cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Use of Mechanistically Defined Chemical Mixtures (MDCM) to Assess Component Effects on the Percutaneous Absorption and Cutaneous Disposition of Topically Exposed Chemicals.: I. Studies with Parathion Mixtures in Isolated Perfused Porcine Skin

Abstract Recently, attention has been directed to the risk assessment of cutaneous exposure to chemical mixtures rather than to only a single compound since this is the exposure scenario in the environment, residence, and work place. Using acetone or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (80% in water) as a vehicle, percutaneous absorption and cutaneous disposition of parathion (PA) were studied following PA (40 μg/cm 2 ) dosing on isolated perfused porcine skin as mechanistically defined chemical mixtures (MDCM) consisting of the surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), the rubefacient methyl nicotinate (MNA), and the reducing agent stannous chloride (SnCl 2 ). A full 2 × 4 factorial design was used to asses treatment effects and potential interactions. More radiolabel was absorbed with DMSO than with acetone albeit an earlier peak flux time but lower peak flux was observed with acetone than with DMSO. The absorption flux rate profiles with DMSO continued increasing but bipeak-featured profiles were observed with acetone. SLS enhanced PA absorption with both DMSO and acetone. The presence of MNA in both vehicles blunted the absorption rate curves without significantly changing total absorption. SnCl 2 blocked PA absorption and increased residue level on the skin surface and in the stratum corneum (SC). The venous flux profiles were mixture-dependent and highly reproducible within treatment groups. Higher level interactions were also noted. This study indicated multiple levels of interactive effects on PA absorption which must be incorporated into any effort to identify critical mechanisms which affect risk assessment of topically exposed mixtures. It was suggested that the chemicals selected in a topically applied mixture may have significant effects on the penetration/distribution pattern and percutaneous absorption profile of a toxicant/drug in the mixture. The MDCM approach may be useful in a screening or triage approach to identify mixture components which affect marker chemical absorption as well as identify potential mechanisms which deserve further attention. Risk assessment efforts could then be focused on those mixtures, containing these critical components, which would be expected to have the greatest penetration and absorption.
Oxygen uptake transients at the onset and offset of arm and leg work

The halftimes (t1/2) of the VO2 on-and off-responses have been determined on 4 moderately active subjects (1) in arm cranking (VO2 congruent to 1 1/min). (2) in leg pedaling at 4 graded submaximal (VO2 congruent to 0.8 to 2.51/min) work loads, and (3) when superimposing arm cranking on preexisting leg pedaling, both in the supine and in the upright position. In supine experiments the mean t1/2 of the VO2 on-response was longer for arm cranking than for leg pedaling (64 vs 44-49 sec) at equal VO2; however, at the same percentage of arm and leg VO2 max the respective t1/2 were similar. In sitting experiments all t1/2 of the VO2 on-response were shorter than when supine, but the t1/2 for the arms were still slightly longer than those for the legs. When arm cranking was superimposed on preexisting leg pedaling, the t1/4 for arms was reduced both in supine (from 64 to 35-38 sec) and in the sitting position (from 44 to 40 sec). The halftime of the VO2 off-response were much shorter (20-32 sec) than those of the on-response and similar in all experiments. In all conditions the O2 deficits at work onset were considerably larger than the fast component of the corresponding O2 debts during the first minutes of recovery. The difference was totally accounted for by anaerobic glycolysis occurring early during the VO2 on-response, particularly in arm exercise. It is concluded that at submaximal work loads the O2 deficit is accounted for the fast component of the O2 debt plus the O2 equivalent of the early lactate production.
Analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by liquid chromatography with negative-ion atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/NI-APPI/MS/MS): application to house dust

Eight polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners of primary interest to the US EPA were separated using reverse-phase liquid chromatography on an octadecylsilane column. BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, BDE-183, and BDE-209 were baseline-resolved under isocratic conditions in 92:8 methanol/water (v/v). Negative-ion atmospheric pressure photoionization (NI-APPI) with a toluene dopant produced precursor ions corresponding to [M-Br+O](-) for the eight congeners studied. Each congener was quantified by tandem mass spectrometry through a unique multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) transition. On-column limits of detection were between 2.4 and 27.8 pg for the eight congeners studied, with an intra-day method precision of 9%. The LC/NI-APPI/MS/MS method was validated for the analysis of the eight PBDE congeners in NIST SRM 2585 (Organics in House Dust). Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with subsequent LC/NI-APPI/MS/MS analysis afforded quantitative recovery for all eight PBDE congeners with recoveries ranging from 92.7 to 113%. The liquid-phase separation of the LC/NI-APPI/MS/MS method is not prone to the thermal degradation issues that plague splitless GC based analyses of highly brominated PBDEs such as BDE-209.
A window into the role of inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms of perception

The last few years have seen important advances in the better understanding of human cortical physiology. Functional neuroimaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have allowed us to address novel questions and shed different and complementary information on human brain function. In particular, TMS, a non-invasive and virtually painless tool for delivering currents in the brain, has enhanced our understanding of perceptual and motor functions in intact humans. At the same time it has also yielded data on phenomenology, mechanisms, and strategies to modulate these plastic changes in health and disease. Studies using a paired-pulse protocol (Kujirai et al. 1993) allowed detailed investigations of intracortical excitatory and inhibitory interactions in the human motor cortex. This protocol studied the effects of a TMS pulse, delivered at a subthreshold intensity to elicit a motor evoked potential (MEP), on the MEP response to an upcoming suprathreshold TMS pulse. Depending on the interval, the effect of this conditioning pulse may be inhibitory (intracortical inhibition) or excitatory (intracortical facilitation). Abnormalities in these interactions have been described in Parkinson's disease and dystonia (Ridding et al. 1995); differences with control measures have also been described as a function of motor training or learning (Liepert et al. 1998). This protocol has allowed investigators to study mechanisms of both disease and cortical reorganization, for example after amputations (Chen et al. 1998) or motor training processes.
Optimal finite-time feedback controllers for nonlinear systems with terminal constraints

This paper presents a dynamic-programming approach for determining finite-time optimal feedback controllers for nonlinear systems with nonlinear terminal constraints. The method utilizes a polynomial series expansion of the cost-to-go function with time-dependent gains that operate on the state variables and constraint Lagrange multipliers. These gains are computed from backward integration of differential equations with terminal boundary conditions, derived from the constraint specifications. The differential equations for the gains are independent of the states. The Lagrange multipliers at any particular time are evaluated from the knowledge of the current state and the gain values. Several numerical examples are considered to demonstrate the applications of this methodology. The accuracy of the method is ascertained by comparing the results with those obtained by using open-loop solutions to the respective problems. Finally, results of the application of the developed methodology to a spacecraft detumbling problem are presented.
Polymer–diluent interactions. III. Polyethylene—diluent interactions

The interactions between polyethylene and a number of hydrocarbon diluents were characterized on the basis of the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter χ and the closely related heat of mixing parameter B. The evaluations of these parameters were based on Flory's statistical-thermodynamic treatment of the effect of diluents on the melting points of crystalline polymers. Necessary for each evaluation was a single microscopic determination of the depressed melting point of polyethylene in its mixture with a given diluent as indicated by the disappearance of the last visible traces of crystallinity upon slow heating. Each mixture was diluted to an extent that the volume fraction of diluent approximated unity. This permitted the use of a simplified form of the Flory equation. The data obtained from the study of thirty diluents were utilized in an attempt to correlate diluent structure with solvency. Generally, the various types of hydrocarbon diluents can be rated in the following order of increasing solvency: aromatic, alkylaromatic, aliphatic, alicyclic. In addition, it was demonstrated that the value of B for a given diluent can be reliably estimated as a function of a new parameter which is calculated from the diluent structure, density, and an estimated value of the ionization energy. This new parameter also correlates well with the solubility parameter δT.
Alignment Properties in Ordinal Comparison of DiscreteEvent Dynamic Systems

In the design and optimization of discrete event dynamic systems, it is often necessary to order alternative designs based on their relative performance, i.e., to rank them from best to worst. In this paper, alignment of observed performance orders with true orders is considered and properties of the alignment are investigated. Spearman‘s rank correlation coefficient is a measure of agreement between the observed performance orders and the true ones. It is shown that Spearman‘s coefficient converges exponentially in the simulation time or observation time, which gives a strong evidence of the efficiency of order comparison for discrete event dynamic systems. In the context of simulation, the effect of simulation dependence on the alignment is also discussed. It is found that neither independent simulation nor the scheme of common random numbers (CRN), a popular scheme for variance reduction, can yield dominant performance. Finally, numerical examples based on a networking optimization problem are provided to illustrate the convergence of Spearman‘s coefficient. In these examples, the standard clock (SC) simulation technique provides much faster convergence than either independent simulations or CRN simulations. Both the SC and CRN methods use the same random number sequence to drive many events in parallel; however, under SC the events driving the parallel experiments are all identical, whereas under CRN they may be different.
Impact of temporal resolution on cardiac phase-resolved oxygen-sensitive myocardial steady-state free precession imaging

Cardiac phase-resolved imaging studies that are used in the assessment of cardiac function are performed with a temporal resolution (TRES) of approximately 50 ms to mitigate the effects from cardiac motion and flow. To date, there has been minimal interest on the characterization of myocardial signal intensities from cine images. Steady-state free precession based cardiac phase-resolved blood-oxygen-level-dependent (CP-SSFP BOLD) imaging is a relatively new method for identifying myocardial oxygen abnormalities on the basis of regional signal differences. For reliable assessment of oxygenation changes, it is imperative to ensure that acquisitions enable robust image quality. We hypothesize that TRES plays a significant role on CP-SSFP image quality and that, in particular, myocardial signal characteristics disintegrate with elevations in TRES.
Chemical diffusion in intermediate phases in the lithium-tin system

Abstract The compositional variation of the chemical diffusion coefficient in the six intermediate phases LiSn, Li7Sn3, Li5Sn2, Li13Sn5, Li7Sn2, and Li22Sn5 of the lithium-tin system at 415°C has been measured. Among these intermediate phases, the phase Li13Sn5 has the highest chemical diffusion coefficient, varying with composition from 5.01 × 10−5 to 7.59 × 10−4 cm2/sec at that temperature. Combining this information with coulometric titration curves (emf versus composition), the self-diffusion coefficient of lithium has also been determined in the various intermetallic phases as a function of composition under the assumption that the tin atoms do not move appreciably compared with the lithium atoms. The lithium self-diffusion coefficient in the phase LiSn is lower than those in the more lithium-rich phases by one order of magnitude. This result is discussed in terms of the difference between the crystal structures of LiSn and the other lithium-rich phases in the lithium-tin system.
A spectral analysis procedure for model identification and parameter evaluation of dynamic systems

Abstract A spectral analysis procedure for model identification and parameter evaluation of dynamic systems is given. Assuming the process can be represented as a linear system, an algorithm is given for converting the frequency response to spectra from which the poles and zeros of the process can be identified. The characteristics of the Lorentzian peaks which appear in the spectra can be used to evaluate the location of the poles and zeros in the complex plane as well as the gain and time delay of the dynamic system. Included are several illustrative examples with the fast Fourier transform being used to compute the required spectra.
Acute pancreatitis and fulminant hepatic failure

Abstract Background: The association of acute pancreatitis with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) was first recognized in 1973. Since then, few studies have described the clinical profile of the FHF patient with acute pancreatitis. Identification of the distinguishing attributes of pancreatitis in combination with FHF will provide a more sound basis for clinical management. The purposes of this study were to identify distinguishing clinical characteristics of acute pancreatitis in FHF and to compare outcomes with those of patients with acutely decompensated chronic liver disease and acute pancreatitis (DECOMP). Study Design: This was a retrospective survey of 30 patients with FHF and 30 with DECOMP admitted during the period July 1995 to July 1997. Results: The prevalence of acute pancreatitis in FHF and DECOMP was 33% and 23%, respectively. Acute pancreatitis was associated with severe hepatocellular synthetic dysfunction, renal insufficiency, requirement for endotracheal intubation, increased acuity of illness at the time of ICU admission, more rapid decompensation during the disease, and significantly greater mortality in both the FHF and DECOMP groups. Conclusions: In both FHF and DECOMP, acute pancreatitis increases disease acuity and mortality. Acute pancreatitis does not occur with significantly greater frequency in FHF. Implementation of orthotopic liver transplantation may not be warranted in this setting.
Variable silicon content of rice cultivars grown on everglades histosols 1

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate silicon (Si) content in a group of rice cultivars. Ten cultivars were grown in the greenhouse under three levels pf Si fertilization on a Si‐deficient Histosol. In a second experiment, 18 ‘cultivars were grown at three field locations which varied in plant‐available soil Si. In both experiments, cultivars varied in their percentage of Si in rice straw. There was no significant (P > 0.10) genotype by environment interaction. The genotypes with the greatest and lowest percentage of Si were consistently so over all Si environments and treatments.
Implementing cooperative diversity antenna arrays with commodity hardware

Cooperation among single-antenna transceivers and formation of distributed antenna arrays has recently attracted considerable interest. Such distributed antenna arrays are envisioned to provide resistance to slow wireless fading and improve performance of point-to-point wireless communication across various dimensions. Despite the plethora of recently proposed theoretical approaches that promise gains due to diversity at the physical layer though cooperation (cooperative diversity), there is not much work in the implementation of cooperative antenna arrays with existing wireless transceivers. In this article we summarize the main challenges in implementation of cooperative diversity antenna arrays for realistic wireless networks. We then present the basic building blocks of a cooperative diversity demonstration realized in the lab, utilizing commodity radio hardware. Our work sheds light onto the synergies needed between the physical, link, and routing layers that significantly simplify the overall network operation and decrease the transceiver complexity in cooperative diversity antenna arrays, making feasible the utilization of (existing) commodity radio hardware
Orexin Turns Up the Heat on Obesity

Brown adipocytes burn chemical energy to produce heat for protection against hypothermia and obesity. Sellayah et al. now reveal that a secreted neuropeptide, Orexin, functions a key driver of brown adipocyte differentiation through direct actions on brown adipose precursors.
A Comparison Study of Coping, Family Problem-Solving and Emotional Status in Victims of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence research has been limited by lack of appropriate comparison groups. In the present study, shelter-living, abused women were compared to community-living, abused women, maritally distressed women, and non-distressed non-abused women on relationship characteristics, emotional status, and family problem solving and coping. Shelter-living abused women reported more physical violence in the past year than community-living abused women. Both abused groups reported higher levels of depression and anxiety than non-abused groups. Community-living women reported greater use of aggressive solutions to family problems than other groups. Differences between community-living and shelter-living abused women point to the utility of including appropriate comparison groups in studies of abused women.
The Dusty Atmosphere of the Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B

The brown dwarf Gliese 229B has an observable atmosphere too warm to contain ice clouds like those on Jupiter and too cool to contain silicate clouds like those on low-mass stars. These unique conditions permit visibility to higher pressures than possible in cool stars or planets. Gliese 229B9s 0.85- to 1.0-micrometer spectrum indicates particulates deep in the atmosphere (10 to 50 bars) having optical properties of neither ice nor silicates. Their reddish color suggests an organic composition characteristic of aerosols in planetary stratospheres. The particles9 mass fraction (10−7) agrees with a photochemical origin caused by incident radiation from the primary star and suggests the occurrence of processes native to planetary stratospheres.
Effects of in vitro ethanol addition on brain synaptic membrane glutamate binding

Abstract In vitro exposure of brain synaptic membranes to ethanol in the concentration range of 5–100 mM produced a biphasic effect on L-( 3 H) glutamate binging activity. Concentrations of 5–25 mM ethanol increased glutamate binding, whereas concentrations of 50–100 mM caused a progressive return to baseline binding activity for these membranes. Of the local anesthetics tested, only chlorpromazine (100 μM) produced substantial increases in glutamate binding to the synaptic membranes. Treatment of the membranes with 4 mM ethanol for 30 min was shown to disrupt the membrane ganglioside modulation of glutamate binding without inducing solubilization of either membrane proteins or membrane gangliosides. The possibility that these changes in glutamate-receptor interaction might represent a loss of receptor-ionophore coupling is discussed.
Pressure sintering of GaSb

Abstract GaSb with nearly theoretical densities has been hot pressed at 25,000 psi and 690°C. The compaction mechanism of coarse GaSb particle matrices (20–500μ) is largely one of plastic flow. However, GaSb powders with average particle diameters below 4μ compact according to a mechanism that involves the surface dissociation of GaSb resulting in the presence of liquid Ga. The liquid phase leads to a high compaction rate and grain regrowth.
Depression and Women with Spinal Cord Injury

This study examines the phenomenon of depression among 64 women living with SCI for at least two years who were interviewed in a clinic setting. The high prevalence (59.4%) of clinically significant depressive symptomatology as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was associated primarily with perceived stress. Other correlates included social support, vitality, social isolation, mobility, pain, unemployment, and current abuse. Findings suggest that women with SCI may be at elevated risk for depression, especially those women who perceive their lives as highly stressful and who lack social support.
The gay-friendly closet

In recent decades, U.S. popular opinion has become more accepting of homosexuality, a shift apparent in the workplace, where gay-friendly policies increasingly are in effect. These changes in attitudes and organizational practices have led some scholars to question the relevance of the closet for describing the contemporary lives of lesbians and gay men. The authors investigated this claim by analyzing in-depth interviews with lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals who were out at work and who described their workplaces as gay friendly. Despite the clear benefits they associated with these organizations, some respondents faced a paradox: They either were compelled to downplay their homosexuality at work or were constrained by stereotypes about how LGB people were expected to look, act, and work. Thus, just as in the era of the closet, the workplace—even contexts that LGB employees define as gay friendly—may involve forced choices between acceptance and visibility.
Targeted therapies: HER2-positive breast cancer-sifting through many good options.

The addition of lapatinib to paclitaxel improves survival in patients with newly diagnosed HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, further validating the importance of HER2 signalling as a target in this cancer subtype. However, the availability of other more-effective and less-toxic HER2-targeted therapies limits the clinical usefulness of the regimen.
Measurements of healing at an osteotomy in a rabbit calvarium: the influence of applied compressive stress on collagen synthesis and calcification.

Abstract Experimental data which establish a correlation between applied compressive stress in a rabbit calvarium and calcium formation, collagen synthesis, and histologic interpretation are presented. Estimates of collagen synthesis and calcium formation are obtained from measuring 45Ca and 3H proline uptakes. Stress distributions are obtained using a finite element analysis and photoelastic techniques. For the cases presented here, maximum 45Ca and 3H proline uptakes, as well as maximal histologic healing indices, are found at stress levels in the 10–30 psi range.
On instability of low-frequency waves in a stream-magnetized plasma system

The interaction of low-frequency electromagnetic waves propagating at an arbitrary angle to the static magnetic field with a nearly synchronous charged stream along the field in a cold plasma is analyzed. The temporal growth of the waves is found to increase with the signal frequency, the stream density, and the propagation angle off the field line. Explicit forms of maximum growth rate are derived for VLF and ELF waves, and a numerical example is given for a typical ionospheric plasma near the magnetic equator.
Survey and determination of historic significance of nonarched Concrete Bridges in Virginia Constructed Prior to 1950

Bridges are a cultural resource that must be considered for historic significance under the Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The Virginia Transportation Research Council conducted pioneering studies of Virginia's early metal truss bridges and concrete and masonry arch bridges during the 1970s and 1980s. However, no comprehensive evaluation of nonarched concrete bridges in Virginia had been undertaken, and it had become standard practice to evaluate these bridges on a case-by-case basis as projects arose that might affect them. Most of these studies were done by outside consultants, a time-consuming and expensive method. The Virginia Transportation Research Council's "Survey of Non-Arched Historic Concrete Bridges in Virginia Constructed Prior to 1950" has rectified the lack of information and analysis of these bridges (1950 was chosen as a cutoff date because structures generally must be at least 50 years old to be considered historically significant under National Register criteria). A field survey and data tabulation were completed, and criteria for the evaluation of historic significance were developed and applied to the results of the survey and analysis. Of 1,420 nonarched concrete bridges built before 1950, fewer than a dozen were found to be individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The project identified Virginia's few significant bridges of this type for appropriate management, and cleared more than 1,400 bridges, the great majority of Virginia's nonarched concrete bridges, for maintenance and upgrade as needed. It is estimated that this project has already saved the Virginia Department of Transportation $500,000 and eliminated a typical 3- to 4-month delay for each project. Projected savings arising from this project are estimated at approximately $2.5 million over the next 10 years.
Relational propositions in discourse

In addition to the propositions represented explicitly by independent clauses in a text, there are almost as many propositions, here called relational propositions, which arise (often implicitly) out of combinations of these clauses. The predicates of these propositions are members of a small set of general, highly recurrent relational predicates, such as “cause,” “justification,” and “solutionhood.” Often unsignalled, these relational propositions can be shown to be the basis for various kinds of inferences and to function as elements of communicative acts. Examining two natural texts, we see that the relational propositions involve every clause, and that they occur in a pattern of propositions which connects all of the clauses together. This examination also shows how the relational propositions are essential to the functioning of the text.
Winning Strategies for Multinational Corporations in China

The article focuses on a recent study of multinational corporations (MNCs) doing business in China that offers a number of insightful suggestions for managers considering overseas operations in this growing market. Researchers Yigang Pan, from the University of Oregon, and Peter Chi, from Cornell University, examined a number of factors that may enhance the performance and survival potential of MNCs operating in China. To explore the determinants of firm performance, Pan and Chi collected information over a two-year period from almost 1,000 MNCs with manufacturing operations in China. Pan and Chi first examined the issue of entry timing. They note that a strategic advantage may have accrued to MNCs who were the first to move into the Chinese market. While most MNCs entered China in the late 1980s or 1990s, a few early movers entered in the 1970s or early 1980s. The early movers enjoyed substantial incentives not available to later entrants, including greater flexibility regarding investment and environmen...
Food group intake and micronutrient adequacy in adolescent girls.

This study explores the contribution of food group intakes to micronutrient adequacy among 2379 girls in the National Growth and Health Study during three age periods (9–13, 14–18, and 19–20 years). Data on food and nutrient intakes from 3-day diet records over 10 years were used to estimate mean intakes and percent meeting Dietary Guidelines (DGA) recommendations for food intakes and Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for vitamins and minerals. More than 90% of girls failed to consume the recommended amounts of fruit, vegetables and dairy; 75% consumed less than the recommended amounts in the “meat” group. The vast majority of girls of all ages had inadequate intakes of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins D and E. In contrast, they consumed >750 kcal/day (~40% of total energy) from the DGA category of solid fat and added sugars, about five times the recommended maximum intakes. This study shows the importance of consuming a variety of foods in all five food groups, including those that are more energy dense such as dairy and meats, in order to meet a broad range of nutrient guidelines. Diet patterns that combined intakes across food groups led to greater improvements in overall nutritional adequacy.
Comments on Simplified model for avalanche-resonance-pumped semiconductor diodes [and reply]

It is shown here that the high-efficiency results obtained in a recent letter are incorrect.
Relationship of Maternal Anxiety to the Behavior of Young Children Undergoing Dental Extraction

A significant relationship was observed between the behavior of 60 children (3 to 7 years old) undergoing a dental extraction and the anxiety level of their mothers as measured by scores on the Taylor manifest anxiety scale. The results of this investigation indicated that, in this sample, maternal anxiety appears to be a major factor affecting the behavior of young children experiencing dental extraction.
Redundancy Management of Multipath Routing for Intrusion Tolerance in Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper we propose redundancy management of heterogeneous wireless sensor networks (HWSNs), utilizing multipath routing to answer user queries in the presence of unreliable and malicious nodes. The key concept of our redundancy management is to exploit the tradeoff between energy consumption vs. the gain in reliability, timeliness, and security to maximize the system useful lifetime. We formulate the tradeoff as an optimization problem for dynamically determining the best redundancy level to apply to multipath routing for intrusion tolerance so that the query response success probability is maximized while prolonging the useful lifetime. Furthermore, we consider this optimization problem for the case in which a voting-based distributed intrusion detection algorithm is applied to detect and evict malicious nodes in a HWSN. We develop a novel probability model to analyze the best redundancy level in terms of path redundancy and source redundancy, as well as the best intrusion detection settings in terms of the number of voters and the intrusion invocation interval under which the lifetime of a HWSN is maximized. We then apply the analysis results obtained to the design of a dynamic redundancy management algorithm to identify and apply the best design parameter settings at runtime in response to environment changes, to maximize the HWSN lifetime.
Methylcellulose Films to Prevent Lipid Migration in Confectionery Products

Films of methylcellulose ranging in thickness from 0.2 to 1.0 mil (0.0051 to 0.025 mm), and exposed to peanut oil at 30°C and 5 psig pressure differential, allowed less than 1.0 μg linoleic acid equivalents-mil−1cm−224 hr−1 to permeate, provided films were free from imperfections. Examination by scanning electron microscopy verified that many films were imperfect, especially those thinner than 0.2 mil. When films were embedded in chocolate and evaluated by a sensory panel, the 0.2 mil film was detectable, but only slightly objectionable.
Improved measurement dynamic range for point triangulation probes

Point triangulation probes have been in use in industry for half a century. In that time, there has not been any big changes in the mechanism by which they operate A point laser triangulation gage bought today has about the same ratio of standard deviation to measurement range, or measurement dynamic range, as one bought 30+ years ago. A significant limiting factor of the measurement dynamic range of such sensors is the noise seen by the sensor, which consists of both classic speckle noise, but also the effects of surface texture on the reflected beam. This paper will discuss four different methods, based upon advances applied in other optical metrology systems that improve the standard deviation to measurement range ratio for point laser triangulation gages by a factor of 20 on average. We will present the theory of how each of these methods provide this improved measurement dynamic range as well as the results of laboratory tests made on breadboard systems.
Image processing for image understanding with neural nets

The image-processing techniques required for an image-understanding system are considered. Although many of the image-processing steps can be implemented with neural nets, it is found that only the classification stage is currently optimally implemented in this way. Conventional methods of image processing that can be used in conjunction with neural net classifiers are described. A case study employing these concepts is presented. Optical realizations of many operations are noted. >
Nephritogenic Immune Reactions Involving Immune Complex Formation in the Circulation and in situ within the Kidney

The circulating immune complex (IC) mechanism of renal and vascular injury is now well established based on observations in experimental serum sickness in animals and detection of circulating and localized IC of known antigen and antibody content in glomerulonephritis (GN) in man. Studies continue on the factors responsible for formation and vascular deposition of circulating IC. Utilization of assays to detect circulating IC has revealed that some patients with chronic presumed IC GN have no unusual amount of circulating IC. The possibility that nephritic individuals may handle relatively normal amounts of circulating IC in a nephritogenic fashion points out the need to study host and genetic factors in the development of IC GN. Observations in experimental animals have demonstrated the nephritogenic potential of the direct reaction of antibody with antigens, either structural in nature or "planted" within the glomerulus in a discontinuous pattern. This suggests that some GN previously thought to be from deposition of circulating IC IC by the pattern of irregular Ig accumulation on immunofluorescence study might be the product of a direct reaction of antibody with glomerular capillary wall antigens. Models of such reactions involving nonclassic glomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerular capillary wall antigens are being identified in animals and sought in man. Finally, the reaction of antibodies with foreign materials that are first trapped or "planted" within the glomerulus can be nephritogenic in animal models and conceivably in man. The local nephritogenic immune reaction within the glomerulus should not distract from the circulating IC mechanism but rather expand our ideas of how the immune system can damage the kidney.
Modification of Perioral Stiffness in Patients With Repaired Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective: To measure and compare the perioral stiffness among three groups of pediatric subjects: a group of patients with a repaired cleft lip (and palate) who had a secondary lip revision surgery (revision), another group of patients with repaired cleft lip (and palate) who did not have secondary surgery (nonrevision), and a group of noncleft “normal” patients (noncleft). Design: A parallel, three-group, nonrandomized clinical trial. Participants: A total of 16 patients with repaired cleft lip/palate who did not have lip revision, 13 patients with repaired cleft lip/palate who had lip revision surgery and were tested at 18 to 24 months postsurgery, and 27 noncleft patients. Analysis: Nonparticipatory perioral stiffness was sampled using a recently developed face-referenced measurement technology known as OroSTIFF. Perioral stiffness, derived as a quotient from resultant force and interangle lip span, was modeled with multilevel regression techniques. Real-time calculation of the perioral stiffness func...
Cultural Fantasy Narratives and Heritage Language Learning: A Case Study of Adult Heritage Learners of Spanish

This study investigates the case of 7 female heritage learners of Spanish who have chosen, as adults, to enroll in online Spanish language instruction at the postsecondary level. Drawing on symbolic convergence theory, it identifies a cultural fantasy metanarrative that participants collectively constructed as they made sense of their language learning histories and desires. Analysis of this metanarrative revealed several subthemes on which participants drew to understand their multilingual identities, their borderland communities, and their language learning perceptions, actions, and responses. It is argued that the heritage learners in this study appropriated and reproduced a metanarrative in which the acquisition of “proper Spanish” (as opposed to a more local variety) was consonant with the attainment of an idealized identity for which they all strived. This metanarrative shaped both the way in which they approached and experienced the learning of Spanish in these online settings. As such, recommendations are provided for designing more responsive and responsible heritage language pedagogies, particularly in computer-mediated environments. There is something fundamentally different about learning a language, compared to learning another skill or gaining other knowledge, namely, that language and self are so closely bound, if not identical, that an attack on one is an attack on the other. (Cohen & Norst, 1989, p. 61)
Fifteen-year series of skin-sparing mastectomy for stage 0 to 2 breast cancer.

Abstract Background In 1989, skin-sparing mastectomy started at a number of breast centers in the United States because of an increasing demand for immediate reconstruction and a desire for better cosmetic outcomes. Methods To ensure the safety of this new approach, we have reviewed the personal series of a single surgeon using a standardized skin-sparing technique during 1989 to 2004. Results Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction was performed on 225 patients, and standard mastectomy was performed on 1,022 patients. The age distribution was 8 years younger on average in the reconstructed group. The average follow-up for each group was 49 months. The local recurrence for each group was 1.7% and 1.5% ( P > .80). The regional recurrence was 3.8% and 3.9% ( P > .80). The average time to local recurrence was similar in each group (33.1 and 32.6 months, P > .80). Conclusions A skin-sparing mastectomy does not change the local, regional, or systemic risk to breast cancer patients.
The BBA33 lipoprotein binds collagen and impacts Borrelia burgdorferi pathogenesis

Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, adapts to the mammalian hosts by differentially expressing several genes in the BosR and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS dependent pathways, resulting in a distinct protein profile relative to that seen for survival in the Ixodes spp. tick. Previous studies indicate that a putative lipoprotein, BBA33, is produced in an RpoS-dependent manner under conditions that mimic the mammalian component of the borrelial lifecycle. However, the significance and function for BBA33 is not known. Given its linkage to the BosR/Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS regulatory cascade, we hypothesized that BBA33 facilitates B. burgdorferi infection in the mammalian host. The deletion of bba33 eliminated B. burgdorferi infectivity in C3H mice, which was rescued by genetic complementation with intact bba33. With regard to function, a combinatorial peptide approach, coupled with subsequent in vitro binding assays, indicated that BBA33 binds to collagen type VI and, to a lesser extent, collagen type IV. Whole cell binding assays demonstrated BBA33-dependent binding to human collagen type VI. Taken together, these results suggest that BBA33 interacts with collagenous structures and may function as an adhesin in a process that is required to prevent bacterial clearance.
Sexual dysfunction in combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

Objectives To evaluate the prevalence, clinical correlates, and severity of sexual dysfunction in combat veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a validated instrument for assessing sexual function. The results of recent studies have suggested that combat veterans with PTSD experience a higher rate of sexual dysfunction than do those without PTSD. Methods We administered the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and a demographic and health questionnaire to male combat veterans undergoing treatment for PTSD and to age-comparable male combat veterans without PTSD. Results The mean total IIEF score was significantly lower in the 44 patients with PTSD than in the 46 controls (26.38 versus 40.86; P = 0.035). With respect to the individual IIEF domains, patients with PTSD had poorer scores on overall satisfaction and orgasmic function and showed trends toward poorer scores on intercourse satisfaction and erectile function. No statistically significant difference was observed for sexual desire. The rate of erectile dysfunction was 85% in patients with PTSD and 22% in controls. Moderate to severe erectile dysfunction was present in 45% of the patients with PTSD and in only 13% of controls. Significantly more patients with PTSD (57%) than controls (17%) were using psychotropic medications. Conclusions Combat veterans with PTSD experience a significantly higher rate of sexual dysfunction than do veterans without PTSD and show impairment in some, but not all, specific domains of sexual function. The IIEF may be useful in evaluating the response to treatment of erectile dysfunction. Clinicians should proactively address the sexual concerns of combat veterans with PTSD.
A re-examination of platinum-group element concentrations in the environmental certified reference material BCR-723

A detailed statistical examination of replicated data used to certify platinum-group elements (PGEs) in environmental reference material BCR-723 is presented. Certification of Pt, Pd, and Rh concentrations in BCR-723 was based on 16, eight, and nine accepted data sets, respectively. Each accepted data set contained six replicated measurements for each PGE, and the statistical properties of these concentration data were examined, i.e. 96 for Pt, 48 for Pd, and 54 for Rh. This level of investigation has received limited attention but is critical in furthering our understanding of PGE variability and representativeness. Concentrations of Pt, Pd, and Rh were shown to differ significantly between accepted data sets. Palladium and Pt differed in their quantification between detection techniques. Additionally, Pd and Pt concentrations varied significantly between laboratories using a similar definitive method (inductively coupled plasma-isotope dilution mass spectrometry). The distribution of Pd concentrations w...
Convenient intelligent cursor control web systems for Internet users with severe motor-impairments

The objective of this research work is to simplify and improve the efficiency of cursor control and its interactions on the computer screen by applying fuzzy logic in its decision-making to make Internet users with disabilities use the networked computers conveniently and easily. "Point and click" interactions are one of the key features of operating systems based of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) [C.E. Steriadis, P. Constantinou, Designing human-computer interfaces for quadriplegic people, ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum.-Interact. (TOCHI) 10 (2) (2003) 87-118.]. People with severe motor-impairments due to spinal cord injury (SCI) or spinal cord dysfunction (SCD), however, often have difficulty with accurate and efficient control of pointing devices, limiting their integration to society and unassisted control over their environment through the use of such operating systems [S. Keates, F. Hwang, P. Langdon, P.J. Clarkson, P. Robinson, Cursor measures for motion-impaired computer users, in: Proceedings of ACM SIGCAPH Conference of Assistive Technologies - ASSETS 2002, pp. 135-142.]. The questions "How can someone with severe motor-impairments perform 'point and click' interactions as accurately and efficiently as an able-bodied person?" and "How can these interactions be advanced through use of Computational Intelligence (CI)?" are the driving forces behind the research described in this paper. Through this research, a novel fuzzy mouse cursor control system (FMCCS) is described. The FMCCS core consists of several fuzzy control functions, which define different user interactions with the system. Design and descriptions of these functions, as well first prototype implementation and testing with real users sustaining severe disabilities are presented.
Emotional speech elicited using computer games

The potential of using computer games and simulations as elicitors of affective speech, particularly in research targeting current computer based speech technologies, is discussed. Initial results of acoustical analyses which have been performed on speech samples collected from 30 subjects playing an interactive computer game are presented. The game was modified to manipulate two of the stimulus evaluation checks (intrinsic pleasantness and goal conduciveness) which have been proposed by Scherer (1984) as antecedents of emotion.
An algorithm for the computation of computer network reliability in linear-time

The best known solution methods for network reliability problems are of exponential time complexity. This exponential behavior can render even moderately sized problems computationally intractable owing to the enormous amount of time required to generate a solution. To render such problems manageable, a bounding algorithm that provides upper and lower bounds for the source-to-terminal reliability of an arbitrary network has been developed. A unique feature of this bounding algorithm is that it possesses linear time complexity when the maximum indegree of all network nodes is limited. >
Power conditioning systems for superconductive magnetic energy storage

Two power conditioning systems for superconductive magnetic energy storage (SMES) are presented. One power conditioning system is based on a hybrid current sourced inverter (CSI), the second is a combination of a DC chopper with a voltage sourced inverter (VSI). Both of these systems have independent control of real and reactive power. These systems have a significant reduction in MVA rating levels as related to the more traditional Graetz bridge. >
Lookahead network priority protocols

A new architecture for local area networks, based on the carry-lookahead circuit has been described in recent papers. It features a cost-effective hardware round-robin priority circuit, a bus and a shift register ring network that uses the same hardware. This paper shows that such an architecture can be used to minimize Σ Ui Wi where Ui is a real number urgency and Wi is the waiting time of message i, where Ui is a constant, or a time varying function which is a sequence of constant steps. Such a capability is useful in distributed real-time control systems. This paper demonstrates that a network that implements priority, bus and shift register ring-hardware can create new capabilities for local area networks.