cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion and interdiffusion in Zn-disordered AlAs-GaAs superlattices

Several superlattices (SL's) with different layer thicknesses, grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), were disordered via low temperature (550−600°C) Zn diffusions to investigate layer thickness effects on both the Zn diffusion process and the Al-Ga interdiffusion process. The Zn diffusion coefficients were measured using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and found to be ˜10−12 cm2/sec, increasing somewhat with decreasing layer thickness. The activation energy for the Zn diffusion process ranged from 3.1 eV for an 1100A/period SL to 2.1 eV for a 320A/period SL. The Al-Ga interdiffusion coefficient and the activation energy associated with the interdiffusion process were calculated from AES depth profiles. The coefficient is on the order of 10−16 cm2/sec and the activation energy is approximately 1 eV, independent of the SL layer thickness.
Video lectures help enhance online information literacy course

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a credit‐bearing information literacy course was enhanced through the use of video lectures to deliver course content. Students have a choice of how to access course materials: video lectures or reading material.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review shows that, previously, videos have been used largely to supplement face‐to‐face classes or one‐shot library instruction sessions. A description details the production of video lectures for one of the courses that satisfies the information literacy graduation requirement at Weber State University. For this course, a student survey was then used to measure the actual use and effectiveness of the video lectures.Findings – Survey results indicate that a majority of students use the video lectures, at least partly, and find them helpful.Research limitations/implications – Results also show that many students are comfortable reading course materials rather than viewing the lectures. As more cours...
H ∞ and gain scheduled H ∞ control for islanded microgrids

Control strategies for sources in microgrids are pervasive in the literature. Droop control has received a great deal of attention as it requires no communications with other sources in the network. Droop control is typically synthesized by considering an entire network, implemented as a pair of constant gain controllers, and may suffer from poor performance and limited operating range. Since networks of sources can become quite large and are subject to change, a simplified approach to modeling and robust control are needed. In this paper H∞ and gain scheduled H∞ controllers are synthesized using Glover McFarlane loopshaping. It is shown that the H∞ approach produces superior robustness and performance compared to the traditional approach to droop control using constant gains. The H∞ and constant gain controllers are also compared using hardware.
Oxytocin and autistic disorder: alterations in peptide forms.

Abstract Background: Oxytocin (OT) is synthesized as a prohormone that is sequentially processed to peptides. These peptides are the bioactive amidated form (OT) and the C-terminal extended peptides, OT-Gly, OT-Gly-Lys and OT-Gly-Lys-Arg, which are designated together as OT-X. As an extension of our previous study finding decreased plasma OT in autism, studies were conducted to determine whether there were changes in OT peptide forms in autistic children. Methods: Twenty eight male subjects (97 ± 20 months; range, 70–139 months), diagnosed with DSM-IV autistic disorder through observation and semi-structured interview, were compared with 31 age-matched nonpsychiatric control subjects (106 ± 22 months; range, 74–140 months). Using OT antisera with different specificity for the peptide forms, we measured plasma OT and OT-X in each group. Results: T tests showed that there was a decrease in plasma OT (t = 4.4, p Conclusions: The results suggest that children with autistic disorder show alterations in the endocrine OT system. Deficits in OT peptide processing in children with autism may be important in the development of this syndrome.
Functional somatic complaints in adolescents: Relationship to negative life events, self-concept, and family characteristics

While recurrent somatic complaints are commonly encountered in children and adolescents, occult organic disease is rarely found in patients with these complaints. Recent studies have confirmed the clinical impression that a relationship exists between functional somatic complaints and negative life events in adolescents. Our goal was to investigate additional psychosocial characteristics that may be associated with functional complaints. One hundred fifteen adolescents coming for the first time to an adolescent medicine clinic completed standard measures of negative life events, psychophysiologic symptoms, self-esteem, peer social comparison, and family functioning before an independent evaluation by a physician. Pattents with functional somatic complaints (chest pain, recurrent abdominal pain, limb pain, and hyperventilation syndrome) reported significantly more negative life events, lower self-esteen, more psychophysiologic symptoms and a lower self-evaluation than did patients coming for physical examination or routine health maintenance. Functional somatic complaints in adolescents may be associated with poor psychosocial adjustment and reaction to negative life events. In addition to ruling out organic disease, physicians dealting with these patients should evaluate other areas, including stressful life events, peer relations, and self-esteem.
13C chemical shifts of monosubstituted adamantanes

13C chemical shifts are reported for adamantane, nine 1-substituted adamantanes and nine 2-substituted adamantanes. The substituents are F, Cl, Br, I, NH2, OH, CH2, CN and CO2H. The assignments and results are discussed in terms of chemical shift patterns.
SPECTRAL ANOMALY DETECTION USING GRAPH-BASED FILTERING FOR WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

This paper introduces a novel spectral anomaly detection method by developing a graph-based filtering framework. In particular, we consider the problem of unsupervised data anomaly detection over wireless sensor networks (WSNs) where sensor measurements are represented as signals on a graph. In our framework, graphs are chosen to capture useful proximity information about measured data. The associated graph-based filters are then employed to project the graph signals on normal and anomaly subspaces, and resulting projections are used in detection of data anomalies. The proposed approach has two main advantages over the standard spectral technique, principal component analysis (PCA). Firstly, graph-based filtering allows us to incorporate structural information known a priori (e.g., distance between sensors) in addition to data. Secondly, it provides localized transformations leading to effective distributed anomaly detection. Our experimental results show that our proposed solution outperforms PCA-based and distributed clustering-based anomaly detection methods in terms of receiver operating characteristics (ROCs).
Mobility of large rock avalanches: Evidence from Valles Marineris, Mars

Measurements of H/L (height of drop/length of runout) vs. volume for landslides in Valles Marineris on Mars show a trend of decreasing H/L with increasing volume. This trend, which is linear on a log-log plot, is parallel to but lies above the trend for terrestrial dry rock avalanches. This result and estimates of 10 4 to 10 5 Pa yield strength suggest that the landslides were not water saturated, as suggested by previous workers. The offset between the H/L vs. volume trends shows that a typical Martian avalanche must be nearly two orders of magnitude more voluminous than a typical terrestrial avalanche in order to achieve the same mobility. This offset might be explained by the effects of gravity on flows with high yield strengths. These results should prove useful to future efforts to resolve the controversy over the mechan-ics of long-runout avalanches.
Concurrent Evaluation of Career Indecision and Indecisiveness

Career indecision is reconceptualized as a complex, multidimensional problem composed of an undecided state and an indecisive trait.
Electrifying Education: Courses Ranging from K¿12 All the Way to Ph.D.s [Guest Editorial]

The articles in this special section focus on new and innovative education courses for power engineering students.
A test for the equality of covariance matrices when the dimension is large relative to the sample sizes

A simple statistic is proposed for testing the equality of the covariance matrices of several multivariate normal populations. The asymptotic null distribution of this statistic, as both the sample sizes and the number of variables go to infinity, is shown to be normal. Consequently, this test can be used when the number of variables is not small relative to the sample sizes and, in particular, even when the number of variables exceeds the sample sizes. The finite sample size performance of the normal approximation for this method is evaluated in a simulation study.
The effects of sampling on delimiting species from multi-locus sequence data

As a fundamental unit in biology, species are used in a wide variety of studies, and their delimitation impacts every subfield of the life sciences. Thus, it is of utmost importance that species are delimited in an accurate and biologically meaningful way. However, due to morphologically similar, cryptic species, and processes such as incomplete lineage sorting, this is far from a trivial task. Here, we examine the accuracy and sensitivity to sampling strategy of three recently developed methods that aim to delimit species from multi-locus DNA sequence data without a priori assignments of samples to putative species. Specifically, we simulate data at two species tree depths and a variety of sampling strategies ranging from five alleles per species and five loci to 20 alleles per species and 100 loci to test (1) Structurama, (2) Gaussian clustering, and (3) nonparametric delimitation. We find that Structurama accurately delimits even relatively recently diverged (greater than 1.5 N generations) species when sampling 10 or more loci. We also find that Gaussian clustering delimits more deeply divergent species (greater than 2.5 N generations) relatively well, but is not sufficiently sensitive to delimit more recently diverged species. Finally, we find that nonparametric delimitation performs well with 25 or more loci if gene trees are known without error, but performs poorly with estimated gene genealogies, frequently over-splitting species and mis-assigning samples. We thus suggest that Structurama represents a powerful tool for use in species delimitation. It should be noted, however, that intraspecific population structure may be delimited using this or any of the methods tested herein. We argue that other methods, such as other species delimitation methods requiring a priori putative species assignments (e.g. SpeDeSTEM, Bayesian species delimitation), and other types of data (e.g. morphological, ecological, behavioral) be incorporated in conjunction with these methods in studies attempting to delimit species.
Vector matrix multiplier on field programmable analog array

This paper presents a vector-matrix multiplier (VMM), which can be easily implemented on a field programmable analog array (FPAA). This VMM can be synthesized directly into the switch-fabric of the FPAA, allowing for incredibly dense matrix operations. As an important aspect of this system, we utilize a complete chain of tools that compile the VMM design from Simulink blocks onto the FPAA hardware. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the analog VMM by relying on it to perform two common signal processing tasks.
Multiscale Adaptive Basis Function Modeling of Spatiotemporal Vectorcardiogram Signals

Mathematical modeling of cardiac electrical signals facilitates the simulation of realistic cardiac electrical behaviors, the evaluation of algorithms, and the characterization of underlying space-time patterns. However, there are practical issues pertinent to model efficacy, robustness, and generality. This paper presents a multiscale adaptive basis function modeling approach to characterize not only temporal but also spatial behaviors of vectorcardiogram (VCG) signals. Model parameters are adaptively estimated by the “best matching” projections of VCG characteristic waves onto a dictionary of nonlinear basis functions. The model performance is experimentally evaluated with respect to the number of basis functions, different types of basis function (i.e., Gaussian, Mexican hat, customized wavelet, and Hermitian wavelets), and various cardiac conditions, including 80 healthy controls and different myocardial infarctions (i.e., 89 inferior, 77 anterior-septal, 56 inferior-lateral, 47 anterior, and 43 anterior-lateral). Multiway analysis of variance shows that the basis function and the model complexity have significant effects on model performances while cardiac conditions are not significant. The customized wavelet is found to be an optimal basis function for the modeling of spacetime VCG signals. The comparison of QT intervals shows small relative errors (<;5%) between model representations and realworld VCG signals when the model complexity is greater than 10. The proposed model shows great potentials to model space-time cardiac pathological behaviors and can lead to potential benefits in feature extraction, data compression, algorithm evaluation, and disease prognostics.
The 3D Printed Flute: Digital Fabrication and Design of Musical Instruments

Abstract This paper considers the controversy of modern acoustic instruments, which may have come to an evolutionary impasse, due to its high standardization that makes it difficult to explore design modifications. A new approach for the design and fabrication of an acoustic instrument is presented, using digital fabrication technologies, and specifically 3D printing, which has the potential to influence new designs, and to lead to new acoustics and ergonomic innovations. This paper describes the key concepts of this approach, presenting the development process of such a 3D printed instrument—a prototype ofa 3D printed concert flute, some other 3D printed elements, and a conceptual example of an innovative trumpet—discussing the potential of the new technology in fabricating and designing of musical instruments.
Coping with racial discrimination: The case of Asian Americans

Abstract Self‐reported incidence of racial discrimination was investigated among four Asian‐American groups to explore their magnitude and the ways of coping with the discrimination episodes. The samples showed that among the two modes of coping ‐ problem‐focused or emotion‐focused coping ‐ a majority of Asian Americans has utilized the latter. Reasons of adopting these coping strategies were further explored for their determinants. Intergroup differences in ethnicity, education, gender and cultural values were found to exert influences on the ways of coping with racial discrimination among Asian Americans.
Rotation of non-spherical axi-symmetric particles in the slip regime

Abstract Aerosol particles are often non-spherical, and the shape has an important influence on the frictional drag and torque, and hence the Brownian motion, the deposition, the sampling and the coagulation of the particles. Since the particle sizes of interest span a wide range, it is important to have experimental as well as theoretical understanding of the frictional drag and torque for particles of arbitrary shapes and sizes. It is also desirable to know the extent to which some useful shape factors can be defined. In recent years there has been considerable progress in the study of non-spherical particles in the continuum regime (low Reynolds number hydrodynamics), and the problem of frictional torque has been solved numerically. This paper addresses the problem of frictional torque of non-spherical axi-symmetric particles at low Reynolds number but with slip boundary conditions. The use of slip boundary conditions is pertinent in aerosol dynamics as it permits consideration of particles in an important size range, where use of a zero slip condition cannot be justified, especially locally, because of the large curvatures of some non-spherical particles. The slip condition does introduce a few complications, both conceptual and numerical. This paper shows that the problem of the rotation of non-spherical axi-symmetric particles with slip conditions can be converted to an integral equation, which can be solved quite effectively by subtraction of singularity and use of quadrature techniques. As an example, numerical results for spheroids (oblate/prolate) are reported, and are shown to be in excellent agreement with analytical results obtained through series expansions. First order approximations to the solution of the underlying equations are given and dependence of the torque on the aspect ratio and Knudsen number is also explored.
Low resistance ohmic contact to n-GaN with a separate layer method

We have developed an ohmic metalization method to n-GaN through which low contact resistances down to 3 × 10−6 Ω cm2 have been achieved. The process consists of: depositing a 200 A thin layer Ti; annealing at 975°C for 30 s, realigning and depositing another 200 A thin layer of Ti, followed by a 2000 A overlayer of Au. The high temperature annealing effect on bulk GaN has been investigated. No degradation of semiconductor bulk properties was found up to 1050°C. TiN formation is believed to be the key to the low contact resistance.
Muon bundles from cosmic-ray multi- W phenomena

The consequences of novel high-energy electroweak phenomena are studied in the context of cosmic-ray physics. The production of many electroweak gauge bosons ({congruent}30--100) by cosmic rays gives rise to large zenith-angle multimuon events which are free of background. We find detection rates of up to a few events per year for neutrino-induced phenomena in detectors currently under construction.
Amyloid Oligomers and Protofibrils, but Not Filaments, Self-Replicate from Native Lysozyme

Self-assembly of amyloid fibrils is the molecular mechanism best known for its connection with debilitating human disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease but is also associated with various functional cellular responses. There is increasing evidence that amyloid formation proceeds along two distinct assembly pathways involving either globular oligomers and protofibrils or rigid monomeric filaments. Oligomers, in particular, have been implicated as the dominant molecular species responsible for pathogenesis. Yet the molecular mechanisms regulating their self-assembly have remained elusive. Here we show that oligomers/protofibrils and monomeric filaments, formed along distinct assembly pathways, display critical differences in their ability to template amyloid growth at physiological vs denaturing temperatures. At physiological temperatures, amyloid filaments remained stable but could not seed growth of native monomers. In contrast, oligomers and protofibrils not only remained intact but were capable of self-...
Interaction of Novel Ibogaine Analogs With The Human α3β4 Nicotinic Receptor

This work is an attempt to characterize the binding site and the inhibitory activity of ibogaine analogs on the human α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (hα3β4). In this regard, we used [3H]ibogaine equilibrium binding and Scatchard-plots, [3H]ibogaine and [3H]epibatidine competition binding, and ibogaine-induced inhibition of Ca2+ influx approaches. The results indicate that: (1) there is one high-affinity binding site for [3H]ibogaine, (2) ibogaine inhibits the hα3β4 with higher potency than that for the α1β2γδ AChR, (3) ibogaine interacts with different conformations of the hα3β4 with the indicated affinity (or potency) sequence: Desensitized > Resting > Open, (4) [3H]ibogaine competition experiments indicate that ibogaine and 18-MAC, among ibogaine analogs, and imipramine and dextromethorphan, among other known noncompetitive antagonists, have the highest affinities for the hα3β4 ion channel, and (5) [3H]epibatidine competition experiments indicate that ibogaine analogs interact with the agonist sites with very low affinities. Interaction of 18-MAC with the hα3β4 ion channel could be important for its anti-addictive property.
Extending the coverage of spectral libraries: a neighbor-based approach to predicting intensities of peptide fragmentation spectra

Searching spectral libraries in tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is an important new approach to improving the quality of peptide and protein identification. The idea relies on the observation that ion intensities in an MS/MS spectrum of a given peptide are generally reproducible across experiments, and thus, matching between spectra from an experiment and the spectra of previously identified peptides stored in a spectral library can lead to better peptide identification compared to the traditional database search. However, the use of libraries is greatly limited by their coverage of peptide sequences: even for well-studied organisms a large fraction of peptides have not been previously identified. To address this issue, we propose to expand spectral libraries by predicting the MS/MS spectra of peptides based on the spectra of peptides with similar sequences. We first demonstrate that the intensity patterns of dominant fragment ions between similar peptides tend to be similar. In accordance with this observation, we develop a neighbor-based approach which first selects peptides that are likely to have spectra similar to the target peptide and then combines their spectra using a weighted K-nearest neighbor method to accurately predict fragment ion intensities corresponding to the target peptide. This approach has the potential to predict spectra for every peptide in the proteome. When rigorous quality criteria are applied, we estimate that the method increases the coverage of spectral libraries available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology by 20–60%, although the values vary with peptide length and charge state. We find that the overall best search performance is achieved when spectral libraries are supplemented by the high quality predicted spectra.
Size effects in the temperature dependence of exciton linewidths

The interaction of excitons with acoustic phonons in direct band gap semiconductors gives the dominant contribution to the temperature-dependent part of the exciton homogeneous linewidths and to dephasing rates at lower temperature, e.g. below 150 K in bulk GaAs. Experimental results have shown that this contribution increases substantially in going from GaAs quantum wells to bulk GaAs. Perturbation treatment of acoustic phonon scattering in a simple band exciton model agrees with experimental results for narrow quantum wells. However, it fails by an order of magnitude for bulk GaAs and by a large factor for other materials. Here we present an evaluation of the exciton-acoustic phonon scattering using a realistic complex band model and anisotropic exciton dispersion in the bulk case. We also include the effects of the multi-phonon scatterings in the bulk and quantum wells. Our theoretical results agree well with available experimental results for the low-temperature exciton linewidth in GaAs and ZnSe.
Clearing systems and ( s , S ) inventory systems with nonlinear costs and positive lead times

Stochastic clearing systems model many different applications, including certain bulk server queues, shuttle buses, and buffers in communication systems. We extend the characterization of the optimal parameters of a generalized stochastic clearing system Stidham, S., Jr. 1977. Cost models for stochastic clearing systems. Opns. Res.25 100-127. from piece-wise linear to general convex cost-rate functions, and discuss applications to continuous-review and periodic-review s, S inventory models with nonlinear holding and storage costs and/or nonzero lead times. As in Stidham, we show that log-concavity of the sojourn function associated with the input process guarantees that the necessary conditions are also sufficient for optimality of the clearing parameters, which correspond to s and S in inventory examples. Our conditions are weaker and our model more general than those found in the previous literature on s, S inventory models.
An optimal three-stage design for phase II clinical trials

A phase II clinical trial in cancer therapeutics is usually a single-arm study to determine whether an experimental treatment (E) holds sufficient promise to warrant further testing. When the criterion of treatment efficacy is a binary endpoint (response/no response) with probability of response p, we propose a three-stage optimal design for testing H0: p ≤ p0 versus H1: p ≥ p1, where p1 and p0 are response rates such that E does or does not merit further testing at given levels of statistical significance (α) and power (1 − β). The proposed design is essentially a combination of earlier proposals by Gehan and Simon. The design stops with rejection of H1 at stage 1 when there is an initial moderately long run of consecutive treatment failures; otherwise there is continuation to stage 2 and (possibly) stage 3 which have decision rules analogous to those in stages 1 and 2 of Simon's design. Thus, rejection of H1 is possible at any stage, but acceptance only at the final stage. The design is optimal in the sense that expected sample size is minimized when p = p0, subject to the practical constraint that the minimum stage 1 sample size is at least 5. The proposed design has greatest utility when the true response rate of E is small, it is desirable to stop early if there is a moderately long run of early treatment failures, and it is practical to implement a three-stage design. Compared to Simon's optimal two-stage design, the optimal three-stage design has the following features: stage 1 is the same size or smaller and has the possibility of stopping earlier when 0 successes are observed; the expected sample size under the null hypothesis is smaller; stages 1 and 2 generally have more patients than stage 1 of the two-stage design, but a higher probability of early termination under H0; and the total sample size and criteria for rejection of H1 at stage 3 are similar to the corresponding values at the end of stage 2 in the two-stage optimal design.
A new technique for aseptic hypophysectomy in the dog.

Summary A technique for the aseptic removal of the pituitary gland via the parapharyngeal approach is described.
DYNAMICAL ASPECTS OF KINETICS.

It is shown when and how, and with what advantage, systems of first-order differential equations of the typex i =X i (x 1,...,x n occurring so frequently in biological and chemical kinetic problems and in other places, may be made to stem from a least-action type of variational principle. Linear systems are treated in some detail, and certain aspects of Volterra's ecological kinetics and of chemical kinetics are discussed. Finally, the general conditions are elaborated under which Gibbs ensemble theory may be used in considering systems with large numbers of degrees of freedom from a statistical point of view.
Crisis and Global Governance: Money, Discourses, and Institutions

In our troubled times, dominant discourses about crisis have muddled its underlying dynamics. To refocus, analysis explicates the ideological effects of the narratives that accompany surges in militarization and financial securitization. It is argued that money in the form of military spending and finance, prevailing storylines about them, and international institutions entrench the structures. Whereas the task of global governance is to forge collective responses and make rules for addressing these evolving processes, their mechanisms as evidenced in top-down summitry such as Group of 20 forums have silenced many key issues. Prominent among the failings is the insubstantial agenda for development, especially in regard to the world's most vulnerable populations. The old catchphrases among developmentalists will not suffice. Rather, this inquiry touches on implications for a transformation in global governance. En tiempos dificiles, los debates sobre la crisis han confundido las dinamicas subyacentes. Para...
Determining vehicle dispatch frequency when shipping frequency differs among suppliers

Abstract Collecting is a way to consolidate freight that involves trucks picking up material from more than one supplier on each trip to a single destination. Earlier research resulted in a method that optimizes collecting vehicle dispatch frequency and that assumes that all suppliers are visited on each dispatch. This paper develops a method that determines the optimal dispatch frequency when large suppliers are visited more frequently than are small suppliers. This added flexibility allows the combined inventory and transportation costs of collecting to be reduced. The method is developed analytically and illustrated with an example.
Hepatic Abscess: Sensitivity of Imaging Tests and Clinical Findings

The imaging studies of 63 patients with hepatic abscess were evaluated to determine the sensitivity of specific imaging tests and define causes of false-negative test results. Computed tomography (CT) detected 57 of 59 (97%) separate episodes of hepatic abscess. The two false-negative CT examinations were in patients with a diffuse low-density pattern throughout the liver. The radionuclide (RN) examination detected 16 of 20 (80%) cases, missing abscesses less than 2 cm in diameter. Ultrasound detected 33 of 42 (79%) cases, missing abscesses in the dome of the liver, small abscesses, and 2 large early abscesses. For all three imaging modalities, a specific diagnosis of abscess was possible only in those patients in whom CT scans demonstrated abscess gas (15%). The results of the imaging studies were correlated with the patients' clinical condition and laboratory findings. Thirty-one percent of patients were afebrile while 23% had normal white blood cell counts. Thirteen percent had totally normal liver function tests. We conclude that the clinical absence of fever, leukocytosis, or elevated liver function tests does not permit exclusion of the diagnosis of hepatic abscess. A CT scan is highly specific in excluding the diagnosis of hepatic abscess in the absence of diffuse liver disease. In this retrospective study CT was the most sensitive imaging modality available for the detection of hepatic abscess.
Markers of cartilage and bone matrix metabolism differ between the sera of macaque and squirrel monkeys.

Background Nonhuman primates develop the characteristic lesions of osteoarthritis, making them attractive biomedical models for the study of environmental factors, such as diet, which may influence the progress of the condition. Methods and materials We used ELISA assays of potential markers of osteoarthritis which were developed for use in humans to see if we could determined the presence of immunoreactivity in two nonhuman primate genera–Macaca (macaque monkeys) and Saimiri (squirrel monkeys). Results Inter-generic differences were significant for most markers. Three markers (bone alkaline phosphatase, hyaluronin and YKL-40) were outside the human range and two markers (laminin and C2C) did not yield useful results because they were off-scale high. Conclusion Our results indicate that most of the ELISA assays designed for use with human serum can be used in nonhuman primates. The highly significant differences we observed between the sera of Macaca and Saimiri, suggest that further examination is warranted.
Secretion of ACTH and β-MSH by an Adrenal Medullary Paraganglioma

A 41-yr-old woman with Cushing's syndrome was shown to have a right adrenal medullary tumor and bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia by adrenal venography. Her cortisolism was very marked and was unaffected by administration of ACTH, metyrapone, or dexamethasone. She had elevated plasma ACTH and β-MSH without an apparent normal circadian rhythm. Plasma samples obtained by selective venous catheterization suggested that the tumor was the source of ACTH and β-MSH and that the hyperplastic adrenal cortex was the source of cortisol. The tumor was found on postmortem examination to be a non-chromafnn paraganglioma which contained immunoreactive ACTH. Clinical and biochemical evidence of catecholamine excess was absent.
Troglitazone Improves Recovery of Left Ventricular Function After Regional Ischemia in Pigs

Background—This study determined whether treatment of normal (nondiabetic) pigs with the insulin-sensitizing agent troglitazone improves recovery of left ventricular (LV) function after acute ischemia and whether such effects are associated with altered myocardial substrate metabolism. Methods and Results—Juvenile pigs (n=6) were treated with troglitazone (75 mg · kg−1 · d−1 PO) for 8 weeks. Untreated pigs (n=8) served as controls. Under anesthetized, open-chest conditions, pigs underwent 90 minutes of moderate regional LV ischemia and 90 minutes of reperfusion. Regional LV function was assessed with subendocardial sonomicrometry crystals. Fasting plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels were lower in troglitazone-treated pigs than in untreated pigs, whereas blood glucose did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that treatment enhanced systemic insulin sensitivity. Baseline hemodynamics and regional LV function did not differ between groups. After ischemia and reperfusion, systolic function ...
CI-924 effects on plasma lipids in patients with type II and type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia.

CI-924 (CI), 5,5′-[[1,1′-biphenyl]-2,5-diylbis(oxy)]bis[2,2-dimethylpentanoic acid] is chemically similar to gemfibrozil. Patients with Type II (n=13) and Type IV (n=22) hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) were maintained 12 weeks on a baseline diet containing 55% sugar, 15% protein 30% fat and <300 mg cholesterol daily to stabilize weight and lipids. They were then entered in a parallel group double-blinded protocol and received 0, 300, 600, or 1200 mg CI p.o. daily for 12 weeks.
Interference by near ultraviolet and green light with growth of animal and plant cell cultures.

— Near ultraviolet (365 nm) and green-yellow (546-579nm) radiations repress the growth of liquid cell cultures of Ginkgo pollen and of monolayer cultures of HeLa. The deleterious effects of green-yellow wavelengths can be negated by red radiation; near-u.v.-induced growth repressions are insensitive to visible light photorestoration. These wavelengths do not interact synergistically and evoke different kinetics of response.
Triethanolamine Allergy Inadvertently Discovered From a Fluorescent Marking Pen

Triethanolamine is used as an emulsifier in many topical preparations and is an infrequent cause of contact allergy. We report a case of a woman with a contact allergy to triethanolamine inadvertently discovered when she had a reaction to a triethanolamine-containing fluorescent marking pen that was used in patch testing. On further investigation, triethanolamine was found to be in several of her topical products.
Piston Bowl Optimization for RCCI Combustion in a Light-Duty Multi-Cylinder Engine

Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) is an engine combustion strategy that that produces low NO{sub x} and PM emissions with high thermal efficiency. Previous RCCI research has been investigated in single-cylinder heavy-duty engines. The current study investigates RCCI operation in a light-duty multi-cylinder engine at 3 operating points. These operating points were chosen to cover a range of conditions seen in the US EPA light-duty FTP test. The operating points were chosen by the Ad Hoc working group to simulate operation in the FTP test. The fueling strategy for the engine experiments consisted of in-cylinder fuel blending using port fuel-injection (PFI) of gasoline and early-cycle, direct-injection (DI) of diesel fuel. At these 3 points, the stock engine configuration is compared to operation with both the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and custom machined pistons designed for RCCI operation. The pistons were designed with assistance from the KIVA 3V computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. By using a genetic algorithm optimization, in conjunction with KIVA, the piston bowl profile was optimized for dedicated RCCI operation to reduce unburned fuel emissions and piston bowl surface area. By reducing these parameters, the thermal efficiency of the engine was improved while maintaining low NOx and PMmore » emissions. Results show that with the new piston bowl profile and an optimized injection schedule, RCCI brake thermal efficiency was increased from 37%, with the stock EURO IV configuration, to 40% at the 2,600 rev/min, 6.9 bar BMEP condition, and NOx and PM emissions targets were met without the need for exhaust after-treatment.« less
Multiple mechanisms of ophthalmologic involvement in attenuated Hunter syndrome: A case report

Dysostosis multiplex contributes significantly to the morbidity of patients with Hurler syndrome (MPS IH), even after successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). A characteristic form of hip dysplasia (HD), which often requires surgical intervention, is one of the more frequent signs. No detailed studies are available on the course of HD over time in MPS IH patients after HSCT. We seek to describe in detail the radiological aspects of progression of hip dysplasia in these patients and identify risk factors and prognostic features. Longitudinal data were obtained from digitally scored pelvic X-ray studies of MPS IH patients using OrthoGonTM software for parameters including but not limited to acetabular index (AI), migration index, Smith's index and neck-shaft angle. Scoring was done independently by two blinded observers. Additional information on genotype and transplantation conditions and outcome were obtained. Between 60 and 70 MPS IH patients will be included. Currently, data on 42 patients (84 hips, 168 X-rays) are fully analyzed. Intraand inter-observer variation analysis showed ICC's ranging from 0.80 to 1.0. AI was, at the end of follow up, in the range of severe HD in 66 hips (78%). Eighty-eight percent of patients had coxa valga with neck-shaft angles up to 180°. Fifty-two hips were displaced laterally and/or superiorly. All parameters showed an increasing deviation from the reference values over time. Baseline AI values were correlated with final outcome. Progressive hip dysplasia as well as coxa valga and hip displacement are highly prevalent in MPS IH patients after HSCT. The applied scoring method is highly reliable and reproducible. This study provides data that may be of prognostic value and aid decision making and might be used in the assessment of therapeutic efficacy on bone disease for new therapeutic strategies. This study was supported by the Genzyme/ BioMarin Joint Venture.
An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses

Abstract The available scientific literature was reviewed to assess the taxonomic standing of North American wolves, including subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus. The recent scientific proposal that the eastern wolf, C. l. lycaon, is not a subspecies of gray wolf, but a full species, Canis lycaon, is well-supported by both morphological and genetic data. This species' range extends westward to Minnesota, and it hybridizes with gray wolves where the two species are in contact in eastern Canada and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Genetic data support a close relationship between eastern wolf and red wolf Canis rufus, but do not support the proposal that they are the same species; it is more likely that they evolved independently from different lineages of a common ancestor with coyotes. The genetic distinctiveness of the Mexican wolf Canis lupus baileyi supports its recognition as a subspecies. The available genetic and morphometric data do not provide clear support for the ...
Assessment of the patient with chronic cough

Chronic cough, defined as cough that persists for 3 weeks or longer, is one of the most common symptoms evaluated by a primary-care physician. With the exclusion of cigarette smoking, postnasal drip, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux are responsible for more than 80% of the causes of chronic cough. Elicitation of a thorough history and performance of a physical examination will usually provide clues about the cause of chronic cough. The use of diagnostic tests including methacholine challenge, gastroesophageal reflux studies, and sinus imaging is based on clinical suspicion. Treatment of chronic cough is aimed at the underlying cause.
Records of phoretic attachment of Mallophaga (Insecta: Phthiraptera) on insects other than Hippoboscidae.

In a recent review of the phoretic relationship between Mallophaga and Hippoboscidae (Keirans 1975), I recorded over 400 cases of this interesting phenomenon. There also exist a few examples of phoresy between Mallophaga and insects other than Hippoboscidae. To give as complete a list as possible of all records of mallophagan phoresy, the following collections are cited. Except for Philopterus sp. and Nirmus sp., all records involve Mallophaga normally ectoparasitic on mammals.
A 0.15 mu m gate-length pseudomorphic HEMT

A 0.15- mu m-gate-length double-heterojunction pseudomorphic HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) that exhibits state-of-the-art power and noise performance is reported. Power results include record power-added efficiencies of 51%, 41% and 23% at 35, 60 and 94 GHz, respectively, and output powers of 139 mW at 60 GHz and 57 mW at 94 GHz. Measured minimum noise figures of 0.55 dB at 18 GHz and 1.8 dB at 60 GHz are reported. It is suggested that because of its demonstrated performance and continued rapid rate of improvement, the pseudomorphic HEMT should be the preferred transistor for a number of millimeter-wave applications, used either as a discrete device in high-performance hybrid amplifiers or integrated into GaAs-based MMICs (monolithic microwave integrated circuits). >
Environmental proteomics: applications of proteome profiling in environmental microbiology and biotechnology

In this review, we present the use of proteomics to advance knowledge in the field of environmental biotechnology, including studies of bacterial physiology, metabolism and ecology. Bacteria are widely applied in environmental biotechnology for their ability to catalyze dehalogenation, methanogenesis, denitrification and sulfate reduction, among others. Their tolerance to radiation and toxic compounds is also of importance. Proteomics has an important role in helping uncover the pathways behind these cellular processes. Environmental samples are often highly complex, which makes proteome studies in this field especially challenging. Some of these challenges are the lack of genome sequences for the vast majority of environmental bacteria, difficulties in isolating bacteria and proteins from certain environments, and the presence of complex microbial communities. Despite these challenges, proteomics offers a unique dynamic view into cellular function. We present examples of environmental proteomics of model organisms, and then discuss metaproteomics (microbial community proteomics), which has the potential to provide insights into the function of a community without isolating organisms. Finally, the environmental proteomics literature is summarized as it pertains to the specific application areas of wastewater treatment, metabolic engineering, microbial ecology and environmental stress responses.
Direct synthesis of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires on FTO substrates using a CVD method and the improvement of photovoltaic performance

In this work, we report a direct synthesis of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires on fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated substrates using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. ZnO nanowires with a length of more than 30 μm were synthesized, and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the as-grown nanowires were fabricated, which showed improvement of the device performance compared to those fabricated using transferred ZnO nanowires. Dependence of the cell performance on nanowire length and annealing temperature was also examined. This synthesis method provided a straightforward, one-step CVD process to grow relatively long ZnO nanowires and avoided subsequent nanowire transfer process, which simplified DSSC fabrication and improved cell performance.
The Lincoln dental caries study: a three-year evaluation of dental caries in persons with various mental disorders.

The study was undertaken to determine possible differences in incidence of caries between groups of persons with specific mental disorders. An evaluation of three-year incremental caries scores in institutionalized persons with various mental disorders indicated that in a DMFS evaluation of caries increment, the group with Down syndrome had significantly fewer caries than many of the other groups compared. No such significant difference was found in an evaluation of DMFT. The caries increments did not differ significantly from one another in all other mentally subnormal groups. The carious lesions in the group with Down syndrome appeared to be limited to the occlusal surface.
Splenic Abscess Detection and Monitoring Using Sonography

The finding of a splenic abscess is rare, with only 500 to 600 cases ever having been reported internationally. Prior to the advent of sonography and computed tomography, the survival rate for an individual with a splenic abscess was 0%. Present-day real-time imaging with sonography allows for accurate diagnosis of an abscess in the spleen versus rupture, hematoma, splenomegaly, or cyst within the spleen or left kidney. Until recently, the prescribed treatment was splenectomy. The increased understanding of splenic abscess etiology and advancements in pharmacology have allowed the treatment to progress from surgical removal of the entire spleen to draining the abscess using fine-needle aspiration with the use of strong broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics.
Tryptic peptide mapping studies on the regulatory subunits of type II protein kinases from cerebral cortex and heart. Evidence for overall structural divergence and differences in the autophosphorylation and cAMP-binding domains.

: Regulatory subunits of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinases (RII) (EC 2.7.1.37) from bovine brain and heart exhibit similar physicochemical and functional properties in vitro. However, the two forms of RII are markedly different in their (a) antigenic determinants, (b) cell and tissue distribution, and (c) subcellular localization. This suggests that each of these cAMP-binding proteins may possess some unique structural features. To assess the degree of overall divergence between the primary structures of brain RII and heart RII, tryptic peptides derived from the two proteins were mapped by reverse phase HPLC on a C18 column. When the column effluent was monitored at 280 nm, 15 peptides were found only in the heart RII digest, while 5 other peptides were obtained only from brain RII. More complex HPLC profiles were observed by following peptide absorbance at 210 nm, but a similar level of diversity was apparent: 13 brain-RII-specific and 15 heart-RII-specific tryptic peptides were identified and resolved with a gradient (0–50%) of acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. In complementary experiments, classical two-dimensional mapping analyses revealed that several 32P-labeled tryptic fragments derived from autophosphorylated and photoaffinity-labeled brain RII were separate and distinct from the 32P-peptides isolated from similarly treated heart RII. The HPLC mapping data document a structural basis for the immunological disparity between brain RII and heart RII and suggest that the two cAMP-binding proteins are different proteins rather than interconvertible forms of a single protein. The two-dimensional maps further indicate that significant structural dissimilarities between brain RII and heart RII also occur within the functionally conserved autophosphorylation and cAMP-binding domains.