cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene structure of chick cartilage chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (aggrecan) core protein

Large aggregating chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG/aggrecan) is one of the major extracellular matrix components in cartilage. The core protein is also large, over 200 kDa, and modular with a distinct correspondence between protein structural domains and the encoding exons. Here we report the isolation, using chick CSPG cDNA probes and the ensuing sequencing, of genomic clones containing exons encoding the chick CSPG core protein. The 5' two globular domains, G1 and G2, are encoded by four and three exons, respectively, and the interglobular domain is encoded by a single exon. The chondroitin sulfate attachment domain is encoded by the largest exon, 3,216 bp, which is approximately 50% of the total coding sequence. Combined with the previous report (Tanaka, T., Har-el, R. Tanzer, M.L. 1988 J. Biol. Chem. 263, 15831-15835), these data reveal that the chick CSPG gene contains at least 18 exons spanning a genome which is greater than 30 kb. No evidence was obtained for multiple genes for aggrecan in the chick genome. Elucidation of the chick genomic structure allows comparison of the avian and mammalian link protein genes to the homologous portions of avian and mammalian core protein genes (hyaluronate binding domain) with respect to their origins and paths of duplication and divergence.
Methylation analyses of NRRL dextrans by capillary gas-liquid chromatography

Abstract Methylation analyses were conducted on 38 NRRL dextrans with the aid of capillary gas-liquid chromatography (g.l.c.)-mass spectrometry. The superior chromatographic resolution of capillary g.l.c. permitted better quantitation of linkage types and detection of trace components than had been obtained with packed columns. Only a few of the dextrans analyzed contain a single type of non-(1→6) linkage; seven contain at least traces of all three possible secondary links at points of branching. The results amend some earlier methylation analyses conducted by packed-column g.l.c., and extend the utility of the NRRL dextran collection by providing more-precise, quantitative data on the types of α- d -glucopyranosyl residues present.
Automatic network-level identification of sight distance values from existing datasets

Many local, state, and national highways were built years before computer-based tools like geographic information systems (GISs) and computer aided design were available. Therefore, keeping track of existing roadways design parameters is a difficult task since the characteristics of those design are not easily available through modern day GIS and computer aided design-based datasets. Those technologies have become the standard method of information management in agencies and have replaced old paper-based methodologies. As a result, for some of the existing infrastructure, the only information available to decision makers is the location of the highway centerline, along with other asset management information such as shoulder presence, pavement type, and roadside features. The lack of information in GIS datasets about basic design characteristics, such as radius and centerline elevation, means that field surveys are required as the only available method to determine if a highway meets the latest design sta...
New Families and Nonresident Father-Child Visitation

Increasinglyfathers are living apartfrom their children and often go on to form new families. We use nonresidentfathers' longitudinal reports of visits with their children from both waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to evaluate whether and how changing family configurations influence fathers' visitation with their nonresident children. Nonresidentfathers often report reducing visitation, but almost one quarter experience increases in thefrequency of visits with their nonresident children. Generally, wefind that nonresidentfathers who form new unions (spouse or cohabiting partners) do not subsequently see their nonresident children less often than fathers who do notform new unions. Instead, it is the number of new children (particularly new biological children) that reduces the odds offathers'frequent in-person contact with nonresident children.
Unified model of ferromagnetism

(1965). Unified model of ferromagnetism. Advances in Physics: Vol. 14, No. 55, pp. 213-255.
Estimates of sediment fluxes in Long Island Sound

Monthly measurements of suspended sediment concentration and salinity were made at 29 stations along the axis of Long Island Sound from August 1987 through February 1988. The measurements were combined in a 29-segment, two-layer box model to calculate the total sediment fluxes and accumulation rates. Estimates of the total suspended load range from 300,000 metric tons, corresponding to an average residence time of about 2.3 months. Average accumulation rates calculated with the model ranged from about 0.024 mm month−1 to 0.150 mm month−1 for a net annual rate of 0.92 mm yr−1. This is in good agreement with geochemically determined sedimentation rates of 0.75±0.13 mm yr−1 and suggests an oceanic source of sediment equivalent to about 45% of the mud accumulated in the sound.
Investigation of internal cracking and its prevention during induction heating of cold-forged parts

With the trend towards manufacturing large complex shaped parts by cold forging followed by hot forging, problems such as internal cracking during the induction heating of a cold-forged workpiece have become common. One way to solve this problem is to have an annealing step after cold forging. However, this solution adds to the manufacturing operation the additional cost of annealing and post-annealing lubrication. In this investigation, internal cracking was studied by developing numerical models of the cold forging and induction heating processes. These models were applied to several industrial cases of failed as well as successfully forged parts. It was found that the main causes of internal cracks include excessive deformation during cold forging which damaged the material matrix and high tensile thermal stresses during induction heating which led to crack propagation. On the basis of this analysis, recommendations for preventing internal cracks were developed for H8620 steel, which provided for the design of a successful cold forging deformation sequence and induction heating cycles.
Analytical assessment of steel frames progressive collapse vulnerability to corner column loss

Abstract Most of the approaches to the progressive collapse analysis of steel frames have focused so far on computational methods which try to capture the solution of the system responding to localized damage. For the case of progressive collapse, damage is included in the model through the removal of a key element of the structure. The computational difficulty of these approaches, however, makes it very hard for practicing engineers to perform these analyses. For that reason, it is very important for the engineering community to develop simple and reliable analytical tools which could provide useful information on the response of a structure to a column loss. This paper applies a threat-independent analytical method regarding the corner column loss case, which has been presented by the author in previous papers to a wide range of symmetric and non-symmetric steel moment-resisting (sway) frames. The analytical and simple method can indicate the collapse mechanism of a steel frame for the case of a corner column loss through the development of critical ductility curves. The impact of the number of floors, the column removal location, the vertical irregularity and the design of the frames is also studied.
Conversion reactions simulating Guillain-Barré paralysis following suspension of the swine flu vaccination program in the U.S.A.

SynopsisThe association of Guillain-Barre Syndrome as a possible complication of swine flu inoculation created the potential for conversion reactions simulating this syndrome. Upon termination of the swine flu vaccination pragram, a study was initiated in a prepaid health plan to identify and categorize such patients. An estimated 8000 adults were vaccinated and it was hypothesized that a large number of these patients would present to the health plan with conversion symptoms. However, only seven patients met the criteria and they were compared to two control groups (inoculated and uninoculated). The patients with conversion symptoms did show similatities to those previously described in the literature: all were female, of lower educational level, and had great concern with health problems. Other speculations as to why these patients had conversion reactions were made.
The carbon isotopic composition of diamonds: relationship to diamond shape, color, occurrence and vapor composition

Three hundred and thirty new 13C analyses of diamonds are presented, indicating, in conjunction with earlier published work, a range of about 30%. in the carbon isotopic composition of diamonds. The frequency distribution of diamond δ13C analyses shows a very pronounced mode at −5 to −6%.vs PDB, a large negative skewness, and a sharp boundary at about −1%.. Analyses of diamonds from the Premier and Dan Carl mines, South Africa, demonstrate that: (1) differences in 13C content that can be related to diamond color and shape are smaller than 1%.; (2) the mean 13C content of kimberlite carbonates is 1–2%. lower than that of associated diamonds; (3) significant differences in 13C content exist between the mean isotopic compositions of diamonds from these two pipes; (4) the variability in δ13C differs from one mine to the other. Computations were carried out evaluating the effect on the 13C content of diamonds of: (i) various precipitation processes; (ii) the abundance of the species H2, H2O, CH4, CO, CO2 and O2 in the vapor; (iii) the initial isotopic composition variability of the source carbon; (iv) variations of the carbon isotope effects resulting from changes in pressure and temperature and (v) reservoir effects (Rayleigh fractionation). Fifty-eight genetic models were investigated for compatibility with the 13C distribution in diamonds and associated carbonate. The modeling does not permit an unambiguous answer to the question whether or not a vapor participated in diamond formation, although the presence of methane during diamond formation is compatible with the carbon isotopic composition data, possible oxygen fugacities in the mantle and with the composition of gases liberated from diamonds. In all probability carbon isotope effects in the diamond formation process were small, and the very large range in δ13C observed was inherited from the source carbon.
Expressed emotion among white and ethnic minority families of adolescents with bulimia nervosa.

Expressed emotion (EE), a measure of a relative's attitudes and behaviours towards an ill family member, has been found to be related to treatment outcome for both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Although cultural and ethnic background can influence the way in which family members interact, very little is known about cultural differences in EE among families of an eating disordered adolescent. As part of a treatment study for adolescent BN, 55 patients and 84 parents participated in a structured interview, from which EE ratings were made. White and ethnic minority families were compared on five subscales of EE as well as overall level of EE (high vs. low). No significant differences were found between white and minority families. These findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that white and minority families of eating disorder patients may share several similarities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
High-Dose Implantation of MeV Carbon Ion into Silicon

The formation of SiC in silicon wafer by 1.5 MeV C+ implantation to doses of 1.5×1018 ions/cm2 followed by annealing is demonstrated using infrared absorption spectra and Rutherford backscattering (RBS). From the results of He+ backscattering under the channeling condition, the surface layer of Si is observed to remain crystalline even before annealing.
Differential antigen recognition by T cell populations from strains of mice developing polar forms of granulomatous inflammation in response to eggs of Schistosoma mansoni

In humans, infection with schistosome helminths can lead to dissimilar forms of clinical disease. Likewise, in the experimental mouse system, identical infection protocols with Schistosoma mansoni cause a more severe granulomatous disease in the C3H strain than in the C57BL/6 strain. To address this difference, we developed panels of schistosomal egg antigen (SEA)-specific T cell hybridomas to compare the responses of C3H and C57BL/6 mice to the major egg antigen p40. All derived C3H T cell hybridomas, despite being clonally distinct and restricted by either I-Ak or I-Ek, responded to recombinant fragment 15-1 of the p40 antigen, while none of the C57BL/6 T cell hybridomas did. Consistent with the observed monoclonal T cell responses, polyclonal lymph node cells from schistosome-infected C3H mice reacted strongly to fragment 15-1, which contrasted sharply with the weak response displayed by the C57BL/6 strain. Moreover, studies with congenic mice demonstrated that the strong CD4+ T cell response to fragment 15-1 was under major histocompatibility complex control and segregated with the H-2k haplotype. These findings suggest that a dominant T cell response against a major egg antigen may represent a risk factor for the development of severe disease.
A lifting based system for compression and classification trade off in the JPEG2000 framework

Abstract In this paper, we propose a design for a novel lifting based wavelet system that achieves the best trade off between compression and classification performances. The proposed system is based on bi-orthogonal filters and can operate in a scalable compression framework. In the proposed system, the trade off point between compression and classification is determined by the system, however, the user can also fine-tune the relative performance using two controllers (one for compression and one for classification). Extensive simulations have been performed to demonstrate the compression and/or classification performance of our system in the context of the recent image compression standard, namely JPEG2000. Our simulation results show that the lifting based kernels, generated from the proposed system, are capable of achieving superior compression performance compared to the default kernels adopted in the JPEG2000 standard (at a classification rate of 70%). The generated kernels can also achieve a comparable compression quality with the JPEG2000 kernels whilst providing a 99% classification performance. In other words, the proposed lifting based system achieves the best trade off between compression and classification performance at the compressed bit-stream level in the wavelet domain.
A framework for sustainable materials management

Achieving global sustainability will require a decoupling of material consumption from economic value creation. While industrialized societies have achieved gains in resource efficiency and waste recycling, total material through-put continues to rise. Environmental pressures will only be exacerbated as the world's developing economies increase their consumption rates. This paper describes an integrated framework for sustainable materials management that will help to address these critical challenges from a systems perspective.
Itch Evoked by Electrical Stimulation of the Skin

Psychophysical experiments were done to test the possibility that a single receptor population signals both itch and pain by generating different patterns of activity for each type of stimulus. Electrical stimulation of hairy skin evoked pruritus in 92% of the subjects tested, and for the majority the pruritus elicited by electrical stimulation felt the same as that provoked by cowhage. The intensity of pruritus increased with the frequency of stimulation with no change in the quality of the sensation from itch to pain. Electrical stimulation of human skin with response patterns obtained from individual cat polymodal nociceptive neurons to pain- and itch-producing stimuli caused no differences in the quality of the evoked pruritic sensations. These results do not support the idea that the same population of primary sensory neurons can produce both itch and pain by changing their pattern of discharge.
Semisubmersible response to transient ice forces

Abstract The paper presents an analytical and experimental study on the transient response of semisubmersibles to bergybit impact and the strength of bergybit ice to high strain-rate loadings. Two approaches have been proposed for the solution of the semisubmersible-bergybit interaction problem, one using the energy approach and the other using the conventional structural dynamics approach with initial velocity conditions. In addition the local behaviour of the impacted regions have been analysed for deformation and failure. Numerical results have been given for local behaviour of an impacted column and global behaviour of semisubmersible-bergybit system. Experimental study has been reported on the impact strength of iceberg ice at strain rates of 10−3, 10−2 and 10−1; the indentation impact strength of ice is found to be 3–4 times the unaixial compressive strength, at the same strain rate.
XXII. On the flexure of continuous girders

(1875). XXII. On the flexure of continuous girders. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 50, No. 330, pp. 179-191.
A new look at married women’s labor force transitions in Japan

Abstract In this paper, we examine educational differences in married women’s labor force attachment in Japan using 10 waves of data from a nationally representative survey. Results of discrete-time multi-state hazard models of labor force exit and entry indicate that university graduates are both more likely to remain in and less likely to reenter the labor force relative to women with a high school education or less. Their relatively low likelihood of labor force exit reflects educational differences in occupational characteristics, especially employment in full-time, standard jobs. However, junior college and university graduates remain substantially less likely to reenter the labor force net of family circumstances, characteristics of previous employment, and efforts to control for unobserved characteristics. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that tension between emerging incentives to remain in the labor force and lingering incentives to remain out of the labor force are both relatively strong among highly educated women. We conclude with speculation about the implications of these educational differences in married women’s employment for stratification.
Review of literature on HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing in Sub-Saharan Africa: Towards a social transformation model

Abstract Some estimates indicate approximately 65 million people globally have been infected with HIV since the first case was reported, of whom AIDS has killed more than 25 million and 40 million people were living with HIV/AIDS by the year 2006. Other records show the figure had declined to 33.2 million people living with the disease by 2007 but the cause of the decline is not clear whether because of improved records or increased deaths. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa yet there is still no vaccine or cure for the disease. Prevention of HIV infections is therefore a key part in fighting the disease. Prevention of HIV infections is a key part in fighting the disease. Therefore voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers are crucial in attaining some of the goals towards prevention and management of the disease. Objective of the study: This study reviewed studies on VCT programs focusing on performance of the programs in Sub-Saha...
TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY OF THE MATRIX ANALOGIES TEST-SHORT FORM

Summary.-This study examined the test-retest reliability of the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form over a 4-wk. interval for 43 students (77% white), 20 boys and 23 girls in regular fifth grade classrooms (9 yr.-5 mo. to 13 yr.-11 mo.). In raw scores the test-retest (4-wk. interval) Pearson s was .78 indicating fair reliability. There was a modest difference (p = .05) between test (23.98) and retest (25.42) mean raw scores. Implications for test use are discussed.
Central post-stroke pain: Current evidence

This article reviews the definition, epidemiology, and current evidence on pathophysiology, neuroanatomy, clinical features, and treatment of central post-stroke pain.
Myb Transcription Factors and Light Regulate Sporulation in the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans

Life cycle progression in eukaryotic microbes is often influenced by environment. In the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, which causes late blight on potato and tomato, sporangia have been reported to form mostly at night. By growing P. infestans under different light regimes at constant temperature and humidity, we show that light contributes to the natural pattern of sporulation by delaying sporulation until the following dark period. However, illumination does not permanently block sporulation or strongly affect the total number of sporangia that ultimately form. Based on measurements of sporulation-induced genes such as those encoding protein kinase Pks1 and Myb transcription factors Myb2R1 and Myb2R3, it appears that most spore-associated transcripts start to rise four to eight hours before sporangia appear. Their mRNA levels oscillate with the light/dark cycle and increase with the amount of sporangia. An exception to this pattern of expression is Myb2R4, which is induced several hours before the other genes and declines after cultures start to sporulate. Transformants over-expressing Myb2R4 produce twice the number of sporangia and ten-fold higher levels of Myb2R1 mRNA than wild-type, and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Myb2R4 binds the Myb2R1 promoter in vivo. Myb2R4 thus appears to be an early regulator of sporulation. We attempted to silence eight Myb genes by DNA-directed RNAi, but succeeded only with Myb2R3, which resulted in suppressed sporulation. Ectopic expression studies of seven Myb genes revealed that over-expression frequently impaired vegetative growth, and in the case of Myb3R6 interfered with sporangia dormancy. We observed that the degree of silencing induced by a hairpin construct was correlated with its copy number, and ectopic expression was often unstable due to epigenetic silencing and transgene excision.
Taxonomic notes on Senecio tomentosus and its allies (Asteraceae)

Distribution maps, specimen citations and taxonomic commentary are provided for 14 species ofSenecio in temperate North America allied withS. tomentosus (the “Tomentosi”). These data support the author’s treatment of the group inNorth American Flora.
Heart Transplantation for Chagas' Cardiomyopathy

We present 2 patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation for end-stage Chagas' cardiomyopathy. Despite immunosuppressive therapy, postoperative prophylaxis with nifurtimox appeared to prevent Trypanosoma cruzi reactivation. Neither patient has shown signs of Chagas' myocarditis, and both are clinically well 12 and 72 months after transplantation. The successful outcome of our patients suggests that heart transplantation is a reasonable therapeutic option in patients with end-stage Chagas' cardiomyopathy.
Local steroid therapy in the hand

DesPite more than three decades of extensive clinical use, the role of local steroid therapy in the hand remains controversial. This is a consequence in part of the limited number of controlled studies documenting efficacy and deleterious side effects, but it is also a consequence of the nature of the disorders being treated with steroids. They are most often para-articular inflammatory diseases, and assessing therapy is difficult because the lesions are not standardized, they may be self-limited in nature, and the treatment populations are diversified. As a result, steroid dosages and injection schedules have not been uniform. Yet another variable was introduced when the newer long-acting ester preparations became commercially available, and clinical studies before their advent may not bear comparison with more current studies of therapeutic response.
Morphology and microstructure of hydrating portland cement and its constituents V. Changes in hydration of portland cement with and without the presence of triethanolamine and calcium lignosulphonate

Abstract Systematic sequential observations with the electron microscope were made of the morphological changes that occured during the hydration of normal portland cement paste. The specific effect of each of two admixtures, triethanolamine and calcium lignosulphonate, was studied. The hydration products observed were clearly the same as those noted in the pastes of pure minerals or mixtures of these. The morphological changes that occurred appeared to be the same, and the rate of change effected by the presence of an organic admixture was found to be very similar.
Thecal ultrastructure ofScrippsiella faeroense

The thecal ultrastructure ofScrippsiella faeroense (Paulsen) Balech and Oliveira Soares as seen in the electron microscope is described. Additional structural detail of the thecal plate surface, plate connections, and the apical pore, is revealed.
AGU honors 79 geophysicists during 2011 awards cycle

At the 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU honored 79 esteemed geophysicists for their landmark achievements and transformational discoveries, highlighting those who have pioneered new frontiers of scientific knowledge with dedication, commitment, and leadership. Sixty individuals widely recognized as experts in their fields of research were honored as the 2011 class of AGU Fellows. These scientists, who share a lifelong commitment to understanding how the world works and are dedicated to making it a better place, were nominated by their colleagues for spurring major paradigm shifts and innovating breakthrough discoveries in Earth and space sciences. Six Union awardees received recognition for their vision and leadership, for furthering education in the Earth and space sciences, and for outstanding and sustained achievements in science journalism. In addition, AGU presented its inaugural Climate Communication Prize, for outstanding contributions to scientific literacy and public awareness about the urgent problem of climate change.
The transglabellar subcranial approach for nasal dermoids with intracranial extension.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Nasal dermoids are the most common congenital midline nasal lesions. When a midline nasal pit or cyst is identified, scans should be obtained to look for an intracranial connection. The intracranial portion of the lesions has traditionally been approached by the performance of a frontal craniotomy. The transglabellar subcranial approach is a useful technique to resect these lesions and offers several advantages over a traditional craniotomy approach. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Methods: Records of two patients who underwent excision of nasal dermoids by way of a subcranial approach were analyzed. Results: Two patients underwent successful resection of nasal dermoids with intracranial extension by way of a subcranial approach. The patients were 13 months and 19 months old at the time of excision and have been followed for 7 years and 6 years, respectively. There has not been any recurrence of the lesions. There has been no apparent negative impact on facial growth in either of these cases. Conclusions: The subcranial approach is an effective technique for the resection of nasal dermoids with intracranial extension. These lesions have traditionally been managed with lateral rhinotomy, midface degloving, or external rhinoplasty approaches combined with a frontal craniotomy. The subcranial approach offers excellent exposure, minimizes frontal lobe retraction, reduces the likelihood of cerebrospinal fluid leak, and provides for excellent cosmetic result. This approach was used in two cases with long-term follow-up. The lesions were successfully resected in both cases. Long-term follow-up has shown no recurrence or negative effect on craniofacial growth.
Peptide models of local and long-range interactions in the molten globule state of human alpha-lactalbumin.

Abstract α-Lactalbumin, a small calcium-binding protein, forms an equilibrium molten globule state under a variety of conditions. A set of four peptides designed to probe the role of local interactions and the role of potential long-range interactions in stabilizing the molten globule of α-lactalbumin has been prepared. The first peptide consists of residues 20 through 36 of human α-lactalbumin and includes the entire B-helix. This peptide is unstructured in solution as judged by CD. The second peptide is derived from residues 101 through 120 and contains both the D and 3 10 helices. When this peptide is crosslinked via the native 28 to 111 disulfide to the B-helix peptide, a dramatic increase in helicity is observed. The crosslinked peptide is monomeric, as judged by analytical ultracentrifugation. The peptide binds 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulphonate (ANS) and the fluorescence emission maximum of the construct is consistent with partial solvent exposure of the tryptophan residues. The peptide corresponding to residues 101 to 120 adopts significant non-random structure in aqueous solution at low pH. Two hydrophobic clusters, one involving residues 101 through 104 and the other residues 115 through 119 have been identified and characterized by NMR. The hydrophobic cluster formed by residues 101 through 104 is still present in a smaller peptide containing only residues 101 to 111 of α-lactalbumin. The cluster also persists in 6 M urea. A non-native, pH-dependent interaction between the Y103 and H107 side-chains that was previously identified in the acid-denatured molten globule state was examined. This interaction was found to be more prevalent at low pH and may therefore be an example of a local interaction that stabilizes preferentially the acid-induced molten globule state.
Studies in the theory of interfacial stability—II. Moving symmetric model

Abstract The symmetric model of a two-phase interface, which was introduced in the first paper of this series, is considered here for a situation in which the interface moves with constant average velocity. A fixed temperature gradient is imposed on the moving system, so that the interface possesses most of the essential properties of a solidification front in a binary alloy. In particular, the system undergoes a Mullins-Sekerka instability. The main part of the present paper is devoted to the development of a systematic sequence of approximations for computing the shapes and dynamical properties of the cellular interfaces which appear when the system is driven just beyond the limit of planar stability. Special attention is paid to the manner in which the cellular structures evolve from deformations of an initially planar interface, and to the stability of these structures against a general class of infinitesimal perturbations. It is found that only a subset of stationary cellular interfaces is completely stable. The results of these calculations also suggest mechanisms for the transition from steady-state to dendritic growth modes.
Probability Density Estimation Using Isocontours and Isosurfaces: Applications to Information-Theoretic Image Registration

We present a new, geometric approach for determining the probability density of the intensity values in an image. We drop the notion of an image as a set of discrete pixels, and assume a piecewise-continuous representation. The probability density can then be regarded as being proportional to the area between two nearby isocontours of the image surface. Our paper extends this idea to joint densities of image pairs. We demonstrate the application of our method to affine registration between two or more images using information theoretic measures such as mutual information. We show cases where our method outperforms existing methods such as simple histograms, histograms with partial volume interpolation, Parzen windows, etc. under fine intensity quantization for affine image registration under significant image noise. Furthermore, we demonstrate results on simultaneous registration of multiple images, as well as for pairs of volume datasets, and show some theoretical properties of our density estimator. Our approach requires the selection of only an image interpolant. The method neither requires any kind of kernel functions (as in Parzen windows) which are unrelated to the structure of the image in itself, nor does it rely on any form of sampling for density estimation.
The Impact of Field Enhancements and Charge Injection on the Pulsed Breakdown Strength of Water

A unique theoretical model of the breakdown mechanism in water has been developed and further tested in both simulation software and experimentation. The conducted experiments test the degree to which electrode material, surface roughness, and surface area impact the dielectric strength of water. Voltage pulses with respective rise times of roughly 200 and 20 ns were applied to a water test gap producing electric fields in excess of 1.5 MV/cm. In experiments testing various electrode materials, thin film coatings of various metallic alloys and oxides were applied to Bruce-profiled stainless steel electrodes, with an effective area of 5 cm2, through ion beam deposition. Similar Bruceprofiled stainless steel electrodes with surface roughness ranging from 0.26 to 1.96 mum and effective areas ranging from 0.5 to 75 cm2 were used in the study of surface roughness and area. Additionally, shadowgraph images of a point plane geometry were taken to further understand the breakdown processes that occur
Identification of nursing management diagnoses

Theories from nursing and management provide frameworks for enhancing effectiveness of nursing management practice. The concept nursing management diagnosis has been developed by integrating nursing diagnosis and organizational diagnosis as a basis for nurse manager decision-making. Method triangulation was used to identify problems of managing nursing units, to validate those problems for relevancy to practice, to generate nursing management diagnoses, and to validate the diagnoses. Diagnoses were validated according to a definition of nursing management diagnosis provided. Of the 72 nursing management diagnoses identified, 66 were validated at a 70% level of agreement by nurse managers participating in the study.
Accuracy management for mixed-mode digital VLSI simulation

Accuracy Management (AM) offers delay-oriented control of simulation accuracy in automated mixed-mode simulation of digital VLSI circuits. AM heuristics, with little additional computation, can achieve a required level of accuracy in output timing predictions while insuring computational efficiency by using simulations with appropriate levels of accuracy throughout a circuit. These results are demonstrated through both mathematical predictions on some benchmark circuit topologies, and actual mixed-mode timing simulations on large combinational circuit benchmarks. Simulation speedups of 5-10 over corresponding standard, wave-form relaxation-based circuit simulations are demonstrated.
Impact of faculty development sessions to increase faculty competency with supervision of medication administration in an associate degree program

To reduce medication administration errors by student nurses, this initiative focused on the education of clinical faculty in key areas of the medication process. Faculty development sessions addressed clinical supervision, Quality and Safety Education in Nursing, the rights of medication administration, and the impact of interruptions during the medication administration process. Outcomes indicate an increase in near-miss medication errors, indicating a need for further monitoring and faculty development.
Nd: YAG laser-irradiation-induced damage to LiNbO 3 and KDP

It is shown that internal damage in LiNbO 3 and KDP occurs at the same or lower levels of irradiation than surface damage. This is found in crystals used as frequency doublers and Pockels cells as well as in samples having different orientations. It is recommended, therefore, that samples that have suffered surface damage be thoroughly inspected internally before being repolished and reused. Internal filamentary damage in LiNbO 3 is shown to be composed of a series of very fine nearly planar cracks, which intersect to form one or more long lines having diameter \approx 0.4 \mu . When illuminated with visible light, diffraction effects make these lines appear blurred and give the impression of a tube of damaged material. Scanning electron micrographs of surface damage are included in this paper in order to show the very different characteristics of entrance and exit face damage and to reveal the importance of thermal effects as at least one cause of laser-induced damage.
Response of high-elevation limber pine (Pinus flexilis) to multiyear droughts and 20th-century warming, Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) stands along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, California, experienced significant mortality from 1985 to 1995 during a period of sustained low precipitation and high temperature. The stands differ from old-growth limber pine forests in being dense, young, more even-aged, and located in warmer, drier microclimates. Tree growth showed high interannual variability. Relative to live trees, dead trees over their lifetimes had higher series sensitivity, grew more variably, and had lower growth. Although droughts recurred during the 20th century, tree mortality occurred only in the late 1980s. Significant correlations and interactions of growth and mortality dates with temperature and precipitation indicate that conditions of warmth plus sustained drought increased the likelihood of mortality in the 1985-1995 interval. This resembles a global-change-type drought, where warming combined with drought was an initial stress, trees were further weakened by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium cyanocarpum (A. Nels. ex Rydb.) A. Nels.), and proximally killed by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins). However, the thinning effect of the drought-related mortality appears to have promoted resilience and improved near-term health of these stands, which suffered no additional mortality in the subsequent 1999-2004 drought.
Dyspnoea and Diminished Vital Capacity as a Symptom and a Sign in Hay Fever

From these studies we may tentatively conclude that: 1. Patients with uncomplicated hay fever and no history of bronchial asthma may frequently demonstrate a diminished vital capacity during their pollen seasons. 2. In the majority of cases, such diminished vital capacity will be associated with little benefit from injection therapy. 3. The patients with coincidental inhalant sensitivities show greater variation in vital capacity measurement than those in whom there is a single causative agent. 4. Intercurrent nasal or pulmonary infection will also affect the vital capacity. 5. Patients with bronchial asthma due to pollen sensitivity, either alone or associated with other inhalant sensitivities, showed decreased vital capacity when exposed to their causative allergens, although clinically they may not complain of bronchialasthma. 6. In the small series studied, variation of vital capacity was not an index of prognosis. 7. The studies suggest that in three out of four patients the respiratory tract reacts as a single organ irrespective of the seat of the majority of the symptoms of which the patient complains. 8. Patients suffering from nasal pollenosis should be questioned regarding dyspnoea which may be the earliest sign of bronchial involvement. Studies with larger groups of patients, for longer periods of time, may finally prove how quickly this may be associated with a latent bronchial asthma in both treated and untreated pollen and other inhalant sensitive patients. Similar studies are now in progress concerning the relationship of other forms of nasal allergy, and direct or reflex diminution in lung capacity.
Information withholding as a manipulative and collusive strategy in Nukulaelae gossip

This article examines the organization and function of information-withholding sequences, a conversational strategy used by participants in gossip interactions on Nukulaelae, a Polynesian atoll of the Central Pacific. A withholding sequence is a three-turn sequence whereby a piece of information is withheld in the first turn, an other-repair is initiated in the second turn, and the withheld material is provided in the third turn. Information-withholding sequences thus involve moves that in other contexts would be construed as face-threatening. They have a dual function: they provide speakers an opportunity to manipulate their audiences into becoming coproducers of the gossip, and they reinforce the status of their initiator as controller of the floor. Withholding sequences illustrate how ambiguity and repairs can be exploited to meet the communicative demands of particular interactional contexts. They also illustrate how gossip may be framed simultaneously as group-cohesive behavior and self-serving behavior. (Conversation analysis, ethnography of speaking, gossip, conversational repair, Polynesia, Nukulaelae Tuvaluan)
Processor equivalence for daisy chain load sharing processors

A linear daisy chain of processors in which processor load is divisible and shared among the processors is examined. It is shown that two or more processors can be collapsed into a single equivalent processor. This equivalence allows a characterization of the nature of the minimal time solution, a simple method to determine when to distribute load for linear daisy chain networks of processors without front end communication subprocessors and closed form expressions for the equivalent processing speed of infinitely large daisy chains of processors. >
Expanding Role of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Left and Right Ventricular Diastolic Function

This article focuses on the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in understanding the physiology of diastolic function and on the future applications of CMR as they relate to diastolic function evaluation. CMR has a demonstrated potential to define diastolic function and quantify its properties, in terms of active and passive stages, and its relaxation and compliance characteristics. CMR is also useful for assessing inflow and myocardial velocities, and untwisting properties of the chamber and myocardium, thus providing insights not fully available in other invasive and noninvasive strategies. CMR, which offers the necessary capabilities to evaluate the complex structure of the right ventricle, can serve in the future as the standard for evaluating diastolic function as it currently does for systolic function.
Gender Will Find a Way: Exploring How Male Elementary Teachers Make Sense of Their Experiences and Responsibilities

In recent years, public discussions over the socialization of boys have increased dramatically. These concerns have fueled a number of proposed remedies, one of which has been a push to increase the presence of men in elementary schools. To date, however, this call for increased male participation in elementary education has focused primarily on boosting the numbers of men in the field. The authors contend that simply increasing male representation is not enough. Drawing from interviews with fourteen male elementary teachers, they explore how these teachers understood and talked about their experiences and responsibilities as male teachers. At times, they illustrate ways in which they drew from dominant discourses of gender, race and class to make sense of their experiences and responsibilities. At the same time, the authors highlight moments of instability and/or potential disruptions to these discourses as men sometimes challenged or questioned traditional narratives of gender. They then identify implications for teacher education, professional development, public rhetoric and debate, and future efforts to recruit and incorporate more male teachers.
Adaptive control of PDEs with uncertain and spatially variable parameters

This tutorial paper presents comprehensive new techniques for adaptive control of PDE systems. It overviews three design methods - the Lyapunov design, the passive design, and the swapping design and discusses tradeoffs between them. The basic ideas for each design are introduced through benchmark plants with constant unknown coefficients. This is then expanded to PDEs with spatially varying coefficients and with boundary sensing only, employing adaptive PDE observers. These adaptive controllers are applicable even to PDE systems with an infinite relative degree, infinitely many unknown parameters, and open loop unstable.
Multiemitter BiCMOS logic circuit family

A new multiemitter BiCMOS circuit using half-micrometer BiCMOS technology with a 3.6-V supply provides 85 % improvement in delay over CMOS design and 40 % improvement over conventional BiCMOS. This benefit is demonstrated in a 64-b carry look-ahead adder where most of the gates have a high number of inputs. A complete logic circuit family based on the multiemitter (ME) concept is proposed in a gate-array structure. >
On Collinear Wake Field Acceleration

In the Voss-Weiland scheme of wake field acceleration a high current, ring-shaped driving bunch is used to accelerate a low current beam following along on axis. In such a structure, the transformer ratio, i.e. the ratio of the maximum voltage that can be gained by the on-axis beam and the voltage lost by the driving beam, can be large. In contrast, it has been observed that for an arrangement in which driving and driven bunches follow the same path, and where the current distribution of both bunches is gaussian, the transformer ratio is not normally greater than two. This paper explores some of the possibilities and limitations of a collinear acceleration scheme. In addition to its application to wake field acceleration in structures, this study is also of interest for the understanding of the plasma wake field accelerator.
New Miner aloe orticoids: 5α -Dihydroaldosterone and 5α-Dihydro-11-Deoxycorticosterone*

Mineralocorticoid activity of several ∆4- 3-ketosteroids and their 5α-dihydro analogs were evaluated by bioassay using urinary Na:K ratio of adrenalectomized rats as an index of mineralocorticoid activity. Among ∆4-3-ketosteroids, aldosterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, cortisol, 11-dehydrocorticosterone, and cortisone showed mineralocorticoid activity with aldosterone, the most potent of the series, showing virtually maximum activity at a dose of 0.25 μg/rat. 5α- Dihydroaldosterone and 5α-dihydro-11-deoxycorticosterone possessed distinct mineralocorticoid activity, albeit less than aldosterone and 11-deoxycorticosterone. 5α-Dihydrocorticosterone, 5α -dihydrocortisol, 5α-dihydro- 11-dehydrocorticosterone, and 5α-dihydrocortisone did not show mineralocorticoid activity in doses up to 100 μg/rat. It is concluded that reduction of the 4,5 double bond diminishes mineralocorticoid activity of ∆4-3-ketosteroids. Nevertheless, 5α-dihydroaldosterone has distinct mineralocorticoid activity with potenc...
The Face as a Data Display

Computer-generated schematic faces have been proposed as a potentially useful medium for communicating complex data. Two experiments were performed to examine faces in this regard. In the first experiment, subjects performed a clustering task in a nine-dimensional Euclidean space. Subjects performed significantly and substantially better when the points in the nine-space were represented by faces than when they were represented in either of two alternate ways. In the second experiment, subjects performed a paired-associate learning task with faces and with a variety of other stimuli of three different dimensionalities. While faces were found to result in generally superior performance, a number of other interesting effects were also observed.