cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of photopolymerization-induced phase separation and morphology development in mixtures of a nematic liquid crystal and multifunctional acrylate

Photopolymerization behavior and reaction kinetics for a series of multifunctional acrylate monomer(s) and eutectic liquid crystal blends were investigated with particular emphasis on determination of the reaction rate coefficients for propagation and termination steps of photopolymerization. Reaction rate coefficients were determined via real-time infrared spectroscopy and compared with those obtained by photo-differential scanning calorimetry. Effects of various parameters such as LC concentration, light intensity, and monomer functionality on the kinetics were investigated. Phase transition temperature versus composition phase diagrams were established by means of optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry for mixtures of triacrylate/liquid crystal (LC) before photopolymerization and after exposing to ultra violet (UV) irradiation under various reaction times. The snapshot phase diagram of the reacting mixtures exhibited isotropic gel, isotropic liquid + nematic, and narrow pure nematic coexistence regions. These coexistence regions were further confirmed by morphological changes of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal films as functions of temperature and concentration using polarized optical microscopy.
The lunar core and the origin of the Moon

Recent data on the concentrations of the refractory siderophile (metal-loving) elements molybdenum and rhenium confirm that most siderophile elements in lunar crustal rocks and mare basalts have significantly lower concentrations than in the earth's mantle and much lower concentrations compared to chondrite meteorites. The observed depletion of siderophile elements in lunar samples suggests the existence of a metal core. The amount of metal in the core depends on the conditions under which metal segregation occurred. If the moon accreted directly from the solar nebula, with chrondritic abundances of siderophile elements, then 2% to 5.5% metal must have segregated within the moon to form a core. Geophysical techniques constrain the radius of the lunar core to 500 km (5.5 wt%) or less. If the moon formed after the earth, from material out of the earth's mantle, segregation of 0.1% to 1% metal within the moon is required. Less metal is needed for a terrestrial origin because the earth's mantle was already partially depleted in siderophile elements due to formation of the earth's core. The siderophile elements therefore provide strong geochemical evidence for a lunar metal core, but do not rule out either formation of the moon from the earth's mantle or an independent origin by accretion from the solar nebula.
Enhancing the Implementation of the Transition Requirements of IDEA: A Report on the Policy Forum on Transition

As part of an effort to understand the impact of context and policy characteristics on implementation and outcomes, a Policy Forum on Transition was held in Washington, D.C. in September, 1997. Participants were selected to represent knowledgeable and effective policymakers, administrators, direct service providers, parents, and advocates at local, state, and regional levels. They also represented regular education, special education, rehabilitation, and the School-to-Work Initiative. The participants addressed the above goals and made recommendations in the following areas: (a) considering transition as a Pre-K through 16 issue; (b) promoting schools' responsibility for all students; (c) cultivating leadership; (d) working effectively with students and families; (e) addressing issues of collaboration and the holistic nature of transition; (f) appreciating local contexts; and (g) continuing research and dissemination. Although the focus of the forum was on secondary transition, the issues identified have ...
Implantation of Bacteroides gingivalis in nonhuman primates initiates progression of periodontitis

Although periodontitis is a bacterial disease, its multidimensional nature and its bacterial complexity have made it difficult to definitively prove that specific microorganisms initiate the disease process. The successful implantation of a rifampin-resistant strain of the putative periodontal pathogen Bacteroides gingivalis into the periodontal microbiota of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) resulted in an increase in the systemic levels of antibody to the microorganism and rapid and significant bone loss.
Soil Fungal Communities Underneath Willow Canopies on a Primary Successional Glacier Forefront: rDNA Sequence Results Can Be Affected by Primer Selection and Chimeric Data

Soil fungal communities underneath willow canopies that had established on the forefront of a receding glacier were analyzed by cloning the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified partial small subunit (18S) of the ribosomal (rRNA) genes. Congruence between two sets of fungus-specific primers targeting the same gene region was analyzed by comparisons of inferred neighbor-joining topologies. The importance of chimeric sequences was evaluated by Chimera Check (Ribosomal Database Project) and by data reanalyses after omission of potentially chimeric regions at the 5′- and 3′-ends of the cloned amplicons. Diverse communities of fungi representing Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota were detected. Ectomycorrhizal fungi comprised a major component in the early plant communities in primary successional ecosystems, as both primer sets frequently detected basidiomycetes (Russulaceae and Thelephoraceae) forming mycorrhizal symbioses. Various ascomycetes (Ophiostomatales, Pezizales, and Sordariales) of uncertain function dominated the clone libraries amplified from the willow canopy soil with one set of primers, whereas the clone libraries of the amplicons generated with the second primer set were dominated by basidiomycetes. Accordingly, primer bias is an important factor in fungal community analyses using DNA extracted from environmental samples. A large proportion (>30%) of the cloned sequences were concluded to be chimeric based on their changing positions in inferred phylogenies after omission of possibly chimeric data. Many chimeric sequences were positioned basal to existing classes of fungi, suggesting that PCR artifacts may cause frequent discovery of new, higher level taxa (order, class) in direct PCR analyses. Longer extension times during the PCR amplification and a smaller number of PCR cycles are necessary precautions to allow collection of reliable environmental sequence data.
Microbial biomass in the hydrothermal plumes associated with the 1998 Axial Volcano Eruption

The Axial Response Team (ART-1) documented greatly intensified chronic-style hydrothermal plumes at Axial Volcano following a 1998 eruptive event. Significantly higher numbers of bacteria were found in the plume versus background stations and depths, due largely to 5 samples with high numbers (to 1.8×105 /ml) in far field stations. Highest ratios (0.20) of metal depositing capsuled bacteria to total bacteria were found in the near-field (over caldera) plume. An unusual capsule form (FeCap), that dominated the near field plume capsule populations, was present in all plume samples, but were absent in background samples. Multi-cell filaments, metal-encrusted sheathed clusters and matrix-enmeshed colonies, all uncommon in the water column, were also present in plume samples
ANAGRAM SOLUTION TIME AND EFFECTS OF DISTRACTION, SEX DIFFERENCES, AND ANXIETY

A single-solution anagram task was administered to high and low test-anxious 32 male and 32 female undergraduates under conditions of high and low external distraction. No significant main effects were found linking solution times to either test-anxiety level or the presence or absence of distracting stimuli. Following a planned post hoc analysis which assigned the anagrams into 'hard' or 'easy' categories, a significant main effect for level of test anxiety was found for the 'hard' anagrams, indicating that test anxiety debilitates performance only when the criterion task is especially difficult. Difficulty of anagrams also significantly interacted with subjects' sex, test anxiety, and distraction. The results are discussed in terms of the hypotheses that distracting stimuli may produce increases in arousal during difficult tasks and that these increments may either compromise or improve performance, depending upon the level of test anxiety which is viewed as a determinant of the initial arousal level of the subject.
Nonisocentric radiosurgical rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective Although stereotactic radiosurgery is an established procedure for treating trigeminal neuralgia (TN), the likelihood of a prompt and durable complete response is not assured. Moreover, the incidence of facial numbness remains a challenge. To address these limitations, a new, more anatomic radiosurgical procedure was developed that uses the CyberKnife (Accuray, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) to lesion an elongated segment of the retrogasserian cisternal portion of the trigeminal sensory root. Because the initial experience with this approach resulted in an unacceptably high incidence of facial numbness, a gradual dose and volume de-escalation was performed over several years. In this single-institution prospective study, we evaluated clinical outcomes in a group of TN patients who underwent lesioning with seemingly optimized nonisocentric radiosurgical parameters. Methods Forty-six patients with intractable idiopathic TN were treated between January 2005 and June 2007. Eligible patients were either poor surgical candidates or had failed previous microvascular decompression or destructive procedures. During a single radiosurgical session, a 6-mm segment of the affected nerve was treated with a mean marginal prescription dose of 58.3 Gy and a mean maximal dose of 73.5 Gy. Monthly neurosurgical follow-up was performed until the patient became pain-free. Longer-term follow-up was performed both in the clinic and over the telephone. Outcomes were graded as excellent (pain-free and off medication), good (>90% improvement while still on medication), fair (50-90% improvement), or poor (no change or worse). Facial numbness was assessed using the Barrow Neurological Institute Facial Numbness Scale score. Results Symptoms disappeared completely in 39 patients (85%) after a mean latency of 5.2 weeks. In most of these patients, pain relief began within the first week. TN recurred in a single patient after a pain-free interval of 7 months; all symptoms abated after a second radiosurgical procedure. Four additional patients underwent a repeat rhizotomy after failing to respond adequately to the first operation. After a mean follow-up period of 14.7 months, patient-reported outcomes were excellent in 33 patients (72%), good in 11 patients (24%), and poor/no improvement in 2 patients (4%). Significant ipsilateral facial numbness (Grade III on the Barrow Neurological Institute Scale) was reported in 7 patients (15%). Conclusion Optimized nonisocentric CyberKnife parameters for TN treatment resulted in high rates of pain relief and a more acceptable incidence of facial numbness than reported previously. Longer follow-up periods will be required to establish whether or not the durability of symptom relief after lesioning an elongated segment of the trigeminal root is superior to isocentric radiosurgical rhizotomy.
Depth-duration profile of the immobility reflex: Theoretical implications for its triggering, sustaining, and terminating mechanisms

Immobility reflex (IR) durations of rabbits were remarkably consistent (weighted average range of 0.36–0.70 minutes/trial), under the special conditions when rabbits were “habituated” by approximately 25 preliminary trials and when termination of IR was operationally defined as the point at which any attempt, even abortive, at righting occurred. When the mean duration for each rabbit was normalized (into quartile duration points) and then rabbits were tested at these points to determine arousal threshold, each rabbit revealed a clear progressive decrease in the “depth” of IR as the duration of a given episode progressed. Both duration and depth were decreased when body hair was removed. The hippocampal EEG revealed persistent theta activity throughout a given trial; but the specific frequency the theta increased briefly just prior to induction of IR and decreased immediately afterwards. In Short-duration trials, theta frequency increased progressively until the IR terminated spontaneously. In long-duration trials frequency changes oscillated. Each of these observations in interpreted to support the theory that, during IR, reverberating neural circuits (in the brainstem reticular formation) are activated and their output inhibits spinal motor neurons.
Location of Airway Management in Air Medical Transport

Background. Prehospital providers are constantly challenged with the task of managing airways in unpredictable andoften inhospitable environments. Air medical transport (AMT) crews must be prepared to work in restrictive spaces with limited resources while in the aircraft. This study examines flight crew success rate andcircumstances surrounding airway management in different locations. Methods. This was a retrospective analysis of intubations performed by a university-based air medical transport team from January 1, 1995, to May 31, 2007. Patient records andprospectively gathered airway management quality assurance data were reviewed for location of intubation, patient characteristics, andsuccess rates. Success was defined as placing a cuffed tube in the trachea nonsurgically. Results. Nine hundred thirty-eight patients required 939 advanced airway management procedures, and936 cases had information sufficient for analysis. Six hundred twenty-seven (67%) of these intubations took place on scene, 235 (25....
Comparative In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Amphotericin B and Amphotericin B Methyl Ester

Abstract The in vitro antifungal activity of amphotericin B methyl ester (AME), a water-soluble derivative of amphotericin B, was compared to that of the parent compound against a variety of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic fungi. AME has a significant antifungal activity, but the activity of AME was slightly lower than that of amphotericin B. Among the yeast-like organisms, only the yeast cells of Sporothrix schenckii were more resistant than others to both antibiotics, with a minimal fungicidal concentration of 5 to 10 μg/ml. The yeast cells of other fungi were killed at concentrations of 1 μg or less of either antibiotic per ml. The filamentous forms of S. schenckii and Oidiodendron kalrai were more resistant than the filamentous forms of other dimorphic fungi to both drugs. The minimal fungicidal concentration for S. schenckii was 10 μg/ml and for O. kalrai, 50 μg/ml. The dermatophytes, phycomycetes, and dematacious and other potentially pathogenic fungi were inhibited fairly well by both drugs, but up to 50 μg/ml was required for fungicidal action. The water solubility and wide spectrum of antifungal activity of AME warrant evaluation of its chemotherapeutic activity against experimental fungal infections.
SENSORY BIOPHYSICS OF MARINE MAMMALS

The underwater existence of marine mammals has encouraged a variety of special biophysical adaptations to their environment. Their sensory and communication systems reflect the transmission properties of sea water. For example, vision is keen in spectra that penetrate water best, vocalization is broadband and used at the frequencies that appear to fit their activities best—the differences in sensory use match the intriguing variety of behavior observed for each species. To date most of the observations of animal interactions with their marine environment have dealt with sound. There has been some work on vision and studies are underway to determine animal sensitivities to hydrodynamic pressure, chemical traces and magnetic fields. The species that have been recorded to date are listed and vocalizations are generally compared. Methods for observation of sensory mechanisms are noted along with a discussion of other aspects of marine mammal biophysics including vibrissal sensation and the biophysics of movement in a fluid environment.
Histone Variant H2A.X Deposition Pattern Serves as a Functional Epigenetic Mark for Distinguishing the Developmental Potentials of iPSCs

Summary For future application of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, the ability to assess the overall quality of iPSC clones will be an important issue. Here we show that the histone variant H2A.X is a functional marker that can distinguish the developmental potentials of mouse iPSC lines. We found that H2A.X is specifically targeted to and negatively regulates extraembryonic lineage gene expression in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and prevents trophectoderm lineage differentiation. ESC-specific H2A.X deposition patterns are faithfully recapitulated in iPSCs that support the development of "all-iPS" animals via tetraploid complementation, the most stringent test available of iPSC quality. In contrast, iPSCs that fail to support all-iPS embryonic development show aberrant H2A.X deposition, upregulation of extraembryonic lineage genes, and a predisposition to extraembryonic differentiation. Thus, our work has highlighted an epigenetic mechanism for maintaining cell lineage commitment in ESCs and iPSCs that can be used to distinguish the quality of iPSC lines.
Analytical techniques for cell fractions. XXIII. A stable thermal gradient device for heat denaturation studies on proteins

The ISO-DALT two-dimensional electrophoretic system (1,2), based on the method of O'Farrell (3), is capable of performing large numbers of analysis on complex mixtures of proteins. However, both separations employed are carried out under dissociating or denaturing conditions and no enzyme activities are readily observable in the analyzed proteins. In order to identify the spots corresponding to particular enzymes, it is therefore necessary to employ some nondestructive resolving technique first and as a second step to perform both enzyme and two-dimensional electrophoretic analyses on the fractions generated. By correlating enzyme activity with intensity of various spots on the two-dimensional gels throughout the series of initial fractions, identifications, can be made. This approach, unlike the more direct immunoprecipitation methods (4), requires the running of large numbers of enzyme analyses and two-dimensional gels and some convenient initial resolving procedure. Convenient and rapid techniques for the analyses (5,6) and gels (1,2) have been described previously in this series and elsewhere. This paper deals with the use of selective denaturation in a temperature gradient as an initial resolving procedure and describes a simple thermal gradient device for generating such a gradient.
Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgical boost for patients treated primarily with neutron radiotherapy for salivary gland neoplasms

Object: To determine the feasibility of utilizing a Gamma Knife stereotactic boost for patients at high risk of local recurrence from minor salivary gland tumors invading the base o
The role of growth factors in embryonic induction in Xenopus laevis

Establishment of the body pattern in all animals, and especially in vertebrate embryos, depends on cell interactions. During the cleavage and blastula stages in amphibians, signal(s) from the vegetal region induce the equatorial region to become mesoderm. Two types of peptide growth factors have been shown by explant culture experiments to be active in mesoderm induction. First, there are several isoforms of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), including aFGF, bFGF, and hst/kFGF. FGF induces ventral, but not the most dorsal, levels of mesodermal tissue; bFGF and its mRNA, and an FGF receptor and its mRNA, are present in the embryo. Thus, FGF probably has a role in mesoderm induction, but is unlikely to be the sole inducing agent in vivo. Second, members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family. TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 are active in induction, but the most powerful inducing factors are the distant relatives of TGF-β named activin A and activin B, which are capable of inducing all types of mesoderm. An important question relates to the establishment of polarity during the induction of mesoderm. While all regions of the animal hemisphere of frog embryos are competent to respond to activins by mesoderm differentiation, only explants that include cells close to the equator form structures with some organization along dorsoventral and anteroposterior axes. These observations suggest that cells in the blastula animal hemisphere are already polarized to some extent, although inducers are required to make this polarity explicit. How do inducing factors affect the differentiation of the responsive tissue? One approach to this question has been to look for gene expression in response to induction, especially the activation of regulatory loci like homeobox genes. Several homeobox-containing genes including Mix.1, Xhox3, X1Hbox1, and X1Hbox6, goosecoid and members of a new class of genes named Xlim, are activated by inducing factors with different patterns of expression in the embryo. Differential expression of regulatory genes probably controls the formation of distinct tissues in an orderly pattern during embryogenesis. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Developmental changes of tachykinins in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary of female Siberian hamsters from prepuberty to adulthood.

Abstract The developmental changes of hypothalamic and anterior pituitary tachykinin concentrations were studied in female Siberian hamsters kept either under short (SD) or long (LD) daily photoperiods. The animals were killed between 15 and 70 days of age. Hypothalamic NKA sharply increased starting at 15 days up to 50 days in LD animals, and between 20 and 60 days in SD animals. Hypothalamic SP levels increased in a similar manner in SD animals, but in LD animals the increment was less pronounced, with increased levels from day 20 to 40, followed by a plateau. In the anterior pituitary gland, NKA concentrations in LD animals increased at 40 days of age, with only slight increases afterward, but overall the increment curve was considerably flatter than for hypothalamic NKA. In SD animals, the increase of anterior pituitary NKA was much steeper than in LD animals. However, the total content of NKA in the AP was similar in both SD and LD animals, because the AP weight was considerably higher in LD- than in SD-exposed hamsters. These results showed that photoperiod did not markedly affect the developmental changes in hypothalamic NKA. The developmental changes in anterior pituitary NKA concentrations were considerably smaller than in the hypothalamus in LD animals, but in SD animals they were much steeper. NKA concentrations in the anterior pituitary were markedly affected by the photoperiod. Concentrations of NKA in the anterior pituitary of the Siberian hamster at the age of 15 days of age were already higher than in the anterior pituitary of adult rats or Syrian hamsters. This indicates that the high concentrations of tachykinins in the anterior pituitary of the Siberian hamster seem to be an intrinsic characteristic of this species, and not a development during or after puberty, due probably to high synthesis of these peptides in the gland.
A technique to improve the quality of accumulated fields

The accumulation of gridded fields over long time intervals can greatly magnify the impact of any noise in the individual grids. This paper describes a quality control method for reducing this noise in accumulation grids by taking advantage of both spatial and temporal coherence. In order to quantify the improvements in the accumulated grids and explain the effects of various parameters, the method is applied to simulated data. The quality control technique is then applied to a few illustrative real-world datasets.
Transdermal delivery of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) through hairless mouse skin by 1-alkyloxycarbonyl-5-FU prodrugs: Physicochemical characterization of prodrugs and correlations with transdermal delivery

The members of a series of 1-alkyloxycarbonyl-5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives have been synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for their abilities to deliver total 5-FU species into and through skin. The most effective member of the series at delivering 5-FU through skin (flux) was the ethyl derivative, 3 (25 times as effective as 5-FU), which was also the most water soluble member of the series. There was a good correlation between flux and water solubility for the entire series but none between flux and lipid solubility. 3 was also the most effective (4.9 times as effective as 5-FU) member of the series at delivering 5-FU into the skin (Cs), and there was a good correlation between Cs and flux except for the hexyl derivative, 6. Although the partition coefficients of the first four members of the 1-alkyloxycarbonyl series were less than those of the corresponding members of the 1-alkylaminocarbonyl series, which were previously studied, their water solubilities were 5–30 times greater and they were 3–10 times more effective at delivering total 5-FU species through hairless mouse skin. However, the 1-alkyloxycarbonyl derivatives delivered mostly intact prodrug (42–90%) through skin while the 1-alkylaminocarbonyl derivatives delivered mostly (> 90%) 5-FU. In spite of this difference, there was a good correlation between permeability coefficients for total 5-FU species delivered and calculated solubility parameters for both series.
Radiochemical method development

Abstract We have developed methods for chemical characterization of the environment under a multi-task project that focuses on improvement of radioanalytical methods with an emphasis on faster and cheaper routine methods. We have developed improved methods for separation of environmental levels of technetium-99, radium, and actinides from soil and water; separation of actinides from soil and water matrix interferences; and isolation of strontium. We are also developing methods for simultaneous detection of multiple isotopes (including nonradionuclides) by using a new instrumental technique, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The new ICP-MS methods have greater sensitivity and efficiency and could replace many radiometric techniques. We are using flow injection analysis to integrate and automate the separation methods with the ICP-MS methodology. The objective of automating methods is to achieve more reproducible results, reduce labor costs, cut analysis time, and minimize secondary waste generation through miniaturization of the process. The final product of all activities will be methods that are available (published in the US Department of Energy's analytical methods compendium) and acceptable for use in regulatory situations.
A Virus Model for Examining the Intracellular Efficiency of a Ribozyme Targeted to HIV-1

Abstract An approach that assesses the intracellular efficiency of ribozyme cleavage of HIV RNA is described. A viral replicon that contains both a ribozyme and its target sequence was constructed and tested for viability inside T lymphocytes. The viral replicon is an intact HIV- 1 genome into which we have engineered an RNA sequence that cleaves an RNA site in the HIV-1 U5. When this molecule was introduced into HeLa CD4 + cells followed by co-cultivation with MT4 cells, virus replication was initially inhibited, while control HIV-1 cultures showed normal growth kinetics. However, after several days in culture, virus production was observed from this HIV–U5–ribozyme molecule. This finding suggests that in this context a U5 ribozyme cannot permanently suppress HIV-1 production. This HIV ribozyme-containing model is useful for determining the intracellular efficiency of ribozymes targeted to different sites in the HIV genome. It could be used also to examine the nature and mechanism of resistance by HIV to ribozymes.
THE RÔLE OF THE LYMPHOCYTE IN ANTIBODY FORMATION

Following the injection of typhoid antigen or sheep erythrocytes into the pad of the rabbit's hind foot, lymph from the efferent lymphatic of the popliteal lymph node was collected and analyzed for antibody content. On separating the lymphocytes from the lymph plasma, it was found that the antibody titer of the cell extract was substantially and consistently higher than that of the surrounding fluid. This difference was greatest at the time of greatest rate of increase of antibody titer in the whole lymph, rather than when the antibody titer of the lymph plasma was highest. These results can only be interpreted to mean that the lymphocytes either produce antibodies or take them up from the lymph plasma. Incubation in vitro of lymphocytes containing one species of antibody with lymph plasma containing another showed that antibodies pass from the cells to the supernatant lymph fluid to reach approximate equilibrium; acquisition of antibody from supernatant lymph fluid was not observed. Similar results were obtained when normal lymphocytes were allowed to incubate in vivo in their own lymph fluid to which antibodies had been added. It was again found that antibodies were not absorbed or adsorbed by lymphocytes. These results seem to indicate that lymphocytes are instrumental in the formation of antibodies.
Lambda transducing phages for the nalA gene of Escherichia coli and conditional lethal nalA mutations

Defective λ transducing phages for the nalA region of the Escherichia coli chromosome were isolated from a lysogen in which λ is inserted in the nearby glpT gene. The three classes of transducing phages designated λnrdA, λdubiG, and λdnalA contained bacterial DNA extending from glpT through nrdA, ubiG, and nalA, respectively. The bacterial genes are in the left arm of the λ chromosome. Of the eleven polypeptides coded by λdnalA that were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate only one was not also specified by λdubiG This 105,000 dalton polypeptide is the nalA gene product. The electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric point of this protein were unaffected by a nalA mutation (nalA48) that confers nalidixic acid resistance. Temperature-sensitive and amber mutations in the nalA gene were isolated using a λdnalA48 lysogen which is heterodiploid for nalA. The conditional lethality of these mutations proves that nalA is an essential locus.
Epididymitis in children : The circumcision factor?

AbstractPurpose: Recommendations for circumcision have significantly altered in the last several years. Studies have objectively established an increased risk of urinary tract infection in uncircumcised boys. We evaluated the relationship between epididymitis and circumcision status.Materials and Methods: We studied the relationships among the circumcision status of 36 consecutive boys with epididymitis in a review of 128 with acute scrotal inflammation (group 1), circumcision status of 43 in whom the diagnosis of epididymitis at discharge home had been made elsewhere (group 2), New York State hospital discharge figures for circumcision in newborns (group 3) and the regional prevalence of circumcision in 200 consecutive pediatric emergency department patients at the same institution with nonurological diagnoses (group 4).Results: New York State Department figures indicate that 70% of male newborns are discharged home with a hospital code for circumcision. Similarly an evaluation of 200 consecutive male pa...
Leakage corrected spatial (assembly) homogenization technique

Abstract A homogenization technique is developed to account for the interassembly neutron leakage effect on the homogenized parameters within generalized equivalence theory. To assess its accuracy, the method is implemented into a two-group nodal diffusion model. Both one and two dimensional Boiling Water Reactor benchmark problems are considered. Comparisons to fine-mesh results show an average of 30% accuracy improvement in the nodal power for the most heterogeneous case.
Stress induced delamination methods for the study of adhesion of Pt thin films to Si

Abstract Adhesion of Pt films to Si substrates with a native oxide has been investigated using two methods of quantitative adhesion characterization. The nanoindentation induced delamination method uses an impression to store compressive strain in an overlayer film to induce delamination at the Pt/SiO 2 interface. Likewise, the telephone cord delamination method involves sputtering a thick compressively stressed overlayer onto the Pt/SiO 2 films to induce telephone cord delamination patterns in the Pt film. Crack extension forces and interface toughnesses are calculated from the dimensions of the circular blister or the telephone cords using currently available models. Focused ion beam (FIB) observations show that the nanoindentation method is difficult to implement because of extensive crack formation in the substrate beneath the indentation, causing interface toughnesses from this test to be gross overestimates. The telephone cord measurements, by comparison, give realistic interface toughnesses, allowing us to show that decreasing the argon pressure during Pt sputtering significantly increases the adhesion of the films to the substrate.
Towards the Use of Biologically Inspired Techniques for the Assembly of Electronic Devices

Nature assembles nano-scale components using molecular recognition. In the case of DNA, hydrogen bonding is the driving force behind the matching of complementary pairs of single-stranded (SS) DNA to hybridize into a double strand of helical DNA. For the case of antibodies/antigens and ligands/receptors, binding takes places by a combination of electrostatic forces, chemical bonding, and shape mediated effects. In this project, the assembly of micron sized and smaller particles using biologically inspired events such as DNA hybridization and interactions of ligands and receptors is being investigated. Following the case of DNA, a single strand sequence can be attached to the device surfaces, which is complementary to a single strand sequence previously attached to a patterned surface. Using the natural hybridization of DNA, the devices are expected to assemble in solution as designed onto the substrate surface. Single strands of DNA can be used to provide charge on the devices so that long-range electrostatic forces may be used to bring the devices close to the assembly site. We have also used a less complex molecule to add negative charges to the particles allowing them to be guided into place using electric fields. Attachment of these molecules to surfaces is a critical step in the assembly process. Various factors affecting the attachment are being investigated and will be reported. These include sample preparation and conditions for attachment. We have used polystyrene beads as test objects and optimized the capture of the beads using DNA and Avidin/Biotin interactions. When successful, this approach can be used to assemble micro and nano-scale electronic circuitry including heterogeneous integration of materials. Y6.5.1
Domain adaptive answer extraction for discussion boards

Answer extraction from discussion boards is an extensively studied problem. Most of the existing work is focused on supervised methods for extracting answers using similarity features and forum-specific features. Although this works well for the domain or forum data that it has been trained on, it is difficult to use the same models for a domain where the vocabulary is different and some forum specific features may not be available. In this poster, we report initial results of a domain adaptive answer extractor that performs the extraction in two steps: a) an answer recognizer identifies the sentences in a post which are likely to be answers, and b) a domain relevance module determines the domain significance of the identified answer. We use domain independent methodology that can be easily adapted to any given domain with minimum effort.
Queueing performance analysis of co-scheduling in a pool of processors environment

We consider a connected set of workstations as a “pool of processors” and develop a queueing model to analyze the performance of optimal co-scheduling algorithms. The pool of processors model was originally developed for the Amoeba operating system. It was also used in the design of the recent IBM supercomputer model 9076 SP1. Recently, co-scheduling has been suggested as an approach for scheduling computationally intensive tasks in the pool of processors model. Co-scheduling algorithms select the best possible subset of workstations for a task to minimize its completion time.We develop a queueing model which allows us to investigate the dynamic performance of co-scheduling algorithms from the system point of view under several queueing strategies. We use six different queueing strategies in combination with co-scheduling and compare the results to the M/M/m system where arriving tasks would be assigned to workstations as whole computations, and no co-scheduling would take place. The results show that the co-scheduling approach is viable under a wide range of system parameters. Moreover, performance differences of queueing strategies tend to diminish as the number of workstations grows. This suggests that co-scheduling is universally applicable across the queueing disciplines considered here when there are a large number of workstations.
Thin-Film Microstructure Modeling

A model of thin-film growth in which the molecules are represented by hard disks has been implemented on a microcomputer. The effect on film microstructure of variations in relaxation parameter, A, the ratio of mean distance traveled by a molecule after impingement on the film surface to a molecular diameter, has been investigated. Nodular growth has been simulated in single and two-layer systems. Violations of the tangent law of column orientation have been examined.
Temperature-Dependent Thermal Conductivity of Single-Crystal Silicon Layers in SOI Substrates

Self heating diminishes the reliability of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors, particularly those that must withstand electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulses. This problem is alleviated by lateral thermal conduction in the silicon device layer, whose thermal conductivity is not known. The present work develops a technique for measuring this property, and provides data for layers in wafers fabricated using bond-and-etch-back (BESOI) technology. The room-temperature thermal conductivity data decrease with decreasing layer thickness, d s , to a value nearly 40 percent less than that of bulk silicon for d s = 0.42 μm, The agreement of the data with the predictions of phonon transport analysis between 20 and 300 K strongly indicates that phonon scattering on layer boundaries is responsible for a large part of the reduction. The reduction is also due in part to concentrations of imperfections larger than those in bulk samples. The data show that the buried oxide in BESOI wafers has a thermal conductivity that is nearly equal to that of bulk fused quartz. The present work will lead to more accurate thermal simulations of SOI transistors and cantilever MEMS structures.
Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Medicine

Researchers have established substantial data to support the impact of physician–patient communication on patients' physical and psychological outcomes and on physicians' experiences. Consequently,...
Decentralized control of vehicle formations

This paper investigates a method for decentralized stabilization of vehicle formations using techniques from algebraic graph theory. The vehicles exchange information according to a pre-specified communication digraph, G. A feedback control is designed using relative information between a vehicle and its in-neighbors in G. We prove that a necessary and sufficient condition for an appropriate decentralized linear stabilizing feedback to exist is that G has a rooted directed spanning tree. We show the direct relationship between the rate of convergence to formation and the eigenvalues of the (directed) Laplacian of G. Various special situations are discussed, including symmetric communication graphs and formations with leaders. Several numerical simulations are used to illustrate the results.
Multiple attenuation: Recent advances and the road ahead (2011)

Multiple removal is a longstanding problem in exploration seismology. Although methods for removing multiples have advanced and have become more effective, the concomitant industry trend toward more complex exploration areas and difficult plays has often outpaced advances in multiple-attenuation technology. The topic of multiples, and developing ever more effective methods for their removal, remains high in terms of industry interest, priority and research investment. The question as to whether today, in 2011, multiples or multiple removal is winning is a way of describing what we are about to discuss. This paper focuses on recent advances, progress and strengths and limitations of current capability and a prioritized list of open issues that need to be addressed.
Heterochromatin-Mediated Gene Silencing Is Not Affected by Drosophila CBP Activity

Cyclic AMP Response Element Binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP) is an acetyltransferase important for modifying histones and chromatin-associated proteins and thus affecting transcription and other DNA metabolic processes. We found that the Drosophila CBP (dCBP) is associated with the NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase, SIR2, which was originally identified as a silencing information regulator in yeast that models silenced and repeated sequence chromatin such as centric heterochromatin, telomeres, and the repeated rDNA sequences. As in yeast, Drosophila sir2 (dsir2) affects the formation and/or function of centric heterochromatin. The fact that we found dCBP in immunecomplexes with dSIR2 in vivo and found that dCBP can interact with dSIR2 directly in vitro suggested that dCBP might affect the packaging of silencing heterochromatin as well. A careful study of the dCBP mutations provides evidence that dCBP does not affect the formation and/or function of centric heterochromatin and thus may affect other dSIR2 functions.
Updated Guidelines on the Management of Cytomegalovirus Reactivation in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Alemtuzumab

The anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab is highly active in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in patients with previously treated, relapsed, and/or refractory CLL as well as in patients with previously untreated disease. The general immunosuppressive impact and toxicities associated with alemtuzumab therapy are largely predictable and manageable. In particular, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is now a well-documented complication in patients receiving alemtuzumab. This article discusses several strategies for monitoring and treating CMV reactivation in patients with CLL receiving alemtuzumab-based therapy and provides practical recommendations for CMV management by building upon the guidelines published previously in 2004.
Inflation and Highway Economic Analysis

Increases in funding highway construction and maintenance programs have failed to keep pace with inflation over the past decade. It can be shown that the reduction in funding is an indirect result of inflation. Under these conditions, the effects of inflation cannot be ignored in engineering economic evaluation of alternatives. This paper develops the methodology for incorporating the effects of inflation in economic analyses within the current highway funding scenario. The magnitudes of the consequences of ignoring the effects of inflation are shown to be significant. The situations most profoundly affected are the evaluation of replacement alternatives versus maintenance of existing facilities and the deferring of needed capital expenditures.
Building a cellular switch: more lessons from a good egg.

Summary Xenopus oocytes mature in response to the steroid hormone progesterone. At the level of a population of oocytes, the response is graded—the higher the concentration of progesterone, the larger the fraction of oocytes that will mature—but at the level of the individual oocyte, the response is all-or-none. The all-or-none character of this cell fate switch is hypothesized to arise out of two properties of the signal transduction machinery that mediates maturation, positive feedback, and ultrasensitivity. This combination of positive feedback plus ultrasensitivity crops up again and again in cellular switches, from the lysis-lysogeny switch in phage-infected bacteria to the action potential in neurons. BioEssays 21:866‐870, 1999. r 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficient self-seeding of a pulsed Ti:sapphire laser

We report the tunable single longitudinal mode (SLM) operation of a pulsed Ti:sapphire laser based on a simple, dual cavity, Littman-type stable resonator geometry, which routinely generates SLM output pulses with several-nanosecond durations and energies up to 10 mJ.
Anomalous Sedimentary Features on Floor of Northern Hatteras Abyssal Plain: ABSTRACT

Analysis of approximately 700 km of high-resolution 3.5-kHz seismic profiles taken aboard the R/V Endeavor during the summer of 1980 indicates several distinct and sometimes puzzling features on the floor of the northern Hatteras Abyssal Plain. The basic pattern of echo character is perpendicular to rather than parallel with the axis of the plain, extending in bands across the plain almost to the Bermuda Rise. This banding may be the result of very low-relief fans extending across the basin from entry points at the Hatteras, Wilmington, and perhaps Hudson Canyon mouths. A series of terracelike features slopes gently seaward to form the western boundary between the abyssal plain and lower continental rise hills. Each terrace has a length of 5 to 10 km and an approximate re ief of 5 m at its seaward boundary. Whether this 50-km wide boundary zone has been formed by boundary currents, intraformational faulting, or fan development is not clear. Distinct lensoidal deposits 200 to 500 m long and less than 5 m thick are sparsely distributed west of the Hatteras Canyon mouth. These acoustically transparent lenses lie in shallow channels and closely resemble debris-flow deposits; however, their small size and sparse distribution do not suggest that they are laterally continuous. These anomalous sedimentary features will be more intensively studied during the summer of 1981. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1665------------