cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing Alaska Native paediatric oral health disparities: a systematic review of oral health interventions and a case study on multilevel strategies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake.

Background. Tooth decay is the most common paediatric disease and there is a serious paediatric tooth decay epidemic in Alaska Native communities. When untreated, tooth decay can lead to pain, infection, systemic health problems, hospitalisations and in rare cases death, as well as school absenteeism, poor grades and low quality-of-life. The extent to which population-based oral health interventions have been conducted in Alaska Native paediatric populations is unknown. Objective. To conduct a systematic review of oral health interventions aimed at Alaska Native children below age 18 and to present a case study and conceptual model on multilevel intervention strategies aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among Alaska Native children. Design. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, the terms ‘‘Alaska Native’’, ‘‘children’’ and ‘‘oral health’’ were used to search Medline, Embase, Web of Science, GoogleScholar and health foundation websites (19702012) for relevant clinical trials and evaluation studies. Results. Eighty-five studies were found in Medline, Embase and Web of Science databases and there were 663 hits in GoogleScholar. A total of 9 publications were included in the qualitative review. These publications describe 3 interventions that focused on: reducing paediatric tooth decay by educating families and communities; providing dental chemotherapeutics to pregnant women; and training mid-level dental care providers. While these approaches have the potential to improve the oral health of Alaska Native children, there are unique challenges regarding intervention acceptability, reach and sustainability. A case study and conceptual model are presented on multilevel strategies to reduce SSB intake among Alaska Native children. Conclusions. Few oral health interventions have been tested within Alaska Native communities. Communitycentred multilevel interventions are promising approaches to improve the oral and systemic health of Alaska Native children. Future investigators should evaluate the feasibility of implementing multilevel interventions and policies within Alaska Native communities as a way to reduce children’s health disparities. Keywords: oral health disparities; Alaska Native health disparities; dental caries prevention; children; dental workforce; primary intervention in oral health; sugar-sweetened beverages (Published: 5 August 2013) This paper is part of Supplement 1, 2013, ICCH15 Proceedings . More papers from this Supplement can be found here . Citation: Int J Circumpolar Health 2013, 72 : 21066 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21066
“Ilizarov” external fixation: what the radiologist needs to know

Circular external fixation, including the Ilizarov method, is a complex and often long-term treatment used for various orthopedic conditions. Due to the complexity of the hardware, frequent postoperative complications, and the potential for significant radiographic changes between visits, it is important for the radiologist to have a basic understanding of ring fixators. This publication reviews indications for external fixation versus internal fixation and whether to use a circular or uniplanar construct if external fixation is elected. Indications for and characteristics of static circular frames, intercalary and non-intercalary transport frames, and deformity circular frames will also be discussed. While general similarities exist between frame types, each has unique components of which the radiologist must be aware. An emphasis is placed on the important features and complications that arise during treatment.
Radiotherapy for Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Head and Neck

Purpose: To define the effectiveness of radiotherapy in the treatment of patients with extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head and neck (EMPHN). Methods and Materials: We searched the Mayo Clinic Rochester Department of Radiation Oncology electronic Tumor Registry and identified 18 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of solitary EMPHN. Sixteen patients were treated with radiotherapy at initial diagnosis and 2 received salvage radiotherapy for local failure after surgery. Median dose administered was 50.4 Gy. Median follow-up was 6.8 years. Results: One patient (6%) developed a marginal recurrence 12 months after treatment. Six patients (33%) developed multiple myeloma (2 patients) or plasmacytomas at distant sites (4 patients) at a median of 3.1 years after diagnosis (range, 0.02 to 9.6 years). Median and 5- and 10-year overall survival rates from the date of diagnosis are 12.5 years, 88%, and 55%, respectively. Two patients (11%) developed a radiation-induced malignancy at 6.5 and 6.9 years after treatment. Conclusions: Radiotherapy provides excellent local and regional tumor control and survival in patients with EMPHN. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of presumed radiation-induced malignancy in this patient population.
Human Nod1 confers responsiveness to bacterial lipopolysaccharides.

The immune response to microbial pathogens is initiated by recognition of specific pathogen components by host cells both at the cell surface and in the cytosol. While the response triggered by pathogen products at the surface of immune cells is well characterized, that initiated in the cytosol is poorly understood. Nod1 is a member of a growing family of intracellular proteins with structural homology to apoptosis regulators Apaf-1/Ced-4 and a class of plant disease-resistant gene products. Here we show that bacterial lipopolysaccharides, but not other pathogen components tested, induced TLR4- and MyD88-independent NF-κB activation in human embryonic kidney 293T cells expressing trace amounts of Nod1. Nod2, another Nod family member, also conferred responsiveness to bacterial components but with a response pattern different from that observed with Nod1. As it was reported for plant disease-resistant R proteins, the leucine-rich repeats of Nod1 and Nod2 were required for lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation. A lipopolysaccharide binding activity could be specifically coimmunopurified with Nod1 from cytosolic extracts. These observations suggest that Nod1 and Nod2 are mammalian counterparts of plant disease-resistant gene products that may function as cytosolic receptors for pathogen components derived from invading bacteria.
Scalable and practical pursuit-evasion

In this paper, we consider the design and implementation of practical, yet near-optimal, pursuit-evasion games. In prior work, we developed, using the theory of zero-sum games, minimal completion-time strategies for pursuit-evasion. Unfortunately, those strategies do not scale beyond a small number of robots. In this paper, we design and implement a partition strategy where pursuers capture evaders by decomposing the game into multiple multi-pursuer single-evader games. Our algorithm terminates, has bounded capture time, is robust, and is scalable in the number of robots. In our implementation, a sensor network provides sensing-at-a-distance, as well as a communication backbone that enables tighter coordination between pursuers. Our experiments in a challenging office environment suggest that this approach is near-optimal, at least for the configurations we have evaluated. Overall, our work illustrates an innovative interplay between robotics and communication.
Mutations within the cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor ligand 'pocket' interconvert the functions of nonpeptide agonists and antagonists

We have reported previously that the transmembrane domains of the cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor (CCK-BR) comprise a putative ligand binding pocket. In the present study, we examined whether amino acid substitutions within the CCK-BR pocket altered the affinities and/or functional activities of L-365,260 (the prototypical nonpeptide CCK-BR antagonist) and two structural derivatives, YM022 (a higher affinity antagonist) and L-740,093S (a partial agonist). Eight amino acids that project into the CCK-BR pocket were individually replaced by alanine, using site-directed mutagenesis. Affinities for the nonpeptide molecules, as well as ligand-induced inositol phosphate production, were assessed with the wild-type and mutant receptors. For each of the nonpeptide ligands examined, a distinct series of mutations altered the affinity, suggesting that each ligand possessed a characteristic pattern of interactions within the CCK-BR pocket. Basal signaling levels and inositol phosphate formation induced by the full agonist CCK octapeptide were comparable for the wild-type receptor and all of the mutant CCK-BR forms. In contrast to the peptide agonist CCK octapeptide, the functional activities of the nonpeptide molecules were selectively altered by single point mutations within the CCK-BR pocket, resulting in interconversion of agonists and antagonists. These findings suggest that interactions between nonpeptide molecules and transmembrane domain amino acids of the CCK-BR can determine the functional activity and affinity of the ligands.
Mutation of the Protein Kinase I Alpha Leucine Zipper Domain Produces Hypertension and Progressive Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: A Novel Mouse Model of Age-Dependent Hypertensive Heart Disease

Hypertensive heart disease causes significant mortality in older patients, yet there is an incomplete understanding of molecular mechanisms that regulate age-dependent hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G I alpha (PKGIα) attenuates hypertensive LVH by evaluating the cardiac phenotype in mice with selective mutations of the PKGIα leucine zipper domain. These leucine zipper mutant (LZM) mice develop basal hypertension. Compared with wild-type controls, 8-month-old adult LZM mice developed increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure but without frank LVH. In advanced age (15 months), the LZM mice developed overt pathological LVH. These findings reveal a role of PKGIα in normally attenuating hypertensive LVH. Therefore, mutation of the PKGIα LZ domain produces a clinically relevant model for hypertensive heart disease of aging.
Performance analysis of a digital mobile communication system

The aauthors present a performance study of a digital mobile communication system (DMCS) which is a two-way radio frequency data communication network. The purpose of this modeling (multi-server queueing) effort is to provide the mean inbound and outbound message delays under different traffic intensities. Due to the acknowledgement and retransmission mechanism, the inbound and outbound traffic interact closely with each other and the system behavior becomes complicated. Through this study, they are able to identify the operational bottleneck of the DMCS and obtain the system capacity under which the network provides the users with a satisfactory communication service. >
Using a dispersion model to estimate emission rates of particulate matter from paved roads

Abstract From January 1996 to June 1997, we carried out a series of measurements to estimate emissions of PM 10 from paved roads in Riverside County, California. The program involved the measurement of upwind and downwind vertical profiles of PM 10 , in addition to meteorological variables such as wind speed and vertical turbulent intensity. This information was analyzed using a new dispersion model that incorporates current understanding of micrometeorology and dispersion. The emission rate was inferred by fitting model predictions to measurements. The inferred emission factors ranged from 0.2 g VKT -1 for freeways to about 3 g VKT -1 for city roads. The uncertainty in these factors is estimated to be approximately a factor of two since the contributions of paved road PM 10 emissions to ambient concentrations were comparable to the uncertainty in the mean value of the measurement. At this stage, our best estimate of emission factor lies between 0.1 and 10 g VKT -1 ; there is some indication that it is about 0.1 g VKT -1 for heavily traveled freeways, and is an order of magnitude higher for older city roads. We found that measured silt loadings were poor predictors of emission factors. The measured emission factors imply that paved road emissions may contribute about 30% to the total PM 10 emissions from a high traffic area such as Los Angeles. This suggests that it is necessary to develop methods that are more reliable than the upwind–downwind concentration difference technique.
Cross-coupling motion controller for mobile robots

The design and implementation of a cross-coupling motion controller for a differential-drive mobile robot is described. A new concept, the most significant error, is introduced as the control design objective. Cross-coupling control directly minimizes the most significant error by coordinating the motion of the two drive wheels. The cross-coupling controller has excellent disturbance rejection. This is advantageous when the robot is not loaded symmetrically or has large friction in its drive mechanism, and especially when it is instructed to follow curved paths. Experimental results show that cross-coupling control yields substantially smaller position and orientation errors than conventional methods. >
1H, 13C, 15N backbone and side chain NMR resonance assignments for E73 from Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus ragged hills, a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeal virus from Yellowstone National Park

Crenarchaeal viruses are commonly found in hyperthermal acidic environments such as those of Yellowstone National Park. These remarkable viruses not only exhibit unusual morphologies, but also display extreme genetic diversity. However, little is known about crenarchaeal viral life cycles, virus–host interactions, and their adaptation to hyperthermophilic environments. In an effort to better understand the functions of crenarchaeal viruses and the proteins encoded by their genomes, we have undertaken detailed structural and functional studies of gene products encoded in the open reading frames of Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus ragged hills. Herein, we report (15N, 13C, 1H) resonance assignments of backbone and side chain atoms of a 19.1 kDa homodimeric E73 protein of SSVRH.
Monetary Implications of Cross-Border Derivatives for Emerging Economies

This paper surveys concepts, practices and analytical literature to assess benefits and risks for monetary stability of cross-border currency and interest rate derivative operations in calm and turbulent periods, with a view of extracting implications for emerging economies. Monetary authorities must prevent one-sided positions in the currency, favor asset substitutability, and incorporate the enriched information set provided by derivative-based transactions into monetary policy design. In some circumstances, the use of derivatives by monetary authorities may help fulfill this role. By contrast, surcharges to compensate for a downward impact of derivatives on the cost of capital appear neither advisable nor necessary.
Investigation of Triangular Spamming: A Stealthy and Efficient Spamming Technique

Spam is increasingly accepted as a problem associated with compromised hosts or email accounts. This problem not only makes the tracking of spam sources difficult but also enables a massive amount of illegitimate or unwanted emails to be disseminated quickly. Various attempts have been made to analyze, backtrack, detect, and prevent spam using both network as well as content characteristics. However, relatively less attention has been given to understanding how spammers actually carry out their spamming activities from a network angle. Spammers’ network behavior has significant impact on spammers’ common goal, sending spam in a stealthy and efficient manner. Our work thoroughly investigates a fairly unknown spamming technique we name as triangular spamming that exploits routing irregularities of spoofed IP packets. It is highly stealthy and efficient in that triangular spamming enables 1) exploiting bandwidth diversity of botnet hosts to carry out spam campaigns effectively without divulging precious high-bandwidth hosts and 2) bypassing the current SMTP traffic blocking policies. Despite its relative obscurity, its use has been confirmed by the network operator community. Through carefully devised probing techniques and actual deployment of triangular spamming on Planetlab (a wide-area distributed testbed), we investigate the feasibility, impact of triangular spamming and propose practical detection and prevention methods. From our probing experiments, we found that 97% of the networks which block outbound SMTP traffic are vulnerable to triangular spamming and only 44% of them are listed on Spamhaus Policy Blocking List (PBL).
Inferring evolutionary modes in a fossil lineage (Bryozoa: Peronopora) from the Middle and Late Ordovician

Abstract Recent analytical advances have permitted quantitative evaluations of evolutionary mode in populations of fossil organisms by providing tests of the null hypothesis that patterns of stratigraphic character variation do not differ from the expectations of a random walk. If the hypothesis can be rejected, then stasis and anagenesis represent alternative evolutionary modes discernable using values of the Hurst estimate. We used this approach to evaluate evolutionary mode in the bryozoan genus Peronopora across 34 characters in eight unbranched, cladistically defined, evolutionary sequences. Eight monophyletic crown species and eight paraphyletic (phenetically distinct) metaspecies constitute 16 species-rank taxa within the genus. In seven of 15 species-rank transitions that had adequate sample sizes, significant character state changes—both phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibrium—coincided with speciation events 11% of the time and were limited to more derived, crownward, ancestor-descendant ...
Fault Calculations in Industrial/Commercial Power Systems - IEEE Red Book Self-Study Course

This paper treats in successive steps the solution lo problems influencing the design and performance of a-c system equipment grounding circuits in the presence of an insulation failure from one phase conductor to the grounding conductor.
The genetics of Drosophila transgenics

In Drosophila, the genetic approach is still the method of choice for answering fundamental questions on cell biology, signal transduction, development, physiology and behavior. In this approach, a gene's function is ascertained by altering either the amount or quality of the gene product, and then observing the consequences. The genetic approach is itself polymorphous, encompassing new and more complex techniques that typically employ the growing collections of transgenes. The keystone of these modern Drosophila transgenic techniques has been the Gal4 binary system. Recently, several new techniques have modified this binary system to offer greater control over the timing, tissue specificity and magnitude of gene expression. Additionally, the advances in post-transcriptional gene silencing, or RNAi, have greatly expanded the ability to knockdown almost any gene's function. Regardless of the growing experimental intricacy, the application of these advances to modify gene activity still obeys the fundamental principles of genetic analysis. Several of these transgenic techniques, which offer more precise control over a gene's activity, will be reviewed here with a discussion on how they may be used for determining a gene's function.
Preliminary results of IR spectroscopic characterization of cholesterol

The authors propose the use of skin over the bony prominences of the hands as a site for infrared (IR) exposure to measure blood cholesterol. Cholesterol, when exposed to IR radiation, generates an absorption spectrum Characteristic of its molecular composition. Aqueous solution of bovine cholesterol, (Sigma Chemicals) with 100mg% and 200mg% of concentration was exposed to laser using attenuated total reflection (ATR) in a Mattson FTIR spectrometer. Background data were collected by scanning air at 32 scans/sample. Following this, the sample solution was placed in the ATR prism and scanned 500 times across the sample. The background was subtracted from the sample data and an FFT was performed. The absorption spectra were thus obtained and plotted on an HP plotter. Preliminary experiments show that a unique absorbance spectrum for cholesterol exists in aqueous solutions. The authors also demonstrate the existence of absorption spectra in the blood. >
OH/OD Initiated Oxidation of Isoprene in the Presence of O2 and NO

The kinetics of the isoprene−OH/OD reaction in the presence of O2 and NO have been studied using laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence. We report pressure and temperature-dependent rate constants for the addition of OH/OD to isoprene are in good agreement with previous studies. On the basis of simulations to OH cycling curves, we find a value of (9.0 ± 3.0) × 10-12 molecule-1 cm3 s-1 for the overall reaction rate constant of hydroxy peroxy radical with NO at 298 K. We report a rate constant for O2 addition to the hydroxy alkyl radical of (2.3 ± 2.0) × 10-12 molecule-1 cm3 s-1 at 298 K. We find little generation of OH from the OD initiated oxidation of isoprene, and no significant differences in OH and OD cycling, suggesting that H-shift isomerization is the major pathway for δ-hydroxy alkoxy radicals, in agreement with theoretical predictions.
σ-Aromaticity in polyhydride complexes of Ru, Ir, Os, and Pt

Transition-metal hydrides represent a unique class of compounds, which are essential for catalysis, organic synthesis, and hydrogen storage. In this work we study IrH5(PPh3)2, (RuH5(PiPr3)2)−, (OsH5(PiPr3)2)−, and OsH4(PPhMe2)3 polyhydride complexes, inspired by the recent discovery of the σ-aromatic PtZnH5− cluster anion. The distinctive feature of these molecules is that, like in the PtZnH5− cluster, the metal is five-fold coordinated in-plane, and holds additional ligands at the axial positions. This work shows that the unusual coordination in these compounds indeed can be explained by σ-aromaticity in the pentagonal arrangement, stabilized by the atomic orbitals on the metal. Based on this newly elucidated bonding principle, we additionally propose a new family of polyhydrides that display a uniquely high coordination. We also report the first indications of how aromaticity may impact the reactivity of these molecules.
FINE STRUCTURE OF DIFFERENTIATING MOUSE PANCREATIC EXOCRINE CELLS IN TRANSFILTER CULTURE

Fine structural observations have been made in the 11-day embryonic mouse of exocrine cells in pancreatic epithelium developing in tissue culture transfilter from salivary gland mesenchyme of the 13-day embryonic mouse. After 2 days in culture, the exocrine cells show increased cytoplasmic density, abundant ribosomes in aggregate or "rosette" form, and expanded profiles of rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. After 3 and 4 days in culture, the cells exhibit continued expansion of the profiles of endoplasmic reticulum, increased amounts of Golgi membranes, and large areas of light density (prozymogen granules). After 5 days in culture, dense zymogen granules are present in the most highly differentiated cells. In addition, at the filter-epithelial surface, at 2 days, small fibers can be discerned which, after 4 days in culture, show obvious periodicity and are thought to be collagen. The significance of these changes, in relation to the mesenchymal effect, to the onset of specific synthesis and to the stabilization of differentiation is discussed.
Off‐Label Use of Drug‐Eluting versus Bare Metal Stents: A Lesion‐Specific Systematic Review of Long‐Term Outcomes

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate differences in lesion-specific outcomes with the “off-label” use of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare metal stents (BMS). Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, the Cochrane databases, and other Web were searched for studies evaluating off-label use of DES and BMS with the same characteristics. Of 1,258 abstracts or manuscripts reviewed, 112 studies were included (total N = 23,438). Studies were excluded if patients received both types of stent or no stent; lesion type was unknown; lesion-specific outcomes for ≥6 months were unavailable; or <25 patients were enrolled. Results: Overall mortality at 6–12 months was approximately 3% for BMS and DES for off-label use. Increase in mortality was greater from 6–12 months to 2 years with BMS than with DES (3.3%–9.1%; 2.8%–4.1%); however, rates were similar at 3 years (BMS: 18.8%; DES:15.3%). Myocardial Infarction rates were similar for both types at 6–12 months (BMS: 6.5%; DES: 6.0%). Overall rates of stent thrombosis were 1.8% and 1.7% for BMS and DES, respectively. Similar or slightly lower rates of stent thrombosis were seen for most lesion types, except higher rates for small vessels for BMS (5.2%) and true bifurcation for DES (3.3%). Rates of target lesion revascularization (TLR) were 7.5% for BMS and 19.6% for DES at 6–12 months. At 2-years TLR remained lower than DES. When the combined group was compared to registry data alone, similar values were seen. Conclusions: Rates of mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and stent thrombosis were similar in patients receiving BMS or DES, while TLR rates were lower in DES patients. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:528–545)
Semiconductor nanocrystals: from scaling laws to biological applications

Summary form only given, as follows. In recent years there have been significant advances in the preparation of semiconductor quantum dots by colloidal chemistry routes. CdSe and InAs are examples of materials which can be made as nanocrystals of high quality. These nanocrystals provide an excellent proving ground for examining size dependent scaling laws, and a few examples are described briefly. We have also found that these nanocrystals can play a useful role as luminescent probes for tagging biological molecules. Finally, efforts to use DNA to create complex spatial arrangements of nanocrystals are described.
Haldane's Rule in Marsupials: What Happens When Both Sexes Are Functionally Hemizygous?

During the process of speciation, diverging taxa often hybridize and produce offspring wherein the heterogametic sex (i.e., XY or ZW) is unfit (Haldane's rule). Dominance theory seeks to explain Haldane's rule in terms of the difference in X-linked dominance regimes experienced by the sexes. However, X inactivation in female mammals extends the effects of hemizygosity to both sexes. Here, we highlight where the assumptions of dominance theory are particularly problematic in marsupials, where X inactivation uniformly results in silencing the paternal X. We then present evidence of Haldane's rule for sterility but not for viability in marsupials, as well as the first violations of Haldane's rule for these traits among all mammals. Marsupials represent a large taxonomic group possessing heteromorphic sex chromosomes, where the dominance theory cannot explain Haldane's rule. In this light, we evaluate alternative explanations for the preponderance of male sterility in interspecific hybrids, including faster male evolution, X–Y interactions, and genomic conflict hypotheses.
A Decade of Experience with Multiphase Flow Meters

the challenges faced and subsequently improve the efficiency and data quality of the MPFM. Multiphase flow metering is considered one of the most essen - tial technologies in well testing. Since the mid-1990s, multi - phase flow meters (MPFM) have evolved from a revolutionary new technology into a consolidated solution widely adopted by the major operators worldwide. This evolution has taken place thanks to the high quality of measurements, the low op - erational cost and the capability of enabling remote monitoring of well performance with ease. The meters have proven to be durable for testing the oil wells of Saudi Aramco's fields. The installed MPFMs in the Northern Area fields of Saudi Arabia have contributed effectively to enhancing the quality of semi-real-time measurements as well as improving reservoir characterization. MPFMs, however, are prone to mechanical and firmware failures. To maintain the general health of the installed systems, various preventive and ad hoc services are needed. The MPFM technology largely seems to be performing as expected and delivering high quality data. So far, 58% of the systems have been in service for more than eight years and continue to operate efficiently. Thorough analysis of the routine maintenance and checkups conducted during the past 10 years revealed the following: • The MPFMs mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR) indicated that the MPFMs
Distributed control of hybrid motor drives

The hybrid inverter fed motor drive with two cascaded multilevel inverters is an attractive option for high performance high power applications such as naval ship propulsion systems due to a number of unique features. There is a natural split between a higher-voltage lower-frequency "bulk" inverter and a lower-voltage higher-frequency "conditioning" inverter in the cascaded system which matches the availability of semiconductor devices. Furthermore, the bulk inverter may be a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) motor drive meaning that only the conditioning inverter needs to be custom made. However, a drive involving a COTS bulk inverter would require a distributed conditioning inverter control which works completely independent of the bulk inverter control. In this paper, a set of distributed control methods are developed for the hybrid inverter drive with cascaded bulk and conditioning inverters, requiring only single dc source. Moreover, a solution to the practical problem of instant synchronization between the two inverters is presented. Laboratory measurements on a 3.7-kW induction motor drive validate the proposed control. Various practical considerations (such as low m-index performance and capacitor precharging options) are discussed and their solutions provided
Physical Properties Of Single-Phase Skutterudite Thin-Films (CoSb3 and IrSb3)

Bulk skutterudite phases based on the CoAs3 structure have yielded compositions with a high thermoelectric figure-of-merit (“ZT”) through the use of doping and substitutional alloying. It is postulated that further enhancements in ZT may be attained in artificially structured skutterudites by engineering the microstructure to enhance carrier mobility while suppressing the phonon component of the thermal conductivity. In this work the growth and properties of singlephase CoSb3 and IrSb3 skutterudite thin films are reported. The films are synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) where the crystallinity can be controlled by the deposition temperature. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford- Back Scattering (RBS) were used to probe phase, structure, morphology and stoichiometry of the films as functions of growth parameters and substrate type. A substrate temperature of 250°C was found to be optimal for the deposition of the skutterudites from stoichiometric targets. Above this temperature the film is depleted of antimony due to its high vapor pressure eventually reaching a composition where the skutterudite structure is no longer stable. However, when films are grown from antimony-rich targets the substrate temperature can be increased to at least 350°C while maintaining the skutterudite phase. In addition, adhesion properties of the films are explored in terms of the growth mode and substrate interaction. Finally, preliminary room temperature electrical and thermal measurements are reported.
SHORT INTEGUMENT (SIN1), a gene required for ovule development in Arabidopsis, also controls flowering time

The short integument (sin1) mutation causes a female-specific infertility, and a defect in the control of time to flowering in Arabidopsis. Female sterility of Sin- plants is due to abnormal ovule integument development and aberrant differentiation of the megagametophyte in a subset of ovules. An additional defect of sin1 mutants is the production of an increased number of vegetative leaf and inflorescence primordia leading to delayed flowering. The delayed flowering phenotype of sin1-1 is not due to a defect in the perception of day length periodicity or in gibberellic acid metabolism. Phenotypes of double mutant combinations of sin1 with terminalflower (tfl1) indicate that SIN1 activity is required for precocious floral induction typical in a tfl1 mutant. Unexpectedly, sin1-1 tfl1-1 plants do not make pollen, thus revealing a novel role for TFL1 in the anther. Early flowers of sin1-1 ap1-1 double mutants are transformed to long inflorescence-like shoots. A genetic model for the role of SIN1 in flowering time control is proposed.
176 ALDOSTERONE EXCESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH TRUE TREATMENT RESISTANCE AS INDICATED BY SUSTAINED AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE LEVELS AND LESS WHITE-COAT EFFECT.

Purpose Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) better predicts cardiovascular outcomes than office BP. The purpose of this study was to compare the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) profile and the degree of white-coat effect (WCE) in resistant hypertensive subjects with or without hyperaldosteronism. Methods Two hundred fifty-two subjects with resistant hypertension were prospectively evaluated with an early-morning plasma aldosterone and plasma renin activity (PRA), 24-hour urinary aldosterone and sodium, and 24-hour ABPM. Daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour blood pressure as well as nocturnal BP decline were determined. Hyperaldosteronism (H-Aldo) was defined as suppressed PRA ( 12 μg/24 h). Results Overall, the mean office BP was 160.0 ± 25.2/89.4 ± 15.3 mm Hg on an average of 4.2 medications. There was no difference in mean office BP values between the 59 subjects with H-Aldo and the 193 subjects with normal aldosterone levels (N-Aldo). However, daytime systolic (150.6 ± 14.6 vs 140.7 ± 18.0 mm Hg, p = .0002), daytime diastolic (88.8 ± 8.7 vs 82.4 ± 13.7 mm Hg, p = .0009), nighttime systolic (147.0 ± 17.2 vs 133.9 ± 18.6 mm Hg, p Conclusions In spite of similar office BP, daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour ABPM levels were higher and there was less WCE in resistant hypertensive subjects with H-Aldo. These results suggest that high aldosterone levels impart increased cardiovascular risk not reflected by office BP measurements.
Identifying the perceived value of statistical consulting in a university setting

The aim of this study was to examine the perceived value of statistical consulting among statisticians within a university setting. Surveys were administered to statisticians at land-grant institutions, at known universities with consulting centers, and from the American Statistical Association Section on Statistical Consulting, to identify their perceptions on how statistical consulting is and should be valued within the university setting. Comparisons between consulting statisticians within and not within established consulting centers were examined. The results of the study provide evidence of the value of statistical consulting services to help inform university administrators and faculty review committees. Awareness of the value of consulting activities encourages collaborative efforts in the scientific community.
Design and benefits of an on-site tutoring program for the first programming class

This paper introduces an on-site tutoring program in our department. It examines how this tutoring program influences the students' performance in the first introductory programming class. This tutoring program is delivered by the upper level CS students, hosted in the department, and supported by STEM grants at a public liberal arts university. After a two-year study, we conclude that the tutoring program is most beneficial for 'C' students. More specifically, the study shows that the tutoring program positively increased the percentage of 'C' students by comparing those who visited the tutoring program and those who did not. The percentage of C students increased while the percentage of D-F students decreased. However, the data cannot show the evidence that the program has positively changed the grade distributions for 'A', or 'B' students; neither for 'W' students.
The Coming Entrepreneurship Boom

The United States will, at some point, recover from the current deep recession. But the overriding question upon recovery will concern resumption of growth rate. Will we return to the high growth and productivity rates of the post-1995 decade? Or, in a gloomier scenario, are we in for a sustained period of sluggish growth like what afflicted most developed countries from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s? The primary determinant of which path we take is our level of entrepreneurial activity. In terms of job creation, innovation, and productivity, entrepreneurs drive growth. Yet a major worry is that the basic demographics of the United States will inexorably tilt the country toward sluggishness: An aging country, with the baby boom generation moving into retirement, doesn’t strike one as an entrepreneurial society. Or does it? Several facts have emerged in the course of Kauffman Foundation research that indicate the United States might be on the cusp of an entrepreneurship boom - not in spite of an aging population but because of it. To the extent that entrepreneurship is a key driver of economic growth, this could bode well for America’s growth potential.
The Effects of Sliding, Rolling, and Rotation on Cross-Shear and Wear of UHMWPE in Knee Replacements

Wear debris from the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tibial bearing surface leading to loosening is still the main cause for revisions after 5 years for total knee replacements (TKR) [1]. Wear of UHMWPE is greatly increased under cross-shear motion, such as in the hip joint, due to how the molecules and crystalline regions can align in one direction and make the material weaker in the other [2]. The motion in the knee joint is mainly linear rolling and sliding, but there is rotation and medial-lateral sliding that introduce cross-shear [3]. Wear tests are typically performed with basic motion parameters and simplified geometry (pin-on-disk tests) or under gait simulation to test specific designs, but little is known about the effects of the different motions in the knee on UHMWPE wear. There is also disagreement over how to best quantify cross-shear and model how much wear it will cause [3–5]. This study investigates the effect on wear of the different individual and combined motions in TKR: sliding, rolling, and rotation, for a total of eight separate kinematic conditions. The different measures of cross-shear present in each case were calculated in a computer model and compared to the wear test results.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
An analytic benchmark solution to the problem of a generalized plane strain hollow cylinder made of micromorphic plastic porous metal and subjected to axisymmetric loading conditions

We provide a full analytical solution for the problem of a generalized plane strain circular hollow cylinder subjected to axisymmetric loading conditions. The matrix of the cylinder obeys a micromo...
Mercury in human hair. A study of the residents of Los Alamos, NM, and Pasadena, Calif, by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

Rapid digestion and quantitative mercury recovery are obtained when hair is digested in a mixture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and potassium permanganate. The studies were done on replicate samples drawn from a large homogeneous hair sample used as a standard reference. The method was applied to hair samples from 80 men and 147 women, long-term residents of Los Alamos, NM, and 99 women, long-term residents of Pasadena, Calif. The geometric mean of the mercury concentration found in the hair samples was: Los Alamos, 18.0 μg/gm (men) and 18.9 μg/gm (women); Pasadena, 25.0 μg/gm. Values ranged from 5 μg/gm to over 100 μg/gm. The mean values found are higher than previously reported. The results suggest that there may be differences in the environmental exposure of the two populations to mercury.
Determination and Analysis of Deposition Rate and Thermal-wash Circle in Low-temperature Gathering Pipeline

Based on the indoor cycle simulation test device,a low-temperature mixed transportation test of high water-cut crude oil is developed.The deposition rate with differential pressure method under different flow patterns is studied.In addition,combining laboratory test with oil-field production and based on the limit diameter of fluid media,the determination method of the corresponding thermal-wash circle in gathering pipeline is set up.Application examples show that the method has a good applicability for low-temperature gathering pipeline in high water-cut degree,effectively controlling production energy consumption of oilfield surface engineering.
Study on the intelligent ability of the preschool children and its influencing factors in one kindergarten

Objective To investigate children′s intelligence and its influencing factors in one kindergarten in order to facilitate understanding cognitive development in children.Methods One hundred and forty-five children(82 boys and 63 girls) in one kindergarten in Jintan participated in the study.Intelligence was measured by intelligence quotient(IQ) using the WPPSI(Shanghai revised) and factors which may influence IQ included psychosocial background were collected from parental questionnaires.Results The mean scores of children′s IQ in this kindergarten were(105.42±10.580) and were normally distributed.There were no gender differences in verbal intelligence quotient(VIQ),performance intelligence quotient(PIQ),and full intelligence quotient(FIQ)(P0.05).Both male and female children′s PIQ were significantly higher than their VIQ(P0.05).The percent of IQ disassociation was 31.72% in the children,with 69.57% of children had PIQ higher than VIQ.However,children with the higher scores of PIQ than VIQ did not differ from other children in terms of FIQ(P0.05).Both PIQ and VIQ were related to parents′,education level(P0.01),but no differences of IQ showed between city-born,town-born and countryside-born children,as well as between male and female children.Conclusions While overall IQ is normally distributed in this group,children in this cohort had relatively superior performance skills.Further studies should be conducted to assess replicability of this finding and test the following competing hypotheses(1) increasing access to educational materials selectively enhances performance ability,or(2) the 1982 WPPSI norms for Chinese children are in need of revision.
Tunica Wedge Excision to Correct Penile Curvature Associated with the Inflatable Penile Prosthesis

AbstractWe encountered 7 cases of significant penile curvature after placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis. In 3 cases curvature was present preoperatively owing to Peyronie’s disease and penile trauma, while in 4 it developed postoperatively owing to improper penile positioning. Curvature was straightened successfully by removal of small elliptical wedges of tunica albuginea of the corpus cavernosum from the convex surface of the curve and closing the defects created with 3-zero polydioxanone sutures. A subjectively gratifying result was achieved in each instance.
Spectral structure of 5 year time series of horizontal wind speed at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory

We investigate the spectral structures of 5-yr, 1-min time series of horizontal wind speeds at 100 and 10 m heights at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower located in the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, U.S.A. In the full-scale spectra, the diurnal spectral peak, which is usually insignificant at a coastal or offshore site, is the most significant at both heights. The spectrum is enhanced on the low frequency side of the diurnal peak during winter, but on the high frequency side during summer, which indicates frequent synoptic weather events during winter supplanted by mesoscale events during summer. In terms of the spectral density in the spectral gap of Van der Hoven [1957], separating boundary layer turbulence from the synoptic-scale fluctuations, at a frequency between 10-4 and 10-3 Hz, we rank the daily time series at 100 m height, and sample the summer top and winter bottom 10 percentile cases. The winter cases of the reduced spectral density in the gap region present the f− 3 spectrum (f is frequency) and negatively skewed velocity increment distributions, which are the signatures of enstrophy (the integral of squared vorticity) cascade of turbulent two-dimensional (2D) flows. In contrast, the summer cases of the enhanced spectral density present the f− 5/3 spectrum and positively skewed velocity increment distributions, which are the signatures of upscale energy cascade of 2D flows. In these mesoscale events that fill up the gap, the turbulence intensity - wind speed relationship is very sensitive to the choice of the averaging period.
The Sophistication of Simplicity: Ventricular Function and Oximetry Predict Survival in Eisenmenger Syndrome

> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. > > -Leonardo da Vinci In 1897, Victor Eisenmenger described a patient with cyanotic congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension who died at the age of 32. Although >100 years have passed since that initial report, the prognosis of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome has changed relatively little: Eisenmenger syndrome remains incurable, and patients have a high symptom burden and markedly diminished life expectancy, reduced by between 20 and 40 years, depending on the complexity of the underlying anatomy.1,2 Despite the grim prognosis, those with Eisenmenger syndrome live much longer with their disease than patients with other forms of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).3 Importantly, the natural history of Eisenmenger syndrome is better than that of combined heart and lung transplantation.4,5 Therefore, conservative management for years, or even decades, is often appropriate in Eisenmenger syndrome patients who have degrees of pulmonary hypertension that would trigger transplantation consideration in other forms of PAH. See Article by Jensen et al However, in Eisenmenger syndrome, deterioration is often rapid and inexorable after many years of clinical stability. Patients with Eisenmenger syndrome often cannot be supported with mechanical circulatory assist devices or palliated with atrial septostomy, techniques which can temporize deterioration in other forms of PAH. Multiorgan system dysfunction is common which makes patients with Eisenmenger syndrome ineligible for transplantation once they begin to worsen. Therefore, accurate methods of risk stratifying patients with Eisenmenger syndrome are critical. Improved prognostication would allow for appropriate timing of advanced therapies, including transplant consideration. However, most patients with Eisenmenger syndrome will …
NonArrhenius kinetics for reactive transport simulations of in situ combustion

Abstract In situ combustion (ISC) is a substantially exothermic reactive transport process. Due to the multicomponent nature of crude oil, ISC reactions are time consuming to characterize and represent accurately in a compact mathematical form. We have developed a methodology for simulation of thermal reactive flow with fidelity to reaction kinetics without construction of a model for reaction. The progress of ISC reactions is represented in a three-dimensional space bounded by conversion (extent of reaction), temperature, and heating rate that may be obtained experimentally. The representation may be either in continuous or tabular form (preferred). The reaction model free approach as applied to ISC is outlined and demonstrated for the first time. Comparison to the predictions of ISC from a conventional simulator is favorable. The results of the reaction-model free method match the common reaction model approach for one and two dimensional combustion processes. The reaction model free approach simplifies the numerical representation of reactive transport. The approach covers the whole range of heating rates that exist in combustion processes and it is as accurate as current methods.