cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrast enhanced computed tomography can predict the glycosaminoglycan content and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage.

Summary Objective An early hallmark of osteoarthritis (OA) is the progressive loss of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), the extracellular matrix (ECM) component of articular cartilage that confers it with compressive stiffness. Our aim in this work is to establish the feasibility of using Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) with an anionic iodinated contrast agent – Cysto Conray II – as a minimally invasive tool to measure the changes in the GAG content as well as the compressive stiffness of articular cartilage. Methods The GAG content of mated osteochondral plugs excised from bovine patello-femoral joints was progressively degraded using chondroitinase ABC. The mated plugs were then immersed in an anionic, tri-iodinated contrast agent, imaged using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), subjected to an unconfined compressive stress relaxation test and the GAG content measured using 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay. Partial correlation analysis was performed to compare the variation in X-ray attenuation measured by pQCT to the variation in GAG content and in equilibrium compressive modulus. Results The X-ray attenuation of cartilage exposed to an anionic, tri-iodinated, contrast agent measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) accounted for 83% of the variation in GAG content ( r 2 =0.83, P r 2 =0.93, P Conclusion Using a mated osteochondral plug model to evaluate the biochemical composition and biomechanical properties of cartilage, this study demonstrates the interrelationships between X-ray attenuation, GAG content, and equilibrium compressive modulus, and that CECT can be used to monitor and quantify changes in the GAG content and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage.
Effect of antibiotics and antimalarials on free amino acids of Aedes aegypti.

This study was conducted to assay the effect, if any, of antimalarials and antibiotics on the free amino acids of Aedes aegypti . Alteration of the amino acid pool of the mosquito host was tested as a possible mechanism for the action of these drugs on the sporogonous cycle of the malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum . The antibiotics penicillin and oxytetracycline greatly affected the titer of several amino acids. The results indicate that the antimalarials chlorguanide hydrochloride; primaquine; 4-amino-1, 5-bis (methylamino) anthraquinone; 1,8-di-amino-4, 5-bis (dibutylamino)-anthraquinone; 10-(2-chloroethyl) phenothiazine; and acethydrazide were generally without significant effect, with the possible exception of chlorguanide hydrochloride.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Amine-Terminated Cycloaliphatic Substituted Polysiloxanes

Cyclopentyl- and cyclohexyl-substituted polysiloxanes terminated with amino groups were prepared. Initially, the cycloalkene and dichlorosilane were reacted at high pressure (approx. 250 psi) and high temperature (120 °C) to yield the cycloaliphatic dichlorosilane in a two-step process. Both the mono- and disubstituted chlorosilane monomers underwent an oligomerization to produce cyclic oligomers of low molecular weight (≈2 000 g mol -1 ). Amine-terminated polysiloxanes were produced via a base-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic oligomers with 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane to yield low molecular weight polysiloxanes (≈9 000 g mol -1 , amine equivalent weight = ≈4 300 g equiv. -1 ). The polysiloxanes were characterized by 1 H and 29 Si NMR, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The amine-terminated polysiloxane was mixed with a cycloaliphatic epoxy-functionalized cycloaliphatic polysiloxane in order to produce crosslinked epoxy-amine films. The mechanical and physical properties of the film were evaluated and afford a glass transition of the material was 29.5 ± 0.7 °C for the cyclopentyl-substituted polysiloxane and 38.6 ± 0.7 °C for the cyclohexyl-substituted polysiloxane. Evaluation of pull-off adhesion indicated that 0.5 MPa of normal force was required to remove the epoxy/ amine film from an aluminum substrate.
Quantification of the α3 subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase in developing rat cerebellum

Abstract Cerebellar Purkinje neurons of rats have been shown to exhibit a progressive increase in resting membrane potential as the animals develop postnatally. The magnitude of this increase was equivalent in magnitude to the increase in the depolarizing action of ouabain, consistent with a role for the Na+/K+-pump in the hyperpolarization. Ouabain binding sites in whole cerebellum also increased with age. The present study was undertaken to confirm that the increases in ouabain binding and the electrophysiological responses to ouabain were a consequence of increases in the sodium pump and to determine whether the changes seen at the whole organ level were reflective of changes taking place at the cellular level. Using antibodies directed against the α1, α2, and α3 subunits of the Na+/K+-ATPase, rats between 13 and 19 days of age exhibited a statistically significant increase in the relative amount of the α3 subunit at the level of the whole organ, as determined by Western and slot blot analyses, with no change in the levels of either the α1 or the α2 subunit. Using immunohistochemistry, the α3 subunit was shown to increase in both the Purkinje cell layer and the white matter during this postnatal time period, while the α1 subunit increased in the granular layer. These results support and extend previous work, which pointed to a role for the electrogenic sodium pump in the developmental increase in Purkinje cell membrane potential. Furthermore, the data provide a cellular mechanism underlying the increase in resting membrane potential, that is, by the specific modulation of the α3 subunit isoform.
Architecture of the BABAR Electronics System

Abstract An overview of the Electronics System for the BaBar Experiment, emphasizing architectural issues and development of new components, is presented.
Variations in the release of silicate and orthophosphate along a salinity gradient: Do sediment composition and physical forcing have roles?

Abstract It was hypothesized that sediment composition, i.e. organic matters and minerals, and physical forcing can influence retention and release of silicate (SiO 4 ) and orthophosphate (o-PO 4 ) along salinity gradients. An experiment was performed to measure nutrient release by using treatments with and without sediment organic matter from the Guadalupe and Nueces Estuaries at five different salinities. The sample mixtures were shaken at intervals over the course of 48 h to simulate wind and river forcing. The release of silicate from sediments increased with time from 2 min to 48 h in all five salinities. The added orthophosphate concentration was adsorbed in most of the sediment containing organic matter and calcium-rich shells from both estuaries. From the sediments without organic matter, the release of orthophosphate was as high as 52 μmol/L. The sediment minerals quartz and calcite were abundant in both estuaries. The average quartz to corundum peak intensities ratio were 14.04 and 13.36 and the average calcite to corundum peak intensities ratio were 3.06 and 1.32 in the Guadalupe and Nueces Estuaries respectively. The average organic matter in the Guadalupe and Nueces estuaries were 10.67% and 13.39% respectively. The retention and release of orthophosphate from the sediments may have been caused by the bonding with organic matter and calcite in the sediments. These findings indicate that sediment composition was a significant contributor in the low dissolved orthophosphate concentration in the estuaries. The release of silicate from the sediments containing quartz, and organic matter, when shaken, indicate that the combined forcing of river and wind may have been maintaining the estuaries silicate concentrations.
Crystal structures of mannan and glucomannans

Abstract Mannan and glucomannans are related polysaccharides that are widely distributed as reserve materials of certain plants, as well as in the cell walls of some softwoods and a variety of vegetative tissues. They are often crystalline in vivo and occur as a number of crystalline allomorphs. The glucomannan from the konjac plant is also exploited commercially as a thickening and gelling agent. X-ray diffraction can be used to visualize hydrated polymer systems at atomic resolution, and the molecular and crystal structures so derived can be used to study structure-function relationships. The different crystalline allomorphs of mannan are described and compared with those of cellulose. The crystal structures of konjac mannan are described and implications for the molecular basis of its gel-forming behaviour discussed.
Advanced age brings a greater reliance on visual feedback to maintain balance during walking

We implemented a virtual reality system to quantify differences in the use of visual feedback to maintain balance during walking between healthy young (n = 12, mean age: 24 years) and healthy old (n = 11, 71 years) adults. Subjects walked on a treadmill while watching a speed-matched, virtual hallway with and without mediolateral visual perturbations. A motion capture system tracked center of mass (CoM) motion and foot kinematics. Spectral analysis, detrended fluctuation analysis, and local divergence exponents quantified old and young adults’ dynamic response to visual perturbations. Old and young adults walked normally with comparable CoM spectral characteristics, lateral step placement temporal persistence, and local divergence exponents. Perturbed visual flow induced significantly larger changes in mediolateral CoM motion in old vs. young adults. Moreover, visual perturbations disrupted the control of lateral step placement and compromised local dynamic stability more significantly in old than young adults. Advanced age induces a greater reliance on visual feedback to maintain balance during waking, an effect that may compensate for degradations in somatosensation. Our findings are relevant to the early diagnosis of sensory-induced balance impairments and also point to the potential use of virtual reality to evaluate sensory rehabilitation and balance training programs for old adults.
Journal article content as a predictor of commitment to change among continuing medical education respondents

Background: Journal reading is a time-tested means of continuing medical education (CME) among physicians. Asking physicians to make a written statement of commitment to change has been shown to increase the likelihood of eventual change in practice behavior when used in conjunction with CME lectures. We describe the type and medical content of articles responsible for commitment to change comments among readers of a large circulation primary care journal. Methods: Response to the question “what change(s) do you plan to make in your practice as a result of reading the articles in this issue?” were analyzed from CME response cards associated with six issues (1 year's publication) of the Archives of Family Medicine. Responses indicating a commitment to change were analyzed to characterize the type and content of articles responsible for their generation. Results: During the 1-year study period, original contributions (reports of research trials) dealing with medicine and preventive medicine content accounted for the greatest number of comments. After adjusting for the frequency of article type and content, special articles and those dealing with complementary medicine accounted for the highest number of comments on a per-article basis. Findings: Family physicians make commitment to change statements on the basis of a broad range of journal articles. Certain articles are more likely to generate statements of commitment to planned changes in practice.
The Active Site of the Thermophilic CYP119 from Sulfolobus solfataricus

CYP119 from Sulfolobus solfataricus, the first thermophilic cytochrome P450, is stable at up to 85 °C. UV-visible and resonance Raman show the enzyme is in the low spin state and only modestly shifts to the high spin state at higher temperatures. Styrene only causes a small spin state shift, but T1 NMR studies confirm that styrene is bound in the active site. CYP119 catalyzes the H2O2-dependent epoxidation of styrene, cis-β-methylstyrene, andcis-stilbene with retention of stereochemistry. This catalytic activity is stable to preincubation at 80 °C for 90 min. Site-specific mutagenesis shows that Thr-213 is catalytically important and Thr-214 helps to control the iron spin state. Topological analysis by reaction with aryldiazenes shows that Thr-213 lies above pyrrole rings A and B and is close to the iron atom, whereas Thr-214 is some distance away. CYP119 is very slowly reduced by putidaredoxin and putidaredoxin reductase, but these proteins support catalytic turnover of the Thr-214 mutants. Protein melting curves indicate that the thermal stability of CYP119 does not depend on the iron spin state or the active site architecture defined by the threonine residues. Independence of thermal stability from active site structural factors should facilitate the engineering of novel thermostable catalysts.
The Burial of Solvent-Accessible Surface Area is a Predictor of Polypeptide Folding and Misfolding as a Function of Chain Elongation

The hydrophobic effect is a major driving force in all chemical and biological events involving chain collapse in aqueous solution. Here, we show that the burial of nonpolar solvent-accessible surface area (NSASA) is a powerful criterion to predict the folding and misfolding behavior of small single-domain proteins as a function of chain elongation. This bears fundamental implications for co- and post-translational protein folding in the cell and for understanding the interplay between noncovalent interactions and formation of native-like structure and topology. Comparison between the fraction of NSASA in fully unfolded and folded elongating chains shows that efficient burial of nonpolar surface area is preferentially achieved only when the polypeptide chain is almost complete. This effect has no preferential vectorial character in that it is present upon elongation from both the N and C termini. For incomplete chains that do not have the ability to fold and bury nonpolar surface intramolecularly, the overall hydrophobic nature of the polypeptide chain (expressed as FBA, i.e., fractional buried surface area per residue) dictates the tendency toward misfolding and self-association. N-terminal chains characterized by FBA exceeding 0.73 are likely to misfold and aggregate, if unable to fold intramolecularly.
Motor mechanisms of vertical fusion in individuals with superior oblique paresis.

Abstract Purpose: We wanted to determine the mechanisms of motor vertical fusion in patients with superior oblique paresis and to correlate these mechanisms with surgical outcomes. Methods: Ten patients with superior oblique paresis underwent 3-axis, bilateral, scleral search coil eye movement recordings. Eye movements associated with fusion were analyzed. Results: Six patients had decompensated congenital superior oblique paresis and 4 had acquired superior oblique paresis. All patients with acquired superior oblique paresis relied predominantly on the vertical rectus muscles for motor fusion. Patients with congenital superior oblique paresis were less uniform in their mechanisms for motor fusion: 2 patients used predominantly the oblique muscles, 2 patients used predominantly the vertical recti, and 2 patients used predominantly the superior oblique in the hyperdeviated eye and the superior rectus in the hypodeviated eye. The last 2 patients developed the largest changes in torsional eye alignment relative to changes in vertical eye alignment and were the only patients to develop symptomatic surgical overcorrections. Conclusion: There are 3 different mechanisms for vertical fusion in individuals with superior oblique paresis, with the predominant mechanism being the vertical recti. A subset of patients with superior oblique paresis uses predominantly the superior oblique muscle in the hyperdeviated paretic eye and the superior rectus muscle in the fellow eye for fusion. This results in intorsion of both eyes, causing a large change in torsional alignment. The consequent cyclodisparity, in addition to the existing vertical deviation, may make fusion difficult. The differing patterns of vertical fusional vergence may have implications for surgical treatment. (J AAPOS 2002;6:145-53)
Single strands induce recA protein to unwind duplex DNA for homologous pairing

Single-stranded DNA, whether homologous or not, stimulates purified Escherichia coli recA protein to unwind duplex DNA. This helps to explain how recA promotes a search for homology in genetic recombination. As oligodeoxynucleotides also stimulate unwinding, a common mechanism may relate the function of recA protein in recombination to other functions (SOS) induced by oligonucleotides.
Changes with Age in the Process of Occupational Stratification

Abstract Sociologists have carefully studied changes across cohorts in the effects of family background, gender, education, and cognitive ability on occupational attainment. Unfortunately, few have focused on how these effects change within the course of individuals' lives. In order to appropriately estimate changes with age in the determinants of occupational standing, I correct for measurement errors in variables and use data on siblings to account for all aspects (measured and unmeasured) of family background. These analyses are performed using data from the 1994 General Social Survey and the 1994 Study of American Families, which together provide multiple measures of siblings' occupational standing at two points in their lives. Models of sibling resemblance show that the effects of family background on occupational standing operate entirely through their effects on education and cognitive ability. The effects of education decline as people progress through their careers, while the effects of ability are consistently negligible. Comparing men and women, there are important differences in career trajectories and in occupational returns to schooling.
Effects of chronic tobramycin treatment on distortion product otoacoustic emissions.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of chronic tobramycin treatment on distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) latencies and response growth detection thresholds in human subjects to determine the sensitivity of these DPOAE features to ototoxic damage.DesignSix groups of children in two diff
Cardiac arrhythmias in acute myocardial infarction. IV. Further observations on complete heart block.

SUMMARY The clinical picture of two patients with acute heart block complicating acute myocardial infarction was presented. The heart block was transient, and was associated with a mild disease process.
Associated primes of local cohomology and S2-ification

Abstract Let R be commutative Noetherian, I ⊂ R an ideal, and M a finitely generated R -module. We prove that if R / P has an S 2 -ification for all P ∈ Spec ( R ) then the set of primes associated to the second local cohomology module H I 2 ( M ) is finite when ht ( I R / P ) ≥ 2 for all P ∈ Ass R M and Ass R M ⊆ Ass R R . We use that to show that if dim ( R ) = 3 and the ideal transform of R with respect to any height 2 ideal generated by non-zerodivisors is a finitely generated module, then Ass R H I i ( M ) is finite for any I with ht ( I R / P ) ≥ 2 . We also reduce the problem of showing Ass R H I i ( M ) is finite for local four dimensional rings to an extremely concrete case.
Assuming the risks: occupational disease in the years before workers' compensation

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new knowledge of work-related illness became part of discourses in several institutional spheres on the relationship between aspects of the economy and workers' health. Appeals courts and state legislatures invoked this knowledge in their deliberations on legislation to ease the coercive aspects of the employment relationship. Insurers used the knowledge to help determine what types of coverage would be available to different occupational groups. In the courts, a narrow compensation remedy evolved for illness caused by employers' failure to warn of latent risks. This small, legal zone of protection of workers' health was separated out from the massive amount of uncompensated, preventable work-related illness.
Characterization of a teleost immunoglobulin: the immune macroglobulin from the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.

1. 1. The channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, was immunized with 2,4-dinitrophenol-protein conjugates and found to produce two different molecular weight species of antibodies when tested with DNP coupled to human erythrocytes. 2. 2. The higher molecular weight antibody was isolated and found to have a molecular weight of 610,000 with a sedimentation coefficient of 14 S. 3. 3. The carbohydrate composition differed from that of human macroglobulins, having a mannose/galactose ratio of approximately one and a total carbohydrate content of 5.5%. 4. 4. Complete reduction and alkylation of this macroglobulin, followed by gel filtration in 5 M guanidine hydrochloride, resulted in the separation of the heavy (H) and light (L) polypeptide chains. These chains had molecular weights of 58,000±2500 and 22,500±2500, respectively, as determined by column chromatography. 5. 5. These data are most consistent with a tetrameric macroglobulin molecule.
Spectroscopic studies of the infrared emission from Tm doped AlxGa1-xN thin films

The infrared (IR) emission properties of in-situ Tm doped Al x Ga 1 - x N thin films (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) prepared by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy were investigated. All samples exhibited 1.48 μm photoluminescence (PL) from the 3 H 4 → 3 F 4 transition of Tm 3 + . The absolute intensity of the 1.48 μm PL varied strongly with Al content and reached a maximum for Al 0 . 8 1 Ga 0 . 1 9 N:Tm. The integrated 1.48 μm PL from Al 0 . 8 1 Ga 0 . 1 9 N:Tm was weakly temperature dependent and decreased by less than a factor of two between 15 K and 300 K. The PL lifetime of the 3 H 4 state decreased only slightly from ∼102 μs to ∼86 μs for the same temperature range. The results suggest that non-radiative decay processes in the 3 H 4 level are small in Al 0 . 8 1 Ga 0 . 1 9 N:Tm, which is supported by the well-known energy-gap law for multiphonon relaxations.
Cyclic Scheduling for Ethylene Cracking Furnace System with Consideration of Secondary Ethane Cracking

Cracking furnaces of ethylene plants are capable of processing multiple feeds to produce smaller hydrocarbon molecules, such as ethylene, propylene, and ethane. The best practice for handling the produced ethane is to recycle it as an internal feed and conduct the secondary cracking in a specific furnace. As cracking furnaces have to be periodically shut down for decoking, when multiple furnaces processing different feeds under various product values and manufacturing costs are considered, the operational scheduling for the entire furnace system should be optimized to achieve the best economic performance. In this paper, a new MINLP (mixed-integer nonlinear programming) model has been developed to optimize the operation of cracking furnace systems with the consideration of secondary ethane cracking. This model is more practical than the previous study and can simultaneously identify the allocation of feeds with their quantity, time, and sequence information for each cracking furnace. A case study has demo...
Estimation from incomplete data files based on magnitude-frequency relation for earthquakes

The problem of incorporating the available seismological information provided by the major events of the historical catalog with those for the short period of instrumental data is investigated. Assuming that the frequency-magnitude law of Gutenberg and Richter is valid for both periods, an estimation procedure for the main parameter of this law and the rate of earthquake occurrence for historical period is presented. Application of the proposed method is demonstrated, using both real and simulated data. An extension to allow for variable quality of complete data with different magnitude values is also included.
O-atom scrambling in the aqueous isomerization of pernitrous acid.

Abstract Raman spectroscopy has been used to determine the isotopic distribution of oxygen during the isomerization of pernitrous acid to nitrate in 18 OH 2 . Decomposition of unlabeled pernitrous acid in carbon-dioxide-free phosphate-buffered solutions of 18 OH 2 at pH 6.8 results in the incorporation of 13 ± 1% 18 O into the nitrate product with no detectable double-isotopic incorporation and 83% of the product having complete retention of its oxygen atoms. The mechanistic implications of this are contrasted for three frequently considered pathways for peroxide bond cleavage and it is concluded that the results are most consistent with the formation of reactive intermediate which can either rearrange or undergo hydrolytic O-atom exchange with water.
Landau level mixing by full spin-orbit interactions

The manipulation of the spin of charge carriers in semiconductors, spintronics, has attracted increasing interest in recent years. In the paradigmatic Datta-Das spin transistor, 1 the spin of the electron passing through the device is controlled by the Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction, 2 which in turn can be varied by the application of gate voltages. The Rashba interaction stems from the structural inversion asymmetry (SIA) introduced by a heterojunction or by surface or external fields. In semiconductors with narrower energy gap (InGaAs, AlGaAs), this effect is expected to be stronger. It has been shown experimentally that the Rashba spin-orbit interaction can be modified up to 50% by external gate voltages. 3,4 In addition to the Rashba coupling there is also a material-intrinsic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction. This originates from the bulk inversion asymmetry (BIA) of the crystal, and can be relatively large in semiconductors like InSb/InAlSb. 5
Conceptual model for flow separation processes affecting waste package chemical environment, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

A conceptual model for the chemical evolution of near-field water chemistry in the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada is presented. This model considers the effects of differential solubility in flowing water that is subject to evaporation or condensation. The results of a simplified numerical implementation of the model are used to predict the aqueous chemistries produced from a variety of source waters under two bounding assumptions of separation. The model predicts that, under some conditions the most soluble ions will not always be present in solution. The more soluble ions may precipitate at different locations than ions of slightly less solubility leading to a highly complex system containing different brine compositions at different locations.
Spearman's hypothesis tested with chronometric information-processing tasks

To account for the highly variable size of the mean difference between representative samples of the white and black populations on various psychometric tests of cognitive performance, Spearman (1927) suggested the hypothesis that the relative size of the mean white-black difference (in standardized scores) on various mental tests is a direct function of the tests' different loadings on the general factor, psychometric g, the highest order common factor in all complex tests of cognitive ability. This hypothesis has been borne out by numerous studies based on conventional psychometric tests. The present studies, based on large groups of elementary schoolchildren, extend the test of Spearman's hypothesis to performance on reaction time variables in simple information-processing tasks intended to minimize intellectual and cultural content. The variables' g loadings were estimated by their correlations with Raven's Matrices. Spearman's hypothesis was borne out significantly and at least as strongly as in previous studies based on conventional psychometric tests.
Linked Gopher and World-Wide Web services for the American Psychological Society and Hanover College Psychology Department

The Internet is a vast and unorganized collection of information, making it difficult to find desired information. This paper describes the World-Wide Web (WWW) pages and Gopher directories designed to provide easy access to psychological resources set up by both the American Psychological Society (APS) and a college psychology department. The types of resources found at these sites include links to APS job listings, electronic journals, and psychology departments with Internet directories of information. One particular resource that is highlighted concerns the development of WWW tutorials in sensation and perception. These tutorials are offered as examples of how the WWW can be used to supplement texts and classroom instruction.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Virulent Isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The 2,160,837-base pair genome sequence of an isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive pathogen that causes pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis, and otitis media, contains 2236 predicted coding regions; of these, 1440 (64%) were assigned a biological role. Approximately 5% of the genome is composed of insertion sequences that may contribute to genome rearrangements through uptake of foreign DNA. Extracellular enzyme systems for the metabolism of polysaccharides and hexosamines provide a substantial source of carbon and nitrogen for S. pneumoniae and also damage host tissues and facilitate colonization. A motif identified within the signal peptide of proteins is potentially involved in targeting these proteins to the cell surface of low-guanine/cytosine (GC) Gram-positive species. Several surface-exposed proteins that may serve as potential vaccine candidates were identified. Comparative genome hybridization with DNA arrays revealed strain differences in S. pneumoniae that could contribute to differences in virulence and antigenicity.
Complexity and health professions education: a basic glossary

Rationale and aims The study of health professions education in the context of complexity science and complex adaptive systems involves different concepts and terminology that are likely to be unfamiliar to many health professions educators.Alist of selected key terms and definitions from the literature of complexity science is provided to assist readers to navigate familiar territory from a different perspective. Terms and concepts include agent, attractor, bifurcation, chaos, co-evolution, collective variable, complex adaptive systems, complexity science, deterministic systems, dynamical system, edge of chaos, emergence, equilibrium, far from equilibrium, fuzzy boundaries, linear system, non-linear system, random, selforganization and self-similarity.
Entropy Constrained Clustering Algorithm Guided by Differential Evolution

Entropy constrained vector quantization (ECVQ) is a clustering technique (A. Philip et al., 1989) that has been successfully used to describe efficiently large amounts of data collected by the NASA Earth Observing System. The manipulation of this algorithm requires the user to set two parameters: the entropy Lagrange multiplier, and the initial guess for the number of clusters. In this work, we describe an integrated solution that uses a differential evolution algorithm to determine these two parameters. By optimizing two objective functions, entropy and distortion, we find that the solution that best describes the data is located at the inflection point in the Pareto front, i.e. at the point where the tradeoff between the two competing objectives does not favor either one.
LAPACK: a portable linear algebra library for supercomputers

A portable FORTRAN linear algebra library, LAPACK for efficient use on a variety of high-performance computers is discussed. The library is based on the widely used LINPACK and EISPACK packages for linear equation solving, eigenvalue problems, and linear least squares, but it extends their functionality in a number of ways. The major methodology for making the algorithms run faster is to restructure them to perform block matrix operations (like matrix-matrix multiplication) in their inner loops. These block operations can be optimized to exploit the memory hierarchy of different architectures, resulting in large speedups. Divide-and-conquer algorithms are used for a variety of eigenproblems. Algorithms which are much more accurate than their conventional counterparts for a variety of problems are described. >
Treatment of peri-implantitis with deproteinised bovine bone and tetracycline: a case report.

doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2011.00470.x Treatment of peri-implantitis with deproteinised bovine bone and tetracycline: a case report Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of tetracycline in a patient with peri-implantitis. Background: Tetracycline is widely used in regeneration procedures owing to its positive effect with bone graft material, regeneration of extraction socket bone and its traditional antibacterial effect. However, there have been limited reports on bone graft procedures combined with tetracycline application in peri-implantitis. Materials and methods: The detoxification procedure was performed with chlorhexidine and tetracycline, and the defect area was grafted with a 4:1 volume ratio combination of deproteinised bovine bone mixed with tetracycline. Results: Soft tissue healing was uneventful, and the treatment yielded improved clinical results with a reduced probing depth. Conclusions: Tetracycline was used in the treatment of peri-implantitis by burnishing the implant surface and applying tetracycline in conjunction with an osseous graft to the defect area. The treatment of peri-implantitis with tetracycline seemed to show improved clinical results up to the follow-up period.
Operation of Yb:YAG fiber-optic temperature sensor up to 1600 °C

Abstract Fiber-optic temperature sensors based on fluorescence decay in Yb doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) and Yb,Tb:YAG have been tested. The sensitivity of the sensor is found to be better than 1%/°C for Yb:YAG between 1400 and 1600 °C and for Yb,Tb:YAG between 1250 and 1450 °C. The maximum temperature of 1600 °C reached by the Yb:YAG sensor exceeds the previous record for this type of temperature sensor by more than 200 °C. These sensors are potentially operable up to 1900 °C.
Learning Effective Oracle Comparator Combinations for Web Applications

Web application testers need automated, effective approaches to validate the test results of complex, evolving Web applications. In previous work, we developed a suite of automated oracle comparators that focus on specific characteristics of a Web application's HTML response. We found that oracle comparators' effectiveness depends on the application's behavior. We also found that by combining the results of two oracle comparators, we could achieve better effectiveness than using a single oracle comparator alone. However, selecting the most effective oracle combination from the large suite of comparators is difficult. In this paper, we propose applying decision tree learning to identify the best combination of oracle comparators, based on the tester's effectiveness goals. Using decision tree learning, we train separately on four Web applications and identify the most effective oracle comparator for each application. We evaluate the learned comparators' effectiveness in a case study and propose a process for testers to apply our learning approach in practice.
Endurantism and the Psychological Approach to Personal Identity

: This paper considers the question whether a psychological approach to personal identity can be formulated within an endurantist, as opposed to four-dimensionalist, framework. Trenton Merricks has argued that this cannot be done. I argue to the contrary: a perfectly coherent endurantist version of the psychological approach can indeed be formulated.
A Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Study of Aging Products of Diphenylamine Stabilizer in Double‐Base Propellants

Double-base propellants consisting of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin and stabilizer undergo chemical and physical changes upon aging, leading to changes in ballistic power and presenting explosive hazards. During aging, PTFE seals of the glass ampoules used in the aging studies undergo a yellow discoloration. This report studies the discoloration of the liners using desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), a gentle surface analysis technique based on electrospray ionization. The color bodies in the PTFE liners were identified by DESI together with tandem mass spectrometry to be the nitrated derivatives of the diphenylamine stabilizer: dinitro-, trinitro-, and tetranitrodiphenylamine. While increased nitration decreases vapor pressure of the DPA species, an increase in solubility in the PTFE liners occurs. This may account for these species not previously being observed during early aging studies as they are preferentially absorbed into the liners, which were not extracted prior to high performance liquid- chromatography analysis.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of neck hematoma and block salvage after failed neurostimulation-guided interscalene block

Ultrasound-guided regional anesthetic techniques have shown some advantages over conventional paresthesia and neurostimulation techniques. We report the case of a neurostimulation-guided continuous interscalene block that would have ended in complication were it not for experience with ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. Familiarity with ultrasound-guided block techniques permitted assessment of a neck hematoma during interscalene block and ultimately allowed successful peripheral nerve block.
Implementing an industrial-strength academic cyberinfrastructure at Purdue University

Purdue University operates one of the largest cycle recovery systems in existence in academia based on the Condor workload management system. This system represents a valuable and useful cyberinfrastructure (CI) resource supporting research and education for campus and national users. During the construction and operation of this CI, we encountered many unforeseen challenges and benefits unique to an actively used infrastructure of this size. The most significant problems were integrating Condor with existing campus UPC resources, managing resource and user growth, coping with the distributed ownership of compute resources around campus, and integrating this CI with the Tera- Gridand Open Science Grid. In this paper, we describe some of our experiences and establish some best practices, which we believe will be valuable and useful to other academic institutions seeking to operate a production campus cyberinfrastrucure of a similar scale and utility.
Resource Utilization Control Processes as Indicators of Quality in Managed Care Organizations: A Proposal

Central to the development of a competitive market for managed care products is the ability to measure the quality of care provided by individual managed care organizations (MCOs). Several types of quality measures could be considered for this purpose: patient and provider satisfaction, a listing of specific services provided to patients, or clinical outcomes of such services. Although assessing quality with measures of the process of care is commonplace, we propose developing measures of the production processes that control utilization of health care resources within an organization. Evaluation of these production or resource utilization control processes, although not a substitute for health outcomes assessment, may improve our knowledge of the delivery of services within managed care organizations. We present a paradigm for evaluation of health care resource utilization control processes within managed care organizations based on our description of internal and external controls for health care resource management. This paradigm can serve as a framework for further research into the quality of care provided by these organizations and the processes of health care resource management in MCOs.
Cole-cole dispersion models for aqueous gelatin-syrup dielectric composites

A dielectric composite is developed with permittivity ranging from 8 to 75 with selectable conductive and dielectric losses. The composite comprises gelatin, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), NaCl, and water, and can be used to model soils, loams, and sands in the 200-MHz to 20-GHz range. A single-term Cole-Cole dispersion equation is developed with frequency-independent parameters being functions of component concentrations. Fits are provided for various soil samples and surrogate concentrations.
Infrared spectroscopy of chemically doped solid parahydrogen

This review article presents an overview of recent infrared spectroscopic studies of chemical species trapped in solid parahydrogen at liquid helium temperatures. An overriding theme that emerges from this work is that, even at liquid helium temperatures, chemically doped solid parahydrogen is dynamic with a variety of quantum mechanical and energy transfer processes that occur, such as orthohydrogen quantum diffusion, hydrogen nuclear spin conversion, and, in radical doped parahydrogen solids, chemical reactions can occur. To illustrate these dynamical phenomena we examine (1) clustering of orthohydrogen to dopant molecules, (2) solid parahydrogen infrared absorptions induced or perturbed by the presence of the dopant, and (3) chemical reactions initiated by infrared absorptions of the parahydrogen solid. Contents PAGE 1. Introduction 470 2. Experimental method 472 3. Weakly bound clusters in solid pH2 473 3.1. Forming weakly bound clusters473 3.2. Intracluster nuclear spin conversion479 4. Dopant-induce...
HISTORY AND THEORY: THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS

It is a particular pleasure to introduce this year's Theme Issue. It marks the close of fifty years of publishing of History and Theory , a significant anniversary worthy of celebration. But the essays in this issue are not mere occasions for celebration. In particular, they do not look backward over what has been accomplished or what the journal has achieved. Insteadas can be gleaned from the title of the Theme Issue: History and Theory: The Next Fifty Yearsthey look forward to the next fifty years. The editors asked the writers to address the question, what might be the issues, topics, methodologies, and trends that not only currently engage scholarly concern but also that might well shape discussions about the relation of history and theory in the upcoming years? Of course, since as good historical theorists the editors knew that historical prediction is fraught with insuperable conceptual as well as practical problems, and therefore typically consists of extrapolating from the current situation, the editors intended the task set before the essay writers to take the pulse of our current historiographical moment. The papers in this issue are revised versions of those discussed at a conference held at Wesleyan University on November 13-14, 2009. All the paper givers, plus most of the members of the Editorial Committee and some invited guests, gathered on those days to reflect on these papers and to engage one another in pondering the topics suggested by them. The result was an extraordinary gathering of many of the leading figures of our time in the field of the theory and philosophy of history. As a result of the conference, an exceptionally rich collection of essays was made all the more so by the conversation they inspired. As might have been predicted, responses to the charge to think about the topics that might or should engage future thinkers range across the diverse topics and approaches that have come to characterize the content of our journal, even as they focus on the relation and interchange between history and theory that has allowed for such diversity. One way of gauging where we are today and where we might go tomorrow is to compare ourselves with where we came from. To do this it is instructive to look back at the earliest issues of the journal when it first began in 1960 under its founder, George Nadel (who was Editor from 1960 until his death in 1990). One is struck immediately by the number of essays that address the question of the relation of science and history, and the connection between explanation in science (which at the time was thought to take a covering-law form) and in history. The very first essay in the journal was by Isaiah Berlin, and its title"History and Theory: The Concept of Scientific History"gives an indication of the focus of
A transient deficit of motion perception in human

We studied the motion perception abilities in a young adult, SF, who had her right occipito-temporal cortices resected to treat epilepsy. Following resection, SF showed transient deficits of both first- and second-order motion perception that recovered to normal within weeks. Previous human studies have shown either first- or second n order motion deficits that have lasted months or years after cerebral damage. SF also showed a transient defect in processing of shape-from-motion with normal perception of shape from non-motion cues. Furthermore, she showed greatly increased reaction times for a mental rotation task, but not for a lexical decision task. The nature and quick recovery of the deficits in SF resembles the transient motion perception deficit observed in monkey following ibotenic acid lesions, and provides additional evidence that humans possess specialized cortical areas subserving similar motion perception functions.
Crystalline-induced kidney disease: a case for urine microscopy

Urine microscopy is an integral part of the clinical evaluation of patients presenting with kidney disease [1, 2]. Along with history and physical examination, directed serum tests, dipstick urinalysis, and at times, renal imaging, urine sediment examination provides an informative view into the kidney. Identification and quantification of the cells, casts and crystals present in the spun urine sediment allow the clinician to synthesize all of the data and construct a rational diagnosis. This is particularly true for patients with crystalline-induced kidney disease [3]. We present illustrative cases of five different and clinically important causes of crystalline-induced kidney injury demonstrating the diagnostic utility of urine microscopy in clinching the diagnosis and facilitating therapy of the underlying process.
Police levels and crime: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Researchers have long examined the relationship between police levels (officers or spending per capita) and crime, yet consistent findings remain elusive due to the variety of methodological approa...
Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Vertebral and Intervertebral Disc Lesions

Abstract Background and Objectives.—Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is used extensively in the clinical workup of radiologically detected bony lesions. The aims of this study were to evaluate ...
A Theoretical Approach to the Thermal Conductivity of Boron Carbides

The thermal conductivity of boron carbides at high temperatures presents a fundamental challenge to theory. One of the striking features is that, while in B4C it displays “normal” behaviour in that it decreases with increasing temperature, in B9C it is nearly temperature-independent. We address this feature through a model calculation which assumes the heat current to be due to carrier phonons whose frequency is modulated by lower-frequency phonons which “dress” the carrier phonons through strong interaction. Preliminary calculations show satisfactory but partial agreement with experiment for reasonable parameters and delineate areas for further investigation of the vibrational properties of boron carbides.