cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and severity of apical root resorption of maxillary anterior teeth in adult orthodontic patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prevalence and severity of apical root resorption of maxillary anterior teeth in a large sample of adult orthodontic patients, to analyse any difference between subgroups of patients with and without a history of earlier orthodontic treatment, and to test the hypothesis that endodontically treated teeth are less likely to experience apical root resorption. Differences in tooth length measurements of standardized periapical radiographs made before and after treatment of 343 adults, representing groups of consecutively treated patients from four orthodontic practices, were calculated. Sample means of averaged root resorption of all six anterior teeth and of the most severely resorbed tooth per patient were 0.94 mm (SD 0.88) and 2.39 mm (SD 1.43), respectively. Forty per cent of the adults had one or more teeth with 2.5 mm resorption or greater. The subsample of 31 patients with a history of earlier orthodontic treatment had less root resorption than the remaining patients (P < 0.001). Evaluation of the 39 contralateral pairs of teeth with and without endodontic treatment in 36 of the patients revealed less resorption of the endodontically treated teeth (P < 0.05).
The self-same beat of time's wide wings

Scientific progress is punctuated with revolutions of insight and/or technology that at least temporarily cast aside valid frames of thought. Like the Titanic losers to the Olympian gods in Keats' unfinished epic Hyperion (1) from whence the title of this commentary comes, “vanquished” ideas or approaches frequently offer important alternatives to prevailing model systems. The successes of molecular genetics in biological circadian clocks are an excellent example of this dynamic, and the paper by Brandstatter et al. (2) in this issue of PNAS is a testament that systems analyses of clock function still have much to offer the circadian clocks field. It demonstrates that the clock within the avian pineal gland “remembers” the time of year, as well as the time of day, important characteristics for the adaptive function of clocks, which cannot be explained by current, more popular preparations. Further, the paper shows that the ability of the pineal gland to faithfully reflect photoperiod depends at least in part on its integration with other components of a larger, more precise circadian system (3, 4).
Finescale Velocity-Density Characteristics and Richardson Number Statistics of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific

Abstract An analysis of finescale horizontal-velocity shear and density data collected along 110°W longitude in the equatorial Pacific is presented. The measurements were made with the free-fall velocity–density profiler, TOPS. Twenty-five deployments are used to investigate the variability in the depth interval 150–900 m. In this interval the shear and strain fields are dominated by finescale structures. The extra-equatorial latitude band 4–10°N exhibits shear and strain spectra as well as Richardson number (Ri) statistics that are consistent with midlatitude internal-wave model predictions. Approaching the equator, an enhancement of shear and strain variance is found along with an accompanying increase in the occurrence of Ri less than ¼. Consistent with previous studies, the present measurement suggest that the 13°C thermostad is turbulently mixed. A high occurrence of Ri less than ¼ is also found below the thermostad and in the latitude range 2–4°S. The implications of these observations are discussed...
Moving beyond survival as a measure of success: understanding the patient experience of necrotizing soft-tissue infections.

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) represent a devastating spectrum of disease with high case mortality and resource intensive care. Treatment consists of wide surgical debridement and often prolonged periods of intensive care unit care. Major complications are common. The severity of the disease and the aggressive treatment requirements put survivors at risk for significant long-term sequelae related to the trauma of both disease and treatment. Information about the postdischarge impact of NSTIs on survivors is extremely limited. Qualitative approaches are typically used to explore new phenomena and to capture individuals’ thoughts, feelings, or interpretations of meaning and process. Therefore, qualitative methods are ideally suited for hypothesis generation to guide future quantitative study and ensure measured outcomes are patient-centered. Materials and methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with survivors of NSTIs from a single regional referral center. Stratified purposive sampling was used to select interview candidates based on severity of illness. Descriptive thematic analysis was performed to identify major themes described by the patients. Results: Interviews with 18 survivors identified three primary domains of experience: (1) individual factors, (2) relational factors, and (3) societal factors. These domains were split into the following two categories: factors effecting the disease process and recovery, and factors that were outcomes of the disease process. Each category yielded between one and seven themes. Themes identified included physical, psychological, relationship, and employment aspects. Conclusions: Patient’s reported quality of life was significantly affected by their disease and recovery. The results demonstrate that many outcomes of importance for patients are not easily assessed by traditional measures of outcomes. This work illustrates the multidimensional nature of recovery from critical illness, and shows that it represents a massive transition period in the lives of survivors that affects the patient, their family, and the patient’s ability to interact with society. Interviews with survivors ensure that the patient
Hsp104, Hsp70, and Hsp40: A Novel Chaperone System that Rescues Previously Aggregated Proteins

Hsp104 is a stress tolerance factor that promotes the reactivation of heat-damaged proteins in yeast by an unknown mechanism. Herein, we demonstrate that Hsp104 functions in this process directly. Unlike other chaperones, Hsp104 does not prevent the aggregation of denatured proteins. However, in concert with Hsp40 and Hsp70, Hsp104 can reactivate proteins that have been denatured and allowed to aggregate, substrates refractory to the action of other chaperones. Hsp104 cooperates with the chaperones present in reticulocyte lysates but not with DnaK of E. coli. We conclude that Hsp104 has a protein remodeling activity that acts on trapped, aggregated proteins and requires specific interactions with conventional chaperones to promote refolding of the intermediates it produces.
Zubov's condition revisited

Zubov states an elegant necessary and sufficient limit set condition for positive orbital stability of compact invariant sets in his book “Metody A. M. Lyapunova i ih Primenenie” [11]. Stated in terms of our terminology of L– for the negative limit set, Zubov's proposition is as follows: A necessary and sufficient condition for positive stability of a compact invariant set M isL–(X\M)∩M=O. Unfortunately, Zubov's condition L–(X\M)∩M=O has subsequently been shown to be necessary but not sufficient (see [9]). Bass and Ura devote considerable effort in [2] and [9[ to correcting Zubov's proposition and Desbrow obtains additional results principally concerning unstable sets in [6] and [7]. Ura gives his classical corrected prolongational version of Zubov's assertion on locally compact phase spaces in [9] and extends it to any closed invariant set with compact boundary on such spaces in [10].
Quantitative comparison of alternative control schemes for air-cooled condensers

Air-cooled heat exchangers present unique control problems because they are more sensitive to ambient disturbances than water-cooled heat exchangers. Each of the several alternative methods for manipulating heat removal has some disadvantages. The obvious choice of manipulating the flow rate of the air is mechanically difficult. This investigation compares three alternative process and control structures for controlling pressure in a distillation column with an air-cooled condenser: manipulating air flow (fan speed, louver opening, or blade pitch), throttling a control valve in the overhead vapor line, or bypassing vapor around the condenser. Results show that direct manipulation of air flow rate is slower than other methods, and the deviations in column pressure are larger. Overhead vapor throttling gives good control of column pressure, provided the nonlinearity of the butterfly valve is taken into account and the dynamics of the large valve are not too slow. However, reflux-drum pressure and temperature vary drastically. This necessitates the use of a high-head reflux pump and results in varying degrees of subcooling, which affect the separation in the column. Hot-vapor bypassing, using two control valves (one in a vapor bypass line controlling reflux drum pressure and one in the vapor line to the condenser controlling column pressure), provides effective pressure control and lessens the variability in reflux-drum temperature. However, more condenser area is required and the plumbing must be correct so that hydraulic problems do not occur. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2006
Performance analysis and application of the bidirectional associative memory to industrial spectral signatures

A detailed study of the performance of the bidirectional associative memory (BAM) for the classification of power spectral density (PSD) functions is presented. The BAM has error-correcting properties and is capable of generating a successful recall, even with noisy and incomplete patterns. Suitable pattern coding schemes are utilized to enhance the discriminating features in the patterns. A bit-mapping scheme is used to construct binary pattern vectors from the PSD. The numerical aspects of signature encoding and fault tolerance property of the BAM are evaluated using spectral density functions of signals from a fiber-manufacturing rotating machinery system. The results of the application of the BAM are superior to those obtained with classical pattern recognition methods. >
An examination of the differential impact of highway capital investment on economically disparate Appalachian counties in the USA

The economic performance of Appalachian counties in the USA varies substantially across the region. The Appalachian Regional Commission has divided the 410 counties into four major categories: distressed, transitional, competitive, and attainment. This paper applies spatial models that account for spatial interdependence to evaluate the impact of Appalachian highways on economically disparate counties. Using a spatial autoregressive model in a production function framework, it is found that distressed counties gain from highways whereas competitive counties actually suffer from a negative backwash effect that tends to draw productive activity away from these counties into neighboring counties.
Coupled ocean-atmosphere climate simulations compared with simulations using prescribed sea surface temperature: effect of a “perfect ocean”

Abstract Results from atmospheric general circulation models, run with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea ice amounts set to observed values for the period 1979–1994, can be compared with “control run” simulations by the same atmosphere models coupled to interactive ocean and sea ice models. The simulations with prescribed SSTs and sea ice are available from the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), and coupled ocean-atmosphere simulations are available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). We compare CMIP runs from two coupled models sharing a common atmosphere component (but different ocean components) with the atmosphere component's AMIP run. All three simulations have similar errors that presumably originate in the atmosphere component. Replacing the observed SSTs and sea ice amounts in the AMIP simulation with the interactive submodels used in the CMIP simulations tends to degrade the level of agreement with climate observations. Increases in root-mean-square (RMS) errors, however, are mostly less than 30% and often less than 10% of the magnitude of natural climate variations. Exceptions to this rule occur mainly in the tropics, most notably for geopotential height at 500 hPa and for temperature near the tropopause. These variables show increases in RMS errors that are comparable to observational standard deviations. The coupled model simulations are taken from the end of 300 year control runs without flux “corrections” at the ocean-atmosphere interface. Their similarity to results from the prescribed SST atmosphere model implies that modern coupled models can maintain stable multicentury simulations without flux adjustments.
Disrupting Circadian Homeostasis of Sympathetic Signaling Promotes Tumor Development in Mice

Background Cell proliferation in all rapidly renewing mammalian tissues follows a circadian rhythm that is often disrupted in advanced-stage tumors. Epidemiologic studies have revealed a clear link between disruption of circadian rhythms and cancer development in humans. Mice lacking the circadian genes Period1 and 2 (Per) or Cryptochrome1 and 2 (Cry) are deficient in cell cycle regulation and Per2 mutant mice are cancer-prone. However, it remains unclear how circadian rhythm in cell proliferation is generated in vivo and why disruption of circadian rhythm may lead to tumorigenesis.
The accumulation of accessory pigments as a function of chlorophyll a. A comparison of development and genetic control

A comparison is made between pigment accumulation in pigment-deficient genotypes of soybean (Glycine max) at any one sampling time (genotype control) and pigment accumulation for any one genotype as a function of development (development control). Plots of accessory chloroplast pigments against chlorophyl a show various linear and non-linear relationships that are similar whether generated by genetic differences or by the development process. These relationships are related to the formation and development of pigment-protein complexes especially the relationship of carotenoids to these complexes.
The Effect of Situational Difficulty on Stuttering

Twenty subjects, previously diagnosed as stutterers, were interviewed concerning their feelings and anticipations about entering into four speaking situations varying in degree of difficulty. The f...
From Minitrack to NAVSTAR: The early development of the global positioning system, 1955–1975

The paper outlines the early days of satellite navigation, focusing on the work of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) on systems that contributed to the later Global Positioning System (GPS). NRL's innovations included the Minitrack system for space surveillance, the development of high-precision timing systems for use in space, the Timation navigation satellite program, and the first two Navigation Technology Satellites (NTS-1 and NTS-2). NAVSTAR-GPS emerged as a joint Department of Defense (DoD) program in 1973, by which time much of the GPS concept had been developed and a number of GPS technologies had been tested.
Radiative Properties of Semitransparent Silicon Wafers With Rough Surfaces

This paper presents a Monte Carlo model for prediction of the radiative properties of semitransparent silicon wafers with rough surfaces. This research was motivated by the need of accurate temperature measurement in rapid thermal processing (RTP) systems. The methods developed in this paper, however, can be applied to various semitransparent materials such as diamond films. The numerically obtained bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) showed a similar trend as the experimental data. Furthermore, a higher angular resolution can be achieved by simulation than by experiments. The bidirectional transmittance distribution function (BTDF) can also be computed in the same run for semitransparent wafers. Other spectral radiative properties (such as the directional-hemispherical transmittance and reflectance, the emittance and the absorptance) under various surface conditions were computed at various temperatures. The results can help gain a deeper understanding of the radiative behavior of semitransparent materials and may be applied to various fields.
Predictors of Serostatus Disclosure to Partners Among Young People Living with HIV in the Pre- and Post-HAART Eras

Predictors of serostatus disclosure were identified among youth living with HIV pre- and post-introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Two cohorts of HIV-positive youth, aged 13-24, in 1994-1996 (n = 351) and 1999-2000 (n = 253) in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Miami were sampled through medical providers and a variety of social service agencies. Data were collected on demographic, social, medical, and behavioral topics. Men who had sex with men were more likely to disclose serostatus to their partners. Moreover, a positive association with length of time since diagnosis and the likelihood of disclosure exists; across time, youth were less likely to disclose serostatus to casual partners or HIV-negative partners. Post-HAART, number of sex acts with a partner was associated with increased likelihood of disclosure. Interventions for HIV-positive youth must improve disclosure to casual and serodiscordant sexual partners.
Therapeutic plasma exchange for the treatment of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.

: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been widely accepted as a successful means of removing the antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies that result in the rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) of Goodpasture's syndrome. TPE has also been investigated as a means of removing the immune complexes associated with the glomerulonephritides of systemic lupus erythematosus, IgA nephropathy, Henoch Schonlein purpura, and cryoglobulinemia. Recently, an antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of RPGN associated with such diseases such as Wegener's granulomatosis and periarteritis nodosa. ANCA has also been found in many cases of RPGN formally considered to be idiopathic. The identification of this autoantibody has given new credence to the possibility that TPE may be beneficial in the treatment of these diseases. This article reviews the data regarding the use of TPE for RPGN.
The kinetics of disappearance of endogenous mouse placental lactogen-II in intact and hypophysectomized pregnant mice

The kinetics of disappearance of endogenous mouse placental lactogen-II (mPL-II) were determined in day 12 and day 16 pregnant Swiss Webster mice and in day 16 pregnant mice that had been hypophysectomized (hypox) on day 12. Blood samples from anesthetized animals were taken at different time intervals after bilateral hysterectomy and the maternal serum mPL-II concentration was measured by homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA). Disappearance curves of mPL-II for day 12 and day 16 pregnant mice were resolved into two exponential components: a rapid phase of disappearance, followed by a slow phase. Although the serum mPL-II concentration was higher on day 16 of pregnancy than on day 12, the alpha rate constant for the fast component of the disappearance curve for day 12 pregnant mice (0.054 +/- 0.005 ml/s) was similar to the value observed for day 16 animals (0.052 +/- 0.005 ml/s). The half-life of the fast component of the disappearance curve for day 12 and day 16 pregnant mice was 13.3 +/- 0.9 s and 14.8 +/- 1.5 s, respectively. The slow component of the disappearance curves for day 12 and day 16 pregnant mice had a beta rate constant of 0.00088 +/- 0.00017 ml/s and 0.00083 +/- 0.00009 ml/s, respectively. The half-life of the slow phase of the disappearance curves for day 12 pregnant mice was 1216.4 +/- 376.0 s, while the slow phase of day 16 disappearance curves displayed a half-life of 954.4 +/- 102.7 s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Honest functions and their application to the analysis of cryptographic protocols

J.D. Guttman, et al. (1998) have introduced "strand spaces" as a technique for describing and analyzing cryptographic protocols (i.e. schemes for exchanging messages between legitimate agents in a communications system for purposes of authentication or establishing session keys). The strands of such a protocol are directly mapped to traces of the messages which are transmitted and received by each agent. Strands may also be associated with the possible traces of a penetrator. J.D. Guttman, et al. (1998) use simple graph theoretic constructions to describe the underlying relations between legitimate agents and the penetrator. These researchers also develop an "algebra" for the set of all possible messages which may be transmitted in a given cryptographic protocol. They have successfully used strand spaces to prove correctness properties of several cryptographic protocols. In this paper we extend the theory of strand spaces to include a broad class of cryptographic protocols which could not be analyzed in the original framework provided by Guttman, et al. This class includes the TMN (Roscose's version) and SSHV2 protocols, i.e., protocols which use the exclusive-or and exponential functions for message generation. In an intuitive manner we define the class of "honest" functions and extend the theory to include these functions. We conclude this paper with an analysis of the TMN protocol.
Female dominance and feeding priority in a prosimian primate: experimental manipulation of feeding competition

Female dominance and feeding priority are considered unique behavioral strategies in many Malagasy lemuriformes, particularly Lemur catta. Two hypotheses have been introduced to explain these behavior patterns: 1) females are agonistically dominant over males to mitigate female–male food competition so that females can compensate for high energy demands and inefficient reproductive physiology, and 2) males defer to females when feeding as a reproductive strategy. We tested these hypotheses by conducting controlled feeding experiments on free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) on St. Catherine's Island, GA. Food was dispersed in three ways to simulate varying patch sizes. All feeding and agonistic interactions were recorded during each trial (n = 24). The degree of relatedness between individuals was determined using DNA fingerprinting. There was a clear relationship between food dispersion and both expression of female dominance and feeding priority. Elements of both hypotheses were supported because male and female L. catta used different strategies depending on rank and the dispersion of food. Interpretation of the impact of male rank was complicated because the younger, low-ranking males had female relatives in the group. Females fed more than males, and rates of aggression decreased as food dispersion increased. High-ranking, older unrelated males deferred to females and received little aggression. The top-ranking male deferred the most and sired most if not all of the offspring. Low-ranking, younger related males fought with females for access to food sources, received more aggression, and did not sire offspring. Am. J. Primatol. 69:1–10, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Radioreceptor Assay for Direct Measurement of Plasma Free Glucocorticoid Activit

An assay for plasma free glucocorticoid receptorbinding activity has been developed with the use of specific glucocorticoid receptors in cultured rat pituitary tumor cells (GC line). Unlike other assays for corticosteroids, this assay measures the summed free (rather than the total) receptor-binding activity of all natural and synthetic steroids present in the sample. Plasma samples (0.5 ml) were incubated with [3H]dexamethasone and GC cells at 37 C for 45 min, and the nuclear bound dexamethasone was then measured. The free glucocorticoid receptor- binding activity was determined by the extent to which steroids present in the sample inhibit binding of the 3H-labeled steroids. Free cortisol concentrations of 0.3–3.6 μg/dl were accurately detected. That the assay measures free but not total steroids and that the free steroid provides the correct index of receptor-occupying capability were verified by two findings: 1) the assay yields similar results when the free cortisol is separated from plasma and then r...
Immunological Dominance of Trypanosoma cruzi Tandem Repeat Proteins

Proteins with tandem repeat (TR) domains have been found in various protozoan parasites, often acting as targets of B-cell responses. However, the extent of the repeats within Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, has not been examined well. Here, we present a systematic survey of the TR genes found in T. cruzi, in comparison with other organisms. Although the characteristics of TR genes varied from organism to organism, the presence of genes having large TR domains was unique to the trypanosomatids examined, including T. cruzi. Sequence analyses of T. cruzi TR genes revealed their divergency; they do not share such characteristics as sequence similarity or biased cellular location predicted by the presence of a signal sequence or transmembrane domain(s). In contrast, T. cruzi TR proteins seemed to possess significant antigenicity. A number of previously characterized T. cruzi antigens were detected by this computational screening, and several of those antigens contained a large TR domain. Further analyses of the T. cruzi genome demonstrated that previously uncharacterized TR proteins in this organism may also be immunodominant. Taken together, T. cruzi is rich in large TR domain-containing proteins with immunological significance; it is worthwhile further analyzing such characteristics of TR proteins as the copy number and consensus sequence of the repeats to determine whether they might contribute to the biological variability of T. cruzi strains with regard to induced immunological responses, host susceptibility, disease outcomes, and pathogenicity.
Efficient SAT-based combinational ATPG using multi-level don't-cares

In this paper, we present two combinational ATPG algorithms for combinational designs. These algorithms utilize the multi-level don't cares that are computed for the design during technology independent logic optimization. They are based on Boolean satisfiability (SAT), and utilize the single stuck-at fault model. Both algorithms make use of the compatible observability don't cares (CODCs) associated with nodes of the circuit, to speed up the ATPG process. For large circuits, both algorithms make use of approximate CODCs (ACODCs), which we can compute efficiently. Our first technique speeds up fault propagation by modifying the active clauses in the transitive fanout (TFO) of the fault site. In our second technique, we define new j-active variables for specific nodes in the transitive fanin (TFI) of the fault site. Using these j-active variables we write additional clauses to speed up fault justification. Experimental results demonstrate that the combination of these techniques (when using CODCs) results in an average reduction of 45% in ATPG run-times. When ACODCs are used, a speed-up of about 30% is obtained in the ATPG run-times for large designs. We compared our method against a commercial structural ATPG tool as well. Our method was slower for small designs, but for large designs, we obtained a 31% average speedup over the commercial tool
Dietary vitamin B6 intake modulates colonic inflammation in the IL10(-/-) model of inflammatory bowel disease.

Pyridoxal-5-phosphate, the biologically active form of vitamin B6, is a cofactor for over 140 biochemical reactions. Although severe vitamin B6 deficiency is rare, mild inadequacy [plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) <20 nmol/L] is observed in 19–27% of the US population. Plasma PLP concentrations are inversely related to markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein. Furthermore, plasma PLP is diminished in those with inflammatory conditions and, in the case of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), more so in those with active versus quiescent disease. Restricting B6 intake attenuates IBD pathology in mice; however, the effects of supplementation are unclear. We therefore sought to determine the effects of mild inadequacy and moderate supplementation of B6 on the severity of colonic inflammation. Weanling IL-10−/− (positive for Helicobacter hepaticus) mice were fed diets containing 0.5 (deficient), 6.0 (replete) or 24 (supplemented) mg/kg pyridoxine HCl for 12 weeks and then assessed for histological and molecular markers of colonic inflammation. Both low and high plasma PLP were associated with a significant suppression of molecular (TNFα, IL-6, IFN-γ, COX-2 and iNOS expression) and histological markers of inflammation in the colon. PLP is required for the breakdown of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a chemotactic lipid, by S1P lyase. Colonic concentrations of S1P and PLP were significantly and inversely correlated. If confirmed, vitamin B6 supplementation may offer an additional tool for the management of IBD. Although B6 is required in dozens of reactions, its role in the breakdown of S1P may explain the biphasic relationship observed between PLP and inflammation.
BIDISPERSE PORE DIFFUSION MODEL FOR ZEOLITE PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION.

The published theoretical models for pressure swing adsorption (PSA) are of either the equilibrium type, i.e., instantaneous equilibrium is assumed between the gas and adsorbed phases, or the diffusion type considering only a monodisperse pore structure. There is reason for doubt that either type of model is applicable to adsorption processes using zeolite sorbent, which has a bidisperse pore structure. Commercial zeolite sorbents contain crystals of the size 1-9 microns that are pelletized with a binder. Sorption is entirely within the crystals, which contain micropores, whereas the binder contains macropores with a negligible sorption capacity. This paper presents a general PSA model for zeolite sorbents. Both micropore and macropore diffusion are considered. The mathematical complexity of the pore diffusion equations for the two types of pores is reduced by assuming parabolic concentration profiles in both crystals and pellets. Thus the two partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations containing only time derivatives, and the burden of integration along the radial distance is completely eliminated. The model is general enough to be applied to bulk, multicomponent separations using any PSA cycle. The specific separation discussed in this work is the bulk separation of a hydrogen methane mixture using 5Amore » zeolite. The boundary conditions in the model depend on the PSA cycle.« less
Communication and Beliefs about Racial Equality

In this paper, we examine the effects of location in the social structure and communication processes on whites' responses to societal change conceptions of equality (structural equality): one that...
Stress Relaxation in Prestressed Composite Laminates

Viscoelastic deformation caused in symmetric laminated plates by release of fiber prestress and by uniform thermomechanical loads is analyzed on the constituent, ply and overall laminate scales with the Transformation Field Analysis (TFA) method (G. J. Dvorak, Proc. R. Soc. Lond., 1992, A437, pp. 311?327). Fiber prestress is applied in individual plies prior to matrix cure and released after matrix consolidation. Linear or nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive relations are used to evaluate the inelastic deformation rates in terms of current constituent stress averages. The TFA method regards both thermal and inelastic strains as piecewise uniform eigenstrains acting in superposition with mechanical loads and fiber prestress release on an elastic laminate. Interactions between the eigenstrains at the three different size scales are described by certain influence functions derived from micromechanical analysis of the plies and laminates. Applications describe stress relaxation in two carbon/epoxy laminates after cooling from the curing temperature and release of optimized fiber prestress, that allows maximum tensile load application while keeping both interior and free-edge stresses within prescribed strength limits. Subsequent viscoelastic deformation under constant rate loading, and stress relaxation caused by a sustained application of an elevated temperature to a laminate without prestress are also analyzed. Results are presented in the form of initial failure maps that identify overall stress states which may or may not initiate a specific damage mode in the laminate. ©2002 ASME
Promoting patient-centered care: a qualitative study of facilitators and barriers in healthcare organizations with a reputation for improving the patient experience.

Objective. To investigate organizational facilitators and barriers to patient-centered care in US health care institutions renowned for improving the patient care experience. Design. A qualitative study involving interviews of senior staff and patient representatives. Semi-structured interviews focused on organizational processes, senior leadership, work environment, measurement and feedback mechanisms, patient engagement and information technology and access. Setting. Eight health care organizations across the USA with a reputation for successfully promoting patient-centered care. Participants. Forty individuals, including chief executives, quality directors, chief medical officers, administrative directors and patient committee representatives. Results. Interviewees reported that several organizational attributes and processes are key facilitators for making care more patient-centered: (i) strong, committed senior leadership, (ii) clear communication of strategic vision, (iii) active engagement of patient and families throughout the institution, (iv) sustained focus on staff satisfaction, (v) active measurement and feedback reporting of patient experiences, (vi) adequate resourcing of care delivery redesign, (vii) staff capacity building, (viii) accountability and incentives and (ix) a culture strongly supportive of change and learning. Interviewees reported that changing the organizational culture from a ‘provider-focus’ to a ‘patient-focus’ and the length of time it took to transition toward such a focus were the principal barriers against transforming delivery for patient-centered care.
Poly[guanidinium [tri-μ-formato-κ6O:O′-formato-κ2O,O′-yttrium(III)]]

In the title coordination polymer, {(CH6N3)[Y(CHO2)4]}n, the yttrium(III) ion is coordinated by one O,O-bidentate formate ion and six μ2 bridging formate ions, generating a square-anti­prismatic YO8 coordination polyhedron. The bridging formate ions connect the metal ions into an anionic, three-dimensional network. Charge compensation is provided by guanidinium ions, which inter­act with the framework by way of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The guanidine molecules reside in porous channels of 3.612 by 8.189 A, when considering the van der Waals radii of the nearest atoms (looking down the a-axis).
Effects of moderate variations in macronutrient composition on weight loss and reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in obese, insulin-resistant adults

Background: Obese, insulin-resistant persons are at risk of cardiovascular disease. How best to achieve both weight loss and clinical benefit in these persons is controversial, and recent reports questioned the superiority of low-fat diets. Objective: We aimed to ascertain the effects of moderate variations in the carbohydrate and fat content of calorie-restricted diets on weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk in obese, insulin-resistant persons. Design: Fifty-seven randomly assigned, insulin-resistant, obese persons completed a 16-wk calorie-restricted diet with 15% of energy as protein and either 60% and 25% or 40% and 45% of energy as carbohydrate and fat, respectively. Baseline and postweight-loss insulin resistance; daylong glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol concentrations; fasting lipid and lipoprotein concentrations; and markers of endothelial function were quantified. Results: Weight loss with 60% or 40% of energy as carbohydrate (5.7 ± 0.7 or 6.9 ± 0.7 kg, respectively) did not differ significantly, and improvement in insulin sensitivity correlated with the amount of weight lost (r = 0.50, P < 0.001). Subjects following the diet with 40% of energy as carbohydrate had greater reductions in daylong insulin and triacylglycerol (P < 0.05) and fasting triacylglycerol (0.53 mmol/L; P = 0.04) concentrations, greater increases in HDL-cholesterol concentrations (0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.01) and LDL particle size (1.82 s; P < 0.05), and a greater decrease in plasma E-selectin (5.6 ng/L; P = 0.02) than did subjects following the diet with 60% of energy as carbohydrate. Conclusions: In obese, insulin-resistant persons, a calorie-restricted diet, moderately lower in carbohydrate and higher in unsaturated fat, is as efficacious as the traditional low-fat diet in producing weight loss and may be more beneficial in reducing markers for cardiovascular disease risk.
A methodology and a tool for parallel systems performance analysis

Describes a methodology and a tool for performance analysis of parallel systems and applications running on such systems. The premise is application-driven analysis of the hardware and software characteristics of parallel systems. The methodology and tool provide predictive capabilities either for the performance of a given application model problem or for the performance of the hardware/software system. The current approach is distinguished by two key components: scaling capabilities and hierarchical analysts capabilities. >
Coverage-Dependent Molecular Ejection from Ion-Bombarded C6H6/Ag{111}

Time-of-flight distributions, angular distributions, and relative sputtering yields of neutral benzene (C6H6) molecules ejected from submonolayer to multilayer coverage of C6H6 on Ag{111} have been...
A 20–32-GHz Wideband Mixer With 12-GHz IF bandwidth in 0.18- $\mu{\hbox {m}}$ SiGe Process

This paper presents a 20-32-GHz wideband BiCMOS mixer with an IF bandwidth of 12 GHz. The mixer utilizes an inductive peaking technique to extend the bandwidth of the downconverted IF signal. To our knowledge, the proposed mixer achieves the widest IF bandwidth using silicon-based technologies in K-band. Analytical expressions for the conversion gain and output noise of the proposed mixer are presented. The wideband mixer is implemented using 0.18-μm BiCMOS technology and occupies an area of 0.19 mm2. It achieves a conversion gain of 3 dB, a noise figure between 10.5 and 13.0 dB, and an IIP3 higher than 0.5 dBm with a power consumption of 18 mW from a 1.8-V supply.
A GIS numerical framework to study the process basis of scaling statistics in river networks

A new geographic information system (GIS) numerical framework (NF), called CUENCAS, for flows in river networks is presented. The networks are extracted from digital elevation models (DEMs). The program automatically partitions a basin into hillslopes and channel links that are required to correspond to these features in an actual terrain. To investigate the appropriate DEM resolution for this correspondence, we take a high-resolution DEM at 10-m pixel size, and create DEMs at eight different resolutions in increments of 10 m by averaging. The extracted networks from 10-30 m remain about the same, even though there is a tenfold reduction in the number of pixels. By contrast, the extracted networks show increasing distortions of the original network from 40-90 m DEMs. We show the presence of statistical self-similarity (scaling) in the probability distributions of drainage areas in a Horton-Strahler framework using CUENCAS. The NF for flows takes advantage of the hillslope-link decomposition of an actual terrain and specifies mass and momentum balance equations and physical parameterizations at this scale. These equations are numerically solved. An application of NF is given to test different physical assumptions that produce statistical self-similarity in spatial peak flow statistics in a Horton-Strahler framework.
Mental Health and Disrupted Family Processes in the Lives of Court-Involved African American and Caucasian Youth Being Raised by Grandparents

Using data generated from the Global Risk Assessment Device, mental health and disrupted family processes were examined in a sample of 166 court-involved youth being raised by grandparents. Race and gender mean differences were found with regard to both mental health symptoms and disrupted family processes. Specifically, Caucasian male adolescents reported higher mental health symptoms and disrupted family processes than African American males. Also, females in the sample generally reported higher disrupted family processes than males, with African American females reporting significantly higher average disrupted family processes than African American males. Despite mean differences associated with gender and race, when entered as predictors, neither main effects nor interactions of gender or race were related to mental health symptoms. Disrupted family processes were predictive of higher mental health symptoms. Family-targeted interventions with court-involved youth being raised by grandparents would lik...
Obese and lean Zucker rats demonstrate differential sensitivity to rates of food reinforcement in a choice procedure

The obese Zucker rat carries two recessive fa alleles that result in the expression of an obese phenotype. Obese Zuckers have higher food intake than lean controls in free-feed studies in which rats have ready access to a large amount of one type of food. The present study examined differences in obese and lean Zucker rats using concurrent schedules of reinforcement, which more ecologically models food selection using two food choices that have limited, but generally predictable availability. Lever-pressing of ten lean (Fa/Fa or Fa/fa) and ten obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats was placed under three concurrent variable interval variable interval (conc VI VI) schedules of sucrose and carrot reinforcement, in which the programmed reinforcer ratios for 45-mg food pellets were 5:1, 1:1, and 1:5. Allocation of responses to the two food alternatives was characterized using the generalized matching equation, which allows sensitivity to reinforcer rates (a) and bias toward one alternative (log k) to be quantified. All rats showed a bias toward sucrose, though there were no differences between lean and obese Zucker rats. In addition, obese Zucker rats exhibited higher sensitivity to reinforcement rates than lean rats. This efficient pattern of responding was related to overall higher deliveries of food pellets. Effective matching for food, then, may be another behavioral pattern that contributes to an obese phenotype.
Fano resonance of waves in periodic slabs

We investigate Fano-type anomalous transmission of energy of plane waves across lossless slab scatterers with periodic structure in the presence of non-robust guided modes. Our approach is based on rigorous analytic perturbation of the scattering problem near a guided mode and applies to very general structures, continuous and discrete.
Snapshots of Children's Changing Biases During Language Development: Differential Weighting of Perceptual and Linguistic Factors Predicts Noun Age of Acquisition

Word learning is a lifelong activity constrained by cognitive biases that people possess at particular points in development. Age of acquisition (AoA) is a psycholinguistic variable that may prove useful toward gauging the relative weighting of different phonological, semantic, and morphological factors at different phases of language acquisition and development. Our aim here was to evaluate AoA as a statistical tool for taking “snapshots” of cognitive development. We examined a large corpus of English nouns (n = 1,381) with AoA as the outcome variable in three separate multivariate regressions, encompassing different age ranges (early–middle–late). Predictors included perceptual (e.g., imagery), phonological (e.g., phonological neighborhood density), and lexical (e.g., word length) factors. Different combinations of predictors accounted for significant proportions of the variance for different AoA ranges (i.e., early–middle–late). For example, imageability and frequency are stronger predictors of early r...
Use of technology to reach families with young children with food safety information.

Foodsafety practices associated with diar-rheal illness of Special SupplementalNutrition Program for Women, In-fants, and Children (WIC) partici-pants included not washing handsbefore preparing meals and baby bot-tles or after changing diapers and notwashing items that touched rawmeat before preparing the nextfood.
Using semantic data models in knowledge-based manufacturing-workcell design

The application of advanced database concepts in the design of manufacturing work cells is discussed. After an overview of some applications of semantic and object-oriented data models in the manufacturing domain, issues relating to their use in the design of manufacturing work cells are presented. A simple data and knowledge organization that integrates ideas and constructs typically available in general-purpose semantic data models with other mechanisms specifically tailored to the target domain is then illustrated. Finally, the use of this knowledge organization within a functionality-driven, task-level design procedure is discussed and illustrated by means of an example. >
Modulation of the in Situ Activity of Tissue Transglutaminase by Calcium and GTP

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a calcium-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the posttranslational modification of proteins by transamidation of specific polypeptide-bound glutamine residues. Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that the transamidating activity of tTG requires calcium and is inhibited by GTP. To investigate the endogenous regulation of tTG, a quantitative in situtransglutaminase (TG) activity assay was developed. Treatment of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells with retinoic acid (RA) resulted in a significant increase in tTG levels and in vitro TG activity. In contrast, basal in situ TG activity did not increase concurrently with RA-induced increased tTG levels. However, stimulation of cells with the calcium-mobilizing drug maitotoxin (MTX) resulted in increases in in situ TG activity that correlated (r 2 = 0.76) with increased tTG levels. To examine the effects of GTP on in situ TG activity, tiazofurin, a drug that selectively decreases GTP levels, was used. Depletion of GTP resulted in a significant increase in in situ TG activity; however, treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with a combination of MTX and tiazofurin resulted in significantly lessin situ TG activity compared with treatment with MTX alone. This raised the possibility of calcium-dependent proteolysis due to the effects of tiazofurin, because in vitro GTP protects tTG against proteolysis by trypsin. Studies with a selective membrane permeable calpain inhibitor indicated that tTG is likely to be an endogenous substrate of calpain, and that depletion of GTP increases tTG degradation after elevation of intracellular calcium levels. TG activity was also increased in response to activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors, which increases intracellular calcium through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate generation. The results of these experiments demonstrate that selective changes in calcium and GTP regulate the activity and levels of tTGin situ.