows certain stereotyped sequences of behaviors. These sequences are promulgated by intentional actors who cue cultural forms (rituals) in order to guide interaction. This process can be understood as a social drama composed of four stages: breach, crisis, redress, and reintegration. Using interviews and ethnographic accounts of behaviors in 165 classrooms at two high schools, this article describes the nature of each stage and the strategies used by both protagonists and antagonists of change. Since social dramas are disruptive episodes of social action, special attention is paid to the potential they have for transforming the social order, thereby affecting micro‐ to macrolevel change.
Modeling ferrite electromagnetic response in the time-domain

It is shown that the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation can be used in conjunction with Maxwell's equations to model the magnetization reversal process in those situations in which the nonmagnetic interactions in the material are negligible. It is seen that the resulting behavior, called uniform rotation, is characterized by intermediate magnetization states for which Delta *M approximately=0, and may be described as a procession of the magnetization vector about the small demagnetizing field that is induced during the switch. The work presented is part of a broader attempt to simulate the magnetization reversal process in induction linacs. The results of a numerical simulation of the flux reversal process in an infinite cylinder with idealized boundary conditions are presented. >
Neurocardiogenic Syncope: What Role for Serotonin?

Recurrent episodes of neurocardiogenic (or vasovagal) hypotension and bradycardia that are sufficiently profound to result in syncope, offer not only a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the clinician, but also a fascinating challenge to the physiologist who seeks to understand why these episodes occur. Beginning with Sir Thomas Lewis’ original description of the disorder, a number of individuals have speculated on the potential physiological mechanisms involved [1]. However, these speculations remained highly theoretical, as there existed no way to either confirm or deny them. This picture changed dramatically in 1986 when Kenny et al. in their landmark paper reported that head upright tilt-table testing could reliably induce episodes of neurocardiogenic syncope in predisposed individuals [2]. This newfound ability to reproducibly provoke these episodes in a controlled laboratory setting permitted detailed observations and recordings of multiple parameters to be made before, during and immediately following a syncopal event [3–5]. Thus, there has been a virtual explosion of data over the last several years concerning the pathophysiology of neurocardiogenic syncope [6]. These observations have accumulated a body of data suggesting that sudden fluctuations in the central nervous system neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) may play a pivotal role in the production of the hypotension and bradycardia that characterizes neurocardiogenic syncope. This paper will review serotonin’s role in central nervous system function and cardiovascular regulation, present observations on its potential role in neurocardiogenic syncope, and lastly will review data on the clinical use of the serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the therapy of recurrent syncope.
Improved Delivery Through Biological Membranes LX: Intradermal Targeting of Acyclovir Using Redox-Based Chemical Drug Delivery Systems

AbstractTwo types of novel chemical drug delivery systems (CDS's) for acyclovir, A-CDS-1 (based on oxidation, which utilized the 1,4-dihydrotrigonelline moiety) and A-CDS-2 (based on reduction, which utilized the lipoic acid moiety), were designed to create reservoirs of metabolic precursors for the enhanced local delivery of the antiviral agent acyclovir to the skin. They were evaluated in two-compartment diffusion cells using hairless-mouse skin in vitro. This approach could be useful in the treatment of mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) infection in the epidermal region of the skin. Upon application to the freshly excised hairless-mouse skin, A-CDS-1 was rapidly oxidized to form the quaternary metabolite AQ+, which was extensively localized in the skin. AQ+ then served as a reservoir for the release of the antiviral agent in the skin. A-CDS-1 delivered almost equivalent amounts of acyclovir not only to the skin but also transdermally. On the other hand, A-CDS-2 specifically localized acyclovir...
Multivariate neural biomarkers of emotional states are categorically distinct

Understanding how emotions are represented neurally is a central aim of affective neuroscience. Despite decades of neuroimaging efforts addressing this question, it remains unclear whether emotions are represented as distinct entities, as predicted by categorical theories, or are constructed from a smaller set of underlying factors, as predicted by dimensional accounts. Here, we capitalize on multivariate statistical approaches and computational modeling to directly evaluate these theoretical perspectives. We elicited discrete emotional states using music and films during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Distinct patterns of neural activation predicted the emotion category of stimuli and tracked subjective experience. Bayesian model comparison revealed that combining dimensional and categorical models of emotion best characterized the information content of activation patterns. Surprisingly, categorical and dimensional aspects of emotion experience captured unique and opposing sources of neural information. These results indicate that diverse emotional states are poorly differentiated by simple models of valence and arousal, and that activity within separable neural systems can be mapped to unique emotion categories.
Integrating chemical mutagenesis and whole-genome sequencing as a platform for forward and reverse genetic analysis of Chlamydia

Summary Gene inactivation by transposon insertion or allelic exchange is a powerful approach to probe gene function. Unfortunately, many microbes, including Chlamydia , are not amenable to routine molecular genetic manipulations. Here we describe an arrayed library of chemically induced mutants of the genetically intransigent pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis , in which all mutations have been identified by whole-genome sequencing, providing a platform for reverse genetic applications. An analysis of possible loss-of-function mutations in the collection uncovered plasticity in the central metabolic properties of this obligate intracellular pathogen. We also describe the use of the library in a forward genetic screen that identified InaC as a bacterial factor that binds host ARF and 14-3-3 proteins and modulates F-actin assembly and Golgi redistribution around the pathogenic vacuole. This work provides a robust platform for reverse and forward genetic approaches in Chlamydia and should serve as a valuable resource to the community.
Physics of tablet compression. XV. Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of adhesion under pressure.

A theoretical analysis has been made of the processes by which interparticle adhesion can occur during the compression of tablet granulations in the absence of added fluid adhesives. A reasonable explanation for the development of adhesion in these systems is based on the occurrence of either partial fusion or partial dissolution at the surfaces of the particles induced by energy added during the compression. The possibility that these phenomena do occur gains partial support from an examination of the thermodynamics and kinetics of surface processes that may take place. The Clapeyron equation cannot be applied directly to these processes, but must be modified to take into account the nonuniformity of the pressures exerted on the particles during compression. Another factor which may affect particle adhesion is the production of highly localized frictional heat and slow diffusion of this heat from the particle surfaces into their interior.
Truncated FAD synthetase for direct biocatalytic conversion of riboflavin and analogs to their corresponding flavin mononucleotides

The preparation of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and FMN analogs from their corresponding riboflavin precursors is traditionally performed in a two-step procedure. After initial enzymatic conversion of riboflavin to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) by a bifunctional FAD synthetase, the adenyl moiety of FAD is hydrolyzed with snake venom phosphodiesterase to yield FMN. To simplify the protocol, we have engineered the FAD synthetase from Corynebacterium ammoniagenes by deleting its N-terminal adenylation domain. The newly created biocatalyst is stable and efficient for direct and quantitative phosphorylation of riboflavin and riboflavin analogs to their corresponding FMN cofactors at preparative-scale.
Cloning and Characterization of the Gene for the Somatic Form of DNA Topoisomerase I from Xenopus Laevis

Two distinct tissue-specific forms of DNA topoisomerase I with M(r) of 165 and 110 kDa have been purified from oocytes and somatic cells respectively of the African frog Xenopus laevis. In this paper, cDNAs encoding a Xenopus topoisomerase I were cloned using PCR primers derived from sequences of yeast and human topoisomerase I. A polypeptide expressed from a portion of the coding sequence was recognized by an antiserum directed against the somatic topoisomerase I that had previously been shown to be unable to cross-react with the oocyte enzyme. Thus, the clone encodes the somatic cell topoisomerase I. An antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide containing the sequence surrounding the active site tyrosine of the somatic topoisomerase I reacts with the enzymes purified from both oocytes and somatic cells, indicating that the two enzymes share some limited sequence homology. RNA blot hybridization showed that oocytes contain an abundant store of somatic topoisomerase I mRNA that is not efficiently polyadenylated in oocytes. This stored RNA contains a consensus cytoplasmic polyadenylation element that is found in a variety of mRNAs that are translationally repressed in oocytes. Microinjection into oocytes of in vitro transcribed mRNA prepared from a Myc-tagged construct of the somatic topoisomerase I sequence is translated to yield a 110 kDa product. This suggests that the oocyte-specific 165 kDa topoisomerase I is not produced by tissue-specific post-translational modification of the somatic topoisomerase I. The oocyte enzyme appears to be produced from a minor mRNA species in oocytes that has not yet been identified.
Studies of local neuronal nets in the optic tectum of the frog

A system has been developed for multineuronal studies through a single extracellular microelectrode. This system is used to detect and study the behavior of local neuronal nets, formed by the dendritic appendages of tectral cells in the superficial tectum of the frog. The system consists of a software package for visual stimulation, spike detection, and classification, calculation of cross-correlograms of the spike trains, and visualization of the results. The sites of recording offer a large area for studying the interaction of units that participate in these local dendritic nets. Preliminary results suggest that there is a great number of direct functional interactions of excitatory nature mostly, modulated in part by the nature and location of the stimulus. >
Human extinction scenario frameworks

It is a natural human instinct to wonder about the future. Some have long speculated about the various events that could potentially lead to the extinction of the human race. While a dark subject, the point of exploring factors that could drastically impact the ability to sustain life on our planet has utility in preparing for events of this nature. It is in the spirit of learning how to change before catastrophe strikes that such wondering occurs.
Life Cycle of Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa (Oligacanthorhynchidae), an Acanthocephalan of the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Abstract Two Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) were experimentally infected with cystacanths of Oligacanthorhynchus tortuosa collected from naturally infected millipedes (Narceus americanus). The prepatent period of O. tortuosa was determined to be about 9 wk. Laboratory-raised millipedes fed feces from experimentally infected opossums containing ova of O. tortuosa contained cystacanths of O. tortuosa with inverted and invaginated proboscides at 82 d postinfection. This constitutes the first elucidation of a life cycle of an acanthocephalan of the genus Oligacanthorhynchus and constitutes the first description of the cystacanth of O. tortuosa.
Specificity and Sensitivity of Hemosiderin-Laden Macrophages in Routine Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Children

Context The presence of iron or hemosiderin in macrophages obtained in routine bronchoalveolar lavage is considered crucial in the diagnosis of the clinical syndrome of hemosiderosis. However, there do not appear to be any data on the sensitivity and specificity of the finding of hemosiderin-laden macrophages (HLMs) in bronchoalveolar lavage in children. Objective To review data from bronchoalveolar lavage studies done in children to correlate the presence of HLMs with pneumonia and hemosiderosis and to determine what proportion of HLMs has the optimal sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of hemosiderosis. Design One hundred ten bronchoalveolar lavage specimens obtained via flexible bronchoscopy were reviewed retrospectively. The data collected for demographics, indication for the bronchoscopy, diagnosis of pneumonia, anemia, and bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage findings were compared between patients diagnosed with hemosiderosis and those diagnosed with other diseases. Results Six patients were diagnosed with hemosiderosis by clinical findings, lung biopsy, or autopsy. There were no statistical differences in pneumonia (P > .99), anemia (P > .99), or coughing (P = .08) between patients with hemosiderosis and other patients. Hemoptysis was the only symptom that was significantly different between the 2 groups (P = .04). The mean HLM index for patients with hemosiderosis was 56% +/- 16.17% and for other patients, 7.5% +/- 10.74% (P Conclusions These results confirm a strong association between HLM index and diagnosis of hemosiderosis in a pediatric population. Availability of this HLM index will result in accurate and timely diagnosis of pulmonary hemosiderosis, which may influence treatment and long-term prognosis.
Fast separation of single-stranded oligonucleotides by capillary electrophoresis using OliGreen as fluorescence inducing agent.

The fast separation of oligonucleotide (oligos) sizing marker by CE using OliGreen® and including effects due to the concentration of separation medium and urea denaturant is presented. OliGreen dye is found to be more sensitive than ethidium bromide (by a factor of about 6 based on S/N considerations) for the oligos' separations. Higher concentration of F127 in 1 x Tris-boricacid-EDTA (TBE) up to 30% w/v leads to better resolution of oligos separations. The addition of urea into the separation medium decreases the sensitivity. With an optimized running condition, the oligos sizing marker could be successfully separated with 1 -base resolution within 1.3 min by using 30% w/v F127/1 x TBE solution as the separation medium at an applied electric field of 800 V/cm in a 3 cm long capillary, the fastest capillary gel electrophoresis separation with high resolution reported to date for oligos in the similar size range.
The effects of remarriage on women’s labor supply

Many studies have found that women decrease their labor supply upon marriage and increase their labor supply upon divorce. This paper examines whether that pattern varies depending on whether the marriage is a first or higher-order one using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the years 1979 through 2001. The combination of a greater expected probability that a remarriage will end and the failure of household production to bring returns upon the end of a previous marriage may make women less likely to reduce their labor supply in second or higher marriages as compared to a first marriage. The results differ for the intensive and extensive margins of labor supply. With one exception, after controlling for background characteristics, the estimates imply that the probability of working is related to marriage in a similar manner regardless of whether the marriage is a first or a remarriage. In contrast, the estimates provide support for the possibility that decreases in hours of work upon marriage are smaller in second and higher marriages as compared to first marriages.
A mechanically steerable array antenna with controllable microwave phase shifters at 20 GHz

A mechanically steerable antenna was designed and developed using an adjustable microwave phase shifter. The dielectric material /spl epsiv//sub /spl tau// = 10 (alumina) was used as the dielectric slab and was placed close to a coplanar TL. Numerical simulations using Ansoft HFSS and Designer were conducted at 20 GHz. For the testing purpose, a 4-element steerable array antenna at 5.8 GHz was fabricated and measured.
Effects of cocoa butter on serum lipids in humans: historical highlights.

It has been known for some time that cocoa butter, although rich in saturated fatty acids, does not raise total serum cholesterol concentrations as much as expected from its total saturated fatty acid content. Whether the effect of cocoa butter feeding on low-density-lipoprotein- (LDL)-cholesterol concentrations was also less than predicted by its total saturated fatty acid content needed to be tested. In a recent experiment cocoa butter did not raise LDL cholesterol as much as predicted by its total saturated fatty acid content. However, because of its significant palmitic acid content, cocoa butter did raise LDLcholesterol concentrations more than do most liquid vegetable oils.Am J C/inNutr I994:60(suppl):10145-65.
Biological detectors using ultra-high-Q microresonators

Ultra-high Q toroidal resonators have demonstrated the ability to maintain Q > 100 million in an aqueous environment. These quality factors enable ultra-sensitive detection of D/sub 2/O in H/sub 2/O (1 ppmv) and biological molecules.
Development of a Multi-Loop Flow and Heat Transfer Facility for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulic and Hybrid Energy System Studies

A new high-temperature multi-fluid, multi-loop test facility for advanced nuclear applications is under development at the Idaho National Laboratory. The facility will include three flow loops: high-temperature helium, molten salt, and steam/water. Molten salts have been identified as excellent candidate heat transport fluids for primary or secondary coolant loops, supporting advanced high temperature and small modular reactors (SMRs). Details of some of the design aspects and challenges of this facility, which is currently in the conceptual design phase, are discussed. A preliminary design configuration will be presented, with the required characteristics of the various components. The loop will utilize advanced high-temperature compact printed-circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) operating at prototypic intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) conditions. The initial configuration will include a high-temperature (750°C), high-pressure (7 MPa) helium loop thermally integrated with a molten fluoride salt (KF-ZrF4) flow loop operating at low pressure (0.2 MPa) at a temperature of ∼450°C. Experiment design challenges include identification of suitable materials and components that will withstand the required loop operating conditions. Corrosion and high temperature creep behavior are major considerations. The facility will include a thermal energy storage capability designed to support scaled process heat delivery for a variety of hybrid energy systems and grid stabilization strategies. Experimental results obtained from this research will also provide important data for code verification and validation (V&V) related to these systems.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Keeping the Excitement Alive

(2010). Keeping the Excitement Alive. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 30-35.
Epizootiology of the Japanese saurian malaria parasite, Plasmodium sasai

Histological examination of hearts from 422 Japanese lacertids Takydromus tachydromoides collected at Hanno, Saitama-ken, Honshu, from 1965 to 1967, demonstrated the presence of Plasmodium sasai Telford and Ball, 1969 in 85% of first-year lizards and 92% of those older than 1 yr. Prevalence in 1966-1967, estimated by examination of blood films alone was 20 uninucleate parasites were sequestered within capillaries of the heart in newly infected juvenile lizards. Vectors apparently were infected from adult lizards with chronic, low level, predominantly gametocytic infections in late summer and fall and transmitted P. sasai to at least 80% of the hatchling cohort, beginning within the first few days of life, producing parasitemias at barely detectable levels. Some transmission may have occurred in late spring but probably to no more than 15% of the host population.
A Compressed Sensing Approach to Solving the Dynamic Range Problem in Fourier Transform Holography

We propose a reconstruction method using compressed sensing to accurately recover an image from a single hologram despite a large amount of unmeasured intensities, which allows us to overcome dynamic range limitations in the sensor.
(Z)-5-Fluoro-3-[(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methyl-ene]indolin-2-one.

The title compound, C13H9FN2O, a potential neuroprotective agent, consists of an indolinone and a pyrrolyl unit [dihedral angle between the ring planes = 4.9 (1)°]. An intra­molecular hydrogen bond between the carbonyl O atom and the NH group of pyrrole correlates with the Z arrangement of the substituents at the C=C bond. In the crystal, inversion dimers occur, linked by pairs of N—H⋯O bonds.
The incongruent melting and melt textured solidification process of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

The melting and solidification was studied using in-situ high temperature XRD from melting point to 900{degree}C in 0.2, 0.1, 0.02 atm O{sub 2} and pure N{sub 2}. The incongruent melting point of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} was lowered by decreasing the partial O{sub 2} pressure from 870C (in .2 atm O{sub 2}) to 830C (in pure N{sub 2} atmosphere). As temperature was increased the incongruent melting of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} followed a phase sequence in which (Ca, Sr)CuO{sub 2} {r_arrow} (Ca, Sr)CuO{sub 2} {r_arrow} (Ca,Sr)O occur in presence of Bi-rich liquid. At 900C, the only crystalline phase present in the melt was (Ca,Sr)O. This phase sequence remained the same for all four different partial O{sub 2} pressures. During the solidification of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, from 10C below the melting point to 760C, the major phases that form depend on the partial O{sub 2} pressure. As partial O{sub 2} pressures was lowered from 0.2 to 0 atm, the major second phase formation out of the melt follows the sequence of (Ca, Sr)CuO{sub 2} {r_arrow} (Ca, Sr)CuO{sub 2} {r_arrow} (Ca,Sr)O respectively. At 0.1 Atm partial O{sub 2} pressure and below, Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} solidified outmore » of the melt; at 0.2 atm of O{sub 2} Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 6} forms instead.« less
Maintenance and propagation of a deleterious mitochondrial genome by the mitochondrial unfolded protein response

Mitochondrial genomes (mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA) encode essential oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) components. Because hundreds of mtDNAs exist per cell, a deletion in a single mtDNA has little impact. However, if the deletion genome is enriched, OXPHOS declines, resulting in cellular dysfunction. For example, Kearns-Sayre syndrome is caused by a single heteroplasmic mtDNA deletion. More broadly, mtDNA deletion accumulation has been observed in individual muscle cells and dopaminergic neurons during ageing. It is unclear how mtDNA deletions are tolerated or how they are propagated in somatic cells. One mechanism by which cells respond to OXPHOS dysfunction is by activating the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)), a transcriptional response mediated by the transcription factor ATFS-1 that promotes the recovery and regeneration of defective mitochondria. Here we investigate the role of ATFS-1 in the maintenance and propagation of a deleterious mtDNA in a heteroplasmic Caenorhabditis elegans strain that stably expresses wild-type mtDNA and mtDNA with a 3.1-kilobase deletion (∆mtDNA) lacking four essential genes. The heteroplasmic strain, which has 60% ∆mtDNA, displays modest mitochondrial dysfunction and constitutive UPR(mt) activation. ATFS-1 impairment reduced the ∆mtDNA nearly tenfold, decreasing the total percentage to 7%. We propose that in the context of mtDNA heteroplasmy, UPR(mt) activation caused by OXPHOS defects propagates or maintains the deleterious mtDNA in an attempt to recover OXPHOS activity by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics.
REIT Holdings and Performance

Executive Summary. This paper examines the information effects of REIT holdings: properties acquired, properties disposed, and dividends distributed to shareholders. Real estate investment trust (R...
Neuroradiologic Evaluation of Patients with Central Auditory Lesions

CT and MR imaging have revolutionized diagnostic medical imaging. MR scanning in particular is the method of choice to evaluate the CP angle lesion or other posterior fossa lesion. With CT pneumocisternography, neurovascular structures of the internal auditory canal and lesions can be visualized. Experience indicates that MR scanning will replace CT.
Oblivious remote data access made practical

Access pattern leaks threaten data confidentiality. The ability to access remote information without revealing the objects of interest is thus essential to remote storage privacy. Despite many challenges to deployment, this thesis asserts that there exist practical (applicable and economical) access privacy mechanisms. Outsourced computing is a popular trend with good reason: significant cost savings can be obtained by consolidating data center management. This trend arrives with a new set of security issues, however. Companies expose themselves to significant risk by placing sensitive data in systems outside their control. Of concern are not only network security, data confidentiality, and collocation issues, but more importantly a significant shift in liability, and a new class of insider attacks. To defend these new vulnerability surfaces, of special importance becomes the ability to provide clients with practical guarantees of confidentiality and privacy. This thesis outlines a set of essential outsourcing challenges: (i) How can remotely-hosted data be accessed efficiently with privacy? (ii) How can multiple clients run transactions privately in parallel, with serializability assurances guaranteed by untrusted, possibly malicious transaction managers? (iii) How can new, efficient, minimal-TCB hardware be designed to better provide security and privacy outsourcing guarantees? To answer these questions, this dissertation introduces new mechanisms for practical private data access and oblivious transaction processing, as well as new trusted hardware designs. A space-time trade-off of client storage vs. efficiency is explored, then expanded to the additional dimensions of multiplicity of clients, the nature of the trusted computing base (hardware vs. software), and the degree of client data processing (access vs. transactions vs. computation). The results are orders of magnitude more efficient than existing work. Together, they bridge the gap between theoretical possibility and practical feasibility.
An integrated approach to the patient with acute respiratory failure.

SUMMARY Because of the complexity of the illness and the therapies administered, careful daily review of data with all members of the health care team is necessary. This must be done with all pertinent information known and must be organized in such a way that interrelationships are given expression and not obscured. In depth discussion of all the patient’s problems among the team members accompanied by a clear communication of the plan of therapy to those involved in caring for the patient will result in organized and effective treatment.
Organ donation and imminent death: pro position.

Purpose of review Donation after cardiac death is associated with many problems including ischemic injury, high rates of delayed allograft function, prolonged time to asystole, and frequent organ discard. Imminent death donation (IDD) has been proposed as a separate category of organ donation: distinct from living donation and donation after cardiac death. Recent findings A protocol for IDD was developed at Rhode Island Hospital and published in the ethics literature. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Ethics Committee reviewed the protocol and stated that IDD was ethically appropriate in some cases. A wider review by a working group within UNOS concluded similarly, but felt that a myriad of policy revisions would be required and were concerned about a possible negative impact on public trust in organ donation. Nonetheless, IDD and other nontraditional strategies continue to be proposed, implemented in other countries and discussed by patients and donor families. Summary This review, on the 'Pro' side of IDD, proposes that the medical community continue to work toward implementing IDD. Donor family's wishes are best met by organ donation, successful outcomes for the recipients, and a dignified death for their loved one. In some cases, IDD is the best strategy to meet these goals.
Young children's knowledge about the links between writing and language

The present study tested the hypothesis (Byrne, 1996) that young children who do not yet understand that the elements of alphabetic writing represent phonemes link writing to language at the level of morphemes. We asked US preschoolers to write words that varied in the number of morphemes and the number of syllables that they contained. We identified a group of 50 children who used letters that represented phonemes in the intended words no more often than expected by chance (mean age = 4 years, 9 months). These prephonological spellers did not produce longer spellings for two-morpheme words such as teacup than for one-morpheme words such as napkin, although the length of their spellings was affected by the number of letters that they used to spell the previously presented word and by the order of the word in the experiment. The results suggest that the length of prephonological spellers’ productions is not influenced by the linguistic length of a message in phonemes, syllables, or morphemes, and they do not support the idea that these children show a special sensitivity to morphemes.
Recent Books and Journals Articles in Public Opinion, Survey Methods, Survey Statistics, and Big Data. 2016 Update

Welcome to the 8th edition of this column on recent books and journal articles in the field of public opinion, survey methods, survey statistics, and Big Data. This year I officially added Big Data to the title as there is very strong interest on the topic and surveys and Big data are becoming more and more interrelated. This article is an update of the April 2015 article . Like the previous year, the books are organized by topic; this should help the readers to focus on their interests. It is unlikely to list all new books in the field; I did my best scouting different resources and websites, but I take full responsibility for any omission. The list is also focusing only on books published in English language and available for purchase (as ebook or in print) at the time of this review (August 2016). Books are listed based on the relevance to the topic, and no judgment is made in terms of quality of the content. We let the readers do so.
Revision and optimization in spinal cord neuromodulation for chronic pain

Abstract Despite advances in spinal cord stimulator implantation, inadequate therapeutic response remains a significant issue. Revision procedures aim to improve coverage, whether through revision of existing implants, supplementation with additional hardware, or changing modalities. Inherent challenges in surgical technique and treatment planning have led to techniques and ongoing areas of development and research.
Base Pairs to Populations.

“There is much work to be done and many challenges exist in our mission to end the suffering that breast cancer brings.” So conclude Guest Editors Ann Partridge and Lisa Carey in their overview for this CCR Focus on breast cancer. Oncologists treating rare or treatment-refractory cancers, such
Effect of pressure on the Néel temperature of rare earth intermetallic compounds

Abstract The pressure coefficient of the Neel temperature and the compressibility were obtained on two rare earth intermetallic compounds. Samples studied were GdCu and GdAg which have the CsCl type of crystal structure and show antiferromagnetic property at low temperature. The Neel temperature was determined by the abrupt change in the slope of the electrical resistivity vs. temperature curve. The resistivity was measured on polycrystalline samples over the temperature range from 77° to 200°K at a constant hydrostatic pressure. Pressures up to 5 kbar were employed. The Neel temperature was found to increase linearly with pressure at a rate of 0.03 ± 0.04°K/kbar for GdCu and 0.43 ± 0.04°K/kbar for GdAg. Volume compressibilities at room temperature are 2.2 × 10 −3 /kbar and 2.0 × 10 −3 /kbar for GdCu and GdAg, respectively. Values of d lnT N /d lnV are −0.09 for GdCu and −1.6 for GdAg.
Appendices to 'Beyond Physicians: The Effect of Licensing and Liability Laws on the Supply of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants'

Appendix A and Appendix B to "Beyond Physicians: The Effect of Licensing and Liability Laws on the Supply of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants".
A ground-based L-band synthetic aperture radar system for forest temporal dynamics monitoring

This paper describes of a ground-based synthetic radar (SAR) which can take short- and long-term radar cross-section measurements that can be used for the monitoring of dynamic forest characteristics through the instrument's sensitivity to the dielectric constants for the soil and woody structures. The SAR image is generated through the successive transmission/reception of radar echoes from a tram-mounted sensor that sits 20 meters above the forest floor. Processing of the data into range and azimuthally resolved imagery is achieved through the backprojection algorithm.