cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relating structural failures to subsurface conditions using GIS

Abstract This paper discusses the use of GIS to disclose patterns of building structural failures, structural systems and the underlying soil types on a regional basis. The approach proposes the integration of a topologically specified logical data model of regional subsurface conditions in three dimensions with a model that describes the relevant attributes of the foundation/structural systems of buildings using the same geographical referencing systems as a layer of a GIS system. Attributes of structural failures associated with individual buildings are included in the database. With subsurface conditions on one hand and foundation/structural systems data on the other, it becomes possible to compare soil/structure combinations associated with specific types of failure and to give insights into the proper choice of structural systems in the region.
Remarks about X-rays from Eta Carinae

TWO classes of models are current for η Carinae, a “star” which is perhaps the most luminous (∼1040 erg s−1) known within our Galaxy. According to one model this object is a very massive star, which ejected a fraction of a solar mass in a major outburst observed during the mid-nineteenth century1,2. The ejecta became visually opaque as dust grains formed, reradiating the absorbed stellar radiation in the infrared. The visual emission-line spectrum is then supposed to come from photoionized gas within the dust shell. The other type of model proposes, instead, a very massive and therefore slow supernova remnant at present receiving energy from a central pulsar; in this case much of the observed infrared radiation is non-thermal3.
Behavior and characterization of blood carbon disulfide in rats after inhalation

Abstract Studies were undertaken to characterize free and bound CS2 in the blood of exposed rats. Rats were exposed for 4 hr to CS2 at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, or 4.0 mg/liter. Both free and bound or acid-labile CS2 (AL CS2) in the blood increased linearly with inhalation concentration. AL CS2 in the blood also increased linearly with time when rats were exposed to 2 mg/liter of CS2 for up to 4 hr. Free CS2 was eliminated rapidly by a two-exponential, first-order process, with half-times of 8.7 and 55.2 min; AL CS2 was eliminated similarly but more slowly, with half-times of 2.2 and 42.7 hr. The direct proportionality of blood AL CS2 concentrations to the inhalation concentrations and exposure time, coupled with the slow AL CS2 elimination, suggests that blood AL CS2 may be useful as an indicator of total CS2 exposure. When rats were exposed to 4 mg/liter of CS2 for 4 hr, the majority of free and AL CS2 was in the red blood cells. Dialysis studies with whole blood from CS2-exposed rats carried out at 4, 26, and 37°C demonstrated the temperature dependence for the release of free and AL CS2. Plasma and hemolysates of red blood cells from CS2-exposed rats, dialyzed at 4°C, showed no detectable loss of AL CS2 from the plasma and only a slight loss from the hemolysate (10%) after 24 hr. These studies indicate that CS2 binds mainly to macromolecules in blood.
Solar Radio Bursts and Low-energy Cosmic-rays

THE recent discovery, by equipment carried in satellites and balloons, that the terrestrial atmosphere is frequently bombarded by solar protons of energies 30–300 MeV.1,2, has given rise to much speculation concerning the origin of these low-energy cosmic rays, and their relation to solar radio bursts, flares, and terrestrial disturbances. In this communication we seek to elucidate these problems from a consideration of radio spectral observations of the Sun. The radio data were obtained at the Harvard Radio Astronomy Station, Fort Davis, Texas, with sweep-frequency receivers3 covering the range 25–580 Mc./s. The equipment scans the entire frequency-range three times per second, and a continuous record of solar radio bursts has been obtained from sunrise to sunset for the past three years.
Teacher Longevity: Motivation or Burnout

ell, maybe they don't! Many of them are simply exhibiting survival characteristics. They have learned to cope with an environment which fails to meet their professional and personal needs. Some may have tried to create their own environments within their classrooms. Some may have mentally dropped out despite their physical attendance. Although some may yet be fighting to improve the quality of education in their schools, many have long since resigned themselves to the status quo. Consequently they may be less enthusiastic about their students, the curriculum, their teaching, and professionalism. Whether teachers are motivated or burned out
Employee Stock Ownership and the Cost of Equity in Japanese Electronics Firms

Conflicts of interest between a firm's outside stockholders and employees will, in an efficient capital market, be reflected in a firm's cost of equity. Employee stock ownership reduces these conflicts by making the wealth of both outside stock holders and employees depend, to some extent, on the market value of a firm's stock. These reduced conflicts will, in an efficient capital market, be reflected in a lower cost of equity capital. Empirical implications of this argument are tested using a sample of Japanese electronics firms.
Turning to prayer: Social and situational antecedents of religious coping among African Americans

Although observers have long suggested that prayer is an important coping behavior for African Americans, there has been little research on the social and situational antecedents of such religious coping in this population. This study develops a series of theoretical arguments linking four sets of factors - religiosity, problem domain, social and psychological resources, and social location - with religious coping. Relevant hypotheses are then tested using data from a large national probability sample of African Americans. Findings confirm the general importance of religious coping among African Americans. Further, while multiple dimensions of religiosity are important predictors of the use of prayer in coping, this practice is also most likely among persons dealing with health problems or bereavement, persons with low general personal mastery, and females. A number of promising directions for further research on religious coping among African Americans, and in the general population are discussed.
Azo dyes featuring with nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) unit: A new selective chromogenic and fluorogenic sensor for cyanide ion

Abstract Three new chemodosimeters 1–3 were prepared, and their chromogenic and fluorogenic behaviors toward various anions were investigated. Receptors 1–3 show exclusive response toward CN− ion and also distinguish CN− from other anions by different color changes in aqueous solution (EtOH/H2O = 3/7, v/v). Among them, receptor 1 selectively exhibits a pronounced CN−-induced fluorescence enhancement. Thus, the receptor 1 can be used as a colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for the determination of CN− ion. The practical use of the receptor 1 for the determination of sodium cyanide (1.5 μM) in aqueous solution was also reported.
A Particle-Augmented Mixed Lubrication Modeling Approach to Predicting Chemical Mechanical Polishing

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a manufacturing process that is commonly used to planarize integrated circuits and other small-scale devices during fabrication. Although a number of models have been formulated, which focus on specific aspects of the CMP process, these models typically do not integrate all of the predominant mechanical aspects of CMP into a single framework. Additionally, the use of empirical fitting parameters decreases the generality of existing predictive CMP models. Therefore, the focus of this study is to develop an integrated computational modeling approach that incorporates the key physics behind CMP without using empirical fitting parameters. CMP consists of the interplay of four key tribological phenomena—fluid mechanics, particle dynamics, contact mechanics, and resulting wear. When these physical phenomena are all actively engaged in a sliding contact, the authors call this particle-augmented mixed lubrication (PAML). By considering all of the PAML phenomena in modeling particle-induced wear (or material removal), this model was able to predict wear-in silico from a measured surface topography during CMP. The predicted material removal rate (MRR) was compared with experimental measurements of copper CMP. A series of parametric studies were also conducted in order to predict the effects of varying slurry properties such as solid fraction and abrasive particle size. The results from the model are promising and suggest that a tribological framework is in place for developing a generalized first-principle PAML modeling approach for predicting CMP.
Estimation of geoelectric field for validating geomagnetic disturbance modeling

Geomagnetic induced currents (GICs) cause half cycle saturation of transformers and consequently increase the harmonic currents and reactive power in the grid. This paper focuses on the GIC modeling as an important geomagnetic disturbance (GMD) mitigation program. A linear model is presented which relates the transformer GICs to the geoelectric fields based on power network topology and conductances. Using the transformer GIC measurements, three effective techniques are proposed for estimating geoelectric fields, namely the Least-squares (LS) estimator, the Ridge Regression (RR) Estimator and the Lease Absolute Value (LAV) one. The effectiveness of the three estimators under various noise scenarios is validated for a small systems and a larger test case through simulation results.
Effect of Imatinib Mesylate on Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells

Treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has been greatly enhanced by the development of Imatinib mesylate, a specific inhibitor of the BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase. While it is clear that imatinib effectively targets BCR/ABL positive hematopoietic cells, studies examining its effect on primitive hematopoietic progenitors are much more limited. As CML arises in a primitive hematopoietic progenitor cell, it is especially important to understand the effect of imatinib on these cells. Here we review studies investigating the effect of imatinib on the proliferation and viability of primitive and committed hematopoietic progenitors in CML. We describe evidence that BCR/ABL positive progenitors may persist in patients responding to imatinib and discuss problems of resistance to imatinib. Finally we discuss studies evaluating new approaches to overcome resistance of CML progenitor cells to imatinib.
Efficient Class of Optimized Coning Compensation Algorithms

Various algorithms are examined for integrating the noncommutivity rate equation that is the basis for the coning correction applied in strapdown inertial reference systems. A concept for improving the computational accuracy and efficiency of strapdown coning correction algorithms is described and applied to the development of six new algorithms, each possessing optimal accuracy characteristics and leading to minimum computational throughput requirements. The accuracies of the six new algorithms are compared to those associated with four previously known algorithms in both pure coning and benign angular rate environments. It is shown that, for all algorithms, the error incurred in a benign environment is negligibly small, even for very severe maneuvers, and that algorithm optimization based strictly on a consideration of its accuracy characteristics in a pure coning environment is justified. An algorithm simplification concept employed that is similarly based solely on the properties of the algorithm in a pure coning environment is also shown to be justified.
The economic contributions of Robert A. Mundell

This is the second in a series of articles surveying the contributions of recent recipients of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. The 1999 recipient of the prize, Robert A. Mundell, has made important contributions in several fields, including the theory of the monetary and fiscal policy mix, the monetary approach to the balance of payments, the theory of optimal currency areas and supply-side economics. This paper provides an overview and critical evaluation of these contributions.
Methionine-induced stabilization of Bowman–Birk protease inhibitor mRNA

Abstract Supplemental methionine in a complete culture medium increases the Bowman-Birk-type protease inhibitor (BBPI) level in cultured developing soybean (Glycine max, L. Merrill) cotyledons. The increase of BBPI level was paralleled by an increase in the mRNA level. Nuclear run-on analysis showed that transcriptional activities of the BBPI genes were not different between cotyledons cultured in media with or without added methionine. Kinetics of changes in BBPI mRNA levels suggested a change in BBPI mRNA stability upon adding or omitting methionine from the medium. Direct measurement of BBPI mRNA by the use of cordycepin revealed that BBPI mRNAs were much more stable in cotyledons cultured in medium supplemented with methionine than in cotyledons cultured in medium without methionine. No major difference or heterogeneity in the length of BBPI mRNA poly(A) tails in cotyledons cultured in medium with or without met was seen.
Detection of canine interleukin-2 receptors by flow cytometry.

Abstract This study describes a method for detecting canine interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2R) by flow cytometry, using human recombinant IL-2 labeled with phycoerythrin (IL-2-PE). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four normal dogs were washed, incubated with IL-2-PE, and then washed to remove any unbound IL-2-PE. Flow cytometric analysis of the cells was performed with a 488 nm argon laser while gating on lymphocytes. Cells expressing the IL-2R were identified by their fluorescence as compared to cells stained with an anti-mouse immunoglobulin-G conjugated to phycoerythrin. The average percentage of resting cells expressing the IL-2R was found to be 21%. The addition of unlabeled human recombinant IL-2 to Day 3 phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated cells reduced the fluorescence intensity four-fold, thereby demonstrating the specificity of IL-2-PE for canine IL-2R. Following stimulation with optimal concentrations of PHA, the percentage of cells expressing the IL-2R increased daily and reached a maximum on Day 3 (76.4%). IL-2R density, as measured by mean fluorescence intensity, also increased and reached maximal levels on Days 2–3 (twenty-fold greater than resting cells). The binding, inhibition, and kinetic experiments provide evidence that human recombinant IL-2-PE is a useful tool for studying canine IL-2R expression. Thus, a one-step direct method for the flow cytometric detection and quantification of the canine IL-2R is now available.
Evaluation of synthetic adsorbents for cleanup of herbicide-laden wastewater

Abstract Small-and large-scale farm operators and applicators urgently need user-friendly and cost-effective on-site methods to treat dilute-formulated herbicide-laden wastewater (i.e., rinsate). In this study, we investigated solvent-regenerable synthetic adsorbents, Ambersorb® 563 adsorbent, Ambersorb 572 adsorbent, and Ambersorb 575 adsorbent, as alternatives to activated carbon (Filtrasorb ® 400) for cleanup of water containing Dual 8E (a.i., metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide]) or Banvel 4L (a.i., dicamba [3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid]). Batch-type adsorption experiments were conducted to compare adsorptive capacities of the various adsorbents. Adsorption maxima, obtained from adsorption isotherms, indicated that of the Ambersorb adsorbents tested, Ambersorb 572 adsorbent generally exhibited the highest adsorptive capacities for the herbicides tested and was comparable to Filtrasorb 400. Solvent (methanol) regenerability studies demonstrated that herbicide was readily recovered from Ambersorb 572 adsorbent and Filtrasorb 400. In general, metolachlor was more readily recoverable than dicamba. In fixed-bed column studies, Ambersorb 572 adsorbent exhibited twice the adsorptive capacity of Filtrasorb 400. Fixed-bed columns were more effective in removing metolachlor from herbicide containing water regardless of the adsorbent used. Multicycling of Ambersorb 572 adsorbent resulted in 30% loss of adsorptive capacity for dicamba as Banvel 4L and no loss of adsorptive capacity for metolachlor as Dual 8E. Working capacity was reached after three adsorption-regeneration cycles. Fixed-bed columns packed with solvent-regenerable adsorbents may prove useful as part of an on-site wastewater disposal system.
Toward regional economic planning: The New England case

Abstract As a result of the current change in economic thinking toward planning, this article, using New England as a case, after some preliminary data analysis on the continuity of the two sets of time series data, and the rejection of a hypothesis on the similarity between the regional and national economic structures, proposes first to estimate and then to project the regional economic structure and its possible shift in terms of industrial shares of their 10 component industries. Possible contributions of this kind of study toward regional economic planning then conclude the article.
Mach cones in an evolving medium

The energy and momentum lost by a hard parton propagating through hot and dense matter has to be redistributed in the nuclear medium. Apart from heating the medium, there is the possibility that collective modes are excited. We outline a formalism that can be used to track the propagation of such a mode through the evolving medium if its dispersion relation is known. Under the assumption that a sound wave is created, we track the jet energy loss as a function of spacetime and follow the resulting mach cone throughout the fireball evolution. We compare with the angular correlation pattern of hard hadrons as obtained by the PHENIX Collaboration and find good agreement with the data provided that a substantial fraction of jet energy (\ensuremath{\sim}90%) is deposited into a propagating mode and that the hot matter can be characterized by an equation of state with a soft point (not necessarily a mixed phase).
An examination of the relation between asymmetric risk measures, prior returns and expected daily stock returns

We use a sample of individual firm stock returns over the 1988–2009 time period to determine whether: (1) expected daily returns are related to asymmetric risk measures, (2) expected daily returns are related to the directional change of the prior day's price, and (3) our results are robust to the addition of firm size, book-to-market equity and liquidity. We find that investors are compensated for asymmetric risk; however, the positive risk–return relation is present only for our smallest firm quintile. We find a short-term return reversal present in all subgroups, except for the largest firms in our sample. We also document that the low volatility anomaly may be related to firm size and liquidity.
Surplus and Scarcity: Hunger and the Origins of the Food Stamp Program

Hunger in the United States was largely ignored prior to the 1960s, when social conditions combined to make it a national issue. This paper looks at the history of the food stamp program and the ongoing competition between two definitions of hunger: one which focuses on the need for food, the other which emphasizes social inequality. We show how the food stamp program has evolved in response to legislative activity and social movements, and how changes in the food stamp program have in turn shaped the debate about hunger. We conclude that the food stamp program in the United States has provided only a partial solution to the problem of hunger, and has diverted attention from societal relationships that produce hunger.
The rhetorical shaping of national interest: Morality and contextual potency in John Bright's parliamentary speech against recognition of the confederacy

This essay argues that the debate over British intervention in the American Civil War allowed for realignment of the parameters of the rhetorically constructed notion of “national interests.” Such constructions prior to the speech under investigation limited moral considerations; the context of the recognition debate afforded the opportunity to situate morality within the dominant sphere of consciousness of “interest.” A close reading of John Bright's speech in opposition to Confederate recognition demonstrates the ways this opportunity was exploited and reveals the speech as an instantiation of the rhetorical shift in the meaning of national interests.
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder among mentally retarded children

Teachers completed the Connors' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-39) on 100 boys assigned to one of four groups based on an IQ screen and scores on a DSM-III-R checklist of the symptoms for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (AD-HD). The groups included children rated high on AD-HD, mentally retarded children, mentally retarded children rated high on AD-HD, and a normal control group. Using the CTRS-39, there were no significant differences between the normal IQ AD-HD group and the mentally retarded AD-HD group on all but one of the factors. Mentally retarded children in general were found to be more anxious than their normal peers, whereas normal IQ AD-HD children were rated higher than the other groups on the Asocial factor. Implications of these data and future directions are discussed.
The identification of myocilin-associated proteins in the human trabecular meshwork

Abstract Myocilin forms high molecular weight complexes in vivo presumably due to interaction with itself and other myocilin binding proteins. To identify myocilin interacting proteins, yeast 2-hybrid analysis was performed on >1×10 6 human trabecular meshwork cDNA clones. Coimmunoprecipitation and Far Western analysis were also performed on cell lysates obtained from fresh human trabecular meshworks or cultured human monolayer trabecular cell lines. Among the different methods, 46 candidate myocilin-associated proteins were identified, including molecules associated with the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, signaling, and metabolism. The most consistent interaction was myocilin–myocilin binding. Yeast-2 hybrid and Far Western analysis also found an association between myocilin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). None of the other candidate myocilin interacting proteins were identified in more than one method. Characterization of these potential interacting proteins may help to better understand the function of myocilin in the trabecular meshwork and aqueous outflow pathway.
Evidence of a thin sheet toughening mechanism in Al−Fe−X alloys

A toughening mechanism, dubbed thin sheet toughening, is proposed for improving the fracture resistance (KIC and tearing modulus) of powder-metallurgy alloys of limited ductility. The basis of this approach is the recognition that internal delamination of thick-section components or cracked specimens into thin sheet ligaments in the fracture process zone leads to a drastic reduction in triaxial stresses, with the consequence of enhancing the critical fracture strain, fracture toughness (KIC orJIC), and tearing modulus. Theoretical analyses indicate that a factor of\(\sqrt 3 \), increase in theKIC value, and even greater increases in the tearing modulus are possible for idealized conditions. The predicted results are compared with experimental results of tensile,KIC, andJ tests conducted on four powder-metallurgy Al−Fe−X alloys at 25 and 316°C. The comparison reveals that thin sheet toughening is a contributor to the highKIC value observed in a state-of-the-art Al−Fe−V−Si alloy. Increasing the critical strain to fracture is also shown to be a possible method to improve the fracture toughness of Al−Fe−X alloys, independent of the thin sheet toughening effect.
Getting from A to IRB: Developing an Institutional Review Board at a Historically Black University

Shaw University, the oldest historically black college or university in the southern USA, recently partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a major research institution in North Carolina, to further develop Shaw's research infrastructure. One aim of the partnership involved establishing a human research ethics committee and an accompanying administrative structure and research ethics education program. This paper describes the process of developing an entire human research protection program de novo through collaboration with and mentoring by the members of the human research protection program at a nearby major research institution. This paper provides a detailed description of the aims, procedures, accomplishments, and challenges involved in such a project, which may serve as a useful model for other primarily teaching institutions wishing to develop research infrastructure and ethical capacity.
Preliminary characterization of circulating amino- and carboxy-terminal fragments of parathyroid hormone-related peptide in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy

PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) immunoreactivity in plasma from six well characterized patients with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy was characterized by gel filtration chromatography. An immunoradiometric assay directed against the N-terminal 74 amino acids of PTHrP and a RIA directed against the C-terminal region (amino acids 109-138) of the peptide were used to assay column fractions. When examined using acid (pH 5.0) nondenaturing conditions, N-terminal PTHrP immunoreactivity eluted with an apparent M(r) of 30,000-40,000. The apparent M(r) of this PTHrP fragment shifted to approximately 25,000 when gel filtration was performed at pH 9.0. The apparent M(r) shifted further, to approximately 6,500, when chromatographed under denaturing conditions in 4 M guanidine-HCl. Carboxy-terminal PTHrP immunoreactivity in plasma eluted with an M(r) of approximately 12,000 under acid nondenaturing conditions, as did the synthetic C-terminal PTHrP column marker, PTHrP (109-138). Synthetic PTHrP (1-36) and (1-74), and ...
Interaction of hypothalamic Na,K-ATPase inhibitor with isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

A ligand for the digitalis receptor located on the membrane-embedded Na,K-ATPase (NKA; EC 3.6.1.37) has been isolated from bovine hypothalamus (hypothalamic inhibitory factor; HIF) and identified as isomeric ouabain (Tymiaket al, 1993,Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.90: 8189–8193). In analogy to cardioactive steroids (CS) derived from plants or from toad, HIF inhibits the Na/K-exchange process and the ATPase activity of isolated Na,K-ATPase although by a different molecular action mechanism. In the present work we show that, as plant-derived ouabain, HIF inhibits86Rb-uptake by isolated human lymphocytes with an IC50 of about 20 nM; above this concentration HIF reduces cell viability in contrast to ouabain. The decrease in cell viability by excess HIF is accompanied by discrete morphological alterations (mitochondrial swelling) visible by transmission electron microscopy of ultra-thin sectioned peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Taken together the results show that the hypothalamic NKA inhibitor blocks NKA of isolated human lymphocytes with high potency at nanomolar concentrations without toxicity; concentrations exceeding the ones required to block86Rb-uptake reduce cell viability, probably due to leak formation across the NKA molecule. Thus, lymphocytes constitute a potential target for HIF action and by their altered NKA status a possible messenger between the nervous and the immune system.
Radiation-induced pollen abortion in several Commelinaceous taxa: its relation to chromosomal parameters

The effects of x or gamma rays and 0·43-MeV neutrons on pollen abortion, as measured by cotton blue staining, were studied in fifteen members of four genera ( Floscopa, Gibasis, Tradescantia and Tripogandra ) of the family Commelinaceae. The roles of interphase chromosome volume (ICV), nuclear volume (NV) and ploidy on the degree of pollen abortion induced by radiation were investigated. For each species, the maximum percentage of aborted grains was determined over a postirradiation period equivalent to an entire period of microsporogenesis. Dose-response curves were constructed for each species and these were found to vary in slope. From these curves, RBE values were determined for two species of Tradescantia and for a diploid and tetraploid species of Gibasis . Within the dose range investigated, highest RBEs at 10 per cent pollen abortion ranged from about 23 for Gibasis karwinskyana (4x) to about 9×4 for the diploid Gibasis . Ploidy was not found to influence the radiation response to an appreciable extent when ICVs were similar. High polyploids with small ICVs were found to be more radioresistant, but this response appears to be a function of ICV and not the degree of ploidy. Correlations were sought between 50 per cent pollen abortion and ICV or NV. No correlations were found using NV. However, following low LET radiation an inverse relationship (−1 slope) was obtained between 50 per cent pollen abortion and ICV. The same relation appears to hold for neutrons, but since only four species were available for comparison this relationship is still inconclusive.
Self-report symptoms differ between younger and older dizzy patients.

ObjectiveTo determine whether the responses of elders compared with younger patients differed significantly on a structured dizziness case history.Study DesignRetrospective case reviews.SettingOutpatient balance function testing center.PatientsTwo-hundred thirty-three adults who underwent vestibular
Comparison of iothalamate clearance methods for measuring GFR.

Study Objective. To evaluate the bias and precision of three methods of measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) relative to a standard method. Design. Prospective, outpatient study Setting. University-affiliated general clinical research center. Patients. Twenty-six patients with various degrees of renal function (GFR range 25-151 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ). Interventions. Each patient received iothalamate twice during the study visit, first as a bolus injection and then as a priming dose followed by a constant-rate infusion for 2.5 hours. Measurements and Main Results. Plasma (Clp IVB ) and renal clearances (Clr IVB ) after bolus injection and plasma clearance during constant-rate infusion (Clp INF ) were compared with standard renal clearance during constant-rate infusion (Clr INF ). All three measures were highly correlated with Clr INF (r>0.90, p<0.001). The mean Clr IVB was not significantly different from Clr INF (106.3 ± 30.4 vs 104.2 ± 28.5 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ) and provided a precise (8.8%, 95% Cl 6.5-11.1%) and unbiased measure of GFR. Both Clp IVB and Clp INF were positively biased; values exceeded Clr INF by 11.8 ± 11.1 (p=0.0001) and 10.5 ± 12.5 ml/min/1.73 m 2 (p=0.0003), respectively. Use of a nonrenal correction factor of 9.8 and 10.5 ml/min/1.73 m 2 for infusion and bolus plasma clearance values, respectively, eliminated bias and improved the precision of these methods. Conclusions. Iothalamate renal clearance after bolus injection is a simple, accurate, and precise measurement of GFR and may be a useful alternative to the standard infusion method in clinical investigations. The corrected plasma clearance provides a simple index of GFR for clinical practice.
TU-EE-A3-02: Registration of Ultrasound Tissue-Typing Images with CT Images for Image-Guided Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Purpose: To develop an image registration scheme, which combines both rigid and deformable registration techniques, to map the ultrasonic tissue typing (UTT) images to the computed tomography(CT)images for tumor targeted prostate IMRTtreatment.Method and Materials: UTT spectrum analysis can identify the cancerous regions inside the prostate to guide prostate radiation therapy. Current IMRTtreatment plans for the prostate are designed on CTimages. We developed a rigid registration followed by a deformable registration scheme for tumor region mapping between CT and UTT images. The rigid registration was achieved by adjusting the relative position of the two image sets until the mutual information between them was maximized. The deformable registration was based on a biomechanical model and finite element method(FEM). The prostate from both image sets was outlined by the clinician and the surface deformation between the two contour sets were fed into the FEM software algorithm to derive the volumetric displacement inside the prostate. When the voxel points correspondence between two image sets were known, the tumor area detected with UTT was mapped onto the CTimages and used for 3D planning for dose escalation. Results: The algorithm was validated using a tissue mimicking deformable prostate phantom and ten prostate specimens. The urethra served as a marker for verifying the registration process. For phantom and ex vivo study, the displacement of the urethra matched well between the CTimages and the deformed ultrasoundimages. The distribution of the 2D matching errors for the urethra central point had a mean and standard deviation of 2.0mm ± 1.1mm. We started to apply our registration scheme using in vivo prostate scans. Conclusion: We validated our registration scheme with our phantom and ex vivo studies. We demonstrated the feasibility of clinically employing this UTT method for intra‐prostatic tumordose escalation.
Diurnal Variability of Lung Function and Its Association with Sleep among Patients with Asthma

This prospective exploratory story examined diurnal variations in pulmonary function and their association with sleep and quality of life (QOL) in 20 adult asthmatics. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was assessed for 7 days, before bedtime and upon awakening. There was no association between PEF variability and QOL. Six of 13 polysomnographic measures were significantly correlated with overnight decline in PEF. Individuals with greatest decline took longer to fall asleep and enter Stage 1 sleep, spent less time asleep, and experienced poorer sleep efficiency. Diurnal variations in PEF reflect adverse sleep quality, yet impact on QOL is often unnoticed.
Monte Carlo simulation of ion transport in ion mobility spectrometry

A program for simulation of ion trajectories in ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) instruments has been developed and incorporated into SIMION 7.0 [Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 200 (2000) 3–25]. Simulations were based on elastic collisions between ions and gas particles and conducted for an IMS drift tube. The program was validated by comparing the reduced mobility of helium ions derived from the simulation with the experimental data for helium ions in neon drift gas in low electric fields. Typical IMS parameters, including pressure, temperature, and flow rate of the drift gas were taken into account in the simulations. The program demonstrates capabilities of generating IMS spectra and predicting ion transport efficiency and separating ions. For the IMS drift tube studied, a correlation between imperfection of the electric field distribution and low resolution has been observed.
The non-homogeneous accumulation model for terrestrial planet formation and the consequences for the atmosphere of Venus

The nonhomogeneous-accumulation model for the formation of the terrestrial planets is described, and its consequences for the formation of the Venusian atmosphere are assayed in the context of our knowledge of the composition of the earth and carbonaceous chondrites. The relative abundances of the low-temperature condensibles in the reservoirs at the earth's surface are applied to Venus. Although carbonaceous chondrites show similar properties for the chemically bound elements, they show large deficiencies for the rare gases. The major gases on Venus, by volume, are predicted to be 98.12% CO2, 1.86% N2 and 0.02% Ar-40.
The bonding of diethyl ether, ethanol and their fluorinated analogs to zirconium oxide thin films

Abstract We report a thermal desorption study of the interaction of water, diethyl ether, ethanol, perfluorodiethyl ether, and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol with zirconium oxide thin films epitaxially grown on Pt(111) single-crystal surfaces, and with the Pt(111) metal surface for comparison. We find that water and the hydrogenated ether interact chemically with the oxide surface through the O lone pair, whereas the fluorinated ether has only a van der Waals interaction. Ethanol and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol are decomposed to some extent on zirconium oxide upon heating. Fluorination decreases the bond strength between the molecules and the oxide surface. A similar trend is observed on the Pt(111) surface with regard to relative adsorptivity and reactivity of the adsorbates examined. Although the Pt(111) surface provides weaker interaction with the molecules that interact via O lone pair orbitals (water, ether and alcohol) than the oxide surface, it decomposes diethyl ether as well as the alcohols.
Chemoradiation as primary or adjuvant treatment for locally advanced carcinoma of the vulva.

Abstract Purpose: To determine the impact of primary or adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation (CRT) on the survival rates of patients with locally advanced vulvar carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Between 1973 and 1998, 54 patients with vulvar cancer were treated with radiation therapy, among which 20 received CRT, while 34 patients received radiation therapy (RT) alone. Of the 20 patients, 14 were treated for primary or recurrent disease (pCRT), and 6 after radical vulvectomy for high-risk disease (aCRT). Of the 34 patients, 12 were treated primarily (pRT) and 22 received adjuvant treatment (aRT). Chemotherapy consisted of 2 courses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin C administered during RT. Six patients received cisplatin in place of mitomycin C. In CRT groups, radiation was administered to the vulva, pelvic, and inguinal lymph nodes to a median dose of 45 Gy with additional 6–17 Gy to gross disease. In RT groups, the median dose to the microscopic diseases was 45 Gy. Nine patients received external beam boost and 16 patients received supplementary brachytherapy in the forms of 226 Ra or 241 Am plaques to sites of macroscopic disease. Results: Overall survival was superior in the patients treated with pCRT versus pRT with statistical significance ( p = 0.04). There was also a statistically significant improvement in disease-specific ( p = 0.03) and relapse-free survival ( p = 0.01) favoring pCRT. No statistically significant trends of improved survival rates favoring aCRT over aRT were observed. Conclusion: Concurrent radiation therapy and chemotherapy decreases local relapse rate, improves disease-specific and overall survival over RT alone as primary treatment for locally advanced vulvar cancer.
Morphine alters M. bovis infected microglia's ability to activate γδ T lymphocytes.

Microglia, the macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), are both the principle target cells for Mycobacterium infection in the CNS and serve a critical role in defense of the brain. If microglia’s functions are altered due to immunosuppressive agents such as opiates, perturbation in defense of the brain may occur, including defense against CNS Tuberculosis. This study was designed to determine if Mycobacterium infected microglia activate γδT lymphocytes and if the opiate morphine alters the capability of microglia to activate γδT lymphocytes. γδT lymphocytes proliferated, produced IFN-γ, and demonstrated cytolytic response upon exposure to Mycobacterium bovis infected microglia. IFN-γ, and antigen specific cytotoxicity were both markedly impaired due to morphine treatment.
Interplay between Anomalous Transport and Catalytic Reaction Kinetics in Single-File Nanoporous Systems

Functionalized nanoporous materials have broad utility for catalysis applications. However, the kinetics of catalytic reaction processes in these systems can be strongly impacted by the anomalous transport. The most extreme case corresponds to single-file diffusion for narrow pores in which species cannot pass each other. For conversion reactions with a single-file constraint, traditional mean-field-type reaction-diffusion equations fail to capture the initial evolution of concentration profiles, and they cannot describe the scaling behavior of steady-state reactivity. Hydrodynamic reaction-diffusion equations accounting for the single-file aspects of chemical diffusion can describe such initial evolution, but additional refinements are needed to incorporate fluctuation effects controlling, for example, steady-state reactivity localized near pore openings. For polymerization reactions with a single-file constraint, initial behavior depends strongly on system details such as catalytic site loading and reac...
Asymptotic search behavior based on the Weibull distribution

Abstract Fixed sample size search rules are examined for the case of a small marginal cost of search. The asymptotic Weibull distribution of minimum price is used to derive the optimal number of searches for a large class of parent price distributions. It is shown that the asymptotic price elasticity of the demand for search is a negative rational number less than 1 in absolute value.
Synthesis of Nonlinear Control Strategies via Fuzzy Logic

In this paper an analytic formulation of a class of fuzzy logic control algorithms is presented. This formulation makes use of the idea that characterstic functions of fuzzy sets may be considered to be algebraic functions of their argument. Placing common constraints such as continuity and boundedness on these functions, and making use of a variation of the so called centroid of area defuzzification rule, results in an analytic formulation of the control law that (i) can be used to explain how fuzzy control algorithms function as they do, and (ii) makes formal analysis of fuzzy control systems, at least in principle, possible.
A Split-Half Reliability Study of the Minnesota Child Development Inventory-Spanish Version Based on a Hispanic Migrant Population

The Minnesota Child Development Inventory-Spanish Version (MCDI-SV), a parental report assessment, was completed for 1,043 Hispanic migrant worker children ranging in age from 12 to 71 months. The MCDI-SV is a widely used instrument for screening and assessment within migrant early intervention programs. This study analyzed the reliability of the MCDI-SV to determine if the instrument is suitable for use with this minority population. Overall, the MCDI-SV appears to be a reliable instrument for the Hispanic migrant population for the 24-to-71 months age range.
Rapid Conical-Helical Perturbation in Doped Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Abstract Response times for conical-helical perturbation of ternary mixtures of cholesteric compounds were measured. It was found that by adding 5–30% of MBBA (p-methoxybenzylidenebutylaniline) to the mixture, a blue shift and bandwidth broadening in the transmission spectra occur. The response time is reduced by a factor of four and the intensity ratio is increased by a factor of seven, accompanied by a wavelength shift towards the blue. By increasing the percentage of MBBA from 30 to 50% the blue mixture is shifted back to red, while the trend of bandwidth broadening continues. The response time for the first stage is further reduced, but a second response stage with much longer time constants is introduced. Optimum response time and contrast occur at ∼30% MBBA
Regulation of core body temperature during whole body hyperthermia by oesophageal temperature feedback.

The use of whole-body hyperthermia as an adjuvant mode of therapy for metastatic cancer requires an accurate control of core body temperature so that the high temperatures encountered during treatment may be safely employed. Heating of the patient is accomplished by use of high-perfusion water-heated blankets. The temperature of the water circulating through the blankets is regulated by digital feedback control, using patient oesophageal temperature as a reference. A forced air heat exchanger is used to cool the circulating water once the control temperature is reached. Patient core body temperatures are currently being maintained at 41·8°C±0·1°C for time periods of up to four hours.
Analyzing human error in aircraft ground damage incidents

Abstract Ground damage incidents (incidents in which airline personnel cause damage to an aircraft on the ground) occur as airline personnel are working on, or around, an aircraft on the ground, either on the ramp or at a maintenance facility. Each incident can be quite costly to the airline, with costs both tangible (repair costs and lost revenue) and intangible (passenger inconvenience, increased maintenance workload). Thus, airlines have a financial incentive to reduce the number of ground damage incidents that occur. One of the airline's most difficult tasks has been to utilize the information collected in their existing error reporting systems to determine the common latent failures which contribute to typical ground damage incidents. In this study, 130 ground damage incidents from a major airline were reviewed to determine the active and latent failures. Twelve distinct hazard patterns (representing the active failures) were identified, with three hazard patterns accounting for 81% of all ground damage incidents. Nine major latent failures were identified, and the relationships between the hazard patterns and latent failures were examined in depth. This type of analysis allows the latent failures common to different hazard patterns to be identified, and provides a means for developing focused intervention strategies to prevent future ground damage. Relevance to industry Airlines have generally had a difficult time analyzing reports of human error to make improvements in their maintenance systems. This study provides a methodology that allows reports of human error to be analyzed, and interventions developed based on the results of the analysis. The methodology would also be applicable to, and useful in, other industries.
The Role of Clinically Significant Venous Thromboembolism and Thromboprophylaxis in Pediatric Patients With Pelvic or Femoral Fractures

Background:In adults, pelvic and femoral fractures have a known association with venous thromboembolic disease and, thus, thromboprophylaxis is the standard of care. However, similar data for children are scarce, and recommendations for pediatric prophylaxis are less clear. Our goals were to: (1) an
Schools of Nursing, Clinical Partners, and Alumni Collaborate for Senior Nursing Simulation Scenarios: A Theory-based Approach

Abstract Health care agencies have an increased need for entry-level nurses who are clinically competent and able to think critically in order to meet the complex patient care requirements for which they will be responsible. Prior to graduation, undergraduate senior nursing students frequently need further development of these critical thinking and clinical skills, and employers are seeking to hire those who are best prepared. The increased demand for competent graduates, combined with a shortage of clinical opportunities, means that schools of nursing must develop innovative educational approaches in conjunction with clinical partners. Clinical partners may include college of nursing alumni, agency staff nurses, and administrators who will meet both the learning needs of students and the resource needs of nursing employers. Human patient simulation is a teaching strategy increasingly used by schools of nursing to develop students' clinical competency and clinical judgment skills. At our college of nursing, faculty working with students just prior to graduation recognized an opportunity to use human patient simulators as a competency evaluation strategy as well. A commitment to effectively and creatively deal with the demands of clinical learning led faculty to collaborate with varied stakeholders to establish a theory-based approach to developing clinical scenario simulations using human patient simulators to prepare entry-level nurses.