cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flammability limit and limit-temperature of counterflow lean methane-air flames

The temperatures of the symmetric counterflow lean methane premixed flames as a function of the fuel mole fraction were measured for four different mean nozzle velocities. The experimental procedure resulted in twin flames that are further separated from each other thereby reducing the effects of incomplete combustion of carbon monoxide induced by downstream diffusional interaction of CO concentration profiles prior to the flame extinction. The limit concentration of fuel for counterflow twin lean methane-air flames was found to be 4.5% instead of the 4.8% obtained from prior investigations. Also, a procedure was described for evaluation of the limit temperature of counterflow lean methane-air flames. The resulting limit temperature of about T{sub f} = 855 C instead of 1,120 C was found to be in closer agreement with the critical crossover temperature of about {Tc} = 780 C at which the rates of certain important chain-branching and chain-terminating reactions become equal to each other. The findings support the idea that the chemical-kinetic mechanisms in terms of competition between certain important chain-branching and chain-terminating reaction steps are of primary importance in defining the critical limit temperature at the lean flammability limit of methane-air premixed flames.
Abdominal surgery in foals: a review of 119 cases (1977-1994).

Summary The case records of 119 young horses (all less than age one year) that underwent an exploratory celiotomy during a 17 year period were examined to determine the surgical findings, short- and long-term outcome, and prevalence of small intestinal disease compared to previous reports in the mature horse. Physical and laboratory values were compared for long-term survivors vs. nonsurvivors and the frequency of post operative intra-abdominal adhesions was determined. The most common cause for exploratory celiotomy was small intestinal strangulation, followed by enteritis and uroperitoneum. Six horses died during surgery, 23 were subjected to euthanasia at the time of surgery due to a grave prognosis, and 17 horses died or were destroyed after surgery, prior to discharge from the hospital; the short-term survival was 61%. Nine horses were lost to follow-up. Forty-one horses survived long-term (at least 6 months after surgery), 15 died or were subjected to euthanasia after discharge for reasons related to the prior abdominal surgery, and 8 died or were destroyed after discharge due to unrelated reasons, making the long-term survival 45%. Fifty-three (45%) of the horses presented as neonates, and 66 (55%) presented age 3–12 months. Uroperitoneum and meconium impaction were the most common disease in the neonate. Intussusception and enteritis were the most common diseases in older foals. The overall prevalence of small intestinal disease was 44%. Significant elevations in packed cell volume, heart rate, nucleated cell counts and total protein in abdominal fluid and rectal temperature were observed in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. Nonsurvivors had significantly decreased serum bicarbonate, chloride, sodium, and venous pH values. There was no evidence that location of the lesion affected long-term survival. Horses with a simple obstruction had a higher survival percentage than those with a strangulating obstruction, and horses that underwent an intestinal resection had a lower long-term survival than those horses undergoing only intestinal manipulation. Nineteen (33%) of the foals examined after the original surgery had evidence of intra-abdominal adhesions. Nine of these (16%) had adhesions that caused a clinical problem.
The haplotype structure in the gene encoding the delta-opioid receptor in humans

Considering the low to moderate heritability estimates of pain sensitivity and huge number of related genes, a haplotype block may provide a better tool in investigating the role genetic variations in pain and analgesic response due to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs). Our previous findings suggested that SNPs on delta-opioid receptor subtype 1 (OPRD1) gene contribute to variations in experimental pain sensitivity. Hence, we investigated the haplotype block structure in OPRD1 gene in 313 unrelated human subjects that include European American (EA), Asian (ASN), Hispanic (HIS) and African (AFR) American. We assayed OPRD1 genotypes for 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci using genomic DNA 5′ exonuclease allelic discrimination assays. Haplotype frequency of unphased genotypes was inferred using PHASE method and measured linkage disequilibrium by Lewontin's Disequilibrium coefficient, D prime (> 0.75). We identified haplotype blocks, which shows little evidence of recombination, in the range of 0.79 and 16.4 kilo bases in different ethnic groups studied. AFR population exhibited very small and distinct block structure than the other ethnic groups. HIS and ASN population showed different combination of block structure but both shared structures with EA population. EA population was separate from other groups by having most of the blocks. In our previous findings we observed higher cold withdrawal time (CWT) for EA. Given this association, higher CWT by EA may be due in part to this distinct block structure of the OPRD1 gene. Thus, differences in haplotype block structure in different population might provide insights into individual variation in pain ratings and the response to opioid drugs. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P4–P4; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.015
Deepening Understanding of the Teaching and Learning Context Through Ethnographic Analysis

Teacher work samples are one tool for helping teacher candidates learn to systematically connect their actions to the learning of each student. To connect teaching and learning effectively, candidates must understand well the teaching and learning context. To deepen candidates' abilities to analyze the teaching and learning context and plan for working most effectively within it, candidates engaged in ethnographic analysis of their mentor teachers' classroom cultures. Using digital video technology, video ethnographies were produced to illustrate salient qualities of classroom culture including routines of action, shared beliefs and values, and patterns of interaction and engagement. Through stimulated recall sessions, preservice teachers described learning a great deal about research methods, classroom culture, and how to more effectively participate in these cultures to facilitate student learning. Vignettes and classroom anecdotes illustrate research results.
Detection and identification of halides in organic compounds. An improved micro qualitative procedure using zinc-lithium carbonate as fusion mixture

Abstract A detailed fusion technique based on the desirable properties of a zinc lithium carbonate fusion mixture, has been evolved. The new mixture is characterized by the lower melting point and low solubility of lithium carbonate in water. Many organic compounds, among them dyestuffs and dye intermediates with iodine and bromine in the ring, side chain, or in ionic linkage, have been successfully tested by the described procedure.
Small animal imaging using a flat panel detector-based cone beam computed tomography (FPD-CBCT) imaging system

Flat panel detector-based cone beam CT (FPD-CBCT) imaging system prototypes have been constructed based on modified clinical CT scanners (a modified GE 8800 CT system and a modified GE HighSpeed Advantage (HSA) spiral CT system) each with a Varian PaxScan 2520 imager. The functions of the electromechanical and radiographic subsystems of the CT system were controlled through specially made hardware, software and data acquisition modules to perform animal cone beam CT studies. Small animal (mouse) imaging studies were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of an optimized CBCT imaging system to have the capability to perform longitudinal studies to monitor the progression of cancerous tumors or the efficacy of treatments. Radiographic parameters were optimized for fast (~10 second) scans of live mice to produce good reconstructed image quality with dose levels low enough to avoid any detectable radiation treatment to the animals. Specifically, organs in the pelvic region were clearly imaged and contrast studies showed the feasibility to visualize small vasculature and space-filling bladder tumors. In addition, prostate and mammary tumors were monitored in volume growth studies.
Regio- and Stereospecific Synthesis of Mono-β-d-Glucuronic Acid Derivatives of Combretastatin A-1

Synthetic routes have been established for the preparation of regio- and stereoisomerically pure samples of the mono-β-d-glucuronic acid derivatives of combretastatin A-1, referred to as CA1G1 (5a) and CA1G2 (6a). Judicious choice of protecting groups for the catechol ring was required for the regiospecific introduction of the glucuronic acid moiety. The tosyl group proved advantageous in this regard. The two monoglucuronic acid analogues demonstrate low cytotoxicity (compared to CA1, 2) against selected human cancer cell lines, with CA1G1 being slightly more potent than CA1G2.
Information architecture considerations for a smart structural system

Abstract The eventual development of smart structural systems will require well-designed computational support for the signal processing and diagnostic inferencing associated with multi-channel instrumented structures. This paper discusses knowledge modeling issues and requirements for a smart structural system, and a logic-based object-oriented information architecture for organizing and managing the data arising from an instrumented structure is presented. A neural network is employed within this information architecture for damage identification. The resulting software implementation is described and illustrated in the context of a laboratory case study of damage detection in a successively damaged steel truss structure.
Tagging radon daughters in low-energy scintillation detectors

One problematic source of background in scintillator-based low-energy solar neutrino experiments such as Borexino is the presence of radon gas and its daughters. The mean lifetime of the α -emitter 214 Po in the radon chain is sufficiently short, 0.24 ms, that its decay, together with that immediately preceding of 214 Bi, is easily recognized as a “coincidence event.” This fact, combined with the capability of α / β pulse-shape discrimination, makes it possible to tag decays of 222 Rn and its first four daughters via a likelihood-based method.
Nearby regions of massive star formation

Observations of the nearest regions of massive star formation such as Orion are reviewed. Early-type stars in the local OB associations, as well as their superbubbles and supershells provide a fossil record of massive star birth in the Solar vicinity over about the last 40 Myr. This record shows that most massive stars are born from dense, high-pressure, hot cores which spawn transient clusters that dissipate into the field soon after formation. A large fraction (15 to 30%) of massive stars are high-velocity runaways moving at more than 20 km s fingers emerging from OMC-1 has a dynamical age of about 1100 years. It is possible that a dynamical interaction between three or more stars in OMC-1 led to the formation of this eruptive outflow.
The Interpretation of R 2 in Autoregressive-Moving Average Time Series Models

(1976). The Interpretation of R 2 in Autoregressive-Moving Average Time Series Models. The American Statistician: Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 175-180.
Block copolymer supramolecular assembly using a precursor to a novel conjugated polymer

Block copolymer supramolecular assemblies (SMAs) have been used to prepare nanotemplates and nanoarrays of a variety of materials. This has been achieved via selective H-bonds between a low molecular weight additive and one block of the block copolymer. Herein we propose to extend the range of the additives by exploring multiple weak interactions other than hydrogen bonding. This is illustrated with the following SMA: diblock copolymer poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) and the low molecular weight additive 1,5-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-1,6-methano[10]annulene (bisEDOT), a molecule synthesized specifically for this project. Through rational design, bisEDOT possesses several characteristics which make it a suitable candidate for functional SMA formed without hydrogen bonds. It has multiple sites for SMA formation, exhibits photoluminescence, and is a precursor to an electroconductive polymer. Also, removal of bisEDOT results in porous thin films allowing us to study the morphology using AFM. C-AFM confirms that polymerization of bisEDOT leads to electroconductive polymer thin films. In this work, we discuss the formation of this SMA as well as in situ polymerization of bisEDOT in SMA thin films.
Histocultures of Human Prostate Tissues for Pharmacologic Evaluation

AbstractThis study evaluated the growth of human prostate tumors in histoculture, an in vitro culture technique that maintains three-dimensional tissue structure and organization. Eighty-six percent of 50 tumor specimens from 50 patients were successfully cultured. The histocultures showed proliferation of epithelial tumor cells and stromal cells. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) were detectable by immunohistochemistry for at least 8 weeks. Synthesis of PSA was further confirmed by its presence in medium. The mean thymidine labeling index (LI) of the neoplastic cells was 62 percent. There was no correlation between thymidine LI and tumor grade. The explants maintained their characteristics for at least 8 weeks as indicated by unchanged thymidine LI, PSA and PAP immunohistochemistry after 2 and 8 weeks in culture. A 24 to 48 hour delay in processing the tissues for culture did not reduce the thymidine LI.The thymidine LI and PSA and PAP staining in tumors cultured in a M...
Impacts of motivation for change on the severity of alcohol use by patients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Objective: This study examined the effect of motivation for change, measured by the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES), on alcohol use severity among alcoholic patients with severe and persistent mental illness. Method: At a Veterans Affairs hospital, 390 dually diagnosed patients were recruited and assessed for motivation for change, alcohol use severity, psychotic symptoms and global functioning at baseline and 9-month follow-up. Results: Regression analyses showed that patients who were highly ambivalent about their alcohol use at baseline consumed significantly more alcohol 9 months later, on the basis of Addiction Severity Index ratings (p < or = .01), than patients who felt less ambivalent. Conclusions: The findings suggest that increased awareness of alcohol-related problems is essential to reducing alcohol use severity for alcoholic patients with severe and persistent mental illness. The implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.
Effect of rotational and vibrational excitation on interaction of diatomic molecules

A general and computationally efficient approach evaluating the central-force potentials for interaction of rotationally and vibrationally excited molecules and molecular ions is presented. Examples of numerical calculations are given for interactions of diatomic systems (H2, N2 and O2) in ground electronic states. The approach can be applied in straightforward way to interaction of atoms and atomic ions with diatomic molecules in arbitrary rotational-vibrational states.
Forced Convection Heat Transfer From a Uniformly Heated Cylinder

Forced convection heat transfer from a cylindrical heating element with crossflow occurs in many situations of practical interest, but heat-transfer coefficients for liquids were previously reported in the literature only for Reynolds numbers below 200. New data taken with water and ethylene glycol at Reynolds numbers irom 40 to l00,000 and Prandtl numbers from 1 to 300 were correlated. Thc effects of temperature differences large enough to produce significant changes in viscosity across the boundary layer were also investigated and are correlated in terms of a viscosity ratio. (auth)
Rapid slewing of the orbiting spacecraft control laboratory experiment (SCOLE) using LQR techniques

The rotational equations of motion, describing the dynamics of the (rigidized) proposed orbiting Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) during the station keeping phase, are derived using the Eulerian formulation. When the attitude angles (roll, pitch, and yaw) are assumed small, a stability analysis is conducted for the system. It is seen that the pitch equation decouples from the roll and yaw equations when the interface between the mast on the reflector is not offset or the offset is only along the Shuttle roll axis. When a second offset is introduced along the pitch axis of the system and when the gravity-gradient torques are present in the dynamics, the system assumes a new equilibrium position. The linear regulator theory is used to derive a control law for the linear model of the rigidized SCOLE. This law is applied to the nonlinear model of the same configuration of the system and preliminary single axis slewing maneuvers (20 deg amplitude) are simulated.
Circadian variations of transforming growth factor-beta2 and basic fibroblast growth factor in the rabbit aqueous humor.

Purpose. To compare levels of transforming growth factor-s2 (TGF-s2) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the ocular fluids of rabbits at various times of the day. Methods. Seventy-two young adult New Zealand albino rabbits were entrained to a daily 12-hour light (6 AM to 6 PM) and 12-hour dark cycle. Eight rabbits were sacrificed at each of 6 time points: 4 AM, 8 AM, noon, 4 PM, 8 PM, and midnight. Under an acute 24-hour constant dark condition, 8 additional rabbits were sacrificed at each of 3 time points in the accustomed light period (8 AM, noon, and 4 PM). Samples of aqueous humor and vitreous humor were collected from both eyes. Using enzyme immunoassay, samples from one eye were assayed for total TGF-s2 and active form of TGF-s2 and samples from the other eye were assayed for bFGF. Concentrations at various time points were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni t-test for multiple comparisons. Results. Aqueous humor levels of total TGF-s2, active TGF-s2, and bFGF changed duri...
Increased risk associated with combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a propensity-matched comparison with isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Objective: Risk associated with combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CEA/CABG) is controversial. The present study objective was to compare morbidity and mortality outcomes in well-matched patients who underwent combined CEA/CABG surgery with patients undergoing isolated CABG surgery with and without a history of a prior CEA. Design: This investigation was designed as a retrospective case-controlled study using data from the Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Patient Registry in a single tertiary institution. The patient population consisted of 1,698 isolated CABG surgery patients with carotid artery stenosis >40%, 708 patients who underwent an isolated CABG surgery but had a history of a prior CEA, and 272 combined CEA/CABG surgery patients who underwent surgery from January 4, 1993, through June 30, 2003. Propensity modeling techniques were used to calculate a propensity score for each patient. Greedy matching resulted in 272 propensity-matched pairs of combined CEA/CABG and isolated CABG patients (primary analysis) and 241 propensity-matched pairs of combined CEA/CABG surgery and isolated CABG surgery with previous CEA patients (secondary analysis). A Fisher exact, chi-square, Wilcoxon rank sum, and Student t test were applied appropriately to compare the propensity-matched pairs. Results: The distribution of covariates among the propensity-matched combined CEA/CABG and isolated CABG groups were similar. Among the propensity-matched pairs in the primary analysis, overall morbidity and mortality were higher in the combined CEA/CABG group compared with the CABG group alone (overall morbidity 15% v 8.8%, p = 0.025, and mortality 5.2% v 1.1%, p = 0.007, respectively). Median intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay was longer (47 v 31 hours, p = 0.004) and hospital length of stay was longer (12 v 9 days, p < 0.001) for the combined CEA/CABG surgery compared with isolated CABG surgery, respectively. Postoperative cardiac, neurologic, serious infection, and renal morbid events were similar between the 2 groups. In the secondary analysis, the rates of mortality, overall morbidity, and neurologic morbidity were similar between the groups, whereas the median ICU and hospital length of stay were significantly longer in the combined CEA/CABG group (47.6 v 39.8 hours, p = 0.025, and 12.0 v 9.0 days, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Increased mortality and overall morbidity outcomes were found in the combined CEA/CABG group when compared with well-matched isolated CABG patients, but similar when compared with well-matched isolated CABG patients with a history of previous CEA. Patients undergoing combined CEA/CABG procedures had significantly longer ICU and hospital lengths of stay compared with patients undergoing isolated CABG procedures.
Development of Diffusion Barrier Coatings for Mitigation of Fuel-Cladding Chemical Interactions

Fuel Cladding Chemical Interactions (FCCI) in a nuclear reactor occur due to thermal and radiation enhanced inter-diffusion between the cladding and fuel materials, and can have the detrimental effects of reducing the effective cladding wall thickness and the formation of low melting point eutectic compounds. Deposition of diffusion barrier coatings of a thin oxide on the inner surface of the cladding can potentially reduce or delay the onset of FCCI. This study examines the feasibility of using nanofluid-based electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process to deposit coatings of titanium oxide, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and vanadium oxide. The deposition parameters, including the nanofluid composition, current, and voltage were optimized for each coating material using test flat substrates of T91 ferritic-martensitic steel. Diffusion characteristics of the coatings were investigated by diffusion couple experiments using the fuel surrogate cerium. These diffusion couple studies performed in the temperature range of 560°C and 585°C showed that the oxide coatings significantly reduce the solid state inter-diffusion between cerium to steel.
The Role of Altered Cell–Cell Communication in Melanoma Progression

Under normal homeostasis, melanocyte growth and behaviour is tightly controlled by the surrounding keratinocytes. Keratinocytes regulate melanocyte behaviour through a complex system of paracrine growth factors and cell-cell adhesion molecules. Pathological changes, leading to development of malignant melanoma, upset this delicate homeostatic balance and can lead to altered expression of cell-cell adhesion and cell-cell communication molecules. In particular, there is a switch from the E-cadherin-mediated keratinocyte-melanocyte partnership to the N-cadherin-mediated melanoma-melanoma and melanoma-fibroblast interaction. Other changes include the alteration in the gap junctions formed between the melanocyte and keratinocyte. Changes in the connexin expression, in particular the loss of connexin 43, may result in a reduction or a loss of gap junctional activity, which is thought to contribute towards tumour progression. In the current review we describe the alterations in cell-cell adhesion and communication associated with melanoma development and progression, and discuss how a greater understanding of these processes may aid the future therapy of this disease.
Three-day therapy of lower urinary tract infectionswith nitrofurantoin macrocrystals: A randomized clinical trial

Forty-nine girls between the ages of 2 and 18 years with a symptomatic urinary tract infection documented by two clean-catch urine cultures completed a double-blind study comparing the effectiveness of three days versus ten days of nitrofurantoin macrocrystal therapy. Localization of the infection to the lower urinary tract was presumed on the basis of clinical presentation. All patients had sterile urine on day two or three of therapy. In the ten-day group, two of 23 patients (8.7%) experienced a single relapse, and seven patients (30%) had 12 episodes of reinfection during a six-month follow-up. In the three-day group, two of 26 patients (7.7%) had a single relapse, and six patients (23%) had 12 episodes of reinfection. The rates of relapse and reinfection in the compared groups were not statistically significantly different ( P >0.05). Three days of treatment with nitrofurantoin macrocrystals is an effective regimen for symptomatic girls presumed to have uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections.
Image Coincidence Detection Using Optical Correlation Techniques

Data reduction from stereo-photography forms a powerful tool not only for measuring the size, shape and location of an object or a scene but also to ascertain other desired parameters such as surface areas, volumes, etc. from space coordinates. In a truly vertical overlapping pair of photographs the relief information pertaining to the object or the scene is stored in terms of differential x-parallax. The x-parallax difference is the principal cause of stereoperception and it is through the measurement of x-parallax dif-ference that terrain elevation measurements are made from a pair of aerial photographs using a stereoscopic instrument. All automated stereo-compilation instruments whether electronic or optical are based on the ability to match conjugate images and automatically measure the x-parallax difference. In the electronic correlation system this is achieved by correlating the electrical signals representing the image detail generated using a scanning process. In the optical systems a direct two-dimensional correlation is performed using the intensity or amplitude distribution of light representing the image detail.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Identification of Two Conformationally Sensitive Cysteine Residues at the Extracellular Surface of the Na,K-ATPase α-Subunit

Na,K-ATPase in right-side-out oriented vesicles was stabilized in different conformations, and the location of intramembrane Cys residues of the alpha-subunit was assessed with membrane-permeable and membrane-impermeable Cys-directed reagents. In the presence of Mg2+ and Pi, Cys964 was the most accessible for both membrane-impermeable 4-acetamido-4'-maleimidylstilbene-2, 2'disulfonic acid (or stilbene disulfonate maleimide, SDSM) and membrane-permeable 7-diethylamino-3-(4'-maleimidyl)-4-methylcoumarin (CPM). In the presence of K+, Cys964 was modified only by hydrophobic CPM, indicating that the environment around Cys964 was different in these two conformations. Cys964 seems to mark the extracellular border of transmembrane segment M9. Cys911 in transmembrane segment M8 showed similar behavior; however, it was not so readily modified. Complete modification of Cys964 and Cys911 causes only partial (about 50%) inactivation of both ATPase activity and Rb+ (or K+) occlusion, indicating that the effect on cation occlusion is indirect and not within the occlusion cavity. The ATP binding capacity remains unaltered by the modifications. Treatment of the K+-stabilized post-tryptic preparation of purified Na, K-ATPase revealed labeling of several cysteines by CPM, none of which were labeled with SDSM. Removal of K+ ions from the preparation, which we have previously shown is accompanied by release of the M5M6 hairpin to the supernatant (), causes changes in the organization of the C-terminal 21-kDa fragment. In particular Cys983 in M10 became labeled by both CPM and SDSM, pointing to a tight association between the C terminus and the M5M6 hairpin of the alpha-subunit.
Socioeconomic status and receptive vocabulary development: Replication of the parental investment model with Chilean preschoolers and their families

Abstract Drawing on the first wave of data from the Chilean Longitudinal Study for Early Childhood the current study examined the relation between family socioeconomic status (SES) and children's receptive Spanish vocabulary, and whether these relations were mediated by physical features of the home environment, parent–child interactions, and participation in center-based child care. The results of path analyses ( n = 1589) estimating direct and indirect effects of SES on children's receptive vocabulary test scores provided evidence of partial mediation through indices of standard of living and parents’ level of cognitive and linguistic stimulation in the home. This study is among the first to replicate with a non-U.S. sample, a well-established linkage among SES, family-level conditions and processes, and young children's language outcomes.
What happened depends on whom you ask: A comparison of police records and victim reports regarding arrests for woman battering

Following Sherman and Berk's (1984) study of the deterrent effects of arrest, researchers have continued to examine the role of the criminal justice system in responding to woman battering. Much of this research has used either victim reports or official records as data, even though victim reports and police records often disagree. The current study compared victim reports and official records of arrest and conviction for woman battering to examine the magnitude and pattern of discrepancies. Participants were recruited from a shelter for women with abusive partners and were interviewed several times across two years. Their police and court records were also examined. Agreement regarding arrest and conviction was low, with victims more likely to indicate that an arrest or conviction occurred. Implications of these discrepancies for researchers, victim decision making, and law enforcement are discussed.
Heat-Induced Denaturation of Collagenous Tissue: A Comparison of Numerical Simulations With OCT and MRI Data

Application of sub-ablative levels of heat to collagenous tissues has important therapeutic applications in medicine, such as tissue welding, thermokeratoplasty, skin resurfacing and treatment of joint instability. Sub-ablative heating produces collagen denaturation with desired tissue shrinkage yet detrimental comprises in mechanical properties of the tissue. In this paper, results of preliminary analyses with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are compared with a numerical model of tissue denaturation.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Robust recognition of cellular telephone speech by adaptive vector quantization

The performance degradation as a result of acoustical environment mismatch remains an important practical problem in speech recognition. The problem carries a greater significance in applications over telecommunication channels, especially with the wider use of personal communications systems such as cellular phones which invariably present challenging acoustical conditions. In this work, we introduce a vector quantization (VQ) based compensation technique which both makes use of a priori information about likely acoustical environments and adapts to the test environment to improve recognition. The technique is progressive and requires neither simultaneously recorded speech from the training and the testing environments nor EM-type batch iterations. Instead of using simultaneously recorded data, the integrity of the updated VQ codebooks with respect to acoustical classes is maintained by endowing the codebooks with a topology and using transformations which preserve the topology of the reference environment. We report results on the McCaw Cellular Corpus where the technique decreases the word error for continuous ten digit recognition of cellular hands free microphone speech with land line trained models from 23.8% to 13.6% and the speaker dependent voice calling sentence error from 16.5% to 10.6%.
A 9-ns, 1.4-gigabyte/s, 17-ported CMOS register file

Advances in circuit and microarchitecture design have made it possible to develop a 9-ns, 17-ported register file which can support a full 1.4-gigabyte/s bandwidth. With 79000 transistors in a 1- mu m CHMOS process, the 4 K register file is a major unit of a microprocessor, which is a 100-MOPS VLSI parallel processing component with an integrated communication unit. The benefit of increased system performance is realized since all connected functional units can receive full bandwidth operand supply. A brief introduction gives a conceptual framework to understand the architecture and bandwidth implications. Various techniques were used to optimize the macroarchitecture by modifying the register file's internal microarchitecture. All aspects of the design including read/write circuitry, cell stability, and special access cells are described. >
Processor Allocation Problem for NoC-Based Chip Multiprocessors

Chip multiprocessors (CMPs) have become the primary approach to build high-performance microprocessors. Such systems require fast and efficient communication that can only be realized using Network on Chip (NoC), particularly for large systems. Allocation and management of on-chip processors are also important factors to achieve high efficiency. Designing processor allocator, job scheduler and NoC are major issues for future CMPs. In this paper we analyze architectures of NoC for CMPs. Such NoC parameters as topology, flow control and routing are studied and proposed for CMPs implementation. Modern processor allocation algorithms together with scheduling techniques are reviewed and suggested. Hardware structure of NoC-based CMPs is introduced for the recommended solutions. We propose hardware implementation of processor allocator and job scheduler, and place them together with on-chip processors on the same die.
Infectious Diseases on Cruise Ships

Travel by sea is one of the earliest forms of transportation. From ancient times to the present, people have traveled by ship for purposes of food obtainment, trade of goods, conquest, employment, and leisure. Before ships were built large enough to take long ocean voyages, the most relevant medical problems included drownings, injuries, and attacks by alligators, sharks, whales, or other sea creatures. It was only after ships sailed for more than a day or two that questions of food and water supply, sanitation, ventilation, care of the sick and injured on board, spread of plagues, and transmission of infectious diseases began to arise. An estimated 4.5 million passengers travel on cruises in North America annually [1].
TGF-β/Smad3 Signaling Regulates Brown Adipocyte Induction in White Adipose Tissue

Recent identification of active brown fat reserves in adult humans has stimulated interest in the role of brown adipocytes in energy homeostasis. In addition, there is accumulating evidence to support the concept of an alteration in energy balance through acquisition of brown fat features in traditional white fat depots. We recently described an important role played by the TGF-beta/Smad3 signaling pathway in modulating the appearance of brown adipocytes in traditional white fat, and its implications to thermogenesis, mitochondrial energetics, energy expenditure and protection from diabetes and obesity. Here we review the data supporting this phenomenon and put into perspective the promise of conversion of white fat to a brown fat state as a potential therapeutic option for obesity and diabetes.
Importance of gls24 in virulence and stress response of Enterococcus faecalis and use of the Gls24 protein as a possible immunotherapy target

Gls24 was previously identified as a general stress protein of Enterococcus faecalis. In the present study, we found that a gls24 disruption mutant (TX10100) of E. faecalis strain OG1RF showed a considerably increased 50% lethal dose in a mouse peritonitis model, and, at high inocula, TX10100 was either not lethal or was much less so than wild-type OG1RF (P<.001). TX10100 was also more sensitive to bile salts (mean+/-SD survival rate relative to wild-type OG1RF, 9.7%+/-2.0%) at late stationary phase, as previously found by Giard et al. with another strain. Inactivation of glsB, downstream of and cotranscribed with gls24, had no effect on E. faecalis virulence but resulted in reduced bile-salts resistance (to a mean+/-SD survival rate of 28.0%+/-5.1%) relative to wild-type OG1RF. Results of complementation of TX10100 with different combinations of gls24-glsB and 2 promoters--a remote promoter (P1) and an adjacent promoter (P2)--suggested that both genes and both promoters, especially P1, are important for bile-salts resistance. Anti-Gls24 immune rabbit serum, which showed some Gls24 on the cell surface, protected mice against a lethal challenge of OG1RF in the peritonitis model (e.g., survival of 12/18 mice vs. 1/18 mice with preimmune rabbit serum; P=.008). In conclusion, the E. faecalis gls24 gene is important for virulence as well as stress response, and anti-Gls24 immune rabbit serum shows protection against E. faecalis infection in a mouse peritonitis model.
Constrained Minimization and Discriminative Training for Natural Language Call Routing

This paper presents a combination strategy of multiple individual routing classifiers to improve classification accuracy in natural language call routing applications. Since errors of individual classifiers in the ensemble should somehow be uncorrelated, we propose a combination strategy where the combined classifier accuracy is a function of the accuracy of individual classifiers and also the correlation between their classification errors. We show theoretically and empirically that our combination strategy, named the constrained minimization technique, has a good potential in improving the classification accuracy of single classifiers. We also show how discriminative training, more specifically the generalized probabilistic descent (GPD) algorithm, can be of benefit to further boost the performance of routing classifiers. The GPD algorithm has the potential to consider both positive and negative examples during training to minimize the classification error and increase the score separation of the correct from competing hypotheses. Some parameters become negative when using the GPD algorithm, resulting from suppressive learning not traditionally possible; important antifeatures are thus obtained. Experimental evaluation is carried on a banking call routing task and on switchboard databases with a set of 23 and 67 destinations, respectively. Results show either the GPD or constrained minimization technique outperform the accuracy of baseline classifiers by 44% when applied separately. When the constrained minimization technique is added on top of GPD, we show an additional 15% reduction in the classification error rate.
Growth of Young Nomadic and Settled Turkana Children

Growth patterns of Turkana nomadic children (N = 333) and settled schoolchildren (N = 280) aged 4 to 9 years were compared. The objective was to assess effects of a sedentary life-style on the growth patterns of Turkana children. Settled children with institutional food support tended to be larger at all ages than nomadic children in most measures of size and body composition. At age 9 years, settled children were 7.5 cm taller than the nomads. Weight, calf circumference, and skinfolds were also larger in settled children, but the proportional differences were less; arm circumferences were roughly equivalent. Only a small fraction of settled Turkana children (including those measured in the present study) attend schools where food is provided. Further studies of nonsupple-mented settled Turkana children are needed to clarify relationships among subsistence, nutritional status, and child growth processes.
Shifting distributions and speciation: species divergence during rapid climate change

Questions about how shifting distributions contribute to species diversification remain virtually without answer, even though rapid climate change during the Pleistocene clearly impacted genetic variation within many species. One factor that has prevented this question from being adequately addressed is the lack of precision associated with estimates of species divergence made from a single genetic locus and without incorporating processes that are biologically important as populations diverge. Analysis of DNA sequences from multiple variable loci in a coalescent framework that (i) corrects for gene divergence pre-dating speciation, and (ii) derives divergence-time estimates without making a priori assumptions about the processes underlying patterns of incomplete lineage sorting between species (i.e. allows for the possibility of gene flow during speciation), is critical to overcoming the inherent logistical and analytical difficulties of inferring the timing and mode of speciation during the dynamic Pleistocene. Estimates of species divergence that ignore these processes, use single locus data, or do both can dramatically overestimate species divergence. For example, using a coalescent approach with data from six loci, the divergence between two species of montane Melanoplus grasshoppers is estimated at between 200 000 and 300 000 years before present, far more recently than divergence estimates made using single-locus data or without the incorporation of population-level processes. Melanoplus grasshoppers radiated in the sky islands of the Rocky Mountains, and the analysis of divergence between these species suggests that the isolation of populations in multiple glacial refugia was an important factor in promoting speciation. Furthermore, the low estimates of gene flow between the species indicate that reproductive isolation must have evolved rapidly for the incipient species boundaries to be maintained through the subsequent glacial periods and shifts in species distributions.
Impact of Mental Health First Aid on Confidence Related to Mental Health Literacy: A National Study With a Focus on Race-Ethnicity

Objective:Low mental health literacy (MHL) is widespread in the general population and even more so among racial and ethnic minority groups. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) aims to improve MHL. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of MHFA on perceptions of confidence about MHL in a large national sample and by racial and ethnic subgroup.Methods:The self-perceived impact of MHFA on 36,263 people who completed the 12-hour training and a feedback form was examined.Results:A multiple regression analysis showed that MHFA resulted in high ratings of confidence in being able to apply various skills and knowledge related to MHL. Perceived impact of MHFA training differed among some racial and ethnic groups, but the differences were small to trivial.Conclusions:Future research on MHFA should examine changes in MHL pre-post training and the extent to which perceived increases in MHL confidence among trainees translate into action.
Triple-Shape Polymeric Composites (TSPCs)

In this paper, the fabrication and characterization of triple-shape polymeric composites (TSPCs) that, unlike traditional shape memory polymers (SMPs), are capable of fixing two temporary shapes and recovering sequentially from the first temporary shape (shape 1) to the second temporary shape (shape 2), and eventually to the permanent shape (shape 3) upon heating, are reported. This is technically achieved by incorporating non-woven thermoplastic fibers (average diameter ∼760 nm) of a low-Tm semicrystalline polymer into a Tg-based SMP matrix. The resulting composites display two well-separated transitions, one from the glass transition of the matrix and the other from the melting of the fibers, which are subsequently used for the fixing/recovery of two temporary shapes. Three thermomechanical programming processes with different shape fixing protocols are proposed and explored. The intrinsic versatility of this composite approach enables an unprecedented large degree of design flexibility for functional triple-shape polymers and systems.
Changing Perspectives on Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is a childhood disorder characterized by an acquired aphasia that emerges in association with epileptiform electroencephalographic abnormalities. The language loss is often characterized by a severe disturbance of auditory language comprehension (verbal auditory agnosia) combined with a substantial disruption of expressive language. Comorbid behavioral disturbances commonly involve hyperactivity and attentional problems but sometimes encompass a more pervasive pattern of difficulties resembling an autism spectrum disorder. Now one the most frequently described forms of acquired aphasia in children, LKS has had a profound influence on both neurological practice and cognitive neuroscience. Here, we review current conceptualizations of LKS, consider its pleomorphic manifestations and discuss existing and future diagnostic issues and dilemmas. The potential relevance of LKS to understanding other disorders, including autistic regression, is considered.
Magnetomotive optical coherence elastography for relating lung structure and function in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic defect in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein and is the most common life-limiting genetic condition affecting the Caucasian population. It is an autosomal recessive, monogenic inherited disorder characterized by failure of airway host defense against bacterial infection, which results in bronchiectasis, the breakdown of airway wall extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we show that the in vitro models consisting of human tracheo-bronchial-epithelial (hBE) cells grown on porous supports with embedded magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) at an air-liquid interface are suitable for long term, non-invasive assessment of ECM remodeling using magnetomotive optical coherence elastography (MMOCE). The morphology of ex vivo CF and normal lung tissues using OCT and correlative study with histology is also examined. We also demonstrate a quantitative measure of normal and CF airway elasticity using MMOCE. The improved understanding of pathologic changes in CF lung structure and function and the novel method of longitudinal in vitro ECM assessment demonstrated in this study may lead to new in vivo imaging and elastography methods to monitor disease progression and treatment in cystic fibrosis.