cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The shift of the CN violet bands in the presence of argon

Abstract The argon induced red shift of the emission band sequences Δν = -1, 0, 1, and 2 of CN, B2Σ-A2Π, which occur at 3590.4, 3883.4 4216.1 A respectively, was observed. The temperature was held constant at 2810 ±50°K while relative densities of argon from 22.5 to 86 were obtained by a ballistic compressor. Plots of the red shift as a function of relative density of argon are not linear. The average shifts are -0.035, -0.065, -0.064 and -0.057 cm -1/r.d. for the above mentioned sequences, respectively. Also, the Δv = -1 sequence of the A3Πg-X3Πu transition of C2 was measured and showed a non-linear blue shift of 0.02 cm-1/r.d. approxima tely.
Comparative studies of chromatographically separated phycoerythrins and phycocyanins.

Abstract 1. 1. The chromatographic method of Swingle and Tiselius has been successfully applied to the separation and recovery of the bile pigment chromoproteins of a variety of red and blue-green algae. 2. 2. In addition to the conventional R and C varieties of phycoerythrin and phycocyanin, several other chromoproteins were encountered. Representatives of both algal groups were found to contain, as a minor component, a blue proteinacious pigment, characterized by a single absorption maximum at 650 mμ. This chromoprotein is probably identical with Lemberg's allophycocyanin but is considered to be a natural constituent rather than an artifact formed during extraction. Unusual two-peaked phycoerythrins (maxima at 542.5 and 565 mμ) were found in extracts of the blue-green algae Phormidium ectocarpi and Phormidium fragile. 3. 3. Phycoerythrin from the unicellular red alga Porphyridium cruentum was found to be distinct spectrally from both R- and C-phycoerythrin when all preparations were made at neutral or slightly acidic pH values. Under alkaline conditions of extraction (above pH 7.5), the phycocyanin content of Porphyridium cells is destroyed, and phycoerythrin with an altered spectrum is recovered. It is felt probable that Porphyridium phycoerythrin, isolated under the former conditions and characterized by a broadened single-peaked, instead of a sharp two- or three-peaked spectrum in the visible region, is the native pigment. The less abundant phycocyanin fraction of Porphyridium includes the “allophycocyanin” and a two-peaked pigment tentatively identified as R-phycocyanin.
Maximally efficient gain: a figure of merit for linear active 2-ports

A new power/gain invariant is proposed as a high-frequency figure of merit for linear active 2-ports. Using this figure of merit, it is feasible to design amplifiers with potentially unstable devices which have power gains comparable in magnitude to Mason's U function and are optimum in the sense of maximising the 2-port added power.
Boundary control of parabolic systems - Finite-element approximation

Finite-element approximation of a Dirichlet type boundary control problem for parabolic systems is considered. An approach based on the direct approximation of an input-output semigroup formula is applied. Error estimates inL2[OT; L2(Ω)] andL2[OT; L2(Γ)] norms are derived for optimal state and optimal control, respectively. It turns out that these estimates areoptimal with respect to the approximation theoretic properties.
Grammatical morphology and the lexicon in children with specific language impairment.

We examined the use of grammatical morphology by preschool-age English-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI) as a function of their lexical diversity. Relative to a group of nor...
Local government internal structure, external constraints and the median voter

This paper examines how internal structure and external constraints affect local government ability to meet voters' demands. It applies the revealed preference method to US counties to identify those that fail to satisfy the pure democracy outcome of the median voter hypothesis (MVH). Probit analysis identifies the factors associated with counties that satisfy the MVH. Internal government structure does not matter but restricting home rule increases the likelihood of satisfying the MVH equilibrium, the latter result consistent with the leviathan model. The systematic differences found for urban and rural county governments reinforce this conclusion.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON PICHIA DISPORA AND PICHIA SAITOI

A comparative study on Pichia dispora and Pichia saitoi was made and the results from this investigation seem to confirm them to be a different taxon. The two species differed in the mode of ascus formation, number of ascospores, nature of the ascus, and in the guanine-cytosine content in DNA but not in other biochemical characteristics. Such morphological characteristics in sexual reproduction are considered to be better keys for differentiating these two taxa than assimilability of ribitol in which a difference was formerly found between them.
Can Stroma Reaction Predict Cancer Lethality

Stromal features in carcinomas may provide a relatively consistent means to stratify patients afflicted with solid tumors. Stroma-derived transcriptome signatures can now be used to make predictions about patient survival, suggesting the potential for their clinical application in precision medicine to predict disease progression and emergence of therapeutic resistance.
Interval or permanent nonoperative management of acute type A aortic dissection.

Hypothesis Selected patients with acute type A (ascending) aortic dissection who are treated with delayed operation or nonoperative therapy may have better early and short-term outcomes than was previously expected. Design and Setting Retrospective cohort at a university hospital. Subjects Data on 75 patients with acute or chronic type A aortic dissection treated at one institution from January 1, 1985, to November 30, 1997, were analyzed. Of these 75 patients, 34 (21 male and 13 female, with a mean age of 65.5 years) did not undergo initial operative treatment, and 15 (10 male and 5 female, with a mean age of 72.6 years) never underwent surgery. For the 19 patients who underwent delayed surgery, the mean period between aortic dissection and intervention was 11.4±4.83 days. The follow-up period ranged from 0.27 to 149 months, with a mean of 20.2 months. Main Outcome Measures Vascular complications, hospital mortality, and early survival. Results Reasons for interval delay in surgical treatment included initial misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis (13 [68%] of 19), need to address significant comorbidity (4 [21%] of 19), and initial refusal of operative intervention (2 [11%] of 19). For the 15 patients treated entirely by medical therapy, reasons for electing nonoperative management included extensive comorbidity (5 [33%] of 15), refusal of surgical intervention (6 [40%] of 15), and misdiagnosis or long delay in diagnosis (4 [27%] of 15). Of the 34 patients, 15 (44%) presented with moderate or severe aortic insufficiency, 5 (14%) had evidence of pericardial effusion, 6 (21%) had evidence of concomitant coronary ischemia on electrocardiogram, and 8 (24%) had extension of the dissection into the descending aorta. Four patients (11.8%) died while in the hospital. Of the 34 patients, 30 (88%) who underwent either delayed or no surgery received aggressive medical treatment (β-adrenergic blocking agents and afterload-reducing agents) and were discharged from the hospital. All patients who were operative candidates in the interval treatment group survived to reach definitive operation. There was no statistically significant difference in short-term survival between the group of patients undergoing delayed surgery or medical treatment only and the group of 41 patients undergoing early operation ( P =.42). Conclusions Immediate surgical therapy is still recommended for acceptable operative candidates with acute type A aortic dissection who seek immediate treatment. However, this study permits the following 2 conclusions: (1) patients with type A aortic dissection who are referred or whose conditions are diagnosed several days after presentation have survived the early dangerous period and can safely undergo surgery semielectively (rather than emergently); and (2) selected patients who are not considered operative candidates and who survive the initial type A aortic dissection without complication may be treated with aggressive medical therapy and achieve acceptable early and short-term outcomes, which is better than previously expected.
Mesopelagic microplankton of the Arabian Sea

Abstract The Arabian Sea is notable for its dramatic monsoonal effects on euphotic zone biogeochemical processes and the large spatial extent of its mesopelagic oxygen minimum zone. As part of the US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study Arabian Sea project, we sampled microplankton (organisms 20–200 μm including diatoms, dinoflagellates, ciliates, sarcodines and nauplii) at five depths from 250 to 1000 or 1100 m at six stations during four seasonal cruises in 1995. Abundances of groups of organisms at discrete depths averaged 1–2 l−1 seasonally. Mean seasonal integrated biomass of the assemblage was 29 mg C m−2 during the late Northeast Monsoon, 37 mg C m−2 during the Spring Intermonsoon, 47 mg C m−2 during the late Southwest Monsoon and 49 mg C m−2 during the early Northeast Monsoon. Overall, protozoans dominated the mesopelagic microplankton assemblage. Integrated biomass peaked during the late SW Monsoon at two stations as expected if microplankton responded to surface productivity and mesopelagic organic carbon fluxes. At three stations, microplankton biomass peaked during the early NE Monsoon; this may reflect a continuing response to SW Monsoon productivity signals by these larger, slow-growing organisms. Protozooplankton abundance did not appear to be negatively affected by low (
Effect of interferon therapy on hepatitis C virus RNA in whole blood, plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Fifty-two patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were treated with standard doses of interferon alfa-2b. During treatment, HCV RNA detection was studied in samples of whole blood (WB), plasma (Pl), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Individuals were classified as sustained responders (SRs), complete responders with relapse (CRs), partial responders (PRs), or nonresponders (NRs) according to normalization of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) during treatment and follow-up. Before treatment, 100% of WB samples and more than 95% of Pl and PBMC samples were positive for HCV RNA. During treatment, there was progressive clearance of HCV RNA from Pl and PBMCs in SRs and CRs, but CRs had significantly more positive WB samples during and following treatment (P Pl or PBMC; P < .001). However, at later times during treatment most Pl and PBMC samples in the PR group were positive. Samples from the NR group showed no clearance of HCV RNA from WB, Pl, or PBMC fractions. These data document the increased sensitivity of WB assays for detecting HCV RNA in the peripheral blood of patients during interferon therapy. Furthermore, our findings suggest that WB analysis of HCV RNA may be a useful parameter to monitor in determining the end point of interferon therapy.
ESTIMATION OF ADENYLIC ACID DEAMINASE IN TISSUE EXTRACTS.

Abstract A procedure utilizing C14-labeled AMP is described for estimation of 5′-AMP deaminase activity in crude tissue extracts which contain other AMP-degrading enzymes. By the use of this method it was demonstrated that human placenta and human uterine muscle, in contrast to rabbit skeletal muscle, do not contain 5′-AMP deaminase activity.
Information retrieval on a high-speed computer

This discussion concerns a mechanized information retrieval system for the technical library of General Electric's Aircraft Gas Turbine Division. The system is confined to the technical reports and papers available in the Division's Library. Textbooks have not been included as of yet since they are carried on a Library of Congress system and did not readily fit into the manual scheme which was developed. This discussion will be in two parts. The first part will cover the information retrieval system prior to mechanization, and the second part will cover the mechanization of this system.
Optically switched lithium niobate directional couplers for digital optical computing

Optically switchable directional couplers can function as logically complete building blocks for constructing all-optical computational engines. Logically, such devices operate as all-optical five-terminal gates, where two output signals are logical functions of two guided input signals and an input control signal. Such an optically controlled exchange element is a promising functional unit for constructing general-purpose digital optical logic circuits. We have implemented such all-optical five-terminal gates using Ti:LiNbO eleciro-optic directional couplers, with singlemode optical fiber for all gate interconnections. Effectively DC-coupled control circuitry converts short, low-power (<5ns, -25 dBm) 1 .3 mm optical pulses into electrical pulses capable of switching the transfer state of low-voltage lumped electrode directional couplers. These optical logic gates, while containing significant electronics in the control arm, are logically identical to more fundamental optically controlled exchange elements, and utilize mature technology developed for the optical fiber telecommunications industry, simplifying construction of robust optical logic hardware. In addition, the use of significant electronics in the control terminal input offers considerable advantages over more fundamental optical switching effects, i.e. greater noise immunity, wider dynamic range, adjustable detection threshold, simple phase compensation, and conirol over the quiescent switching state. We have demonstrated the use of such Ti:LiNbO3 five-terminal optical logical gates in the construction of various simple circuits, such as oscillators and divide-by-N circuits. Such circuits demonstrate many of the issues arising in the construction of all-optical digital computing systems, and are fundamental subsections of an all-optical bit serial computer design, which we are currently consiructing.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Template-synthesized nanotubes for biotechnology and biomedical applications

Spherically shaped micro- and nano-particles are typically used for drug deliver, but this only reflects the fact that spheres are easier to make than other shapes. Micro and nanotubes, structures that resemble tiny drinking straws, are alternatives to spherical nanoparticles. Examples include organosilicon polymer nanotubes, self-assembling lipid microtubes, fullerene carbon nanotubes, template-synthesized nanotubes, and peptide nanotubes. Nanotubes offer some interesting advantages relative to spherical nanoparticles for biotechnological applications. For example, nanotubes have large inner volumes (relative to the dimensions of the tube), which can be filled with any desired chemical or biochemical species ranging in size from proteins to small molecules. In addition, nanotubes have distinct inner and outer surfaces, which can be differentially chemically or biochemically functionalized. This creates the possibility, for example, of loading the inside of a nanotube with a particular biochemical payload but imparting chemical features to the outer surface that render it biocompatible. Finally, nanotubes have open mouths, which makes the inner surface accessible and incorporation of species within the tubes particularly easy. We review here “template synthesis” method for preparing micro and nanotubes, and we give examples of recent biotech applications of these tubular systems. This review is not intended to be all encompassing; instead it discusses recent trends and emphasizes “template synthesis” method.
Thoracoscopic management of postoperative esophageal leak.

Esophageal perforation is an uncommon problem, but one that is associated with high mortality (9%-36%). 1-3 Treatment consists of aggressive surgical management and broadspectrum antibiotics. Surgical approaches to management of esophageal perforation include primary closure, esophagectomy, use of esophageal T-tube, exclusion-diversion, and mediastinal drainage. Selection of treatment depends on factors such as the cause and duration of perforation, clinical condition of the patient, and the degree of surrounding tissue injury. During the past decade, advances in minimally invasive surgical technology have allowed surgeons to apply thoracoscopic methods to the management of esophageal disease. Thoracoscopic operations have been applied to esophageal myotomy, resection of esophageal diverticulum, excision of esophageal leiomyoma, antireflux operations, and esophagectomy. 4 In this report we used our experience in video-assisted thoracoscopic operations for the management of 2 patients in whom an esophageal perforation developed as a result of a thoracoscopic esophageal operation. Clinical summary. The first patient was a 60-year-old woman who was referred with a 2-year history of severe chest pain and intermittent dysphagia. Upper esophageal endoscopy showed no obstructive lesions. Esophageal manometry revealed high-amplitude contraction in the body of the esophagus consistent with a diagnosis of diffuse esophageal spasm. The patient was treated nonoperatively with calcium-channel blockers and nitrates without success. She was offered surgical treatment consisting of a long esophagomyotomy. The operation was performed through the right side of the chest with 4 thoracoscopic trocars. Intraoperative endoscopy after the myotomy revealed no air leaks (Fig 1). The patient was discharged on postoperative day 4 on a clear liquid diet. On postoperative day 7, the patient returned with shortness of breath and acute chest pain. Gastrograffin contrast study revealed extravasation of contrast material at the midesophageal region. Endoscopy showed a small 3-mm perforation at the middle esophagus. The patient was reexplored thoracoscopically. Intraoperative endoscopy identified the
Long-term observations for monitoring of the cryosphere

Variations of the cryosphere over decadal-to-century timescales are assessed by a survey of data on sea ice, snow cover, glaciers and ice sheets, permafrost and lake ice. The recent variations are generally consistent across the different cryospheric variables, especially when placed into the context of variations of temperature and precipitation. The recent warming over northern land areas has been accompanied by a decrease of snow cover, particularly during spring; the retreat of mountain glaciers is, in an aggregate sense, compatible with the observed warming; permafrost extent and lake ice duration show similar variations in areas for which data are available. Corresponding trends are not apparent, however, in data for some regions such as eastern Canada, nor in hemispheric sea ice data, especially for winter. The data also suggest an increase of snowfall over high latitudes, including the Antarctic ice sheet.
Rate coefficients for so reactions with O2 and O3 over the temperature range 230 to 420 K

Abstract SO was produced from SO 2 by pholodissociation with an ArFlaser (193 nm). SO 2 chemiluminescence from the SO + O 3 reaction was used to monitor the decay of SO and determine rate coefficients for SO reactions with O 2 and O 3 over the temperature range 230–420 K. The rate expressions are k O2 =(2.4 +2.6 −0.9 ) x 10 −13 exp[(−2370 +200 −250 )/ T ] and k o3 =(4.8 +1.6 −0.8 ) × 10 −12 exp[(−1170 +80 −120 )/ T ] cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 .
Uncontrolled Asthma in a Commercially Insured Population From 2002 to 2007: Trends, Predictors, and Costs

Objective. Uncontrolled asthma leads to preventable morbidity and increased health care utilization. The authors examined trends, predictors, and costs of uncontrolled asthma over 5 years in a large health plan population. Methods. The authors retrospectively examined administrative health claims data from mid-2000 to mid-2007 on patients with asthma aged 1 to 56 years (n = 54,653 patient-years, 28,595 unique patients). Uncontrolled asthma events were defined as ≥2 oral steroid fills or ≥5 short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) fills over 12 months, or an asthma-related hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit. Multivariate generalized mixed regression models determined patient- and neighborhood-level predictors for uncontrolled asthma events. The authors compared asthma-related costs for patients with and without uncontrolled asthma events. Results. In 2002–2003, 39% of patients had ≥1 uncontrolled asthma event. Most frequent were high use of rescue asthma medications. Asthma-related hospitalizations a...
The effect of contingency contracting on adherence and knowledge of exercise regimens

Abstract This study was designed to assess the effect of contingency contracting on adherence (attendance), and on patients' knowledge of the physiological principles and parameters of exercise essential for a safe exercise regimen during and following an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. Twentyeight patients referred for cardiac rehabilitation were alternately assigned to either a standard treatment or contingency contracting group. Both groups received one hour per week of formal education in a group setting. Weekly contingency contracts were negotiated with patients in the contracting group for eight consecutive weeks. Changes in knowledge were assessed by means of a 16-item, written examination (Exercise Knowledge Test) administered at program initiation, 4 weeks and 8 weeks. A repeated measures analysis of variance design of knowledge test scores showed significantly greater gains in knowledge in the contracting group. There were no significant differences in attendance between groups. The results of this study suggested that the contingency contracting process may be an educational intervention worthy of consideration, in addition to traditional group lectures.
Free and coerced migrations: the Atlantic in global perspective

What distinguished the mass transatlantic migration that occurred between Columbian contact and the early nineteenth century from the movements of peoples around the globe that occurred both before and after this phenomenon? Two central distinguishing features were the large element of coercion in the movements across the early modern Atlantic world, and the central importance of identity in shaping both the direction of migration and its composition. On the first of these, coercion was a sine qua non, not only of the well-known slave trade, but also of the much smaller migrations of convicts and – given the temporary, if voluntary, signing away of the migrants' freedom – indentured servants and contract labourers. On the second, the question of who became slaves was determined by the refusal of Europeans to enslave other Europeans.
Speckle imaging of satellites at the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical Station

Results are presented from a series of experiments in which the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical Station’s 1.6-m telescope and a bare CCD speckle camera system were used to image satellites at distances of up to 1000 km. A brief overview of the image reconstruction algorithms is presented. The choice of the experiment site and various imaging parameters are described. Power spectra and power spectral signal-to-noise ratio curves that result from imaging several point stars are compared with theory. Reconstructed images of several binary stars are shown as a base-line assessment of our technique. High-quality image reconstructions of an Earth-satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, are presented. The results confirm that speckle imaging techniques can be used with a bare CCD imaging system to provide a powerful and flexible method for imaging objects of moderate magnitude.
Algorithm for finding parameter-dependent connected components of gray-scale images

In a previous work we have introduced the concept of a parameter-dependent connected component of gray-scale images that takes into account both the gray values of the pixels and the differences of the gray values of the neighboring pixels. This concept is a convenient tool to analyze or understand images at a higher level than the pixel level. In this paper, we describe an algorithm for finding the parameter-dependent components for a given image. We discuss different strategies used in the algorithm and analyze their effects through the experimental results. Since the proposed algorithm is independent of the formation of the images, it can be used for the analyzed of many types of images. The experimental results show that for some appropriate values of the parameters, the objects of an image may be represented by its parameter-dependent components reasonably well. Thus, the proposed algorithm provides us with the possibility of analyzing images further at the component level.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Higher survival rate of vitrified and thawed in vitro produced bovine blastocysts following culture in defined medium supplemented with β-mercaptoethanol

The present study was conducted to compare bovine embryo developmental quality, after culture in different defined culture media, up to blastocyst stage, and subsequently cultured in media supplemented with beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-ME) following blastocyst vitrification and thawing. In part one of this study, presumptive zygotes were randomly allocated into the following media: (1) CR1, (2) KSOM, (3) SOF, and (4) sequential KSOM-SOF. In the second part of the study, blastocysts derived from four different culture media were subjected to a solid surface vitrification (35% (v/v) ethylene glycol+0.5M Sucrose+5% (w/v) Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and tested for the effect of beta-ME on their post-vitrification survival. Following thawing, blastocysts were cultured with or without beta-ME. Culture medium had no effect on cleavage rates; however, a significantly greater number of zygotes cultured in KSOM, KSOM-SOF, or SOF developed to the 8-cell stage, compared with those cultured in CR1. A greater proportion of the zygotes cultured in SOF or KSOM-SOF reached blastocysts, than did those cultured in CR1 or KSOM. The use of sequential KSOM-SOF significantly increased total cell numbers of Day 7 expanded-blastocysts when compared to those cultured in CR1, KSOM, or SOF. Addition of beta-ME into culture media after vitrification and thawing improved blastocyst survival, hatching rates, and total cell numbers of blastocysts. In conclusion, supplementation of beta-ME into culture medium after vitrification and thawing significantly increased blastocyst survival, hatching rates, and their total cell numbers. These results suggest that vitrified IVF embryos should be thawed and briefly cultured in beta-ME medium prior to embryo transfer.
Improving XML search by generating and utilizing informative result snippets

Snippets are used by almost every text search engine to complement the ranking scheme in order to effectively handle user searches, which are inherently ambiguous and whose relevance semantics are difficult to assess. Despite the fact that XML is a standard representation format of Web data, research on generating result snippets for XML search remains limited.To tackle this important yet open problem, in this article, we present a system eXtract which generates snippets for XML search results. We identify that a good XML result snippet should be a meaningful information unit of a small size that effectively summarizes this query result and differentiates it from others, according to which users can quickly assess the relevance of the query result. We have designed and implemented a novel algorithm to satisfy these requirements. Furthermore, we propose to cluster the query results based on their snippets. Since XML result clustering can only be done at query time, snippet-based clustering significantly improves the efficiency while compromising little clustering accuracy. We verified the efficiency and effectiveness of our approach through experiments.
Capitalist houses, queer homes: National belonging and transgressive erotics in My Beautiful Laundrette

South Asian diasporic subjects have dealt with experiences of ‘home’ in various ways: ranging from the ostensibly failed assimilations of racialized subjects in their new homes to the nostalgia and trauma of exile felt in relation to former homelands. Most conceptualizations of home, in their privileging of racial formations that underpin Western racism, have elided questions of (homo)sexuality. This reading of My Beautiful Laundrette evinces the ways in which queer South Asian Diasporas resist the interpellative praises of the British nation‐state during the years of Margaret Thatcher. I argue that the film depicts, on the one hand, hegemonic homes that expound classist and heteronormative ideals supported by neoliberal capitalism. On the other hand, the characters Omar and Tania act as queer agents whose non‐heteronormative sexual practices trouble such exclusive homes, and thus create new ‘home’ spaces for belonging. This paper contributes to queer post‐colonial studies, ‘third’ world feminism, and dia...
Preventive dentistry and the child patient

Abstract The backlog of untreated dental disease in the United States—sometimes categorized as the last great pandemic—is so extensive that any appreciable attempt at remedial resolution is, for all practical purposes, impossible. The only hope for the future of an adult population relatively free of dental disease is to concentrate on intensive preventive measures focused on the child population. To accomplish this goal, preventive dentistry must be a consideration of child care at every stage of development. Preconceptually, family counseling can prevent many of the tragic defects of genetic origin (Pierre-Robin syndrome, cleft lip and palate, epidermolysis bulosa). Prenatally, many congenital defects are preventable by safeguarding the fetus from environmental insults (maternal rubella, congenital syphilis, teratogenic and certain antibiotic drugs, maternal dietary deficiencies, and exanthematous fevers). Perinatally, the minimizing of birth traumas can help in protecting the developing deciduous and permanent dentitions (prematurity, oxygen deprivation, forceps injury). Postnatally and preeruptively, good infant care can protect the permanent dentition from development defects (drug therapy, dietary deficiencies, prolonged elevated temperatures). Posteruptively, the major preventive effort is directed toward protecting the teeth from the irreversible ravages of dental caries (eliminating sucrose from the child's diet, topical and systemic fluoride therapy, early and periodic dental supervision). Thus, at all levels of dental prevention for the child, the family physician or pediatrician has a very significant responsibility.
Changes in dissolved organic material in Spirit Lake, Washington, USA

The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 drastically changed lakes within the blast-zone area devastated by the volcanoe (fig. 1). Pyroclasticand debris-avalanche deposits entered Spirit Lake, raising the water level of the lake and expanding its boundaries. During the summer of 1980, these lakes had high concentrations of many inorganic constituents from dissolution of lava and surface deposits, and high concentrations of dissolved organic material from leaching of pyrolyzed plant and soil material that had become incorporated into the pyroclasticand debris-avalanche deposits (refs. l-3). Very high rates of microbial activity also occurred in the blast-zone lakes, resulting in axoxic conditions even in near surface waters (refs. 46). Due to the damming of the previous outlet of Spirit Lake to the North Fork Toutle River, there was no drainage from the lake until the fall of 1982 (ref. 7), and after the initial period of rapid degradation, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) appeared to behave as a conservative substance (ref. 8). Also, the destruction of the vegetation in the watershed surrounding Spirit Lake limited new inputs of DOC. The results summarized here show that the large quantities of dissolved organic material introduced into Spirit Lake underwent significant chemical change over the three-year period from September 1980 through the summer of 1983. Merrill Lake, southeast of Mount St. Helens, only received light ashfall and was sampled in 1981 and 1983 as a comparative reference.
Specificity of resistance training responses in neck muscle size and strength

This study examined hypertrophy after head extension resistance training to assess which muscles of the complicated cervical neuromuscular system were used in this activity. We also determined if conventional resistance exercises, which are likely to evoke isometric action of the neck, induce generalized hypertrophy of the cervical muscle. Twenty-two active college students were studied. [mean (SE) age, weight and height: 21 (1) years, 71 (4) kg and 173 (3) cm, respectively]. Subjects were assigned to one of three groups: RESX (head extension exercise and other resistance exercises), RES (resistance exercises without specific neck exercise), or CON (no training). Groups RESX (n = 8) and RES (n = 6) trained 3 days/week for 12 weeks with large-muscle mass exercises (squat, deadlift, push press, bent row and mid-thigh pull). Group RESX also performed three sets of ten repetitions of a head extension exercise 3 days/week with a load equal to the 3 x 10 repetition maximum (RM). Group CON (n = 8) was a control group. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of nine individual muscles or muscle groups was determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical region. The CSA data were averaged over four contiguous transaxial slices in which all muscles of interest were visible. The 3 x 10 RM for the head extension exercise increased for RESX after training [from 17.9 (1.0) to 23.9 (1.4) kg, P < 0.05] but not for RES [from 17.6 (1.4) to 17.7 (1.9) kg] or CON [from 10.1 (2.2) to 10.3 (2.1) kg]. RESX showed an increase in total neck muscle CSA after training [from 19.5 (3.0) to 22.0 (3.6) cm2, P < 0.05], but RES and CON did not [from 19.6 (2.9) to 19.7 (2.9) cm2 and 17.0 (2.5) to 17.0 (2.4) cm2, respectively]. This hypertrophy for RESX was due mainly to increases in CSA of 23.9 (3.2), 24.0 (5.8), and 24.9 (5.3)% for the splenius capitis, and semispinalis capitis and cervicis muscles, respectively. The lack of generalized neck muscle hypertrophy in RES was not due to insufficient training. For example, the CSA of their quadriceps femoris muscle group, as assessed by MRI, increased by 7 (1)% after this short-term training (P < 0.05). The results suggest that: (1) the splenius capitis, and semispinalis capitis and cervicis muscles are mainly responsible for head extension; (2) short-term resistance training does not provide a sufficient stimulus to evoke neck muscle hypertrophy unless specific neck exercises are performed; and (3) the postural role of head extensors provides modest loading in bipeds.
Precipitation of Nylon 6 membranes using compressed carbon dioxide

Abstract Membrane formation using a compressed antisolvent is analogous to conventional immersion precipitation using liquid nonsolvents and introduces pressure as an additional variable for tailoring the membrane microstructure. Thin films of a semicrystalline polyamide, Nylon 6, were precipitated from 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol by exposing the incipient membrane to compressed CO 2 antisolvent at 35°C and variable pressures up to 173.4 bar. Membrane structures dominated by liquid–liquid (L–L) and solid–liquid (S–L) demixing processes were observed as a function of precipitation conditions. Interpretation of the resulting membrane morphologies was based on structural features observed for traditional phase inversion processes and reflected the relative rates of L–L and S–L demixing as a function of the pressure-dependent strengths of the solvent and antisolvent. The ability to tailor the morphology of a semicrystalline membrane using compressed antisolvent suggests an alternative to current CO 2 -based polymer impregnation techniques, which require solute solubility in CO 2 , for the generation of composite thin films and membranes.
Packing structure of poly(3-hexylthiophene) crystal: ab initio and molecular dynamics studies.

We present a theoretical study of the stacking properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and its effect on the electronic and transport properties. Our study is based on ab initio density functio...
Ribozyme mimics as catalytic antisense reagents.

Viral and fungal infections and some cancers may be described as diseases that are characterized by the expression of certain unwanted proteins. They could be termed induced genetic disorders, with induction provided by mutation or infection. A comprehensive method to inactivate injurious genes based on their nucleic acid sequences has the potential to provide effective antiviral and anticancer agents with greatly reduced side effects. We describe a chemical approach to such gene-specific pharmaceutical agents. Our initial efforts have been to develop new chemical reagents that can carry out catalytic destruction of specific mRNA sequences. We chose hydrolysis as a chemical means of destruction, because hydrolysis is compatible with living cells. Our sequence-specific catalytic RNA hydrolysis reagents may be described as functional ribozyme mimics. Reactivity is provided by small-molecule catalysts, such as metal complexes. Specificity is provided by oligonucleotide probes. Here we report initial results on the sequence-specific, hydrolytic cleavage of mRNA from the HIVgag gene, using a ribozyme mimic. The reagent is composed of a terpyridylCu(II) complex for cleavage activity and an oligonucleotide for sequence specificity.
CONTROL OF MAGNETOSTATIC WAVES IN THIN FILMS BY MEANS OF SPATIALLY NONUNIFORM BIAS FIELDS

Although magnetostatic wave devices normally employ spatially uniform magnetic bias, control of important features of the modes is afforded through judicious use of dc field gradients. Such control can be the basis for new forms of microwave signal processors. Gradients in either the field magnitude, direction, or both can be employed to affect wave dispersion or mode spectra. This is done to control prespecified characteristics such as frequency, rf energy distribution, impedance, and the velocity of energy propagation. Very general mathematical analyses of both the forward volume wave and surface wave geometries are developed for cases where the effective magnetic bias has, depending upon the mode, transverse spatial variation along either the ferrite film width or thickness caused by the applied field, saturation magnetization, magnetic anisotropy — or some combination. Computer simulation has been used to obtain eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes when the bias is uniform or nonuniform. The latter cases reveal that a great deal of control over the mode energy distributions can be exercised by the proper choice of gradients. For example, a forward volume wave can be forced to have strong field-displacement characteristics that are either nearly reciprocal or very strongly nonreciprocal.
Effects of poverty on education

This article examines the effects of poverty on education. Many different aspects contribute to a community becoming impoverished such as deindustrialization, high unemployment rates, untreated mental health, and violent crimes. Impoverished communities rural and urban face many issues. These issues include dilapidated housing, lack of access to professional services, and most importantly inferior education. The education is inferior for a number of reasons; students are showing up to school with numerous problems that the teachers are unable to account for through instruction. The school facilities face structural inadequacies which have been proven to have an effect on the quality of instruction. The teachers in the schools, while qualified, are often times not supported by school administration. School administrators are busy with their own issues in determining what areas to allocate their limited budget. Poverty is a vast and complex issue that plagues communities in a seemingly endless cycle. However, working together to find effective ways of solving issues caused by poverty, the future can become a brighter for American youth growing up in poor communities.
Role of Jhdm2a in regulating metabolic gene expression and obesity resistance

The histone demethylase Jhdm2a/Kdm3a has an important role in nuclear hormone receptor-mediated gene activation and male germ cell development. Tateishi et al., using Jhdm2a-knockout mice, demonstrate that Jhdm2a also regulates expression of metabolic genes such as Ppara and Ucp1. In addition, the obese phenotype of the knockout mice indicates the demethylase is involved in regulation of weight control. The histone demethylase Jhdm2a (also known as Kdm3a) has an important role in nuclear hormone receptor-mediated gene activation and male germ cell development. Here the authors disrupt the Jhdm2a gene in mice to demonstrate that Jhdm2a also regulates expression of metabolic genes such as Ppara and Ucp1; the obese phenotype of the knockout mice indicates the demethylase is involved in regulation of weight control. Recent studies indicate that the methylation state of histones can be dynamically regulated by histone methyltransferases and demethylases1,2. The H3K9-specific demethylase Jhdm2a (also known as Jmjd1a and Kdm3a) has an important role in nuclear hormone receptor-mediated gene activation and male germ cell development3,4. Through disruption of the Jhdm2a gene in mice, here we demonstrate that Jhdm2a is critically important in regulating the expression of metabolic genes. The loss of Jhdm2a function results in obesity and hyperlipidemia in mice. We provide evidence that the loss of Jhdm2a function disrupts β-adrenergic-stimulated glycerol release and oxygen consumption in brown fat, and decreases fat oxidation and glycerol release in skeletal muscles. We show that Jhdm2a expression is induced by β-adrenergic stimulation, and that Jhdm2a directly regulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (Ppara) and Ucp1 expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that β-adrenergic activation-induced binding of Jhdm2a to the PPAR responsive element (PPRE) of the Ucp1 gene not only decreases levels of H3K9me2 (dimethylation of lysine 9 of histone H3) at the PPRE, but also facilitates the recruitment of Pparγ and Rxrα and their co-activators Pgc1α (also known as Ppargc1a), CBP/p300 (Crebbp) and Src1 (Ncoa1) to the PPRE. Our studies thus demonstrate an essential role for Jhdm2a in regulating metabolic gene expression and normal weight control in mice.
Improving the performance of particle swarm optimization using adaptive critics designs

Swarm intelligence algorithms are based on natural behaviors. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a stochastic search and optimization tool. Changes in the PSO parameters, namely the inertia weight and the cognitive and social acceleration constants, affect the performance of the search process. This paper presents a novel method to dynamically change the values of these parameters during the search. Adaptive critic design (ACD) has been applied for dynamically changing the values of the PSO parameters.
Parametric excitation of whispering gallery modes on circular micromachined polysilicon disks

Center anchored polysilicon plates are parametrically excited with ultrasonic substrate motion. The substrate motion is generated by a PZT plate bonded to the silicon die. Parametric excitation is used to achieve large amplitude, over 100 nm, transverse plate vibrations in atmospheric pressure with sub-3 V/sub PP/ drive on the PZT plate. The parametrically excited modes are observed to be "whispering gallery" plate modes with no radial nodal points. The possible nonlinear mechanisms are analyzed and the parametric excitation is explained with in-plane plate stresses due to the lateral plate anchor motion. The effect of in-plane stresses is modeled with von Karman plate equations. Parametric instability is demonstrated with the use of the Floquet transition matrix.
Rheumatic disorders associated with diabetes mellitus: Literature review

Charcot's neuroarthropathy may be associated with several conditions, including diabetes mellitus,~ syphilis, = syringomyelia, 3 nutritional deficiencies, 4 congenital indifference to pain, 5,~ and others. 7'8 In recent years, diabetes mellitus has challenged syphilis as the major recognized cause of Charcot joints, 9(pp3-9) although only a small minority of diabetics develop neuroarthropathy. In one large hospital, 90 Charcot joints were observed in an unstated number of diabetics over a 12-yr period, i° The etiology of diabetic neuroarthropathy is unclear, although loss of pain and proprioceptive sensations are probably of major importance2 (ppT-8) Ischemia may play a significant role, 11 despite preservation of the peripheral pulses, 1= and small blood vessel disease may act synergistically with neuropathy, trauma, and infection to produce bone resorption in the distal portion of the foot. Blunting of pain perception or a proprioceptive defect, possible common denominators, deprives the joint of its protection from repeated microtrauma. The arthropathy is characterized by joint swelling, instability, hypermobility, and disproportionately mild pain, and evolves through three pathologic phases.~(vP3-~) Initially, repeated trauma produces fragmentation of cartilage and subchondral bone; pathologic findings are dead bone and dead or living cartilage embedded in synovium. Bone and cartilage fragments coalesce later, producing the characteristic juxta-articular sclerosis. In the presence of joint destruction and disorga
A Vindication of the Rights of Machines

This essay responds to the machine question in the affirmative, arguing that artifacts, like robots, AI, and other autonomous systems, can no longer be legitimately excluded from moral consideration. The demonstration of this thesis proceeds in four parts or movements. The first and second parts approach the subject by investigating the two constitutive components of the ethical relationship—moral agency and patiency. In the process, they each demonstrate failure. This occurs not because the machine is somehow unable to achieve what is considered necessary and sufficient to be a moral agent or patient but because the characterization of agency and patiency already fail to accommodate others. The third and fourth parts respond to this problem by considering two recent alternatives—the all-encompassing ontocentric approach of Luciano Floridi’s information ethics and Emmanuel Levinas’s eccentric ethics of otherness. Both alternatives, despite considerable promise to reconfigure the scope of moral thinking by addressing previously excluded others, like the machine, also fail but for other reasons. Consequently, the essay concludes not by accommodating the alterity of the machine to the requirements of moral philosophy but by questioning the systemic limitations of moral reasoning, requiring not just an extension of rights to machines, but a thorough examination of the way moral standing has been configured in the first place.
Libraries and the balance of liberty and security

The USA Patriot Act has presented librarians with the dilemma of balancing national security against the freedom of access to information and the protection of confidentiality of library records. The paper examines forms of argumentation put forth by the American Library Association in its defense of access and confidentiality rights. It finds that utilitarianism and rights discourse are the most dominant forms of ethical reasoning in the ALA and suggests that these might be replaced or supplemented by other forms of reasoning. Modernist notions as well as postmodernist views are explored and a synthesis of the two positions is offered. Confidentiality/privacy and access to information are necessary for a public dialogue that seeks not only consensus truths but is itself constitutive of the types of autonomous selves Americans are and value.