cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Test Concerning Artificial Cranial Deformation and Status from the Grasshopper Site, East-Central Arizona

ABSTRACTOccipital and lambdoidal types of artificial cranial deformation and undeformed crania were observed on 188 inhumations from the 14th century Grasshopper site. The results of a previous study were utilized to investigate possible relationships between status and deformation type. The present study indicates a predominance of occipital deformation over the lambdoidally deformed and undeformed types. However, no significant differences were found to occur between the reputed “high” and “low” status groups at the site. The feasibility of such a test is demonstrated for the benefit of future investigations.
Intraepithelial cancer of the vulva.

Abstract Establishment of a vulvar disease clinic on our service has dramatically increased the diagnostic acumen of the resident staff. In addition during the last 5 years 34 per cent of vulvar cancers diagnosed have been in the intraepithelial stage. More intensive and frequent use of biopsy of the vulva is advocated. Extensive vulvectomy is sufficient for the therapy of intraepithelial cancer. Lymphadenectomy is not necessary for the cure of noninvasive cancer. Eponyms have no place in predicating therapy, as all types of intraepithelial cancer have invasive potential.
Mismatched supply and demand.

Immigration provides opportunities to increase knowledge production. But this depends on an increased demand for knowledge and on immigrants expanding the supply of skills not otherwise available. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The first problem is university-sector demand: If
Keeping good friends close - The surface and secreted proteomes of a probiotic bacterium provide candidate proteins for intestinal attachment and communication with the host.

Bacteria use cell surface proteins and secreted proteins to interact with host tissues. Several dozen previously published proteomics studies have identified cell surface proteins for pathogens. In this issue, Celebioglu and Svensson (Proteomics 2017, XXX, XXX-XXX) use 2-D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to identify secreted and cell surface proteins of a commensual gut bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM. Some of the proteins are known to have functions in the cytoplasm, and their presence on the cell surface suggests they might be moonlighting proteins. In addition, comparisons of proteins used by pathogenic and probiotic species to interact with their hosts could lead to improved treatments of infections and chronic diseases that are associated with an imbalance of pathogenic and probiotic gut bacteria. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Numerical Modeling with Electrochemical Active Area (ECA) Distribution in the Lateral Direction in a PEM Fuel Cell

Abstract In a PEM fuel cell, local current density distribution is very critical to the overall cell performance. From our previous experimental research on the current performance between land and channel in a PEM fuel cell, current density under the land is significantly larger than that under the channel in the most operating voltage regions [1] . This could lead to very severe problems such as accelerating membrane and catalyst degradation, thus reduce the lifetime and durability of a PEM fuel cell. In order to understand the mechanism of the current density distribution in this lateral direction, and for the better future design of a PEM fuel cell with higher performance, we construct a three-dimensional CFD model with electrochemical active area (ECA) equation implemented, while the ECA distribution is directly from previous research. The numerical results coincide well with the experimental results, and the lateral current density distribution and oxygen concentration distribution have also been studied.
Parametric Study of an Ablative TPS and Hot Structure Heatshield for a Mars Entry Capsule Vehicle

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is planning to send humans to Mars. As part of the Evolvable Mars Campaign, different en- try vehicle configurations are being designed and considered for delivering larger payloads than have been previously sent to the surface of Mars. Mass and packing volume are driving factors in the vehicle design, and the thermal protection for planetary entry is an area in which advances in technology can offer potential mass and volume savings. The feasibility and potential benefits of a carbon-carbon hot structure concept for a Mars entry vehicle is explored in this paper. The windward heat shield of a capsule design is assessed for the hot structure concept as well as an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) attached to a honeycomb sandwich structure. Independent thermal and structural analyses are performed to determine the minimum mass design. The analyses are repeated for a range of design parameters, which include the trajectory, vehicle size, and payload. Polynomial response functions are created from the analysis results to study the capsule mass with respect to the design parameters. Results from the polynomial response functions created from the thermal and structural analyses indicate that the mass of the capsule was higher for the hot structure concept as compared to the ablative TPS for the parameter space considered in this study.
Male Peak Urinary Flow Rate: Relationships to Volume Voided and Age

We performed 126 studies of replicate voiding in 7 individuals and 552 observations in normal, abnormal or treated male populations with a disposable device that measures peak flow and volume voided. These observations have led us to suggest that a voided volume of 150 ml. be used as the minimum acceptable volume for studies of male subjects in which peak flow is used to define normal versus abnormal voiding. At volumes greater than 150 ml. a straight line describes the relationship between volume voided and peak flow as accurately as the previously suggested hyperbolic curve. Increasing age of men again reveals progressive decrease in peak flow rate no matter what volume is voided. Comparison of peak flow rate, volume voided and age by 3-dimensional graphing was attempted but was found unsuccessful for clinical use. However, 3 biaxial linear graphs may be used to chart effectively the 3 parameters (age, volume and peak flow) and thereby judge normality or abnormality of peak flow rate for any age and volume voided.
Evaluation of Carbide Fuel Property and Model Using Measurement Data from Early Experiments

The performance of uranium-plutonium mixed carbide fuel was analyzed based on experimental data produced from the Japan Research Reactor No. 2, the Japan Materials Testing Reactor, and the Fast Flu...
Case 17: Zone I Open Globe Injury with Primary Lens Removal

A 47-year-old man presented 2 days after suffering a zone I open globe injury to the right eye. Initial exam revealed a sealed corneal laceration, but a shallow anterior chamber with an opacified lens, secondary to violation of the anterior lens capsule from the injury. He was taken to the operating room for repair of the corneal laceration and removal of the traumatic cataract. The point of anterior capsule injury was identified just posterior to the corneal laceration and was incorporated in the capsulorrhexis. The corneal laceration was secured with interrupted 10-0 nylon sutures. After successful traumatic cataract removal, the patient was left aphakic. During the post-operative period, corneal sutures were removed slowly to ensure stable wound healing. The patient was eventually referred to the contact lens service where he was fitted with a contact lens, resulting in 20/20 vision.
No More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and Depression

Introduction: Given the breadth of correlational research linking social media use to worse well-being, we undertook an experimental study to investigate the potential causal role that social media plays in this relationship. Method: After a week of baseline monitoring, 143 undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania were randomly assigned to either limit Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat use to 10 minutes, per platform, per day, or to use social media as usual for three weeks. Results: The limited use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks compared to the control group. Both groups showed significant decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out over baseline, suggesting a benefit of increased self-monitoring. Discussion: Our findings strongly suggest that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being.
Binary wavefront optimization for multi-photon intravital microscopy through intact cranial bone (Conference Presentation)

Scattering is a major obstacle on the way of imaging deeper than a few mean-free-paths through bone. The high density of mineralization and collagen fibers deposition make bone a very inhomogeneous tissue that produces severe scattering. Although long wavelength excitation extends the mean-free-path for multi-photon microscopy, however imaging more than 150 microns through bone suffers from loss of resolution and intensity. We previously simulated the wavefront distortions caused by bone using phase accumulation ray tracing (PART) method. Our findings show that some low-order optical aberrations can be corrected using traditional adaptive optics systems such as a deformable mirror, however, a significant amount of high order aberrations are remaining, which require a secondary correction method to restore the point spread function at depth. In this work, we use a high-speed binary wavefront correction method using a digital light processor (DLP) to correct the wavefront in a hostile environment such as bone. We use the PART method to produce an initial estimate of the wavefront, and use a genetic algorithm to evolve it to an optimum using maximum intensity metric. The binary wavefront correction produces a factor of 21 enhancement and the initialization using PART method increases the enhancement 2.5 times.
Mining Partially Periodic Patterns With Unknown Periods From Event Stream

Temporal, periodic behavior is common in many application data [6][7][11] including web logs, stock data, alarms of telecommunications, and event logs of computer networks. This is because of routine behaviors of humane (e.g. morning rush every work day), seasonal effects (e.g. increase sales of stationary before a semester), or a consequence of routine tasks (e.g. rebooting print servers every morning or checking stock prices every 10 minutes). An example in computer system is that five repetitions every 10 minutes of a port-down event followed by a port-up event, which in turn is followed by a random gap until the next repetitions of these events. In fact, our study of event logs in production computer networks found that over 50% of the events can be explained by periodic temporal patterns.
Pressure-dependent sensitivity of a single-pass methane detection system using a continuous-wave distributed feedback laser at 3270 nm

A single-pass, compact, and low-power-consumption methane sensing system is presented, and its sensitivity is examined for a set of reference cells with pressures of 7.4, 74, and 740 Torr and the same methane concentration at laboratory temperature of 23°C. A GaSb-based continuous-wave distributed feedback tunable diode laser at 3270 nm and wavelength modulation spectroscopy were employed to collect 2f spectra in the ν3, R3 band of CH412. The collected 2f spectra were fitted to a modulated Voigt line profile model. An Allan–Werle variance analysis shows that the best detectivity, 4 ppbm, is obtained for the highest pressure cell. At pressures of 74 and 7.4 Torr the detectivities are 16 and 28 ppbm, respectively. For these low-pressure cells, further sensitivity improvements were achieved using a large modulation depth (m>2.2) at the expense of spectral resolution.
Enhanced Recovery after Implementation of Surgery Protocol in Living Kidney Donors: The ISMETT Experience

Abstract Introduction Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN) has become the standard procedure for living kidney transplantation. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal perioperative management aimed at facilitating rapid patient recovery after major surgery by modifying the response to stress induced by exposure to surgery. This association can further reduce hospital stay, surgical stress, and perioperative morbidity of living kidney donors. Material and methods In this retrospective analysis conducted at our institute, we compared the first 21 patients who underwent LLDN enrolled with the ERAS protocol with 55 patients who underwent LLDN with the fast-track protocol in the 5 years prior to ERAS protocol implementation. Results We evaluated 76 consecutive patients. After ERAS protocol implementation, elderly living donors had a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal life compared with the same age group of patients in the previous period. There were no major differences in median postoperative hospital stay and no meaningful differences in the percentage of complications after surgery and hospital readmissions. Conclusions The introduction of the ERAS protocol for patients undergoing LLDN compared with the traditional protocol led to a reduction in postoperative hospitalization in elder donors, without determining a raise in the number of hospital complications and readmissions.
Election forensics: Using machine learning and synthetic data for possible election anomaly detection.

Assuring election integrity is essential for the legitimacy of elected representative democratic government. Until recently, other than in-person election observation, there have been few quantitative methods for determining the integrity of a democratic election. Here we present a machine learning methodology for identifying polling places at risk of election fraud and estimating the extent of potential electoral manipulation, using synthetic training data. We apply this methodology to mesa-level data from Argentina’s 2015 national elections.
Reducing Hot Water Consumption: Testing the Effectiveness of Citizen Science and Community-Based Social Marketing in University Residence Halls

Purpose: This project aims to reduce the amount of energy used in campus residence halls to heat water, the second largest single source of energy consumption after space heating. Design/methodology/approach: This project combines a citizen science approach — in which students gather and analyze data about their own hot water use — with community-based social marketing methods — in which researchers identify the barriers to students’ conservation efforts and develop strategies to help them overcome these obstacles to reduce their consumption. Students’ self-recorded data on shower temperature and duration, and their responses to focus-group discussions and surveys are analyzed. Findings: Approximately 1500 shower times were self-recorded during the month of October and 22% of participants filled out the survey. Approximately 72% of respondents reported taking advantage of the self-reporting infrastructure, and 33% of participants reported that this project made them change their shower habits while 74% found that the presence of the self-recording equipment made them more mindful of the temperature and duration of their showers. Originality/value: Recent studies on energy consumption and conservation at institutes of higher education, including [institution name], have focused almost exclusively on energy-reduction competitions between residence halls, savings which have not been sustained beyond the competition. In contrast, this project illustrates the potential of using a different model to promote sustainable behavior and energy conservation.
Genomic profiling of a clinically annotated cohort of locoregionally advanced head and neck cancers (HNC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

5517 Background: Recent advances in genomic technology and sequencing have allowed the near comprehensive characterization of genetic abnormalities in HNC, but their correlation with clinical outco...
Patients' Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Social Needs Screening and Navigation: Multi-site Survey in a Large Integrated Health System.

As more health care organizations integrate social needs screening and navigation programs into clinical care delivery, the patient perspective is necessary to guide implementation and achieve patient-centered care. To examine patients’ perceptions of whether social needs affect health and attitudes toward healthcare system efforts to screen for and address social needs. Multi-site, self-administered survey to assess (1) patient perceptions of the health impact of commonly identified social needs; (2) experience of social needs; (3) degree of support for a health system addressing social needs, including which social needs should be screened for and intervened upon; and (4) attitudes toward a health system utilizing resources to address social needs. Analyses were conducted using multivariable logistic regression models with clinic site cluster adjustment. Adult patients at seven primary care clinics within a large, integrated health system in Southern California. Survey measures of experience with, acceptability of, and attitudes toward clinical social determinants of health screening and navigation. A total of 1161 patients participated, representing a 79% response rate. Most respondents (69%) agreed that social needs impact health and agreed their health system should ask about social needs (85%) and help address social needs (88%). Patients with social needs in the last year were more likely to (1) agree social needs impact health (OR 10.2, p < 0.001), (2) support their health system asking patients about social needs (OR 3.7, p < 0.001), and (3) support addressing patient social needs (OR 3.5, p < 0.001). Differences by social need history, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and education were found. Most patients at a large integrated health system supported clinical social needs screening and intervention. Differences in attitudes by social need history, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and education may indicate opportunities to develop more equitable, patient-centered approaches to addressing social needs.
Plantation forestry and pellet production in Kenya.

Abstract Woody biomass is the main energy source in Kenya since most Kenyan households use fuelwood and/or charcoal for heating and cooking needs. It is expected that major reliance of wood fuels will continue for decades, in the face of dwindling feedstock supply due to severe forest loss. As an alternative to charcoal, wood pellets have potential to be widely adopted as a cookstove fuel in high efficiency cookstoves and institutional boilers. This study couples plantation forestry with pellet production to create a sustainable supply of cost effective fuel. This study indicates that production of wood pellets from short rotation eucalyptus production can be an economically attractive approach. The cost of producing and delivering wood chips to a pellet mill was modeled based on yield data with a financial model, and the pelleting operation was modeled using a mass-and-energy-balance approach. Pellet costs were found to be lower than the equivalent charcoal cost, and an optimum production point exists with a sizeable employment benefit to the community. While it may be argued that it is preferable to adopt a policy that encourages abandonment of charcoal and fuel wood in favor of fossil fuels, it may be worth considering rethinking this approach, given the potential for producing pellet fuel in a manner that generates local economic benefit, maintains or reduces costs to the end user, and maintains the renewable, sustainable aspect of this sector of the nation's energy economy.
Emerging therapies for smoke inhalation injury: a review.

Smoke inhalation injury increases overall burn mortality by up to 20 times. Current therapy remains supportive with a failure to identify an optimal or targeted treatment protocol for smoke inhalation injury. The goal of this review is to describe emerging therapies that are being developed to treat the pulmonary pathology induced by smoke inhalation injury with or without concurrent burn injury. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed (1995–present) for therapies not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for smoke inhalation injury with or without concurrent burn injury. Therapies were divided based on therapeutic strategy. Models included inhalation alone with or without concurrent burn injury. Specific animal model, mechanism of action of medication, route of administration, therapeutic benefit, safety, mortality benefit, and efficacy were reviewed. Multiple potential therapies for smoke inhalation injury with or without burn injury are currently under investigation. These include stem cell therapy, anticoagulation therapy, selectin inhibition, inflammatory pathway modulation, superoxide and peroxynitrite decomposition, selective nitric oxide synthase inhibition, hydrogen sulfide, HMG-CoA reductase inhibition, proton pump inhibition, and targeted nanotherapies. While each of these approaches shows a potential therapeutic benefit to treating inhalation injury in animal models, further research including mortality benefit is needed to ensure safety and efficacy in humans. Multiple novel therapies currently under active investigation to treat smoke inhalation injury show promising results. Much research remains to be conducted before these emerging therapies can be translated to the clinical arena.
Optical Limiting Based on Huygens’ Metasurfaces

Optical limiting is desirable or necessary in a variety of applications that employ high-power light sources or sensitive photodetectors. However, the most prevalent methods compromise between on-s...
Ordering with a twist.

Tuning the twist angle in bilayer transitional metal dichalcogenides yields ordered structural phases with mesoscopically modulated electronic properties revealed by the combination of electron and scanning probe microscopies.
Emergence of Resistance in Klebsiella aerogenes to Piperacillin-Tazobactam and Ceftriaxone.

We examined the effects of piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) concentration and bacterial inoculum on in vitro killing and the emergence of resistance in Klebsiella aerogenes The MICs for 15 clinical respiratory isolates were determined by broth microdilution for TZP and by Etest for ceftriaxone (CRO) and cefepime (FEP). The presence of resistance in TZP-susceptible isolates (n = 10) was determined by serial passes over increasing concentrations of TZP-containing and CRO-containing agar plates. Isolates with growth on TZP 16/4-μg/ml and CRO 8-μg/ml plates (n = 5) were tested in high-inoculum (HI; 7.0 log10 CFU/ml) and low-inoculum (LI; 5.0 log10 CFU/ml) time-kill studies. Antibiotic concentrations were selected to approximate TZP 3.375 g every 8 h (q8h) via a 4-h prolonged-infusion free peak concentration (40 μg/ml [TZP40]), peak epithelial lining fluid (ELF) concentrations, and average AUC0-24 values for TZP (20 μg/ml [TZP20] and 10 μg/ml [TZP10], respectively), the ELF FEP concentration (14 μg/ml), and the average AUC0-24 CRO concentration (6 μg/ml). For HI, FEP exposure significantly reduced 24-h inocula against all comparators (P ≤ 0.05) with a reduction of 4.93 ± 0.64 log10 CFU/ml. Exposure to TZP40, TZP20, and TZP10 reduced inocula by 0.81 ± 0.43, 0.21 ± 0.18, and 0.05 ± 0.16 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. CRO-exposed isolates demonstrated an increase of 0.42 ± 0.39 log10 CFU/ml compared to the starting inocula, with four of five CRO-exposed isolates demonstrating TZP-nonsusceptibility. At LI after 24 h of exposure to TZP20 and TZP10, the starting inoculum decreased by averages of 2.24 ± 1.98 and 2.91 ± 0.50 log10 CFU/ml, respectively. TZP demonstrated significant inoculum-dependent killing, warranting dose optimization studies.
Thermo-hydrogen refinement of microstructure to improve mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

Abstract This paper describes the main results from an investigation into the consequences of thermo-hydrogen refinement of microstructure (THRM) after laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of Ti–6Al–4V on the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties using a set of experimental techniques. Porosity fraction, grain structure, phases, and crystallographic texture per phase are characterized using micro X-ray computed tomography, microscopy, and neutron diffraction. A hierarchical structure of acicular α-phase morphology formed inside the prior β grains by fast cooling during LPBF transforms into fine-grained globular microstructure by THRM, which facilitates homogeneous nucleation and growth of the low temperature phase with some retained β phase. Moreover, hydrogenated material during THRM has low activation energy for diffusion, which in conjunction with the surface energy of pores causes densification of the material, thereby closing porosity formed during LPBF. Such significant microstructural changes induced by the THRM treatment cause brittle material created by LPBF to become ductile. Significantly, the strength and ductility produced by THRM exceed the minimums set forth by the ASTM B348 standard for Ti-6Al-4V. Moreover, the treatment improves fatigue strength of the material. In particular, it improves the endurance limit and reduces the scatter in the measured fatigue strength data. Performance characteristics of the material can be further optimized for specific application requirements by tailoring microstructures using the LPBF and THRM processes.
Performance versus Risk Factor-Based Approaches to Coronary Artery Disease Screening in Waitlisted Kidney Transplant Candidates.

Introduction Current screening algorithms for coronary artery disease (CAD) before kidney transplantation result in many tests but few interventions. Objective The aim of this study was to study the utility of 6-minute walk test (6MWT), an office-based test of cardiorespiratory fitness, for risk stratification in this setting. Methods We enrolled 360 patients who are near the top of the kidney transplant waitlist at our institution. All patients underwent CAD evaluation irrespective of 6MWT results. We examined the association between 6MWT and time to CAD-related events (defined as cardiac death, revascularization, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and removal from the waitlist for CAD), treating noncardiac death and waitlist removal for non-CAD reasons as competing events. Results The 6MWT-based approach designated approximately 45% of patients as "low risk," whereas a risk factor- or symptom-based approach designated 14 and 81% of patients as "low risk," respectively. The 6MWT-based approach was not significantly associated with CAD-related events within 1 year (subproportional hazard ratio [sHR] 1.00 [0.90-1.11] per 50 m) but was significantly associated with competing events (sHR 0.70 [0.66-0.75] per 50 m). In a companion analysis, removing waitlist status from consideration, 6MWT result was associated with the development of CAD-related events (sHR 0.92 [0.84-1.00] per 50 m). Conclusions The 6MWT designates fewer patients as high risk and in need of further testing (compared to risk factor-based approaches), but its utility as a pure CAD risk stratification tool is modulated by the background waitlist removal rate. CAD screening before kidney transplant should be tailored according to a patient's actual chance of receiving a transplant.
Colonizing the Mind: Hawaiian History, Americanization, and Manual Training in Hawaiʻi’s Public Schools, 1913–1940:

Background/Context:Current historical understanding of Hawaiʻi’s territorial period celebrates American education as a crucial influence on the islands’ political development. In particular, the te...
The Weyl correspondence as a functional calculus

The aim of this paper is to use an abstract realization of the Weyl correspondence to define functions of pseudo-differential operators. We consider operators that form a self-adjoint Banach algebra. We construct on this algebra a functional calculus with respect to functions which are defined on the Euclidean space and have a finite number of derivatives.
Long-chain dicarboxylic acids

Abstract Aqueous dispersions of heavy-metal salts of 5-(and 6-)carboxy-4-hexyl-2-cyclohexen-1-yl octanoic acids, denoted by H2D, were prepared by direct mixing of solutions of the metal nitrates with solutions of Na2D. With any particular concentration of D2− ion, it was found that the turbidity increased sharply when the concentration of a metal ion exceeded a certain value. This transition from low to high turbidity defined the boundary between stable and unstable soap suspensions, and the concentration of the added salt at which it occurred was labeled as critical transition concentration (ctc). Complete domains, showing the ctc values for different concentrations of dicarboxylate for thallium(I), magnesium, calcium, and lanthanum counterions, have been given. These transition boundaries are strongly dependent on pH. The mixing of calcium and lanthanum nitrates with a solution of Na2D gave a suspension of solid particles, whereas immediate spontaneous emulsification occurred when thallium(I) and magnesium nitrates were used.
Lideratge educatiu a Mèxic, a Espanya i als Estats Units: implicacions interculturals

Aquest treball defensa la importancia del lideratge a les escoles per promoure el rendiment i del benestar dels alumnes, i repassa literatura on se suggereix que els directors poden provocar diferencies en influir en les variables que hi intervenen, en particular pel que fa a la motivacio dels docents. S'hi analitzen les diferencies culturals entre Mexic, Espanya i els Estats Units i es connecten a les practiques de lideratge. Cada pais podria treure'n profit examinant les practiques dels altres i, possiblement, adoptant les maneres de fer les coses que modifiquen o son contraries a les normes culturals imperants. L'enfocament unificador que es podria aplicar a cada pais es basa en el lideratge transformacional.
Probing RNA Structure with Chemical Reagents and Enzymes

This unit provides thorough coverage of the most useful chemical and enzyme probes that can be used to examine RNA secondary and tertiary structure. Footprinting methods are presented using dimethyl sulfate, diethyl pyrocarbonate, ethylnitrosourea, kethoxal, CMCT, and nucleases. For chemical probes, both strand scission and primer extension detection protocols are included.
Complete Structure of Gauche 1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethane Determined by Microwave Spectroscopy

The complete molecular structure of the high-energy gauche rotamer of 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (TFEA), Freon F134, has been determined using pulsed-molecular-beam Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Five different 13C- and 2H-substituted isotopomers, in addition to the normal species, were studied. Unlike the nonpolar anti rotamer, the gauche form has a permanent electric dipole moment, which permits a direct rotational analysis. The electric dipole moment was also determined using the Stark effect of two low-J transitions. The resulting dipole moment is μc = 8.186(7) × 10-30 C m [2.454(2) Debye] where the numbers in parentheses are the standard uncertainties (i.e., 1σ). The experimental results for the geometric parameters of TFEA are compared with two recent ab initio calculations.
Photo-illuminated diamond as a solid-state source of solvated electrons in water for nitrogen reduction

The photocatalytic reduction of N₂ to NH₃ is typically hampered by poor binding of N₂ to catalytic materials and by the very high energy of the intermediates involved in this reaction. Solvated electrons directly introduced into the reactant solution can provide an alternative pathway to overcome such limitations. Here we demonstrate that illuminated hydrogen-terminated diamond yields facile electron emission into water, thus inducing reduction of N₂ to NH₃ at ambient temperature and pressure. Transient absorption measurements at 632 nm reveal the presence of solvated electrons adjacent to the diamond after photoexcitation. Experiments using inexpensive synthetic diamond samples and diamond powder show that photocatalytic activity is strongly dependent on the surface termination and correlates with the production of solvated electrons. The use of diamond to eject electrons into a reactant liquid represents a new paradigm for photocatalytic reduction, bringing electrons directly to reactants without requiring molecular adsorption to the surface.
Transvenous retrograde nidus sclerotherapy under controlled hypotension (TRENSH): a newly proposed treatment for brain arteriovenous malformations--concepts and rationale.

PURPOSE: An alternative endovascular treatment to conventional transarterial embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is proposed. CONCEPT: According to this proposed treatment, selected AVMs could undergo transvenous retrograde nidus sclerotherapy under controlled hypotensive anesthesia (TRENSH). RATIONALE: It is hypothesized that TRENSH may provide the means of avoiding delivery of embolic agents via arterial feeders (thus preventing ischemic complications), in addition to a possible more complete permeation of an AVM nidus with a sclerosant than can otherwise be obtained with current agents via arterial feeders. DISCUSSION: Instead of relying on access to an AVM nidus from the arterial side (with its usual complexity), TRENSH would require retrograde access to the lesion via much larger and anatomically simpler draining veins. Retrograde permeation of the AVM nidus may then be possible with a liquid sclerosant (to effect a "chemical embolization") provided that the arterial inflow is reduced sufficiently by temporary controlled systemic hypotension, with or without the aid of temporary balloon occlusion of the main arterial feeder(s). Retrograde spread of sclerosant within the nidus that falls short of filling arterial feeders and their branches to normal brain tissue may then be possible. Angioarchitectural and hemodynamic considerations are addressed, as are the potential role and limitations of TRENSH in the management of cerebral pial AVMs. Future implementation of this new technique in some specific selected cases in which the anatomic configuration of the AVM and its draining veins might be favorable could prove to be a potentially useful addition to the armamentarium of AVM therapies, which currently includes microsurgery, radiosurgery, and transarterial embolotherapy. Experimental studies directed at assessing the feasibility of TRENSH before potential future clinical application seem justified.
Selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and formation of Lewy body‐like aggregations in α‐synuclein transgenic fly neuronal cultures

A key pathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons accompanied by the formation of Lewy bodies (LB). Given the complex nature of the disease, it is imperative to develop a model system suitable for molecular and cellular manipulation in order to study the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of PD. Here, we report that a new in vitro model of PD has been developed by using Drosophila melanogaster primary neuronal cultures expressing a human mutant alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn; A30P). The selective loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons was observed when alpha-Syn was pan-neuronally expressed while non-dopaminergic neurons (e.g. GABAergic) were not influenced. This degeneration was also observed even when alpha-Syn was specifically expressed in DA neurons, demonstrating alpha-Syn toxicity is DA cell-autonomous. In all experiments, cultures 5 days or older showed clear degeneration of DA neurons whereas this degeneration was not significant in 3-day-old cultures. In addition, there were intracellular aggregations in 5-day or older alpha-Syn neurons that were recognized by anti-alpha-Syn or ubiquitin antibodies, demonstrating the formation of LB-like inclusions. By contrast, no such aggregations were found in 3-day-old neurons. The results demonstrate that mutated human alpha-Syn expressed in Drosophila primary neuronal cultures causes the selective loss of DA neurons and the formation of cellular aggregations. Therefore, this is one of the first in vitro models recapitulating two important cellular features of PD and will be useful in examining mechanisms underlying selective neurodegeneration mediated by alpha-Syn.
Essential Oil of the Wood of Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex D. Don

Abstract Simultaneous distillation and solvent extraction of the sapwood of the Australian softwood Araucaria cunninghamii Aiton ex D. Don (common name “hoop pine”) gave a minute amount of an oil (3 ppm on wood oven-dry weight), the major components of which were hexanal (11.5%), αcopaene (31.1%), and β-farnesene (11.3%). The heartwood oil (20 ppm on wood oven-dry weight) contained hexanal (9.5%), decadienal isomers (37.0%) and propionic, butyric, valeric and octanoic acids (10.3% total).
Laser Capture Microdissection: Beyond Functional Genomics to Proteomics

Proteomics will drive biology and medicine beyond genomics, and can have a profound impact on molecular diagnostics. The posttranslational modifications of cellular proteins that govern physiology and become deranged in disease cannot be accurately portrayed by gene expression alone. Consequently, new technology is being developed to discover, and quantitatively monitor, proteomic changes that are associated with disease etiology and progression. In the past, proteomic technologies were restricted to tumor cell lines or homogenized bulk tissue specimens. This source material may not accurately reflect molecular events taking place in the specific cells of the tissue itself. This article describes a completely new class of proteomic-based approaches aimed at the identification and investigation of protein markers in the actual histologically defined cell populations that are immersed in heterogeneous diseased tissue. It is envisioned that these investigations will eventually lead to novel diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic markers that can be applied to monitor therapeutic toxicity or efficacy.
Exploring mathematical approximation for the time spans of transfer operations in parcel transshipment terminals

The parcel delivery industry (PDI) is a very labor intensive industry, from the drivers of the pickup and delivery vans, to the unloaders, sorters, and loaders in the transshipment terminals. The labor efficiency is a key performance measure in the PDI. In this study, the focus is on developing a framework for improving labor efficiencies in a parcel transshipment terminal. The objective is to minimize the time required to transfer parcels from inbound trailers to outbound trailers. This paper is an exploratory study to developing a framework for a solution approach to solve large-scale parcel hub scheduling problems (PHSP). A binary integer programming (BIP) model is proposed along with a branch and bound (BaB) algorithm with lower and upper bounds. The computational study shows that the BaB algorithm is able to generate solutions for small-size problems. The proposed BIP model sets the ground work for developing solution approaches to much larger size problems.
Hamiltonian ODEs on a space of deficient measures

We continue the study (initiated in [1]) of Borel measures whose time evolution is provided by an interacting Hamiltonian structure. Here, the principal focus is the development and advancement of deficency in the measure caused by displacement of mass to infinity in finite time. We introduce - and study in its own right - a regularization scheme based on a dissipative mechanism which naturally degrades mass according to distance traveled (in phase space). Our principal results are obtained based on some dynamical considerations in the form of a condition which forbids mass to return from infinity.
A Solar Wind Deuterium Detector and Charge Spectrum Analyzer

Solar wind deuterium detector and charge spectrum analyzer for Sunblazer probe of corona transmission properties
Transient insulin autoantibody expression independent of development of diabetes: comparison of NOD and NOR strains.

Abstract NOD mice spontaneously develop anti-insulin autoantibodies associated with the subsequent development of diabetes. NOD mice that express insulin autoantibodies at 8 weeks of age have a diabetes risk exceeding 90%, while mice that do not express autoantibodies by 16 weeks have a risk of less than 20%. NOD female mice expressed insulin autoantibodies more often than male mice (13/15 + vs. 6/15 + ). Autoantibodies characteristically developed between 8 and 20 weeks and then for most mice became negative at diabetes onset in NOD mice. In the diabetes-free strain NOR mice, spontaneous expression of insulin autoantibodies was observed in less mice (female 8/15 + , male 3/10 + ) compared to NOD mice. The expression of autoantibodies was transient in NOR mice and followed the same time-course as for NOD mice and they were all negative by 28 weeks (without progression to diabetes). No correlation was found in NOR mice between the levels of autoantibodies and insulitis. The program of insulin autoantibody expression is regulated over approximately 5 months for both NOD and NOR mice with only NOD mice developing diabetes, indicating that depending upon genetic combination, the presence of insulin autoantibodies does not always predict diabetes development. In addition, this data is not consistent with the hypothesis that the time-course of autoantibodies simply reflects the destruction of β-cells with development of diabetes.
Effect of discrete distribution of ions on B- and Z-DNA: a theoretical investigation.

Using an iterative approach, we have placed monovalent (“solvated”) and divalent (both solvated and “unsolvated”) ions around a 20 base pair sequence, (dC-dG)10, in standard B and ZI conformations. The molecule with its attendant ions in the various conformations is subjected to to energy minimization using the program AMBER. In the presence of solvated cations (both monovalent as well as divalent) the B form is more stable than the Z form. However, direct binding with the unsolvated divalent cations makes the Z form more stable. Groove-binding provides some insight into the facility with which the B to Z transition occurs with higher charged cations. In the presence of unsolvated divalent cations, the Z form binds more charges at the groove through more ligands, compared to the B form. The orientation around the CpG phosphates in the minor groove of the Z form is found ideal for ion binding. Detailed molecular models for the ion binding have been developed. In general, phosphate groups dominate the ion binding. Large perturbations are seen mostly in the angles that control the phosphate orientation.
Imaging of sulfur overlayer structures on the Pd(111) surface

Abstract We have obtained atomic resolution STM images of both the (√3 × √3) R30° and the (√7 × √7)R19° sulfur overlayer lattices formed on the Pd(111) surface. The images of the (√3 × √3)R30° overlayer are very simple and are consistent with the structure previously determined from LEED analysis. The images of the (√7 × √7)R19° structure on the other hand are surprisingly complex. Within the unit cell which contains ten atoms (seven Pd and three S atoms) we are able to resolve seven atomic scale features. We are faced with the problem of determining which are Pd and which are S. On the basis of comparison of the positions of features in the images with positions of atoms in the Pd(111) surface we propose that two of the sulfur atoms have become incorporated into the subsurface exposing four Pd atoms.
Loss of Hemolectin reduces the survival of Drosophila larvae after wounding

Coagulation involving both hemocytes and humoral factors is important for insect survival and immune defense. Hemolectin is a major larval clotting factor in Drosophila, and hemolymph from hml mutants does not clot ex vivo. Yet surprisingly third instar hml larvae survived injury as well as controls. The number of hemocytes in circulation changes during larval development. Reasoning that this could affect coagulation, we studied larval survival after injury at different stages. We found that hml larvae survived less than controls when injured during the feeding stage with fewer hemocytes. This important in vivo result reinforces the role of Hemolectin in larval hemostasis. A subtle effect of hml on immunity was found in adults. Similar experiments on hml mutant larvae gave different results, but feeding stage hml larvae were differentially sensitive to infections with different strains of Serratia marcescens.
Reaction of OH with HO2NO2 (Peroxynitric Acid): Rate Coefficients between 218 and 335 K and Product Yields at 298 K

Rate coefficients (k 3 (T)) for the reaction of OH with HO 2 NO 2 (peroxynitric acid, PNA) in the gas phase were measured in the temperature range of 218-335 K by producing OH via pulsed laser photolysis and detecting it via laser-induced fluorescence. The PNA concentration was measured in situ by UV and IR absorption. The H 2 O 2 , HNO 3 , and NO 2 impurities present in the PNA sample were quantified by mass spectrometry and/or UV/IR absorption. The measured value of k 3 (298 K) is (3.4 ′ 1.0) x 10 - 1 2 cm 3 molecule - 1 s - 1 . The temperature dependence of k 3 is best described by the relation k 3 (T) = (8.8 ′ 2.6) × 10 - 1 9 T 2 exp[(1130 ′ 20)/T] cm 3 molecule - 1 s - 1 . The quoted errors for k 3 are at the 2σ level and include estimated systematic errors, which contribute the most to this uncertainty. The measured values of k 3 (T) were independent of pressure between 10 and 100 Torr of helium. The branching ratios of the reaction OH + HO 2 NO 2 → products, for the production of HO 2 and HNO 3 and of NO 3 and H 2 O 2 , respectively, were determined to be <10% and <5%, respectively, at 298 K. Thus, it was deduced that the main pathway for reaction 3 produces H 2 O, O 2 , and NO 2 at 298 K. Our measurements reduce the uncertainties but do not significantly alter the currently calculated impacts of HO 2 NO 2 in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. In the course of this study, the rate coefficient for the reaction of OH with H 2 O 2 was measured to be k 4 (T) = (2.9 ′ 1.8) × 10 - 1 2 exp[-(110 ′ 150)/T] cm 3 molecule - 1 s - 1 in the temperature range of 273-356 K.
Estimate of Radiobiologic Parameters From Clinical Data for Biologically Based Treatment Planning for Liver Irradiation

Purpose The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) is initiating a few new hypofractionation regimens (RTOG 0438) to treat liver cancer patients. To evaluate the radiobiologic equivalence between different regimens requires reliable radiobiologic parameters. The purpose of this work is to estimate a plausible set of such parameters for liver tumors and to design new optimized dose fractionation schemes to increase patient survival. Methods and Materials A model was developed to fit clinical survival data from irradiation of a series of primary liver patients. The model consists of six parameters including radiosensitivity parameters α and α/β, potential doubling time T d . Using this model together with the Lyman model for calculations of the normal tissue complication probability, we designed a series of hypofractionated treatment strategies for liver irradiation. Results The radiobiologic parameters for liver tumors were estimated to be: α/β = 15.0 ± 2.0 Gy, α = 0.010 ± 0.001 Gy -1 , T d = 128 ± 12 day. By calculating the biologically effective dose using the obtained parameters, it is found that for liver patients with an effective liver volume of ∼45% the dose fractionation regimens suggested in RTOG 0438 can be escalated to higher dose for improved patient survival (∼80% at 1 year) while keeping the normal tissue complication probability to less than 10%. Conclusions A plausible set of radiobiologic parameters has been obtained based on clinical data. These parameters may be used for radiation treatment planning of liver tumors, in particular, for the design of new treatment regimens aimed at dose escalation.