cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Revealing causes of macroscale heterogeneity in lithium ion pouch cells via synchrotron X-ray diffraction

Abstract Heterogeneous battery performance is a critical issue for maximization of cell lifetime capacity and safety. Using high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction, the influence of charge rate, voltage limit, uneven stack pressure, and gas generation on the lithium transport properties was quantified in single-layer graphite/LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 pouch cells. A freshly formatted cell tracked in operando during initial fast charge cycles indicated variable position-dependent performances, while lateral mapping showed a significant fast charge (6C) heterogeneity compared to slow charge (C/2). Pressure effects were non-dominant compared to charge rate. Maps of previously aged and rested cells indicate that lateral heterogeneity slowly equilibrates at rest, but regenerates upon further cycling at fast charge rate. Furthermore, an unformatted cell was mapped at charge and discharge during its first formation cycle to analyze the effect of byproduct gases on the heterogeneous lithium transport. Gas was observed as randomly interspersed “bubbles” which locally hindered lithium intercalation and caused significant heterogeneity. Electrode architectures and charging protocols that promote homogeneous intercalation are critical for predictable high-performance and long-life batteries.
Estimating the cost and value of functional changes in communication ability following telepractice treatment for aphasia.

Context Aphasia is a post-stroke condition that can dramatically impact a person with aphasia’s (PWA) communication abilities. To date, few if any studies have considered the cost and cost-effectiveness of functional change in aphasia nor considered measures of patient’s value for aphasia treatment. Objective To assess the cost, cost-effectiveness, and perceived value associated with improved functional communication in individuals receiving telerehabilitation treatment for aphasia. Design Twenty PWA completed between 5 and 12 telehealth rehabilitation sessions of 45–60 minutes within a 6-week time frame using a Language-Oriented Treatment (LOT) designed to address a range of language issues among individuals with aphasia. National Outcomes Measures (NOMS) comprehension and verbal expression and the ASHA Quality of Communication Life (QCL) were completed prior to and at the completion of rehabilitation to obtain baseline and treatment measures. Results Age, education, and race are significantly correlated with improvement in the NOMS verbal expression. African Americans (OR = 2.0917) are twice as likely as Whites to experience improvement after treatment. The likelihood of improvement also increases with each additional year of education (OR = 1.002) but decrease with age (OR = 0.9463). A total of 15 PWA showed improvement in NOMS comprehension and nine patients showed improvement in NOMS verbal expression. Improving patients attended between five and 12 treatment sessions. The average cost of improvement in NOMS comprehension was $1,152 per patient and NOMS verbal expression was $1,128 per patient with individual treatment costs varying between $540 and $1,296. However, on average, the monetary equivalent in patient’s improved QCL was between $1,790.39 to $3,912,54—far exceeding the financial cost of treatment. Conclusions When measuring the functional improvement of patients with aphasia, patient’s quality of communication life received from treatment exceeded financial cost of services provided.
Timing of ARDS Resolution (TARU): A Pragmatic Clinical Assessment of ARDS Resolution in the ICU.

Lack of a pragmatic outcome measures for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) resolution is a barrier to meaningful interventional trials of novel treatments. We evaluated a pragmatic, electronic health record (EHR)-based approach toward the clinical assessment of a novel outcome measure: ICU ARDS resolution. We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study evaluating adult patients with moderate–severe ARDS admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, from January 2001 through December 2010. We compared the association of ICU ARDS resolution vs non-resolution with mortality. ICU ARDS resolution was defined as improvement in P/F > 200 for at least 48 h or (if arterial blood gas unavailable) SpO2:FiO2 (S/F) > 235, or discharge prior to 48 h from first P/F > 200 without subsequent decline in P/F, as documented in EHR. Of the 254 patients included, ICU ARDS resolution was achieved in 179 (70%). Hospital mortality was lower in patients who met ICU ARDS resolution criteria as compared to those who did not (23% vs. 41%, p < 0.01). After adjusting for age, gender, and illness severity, the patients who met ICU ARDS resolution criteria had lower odds of hospital mortality [odds ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.25–0.86; p = 0.015]. The electronic health record-based pragmatic measure of ICU ARDS resolution is associated with patient outcomes and may serve as an intermediate outcome assessing novel mechanistic treatments.
A Block Coclustering Model for Pattern Discovering in Users’ Preference Data

This paper provides a principled probabilistic co-clustering framework for missing value prediction and pattern discovery in users’ preference data. We extend the original dyadic formulation of the Block Mixture Model(BMM) in order to take into account explicit users’ preferences. BMM simultaneously identifies user communities and item categories: each user is modeled as a mixture over user communities, which is computed by taking into account users’ preferences on similar items. Dually, item categories are detected by considering preferences given by similar minded users. This recursive formulation highlights the mutual relationships between items and user, which are then used to uncover the hidden block-structure of the data. We next show how to characterize and summarize each block cluster by exploiting additional meta data information and by analyzing the underlying topic distribution, proving the effectiveness of the approach in pattern discovery tasks.
A mouse model for hepatitis C virus infection

Patients with hepatitis C constitute the highest proportion of candidates for liver transplantation. The lack of small animal models for the disease has been a major stumbling block in understanding how hepatitis C and liver damage develop and in testing possible treatments. The report of infection of a mouse model with the hepatitis C virus is a significant and welcome achievement. (pages 927–933 )
Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

In order to sustain normal metabolic processes, the cell must recruit from its external environment an array of ions, molecules, and macromolecules. Small molecules, such as ions, water, and monosaccharides, can gain entry into the cytosol of the cell through water-filled channels. However, molecules larger than approximately 1000 Da cannot pass through these channels. Therefore, if diffusion through plasma membrane pores or channels were the only method of entry into the cell cytoplasm, larger molecules such as polypeptides, polysaccharides, and other nutrients could not be utilized by the cell for normal metabolic processes. In addition, these larger molecules are often present in the extracellular environment of the cell at much lower concentrations than ions or monosaccharides. Therefore, in order to overcome problems associated with internalizing large and scarce molecules, the cell has developed the process of receptor-mediated endocytosis. The extracellular macromolecules bind to specific, high-affinity receptors on the cell surface, thereby trapping them and concentrating these macromolecules at the plasma membrane.
The role of calcium ions in the acrosome reaction of sea urchin sperm: regulation of exocytosis.

Abstract Sperm of the sea urchins Lytechinus pictus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus undergo the acrosome reaction when the extracellular calcium concentration (which is about 10 mM in sea water) is raised to over 50 mM. However, the concentration of extracellular calcium required to trigger the acrosome reaction can be lowered to 5–10 mM by the presence of egg jelly, ionophore A23187, or elevated extracellular pH. These acrosomal triggers appear to act by increasing the sperm's calcium permeability; this is a known property of A23187 and elevated pH (acting on other types of cells), but has not been shown before for the natural trigger, egg jelly. Even in the presence of such triggers, the acrosome reaction is blocked in a calcium-free medium or in sea water containing the following agents known to decrease calcium influx: lanthanum, magnesium, procaine, xylocaine, and lowered pH. With the possible exception of lanthanum, inhibition due to these agents can be counteracted by increasing the extracellular calcium concentration. All these data indicate that a rise in intracellular calcium by influx from the extracellular space is a necessary condition for induction of the acrosome reaction. Barium and strontium, but not magnesium, will substitute for calcium. This influx of calcium is required to initiate the acrosome reaction's first morphologically detectable step, which is membrane fusion. In a calcium-free medium the acrosomal triggers, egg jelly, A23187, and elevated pH, fail to induce fusion of the acrosomal granule membrane with the overlying plasma membrane of the sperm.
Strategies for the Co-Development of Drugs and Diagnostics: FDA Perspective on Diagnostics Regulation

One of multiple important parts of the critical path initiative at the FDA has been a growing interest and attention to the issue of biomarkers, particularly with regard to the role they play as tools to aid in development of drugs and other new therapies. The FDA appreciates that the coordination of reviews across these two product lines may be challenging and has both administrative and regulatory tools in place that can contribute to review successes for these products. This article focuses on the strategies for the co-development of drug and diagnostics from the FDA perspective. Keywords: biomarkers; diagnostics; drug development; food and drug administration (FDA)
The education of future orthopaedists--dèjá vu.

If the title looks familiar, it should. Except for “deja vu,” it is exactly the same title that was used in Dr. W.F. Enneking’s Presidential Address to the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 16, 19841. I chose this title and subject because of my interest and involvement in graduate medical education in orthopaedic surgery and also to pay homage to an individual who continues, even in “retirement” at age seventy-five, to take time to educate orthopaedic residents with a yearly orthopaedic pathology and oncology course. Throughout his career, Dr. Enneking has spent numerous hours educating medical students and residents. For more than forty years, he has taught a national two-week course for orthopaedic surgery residents as well as a one-week course for medical students. He used personal time, in addition to professional and clinical time, to teach medical students. All of this is in addition to the time that he spent in weekly didactic sessions with orthopaedic residents and oncology fellows at the University of Florida. In fact, the sole reason that I became an orthopaedic oncologist, and one of the reasons that I became an academic orthopaedic surgeon, is that I was fortunate enough to attend one of his pathology courses as a resident. The experience was so inspiring that I took a clinical fellowship with this master educator the following year. Some of my concerns in this Presidential Address on graduate medical education in orthopaedic surgery were expressed by Dr. Enneking in 1984, and unfortunately these issues have not been resolved. In my opinion, the quality of graduate orthopaedic education has continued to deteriorate. The themes that I will address are, first, the concept of a resident as a student; second, the deplorable present resident-selection process; third, the weak links in evaluating resident …
D2 dopamine receptor activation of potassium channels in identified rat lactotrophs: whole-cell and single-channel recording

Dopamine (DA) is the major physiological regulator of prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary, exerting a tonic inhibitory control that is mediated by D2 DA receptors. D2 receptors in both the anterior pituitary and CNS are thought to produce some of their inhibitory effects via a coupling to potassium (K+) channels to increase K+ conductance. Utilizing the reverse hemolytic plaque assay and patch-clamp techniques, we characterize the actions of DA on membrane potential and associated DA-activated whole-cell current, as well as the single K+ channels that underlie the response in primary rat lactotrophs. We demonstrate that DA (5 nM to 1 microM) or D2- selective agonists (RU24213 and quinpirole) evoke a hyperpolarization of membrane potential that was blocked by D2 antagonists and associated with an increased K+ conductance. Whole-cell current responses to ramp voltage commands revealed a DA-activated current whose reversal potential was near the calculated Nernst potential for K+, varied as a function of K+ concentration, exhibited some inward rectification, and was Ca2+ independent. The current was insensitive to tetraethylammonium (TEA; 10 mM), partially blocked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 5 mM), and almost completely inhibited by quinine (100 microM). Cell-attached recordings in the presence of DA or a D2 agonist revealed the opening of a K+ channel that was not present in the absence of DA or when a D2 receptor antagonist was included with DA. Analysis of the single- channel current showed the current-voltage relationship to be linear at negative patch potentials and yielded a unitary conductance of 40.2 pS in the presence of 150 mM KCl. The channels were not blocked by TEA (10 mM), were slightly suppressed by 4-AP (5 mM), and were almost completely inhibited by quinine (100 microM). These experiments establish that in primary rat lactotrophs, DA acts at D2 receptors to activate the opening of single K+ channels, which results in an increase in K+ conductance and associated membrane hyperpolarization. This is the first characterization of single DA-activated K+ channels in an endocrine cell.
Deformable registration of DT-MRI data based on transformation invariant tensor characteristics

Conventional deformable registration methods are mostly driven by the interface between different brain structures. In recent years, Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI) has been used in conjunction with other conventional Magnetic Resonance (MR) pulse sequences to provide more structural information during the registration process. Due to the geometric nature of the DT-MRI information, tensors need to be reoriented during warping, which results in a significant increase in algorithmic complexity and computation time. This work is our first attempt to circumvent this problem by using for registration tensors characteristics that are invariant to rigid transformations, instead of the tensors themselves. The invariants used in the experiments reported here are the tensor eigenvalues.
The Burkholderia bcpAIOB Genes Define Unique Classes of Two-Partner Secretion and Contact Dependent Growth Inhibition Systems

Microbes have evolved many strategies to adapt to changes in environmental conditions and population structures, including cooperation and competition. One apparently competitive mechanism is contact dependent growth inhibition (CDI). Identified in Escherichia coli, CDI is mediated by Two–Partner Secretion (TPS) pathway proteins, CdiA and CdiB. Upon cell contact, the toxic C-terminus of the TpsA family member CdiA, called the CdiA-CT, inhibits the growth of CDI− bacteria. CDI+ bacteria are protected from autoinhibition by an immunity protein, CdiI. Bioinformatic analyses indicate that CDI systems are widespread amongst α, β, and γ proteobacteria and that the CdiA-CTs and CdiI proteins are highly variable. CdiI proteins protect against CDI in an allele-specific manner. Here we identify predicted CDI system-encoding loci in species of Burkholderia, Ralstonia and Cupriavidus, named bcpAIOB, that are distinguished from previously-described CDI systems by gene order and the presence of a small ORF, bcpO, located 5′ to the gene encoding the TpsB family member. A requirement for bcpO in function of BcpA (the TpsA family member) was demonstrated, indicating that bcpAIOB define a novel class of TPS system. Using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, we show that these genes are expressed in a probabilistic manner during culture of Burkholderia thailandensis in liquid medium. The bcpAIOB genes and extracellular DNA were required for autoaggregation and adherence to an abiotic surface, suggesting that CDI is required for biofilm formation, an activity not previously attributed to CDI. By contrast to what has been observed in E. coli, the B. thailandensis bcpAIOB genes only mediated interbacterial competition on a solid surface. Competition occurred in a defined spatiotemporal manner and was abrogated by allele-specific immunity. Our data indicate that the bcpAIOB genes encode distinct classes of CDI and TPS systems that appear to function in sociomicrobiological community development.
Glass‐Forming Composition Regions and Glass Transition Temperatures for Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions

As a first stage in a study of the low‐temperature‐region behavior of aqueous solutions, the composition regions of a large number of binary salt‐water systems in which macroscopic samples can be obtained in the vitreous state have been determined. The glass transition temperatures Tg within these regions have also been measured. Correlations of the magnitude of Tg at a given composition with the formal charge on the cation (for salts with a common anion) and with the viscosity “B” coefficient of the anion (for salts with a common cation) are presented. In addition, an important correlation is found with the basicity of the anion which is interpreted in terms of the bonding of anions to the protons of the water molecules in the cationic hydration sheath. Thermodynamic relations for the composition dependence of Tg are presented. From the breaks in the otherwise monotonic composition dependence of Tg in the chloride systems, the existence of low temperature liquid–liquid immiscibility regions is proposed and is utilized in discussion of “total” hydration numbers. The Tg for pure water, obtained by extrapolation of the data, is found to be in agreement with the value obtained for vapor‐deposited vitreous ice but to be incompatible with the value predicted from thermodynamic data; an interpretation in terms of different short‐range order possibilities for water molecules is offered.
Pyrolysis GC/FID/FTIR, pyrolysis GC/MS, and FTIR studies of dried peat water samples differing in botanical composition and geographical location

were characterized using pyrolysis GC/FID/FTIR, pyrolysis GC/MS, and FTIR spectroscopy. Pyrolysis GC/FID/FFIRanalysis revealed many by-products resulting from the thermal degradation of the major constituents of plant material:cellulose and lignin. Comparison of the pyrolysis chromatograms showed large variations in the chemical compositions ofthe pyrolysis products from sample to sample. Results of the FTIR analysis revealed major differences around 1000 cm1(C-O stretch region) and between 1500 and 1800 cm1 (C=C and C=O stretch region). These two regions have previouslybeen identified as representing cellulose and lignin, respectively. The six different peat water samples are compared basedon their resulting FTIR spectra and pyrolysis chromatograms along with a comparison to the humic acid standard.
Campaigning on Public Security in Latin America: Obstacles to Success

Crime and violence have made public security a major concern to voters throughout Latin America. Existing research predicts that such widespread concerns should make public security a consistently successful issue in presidential election campaigns. Yet recent empirical reality in Latin America has been more varied. This study argues that success on public security is not so automatic. Human rights concerns combine with low trust in security forces to make success on security contingent on the correct conditions. Two key conditions affect the use of the issue: the degree to which security threats are organized and the degree to which recent repression has occurred. Then, winning votes depends on two further conditions: having a civilian background and a campaign that balances security with other issues. Together, these factors explain the dramatic variation in success, and suggest a key change from Latin America's past.
Mutagenic and carcinogenic potency of extracts of diesel and related environmental emissions: Study design, sample generation, collection, and preparation

Abstract A major diesel emissions research program has been initiated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assess the human health risk associated with increased use of diesel automobiles. This program is intended to establish the mutagenic and carcinogenic potency of complex organics associated with diesel particles as well as comparative particle-bound organics from other environmental emissions for which human epidemiological data are available. The mobile source samples selected for this study were collected from a heavy-duty diesel engine, a series of light-duty diesel passenger cars, and a gasoline catalyst automobile. The comparative source samples incorporated into the study were cigarette smoke condensate, coke oven emissions, roofing tar emissions, and benzo( a )pyrene. The samples were tested using three mutagenic assays and four carcinogenic assays as prescribed by a test matrix. This report describes the study design, particle generation, and sample collection and preparation. A brief summary of the bioassays is also included.
The Program for Controlling Respiratory Diseases of Poultry in Connecticut

(1950). The Program for Controlling Respiratory Diseases of Poultry in Connecticut. World's Poultry Science Journal: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 194-196.
Role of Oxygen Fixation in Hydroxyproline Biosynthesis by Etiolated Seedlings

Etiolated maize and soybean seedlings were grown for several days in atmospheres enriched with O(18). Hydroxyproline subsequently isolated from the seedlings by column and thin-layer chromatography was labeled with excess O(18), but proline was not. Control experiments in which seedlings were grown in H(2)O(18) and unlabeled atmospheres demonstrated that neither proline nor hydroxyproline was labeled with excess O(18). It was concluded that oxygen fixation is an essential feature of hydroxyproline biosynthesis in these seedlings, and that the hydroxyl oxygen atom in hydroxyproline is derived from molecular oxygen and not from water; similar results have been reported previously for sycamore cell suspensions.
Examining the relatedness of behaviors through experimentation: switching on and off chewing and feeding behaviors in a parasitic wasp

Melittobia digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are parasitoids known for their cooperative escape behavior. The initial sequences of this escape chewing behavior have been compared to the initial sequences of their feeding behavior. We sought to experimentally test whether these sequences were interchangeable. We were successful in turning off chewing and turning on feeding in a chewing situation, and turning on chewing and turning off feeding in a feeding context. We discuss the implications of this finding for the origin and evolution of these behaviors, and how experimental tests of key cues can be helpful for understanding the evolution of behavioral patterns.
Breakup mechanisms of electrostatic atomization of corn oil and diesel fuel

High-viscosity organic oils may be considered as an alternative to the ordinary diesel fuel. These organic oils and the diesel fuel are all Newtonian liquids; however, viscosity values of the organic oils are more than 20 times higher than that of the diesel fuel. In the present work, the electrostatic atomization of corn oil jets is studied and compared to the electrostatic atomization of diesel fuel jets. The experimental data revealed that in addition to the varicose breakup of straight jets, bending modes set in and grow in conjunction with the varicose undulations. Bending instability, kindred to the aerodynamically-driven bending instability of high-speed liquid jets moving in air, and to the electrically-driven bending instability of polymer jets in electrospinning, is significantly more pronounced in the case of the highly-viscous corn oil jets than in diesel jets. The experimental results are interpreted using the theory of bending instability developed previously for electrospinning.
Soybean growth and yield response to elevated carbon dioxide

Abstract Soybeans ( Glycine max L. Merr. ‘Bragg’) were grown in seeded rows in open-top field chambers and exposed continuously to a range of elevated CO 2 concentrations through-out the 1982 and 1983 growing seasons. During 1983, a water stress treatment was also imposed. Comparison of vegetative growth with a similarly conducted pot experiment showed an increased ration of leaf area to total top dry weight in the seeded row plants, but generally similar qualitative effects of elevated CO 2 . Careful recording of mainstem leaf emergence rates and reproduction stages showed no consistent effect of CO 2 under well watered conditions, but in 1983 there was a distinct modification by high CO 2 of the water stress-induced hastening of the time to physiological maturity. In 1982, and for the well watered plants in 1983, standing biomass at maturity was increased significantly by elevated CO 2 , but harvest index decreased and yield was (statistically) unaffected by the treatment. The yield responses calculated for a doubling of the current CO 2 concentrations for these well watered treatments were 1.07 and 0.93, respectively. In the water stress treatment in 1983, however, harvest index did not decrease in the presence of elevated CO 2 , and a highly significant yield response occurred (1.41 at 700 μll −1 ).
A cobalt-germanium bond: the structure of Co[Ge(C6H5)3](CO)3[P(C6H5)3]

Abstract The structure of Co[Ge(C6H5)3](CO)3[P(C6H5)3] has been determined from X-ray data collected by counter methods. The material crystallizes with eight molecules in space group C62h = 12/a in a cell of dimensions a = 18.703(6), b = 15.469(6), c = 24.013(8) A, β = 105° 42(1)′. The final conventional R factor for the 1345 reflections above background is 0.092. The coordination about Co is that of a trigonal bipyramid, with equatorial carbonyl groups and partially disordered Ge(C6H5)3 and P(C6H5)3 axial groups. The CoGe bond length of 2.34(2) A is consistent with a degree of CoGe multiple bonding.
FlexBench: Reuse of Verification IP to Increase Productivity

This paper presents FlexBench, which is a complete framework for SoC verification at the Module and SoC level, both with and without embedded processors. The focus is to increase the productivity of the verification engineer by providing a framework to reuse verification IP, which includes parts of the testbench and the test stimulus.
PRODUCTION OF FLAVOR VOLATILES IN ENZYME AND SUBSTRATE ENRICHED PEANUT HOMOGENATES

The role of enzymes in the production of flavor volatiles from rawpeanuts was investigated through the use of enzyme- and substrateenriched peanut homogenates. Enzymatic control of the production of the flavor volatiles was shown by the generation of the volatiles upon addition of peanut acetone powders to an enzyme-inactivated sample. Lipoxygenase was shown to be primarily responsible for production of the flavor volatiles in model systems of purified peanut lipoxygenase and linoleic acid which produced gas chromatographic profiles almost identical to those of peanut homogenates. Typical lipoxygenase intermediates were. demonstrated in extracted lipid material from raw peanut homogenates by UV absorption peaks at 234 nm and 275 nm, whereas heat-inactivated samples showed only trace absorption peaks. The optimum pH for production of the flavor volatiles was between 6.5 and 7.0. Pentane production was inhibited by, propyl gallate, hydroquinone and ascorbic acid. Exogenous aliphatic alcohols added to peanut homogenates before blending were converted to their corresponding aldehydes, indicating that an alcohol-to-aldehyde conversion reaction exists in peanuts.
Optimal waveform design via control theoretic concepts

Design of optimal waveforms for optimal estimation or prediction of state of linear dynamical system in presence of Markov and white noise
Preventing morbidity and mortality from sickle cell disease. A public health perspective.

Abstract Context: Sickle cell disease is a group of conditions characterized by production of abnormal hemoglobin, with clinical manifestations that vary by genotype and age. Objective: To discuss current public health issues associated with sickle cell disease, and approaches to preventing complications from these conditions in the United States. Design: Literature review. Results: Most clinical interventions for people with sickle cell disease discussed in the medical literature can be classified as tertiary prevention: for example, therapy to ameliorate anemia, reduce the frequency of pain crises, or prevent stroke recurrences. A form of secondary prevention, newborn screening, has emerged as an important public health approach to identifying affected children before they develop complications. Newborn screening is the starting point for simple public health strategies such as parental education, immunization, and penicillin prophylaxis. Identification of affected families by newborn or community screening programs has also been an entry point for genetic counseling, although utilization of prenatal testing has varied by factors such as geographic location. Public health agencies have had significant involvement with funding, policy making, and formulation of laboratory and clinical guidelines for sickle cell disease. Since the introduction of penicillin prophylaxis policies, newborn screening, new immunizations, and comprehensive medical care centers, the survival of young children with sickle cell disease has improved. Conclusions: Although the efforts of preventive medicine providers in public health programs are not solely responsible for the improved survival of children with sickle cell disease, such programs remain an important component in preventing sickle cell complications.
Cost effective dynamic program slicing

Although dynamic program slicing was first introduced to aid in user level debugging, applications aimed at improving software quality, reliability, security, and performance have since been identified as candidates for using dynamic slicing. However, the dynamic dependence graph constructed to compute dynamic slices can easily cause slicing algorithms to run out of memory for realistic program runs. In this paper we present the design and evaluation of a cost effective dynamic program slicing algorithm. This algorithm is based upon a dynamic dependence graph representation that is highly compact and rapidly traversable. Thus, the graph can be held in memory and dynamic slices can be quickly computed. A compact representation is derived by recognizing that all dynamic dependences (data and control) need not be individually represented. We identify sets of dynamic dependence edges between a pair of statements that can share a single representative edge. We further show that the dependence graph can be transformed in a manner that increases sharing and sharing can be performed even in the presence of aliasing. Experiments show that transformed dynamic dependence graphs explicitly represent only 6% of the dependence edges present in the full dynamic dependence graph. When the full graph sizes range from 0.84 to 1.95 Gigabytes in size, our compacted graphs range from 20 to 210 Megabytes in size. Average slicing times for our algorithm range from 1.74 to 36.25 seconds across several benchmarks from SPECInt2000/95.
Organizational architectures and mission requirements: A model to determine congruence

In order to determine congruence between proposed organizational architectures and evolving mission requirements, an executable model was developed in support of a subject experiment testing the hypothesis that an organization congruent with an expected mission results in better performance than a noncongruent organization. The model is based on the task process, the sequence of stages that occur in order to complete a task, where the delays of each stage are based on the interactions of the task with decision-makers and resources; in this case, tasks are limited to simple tasks completed by a single decision-maker with a single resource. The model is configured to a particular organizational design and simulated with a scenario, a list of tasks and their parameters that characterize the mission. Congruence is determined by using regression analysis to fit a linear equation to the output of the simulation and computing the coefficient of determination to evaluate the fit. The model was developed with trial experiment data and validated with post-experimental results. This model provides the foundation for a future, second order model that will include multiple decision-makers interacting with multiple resources to complete complex tasks. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sys Eng 6: 184–194, 2003
Davidson's Fear of the Subjective

According to Donald Davidson, any philosophy of mind that appeals to propositional content is doomed to become an account of the mind as a private theater. But Davidson's own work on thought-attribution can be used to make propositional content safe. This paper uses Davidson's negative reaction to Gareth Evans's works on perceptually based demonstrative thought to tease out a way of talking about propositional content that doesn't slide into subjectivism. It also explains why Davidson saw Evans as a mentalist enemy rather than an externalist ally, and suggests that Evans's work could play an important role in furthering Davidson's distinctive externalism.
Biological diversity, ecosystem stability and economic development

Abstract It is clear from the scale of anthropogenic resource use that economic systems should be brought within biophysical limits as soon as possible. One might assume that this task is difficult because it would involve identifying these limits, knowing when and where they are breached, and allocating responsibility. However, an intimate understanding of the natural limits to economic development may not be necessary for achieving a biophysically sustainable economy. Certain measurable features of the natural world are intimately connected with overall biophysical integrity, one such feature being biological diversity. A growing body of ecological research gives compelling evidence that biodiversity confers stability on ecosystems by buffering them against natural and artificial perturbations, and that it increases system productivity. It is well known that the stability and productivity of ecosystems are fundamental components of the earth's biophysical integrity. Therefore, biodiversity should act as a measure of biophysical integrity and biodiversity conservation might provide a viable framework for policies that drive economic activity towards overall biophysical sustainability. Economic instruments to implement a biodiversity constraint would penalise economic activities that directly or indirectly cause biodiversity loss and favour those that conserve it. A biodiversity constraint would, of course, require new legal and institutional underpinnings. What makes a biodiversity constraint doubly attractive is that it would also conserve the potentially large economic use and option values of biodiversity itself, thus removing the need for separate measures for its conservation.
The heptagon to the square, and other wild twists

We have identified some surprising new twist-hinged dissections, using special-purpose techniques. Further examples and adaptations of these techniques appear in a companion paper [17]. All of these dissections, and a few others, are summarized in Table 4.1 of [16, chap. 4], in which it is discussed how to convert them into yet another type of hinged dissection, namely, pianohinged dissections.
High-fidelity numerical simulation of complex dynamics of tethered spacecraft

This paper presents an analytical model and a geometric numerical integrator for a tethered spacecraft model that is composed of two rigid bodies connected by an elastic tether. This high-fidelity model includes important dynamic characteristics of tethered spacecraft in orbit, namely the nonlinear coupling among tether deformations, rigid body rotational dynamics, a reeling mechanism, and orbital dynamics. A geometric numerical integrator, referred to as a Lie group variational integrator, is developed to numerically preserve the Hamiltonian structure of the presented model and its Lie group configuration manifold. This approach preserves the geometry of the configurations, and leads to accurate and efficient algorithms that have guaranteed accuracy properties that make them suitable for many dynamic simulations, especially over long simulation times. These analytical and computational models provide a reliable benchmark for testing the validity and applicability of the many simplified models in the existing literature, which have hitherto been used without careful verification that the simplifying assumptions employed are valid in physically realistic parameter regimes. We present numerical simulations which illustrate the important qualitative differences in the tethered spacecraft dynamics when the high-fidelity model is employed, as compared to models with additional simplifying assumptions.
Fine-tuning multiprotein complexes using small molecules.

Multiprotein complexes such as the transcriptional machinery, signaling hubs, and protein folding machines are typically composed of at least one enzyme combined with multiple non-enzymes. Often the components of these complexes are incorporated in a combinatorial manner, in which the ultimate composition of the system helps dictate the type, location, or duration of cellular activities. Although drugs and chemical probes have traditionally targeted the enzyme components, emerging strategies call for controlling the function of protein complexes by modulation of protein–protein interactions (PPIs). However, the challenges of targeting PPIs have been well documented, and the diversity of PPIs makes a “one-size-fits-all” solution highly unlikely. These hurdles are particularly daunting for PPIs that encompass large buried surface areas and those with weak affinities. In this Review, we discuss lessons from natural systems, in which allostery and other mechanisms are used to overcome the challenge of regulat...
Bootstrap calibration of an autocollimator, index table and sine bar ensemble for angle metrology

An in-situ bootstrap method used at NRC to calibrate an ensemble of instruments for angle metrology traceable to international standards for angle and length is described. No prior knowledge is assumed, beyond nominal values with arbitrary large uncertainty, for the index-table step angles, the autocollimator scale factor, and the sine-bar length. Only the sine-bar displacements are known as calibrated values with uncertainty traceable to the SI unit for length. First, the nominal-length sine-bar is used to check the autocollimator linearity, stability, and estimate a nominal scale factor, thus giving a first-iteration improvement in the uncertainty of autocollimator readings. Then, the index table (and a polygon) are measured by a full-closure method at the polygon intervals, and index steps of one interval are measured by the caliper method, with results expressed using improved autocollimator readings. This provides improved index angles. Finally, the autocollimator beam is aimed obliquely at the sine-bar mirror, and the beam deflects to the index-table mirror, where it retroreflects back to the autocollimator via the sine bar. As the index table is stepped through a sequence of angles (with improved uncertainty), the sine-bar angle is adjusted in opposite rotation to produce a zero reading by the autocollimator, and the required sine-bar displacement recorded. This provides a better estimate of the sine-bar length. The steps can be re-iterated--hence bootstrap--to further improve the calibration of each device, until a limit is reached. In recent years, we have linked the data from the three setups in a single spreadsheet analysis, allowing the calibration variables to be jointly and optimally adjusted with just one data run through the three setups. Results using a Moeller-Wedel Elcomat HR autocollimator, a Moore 1440 index table and the NRC sine-bar interferometer are presented, along with an uncertainty analysis.
Human cerebrospinal fluid somatostatin in neurologic disease

Concentrations of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) were examined in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). To validate the assay it was shown that CSF which had been run over a somatostatin immunoaffinity column showed no interference with binding of synthetic standards. Reversed phase HPLC showed that the immunoreactive material coeluted with SS14 and SS28 as well as a higher molecular weight precursor. Concentrations of human CSF SLI were stable at both room temperature and 4 °C for up to 72 h while repeated freezing and thawing resulted in a significant loss of immunoreactive material after the 3rd repetition. In normal control patients less than 55 years of age, CSF SLI was 54.7 ± 1.9 pg/ml, while in those older than 55 CSF SLI was 56.2 ± 2.2 pg/ml. Febrile infants had significantly higher levels (75.4 ± 7.3) pg/ml. CSF SLI was normal in patients with aseptic meningitis (54.4 ± 3.4 pg/ml), suggesting that increased CSF protein and white cell counts do not affect concentrations. Concentrations of CSF SLI were significantly increased in intervertebral disc disease (65.1 ± 5.6 pg/ml), intrinsic spinal cord pathology (101.0 ± 23.9 pg/ml), central nervous system tumors (78.0 ± 7.8 pg/ml) and acute cortical damage of varied etiology (277.8 ± 81.6 pg/ml). Patients with pseudotumor cerebri had concentrations of 43.2 ± 2.5 pg/ml. Concentrations of CSF SLI were significantly reduced (P < 0.01) in multiple sclerosis (38.8 ± 5.5 pg/ml) and old cortical pathology (23.2 ± 3.9 pg/ml). Serial CSF analyses in patients with acute CNS lesions, suggest that CSF SLI may be a neurochemical marker of acute pathology, as the initially elevated levels fell to or below normal with resolution of the pathologic process.
Investigating the Impact of Investments in Telecoms on Microeconomic Outcomes: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Investigation in the Context of Transition Economies

We propose and test a conceptual model allowing for the investigation of the microeconomic impact of investments in telecoms. While the impact of investments in telecoms on the macroeconomic outcomes has been previously investigated, there seems to be no published research that looked at the microeconomic impact of telecom investments. The proposed conceptual model links investments in telecoms with microeconomic constructs that are closely associated with such measure of macroeconomic bottom line as GDP; this allows us to outline a more detailed path traversed by the impact of investments. We use structural equation modeling to test the proposed model in the context of a sample of transition economies comprising two groups differing in terms of economic development. The results suggest the existence of the context-independent paths that are common to both groups; however, there is evidence that some of the impacts of investments in telecoms are dependent on the level of economic development. The results ...
Phase transitions and ion exchange behavior of electrolytically prepared manganese dioxide

Abstract Manganese dioxides were prepared electrolytically in the temperature range 10–95°C. The oxides prepared at 25°C or lower exhibited a high ion exchange capacity equivalent to one proton per two Mn atoms. Those prepared at higher temperatures exhibited correspondingly lower capacities and the 95°C preparation showed only surface exchange. The Li+ exchanged solid formed a spinel LiMn2O4 on heating and was converted to HMn2O4 on treatment with dilute acid. The protonated solid retained the spinel structure and showed a high specificity for Li+. A corresponding sodium ion exchanged phase yielded a birnessite-like phase on heating followed by treatment in boiling water. The sodium ion was exchanged with acid to yield a layered compound of composition H4Mn9O18 · 7H2O. It is suggested that λ-MnO2 and Mn7O13 are deprotonated versions of the hydrogen ion exchanged species. It is further suggested that similar exchange reactions with insertion type compounds should lead to new types of inorganic ion exchangers.
Magnetic Susceptibility of Compressed Rocks

The effect of uniaxial compression (σ) upon the initial magnetic susceptibility (κ(σ)) of rocks is empirically expressed as κ(σ)=κ0/(1+βσ) where κ0 denotes the susceptibility for σ=0. This empirical relation is interpreted as due to the effect of induced magnetoelastic energy upon rotation of magnetization of magnetic minerals whose initial anisotropy axes are randomly oriented. Feasibility of theoretical results are experimentally examined using titanomagnetite samples of different grain sizes.
An Adaptive Equalizer Using a Stabilized Extended Kalman Filter

The adaptive equalizer described in this paper attempts to remove intersymbol interference in a digital communication channel. The channel is modeled as an n-tap FIR filter and the coefficients of the channel model are updated through the stochastic Newton Algorithm (SNA). This particular Algorithm is a stabilized version of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), overcoming the divergence problems associated with the EKF. However, as expected, the improvement is at the expense of tuning procedures, additional memory space and computation time.
Polymer–polymer interactions via analog calorimetry. 3. Interaction between styrene and acrylonitrile repeat units

Analog calorimetry is used to study the interaction between styrene and acrylonitrile repeat units. Electrostatic charge calculations were used as a guide to divide the polymer repeat units and analogs into groups. A mean-field binary interaction model was used to evaluate group interaction energies. The enthalpic interaction energy for the styrene-acrylonitrile pair from this study is 7.63 ± 0.12 cal/cm3 which is consistent with values obtained from phase behavior studies of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) blends. The cyano group, C(TRIPLE BOND)N, of the acrylonitrile repeat unit has a permanent dipole. The results of this study suggest that the orientation of this dipole with respect to the backbone of the acrylonitrile unit strongly affects its interaction with styrene repeat unit. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 831–839, 1997
Spontaneous vertebral artery dissection as a complication of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) may be associated with a variety of cardiovascular complications, including intracranial saccular aneurysms. In ADPKD, intracranial saccular aneurysms tend to rupture more frequently and earlier than the sporadic variety with a tendency to cluster in families. In contrast, dissecting intracranial aneurysms are rarely associated with either intracranial saccular aneurysms or ADPKD. We describe an ADPKD-1 patient whose course was complicated by a spontaneous dissection of a vertebral artery aneurysm. This particular patient had previously experienced three episodes of ascending aortic dissection with cystic medial necrosis. Intracranial vascular and aneurysmal dissection may occur in select ADPKD patients with familial clusters.
Gravity-Driven Granular Flows of Smooth, Inelastic Spheres Down Bumpy Inclines

We employ a kinetic constitutive theory that includes the effects of particle transport and collisions to analyze steady, fully developed, gravity-driven flows of smooth, inelastic spheres down bumpy inclines