cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biofuel Cells with Switchable Power Output

Biofuel cells with a switchable power output controlled by external physical or chemical signals were developed. The switchable properties of biofuel cells were achieved by modification of biocatalytic electrodes with signal-responsive materials sensitive to various stimuli triggering reversible transition of the electrode interfaces between electrochemically active and inactive states. Electrical, magnetic and biochemical signals were used as stimuli controlling the electrode activity. Biochemical systems of various complexity mimicking Boolean logic operations AND/OR as well as multienzyme/multilogic gates networks were functionally coupled with the pH-sensitive electrodes in the biofuel cell. This allowed switching ON and OFF the power production in the biofuel cell upon application of many different biochemical signals logically processed by the enzyme systems according to the built-in logic ‘program’. The studied switchable biofuel cells controlled by electric, magnetic and biochemical signals exemplify novel bioelectronic devices activated by external signals on-demand. They open a new facet in the multidisciplinary field of bioelectronics and keep a big promise for practical applications, particularly as implantable sustainable energy sources for biomedical applications. The present paper gives a short overview of various switchable/tunable biofuel cells with the power production controlled by external signals.
Effect of material nonhomogeneities on the HRR dominance

Abstract This work studies the asymptotic stress and displacement fields near the tip of a stationary crack in an elastic–plastic nonhomogeneous material with the emphasis on the effect of material nonhomogeneities on the dominance of the crack tip field. While the HRR singular field still prevails near the crack tip if the material properties are continuous and piecewise continuously differentiable, a simple asymptotic analysis shows that the size of the HRR dominance zone decreases with increasing magnitude of material property gradients. The HRR field dominates at points that satisfy |α −1 ∂ α/ ∂ x δ |≪1/r , |α −1 ∂ 2 α/( ∂ x δ ∂ x γ )|≪1/r 2 , |n −1 ∂ n/ ∂ x δ |≪1/[r| ln (r/A)|] and |n −1 ∂ 2 n/( ∂ x δ ∂ x γ )|≪1/[r 2 | ln (r/A)|] , in addition to other general requirements for asymptotic solutions, where α is a material property in the Ramberg–Osgood model, n is the strain hardening exponent, r is the distance from the crack tip, xδ are Cartesian coordinates, and A is a length parameter. For linear hardening materials, the crack tip field dominates at points that satisfy |E tan −1 ∂ E tan / ∂ x δ |≪1/r , |E tan −1 ∂ 2 E tan /( ∂ x δ ∂ x γ )|≪1/r 2 , |E −1 ∂ E/ ∂ x δ |≪1/r , and |E −1 ∂ 2 E/( ∂ x δ ∂ x γ )|≪1/r 2 , where Etan is the tangent modulus and E is Young’s modulus.
THE MARKETING OF THE WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION AND THE MAKING OF POSTFEMINISM:

Grounded in feminist cultural studies perspectives, this article criticizes the marketing of postfeminist ideologies in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). While seeking to create n...
Symmetric Sheffer sequences and their applications to lattice path counting

Abstract A sequence of Sheffer polynomials is symmetric, if the value of the nth degree polynomial at any natural number m agrees with the mth degree polynomial at n. While the above property sounds rather esoteric, symmetric Sheffer sequences frequently describe the elegant results of standard lattice path enumeration. We characterize all symmetric Sheffer sequences, and explain their role from the initial value problem point of view. Applications occur in the enumeration of nonintersecting weighted lattice paths, and the discussion of certain correlated random walks.
A Polyaromatic Receptor with an Ethereal Fence that Directs K+ for Effective Cation−π Interaction

We have designed and synthesized a HAB-based receptor with six ethereal oxygens on one face of the central benzene ring by a trimerization of a diarylacetylene in which the ethereal oxygens are tied together with a tetramethylene bridge. This unique amphiphilic receptor allows an efficient binding of a single potassium cation by a synergistic interaction with the polar ethereal fence and with the central benzene ring via cation−π interaction. Furthermore, the ready accessibility of this unique receptor with a bipolar binding pocket will allow the exploration of its usage for developing efficient sensing devices for various metal cations.
The Spectroscopic Consequences of C−H···π H-Bonding: C6H6−(C4H2)n Clusters with n = 1 and 2

The ultraviolet and infrared spectra of the C 6 H 6 -(C 4 H 2 ) n complexes with n = 1 and 2 have been formed and studied in a supersonic expansion using resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI), resonant ion-dip infrared spectroscopy (RIDIRS), and IR-UV hole-burning spectroscopy. A T-shaped structure is deduced for the complex, with the C 4 H 2 centered, end on, over the benzene ring. This C-H...π H-bond shifts the frequency of the vibronic transitions of C 6 H 6 by 161 cm - 1 to the blue. The acetylenic CH stretch fundamental of C 4 H 2 is localized and split by formation of the π H-bond. The H-bonded CH stretch fundamental is lowered in frequency by about 40 cm - 1 , increased in intensity by more than a factor of 2, and split by a Fermi resonance that is turned on by the complexation. The C 6 H 6 -(C 4 H 2 ) 2 complex has a structure that makes the S 1 -S 0 origin transition weakly allowed and possesses an infrared spectrum that has acetylenic CH stretch absorptions due to free CH, aromatic π-bound CH, and a more weakly π-bound CH. Its structure is tentatively assigned as a cyclic, "pinwheel" structure.
Migrating a Hospital Library Web Site to SharePoint and Expanding its Usefulness

When a hospital system decides to change its intranet platform to SharePoint, it is important for the medical librarian to become actively involved in the process. The experience can be an excellent opportunity to work as a team member with other departments that provide medical education services in order to develop an organized plan of information delivery. A piecemeal approach to learning the basics of developing and maintaining an individual department portal within the larger intranet hospital system portal can be an effective way to work with the Information Technology (IT) department over an extended period of time. Applications such as a library blog, pulling in useful RSS feeds, library request forms with automated delivery, tutorial, and presentation delivery mechanisms are a few things to consider presenting to the hospital network through the new library portal. Future expansion of online library services should be anticipated in order to create a robust Web site. Once the intranet foundation ...
Team Situation Awareness in Aviation Maintenance

To assess team situation awareness in an aviation maintenance setting, a methodology was developed for examining situation awareness requirements that incorporates both individual and team situatio...
Limitations in imaging common conjunctival and corneal pathologies with Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography

Purpose: To describe the limitations of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in imaging common conjunctival and corneal pathology. Materials and Methods: Retrospective, single-center case series of 40 patients with conjunctival and cornea pathology. Results: Fourier-domain OCT imaged laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) flaps in detail, including its relation to other corneal structures and abnormalities. Similarly, in infectious or degenerative corneal disorders, Fourier-domain OCT successfully showed the extent of infiltration or material deposition, which appeared as hyper-reflective areas. In cases with pterygium, the underlying cornea could not be imaged. All cases of common conjunctival pathologies, such as nevus or pinguecula, were successfully imaged in detail. Nevi, scleritis, pterygium, pinguecula, and subconjunctival hemorrhage were hyper-reflective lesions, while cysts and lymphangiectasia were hyporeflective. The details of the underlying sclera were not uniformly imaged in conjunctival pathologies. Fourier-domain OCT imaged the trabeculectomy bleb in detail, whereas the details of structures of the anterior chamber angle were not routinely visualized in all cases. Conclusions: Light scatter through vascularized, densely inflamed, or thick lesions limits the imaging capabilities of Fourier-domain anterior segment OCT.
Ultrasonically induced hemolysis at high cell and gas body concentrations in a thin-disc exposure chamber

Abstract Ultrasound image contrast may be enhanced by injecting gas bodies into the blood. This in vitro study was undertaken to assess the potential for induction of hemolysis due to ultrasonic activation of the contrast agent gas bodies. Canine whole blood with Albunex ® (Mallinckrodt Medical, St. Louis, MO, USA) was exposed to near-field ultrasound beams in 1-mm-thick chambers held stationary ( i.e. , not rotated) in a 37°C water bath. At 2.25 MHz, statistically significant hemolysis occurred in 0.5 hematocrit, 50% Albunex ® suspensions for 0.28-MPa, 1-s continuous exposure and for 0.58-MPa, 100-s exposures with 10-μs pulses and 1.0-ms pulse repetition period. Continuous exposure durations as short as 10 ms produced about 4.5% hemolysis, which only increased slightly to about 5.5% after 100 s. At a constant 1.6 MPa, hemolysis increased with increasing gas body concentration and with decreasing cell concentration. Hemolysis decreased with increasing frequency in a 5050 mixture of whole blood and Albunex ® , with thresholds rising from 0.12 MPa continuous (1 s) and 0.47 MPa pulsed (10 μs:1.0 ms for 100 s) at 1.06 MHz to 0.47 MPa continuous and 1.9 MPa pulsed at 5.3 MHz.
Jaw morphology and function in living and fossil old world monkeys

This allometric investigation on a sample of 29 cercopithecine and 22 colobine taxa augments the data and implications of prior work on subfamilial variation in mandibular form and function in recent Cercopithecidae. To increase the size range encompassed by living cercopithecines and colobines, I included many of the larger-bodied fossil specimens. These analyses serve to fill a gap in our understanding of size-related changes in masticatory function and symphyseal morphology and curvature in extant and extinct Old World monkeys. Results of subfamilial scaling comparisons indicate that for a given jaw length, colobines possess significantly more robust corpora and symphyses than those of cercopithecines, especially at smaller sizes. Following from previous work, the most plausible explanation for why the subfamilies differ in relative corporeal and symphyseal dimensions is that colobine mandibles experience elevated loads and greater repetitive loading during mastication due, on average, to processing a diet of tough leaves and/or seeds. Although colobines have relatively larger symphyses, subfamilial analyses of symphyseal curvature demonstrate that they evince less symphyseal curvature vis-a-vis cercopithecines of a common size. Moreover, both subfamilies exhibit similar allometric changes in the degree of curvature, such that larger-bodied Old World monkeys have more curved symphyses than those of smaller taxa. Subfamilial scaling analyses also indicate that colobines possess a shorter M2 bite-point length relative to masseter lever-arm length, but not versus temporalis lever-arm length. Thus, as compared to cercopithecines, colobines can recruit less masseter-muscle force to produce similar bite forces during mastication. In both clades, M2 bite-point length scales with positive allometry relative to masseter lever-arm length, such that larger species are less efficient at generating molar bite forces. This seems especially important due to the lack of subfamily difference in M2 bite-point:temporalis lever-arm scaling (which is isometric across cercopithecids). A consideration of extinct cercopithecids indicates that many of the large-bodied papionins have more robust corpora, due perhaps to a diet which was of similar toughness to that of extant and extinct colobines. However, the biomechanical arrangements of the masseter and temporalis in all but one fossil cercopithecine and all of the fossil colobine specimens are much as predicted for a subfamilial member of its skull size. That most large-bodied papionins with tougher diets nonetheless maintain a less efficient jaw-muscle configuration may be due to stronger offsetting selection for increased relative canine size and gape.
Sampling theorem for the negative exponentially correlated output of lock-in amplifiers.

A sampling theorem is presented which is valid for the negative-exponentially correlated output of lock-in amplifiers, electrooptic devices, and electronic circuits in general. A closed-form analytic expression is derived that gives the reduction in the standard deviation of the mean for any sampling interval and any number of samples N. In the limit of independent samples it approaches 1/N, as expected. The optimum sampling rate is shown to be faster than the Nyquist rate. The sampling rate should be at least one sample per time constant and at this rate the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is approximately N/2. The maximum improvement in SNR due to signal averaging is shown to be proportional to the square root of the time allotted to take the data.
A Tensorial Connectivity–Tortuosity Concept to Describe the Unsaturated Hydraulic Properties of Anisotropic Soils

The anisotropy in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity is saturation dependent. Yet, there are few options for modeling this phenomenon in natural soils. A tensorial connectivity–tortuosity (TCT) concept is proposed to describe the unsaturated soil hydraulic conductivity. The TCT concept assumes that soil pore connectivity and/or tortuosity are anisotropic and can be described using a tensor. Saturation-dependent anisotropy can be easily invoked in common models of relative permeability by incorporating the connectivity tensor. Synthetic Miller-similar soils having hypothetical anisotropy are defined by allowing the saturated hydraulic conductivity to have different correlation range for different directions of flow. The TCT concept was tested using the synthetic soils with four levels of heterogeneity and four levels of anisotropy. The results show that the soil water retention curves were independent of flow direction but dependent on soil heterogeneity, while the connectivity–tortuosity coefficient is a function of both soil heterogeneity and anisotropy. The TCT model can accurately describe the unsaturated hydraulic functions of anisotropic soils and can be easily combined with commonly used relative permeability functions for use in numerical solutions of the flow equation.
Percolation Model for Coal Char Particle Combustion and Fragmentation

Abstract A char combustion model based on percolation theory is developed. The concept of percolation is used to derive the time and position dependent transport and structural properties of the char particle during combustion. By adopting existing kinetic parameters for the surface reaction of the char particle, porosity and oxygen concentration profiles within the particle are calculated for progressive carbon conversion values. Assuming an initially uniform porosity of the char particle, and a Bethe lattice to describe the pore structure, a critical porosity is calculated at which the particle surface layer breaks into fragments. The effects of particle diameter, combustion temperature, pore structure, and fragmentation porosity upon particle reactivity and burnout times are evaluated to determine the sensitivities of the results to the assumption of initial and operating conditions. The impact of fragmentation on the fly ash particle size distribution during pulverized coal combustion is discussed.
Eötvös experiments, lunar ranging and the strong equivalence principle

THE strong form of Einstein's equivalence principle, which dictates that gravitational binding energy will suffer the same acceleration in a uniform gravitational field as all other forms of matter and energy, can be tested by comparing the accelerations of the Earth and the Moon towards the Sun. If the Earth's gravitational binding energy, which contributes ∼5 parts in 1010 of its total mass, does not gravitate in the same way as other kinds of mass and energy, the Moon's orbit will be distorted in a characteristic way with an amplitude large enough to be detected by lunar laser-ranging data. But as Nordtvedt1 has pointed out, such a test is accurate only to the extent that no interfering force, such as a very feeble composition-dependent 'fifth force', fortuitously cancels a gravitational binding energy anomaly. Here we review laboratory upper limits on 'fifth forces' to set an upper limit of 1 part in 1012 (95% confidence level) on the Earth–Moon acceleration difference due to non-gravitational forces. Existing lunar-ranging data then verify the strong equivalence principle to an accuracy of 3%, and improved analyses of the lunar data should bring this precision down to the 0.2% level.
Embodied cognition and the perception-action link.

Abstract Perception is interpreted as a set of capabilities that facilitate two functions necessary for survival; learning about the environment and controlling real-time behavioral interactions with it. Perceptual capabilities evolve in the context of an organism and its environment, adapted to an organismʼs ecological niche. The relation between embodied perception and action can be studied in the context of the only muscles that serve only to enable perception – the eye muscles. The only eye movements under cognitive control are saccades, the rapid jumps of binocular fixation from one target to another. The world is perceived as stable while the retinal image, and the corresponding projections inside the brain, are displaced with each saccade. This space constancy forms the stable platform for all other visual functions and requires an explanation that involves visual short-term memory. This memory, and the change detection that it makes possible, is enhanced when there is a physical interaction between the observer and the visual stimulus. Perception is something you do, not something that happens to you.
Transforming Literacy Learning and Teaching Through Translanguaging and Other Typical Practices Associated With “Doing Being Bilingual”

Recent scholarship and theorizing on the language practices of individuals and communities conceptualize language as an activity, or something language users do, rather than a structure or a system...
Is John F. W. Herschel an Inductivist about Hypothetical Inquiry

John Herschel's discussion of hypotheses in the Preliminary Discourse on Natural Philosophy has generated questions concerning his commitment to the principle that hypothetical speculation is legitimate only if warranted by inductive evidence. While Herschel explicitly articulates an inductivist philosophy of science, he also asserts that “it matters little how {a hypothesis or theory} has been originally framed” when it can withstand extensive testing and empirical scrutiny. This evidence has convinced some that Herschel endorses an early form of hypothetico-deductivism. I aim to clarify this interpretive puzzle and adduce evidence in support of the inductivist interpretation of Herschel's philosophy of science by examining his published account of a series of experiments in the domain of electromagnetism.
Oligomerization reactions of deoxyribonucleotides on montmorillonite clay: the effect of mononucleotide structure on phosphodiester bond formation.

The formation of oligomers from deoxynucleotides, catalyzed by Na(+)-montmorillonite, was investigated with special attention given to the effect of the monomer structure on the phosphodiester bond formation. It was found that adenine deoxynucleotides bind more strongly to montmorillonite than do the corresponding ribonucleotides and thymidine nucleotides. Tetramers of 2-prime-dpA were detected in the reaction of 2-prime-d-5-prime-AMP with a water-soluble carbodiimide EDAC in the presence of Na(+)-montmorillonite, illustrating the possible role of minerals in the formation of biopolymers on the primitive earth.
Life history bottlenecks in Diaptomus clavipes induced by phosphorus-limited algae

Considerable information has accumulated on food quality effects on certain cladocerans; meanwhile, other zooplankton have received comparatively little nutritional study. In particular, little is still known about nutrition of copepods with more complex ontogenetic changes. Recent studies have identified strong ontogenetic differences in phosphorus content of copepods, which have been found to be highest for late naupliar stages. Laboratory experiments were set up to examine the life cycle of a calanoid copepod relative to mineral P limitation on a pure algae diet. We hypothesized that P imbalance would cause nauplii particularly to be affected by algal nutrient status. Developmental rates, growth rates, and fecundity of Diaptomus clavipes under excess (1.0 mg C L−1) P-deficient and P-sufficient Scenedesmus obliquus were determined. We found strong differences between diets in survival to maturity: nauplii developed into copepodites and adults that successfully reproduced when fed the P-sufficient algae but invariably died after molting into copepodite CII when reared on the P-deficient algae. Differences in developmental rates were small for most life stages of nauplii for both food types but were substantial both for copepodite CI and particularly for CII that lived without molting up to 22 d on P-deficient food before dying. Surprisingly, copepodites that fed on Pdeficient algae had similar or higher specific somatic growth rates than animals on P-sufficient algae. Although these experiments demonstrate a strong ontogenetic component to copepod nutrition, and a heretofore undocumented dependence of copepod success on algal P content, the life history bottleneck occurs at a later stage than we hypothesized.
Sex and the Neighboring Cell

Bizarre sexual abnormalities attract attention, even in the scientific world. Recent studies of the Drosophila doublesex gene have produced a more accurate description of the origin, growth, and differentiation of the male and female genitalia. The big surprise is that the neighbors have more influence than previously recognized.
Soybean cultivars impact quality and function of soymilk and tofu

The functional properties of soymilk and tofu prepared from Benning and Danbaekkong soy cultivars were identified. The protein content in soymilk was significantly higher for Danbaekkong, at 46.4gkg −1 , than for Benning at 42.0gkg −1 . The 11S/7S globulin ratios of Danbaekkong and Benning were estimated at 0.93 and 0.38, respectively. Soymilk from Danbaekkong was more non-Newtonian (n = 0.69) than soymilk from Benning (n = 0.84). Tofu prepared from Danbaekkong was significantly harder, chewier and gummier than tofu from Benning. Differences in protein content, protein ratio, viscosity, textural properties and color of soymilk can be applied as indicators of quality and functionality in soy foods such as tofu.  2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Sunitinib-induced macrocytosis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Sunitinib and sorafenib are small molecules that inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor and related receptors with substantial clinical activity reported in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Cytopenia and macrocytosis have been described in patients treated with these agents. METHODS. A retrospective review of all patients with metastatic RCC who were treated with sunitinib or sorafenib for at least 3 months at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute was undertaken. Complete blood count (CBC) data including red blood cell indices were recorded at baseline, after 3 months of therapy, and at the end of treatment. RESULTS. A total of 61 patients were treated with sunitinib and 37 patients were treated with sorafenib with available CBC data. In patients treated with sunitinib, the median corpuscular volume (MCV) increased significantly at 3 months compared with baseline (median increase of 5.1 femtoliters [fL]; P < .001) and continued to increase throughout treatment. Patients who developed hypothyroidism had a larger MCV increase at 3 months than patients who remained euthyroid (P = .06), although macrocytosis was observed in patients without hypothyroidism. Ten patients discontinued sunitinib therapy, and the MCV decreased in all patients within 2 to 4 months, without further intervention. Bone marrow analysis of 4 patients revealed a hypocellular bone marrow with trilineage hematopoiesis and no evidence of metastasis. There was no evidence of folate or vitamin B12 deficiency. In contrast to sunitinib, there was no change in the MCV for patients treated with sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS. Macrocytosis was a common occurrence after treatment with sunitinib but not sorafenib in patients with metastatic RCC. Sunitinib-induced macrocytosis is reversible with drug discontinuation. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Effect of Dietary Lipids on the Lipids in Rats’Milk.

SummarySpectrophotometric determinations of polyenoic acids showed that the milk of rats whose diet contained methyl linoleate as the only source of fatty acid contained significant quantities of unconjugated dienoic, trienoic and tetraenoic acids. Feeding of vegetable oils caused a great increase in concentration of unconjugated dienoic acid and, to a smaller extent, an increase of trienoic and tetraenoic acids in milk fat.
Persistence and propagation of shadow direction in mobile and multi-device graphics

Multi-Device Virtual Environments (MDVEs) - in which several collocated graphical computing devices integrate together to form a single virtual world - are a novel area for applications in entertainment, education and simulation. MDVEs composed of stationary and mobile devices, though, pose new challenges in the area of lighting design. Traditional computational lighting design techniques are static and do not take into account physical movement of the device. However, static light design does not work well in mobile devices; for example, the shadows in the environment remain static even if the user rotates the device. This paper addresses this challenge by attaching sensing devices to mobile computers to detect their physical movements. The MDVE then uses this feedback to adjust the virtual light source so that it remains consistent with how light sources work in real world. This lighting model may then be propagated via IrDA among the devices in the MDVE. By improving lighting in MDVEs, this research seeks to bridge the gap between the real world and a virtual world and to help enhance the believability of MDVEs.
Review of Water Desalting Planning Guide for Water Utilities by Water Desalting Committee, American Water Works Association

The American Water Works Association ~AWWA! publishes books, manuals, standards, a journal, and other publications to inform their members and others about technical and management issues of the water industry. For many years, AWWA has been a worldwide leader in technical water publications, and this volume is a recent addition on the topic of water desalting, a technology that has emerged as a viable alternative among the supply plans of water utilities. The authorship is by AWWA’s Water Desalting Committee, one of many volunteer groups serving the association. The committee’s membership and reviewers included utility experts, consultants, and federal agency personnel, and the committee worked on the volume for several years. Given AWWA’s excellent track record and reputation for publications and review processes, readers can take confidence in the text. The handbook begins with a synopsis that outlines coverage of regulations, treatment technologies, concentrate disposal, process selection, costs, and implementation. The volume also includes a glossary. Most engineers will want to know right away about the technologies and their costs. The handbook points out that selection of processes and cost evaluation is project-specific, so it uses case studies to illustrate how these can be done. Concentrate disposal is given major attention because environmental concerns are often paramount. Methods evaluated include discharge to a disposal well, discharge to surface water, discharge to land, discharge to a sanitary sewer or codisposal ~meaning to
An explicit error calculation for unfolded spectra obtained by foil activation

Abstract A distinction is made between convergence of an expansion and inherent statistical uncertainty in methods which obtain the energy spectrum of the flux from a set of foil activations. Testing a method against a hypothesized interesting flux only determines the convergence. The uncertainties in the parameters introduce a separate error. The solution to the response matrix equation is obtained directly in terms of the eigenvectors of the response matrix. The amplification of statistical uncertainty due to ill conditioning is shown explicitly in terms of the eigenvalues of the response matrix. It is pointed out, then, that the only reliable test of the results of a method is either comparison with an independent measurement of the spectrum such as by a spectrometer or by comparison between calculated and measured activation of a set of test foils with very small uncertainty in their cross sections.
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphism and multifetal pregnancy outcome

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and/or interleukin-1β gene polymorphisms influence multifetal pregnancy outcome. Study design Maternal and neonatal buccal swabs from 51 multifetal gestations were analyzed for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and interleukin-1β alleles. Outcome data were obtained subsequently. Results Fetal carriage of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist allele 1 was more than twice as prevalent as the carriage of allele 2. Preterm premature rupture of membranes was observed in 12 of 24 pregnancies (50.0%) in which 2 fetuses tested positive for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist allele 2, as opposed to only 3 of 27 pregnancies (11.1%) in which 1 or neither fetus tested positive for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist allele 2 (P = .005). Similarly, 20 of 26 neonates (76.9%) with documented morbidity tested positive for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist allele 2, as compared with 36 of 78 neonates (46.2%) without morbidity (P = .007). Fetal or maternal interleukin-1β polymorphisms or maternal interleukin-1 receptor antagonist polymorphisms were unrelated to pregnancy outcome. Conclusion Fetal carriage of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist allele 2 was associated with both preterm premature rupture of membranes and neonatal morbidity in women with multifetal pregnancies.
Excision boundary conditions for the conformal metric

Shibata, Uryu and Friedman recently suggested a new decomposition of Einstein's equations that is useful for constructing initial data. In contrast to previous decompositions, the conformal metric is no longer treated as a freely specifiable variable, but rather is determined as a solution to the field equations. The new set of freely specifiable variables includes only time derivatives of metric quantities, which makes this decomposition very attractive for the construction of quasiequilibrium solutions. To date, this new formalism has only been used for binary neutron stars. Applications involving black holes require new boundary conditions for the conformal metric on the domain boundaries. In this paper we demonstrate how these boundary conditions follow naturally from the conformal geometry of the boundary surfaces and the inherent gauge freedom of the conformal metric.
THE RELATION BETWEEN CRACK BLUNTING AND FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH RATES

— Previous work has shown that the inclusion of the strain energy released by crack blunting leads to an energy minimum for fatigue crack growth that can be used to predict stage II fatigue crack growth. The present work assumes a polynomial relation between crack blunting and crack extension to derive an expression for the rate of fatigue crack growth that is dependent upon only the applied ΔK, E, σys, Kc, and the exponent p in the relation between crack blunting and crack extension. This expression is thought to be generally valid since it accurately predicts fatigue crack growth rates for a wide variety of titanium, nickel, aluminium and steel alloys. A unique characteristic of the model is its ability (for long crack, slow crack growth) to account for the different slope for different materials in the Paris Law region of the da/dN vs. δK curve. The model specifically shows that this slope, m, is dependent solely upon the exponent, p, in the relation between crack blunting and crack extension.
Modeling and processing of scattered waves in seismic reflection surveys

Various wave-scattering mechanisms are known to degrade reflection signals by producing noise in seismic reflection data. Synthetic 2-D acoustic-wave finite-difference data sets illustrate the effects of two such mechanisms. Twenty-five shot gathers were generated for each of two models and the data were processed as standard CMP surveys. In one model, an irregular low-velocity surface layer produced multiply scattered surface waves that appear as linear noise trains in common-shot gathers and stacked sections. The scattering of upcoming reflections at the lower interface of the layer also produced a significant amount of noise. When predictive deconvolution was applied before stack to reduce reverberations, the spectral character of the scattered surface waves seriously inhibited the action of that process.In the second model, a zone of smooth, random velocity variation was imposed between two reflectors deeper in the model. The heterogeneous zone (+ or -5 percent rms velocity variation) substantially degraded the signal reflected from below it; events produced by body-wave scattering are characterized by higher phase velocities than those seen in the first model. Conventional CMP stacking produced discontinuous subhorizontal events from the disturbed zone. The limited bandwidth of the propagating signal and spatial filtering attributable to CMP stacking cause these events to bear no simple relation to the velocity anomalies of the model, even after migration.
Clonal selection based fuzzy C-means algorithm for clustering

In recent years, fuzzy based clustering approaches have shown to outperform state-of-the-art hard clustering algorithms in terms of accuracy. The difference between hard clustering and fuzzy clustering is that in hard clustering each data point of the data set belongs to exactly one cluster, and in fuzzy clustering each data point belongs to several clusters that are associated with a certain membership degree. Fuzzy c-means clustering is a well-known and effective algorithm, however, the random initialization of the centroids directs the iterative process to converge to local optimal solutions easily. In order to address this issue a clonal selection based fuzzy c-means algorithm (CSFCM) is introduced. CSFCM is compared with the basic Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm, a genetic algorithm based FCM (GAFCM) algorithm, and a particle swarm optimization based FCM (PSOFCM) algorithm.
Non-thermal equilibrium melting of granular packed bed in horizontal forced convection. Part I: experiment

Abstract A series of experiments are conducted to investigate the non-thermal equilibrium characteristics of melting of a packed bed under horizontal forced and mixed convections. This configuration imposes a complex treatment in phase change heat transfer that involves not only the coupled heat, mass and momentum exchanges but also the local geometric change of the packed bed (packing effect). Using visualization observations and measurements, we determine experimentally the volumes and packing patterns of the melting granular packed beds and the time variation of average melting rate per unit bed volume and average heat transfer coefficient for Re=71–2291, Gr/Re2=1.48×10−5–17.32, and Ste=0.0444–0.385. The effects of water velocity and water temperature on the melting and heat transfer in the melting process are analyzed. The effects of packing patterns on Nusselt number correlations are presented. Using the definition of a terminal velocity, a Reynolds number ratio is developed as the criterion defining the floating, non-floating or transitional packing pattern.
Atomic diffusion in strain fields near solutes

Annihilation reactions between mobile self-interstitial defects and complexes of vacancies with111In probe solutes in Au were studied. Measurements were made using the technique of perturbed angular correlations of gamma rays (PAC). Au samples were doped with complexes and plastically deformed at a low temperature to generate fluxes of self-interstitials. Changes in the concentrations of monovacancy (1V) to tetravacancy (4V) complexes induced by annihilation reactions were measured. These are now analysed using a system of coupled first-order equations in order to obtain interstitial annihilation cross sections of the complexes and the fractional amounts of different interstitial clusters in the flux. Relative cross sections obtained for Au are 1.0(1), 3.3(3), 1.2(2) and 7.5(2.5), respectively, for 1V to 4V complexes. The large increase in the cross sections with vacancy number is attributed to a progressive relaxation of the dilatational strain surrounding the oversized In solute as more vacancies are trapped. Also obtained from the analysis are values 0.34(5), 0.66(7), 0.0(1) and 0.0(2), respectively, for the fractions of mobile 1I to 4I clusters in deformed Au, indicating that di-interstitials are produced more readily than mono-interstitials during plastic deformation.
Softening effects of monovalent cations in acidified cucumber mesocarp tissue.

Due to the importance of salt as an ingredient in cucumber pickle products, the effect of salt concentration on first-order softening rates during acid storage was determined. Softening rates of unfermented tissue increased as the NaCl increased from 0 to 1.5M, whether or not the tissue was blanched. For unheated, fermented tissue, softening rates increased between 0 and 0.2M NaCl but did not increase above 0.2M NaCl. Changes in the degrees of pectin methylation were not highly correlated with changes in softening rates. The ions Li+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+ had softening effects similar to Na+. An enthalpy of activation of 145 kJ/mole was determined for softening of blanched tissue stored in 1.5M NaCl. This is the first demonstration of a softening effect by monovalent cations in cucumber tissue.
The index of free circle actions in lens spaces

Abstract Lens spaces arise from free periodic maps in odd-dimensional spheres. They admit free actions of the circle group. We show that such actions bear a certain resemblance to the standard circle actions in odd-dimensional spheres. In particular, the S 1 -indices of such actions are the same as those of the corresponding S 1 -actions in the spheres. We note, however, that the constructions of in this paper have no analogue in the case of S 3 -actions in lens spaces of dimensions of the form 4 n +3.
Monitoring structural damage using a wave vibration approach

A vibration-based monitoring process is proposed that adopts a different viewpoint than modal-based methods currently practiced. In addition to the usual modal characterization, vibrations can also be described as traveling waves, which propagate in a continuous structure and are reflected and transmitted at a structural discontinuity. While modal responses depend on the global properties of the structure, the reflection and transmission characteristics depend only on the local properties of the structural damage. As a result, structural health monitoring based on wave vibration characteristics is more sensitive and reliable. In this paper, the wave based vibration approach is applied in monitoring both a cracked structural element and a cracked structural joint. Numerical examples are presented.
GLUCAGON RESPONSE TO ARGININE IN GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENT CHILDREN BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT WITH GROWTH HORMONE AND IN CHILDREN WITH NON‐ENDOCRINE SHORT STATURE

In order to assess the role of growth hormone in the modulation of alpha cell function, the plasma pancreatic glucagon response to intravenous arginine (0.5 g/kg) was determined in thirty-two children with non-endocrine short stature and in eighteen growth hormone deficient children. 60 min after arginine infusion, the growth hormone deficient children had significantly higher (P less than 0.05) plasma glucagon values than the children with non-endocrine short stature. Following short-term growth hormone therapy (2 iu qd or bid for 5 days) in eleven of these growth hormone deficient children, plasma pancreatic glucagon response to arginine was diminished, and there was a significantly (P less than 0.02) more rapid return to basal values than in the untreated group. The same trends persisted after long-term growth hormone therapy (2 iu three times per week for 12-30 months) in ten children but were not statistically significant. We conclude that growth hormone may play a role in modulating plasma pancreatic glucagon response. The persistent glucagon response to arginine noted in growth hormone deficient children might reflect a greater gluconeogenic stress imposed upon these children during fasting or decreased catabolism of glucagon in the growth hormone deficient state.
Methods, safety, and early clinical outcomes of dose escalation using simultaneous integrated and sequential boosts in patients with locally advanced gynecologic malignancies

Abstract Objective To evaluate the safety of dose escalated radiotherapy using a simultaneous integrated boost technique in patients with locally advanced gynecological malignancies. Methods Thirty-nine women with locally advanced gynecological malignancies were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy utilizing a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) technique for gross disease in the para-aortic and/or pelvic nodal basins, sidewall extension, or residual primary disease. Women were treated to 45Gy in 1.8Gy fractions to elective nodal regions. Gross disease was simultaneously treated to 55Gy in 2.2Gy fractions (n=44 sites). An additional sequential boost of 10Gy in 2Gy fractions was delivered if deemed appropriate (n=29 sites). Acute and late toxicity, local control in the treated volumes (LC), overall survival (OS), and distant metastases (DM) were assessed. Results All were treated with a SIB to a dose of 55Gy. Twenty-four patients were subsequently treated with a sequential boost to a median dose of 65Gy. Median follow-up was 18months. Rates of acute>grade 2 gastrointestinal (GI), genitourinary (GU), and hematologic (heme) toxicities were 2.5%, 0%, and 30%, respectively. There were no grade 4 acute toxicities. At one year, grade 1–2 late GI toxicities were 24.5%. There were no grade 3 or 4 late GI toxicities. Rates of grade 1–2 late GU toxicities were 12.7%. There were no grade 3 or 4 late GU toxicities. Conclusion Dose escalated radiotherapy using a SIB results in acceptable rates of acute toxicity.
Direct calculation of resonance energies and widths from the poles of the multichannel T matrix

A numerical method is developed to search the complex momentum plane for the poles of the multichannel T matrix. No resonance or continuum wave functions are calculated and no complex basis functions are required. The appropriate Green's function is constructed and used to enforce the asymptotic behavior. Results are obtained for a three-state model problem and compared with results from other techniques.
Islam In an Era of Nation‐States: Politics and Religious Renewal in Muslim Southeast Asia

Islam In an Era of Nation-States: Politics and Religious Renewal in Muslim Southeast Asia. Robert W. Hefner and Patricia Horvatich. eds. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1997. viii. 327 pp., notes, references, contributors, index.
Soil water stress: Its effects on phenology, physiology, and morphology of containerized Douglas-fir seedlings

Containerized Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) seedlings were subjected to six moisture-stress treatments (ranging from 7 to 65% soil water content by volume) for 12 weeks. At the end of this period, there were significant differences in phenological, physiological, and morphological responses among the seedlings in the various moisture-stress treatments. In general, seedlings grown under very high or very low soil moisture conditions were adversely affected, while those grown under moderate conditions (29 to 53% soil water content) exhibited optimum growth, bud development, and nutrient and starch reserves. The use of vector analysis was found to be helpful in data interpretation. The results indicate the importance of closely monitoring nursery moisture regimes in order to achieve the best seedling quality.
Egostanoids from Petunia inflata

Abstract Leaves of Petunia inflata gave the following new steroids: (22 R , 24 S )-1α-acetoxy-24, 25-epoxy-7α-hydroxy-22-nicotinoyloxyergost-4-en-3-one (petuniasterone B 22-nicotinate), (22 R , 24 S )-1α-acetoxy-7α,22-dinicotinoyloxy-24, 25-epoxyergost-4-en-3-one (petuniasterone B 7, 22-dinicotinate), (22 R , 24 S )-7α,22-diacetoxy-24, 25-epoxyergosta- 1, 4-dien-3-one (petuniasterone C 7,22-diacetate), (22 R , 24 S )-24, 25-epoxy-7α-hydroxy-22-nicotinoyloxyergosta-1, 4-dien-3-one (petuniasterone C 22-nicotinate), (22 R , 24 S )-7α-acetoxy-24,25-epoxy-22-nicotinoyloxyergosta-1, 4-dien-3-one (petuniasterone C 7-acetate-22-nicotinate), (22 R , 24 S )-7α, 22-dinicotinoyloxy-24, 25-epoxyergosta-1,4-dien-3-one (petuniasterone C 7, 22-dinicotinate), (22 R , 24 R )-1α-acetoxy-7α,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergost-4-en-3-one 22,24,25-orthoacetate (petuniasterone S), (22 R , 24 R )-1α-acetoxy-7α,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergost-4-en-3-one 22,24,25-orthonicotinate (petunianine C). Those compounds having 1α-acetoxy groups are easily converted into the A-ring dienones by mild base. Orthoester and other side chain derivatives may be formed from the 24, 25-epoxides upon acid treatment.
A thermodynamic theory for finite elastic-plastic deformations

Bei der vorliegenden Arbeit handelt es sich um eine allgemeine thermodynamische Diskussion von elastisch-plastischen Kontinua unter endlichen Deformationen. Gestutzt auf die Betrachtung zweier gekoppelter thermodynamischer Phanomene, der reversiblen thermoelastischen Verformung und des irreversiblen plastischen Fliessens, wird die infinitesimale Theorie elastischplastischer Stoffe auf endliche Deformationen erweitert.
Characterization of Rat Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT A cDNA encoding rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) was cloned into the yeast expression vector pMA56 to generate pA379. Transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BJ2168 with this plasmid resulted in the synthesis of nNOS at levels of 0.5–1.0 mg/liter. The protein is localized in the cytosol and is catalytically active as determined by the conversion of [3H]-l-arginine to [3H]-l-citrulline and NO. The enzyme was purified by calmodulin–Sepharose affinity chromatography and its catalytic activity was found to be both calcium and calmodulin dependent. Overexpression of nNOS in S. cerevisiae and purification of the recombinant protein will facilitate detailed characterization of this important enzyme.